Julia Louis-Dreyfus

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Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We just have such a pro. We have the queen, we have just the hilarious. Incredible, inspiring Julia Louie Dreyfus joining us today. And um we talked to Julia about so many fun, good things. We talk about season four of her podcast, Wiser Than Me.

Well we're uh we're gonna talk about um her Emmy domination and how she just beat me year after year. Um we're talking about how many photos we have on our phone. Um and spoiler alert, I have more. And um

You're gonna hear her reject my idea that she is the LeBron James of television. So great episode coming up. But before we start, we always like to check in with someone who knows our guests. who has a question to give me to ask our guest. And we have an incredible suite Super talented, hilarious Tony Hale joining us. Tony, who you might know from Arrested Development, Buster Bluetooth.

What a character. Um, he played Gary on Veeep, incredible character. He is the voice of fear and inside out too. Incredible character. We love Tony. And um, let's check in and see if we can hear him from his. Incredible studio, Tony. This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery, getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep?

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Are you in a booth? In a recording booth? Okay, this is a little booth I made in my house. And if I really showed it to you, you'd be like, oh, that's sad. Tony needs help. First of all, everyone now you're you're nobody if you don't have a a booth in your house. Really? I'm ahead of the game? This is like feels like a COVID, you know, thing. Just you build a wall.

And you make it soundproof and you start a podcast. Soundproof ish. If I really showed it to you, go, Oh, I get it now. That's a that's a w he's on the witness protection program.

Oh, it's so good to see you. We first met on the set of Arrested Development back in whatever that was. Yeah. Actually was that I think we was that the first time? I think we might have first met when Martel was On S N L'cause my wife was a makeup artist on S N L and I think but I was I was just the guy next to her that was like, Oh, I'm not gonna say anything. I'm not gonna say anything to Amy, no, no.

And so I don't know if we actually met, but I just kinda probably stared at all you guys. Yeah, your very talented wife Martel was a makeup artist during uh my years at SNL and um Uh and w then we got to know each other on the set of rested and I mean Buster Blue What we'd l we'd need a movie about what's on going on in his head. Yeah. There was a lot going on in his head. And and I mean he could barely get to the pharmacy. But he uh

Just hit oh man, there somebody was was asking me the other day about um just the codependency, you know, that's in that show between me and Lucio Bluth, who is played, you know, wonderfully by Jessica Walter. And There is a scene in there which so uh is such a beautiful picture of the codependency where she's on house arrest and she can't smoke. And so she tells me, she goes, Buster, come here, come here. And she says, She makes me inhale the smoke out of her mouth.

As she smokes and then blow it out on the balcony. And then she takes another drag and then blows it into my mouth. And I've got to exhale on the balcony. And I was like, if just like a baby bird getting a worm out of his mom's mouth. And I was like, if that's not a picture of dysfunction.

That I mean, that is crazy. Well, to me, that's a picture of a loving son taking care of their mother. You know what, Amy, I think this is a side conversation. That's what a son should do for its mother. You're absolutely right. My mother would agree.

You have created such great codependent dysfunctional relationships in the work work that you do because Lucille and Buster, I mean, is and and then the relationship you and Julia have on Veeep is how when you explain your relationship. to Selena in that, like w how do you relation how do you how do you sum up the relationship you guys had together on the show, your characters? Um I worship she was Jesus to me.

I was I don't even think I ex I mean, I she literally called me a bitchy mime on the show because she just didn't really want me to speak. So she had she gave me no value, but I just had these crazy rose colored glasses and just I never heard it. I just heard poetry when she was screaming at me. So it was just and she knew it. She knew it and she abused it. It looked like you two had an incredible working relationship.

Like, it just looked like you loved working together. We really did. And she, um the one thing I mean, you did the same thing on on Parks and Rec, but it's uh w you've w whoever is number one on the call sheet, which means whoever's the star of the show, they Typically set the tone of the experience. And sometimes, unfortunately, that's I haven't had this experience, but you know, sometimes it's like.

Everybody's walking in eggshells and there's a lot of ego and entitlement which just sucks creative energy out of a space and it's just not a gift to anybody. And then sometimes you have like you or Julia where you walk in and it's just it's it's open. We're all in the same team. There's a kindness. There's a respect. And let me tell you right now, it is a gift for the next seven years that we have on that show of what she gave us. And we just loved her and we just became friends. I mean, she's

Also, work is not her number one priority. Her family is. She has a life outside of it. And I know just the humanity of Julia was really just awesome. Awesome to be around. Yeah. And you know, uh

You I think you'cause you're a deep thinking person. Too deep. Too deep. Some people say too deep. That's the rumor. Tony Hill. Too deep. Damn it. That should have been the name of my book. Too deep. Too deep to what what would be the book? It would be Tony Hill. Um or if somebody's or I'm talking to somebody and they start saying something, I go, mm, not deep enough. You gotta go deeper. Go deeper. Actually, go deeper. Go deeper. Go deeper. Not deep enough. I'm like, bye-bye.

Go deeper and then and it's go deeper, comma, get back up to the surface. You've gone too deep. Way too deep. So I ask my Zoom guests to give me a question to ask my guest. And I'm wondering if you have a question. Big, small, deep, not deep.

for Julia that you think would be appropriate? One thing that I always loved to witness with Julia was her relationship with her mom. Mm-hmm. She really loves and respects her mom. And I I've we never really talked about I mean we talked about her mom a lot, but never really talked about much her growing up and uh growing up what she remembers Kind of how her mom cultivated that foundation. Mm-hmm. You know, because it's such a cool thing to watch now. And I'm like, oh wow.

