The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Annie Mumolo

Episode Date: September 8, 2026

Academy Award-nominated writer and actress Annie Mumolo (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Barbie) joins Andy Richter to discuss writing Bridesmaids, working with Steve Carrell on the HBO comedy series Rooster, getting her start at the Groundlings theater, and more.    Do you want to talk to Andy and his comedian friends live on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio? Tell us your favorite dinner party story (about anything!) or ask a question - leave a voicemail at 855-266-2604 or fill out our Google Form at BIT.LY/CALLANDYRICHTER. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey everybody, welcome back to the three questions. I'm your host, Andy Richter, and today I'm talking to Annie Mommelow. She's a screenwriter, actress and comedian. You've seen her in This Is 40, Bad Moms, Barbie, Confess Fletch, and Curbier Enthusiasm. She was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the film Bridesmaids with Kristen Wigg. Annie and Kristen also co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the very funny film Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar. You can see Annie now in Rooster on HBO with Steve Carell, which was recently renewed for a second season. Here's my conversation with the very funny Annie Momolo. Well, that's a good place to start because I know I'm cranky. Are you that way? Are you cranky?

Like, do you find? I don't think I can afford to be. Like, I just can't right now because I'm still. There's going to be a point. The show business is in a downturn. I cannot be cranky about anything. No. Yeah, yeah.

I feel like I'm literally oppositing right now where I'm like, everything's, like I just, everything's going to be fine. Everything's great. I get up and I love everybody. I love everyone. And you know what? Just they're, everyone's doing the best they can.

Sure. And I like sage in my house and I put little thoughts in a box. I mean, I do fucking anything fucking possible to get through the goddamn day. So I don't let, I'm like, I'm not going there. I'm not going there. I'm not going there. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. No, I, um, I, I'm trying to be less crabby. I'm trying to be less the guy that when we, we go to something, I mean, I can be there 15 minutes and I go, so we can go, right? Yeah, I'm great. It took 45 minutes to drive here, but I mean, we put in an appearance. Can't we just go home and, you know, and I can just, yeah, get out of this, a costume I'm wearing. Get into my soft clothes and not talk to anyone, you know.

Yeah, no, it's, yeah, it's a time. It's a time for sure. Well, you've been, I mean, you know, you have had like a really sort of under the radar trajectory in your career. Yes. I mean, you wouldn't take any offense at that, would you? No, I would not. I'm kind of like, like the pop up girl. That's what I kind of feel like where I sort of like pop up here and pop up there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah. Well, I mean, but you had, I mean, you did so many people like they, I know not so much. much anymore, but I know like people used to complain. When I had just kind, when I was still kind of new at at making a living and show business, there were just a lot of people who were on the outside of it wanting in who would be like, it's just who you know. And my feeling was always like, if you opened a hot dog stand, would you hire hot dog experts or would you hire your friends? You know what I mean? Because you're going to have to spend all these hours with them. And it's just hot dogs.

And with comedy, it's like, I know funny people. So like, yeah, you would, you know, that, you know, say like the early days of the Conan show, a lot of people were hired because it was like some, you know, I knew Robert Smigel. And Robert Smigel thought it was funny. And so Conan knew Robert and it goes out like, hey, who's funny and who doesn't have a job? And I was one of them, you know. And I didn't, it's not like I went through an agent or. anything like that. And that was, I think most of the staff was kind of that way. It was word and mouth of, oh, you should talk to Dino or you should talk to, you know, McCann or Brian Stack or all these

different people. And I think that was kind of like, that was for you for a while. Don't you think that, like, you were funny and there were funny people that had gotten opportunities that you hadn't gotten yet, but they sort of like were there to you to go like, hey, come in here. We need you to be funny here. Well, kind of, do you mean with specifically like with bridesmaidsma? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

So, yeah, because I had started, I had was doing voiceovers. And I was like loving it. I was doing tons of voiceovers. And I was like, are you doing well on them? I was like when I first started. Yeah. Now it's different. Because I haven't, I haven't done as many now.

It falls off. Yeah. I had the same thing. Back in the 90s, I was doing ads all over the place. Yeah. And then I, you know, got TV shows and was like, I can't. Yeah, I can't be the voice of reach toothbrush anymore, you know. Yeah.

I did some hardy's. You fall off the radar and then you're, you know, gone. Yeah. Yeah. You did Hardee's commercials that were very risque. Really? It was like my first voiceover job was a commercial for Hardee's where I had to like fake have an orgasm.

Oh, is that the one where the woman's eating like some big sloppy burger? Yeah, it was like, it was that, it was that, um, campaign. Yeah, yeah. Radio spots and it was like this girl's just like so like horny. She's a waitress. She's serving them and she's just, yes. And so I remember like telling my parents like, I got my first thing. And they were like, oh my God, we can't wait to hear it.

You know, and then I went there and I realized what it was. And then I was like, they were asking me about it. And I was like, um, yeah, yeah, I, yeah, it was good. It was good. And then I was just kind of hoping that they didn't, and they never heard it. And it went on. My dad was a dentist and it aired, it was on the radio in my dad's dental office. Oh, nice.

And they were like, and he's on the radio. And then, of course, that was my debut. Right, right. Yeah. And he's climaxing on the radio. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

So must be so proud. Do they have a sense of humor about that, though? I mean? They do. My dad, yeah. My dad definitely does. Yeah. Yeah.

But yeah, sorry, to go back to the bribesman thing. I was doing voiceovers and I, Kristen and I had, you know, I was doing state shows at the groundlings. Yeah. And had all our friends there and group, like you said. Yeah. And Kristen and I had sort of like a fun partnership that we were always like, we had a lot of success together getting things into the show. And, you know, when you're in that kind of environment, it's like you work more with the people that you have more success with. So we were like working together a lot.

And one time we did this, we had one show and this producer came up to us after and was like, you know, you guys are a great team. I'd love to have you come write something for me or do something for me. And we had been talking about, I always had movie ideas in my head since I was a kid. And so we had been saying like, we should write a movie, we should write a movie, you know, for a long time. So when he came and we thought, oh, my God, this would be an opportunity, you know. And so he gave us this card. And then we called him like the next day to set something up. And then he never called us back.

He never returned our calls. We never heard from the guy. Oh, classic L.A. Yeah. So we were like, oh, okay. Well, whatever. And so we, but we had this idea kind of planted the seed that we should kind of write something or do something like that. We had been doing sketch for a while.

and we had never been in shows where S&L came. We were always like, we heard about them. Oh, they came to the Sunday show or they came to that show and we just hadn't, they hadn't been to our shows. Oh, they didn't let you know that they were coming? No, we, they would let people know, but it was never our shows. Oh, I see. We had never, you know, they just never came to ours.

I see. Because it's so random. Is that, it's just random? Yeah, it's just random. It's not like somebody at the ground link says, hey, you should check out this person or hey, you should check out that show. They might do that, but it would be like when we were in the Sunday company, which is like the B company there, before you go into the main company, you'll be like, oh, they went to the main show or they went to the main show or they went to the main, you know, or they. And it's for some reason it wasn't like a trending right then for them to go as much to the groundlings.

