Good Hang with Amy Poehler - Will Forte

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

That's Orville Willis Forte IV to you. Amy hangs with her fellow 'SNL' alum and talks about working for Brett in finance, his infamous 'SNL' audition, and sharing a trailer wall with Tina Fey. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Tina Fey and Will ForteExecutive Producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Chris Wohlers, and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal Music: Amy Miles Athleta.com Designed for the Power of SheOne-time use. Not combinable. Subject to change Get anything delivered on Uber Eats. www.ubereats.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I'm very excited to introduce our guest today. It is Will Forte. Will, amazing actor, performer, writer, and my good friend who started at S&L pretty much the same time as me. So we get into those early years. Today we talk about his amazing S&L audition. We talk about how he became incredible at Donkey Kong. And we also talk about the four seasons, the great new show that he's on, on Netflix, currently with Tina Faye. And speaking of Tina Faye, we are asking Tina to join us and give us a question to ask our guest, Will Forte, and Tina is a friend of the pod. This is her third appearance. And technically, we probably need to start paying her. Tina, hi. Betty, can you hear me? This episode is presented by Athleta. Summer is here. It's time to get outside and get active. And Athleta has just what women need to move the way they want. That's shorts for every type of run from a casual jog on the beach to a competitive road race. There's scorts for on the court and pants for cool stretching.

And there's always a matchback bra and top to complete your outfit. For stylish, innovative active wear, the choice can only be Athleta. Power of She. Shop now at Athleta.com. Who are we looking at? That's Teddy. Teddy. Well, gosh, Teddy just responded to her, his?

His name, Teddy? Teddy. Oh, I wish you could smell him. Smells terrible. Betty, we were just saying that you are the official best friend of the pod because this is the third time you have been on the pod. Yay. Thank you for being here.

I want a three-timers jacket. Yeah, just like Esnell, we'll give you like a really heavy, ill-fitting robe. A really unflattering jacket. You have to wear every time. We're talking to you in New York and we're talking to the great Will Forte today. Yes. Congratulations, by the way, on your show. I love it.

Thank you. Thank you for watching it. We're going to be plugging it while he's here, but the four seasons, the four seasons out on Netflix. Currently streaming on Netflix. Yep. Right, Teddy? And then there's a dog version

for Teddy and other dogs. The dog version is a lot darker. What has it been like working with someone that you've known for so long and what's good about it? It was so easy to work with Will. And we upset. Like, you know, when you work with people at S&L,

you just know them by osmosis because you just stay up all night with them so many times you eat like a meat cold meatball off the table next to them even if you're not working directly together that much because will and i didn't really write together or you know um like i don't think we i don't think i've never had dinner with like just will like but it's just all osmosis and so i just was very comfortable with him i feel like we had a shorthand i feel like um i was never worried that he uh would be mad at me or not like me you know yeah just easy Yeah. And I knew he is a super hard worker because he is the hardest worker. Like he'll work himself to death.

I just found out today that he, he did 20,000 steps a day every day for the year 2024. 20,000, yeah, at least. And he would wear his, he would wear it almost like a court ankle bracelet. He would wear it under his costume when we were filming. And he would talk about how we got about 20,000 steps. And he would like get up at 5 o'clock in the morning before. he came to the shoot to get the first 10,000. Yeah. He also, one thing I learned about him is he, and I know his family and friends do love him, so I don't know why he is this way, but I feel like he is so responsive to any words of praise.

If you say like, well, you did a great job in that. He's like, he's like a plant that nobody watered for a week. He's like, thank you so much. He's so grateful. Like, I know your wife is nice to you, but he just really, I think his love language is words of affirmation. Oh, that's so good to know. He's telling him he's doing a great job on the podcast

and watch his face light up. He's going to light up. It's so true because, I mean, and it's so easy to talk about how great he is because he is so, not only is he so funny and a great writer and a really nice person, but he could have been in another world

like a finance bro. Like he's, or a jock. So interesting, Amy, because that was the main question I thought to ask him is I'd like to know if he had not ended up in comedy because I know anecdotally from talking to him that he had a lot of weird jobs. You know, he was like,

and he's almost like he's immortal because he describes chunks of his life. I'm like, that's too many chunks. Like, what do you mean that one time you went up to Alaska and were a salmon fisherman? Like, what do you mean? So he's had all kinds of jobs. And I wonder if he had not ended up

a comedy writer and then a performer what would he have been? What would it become of him? Great question. If in another era, if he had lived in another era, I feel like he would have been a really popular 70s game show host who then killed a bunch of nurses. And then they would, like, Mark Harmon would have played him in a movie.

Yep, that makes sense. But yeah, like, what would his life be like if he had gone a different route? And I'm going to talk to him just a little. a bit about some of his characters, because I feel like they just are so, like, they just kind of came with him and S&L. He had so many that he brought. But do you remember his audition? I kind of do, because I remember he did, I think he did Tim Calhoun, the really quiet guy writing for office is really quiet. And he did that kind of infamous silver face paint guy. Yeah.

his comedy is so truly unique his voice when you think of like mcgruber and um the falconer and all these and like all the kind of you know dance the dancing football coach and the the Halloween sketch where he's the guy who's supposed to tell everybody he's a registered sex offender his his or like the time he brought his lovely mom onto a weekend update and just like like was like going to tribute her, but it was just like, when you die. Like, I'm going to be so whatever. He has such a weird sense of humor. I wonder what comedy things shaped him

because I don't think it's the same stuff as everybody else. You know, but like what combination of comedy viewing and real life childhood trauma made this, made his comedy this. There's like a mischievous streak in him. Yes. I felt it a little bit in some of the scenes when you guys were throwing stuff at each other. Oh, yeah. Like, there was a little bit.

