Happy Sad Confused - Allison Williams

Episode Date: February 2, 2015

The delightful Allison Williams of Girls fame joins Josh to talk about how she would pretend to be Peter Pan as a kid and playing Peter Pan as an adult in Peter Pan Live!, growing up with her famous dad Bryan Williams, her musical theatre love, what lead to her auditioning for Girls, her aspirations, and why she hasn't done a film yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Hey, guys, welcome to another edition of Happy Side Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and this is my little old podcast. This is the part of the podcast where I tell you the name of it, who I am, and the guest. I've covered two of the three, so let's get right to the third part. The most important part, which is that this week's guest is the delightful Allison Williams.

Of course, of girls, most notably girls' fame, but also in recent months, she killed it, just going for broke on the Peter Pan Spectacular, mixing it up with the likes of Christopher Walken in a live extravaganza. We talk about that, of course, and girls and her beginnings, her famous dad, of course, Mr. Brian Williams, her musical theater love, her pop culture touchstones, her aspirations, why the hell she hasn't done a film? yet, and so much, much more. Kind of shockingly, I haven't ever spent any time with Allison. I've never interviewed her before, which is kind of weird considering what I do and what she does, but this worked out perfectly because this was a great opportunity to just sort of get to know her in a super relaxed setting, and she was really awesome. I feel like we really hit it off, and hopefully we'll have many more shenanigans to come. uh in future podcasts comedy bits whatever the hell it is that i do and she does um i hope you

guys enjoy this one i know you will whether you watch girls or not you will enjoy this conversation because uh allison is just super cool and awesome um what else should i tell you oh i just got back from the sundance film festival that was kind of cool uh didn't get to record any podcasts there i know if you guys follow me on instagram you're probably like oh my god he talked to all these amazing people all these podcasts are going to happen it's impossible to do podcasts out there to talk at the length that I want to for a podcast. I could have done like 57 minute podcasts with amazing guests, but everybody is running around there. So, sorry about that. But the good news is there are some really cool people coming up. And tons of people that I saw

at Sundance, I will eventually get on the podcast when they swing by New York with some more time on their hands. What else to tell you? Not much. I think that's it. Except that if you ever get the chance, go to Sundance. It's kind of amazing. It's exhausting. I mean, I had a job to do, but I'm not complaining. It's a great job.

And I saw some really good movies that we're all going to be talking about for the next year. It's one of a kind. It's a special one. As is this podcast, this particular episode. I'm not talking about my podcast in general because that would be conceited and obnoxious. I'm talking about this one with Allison Williams. So here we go, guys. The visit paid to me by.

the lovely Alison Williams in my little old office in Times Square and joy She won it already. She won it already. Allison has defaced my wall. It's actually, well, it's a whiteboard.

She's supposed to write on it. Yes, it's erasable. You are so good at this. Stop. Don't do that. one bone to pick with you, which is that you offered my role to Diane Kruger. Wait, what did I do? You sort of offered her the role of Peter Pan.

Did I say that? During the course of your interview. Wait, but I don't think that's on how'd you've been cast? I don't think so. But I was going back listening to the ones that I had missed and I heard her. And I was like, that's such a funny, like, revisionist history version of what would have happened if the beautiful and talented Diane Krueger had played Peter Pan. Look, Diane Kruger, she's having a wonderful career.

There's room for everybody. Well, not in a role Weirdly Oh, two people Can't share the same role? Yeah, it's just the one I've asked There have been a lot of roles That I would have happily shared

With somebody But I don't think they They usually frown upon that We have some exclusive news Diane Kruger has just been greenlit For the Peter Pan sequel No Again

You did a fine job But Kruger Always From under me Always God It's that Joshua Jackson Luck

It's that charm right there Were you a Dawson's Creek I mean, I was a person with a pulse ever. Yes, of course. Did any woman ever prefer Dawson? I don't think. And if you could you indulge you, I bring the mic in a little bit?

I'm in closer, yeah. Thanks. I, um, I preferred both. Is that possible? You have many interests and loves? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're very magnanimous that way.

I, yes, I don't like to play favorites, especially when you don't need to because Dawson and, I mean, it was a win-win. Right. Yeah. So, okay, welcome first of all. Thank you. That was the official welcome was,

was what was you calling me, out on trying to, you know, destroy your career before I've ever met you. No, no, it's totally fine. You sure? No, it's not fine. It feels like it's not fine. No, it's totally fine.

I'm such a fan. I really am. We've been talking. It's kind of crazy we haven't met because I feel like, I do get a sense from seeing you on shows in terms of talk shows that, I don't know, we share some sensibilities in terms of comedy, et cetera. So it's good to finally meet you. And you like all movies and you know everything about it.

all pop culture, which is... Just coming down. I can't deal with... This is not... No, it's intimidating for me walking in here. Although I am looking around thinking, I'm pretty good in here. I think I kind of know everything. Have you seen Color of Money? A Scorsese movie? Yes, a long time ago, but I love it. And Newman is like... The king? Yeah. He wins the day.

Okay, let's move to the other side of the... E.T. I mean, duh. This means... This means more... This means more poster. Classic movie. Highly underrated. Classic. Let's turn to the other side.

I love anything Reese does. Who's that? I do not know who that is. That is from Ghostbusters 2. That's a poster of the painting that comes to life in the film. Vigo, the Carpathian. Of course. I do know that now, actually.

There you go. Okay. And then, of course, back to the future. So you're at home. Amazing. Yes. Would you consider yourself a pop culture junkie? Are you someone with a problem?

I wouldn't consider it a problem. I'm an equal opportunist when it comes to information. Good. So high, low, it's all important. Exactly, right. I wish you could prioritize it. I'm thinking that like about 15, 20, maybe 100 years down the line. I know it took a big leap there, but...

Three thousand years. We'll be able to prioritize memory. Right. Because it's a real bummer when you can't... Like, I just couldn't remember the name of like Damien Eccles. Did you follow that? Yes. Oh, my God.

