1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: People just often cast me as a lawyer, doctor divorce 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: or a murderer. You know, I killed the bunch of 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: husbands one year, and I'm various. I've heard three three, 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: three husbands in one year, because you know, it's all 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: in there. We all have all this stuff. It's just 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: tapping into it and making it real large and then 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: there you are. I mean, who hasn't been piste off 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: by the husband or there was at some point. Hi, 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: I'm Wendy Alec and I've been on television for seventy 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: five years. Hello, Hello, and welcome everybody back to Off 11 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: the Beat. I am once again your host, Brian Baumgartner. 12 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: Today is a good day. I mean I could be 13 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: described as giddy in fact, because today Wendy Malick is 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: joining me on the podcast. In truth, don't tell anybody else. 15 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: She's one of my favorites. She has had quite the career. 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: She worked as a model and also briefly in politics 17 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: before even starting to act. And speaking of acting her 18 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: acting career, incredible does not even begin to describe it. 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: Wendy has quite the range. She has worked on everything 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: from sitcom's like Frasier two, animated projects like bo Jack 21 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: Horseman and the Emperor's New Groove, and how rare is this? 22 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: Wendy has appeared in not one, not two, but three 23 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: television series that ran for at least six seasons, the 24 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: groundbreaking HBO comedy Dream On Hot in Cleveland with Betty 25 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: White and not the Awards Are Everything, but Wendy was 26 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: nominated for two Emmy's and a Golden Globe for her role. 27 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: Unjust shoot me. Honestly, this entire podcast could be devoted 28 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: to just listing her accomplishments. But I do want you 29 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: to actually hear from Wendy, so I won't do that, 30 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: at least not this time. With that, please welcome my 31 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: friend and two time co star, the legendary Wendy Malick. 32 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: Bubble and Squeak I love it, Bubble and Squeak, Bubble 33 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: and Squeaker Cookie every month left over from the Nut People. Hello, 34 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: how are you? I'm good? How are you? I mean, 35 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: I'm so spectacular now that I'm talking to you. I 36 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: don't think that you realize this. I've started doing this 37 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: podcast specifically so that I can talk to you. How 38 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: many times I've just said that? I have said that 39 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: exactly zero od times? Well, it's it sure is. It's 40 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: sure is a pain in the ask to get on 41 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: your stupid Google thing. This is not made for people 42 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: over sixty, I have to tell you. It's also not 43 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: made for me either, But I luckily had a tons 44 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: of did you start did you start doing this? During 45 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: COVID Steve, you stay here, stay here, stay Sorry, I 46 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: have dogs. There may be noise. I can't control this, 47 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: so no, that's totally I hear you have a zonkey 48 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: or a donkey, a miniature donkey, miniature donkey. Uh. We 49 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: have three horses now down to three. Yeah, three horses, 50 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: one minuature donkey and two dogs. Used to be eight 51 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: of them, but now it's the horri of attrition. We're 52 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: all getting older, so as they go, we don't replace 53 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: them as much as we used to. Does the miniature 54 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: donkey does it like? Does it walk through your house? 55 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: Oh no, no no no. He stays down in his stable, 56 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: but he will put his head on your shoulder and 57 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: lift his little leg up and try to sit on 58 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: your lap. And I have friends who come over just 59 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: for that experience because it's it's pretty pretty fabulous. That's awesome. Yeah, 60 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: he looks like Shrek. He looks like the Shrek Donkey. 61 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: He looks like Donky. Yeah he does. He talks like 62 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Eddie Murphy though he doesn't talk, but he he speaks 63 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: to you with his eyes. That's that's Phoebe in the background. 64 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: L L Yeah, yeah, good girl, good baby. Um. When 65 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: I was going back and I was, I was researching you. 66 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: And I'm not expecting you to remember, by the way, 67 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: because I was reminded, do you know that we've worked 68 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: together twice on two different shows? You're never going to 69 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: get it were No, I wasn't on dream On. I 70 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: wasn't lucky enough to be in dream On. I was 71 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: on kind of my first significant um like kind of 72 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: lead guest star roles. It aired like maybe the week 73 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: that The Office started was actually aired, but now we 74 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 1: had shot The Office like a year before. Jake in Progress. 75 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: You were on Jakin Progress. That was the strangest show. 76 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: It was a very odd show, but but it had 77 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: its moments. There was some interesting time. I didn't have 78 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: much to do with you. I was Julie Bowen's high 79 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: school college boyfriend. Wow was Julie Moan on that crazy? 80 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: It's so crazy? At this point, how many like short 81 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: lived shows we've done and you kind of they kind 82 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: of blurred together after a while. Yeah, I've ended up 83 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: working with around a bunch of different things over the years, 84 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: but always a pleasure to see you. Even remember you 85 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: being on that show? Well I didn't. I didn't fully either, Okay, 86 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: So I want to go I want to go back. 87 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 1: I want to go back back. You grew up in 88 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: or around Buffalo, right, like Niagara Falls ish Well, I 89 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: mean Diagara Falls is not too far, but a suburb 90 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: of Buffalo Williamson, Okay. And it's Mike Michael o'doonnni who 91 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: once said, um, you know, you can take the girl 92 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: out of Buffalo, but you can never take Buffalo out 93 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: of the girl. And I know where that is a 94 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: badge of honor because people from Buffalo are very tough 95 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: but friendly, and they drink well and they make the 96 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: most out of difficult situations. They're survivors. Well you have 97 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: to be, Yeah, you do, you do. It's a very 98 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: hard place to live, and it doesn't have all of 99 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: the cultural advantages of Chicago, but you have the same 100 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: kind of weather, which is very challenging. But I have 101 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: to say, every time I go back, I'm reminded of 102 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,799 Speaker 1: how much I like those people that I came from, 103 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: even though I wanted to get out really early. Honestly, Okay, 104 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: this town is way too small for me. I gotta go. 105 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: When did you leave? Did you leave early? I mean 106 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: after high school. I only went back summers, but my 107 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: parents lived there throughout. My dad died in the spring 108 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: at a hundred and one. My mom is still alive, 109 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: and she'll be ninety three this summer, and she's there, 110 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: so I go. We go back and not rent this 111 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: little farmhouse um every other month and go see her, 112 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: and I see old friends from high school and my youth. 