Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 84. Chloe Fineman: The SNL Star Who Can Literally Do Anything

Episode Date: October 24, 2022

Chloe Fineman’s first TV appearance was doing bird calls on Letterman. Now she plays a multitude of beloved characters on SNL and a role in Noah Baumbach’s forthcoming film White Noise. Mike and Chloe discuss how she got noticed with her celebrity impressions on Instagram and what happens when you talk smack about Chloe’s dog. Plus, jokes and stories about anesthesia freakouts and celebrity orgasms.Please consider donating to Best Buddies International

And I was walking to the West Side Highway with my dog. His leash was, like, extending the sidewalk. And then she was like, move your fucking dog. And I have, like, a bad quality where I'll just immediately be like, oh, really, bitch? You know? Oh, my gosh. But I use more. And so we just, like, expletive.

I just, I don't know why. More what? I'm just like. Worse than that? I was like, you fucking crazy cunt. Like, really? Yeah, I just, I go right to cunt. No. Yes. Worse than that? I was like, you fucking crazy cunt. Like, really? Yeah, I go right to cunt.

Yes. Welcome back to Working It Out. That is the voice of Chloe Fineman. That's a little snippet from the middle of the episode in the slow round that is such a funny story. Chloe Fineman is an amazingly funny and talented cast member on SNL. This episode is one of my faves. It's just so darn funny. There's a lot happening.

The show starts on Broadway this week, The Old Man in the Pool, a show that you've been a part of all through over 84 episodes with many guests and across the country and around the world and outdoor shows and virtual shows is culminating at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. If you are having a hard time finding affordable tickets, which I understand the website is a little odd in terms of how it directs you to super expensive tickets. Here's what I'd recommend. On Telecharge, if you go to the seating charts, there's some $44 seats or $48 seats, and the seats are all great. The sight lines are incredible in this theater. The other thing is on TodayTix, there's, I want to say, like,

tickets in the 30s, 40s, and 50s through the holidays, through Christmas. So if you're frustrated with how expensive the tickets are, just, like, fish around a little bit. Go on TodayTix. Get the TodayTix app. I was doing it myself last night because I was trying to understand it. And that's certainly where I'm going to send Joe Birbiglia to buy tickets. No, but I'm so excited about the show.

It's so cool. The design of the set by Beowulf Barrett and the lighting design and the projections, all these things that are really, really amazing. We're all super proud of. And if you're on my Instagram, you might notice that I just announced I play a small role in a beautiful film that Tom Hanks stars in called A Man Called Otto.

It comes out over Christmas. I highly recommend that. It's like a beautiful, heartwarming film. And then I'm in a music video that I've known about for a long time, but I've kept secret. And that's on my Instagram as well. And that's super, super fun and exciting. Today, we are joined by Chloe Fineman.

Chloe is just a wildly talented person. In addition to being this incredible cast member on SNL who does amazing impressions, she's in Noah Baumbach's film White Noise that comes out this fall with Greta Gerwig and this incredible cast. I mean, Noah Baumbach's movies are, I think, just some of my favorite films of all time. And so I'm thrilled that she's in that. I can't wait to see it.

She and I reference how we're about to do a benefit for the NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council, an organization I think is amazing. She works out material from that performance on the show today in real time. She thinks it's going to go terribly. Spoiler alert, it went great. She killed. People loved her. First of all, we referenced Sarah Sherman, who's also on SNL. If you haven't listened to the Sarah Sherman episode of Working It Out,

go back and listen to that. It was like four episodes ago. And also, oh, I should point out that you might have noticed there was cursing in the cold open. This show is very rare today. But there is cursing a little bit through the show today, but not super dirty, but there's, yeah, there's cursing. Just so you know, if you have a five-year-old

and you don't want them to start saying all these words all the time, maybe this isn't for you. Enjoy my conversation with the great Chloe Fineman. As you were pulling up, I thought of you because there's construction next door. So I had to do that thing

with all movie and TV things. You have to be like, hey, are you going to keep drilling? Because it's loud. And the guy goes, he's Irish, he goes, He'd be like, hey, are you going to keep drilling because it's loud? Uh-huh. You know? And the guy goes, he's Irish.

He goes, it'll be about a half hour. And then I did, I'm an amateur impressionist. You're a professional impressionist. I do this thing. I immediately impersonate. Yeah. I literally go, it's going to be about a half hour. Half an hour.

To myself. A half hour. Really? You didn't automatically do it back? Yeah. And then he's right there. Wow. Do you have that?

Is that like a rookie move on my part? No, no. I, like, wherever I am, change my voice. Really? A hundred percent. Oh, so in other words, you become the person you're talking to. Yeah, or like, yeah, or if I'm in London, I'm British. If I'm in France, and I'll speak English, and it's bad,

but I'll be like, um, excuse me. Oh, my God, that's so funny. They're like, hello, I'm wondering. Yeah, like I can't help it. And then I think when I get back to here, I become like nasally, and I'm Jewier than I normally sound. That's interesting, but you are Jewish. Yeah, but I'm like angry.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally. People from Philadelphia. It just changes. It's crazy. I do have Massachusetts for sure because I grew up in Worcester and when I'm around there, I'm just like, are we going for fish? It's like, what am I

saying? Right, right. Well, we're vessels. Are we going to have hamburg know, it's like, what am I saying? Right, right. Well, we're vessels. Are we going to have hamburgers? Yeah. It's so stupid. With younger people, it's when I feel the most pathetic. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah.