West Memphis 3. That's crazy. And I can pull up like any Britney Spears lyric ever. Yeah. But for five minutes, I couldn't come up with Damien Eckles. Echle's name. Is that really as important as Bernie Spears lyrics? Let's be honest. I just wish I could file them in, like, my email and like in an orderly manner. I can put everything where I needed to find it. Eventually, our bodies are going to be gone. We're just going to be severed heads and they'll figure this all out and we'll have new bodies. It's going to be great. Yeah. I feel like that's definitely coming. Did you see that episode of, of Dr. Who, where he goes into the future and it's just the face stretched out? You know, I confess, I've never watched Dr. Who, which is so incongruous with what you're. seeing before you. I know. Yeah, and around me, this room. Yeah. That's so weird. If anyone came in here and guessed which of the two of us has watched Dr. Room by the way. You're going

to get more votes. However, I highly recommend it, especially that episode. Are you, are you a real fan? Have you, like, do you watch a lot? I watched, like, I watched random episodes from random seasons. I need to sit down and do it, but apparently, then, narratively, that's okay. You can kind of jump around. It feels just intimidating. I've stared at it on Netflix because, well, forget the first 30 years of history, which is that's absurd. We're not going to do that. But even the last like eight years, that's like 200 episodes. That's really how I decide what to binge watch is like, I've very short attention to men, yet I want to see everything. That's how I used to pitch girls to my friends. I was like, it's five hours. Watch it

on one flight, New York, L.A., and you're done with an entire season of it. It's so fast. Did it work? Yeah, it worked. Also, they were my friends. I think there's a sense of duty. And it's like about us. So it's fine. It wasn't a tough sell. A lot of pluses. So, okay, You've just come from the pinnacle of journalism entertainment, Kelly and Michael. It is so fun. I grew up with Regis and obviously, Kathy. I mean, that was like, I'm still call it Regis half the time. I can't stop.

A lot of people do. It's like a, it's a reflexive kind of thing. But Michael Strayhan is so great. He's so cool. So damn charming. I hate that guy. I sort of stretch the morning I do the show because the hug is so difficult. It's a high level of difficulty hug.

Well, it's high. Because you go from Kelly, right. You go from Kelly, who's like my height probably. And you could break her. Like she's. She's so, but she's stronger than anyone, I know. She's probably stronger than Strayhan, honestly. Big Doctor Who fan, too.

Huge. And then you go to Strayhan, and it's like, he just towers over me. So it's like a, it's an aerobic morning. Right, right. Before you've even said anything. You, I mean, this has as a high compliment. I've noticed you are a good talk show guest. And this is a skill in its own right.

That's very kind. It, I think it's similar to auditioning and that it is a skill that you have, to kind of learn and you don't know where to place it because it doesn't live anywhere else in your life. It truly doesn't. You can't use the skills you use in an audition room anywhere else because if you did, you'd seem kind of weird and aloof and rude. Right. Can I do that again, guys? Just in the course of your normal day. Right. Exactly. Can I just come into this room again and be charming but brief? And, you know, it's really, it's so strange. But the talk show thing, honestly, after a certain amount of time, these people have become friends of mine. So it's fun to just chat.

That's when it's most natural. And that's a compliment. complement too when they just let it go where it goes like with letterman they tell you if he's relaxed with you he'll just go is that is one in particular the most nerve-racking because growing up like on a like if i were ever and i would never will be because he's on there for like two more months but letterman like that has to be mind-blowing is that's it's unreal i just did my fourth my fourth letterman which is so weird and um it is it's here's what it is it's nerve-wracking only because you want to come in so prepared and with awesome stories and And everyone I know who does his show from like the most seasoned actors, people who have done it 30, 40 times. My dad's been on the show a million times. He's always saying, what am I going to talk about on Dave's show? To people who go for the first time, everyone is worried about having good material for him. And then you get out there and he just latches on to one aspect of a thing.

And so, yeah, I mean, he'll just go off, which is great. Do you save stories for months at a time knowing there's a talk show going on? Yes, I called my publicist right before this press period. and I was like, I have bad news. Nothing has happened to me. There's nothing that I can talk about. I've been living in Peter Pan rehearsals and like people want to hear about it, but to a certain extent. And it can't be all I talk about, but it was all I was doing for months.

It was my whole life. So there weren't any funny, like, there was no happenstance worth talking about. There was no like missed flight or like I wasn't diverted anywhere crazy or I didn't like get in a wrong cab and steal someone's wallet accidentally. Like nothing crazy. None of those things have ever happened to me, but I mean, I sort of live hoping they will right in the sort of November, December region leading up to girls brass. Nothing. Nothing. Just invite chaos into your life. Bring it on. I need a couple things. I need a couple things. I need something for the story. I need it in that sweet spot. Yeah, exactly. Or danger is imminent, but not actually going to happen. And so it's become really meta where you'll see people at the globes and they're like about to keep doing press because especially people who are nominated for things. They're just doing show after show. They're walking around the party kind of like, are any of my heroes here that I can meet? Is there anybody I'm nervous around? We anticipate the question that every single person asks. Yes.

Rannels was about to go on Seth Myers' show, and he was sitting, he was seated with the Foxcatcher table. And when he heard that, he turned to me and he was like, it's perfect. It writes itself. It's amazing. I just need a punchline. Just need a twist at the end. Exactly.

This season, we've talked about pranking each other more so that when we are asked that question, as we constantly are, we can answer, like, we can have great. prank stories as a cast because we're always asked like are you guys pranksters and we're like no we're working we're like crazy working people are you a prankster in your office right um but so now this season we're going to start like full pranking each other just so we can talk about it I mean probably not but it is funny because like I've literally talked to actors that have said to me they've like started a story with me and said you know what actually I have to save that for letter me oh my god can you imagine but I get it I'm like at the same time I'm like

I get it. If I were ever, if I knew three months from now, I'm going to do Letterman, I want to go out there and be charming. Save a good story. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. So, okay, take me through. Okay, right now, we saw a lot of you in Crazy Peter Pan mode recently. Yes. You've obviously shot this season. Yes. This is all done. Yes. Like, what was yesterday? Take me through Allison Williams yesterday. Yesterday is very relevant to where I am right now, which is that in the morning I met with a musical director who's going to musical direct this American Songbook concert. I'm doing at Lincoln Center in March, which I'm not promoting because it is very in a very cool way. It is sold out. Right. Which is exciting. So that's happening. Right after that,

I went to a voice lesson with my vocal coach for said Lincoln Center American songbook. And then after that, I went home and finally opened some boxes that had just been sitting next to my desk for a little while and paid some bills and watched the State of the Union and the rebuttal. And what else did I watch? We watched. I watched, you know, Bachelor was the night before. S&L. Right. Oh, you caught up in S&L.

