SmartLess - "RE-RELEASE: "Tina Fey"

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

What can we say about the lovely Tina Fey? The talented actor, writer, creator and producer is granted 1-hour of time from her parole officer / daughter to blast out a quick pod with her GPS ankle-bracelet triangulated by 3 cell towers. It's explosive, it's magical, and it Juliennes fries.This episode was originally released on 5/10/2021. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

The the Sean you'll never guess what we're gonna do today. Are we gonna record an episode? Did I just guess it right? Well first, man, how many times? Baby steps. First thing we're gonna do

is we're gonna welcome our audience and we're gonna say. Oh, welcome to Smartlist. Try to do it in time. Okay, sorry, one more time. One, two, three, on three. One, two, three. No to do it in time. Okay, sorry. One more time. One, two, three, and three. No, the moment's gone. Welcome to Smart List.

Smart List. Smart List. Smart List. Speaking of hydrating, did you run six miles yet today, Babin? No, no. It'll be after this. I didn't think so. Just looking at you, I didn't think so. I'm holding a little water right now, yeah.

It's going to be after this session. So I got real tight. I got a hard out in 55 minutes I was on my I was boxing today I did my you know I'm doing this this thing boxing at home I mean I know listen it's a tough guy thing obviously you box at home like in your garage yeah like just with boxes like I'm just putting boxes together beautiful what did you think I meant do you don't really have you're not one of those dorks

with a heavy bag hanging in your garage. Ew, that's gross. Do you really have one? It's not hanging, it's on a stand. I got one of these things. He's on the ground, he just tackles it. Thoreau talked me into it. And then you look at Thoreau's arms,

he's on the cover of Esquire, Justin Thoreau, thank you. Why haven't we had Justin on the show yet? Because we wanna talk about him more. We haven't talked about him enough on the show to then have him on. I met him like once or twice, such a nice guy, but I don't know him like you guys do, I would love to. Well, Will, which one of us,

they can't really be surprised. One of us has gotta. Well, one of us is gonna get on it and the other one's gonna be surprised that the other one did it first. Look, anyway, we gotta get to our guest. Our guest is an incredible writer, performer. Started as a performer, became a writer, then started becoming a performer again.

And the second I mention, one of the things you're gonna be like, I know exactly who this is. We've talked a lot over the episodes with people who've been on SNL. We haven't had anybody who's been on the anchor desk. This person was on the anchor desk for many you. You can't say anything and then not know that it's Tina. Hi. Wait, are you in, is that an outside area of your apartment that I never saw the outside area?

No, I have a weekend home now since the last I saw you, Sean. There's no apartments in the Hudson Valley. No, she weekends in the Hudson Valley. This is, yeah, this is her weekend home. It's my weekend home. Tina, do you and I have the exact same frames? I think yours look black and white. Mine look a little tortoisey. And can I tell you something?

Just so you know, like, something, what I'm dealing with here, there's an incredibly passive aggressive nine-year-old out here with me who will not vacate the area. Really? And she's playing some basketball which is like shoot this is probably the first day in her life that she's chosen to play some basketball and it's during this podcast. But that's okay it's a great here comes it's great ambient sound. Incoming incoming. It's great ambient sound. So Tina so Tina tell me what so yes we've all been at home

for the last year or some version of home or in one of our many homes. One of our many, many homes. So relatable. But do you, so what does that mean for you right now, getting back to it? Because you're always, I always feel like you're always, I know you've just created a new show.

Yeah. Right, that's about to start Yeah, well, I just we have a I produced a show It's called girls five ever that comes out on peacock on May 6th. It's called girls five ever Yeah, and it's a comedy. It's super funny and it's got it. It starts you out with a laugh. There we go About a bunch of women who were in sort of a Danity Kane level girl group around 2000 and then their song gets sampled now and they're like, should we? We're all 40. We should get our band back together, right?

And it stars. It's a good idea. It's really funny. Yeah, it's really funny. It's Meredith Cardino is the creator on it and it stars Sara Bareilles who is a delight and her voice is ridiculous and she's incredible and also she's like a lovely natural actress and then Renee Elise Goldsberry Who you know from oh, I don't know fucking Hamilton will Jesus You get the look off your face saying that you saying that cuz I'm the only for so long I was the only person who hadn't seen it and it was my badge of honor

because I was like, I want to see a fucking musical. Stop telling me it's so great. It's a musical. I get it. And did you? I did see it. It was great. Yeah, it was great. Yeah, it was great. I was wrong. And then wait, let me tell you the other two ladies. Busy Phillips?

Sure. And American treasure Paula Pell. Oh, she's the best. Oh my God, Paula Pell, we were just talking about Paula Pell. So Paula Pell was a writer on Center Night Live forever and not now, but always kind of an actress, but people are finally recognizing her.

So that's great that you cleared it. Yeah, well she's sort of, you know, we always joke with Paula that she finally aged into her type because she was always the kid at like 12 years old. She was in the play with gray spray in her hair. And that's hilarious. And now she's like, she's her actual type now.

