Side Dish: More Jeff Hiller

Summary

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Side Dish: More Jeff Hiller (April 23, 2026)
Recorded at: Betty, Manhattan’s Lower East Side

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Episode Overview

In this candid, laughter-filled “Side Dish” episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with old friend and acclaimed actor Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere, Pluribus, Elsbeth, and upcoming Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay) at Betty on the Lower East Side. Over a laid-back brunch of omelets and baked eggs, Jesse and Jeff reminisce about their early years as New York theater actors, survival jobs, legendary auditions (and rejections), and the ways chance, hustle, and a little color coordination (redheads in green!) shaped their careers. They also get personal about awkward wedding moments, the singular New York “themed restaurant” survival gig, and the serendipity of Jeff’s relationship with legendary playwright Tony Kushner. The episode is brimming with warmth, showbiz absurdity, and the camaraderie of two friends navigating the quirks and joys of their profession.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Auditions and Humble Beginnings

• The Target Commercial Fiasco
  • Jesse and Jeff share war stories from early commercial auditions, emphasizing how trivial and humiliating they could be.
    • Jeff recounts a Target audition requiring actors to wear a red shirt:

      “They made us wear red shirts to the audition... Like, they couldn't imagine. Like, they need to see what your skin tone looked next to the color red.” (02:37 - Jeff Hiller)

    • The brutal simplicity of commercial casting:

      “I remember the casting director saying to me, just act normal. Like, they were mad at me because I was doing too much in this moment.” (03:35 - Jeff Hiller)

  • The sense of futility:

    “Then you don't get it. Like, what did I do wrong?” (04:06 - Jeff Hiller)

• Commercial Work as a Lifeline
  • Both actors note commercials often paid their bills during lean years:

    “I made a living from commercials, so I'm so grateful for that.” (04:46 - Danny Burstein)
    “Yeah, I mean, for a long time I did as well.” (04:50 - Jeff Hiller)

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2. Name Troubles and Behind-the-Scenes Absurdity

• Misguided Character Placeholders
  • Jeff tells a tale about a TV character named "Chubby Waitress" whose placeholder name never changed, all the way to call sheets and tape on the dressing room door, exposing industry insensitivity and lack of oversight:

    “They just kept forgetting, like, we have to rename this character... It was Chubby Waitress all the way to shooting.” (06:15 - Jeff Hiller)

• Ruth Buzzi's Perspective
  • Referencing the comedic legend’s embrace of undesirable typecasting:

    “They write ugly girls. I play them. I get to do them. I win.” (07:17 - Ruth Buzzi quoted by Danny Burstein)

  • Jeff and guests contrast this with Marlo Thomas’ advocacy for kinder character names.

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3. Iconic New York Survival Jobs

• Jekyll and Hyde’s & Themed Restaurant Gigs
  • Jeff expresses fascination and admiration for Jesse’s survival job at the haunted-themed Jekyll and Hyde restaurant, where actors doubled as servers and performers:

    “The food was, from what I remember not... You don't go for the culinary scene.” (11:44 - Danny Burstein) “That duality of being a waiter... and a performer... that's quintessential New York survival job.” (12:08 - Jeff Hiller)

  • Both agree these jobs forged character and were often actors’ first union gigs:

    “I love that you got your union card that way. I mean, it was a loophole.” (12:18 - Jeff Hiller)

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4. Union Cards and Creative Entry Points

• Getting In the Back Door
  • Voiceover work, commercials, and themed restaurant gigs all played roles in Jeff and Jesse’s union trajectories:

    “I got my SAG card doing a voice... of a double-nip gum commercial.” (13:05 - Danny Burstein) “My Equity card doing theater at the Delacorte… twelve years after I started trying...” (14:08 - Danny Burstein)

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5. The Shakespeare in the Park Club

• Memories, Mishaps, and Theater Lore
  • They discuss the prestigious but grueling Shakespeare in the Park seasons, with funny anecdotes about stars like Phylicia Rashad falling asleep backstage and even a raccoon’s untimely demise:

    “Phylicia Rashad was Titania. And during tech, she fell asleep on the bed... Then later, a raccoon that climbed up on [it] and died.” (14:39 - Danny Burstein)

  • Jeff reveals he’s performed there seven times and aspires to play Bottom in Midsummer Night’s Dream (25:22):

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6. Weddings, Awkwardness, and Tony Kushner

• A Moment with Tony Kushner as Wedding Officiant

  • Jesse shares the surreal experience of having Tony Kushner officiate his wedding, with both divorced parents in the room:

    “It was just the four of us sort of like, behind this door, waiting to go in... My mom says to me, I know she meant it in the best way: ‘You getting into character, Jess?’” (18:17 - Jesse Tyler Ferguson)

• The Story of Meeting Tony Kushner

  • Through director George Wolfe and a memorable Thanksgiving among theater royalty:

