Rachel Dratch

We owe Rachel Dratch royalties for this podcast. Amy hangs with her fellow 'SNL' alum, and they talk about life as a Pisces stellium, sailing to the Pinot Grigio Islands, and how Dratch got the inspiration for Debbie Downer on a group trip to Costa Rica. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Kevin Cahoon and Rachel DratchExecutive Producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Belle Roman, and Aleya Zenieris; lighting director Caroline Jannace, audio producer Kaya McMullen; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal Music: Amy Miles Palmolive removes up to 2.5X the grease**vs. leading brand non-concentrated formula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by eBay Live. Here's how it goes. First, you're watching the eBay livestream telling yourself, I'm just looking. And then boom, you see a vintage Rolex go for an absolute steal. Suddenly, a rare beanie baby pops up. Adrenaline hits and you're bidding. You might lose that first one, but you bid again and win. And that winning rush? Incredible, because you beat everyone to it. Meanwhile, on eBay Live, you don't just watch the action, you're in it. Download the eBay app to stream and shop live. eBay Live, things people love. Hi, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I am so excited about this episode.

• 0:38Amy Poehler?

  It is the great Rachel Dratch, my friend for almost 30 years and America's favorite. And we are going to talk about so much good stuff. We're going to talk about growing up in Massachusetts. We're going to talk about our love for the musical Annie. And we're going to go behind the music and do a deep dive into the world famous clip that kicked this podcast off and that has kept us laughing ever since. So get ready for a great interview. Before we start, we always like to talk to someone who knows our guest, is a fan of our guest, has a question that they want to give me. And I'm very excited to talk to Kevin Cahoon today. Kevin is a dear friend of Rachel.

• 1:21Amy Poehler?

  He is an incredible actor, musical theater pro, Tony nominated for the great musical Shucked, and you can catch him in a million other things. And Kevin is zooming in to get things started. Kevin, hi.

• 1:42Amy Poehler?

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• 2:21Speaker 01

  Amy.

• 2:22Amy Poehler?

  Oh.

• 2:24Amy Poehler?

  Hi.

• 2:26Speaker 01

  Lucky.

• 2:28Amy Poehler?

  I feel so lucky.

• 2:29Speaker 01

  I'm the luckiest.

• 2:32Speaker 01

  I get to see you on this too.

• 2:34Amy Poehler?

  I know. I wish we were having margaritas with Dratch.

• 2:38Speaker 01

  Hey, listen, wouldn't that be great? That's a good hang right there.

• 2:42Amy Poehler?

  That is. For listeners, I've had a few margaritas with Kevin and Dratch over the years, pre-show, post-show, because both of you are on Broadway.

• 2:52Speaker 01

  Well, listen, anytime I can hang out with you.

• 2:55Amy Poehler?

  And how are you?

• 2:57Speaker 01

  I'm so great. How are you?

• 2:59Amy Poehler?

  Where are we talking to you from?

• 3:01Speaker 01

  I am in Texas at my mom's place, rural Texas, outside of Houston. It's a sunny day. We've had four days of torrential rain. And I'm dealing with these wild hogs. I know this is crazy. They're wild feral hogs that show up in the middle of the night and they tear up your property. They travel in packs of thirty, and I've set up alarms all around, and I think they're working. But last night, we had a few come and the alarms went off in the middle of the night, which there's nothing more terrifying. And I'm good with animals, and I grew up with a lot of animals, and I'm fine with animals. Not these animals. Not a fan. It's worth a Google, if anyone wants to Google Texas wild feral hogs.

• 3:47Amy Poehler?

  Well, I mean, the, the, the thing that I was so excited to talk to you about today is that you, like many of us, deeply love our guest, Rachel Dratch.

• 4:00Speaker 01

  Beyond.

• 4:01Amy Poehler?

  Tell me, tell me how you two first met.

• 4:03Speaker 01

  We met doing a musical called Minsky's in LA, written by Charles Strauss and Susan Birkenhead and Bob Martin. It was coming to Broadway, a star-studded cast, and it closed in LA, which is, you know, the, the great showbiz tale. But what you take away from experiences like that are the people, and you usually have one or two from each show. And I fell in love with Rach immediately. What's not to fall in love with? Um, and she had told me she had gone to a psychic that I think you had bought her this psychic reading for her birthday.

• 4:41Amy Poehler?

  That's right. I should talk to her about that because if she's open to it because her and I both went to the same psychic at the same time when we were both pregnant.

• 4:48Speaker 01

  Yes, that's right. And she had gone to, we had before the show, we would go, I would go to her dressing room and we would have a day catch up. What'd you do today? Who'd you see? Where'd you lunch? Um, and she had said, I went to the psychic and the psychic told me that our show was gonna close out of town. And we were like, they're crazy. That'll never happen. We're moving into the St. James Theater. Well, the psychic was right. But anyway, it, that was probably 15, 16, 17 years ago, and it has just been the most nourishing, fulfilling, steadfast friendship that I could have ever, ever imagined. And then I've gotten to have new friends like you that I have met through Rach, and you know that they're a good friend when you meet their friends and those friends become

• 5:33Speaker 01

  your friends as well. So it, um, it's just been the most rewarding friendship I could have ever imagined.

• 5:40Amy Poehler?

  I hear you. I feel the same. I feel like there's a few friends that, and it's proven to be true now that Rachel and I have been friends for almost 30 years. There's a few people that you know in, in success and in quote, failure, in good times and in bad times, they're gonna weather that storm with you. And that's not always the case with everyone. Sometimes people are better when things are going badly, right? They're like, they like that. And sometimes people wanna hear when you're succeeding. That's what they, when they wanna be along for the ride. But Rachel Dratch definitely is there for both if you're lucky enough to have her as your friend.

• 6:19Speaker 01

  That is so true. And she's a wonderful gift giver. She never forgets an occasion where she's gonna bring you a little something. You know, I did a Broadway show that ran nine months and she was there opening night, she was there closing night, she was there in between, she came again, she brought friends. It's just, she is a cheerleader for those that she loves. She is a champion. Um, she'll go to bat. She's just, life is a little brighter when Rach is around.

• 6:51Amy Poehler?

  Kahoon, let's talk about Shucked, which is the show you're talking about.

• 6:56Speaker 01

  That's true, yes.

• 6:57Amy Poehler?

  I loved you in it and loved that show so much.

• 7:01Speaker 01

  You were so dear to come.

• 7:03Amy Poehler?

  Of course.

• 7:04Speaker 01

  It meant the world to me. And let me tell you what, Amy Poehler, you're one of those friends. Because not only did you come to Shucked, I did a production of La Caja Fall in the fall. You came to La Caja Fall. You are there. I mean, you're, you know, you, birds of a feather fly together. You guys are just exemplary friends.

• 7:26Amy Poehler?

  Aw, friend. Thank you for saying that. That means a lot. And I love, I mean, it's not hard work to go to a really fun show and watch you. Before we get to your question, I do want to, I'm going to talk to Dratch a little bit about her, her Tony nom and her show POTUS and how, I mean, because I know from being her friend, how, how positive an experience that was for her, like, great women that she became really good friends with, a Tony nom, a hilarious part. Do you remember that time and what she said about that experience when she was working on that show?

• 7:59Speaker 01

  Well, here's the incredible thing, and it's so rare. She got a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut.

• 8:07Amy Poehler?

  Damn.

• 8:09Speaker 01

  Ever happens. That is like remarkable. And I've seen Rachel onstage so many times at The Public, Shakespeare in the Park, Manhattan Theater Club. She is always the standout. And when you do a Broadway show, whether you want to admit it or not, there's always a part of you that thinks, maybe, just maybe, that childhood dream would come true. That show that I watch once a year in June, maybe I could be a part of that show. And then when it happens, it is just, it's the most, it's the biggest embrace you could ever imagine from a community that you've always wanted to be a part of.

• 8:50Speaker 01

  And you know, a lot of people probably um know Rachel from television and from film, but her theater career is just as sparkling and just as dynamic and diverse as um her impact on TV and film.

• 9:07Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, she's played so many different types of characters. It's actually a good question. She's played like men and dogs and people and like mothers and robots and whatever. She will, she can do it all.

• 9:20Speaker 01

  She can do everything. That's why you hire Rachel Dratch, you know?

• 9:23Amy Poehler?

  It's so true.

• 9:24Speaker 01

  Like, it's so true. Um, we should all be as versatile as Rachel Dratch, you know?

• 9:30Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so Kev, what do you think? I mean, I could talk to Dratch and Will probably today forever about so many things, the past, the present, the future. Anything you think I should ask her today?

• 9:40Speaker 01

  Yes, um, it was hard to pick one question. I have two that I think are uh sparkly. One is about the theater because I feel like a lot of people don't realize that Rachel Dratch was a theater kid and she went to theater camp and her dream and ambition was to be in plays and in musicals. And then her career took a brilliant detour. Um, I would ask her, little Rachel Dratch going to theater camp, what were her three beacons of light in the American theater? A musical, a performer, who was it that filled her with, I wanna do that. That's what I wanna be when I grow up.

• 10:24Amy Poehler?

  Such a good question.

• 10:25Speaker 01

  That was the one question. And then, this is something that inspires me about Rachel. She brought us all Debbie Downer, one of the most iconic American comedic characters.

• 10:40Speaker 01

  When Rachel Dratch is thinking about feline AIDS and North Korean train accidents and insurrection, what is that catalyst that gets her out of her doom and gloom and brings her back to reality? That would be another question.

• 10:59Amy Poehler?

  Debbie would want me to point out that it is good that you brought up feline AIDS because it is the number one killer of domestic cats.

• 11:04Speaker 01

  Well, that's true. Listen, we've talked about feral hogs and feline AIDS. What's next, baby?

• 11:09Amy Poehler?

  Texas, baby. These are such good questions, Kevin. And she, I don't think she knows that I'm talking to you today.

• 11:17Speaker 01

  I did not tell her.

• 11:18Amy Poehler?

  Okay, good. I didn't tell her either.

• 11:19Speaker 01

  We even had a little, we had a little kiki yesterday and I was zipped, lip, so.

• 11:24Amy Poehler?

  Oh my, I'm so happy because she's going to be so happy. These are really good questions and I think nobody loves a good question more than Dratch. Like if you ask Dratch a good question, she's like, that's such a good question.

• 11:39Speaker 01

  She will say that, I guarantee you.

• 11:41Amy Poehler?

  She will.

• 11:42Speaker 01

  And I had told Blake Lee, who was on, who's a dear mutual friend of ours, who was on for Toda, I told him not five days ago, Amy, it was like, you were so incredible on Amy's podcast. It's so fabulous that you were on there. It is so chic. What a cool thing. I'm so proud of you. And then my phone dinged and it was you and.

• 12:04Amy Poehler?

  Kahoots.

• 12:05Speaker 01

  It just, I can't thank you enough.

• 12:07Amy Poehler?

  Are you kidding me?

• 12:08Speaker 01

  For letting you join fun and be part.

• 12:10Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for taking a break from fighting the hogs and, and if, you know, if you are eventually eaten by them, just know that our time together was so special to me.

• 12:21Speaker 01

  It was, and I cherish every single minute.

• 12:24Amy Poehler?

  All right. I can't wait to see you in New York, friend.

• 12:28Speaker 01

  I love you so much.