I was like, that is a little forte. Yes. He hits me with a cup. And I look genuinely really mad. But also he was like the obedient part of him was like so happy that he hit me with the cup on the first try. He likes anything that's close to sports. All right.

Thank you, Betty, for this time. Thank you. See you soon. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered by Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost?

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Order now. For alcohol, you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product Availability varies by region. See app for details. Okay, I'll officially start. We are with Will Forte. We are with Orville Willis Forte, the fourth. The fourth, yes. You're the fourth, Orville. I'm always pissed if somebody doesn't say the fourth. I know. You like... Sometimes people say the third, and it's like, that's my dad. Obviously. My mouth wants to say Orville Wilbur Forte, but it's not. It's Willis Forte.

Oddly, I accept that. I'm totally fine with Wilbur just because there's something fun about it. But the fourth is just, that's disrespectful if you get the fourth wrong. They named me the fourth, like, for a reason. Well, tell me who, because I love, you told me this very early on when we met, the names of all of, because you go by Will. But you do not go by Will. I go by Will. I was Billy as a kid.

but then I was born in 1970s, so when I started going to school, I started hearing about Billy Jean King, and people were like, you have a girl's name. And that was like a big deal. Like, so I was like, I am not Billy. I am Will. Will. And that's how, that's how, yeah, I think I just demanded a name change at like five or six years old. Okay, but then you went by Will. Then your dad went by. Dad was rebel. Yeah. Because he was born up by you. He was Weston, Massachusetts. So he's from Yankee territory.

But he was born in New Orleans. His dad was stationed down in rebel territory during World War II. I don't think it was still, I mean, yeah. So he went by, as a joke, they called him Rebel. And he went by Reb, right? He still goes by Reb. He still goes by Reb. He's still around.

Still skis. 80, almost 82, 82 in about three weeks, and he still skis. I'm here to say, both your parents, just attractive people. I just saw Patty, your mom, and Reb at the Four Seasons premiere. Your dad is a handsome silver fox. He's, he's kind of a white fox now. Yeah, he's a white fox. He's blending into the snow.

Patty looks incredible. Right? Yeah. Yeah, she's about turned 82 also. and she, if somebody, there are people who think she's in her, like, mid-60s. Yeah, she is like incredible skin. Yeah. You have very good genes.

Yeah. Will Forte, I was so excited to have you come today because I feel like all of us in, we like all went to the same comedy high school or something. Like we all graduated at the same time at a, from a place. And I feel like when we all see each other, it just feels like, Like, we, like, in fact, I was talking, Tina was talking about this. Like, it just feels like we all through osmosis just got to spend so many hours together. Yes.

Like, we really spend a huge chunk of our lives. I would even say it's more than a high school experience. It's like a family. Yeah. Like a real family. And that 50th really showed it, too, because there'd be a lot of people that you didn't meet that you felt like you knew. And it was just such a, like a warm homecoming with. those people that like you've heard of them they've heard of you and it's just like oh my god

I'm finally meeting you it was but but I mean for somebody you went through it with for as long as we did yeah that that you guys are all family I know and did you meet anybody for the first time at the 50th that you had never met like that you had never yes Melanie Hutzel Adam Driver I had never met and he was so sweet and Nathan Lane was there just people people like that. So it was just a delight. And then the capper was like right after we go through this long rehearsal. We had noticed Paul McCartney just hanging out in the bleachers.

And somebody said, you sticking around? Because Paul McCartney is doing sound check right now. So we're like, fantastic. So I just hung around and called my wife and my daughter, who's birthday, it was her fourth birthday. So I said, get Zoe out of bed right now. Get over here. She was like, she's, yeah, because she was taking a nap. So I said, get her up, get her up.

I was so mean. I was like, get down here right now. Slap on her week. Or I'm leaving you. I'm leaving this family. So she runs her down and I have this just priceless video of like her watching Paul McCartney singing. It was the very end of like, you know, the whole golden slumbers medley. Is Zoe the daughter that ate the ice cream for the first time?

Yes. She's this daughter Right here She's this one There's Cecilia Right there And there's Zoe For listeners

Will Forte Just lifted up his pants And showed us socks It has his daughter's faces on them Where did you get those socks? My wife gets them for me Like every

Every Christmas Every Father's Day Every birthday It's all I want All like I would say 90% Of my socks have somebody special's face on them.

I'm walking on my family all the time. You have two daughters, four and what? Four and two and a half. Well. They're so cute. Yeah, I started late. My wife got me when I first, when I first was, I think it was before the first one was born. She got a sweatshirt that she had made that said dad or grandpa, question mark.

Which was so great. And definitely most people would probably go, Grandpa. No. For sure. No way. As an older dad. How dare you? You've lived a lot of lives.

