The Reel Rejects - MEETING WILL FORTE!! Life After SNL, MacGruber to Haunted Hotel, Four Seasons, & Fatherhood

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Starting point is 00:01:37 That was a real life changer. I mean, when people would say, oh, it needs to have heart. And you'd go like, oh, fuck, heart. Nothing needs heart. Heart is just boring. And it was like, yeah, the stories, like, they're just not as fun to watch if you don't have some real. grounded thing that the people want and the audience can root for. And so moving forward, that that's an important element of every thing that I do is to try to inject that into it,

Starting point is 00:02:06 at least if I'm, you know, able to, you know, be part of that creative team. Hi, Will Forte. How are you doing today? I'm good. How are you? I'm doing great. I love catching you in your car. And we have just identified that we are actually down the street from each other. Sorry, no, I was, I have the craziest schedule today. I've been making this show where my mom writes all her own sketches, my 82-year-old mom, and her 82-year-old friend. And this is our final day.

Starting point is 00:02:40 And it just so, I was, I just had to be in the car and pull off to do this. So sorry. Don't be sorry. I think this is more, this is so much more will forte from that from movie. This is a slice of life. Yeah, this is, I would expect, I'm, like, happier that it's this way because this is so much like, yeah, this is the vibe I get from the absurdity, absurdist side of Will Forte. Do we know what the show is called? Are we able to, did you announce it already?

Starting point is 00:03:09 I think it would just be called Will Forte's mom has a sketch show. Okay. We got to cut them all together and then see if anybody wants to buy them. So it's, it's, it's, I mean, it's, they're two magical ladies. So it has been really fun doing it. At the very least, it was a good chance to do something real special with my mom for a month. That's really cool. Because I was hearing recently about how your mom in the process of you working on McGruber,

Starting point is 00:03:40 how she lost a couple of friends because of you being in McGruber and her support has been so unconditional for you that it's exciting to wrap it around like full circle to actually have a project. you're making now with your mom. I think there's something really beautiful about that. Well, the funniest thing about the Magrouber thing, she did lose some friends from it, but she brought two friends to the set when I was doing that salary scene. Those weren't the friends she lost.

Starting point is 00:04:12 Like, those with those ones stuck by her, those are true friends. She had said, hey, me and my friends, we want to come by and see you today. and then we want to go to Santa Fe. And I'm like, well, why don't you go to Santa Fe first and then come by after? And she's like, no, it works better for our schedule. You know, one of my random questions, actually, you know, before I go into my questions for you,

Starting point is 00:04:38 I was reflecting, do you mind if I have the floor for just a little bit to ramble? Because then it's obviously going to be you mainly talking. I'm a rambler myself, so I love it. Please. Well, thank you. As I was getting in tune in my feelings on the car right over here. and I've been finding myself excited to speak with you in a way I hadn't quite ever been to speak with anybody before because a few weeks ago, Gabby, the publicist who arranged us, who I've known

Starting point is 00:05:06 for a while, she's amazing. She reached out to have a sit down with you. And I took like a day to respond because at the time a few weeks ago, I was like, I've actually missed out on so much of Will Forte's work. I don't know if I'd be of much value to him. I don't know if it'll be like a waste of his time. And at the time of actually getting that message, I was out in Colorado and I randomly put on four seasons not knowing you were actually in the show. I was like, oh, Tino Faye, Steve Carell, cool, they're reunited. That'll be awesome. And I meant the reason when I started my perspective of like, oh, I think I want to do this is because you quickly became my favorite character on that show is you were undoubtedly the one I related to with the most. There's even this line in

Starting point is 00:05:51 the last episode that I replay in my head constantly where someone insults you. And you go, that was hurtful and accurate. And I just keep repeating that so much. I'm like, what a perfect line. And so within like starting off and doing quote unquote research, it instantly stopped feeling like research. It started becoming genuine escapism and joy. I found myself listening to interviews and podcast nonstop because I wanted to. I was itching to get home from work so I could eat dinner and continue last man on earth. I was like, oh, I really want to carve out time. And I want to watch Nebraska, which I really enjoyed.

Starting point is 00:06:30 And then I started your S&L sketches much later on. And at one point this week, it looked like this interview might not happen. And I kept telling Gabby like, hey, it's okay. Because in the past three weeks, it's never happened to me before. I become like a genuine super fan and having this little journey through your work, it's become like a truly rewarding escapism experience. And I was like, even if I don't talk with you, I'm still going to continue consuming so much of a do. I think you officially, I have to invite you to speak at my funeral. That was so nice.