113 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: So you're back, You're back quite a bit? Then, Yeah, Yeah, 114 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: I've been. I've been back quite a bit, particularly these 115 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: last few years as my parents have gotten older. Yeah. 116 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: But I used to go back every summer, and we 117 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: had a wonderful cottage on like Gary on the Canadian side, 118 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: and uh, it's beautiful. I mean, you know, it's crazy people. 119 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: It's always like, okay, hit me with your best shot. 120 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: When you say here from Buffalo. It's like, just go ahead, 121 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: have your way with me. But in fact, it's quite 122 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: a wonderful place to grow up. When did you get 123 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: the bug or get an idea that you want to pursue? 124 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: I was pretty young. Yeah. My my grandmother was an 125 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: opera singer before she had kids. We have a rather 126 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: they're quite an undergening family. But they always they had 127 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: like the musical comedy albums of everything, and I would 128 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: act out and dance and sing all of them whenever 129 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: I could, And on the walking down the beach, I 130 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: used to pretend I had an orchestra behind me. When 131 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: i'd go on vacation with my family, I would pretend 132 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: I was from another country and I didn't know them, 133 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: and then I'd called me over and then my whole 134 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: cover would be blown. But I think I wanted a 135 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: more glamorous life than I had, so I invented it. Right. 136 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: Did you do like theater in high school? Or oh? Yeah? 137 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: And then I and if it wasn't, I didn't have 138 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: enough to do at school, then I just made up 139 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: place and I directed them and put myself with all 140 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,239 Speaker 1: the neighborhood kids and made my younger sister and brother 141 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: probably carry lights or have a minor role. Yeah, you 142 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: were always a star. I was the eldest, and I 143 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:40,839 Speaker 1: kind of yeah, I kind of directed things, and as 144 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: they say, I still tend to do that, but they're horror. Okay, 145 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: this is what we're gonna do. Uh. You started professionally 146 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: modeling first, Is that right? Yeah? My mother was a 147 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: model in New York before she got married. She went 148 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: off and lived at the Barbazone for women, and dad 149 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: went and said, no, please come back and marry me 150 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: and let's have babies. And she did. But she modeled 151 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: just sort of part time as we were growing up, 152 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: and dragged me along and I thought, oh, this is 153 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: pretty fun. And I got on a team word at 154 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: one of the at one of our department stores, and 155 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: it was great. That's how I could afford to buy 156 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: my own clothes and save some money. And so it 157 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: wasn't until years later when I was in New York 158 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: making seventy five a week doing dinner theater at Club 159 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 1: Banet in New Jersey, and someone approached me in the 160 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: tickets line and Times Square instead, Have you ever modeled? 161 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: I said, yes, this a matter of fact, in high 162 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: school in Buffalo, in glamorous Buffalo, I did. They said, 163 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: I think you'd be right for will Almina. You should 164 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: come see her. And I went and visited with her, 165 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: and she said, yeah, you belong here. You just have 166 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: to practice not smiling crooked, and don't ever tell anybody 167 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: that you're twenty five, because it's way too old to start. 168 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: So I I spent the next five years pretty much 169 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: traveling the world. It was just the best way to 170 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 1: see the world. Lived in Paris, went to the Orient, 171 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: worked in Africa. I mean it was really this was like, 172 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: you know, this late seventies, and it was It was 173 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: a great time. It was entertaining, It was a very 174 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: very excellent time. Yes, I don't remember sleeping very much, 175 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: and a lot of wine was drunk, for sure. But 176 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: I just I'm a good clothes horse. So I got 177 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: to do all of the collections and then they'd send 178 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: me off to some beach somewhere to get tan real 179 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: fast and do editorial stuff and great fun. Now I 180 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: have to I have to ask you. I'm assuming this 181 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: is before this you were working for Jack Kemp. You 182 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: worked for this, this was what in your early twenties. 183 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: I was no, this is right after college. Well, yeah, 184 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: I guess I was saying. It was like and he 185 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: we used to to ski with his family. He was 186 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: our congressman, and my dad was a supporter of his, 187 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: and we were off skiing with them one time and 188 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: he said, listen, when you get out of out of college, 189 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: if you want to come and just see what DC 190 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: is like, let me know and you can come and intern. 191 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: And I thought, what a great opportunity. And it was 192 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 1: during Watergate, so it was just a really exciting and 193 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: crazy time to be in d C. It was I'm 194 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: really glad I had the experience that they did. It 195 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: very clear that I did not want to be in politics, 196 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: but I got to see it from the inside. It 197 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: was pretty pretty cool. And he was very tolerant of 198 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: the fact that I was wearing a George McGovern button 199 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: and OK, but every day that would be like a 200 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: new scandal and another shoe would drop, and it was 201 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: it was pretty thrilling. Wow, how was that working then 202 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 1: for a Republican senator or congressman during Watergate? That's that's crazy. Yeah. 203 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: When I was there, you know, it was sort of 204 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: astonishing how quickly the whole thing unrabbled. But there was 205 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: such momentum to like do the right thing on both sides, 206 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 1: and that was when people stayed in DC for the 207 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: weekends and they actually socialized together. Now everybody goes home 208 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: in fundraises, but that was when they would work out 209 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: deals and say, I'll help you with your bill, you 210 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: help me with mine. And it worked. It actually really 211 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,679 Speaker 1: functioned in a strange way. And Jack was he was 212 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,199 Speaker 1: very moderate. He was really much more towards the center 213 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: and had good friends on both sides. He would sort 214 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 1: of not only did I have to stuff envelopes in 215 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: the basement, which is like the most boring thing, but 216 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: he'd sent me to take notes when they were merging 217 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: the a f C and the NFC to form the NFL, 218 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: so I got to go and sit in on these 219 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: Senate hearings. That was really fun. And he'd take me 220 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: to lunch in the Congressional dining room and introduced me 221 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: to people. And he got a kick out of the 222 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: fact that I was wearing this McGovern button every day 223 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: to work to show how tolerant he was. But he 224 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: was one of the good guys, he really was. Um. 225 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: I admired people on both sides of the aisle. I 226 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 1: thought it was so there was an interesting group there. 