Caught up and everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was away this weekend. So. Was it Kevin Hart this week? Yes. He was so great. And I'm late to the Kevin Hart thing.

Like, I haven't really, frankly, seen a lot of his movies, but you can't, I mean, he comes out like a ball of energy. He's so good. I've loved him since I saw him in one of the scary movies. They were spoofing, they were spoofing 8 Mile. That scene where, with the, when they go to the rat battle. And he's so funny. I mean, he's in,

a lot of the movie and he's just hysterical. I've loved him ever since then. Was SNL on that bucket list? Is that something that like... Totally. Someday. It would be incredible. And yes, I mean, I was very lucky to be able to start going to see SNL tapings from an early age and was just totally amazed at the way it works and how they can coordinate

all of it somehow and all the moving sets and everything. And of course, it's something I'd love to do. Yeah, I've gone to a couple. And that is what I think strikes anybody the first time they see it beyond like anytime you see anything in person the audience is tiny et cetera. Yeah, smaller that frantic like two and a half minutes. The woman, the changer, the wardrobe woman whose job it is to sprint in the minute cameras cut and pull the actor away and just like peel the clothes off of them.

She has a book in her. Totally. Totally. This garment would not peel off this man. Exactly. So, okay, so that's right now. It's working on the songbook. So what kind of songs are you going to be?

singing. I'm still deciding. I think everything. I kind of like all music. They just have to be written by American songwriters. That's the whole thing. And so it'll be everything, like pop music, folk music, Disney. Definitely Disney. Some Broadway. Yeah, that goes about saying. It should. So you're just anti, you just don't like other countries outside of America, basically, is what you're saying. Yeah, on the record. No, I'm kidding. I love, I can't. It's just what's called the American song book. Top five countries outside of the States. Sure. okay um this feels like a lose lose we don't have to do it i'm just stream of conscience right now it's okay everyone in the u.s is that an answer that you'll accept top five states

no okay you didn't grow up in new york but i grew up in connecticut but i assume you spent a lot of time in new york by virginia but it felt like a it felt like a special occasion every time like we'd come in to see the rockettes or something we'd come in to see to see the christmas tree at rockefeller center yeah okay that's like a one block radio we went to other places You're talking about one trip? Okay, fine. It was one trip. No, we went, like, it was always just special trips in the city, museums, and things like that.

It was cool. And I went to the, I went to the Museum of Natural History. Like, I would say probably once every three weeks growing up. And I would just sit and stare at the dinosaurs and just, like, think about it. Like, imagine it. It never gets old. I grew up, I went to school. My elementary school is a block away from the Museum of Natural History.

Which elementary school? PS-87. Amazing. In highest 44. Those are my schools over there. And it's like the default. It's the best default school. trip ever. It's like if you have to do it like three times a year, you can do a lot worse than

having to go to the planetarium and Museum Natural History and seeing that giant. And I was just in there for the first time in a long time and the girls premiere party was there. It was so excited about it. And I think they replaced the glass or I'm taller. Those are the two options of what's happened. But something looked different. It seemed clear. And to me, it's not out of the question that technology has improved in glass. It's possible. And it's clear. But anyway, I was just like, oh, man, It's so alive, all the things in there. And the dinosaurs are still, they still blow my mind. I was driving from Malibu to Palm Springs over New Year's,

and I was just picturing dinosaurs everywhere, because that's like where they are at. Many dinosaurs there. Is that where they're at? I wasn't aware of that. Yeah. That drive, just picture like brontosaurus is. It happened.

Interesting. I don't think the people that are living over there are ready for, or appraisal. It seems like they are as ill-equipped as any folks. mills would have to go for sure those would fall right down um but yeah it's yeah that's very cool so okay so early on obviously we all know musical theater big big passion was that was that the first thing you were obsessed with like yeah and that's probably a good way of putting it because um the movies i fell in love with when i was little were musical and i would just walk around the house like being one of those characters singing constantly every picture of me when i was little my i'm singing or talking my mouth is

open in some kind of shape of speech or movement. And my parents are pretty happy to point out that I talked nonstop as a kid. It was just sort of like a constant stream of questions, observations, thoughts, imagination, a new character voice. My grandmother reminded me recently that every time I pretended to be Peter Pan when I was little, he was British.

And Mary Martin is the one I grew up with, not British. I just decided it was a creative decision. It was a character choice, yeah. I was British a lot. I respect Mary's choice, but as a six-year-old, I'm going to go on my own. own way. I'm going to go my own way. Thanks, Mary, for your, for your contribution.

Yeah, yeah. Everyone can do it differently. It's the wrong way, but it's fine. No, so I guess he's a little girl. How would Kruger do it, though, a German accent, probably. Yes, he'd be, he'd be a little German. A little scary if you're bad. No, just, uh, a little more disciplinarian, maybe. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, succinct, probably. But I, yeah, so it was just like playing characters, dress up, and I leave the house and dress up clothes, and my parents, God love them, are just open to it. And when I announced them that I wanted to be an actress at like four or three or however old, they were just like, cool, you have to go to college and we'll support you morally.

And that'll be the plan. And I was fine with it. And then in high school, I was like, I am old. I'm getting old. You must let me fall on my badge. And my parents were like, you have lost your mind. Go to college for four years. And I did.

