Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - Ego Nwodim

Episode Date: November 6, 2024

A look behind the curtain with Ego Nwodim. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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And she is a lovely young lady on SNL, I think six years in, really great chat with her. And we, this is the deepest dive we've done on one sketch. We, Lisa from Temecula, which was a sketch that was renamed, which I thought was very interesting. That they, you know, you name a sketch. It's like, it reminds me of the Pina Colada song, Dana. It was called, it was called Escape, but everyone

said, Hey, I like the Pina Colada song. So they changed the name. So this was a, she's so articulate and fun and a self-starter and just had a lot of really interesting things to say about SNL and about being there and what it's like. Yeah, this was the most, she takes you on a ride that we've done before with other guests, but there's these emotional tipping points. And she talks about just how the whole arc of being on Saturday Night Live as a cast member is just, it can be topsy turvy.

The sketch is cut or it's in, or the host dropped out or whatever it is. And she really is very honest. She's very, very talkative. And we do orientate the episode like David, right? David said, uh, Lisa from Temecula, a character she played in a restaurant scene with Pedro Pascal, I think, and did a steak night and it was physical. It was funny.

And she said it just reorientated the way, uh, the writers and would look at her. And, and really the, she killed so hard, hit every beat perfect, just one of those classic sketches. It's like having, it's honestly like having a hit movie come out and then you're like a good actor and then someone has a hit movie and then now they're getting the good scripts. It's just the way showbiz is.

So she does a sketch that blows up, gets on, it goes a little bit viral. And then suddenly they're like the good scripts. It's just the way showbiz is. So she does a sketch that blows up, gets on, it goes a little bit viral, and then suddenly they're like, you know what, she'd be good in this. And that just, it really like woke her up and gave her new energy for being on a show that's just a tough beating sometimes. Yeah, and because there's a larger cast,

even if you've been on six years, there still is this dance with the audience where they discover you and they see you in something, oh, they like that. And then maybe you're not in things that give you that platform. And then I like that and I like that. And I think that-

You're showing a different angle that you have. Yeah. And you're like, oh, she can play that also. Oh, let's make her play that, you know. Yeah, and then it builds on itself. And then the best place you can get to is where the audience just sort of is already ready to laugh. You know? Yeah, halfway there.

Like with Keenan Thompson, they're just ready to laugh with Keenan. He hits every line. But I think that she's still, you know, I just say, I think she's kind of popping. I'm just, you know, there's a subtlety of confidence where you're like, say you're 70% confident or 80% and if you can get to 90, 95, it's a whole other thing, the audience senses it, then everybody's having fun. And that's where she's at. And so, and she's really an affectionate person.

She hugs everybody. She's very sweet. Yep. She looks like a lot of fun. And I know you're doing the show with her now, which is great to be around everybody that's been on the show. So here she is. There you go. ["Dana's Theme Song"] Wow.

Hi. I know you know Dana. I do know Dana. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We know. Oh, yeah, we know each other. We know each other.

Yeah. We get each other. Yeah. We get each other. I always get my hug when we do those fake good nights. Yes. I give real hugs that fake good nights and it throws. Yeah. The hugs are real, but the first one's fake and we have to act like we're crying. Yes. Oh, that's true. I'm disrespectful.

I thought about this the other day. I think it's rude maybe that I wear my, as we call them behind the scenes, comfy's for dress rehearsal. Good night's. I don't even attempt to make the audience feel like they are at the real show. I've gone out there with a bald cap. I think I've yeah, I think I've gone out there as Biden. I don't know. I mean, it's just practice. They're a bald cap. I think I've, yeah, I think I've gone out there as Biden. I don't know.

I mean, it's just practice. They're a practice audience. We're practicing. Look, if you can't get the main ticket at 11.30, we can't help you. Listen, I count the good nights as a sketch. I used to. Really?

You give good nights. He's skilled. I said I was in a couple of things. It was an update. I was in good nights. Give us your good night wave to the crowd, David. Let's see it. Let's see it.

I go like this. I'd never go to the front because we'd make fun of each other for trying to be too thirsty. Okay. And then if you hug the host first, they'd make fun of you. Or we would make fun of each other.

So I go, Farley, get up there. You know you're going to hug him in five seconds. Uh-huh. I said at least wait until he gets all the lines out. Like, goodnight everyone, thanks to Foo Fighters, and then grab her. And then we would go as far back as we could. Wait, were people jumping the gun at times

trying to hug the host before they said all their thank you? I mean, other than Chris, I don't know. It was funny,, you know, they liked certain cast members, but there was certain ones you knew, you might know in your head without saying, some sort of worm up to that front row to get on camera. You know.

I always don't like it. But what's your tactic? Say the names. I'm gonna drop names. I'm gonna be dropping T. This is gonna be kind of the club shay-shay Cat Williams interview style. Burn it all down and

Burn it all down. I'll hear of the truth. How would Cat Williams say that? Let me think about this. I know it's hard to, you have to get warmed up. You do have to, do you see me put my hands on my legs and go, okay, hold on, let me find it, let me find it. I haven't listened to him in some time.

Now! David, David, David Spade and Dana Covey. I'm trying to tell you something in there. Something. Yeah, it's kind of nasally. Yeah, it's yeah, it's very cool. So they don't tell you. I told them when I golfed with them, I've only met them once we golfed and I go last time they made us they made me play from the pro T's he goes, your David Spade, they don't tell you to do nothing. You tell them. That's kind of something that's something he's got a very unique. It's very good. It's a beautiful voice. Beautiful voice. Hard to. His first special that I saw, I put it up there with anything I've ever seen in my life. He's pretty incredible.

Also to have made that interview, I was reflecting on that interview as recently as yesterday because I got the, I won't say dreaded email, the email about which episode would you like to submit for contention for this award nomination? And I was like, and so I was looking through, I kind of arbitrarily picked, but I thought about that sketch I got to do and I thought about that moment where he did that

interview and helped the podcast blow up. I'm not going to be able to do that for you here today, but David, it is nice to meet you formally because I have, if only we could hug on stage behind a host. I would run up to you because I have no shame anymore back then. Shame. Yeah. No shame. Well, yeah. Also, you got it. People, some people are not in any sketches. Was this a thing back in the day? Not in any sketches because that's just the way the cookie crumbled and then you're at good nights. It happened. Not in my early

days. I would refuse to go and think it would really turn the show on its lid. Like if Lorne finds out, because they'd walk around knocking the door, good nights, good nights, like Marcy Klein, our talent person. And then I go, I'm not going as like I'm standing up against this establishment. And then I thought Lorne would be tossing and turning in his sleep or couldn't have fun at the party because of that. Absolutely unbothered. No one noticed. Oh, David wasn't a good night, so okay, well,

that's too bad for him. Okay, and time, we got another Lauren Impression. Yeah, you have to get that Lauren Impression. I want the audience to know that we've done four shows together, so we've had four musical guests and four hosts. So who's your favorite and who do you want to trash? Yeah, burn it down.

Burn it down, the year of truth. New podcast called Burn It Down is a good idea. Maybe I start hosting that one. All the hosts have been absolutely lovely this season. I will say this, stand out to me. No, I know, honestly. Stand out. Honestly, fuck off to me for real.

