Kate McKinnon

Kate McKinnon is getting really into trim carpentry. Amy hangs with the 'SNL' alum and talks about Kate's desire to be in the woods, filling her time hole post-'SNL,' and the capitals of various countries. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnonExecutive 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. We have a great hilarious guest today. The amazing Kate McKinnon. Kate, who you know from SNL and films and the world.

• 0:44Amy Poehler?

  And Kate and I go on an adventure and we're going to talk about woodworking. We're going to talk about sketch. We're going to talk about what do you do next when you have fulfilled your dream? And in Kate's case, it's homesteading and being in the movie The Roses and writing the second book in her Millicent Quib series. So I'm so excited to talk to Kate today. And before we do, always, we check in with someone who knows our guest, who has a question for our guest. And we have a great one today. Kate's fellow cast member, her chosen sister. You know her from SNL, from Shrill. She's an incredible comedian and actress and writer and person, Adie Bryant. Adie, hi.

• 1:35Amy Poehler?

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• 2:14Amy Poehler?

  We're talking to you from Los Angeles.

• 2:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's where I am.

• 2:19Amy Poehler?

  That's where you live now.

• 2:21Speaker 01

  I know. I know. It's weird.

• 2:22Amy Poehler?

  Eighty. I had a moment today where I was like, I was just excited about talking to you and just thinking about, I know this doesn't sound very basic, but just like the women of SNL, like just like, you know, there's, there's not, there hasn't been as many as you think.

• 2:43Speaker 01

  No, totally. It's, it's like a major crew of cool stars and girls.

• 2:51Amy Poehler?

  It's true. Like I think you and I were at a photo shoot and somebody, I feel like we were at the same photo shoot when someone said the number of cast members of SNL and it wasn't a lot.

• 3:04Speaker 01

  Totally. Also, I don't know, I felt this at the 50s where like then when you have kind of everyone in the room, not counting the hosts, you're kind of like, this is little, like this is a little group, you know?

• 3:15Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, like I, I got a, I got a laptop here, so I'm gonna see how many cast members have been on SNL, but yeah.

• 3:25Speaker 01

  Do you have a guess first? A jelly bean jar guess?

• 3:28Amy Poehler?

  Okay, yeah, let's guess before, okay, I won't look. Three?

• 3:33Speaker 01

  Let me see, like, one forty? Is that wrong?

• 3:38Amy Poehler?

  Yes, one sixty-seven.

• 3:41Speaker 01

  Come on.

• 3:42Amy Poehler?

  That's the black box theater, honey. That's just a full black box theater.

• 3:48Speaker 01

  You always see everything in theater sizes. That's the stadium.

• 3:55Amy Poehler?

  But yeah, but I was thinking about like, it's, it is, it's, it's a, it's a great group. It's like, like of which I'm very proud to be a part of and I know you are too.

• 4:04Speaker 01

  Same. Oh my God. Yeah, it's like very overwhelming to me if I think about it at all.

• 4:10Amy Poehler?

  I know, me too. And, uh, and you and Kate McKinnon, our guest today, were there at the same time and the, the people, especially the women that you are there with at the same time means, means a lot. So tell everybody, when did you guys start? When did you start and? Were you starting at the same year or when, what year?

• 4:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, she had kind of a weird thing where she started like five shows at the end of the previous season.

• 4:39Amy Poehler?

  Maya Rudolph did that too. Maya started at like the end of a season.

• 4:43Speaker 01

  Which that seems like so stressful to me.

• 4:46Amy Poehler?

  Same.

• 4:46Speaker 01

  I don't, I kind of don't know how she did it because she also like came in alone in that moment. But I think Kate and I, we shared an office and also just, we both are like scared. And I think we both were also like, um, we like are both extroverts for our jobs. But I think we're both kind of secretly like introverts who like to be quiet and hidden. And so we were, we bonded over that, I think.

• 5:16Amy Poehler?

  It's funny you say that. That was one of the questions I had for her today is how she managed being in such an extroverted job as an obvious introvert because I really find her to be a genuine introvert.

• 5:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, I think in some ways like it's part of her genius is like she's almost like a recluse who has to go and have like time. But then it's so fruitful. Like I, I mean, once, like one of the first times I went to her apartment, I was like, oh my God, what are all these cool paintings? And she was like, oh, I did this, you know? And I was like, what? You know, and same like, or we would be writing a sketch and then she would be like, well, get a keyboard and then like be playing a full, and you're like, wait, you play the piano? And then like, she was like, well, I do play the cello too. Like it just, she is like, uh,

• 6:11Speaker 01

  she is like a sneaky freak who has a billion skills and talents. Kind of like a savant kind of thing. And that's why she, she's like mysterious in that way.

• 6:23Amy Poehler?

  She is. She definitely is like an onion. Like she, and, and it also, not to make it about me, but I'm feeling such shame about the fact that if I knew how to play the cello, you would know it, babe. You'd know it. You'd know it day one.

• 6:41Speaker 01

  No, I same. Everywhere I go, I'd be like, well, I do cello, but I do piano too.

• 6:48Amy Poehler?

  And I paint a little on the side. But anyway, let's get back to you. Like, I would say it would be on my.

• 6:52Speaker 01

  And I guess I'm, sorry, I'm one of the greatest sketch comedians of all time too. That's just like the other thing I do. And I can build tables and garden and like.

• 7:02Amy Poehler?

  You're like, I'll take a, I'll take a grande latte, please.

• 7:08Amy Poehler?

  I know there's, she is, and I have to say, Edie, I find this with you too. Both of you guys have a very calm, um, energy that's like, draws you in. Neither one of you, you're very like, come hither. Come hither.

• 7:27Speaker 01

  That is what everyone always says about me. I'm sexy kind of come hither.

• 7:32Amy Poehler?

  You are, babe, because you both are like, there's not a lot of push. There's not.

• 7:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:38Amy Poehler?

  Not a lot of push.

• 7:39Speaker 01

  Well, you know, I think we really helped each other in that way because like, I, you know, especially when you get to SNL, it's so overwhelming. It's like so cool. And I think sometimes we both would have the instinct of like, is it okay for me to leave this party and go home? And we often for each other were like, I would like to. Let's go, you know? We gave each other permission to like, be the ones to go first, basically.

• 8:09Amy Poehler?

  That's actually a good friendship.

• 8:10Speaker 01

  That was really helpful at times, you know? Yeah.

• 8:12Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 8:13Speaker 01

  But I'm so honored to be thought of as come hither. That is like, that might be my new like cello, like.

• 8:20Amy Poehler?

  Come hither.

• 8:21Speaker 01

  Miss Paula thinks I'm come hither.

• 8:25Amy Poehler?

  Cut to your cosmetic brand, come hither. Come hither, baby. And you're like, and then you're like, where is, where is it being sold? I'll never tell.

• 8:40Amy Poehler?

  Before I get to your question for Kate, what's the first stuff you did together and wrote together?

• 8:45Speaker 01

  You know, one of the first things I think we really started like putting our heads together on stuff were those like girl music videos that we would do. Kind of like, uh, Twin Bed, I think was one of the first ones. And then we did like Back Home Ballers and a couple after that. But that was like one of our first, like, we both were like, oh, we like music and let's try this, you know?

• 9:10Amy Poehler?

  Did you shoot them in, at the Douglas House?

• 9:13Speaker 01

  Yes, some. I feel like I, like, our generation was some of the last to still go to the Douglas House because they don't go there anymore.

• 9:21Amy Poehler?

  For people listening, the Douglas House was just like a big house about 45 minutes outside of the city where if you watch in the 90s and 2000s, every commercial was shot at. Every fake commercial was shot at.

• 9:31Speaker 01

  Schmitz Gang, like all the, uh,

• 9:33Amy Poehler?

  Yep.

• 9:33Speaker 01

  Oops, I crap my pants. All those were there.

• 9:36Amy Poehler?

