Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Elizabeth Banks Returns

Episode Date: April 6, 2026

Elizabeth Banks feels blessed about being Conan O’Brien’s friend.   Elizabeth sits down with Conan to talk about actually being Conan’s friend, her experience working on Wet Hot American Summer, and her new Peacock series The Miniature Wife. Later, Conan does a staff review with his Team Coco doppelganger, Senior Podcast Producer Sean Doherty.   For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com. Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: [phone]. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, my name is Elizabeth Banks, and I feel blessed. Oh, wow. About being Conan O'Brien's friend. You are a terrific actress. Thank you. That took a lot. You might be the best. Fall is here, hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell, brandy shoes, walking loose, climb the fence, books and pens, I can tell that we are going to be friends.

Until never we are going to be friends. Hey there. Welcome to Conan O'Brien needs a friend. I'm sitting here with Sona of Sassian. Blessed to be sitting with you, Sona. Hey, that's nice. And also filling in for Matt Goreley is our trusty David Hopping. Hello.

Also blessed. Also, yeah, sure. You're also blessed to be sitting here with me too. I think you're more blessed to be with me. But anyway, you're hanging on by a thread. We have something to talk about today, which is Sona. apparently, and I have not talked to her about this yet, but she told me that she had a very intense fracas. It's a word you don't hear much. Yeah. On the street with somebody. And I want to hear

what happened. Tell your tale, Sona. It was not a pretty sight. So sometimes, look, sometimes when I'm walking Oki, I have her leash. Let's slow things down a bit. Oki is your dog. Oki is my dog. I'll take her off the leash for a little bit of the walk. A lot of people do it. Cops have driven by Nobody cares. But this one day I'm walking by this guy's house and I have my headphones in and I hear him just like talking to me. And I turn, I take off my headphones and I turn around. He's filming me.

And he's going, walking your dog off a leash is a crime, you C word. What? Wait. Wait, wait. Don't move past that. He called you the C word? He called me the C word like 45 times. And Opie, not that there's, wait, what?

I'm not even kidding. It was like this crazy man. And the thing is like, I. I was shocked at first when I turned around and then I turned around and I was just like, fuck you. And then I start screaming at him and he's yelling at me, calling me the C word over and over and over again. And then at one point, and Oki was such a dick for this.

Oh, Oki's still there. She's still there. I thought Oki had left and got on a flight or something. She did not like the vibes. So she starts walking into the street. And it makes me look bad because she's like, I'm like, yeah, he's like, he was walking a dog is off this leash. is a crime you see where like he's like foaming at the mouth and then okey walks in the street and he goes

look your dog's gonna your dog's gonna die and i'm gonna help kill it what yeah and he's saying this crazy crazy stuff to me is this man's had a break of some kind i don't know what's going on i have no idea but of course like instead of just being like sir you need to come down i yell back in him yeah and i'm just calling him the f word i'm saying he's an old pathetic loser. Like, I'm saying all this awful. And because you run hot. I've been with you. When Sona sees red, it happens instantly. Yeah. And I remember a time, I'm sure we talked about it years ago, when you and I were in, we were in New York and we were at, I think, Sarah Baths or something on the Upper West Side.

Yes. Yes. And we were with a friend of yours. And an old man across the room shushed us because you were talking a little loudly. And you. I saw your pupils disappeared and your eyes were just all white. And you were like, excuse me, excuse me? And he was like, too loud. And you were like, you think I'm too fucking loud. And I'm just, the whole time I'm thinking, oh, this is page six in the post. Because I'm sitting here like an idiot.

Yeah. And I was trying to calm you down and you only get angrier. You went a little crazy too. So this guy made the, he yelled at the wrong person. He's matching my crazy. And he's like, the thing is, though, he's filming me. So he's on the, he's on the, he's in front of his door. I'm on the sidewalk.

We're just standing here, like they're yelling at each other back and forth. And then I'm just like, oh my God, where is this going? Like, where's this film going? And is it, am I going to get canceled for being agist? So I'm just like, at one point I switched and I'm just like, why are you being so rude? And then I. Oh, you decided to clean it up a little bit? This is after

You've already bitten him in the leg? I said some awful stuff. And then at one point he kept calling me the C word And I was like, you're lucky I like that word. I go, I've reclaimed it. So fuck you. I want to see this video so fast. You know, we have to see the video.

I googled it just a case. No, it's not. I don't find the video. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. He probably posted on like next door if he posted it anywhere. But also it won't make him look.

Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he. thinks he buried the phone and said a prayer and he thinks that's how it goes out. Like, he might not know. Some people, I wouldn't know how to post a video. Yes, you would. You'd have people do it for you. Yeah. I mean, yeah, at this point, I have David take me to the bathroom. I'm going to find the guy and I'll post the video for him. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That would be a great video to see. But it is upsetting that he called you that. He called me it. I've never heard that word come out of a man's mouth that many times.

He's so angrily. And then at one point, I was walking Okie, and he went back inside. And then I just see him pop out of the back of his house, and he starts filming me again. And it got cartoonish at this point. Maybe he had a crush on you. I mean, maybe he wanted this. I don't know. That is how I used to act towards women I really liked.

Oh, no. Yeah, I would wait and I would film them, and I would shout the C word. And you know what? It didn't work until it did. Liza said, I love this, man. He speaks his mind. Yeah. No, that is, that's intense.

It was intense. So how far away do you live from this guy? He's like around the block from me. So what are we going to do? So here's then what happened. I went home and I told Tack what happened. And Tack got really upset. Sure.

And Tack's like old school. You can't say stuff like that to my wife. And so I was like, let's sleep on it. I bet it's funny tomorrow. And it was. So you both gummed up. So we both gummy up. He can't talk to my wife that way.

Let's take a gummy and do it. Hmm. Tropical fruit. Snor, snor, snore, snore. Hey, where were we? Oh, yeah, that guy. Let's get him. So then the next day, you know, we're at home. We dropped the boys off at school.

