From On Screen Bestie to Book Club Queen with Judy Greer

Summary

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Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club

Episode: "From On Screen Bestie to Book Club Queen with Judy Greer"

Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Danielle Robay
Guest: Judy Greer

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Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Danielle Robay sits down in-person with beloved character actress Judy Greer. The conversation moves from Greer's voracious reading habits and decades-long love of book clubs to her approach as both an actor and a writer. They dig into the experience of adapting Stephen King's The Long Walk for the screen, the evolution of female characters (and friendships) in film, and the complex relationship with fame, age, and ambition. The episode is filled with candid stories, hilarious asides, heartfelt confessions, and plenty of book recommendations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Judy’s Book Club Origins & Reading Habits

• First Book Club (“20 years ago”):

  • Greer started her first club herself, inviting friends and encouraging everyone to bring a friend.
  • “I was very specific about wanting it to be every six weeks, not once a month, because I didn’t want to only be reading book club books.” (05:10)
  • Book selection was democratic—members would pitch titles and vote.

• On Being a Voracious and Selective Reader:

  • Reads more than she posts about; only shares books she loves, doesn’t “say bad things about a book.” (06:44)
  • Describes herself as reading “way too fast,” sometimes skipping ahead to spoilers, especially with emotionally intense books. (07:03)

• The Collector Side:

  • Greer is also a knitter, vegetarian, and collector of jars (“literally just a bunch of empty jars,” now mostly used for her husband’s pickles). (08:11)

Childhood Reading & Emotional Connection to Books

• Judy describes her upbringing as an only child in Michigan, where books were her “companions” and playmates:

  • “Books were... my playmate too.” (10:47)
  • Favorite childhood reads: Sweet Valley High (“to the point where my dad limited every other book could be Sweet Valley High”). (09:19)

• Books became a vehicle not for escape from hardship, but a way to travel, learn empathy, and connect with the wider world.

  • “It was like travel. It was learning empathy. It was like getting out of suburbs of Detroit, even if only through a story.” (09:55)

Bringing Characters On and Off the Page

• Greer credits reading with helping her build characters as an actor, both adapted from literature and original roles:
  • “I am filing that away for characters, for thoughts, for ideas, for feelings when I’m at work.” (19:20)
  • Reading existing material for adaptations (e.g., The Long Walk) offers a “way in” to character, almost a “cheat code.” (20:00)

Judy’s Dream Book Club—With Her Own Characters!

• Characters she’s played who’d make her dream book club:
  • Quinn from The Last Thing He Told Me (“really, really smart”), Lucy from 13 Going on 30 (“would probably read a lot of Emily Henry”), Erin from What Women Want (“would bring the classics”), Kitty Sanchez from Arrested Development (“Who the hell knows what she would pick?”). (11:05)
• Characters not invited: her role in Dead of Winter (“not invited,” too intense).

Adapting Stephen King & Thematic Resonance

• On reading King in her youth:

  • “I read every Stephen King book I could get my hands on when I was a kid.” (12:22)
  • Despite loving his writing, Judy doesn’t think of herself as a horror fan, and emphasizes that genre is less important than good storytelling.

• Discussing the Long Walk adaptation:

  • “Well, you better do it well because the fans will eviscerate you if you don’t.” (21:16)
  • Notes how the film adaptation felt “more hopeful” than the original book, seeing in it a desperate search among youth for love, hope, and connection—possibly the “echo of this generation.”
    • “Are our kids looking for a hope and a connection and a sense, something to be proud of, like, how to be a patriot when you don’t know what you believe in anymore?” (23:18)
    • Memorable line: “Choose love.” (24:54)

On Writing Her Memoir (I Don’t Know Where You Know Me From)

• Greer only wrote her memoir after being approached by an agent; had to overcome fear and procrastination.

  • “I was afraid it would be bad and that I would be bad and I wouldn’t be able to do it.” (32:57)
  • “My job is to write your book, and you have to do your job. You have to go to work.” — Advice from her husband Dean (33:21)
  • Her writing sessions often took place at bars, not coffee shops: “I was no Stephen King, but I was much better after my little lecture from my husband.” (33:47)

• Would she write new chapters now, a decade later?

  • “Things are very different now.” (34:02)
  • Reflects on aging, being a woman, and societal expectations—expresses exhaustion with the “topic” of aging, but acknowledges its impact. (34:13)

Age, Ambition & The Shifted Landscape of Self-Image

• Shares a vivid old interview answer about wanting a role “not about finding love, but finding herself.” (34:29)
• Discusses how societal milestones (marriage, kids) loom large for her generation, often prompted by the outside world. (35:25)
• Notes change from rarely seeing her image to today’s culture of constant self-surveillance via social media—complicating self-esteem and perceptions of aging. (36:47)

The Right to Say No & Knowing Her Worth

• On her evolved approach to acting, ambition, and self-worth:
  • “I feel a lot more like cozier in my space than I probably did when I wrote the book... I really understand what I have to offer.” (38:34)
  • Blessing from a friend: “You’ve earned the right to say no to some things for a while, Judy.” (39:11)
  • She now values the ability to say no and create space for new experiences, not just work for work’s sake.

Female Friendship—On and Off Screen

• Reflects on White Lotus's viral monologue about envy and gratitude among women.
  • “I loved that monologue... depending on the day and time I watched it.” (42:52)
  • Observes how difficult it is for men to grasp the nuance of female friendships compared to male ones.

