The New Yorker Radio Hour - Bridget Everett Talks with Michael Schulman

Episode Date: November 27, 2018

Appearing at the New Yorker Festival, in conversation with Michael Schulman , Bridget Everett brought her dog onstage. It was unconventional, but no more so than anything else she does. Vulgar, badly behaved, and entirely comfortable with herself, Everett’s persona as a cabaret performer whips audiences into a frenzy at the legendary Joe’s Pub, in New York. That cult following led to parts on the television shows “Inside Amy Schumer”, “Lady Dynamite,” and “Girls,” and in the movie “Trainwreck.” But Everett found a new depth in last year’s “Patti Cake$,” as the barfly mother of the movie’s title character, who is a young, overweight white woman aspiring to be a rapper. Everett’s character, Barb, is a failed singer who mocks her daughter’s musical career. “I get the urge to want to tear somebody down even when you love them, because you don’t want them to slip away, or you don’t want them to have something you never had,” she said. “If I was still in Kansas and I wasn’t singing, and I wasn’t doing what I want to do, that’s exactly who I would be. And I would be that drunk and I would be at that bar, hopefully not with those nails, but I would be that person.” *This episode contains explicit language. New Yorker Radio Hour listeners, we want to hear from you.  We have a few questions about the show and how you listen to it. The survey takes about twenty minutes, and your feedback will help us make our podcast better.  Take the survey here.

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I'm David Remnick. Now, you're in for a real treat today because we'll be spending this episode with the comedian, actress, and cabaret performer, Bridget Everett. Hi. I brought a plus one. She won't bother anyone. The plus one was Everett's dog, Poppy. Hello, Everett.

I really brought a plus two. Sorry about the skirt. And the bra, it's a little peekaboo just to show people that I'm still fun. Welcome to the New Yorker Festival. Now, if that's not clear enough, Brigitte runs a little salty. Salty's the word, I guess. So heads up, some of this might be awkward

with the kids around or with the parents around, for that matter. Here she is with Michael Shulman at the New Yorker Festival. Bridget Everett is a singer, an actress, a comedian, a cabaret star, a force of nature, and a way of life. She's performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall.

to Adelaide, Australia, and of course at Joe's Pub, where she appears regularly with her band, The Tender Moments. She's been in the films Train Rec and Patty Cakes. On TV and inside Amy Schumer and girls, and starting October 14th, she stars on the new HBO comedy, Camping. To quote the New York Times, Multiply the mouthy, flesh-jiggling early Bet Midler by 100. Give her the super plus-sized figure and fashion sense of divine,

the John Waters Diva, and the manners of a flintstone. And you've got a rough approximation of Bridget Everett. Let's give her a hat. I'll clap for that. That's good. Also, can I have some chardonnette? Yeah, you know, a little bit. I can't part with all of it because I'm on a, I'm on a, I'm on a,

I'm on a diet. You want more? No. Okay, there's more if you want it. You sure? Okay, let me know. Are you nervous, Michael? I'm fine.

Okay. A couple years ago, I called you for an interview, and you were on a nude beach with Amy Schumer. Yeah. But we had a nice chat. And you described, your stage presence to me as, quote, a crazy maniac who doesn't get late enough, so I have to put my sexual energy somewhere. So how much of that person that we see on stage is you? How are you?

Is there a different Bridget who is home in the end of the night and completely different? How do you contrast the two? Well, I feel like the longer I've been, the more I've been doing the stage, Bridget and the wilder she's gotten the sort of more, the more I'm like on the couch. with my my puppy and I can't wait to I'm so happy to be here but I can't wait to go home and get on the couch and just I like to watch documentaries and homeland but there's no new season so I had some time in my schedule so I'm here but I mean it used to be like it's like when you're starting it's like you're just like you want people to to listen to you right and like and I felt like I had to just go so wild and go so big and so crazy, but that's also kind of who I was. And of course, now I'm 46, so, you know, now I'm not as fun as I was in my 20s and 30s, but the stage bridge it still is. You have an incredible ability to interact with your audience. I have just seen Joe's Pub get whipped into a total frenzy. Did you have to learn that skill? I mean, how did you figure out

how to do that? The stuff on stage, what I'm singing the same songs and tell them the same story, that's like, it's just a device to get to know who's there. And it really is like every show is like a first date. It's like you're just, you're meeting somebody, you're falling in love, or you're not falling in love. But you're hoping you get late. So you grew up in Manhattan, Kansas. I did. Did you fit in there?

Do you stick out like a sore thumb? I mean, what was your relationship with Manhattan, Kansas? I was like, wild. I'm youngest of six kids. And like, we all thought we were the Kennedys, but really we were just like, like, street rats. And, but, like, popular. Like, I mean, this is, like, not cool, but I was Homecoming Queen. You know, I was like a weirdo, but also kind of cool.