But stand out, what I will honestly, fuck off to me for real. But stand out. What I will say is stand out to me because I feel like we were having a mutual love fest between the two of us. Ariana Grande. We were having a I love you. You love me. We're a happy family. I'm going on between us.

And so I'm going to go ahead. Yeah, just unreal. Could do anything. And then was really kind because, you know, sometimes people aren't kind, we've learned, right? But she was kind, talented, all the things you wanted to be, had range, was down to play. And I always say the hosts who are,

before having range, that's great, and I love that, and of course that's helpful. I think being willing to play and look stupid and kind of just go with the flow and see where this thing takes you. Yeah. She looks so dumb. Yeah. When I saw her walk down the hallway and 8H with that castrati. Castrato. I said, okay, that's gonna work. Castrato. The little hats and but yeah, she was gaming, her range is unbelievable. And so she probably looked at you and said, gee, I'm looking into a mirror.

Oh, well that is very kind. Dana wants extra hugs and I'm giving them out. Lisa from Temecula, maybe your most badass performance. Thank you. That was fucking fun. Man, that was crazy. Okay, and I've said this before, but you guys will understand this. Having been cast members at the show, when we got to do that sketch,

like I've told the story that I go, I go, you know, it killed that table. And I didn't even know that it, I don't even know that what happened at table could have been defined as killing. I feel like I unlocked a level of experience there just in general, even if I was just watching that happen at table, because the writers had a real steak delivered to me at table read. Okay.

All right, so yes, they had a real steak delivered to me. Eamon from Props came and slid a steak to me right before he read that sketch. Mikey Day said this before, says every time he's looking at over my shoulder at my phone, which I say, why is Mikey doing that? But that's a different conversation. day said this before says every time he's looking at over my shoulder at my phone, which I say, why is Mikey doing that? But that's a different conversation. Mikey goes, every time I look at your phone, you are not so scrolling social media. You're looking at

menus and like all you care about is food. This is a true, a true thing. I'm either planning my my, my near future meal or my distant future meals. That's what I spend most of my time on my phone doing. And so when he, across the table, and he has this whole thing about me being a diva, he does a bit with me, and he across the table sees a steak get delivered to me in the middle of table read. And he's like, okay, she's getting out of control. He doesn't know what's going on. Listeners no idea what's going on. Just for our listeners, let me just insert what it is in case they haven't heard it and I want to hear more. But basically you're a pretty big personality

at a restaurant and you get, and it's going along, it's funny, you're doing funny stuff that you can talk about. And then you start cutting this steak and it keeps escalating into madness where the table is shaking and everyone's just trying to hold it together. So that's the fact that you did it at the,

at the, it really helps it. So go ahead, tell her. The work the table read is great. With Pedro Pascal. Yeah. With Pedro Pascal. Here's my thing too, as I would normally when the writers, I'll tell you how that sketch came to be too,

is written by Alex English, Gary Richardson, and Michael Che. The way that sketch came to be is from Alex English's mind. Apparently, his cousin was at the holiday, Christmas, I think, eating a steak, and she was shaking the table. She had gotten a well-done steak. That's the thing.

Lisa from Temecula likes her steaks extra well done. It's basically a hockey puck. It's based on his cousin. But the week before they had done a sketch, Gary Richardson, Alex English, and they were like, you're in our sketch, you're in our sketch. We're friends and we get to table read. On writing night, they're like, you're in our sketch.

I'm like, cool, that's an extra piece at table I get to read in. Okay, we've got that. I get there. My line is, I love it. That's the one out of a 12-page sketch. I was like, and we're friends. I gave them so much shit about that. Oh, I love I love it and that's the one out of a 12 page sketch And we're friends so I I gave them so much shit about that I was like at the after party that week I go. Oh, I love it and I go you really You really gonna come knock on my door and tell me how I'm in your sketch that we're reading tomorrow and the line is who I? And that like could have been cut by the way, and I remember when I read it at table the previous week,

I was like, this is going to get cut once they, it was a pre tape. I was like, this is not a necessary line. It doesn't help establish anything. They kept it in. And so I gave them shit. I mean, I gave them so much shit. And I was like, and I got a full face of makeup on on a Friday to say, oh, I love it. And then Alex so kindly was like, OK, I have something for you.

I have something. And it was Lisa from Temecula. Of course, we didn't love it. And then Alex so kindly was like, okay, I have something for you, I have something. And it was Lisa from Temecula. Of course we didn't know it would be this, but normally I would have said to the writers, and this is my problem, I would have been like, yeah, but where does it go from there? Like, so she orders a well-done steak, the table's shaking, and like, and sort of then what?

But I was hands-off approach on this one. Because you wasted all your bitching the week before. Yes, exactly, you understand. I was like, I think I'm out of bitching coins. Genuinely, I'm like, I'm out of bitching coins, so I'm going to have to just go, thank you, we'll see. So I got to the table, they have this stick delivered to me, and then the table read, Dana, you've seen the most recent one, it's now happening in 8H as opposed to on the 17th floor. I didn't know that until last week. Yeah, yeah.

And it's like far less intimate in a way. And this table is way bigger than it was when it was on the 17th floor. So I'm like, is this gonna shake this table? Is this at Table Read gonna be reliant on my ability to shake this current gigantic table? Yeah, 40 feet. Yeah, it's gigantic.

But just the sight of it, it worked somehow. And just the sight of it it worked somehow and I couldn't this is where I said I didn't I wouldn't have known in real time This was defined as killing because I couldn't get through the sketch at table read I was really struck It was making me laugh in the middle of and I was like I can't read this and this is so fun and silly And so I didn't even think on Wednesday when they picked the sketches that it even really stood a chance. I wasn't worried at one way or the other.

I was like, well, that was fucking fun, but I didn't think it was going to get picked. Then it got picked and then Lauren asked us to rename it because it was just birthday dinner originally. Yes. Wait, who has a thought? Maybe maybe dinner or steak or something. Susan from Modesto. Maybe from Hampton's.

Lila from San Diego. Those writers are so brilliant. Does he want to name something more about the stakes and they know what the fuck sketch we're talking about? I know, I think he wanted it. He was like, he suspected. So on Friday, he calls me into his office and I'm thinking, and I'm feeling a little anxious about this sketch all week and people are like, it's really funny.

And for me also, I will say, I don't know how you guys feel about this. If something kills at table, baby, in my opinion, that's kiss of death. It's going to play to, it's going to play to literal silence. It's going to play to silence with the dress rehearsal. There's nowhere to go but down. Yes. And so I was like, I don't even know how this thing is actually going to work. I didn't think about the monkey boys, their hand in it and how the writers had planned to produce the sketch. So I was like, this is a lot.

Like, I'm pretty strong, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to shake a table sufficiently for this sketch. And then I realized it wasn't on me totally. But Lauren called us in to, called me and then the other the writers into his office on Friday. And I was like, okay, this meeting is for sure him telling us like, this was fun all week to pretend we were on a do this. But I was like, I don't know how this works. But he was calling to be like,

you're going to want to name this woman something more memorable. And I was like, I don't know, quite the opposite of what I thought he was calling us in to talk about. He was sort of like, people are going to want to see this character again. And then I'm like, well, now this feels like a different kind of pressure. And Alex and Gary came up with Lisa from Temecula. I don't know how, where, why. I used to live in LA. So I'm like, I'm familiar with Temecula,

but what an obscure. It kind of means nothing. It just sounds good though. I like that. Yes, yes. And then we panicked because somebody told me, they're like, what a random fucking name. So then on Saturday morning,

we were like going through other names and shout out to Gary Richardson being like, no, I think we just keep it Lisa from Temecula. It's kind of, yeah, it's kind of nothing. Let's keep it that. Yeah. So it was very fun, but at dress guys, what I say, at dress, oh, it does not do well.