And I'm so grateful. So it sounds like type A kind of personality from the beginning in terms of just overachiever wanting to like, just anxious, excited. Ancient decided to get in there, just enthusiastic, I would say. I mean, I think my type, it's sort of a nuanced type A. Like, let me think about it. I don't like surprises, but I'm really messy. And it takes me a long time to open mail and open packages.

Like, physically you're not able to actually, like dexterity? I just have problems. No. It's just like, I don't get to it. But you'd never picture it. Jemima, who plays Jasa on girls, is so neat that she clears dinner plates before you're, like, done eating them. She just doesn't want plates on the table.

I am so messy that it just would it would surprise I think anybody and I don't know if is that type A are you allowed to be messy if you're type A we're going to make an exception I don't know I don't know the clinical I don't either but um yeah so I was thinking about the other day as I was looking at my desk I was like you know maybe this whole idea of me being the if that follows yeah exactly but definitely um but creative I don't know as a little as a little person so what did you make of because again like Like going back when I was younger, we were all younger, and your dad was doing talk shows. I remember actually being struck by like, oh, my God, like, he's super funny and really good at this too. And this shouldn't be happening because that kind of person shouldn't be as witty and quick as he is. Were you embarrassed, excited? Well, it was funny because it took me a while to figure out what he did for a living. Because when you're a little, there's no, like, I wasn't watching the nightly news and everyone's dad and mom had jobs.

And so it didn't feel strange. Then as I got older, I started to learn more about it. But I never thought of him as a serious person. I knew he was serious for his job, but he's my dad. So he goof, you know, he's a dad at home. He's not like breaking news constantly in our house. And so seeing him on those shows with the, he's kind of like dry sense of humor. He's very caustic.

That is the side of him that I'm accustomed to and is the sense of humor that my brother has to the nines. My mom is also fiercely funny. I laugh more when I'm at home with my family than I do ever in any other circumstance. Are we allowed to divulge the photo revelation you just gave in the other room about what you're... Yeah, I guess so. We send each other unflattering pictures on purpose all throughout the day. And so when, you know, in the event of iPhone hackage, I have frequently thought that the pictures that would be the most confusing for people would be the ones of my whole family just like with as many chins as we can. can create or like crossed eyes or any of those things and they those we send constantly amazing yeah

you could do a coffee table book well that's that's going around coffee table books of selfies so I think there you go yeah Jermase does that too have you see what he does his Instagram photos he does like he's amazing yeah I mean obviously the wittiest man on the planet but also does like quadruple chins of him in like the bathtub that are horrendous to like he he purposely makes himself disgusting it is kind of wonderful so okay so okay you're dressing out of the like what Disney princesses etc yeah I would go through phases like I was Dorothy for a while and then I was Bell for a long time you would be frozen right now you'd be like you grew up right now I am I'm obsessed and I'm an Anna as much as I love let it go I'm not gonna try to sing that song

because it's impossible to sing only Adina Manzella can do it um and I would I'm an Anna I love love is an open door man you know I'm exposed to I have a bunch of nieces and I've twin nieces that are five that as you can imagine every time I visit them are they in the costumes all the I would be wearing them constantly. And I watch it every time I fly because it's on a lot of those TVs still. When they take it off the TVs where I have a problem

and have to buy it. Because when I watch on them playing, it's like, come on. Just start slamming the seat in front of you. Now we're going to get my OA. Why is Allison? I was having a meltdown. So sorry.

It is not an overreaction. That movie is a gem. It's an American treasure. Yeah, I would be really into Frozen. I'd be into all of it. I mean, does he just know what they're doing? So were you doing school plays and stuff like that? Yeah, school plays and stuff.

And the fun thing about school plays is that is the sort of mixture of all the ages and the content that's definitely not age-appropriate. So, like, little kids playing Daddy Warbucks and stuff like that is just so strange. Like, if you think about it. So in middle school, because I was so awkward looking, I played all the fun, like, tertiary characters who would steal the show. Like, I played Lily St. Regis and Annie, and she's got that fun little voice. And she's, you know.

And so I'd played her, and then I played the cat, who was the villain in Honk. Everyone knows Honk's a musical, right? It's a classic. Classy, guys and dolls, honk. I actually love honk, and the cat was one of my favorite characters. He was male, and he wore a fat suit, and that was the best. You should develop honk as a musical for Broadway. You're not the first person.

No, I'm kidding. You are the first person. Josh Horowitz presents. Allison Williams in. Honk. You have to stop teasing me because I'm getting too excited. Beautiful songs. And then in high school, the braces came off, and I, like, became someone who looked

like a girl in a person, and then I got cast. is like Sergeant Sarah and Guys and Dolls. And the pretty songs, but Adelaide is where it's at. And that's what I wanted. And again, Guys and Dolls is like so serious for a bunch of like 16-year-olds to be singing about like the Salvation Army and gambling and going to Cuba. And I'm like, did we even know what we were singing about? No, but I loved it. That was my favorite.

I loved. Guys and Oz is great. The movie's a little interesting. Sinatra? And Brando? I love it. But Brando gets a bad rap for it, but I actually think he's amazing. He's not the best singer, obviously.

He really is. I miss having Brando around. They've been, I used to, my first job out of school was working for Charlie Rose and it was Oh, I know, I listen. Oh, calm down. Drink your coffee.

Was, Marlin would sometimes, I don't know, like I'm Marlon. M, Mr. Brando would call the office, just like the general office line sometimes and it was just always like, which intern would happen to answer the phone and Marlon Brando would call. He was a big phone guy.

He liked calling people towards the end there. Charlie for hours and Johnny Depp for hours. I would call to Charlie, Johnny Depp. If I could talk to them, talk to him. Charlie, you've probably met Charlie. You don't need to spend that much time. I've met Charlie. Let me tell you, that abyss of a room with that oak table.

That's a dream. That's your dream. Wait, is that what your apartment looks like? It's just like a dark room with a big table. So you don't see the mess. No, you can't see anything. Maybe that's part of the problem. You're on to something.