And they were like, no, I know, like literally, you know, and I know. I feel older than everybody this year. This is the year where I'm woman now. Because it's your third year on the show? Well, I'm 34, but I've always identified as 27. But now I feel like I really have since 10, just like early mid-20s. And now I'm older than everybody. I get that. Yeah.

Oh, that's so weird. Yeah. Everyone's younger. I've always looked about 40. And now I'm 44, and I'm like great you're 40 fine yeah yeah caught up with me but did you always feel like they like a younger person looking up to other people now you look like you're an older person who needs to mentor other people coming up I'm not gonna do it I'm not gonna do it I'm just not. Famously, my first great Halloween costume in kindergarten was to be a little lady.

So I've been dying to be an adult since a very young age. Oh, really? Yeah, I was a young adult for Halloween. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I just wore like more mature child's clothing. Did you do like a middle-aged woman voice when you did that part? I was just like, they were like, what are you? And I was like, a little lady. Like I'm a

young adult. I just wanted to be a teen. Like I always wanted to just be 10 years older than I was. I don't know why. Oh my gosh. And then you on Letterman, you did like bird calls. Yeah. And that's like your TV debut. That was so gross. I was like, yeah. Ew. Yeah, that was, I come from a, I grew up in Berkeley and then my parents moved to like bougier Bay Area with like traditions. There is bougier Bay Area? Like Marin or something? Yeah, like Marin next to Berkeley.

Oh, okay. The Marin of the East Bay. Oh, okay. And they have traditions. Oh. Oh. Yeah. Yeah, have traditions. Oh. Oh. Yeah. Yeah.

Biotech dad did better. Yeah. They didn't want to be in Berkeley. And so there's like, it's been going on for like, I don't know, 60, maybe 100 years. This bird calling contest. Oh, so that's like a big thing. It's like a tradition. Yeah.

And then everyone does like sketch comedy. Right. And then if you have a skit that's funny with your bird call, then you're flown to Letterman. Oh my God, no way. Yeah. And we didn't win, me and my friend. And you did a pee foul.

Yeah, whoa. I looked it up. I looked it up. Is that what it is? Yeah. That was before I went, and then my friend went, and that was our call.

When you do that, I'm like, I should quit comedy. Wait, I can teach you something that I learned. Okay. Because it was scary to do the bird call, but this is a turkey. You just go like, take your hand and just go. That's it? That's a turkey? Yeah, that's what's funny. Yeah, there you go.

You just did it. It's fun, actually. I will say having a seven-year-old daughter is fun for just that kind of silliness again. Yeah. Because you can just do silly bird calls and this and that. And they laugh and they laugh. Yeah, and you don't fear failing. Right.

Because kids don't fear failure, really. They're like the ultimate improvisers. I mean, they fear failure, but in a different way. You sound just like my dad. Oh, really? Does he say stuff like that? He's like, improv is my religion. That's his new... Does he improvise? Oh, yeah. No kidding. Yes. Really?

Oh, yeah. Since I was a small child, every Saturday at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. I don't know why I put cameras on. You've got to be kidding me. Oh, yeah. As I was a small child, every Saturday at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. I don't know why I put cameras on. Oh, yeah. As he's gotten older, it's his religion now, which is a crazy thing to say. It's funny because that's—it's not a religion for me, but I definitely think, like, the most I've learned from anything is learning the rules of improv. Yeah.

He did it when i was a little kid when my mom was pregnant with my sister i went to my dad's improv class and would like run on stage but then in now he was going alone but like is so attached to my mom he was like manipulating her to also go to improv but she's a painter and and really like introverted and to her it was hell yeah but then she finally got into it because she had a depression with her paint all her paintings were black supposedly i don't know that's how she shows depression she's like my waspy mom yeah and now she's painting and hilarious and then my dad does this gross i think it's cute but to me it's disgusting,

where he'll be like, your mom was so funny in improv today. Oh my God. You should have seen this when your mom did. I can't take this. Yeah. So they go, sometimes they were going twice a week.

Now it's, I think, mostly Saturdays. But there's a period, they're both retired. And this is what they do. It's so funny because it's like the quintessential inverse of sort of me and a lot of other comedians who's like, my dad was a doctor, my mom was a nurse. And so me being a comedian was just like true disappointment. Right. And with you, it's like your parents are improvisers

and painters. And they're like, what are you going to do, Chloe? Yeah, I had to do something creative. That's wild. Yeah. Did you feel pressure, too? For real? I don't. I always, no. Well, my sister's a painter. My grandma was a painter.

My grandfather was a painter. I think, like, my sister and I are, I don't know. I feel like we're kind of like the Royal Tenenbaum. There's three of us. And I was a good painter, but then my sister was so much better. So then it was like, you do that psychotically. I'll do wig life. And then my older sister's-

Wig life. Wig life. That's what we call it. That is so funny. And then my older sister is like fitness. She's a competitive CrossFit. Read this, yeah. Yeah. So it really reminds me of—

She's like a well-known CrossFit person. Yeah, she's crushing it in the community. I think she was fifth this year in the world for her age group. No kidding. Yeah. So I found you, your comedy, through Instagram because Jack Antonoff, who we're mutually friends with, is awesome. And was literally like at lunch one day,

like he showed me, he goes, it was you doing Greta Gerwig. This is before you got SNL. It was you doing Greta Gerwig. And it was like, I have a lot of questions on this. First of all,

so then I was like, I was following you and then you got SNL. And so then I felt like I was part of, even though we didn't know each other, I was like part of the journey. The journey. I was on the journey with you. Do you have a lot of people like that who are excited that they followed you

before you got on? Yeah, I think like I don't really get stopped on the street that much. Ooh, woe is me. But when I do, it's usually like, I was following you before. Yeah. Yeah. They're from the first album, I was following you before. Yeah. Yeah. They're from the first album. They had the first album.