Somebody. Really? No. And all week, people in hair department going, I don't laugh at anything. And honestly, with sound off, watching the monitor in the hair room, we're dying. And I go, it's too much pressure.

I don't want the compliments. In fact, at a certain point, I'm like, it's all kiss of death, a bad omen. People building it up, too much pressure. Lauren wants us to name it. Get in your head. Get in your head. This is the best sketch in history. No, that's really good to mention that on this podcast

because that hasn't been talked about of like, you're gonna crush. Please don't say that to me. Please do not say that. We had one this week on the show with, we had one this week with, gosh, as soon as we go on hiatus, thank you, my brain erases what happened every week.

I know, because you expunge it. You just let it get to let go of it. Did you see it was just short circuited there? Anyway, Michael Keaton, that killed at table, absolutely destroyed. And there are weeks where things are like, that was really good at table, and that was really fun. And there's moments where I'm using the word killed.

So something killed at table with Keaton. Then got to dress rehearsal and I go, oh, it's crazy, it's really not working the same. It went from top of show to down there, got down there, a more regular slot, if you will. Rivaling 10 to 1, not quite. But anyway, I am, we do this at dress rehearsal, so it feels like a lot of pressure.

The table's not shaking because somebody told the monkey boy to not shake it as much. And we did the run through, right? Dry run. And I was like, great, this feels a little chaotic, but kind of fun. I think it all come together. And then it just the shaking dissipated. And there's really no sketch. When you say monkey boy, how do you mean that? And there's someone under the table. There's someone on the table and I don't know what their official like the monkey boy productions.

They do the puppets for us. Oh, okay. Monkey slurred product. Okay. I just wanted to make sure. You thought it was a slur? You were a slur. People might think it's an actual monkey boy or something. Monkey or a person. A simian or something.

So is that a company that deals with this stuff and does the special effects? Yes, special effects, then puppeteering. I feel like I know them most for their puppet, their puppet puppetry. They built me a mask in this forerun to do a jigsaw kind of sketch and like a welder

situation. They're great. Yeah, they're incredible. But someone told our guy not to shake the table as much. It's not communicated to me. Sabotage. It kind of, you know. That's the one thing that could hurt that sketch, the one thing.

Or more stupid, but one of the- Yes, it's one of the S's. And so it's not shaking. There's no sketch. It's like a woman has ordered a world of extra balls. There's no comedy. It's like, I'm trying to, and then also plot twists that threw me for a fucking loop is for the first time from table read to now,

we've done it table read, we've done blocking, we've done Saturday daytime run through. For the first time at dress, and no one tells me in advance, which normally they would have, would have been appropriate to, it's a T-bone steak. I can't even like pantomime sawing a T-bone steak that's extra, extra well done.

You can't even, I was like, whose idea to put a big bone in the middle? Change that. Wow, don't change anything. Don't change a thing. And so it's not going well. There's this moment where I'm just like, well, motherfuckers, and Mr. Pedro Pascal

whose praises I'll sing till I'm blue in the face and I'm super-wook entirely. Great show and a very likable, great actor. Great actor, down to play, down to look like a fool, down to look stupid like a dumbass, and also didn't try to curate his own show. That's the other thing, to be very clear that when

a host is trying to curate their own show. He just gave himself up to everybody. Truly. I think this about that episode, by the way, unrelated to these from Temecula, glad I got that off in that episode. When I reflect back on that episode, by the way, unrelated to these from Temecula, glad I got that off in that episode. When I reflect back on that episode and I was talking to Mikey Day about this, I was like, there are so many sketches in that episode

that could have been the one. There was like real stiff competition on that. There's a Mario Brothers one that was beautiful tape. There was Marcelo's protective mom sketch that was an absolute hit. So I haven't seen an episode like quite like that one in some time, just where it's like, there are multiple sketches in here.

That could have been the first sketch. Could have been the one. Yeah. And so anyway, Pedro is like, I think, I don't want to speak for him, but I get the senses thrown by like, whoa, we all had high expectations for this sketch. And boy, is this like bombing right now.

And he starts looking for the, I guess it's throwing him and he's like, now I, I'm trying to, how do I articulate this? Like trying to see a cue card and, but he's making it obvious. Like, remember we're still in the scene, but now he's making it obvious. He's like kind of looking over and up and trying to see a cue card and absolutely in character unscripted because it's bobbing at this point So who fucking cares I go in character and I go and what are you looking at? Then that's the biggest laugh at dress rehearsal is me going and what are you looking at and calling about?

Absolutely off-cards, that's funny and then we wrap up and At the I don't know where I catch him absolutely off cards. That's funny. And then we wrap up and I'm at the, I don't know where I catch him. Oh, at good nights at dress, the fake good nights. And I go, the table wasn't shaking. And there was a T-bone steak and he's like, what the fuck? And mind you, he's pretty straight man in that sketch. So the jokes aren't really his, it's not really about him.

And a lot of hosts would have used that opportunity to be like, see. To get out of it. To get out of it. Cause they. And a lot of hosts would have used that opportunity to be like, see. To get out of it. To get out of it. Cause they probably, a lot of hosts wouldn't have wanted to do it in the first place. Yeah. And then.

Yeah, I'm just a puppet in this. They aren't the score machine. Yeah. Nothing for me to play. And so I was like, that would have been a perfect out. They wouldn't have fought him on it cause it did bomb. And it would have been like a nice heartbreak to deal dish me and um, they He actually went in there and fought for it

He was like they didn't give her they gave her a t-bone say the table didn't shake I want to love it someone in that goddamn room because no one's in the room You're not allowed you need someone in the room and having someone in the room I've had every iteration of an experience at this show. I feel I was saying this to Heidi recently I'm like every version of an experience at this show, I feel I was saying this to Heidi recently, I'm like, every version of it being the baby, no one gives a fuck about having a writer who was not only really fucking funny, but also in the room, I've had that writer go away and now have nobody in the room and feel like, oh, okay, I guess we're starting from scratch again.