  And like for our generation, it was like lower, lower back tattoo remover and like the Roomba that went up your pants and, and it was, and, and just so many mornings, like super tired at the Douglas House.

• 9:50Speaker 01

  Completely. Also, like, I've, I would lay in their rooms as if they were my own. Just so rudely. Like, I would never do that if I were shooting in someone's house now. But at that time, I was like, I gotta lay on the floor in here, on someone's couch or bed. I don't know. You gotta know how anything works. So I was like, our space.

• 10:12Amy Poehler?

  And also, I just, like, what I love about watching you on the show and all the women of SNL and Kate too, is it's just like never worried when you perform. Like never, always feeling super relaxed that you're in control of what you're doing, that you have like a deep sense of play and like,

• 10:37Amy Poehler?

  Something natural does happen, I think, is the longer you're there, which is just like you get a good case of like, the fuck it's like, who cares? Like, let's just try shit.

• 10:45Speaker 01

  Hundred percent.

• 10:46Amy Poehler?

  And you and Kate, as seniors, were really fun together.

• 10:50Speaker 01

  Well, we were like doing bad behavior, basically.

• 10:54Amy Poehler?

  Like what? What was your bad?

• 10:56Speaker 01

  Well, just, I feel like she, I mean, she's the number one culprit of this in my time at SNL, which was she would basically perform so funny during the week, so funny during rehearsal. And then at dress, or I mean, at air, it was just something that you had never seen before. And I would be, you know, like eye to eye with her or whatever. And I'd be like, this bitch is letting it rip. And I'm just like at her mercy, you know?

• 11:25Amy Poehler?

  Oh, so fun.

• 11:26Speaker 01

  It's a thrill, you know?

• 11:27Amy Poehler?

  Well, I'm excited to talk to her today. And also like a little, um, I'm intrigued by Kate always because Kate is like, has a million hobbies and interests and she is, you know, she is not on as a person. She's not like a, she's not like, you can actually go pretty deep and go into these crevices of her mind, so I'm excited to get there. But what do you think? Do you have any question for her today that you think she might want to be asked? Or, you know, um, a story she might want to tell or anything you think you'd want to know?

• 12:04Speaker 01

  Well, it's funny because I feel like knowing her, I'm like, there's no question she wants to be asked.

• 12:09Amy Poehler?

  I, I, I've already heard that she's like, she told somebody, no, she was like, Amy's gonna look into my soul and I don't want that. She doesn't want to do this interview. She's, she's gonna be-

• 12:22Speaker 01

  She wants to do no interviews, by the way.

• 12:24Amy Poehler?

  I know.

• 12:25Speaker 01

  Okay. I'm, I'm stalling. I guess my question is like, what's her perfect?

• 12:32Speaker 01

  Day of solitude, which might include like an indoor activity, probably an outdoor activity, knowing her, and also like a meal she would make just for herself. I feel like that's like where she's in her flow state. And I'm like, what's she doing? What's her dream version of that? Or even, you know, how she spends her time like that?

• 12:58Amy Poehler?

  That is such a good question. Because asking somebody about what their, you know, quote unquote, kind of perfect day tells you so much about them. And and I definitely feel like Kate's perfect day is a solo day.

• 13:15Speaker 01

  I, which I like, respect massively.

• 13:18Amy Poehler?

  Totally. That's a fantastic question.

• 13:20Speaker 01

  Wait, I feel like there's one last question you should ask Kate. This is just a loose one, but ask her what she used to carry her hair extensions in.

• 13:31Speaker 01

  Don't know what the answer might be, but I think she might remember.

• 13:37Speaker 01

  What she used to cart those around in.

• 13:40Amy Poehler?

  Perfect. Can't wait. All right, Aide, thank you so much for getting on. It's so great to see you. Your come hither attitude is, it just drew me in from minute one, babe.

• 13:55Speaker 01

  Come, come hither anytime you wish.

• 13:58Amy Poehler?

  Say hi to Connor. Lots of love. Okay.

• 14:01Speaker 01

  Bye.

• 14:04Amy Poehler?

  Oh, my God, wait, McKinnon.

• 14:08Amy Poehler?

  Wait, what's going on with this water?

• 14:14Amy Poehler?

  What is this water?

• 14:18Amy Poehler?

  Talk to me about this. Do you try to get through this a day, once a day?

• 14:22Speaker 01

  I try. I put it away for months at a time. And then I say, where's, where's my jug?

• 14:29Amy Poehler?

  Oh, my God, how many gallons is in here?

• 14:31Speaker 01

  This is one gallon. Actually, this is not full, but you can see.

• 14:36Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, this is nice.

• 14:37Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:39Amy Poehler?

  And do you try to get a gallon a day?

• 14:41Speaker 02

  I do. I mean, when I'm doing, when I'm, when I'm being good and cool, yeah.

• 14:47Amy Poehler?

  That's why your skin is so good. It's this gallon jug.

• 14:51Speaker 02

  It's, thank you.

• 14:54Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, it's good because it weighs 25 pounds one fall. So you're getting that, whatever this is. And it's really good in a Zoom. Because

• 15:08Amy Poehler?

  It's funny.

• 15:09Speaker 02

  Your Zoom is flagging. And then you bring this into frame.

• 15:15Speaker 02

  Without introing it.

• 15:19Speaker 02

  That's another five minutes.

• 15:21Amy Poehler?

  That's some laughs.

• 15:22Speaker 02

  For your Zoom.

• 15:23Amy Poehler?

  I love this jug.

• 15:25Speaker 02

  Thank you so much. Here, you can.

• 15:26Amy Poehler?

  May I? I'm gonna put it, I'm just gonna put it over here for continuity.

• 15:30Speaker 02

  Yeah. So we can make sure that it doesn't.

• 15:32Amy Poehler?

  As Lauren say, co-star.

• 15:34Speaker 02

  Okay, I know. Thank you. Yes, let the audience come to you. When in doubt, seduce and keep your jug on the floor.

• 15:42Amy Poehler?

  Try to get your jugs all the way to the floor if you can. Hi, friend.

• 15:48Speaker 02

  Hey.

• 15:48Amy Poehler?

  Hi.

• 15:49Speaker 02

  You're beautiful. Congratulations on, on this.

• 15:53Amy Poehler?

  Thank you. I'm so happy that you're here.

• 15:55Speaker 02

  I'm very happy to be here.

• 15:56Amy Poehler?

  I know that you do not like to do interviews. Well, and my first question is just something very, very simple, which is, what is God's plan for us?

• 16:07Speaker 02

  God has gone. God has jumped ship.

• 16:11Amy Poehler?

  God is taking a break.

• 16:12Speaker 02

  To a different universe. God was like.

• 16:17Amy Poehler?

  God was like, yikes.

• 16:19Speaker 02

  Miss, that was a miss and I shall, I'll let them do it.

• 16:26Speaker 02

  Yeah, we are duh duh doomed, capital D doomed.

• 16:32Amy Poehler?

  No, I know that you don't like, love interviews. But I think what is so special about you, Kate, is I feel like you just deep end it pretty fast. Like you like deep end, complex conversations.

• 16:49Speaker 02

  Bless you for saying so. I would, I'd like to, what is your sign?

• 16:54Amy Poehler?

  Virgo.

• 16:55Speaker 02

  Got it. Capricorn.

• 16:56Amy Poehler?

  Oh, of course. Good. Finally, finally, a reasonable person.

• 17:00Speaker 02

  And your Myers-Briggs?

• 17:02Amy Poehler?

  E N T J.

• 17:04Speaker 02

  Got it. Good.

• 17:05Amy Poehler?

  What's yours?

• 17:06Speaker 02

  Good. I N F P.

• 17:07Amy Poehler?

  Yes, you're a definite I.

• 17:08Speaker 02

  Good.

• 17:09Amy Poehler?

  And also, your Enneagram?

• 17:11Speaker 02

  Four, wing five.

• 17:12Amy Poehler?

  Of course, you're a four.

• 17:13Speaker 02

  What are you?