Starting point is 00:07:10 Wow. I really appreciate that. That's very, very nice of you to say. And four seasons, I'm actually, that's one of the reasons this week is so crazy because I am finishing off this. We decided very last minute. I wanted to do this show that I was just telling you about with my mom for two decades. And we just jammed it in.

Starting point is 00:07:31 So I'm like now scrambling to get everything together to go back to four seasons, which I'm very excited about. And yeah, I mean, that really resonates with me too because I, there's a lot of stuff that's very close to the close to home with that character but you know it's interesting tina's such a good writer and in lang and tracy the that that whole writing staff is amazing and they they they find a way to make every character very relatable there are little bits and pieces of each character in each relationship that i've found so relatable so it's really fun to be a part of that show well we're we're here because uh haunted hodd

Starting point is 00:08:13 Tells coming out. And I finished, I mean, I didn't get the final episode, but I got up to the penultimate. That's a, that's an animated show that it's a 100% my cup of tea. And each episode just gets better than the last. I really enjoyed it. And in that show, you know, Nathan, he starts off as his uncle and he quickly becomes more of a, of a father figure. And in four seasons, you also play a father. And is playing roles like this different for you now than it was before you became a dad because you're recently a father in the last like five years. Do you think fatherhood has influenced your performances, even in doing voice acting for haunted hotel?

Starting point is 00:08:51 Undoubtedly, they're always in there in the back of my mind. Like, you know, your total life experience changes as you get older, obviously. And I feel like as an actor, or as anybody, you know, doing anything in life, you are constantly using everything, just all of your knowledge in everything you do. You're making your decision-making changes. For sure, I'm a different person, and it is reflected in work that I do, I think, you know, even sometimes on just like a subliminal level. I mean, it certainly hasn't changed the choices I make. I would still love to do a mcgruber even though, you know, there's no way I could ever show up. But I do get really excited about my kids being able to.

Starting point is 00:09:45 This haunted hotel might be a little scary for them at this point. But like Coyote versus Acme, I'm so excited for them to see that. And they'll watch Clouty with the Chance of Meatballs, one and two, which I get to be in. And that's really fun to get to share that with them and film of the unicorn. But man, this show, Haunted hotel is such a joy to be a part of it's very very funny it's scary and gory fun scary and it's also like the relationships there's some you know there's some kind of meaty emotional stuff that's not like it doesn't go too over the top but like it really feels earned and grounded and and it's

Starting point is 00:10:31 I don't know they're just such good writers it's it's really fun to be a part of this Yeah, the show becomes more human, but I remember by like the penultimate. There's this reveal I won't give away about your character. And I was by myself in the living room at night going, oh, my God. Like, I was kind of surprised at the show that started off as just like a really quirky thing became incredibly real all of a sudden in a way that was very existential and reflective. When we read that episode, I know exactly what you're talking about. um that just was new to me also so that was pretty blown away by that that was a you know wasn't expecting that but it it seemed to fit right in with the show and didn't you know didn't go

Starting point is 00:11:16 like wait how are they how are they doing this kind of thing and in this show that's so you know so funny and scary it's it it seems to fit right in it's a real testament to the writers yeah it's a great hodgepodge of a bunch of things i think the show blends a lot of like family horror comedy ghosts like everything that you were saying and they almost called it hodgepodge hotel yeah you could actually see that with um with hot and it's a perfect time for it to come out because obviously Halloween's around the corner and i've heard you like mentioned that jodz is one of your favorite movies which i i consider a horror movie and it got me really curious what kind of horror actually gets under your skin like do you remember the first kind of horror movies that

Starting point is 00:12:02 truly terrified you i mean there is so many great ones i was born in 1970 so like you know um for me it was all like friday the 13th and Halloween and all that stuff but but the stuff that really terrified me the most growing up in a in a catholic family was like the stuff like the omen which had a religious aspect which are like oh all these ghosts and demons i know they're kind of fake, but, like, you know, evil spirits are out, you know, that stuff was like, oh, this could happen. I appreciate you saying that because so many people I talk to, um, that are telling me like, yeah, it was more of the real, if it's something that could happen in real life, but I too grew up

Starting point is 00:12:49 very Catholic and a Catholic household. And so, yeah, the supernatural stuff is actually the things that really terrified me. So that's why I get kind of a big kick out of. The exorcist. Oh, exorcist. Yeah. I was a satanic to watch that in Catholic school. I was like very anti.

