Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - Ben Stiller and Adam Scott: Working it Innie and Outie

Episode Date: September 1, 2025

(Recorded January 2025) Mike sits down with Severance’s very own Ben Stiller and Adam Scott. The three of them dig into the behind the scenes of Severance Season 2 and discuss what it is that makes them work so well together as actor and director.  Ben and Adam share audition advice for actors, as well as how their grieving processes influenced their work together. Plus, Mike and Adam nerd out about The Ben Stiller Show and Reality Bites, and Mike reveals which Severance character he almost played.Please Consider Donating To: The Center for Reproductive Rights and the UNHCR

Okay, the New Yorker article about you. Yeah. This is a direct quote. This metier has been defined in part by Adam Scott's physical appearance, which straddles the line between hunky and nondescript, medium height, slightly hang dog eyes, thick chestnut hair that juts like a cockatiels crest. So is that how you describe yourself?

100%. Look, that's my... She nailed it. That's my country club. It kind of kills crap. That's right. Yeah. New Yorkers good at doing descriptions of actors.

When they did a story of me years ago, the guy spent like two paragraphs on like my right, the right side of my face versus the outside of my face. Really? Yeah. Like one side worked and one side didn't. Those are the voices of the great Ben Stiller and Adam Scott. We are re-airing this episode from earlier this year. This is one of my favorite episodes. I love Severance.

It was nominated for, wait for it, 27 Emmys. 27 Emmys! Holy cow. We had a great talk with Ben and Adam today about severance and so much more. This week, I will be in Vancouver, along with Fred Armisen, and Nick Kroll, in support of John Mullaney's new tour. We did a bunch of shows together. Canada and Maine, New Haven, so, so fun. September 13th, we'll be at Stanley Park and Vancouver tickets at berbig's.com.

We've had a blast on those tour dates, and if you're not able to make it to those, we have a recent working-it-out episode with Fred Armisen and a recent working-in-out episode with Nick Kroll. Both fantastic, and hopefully we'll have John back again soon. By the way, I'll also be appearing with my wife, the poet Jay Hope Stein at Joe's Pub September 7th for jokes and poems, which is something we've done before. it is precisely as advertised, it is jokes, it is poems. I think it's sold out, but join the mailing list to stay tuned about upcoming dates. This is a great chat today with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott.

We talk about Severance, acting, directing, comedy, writing. We talk about how I almost played the part of Rick and on Severance. True story. And all of you Severance heads, you can comb through this episode looking for clues. But why the work is so mysterious and important. Or you can just enjoy a fun, ridiculous chat. Enjoy my conversation with the great Ben Stiller and Adam Scott. So in that New Yorker piece, which I loved,

but it points out that you don't like being called great. Or you have a hard time when people are like, you're great. I I don't want to anyone to think that I think I'm great which is I've been in it for a long time but also grew up watching actors and stuff and actors getting actory and humble bragging about you know oh yeah no I'm so grateful in all that stuff it's all very kind of I I I just don't want to fall into the trap of anyone thinking that I think I'm great and want to assure anyone who cares that I, that I don't. But still, you won't allow eye contact with anyone on set. That's true. That's true.

For me, that I just don't. But that's a whole separate thing. I don't know if you know this. Ben had considered me for a role in the series early on. Ben, do you have any regrets with the casting? I had talked to Mike about playing Ricken. Oh, fantastic. Yeah, you would have been a great Rickin.

Great. But the actor's great also. It's great, Michael Jernis. He's great. Great. Yeah. I don't, yes, I do, Mike. Sitting here now with you on your podcast, I definitely regret it.

But Mike, you know, I feel like a little kinship with you because there's that thing. of being an actor and being a director and a writer and creating your own stuff and sometimes the way the people in the business look at you probably is like well Mike's doing his thing Mike does his own movies Mike does his stand-up Mike does his podcast Mike creates his own stuff do you feel that yeah you know completely yeah and it's like a weird thing

where sort of like it just sort of like crosses over into, you know, oh, yeah, Mike Barbiglia could do that. It's like, but yeah, isn't, but Mike, like, would Mike do that? Is Mike doing his own thing? Right. And I feel like I, I've experienced that too. And I'm not saying that that's an excuse for why you're not playing Rickett. For why?

We did kind of go down the road on it, though. So I will take responsibility. We did. Yeah. And interesting in that New York article, you were pointing out that they, they, they, you had to audition after Ben was like, so you got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Apparently, I'm not as in charge as I thought I was.

