WEBVTT - I’m a Martha with Paul W. Downs 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:05.360 Hi Catherine, Hi Elsey. I'm in New York City and 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:08.600 I'm swety. I'm a sweaty Betty. I went to the 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:09.959 wrong studio this morning. 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:11.119 Not your fault. 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:14.400 I've been all over town, up and downtown. It's only 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.000 two o'clock in the afternoon and I've already changed my 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:17.880 underwear twice. 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:19.840 Great getting a little puma down there. 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:22.280 It's a little moist over here in New York. Yeah, 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.200 So I'm only here for three more days. I'm on 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.720 my transition to my work. First I come to New York, 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:31.720 then I go farther east, and then I go farther east. 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:33.400 That's what we did when we went to New yorka 0:00:33.440 --> 0:00:33.640 with you. 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:35.560 We like stopped in New York and saw some Broadway 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:37.320 shows with a friend, and then we, you know, pieced 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:38.800 out to Spain for a week, which was I know. 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:40.479 I'm not seeing any Broadway shows this week, but I've 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:42.440 been invited to a couple. But I'm just trying to 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:45.680 pop into my favorite restaurants since i'll be out of 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:48.000 town and see all my friends that i haven't seen. 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:50.319 I like to make my presence known when I am 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.199 in town because I'm gone so much. I'll be out 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:55.360 of town for eight weeks now, and Doug is going 0:00:55.360 --> 0:00:57.400 to sleep away camp for a month where he's going 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:01.080 to learn how to come when I call him. 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:02.480 And not beyond everything hopefully. 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:07.200 Yeah, he's yeah, my baby, my baby, I love my baby. 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.800 Well, I know you'll miss him, but we are very 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:11.920 excited to see you move off to my Orca and 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:12.880 have some fun for a while. 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:15.200 Yeah, you can tune into my Instagram to watch me 0:01:15.280 --> 0:01:18.600 with my nieces and nephews while I'm corrupting them perfection. 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:21.039 I'm reading a book right now called Hamnet. 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:23.959 I've heard that's good. It's on my little to read list. 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:26.760 Yeah, I'm halfway through. It's nice. I like things that 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:29.399 are set like centuries ago, so yeah, I have to 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:30.399 you know, m. 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:32.840 H, I'm reading something right now that's set a couple 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:34.960 centuries ago, and like it's a little bit of like 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:39.080 an unlikable main character, like like that kind of a 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:40.680 witch and a bitch like yeah. 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:42.520 I like that. Though I know it's not often you 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:45.600 have an unlikable main character, but I yeah, sometimes prefer that. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:49.279 Yeah, it's called Fine Shade with a y Chelsea. 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:50.720 We have a very fun guest day. 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:53.440 Who oh my god, I'm excited. He's so ridiculous. 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.800 He's so funny, and tonight is the season finale of. 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:01.080 His show, season finale of Hacks. Everybody, he created Hacks, 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:04.320 which is a great show with Jean Smart and Hannah 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:10.120 einbeinder On Max and our friend and guest today is 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:12.680 the person responsible for it? Well, he and his wife 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:16.240 are responsible for it and bestie and bestie. Yeah, oh 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:18.200 that's right, him and his wife and their best friend. 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:22.240 They're a threatfle Please welcome Paul W Downs. Oh my god, 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:25.800 you're so ridiculous. Paul W have you ever been on 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.720 a zoom before? We have what aren't you? Aren't you 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:30.519 a showrunner? 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.560 I am, but we don't usually have echo issues. 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:36.760 Just to fill our listeners in, Paul W went from 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:41.280 his closet or some sort of bunker and it was 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:43.720 all it was all wood, so there was an echo. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.400 And then we told him he had maybe if we 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:49.280 could get into bed or something. He didn't want to 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:51.640 do that. We offered you to get into bed, and 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:54.359 instead you went around the corner into some is this 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:55.880 a birthing room that you're in? Now? 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:58.000 This is a bedroom. This is the bedroom. There is 0:02:58.040 --> 0:02:59.680 a bed, but here's the thing. It's a laptop, so 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:00.880 I have to hold the laptop. 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:02.919 I'm like, oh no, no, no, no, I just want 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.959 me to be as comfortable as possible, because great, you're 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:06.880 stressing me out. 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:08.720 Oh no, don't get stressed. 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:13.680 Paul congratulations on season three of the Very Funny, very 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:18.160 Successful Hacks on HBO. Max. Well we call it Max now, right, Yeah, 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:21.760 I suppose so legally we must, Yeah, yes, we must. 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.720 How has this experience been because Okay, to fill our 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:30.560 listeners in, Paul writes with his wife Lucia. Lucia and 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:32.600 you guys came up with this, right, we did. 