We come back home and I'm just like doing stuff. And I didn't hear from tech for a minute. And then I heard the door open and he came back and he's like, I talked to the guy. Oh, wow. And I'm like, what do you mean you talk to him? And he just knocked on his door. the guy opened the door and TAC was like, if you ever talk to my wife like that

or threatened my dog, I'll have you arrested for assault. And then you walked away. And then the guy started being like, fuck you, fuck you. You know, just like crazy yelling back at him. And then he was, I think he went to go get his camera and then went out

and started building Tack walk away. Well, it sounds like he got the message. Had you guys, had either of you seen this man before? Never saw him before. I never saw him before. But he really, uh,

we're not going to. to walk by his house. You know, I'm going to say something. And this just occurred to me because this is the time that we live in, going up and knocking on someone's door like that. I know. That because we live in this era where someone can shoot you through the door and say, I was standing my ground, whatever.

I don't know. Yeah. I don't know that I respect what TAC was doing. He was standing up for you. I have mad respect for TAC, but that, I don't know if you should be doing that. I told him not to. I told him, I said that exact thing. I was like, what if he shoots you through?

the door. And he goes, well, then that's murder, right? And I'm like, yeah, but you'll be dead. I showed him. Tacks up in heaven. Shai showed you. Oh, wait a minute. I know. I think it was just eating him up inside. And also, I don't, I think that guy's all talk. I bet if I walked up to him, he'd be scared. You know what I think? I think you should assume he's all talking, keep harassing him at his doorway. Yeah. That's just my advice as a friend. This is going to be a Netflix documentary. Get him in. Oh, put on masks and and tease him at night right at his doorstep. Yeah, you know, my petty side kicked in

and I was just like, should I just take Oki's poop and spread it all over his lawn and the front door? Should I egg his house like I used to egg houses back when I was in high school? But then I slept on it. And then the older mother version of me kicked in and was like, you know what, let's let this lie. She sent her kids.

Don't stay away from this guy. And if anyone harasses him, it should be me. And it should be done in a way that we can monetize for the show. Okay. Oh, that's nice. You know what I mean? Like, yeah. Resolve it.

Yeah. What the fuck? Well, I was just saying. Did you make a big noise over there, really? I dropped my pen. But I was going to, we got like, he got pots and pans over there. He's like the sound effects guy in a drive time show. I'm making some of my podcast goulash.

No, I was going to say we could Scooby do it and make him think his house is haunted. Like go in it? No, no. I'm just saying, well, you're saying, dress up with masks and stuff. If we could engineer a way for you to be shot through the door. Then we've got something. It's just something to think about. All right.

We got to move on here. I have so many good ideas today. My guest today is an actress, producer, and director. You know from such films is Wet Hot American Summer, pitch perfect, and The Hunger Games. Now you can see her in the new Peacock series, The Miniature Wife. I just adore her.

I love it when she comes by. Elizabeth Banks, welcome. This is one of those ones where the fact that the guest has to say anything about being my friend is ridiculous, because we are really good friends. I know. I love you. And one of the great discoveries was that you and your super cool husband are just such nice people and fun to hang with. And we've hung out in a bunch of different situations and had a blast. Yeah.

We have a blast. I know. It always feels, I always feel weird whenever I do someone's podcast where I know, like where we have like a actual relationship. Yeah, yeah. That this becomes like a weird like performance of our relationship. Do you know what I mean? But you know what this? We're just going to perform being friends today.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It'll go great. It'll go great. On a ski mountain for days on end. I know I've convinced you to order those mashed potatoes and that milk bread. that time. Our kids have thrown rocks at each other and we've intervened. Your kid broke my TV once, as I recall.

I think he did. Oh, no. Yeah. He did. Yeah. My son always into tech and likes to take things apart but then not put them back together again. He was like, I got it. I got it.

And then we came down on the remote control. We were like, we'd have no idea how to turn our TV on ever again. Well, no. Just try to bill me. Try to bill me. There's a lot to talk about. I really, I'm very excited about this new project of yours, which we will talk about the miniature wife, because it looks fantastic.

It's a fun, it's fun. It's absurdist. And you're opposite one of my favorites. And then you're opposite one of my favorite people who I, I don't think I've met. Matthew McFadion, yeah. Yeah. He doesn't want to meet you. Damn it.

Yeah. You know, I sense this. I've been in an airport lounge with him and he has left the airport lounge and canceled this flight. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. He is so.

No, he's a delightful. He is so good in everything. And so the idea of you two together, and this seems like a really funny idea, I absolutely love. Yeah, the miniature wife, see, this is me now, I have to, like, tell you what it is, right? The miniature, is that what I'm supposed to do? The miniature wife is premiering on Peacock in April. And, yeah, it's this really fun, absurdist comedy about a couple who have a lot of relationship issues and are working through them. but then he accidentally shrinks her to six inches tall.

And she becomes his miniature wife. I like how you add, you just tossed that in. Yeah. Like everyone does that. Yeah. And you see where this is going. Yeah, right. She shrunk to six inches.

But it looks really funny. And so I am excited about that. Thank you. And just also excited to have you on. We have a lot in common. We're both Massachusetts people. I still have my Patriots nails on from the Super Bowl. Yeah.

I did. my nails for the Super Bowl and then I cap them because you know we have the red, white, and blue colors for the Olympics. Nice.

And all of that... And you're also a patriot. All of that's gone great. I am very patriotic. I just wear red, white, and blue nails at all times. I had my nails painted

for Ken Burns' Revolutionary War documentary. So, we all have our different reasons. How good is that documentary? It was fantastic. It's unbelievable. Let's talk about that instead. I like the part

where George Washington is shrunk down to six inches. Yeah. No one's not coming. You're from Massachusetts, but you're from a part of Massachusetts that might as well be, you know, Oz to me. Yeah. Because I grew up right outside Boston in Brookline and you could practically roll out of bed and step into Boston. You're in Pittsfield.

