The Three Questions with Andy Richter - D'Arcy Carden

Episode Date: August 29, 2023

D’Arcy Carden joins Andy Richter to discuss falling in love with comedy, their support of the ongoing SAG strike, the secret to good scrambled eggs, actors at the picket line, and more.

Yay! Hello everybody! You're here listening to The Three Questions. I'm here today with the wonderful and lovely Darcy Carden. Hello, Andrew. Hello. Star of stage, small screen, and except, you know what? This is the weird thing. I've had people canceling because of the strike, because they're promoting things.

I'm not promoting shit. So we're not promoting things. Okay. No, I ain't promoting shit. Yeah, yeah. I'm promoting like, what am I promoting? I'm promoting like,

I had a really good popsicle yesterday. No, that's what's nice. I'm very grateful that you came in. Have you been picketing much? Yes, I have. I'll go after this too. You're in such a good spot. I know.

You can take your pick of pickets. You got a few different places here. But I drove by a couple pickets on the way here and I honked and I was like, I'll be there in a minute. Yeah, I went yesterday. and it's really fun. Yeah, it's nice. It feels, you know, like I was just telling somebody today, like it's very rare in life that you feel like, I'm like almost 100% sure I'm right.

Totally, totally. Because this really is, you know, I don't know. You know, I'm always evaluating, taking an inventory. Yeah, Because this really is, you know, I don't know. You know, I'm always evaluating. Taking an inventory. Yeah. This one really feels. Really right. Really right.

Yeah. It just is. With so many things, so many political things, if I hear the other side of something, I'm always like, oh, yeah, actually, that makes sense, too. Right, right. But with this one, I'm like, nah. Nah. Nah. This is, we're right.

Yeah, yeah yeah yeah but it does i i do think though it needs to stop yeah uh fairly shortly because um that right now all over this town there are actors with megaphones with you know bullhorns yeah that just won't do it's not no no and i'm an actor it's not good for anyone I know children passing by I know to hear all that need I know I'm also curious I have so many you know we both have so many WGA friends I'm sure you're WGA yes yeah that I I should ask them like what the difference is in these last couple weeks between when it was just writers picketing and now actors like I mean the the outfits I've seen on the picket line,

I'm like, oh God, just rolling my eyes at actors. I'm like- And the little scenes that our people are playing, like just as someone drives by and honks. And then like, you know, it's like, oh my God, Norma Rae is here. Yeah, I know. Writers are cool.

Actors, we're different. Like, yeah, yeah. They both, both groups need attention. Yes, yes, yes, but in different ways. Yeah. Both groups need attention. Yes, yes, yes. But in different ways. Yeah. Bigger, stronger ways. No, actually, it was funny.

People were talking about that. Yeah. I was a writer-actor. I was like, it is a lot more fun since SAG is here. Yeah, okay, good. Like, it's a different crowd. Like, there's a lot of, like, you know. But I bet there's, like, text chains where the writers are like, I miss the good old days.

Yeah, yeah. When it was just us. When there wasn't karaoke. Exactly. Yeah, less karaoke, less like Instagram presence. Yeah, yeah. Just imagine dragons. Yeah.

We got to imagine dragons. Yeah, we'll never get to imagine dragons again. Has this, were you shut down from doing current stuff? Yeah. Like were you working on something that had to stop not not like shut down in the middle of it

but we would we would be shooting League of Their Own like in a basically right now okay yeah well that's good

let it cool down a little bit let it cool down oh yeah I know where is that that we shoot that in Pittsburgh

oh and it's hot as hell I know thank you AMTPMP whatever the fuck it is. I'm on their side. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Keep me out of Pittsburgh in August. It's just a sauna. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And you're playing baseball out in the, yeah. It's rough, but it's not really rough. No, I know.

I know. It's not, but yeah, but it is. Like that is being hot is, I really feel like a good professional in terms that I, you know, suck it up. And I'm a good wait. I wait patiently, you know, like that's, cause I know like that's what you're there for.

But when it gets, when I'm hot, that's when I just start to be like, cause I'm sweating off the makeup and now I'm going to sweat through the clothes. And I just, you know. I know, you're like, I know, I know. I'm the exact same way. I'm sweating off the makeup and now I'm going to sweat through the clothes. And I just, you know. I know. You're like, I know. I know. I'm the exact same way.

I'm the exact same way. I feel like a good little soldier. I'm never going to ask like what time we wrap. I'm just here to do my job. But when it's hot, I'm like, we really shouldn't be standing in the sun and we're just waiting around. Can we go inside that Taco Bell? Right.

You know. I know. I get like heat angry. I get it at my house too. My poor sweet husband is like, how can we cool this house down? You're acting like an insane person. Yeah, I get heat angry and Jason, my husband, gets like cold angry. Oh.

I know. You have a gender mirror difference from my marriage. I think it is gender different. But no, but I mean, I'm always. No, I feel like usually the man is the hot one. Yes, yes. I think it is gender different. But no, but I mean, I'm always- No, I feel like usually the man is the hot one. Yes, yes. I know, I know. Yeah. I'm masculine as hell. Yours is. Yeah, yeah. That's all right. Yeah, and he's very feminine. Yes. I mean, in a way, he's very pretty. He is so pretty. I know. Yeah, no, we have the same. Yeah. We have a thermostat battle. Although now it's kind of like not even a battle. Yeah. It's

just like a, you turn it off, I'm going to turn it on. Yeah, we're just adjusting. Yeah. And if you turn it off, I'll give it a while. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then once I, you know, I can always, because with my wife, I can always be like, it was 84 in here.

Yeah. It was 84 in this house. So I'm going to turn it to 68. I'm going to turn the air conditioning on. Yeah. I love being cold. Since I was a child. Yeah.

I used to sleep in front of a box fan on the floor. Yeah. Also, that's part of it is Jason's dad. I wonder, Jason's dad liked the house to be freezing cold. Oh, did he? He's almost like, when I'm an adult, I'm going to have the hottest house imaginable. I'm going to ruin the world. I'm going to ruin the environment for it.

Turns out global warming is all your husband. Yeah. Well, you started your interest in acting very young. See? Yeah. Yeah, I did. And how does that come about? Well, I mean, your dad was kind of in the music business, right?

Yeah, yeah. Not in the magazine. But it was music. Yeah, yeah, music magazine. He had a music magazine. So in the music business, yeah. But not in the Hollywood world. Right.