Like, and having someone in the room, nothing like it, really nothing. and like, and having someone in the room, nothing like it. Really nothing. Darien, Game of Thrones, creating alliances who are in the room. What do Ontario dairy farmers bring to the table? A million little things. But most of all, the passion and care that goes into producing the local high quality milk

we all love and enjoy every day. With 3,200 dairy-firming families across Ontario sharing our love for milk, there's love in every glass. Dairy farmers of Ontario, from our families to your table, Everybody Milk. Visit Milk.org to learn more. I'm Jenna Fisher. And I'm Angela Kinsey. And together we have the podcast Office Ladies. Just because we finished rewatching The Office

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So follow and listen to Office Ladies on the free Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts. For the viewers, Dana, let's have her say what the room is and who's in it. Okay. So the room is the deciding room. The room I think convenes multiple times throughout the week, but most important or seemingly significant for us as cast and for writers is the room after table read. So after we've read our 40 sketches on Wednesday, the room convenes. It is Lorne, Steve Higgins, Eric Kenward, I think Caroline Moroney is

in there, Aaron Doyle is in there, Rebecca Schwartz, I'm not sure who else, but other people from the talent department, I believe, but those are the decision makers. Head writers are also in there. I left them out. Streeter. That's a lot. Streeter, Alison Gates, Kent Sublette. And that's what that room looks like. So you do the math on that. So that's who's in

there. Okay. And then that room convenes again throughout the week to check in with the host. I think they have a meeting with the host on Friday, less pressing to all of us. But yeah, how do you feel? What do you like? What do you not like? Oh, you're confused about your role in that one. Okay. Oh, and a host being like, I find it fascinating. I want to be in that room one time, specifically the Friday room. I want to be in the Friday room because I want to know,

I want to hear hosts. They start not always, sometimes try to manipulate the system a little. And like if they're not scoring, that's their opportunity to say, I don't know what I'm doing in that one. I opportunity to say, I don't know what I'm doing in that one. I just don't, I don't know what I'm doing. Or I can't wrap my head around

this very straightforward character. Can't feel it. It's very straightforward. Just having a hard time understanding. I'm confused. So I'm just setting up them to kill or? Friday night at like 11 or 12 or whatever. Yes, exactly.

So we've, at that point point blocked all the sketches pretty much. They're waiting on the pre-tapes. They know what they hate. Exactly, and they start to plant those seeds. You kind of see it reflected in the run. Seeds of death. The seeds of death. That is how you kill a sketch.

That's how you begin to kill a sketch. Poison pill. Oh, that's good. It's a poison pill. Create doubt, just create doubt. They create the little doubt. And then you get the rundown. We as cast, the writers, everyone gets the rundown, which is to say, this is what our run through the dry run on Saturday is going to look like. This is what

dress rehearsal looks like. And you say it's very long. We get to work at like 1130 AM on Saturday and the show wraps up. No one realizes that's the earliest day you have. Yes, actually, truly, which is insane. And so, only rival by pre-taped day, Friday, where we sometimes are like, I'm getting picked up at 6 a.m. But the dress rehearsal run down, if you will, on the left side of that document, says who's doing update, which feels like a very secretive thing all week.

It's all very- That's when they pick who's doing update? That's when we all get to see when it becomes like, and this is who's doing update. So it's happening, whispers behind you. You don't know people if you're close are going, have you heard about your update? Are you, oh, do we know who's doing?

But it's all very like secret. But then when that rundown comes out at 1130 PM on Friday or midnight Saturday, you go, oh, that's who's doing update and oh, so then on that side, on that left side, when you see the order of the sketches in this dress rehearsal show, you go, ah, yes, at the Friday meeting, the host has planned to the seat of doubt. That sketch went from fourth of the night to now second to last of the night. Yes, exactly. Wow, I kind of love these hosts.

I love the deviousness. I like a host and they're going, I mean, I don't know what's funny. To me, it's not hilarious, but I trust you guys. Like, I'll go down with a little notepad and kind of a sweater. And mind you, the assistant in them and the publicist, I've already had their conversation

off to the side being like, I think you should- Everything's a side chat. It's so gross. Everything's a side chat. It's so crazy. But so then, yeah, it's, but when things, when, when you can sense that a host has done that too, then that just creates a sort of like, well, that sucks because also you want to like, you're like on Tuesday Tuesday when you go to talk to a host

about the idea you have for the week or the ideas you have. And oftentimes I'm a pretty direct person. So I'm like, you can literally say you hate it. You're not going to offend me. You can tell me like, I really don't want to do that. If come Wednesday, even if it kills at table, I'm going to in that meeting veto it. So don't do it.

I don't want to do it. Don't waste my time. Don't waste my time. because I have other ideas. I don't wanna write it. And it's cool, yeah. Yes, it's totally. It takes hours. It takes hours and it's disheartening

when it does kill it, it doesn't go and it turns out because you didn't. So please just be honest with me because I'll write something else that we can both be excited about. But it's what I adore about Pedro is that he did take that opportunity in that Saturday meeting I mean that meeting we talked about happens again Saturday after dress rehearsal, right?

That's now the that's it the big that's the most intense time picking the show. It's like a 1045 or they basically hack a half hour out of dress. So you're in the show all week, and then by 11 p.m., you're suddenly not in the show. So what happened with Lisa from Temecula? Well, Lisa, he went in that room and he fought for it and said in that meeting, he wanted to do it, in that meeting that there was, they gave me a T-bone steak, which WTF,

and then that the table wasn't shaking. Who, why did that happen? When did, when did that decision get made? And also if that, if that was a note that was communicated to the monkey boy, not a slur, the company, right? If that was a, if that was a note communicated to them, why no one told me. Why no one communicated it to all of us or why we didn't do a like quick little like, Hey, it's going to come to this hallway right now. It's not why we didn't do a quick little like,

hey, it's gonna come to this hallway right now. It's not gonna be on the set, but let me show you how much I'll be shaking it at this point and then we'll ramp up to this. Right. So I appreciate it because most hosts, I feel now that I've been there long enough, many of them, and I wanna say most,

since I'm gonna say most, would have been like, yeah, see, it didn't work and I'm not doing anything. And so- We have to cut stuff anyway. Yeah, we have to. And maybe another time, man, one more that's so fun. Perfect sense. Yeah, but-

And not let you bitch about it later and be like, no, but, and they're like, oh, do it next week then. Yes, and then next week, they don't, we don't actually do it because it's like, well, I forgot, we forgot, we told you, you could do it next week. So, air quote forgot, but he fought for it. But what's interesting is on that week, I'll say this, there's a sketch I do the following show, I believe where Travis Kelsey hosts either host immediately

after Pedro, we go on a hiatus after Pedro. And then I think Travis Kelsey is the following house. Um, um, and he, he, he ended up acting in this sketch, but this is how the night panned out. I had a sketch the same week as Lisa from Temecula with James Austin Johnson, a prince, love him. He's an incredible performer, inspired by Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle. I'm obsessed with Michael McDonald and we got to talk about-

One of the great voices of all time. Oh my gosh. What a- What a- What a- What a- What a great voices of all time. Oh my gosh. What a voice. What a belief. This is crazy. Oh gosh. Well, I listen to Michael McDonald relatively regularly, but I feel like someone told me,

and it maybe it was Kyle Mooney. Maybe this is wrong and I felt sorry for Mooney. We love him. We love Kyle. Yawn, if you yawn while you're singing, that's your Michael McDonald impression and it's pretty effective Travis Kelsey is a football player. He is boyfriend. No, who's he in the sketch?

Who's Taylor Swift again? He is a singer. She's girlfriend to Travis Kelsey. Great parts for them. Go ahead. So Travis Kelsey ends up playing this thing that Pedro was. It was me and James Austin Johnson. This sketch goes to air with Travis. But Pedro was in it originally. That's the week we happened to write it. And he plays a man named Sucre, a name I'm obsessed with from Prison Break, one of my favorite TV shows.