I can't see the mess. No, but if I were to be on Charlie Rose, mean I had like brought something to the UN or something, which is a version of myself I like to imagine is not far along. Or presenting the panel from Honk today. My guest, former producer for myself, Josh Har Oates and Allison Williams. Well, Charlie, I'll tell you when Honk began. It was in my office. It was way back.

It goes way back. Okay. So, so you're in, you're doing school plays. You go to Yale, this whatever institution, smarty pants. And you were acting throughout once you got there. I was acting, but I was an English major because I wanted to make sure if I couldn't, if the acting didn't work out, I was going to fall back on my English major. Which always means, big bucks. It's always a clear career path.

It's just what I really liked about it. No, I am, I growing up always used to ask actors that I met, like what should I tell me everything, what should I do? And every single one of them told me to go to a liberal at school and to major in something other than acting. Because they were like, if this is what you want to do for a living, don't do it for the, these four years you get. They're freebies. You get to like, you know, you get to just learn things, not free and it costs money. It's a significant amount of money. But, you know, it's four years where you're delayed going into the workforce in a real way full time, so you can just learn stuff. So I'm so glad I got that advice because it was very good advice. And it meant that when

you're not working, there's just more going on, more things that you're interested in. Were you getting into comedy that time? Was that there? So that's my first semester, my freshman year, coming small fish, big pond, that transition in there is really hard. Because you're everyone at Yale and at most colleges is coming from like where they were kind of like the big man or woman on campus. And they come, I mean, not that I was at all, but in the play world, I was getting, I was leading player in my senior year.

It's like, come on. Let's come on people. I wasn't the star actually. But, you know, I was doing my best. Anyway, so the, I get to Yale and I was like, they were doing him to the woods, actually. So I was like, all right, I probably can't get Cinderella because I'm a freshman, but I'll take a little red. So I show up for my little red audition. And there are like full stage door manner trained, like basically Broadway caliber actors and actresses like warming up in the hallways.

It was out of a scene of something. They have these elaborate audition books with like eight options of head shots. Like they don't need headshots. It's like a school play. All these songs that they have is like options if they want to hear something else. Like they have their 18 bars ready. And I'm just like. I am way out of my league.

Here I go in. The audition does not go well. I don't get the part. So my friend to cheer me up takes me to an improv show. And it was Just Adwater. And they did long, form, short form, and musical improv. And I just was blown away. I was like, the fact that I could potentially ever know how to do this is mind-boggling.

So I auditioned and I got that. And then that's what I did for four years. So the kind of stuff, the kind of viral videos that you were doing that kind of led to Judd seeing your stuff and getting on girls. I mean, what was, was there a plan in your, in your brain of like, okay, this is, I'm, I'm collecting all this kind of disparate kind of weird musical kind of stuff on, online, hoping what happens? Well, so that started happening, that started happening towards the tail end of college. There was this kid, Kurt Hugo Schneider, who's in my grade, who was like a budding YouTube producer. And there was this kid, Sam Shui, who had the voice of an angel who sang videos and Kurt would produce them. And sometimes Kurt would play the instruments in the videos.

and Kurt could like edit together a song and a music video in like five hours and put it on YouTube. And they developed such a following that any video that went online got like 500,000 views overnight just by virtue of it being online. And so I started making videos with Kurt including TikTok, which was like a slowed down version of TikTok and that did super well. And so then that got me thinking that after I graduated, I kind of wanted to use YouTube to try to get myself out into the ether and so that people like Judd who could encounter me because I didn't want to like reach out to them but I wanted them to know I existed right and so I was watching Madman I was obsessed with the theme song for Madman the RJD2 song a beautiful mine is what it's called

and um I worked with a bunch of people that I'd gotten to know through school and we made a video that combined Nature Boy by Nat King Cole with the Madman theme song we put it on YouTube and literally what my dad and I had been emailing about was like do you think someone like like Judd would ever see this. We said Judd, which is what's so weird about this, because Judd saw it on the Huffington Post. It's not like someone sent it to him. So Judd saw it on Huff Po and he was like, he reached out to my agents and he said, can Allison, we've been looking for this personality and I think Allison might have it. I just saw her video. Can she come audition for girls? And at that point, I had just moved to L.A.

Graduated college, ready to go. Let's do this. Very dramatically move out to L.A. I like, bid farewell to all my friends in the rain. I'll never see you again. Why are you not having an umbrella out? It's more dramatic. It's more dramatic if there's like rain and mascara in my eyes. Just go with it. You stay dry. That's crazy.

I'm going to get wet. It's my job. And so I like moved out to L.A. And then I auditioned for girls in L.A. And then came right back to do the pilot. And it was crazy. I did not expect that video to work so well. We have two more.

And I've never released them because everything's fine. Yeah, exactly. The next time I need, I need Juddabato and no, I exist. I'll just release another one. It's like a smoke stick. Do you worry that you haven't encountered enough strife and sadness in your young career? That would be such a crazy thing to worry about. No, I mean, there is not an actor alive who has not been told no, a significantly larger amount of times than they've been told, yes.

I am definitely one of them. The crazy thing is that I've never done a movie, and that's been like a combination of things I love, not going my way, things coming to me that I didn't love, and just that synergistic thing. and being so precious about movies. I love movies so much that I want my first experience on a movie to be one fueled by a like true desire to do it rather than a sense of like, I guess I should do a movie

and just rip the band-aid off. So what were your big, give me a few of your influences like in terms of like the movies you saw like just we know the Disney musicals. We got that covered. Yeah. Other than that comedically or film-wise,

what were you into? Oh my God. I mean, everything. I really, it's eclectic. Like my, I was so Star Wars obsessed when I was little, like beyond and just wanted to live in their world, wanted to live on tattooing

specifically. Are you of the, I guess you're a little old, so like prequels didn't necessarily. No, not yet. They remastered them in, I think, 99. Late 90s, exactly, yeah. And I went to go see them in the theater. I didn't know that's not how old they all were

at that point. No one really explained. I think I knew they had happened before, but I definitely thought that's how old Harrison Ford was. And that was rough. When they're like, actually. no I thought we had a chance I thought we could make it work still I thought we could make it work I was 11 he was like 33 I was like listen love it's just a number it doesn't matter well then it got a little tougher when Calista was in the picture and I was like all right lady he's yours but yeah I mean I loved Star Wars I loved but then I fell in love with Altman because I was a PA on a Prairie Home Companion once ever yeah so I fall I fell in love with his movies and um I'm a big PTI fan, which I know we have in common, obviously.