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:35.040 We came up with it with our very best friend, 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:37.880 Jen Statsky, who's our our third showrunner. 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.520 Okay, right, I have a very good friend from high 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:41.920 school named Jen Satsky. 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:44.600 No way, yeah, So, and did you go to high 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:45.360 school in New Jersey? 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:47.400 I did Livingston High School. So tell Jen. 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:50.200 I'm from New Jersey. My parents are from Randolph and Dover. 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:50.760 Yeah. 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:52.480 First, all I should say I should have started with 0:03:53.120 --> 0:03:55.800 huge fans. But also I've always thought you could be 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:59.080 in my family. You just I just get the vibe 0:03:59.080 --> 0:03:59.800 you'd fit right in. 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.440 Yeah, I'm very I'm a very Jersey girl at heart. 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.440 That's really where the edge of the edges come. Yeah, 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:06.320 so are you right? 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:07.960 I'm a Jersey girl too. Yeah. 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:10.200 Would you compare yourself to Snookie at all? 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:11.680 No, I'm not a snooky. 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:14.280 I'm more of Martha Stewart. I gotta say, you pick 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:17.480 a Jersey girl that I feel is yeah, I. 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:19.520 Do too, because she's got the right amount of bitch. 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:22.440 Well she's got an extra amount of bitch, which I respect. 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:23.479 I do too. 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:24.120 Yeah. 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:27.000 I got heavy on the bitch and light on the 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:28.279 duck face. 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:31.160 She's light on the pleasant trees. Yeah, she doesn't care. 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:33.200 She doesn't have time. Every time I see her, she's like, 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.120 who are you with, Chelsea? Who brought who's your plus one? 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.880 That's all she cares about. And I'm like, yeah, I 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:40.680 like I like that. She cuts to the chase, like 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:43.400 I don't want to say it's so hot today either 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:47.760 to anyone, you know. Yeah, it's embarrassing. Okay, So tell 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.839 us because I know that you said you said you 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:52.200 were quoted as saying that women are funnier than men. 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:54.039 Well, yeah, I do. 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.320 That's a good thing for men to start saying, you know, 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:59.360 just start practicing that agreed, and is that why you 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:01.640 wanted to do a sh show senator on a female comedian. 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:05.640 Yes, we were talking about how my first, the first 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:08.360 live stand up show, like real stand up show I 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:11.239 ever saw was Paula Pundstone in Morriston, New Jersey, and 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:13.440 there were just like so many stand ups that we 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.160 were talking about that never got the same du that 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:18.360 a ton of their male counterparts did. And we were 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:22.119 just like, it's interesting, especially, you know, because I met 0:05:22.240 --> 0:05:25.760 my wife and Jen in New York at the UCB 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:27.440 and we were like, you know, part of that alt 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:28.720 comedy scene, which also. 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:30.240 Are you I'm sorry, are you guys a throutble? 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:34.039 We're not atle sexually? We do not. The three of 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:34.719 us don't have sex. 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:38.159 Okay, just checking, I'm just clarifying, But that's good to know. 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:40.880 So is Jen Does she have a partner slash lover? 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.479 She does? She has a husband actually. 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:45.279 Okay, because that's very relevant to this conversation. 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:46.919 She does have a husband. 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:49.960 He would probably be fine if we, you know, became sexual, 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:50.920 but we're. 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:53.719 Not, okay, which we're not. Don't count your chickens before 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:55.600 they hatch. You never know what's down on the Pike. 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:58.640 That's exactly right, especially right way. 0:05:58.680 --> 0:05:59.920 But I like the way I used it. 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:05.120 I did too, I did too, So not a throtfle 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:08.080 but yeah, we we just were like in this all 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:10.680 comedy scene also where there was a little bit of 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:13.880 like what's cool comedy, what's not cool comedy? You know, 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:16.520 and we were interested in exploring what it was like 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:19.479 for like a younger comedian who maybe thought someone like 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:23.120 Debora Vance was a hack not a cool comedy person, 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:25.279 what it would be like for her to understand like 0:06:25.440 --> 0:06:29.000 all of the all of the indignities that person suffered 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.680 to like pave the way for other comedians like her. 0:06:31.800 --> 0:06:35.520 So when we thought of it, we wrote an email 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:37.599 to each other that was just like the log line 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:39.400 of the show, and we could not stop thinking about 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:41.120 it anytime we hung it out, we talked about it. 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:42.920 I mean, it is such a great idea for a 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:44.680 show to look at something that way. I would have 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.679 thought in the opposite direction, like to prove this tough, 0:06:47.760 --> 0:06:50.239 tough bad guy was like really did have a heart. 