Gray spray acting. Yeah, Paulina's just reeked of gray spray for 30 years of her life. Sure. So Tina, we have to do this because, but for you it's, you know, obviously you hate going back over like oh this is what I did, but it's interesting to everybody who listens and it's super interesting to us because Not to embarrass you, but you're such a fucking huge

Piece of the comedy landscape and have been for so long and you're such an great voice Incredible writer incredible performer you started. Yeah, I've just always, you know, that I'm very fond of you. No, there's no but. I've always been very fond of you and I'm such a huge fan in awe of your talent. You started in, you moved to Chicago in early 90s? I, let me think, yeah, 90, I graduated in 92,

spring of 92, I graduated from the University of Virginia, so I think I moved in the fall of 92. I graduated from the University of Virginia. So I think I moved in the fall of nine 1992 Yes, yeah, so you're from Pennsylvania and then you move I know so you moved to Chicago you start second city Yeah So I went to UVA kind of randomly and then I went to Chicago and I started improv Olympic First and class at the second city and that's where I met Amy Poehler Sure, and a bunch of other people that only Amy Poehler and I know. But like Kevin Dorr from Brian Stack and Miriam Toll and all those guys.

Dratch, Rachel Dratch. Those were your contemporaries. I remember that was kind of your crew, all those people. So is it crazy that like three of those people end up on Saturday Night Live? I mean, the odds of that is crazy. I mean, it is and it isn't, I guess, because well, then at the time, there's like the groundlings, stand-ups the groundlings and second city were the places they looked. Now, you know, the internet has become the great equalizer and you find people on YouTube, you find people on TikTok, presumably.

I'm so surprised they didn't run into you. Yeah, you were a musical director. Well, you didn't run into me because, I don't think, because you were a musical director out in the burbs, right? Yeah, in the burbs, but I was always downtown Chicago, always around the, I had some friends at Second City, I'm just surprised we never had. And the bus station.

And each other, the bus station. Wait, so Tina, so those are kind of your peeps. I know that like Dratch and Amy and Stack and Miriam and all those kinds of guys were your yeah and Horatio I got another one on laser like all those kinds of people were there too, right? Like in Chicago. I was glazers understudy I was John glazers under no way. Yeah, and then he left to do Dana Carvey, right? Yes Yeah, that's right. And I got to go onto the main stage when he left, yeah. So then you moved from Chicago to SNL. Like, McKay and those guys were kind of seniors

when you guys were freshmen. Is that kind of the idea? Adam McKay, yeah. Exactly. Adam McKay was already head writer at SNL, and I submitted my writer's packet to him, because I had been on stage at Second City, and Lorne Michaels and Marcy Klein had come to scout talent and zero interest in me as

a performer so I was like well writer's packet it is and just for people who don't know Adam McKay was Will Ferrell's business partner and writer of SNL and writer of all these amazing movies and then he directs crazy huge movies now and yeah now he directs a lot of dramatic movies. He's an Oscar winner now guys. Yeah yeah but also for Wisconsin there is a you can either be a performer or a writer on Saturday Night Live. And sometimes you make the leap you get hired as a writer like Sudeikis I remember Sudeikis this first year was a writer. Yeah Sudeikis was a writer did not want to be a writer.

Conan was a writer. The best part about Sudeikis was a writer. Did not want to be a writer. Conan was a writer. The best part about Sudeikis being a writer and not wanting to be a writer was that he let everybody know. So, in the best way, in the best way. Sina, were you one of those people that always dreamed of being on Saturday Night Live? Because I hear so many alums saying, oh, when I was a kid, all I ever wanted. And then they get there and then their dream comes true and they're on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, it is. I feel like I so wanted to be on Saturday Night Live that to me I would like it would be hard for me to understand meeting anyone who didn't want to do that. Right, right. Yeah.

What do you mean you don't want to do that? And then were you disappointed that they didn't that they didn't select you for the performing part or were you more comfortable writing anyway? I was always a bit more of a writer even the way I contributed to the company at Second City, I definitely was an idea person. I wasn't someone, I didn't have that magic thing that Horatio Sanz or Rachel Dratch have where they come out and you're just like, oh, this is going to be good. Like they just sparkly, you know? Don't you feel like to a certain extent, like you kind of I don't know this is gonna sound mean for performers

But you're kind of overqualified to be a performer like it's really hard to be a writer I think really hard to be a director less less hard to be an actor because Everybody does that every day anyway, whether you're an actor or not I mean people change their behavior when they're with their grandmother versus their best friend. Like, people know how to adjust the way in which they come across. Like, that's acting.

But writing, I feel like that's really difficult stuff. Yeah, I mean, I think it's more work, the writing and directing. It is like, people who are really good actors, listen, acting is like 99% having a good face. It doesn't have to be a beautiful face. It's like an interesting face. It could be, you know what I mean? It could be Lupita Nyong'o, it could be Steve Buscemi, but you got to have a face that people want to look at. And that's like 99% of it. And then the other like then 0.4% beyond that is talent.

