WEBVTT - Matt Walsh: Behind the Scenes of Veep 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.760 Hi, Brian, Hi Katie. Well, I know you're really jazzed 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.400 about today's show because we get to talk about one 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:15.319 of our favorite shows on television, Veep. I love it. 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:19.160 I love Julia Louis Dreyfuss. I love sort of the reality, 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:21.759 the faux reality of it all. And it's such a 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:25.400 great ensemble cast. Every last one of the people on 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:28.479 the show just knocks it out of the park week 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:31.320 after week after week. Do you agree? I do, And 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:37.320 especially Matt Walsh, who plays bumbling, innocent, sweet White House 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:41.839 Press secretary Mike McClintock. I just find him hilarious. He's 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:43.800 one of those people that you look at him, you 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:46.960 just want to laugh because it's a very funny mustache 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:50.160 that he's sporting in that show. Didn't he die said 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:54.360 mustache once? I think he did in a very early 0:00:54.440 --> 0:01:00.000 episode sssfully yes to give him a little more youthful verse. 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:05.440 But Matt's a really interesting character in and of himself. 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:09.120 He's kind of a legend of the improv comedy world. 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:14.119 He helped to co found Upright Citizen's Brigade. His other 0:01:14.280 --> 0:01:19.720 co founders included Amy Poehler, and he's had a fascinating career. 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:22.679 He was an early correspondent on The Daily Show. He's 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.920 appeared on a ton of sitcoms and in a lot 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:28.319 of movies. He was in The Hangover, he was in 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:32.360 that fine film called hung Was that? Was that a 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:35.880 film or a TV series? I think it was in 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:38.360 the four hundreds on my cable. I don't know ye 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:42.120 that that may be a different movie. But we're very, 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:45.680 very excited to have Matt Walsh on the show. So 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:51.520 here's Matt and Brian. Unfortunately, for me long distance, I 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:56.720 am very jealous because you have the very funny Matt 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:59.600 Walsh sitting right next to you in Los Angeles. I'm 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:01.520 all the way in New York City out here in 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.120 l A. So we're very excited to have Matt on 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:06.960 the show. And Matt also very flattered because, as I 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:11.520 understand it, you actually expressed some interest in being on 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:14.799 the show. This has got to be a first. Did 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:16.880 you think you were doing the show and obscurity like 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.200 no one listens to it? Well, we're you know, you 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:23.760 never know out there in in uh podcast land. I'll 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:28.800 be don't take that. I thought you were Katie Holmes. 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:34.679 Last name is Kirk. I'm so sorry, so so sorry, 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:37.200 this is awkward, but you're gonna go forward with it anywhile. 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.640 I'm here, and I gotta get my parking validated, so 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:41.600 I might as well earn it. Yeah, we don't validate 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.360 unless you do the show. That's fair. Yeah that's like 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.880 seven eight bucks. Thank you, thank you very much. But 0:02:48.000 --> 0:02:50.480 let's start. Can we start by talking about sort of 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:54.120 your career Matt, How you got into this comedy business 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:58.760 because you've you started the Upright Citizens Brigade. You're a 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:02.480 founding member, which is of course the famous improv comedy 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.960 theater that's become an institution the comedy world. At what 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:08.840 age did you realize, Hey, I'm kind of funny, I'd 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:11.680 like to go into comedy. I think my first performing 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:13.919 was in the senior Variety show in high school, where 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.840 we wrote sketches that made fun of teachers and we 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:19.880 were a big smash hit. And that was like sort 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:21.440 of when I got bit by the bug of like 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:25.280 writing and performing comedy. And then I took like one 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:29.520 acting class in college, and then my my last senior 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:32.320 year I went to Northern Illinois. I discovered this uh 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:36.040 improv class that was taught through Second City. So every 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:37.760 once a week, I would drive into this city and 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.280 that's when I really discovered, like, oh, improv comedy is 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:42.400 what I really want to do. And at the time, 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:44.240 I was like a psych major, so I was kind 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.360 of like when I got out of college, I worked 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:47.920 on a psych floor and then at night I was 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:50.760 doing sketch