There was a guy. Sucre. Yeah. Which I believe means Spanish. And that means Spanish. Means sugar in Spanish. I mean sugar in Spanish. So anyway, they were up against each other in a sense. It kind of panned out that like because Pedro's episode was so so so strong, we're talking killer, killer, killer, sketch after killer. This sketch with him,

I don't remember what it ultimately family song, family meeting, family meeting is what it's called. It was Pedro, it was great. It actually did really well at dress. Okay. And so after the meeting, the big meeting, the Saturday 10 o'clock meeting, PM meeting, that one is still in the show as is Lisa from Temecula, but they're back to back basically, like commercial break between them. And it's like, we always know you go into dress rehearsal with a longer show than you have time for,

generally speaking. And so something's gonna get cut for time on air. And sometimes that cut for time thing ends up on the internet, on YouTube, and sometimes it's just like, no, that sketch is cut and you're gonna have to try it again. It came down to family meeting and Lisa, and family meeting absolutely proved itself

at dress rehearsal. I was in it, I helped write it. It's also something I loved and was passionate about and Pedro was so great in it. And ultimately family meeting got cut in favor of Lisa at the end of the show. But I remember, I was sure Lisa wasn't going for how built up it had been all week

and for how crappy it was at dress. And so Tom Broker comes up to me, my quick change costume, who is my close, you know, people are scared of Tom and I find it fascinating because he's my closest, closest person. He was there when I was there. Yeah, I had not seen him in years, and then I was just pouring my heart out to him. Just seeing him and you start, you're doing the dressing and the clothes. You're just throwing back to back. I was just saying that to a new cast member too. I go, I don't know what it is, something about,

I said, when I first got here, I feel like, to SNL I was quite, I don't wanna say cagey is not the word, it's the first thing that comes to mind. It's not the right word, but for the sake of being concise. KG and like somehow I found myself talking a lot to Tom though. And I goes, because I'm in a closet with you with all these clothes and something,

but there's some intimacy about this. Yeah. He's yeah. And I was like, I would, I would talk to him though and tell him basically everything. But Tom comes up to me and goes, get dressed for Lisa and And I kind of broke- Whoa, is that how you found out? Yes, yes. And it was like right before we were about to do it.

And I mean, I had to get dressed in 60 seconds because I was sure that wasn't going. I love this stuff. I love it. And he goes, get dressed. And I, and this is just self-protective, okay? Cause at that point I had been, I'd been heartbroken if you will.

And I was like, this is crazy to build up, to have have that then go that way and so much was out of my control And it wasn't a matter of performance and I don't even know that I feel the audience got to see the sketch because all the technicalities I feel like I am NOT a big eye roller, but I like to say and he and I are very close I feel like I rolled my eyes and I go really Because I was so hurt I was like I can't believe and I go, really? I was like, because I was so hurt. I was like, I can't believe. And I go, so what? It can be a throwaway sketch now.

In my mind. And I didn't say that part, but I think that's what was going on. I was like, at the end of the night, oh, okay, really? But you lost confidence in it. I lost confidence, yeah. And I was just, and that's what that little, we're so close.

And he probably didn't even read it as attitude. But I try to stay generally positive. I just remember going, really? And then going in the quick change. Did you almost want to do the one that worked? Damn it, David. That is such a good question because I think about it. Oh, everything would just be so different for me. It's wild to think that. Like they said, you pick. Yeah.

No, this thing went very viral. Exactly. It's millions, millions of YouTube views. But if she got to pick, she might say, I just want one to work. Just give me one to work. I just want one to work. We know that one worked and fuck it.

I don't know. And I'm kind of salty and pissed and heard about this other thing. And so fuck it. And I'm glad it wasn't up to me because I might have picked family meeting which would mean a very different trajectory for me because I think Lisa from Temecula not to be haughty at all, but one, I had so much fun doing it, but two, I think it's the moment people are like, oh, she's a really fun sketch performer. And then people who listen to me on Comedy Bang Bang,

that podcast, which is improv, Scott Ackerman, Scotty Ox, know me to be insane. But I don't think up until Lisa, everyone has just considered me this very polished, listen, I like to look nice guys, but I'm an insane person in real life. And I do comedy because I'm wild and kooky and I might look like I'm put together and in ways I am but like my sense my comedic sensibility

I think has like been largely reflected on comedy bang bang and those fans when Lisa for temecula happened go easy That's the ego I know who's been on this podcast for all these years. That's where we've been waiting to see that on SNL And so I'm glad it worked out how it did, because I think for the first time, a broader, the larger audience could say, Oh, that's, that's her comedy. That's something to point to that. It's like when Debbie Downer happens, just, there's some now and then that blow up and it's very hard to get something to kind of blow up. It's so hard, even if it's a good sketch,

it doesn't mean it. It's just sometimes they kind of hit, you go, oh, people are coming up and asking about this now. So something works there. It's kind of, yeah, go ahead. So unique. I just think you landed it so perfectly just watching it a couple hours ago. And you drove it so well. So yeah, I could see that would be like a stormy moment because you were just on fire as a character landing, line after line, he just wants butt, or is it because we're black, or whatever you kept landing these lines. That was like beautiful. And also, and you know, that was my,

I'm in my seventh, that was my, I'm in my seventh, that was my fifth season, fourth season. And I think fifth, but I had been leading up to that. That was February. The place is frustrating for all of us, no matter what time you think we're at. The understatement of the fucking year. I call it emotionally violent.

You know what, that's probably really accurate. That's accurate. And it's really frustrating. And I think I'm a pretty strong person and I don't actually look for the world to be fair. I'm the youngest of four. I was explaining this to someone. I'm the youngest of four.

My mom is a doctor. She would bring candy home that like pharmaceutical sales reps would bring the doctors in the office, which is maybe its own fucked up thing that they bribe doctors that way, but whatever. I'm not here to comment on that. But she would bring home candy or whatever like sweet treats the pharmaceutical reps would bring. And I was the last, I was always the, I got to pick last like, so my oldest brother would get his dibs first because he's the oldest, then

my sister because she's second, then my brother ahead of me and then me last. And we never changed the order for equity ever. And I was just like, yeah, I'm the youngest and I'm gonna get the last pick. So I don't, when Lauren talks, Lauren talks to me sometimes about the show being fair and how it's not fair. And I go, I am not, it's not fair.

I'm like, I'm the last person looking for fair in here. I don't think I grew up with the most fair. My life was, I don't know person looking for fair in here. I don't think I grew up with the most, my life was, I don't know that it was fair. You know, I had that happen with my dad and I came back from SNL and said, he said, why are you down about it? I go, I just, it doesn't seem like it's fair.

And he goes, who told you it was gonna be fair? I go, well, nobody, but shouldn't things just be fair? And he's like, I wouldn't guess that place would be that fair. I'm telling you that fair is one of the most loaded words in the English language. And I've heard people use it like it's not fair. Even if they win the lottery, so to speak,

it's just not fair. And your dad was prescient in why. Yes, I think so, absolutely why. And I just had someone in the talent department two weeks ago told me, they said, my mom said I'd be having a better time here if I just accept it wasn't fair. They said you'd be having a better time. You're at the best place you can be in comedy and it's the fucking hardest. You're like, why this should be going better. That's what I always thought. I'm like, why? This should be going better. That's what I always thought.