• 12:29Amy Poehler?

  Love you. Thanks so much for doing this. Rachel Dratch is here. Are we starting? Is it official? Yeah, and we need to talk about, wait, what? What do you got?

• 12:46Speaker 02

  Let's get started here. I'll get this.

• 12:48Amy Poehler?

  Rachel's pulling out the world famous.

• 12:53Speaker 02

  You've seen it. You've seen it before. This is my new trademark, everybody.

• 12:58Amy Poehler?

  Smithsonian. These are gonna be at the Smithsonian. The Academy of TV and Radio.

• 13:05Speaker 02

  By the way, I didn't, I didn't tangle this. This is how it came out. Where I was storing it. This is the.

• 13:11Amy Poehler?

  These are the world famous.

• 13:12Speaker 02

  State. World famous.

• 13:14Amy Poehler?

  Rachel Dratch headphones. They were shot, fired hard around the world.

• 13:18Speaker 02

  These headphones is where it all began. The chaos beginning.

• 13:23Amy Poehler?

  Oh my, and now they're.

• 13:25Speaker 02

  Now that I'm with Amy, everything's alright. Okay, we don't even use these, but I had to bring those up.

• 13:31Amy Poehler?

  God, Dratch.

• 13:32Speaker 02

  The historical item. Okay.

• 13:33Amy Poehler?

  Of course, Dratch brings a prop.

• 13:37Amy Poehler?

  Brings a prop from home. For people that didn't see, our first episode of Good Hang, Dratch was in the group that was talking about our guest, Tina Fey, and boy, did we have a good time.

• 13:50Speaker 02

  That was like, probably my biggest laugh of the year.

• 13:52Amy Poehler?

  I just watched it again on the way over here, and we're gonna get into it today.

• 13:56Speaker 02

  Of course we are. People need to hear the behind the music.

• 14:02Amy Poehler?

  Where were you?

• 14:03Speaker 02

  Where were you when you saw the clip?

• 14:06Amy Poehler?

  I mean, I owe you money for that clip. I owe you money for that clip. But it really was like, it started off the entire vibe of the show, like, I'm so grateful for it, because it started off exactly what I was hoping, which is, I was hoping that this would be like, fun and easy and a laugh, and that was the deepest laugh, Dratch.

• 14:26Speaker 02

  It was such a good laugh. Like, I mean, imagine like, your best laugh ever, and then it's, and then it's like, recorded for you to watch again. Like, that, that never happens, because you can't plan that.

• 14:38Amy Poehler?

  No, no, and also having Fred and Seth and Zarna there, and there's really no better, I would say like, partner than Seth when Dratch is Dratching, because he's so good at keeping like, like, things moving in a way or something like.

• 14:55Speaker 02

  He was making me laugh so much.

• 14:57Amy Poehler?

  So hard.

• 14:57Speaker 02

  When he's like, "Dratch, we're probably gonna cut all this out." And then when I was like, "I'm holding everything up," and he's like, "No, this is how she wanted to start." Like, he was the perfect foil.

• 15:10Speaker 02

  The comedy foil.

• 15:11Amy Poehler?

  Also, the thing that gets me, which is such a like improv and such a good example of what a good listener you are, is that at the very end, you clap, which is what we asked you to do 15 minutes before to get started. God, that clap.

• 15:25Speaker 02

  End it with the beginning, people.

• 15:28Speaker 02

  Comedy 101.

• 15:31Amy Poehler?

  Okay. Second prop use of this podcast is Dratcha swirling her ice drink. Okay. No, but it is like that. I have to say, when I was thinking about what to talk about today, I was like, we have had deep laughs.

• 15:48Speaker 02

  We have.

• 15:48Amy Poehler?

  It's like the hot, and you love, you love to laugh. And the way Dratch has many kinds of laughs. And you have, like, I know people have done your laugh to you.

• 15:59Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 16:02Amy Poehler?

  Also, when you go into like a level two laugh, when you're going down deep, you go.

• 16:09Amy Poehler?

  Like, you get very old school.

• 16:12Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 16:13Amy Poehler?

  You do.

• 16:14Speaker 02

  Wait, I just need to say, though, that when that was happening, that I didn't know that was gonna be used for on camera.

• 16:21Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 16:22Speaker 02

  Which.

• 16:23Amy Poehler?

  I didn't tell you that.

• 16:24Speaker 02

  You did not tell me. I looked back at the texts and.

• 16:27Amy Poehler?

  I'm very sorry.

• 16:28Speaker 02

  No, no, I don't mean that. I mean, it was the best thing ever. But I just mean, for people wondering, like, why did you order food, right, when I was, there was a podcast happening?

• 16:36Amy Poehler?

  Like, we could argue still with audio, why did you?

• 16:39Speaker 02

  Well, because I thought it was like a half hour of time.

• 16:43Amy Poehler?

  True.

• 16:43Speaker 02

  And then it came very quickly. And then my dog barked. And then.

• 16:49Amy Poehler?

  And your dog's name is?

• 16:50Speaker 02

  My dog's name is Ruffles. And Ruffles started barking. Anyway, sorry, go ahead.

• 16:55Amy Poehler?

  Do you remember, I think we talked about it, there was a hilarious, whoever's the TikToker who did this, somebody posted, there were many clips of it, and then someone went and looked at your chart?

• 17:04Speaker 02

  Yes, my horoscope, whatever, zodiac. Well, so I'm, what's, Pisces, I didn't know this word, stellium, means all your things are in the same sign, like, every single thing. But I guess there's one little thing. But this woman, she did my chart on TikTok, and she was laughing really hard. She's like, how is this woman surviving with everything in Pisces? She's like, she is, she's, somehow she's making it work. But I guess there's like one thing in Capricorn, she goes, this Capricorn is holding the whole rest of it all together. It's doing the work of, you know, 10,000 men or something.

• 17:37Amy Poehler?

  And she called you the Pisces final boss.

• 17:40Speaker 02

  Yes. And I have wondered if I, other people were talking about A- ADHD, I guess. And I have wondered if I have that as an adult. I don't know.

• 17:48Amy Poehler?

  I don't know.

• 17:49Speaker 02

  But that, if you look at that clip, you're gonna be like, yep.

• 17:52Amy Poehler?

  I feel like it's like Pis- I mean, we, we talk about it like in, you know, the Pisces being a shorthand for, like, you know, it's in its best.

• 18:01Speaker 02

  Chaos. I'm saying, that's what I'm saying. But we're opposite.

• 18:07Amy Poehler?

  Amy's Virgo.

• 18:08Speaker 02

  Amy's Virgo. By the way, I don't know much about signs, but I just know about this.

• 18:12Amy Poehler?

  I don't know. I, I do like astrology. I think it's cool. We like astrology. We like Enneagram. We like anything that like, is about personality stuff.

• 18:19Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 18:20Amy Poehler?

  But what's fun about talking about Pisces and Virgo is Pisces are kind of the fish that are floating through life. And Virgo is the virgin setting the rules. I don't know. And, um, but I find like we do do, I mean, I, I, I feel like you do definitely have a dreamlike approach and an adventurous approach to life.

• 18:42Speaker 02

  I would say that, yes.

• 18:43Amy Poehler?

  Yes. I think you are like a curious traveler. And, and you definitely don't, um.

• 18:50Speaker 02

  I feel shy.

• 18:51Amy Poehler?

  I get shy. I get shy.

• 18:57Amy Poehler?

  Did you see what happened?

• 18:58Speaker 02

  The curious traveler.

• 19:05Speaker 02

  I'm trying to be myself.

• 19:06Amy Poehler?

  I can't see Dratch. It was like a cloud, a shy cloud came over. But you are kinda shy.

• 19:11Speaker 02

  I am shy, yes.

• 19:12Amy Poehler?

  It goes without saying, we've been friends for 30 years. We are often mistaken for being the same person. Or like just the other day, someone, we were in a ba- a public bathroom and someone's like, I saw your sister in the bathroom. Like, they think we're sisters. But you and I do, do definitely have like, if, if life was like a rom-com, like we would be like growing up next to each other.

• 19:31Speaker 02

  So, walking by each other in the mall, probably.

• 19:34Amy Poehler?

  Yes. So, ta- talk to people who don't know, you're like, early Dratch, where did she grow up? What was her life like?

• 19:39Speaker 02

  Early Dratch, uh, grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, next town over from Amy, but we didn't know each other, although if. Well, we did work in the same ice cream store, which we always have to say, called Chad Mix. And if you don't know that, by not even living under a rock. But anyway. Um, but yeah, I grew up in Lexington and, uh, I don't know, I was, I was shy when I was little, but I was always, I mean, I watched SNL when I was in third grade at someone else's house at a sleepover, like their older brother was watching it. And I was immediately like, what is this? But I definitely was, I mean, I don't know about you either. I don't, I wasn't like, I'm gonna be an actor when I grow, at all.

• 20:13Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 20:14Speaker 02

  It was just for fun.

• 20:15Amy Poehler?

  Even knew that was a job, really.

• 20:17Speaker 02

  Yeah. It was sort of like, maybe a little dream at the back. Like, when I saw Annie, you know, the musical, I'm like, how are they up there? Where, where did I get one of those buckets? You know, like.

• 20:26Amy Poehler?

  Annie, Annie is, there should be a documentary about women our age and how we were affected by Annie.

• 20:32Speaker 02

  Yeah. So, um, but yeah, and then I did school plays, but I definitely was not like, the queen of the drama club, you know? I just did it for fun.

• 20:41Amy Poehler?

  You did get a superlative, though, and it was?

• 20:43Speaker 02

  I did. I got class clown. Did you get class clown? Or did you guys do those stupid things?

• 20:48Amy Poehler?

  We had class clown, but I didn't get it.

• 20:49Speaker 02

  What? I'd like to know who did.

• 20:52Amy Poehler?

  I, I was the second runner up for most casual.

• 20:56Speaker 02

  Most casual. It's like, what did that even mean?

• 20:59Amy Poehler?

  I don't know if it's in manner or dress, but didn't even get close to superlative.

• 21:03Speaker 02

  Kind of casual.

• 21:04Amy Poehler?

  Class clown.

• 21:06Speaker 02

  But, um, then, let's see, I don't know. I, then, uh, oh, and then also, well, my dad was very funny, as you know.

• 21:14Amy Poehler?

  Yep.

• 21:15Speaker 02

  Paul Dratch.

• 21:15Amy Poehler?

  Paul Dratch.

• 21:16Speaker 02

  Um, and, uh, so we just kind of had like, you know, he would do like, kind of, oh, this is funny. I, I ran into someone, um, whose dad had gone to high school with my dad, back when I was in high school, you know, we were at the house.

• 21:28Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:28Speaker 02

  And then she said, oh, my dad said your dad used to always do impressions of the teachers when they left the room and have everyone laughing.

• 21:36Amy Poehler?

  No way.

• 21:37Speaker 02

  Yeah. So like, I, I just sort of had that, it was in my blood. No, but I mean, it was sort of like,

• 21:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:42Speaker 02

  in the atmosphere. And then, um,

• 21:44Amy Poehler?

  But you did school plays.

• 21:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 21:45Amy Poehler?

