SmartLess - "RE-RELEASE: Maya Rudolph"
Episode Date: December 12, 2024Superhero Maya Rudolph skydives in for some cork-popping fun on another juicy episode of the pod. Songs are sung, stories are told, and Maya educates us all, by example, on how to be the coolest cucum...ber around.This episode was originally released on 9/7/2020. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to new episodes ad-free and a whole week early.
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Hello, welcome to Smart List. I am Jason Bateman, one of the less smart hosts. Even less smart
is Will Arnett and truly dumb is Sean Hayes. We each have invited, well, one of us invites
a guest per week. The other two don't know who that person is. Some of it's going to
be funny. Hopefully you won't cry and hopefully you learn a little something. So let's get started
Well, here's the sad part you have chumma wumba on your thing ready to go and it's not a joke. No, it's a ringtone. He's probably getting a call, I think.
I've been going so Chumbawumba heavy lately on the, I keep going like mid conversation,
Alessandro will say something and I'll just go, you know, the thing about me is I get knocked down.
But I get up again and she's like, but between that and my 10 year love affair with figuring
out who let the dogs out.
Right.
But what about that, that, that, what's the, that crap ass band that, well actually I've
never heard their music, but their goddamn name.
Bon Iver.
Bon Iver.
Yeah.
Bon Iver.
First of all, Bon Iver is a great band.
So is it, hang on, B-O-N-E-Y and then V-A-R or something like that?
Yeah, that's what it is. You fucking idiot. What's a bony bear? Like, would there be like a fat bear?
It's...
Wait, what song are they singing? What is it?
It's B-O-N and then space I-V-E-R.
Oh, he likes it because it's French and he's like, I can speak French. D-O-N and then space I-V-E-R.
Oh, he likes it because it's French and he's like,
I can speak French.
It's not French, he's from fucking Wisconsin
and it's this guy, Justin Vernon and my friend Chris Messina
who works with the band and like.
Oh, then they're great.
I don't know where our guest is,
but I guarantee you that they like Bon Iver.
I have this feeling that they do.
How much you wanna bet?
How much you wanna bet?
You wanna do a real bet?
Wait, I want.
100 Canadian dollars.
Sean, you know who this is, so you can't chime in.
100 Canadian dollars right now.
Great, so it's a five dollar bet?
Is that what you're saying?
You know what, dude, that's so insulting.
That's so insulting to me and to all my Canadian brethren
who I'm gonna put your address online.
Oh, right on, right on.
Well, just give her.
Wait, can I tell you guys something
that Scotty and I were watching?
Hey, were you just changing your diaper?
What did you just pull out from your pants?
Why do you wear a pashmina as a diaper?
Because it was cold and now it's hot.
I was watching Field of Dreams last night.
I've never seen the movie.
Okay, hold for applause?
What are you doing?
Okay. No, it was really? What are you doing? Okay.
No, it was really good, but I mean,
it's kind of a long way to go to tell a story
about playing catch with your dad, but I get it.
It was sweet, you know, Scottie's like,
you know, these people won Academy Awards,
I don't know, they were nominated or something.
And then we started having this conversation
about who would we conjure up from the past
that like, if you could, who would that be for you guys?
Who would it be if-
Hey, listen, Jason played catch with his dad at home,
and by his dad I mean the security guy at Fox,
and by catch I mean smoking butts behind stage five.
But look.
Yeah.
Oh God, all right well, we'll get to that later.
Sean, who are you so rudely keeping waiting?
On our little podcast today,
we have a gorgeous woman inside and out,
who we all know, we're all friends with,
and we all love.
She is a light, guys.
Her lineage is filled with all kinds of famous people.
I'm trying to build even the slightest bit of anticipation
because you're going to know who it is.
Let me try with this one, this random thing.
She graduated college with a degree in photography.
Can you guess who that is?
Annie Leibowitz.
That's it.
She's a staple in the history of American comedy,
will be remembered forever for her many contributions
in film and television.
She's trending so goddamn hard on social media right now
because of her impression of Kamala Harris.
It's Maya Rudolph!
No way!
What?
Stacks and the something and the something.
Come on, Look at this!
Oh, pop the cork! Pop the cork!
Oh my god.
I was trying to sing Bon Iver.
In the stacks, in the something, in the something, in the something.
Okay, so wait.
Right? How good is Bon Iver?
Bon Iver is great. I listened to the whole thing and I felt bad for Bateman.
Because he sounded old. I know, didn't he? And felt bad for Bateman because he sounded old
I know identity and now you look at him. He looks old. That's fucked up
So they're they're less gross than the name. They're a person I think right isn't it?
Isn't it a person? It's Justin Vernon pretty much and he has other guys who are in the band as well
Sean Carey who plays but they're good friends of mine. They're great guys and they make great music. Hi Maya Rudolph. Hi Maya Rudolph.
Hi guys. Thanks for being here. Sorry for the mood lighting. I'm in a cave it's the only quiet
place at my house. No I was gonna say thank you for the mood lighting. I'm
gonna join you. It's a wank fest. Welcome to my jackshack. Yeah he was talking about that the other day, how he, you bounced that name off of
you.
Oh my God.
Do you remember I used to say that to you?
Did you finally build your Jack Shack?
He's in it right now.
Look at him.
I can see it.
That's why he's got a smile on his face.
The guru.
And no pantalones.