Book Recs from Hollywood’s Best

• Best book recs? “Emma Thompson.” (43:32)
  • Emma Thompson, her daughter Gaia Wise, Laurel Marsden, and Greer had an on-set book club, swapping titles.
• Who surprises as a big reader? “Owen Wilson... we text about books, and that surprised me.” (44:24)

Fall Reading List & Literary Speed Round (45:00)

• Recent purchases: The Book of Alchemy, Audition at Godmothers (signed copy), Rebecca (from Shakespeare & Company, Paris).
• Favorite recommendations: Demon Copperhead (45:17)
• A book she wishes she could read again for the first time: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (47:24)
• The literary classic she’s never read: Pride and Prejudice (“Me neither, that’s the best book we’ve never read.”) (47:37)
• Favorite trope: “Opposites attract” (46:43)
• Trope she’d ban: “The creative outcast boy draws” (her husband’s cliche) (46:33)
• Favorite female literary friendship: The mom from The Goldfinch (46:55)
• Dream adaptation/starring role: “The wife in The Bee Sting.” (47:12)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On adapting Stephen King:
  “You better do it well because the fans will eviscerate you if you don’t.” (21:16)

• On female friendships:
  “You need to watch these three movies to understand the conversation I had yesterday on the phone.” (42:48)

• On writing and journaling:
  “Not every sentence is meant to be read. Some things are only meant to be written—hurried, looped, illegible, but full of feeling, the opposite of aesthetic.” — Quoting Milk Fed on Substack (48:14)

• On changing perspectives:
  “Maybe what I was working toward was being able to say no and not being terrified.” (41:21)

• On making reading cool:
  “It wasn’t when I was little, but it’s now... BookTok made it cool. And Reese’s Book Club, I think.” (44:51)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------| | Judy’s first book club and reading habits | 05:03 | | The joy & role of books in childhood | 09:02 | | Books shaping acting and character work | 19:20 | | Discussing Stephen King adaptations | 21:08 | | Thematic relevance of The Long Walk today | 23:18 | | Memoir writing process | 31:24 | | Aging, ambition, and self-image | 34:13 | | On being able to say “no” in career | 39:11 | | Female friendships in film | 41:21 | | Best book recommendations in Hollywood | 43:32 | | Fall reading list & literary speed round | 45:00 | | On journaling, writing for oneself | 48:14 |

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Memorable & Notable Quotes

• On book selection rules (05:31):
  Danielle: “Did you have any rules for picking the book?”
  Judy: “We would kind of go around and pitch books... and then sort of choose between the ones that were pitched.”

• On only sharing books she loves (06:44):
  “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

• On Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ (13:52):
  “After I read that book, by the way, I was like—I am not a writer. I don’t have what this guy has.”

• On acting vs. writing (14:30):
  “You do what you want to do. And so clearly, I don’t want to do that because I spend more time online shopping than I do writing.”

• On aging and ambition (34:13):
  “I’m so bored of that topic.” (Re: aging and being a woman in the industry)

• On the right to say no (39:11):
  “You've earned the right to say no to some things for a little while, Judy.”

• On female friendships in media (42:48):
  “You need to watch these three movies to understand the conversation I had yesterday on the phone.”

• Milk Fed Substack quote (48:14):
  “Not every sentence is meant to be read. Some things are only meant to be written—hurried, looped, illegible, but full of feeling, the opposite of aesthetic.”

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Closing Reflections

Danielle and Judy’s conversation is a celebration of books as lifelines, portals, and companions—and how storytelling flows between personal life and public art. Judy Greer’s effervescent humor and honesty, both about the joys and ridiculousness of Hollywood and the deeper emotional experiences of reading and growing older, make the episode both entertaining and insightful. Whether ruminating on journaling, the complexity of female friendships, or just why she steals books (and sometimes bras!) from film sets, Greer brings wit and warmth to this thoughtful, irrepressibly bookish episode.

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For Further Reading

• I Don’t Know Where You Know Me From by Judy Greer
• The Long Walk by Stephen King
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

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Transcript

[Danielle Robay]

This is an I Heart Podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by Cotton. We spend a lot of time with stories, hours curled up with dynamic plots and characters who feel like friends. What if the story isn't just in your hands but also in the world around you, in the fabric that's holding you close? Cotton is that timeless companion. Soft sheets for a lazy weekend morning with a book. Breezy dresses for afternoons spent reading in the backyard. It's the fabric that can be tossed in the wash without fuss. It's about ease, comfort and caring for yourself and the planet. Just like books we cherish, cotton weaves meaning into everyday moments. Next time you settle in for a chapter, slip into something cotton not just to read the story, but to feel it. Cotton the fabric of our lives. Learn more at thefabricofourlives.com Tired of spills.

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[Judy Greer]

Hi, it's Jemma Spag, host of the Psychology of your 20s. This September at the Psychology of your 20s, we're breaking down the very interesting ways psychology applies to real life, like why we crave external Validation. I find it so interesting that we are so quick to believe others judg judgments of us and not our own judgment of ourselves. So according to the study, not being liked actually creates similar pain levels as real life physical pain. Learn more about the psychology of everyday life and of course, your 20s this September, listen to the psychology of your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Robay]

Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club is presented by Apple Books. Hi, I'm Danielle Robay, your host and welcome to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. You guys, I'm so excited for you to hear this week's conversation. When I tell you I was smiling the entire time, my cheeks actually hurt by the end.

[Judy Greer]

I don't think of myself as a horror fanatic. Like, certainly not in fiction. But when the writing is good, does it matter? Like, it's a great story.

[Danielle Robay]

I've been wanting to talk to Judy Greer for so many reasons. First of all, she's a character actress icon. You know her, you love her. She's given us some of the most memorable girlies in film, like Jawbreaker, how to Lose a guy in 10 days, 13 going on 30, 27 dresses. Okay. Her resume is really long. I'm not going to recite the whole thing, but you get it. She's Hollywood's secret weapon. The woman who can steal a scene with a single line. One of her latest roles is in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's the Long walk, which drops September 12th. So obviously I wanted to know what it's like bringing a classic novel to life on screen. But Judy Greer isn't just a scene stealer. She's also a massive reader, like a novel a week kind of reader, sometimes even more than that. So if you want a conversation that has all the drama of a Stephen King story and all the charm of a rom com, you're in the right place. This one is funny, it's bookish, it's a little behind the scenes Hollywood, and it's very Judy. So let's turn the page with Judy Greer. Judy, welcome to the club.

[Judy Greer]

Thank you.