Yeah. Yeah, that feels like special. And then I always am like, what it could have been if I just kept doing that. But oh well. Here we are now. What do you think it would have been? I don't know. It's like this weird thing where internet's so important and on the show,

we're also doing internet. I don't know. I know. I'm grateful. I like my life. You're like the first generation, though, of people who are cast on SNL from being online. Yeah, it's weird. Yeah. But it's kind of phenomenal in a way. Yeah. Because in some ways it's like, it actually is the Olympics of comedy. Right. In a certain way. Yeah. Like, there is a democratization of comedy where it's like, if you're good enough on Instagram and your friend is showing you at lunch, you got to see this Greta Gerwig impression.

Yeah. Like, you win. Yeah. I don't know. I think that seems pretty fair. Yeah. I hope. I don't know.

It did help, I think, get on the show. The first time I met Lauren, the first thing he said to me was, so what's with the Instagram? Oh, my God. What's with the Instagram? And I was like, what is Instagram? I think I misunderstood and I explained what Instagram was, which is crazy. I just saw behind you it says 100 penises plus 100 vaginas.

Yeah, I know. It's a very sophisticated operation we're running around here. I have all my cards on the wall of jokes that 100 penises, 100 vaginas actually is in the Old Man and the Pool show that you saw in Los Angeles, by the way. When was – now I'm trying to remember. The YMT pool memory. Oh, 100 penises, 100 vaginas. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Context. Okay, yep, yep, yep. I got it. So, no, I was thrilled when you came to Mark Taper Farm in Los Angeles. It was great. It was, like, super fun. And then we, like, hung afterwards outside for a while. And then it became almost like I rarely have this.

It was like a talk back. It was like a little press conference. Yeah. Like, people just started shooting questions at me. We were right by the fountain. Yeah. It was fun. It was very cute little press conference. People just started shooting questions at me. We were right by the fountain. Yeah. It was fun. It was very cute.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, so the Irish guy. So I asked the guy out front how long he was going to drill for, and he was like, oh, about a half hour. And then I'm thinking, about a half hour, about a half hour. And then I was like, say my impressions. And it's like, with the discussion of cultural appropri it's like, am I with like the discussion of cultural

appropriation right now, it's like, am I allowed to do Irish? A hundred percent. It's all you have. Because I'm Irish and Italian? No, yeah, I'm just like, when people are like, obviously the big no's are like, well, I'm not even going to say them, they're so obvious.

But then the few, like Italian, I don't know. You can't do a Latino or a black character, probably, right? Yeah, and I think, like, gender stuff, I'm really sensitive to. Right, right. You wouldn't play a gay or queer character. Yeah, like when JoJo Siwa decided to come out, I was like, oh. Great. That's fascinating.

But I'm so sensitive to it. It's probably fine. I think I'm just, like, yeah, sensitive to it. Right. But Italian, for someone to say I can't be Italian is crazy. That's all I have. I'm like a white, look at how white I am. I'm so blonde.

Right. I have like four things I can do. I have like four things I can do. You know what I always do as like to hedge is if I'm doing, I'll be telling a story. Because a lot of it is storytelling, right? Yeah. It's like I was in France and then someone said to me, like, excuse me. And you're like, what I say is like, I'm going to do a bad French accent.

Yeah, I do that pretty much with everything. Yeah. This is terrible, but I'm not stopping. But you're like the best of the best, and you still say that. I'm not the best. I think I have a few that I'm proud of, and then a lot I'm like, oof. Really? Oh, yeah.

What are you most proud of? What am I most proud of? I mean, what just came to mind. I am proud of my Meryl Streep. I am proud of that. I know. I actually ran into her. Because that took me a long time to find it.

Oh, is that true? Yeah. But I love, I did proud of that. Because that took me a long time to find it. Oh, is that true? Yeah. But I love, I did my college essay on her. So I've watched hundreds of hours of that woman, that star. So I met Meryl Streep a few years ago because I was hosting the DGA honors. Amazing. And they were honoring Ang Lee. So Bernie Weaver gave that.

Amazing. And they were honoring Ang Lee. So Bernie Weaver gave that. And then Meryl Streep gave it for Anne Roth, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, costumer of all time. And hilarious person. Very funny person, Anne Roth. Yeah, we worked.

Holy cow. Yeah, I didn't know exactly who she was, and I'm in White Noit, Noah Baumbach's latest movie. You are? Yeah. Oh, that's so cool. No one's going to know it's me because noah was like for whatever reason was like bring a wig and i didn't know if he was joking oh my

god that's so funny and so i brought a wig and ann was like i think that's adorable i think that's great and so i wore my own wig in the movie that's so cool yeah but she was really funny oh and r Roth is hilarious. And actually, we should give a shout out to Anne Roth. Yeah. Works on all of No Bombax movies. Yeah. And Devil Wears Prada and like many of the great movie costuming movies.