comedy. And let's working on a psych floor 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:58.360 is a good place to find sketch comedy, I guess, huh, yes, No, 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:01.560 I don't mean that to be callous, but I'm just 0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:05.240 saying it must be interesting. It was absolutely, and it 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:07.320 was a survival. You had to laugh, but it was 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:10.760 also you were sort of a wash with dysfunction when 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:13.240 you came home, and I think that trade is very difficult, 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:15.400 so I I stepped away from it. But there was 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:16.640 a lot of laughs there and there was a lot 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:20.000 of crazy stories that happened. Absolutely, So u c B 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.920 is kind of a murderers row of comedians. I mean 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.920 Amy Poehler helped to found it with you and as 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:29.480 He's and sorry and Ellie Kemper and Nick Roll or alums. 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:34.680 What makes that particular group different and special? I mean 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.520 I remember reading that you know in the u c B. 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:42.240 Ethos and improvisers should always be thinking about group mind 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.840 supporting the other performers. Is that different? I think one 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:48.520 thing we take pride in is we do have a 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:52.080 real curriculum, Like because we were all actors, we'd all 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:54.880 been in acting classes where you spend eight weeks and 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:57.080 the teacher says you're amazing, and then when you leave, 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:00.360 there's no takeaway. It's like I thought I is good, 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.320 but now I haven't learned anything. So we really made 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:06.279 a point to like academify what we were teaching. We 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.359 wrote a book, and so that's one thing I'm super 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:11.400 proud of is we really tried to get students takeaway 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.640 for their investment of time at the theater. And I 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:18.080 think in general, we're fortunate that people discovered uc BE. Like, 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:20.560 I don't necessarily take credit for Nick Kroll or any 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.479 of these people being funny, but once they're plugged into 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:25.680 this community and they make these wonderful friendships and they 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:27.520 care about this art form, then they have the same 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.320 passion we do. And I'm and I'm happy that they 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:32.680 sort of got that bug the same way that I 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:35.560 got that bug. We created a gymnasium where people can 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:38.360 practice this art form and and get hooked on it. 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.599 And that's what makes me super proud. I love this 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:43.839 whole idea too, of caring about the group and really 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:47.160 kind of helping people out so that everybody can shine, 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.880 which seems to be quite different than the ethos obviously 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:53.039 of stand up comedy. I mean, how does that work 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:57.000 where you kind of want to be supportive of people 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.719 around you, and how does that affect your interactions? And 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:02.040 in prov, well, I think stand up is an art 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.880 form of say, critique, cultural, political, etcetera. And I think 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:09.440 improv is an art form of collaboration. And uh, I 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:13.760 personally like the anonymity of collaboration because you don't have 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:15.680 to you don't have to shoulder the burden. You're not 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.839 out in front solo, so I guess you can hide 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:23.240 inside a group art form. So that's particularly what I 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:25.599 liked about it. And also when you bomb that you 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:30.039 don't bomb. Yeah, you're not everybody bombs. You're not drinking 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.279 at a holiday inn and Madison, Wisconsin by yourself, You're 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.400 you're commiserating and making fun of the audience for not 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:39.200 getting how good you were. We have a clip of 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:44.560 you and some others on the anniversary of the U 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:46.680 C b um. You guys were on the Today Show, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:49.360 so let's play that. WHOA Well, if you slipped on 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.080 people's couches, Yes, I couch hopped and I slept in 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.320 a before they cleaned up the guanas canal. It smelled 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:57.320 so bad I thought I had peed myself. One night 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.760 I woke up and it smelled so horrible, like, oh 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:04.479 my god, what happened? And it was just Brooklyn. It 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:06.480 was just Brooklyn coming in. And you walked a ton 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:08.720 of weight because you walked everywhere because it was too 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:13.720 expensive to them. We were legit poor, and so you 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:17.040 