Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Side Dish: More with Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

More of my interview with ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Mary Elizabeth tells me all about working on set with Taylor Swift and we get intothe joy of seeing our children develop their own senses of humor. This episode was recorded at The Ceviche Project in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm heading up to Napa, the wine country soon for a little trip. It's me and my in-laws and my kids and some friends, I think, are also joining us. So we actually have a lot of needs. We need a space for a lot of people to stay. We want to be able to cook breakfast in the house. We want to maybe have a few dinners there. We want space for the kids to hang out and play, and we don't want to be too cramps. That's the main thing.

So we're staying at a home. I booked on Airbnb. Every time I stay at one, I'm reminded why I love them so much. It's the thoughtfulness. You walk in and everything's just handled. There are fresh towels that actually match and the heat's already on. And the kitchen has basics you always forgot to pack. And there's a clear note telling you how to work the fireplace so you don't set the place

or yourself on fire. And honestly, I've been thinking about hosting my own home on Airbnb while I'm away on trips, but managing everything seems like a lot to juggle. That's when I turned to Airbnb's co-host network. It's so great. You can partner with a local co-host who can manage everything, messaging guests, styling, making sure check-ins are smooth, all the little touches that make a stay feel effortless. So if you've been thinking about hosting, but all those details feel, you know, overwhelming, a co-host can help you create that, wow, they really thought of everything feeling

without you having to become a full-time innkeeper. Find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. You know those moments where your brain suddenly goes, wait a minute, wait a minute, did I lock the door? Or you're already out to dinner and you think, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, did I turn off the stove? Or worse, you come home and you're like, wait a minute, wait a minute, something just feels off.

Yeah, those are the moments where you're hard. heart drops and suddenly every second counts. That's what ADT understands. Feeling safe at home isn't a luxury. It's foundational. It's the thing that lets you actually relax, be present, and live your life without that low-level worry humming in the background. ADT offers customizable home security systems installed by professionals so you feel protected from the start. They're backed by 24-7 monitoring and the most company-operated monitoring centers in the industry. And their technology helps verify alarms so first responders can be sent faster than with unverified alarms. I also love that with the ADT Plus app, you can check in on your home from virtually anywhere.

Whether you're traveling, working late, or just lying in bed, second-guessing yourself, you can see what's going on and actually rest easy. ADT makes sure your home is your haven, not another thing to worry about. When every second counts, count on ADT. Visit ADT.com to learn more. Hi, it's Jesse. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode with Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Each week we give you a little extra side of fun, interesting, and moving moments that we just couldn't leave on the cutting room floor.

This week's guest was the lovely Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who you know from the Netflix show, a man on the inside where she plays opposite Ted Danson. I had her meet me at the Saviche Project in Silver Lake. The Saviche Project is a total hole in the wall, and I mean that purely by size. You can maybe fit a dozen folks in there. It's also gorgeous and stunning. I feel like I was transported to a little tiny Cevice bar in Condessa or Roma Norte in Mexico City. This was Mary Elizabeth's and my first time coming to the Civece Project,

and Chef Octavio Olivia brought us out the best that they have to offer, from scallops to Kampachi Tostadas. Safe to say we will both be coming back. Okay, let's get to the conversation. Did you start in New York? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I lived in New York for probably like 14 years maybe.

Okay. Did you go to college there? We're going to put college in quotes. Okay. It was a performing arts school. It was a conservatory. I was given a certificate of completion when I finished. And like I was able to fit, it's a two-year program and I went through the summer.

And for some reason, like, I was able to complete the whole thing in like 14 months. Oh. Which doesn't really equate to a two-year program. Like, I feel like I was getting. Yeah, that's fast. Yeah. And it was all like performance like, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And was it in. Class, I was a musical theater. Oh, that's amazing. You went to theater school. I did. I grew up in Mississippi, and then my parents told me I had to stay below the Mason-Dixon line and on the east side of Texas. I wanted help with school. So I went to Southern Methodist in Dallas. That's a good school, though. It was good. They have a good performing arts program there. It was great. And I like, the people that I met, like, my first time to be like, oh, these are my

weirdos. And like, yeah, yeah, well, also being in a sorority there. You were in a sorority. Yeah, because my parents were like, if you want to be with theater weirdos, you also have to be in a See, it's so funny because I feel like growing up, like being in sororities and frat houses were kind of like what the kids wanted to do and the parents were like, oh God. Yeah. But they wanted that. Oh, yes, because they were like very southern, very like SEC. Like, yeah. Do you think it was a way for them to like make sure that they were keeping taps on you?