227 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: It was particularly interesting to see all the young interns 228 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: working in all the offices and on Friday nights they 229 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: dimmed the lights and dance to Motown. It's like, wow, 230 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: that's awesome, what an incredible experience to have. It was, 231 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: it was it's all fudder, you know, it's all a fudder. 232 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: It's like, I always feel like one of the hardest 233 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: things if you were an actor, if you became too 234 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: famous to be a people watcher, if you can spy 235 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,719 Speaker 1: on other people and steal from them, you know, I mean, 236 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: you get some great stuff just from being in the room, 237 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: if you're able to sort of candidly observe the characters 238 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: around you. And I have a big file now, no, 239 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: I'm sure. Okay, so you go, you have this incredible 240 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: modeling career you're but pretending to be one or yeah, 241 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: so what brings you into acting? From that light? Started 242 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: out as an act just when I went to New York, 243 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: that was the whole plan. But but but then you're 244 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: only that just wasn't feeding the old travel bucket or 245 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: buying me close, for getting me a decent apartment. So um, 246 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: I decided I'll take this five years and just do 247 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: this for a while. And I did, in fact, and 248 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: came back and and got my first job. It was 249 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: on a soap opera and I was nurse Jones. It 250 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: was so boring, I can't even tell you. But um, 251 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: that was my entry back into television and movies and 252 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: and then slowly I was really really I'm a very 253 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: late bloomer. I mean I never did dream on until 254 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: I turned forty. And that was really my sort of 255 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: entree into comedy, which kind of gave me my career. Right, 256 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: So you you weren't really specifically interested in comedy. Oh 257 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: I love comedy, No, I love it. But I just 258 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: was tall and brune. But in the beginning, yeah, yeah, 259 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: and um, and people just often cast me as a lawyer, 260 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: a doctor divorce, or a murderer. You know, I killed 261 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: the bunch of husbands one year, and various I've heard 262 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: three three you killed three husbands in one year, because 263 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's all in there. We all have all 264 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: this stuff. It's just tapping into it and making it 265 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: real large and then there you are. I mean, who 266 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: hasn't been piste off by their husband or there was 267 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: at some point. That's so funny. I was thinking about 268 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: that you you killed three husbands in one year. This 269 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: is not a joke. This is back in my theater day. 270 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: In one year, I played three women totally different projects. 271 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: Totally because if you're highly developed, Feminine said, actually, it's 272 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: because you have such beautiful skin. They figured they can 273 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: throw out some hair on you and it's a dundee. Yes. 274 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: So nineteen ninety Yes, Judith Tupper on dream On, this 275 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: is an innovative People don't realize. I think now like 276 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: changes the whole dynamic of television. I mean, it's HBO's 277 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: first comedy series. Well there had been. There had been 278 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: I think first in ten or something else that didn't 279 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: really you know, it just didn't really connect. But this 280 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: one was so innovative and so fresh. Although hardly anybody 281 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: had HBO at the time, but everybody in our business did, 282 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: so people noticed it, but it was still very under 283 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: the radar. And I'm so sorry that they sold it 284 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: to Fox because Fox tried to air it on a 285 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: network and they had to take all the sex and 286 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: the swearing out of it and put commercials in there 287 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 1: and a laugh track, which was the kiss of death. 288 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: It was because it was such a brilliant, innovative show, 289 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: and so many shows borrowed from it after that. But 290 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: when that aired with Larry Sanders. That kind of I 291 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: think put HBO on the map for original programming. That 292 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: was their first really big like wow, they brought something 293 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: completely fresh to the dance. Yeah, I mean both of 294 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: those two shows at the time. I mean aesthetically in 295 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: terms of the comedy. I mean also just a comedy 296 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: that had like you said, like sex was sort of inappropriate, 297 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: dark and completely a grew to us. They take no 298 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: bones about it. It was just like, you know, the 299 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: neighbor would show up to braw sugar naked except for 300 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: like a scuba mask and flippers. Was like what. But 301 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: it was such a genius use of of all those 302 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: clips at the Universal Oaned, you know, Martyr Coffin and 303 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 1: David Crane figured out a way to use those that 304 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: nobody had quite done before, and it was genius and 305 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: we had the most amazing guests. I mean, over the years, 306 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: everybody wanted to come play on that show. And we 307 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: shot it in a warehouse in Sun Valley that you 308 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: could hear gunshots tonight, and it wasn't it wasn't sound proof, 309 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: so every time it would hail or rain hard, we 310 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,479 Speaker 1: just have to have to loop the entire scene. Really 311 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: it was just crazy. Yeah. Yeah, And we used to 312 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: shoot it in three days, and then they expanded to 313 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: four and finally to five because I think Brian Benmam 314 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,440 Speaker 1: was going to have a nervous breakdown if they pushed 315 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: him any harder. But it was a real gift to 316 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 1: all of us. Yeah, you've said that it changed your life. 317 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: What Oh? Yeah, because it got you into comedy. Yeah, 318 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: I know. I was the straight man for him the 319 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: first couple of episodes, and then they sort of found 320 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,679 Speaker 1: out that I was funny and decided to make my 321 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,959 Speaker 1: character not the together psychologist, but she's actually way more 322 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: erotic than anybody else in the whole shows. And you 323 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: started to see the little fractures in her, in her personality, 324 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: and and that just makes it so much more fun 325 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: to play. I had a blast with that. I read something. 