Now, Maya, the reason you're looking for quiet is because there are six, 17 kids?
18 kids over there, right? 18, Jason. Good for you. 18. The reason you're looking for quiet is because there are six, 17 kids?
18 kids over there, right?
18, Jason.
Good for you.
18.
I like to pop them out.
There is nothing elastic about my lower region.
Nothing.
It's basically like when you get a grocery bag and something has spilled and then everything just falls
out of the bottom.
So the bottom got too saturated and now it's useless to you.
So kids are falling out daily.
Falling out daily.
Do your kids love that description of how they came into the world?
My son, well my son thinks that he came out of my butt because he saw like a birth video.
So we like to keep it that way.
My son said the other day, little Abel said the other day,
he was in the backseat, Archie and I were arguing
about the genesis of, this is terrible parenting,
of Grand Theft Auto games and which one came first
in GTA V.
And Abel's in the back saying,
hey real quick could you Wikipedia? And he cuts me off and he goes how babies are made?
You got it.
He's got that on his favorites. It's just a one button. You know Maya your husband did describe having a bunch of kids running around the house.
He says it's so great, he's a better word, it's like having a fire burning in each room.
It's all warm and cozy.
He said that?
He said that?
Well, he's a bit of a poet.
I thought he was gonna tell the Jim Gaffigan joke
about how it's like,
because Jim Gaffigan has five, right?
And I think his joke was having a fifth kid is like
swimming in a pool and you're drowning
and someone hands you a baby.
and you're drowning and someone hands you a baby. It's a bit overwhelming.
I have to say that being in quarantine with four kids
is great because I would be very depressed
if I was not very busy.
It would be a lot more quiet and depressing.
Look at Sean.
Yeah, look at Sean.
I just got up.
Sean is so low right now, he'd have to rally to die.
That's how low.
How many books is your computer on right now?
Is your computer on?
My computer is actually on a stand right now.
But I like to say the books behind me on the shelf,
I've read every single one of those jackets.
Nice.
Oh, boy.
Who do you say that to, to Scotty or?
I say to anybody who'll listen.
He says it to all the living members of Chumbawamba.
Maya, are those kids old enough to help out
around the house or are they just asking you
to help them find things to do?
Because that is the only reason Jason had children.
Right, I just, I can't keep them entertained.
Do you have any teenagers yet?
Yeah, I got a 13-year-old and an 8-year-old.
The problem with the teen part is I feel really badly for them
because they want to be social,
but then I don't want them to be on their fucking devices all day long.
But then you got to talk to them.
If they're off the device, then you have to talk to them.
It's killing me.
And I also feel like.
Lesser the two evils is just a thicker data plan, right?
Yeah.
Oh, I thought you meant dad plan, yeah.
Let's let Bateman keep talking,
let him hang himself.
Keep going, dude, what is it?
So one teenager or two teenagers?
I have one teenager, she's 14.
The others are? I have one teenager, she's 14. The others are?
I have no idea. No, 10, nine, and seven.
Almost 11, nine, and seven.
Is the 14-year-old a nightmare?
Has she found her sass yet at 14?
No, she's not a nightmare, she's the opposite.
So I feel really bad,
because she's a nice person. That's Pearl, right?
Yeah. I love her.
Don't show off, Sean.
Oh. You know, we all have Google.
Sean is godparent to all of my children.
Is that true?
No.
Yeah, and like my dad, I've never shown up for them.
Oh.
Are you guys godparents to anybody?
No.
I am.
I don't even, I don't know what that means.
What does it mean?
Yeah, I don't either,
because I think I failed.
Well, we are, we're actually very active godparents,
me and Scotty, to Jonah and Sammy,
Carrie Aisley's children.
You are?
Yeah.
And so, and we're very active, and legally,
it's just somebody in the highly unlikely
and hopeful never happening case,
where something happens to them,
we are the legal guardians.
Right.
I don't think that's always the case.
It's not a religious thing?
No, it used to be a religious thing,
and I think now it's much more of a just sort of a custom thing that you do.
And, babe, listen, should we be godparents to each other's kids just out of safety?
No, no, no, we're all set.
I'm good.
He's good.
You want to send over the paperwork?
He's good.
Yeah, yeah, no, Amanda's got it handled, bro.
We're all good.
How about a question for Maya?
You don't even know what's for dinner.
Maya's actually the godparent to Scotty.
I am. Does she powder and swaddle him? Yes, I do. I don't even know what's for dinner. Maya's actually the godparent to Scotty.
I am. Does she powder and swaddle him?
Yes, I do.
Maya, I have to say a couple things.
One is.
I love you too.
I do, I really do love you and I miss you
and I feel like I never see you.
I know, I love you too.
I don't ever see you.
I know, it's wrong.
But first of all, I have to say the thing that we all know
but not everybody knows, which is that your mom
is Minnie Ripperton, who sang Love and You.
I was so surprised that you threw in the lineage thing.
These dudes are like, who, what?
Yeah, I don't even know Bon Iberes.
Oh, come on.
Your grandfather owned all the Wendy's
in like Florida or something?
Yes, I've been to Florida.
Isn't that crazy?
Hang on.
Sidney Rudolph.
Free burgers for life or?
So supposedly my grandfather and his brother
were these big time business boys back in the day
and he came up with this idea
for a company called Trip Charge
and where it was like you could get a card
and charge it when you were on a trip.