[Danielle Robay]

I have to tell you, I'm so excited. This is our first in person interview.

[Judy Greer]

What?

[Danielle Robay]

We have been fully virtual. I haven't felt anybody in person, so I'm so excited for this.

[Judy Greer]

That's an honor. I'm very honored. Thank you.

[Danielle Robay]

Well, one of the reasons I think it was meant to be is you are a veteran book club girl.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am like a reader Always in search of a book club.

[Danielle Robay]

Tell me about your first book club experience.

[Judy Greer]

So it had to have been like 20 years ago. I just started it with friends. Like, I just started asking around because I really wanted to be in a book club and everyone came. I was very specific about wanting it to be every six weeks, not once a month, because I didn't want to only be reading book club books. And yeah, everyone came. And then I asked everyone to bring someone.

[Danielle Robay]

Oh, that's a fun idea.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. Yeah. So it wasn't just my friends. So it was kind of like. And. And I did this also with my knitting group. If you decide to do a knitting podcast, we can talk about this there.

[Danielle Robay]

But did you have any rules for picking the book that we would kind.

[Judy Greer]

Of go around and pitch books, Like a couple books, and then we would sort of like choose between the ones that were pitched is how I think we did it.

[Danielle Robay]

Our book club is only a few months old, and so I'm trying to figure out the best way to book club, even virtually.

[Judy Greer]

Well, you don't have to worry about a spread.

[Danielle Robay]

No, it's less expensive.

[Judy Greer]

It's less expensive. It's nice because I was always the one hosting and that could get stressful. So this is also. You're already solving a lot of the problems. Another problem I found. And look, I. I like rules. I'm a rule follower. There was a lot of, like, chitter chatter. Sometimes in an in person meeting that I felt like was kind of rude and inappropriate.

[Danielle Robay]

I know, I agree. It's hard with an in person. So anybody that follows you on social media knows that you are pretty, but you're also very literary. You post and you may even be reading more, but you post at least three books a month.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, yeah, I do read a little bit more than that. I'm trying not to post about the ones that. Because you know what I'm learning the ones that don't. What? Like, I don't want to, like, say bad things about a book. So if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

[Danielle Robay]

Are you a speed reader, though? Like, how are you reading so many?

[Judy Greer]

I definitely read too fast. I definitely read way too fast. My retention is not great and I don't think I'm a speed reader, but I just get excited. But I have to confess that I read a book recently and I did flip to, like, a really bad thing happens. It was the new Wally Lamb book. Okay. I was like, I just need to know what he does.

[Danielle Robay]

What's Cool. Is that. Because I know people that do that with TV or films at home. I don't know a lot of people that do that with books, but I think because you have this experience reading scripts, you're like, I know this bad thing's gonna happen.

[Judy Greer]

And, like, a script is like an hour time commitment. And I love Wally Lamb. I'm like, a huge fan of his books and his writing. So I was like, it's not like I'm not gonna read the book.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. I need you to clear something up for me because you mentioned that you like knitting.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Danielle Robay]

And on your Instagram, it says that you're a big reader, but you're also a knitter, a vegetarian, and a collector of jars.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

Judy, what do you collect in the jars?

[Judy Greer]

The jars are being dealt with. My husband has started making pickles. So the jars.

[Danielle Robay]

But they were empty jars.

[Judy Greer]

I just would always like, yeah, like, I love old things, and I like old jars. And, like, I would use them for vases or, like, old mason jars. I mean, now you can buy them in sets for your drinking glasses. And it's like, I don't know, farmhouse chic or whatever. But, like, I was doing it before they sold them at Target in the houseware section. No, I just liked having. I just liked having them around. I like to keep food leftovers, things in them.

[Danielle Robay]

Thank you for clearing that up. I. I really was thinking, like, what could this be? Does she collect coins in jars? So now I get it.

[Judy Greer]

It was literally just a bunch of empty jars. But, yes, the pickling is helping that too.

[Danielle Robay]

I want to know about you as a very, very young woman, because I imagine little Judy in the library in.

[Judy Greer]

Michigan reading in my bedroom.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay, tell me.

[Judy Greer]

Reading. I'm an only child, so I had. Well, we called them babysitters. I guess they were nannies. But in the Midwest, it was just your babysitter. My parents would give my babysitter one instruction, which was like, she has to go outside and play. She's not allowed to sit in her room and read all day.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

And I was really obsessed with the Sweet Valley High books. Yes.

[Danielle Robay]

Those were awesome.

[Judy Greer]

They were my favorite. So I was reading through those like crazy, to the point where my dad limited every other book could be Sweet Valley High. I read through everything I. I could get my hands on, and my parents would buy me, and I started reading their books on their shelves, which I had to keep secret because they were naughty. But I was just reading everything in the house.

[Danielle Robay]

I'm going to ask you a deep Question. But I am really curious what books have given you throughout your life, because it seems like they're this through line for you.

[Judy Greer]

You know, I had like a very lovely childhood. There wasn't. I mean, it was pretty nice and midwestern and middle class and sweet, I guess, but. So I think about people who really find escape in books, which I certainly did, but not out of necessity necessarily. I think it was like travel. It was learning empathy. It was like getting out of suburbs of Detroit, even if only through a story. Like having friends, having family, having different experiences in different places. I mean, also I spent so much time by myself being an only child and both of my parents worked and I wouldn't trade it, but I just didn't have anyone around. So books were like. Also like my playmate too.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah, they were your companion.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, like my friends. And. And I've never. I. I mean, I can't remember ever not having a book with me.

[Danielle Robay]

Out of all of the characters that you've played, who would be in your dream book club? And who would definitely not be invited?

[Judy Greer]

Wow. It's okay. All the characters I've played. Well, I just watched a movie that I have coming out called the Dead of Winter and that woman, she doesn't. She's a very sick woman. She's not invited. Okay. I played a character named Quinn in season two of the last thing he told me. And she's really, really smart. She's way smarter than I am. So I would like to have her come to the book club because I would be curious. I bet she probably reads like a lot of non fiction. Lucy from 13 going on 30. Tom. Tom. I think she would probably read a lot of Emily Henry and then I think Erin, the little file clerk from what Women Want.