She's like, yeah. She reminded me. I had teachers like her. They're all cut from this like magical kind of like down here genius cloth. I loved being around her. I want to say she's 90 years old. Easily, yeah. I think this was maybe her last, unless she's doing another one.

I don't know. You're in White Noise? Yeah. I'm so excited about that movie. Yeah, yeah. Coming out this fall? Yeah, I think it's premiering. I did ADR for it two days ago.

I think it's premiering on the 30th here. No, Bombag is like one of my favorite film directors of all time. Yeah, it's good. By the way, is that the direction you're going, which is like acting in serious films or serious comedic films? I find myself doing the things I always wanted to do. I was a theater, I was like a drama major. I wanted to do classical theater.

Yeah. And then really wound up. Right, you went to Tisch. Yeah, Tisch. Oh my God. And I was good. I concocted. I was really good.

Yeah, yeah. I was like Chekhov, baby, tears, tears for days. And then just like slipped, really had a hard time trying to have a career as an actor. So I think like what I get excited about is like these fancy little things, like a Noah Baumbacher. Yeah. And I find like the last, I don't know, ever since I've been on SNL, a lot of people will introduce me or be like, oh, I met somebody who said, you're actually really good. Oh my God, that's so funny.

You're actually really good. Or so-and-so knew you in college and said you were really good. That's so cool, though. I love that that seems seemingly like— I peaked is what I'm saying. It's not that you peaked. Knowing that you have this background in dramatic acting makes me so excited because I find that sometimes my favorite people on SNL, they get done with it and then they don't know what to do. Yeah.

It's like this odd. I know. It's this mega showcase for a really specific skill. Yeah. And then they get off and then you're like, oh, you can only do the skill, and there's not, like, another show. Right. Yeah, that's what's, like, scary about the—I think that's why I'm trying to do these little— Yeah.

Yeah. That's interesting. That's great. Yeah. It is like a—but then some people do it. I think a lot of people have really figured it out in a huge way. When you were working with Noah, Greta's in it, right? Yeah.

So then, this is true. Okay, I'm at this. Greta Gerwig is in White Noise, which I knew. Yes, and she's like the most wonderful, lovely. Amazing, amazing. And we talked about Timothee. We had this great conversation. And we talked about Timothee. We had this like great conversation and there's no cell phones on set.

That's like. Yes. Which I really like. My tip of the cap. Yeah, it was like. Don't think twice, it's the same thing. No cell phones. It kind of changed my life.

But then after meeting Greta, I like was like, what if what I have on my phone is like, I don't know what I said. And then I like went, I grabbed my phone and hid in the bathroom just to like make sure. What do you mean? I just worry about like upsetting I don't know what I said. And then I, like, went, I grabbed my phone and hid in the bathroom just to, like, make sure. What do you mean?

I just worry about, like, upsetting someone, you know? Like, the impression I have of her on my phone is somehow says something possibly that could be misconstrued as offensive. So I went, and it wasn't. I was fine. But just, like, that's the panic. Right. When you talk to Greta, does she ever ask you to do the impression for her? I don't think she knows I do the impression.

No way. Yes way. That's why I hid in the bathroom and did, like, I don't know, what's that called? Like, control, quality control. You know we're going to release this to the world, right? It's fine. She can watch it. It's fine.

I can work on it and make it better. This is great. Yeah. A lot of people don't know. I don't know. I've work on it and make it better. This is great. Yeah. A lot of people don't know. I don't know. I've never done it on the show. Will you do it right now? And then we'll put this together.

I was just sort of like, yes, yes. It's so wonderful being... My biglia is... It's just in a lot of like... Oh, my God. I think in the video I go like, It's just in a lot of like hand shape. I think in the video I go like, no, a bum back, yes, yes. Oh, my God.

But it was fine. Does anyone get mad about the impressions? I've gotten notes from somebody. I've gotten notes. I did get a note. But I cannot name. I'll tell you after the pod. In the DMs of like, it's a little bit more like this, a little less this. From the person?

Yeah. Oh, come on. But in their defense, found it helpful. Oh, really? Impression was much better. Oh, that's fascinating. Yeah. When Sarah Sherman was on, she called the Please Don't Destroy folks. Boys?

Please Don't Destroy Boys. She? The Please Don't Destroy Boys. She says the Please Don't Destroy Boys. Yeah, is that real? You know, multiple people refer to them as the Please Don't Destroy Boys. Okay. The Please Don't Destroy Boys. Yeah. Do you think they're boys or men?

They're definitely, they're men inside of boys. Oh, that's a great answer. Yeah, because I think you look at them and you're like, and they're like really hardworking and really competent and really smart. Yes. And not to be effed with. Yeah, they're not to be effed with. I agree.

Yeah. You have a thing where you're living the dream, like literally. I mean, I made a goddamn movie about this, about how being on SNL is like the dream job. How do you live in the moment when you're doing the exact thing that you wanted to do? Well, it's hard. I don't know.

I think about watching, because I am in my 30s, SNL on VHS with my childhood friends when we'd have sleepovers. Sure. And, like, that's when it feels really cool. Yeah. Yeah. But I never saw myself ever on the show. And I think a lot of people don't see themselves on the show who are on the show.

Really? Yeah. I ask this question. Yeah. Maybe there's, like, a few who are, like, born to be here. Yeah, I ask this question. Yeah, maybe there's like a few who are like born to be here. Oh, so you think like, for example, like Bowen or Sarah, like they didn't think about being on SNL. Or maybe they say they, but they clearly did.

