Happy Sad Confused - Alison Brie

Episode Date: September 7, 2015

The incredibly talented Alison Brie, star of Community and Mad Men joins Josh this week to talk about working with Jason Sudeikis on her latest film Sleeping With Other People, her bond with cheese, being a snobby theatre kid growing up, and her first gig on Hannah Montana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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howl.fm website. Go to howl.fm. That's howwl.fm and use the promo code happy for one month free trial of premium. Hey guys, welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and this is my podcast. In just a few moments, you'll hear the lovely sounds of Alison Brie, Star of Community, Mad Men, and sleeping with other people. But before that, let's just talk you and I. Actually, let me bring in some friends. Let me introduce you to the After Hours Players.

Michael Wolfe and Joel Hanick Hi guys Hi how's it going That just sounded disingenuous You kind of had an announcer affectation And maybe the only time you referred to us As a friend

Instead of a minion If you've listened to past episodes Of Happy Second Fused You've heard from both Joel and Michael in the introductions They are equal components Of the creative engine That powers after hours

In my interviews and they just so happen to both be in my office right now. So this is kind of special. Yeah, this is the first time we've ever been in a room together. That's not true. For a long time, I thought that we were the same person. Because I was like, I'm never in the same place as him. We must be the same person.

You're both equally miserable people in your own way. Yeah, that's a pretty good point. So I liked how you said you're going to hear the sounds of Alison Brie. Yeah. Do you think maybe we should do some of those sounds, give them a taste? You want to, you want to cue them up? Well, you were, because we made a soundboard out of it. Michael, you were.

Michael, you were in the room. Yes. I allowed you to watch. You like to watch. Yeah. Actually, you were around when I... I wasn't around for the podcast. You're right.

I'm losing it. So what here's... With her in Jason Sudunkus. Yes, a little context. So Allison came by the other day yesterday as we tape this to do the podcast, sat in my weird, creepy office, and was nice enough to chat about a great many things, including sleeping with other people, which is a fine new film opening this Friday, September. 11th. And, of course, her run on community and Mad Men. She's newly engaged to the equally

lovely Dave Franco. What a cute couple. Come on. Oh, I didn't know that. You didn't know? Yeah. They were a power couple. I tried to stay out of other people's business. You're not the right business then. Journalism, et cetera. Yeah, no. If I was a journalist, I just have no questions because that's your business. I leave you alone. You leave me alone. Whatever. You volunteer. That's fine. Yeah, exactly. So, Alison, stopped by for the podcast. It was lovely. And then afterwards, we, uh, we did it for real. No, we went, we, we, we did a, I didn't mean that. God, you guys just looked at that. Dave's going to be mad. No, I didn't mean that. I meant, I meant we did it for real meaning we did

it on camera. Oh, God, I need to stop talking. We talked on camera. Yes. In an interview setting. No, no, nothing happened. Although, uh, although R2D2 was, uh, used as a sex object in the course of the interview with her and Jason Sudecas. I gotta say this was one of the most sexually explicit video interviews I've seen. You made them demonstrate how they mastered. Well, let's not say it made them. Come on, that's like, I'm forcing them like a gunpoint. Yeah, the gun wasn't pointed at them.

I had it staring at going up in the air. Exactly. A knife I was brandishing. No, they were hysterical. And it was appropriate if that's the word given the film, which is highly sexual in nature. I mean, it's a romantic comedy, but it's actually a very raunchy romantic comedy.

but it was a fun interview so check out that on ntv.com we're cutting that video next week or actually this week as you listen to this check out the fun interview with jason and allison and in a moment you'll hear the lovely extended conversation with Allison alone what's going on guys what do we need to know about your lives right now what's new we've all had sex right in general or with each other just to put that on the table yeah great okay why are you know why are you guys Why is that fit under what's new? Just making sure we all knew. Okay, okay. Yeah, it's not new. Fair enough. I regret asking you what's going on. Here's some questions from Twitter, okay?

Here we go. If you had to choose one person you've interviewed to go for drinks with, who? Oh, man. That's a tough one. Who would be fun, I think. Joel, it's like you have a suggestion. What do you got? Well, I was in a set.

First one that came to mind was, well, Bill Murray. Oh, Bill, that's a good one. Bill Murray, I would say Jennifer Lawrence would be fun. She's a good time gal. Who else? Who else he got? Michael, who do you want to drink with celebrity wise? Let's see.

Betty White. I wasn't around from Betty White, but hell yeah. Man, yeah, I'd have Piedia Light with her. Will Ferrell. Good to kind of kick back a few. Danny McBride. Oh, it would be a treat. McBride would be a good one.

Simon Pegg, I think I'd have a lot of fun with Simon. Nice. These are excellent, excellent suggestions. Oh, and of course, Bill Murray. And Bill Murray. That was Joel's credit. Okay. Favorite Jennifer Lawrence moment. I assume this means in our illustrious work together.

I would... I don't think when she was conceived. Yeah, no, that was a good start. But I would say the after-hour sketch we did way back when, Joel remembers this. We kind of caught her right at the right moment. She had just signed on for Hunger Games. Before she knew that she could say no. Yeah, before she knew any better.

That she was better than you. Exactly. No, but it was a really fun shoot. And it was basically her getting me ready for it was the time I was going to co-host the movie awards pre-show for the first time. And she was getting me in line for that. And she was hysterical. And it's a funny sketch to this day.

Was she coming right off of the Winter's Bone movie? Uh, Winter's Bonehead had just happened. Oh, that's a funny movie. She had signed on for X-Men. The world was at her feet, Michael. Yeah. It was a good time to be alive. It's really exciting.