What did your mom do right? You know? Yeah. That's a great question. What did your mom do right? That's that's actually a I think I've that's kind of that's kind of like the theme of your fifties and sixties. Because you're twenty I listen, I love to generalize, so I apologize in advance. But if your twenties and thirties are like, who am I not? And I don't want to do this and like what didn't go right? Then as you get older, you start to

realize what also what what did I what the people who raise me, what did they you know, they're doing the best they can. What did they do right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you can s you can really see it with uh the the fruit of that with her with her relationship. And, you know, both you and I are parents and I want I want that kind of longevity that she has with her mom.

Man, what an awesome gift. Yeah. You're so right about the fifties kind of having eyes to see things. Which is such a gift. Um that's um that's too deep. That's that we went to We've gone to the yeah, that's the second week of Too Deep, which is So my favorite dessert is key line pie. Thank God. Let's get back.

You know what? I mean, I'm not trying to change lives here, Tony. You know what I mean? Like we're trying to have a laugh. This is a good hang. So sorry. And look, I took you down. I I put the weights on our ankles and I brought us down. I was about to go into like dessert, the sugar does hurt my stomach, but I do I want to keep it up. Stay up. Stay. I'm not gonna say anymore.

So also maybe if I follow up the qu uh maybe if I asked Julia the question about her mom, I should follow up with what's your favorite kind of pie.

I will say what's her favorite dessert? I wanna say I think it might be a really good chocolate cake, but I don't know if that's true. Well, I feel like I would trust you knowing everything about Julia after V. Yeah. I didn't know anything about politics on that show, but I knew what designer she was wearing. I knew what jewelry she was wearing. I knew who just had an affair that she was talking to. I knew all that stuff. You kept tampons in your bag just in case. Different colors.

Several. That's a real man. Thank you. That's a real man. Thank you. The guy that has tampons in his back. Me, me, me. I got it. I got it. I got my I and I I have a um antibacterial wipes too.

Um, well, um, I feel like you should be in a Marvel movie and also You are in Toy Story. Toy Story 5 is coming out and you're in that. That's so great. Yeah. Forky has a lot of questions. And uh what's his what's Forky's game? Like what's what's going on with Forky? God, we're getting too deep again. Yeah, here we go. Going down. You're like Forky is like, why are we here? Forky's like, why we're here. But also the fact that he like came into the world being like, I'm trash. I'm just trash.

And Woody's like, No, you're more than trash. You're you're made for a purpose. Come on. Oh that Pixar man. That Pixar man just gets you. They just get they just get you every time. So I think that'll come out uh this summer. And this this this this theme of this one is Toys Against Tech, which I think is a really cool. Yeah, that's that's that's very cool. Yeah. Yeah. Well I um as long as uh as long as you guys don't come after my phone.

You can say all you want about tech, but my phone is my best friend. So What if when the movie comes out, like the SWAT team just said goes to your house and good, Amy? What if at the very end tech just wins? It's like, yeah, no more choice. Amy is really a spokesperson for AI when everyone's concerned. Big time. Ayy, we need AI. She's the ambassador, the AI's ambassador polar. Tony, I love you. See you later. Bye.

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Julia Louis Dreyfus is here and we've started our um interview by comparing how many photos we have in our photo. I would call it a competition if you don't mind. Well I I wanna talk about this because what I like about you is you like to win. I do like to win. I know. I love that about you. Let's let's reveal the numbers of photos we have on our phone. Mm-hmm. I'll go first. Go ahead. Eighty two thousand. Oh. Shit.

It's not winning or losing. Is it winning or losing that I have eighty two thousand photos on my phone? Wait, you mean it's a round number like that? Anyway, it's eighty two zero one four. Oh eighty two thousand and fourteen. What do you have? I'm fifty six thousand two seventy-six. Chop chop. Screw you, Amy Polar.

Now you know what it means is that we have not asked a young person to plug in our phone and to transfer our photos somewhere else. We should I wouldn't have'em on my phone. Me too. There you go. But we should be downloading them somewhere else, right? Don't they do that automatically in the cloud? I'm literally the last person to ask. Somebody call Bill Gates. We can get him on the phone. Because my now when I get a new iPhone, I hand it to my seventeen year old child and I go.

D fix it. Do it. I guess I don't even know how to Do it. Do it. You don't know how to do it. I don't know how to do it either. But this is making me anxious. I need to take these all off of you. I want there's certain pictures I want to have. Agree, but and let me ask the Gen Zers in the room, do you guys Take your photos off your phone at some point? Never. Never. See, we're y young and hip all of a sudden. Okay, we're really sounding old though, because

'Cause I feel the same way, like I sweat. Technology makes me sweat. That's right, mother. It does. Yes, mother. Yes, mother. Yes. Speaking of are you comfy by the way? You need anything? Let's turn off that phone. Hold on. Julia's phone is ding. Did you get another picture? Did you get another picture sent to you? I'm up to fifty six thousand six hundred Okay, and by the way, my phone is also on. Um oh hang on, I just want to finish it. Okay, anyway, now it's now it's uh it's silenced. Okay. Uh

I wanna start by asking you about podcasting because we're both podcasting now. I know. I didn't really ask a lot of people for advice before I started this podcast and You should have called me by the way. I know. I d I didn't ask any men because I tried not to ask men for advice. Smart. Um but what what do you think makes a good interview? You've done great interviews now, you've done many of them. What have what do you think makes a good one?

Well, I mean, it sort of um depends on what the the conceit is for what the conversation's gonna be. You've done this right because good hangless, you know exactly what it's gonna be. We could be talking about the photos on my phone for the next 45 minutes. That's right. We probably will. And we might, and that's like that is dynamite. because that's there's an ease to that. Um

Unfortunately for me, you've made it hard because you love hard work. Well, I don't know about that, but I d I have made it I mean, it's definitely rewarding, but it does I'm talking to older women about the wisdom they have um, acquired in their life and would they share it with us. So that requires me to do a lot of research. I really need to come to the table understanding who these people are and how to have

an authentic conversation that isn't just, you know, your normal uh fuck around. R yeah. Or plug your this, that, and the other. Yeah. And and I it's why I love your show and I've told you that. Like I love the deep dive you do. I do feel like I get this very

you know, big picture um perspective from the women and the lives that they've led. Oh, thanks. I'm gonna glaze you for a while on this. This is what the kids call a glaze. I'm Glaze. Like a sugar thing? Yep. It's all about sugar. Glaze is like I'm gonna Tell you how great you are, so buckle up.