Starting point is 00:13:06 And in this show, you know, you play a ghost and you've had ghosts pop up in other work, even in that famous moment in McGruber. And what is like your personal take on ghosts in real life? Like, do you believe they exist? I've even heard you mention sometimes like envying people with strong religious certainty and thinking a lot about death and the unknown. how is your beliefs and all this sort of evolved it's constantly in flux um you know i'm old enough to the i think i think a lot of people when they get older they close their minds down

Starting point is 00:13:45 mine is kind of going the other way and opening up and i'm realizing like the more i know the less i know like you know anything's possible out there what what is what is the meaning of life what's it all about you know I'm even open to the freaking matrix idea like maybe it is all a simulation I don't know nobody knows you know we'll never know until we're until we're kind of through it and we'll see what it's all about I mean and maybe even then we'll never know maybe it's maybe it's you just like everything goes black and that's it you know maybe lights out and forever but but I'd love to think of the idea that there's something else out there and you're reunited with all your loved ones. I, you know, that's the thing that makes me really sad is thinking about like, oh, what if I never see my kids and my wife again or mom and dad?

Starting point is 00:14:44 And thanks a lot for bringing the room down. Is this how I wanted to start your morning? You let me right into it. Yeah. I mean, it's weird because I think so much of your work, even to an extent, even like participating in a haunted hotel, but more specifically, the stuff where you're more behind the scenes on, I think there's this unique level of depth that you have. And that's why I found myself compelled to ask more like depth questions. Because so many of your characters like Phil and Last Man on Earth, even certain sketches, a lot of them are like hilarious, but there's this element of loneliness, insecure. and searching and there's like need for connection that a lot of these characters have. Do you think your comedy comes, I guess I'm going to try to ask, is it come more from a place of pain or is there,

Starting point is 00:15:34 does it come from like of a joy of trying to cure it? And do you think playing those kinds of characters is part of why you have connected so strongly with audiences? Wow, that's a, I mean, that's a really interesting question. Just to start, I find it very interesting. putting people in positions, putting characters in emotional situations, I think great comedy comes from seeing them play against the tension. So I always like that stuff. And so sometimes it lends naturally to putting them in precarious emotional positions too. So, you know,

Starting point is 00:16:15 And I don't know that would be for my wife and my therapist, if I had one, to, to discuss like, it does that come from me and a well of pain inside me? I, you know, I'm certainly a weirdo, but I don't, I, I am pretty happy in my life. And so certainly there are, I will go to different areas that do touch personal things, but some of it is just made up stuff and how I think I would react to that. I don't know or how I think the character would react, but I would say that almost certainly, you know, even the most absurd characters that I've played. have a lot of elements that are very close to home. And I feel comfortable doing some of that stuff because it's like, oh, this is, I kind of, you know, I'm okay to do some kind of thing that might seem off because I feel like I own it to a certain extent.

Starting point is 00:17:27 Yeah. But yeah, I probably would need a while to think through that question because that's a, that's a biggie. Yeah. You were talking about, I appreciate, I mean, the, the honest, you always strike me as like someone who's consistently sincere and honest. any discussion you're having. I'm trying. I'm trying. You know, I try. Thank you. And you're talking about the freedom with characters. And I found your acting journey to be very fascinating from

Starting point is 00:17:54 groundlings to S&L to comedy movies. And then you had this turning point with Nebraska where you're working with Bruce Stern and Alexander Payne. And it seemed to reshape how you viewed acting. And I feel like I was really fortunate to find myself diving in, starting, from four seasons because I feel like that's a great marriage of like a dromedy of like the drama of will forte and the comedy will forte how would you say your approach to crafting the character is different now compared to when you like we're first starting out on SNL do you feel like your approach is different and does your writing background influence more so how you do characters now yes everything I think it's changed significantly I used to just be all about

Starting point is 00:18:41 absurdity and and I still love that and but but look I got really really lucky I I was a writer and loved being a writer and then got the chance to be at S&L and when I was coming to the end of S&L I'm you know I'm not I don't I'm not being hard on myself but I but I was there was no reason to think that I would ever get an acting job after S&L Like I, you know, I think people, you know, I had a couple of characters that I was proud of and McGruber being one of them. And certainly I was not like a slouch there, but, but you know, it's just you could just feel it. There was like, you know, I wasn't, casting agents didn't

Starting point is 00:19:31 really ask around about me. And I, the thing, when I left SNL, it wasn't because I thought, Oh, I got a real opportunity to, you know, to seize on this acting momentum. I mean, I left after McGruber was bombing and my agents had said, look, you're going to have to leave at some point. Your profile is not going to change much from staying at S&L for another year. you know, the thing you would most want to get by staying another year would be if they let you do an S&L movie. And like, they're not going to, after what happened with McRubra, they're not going to do that. So at some point you're going to have to leave and it's going to be a real crapshoot. We think it now is probably the right time.