• 17:14Amy Poehler?

  I'm an eight.

• 17:16Speaker 02

  And that's the one-

• 17:16Amy Poehler?

  Eight, wing nine. I'm the challenger.

• 17:18Speaker 02

  The challenger.

• 17:19Amy Poehler?

  And you are the romantic-

• 17:22Speaker 02

  The asshole.

• 17:22Amy Poehler?

  Sensitivo. I was gonna say, I'm the asshole.

• 17:25Speaker 02

  No, no, I'm the asshole.

• 17:26Amy Poehler?

  Oh, that's so funny. I thought I was the asshole.

• 17:29Speaker 02

  Wait, but what is eight again?

• 17:30Amy Poehler?

  Eight is the challenger. So eight is the, likes to lead, has problem with vulnerability, problems with vulnerability. So like, doesn't go with feelings first, action first. Four is lots of feelings.

• 17:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 17:45Amy Poehler?

  Right? So if you're at Thanksgiving, the eight is maybe at the table arguing about vaccines or something. The four is in the basement looking through photo albums of old Thanksgivings.

• 17:58Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 17:59Amy Poehler?

  Would that, would that make sense?

• 18:00Speaker 02

  Yes, and saying stuff like,

• 18:04Speaker 02

  "It's all over."

• 18:06Amy Poehler?

  Yes. Okay. Awesome. Like, we are doomed.

• 18:11Speaker 02

  We are doomed. And I need you to also to know that I, my face is covered in poison ivy.

• 18:16Amy Poehler?

  Can't see, okay, can't see one, one piece of evidence for it.

• 18:22Speaker 02

  You can maybe see little, little dots on my neck.

• 18:24Amy Poehler?

  Can't see at all. You're incredible makeup artist, who we love.

• 18:27Speaker 02

  Yes, who we love.

• 18:28Amy Poehler?

  Cassie.

• 18:28Speaker 02

  Cass Garcia.

• 18:29Amy Poehler?

  Who also I work with.

• 18:30Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 18:31Amy Poehler?

  Incredible.

• 18:32Speaker 02

  She's always, she relays messages between the two of us.

• 18:36Amy Poehler?

  Same.

• 18:36Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:36Amy Poehler?

  She's like, "I saw Kate. Kate said hi. It's really nice." And you could not tell for one minute that you have poison ivy on your face.

• 18:44Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 18:45Amy Poehler?

  But I know that you are like, an outdoor cat. Outdoor cat, indoor cat, but you are, you live, you're, basically, you've gone, you've gone to the farm.

• 18:56Speaker 02

  I've gone rogue.

• 18:57Amy Poehler?

  You've gone rogue.

• 18:58Speaker 02

  Yes, they, it- I remember so clearly, I believe we were in, maybe we were at the Kennedy Center Honors in DC or something, and I was telling you about my desire to go to the woods. And you were like, in New York, the nature that we have is our pets. And we need more nature than that.

• 19:19Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 19:19Speaker 02

  And so that, I always had that in my head.

• 19:23Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 19:24Speaker 02

  And I, I did it.

• 19:26Amy Poehler?

  You did it. How does it feel?

• 19:29Speaker 02

  (sighs)

• 19:32Amy Poehler?

  It's the best.

• 19:33Speaker 02

  I'm, I belong on the homestead.

• 19:35Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I believe it.

• 19:37Speaker 02

  I belong on the homestead.

• 19:40Amy Poehler?

  I believe it. Did you feel that way when you were younger? Did you feel an affinity to nature? Were you that kind of person, like, young kid who liked to be in the woods?

• 19:50Speaker 02

  I loved bugs and science and making nature crafts.

• 19:55Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 19:56Speaker 02

  I remember making little bits of mud and putting them places. And I remember every time we went to a seafood restaurant, I would say, Mom, can I take the empty clam, mussel, and lobster shells home with me and put them in the bathtub? And after rinsing them of marinara sauce, she would let me put them in the bathtub. And, and I would get in with them and just enjoy that. And so, yes, I did always love.

• 20:28Amy Poehler?

  Yes. Did you? Well, I kind of liked adventure. I liked the idea of being alone. Like, I liked getting on my bike and riding through the neighborhood, like, feeling alone.

• 20:40Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 20:40Amy Poehler?

  But talk to me about, without, you know, obviously revealing anything too personal, what is your homestead? What do you do on your homestead? Talk to me about what happens there. Are you farming?

• 20:51Speaker 02

  I think the reason I've, I've done it is that I believe very much that we are doomed. And I want, my goal is, is surviving the apocalypse four days.

• 21:04Amy Poehler?

  Okay, that's it. If I can make it to four, oh, mama, I will have achieved something. A long weekend, like a holiday weekend?

• 21:16Amy Poehler?

  That's such a good, that's such a funny thing to think about is what it would take for four days. It's more, it's more food than you think, obviously.

• 21:25Speaker 02

  It is.

• 21:25Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:26Speaker 02

  Yeah. And I would, I know I wouldn't make it past two hours, but I'd like to think that I could go forty-eight.

• 21:33Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 21:34Speaker 02

  And I would be crying the whole time.

• 21:36Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:37Speaker 02

  As a four-winged five.

• 21:40Speaker 02

  But I would like the, the, the lack of invitations to social gatherings in the apocalypse. That would be fun.

• 21:48Amy Poehler?

  Okay, you are a true introvert.

• 21:52Speaker 02

  Which I, I am ashamed of because

• 21:54Amy Poehler?

  Why?

• 21:55Speaker 02

  I love people. I am fascinated by and love to talk to and listen to people.

• 22:00Amy Poehler?

  But the word fascinated is the part. You are fascinated by people. People are, that's what I think I feel from you is a fascination and a curiosity about the world and people. That is what is so compelling about being around you is you are very curious about many things. But I sense that people in general, like a lot of people, it's just, it's not really your gig. It's just like one-on-one people feels like, or two-on-one, however you like it. One-on-one, two-on-one. But you know, but when we were talking about you going, like getting back into nature and kind of checking out, I think it was in the

• 22:40Amy Poehler?

  context of New York City being overwhelming and you being there for a long time. Because you lived in the city for how many years?

• 22:48Speaker 02

  Twenty.

• 22:49Amy Poehler?

  And you were on, on SNL for how many years?

• 22:52Speaker 02

  Ten.

• 22:53Amy Poehler?

  And every day you saw hundreds of people.

• 22:57Speaker 02

  This is the poison I was, just acting up a hair, excuse me.

• 23:00Amy Poehler?

  At any point you need a cold compress.

• 23:02Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 23:04Amy Poehler?

  And so you were like, it was fascinating that you were in a bustling city on a bustling show. And it makes total sense that you want to go somewhere and just get a little bit quieter and more peaceful after that experience.

• 23:19Speaker 02

  Right.

• 23:19Amy Poehler?

  How does an introverted person like you, how did you manage the hugeness that was that show? It's such chaos.

• 23:29Speaker 02

  Do you want me to do an impression of myself at the after-party?

• 23:32Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 23:33Speaker 02

  Okay. So you are, let's say you're an agent that I know.

• 23:37Amy Poehler?

  Great.

• 23:37Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 23:38Amy Poehler?

  Okay. And I'll, and I'll just be talking to you, okay?

• 23:40Speaker 02

  Really close, really quiet.

• 23:44Speaker 02

  Tell me about your parents. That, you know, that kind of thing.

• 23:48Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. You wanted, but that's what I'm talking about. You like a one-on-one connection. You like people. You want connection.

• 23:56Speaker 02

  I really do.

• 23:57Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. When I watch you on SNL, you're so connected to what you're doing. You're very relaxing to watch because you don't seem nervous.

• 24:08Speaker 02

  Nobody knows that, but we will.

• 24:11Amy Poehler?

  But was that all, am I getting it totally wrong? Like, was inside a whirlie, whirlie, swirlie? Or was the inside kind of peaceful when you, were you in the zone when you would perform?