But I think you have that. I think, you know, what you were saying about Horatio and Rachel, you have that thing too where you come out and people are like, oh my God, that's gonna be so good. Because it's you, it's Tina Fey. It was always fucking funny and always delivers. So I think people get just as excited.

That's very kind of, I think now, I think I've like slowly worn people down. I think it's been like, it's mirrored my dating life in every way. I'm just like, I'll wear people down. I think it's been like, it's mirrored my dating life in every way. I'm just like, I'll wear you down. But Tina, you gotta admit, like in the best way, like you kinda Trojan horse them, like Marcy and Lauren come in and they sort of like,

okay, and they don't even see you or whatever. And then you come and you submit your packet. Obviously, McKay wants, he knows how brilliant you are. You come, you start submitting on SNL, and then your talent just shows through, and you end up getting it in spite of them and become like the biggest star on the show for many years. That's gotta feel kind of gratifying.

I don't mean that in a shitty way, but it must feel like, yeah, I always knew I could do this in a real way. It was, you know, yeah, the long grift sort of paid off. I mean, there's a couple factors. There's like the team of gay scientists that fixed my appearance. That's the title of your next series, by the way. And then like, I always say don't underestimate how gloriously lazy Lorne is about casting because this is like Conan like do you think someone was like going all over town being like where's a

Pasty seven foot redhead that we can put then we can give a talk show to it's like no He was around the office being funny around the office and that's the same thing happened here It was like we need to new update anchors. Like, let me look inside my own eyelids for like who's available. Do you prefer one over the other, acting and writing? Like, do you miss performing when you're not in a writer's room and vice versa? Writing is like, it's only fun to have written something.

Like, writing's only fun after it's over. And performing is like fun after it's over. And performing is like fun while it's happening. And then for me, if you're me, you usually look back after and go, oh, yeah, that wasn't. Yeah, that would include myself. I would include myself in that. Do you think that? Yeah. Yeah, no, I would just like, like, I'm beat myself up all the time. Well, you're crazy.

So it is common for the weekend anchor to not be a performer, correct? Yeah. Well, Chevy was first, right? He was mostly just that. He was not a performer that much on the show, was he? Not too much. He was a little bit. He did Gerald Ford and some commercials. Is it common for the head writer to be the anchor? It is now, because Joe Stinche are the head writers, I think, among like. And Seth as well was, yes?

Seth was, yes, yeah. You know what I really did learn that time too, is that I learned, you know, after Jimmy left, and then Lauren was like, well, do you wanna do it by yourself? And I thought like, well, I'm supposed to want to do it by myself, right? And I think we even did like that.

And then at the last minute, I was like, I don't want to. I want to do it with Amy. And I realized that's what I learned. I don't work a single. Right. Yeah, I kind of remember that. I remember that first. That was a very late breaking decision.

Very late. Rudely late. And then it turned out to be obviously great. And you guys, that was such a exciting time for the show you guys were so good and it was so much fun and it was fun to have a front-row seat to that it was amazing and then you guys at that kind of right in that same year you guys were doing Mean Girls at the same time that first you started right you guys were shooting while you were doing update remember that it was crazy

maybe I think you're probably I'm to assume that you're right about that. So many things, I drag to trash. I don't remember a lot of things. Drag to trash. That's the name of my biography. But that seems right. Tina, are you still a fan of SNL? Of course you are. I'm sure you are.

Is there anybody that you just are completely drawn to that's on now that you're like, want to work with or? Oh yeah, well that's, I am a fan and what's really exciting now is my older daughter Alice is 15 and so we stay up and watch together so that's fun to like be at that age with her where she's into it, you know. And yeah, I mean.

Does she go back and watch your episodes? No. No. No. Do your kids wanna watch your stuff? No, they don't give it up. My kids, my wife, no one thinks I'm doing anything they don't give it up the my kids my wife? No one thinks I'm doing anything but counting paper clips when I'm healthy though. That's healthy. I think yeah

And they watch everything they've what like you watch Parks and Rec 100% yeah the office 100% yeah, yeah exactly But so yeah, I mean I'm still a fan of Kenan That's never gonna change. I think Chris Redd is super funny. Yeah, Chris Redd. Chris Redd, Chris Redd was on Will and Grace and he was supposed to be a recurring character. And as they were trying to make his deal, he got a call like a week later. And like a week or two later, he's on Saturday Night Live.

He's like, that's so crazy. He just did like a couple episodes of Will and Grace. That is crazy. So Tina, how do you manage being so great at what it is that you do? Like how do you decide where to point your work? I mean, you can do so many different things, whether it's television or film or theater, musicals,

on camera, behind camera. I would imagine it would be somewhat burdensome to try to figure out what to prioritize. I mean, I think TV's sort of where I'm most comfortable, because I feel like it's the most interesting place right now. There's more interesting things happening in TV, especially for comedy.