  You're getting class clown, you gotta be. Funny, in real-

• 21:50Speaker 02

  Well, I guess like in junior high, I started to kinda like pipe up one-liners-

• 21:53Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:54Speaker 02

  From the back of the room, kinda thing.

• 21:56Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:56Speaker 02

  But, um, much to the chagrin of teachers, I'm sure. But, um, but then, when I got to college, then there was an improv group there. And then I was ca- like, I didn't even know what improv was, back then. Now, it's like more-

• 22:08Amy Poehler?

  When you go to- so, you're in high school in Lexington, Massachusetts, which, a shot heard round the world, that we just mentioned, um, uh, like, the birthplace of democracy. Um, right next to it was Burlington, Massachusetts, where I was from. And let's be honest, they were not different at all. There was maybe, right? Oh my god, look at Jack. She dressed blan-

• 22:27Speaker 02

  Cause I was the first time she said it!

• 22:28Amy Poehler?

  Well, I was gonna say, I exaggerated for effect.

• 22:31Speaker 02

  Okay, okay.

• 22:32Amy Poehler?

  I exaggerated for effect.

• 22:34Speaker 02

  Okay, okay. We shared a mall.

• 22:36Amy Poehler?

  We shared a mall.

• 22:36Speaker 02

  Well, I often hung out at the Burlington Mall.

• 22:38Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 22:38Speaker 02

  We probably passed each other.

• 22:39Amy Poehler?

  We did, I think we did.

• 22:41Speaker 02

  At the Brigham's or something.

• 22:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, like, we definitely, I felt like we had very parallel lives, like, short, blue-eyed Massachusetts girls, who, um, like, were good students, but wanted to be funny, and, um- And the Lexington, I always used to joke that Lexington is like, for Parks and Recs fan, like, Parks and Rec fans, Lexington was the Eagle Ten, and Burlington was the Ponty, is how it felt. Like, we thought Lexington was where the rich people were. And what did you think of Burlington?

• 23:10Speaker 02

  Burlington? Oh, I didn't think about- no, I'm just kidding. I'm like, how do I, how do I get Amy to see? Um, no, first of all, I worked at Caldoors.

• 23:21Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 23:21Speaker 02

  Which is in, across the Burlington line, across town lines, I worked at Caldoors, with the Burlington Bad Girls.

• 23:27Amy Poehler?

  And our teams played each other.

• 23:28Speaker 02

  Our teams played each other, on Thanksgiving Day. And so, since then, we always call it- well, now they don't anymore, but we used to call each other up on Thanksgiving.

• 23:35Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, we used to trash-

• 23:36Speaker 02

  Suck it Burlington!

• 23:36Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 23:37Speaker 02

  We used to trash-

• 23:38Amy Poehler?

  To, uh, trash-talk each other, on Thanksgiving.

• 23:40Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 23:41Amy Poehler?

  And, then you go to Dartmouth.

• 23:43Speaker 02

  I went to Dartmouth.

• 23:44Amy Poehler?

  Uh, Ivy League, Rachel.

• 23:47Amy Poehler?

  And very, very like, uh, what was your experience there? Like, did you like it?

• 23:51Speaker 02

  Well, great question. Um, it was, I went back in the eighties and it was, it was very conservative back then. Which I didn't even really know what that meant, but it was just like, um, it took me a while to find my people there. Like, you know, I had friends at the beginning and everything, but then the, the general ethos of it, I didn't feel like I really matched with.

• 24:13Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 24:13Speaker 02

  Um, and then I saw the improv group, like, some friend of mine from like acting class or whatever. I was like, come check this out. And as soon as I saw it, I was like, not like this, but I was kind of like, I feel like I could do this.

• 24:25Amy Poehler?

  This is exa- this is, we have very similar stories. Because same thing, I went to Boston College, I was trying to figure out how I fit in, big like-

• 24:33Speaker 02

  I didn't know that part of it.

• 24:34Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, big sports school, like, and lots of, um, like, uh, uh, private school kids, prep school kids.

• 24:40Speaker 02

  As much as we joke with Lex and they're like, we didn't have like that prep school vibe of like-

• 24:46Amy Poehler?

  No, no, we were public school kids.

• 24:47Speaker 02

  And I was like, what person is the, yeah, that was a big vibe there.

• 24:50Amy Poehler?

  I can remember going into people's dorm rooms and being like, how do you know how to get your dorm rooms so ready so fast?

• 24:56Speaker 02

  And they're like, I was living in Deerfield.

• 25:01Speaker 02

  I spent three years at Deerfield and that's how. But I didn't know that you felt that way too.

• 25:06Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and so I saw an improv group my freshman year.

• 25:09Speaker 02

  My mother's Fleabag.

• 25:11Amy Poehler?

  Yes, and yours was?

• 25:12Speaker 02

  Said and done.

• 25:17Amy Poehler?

  Okay, let's talk about it.

• 25:18Speaker 02

  There's nothing like those improv group names, yeah.

• 25:21Amy Poehler?

  Um, our friend Brian Stack, who is a performer at Second City, used to like love to talk about good and bad improv names and like how they would either be really goofy, like pun filled, or they would be very like serious and pretentious.

• 25:35Speaker 02

  Oh, I haven't heard this.

• 25:35Amy Poehler?

  Like, there was one, and, and if, if anyone's listening and I, as part of the group, I, I enjoy your work and I respect your work. But, um, one of them, he said, was called Society's Mirror.

• 25:46Speaker 02

  No.

• 25:49Speaker 02

  Is that real?

• 25:50Amy Poehler?

  Good question. I don't know, I, there's no way to check. Like, I could look it up on my last night, but- I think it's out of batteries.

• 26:01Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so you, did you do, were you in set and done?

• 26:03Speaker 02

  So then, yeah, so then I got into set and done and then I was like, oh, like, these are the fun people, you know?

• 26:09Amy Poehler?

  But you were a theater kid.

• 26:12Speaker 02

  I, well, I mean, I don't know, I just did, like, you did plays, right?

• 26:16Amy Poehler?

  But didn't you go to theater camp?

• 26:18Speaker 02

  I, I did go to theater, summer theater camp, yes. But not like one of those, like, I'm not saying this to be like, it wasn't like those ones, like, the real ones. It wasn't like professional, like, you know, kids that were, it was just like suburban Boston, like, you know, whatever. But, um, but yeah, then I, that, that's where I met our pal Alec. But, um, but yeah, I wasn't like, like, the star of anything, like, I wasn't like, rolling in and then like, the lead and everything. I started out, like, everything, I started out, like, the chorus and then you move up a little bit the next year, yeah, that kind of thing.

• 26:52Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and, and I think like me and you, like, we didn't really know anyone that were actors or writers growing up. So I just never thought that would be a job.

• 26:58Speaker 02

  Right, right, right.

• 26:59Amy Poehler?

  Did you have like an idea as a kid what your job would be?

• 27:03Speaker 02

  I mean, like, every kid in third grade, I wanted to be a marine biologist, like, like, like us all, right? But no, then, I mean, did not, I don't, everyone wants to be a marine biologist.

• 27:14Amy Poehler?

  What do we think we're gonna do there?

• 27:15Speaker 02

  Play with dolphins and save the nature. I mean, I actually legitimately was like very in, and still am like, nature, like, a career for, in saving nature was like something I actually, when I was little. Like, then, when I go, then, as you know, I wanted to be a therapist. But I also, like, every time I'd see a movie, I was like, oh, like, I was just really intrigued, but I had no idea how you ever did that. And I also, to be really, like, not self-deprecating, but it wasn't like I had, felt like I had special skill in acting or anything. But I loved, like, cracking jokes and doing comedy.

• 27:50Amy Poehler?

  But yet you don't think you're skilled.

• 27:51Speaker 02

  Cause it's like, not like, well, I'm an actor, like, not like that, but just like, I like comedy and, and like, watching it. And like, I had a group of funny friends too, so we would always like, you know, I mean, legit funny friends, so that was also sort of like practice, you know what I mean?

• 28:05Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. Okay, so you get to Dartmouth.

• 28:08Speaker 02

  You graduate, and what was your degree in? It was drama, and then I minored in psychology. Right. And then, oh, so, my improv group, sophomore summer, we're on campus, and we took this little, like, trip, because one of the guys from the group was from Chicago. So, we went out to Chicago for a week, just to like, check out Second City Improv Olympic, and just like, you know, go to all the little sites there. And then I was like, okay, maybe when I graduate, I'll come back here and like, try this, you know? And I sort of just wanted to try it, more to know that I'd given it a shot. I don't know how you were about this, but I was kind of, you, all you hear is like, it's so hard, you're never gonna make it, like, that's all you hear when, so then I was like, buying into that, and then I was like, okay, I'm just gonna go out and try Chicago,

• 28:51Speaker 02

  and then I won't make it, and then I'll come back and be a therapist in suburban Boston. And, um, but then, like, very, okay, then, like, I mean, I don't know how much you did go, but right when I got there, I did not get into classes at Second City. Like, I heard, like, everyone auditions gets into classes, and then I didn't get into classes, and then I was like, oh, like, what did I do? But then I just stuck it out, and then I took class, like, later. Like, everything I did, I kind of didn't get the first time around, sort of. Oh, interesting, interesting. Like, um, like that, and then, like, touring company, I auditioned, didn't get in, and then, like, um, well, SNL, I auditioned two times, like, just, but then you kind of get used to that, I guess? I don't know. But, um, but anyway, uh, yeah, so then I eventually got into the classes,

• 29:33Speaker 02

  and then did like, little theater things there, and eventually got into the touring company. So, you get to Chicago, and do you remember when we first met? I do, well, in my memory, we were in the lobby of Second City, and you had just moved there, and you were in the touring company, I guess. I don't know if you were in it yet, or just coming around to check it out or something. But anyway, I remember meeting you, and I remember you being really friendly, and like, I would just say, like, sunshiny, like, it's not, you, you don't always remember meeting someone for the first time, but I do remember, at least in my mind, this was the first time. And I just remember you were like, very like, like you are, you were very friendly and smiley, and, you know? Cute little blondie.

• 30:14Amy Poehler?

  I remember meeting you, but I didn't meet you. I saw you. So I arrived and you were kind of the junior to my freshman in Chicago, I would say. And I saw you on stage. You were in Lois Kaz.

• 30:27Speaker 02

  Okay, yeah.

• 30:27Amy Poehler?

  An improv show, very like kind of famous improv show, named after a woman.

• 30:32Speaker 02

  A woman that worked in the office or something. I don't.

• 30:34Amy Poehler?

  Sketch and improv and comedy, it's just like music, right? Like, it's like, oh, go check out this cool band. Like, oh, these two people are singing together. Um, you know, you just were like watching groups and trying to figure out what was good. What did you like? And Lois, the show that you were in was just like, oh, these are the cool, good improvisers. Go see them. And I remember, so the first time I saw you before we met, I saw you on stage. And I just remember, you know, I think like when you see someone on stage for the first time, it's very, it's a very interesting dynamic. Like, you're just like forever looking up to them, like it feels like. And I just was like, oh, she's so funny.

• 31:14Amy Poehler?

  Like, just loved being, like, watching you perform, like, just. And, um, and, you know, subsequently, like, we got to know each other in Chicago and I was your understudy for, uh,

• 31:28Speaker 02

  Touring company for sure, yeah.

• 31:30Amy Poehler?

  So what is touring company for people who don't know?