I'm like, God damn. It's so, but you know, you don't have a sense of it. Hiatus is really nice because you get to go out in the world and go, oh, someone more than recognizes me. Cause that's whatever, but goes, oh, I love that thing. You do, or like, you're my favorite. Yeah. And you go, okay. Cause you inside of it have no sense of whatever impact you're

making. Or more importantly, like if anything you're doing is even fucking register or translating into anything, you truly cannot tell. You don't even leave the building most until the break. People ask me, how do you like living in New York? And I go, I don't live in New York. I work in New York. I don't even know where I am.

I don't know where I am. I work in New York. I don't even know where I am. I don't know where I am. I go from my apartment to 30 Rock. And- You're not outside for just 12, 14 hours at a time. No, I'm like, I don't know anything about New York. I know where 30 Rock is and the new eateries in the basement there, the Concourse. I know that's my version of New York.

But that experience with Lisa was so affirming as a performer. I didn't know. I certainly... It's so crazy how the goalposts change for you too when you're a cast member there. My first season, it was like, can I get a sketch on? Cool. You don't even have a concept. So when that rundown comes out at midnight on Saturday morning or 11 45pm on Friday that we're talking about, you're not like, oh, mine's first of the night, or it's last of the night. Oh, shit, like you everything I described to a little bit ago about the meeting and the host and you know, that meant nothing to me my first season, I had no concept of it. I just was like, I have a sketch in. Cool. And then as you spend more time there, you start to understand how the system works and what everything sort of

means or represents, you're like, oh, well then I want that. I want to have that version of it. And that's fucked. And I just have to say. I love that word. Metrolinx and CrossLinks are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Crosstown LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert as trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals, be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so. Be alert, be aware, and stay safe. A sketch early in read through I never knew was, you call it table, but my first week I handed one and it was fourth and they were like, that's good. I'm like, why is that good? And they go,

you don't want it at the very end. You don't know. Unless it's the very last sketch. Sometimes people wake up for that. But once you go, we used to do like an hour and a half and have like a little break to wake people up. Then you do another hour and a half or so. And that second half was just death. Those first 10 get the most attention. That when I was there, I don't know if it's the same thing,

but that's something I never knew. It's true. It's when you, it's the same thing now. Another thing I didn't realize until like my third, fourth season where I was having a really good time and Anna Dresden and I were just like having the collaborative experience of our dreams. But a lot of our sketches would be, okay, they would read like the monologue and then the cold open and then our sketch would be the next one up but I felt and that was like a few weeks in a row and I go pretty damn cool pretty cool um but then when that stops happening you're like oh no but I want that again that thing that

I didn't even know was a thing now I want that um and I feel its absence and I'm chasing that again for no reason but I I was telling someone last season, I go, I actually don't fuck with my sketch being too early. Let's get like three, four read before mine. I'm like, I don't want it to be the very first sketch proper. Because sometimes the host does not, though they've read their monologue, they're not warmed up,

they're not quite understanding how it goes. And yes, you can have prepped them beforehand a little bit and have that little conversation with them about what your piece is and kind of what you're expecting and hoping them to do in their performance. But I'm like, I want the host warmed up by the time we get to my sketch. I do think it's just human nature to kind of,

I say eighth or ninth, and you follow a sketch that was pretty weak. That follow up Chris Farley banger. You want here's my thing. I don't think here I have a hot take on this. Not weak because I feel like it's going to be hard to make the chart. It's going to be hard to get them back going again. Granted, if you do get them going after a really weak one,

you go, oh, this is probably gonna make it to dress rehearsal because that really took us from zero to something. But I'm like, I want it to have done pretty well. Like just- Pretty well, okay. Not a banger, not a banger before me, but just pretty well. You really have this show down. I mean, we've interviewed a lot of people,

but this has been, it been stuff I'm learning, I'm remembering again. Yeah, I'm insane though, is the truth. And I overthink, I don't know if it's overthinking because it's just the way my brain works. And I have tried, I'm like, I should sedate myself a little bit more, but my brain is like clocking a thousand,

which is why I go, am I the right person for this job or the exact wrong person? Because I wish I was just like a touch more ignorant, like where I go back to that first year version of the cast member, it was just like, I just want to sketch on. All I know is let's try to get a sketch on. And now no one has explained any of this shit to me,

but I've slowly picked up on it myself over the years and like, and this means that and that's that. And I go, it's probably giving me a headache and breaking my heart more than it needs to be broken. You know, when you do something like the Lisa sketch, do you, and you've, you've seen, I'd been there, Dana's been there, when you see someone do something like that, but you haven't done it yet, it's sort of, it's sort of interesting to say, what is that like when it kind of blows up and then you got in one. So it's like another level of endorphins where you're like, Oh, this is what it's like when something really hits.

It's so fun, but no wonder everyone chases it because it's like, God, I want to do another one of these, there are all these animals that works like that on that level. Yeah. It was like drugs. And I say there's so much that feels like drugs. There was a season I had. So again, I'm in my seventh season. There's a season there where my expectation

for what they would allow me to do at SNL, just being the seventh black woman in the history of the show was pretty, I don't want to say low, but tempered. I think I'm a good performer. I think I'm a confident performer. I think I'm a confident performer. I know my comedic voice, but I also know I was like stepping into an establishment with that history and it's a machine of its own

and I'm one person. And so I was like, I have, my goal felt pretty limited there. And then to have had these experiences, I'm like, yeah, you get the drugs in your system. So like when I said, I'm like my third season, I feel like Kate was away shooting maybe Tiger King at the time. And 80 was away doing shrill, um, the final season. And I can't remember where Cecily was and they were letting me do every fucking thing. And I was having a ball and it was interesting because I didn't remember where Cecily was, and they were letting me do every fucking thing, and I was having a ball.

It was interesting because I didn't really, so we were also in COVID times then, so the world was still shut down, but we were back in studio, not the at-home episodes. I remember getting really upset because I wanted to do this update that kept killing and I kept going, it's me as myself talking about dating,

current dating. We don't have a dating representative and we still don't have a dating correspondent on the show. And I want to talk about it. And that's my third season. So all these seasons ago and it killed, right? I wrote it on my own, killed. They had someone else more junior to me do a thing that didn't kill that then went on to dress or maybe even made to air and didn't kill. Okay. They're like, wait your turn. We're trying to give this person a shot and go, okay, not how it worked for me, but that's fine. Salute, right? That's fine.

Then I go, okay, now this piece could live again. This feels topical. Maybe it was like Valentine's Day. I don't know. But I go, okay, I'm going to submit it again. Hard to do because they've already heard these jokes, this whole table read audience. It's got to stink up. But I go, one thing about me guys,

if I'm going to resubmit a sketch, I want you to know and writers who have to work with me on this, I'm sure detest me, but I go, we're rewriting the whole thing. Every joke is brand new. Really? Oh, really? Oh, yes.

I do not believe it. And so let me be honest, I'm not resubmitting a ton because of that because I go, unless we're going to be really rewriting it. And listen, if it makes it to dress, let's take it back to the original one. But we have to earn these laughs at table and make people go, oh, this is funny again.

I have a story about a resubmit, a couple of them, but this is one, but that dating piece, I ended up rewriting, kept my like strongest two jokes, but I was like, great, I'll give you more. I'll give you more. I'll give you different jokes. I really want to do this piece. I believe in this piece.