Although it's all a little bit kissing each other. Right. You know, rock stars. Well, didn't your mom do music and stuff? My mom, not as a musician, but she worked, you know, she and my dad had this music magazine in, like, the 70s and 80s and 90s. And, yeah, that being in, being, you know, they were a part of, growing up in the Bay Area, there was, like, a big music scene,

a huge music scene, especially back then. I'm sure there still is. So we just sort of they they really included i'm saying they meaning like my my i have there's four siblings and they just included us in their world so we would like go to these events with them and go to concerts with them all the time and um it was such a cool way to grow up i bet it was so was so cool. I bet. I don't know. They taught us early just to be cool. You know what I mean? Not freak out if we get to meet whoever, like whatever rock star we just saw on stage. They're just normal people and we don't ask for autographs and we don't ask

for pictures. And I think if we had sort of like disobeyed or or freaked out or whatever they just would have stopped bringing us to things but we never did oh that's good you know yeah yeah yeah living in fear of the hammer dropping i know i know your access to the spice girls exactly exactly yeah it's funny like it wasn't exactly that it wasn't like it would be like well we got you know through dad and mom's work we got good seats at say the spice girls but it wasn't like we got to go back and meet them it was more the bay area artists that like my dad and mom had sort of come up with like you're huey lewis's oh you're carlos santana's and do they come to the house too not not really

yeah they ever i mean like maybe maybe I feel like maybe like Eddie Money came over. Great kid. Like these 80s rockers. I would love if Eddie Money had come over. But yeah it wasn't it wasn't we were like up against the

music scene. Meaning like my family. My dad was in it. But the family was sort of like you know we were like i feel like we went to some wedding some somebody in huey lewis's band we went to their wedding things like that yeah like just yeah um but it was really lovely and it was just um it was so exciting and i don't know i think my siblings and i were just like very aware of the um i guess the privilege but i don't mean that even in like a in a bad way yeah like what you knew that you had it good yeah yeah it was so cool yeah i think i think that it's always interesting i think that there's a lot of people that end up doing fun stuff because

when they're young they're sort of exposed to fun yeah on a way that's not like disneyland or something that's like i mean i remember when my son was little coming to the set and getting to like ride on a motorized kind of camera dolly thing around the tarmac of a, I think it was the Van Nuys Airport. And just in the drive home from the car seat, him going like, dad, you have a really fun job. I love that so much. That's so cool.

I know I do, yeah. My nephew Dash, who's like 12 now, but when – I thought there was something coming after Dash. My nephew Dash, dance instructor. Dashel. Yes. My sister brought him and his sister Georgia to the set of The Good Place

and the director let Dash like call action and cut and I remember being like oh this is gonna change his damn life

this is like really cool it's just like giving a kid a peek into this little world where you're like oh this is actually

something people can do do you want to fly the plane yeah exactly like sure yeah yeah no it's fun it is fun and I mean and God bless him where you're like, oh, this is actually something people can do. Do you want to fly the plane? Yeah, exactly, exactly. Like, sure. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, it's fun. It is fun.

And I mean, and God bless them for, you know, giving you that. Now, did, were they, you think it was easy for them to support you on kind of the, you know, the iffy traveling, you know, the iffy road of? I do think it was, you know, what I've found, what I have found out later is that it wasn't as easy as they made it seem. Like, I think only in my sort of adult life have they kind of admitted like how tough it was for them. But they were really supportive. Like my dad has almost a different memory of what it was like. He felt like he was deterring me with things he would say. You know, like he always says he thought was deterring me with with things he would say you know like he he always

says guilty conscience he thought I would be like a CEO and I think he thinks he was like pushing me that way but I think what I remember my dad pushing me towards is like you can do whatever the hell you want yeah I remember being a kid nice and this is like I remember feeling like my dad thinks I can be like a major league baseball player or like the president. It was more like that. It was less. So I know that every audition I had, my mom would be really stressed out and she would want to check on me but not really want to check on me. Oh, wow. But I always felt really supported and and um they questioned it are you sure you want to do this and are you sure you want

to like major in theater you dummy right are you sure okay okay are you sure you want to move to new york are you sure and then but but they did support me and to jump to like post-college i got involved in the upright citizens brigade ucb. And they kind of treated it like it was, I don't know, grad school. They were so, they were like, this is where you should be. You know, like, we'll help you with this when you need help financially.

And it was so like, how lucky. Yeah. It was great. They're not wrong. Right. You know, I mean, really in a way it is kind of, it is like. know a technical school what would have been better what would have been better yeah yeah exactly yeah to end up doing this

and also i think improvisation i mean there's so much of it now but it is the one thing that it does really give you is the ability to be completely unintimidated by most performance things maybe not completely but largely unintimidated because you're used to – I always – throughout my entire career, I've always felt like, well, yeah, but they're words. Yeah. Like, they're words. You don't have to think stuff up. Totally.

You just say the words they give you. Yeah. And that's like – because that for me was, you know, like, I got to think of stuff to say, you know? That for me was like, I got to think of stuff to say, you know? And then after doing it for so long and, you know, figuring it out and finding out how to do it, it just, because you studied improv for forever, right? Like me. Like we just, we both did it for so long before sort of things started taking off career wise. Yeah. That, yeah, it does feel like, oh, I kind of am ready for anything.

Yeah. that it does feel like, oh, I kind of am ready for anything. You love improv so much that it doesn't feel like a chore or you're learning. It doesn't feel like school. It's like playing a sport or something. It's so fun. But you are, I don't know, the things that it's teaching you, I can't even really, I don't even know the bottom of it. I mean, I did feel like when I got on the set of The Good Place,

I did feel ready. And I think if I didn't have the improv years under my belt, I would have felt so much more intimidated. Yeah, yeah. But I felt like, oh, I think I can do this. That also, I'm guessing, was a really, really nice set. Because there's a lot of play. You know, you can get a very huge variation in terms of just set vibe.

And just knowing the people involved in that show, it's like. It was so nice. I bet it was really nice. And Barry, too. I mean like to have those to be like my starting out yeah like hitting me like just so just nice just in like i mean you had ted dancing and and kristin bell yep who both are just you know like suspiciously what's going on yeah but but then you got henry winkler on the other hand you know like it is like the best of

the best yeah the best. Yeah. And I really, yeah, I really feel that. And Mike Schur and Bill Hader, it's like, it's really, really like. I wasn't forgetting them. No, no, no, I know. That did sound like I was like, and Andy, there are others. Don't forget the, yeah, yeah.

You didn't mention these two. No, that fucking Hader's a prick. I, yeah, I really feel so, so lucky that I got to do those with such nice people. Oh, my God. So lucky. Yeah. I'm like, when people talk about like, you know, the horrors of Hollywood, I'm like, not for me. I've yet to see it.

Yeah, no, it's well, it is. I think, you know, I think people generate their own good luck in that sense. But, I mean, you know, there's time without you to eventually. I know, I know. Not that it's been 100% great. It hasn't. Right, right, right. But largely lovely.

Yeah. Can't you tell my love's a girl? Yeah. There's something about being in comedy, and I do do more, and I love to do more, but having a lot of what I do be comedy. Is that good grammar? Having a lot of what I do be comedy. Yeah. Okay.

Good tracks. It does feel like, you know, a group of people that like to play and have fun. And, you know, I know comedy can get really weird and competitive and all that stuff. But I don't know. But those are the people that are missing the point. Yeah. Yeah.

I don't want to be that. Yeah. Those are the people that are like. That's rough. Yeah. Like, what are you doing? I know. What are you doing this for?

I know. It's too hard to get into and make a living at. And now you're going to not have fun while you're here? Yeah. Yeah. It's such a bum get into and make a living at, and now you're going to not have fun while you're here? Yeah, yeah. It's such a bummer. I know. That thing where you, like, you won, you do something funny, and then the competitive comedy person, like, steals it on the next take or whatever.

I'm like, oh, I don't want – I don't – you take it. You take it. I don't want anything to do with you. I would – you know, like, you hear things like that or you hear you know and you think like wow that's weird or does that really happen and then I you know and then I meet people to it never happened to me yeah but I have met people to whom it actually happened yeah where like uh there's a rewrite next run through all of my funny lines are being and nobody says anything to them yeah just gives them all the lines to the the star yeah and it just is like

that would create such a like so much tension and strangeness and also but to be the star i know give me those funny lines it's like do you not see that maybe this isn't good for the long run yeah like this is like you know like if you if you're not funny enough with your own lines and you're the star of the show, there's something going on that you really need to go talk to somebody about. I'm like about to quote another podcast and I can't even think of like the actual name of the person that they were referencing. But on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, she was interviewing Carol Burnett and Carol was talking about one of her first jobs in TV. I can't remember who that would have been with. I'm so young. She was in like, it was like Jack Parr or Steve Allen or somebody like that.

