The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Wendi McLendon-Covey

Episode Date: December 3, 2024

Actress Wendi McLendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids," "RENO 911!," "The Goldbergs") joins Andy Richter to discuss her new show, "St. Denis Medical," why she doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, her time working at Anaheim’s third-worst Ramada Inn, how she separates her career from her home life, and more.Do you want to talk to Andy live on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio? Leave a voicemail at 855-266-2604 or fill out our Google Form at BIT.LY/CALLANDYRICHTER. Listen to "The Andy Richter Call-In Show" every Wednesday at 1pm Pacific on SiriusXM's Conan O'Brien Channel.

Hey everybody, welcome back to The Three Questions. I'm your host, Andy Richter, and this week I am talking to Wendy McLendon Covey. Wendy's an actress best known for her work on the Goldbergs, Reno 911, and Bridesmaids. You can see Wendy in the new hit show. I think it's a hit, St. Dennis Medical on NBC right now. Here's my conversation with the very funny and charming Wendy McClendon Covey. Just say the same thing. Just get through it. Tell them the same shit, you know. So anyway, here we go. Hello, yes.

Let's energetically plug what you're doing. Everybody, I'm talking to Wendy McClendon Covey, who is here. First of all, I'm very happy to have you here. I've been enjoying your work for so long. You're so sweet. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, and you have, you've been,

you've done so much good quality work and so many good quality things, which is always, especially in comedy, it's hard. It's hard, yeah, it is. Because, you know, you take jobs. I've done my share of crap, too. Let's be real honest about that, too. I've done some things that I won't even watch.

Oh, I know. Oh boy, do I ever. We all have those. Boy, do I ever, about that too. I've done some things that I won't even watch. Oh, I know. Oh boy, do I ever. Boy, do I ever. Yeah, no. And it's like, and when I look at, I mean, not like I'm spending hours doing it, but occasionally if I see like a list of my credits, it is like sort of like, oh, that's a good one.

And then, nah, no thank you. Oh, there's another good one, you know. Well, some of those things you're like, how did this even get on IMDB? I don't know, I don't know. This was like a sizzle reel. Right, right. But you, someone managed to get it on IMDB,

and now you get asked about it, and it's like, ugh. Yeah, and this is, I drove to Pomona, and you know, like was at a community college for an afternoon, and then drove home. I don't even remember it really. But you are here plugging. You have a new comedy series, which Jesus, that's a white whale these days anyway.

Come on. How lucky did I get? I just fell into a big pile of blessings. Yeah, yeah. And it's called, now is it St. Dennis Medical? Is that how they're saying it? St. Dennis Medical, yeah. Because it's got the French, it should be St. Denis.

St. Denis. St. Denis. St. Denis Medical. Yes. Oui, oui. It's a funny, funny French show about patients drinking wine. Uh, but it's a it's a, it's a, a workplace comedy at a hospital.

Yes. And you play, now you're playing an executive. Are you like a heavy in it sort of? Yeah, I play, um, the hospital administrator. Oh, so the cop. Yes. Who used to be an oncologist. And in her mind, she probably thought,

you know what, I'm gonna change things from the inside. Yeah, yeah. So then she screwed herself and she got into this position and now all she does is beg for money all day long. Right. And count, you know, beans and get on everybody like, did you wash your hands? Yeah, yeah.

Did you, do you need to open that many, you know, wet wipes? Rubber gloves. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. Did you, do you need to open that many, you know, wet wipes? Rubber gloves? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. So, and she's got some very unrealistic feelings about, you know, we're in rural Oregon, but that doesn't mean we can't make this a destination medical facility. Like, screw you, Turkey. Yeah.

You're medical tourism. We're gonna bring it all to rural Oregon. We will get the highest quality meth heads in here. That's right. Druids, you're all welcome here. The best serial killers in the Pacific Northwest. There it is. But yeah, you've got David Allen Greer

and Allison Tolman in it, so it sounds great. You know, it seems funny when I watch it and when I'm at work, maybe I'm crazy. I don't know. I think it's pretty good. And it just started, right? It will start next week. November 12th, right?

But we filmed the pilot, Andy, in 2023. Oh my God. Spring of 2023. Oh my God. So it's time. You know, we had to sit through the strikes, which were necessary. Yes, of course, of course. But then when the strikes were over, we thought, okay, great, we're going to go back to work. Oh no.

No, no, no. Then they have to actually write the whole season. So we didn't get back to work for a year. And now it's time for the baby to be born. Wow. Oh my God, that is, I, that's so, it's so like, actus interruptus, you know? And you don't even know, like,

like do you remember the pilot by your time you're coming around? I mean, is it? I mean, we all look different in the pilot. We definitely do. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Like my hair is a completely different color.

We've all gained and lost weight or whatever. Right, right. It's just how it is. Right, because that was pre-Ozempic. Yeah. And it's pre-Ozempic. Everybody jumped on the Ozempic train and now we're gorgeous.