But the comment, I'm sure they, I don't know. Or the please don't destroy boys. Those probably were like, I am genetically made in a lab to work on this show. But, yeah, I mean, I don't know. I just remember like last year having a conversation and like none of us ever thought we'd be on the show. No kidding. Yeah. Yeah.

But I think once I moved to L.A. and like started doing Groundlings, then I was like, I have to be on the show. Oh, really? Yeah. That's when the shift occurred. Yeah. I like went crazy. And I was like, I'm on, you I was— That's when the shift occurred. Yeah, I, like, went crazy. And I was like, I'm on—you know, I think I wrote myself a check because Jim Carrey did that. You did that?

Yes, I did. I'm woo-woo. And so, in case the listeners don't know, Jim Carrey famously— It's so cringey. Famously wrote himself, like, a check for, like, $5 million or something. I might get the number amount wrong. I think it was 10. Yeah, and it was like a check to himself,

and then he did make $10 million doing a movie. It's such a bizarre story, but also like you – did you write yourself a check? I was – this is so crazy it's so la i was uh i had a boxing teacher this australian woman taught me boxing and she's like you need to write and was also like life coachy as a lot of like fitness people in la are and she's like you need to write yourself a check no way and then i like wrote i don't know like a hundred she's like more more and then i only wrote a million because i was like i don't know how much they pay oh my god and i had it in my wallet and maybe it's in a different wallet

but that's really embarrassing and i don't think i've told people that i love that though yeah it's such an unbelievable job to get it's so, you're like blessed by above. I don't know. There is something about, so Larry Millmore was on the podcast recently, and he used the phrase putting it out there. And like, you know, I think it's a pop idea. It's a pop culture idea of like putting it out there, and then maybe it'll come true.

And in his case, it did for like a ton of things. In your case, it did. But it's like, you're not wrong. No. It worked carrey work for larry wilmore yeah work for you yeah i was like that mid i was just so lost and it was like any like pathetic like woo-woo thing to keep me going when you say woo you mean kind of hippie yeah of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I come from hippies. Gosh. Yeah, I'd also read like a Nicole Byer thing around that time where she was like, if enough people say something about you, or like you're going to get, like I had a lot of people be like, you should be on the show.

Yeah. You should, you'd be great on da-da-da. And then it like gave me the confidence to pursue it. This is a thing we do called the slow round. Do you remember a nickname from your life that was either good or bad? Cloice Petunia. That's the funniest one I've heard on the show. Cloice Petunia? Yeah.

From what? All my friends call me that. Based on what? I've no, I, Chloe's like, I've never called my name. Okay. I'm Clobie. All of these are great. Klobuchar, Clobie Jones.

Klobuchar I don't love, but I've called it a lot. Klobuchar. Because of Senator Klobuchar? Yep. Okay. Yeah, I started to be called Klobuchar and Klobie. Chalot forever. Oh, my gosh.

Yeah. I love all these. Yeah. Ding, ding, ding. Ding, ding, ding. You remember a time you were so scared you ran away? Yes. And today it came back to haunt me.

Oh, gosh. A woman and I. Okay. Last fall, both of us blondes, we, like, Karened each other, and we both filmed each other over our dogs. No way. Yeah, and today, like, truly this morning,

this woman saw me and, like, did a... Basically, like, I have a dog. I have a Shiba Inu. Just to be clear, you carrying each other basically is based on the woman who filmed the bird watcher. Right, but this is the wrong word. We basically, here's what happened. I was walking to the West Side Highway with my dog. He's not well trained.

It's in his breed. It's not my fault. He's a Shiba Inu. And he kind of like. Is that one of your nicknames? Sh inu you could yeah sure his leash was like extending the sidewalk and then she was like move your fucking dog and my and i have like a bad quality where i'll just immediately be like oh really bitch you know oh my gosh but i use more and so we just like expletive i just i don't know why or what i'm just like worse than that you're fucking crazy cunt like really yeah i just i go right to cut

yes and i forget that people are talking about i swear to god i was like i was like really cunt like it just falls out of i have to work on it's like a huge issue i have to work on this is wild and then i know you wouldn't expect this is explosive my dad's like i don issue I have to work on. This is wild. And then, I know. This is breaking news. This is very sex. You wouldn't expect it from me. This is explosive. My dad's like, I don't know. I don't know where it comes from. I don't know. I don't know.

We just yell in the, I don't know. So then she's like, fucking bitch. You know, and it was like truly like we're in the West Village. It's so beautiful. What was the offense in the first place? She just told me to, she was like, move your fucking dog. Oh, she started it. And then I said, excuse me, bitch. And then, which I shouldn't have done and then she went crazy and then suddenly the c word

comes out but then i had to also go to the west side highway so we were in the same direction right then she whips out her phone and is like you're harassing me you're harassing me which is like terrifying and i didn't know what to do. And so I filmed her back. And it was so goofy and so stupid. I had to call like 10 people and say that this thing happened. And in it, you'll just see me filming this blonde woman. But I have the footage of her. And we're both blonde.

Anyway, and that's me being like, you're crazy. I don't know what. That should be, first of all, this is a slow round, but that should be a bit eventually. Maybe you already are thinking of it as a bit. I haven't thought about it. I don't know. Maybe I'll see her again and apologize. Would you apologize?

I should apologize. It was just so. But I don't think you should apologize. I mean, look, she threw the first punch. Yeah, yeah. Who talks like that? When you see my dog, you'll be like, who would ever talk like that? Exactly.