That's right. That's right. So basically, Ben, and interestingly, one of the things that you said in that piece about Adam in the New Yorker was you were like, because you guys have ended up becoming collaborators and not just the actor-director relationship. You're a producer on the show. And you were like so much of collaboration is like really having the same taste. similar taste and do you guys ever disagree on what is not severance enough or two severance or exactly severance i feel like we're pretty much in sync yeah do you think yeah and um i also am smart enough to follow ben's lead because you know when we started in season one and there was

nothing. You know, one of the most satisfying things about making stuff is just at a very base level where there was nothing, there is now something that you and your collaborators made. That's super fun. But so when we started, there was nothing except this weird set. And Ben just sort of being like, uh, I don't know. I feel like maybe it's this. And it was like a brand new weird thing. And we were all like, uh, Okay, let's try that. And we kind of eventually all were like, oh, yeah, okay, this is, this is fun, this feels weird and kind of found it together. But I got to sort of really see how Ben's always seeing the whole grid at all times, right?

Like everything is being looked after. Yeah. Because for me, sometimes it's, I get caught up in my head if I'm, working on something and it's like okay well if i'll i'll do that for you but not trusting like it is the audience going to be aware that we're going at this certain speed up the hill and does it make sense for people to be chasing us if we're doing this and for me to be reacting and sometimes when you kind of start bringing those things up you get the sense that whoever's in charge hasn't even considered any of this before and so that's what i get in my head about

as an actor sometimes if I'm like, okay, if you want me to do that, all these other things need to make sense. With Ben, it's all been worked out and make sense. So yes, we're aligned, but I also know if we're at a fork in the road, I can totally trust going down his way. I read that you got a concussion. Yeah. And that it's on film. Yeah, but I haven't gotten to that part of the season yet. Yeah, I can't. You can't say. Say how, because it would spoil something, but yeah.

That's such a classic thing where I'm sure you've had this over the years where when someone gets injured on a set, it's just like, did we get it? Oh, he came up to me pretty quickly after it happened and was like, dude, it looks great. You're going to love this. That was amazing. How many fingers am I holding? Yeah, yeah. What's your birthday? That's right.

What's your birthday? This is going to be a great episode. Tell me your name. That's right. Yeah, no, I mean, you know, when something like that happens, it's awful because it's happened and you can't, you know. Oh, it's awful, yeah. It's like once it happens, it happens. And we can't really talk about it how it happened.

But, yeah. I thought of it the other day because I'm watching Night at the Museum for the first time when it came out. Be honest. It was your 20th time. It wasn't my age group. Yeah, when it came out. Mike says, I just said he called me early because, you know, I watched night at the museum. I'm sorry, I just watched it for the first time because when it came out, I wasn't quite, I'm like, yeah, it's not your demo.

I get it. Yeah. You're not like a single guy. Don't worry. Watch night at the museum. I was 26 years old. Single in New York City, kicking back, watching night at the museum. Not going to go to the matinee by yourself.

My daughter's nine and we're watching it. And then, of course, you know, you guys know, now we've watched it six or seven times. I know, like, all the frames. But, like, one of the things I notice is, like, you, like, hop over the museum, like, desk in it? Yeah, like, when I'm running from the dinosaurs. Yeah. Yeah. And I said, Ben could do that in 2000.

Ben once could, right. Honestly, you made me think, because we just did this little pickleball movie. Movie, yeah. Yeah. And I have, like, a two-day part in it and we were producing it. And my character, like, is a ridiculous movie. And my character's, like, running away in a scene. And there was, like, at a tennis club, and there was, like, a fence or, like, a, yeah, like a railing, right?

And I was like, oh, I'll do the thing where I, like, I push off and I, like, flip my legs over. Yeah. I swear. The first take, I, like, barely cleared it, but then, like, hurt my ankle when I dropped over. And then there's, like, directly, like, great. Yeah, we miss. say we got i think we do get it like do it a couple more times and like oh no no yeah there's not there's not and literally in the movie it's me jumping up my feet land on top of the railing and then

i go you know like i got to do i do it in two steps so it's funny it's like no i was so impressed he fully clears it it's like the museum desk and he clears we were young and bold that that desk is quite high i know the it i will say like I hadn't seen those movies. You and I've been friends for like almost 15 years. Yeah. And like, is it ever Adam intimidating working with Ben knowing like he kind of can do anything? Like I apologize for complimenting you so hard, but it's like it's a little much.

Yeah. It's a little bit like, and he can act and he can direct and he can write. It's like kind of a lot. Yeah. No. And I've told Ben. many times. I was one of the people on Sunday nights in the early 90s getting high and watching the Benzillo show. I mean, and then. One of the people. Yeah, one of the people. You were on the

roster. That's right. There were not a lot of people. Wow. And then reality bites. So is there oh my God. That was a huge deal. Yeah. And still when I watch that movie, it feels it's really resonant. Have you watched it in the past few years? I think I watched. Yeah, I watched it with Ella, my daughter, like three years ago. What did, I'm so serious what I thought. There's a completely ridiculous interview with Ben recently at the New York Times where the guy, the interviewer, was like, Reality Bites isn't really resonant today. I didn't understand that is actually. Well, was it that guy is super young. Is that what it was? I didn't understand that. I don't know. Well, he had But his take on it was, what was his take on it?

