Ego Nwodim
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Now, the holidays are coming up. I don't know if you know this, Dana, but it is October and then it will be November. And then that's the holiday season. Yeah. Stressful. We include Halloween in that. So between traveling, having your family around, we've teamed up with Ring and it's helped them. Yeah. Because Ring cameras, which everyone knows. Everyone knows that. That's a household thing.

product at this point. You want to catch these merry moments because there's a lot, a lot of times I see online, there's funny videos and a lot of them are from ring cameras. People leave the house, something funny happens. So you always have that. So, but from ring doorbells that alert you when gifts arrive at the door to indoor cams that let you check in on pets and

to see if the creatures are stirring at home. Yeah, you can check in on your lovely dog. There's alarm kits that deliver peace of mind during your holiday travel. Ring has your whole home covered. Wherever the season takes you, you're always home for the holidays with Ring. And I have Ring cameras. I think almost everyone does. Yeah, and you can talk to your dog through Ring. You can do whatever you want. We have people...

come to the door and it doesn't even, you don't have to be home. You just talk to them and say, Hey man, you know, just, uh, rob the place. Someone's at your door, you know, they're there. I mean, it does seem very good if you, you know, want to stay in touch with loved ones. Yeah. They're easy to install. Even Heather can do it. I can't, but Heather can do it. Who installed? Oh, Heather did. Yeah. You just plug it in. No, you just, you place it anywhere you want. You can have a couple, uh,

you know, it turns off the mic. If, if you want, you can adjust it. You know what I mean? And then the old that's indoors. You could do all that. And then you got the video doorbell, which everyone knows. Yeah. Someone's at your door. Bing bong. You've hear it. You can answer the door. Um,

Speak to delivery people. Yeah, right. Exactly. You can see a high up and down low with the head to toe video. So you kind of really, you know, and tell them where to leave the packages. What can't it do in terms of this? I like that head to toe. That's a good description because I don't want to just see this. I want to see what am I dealing with here? So I had to ring.com to find the latest deals on ring video doorbells, cams,

and alarms and shop gifts for everyone on your list. It's a good gift. It says two people that rely on our voice. You know, this is our job. Stand up this, whatever. Zycam is great because if you feel a cold coming on, you know, I have Zycam in my bag. Like if you're on the road,

give it a couple of squirts because your throat's sore, sniffling. That's when I go for it because it's sort of, if you're already in the throes of it, it will speed it up. It will shorten. It will shorten the cold or reduce the symptoms so that the second you start feeling, because sometimes you go, oh man, am I getting a cold?

And that's when you hit a Zycam. Boom. Boom. Nail it. And it's kind of fun. Yeah. They have rapid melts, medicated food drops, a lot of flavors, you know. Nasal swabs. Nasal swabs. Those are fun. Sprays. Yeah. So you can get it in a lot of different ways.

If you feel a cold coming on at the first sign, reach for cold shortening products from Zycam, the number one cold shortening brand. And for best results, use at the first sign of a cold and continue to use until the symptoms completely subside. Pick up Zycam in the cold and flu aisle. Visit Zycam.com to see where to buy online. You go ahead, start this off. Who's our guest?

Ego Wodum. And she is a lovely young lady on SNL, I think six years in. Really great chat with her. And this is the deepest dive we've done on one sketch. Lisa from Temecula, which was a sketch that was renamed, which I thought was very interesting. You name a sketch, it reminds me of the Pina Colada song, Dana.

It was called Escape, but everyone said, hey, I like the Pina Colada song, so they changed the name. So this was, she's so articulate and fun and a self-starter and just had a lot of really interesting things to say about SNL and about being there and what it's like.

Yeah, this was the most, she takes you on a ride that we've done before with other guests, but there's these emotional tipping points. And she talks about just how the whole arc of being on Saturday Night Live as a cast member is just, it can be topsy-turvy. The sketch is cut or it's in or the host dropped out or whatever it is. And she really is very honest. She's very, very talkative.

And we do orientate the episode like David, right? David said, Lisa from Temecula, a character she played in a restaurant scene with Pedro Pascal, I think, and did a steak night. And it was physical. It was funny. And she said it just reorientated the way the writers would look at her and really the audience. She killed...

so hard hit every beat perfect just one of those classic sketches and it's like having it's honestly like having a hit movie come out and then you're like a good actor and then someone has a hit movie and then now they're getting the good scripts it's just the way showbiz is so she does a sketch that blows up

gets on, it goes a little bit viral. And then suddenly they're like, you know what? She'd be good in this. And that just, it really like woke her up and gave her new energy for being on a show. That's just a tough beating sometimes. Yeah. And because there's a larger cast, even if you've been on six years, there still is this dance with the audience where they discover you and they see you in something. Oh, they like that. And then maybe you're not in

things that give you that platform. And then I like that. And I like that. And I think that angle that you have, like, Oh, she can play that also. Oh, let's make her play that, you know? Yeah. And then it builds on itself. And then the best place you can get to is where the audience just sort of is already ready to laugh, you know, like with Kenan Thompson, they're just ready to laugh with Kenan. He hits every line, but I think that she's still,

You know, I just say, I think she's kind of popping. I'm just, you know, there's a subtlety of confidence where you're like, say you're 70% confident or 80%. And if you can get to 90, 95, it's a whole other thing. The audience senses it, then everybody's having fun. And that's where she's at. And so, and she's really an affectionate person. She hugs everybody. She's very sweet. Yep.

She looks like a lot of fun, and I know you're doing the show with her now, which is great to be around everybody that's been on the show. So here she is. Hey, go. Go.

Wow. Hi. I know you know Dana. I do know Dana. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We know each other. We know each other. Yeah. We get each other. I always get my hug when we do those fake goodnights. Oh, yes. I get real hugs at fake goodnights. Yeah, I get real hugs. The hugs are real, but the first one's fake and we have to act like we're not.

Oh, yes. Yeah. Oh, that's true. I'm disrespectful. I thought about this the other day. I was like, I think it's kind of rude, maybe that I wear my as we call them behind the scenes comfies for dress rehearsal. Good nights. I don't even attempt to make the audience feel like they are at the real show. I've gone out there with a bald cap.

I think I've, yeah, I think I've gone out there as Biden. I don't know. I mean, it's just practice. They're a practice audience. We're practicing. Look, if you can't get the main ticket at 1130, we can't help you. Listen, I count the good nights as a sketch. I used to. Really? You give good nights. He's skilled. I said I was in a couple of things as an update. I was in good nights. Give us your good night wave to the crowd, David. Let's see it.

I go like this. I'd never go to the front because we'd make fun of each other for trying to be too thirsty. Okay. And then if you hug the host first, they'd make fun of you or we would make fun of each other. So I go, Farley, get up there. You know you're going to hug him in five seconds. Uh-huh. I said, at least wait till he gets all the lines out. Like, good night, everyone. Thanks to Foo Fighters and then Grabber. And then we would like go as far back as we could. Wait.

Wait, were people jumping the gun at times trying to hug the host before they said all their thank yous? I mean, other than Chris, I don't know. It was funny because...

You know, they like certain cast members, but they would there were certain ones you knew you might know in your head without saying some sort of worm up to that front row to get on camera. You know, it's not like it. But what's your tactic? Say the names. I'm going to drop names. I'm going to be dropping tea. This is going to be kind of the club. Shay, Shay. Yes. Cat Williams interview style. Burn it all down and burn it. How would Cat Williams say that?