He's like a puppy. That's what I do. I always go, he's a fucking puppy, which I shouldn't do. It's like I get very protective of my dog. I thought it was hilarious. A lot of people were like, this is going to wind up ruining you. Right. Like TMZ, H6.

Yeah. Working it out. But I ran away Like TMZ, H6. Yeah. Working it out. But I ran away today to answer your question. Do you remember a smell from your childhood? Oh, so many. Yeah, yes. And my friend Erica and my friend Mimi's Jewish somehow would have like 100 things in their freezer. And so that has a really distinct smell.

And so if it had a popsicle, it would taste like everything else in the freezer. And then my first boyfriend also had that same freezer refrigerator thing. And that was sort of like, oh, you're familiar. Yeah, it's like, is that even a smell? Like the freezer smell is definitely a thing. Yeah. But what is it exactly? I don't know.

And then when it makes the other foods taste like the smell. Everything just smells like freezer. Freezer, yeah. And sort of tastes like freezer. I love that one. That's a great one. When you were a kid, do you remember any group that wouldn't let you in? Oh.

I've always been a floater. Okay. Similar. Yeah. Similar. Entertainers. What can we do? Yeah.

I don't know. I feel like that's a thing. Well, you're an adapter. Adapter, yeah. You're like adapting to whatever group. It's like the accent. And I have no personality and I have to change it. Yeah.

What's the accent thing? I'm so inauthentic. Someone have no personality and I have to change it. Yeah. What's the accent thing? I'm so inauthentic. Someone does their Irish and then you do your Irish. Yeah. Gosh, so many. What was the group that you were like,

come on, let me into your group. Come on, it's ridiculous. I feel like as a kid I wanted to be a dancer and I couldn't leap high enough. Okay.

And then the teacher had to take my mom aside and explain that, like, I couldn't leap high enough. I was like, my body weight just, like, wouldn't do that and I had to be demoted. And then I kind of lost my dance friends. Oh, that's tough. That is tough. Yeah. I'm noticing that even with my daughter. Like, which kids can do dance? Which kids can? which kids can do gymnastics, and which kids can't.

It's tough. Looking back, very funny to have to, like, do the test. Oh, I know. And leaping is, like, the dumbest physical thing. I don't know. There's something, like, so silly. Yeah, so silly. What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you that worked?

In earnest? Yeah. The whole thing's in earnest. Yeah, my teacher, like when I, you know how I was so good in college? Yes. They were really betting on me, my teachers. Yeah. Were like, you're going to be Nora in the doll's house the year you graduate.

Wow. Never happened. Wow. But they were like, I think I was kind of confused how to not be in college because it really was the happiest I ever was. And her whole thing was show them who you are. Okay. Teach them who you are.

Because I think everyone's so quick to label or put you in a thing. Sure. Even with like, I'm in comedy and I have to teach people I can act or, you know. Right. And it's really like you have the control and the power. Oh, that's such good advice. Yeah. I don't know, if you want to be something,

you can teach people you are that thing. I feel like one of the biggest frustrations in life is often that the feeling of being misunderstood. Yeah. And so like the teaching them who you are is like kind of the answer to that. A hundred percent.

Which is like people don't, like I know tons of artists who are like people don't understand this about me. And I'm often like people don't understand this about me. Well, it's kind of on me. To teach them. I gotta teach them. Yeah.

What are you gonna do? Yeah. I think, yeah, like acting can just be like absolute hell To teach them. I got to teach them. Yeah. What are you going to do? Yeah. I think, yeah, like acting can just be like absolute hell. Or at least I felt like it where everyone's like, well, you're more blah. Yeah. Or like, but you're this thing. Yeah. And then it's like the art and the career and the beauty of it just like dies so quickly.

Do you ever get hung up on SNL that because you're an actor, you're a dramatic actor, that you're not going deep enough because you've got to go so deep so fast? Sometimes when I'm having a bad read-through or I just really ate shit and I'm sleep-deprived during the read,

if I'm not in something for a long time, I go into like, I could have been. And I'm like, what's with all these bits? I'm like, oh God, here we are, another little skit. And like, that's when I just like clearly haven't done enough work. Right. And I want to like take it down in my head. I think about that all the time when I watch the show, I'm always like, if I were on the show, I would be so frustrated all the time about the thing I just did. Yeah. But I had that, like when I, I guess Jimmy Kimmel Live, and I found that it was, like, this weird thing where I was, like, oh, it goes so fast.

Yeah. You can't even think about the thing that you just fucked up. No. That's what, like, the beauty of how it's structured. Yeah. And Monday, by Monday, no one really remembers how great you were on Saturday. remembers how great you were on Saturday. And I have really experienced where I've like crushed on a,

and I walk in like so thinking I'm going to have like another great week. And like the week after doing really well was always the worst. Oh, what's the thing that you, reading a book, seeing a movie, seeing a play, like, what do you crave in art when you see it? What's the thing you want to see? I mean, I really, like, love a good performance. I'm such a, I, like, even just, like, the dropout. I was like, yeah. Yeah.

Because it's, like, drama, but it's not. Yeah. And it's, like, funny, but it's not. Yeah. And it's like funny, but it's not. Wait, did you do an impression of her on Instagram? I did, yeah. Can we do it or not? What greater is there? Wait, no.