That it was, um... Gen X's fear of selling out. He didn't understand it or something. Right, that everybody's selling. I think that was his take that everybody's selling out now or like that, like with Instagram and social media. But I mean, honestly, like what I found about it, it's just like my daughter's, you know,

just graduating from college. And it's that period, and I remember that period of time in my life when it was like, what do you do? How do you become a person? Of course. Yeah, and I think that the Generation X kind of, of phobia of selling out. I mean, I think that's probably where that comes from

at the beginning of the show when you're asking me about my fear of thinking that people might think that I think I'm great. Yeah, yeah, sure. I think that's kind of the vestiges of that might be. Because when I watched Reality Bites, I so connect with sitting around like Brady Bunch trivia and smoking cigarettes

and it was kind of a specific to the time, but also the kind of disposition of, I don't want to, you know, dangle my foot out there and make anyone think that I'm gonna sell out even for a second. It was a really strong position with all of us back then or with some of us. No, completely. One of my favorite things is that in that final episode,

when Hellie shows up as her anything, self in the Audi world and she sees like at the expo it's like all these videos of her being like it's great to have an any life and an Audi life and all this stuff but it's like she she hasn't agree with it and I was thinking like do you do you relate to that in relation to because you've been like a blockbuster movie star have you ever been in a situation where it's like there's like posters of you in Times Square or things like that where you're like oh this feels so because I'm me, I'm me and that's that. Yeah.

It's a, yeah, that's weird. It's more when you guys will have a conversation. It's like, oh, Ben, you know, you've done this or that and say these things that I've done. Right, but like, yeah, and I'm like so grateful for all of it that it's happened. But also there is a big part of me that's like, okay, I guess that happened. And I know, I know, I know it's there because people come up to me. That's so in the outy, by the way. It is.

And it's like there, but for the grace of God. You know what I mean? It's just like a lot of it is luck. And I've, by the way, a lot of people have written about that too. Sure. You know? Right. Have written about that critically?

Yeah. But it's like whatever it is, it's like the thing that always gets me in a positive way that does surprise me is when people come. come up to me, you know, people, when I see them on the street or whatever, they recognize me, human beings, come up and say something to me about something they saw. And they're genuinely, like, I really like that. I really appreciated that. Or, you know, this woman came up to me yesterday. We're doing this town hall thing. And she said, my husband and I went to see reality bites on our first date and we're still married, you know, and this is whatever, how many years ago. And I was

like, wow, that's really cool. That's a thing in their relationship. that they have and I appreciate that so much and that's that's you know always it doesn't it's not like it's surprising like oh I don't but but it's something that I always take in yeah and that resonates me more than like seeing a picture on a thing or whatever because that's just whatever it's weird you know yeah it's weird like I I you know my relationship with you is like you like you were kind enough to tweet about sleepwalk with me in 2012 when it was at Sundance and and and then We got in touch and then you made the cameo and don't think twice. And it was like, yeah, there was a period of time where I had to make the leap from that you are this iconic movie star film director to, no, no, you're Ben and you're a person and you're supportive of other artists.

Like, Adam, have you had, did you have a leap with Ben where he went from the public him to him? Yeah, because like going from what I was talking about earlier from like being into the Ben Stiller show and Reality Bites and then seeing and flirting with disaster and then seeing Ben become this giant star having already been a fan when he was like his MTV show and then the Fox show. And seeing him become this giant movie star

and always kind of feeling having never met the person always feeling like, oh yeah, that's a legit like artist. That's like one of us that's up there, like doing cool shit on a grand scale. And then actually getting to like meet him and work on Walter Middy, that's where we kind of got to know each other a little bit. And actually getting to watch Ben direct that giant movie.

What I wonder Adam is like, why you still won't let me make eye contact with you on set. Yeah, that is weird. Or anybody else on the set. Again, again, that's a separate thing. It's not separate, though. I feel like you're trying to separate these two things. Or maybe you're trying to somehow, like, is it a tactic?

Listen, I'm just trying to focus on the things I need to focus on, and I contact with you isn't one of them. I just think it's weird that you won't look at our producers and our camera people or sound record us. I understand they're all there. Yeah, well, they also know they can't look at you and that's, you know. Which is great. Great for them. They can spend their time doing something else.

You were a car, you pulled up in a car, you were put in a box. Yeah. The box was carried up the steps. But seriously, when he did pull up, he got out in like this camel hair coat, sunglasses from like literally like you were your character from the aviator or something. It was like a scarf, a silk scarf. What is that with the aviator and you? Ever since you did the aviator, you've enveloped this character.