• 24:24Speaker 02

  Oh, gosh. Always terribly nervous, horrifically nervous, less so at dress. I always felt I did, I did my best at dress and then air was just less good. Because I was thinking about the cameras. But when it was just dress and just, I could really, sometimes if I was really in it, feel like I was in dialogue with the people in the audience and like we were sharing something. You know, I, I feel like sketch is like, you see something that you love, that delights you and you're like, just showing it to people and then you're like, do you guys like it too?

• 25:09Speaker 02

  Because I think this is funny and if they do, then, then you're like, you have a connection. And I, I felt sometimes like I was just with friends. I mean, Lorne said that, I'm sure. It should feel like you're in your living room playing.

• 25:24Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, it's good.

• 25:25Speaker 02

  And I, I did get to that point.

• 25:28Amy Poehler?

  You definitely did. I mean, first of all, we got to see, I mean, this might make you uncomfortable, this kind of praise, but I feel like this, here she goes. Okay, hold on, hang on, praise is coming. Okay? Praise is coming. There are people on that show that I felt were naturals on that show. Now, whether or not they felt natural is, is their own personal story. But you, Maya Rudolph, this is my opinion, you, Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey, Will Ferrell, people who just kind of came onto the show, fit right in and just became. Just like instant captains, just instant

• 26:16Amy Poehler?

  crushers, just so good at that show, because that show needs a specific kind of something. I don't know, I don't even know, you know. And I always felt that from you, just this calm confidence when you were performing. And it's interesting to know that inside you were not feeling that way. What did you do when you were

• 26:41Amy Poehler?

  not feeling like you did well? What like, like, how do you, how did you manage that feeling? I mean, I can't think of any time you didn't do well, but it's so, but I'm sure you felt that.

• 26:52Speaker 02

  There were plenty of desperate failures that haunt me even now. I am, no, I, no, a lot of failures and they, they still sometimes I'll think of something that didn't work or that I didn't, I just couldn't get there in time with the writing or the performing and it, it still stings. And I still feel shame and that, you know, and that's on me. But I, I also have made the terrible mistake of reading

• 27:24Amy Poehler?

  Oh.

• 27:24Speaker 02

  Stuff on the internet, which I truly wish I could go back and have never looked at the internet because it has

• 27:31Amy Poehler?

  Yep.

• 27:33Speaker 02

  That haunts me as well.

• 27:34Amy Poehler?

  And also, you just cannot remember the good things. You can't remember.

• 27:39Speaker 02

  No.

• 27:40Amy Poehler?

  For the hundred good things, it's just like, can't, can't conjure them up, but the one bad one, you'll never forget.

• 27:46Speaker 02

  Yeah, there are phrases that I have read that

• 27:52Speaker 02

  not even that mean.

• 27:53Amy Poehler?

  Right, sure.

• 27:54Speaker 02

  Not unfounded, like things with a kernel of truth, like thoughtful critiques that I agreed with that have ruined my life.

• 28:06Amy Poehler?

  That will be, that will be on your headstone.

• 28:12Amy Poehler?

  Okay, but so, but when you were, like, did you have any, okay, talk, like, were you, did you like to rehearse all the time? Were you in your room rehearse? Did you go, were you the kind of performer, you're in your room before you're doing your sketch, quiet and intensely working on it? Did you like to play around and stay loose before a scene? Because I didn't really ever get a chance to work with you very much. We only did a few small things together. Did you like to be alone and get ready for stuff? Or did you like to stay loose and, you know what I mean?

• 28:45Speaker 02

  Yeah, I, I, I think I mostly like to wing it.

• 28:49Amy Poehler?

  Hmm.

• 28:50Speaker 02

  Um, I, there were, like, I don't know if you can relate, if it was like a, just a two-person scene that was like really a scene that required, like, your eyes are so beautiful, I'm...

• 29:04Amy Poehler?

  Mine?

• 29:05Speaker 02

  Yes!

• 29:06Amy Poehler?

  My god, Kate. You know what?

• 29:09Speaker 02

  You shine like a sun!

• 29:12Amy Poehler?

  And I'm having trouble concentrating on what I was saying.

• 29:14Speaker 02

  I, um...

• 29:16Amy Poehler?

  Love you.

• 29:19Speaker 02

  You too. My queen, my queen. Um, I, if it was like a two-person scene with a lot of lines...

• 29:25Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 29:26Speaker 02

  I would try to, not memorize, but become very intimately familiar with the lines.

• 29:31Amy Poehler?

  I could feel that, that you liked to know your lines, which some people don't really try to do, because people don't know, but it changes a lot at SNL, so sometimes you're a little screwed if you know your lines too well.

• 29:40Speaker 02

  Right, right. Um, so if it was like not changing that much, and it was like a, like, more acting...

• 29:47Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 29:48Speaker 02

  Scene, I would sort of like to, like, run through it a few times, but otherwise I, I liked to, uh, wing it.

• 29:55Amy Poehler?

  That's what I mean, is you have, you had a very groovy flow in a lot of the stuff that you did. And so, who knew, babe, that Inside was, you know, a bunch of...

• 30:12Amy Poehler?

  Mice carrying ladders and stuff like, like who knew? And so when we talked about you like hitting the road and getting homesteading, basically, what I feel like was underneath that was like, here's the new next chapter of, chapter of the version of my life. Like, you know, if my life is a book, I'm interested in what the next chapter is.

• 30:35Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 30:36Amy Poehler?

  What is the, what would you like, what would you title this chapter of your life? Post SNL?

• 30:42Amy Poehler?

  Growing, growing your own food, prepping for the apocalypse.

• 30:45Speaker 02

  My goodness.

• 30:47Amy Poehler?

  What would it, what would you say, what era are you in?

• 30:52Speaker 02

  Getting real.

• 30:53Amy Poehler?

  Getting real.

• 30:54Speaker 02

  Or, um, 41, or.

• 30:59Amy Poehler?

  Getting with an apostrophe, getting real.

• 31:05Speaker 02

  Well, let's be honest, I feel like I had one dream, one dream. It was SNL. Did it. Done. Loved it. Awesome.

• 31:20Speaker 02

  Not quite sure. Not quite sure what to really be like, single minded about. I, I love filming movies and the, the small amount of episodic television.

• 31:37Amy Poehler?

  What do you love about making movies?

• 31:39Speaker 02

  I love being able to, I love going somewhere for a month or two and walking around.

• 31:53Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 31:53Speaker 02

  And falling in love with 80 new people and the, the circus, the camp of it.

• 32:01Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 32:02Speaker 02

  The summer camp. You went, you went to camp?

• 32:05Amy Poehler?

  I never did.

• 32:06Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 32:06Amy Poehler?

  I know. I went to a day camp, but I never went away. I would have loved to have gone like away from home. But yeah, just this idea that you had this stolen time almost in another place.

• 32:16Speaker 02

  You can be anything and I love that. And I also love, I love, I just love movies. I think they're wonderful as a, as a medium. And I love.

• 32:31Speaker 02

  Doing a scene as scripted and then trying it 80 different ways and they picked the best one and as opposed to like you've got one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. Are you, will you capture it or will you let it slip?

• 32:48Amy Poehler?

  Do not miss your chance because opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

• 32:57Amy Poehler?

  But that was what SNL was.

• 32:58Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 32:59Amy Poehler?

  So you did it so well. So you feel like you, yeah, I hear what you're saying. It's like, okay, I did that. I did that as to the best of my ability. Now I want to, you know, practice my backhand, basically, or, or, or not even my backhand, just try, try a new shot.

• 33:16Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 33:16Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 33:17Speaker 02

  Totally. Like, I loved doing pre-taped pieces because, for that very reason. And I, I have loved, truly loved every experience I've had working on a film. So I'd love to do more of that. And I, but I, I, but there's only so many hours in a year that,

• 33:39Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 33:40Speaker 02

  You know, SNL took up so much

• 33:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 33:43Speaker 02

  of all of our lives. And, and when it's over, it just leaves a, a time hole. And so I had to fill my time hole.