This was before the credit card was invented. And it was like you could get a card and charge it when you were on a trip. This was before the credit card was invented.
And it was such a great idea that he sold the idea to Diners Club.
Way to go, Sid Rudolph.
Is Diners Club still around?
I don't know, but I guess he straight up gave him the idea for the credit card.
So Diners Club was just for restaurants? Is that what it was?
That's a great question. I don't know.
I don't know if it was like a traveler's check situation
for going out.
I remember those, traveler's checks.
Traveler's checks.
Cart Blanche, remember Cart Blanche was a thing
for a minute? What was Cart Blanche?
It's similar, it's like diners club.
I thought it was like, oh, Cart Blanche,
and you just say it.
I like, speaking of the Rudolphs, how is your dad?
He's good, are you asking about my sweet dad?
Isn't my dad the best?
He's so sweet. He's that guy my whole life that people ask me about I just got another one today
I'm at look at look at Bateman Bateman's like I don't know your dad
What why don't I get to meet your dad? Her dad is such a cool guy and you would be well-served
This is like the Boney Veer thing. You would be well-served to take that scowl off your face. That's my rest face now
I have a heavy brow. I need a lift
But I am talking a lot about this I need a lift. But I am
talking a lot about this. I constantly look like I'm I've just said what did you
say? Yeah. That's my rest face. Yeah. Mine too. Wait are you just coming to terms with this?
Just to get to regular I have to I have to pretend I've just said oh I see.
Right. That's what I have. That lifts things up to where center is.
I think it's from years of being funny
and years of emoting,
and now your skin is relaxing into itself.
I have developed really gnarly eye bags,
and I think it's from years of rubber face.
Me too, Maya.
Maybe you and I can find a doctor
that can just cinch us up in all the places.
As eyes and vaginas.
Yeah.
There's probably somebody in the valley somewhere.
They're kind of similar.
They're similar areas.
Get your eyes and vaginas done here.
That's like shampoo and shampoo.
Shampoo and shampoo.
Who knows, Ali.
Shampoo and shampoo.
Shampoo and in the back you get shampoo.
Here's a very dark, dark story.
Oh, Ali. But hang on, before you get into this,
I do want to say this.
That I went on a date with Ali.
You went on a date with Ali?
Wait, this is.
What do you mean?
I went on a date with Ali in New York
and he took me to see Puppetry of the Penis.
Do you remember that show?
Wait, yes, I saw it in England.
It was terrible.
Wait, Ali, who's Ali?
Ali Farnakian.
Ali Farnakian is a funny guy.
He's the guy who came up with Shampooch and Shampooch,
no married with a couple kids.
And we used to pass-
And both named Shampooch and Shampooch.
Shampooch, and we used to pass Puppetry of the Penis
all the time on the way home on Seventh Avenue.
And then we used to also, Amy and I used to always pass
and we'd always say to each other,
my favorite title for a play over was,
I love you, you're perfect, now change.
Yeah.
Oh my God. I saw Puppetry of the Pen penis. I thought it was gonna be like this brilliant thing. It was just guys playing with dicks on stage. It was so painful and awful looking.
A lot of stretching of skin. Yeah. Wait, so there was actual frontal
nudity all the way through it? Yeah. Really? Are they cut or uncut? They were,
well they're Australian, so. Yeah. So uncut. Uncut, they're Australian. So yeah, so one got uncut so snutters
Wait what it's a snutter right if it's called a snutter. I believe so
I've never still has its little turtleneck. I'm a disgusting foul person and I've never heard that term
What about aardvark we school more? Yeah, sure aardvark is standard
I love the idea that Bateman goes in to get a facelift
and the doctor says, no, just do the surprise face more.
Yeah, and could you take care of my snuts?
How many snutters do you have?
I've got three penises.
Sean, I cut you off 10 minutes ago.
You cut me off 10 years ago, but that's okay.
Hi-oh.
No, no, I was just gonna tell a story about my mom
who passed away like two or three years ago,
God rest her soul, best mom in the whole wide world,
darkest sense of humor, that's why it's okay
to tell this story, she would even laugh at this.
And so when she was two years old, she had cancer
and they removed her eye, the entire eye out of her socket.
I knew that.
And it wasn't until she passed away
that I found her old medical records from when she was a kid
and realized and learned that they took skin It wasn't until she passed away that I found her old medical records from when she was a kid and
Realized and learned that they took skin from around her vagina to reshape her eye socket Which was kind of astonishing back then but you know I'd share the story with a friend of mine
And he said wait a minute you're just telling me this now the whole time. I knew her I could have fucked her in the eye
I thought you were gonna say I thought you were gonna say to her,
everybody looked like a cunt.
Oh my god.
It's brilliant.
That's better than everything I was working on.
I had tear duct stuff and yeah.
Oh my god.
Okay.
Maya, I'm so sorry.
This is an X-rated show, right?
Yeah, no, we're gonna cut that out.
So listen...
God, that's really funny.
God, that's really funny.
So I want to ask you, seriously, back to Minnie, your mom.
Your dad produced that record from your mom, right?
Yeah, they wrote a bunch of songs together and stuff.
So, another common question, I'm sorry,
but I think you and your...
Did I get laid?
Yes, I did.
Did I get laid?
Did I get laid?
But did you, because you have a great singing voice too.
Did you ever want to do albums and all that
and sing and perform like that?