That's right. Listen, I think there's a little hues. all of us and I just like to wear it on the outside Adam just mocks us

with his hair every day so when you were in party down and no one watched it yeah I'm just kidding

thank you I'm just laughing because there's that article where it was like it received a zero point zero it's like an iconic show

it's like the Ben Stiller show it's like iconic show that like is beloved by comedians yeah

it did how to what is a zero what ended up being our our series finale, we were like, okay, maybe finally people are watching because we had a little critical support at that point.

And I remember John Embomb getting the ratings and telling us we got a zero point zero. And it actually equaled out to 13,000 viewers. That's amazing. Which is 0.0, I guess. 13,000. 13,000. Like you could get them together at a stadium.

Oh, half a stadium. Yeah, they didn't give you the, full answer. It was 0.000000-000-1-13. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. I don't know how many zeros would yeah. They needed to, maybe we got off the call too quickly and they were just reading out. When you found that out, did you feel good about yourself or bad? Great. I wonder what cross-section we're watching the Ben Stiller show. That's a, that's it. I bet all of them. Yeah, yeah. I bet every single one. They're all 10 years old. That's right. During, during Adams, um,

When you were in school, you briefly tried to use the surname Quirdero. That's right, Cordero. I remember... Adam, Clardero. I remember being in the library at the acting school I was at writing, Pacino, De Niro, Cordero. And just like looking at them and being like, yeah, I think this is it.

I think this is what I'm going to do. Adam Cardero. Because my mother's maiden name was Quateraro. That's too long. Yeah. I mean, when I was in college, I convinced Jim Gaffigan to have lunch with me, and I asked him for advice. You know, he was in the 90s. And at the end of it, I go, do you have any last advice?

He goes, you got to change that name. Very good Jim Gaffig. Yeah, that's a very good Jim Gaffig. that last name. I was just like, I went back to my college, and I said to my professor, I go, what do you think I should, did I change my name? And he goes, maybe like, maybe make it a little more Irish in Italian. Call yourself Mickey Barbiglia.

For a period of time, I was writing out my signature as Mickey Berbiglia. The comedy stylings of Mickey Berbiglia. Mickey Biggs. What if it was Mickey Berbiglia and Adam Cordera starring? That's a good have been sitting here. Yeah, starring in Severus. Nicky and Cordero. Didn't get that part.

Nicky didn't get that part. Was it in your Spike Lee phase where you had your goate and your Knicks hat? I was already, at this point I think Malcolm X was out, so I had my X hat. Oh, perfect. Yeah, perfect. Is there anything, Ben, do you have anything

as embarrassing as Adam Cordero? No, Mike, I never took myself seriously. Right, no, no, of course not. Or thought that I was, yeah, you know, like, cool. Yeah, no. No, you did. You did. We all saw it. It was in the 1990s. It was on television. But it's not on, you can't find that anywhere on YouTube or anything like that. It's readily available.

Okay. Because every talk show appearance, I was incredibly humble, well, you know, I think you, you and I have something in common, which is, well, both, you know, I think we were both very ambitious as young people. Totally. Totally. And. Yeah. I've heard you talk about it, too. on the podcast with friends. Well, I'm embarrassed when I look back in myself in my 20s and I'm like, I was so like absurdly ambitious. And now I'm quietly ambitious. It's very subtle.

Yeah, yeah, sure, me too. I mean, you know, it's crazy to go look back. I see myself doing stuff. I'm going like, it's so cringy to me. There's like B-roll footage of me on the set of reality bites where they came and like did some behind the scenes. And I'm, like, walking around, like, 20, whatever, six or 27. And I'm, like, going, yeah, that's a grip.

And, you know, like, he gets stuff. Hey, what do you guys up to? All right. Oh, yeah, here's the sound man. And your arms get tired holding that thing. Oh, my God. And I'm, like, wearing, like, a denim shirt and jeans, like a denim on debt. And the beads.

I just ridiculous. Oh, man. When you're, like, when you work with, like, Noah and Wes, do you feel like you're still learning things about directing when you're working with other directors? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I feel like that's when I learned the most, you know, because it's so interesting. to see you, work with you, see how you do it, you know? Like, what is your process? Every director's process is different, and it's subjective because directing is subjective,

so it should be different, it should be your own point of view. But you can pick up things and you go, oh, that's great. I mean, you know, like, no Obama, no chairs on the set. Right, right? No chairs. No chairs. I was doing Greenberg, and I think it was like 10 days into shooting. And one day I'm like, where's no chairs?

I'm like, oh, my God, there's no chairs here. and that's his choice because he doesn't want to have people sitting around and guess what? People find a place to sit down somewhere on the set. That's interesting because I think you did that on Walter Midd maybe. I did.

I did. Then I'll take something like that. You know what? That's a good idea. No chairs. It keeps everybody more... I read that about Greta on Greta Gerwig on Barbie. No phones.

