Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Darren Criss — On Getting ‘Glee’ & How ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Almost Didn’t Make It

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

'Glee’ and ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ star Darren Criss joined the show. Over scallion pancakes stuffed with gooey cheese and bacon, Darren tells me about going viral for a Harry Potter parody in 2009, getting ‘Glee,’ and how 'Maybe Happy Ending’ almost didn’t even make it on stage, which is hard to believe given its acclaim – the Broadway show and Darren both walking away with Tony awards. Plus, we talk about being dads and a funny moment at a fancy Hollywood party. This episode was recorded at Win Son Bakery in Manhattan’s East Village.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right now, our family is living that New York theater life. I'm performing in a play right now called True, where I get to play Truman Capote, and the kids are here with me, and I'm working in the city, which is amazing. I love it so much. It also means I'm juggling a lot. Between rehearsal schedules, school drop-offs, figuring out dinner in between shows, and then making sure everyone has what they need. It's hard enough just getting through the day, let alone planning ahead. And while we're here in New York, fully immersed in this, you know, this season of life, it got me thinking about how our place back home is just sitting empty. If you're going to be away for a while, like me, listing your space on Airbnb can be a great way to put your space to use and earn a little extra cash while you're gone. And the idea of doing it all by yourself, see, that just feels like too much. That's where Airbnb's co-host network comes in. You can partner with a local vetted co-host who can handle all the behind-the-scenes details, so hosting feels manageable, even when your schedule is as packed as mine might be. Co-hosts can create your listing, manage reservations, handle guests, communication,

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That's HomeCheft.com slash D-O-M for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. Hey, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know him from Glee, his Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning performance and the assassination of Gianni Versace. He's also a Tony Award winner for maybe happy ending on Broadway. It's Darren Chris.

I know that these are the good old days. I know these are the times that we always cherish. This is Dinner's On Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. So today, I'm at Winston Bakery on New York's Lower East Side. I have been really excited about trying this place. They are very popular. There's always lines outside the door waiting to try some of their Taiwanese-American classics.

I have heard tale of this BEC, bacon, havarati cheese, and eggs smashed on a scalyan pancake. If you think I'm not going to try that, you're surely mistaken. Their mochi donuts are also supposed to be incredible. Darren is very excited that we are trying this place, and I'm so excited that we get to see. skip the line today and catch up over some incredible food.

All right, let's get some the conversation. Hey man, this is so nice. I'm so glad you doing this. I could just talk to you for hours. We do that anyway. Well, we're gonna do it anyway. You figured it out. You figured out.

You got to eat. You get to see my friends. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, I know. The next best thing, dare I say, may this might be a segue, but doing a Broadway show is a bit like this because I, I have people come to me.

Yeah, I know. And I very much appreciate we're both family men. People are like, people are the younger that us that don't necessarily have family. It's like, oh, we should catch up sometime. Let's go get a drink. I'm like, here's the deal. I'm in one spot. Yeah.

Eight times a week. If you come see the show, or even if you don't come see the show, there's a section right afterwards. You can come by and we can have office hours. We can catch up. And it's nice. It's not to go anywhere. You also have like your dressing room set up because I went to see after your show, up your performed for a movie, happy ending.

You have like a little greeting room. It seems like it's a place where you could like hang out for a little while. It's a huge part of the gig for me is the hang. I get adult time with people. It's so much fun. No, this is great though. Win some cakes. Do you know the one in Brooklyn?

I haven't been to either one. I haven't been to this one. When I heard we were coming here, I was so stamped. It's fucking amazing. I'm so excited. This is the worst thing I can be eating the day of show. But we've got enough time. We have plenty of time.

I've taken some stomach stuff. We should be all right. The acid reflex will settle by then. It's real, baby. But I'm going to eat some fried food, some spicy. I'm not singing, so like, you know, you got to sing. I got to say doing a play is always nicer because you don't have to worry about that. So tonight might be a little wobbly.

I don't know if you timestamp this date, but if you see the show or saw the show this night, maybe some things are a little warbly. The evening March 27th performance, you're like, Darren sounds a little assity. We can send your regards to win some. Yeah, exactly. And we'll decide if it was worth it. But when you were saying, like, people come to you, the last time I saw you was when I was in town last summer doing Shakespeare in the Park.