Now they're all thin with their hair falling out. That's right. No hair retention. on the Ozempic train and now we're gorgeous. Now they're all thin with their hair falling out. That's right. No, hair retention is very important to me. My joke about that is like, I need to get work so I can afford Ozempic, but I can't get the work unless I'm skinny. Oh, you're perfect the way you are.

No, no, no, I'm not. Yes, you are. No, no, no, I am an expert on me, and I will tell you, I have a lot of work to do. There's a lot of improvements to be made. I don't receive that about you. Well, thank you. That's very nice to hear.

Now, you, I mean, you do have, one of the interesting things that I saw in here is that you worked as an editor for Cal State's academic journal of social work while you were sort of setting up your showbiz career. So you're used to kind of a corporatize sort of environment. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I'm just because I don't even think that's short moments that I've dabbled in corporate kind of things sent me screaming into an improv class. Oh, it's soul crushing. How hard was that? You know what? It actually became like a nice little respite for me because it gave me structure to my life. Yeah.

You know, it was just part time, but I did it up until I got the Goldbergs. Wow. So it was... Wow, even like Reno 911, you're still like editing an academic journal. That's amazing. And sneaking in in my pajamas, you know,

all during... I did so many things during that. And then people started kind of figuring out, oh, you have this other life. Yeah, yeah. But my boss that hired me, she would come and watch my shows at the groundlings. Oh, wow. And she said, I don't care what you do outside of here, just don't quit. I don't

want to train anybody else. And I kept it running. And then she died, Angie. She died. And I kept it going. And then I got a new boss. And then it was just time for it to fold. But that dovetailed nicely with getting the Goldbergs. And then I would not have been able to do it. Right, right. Because that schedule damn near killed me. Right, I bet. I was lucky that I had that for as long as I did.

Yeah, yeah. Keep your wits about you and keep some money in the bank account. And then I never had to make like desperate decisions of, you know, oh, I got to take this terrible shit movie because I need to pay the mortgage. Right. Yeah, it is. I mean, it is really nice to have that to fall back on, but it's just hard to thread the needle of it, you know, because.

I mean, that's why there's, when I was just joking with Sean, like, I just, I, cause I, you know, lately it seems like work has picked up a little bit more. And I was like, I, cause I do not want to sell real estate. Right. I just don't. No, you don't. I do not want to see my face on a bus bench.

With a cell phone. Yeah. Call me. You know. The king of condos. Well, I don't know about you, but whenever I see like a help wanted sign, I still think, oh, I should check that out because you just never know. There is a paying of that. Like accepting applications at a restaurant, I'm like, oh wait, no, no, I can't.

I'm not going to oh wait, no, no, I can't, I'm not good. I'm not good at it. Oh no, you know. I shouldn't take that job from somebody else. I should not, right, right, right. I should not, yeah. And also, yeah, that would be, you know, you sit down at the bar and there I come up,

what can I get you? Whoa, I remember you. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um.

Um. Um. Um. Can't you tell my love's a girl? Now you're, you're front, you're a Southern California girl. Yeah. Yeah, so this is all like, the industry was always here for you.

It was always here, but I've always lived down south in Long Beach. So I, I commute, which is insane always lived down south in Long Beach. So I commute, which is insane. You still live in Long Beach? I still live in Long Beach. Oh, wow. My in-laws live in Long Beach. Really? Yeah, yeah. They're in Belmont Shores.

No kidding. Yeah, yeah. I'm just right near the university. Oh, beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. And my aunt and uncle used to live there. My uncle was a dean there for a little while. No kidding.

The Health and Human Services. Oh my goodness. Yeah. I've been to the Carpenter Pavilion, the Carpenter Theater, and seen Karen Carpenter's drum set, which anyone in the area of Long Beach, of Cal State Long Beach, the theater is endowed by the Carpenters. And Karen Carpenter's drum set is in there. And it is a thrill to see Karen.

I love to see Karen Carpenter's drum set. Yeah. Yeah, they lived in Downey or something and their parents had apartment buildings that I guess they named after different songs or something like that. Their parents were very proud, which I think is so cute. Proud, but again, talk about trauma.

Well, let's move on. Yeah. I don't think the Carpenter's, they're not gonna win parent of the year awards. So anyway. But I mean, was there any sort of idea, was it just because you were close? I mean, because so many people that I talk to

when we talk about where they come from, the notion of being in show business, and for me too, for small town in Illinois, like that's crazy. But here at least it's kind of, it's all there. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. It seems a little more attainable.

Yeah. And, and yet my parents never saw that for me. No. You know, they really thought, okay, this one, she won't even go to college. And yet my parents never saw that for me. They really thought, okay, this one, she won't even go to college. She'll get married and pop out a bunch of kids. Wow, thanks mom and dad. And then maybe she'll have a nice job as a stewardess,

not a flight attendant, but a stewardess. So that was really what was on the table for me. Yeah. But I never wanted to do anything else. Would they say that explicitly to you? Yes. Wow. Yeah.

Like, wouldn't you love to get a job as a stewardess and then you can fly places for free? Wouldn't that be great? Yeah, and so can they. That's the other thing too. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And then a friend of mine across the street, he wanted to be an actor really bad and he started doing it. He made it happen.