Oh, yeah. That's great. No phones is great. No phones. Oh, yeah. And crew have to use phones sometimes to, you know, communicate. But for me, I'm like no phones anywhere near.

Are you no phones severance? No phones anywhere near the eye shot of the actors at all. The phones were cordoned off. My least favorite thing is to see like a dolly grip guy hunched down while an actor is like acting their brains out and he's like just scrolling or whatever. And by the way, it's fine because he's being respectful of like not, you know, but if I see, the actor can't see it. but when I see it, it drives me crazy. Oh, it drives me nuts. Oh, the actors can see it.

No, the actors can see it. Like, I can see it in a corner of my eye of someone. Yeah, yeah. But also... It's a sense... It's such a vulnerable thing when you're doing it. Oh, my God, yeah. So as a director, you want to protect that environment for the actors.

But by the way, you also have to be respectful of the crew, too. That's the thing I didn't know back in reality bite stays. I was just like all about the actors. And I was like, you know, making jokes about the crew. Like, hey, that guy. But then I realized, oh, my God, these people are actually working really working really hard and you have to figure out how to motivate them

to want to be on the team because they haven't been with the script that you've been writing for five years. They just came on last week. So how can you it's on you as a director to actually figure out a way to like get everybody on board like hey we want to try to do something here that might be a little different and these are you know

these are the things we're going for. Chris Walkins on the show and he's great and he I saw him in an interview where he's like I don't like cut I don't like action I don't like cut you do action and cut i true no one doesn't by the way no bond back doesn't do doesn't do what does you do but he does he does begin or begin that's a nice one yeah or it depends sometimes you have to say something like action to like cue the film the the the the dolly grip or

somebody to move the camera whatever and no people don't know when it's starting but if it's a scene where people are standing around or sitting at a table or something you can just let the camera roll and just go hey whenever you're ready you're right now um i don't like action as an actor because it's you know it is that thing of like oh oh what am i supposed to do i should do something you know when really you just want to just be um and cut you know jessica lee ganier a cinematographer i work with we were doing um escape at danamore one day and she's like you know you yell you not yell you she say cut like too soon she said to me one day oh really like yeah just like let it roll a little she's great

She's directed one of the episodes this season, and she's a very good director, too. Excellent. But I was like, yeah, and it was really interesting. So I started, like, taking more time before I said cut. And it's so interesting what the actors do. Yeah. You know?

Because they just, they keep going. Christopher Walken, of course, is a legend. It's like, he's the best ever. It's unbelievable. Yeah. At this point, do you have any actors who you direct where you're, Because if I were directing Chris Walken, I'd be so intimidated. Do you, anyone you're intimidated by, when you're directing them?

Yeah, I have natural sort of intimidation. I feel. I mean, with Chris, I feel it. And he's the sweetest guy in the world. And I've known him. I did a movie with him. I did my first play with him, 1986, The House of Blue Leaves. Oh, my gosh.

He was in it. And I had a part, and, you know, he knew my folks and still intimidated by him because he's Chris Walken. And also he's, I don't know, he's an actor. It's hard, you don't really want to say too much from my point of view. It's like, yeah, that's how I feel. You want to let him do his thing. And then think if there's something that you can offer up that can somehow help, you know.

And it's usually something like maybe like, hey, maybe, maybe you want to take a little more time with this. Or I thought that was great what you did when, you know, is there a different direction to go here? Maybe you're, you know, something like that. He's so great. obviously but he's so lived in as far as the role goes and who he is and he's so relaxed that it is impossible to differentiate between life and what he's doing on camera it's so seamless and real it's extraordinary just to be there watching what he's doing yeah he's just just full relaxation fully and he it's just all

100% there it's really something to to see what are your criticisms of ben as a director well um how long i heard you say that no no no i know you've tried to say but only adam would just imagine just imagine it's just me and adam right now you're watching this on television criticism of ben as a director ben you thought somehow that would miss me no no i just thought like let's open it up a little bit let's get real i appreciate the question first part half for the interview is kind of like friendly, friendly stuff. What is left for you to explore? Yeah, yeah, what's left?

Ben, what's left before you die? And Adam, what do you hate about Ben? I mean. This is how Barbiglia does. The Barbiclia twist. It's not the gotcha interview. It's the Got Ben interview. Oh, man.

Listen. You can be totally honest. We have, how much, enough time right like we can we can really go we can do 10 minutes on him um seriously you know there's uh he's always trying to trick us like trick us in performances playing mind games with the actors off camera like michael douglas and oliver stone like that kind of shit like diabolical oh my god just get frightening all of us into performance Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. You, but you did, you know, you have to, in the first, I think it's the first episode of the whole series, you have to deal with your wife's death. Yeah. Karen, who's, and you were directing through a headset, and you had to, right? Because you weren't there.