Okay, there's a word there's another word that's out now that I can't remember what it is that I was gonna respond to. If we know it But it went out of my head. And if we know it, it's out. There's no way there's no way So glaze is not cool anymore. Of course it isn't. If I'm saying it. So now I have to say, I'm dead. Yeah, exactly. I'm dead. Seriously. Bet. Bet Julia. Bet. Um but

But you how much research do you do for your show? Like do you s a lot, baby Kate. Well why d why work so hard? I don't know. Get me out of it. Haven't you gotten the memo to work? Do you do you see how how Mm why are we working so hard? I don't know. Well you say you're not working. I'm not sure what you're doing.

Yeah, you are. Right? Isn't she? Yeah, she is. Everyone's shaking their head. You are. You're pretending like you're not to be cool, but you're working super hard. I gotta tell you, you're but It is it it's a indication I think of a bigger thing that we all are used to doing, which is being a very good student. Like just like working hard. Yes, that's true. And and has that been

something you found in your life you like you want to do well and be a good student basically. I want to do well. Yeah. And also f for me the with this podcast It was really born out of my own curiosity. In fact, I came to you and talked to you about this podcast. I know, and I remember thinking, This sounds hard. I know.

Julia passed, ladies and gentlemen. Julia was like, What if we did I was like, Phew, that sounds like a lot of things. I don't think so. You do it. That's what she said. Who is coming up that you're ex who have you who have you interviewed that you can plug? Well, I can plug the following. I can plug Jane Curtin.

Please. Please. Let's talk about Jane for one second. Let's just sit sit here and think about Jane for a second. Well, you know what? It was a really First of all, obviously uh an honor to talk to her, but it was a great opportunity to go back And look at her work and particularly her work on SNL back in the day, because of course she was one of the original cast members. And to understand the effect, speak for myself, that had on my life. Yeah. Ginormous. Yes. Ginormous.

Totally and you know, I and I watched that first episode and Janice Ian is singing I Learned the Truth at seventeen and I was fourteen watching the show when that premiered. And they these were my people. Yeah. And so Same is true of Carol Burnett. Yeah. J you know, you sort of don't to a certain extent these people that have uh the these cultural icons who've had proper influence.

They get into your bloodstream without your knowing it. Totally. And it's and it's It's you know that thing like you have to see it to be it? It's not conscious. It's not like you say, Oh, there's a woman on there but you just see people that's right filling this role and you just becomes part of your DNA that that could exist in your life in your world. Right. Yeah. Completely. So

Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. Incredible. By the way, you may know this, but something I learned talking to Jane that was kind of extraordinary, because you and I are familiar with the the schedule of SNL, which is grueling. Yeah. Jane was not hired as a writer. And Immediately, she made the decision that she was not going to come to work on Monday and Tuesday.

I swear to Christ. Baller. Baller. She's like, I'm I'm not here to write. I'm here to perform. Let me know when you write it. You're pay you're paying me as an actor. Wow. I'll be here for the table read on Wednesday. Wow. And the great thing about that was She's a really good cold reader, according to her. And so she'd nail it and then she'd be in sketches. But she was not doing that drug filled all-nighter ki life. Wow. And I just

that she had the sense to to realize that she was protecting herself. Mm-hmm. FYI she was married too. Yeah, she alwa Jane seemed like the reasonable

cast member. Because she was. Yeah. Yeah. I I told this to Mart Martin Short, Marty Short when he was on the show and we were talking about the SNL 50th. Which stirred up so much for everybody. I mean, it was it was uh that was a lot of There were a lot of feelings in that studio. I know and I I I I can speak for myself that parts of me really regressed, like back to you know, some version of what I was like when I was there.

But and also the young part of me was like star struck by the people who, you know, I grew up watching. And I the one of my tenderest moments was I was talking to Lorraine Newman, who I don't know that well and I worship. Yes. And her and Jane got ready together. Yeah. And they got their hair and makeup together before. And it just made me feel so happy because.

I just wanted them to be friends forever. And they were. I know. They are. And then they held up Gilda's picture at the end. It was so touching. I know. Um you, Julia, even though I consider you

You're y I I consider you whether you'll accept this or not, like I don't accept it. I'm not gonna accept it. I'm just good though. I'm gonna say something good. Okay, go ahead. Big sister energy for me. Like Oh really? I feel like in the same way you saw Jane, I was Eleven, twelve, when you were on SNL and you were a baby. You were like twenty one or something. So you were not that much older than me, but a de you were definitely a new woman.

on the show and you know, I was always paying attention to who who was new on the show and you looked really young, which I loved cause I w was young and wanted a young person on the show. And I have to say like when I was getting preparing for this interview, there's a million ways that we can talk about all the million things that you've done in your career and your life and who you are as a person and I've got to the lucky to get to call you a friend. But you are like the LeBron James of TV.

Yeah, I I mean I thanks, but I I'm not gonna accept I'm not accepting that, man. Well, here's why I say that. You're not accepting And I think that's smart to not accept it actually. I take it back. Yeah.

But no. But the l but you have been You're pretty good. Just say you're pretty good. It's five one three? This is what this is I'm gonna extend the metaphor and and I'm just I'm pleased that I came up with this from a sports perspective'cause um'cause you're such a sports such a sporty head I mean this is what This podcast.