I think the performing part, yes,
but the singing part I knew very early on
that I did not have the vocal range of my mother.
Well, because you were surrounded by music the whole time.
Yeah, musical, but I don't have that kind of a voice.
I mean, when the standard is like a seven octave range,
you're sort of like, I'm good, but I like making music.
I do like making music.
I think now that I'm almost 50,
I'll probably start publicly making music now that I'm not as afraid as I used to be
How does one start is it like you start with jingles or?
Yeah, you know like you write songs about lettuce you're like, huh? Here we come light and free
Gold and crispy the way it should be
Crispy too. That's right Bateman. Swallow it down.
From yourself.
Bateman brand lettuce, the crispier.
Maya, do any of your kids wanna do, like,
open their mouths and make sounds that sound like music?
They're very, they all seem to wanna be filmmakers,
so that's definitely happening.
Because your partner is Paul Thomas Anderson.
All of the above, he's all of those things.
And you know, and they have iMovie, so they make a lot of movies
all the time, which is pretty damn cute.
All four of them.
Oh, that's great.
Truly?
Mm-hmm.
When Archie was born, the night he was born,
it was a Saturday night, and of course,
Amy didn't make the show that night.
We were supposed to do a Bronx beat that night.
You're supposed to do a...
You're talking about Amy Poehler
from Saturday Night Live is your ex-wife.
Don't forget, well, your OB died.
Our OB died the day before, so the day that...
Wait, what?
So it was the first time Ham was hosting SNL, do you remember?
So Ham was hosting and I was...
John Ham.
...going to pick up Amy, they were shooting...
John Ham, Sean...
Thanks, Sean.
Sean is like an audio Chiron.
Well, and you know what?
And here's the thing.
By the way, I have to jump in.
So my sister and all her friends live in Wisconsin
and they listen to these podcasts and she's like,
I don't know what they're talking about half the time.
They're throwing about names.
So that's why I'm plugging in all these names
because they don't-
You know what my advice to your sister is?
Move, okay?
So anyway, that's fair enough.
That's fair enough.
So Jon Hamm, first time he's hosting.
So we go and we're supposed to go to this
doctor's appointment and the OB dies. He dies that day.
Are you being serious? That's crazy.
That's what, yeah, so he was old.
He was old.
He was very old.
Why was she seeing a guy on his death's doorstep? Did she get a deal on him or something like that?
You feel like you get an OB-GYN that's got a few more years left.
Vibrant, yeah.
So anyways, so we go.
Sometimes you want the best, you go to the quality.
This guy had delivered, this is not a bit,
the big thing was he had delivered Sophia Lorenz' baby.
Oh my God.
Back in the day, whatever.
And we were like, that was great in like 1950.
Beautiful baby, that was a beautiful baby.
What a baby.
But then apparently he forgot about it.
But anyway, look.
So anyway, we go in and Archie is born
and we turn on the show that night
and he's a couple hours old and Maya sang a song.
Oh yeah, Keenan and I sang a song for little baby Archie.
Really, live?
Yeah.
Oh, that's so nice.
Wow.
I'm nice sometimes, Sean, I really am.
Well, that's not coming through.
Uh oh, sorry Wisconsin.
You are the nicest, I love you to death, you know that.
I know, I love you too.
I wanna ask you some more stuff,
but can I go to SNL,
which I know you're probably sick of talking about,
or maybe you're not, but I.
I'm cool.
I hosted your first year of SNL.
I was a host during your first year.
Oh, I remember. And even then, I was SNL. I was a host during your first year. Oh, I remember.
And even then I was like, as I was hosting,
I was like, who is this master of comedy, this girl,
who I'm falling in love with so quickly
without as much as a date?
I remember the Facts of Life sketch so well that you put up,
and it was,
Mrs. Garrett stuck a carrot up her butt
and that's why her hair so red keeps singing
these are the facts of life.
I can't believe you remember that.
That is insane.
Because I couldn't stop singing it afterwards.
Mrs. Garrett stuck a carrot up her butt in this wild,
here's old Red keeps singing.
But it's got, it's got, wait, it's got, wait, it's got a bunch of verses.
These are the facts of life.
These are the facts of life.
It was, it was, um.
Who wrote that lyric?
He did.
Me and Raina got super stoned, and Raina's is a friend of mine and wrote this entire song called the facts of
Life and it went through rain is a friend of Sean's who's a cook and who's a very good friend of Sean. Sorry. Keep going
That's for Wisconsin
All right, so wait so back to SNL
So when you were there and I know everybody asked this,
but for anybody who's not, who's never been part
of the institution of comedy, you know,
that creates legends like you are now, and yes you are,
thank you Sean, you're welcome, Maya.
No one said anything.
Everyone always asked.
I just wanna cut him off again,
because I feel like he might land the plane
at some point during the fucking podcast.
But I did wanna say, Maya, you are comedy royalty to me.
And if anyone was listening to anything I've said over the last 20 years,
I reference you all the time when we talk about...
Everybody does.
A certain level of sophistication in comedy, I will say, like Maya Rudolph.
And people go, oh, I get it.
I swear to God.
If you're only saying this for me being here today,
I do appreciate it.
It's so true, Maya, you know how I feel.
You are one of the comedy legends of history for true.
People get it, it's a very efficient,
economical way to say, oh you would like some smart laughs.
Got it.
Wow, that's a pretty large compliment,
thank you, my friend.