Like that was a way for you to stay like. I think they wanted me to marry a Nas Christian man who was like an old baron or something. You know what I mean? I was like a, gonna be like a doctor or like a, yeah, yeah. That's really funny. But I just was like, I mean, my people are artists and like, I also love a lot of the women who are my sorority with me. Right.

You know, like, they'd be like, when anyone weird came into rush, they'd be like, and here's Samar Elizabeth. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She has her nose pierced, you know. Right, right, totally, totally. Do you, with this school, I don't know too much about the program, but they have a really good, I know they have a good performing arts program. Yeah. But like they're...

Business school and, like, lawyers and... Got it, got it. Yeah. Do you think were your parents sort of like maybe this would be a backup career in lieu of something else? I think they just were like, it was liberal arts. So, like, they were like absolutely not to a conservatory. Right. Definitely will get, I don't know, cheat your way through an education is what...

What was your degree? A BFA, fine arts, yeah. Which I like to announce on set. Because it means nothing. I have a BFA, yeah, yeah. Because it means nothing. Right, right, right, right. Well, as the one who holds a BFA in the room, I feel like.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Should I turn out? Am I cheating to the audience? So bloody. But you never just wanted to go to New York? Well, so when I graduated, it was kind of like New York or L.A. And then we had this thing called Januaries.

That was like regional theaters came and auditioned us. Oh, wait, did I know about this? January's is called? At our school, it was called January. That was not convenient. Yeah. That they've come for January. I remember like, I remember in New York, and maybe they were January, so I just didn't know it.

But like, we would, there would be like, like, kind of mass auditions where, like, all the regional theaters would come. And you would just, like, do a monologue or two. And then, like, people would pick you for different, like, things. Like, you would be like, are these certain theaters are interested in me for these plays. Yes. And then they might be like, I'm going to do a call back with you. here's like You would decide?

No, no, no, they would call you back and then be like, here, we're doing the Tempest. So that's what I ended up doing in San Maria. Yeah, I played Ariel. I did the Tempest. You did? Who did you play?

I played Trincoe. Oh, amazing. I had to go back and think. Was Trinculo the like handsome prince that came? No. In my mind, yes.

Yes, he was in my mind. Because there was the monster. Caliban. Caliban. Calaban. I was the drunk clown. Oh, amazing. Yeah, which was really fun. Okay, wait, I want to back up.

So the Tempest was, you did the Tempest. Yeah, so I graduated from college, and I was a professional actor. Like, I got cast, I was getting paid. Like, I moved to Santa Maria, California. There's a trade school called their PCPA forming Pacific. I don't know. Anyway, so I was doing theater there and then in Solving. I know Solving.

Yeah. So cute. So they have that little theater. Yes. So I was doing the Tennis there. I love that theater. I've seen. It's pretty great.

And they do musicals. Like they have people driving up from L.A. doing the musicals there. No, I've seen several things. In fact, Sarah Highland, my co-star from modern family, got married up there. And I officiated her wedding. So I like spent like a magical weekend up in that area too. It's so great.

It's really great. Yeah. That's such an interesting place to leave, you know, to go do theater. I mean, like, it's a great theater, obviously, but like I always imagine, you know, the East Coast and like,

yeah, I guess. But it's everywhere. It's like Kentucky rep was a big thing. Right. And then like, Louisville. Louisville, yeah. And then isn't there like a big theater

in like Minnesota, like a big great repertory theater where people go and, yeah. Yeah. So I don't know. I was like, okay, I'm like, how cool to,

and the tent is like not a, you know, that's like, first of all, Shakespeare's difficult. I've done a lot of it. And I'm always like, this is going to be the time where they find out that I've done what I'm doing. Yeah, yeah.

Well, no one does. No one knows. Yeah, it's true. Yeah. And then, you know, the tempest on top of that, having worked on it, is, like, not an easy play. Yeah. You know.

So that's, like, kind of, like, diving into the deep end as far as, like, a professional actor. Wasn't it fun, though? Like, you had your lexicon, and you'd have to, like, look through your lexicon. Yeah, I did that, but also, I've told this story before, but I would carry around secretly the no