You came by. You said, come by my apartment. Like, I'll do bagels on Sunday. Yes, exactly. And I just like it's an open door policy. Yes. And you did. I did. And you were very sweet to take me up on that because you're in the category of people

that would because you also have a family and you understand that dynamic of getting up early and doing that on a weekend, which the other category that I was mentioning would, I would never put that on them. No. You can sleep in, sleep to a regular normal, something time for many reasons. How are you? How are you?

So well, so excited. I have some menus right here. Let me know if you guys need any suggestions or you guys have any tough things. I haven't eaten here. I mean this is the bakery. I guess I haven't really, I mean there's a couple things. Can you give us the hits?

Because I know there's a lot of big. Yeah, so we're very popular for our scaly and pancakes. Yeah, that is. Bacon, egg and cheese are like the classic ones here. We still have other good options as well. Like my favorite is the Jolzai, which you're just. is egg, cheese, chives, and rice noodles. So good.

Shrimp is also really good. Very popular here. This sesame chicken, that's sandwich, you guys have that. Oh, no, that's a salad. Excuse me, that's never mind. There was a sandwich that I think is, like, pretty famous over at the Brooklyn spot. It blew my fucking mind.

Was it fried chicken? Yeah, I forget what it was. Is that the one? Yeah. Just, oh, it was in the bakery or in the restaurant? It was the restaurant. Oh, so yeah. The restaurant has a whole.

different menu. Right, of course, but I was just trying to remember what it was. It's a shout out to win something. Yeah, yeah, it is. It's not the fried twice. This isn't like a B-side. This is like top hit on Spotify. Like, it's the thing.

But shout out to that. What's the fried chicken milk bun situation? I like to get a good guy. It comes with a side of fries or salad. So it's basically a fried chicken leg and then pickles, lettuce. That sounds good there. I want everything. I know what I'm going to have.

Okay. Okay. I'm going to do the BEC. BEC. Yeah. And I want to try, I want a mochi donut. Oh nice. Are you gonna do any caffeine or?

Yeah, I'm gonna do a cafe. I'm gonna do a latte. Can I do the five-spice latte? As for me, I, boy, if we're gonna do all those things you mentioned, the BEC does sound good. Are you a kudis person? Can we share bites? No, you can absolutely share. You have to have a bite of mine as well.

Yeah. So the BEC, what are the other things here on the scallium pancakes? Shy is shrimp. Okay. That's the shrimp. Are you, can you shrimp? Yeah. Pretty good.

Mordadella is a type of ham. Pishrami beef tongue, egg and cheese. I'm going to do the Pistrami beef tongue. Pishrami beef tongue. Yeah. Nice. Can we do the, what do you pronounce it? The bonsai, yeah.

Just as a grabby, vegetable thing. Yeah, yeah. And it's like more like a side. Great, perfect. That'll be good. I'm so excited. Cool, me too. No, that's good for now, man.

Awesome. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. I was, before my show the other day, have you guys been to Space Club in Brooklyn?

What's Brooklyn? No, I've heard of it, yes. I've heard about it, yes. I've had friends that'll go there. Shout out to Space Club. Their kids might be a little young. Your daughter might be okay. I'll say this.

There are all these great kids things all the time everywhere, especially in New York City. But they're at an age where a Space Club is just called any fucking weird. Yeah, yeah, I know. Space Club is this, anything, everything's an adventure. This is a, that's actually a wondrous, you know, everything is wonderful.

You can just lock that in the block and it's like it. Exactly. So I'm leaning into that as much as I can. I was, yeah, no, you should. Because there's a point where they're like, we need more. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Curate the day for us. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But I went to Space Club with, um. What is Space Club? So Space Club is like, it's an indoor playground, but it's like done. Great, fun is cold. With what feels like very thoughtful artists, like put their thought into this. It's like, it's just, I mean, it's, I was like blown away when I went out. I was like, oh, I'm down to like hang out here. Like the slides that go into like, you know, these foam pits are more incredible than anything I ever would have imagined.