[Danielle Robay]

Oh, that was such a good one.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. She probably would bring like the classics like Rebecca and maybe some Jane Austen and I think also Kitty Sanchez from Arrested Development. Who the hell knows what she would pick? But that would be. It would be like a train wreck and so fun.

[Danielle Robay]

It does seem like you're reading a ton of fiction, but I haven't seen you post a lot about horror books.

[Judy Greer]

I know. I think this is a really good segue. I think I know where this is going. I read every Stephen King book I could get my hands on when I was a kid.

[Danielle Robay]

Really?

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. But I don't consider myself a fan of horror.

[Danielle Robay]

Wait, reading Stephen King as a young girl in Detroit is really an interesting choice.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. But again, like I think I read Carrie and I also feel like this was the first memory I have of a book being also a movie. The thing about his books is they're so well written that it kind of defies genre to me. Yeah, that's interesting, I think. And I find that like, example with Wally Lamb as well. Like I, I was not in the headspace to read that story, but I couldn't put that book down because it's so well written. And again, I don't think of myself as a horror fanatic. Like, certainly not in fiction, but like when the writing is good, does it matter? Like it's a great story. And also thinking about like this mind, where, where do these stories come from? I mean, one of my number one all time favorite books is his book on writing. It's like half memoir, half sort of how to be a writer, which after I read that book, by the way, I was like, I am not a writer. I don't have what this guy has.

[Danielle Robay]

What did he say? What did it take?

[Judy Greer]

All consuming. Have to get it out. I'll do anything for it.

[Danielle Robay]

And you felt that way about acting?

[Judy Greer]

I think I do now. I mean, I feel that way about my choices now. But reading Stephen King talk about his writing process in the beginning of his career and like sitting in like a laundry room and every morning at 6am getting up and writing and thinking like, yeah, that's a, that's a writer. Like I can say like, I want to be a writer and I like can dabble and like write a few things in my laptop. But when I read that book, I was like, nope. Because you know what you do, you do what you want to do.

[Danielle Robay]

You do what you want to do. I agree.

[Judy Greer]

And so clearly I don't want to do that because I spend also a lot of time online shopping and like, probably more time online shopping than I do writing. So probably what I want is to be a shopper or to be an owner of possessions that are sold online.

[Danielle Robay]

Not an owner jars.

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[Danielle Robay]

Apple Books is the best place to read, listen to or discover the books you love without a subscription right on your iPhone. And now there's a very exciting heads up for listeners. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club, so it's easier than ever to explore each monthly book pick, plus author curated collections and more all in one place. Open the Apple Books app to explore a world of books and audiobooks. You can set goals and track your reading progress. Get great recommendations for your next read, or listen and enjoy it all on the go, wherever you are. You can even share your books with up to five family members at no cost. Again, no subscription required. Visit Apple Co reesapplebooks to find out more. That's Apple co reeseapplebooks and read or listen to Reese's current Pick and browse past selections today on Apple Books. Today's episode is brought to you by Cotton. We spend a lot of time with stories, hours curled up with dynamic plots and with characters who feel like friends. What if the story isn't just in your hands but also in the world around you, in the fabric that's holding you close? Cotton is that timeless companion. Soft sheets for lazy weekend mornings with a book, breezy dresses for afternoons spent reading in the backyard. It's the fabric that can be tossed in the wash without fuss. It's about ease, comfort and caring for yourself and the planet. Just like the books we cherish, cotton weaves meaning into our everyday moments. Moments like following four adult daughters as they navigate love, loss, and the legacy in the Most Fun We Ever had by Claire Lombardo, all while curled up in soft cotton. Joggers or sinking into the island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak A story that spans generations, forbidden love and a fig tree that remembers everything wrapped in a hand stitched quilt, each thread holding its own kind of memory. Next time you settle in for a chapter, slip into something. Cotton. Not just to read the story, but to feel it. Cotton the fabric of our lives. Learn more at thefabricofourlives.com.

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[Danielle Robay]

I could be projecting, but I do think that your love of reading must be connected to your love of character.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Danielle Robay]

Because to me you're like reading all these books and probably studying in some way.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, I just actually finished a book last night that was like a gut punch nonfiction called Things in Nature Merely Grow. It is a memoir this woman wrote about the death of her sons and that was a hard read and it was a beautiful read. But I am filing that away for characters, for thoughts, for ideas, for feelings when I'm at work. And definitely like when you get to do a movie like, like the Long Walk, you get hopefully like a way into the character, it's like cheating. I don't have to necessarily do all that work myself, but the author does it for me. But sometimes, most of the time I'm not doing something that is an adaptation. So then I have to do that backstory stuff and that's when reading really comes in handy, which also for me feels like cheating because I like to do it anyway.

[Danielle Robay]

Did you read a bunch of horror leading up to filming the Long Walk or did you just read the Stephen King book?

[Judy Greer]

I did read the actual book. I think I read it before I even met with Francis Lawrence, the director. I have my favorite LBs chevalier on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles. Hi guys. Thank you.

[Danielle Robay]

I love a shout out to an independent bookstore. Thank you for that forever.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. Oh, you know what was cute about that? I don't know if they did it, but they got me the book. I went and picked it up and I was like, they're making this movie, by the way. And they were like, when's it gonna come out? We should probably buy enough copies because when the movie comes out, the book will sell. More. And I'm like, oh, I'll let you know. Hot tips. Yeah, that's really cute, by the way.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay, so this isn't your first Stephen King adaptation.

[Judy Greer]

I know.

[Danielle Robay]

You were in Carrie.

[Judy Greer]

I know.

[Danielle Robay]

Are there any keys or idiosyncrasies to bringing Stephen King to life on screen?

[Judy Greer]

Well, you better do it well because the fans will eviscerate you if you don't. So it's tricky. It's a big undertaking.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay.