Yes. I don't think I've been in Pittsfield in my life. That's you and many, many, many people. It's way out there. Yeah, it's in Western Massachusetts on the border of New York. So we were sort of like a suburb of Albany. And in fact, I grew up in what we call... in Massachusetts, a divided house, a Yankees Red Sox house. Oh, I've heard of those. Yeah. So my dad's

radio growing up his whole life, the news that they got was out of Albany, New York. So it was a lot of Yankees. And my mom, who's from Boston proper, Red Sox family. So grew up very much like we would go, I sort of lived equidistant between New York City and Boston. So we'd go down a Yankee Stadium and we would go to Fenway. And every year, we still have that tradition. I took my dad last summer, we'll go again this summer. It's still our tradition to watch the Yankees and Red Sox. Okay. I'm a good deal older than you, but I don't know if this was your experience growing up, because things may have changed. The Red Sox Yankee rivalry became more genteel at some point. And I also think baseball in general, because teams switch up their rosters practically every

year. I come from the era where, you know, the Red Sox team stayed the Red Sox team and changed very little for years and years on end. And it wasn't a rivalry with the Yankees. We hated them, hated them, and everyone in Boston hated them. And they hated us. And there were fights, I mean, between players, and there were brawls. And it was this vitriol. And late now, it feels like it all got more genteel. Do you know what I'm talking about? I do. I absolutely agree with that, actually. And I don't know how that happened. When did that happen? It's interesting.

Yeah, I remember the big poppy years, the Damon, and all those years were like, yeah, you, you, well, because also the rivalry was we would get so close. I watched them win, the Red Sox win against the Yankees going to the World Series in a, in a hotel bed, like, crying. Like, you know, like, finally. Yeah, you know. When they finally won the World Series, I had the same thing. I was crying and calling my brother. and we were all emotional. Yeah.

I mean, crying for us means slightly moist eyes. Which could have been pollen, by the way. That's the Irish way. That's the Irish way. So you grow up in Pittsfield and then it's like, it's also rural. So I picture you like running around with unicorns. We did it. Unicorns is interesting.

Do you know how many people think unicorns are real? Unicorns and dragons. Real. I love that. Really? I didn't know that. That's like our shared mythology. I'm fascinated by humanity's shared mythologies. And that's one of them is unicorns and dragons, right?

because dragons were in every culture, and they never existed as far as we can tell. And so you're sort of like, what were people all over the world in different cultures imagining the flying lizard thing was? I'm okay. And we all agree that it just, it's like in all of our literature.

I will believe in a dragon long before I will believe in a unicorn. And I'm just saying this to anyone out there that thinks there's a unicorn, there is no unicorn. No unicorn. There never has been a unicorn. I had a friend from Australia

who 100% believed unicorns were real. As an adult woman, I had to be like, they're not. I don't know how to break it to you, and I felt terrible. There's a medication for that. I didn't grow up with unicorns, but I did go cow tipping.

And I had one of those very like John Hughesian high school experiences. Running around. Yeah, running around in the woods and like wheeling, rolling kegs out into, you know, a cornfield. By the way, hiding in cornfields, hiding off the pontoon boat on the lake where we were all skinny dipping and like, you know, very classy.

I didn't have skinny. I've never been naked, so I don't know. I was more. I imagine you covering your junk with a washcloth in the shower at all times. Like, just doesn't want to take a peek. Liza once saw me naked and I shrieked. Oh, no. And I'm suing her.

I feel violated. So, you know what's funny is you were a jock. You were really good at? I was sporty. I don't know. Yeah, I was sporty. Yes, I was. You were a big old jock.

What do you imagine? You were a weightlifter and a shot putter. You had a thick. I've seen pictures of you. Thick neck. Your neck just went right into your head. It's called, yeah, it's called bulk. It's called bulk.

I had bulk. But you, you were a great softball player, right? I was. I was on the All-Star softball team. And I was kind of the track you were on. Well, I needed money to go to college. So I definitely thought, like, I better be sporty and maybe I'll get, like, recruited. So I don't know. You know, when you're 13, what do you know? And so I was really into it.

My dad loves baseball. That's why we've been talking about it. It's so funny. And he was, like, a coach, and he was, he was just really into it. So it was also just, I'm the oldest and it was sort of my way of really spending a lot of time with my dad. And played a lot. And then I was sliding into third base at a practice, and I spiral fractured both my tibia and fibula. And my, my, like, foot was hanging, like, sideways to my knee, like 90 degrees, just dangling off there.

And I spent a really long time on crutches and in a cast and that fall, which at the time was the worst thing that had ever happened to me and was a dream crusher on every level. Yeah. And separated me from all my friends and the thing that I like to do. I found acting because of it, which is crazy. That's interesting, because this ties in with this theory. I try to tell this to young people, there are so many times where this giant boulder lands in your path and you're convinced this is the end. You did it and you said that in your commencement speech.

Yeah, you think it's over and then you take a different road. Yeah. Well, this is, and I think I've, I swear to God, I've had like seven of those. And then later on you think, oh, my God. Look at the life you've had. Of course, it is so hard to see it in the moment. Yeah, you can't. You can't.

You've got to go through it. There's no seeing it in the moment. You have to get all the way through it. And then sort of take that look back. And, you know, the older we get, and Lord knows I'm so old now. You're a child. I'm so old. And you, but you get that, that perspective comes more and more and more.

And all those, all those, like, really big feelings you had about these very big moments in your life, they really start to fade, don't they? Those feelings, they just get a little. smaller and a little gentler and you're just so much easier with all of that. And I feel so easy about that time in my life when, in fact, it was really, really bad. Like the, yeah, and you're, crushed. And I think, I actually think that is maybe the biggest role of being a parent is just to provide perspective. Because there's so much we can't, you know, initially, once you're past the, feed them, help them grow, get them clothing and shoes. Once you, you know, there's all, you, all that stuff. But then there's this whole part that you and I are probably getting into more now

where it's just explaining to them it's not as bad as you think it is. Literally, that's 99% of the job. It's 99% of life. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And them saying, yeah, you're not right. You're an idiot. being a parent of teenagers, which is me now is, who it's so hands-off on so many levels. And then also, like, I'm really watching how, and being reminded how hard it is to be a human. Like, it's just so hard to be a human and function properly and take care of yourself and other people in any decent way. And we have so little leadership to point to at this moment in time. And so you're sort of like, right, teaching them how to be a decent, like, it's just, it's impossible. Yeah.