But she was telling a story about how he would give his lines to her and the other funny people, which is just like he was the star. Yeah. And he, you know, he would be like give this one to carol give this one like they'll be able to do it better than me i'm like oh that's so cool that is nice yeah yeah and i'm sure influenced her heavily i i would think yeah yeah yeah oh yeah yeah no but i think also too i think that you know that that this doing this stuff because it is so weird and there is so much attention on you as an individual

and it can mess with your ego in ways that unless you have a strong character, you can be susceptible to. And if you have somewhat of a stronger character and people say, give you the hint, like you can't do anything wrong. And you go like yes i can i know me yeah i know i can do things wrong i think that it kind of galvanizes whether you're a shit or whether you're nice you know and that people either kind of they they diverge you know yeah but you know there's always redemption though i mean there's i knew people who were kind of used to be kind of shitty and now they're a lot nicer so yeah that, that's really good. That actually works out nicely. And they like their, their careers didn't take a hit or not even, uh, sometimes I, I also know people

whose careers, they, they careers took a hit. They got a little humility and some of them, the humility stuck. And then there's other ones I've all, and I mean, I wish I could say, I have nothing, nothing but contempt for this person. Oh, wait, you'll have to tell me off mic. This person, and it's also from being on a talk show. So you see people over a period of decades, literally. Yeah. Riding high, fucking prick.

Eating shit, coming back a little more humble. Yeah, I bet. And even like some self-reflection, like, you know, I didn't behave in the best way. Get another thing that's going well. Hey, look who it is again. The jerk. Totally. And that's just who they are.

And that's just who they are. That's just who they'll always be. What an interesting peak you have had into that. Because also like you're seeing people socially, you're seeing people backstage, and you're seeing people on stage. Yes. people backstage, and you're seeing people on stage. Yes. And that shows you.

I mean, on stage is just such a, you know, I'm sure some people are putting on such a front and some people are who they are. Like, you must get such a, you have such a unique glimpse into the last 30, 20, 30 years. Yeah, well, 93 was when the Conan Show started. So, yeah. 30. 30. Okay, I'm like, 40? No, 30 years? Yeah, well, 93 was when the Conan show started. So, yeah. 30. 30. Okay, I'm like, 40? No, 30 years of Hollywood.

Yeah. Damn, Andrew. And it's, well, and also in like kind of a, like in a way that there's an added element to it that always made me understand showbiz spouses. Like my own ex-wife's and current wife's path and other friends of mine's, you know, like if it's a famous woman, her husband, if it's a famous guy, you know, or whatever, you know, if it's two women, the famous one. And meaning like the way the spouse gets like.

The way that they get brushed off. Looked through. Yes. Yeah. Because I mean, I've had and, you know, I mean, and I am certainly, I am a performer. I have an ego. You know, Conan and I have a similar skill set. You know, so it's not as if I was like, you know, the band leader.

Right, right, right. Or something. Like, we have similar skill sets. And just having to be there a lot of times, there's somebody, like, I love the show, and then handing me a camera

to take a picture wow you know just like and which is truly truly i mean yes it's of course it's on some level it's a little insulting right it's mostly just funny it is funny and weird totally weird and weird because there's even been i've been with him where times where people are all talking to him and stuff and then it's's almost as if they wake up and like, oh, you're here too. Or guests that would come on the show, their good old buddy Conan commercial break. How's it going?

Like, why would I be friendly and decent to this guy? Totally. I mean, that type of stuff, I'm like, never forget that. I hold on to almost all of it. I mean, some of it you know but i mean but there's also it also kind of like just people at because being asked about like and this is your interview no it's yours actually um i would i could talk to you about your 30 years i mean i you know i'm such a huge fan of you and and i started watching the show when i was a kid and i mean what like i i've told you

this before but you and conan like shaped my not that i'm so much younger than you but i was in that formative but you're younger than me yeah yeah but i mean and we weren't that old when we got on tv for the first time so you guys really really shaped my comedic sensibility and sort of showed me what i've talked about this especially with like real conan and andy heads like like drew tarver do you know drew tarver yeah i love i do too we've talked if i could put like if i could put money on somebody just in terms of like that guy's gonna be huge oh i drew totally agree i would buy stock in Drew Tarver all day. Me too. He's fucking wonderful. The best.

And hasn't even like, as great as you've seen him, he has more. Yeah. Absolutely. But he and I have talked about how, you know, becoming obsessed with you guys at a younger age, like it was almost like a language you would speak. And if somebody else spoke that language, it was like a shared yeah you know letterman was that yeah exactly or like monty python or something like that where you're like oh you you get that too great we we see the same like we we're the same we have the same sense of humor and and which was so nice as like a weird young kid oh it's i mean and it's the thing that the work thing that I am probably proudest of is having the effect on people younger than me who are serious about comedy, i.e. me, just younger.

Yeah. And then being a formative influence on people now out being formative influences on other people. Yeah. It's just, it's, you know. You can't even. Yeah. It's like you say, it's like, it's like, you know, UCB being grad school. Like this is like, it's, it's like being a professor emeritus of comedy or something.

Yeah. It's almost too big to like wrap your head around, I think. Because it's really. I don't, I don't, I can't spend a lot of time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm very proud of it. And I have to remind myself, just given the date, how every minute has 60 seconds in it. Yeah.

I have to remind myself, no, no, you're not the lazy slob that you think you are all the time. Right, of course. You're the one who's with you all the time. Yeah, you've actually done some things. Yeah. You've done some things that are nice. You sure have. You sure have. You're not the lazy slob that you think you are all the time. You're the one who's with you all the time. Yeah, you've actually done some things. Yeah, you've done some things that are nice. You sure have. You sure have.

You're cool. But yeah, it is being in that position has been – I've gotten to watch a lot of showbiz happening over the years. And I mean, you know, it's interesting. Then you start to do it and it is kind of like, well, I think you touched on it, too. The amount of real people, like people that you meet and you're like, OK, I'm talking to the person. Yeah. You know, then that's kind of it's surprisingly rare. I know.

You know, I know. It's nice. Yeah. When you see that, you're like, oh, no, that's I mean, I say that about about the people you've mentioned, like Henry. People always say, is Henry Winkler really as nice as he seems? Even more. And he is. He's even better.

He's even better. Because he's realer. He cares more. Henry, I just did a Broadway play in New York City, America. Yes, it was the Thanksgiving story. The Thanksgiving play. The play, yeah. And Henry would call me every Monday because he knew that was like the day we were off.

Yeah. Just to check in. How did this week of shows go? What did you learn? What happened? What did, who, you know? It was like, he really is like, he's all that you hope he is, but then also more. Yeah, yeah.

Because it's not surfacy. I love him so much. I just think it's hilarious that he was Fonzie. I know. Like of all the people that you could pick to be like the supernatural cool guy that can start machines by punching them. It's like, Henry? I love it.