Yeah, and that's a funny sketch, too. I feel like you don't mean it. No, I do. That's one that I really enjoy it. I mean, they're all great. They're all great. But what's cool is that people can go on to YouTube and see so many great older after our sketches. But I do think, yeah, she was great.

It was just something where you meet her and she was like, what, what, 21 or two or three of the time? And it's like, you're just. You're just to have your life figured out. You're just a human who has found their place in the world. Right. And we're just... Do you think that all ever happen to you, Joel? No.

That's why I was envious when I saw it. And in a person, yeah. She was okay with you just crying in the corner. Oh, you were angry at me at that shoot because I blamed you for something. You called me up. You flubbed a line. Yeah. Then immediately turned to me and said, what are you doing?

You're doing nothing. Quit chewing gum. No, I didn't say that. This is on tape. That does not sound like me. And then she said, yeah, don't be Joaquin on Letterman or something. But I just learned that your instinct was because you looked bad in front of Trevor Lloyd's. Let's make fun of the guy who's not in the scene.

Wow, I'm not a good human being. No one's contested. I was waiting for you guys to maybe, no? Hey, Twitter. Get at Josh Horowitz if you think he's a good human being. Speaking of Twitter, always send in your questions to Joshua Horowitz. Now that it's been revealed, I'm a horrible human being. I apologize, Joel.

I feel badly. Thank you. It's on record. And Joel, how do you feel? It's going to take time. This was a long time coming. This was like four or five years ago. I mean, so it might be time to move on.

There's a lot of other things on the list of things you should apologize to me for. That I can cross off. There's some really cool after hours sketches coming up. We've been doing some fun brainstorm. We've pitched a lot of great talent. And actually, a lot of great talent has said yes, which is insane. So look out for some really funny sketches coming out on MTV's MTV News's YouTube channel. And in the meantime, let's get right to it, guys, shall we?

Here is the lovely, the talented, the star of sleeping with other people. Check it out this Friday, Alison Bree. Do you ask her about the Lego movie? No, I failed. It's good anyway. Listen to it. Bye. Thank you for stopping by today.

Should we just jump right in? Yeah. I feel like I want to kind of situate. Yeah, I got to situate. So I can face it. So I'm not like turned sideways. I don't want you facing you. We can have a regular conversation.

This is how I do my thing. Is that okay? So, Allison, how have you been? Wait, I'm just realizing as I say this, the people listening don't realize what I'm doing. I'll just describe it. He's sitting across from you, but he's angle. in such a way that he's turned away from me, sort of perpendicular to me,

but his head is looking further towards the wall. And now I'm like going into some kind of like shock. Don't look at me. It's good to talk to you today. We've never really, like, I think I spoke to you once at Sundance for Save the Date. Yeah. But I'm excited to talk to you about this film

and about all your crazy shenanigans throughout your life. Yeah. Are you ready? There've been some crazy ones. What's the craziest shenanagant, Alice? Where to begin, where to begin. Oh, wait, here's something. Let's start with a name.

Let's start go really basic. Okay. Okay. Bree. Yes. A delicious cheese. Yes. I love Brie cheese.

I mean, you would not be a human being. That's why I use that as my name. No, that's not my. It's my middle name. Do you feel any kinship with the cheese because of that? Do you feel any kind of? I do. I do.

I have this great plate at home. that has like a cartoon drawing of Lionel Richie and it says, hello, is it Brie you're looking for? And it's my favorite cheese plate. I used it all the time just for Brie. And then there's like a drawing of Brie so you can put the Brie right on that spot. And it's from a fan.

I found it on Etsy and I tried to buy it and it was totally sold out. This was like five years ago. So I put something out on Twitter. Like if anyone can find this, will you send me a link? And a fan just found it and sent it to me. This is why social media was invented for these kinds of things to procure things you can't find for yourself.

Working the way it was supposed to be working. I was like, I put it out here. And then it comes back to me here. I'm also looking for a new pickup truck, low mileage on it. Could someone come put in a pool at my house? Or is that asking too much? I don't think so. You've got devoted fans.

Someone might take you up on that. It's true. But then they'd know where I live. Yeah, let's not go too far. It's one step or ten steps too far, perhaps. So was that a professional choice to go by the Brie at some point? Absolutely. Yeah.

I would never have used my real last name in a million years. I never even, it didn't even occur to me. Or because it just didn't sound to you like the right kind of thing that would help your career, frankly, or whatever. You know, mostly because the name is Skirmerhorn for those who don't know. But it's spelled, to be honest, it's more, well, I mean, I spent most of my life with people. mispronouncing it. Right. So I think...

You were done with that. You were... Come on, guys. It was so obnoxious, always having to correct people about this name that I just thought, oh, that doesn't seem...

I don't know. It's just like asking for disaster. I just sort of thought, well, you just want a name that people are going to recognize immediately, not one that they're not sure how they can pronounce. And more, I think it just...

It was more personally, I found it so obnoxious when people would mispronounce it. What were the worst pronunciations you would guess? I mean, I want to take you back to the horrible place. Schernerhan, like people would just not finish it. Mostly it would just be, mostly it would just be Schumerhorn instead of Skirmerhorn.

And I don't know why it bothered me so much, but just the shirmer of it. It's Skirmer. It's Skirmerhorn. Got it right. The H is silent. Don't you know anything? So did you dabble with any other names besides the using the middle one? I think there was one day, you know, I went to.