Oh, let me think about this. I know it's hard to, hard to, you have to get warmed up. You do have to, do you see me put my hands on my legs and go, okay, hold on, let me find it. Let me find it. I haven't listened to him in some time. Now. David, David, David Spade and Dana Covey. I'm trying to tell you something in there. Something. It's kind of nasally. Yeah. It's yeah. It's very cool. So they don't tell you. I told him when I, we, I golf with my wife. I met him once. We golfed and I go last time they made us.

They made me play from the pro tees. He goes, you're David Spade. They don't tell you to do nothing. You tell them. That's kind of something. Good. That's a good one. It was something. He's got a very unique. Yeah.

It's very good. It's a beautiful voice. Beautiful voice. It's hard to get. His first special that I saw, I put it up there with anything I've ever seen in my life. He's pretty incredible. Also, to have made that interview, I was reflecting on that interview as recently as yesterday because I got the...

I won't say dreaded email, the email about which episode would you like to submit for contention for this award nomination? And so I was looking through. I kind of arbitrarily picked, but I thought about that sketch I got to do. And I thought about that moment where he did that interview and helped the podcast blow up.

up. I'm not going to be able to do that for you here today, but David, it is nice to meet you formally because I have, if only we could hug on stage behind a host. I would run up to you because I have no shame anymore back then. Shame. No shame. Well, yeah. Also you got it. People, some people are not in any sketches. Was this a thing back in the day? Not in any sketches. Cause that's just the way the cookie crumbled. And then you're at good nights.

It happened. Not in my early days. I would refuse to go and think it would really turn the show on its lid. Like if Lauren finds out, because they'd walk around knocking on the door, good nights, good nights, like Marcy Klein, our talent person. And then I go, I'm not going. As like, I'm standing up against this establishment. And then I thought Lauren would be tossing and turning in his sleep or couldn't have fun at the party because of that. Absolutely.

Absolutely unbothered. No one noticed. Oh, David wasn't a good night's. Oh, okay. Well, that's too bad for. Okay. And time. We got another Lauren impression. Yeah. You have to get that Lauren impression. I want the audience to know that we've done four shows together. So we've had four musical guests and four hosts. So who's your favorite and who do you want to trash? Okay. Yeah, burn it down. Burn it down.

It's on the year. Podcast called burn it down is a good idea. Maybe I start hosting that one. I, all the hosts have been absolutely lovely this season. I will say this stand out to me. No, I know. Honestly, honestly, fuck off to me for real, but stand out. What I will say is stand out to me because I feel like we were having a mutual love fest between the two of us. Ariana Grande. We were having a, I,

love you. You love me. We're a happy family going on between us. And so I'm going to go ahead. Yeah. Just unreal could do anything. And then was really kind because, you know, sometimes people aren't kind we've learned. Right. But she was kind, talented, all the things you want her to be had range was down to play. And I always say the hosts who are

Before having range, that's great. And I love that. And of course, that's helpful. I think being willing to play and look stupid and kind of just go with the flow and see where this thing takes you. Yeah. She looks so dumb. When I saw her walk down the hallway in 8H with that castrati. Castrato. I said, okay, that's going to work. Castrato. The little hat and the...

But yeah, she was game and her range is unbelievable. And so she probably looked at you and said, gee, it's I'm looking into a mirror. Oh, well, that is very kind, Dana. Dana wants extra hugs and I'm giving them out. Lisa from Temecula, maybe your most badass.

Fuck. Thank you. That was fucking fun. Man, that was... Crazy. Okay, and I've said this before, but you guys will understand this having been cast members at the show. When we got to do that sketch, like I've told the story that I go, you know, it killed at table. And I didn't even know that it...

I don't even know that what happened at table could have been defined as killing. I feel like I unlocked a level of experience there just in general, even if I was just watching that happen at table because the writers had a real steak delivered to me at table read. Oh, okay. All right. So yes, they had a real steak delivered to me. Amen from props came and slid a steak to me right before he read that sketch.

Mikey Day said this before, says every time he's looking at over my shoulder at my phone, which I say, why is Mikey doing that? But that's a different conversation. Mikey goes, every time I look at your phone, you are not so scrolling social media. You're looking at menus and like, all you care about is food. This is a truth. This is...

A true thing. I'm either planning my near future meal or my distant future meals. That's what I spend most of my time on my phone doing. And so when he saw across the table, and he has this whole thing about me being a diva. He does a bit with me. And he, across the table, sees a steak get delivered to me in the middle of table read. And he's like, okay, she's getting out of control. This is it.

How funny she is. He doesn't know what's going on. Just for our listeners, let me just insert what it is in case they haven't heard it and I want to hear more. But basically, you're a pretty...

big personality at a restaurant and you get, and it's going along. It's funny. You're doing funny stuff that you can talk about. And then you start cutting this steak and it keeps escalating into madness where the table is shaking and everyone's just trying to hold it together. So that's the fact that you did it at the, at the really helps. It's great with Pascal. Yeah. Here's my thing too, is I would normally, when the writers, I'll tell you how that sketch came to be too, is,

It's written by Alex English, Gary Richardson, and Michael Che. The way that sketch came to be is from Alex English's mind. Apparently his cousin was at the holiday Christmas, I think eating a steak and she was kind of shaking the table. She'd gotten a well done steak. That's the thing. Lisa from Temecula likes her steaks extra, extra, extra well done. So it's basically a hockey puck. And so she, so it's based on his cousin, but,

the week before they had done a sketch, Gary Richardson, Alex English. And they were like, you're in our sketch. You're in our sketch. And we're friends and we get to table read. So I'm writing that. They're like, you're in our sketch. And I'm like, cool. That's an extra piece at table. I get to read in. Okay. We've got that. I get there. And my line is, Ooh, I love, I love it. And that's the one out of a 12 page sketch. And we're friends. So I, I gave them so much shit about that. I was like at the after party that week, I go, Ooh, I,

love it and I go you really you really gonna come knock on my door and tell me how I'm in your sketch that we're reading tomorrow and the line is oh I love

And that line could have been cut by the way. And I remember when I read it at table the previous week, I was like, this is going to get cut once they, it was a pre-tape. I was like, this is not a necessary line. It doesn't help establish anything. They kept it in. And so I gave them shit. I mean, I gave them so much shit. I'm not, and I was like, and I got a full face of makeup on, on a Friday to say, Ooh, I love it. And then Alex so kindly was like, okay, I have something for you. I have something. And it was Lisa from Temecula. Of course we didn't know it would be this.

but normally I would have said to the writers, and this is my problem. I would have been like, yeah, but where does it go from there? Like, so she orders a well done steak, the table's shaking and like, and sort of then what? But I was hands-off approach on this one. Cause you wasted all your bitching the week before. Yes, exactly. You understand. I was like, I think, I think I'm out of bitching coins. Genuinely. I'm like, I'm out of bitching coins. So I'm going to have to just go. Thank you. We'll see. So I got to the table. They have this steak delivered to me and I,

And then the table read, Dana, you've seen the most recent one. It's now happening in 8H as opposed to on the 17th floor. I didn't know that until last week. Yeah. And it's like far less intimate in a way. And this table is way bigger than it was when it was on the 17th floor. So I'm like, is this going to shake this table? Is this at table read going to be reliant on my ability to shake this current gigantic table? Yeah. It's 40 feet. Yeah, it's gigantic. But just the sight of it, it worked.

somehow and I couldn't this is where I said I didn't I wouldn't have known in real time this was defined as killing because I couldn't get through the sketch at table read I was really struggling it was making me laugh in the middle of it and I was like I can't read this and this is so fun and silly and so I didn't even think on Wednesday when they picked the sketches that it even really stood a chance I wasn't worried in one way or the other I was like well that was fucking fun but I didn't think

it was going to get picked and then it got picked. And then Lauren asked us to rename it because it was just birthday dinner originally. And then, um, yes. Wait, who has a thought? Maybe. Maybe dinner steak or something. Susan from Modesto. Maybe from Hamptons. Oh,

Lila from San Diego. Those writers are so brilliant. Does he want it to name something more about the stakes and they know what the fuck? I know. I think he wanted it. He was like, he suspected. So on Friday, he calls me into his office and I'm thinking,

And I'm feeling a little anxious about this sketch all week and people are like, it's really funny. And for me also, I will say, I don't know how you guys feel about this. If something kills at table, baby, in my opinion, that's kiss of death. It's going to play to, it's going to play the literal silence. It's going to play to silence. There's nowhere to go but down. Yes. And so I...