It is absolutely true.
But I think that what Jason's getting to,
not only are you known for that,
but I will say that as somebody who has worked with you
a bunch over the years, and Sean can attest to this too,
and the three of us did work together as well,
there is nobody who's quicker or faster or better
in the moment and can eke out, make anything funny,
even if the scene is terrible and you wanna throw it out
and then find it in the trash and throw it out again
because it's so bad.
You have the ability to make every,
you bring just, you always bring the element,
and this is I think the real,
the sort of the trademark of something is really funny,
you always bring in the element of surprise. I never know what you're gonna do and it's so every time it's so awesome
I always feel yeah, it's exciting doing a scene with you
You know that is why getting old is great because we all remember things a lot less than what really happened
So your memories all of your memories of our time together are so vague. The humility and the deflection.
I love it.
This is part of the intelligence.
It's nice, but honestly it is nice to appreciate.
I will get honest for a moment.
It's nice to appreciate each other as we age.
It's nice to have had fun together because my thing, once I started having kids and having
to go to work, I realized like, oh, I have to actually like what I'm doing today
or I'm gonna want to kill myself.
Because it's so depressing when you hate your job
and you've left your beautiful babies at home.
So all the time that I've spent with you guys
and out in the world and doing things,
I cherish those times because all I did was laugh my ass off.
So hard.
I remember there's this one scene that you and I were in
in the show called Up All Night
that Will was also in with Christina Applegate.
Sure.
And those are my reference points, Will.
So what network was it on?
Just people don't know.
This was about the Coke addicts, right?
What network was it on? Just people don't know.
This was about the Coke addicts, right?
No, it wasn't.
It wasn't.
So, and Maya, there was this scene
where it wasn't quite there yet
with just the rehearsal and the writing and us acting.
And we just were trying to-
And I kept saying, is it in?
Yeah, right, and I said,
I said, I said if you can't feel it by now,
it's never gonna be.
And we crafted the scene in such a way
that we finally got it there. and then when we shot it,
you made, like to Will's point, you made it so funny,
I couldn't breathe laughing, and it was in a house.
Oh, was it that Halloween thing
where we were supposed to be dead or something?
We were pretending to, yeah.
Oh, God, I laughed so hard.
But okay, so here's the thing,
now you've accomplished something that.
God, you really did your homework, Sean, what's happening?
This is the obligation of the host, of the person who invites the guest.
They need to be the adult. They need to have the questions.
And then the other two idiots get to just throw bombs from the sidelines.
I've never seen this side of you, Sean.
Well, it's comforting, isn't it?
It's welcome. But like to your point...
If you tighten it up, it is.
So...
Okay, listen. listen to me.
Now you've accomplished something, and now I'm gonna compliment these other two jerks.
You've accomplished something
that even Jason will have accomplished,
and I wanted to talk about this.
You all came onto the scene as actors who excel in comedy,
and that's kind of what made you famous in the world,
and you all have expanded your repertoire
and kind of like crushing the dramatic work as well.
Like I even told Jason on Ozark,
it's the best work I've ever seen him do.
He's incredible on the show.
And when he cries, I cry.
Very nice of you, thank you.
Look, his face hasn't changed.
But you both excelled at the drama work too, and I know that's hard to accomplish,
but what's really hard to accomplish, and you guys have all done it,
which is to hold on to a sense of where you came from and acknowledging your comedic roots.
Because I feel that a lot of people who are famous because of comedy
immediately take themselves too seriously and then lose themselves in the journey to prove
that they're more than that
and in doing so sometimes they fail.
I mean, do you know what I mean?
I think so.
I was guilty of that first season of Ozark.
I had the head writer, show runner cut out all the comedy
that he put, it wasn't a ton of comedy,
but there were some things that were,
and I was like, I was so like, people have to know
that this is a drama, you know, and they're gonna think
that it's a comedy, because I'm to know that this is a drama, they're gonna think that it's a comedy,
because I'm in it.
It is a drama.
Well, exactly, but like a great writer does,
throws in moments of levity to,
and so I got less precious about that in the second season,
and people really liked that about his writing
and the third season as well.
And that was the second season
is when they stopped calling you precious on set, right?
Yep, yeah, that was the end of that. Figured out what was causing it and put an end to it.
I was going to say, I mean, you guys all know, I mean,
comedy is just infinitely more difficult than drama over time.
To be consistently, you know, funny, it's much harder than...
Well, dying is easy, comedy is hard.
I mean, I have to teach them all these old things.
Did you just come up with that? Holy shit. I mean I have to teach them all these
Shit I mean
You know
Real write it down real quick. You're sitting at a desk. Oh, I did that's why I just read it off my page The truth is that yeah, what I mean what you're saying. Well is what I feel is like, you know at a certain point you realize how
They're also the comedy and the dramas few and far between and you realize how, also the comedy and the drama
is few and far between and you realize how serious
and depressed you really are as a comedian internally
and then like it's all kind of part and parcel
the same thing so all the little funny bits
make the serious stuff real and it's all kind of.
I like that movie you did with Krasinski
where you guys were, it was funny but you also had dramatic moments, with Krasinski where you guys were it was funny but also dramatic moments John Krasinski from the office Jesus he was on
the office he was on the office Wisconsin and Sam Mendes directed yeah and Sam Mendes
directed and you guys that was a great and I I said this when we made our
little show flake that not a lot of people saw that was on Netflix but I
used to say people say is that a comedy drama I'm like I don't know when I wake
up in the morning you don't go, today's gonna be a comedy day.