326 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: I did not know this, and I feel like I 327 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 1: know everything about you, having having been obsessed with me 328 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,479 Speaker 1: for all these years, having created a podcast just so 329 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: that we can do this. You go, you go listen 330 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: to the openings. I've never said that for I read 331 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: that you audition for Diane Cheery. Okay, was this is like? 332 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: Did you come close? I don't know. I didn't get it, 333 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: so that's the endgame. I also got it. Had a 334 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: screen test with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for for 335 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: Um Grace and Raiders of the Lost Dark, Yes, in 336 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: their hotel room, and I guess Stephen had seen me 337 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: in an Excedrin commercial and that's how he used to 338 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: find unknown actresses and had me come in and I 339 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: chatted with them and they thought it was great and 340 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: said come back and we'll put you. We'll give you 341 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: a screen test next week. And I came back and 342 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 1: it was anyway, it's a long story, but anyway, clearly 343 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: I didn't get that one either, which really pissed me off. 344 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,479 Speaker 1: But I did a terrible audition, which I was unprepared for. 345 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: But that's a whole other story, and I don't like 346 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:52,479 Speaker 1: to look back in anger, right right. Did you have 347 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: many auditioned meetings in hotel rooms. I've had one. Um, 348 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: you know, they used to do that, and these guys 349 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: were fine. They weren't creepy at all, it was they 350 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: really weren't. They were lovely and they have big suite, 351 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: which is where they does sound. Really they probably wouldn't 352 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: do it now because it just just could be accused 353 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: of something. But they were lovely. Okay. Yeah, I don't 354 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: know how many I've had in her I don't think 355 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: a lot, but certainly in the eighties that happened more often. 356 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: I think that was that was a leftover from the 357 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: old days and without the extra Yeah. Yeah, so this 358 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: starts a relationship with you. By the way, dream on. 359 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: I know, I'm skipping Cheers, but you end up going 360 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: to work on Fraser Um hilarious and memorable. SERI you 361 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: did ten twelve episodes or something, right, Yeah, I was 362 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: in the last season. It was after Just Shoot Me Wrapped, 363 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: and I had some friends who are writers on that show, 364 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: and they said can she sing? And I said, you know, 365 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: not very well and they said, that's actually perfect if 366 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: you're not that good. So I found the perfect wig 367 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: and uh and went in and I remember the day 368 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: I went in and met with all the writers there, 369 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: and it just felt like one of those things that 370 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,959 Speaker 1: was meant to be. It was so much fun and 371 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: he was so delightful. I have to say, John John 372 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: Mahoney was so yummy. He's he's such a fine actor, 373 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: but he also was an incredible singer, dancer, and we 374 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: got to do a whole dream sequence of buzzby Berkeley 375 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,959 Speaker 1: like dance thing and for our wedding. It was just 376 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: it was such a gift and they all were so gracious, 377 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: And of course then Jane and I ended up being 378 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: together on hot in Cleveland. After that, I said, good, 379 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: I said, I used to be your mother in law, 380 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: now in your roommate. Uh, well, I have to I 381 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: have to ask you first about just shoot me to 382 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 1: me one of my favorite female performances in all of comedy. 383 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: And I mean that sincerely, Nina van Horne. What's your 384 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 1: process for creating character? How do you approach that? Is 385 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 1: it all about the writing or talk to me a 386 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: little bit about But I mean that's you know, that's 387 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: the map. And if you have a great map to 388 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: uh finding out what makes her tick, that's such a 389 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: You got most of it right there. And Steve Levitan 390 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: said when I met with him, he said, I was 391 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: looking for a Wendy Mallec type, you know, someone who 392 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: you could believe had been a model and just has 393 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: a great sense of comedy and comedic timing said, And 394 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: then I realized maybe we should just get and he said, 395 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: and you know, and she's sort of kicking and screaming 396 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: her way into turning fifty. And you know, I just 397 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: so loved this character from the first time I read 398 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: the pilot, and I thought, this is a woman who 399 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: has so many parallels to my own life, except that 400 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: I'm moderate and she's not. I can't tell you how 401 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: many people have come to me over the years and said, 402 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,239 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I'm so much like Nina. You have 403 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: no idea, And I said, well, then you need to 404 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: get into rehab immediately, because there's no way that woman 405 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: would have still been a lot today that my husband 406 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: often described her as an idiot savant. She had great style, 407 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: excellent style. You know, she just acted like it was 408 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: five forever and really didn't get that you have to 409 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: sort of change with the times and that you can't 410 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: get away with murder like forever. Right. I mean, I 411 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: think that's the genesis of my question here, here's how 412 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: I view that character. And I think that there are 413 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: certainly elements in your other work, but what what I 414 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: felt like you were so genius at and found something 415 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:40,439 Speaker 1: so specifically different than anybody else that I've ever seen before, 416 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: where it was high status but an idiot, right like 417 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: that like of like embracing that high status cy I 418 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: do the opposite, right, I'm just an idiot. It's just 419 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: it's just trance apparently an idiot, and try to find 420 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: a love ability within that idiocy, which you you very well, 421 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: you're a love pidious. Well, thank you, thank you. I 422 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 1: hope that was saying you know, there is there is that. 423 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: I think what you're getting at is there's just enough 424 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: of overlap between Nina and me and having had some 425 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: very similar situations and the circumstances and experience over the years, 426 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: that I could tap into my own experience of all 427 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: that and then think, what if you had absolutely no 428 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: filters and unapologize and no and no compass and you 429 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: were really still having a good time and not concerned 430 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: about any of that, that it's still kind of working 431 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,120 Speaker 1: for you, and so you just sort of don't see 432 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: the problem, and living like you lived twenty thirty years ago, 433 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: you're just going to keep doing it until you probably dropped. 434 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: But there was just something about that chemistry with those 435 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: five people that I always tell people people when they've 436 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: asked me, why do you think that one really worked? 