Yes, of course. Yeah. Like let's go deep into the draft. Into the draft and football and let's get in there. The Kelsey. Let's go into there. Let's get deep in. Okay. No, but um because you're LeBron because you have won championship. for more than one team. You're you have been on huge legacy shows. More than once. Yeah. It's not that's very unusual. It's very No, that is unusual and that's a lot of good luck, you know, really. And so so great. But not really LeBron.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. But but what is your we started talking about winning. We were comparing photos. Yeah. What is your relationship to winning? I like that you like to win. Like I like I like com like fun competitive women. Well, first of all, uh fun is all caps because because there's another kind of competitive woman. Um that we don't care for. That's right. Right. It has to the fun part has it has to be like

In good fun and Well here, I'm gonna tell you a story about you that I like so much. Okay. So um you and I have down a couple of times done bits around awardships. And and when we're competing against each other. That's right. So anyway, what I have found over the years is that it's very good to focus on what to do if you win or you lose. And Amy Pohler is very fun to come up with bits with. I love a bit.

Love a bit. At an award show that'cause it used to be fun. It used to be like I know goofy and now it's so serious. Yeah. And and by the way. We took speeches seriously, but from a comic point of view. If you win for a comedic role, Try to be funny when you give a speech. Or how about even if you win from a d for a dramatic role? How about that great idea? Turn it on its head. Flip it. Flip it. Anytime anybody does, they look like a genius. Genius. No, for real you look like a genius. It's true.

So we did a couple of them where we my I think my favorite one with you but you tell me was when we We pretended to switch acceptance speeches. It was my favorite. Oh, good. We gave each other a hug. And then we pretended to like oopsie switch speeches. And then you went up and you started thanking people from Parks and Rec. And then we had a moment of like, oh fuck. Yes. And the camera cut to me. And those were the years, I have to say, there were so many great women always in our category that

came and went. Uh Julia was always there'cause she always crushed us all every year. But um but um And like people were really game to have fun.'Cause completely. And I don't remember anything other than the fun times of those bits. Yeah, me too. I really I was always so grateful that you were Because there were certain people that weren't down to do those bets and they won't be named. And they didn't think it was.

They didn't want to do it. I know. I think some of them were nervous, like genuinely nervous. Okay, fine, you can say that. But okay, I wanna start though. Uh I wanna go back a little bit because I feel like we talked a little bit about this in person, but we we kind of had similar Sketch Chicago beginnings. Yeah. Like we d we were in a group. We were the only girl in the group. Yeah. And our group kind of moved to a new city. to like make a start and in your case Practical

Theater. Theater. Practical theater company moved to SNL together. Yes. We were on TV from Northwestern. Yes. So what year was that? Nineteen eighty two. Yeah. And we were doing a show in Chicago that was a big hit in Chicago and uh And all the people in the show got hired. There were four of us. Yeah. Three of us were on SNL and the fourth person, Paul Barras, was hired as a writer. Yeah. And you all moved to New York and

Just started together. What was it like to have four or five of your closest friends to start that show? Um, well, it was tricky. Yeah. Not because we didn't get along, but because we were a group of people who were met with a lot of animosity. Yeah. And uh by the by the people uh whose friends had just been fired. Right.

And if I can imagine it,'cause I was myself the same way, there's like a pluckiness to a sketch group. Like a sketch group is like improv and sketch is like stand up was cool and improv and sketch was kinda nerdy. Nerdy for sure. And you know, so it was like, hey guys, we're here. And I'm sure everyone was like, okay.

Congrats. No, but you're gonna I don't know if you know maybe you know this, but when they they had us at the first tape oh god, I can't even Oh no. It was just so uh excruciating. There's this room On the seventeenth floor with fluorescent lighting and, you know, folding tables, and that's where they do the table read. And in that same room they had us, these new people coming in. Do part of our show that we were doing in Chicago for the writers and casts. Oh wow. Yeah.

In fluorescent lighting. Oh wow. And we came out to your point. Dee- didee die- did it didn't land. It did not land. Even saying it, my armpits are going bananas right now. Woo! Ha ha ha! So anyway, that's how it began. It was a terrible, inauspicious start.

And you were there for a couple of years. Three. And you were there during a period of transition. I mean Lauren was is not there. Lauren was not there. Dick Ebersall was there. What a strange window to be there. Oh baby. It was bad. Yeah. Yeah. It was not great. It was not great. But Fabulous learning experience. Yeah. Um it was hard and

It it was a little crazy making, but I I came away from it um sort of stronger. Yeah. And met Larry David, who you then worked with again on Seinfeld and Seinfeld Still similar kind of thing, like didn't had an ina auspicious start. Yeah, it was a four episode order. It was like they were just trying to um sort of burn it out. It uh when I was r doing research.

Oh, well look at you h working hard. Very hard. Um, you are the person I've worked the hardest for. Uh uh that's total bullshit. But good. Yeah. I've worked the hardest for Michelle Obama. Yeah. Um smart. Yeah. Um smart. But uh No but like Parks and Rick, Seinfeld was Always close to being cancelled, people weren't getting it. It was like we don't know what we have here. Nobody it was until the th the third year it started to take off. Yeah. And was si was ch was Elaine written as a man?

At first that character No, but wasn't it four men? And then they changed it to Elaine?

You don't know. No, I don't. Is that a weird way to ask it? You know what I mean. I do, but it makes me laugh. I think I'm tired. Elaine was you were playing Elaine as a man, yes? No. Correct. But wasn't the character they brought you in because they were like Julia and because they had they did a pilot. Yeah. And then apparently the network told them you have to put a girl in the show.

Another person in No, not in the there is not a regular women in it in the pilot. Correct. Wow. Yeah. It's a it was a different time. And so they said, you know what, you need a girl. Yeah. And so so I came in I've never watched The Pilot of Seinfeld, by the way. And so uh why would I? I'm not in it. Why would I bother? Yeah. And so you refuse to watch anything if you're not in. That's right.