There's like, you know, magnet tile walls and like places where you can create beaded necklaces. And anyway, I was, my son was like, I need to go, I need to go potty. So I'm taking him to the bathroom. He walks out, but Daniel Brockcliffe and his son. And we're like, I haven't seen him in a while. Like, we're like saying hello, but also like dealing with our children needing to use the restroom. It's a lousy time to run into friends. It is not, because you are excited, but you're like.

Yes, yeah, yeah. But it's definitely the place where like, it's funny to like watch him just like in dad mode as well. Like before his show. Yeah, of course. It's so, yeah, I think, I definitely. understand what you're talking about, like, when you have those, that whole half day to, like, fill with your kids. And then you get to go do this other thing that's, like, so artistically satisfying for yourself. It's such a... It is fun. Cheers, man.

Speaking of being parents, uh, yeah, coffee and caffeine, that was a new, a new element of my life. I didn't, I didn't, like, drink coffee until, like, my mid-30s, no. My acupuncturist is begging me to, like, stick to one cup a day. Oh, wow. Yeah. And I'm like, I don't know... Acupuncturist is begging you to... My acupuncturist. God, if, if, there's There was a transcript of this, they didn't know who you were. I'd be like, this asshole. You have to go to Space Club.

My acupuncturist told me I have to have one cup a day. And this is, of course, after I ran into Daniel Radcliffe. I must have more than one cup of coffee. I told my acupuncturist. Daniel Radcliffe is my, was my Broadway gateway. I took over for, that was my Broadway debut. I know. So shout out to Dan.

And you and Daniel, I think, have a few overlaps because one of the things that made you kind of, I don't know, famous to me at the beginning, was you created this Harry Potter parody musical. Yeah. You're still Michigan, right? Yeah, I was in Michigan. I mean, I would have never thought that you would have seen it.

Absolutely, I did. It went viral. No, for something to go viral. It was a total accident. 2009 or something. Yeah, 2009. Yeah, it changed on. It kind of like was unheard of because it took a lot for something to go viral.

Yeah, I mean, and like a lot of our moments, no one's like aiming for it. Like, the more you aim for it, the far that you're guaranteed to miss. You know, so it was a genuine sort of. funny thing that we did just with friends and we put on the internet not because we were trying to have anybody see it. It was just a way to share it with other people that were in the show. Right. And so, you know, it was, I mean, it was pretty incredible to watch, you know, these kids in college. And I knew, I have so many friends who went to the Michigan.

Of course, our dear, a lot of our friends. So many friends. But some little footnote for musical theater nerds that might be watching this, I'm very proud of the fact that I was not a musical theater major. I don't think you know this. Yeah, yeah, it's not, it's not, what were you there for? Oh, just the regular, they need to not call it straight theater. Oh, but no singing. No singing, can you believe it?

But you, you've always been a singer. If you had told me in college that I would be doing a musical on Broadway, I would have been like you're fucking high. There's no way, I'm dead serious. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Darren tells me about going viral before that was even the thing that ever really happened, and we get into his journey of being cast in glee. Okay, be right back.

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on For the Love with Gin Hatmaker. From Mel Robbins to Tig Nataro, Kate Bowler to Stanley Tucci. I'm Jen Hatmaker, and every week, my dear friend Amy and I dive deep with incredible guests who make us laugh, and cry and think a little bigger about life in the middle years.

For the Love, where great stories meet unforgettable people. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back with more dinners on me. We have the bacon and cheese on restaurant meat. We have our homemade sauce right here. Do you want to do one in one? I don't care. Yeah, it's doing.

I'm going to dive right in. Cheers, man. Food cheers. Here is. Wait, which one are you trying? This is the pastrami. Oh, wow. We need napkins.

Dude, melted Havardi? I know. That's the one I was reading about. I think it's on everything, though. It's like the big agency has Havardi on all that. Oh, my God. Thank you. Anyway, so I didn't do that stuff.

That's so crazy. I really thought you were a musical theater major. I was really glad to be around it. And so everybody in, except for like two people in the very Potter musical, were just a bunch of the non-musical theater majors sort of just taking the piss. That's so funny, I didn't have no idea.