were legit poor. And and how did you kind of 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.440 get from there to actually making a living and doing 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.880 well as a as a comedian? What is the You 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:26.160 have friends? Like when we landed in New York, we 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:29.280 had several friends who worked and wrote on Conan O'Brien 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:32.840 and Saturday Night Live. So fortunately for us, our friends 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:34.400 were like, hey, come by for a day and do 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:36.280 a bit on Conan, or come by for a day 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:38.320 and do a short film on SNL. So we were 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:42.200 sort of plugged into opportunities when we landed, so that 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:45.000 truthfully helped pay the rent and forever grateful to a 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:48.800 lot of those people in those shows. Um and then 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:50.960 just being seen like it was word of mouth. It 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:54.600 was sort of still pre YouTube. Nine six is when 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:57.280 we landed in New York and so we were doing 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:59.960 shows seven nights a week, and people who cared about 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.520 comedy gave us props. And then I'll go and behold 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:06.280 we had shows with audiences. Meanwhile, you have been enjoying 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.280 being on FIVA. I'm sure it must be. I don't know, 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:12.560 is is that a dream come true for you, Matt 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.400 because it is such a great show and you have 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:20.680 such a hilarious character in Mike McClintock, the White House 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:27.000 Press secretary slash director of Communications for president no longer president, 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:31.360 but former president, former President Selina Myers. How much fun 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:33.439 is How relevant is that that the press secretary is 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:36.200 also the communications director because of course, in the real 0:08:36.280 --> 0:08:38.560 life White House they couldn't get anyone to be the 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:42.599 communications director, so Spicer is doing it. Mike McClintock was 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:45.280 terrible at his job years before Sean Spicer was on 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:49.000 the scene, so he is not an impersonation of Sean Spicer. 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:52.080 I'll say that much, but it's it is the it's 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:55.840 the best gig to be on a show where everybody's 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:58.800 funny and nice, and the writing is spectacular and Julia 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:01.920 is amazing, and to have people care about it, like 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:03.719 this year more than ever, I think people wanted to 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:07.080 laugh at politics. So there's real attention to sort of 0:09:07.080 --> 0:09:09.480 the labor that you put into the show. And it's 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:12.360 also collaborative. They really want input, and we improvised in 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:15.560 rehearsals and we use they use our input to sort 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.160 of change the drafts and and make it better. So 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:20.760 it's it is a rare opportunity to be on a 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:24.400 really funny show and also have people watch that show. 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:28.520 It's so great. And here's a clip where Selena is 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:34.440 impersonating your character Might. Let's let's listen to this. Why 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:38.199 don't you just tell the truth? I don't sound like that. 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:42.560 That's exactly how you sound spot. Yeah, it's pretty close. 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.880 I don't know where you get that impersonation. Now, was 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:49.600 that was that just a spontaneous thing or was that 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:52.240 part of the script. That's sort of a bit that 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.520 lived in the rehearsal room with Julia likes doing an 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.559 impression of Mike uh. And it is always I always 0:09:57.559 --> 0:09:59.200 crack up when she does an impression of Mike, And 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.760 it just ended up one of the episodes, and I 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:03.160 think she's done it a couple of times, so I 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:05.960 always laugh when she does her impression of Mike. And 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:09.360 how much of this show is scripted versus stuff you 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:11.680 come up basically on her percent script and when we 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:14.079 get the set and we get our pages for that day. 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.480 The pages change every day, but once it's on the page, 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:19.800 there's room to rehearse it and tinker with it and 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:21.840 add jokes or say it in your own words, but 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.520 it's pretty much on the page when we film it. 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:27.280 It's interesting on Veep, your character is kind of a 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.680 perpetual screw up, but he's also he's an innocent in 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:34.600 a way. And he's also a throwback to an earlier 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.160 time when I think you said this in one interview 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:39.640 you could just call more in doubt and fix something. 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:42.920 And of course now we live in a different world. 