0:06:50.279 --> 0:06:52.520 But that's also part of the story too with gens 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:54.360 Smarts character, right. 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.160 Yeah, a very person. 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.040 Yeah, it's like a like a love affair between Hannah 0:06:59.080 --> 0:06:59.960 and Jean Smart. 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:02.200 It is a love affair, and we actually talk about 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:04.800 it that way. We talk about the thaw all the time. 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:08.000 Ah goe, Yeah, yeah. 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:09.400 So you did. You never did stand up when you 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:10.160 were at UCB. 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:12.200 I did do stand up. I did. I did mostly 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:13.800 sketch an improv, but I did do stand up. 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:15.480 And actually it was because I did stand up and 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:17.920 I found it a lonely and b like what I 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:19.400 was doing was like a lot of like character. 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:20.240 I would often be. 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.800 Like, hey, I have some tech, and people at clubs 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:24.920 would be like what. And now I feel like there's 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.320 a lot of tech in stand up, Like you go 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:29.160 to a show and it's like power points and tons 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:29.480 of stuff. 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:31.760 But I don't know it just it didn't feel like 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:32.480 the right place. 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:34.600 I don't know what you're fucking talking about. I have 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:37.320 never seen a PowerPoint presentation at a stand up show. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:41.320 I mean, I understand differentiation between alternative and stand up 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:43.880 because Hanna is alternative. I would describe Hanna as comedy 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:46.320 as alternative, which I just did in an article at 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.240 the Wall Street Journal or something like that for her, 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:52.520 because because she is alternative, like she has tech. 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:54.600 Yes, she does have tech. That's right, she does. That's 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:56.760 a great Yes, she did a perfect example of it. 0:07:56.840 --> 0:08:00.440 Paul W. Do you think Hannah's character is written after 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:02.920 you is like loosely based on you. 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.520 No, She's the closest to Jen and the reason. 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.720 I mean, there is parts of myself and Lucia and 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:11.120 Jen in the character, and also parts of us at 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:12.520 Deborah as well. 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:13.640 Again, I'm a Martha. 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.640 Stewart, and I feel like the biggest similarity is that 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:21.080 Jen Early, when Twitter was like just popping off, she 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:24.520 became very successful on Twitter. I do know, can you 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:26.360 be successful? A lot of people followed her, and she 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:29.040 got hired essentially. I mean, she had a great packet, 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:31.239 I'm sure, but she was hired to write for Jimmy Fallon, 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:33.400 and I think part of her discovery was because she 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:35.680 was so well liked her comedy. Her jokes were so 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.920 good on Twitter, So that part of the origin story 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:39.880 of the character. 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:41.920 Is borrowed from Jen's life. But there's a little bit 0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:42.559 of all of us in that. 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:44.400 Yeah. I mean, it's nice to have a team of 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:47.320 three when you're doing anything creative because that gives you 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:49.959 two heads to bounce ideas off of, so you can 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:52.800 really like check the box of you know, because sometimes 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:54.600 when you're working with yourself, you always have to bounce 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:56.440 it off of someone else before you can put it 0:08:56.480 --> 0:09:00.760 live or write it down. Because I do. Actually that's 0:09:00.760 --> 0:09:04.160 not true. I don't, but I but I do. Sometimes 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:06.760 I do. If I'm like on the fence about something 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:08.360 I know, bounce it off a couple of people to 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:11.319 get the reaction. All I usually need is one confirmation. 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.760 I'm like, I was right, that's funny, you know. Yeah, 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.880 you say it out loud to see if there's a reaction, 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:17.920 and if there's not, you walk away, you know, with 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:19.960 your head between your legs. 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:23.199 Right or like me, because I've continued to do stand 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:25.920 up to a certain degree, not enough to be maybe 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.560 considered one. But I will keep doing a bit that 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.040 doesn't work. If I feel like it works for you, 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:32.920 truly yours, I just keep doing it. 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:35.520 I'm like, I think that's funny. If I do something 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.040 twice and two times it doesn't work, I don't do 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:38.440 it again. 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:40.040 That's probably the way to do it. 0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:42.120 No, I don't think there are any rules to anything. 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:45.360 There really aren't the goal I think for every creative 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:47.840 And you tell me if you disagree in any way 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.360 is to be confident in their with they're creating. To 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.360 have confidence in your creative ability. And when you're confident 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:56.640 in what you're creating like that, you can smell that, 0:09:57.080 --> 0:09:59.120 and when you're not, you can smell it. So if 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:01.319 you're on stage doing something that doesn't work and you're 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:02.960 confident about it, it will still work. 