Like, you have a lot of versions of you before we met at S&L. You were, I mean, you were in finance before you worked in comedy. Yeah, but I was barely. And I was like, it was, I was, uh, I was in, intern, and it was what my dad did. So it was a big deal to me back then because it's what I thought I was going to do just because my dad did it. So I was thought, oh, I'll follow in his footsteps. And then as I was doing it, it was like, oh, this doesn't feel right. Maybe it's just because, you know, I was working for this guy. And he was a nice guy, but it's like, you know,

it was the thing that I was doing was kind of boring. I would just like call people on his behalf. And then right when I'd get them on the line, I would send them over to him. So I wouldn't have to, like, do the scary and exciting part of, like, trying to sell a product to this guy. Yeah, it's just like, get the person on the phone. Hold for this guy out of his, I don't want to say his name. He's a nice guy, but I like, I just, I've said it in the past. I'm like, oh, I don't know if he wants to be part of my stories. But he was great, but at a certain point, he said, his name's Brett.

He's a nice guy. I don't think he'd care. No, he won't care. Yeah. But he, at a certain point, he said, you know what? I want you to, I'm going to put you through the series seven, and you'll come over and be part of my, like the junior guy in my team or something like that. And I just, it was at that point that I was like, oh, I know myself. And if I, if I agree to this, I will.

never leave. Like I wouldn't go like Oh this my attitude would be This guy went out on a limb Took a chance on me I'm not going to just F him over But it is like when you came When my memory of you

Was when you came to S&L It was like you already had an aura Because it was like He was like he was worked As a brokerage firm And then he left to write comedy And you had already written For Letterman

and was it third rock from the sun? Third Rock from the Sun. You had two genuine and 70s show when you auditioned for S&L. I was trying to get out of the audition because I was under contract for 70 shows. So to me, I was like, I was like, I can't even do it anyway. I think we had just gotten picked up for two years in a row, which was unheard of. And so I was like, I finally had this job that's going to stick for a while and loved the job. and this experience at Letterman where I didn't do great

and I was like this felt like is this going to be another dream shattered so just like hold on to this thing that you know is you got for sure is burden the hand right? Yeah. So I just was like finally they talked me into coming to audition so I went and then I got the job. And you crushed your audition.

Your audition was, it was so funny, Will. Really? Yes. Well, thank you. It was so, I think it goes down as one of the best. Really? Oh, man. I think so.

I mean, I remember. By the way, look at that audition. You'll see the doughy forte for sure. A little. I probably was, yeah, 30 to 40 pounds heavier. Baby forte, like just, yeah. Just like cheeseburger forte. You did a bunch of characters in that.

audition that you ended up doing on the show. You did Tim Calhoun. You're the soft-spoken candidate. The speed reader ended up on the show. Yes, the speed reader that was the Spelling Bee guy? Spellingby guy was kind of just Tim Calhoun. That's true. A different setup. That's true. But those were the two. I did. I was not, I mean, you know my impressions. Me too. They're so bad. I can do a Kermit the Frog. That's. That's, I think it. Did you do permit? I did Michael McDonald, which is like, I did the things everybody could do.

And I did Martin Sheen, but I said, like, it was, it didn't. Like a West Wing Martin Sheen or an apocalypse now, Martin Sheen? It was just like an old person voice kind of, or like, I mean, he was not to, no disrespect, not, but just like, for me at the time I was 32. Yeah. And like, I just kind of said, hi, I'm Martin Sheen. And what I said, I've had. kind of a cold lately so if this doesn't sound

like me it's because of the cold but you know if it does sound like me then I guess the cold is gone or something like that oh my god that's so good and then you did the amazing character that did end up on SNL once which is the silver face oh it did it at dress rehearsal but it didn't

make the show it didn't make the show but I was so thankful that it didn't because can you just tell people about that, though, for people that don't know. Because it is, it is legendary that you did it in the audition. There, it was something I used to do with the groundlings, and I would, it was a gold man. Excuse me, not silver. It was gold.

No, no, no, no, it's totally fine. So sorry. I'm so sorry. No, no, no. Everyone always says, Silverman when they, I think, I think there are more people out on the streets that are silver than gold. Because it's just less expensive. Yeah, right? Exactly.

Anyway, so I, it's one of those guys who's, you know, dressed all in silver, silver, or you got me. Dressed all in gold, frozen, and then if you put money in his thing, he, you know, moves around like a robot and then freezes until somebody puts more money in. So I did this sketch where it was, you know, had a thing that said dollars make me move. So a robber comes up. At the groundings, it was Jim Rash. And Jim Rash comes up and takes the money out, and I can't move because he's not putting money in. So I'm just stuck there until somebody else finally comes back and puts a dollar in. And then I, like, try to find this guy.

And I'm like, he's nowhere to be seen. In a very robot way. In a very robot way. Sadly go back up onto my perch. And then somebody else, Jeremy Rowley comes up. He's a kid with Kevin Ruff and says, Daddy, why's the gold man look so sad? And he's, you know, well, maybe if you ask him, he'll tell you.