Yeah, it's really fantastic. It's really great. Well, at what point did you start to really think you were going to make a living out of this I mean and you know

you had like you said you had some backup from your parents yeah there was the making a living I went through

like such ups and downs with I don't know what confidence or like being sure of myself and you know

I kind of went in like all or nothing i guess into this like career path i really was just like from a pretty young age i was like this is what i'm doing yeah there you know people would be like what else might you want and i'm like nothing this is it yeah yeah um and i and i just have you have to have this weird little delusion where you're like it's gonna work it's gonna work yeah and you know you know the like um statistics that it isn't isn't gonna work yeah you know the odds yeah but but you have to sort of believe in yourself and have this sort of I don't know yeah delusion and yeah with every like success and failure, it really can reshape how you see your future.

With every, you know, in college, if it's like, I didn't get in the play. Yeah. I didn't even get in the play in my college. So how am I ever going to make it happen? Oh, did that happen? Yeah, yeah. Things like that. Wow.

But you know, but then the next semester, oh, I got in the play. Yeah. I'm the lead of the play. So obviously it's going to work out. You know, like that type of the ups and downs. I wasn't right for the other play. Exactly. Yeah lead of the play. So obviously it's going to work out, you know, like that type of the ups and downs. I wasn't right for the other play. Exactly. Yeah.

Exactly. And then moving to New York and, and, you know, all of a sudden it's like, oh, everybody was the lead in the play or whatever, you know, like then it's like. Like it was a round Robin thing. Yeah. Or every, yeah. It just was this. Yeah.

There was just sort of. Oh, you mean everybody that you get. Yeah. That I'm in contact with now. You're stepping up to. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, we were all that. get, yeah. That I'm in contact with now. You're stepping up to, yeah, yeah. Oh, we were all that. Right. And you were even more.

Like, you just sort of compare yourself and, you know, it's kind of impossible not to. So, I mean, am I even answering your question? It's what we do. As the kind of apes we are. I know. We compare ourselves. And you just, you're never going to not be able to. I know.

You tell yourself to not, but it's really. And also, there's a lot of, like, it's a good healthy way to sort of like. Like. Check yourself. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. Yeah.

I know. But man, it feels, it can feel shitty. Or it can feel great depending on where you are. Right. Exactly. You know. And then I think it, you know, I was doing tons of improv in New York and sort of had my career goals sort of became weirdly focused on UCB and improv where it was like, I almost forgot about the goals of like, I want to be in a

movie someday or I want to be on TV. It was like, I've got to get on that team. I want to perform on Saturday nights, you know what I mean? Or like, I got to get on that team. I want to perform on Saturday nights, you know what I mean? Or like, I want to travel with the UCB. So I sort of spent a few years sort of hyper-focusing on UCB, which I think ultimately is fine, but maybe- Well, yeah. I mean- Yeah. Yeah.

But maybe put me behind a little bit career-wise, you know? Oh, really? I just, I feel like I spent like years hyper-focused on UCB or, you know. Were you not doing auditions? Were you not like doing due diligence on getting actor agent? I kind of was, but like, I was so satiated with like my night, you know, nightly or weekly or whatever. Like, like I was performing so much and I had all these like mini goals at UCB that I was checking off the list that I was like, I'm good.

I'm doing fine. Yeah, I do have to babysit for 12 hours a day in order to like pay my rent and I'm not getting paid jack shit to do these shows, which I totally get. Yeah. But, you know, I, yeah, I would like audition for a random commercial here or there.

I was rarely auditioning for TV in New York. Yeah. There wasn't a lot of TV to audition for. Yeah. And, yeah, you, I don't know. That was the big, after spending so much time in New York and not having like a lot to show for it other than one bazillion hours of improv. Yeah. one bazillion hours of improv.

I was like, oh, I got to take this seriously and move to LA and get an agent and a manager and all that stuff and really take this seriously. And maybe I missed it. Maybe it's too late. Shoot. Maybe I should have done that about five years ago or eight years ago. Did you have a contingency in your mind when you had to deal with those thoughts?

Meaning like, if this doesn't work out i'll i'll get my real estate license yeah i didn't really other i think it was like i will teach improv and all you know which which was i was doing and was loving and coaching and and you know getting by yeah you know there was this time where i had moved to LA and I was not – I don't know. I had been here for a few years and I sort of had like a moment where I realized I had missed it. I had missed my like opportunity. Or thought. Yeah.

But realized like, oh, but I get to like perform improv with the funniest people in the world. And I'm like happy. Yeah. And I get like happy. Yeah. And I get to like perform at this theater and I get to, you know, coach improv. Like just the feeling of like, I didn't quite do what I set out to do, but like it's a little bit different,

but it's still okay. Yeah. And then as happens, as this happens, I got Good Place and Barry like a few months later or even sooner. It was like within, you know, it was like brain realized, brain settled, brain was happy with life. And then immediately this other thing came along. Yeah, yeah.

You know, which I think is pretty common. I think. Yeah, I think so. Well, I mean, it's a very healthy reaction you have, you know, to be like, I'm happy and I'm fulfilled. Like, and especially like in the need business which is what we're in yeah it's like to find someone that's like oh no what i have is enough it's like that's not usually yeah and i mean i'm saying it like i still would have been looking at that person over there that person over there and been like oh god they get

they get to do the thing i want to do that but but but but it was but so i'm not saying i was like perfectly happy in every way but it was like a i feel like my brain took a deep breath and he's like no no this is okay this is okay yeah you're you're okay what was um did you did you notice a uh like from doing from being and i mean specifically as a woman being a woman in theater and then going into a woman in improv comedy. Because just in my lifetime, a woman in improv comedy means a different thing. Because when I started, there was like a woman on a team. You know, like, well, you need a little pinch of woman over here. You need to have a mummy.

Yeah, yeah. And did you see a difference going from theater into improv yeah yeah for sure yeah and and i know you know when i was coming up it was very similar i think only recently has the improv world changed to be a little more equal yeah a little more equal a little more you know but yeah but i mean but there's but it was the same when i was coming up it was definitely like one woman per team. Yeah. And not that that was like a rule.

That was just sort of the average. That was just what it sort of was. It was logistics or demographics, I guess. Yeah. And if there was like two or three women on the team, it would be like, whoa, okay. Whoa, the woman team. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, you know know coming up in theater

i guess i haven't really thought about this but theater is so like gendered it is pretty equal pretty balanced yeah i mean maybe i'm sure studies and books and i'm sure there's this has been delved into and i don't know this but maybe there are maybe there are more roles for men i don't know it feels like there's a lot of great women roles for women in plays in plays yeah no that's my that's the feeling i get too is that like when i like if i think about you know if i was to like name movie stars i probably would name a bunch of men yeah and if i was to name like theater broadway's theater theater stars, I would start with like five women. For sure.

That's interesting. I don't know. I've never really thought about that either. But like why is that? I don't know. It's just, it's a, yeah. Theater's a much, well, I mean, you know, no, the world, I was going to say theater's a much better place to be a woman. But it's like, you know, the world's not.