• 31:33Speaker 02

  Well, it's like your first step to getting into Second City. And you're not out on the road like for big, long times. You're just like, you're going to Indiana for the weekend, like that kind of thing.

• 31:41Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 31:41Speaker 02

  And it's just sort of like cutting your teeth. And, I mean, you get paid a minimal sum, so you're like, it's your first, like, I'm a working actor, you know?

• 31:50Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 31:50Speaker 02

  And it's sort of your first step to moving up the ladder there.

• 31:53Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. And so we didn't get to tour together because I was only filling in when you were...

• 31:57Speaker 02

  And then Amy struck out and moved to New York and started UCB, which I told you before that I was always just like, what do you guys do? Like, I didn't know you guys that well, but I was just like, what are they doing? Like, they're on track to, you know, you were already very successful in Chicago.

• 32:13Amy Poehler?

  Ish.

• 32:14Speaker 02

  Successful, like... Known to be good improvisers, whatever. But then you definitely would have moved up the ranks at Second City. But you guys had this pioneer spirit of moving here and starting your own thing.

• 32:27Amy Poehler?

  Well, this is kind of like if the Dratch and Polar rom com is happening, this is where we kind of separate for a little bit to go find our own.

• 32:34Speaker 02

  Right.

• 32:35Amy Poehler?

  Because I moved to New York, you're on main stage in a very famous show at Second City. And then you meet Tina Wynn.

• 32:43Speaker 02

  Oh, so then Tina joined them the next show. Then they changed it to three men, three women, which was like revolutionary.

• 32:50Amy Poehler?

  Everyone was like, what?

• 32:50Speaker 02

  I know.

• 32:51Amy Poehler?

  They were like, three women together?

• 32:53Speaker 02

  I know. But then Tina came in for the next show, my second show on main stage called Citizen Gates. And she was, of course, hilarious from the get go. And then we did two shows together. And then I started to get more comfortable up there and like being better at creating characters and all that. And then Tina went off to write for SNL after the second, her second show. And then I stayed there.

• 33:17Amy Poehler?

  How many more years did you stay there?

• 33:19Speaker 02

  Well, I was four years on the main stage. And it was such a fun job. I mean, it might have been like my favorite job ever.

• 33:27Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, like just take us back to what it was like a day when you were on the main stage in Chicago. What was that day like?

• 33:34Speaker 02

  Well, I mean, I remember like you'd sleep really late, much later than I do now. But then you're writing the show. If you're rehearsing, you're writing the show by day. So you're in rehearsal all day. But you never wrote like how we did at SNL where you were like at a typewriter. What a typewriter. Okay.

• 33:49Amy Poehler?

  Word processor? When you were at a...

• 33:53Speaker 02

  I think I got a good one here. Give me more paper. I'm out of paper, Schultz. Ding. Okay. Computer is what they're called now.

• 34:07Speaker 02

  But I know, like, you, it's not like SNL when you're like, "Oh, let's think of something. We're in an office." It was all on its feet and like, just someone had an idea. Yeah. And you just, and then you'd try it out in front of the audience. Or the audience would give a suggestion and then a scene would really hit from an audience suggestion. And you go, "Let's try that again, but let's change this." So that's how we wrote the thing. Mm-hmm. Um, and then eventually, like, the show would be done and it'd be set. And then you'd just do the show night after night. But, um, but the show was like sketch, like, for those that don't know, like SNL. And then afterwards, you'd improvise every night, pretty much. And, um, that's how you get really good at improvising, but just night after night, after night. Because if I had improvised right now, I'd be like, uh, like, I'd weight linger in the back line. You know, if you keep doing it like well-oiled machine.

• 34:56Speaker 03

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• 35:22Speaker 04

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• 35:34Speaker 05

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• 35:54Speaker 04

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• 36:21Speaker 05

  Ask your doctor about Caplyta. Learn more at caplyta.com or call 888-252-4824.

• 36:27Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by CarMax. Thinking of selling your car but still a little unsure if or how? Start by getting an online offer from CarMax. It's a real offer worth real money, but there's no pressure to take it. CarMax gives you up to seven days to compare offers and think it over. And when you're ready to sell, they'll pick the car up directly from your home. Get a real offer today at carmax.com. At-home pickup not available in all locations. Distance restrictions and fees may apply. This episode is brought to you by AutoTrader. If car shopping feels like a whole thing, buying your car online on AutoTrader makes it way easier, really. Shop tons of cars online, compare prices, check financing, and trade-in options from wherever you are.

• 37:11Amy Poehler?

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• 37:53Amy Poehler?

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• 38:24Amy Poehler?

  So talk to us about your on, you get to SNL, what year?

• 38:27Speaker 02

  99.

• 38:29Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 38:29Speaker 02

  Yeah, fall of 99. And I was the only new person that year. Well, the only new actor. Ali was a new writer, but um, but yeah, so you just get like

• 38:40Amy Poehler?

  Who's on the cast when you get in there?

• 38:41Speaker 02

  When you just said SNL, I just got a little tense.

• 38:44Amy Poehler?

  You know, this show comes out on Tuesdays and to me, I just realized, I was like, oh, this is like a, a new way to change Tuesdays for me, because Tuesdays used to be writing night at SNL where it was like the dread of Tuesdays. Like, oh no, this is the night where I have to try to get on the show, because you audition basically every week and I haven't written anything yet and I'm, I'm so tired and I'm gonna let the host down, I'm gonna let every, myself down. Now that there's like, this show comes on Tuesdays, I don't know, there's just something like, but yes, I think people are aware of the dread, but what, what just came up for you?

• 39:23Amy Poehler?

  Which particular type of dread?

• 39:25Speaker 02

  I don't know, I just thought of like, walking in there and like picturing the hallway. And I think I thought you were gonna like, go to the audition, but no, then I'm like right in that hallway. I'm in the hallway, Amy, I'm in the hallway!

• 39:38Amy Poehler?

  Stay in the hallway, stay in the hallway, stay there, Rachel.

• 39:42Speaker 02

  I can smell the office, I can.

• 39:45Amy Poehler?

  Feel your feet on the ground.

• 39:46Speaker 02

  Here comes Lauren down the hallway. Um, okay, um.

• 39:50Amy Poehler?

  So you're there, but that's hard, being the only new cast member.

• 39:53Speaker 02

  That was hard. Yeah. I can't, I cannot tell a lie, that was hard, because that place is like, well, I think, you know, some, like when Will Ferrell came in, I think, is the year that like, a whole bunch of new people, they were like, the freshman class. And then you're all like, in it together. But when you come in new, like, no one's like, you know, here's how this works and here's, and it's just, you're kinda just like, hey guys, what's, you know, wandering the halls, kind of.

• 40:18Amy Poehler?

  It definitely feels like the, the high school version of like, your tray in the lunchroom, like, where do I sit?

• 40:23Speaker 02

  Yeah, for sure. Um, I mean, Tina was there, so that was good, because she knew how, already, you know, she knew the system, obviously, but like, I had someone to write with.

• 40:34Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 40:34Speaker 02

  Because some people come in there and they're great, but if they, if they don't know how to write, like also, the writing for SNL is very different from writing for Second City.

• 40:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 40:43Speaker 02

  Like a scene that killed a Second City, you couldn't get it on SNL, because it's just different, like. And at the time, you're like, but this is awesome and why don't you, but now like with more wisdom. I'm like.

• 40:53Amy Poehler?

  Why? Why wouldn't it work?

• 40:55Speaker 02

  Just because like a scene in the theater like could take longer to get going. You didn't need to have like laugh, laugh, laugh. Like it's like people in the theater are just like into seeing this character kind of do their thing. But SNL had to be like, you need laughs like off the bat. We need to know what this is right away. And um, I don't know, just this one thing.

• 41:13Amy Poehler?

  Do you remember the first scene on SNL that like you got, were getting laughs and you thought like, it's working? Like that felt like.

• 41:19Speaker 02

  No.

• 41:23Speaker 02

  Um, gosh, I don't remember the first, because I remember the first few times I got on, like I wasn't even, I like left my body. So I don't remember like, this is going really well. I was just like, I'm on, like that kind of thing, you know?

• 41:38Speaker 02

  Well, the first, very first show I wasn't in, like the, you know, season premiere, whatever.

• 41:44Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 41:44Speaker 02

  And like you've told all your friends, like, I'm on SNL and like everyone's watching, your scene gets cut, like it does. And then the next week, the same thing happened, scene got cut. So it was like the third week.

• 41:54Amy Poehler?

  Who was the host? Do you remember?

• 41:55Speaker 02

  The one that I got on was, uh, I should know this. Oh, my God. Well, I know the first one was Jerry Seinfeld. Then it was Norm MacDonald and then it was, and does not compute. Oh, my God, I don't.

• 42:07Amy Poehler?

  Well, it's funny, the brain remembers trauma. So you remember the two shows that you weren't on.

• 42:15Speaker 02

  Dana Carvey? I'm gonna have to go look.

• 42:17Amy Poehler?

  They're gonna do those three guys in a row. What year was it, Dratch?

• 42:20Speaker 02

  It was 1999, third episode.

• 42:22Amy Poehler?

  Okay, this will be a fun game.

• 42:23Speaker 02

  Dana Carvey?

• 42:24Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I'm gonna, and I'm gonna have you guess the musical guest because that's always fun too.

• 42:28Speaker 02

  Oh, my God, see?

• 42:29Amy Poehler?

  So 1999, I don't remember anything.

• 42:31Speaker 02

  No.

• 42:32Amy Poehler?

  1999 SNL hosts. And don't worry, we're gonna keep all the same.

• 42:37Speaker 02

  Let me tell you one cool thing, though. Let me tell, I just heard that. Wait, let me tell you one cool thing, though.

• 42:43Amy Poehler?

  Please.

• 42:45Speaker 02

  Please. Um, the very first musical guest was David Bowie. And when I was, I've told this before, but when I was getting my photo taken for like the very first opening credits, like it was on the stage, you know, like in 8H and David Bowie was, it was Thursday, he was rehearsing with the band. So like I'm getting my picture taken and he's right over there singing Rebel Rebel. I mean, I have chills every time I think about that because that was just like.

• 43:15Speaker 02

  I mean, I don't even have words for like, the surrealness.

• 43:19Amy Poehler?

  That's a very, that's a, like to have a soundtrack of that moment for your life and it's David Bowie.

• 43:24Speaker 02

  It's David Bowie, icon, yeah. So, I remember that.

• 43:28Amy Poehler?

  Should we tell the Black Crows story?

• 43:30Speaker 02

  Okay, so one time, so I don't do drugs at all.

• 43:39Speaker 02

  So, then one time, the Black Crows were the musical guests, and someone on Instagram came up to me, he's like, "Hey, do you want..."

• 43:50Speaker 02

  That's my drug-offer voice. "Hey, do you want..." Um, whatever you call it.

• 43:57Amy Poehler?

  Joint?

• 43:57Speaker 02

  Not a joint, but just like, a hit off a joint.

• 44:00Amy Poehler?

  I see.

• 44:00Speaker 02

  And I was, I don't know, I got tried a couple times, it's never really worked, I've never really dug it. And then I was like, "Okay, sure." So I took like, one puff off of this Black Crows, am I gonna get sued? The Black Crows pot.

• 44:17Amy Poehler?