Starting point is 00:20:23 And it made sense of the time. So I left there just thinking, okay, well, let's see what's, let's see what happens. I loved writing before going to S&L, so I thought, if nothing happens with acting, I'll just go back to writing. And for like a year and a half, I didn't get any work. I was just sitting around. And then always got to be thankful to Adam Sandler and Andy Sandberg, who asked me to be in, that's my boy. I love that movie. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:20:56 I mean, it was such a fun experience, but like it was psychologically a very important. thing that was like oh somebody wanted me to be in something and then Akiva brought me in to do the watch and so slowly the plan was which was like okay try to get some supporting roles in in comedy movies and then see if you can somehow work your way back up to try to get some bigger role and then somehow out of nowhere this Nebraska opportunity came and that that really changed everything. That was a real life changer. I mean, to, to, you know, have, like, one of the main roles in a movie that was, that was definitely a comedy, but, but very, very grounded and, and, you know, a lot of dramatic elements, that was just, like, terrifying.

Starting point is 00:21:58 and and I was super proud of it and and but it was I don't know that just that also this is a very long way of coming back to answer your question that started me thinking like oh there are elements that I that I still need to work on but like I'm I can I enjoyed playing a more grounded character and and it was and I could And I felt like I did a serviceable job doing kind of more dramatic acting. And right before that, I actually, there was a tiny movie that I got to make in Ireland that was full drama called Run and Jump. And so those two things together made me realize, oh, there's something really fun and this grounded stuff, too. So when Last Man on Earth came, it was a real opportunity. I had in my head like, oh, I love this absurd stuff. And the premise was so absurd, but we really wanted to handle this absurd premise in a grounded way. So I'm like, oh, I can kind of merge these two things together.

Starting point is 00:23:07 And that's kind of moving forward. That's been kind of the fun thing because the Last Man on Earth really taught me. I used to go like when people would say, oh, it needs to have heart. And you'd go like, oh, fuck, heart. Nothing needs heart. Heart is just boring. And it was like, yeah, the story is like. They're just not as fun to watch if you don't have some real grounded thing that the people want and the audience can root for.

Starting point is 00:23:37 And so moving forward, that, like, that, that's an important element of every thing that I do is to try to have, you know, to try to inject that into it, at least if I'm, you know, able to, you know, be part of that creative team. I mean, four seasons, that stuff is there. Anyway, I have nothing to do with that, you know, on a on a writing level, but like, that's why I love doing it. It's so fun because it's, you know, I mean, it's being written by the best of the biz, you know, it's, those, there, those guys are amazing. But that's a very long way of answering. I didn't even forget the question now, but I think I kind of answered. I think you answered. No, I definitely think you mean.

Starting point is 00:24:19 I feel like I could clip that and that would be like, this is Will Forteate today. If you wanted to understand his journey, this is what it is right now, if you wanted to hop into his journey. Look, it's very interesting when you bring that up and I kind of trace back and remember how scared I was in 2010, 2011, and just thinking back to all these experiences. Like, Saturday Night Live, that was my dream. That was my dream job. I got to do my two dream jobs. I got to work at Letterman as a writer, and I got to be a part of S&L. And it was like, then all these other things that I've gotten to do are just a ton of gravy.

Starting point is 00:25:00 You know, like, like I, I just am the luckiest dude, you know. Not that I haven't worked hard. I've worked very hard. I'm a hard worker, but like, there's so much luck in it, too. And I just got really lucky and I'm very blessed. I feel very I feel like we're all blessed with your work these days you oh you I hope I live for a long time but you got to you stay healthy too so you can you can outlast me and I really want you to speak at my funeral say all very nice things that you're saying yeah it's just it feels surreal now being here with you and I know I only got like a couple more minutes I you are one of those people where I could I have like a billion questions I'm just whatever's popping in mind that that I wrote down.

Starting point is 00:25:51 I'm just going to go with whatever that's coming to mind. You know what? Let's, I'm sure something else I'll be having to talk about something else. So like would love to to come back on when that happens. I know at the very least, Coyote versus Acme comes out next August or I got to be in this Nate Brigazzi movie, which I think is March 13th.

