Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - BONUS: How Karen O'leary Was Discovered By Taika Waititi!

Episode Date: May 30, 2023

We talk to NZ comedian KAren O'leary ahead of the brand new show Paddy Gower Has Issues!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't know, Larry joins us in the studio. Lovely to have you in there. I think we've spoken before, but never in person. So lovely to see you. How would we have spoken if we haven't spoken in person? Well, I think we've spoken on the phone or over Zoom or something, I think. Or maybe I'm questioning that now. I don't remember Zoom call with you, but I'm sure it was a really great time. Well, you did as you came in. I said, I'm a huge fan of your work. And you replied with? Oh, I said I'm a mediocre fan of yours. Which is a great gag. It's a great gag. But it's lovely to see you.

And you are very busy. I mean, you've had a few jobs as well over the years. An early childhood teacher, celebrity treasure hunt contestant, movie star, What We Did in the Shadows. Now current affairs journalist in some ways as well. I mean, what's the toughest job you do? I think teaching was my toughest job ever. And also probably the one that was the most important but the good thing is that teaching pays shit

and now that I'm like a faux celebrity I get paid heaps of money to just muck about and be funny I saw that you're doing a big expose into big pharmaceuticals this week on Paddy Gower has issues you're trying to take down Dan Carter? Well who wouldn't want to take

Dan Carter downtown? Actually no, he's not really my cup of tea but yes you know i'm just i'm all about sort of playing for the for the little person you know like really advocating for people that have got an issue that some people might think well who cares about that but you know what if they care i care well supermarket music was last week on patagawa's got a massive issue yeah yeah the fact that we're oh i didn't realise that was sort of sad sounding music was often being played in the supermarket. Makes you spend longer in the store

and you spend more money. Would you rather, here's a question for you because I've done a little bit of research. That's your job is to ask me questions. Yeah, so here's another one.

Would you rather listen to sad songs or someone biting into an ice block? Oh. Yeah, yeah, there you go. Did someone tell you that? I read that in an article.

There you go. I did a little bit of research for my questions. That's your thing. Apparently someone biting into an icebox. Don't even say it again. It's making me gag, honestly. Jono biting into a peach. That's a safe bet for him.

Yeah, I can't. Oh, Jesus. Yeah, if I bite into a furry peach. You know what? I quite like a furry peach. So, yeah, each their own, I guess. Doesn't send shivers up your spine obviously no no i quite enjoy it but a cold stick thing no not for me you do uh so many jobs as we talked

about before and also radio because you don't like saying no you like saying yes which is a pretty cool way to be right i think you my my dad who actually passed away two weeks ago, I had his funeral the day before the first Paddy Gower show. Oh, my goodness. Anyway, this is not a funny story. This is obviously sad because my dad's dead. But actually, he was an innately positive, stupidly optimistic man, and I've got that from him.

So he would always be – he's very much a yes man, or he was. So I think I've got it from him, and I feel very grateful for that. Do you regret saying yes to coming in to the Jono and Ben show on the hits? I regret the fact that you haven't done enough research to know that it's my birthday today, and no one said happy birthday to me. I had the ice block thing. I know, yeah, yeah. What about my birthday?

Oh, happy birthday. Thank you very much indeed. Now, Karen, your name, Karen, has had a bit of a heart. It's the worst name in the world, let's be honest. But I feel, and we've talked about this before, one of my best mates, she's Karen, and she's awesome. I feel like it's had bad branding. How do you feel as a Karen who's not a Karen in that sense of the word?

Look, I'm passionate about the fact that my name has been torn through the mud, dragged through the mud, not torn through, that wouldn't make any sense. It's been dragged through the mud, and I'm just going to try and mount a campaign to bring my name back and make it a really good name with the with the you know the stereotype around the name do you find yourself did you try and avoid complaining no I complain on purpose because it's a really good joke so I can always say to someone I want to speak to your

manager and they just you know then they kind of like ha ha ha obviously then the actual manager came out and I got in quite a lot of trouble for doing that and um yeah but but amazing story with you the fact that you never really acted before and then suddenly you're in a taika waititi jermaine clement what we do in the shadows movie i mean what is surreal it's completely ridiculously accidental and i always i do i well initially i felt like a complete and utter fraud. And, you know, like when people would say, oh, you know, so did you go to toy? And I'd be like, nah. I played with heaps of toys as a teacher, early childhood teacher. That's pretty much it.

So, yeah. But again, I always, I believe that if you are someone that creates positive relationships with other people, then doors will open for you. And I think that's really important. How did it come about? Tina Cleary was the parent at my centre so I was teaching her daughter and she came up to me one day and said, oh these two guys are making a movie

they need a couple of cops, you should try out. And I was like, no, I'm not an actor, I don't want to know. I'm a teacher, for goodness sakes. But then, because I can't say no, she's like, just come and chat to me. And I was like, okay. And she secretly organised an audition and then the rest is history. I was not feeling that well on the Saturday

that I went to talk to her and so I was just kind of trying not to be sick and also then she just said, just say what you say if you're a cop. And she said, yeah, Tiger and Jermaine loved it. You're in the film. I was like, what? Wow.

It's a ridiculous story, but I think it's good. This movie industry is way too easy. Yeah. It is if you're me. No, I sound like a total bastard. Karen O'Leary, big fan of your work. I know you're a mediocre person. And a mediocre.

You know what? You've gone up from mediocre to quite good. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you very much. Lovely to see you. And don't forget, Paddy Gow has issues on tonight. Watch it.

Watch it, please. 7.30.