It's impossible watching them. Well, I think that the, I was so proud once of the fact that I've calmed down. I have more perspective. I'm slower to freak out. And I was really giving myself a pat on the back. And I was talking to my mother-in-law about it. and she's, you know, she was a very smart woman and she had, you know, trained as a therapist.

And she, so I was explaining to her, yeah, I've really come a long way and I think I see it. And she said, well, yeah, well, your testosterone levels have fallen a lot. Exactly. And I just explained to her, I never had a lot of testosterone. Yeah. They've actually gone up.

I'm taking a pill now. But no, it's, but she was right. I realized, oh, yeah, Yeah. Okay. So much from my Zen wisdom. That middle age really, you know, remember, we're like two generations away from people who only live to 50, right? So like once you're past that, you're in some evolutionary place that humans have never really been in. Yeah. And it is so true. I was, you know, I was talking, I had a girls week in Utah recently skiing my favorite thing.

Did you think you would be? Yeah, I like to be invited to a girls week. Oh, I blend right in. He does. We'll get a manny-petti. Yeah, we did. We did have massages. But just talking about how little we give a shit about so many things that used to really get in our craw. And now we're just like, I think it's just we don't.

You literally lose the hormones that make you care enough to like mate and do child rearing. Yep, yep. And now I don't have any of those. Right. Right. I'm like, I don't really. I mean, do whatever you want. I'll do whatever I want.

Does that seem like a good plan for the next 50 god-darn years? Because, like, really? We're going to keep this going? Because my body is saying, nope. It's over. Well, this is what you have to look forward to, kids. If you're in your 20s listening to this, that's what's coming for you. You know what I love a detail about you, which makes total sense now is,

that growing up and you get into acting and the person, your role model, you know, I was thinking, who would, who would, Lizard Banks' role model be as an actor? Who would she want to grow up to be? And it makes total sense, but yours was Harrison Ford.

I love Harrison. I wanted to be all of, well, first of all, when people ask me, you know, you were, I was a real go-gitter. I was a straight-A student. You know, I'm like a hard worker like you.

And so really, it is a work ethic thing. I just believe you get up every day and you got to do something with your time and might as well like, you know, get an A in math and whatever. I don't know. And so I've just always like had this work ethic like this like engine inside me. And someone was asking me about like how that fed into everything else I ever did. And I was like, I was competitive with boys. Always. Like I oh and it's I think it's because the world was not made for girls. And when I looked around, I was told you can be anything you want to be. And everywhere that I looked, the boys were getting to do that. So I was like, just really competitive with boys my whole life.

And so when people asked me, like, who did you want to be as an actor? I'm like, I wanted to be Indiana Jones and I wanted to be Han Solo. And I wanted to go on adventures and I wanted to have these incredible, like, that's what I wanted. And the damsel in distress was not interesting to me. And like, you know, I think it really just comes down to, I came into this, like, raring to go and wanting, I want my piece. Yeah. And if you're a woman, the men get all the pieces. So it's like, I don't know, it's always, it did not occur to me to not have my role model be Harrison Ford. Yeah.

I mean, and also, when I look at your career, yes, you have had this great on-camera career, but you really quickly. It was like, I'm going to be producing. I'm going to be writing. I want to be directing. I imagine that was not an easy thing for you to break into. No, it wasn't. I mean, it took a lot of planning and hard work. Definitely wasn't just luck. It was something that I was ambitious about and wanted to do. And of course, you have to be in the right place and the right time and all those things have to line up and you have to find the things. You know, it's, I think my last movie was the movie that speaks to this point the most, though, right? Like, I feel like I was starting to get, like, well, she makes movies with, like, a lot of

women in them. And I was like, well, then I'm going to make cocaine bear. Yeah. Yeah. And I maintain, uh, maybe, uh, there's like one of the three best movie titles of all time. Oh my God. When I heard that first of all, I'd be up for anything that you were involved in, but when

I heard that it was cocaine bear, I was, I became a cocaine adobeyer. Don't even watch it. You don't need a trailer. You just want to see it. Now, we said that. We were like, it's like snakes on a plane. You know exactly what it's going to be, guys. There's going to be a bear.

It's on cocaine. I only say that to say, I don't like, I don't, I don't, I like surprising people. I don't like being put in a box. I feel like I still have a lot to offer. Nothing's gone the way I thought it was going to. Yeah. Well, nothing ever does. Nothing ever does.

It's a, it's a kooky football play. This was the idea, and you're going to break that way, and the hole's going to be over here, and then I'm going to throw that way. and then, hot, hike, and then bang. Giant blitz. Everything goes to shit.

And then the next thing you know, you're running through the stands with the football. And it's illegal, but you're still going. And that's been my experience in show business and in life in general. I agree. And, you know,

but I love that idea that you were not having it and you were, this is what I'm going to do. And what's interesting is, and there's no way to say this without embarrassing you, but you are a very beautiful. You're a very beautiful woman, and I imagine that people can dismiss. You know what I mean? It would be easy for people to say,

here's this stunning, stunning blonde bombshell. I'm just your type. I appreciate it so much. But like, if you love, if you love Padma Lakshmi, like, I'm not for you. Do you know what I mean? I love you for saying this. I'm just saying... But I'm also like, come on, Conan. I just look very, like, much like your life. Okay. I did think I was marrying you, to be honest.

I didn't have contacts at the time. No, yes. My wife is very beautiful. You are both very beautiful. But I'm just saying it's, I remember... I mean, I didn't know you the first time I said. started seeing you in things. When I saw you show up on 30 Rock, you are quite stunning. And I don't know if that makes it easier for people to say, what do you mean you're going to produce?