Or maybe if you put a dollar in, he'll tell you. Maybe if you put $2 in, you'll tell you in song. And so then I do this song, and that's what I did for the. And can you tell everyone what the song was? And I tried to do what I just told you in. I tried to do that in like 15 seconds. Yeah. I don't think I did it, but it was like...

So there's this guy. So, so, do you know... So what was the song, though? It's an incredible song. So this is the... Yeah, so I just set it up. I almost like retold the setup again. So keep in mind.

Okay. So we are. Just because I'm a man made of gold. also just so you know before I do this so he puts in the $2 the kid puts in the $2 and then a bunch of people start gathering around Maya Rudolph being one of them just because I'm a man made of gold doesn't mean I'm made out of money

but the calling I found is to give people pleasure their incredibly precise robotic movement That's why I come out to the streets To help me make ends meet And I work real hard to fill up that jar But in a bad apple ruins a barrel Heart of gold 24 carrot

But through all the pain I grinning I bear it Heart of gold But I'm living at gold and dream because any way you slice it we're all on the same team come on now everybody

and everybody starts singing along Heart of gold 24 carrot but through all the pain I grin and I bear it the magazine grins and it bears it Heart of gold but it don't make me no saint

because I got a little secret I saw cock for my face Come on, stay with them, everybody, come on. Hard a guy, I suck cock for my face pain. I suck a cock for my face pain. Cock, face pain. I suck, cock for my face pain. I suck that cock for my face pain, face pain, face pain.

Cock, face pain, face pain, face pain, cock and face pain. Cock, cock, cock, cock, cock, cock, cock, cock, face pain. Face paint, face paint, cock, cock, cock, face paint, cock, cock, face, cock, cock, face, cock, cock, together at last in a heavenly union. Cock, cock, cock, cock, cock, and then just kind of go out. And at this point, everybody's left, and then I'm just gone. Together at last in a heavenly union. Yeah.

So I did that a bunch at the groundlings. And you did it for your S&L. And I did it for my S&L audition. I remember walking out. Lauren was there and just kind of do when I said. And I didn't know what to say. So I just said, sorry about all the cocks. And then left.

And I got the job. I can remember the reaction to that and how hard people were laughing on a notoriously, like, cold room. Like, that room is very, like, people were dying laughing. That's really nice. to hear because like, I mean... You don't remember that? No, because you're so focused on it. And especially if you're singing, if you're doing anything loud,

you can't really hear something until there's quiet. And this is just like constant noise. And I might have even had my music. Yeah. Like there's this guy, Teddy Zambetti, thank you, Teddy. Like the, who was the musical director at the Groundlings at the time I did that. gave me this tape of the music so I could do it to the music. And yeah, so I didn't know.

I didn't, you know, you walk out of there. You just have no idea how you did. And then I actually, at some point, I went up to Lauren's office. Because I think also like because I had been such a little pain in the ass about even going out to audition, I think he was like, you know. Are you going to take this job, you know, if I give it to you kind of thing? Well, it was the weirdest thing because I went in. there and I was like, I think he was basically saying, you know, basically saying you have the job. Right, but he doesn't like to actually tell anybody, but he notoriously doesn't ever like hire or fire anybody.

He's very enigmatic about it. He said something like. And when you start, you know, like that kind of thing. When one works here. Yeah, I remember with him, he was like, and, you know, there'll be a time when you're here and people will be. And I was like, did I get hired? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, like skipping the part where it's like, so let me be clear, you've got the job, and moving on to like... You know, in your first year, you're going to find, and you're like, my first year here? Yeah. Like, but to me, I fill in the blanks of the first part that he glides over as like, you're very much on the fence, probably not going to get this job. But if you were lucky enough, if I, you know, somehow make a bad decision and hire you, in your first year, you would, you know, and then that's... stuff. Right, right. You got the job and then you had to go back and you had to turn down like a secure job. Well, if you remember this. Did you do double dip? No, I went back there and I was like, I'm not going to leave 70's show. That's right. Will you at such a badass move

because, I mean, it is. I was just a puss. I was scared. But you said, I can't, you turned it down. I did. You said, I can't do it because I have other obligations. And just like, like a lady who doesn't answer her text SNL was like I've never been more attracted to you I mean it was like double down

everyone was like what I was I mean everyone's like oh what a punk rock move and like little as they know I'm like you know yeah yeah and I'm like

oh thank God I didn't have to go because I know I would have failed and I was just like so it was totally a decision based in fear. And thank God, at the end of that situation, at the end of the year where I wrote at 70's show, and it was great, but I thought about it all the time. Like, oh, I should have done it. I should have done it. And thank God, Lauren came back. I remember Spivey calling me up and saying, or no, we went to somebody's wedding. That was it. We were at a wedding and Spivey and

Spivey and Maya were both there. And so they were, we talked about it a little bit, and I said, yeah, I kind of regret not doing it. I really regret not doing it. And so they came back, Lauren came back and said, would you want to come audition again? And I, and so I said, yes. And then Mark Brazil, the guy who was my boss at 70s show, said, you got to go do this. do this and you have a job here if you, yeah, if it doesn't work out, just come right back here. When you got on the show, did you ever feel secure, safe, or did you always feel like you had to hustle every week for your stuff?