Cal Arts, and before graduating, for theater, and before graduating, we did a showcase in New York and L.A. So that was the time when, or maybe it was a little sooner. I guess my first year, I got a commercial agent sort of frowned upon at the school. And very quickly, I found out why, because it's impossible to do any sort of auditions when you're like in Valencia doing theater all day and all night. But when I went to meet with this commercial agent, when I was 18, I was like, now's the moment. I'm not going to go in and use skirmarhorn. So I did make a list.

I feel like I had, I mean, tried them out. I just made a list on paper trying to use, my mom's made a name. And like my grandmother's made names on both sides and other names that it just all seemed too weird. And you went to. Why would you respond? It seemed like so weird to just remake your entire name. Right. And you had it waiting there for you.

It was right there. It was right there. Also, my dad, who is an international. entertainment journalist, but he also is a musician. And his musical stage name has always been his first and middle name. So I think I was just kind of like, oh, that's normal. That's how you do it. None of us want to use skirmarhorn. So we'll just take the first two. There's a great rhythm. Right, right. There's a little self-hate in there because you are, there's some Jewishness in there. There's some Jewiness. So you need a little self-hate.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's normal. Of course, the irony now is then I changed my name and I'd go and no audition rooms and, I mean, I didn't legally change it, but I go, I'm using it and go into audition rooms and people would be like, Alison Brigh, is it Brie? It's Skirmer, Hopperi. I just can't tell you how many times I've said, it's Brie like the cheese. God oh, like the cheese. That's an easy way to remember it. And you're not going to open the can of worms, I assume, by doing some kind of Franco-Bri hyphenation action. I've worked too hard to get this name settled. I think we can't change it. Right, right, right. There's no going back. Although I feel like he can do it too.

I mean, you know, it's 2015. He can go Franco Bree. And I feel like a Franco Bree sounds like an upscale Bree cheese. It does. It does sound like a fancy brie. Super artistic brie. It's like a cab fronk of cheese. Exactly.

Do you have the Franco Bree? Just say it with a slight accent. I'm telling you, that's for free. I'll pitch it to him. I don't think he's going to love it. I'm predicting right now. Congratulations to get on this one. I didn't get a chance to see it when I saw you guys briefly in Sundance, but I saw it.

It's a great film, sleeping with other people. And exciting for you, I would imagine, on many levels, because, you know, you've had some great gigs going in TV. But, like, to get, you know, like a lead performance in an actual good movie is kind of tough, as you well know. Definitely. It was a big deal. I was a huge opportunity for me. And I took it very seriously. It was one of those scenarios where essentially you read a script and it's like your dream role in your dream movie.

And then I met with Leslie the very next day and we had a great meeting. Leslie and I are so, are frighteningly similar in the fact that neither one of us ever stops talking. Right. And we have no filter. And we just both just, I don't know, fell right into something. And then I came in and did a chemistry read with Sudakis, which went so well. immediately after you're overthinking, you're sort of like, I don't know, could it have gone better when you made that one joke and I just laughed, but I should have had like a witty retort

for the joke. I remember kind of as well, as easy as everything kind of felt, I was super nervous after the chemistry read. I left immediately to go to Italy to Milan for a work thing. And then I was in Rome when I got a phone call saying that I got the job. So it was like kind of nice to be out of sight out of mind and then just kind of learn. So talk to me a little bit. Did you know Jason at all prior to this?

No. He's, I mean, it's obvious to say, but he's insanely talented. I remember like, I remember the first, you know, we've done a lot with him at MTV over the years. And I did like a Q&A with him for horrible bosses when he was hosting movie awards. And it was like a live event. And I was just like, it's so stupid. Of course he's brilliant live. But like he just dominated that for an hour.

And Bateman is there. Like, great people are there. But it was like, it was like, it was. the Sudakis show, and I've been in awe ever since. That guy's got it. He's incredible. Last summer while we were shooting this, I went and watched him do, there was a big improv festival here, and he and

Olivia did a scene together where this has a specific name, but I don't know enough about improv to know, but that this is a specific thing that they do every year at this festival where one person in the scene learns the lines from a play, from a scene in a play. Right. And the other person is improvving.

So the other person has to only say the lines from the play that they learned and take it very seriously and then the person's improv. It's like making it work like a real scene. It was so funny. And the two of them together were great. Jeez, what a horribly, disgustingly talented and beautiful couple. I know. I hate those people. Oh, I love them. No, I love them. So was it an intimidating experience? When you talk about like, okay, I've got this opportunity. I need to make the most of it. Like, are you like, were you primed for this and were there different kind of jitters than you've had on other jobs because of that?

No, I don't think it was jitters. I feel like once I got the part, I felt like I really understood the character immediately. So it wasn't that anxiety of like, can I do this? It was more just like, I don't know. You just want to do it, get it done. I need to nail this. I just remember feeling very focused versus, you know, you're in New York shooting a movie. People want to hang.

You know, it's like, let's go out tomorrow night, we're in the city. I was not that way at all. I was just like, no, I'm going to go home, look over my lines for tomorrow, and go to sleep. It was not to, like, really towards the end of the movie that Sadecas would be like, let's go do karaoke Saturday, and I'd be like, all right, I could Saturday I could do. We're not shooting Sunday. One drink. I could do it.

Right. It was more that just like a real focused energy. But also, I think that made sense for my character as well, even though the movie is a comedy, the character Lainey is a dark character. She's very emotionally vulnerable and very fragile. So for me, most of the shooting process was quite serious. A lot of the scenes are very serious, even ones that play hilariously like the one with Adam Brody. And I feel like he kills it and is so funny.