Yeah. So we hadn't had any contact or with them or anything like that. And then, so we had this movie idea and then this sort of like thing happened where I got married and I got pregnant. And I started doing that thing. And then they came to the theater and they were like scouting and Kristen. They, Kristen went off to SNL. Yeah. And so we had this like totally different, you know, we had these like, we went opposite directions.

Yeah, life branches. Yeah. And then I was doing that and she was doing that. And then she did a, she did her like first season on SNL, I think or something. And then did a pardon knocked up. And Judd, we were talking a lot. So we were talking about this idea. Should we ever do this idea?

And it just kind of lined up where she did this part and knocked up. And he said, do you have any other ideas for movies? Because, you know, let's do something. And so she called me and said, can you go over and tell him our idea? She was in New York. Can you go tell him? I didn't know who he was. Oh, wow.

At the time, I was not in the business that way. I just wasn't. No, people tell him, I've always been terrible. And people will say, like, well, you know. No, it's a Bob Jorgensen thing, and I'm like, I thought of, yeah, like, who is? I don't know names of, I don't read, I didn't read trade. Oh, I was totally. Never.

Yeah, no. Yeah. And I had been in like baby mode. So I had like, I was six months pregnant. I went over to Judd Apatow's office in West L.A. Yeah. And when I was like, hi, and then I looked on the wall and saw the posters. And I was like, oh, this guy's like, legit.

And then I was like, I got a little nervous. I'm like, oh, I'm a little nervous. But okay. And then I sort of tell him the story of what this. this movie is. And he was like, yeah, okay, great. You know, sounds fun. Yeah, yeah. Okay, great. I left and we talked, Kristen was like, how to go. I was like, I think he, you know, likes it. I don't know. It seemed like he likes it, whatever. And then we had had another idea. So we were like, now we're second guessing the idea we told them. Maybe we should try the other one.

What do we do? So we call them the next day and said, like, we think we actually, we want to change our mind. And he was like, oh, no, I already, I sold that one to Universal So that one's happened, you know, can you get me a draft by Thanksgiving? And it was like, this was like two months away or something. Oh, wow. And we were like, yeah. And I was huge pregnant. Yeah, yeah.

And so we spent our Thanksgiving weekend, you know, cranking out a first draft. And it was bridesmaids. And it was bridesmaids. Yeah. I mean, we went into, we were in development for almost five years after that. Right, right. It was a whole monster process. But yeah, so it did sort of line up that way.

It was that long. I, you know, I just, I didn't realize that it had been in development for that long. Oh, yeah. It just was ages and ages. And we were on again, off again, on again, off again. Shelfed, brought back shelf. It was like I could have, I could write a whole thing about that, making of that movie itself.

Yeah. It, you know, I also, too, like one thing, I was really hoping when bridesmaids came out that like, okay, bring on the like hilarious, body female driven comedies. Yeah. Because that, because it's so fucking good and so fucking funny and just wall to wall laughs and funny and smart. And then it kind of, you know, I mean, there's been other ones, but just not in the same kind of league, you know.

It went back into, can it be possible? Is it possible for, yeah, it's really interesting. I don't know. I don't have the answer for that. Have you had like discussions with people where? I still go into pitch meetings where they are like, gosh, I just had recently a movie with a known person that we have a script ready to go with like a big, you know, celebrity. Yeah, yeah. That is female.

It's Rihanna is. It's Rihanna for writing a movie. It's Rihanna. I thought so. How did you go? And just I'm kind of psychic about that and just picking random celebrity's names out of the ether. Yes, Rihanna. Okay. It's in a rom-com. It's going to be well. No, but yeah, so we had it and they, we were ready to go. The script is ready to go. We were in our last meeting before Greenlight. And they were like, we just don't know. Like, is there an audience? And it's a ensemble of women. It's like a really

great. It's based on a true story and I can't really say too much about it. Of course. But it's like based on a true story. It's an amazing story. It's like a, it's like a comedic drama. It's both. It has music. It's musical. It's like so many elements of things that I feel like would get all my friends and women out to go see it. And men too. And it's like we don't know. Maybe we don't know. We don't know if there's an audience. So it's just kind of like I, I, in the meeting was saying, you know, I think, well, you know, like years ago, I remember reading something and I took it to Judd Apatow when we were in development for bridesmaids. It was like, women make up over 50% of the movie going audience.

Absolutely. And he was like, I know, that's why we got to get that, you know, we got to do that, you know. And, but it's like you have to re kind of, I felt like I was reliving it. I still feel like I relive it at times. So I don't know. It's weird. And they, and do they have an answer when you say? well, bridesmaids, for instance.

They, no, they go, yeah, I think they perceive it as like, oh, that was a one time, that was a lightning in a bottle thing. And, you know, just, I don't know. It's really, it's weird. It is. It's really weird. Can't you tell my loves a girl? I grew up with so many funny women.

Yeah. And women, you know, that's the reason we wanted to write bridesmaids was like, I, I watched so many comedies growing up, and I loved them all. Stripes, Caddyshack. I mean, I was like, stripes I knew, we knew every line of dialogue in that movie in my house. Caddyshack, same. And I didn't realize that they were all male, you know, sort of oriented stories. But as I got into the growlings and started looking and seeing what was made, I was like, oh, I see like, why is the woman for the most part, the girl's always like standing there with, you know, a tray of lemonade or something going like, honey, it'd be crazy, you know.

Right, right, right. Or, yeah, kind of the stick in the mud. Yeah. Yeah, like sticking them out. Like she's holding, she's the ball and chain that's holding the guy, you know, back. Wait, you want to go have a hilarious adventure? I don't know. Yeah.

Yeah. So, I mean, we were looking going like, well, we should do something where it's, you know, showing the women we being funny the way we know them to be funny. And that's, that was all. There's so much reality people we knew brought into that story. And still, I don't know. I don't know if like afterwards people just tried to make like, you know, raunchy, like just go with like the raunch aspect of it because that was the least favorite of art part of it for us. But if people wanted to go for like the, you know, hard R stuff and just forget about the, you know, I guess emotional story, whatever you call it. If it doesn't have an actual like relatable story that people can grab onto, then it just feels like it's trying to do something.

I don't know. I'm not sure. Yeah. There have been many great. Yeah. Like miscongediality. Isn't that like a very big popular, you know, wasn't that like a big movie? Yes.

Why doesn't that count? Or the one where they're Melissa McCarthy. I mean, any Santa Barbara movies, Melissa. Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are in. It's that one. Yeah. But didn't that do well? Katie Dippled.

Yeah. Those did really well. Yeah, it's really fun. Yeah. I mean, I look back to overboard Goldie Hawn. Yeah. I always lived in Madeline Khan. I mean, there's so many.

Yeah, yeah. You know, obviously the female comedians, Gilda Radner and all that. But, and then, yeah, there's Melissa. I mean, there's, yeah, there have been plenty of them. Yeah. That have done really well and been great movies. And still, it's like they don't, I know. Well, the raunchy aspect of it, too.

Because I think female stand-ups, they were, there was, you know, it was mostly a male game. There were a few female stand-ups, like back when stand-up really kind of took off in the 80s. Yeah. And there were a couple, you know, there were some very funny female voices. Paula Poundstone, you know, was one. There were different people. But they were just still kind of like. Rarities.