And was the Harry Potter musical what Ryan Murphy saw? I mean, did he? Definitely not. No? Definitely not. How did Glee happen? Because that happened shortly after Michigan, right? For a couple things happening at the same time.

The Potter musical took on a life of its own, and we started a theater company that was sort of like a production company on YouTube. Star Kids. Star Kits. Stark again. So we would do a show like we did in college, film it and put on YouTube,

and that was the model, it has been the model ever since. We've done a lot of original musicals ever since then, but that was the sort of nexus of that company. Then I'd be going on additions. I was sort of like, you know, moonlighting as an act, even though I had this day job

as trying to keep up this, like, online company. And at the time, those things didn't intersect. Like, it's not like people in casting or the big suits gave a shit about, any online traction equity. They didn't, not yet at least. Right. So, you know, it was funny because I had this thing

that seemed really, you know, like it had traction, right? Like, oh, I guess I'm gonna, you know, if I'm trying to be an actor, I'm gonna write. I'm gonna write music. Right, and create comedic content. Because you also, you wrote the music for the Harry Potter. Yeah, yeah.

So I was auditioning like anything else. there was a Glee casting thing they were doing like you know send in a video and I forget what the thing was it was on MySpace I don't know what it was but I remember I had an agent MySpace!

Seriously I remember my god It was like dating it I remember my agent was like you should do something for Glee because Glee at the time was like It had already been on It had already been on yeah And by the time it had been on

I had auditioned for it several times I went out for the pilot in my junior year of college before I even did So technically I'm going all over the place. I had never auditioned for like a TV show before. That was my first audition for like a TV show.

Right. But I think if you were a certain age and you played music, you know, everybody kind of went in for this thing. Right. And so, yeah, by the time I booked it, I'd gone in for it a few times, but also at the same time, I had made like a video for like a Glee casting competition.

People think I got it from that, which is not true at all. But the point is, I got it. Without any of those other details, just disregard those things. How I got it was I, I had an audition, I went in, and I guess I booked it. But I had already gone in for it, maybe two or three times officially,

with the casting director. And I remember for that part, at the time, Glee was white-hot, in the second season, it was for a role. I give a lot of my credit and gratitude to the positioning that I had in the show that has nothing to do with me. They were gonna cast the potential boyfriend for the really popular character. Yeah.

Like, that's just a, that's a golden ticket. Like any other character, who knows? I really give a lot of my fuels credit to the sort of alchemy, the cosmic alchemy that was in my favor. Because people already loved Chris Culfer's character, and they wanted something for them. So I really am so lucky that that happened. But, yeah, that was already in the media, like, who are they going to cast?

And the rest of the history. Did it feel because the show was already... you know, such a hot hit. I mean, it premiered the same year as modern family. So I was definitely, like, they were way more popular than we were. Certainly when we started, you know, they won the SAG award, and they won the Golden Globe.

And it was like, beyond that, it was a show for, like, a younger audience. It was a younger audience, which just has an average audience. Yeah, I mean, now they're all the same. But it was such a white, hot hit. I mean, like, always going in. into something, like was jumping onto a train that was moving that fast, a good thing?

Was it a, like, I mean, I have, try not to talk on my mouthful. Do it, hard. Because I joined it after the fact, they were on magazines, they're on billboards everywhere. My girlfriend, now wife at the time, what time, I'm not wife, like watched it, I didn't watch it.

It was like, you had to live under a rock not to be aware of the onslaught of its sort of pop cultural presence. I was really aware of it. Yeah, I knew how special it was, and I knew it from the day I got there to the day it ended. I've always been like, wow, I can't believe I was on Glee.

It's crazy. It also afforded you the opportunity. But I'm like going to Glee rides, you know what I'm saying? I don't think I'm Glee. I'm like, Glee happened and I was there. Sure, no, I get that. It also afforded the opportunity to, like, you know, put your own music into the show,

which was such a huge opportunity. I mean, to have this skill and have Brian Murphy or I don't know who was the one who came up to you to say like Dante Tileretto, God bless him, he let me do it. Yeah, I mean, that's huge. I mean, I have to say, I've never worked with Ryan Murphy, but he seems to be the type of person that if he believes in you,

he's really going to do everything he can in his power to make sure that you get all the opportunity that you are. I mean, I'm forever grateful for his belief in me. You know, it's like, especially when you're not generating material, you have to rely on, like, you know, your patrons. And, you know, he's always believed in me in a way that, I mean, I don't have to explain why it means a lot to me. But yes, with the music, I remember he was totally cool. I remember there was an edit, they wanted to cut the song down, and I really asked for the whole thing. He let that happen.