Starting point is 00:26:18 So maybe I can talk to you. You'd talk to you then, too. I would love to. We'd dive deeper. I would love to. I mean, if I could just squeeze one more question in with you, since you're going to go meet back up with your mom, one question I wanted to ask is that you do have the, you have two daughters now and you're clearly someone who loves movies and television. I feel like that's very reflective in a lot of your work. Even at Gruber's definitely like an homage to a bunch of different films.

Starting point is 00:26:46 And I'm curious to know when your parents having very different backgrounds, movies. you very influenced by cinema and TV, what's a movie or show that you shared a bond with your parents over, one that when you watch it, you immediately think of them, and what's a movie that you are excited to share with your children? Well, definitely, I'm very excited to share Coyote versus Acme, because I think when they when they watch me in an animated show I don't think they fully

Starting point is 00:27:22 get it and they've seen me in acting things but I think they still don't fully get it so but mainly the things they've seen me in are animated things and I'll just hear my voice and I'm not even sure if they know that it's my voice they know that it's somebody who sounds like me and maybe they just think oh that person sounds like daddy

Starting point is 00:27:44 But to have them see that movie where they'll have all that exciting, fun, animated stuff, but then still get to see their dad with their own eyes, I think that will be a really fun thing to get to share with them. And with my family, I did, you know, I, the thing that leapt to me and this old, this sounds very too, because it's a movie that I was in and we talked about it. but Nebraska was a really, a really big deal to share with them because like they had just seen me doing dirty stuff and super weird, absurd stuff, all the McGruber stuff. And it's like to get to share something that was like this Oscar nominated movie,

Starting point is 00:28:32 it was like, it was, I felt like I restored the family name. they can they can actually tell their friends because they were said they're so supportive and and they would tell that that was how my mom lost friends is she told a couple of them she told the wrong people to go check out mcgruber and they were like but why would you send me to this and yeah i think that makes it more impactful as opposed to being like you know i'm sure you maybe saw this with your family like raiders of the lost dark or something growing up with your family of course that's like a meaningful shared experience but to have it be something that you were actual participant of I think is actually a rather beautiful answer and by

Starting point is 00:29:14 the way people you can like me you can buy it off prime video if you want to watch nebraska immediately go do your self-paper i just very quickly i've been talking about how life-changing Nebraska was but i would never have been in that position if not for s andl so thank you to learn michael's also and bonnie and terry turner who brought me over to 70 show and mark brazil who was like the 70 show, the head of the set, you know, the creator of 70 show who like let me go and audition for us and else. So it's like so many people to think, but, but just wanted to get that in there. Sorry. No, I'm glad you. I'm glad you did. I mean, there's so many things about SNL that I would love to ask, but I know you're, you're so pressed for time right now.

Starting point is 00:29:58 I just want to say thank you for making the time in, in the most will forte kind of way to be in the car. Well, thank you. I mean it. Let's, I would love to come back on. been really fun talking to you and uh and thanks for helping spread the word about a haunted hotel i'm i'm super excited september 19th that's just tomorrow at the time of this airing it's already out it's already out go watch you guys it's a binge worthy show go watch it thank you will appreciate your time thank you so so much it's so nice talking to you thanks for all the nice words of course of course take care It started with a scream inside a quiet Maryland home, a mother trying to protect the family dog and her son in the grip of a violent hallucinogenic rage.

Starting point is 00:30:49 By the time it was over, she was dead, and he claimed LSD made him do it. His name, David Minor the 4th, and we talked to him. Listen to Invisible Choir every other week as we uncover the most haunting true crimes you've never heard of, available wherever you get your podcasts. The tiny community of Peel is situated deep in the woods of northern Wisconsin. It's so small that it's easy to miss on a map. Just scattered homes, gravel roads, and dense, silent forest. It's a place where people choose for the quiet, the isolation and the distance. A place where life moves at a very slow pace and secrets can stay hidden for a long time.

Starting point is 00:31:36 On the morning of Sunday, the 8th of March, 2015, the stillness of Peel was interrupted. At the Oneida County Emergency Dispatch Centre, the phone began to ring. Before the operator could answer, the caller hung up. It happened again and then again. Three calls, all from the same number. Then came a fourth call. And then finally, there was a voice.

Starting point is 00:31:59 It was a little girl. She grabbed the knife that was on the shelf, and she came after me with it. Listen to this episode on the Ashley Martinson, as well as over 300 more episodes on morbidology, available on all podcast platforms.

The Reel Rejects - MEETING WILL FORTE!! Life After SNL, MacGruber to Haunted Hotel, Four Seasons, & Fatherhood

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