Yeah. That's right. What was the name of the show you were in? Exactly. Yeah. Um, so uh yeah, so that's what happened. So they put me in, so I was in the uh episode two onward. And I feel like s uh success in the comedy world s in the sitcom world is often like kind of measured by whether or not people will dress up as you for Halloween.

Oh because I I think Elaine is a popular Halloween costume. It is. It is. And it's an easy one to get together. Like it's just it's a dress and a blazer and a and a curly haired wig. God, I could I'd love to go back and fix that look. Yeah, I I I You feel me? There's some early Leslie Nobel. Styles from like didn't put enough thought into that. Yeah.

But we weren't really thinking about that. No, we were act we were acting and we were in our care. No, but Yeah, but I actually remember'cause like when b uh friends came out uh at some point when we were doing Seinfeld. Not in the beginning, it was sort of m I can't remember what the years were. And all those girls were so sexy. Yeah.

And I remember thinking like, oh fuck, I should have been sexy. Yeah. I I think that all the time. Seriously, I I can't tell how many times I'm like, oh I forgot to be sexy. No, totally. Yeah. Shit. Oh my God. This was such a missed opportunity. You're reminded of it when you see other people you're like, oh that's also something I could have tried to be. I I seriously. Yeah. Like a mid drift. Anything.

Anything. But that's why we love Aline. We love her because of that. Because she feels like us. She feels like someone we would know and love. Like she feels like our funniest friend. She feels like her like, you know, I mean I think And she's so funny and it's Yeah, it just could it wouldn't work if Folane was paying attention to that. It never would work. It might have worked.

That's true. She just went through like a really slutty, sexy phase. Not so slutty, just coming in like in tight jeans and like th how they all dress. Yeah. I know. Anyway, let's not dwell on my regrets. But also you had two two boys. Did you were you pregnant? Oh, right. I forgot that I had two babies during that time. So the sexy thing

Although, you know, look, de me more did I know. But I didn't even know about that. I didn't know about like, you know, going like that with your big tummy and looking hot. I was just, you know, I was just wearing huge like picnic tablecloths. Yeah. But that style is back now, you know. Nineties are nineties are back, babe. Listen, if anybody in America is listening to this Please don't do the nineties again. I'm gonna disagree with you.

Okay, well you're wrong and I'm right. No. And so just leave it at that. You're being triggered, but I'm telling you, nineties like that, the the floral with the like a chunky shoe and a tight and a blazer. Fucking jackpot. Like you pass you and Jen Aniston, when you look at pictures like Rachel and um and Elaine, everybody's dressing like that now. And I I don't know what to say.

I'm just so fucking sorry. I re I really, really. But I will tell you one thing, and I've told this story before, but when I was pregnant with Charlie, with my second son, and I was really pregnant, and I was about five or six months and I got pretty big. And Jerry comes up to me. And he says, Hey, we got an idea in the writer's Oh no. And he said, Um, how about this idea? How about Elaine just gets fat? Incredible. What an idea what an idea, Jerry.

So I burst into tears. Of course. And I will say the following though. In retrospect. It might have been great. It might have been funny. It's a funny idea. Yeah, it's a funny idea. Yeah. And I'll get hilarious and it we're going to be able to do that. Because you know, with a big tummy and then you're like putting a belt on it and you're pretending you're not pregnant, you're just getting fat. But when you're not feeling in your own body it's It didn't it didn't it

I had been pregnant on twice on that show too. Uhhuh. And or sorry, I had started when I had just given birth for my first kid and then I got pregnant on my uh with Abel, my my youngest, uh, a few years later. And I remember my character Leslie was gonna become pregnant on the show. And I said, I I did some version of like bursting into tears where I said, I cannot be fake pregnant. I've just been really pregnant on both S and L

And Parkson Rec, I've been genuinely pregnant. And I can't you can't make me now wear a fake stomach. Oh, so it was oh it was like after you did birth, they were like, let's strap that belly right back on. And I was like, no. No. Well how about this? How about after I gave birth to Charlie and I'm picking up our our uh my other son Henry from like camp and I'm picking him up and this mom comes up to me, she goes, Oh, when are you two? Mm-mm. Yeah.

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Um, you're you have the greatest kids. Oh, thank you. Thank you. And they're such talented boys and really nice they're men. Talented men. They're still my boys. Yeah. And and I love your relationship with Brad, who's a wonderful person. Yeah. And you guys are like a really beautiful example of a loving, funny Supportive marriage with two very talented people and you're FYI were separate and getting divorced. Yeah, I just saw it.

This is the time. I mean, you brought it up. I might as well. Well, you know what? Good. Easy to come. And I worked with your son Charlie on on Moxie, a film that I made and he was a Total doll. You know what? I have to tell you something about that. That was the first professional job he ever had, was you gave him that job.

In Moxie. And I am so grateful to you for that. Not because you gave him the job, of course, uh, yes, but because I'm so grateful because you're a good person and he didn't have an experience. with um a jerk, of which there are so many. Yeah. And um it was very informative to him. So I just want you to know that for real. And this is totally me telling you

Thank you. And even no, I I'm actually I'm tearing up, but it really I really mean it. Thank you. I love him. I love him. He's such a nice kid and talented. Okay. So um We talk about Seinfeld

Adventures of old Christine, incredible show, Carrie Lizer. Love. She's your kind of person. She is an an incredible showrunner. You've worked with great showrunners. Yes, I have worked with great showrunners. Yes. Armando Ayanucci, who is creator of um Veep. How did did that Um part was that part written for you? Ish, yes, I would say. I mean uh initially no. Uh I just heard about the concept that uh you know, unhappy vice president.