He moved from our little Long Beach neighborhood, moved up here, and it started happening for him and I was like, but I can do this too. But it took me so long to get going because I had to kind of sneak around to do it all. My parents were not happy about this. Oh, wow. So I finally, once I got married,

my husband was like, why don't you just try it? I don't care. I support this. And then I started getting somewhere. But prior to that, I was sneaking off to auditions from DramaLog. Yeah, yeah. and you know how legit all of those auditions are.

It's like classified ads. Oh yeah, yeah. Like I would sometimes just drive right past the address and say, that looks too sketchy, I'm not getting out. I'm not getting out. I took off work to just drive past this thing. But yeah, and then I saw a show with the Groundlings and I was like that right there yeah that's what I need to be doing and just four short

years later I had my friend sign me up for classes because I was too nervous to sign up for classes so she did it for me Wow Wow. And it all worked out. Yeah, yeah. But, you know, there was a lot of, you know, time where I felt like I just explained my existence more than I needed to. Yeah. You know, when you're, when you want to get into a creative field, most people won't be on your side because they can't visualize that. Right. It's outside of their comfort zone.

Yeah. Therefore, it shouldn't be in your comfort zone. Right. So everybody gives you terrible advice and you just have to smile and say, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, you've given me a lot to think about. You know? Yeah.

And then do your thing anyway. Yeah. You know? Well, there, yeah, there is kind of a, there is, for people that don't, aren't really striving to get out of whatever sort of tide pool they were born into, the notion of like, I'm getting out of here is like, oh, well, fancy pants. Look at you. Look at you too, good for the rest of us. What's wrong with the same three restaurants for the rest of your life, you know? You could work at the bank.

Yeah. It's very nice. It's a very nice job for a lady to have. Yeah. Or for, in my opinion, you could work for your folks. They've got a good business going. Like, oh, you mean, so I get them at home and at work? That sounds great.

Never ending mom. Wow. Was that proposed to you? It was kind of, kind of was. Yeah, because my mother owned a kitchen business. And she did, I mean, I really do kind of relate to that though about like being timid in the beginning because I was, I mean, I took improv classes because a friend took them. Like I would never have, I had looked them up. I had like called Second City out of the white pages. No kidding. And said like, how does it work?

And talked to somebody on the phone about it. We're saying, okay. But then I never in a million years, a friend of mine took classes and I was like, okay, there we go. You know, she's in there, I'll take classes there too. So you had to have someone else test the waters. Absolutely.

I get that. Absolutely. I just, I was from a small town and I don't feel like the same person, but I look at the first trip I took to Europe, my ex-wife and I went to France and I had almost like a panic attack when we landed in France

because the notion of being in a foreign country where I didn't speak the language, like freaked me out. And so I was very kind of provincial and very, as much as I was like sort of, I want to be in show business and there's a kind of brave ambition to that, which I'm sure it's the same thing coming from Long Beach. I mean, yeah, because Long Beach, it's a big city, but it's also got that small town feel. Like, I still see people that I went to high school with. Yeah, yeah. I know where they hang out.

I just recently saw that, like, Long Beach has a reputation of being like a bastion of Midwestern expats. Like, the makeup of the town is supposedly, I remember like in the LA Times or something, they're like, it kind of has a reputation of being a Midwestern town in Southern California, which I mean, I was unaware of that.

I was unaware of that as well, but I guess I can see it. It does kind of feel like that. It does kind of feel like that because it is definitely a beach town, but it also is kind of anachronistic. It's kind of like out of time. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. And there are people, well, like me, who were born there and they just stay there. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I mean, my parents are still there.

Did you ever consider moving or did you just- Not for very long. Yeah. Not for very long. I like it there. Yeah. And I like it that when I'm home, I am home. Yeah. You know, and I don't have to hear industry talk. Right. If I don't want to. Yeah. And that's everything to me. Yeah, yeah. You know, and I like being able to just go to the Target, no makeup on. Yeah. You know, go to, go to Vons. Me too. Bip in for a rotisserie chicken and live my life. Yeah, hello Ralphs, I'm here. And yes, that is a mustard stain on my shirt.

Yeah, from four days ago. I'm depressed. I'm depressed and I want the whole world to know it. Now, I mean, you got married young in college, you know? Yes, I did, yeah. And you guys have stayed married, which that, congratulations, because that's hard to do. It's been 28 years.

We just had our 28-year anniversary, and we've been together for 31. Wow. And he's a good one. He puts up with a lot. And I imagine that having him there, too, sort of, did that help to kind of give you that anchor and that base apart from all of this nonsense up here?

Oh yeah, yeah. That's everything. Like I really need him in my corner. He's an angel. So he's very nice to come home to. But again, he was the only one that really thought I could do this and was the only one that was like, just try it.