Yeah. The world can be a shitty place to be a woman just generally. So, but yeah, it is. I don't think I was thinking a ton about gender when I was, you know, coming, like coming up in, in college and doing theater. I'm trying to think like when I, I did, I did take one like comedy class in college, but it was, it was sort of, I went to this really like Shakespeare-ish like, you know, plays, theater, like the classics. So the comedy class that I took was literally like a clowning class where we like wore a red nose and everything. And I was the only gal in that. And that was maybe the beginning of like, oh, huh, why am I? Yeah, yeah, yeah. to be the beginning of like oh huh what's why aren't why am i yeah yeah and um but yeah so so i did i came up in a strange time at ucb or in in the like improv comedy world where

it was like right before i mean it sounds like the middle ages like obviously we knew we were feminists we were all like we want equal sure but also i was kind of like i better just do a good job and not make a fuss you know what i mean i'm like i'm lucky to be here or whatever right and i'm on a team and i don't want to be the the woman that's complaining about there's you know not other women so i better just be as good or better than these guys so they don't like hate me right and i wouldn't recommend that now we're more like let let's stand up for ourselves. Absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah. But at the time, that's like what my sort of survival tactic was. I mean, the men I worked with were wonderful. I'm not saying like they would have been like, get out of here, chick. Right. I just mean that's sort of the learned behavior. Absolutely. Well, whenever I when you come into a situation and you're one, like say there's eight people and you're one of, they're all seven something else.

Yeah, yeah. They're all left-handed and you're right-handed. You're like, you know. Right. I guess I better be kind of lefty-ish, you know, or whatever. It's just. Yeah. Especially if you, you know, and like you say, if everybody's operating in good faith and it's something you want to do.

Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, it has. I mean, there's just been an evolution too. And I, because I always used to think like it's just because boys are socialized to be funny and they're rewarded for being cut up. Right. Whereas like little girls are like, don't, honey, it's not. Be quiet.

Too loud. You're being weird. Yeah, yeah. You're drawing attention to yourself. Yeah. But now there's so many funny, you know. Yeah. A huge difference to me, I think, was social media.

Oh, yeah. Because there was a lot of women that had direct access to an audience. Yeah. And there were no gatekeepers. Totally. With ideas about how women could be funny or what women should be funny. You know. Especially, yeah, I think you're right.

Like on early days of Twitter. Yeah. You know, just being Especially, yeah, I think you're right. Like on early days of Twitter, just being like, oh, I've never, like this woman, I didn't know she, I mean, that also has to do with being a writer. Sometimes you don't know how funny a writer is. Right. But getting, yeah, direct access to their thoughts. Yeah.

I did, you know, like my parents were really like supportive with, I don't even know how to explain this, supportive about me being funny. Yeah. They never made me feel, like, quiet down. Right. And I was loud and wild and crazy as a kid. Yeah. And they were, I didn't get the feeling of, like, quiet down.

They really, like, you know, supported, I don't know how to say supported. They laughed. That's the word. Right, right. Exactly. They laughed. Exactly. They laughed. That's the word. Right, right. Exactly. They supported me by laughing a lot. Yeah. Well, yeah, it's just don't discourage your kid from being themselves.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, that's nice. But I think a lot of parents do. Yeah. I don't know. I feel lucky. I do feel really lucky. I'm going to, because now I got a little kid and I got't know. I feel lucky. I do feel really lucky. I'm going to, you know, because now I got a little kid and I got older kids.

And I'm at a point now where, like, I'm not even sure because I think of people, like, I listen to Howard Stern a lot. And I hear Howard, like, you know, like a huge engine for him was trying to please his father because his father was kind of not reachable right you know and and i just hear that and like i mean i won't get into it with my dad but like i never worried about whether or not i was pleasing my dad yeah so and i mean i never really worried that much i mean i was it was i was in the kind of the same boat where they were like, whatever you want to do, do it. Yeah. And so I did what I wanted to do, but I never like, oh, my God, what are they going to think? I was just like, well, they're going to think what they're going to think. Yeah. Yeah.

And I don't know if like, so if I'm missing some kind of engine. Oh, right. Like that, like I need because I'm kind of like, no, you know. Meaning like, I don't have to like, I don't have some pride to like, yeah,

I've got to prove it to those people. I've always just kind of been like, we'll see. Make a living. I think it's pretty good. Yeah, yeah.

It's pretty nice. Yeah, I know it is. I know. I mean, you can't really like go down that path of like, what would be different

if daddy hated me? I guess. Yeah. Or I think like, what would be different if daddy hated me? Yeah, I guess. Or I think like if I had been sort of more of a taskmaster with my children, would they have more structure? But it's like, but I mean. You just do your best. I don't know. Yeah, I know. I'm not good with structure.

I'm all of a sudden supposed to be a different person just because these children I got to raise? Yeah, what a weird thing. Yeah. It is. It's, yeah. person just because I these children I gotta raise yeah what a weird thing yeah what is it's it's yeah when you when your kids were sort of like of age to sort of you know start I mean when they're babies they're babies but when did you have a were you like wait I'm not an adult enough to know the answers to all this stuff uh if oh it's a total fake it yeah you make it. I mean, I had confessed to my son,

almost everything with you was like just flying by the seat of my pants. Yeah, of course. Because you were the first. Yeah. You were the first 13-year-old. You were the first kid to find drunk. Right, right. Hey, you're drunk.

How do I feel about that? How do I discipline you? And then you just kind of, you know, you just sort of, you know. Yeah. Crouch your fingers. I guess I'm a full adult. Yeah.

I guess this is on me. I have all the knowledge of the world. And then it, you know, it creeps up on you where you're like, okay, yeah, I can handle. Yeah. You know, like I can handle a death in the family. Yeah. And I can handle a loved one's illness. Yeah.

And all these like really grown up things. Yeah. and handle a loved one's illness and all these like really grown up things that they hit you. And you're just like, well, I, you know, yes, I am now putting out a credit card to pay for a funeral, you know, just weird grownup shit like that. They're like, I guess this is how you do it. You just do it. Yeah. Can't you tell my love's a girl? Do you have things you want to do, like, outside of show business? Like, you know, I mean, like, do you want to write a book? Do you want to, you know, get to a point where you can start producing cooking shows?

Or what, you know. You know, yes and no in that i like i love acting so much and i would and i am very happy acting and would be i you know i look at ted and i look at henry and i'm like i want to do that i want to just act i want to act i mean both of them have produced and directed and and you know, they do other things for sure. Henry's written like 5,000 books. Yeah, yeah. But I'm like, yeah, I love the idea of like being a working actor for the rest of my life. But as I've like been here for a few years, you do start getting a little bit like, oh, that seems like that would be fun to do.

Yeah, yeah. And over the pandemic, I like produced a couple of small movies and that was really fun. And, and, you know, you start going like, oh, this is like, you could start seeing things, your, your future just kind of like opens up a little where you're like, oh, I don't even know what, what's out there. Yeah. I do think there are other things that I want to do, but I definitely don't have the personality or the drive to to be like I want to own an empire you know like I don't I don't want that I don't my love is acting and then the other things that come with it are great you know like getting to be in this this world this um the world of like movies and tv and theater but yeah I don't I'm not like I don't need my you know my line my line of like, like kombucha.

Celebrity barbecue sauce. And I say that, and by the way, I'll come back here and I will absolutely promote my kombucha line on this podcast if you'll have me in a few years. But, but, you know, I, um. They're special Darcy enzymes. I'll do it. But no, I don't, I don't have that desire. And it kind of, you know, like more power to all of, all of the people'll do it. But no, I don't have that desire. And it kind of, you know, like more power

to all of the people that do that, but I just don't have the desire. So why go that way? There are people who are on here who are like, yeah, I decided they're, you know, like cocktails in a can or something. And I'm just like, how do you do that? I wouldn't even begin to. I would feel so silly to tell my manager, hey, I want to make cocktails in a can. I've got ideas about socks. It's very strange. It is strange. And I know we're in such a weird, and we were just talking about the strike earlier, like we're in such a weird time for the industry.