437 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: And we are still such good friends after all this time, 438 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: and was so hard to lose George last year, who 439 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: was like the anchor of all of it. Um. But 440 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: I think it was one of those great things that 441 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: you never know if you have it until you're all 442 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: in the room together, like you had with the Office. 443 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: It's like everyone occupies a different place in this universe, 444 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: but all the planets makes sense, and you can believe 445 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: they belong in the same universe, but they're all totally specific. 446 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: Nobody overlaps each other. Really, it's kind of you all 447 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: have your own space, and you all make each other 448 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,400 Speaker 1: better and more interesting, and each relationship is its own 449 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: unique relationship. Right. I had this conversation a year or 450 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: so ago with Kevin Riley, actually, who I don't know 451 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 1: if you know what. He was happy. I know him 452 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: very well and we were on board together for ages 453 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 1: two and he was with NBC all those years. Yes, 454 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 1: and I love him. I think he's so so smart. 455 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: And he talked about the history of workplace comedies, right, 456 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: And part of the conversation about the Office was people 457 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 1: were saying which I'm sure was similar to at least 458 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: dream On back when you started with, which was like 459 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 1: this is so different this is weird, and the cameras moving, 460 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: and what he said to me was, he goes, I 461 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: don't understand what people are talking about. It's a workplace comedy, 462 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: which has been a staple on television forever. And I 463 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 1: think there are shows like Just Shoot Me. I mean, 464 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: Mary Tyler Moore sort of started the whole thing where 465 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: it just follows in the succession. And the thing that 466 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: is what you just said, which is what all of 467 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: those shows share, is an ensemble of characters that fit 468 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: together perfectly, or at least try to fit together perfectly. 469 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: All have sort of a different you know, well you 470 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: high status idiot or whatever, like all the characters that 471 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: sort of fit together that bring that sort of special ensemble, yeah, 472 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: and provide and provide conflict. It's it's like just a 473 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: mini it's a many world that you create where there 474 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: are people who are going to rub up against each 475 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: other and and you know, be attracted to each other 476 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: and drive each other insane. And yeah, it's it's like 477 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: that little microcons them and so many of them. Taxi 478 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: was another one that just worked so beautifully and over 479 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 1: the years, and I think, you know, at first, I 480 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: really was sort of taken aback doing a single camera comedy. 481 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,120 Speaker 1: I thought, what are we going to miss not having 482 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 1: the audience doing that? But then something else is allowed 483 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: to happen when you move into single camera stuff. I 484 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 1: missed the audience leaving that, but I also appreciate that 485 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: you can allow for much more nuanced I think that 486 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: was one of the great things about Frasier is that 487 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: they often ended a scene where you were left feeling 488 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: a little unsure of what was going on. And it 489 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: wasn't always you know, leaving you on a high note 490 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: on a joke. Sometimes you just have to sit with 491 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 1: it and sort of, yeah, what when did you realize 492 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 1: that it was going to be the massive success that 493 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 1: it was? Was it early on? Did it catch on 494 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 1: pretty quickly? Just shoot me? Um? Yeah, that happened pretty fast. 495 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: We were kind of we kind of were in the 496 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: top ten there for a while, and then they kept 497 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: moving us around at different timeslots, and eventually it kind 498 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: of ruined it. But um, and I have to say, 499 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: like so many shows that go on for that long, 500 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,479 Speaker 1: we had seven seasons, and some seasons were stronger than others. 501 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 1: You know, there were times where I felt like it 502 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: became more of a sophomoric kind of you know, that 503 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: going for the low hanging fruit, the sex jokes, which 504 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: you know are fun, but after a while you want 505 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: something a little deeper. But there were seasons where it 506 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: was just some of my favorite stuff. I mean, the 507 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: two I think of always for me were when they 508 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: did the A and E biography of Nina van Horne, 509 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: which was what a present for an actor to have. 510 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: For some of you have built your whole bible. This 511 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: is where you come from. You were an orphan. You 512 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: were first discovered by this guy from New York in 513 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: the middle of Arkansas or something, and they put you 514 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: on a seed catalog thing, and that opened up your 515 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: modeling career. I mean, the whole thing was so completely outrageous, 516 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: but we had everybody in that. It was just it 517 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: was so much fun. And Eileen Cohn and her husband 518 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: wrote the one where it was a word of the 519 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: day calendar, and David Spade and Rico Colin Toni their 520 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: characters decided to give me a fake sort of word 521 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: of the day. So I just made up these words 522 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: that were complete gobbledy book and went on like NPR 523 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: and started talking to a feminist and being a real 524 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: show off about it, and I completely and Larry Miller 525 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:27,959 Speaker 1: was the host and he fell madly in love with 526 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: me and allowed me to just carry on with all 527 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 1: this gobbledy book that meant nothing, but it was such 528 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: a smart, wonderful script, and I that kind of stuff 529 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: made me so happy. Yeah, would you say that comedy 530 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: is your favorite thing to do? Now? It's pretty damn 531 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: fun when the writing is great, I have to say, 532 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: but I love it all. I love things where you 533 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: get to bring it all to the dance. And that's 534 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: one of the things in talking about, you know, moving 535 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: to single camera that you get a chance to bring 536 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: in a lot more colors. I think, although really good 537 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: situation comedies even multi camps a lot of times. I 538 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: remember the first time I realized that was I think 539 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: watching a taxi episode and I thought, oh my god. 540 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: In twenty two minutes, this show has almost brought me 541 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: to tears. It touched me so and made me laugh 542 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: out loud. And that's an extraordinary feat with commercials, so 543 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: you know, and now and now, how network is competing 544 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: with cable is almost impossible. I mean, if you have 545 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: a breakout show, it's pretty crazy. I'm the principal on 546 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: Young Sheldon, which is doing very well, but it's one 547 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 1: of the few sort of and that again as single camera. 