Yeah. Like, here's the, oh, look, a woman doing it, you know. And then I feel like Sarah Silverman kind of broke through. And then she and she was so raunchy and was so shocking. I mean, not just like dirty, but also like just so dark and shocking and hilarious. Yeah. And it was, I mean, it was a genius thing because it was like watching Snow White say the most. horrible things that you could ever conceive of.

Yeah. And then it just became, there were so many, well, I mean, standup is very imitative anyway. And then it was just like we met all these female standups who were just filthy, you know. Right. Yeah. Because I think they think, well, that's what it should be. And it's like, no. I mean, yeah, that's a part of it, but there's also like artistry involved.

Yeah. And that's what I felt about bridesmaids was the same way. Like when you let, especially like when you let Melissa McCarthy go blue, it's the funniest fucking thing in the world. Yep. But it's not just that it's dirty or that it's weird and gross and kind of uncomfortable, you know. It's that it's the nuance of what she does and the artistry of what she does. Yeah.

And it was, I think, a. powerful part of that movie was kind of the gutsy sort of, you know, I don't want to say growth, but like, you know, it's like a lot of body humor. Yeah, there was. A lot of body humor that you don't normally see and that women aren't supposed to like, you know, and then, and I think it was a big part of it and it was a big part that made it great. But then it does seem like that.

They just go like, well, that's let's make women fart movies or sometimes. You know? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, our thing with that crazy scene was like things happen to people. Yeah. But women will, how would a woman handle it?

She's going to try to pretend it's not happening. Right. Which is kind of the approach we took towards that scene. Yeah. Which I think might be the food poisoning scene. Yes, the food poisoning scene, which I think might be what people, women relate to is like, because women, you're always, you have to be a lady and you have to be, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. You know, you're trying to, you're fighting against nature. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To say, to be, you know, to present. Right. And what's the worst place? A bridal shop. A bridal shop.

Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, it is, I think also, as long as it comes from a, that sounds like probably like, ooh, whatever, but it comes from a true place from someone. Yeah, yeah. audience goes in, I think. Right. So as long, I think the audience can feel when it's something that's being cheaply done just to be done.

Right. So I think that those in the sense when it's done that way, it's, they get on board. Yeah. If it comes from an emotional thing that they can relate to, like or like a, you know, something inside they can relate to as well. Yeah. But I don't know. I mean. It also really felt like it was that the, that, the, the, all.

this world was created by women. Yeah. Like that the movie was created by women. And that and that is sort of the, all of the comedy was created by women. And it was, I don't, I don't know.

I mean, it just seems like, and it's, I, I just wish that, you know, you're right. You don't need me to tell you,

you wish, because I guess you wish there was more of it too. But it's really, it is a bummer. It is a bummer. Because, I mean, I,

there's, and people, You know, when Twitter used to be Twitter and I talk about it, like, and I would just talk about, like, how fucking boring men are and male comedy. Like, I just, to go into a comedy club and hear just like these bro comics that get up and it's just, I, it's so fucking boring. Like, the most boring female comic is like, it's probably still more interesting than your average. male comic to me. I think so. I think so because we just have not had like a female perspective of comedy that was that that wasn't meant to please men. Right. Right. Because for a long time, you know, I think there's a lot of a lot of female driven comedy that's to please men. And it's

just, it's more interesting. It's just so much more interesting. Women being funny to me is still 10 times more interesting than men being funny. I mean, when I used, Sarah Silverman used to see her on Saturday Night Live. It was like she was one of those people that before she even spoke, you could just tell something was coming. Yeah. And I just love that about her else. I mean, yeah, there's, there are so many like, I feel like right now is a good time for

female stand-ups. Yeah. Yeah, but it is, it is a trick. I mean, I remember being at the groundlings and thinking like, okay, well, you don't want to like just do, you don't want to work towards a type of comment. that's funny, don't try to be male. Yeah. You know, just do what's true to you and go from there.

And because there was sort of an undercurrent of, you know, can girls be funny? Yeah, yeah. Comedy world. Yeah, no, that was an actual topic of discussion. Yeah. When I was young and in comedy. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

And I remember being around friends from the groundlings or something and having them say like, wow, you're, you know, they're surprised. You're funny. Yeah, yeah. I was like, oh my God, like, I thank God there was a place for me. Yeah. Because I don't know what else I would have done, but to see people be surprised about it is always still kind of makes you think. You know, like, oh, what is?

You know, I don't know what it is. It's also fucking annoying. It's also like, you know, you're just noticing this now. I don't know. That women are funny, that there are funny women in the world. Like, I know. The women are hilarious. Yeah, yeah. And my family members alone, I mean, but all, I mean, again, growing up, Goldie Hawn, I watched.

Yeah. Just to love Madeline Khan, all the S&L women. I mean, there were just so many. Yeah. And I think also, yeah. I had an aunt. My mom's older sister was the funniest person I knew in my life. I mean, my dad's really funny, but my aunt was really, really. And it was funny because she was. In Chicago in the 60s, and I think, like, if she had just gone to Well Street and got in a class with Compass Point, she probably could have been a comedian because she was that funny.

Yeah. And so, I don't know, maybe that just has colored it. Like, to me, the most exciting funny person from my childhood into adulthood was this woman, you know. Yeah. Was she, what was she? What was it funny? Like, she made a lot of jokes kind of person, or was she just funny who she was. funny who she was.

Like, just her point of view. Like, just liked to make people laugh. And it was real funny and real silly and real dirty and real inappropriate. And, you know. Yeah. And, you know, like, you know, back in like the 60s, you know, she went to college but then dropped out. And my grandpa was involved in politics in Illinois. And I got her a job at like, and she wanted to live in the city and got her a job.

Just like, it was like some sort of like teacher certifications. It was some office job. And she was, I like to say, a pioneer in the sexual revolution. But in those days, I think they just called her a slut. Okay. She was free loving, a free loving gal. She was at the Wells Street was like the night spot. You know, there were like these clubs that like Barbara Streisand played at before she was

Barbara Streisand and had a contract come back and play there, you know. And then, you know, I think my aunt might have had enough. It was either her or best friend, like Robert Goulet used to come through town. And it was either her or her friend used to sleep with, they were like his Chicago girlfriend, you know, when he would like Robert Gleys coming through town. Got to go get my. But she said that she used to like go straight to her job at the state, like in her evening, like her nighttime.

And in those days, you know, you dressed up. when you went out. So she would definitely, she'd show up to the state teacher certification board in like her black evening gown and her makeup all fucked up and smelling of booze and all these old women that she worked with had just been like, we'll be like, oh, hi Pat, have fun last night.

And then she did. She was just really, really funny and insisted on having fun and has been such a formative influence on me and in my life. Wow, yeah. So it's, you know, and it's just, it's continued. I just really, I, that was one of the things I loved about early Twitter is how many funny women got to be funny in front of people because there was nobody, there's no gatekeepers. They just got to be funny. And then, and then people noticed them being funny.