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:04.440 Right. Yeah, I think that's true. 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:06.600 I don't lose an audience because I think it's funny. 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:08.559 It does tickle me, and I do think that's something that. 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:12.440 Please use that expression on this podcast, that it tickles you. No, 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:16.520 it's like that's a personal request. 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:18.840 Oh good to know. You don't like to be tickled? 0:10:18.960 --> 0:10:21.160 No, I don't. I don't like that. I don't like 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.160 the word tickle. I find it very molesty. You know, 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.080 get a tickle. It's like, no, thank you, I'm not 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:31.880 coming to get a tickle. Or tickle your fancy is 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.480 another expression that I could do without, but I use 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.240 it all the time in spite of it because it's 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:41.640 so stupid. This might tickle your fancy, but it's evocative. 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:43.400 It's very evocative. 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:44.400 But no, I think you're right. 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:46.240 You have to be confident and you have to enjoy 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:49.520 it yourself. That's one of the things that having three 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:52.079 of us it is good because we're so confident because 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:53.800 if we can make one of the other three laugh, 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:56.000 My favorite audience are the two of them, and so 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:58.280 we're constantly trying to make each other laugh. But it's 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:00.679 also great because we have a tiebreaker, So that's also 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:04.560 there's a really good part of the three in creative 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:05.760 collaboration because of that too. 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.120 So you guys want a bunch of Emmys. You went 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:09.920 on your honeymoon, Is this correct, and then you flew 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:11.160 back straight to the Emmys. 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:14.559 Yeah, well, we we weirdly because because of when the 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:16.640 Emmys were happening, we did our honeymoon before our wedding, 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:17.520 so we got married. 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:20.920 I mean, the truth, the true story is this. 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:22.760 We don't know if I could get it up to 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:25.560 do that, like do it in reverse, I might oh, 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:27.679 or maybe I would do the honeymoon and then leave 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:28.560 before the marriage. 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:31.920 It was great to do in reverse because I'm like, no, well, 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:34.400 we we actually found out like eleven days before our 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:36.600 honeymoon that she was two months pregnant, which we did 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:37.360 not plan. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:39.360 The baby, and the baby was yours and. 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.520 The baby was mine as far as I know. 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:44.600 Okay, Well, obviously that's something to look into, m hm. 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:46.760 So we went on our honeymoon, we got married, and 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:48.480 then we came back and like four days later were 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:48.920 the Emmys. 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:50.600 So it was a really crazy month. 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:52.839 And then you won Emmys. How many Emmys did you 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:53.360 win that night? 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:56.439 I only won one? Did she had to do that night? 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:57.960 Gene won one? 0:11:58.080 --> 0:11:59.319 I mean there were there were there were a few 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.800 emis for the show, but I personally took home one. 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:04.480 Let's talk about Jeane Smart. Tell me about your experience 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:06.439 with because Jean Smart lost her husband at the beginning 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:09.199 of this series. I remember Handa was telling me that 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.520 and then she had this huge resurgence at the same time, 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:16.559 which I find those things kind of coincide in people's 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.880 lives all the time, right, there could be a big 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.120 loss and then there could be like a major shift 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:25.160 in a different area. So tell us about choosing Jean 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:27.359 Smart for the role, Like, how did you decide? 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:30.120 Well, we wrote the part without anybody in mind, and 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.440 we had written the script and we made a list 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:35.160 of people that we thought would be good for it, 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:38.000 and she was honestly at the top of the list 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:40.000 because we wanted someone who could do like that her 0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:42.240 heartfelt moments in the show, more dramatic parts, but also 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:44.360 we needed her to be a believable stand up and 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.600 deliver a joke. And there's not a ton of women 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:48.720 that are that age that we thought would be perfect 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:50.959 for it, and so we sent it to her and 0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:53.559 she met with us and said, you know, I always 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:55.560 wanted to be a stand up. When I was twelve, 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:58.720 everyone was mermaid or a princess, and I dressed as 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:01.040 philis Diller and none of the other kids got it. 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:03.280 But she's like, I've always wanted to do that. So 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:05.760 it's weirdly kismet. And then a lot of weird kismet 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:07.280 stuff kept happening. 