I feel like the movies is kind of glacially paced. And it's not that I don't wanna do movies, but it also just feels like there's so many more chances for people to fuck it up in movies. Well, it takes seven years to make a movie. Yeah, it takes seven years and it takes seven years to shoot it. Don't you always find that like,

there's nothing more boring in a lot of ways than making a movie and being on a movie set? It's so slow and it's not conducive to that immediacy that you have when you're making a show when you've got to shoot nine pages in a day and you've got to get the scene and you've got to move, it's got to be quick. And that lends itself to being funnier rather than shooting one side of it for one day and then you shoot like three-eighths of a page. Like, it's the worst. And in TV, you know, you did 30 Rock,

you guys would jam through those, you'd have those huge packed days with just like a million scenes, and you just gotta get it. Also, we all joke about, like, remember when we used to make 22 episodes of things? That's like ridiculous now. Like, everyone makes like three episodes

and collects their awards. Don't you think those days are those days seem like they're over don't you think? The 22 episode day? I think so. Or the 100 episodes of a show. Yeah I think so. What about what about writing writing books was that is that a good time pace for you or is that somewhat glacial as well? I just did that the one time and I remember I was like doing 30 Rock at the one time and I remember I was like doing 30 Rock at the same time. I was doing, I think I started it, I remember I was on the set of Date Night with Steve Carell

and I just had like a notebook on so I was like, yeah, I guess I said I would write this book. And then as short as that book is, I felt like it near about killed me because, again, I don't work a single and I was so used to having a writer's room and I was like, not so much that it was more work, but it was just so vulnerable of like,

if this book comes out and people are like, boo, it's 100% my fault. It's 100% a rejection of me personally. It's not a novel. It's just like, here's what my deal is and if people were like boo It I've never felt so nervous about anything. I walk into like a grocery store and people go boo. I'm sure Yeah, that's just cuz they've seen your work. That's yeah

Tina yes, you're good. Go ahead. Are you in like a Old person's bathroom. What is that? By the way, you should know, you should know. So this is my home booth, and these are actually handles for a bathtub. No joke. Because usually when I record my real VOs, I'm standing up and I like to lean and hold on. So I had the guy get these, and they are for somebody who needs help

getting in and out of a tub. Now, how much harder or what would you have to navigate to become to do what you do today? If you were starting out and you were 22 today and trying to get into comedy, fuck, right? Well, you get, yeah. Advice, right? Not even advice, just like what would you do to yourself?

Like how would you do it if you were graduating? I'm not necessarily saying hey to young writers out there listen. I'm like literally what would you do? Yeah, that's a good question What would I do? I I probably would be trying to blow up on tick-tock or something right? I would be cutting out the middleman Which listen it's worked well in porn sure you have no anymore, right? which, listen, it's worked well in porn. It needs Hugh Hefner anymore, right? Just. Um.

It seems like, I mean, unless I'm wrong, it seems like people on TikTok really wanna be in television or film, and the people in television or film aren't making that money anymore, so they wanna go blow up on TikTok. It's, it's, uh. Yeah.

Don't you feel that way? Yeah, I think broadcast TV especially doesn't mean, like, to my kids, that doesn't mean anything to them like they don't they don't understand What's happening is there still I'm gonna sound like a real old man here. Can you still like make a bunch of money on? Social media like saying I like this kind of chocolate. I I say this cut like Right, that's a whole industry, right? I think so right that's a whole industry right I think so Yeah, like taste the adjustment does not what tastemakers are called is it is that was it influencers influencers right? And like people have agents for that and stuff dude. I think so take yourself out back

And just end it man This is fucking by the way This is a great opportunity to mention you said chocolate Jason for us to mention Reese's Jason's been asking me To reach out to the people at Reese's because he wants free peanut butter cups Well, I just think it doesn't make any money over on the Ozarks I but I'm so sick and tired of hearing your dumb voice sell candy on TV Okay, I'm like if I got to listen to it if I got to listen to it, if I got to listen to it, then why don't you get me a free box of those, the peanut butter cups that are wrapped in

peanut butter with the peanut butter inside. It's double triple peanut butter and I'm not sorry, whatever it is. I need some of that for free for having to listen to your crap. Okay, I got it. I wrote it down and they're obviously listening right now so thank you everybody at Reese's and to Jason Bateman Should I give my address over the year? Number one Deadline Hollywood Way Tina did you ever imagine it would be this amazing being on this podcast? I mean I thought about it

Thought about saying no and then My tip on Reese's though, you know, this is my tip on all candy. Sure. Whenever there's holiday candy, where it's like the Reese's shaped like Santa Claus, always buy that candy because it's fresher. Fresher, nice. Because they just made it. You could get a regular candy bar.

That's a good point. Could have been in the CVS for seven months. Really good point. We often ask this question of people who are in the public eye who have children. Would you, do your kids want to do what mom and or dad does or do you, would you discourage them from getting it or you just say follow your dreams and I'll support you? It's funny you should ask that. Our older daughter, you know, I think if anything maybe would be interested in directing.