And then they, it just kind of spread. Yeah. Because even when I started, and I'm a little bit older than you, their improv teams were six, six. seven guys, one girl. You know, like, it was very much. And I don't even think I saw like, you know, a team of women until I was in my 40s. You know, an improv team of like, we're going to do a show tonight of just women, you know, until I was older.

And I don't know. I feel like Amy Polar, Tina Fey had a big part of that, you know, like to, you know, because they came to S&L and they gave S&L a very female energy. Yeah. Yeah, both like huge forces. Yeah. Huge. And in different ways too.

And then like also a great team. I know. Gosh, I hope, you know, look, I just, I know for myself, I just keep going. That's all what I tell. Yeah, yeah. Just keep going. And then, you know, because you hope certain things get through and they, you know, you hope that I don't know. It's, it's definitely something that, you know, I think about.

a lot. And like this recent thing that just happened where they said, you know, is there an audience for this? It's meaning like an audience of women or will there be an audience for a woman's movie or a story about women. Do they think that men won't see it? Is that what they're saying? But I said, you know, I thought like, because it's definitely men, I think wouldn't like the movie as well. I think. As they did brides. Yeah. I think it definitely has that sort of both, you know, it could serve both. And, but I don't know, you know, it's like I just find myself going in circles, you know, with that conversation, I guess. It's just strange. And so like, okay, well, just kind of like.

And here I have been leading us this way, but it also just sucks that you have to worry about it, you know, that you're still, that you still, you have proven track writer of really funny stuff and you still have to have that conversation. Just really blows. And is it men saying it or is it men and women both saying it? That's the other thing, you know? That's a good, I don't know. Sometimes it's by committee, so it's hard to tell. It's hard to tell where it's coming from. Yeah.

Well, and then there's just so much fear now, too, you know. Yeah, I'm a, I can't, I feel like if I say. If you say too much, yeah. I'm always afraid, but. Nobody listens to this thing. Don't worry about it. But, yeah, it's, I think, yeah, I don't, it's both, I guess. Yes, but mostly probably, it's usually by committee where it's like, can this prove itself to can this be, can this happen?

Will people go and I'm like, Barbie just happened? Yeah. Devil was prod a two. Yeah. And, you know. Barb and Star, is that considered a. Barb and Star? Like, is that.

No, but is it? I mean, I, in my world, everyone loved it, you know, they're over there nodding. It's fucking hilarious. I mean, that was, yeah. But it came, I mean, now it's kind of considered. a cult hit, is it not? And we didn't know with that one, we have had no connection with after that the movie was released onto streaming. Yeah, because it was such a weird, it was a COVID movie. Yes. There was no tangible result for us from that one. It was really weird.

Like we, we're supposed to have a theatrical release. We had to remote edit the movie. Yeah. Because COVID hit right while we were editing. So we had to learn Zoom. and all that together and learn how to edit on Zoom. And oh my God, it was like crazy. And then we found out a couple of weeks before we were there putting us on stream. It was like, you're going on to streaming now. There's no theatrical release. So just like do whatever you guys can to promote the thing.

So we like promoted it on our own kind of. Yeah. Then we, you get reviews. And then we thought, oh, we got good reviews. We were like really excited. And then it went to goes out and it was like radio silence because you don't have any. Yeah, there's no right. No.

And there's no media structure going at that point either. No. Everyone's stuck at home. So people are watching it and enjoying it and what are they yelling it out the window? Who's going to know, you know? We had no idea. We didn't have any idea until about it was a year of silence. So we went through every emotion in that year.

And it was kind of like a loss and all this. And it's like you have a baby. Yeah. And then someone just like they take the baby. Yeah. And then you don't know where the baby is. Right, right. That's the best way I can think of like to explain it because it just felt like where did it go and what's happening.

And are people, is anyone watching it? Well, we don't have numbers. We don't have numbers. We don't have numbers. We don't have numbers. We have numbers. And we have numbers. And we have numbers.

And it was, I mean, they have numbers. You have numbers. They have numbers. Yeah. There's an algorithm thing. I mean, there's, right? Who knows what any of them? You're tuning into a box that they're fucking listening to you through that box.

And you're tuning into that box. You're telling me they don't know what you're watching. Well, the weird part was that they said, you know, it was like, we don't have numbers. We don't have numbers. We don't have numbers. And then about a year later, they called and said, hey, maybe want to talk about a sequel because it's killing on streaming. And we were like, well, how would you know if you don't have numbers?

Yeah, yeah, it's just been streaming. Yeah. How did you know it's been, but how do you know it's doing well if you don't have numbers? So we were so confused. Yeah. Because we're liars. Yeah. Yeah.

And also because, I mean, if we told you right away it was doing well, you would want money, you know. And if we don't, if we tell you, we don't know, you can't ask for more money, you know. and we don't have to pay more money and there's no more. I mean, I don't even know if they have. It's also nebulous, but they just really seem to be in the business of things aren't doing very well, you know. Right. I mean, I did. It's difficult time right now.

I did. Well, it's just, it's streaming is just weird. And I mean, it's remade show business. And in, you know, in many ways, it's what the world is now. But it also, like I was on a show, this is just, you know, I had recurring role. on Santa Clarita Diet. Okay. Which was apparently, I talked to one of the producers of it, was gigantic overseas.

Like, because, like, well, I was a good show, but also Drew Baramore, too, is overseas considered like big movie star. And it was like, well, this is a TV show with the, this is what I was told. Right, right, right. And it was doing really, really well overseas. And I remember. doing a remote with Conan in Berlin and Santa Clarita Diet posters were all over the place. And I was like, oh, okay.

And then the third season rolled around, and it became a thing of, well, all the people who are watching the show are already watching it. It's doing well. A lot of eyes are on it, but it's not getting new subscribers. So after three years, everyone comes back for a raise. You know, it's like it's time to renegotiate. Yeah. And it's like, well, why would we give you more money to do a good show that the people that already subscribe really enjoy if it's not going to really push the number of new subscribers up, which is the only way we make real money? Right.

So, yeah, fuck it. That's the trick for creative people right now. If you're on the creative end, is that the old way would pay per view or, you know. you would share in either success or failure of something, you would share in that. Yeah. But now it's like flat fees, right, that are more so something could go completely into the stratosphere and you're not, you don't see money from it. Yeah. And then or, you know, so it's like, but the purview thing, I think is kind of what's

getting. I mean, I try to figure this out every day, but I'm like, what is happening? And I'm not, I'm terrible at all this stuff. So I can't even figure it out. But it just does seem like, Because then there will be like a stranger things, like where they're just like they can't. Like it's like, oh, well, shit, we can't cover this up. Yeah. This is so huge. And everybody loves it like, oh, fuck, now we got to spend some real money on this thing. Yeah.

But then there's other things that are sort of like everyone like a Santa Clarita diet. Like everyone really likes to show. It's really doing well. And it's growing. But, you know, yeah, no, it's not growing. It's not stranger things. Right. But so how does it grow if it, that's the thing is, if it's almost like streaming almost seems like there, well, there's a cap.

Yeah, yeah. It's almost like a Ponzi thing where it's like. Yeah. But they, there's a cap on they can't. I don't even know how they do it because. No, it's, well, because it's subscription. It's the subscriptions is the new money. Yeah.