Totally. But the only way the scene works is if I'm like genuinely, in turmoil sitting across from him, I'm not just like part of the fun. Right. So- Well, even some of those scenes with Adam Scott, who's, again, one of the smartest, funniest guys on the planet, but those are, that's intense. Those are really intense. We shot those the first week of production because Adam had to go work on something else, and it just felt like we were shooting an erotic thriller.

It was like, because every scene was just, and the die is like, the mustache for it, definitely. The mustache that was all his idea, too. Of course it was. mustache and we were just like okay whatever you do do whatever you want we'll do whatever you say um it was especially also the way those scenes are written is so different from the rest of the movie where there is that friendly semi-romantic banter the scenes with Adam Scott are written like Chekhov there's just like so much air there's like so much underlying meaning to what's going on it was it was

creepy. How's it, what's like to have, I gosh, I saw it actually in LA when Will hosted that, Will Ferrell hosted that screening last week. I popped by there. I saw you there. I didn't want to get in your business. I knew we were going to talk soon. I know. I appreciate it. Thank you for keeping your distance. Once is enough. And not installing my pool on hours that were not approved. I appreciate it. But Will as a producer, is he, I mean, you obviously worked with him. He's great. Well, that was the other funny thing is, is that I booked these jobs sort of back to back so I found out that I got the part in Get Hard

a week and a half before I found out that I got the part in this movie. So it was just like a very Will Ferrell-esque summer for me last year. It was great. It kind of felt symbiotic in that way that like I went in for Get Hard I did not think I was going to get

that part at all. Based on going into it or coming out of that audition? You've both felt a little uneasy or? Going into it. Coming out of it, I was like, I fuck You can nail that. I am the queen of comedy. I can't lose. Going into it, just the way the character was written, that was so much fun.

But it's not a character I've played before. Very different. And I think meant, like, when I was just picturing what that woman would look like, I'm like, oh, I'm not the actress that they're going to want for this part, which was an amazing type of freedom. Now I'm like, oh, that's the way you need to think before you go into any odd. because I was like, well, I don't think I'm going to get this. So I'm just going to push my boobs up as high as possible and straddle a chair and just go for, like, just be so irreverent.

I had a great time. There was no nervousness in that audition because I was like, fuck it. Okay. What about I cares? This is just going to be funny. And, you know, and so clearly that helps. So does, it's funny because you mentioned like not, you don't have like an improv background as far as I know, right? No.

Which is, which is, I mean, it's kind of surprising because you were. It's a real handicapped. these days. But do you feel that? Because obviously you're able to mix it up with a feral and a soudacus on, like, this is the highest level of comedy. It's great. Luckily, I've been surrounded by so many amazing comedians and improvisers that I just have become,

I'm a quick study, you know? I think that really working on the five-year engagement was the first time. I felt like I was thrown into the deep end in that respect because Siegel improv so much. Chris Pratt, his mind is incredibly. He's like a savant, the way he thinks of jokes. And not just jokes, but just interesting character-driven things to say. And Stoller's like one of the, like, from that Appetow school of like just like screaming wines, right?

So he was there too. And Rodney Rothman, who was a producer, is the same way yelling out jokes and stuff like that. And it was, there was like a lot of confidence instilled in me right away from those guys just being like, uh, think of something funny for this part. Or Stoller being like, well, I mean, what would be funny during your speech? And I'd be like, oh, how about crying profusely? and whatever, and they were like, yeah, do it. So I think very quickly you were just like, oh, there's no real wrong answers.

I was just learning on the job. And that was especially difficult because I was supposed to be doing that British accent the whole time, which did make me feel like I was always two steps behind trying to translate into an accent. But that was great. So it was great practice. And since then, I do feel like just every job I'm on, I try to, I try to like succubis. on to whatever funny person is that parasite in the corner oh that's that's brie awesome brie like what is feral doing it's especially great working with will because i grew up

watching him on s and l and like you know we all develop our own sense of humor and the way that you joke with your friends sure from the stuff that we watch like i'm watching stepbrothers and making jokes in a cadence like they do oh yeah yeah so when i'm on set with will i'm like oh yeah we have the same sense of humor yours yeah like the one that you You instilled in me. It's just like, remember your jokes that you do? I do them still. And there's no better feeling.

I mean, I in my own limited way, we've done like sketches here for years. And like, I know doing stuff with Will and doing a sketch that's kind of improv based and like getting him to laugh. Yeah. I mean, that's like the ultimate. Really fun. And he is a lapper. He's someone that's giving in that way, which is great. Yes.

Totally. So sweet. So it's surprising like, I mean, reading up on you, you were hardcore theater kid. Yes. You're like, that would be 197 percent, yes. So how did that manifest first? It was theater. It wasn't TV film.

I mean, every kid isn't the TV film, but you were, you found theater. No, I was real snobby about TV and film when I was a kid. I was, I was like so into theater in high school, but also weirdly, like, I don't know. I was always ambitious and was like, this is a thing I'm going to do, but I had some weird thing like, but I still want to have a normal childhood. Like I think because I grew up in South Pasadena and it's, it's Hollywood adjacent enough that it's on your radar. A lot of movies shoot in South Pass because it looks like Middle America, it looks like any town, USA. And so it was on my radar enough that even if my parents were like, do you want to go to the performing arts high school in Pasadena