Fear Shakespeare edition, which has like the plain English on one side. Thank you so much. The plain English on one side and the Shakespeare on the other and I would just be like at home. I would like love to see. And then I'd bring in like the Arden version to like, you know, rehearsal. It's like. Oh yes. No. This is what this means. Like Shakespeare for dummies. Yeah, basically. Basically. Totally. I mean, you need it. Like I don't know. I didn't know how people spoke then. Now, do you miss doing theater? Do you have, do you still do this? I miss it. I just did a play reading last weekend, like a new play reading, which was cool. Nice. But yeah, I haven't been on stage, like, doing that in a long time. In fact, I was like, maybe I need to do stand-up. I just missed that,

like, I love that, like, what's this audience into, and, like, are they into the, okay, like, they're not this kind of an audience, so I won't lean into those jokes tonight. Like, how can I find what this audience? Have you ever done stand-up? I've done storytelling. Okay, yeah, me too. Yeah, but not, like, a hour. I mean, I know. I know. Yeah. Or even like a tight 10. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, we talk about working with Fred Savage on her legal TV show The Grindr and me with him on Modern Family. And we talk about the joy of seeing our children develop their own sense of humor.

We're both so proud of our kids' sense of humor. Okay, be right back. Reggie, I just sold my car online. Let's go, grandpa. Wait, you did? Yep, on Carvana. Just put in the license plate, answered a few questions, got an offer in minutes. Easier than setting up that new digital picture frame.

You don't say? Yeah, they're even picking it up tomorrow. Talk about fast. Wow, way to go. So about that picture frame? Forget about it. Until Carvana makes one, I'm not interested. Car selling made easy.

On Carvana. Pick up these may apply. Adobe Acrobat Studio, your new foundation. Use PDF spaces to generate it. presentation grab your docs your permits your moves

AI levels of your pitch gets it in a groove choose a template with your timeless cool come on now let's flex those two

drive design deliver make it sing AI builds the deck so you can build that thing do that do that do that with acrobat learn more at

Adobe.com slash do that with acrobat And we're back with more dinners on me well you started you also did UCB Yes. Okay. And that's here in L.A. I did it here.

But they have one in the West, on the East Coast as well, I think. Yes, there's one in New York, and I did, like, I had a show here that I took to New York. Okay. Yeah. And we got to turn that show into an adult swim movie. Oh, nice. Which, it was like a spoof of lifetime. Incredible. So, like, eating disorders and abuse and, like, all the lifetime things.

All the fun things. It was very delightful, yeah. Did you go to UCB with people that are, like, working today? that you... Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean, I did my show with Artemis Padani, who... Yeah. She worked at least on...

I was like, it's so crazy that I never did a modern family. I know. I feel like it was like the law and order of, like, you guys got every comedy acting. Yeah, when I was researching your little bit, I was like, well, surely, because I know, I know your face so well, and I was like, well, I probably... She probably did a modern family at some point. Like, I just, I know I didn't work with you specifically, but I can't believe it didn't happen. I know.

Funny. definitely, I think we were doing the grinder during that time. Yes, with Fred Savage, who was one of our directors. Yes, I've heard stories. Yes, yes, yes. That's right, which I actually kind of loved. Yeah. Yeah.

It was very good. Yeah. Only one season, but like 20 episodes, so four seasons of a now show. Right, exactly. I know. It's crazy. What it is. It was also weird having, you know, because Fred Savage is someone that I grew up

loving from the Princess Bride. Yeah. And of course, the Wonder Years. And so when he came on, it's our director, like, it was so, first of all, I felt like, I've always felt older than him. I don't know why. Sure. I think we're about the same age.

But I guess it's because as an adult, like, I still watch the Wonder Years and I still watch, like, especially Princess Bride. Yeah. Like, I've all shown, like, scenes of that to my kids. Yes. So I see Fred Savage is like this kid. And so he would come on to direct the episode. I'd be like, I can't take this kid seriously.

And he was very serious about like, yeah. Oh, absolutely. He was very prepared. He was a great director. But I remember when he was doing The Grindr, and it was interesting because he was, we still sort of had him on set sometimes, but it was like he also had this other job that he was starring in this series. And I was, I don't know.

I had such an interesting working relationship with him. I remember one day, like, he was, I think he was, like, really stressed out. I was trying to, like, lighten the mood on set. And I called him Kevin, which is his character's name on Wonder Years. To, like, light the mood, I think he didn't like it. Oh, yeah, he was, like, not having it. He was, like, Jesse, not now. Yeah.

Yeah, and you're like, sorry, swing in a miss. Swing in a miss. Totally. Yeah. I was like, come on, Kevin. Let's pull the shot together. He's like, ah, not today. Yeah.

But yeah, yeah, totally. You guys were doing like 20 episodes, right? Yeah, like 24, I think. That's so much work. It was a lot, yeah. But I do also kind of miss the times when they'd be like, you get a job and it'd be like, okay, well, this is my year. Right.