Um and then um and I was like ding ding ding ding ding and then I met with him and then he started to Right it after that. Yeah. Yeah. Because I loved the idea. Yeah. And I loved his work. I mean, Julia. Yes. That show. That show was so much fun to do. I have to say I still miss it. Yeah.

Do you miss doing parks? I miss the people. Yeah. I miss the people a lot. I mean I I have a lot of them on here because I miss them so much. Like I miss I mi it it felt like And it feels that way with Veep too, like the chemistry of the people, the funniness of like the laughing all day. All day. So we do a thing on um the the podcast where we have people come on before our guests. and talk well behind our guests back.

Talk well. Yes, you've not listened to this podcast, have you? Let me explain something to you. You you called me to do something for Ina Garden, but you didn't say talk well. Yes I did. No, you didn't. I did too, I said No, you said come up with some questions for her. That's not talking. When I introduced you, I said that we're gonna talk well behind Ina's p back, did I not? No, you didn't. I'm being gaslit by this enterprise. Whatever. I'm never I am never talking to you again.

And by the way, Ina, who was on our podcast, you you came on to do a an incredible uh little uh you know, segment segment in the front. And Ina and you are buddies.

Yes. And when sh when I was talking to her, she was saying you guys were ready to go on a trip together. Yeah, we did. Please tell me about it. Tell me what you ate. Joey, just tell me what you ate. We we went to she very generously took me and Brad to a restaurant in Paris called Caviar Caspia. Yeah. And frankly, I don't even like caveat. Yeah. It was delicious. Was everything did everything have caviar in it? Kinda. It was like caviar and potato and

Champagne and it was very Yeah ex just exotic and it was in Paris. Oh great. What else do you need to know? She was so nice. She brought champagne and strawberry. She was the best. God, I was I supposed to bring something? It's just weird that you didn't, I guess. Like I mean If it's it is weird that you didn't.

Go and get some uh chocolates and quickly get some uh chips and The thank you note I was about to send to Jill so Could you please bring me anything send flowers to myself because I'm clearly not going to be getting anything from Amy Polar. And polka dots were only fine. The other thing is is that how could it have been that I came out here wearing this blouse? And you did not see what she had on. Okay, anyway. So I spoke to someone who knows you really well.

And that is Tony Hale. Oh my Tony. I know. Tell me about Tell me how much you love Tony. I love Tony. He's the best. He is the greatest guy. What do you love about him? What's so great about Tony? He is deeply funny. Yeah. Like deeply funny. He is Uh uh profoundly generous. Mm-hmm. He is incredibly neurotic. Perfect. He worries about everyone. Yeah. So if there's a group of people and somebody is off or not fitting in or having a hard time, he can only focus on that. Yeah.

And uh which speaks to his kindness. Yeah. And I just would do anything to work with him again. I wanna find a way to work with him again. You guys were so Great together on that show. And everyone on Veep was great. But Selena and Gary's relationship was very special. Very special. How would you sum it up when you explain it? Um have you ever seen a Uh like like a trellis with a plant growing throughout it. Mm-hmm. That's their relationship.

Codependency to the max. Max. Enmeshment times a thousand. Yeah. That plant. Is not gonna live without the trellis and FYI, the trellis doesn't give a shit about the plant. Yeah. Like the trellis actually is like, could somebody cut this plant off me? Yeah. Like this plant might take me. But also it makes me look better. So

Yeah, I mean the way It's been a good metaphor. It's really good. Because you're I mean, Selena was like ultimate narcissist. Yes. And which by the way Couldn't be more fun to play. Oh, I bet. What was fun to play? What why was that fun? What did it allow what what did it allow you to play around with and do that you don't get to do in your real life? Playing her. Focus only on myself. Yeah. And yeah. And Uh and appalled that if anyone is not focused on me. Yeah.

And take no responsibility for anything. Yes. Never apologize. Never apologize. It's always your fault, your fault, and your fault. Ooh. She just never ever looked inward.

Right. Ever. Yeah. She didn't know what that meant. Yeah. Yeah. So that was fun. Well, um, Tony had a great, sweet, of course, loving question. He loves you and adores you. And um He his question was like very tender, just like Tony, but he was saying like

what he loved about you as a parent, he watched you be the kind of parent that you are and it really inspired him as a parent. And also he was very moved and is very moved by your relationship with your mom. And his question was, what do you think your mom did right? What did she give you? What are you like happy that you got from your mom? Hm.

It's such a sweet, tender it's such a tender question. I know. I mean, there are obviously many things that I got from my mother, including this wide jaw of mine. Gorgeous. Um, but I would say that my mother is a very cu intellectually curious person. And I think some of that has rubbed off on me. And um

And also my mother uh has a very good sense of humor. When you were growing up, was she watching stuff that influenced you? I know a a lot of my comedy came from my mom, like what my mom was watching. What did your mom watch? Well, Carol Burnett. Monty Python, SNL. Like big my parents had that on in the house. Did your mom watch that kind of stuff growing up? Yeah, well, yes. And uh I mean I vivid there was a show on when I was little, like really little, like maybe two.

Um, and it was a show called Soupy Sales. Oh yeah. And also Captain Kangaroo. Yes. And we used to watch that and howl. There was something and I think it was on Soupy Sales or maybe it's Captain Kangaroo where ping pong balls would fall down. And you know, when you're two, that's like drop dead funny. Yeah. No, you know what I mean? It's kind of the jack in the box uh kind of a joke. And we would start ha my memory is

that she was laughing as hard as I was. My guess is that maybe she was laughing because I was laughing. Yeah. But but I remember sort of feeling like I was partnered with her in enjoying this extraordinarily funny ping pong bit.

Yeah, laughing does do that with our families. Like it b I mean it's a yeah, it's a binder. Binder. And also you learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. Totally. Like I know I've learned I learned, you know, I got I d I don't I don't think it was the first time we met, but when you came back to host SNL was a big deal for all of us who were on the cast at the time that you were there. Very excited. And we got to like spend some time together.