  You took a hit off the Black Crows pot?

• 44:19Speaker 02

  I took a hit off the Black Crows pot, and my cousin was visiting me, my cousin Zach, and um, I came back to the table and I was like, "Oh, I guess this is, like, I'm really high right now." And I was so embarrassed, cause like, it was my little cousin.

• 44:39Speaker 02

  And I never, ever, ever get high. And then I came back and I was kinda like,

• 44:45Speaker 02

  I don't really remember if I told him or not.

• 44:47Amy Poehler?

  Oh, he didn't, he might not have even known.

• 44:49Speaker 02

  I don't even know, but um, that was my one, like...

• 44:52Amy Poehler?

  I remember you telling me you couldn't get up from your chair.

• 44:54Speaker 02

  Oh, I don't remember that, but it's possible, it's possible.

• 44:57Amy Poehler?

  That you were kinda stuck.

• 44:57Speaker 02

  I was just like, really like, anyway, and that's why I don't do drugs.

• 45:04Amy Poehler?

  I mean...

• 45:04Speaker 02

  No, I'm just not into that feeling, I guess, but...

• 45:07Amy Poehler?

  No, you're not into that feeling.

• 45:08Speaker 02

  Only if it's from the Black Crows. And then, yes, Chris, Chris Robinson, call me, call me.

• 45:19Amy Poehler?

  I just love that that was the particular strand.

• 45:24Speaker 02

  Also, it wasn't like I was like partying with the Black Crows. It was like second handed, made it down to the music guy. And I was told it was from the Black Crows.

• 45:31Amy Poehler?

  But it's so interesting that you took the hit.

• 45:33Speaker 02

  I know. I wonder why? I was feeling a little jaunty that night. I don't know. I don't know.

• 45:39Amy Poehler?

  No, but drugs is not your thing.

• 45:40Speaker 02

  It's so not my thing, no. You know, I like a margarita.

• 45:46Amy Poehler?

  I know.

• 45:47Speaker 02

  Okay, yes.

• 45:47Amy Poehler?

  Or perhaps you like to sail to the Pinot Grigio Islands.

• 45:52Speaker 02

  Amy and I will occasionally sail to the Pino Grigios.

• 45:54Amy Poehler?

  We'll text each other and say, shall we take a trip?

• 45:56Speaker 02

  To the Grigios. Yeah.

• 46:01Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:04Amy Poehler?

  And then when you were at SNL, like, I feel like we got, I was thinking today about all the stuff we got to do together. And we got to do a lot of dumb.

• 46:13Speaker 02

  So fun.

• 46:14Amy Poehler?

  So fun stuff.

• 46:14Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 46:15Amy Poehler?

  And, but, you know, and I was thinking, it was like, I mean, in many ways, I wish we had, I wish we had more time together when I was more experienced there. Because I was new and kind of stressed. And you were the, again, the junior to my senior. And I felt like I loosened up more and figured out how to like, just have more fun as I got older there.

• 46:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 46:39Amy Poehler?

  But we did get to do some fun stuff together.

• 46:41Speaker 02

  First of all, you were in the original Debbie Downer. And that was so fun. I mean, just to be laughing there with you.

• 46:48Amy Poehler?

  Well, you bring this up and, you know, I ask this question to people on this podcast. And I truly feel like it is because of Debbie Downer that I asked this question. Again, I owe you a lot of money. And thank you for, thank you for building this podcast with me.

• 47:02Amy Poehler?

  But Debbie Downer, I've said it many times before, was and is the thing that I go to.

• 47:09Amy Poehler?

  Also, maybe now replaced by the clip.

• 47:11Speaker 02

  The clip.

• 47:11Amy Poehler?

  The clip of this podcast.

• 47:12Speaker 02

  I watch the clip a lot of times. And I just wanted to clarify, I don't go like, watch my work. Like, I don't go watch like, a movie I did. Because like, I just like to have it in my head. But that, it's like I said, it was like, seeing your biggest crack up.

• 47:26Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 47:27Speaker 02

  And it's just like, I have to laugh every time I watch it.

• 47:29Amy Poehler?

  Me too. And Debbie Downer was like that for me during very dark times. Because it was the combination of us all having fun. You.

• 47:41Amy Poehler?

  You're like the way in which you were physically trying to hold it together. Like the way like the laugh was like um something you were trying to hold in. Combined with the zoom in. And the sound effect.

• 47:58Speaker 02

  And we've watched it so many times like Emily Spivey knows every single like this is the part where your lip starts quivering. Cause there's one part at the very beginning I'm going.

• 48:08Speaker 02

  And then there's the part where you something falls backstage I look away. Like how I start over there like we know every single moment.

• 48:14Amy Poehler?

  It is it's like this Pruder film like frame by frame. And it proves it just it got me it's such a serotonin boost. Before we move on, talk to us about the like who did you write Debbie Downer with and how did it start?

• 48:29Speaker 02

  Like the origin of.

• 48:30Amy Poehler?

  The origin of.

• 48:31Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 48:31Amy Poehler?

  People will want to know.

• 48:32Speaker 02

  So um well it really started because I went on a vacation by myself.

• 48:40Speaker 02

  That had been suggested to me by a therapist.

• 48:44Speaker 02

  And I often leave that detail out. But since I'm on this one on one Amy interview. No, I said it like once or twice, but usually I leave that part out for the masses. But um no, uh not like this. Number one podcast masses.

• 49:00Speaker 02

  But no, she was she just like she kept saying like take a trip by herself and I was like why like I don't want to do that. I could go with friends like I don't want and I just kind of took it as like doctor's orders. Like I just sort of like I'm doing this and I like self propelled myself to the jungles of Costa Rica.

• 49:22Speaker 02

  No, but I wanted to pick somewhere that it wasn't going to be like honeymooners and like I wanted to pick somewhere that was like. Me just like I don't know somewhere kind of remote, I guess. So it was like very remote. It was in the Osa Peninsula. You had to take like the big plane, then you take the smaller plane, then you take the two hour Jeep drive. I mean, I was going deep out of society.

• 49:43Speaker 02

  And each time, they were like, it was like Barbara Patti one. Well, no, so I picked this, it was like this eco lodge thing. So I went there and um, and then it was just like a, it was, so there was like these commun, it wasn't like a lot of people there. And it was actually really cool. Like, and I did meet really cool people. And um, I met these two sisters that like, they were older, but they're like my age right now. But um, I mean, the age I'm now, and they were sort of like, they sort of told me like the rudimentary fundamentals of what is later known as the secret. Like, did I tell you, when I was on this trip? People should know Dratch knew the secret before anyone knew the secret. And I learned it from the jungles of Costa Rica, from two white ladies that were from Colorado.

• 50:26Speaker 02

  But anyway, so, so, so they, like, they were just, you know, because you're like chatting. And I gotta say, like, hats off to the suggestion, because I never would have talked to strangers if I was with friends. Right. You know? Right. So I'm like having this conversation and these women were telling me about like, you know, basically like, what's the law of attraction, I guess. But they put it like, you know, if you, if you think on positive things, positive, and if you're, if you're focusing on lack, you'll attract lack, basically. But then, it almost like, the whole thing got like sealed, because then, we were on this like, you know, you could do like nature walks or whatever. And we're on this like walk on the beach, like with the little like, it wasn't like a group, it was like whoever's here and wants to go on this thing.

• 51:07Speaker 02

  And um, this woman was saying like, there were these like beautiful birds overhead, these like scarlet macaws. And this like way up in the sky, and this woman goes, I, I want a feather to bring home for my daughter. And I swear, like, 20 seconds later, from like, way, way up high, this feather starts to just go, bloop, bloop, bloop, like falls down, we all like kind of see it, like, bloop, bloop, bloop. And it lands like right at her feet. Whoa. Amy doesn't believe in any of this stuff. I, I do, that's cool. That's cool, that's cool. I believe in manifesting. That was cool, though. So then I was just like, sold, I'll join your cult.

• 51:49Speaker 02

  No, but then, okay, this isn't anything about Debbie Downer, this is just other stuff on that trip. But anyway, but then, the Debbie Downer story is that when later, it was like, sitting at dinner, like you're with randos that are there. And um, people just making chit chat, and someone said like, where are you from? And I said, New York. And then they said like, oh, were you there for 9/11?

• 52:10Speaker 02

  And it was like three years after nine eleven. It wasn't like it just happened. It was kind of, and then I was kind of like, uh, yeah. And then like, it's kind of like, just like in Debbie Downer, you had to like, get the conversation back because it was like vacation times.

• 52:25Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 52:26Speaker 02

  And then like about a week later, after I got home, I was like out listening to some band, which isn't something I usually do. But I think that's kind of interesting because like doing something you don't usually do. And then your brain is kind of like, I don't know, you're not on your usual channels, I guess.

• 52:41Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 52:41Speaker 02

  But then I just had that idea of this kind of based on that, like some, like Debbie Downer popped into my head.

• 52:48Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 52:49Speaker 02

  And then, which this is kind of just talking creativity. I found at SNL, you couldn't just go in there and like, okay, let's think of a scene. Like it had to be like moments like that, like, and to me that only happened like once or twice a year, which is why like you might sit there at home and be like, why isn't there like, like SNL? But it's like thinking of really original characters, but kind of like hit on something. It's not something you can like steer the ship on. It's like, to me, like it has to like vibe out with you.

• 53:21Amy Poehler?

  Yes, you have to be like, you have to, to your point, you have to like keep the channel open and be like, find the muse and like let it find you, which just can't be like churned out.

• 53:30Speaker 02

  Exactly. And how, and then what did you do? Then I took it to Paula Pell, who we wrote with often and is hilarious. And everyone knows Paula now because I love Paula's like out there more in front of the camera. But, um, but anyway, and then we were on writing night, we were trying to write it. We set it in an office and it just kind of wasn't really flowing. We, it just wasn't really jiving. And then we were like, maybe we need to put her somewhere really happy. So then we thought of Disney World, of course, happiest place on earth. And then, and then while we were writing it, like when, like, of course Paula was cracking me up with these one liners and everything. And then we started just going like, like just for ourselves. And then we were like, what if we put that in the scene with the actual trombone sound? So then for read through, we had, I don't remember if we had like the live person or someone just had done it.

• 54:13Speaker 02

  But then at read through, like it killed, but then you never know. Cause sometimes something can kill at the table. And then when we were in dress rehearsal, Jimmy and Horatio were kind of laughing. And I was thinking like, you guys, like, I feel like this could work, like, keep it together, guys. And then like on air, I just flubbed one of the lines. And then I didn't even know, I guess I was like so nervous.

• 54:35Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 54:36Speaker 02

  And then we all started laughing.

• 54:38Amy Poehler?

  But thankfully, you just like, like, like the good Pisces fish, like you just like, you went along for the, like, it was, it's so joyous watching it because it is just the com- it's like what real live TV is supposed to feel like. Like, it just felt like a special moment in time. And also, I mean, you are such a good performer that you are able, you were able to like, do it and have, and enjoy doing it at the same time. It was like, just, it's very, sometimes when people are stressed, it's stressful to watch.

• 55:15Speaker 02

  Yes, that's how I feel.

• 55:16Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, but you don't seem stressed in that moment.