He's done a lot of things for me that he could do no wrong by me. I mean, he's giving me so much, so many good things. and yeah, my gratitude is sort of endless. But, yeah, a lot of people were very supportive me on that show. And by the time I got to write music, I'd been there for a while because it's not something I would have ever pushed forward. Yeah. You know, I was very sort of timid about it,

and so I thought like it was appropriate. And I forgot how it came up, but the fact I got to do it was pretty cool. And you were nominated for an Emmy for, right? Emmy losing something. Who won that year? Amy Schumer had a little comedy song for one of her special. I feel like I remember this.

It's okay. It's not a category. To lose to Amy Schumer. It's also not a category of people like, oh yes, of course. For TV, it's... But it's cool nonetheless. Before we move on, I want to ask

Daniel Radcliffe ever talk to you about the Harry Potter musical. Did you guys ever have a discussion about that? I think he was aware of it, you know? Poor guy. I'm sure God knows what he thinks of me. Like, that's something I... Loose sleep over.

But I'm sure by the time we met I think he was aware of it for sure. Yeah. You never talked about it? I mean, I think it was sort of an unspoken thing. I think by the time we had met, and our interaction has been very brief, but by the time we had met, it was when I was taking over for the role. And how to succeed.

Yeah, and that was a really fun passing of the baton. And so I think our conversations were mainly about that. And, you know, he's a real theater guy. And so I think the fact of we share that is really nice. And he's down the street for me now, which is really special. We're literally on the same walk. It's incredible. And I love that you both won Tony Awards on the same year, right?

Wasn't it? Before me, the year before me. Oh, the year before you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it's great that, you know. It is cool. Aren't we all the three of us, Tony? Tony recipients at this point.

My brain is, I'm like trying to track everything because I knew you want to say things. Even though I'm like, oh, God, I remember when you won your Tony. I was so happy. I was there. I just know how much that means to you. And you know how much it means to me. Tony is a different thing. It has a different substance to it.

It came from a community that we both really respect. And love so fucking much. I wore a goddamn Sondheim sweatshirt to this lunch. Christa. Yeah, I don't know if I'll ever truly be able to really articulate just how much that whole thing means. It's so special. It's so much beyond what I think people might think it's about.

There's something else going on there that really is, yeah, I'll always cherish. Now let's take a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Darren tells me about his excitement to pass a torch for his role and maybe happy ending. And we reminisce on a pinch me moment we both shared at a party back in the day. Okay, be right back. Infamous is the gossip show that's smart. We talk about Tyra Banks and bringing down top model.

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wherever you listen to or watch your shows. This is crime scene, available now. And we're back with more dinners on me. You know, to win a Tony Award for something that you have been working so closely on and producing and believing in. And, you know, I mean, and this is not, well, I mean, it's just the way it was. You know, when maybe Happy Ending first started, I mean, it had a really hard time finding an audience. And there was discussions about like whether or not it's going to survive the season. You guys opened from what I remember in the fall and you had to survive the winter months.

Is this right? Dude, it's the tip of the iceberg. I don't know how much is out there. And I don't know if we have time on this show to talk about this. We'll do it off air. But this show from the very beginning had, like, had every conceivable obstacle. Yeah. Again, I think some of it is documented in interviews and stuff.

But it doesn't even scratch the surface. Like, this show was not supposed to happen, like, six ways from Sunday. Yeah. And it's just a true Cinderella story. Like, we weren't even going to start rehearsing. Like, we were, there's a lot of things that were, that just kept falling in the room. Everything kept falling apart, yeah.