Or what do you mean you're going to direct? Yeah. Well, also I was, so yeah, I was like, look, I'm that blonde actress, small boobs. And I have a husband that produces with me. So it's like, okay, the actress and her husband are going to make a movie. And it's like, I get, yeah, we're going to try our hardest. I don't know. It was, it, it, I don't want to say it's easy to dismiss somebody who's good looking because I've had a lot of success being good looking. So I'll take it over the, over anything else every day. I had a, I had a lot of champions. You have to do the work. Yes. And so at the end of the day, I just put in the work. And I didn't really think about what I look like or any of that stuff. It was just, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I,

absolutely have faced a lot of obstacles for it. I was literally told by a big producer once, I just don't think men are going to follow you as a director. And I was told, like, women just don't get action movies. Like, you're never going to be able to do an action movie. I mean, I literally had, like, people look me in the eye and say those things to me. Yeah. So it, I don't want to dismiss the obstacles, but I really, like, what we were just saying about having a lot of grace for those moments and time, just, you know, they build you up and you move through it and you just do the work and put your head down. And you lead by example.

That's all I've ever tried to do. Well, I would say to anybody that has played any kind of party game with Elizabeth, been any social situation with her, been in any seen her out in the world. Yeah, I would put you in charge of the forces invading a country. I want to know more about the party games. I would like to do that. Oh, don't fuck with her. That's true. I actually just got, I got kicked out of playing Settlers of Kataon with some friends, you guys.

I don't know if you know this nerd game that everyone plays. I was, I got, it's a game where you, it's kind of, it's an older game now. It's been around for a hot minute. But essentially, you have to negotiate with people for things like you're trying to build the longest road and you're trying to build a civilization. You're a settler of this island of Katan. And so you have to negotiate. And I basically, I became such a cutthroat negotiator. Like, no, you will give me that wheat.

Because you, da, da, da, and I, and like, where people were just like, it's getting too intense. Right. You can't. You're not allowed to play with these people anymore. We touched on this last time, so I won't go into it. But let's just say I was in a situation where I was playing this fun party game with kids and adults. And at one point, someone said, you know, Elizabeth wants to speak to. and I went, and your face had become a match.

Oh, my God. And you, I don't even think you were there anymore. And you were telling me what needed to happen. And you were 100% right. She was 100% right. And I was like, well, and she's like, you know, pull yourself together, man. Here's what we're doing. And in that moment.

We're trying to win. Yeah, we're trying to win. Put yourself together. But I just, she slapped me. But in that moment, I saw like, hey, Eisenhower did a great job with D-Day. But had he not been available And we had a time machine, I'd get Elizabeth Banks

And I think we would have been in Berlin a year earlier. Oh, yeah. I would have handled that. Yeah. Really, really impressive. This entire theme of our conversation so far is my intense competitiveness. I'm failing it.

I mean, I, but also I don't have any issue with that. I like people that care. I like people that do the work, have a really strong work. ethic. And I think the rule is you need to treat other people well. And sometimes it can be tempting if you're if you're really incredibly determined and psyched to not treat other people well and you have to watch yourself all the time or you can be brusk with people. And David, of course, you've never seen that happen once. Okay, you're dismissed by the way. Okay. Bye-bye.

But so yeah, it's it's a constant challenge, but I think do the work. Do the work. Do the work and care, care about it. It is funny. I mean, you're bringing up a, I've definitely had those moments too, though, where as a leader, I'm like, oh, not everybody wants to work 100 hours this week. That's just me. I'm like, oh, right. That's, it's, you do really have to take care of people that are, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm,

I want to go a million miles a minute, although less so now. I say that like every day. But you know what? Here's the thing. Because I say that all the time. I know. And Liza, and I was saying to Liza, why do people make me? And she went, she'll always step in and go, no one's making you. I know. I know. You have this idea. You said we're going to build a giant catapult. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, whatever. So, yeah, exactly. So it's my own, it's my own doing.

You always will say like, hey, let's try to keep the schedule a little light next month and then say yes. I mean everything. Yeah. Every month of my life. And it's never, it never happens. I'm always like, oh, So, yeah, saying no, no is a complete sentence. Here we go. And then I'm like, well, if you can make it work with the schedule, and then someone's like, so you want to do it? And I'm like, well, I'd be interested in doing it. If it works with the schedule, I think that's a worthwhile thing to pursue and do. Okay, so we're doing it.

Oh, we're doing it? Oh, shit. Okay. Well, I guess you scheduled it. And now I'm doing it. But then I switch into this, I'm indignant. Yeah. Yeah.

someone made me do this. Yeah. And I'm like, who is it? There's no winning. Who is it, David? Why is this on the schedule that Conan builds stone wall? He's going to start recording in the woods of Maine. And then just like, you wrote me a text that said I've agreed to build the stone wall in Maine.

Exactly. So, yeah, that's my own doing. I'm curious, because you talk about this dynamic, being a woman in this industry and also trying to manage being in a relationship. I feel like all of this would be addressed in this new show a little bit. Ah. Do you know what I mean? I love a segue.

No, but don't. I mean, that's what I was thinking is like this, there's this obviously really cool looking because if people check out the show, it's a very cool. When you shrink down and you're having these scenes with Matthew, it's a very cool looking, like fun looking dynamic. but then I'm thinking like this is talking about something that's probably close to your heart. I definitely, it's based on a short story. And I, when I read the story, it really is about how you minimize your partner's feelings and how women generally are very minimized.

And it's how culture that happens, but also in relationships like between in the power dynamics and a couple. And I definitely felt like it was a fun metaphor, like a very, on the nose metaphor, and then also we get to really play with it because this character is very complicated and not a great person. Neither one of them are particularly great people, and you're kind of like rooting for them to figure out that they're the best version of each other when they're whole and together. The show was really technically challenged. My husband, Max, said that he thought it was the least mentally prepared I was for a job ever, and I think he was right. In what way? He was right. I just didn't realize how technical being sick.

inches tall was I was on a green screen half the time. Matthew and I were separated. I live in a literal dollhouse, which was great. They built like a replica of my home that I live in, but he's in a real sized house, like doing everything. And then they would make these incredible life size props. So a remote control that's six feet tall, bigger than me that I like can't push, you know, I'm trying to push buttons and a a travel-sized toothpaste that comes up to my chest and a giant Chanel lipstick at one point because still got to look pretty when you're six inches tall. I guess patriarchy. You know, it was really fun.