[Judy Greer]

Like, it's great because you have a built in audience. And like, he's just so incredible. Like, don't you want to make him happy? I hope I get to meet him in this process. I haven't yet.

[Danielle Robay]

Is there something you want to ask him or say in particular? You just want to feel his energy?

[Judy Greer]

Well, it's weird, like meeting someone just for the sake of meeting them. I often am like, I don't know, like someone's like, oh, do you want to go backstage at this concert? And I'm like, why? Like, what are they like, Shakira gonna be like, oh my gosh, let's be best friends? Like, that's not gonna happen. I don't know why I said Shakira.

[Danielle Robay]

You don't know. Shakira may love Judy Greer.

[Judy Greer]

I mean, look, she should. Agreed. I feel like Shakira and I could totally be friends anyway. Even like. Okay, so tonight on my husband's TV show, he produces Real Time with Bill. Um, he does. Yeah. And Molly Jong Fast is on his show. And I read her book.

[Danielle Robay]

I think it was one of the best of the year.

[Judy Greer]

Dude, it's so good.

[Danielle Robay]

It's so good. And I didn't realize that her mother is also a writer and a lot of the book is about her mom. And so we have to read Erika Zhang.

[Judy Greer]

Well, I know now I have to read Fear of Flying because I didn't. I would like, pee. So, yes, I feel the same way about meeting Stephen King. Like, I want to meet Stephen King, but then I'm like, but then what? Yeah, then what? I don't know.

[Danielle Robay]

We have to come up with an epic question for you to ask him. So when it comes to horror, I think both in books and in film, the topics of. Of the horror of the. The themes often mirror something that's happening in real life. So, like, right now, I think a lot of it is rich people behaving badly. Zombies, people say, can represent fears about societal breakdowns or loss of humanity. The Long Walk was published in 1979.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

What about it feels relevant? Today.

[Judy Greer]

So Stephen King wrote it in. In sort of response to the Vietnam War, is what I found out on the Internet, which is always accurate. Also, things have changed considerably since we shot it last year. So how I felt when we were shooting it last year isn't totally relevant anymore. Reading the book and watching the movie, even, I feel like there is a different feeling. Like, I think watching the movie, I got to see a screening of it. To me, it felt so much more hopeful than I felt when I read the book. Like, somehow there was. In the midst of this kind of dystopian universe where this is acceptable, there was so much, like, search for love, hope, and connection among these young men that I felt like, is this the echo of this generation? Of this young generation? I guess it's Gen Z or what's the. What's the one after that? Even now, like, are our kids looking for a hope and a connection and a sense, something to be proud of, like, how to be a patriot when you don't know what you really believe in anymore? I mean, the movie is intense. I'm not gonna lie. It's not.

[Danielle Robay]

The trailer's intense.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. And that's like two minutes long. But if you listen and you're watching and, like, I don't know, there's a. There's a line he says in it where he says, choose love. And I was like, I just can't stop thinking about him saying that. This character Pete McPherse says it, and. And it's like, I don't remember if that was in the book. I guess if I could ask Stephen King something, if I get to meet him, I want to ask him what he thinks about my interpretation of the movie. That's a cool question, because I know that's probably not. I know that's not what he intended when he wrote the novel in 79, but maybe I'm also just like a lemonade kind of girl. Like a glass half full. Because if I'm watching that and. And I'm not thinking that, then it's a. It's intense, man.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah, that's actually not what I thought you were going to say. That's really wonderful to hear.

[Judy Greer]

I don't know.

[Danielle Robay]

This is like, a little bit of a silly question, but you famously took a mug that says poise magazine from 13 going on 30. Did you take anything from the set of this film?

[Judy Greer]

Okay, here's the thing that. I'm not just saying that because this is like a literary podcast. I usually steal books from set.

[Danielle Robay]

You do. But what kind of books, like books that are laying around like they're books.

[Judy Greer]

I want to read. Someone was like, oh yeah, we just buy these boxes of books by the pound as like set dressing. And I'm like, really? So, like, it's not like, you know, like I'm stealing someone's book.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

Anyway, I've definitely been on TV shows where I've taken a book and read it and returned it to the set.

[Danielle Robay]

That is funny.

[Judy Greer]

I think you might be Stole my bra from the Long Walk Lionsgate if you want my bra back. You know, it was really comfortable.

[Danielle Robay]

It was a good bra.

[Judy Greer]

It was a really good bra. And it's not an underwire, but it's padded and that's like kind of hard to find.

[Danielle Robay]

It's really hard to find one. I used to work at E and I also stole a bra.

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[Danielle Robay]

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[Danielle Robay]

So in addition to being a big reader, you're also a writer.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, I did write a book.

[Danielle Robay]

You're a journaler and you wrote a memoir back in 2014 called I don't know where you know me from. Yes, iconic title. Long when did you know it was time to publish your essay collection when.

[Judy Greer]

Someone wanted to pay me to do it.

[Danielle Robay]

Really?

[Judy Greer]

I have a great book agent. Her name is Kate Hoyt, and I was doing a play in New York, and she's New York based, and so she wanted to set up a meeting with me. And she'd been, like, sort of like, looking through Instagram and, like, old interviews and stuff like that. And she was like, I think you have a book in you. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And so she was like, well, just. She was like, just, why don't you just read some books? Like memoirs by actresses and, like, essay collections, actually. Really? I sort of felt like I wanted to think of it as an essay collection because I felt like I was too young to, like, write a memoir. So I started reading. Like, I read, of course, like, Bossy Pants and, like, Mindy Kaling's books and, like, a bunch of them. And I thought, like, maybe I could do this. And so then we decided I would write, like, a little treatment. And then she edited my treatment, and then we sent it out for fun, and away I went.

[Danielle Robay]

Did you borrow any tricks from your favorite writers?

[Judy Greer]

No. I remember not writing that often. And one day my husband was leaving for work, and he was like, what are you doing today? And I was like, oh, I have errands and da da, da, da, da, da. And he was like, are you gonna write? I was like, well, yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna work on my book. And he was like, you have to write your book. Like, I was so scared to write my book. You know what I mean?