And I remember being so pleased that we would laugh at the same thing. Like it felt like, oh, I just felt um. excited that we were enjoying the same things in the same way. It felt like that. Yeah, there was real immediate sympathy co. I remember that very well because when we were f we were at in s in the we were must have been re um rehearsal day or something and we were in eight H and

I I was at the page station thing and you came up to me and you just went like this. You went, Okay, run. And so I just ran and we just went running down the hall. It was just some dumb bit. But I thought, Oh, I like this girl so much.

We were just, you know, yeah talking around. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think when you came back to host that year you had a really good time. I had a ball. I had a ball. Yeah. And by the way, If you can believe this, speaking of male-female things, I was the first female cast member to ever come back and host. Wow. Whoopsie Daisy. Yeah. And that was two thousand and six or something? Correct.

Yeah. Yeah. And you were coming into a cast that was like there was a lot of really strong, talented women performing together and It was a good vibe, at least that's what I was picking up on. It was the first time I really had fun during the show. Yeah. I mean what was so nice about hosting back then with you guys was to feel the female power that was evident. Um and long over just.

Mm-hmm. And so that is a good feeling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um and that's why I like talking to these older women too. Anyway, I think it's pretty critical to have these conversations and to hear from these uh really interesting people. Well, I mean, Julia, you do that to me. You inspire me. Every time I see you engaging, like I feel very inspired by you. Like I I feel very like you you turn on a switch for me often where I see you doing something and I'm like, right.

Right. That's the kind of engagement I'm supposed to be doing or like being reminded that I'm doing. Like you definitely do that for me. And you do that for me professionally too. I see the the moves that you make professionally. I'm like, damn. So smart, so interesting. Like you're you are I'm always looking to you. Oh wow, that's so nice of you to say. That really makes me feel good.

Yeah, I really feel that way. I really appreciate that. Thanks, Amy. You're welcome. What a good hang this has been. What I take away from your show and what I take away from knowing you is like the incredible uh total joy and privilege it is to just get older. Like there's so many people that aren't here that want to be here. Like how how great to be alive basically. Like so great.

And Uh as we get older, it feels like adulting, this this term adulting, like it just gets h hard because you know the hard parts of life are the juiciest parts, like the challenge parts that we have to get through are the that's the meat on the bone. It's just Getting through can be rough.

had a tough cup you've had to get through illness, yes, loss of your house, like um loss of people in your life. Like it's not easy and we all go through this. Like everybody listening knows what this feels like. They have versions of it in their life. Grief. Grief. What is the thing that on the other side of certain ki types of grief you've like learned about yourself? What what has it made you'cause is it just as simple as like, I'm happy I'm alive? No. Yeah, I know.

Like you you share you shared with the world when you were going when you were treating your cancer, your breast cancer, and it was very helpful for a lot of people. It isn't something you needed to share. You did. Well, I had you know, I was kind of uh backed into a corner on that one because we had to shut our show down. I uh it's funny how that worked out because normally I would not have done that. Yeah. Very private. Yeah.

Um but because we had to shut the sh the show down Veep at the time for a year, uh I had to say, you know, two hundred and fifty people weren't gonna be working or whatever it is. So um So I had to make a public thing about it. But the good n thing about doing that was that uh I did have this incredible experience of people reaching out to me asking me for mm, you know, um asking me about my experience going through the breast cancer, uh uh you know, for advice. Um the and

And I was able to help. And there was something unbelievably comforting about being able to do that on the other side of this uh trauma. Right. There is a lot to be said in self-soothing by soothing others. Yeah. You know, for real. I mean it's a that's a r th and I don't mean to sound all Pollyanish. I I actually think it's true. Yeah, I agree. That like to be to be of service.

to others is the way to get yourself up out of the basic. Yeah. It's so true. Yeah. And we need it's like we're in such short supply of it right now. And the other way that I think that And I think you're the same. That takes me up from the basement, the elevator is laughing. A hundred percent. Without it, you're dead. It's so true. Like you have to laugh. You have to laugh. When it's the worst you have to laugh. And those are my favorite laughs.

when it's very when everyone is you know, it's like church giggles basically. Or like funeral laughs where like you have up someone who loves you enough to know they're gonna take a swing here. To get you up out. And you have so many funny friends. Yeah. You must have had so many moments where things were dark.

for you and someone kinda scoops you up with a laugh. Oh, totally. Well when I was actually when I was going through chemo and um I had a a lot of girlfriends come a and shove into this tiny little room, you know, I mean, like the size of this table, and everybody was there and

I was high as a kite. And and and I was doing this thing called a cold cap. Oh yeah. So it's a thing that they do that you can do if you're getting chemo if you choose, and it's this ice cold thing you put on your head and it's supposed to help you not lose your hair. So I did that. So I had this huge like weirdly shaped turban on my head. And you know, I'm kind of like that. And everybody's around me making fun.

And it was a dream. Dream. That's a dream. And at one point I remember I sent a bunch of my girlfriends out'cause I was I'd lost so much weight, none of my clothes fit. And so I was like, I need uh you know, high. I need new jeans. And so I sent everybody out. I don't know where they went. And then it's on FaceTime. And I'm

Telling them which ones to get. It was fun. It was hilarious. So fun. Yeah, it really was. And what are you what and I asked all my guests this, what are you watching, listening, reading? What are you what are you laughing at right now? Well.

There is nothing I love more than those videos of either dogs, like that one dog who keeps attacking an apple slice. Don't don't know it. Hold on. It's It is attacking an apple slice? Yeah. He's just going bananas on top of a bed. How do we find that? We're you know what how we find it? Yeah. We type in

Dog attacking Apple Slice. I think it's his name is it starts. Our phones are off. Remember, we're gonna have to turn them back on. No, mine isn't off. You never turned your phone off? Puppy shares Apple Slice? No, if that seems too nice. Oh, here we go. Spud on Instagram. Okay. This dog is just attacking this piece of celery. This dog is a maniac. The dog is growling, it is the size of a rat.