I was like, I don't even know how this thing is actually going to work. I didn't think about the monkey boys, their hand in it and how the writers had planned to produce the sketch. So I was like, this is a lot. Like, I'm pretty strong, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to shake a table sufficiently for this sketch. And then I realized it wasn't on me totally. But...

Lauren called me and then the writers into his office on Friday. And I was like, okay, this meeting is for sure him telling us like, this was fun all week to pretend we were on a divorce.

But because I was like, I don't know how this works. But he was calling to be like, you're going to want to name this woman something more memorable. And I was like, I don't know, quite the opposite of what I thought he was calling us in to talk about. He was sort of like, people are going to want to see this character again. And then I'm like, well, now this feels like a different kind of pressure. And Alex and Gary came up with Lisa from Temecula.

I don't know how, where, why I used to live in LA. So I'm like, I'm familiar with Temecula, but what an obscure. It kind of means nothing. It just sounds good though. I like it. Yes. Yes. And then we panic. Cause somebody told me they're like, well, what a random fucking name. So then on Saturday morning we were like going through other names and

And shout out to Gary Richardson being like, no, I think we just keep it Lisa from Temecula. It's kind of, yeah, it's kind of nothing. Let's keep it that. Yeah. So it was very fun, but at dress guys, what I say at dress,

Oh, it does not do well. Somebody really know. And all week people in hair department going, I don't laugh at anything. And honestly, with sound off watching the monitor in the hair room, we're dying. And I go, it's too much pressure. I don't want the compliments. In fact, at a certain point, I'm like, it's all it's all kiss of death, a kiss of death, a bad omen. Yeah.

People building it up too much pressure. Lauren wants us to name it. This is the best sketch in history. No, that's really good to mention that on this podcast because that hasn't been talked about. I'm like, you're going to crush. Please don't say that to me. Please do not say that. We had one this week on the show.

with, can I, we had one this week with, gosh, my, as soon as we go on hiatus, thank you, my brain erases what happened every week. I know, because you expunge it. You just like, truly, get to let go of it. Did you see it was just short-circuited there? Anyway, Michael Keaton that killed at table, absolutely destroyed. And not, and there are weeks where things are like, that was really good at table and that was really fun. And there's moments where I'm using the word killed. So something killed at table with Keaton. And then,

got to dress rehearsal and I go, Oh, it's crazy. It's really not working the same. And it went from like top of show to kind of down there, got down there more, a more regular slot, if you will. Um, rivaling 10 to one, not quite, but anyway, I, I am, we do this at dress rehearsal. It feels like a lot of pressure. The table's not shaking because somebody, um,

told the monkey boy to not shake it as much. And we did the run through, right? Dry run. And I was like, great. This feels a little chaotic, but kind of fun. I think it all come together. And then it just, the shaking dissipated. And there's really no sketch. When you say monkey boy, how do you mean that? And there's someone under the table.

There's someone on their table and I don't know what their official, like the monkey boy productions. They do the puppets for us. Okay. I just wanted to make sure. You thought it was a slur? You were a slur. People might think it's an actual monkey boy or something. A monkey or a person. A simian or something. So is that a company that deals with this stuff and does the special effects? Yes. Special effects, then puppeteering. I feel like I know them most for their puppet. Their puppet. Right.

puppetry. They built me a mask in this forerun to do a jigsaw kind of sketch and like, like a welder situation. Like, yeah, they're incredible. But someone told our guy not to shake the table as much.

It's not communicated to me. Sabotage. It kind of, you know, that's the one thing that could hurt that sketch. The one thing. Or stupid. But one of the. It's one of the S's. And so I'm like, and so it's not shaking. There's no sketch. It's like a woman has ordered a world. There's no comedy. It's like, I'm trying to. And then also plot twist that threw me for a fucking loop is.

for the first time from table read to now we've done it table read we've done blocking we've done saturday daytime run through um for the first time at dress and no one tells me in advance which normally they would have would have been appropriate to it's a t-bone steak i can't even like pantomime sawing a t-bone steak that's extra extra well done you can't even i was like whose idea to put a big bone in the

in the middle changed it wow don't change anything don't change a thing and so it's not going well there's this moment where i'm just like well motherfuckers and mr pedro pascal whose praises i'll sing till i'm blue in the face and i'm super great show and and a very likable great actor great actor

Down to play, down to look like a fool, down to look stupid like a dumbass, and also didn't try to curate his own show. That's the other thing, like to be very clear that when a host is trying to curate their own show-- - He just gave himself up to everybody. - Truly, and I think this about that episode, by the way. Unrelated deletes from Temecula, glad I got that off in that episode.

When I reflect back on that episode and I was talking to Mikey Day about this, I was like, there are so many sketches in that episode that could have been the one. There was like real stiff competition on that. There's a

Mario Brothers one that was beautiful tape. There was Marcello's protective mom sketch that was an absolute hit. So I haven't seen an episode like quite like that one in some time, just where it's like, there are multiple sketches in here. That could have been the first sketch. Could have been the one. Yeah. And so, yeah,

Anyway, Pedro is like, I think, I don't want to speak for him, but I get the senses thrown by like, whoa, we all had high expectations for this sketch. And boy, is this like bombing right now? And he starts looking for, I guess,

it's throwing him and he's like, now I'm trying to, how do I articulate this? Like trying to see a cue card and, but he's making it obvious. Like, remember we're still in the scene, but now he's making it obvious. He's like kind of looking over and up and trying to see a cue card and absolutely in character unscripted because it's Bobby at this point. So who fucking cares? I go in character and I go, and what are you looking at? And then that's the biggest laugh at dress rehearsal is me going. And what are you looking at and calling him out for like,

Oh, absolutely. Off cards. That's funny. And then we wrap up and I'm at the I don't know where I catch him. Oh, a good night's address to fake good nights. And I go, the table wasn't shaking and there was a T-bone steak. And he's like, what the fuck? And mind you, he's pretty straight man in that sketch. So the jokes aren't really his. It's not really about him. Right.

And a lot of hosts would have used that opportunity to be like, see, to get out of it, to get out of it. Cause they probably, a lot of hosts wouldn't have wanted to do it in the first place. Okay. And then, yeah, I'm just a puppet in this. They aren't the score machine. Nothing for me to play. And so I was like, that would have been a perfect out. They wouldn't have fought him on it. Cause it did bomb. And it would have been like a nice heartbreak to deal, dish me. And they, they,

he actually went in there and fought for it. And he was like, they didn't give her, they gave her a T-bone steak. The table didn't shake. I love it. You need someone in that goddamn room because no one's in the room. You're not allowed. You need someone in the room and having someone in the room. I've had every iteration of an experience at this show. I feel I was saying this to Heidi recently. I'm like every version of it being the baby. No one gives a fuck about having a writer who was not only really fucking funny, but also in the room I've had,

that writer go away and now have nobody in the room and feel like, oh, okay, I guess we're starting from scratch again. And having someone in the room, nothing like it, really nothing. - Arianne, Game of Thrones, creating alliances who are in the room?