[Danielle Robay]

It's terrifying.

[Judy Greer]

I had done this 50 page treatment, which I was really proud of. And then I was just afraid. Like, I was afraid it would be bad and that I would be bad and I wouldn't be able to do it. And so I just kind of kept procrastinating. And of course, I have a deadline, so it's not like I can do that forever. But he made a good point. He was like, this is your job. Your job is to write your book, and you have to do your job. You have to go to work.

[Danielle Robay]

And I was like, stop being right, Dean.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, you go to work anyway. And so I remember taking my laptop to our favorite local bar at the time called Sunset Terrace in Thousand Oaks. And I, like, sat there and I just ordered Diet Cokes and Caesar salads and French fries. And I was no Stephen King, but I was much better after I have my little lecture from my husband to good husband. I know.

[Danielle Robay]

Also choosing to write at a bar over a coffee Shop is a. Is a choice.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

You really wanted those Caesar salads. It's been a decade since you. Since you published it. Are there any chapters that you would add at this point?

[Judy Greer]

I don't know. I mean, I guess, like. I mean, things are very different now.

[Danielle Robay]

You seem so despondent by my question.

[Judy Greer]

I know, because I was despondent about my answer, which is probably about, like, being older and aging and being a woman. And, like, I'm so bored of that topic.

[Danielle Robay]

Can I ask you about what you just said? Because the aging thing is interesting to me. Only because. And I. I don't know.

[Judy Greer]

Just wait.

[Danielle Robay]

Well, I hear. But it was 20 years ago, you did an interview with Cameron Crowe, and he asked you what role would be the ultimate for you, and you said she shouldn't be married or have children and she would be so sad, she couldn't stop laughing. But it's not a story about her trying to find love. It's about her trying to find herself.

[Judy Greer]

Wow. I remember very vividly that moment with Cameron.

[Danielle Robay]

What an answer.

[Judy Greer]

Wow. That's a cool thing I said 20 years ago.

[Danielle Robay]

Really cool to have on record.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

I kind of feel like I watched the finale of and just like that last night, and I feel like I'm.

[Judy Greer]

Gonna watch it tonight in their tiny kitchen. Okay.

[Danielle Robay]

I think it should be required watch for all men, but. Or all heterosexual men, but yes. I think that's kind of what they were getting at. So you were really ahead of your time.

[Judy Greer]

I mean, there are these sort of benchmarks that my generation, like, has, and it's really hard. I remember my gynecologist being like, are we going to freeze your eggs? Like, what's the plan? And I'm like, I don't know. Like, I don't know. And having to think about that and, like, having to have a conversation. And this has been talked about by every single person, but, like, having to have a conversation on, like, a third date with someone, like, do you want to have kids? And, like, how off putting that is. And how, like, nobody I know, no woman I know wants to have that conversation. Like, no woman wants to have that conversation. Like, yes, we have to ask it or we should ask it. But it's like, just because we're asking it doesn't mean we want to have it. Right. Or with you also. Yeah. Like, I don't know if I want your baby, but I do kind of want to know if you're like, hell, no babies for me. Like, okay. I mean, those things are, like, hammered into Us when we turn 30, you know, and so I guess I have been thinking about it for a long time because also like when I turned 30 or when I was 30, you know, we didn't have like, you weren't constantly staring at yourself all the time. And that's not just because I'm an actress. It's all of us. It's like you're always taking pictures of yourself. You're always posting pictures of yourself. We're all making content no matter who you are. You don't have to be an influencer to be like making content.

[Danielle Robay]

And everybody is. If you're a realtor, you're making content, you better be.

[Judy Greer]

Those are the people that should be making a lot more anyway. Yeah. Because before it was, I didn't see myself as much unless I was like, you know, happen to be like watching someone's movie between the seats of an airplane and I'm like, oh, look, there I am. Oh, I look good and oh, I should be blonde again. Like that, you know. Now it's just we're like inundated with ourself all the time, all of us. And so you are just from like even just a visual point of view, like seeing how we're all aging. Is she doing it better than me? What's she doing? What's she using?

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. So one of my favorite things from your book is that you say you can profile your fans. Oh, you know exactly where they know you from. So this is going to be the one self indulgent part of this interview. Where do I know you from, Judy?

[Judy Greer]

I mean, I'm going to go 13 going on 30, but that was kind of easy.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah, I know.

[Judy Greer]

I think that's changing a little bit since I wrote my book.

[Danielle Robay]

But tell me, what do you mean?

[Judy Greer]

I'm getting a lot more men with 13 going on 30. Like older men and they claim it's like my wife and my daughter watch it all the time. I'm like, okay, sure, that's what you need to tell me. But yes, people are, people are surprising me more and more. Thank God.

[Danielle Robay]

The first page of your memoir talks about your relationship with fame and it's so very Midwestern. Oh, God. Which I love.

[Judy Greer]

Okay, good.

[Danielle Robay]

I'm wondering if your relationship with fame or even with ambition has changed over the years.

[Judy Greer]

Well, like, I, I don't think that my, like my star meter necessarily is much different than it was then. Maybe, I don't know, I, I feel a lot more like cozier in my space than I probably did when I wrote the book like I think I really understand like what I have to offer in a way right now anyway, what I have to offer right now in a way that I probably didn't back then as much.

[Danielle Robay]

Is there anything you can point to that helped you get there?

[Judy Greer]

Just kind of working more and, and like spending more time with people like my, my time with like artists, actors and directors and writers that I really respect and, and, and sort of just knowing myself a little bit more even, you know, like I probably was. I have a different kind of self esteem now than I probably did back then. And, and, and like having to sort of like be your own like hype person, you know. Like my friend, I was just talking to him about something the other day about a project and he said, I think you've earned the right to say no to some things for a little while, Judy. And he's an actor that, and he's my really good friend. And I was like, I don't know what to do. And he said that and I was like, it's weird. It's like I thought I was working toward being able to say yes to all this stuff, but maybe what I was working toward was being able to say no and not being terrified. Like, you know, the Midwestern work ethic. Like, well, who am I if I'm not working? And if I'm not working, like, why wouldn't I just do the movie if I'm not working and I'm available, available and it's there and they want me to be in it? Like I should just do it right?