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:47.240 How much of Mike's struggle is that the media environment 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:49.280 has changed, and how much of it is that he's 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:53.599 just kind of a blunderbuss to use a word from Veep. 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:57.360 Uh he. I think in the beginning it was a 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:01.760 result of the fast pace change of how the media 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:05.760 was moving. And then I think in reality he might 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:07.920 be a good speechwriter, like he probably is good with 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:11.439 you know, prose, but he is a little too childlike 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:14.719 to be at the head of a communications department. He's 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:18.720 easily distracted. I like him because he's so earnest, you know, 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:22.400 and he's really trying to do a good job, and 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.880 yet he's just so clueless at the same time. And 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.880 I also love his relationship with Katheen to Jimmy, who's 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:32.000 one of my favorite people in the world. She is 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:35.760 so funny and they had I mean, you must, you must, 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:38.120 you guys must laugh all the time doing that show? 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.400 Or is that just how I imagine it to be? No, 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:43.320 it is, I mean it's it is like a lot 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:45.280 of work. I mean it's good work. It's the best 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:46.839 job in the world, but we do put a lot 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:51.880 of effort into making it seem sloppy and naturalistic and real. Um. 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:54.400 But Cathy is awesome. She's really funny, and I think 0:11:54.440 --> 0:11:56.160 that's the first time I ever worked with her was 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:58.880 on our show, but I always look forward to doing 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:02.720 scenes with her. She's a great wife. Has it been hard, uh? 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.760 Matt for you all this season to be out of 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:09.200 the White House, because were you at all worried that 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:12.640 the show might lose its mojo by taking you all 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:15.600 not only out of Washington, but kind of splitting up 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.839 the gang. One of the things I love about VEEP, 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:21.840 and I think it comes from the sort of British 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.160 DNA Armandoina Iannucci created the show, and like I think 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:28.720 two years in or maybe the third season, she was 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.360 president and the show was still called VEEP. Like they're 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:36.160 willing to change and re contextualize the show. Every season. 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:38.560 They'll throw a whole scripts out and just write it 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:41.480 from scratch. Like they they keep it fresh and they 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.240 don't feel like, oh we we can't violate this or 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:46.240 can't violate that. And that's what I love about VEEP. 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.840 So when they they knew Selena, David said many times 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.560 and Julia I would agree, is that Selena has to lose. 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.120 It's always funnier when she's beaten up, and so you 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:57.719 knew they knew she was going to lose that electoral 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.720 college tie. I think it's fortunate for the show that 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:04.120 we're not in DC because it's such a nightmare right 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.560 now and people would be it would be hard to 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.040 heighten beyond what is coming out of d C in 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:13.000 real life. So I think I think it benefits us 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:16.080 and I do think like bringing the band back together, 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.200 it is a writing challenge because it is we all 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:21.040 started in our own orbits. But I think as the 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:23.120 show has gone on, I always say, like in the beginning, 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:26.760 we were sort of swimming and Selena's wake, following her 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:29.240 around hallways in d C. And as each season has 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:31.960 gone on, you know, Mike gets married, everyone builds a 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:34.520 life outside of it. Dan's on the news now. I 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:36.680 think they've made the show bigger and bigger, and but 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:38.800 it is fun to see how they pull us back 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.640 in and how the old faces come back in for 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:44.080 one more, you know, putting the band back together. But well, 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.160 let's can we catch up with some of the characters, 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:49.480 because it is fun to see, you know, what everybody 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.720 is up to. As you said, Dan has landed a 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:56.000 gig anchoring the CBS morning show that I do. I 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:59.560 wanted to say congratulations Mozl Dan to you, and I 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:01.720 think he as an excellent job. Did you have to 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.040 get permission from CBS to do that? I'm assuming you did. 