Or today's gonna be a drama day.
I wanted it to feel like a representation
of what a life experience is.
I mean, other than like Mel Brooks' house,
I don't know that most comedy households
are always funny, right?
No.
They're probably real quiet.
They're probably really dark.
Yeah, for sure.
Now, Maya, with all the years of experience that you have
and the clear understanding, obviously,
of the nuance of comedy as well as drama,
do you have any desire to write anything long form
or direct anything long form
and kind of be the person that navigates all that stuff?
Directing, no.
Directing, I absolutely don't ever want to do.
And I think it's the amount of responsibility
that's required that makes me feel like itchy and hot.
Like knowing that I have to make sure
you've got this covered.
It's like being the host of a party
and making sure everybody's happy.
I don't think that's in my nature,
and I'm okay with that.
That's why I live with a director.
I don't wanna be one.
But I honestly enjoy the produce serial side
of giving my opinion, putting my time in.
I mean, I feel like I'm gonna be a forever writer
in the way that I sort of just like haphazardly
became a writer at SNL because they just make you write.
You don't have a choice and no one really says, hey, you're a writer now. You're just like, they just make you write. You don't have a choice. And no one really says, hey, you're a writer now.
You're just like, I'm writing my sketches.
I don't have a choice.
And it's really the only way to survive.
So I think I'll continue to create what I do.
But the directing part, I like to I like to sit down and eat my lunch.
You know, I don't like to be a guest at the party, not hosted. Yeah, it's so stressful.
And I love when people love doing it,
and I love to be a part of that,
but I feel like there was a point in my life
where I thought like, I'm gonna do this,
and I'm gonna do that.
And then once I started realizing,
I don't, I'm not good at everything, and that's okay.
I'm sort of like, yeah, there's no shame in that game.
My recollection of Maya on a boat night is this like,
we'd be shooting all day and be like, lunch,
and then her dressing room is next to mine,
and then like knock on the door and be like,
are we still shooting that scene after lunch?
I mean, are we done with it?
I'd be feeling the same way.
I'd be like, I don't know.
We both had little kids at all.
I don't know.
I was nursing, remember? I was nursing at the same way. I'd be like, I don't know. We both had little kids at home. I don't know. I was nursing. Remember I was nursing?
Like, right, like the baby was in the room.
I was pumping and I was sweating all the time.
Was that Jack who was just born?
It was Jack, yeah. He just turned nine.
I want to ask you a serious question.
I don't know if I'm going to get through it with my co-host, but here we go.
Okay, hang on. Let me get the stopwatch and go.
Your mom so sadly passed away when you were younger.
I think you were six, seven, eight years old,
something like that.
In the wheelhouse, yes.
Yeah, in that wheelhouse.
And so, and you're such an incredible mom,
as I've seen firsthand,
and it always seems like your children comes first,
which is the correct thing to do.
Thank you.
And before anything else.
And you're always present, and it's what every kid wants
but does any part of you when you are starting to have kids like and it's it's did you have
a one of those real human fears of oh my god what if what happened to me happens to my
children and i'm not around is that gonna happen and oh i'm still not sure that i'm
doing this correctly and i get weirded out all the time that I'm 48 and my mom was only 31 when she died and I'm like,
now what? How did I get to be older than my mother? It's so crazy.
I don't know how the hell we're all adults to begin with, let alone responsible for other people and in relationships and families, it's crazy.
But I.
What's your perfect ratio.
My perfect mate.
Your perfect ratio of work to parenting.
Like what are you doing today aside from this?
Like do you.
That's a great question.
I appreciate that question.
I'm gonna do a little voiceover work later on this afternoon.
Who are you working for?
Working for a wonderful production called Bless the Hearts by our friend Emily Spivey.
Oh, bless the hearts.
I love that.
I love Emily Spivey.
Oh, bless the hearts.
I'll sit up the night with.
Are they looking for any new characters or?
God, that's good.
That's really good.
It was sexy but also a little bit scary.
Oh, this guy.
And a little bit sad.
Like a little bit like...
Well, you know what?
Because he's had a few, even though it's Wednesday.
He said he wouldn't, but he did.
I thought he was constipated.
No, he had a few.
He sounds like he needs water.
When ain't nobody was looking, he had a few.
Or he's a self-asphyxiator there in the jackshack.
Oh boy.
You know what's funny?
I did write, in the time that we've been on this,
I did write a theme song for the jackshack
and it's called,
Jackshack, shakin' it up.
Jackshack, you can shack it.
Jackshack, shakin' it up.
Jackshack, shakin' it up, Jack, Jack, Jackin' it up, Jack.
Get your Jack on.
I love the end, I love the end.
Jackin' it up, Jack.
I wish we had an animated portion of this show.
It'd be so good.
Jack, Jack.
Maya used to do this character,
we were gonna do a video and I was gonna be this French.
Oh, Pop the Cork.
Pop the Cork and I was DJ Metro, it's a French rapper.
And it's just Maya, and she's in just like,
she's in Saint Tropez, and she's in Italy.
I like to celebrate.
Pop the Cork.
Pop the Cork.
We would just say like, London.
Pop the Cork, Dubai.
Pop the Crika, Israel.