• 33:56Amy Poehler?

  That's the name of your workshop. Fill your time hole with Kate McKinnon.

• 34:02Speaker 02

  And so I've done that. I've, I've tried to be useful in growing food. And I've also taken up carpentry as well.

• 34:10Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I've heard about this. Talk, can you talk to me about the materials you're using? Because I know a little bit about woodworking from Nick Offerman.

• 34:18Speaker 02

  Right, from Nick Offerman.

• 34:19Amy Poehler?

  Have you spoken to Nick?

• 34:20Speaker 02

  I've never, no, I, like, I mean, I've meant to.

• 34:24Amy Poehler?

  He has an amazing work, workshop. And he's, is such a good teacher and, and share of knowledge. And tell me what you like about woodworking and carpentry. What do you, what's your favorite part?

• 34:40Speaker 02

  It is, well, I think it's in my genes because my grandfather was a woodworker. My father was an architect. And I just.

• 34:53Speaker 02

  I love the practicality of you can manipulate this material and then you can spend time in it.

• 35:01Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 35:02Speaker 02

  How crazy is that?

• 35:04Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 35:04Speaker 02

  You can sit on it. I love to sit on things I do. It's just so much, it's a sketch, a book, a something, it's so ephemeral. Ephemeral. And to say, "I will sleep on what I did today."

• 35:23Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 35:23Speaker 02

  Is like, "Rrrrrrr." That's like, life.

• 35:27Amy Poehler?

  That's cool. What materials do you like to work with? What kind of wood?

• 35:32Speaker 02

  I've been doing mostly trim carpentry, which is moldings and paneling. And I've been using reclaimed hemlock for that mostly.

• 35:42Amy Poehler?

  You've been making your own moldings?

• 35:44Speaker 02

  Yes. And I thought, I thought I was the only one. Then I'm backstage at that SNL 50 concert. I'm talking to Brandi Carlile. She's doing trim carpentry. I'm like, "Brand, of course you are." She's like, "Jon Stewart's doing his trim." I'm like, "Turned out, it's trite what I'm doing." Everyone's doing trim carpentry. You're doing trim carpentry, I know.

• 36:13Amy Poehler?

  I mean, people think I'm doing trim carpentry, but I'm not.

• 36:17Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 36:17Amy Poehler?

  So when you're making stuff, like, something like, when you're working with wood, what happens when you make a mistake? I feel, because I'm asking, I'm very intimidated by working with wood. I feel like if you make, if you measure wrong, you're fucked. Like, you can't. What do you just kind of?

• 36:37Speaker 02

  I put it up inside the home anyway. And I have absolutely decreased the property value of the house with my... Shoddy work. Yes, I know that I have.

• 36:49Amy Poehler?

  It is not Brandi Carlile level.

• 36:51Speaker 02

  No, nothing is.

• 36:53Amy Poehler?

  That's true. That's true. What do you want to make? What's a dream thing you want to eventually make? Do you want to move on from molding and moldings and do you want to make furniture? Do you make furniture?

• 37:06Speaker 02

  I have, I made a table.

• 37:08Amy Poehler?

  Dang.

• 37:08Speaker 02

  That was cool. But honestly, I would like to move into plumbing and electrical. I would like to be, have all the skills of a general contractor.

• 37:20Amy Poehler?

  I love that. I love that.

• 37:24Speaker 02

  I don't know.

• 37:25Amy Poehler?

  Well, because the end is near and you know, we have to.

• 37:27Speaker 02

  Well, someone's got to wire the shelter.

• 37:30Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, exactly. If we're going to get one more day in that shelter, we're going to need how the, we're going to need to fix the toilet.

• 37:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:38Amy Poehler?

  I so relate though, Kate. I mean, I have no doubt you will. I have no doubt you'll learn about plumbing.

• 37:46Speaker 02

  I mean, that's a ways away.

• 37:47Amy Poehler?

  You think so?

• 37:48Speaker 02

  Well, it's someone's job for a reason. That's a two-year certificate at minimum.

• 37:57Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 37:57Speaker 02

  So, but yes, I would like to acquire all of those, the skills that can make a home function for four days.

• 38:11Speaker 03

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• 38:36Speaker 04

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• 38:48Speaker 05

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• 39:09Speaker 04

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• 39:35Speaker 05

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• 39:41Amy Poehler?

  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 with the person who picked it. Yikes. Yeah, checking first is a good idea, so check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Folks, as we head into fall, we welcome yet another season of change: changing leaves, refreshed wardrobes, and new routines. But one thing that doesn't need to change? Your phone. The smartest upgrade this season isn't a new phone,

• 40:26Amy Poehler?

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• 41:10Amy Poehler?

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• 41:40Amy Poehler?

  What I like about this conversation is that I feel like we're going out in the woods, and then we're coming back into the city.

• 41:48Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 41:48Amy Poehler?

  Back and forth. So, coming back into the city, if I can.

• 41:52Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 41:53Amy Poehler?

  Can you speak about the last show of yours at SNL? Because I remember that feeling very powerful and very moving. And I think we spoke about it, and it was for you. It was a very beautiful send-off, where you walk up into the stairs as Ms. Rafferty.

• 42:12Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 42:13Amy Poehler?

  Meeting the aliens, finally, maybe? We don't know.

• 42:17Amy Poehler?

  Finally meeting, you know? Or them taking you away? Are you willingly going? We don't know.

• 42:22Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 42:22Amy Poehler?

  What do you think happens to her and you? But that walk up the stairs and like the wave goodbye was really beautiful and really cool. What was your last show like?

• 42:35Speaker 02

  I thought it was really beautiful, too. It was not my pitch. That was Streeter, Cydell, and Mikey Day came up with that. My pitch was that I did this character, Sheila Sauvage.

• 42:46Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yes.

• 42:46Speaker 02

  The bar fly. And my pitch was that I would tongue every single person in the cast

• 42:57Speaker 02

  in a line. And, you know, I thought ultimately that the alien thing was a little more meaningful and had a better tone. So, we went with that. So, everyone narrowly missed sucking my face.

• 43:12Amy Poehler?

  A goodbye, a goodbye, a goodbye tonguing.

• 43:15Speaker 02

  But that was very emotional because it was everything. I mean.

• 43:23Amy Poehler?

  You did over 200 shows or something.

• 43:26Speaker 02

  Everything to me. And those people are everything to me. Jenna.

• 43:31Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 43:31Speaker 02

  You know, Chris Kelly, everybody, and Lorne, who has been, you know, a surrogate father to me. And I could cry now, thinking about what he has been to me in my life, as I'm sure we all could.

• 43:49Amy Poehler?

  What, can you speak a little bit more? What has he been, what has he done to, like, what was your relationship with him like?

• 43:56Speaker 02

  My, well, very, my, my father passed when I was 18. I loved my father beyond. And he, Lorne, just was nothing but paternal. And when you have somehow, by, by the grace of whatever, earned the esteem of a man like that, a man who's that, like, larger than life, it just, it means everything. And so I was like, just sad.

• 44:29Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 44:29Speaker 02

  To go. I had, I had to. I, I had reached a point where I was like yawning during the show. And that just did not, that was not working for me physically anymore.

• 44:40Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 44:41Speaker 02

  And there, there you have it. But it didn't mean I wanted to get away from those folks.

• 44:48Amy Poehler?

  You love those folks. You love those folks. And, boy, Kate, they love you. You know who loves you so much? And there's a million people who do. Seth Meyers. He loves you. He, you are, he just is like, and again, praise coming in. Prepare. But you were just such a natural captain when you were in there on that show. You just, you led that show through a lot of years, and you were in a lot of sketches. And you were doing a lot, you were, you were carrying a lot on your shoulders in that show, whether or not you felt it or not.

• 45:26Amy Poehler?

  And you were, you were being asked to do really big playing, like really for quote unquote, like important people at important times, whether it's Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani, or like you were playing all the, it was the world, you, the world is nuts. And it's weird, and I know from experience, because we both played political figures, to play people in real time that are also existing in real time in the world, and there's real world consequences, and it's very strange.