548 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 1: But but I think when you have to compete with 549 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: with shows they can do like twelve a year, and 550 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: I work on some of those, and they really get 551 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: to fine tune and hone them more and you don't 552 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: have to deal with the commercials and you can watch 553 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: whatever you want to and you know it. Certainly, I 554 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:55,800 Speaker 1: think in a lot of ways, they've been a gift 555 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: to us. But it's just changing the way it used 556 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: to be when you stand around the water cooler, if 557 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 1: anybody actually did that and talked about what you saw 558 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: the night before, I think those days are over. No, 559 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: I think so too, because honestly, I really think that 560 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: sports is the only thing that does that anymore. Seems 561 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: to be the only thing that people watch live. And 562 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: that's the difference. As you can talk about squid game 563 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: or you know. But it's all sort of gradual. I 564 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: haven't seen it yet, don't. Oh, I'm on episode two. 565 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: I'm you know, so you can't. You can't sort of 566 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: engage in the same way. It's like, oh, last night 567 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: at nine o'clock, we were all watching right to shoot 568 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: me or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And in a way 569 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: I'm sorry about that because as we have become more 570 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: homebodies in the last two years too and not going 571 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, I was thinking about we went back to 572 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: Disney Hall when they reopened this season, and I just 573 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: was so thrilled to be in that hall with all 574 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 1: those people sharing that glorious music. And I was just 575 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: at the Ammonds and the other night and and the 576 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: same thing of those shared experiences of our culture and 577 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: things that make us laugh, that inspire us, that bring 578 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 1: us to tears. All of that that shared humanity is 579 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: something that we are so lacking, and I think it's 580 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: it's part of how we got to where we are 581 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: right now, with this kind of lack of common purpose 582 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: and of all being in it together. You know, we 583 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: we physically haven't been in it together for so long. Yeah. No, 584 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: you're absolutely right, And it's not just you know, it's 585 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: not I mean, you bring up live performance events, certainly 586 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: there's that, but even the experience of going to a 587 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: movie on Saturday night and you're sitting with a hundred 588 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: other people and you're laughing or you're you know, yeah, 589 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: that sort of communal experience. Somebody tell me, and I'm 590 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: not sure who this was, and maybe it's not even true, 591 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: but I love the idea of it. But someone said 592 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 1: they had researched this and done some some experiments, and 593 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: they found that in live theater, the audience can get 594 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: caught up in it and after a certain period of time. 595 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: Maybe it's in a drama, I don't know, maybe it's 596 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: across the board. They actually their heartbeats get in sink 597 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: because you are kind of breathing at the same time, 598 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: and you hear that that sort of community or laugh 599 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: or whatever it is, but that it's like girls who 600 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: are roommates get their period at the same time. But 601 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:27,239 Speaker 1: there's something about that. Whatever yourself, you're aware of it. 602 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: Three times you were you were in okay, yeah, sorry, okay, 603 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: I'm now I'm going to get in trouble. You're also 604 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: doing a ton of voiceover work. I have been doing 605 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: more of that the last few years. Enjoy that, the 606 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: experience of creating a character that way. Probably love it. Yeah, 607 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: of course, I still am so physical. I'm always using 608 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: my whole body in my hands and all of this, 609 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 1: and they always have to tell me not to move 610 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: around so much because I'm making too much. I love it. Um, 611 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: you know, my two favorites have been probably have been 612 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: bo Jack Courseman, where I got to be his mother 613 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: and they gave me such a great storyline and it 614 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: was so heartbreaking, and I mean, those guys are just geniuses. 615 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 1: And I'm doing one for Disney called The Owl House 616 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 1: and it's such a groundbreaking story. I play this fabulous 617 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: wish and she's got one snaggle tooth. She's just really fun. 618 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: She's like Rosalind Russell the Witch, but with the snaggle 619 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,719 Speaker 1: tooth thing. But in it, the young girl who's the 620 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: sort of lead character who who goes down in the 621 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: down Under. It's kind of like Alice in Wonderland. She 622 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 1: goes through the rabbit hole and ends up in this 623 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: this other land, the Boiling Aisles, and wants to become 624 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,400 Speaker 1: a witch. And I take her under my wing that 625 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: she becomes attracted. She's like thirteen, has a girlfriend and 626 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: kisses her. And I mean, young kids are so thrilled 627 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 1: that there are people who reflect right, young lesbians and 628 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: young witches and uh, and it sort of just gives 629 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: people a chance to see someone who maybe is kind 630 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: of like them out there, and it's been it's been 631 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: a culturally a very interesting thing for Disney to do. No, 632 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:23,479 Speaker 1: I don't know if they're going to keep us in there, 633 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,839 Speaker 1: but I think after what's going on at Disney World, 634 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: it would be a very good idea. Yeah, yeah, it's 635 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: very fun. And speaking of what you, I do the 636 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: same thing with my hands and my moving right stuff. 637 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: And when all you have is your voice, you realize 638 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: that you're using your face and you're just you know 639 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: when I run when I yeah, I mean it's that's 640 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: how you emote. Yes, you got to work with one 641 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: of the greats very recently, hot in Cleveland. I don't 642 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: mean me, by the way, Betty White, but Betty White. Um, 643 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: by the way. I'm sorry to interrupt my question to 644 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: say something else that this also occurs to me an 645 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: actor's dream three different shows that go over six seasons, 646 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: one seven, I mean, how well actually to be to 647 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: be fair, dream on I think was only five, but 648 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: we still got to a hundred and thirty shows or 649 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: whatever it was. I well, you know what's funny, and 650 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: this is from memory right here. I saw a hundred 651 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: and twenty and I and I think it's six because 652 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 1: I went what I did the reason I'm saying this, 653 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: and by the way, you should remember not me as 654 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 1: I was going it was twenty episodes a year like that. 655 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: That may be true because after yeah, after the first year, 656 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:40,760 Speaker 1: because the first year we did like, you know, six 657 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,919 Speaker 1: or ten or something, so probably after that we picked 