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:08.760 Like what else tell us? I like, will your weird 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:09.439 kismet chit? 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:10.040 You know? 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:14.160 When Jean's husband passed, we sent her flowers and they 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:16.000 were her wedding flowers, and she's like, it's so weird. 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:18.000 How would you have known that anemonees were my wedding 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:19.959 flower And we had sent heed that and were just 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.480 like a weird coincs. But there kept being these things 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:24.240 that She's like, when we would write the script, she'd 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:25.760 be like, do you know I was obsessed with Christmas 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:27.440 and be like, no, we don't really know you that well, 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:29.240 we're just starting the season, you know, we But there 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:30.680 was a lot of things that were written into the 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:32.600 show that she was like, this is as if you 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:34.480 live in my house or you know, there's just a 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.559 bunch of stuff that felt weird, you know, felt weirdly 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:39.280 like it was it was a destined thing. 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:40.200 She was meant for it. 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:44.280 But yeah, your character is so fucking funny. You and Meghan. 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.760 Oh my god, Megan is so ridiculous. I mean, does 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:50.120 she ever say anything serious? I'm like, every time I 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.240 see her, I'm like, are you in character? Or are 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:54.120 you I'm like, is this your a real person? 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.520 He's always on, She's always on. But I have gotten 0:13:57.559 --> 0:14:00.720 some serious moments from her. And actually you'll see the 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:02.760 season she plays some serious moments in the show. 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:04.600 Oh, I don't know if I'm ready for that. 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:06.680 I gotta tell you what she's making She's making me 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:08.760 cry in the scene season three, it's the finale, it's 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:09.320 season three. 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:12.240 She was so good. I was moved and during it 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:13.559 it was crazy. She's great. 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.560 Yeah, that's okay, that's enough about that. Now, how do 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:21.240 you know when you are writing something and you're starring 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:23.720 in it. I always am curious about directing and starring 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:25.800 in your own stuff. How do you know when it's 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:29.560 actually serving the purpose, like serving the script versus just 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:35.320 serving your own role and and expansion of it. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:38.160 I think because being a writer on the show, like 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:40.120 writing the show, I think I care so much more 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:42.440 about the story than my part in the show that 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.120 oftentimes I'm like, we can lose, we can lose that 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:47.520 scene of Jimmy. I honestly often am like the one 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:50.520 who's I just cut that, And luckily I have these 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:52.200 other people who are like, no, keep it in. That 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:53.680 was a funny scene. We got to keep it in. 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:56.920 But when I'm when I'm directing, I mostly direct episodes 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:59.040 that Jimmy isn't really in because I find that hard too. 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:01.040 I'm like, I how you do a whole movie where 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:02.520 you're the leader of the movie and directing the movie, 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:04.760 and like, what do you watch playback every five minutes? 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:06.800 And it seems or you're in a scene you're like, 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:08.800 can we just what I need you to do? 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.320 You know, in your director but. 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.240 You're writing, directing, and starring in this that's a lot. 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:17.160 I didn't realize you were also directing. 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:19.680 Yeah, I direct only a handful of the episodes. 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.119 All right, we get it, we get it. You're a director, 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:24.800 you don't have to get defense. 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:25.520 And a showrunner. 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:27.720 Well, no, I'm saying, I don't direct that many. I don't. 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:29.840 I don't even. I dabble, I dabble. 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:32.360 We have fun, and how does that work? Let me 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:34.920 tell I want to know about like being with your spouse, 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:39.040 working together, living together, how how does that vibe work? 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:41.600 You have a kid now, so we do, and obviously 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.520 you have to have help because if you're both working, 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:46.040 we do we do. Whenever I think of a couple 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:48.880 working together, I envisioned doctor Phil with his wife and 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:52.160 the audience and think, what don't you have anything to do? 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:54.880 You know? Like why is she sitting there listening to 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.120 her fucking husband? Like, get, that's an hour she could 0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:59.080 get away from him, and she's choosing to go and 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:02.800 listen to him. Rant But I think, I guess I'm 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:04.400 going to answer my own question here. But then I 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:07.680 want you to elaborate, Paul W. Because working together with 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:12.200