• 45:57Speaker 02

  Yes, yes, it is. Yeah.

• 46:02Amy Poehler?

  What was it, what would, what, how did you feel, was there, did you feel any responsibility when you were playing anybody? Or did you have to kind of let that go and not worry about it?

• 46:13Speaker 02

  No, Mama, I felt a lot of, I felt a lot.

• 46:17Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:18Speaker 02

  I'm sorry, just to talk about Seth for one second.

• 46:21Amy Poehler?

  Yes, let's go back to Seth.

• 46:22Speaker 02

  When Seth left, it was in February, that was another, that I felt like, I only overlapped with him for two or three years or so. But he, and he is not very much older than me, but I felt like he was like, had a paternal, you know, thing, and like when he left, oh my God, I was so crushed. And I forget that life goes on and you like, you form, you know, other connections and stuff, but that was like, oh, I love that guy.

• 46:58Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:59Speaker 02

  I love that guy. Yoiks, any horse. What were we saying about politics?

• 47:05Amy Poehler?

  Who cares?

• 47:06Speaker 02

  Oh, politics. Well, it's a double edged sword, I felt, and let me know how this lands for you.

• 47:13Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 47:14Speaker 02

  But I felt it was a double edged sword in that I felt like I was really doing something with my life, something meaningful, being engaged in the most peripheral possible way in.

• 47:30Speaker 02

  In culture, in, in history.

• 47:33Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 47:34Speaker 02

  In the mu- like.

• 47:35Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 47:36Speaker 02

  Just on the sidelines, putting on a wig.

• 47:38Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 47:39Speaker 02

  You know, doing little songs about whatever was actually going on. But like, um, being i- in the smallest way, a part of that felt like I was doing something meaningful.

• 47:54Amy Poehler?

  Mm hmm.

• 47:54Speaker 02

  And with that came, you know, like I remember there was one article that was like, will she hurt Hillary Clinton?

• 48:05Amy Poehler?

  Oh, God.

• 48:06Speaker 02

  And I was like,

• 48:07Amy Poehler?

  Oh, God.

• 48:08Speaker 02

  Y'all, y'all shouldn't read, should not have read.

• 48:12Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 48:13Speaker 02

  Should never have looked. But that, like, that notion, uh, uh, just broke my brain. And like, I, uh, obviously, no one, I think, doing a satire has the power to actually influence. But, um, I did not want to hurt anybody, even people I vehemently disagreed with politically. Like, I still didn't want to ever hurt anyone's feelings.

• 48:39Amy Poehler?

  Hmm.

• 48:40Speaker 02

  Um, and so, yeah, there was some balancing to do there.

• 48:46Amy Poehler?

  Did you ever meet anybody while you were dressed as them?

• 48:49Speaker 02

  Yes, I met, um, Secretary Clinton.

• 48:55Amy Poehler?

  Mm hmm.

• 48:56Speaker 02

  Uh, Senator Warren.

• 48:58Amy Poehler?

  Mm hmm.

• 48:58Speaker 02

  That was, oh, awesome.

• 49:05Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 49:06Amy Poehler?

  Oh, you guys did a really fun, you guys did like a switch, a TikTok switcheroo.

• 49:11Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 49:12Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 49:12Speaker 02

  She was like, after, there was some vote on the floor of Congress. I believe it was on January 6th about, I forget what it was. And all the Democrats were saying no, and all the Republicans were saying yes. I forget what about. But they were going down the list, calling the names of all the Democratic senators. And everyone was saying, no, no, no. And then it got to her and she was like, no.

• 49:42Amy Poehler?

  And then, I know it's a question you get asked all the time, but I do love this question, which is, well, two. Did you watch, did you ever go on the server and watch sketches that bombed? We used to, we used to watch our sketches. Do you like, do you kind of like it when sketches bomb a little bit? Like, did you ever enjoy that? And did you ever re-watch a sketch that, like, didn't make it? We used to go and watch our sketches from dress that bombed and just like, and just watch it together, like, you know, kind of like process it together? And it was just like such a nice feeling. Basically, just a reminder that everybody bombs, basically. Did you ever do that?

• 50:20Speaker 02

  Yes, there were a few, a few hits that we would watch over and over again.

• 50:28Speaker 02

  There was one, there was one rehearsal where a person, I won't say who,

• 50:36Speaker 02

  simply stopped doing the sketch and sat down on the stage.

• 50:40Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 50:41Speaker 02

  That was a fun watch. And, yeah, just stuff like that.

• 50:44Amy Poehler?

  We had a, we had a host, again, I won't say who, who like halfway through just kind of fell asleep a little bit.

• 50:54Amy Poehler?

  And it was like, this was during dress, and I was like, okay, well, I guess we're, I guess this character's asleep now.

• 51:00Speaker 02

  Don't blame him.

• 51:01Amy Poehler?

  Agree.

• 51:02Speaker 02

  It's late.

• 51:02Amy Poehler?

  Time to sit down.

• 51:03Speaker 02

  And it's, it's a tough gig. Did you find that hosting was so much harder than you could have ever imagined?

• 51:12Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I wanted to be back with the, like, I didn't want to be in, yeah, I know. I wanted to be like, I kept being like, what are you guys doing over there? Like, I kept wanting to be over there.

• 51:24Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, yeah, and, and who did you love? Host, who, what host did you love? Like, that you just think about, you're just like, oh my god, that's so like...

• 51:35Speaker 02

  I remember really loving Amy Adams.

• 51:38Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 51:39Speaker 02

  Emily Blunt.

• 51:40Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 51:43Speaker 02

  A lot. Those are the two that pop into my mind. But just, I loved actresses who were wonderful comedic actresses and also actresses.

• 51:56Amy Poehler?

  Oh, that's so interesting.

• 51:58Speaker 02

  What type was your favorite?

• 51:59Amy Poehler?

  I enjoyed weirdly often athletes.

• 52:04Amy Poehler?

  Because they wanted to be coached. And they would be like, how do you want me to say it? How do you want me to do it? And I'd be like, oh, thank God. This is exactly how I want you to do it, you know? And they felt really good about that. Like, there was no... And they would, if they scored, they were like, yay. And if they didn't, they were like, this isn't my gig. Like, they just, they didn't, they didn't feel... And it relaxed me. It relaxed me when athletes would host.

• 52:28Amy Poehler?

  Or people like that. People who were just like, this is, this is so weird that I'm here.

• 52:33Speaker 02

  Did Charles Barkley ever host when you were there?

• 52:35Amy Poehler?

  No, did you love?

• 52:35Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 52:37Amy Poehler?

  You loved him?

• 52:38Speaker 02

  Now, there's a funny athlete. Jesus Christ. He may be the funniest man alive. And I did do one of my bar fly sketches with him. So I have, his tongue has been in my mouth. And I...

• 52:56Speaker 02

  It was nice.

• 52:56Amy Poehler?

  Fantastic. Okay, so we do this thing on the show where we talk to people before our interview. I don't know if you know this.

• 53:03Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 53:03Amy Poehler?

  We talk well behind their back. We talk to somebody who knows them. And they give, they give me a question to ask them. So we talked to Adie Bryant today. The great Adie. Oh, here we go. Tears, waterworks. Adie and you, like, tell me a little bit about what Adie...

• 53:23Amy Poehler?

  What it meant to have Adie there when you were there and like, working with her. What was, what was your relationship like?

• 53:28Speaker 02

  I mean, she taught me about, like, so much about comedy. But she also taught me about just like, being a person. Comedy is, I mean, she's a genius, but like, just one of the most solid people I've ever known. And I, she just, she, like, when I moved into my apartment, she was like, invest in your base. Which, she was basically telling me to like, get kind of okay furniture, which like, I wasn't planning on doing. But she just, she...

• 54:04Speaker 02

  I think in many ways, she taught me how to live. And how to be okay. Even in silence, I was like, okay, this is my sister. Everyone here is my friend. This is my sister.