Like, did you ever have a moment where you relaxed? I started relaxing like year seven maybe. Yeah. It was that my first year, everyone's terrified, right? I mean, you were just like, you seem like you were a pretty instant sensation. But it's, it was tough with, because like a bunch of, I mean, it was a lot of like white dudes. And so you had, like it's, you know. It was 2001 and a lot of white dudes.

It was a huge cast. It was like 17 people. And so you're, you're trying to get your stuff on, right? And you're trying to get noticed. And then I got somehow the George Bush role. So it's like, you know, we talked earlier like, I don't do impersonations. And like, it was a match not made in heaven. Yeah, you didn't like that.

I mean, Will Ferrell was George Bush. He was George W. Bush. He was so good at it. It was, I mean, I, like, I said this before, but it, it, anybody replacing, it's like trying to replace the church lady, trying to have somebody else do that or like, you know, you just, he made it such his own thing that like, they should have just retired it. But of course, you can't retire the sitting president on S&L. You have to have, somebody has to be doing it. And I just like, I had to be that guy.

So it was like I was kind of a let down for a year as Bush. It is interesting to watch and pay attention to how impersonations get passed around and sometimes they hit. Sometimes they don't. And yeah, you have a job to do so you have to do it. But yeah, I know. And then as I feel you the same way, like it didn't take me until later on where I started to feel relaxed. But when you started to feel relaxed, like I feel like all of your. Oh, well, the story that led to kind of relaxing is it was.

after the third, sorry to cut you off. No, please. But I think this was after my third season there, or it might have been after the second season. There was this big period where they were like, rightly saying something's a little off with this show, let's figure it out, put a bunch of us on hold. I think you might have been one of the only people

who wasn't put on hold for, like, they just picked you up. but like 10 of us, just a bunch of us had our, there's a time for people who don't know, there's a time in like July where they are contractually obligated to tell you if you're getting picked up for the next season. And then sometimes they will make a request to have three extra weeks. And they did that with a bunch of people, and that's always scary.

And then I got to the end of that three weeks. A lot of people had gotten picked up, and they asked for, this was Friday, they said, said, can we tell you Monday? And I'm like, what am I going to say? So I'm like, sure. Then on Monday, they said, we're not going to be able to tell you until Wednesday. And then that went on jumping every two days for three more weeks. Three more weeks. And I was the very last person who got asked back. Everybody else, I don't even think they cut anybody that year. They just- They just tortured everybody.

But then what happened was eventually Lauren called me up. And it actually, was a good thing because he said he said here's your deal you still have a writer mindset um when you write your own things you commit to them fully and you're you're really good about that but then when other people write things you're you get timid and you're and and and and you know in my head i'm like oh you freaking don't you're so stupid of course that's not happening and of course he was 100% right. That was like, I would remember back to at 70's show if I'd write something and somebody's like, or just any job, you write something and you're like, no, that's, you know, I'd say,

nope, that's not how it's meant to be said. And it's like, so I, in my head, when I'm doing these sketches that other people have written, it's like, I could hear them going like, oh, he's blowing it, he's not doing it. Oh, interesting. So the timidity came not from like you not caring or not trying, but it was like you were afraid that they were thinking this isn't right. I wanted to do it exactly how they

wanted it but didn't know how they wanted it and so I was kind of timid and he's like you just got to take ownership over the sketch. Be as weird. Yeah, just be as big and weird in your stuff. And it was like it really like it could have gone either way. It could have been, I could

have just like receded into the shell and melted down and for some reason it became this thing of like, oh it's all gravy from here. I could have just been fired. I wasn't fired. Yeah. And so like, you know, I got to give it to Lauren. He was totally right and really somehow, you know, it was kind of a master stroke of genius. That is a really good, good feedback and good note. So that, but it is still probably took another two years before I was like feeling

safe. Do you remember that we sat next to each other at the read-through table? You and I were next to each other. Do you remember when we had the guy come for the sexual harassment? I certainly do. Do you remember what we were doing during it? I mean, I think it was like drawing pictures of dicks or something. I assume it's something. I mean, my memory again is bad. We were consensually and appropriately just with each other, I believe,

drawing pictures of penises and giving them back and forth to each other. And then I accidentally handed that sheet of paper to the very nice man who had just done the entire. seminar because I thought it was the sign-in sheet. Do you know this part? And I forgot that part. And he was like, what's this? And I said, oh, that's the wrong.

Sir, that's the wrong paper. But moving forward, I mean, look. There are so many things I look back now and I go like, you think, oh, it's all about getting the laugh. I agree. And I feel that's what like is that's the part about getting older and being in being in comedy as you have to like figure out like oh it's like everything has an expiration date I mean there's like even even on the 50th when they said like here's all they had that

segment of like I which is like here's all the ways we got things wrong and they showed way inappropriate casting for people you know we all played people that we should not have played I misappropriated I appropriated I didn't know I did know like it It's very real, and the best thing you can do is, like, make repair, learn from your mistakes, do better. Like, it's all you can do. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Square. You're not just running a restaurant.

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your tools should to. Visit square.ca to get started. Okay, so four seasons, congratulations. Thank you. It's so great. Thank you. I watched the whole thing. Tina and I were on tour when it premiered.