Yeah, I was like on a walkie-talkie that he had in the car. And he had to be like, let, you know, I think the line was like, just like, open yourself up. or something like that. Yeah, we had done a few takes, a couple of takes where I was crying in the car and, and you know, I had lost my mom about seven months or so before we were shooting the show, six months.

And so I was really sort of still processing her death. And I was with my family during lockdown when she died and so I was really kind of protected and with my wife and kids. And so they really kind of cushion the blow. But then when I got out here to shoot the shows by myself and realized I had a lot of grieving to do and a lot of processing to do and all I had was the show.

So I was like, why not, you know, maybe I can do some of that processing here. And so for that scene, you know we had both kind of lost a parent in recent times was five four years ago five years ago and so i think there was a sort of unsaid connection there and and so after a couple takes ben was just like you know really feel free to open yourself up and just let it all out like really feel it and like no one's watching just let go and so I did and it felt incredible honestly and and he was kind of saying stuff over the walkie that was helpful and it was uh it was great it was

you know I was really glad we did it I told him a PA was making eye contact with him Yeah, and that really gets me every time. Every time. It was amazing. He was, like, amazing. And that's when, as an actor, you're totally on your own. Yeah. You know, you're totally on your own.

And all you can do as a director is try to, like, empathize and give space to, I'm not saying holding space. Holding space, yes. Just like, holding space. But really, honestly, it's like, you got to, it's like, this is crazy stuff to have to do, right? And it's, there's no, like, how do you access that? So all you can do is just try to give them a place where they go, you know what, just go, you know, take your time and just allow them a safe place to do. Well, I think that's one of the things you don't realize when you're sometimes watching something. It's like, it's like the, for that actor who's in that case, Adam on screen in close up or whatever it is, like they're experiencing in real time the most personal thing.

and it's so deeply vulnerable. It's so vulnerable, yet it's what we all as an audience crave. It's what we crave. And need. And so it's mystical, it's a mystery, it's, you know, so I was just grateful that he was so available and there. And that really was another moment for me when I was like, you know, this is what the show is, it has to have this level of, you know, of reality and I was just grateful for Adam

and then after that I was like Adam is like this guy's like really good I mean I knew it no I knew you know I knew it and I was like Ben don't look at me no I wasn't allowed to talk to him at that point but still

Adam what actor breaks has broken you the most laughing in a scene because I was watching this I was like oh everyone's really funny and everyone's on everyone in Parks and Rec is really funny yeah do you break in scenes yeah i break um but i'm also sometimes i'm like stone i'm sorry i'm sorry this guy do i not break this is the acting machine is that right yes technical acting machine acting machine guy who doesn't break well you will break before he breaks oh really really yeah

i guess yeah maybe i mean i don't know from previous things yeah yeah yeah from having watched Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to think of, you know, when I broke the most was when I did a tiny roll and knocked up, and I had never been on it. This is the first time I was on a set where like, when Judd was like, say that, and like, pulling out lines and takes would go on for 20 minutes and all this. I was like, what the, this is great, but what is going on? What is going on? And Ken Jong, who had never really been on camera before, was there. And he did this run where he just went. And me and Seth are on camera with him. And I'm supposed to just stand there next to Ken and just stone-faced. I was a nurse.

And Seth was on the other side of him. And Ken just went off. And I saw Seth like, I could only see the back of him and I saw him like going like this. And so I was like, oh, oh, good. Like shaking a little bit. He's laughing so I can laugh.

And so I just fully broke a few times. And then watching the scene months later when it was on YouTube or something, I see that Seth is not breaking. He's just like contorting his face so he doesn't break. And I'm standing on the other side just laughing. But what about like on stepbrothers?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, we would break all the time on stepbrothers. Would you ever crack yourself up? I was so, you know what? I was so freaked out and nervous on stepbrothers that I probably didn't break that much because I was so worried. But in that dinner, that dinner table scene?

Yeah. Just they're breaking up happening. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then when you're, what advice would you, because you're on both sides of the casting table, what advice would you give for actors auditioning? know that they want you to get the job almost as much as you want to get the job

they're looking for the right person so right their job is actually to find someone who's great for this when you find the right person as a director writer you're so happy you're so happy that that person came in and they were the right person and know that it's so many different factors that don't have to do with your acting talent. And that's the big thing, I'd say,

because auditioning is hard. Yeah. And you just have to kind of keep doing it too. It's one of those things I think that you literally get better and better as the more you do it because you have more experience, you get used to the situations more. You start to relax more. My daughter just got a job in an off-Broadway play,

her first play. Oh, that's awesome. And she said she had this moment in the audition where she was like, oh, I was like, I'm relaxed. I'm in this. I feel okay here. I feel free to just do my thing. this is called a slow round um what's the best piece of advice someone's given you that you used early uh the first episode of party down we shot i got good advice from fred savage who was

directing the episode he because up until then i had i had like smaller roles supporting roles and i you know it's really hard playing small roles and things because you're a trying to, the bad habit I was in was trying to stuff so much into whatever time I had just to show that I had all these ideas and whatever. And we started shooting party down and I was in a scene with Lizzie Kaplan where we meet each other and kind of start flirting. And after a take, he was like, hey, you can relax. Like, you've got a lot of time. We've got. We've got. All these episodes, you're going to be, you know, we'll watch you take this whole journey and then you're meeting Lizzie's character.

