Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Side Dish: More Jeff Hiller

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

More of my interview with ‘Somebody Somewhere’ Emmy winner Jeff Hiller. Jeff and I share favorite audition stories, the surprising way Jeff got their equity card (involves a themed restaurant) and the backstory of iconic playwright Tony Kushner officiating my wedding. This episode was recorded at Betty on the Lower East Side, NYC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring break planning at our house is, it's definitely an adventure. Our kids have very strong opinions, and they're always on different sides of the spectrum. Beckett has very strong opinions about the ocean. It has to be a certain temperature, and the wind has to be blowing a certain way if he's going to get anywhere near it. He doesn't want sand on his feet. Sully, on the other hand, he will roll around in the sand and doesn't care about the water temperature, and he could be just sitting amongst seagulls and he's happy. Justin and I, we just want air conditioning and Wi-Fi, honestly.

Juggling all the details of a trip can be very stressful. And while I'm thinking about our plans, I also start thinking about our house while we're away. And it hits me. Maybe we could list our place on Airbnb while we're gone. It always sounds great, but I don't know if I can manage all the details myself. That's where Airbnb's co-host network comes in. You can hire a vetted local co-host to handle all the behind-the-scenes details. managing reservations,

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is big news. Choose news, not noise. CBC News. Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners on Me. This week's guest is an old friend of mine. I mean that in years, not an age. It's Jeff Hiller. Jeff Hiller and I have known each other for a few decades now. You know him from his Emmy Award-winning role in HBO's Somebody Somewhere,

or his scene-stealing guest spots in Pluribus and Ellsbeth. He's also in the upcoming Apple TV Plus series, Widows Bay. We met up at Betty on Manhattan's Lower East Side near Jeff's apartment. Over omelets and baked eggs, we share early audition stories, and we hear about Jeff's day job before fame. To get back into the conversation, you're pulling up a chair just as I tell Jeff about a Target commercial I audition for back in the day. I remember auditioning for a Target commercial once, and they made us wear red shirts to the audition. I was like, like, they couldn't imagine.

Like they need to see what your skin tone Look next to the color red Because that's this color shirt Well that might be true for you I mean for me That's probably why I didn't get this one Not my color Like a candy apple red

Not for me Maroon, yes Yes Deepen it a little bit Uh huh Would have been an orange Oh god no That bad yeah

No I don't think I've ever attempted Orange Purple is one is actually a good color for me I don't know why I'm talking about this But the Hunter Green Hunter Green I'm golden and Hunter Green Julianne Moore wore that

Hunter Green gown to gasped. I gasped. I gasped. I mean, put a red hat and green. Listen. I don't know Julian Moore at all. Sorry to me. Julie, when Julie Moore Oh, my sweet friend Julie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember so this Target commercial

I was in a red shirt and like they just had us like walking toward the camera like doing something. I don't know if I was bouncing a ball or what I. And I remember the cast and director saying to me, just act normal. Like they were mad at me because I was doing too much in this moment. And you're like, I hope I book it.

But I remember being like, oh my God, this is humiliating. I'm not even doing anything. I know. Or do you ever have to go to the one where you just step forward and smile? Smile. Yeah. Yeah. And then you don't get it. And like, what did I do wrong?

I did one for that. I remember they were like, this will be shooting in Argentina. You will be there for a week. you need to tell. The slate was like, tell us your name, your height, your, if you have your passport, have you ever been out of the country before? Have you had certain vaccinations, all this stuff? And then the audition was just, the slate was like three times as long as the audition.

Oh my God. And you waited probably like a half hour to go in and do that. Yeah. I know. Oh, my God. I mean, there is a piece of being. But also, I made a living from commercials. So I'm so grateful.

for them. Yeah. I mean, for a long time, I did as well, yeah. Yeah. Our good friend Colin Hamlin,

I'm sure he told us about this thing for the Apple. He's on the iPhone. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Commercial. And they wouldn't tell him

what it was that he was, you know, selling. It was just a top secret. And it was all about, like, just pushing a phone across the table. Right.

And he was convinced. I bet it's a phone. Yeah, well, no, he was like, I think it's for like, pledge cleaner. Like,

he was like, thinking about like, it must be fun of, for like wood cleaner. Famously secret pledge. Yeah, I know. I was like, yeah, Colin really? I probably could have guessed that it was.

Yeah, it's probably like big cleaner. Yeah, yeah, but it wasn't like an Apple phone that he was or wasn't like an iPhone that he was using because like it was top secret. Oh, right. I remember I was doing a movie with someone and like that they had a, sometimes in scripts they have like placeholders for names, but you probably have, you know, you're a writer as well. I'm sure you've done the same thing. Wait, wait, wait, was it you that told me this story?