that everyone goes to? I'd be like, no, mom, you know, I really want to have a normal childhood and do theater on the side. And then when I was in college and then I, so it was always just theater. My parents really wanted me to go to college, and that was sort of our deal was me being like, well, I'm going to study whatever I want, and that's going to be acting. And they were like, we don't care as long as you get a degree. And I was like, well, I'm getting a degree in acting. And they were like, we already said we don't care. Why are we still talking about it? So I went to Cal Arts. And while I was there, too, that school also is so, I mean, it's, whatever Metier you're studying, it's like very intense. So it is, if you're studying theater, it's all about theater. And, and, you know, like I said, before. for it is you're not really supposed to like have an agent and be auditioning because it doesn't make any sense while you're there studying and there's no time anyway but I don't know I I was snobby about it I just remember being so into theater and independent film obviously of course yes big Vim vendors fan I was just talking with some friends about I think it was Michael Watkins was like remember that time in everyone's lives when you're like first

discovering independent film by yourself and you're like in high school and you go to the movies by yourself all the time and you feel smarter than everyone and we were all like mm-hmm everyone in the circle was like oh yeah i remember seeing you know the lesbian rom-com better than chocolate and being like you know it it says a lot about society and what it's just like what stance was like taking it's too commercial but i like it remember if it was a good movie or not and maybe it was but it's you know i don't know right it just it was always that that fun feeling to be like, I'm cutting edge. So was there anything?

I have integrity. Was there anything middle of the road in terms of your pop culture tastes back then? There must have been. I mean, I still loved. Yeah. I did. It's so funny. The TV stance is weird because I did grow up being obsessed with TV from everything from like all the main teen shows saved by the bell at 902 and O.

Sure. You know. But they were secret passions that you wouldn't tell anyone about. No, you know, I would tell. It was weird. It was just like I had a divide between like, These are things I like to watch, and this is what I want to do. Got it.

My, I think it was like my third year at Cal Arts. I remember one of my roommates, good friend, booked a job on like a very well-known television show in that same vein. Got it. And I just remember, it's just so funny to me now, because I remember at the time being like, well, that's great for her. Like, like, cut to, do you know what I mean? Like the day after I graduate, just being like, so what?

Is there any like TV? Well, that's what I was going to say. My first job is an episode of Hannah Montana. Like, I don't know. Yeah, does that go out the window immediately when like reality hits and you're like, you know what? I just need to work and get some stuff on the resume. In my defense, I did do regional theater for about a year after I graduated and I was doing

Hamlet at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura County when I booked Madman. Amazing. Okay. So there was. I still was doing a bit of theater then and was still like into that. But yeah, absolutely. I feel like immediately you graduate and you're like, any job I can book, I'll do. What I was talking about before.

Never mind. Don't listen to me. I know. I know. It's so strange. I don't know where that came from. So yes, infamously the first gig, which is a, hey, this is a nice mark on a resume. Is Hannah Montana.

Now, was she in character? Was she, because she was leading two different lives then, Miley and Hannah. Who did you meet? It's true. Well, she was. in the scenes I was in, she was always Miley, so there was no pop star presence. Got it. I will say

it's so weird to think about because it was the first season of that show. It was Miley Cyrus before she was Miley Cyrus. And I was so like I didn't know anything about the show. It was just something I, some Disney show I auditioned for and got and nothing had aired

yet, you know, so I remember sitting at the table read and being like why is Billy Ray Cyrus here? He's not an actor. Like, I was so, I was so like, Billy Ray Cyrus, I think it's part of that. He's this show. And then, of course, just this phenomenon,

but it was a funny. And actually, it was a really great, it makes a lot of sense transitionally coming out of theater school and doing theater, that the first TV job I did was a multi-cam job because it's like you're performing

for a live audience, and especially for Disney, it is still like theater. It's big. Yeah. Now, did you watch her own VMAs? the other night hosting. Oh, yeah.

I don't know if you noticed, but I think she smokes pot. She mentioned it once or twice. I don't think so. The jury's out. Yeah, I think the jury's too loud on that one. I'm not, just kind of tell if she's being sarcastic.

Super sarcastic. That's her sense of humor. When Miley and I text these days. Right, because you've kept in touch, obviously. No, I do love Miley, though. I thought she's kind of amazing. I don't know. People say what you will.

I think, you know, thing. Good on you. Just show that little bod. So fun. And music is a huge part of your life still, I would think. Is the band still together? The band is still together. We're singing the national anthem at a Dodger game on the 19th. That's crazy. I know. Isn't that cool? That's amazing. We're excited and nervous. Look, I mean, Roseanne Barr is still working and that infamously happened 20 years ago. So I'm sort of like, it's not, it's not a playoffs game. It's not like the World Series. You're working your way up to playoff level.

It's going to be fine. Yeah. But we'll be back here in New York doing a show in November, November 21st. Nice. Yeah. So what's the, I mean, are there, do you, because you haven't done like a musical, I think, yet, right? No.

Is that something that you've gone up for, that you've pursued, or is it just sort of like, when it happens, it happens? Or are they two different parts of your life in your brain? I don't know. I guess I haven't gone out for any movie musicals, which I, I would totally be into doing. But I would never want to do a Broadway musical. I just don't have the pipes, I don't think.

I've been singing all my life. I love to sing. Yeah, but that's a crazy level of... Well, it also sounds... Yeah, I also just feel like the endurance factor is insane. Those people are so talented and it's a muscle. It's a machine, like the thing that they're doing. It's not, I mean, a movie musical.

like you guess you have lay miss where they're all doing the actual singing on the day but you're also not doing that night after night two shows on Sunday maybe twice. Yeah, yeah, exactly and then you can always kind of go back in the studio and re-record. A little tweak on the knob there, please.