And that's why they're now saying like, well, because pretty much who isn't subscribed to Netflix at this point? Right. Right. You know what I mean? It's just like, it's kind of saturated. So they talk about like going back to fucking commercials again. So we're going to be back into regular network television but with no worker protections. Wow.

All the worker protections gone, all the residual structure that kept people participating in the gigantic successes of television. Those are all gone. Yeah. It's so, it's so strange. It's a fun world to live in right now. It's really good. Outside of show business, too, it's really great. Yeah, things are great.

Things are really getting spread around evenly. Yeah. It's really. Yeah. It's, yeah. Can't you tell my loves it grows? It's just such the Wild West right now. It's just like, and I do feel like the middle class of our business has just been wiped out.

Absolutely. And that's something I try to figure out every day too. Like I'm, I want like, there's a lot of shows. There's a lot of content. Content, in quotes. But like, the middle class seems to be gone. I don't know. It's weird.

Yeah, yeah. It's very strange. There are a tons of people that I know that were constantly working in television. And then maybe it's because it went from a local market to like an international market. I don't know. International market or what is happening, Andy? I don't know. I don't know.

It's just, it's, no, it's really, it's really sucks. Although I tell you, I love that Jamie Dornan. Oh, he's, he's, he's, I was still happy to see him in that because he's, he's, he's, I was still happy to see him in that. Because he used to come on the Conan show when he would promote the bondage mood. Where they called? Oh, 50 shades of gray. I almost said 30 shades of gray because I didn't want to give him that many shades. Yeah.

But he would come on and during the clip, they'd roll the clip and he would sit and go, oh, yeah. Like he would groan and cover his eyes while he was watching it. It was so like darling in a way. Yeah, he's so funny and so cool and so nice and classically Irish dude, you know. Yep. He's 100% just like Irish dude. Yeah, yeah.

And he said all of his friends made so much fun of him for those movies. Of course. Like, he can't. Can you imagine if one of your friends was in those movies? I mean. Oh, I'd never fucking stop. It would never be over. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, he is. He was such a, he's so funny. Yeah. And I remember like this early on, we did like a one of those, I don't know if it was like we were screened. We were testing cost wardrobe or something. We had to do these tests where you show up and you wear the wardrobe. Yeah, yeah. And they show the studio, et cetera, and they approve everything.

So we were doing a bunch of photographs, photos. And we were sitting there. And Kristen and I were like in full costume and Jamie was in the middle. And I was like, is this must be, is this just your dream? Like, it's got to be your dream job. Like you did 50 shades of gray. and now you're with these two hot broads. And he was like, actually, Golden Girls was one of my favorite shows of all time.

And I just really had a thing for Estelle Getty back then. And we were like, I was like, what? And he was serious. Really? And then he, yeah. Still Getty of all of them. I know. And he just turned, that kind of set the tone for the whole thing because he was so all in.

And he is really funny. Yeah. And I also love when people are playing something so straight, But he's just great at that as well. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're throwing ridiculous shit at him. Yeah, yeah. And he is just all in on like his crushed heart, his broken heart.

Yeah. How much he loves her, you know, Sharon Gordon Fisherman. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And the dance sequence, he was ready to go. Yeah. You know, he was flicking his toes up in the sand. He did it over and over.

I mean, he was all in. And it was just like the best. It was such a gift to meeting him and having him get involved. Yeah. Yeah, no, he's really, I love him so much. And he's so, like, his wife is so, like, lovely. And he just, he's just such a family man. Yeah.

Just, like, a genuine guy, really. He was great in that miniseries where he was a serial killer. Oh, yeah, the. I can't remember what the name of. Oh, gosh. Because I always forget the name of those. Killing, or the fall. The fall, yeah, yeah.

Yes. I watched it years ago. Yeah, he's so, I know. He can do anything. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Where is that fella? Where is that guy?

What is he doing? Come on, Jamie. Whoever you're hiding, come on out. Yeah, you know, we like to see more of you. No. Do you think, you know, because you're obviously, your dad's dentist. You know, there's not like probably a lot of like, hey, you should be in show business. Do you think growing up in Southern California made it seem more approachable?

Not really. Really? I'd say like my... You're from Irvine, correct? Yeah, I'm from Orange County, right? My mom was a, was from Argentina. She came over. She's an immigrant.

She's Italian Argentine. My dad's Italian. My family was very Italian. Like, there was a lot of culture. Very Catholic. Very, yes, very Catholic. My dad is, my grandfather is a professional musician, studio musician. And so we have this creative...

Your dad's dad. My dad's dad. We have this creative gene. our family. I see. My grandfather played all the horns and he like played with sonatra and like Dean Martin and all these guys. And so my dad grew, when my dad was growing up, he would go to the NBC lot and with my grandfather. And so my dad is also like a horn player musician, but didn't want the life that my grandfather had. So he became a dentist. So he's like a horn player at heart who became a dentist. Really? Was it just there was instability?

that he didn't like? A lot of instability. Was it all those jazz cigarettes? It was ball of the above. The jazz cigarettes, the jazz women. The jazz, you know, the whole thing. The travel. Not being a great father.

Super present father. So my dad said, you know, I want to have a family and all of that. I just can't do that life because it kind of destroyed my dad or hurt my dad and my aunt. So. Well, that's, you know. Yeah. It was a very honorable. Very prescient thing, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. And so he committed to, you know, so he had a very traditional, you know, wanted a very traditional family, but he was definitely a musician and also a huge comedian, my dad. So while I was a kid, I had a lot of anxiety. And when I discovered the movies and we started going when I was a kid, it was like, it was the perfect place for me to go, you know. And so I had this.

I want to do that. You mean just to kind of relax? Yes. Was the anxiety just a naturally occurring thing? Yeah. It was natural. And then also like I think it was helped along by the Cold War. Oh, really?

And I was hearing every day that we were going to get blown up or we were going to die. Like I remember I had this one friend that came to school when I was in sixth grade and said, my mom said, Gaddafi is going to, we're going to blow up us all up over the weekend. So I should say goodbye to all my friends. Wow. And I was like, oh, I went home and had a massive anxiety attack because I thought. And my parents were like, no, no, it's not. But so that aspect of things.

And then I just was kind of anxiously wired. Yeah. So I remember one of the first movies we saw, we went to go see the Annie movie. And I remember seeing this, seeing this, because we weren't in New York. So I hadn't been on Broadway and seen plays or anything like that. I was like, I want to be her because she's so balzy and like this orphan that's like taking on New York City and everything. And that was like my first. escapeism into movies.

And it started there. And so I loved movies and we watched tons of comedies, but my parents would not let me, you know, I say like, it's only an hour away, Los Angeles. Yeah. But my parents were like, no, you're not going anywhere near that place. It's very, it's bad for kids. It's not, you know, so I just.

They're not wrong. They're not wrong. Yeah, yeah. And now I'm grateful because I've been in, I've seen what kids go through. Yeah. You know, I didn't understand at the time at all. So I did some plays in like musicals at school and stuff.

But mostly was a not regular kind of traditional life, but I was definitely like an odd ball. They're like just kind of like a class clown, I think. Why do you think? I mean, I mean, because it just, it's something I've seen before. Anxious kid says, oh, the thing that I want to do to sort of like help me with my anxiety is one of the most anxiety provoking things that one can possibly choose to do. Yeah.