What, what's the worst that could happen? You don't make it, who cares? Yeah, yeah. You'll get something else, but I think you can do this. So he's very chill and I'm an emotional wreck. You know, I'm very emotional emotional like creative people can be. And so somehow it works, but I don't see how I don't drive him crazy. Maybe he's got a side piece.

I don't know. I don't think he does. I don't think he does. But yeah, he's a good one. Yeah, I know. I think that that's, you know, there are people that are sort of, they're grounded, you know? And that's like, and they sort of, it's, you probably help him from feeling too grounded, you know what I mean?

Maybe, yeah. You know? I would think. I at least am entertaining. Right! You know what I mean? Maybe, yeah. Maybe. I at least am entertaining. Right! You know? Yeah. Having a funny spouse is really, really great.

You know, it smooths some bumps over. What does he do for a living? He is retired now. Oh, wow. He was a techie for a long time and worked as a coder for the Air Force, but as a civilian. And then he was diagnosed with Parkinson's probably nine years ago. So I said, you don't work anymore. You don't work.

So he manages, we have properties and he manages those and stuff. He's busy, but you don't need to punch a clock. We're okay. That's nice. I'm gonna throw that right in my wife's face when I get home. Yeah. Well, let's start with, you get into improv classes and you were with some, Kaitlin Olson, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, really, really funny, funny women.

Yeah. And that's gotta be, feel good, because comedy can be a little rough on women. Yes. But I gotta say, every girl that I met at the Groundlings was beyond supportive. Yeah. And very cool.

So it was almost like, who can be uglier on stage? That was always the big flex. You know, like, oh, I'm going out with camel toe tonight. You never know what's gonna, or, you know, I'm letting my full beard grow for a sketch I'm doing this week. So I had the best time with those girls. I really did.

And Caitlin Olson, she and I, we were in like some of the lower classes together and we were broke and whatever. There exists a picture of us both in pregnancy pads and like lingerie holding shotguns for like what was it knocked up and gun toting something like that we were like like you show yeah you guns or something like that yeah and it just tickles me to death to see everything she does cuz she's so great. Yeah, yeah.

She really is. Yeah. And she's headlining her own show right now. Like, of course she's going to and deserves it. Yeah. She's phenomenal. Yeah, I just was catching up on Hacks and she's so great in that, you know?

I mean, that show is really, talk about, I mean, I've had a number of people from that show on here and every time I try and contain my envy of like, what a fucking thing to work on, good Lord, every cylinder firing, you know? There are some shows that just pop like that, and that's one of them where it's like, God, I'm right here! I am right here.

Why haven't you called me? Damn. Oh yeah. What are you watching right now that you are loving? Are you like a binge watcher? No, I wouldn't say I'm a binge watcher, but I've been watching, well, I don't watch a lot of comedy, to be honest.

Although I did recently and I never watched it when it was originally on, but it came on Netflix and it always was like, you know how TV watching now becomes like homework? Yes. You know, and there's like a show like, I should watch. You know, like for me for the longest time was like, I gotta watch that fucking wire.

Oh, the wire, I gotta watch. And then I did finally sat down and absolutely loved it. You know? But Detroiters, the Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson show that was on Comedy Central that I didn't even know was on when it was on. And just Tim Robinson's I Think You Should Leave being so fantastic.

And Detroiters, you know, it makes a little bit more, it's not as absurd, but it is crazy and funny. And you know, and I really do, I love the regionalness of it, you know, that it really is a lot about Detroit, but it's really funny. I don't know if you've ever seen that one. I've got to dip into that one.

It's really hilarious. I love, I think you should leave. Yeah. Have you seen It's Florida, Man? I saw one episode and it was pretty fun. Oh my God. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're talking about Tim Robinson.

Yep. And oh my God, yeah. So it's like real stories that happen in Florida, but they are reenacted by actors. Yes. While the real person tells the story. Yes. real stories that happen in Florida, but they are reenacted by actors while the real person tells the story. And these are insane stories. Yeah, like the only one that I saw was a guy

that was working at Disney that wanted to go to a base nectar show, which is a EDM show in Colorado. So he was going to cut off a guy's toes, and then the guy was gonna eat his own toes. Or he wanted the guy to eat them. Oh, right, the guy wanted him to eat them. You cut them off and eat them, and I want you to enjoy them while I'm in pain.

For five grand to go see Basin, to see, boop, boop, boop, shoo, wah, wah. I was just like, ah, that's unbelievable. What could go right? And you made the choice to go there. From a Craigslist post. Yep, yep. But I'm glad you did, because I needed to see this story

the way they told it. Exactly, exactly. Oh, I love that. When I saw that, I should have probably to see this story the way they told it. But yeah, oh, I love that. Exactly, exactly. When I saw that, I should have probably figured out the way the election was gonna go. Oh. You know? Oh.

Not to be a bummer, but you know, listen. Well, listen, it's right there. Back to you, back to the career stuff. When do you start thinking that you're gonna do this for a living and were you just, like before an agent, you were just answering those classifieds and showing up and grinding? Exactly. And what starts to make, get you some traction?