What greater gift is there than achieving world peace? Oh, my God. You actually are wildly grounded as a person to talk to her. But then when you go into the voices it's like what the fuck is happening just like something's broken So this is sort of the working out new material section of the show. It's newly called From the Notebook. Do you have stuff from your notebook that you're working on right now? Yeah.

I think my latest thing is for tomorrow. I do Celebrities Coming, and then I was told that might be too racy for what we're doing, which will have aired. So then prior to coming in here, I was trying to think of gentle euphemisms for coming. Wait, so what celebrities do you do coming? All of them, baby. Do you want to do it or no?

Well, for example, here's, like, the first one. It's, like, Drew Barrymore, and it's, like, I'm coming. I'm, like, super coming. This is literally blowing my, you know, and then. Oh, my God, that's so good. But I don't think I can say coming in front of my boss. Really? Or can you?

I don't know. I think so. Someone gave me a phone call and was, like, it's way too. And then another person was, like, you're fine. And trying to think of another way to say it. Coming is such a funny, coming. Who else do you do? My favorite coming is Francis McDormand.

It's like, okay. Okay. And then it goes like this. It goes, I just came. Oh, my God. I have this thing that I'm going to do on Fallon tomorrow, which is like, because I talk about in the show that you saw, Old Man in the Pool, I talk about how I had cancer when I was 20.

And so ever since then, I go for my annual cystoscopy. And the thing that happens, I don't use drugs recreationally. And so when I go under anesthesia, I'm wild. I'm wild. I'm just like, this is awesome. We should do this all the time. And the anesthesiologist, I said to him, I'm in the gown and everything, and my wife's there. And I go, so what is it that you're giving me?

And he goes, propofol. And I go, oh, that's the one that killed Michael Jackson. And he goes, and Joan Rivers. Oh, my God. And I was like, this isn't like a yes and activity. This isn't like a who died doing what you're about to do brainstorm. I'm sort of looking for like, yeah, but that Michael Jackson thing had a lot of other stuff going on.

He had an amusement park in his yard. Oh, that's so funny. So there's that. So I go under and then when I come up, I'm super high and I'm saying to my wife, we should do this at home.

Oh, no. Like, we should do this at home. Oh, no. Yeah. I'm like, we should do this at home. And she's like, all right. And then I'm like making a case for it because I'm high. Right. And so I'm becoming like the it's all natural drug guy at like music festivals. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's from the earth.

Yeah. It's like it's from the earth. It's from soybean. I go, I literally said this because I've asked the anesthesiologist like what it's made of. And I was like, it's lipids. Oh, no. It's just, I swear to God, it's just lipids. I don't even know what lipids are.

And I'm trying to convince my wife like it's fine because it's lipids. And so, yeah, and so I'm doing that. Can I ask an inappropriate question? Of course. There is no inappropriate. Because I remember my dad going under, and then they shaved a lot of him. Oh, gosh. Do they do that to you?

Well, no, I've never had that. Because he woke up high as hell, and everything was shaved. Oh, my gosh. And that was very funny. I think in an emergency situation they do stuff like that. Okay, but this is just like a check. This is just casual. A check, casual check. Casual. Yeah. The joke

I make in the show is they take a camera and they stick it through your penis to look in your bladder. I know you're thinking, Mike, a camera can't fit through a penis. Good news and bad news on that front. Yeah. The good news is it can. The bad news is the same as the good news. Yeah.

So I'm doing that on the Tonight Show and it's funny because like, I mean, maybe this is showing behind the curtain too much but it's like,

you know, with talk shows, when you go on, you have to have like a call with the producer where you're essentially pitching what you're going to say.

Right. And then they choose what stuff they like. Right. And then— You get there. And then you get there and they go, you're going to do this, this, this, and this. Right. Then you have to, like, memorize your own script.

It's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. You have to memorize the thing that you actually don't even know. Right. And that you said on a phone call once. At like 9 a.m. Yeah.

Yes. Yeah. The funniest I had in the spring, or no, like June, because I'd never done Seth's show. Mm-hmm. Way to change it to just Seth. Seth. Ew. Ew, I'm brainwashed at this point.

Everyone calls him Seth. I met the man one time. Seth Meyers. Why did I do that? Everyone does that at work. It's Seth. It's Seth. Yeah.

Because a lot of people work at Seth during the week and then come to SNL. But anyway, I had the preliminary thing, and then I get there, and they're showing me what it's going to be. But my day was the school shooting episode day. Oh, my gosh. So before giving me like, here's what you're going to do on the show, they're like, so no big deal. Like Jennifer Connelly backed out because Top Gun and school shoot.

But like it's going to be great. And you're going to go first. And then we have that senator who like broke America's heart with his like touching speech. He's going to go after. But Seth's going to like do a Q&A and live in the mood. He'll do his monologue, and that's going to make everyone cry. But then you'll come out, and it'll be hilarious.

Oh my gosh. And it was insane. And then the Q&A, so I'm standing ready to go, and I'm nervous. And then the Q&A is like, so what do you think we should do about gun control? Like nothing was funny. Yeah that's the funny thing about like how often we're in

comedy situations where the wind is not in our favor to succeed. No because then I was like okay I did pretty good and then you like leave and I'm kind of like did I do okay? And everyone's just watching the senator

you know like give the most touching and everything it was like death silence it was crazy I had that happen and this is the life

of a talk show every day when a guest host is for Jimmy Kimmel it's like that it was when the leak occurred

before the Roe v. Wade decision and it was like oh my god and it was like well I don't even know like what could I It was when the leak occurred before the Roe v. Wade decision. Oh, my God. And it was like, well, I don't even know. Like, what could I possibly say? Right, because you have to address America. Yeah. That's like the new thing with talk shows.