I believe people will enjoy this. It kills that table again, like kills harder the second time. And they aren't picking it, but I sense, because I also know how to, I have like a third eye. I'm like, people keep, I was shooting a pre-tape that was me-centric and a me piece, and they go, somebody was like,

how's the tape going on a Friday? I go, no one's ever texted me about how pre-tapes going. I was like, hmm. And then someone else was like, when are you back at 30 Rock? I was like, they must have had a meeting about how we're not going to do that update, and they know I am going to speak up about it.

Oh, yeah. I go, and everyone's doing a little temperature check before I get to 30 Rock, and I go, hmm. You really are perceptive. I am. I this is weird. How's the tape going? I was like, I've never, what's going on? So sure enough, they were not gonna let me do the update. And they sure enough were doing a temperature check. And it was like, because it was crass, it's very crass. And I guess, and it was sort of like, that's what I was thinking.

I was like, I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check. I'm gonna do a temperature check and it was like, because it was crass, it was very crass. And I guess, and it was sort of like. That's why? Yes, it was pretty crass and it was like, if you do it as a character, but as a ego, we don't want necessarily ego telling those jokes,

but a character could tell those jokes. And I go. Ego is not crass. Ego is not crass, but here's the thing crash. It was not crash, but here's the thing. Yes, she is. Here's the thing. Yes, she is. If you, it's sort of like that comedy bang, bang thing where I'm like, that's a podcast.

I, what I love about that podcast and when I started doing it was before SNL and randomly because someone I know how to drop out and they recommended me. And now it's a thing I do. No one knows what I look like. The first time I did that, the first episode was like Sarah Silverman. No one knows what I look like. They don't know if I'm put together or not. They don't know anything about me. They don't know me from Adam. I get to be as insane as I want and do the kind of characters that I enjoy doing.

But similar to that update situation was like, as a character maybe, but not our ego telling jokes like that. And I'm like- Did you switch it? No, I never did it because I was like, I never did it. And I, because I was like, I don't really want,

I don't want to do it that way. I don't want to do it as a character. I don't even know what that character would be, frankly, if I'm honest, and so I don't even know what that is. But Mikey and I had this great sketch last season that we wrote once. It killed at table. Kill, I won't say did really, really well at table. It's different energy than I played at the show.

Then the host pulled a like, I don't know what I'm doing. So great, it goes away. So it made it to dress and then it goes away. Even though it did pretty well dress. Then we rewrote it, we resubmit it. They were like, you should bring it back. We love that character for you.

We resubmit it and I did that thing I do. I go, oh honey, it's not only done well at table and played at table, it's gone to dress, we have to rewrite the sketch. It can still be the same, but every joke is going to be different. My name is a different joke, everything's different and it killed harder the second time at table read. So this group of people have already seen it at table,

seen it at dress, seen it at run through, seen it at blocking and it kills harder with this rewrite. And Steve Higgins, one of the producers of the show, comes up to me and Mike and was like, I think that's the first time I've ever seen a rewrite be better at table. But that's my rule though. I'm sort of like, I don't take anything for granted.

I don't think, I don't know that I'm, I think there are people, this is, is this right to say, whatever, that get like gratuitous laughs at table. Like I do think there are people that get gratuitous laughs and I'm like, I am happy. There are, and I'm not assuming I'm one. And so I'm like, we have to rewrite if we are going to be resubmitting something, let's not expect that people are gonna go, oh, love that. And I'm like, let's rewrite.

Do you not want eye rolls of people going, oh, here we go again, is that kinda? It's because, well, no, it's not even the eye roll, yes, the eye roll, but I'm like, they're not gonna laugh. They're not gonna laugh, they already heard it. And even if they like me and are in theory rooting for me to any extent. It's hard to laugh twice.

You're right. It's hard to legitimately, naturally laugh twice. You can, but it cannot do what it did. I don't think. And the host sees that, the new host, and goes, did that do that good? Because they're like, well, and if they say it's a resubmit, they go, why didn't they want to do it? Uh-huh.

Exactly. That gets in an ugly conversation. Exactly. And so I'm like, let's take nothing for granted if we're having an opportunity to read it again. Let's not assume the room's going to be kind and warm about it because they're rooting for us to get to do it again. Let's not assume the host is going to be someone they can convince to do

something that did okay at table. And so I've had, when it's time to resubmit things, I have had writers just be like, this bitch wants to rewrite the fucking sketch. I'm like, well, we read it. If it's something we haven't read, I'm like, yeah, let's just do a casual check for the jokes. But I'm like, we read it already, we got to rewrite it.

a casual check for the jokes, but I'm like, and we read it already, we got to rewrite it. And so, um, I, some have said, some who I remember my second season being like, do I need to like work harder? What's the deal taking a meeting with a producer? And they were like, no one here thinks you need to work on it. You know, well that's, that's showing that's grinding because the fact you don't need to do that. And sometimes it just buzzes through without big laughs, but they go, we're going to try it again. But you're actually trying to earn some more laughs from it as.

Yeah. Yeah. It's still the puzzle we all play with and it doesn't matter where you're at in your life or career, if you're a comedian, how do you set up the exposition, land the laugh, have it be escalatory, get out of a big laugh, have it have performance, have it have the going full circle, just that table moving. And I always say funny with the sound off guy in a bar looks up and would laugh because it keeps getting to the point of ridiculousness. And no one at the table is going,

what the fuck's with the steak and getting up and walking away? Yeah. I mean, we don't say anything. And the tension of that is just allows you to laugh so hard. And of course, your character is the driving force of that sketch. But anyway, so that's all you could do. If it's your first season, seventh season, just try to solve the puzzle and just make it funnier.

It was. It was tread water, stay alive. Yeah, it was really cool that that experience was so special because I had been like, by that time in the season too, just kind of, honey, I don't know what they want from me at this point. Cause Lauren does a thing too, where he's like, new move, we've seen you do that before.

Like, so I wanna see you do something different. So you start to be like, well, this is've seen you do that before. Like, so I want to see something different. So you start to be like, well, this is my comedic voice, right? Like, this is my voice. These are the kinds of people I think are funny. And you're telling me like, before he seasons in like something else. And I'm like, oh, okay. But it's funny because I don't think Lisa's some grand departure

from what I've done previously, but there's this physicality to it. But yeah, it's that one was by that time in the season, I was sort of like, I don't honey, I don't know what they want. And I'm at a loss. And so when I did when Alex and Gary said they had this piece for me, I would have, like I said, normally been like, and where does it go from it? Let's actually talk this through. But I was like, if these, these dudes think they have a piece, great. I'm going to let them go off and write it because I write as well some too.

And so I sometimes want to get in there and I'm like, listen, it's, I'm going to, this is their baby. But then once we got to, when was it, like the Cuz we're Black, I've seen people go like, did you improvise that? I improvised it not on air and not at dress rehearsal. I think on Friday at blocking or something. I was like, I feel like she should say something right here.