I think she would be horrified to perform and And I never like when she was a little kid, I think all little kids think they want to. And I think I let her be it. I think she was in some still photographs Alice, she played young Liz Lemon, but in a series of photographs at the end of the end and end of 30 Rock. And, and that was like, that's enough. Like, let's keep it measured. And then this other one that you that's you you, no, no, what I'm dealing with. During the pandemic, it came up, we were, for Girls 5Eva, we had to cast a kid to play busy Phillips and Andrew Rannell's child,

who was like a little YouTube villain. And I had always said about that one, I was like, you know what? That's a Nellie, I got a Nellie Olsen right here. Um. I was like, you know what? That's a Nellie. I got a Nellie Olsen right here Jason knows Nellie. I know Small world. She became a stand-up. I believe me. She really I loved her Yeah, I remember like she became a stand-up for a while, right? I want to say Allison

Angrem is that dude if you don't know my god Allison Arngram did I said that I said it right? That's an Arngram. Yeah? Dude, if you don't know! Oh my god. Alison Arngrem. Did I say that? I said it right, right? Alison Arngrem, yeah. Yeah. There you go. Anyway, we... So I let her audition for this part because it was sort of like... Wait, you made your daughter read? Of course I made her read.

Yeah, because I thought that was gonna be the end of it. And then her audition was pretty good. And... I thought I was the bad parent on this set. Oh, it was gonna get worse. And then then we had just and then there were and then you know she did pretty well and then there was another kid who was like an actual experienced kid and we're like well this and I'm and I was like this will be good for her she you know we could hire the kid with more experience and then and so I had to tell her like well

you did really well and I was making it up I. I was like, you were in the top three. And, but you know, we had, and then she was like, basically it was like, I didn't book it. And I was like, you didn't book it. Well, I was like, you're half TFA and that bitch never booked anything. And so I was like, you didn't book it. But then because it was the pandemic,

this other poor kid, they were like, well, she can work as a local hire, but she's in Michigan right now. And the quarantine, it fell apart. And so then I was like, back up. All right, home girl, you're up. So she's in it. And now we're faced now. And it was at the time it was like, you get to leave the house and get a test and work during quarantine. And I will say she was incredibly professional. I said she was like a little bit like mommy. was like very prepared and a little dead-eyed.

E-ball acted with me. That's what it is. But she was good. A little dead-eyed. My god, if she hears the clip of that she'll murder me. So listen, Tina, I'm kind of obsessed with horrible theater stories and theater stories gone wrong. I have so many. Do you have like a favorite of like a play you were in or at Second City or something? Oh, a favorite theater horror story?

I do have a pretty good theater horror story. This is from high school theater. So okay, in my high school, I played Van Helsing in Dracula because feminism. Did you borrow Paul's gray spray? I probably did. Nice callback. Nice callback. And callback. Thanks.

Okay, so let me think about this. I was Van Helsing and Dracula and we did a total of two performances and everything went wrong. I can't remember the story. The first thing that kind of went wrong would be like our theater was a thrust stage and the seats went up. Is that arena? Like tiered? was a thrust stage and the seats went up. So like, the stage was on the ground and the audience was up.

And we had like a rubber bat on a very long string. Scene one, the bat's supposed to fly by, the bat gets stuck. It's just dangling on the stage the rest of the night. We're like, oh, that's not good. Then I give some big speech. There's this guy, Harker says to me like, Professor, what is a vampire? And I give a speech like, I give like a page and a half speech of what is a vampire.

And this kid was just like not listening. So he goes, what is a vampire? And I give the whole speech. And at the end of it, he looks at me and he goes, but professor, what is a vampire? And they gave me this same cue again. Then the kid who played Dracula was this kid John Doyle who was like very like Bon Jovi based. Like his personality was Bon Jovi based. Beautiful

hair. Rocker hair, beautiful hair. His mom was a hairdresser and his mom was also a professional Angeline impersonator. Side story. Anyway, we'll double back to that. We'll double back. And so John, you know, because he was like, oh, he takes rock singing lessons in New York, he was a cool guy, he was not an athlete. And so there's a scene where there's a mirror and Dracula sees the mirror and he's supposed to throw this chalice or something

and smash the mirror. And so John being not an athlete and in this open arena, I go, a mirror and then he like throws the thing, misses the mirror entirely. So then I'm like trying to improvise like what am I supposed to say? And then a full like 20 seconds later, a little techie kid comes out like in full view of the audience with a hammer from behind and smashes the mirror. Oh, one point also then the set caught on fire a little bit

There was like a little flashpot and the fake rocks of the castle were foam and started to catch on fire and then my dad Who was had been a fireman and does not did not fuck around? He stood up and he was like fire and we were like, okay, like he stood up in the audience this is like all act one and then Put the fire out continued. It's a longer story than you act one and then put the fire out continued as a longer story than you want it and then again the techies like there's a part where like there's a techie just like in a bay window just like in full view of the audience with a fog machine just being like knowing he's just like a total hero and then the end of the the whole thing

ended with like Van Helsing kills Dracula with a spike through the heart. And it was, and I'm down and I'm like acting so hard and I'm doing this whole speech. And then I just hear laughter. And I was like, this, this can't be good. This is the end of the whole play. Because again, the stage flat audience here, I was like lightning flashing. I'm killing the vampire. And I look up and just a toddler has wandered onto the stage.