And then, I mean, I just love, like, I love romantic comedy as a genre. I love, like, and I love comedies. I love the jerk so much. I love, oh, man, airplane, like those movies, I just. Nicky Gun. Yeah, of course, of course. Even Mafia. I love Mafia.

So, okay. Oh, really, Jane Austen's Mafia? Okay. Interesting. What? I don't know. I think it's second tier. I'll be honest.

I don't want to drive a statement. through our budding relationship, but I don't know, revisit it. But there's a pulling finger joke. There's a fart joke that goes throughout the movie. How can you make fun of that kind of narrative? Brilliant.

No, you're right, you're right. Fart jokes win the day every day. So did, okay, so yeah, what is it about, like, what are you, are you just not seeing material that's exciting? You say you want to be precious about, like, when you do a film, making it work.

Like, what's the ideal scenario? Do you want to, like, be part of ensemble? Would you love to be like the girl in the romantic comedy? What's the ideal? It totally just depends on the role. To me, I am scratching the itch of a character in the realm of Marnie to the millionth degree. I mean, I have the best version of that character that I get to play. Lena and the rest of our writers write it so beautifully in such a nuanced way that when I read other characters that are similar,

it just doesn't feel satisfying or right in the same way. So then I play Peter Pan, which is about as different from Marnie as you can get. And that's exactly the right idea. It didn't matter that it was TV, that it was live. That was all just bonus to me. Like, it was the character itself. I was like, oh, great. So maybe the people who only think I can play Marnie will stop saying that if they've seen me play a young British boy who can fly.

I mean, I'm hoping. Are people encounter, I know, because I'm sure people encounter you encounter you in the street and assume you're Marnie. I assume that doesn't happen with, they're not assuming you can fly and can bring. A very funny thing was right before Peter Pan happened. I was at the parade to introduce. just a performance of the bunch of the people in our cast, and I was walking down the street, and one of the women on the line had a little boy in a stroller, and she pointed to me, and she goes, that's Peter Pan, and he goes, well, she kept pointing to me, and she's like,

that girl, that's Peter Pan, he's like, she's a goal. And I was like, oh, God, it's going to be so confusing. This is really going to be confusing. Three hours later, you're trying to explain it to it to her. Listen, kid, I've gone through all my iPhone pictures from the promo. Show you the contracts. I don't know what to tell you. But so it's kind of, it's, it's, it's, it's, I don't know, it's, it was great. So it was, um, for instance, one, one very high profile project I know that, that you, that talked about you for was fantastic four. Was that something that was like, was that exciting to be part of that process to be up for something like that? And it's such a, um, it didn't get that far because my schedule for girls is so constricting. Um, but I am very excited about the cast they put together. I mean, Kate's going to do an incredible job. Yeah. And Michael B. Jordan and mild. I mean, come on. It's good. group. And Trank, Josh Trank, is so, so talented. Yeah, Chronicle is pretty awesome. Chronicle is really

awesome. And I got to meet him a couple of times about that project and he's just, he's going to do a beautiful job with it. So that was one that was exciting for a time and then it just sort of drifted away. And that happens all the time in our business, which is why you don't get excited about things until they're so real. And people think we're all crazy. I'm constantly knocking on wood and like crossing my fingers and I don't want to talk about things until they're final. And, um, It drives my friends crazy, which was why it was really nice for HBO to pick up girls before the premiere screened, because then I was like, oh, okay, great. What else am I going to be anxious about now? I need to find something else.

Oh, trust me. I have more than enough things I can find to be anxious about. So that's, you know, that's the thing. And it was just one of those projects that sort of did that. I'm sure this is something you were asked a lot. But, like, is there, you know, we talked about musicals art, like, what are the ones that you hold in the highest esteem that, like, whether it's a dream of being a part of it on stage or in a film or you just want to see, realized again. in a fashion. I love Light in the Piazza, which was an Adam Gettle musical, and I'm a big Kelly O'Hara fan.

She played Mrs. Darling and Peter Pan, and I tried to be cool about it. I definitely wasn't. But I gave myself a pep talk before the first day. I was like, with Walkin, I feel like you can freak out at him, and it's going to be okay. With Kelly, you've got to be careful, you got to be gentle. And with Christian Borrell, too, I'm such a fan of his. I was like, you got to just be cool about it. And I saw Kelly, and I was like, I've seen you in every musical you've ever done.

I'm obsess of you. You have a voice of an angel. So I loved Light and the Piazza and then I love all of the classics. I love Annie, Get Your Gun, I love The Music Man, I love Wizard of Oz, I love, you know, it's, there's something about it too. The nice thing about musicals is like they sort of crystallize the first time you saw them. Right. And so there's a son's memory that happens when you hear that music, especially if you're not sitting around listening to musical scores every day, which I know you are, you and I do. I love it.

Constantly. Yeah. But not everyone does that. So when they hear the opening, you know, strains to the music man, they remember the first time they heard that music and they were probably little. or with their grandparents or whatever it is. So that's something I love about them. And but Lightning the Piazza is relatively new and it's so beautiful. I love chess.

I love, no, I can't stop. My default, since our conversation I started is I keep wanting to bring a punk again. And I can't stop my sin. Don't stop here. I'm showing restraint because every time there's like any kind of pause, I just want to scream and honk. The first song, I think, is called a poultry tale. Is it like what kind of a musical? What's the story?

It's about the ugly duckling. is it an actual duck or is it a metaphor for it well you're gonna have to see okay you're gonna have to see i don't know how i don't know what media you do you see it how extensive the Wikipedia entry is in hunk yeah exactly good a yard sales to fly the original recast recording of honk you can't find it oh no that's available i listened to that um you mentioned walk in walk in man that's a good one to knock off the list to say that you've worked with oh my god he was so cool and so fascinating and so Walkin.