And I know the way people used to make money is not the same way we can make money now. And people that you think of as like probably have tons of money from working in TV maybe don't have as much as you thought. I don't know. Like I'm not, I'm definitely not faulting anyone for doing that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I know you're not either. But it is, I don't have that. When I see that, I'm like, I don't have the feeling of like, oh, I want to do that too.

But when I see somebody in a movie, I'm like, I want to do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that, yes. You know what I mean? I absolutely understand that because I still have, I definitely get envy for work things. And I mean, it's a very, I mean, I realized early on, like, you know, like when one of my friends got on SNL. Yeah. And I mean, I definitely felt envy.

And I had enough sense even to feel like, all right, feel it. And then. Totally. Get through it. Yeah. And then put it aside. And now you're just happy for your friend. Yeah.

And there's still so many things. And it isn't even like, because then I would be a bigger star. It's all things like, well, I want to make a movie in Nova Scotia. Or like, you got to be on set with that person for two months. Yeah, I know. I know. It's like, yeah, I know what you mean. It's not the big, huge star thing.

It's like the, you got to be there with that person or with those people or with that director yeah yeah i i get that i try not to let it you know like eat away like it is exactly what you said like feel it and maybe let it like fuel you but not the like the envy that is a bug that envy and jealousy is like a like a flesh-eating bacteria. Yeah, yeah. It's so bad. Yeah. And, yeah, I think anything you can do to exactly what you just said. Feel it and then put it away and let it turn into light.

Move through it as quickly as you can. And know that there's, you know, there's more. There's more out there. There's more to go around. Yeah. I mean, now with the strike on and stuff, are you good with your own time? Yes and no. I love, I noticed, you know, I've always been like a social guy.

Like I love seeing friends and hanging out and seeing friends and hanging out. Yeah. Love it. That's what I'm good at. That's what I do. But during the pandemic, I really felt that. And I know we all did. But where I was like, oh, I need that.

That is something that I need to see friends. And that's like food to me. That's so dumb. Everybody needs this. But not everybody needs it the same way. Some people can be alone. I think I'm like an extrovert or whatever the hell. Yeah, yeah.

You know, like that's part of my blood. Right, right. Yeah. No, I don't think that that's – I don't think even that that is true that everybody does the same because there are people that don't. Right. They just don't really – They don't need it. Yeah.

Yeah. It's like, you know, but I mean it is sort of – I don't under – it's like people who aren't into like – aren't into food. Right, right. You know? Yeah. Wait. What? It's one of the things you have to do and you don't really derive It's like people who aren't into like, aren't into food. Right, right. You know? Yeah. Wait, it's one of the things you have to do and you don't really derive a lot of pleasure. Yeah, exactly. And it's the same thing with people, with people.

Like, wait, you don't really care about like having cool people around and loving them? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. So I am trying to like use this time to really like see friends and that's great and also you know I think with the few years of the pandemic and then I just spent like four months in New York doing this play and now I feel like I just got back and everybody's off of work and so I am trying to like see my friends and like you know put in the time or I mean in the best way like like you basically know that very soon we're all going to be off doing different jobs and right now we're

not so let's like you know yeah yeah yeah have some dinners right let's have some goddamn dinners yeah and it is it's something as time goes on i have to like make a point to do for sure because it's too easy to stay home i I know. And go to bed early. It's so nice to do that. It's so nice. It's so nice to do that. And, yeah, and, you know, you're in a relationship and, like, we love our spouses and that's real nice, too, to just be like, oh, but I really like being at home. Absolutely.

Oh, yeah. And. I have my favorite person in the same house that I live. And we can just watch TV. Let's do that. And I can just go be with them exactly like yeah yeah and actually i have to like almost push against that i have to be like i do too it is like a choice to we went to a dinner party this weekend and the and i remembered saturday afternoon we're going to the dinner party and i was like oh my god i know people i have to talk to. I know.

But then when it's good, it's good. I had a lovely time. I had a lovely time. I put all that shit away and was like, you know, because it's just like, oh, look, it's garbage Andy. Yeah. It's negative shit bag Andy. Like, no, sit down. And we had, like I said, we had a lovely time, you know.

The older I get, I also am like, I'm not going to give my time to the people that I don't love. Yep. Which is like great. Yep. Because I definitely used to be like more of a people pleaser and I got to do this. And they asked and I said yes. And now I'm like, I don't, I have, there's so many people in my life that I love that I don't get to see enough. Yeah.

And family. And I'm like, why would I not? I'm spending time with them. I will. That's who I'm spending time with, you know? Yeah. And then also, you know, what else we're like, what will I do during this time off? Like, I don't know. Like, what the hell do I do? What the hell do I do? I was about about to say cook but i don't cook right now we we we are living in a house that we're like fixing up uh-huh and the um the oven don't work doll i get it i get it so we're so but you know it does work the phone yeah if you're hungry the phone works it really does yeah yeah in so many ways um so i don't know what i'm doing i I'm really seeing, yeah, I'm really seeing a lot of friends and fam. That's good. Yeah.

Yeah. That's what I'm doing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I have felt like I have, like a lot of my life, like I've had children just so I can, I don't have to answer the question, what am I going to do today? Yeah, totally. It's like, well, I know.

I have to take them to the thing. Yeah, I got to feed this thing. Yes, yes, yes. Totally. I know. I mean. Because I'm terrible. I'm terrible left to my own device. Because you can just sort of like, it's nice to just.

This fucking pandemic was like basically, it felt like God whispering in my ear like, hey, would you like to try being retired? I know, I know. And I like it so much. Yeah, and I had always told myself like, oh, I have to be productive. Yes. I don't. Apparently myself like, oh, I have to be productive. Yes. I don't. Apparently.

I don't. I know. There was a while where Jason and I, neither of us have the like, neither of us like to watch TV during the day. Like I think it does something bad to us. I don't either. Like where you feel like you're not, you know, it feels bad. Yes. But there was a good long while during the pandemic where we gave over to that.

It feels bad. Yes. But there was a good long while during the pandemic where we gave over to that. And we put like blackout curtains up and we were just like, let's watch an entire season of something starting at like 10 o'clock in the morning. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. But now that feels like far.

Yeah. I don't want this strike time to feel like the pandemic. And I think it is feeling very, very like that. Very end times. Oh, is it? Yeah. Oh, I see what you mean. You know what I mean? Where you're sort of like, I don't really. Like this world is not what I thought it is feeling very, very like that. Very end times. Oh, is it? Yeah. Oh, I see what you mean. You know what I mean? Where you're sort of like,

my God, I don't really. Like this world is not what I thought it was. Yeah. I am. Yeah, it's feeling very, you know, I don't mean to get like doom and gloom, but there's just some weird shit going on right now with the weather,

the ice in Italy or whatever. Do you know what I'm talking about? It's hot. It's like the hottest. Is it in Rome or something? Off Florida, the water is like getting to be 100 degrees in the ocean. It's so scary. Things are so scary.

No, you could just sit in a chair shrieking. Yes, exactly. Over about 12 different things. I know. I know. I know. I know. It's real.