No. Toward me. And that's how not scary it was. A toddler joined us. Wow. That's my story. That's hilarious. By the way, you mentioned your dad. I always think about this.

I met your parents a couple of times, but I remember your dad, I remember going to your wedding and we had only met a couple of times. We'd go to your wedding. Your dad described me as... He's like, that remember going to your wedding, and we had only met a couple of times, going to your wedding, your dad described me as... Oh, he's like, that guy's, Brooke's brother's handsome, right? He said, no, he's an arrow shirt, remember that? Yeah, my dad was very taken with Will, he's like, oh god, that guy looks like an arrow shirt model.

But it was very specific, do you remember arrow shirts? No, I don't remember that. Like in the Sears catalog, like, that guy's an arrow shirt, and I was like... You just made them for thick dudes? Is that what the, was it special for... I was like, in the Sears catalog, that guy's an arrow shirt, and I was like. Yeah. It was made for thick dudes? Is that what the, was it special for? Excuse me?

Nothing. Oh no, Will was thin then, he was really thin then. I was thin then. I don't believe it. I was really. Tina, because of your theater background, would you ever want to do multicam? Now for the audience, the difference between multicam

and single cam is, single cam there's no audience, multicam there's a live studio audience, that's when you hear laughing like, Cheers and Will and Grace and Friends and Sunfeld and all those. Would you ever wanna do a multicam? It seems like you'd be perfect for that. Yeah, I do think it would be so fun.

I feel like in some ways it's hard to, Will and Grace was one of the last ones, that was especially on NBC, they don't really do them so much anymore, and I also have reached an age where I can't really be photographed from the waist down. Yeah, not true. So.

Not true. So like, but I do think it would be fun. But wouldn't it be great to hear all that laughter through the masks? No, but, or if you don't want to be in one, just like create one and write one, I think you'd be so amazing. Are you saying that you want Tina to create

a multi-cam for you? No. What about hosting a talk show? Would you ever do that Tina? It seems to me like you'd be fantastic at that. Oh thank you. I don't know if I think I'm very shy. I think to me it sounds super stressful.

I've never wanted to pursue that. I'm really shy too. Yeah, we can tell. I am. I don't like being the center of attention. Well, and also those kind of late night talk shows, like that's a grind. But I remember when you were doing 30 Rock, I mean you came off SNL, which was a grind because you were head writer and you were doing Update,

and it was a lot, a lot, a lot, and especially leading right up till, you know, 2008 and everything that was going on. But I'm sorry, you were already doing 30 Rock at that point, but you were doing so much. Then you go to 30 Rock, and it just kind of amps it up even more because you're show running 30 Rock, and you're writing it all,

and then you're starring in it as well, and having 16 hour days. So you're not pulling all-nighters every night, but you are going 18 hours or 17 hours a day. Like, that was fucking really rough right for many years in there It was insane first of all, so if you hear weird breathing sounds, it's the dog. It's not me She now has her dog her white. What is it a cockapoo? Little straight poo is a poodle straight poo

Yeah, looking back. I don't need to say that you look tired in those tears I just meant to know more that I know that you were very Exhausted you talked about it like you were like getting crushed. It was insane what we did I don't know we were just I was what 35 and Had some juice left and during 22 episodes and also my baby Alice was one and it was Crazy, it was crazy. It was crazy.

Like I look back and shudder at just what we, yeah. Did you enjoy the shutdown and the pandemic to kind of recharge a little bit or did you stay super duper busy? I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. I mean, like, yeah, it's always one of those things where if you're like, oh, I'm lucky enough that nobody in my family died.

So it's okay to then just quietly say say like it was nice that we were together I guess what I meant is enjoyed the the period that you could not work. Yeah, you know, yeah. Yeah nice, right? Yeah, it's kind of nice. I think like I would I'm ready to retire guys I'm ready to I've been me too By the way, I was saying the same thing and I was saying I was talking about it with with certainly with Amy too She's been feeling the same way, which is just that feeling of like, oh my God, much like you kind of did the same thing,

had Archie went right into Parks and Rec. And those first few, when you have, both your girls have those like little babies and you're working those insane hours on those shows, it's crushing. It's like, it's soul crushing because you're not at home as much as you want to be and you've got little kids and you're trying to fuck balance it all. Right.

And it's all, you know, nothing compared to someone who's doing all those same work hours on a job that they hate that doesn't pay well. No, no, no. Of course it's the same as being a working parent on any job. But like just in the sense that like of any working parent, especially working mom who's working any job That's taking them long stretches, whatever it is Yeah, and of course there are a lot of people could say well you get paid really well like, okay sure But like you're still working all those hours, you know, and it's it's tough, you know, and it's hard to once you get to stop

It's hard to go back. Like I've worked on a couple things. I did a little small part in this show that Steve Martin and Marty Short have. And it was that thing of like, and your pickup is 5'10". And you're like, oh yeah, that used to be every day. Yeah. Especially for ladies, because the hair and makeup.