You know, I would book dumb little jobs here and there. You know, a music video here or an extra in a commercial there. But it wasn't until I actually finished my groundlings training, got voted into the company that, well, then I still didn't have an agent and I thought, well, maybe I just started too late. Maybe I'm never going to get one. Maybe this is the best it's ever going to get. So I should just love being in this company.

And at least I won't be living a boring life. Right. Maybe I'll never make any money. Yeah. Okay. But I got my trunk full of wigs. And all kinds of shitty costumes. My pregnancy pads.

Exactly. So I'm just going to do this. And also, you're having fun. Yeah. With literally some of the funniest people on the planet. Exactly. And once you get into something like that and you see how fun life can be,

you're like, well, I'm never going back. I can never not do this. So I just made a deal with myself like, this is it then. And whatever happens happens. And then I subbed for someone in a stage show. And a casting assistant saw me in that show and brought me in for Reno. But at the time I was so like,

look, I'm ready to throw my headshots off the pier. Yeah, yeah. You know, I'm going to rehearsals and I'm hearing people talking about, oh yeah, I just, did you go out for that show? Well, I did and here's what you need to know. And I'm thinking, I'm not even getting the chance to go out for anything. Yeah. But I just, did you go out for that show? Well, I did and here's what you need to know. And I'm thinking, I'm not even getting the chance to go out for anything.

But I thought, whatever. And how many years had you been actively pursuing it at that point? Maybe six years, but I was going about it the wrong way. I had no examples of how to do anything. So I was just, you know, beating my head against a brick wall. And did you ask people or did you just kind of

eavesdrop and kind of try and find your own way? All of that, all of that. And, you know, I was just running in circles, but I got this audition and I thought, well, you know what, I'm probably not gonna get it. So I'm just gonna go in and do what I wanna do. And that seemed to work out for me. It's the most attractive thing

when somebody is like, take me or leave me, I don't care. Yeah, I'm not needy. Oh, it's just- I got a place to live, it's fine. You can't fake that. You cannot fake that. Yeah, you have to feel it. And it's such a Zen thing to achieve, but.

Yeah, no, it's everything. It's a game changer. And that's when all the doors started opening up. And so then I was able to get a manager, get an agent, all these things. Now, of course they were terrible, but that's kind of the par for the course. Right, you gotta trade up.

When you're new, you start out at the bottom with these bottom feeders. Yeah, yeah. And then hopefully you progress and don't get too comfortable with anybody because someone better's gonna come along and you gotta be able to jump on that lily pad. So I did that for a while

and then I ended up with the best manager ever. Yeah. And I've had her for about 13 years and she's been a game changer. Yeah. Yeah. But you know, you just have to trust that if you go into free fall for a little bit, if you're where you're supposed to be, you will book. Yeah.

And if not, that's a blessing too. You know, you've got to switch course and, you know, get off this train and do something else. So either way you're going to win. But you know, but that's the kind of thing you have to say to yourself and it's all like woo woo speak a little bit. And it sounds insane when you tell somebody, but that is what has what has been getting me out of bed in the morning. It's like, you know, it's gonna work out. It has been working out. Don't knock everything you've done. Absolutely, and based on nothing,

just based on nothing, you're like, like if someone were to question you, cause I mean, I've been through the same thing. I've had real sort of dry spells and real sort of scary times and, you know, children and mortgages involved there. And just always, you know, and you just have to hold on, like, it'll be okay. Something will come. It'll be fine. And if someone was to quiz me based on what? Uh, nothing. Because I've done things in the past.

Yeah. You know, it's like I just have to have faith because other... And what else are you going to do? What else are you going to do? And it's that way for every freelancer. And that's what we are. Yeah. You know, so you always have to sow seeds and you always have to, you know...

Like I didn't take vacations for the longest time. I just got to Europe this year. I got to go for the Olympics, but I'd never been to France. You've never been to Europe? Yeah, I'd never been. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. But you know, I was afraid to leave town.

Everybody else would go on these nice vacations and I thought, no, no, I gotta stay and work. I gotta stay and meet people and do things because while they're all out I'm gonna be snatching up all the opportunities I can. Yeah. That's how you have to look at it. And then at a certain point you're like I got it I need a vacation. Yeah. Yeah. I'm dead inside. Yeah. Can't you tell my love's a-growing? You brought up just the vacation, you know, not vacationing.

It says, I have one thing, you and your husband never celebrate Valentine's Day. No. Why is that in my research and why do you do this? What is going on with you? Well, I think it's the key to a successful marriage is just ignore that bullshit holiday. Is this like some Jehovah's Witness thing? No, we tried a couple of times to celebrate it

and it always ends badly. So we said, forget it. Let's take the pressure off this stupid holiday and ignore it completely. I know you love me, I love you. This is a dumb day. I don't wanna do it anymore. So we just ignore it.