• 54:17Amy Poehler?

  I, we were rewatching the sketch today of you and 80 as the, as, I think it was Henrietta and Nan, the PowerPoint ladies who couldn't get the PowerPoint to work.

• 54:33Speaker 02

  It was, I was reminded-

• 54:35Amy Poehler?

  Give me 15 more of those right now.

• 54:37Speaker 02

  I was reminded of that the other day. And I was asking the gal who wrote it, did you come up with the phrase Digi Files? And she said, no, that was 80.

• 54:49Amy Poehler?

  Digi Files? I like when 80 says, and when 80 says, I don't think I can learn anything anymore. I don't think I can learn anything new anymore.

• 55:00Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 55:01Amy Poehler?

  That, oh, and, and, okay, so 80 had a question for you, which is, she had two great questions for you. One is, ask Kate what she used to carry her hair extensions around in.

• 55:19Amy Poehler?

  Do you remember?

• 55:20Speaker 02

  It was a, it was a tiny linen drawstring polka dot bag that I think she gave me.

• 55:28Amy Poehler?

  Great.

• 55:29Speaker 02

  It seemed like an item that 80 would have because it was polka dotted. And it was like sweet and drawstring.

• 55:35Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so I'm going to take your word for it. Well, there's no way we can check. And then, but the second question was, what would be your ideal day? Because we were kind of talking about, what we were talking about earlier, that there's this part of you that like loves that feeling of performing and being, you know, meeting 80 new people and being on the road and being part of the circus. And then there's a part of you that wants to kind of be in the woods and in nature and be in kind of a peaceful version of your life. What is Kate McKinnon's perfect day? How would it go?

• 56:12Speaker 02

  I would wake with the sun. I would garden for a couple hours, do carpentry for a couple hours, and then gather my mother and sister, the loves of my life.

• 56:28Speaker 02

  Or some other folks that I love. And make pasta together. And eat it.

• 56:39Amy Poehler?

  Yum.

• 56:39Speaker 02

  From scratch.

• 56:41Amy Poehler?

  Damn.

• 56:43Speaker 02

  That was my 40th birthday party. It was a pasta making party with my family and my best friend and her family.

• 56:52Amy Poehler?

  That sounds great.

• 56:53Speaker 02

  Do you remember your?

• 56:54Amy Poehler?

  My 40th, yeah, my 40th, I was still filming Parks and Rec. So it was like a bar somewhere in the middle of filming. My 50th, I had a dance party. And that was so fun because I love dancing. And I prefer dancing over talking.

• 57:11Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 57:11Amy Poehler?

  Do you like to dance?

• 57:12Speaker 02

  I love to dance and I also prefer dancing. Like, I will, I will leave a party after 10 minutes if it's just talking because I can't.

• 57:20Amy Poehler?

  80 said the same thing, that you two gave each other a lot of permission to leave parties, which is what friendship is all about.

• 57:29Amy Poehler?

  Okay, we're gonna talk about your incredible book because, and I want to talk to you about books. But I want to just do a very quick rapid fire, okay? Number one gardening tip.

• 57:42Amy Poehler?

  Or any gardening tip.

• 57:44Speaker 02

  Compost.

• 57:46Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I gotta compost. Oh, God.

• 57:48Speaker 02

  It's, no, it's a pain in the ass.

• 57:50Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I gotta do it.

• 57:50Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 57:51Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 57:51Speaker 02

  No, it's terrible.

• 57:52Amy Poehler?

  Favorite ice cream flavor?

• 57:55Speaker 02

  Chocolate fudge brownie.

• 57:56Amy Poehler?

  You said that really casually. Do you not like ice cream?

• 57:59Speaker 02

  No, I love it.

• 57:59Amy Poehler?

  Okay. Favorite childhood movie?

• 58:03Speaker 02

  The Producers. We watch The Producers every week in our house.

• 58:09Amy Poehler?

  Favorite books growing up?

• 58:13Speaker 02

  Roald Dahl. And I loved A Good Atlas. I loved a book about geography.

• 58:22Amy Poehler?

  Do you, are you good at geog?

• 58:23Speaker 02

  Cultures of the world. I do love geography.

• 58:26Amy Poehler?

  Do you have a good geographical sense?

• 58:28Speaker 02

  I would say yes.

• 58:29Amy Poehler?

  When you know, like, when you're standing somewhere, you want to know where north is and you talk that way, like it's west of the highway.

• 58:37Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 58:38Amy Poehler?

  And you know where countries are.

• 58:40Speaker 02

  I do. That I do.

• 58:41Amy Poehler?

  That's great.

• 58:42Speaker 02

  I love the countries and I love to know their capitals and I love knowing countries and capitals. It's a hobby.

• 58:50Amy Poehler?

  I'm gonna give you one. Argentina.

• 58:53Speaker 02

  Buenos Aires.

• 58:55Amy Poehler?

  Canada.

• 58:56Speaker 02

  Ottawa.

• 58:57Amy Poehler?

  China.

• 58:58Speaker 02

  Beijing.

• 58:59Amy Poehler?

  Costa Rica.

• 59:00Speaker 02

  Um, well, now, is it San Juan?

• 59:03Amy Poehler?

  Close.

• 59:04Speaker 02

  No, it's San Jose.

• 59:06Amy Poehler?

  Is it? Yep.

• 59:07Speaker 02

  Please, God. Okay, thank you.

• 59:09Amy Poehler?

  Um, uh, let's see, Ethiopia.

• 59:13Speaker 02

  Uh, Addis Ababa.

• 59:15Amy Poehler?

  Dang. Hungary.

• 59:18Speaker 02

  Budapest.

• 59:20Amy Poehler?

  Uh, Iran.

• 59:22Speaker 02

  Tehran.

• 59:23Amy Poehler?

  Libya.

• 59:24Speaker 02

  Tripoli.

• 59:25Amy Poehler?

  And the last one is the capital of Senegal.

• 59:31Speaker 02

  Um, is it? No, Accra is the capital of Ghana and the capital of Senegal is, fuck me. I knew this. I really, it's with an R?

• 59:44Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, there's an R at the end.

• 59:46Speaker 02

  It's Dakar.

• 59:47Amy Poehler?

  Yes!

• 59:47Speaker 02

  Fuck. Shit!

• 59:51Amy Poehler?

  Kate, that's impressive.

• 59:52Speaker 02

  Hobby. In fact, during a read-through at SNL, when I wasn't in any sketches, I just was practicing my capitals. For fun.

• 1:00:04Amy Poehler?

  So let's talk about the Millicent Quib School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science.

• 1:00:08Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:00:09Amy Poehler?

  Your second book. Incredible. Congratulations.

• 1:00:14Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 1:00:15Amy Poehler?

  You have written, you have a series now, the Millicent Quib series, and you have one and two.

• 1:00:21Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:00:21Amy Poehler?

  And two is out.

• 1:00:23Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:00:23Amy Poehler?

  And is a New York Times bestseller.

• 1:00:25Speaker 02

  Aye.

• 1:00:28Amy Poehler?

  Tell us about this book, why you wrote it, what's it about?

• 1:00:31Speaker 02

  Aye.

• 1:00:31Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:32Speaker 02

  Um, well, I started writing it 12 years ago, before SNL.

• 1:00:39Amy Poehler?

  Amazing.

• 1:00:39Speaker 02

  And then I just kind of kept at it intermittently throughout that time. And I love middle-grade literature.

• 1:00:49Amy Poehler?

  Hmm.

• 1:00:50Speaker 02

  Um, because I think it has, uh, things in common with sketch comedy, i.e.

• 1:00:58Speaker 02

  Funny hair and funny names.

• 1:01:03Speaker 02

  And a sense of hope.

• 1:01:04Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:01:04Speaker 02

  And questions of identity and questions of belonging. You know, a sketch is often about a fly in the ointment, an odd man out. I wanted to write about being a 12 year old girl in a repressive turn of the century town. I didn't grow up in a repressive turn of the century town, but I grew up in a town with, you know, normal folks and I felt like a freak. I think every 12 year old feels like a freak. And I loved science and I loved bugs and I loved like icky stuff.