And, yeah, by the time we even made it to actually opening previews, that was like a goddamn miracle. And then one best musical. I mean, and, you know, for something that original musicals are rare these days, to have a completely original idea with songwriters who aren't necessarily tested veterans of the,

I mean, you're right. No, everything was against it. And so that's all to say it was very satisfying to not only see your win as best actor, but to see the show itself also be so widely celebrated. To be a person that is so enduring and has something so special to say, and so hopeful and positive,

especially to a very fractured world, there are things like that that aren't necessarily ever guaranteed when you join a show. For sure. Again, another thing to do, throw in the pile of super relatives and why it's so great, but just all that stuff. So seeing that be celebrated is very hard.

And I know how this feels is from being part of shows that I got to create, but like being a part of the DNA of something that is going to live on and people are going to do this show and, you know, regional theaters and colleges. And like, that's kind of, you're going to see what I've seen with Spelling Bee. Oh, yeah. So proud to see people. I think I told you when you came out of my house. Yeah.

This is when I know. I mean, I feel like I've made it. but this is one thing that I know has happened to you. Please tell me if it has. A really special moment that I look forward to. Yeah. I'll be in some part of the world, and I have like a day free somewhere.

Someone will come out to me and be like, Mr. Chris, you know, we're actually doing a production of maybe happy ending at the whatever, whatever playhouse. Would you come and I'll go, of course, I would love to. Yeah. And I get to go sit and watch it, and it's a terrible production. and they give it the old college try. They're really giving it their best.

Big swings. Just maybe just kind of miss the mark here and there. But the heart is there. Yeah. And then I'll go, I did it. And here's why. You can see mishandled productions of great shows. Fiddler, West Side Story.

I mean, these are like, these are incredible works of art that, you know, Castle, whatever. For every reason, it just misses the mark. I've been part of many of these. Spires, by the way. But those productions, like, that can happen, but it can only happen when the project itself has become so culturally ubiquitous

that people do it all the time. So you have to cross a certain threshold. I'm sure you've seen productions of spelling where you're like, oh my God, I can't believe other people are doing their version of it. Maybe they know I'm in the audience and they're doing their... I cry every time. Even if it's not good, Listen, I'll find the good in everything.

What is good? Exactly. As do I. It's a person. Yeah. So, I mean, I will find the good and everything. But, like, even if it's, you know, not the most successful production, I'm so incredibly moved by the fact that I'm part of that. I saw you guys at the anniversary. I love that production.

I mean, I love that performance. And I was already emotional on your behalf because I know it was an emotional thing for you. I've already said, while we're going down into more musical theater references, Is that, so I saw Topol do Tevia in his, in his, like, 80s. And he did it, like, Coast of Mesa Playhouse. And at that point, like, obviously a man of his age is too old to be having Tevia. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, you're still like, hell yeah.

I get to see Topal do this role and you're really applauding this man's legacy and his work. And I joke that I'd be happy to be. be like the total to maybe have the ending where I'll be in my mid-90s with like a bionic leg and a holographic eye and unlike Tevia, canonically it will make sense because it'll be like, wow, this helperbot is really outdated. That's right. He's so old. You shouldn't be doing this, but you go, oh, it's sweet that he's still here. That's really funny. And I'd be happy to do that. I'm going to be in and out of the show the rest of my life. I really love being a part of the show. I love doing it.

It just simply does not get old. It knows no time. I love it so much, Jesse. So glad you still are still in love with that. I really am. I can't believe I'm leaving in eight weeks. Forever? No, I mean, I'm probably, in my mind,

I mean, I'm leaving this chapter. Right. But I don't think it's any, like, I'm going to be part of it. Like, you know, if it goes anywhere, you know, universities, whatever. Right. I'm never fully going to ever leave that. It's a huge part of my life, yeah. Oh my god, Darren.

That's a end of a huge chapter. It is. I'm, I'm, uh... Wow. But the show, back to the superlative list, is about that. Yeah. The show is about the transients of beautiful things. So I've, in many ways, I've said goodbye to it every day.

Yeah. Every time I've done it, every time I've said hello to it. So it's like built in to the very programming. Yeah. Of the nostalgia I already have for the show. It's like, It's unbelievable. I just cannot believe that I got to do it.