My co-star becomes like a doll, like a action figure, like a guy who goes to space, you know. And things like that. So it was really, the technical stuff was really fun and wild. At one point, I'd jump off of a toilet onto a plunger, and they built a life-size, 30-foot-tall plunger that I, like, wire onto and slide down. It's incredible. Like a toilet plunger. That's amazing. I have moments.

I walked down to set, I was like, who, how does this? I don't know people's brains are this incredible. And this is where you're saying, hey, where's this AI? I've been hearing so much. much about. But I have so many moments in my life because I went down this crazy stupid path where I step outside my body and say, what are you doing? I'll be in an absurd situation, an absurd outfit, doing an absurd thing at my age. And you just do it because it's the work. And then you're standing there and you're stepping outside yourself and you catch a glimpse of

yourself in a reflection, and you go, what happened? And so you're thinking, okay, I got into this to be Harrison Ford and I'm jumping off a toilet onto a plunger. It's on a wire on a giant green screen. And by the way, so vulnerable. I've never felt this vulnerable either. I would stand on this giant green box 30 feet in the air, so I would get like wired up onto it. I'm in all this like gear. And the whole room is green except for, uh, the area where the crew is. And right before action, I would be like, okay, so where am I again? Right.

So I'm in, I'm outside. It's snowing. There's a cat chasing after me. I'm going to jump off this building, which is just a curb on the street because I'm only six inches tall. So I'm pretending I'm on a curb on a street outside and it's snowing and there's a cat and action. And like, I have to imagine all that in my brain because I'm just seeing green. And like Larry, the grip just walking over to pour a coffee at the craft service, because he's not doing anything. You know what I mean?

And so I was like, what is going on? And they're all just sitting in front of me. And I finally, I said, guys, I actually need you to bring in like some curtains or something. I can't be alone in this space trying to. imagine all these things happening to me so I can take the audience on the journey of the six-inch tall woman and watch, you know, everybody like chit-chatting over the donuts. Like, can we, I need a, I need a curtain. I need a curtain. So every, they literally just slid a curtain in and put, slid like a 20-by in and just put everybody behind it for me. It is too much to ask when you're

in those situations and someone walks in. Yeah. And, you know, They're shaving or something in front of you. Yeah. I find that to be, I have been there. You know, it's funny because I was thinking about you've done, you've had all this high profile success, but probably I'm going to guess one of the things you hear about the most is a project that at the time you thought, okay, that came and went and no one cared, which is wet hot American summer. Like that has got to be, that's one of those projects that had all of its life later. Is that right? Yeah.

It premiered at Sundance in 2001. I was one of my first films. I actually had to pick my name to be in that movie because I'm Elizabeth Mitchell. And there was already an Elizabeth Mitchell and SAG. Shout out to her. She was lovely. She was on Lost, one of my favorite shows forever. And so I had to change my name to Banks.

And we were at Sundance, we thought it was just the greatest thing ever. And then no one cared. It didn't get, did no business. And then it started showing, I remember in New York, I want to say, like, at Webster Hall or somewhere, it started showing, like, late, like, how they used to do Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yeah. And so they were having these screens, and it was getting, like, a little traction. And this is back when DVDs have, so then people just had the DVD of it, I guess.

And nothing, it completely changed my life. I went to Sundance. I met my, still my manager to this day, 25 years now it's been, and started going on real auditions, some of which in those very early days, I auditioned for being Spider-Man and catch me if you can. And that led to C-Biscuit, which actually put me on the map in Hollywood. And then years later got an audition for a 40-year-old Virgin because all those guys, Seth and Evan and all those guys were addicted, you know, loved it. And I was in 40-old Virgin and suddenly, oh, she's funny. And then I got 30-R-R-Den. So, like, truly, and I'm still friends with David Wayne. I took him on a U.S.O.

tour a while back. We literally went all over the world together, the writer-director of it. And I, nothing, yeah, I still, to this day, I'm like, that changed my whole, I can't believe I'm part of that insane ensemble. Yeah, there are these movies

that I think right after Fargo, I could be getting this wrong, but I think after Fargo, which, you know, wins it's an Academy Award-winning film and it's a huge deal. The Cullen Brothers, I think, made Big Lobowski, and people were like, what's this? and this is weird, you know,

and it's at the time, even people making it, you know, on the set, we're probably thinking, what is this? We're making giant bowling pins and what's happening here? What are we doing? And then, you know, that's probably their, that's the movie that people know every word to, every single word,

and it's become this, I don't know, this text that every bit, that generations memorize. I'm going to shout out. we were skiing. Conan knows where I ski. And we were skiing and we were getting lunch. And the waiter brought our lunch out. And he was shaking and he had sauce over his face.

And I didn't quite clock it at first. That he was basically like, I have barbecue sauce over my face. And he was doing like an homage to the barbecue sauce scene. From 25 years ago, this like 25 years. ago, this like 22-year-old and he was so excited that he was talking and I like shout out to this guy

because he really committed to the bit. Yeah. It was very impressive. All my friends were like, what is happening? Yeah. And the minute we got it, he just lit up with joy like,

okay, it works. Like she understands what's happening. And then you had fired. It was such like a dear, like when people are like, what's the weirdest thing of fans ever done?

That's close to the top of the list. But you know, that is, It's one of those gifts that just keeps giving where you do something, you made it. That's a very discreet time in your life when you're very young. And then, you know, someone who wasn't born. Literally not born. Not born when that was made is now so here's that you're out there and needs to do this to connect with you.

And that's the nice thing, too, is in those moments, you want to be the person that they want you to be. I know what I mean? Of course. You don't want to be like, hey, you know, that's not funny. Get that stuff on your face. Get that off. Get out of that. You know.

No, I always, look at it. I get to come and talk to you and get to do these things because people watch the things that I make. Yeah. Period. Full stop. Sure. If people didn't care about the stuff that we made, you and me wouldn't get to be here.