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I'm Jenna Fisher. And I'm Angela Kinsey. And together we have the podcast Office Ladies. Just because we finished rewatching The Office does not mean we're going anywhere. Every Wednesday, we'll be sharing even more exclusive stories from The Office and our friendship with brand new guests. Plus, you can revisit all the Office Ladies rewatch episodes every Monday with new bonus tidbits before every episode. So follow and listen to Office Ladies on the free Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts.

For the viewers, Dana, let's have her say what the room is and who's in it. Okay. So the room is the deciding room. The room, I think, convenes multiple times throughout the week. But most important or seemingly significant for us as cast and for writers is the room after table read. So after we've read our 40 sketches on Wednesdays.

The room convenes. It is Lauren, Steve Higgins, Eric Kenward. I think Caroline Maroney is in there. Aaron Doyle is in there. Rebecca Schwartz.

I'm not sure who else, but other people from the talent department, I believe. But those are the decision makers. Head writers are also in there. I left them out. Streeter. That's a lot. Streeter, Allison Gates, Kent Sublett. And that's what that room looks like. So you do the math on that. So that's who's in there. Okay. And then that room convenes again throughout the week to check in with the host. I think they have a meeting with the host on Friday. Less pressing to all of us, but...

How are you feeling? Yeah. How are you feeling? What do you like? What do you not like? Oh, you're confused about your role in that one. Okay. Oh, and a host being like, I find it fascinating. I want to be in that room one time, specifically the Friday room. I want to be in the Friday room because I want to know, I want to hear hosts say,

they start not always sometimes try to manipulate the system a little and like if they're not scoring that's their opportunity to say I don't know what I'm doing in that one I just don't I don't know what I'm doing or I can't wrap my head around this very straightforward character I can't feel it it's very straightforward I'm just having a hard time understanding I'm confused so I'm just setting up them to kill or Friday night at like 11 or 12 or whatever yes exactly so we've at that

point blocked all the sketches pretty much they're waiting on the pre-tapes they know what they hate exactly and they start to plant those seeds you kind of see it reflected in the run the seeds of death that is how you kill a sketch that's how you begin to kill a sketch poison pill poison

oh, that's good. It's a poison. Just create doubt. They create the little doubt. And then you get the rundown. We as cast, the writers, everyone gets the rundown, which is to say, this is what our run through the dry run on Saturday is going to look like. This is what dress rehearsal looks like long. And you said it's very long. We get to work at like 1130 AM on Saturday and the show wraps up. No one realizes that's the earliest day. Yes, actually, truly, which is insane. And so, um,

Only rivaled by pre-tape day, Friday, where we sometimes are like, I'm getting picked up at 6 a.m. But the dress rehearsal rundown, if you will, on the left side of that document says who's doing updates.

which feels like a very secretive thing all week. That's when they pick who's doing update. That's when we all get to see when it becomes like, and this is who's doing updates. So it's happening. Whispers behind you. You don't know people. If you're close are going, did you, have you heard about your update? Are you, Oh, do we know who's doing, but it's all very like secret. But then when that rundown comes out at 1130 PM on Friday or midnight Saturday, you go, Oh, that's who's doing update. And Oh, so yeah,

Then on that side, on that left side, when you see the order of the sketches in this dress rehearsal show, you go, yes, at the Friday meeting, the host has planted a seed of doubt. That sketch went from fourth of the night to now second to last of the night. Yes, exactly. I'm kind of loving these hosts. I love the deviousness. I like a host and they're going, I mean, I don't know what's funny. To me, it's not hilarious, but I trust you guys. Like in the assistant right next to him with a little notepad. Oh,

kind of a sweater and mind you the assistant in them and the publicist i've already had their conversation off to the side being like everything's a side chat it's so everything's a side chat it's so crazy but so then yeah it's but when things when when you can sense that a host has done that too then that just creates a sort of like well that sucks because also you want to like

you're like on Tuesday when you go to talk to a host about the idea you have for the week or the ideas you have. And oftentimes I'm a pretty direct person. So I'm like, you can literally say you hate it. You're not going to offend me. You can tell me like, I really don't want to do that. If come Wednesday, even if it kills at table, I'm going to, in that meeting, veto it. So don't do, I don't want to do it. Don't waste my time. Don't waste my time. Cause I have

other ideas. I don't want to write it. And it's cool. Yeah. It takes hours. It takes hours and it's disheartening when it does kill it. It doesn't go and it turns out because you didn't. So please just be honest with me because I'll write something else that we can both be excited about. But

It's what I adore about Pedro is that he did take that opportunity in that Saturday meeting. That meeting we talk about happens again Saturday after dress rehearsal. Right. That's it. That's the most intense time of the week. Picking the show. It's like 1045. They basically hack a half hour out of dress. So you're in the show all week. And then by 11 p.m.,

you're suddenly not in the show. So what happened with Lisa from Temecula? Well, Lisa, he went in that room and he fought for it and said in that meeting, he wanted to do it in that meeting that there was, they gave me a T-bone steak, which WTF. And then that the table wasn't shaking. Who, who,

Why did that happen? When did that decision get made? And also, if that was a note that was communicated to the monkey boy, not a slur, the company, right? If that was a note communicated to them,

why no one told me why no one communicated it to all of us or why we didn't do a like quick little, like, Hey, it's going to come to this hallway right now. It's not going to be on the set, but like, let me show you how much I'll be shaking it at this point. And then we'll ramp up to this. Right. I appreciate it because most hosts, I feel now that I've been there long enough, many of them. And I want to say most, and so I'm going to say most would have been like, yeah, see, it didn't work. And I'm not doing anything.

We have to cut stuff anyway. Yeah, we have to. And maybe another time. Man, bummer. That's so fun. Yeah. Let you bitch about it later and be like, no, but... And they're like, oh, do it next week then. Yes. And then next week, we don't actually do it because it's like, well, I forgot. We forgot. We told you you could do it next week. So, air quote, forgot. But...

He fought for it. But what's interesting is on that week, I'll say this. There's a sketch I do the following show, I believe, where Travis Kelsey hosts. He either hosts immediately after Pedro. We go on a hiatus after Pedro. And then I think Travis Kelsey is the following host. And he...

he, he ended up acting in this sketch, but this was the, this is how the night panned out. I had a sketch the same week as Lisa from Temecula with James Austin Johnson, a Prince love him. He's an incredible performer inspired by Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle. I'm obsessed with Michael McDonald. And we got to talk. One of the great voices of all time. Oh,

Oh my gosh. What a belief. This is crazy. Oh gosh. Well, I, I, I listened to Michael McDonald relatively regularly, but I feel like someone told me, and it may be, it was Kyle Mooney. Maybe this is wrong. And I felt sorry for him. We love Kyle yawn. If you yawn while you're singing, you that's your Michael McDonald impression. And it's pretty effective. Okay. Okay. Okay.

It sounds insane enough. Um...

Oh, beautiful, beautiful Doobie Brothers. So who is Travis Kelsey? So Travis Kelsey is a football player. He is boyfriend. No, who is he in the sketch? I was going to say, you know. Who is Taylor Swift again? She is a singer. She is girlfriend to Travis Kelsey. These are great parts for them. Go ahead.