I would love to do it. I would love to do it. Although, you know, I don't know. As much as I was a theater nerd, the one thing I was never super into was musicals. Oh, really? Which is weird as a theater nerd Because every other theater person wants to be like, oh, my God, remember that scene and, you know. Thorly modern Millie guys.

Can we talk? Exactly. And I'm like, no, no, I don't know it. You were a very particular kind of snob. You had your own little, track. Neesh. So. No.

So the career couldn't have gone much, I mean, in a great way, those first few years, especially when Mad Men happened. But, like, that couldn't have been what you had charted or thought in your, brain that was going to happen. Not at all so different. But I just like I said, joking about leaving theater school and immediately losing my integrity. I also feel like the truth to that is, is that there, I don't know, there's this immediately, there's this immediate reality that sets in that one is like you do want to have a job. And every job is exciting and valid and you sort of immediately realize, oh, I can do good work. Sure. Anywhere. Yeah. In any medium, it's not like this thing I thought I was going to do.

Yeah, that whatever opportunity, I can make the best of that opportunity. And it still excites me, which is cool, versus me thinking before, like, that I would just look down my nose at these television shows, which obviously that was not the case. But the other side of it is just that you can't plan your career at all. I used to when I was in high school, I remember especially being like planning my road to the Oscars. You know, I would be like, well, the first thing I will do will be an independent film. or a period piece. This is like my, based on having watched a lot of indie movies and, having watched a ton of movies in general.

Sure. And I think just that was my like algorithm I developed for like a newcomer's success. If no one knows you. I need a corset for one or two roles than I need. Well, I think the logic was like, they'll take a chance on you in an indie because, which obviously is the case because they, you know, you're not, it's not as big a risk. They're not putting up as much money. Sure.

And then just with period pieces, I felt like they were always casting unrecognizable people because you wanted to believe that you were lost in that time. Yeah, lost in that time. It seems like a sensible plan. Yeah. And technically you could say I was not too far off because madmen. There you go, period. So what do you, I mean, you must pick up over the years, different lessons, different.

I mean, there's, there couldn't be more different shows, the two shows. Right. And I know often you were sometimes even shooting them. literally the same day if you had to, right? A couple times. Which is crazy. So, I mean, in retrospect, I mean, this is, it must be a really cool, exciting time for you because they both kind of have come to, it seems community, you never know, who

the hell knows. But it seems like they both come to an end. And this whole new period starts for you. But like, do you have a little perspective on both community and Mad Men and sort of see like different things you took away from each experience that were different? Absolutely. Absolutely. especially because they were so different

and even the vibes on set were so opposite for me in my experience and I'm sure that doesn't just have to do with them being two very different shows but also being a regular on one show and those people are like your family and being recurring on another show it's just you have a little more distance from the show

and from everyone but did you find that you had to like like because I'm sure yeah like that community you're you're one of the key people there that's like driving that show And I'm sure maybe there's a real level of comfort there. Yeah. Oh, definitely.

Like, did you find yourself acting differently, just off camera on one to the other? 100%. I would laugh on the set of community. I would be like, as I was like dancing with like in my underwear, you know, and like a fur vest, I'd be like, you guys wouldn't even recognize me on the set of madmen. I am so professional. I'm silent. I do not speak until spoken to.

I'm like focused. And I think because you're taking the work very seriously. Not that we didn't take it seriously on community, but just very quickly, it is your family. You're spending the amount of hours that I spent with all those people. And we worked long hours on community. And it was usually all of us there all the time. And just the nature of that said, it's comedy. We all were just joking and we would just get stupid after a certain point.

And it was that way all, six. years. And it was fantastic. Being on the set of community was really like, like being at my best friend's house for a sleepover in fifth grade. Right. It's like being on the same years. For six years. Exactly. Where I like have a toilet paper bikini on and we're like making a fake music video. Like this is the kind of stuff we're doing on the set of community. Whereas on Mad Men we're sitting there going, oh, this is really nuanced. I'd be looking over the material I'm kind of thinking, what, you know, what does she mean when she's saying this? But she's meaning something else.

And then on community, we'd just be like, there's a fart machine. I was going to say, farts, farts, boobs, boogers. Like, I just couldn't have been less mature. Matthew Winder loves a good fart joke. People don't know that. I think he probably does. I'd appreciate it. So, I mean, given our discussion of sort of like having to, you know, having the best laid plans, you know, going out the window once you leave school.

And, you know, coming off of these shows now and, you know, getting this lead performance in this kind of film, you know, what is the lesson like, I definitely don't want to do TV or I know enough now to be open to anything and whatever comes comes? Yeah, definitely more the second one, especially because even in the amount of time since I've been in school and was so snobbish about it, TV has changed so much. And there are so many amazing opportunities for actors in television right now. There's so much good work being done. Well, and also somewhere, like, you can do a six or ten episode thing and not your entire year is not shot. That's key. A short season is key. Yeah. I feel like that's where a community would, like, you know, kind of shoot us in the leg when we're doing 25 episodes or something.