So I'm constantly like, oh, thank you so much to anybody who cares at all to watch it. It's amazing. me constantly. So what is, okay, you've made this show, and what's the next step for you? What's going to the future? Are you really going to try and calm down a little bit, or is that total bullshit?

I literally started off. Because I'm not. I'm not going to calm down. I was in a writer's room yesterday, Conan. How much do you love a writer's room? I love a writer's room. He doesn't love a writer's room. Well, I think there are people that don't, probably, but I...

Oh, I love it. It's the only place. I stopped them from doing work. None of us know if Conan's in the office, and then we just hear a bang and a scream downstairs when he goes in the writer's room. I always kick the door open in a dramatic fashion, and they go, whoa! And then I start doing a very over-the-top bit. Are you carrying coffees in or why you got to kick the door? No, no, I don't give them anything.

Right, that's okay. It's just confirming. It's not about giving. It's about taking. I was confused. Yeah. This is where you and I are very different. I'd have torn that guy with barbecue sauce on his face.

new asshole. How dare you, sir? I'm trying to enjoy my apprae ski. Manager? Yeah. So, well, this has been an absolute joy. I love you dearly. And yes, I love you too.

You look a lot like my wife. It's not weird. It's not weird at all. I think Max gets it, right? He does. He gets it. And you know what the nice thing? Not threatened at all by me.

No man is. Take your shot, Conan. Take your shot. Well, thank you so much. The miniature wife on Peacock. Minature wife on Peacock. And I've never met your co-star. Matthew.

McFadion. I'm going to tell him to come hang out with you. We'll just tell him that, because he also did a show about the assassination of Garfield. I think it's called Death by Lightning. He did. And he plays the assassin Gittio, Charles Giteau. And, I mean, that guy can be anything he wants to be.

Yeah. Well, his American accent is really good. It's better than my American accent. I know. Most people don't realize how British he is. Yeah, I'm kind of obsessed with him. And so when I heard you two, obviously I'm obsessed with you. So when I heard you two were making something

together and I checked it out and it's really great. And so congratulations. Thank you. Please come back tomorrow. We'll both be busy. Yeah, exactly. I'll start managing your schedule too. How do you get into my schedule?

Yeah, yeah. Someone will, I'll reluctantly say yes and then I'll just be here. I'm judging a potato sack race in Quebec. All right. God bless you. God bless you. Okay, welcome back. We're going to do a staff review today. These have been quite popular. It's where I pull people in from our little Team Coco staff and talk to them. And we find out all kinds of amazing things about the wonderful people that make up my empire. And today we've brought in a young lad named Sean Doherty at your senior producer. I'm a senior producer, yes. And people have said we bear resemblance to one another.

A little bit, yeah. A little bit. You are tall Irish Catholic, Irish fella. You've got a little... From Boston. Which part of Boston are you from? I'm from Braintree. Okay, Braintree.

Near Burlington. Close enough. Good. And just for our viewers out there. Yeah, there you go. You've got a little bit of a pompadour going. Tiny. Tiny.

Was that, did you have that going before you met me? I swear, I swear to God. I did. Yeah. So I did. I promise. For the Oscars, I would. shooting this bit where I'm Aunt Gladys from weapons,

and they had a stunt double stand in for me, and you will attest, David, and so will you, Sona, this stunt double looked absolutely nothing like me. The whole time I'm thinking, why didn't we bring Sean Doherty in? I mean, you should have come in. What's that? Can I say we actually used Sean

when we were building the studio as a fill-in for you with lighting? Right, yeah. And you did test podcasts, and his were much better. He was funnier, he was faster. So anyway, you have had kind of a remarkable rise here. You started out as an intern, what year?

2018, 2019. At the show, where was that? Yeah, at the end of the TBS show. I was there the last year on Warner Brothers. Yeah, okay. And what was that experience like? It was awesome. And be honest.

Ruthie was my boss. She was amazing. Ruthie Wyatt. Ruthie Wyatt, who is the best. She hired me. media priestess. Yes. Fantastic.

She does a lovely job. And also full of sunshine. Just the best. I don't think anybody is anything negative to say better. And she'll, it'll just go away. There's like unicorns sprouting from her head. Yes.

Wonderful. So you're working at the show. Did you see terrible behavior? Did you ever see me do anything awful? Oh my God. No, everyone was so good. Everyone was amazing. I love the one of others.

I'm sorry. That's boring. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we need the drama. You're an asshole. Everyone sucks. There you go. There you go.

No, we're trying to expose the rot in our industry. So you worked as an intern first, and then you've just done so well. Let me tell the listeners a little bit about you, and I'm going to find a way to shit on you. I just haven't found it yet. It feels like getting called into the principal's office right now. This is like... This is the part where the principal butters you up. You started out really well.

Third and fourth grade, I thought you showed great promise. So we'll get to that part. You are now... have risen to this point where you're in charge of producing Andy Richter's podcast here, Rob Lowe's podcast. Yes. And so you're dealing with those two monsters. No. You can quietly say no, but both of them, both of them, scourges on the business.

And so you've done really well. And then I find out it was in the trades that you sold the screenplay? Yeah, yes. So my question is, when am I getting a piece of your success? You've been a barnacle on this boat. A long time, Sean. So is there a part in this streamplay for me? Oh, my God.

Of course. Anything. Anything you want. I mean, it's a high school comedy. So I don't know if there is a, I hate to say, you might have aged out of your role. Fuck you, Sean. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You come in here and you tell me I'm too old to play a high school student when no one would have that Take. That is ages. It's a little concerning to just see, like, you hovering over the teenagers. I don't know if that would be. I think a lot of people would think that guy fits right in. I'm still prepubescent at my age, somehow. I'm so post-pubescent.

I came around to pre-pubescing again. Horseshoe. So there's got to be, no, I don't play a high school student, but there are adults that work at the high school. Do you think you could be principal, disciplinarian? Are you a teacher? What are you doing right now? You just said you felt like I was being called in the bristle.