You can't say that anymore, you know? It's not cool to be cool. And can you tell us about how you started getting interested in music and singing? Who were the performers that you worshipped when you were young or wanted to emulate? My mom's a music teacher, so we used to get drunk and sing around the piano and, like, from a young age. Like, that was one of the cool things about my brothers and sisters. Like, they would give me a little bit of blue nun, which is, if you don't know, it's a sweet white wine suitable for children. But that was like our happy, that was like the only time we all got along.

But also we would listen to, like, a lot of Barbara Streisand, who, like, I don't know. I was like, okay, whatever. But when we put on Barry Manilow, I mean, that was that was it for me. And then also I had a real hard on for Debbie Harry because, like, I thought she was just so cool. And then, like, Freddie Mercury and then always Michael Jackson. You went to Arizona State University and studied opera voice, right? Yeah, that's where people go. So is there stuff that you learned in?

opera training that you still use? Yeah. I don't fuck around. I do a lot of vocalizing. I do all that. But other than that, like, basically what it taught me was that you really have to care for your instrument. And when you see me singing, like, sucking down a hot dog down the back of my throat,

they're like, she didn't care, but I really do. I really, I spend a lot of time and I'm very obsessed with, like, that it just works. When you moved to New York, what was your plan? What was your life plan for moving to New York? What did you see for yourself? Just get a job. I really was like, oh, let me see if I can get, like, my equity card and get something like children's theater tour.

And I did. I did a Hansel and Gretel bus and truck tour. I got a job pretty quickly. It was awful. It was total hell. I hated everybody in there. I learned a lot about myself, but, like, but I was like, is this? I moved to New York to be in this.

fucking bus and sing for second graders in fucking, like, Mississippi, like, tell them to get Hansel to jump over the river, which is like a piece of cardboard with, like, some blue taffeta. And, like, we're waving in the, swam! Swam! I'm glad things have gotten better. So, how did you go from being a children's theater actress, waitress, singing karaoke, to having your own act?

My friend Zach, who I lived with for like two months, took me to go see Kiki and Herb at Fetz. Like I just didn't know that like cabaret existed. I didn't know like, you know, Justin Vivian Bond is like a hero and an icon. And like, and the things that that I would see, I was just like, holy shit. This is like karaoke, but like legitimate. And then I fall apart And I need your love tonight And I need you more than ever

And if you'll only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right If we can don't hold on Together we can make it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time And then I remember you did a show call At Least It's Pink in 2007

which was directed by Michael Patrick King, right? The creator of Sex and City. So how did you get involved with him as a collaborator? I just like adapted my karaoke set to like a real show. And we end up going to the Aspen Comedy Festival. They told Michael to come see me. And I remember it was like Michael Patrick King was there. Norman Lear was also in the audience.

And it was like a thousand people. And I was so nervous. And as soon as I came on stage, 30% got up and left. But Michael stayed, and so did Norman Lear, and Michael's like, I want to work with you. And so Kenny and I went to L.A. and we sat with him when we figured out a show. And that's kind of like where my life started to change. And is that also how you wound up in Sex and the City movie?

Yeah. He wrote me apart. It's like a very small part. I play like, I interview for like a job. I'm like, I play like drunk. party girl and like, and she's interviewing assistants, and she's like, are you drunk? I'm like, a little bit. But he's like, I wrote you apart.

I'm still going to make you audition and don't fuck it up. So we actually have the clip of your part and sex in the city movie. Oh, no. It's, uh, this is, so this is when Carrie is interviewing, uh, for personal assistance. I love your books. You shit's brilliant. Um, Kathy. You seem drunk.

A little bit. Never made to bed last night. But I type like a motherfucker. Yeah. So did you go out and audition for kind of regular acting jobs as this was all happening? No. No, because I like to be in control. And when I audition for things, I get chronic.

I get the shits. I get really bad. I get really sick and nervous and overwhelmed. And you know that movie, Lady Bird? I met with Greta Gerwig, and she's like, well, I just want you to come in and read. And I was like, no, jokes on me. So one of the people who's been, who has completely seen your talent

and been able to use it to great effect and bring you to a huge audience as Amy Schumer. So how did you become friends with Amy Schumer? At the Montreal Comedy Festival, we were on the same flight. She said that we'd met years before when I was a bitch to her, but I just don't believe it. I just don't buy it. I'm so desperate for people to like me that absolutely not possible. But I would just like, those kinds of things, I'd just like go and hang out in my room. and drink wine and, and, um, watch porn or documentaries. And she's like, come down and like,

let's talk to some people, let's mingle. And then like, and we just became really fast friends. We both love Chardonnay. Um, we both have the similar sense of humor, but, but the cool thing about Amy is she really does work to lift up people around her. Like, she wants to, she put me on her show, like, and her, inside Amy Schumer was like a really big deal, you know, and, and, And she's like, I want you to be on the show and I want you to close every season. She's like, I think you're really special and I want the world to see you.