I have a full year of work now. Right. Where, like, a man on the inside, we shoot like three months. Sunny, we shoot two and a half months, you know? Has always sitting in Philadelphia been something that has been consistent? I can't fully keep track of the time. Yeah, yeah.

I know it's been on and off, not on and off, it's never been off, but like you don't have a traditional shooting schedule, right? We don't. And because everybody also, even more now,

has like a lot of other stuff going on, it's kind of like we, when can we work with, like, Caitlin's schedule because she's shooting, her new show for ABC, and, like, Rob had Mythic Quest for a while that he was working on,

and a lot of the writers who write on Sunny also wrote on that show. And so it was always kind of figuring out, like, when people could work because of their schedules. Right. I don't know if this will be the last year, I think. I feel like every year they're saying, is it going to be the last, and then it comes back? I know.

It's like Grace Anatomy. I know. And, like, all of my children. Yes. It's so hard, though. I think it's really hard just writing it. Like for like coming up with new ideas and I don't write it, but it seems Charlie does. So, you know, to your question earlier, like I can't imagine not having a partner that I could talk to about like creative things.

Yeah. You know? And maybe you can too because your partner learns to speak that language. Yeah, he does. For sure. And sometimes, especially when Charlie was shooting his movie, Full's Paradise, it was also happening during lockdown. So we were spending all of our time together only together. And we would wake up in the morning and he'd be like,

in scene 24 and I'd be like, man, I gotta like, let me pee and brush my teeth before this starts, you know? Yeah. Sometimes it is like I also have creative stuff going on and I need like a little. And I feel like I'm sure he feels like that with me too. Yeah. We love to run everything past each other. Right. Because making him laugh is my favorite thing.

Yeah. And then also, when our son really hits us. I don't know if your kids have gotten quite to this point yet, but when they start hitting you with your sense of humor because you put it in them. Ugh. My three-year-old, like his sense of timing is insane.

Oh, that's amazing. He's so funny and just like, how did this, like, how, already? How is he already so funny? And our older son's not, you know, he's not wired that way. Like, he's humorous and, like, really insightful, But, like, my three-year-old's, like, he's like a comedian.

Oh, that's amazing. And it's really astonishing. Yeah. It must be, I mean, we obviously only have one child, but it must be so incredible to have two different humans. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It's wild because also, you know, genetically one is connected, like, Beckett's genetically connected to Justin and Sally's genetically connected to me. Wow. They share an egg donor, though. It's like there's genetic connection between them there. Wow. And so we see ourselves in them in very different ways. It's wild. Yeah.

Seeing, you know, pieces of me in Beckett who has like no DNA connection to me. Yeah. It's really wild. I bet because you're like, yeah, is it, yeah, what, like being born that way or being raised that way? Yeah. Nurture versus nature. do you find yourself just losing oh all the time I'm like there's a very well-known thing for this but um

and then I'm like I need to take that vitamin oh god what's in a little bit again just like ginkaloba it's a ginkaloba yes you're like whatever we're in a partnership we remember half this stuff I remember half this stuff we'll figure our way through I'm trying to memorize a play right now and it's uh Truman Capote and it's a monologue oh amazing

It's just, it's basically a 40-page monologue. And I'm about almost halfway through of learning the play. And I'm trying to learn it before I saw rehearsal. And I, anytime I can't, I can't remember anything in Justin gets frustrated with me. It's like, you try and memorize 40 pages of a monologue and get back to me and tell me how much you're retaining about everything else. I think you should just start monologuing at him. Truly. Yeah.

What can you do this? Yeah. That's so exciting. Where are you doing that show? In New York. Amazing. Will you all go? Do you guys all get to go together? It'll be partly over the kid's spring break. So yeah, they'll come up for that. But it's tricky now that they're in school. Yeah. It gets trickier as they get older. Yeah, we started hitting a point where we can and be like, whatever, he'll just miss a day.

It's like second grade. You know what I mean? Yeah, we're also doing that a little bit too. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, we talk about making the pivot from acting to. directing, and Mary tells me all about working on set with Taylor Swift. Okay, be right back. At MedCan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds.

That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today, and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish. Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan, live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. And we're back with more dinners on me.

You're saying that you were like writing a bit. Yeah. And you direct as well, right? I just directed, I just wrote and directed a short film. How did that go? It was really fun. Have you directed? No, I'm supposed to, I have a feature that I meant to direct.

Amazing. And we're trying to put it together right now. And we're just, you know, waiting for casting, to sort of come together. I mean, I'm really a lot. I did a short film first. Not that they're like easier, cheap to do because I would be like,

try to short film before if you can just because I didn't know the language. I don't know how to speak to like a DP or like how do you get art department on the same page as you? And like, how do you speak to a composer and say like, I want this, but like more of this and like, you know, it's so exciting.