So Travis Kelsey ends up playing this thing that Pedro was. It was me and James Austin Johnson. This sketch goes to air with Travis. But Pedro was in it originally. That's the week we happened to write it. And he plays a man named Sucre, a name I'm obsessed with from Prison Break, one of my favorite TV shows. There was a guy. Sucre. Sucre, yeah. Which I believe means Spanish. It means sugar in Spanish. It means sugar in Spanish. Oh, okay.

Anyway, they were up against each other in a sense. It kind of panned out that because Pedro's episode was so, so, so strong. We're talking killer, killer, killer, sketch after killer.

This sketch with him, I don't remember what it ultimately family song, family meeting, family meeting is what it's called. It was Pedro. It was great. It actually did really well at dress. Okay. And so after the meeting, the, the big meeting, the Saturday 10 o'clock meeting, PM meeting, that one is still in the show.

As is Lisa from Temecula, but they're back to back basically like commercial break between them. And it's like, we always know you go into dress rehearsal with a longer show than you have time for generally speaking. And so something's going to get cut for time on air. And sometimes that cut for time thing ends up on the internet, on YouTube. And sometimes it's just like, no, that sketch is cut and you're going to have to try it again. Yeah.

It came down to family meeting and Lisa and family meeting. Absolutely proved itself at dress rehearsal. I was in it. I helped write it. It's also something I loved and was passionate about. And Pedro was so great in it. And ultimately family meeting got cut in favor of Lisa at the end of the show. But I remember I was sure Lisa wasn't going for how built up it had been all week and for how crappy it was at dress rehearsal.

And so Tom Broker comes up to me, my quick change costume, who is my, you know, people are scared of Tom and I find it fascinating because he's my closest friend.

Closest person. He was there when I was there. Yeah. I had not seen him in years. And then I was just pouring my heart out to him. Just seeing him and you start, you're doing the dressing. You're throwing back. I was just saying that to a new cast member too. I go, I don't know what it is. Something about, I said, when I first got here, I feel like to SNL, I was quite,

I don't want to say cagey is not the word. It's the first thing that comes to mind. It's not the right word, but for the sake of being concise, cagey and like somehow I found myself talking a lot to Tom though. And I go, is it because I'm in a closet with you with all these clothes and something, but there's some intimacy about this. Yeah. He's yeah. And I was like, I would, I would talk to him though and tell him basically everything. But Tom comes up to me and goes, get dressed for Lisa. And I kind of, is that how you found out? Yes. Yes. And it was like right before

we were about to do it and i mean i had to get dressed in 60 seconds because i was sure that wasn't going and he goes get dressed and i and this is just self-protective okay because at that point i had been i'd been heartbroken if you will and i was like this is crazy to build up to have that then go that way and so much was out of my control and it wasn't a matter of performance and i don't even know that i feel the audience got to see the sketch because all the technicalities

I feel like I'm not a big eye roller, but I like to say, and he and I are very close. I feel like I rolled my eyes and I go, really? Yeah.

because I was so hurt. I was like, I can't believe. And I go, so what? It can be a throwaway sketch now in my mind. And I didn't say that part, but I think that's what was going on. I was like at the end of the night. Oh, okay. Really? But you lost confidence in it. I lost confidence. Yeah. And I was just, and that's what that little, we're so close and he probably didn't even read it as attitude. But I try to stay generally positive. I just remember going really. And then going in the quick change. Did you almost want to do the one that worked?

Damn it, David. That is such a good question because I think about it

Oh, everything would just be so different for me. It's wild to think that. If they said you pick. Yeah. No, this thing went very viral. Exactly. It's millions, millions of YouTube views. But if she got the pick, she might say, I just want one to work. Just give me one. I just want one to work. We know that one worked and fuck it. I don't know. And I'm kind of salty and pissed and hurt about this other thing. And so fuck it. And I'm glad it wasn't up to me because I, yeah, I might've picked one.

family meeting, which would mean a very different trajectory for me, because I think Lisa from Temecula, not to be haughty at all, but one, I had so much fun doing it. But two, I think it's the moment people are like, oh, she's a really fun sketch performer. And then people who listen to me on Comedy Bang Bang, that podcast, which is Scott Ackerman, Scotty, Scotty Ox, know me to be insane. But I don't think up until Lisa, up until Lisa,

Everyone has just considered me this very polished. Listen, I like to look nice, guys, but I'm an insane person in real life. And I do comedy because I'm wild and kooky and I might look like I'm put together. And in ways I am, but my comedic sensibility, I think, has been largely reflected on comedy bang bang. And those fans, when Lisa from Temecula happened, go, that's the Ago I know who's been on this podcast for all these years. We've been waiting to see that on SNL.

And so I'm glad it worked out how it did, because I think for the first time, a broader, the larger audience could say, oh, that's that's her comedy. There's something to point to that. It's like when Debbie Downer happens, just there's some now and then that blow up. And it's very hard to get something to kind of blow up. It's so hard, even if it's a good sketch.

It doesn't mean it. It's just sometimes they kind of hit and you go, oh, people are coming up and asking me about this now. So something worked there. It's kind of. Yeah, go ahead. So unique. I just think you landed it so perfectly just watching it a couple hours ago.

Um, and you drove it so well. So yeah, I could see that would be like a storm making moment because you were just, just on fire, uh, as a character landing line after line, he just wants, but, or is it because we're black or whatever you kept landing lines. That was like beautiful. And also, and you know,

that was my, I'm in my seventh. That was my fifth season, fourth season. Um, and I think fifth, but, um, I had been,

I had been leading up to that. That was a Feb. That was February. The place is frustrating for all of us, no matter what time of the year, the understatement of the fucking year. I call it emotionally violent. You know what? That's probably really accurate. That's accurate. And it's really frustrating. And I think I'm a pretty strong person. Um,

And I don't actually look for the world to be fair. I'm the youngest of four. I was explaining this to someone. I'm the youngest of four. My mom is a doctor. She would bring candy home that like pharmaceutical sales reps would bring the doctors in the office, which is maybe its own fucked up thing that they're, they bribe doctors that way, but whatever. I'm not here to comment on that, but she would bring home candy or whatever, like sweet treats, the pharmacy pharmaceutical reps would bring. And,

I was the last, I was always the, I got to pick last. Like, so my oldest brother would get his, his dibs first. Cause he's the oldest. Then my sister, cause she's second. Then my brother ahead of me and then me last. And we never changed the order for equity ever. And I was just like, yeah, I'm the youngest and I'm going to get the last pick. So I don't, when Lauren talks, Lauren talks to me sometimes about the show being fair and how it's not fair. And I go, I am not rich, not fair. I'm like, I'm the last person looking for fair in here. I don't think I grew up with the most fair.

My life was. I don't know that it was fair. You know, I had that happen with my dad and I came back from SNL and said, he said, why are you down about it? I go, I just, it doesn't seem like it's fair. And he goes, who told you it was going to be fair? I go, well, nobody, but shouldn't things just be fair? And he's like,

I wouldn't guess that place would be that fair. I'm telling you that fair is one of the most loaded words in the English language. And I've heard people use it like it's not fair. Yeah.

if they win the lottery, so to speak, it's just not fair. And your dad was prescient in why. Yes, I think so. Absolutely. And I just had someone in the talent department two weeks ago told me, they said, my mom said I'd be having a better time here if I just accept it wasn't fair. Yeah.