Just talk to her. Don't worry about it. We'll get to it. Oh, that's nice. Can I just, that made me think of when I was in a movie with Andrew McCarthy in 1986, one of the first jobs I had, and he'd done a lot of movies. We were in a scene in a car. We were like best friends, and we just had an argument.

And the scene was me just dropping him off in my car and he got out. There's no dialogue. And I remember he just turned to me and said, you know, like we really don't have to do anything here because the scene just happened. Right. And the audience will fill it in.

And I was very similar to you at that point of my career where I was doing a lot trying to be funny. And like, you know, and he was, and I think he probably was picking up on that. Yeah. He was like, hey, man, we can just like be. And he was so right. because it's just, the audience will fill it in.

It's so true, the audience does a lot. Yeah. Can you think of a time when you were so scared you ran away? First thought that comes to my mind is when I was on the plane going to camp when I was about 10 years old and got scared that I didn't want to go to Maine. I was in New York and somehow convinced the Delta Airlines, the flight crew to turn the plane around on the tarmac and go back to the gate. dropped me off.

That's outrageous. And did they? They have to. They did. You were just terrified to fly at all? No, I got homesick. I had second thoughts about the whole thing. What are the other passengers?

How do they feel about that? It's pretty funny because I was on. So we had a housekeeper named Hazel, a Jamaican housekeeper who was part of our family and she had seven of her own kids and she lived in Brooklyn. and we lived in Manhattan, and she would come to stay with us five days a week. And her kids were on their own for, you know, they should go home on the weekends,

but they became like brothers and sisters to us too. And Lincoln, her son, was with me. My parents were sending Lincoln and me to camp together. And he lived in Brooklyn. He didn't get a chance to get out of the city. It was an exciting thing for him. And he was so into it. Yeah.

Oh, God. And I'm there, his seatmate. And I'm like, yeah, exactly. And I'm like, basically, I'm like every man for himself, Lincoln. And I'm like, bye, we're turning this thing around. So we turn the plane around. My mother is at the gate really not happy with me. Oh, sure.

When the gate opens and I come running out. And Lincoln stayed on because he was, you know, excited to go to camp. Yeah. And the plane took off without me. And anyway. Did you flag down a flight attendant or did you, like, run up to the front? Yeah, I think I must have run up to the front. I mean, I kind of have blocked it out, but it was definitely.

That's what this show is all about. I was about to take off on a flight with my son when he was probably 9 or 10, and we were about, we were like on the tarmac, and he suddenly was like made a decision that this whole flying thing is bullshit, and he does not want to participate and be on a plane. And I had to ask them to turn around. bring it to the same thing yeah yeah my god man i didn't even know this is an option that's right i know the turn around the plane on the tie back option what anytime you want change your mind you go

back okay who are you jealous of like right now i mean adam scott other than adam scott oh really yeah because i really am jealous of adam scar Okay. Are you jealous of each other? Sure. I'm definitely jealous of you. Sure. I think it's kind of a healthy,

I feel like it's a healthy jealousy, right? And I'm, you know what I'm jealous of with Ben is, you were talking about earlier about ambitions of the work ethic because we talk all the time and we're always like talking about like the show and stuff. And I'm like, when I get a break from work, I'm always like, okay, I think I can squeeze in a survivor episode or like real housewife. You know, I'm just always like shutting my brain off

and just, and but Ben's always like, yeah, I was just editing and I'm hopping on a call right now and I've got, and I have a meeting for this thing. And I'm just like, Jesus Christ, okay, holy shit. So that just ethic, that work ethic is, I'm a busy person, but, really filling the day up is something that I feel like my mind is too, like, chaotic to even organize it. I was thinking about this with a show. It's like it's a weird irony that it's on Apple, right?

Isn't it? It's kind of, like, Apple, like, would do the thing that happens on the show in 10 years from now. I look at it as synchronicity. Do you? Yeah, I do. I think, I mean, look, whatever you want to, like, sort of like, what your interpretation of what that means, It's like, you know, these big corporations. But the Apple aesthetic, you know? Yeah, yeah, no, I know.

All of that, it just kind of, to me, like, fits with the show fits with Apple, you know, Apple TV Plus. Like, it's, and that doesn't mean, you know, anything other than it just does. Are they ever like, so how do you do it? How does it work? How can we do it? They're not a med tech company. We'd like to do that. We'd like to do this to people.