I don't know. I think I connected with that part of it then. It was more about the escapism. Oh, I see. Of going into another world and forgetting everything being like carried away. Yeah. And looking at these people on screen and like looking at them as role models or whatever. Oh, I still.

I don't want to be orphan Annie. I still go to see movies. And if I can take a vacation. from myself, it's the most powerful kind of screen experience. And it's weird because sometimes it can be like things that aren't even that good, you know, and just be. You're just required to shut out the world and shut off his phone. Get in the car and ride. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. And I, that's, I mean, I, to me, that's like the great part of one of the greatest things about movies is that you go on this journey without, you know, at home we watch stuff. But we're, everyone's checking and there's so much

noise and everyone's on their phones. Yeah, yeah. That quiet experience of being, you know, taken off somewhere. Yeah. On this journey. I always loved. But, yeah, no, I didn't have connection to it when I was a kid other than just I was, like, exploding with these, like, you know, I didn't know was early, like comedic sensibility.

Yeah. In a very traditional environment in Irvine, you know. But are you funny at school and are you recognized as being a funny kid at school? I think I was like, I think I was in the, yeah, kind of. like the class clown zone probably um yeah yeah yeah i didn't know i was you know but when i look back i'm like oh my gosh i was like yeah yeah crazy making teachers yeah making teachers mad not so much making teachers mad but i i i did like a i ran for vice president of my middle school and i did like a whole my my speech was like a comedy like a stand-up comedy routine oh yeah realize it but i was

just making tons of jokes and stuff i just didn't know it yeah yeah and then you know over years it formed into something. I discovered where to go for that. Yeah, yeah. Did you, wait, did you study theater in college? I was a history major. Oh, okay. But I loved theater. And like, so I went to Berkeley and my parents paid for my education. So I feel like, while I'm here, I'm not going to torture them by being a theater major. Yeah. I want to give them, you know, do something. History. History. History. Yeah. And that's going to take me everywhere. Yeah. But, I mean, what was the cover story? I mean, because you're like, I'm going to study history and then you're going to.

Well, my parents just wanted me to have a back. They wanted me to have a backup plan, like, you know, most parents, I think. But also, they didn't really deep down probably were terrified of me getting involved in anything to do with this business or because they knew what it was like. And so I did that. And I think my mom really had this fantasy that was going to become a lawyer. She still says to this day, she'll say, to every, she tells everybody that I was going to become a lawyer and I was about to take the LSAT. I'm like, that never happened. That never happened.

I never wanted to take the LSAT. She has whole stories about it. Annie was in there studying for the LSAT. And then she just said, you know what? I'm just going to be an actress. I was like, oh, that's nothing like what, anything that happened. What's an LSAT? Yeah, what?

But she's really dug in, she doubles down, triples down. But so I think they dreamed that I would do something like that. And then they were scared. So I did the history major thing and then did plays and stuff like that. And then when I graduated, I moved home for a very short time. I thought, I'm just going to try up there and give it a try. So I, like, moved up here, had 20 jobs, did every possible waiting tables, tutored, children's party entertainer, catering, you name it. got a little depressed.

I got sick one day and I went home and then I wasn't getting better. And my parents were like, we don't think you're sick. We think you're a little down. It made me depressed. And I was like, yeah, I think I don't know what I'm doing. And then weird thing happened where my, at that same time, my longtime childhood friend passed away. He was my neighbor. So he was like a brother to me.

And he was 26 years old. And he got this rare cancer. And we were on his, I was sitting with him like he was really sick. and he said, like, one of the last conversations we had, he said, you got to go to this place called the ground links. And I was like, what is that? And he's like, you'll see, just go there. And I went, I was like, packed up my stuff.

He passed away. And I went back and I said, I'm going to find this place. And I went there. And it was like, oh my gosh, I can't believe this place exists. I never knew anything like that. Yeah, yeah. And I found that that way. But it was a roundabout way.

I didn't have any, you know, connections here, and I didn't know anyone or anything like that. But I did start making my own, like, short films. And I was doing all kinds of stuff. I used to make films with my neighbor where we would play all the characters around a table. It would be like 10 people around a character as a table and we would play all the characters. Yeah, yeah. Even when I was in high school I made, I would make movies and videos. I just, I didn't know. And those were the days when there was nowhere to show them. Oh yeah. You know, just like to your friends and whatever. Yeah, yeah. And your parents

are like, okay. Okay. Yeah. Are there, oh, how long is this? They want to know. How long does this go on? Okay. You know. Yeah. It's amazing when you, I mean, I touched on it in this podcast. Like the, for lack of a bit, finding your tribe is just like. Such a relief.

Such a relief. Yeah. I mean, because for me, it was growing up in a small town in Illinois and feeling like, why am I so miserable? And then getting to film school. started at University of Illinois and then, you know, liberal arts. And it was a little better. It's bigger.

And I went to film school and felt like, oh, okay, I'm around creative weirdos. This is good. Yeah. But then improv class was when it was really like, oh, finally. Yeah. So did you always know you wanted to be a comedic person or was it more film in the beginning? No, it was. Well, you know, I was being funny was easy to me.

And I like being funny and I liked making people laugh because it is like, you know, it's still like it's a direct representation of happiness. So when you're doing that for people and they're doing and, you know, and then they're doing it for you. Like it's pretty great, you know. But, you know, like when I went to college and I would, you know, I was like, I'm going to be a writer. And I'd have this fucking most depressing fucking heavy bullshit because I thought that's what. Was it books or? No, short stories. Oh, short stories.

Okay. That I just thought because that's like, that's what serious writing is. Right. All my dark stuff. Yeah, yeah. There is a place for that. Yeah, no, I know. But I mean, but it's not.

It wasn't for me. Yeah, yeah. And then I got to film school and it was kind of the same way. Although I did write like for some group projects. I wrote basically some short films that were comedy sketches that, I mean, you know, I should have noticed like, oh, this does really, really well. Like, this is really, you know, something for people, you know,

matters to people much more than the sort of more, you know, heavy, morose bullshit. And also it's a cliche in film school. The first day they tell you in your, they called it Tech One, which is the first filmmaking class, no suicide movies. You can't make any movies about suicide. Because if they don't say that, you'll see. 19% of that will be. Yeah, because kids are just so, you know, they're, it's such an intimidating thing.

And I'm going to be a filmmaker and like, what's the heaviest thing? And also they're probably all, they're all like weird artistic kids who probably are, you know, thinking, you know, unactualized suicidal thoughts all the time. So like, yeah, let's give this a shot. But then I, but then a friend of mine started taking improv classes and improv classes. an Improv Olympic and I was like, oh, and I had actually looked up Second City. I'd called Second City from the White Pages to ask about taking classes. And it just seemed kind of daunting. And, you know, I was working in film production because I went to film school and got out in film production. But I still wanted to perform. And improv seemed like a terrible attention

span, wanted to act, wanted to write. It seemed like, oh, I'm doing it all at once. And I don't, there's no homework. Yeah, that's what I felt like. I was like, oh, there's There's a place for my ADHD personality. Yeah, yeah. You know, and then it's, you know, and then you just meet all these great, funny, funny people, many of whom are, you know, like there are known people today still doing this. Yeah.