And it is furious at this piece of food and is baring its teeth. I mean it's scary. It's scary. And but it's it's not gonna hurt anybody. Oh, this is a strawberry. It's war. Anyway, that makes me very happy.

But do you w do you watch a lot of videos, YouTube videos and like and I I think what I d I'm I love Survivor. But let me just ask you something about Survivor. Do you think you could do well on them? No. No. Really? Is there part w when you watch it, is there a part of you that you think, like I this is what I would do, but you don't Yes. Okay. What I would do is uh pretend to break my leg and get air vac out. Have you watched Alone? Yes, incredible.

Incredible. Okay, let's talk about alone. So for people that don't know, it I think it's it's on the National Geographic Channel, it's maybe history channel, and now it's on Netflix. There's a forty-five thousand seasons of it. And then forty five thousand. And I think we watched every episode during COVID. Yeah.

Fantastic COVID show. And for those who don't know, the premise is ten or eleven people are dropped somewhere. It always feels like Canada, but somewhere Wicked Wicked. Survive the elements and survive being alone. And the psychology of how people figure out how to not only find food and shelter and outlast their competitors, but the psychology of what happens when people are alone is fascinating. I th I'm for sure would go crazy. Oh but don't you think you would do

On alone? Are you out of your mind? Better than a really you don't think you would do better than some of the other Yeah, no, I I wouldn't be able to get any food. I wouldn't be able to kill any of them. So that would be one problem. And then the other problem would be I don't think you'd be able to sleep'cause you know, they got bears up there, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's I mean, I don't know

what headspace you're in right now, but there's no way you're making it on a loan. No way. I'm not saying I'm making it. I'm just saying I'm not saying I'm saying you're not making it one night.

Not even one night? You're gonna be too cold. You have to make a shit. My pride my pride would do one night. I would Okay, one night. Not really. But I love I love alone. I love it. Why do you love it? because I think it's an Extraordinary challenge. I think it's a legit you know, and it's agree. And as a you know, Survivor it's got all of these things and these games and so on, which is gobs of fun, but it's all fabricated. Yes. In this case you've really gotta stay alive.

And you don't know when other people have peeled off. They don't they don't die, but they they they they tap out. Yes. How much do they win? A million dollars. A million dollars. And what I love about the psychology of that show is the way'cause I relate, is the way people start to give up before giving up. Oh. Wait, talk about that I forgot. And I just I I love it'cause I recognize it, right? Which is when you start to talk yourself out of something.

But you're not talking yourself out of it yet, but you're just playing around with the idea'cause it's such a mental game. You have to just take the highs and lows and like but when people are like, Yeah, it's just, you know, my family you know, I'm sure my family's missing me a lot.

Yeah. Yeah. It's always men, you know, being like, My wife is probably struggling and you're like, Oh, here we go. Here you go. Like just a little day or two before, just thinking about That's right. I mean, I I do want the money, but Will my kid ever be ever have their third birthday again? You know, and you're like, here he goes.

Getting ready. A couple days from now he's gonna tap out. Like that kind of bubbly stuff I love. Yeah. Human behavior. I just like It's so good. I wanna watch Alone With You. And I wanna watch Um, Jerry, the new Jerry Duty with you. And oh, wait a minute. That would be fun. That would be fun. I would like to watch TV with you. Okay. Anyway.

Is that weird? I want to come over and I feel like get into some kind of comfy situation with you and Brad. Get under some kind of not that way. Just no, I understand. You get blankets. And get blankets. I feel like there'd be a good snack like a chip, like a delicious salty chip. Yeah, but we need some yummy um we need some desserts happening. Uh, are you sweet over savory? I like it all. Yeah.

But I love sweets. Okay, I'm more more savory. So I we can have sweet and a chip and some kind of chip. Okay. And we watch one of these shows and we mm I'm picturing it now. Have you ever had dill pickle chip? Yeah. Doesn't do it for you? Doesn't do it for me, but I love the idea of them. Oh God, it's making my mouth water just talking about. Let's get some of those.

We'll get some of those, but you don't like'em, so we'll find something else. Do you like s uh uh salt and vinegar? I enjoy a salt and vinegar. Me too. Yeah. Love that. Love it. And also, I'm a basic Doritos bitch. Really? I know. Not a sponsor. Is now Not after what you the face you just made. That's the that's the slogan. I'm a Doritos, basic Doritos bitch. Really? That's it, that's the guy.

I love you, Julia. Thank you for doing us. Thank you for having me. This has been so fun to hang out. I knew it would be fun. I didn't know it would be this much fun. I can't wait till I reach 70 so I can come on your show. Yeah. Thank you so much, Julia. That was so fun. It's always so fun to get to be around you and uh and laugh with you and do bits. And um for this polar plunge, uh I just wanna mention uh one of the guests on Julia's

podcast wiser than me, who I just love. And that is the author Anne Lamotte. Anne, if you're listening, I love you. And um if you don't know Anne Lamotte's work, Um she is a very prolific and um successful author who has written books like um operating instructions and bird by bird and tender mercies. many uh many works of fiction. Her latest book, somehow, um, Thoughts on Love is out and uh she's just a really candid, funny, deeply funny, tender, um, big thinker and uh

I don't know. I just love her and uh hope I get to have her on this pod someday. Check out her her uh podcast uh with Julia. Check out Julia's podcast, listen to podcasts. Podcasts are great. We love podcasts. Okay, thanks. Bye. Ha ha ha. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman.

Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zaniris. For Paperkite, production by Sam Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Verman. Original music by Amy.