• 1:01:42Speaker 02

  And I had, I was fortunate enough to have adults in my orbit who were funny and weird. My parents among them and a lot of my teachers. And I think having that kind of a mentor who celebrates what is unique about you instead of stepping on it is absolutely instrumental. And so I wanted to write about a mad scientist who's a pariah in this town who takes these little weirdos under her wing and teaches them mad science and they fight the bad guys and have adventures.

• 1:02:24Speaker 02

  And I wanted to write something that hopefully would inspire young people to go outside for the first time in days.

• 1:02:34Amy Poehler?

  And touch a bug, touch a bug as they say.

• 1:02:37Speaker 02

  And I mean, the times of my childhood, which was before cell phones, which are just the best time. I mean, one day, me and Alexis North found like a fox skull in like someone's hedges and like there was an earwig in it and it was the great, talk about the best day of my life. Oh my God, the earwigs in that fox skull, we were just like.

• 1:03:03Amy Poehler?

  The world is magic. It's made of magic.

• 1:03:07Speaker 02

  And I wish children had some more access to that kind of stuff.

• 1:03:12Amy Poehler?

  Yes, yes.

• 1:03:14Speaker 02

  And I wanted to inspire them to go outside and touch a bug.

• 1:03:19Amy Poehler?

  Okay, well, I feel like, you know, this interview started with you worrying that you weren't gonna be funny or something. Like, remember that?

• 1:03:29Speaker 02

  I feel I wasn't.

• 1:03:33Speaker 02

  I'd like to start again, please.

• 1:03:35Amy Poehler?

  You're nuts.

• 1:03:38Amy Poehler?

  You're so nuts.

• 1:03:41Amy Poehler?

  But I want to finish the last thing, which is, I think people in comedy, as we know, they're all different kinds of people. Do people come up and expect you to be a certain way? And are they surprised when you are quieter and more reserved or more introverted than they expect you to be?

• 1:03:59Speaker 02

  I think they are. And sometimes they're disappointed and vocal about that.

• 1:04:06Speaker 02

  I've gotten a lot of, "Wow, you're not funny in real life." Or, "Speak up. What?"

• 1:04:13Amy Poehler?

  I've gotten, "You're so serious for a comedian."

• 1:04:16Speaker 02

  Really?

• 1:04:17Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. "You're being very serious."

• 1:04:20Speaker 02

  You're so effervescent.

• 1:04:20Amy Poehler?

  "You're being very serious." Or, "Oh, that's not funny."

• 1:04:24Speaker 02

  I've had that.

• 1:04:26Amy Poehler?

  And I'm like, "Well, I'm sorry. It isn't." "It wasn't very funny." Anyway, nice to meet you. Oh, shit, I gotta ask you one question. Oh, fuck, I forgot one question.

• 1:04:36Speaker 02

  Boot.

• 1:04:37Amy Poehler?

  And it's the best question, and it's the best one to ask you.

• 1:04:39Speaker 02

  Go for it.

• 1:04:40Amy Poehler?

  What is making you laugh these days? What are you watching, reading, listening to, watching a video of when you need to lighten up?

• 1:04:51Speaker 02

  I'll tell you.

• 1:04:52Amy Poehler?

  Ooh.

• 1:04:53Speaker 02

  There's a man on YouTube.

• 1:04:55Amy Poehler?

  Can't wait.

• 1:04:55Speaker 02

  From Australia. He cleans drains. He clears hopelessly disgusting, clogged, restaurant drains filled with grease.

• 1:05:03Amy Poehler?

  I love unclogging videos.

• 1:05:07Speaker 02

  This man.

• 1:05:07Amy Poehler?

  This is the earth saying us.

• 1:05:09Speaker 02

  You never see his face. He is enthusiasm on two feet. He says, he'll say, "Oh, you guys, this is what dreams are made of. Can you..." Believe we get to be here clearing this drain. This one's chock a block. Let's fire up the jet. Oh, you little ripper. Come on, you good thing. Like he has like freight and and it's about. And then he'll be like, oh, there's a cockroach. Oh, there's some corn there. Toilet paper. Oh, this is what dreams are made of, you guys. And I just, I love enthusiasm. And I would recommend, it's called Drain Cleaning Australia.

• 1:05:53Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I'm just gonna watch one little thing before that. This sounds amazing. Drain Cleaning Australia. Also, I love his um, his commentary about what he finds.

• 1:06:03Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:06:04Amy Poehler?

  Okay, standby. This one says sewage spraying into the sky. Is that good? Okay, here we go.

• 1:06:11Speaker 06

  We're back for another block drain, mate. And I'm just gonna let the lovely customer know that we're here. G'day, mate. Bruce from Drain Cleaning Australia. You're home.

• 1:06:21Amy Poehler?

  So he, he goes to, he goes to meet the people first. Let's see, let's. And he's, oh, sorry, we got it, we got a commercial.

• 1:06:28Speaker 02

  You pay for YouTube? You don't pay for YouTube? You give your widow pay for YouTube? Are you kidding me? The price? They want me to pay to cut out the commercials? No. I'll wait until the skip button. Okay, here we go.

• 1:06:43Speaker 06

  You little ripper. Hey, hey, hey. And wow, you can see all the tree roots still down there. So we punched a hole through the blockage.

• 1:06:54Amy Poehler?

  I get it.

• 1:06:55Speaker 02

  Tree roots are the least of his problems. Usually it's like um, a, a, a dachshund sized piece of hair or, or grease or human shit. It is. And he's like, woo-hoo. Woo-hoo, you little ripper.

• 1:07:15Amy Poehler?

  Kate, thank you for being here. Thank you.

• 1:07:20Speaker 02

  I can't tell if your eyes are green or blue. I think they're both. And it doesn't matter.

• 1:07:26Amy Poehler?

  All that matters is today.

• 1:07:28Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:07:28Amy Poehler?

  All that matters is you.

• 1:07:32Amy Poehler?

  Thank you, Kate McKinnon. You are so interesting to talk to, and I love being around you and your beautiful skin. Check out Kate's book. And, you know, in this Polar Plunge, I just wanted to talk about the books that I loved when I was in middle school. There were many, many series of books that I loved. But we talked a lot about homesteading today, and growing your own vegetables, and pulling potatoes out of the earth. And it made me think about Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder. And, um, God, I just, I loved those books. And here's a tip in my Polar Plunge. If you need to take a wonderful nap, put on an old episode of Little House on the Prairie,

• 1:08:15Amy Poehler?

  and the sound of the clip clop of the horses and the music, and like, and then Pa just coming in from the cold, and somebody putting like a hot cake on the fire. It's gonna knock you out. You're gonna go right to sleep. So, read the books. Incredible books from Laura Ingalls Wilder. Watch the TV show and try to stay up as long as you can while you do. Okay. Thanks so much for listening. Thanks, Kate, for being here. I love talking to you, and see you soon. 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.

• 1:08:56Amy Poehler?

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

• 1:09:13Amy Poehler?

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• 1:09:55Amy Poehler?

  Or get the premium visible plus pro plan and save $10 on your first month with promo code hang. Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. This episode is brought to you by Caesar. Dog parents, what do you have on the menu tonight? If you're looking to serve your favorite four-legged friend high-quality wet dog food they'll be genuinely excited about, we say just eat Caesar. Whether it's a protein-rich beef recipe on Monday or a savory chicken and vegetable dinner on Wednesday, Caesar offers a variety of delicious meals made with freshly crafted, slow-cooked ingredients, all designed to support your dog's everyday nutrition without compromise.

• 1:10:37Amy Poehler?

  That's real variety, real ingredients, and real excitement at mealtime. So if you're looking to serve a meal your dog actually looks forward to every single day, they should totally just eat Caesar. Learn more at Caesar.com. Your dog will thank you.