658 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: up on it. But as a cable show, yeah, no, 659 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:49,839 Speaker 1: that was I think they just realized they hit paid dirt. 660 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: They just went right, let's keep cramming these things for 661 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 1: sure right now. But to back to your question about Betty, Betty, 662 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: I will forever be great to have turned sixty on 663 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: that show. When she was turning ninety, that was such 664 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: a gift. And Jane and Val were both on the 665 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: verge of their fiftieth We all, you know, we were 666 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 1: so stunned that anybody wanted to do a show about 667 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: women of our age anyway, like to build it around 668 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: us and not just be the mom or the boss 669 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 1: or the whatever. Being with her. She had such a 670 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 1: total renaissance of her career, not that she ever stopped working, 671 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,760 Speaker 1: but this was after Saturday Night Live and the Snicker's 672 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 1: commercial and to be around her and see what was 673 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: going on with this woman who was going to turn 674 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 1: nine the next year was such a revelation for all 675 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: of us. It was like, Wow, we're not done. My 676 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 1: next birthday will be the beginning of my third act. 677 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: And that was such a different way of framing how 678 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:52,319 Speaker 1: I have gone forward since then to realize that, you know, 679 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: it's so much of it as your attitude and in 680 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: your head and if you you know, stay vital and 681 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 1: love what you do and leave it on them at 682 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: every time, and try to be to be a good 683 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 1: soldier and play with with others nicely, which I do 684 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: because I love sets, I love collaborating, I love being 685 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 1: on set with people, and I wanted to be enjoyable 686 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: for everybody. And I think when people show up and 687 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: they're prepared and they are happy to be there, there's 688 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,399 Speaker 1: no reason why you can't have a blast and make 689 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:23,759 Speaker 1: good stuff, you know. I just feel so blessed to 690 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Speaker 1: have this career and to still be doing it at 691 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 1: my age. But I I really credit Betty with my 692 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: having faith and uh and not freaking out about about 693 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: my age. She really was an enormous mentor in that 694 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: way to so many women everywhere. Yeah, and the experience also, 695 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 1: I mean I was there. I know you saw obviously 696 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 1: so much more. But what was so incredible to me 697 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: about watching her at ninety or whatever it was when 698 00:38:55,040 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: those cameras came on, she always found a way to yep, exactly, Yeah, 699 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 1: she came alot, came alot, and she was radiant, that woman. 700 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,319 Speaker 1: There was something about her face and her eyes, but 701 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: she had those amazing dimples and her eyes just sparkled. 702 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: And when you look during all the tributes when she 703 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: died and you saw her, especially when she was around Alan, 704 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: who every time she talked about in her eyes with water, 705 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,600 Speaker 1: and she just she was so madly in love with him. 706 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,160 Speaker 1: They were so wild about each other, but she still 707 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 1: had it. And she was someone you just couldn't take 708 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,320 Speaker 1: your eyes off. Is it off of You're not supposed 709 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:35,880 Speaker 1: to end with enough, But for whom you could not 710 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: take off your was trying to help you, for whom 711 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: you could not take off your eyes. No, that doesn't 712 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: make sense. That's definitely you know what I'm saying. And 713 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:50,960 Speaker 1: kind and generous, humble and now she just she she 714 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,319 Speaker 1: was the real package and you could really see that. 715 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: Nobody ever had an unkind word to say about Betty 716 00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: ever Is there anyone Hollywood that you would like to 717 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,359 Speaker 1: work with? Is there is there any dream person out there? 718 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: So many? Yeah, I just but anybody who wants to 719 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:20,480 Speaker 1: work with me, I'm here, yes, okay, I mean everyone 720 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 1: will know that now now now there, so so I 721 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,719 Speaker 1: am available for work and yes, no, I have to say, 722 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: it's been really fun now playing the mother of grown 723 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: up people to know I'm a grandmother. There's something kind 724 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 1: of free about getting to this stage that maybe you 725 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,279 Speaker 1: don't sweat the small stuff as much. He recently played 726 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,320 Speaker 1: a d A in a movie and I thought, Okay, 727 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: this is where the challenging part is, when you have 728 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,160 Speaker 1: to know that that kind of legally stuff and do 729 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,919 Speaker 1: the final argument to the jury and on that ship right, 730 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,839 Speaker 1: so that stuff in the medical stuff. It's always been 731 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: a little tricky for me. But I do love still 732 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,760 Speaker 1: just jumping in of a bunch of people and seeing 733 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 1: seeing how good we can make it. I recently did 734 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: a movie in Hawaii that I produced on and so 735 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: I'm helping with editing, which is really fun. It's like 736 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: a whole different hat to wear. And helped with casting it. 737 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 1: And the premise was they never found Amelia Earhart's body. 738 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 1: So what if she survived that crash and went and 739 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,000 Speaker 1: lived under an assumed name in Hawaii and it is 740 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: now the eve of her eightieth birthday? Okay, and you're 741 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 1: editing it now. Yeah. And I got to play Amelia, 742 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 1: so that was pretty interesting. And that's like a different 743 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: hat to wear, which I love. And I'm also writing. 744 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 1: So I wrote a short play that got produced and published, 745 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,759 Speaker 1: and so it's kind of like, what's the worst thing 746 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 1: that can happen? You can fall on your face, but 747 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: trying new stuff when you're in your third act. I 748 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:52,000 Speaker 1: highly recommend it. It keeps things very interesting and then 749 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: you have an alternative. You know, things slow down in 750 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: one area you can kind of plug into another one. Yeah. 751 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:01,359 Speaker 1: Have you directed? I have to acted readings, but never 752 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 1: any long form of anything. No desire. Possibly possibly, I 753 00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 1: think perhaps something that I write. Like I wanted to 754 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,040 Speaker 1: direct the play that I wrote, but I was working 755 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 1: here and couldn't and it was on the East Coast. 