If it sounds familiar, you're like, this is my story, you can just saw me. But someone was like, there was a placeholder for, like, I think it was like chubby waitress or something. And it just never changed. It never changed. It never, like, found, like, another way to, they just kept forgetting. Like, we have, like, renamed this character. Either with a name or another, like, descriptor. Shubby waitress, shabby waitress.

her weight was an important part of the character, I guess. Right, right, right. They were just being mean. It was integral to the character. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Integral. And it basically got all the way to the point of, like, shooting the show and, like, the production assistant,

like, putting a piece of masking tape that said chubby waitress on, like, the door of, like, the, like, we never changed the name. How do we get this far? It's like, now it's, like, the call sheet's going out, and it's chubby waitress. It's like, how do we forget? I was on a show once where it just said,

lesbian on a, was it for you? No, I was like, butted. Sorry. Booked it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My God, it's so funny. I also love...

Ruth Buzzy talks about that. Does she? She talks about, like, how Marlowe Thomas one time was, like, livid that in that girl, there was a character named Ugly Girl. Uh-huh. And she was like, how dare you? You better give her a different character name.

And Ruth Buzzy goes, Don't, this is how I work. They write ugly girls. I play them. Yeah, I get to do them. I win. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know.

I might fall more on the Marlow Thomas side of that. Do you? Maybe. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jeff tells me about working at a themed restaurant called Jekyll and Hyde in New York City. Okay, be right back. If you're a small business, the right hire can be make or break.

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Feel the arrow bubbles melt. It's mind bubbling. And we're back with more dinners on me. You know, you talking about your book, you were talking about survival jobs, which I didn't know that you worked at Jekyllen Hydes, which for me is that's how you got your equity card right I love that so much because I

I never went to the one uptown but I did go to the pub that was down in the village and I was always fascinated by just a themed restaurant in Manhattan first of all it was like a haunted house

restaurant Jekyllin Hides and the food was from what I remember not growing You don't go for the culinary scene. No, no, no. It was like waffle fries and like little hockey put burgers.

Yes, yes, yes. And, but I was fascinated by the actors working there. And, you know, that duality of being a waiter. The same with Ellen Stardust Diner up in Midtown. Oh, God, totally. Which is still around, right? That's still around. I mean.

And they have like a line around the block of people trying to go in. But people who have to juggle, like, serving you food, while also performing another task of being a character or a singer at, I mean, for me, that's like quintessential

New York survival job and I feel like I've had a lot of quintessential New York survivor jobs but that, like, talks all. I mean, truly. Well, I'm not. But I also love that you got

your union card that way. I mean, it was a loophole I remember where like a lot of people like if you need your equity card. And then I would, and then I, so then I started going, all these EPAs.

Right. And then it was like, these don't do anything. You're never going to get them. But also on your, on your, your, resume, did you have to specify? I mean, I guess you could

I just did this way. You didn't put it in, you didn't put Jack on High School. I just put, I put him. Great, great, right. You don't need to know how or why. Exactly. I got my sag card doing a voice,

like a singing voice of a double-knit gum commercial. that Brad, um, Brad, Jill Abramowitz's husband, Brad. Oh, I don't know who this is. What are you talking about?

He writes jingles and he was like, hey, you want to come in? I think you'll probably get your sad card from it. That's how you got your sad card. Yeah. My God, you found so many creative ways to get in the back door.

I love it. I love it. Yeah. Desperate. Yeah, it's great. How did you get your equity card? Like, Shakespeare in the park.

Yeah, on the town, yeah. The Deliquet Theater. I know, it was crazy. It was crazy. That is crazy. I got my Saga card doing a Desani water commercial. Oh, really? Mm-hmm.

Desani. Desani. It was like one of their first commercials. But yeah, I got my equity card doing theater at the Delacourt, which you've performed at. I have, yes, yes. You know, 12 years. years after I started trying to get my equity card.

Right, right, right. Now, I've done two Shakespeare productions, and then I did Midsummer I played. Yes, the same part that I did. Yes. I heard you were incredible. I missed that production. You were not in New York. That's the thing about the park shows.

They happen so fast. I know, it's true. But yes, I mean, I heard you were absolutely hilarious. Oh, Jay Sanders was your bottom. Jay Sanders was bottom, yeah. Danny Burstein. Yeah, I mean, come on. What a fun part.

I know. And Felicia Rashad was to Tanya. And during tech, she fell asleep on the bed. Because, you know, we were taking so long. Yeah. And then, then later, the same bed she had fallen asleep on, there was a raccoon that climbed up on and died. No. Yeah. Have you been to the new, have you seen the redeveloped one? I haven't seen it yet. I did Shakespeare Park last summer. I was the first show back. How was it? Is it nice? Incredible. I think for like an audience member, you wouldn't necessarily. necessarily notice. There's more... But it's the dress room. The dressing rooms are so much nicer, yeah.