They said you'd be having a better time. You're at the best place you can be in comedy and it's the fucking hardest. You're like, why? This should be going better. That's what I always thought. I'm like, God damn. It's so, but you know, you don't have a sense of it

So hiatus is really nice because you get to go out in the world and go, oh, someone more than recognizes me because that's whatever, but goes, oh, I love that thing you do. Or like, you're my favorite. Yeah. And you go, okay. Cause you inside of it have no sense of whatever impact you're making or more importantly, like if anything you're doing is even fucking register or translating into anything, you can truly cannot tell. You don't even leave the building most of the time.

No, people ask me, how do you like living in New York? And I go, I don't live in New York. I work in New York. I don't even know where I am. I don't know where I am. I go from my apartment to 30 Rock. You're not outside for just 12, 14 hours at a time. No, I don't know anything about New York. I know where 30 Rock is and the new eateries in the basement there, the concourse. I know that's my version of New York. But I...

that, that, that experience with Lisa was so affirming as a performer. I didn't know. I certainly, it's so crazy how the goalposts change for you to, to when you're a cast member there, my first season, it was like, can I get a sketch on? Cool. You don't even have a concept. So when that rundown comes out at midnight on Saturday morning or 1145 PM on Friday that we're talking about, you're not like, Oh, mine's first of the night. Or,

Or it's last of the night. Oh shit. Like you, everything I had described to you a little bit ago about the meeting and the host and it meant nothing to me. My first season, I had no concept of it. I just was like, I have a sketch in cool. And then as you, you spend more time there, you start to understand how the system works and what everything sort of means or represents. You're like, oh, well then I want that. I want to, I want to have that version of it. And that's fucked. And I just have to say, I love that word.

David, for lunch today. It's almost lunchtime, yeah. Do you have any- What are you going to do? What do you do? You know, sometimes I really just want to have fun. I would get like a really good turkey sandwich with avocado. Or if I really want a guilty- I was going to say the same thing. Really? Actually, turkey. I just had it yesterday. Yeah. And maybe a few baked chips. And then you'd want an ice cold Pepsi, which I don't. What I like to do with Pepsi is I fill the whole glass to the brim with ice.

And then I slowly pour the Pepsi in and I make what I call a super Pepsi. Yeah. Cause the cold is great. Not that super, but yeah. Well, I think if I say it's super, then it's kind of, it's closer to super. Well, in your head it's super. Cause it's great. It's a super Pepsi. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's not a regular situation. Yeah. You know, I was flying this week and a Pepsi on the plane, all Pepsi products.

A casino I just played, every restaurant and everything. You throw one in with lunch, dinner, and get a little caffeine going. You get the fizzy bubbles, and it's fun. And, you know, you share it with people. An Austrian friend of mine once said to me, quote, and you know what enhances those flavors and really makes them pop? It's an ice cold Pepsi.

I said, thank you, Austrian. So gives it a pop. Yeah, it gives you a pop with the Pepsi pop. It's better than a regular pop.

Get a fizzy Pepsi in you and a pepperoni piece of pizza. You know, I've done that so many times. Well, yeah, I would say pizza and a Pepsi. They sound alike. They go together. You will lose your mind with pizza and Pepsi every time. Grab a Pepsi zero sugar for your next meal as food deserves Pepsi.

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A sketch early in read-through I never knew was, you call it table, but my first week I handed one and it was fourth. And they were like, that's good. I'm like, why is that good? And they go, you don't want it at the very end. You don't want it. Unless it's the very last sketch. Sometimes people wake up for that. But once you go, we used to do like an hour and a half and have like a little break to wake people up. Then you do another hour and a half or so.

And that second half was just death. Those first 10 get the most attention that when I was there, I don't know if it's the same thing, but that's something I never knew. It's true. It's when you, it's the same thing now. Another thing I didn't realize until like my third, fourth season where I was having a really good time and Anna Dresden and I were just like,

having the collaborative experience of our dreams, but a lot of our sketches would be, okay, you do the, they would read like the monologue and then the cold open. And then our sketch would be the next one up. But I felt, and that was like a few weeks in a row and I go pretty damn cool, pretty cool. But then when that stops happening, you're like, Oh no, but I want that again. That thing that I didn't even know was a thing. Now I want that. And I feel it's absence and I'm chasing that again for no reason. But I've,

I was telling someone last season, I go, I actually don't fuck with my sketch being too, too early. Let's get like three, four read before mine. I'm like, I don't want it to be the very first sketch proper. Cause sometimes the host is not though. They've read their monologue. They're not warmed up. They're not quite understanding how it goes. And yes, you can have prepped them beforehand and,

a little bit and have that little conversation with them about what your piece is and kind of what you're expecting and hoping them to do in their performance. But I'm like, I need, I want the coast warmed up by the time we get to my sketch. And I do think it's just human nature to kind of, I say eighth or ninth and you follow a sketch that was pretty weak. You wouldn't want to follow a Chris Farley banger. Yeah. Here's my thing. I don't think here, I have a hot take on this. Not weak.

Because I feel like it's going to be hard to make the chart. Yeah. The chart, it's going to be hard to get them back going again. Granted, if you do get them going after a really weak one, you go, Oh, this is probably going to get, make it to dress rehearsal. Cause that, that really took us from zero to something. But yeah,

I'm like, I want it to have done pretty well. Like just pretty well. Okay. Not a banger, not a banger before me, but just pretty well. You really have, you really have this show down. I mean, I'm, I'm, we've interviewed a lot of people, but this has been, uh, it's, it's stuff I'm learning. Yeah. Remembering again. Yeah. I'm insane though. And, uh, is the truth. And I overthink everything.

I don't know if it's overthinking because it's just the way my brain works. And I have tried, I'm like, I should sedate myself a little bit more, but my brain is like clocking a thousand, which is why I go, am I the right person for this job or the exact wrong person? Because I wish I was just like a touch more ignorant. Like,

where I go back to that first year version of the cast member, it was just like, I just want to sketch on. All I know is let's try to get a sketch on. And now no one has explained any of this shit to me, but I've slowly picked up on it myself over the years. And like, and this means that, and that's that. And I go, it's probably giving me a headache and breaking my heart more than it needs to be. You know, when you do something like the Lisa sketch, do you, and you've, you've seen, I'd been there. Dana's been there. When you see someone do something like that,

but you haven't done it yet, it's sort of, it's sort of,

interesting to say, what is that like when it kind of blows up? And then you got in one. So it's like another level of endorphins where you're like, oh, this is what it's like when something really hits. It's so fun, but no wonder everyone chases it because it's like, God, I want to do another one of these or I want to do something else that works like that on that level. Yeah. It was like drugs. And I say there's so much that feels like drugs. There was a season I had. So again, I'm in my seventh season. There's a season there where

My expectation for what they would allow me to do at SNL, just being the seventh black woman in the history of the show was pretty, I don't want to say low, but tempered. I think I'm a good performer. I think I'm a confident performer. I, I, I know my comedic voice. But I also know I was like stepping into an establishment with that history and it's a machine of its own and I'm one person. And so I was like,

I have, I've, my goal felt pretty limited there. And then to have had these experiences, I'm like, yeah, you get the drugs in your system. So like when I said, I'm like my third season, I feel like Kate was away shooting maybe tiger King at the time. And 80 was away doing shrill the final season. And I can't remember where Cecily was and they were letting me do

Every fucking thing. And I was having a ball and it was interesting because I didn't really, so we were also in COVID times then. So the world was still shut down, but we were back in studio, not the at home episodes. Right. And I remember getting really upset because I wanted to do this update that kept killing. And I kept going, it's me as myself talking about dating in my

dating, current dating. We don't have a dating representative and we still don't have a dating correspondent on the show. And I want to talk about it. And that's my third season. So all these seasons ago and it killed, right? I wrote it on my own, killed.