And I don't know that I would ever do that for anybody except for Poppy. You know what I mean? So we have a clip from Inside Amy Schumer. This is the Schumeranka tennis match. Bridget Everett is just three points away from winning her fourth grand slam. She has not allowed Schumerenka a single game in this match.

And yet I can't take my eyes off as Schumarenka's unique style on the court. I agree, Patrick. Schumerenka has a charisma on the court that just pulls you in. I think one reason why Schumerenka is having such a difficult time in this match is the distraction factor of Everett's grunting. Oh, God, it's disgusting. I mean, they should really ban it. Heaving and sweating like a Clydesdale, Everett makes the shot. Let's take a look at the instant replay.

So great. So do the two of you in your friendship have, any of that dynamic of kind of like the alpha and the beta or what you mean? Well, in that skit, she's sort of like the type A personality or whatever. She's the sort of what, uh, you know. Oh, me, you mean she's hot and I'm sponsored by ground beef? Yeah, and you're like the hot mess. I mean, what is it, is it like that when you hang out?

No, we just hang out. We just take off our bras and drink wine and watch a 90-day fiancee. Like, we, you know, certainly she's really successful and she's beautiful and loaded. She picks up the checks, but we just, we hang out and we chit-chat. And it's pretty, it's pretty balanced. I was watching a clip of you being interviewed by Larry King, which is already pretty great. But he said at one point, you have a lot of body confidence. I just can't imagine that Dyrgy King

has ever phrased that question before than any of his other guests. Did you always have body confidence or was it an evolution of embracing that or what? I mean, again, it's just like being on stage it's like being the person that you wish you were all the time. And when I was growing up, my mom used to, we would go to the grocery store

and she would just wear like her night dress with nothing underneath it and we go to Food Fortless And she just didn't care. So, like, for me, that sort of just, like, not caring. It's not about, like, look at me, honey. Look at my curves. Yes, queen, yes.

It's like, it's more about just, like, it's my body and who gives a fuck. You know what I mean? Like, that's all. Because I do appreciate the people that are just, like, I'm here. I'm giving testimony to, like, all the other big girls out there. And I don't, you know, don't hate yourself. But if I'm like an audience member, I want to see somebody on stage or see somebody in real life. I want to see people just like fluid in themselves and not telling me why I need to be fluid in myself.

That's what brings me joy. And that's why I like to do it on stage. I feel like we're celebrating in the moment that we're all okay. So I want to, before we run out of time, talk about Patty Cakes because it was such a great movie. It's such a great role for you. Thanks. This is a scene with you and the title character, Patty Cakes, and you play her mother.

So let's just take a quick look at this scene from Patty Cakes. You know, Ma seems depressed. You don't take her out during the day you want to work, maybe get away from the television. You'll let her live a little bit. You're busy. You're busy? I'm grinding.

What the fuck is grinding? Because you know my music, you know? Your music. Well, since when do you do music? Connie? Oh, you don't have a musical bone in your body, and you sure as hell can't sing. What kind of music are we talking about here? I've been rapping. What happened?

Ramin, I'm seeing, you know? Really. Jerry and I just booked our first recording session. What's your rap singing in? What are you like, dolly dumb drops or some shit? I'm actually going as Kill a P. So this is a character who kind of once wanted to be a singer, but kind of hasn't fulfilled her dream. Yeah.

So she's, her way of dealing with that is destroying Patty Cake's ambitions to be a rapper. Yeah. Was there stuff you had to draw from that that was different than just being your fun-loving self on stage? I mean, how did you tap into that, the sort of resentment of the character? I don't know. I feel like dreams are complicated, you know? And, like, I spent a lot of years, like, wanting my dreams to come true. And, like, sometimes, mostly I've always.

I was really happy when my friends have success. But I get the urge to want to tear somebody down even when you love them because you don't want them to slip away, you know, or that you don't want them to have something that you never had. So, you know, but I just spent a lot of years wanting those things and never having them. So it was, it wasn't too hard. Do you think of this character as maybe like a version of yourself who had never moved from Arizona or who had never quit waitressing or that you like do you see like that this person as a kind of an alternate life that you could have led yeah if I was still in Kansas and I wasn't singing and I wasn't doing what I wanted to do that's exactly who I would be and I would be that drunk and I would be at

that bar hopefully not with those nails but I would be that person thank you Bridgett Bridget Everett talking about the 2017 film Patty Cakes she talked with the New Yorkers Michael Schulman. I'm David Remnick, and that's our show. I hope you'll join us again next week. It might be a little less dirty and more serious, you never know, but we'll try to have some fun. Till then, stay in touch with us on Twitter at New Yorker Radio.

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