If other people wanna celebrate it, that's great. We're home watching Halloween movies or unclogging a drain, but anything that isn't Valentineow, or Valentine's related. I absolutely hate it. Yeah, no, I don't, I mean, I'm agnostic about it, but it does, but I understand, like, yeah, I mean, you know, you buy little treats and little gifts

and here's some flowers, honey. If you're doing that normally, which is like a good thing to do, then, you know, why do you need to have a day of like, oh, here's another obligation. I love you. Here you go. Here's your red stuffed animal. Yeah, yeah, right. And some crap chocolates. I stopped at a red light and made a transaction out the open window and got you these flowers. Our love is worth 30 seconds of my time. That's right.

You buy me a club sandwich on a random Wednesday. That is a good, I know you love me then, but Valentine's Day, forget it. Right, right. It's a bummer. Do you think, because I definitely think that there's a lot more comedy roles and just there's much more place for comedy for women in the world now than when I was coming up. Oh yeah. And do you? Big time. Do you have like theories as to why that is?

You know, what I've seen is that it's never linear. Back in the 80s, we had a lot of female driven TV shows. A lot. And then it went away for a while. You're right. There's a lot of number one on the call sheet women sitcoms. Yeah. Yeah.

And then it went away and then it came back for a little bit and then it went away. And every time something pops, it seems like people credit whoever that is with reinventing the wheel. Yeah. And it's like, well, no, we've always been funny. You guys just don't know how to make girls funny. You don't know how to write for them. Yeah.

And I still see that as being a bit of a problem. Like, there's a couple of female-centric movies that came out this year where I was like, are you... No, who is this for? Yeah, yeah. Come on, who is this for? Right. Nobody acts like that. Yeah. So, yeah. Come on, who is this for? Nobody acts like that.

So I don't know what it is. You know what I recently watched, and to me it's gotta be one of the funniest movies that has ever been made, is Drop Dead Gorgeous. That was so damn funny. You couldn't make it now. Yeah, super weird. Very weird. Will Sasso's character, they couldn't have,

Yeah. you know, a mentally challenged man that they keep saying the R word about. Yes, yes. Like you cannot do that. Right. But the girls. And with good reason.

And with good reason, of course. But yeah, yeah, yeah. But for somebody that grew up before it was verboten, you still are kind of like... I still, that still resonates a little. You know, okay, I hate to admit it. I hate to say that we, it used to mean other things when we were growing up, but totally get away.

You should not say that, it's terrible, terrible. But in terms of female driven comedies, that's one of the best ones. And still holds up. Yeah. But it is interesting that it just keeps being so cyclical like that. Yeah.

Like what's, why is this so hard? Are you overthinking it? Are you casting the wrong people? I don't know. Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, A, they're, well, it's also, it's dependent upon particular talents being allowed to shine.

Yeah. And I think, I think a huge key to the ascendance of women in comedy is Tina Fey. Mm-hmm. A, being Tina Fey. Yeah. And, but B, being the head writer on SNL. At the same time that Amy Poehler's there,

and Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig and all the other women that were there. And so, because I mean, I was in that building. I was in a different class in the same high school as that building. And when I started in 1993, it was a stand-up boys club. And the women that were on that show had a hard time elbowing their way to the table and were often elbowed away

from the tape, out of the tape. And that changed. That changed because somebody, the strength of somebody's talent and undeniable talent got in there and said, let's start writing some funny stuff for women. And let's do that kind of, like you said, like let's ugly up these women. These are not like the girlfriend or the mom

or like the crazy neighbor lady. Let's see some other colors of that. Right, this is the hooker that lives under the bridge. Yeah. And's see some other colors of that. You know? Right, this is the hooker that lives under the bridge. Yeah. And she deserves respect. Right, right. Yeah.

And she's lovable. Did you ever audition for SNL? I never did. No. I never did because of Conan. I mean, I went from doing, like I say, being in a Chris Elliot movie. Right.

And one other little part in what we used to call a cable movie, a movie that was like for HBO, I think. That was all I'd really done, kind of legit. And then I got on The Conan Show, and then I was in that building working next door to it. But still, it know, like it was, it was a really fun aspect of working in that building because Thursdays was music rehearsals.

So whatever that band was gonna be on, we would be aware of it. And we were, you know, we were on nine, you go down the stairwell, one floor, then it's the back door into the studio, and then you stand and you watch, you pick Paul Simon or Bruce Springsteen or I don't, you just-

That's incredible. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, wow. And you just walk in there and then, and the parties, like the after party, because every show has a party and it's like this, their security guys are our Conan security guys. So it's like, Hey Andy, how you doing?

You know, I'm just, I'm coming in, you know, to your party. I don't need to be, I just need to find out where it is and then show up. So it was, it was pretty sweet, you know? What a fun life. Yeah, yeah. Damn. Do you ever. What a fun life. Yeah, yeah. Damn. Do you ever look back at your life and just say, wow. Absolutely. Absolutely. I am a lucky person. Not too much because I'm, you know, because I mean, self-celebration I'm a little allergic to.