I got to think, yeah, anybody like that's working in, like, the network model now of those, like, 24 episode shows looks at everybody else being like, God, what did I do? I mean, well, it's also, I don't even know how. Get me out of here. I don't know how we survived it. first three seasons of community, we did 22 to 25 episodes. And then our last three seasons, we did 13. And we would finish the 13 and be like, oh, my God. Hold me. How do we made it through? Like, I don't know. I go, how did we ever do twice that amount? That seems nuts. But I mean, but we always, it's always, you're just laughing and having a great time. So obviously,

it sounds like it would be easy to get through. But, um, it's still work at the end of the day. even if it's the greatest group of people. Yes. But anyway, to answer your question, to continue to answer your question, I think openness in general, I think the more I work, the more jobs I go out for that I don't get, the more I learn to just be open and grateful, you know, and then the right things are going to come your way. And that doesn't mean, you know, you still can pick and choose what.

you enjoy doing what you want to do and things that are not quite for you. But I definitely am much more open and just usually just excited to be working on whatever. Is there, when you think of like the auditions, which I'm sure any actor's done a thousand and, you know, the percentage just is, it's never like, I get 80% of my auditions. I get them all. Is there one that got away? Is there one you look back like, oh, that was going to change things? I felt like that was going to be it. I mean, yes, yes, and no, it's tough. I would, I mean, probably there's like two or three that we're like, who, you're out

for that role, you're in the running and people are using the term game changer. And they're like, well, now I'm definitely not going to get it. This is disaster. Don't say that word. But at the same time, with those projects, I don't know. Who's to say? It's like, then the movie comes out, or maybe you were up for a role and was a big deal or not, and the movie comes out, and it does great.

But you think, I mean, not to, I don't know, this is a terrible thing to say, but I was going to say, maybe it wouldn't have done as well if I had been in that role. Maybe that was the magic combination that made that thing successful. I think of that when you look back at, you know, you always hear trivia about like Molly Ringwald was up for the rolling ghost and Demi Moore got it instead and you're sort of like, would that movie have been the same? We all love Molly Ringwald, but like, I don't know. I don't see Molly Ringwald with clay in her hands. I don't see her with Whoopi Goldberg and her twining fingers sensually before they cut away so that you forget that then she's kissing a woman. They were very shy about it then. It's true.

You're clearly working some stuff out right now. But you know what I mean? I feel like you hear a lot of those stories for different iconic movies. Absolutely. And it doesn't always quite make sense. So I don't know. I guess I just like to be an optimist and think when it's meant to be mine, it'll be mine. I'll not get out of the park until then I'll just do the best I can.

Do you know what you're off to do after this little press tour runs out? No, but you know, I just finished a movie here in New York again called How to Be Single. Oh, that's got a cool cast, too, I noticed. Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Damon Wayne's Jr., Andersholm, Jason Manzukas. It was great. Nice. Really fun. That Manzukas guy is pretty funny.

Manzukas is the best. He and I try to just, I feel like I've set a goal where I'm just like, Can we just work on everything together from now on? Is there a way, and I think so far we've been, we have a pretty good track record. Do you ever listen to or have you been on how to this get made? No, I haven't. He just asked me to do their live show, but I couldn't. It's amazing.

So he's out of town, yeah. Yeah, yeah, he's the best. Yeah. So in our last remaining moments, I've got this weird sketchy Indiana Jones Fedora on my desk. It's got some random questions in there. Oh, I can see you're really upset. Oh. For those wondering what that sound is,

that's Alison Brie going into catatonic shock. No, Altonic! You don't have to answer all of them because they're like 6,000, but try your box. See what's in there. That's the rummaging sound. Do you fold these in a certain way, like, to entice people?

There's nothing enticing about that because it looks ratty and gross. You can be honest. It does look gross. How many people's hands have been in here? A lot. But they're all celebrity, so it's okay. Oh, favorite book?

for a long time I always said a heartbreaking work of staggering genius by David Eggers which I love until I just read The Circle

and now maybe that has surpassed as my favorite book I've heard about that yeah yeah yeah I also just read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen and that was incredible nice but it's tough to have a favorite book

it's like having a favorite movie I feel like that you just continue to read more and watch more the next paper is gonna say favorite movie I know it is and I'm like well I have a short list actually that I made

recently because I'm like, I can never remember my real favorite movie when people ask that. That's a mood thing, too. Have I ever been arrested, past? That's a use. Was it a felony? Who was your favorite Batman? Oh, Michael Keaton. Michael Keenan, I'm totally aging myself when I say that.

But like when I watch Neighbors and Rogan sits there with Zach everyone being like, who's your Batman? Exactly. And they both do it. I'm like, Keaton is so my Batman. He was the best. And I loved his little whisper. He has a cute mouth. I'm a big pouty lips.

Keaton fan. Delicious. I skipped school. I skipped school to go to Batman on opening day. Oh, my God. Yeah. That's incredible. Yeah.

I skipped school to see when they redid the, you know, Star Wars episode. Oh, Fad a Menace? Yes. Oh, I respect. so much for that. Wait, you were a snob and you went to see Phantom Menace? Look, I had a nerdy boyfriend. We were all into it. I know. Can you believe it? Because I was 18, but I was still finishing. I was like a senior year in high school and I was able to write my own sick note to leave school. So just like, Allison is sick.

Wait, signed by you? Allison. Because I was like a legal adult and then we'd just give it to them and then we just went to see the movies. And then we were like, that wasn't working. No, George R. Vinks hasn't really set the world on fire. It's didn't do it. I'm really drawn to this super folded up one, but I feel like it's a trick. It's probably a trick. I keep trying to avoid it. It's a subpoena for the felony that you've committed years ago.

Oh, what movie do you know by heart? Okay. The American president. Oh, that's like a perfect movie. It's a great movie. The last speech, the whole thing. I love it so much. Is that a sorkan dialogue?