It's real. It is feeling like a little end timesy. So I'm trying to, I'm trying to see my niece as much as possible. No, I know. It's the kind of, it's, there's a lot of compartmentalization that has to happen to just keep going. I'm a big, like wake up at 5am or and spiral. I'm pretty good at like compartmentalizing during the day. Oh really? And then then like, actually, I like, I like woke up at 5am. Wait, I should tell you this. I woke up at 5am. This it's usually sometimes it's big things like the world is going to end. And sometimes it's little things like, well, I don't know. The oven, she don't work. She don't work. But I woke up at 5am and was thinking about this podcast.

Oh, wow. I was like, I don't really have anything to say right now. Like I'm, I'm not in a great place. So how could I ever give advice or, you know, like, I don't really have anything to say right now. Like I'm, I'm not in a great place. So how could I ever give advice or, you know, like, I don't know. I don't, I don't know what my future holds. So how can I tell Andy what my future holds? Darcy, stop, stop. This is not, you got this. Like, you're fine. Go back to sleep, go back to sleep. And then I did go back to sleep and immediately had a dream about this podcast. Oh, really? Did it work out well? Yeah, it was fine. Okay, good.

Good, good, good. But that's where I'm at. I'm at the 5 a.m. spiral about, I don't mean to say nothing. This is not nothing, but things that are not actually problems. Sure, sure, sure. Yeah, no, this does not warrant a dream. Yeah, yeah. Doing this is in no way, in no way the word dream should be attached to this podcast.

Just sort of feeling, things are just feeling a little strange right now. Yeah, yeah. No, it is. It's. During the pandemic, I had, this is, these are definitely related to like, like bigger life things. Yeah. I had one of these 5 a.m. spirals. Do you know the wonderful writer, comedian, actor, Joe Mandy?

Oh, of course. So Joe was making these hats where he would. Okay. He was making these really funny, actor, Joe Mandy. Oh, of course. So Joe was making these hats where he would, okay, he was making these really funny, wonderful, great hats. He adds onto the logos of sports baseball caps in a way. He'll put an actor's name on it or a phrase or a- Right, where like the Dodgers, it'll be LA and then he'll put like X-A-T-I-V-E.

Yeah, yes, exactly. So you'll wear a hat that says laxative. Exactly. You know, yeah. And he asked me, he was like, I have these two. Do you want this one or this one? And I picked one. And then for like the next, I don't know, seven nights, I would wake, I don't know how

to explain this. I would wake up at like five in the morning and be like, I picked the wrong one oh it's probably too late to tell him that i picked the wrong one right will he be offended if i tell him that no darcy darcy this is nothing this is nothing go back to sleep and then and then i would wake up and tell jason like i had the weirdest you know like freak out yeah and then it would happen again and again and it was like deep in the pandemic. It was deep in the like, what is our life? But anyway, that. Did you, now did you, did you confess this to your husband every time or was it, did it feel so weird? I think it took a couple nights before I finally confessed it.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember one night when we were, Jason and I did a lot of like RV traveling, a lot of like, you know, like what are they called? RVs, right? RVs, yeah. And yeah, I remember one time. Like rent a camper and go, yeah, because sure.

And one night it was that. It was like in an RV. I think it was like raining out. I was just sitting there being like, should I have picked the other one? I should have picked the other one. What does that say about me that I picked that one? Because if I pick the other,

and if I tell Joe, he probably already is really excited that he. Or maybe I would have given the other one away. Exactly. Yeah. I came up – yeah, it was really – I felt – You should have given me both. I know.

Or I just should have nothing. Yeah. Yeah. It's on him. It was wild. I'm going to burn this hat. Yeah. And then Jason would be like, Darce?

Yeah. Like, you're good. You're insane. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. That's a spouse's job is to let you know when you're being insane. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a spouse's job is to let you know when you're being insane. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you, I mean, you mentioned it earlier, you know, Amy, you know, you know, the format of this thing. Yeah. And then we are now at the, what have you learned?

Yeah. Like, you know, you get guiding principles. Yeah. You got stuff you cross-stitched and hung above the mantle. I think so. I try, honestly, I try not to think about this too much. I figured our conversation would lead me to this. What have I learned?

I really have learned that, I'm not going to say this well. I'm just going to blurt it out. The power and the money and the fame and all that stuff is so, and the money and the fame and all that stuff is like so, it's like this weird drug that can really take your eyes off the prize. Yeah. And I think the prize is, for me, like that I love acting and that I love like working with people. Yeah.

And like there's nothing more than that. I definitely experienced that on like going back to theater and doing this play, you know, for the last six months. Kind of being reminded of like, oh, this is what I love. I love like working with people that I'm inspired by and like giddy about. Yeah. And I love acting. And then all this other stuff can really like you're kind of like push. You have to kind of push it out of the way.

And I think it just gets really dark and scary and not the point when all the other stuff kind of like peeks into view. So anyway, I think it's just like keeping your eye on your own prize, whatever it is like deep down that it is you want or that you got into this business or whatever business for or you know and it maybe not even business just like what is it that brings you joy and happiness and peace and like not forgetting about that you know do you do you ever worry uh getting on something that really pops and really becomes big and then having all that shit in your life in a way that's too much for you. Yeah, totally. Yeah.

For sure. And I know that some people want that and if they can handle it, great. But like, that is so scary to me. It's also for young people.

Yeah, I think so too. Yeah. Yeah, because, you know. We're tired. Tired. Yeah, I know. And I mean,

you know, I don't mean to be Pollyanna-ish or something, but I do think, there are times when I think think like if I got on a really huge hit show and then, you know, like there's part of it's like, oh. I know. All the attention. Yeah. I sound like such, I know people are just rolling their eyes.

And I'm sorry, folks. Why are they rolling their eyes? Because like. Well, because it's like, you know, you spend your whole life. Like you should be so lucky or something. Or just like, you you know like you got into this to get into big things i know but like there's a difference between like i don't know there's just a difference between the the way like famous is now and maybe always has been but maybe with like the addition of social media and just sort of being able to like track everybody at every moment of every second of everybody's lives it's too damn much yeah it ain't right yeah and it's not it certainly isn't at all what i got

into this for i don't mind i don't mind you know talking to someone on the street that has watched a show that i've been in that like that like that's lovely yes i don't mind someone saying you did a thing i I like the thing. Cool. Good job. Right. And I say, thank you so much for saying that. But when it is any more than that, I don't want any part of it.

Yeah. It's really terrifying. And I really like feel for the people and, you know, like friends of mine, people that are in my life that I'm like, that's an exhausting life. Yeah. And I'm impressed by and admire the people that can do it. And handle it with poise and grace. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, it's inspiring and it's wonderful.

But I don't know. It's just, it is, I feel for them and they're, I don't know. It's a weird thing. And I know what you mean with the rolling their eyes now that I'm hearing myself. Yeah, yeah. Because I'm, and they're, I don't know. It's, it's a weird thing. And I know what you mean, but with the rolling their eyes, now that I'm hearing myself, cause I'm like, they're fine. They all have damn mansions and they're doing fine.

Right, right, right. But it is, it's just a weird little, um, it's unnerving. It's,

it's, it's not, you can't really prepare for it. You can't, you can't. And it, and it is, it's separate.

It's like, you don't, nobody goes to this thing. And then, I mean, I guess there are some people who are like, and then I'll get interviewed on David, you know, I'll be on the Tonight Show or I'll be on whatever.

And I guess there is that in some of people's minds, but it is also, it's like the thing that, you know, you study and you work and you try and like, I want to be in movies and TV shows. And then you get on a TV show and they're like, okay, now comes four days of press. And nobody prepares you for what that is. And it's such an interesting thing that you could be good at both.