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:07.400 It's a great question. I don't know, but I had 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:09.839 the same reaction watching it, like because I don't I'm 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:11.439 not in the room when they filmed those, like I'm 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.520 not in the morning show set, But I'm like, how 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.439 did they get? I feel the same How did they get? 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:17.920 CVS is blessing? They must have assented to that, but 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.440 isn't it? Is it sat higher like the two comedians 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.560 have more leeway, I guess, but it's it is a 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:27.040 world with bigger egos and even sharper knives than Washington, 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:30.480 I guess. So they successfully found one like that. Well, 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:33.320 we have a clip of an exchange between Dan and 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:38.480 his co anchor Jane, played by Margaret Colin. They cracked 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:40.800 me up, and of course this was my world for 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:43.800 many years, as you know, Matt. So we pulled a 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:46.400 clip of her talking and I had to laugh at 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:49.440 this because I think it's the anchor woman's sphere that 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:52.640 a younger, more attractive woman is coming just around the 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:56.080 corner to take her job. Let's listen, Yes, Danny, I 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:58.560 know that we're not actually fucking because you're not a 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:01.440 billionaire and I don't want to catch anything. Okay, well, 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.200 then maybe you can call the post and tell them 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:05.440 these rumors about us are complete bullshit, because this is 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:07.880 like do we blows Truman here? Dah? If I stop 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:11.960 being funkable, then I am grandma. And if I'm Grandma, 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:15.320 I will be replaced by two tips with a degree 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:23.520 from American University over there. I thought that was so funny. 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.000 I love the American University jokes. It reminds me of 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.000 the what was the Goldie ham line about their three 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:32.720 ages for women in Hollywood Babe, District attorney and driving 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:39.800 Miss Daisy. Maybe that's true if anchor people too, and 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:43.120 the farewell when did you are you caught up? I'm 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.880 not caught up yet? Spoil anything? No? No, I think 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.080 the idea is we're spoiling people who haven't seen like 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:52.280 the beginning of the sixth season. But if you haven't 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.000 finished it, we're not going to spoil. You've got some 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:57.360 good stuff ahead for you can definitely, I'm so excited. 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:01.440 I'm so excited. Meanwhile, Jonah is using his cancer to 0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:05.520 help his political career. That's so cynical, isn't it. Mad Yes, 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.600 and he's like the most hated man in Washington, sort 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.120 of all a Ted Cruz. Yes, that would be a 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:13.160 close Yeah, you would be a close comparison. One of 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:15.120 the things I really love about the show is how 0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:18.960 much of it is drawn from real life and real 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.120 history or sort of a twist or a parody on history. 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:25.840 I mean, I remember in the season finale of last season, 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:30.800 the new president gets credit for freeing Tibet when it 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:34.160 was really Selena who had been sort of working furiously 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.800 with the Chinese, very much like Jimmy Carter with the 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.840 Iranian hostages. And of course Reagan got credit for freeing 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:44.040 them the day that he was sworn into Yes, that 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:47.520 is I'm sure it was inspired. They do the writers, 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:49.360 you know, every year do field trips to d C 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:52.840 and try to get the nitty gritty stories behind, you know, 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:55.240 how things are made or what you know, what went down. 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:58.600 And I think this year they interviewed Romney for a 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:00.720 few hours, like he came to the writer's room and 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:03.240 told her. Yeah that he told him what it was 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.359 like to lose an election and how you build yourself up. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:10.320 And so they really do their research before they start 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:14.280 like structuring the season. And I remember reading in one 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:17.439 of these episodes that when you talk to Romney, you 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.320 recognized how much he had this big support system of 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.399 family and friends and business to sort of catch him 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:27.399 when he fell after the loss, and you guys just decided, Okay, 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:29.480 well what would it be like to lose without any 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:31.720 of that? And that's what we're going to make Selena 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:35.920 go through. Yeah. Selena is terrible to her daughter, She's 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.640 terrible to everyone. So it's actually quite fun to see 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.199 her way at the bottom. It is fun to have 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:46.720 to to have a character that is so unlikable and 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:50.919 yet so popular. Yeah, what is it about her? You know, 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.160 I've been told a few times maybe I should be concerned. 