It's the kind of thing that people used to be like, well, what's your dream thing on Broadway? I used to say, Hedwig. I got to do it. You got to do it, yeah. So check, and like, what's your dream? I don't know. I feel like I can't even imagine.

Like, I don't know what I don't know. This was, is, and will forever be that. It's always beautiful when you're living the thing that you're like, oh, this is my dream. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I know it. That's what it would be.

I know that these are the good old days. I know these are the times I were always cherish. The show kind of talks about this, but I kind of have this duality relationship with great moments at all times, which is like I'm always really happy and grateful. But of course I'm really sad because I know that it's passing. But that forever sort of like negative and positive electrons spinning around every moment, like keeps me here and very happy to be there. And that when it's over, I'm not like bereft.

Oh no, I never blah. I never did. It's like, no, I was fucking there. I was there. I, uh, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I laughed it up. I ate all the scallion pancakes I could, you know? So, yeah, I'm getting Misty talking about it. Aw. It's, yeah, it's, it's, it's been such a great ride.

Yeah. I'm really proud of you. Eight weeks, guys, come, come get a while it's hot. So I was going to tell you this story, this name, don't be story. You have, you already know this. You can do regular name stories, too. No, this one's so good, though. No, I don't have any.

I don't have any. I know, I know, ever, there's a famous person in every single one of my anecdotes. Um, we were at Chrissy Tegan and John, um, Legends, uh, Super Bowl Party. You know where this is going. I think that was going. I walk in. You aren't there yet. Adele's there.

Adele's there. I'm losing my mind. She's like my number one. By herself. She's my number one. Having a panic attack. Justin's like, you have to go say hi to her. I'll.

I will. I will just give me a second. I have to like visit the margarita station first, have a few margaritas. Finally go over. She's... She's... She's... Lovely.

Adele's lovely. She says hello to me first. I... I basically have to break the ice by saying, look, I'm going to be really normal with you, but first, I just have to let you know how much I adore you. And I just think you're so great. And she's...

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's so much. And we move on. We move on. I am still internally. like freaking out, but I'm moving on.

This, by the way, is the best scenario you could be doing this. You didn't run into her in a supermarket. No, it was so, you were in a, this is, it's game on. We were, literally, we're watching a Super Bowl. Yeah. And neither one of us care about the Super Bowl. We're just, like, kind of like sitting there, like, enjoying the social aspect of it all. So I'm, like, getting in with her.

We're talking about real stuff. We're discussing things that are happening. I'm asking her, obviously, about, like, when some music coming out, and she's, like, you know, talking me a little bit about that. I'm having a wonderful moment with her. You walk in. Oh, no. She sees you from across the room.

And she goes, oh, my God. My favorite actor just walked in. Oh, you just told me this. And I was like, oh, I was like, I know him. And I was like, I can introduce you. But there's also a piece of me that was like, I was like, well, like, you didn't say anything about, like, me, like, being on a show that she liked already.

I don't even know she was, knew I was on. I think you won't be compliments. You're supposed to get me compliments. But you were, like, you were her number one. Oh, that's insane. During Gianni Versace, she was like, have you seen him in Gianni Versace? I was like, yes, of course. He's a freaking genius in.

I can't believe I forgot this part of the story. This is the best part of the story. I teed in too much into you and your husband being so excited about it. I forgot the part where I got exalted by the one and only Adele. I had the great pleasure of introducing Adele to her favorite actor, you.

At the time, I'm sure it was fleeting. That's fucking insane. She was so excited. Wow. And Justin and I laughed about that so Oh my god, it was so funny because like all I was I was doing I was tap dance and just like love me love me love me love me love me love me love me love me love me love me love me love me be your favorite person and then you walk in just like oh that's my favorite person She's lovely. You want to me this donut? Of course I do. Of course I do. Thank you. People say don't chase your heroes and I say Track them down actually but track him down not by being creepy do everything within your power

to educate, cultivate, empower, and collect as many things as you can on the quest that can put you in the room with that person where you can be there for the same reason. Yeah, yeah. That's the chase to me. Like, I look at those people that we've gotten to meet, all the people in theater, singers, whatever, that we just love. Like, it didn't happen by accident, man. We didn't, like, fall-ass backwards to do a thing. Yes, we've been fortunate, but it's like, we study this thing.