• 55:20Speaker 02

  Well, I love watching performers, but like, this is what, like, you know, I feel like I've had so much time now that I'm older, like, think of like, what makes a good comedian, everything like that. And like, I love watching people, like, you can tell that underneath it, they're also like, laughing inside, like, I mean, better to keep it inside, but I mean, like, like, and I feel like you have that, like, I was just talking about you, I forget, like, in what context, but like, you are always like, you can see the joy of a performer, like, there's two levels happening. There's like, what you're performing, and then this sort of joyful, like, under bubbling that's also happening. Like, I just, like, Steve Carell just popped into my mind, as like, someone that, like, you can see the fun happening behind the- Will Ferrell, oh my gosh.

• 56:04Amy Poehler?

  Like, the mischievous, like, dance underneath it, where they're having fun. Circling all the way back to Debbie Downer, and all the way back to the question that I ask my guests, this brings up the person that I spoke to earlier before this podcast.

• 56:18Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 56:19Amy Poehler?

  So, you know, we always like to talk well behind people's backs. I talked to the great Kevin Cahoon about you today.

• 56:24Speaker 02

  You did? Oh my god, I was wondering who my person was gonna be.

• 56:29Amy Poehler?

  And, um, because I want him to lead us into Broadway, which we're going to next, Rachel. Um, this Virgo has a plan, okay? And I'm taking you there, babe. I'm taking you there, I got notes. Okay, I'm aware of the time. I'm aware of the time.

• 56:42Speaker 02

  I could hang all day, but-

• 56:43Amy Poehler?

  No, I'm just kidding. But, but I talked to- Kevin, and he had a couple really good questions for you. And one was, what, and it's a similar question to what we ask on the podcast. It's like, if, like, when you're feeling that, when Rachel is feeling like that Debbie Downer feeling, what do you do to get yourself up out of it? And that's a question we ask here, which is, what do you watch, listen to? When you've got der blues, as we like to call it, how do you get up out of it? What makes you laugh? You know, for me, it is, it is a lot of Debbie Downer and clips. I mean, it is a lot of you, Rachel.

• 57:22Speaker 02

  That's so nice.

• 57:23Amy Poehler?

  It is you. Like, you really get me out of the dumps. You really do. You're like an elevator that helps me get up out of there. Uh-oh.

• 57:32Speaker 02

  Tears. Tears.

• 57:35Amy Poehler?

  But you really get you shoot me way up. And it's because of the laughter.

• 57:39Speaker 02

  You do that for me.

• 57:45Amy Poehler?

  Is there anything else that like, you like to go to, to just like?

• 57:49Speaker 02

  The bottom of a tequila bottle.

• 57:53Amy Poehler?

  I go with a worm.

• 57:54Speaker 02

  The worm.

• 57:57Speaker 02

  I eat the worm.

• 57:58Amy Poehler?

  I eat the worm. That was such an 80s thing, like, she ate the worm.

• 58:02Speaker 02

  I know, now, there's no worms anymore.

• 58:03Amy Poehler?

  No, there's no worms.

• 58:04Speaker 02

  Um, let's see, I forgot that you asked this, and like, I feel like I don't have, like, healthy, um, I'm serious. I mean, honestly, the real thing that always is like, meeting, like, meeting with friends out in New York. Like, that's like, that's my honest answer.

• 58:21Amy Poehler?

  Yes, you like to socialize.

• 58:23Speaker 02

  The Marge nights, and, um, and like, meeting with my lady friends. That's like, because, like, I feel like I have this great, you know, group, various groups of people, but they're all like, fun, but then, like, I love a friend who is really fun, and like, sees the joy in life, and like, can laugh through like, the foibles and all that, but also has the side that's like, You know, the amateur psychologist, like, you know, that we can help each other out. And if you're, if you, like, I like, if you show up to a friend and you don't have to be anything other than what you're feeling, because like, there's certain friends where you can just do that. You can come in and you'd be like, you know, I'm not gonna be

• 59:03Speaker 02

  bringing my A-game. And like, that's fine. And I like not having to exert extra energy to pretend I'm like somewhere I'm not. And I hope that like, I'm not for other people too. But um,

• 59:16Amy Poehler?

  That's exactly how I described you, by the way, to Kevin. Exactly that. Which is, you are a friend, like, in good times and bad, in sunny weather and stormy weather, and you just can always show up as the version of yourself. That's exactly how I described you.

• 59:31Speaker 02

  Well, that's what I like in others, too. So, um, this isn't like a joy thing. This is more like a, like, mindset thing.

• 59:39Amy Poehler?

  Ooh.

• 59:40Speaker 02

  No, like a settle, you might, like, I like doing those word puzzles in the New York Times. Like, I, like, that's my, like, my, like, ritual, is I do all those. Because it sort of makes me, like, forget all the, you can't be, like, emotional when you're trying to think of the word.

• 59:55Amy Poehler?

  Well, I would say, as a person that has now known you for 30 years, has vacationed with you, has, you know, our kids are friends, like, we are in a lot of different ways in life together, that those kind of, like, quiet, puzzly moments is a Dratch recharge.

• 1:00:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, that is a recharge, yeah.

• 1:00:11Amy Poehler?

  Because you are a very interesting combo of introvert, extrovert. Like, you are very extroverted, and especially on stage, but your everyday, like, you definitely need quiet time.

• 1:00:21Speaker 02

  I guess so.

• 1:00:22Amy Poehler?

  Would you say no?

• 1:00:23Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't know. I think I used to need, um, less of it. I think now I'm a little more like, I just need, like, the recharge moment, yeah.

• 1:00:31Amy Poehler?

  Um, okay, Kevin also had a question, too, that leads us into Broadway.

• 1:00:35Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 1:00:36Amy Poehler?

  And, um, you were in an incredible show called POTUS. Tell us about that experience, what it was like working with those women, and what it was like being nominated.

• 1:00:44Speaker 02

  Um, well, I mean, it was a lot, like, it, the mindset of, it was, so it was this comedy with all women, and, um, I just got, like, called up to do this show with Susan Strowman, who I had done a few readings for. And, um, the part was very much like the clown in the show, so I got to do a lot of, like, physical, just like make up your own bits and all this stuff. And it felt very much like being back at Second City, like, in the best way. And also, I love like, just, I mean, the theater schedule is no joke, as any Broadway person will tell you, but, um, because you know, you have to kind of like sign your life with, like, you're not going out on the weekends, all that stuff. But, um, the thing that I love about theater, it's just you and the audience.

• 1:01:28Speaker 02

  Like, there's no one saying like, um, we think this should go this way, or, like, of course, there's a director in developing this part, but once you're up and running, it's just like that feeling, that connection of you and the audience, like, and that was like, harkens back to Second City, like, oh, how long am I holding this slap? Or, oh, if I do this little tiny thing, it gets slapped, like, you don't even, I love all that stuff. So, um, it was just very freeing and fun. Yeah.

• 1:01:51Amy Poehler?

  And, and you loved the women you did it with?

• 1:01:53Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:01:54Amy Poehler?

  You guys became really good friends.

• 1:01:55Speaker 02

  Very disparate group that was all like, meshed really well together, yeah.

• 1:01:58Amy Poehler?

  And where were you when you got your Tony nom for your Broadway debut?

• 1:02:02Speaker 02

  Well, um, you know, the nominations come out like in the morning and you can just like, watch it online. And I was just like, okay, I'll check this out, you know? And then, like, they said my name, and then, you know, your phone starts going off hook. I mean, that was something like, you know, as a comedian, like, comedy often doesn't get like, award stuff. But all that to say, like, I didn't expect, like, getting nominated was never anything that I thought would be happening. Because when you're in comedy, you just don't really think like that.

• 1:02:30Amy Poehler?

  But the Tonys are an exception, I think. The Tonys often do give it up for good comedic performances.

• 1:02:35Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's true, yeah.

• 1:02:36Amy Poehler?

  I think they really are like, they really respect the craft.

• 1:02:40Speaker 02

  They do. The craft, yes.

• 1:02:42Amy Poehler?

  So Kevin had a question about you, um, uh, being like, young Rachel. Like, what were some theater performers, some musicals, some shows that like, what were, I think his question was like, what are the top three, um, pieces of theater that you like, really inspired you when you were young?

• 1:03:03Speaker 02

  Ooh.

• 1:03:04Amy Poehler?

  You know, like, maybe scratch some little sparkly.

• 1:03:07Speaker 02

  Well, I guess, as mentioned, Annie.

• 1:03:10Amy Poehler?

  Can we just, for one second, talk more about Annie? Because Annie? So many female parts, so many parts for girls.

• 1:03:17Speaker 02

  Right.

• 1:03:17Amy Poehler?

  Like, that alone, like, a lot of shows just don't have a lot of parts. It's like, there is, you know, Rachel and I were both in Once Upon a Mattress.

• 1:03:23Speaker 02

  Amy had the lead and I had the boring part. But we were in the same production.

• 1:03:27Amy Poehler?

  We weren't in the same production.

• 1:03:28Speaker 02

  Both of our schools, I was in the sixth grade production. Oh, this is funny, though. And Amy was in the high school?

• 1:03:34Amy Poehler?

  Yes, high school production, yeah.

• 1:03:35Speaker 02

  Were you a senior? And Amy, if you know Once Upon a Mattress, Amy played Winifred, the princess, the clown.

• 1:03:40Amy Poehler?

  The clown, yeah. Carol Burnett originated it on Broadway.

• 1:03:43Speaker 02

  And I played this character, Lady Larkin, who's the boring part. But let me also say this, that because it was in sixth grade, the only comedic hook that Lady Larkin has is that she, well, she's pregnant, and so they're in a hurry to get married, you know, because they're in the castle, so they need Winifred to get married. Well, in sixth grade, they take out the pregnancy, of course. So I had nothing to play. There's no there, there. I'm just a lady in waiting.

• 1:04:14Amy Poehler?

  What am I gonna play here?

• 1:04:16Speaker 02

  By the way, I don't even think I knew that the original characters, but they changed the lyrics, because the real lyrics were, "In a li- in a little while, you and I will be one, two, three, four," like, kids. And they're just like, "You and I will be together." That's what they changed it to.

• 1:04:31Amy Poehler?

  And you're like, "I got nothing to play here."

• 1:04:33Speaker 02

  I got nothing to play.

• 1:04:38Amy Poehler?

  So what, okay, so Annie.

• 1:04:40Speaker 02

  Okay, Annie, of course.

• 1:04:41Amy Poehler?

  Or also orphans, you know, like.

• 1:04:44Speaker 02

  One other thing is, with Annie, everyone's like your age. Like, literally, if you're 10 and they're 10, she's like, "How do I, how do I get in this?" Like, that kind of thing, right?

• 1:04:52Amy Poehler?

  And, and also, a dog.

• 1:04:56Amy Poehler?

  A dog, we love a dog, we love a dog.

• 1:04:58Speaker 02

  Did you have the album?

• 1:05:00Amy Poehler?

  Oh my god, I knew every single song, and I wanted to play every part, and I loved it so much. Okay, so Annie was one.

• 1:05:07Speaker 02

  Then also, well, of course, this is probably the same, too. Like, Gil de Radner, Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin.

• 1:05:14Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:05:15Speaker 02

  I mean.

• 1:05:16Amy Poehler?

  Just those, and they were on stage, like, they were, they were also.