I wish the audience could see the look you're giving as you're portraying the Apple executive. How do you do it? How do you do it? Okay, now it's shifting. Now they're Norwegian. Now it's turning into something else. It'd be the character that we do on severance. That's right.

There it is. Ben's going to have me read for ten other roles and not give me those roles also. Someday. He's looking forward to it. Someday. Ben just keeps saying you have to relax, Mike. Just like I said, I'm working it out. You have to relax in the audition.

Mike, I said, I'm on your side. I'm rooting for you. Now do it again. I do it again. I do it right this time. Do it funny. Everyone wants you to get it right. Do it very much.

Do it real. That's what he keeps saying to me over and over again. And then after I leave the audition, he texts me. No, do it real this time. Right now, do it real, wherever you are. Oh, God. While we're being critical, I think you both are too handsome to be comedians. I think Adam Scott is for sure.

I don't think anyone would accuse me of being a comedian. I think... We talk about that a lot. I think this metier has been defined by Scott's physical appearance, which straddles the line between honky and nondescript. hang dog eyes thick chestnut hair and a cockatiel crest Cockatiel crest

So the last thing we do is working it out for a cause Is there a non-profit that you guys would like to contribute to? We will contribute and link to them in the show notes Yeah, the Center for Reproductive Rights Great I will contribute to them I will link to them in the show notes and thank you both for making this brilliant show.

Sorry, I wasn't speaking for both. I was... No, I don't really support any of these things. Well, I'm sure, Ben, I would guess that you would be something with refugees because you do so much international refugee work. UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, for sure, especially right now with everything that's going on in the world

and just, yeah, the attitude towards people who are stateless. One of the many things, things i admire about you is all the work that you do thanks because i you are one of the people who shows up and does the work with that and travels the world and and shows up for people who are struggling like that and i did yeah so i'm on the fence on which thing is ben's work with that his non-profit yeah i think it's it's genuine for refugees might be might be great i just haven't done the research so i'm what do you mean you haven't done the research i just haven't looked into it we've seen the videos of him in these countries. I haven't seen all the videos. You need to see the raw footage to

believe it's real. I need to see everything. You're talking about that jealousy thing before. Yeah. It's like, not jealous. Just haven't seen the footage. You know, Ben does things that are selfless. Ben does a lot of things. What does that mean? What do you mean? Take what you want from that. No, I'm saying he does a lot of things. No, I'm saying to you, Ben does a lot of nonprofit work for people other than Ben Stiller and Adam Scott. And what do you do? I keep an eye on what Ben's doing. Adam, for-profit, Scott.

Oh, for-profit. I like cash money. Let me rephrase the question. Are there any for-profit businesses that you guys like to support? Oh, we'll link to the show us. Okay, where's the camera? Which camera is mine?

Okay, right down the barrel. Listen, everybody. Go to Adamscott.com. Adamscott.com. We got all, okay, we got some sunglasses, camel hair coats You got all kinds of shit Cockatoos for sale

Cockatoos, Cretus, Cretus, you'll find it there The cockatiels' crest sweatshirts Are really nice, right? Thank you. You put the hood up and it has this swoop, it's great. Adam Scott Ben Stiller, thank you for being you. Thanks, Mike. Being here today.

I don't want to leave, Mike. I'm going to stay. I know, this is fun. It's safe and warm here. I like it. Working it out, because it's not done. working it out because there's no... That's going to do it for another episode of working it out.

That's an exciting one. You can follow Ben on Instagram at Ben Stiller. You can follow Adam Scott on Instagram at MR. Adam Scott. Check out Severin Season 2 on Apple TV. Plus I couldn't recommend it more highly. You can watch the full video of this episode

on our YouTube channel at Mike Barbiglia, subscribe, and then you'll get more and more videos that we are posting. Our producers of working it out are myself along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Barbiglia, and Mabel Lewis, Associate Producer Gary Simons. Sound Mix by Kate Balinski's special thanks to Jack Antonoff

and bleachers for their music. Special thanks, as always, to my wife, the poet J. Hope Stein, and our daughter, Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcast. That really helps us out. If you're new to the podcast and you enjoy this episode,

there's almost 160 other episodes we've done since June of 2020. They're all free. There's no paywall. We've had Stephen Colbert and Maria Bamford and David Sedaris and all kinds of folks in our back catalog. You can comment on Apple Podcasts, which one is your favorite? We appreciate that so much. Please tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your Audi.

I know that Lumen has ways of detecting messages that you try to send to your Audi, but not many people know this. podcast recommendations are the one thing that's allowed. So you can put a little note in your pocket, hey, Audi, it's your iny. I can't tell you what I'm up to down here, but I can tell you that you should check out this great podcast called Mike Barbiglius working it out.

It's where a comedian named Mike Priglia talks to other creatives about creative process. Even Milchik likes it. Thanks, everybody. We're working it out. We'll see you next time.