Like, we did work hard, and there was a lot of legwork, a lot of asinine emails, a lot of things that we had to do to get to a certain thing. Without blowing ourselves too much up, there's a part of me that goes, like, yeah, when I get to meet these people, I get excited, but I'm also very proud that, like, we've beaten enough levels to, like, have gotten to this boss, you know? I know you must have had, speaking of the man who's on your shirt, You must have had interaction with Sondheim. Oh my God.

Oh, my God. Do you have an anecdote that you're, that's your favorite? It's one of the greatest, like the greatest meetings of my life. President Obama. Sorry, now I'm name dropping. President Obama. This is good. Hermit the Frog, Stephen Sondheim.

Yeah. In no particular order. They're all just in the same plane to me. American icons. American icons. Permanent, Obama, and Sondheim. major, major figures of culture. And, yeah, Sondheim and I got to do, Sondheim and I, please.

They did this documentary, HBO. James Lepine did a thing called Six by Sondheim. And it just took six of his songs, had different people perform them in sort of alternative ways. And they used those to weave sort of a mini, It's kind of like a bio on SunRine. Yeah, like a little documentary about it. And one of the six was opening doors primarily.

He was all along. And you did it with America Ferreira. Yes, it was so cool. It was America Ferreira, Jeremy Jordan. And the Rossness. And it was... Another train of rod could overlap for you. Yeah, oh my God.

Exactly. And, well, so it was amazing about this interaction is that I wasn't meeting. sonnheim as a like well I'm screwing up the story Sondheim was in it he was in this thing that we shot

that's right he played as the Jason Alexander he played the producer guyching for it so the power dynamic was that of like actors knock it around set not like I'm in your thing

and you're the creator which he's had to do with a lot of actors in his career it was like crafty donuts talking shit, cracking jokes. So that was the... He was on the call.

He was an actor, yeah. Exactly. And so a lot of the hours of, like, waiting for lights to change was just us shooting the shit. So we've gotten to the point where there's, like, bits and callbacks. Like, I forget what it was,

but, like, one of the most proud moments of my life was, like, I made him laugh. Like, genuinely, a couple times. Maybe he's being polite. He was a very good actor. But, like, you know, the dude is insanely witty.

And something that was really cool because he was in his early 80s at that point. Yeah. I mean, it's one thing to perform for some of time, but you're on a very, very short list of people who actually got to perform with him. Yeah. And that's astonishing.

Wild. Wild. You know what? I do have a memory from that party that I... It does come up right out of man. I remember leaving early. And Mia needed to leave early. For whatever reason.

It's like, yeah, I'm not going to throw her into the bus. We had to go. And I remember going, if I just stayed a little bit longer, I wonder, I remember just kept eyeing the piano. I'm seeing John Legend and I see Adele. Because you know, man, I'm singing along early. It's like, let's go. I was like, I could turn this shit around like so fast.

I can you imagine. Just one of those, game over, game on. I think it would have happened. And there's another universe in an awesome dimension where I stuck around and we did that. Next time we're John and Chrissy's house. Next time we're at John Key's house with Adela. I'm making sure that you are at the piano.

I had to go, but I kept going like, that could have really been, that could have been a moment. I started with you. I just adore you. I do love me. I do love you. Oh my God, a favorite actor just won't. No, I was very excited when we became friends because I knew that we were kindred spirits and, you know, I, we're theater chums, man. You can't imagine you did a show together.

I can't, I don't know what that would be like. That would be fun. Thanks, man. I love you, buddy. This episode of Dinner's On Me was recorded at Winston Bakery in the East Village in Manhattan. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know him from scenes stealing roles in shows like Somebody Somewhere in Pluribus and appearances across comedy favorites like 30 Rock in Broad City. It's Jeff Hiller.

We'll get into the role that made him a breakout fan favorite, how years in the New York comedy scene shaped his career, and why his journey to this moment is anything but typical. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me Plus. As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad free. Just click Try Free at the top of the Dinners On Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinner's On Me is a production of Sony music entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch.

Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Bear engineered this episode. Hans Dale She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasni and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.