They had someone else more junior to me do a thing that didn't kill that then went on to dress or maybe even made to air and didn't kill. Okay. They're like, wait your turn. We're trying to give this person a shot. I go, okay, not how it worked for me, but that's fine. Salute. Right. That's fine. Then,

I go, okay, now this piece could live again. This is feels topical. Maybe it was like Valentine's day. I don't know, but I go, okay, I'm going to submit it again. Hard to do because they've already heard these jokes, this whole table read audience. But I go one thing about me guys, if I'm going to submit a resubmit a sketch,

I want you to know, and writers who have to work with me on this, I'm sure detest me, but I go, we're rewriting the whole thing. Every joke is brand new. Really? Oh, really? Oh, yes. I do not believe it. And so let me be honest, I'm not resubmitting a ton because of that, because I go, unless we're going to be...

really rewriting it. And listen, if it makes it to dress, let's take it back to the original one, but we have to earn these laughs at table and make people go, Oh, this is funny again. I have a story about a resubmit a couple of them, but this is one, but that dating piece, I ended up rewriting it.

Kept my like strongest two jokes, but I was like, great, I'll give you more. I'll give you more. I'll give you different jokes. I really want to do this piece. I believe in this piece. I believe people will enjoy this. It kills at table again, like kills harder the second time. And they don't they they aren't picking it, but I sense that.

Cause I also know how to, I can, I have like a third eye. I'm like, people keep, I was shooting a pre-tape that was me centric and a me piece. And they go, I, somebody was like, how's the tape going on a Friday? I go, no one's ever texted me about how pre-tapes going. I was like, Hmm. And then someone else was like, when are you back at 30 rock? And I was like,

they must've had a meeting about how we're not going to do that update. And they know I am going to speak up about it. And I go, and everyone's doing a little temperature check before I get to 30 rock. And I go, you really are perceptive. I have to say, I was like, there's a little, it was like, this is weird. I mean, how's the tape going? I was like, I've never, what's going on. So sure enough,

They were not going to let me do the update and they sure enough were doing a temperature check. And it was like, because it was crass is very crass.

And I guess, and it was sort of like, that's why. Yes. It was pretty crass. And it was like, if you do it as a character, but as a go, we don't want necessarily a go telling those jokes, but the character could tell those jokes. And I go, it was not crash. It was not crash, but here's the thing. Yes, she is. Here's the thing. Yes, she is. If you, this it's sort of like the comedy bang, bang thing where I'm like,

That's a podcast. What I love about that podcast and when I started doing it was before SNL and randomly because someone I know had to drop out and they recommended me. And now it's a thing I do.

No one knows what I look like. The first time I do that, the first episode was like Sarah Silverman. No one knows what I look like. They don't know if I'm put together or not. They don't know anything about me. They don't know me from Adam. I get to be as insane as I want and do the kind of characters that I enjoy doing. But similar to that update situation was like, as a character, maybe, but not our ego telling jokes like that. And I'm like- Did you switch it?

No, I never did it because I was like, I never did it. And I, I, cause I was like, I don't really want to,

I don't, I don't want to do it that way. I don't want to do it as a character. I don't even know what that character would be, frankly, if I'm honest. And so I'm like, I don't even know what that is, but Mikey and I had this like great sketch last season that we, we wrote once it killed a table kill. I won't say did really, really well at table. It's different energy than I played at the show. And then the host pulled a sort of like, Oh,

I don't know what I'm doing. And so great. It goes away. And so it made its address and then it goes away, even though it did pretty well address. And then we rewrote it. We resubmit it. Right. They were like, you should bring it back. We love that character for you.

And we resubmit it. And I was like, I did that thing I do where I go, oh, honey, it's not only done well at table and played at table, it's gone to dress. We have to rewrite the sketch. It can still be the same, but every joke is going to be different. My name is a different joke. Everything's different.

And it killed harder the second time at table read. So they've got this, this group of people have already seen it at table, seen it at dress, seen it at run through, seen it at blocking and it kills harder with this rewrite. And Steve Higgins, one of the producers of the show comes up to me and Mikey and was like, I think that's the first time I've ever seen a rewrite be better at table. But that's my rule though. I'm sort of like, I don't take anything for granted. I don't think,

I don't know that I'm, I think there are people, this is, is this right to say, whatever, that get like gratuitous laughs at table. Like, I do think there are people that get gratuitous laughs and I'm like, I am happy. There's favorites. There are. And,

I'm not assuming I'm one. And so I'm like, we have to rewrite. If we are going to be resubmitting something, let's not expect that people are going to go, oh, love that. And I'm like, let's rewrite. Do you not want eye rolls of people going, here we go again? Is that kind of...

It's because, well, no, it's not even the eye roll. Yes, the eye roll, but I'm like, they're not going to laugh. They're not going to laugh. They already heard it. And even if they like me and are in theory rooting for me to any extent. It's hard to laugh twice. You're right. It's hard to legitimately naturally laugh twice. You can, but it cannot do what it did. I don't think. And the host sees that.

the new host and goes, did that do that good? You know, because they're like, well, and if they say it's a resubmit, they go, why didn't they want to do it? I,

Exactly. That gets into an ugly conversation. Exactly. And so I'm like, let's take nothing for granted. If we're having an opportunity to read it again, let's not assume the room's going to be kind and warm about it because they're rooting for us to get to do it again. Let's not assume the host is going to be someone they can convince to do something that did okay at table. And so when it's time to resubmit things, I have had writers just kind of be like, this bitch wants to rewrite it.

this bitch wants to rewrite the fucking sketch. I'm like, well, we read it. We read it. If it's something we haven't read, I'm like, yeah, let's just check. Let's do a casual check for the jokes. But I'm like, and we read it already. We got to rewrite it. And so I, I,

Some have said, I remember my second season being like, do I need to work harder? What's the deal taking a meeting with a producer? And they were like, no one here thinks you need to work harder. That's showing you're grinding because the fact you don't need to do that and sometimes it just buzzes through without big laughs, but they go, we're going to try it again. But you're actually trying to earn some more laughs from it. Yeah.

Yeah, it's still the puzzle we all play with. And it doesn't matter where you're at in your life or career. If you're a comedian, how do you set up the exposition, land the laugh, have it be escalatory, get out of a big laugh, have it have performance, have it have the going full circle, just that table moving. And I always say funny with the sound off guy in a bar looks up and would laugh.

because it keeps getting to the point of ridiculousness and no one at the table is going, what the fuck's with the steak and getting up and walking away? Yeah. I mean, we don't say anything. And the tension of that is just allows you to laugh so hard. And of course your character is the driving force. Yeah.

of that sketch. But anyway, so that's all you could do. If it's your first season, seven season, just try to solve the puzzle and just make it funnier. It was tread water. Yeah. It was really cool that that experience was so special because I had been like by that time in the season to just kind of,

Honey, I don't know what they want from me at this point. Cause Lauren does a thing too, where he's like new move. We've seen you do that before. Like, so we want to see something different. So you start to be like, well, this is my comedic voice, right? Like this is my voice. These are the kinds of people I think are funny. And you're telling me like,

four seasons in like something else. And I'm like, oh, okay. But it's funny because I don't think Lisa's some grand departure from what I've done previously, but there's this physicality to it. But yeah, it's that one was by that time in the season, I was sort of like,

I don't, honey, I don't know what they want. And I'm at a loss. And so when I did, when Alex and Gary said they had this piece for me, I would have, like I said, normally been like, and where does it go from here? Let's actually talk this through. But I was like, if these dudes think they have a piece, great. I'm going to let them go off and write it because I write as well some too. And so I sometimes want to get in there and I'm like, listen, it's, I'm going to, this is their baby. But then once we got to

When was it like the, cause we're black. I've seen people go like, uh, did you improvise that? I improvised it not on air and not at dress rehearsal. I think on Friday at blocking or something, I was like, I feel like she should say something right here. It's actually kind of funny if she says, cause we're black given the only other black person here is punky. And the person who's approached them is black. Um, uh,

And then there were these moments that I was like, I think this needs a line here or she should say this. So then it became collaborative on the back end, which was really cool. And I hadn't really had that experience yet where it's like, yes, you wrote this for me and it's such a gift. And now we both get to meld our minds at this stage of the process where it's okay. It's in the show, at least to dress. Let's try to like make it as, as good as we can. And here's my thoughts as the person performing. Yeah.