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:57.800 Matt and Brian, Please do not confirm this that I 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:03.320 remind people of Selena. Oh, oh my god. You do 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:07.000 not want that comparison. Oh my god. I think it's 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:10.400 sometimes because there's a flurry of activity around me. Sometimes 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:15.080 I don't know what that makes me. You're Gary. I 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.159 sometimes I hand my first to Brian and say, Gary, 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.800 come on, make it snappy. Yeah, do you want some 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:25.600 rose hip? Ti Katie. But we're going to take a 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.120 break because I want to talk to Matt Walsh Moore 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:32.600 about political reality versus beat. And that's right after this. 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:49.159 Sean Spicer versus Mike McClintock. How do you assess the 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:54.399 two together? That's the question. Uh, Mike actually at the 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:57.640 podium in the press room is competent at his job. 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:01.640 Sean Spicer is not. So my advice to Sean Spicer 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:03.960 has quit, like, you should quit your job. I understand 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:06.639 that he seems like someone who's been knocking around d 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:09.200 C forever and he's finally in the spotlight, and people 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:11.520 like that I want to hang on to whatever little 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:16.080 power they have, but it's a terrible administration, and have 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:18.679 some respect for yourself and quit that job. And what 0:19:18.760 --> 0:19:20.800 about the argument that some people make them that they 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:24.680 should stay in the administration because they're a force for good, 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:26.560 or if they were to leave, they'd just be replaced 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:30.320 by somebody worse in that position. No, you're not. You're 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.320 a puppet. You're you're a mouthpiece for a liar and 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:37.360 a corrupt administration. So I don't see you affecting anything. 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:39.960 I guess if you're an advisor inside there and you 0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:43.359 stick to your values, if you're Maddest or somebody like that, 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:46.720 I guess you could make that argument. Yeah, Like, thank god, 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:48.680 I'm trust me, guys, thank god, I'm in the room. 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:52.200 Believe me, Believe me. The alterna, I just wait till 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:54.959 the President's attention goes away, and we still do what 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:57.280 we want to do. Like sure, I'm glad that guy's 0:19:57.440 --> 0:19:59.800 or that woman is there. Sure, And why do you 0:19:59.800 --> 0:20:03.840 think Sean Spicer stays around? I honestly feel like the 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:07.800 way our show is a workplace comedy, so you get 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:10.480 to see beyond Selena. You get to see the lives 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:14.439 of the advisors and the you know, every schedulers and 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:17.440 press secretaries, et cetera. And I think those people hang 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:20.520 on because to be in the White House is the 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:23.800 big show. Like that's what you want. You want that 0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:26.440 a list power. And so I think once you get it, 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:30.440 your whole behavior, you've been inching towards this thing, and 0:20:30.480 --> 0:20:33.200 all your decisions and all your cutthroat sort of moves 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:35.800 have gotten you in this position. I think you're just 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.240 out of instant cling to it. And I also think people, 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:41.080 and I think you can even see it in veep 0:20:41.119 --> 0:20:44.480 in a way, how insulated the world becomes and how 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:47.919 these people become your family and you have very little 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:52.159 interaction outside this world because it basically sucks the oxygen 0:20:52.520 --> 0:20:56.639 out of your entire being. You can see how almost 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:02.440 both intoxicating and suffocating that can be. Yeah, and yeah, 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:05.400 I think there's like history, you know, for Mike, there's 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:07.600 some loyalty there. He's been with her for twenty years 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:09.879 and I'm sure in the early days it was friendly 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:13.440 and fun and now it's just like routine or whatever. 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:16.360 But yeah, I think that it is. Uh, what else 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:19.639 would you do? Could you really just unplugged and start 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:22.280 a nursery in Santa Barbara or something? I don't think so. 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:26.000 These people are animals. We talked about Sean Spicer a 0:21:26.040 --> 0:21:29.760 moment ago, and we have a clip where Spicer's Spicies 0:21:30.080 --> 0:21:33.240