[Danielle Robay]

And who knows what I'll learn or who I'll meet.

[Judy Greer]

I always take something away from everything. Like I have a good experience in every job I do and I can see exactly why I should have been there and why I should have been doing it at that time. But I also thought that was like a really kind of like lovely gift he gave me when he told me that because I was like, I also earned the right to like like enjoy my life and create like space for other projects, other experiences like travel. Like I've been working with this organization that I really love and I've been traveling with them and, and like being able to, to kind of be a global ambassador and, and meet people that do actual like they actually like save the world and that I wouldn't be able to do without like a, my career up till now. But also if I just get just filled my days all the time.

[Danielle Robay]

Working towards saying no is so interesting. I know that's a good reframe.

[Judy Greer]

So heavy.

[Danielle Robay]

I want to ask you about female friendships in film. Did you watch White Lotus?

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Danielle Robay]

So the Carrie Coons monologue.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

I have it written down just in case. But you know it.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, but will you read it or. She says something about, I'm just happy to have a seat at the table.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. At the end she says, I'm glad you have a beautiful face and I'm glad that you have a beautiful life. And I'm just happy to be at the table. I love you.

[Judy Greer]

That was a rough one.

[Danielle Robay]

It kind of split the Internet.

[Judy Greer]

Really?

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. I'm curious your take on it.

[Judy Greer]

Well, it's made by her performance because I don't really know how that character felt. And I think it happened at such an interesting time in their dynamic. And I was like, I'm always excited when there's like a good female dynamic because I'm always like wanting my husband to watch it, to be like, this is what it's like. This is what it's like. You need to watch this. Because I can just watch like a chicken wing commercial and understand his dynamic with his friends. But like, I'm like, oh, the KFC commercial is what it's like with your friends. Yeah, let's talk more about it. But then I'm like, you need to watch these three movies to understand the conversation I had yesterday on the phone.

[Danielle Robay]

You need to watch this 12 episode arc.

[Judy Greer]

I mean, truth. It's like you have to to understand like the levels of female friendship. So I loved that monologue. I loved how it was performed. And I think think that depending on the day and time I watched it. So it doesn't surprise me. It broke the Internet. But also like what people are like, either they think it is like beautiful and true or that it was like a lie and that she didn't mean it.

[Danielle Robay]

You've worked with so many legendary actors in the industry. I want to know who gives the best book recs.

[Judy Greer]

Emma Thompson.

[Danielle Robay]

Really?

[Judy Greer]

Yeah. We shot a movie a year ago. We basically just had like a book club between her daughter Gaia Wise, the actress Laurel Marsden, who was in the movie. Well, Gaia and Laurel were in the movie. And me and Emma Thompson, the four of us had just like, we just had like a pile of books that we just kept circulating between us. So fun. And. And there was one day where Emma and I went to a bookstore. We were finishing the movie in Brussels and we went to this bookstore and like, we wanted to buy each other books. And so I was like, what about this one? And she was like, I read it. And I was like, oh, what about this one? I read it, and she ended up buying me, like, five books, and there was only, like, one that I could buy her that she hadn't already read.

[Danielle Robay]

I was like, oh, is there somebody that we would be surprised to know is a big reader?

[Judy Greer]

Owen Wilson.

[Danielle Robay]

Really? How cool.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, he reads constantly or a lot, actually, and he always was asking me for book recommendations, but we. We text about books, and that surprised me.

[Danielle Robay]

Thank you for that. That's cool.

[Judy Greer]

I hope it's okay I said that. But, I mean, it's cool to be a reader.

[Danielle Robay]

I agree.

[Judy Greer]

I mean, it wasn't when I was little, but it's now.

[Danielle Robay]

Same booktok made it cool. And Reese's book club, I think.

[Judy Greer]

Thank you, Rhys. Thank you, TikTok.

[Danielle Robay]

What's on your fall reading list?

[Judy Greer]

Ooh, good question. I just bought the book of Alchemy, and then I bought audition at Godmothers. I was driving up to Montecito and stopped there. I bought. I'm excited about that. I got a signed copy. Not to me, but it was signed by the author, which I'm always excited about. And I also saw a picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway when Sarah Snook was doing it, and it blew me away. And so I bought that book. But I bought it in the summertime, and it felt more like a fall read, so I've been saving it. And then when I was. I was shooting the last thing you told me in Paris, and I went, of course, to Shakespeare and company. I didn't buy a tote bag because I'm not 24, but I see girls walking around with little Shakespeare and company canvas totes. And I'm like, oh, I really want one of those, but I feel like I'm too old.

[Danielle Robay]

I think you can do it.

[Judy Greer]

What book did I buy? Oh, I bought Rebecca there, which I'm excited. So, like, I feel like fall. I'd like to revisit some of the classics.

[Danielle Robay]

I like that. Okay, we're coming up on the end of our conversation, which means it's time for the speed read. Okay, so here's how it works. We put 60 seconds on the clock, and we're gonna see how many rapid fire literary questions you can get through. Okay, are you ready?

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

Three, two. What's one literary trope you would ban forever?

[Judy Greer]

Can I say my husband's that the creative outcast boy draws?

[Danielle Robay]

Sorry, Dean. Okay, one that you'll defend with your life.

[Judy Greer]

Opposites attract.

[Danielle Robay]

Favorite Literary sidekick.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, my dog, Mary Richards. That's my favorite literary sidekick. Yeah.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay. Your favorite literary female friendship.

[Judy Greer]

The mom and the Goldfinch. But she wasn't. It wasn't a female friendship, but I liked her relationship with the lead character, whose name I can't remember.