• 1:05:19Speaker 02

  I only saw them, like, I saw them, like, I mean, when I was really little, my parents watched Laugh-In, and I remember Lily Tomlin being Edith Ann in the giant chair. And that's the truth. But, sorry.

• 1:05:31Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:05:32Speaker 02

  And then, um, Carol Burnett, of course.

• 1:05:35Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:05:36Speaker 02

  And like, oftentimes, we get asked till we're blue in the face about women in comedy, right? And like, I just think, growing up, seeing them, you're not thinking like, oh, these are women in comedy. You're just like, this person's really funny and they're being really brash and bold and they're, you know, not afraid to look weird and here she is with the curtains as a dress and just like, you know, she's like the center of it all and, um, like, you know, Gilda Radner making all her faces and everything.

• 1:06:06Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:06:06Speaker 02

  Like, so, I just think you're just seeing that and you're not delineating.

• 1:06:12Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:06:13Speaker 02

  And then, like, I mean, the first season of SNL, that cast, like, I did watch, like, you know, John Belushi, Steve Martin, that's why, like, when Steve Martin hosted SNL, it's like, oh my God, Steve, like, I still have that when I'm, when I see Steve Martin, I'm like, when I'm hanging out with Steve Martin, no, that never happened.

• 1:06:27Amy Poehler?

  Not true, I've seen it.

• 1:06:29Speaker 02

  But, but anyway, I think, like, seeing them, um, was influence, but not knowing it at the time, of course.

• 1:06:37Amy Poehler?

  Um, fame was a big one.

• 1:06:39Speaker 02

  Fame, which of course, we all had played that on the piano.

• 1:06:43Amy Poehler?

  Well, you did, you can play the piano.

• 1:06:45Speaker 02

  No, but I was like plunking it out, but out here on my own.

• 1:06:47Amy Poehler?

  Oh, Coco.

• 1:06:47Speaker 02

  When I'm down and feeling blue. Everyone wants to hear this. I close my eyes so I can be with you.

• 1:06:56Amy Poehler?

  And then, what was the third one? And then, I would say hair.

• 1:07:02Speaker 02

  Hair.

• 1:07:04Speaker 02

  Hair.

• 1:07:06Amy Poehler?

  I don't think enough people are talking about hair these days.

• 1:07:08Speaker 02

  No.

• 1:07:09Amy Poehler?

  The musical.

• 1:07:10Speaker 02

  No.

• 1:07:12Amy Poehler?

  Hair was so big. Like, the music and the, I think, like, the movie.

• 1:07:19Speaker 02

  The movie, oh, because that was the first, like, I mean, I just remember, like, excuse me, that had, like, major, like, tragedy in it and sadness and, but also, like, yes, I remember seeing that at the Lexington Movie Theater and, um.

• 1:07:37Amy Poehler?

  Must have been nice, must have been filled with diamonds.

• 1:07:39Speaker 02

  We ate gold, we ate gold-covered popcorn.

• 1:07:42Amy Poehler?

  Each seat had a chandelier.

• 1:07:44Speaker 02

  We ate golden popcorn and we drank champagne.

• 1:07:48Amy Poehler?

  We showed our movies on the side of a barn.

• 1:07:52Speaker 02

  Side of the mall.

• 1:07:55Amy Poehler?

  Side of the dress barn.

• 1:07:58Amy Poehler?

  That's where we showed our movies.

• 1:07:59Speaker 02

  Side of the dress barn, oh my god. No, but I remember Hair was like, like emotional and but also just the music, so good.

• 1:08:10Amy Poehler?

  So good. And yeah, anyway, I think they like they should do a new production of Hair. But there's no parts in it for us, like that's all new bile, young. There's gonna be some like old lady who tells the kids.

• 1:08:24Speaker 02

  Get out of my lawn.

• 1:08:26Amy Poehler?

  Quiet town.

• 1:08:27Speaker 02

  Get out of the park.

• 1:08:31Speaker 02

  I'm walking my dog.

• 1:08:32Amy Poehler?

  You should cut your hair.

• 1:08:34Speaker 02

  That could be us.

• 1:08:35Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, that could be us. Or like a businesswoman who comes in and goes, listen, people.

• 1:08:39Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:08:40Amy Poehler?

  This, this bunch of hippies could really make us some money. And they go, get out of here, lady. That's what I would play. Like a New Yorker who comes in to ruin the vibe.

• 1:08:49Speaker 02

  Right.

• 1:08:50Amy Poehler?

  But you have played so many different things on, on, on, in, like you have played like, like you played a man, you played a, you were, we love a Marco Polo because we are women of a certain age. We like to Marco Polo each other. You were Marco Polo-ing me one time, wearing, having a mustache.

• 1:09:07Speaker 02

  A mustache.

• 1:09:09Amy Poehler?

  In a production of, was it Anything Goes or?

• 1:09:13Speaker 02

  Oh, you were playing Guys and Dolls, Guys and Dolls. Yes, I played a dude. Yes.

• 1:09:18Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. But you've played a lot of different things.

• 1:09:21Speaker 02

  I have, yes.

• 1:09:24Speaker 02

  Well, I mean, as have you. But we are but the makers of Mary.

• 1:09:33Amy Poehler?

  We are but clowns for your pleasure.

• 1:09:37Speaker 02

  We don't win Oscars.

• 1:09:39Amy Poehler?

  But we shall make you laugh, no?

• 1:09:41Speaker 02

  We are here but to be the fools. We are much fooled.

• 1:09:48Amy Poehler?

  Dratch and I always say if we were back in those times, we would definitely be, not only jesters, but we'd be the-

• 1:09:54Speaker 02

  Oh, we'd be the maids.

• 1:09:55Amy Poehler?

  We'd be the maids.

• 1:09:55Speaker 02

  Yeah. We'd be the maids at the bottom of the castle.

• 1:09:58Amy Poehler?

  We'd be the scullery maids at like-

• 1:09:59Speaker 02

  Scrubbing things. I think that's the role that I think I'm born to play is like some, because I would love to do, I'm gonna put this out there, a Broadway thing like a really-

• 1:10:09Amy Poehler?

  The secret, doing the secret.

• 1:10:11Speaker 02

  A like, a like a really, really funny Broadway thing, and maybe I'm playing this person.

• 1:10:16Amy Poehler?

  Scrubbing.

• 1:10:17Speaker 02

  This is my aspiration.

• 1:10:19Amy Poehler?

  For Lissa and Dratch is just making a face and she's scrubbing.

• 1:10:22Speaker 02

  Scrub on Broadway.

• 1:10:23Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:10:24Speaker 02

  Yeah. I wanna scrub my way to a Tony.

• 1:10:28Speaker 02

  You listen?

• 1:10:30Speaker 02

  You listen, you big muckety mucks?

• 1:10:32Amy Poehler?

  I had the Jonas Brothers on and we were singing Les Mis.

• 1:10:35Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 1:10:35Amy Poehler?

  And they were like, you would be really good, uh, in Master of the House. I was like, I know.

• 1:10:39Speaker 02

  Oh my god, wait, let me tell you something.

• 1:10:41Amy Poehler?

  Ever since I was 20 years old, I'd be the old lady in Master of the House.

• 1:10:43Speaker 02

  Oh, by the way, you can cut this, but-

• 1:10:45Amy Poehler?

  We will.

• 1:10:45Speaker 02

  But, um, but I got to audition, got to, I made the mistake of auditioning for Les Mis-

• 1:10:52Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:10:52Speaker 02

  On Broadway.

• 1:10:53Amy Poehler?

  Ooh.

• 1:10:53Speaker 02

  For that part. And I'm like, you know I can't sing, right? And they're like, just go in. And then I like, I even went to like, a voice lesson to try- But like, that part is like, you really have to sing.

• 1:11:04Amy Poehler?

  You really, and it's an incredible part, and incredible female actors have played it, incredible, um, singers, but it, and it's definitely the most comedic part of Les Mis.

• 1:11:13Speaker 02

  Yeah, but you have to have a good voice.

• 1:11:14Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:11:15Speaker 02

  Which I like, just realized when I was in front of these people in the room, just like, I mean, because they, they didn't just give me the Master of the House song, there's another song that's like very complicated.

• 1:11:24Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:11:25Speaker 02

  And I just like,

• 1:11:28Speaker 02

  like I skulked out.

• 1:11:31Speaker 02

  I will stick to making merry without song. If it please you.

• 1:11:36Amy Poehler?

  If it please the king.

• 1:11:37Speaker 02

  I can't be singing for the king again.

• 1:11:39Amy Poehler?

  Does it please the king for me to not sing?

• 1:11:43Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:11:44Amy Poehler?

  Cut to us, it's like, how do you like your potatoes?

• 1:11:48Speaker 02

  Uh, we could do a duo.

• 1:11:50Amy Poehler?

  We, we could do a, we could do like-

• 1:11:52Speaker 02

  We could play maids together.

• 1:11:54Amy Poehler?

  By the way, that would be a very funny idea for a show, is like, you know, upstairs, downstairs? It should be like called downstairs.

• 1:11:59Speaker 02

  And it's just us.

• 1:12:00Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and we're just like, we're just washing clothes.

• 1:12:04Speaker 02

  And we have dirt on our faces, for sure.

• 1:12:07Amy Poehler?

  Hundred percent.

• 1:12:08Speaker 02

  Having grooms this morning.

• 1:12:13Amy Poehler?

  Okay, and the last thing I just wanted to talk about, because we talked about it a little bit,

• 1:12:16Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:12:17Amy Poehler?

  is your woo-ooness.

• 1:12:18Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:12:19Amy Poehler?

  Because we're gonna talk about your podcast, your great podcast, Woo Woo.

• 1:12:22Speaker 02

  And Amy was a guest on it, one of my favorite episodes. You need to listen to Amy on Woo Woo, my podcast.

• 1:12:27Amy Poehler?

  There's so many great stories on there, and you have, you are very open to psychic experiences. You are not judgmental in any way, I would say that.

• 1:12:37Speaker 02

  Oh, that I'm not judgmental?

• 1:12:38Amy Poehler?

  No, you're not.

• 1:12:39Speaker 02

  Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 1:12:39Amy Poehler?

  And you have, I would say you are also a little bit psychic, or you, and like you have that channel open, speaking of channels, what is that woo-woo world?

• 1:12:49Speaker 02

  So, I started this podcast called Woo Woo, and like, I'm not, I always say like, I'm not really woo-woo, because I don't, like, I don't live my life like, I gotta ask my psychic, I don't have a psychic. But, but anyway, I always feel the need to say, I know, but I always feel the need to say like, I'm not like, super woo, but then I started doing this, and it's making me, definitely making me more woo-woo with the stories I'm hearing. But the reason I thought of doing this, because I just had sort of collected these stories from friends over the years, and I was like, oh, these stories are really cool, would you come on and tell this? So, that's kind of how it started. And then you came on, which was really fun, and you're not like, a huge woo believer, but you're not like, totally shut down.

• 1:13:26Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 1:13:27Speaker 02

  But Amy came on and talked about the Enneagram, which she lives her life by.

• 1:13:32Amy Poehler?

  I mean, for those who care, Rachel is an Enneagram nine, if you haven't noticed.

• 1:13:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:13:36Amy Poehler?

  The ultimate nine.

• 1:13:37Speaker 02

  The ultimate nine.

• 1:13:37Amy Poehler?