Oh, wow. Yeah, no, it's great. I remember there was a payphone in it in 2017. Yeah. Wow, this is old. Yeah, the payphone's gone. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's much better for the actors back there.

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, I tell Jeff about the hilarious way my mom interacted with my wedding officiant, the legendary playwright Tony Kushner on my wedding day. Okay, be right back. Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa, whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette

with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk. Habaniero? More like habanier, yes. Save the Everyday with Amazon. And we're back with more dinners on me. My parents were both at my wedding, and they were at the time no longer together.

And Justin and I, and Justin's parents are also very supportive and great. We didn't know how to, like, structure the ceremony, really, and, like, how, like, who walks down the aisle first and, like, all this stuff. Right. So, yeah, all the traditions are. that you're like it's kind of like the rules are broken already like everything's up to you so we did this thing where we both we had two different aisles and Justin's parents walked him up one aisle and my parents walked me up the other aisle and we all met at the at the at the at the at the top the altar or whatever and so like there was like no like you know one person than the other and it was lovely

because all you know we had four parents up there with us giving away their their their their kid. And, um, but right before, you know, because my parents, like I said, were divorced at this point. And, um, they didn't, they don't interact a lot. They sort of come together for big moments in their children's lives. Right. And so it was like just me and my mom and my dad and Tony Krishna, who was our officiant.

And it was just the four of us sort of like behind this door waiting to go in. And like watching my mom and dad, like, make small talk. Oh, God. With Tony Kushner there. And then I was sort of like trying to stay in this zone of just like, oh my God. The world on my expense forward. But yeah, exactly.

I was like, my hero's here who's about to marry us. My parents are here who have their own journey with this thing. Like this is a lot of things happening emotionally. And so I'm just sort of like trying to stay calm and centered. And my mom says to me, I know she met in the best way. She's like, you're getting into character, Jess? Like, she was probably like, I don't know what to say to this person right now.

Like, I know he's used to performing, getting into character. Are you getting into character? I was like, oh, yeah, Mom, I'm trying to get into character. God bless her. But it was, uh... Would you try to, please? Yeah. You'd be mother of the group, okay?

Pull it together. But I think Todi was just like, I was actually really happy to have him. They were kind of observing the awkwardness of all of this. How do you know, Tony Kushner? I met him through George Wolfe, who directed Angels America, and George Wolfe directed On the town, which was the show I got my equity card doing. And he was the AD of the public at the time? Yes. George was the artistic director of the public.

And so one Thanksgiving, pretty shortly after on the town had ended, George had a Thanksgiving dinner at his house, and so just invited all the people who didn't have anywhere to go to his home. And I was, I mean, I had zero. dollars to my name and I went to this gorgeous brownstone off of Irving and like was amongst the most illustrious people I mean George's circle was like so fancy and so shiny and full of celebrity and like people who were at the top of their game Tony Christian being one of them and I remember sitting either across or next to Tony Krishna and just he was so lovely and just you know inquisitive and

ever since then. Was he with Marcarus at the time? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mark Harris was there too. Yeah. Mark was there too. And we've just... Mind crush on Mark Harris. He is so great. Did you read his biography about Mike Nichols? Oh, so good. Oh yeah. You love a biography. I do. But he was just really lovely and the captain, like, then I'd see him out at like, you know, theater and he would always remember me and I would, I have with no one. There was no need for him to, to commit me to memory. Right. But he was always very supportive of my career. And then, like, once asked me to do a reading of one of his plays.

Wow. And then when we were getting married, Justin and I were like, well, who should we have officiate? And I said, well, my dream, and we'll never get him. But he's at the top of the list is Tony Kushner. And Justin really doesn't have too much a relationship with him other than having seen angels in America. But he's like, yeah, that's someone that means a lot to you. Like, let's ask. And he said yes.

And he got ordained for us. Wow. Yeah. You were the first one he did. Yes. And I think he's since married other people. It's a nice little sad. I know so.

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Have you ever married anybody? I have. I married Sarah Highland, who is Haley on Montefamily and her husband Wells, only because Ty Borel dropped out. He had a family emergency, and she called me like two weeks before the wedding. Oh, wow.

And she's like, can you step in? And I was already going to the wedding. Right. And so I was like, I couldn't really say no. Like, I had something else to do that day. Like, I was like, fuck, she really cornered me. And, um... Because you have to do a sermon, too?