You'd like to dig into that at some point? You want to walk down a hall quickly and just spout an awful lot of dialogue? When I, first, after I graduated from Cal Arts, I took classes at Leslie Conn Company in Los Angeles. Great place to take classes, especially when you're just learning how to audition for TV and stuff like that. And she ever did a day or a week of Sorkin where we had to walk and talk while doing the scenes. It feels nearly impossible. But now I'm from working on community and having to talk so fast a lot of the time. Annie's like, you know, she's like, a smart character.

so A lot of zippy dialogue Send Aaron the box set of community As your audition tape You're in the next one He would love that I think so When I was a kid

My hero was So Laurence Olivier I know I'm like Um God clearly I didn't have one Maybe my dad I used to really admire

I used to I still really admire that my dad has always continue to write music and play gigs his whole life. Even after sort of giving up that dream as his main source of income and working a regular job and doing stuff like that, he writes new songs, you know, every week. He writes a new song all the time and he still plays out and does gigs. I just have always found it really admirable. And I used to sing with him a lot, and it was always just a really special. I'm sure. You determine your own end, by the way.

Don't feel obligated to do. Oh, do I? I'm having so much fun with that. Good. Go for it. Bryce Dous Howard basically emptied the entire hat. This one says karaoke. Oh, God.

Yes, please. Where? Oh, my gosh. Karaoke, I used to do a ton of karaoke, summer between maybe freshman and sophomore year in college at this place in Burbank called dimples. And I just don't even want to know. It was like just debauchous. What was your jammed back then? Has it changed over the years? We often saying, I touch myself by the, do you pronounce it divinels? Divinels?

I usually don't pronounce it at all. By the divinels. Depends if you're in a corset or not in a period piece. Singing I touch myself. It's very refined. song. And we would do a lot of Pat Benatar. Also when I was in high school, I was always doing like, when I was in high school, we would sneak into this place called Mr. T's Bowl in Highland

Park. There's a bowling alley, but also a bar and it was owned by this really old man, Mr. Tee. Not the actual Mr. T. No, it was like old man Tee. And he would let in, you know, 16 year olds. So we would go. We would go. And we would sing

a lot of Pat Benetton. Like any Pat Benatar song. Amazing. Yeah. Is that where you want to end it? No, because I have one in my hand. Okay, let's hear it. Should drugs and or prostitution be legalized? Yes. This took a turn.

Thank you for opening that last one. Oh, my God. I kind of saw gallized, and I thought, like, this will be interesting. If you don't want to go that route, we can go another one. Well, I'm more surprised that prostitution is there. I mean, absolutely marijuana should be legalized. It practically is in California anyway. And I feel like,

Marijuana, come on. It's not as dangerous as alcohol. I just think everyone's doing it. Let's just let them. All the cool kids are doing it. Come on, guys. Come on, guys. Probably that's the only drug that should really be legalized.

You're not advocating heroin for the masses. Oh, and heroin. Thank you. That one just slipped my mind. That's the other one. It's just like an easy. It's a good two-pack, I find. He smokes a little joint.

I shoot a little heroin. Then I drive to my nephew. Fused soccer game. Normal. Prostitution, that's a tough one. I mean, yeah. I say yeah. I guess I've never really thought about it

enough to have a stance on it, but I suppose, you know, if that's the way someone wants to make their living, shouldn't they be allowed to do what they want with their body? There you go, kids. Although maybe it's better if it's not legalized because then they'd be taxed on it. They wouldn't really be recouping the whole amount.

I feel like they would be doing themselves a disservice. We're going to bring in our next podcast guest, Bernie Sanders, to figure this one out for us. In the meantime, let's remind the folks sleeping with other people, a great new film. Check it out, guys. Open this next Friday. Amazing. September 11th. And then check out the amazing national anthem rendition.

September 19th, if you're in Los Angeles. You're going to kill it. Or have baseball channels in the upper echelon of your cable. They film those things? I feel like someone recently, I was saying to someone, we're not that nervous. It's not the playoffs. It's not televised or anything. And they were like, I'm pretty sure every baseball game is televised somewhere.

And I was like, oh, great. You'll be fun. You're going to kill it, I'm sure, as you do all things. Thank you so much for stopping by today. It's good to see you, Allison. Thank you. Hey, I'm Stephen Dubner. We both make podcasts. I do one called Freakonomics Radio.

And I do one called The James Altiture Show. Very cunning name there. Yes, I admit my narcissism. We've been podcasting a while, but we've never podcasted together, and that's what today represents is the beginning of our first joint project called Question of the Day. It's not a good name, Question of the Day. It's going to sound kind of like this. What words do you think the English language needs?

What words or expressions are missing? What can you teach me now in the next 10 minutes that will be useful for the rest of my life? What is the best way to start an engaging conversation with a stranger? Has your memory suffered when you were in your late 40s? Can't remember back to the late 40s. Are we recording? I don't know, but shouldn't waste good conversation. Yeah, yeah, no.

On just conversation. Each episode is going to be about 10 minutes long, but 10 of the most action-packed minutes you've ever heard in podcasting. It's a very fortified podcast. It's fortified. Kind of like a one-a-day vitamin. Kind of like a question-of-the-day podcast vitamin. So if you're short on time but long on curiosity, you don't want to miss it.

You can find us at Earwolf.com and iTunes or your favorite podcasting app. Wolf Pop Pop is part of mid-roll media, executive produced by Adam Sacks, Matt Goorley, and Paul Shear. Goodbye, summer movies, hello fall. I'm Anthony Devaney. And I'm his twin brother, James. We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the Ultimate Movie Podcast, and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases.

We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another, Timothy Salome playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and Jorgos Lanthamos' Bougonia. Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar in The Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about two. Tron Aries looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar Wright's The Running Man starring Glenn Powell.

Search for Raiders of the Lost podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.