756 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, I could see directing something of my own, 757 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: but I don't think I would direct an act in something. Okay, 758 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:22,759 Speaker 1: well you did when you were a kid, I did well, 759 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:24,360 Speaker 1: and who knows, Maybe I'll get there again and just 760 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: think I can do everything. I'll write it, i'll direct it, 761 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 1: i'll shoot it, I'll do it all. But that idea 762 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,799 Speaker 1: of collaboration, to me is one of the most desirable 763 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,880 Speaker 1: aspects of working because I have no intention of retiring 764 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:40,520 Speaker 1: because I like what I do too much. I like 765 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 1: I have no interest in doing on one woman show 766 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,200 Speaker 1: because I wouldn't know who to debrief with at the 767 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: end of the night. You know, who do you say, 768 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,759 Speaker 1: see on the ice too? Um, that's just that's not 769 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:55,520 Speaker 1: why I do this. Yeah, you know I've done three Really, 770 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,719 Speaker 1: were any of them women? Any of them women? You 771 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: were going to say that. I knew you were gonna 772 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:04,759 Speaker 1: say that. No One. One though, was an hour and 773 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: forty five minutes in with an Irish accent, and I 774 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: don't really do accents, by the way, So that went well. 775 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,400 Speaker 1: It was a lot of work. It's interesting that you 776 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:19,839 Speaker 1: say that, because I found it really, really difficult. Now, 777 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 1: I had close collaborations with the directors and even designers 778 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:27,520 Speaker 1: on some of that, but it's not the same. And 779 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:31,080 Speaker 1: I think in our business, well, especially in comedy, I 780 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:35,200 Speaker 1: think that collaboration that give and take, that even if 781 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:38,879 Speaker 1: it's not straight improv is yeah. Yeah. And then even 782 00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 1: in the doing of it, particularly in live theater, the 783 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:43,560 Speaker 1: tennis game you play with each other, and how you 784 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:46,799 Speaker 1: can bail each other out of trouble and surprise each other, 785 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,600 Speaker 1: there's just it's it's that's so delicious, and that's something 786 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:55,399 Speaker 1: I wouldn't I wouldn't want to trade. You've talked about 787 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:58,480 Speaker 1: it a little bit. You have a lot of animals. 788 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:03,319 Speaker 1: You love animals. I've heard that it was written that 789 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: you said that was horrible sentence, that you wanted to 790 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:09,719 Speaker 1: be a vet if you weren't an actor. You've done 791 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:13,880 Speaker 1: advocacy work with Humane Society and other animal organizations. What 792 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: sparked this love or interest? Is this life long or 793 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 1: is this oh? Yeah? Yeah. My older sister growing up 794 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: was a colleague Bonnie. Yeah, she was my first best friend. 795 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 1: You know, I have always preferred the company of animals 796 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:31,279 Speaker 1: to people pretty much, uh more consistently. You know, I 797 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:35,440 Speaker 1: love I love. I love people too, but they are 798 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 1: much easier to love and they forgive you everything and 799 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 1: know they're my crew. And I feel this is such 800 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: a gift that I got to end up living on 801 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,920 Speaker 1: a ranch and I get to live with animals. No, 802 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 1: they're they're my my best needs for sure. And it's 803 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:55,320 Speaker 1: interesting because my I probably would have gone into veterinary medicine, 804 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:59,400 Speaker 1: but I sucked it science and I also love theater, 805 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,919 Speaker 1: so I had, okay, theater science, and Matthew, you can't 806 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 1: three science, and that we'll have to go this way. 807 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 1: So it was it was by necessity. But my daughter 808 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 1: is Um had started out being an aspiring thespian was 809 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 1: pretty good, and she's now in college at bart and 810 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 1: she's pre med and going to be a vet and 811 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:21,320 Speaker 1: equine vet. She's been riding was five years old. But yeah, 812 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,359 Speaker 1: she said, you know, I was thinking about it, and 813 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,080 Speaker 1: I know how lucky you feel you are that you 814 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:28,000 Speaker 1: get to work at the thing you love. But I've 815 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: also seen your friends who get so frustrated because they 816 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 1: just don't have enough to make a living. And I 817 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:36,719 Speaker 1: think I would be so depressed if that were me, 818 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,799 Speaker 1: she said. But the other thing I love is animals, 819 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:44,359 Speaker 1: and there is a real need for equine vets. You know, 820 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:47,000 Speaker 1: there are a lot of small animal vets. But she's 821 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:49,239 Speaker 1: worked every summer and a return to Freedom of Horse 822 00:45:49,239 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 1: Saint Wild Horse Sanctuary and really gotten her feet wet. 823 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 1: She's like fold little horses, and she stuck her hand 824 00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: into wounds and cleaned them out and she doesn't have 825 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,560 Speaker 1: any problem with that. And she she said, I want 826 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 1: to do this. So she's now immersed in science and 827 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:08,839 Speaker 1: math and looking at a long road ahead. But it's 828 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:12,360 Speaker 1: so great that she figured out that where she belongs. 829 00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:15,719 Speaker 1: Would you do that? Stick your hand up there, and yeah, 830 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:17,840 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I'm I'm pretty I'm pretty fearless when it 831 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:20,359 Speaker 1: comes to I will touch all things animal. They don't 832 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 1: gross me out at all. It's so different from people. Okay, 833 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,799 Speaker 1: I want to leave that one alone. Um, congratulations on 834 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:33,719 Speaker 1: all the projects you have coming up. I cannot imagine 835 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 1: you as an eighty year old Amelia Earhart, but I'm 836 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:40,600 Speaker 1: going to watch it. Nonetheless, I actually kind of seld it. 837 00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, imagine me with white eyebrows, blue eyes, 838 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,600 Speaker 1: white hair, a few age spots. But I didn't need 839 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:48,960 Speaker 1: too much. All I had to do is look down 840 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:53,520 Speaker 1: a lot net. I was amazing how little it took 841 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:59,319 Speaker 1: a little it took um truly, Wendy, thank you so much. 842 00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:02,920 Speaker 1: It it is not a line, It is not bs. 843 00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,719 Speaker 1: You just make me laugh. It's really It's truely, it's 844 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:09,120 Speaker 1: as simple as that. And even though I forgot that 845 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:11,600 Speaker 1: we worked together before HUT in Cleveland, I think I 846 00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:14,480 Speaker 1: was just too nervous that I thank you for coming 847 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:17,000 Speaker 1: and talking to me. I know, Brian, you make me 848 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:20,399 Speaker 1: laugh too, so it's mutual. There you go, all right, 849 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:37,520 Speaker 1: Wendy Malick, thank you. You're welcome. You know, Wendy, it 850 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:41,239 Speaker 1: was an absolute pleasure having you on the podcast. In 851 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:44,240 Speaker 1: case you can't tell, I'm a big fan. I cannot 852 00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:46,840 Speaker 1: tell you how much this conversation has meant to me. 853 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:50,960 Speaker 1: You are, in fact, one of the great ones. To 854 00:47:51,080 --> 00:47:54,000 Speaker 1: the rest of you, well, you're great too, and I 855 00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:57,080 Speaker 1: will see you next week for another episode of Off 856 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:01,040 Speaker 1: the Beat. In the meantime, like subscribe, I follow at 857 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:03,560 Speaker 1: Off the Beat. You know the drone. All right, we'll 858 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:13,920 Speaker 1: talk to you soon. Off the Beat is hosted an 859 00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:18,560 Speaker 1: executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer 860 00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:23,520 Speaker 1: Lang Lee. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, 861 00:48:23,719 --> 00:48:27,760 Speaker 1: and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. 862 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great 863 00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:36,440 Speaker 1: friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski.