The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Ed Helms - “Rutherford Falls”

Episode Date: December 31, 2022

Actor and producer Ed Helms discusses the success of working with one of the largest Native American writing rooms on “Rutherford Falls,” how it feels to be back in The Daily Show studio, and his anything-goes approach to comedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Please welcome, Ed Helms. Ed Helms. Right. Right. All right. Welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you so much.

Although, is it welcome. It's a little weird because you, you thi. All right. Welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you so much. Although is it welcome, it's a little weird because you worked in this very same studio for how many years? Like four and a half years? Yeah. Yeah.

I like what you've done with the place. Oh, thank you very much. Yeah, spruce it up a little pandemic in the middle. You know, you, touched a few things up, you know. Yeah, but your stuff is still here if you want anything. I hope so. No one's moved into my office, right? No, no, no, no, of course not. Good. Because that's sacred space. Welcome, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thank you. And by the way, I love what you have done with the furniture, you're crushing it. Trevor, very much. Yes. I love what you've done with everything. Um, because I mean, you're easily one of the funniest people around. You know, many people were introduced to you, you know, through the hangover, but everything

that you've done has just been so funny. And Rutherford, when I first read about it, it seemed like, oh, you're trying to throw it all away because it was a story of, really, it seems like a crazy story. It's like, oh, I'm going to play a white guy who goes into a Native American community and basically like fights with them about their own land. It doesn't seem like comedy. Yeah, yeah. But it's really funny and it's a great story. Yeah, well, it's, you know, I guess that was that was the challenge was that was the ch the the ch the challenge that was the challenge that was the challenge that was that was the challenge that was that was the challenge that was that was that was the challenge that was that was the challenge, that was that was the challenge, that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that the show was born out of this observation just that people were kind of not listening to each other and being crazy and and and so we wanted to kind of depict somebody who is having

trouble kind of hearing opposing views or hearing some that maybe his interpretation of history is very wrong and and and yet also that that the to-sor-sock that their, and and yet also that that maybe his interpretation of history is very wrong and and yet also that that that's a that can be a good person who wants to do better also. Right. Can I tell you what I love about the show is that it's funny, it's poignant, it has I think, I'll stand to be corrected, possibly the largest Native American writing room in all of television maybe It's like giant it's up there even if it's not top it's up there It's up there you you have like a native American cost you've done the thing that everyone says is impossible Everyone goes like if you include people then white people don't work and it's like you're working they're working. they're working. they're working. I'm doing. I'm? they th, the the th, the the the the the the the the th, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. It. It's their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their to. tod. today. try. to. to. today. their their their their their their their their their their the great shows. I'm doing okay. I'm doing okay. You're doing okay? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's another show called Reservation Dogs, which is also amazing. Amazing. Yeah. And that show has a ton of Native American writers and directors,

a lot of our directors, we've shared a lot of directors between the shows. And yeah, it's just, it's been an incredibly humbling experience for me. I think before getting into this, I intellectually understood the value of representation. And I would, I could talk about it very fluently and advocate for it, but being in this experience, has just like really made it kick in for me in a way that, I don't know, it's been incredible. It shows, you know, because like the jokes that you're telling, the storylines that you have, it doesn't become something that it's not supposed to be. It becomes fresh, it becomes authentic.

I mean that's why it got renewed is what I think, you know, like season like season two. It's an exciting season change as well. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen the first season, but essentially your character comes into this world where he's trying to preserve his name, the Rutherford name comes in, realizes at some point that his family doesn't stand for the best thing you know in the past. But as we go into season left at the end of season one, my character really had this like catastrophic identity crisis. And I think going into, and all of season one really, I think my co-creators, Mike Shure and Sierra Teller Ornelas, the three of us really wanted to grapple with some big ideas and some

big issues. Season two we were like, well, we kind of did a lot of homework in season one and this ensemble is so funny and our writers are so full. Let's just like lean into the comedy more. And so I think this season, we still, there's still a lot of very sharp satire that I'm very, very proud of, but it's also, it's more joyful, it's sillier, it's just, I don't know. When you say lean into the comedy more, I'm excited but I'm also a little worried because, no, I've heard stories about you. I mean, at the daily show, you know, with John Stewart,

when you were a correspondent, you had a mole removed on camera for the toe. Yeah, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to to to the to to to to to to toe. toe. toe. the toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. to toe, to to to to to to to to to, to, to, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the toe. the toe. the the the the toeananananl. the toenanananananl. toe.e. toe.eananananl. toenne. toe. toe. toe. the show. Yeah, that's true. Like actually, like the procedure done. Yeah. On the hangover, you allowed them to take out one of your teeth. Yes. For the movie, that's like a real, not truth. That really happened, yeah. Yeah, you see that?

You see that? You were like, oh, special effects. You say lean in, are you still willing to do the craziest thing for the moment? So season two of this show, I remove, I get decapitated. For real. My head, it's like, and you know, thankfully like we've got great doctors and everything. It's like, I'm fine as you can see, but yeah, I go the extra mile. You really do though. I'm super committed, super method. Yeah. Like, does your family and friends thia tha tha tha tha tha tha tha thi and thi and thiii and thi. Do thi. Do thi. Do thi. Do thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho tho thi. thi. thi. thiole, to to to to to tho, I to tho, I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to to toe. toeateateateateatea. toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I toe. I do though. I'm super committed, super method. Yeah. Like, do your family and friends worry about you? Because I know people who go the extra mile for comedy, like, does your dentist worry? Does it, you know, do your doctors worry?

Yeah, I guess there's nothing. I don't know if this is a good thing, but there is virtually nothing I won't do for a laugh. I have no pride or dignity. And so that's a very freeing thing in show business. I think it's not just freeing, it's the reason you're one of the funniest, most amazing people that we get to watch on screen. Thank you for being on the show. Thank you for joining me here.

I appreciate you. Huge fan. Season 2 of Brotherford Falls is now streaming our peacock. Watch the Daily Show, Weeknights at 11, 10th Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.