It's not a given. I know so many actors that are – Who can't even speak. And why should they? I know. It's interesting. It's like – Sam Neill was on the Conan show in the early days.

Yeah. And I was like, Oh, Sam Neill, he's been in so much cool shit. And he was absolutely terrified. I know. To sit on the out there.

And I, it was so charming. And I was like, you're a movie star dummy. Right. You're like a leading man. Totally. What the fuck are you worried about?

I know. It's really interesting. It's such a, it's, it's, yeah, it's, it's, you worried about? I know. It's really interesting. It's such a, it's, yeah, it's, I don't know. I find it really fascinating

that someone could be so good at, you know, being an actor, being on stage, being in front of thousands of people, being in movies. And then when it's like, so what just,

like, how was it filming with so-and-so? And it's like, that's really scary to them. Right, right, right. Yeah. Yeah, it is, it's a, what just, like, how was it filming with so-and-so? And it's like, that's really scary to them. Right, right, right. Yeah. Yeah, it is, it's, you know, I guess it's like the business part of the show business.

And I don't mind it. Sometimes I'm like, well, I don't hate it, which means, which is good. I don't hate that. Like, I can do that. So don't complain about it. Just do it. But anyway, it is, yeah, I think, I don't know.

I don't know. Is that what I've, is that? Yeah, no, no. I mean, you're, if I may recap. You may, you may. You know, you're saying like the things that really will pull you through life and a challenging career, especially, are the things that are substantive and real to virtually anybody in anything, which is, do I like my workday? Do I like my coworkers? Do I have a

happy home to go to? And those are like really the gigantic things. And as you move through life, it changes your, I think it's a fairly normal pattern when you're younger to have a more expansive idea of what you're going to do and how much you're going to change the world and how much – and then you get older and it's like, you know, as long as I have a nice little backyard to hang out in. Yes, totally. Then I'll be okay. I've got people at home that love me. Yeah. Which it's the kind of message or the kind of like advice thing that, of course, has been said a gazillion fucking times. But we still have to say it.

I know. You have to like remind yourself. Because, yeah, we'll sit here and go like, well, yeah, of course, you got to live for the little things. Yeah. And then we'll walk out into the street into this culture. Yeah. That is like, you know, fuck the little things. Totally.

Buy one of these, you know. Yeah. So, yeah, it is the kind of thing that you need to. Remind yourself of. Yeah, remind yourself. And we walk out into a world where it's like, you know, like, I haven't seen you working lately. Totally. Or even putting that on yourself.

Okay. Yeah, exactly. Maybe, I guess. Jeez. Yeah. Yeah. But I made a nice curry last night. I know.

You know? My kids really liked it. Yeah, yeah. They said it was better than the last one. The other thing I've learned is how to make really good scrambled eggs. Oh, yeah? Okay. Really low heat. Yep. Oh, yeah. Okay. Really low heat.

Yep. And just patience. Yep. And just use a wooden spoon or, you know, spatula. Yeah. And from the outside

in, just kind of move it around. Yep. And then turn off the heat when there's still just the tiniest bit. Of moisture.

Yeah. Yep. Yeah. No, I know. Okay. Oh, I know. Yeah. I have, my uh my son is a is a total snob about food yeah and he's a wonderful cook cool and i just made him some

scrambled eggs the other day and he was he's 22 and he was like these are really good like in a way in a way that was one of the most rewarding things he's ever said to me because I know that he was sitting down to what he felt were going to be lackluster eggs. Yeah, exactly. And instead, I gave it. I would have loved to see your face. I was like, fucking A, right. I knew those eggs good. Yeah, no.

Eggs got to still. Do you know that. Overcooked eggs are just a waste. Just throw them in the goddamn. Just throw it in the garbage. Composter. Yeah, start again. Do you know that? Overcooked eggs are just a waste. Just throw them in the goddamn composter. Yeah, start again. Do you know the egg?

Okay, I was on the British, no, the American Baking Show, the Great American Baking Show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And- The one that's the English version of it. It's the English version. Yeah, it's all the English people. Of the Great British Bake Off. Yes, but it's called the American.

Right, sure. And yeah, I won. Okay. Okay, but that's actually neither here nor there. Afterwards, they let us go into the, almost like the pantry where they have all the spoons and the shit, all the bowls and the aprons or whatever. And it wasn't like take whatever you want at all,

but they were like, if you want to take something, go for it. So I took this little beautiful ceramic egg carton. So now I always take my eggs out of the carton and put them in that. In the ceramic egg carton. But then you don't know the expiration date. Yeah. So here's another trick. You're like, get off my podcast.

Go home. I have to tell you this. I just have to tell you this. This is actually, this could have been the whole thing. I don't know if anyone would care. They might. So either like a glass of water or a bowl. And if you put the egg in and it stays flat, I guess, like what's this called?

Horizontal? Yeah. If it stays horizontal as opposed to vertical. Yes. Then it's good. If it goes vertical, it's like a little bit old, but still edible. And if it floats to the top. Don't do it.

Don't do it. Okay. Okay. That's just nice. I think that's really helpful my grandmother used to write the dates oh that's so smart pencil cute on each egg i love your grandma and we and we would get chickens from a poultry like i grew up where you had to check the yolk to make sure there wasn't a fetal chicken yeah yeah yeah oh my god like oh no there's

a little and like meaning you would crack the egg? Yes. Oh, wow. We'd have to. Oh, my God. My grandma would never crack eggs just into the bowl. She'd crack them into a little intermediary bowl. In case it had a beak?

In case it had a little. I was always afraid of seeing that when I was a kid. Well, in most places, it's not a problem because there's not a rooster. Okay, right, right. in with the hens. I truly don't understand. So they just have egg factories. Right, right, right. Whereas this is like some lady.

Actually, yeah. That's like, oh, yeah, some of the chickens, they might be having babies. Don't scramble my egg baby. Don't scramble my baby. Yeah. But, you know, and I can't even, I probably in my life ate a few. And that's okay. Little tiny unborn eggs. It got you where you are today. I can't even, I probably in my life ate a few. And that's okay. Little tiny unborn eggs.

It got you where you are today. Or chickens, I mean. Yeah, exactly. Where would you be without? Without those fetal chickens. Ew. Yeah. You know, what are you going to do?

What are you going to do? Well, Darcy, thank you so much. This was lovely. Same. It was a lovely way to spend a Wednesday. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having me. spend a Wednesday. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

It's an absolute honor. Thank you. Love talking to you. And I would plug all your things, but our guilds will not allow us. We don't want to. Yeah, we don't want to. We're mostly just plugging eggs. That's right.

Yes. Learn to use eggs. Just eggs are the best. Eggs rock. Eggs fucking rock. I know. Even if you got cholesterol, figure something out. Figure there's ways.

Yeah, take Lipitor, but just keep eating those eggs. Maybe take one yolk out of it. Yeah. But you're going to be fine. Eat eggs. Yeah, yeah. Okay, guys, eat eggs. All right.

All right, eat eggs, everybody. Talk to you next week. Bye. The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a Team Coco production. It is produced by Sean Daugherty and engineered by Rich Garcia. Additional engineering support by Eduardo Perez and Joanna Samuel. Executive produced by Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, 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. And do you have a favorite question you always like to ask people? Let us know in the review section. Can't you tell my love's a-growing? Can't you feel it ain't a-showing? Oh, you must be a-knowing. I've got a big, big love.

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