Sure. You know what I mean? Like, but I do think like how lucky I was. I can to, you know what I mean? But I do think how lucky I was. And especially now as I get older and I have more appreciation for stuff, for the things that I enjoyed, the good fortune I enjoyed. When I was in it sometimes, every day is 24 hours long, and every minute has 60 seconds in it, and you can't be, gosh, look at me. Your life is your life, and your coworkers are your coworkers,

and they can make you crazy. But yeah, I worked in Rockefeller Center making the kind of comedy show that matters to younger people than me, the way that the comedy shows that made me who I am mattered to me. That's like, that's really pretty wonderful and pretty amazing.

And yeah, I'm getting to experience that moment. And I do think there is like, it's tinged with a little sadness because I do feel kind of like, I wish I had appreciated it more while I was in it, but I don't know if you can do that. I don't know. I think it's impossible to do that.

Especially at that age. You don't practice gratitude in your late 20s. Yeah, when you're 34 or whatever. Yeah, absolutely not. No, no, you don't know about that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You know what I loved you in was Strangers with Candy.

Oh, thank you. That was such a bananas show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't explain it to someone who didn't watch it. It's just the weirdest show in the world, but I quote it on the daily. It really, and people that don't know it when you show it to them, I mean, depending.

There's some people are like, what the fuck is this? And then there are other people that are like, oh my God, this is one of the best things ever. And I mean, just packed with Stephen Colbert, and so many different, and Amy Sedaris. I mean, Amy Sedaris, again, like, she's kind of been off on her own Amy Sedaris Island doing her thing. But again, incredibly funny woman,

just making her own choices and doing her own thing. Yeah. And that show, my ex-wife was a recurring, my ex-wife played the butch gym coach. Oh yes. Coach Cherry Wolf. Oh, that's right. So I, you know, she was- Oh my God, yeah! She was doing that show on a regular basis.

And I think I was probably a bigger fan of the show than she was just because she worked it, you know? Yeah. It's like when you work on something, it's kind of—it's like, I mean, it's the same thing sometimes watching old comedy. Oh, Conan shows, there's times I'm like, I just remember how long that took to shoot. Oh. You know, and like not appreciating it.

Yeah. I mean, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think

it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's like,'s times I'm like, I just remember how long that took to shoot. You know, and like not appreciating it. But, oh yeah, being on that show, that was out in weird, like defunct Catholic schools in New Jersey. That was their sets were always like, whatever school had gone out of business.

I wondered how you guys got away with shooting some of that stuff on school property. All the schools were closed. They were closed down. They were all closed. And I think one might even have been like a hospital that they retrofitted. Really? Yeah, yeah. And they were different locations. They would use different things for different locations. Oh, that's incredible. But yeah, no, that was, and that was again too, that was like there's nobody put, well,

I guess streamers, there's streamers putting on weird shit now. Yeah, but Comedy Central doesn't do original stuff anymore. And that's such a waste, you know? Yeah, yeah. Those Comedy Central shows were like my respite for the week. Absolutely. And the old daily show and I mean, South Park's still going. Yeah, yeah. It'll be there forever. It'll be there forever. As long as it's the case too.

It's like The Simpsons, God bless them. Did you, are there like, are you a writer too? Like, is there stuff that you've written that you're wanting to get done? Is there stuff left undone? Yeah, I am a writer, although I don't like writing. Yeah, I know what you mean. But I always like having written.

Yes, a blank page is like the most distasteful thing in the world to me. But once it's filled, I'm like, oh, look what I did. I'm so proud of myself. Hey, that's not half bad. How about my brain? Woo, still got it. like, oh, look what I did. Yeah, like, hey, that's not half bad. How about my brain? Woo, still got it.

But yeah, and I wanna do more producing just because I have a lot of really talented friends that I would love to see working and that I would selfishly love to just watch. Yeah. I don't need to be in everything. Oh yeah. But I wrote a pilot script.

I had a deal at Sony for a quick second and I wrote a pilot script based on this terrible little hotel I used to work in near Disneyland. Okay. Okay, so it was the third worst Ramada in Anaheim. And we were- Is that on a little plaque in the front? No. It should have been.

It's since been torn down. But we were, I mean, it was like a joke. There were two other Ramadas and we were the one across the train tracks. Yeah. Okay, next to the rock breaking factory or whatever. Like they were breaking rocks all the time.

And we were trying to make this a destination property. Yeah. Like my character on St. Dennis trying to make this a destination hospital. So it was a trucker hotel. Yeah. It had outside corridors. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There were hallways. Everything was outside. We had a witch that was the head of housekeeping who tried to burn the place down. And she was a literal witch. A literal bruja. Wow.

Things were happening all the time and we were always trying to make this place look as nice as it could. I mean, the deceptive photos that we took for brochures. Right, right. At one point, we had a shark tank behind the front desk. As one does. As one does in Anaheim, okay?

And it had two sharks, small sharks, but they were too big for the tank eventually. So they had like scrapes on their noses and on the sides of their bodies from, you know, hitting coral. Right, right. Or each other. Or each other. Yeah, yeah. And sometimes they would feed them in the middle of the day and scare the hell out of the children that would come into the lobby. It was a violent, violent thing. Of course. But we did this and we had like an animated looking shark on our brochures.