It's actually kind of funny if she says cause we're black, given the only other black person here is punky and the person who's approached them is black. And then there were these moments that I was like, I think this needs a line here or she should say this. So then it became collaborative on the back end, which was really cool. And I hadn't really had that experience yet, where it's like, yes, you wrote this for me and it's such a gift. And now we both get to meld our minds at this stage of the

process where it's okay, it's in the show at least to dress, let's try to like make it as good as we can. And here's my thoughts as the person performing. Maybe she says this as well. Maybe she does this. In the real performance, I had a lot of joy because I just had no expectations of it. So too, when I think about like,

if it had moved up in the night, right? If it had killed it dressing and it's second of the night or something like that, how free of a performer would I have been in that regard? I did not expect to do the sketch. So when I hurried and put on my clothes to do that. You're like, what's this one again? Yes, legitimately. I was like, I've kind of started to block it out of my head and scrub it from my memory because it was such a flop. But then I put on the, the writers didn't even get to find me to tell me they like cut out a whole middle of the sketch So there's a moment where I like pause there's a moment of air if you're really paying attention in it and it's

Someone else was supposed to have a line in the original version But in the like last minute you guys are doing it We and you need to cut out X number of pages They cut out this whole chunk and then I realized like okay Yeah They never came to tell me if anything was cut out and I was was like, I heard silence for a little longer than I wanted. And I was like, oh, and then I improvised what, what, and then said my line. But, um, I was free in that performance because I was like, I had no

expectation at this point when the steak fell, that was like, I didn't. They gave me the hardest steak they'd given yet. I genuinely couldn't cut through it and it fell. So then I was like, what do I do? I guess I'll pick it up with my fingers and suck on it. Cause I know I have a line about how good it tastes, but I haven't been able to cut off a piece. So all these moments, the chair falls.

And because Pedro is so warm and just, you feel connected to him. I was like, I think I can put my leg on my foot on him. If it had been a host who was kind of off, like standoffish, I don't know that I would have felt comfortable doing that. But yeah, all the pieces, it's kind of magical. And then you do want to replicate something like that, right? And have another Lisa from Temecula. You're chasing.

Yeah, but it doesn't work that way. It doesn't work. You didn't see that one coming out of the blue. Yeah. But that makes every week kind of fun because someone might write. And if someone writes for you, that's a gift too. Just someone. Huge. If they seek you out after the sketch, if there's time during the commercial break,

it's kind of nice. If you collaborate with a writer and you're both kind of celebrating just for a second. Yeah, it's fun. Yeah, it's really nice. That's a very sweet moment each time where you go, oh my goodness, we did it and we did something together and it worked and then you hope But what's sick about it is that then you go? Alright Tuesday writing night is a couple days away and you go to work on Monday and kind of what you do on Saturday means

Nothing. I know it just Tissues in a fireplace just What do you got this week? Literally and and I go, what about last week was so good. We've learned so much about SNL. We do want to ask about your podcast because thanks, Dad, it's out now this week out. It's out. It's out there. Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Dad. It is out wherever people get their podcasts. I'm having, I was raised by a single mom. I don't have a relationship with my dad. As I say, I'm not going to have one with him because

it turns out he died last summer, guys. So, which is okay. And Dana's giving me thumbs up. No, I didn't. I know you didn't. That was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Somehow there's a thumbs up. Say that and show his like, it's unreal. I've ever seen. Somehow there's a thumbs up. Say that and show it is like, it's unreal. I'm so sorry. And then the worst possible timing in history.

I know my dad is dead and Dana's emoji thumbs up. That was crazy. Thumbs up came up and it was completely on. We love a dead dad, but no. Very odd way of mourning. Thanks dad. So this is a podcast working through these issues or it's what is it? It's not, it's well, I basically So this is a podcast working through these issues. Or it's, what is it?

It's not, it's what I basically invite guests to be my dad for the day. And I get to ask them questions I've always wanted to ask a dad. And so things like, how do I know if the guy I'm dating is the right one for me? What do I look out for when I'm buying a car? Tell me about like buying property.

What are some tips you have in that regard? And so they give me dad advice. I get to hear about my guests as fathers themselves or parents themselves, and I get to then hear what their dads were like. And so we have this lovely, vulnerable, fun conversation, but it's light, it's light, it's vulnerable, it's fun, it's all the things. I feel Mikey's episode, which is out in the world, starts with him saying, I didn't realize you didn't have a relationship with your dad. And I'm like,

yeah, I don't really seem like a girl who doesn't have a dad. And so I'm trying to, and then he's like, well, what does that mean to seem like a girl who doesn't have a dad? And I go, you know, you know, that's why you thought I had a dad. And so it's fun. We're having a good time. We're having a good time. Yeah. Adam Paley is, was on your show, but you also do, you're also in that show with Mr. Throwback, right?

Yes. Mr. Throwback with Adam Paley, Steph Curry. Um, it's on Peacock, Aidan Mayeri. Yeah. I'm actually a really great people. Um, Casper, who I know a little bit. Yeah, he's great. True, Angel. The creators are so fun, so funny. The Libman brothers, Matthew and Daniel,

it was a dream. That was so much fun. And there was some improv on there. Very passionate about improv over here. True nerd. I'm introducing improv to the Baltimore City School curriculum I'm introducing improv to the Baltimore City School curriculum by way of my high school Spanish teacher. And so we've been- I mean, I love it too. And I don't even a little bit of it. I don't think anything beats the performer discovering something new live in real time

and improv allows that. So they're taking, it's popping in your head. I'm gonna do this. It's electric when you see your improv. It's like, it's so funny. That's what Brando did. He broke down the whole thing. He didn't want to know the script.

He put it in the ceiling or in an orange, or he just get it at that moment, just to get it out of. Yeah. Was that Godfather? I can't remember. He had the script everywhere. I think he was feeling it in an orange.

And the script was like. But that's, I love improv. And I think just a little bit of it when that sketches turn a little lively, something happens or people are a little playful, it kind of does all that. But it's like trying to catch the wind. That's what I say. Always.

You know, you're a blast to talk to. Thanks for talking to us. So smart and such inside baseball. No one has given us, we've had these great guests. You've been the most detailed about the emotional ride and the logistical ride of that show. So, pretty much brought to you. It's fun.

It's like, it's thrown back there. I was thrown back. I wanted to, thank you both so much for having me on. I wanted to ask you so many questions about your time. And now I'm gonna have to force you to get dinner with me or a drink and be my dad's guys. I don't have a dad. So, um, I'll be your dad. Dana, you know, Dana's answer to that.

Thumbs up. Dead dad. We love that. Yeah. How do you know if the guy you're dating is the one? Is that- Yes, yeah. That's your first dinner question. That's the first dinner question. You can think on it and get back to me, but yeah, turns out- Well, if I can visit Dana, I'll come visit you too.

Smart sense of humor, kindness. Kindness, kindness is key. Smart sense of humor and kindness. Okay. Definitely kindness. Smart sense of humor, kindness. I'm Smart sense humor and kindness. Okay. Definitely kindness. Smart sense of humor, kindness. I'm gonna write it down. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm gonna go write it down. Thank you. And it's very nice to meet you. Great to meet you. Pleasure and I will see you soon. I'll put it that way. Yeah, Dana will see you.

Okay, see you soon. Okay, bye-bye. This has been a presentation of Odyssey. Please follow, subscribe. I'll leave a like, a review, all this stuff. the stuff smash that button whatever it is wherever you get your podcasts fly on the wall is executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade Jenna Weiss Berman of Odyssey and Heather Santoro the show's lead producer is Greg Holtzman