You have to address the nation. Which I'm like, when did that start? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's all, yeah. Aye, aye, aye. Lipids. Yeah, lipids. It's lipids. Yeah, it's lipids. No, it's lipids lipids but it yeah lipids

it's lipids no it's lipids bro it's lipids baby it is yeah I find it like I mean SNL has to deal with like political stuff

oh my god yeah yeah with the Roe v. Wade yeah it's so interesting like a punch up room

for that kind of stuff I'm not in it because I don't write those, but it always like blows my mind. Do you write for yourself on the show? Do you pitch stuff for yourself? We all do, yeah. Yeah. Didn't know that going in. Oh, interesting.

Yeah. Maybe I wouldn't have tried so hard to get the job. No, I'm kidding. A lot of homework. Yes. Yeah. No, that's when it's the most satisfying. But obviously you pitch, and then five geniuses make it way better.

Right. And then you're so grateful. That's what Sarah Sherman was saying when she was on this show. She was like, it's so crazy to go your whole career writing for yourself, and then people start writing in your voice. Yeah. Ooh. Yeah.

for yourself and then like people start writing in your voice yeah oh yeah it's this year especially like i think like starting i think sarah's year is really great and the please don't destroy boys there were like 10 new people forget about it and but it made it like way more collaborative i feel like my first year that i'd be like there would be be like one person I could go to. Because everyone else was like dealing with the higher ups. But like the greatest gift, yes, when you'll be like, oh, let's do this. And then they just like give you like a perfect script. And then you're like, I don't know what to change. Is it, like how does it compare to like working at Groundlings? Very similar, I'd say.

Yeah. Yeah. Although Groundlings, sometimes similar, I'd say. Yeah. Yeah. Although Groundlings, sometimes you'd do a solo write and that would just be you on your own. And SNL, even if you write it on your own, then if it's picked, then like four people

or two people will come on it, make it better, and then you'll table it with everybody. Yeah. So then 15 people just make it way better. It's great. Do you ever feel like when you

do table reads do you ever feel like the laughs are wrong yeah of course you're like come on yeah that is funny and i will say especially if it goes well i'm shocked yeah the yeah the amount of times i'm like this is just gonna kill yeah to like nothing yeah and then the thing i'm like this is gonna eat such shit is the thing that does well. Well, Amy and I talk about it all the time with standup. It's like, if you imagine laughter in your head, there will be no laughter. There will be no laughter.

Yeah. Yeah. It's like annihilating. Yeah. It really is though. It's the only like true thing in comedy is if you hear laughter in your head, it will not exist yeah yeah yeah

especially like a like clever little word play thing and no one laughs and it's so painful i think it's because comedy is imperfect yeah yeah and it's like you're just taking stabs in the dark with imperfect things and And then some of it clicks. Yeah. And you go, cool. Right. Interesting. I don't know.

Maybe I'll use that this year. The thing we ended with is called Working It Out for a Cause. And I donate to an organization that you think is doing a good job. And then we link to them in the show notes and encourage others to contribute. Great. Is there anyone you think is great? Yeah, I really love Best Buddies. Best Buddies?

Yeah. It's an organization that helps people who are developmentally challenged get jobs, find community, friendship. It's bestbuddies.org. Yeah. This looks fantastic. Yeah, there's walkathdies.org. Yeah. This looks fantastic. Yeah, there's like walkathons. It's awesome. I've met like wonderful people through it.

This is great. Well, I'm going to give to Best Buddies, and I encourage folks to do click in the show notes as well. And thanks, Chloe, for coming on. You're a riot, and I just can't wait to see what you do next. Working it out, because it's not done. Working it out,

because there's no hope. That's going to do it for Working It Out with Chloe Fineman. Holy cow. Chloe Fineman is just a riot. You can see her on Saturday Night Live. She plays, last week she played Nancy Pelosi. It's so funny. It's a cold open.

It's so, so funny. And you can follow her on Instagram at ChloeIsCrazy. C-H-L-O-E-I-S, crazy. Or you can see her in the film White Noise, which is on Netflix soon, the Noah Baumbach film. Our producers of Working It Out Are Myself, along with Joseph Birbiglia and Peter Salamone, associate producer Mabel Lewis, consulting producer Seth Barish, assistant producers Gary Simons and Lucy Jones. Sound mix by Shubh Saran. Supervising engineer Kate Balinski.

Special thanks to Marissa Hurwitz and Josh Upfall. My consigliere Mike Berkowitz. And special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music. Special thanks to my wife, the poet J. Hope Stein. Her book is called Little Astronaut. It's a book of poems. It's in bookstores right now. Special thanks, as always, to our daughter, Una, who built a radio fort made of pillows.

Thanks most of all to you who are listening. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Look, sometimes it's hard to talk to your enemies, right? We all know that. How do you begin the conversation? I had this thought. Maybe stop by a local bakery.

Ask the baker, hey, I'd like to send a message to my enemies. Could we put on a cake in frosting? Just on the cake, just like, hey, I know we're enemies, but there's this podcast you should check out. Two creatives, workout material, creative ideas, a lot of fun.

Maybe that's too much writing for a cake. Well, we'll work that one out next time. Thanks for listening, everybody.