People have really gotten used to working at home, too, right? And in any occupation. I wonder how that's gonna all transition back. I think- I know. I do like to go to an office. I like it too. But five days a week or would it be great

like just two days a week, three days a week? I feel like that's gonna be the transition. Sean, you like going to the office too? I do. I prefer like the old man, nine to five, kind of one place, one stop shop. Jason likes that too one place one-stop shop Jason likes that too I like a routine Jason I said to him we had this little company a couple years ago we had this shared office and he'd always be like you fucking dick we've

got this out and you're never in here and I go well yeah my dad worked his ass off for 40 50 years I don't want to have to do that why do you think I do what we do so that I can not go to an office so you know what I did I found a portrait of myself and I put it behind my desk so he could look at me There's that's a true story that that really was counting paper clips at that place. Yeah, it really was Yeah, so Tina like you joke about retiring But of course you're never gonna want to stop writing and you're never gonna want to stop doing that kind of oh What would so wait Tina what would you do though? Is there anything, like picture,

the girls are grown and out, and it's you and Jeff, and you're at home, and what you still would be writing, or is there something that you'd wanna be doing? I wonder, I so wonder. It's like that thing of, the improv training, right? You go back to it, and it's like,

when do you enter a scene? This is the trick the thing that trips people up. Does anyone right? Remember like when are you supposed to enter a scene and the answer is When you're needed it's the only time you're supposed to enter you're not supposed to enter because you have a funny idea You're not supposed to enter because it it's going well and you want a piece of it What about the notion of like you and Jeff just doing just globetrotting and having some wanderlust and once you guys become empty nesters just start traveling the world and knocking down and getting all cultured. Is that something that's appealing to you or are you as soft as I am and you need CNN

and thread count? Oh yeah, I want to see a couple places, but I don't need to see everywhere. I know I'm increasingly just a homebody I know you know what I wish one of us should write is like Someone should try to be Neil Simon, right? Like someone should write a play I nominate you as if that's easy to do But like to write a comedy a hard comedy cuz I'll tell you what I go to these Broadway plays and what passes for a joke Sean right is like what passes for a joke, Sean,

is like mentioning Brooklyn as a joke. Just the word. That's it. And you have to do it out, you have to play it out. Brooklyn. What about the films that Neil Simon, they adapted and became great, you know, like California Suite.

Yeah, California Suite. Goodbye Girl is one I like. And the Blake Edwards stuff. I mean, those big commercial films, I mean, yeah, what about those those big commercial films? I mean someone's got to write them Tina. They don't write themselves. Nobody goes to that shit I don't think they make comedy films anymore. They make like we put them on Netflix. Let's let's do that Yeah, no, man. You white I saw some poll on online today It was like if you could only live with three of these film franchises, which one would it be and it was like Marvel

You could only live with three of these film franchises. Which one would it be? And it was like Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and I was like, wait, that's what it's become? That's it? Those are the films? Fuck that, man. And nobody's funny. This is crazy.

I can't wait for the letters and the comments. Oh, nobody's funny anymore? Yeah, okay, yeah, you're hilarious. I love it. Bring it on. I can't wait for you. But you're not saying that. You're saying that comedies are not in the theaters anymore, really.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Nobody's making comedy films. No one's gonna make, you know, the in-laws now, the original in-laws. No, no. Nobody's gonna make. No, nobody's making, you can't make Rushmore today. Nobody's making Rushmore.

You'd make it for Netflix, I guess. But I'm fine watching it at home on my couch. I don't need to drive to a theater to see that, right? I mean, I'd go to a theater to see some big, huge format, right? A big IMAX thing or something. You come ask them. Is that Penelope? Come ask them. What's your question?

How much longer? Okay, we're almost done. Sorry, we're almost done. We're gonna wrap it up now. Your agent looks real young. Yeah, we are past our hour here. I know. We've been taking up way too much of your time I'm sorry that we're keeping you from the fact because I want to keep you on I want I just want your opinion on everything I feel like anytime I get your opinion. It feels like it's really the right one

Yeah, so that's why we've been keeping you around but opinions are all I have anymore. No, it's so good We're gonna dismiss you but we're gonna reserve the right to call you back with any questions we have. That's right. Anytime, guys. Oh, you're the best. Thank you so much for taking your time to do this. I love you, Tina Fey. Saturday, you're the best. I love all three of you. Love you, Tina. Go have fun with the rest of your day with that sweet girl.