I wanna see you doing all these characters
every week again, damn it.
I should answer your question
because you bring something up,
which is that I do, every once in a while I go,
God, I should do that show,
or I should, when we were asking about creating and stuff,
like, oh yeah, I should create this show,
and then I'm like, what am I saying?
Then I'll never be home.
I can't do that.
But I'm lucky enough to have a lot of talented friends
and I'll do like a little bit here
and a little bit there and a little bit.
And that's plenty for you.
That's enough for you.
It's plenty.
Sometimes I spread myself too thin
and then everyone's all say, no, now I'm ready
to get back in the saddle and do it.
But I also like to go home sometimes.
Have you been courageous enough to play with the idea of an empty nest at some point, sometime
deep, deep in the future?
I say that because I have, and it just, as much as I am, I love to be out and working.
I love my kids.
I love that they are here, and I think I'm going to be a mess when they go to college. For sure. You have that times too, right? Because I got two kids, I love that they are here, and I think I'm gonna be a mess when they go to college.
You have that times two, right?
Because I got two kids, you got four.
Yeah, and you know that when one of the kids isn't home
and they're at a friend's house or something,
you feel like, there's no one here, the house is so quiet,
and it's such a strange, yeah, I don't know.
I don't know what I'm gonna do,
but maybe that's a good time to move back to New York
and start all over again.
Yeah, there you go.
Both see Puppetry of the Penis with Ali and.
Yeah, just do some sort of a sequel
to Puppetry of the Penis.
What would that be called?
Huh.
I wanna go back to the question I had about.
We'll come back on that.
30 minutes ago.
Yeah, Sean, definitely tee up another real question.
Go ahead, Sean.
What's number two?
I wanna know because I wanna know these things.
I know you do, and you know what, by the way?
Good for you.
Thanks, guys.
I know, it's very responsible.
I feel like you brought me in and you're like,
I have to ask her real questions or she's good.
Yeah, otherwise it's like, they're just bits which I love.
I don't care, you don't have to ask me anything real.
Listen, you can ask me anything you want.
I love it, and so I wanna know how you feel about me.
No, I wanna know.
So, I wanna know, like,
cause way back 30 minutes ago
when I was talking about Saturday Night Live
and how you've helped create that institution that it is.
Everybody wants to know what was it like
getting the gig that you always dreamed of getting?
Like, what was it like the first week?
Is it like the first week of school?
And were you nervous? And like like how did you navigate around that?
That was crazy because I came in at the end of the 25th season and I had this
really lame situation where I listened to like a bad manager. I was so young and
she said don't audition the new contracts are really binding and I went
oh okay. I a fucking idiot.
And so I did an audition, and then long story short,
I was lucky enough that they asked me to come
and do the last three shows.
So it was more like trial by fire,
but it was the end of the season,
so everyone knew each other already.
It was like joining a school year with three weeks left.
So like I didn't know anybody,
and everybody knew where to sit,
and the cafeteria
kind of feeling. I could just felt really bad and scary.
I didn't know that.
You did not audition.
No.
So you were you a part of the writing staff and they wanted to put you on then on camera?
No, it was really confusing. It wasn't clear. They brought me and Zach Galifianakis and
I think it was Jerry Minor. I think we were the three people that they brought out
for this three week trial period,
but Zach and I didn't know what was going on.
Zach said they brought, he had auditioned,
and then he said, like, they brought me out,
but they were just auditioning him as a writer,
and he was really like, I don't know what's happening.
We were a little bit confused.
Did Zach do the show?
He wrote for three weeks. He and I shared an office and we were both like scratching our heads like...
I didn't know that either.
What are we doing?
See you assholes. It's good I ask questions like that.
It is good. You know what Sean? Great question.
Great question, Sean.
Can you string two together?
Well that seems like it's very difficult. I can't believe we've gotten to 30 minutes in and we haven't asked you
whether you're excited or dreading the whole Kamala Harris for the next
probably 12 years.
Can I just say wouldn't that be a nice problem to have?
Oh God yes.
Instead of this fucking shit pile of shit of shit mountain that we're living on?
We just had her on the show.
You did?
Yeah.
Literally the day before it was announced that she was on the ticket with Biden.
She's pretty fantastic.
She's awesome.
She's amazing.
There's nothing there that isn't cool.
It's like, hey, do you want to play a cool superhero?
Like, yeah, sure.
I'm good.
Like, you know this, you know, you get to be Batman and it's fun. It's fun to like be a cool person. It's what am I going to do? It's kind of what I'm good. You know this, you get to be Batman, and it's fun.
It's fun to be a cool person.
What am I gonna do?
That's kinda what I'm known for, Batman.
Oh, you're talking about Will?
Yeah.
But once the, as Will calls it, the hoax virus goes away,
you're gonna have to fly back and forth
to New York all the time.
Are you going to be happy about that?
That could get burdensome.
I don't know.
I think I'm a little bit in denial of what is happening in the
world and what's going to happen. I mean, is there going to be a live show?
It doesn't matter. You know what's going to happen. Let's not play this game. We both
know what's going to happen.
I like to play hard to get.
You don't have to start wiggling when you say that, Maya.
I still have my exercise tank on.
I haven't exercised yet.
I haven't showered.
I haven't even showered yet.
I'm so shy.
I need to take a shower.
You don't want any of this.
Oh, oh.