My group that I came up with at the Groundlings, we, I mean, every one of them was like a marvel to me. I just, there are so many funny, we're so many funny, brilliant people that it was like every Tuesday when we would put, up our mid-stuff to be considered for the show. It was like, it was just, it was the best time of my life as far as, and I do think as I got further along, I did realize that, because we all feel the dark stuff. Yeah. And I, but when you channel it into comedy, when you make it into, when you turn it into some, make fun of yourself or make fun of it.

Yeah. Then it was like, to me, it was like, the holy grail. I was like, oh, this is like where everything's at. Yeah. Well, it's a sense of control. It's like you turn the boogeyman into a clown, basically, and into a joke. And it's like that and you can laugh at it. And it's like, you know, still doing it today, you know, the same kind of thing.

Same. I feel like I, you know, I mostly operate from that place now. Like when I write things or when I'm even in acting in things or whatever, it's like, if it's just strictly silly, I have to find the dark side that it's coming from or like the deep. where it's coming from. Yeah. Or, and I, and if I, if there's something troublesome happening, I have to turn it into something funny.

Yeah. Yeah. That's working. Sort of. Well, we'll see. We'll see. We're in the middle part now. I don't know where it's going.

Yeah. Do you, is writing and acting, are they sort of like a twin thing for you? Or do you, is there one or the other that you sort of? I definitely prefer. acting. I never considered myself a writer, but at the Brownlings, you had to write to get your stuff in the shows. Sure. And so I learned kind of like by default. And then, um, and then when bridesmaids happen, I kind of got put in that category. Like, oh, you're, because I was, I wrote on that one. Right. Because I was having kids and I wasn't in the movie or whatever. I was

initially in the movie, but, oh, we were on again, off again so many times that one of the times we were, I thought we were fully done. And then I got pregnant. And then they were like, oh, we got a green light. And I was like, yeah, right. And then we did end up going. And I was like,

I was like seven months pregnant when we shot that movie. I, we wrapped. Are you pregnant on the plane? I was pregnant there. Yeah, yeah. And I was really pregnant. We wrapped and I had my son like two weeks later. Wow.

So it was intense time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like giving birth to like, I felt like I had like eight babies. Yeah. Yeah. So because of that particular turn, And I think people are like, oh, you write it.

You're a writer. And so I most, for a while I was kind of wrestling with like, okay, I'm mostly getting writing opportunities, which are harder. Yeah. Because I have kids and writing is so difficult. Yeah, yeah. As a career. Especially with the ADHD.

Yeah. Oh, sitting down and by yourself and staring at that screen. Alone. Yeah. It's awful. My writing process is so. like it's terrible. It's just like a torture.

It's months of torture and self-loathing and just depression and like not changing. You know, it's just the whole thing. Yeah, yeah. And then getting dangerously close to the deadline and then having to squeeze it out. Yeah, yeah. Or just bleh. And then it's like, oh, right. I don't know, you know.

So, yeah, that part of it has always been so much harder for me. Yeah. acting to me as freeing and more human connection, which I more enjoy and I thrive on. But I do do both because I have to. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I know like they say if people, if you don't see the opportunities out there, create them. I'm one of those believers.

And so I just keep creating things that maybe could potentially, you know, become something. Yeah. Well, that's great. I mean, that's really admirable and great. I mean, I, that's over the years, I just wish I'd been better at that. Well, I mean, so many of them do not go through. Yeah, no, I know. I know.

98% of them. And I, I, that makes me like, you know, after the Conan show ended in 2021, the TBS show. I used to love that show. Oh, thank you. Oh, my God. But I was like, right, like, all right, world, here I come. And then it was just like, what are all these tumbleweeds doing out here, you know? And I was pitching and pitching and pitching.

And then I just was so, it was like right when everyone stopped, you know, with strikes and all that shit. Yeah. Just there was nobody buying anything. Yeah. And you'd get like, oh, well, here's a tiny amount of money for another six months of Zoom meetings that don't have any point. And I just kind of stopped. I just was like, you know what? This is just humiliating.

Well, there's there come points in this career where you start to. you can get lost, you can get very lost very easily here, you know, right? Because when you're in between jobs, which is quite a bit of the time, at least for me. You don't know who you are. Yeah, it's like you have to re-find yourself again. Yeah, yeah. You know, and it's like, you know, I know after bridesmaids, people told me, well, and I had, I had like, that movie was such a, it was five years of my life and it was rewriting and it was such a birthing process. And then when it was done, they, basically, I was told by the business.

that, you know, okay, no one knows what your contribution was because you, you co-wrote it, you know. And so you have to start over. So basically anything I did, like if I went out and did anything by myself, it was like I was starting over as like a stranger in the business. Wow. And my payment was like as a stranger coming into the business and stuff. And so that was a whole process of trying to figure out, you know what I mean? Oh, like, reforming what you're worth. Yeah. And then one kind of thing after the other of just finding, I'm still obviously figuring

it out. I feel like, you know, I don't know. But I did used to watch you guys when I was in college. Do you remember on the show when you guys did stay in your seat theater? Yeah. That was my favorite thing ever. Yeah, yeah. That was my favorite thing ever.

Oh, my God. Anyway. Anyway. Yeah. But, yeah. So, I mean, I don't know. I guess I always always write and act, but like acting for me is more freeing and more less of a torture process. Yeah, yeah.

I, that's the other thing too, is that like I'm similar, but it's, but it's not writing. It's being myself on television. It's like because I was the sidekick on a talk show. And I just thought like, well, everyone remembers that I'm primarily an actor. and then it's like, no, they don't. And so now when I get to act in something, I just did something a while ago. I did three episodes of a really good show.

And I just, like it was the first scene that I'm in, I'm supposed to not want to be there. It's like an office thing. And I'm not supposed to not want to be there. And they kept coming in and going like, no, you really don't want to be here. And I finally realized, I'm so happy to be here. that I'm having a hard time portraying like, oh, I really wish I was somewhere else when I was just so giddy about getting to say lines again, you know?

Yeah. Because, I mean, I get to, I'm lucky I get to do lots of different television things. Yeah. But it's not acting. And I, and the other thing with acting, too, is that I'm like, I'm best at it when I've been doing. Like, it's like a muscle. Sure, it's a muscle. It's like improv.

The more you work it, the more relaxed and. Yeah. So it's just like if I just do it once and twice. I just feel like I never feel like I'm back on the horse really riding. To get into a stride. Yeah, to where I will do, where I will have a day of acting and then have people say that was really good and to feel myself like that was really good. As opposed to that feeling of, I hope that was okay. You know, like driving home after a full day of doing stuff and going like, I hope that was okay.

because it's so hard to know. I constantly second guess the whole time. Yeah. And because I'm not, you know, especially if you're not on the producing or directing side of it, you don't know what you're like the control part you want is to go like, can I look at that and see? Because I know, I think I could, but you don't. You just move on.

Right, right. Sometimes they'll just move on most of the time. And so. Yeah, no, I just take their word for it. Yeah. And someone says, was that good? Okay. All right.