I'm really excited about it. Yeah, you're going to be great. Because you're, you will. You're such a good, like, you're present and you're, like, a good listener. And I think, um, celebratory of other people's talents. And I think that's, it's just putting people who know what they're doing in places where you don't know what you're doing, you know? No, I'm good friends with Liz Banks, but she was directing Cocaine Bear.

I was, you know, observing her and watching her. I was like, how, like, you're, I've known it for so long. And I'm not surprised that she's such a competent director. But I was just like, I was just, like, proud of her. Like, you're doing such an incredible job. Like, I mean, do you ever get nervous about, like, this new role you're sort of stepping into? And, granted at this point had been, like, this is like her third film that she directed.

Yeah. And she's like, no, I just, I know that I can't do everything. And, like, either are people who are here that are hired to do their thing really well. And I cannot worry about them. I don't need to know about all the lighting. And I don't need to know about all these other things. Like, I can just do my thing and trust that people are going to do their thing well. Yeah.

I mean, it's nothing I didn't already know, but like just tearing it sort of like articulate it that way. It was like, oh yeah, it's like we, it is a collaboration. Yes. So yeah, I'm excited about it. And holding the tone, I think, is. That's right. As an actor, you know, too, like, I'll do it however you tell me to because, but. Please don't make me look stupid.

Like, hold my tone the same as like everyone else's tone. Or it ends up becoming like showgirls, which is like, now a modern masterpiece. Yeah, that's true. But it had the same tone. Like, everyone was going for the craziness.

Uh, there's no way when they were doing that. And I've talked a little bit to the comic talk about when it was on this episode. Yeah. I guess in the podcast. I was like, were there moments when, like you were being directed.

You're like, um, ah! And he's like, no, I'll just like trusted that it was like, you know, this is what we're doing.

Yeah. Yeah. And then did you say when you saw it, were you like, what? It was a whole whole, you know? He sort of famously backed away from like doing press from the movie.

And like Elizabeth Berkley was the only one laughed. He was like, I guess I'm the only one doing press for this. Yes. Yeah. It really is like such a classic. I think I referenced it yesterday of like shoving someone down the stairs. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So amazing.

Love it so much. Yeah. We show something in common. I didn't know this about you. I found, is it some random facts on some website. But I was barely in this. It's got to be true. Probably not.

We've both been in Taylor Swift videos. Oh, amazing. I was barely, I'm in, I'm a true camp, though, of one. I was in the You Need to Calm Down video. Okay. Which she, it's like all gay icons, truly. Love it. It's like the queer eye for the straight guy, Cass, and Ellen DeGeneres.

And, well, Katie Perry, because she's not gay, She's a gay icon. Yeah, so it's in me and my husband. Oh, amazing. We get married in the video. And it's very brief. I mean, it's like, Link, and you miss it. But we did.

Did she direct that one? She did not. Okay, okay. She did, yeah. So was she around when you guys were shooting? She would have been if we had been able to do it on the day that they wanted us to do it, but we couldn't. And so we had to do it with a green screen.

Oh. But we do know her a little bit. And she's lovely. I would love to be directed by her. I think she's so smart. So smart. Talk to me about her as a director. Just totally knows what she wants, so confident. And it's her song and it's her idea.

And so she kind of doesn't have to answer to anyone else. And had a great DP. And then there was a lot of like fighting happening. But yeah, also getting to work with. What do you mean fighting? There was like fighting. In the scene. People doing stunts, yeah.

Got it. I was like, oh, there's some tea. Tell me about that. Well, it was me and her. I had a different idea. And I just kept saying out loud to myself while looking at her. I'm not the director.

So. So that was a little side dish from my conversation with Mary Elizabeth Ellis. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure you'd check it out on Dinner's on Me. Next week on Dinner's on Me, you know him from The Bachelor, from Coming Out Colton.

He's a best-selling author. He's a podcast host. And he's on the new season of The Traders. It's Colton Underwood. 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.

This is not a drill. For the first time in Lipstick on the Rim history, a real housewife has entered the studio. And not just any housewife, Rachel Zoh, the fashion legend herself. Did we expect styling stories, glam, chaos, stories from the past decade and a full cat eye at all times? Yes.

Did we expect her to open up about divorce, rediscovering herself, joining housewives as a zero prep, And what it feels like to finally feel like her again? No. It is vulnerable, iconic, hilarious, and one of our favorite conversations ever. The Real Housewives have officially entered the chat. Listen now.