Do you guys want Chinese chicken salads for lunch?
Everybody?
Everybody? Everybody's Chinese chicken salad
Let's get chin chin. I want chin chin. Is chin chin still around?
Yes, I get it all the time and it's so fattening. I call it double chins chin chin is still the best
Just the Chinese chicken salad. I don't think I've ever had anything else
But you know that the conversation that's happening right now is, so Maya will come and do this show.
She'll come Saturday and then she'll come the next Saturday and so Maya will come.
That's Will's attempt at Lorne Michaels impression, everybody.
Wisconsin.
He says, Sean, they don't need to know.
Not everybody needs to know everything.
Lorne Michaels is my forever boss.
I just decided the other day, like, he's my forever boss.
He'll always be my boss.
He'll be my friend. But no matter whether I ever work there again, like, he's my forever boss. He'll always be my boss. He'll be my friend, but no matter whether I ever work there again,
he'll always be my forever boss.
Mia, Mia Rudolph, you've been incredible.
It's Mia Randolph.
Here comes question three, get ready.
No, this is no more questions.
I was gonna wrap it up because I know you have kids
to take care of.
Oh, you mean diapers to change?
Daddy!
No, there's no more mean diapers to change? Daddy!
There's no more in diapers right? You're done with diapers. I'm done with diapers.
Yeah. So I can't thank you enough for being here and we love you very very
very much. I love you very much. That was way too short. And even though we don't get to speak that
often I think about you all the time. Really, like all the time? Yeah.
Hey, hey guys.
Hey, hey.
That was so convincing.
That was so convincing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, Sean.
I do, I really do.
I think about you all the time.
You're always such a sweet little cookie for us.
Can you sing the Jack Shack, Sean, one more time?
Is that our sign-off?
Jack Shack, shakin' it up.
Jack Shack, Sean, one more time. Is that our sign-off? Jack Shack, shakin' it up. Jack Shack, it's totally crispy.
Jack Shack, 100%.
100% Jack Shack and then Jack!
It's totally crispy.
It's totally crispy.
Think about it.
It could be.
Box of used socks sold separately.
I was going to say there should be a sock sponsor to that.
Maya, super, super nice of you to do this.
That was really fun, you guys. It's nice to see you.
This is one of those days where when I'm dying and I'm laying there,
shriveled up, and then I'll think about today and I'm going to have a big smile on my face.
Likewise. Look at that.
Love you, Maya. You're the best.
You're the best!
You're the best, man!
You're the best!
Thank you, Maya.
Bye, guys.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
So nice to see you all.
You too.
Bye. See you later.
Bye.
Bye. Tongues Included.
She winged that song and it's going to be my hat for the rest of the day.
Jack Shack. We were working on, on, up all night, whatever, 10 years ago, and she said,
uh, what did you do this week?
And I said, I spent most of the weekend in my Jack Shack.
And she was so in that, she loved that idea.
She thought it was the grossest expression and she used to bring it up all the time.
She's like, how's your Jack Shack?
Hey, is your Jack Shack taking this weekend?
I need a place to live, bro.
I got it on Airbnb now.
Anyway, I love her, we love her, I'm so glad.
By the way, she's the kind of guest that we have on
that we can just completely be ourselves and fuck around
and it's so fun.
She could guest host the show with us at any time
because she's so funny and so, and we love her
and know when she's got such an ease and comfort
and she's just, everything about her is the fucking best.
I love hanging out with Maya.
When I hosted Kimmel a couple years ago and-
Oh, here we go, yep.
And the ratings spiked. Point is this, I don't even know if sweeps are a thing
but I know it was a big deal to Jimmy
and it got him a new contract.
And I don't even know how I started on this story.
But the point is I needed a guest and I said,
remember Jimmy's son was in the hospital and stuff
and last night when they were there and I needed a guest
I was like, who can you count on in a pinch
to come in and be funny and available?
And Maya happened to drive by at that moment.
No, and I called Maya because, yeah,
because she's incredibly funny and quick,
and she saved my ass.
She made me look good.
Yeah, she's always, she's always that.
Jason, have you ever worked with her?
Yeah, she was on SNL the one time I hosted, way back when,
but I would love to, and I was serious,
I have talked about her a lot in anything
that I have a half a say in.
I've always wanted to.
More and more and more.
I don't like what the kids are doing to her life
and my ability to see her on camera more often,
so I'd love to talk to her about that.
Maybe finding another place for those kids to live
would be best for me.
Sure, yeah, that's a start.
You should call Dave Becky and put a light of fire
under his ass, you know?
Well, maybe Dave could babysit the kids
and book her on a couple more things.
That'd be great.
Dave Becky is her manager.
Uh-huh, thank you.
Oh, Jesus.
Thanks, Sean.
Thanks, Sean.
That's my Wisconsin accent. Wisconsin. Hey, thanks. Hey guys, don't worry about it. Thank you. Thanks, Sean. That's my Wisconsin accent. Hey, thanks.
Hey guys, don't worry about it. I got it all sorted out. I just heard Sean said that Dave
Becky's her manager. Okay? Yeah, no, Sean just straightened it out. He straightened it out for
us out here, okay? Don't worry, Dave. I guess he's some kind of Hollywood manager. Anyway, great guest. I love her, I love you guys. Bye!
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, Sean.
Bye!
It isn't!
Oh.
Smart.
Bless.
Smart.
Bless.