If you don't find a part for me in this movie, I will sue you into oblivion. I will make up things about you. On what grounds are you going to sue him? When you reach my state of the business, which is quite high, this is the level that I'm at right now, I don't need reasons. I've got judges in my pockets. This is a lawsuit. You an audition. I can now.

Yeah. You kids better cut it out. Now listen here, you nerds. There's no way you're going to win against the jocks, see? Because I'm with the jocks. And you nerds can stay up all night and work on your robot. But there's no way you beat my jocks, see? What role was that?

This is a very 1980s, 1970s. And then later, those nerds did what? Late, late, I'm the robot they invented. I just beat up the football team. I think you nailed it. I think this is it. This is a great move. Oh, don't tell me yours explores relationships and stuff that might really happen.

That's so boring. You want robots and you want an uptight headmaster. I think you would be amazing at this. I think you've kind of sold. It takes place in Massachusetts. So this is another point for you. Perfect. Perfect.

I grew up in Massachusetts, not far from you. True. Yes. So you're growing up in Massachusetts. What were you interested in? What was your, what did you aim for in show business? And how did you end up at this fucked up place? How did you wash up on this beach of all places?

I mean, I don't know. I wanted to work in late night television, and then it died the second I came to Los Angeles. It was just over. It was you that killed it. But then it was, unfortunately. Right night television was thriving right up until Sean Dordy showed up with his cardboard suitcase. Garsh! I'm here from Braintree!

Oh, no! I'm here to see the big city. Where's the chowder? There's no chowder here. Where's the Red Sox? There's no Red Sox either. We're, we'rea, we're. I don't know why you deserve all this abuse, Sean, but you do.

Here's the thing that I find disconcerting. You're beloved. Everybody universally is like, oh my God, Sean. Sean is such a good guy. They're always talking me about you. And I don't know what this is, but when I hear too much praise about one of my people, I find a way to try and break them. And that's what's happening now.

You identify a threat from within. I get it. But you look like me. me, but you're younger. He's better looking. He's got the leg strength. He could go... He could lift things.

No, I'm always checking out. When men have too much leg strength, I want them gone. And because I know that they will beat me. I'm the alpha. He could single white female you pretty easily. Oh, you could. That is what I'm planning to do. I will say the first time I ever interacted with you as a PA, you did say, we hired

this young man, sort of someone tries to assassinate me. This kid will die instead. Oh, at like 20 years old. You're 20. That was the first interaction. Because I had read that Saddam Hussein, you know this, right? Saddam Hussein hired all these other Saddam Hussein to look like him. Oh, my God.

So that if someone went to kill Saddam Hussein, there was a nine out of ten chance that'd get the wrong Saddam Hussein. And that made me, first of all, this is why you were hired, Sean. Yes, yeah, yeah. We saw you. I turned down so many interns that day. And then this guy comes in. So much more prepared. How are you?

Okay, this guy is exactly my height. Sean is 6'4. He's got the red hair, the pompadour. He's got my look. And I thought, this is perfect. And that's why I kept sending you out for sandwiches, even when we didn't need sandwiches. I wanted you vulnerable. Out public, yeah.

And that way you draw out the people that want to hurt Conan O'Brien. That's the first thing he got from you. That's the first conversation that you guys had with each other. I am a notorious. First Hollywood celebrity interaction. And it's you will take a bullet for me. And not, you won't do it, you'll do it against your will. Not out of loyalty.

No, no, no, it was. And it worked because he was attacked constantly when he went out. I had him wear a t-shirt that said, I am Cronin. He would come into the office with arrows sticking out of him. Rocks had been bounced off his head. He'd been kicked by old women. And you, it was like a sponge that soaps up all the hate gravy, you know? I love the thought that the people attacking you are old women.

Lemon? Yeah. And you're so scared of them. You send out a decoy. Yeah. I send out a 20 year old kid. And he just gets beaten. They're hitting you with their purses. They're throwing old Neko wafers at you. And yet I stuck around. I said, give me more. So what's the dream? You've written this screenplay now. Would you like to? With my friend Caroline. Yes. Okay. Okay. And the don't tell me the whole idea, but the basic idea is these are high school students in Massachusetts.

Uh-huh. And, and... It's an homage to the apartment, the Billy Wilder movie. Oh, that's terrific. Yeah. That's great. We'll leave the title out of this. But, yeah. That makes it sound classy. Yeah. And it's called the fuckboat. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay. Well, certainly I'm, I'm distancing myself. Sorry. Yeah. Distancing myself from the fuck boat. Uh-huh. Yeah. By the way, I wrote a... Good luck with that. I wrote a screenplay called the fuckboat.

that 1987 went nowhere. But what happens next, theoretically? You've sold it. How does these things get made? How does it happen? That's the million-dollar question. I mean, I don't know. I know very little about the film business.

But you're a movie star now, too. It's true. Yeah. I'm just flooded with offers. No, I honestly don't understand that business at all. And increasingly, I don't even understand the business I was in. It's all changing so much, but that's very impressive that you sold a screenplay. And you're kicking ass here at the show, and people, again, much to my irritation, think you're a wonderful person.

And I'm tired of it. I'm really tired of it. So we're letting you go. That is all right. This was the exit interview. I could feel it coming in. I'm finally a complaint with the Writers Guild. Perfect.

Yes. That fuckboat is my title. I had a catamaran when I was in high school. and I called it my fuckboat. And you know why I called it my fuckboat, David? So I'd get on it and ride around a little pond and go, Nobody wants to fuck me. What a twist.

Would it twist? Oh, boy. The audience is just so sad watching it. Me going in a sad circle. There was no win, Charlie Brown. Nobody wants to fuck me. And then, well, good night, fuck boat. So that was my screen.

I think yours is going to be better. Thank you very much. Sean, thank you. I appreciate. I'm honored to have you on the team. And hilarious that my first comment to you was that you will draw my assassin. Conan O'Brien needs a friend with Conan O'Brien, Sonam of Sessian and Matt Goreley. Produced by me, Matt Goreley.

Executive produced by Adam Sacks, Jeff Ross, and Nick Leow. Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vos. Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Britt Kahn.

You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-200. and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O'Brien needs a friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.