Oh, yeah. Hey! Okay, we love you. Go be a good boy, mom. Love you, Tina. Thank you. Thanks, Tina. Bye, bye, bye. Bye, base. Boy, just another

She wanted to get off there at the end. Do you think she gave a cue to Penelope to come in and say okay now this is the time where I need you to No, she'd had it in her mind. Everybody knows who she is. Everybody knows how brilliant she is. Everybody knows. Everybody's a fan. It seems like that's the one person everybody can agree on right? That's oh my god. She's I would like to find the person that that doesn't like Tina Fey like who yeah who's who's that how could you possibly not yeah I know she's the most she's just so freaking funny she's such an unbelievable writer and a great joke writer I mean just the funniest doesn't

take herself or anything too seriously the funniest joke on everything you know it's it's, it's intimidating. It must be for you guys. A great leader, seems like a great leader. Incredible leader. I'm very drawn to her. It was great. Sean, you were on 30 Rock a few times or once?

Just once, the finale of that first season. Will, you were on it a bunch of times, weren't you? I guess. Well, that's what the four Emmy nominations tell me but you know. Wait what? Come on. It doesn't matter. Oh. It doesn't matter. Wait a second. Is that true? Is that true? Honestly. Were you on for four seasons? But did you get nominated? Four times yeah yeah. Congratulations. Yeah four. Congratulations. Wait so guests so so you do you did four episodes you got nominated for all four? No I did more

than four episodes. I did a bunch. I did like, the first season I did one or two. It was not their first season. It was like, there was something. So do you want me to do an impression of your mom really quick? Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. Well, it would have been more impressive if you won.

That's true. That's very true. Should be much more impressive if I had won. Yeah. God, I. She's listening. We can cut that if you. No, we can keep it. You know, the first time Jason, you know this story

The four we were coming back the rest of development had won the comedy the Emmy for best comedy and 2004 whatever that was and the next day It was that was a Sunday night the next Monday. We had to be at work early You and I were in that scene. Do you remember we had the Emmy those guys Chuck Martin brought his on set We were so excited that we won, improbably, because we were such a low rated show. And I'm driving to the Fox lot from Venice,

and my mom calls, and it was like 6 a.m. LA time, and I've been up until three, because we were so excited. It's like, oh my God, did you watch, did you see the Emmys last night? No, we won, and she goes, I did. Now your sister is going through and then just completely. Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! And I was like, okay. It was a very sort of Canadian, like the whole idea is always like, don't get too big for yourself. Right. You know, and don't like,

oh, you think that you're better than anybody else? Like, I guess I don't, I'm sorry, I don't. I think I'm worse. And they're like, there we go, that's more like it. You know the idea, have you ever heard the story about the two lobster fishermen, one Canadian, one American, who are walking down the road, and the American lobster fisherman says to the Canadian,

he says, notice that you don't have a lid on your lobster pot there, boy, aren't you worried that your lobster's gonna get out? And the Canadian says, no, these here are Canadian lobsters. If one of them tries to get out, the other ones will pull them back down. That's Canada. That's Canada. That's what I grew up in. Oh bless.

And I love Canada. I love it to death. And I grew up like that too. It's a very, there's a very sort of, anyway. I don't know why I'm on this. Speaking of Canada, have you given any thoughts? I imagine you're gonna book the guest for our for our Toronto stop for our for our tour our tour Which listener it does look like it's firming up

It does look like we're gonna we're gonna actually do this and we're gonna go to a few cities Just inside the new year just inside the new year 2022 and we're starting the tour in Toronto. Is that right, eh? We can say that, yeah. Yeah. And then some New York and some Boston, some Chicago, some Madison, some LA. Is that right? I think that's right, yeah.

So who would we, can we, will you try to... I have a couple people in mind that I want to have for Toronto. You know, I know that Chicago... We should start taking suggestions for guests. Yeah, we should. That's a good should idea just saying the expression tap link in bio Does that mean anything tap link in bio? Who's who's Lincoln bio? That's what that's what you say on like Instagram You know, oh tap link in your link in bio, you know what else they say sometimes on Instagram No, don't don't you do it. Not yet. we're still talking. We're still talking Jesus fucking Chris

Are you get so excited when he figures out a pie perfect? I know it would have been perfect But we need we have a few more things that we need to do about the tour to talk okay because the tour is becoming A reality yes Sean do you have a person in mind for Chicago? I do I have several but I don't want to say them out Loud yeah, don't say them out loud yet. Yeah, how are we gonna decide who's booking what city? Well, why don't we well here we have to do dibs, and I wanna do dibs, you ready? Toronto and Wisconsin, Madison. Oh, you want Madison.

You're gonna take. I want Madison. Even though it's my sister. Wait, but are we going to Madison strictly to see Sean's niece, nephew? My sister is through fucking idiot. And how could Tracy be his nephew, man? I've met a couple of Tracy dudes. Yeah, I do too.

You have to, yeah, yeah. But all these guests need to be sort of germane to the location, yes? That's right, that's right. That's the whole idea is we're gonna have guests who are germane, hopefully like a very sort of organic, not shoehorned in pick. So think about it.

I think that what we gotta do is though, we gotta make sure. Here it comes. No, why? You have a bye? No, I can't, but for the tour though, if you wanna talk about the tour, I can't wait. No, I'm not saying that there's rules.

I'm not saying that there are rules to this. I'm just saying that you have to check the. Bye, y'all! So bad. Okay, goodbye.