Will, you are so good in it. Thank you. Oh, me. Man. You're so good. I mean, you know how good you are. I love watching you act. I just think you're such a great actor. I love it. I'll tell you, like, and how fun was it to make. This will sound like avoiding a compliment, but I really mean it. Like, the way those guys write is makes you look like such a good actor. It's like their writing is so good. Yeah. It just like, and that goes for all Tina shows. Like, you know, 30 Rock, getting done. to do the character I got to play in 30 Rock, the Paul Lasinameh. It's just like, it's the, what, the stuff that I got to say was just a gift every single time.

And it's like, anybody could have done that. It really is like such good writing. You and Tina had such a flow and you were really sweet together, and we really bought you as a couple. And I just love seeing you also play, because you have the capacity to play such really, like, you know, deeply funny,

original and eccentric characters. You've played a lot of eccentric characters. And I loved seeing you play this kind of person because he was very, he's very close to how I perceive you, Will. Yeah, a lot of similarities, I think. Yeah. So I talked to Tina before this,

you know, we like to talk about people behind their back in a good way and ask people what I should ask you. And so I talked to Tina before you came on and she had a couple good questions for you. One was, which I think we may have already covered, but like if you weren't a comedy writer, like you, you've had a lot of different like versions of you. Do you see a parallel world? If you, if you never, if you never comedy actor and writer, what would you have been? I think I would have been

ideally a college professor. Like, like, like some kind of history. I just, there's something Well, you're a white male of a certain age, so you're obsessed with history. Yeah, it would have been white history. Yeah. I just, I love, I love walking around campuses. That makes me sound a little bit, like a creep a little bit. I love walking around campuses. I love walking around campus.

Seeing those young people. And then comedy view. Oh, I wrote down her question, which was like, when you were growing up, who did you, who were your comedy? Who did you see and you thought, oh. Like, who are your influences, basically? I would say, number one was Steve Martin. Peter Sellers was another big one. Every S&L, just every S&L, just S&L, David Letterman.

Those are the four. But, I mean, you know, Monty Python, SCTV, so much stuff. But like Steve Martin, definitely my number. one always. Yeah, Steve Martin for our generation, because we're about the same age, it was like so big. Did you watch that documentary? His doc, that, that somehow happened. Oh my, it's so good.

Morgan Neville. It's so good. And it's really moving because it feels like in the same way that the S&L 50th felt like our entire life, you know, it started when we were three that show. Yeah. Steve was like the big star when we were little kids. And, like, he just, he just spans our life, too. Yeah.

I mean, all those stand-up albums and, and, yeah, but the jerk. I mean, the jerk. It was, for me, it was, it all, but then, and there's still things that I stumble on to that I, you know, had never seen, like, somehow I had never seen the, what was it, the great flydini. Oh, yeah. Have you seen? But there are, you know, I'm, I'm sure I'm leaving out a million things.

you know, was a huge fan of Cheers and that's, you know, that. Love Cheers. Cheers was in Boston, which was such a big deal growing up. Yeah, yeah. Even though not one person had an authentic Boston accent in that show, but including Cliff. It was not, I was not an authentic accent. But that was such a big deal. Like, Cheers felt like, oh, this was like a show for us or something. Yeah.

But I loved Cheers. Yeah. So good. I mean, still. A pilot of cheers and one of the best pilots ever. Yeah. And I look back now, every once in a while, I'll go back and watch them. And it's just, it's still so amazing, like, the storytelling is so good.

Those writers are just cream of the crop. And what are you watching today looking at, listening to reading? What do you, like, how do you check out? How do you zone out? Like, how do you get yourself? happy or laugh like what do you where do you go what do you watch i i i play a lot of sidoku for some reason it used to i have a bunch of things like checklist i've never played sedoku i used to be i'm i'm i mean i'm still a big crossword you know i do the new york times crossword puzzle but usually

i'll just wait till saturday to do saturday and sunday saturday's hard i know but just want to jump to that i know it's a humble brag I love it. It's a learned skill. But it's like... And you, and people don't know that you had like one of the highest scores ever in Donkey Kong. That's true. That's true.

Which is, you know, yeah, that's a big factor in, you know, measuring somebody's brain capacity. But what was your score and how did you get it? It was very high and... Where was it measured? Okay, so I was down in... Here's the story about that. I think I had the... At one point, I had the 29th high...

highest registered donkey Kong score. Okay. The word registered should be in bold print. Because, so I was down doing that movie, good old-fashioned orgy. Right. With Sedacas and Lake Bell and Tyler Labine and Pete and Alex, Pete Hike and Alex Gregory, just a million people, Lindsay Sloan. It was so fun.

It was this very fun summer. And I was the person in this movie, it's a group of friends who are going to all have an orgy. And I was in, I was the friend, me and Lucy Punch, played the couple that they didn't want to be at the orgy. I forget why. I think we were, because we were married or, yeah, but they didn't want us in the orgy. So I was basically only in like every fourth day. And so I found this bar that I would just go down to this bar that had a donkey Kong in it. And I wouldn't even drink there. I would just go and play Donkey Kong. And then there was this JLK, I still remember, JLK was, had all the high scores.