[Danielle Robay]

That counts. Thank you. If you could adapt any novel for the screen and star in it, what would it be and what role would you play?

[Judy Greer]

The wife and the bee sting.

[Danielle Robay]

Favorite book to recommend?

[Judy Greer]

Oh, lately I usually recommend Demon Copperhead.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay. What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?

[Judy Greer]

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I love that book.

[Danielle Robay]

What's the best book you've never read? Like, I've never read Pride and Prejudice.

[Judy Greer]

Me neither. That's the best book we've never read.

[Danielle Robay]

I love to close each episode by sharing something that you've bookmarked this week. It could be.

[Judy Greer]

Oh.

[Danielle Robay]

Oh, you know. Okay. I don't even have to finish.

[Judy Greer]

Is that bad? Sorry, no. Please kind of listen to your podcast. Podcast. So I sort of.

[Danielle Robay]

Thanks for listening to the podcast.

[Judy Greer]

I thought you probably would ask me this question, and I have been reading. I have a lot of feelings about Substack. Okay.

[Danielle Robay]

What are the feelings? First, what's.

[Judy Greer]

I don't think we have time for all my feelings about substack. That being said, I do like it. And there's one I follow called Milk Fed.

[Danielle Robay]

Okay.

[Judy Greer]

And it's literary. She talks a lot about books and stuff, but I read this in Milk Fed on Substack, and she talks about messy handwriting. And she says, not every sentence is meant to be read. Some things are only meant to be written. Hurried, looped, illegible, but full of feeling, the opposite of aesthetic. And it really was, like, all these little signs to get back into journaling. And. And I thought what she said about writing in general is so beautiful. And like. Like looking back on all my old journals, which I had to look through when I was writing my book. Like, they weren't necessarily for future Judy. They were for that moment Judy. And they were, like, meant to get those things out of my head in that way. And I thought, like, of. Because everything now feels like it has to be content. And I think that's where I got stuck, was like, am I writing something that then I could use to do a new book out of? Like, is that what this is? Is that where this is going? And. And so this, like, idea of, like, writing things that aren't meant to be read and just getting back to writing again, I was really moved and so I copy and pasted it. And when I thought you were going to ask me that question, I was like, what am I gonna say? Like, what she says on my Taylor Swift coffee mug? Like. But it was that. I was like, oh. The last thing I bookmarked was that.

[Danielle Robay]

That is really beautiful. Thank you for sharing that.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, sure. I'm glad I got to read it out loud again.

[Danielle Robay]

The writing is so beautiful with the. You. You can smell it loopy and.

[Judy Greer]

Loopy.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. Yeah, right? You and your husband must have the most interesting conversations at home because this is a podcast about books, so I had to kind of stay on topic. But I really am dying to hear your takes on so many things.

[Judy Greer]

Well, you'd have to hear his and mine because they're very different. And he's really interesting and smart and funny and.

[Danielle Robay]

And so are you.

[Judy Greer]

Well, thank you.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

But it's really fun to have his perspective.

[Danielle Robay]

You guys are a fun double date.

[Judy Greer]

We have good double date. We do. For sure.

[Danielle Robay]

Judy, thank you.

[Judy Greer]

Thanks for having me. This was so fun.

[Danielle Robay]

You are so fun. My cheeks hurt. You're so fun.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, good. I really could talk about books and stuff like that forever. So if you're ever in a pinch and you need another guest.

[Danielle Robay]

Yeah. And if you want a little bit more from us, come hang with us on social media. We're at Reese's Book Club on Instagram serving up books, vibes, and behind the scenes magic. And I'm R O B A Y, come say hi and DM me. And if you want to go 90s on us, call us. Okay. Our phone line is open, so call now at 1-501-291-3379. That's 1-501291. Share your literary hot takes, book recommendations, questions about the monthly pick or let us know what you think about the episode you just heard. And who knows, you might just hear yourself in our next episode. So don't be shy, give us a ring. And of course, make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your shows. Until then, see you in the next chapter. Bookmarked is a production of hello Sunshine and iheart Podcast. It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and me, Danielle Roubaix. Production is by Acast Creative Studios. Our producers are Maddie Foley, Brittany Martinez, Sarah Schleed and Darby Masters. Our production assistant is Avery Loftus. Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutter are the executive producer producers for Acast Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the executive producers for hello Sunshine. Olga Kaminwa, Kristin Perla and Ashley Rapoport are associate producers for Reese's Book Club, Ali Perry and Lauren Hanson are the executive producers for iHeart podcasts, and Tim Palazzola is our showrunner. Today's episode is brought to you by Cotton we spend a lot of time with stories, hours curled up with dynamic plots and characters who feel like friends. What if the story isn't just in your hands but also in the world around you, in the fabric that's holding you close? Cotton is that timeless companion. Soft sheets for a lazy weekend morning with a book. Breezy dresses for afternoons spent reading in the backyard. It's the fabric that can be tossed in the wash without fuss. It's about ease, comfort and caring for yourself and the planet. Just like books we cherish, cotton weaves meaning into everyday moments. Next time you settle in for a chapter, slip into something cotton not just to read the story, but to feel it. Cotton the fabric of our lives. Learn more at thefabricofourlives.com Apple Books is the best way to read or listen to the books you love without a subscription right on your iPhone and a heads up for listeners. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club so you can discover every exciting pick plus author curated collections and more all in one place. Open the Apple Books app to explore a world of books and audiobooks. You can set and track your reading goals and get great recommendations for your next read or listen again. No subscription required. Visit Apple Co Reese that's R E E S E Applebooks to find out more.

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[Mandy Money]

Do we really need another podcast with a condescending finance bro trying to tell us how to spend our own money? No, thank you. Instead, check out Brown Ambition. Each week, I your host, Mandy Money gives you real talk, real advice with a heavy dose of I feel you, sis. Like on Fridays when I take your questions for the baqa. Whether you're trying to invest for your future, navigate a toxic workplace, I got you. Listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Danielle Robay]

This is an iHeart podcast.