Maybe she says this as well. Maybe she does this in the real performance. I had a lot of joy because I did. I just had no expectations of it. So, too, when I think about like if it had moved up in the night, right, if it had killed it dressing and it's second of the night or something like that.

how free of a performer would I have been in that regard? I did not expect to do the sketch. So when I hurried and put on my clothes to do that, you're like, what's this one again? Yes. Legitimately. I was like, I've kind of started to block it out of my head and scrub it from my memory. Cause it was such a flop. But then I put on the, the writers didn't even get to find me to tell me they like cut out a whole middle of the sketch. So there's a moment where I like pause. There's a moment of air. If you're really paying attention to it and it's.

someone else was supposed to have a line in the original version, but in the like last minute you guys are doing it and you need to cut out X number of pages. They cut out this whole chunk. And then I realized like, okay, yeah, they never came to tell me if anything was cut out. And I was like, I heard silence for a little longer than I wanted. And I was like, oh, and then I improvised what, what? And then said my line. But I was free in that performance because I was like, I had no expectation at this point. When the stake fell, that was like, I didn't,

They gave me the hardest steak they'd given yet. I genuinely couldn't cut through it and it fell. So then I was like, what do I do? I guess I'll pick it up with my fingers and suck on it because I know I have a line about how good it tastes, but I haven't been able to cut off a piece. So all these moments, the chair falls and because Pedro is so warm and

Just you feel connected to him. I was like, I think I can put my leg on my foot on him. If it had been a host who was kind of off like standoffish, I don't know that I would have felt comfortable doing that. But yeah, all the pieces, it's kind of magical. And then you do want to replicate something like that. Right. And have another Lisa. That's the thing you're chasing. Yeah. But it doesn't work that way.

It doesn't work. You didn't even see that one coming. It was out of the blue. Yeah. But that makes every week kind of fun because someone might write. And if someone writes for you, that's a gift too. Just someone. Huge. If they seek you out after the sketch, if there's time during the commercial break, it's kind of nice. If you collaborate with a

a writer and you're both kind of celebrating just for a second. Yeah. It's really nice. That's a, that's a very sweet moment each time where you go, Oh my goodness, we did it. And we did something together and it worked. And then you hope, but what's sick about it is that then you go, Oh,

All right. Tuesday writing night is a couple of days away and you go to work on Monday and kind of what you do on Saturday means nothing. I know. It's just so tissue in a fireplace. Just what do you got this week? Literally. And now you go, what about last week? It was so good. David.

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Now it is out. It's out. It's out there. Thanks, Dad. It is out wherever people get their podcast. I'm having I was raised by a single mom. I don't have a relationship with my dad. As I say, I'm not going to have one with him because turns out he died last summer, guys. So which is OK. And Dana's giving me thumbs up.

I didn't know. That was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Somehow there's a thumbs up pop on the screen. It's unreal. I'm so sorry. And then the worst possible timing in history. I know my dad is dead and Dana's emoji thumbs up. The thumbs up came up and it was completely on. We love a dead dad.

but no, anyway, thanks dad. So this is a podcast working through these issues or it's, what is it? It's not, it's what I basically invite guests to be my dad for the day. And I get to ask them questions. I've always wanted to ask a dad. And so things like, how do I know if the guy I'm dating is the right one for me? What do I look out for when I'm buying a car? Um,

tell me about like buying property. What, what's, what's, what are some tips you have in that regard? And so they give me dad advice. I get to hear about my guests as fathers themselves or parents themselves. And I get to then hear what their dads were like. And so we have this lovely, vulnerable, fun conversation, but it's, it's, it's light. It's light. It's vulnerable. It's fun. It's all the things I feel Mikey's episode, which is out in the world.

It starts with him saying, I didn't realize you didn't have a relationship with your dad. And I'm like, yeah, I don't really seem like a girl who doesn't have a dad. And so I'm trying to, and then he's like, well, what does that, what does that mean to seem like a girl who doesn't have a dad? And I go, you know, you know, that's why you thought I had a dad. And so it's fun. We're having a good time. We're having a good time. Yeah. Adam Pally was on your show, but you also do, you're also in that show with

Mr. Throwback, right? Yes, Mr. Throwback with Adam Pally, Steph Curry. It's on Peacock. Aiden Mayeri. Yeah, a bunch of really great people. David Kasp, who I know a little bit. Yeah, he's great. True angel. The creators are so fun, so funny. The Libman brothers, Matthew and Daniel. It was a dream. That was so much fun. And there was some improv on there. Very passionate about improv over here. True nerd. I'm introducing improv now.

to the Baltimore City School curriculum by way of my high school Spanish teacher. I love it too. And I don't, even a little bit of it, I don't think anything beats the performer discovering something new live in real time. And improv allows that. So they're taking, it's popping in your head. I'm going to do this. It's electric when you see improv. It's like.

That's what Brando did. He broke down the whole thing. He didn't want to know the script. He put it in the ceiling or in an orange or he just get it at that moment just to get in order. Yeah. Godfather.

I can't remember. He had the script everywhere. I think he was feeling it. I love improv. And I think just a little bit of it when that sketches turn a little lively, something happens or people are a little playful. It kind of does all that. It's like trying to catch the wind. That's what I say. Always. You're a blast to talk to. Thanks for talking to us. You gave us so smart and such insight.

Inside baseball. No one has given us... We've had these great guests. You've been the most detailed about the emotional ride and the logistical ride of that show. So...

Thank you guys. It's fun. It's like, it's thrown back there. I was thrown back. I wanted to thank you both so much for having me on. I wanted to ask you so many questions about your time. And now I'm going to have to force you to get dinner with me or a drink and be my dad's guys. I don't have a dad. So, um, I'll be your dad, Dana, you know, Dana's answer to that. Thumbs up dead dad. We love that. Yeah. Uh,

How do you know if the guy you're dating is the one? Is that? Yes. Yeah. That's your first dinner question. That's the first dinner question. You can think on it and get back to me. But yeah, turns out. Well, if I can visit Dana, I'll come visit you too. Sense of humor. Kindness. Kindness. Kindness is key. Smart sense of humor and kindness.

Okay. Definitely kindness. Smart sense of humor, kindness. I'm going to write it down. Thank you. And it's very nice to meet you. Great pleasure. And I will see you soon. I'll put it that way. Dana will see you. Okay. Bye-bye. This has been a presentation of Odyssey. Please follow, subscribe, leave a like, a review, all this stuff, smash that button, whatever it is, wherever you get your podcasts.

Fly on the Wall is executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Jenna Weiss-Berman of Odyssey, and Heather Santoro. The show's lead producer is Greg Holtzman.