And I'm like, I'm going to get this fucker off this high score that I'm going to beat this guy. So I start getting better and better. And then I'd go home and I'd look up, you know, tips for how you get through this level that I was, and, you know, so I'm spending hours and hours all my off days. And so I'm getting better and better. Well, eventually I get a pretty high score. And I showed there was this guy, Leo, Leo Daniels, I think was his name. And he was, you remember, King of Kong? Yes, of course, that movie.

Well, he was like, I think he was the record holder for Defender or there were a couple different games that he was big in that scene, but he was, he was on our crew for a good old-fashioned orgy. So I showed him this picture. I'm like, check this out, not bad, huh? And he's like, that's pretty good. And I'm like, oh, really? And he said, yeah, that's pretty good.

By the way, it was higher than JLK. So he sent it to that guy, Walter, who was the, if you've seen King of Kong, I forget Walter's last name, but he was the guy who would watch the videotapes. And I didn't videotape it, but he just, I think he made a special S&L. And he said, I'm going to put you in the books. So he registered it. Holy moly. But that's a thing.

There are probably a million people who have higher scores. but like who's going to register their donkey Kong score. If you're going for a high Donkey Kong score, you're going to register it. Sure, but I was just like having fun. This was my own, I was establishing my own levels that I wanted to get to. Sudoku. I didn't do it for the glory. And what about what makes you laugh?

What are you like laughing at? The kids, I mean, they're so freaking funny. Okay, there's a video that I saw of your daughter eating ice cream for the first time. and if I may describe it because Tina and I were talking about it It is the cutest We were saying it's like It's such precious IP

You could sell it And then do an animated series off of it It is Can you explain what happens? She's I mean I could play the audio Oh let's play the audio Oh it's so It really is

It's so cute Listeners it's like I mean I wonder if you have to see it But she's, is she having ice cream for the first time? No, she's had ice cream before, but it's freezing. So what you can't see is like she is pounding this ice cream and she's like shivering and shaking. And then, but she keeps going and then she keeps getting brain freezes. And we know that she comes from an ice cream family because you love ice cream.

Yes. Here, I'll show it to you so you can see it. You're shivering. You're not cold? No. Why are you shivering? Because of my legs are bumpy. Because of my legs are bumpy.

Because what? Your legs are bumpy? She's deeply shivering and eating ice cream. You are so funny. You got ice cream up on your glasses, too. And then she crosses her eyes. trying to see it on her glasses. Where? Right here.

She crossed her eyes to find the ice cream on her glasses. I got a brain freeze. You got a brain freeze. That's her second brain freeze. It seems like she's going to die, and then she just, after this one, I think she dives right back in. It's your second brain freeze. So that's basically this. cute it's it helps to see the visuals because when you say like you have she had like ice cream

appearance like you have ice cream on your glasses or whatever she goes little kids with glasses are so cute well you would love both my kids then because they have shitty eyes eyes like little they both have one has little pink glasses and one has purple that's one of the things I do to it's so cute one of my like um go to comfort watches as I watch videos of little kids getting glasses for the first time. That is the best or kids who some have like cochlear implants or soldiers coming home and surprising their kids at school. Absolutely. They're all in the same category. Dogs coming, dogs being away from elephants, elephants, yeah. Who used to be trained by a guy and then they run back to the guy and they hug the guy.

anything any reuniting and any like I mean when you see a little baby that's just kind of like not focusing and then they put those little glasses on them and the baby sees their mom and then they smile forget it yeah I love those videos it's so good and then because of the rule of threes and because I too often have to circle back and close the loop I feel like on behalf of one of my producers jack here I need to ask you about this particular sketch will you are one of the people that when I say like I'm going to have you on every person I know but a lot of men I know you're their favorite and also they want to talk about their favorite sketches that you've done like they want me to mention it

and the one that Jack wants me to mention Jack I feel like right I just feel like we can't end without it okay because is clancy

you know is glass of beer. Okay. So can you just tell us, for those people that don't know that sketch, can you just... Well, first of all,

it's jar of beer. I'm so sorry. I forgive you. Oh, my God. I would be... What did I say? Glass of beer? How could I?

You only say it 10 times. It's a glass jar. It's a glass jar. I mean, we don't... It's glass parentheses unspoken. But, but like... So, so sorry. So can you just tell us

how that sketch came about? And for people that don't know. So we... How do you even explain it? This was me and Whig and John Solomon wrote a sketch that was like a Thanksgiving sketch. It was just people singing. Yeah, I forget the tune, but it was like, guess who's coming to, you know, Thanksgiving dinner this year? And then it was just a bunch of weird names like, Pessimelia Giltwizna, Fruge, Frem, you know,

Gibble, you know, Betsy Peeblepoove and all these weird, weird things. And it did not make it. It was like fun, but it made it to dress rehearsal, I think. Yeah. The next time we went in, we did, we figured out the thing of like, oh, we'll sing about toddlers, Malti, car. I think it just started out. The first song we wrote, it was going to be a bunch of different songs.

And then. We picked those things and we're like, what if every single one has those things? And then it became about that. But then the first time we put it up at a table read, it was like existing songs. So it was like, highway to the toddler zone. I remember that. Gonna, you know, drink a jar of beer in a spaceship in the toddler zone. And then just, you know, jam.