And this is funny. The last time I saw him was when he walked the plank. As I sit here, as I sit here, I have not seen Christopher Walken since he walked the plank. Has anyone seen him since then? I don't know if we'll ever see him again. I don't know if anyone seen him. I think he walked the plank and just went into thin air. No, he walked the plank, got out of his wig and makeup and changed out of his costume and, you know,

had a glass of champagne with some of the crew in the cast. Apparently, I saw what I've heard. Right. And then got in his car and left. Meanwhile, I'm still finishing the thing. I wasn't done. I kill him. Spoiler alert.

And a lot of time goes by and I have to go back to the darlings and I have to get Jane to come with me and whatever. So I had so much more time left. And then after I was done, I was crying so much and just like hugging everyone around me that I didn't see him. And I wanted to say goodbye to him and thank you. Nope. He was gone. At a certain point. I was like, where's walking?

Everyone just looked at me and they're like, he's gone. He jumped on his unicorn and went to his estate on another planet. He's gone back to where he came from, which is Connecticut, but you know, and I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I don't know if I should, right? It might be the best way to add there. I maybe, like, shouldn't. But he was so generous and so good and so, I mean, just so walk in.

Like, everyone knows what you mean when you say that. Totally. And, like, in my much more limited experience than you, I think the one only time I've ever sat down with him, I walked into a room. It was him and Sam Rockwell, speaking of amazing and talented crazy people. They were in this movie Seven Psychopaths, which is a really good movie, right? Yes. And I walk in and I hear Walkin saying, I'm not going to do a walk-in impression, but he's

hard. He's basically saying, he's talking about the albino octopus at the end of Prometheus. Oh, my God. And it's asking, why was it there? Well, that's a hard question to answer. It's a good question. Yeah. He astounds me.

During Peter Pan, I sort of tried not to pay any attention to, I tried to forget all the movies I'd seen him in because so many of the performances are haunting. And I couldn't really be afraid of him. Thinking of deer hunter in the middle of that. So I went back and I watched Deer Hunter after Peter Pan. I was like, that man, that man was near me. He's so good and so like, oh, man. And those pants back in Deer Hunter are so high. So high those pants, those wasted pants.

He pulled it off. I want them to make enzymes that long now. Well, do you see her? I thought it was coming back for a second. They are with a high-wasted. Yeah, like a Henley and a high-wasted pants. Spike. He pulled it off too.

Spike with that clothing vision. Amazing. What was it, band of outsiders? Didn't someone make all the clothing? That sounds right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Really cool. So, okay, so do you feel in a way, the experience on girls so far, we talk a little bit

about, like, you know, there's that cliche of like when you're on television, people relating to you in a much more visceral way. Yeah. You're literally in their little tube at home and they feel connection. Yeah. And they feel connection. to you. Has that been something that's been exciting or interesting to wrestle

with, like, just interacting with people, obviously as, like, you get a little bit more recognizable and people associate you with the characteristics of Marnie more than necessarily knowing what you're all about. Well, it's always nice, and people are really sweet. The meanest thing they could possibly say

is, like, my girlfriend's obsessive that it's not for me or my daughter watches it, I can't watch it. And that's, like, not mean, it's just a matter of preference. A little weird to come off me and open with that. But you know, I mean, people don't know really know what to say. Look, I'm just going to be frank with you. I want this to be open. Not a fan, but I respect you. I hate it. I want to take a picture of you. No, no one, no one does that. But as someone who's gone up to actors

to profess fandom, you're trying to come up with a hook so that it's some crazy part of your mind is like, this has to be memorable. So people come up with sort of like loaded with the stories or our little connections that they might have with the show. And it's, it's just nice. I mean, the fact that people connect with girls so much and it feels so real that we could be conceivably they could be running into Marnie. She lives in Chinatown and she's my age and she takes subway just like I do and she walks and she goes to Sephora just like I do and she goes to 16 handles and we have the same like traffic patterns and it's totally if she existed she would I would bump into her undoubtedly. And so that's a little bit strange. I think if I lived in a different

place it would be like a slightly different reaction but there's a closeness that people feel especially girls my age. And that's just nice. And I always tell them they get, they get excited and it sort of seems nervous. And they're always like, I'm so nervous. I'm like, why are you? Save that. Save that for like, like, if you ever meet like Paul McCartney. I am, we're the same basically, except my job is strange and I play someone else on a thing that you watch. But other than that, like, I bet we have mutual friends. And don't freak out. Save it. I am disturbingly relatable to you. Just calm. Just calm down. Let me list the ways. How many housewives shows do you watch on Bravo?

See, I watch the same amount. But I think that's what's so, I don't know. It's just so funny. We've mentioned your one-time crush Harrison Ford, and you see the ratty fedora. I do. And for the people listening, it is as ratty a fedora as I imagine. And I feel like you might get like cholera or something from these things, because they've been in here for a while. Have they?

You might want a back teen after this or something. A back teen? Have you heard of Hygienic? Oh God. You've never heard of that. Happy Ralph. You know, back teen is that stuff that doesn't sting, right?

When you get a boo-boo, when you're a little. Just pick the damn thing. You want a back teen. I love that. Okay. Favorite Godfather movie. But Godfather isn't capitalized, so could it just be about any kind of godfathers?

However you want to interpret it. Oh, my God. And if you say three, you're rejected from the room. Although I like three. Three gets a bad rap. No, yeah. I can't say three. I'm going to say,

I'm going to say one, just because, you know, they just got it right for the first time. Okay. We'll accept it. As much as I love. Cicino. Next. Honk. Can we make honk into like an actual, just everyday expression?

Yeah, totally. Have I ever been arrested? No. To the surprise of no. Breaking news. I have never been arrested. Have you come close? Have you been, have you been, have you have dreams of having like, I don't, I don't.