  Peacekeeper, peacemaker.

• 1:13:41Speaker 02

  But, uh, but yeah, so, I guess, what else do I say about it?

• 1:13:45Amy Poehler?

  Well, I was gonna say that there's a couple woo-woo things that have happened with us. I feel like a little tiny woo, most of my woo-woo things have happened with you.

• 1:13:52Speaker 02

  Ooh.

• 1:13:53Amy Poehler?

  And we were pregnant at the same time, our sons are close in age, and I'm happy to say, like, real friends, which is so great, and we, I can remember a very like, hot summer, where you and I were waddling around the city, like, both really pregnant, and you can tell from our height, like, we didn't, we carried out front. You know, there's not a lot of, so I just remember us being like, going to movies, like... Watching movies because it was so hot out. And going to a psychic to talk about our kids. And you brought me to this really cool psychic who, you know, like, just,

• 1:14:34Amy Poehler?

  you just have introduced me to a lot of, just like, give this version of life a try, I guess is the best way to say it.

• 1:14:44Speaker 02

  Yes. It's kind of like, why not believe? That that thing was not a coincidence. I don't know.

• 1:14:52Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:14:54Speaker 02

  I think once you're, it's almost like we were saying about writing sketches. I think, once you're kind of open to it, then you start to see, like, you just, I don't know. I don't want to say like you get messages or whatever, but I just think the more open you are, the more woo woo you might become.

• 1:15:10Amy Poehler?

  Do you think that like that, has anything happened lately that has felt a little like in the woo woo world for you?

• 1:15:16Speaker 02

  Well, first of all, as Amy said, with the pregnancy thing, that a psychic told me that I was gonna have a kid when I was 43 and I wasn't even with anybody.

• 1:15:26Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, that's a cool story.

• 1:15:28Speaker 02

  So that was, so that was my first like little like, this is really strange, but.

• 1:15:32Amy Poehler?

  And you write about it really well in your memoir.

• 1:15:34Speaker 02

  Thank you, Amy. And let's see, I don't know, something lately?

• 1:15:39Amy Poehler?

  I just like to hear your like, like, is there any vibe you're getting right now? Like, what's the vibe of this room?

• 1:15:45Speaker 02

  The vibe of this room is great.

• 1:15:46Amy Poehler?

  It's good, okay. Any ghosts in this room?

• 1:15:48Speaker 02

  Outside this room, not good.

• 1:15:53Speaker 02

  Things are not good once you leave this room.

• 1:15:55Amy Poehler?

  The vibes are not good.

• 1:16:00Speaker 02

  So true. But this room is a good hang and it's fun and bright and cheery.

• 1:16:07Amy Poehler?

  But you, but I feel like you do that. I mean, like, you're really fast at being like, this isn't a good vibe. This isn't a good hang.

• 1:16:13Speaker 02

  That's true.

• 1:16:14Amy Poehler?

  This isn't a good, you're really good at reading people fast or experience rooms or.

• 1:16:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 1:16:20Amy Poehler?

  You're like, I don't like that. I don't get a good feeling from that.

• 1:16:23Speaker 02

  Yeah, and I start to like, again, older I get, like, listen to that. Like, if you're, if you're, if you get that feeling of like, eh, like, you're allowed to. Not hang there, or whatever, I don't know.

• 1:16:35Amy Poehler?

  And last question, are you afraid of zombies? Would you, in a zombie movie, how would you? This is my new question, I'm just thinking about it right now, but maybe I'll ask people moving forward, because Dratch, you're always inspiring me.

• 1:16:46Speaker 02

  I might just freeze. Is that what you're about, I think you're about to say.

• 1:16:49Amy Poehler?

  Well, I was gonna say, it kinda gets into like, conflict styles.

• 1:16:52Speaker 02

  Oh, gosh, yeah.

• 1:16:54Amy Poehler?

  But it is.

• 1:16:55Speaker 02

  Sometimes, I think, I think with conflict, I freeze.

• 1:16:57Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm. Which isn't always the bad choice, you don't like, you're not fanning the flame.

• 1:17:02Speaker 02

  I've just noticed it about myself, though.

• 1:17:04Amy Poehler?

  Mmm.

• 1:17:04Speaker 02

  So if zombies were coming, I guess I'd freeze.

• 1:17:07Amy Poehler?

  You'd turn into a statue.

• 1:17:08Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:17:09Amy Poehler?

  And you'd hope that they went by you.

• 1:17:10Speaker 02

  But we can't end on this note.

• 1:17:12Amy Poehler?

  No, we can't, we can't. We're gonna cut this.

• 1:17:15Speaker 02

  We can't end on the zombie.

• 1:17:17Amy Poehler?

  Let's sing the song from Chadwick's.

• 1:17:20Speaker 02

  Oh, okay, the chant?

• 1:17:22Amy Poehler?

  So Chadwick's was an ice cream place that Dratch and I worked at.

• 1:17:25Speaker 02

  Not at the same time.

• 1:17:26Amy Poehler?

  Not at the same time, but I have to say, probably the highest percentage of SNL people from any ice cream place.

• 1:17:31Speaker 02

  Probably.

• 1:17:31Amy Poehler?

  Two.

• 1:17:31Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:17:32Amy Poehler?

  And, um.

• 1:17:33Speaker 02

  It was a purple building.

• 1:17:34Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I'm gonna do a lip balm break before we sing, do you need any?

• 1:17:38Speaker 02

  No, I think I'm okay.

• 1:17:39Amy Poehler?

  Um, so it was a purple building.

• 1:17:41Speaker 02

  It was a purple building.

• 1:17:42Amy Poehler?

  Old tiny ice cream.

• 1:17:43Speaker 02

  You had to wear a Styrofoam barbershop quartet hat.

• 1:17:46Amy Poehler?

  You had to, we often had a kazoo.

• 1:17:48Speaker 02

  We often had a kazoo. And I feel like we were both attracted to the drama and the showmanship. Totally. Not drama, the showmanship of Chadwick's, because when it was someone's birthday, you got a free sundae.

• 1:17:59Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:59Speaker 02

  And, um, they did not check, so people came in a lot.

• 1:18:03Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 1:18:03Speaker 02

  With birthday sundaes. But then there was a little chant, birthday chant, that you did.

• 1:18:09Amy Poehler?

  And then why'd you kick it off?

• 1:18:10Speaker 02

  Something like this. Ladies and gentlemen, we're happy to have you here at Chadwick's today, but we're especially happy to have Amy. Because she came here to celebrate her birthday today. So with the sound of the drum, please join in singing Amy a loud, embarrassing, happy birthday.

• 1:18:31Amy Poehler?

  Then they would order a giant ice cream, and it was called?

• 1:18:34Speaker 02

  The Belly Buster.

• 1:18:35Amy Poehler?

  And it was carried out by?

• 1:18:37Speaker 02

  Two, two men, holding a stretcher thing with a big bowl in the middle of it, that had, and then they, this was a separate thing, if you ordered the Belly Buster, there was an announcement for the Belly Buster.

• 1:18:48Amy Poehler?

  And it went?

• 1:18:48Speaker 02

  And it went something like this. Ladies and gentlemen, we're happy to have you here at Chadwick's today.

• 1:18:54Amy Poehler?

  We'll introduce you to the Belly Buster.

• 1:18:59Speaker 02

  10 scoops of ice cream, five different toppings, mounds and mounds of whipped cream, cherries and nuts, Chadwick's own Belly Buster. And then we'd like do like drum drum.

• 1:19:12Speaker 02

  And then the two guys would come up, the thing in the structure like pretending to struggle under its weight. And then it would land at the table. And if you ate, rumor had it, the lore was that if you ate the Belly Buster by yourself, you got it for free.

• 1:19:26Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 1:19:27Speaker 02

  Do you remember that?

• 1:19:27Amy Poehler?

  Yep, and there used to be like teen boys.

• 1:19:29Speaker 02

  Vomiting.

• 1:19:30Amy Poehler?

  Vomiting and drinking the ice cream juice. In an attempt to get it done in time.

• 1:19:36Speaker 02

  The vomit was separate from the ice cream juice.

• 1:19:38Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, teen boys were trying to get it done and I don't think I ever saw it happen.

• 1:19:42Speaker 02

  I don't think I did either.

• 1:19:43Amy Poehler?

  Lore, but lore says it happened.

• 1:19:45Speaker 02

  Now Chadwick's no longer exists.

• 1:19:46Amy Poehler?

  Nope, it's just in a landfill filled with ghosts.

• 1:19:51Speaker 02

  I'm gonna interview for my podcast. The Ghost of Chadwick's.

• 1:19:58Amy Poehler?

  But that's a good ending, that's a good ending.

• 1:19:59Speaker 02

  That is, okay.

• 1:20:01Amy Poehler?

  Love you, Drucci.

• 1:20:02Speaker 02

  Love you, this was fun.

• 1:20:04Amy Poehler?

  So fun, thanks for doing it, buddy. And thank you again, I really do owe you a lot, always, in my life and on this show. So come back anytime and bring your headphones always.

• 1:20:14Speaker 02

  Hold on.

• 1:20:15Amy Poehler?

  We're gonna wrap it up.

• 1:20:17Speaker 02

  Okay, there, well now they're all clean.

• 1:20:19Amy Poehler?

  Well, we still can't get them on.

• 1:20:20Speaker 02

  This isn't a good ending, okay.

• 1:20:21Amy Poehler?

  It is still hard for you to get them on, though.

• 1:20:23Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 1:20:24Amy Poehler?

  Here we go. And.

• 1:20:30Speaker 02

  What the? Oh, here we go.

• 1:20:35Amy Poehler?

  Nailed it.

• 1:20:36Speaker 02

  Dratch out.

• 1:20:39Amy Poehler?

  Thank you, Dratch, you are the best, my baby Dratch, my little Ray Ray.

• 1:20:45Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for coming on. And, you know, we talked a lot about a lot of things, you know, the idea that, you know, life can be a series of interesting and unexplainable events. And it can be really woo woo if you let it. And so as part of this polar plunge, I do want to just remind everyone to check out Rachel Dratch's podcast, Woo Woo. Her and her co-host Irene, they listen to people's interesting, ghosty, spooky stories. They get into that, that.

• 1:21:20Amy Poehler?

  Those chills that you get when something weird or unexplainable happens. And so check out that podcast. I have gone on the podcast and I have said that I've never seen a ghost. And I'd like to keep it that way. So I'm fine with that. But if you have seen a ghost, contact Woo Woo and not me. Okay. But good for you. And it's not a competition, but I'm glad I didn't. Okay, thanks for listening. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite.

• 1:22:00Amy Poehler?

  For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullin, and Aleia Zaneras. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

• 1:22:17Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Sephora. Holiday gifting can be a tough gig. You're frantically searching, second guessing everything, and accidentally buying your dad eye cream he's never gonna use. Thankfully, Sephora is here to save us from ourselves. Whether you're shopping for a total beauty guru or someone whose whole routine is hand soap, Sephora has the perfect gift for everyone on your list. And if you're still lost, don't panic. Their beauty advisors can guide you to safety. This holiday season, we all Sephora. Shop gifts at Sephora and give something beautiful. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking which group chat you're typing in before hitting send? Next thing you know, you sent a scalding hot take about the restaurant to the group

• 1:23:01Amy Poehler?

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