Yeah. You know. And you have. You have to, then you think, like, someone told me, like, if they move on, that means that means it will work. Yeah. Okay. Okay. And I have to be okay with that, even though I'm not really.

You really, but you do. You have to make yourself okay with that because, like, I have friends who are actors who will not be okay with that. They'll just sort of torture themselves and think about I could do, I could have done better. And it's like, if the director says you did good enough, you got to leave it. Just fucking move on. Typically, I kind of feel like your first or second. take was the one anyway. And the more you try to beat a dead horse, it's not going to happen anyway.

Absolutely. I agree. And that's because we're, you know, improv comedy people. Yeah. Because that's usually. Where your most honest thing comes out. Yeah. And then it's like, okay.

You know, and then the more you go, well, maybe it was this. It's like, no. Just like you're, you know. No, I often, you know, like in receiving direction, I often, when they give me a direction, they'll, like, well, do you want it to be like this? And I was, and I'll be like, I don't know. Yeah. I'll, as I do it, we'll find out.

Yeah. Because I don't know what's exactly. I'll try different things. But a lot of times stuff comes out that's like, I didn't know that was going to be there. Yeah. Oh, that was good. You know, that kind of thing. Yeah, a lot of it's instinctive.

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I know. It's more, it's exciting. And I also, and also there's this surprise, especially with comedy. Like, I used to, I used to drive Conan crazy because sometimes if there wasn't something scripted that we put together at the last minute, he'd want to

kind of rehearse it backstage or something. And he'd say, like, I'm going to say this. And then you're going to say what. And I'd be like, I'm not going to tell you. Like I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to say. We know where we're starting. We know where we're ending. We can have enough. And it would make him mad. But I'd be like, I'm sorry. I don't want to. I want to. I want, especially in those things where we didn't have to like, you know, suspend disbelief. Like we could laugh at each other. So it's like, if I'm to say something funny to you. Yeah.

I want them to be there hearing you react to it being funny. I don't want to tell you here backstage, you know. And I'm still kind of like that with acting where it's kind of, you know, they're like, what do you have for the next thing? And it's kind of like, yeah. Let me keep it in my, yeah. Because I'm not even that sure. I have an idea, but I just want to, you know.

Yeah. So that's, you know. I find like, I turn on, I try to like turn on all my senses and then just. when it's something you don't know where it's going to go. Yeah, yeah. You have to trust that it's just going to go somewhere. Yeah. I'm like trying to turn on all my senses and just see what happens.

No, it's, that's always the best. It's always, that's the most fun. Like when I used to do improv and sometimes I'd say things and I didn't even know, like it wasn't like I came up with it. It just came out of my mouth. Yeah. You were surprised. That was a good one, you know?

How about that? You prefer acting as well when it comes to. Yes, I do. Okay. I do. I mean, I like right. And I like, I like kind of the control of writing. And I, and I certainly love when I've written something and then they actually make it.

Yeah. Like that's such a thrill. Like you go show up and it's like, oh my God, they build sets. Yeah. They don't know. They don't know I'm a fucking joke. You know, like, they don't know how much I think I'm an idiot. Oh my gosh.

They're believing in me and building sets around it. Yeah. That thing that I typed in at one in the morning that I thought was going to, you know, is like now there's a whole, there's a school, there's a storefront. Yeah, 60 people put some shit together. And here we are at 6 a.m. getting ready to work on it all day. I know we felt that with Barb and Star because we had so many ridiculous, outrageous things.

And they're like, oh my God, the seafood jam is literally built on the beach right now. And there's a canon. Yep. It's awesome. There's a cannon. And it's beautiful colors. Yeah, yeah. They took time into building this canon.

Yeah. Human canon. Well, listen, we got to talk about, we got to talk about rooster because that's what you're out promoting. Currently, yes. And you play Cristle? Yes, I play a character named Crissel. Crisle. That come to find out that wasn't her original name, but she kind of took it on because someone

misnamed her and she just accepted it. That's fantastic. Yeah. And so, yeah, I play this character and it's, you know, it's Steve Correll's plays this author. of kind of these like male adventure novels. He's like a hero in the novels. And he goes on to this current like modern college campus and gets his comeuppance.

Come up and. Well, yeah, it's almost like he gets, he has a new, what's the word? He certainly gets his ass handed to him by the students. But also it's not about that. I mean, his character's goodhearted and kind. And so it's more about him learning and kind.

you know, being on this college campus and this relationship with his daughter. Yeah. You know, and where his parenting has brought him and all of that and stuff. So I play the secretary to the dean. Uh-huh. And who's John C. McGinley. Uh-huh. And Steve and I have a relationship.

Oh. That's a little, I don't know what the word is. It gets Todry at times. Nice. But she's not someone you would expect for things to go in that direction. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's fun. Classic christle.

Classic chrysal. Classic chrysal. Yeah. Well, it's, I mean, I actually, it's on my to-do list. You know, I have a six-year-old. So like, no, believe me. You know how it is. It's like TV, it's, she goes to bed and I'm like, let's see.

I could stay up another hour or get in bed myself. Oh, yeah. It's not, it's almost, you have to really, fight for that time. Yeah. It's when you do get it, it's like fragments of things that you might see. Oh, yeah. There are huge shows that I missed when I was like a single mom.

I mean, I missed for like the first 10 years of my kids life. I missed huge shops. I'm not saying this one is, but I'm just saying I missed a lot. So I feel out of the loop when people like, you know, like, you know, this. And I'm like, oh, yeah. I'm like, uh-huh, yeah. I don't want to say. I just never got to see that one.

Yeah, no. Some of them I, like the wire escaped me. and and I watched it like front to back over about a you know three week period but never but people talk about the wire and I'd just be like yeah oh yeah that guy

that's really great yeah the wire yeah I did the same thing I missed the wire yeah that was one the first one that was actually the one I was thinking of when I brought this up yeah there were a lot of shows like that and I missed a lot so yeah I totally You've got little kids. Well, everyone else, discover Rooster with me on HBO.

Created by Bill Lawrence, love that guy. And Steve Carell is about the nicest person on the planet. He sure is. You can't get nicer. It just doesn't get nicer. Well, Annie Mamalow, thank you so much for coming in and spending this time with me. It was great talking to you. Thanks.

It was great talking to you, too. Could you please just go and fix comedy for women? Oh, God. Please. I mean, it would be. I'm out there every day getting sh sh-hummled. Pummeled. I was going to say getting shot at, but that's not really.

I thought you were going to say getting shit on. Getting shit on as well. All of those things. And and shot at. And pummeled. Oh, that's humiliation on humiliation. Yes. Shit on and shot at?

And I have my memoir title. There you go. Shit on and shot at. You're welcome. Thank you. All right. Thank all of you for listening. I'll be back next week with more of the three questions.

The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a team Coco production. It is produced by Sean Doherty and engineered by Rich Garcia. Additional engineering support by Eduardo Perez and Joanna Samuel. Executive produced by Nick Leow, Adam Sacks, and Jeff Ross. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, with assistance from Maddie Ogden. Research by Alyssa Graal. Don't forget to rate and review and subscribe to the three questions. with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts.

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