Like, oh, wow. And so I had to write basically a whole, you know, run of show. And I called Ty Borell and I was like, tell me what you've written so far, because I got to fast track this thing. He's like, I only have ideas. And so he, like, regurgitated some of his ideas that he had. I was like, great, I'll use that. I won't use that. I'll use this.

and I put something together, and it went great. I mean, it was really sweet, and I felt so honored that she asked me. Oh, my God, of course. Have you ever married someone? No. No. I did get asked once. And you said no.

Well, it was like, they wanted to fly me to a faraway place, and I was honored. They were people I did not know. Really? It was after somebody somewhere started. Wait, is there fans of the show? Yeah, and in season two I marry somebody at the end, and so they wanted me to come, but it was like while I was shooting season three. Oh my God. Yeah.

That's bold to just like go after a complete stranger. Where did they want to fly you? Somewhere tropical. I can't remember now. I probably would have done it for the free trip if I could. Right, right, right. Maybe not, because it is weird to be like, you don't know these people at all. No.

I mean, even Tony, like, I knew him a little bit, but not super well. Right. He sat down with us and he was like, I mean, we need to get to know one another a little bit better before I dive into writing a ceremony about you. But, man, if you're going to have somebody write a ceremony about you. I mean, I submitted it to the Pulitzer Prize, prize, but it didn't win. My ceremony. It was nominated. It was shortlisted.

Shortlisted, yeah. Do you think, God, like, so you've got your equity card. So you were just like a kid. You went in for like an audition. You already had an agent. I had, I had an agent and a manager. No, I just had a manager who told me he only signed me because I had red hair. He really told me that.

His name was William Schillen. He did that thing like that, that, the character in Lost and Yonkers, the aunt would do where they would talk about it. He would have to take a deep friend that he'd keep talking. So he would have this really weird way of talking where he'd just like all of a sudden be like inhaling but continuing to talk. And he was like, so I only accepted you. And you have bread there. And he would submit me for these like just really random regional theater jobs.

And a lot of them were like dance roles. Oh, right. And I was like, I can't dance. Like West Side Story is like, I'm not going to be a West Side Story ever. And then he submitted. to me for On the Town. And I was like, I told it on the town, I knew it to be a big dance show.

I was like, I'm not a dancer. Well, especially those sailors. And I was one of the three sailors. And I know. And so... You're the one that gets driven around in the cab, right? In the cab, yeah. Driven around the cab, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The Leatheria, the cab driver. But, yeah, I went in, and I think George Wolfe was like just more interested in finding people who he responded to you. Did he say, I only cast you because you're, Red hair.

Yeah. Maybe. I do remember Betty Combe and Adolf Green were still around and they were part of the casting process. Wow. I audition for them. And I remember thinking, if I don't get this, like, I've auditioned for the people who wrote singing in the rain. Right. Like, that's enough.

Right. Right. How amazing. Yeah. That was a really incredible moment. Yeah. But, yeah, I got it. And that was such a huge opportunity.

But, like, again, like, no credits on my resume. You know, I really felt like I was. faking it. I mean, but it happened... And then how many times have you done a show at the Delacorte since then? I think seven. Oh, I was gonna say it was 17. No, no, no, no. I feel like you're always in them. I am. I gotta take a break.

No, why? Are you kidding? There was a 10-year gap though where I didn't do anything there and like they kind of forgot about me. But then since I've been pretty regular there yeah. But I do need to take a break. Why? I don't know. It's like I've done

all of them now. What's left? Have you done more than once? No, I haven't. I haven't. But I would like to do Midsummer Night's Dream and play Bottom. Oh, come on. Yeah. That's a no-brainer.

I mean, yeah. I think so. Yeah. And you could play Zisbee. No, you could play Titania. You've already done Disney's being. Tatania sleeping. I think I'd be great.

I think you'd be great. I think you'd be great. That was a little more from my conversation with Jeff Hiller. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinner's On Me. This episode of Dinner's On Me was recorded at Betty on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know her from Broadway shows like Wicked and Waitress and Hell's Kitchen. It's Shoshana Bean. We'll dive into the powerhouse performances that made her a fan favorite,

how her journey from theater to solo artist shaped her signature sound, and why she's very excited for her latest project, The Lost Boys, on Broadway. 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 Kalasney and Justin McKita.

I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week. Hey there, legal team. Welcome to the Bravo Docket. We're Sessie and Angela, two attorneys with a serious passion for pop culture and all things reality TV. We use our legal know-how to break down the most sensational lawsuits and legal battles in the world of reality television. Just remember, we're lawyers, but we're not your lawyers. Follow along on Instagram at the Bravo Docket and shoot us an email at the Bravo Docket at gmail.com.

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