And so it was probably 10 different songs that would have been the most expensive sketch of all time. So they said, get out of our face with that. So we were like, oh, let's do that because we love the concept of the, you know, the weird thing. So we just wrote original songs, and that was kind of how we did it. And it was Jackie and Clancy and Clancy T. Baclerat. That's right. And you guys just sang songs. About toddlers, jars of beer, spaceships, and, wait.

And Model Tika. Oh, Toddler, did you hear when I whispered in your ear About the spaceship that was parked in your yard Next to a model T car And some beer in a jar But without any gas, they couldn't get too far That was one of the most fun to ever get to do I remember watching that

I remember you doing it at the table And you know, like I said, you were next to me So it was really loud Always, I'm sorry No, it was incredible And you and Wigg were You and we did so many funny things together. You're such a, like, you're just so great together.

I mean, and Kristen's genius. Yeah. But that one felt particularly fun because just like how you said, it kind of felt like you were, both of you felt like you were in like your senioritis. Like it was very like loose and stupid and fun that you can only get to if you've been on the show for a while. Like you just, I don't know, you have to kind of earn it and get there. And that felt like that kind of sketch. It definitely was a really, you know, they would always say like you'd put stuff up and it would seem to go well at the table and it wouldn't get picked.

And they'd say like, just wait. You know, when you're there for long enough, those things will start getting picked. And it was right. It was right. Like, you know, certainly there were still a couple times when you're like, hey, I want, you know, I deserve the old senior. And it was never, like, I was never, I never went in thinking like, hey, I deserve this because I'm a senior. I wouldn't, freaking, I would never want something that I thought sucked to get on. I was a part of a lot of things that sucked, by the way, that I, you know, probably liked myself.

But to me, it was like, if something went well at the table read, it deserved, like, when you're in your seventh year, you deserve a shot. Yep. And sometimes, by the way, sometimes there'd be shows that were chock full of good stuff. Yeah. And so I understand it with that. But then every once in a while I'd be like, okay, that thing made it in. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

I mean, that was a lot of it was just like, oh, okay, they're doing another one of those. Okay. But that sketch from beginning to end is and remains everybody's favorite. And so to end our podcast today, will you? Oh, can I tell you? Well, one, Tina. We did so much press, and I can't believe this never came up. But, like, Tina, in the making of the four seasons, we all had what's called two bangers.

Yeah. Two banger trailers. So basically, there'd be a trailer with a wall in the middle, and the toilets would be up against the wall. And so I wanted to be very extra respectful. like I wanted her to know that like I don't even know I just want at some point I'm like I just wanted you to know I'm never in there trying to listen to you know what's going on if I hear that you even come close to that bathroom

I'm going this is an example where I know your intention is good but you're bringing something up that no one would think like no one would think that everyone's thinking it you kidding everyone's thinking it it's so quiet in there. I can, like, hear if she, like, starts writing a letter at the far end of the trailer, it's like, oh, she's writing a letter. It's like, oh, it's a blue envelope.

Yeah, you can hear everything. So you said, just so you know, I'm not trying to listen to you go to the bathroom. I just want you to feel comfortable. Like, if you ever go in there, I go in and I put on some music. Yeah. And the door shut. Sweet. I'm just not in there.

And so we, so it became this joke thing. And then we had a system where, we ever heard Iron Maiden that was like clear out of here damage is being done I can't believe that never came up we just like did a full press junket all did talk shows

and it's like that was like that's actually like that loving care is actually what like a real marriage is like what you're just talking about like how you and Tina are like keeping each other's boundaries and also I'll tell you that was like

that was a really nice thing because, like, to get to go through that experience, A, you know, forget about it with, like, the honor of getting to play Tina's husband. Like, what a, professionally, what a thrill. Yeah. But personally, to get to have that experience, we're hanging out so much. And, like, she was, you know, got to hang with my family. Yeah. It was just, it was very special to go through that with her.

Yeah, that's awesome. I loved it. Thank you. All right. I want, but can you sing the glass Oh my God, I did it again. Can you sing the jar of beer? Do you remember the jar of beer song?

Oh, Clancy, can you take right out to Spaceship Camp? Does a toddler have a Boiler, frying egg up with the frying part? So hop in, model tea car. Oh, look a spaceship. Toddler and a model tea car, spaceship camp. I forgot. I mean, that was butchering it.

I just remember also I was like, Spaceship curve. Oh, my God. Well, I love you. You're so great. I love you. Thank you so much for doing this.

So, it is so fun. It's just so nice to spend time together. It's kind of like, we've barely see you anymore. We should, we should hang out more. I would love that. I would love that. I love every time I get to see you. And that's been the best thing about this is like get to spend like an hour

and a half talking while people watch. Yeah. Thank you, buddy. Thank you. Thank you so much, Will. Love you, and you're just so hilarious always and love talking to you today. And, you know, Will talked about Donkey Kong and a great documentary about Donkey Kong is called King of Kong. And I just wanted to say in The Polar Plunge, check out King of Kong.

It came out maybe almost 20 years ago. It's a documentary directed by Seth Gordon, a great director who went on to direct movies like horrible bosses and identity thief. And he actually directed a few episodes of Parks and Recreation in the early days. And it is just this incredible tale of men and their love of a particular game. So check it out. Check out four seasons and check out this podcast. See you soon. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.