It was so dumb, Andy. Oh, wow. But we tried so hard. Yeah, yeah. To push that thing uphill in front of us. And I wrote a pilot about that and it's not half bad. And I would like to see this produced at some point. Yeah.

Because it's based in the truth. Yeah. And look. Yeah. Because it's based in the truth. Yeah. And look. Yeah, and there's so many, I mean, so many things, you know, obviously it's the execution of things, but it is like, yeah, there's a lot here. There's a lot here. Yeah, there's a lot of, you know, you hire some funny people to write jokes and there

you go. Yeah, and you cast it properly and I think this thing could go. But, you know, workplace comedies will always be in style. Because everyone has to work. Yeah. And it, you know, we don't all get to go off and take improv class afterwards, you know?

Sometimes that is the best it's gonna get. It's a vessel. And again, you can fill it with garbage or you can fill it with gold. And there are ones that are great. And they will continue to get great. I had a workplace comedy on Fox. And from the get-go, they were like,

oh, workplace on Fox doesn't work. And I'm like, what are you talking about? And they're like, well, Fox's comedies are all about families. And I was like, oh, okay, let me think. Oh yeah, Married with Children, Simpsons, you know, et cetera, et cetera. I'm like, okay, yeah, all right, yes,

but who fucking cares? Yeah. Yeah. And I swear that was always hamstrung us, the fact that we weren't a family comedy on Fox. But then it's like, I've said this before, at the time I felt like the people there wanted what I would refer to as exploding titty.

Which is titties and car and like expensive cars that blow up, you know. Well, that sounds about right. Yeah. And that sounded that sounds exactly like what their slate was for many years. Yes, yes, yes. Those kind of notes are not interesting and I always feel like whoever is the one delivering that note is gonna be the first person to leave the business.

Like if you're so hung up on that being the only way, then you're probably never gonna evolve. You're not gonna evolve with the times. And it's just dumb. It's just dumb because all of those rules and as you go through this, you hear all those rules. How can you be that person and know for sure that you're so right?

Like, nope, this doesn't work. Right. No, it could. Nobody wants dessert until the dessert cart passes by. Then everybody wants it. Right. Well, what do you think is the biggest lesson you've learned as you've gone through, you know, this Southern California journey?

Well, I would say that it's amazing how many people won't root for you. And it is actually heartbreaking if you think about it too much. But again, you don't need everyone to root for you. You need a couple of people. And that doesn't mean that you shouldn't root for other people. So if you see somebody doing something amazing, tell them. They need to hear it. It's never gonna be a bad thing to give compliments or to write a fan letter or something like that. But just don't let the lack of encouragement from other people who are trying to do what you do, don't let that sideline you. It doesn't mean anything. That's just the nature of how people can be sometimes.

But when you have the opportunity, bring other people with you. Yeah. That speaks to me because the first part of that, you don't need everybody telling you you're great and everything. Like I definitely galvanized myself to be sort of self-sufficient, both in life and in work, in this kind of work thing. I kind of was like, I'm gonna have to just sort of really rely on my own sense of self and be a little, always take the other people's opinions with a grain of salt, whether positive or negative.

Because two different people can say two opposite things and both of them sound good. Like I am kind of that way and I am kind of that way. And I sometimes I feel like throughout my work life, I've been too stingy with compliments for other people because I don't need that many compliments. Like I don't as a performer, like I don't need the director. What I love to hear is moving on, which means we got it.

Let's go to the next thing. That means to me, I did a good job. I don't need to the details, you know? But that's me. And I forget that like, that's not everybody, you know? So I try to be more aware of that and compliment people. I mean, I'm not like an asshole, but I'm not, I also too, I'm a little less effusive

with the praise than I should be, so. But you're self-sufficient. Yeah. And sometimes you forget that other people may not be as self-sufficient. Right, right. And there are people that need it a lot, and I'm like, oh God, we're all adults,

we got work to do. You know, like, you already get it. You got the director's focus for three full minutes. And everything came to a grinding halt while you got the director's full focus and nothing was accomplished. Let's go. Roll the goddamn camera.

But I agree with you. Moving on, the two most beautiful words in the English language. Or the, well, that was great great anything you want to do. No Like another take don't bait me. No, there's nothing more. Yeah, happy. I'm happy. Let's go always always well st. Dennis medical is on NBC November 12th, and I definitely gonna I'm gonna look at it cuz it It's got such a great pedigree and it's also just, I mean, to get a network comedy that's good. I mean, well, there are,

you know, Abbott Elementary is really sort of, you know, holding on to the flag here. Yeah, they really are. They really are. Yeah. So, and it's just been great. I'm so happy that you came in, Wendy. Thanks for having me. Yeah. It was such a pleasure. And I hope that everybody watches the show. I know you're going on to do more of this blabity blab about it.

Oh, I love the blab. Yes. All right. Well, thank you everyone for listening and thank you, Wendy, for coming. And 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 Sachs, and Jeff Ross. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Battista, with assistance from Maddy Ogden. Research by Alyssa Grahl. 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

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