No, being wrongfully accused and incarcerated for 30 years. You don't have that dream? No. No, I have many other nightmares. I have nightmares of not being able to open my eyes in a classroom. Is that a weird one? Okay, you're in a classroom and your eyes are fixed shut. My eyes are fixed shut and I can open them for like tiny little seconds.

Not that I'm tired. I just can't keep them open and I'm being asked questions and I can't see the problem. So your nightmare is that you're not achieving enough in school, basically. I'm not paying enough attention to the teacher who is asking for my attention. Someone planted these dreams in my brain. to keep me on the straight and narrow and they are working. Yeah, I have nightmares like that.

I have nightmares of like getting to school or a meeting and realizing that I'm nude and I forgot to like put clothes on. And then I do terrifying things like walk out of the house holding our actual landline, which terrifies me that it would be possible to leave the house naked and not realize it. But I think that's for a couple decades down the line.

Should I pick another one? Yeah, please. I'm going to sort through that last one. Yeah. Harry Potter I don't have to finish that No brainer Books or films are both

Everything all of the above Really? Seen and read all the books and movies many times Love Harry Potter Another world I wish I lived in And I loved your interview with Dan Dan's the best I call him Dan Rat

I don't know Dan Never had You will you two could get along Another New Yorker I was glad you're not playing the like Can you name all the quarterbacks Game with me Because I definitely wouldn't have either

Don't worry Worst injury I've ever had Oh good question Well, I had sort of like permanent injuries from playing soccer, bad knees. I'm sort of badly assembled. All my joints have been failing me from the minute I started using them. But worst injury. I was standing on the bottom of a sledding hill and someone sled into me with like one of those inflatable ones.

And I sort of like flipped up into the air as if I had been switched out with like a dummy version of myself briefly. And then landed and I think Harleine fractured some ribs that keep bothering me. I think that was the worst one. But that's not that bad. Like, most people, as I'm sure will shock you, I'm not very accident prone. At least it looked like a fun pratfall. Like, you made it into something comedic. Yeah, and then I landed and I was like, I'm in real pain.

I'm in real pain. But did I look good, funny? Definitely not. Not cool at all. Like trying to flirt with all the boys, trying to look so cool sledding. And then someone just like slides right into your feet and takes them out from under you. They're always trying to take you down. I know.

Okay, finish strong. Yeah, what do you got? You determine your own ending. Oh, really? Yeah. We could be here for a long time. I'm kind of curious. Nothing else to do?

When was the last time I cried? Ooh, good question. Oh, I cried last night watching the State of the Union, watching the mom who's worked hard and they've come back. But I'm an easy to cry. I'm an empathic cryer. So if I see anyone crying, I cry with them. I just figure they want company.

Oh, but I watched, oh, my God, I don't know what my problem is. I watched the fault in our stars on an airplane. Yeah, no, that's going to be a mess. Trying to suck the tears and the nose and the snot and everything back into my face. I was like, does this work? Is it like, if you squeeze a tube of something, you can get the stuff back in the tube, kind of? Can I get my tears to go back into my face?

And the answer was no, and flight attendants were staring at me. But sometimes you just want that, too. But I wanted to watch it in a place where I could, like, really focus on it. And I knew I couldn't go to a theater because I'm, like, a loud cry. And so I thought an airplane would absorb the ambient sound of my tears. I saw that at, like, a fan screening, like, like the diehards. And it was the way. And I've been, like, to Twilight premiere, so I know loudness.

Yes. I have never heard. It was just like, like, like, all around me, like heaving. And I, I mean, I cried that much in of mice and men when I saw it on Broadway, and that was uncomfortable enough. So I was like, all right. And Bridges of Madison County, weeping. So I was like, I can't do that. I have to stop crying in public.

Are people going to come up with reasons for that? Right. And so I watched it on an airplane. And it was just, I was just devastated by it, which is your job as someone was. watching the movie. It's so well done. You did your job. That's good. Yeah, and they certainly did theirs. They did. Is that the appropriate sad place to end? I know, that's so sad. Should I look one more? One more. If it's bad, then... I mean, have these all been, like, should I go to the bottom? Whatever you want.

This one I love because it has a spelling. Favorite Childhood TV show. What's missing? The E is missing off the favorite, which is how I used to spell favorite when I was a child, actually. not that's not even a joke okay well this is good because i was not allowed to watch anything other than public television when i was until i was 13 miracle you're as charming a human being as you are uh no um i the kids on barney are pretty charming um so my favorite show given that it could have been arthur but d w was so mean it could be shining time station which was it was it who was the host was it wringo was he the shining time station wasn't it

I would not have known, but it could have been someone in this school as ring of star. Really? They went through a couple people, I want to say. Wow, why would he do that? You Wikipedia, Shining Time Station, after this, I'm going to Wikipedia hunk, and we'll meet around the bed. It could have been, it was probably Sesame Street, or where in the world is Carmen San Diego. That was later. I mean, that was my parents were starting to loosen up a little bit.

We'll have it. Have you not done, like, the remix of Where in the World is Carmen San Diego song? Great question. I don't know. I just, I've been busy doing my honk archives. If any of that is taken out of context, I feel so dirty. Like a honk, I don't know. It's been a real pleasure spending some time today. Thank you for stopping by.

It's been a lot of fun, and I've learned a lot. I hope you, you haven't learned anything. I know you haven't learned so much. And it's so helpful to see this room in real life. I hope it's great, and it lives up to all of my. I wasn't soliciting for compliments where you were very kind today. No, it's true. Oh, and I'm now looking at a list of New Yorkers.

You're on there? I am on there. Because this is the other thing. We need to do something silly and stupid at some point. I'd love to do something silly. I'd do that for free and on my own time. Exactly. Go ahead and shoot it.

Okay, perfect. It's a play. That's the show, guys. I'm Josh Harrowitz. This has been happy, say I confused. Hope you've enjoyed the show. Hit me up on Twitter. Joshua Harrowitz.

Go over to Wolfpop.com. Check out all the amazing shows over there. And most importantly, check back in next week for another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused? Pop. Pop? Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. 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 Shalame, 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's Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about, too. Tron Aries looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar writes, The Running Man starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.