    “I remember sitting... next to Tony Kushner, and just... he was so lovely and... supportive of my career.” (19:54 - Jesse Tyler Ferguson)

  • Tony Kushner even got ordained for their wedding:

    “He said yes. And he got ordained for us.” (20:47 - Jesse Tyler Ferguson)

• Full Circle: Officiating Others’ Weddings

  • Jesse was tapped to officiate Modern Family co-star Sarah Hyland’s wedding after Ty Burrell dropped out last minute:

    “She called me, like, two weeks before the wedding... I called Ty Burrell and I was like, tell me what you've written so far because I gotta fast track this thing.” (21:32 - Jesse Tyler Ferguson)

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7. Being a “Red-haired” Actor: Luck, Typecasting, and Perseverance

• Landing Representation Due to Appearance
  • Jeff’s first manager candidly told him:

    “I only signed me because I had red hair. He really told me that.” (23:32 - Jeff Hiller)

  • Frequently submitted for roles he didn’t think suited him, like dancers in “West Side Story.”

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8. Legacy, Imposter Syndrome, and Gratitude

• The Full-Circle Career Path
  • Both recount moments of gratitude and disbelief at finding themselves among childhood idols and legendary peers, with Jeff noting:

    “No credits on my resume, you know, I really felt like I was faking it. I mean, but it happened.” (25:05 - Jeff Hiller)

  • Despite “making it,” doubts and a sense of being an outsider occasionally persist.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I gasped. And we put a redhead in green. Listen, I don’t know Julianne Moore at all. I’m sorry to be Julie.”
  — Jeff Hiller (03:24)
• “They made us wear red shirts to the audition. Like, they couldn't imagine... I was like, my God, this is humiliating. I'm not even doing anything.”
  — Jeff Hiller (02:37–03:57)
• “They write ugly girls. I play them. I get to do them. I win.”
  — Ruth Buzzi via Danny Burstein (07:17)
• “That duality of being a waiter, serving you food while also performing... that's quintessential New York survival job.”
  — Jeff Hiller (12:08)
• “My Equity card doing theater at the Delacorte... twelve years after I started trying...”
  — Danny Burstein (14:08)
• “It was just the four of us... My mom says to me... ‘You getting into character, Jess?’”
  — Jesse Tyler Ferguson (18:17)
• “He [Tony Kushner] said yes. And he got ordained for us.”
  — Jesse Tyler Ferguson (20:47)
• “I only accepted you because you have red hair.”
  — Jeff Hiller’s first manager (23:32)
• “No credits on my resume... I really felt like I was faking it. I mean, but it happened.”
  — Jeff Hiller (25:05)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:37 — Jeff Hiller’s Target commercial audition story (and color theory for actors)
• 06:15 — How “Chubby Waitress” made it all the way to production
• 11:06 — Jekyll & Hyde’s: the themed NYC survival job and getting an Equity card
• 14:08 — Performing Shakespeare in the Park; raccoon mishap, changes backstage
• 16:28 — Jesse recalls the “awkward” pre-wedding huddle with Tony Kushner and divorced parents
• 18:17 — Jesse’s mom: “You getting into character, Jess?” before his wedding
• 19:54 — Meeting Tony Kushner through George Wolfe, Thanksgiving in a brownstone
• 20:47 — Kushner officiates Jesse’s wedding, gets ordained
• 21:32 — Jesse’s last-minute officiant rescue for Sarah Hyland’s wedding
• 23:32 — Jeff’s first manager: “I only accepted you because you have red hair”
• 25:05 — Imposter syndrome: “No credits on my resume... I really felt like I was faking it.”

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Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is lighthearted, peppered with industry in-jokes and friendly teasing but punctuated with genuine moments of vulnerability, reflection, and gratitude. Jesse and Jeff’s rapport is warm and authentic—a testament to their long friendship and parallel paths through the strange, exhilarating world of show business.

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For more storytelling and behind-the-scenes stories, check out the main episode on "Dinner's on Me" and stay tuned for next week's conversation with Shoshana Bean.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right now our family is living that New York theater life. I'm performing in a play right now called Tru where I get to play Truman Capote and the kids are here with me. And I'm working in the city, which is amazing.

[Jeff Hiller]

I love it so much.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It also means I'm juggling a lot between rehearsal schedules, school drop offs, figuring out dinner in between shows, and then making sure everyone has what they need. It's hard enough just getting through the day, let alone planning ahead. And while we're here in New York, fully immersed in this, you know, season of life, it got me thinking about how our place back home is just sitting empty. If you're going to be away for a while, like me, listing your space on Airbnb can be a great way to put your space to use and earn a little extra cash while you're gone. And the idea of doing it all by yourself, see, that just feels like too much. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can partner with a local vetted co host who can handle all the behind the scenes details. So hosting feels manageable. Even when your schedule is as packed as mine might be. Co hosts can create your listing, manage reservations, handle guest communication, and even provide on site support. So you're free to focus on the busy season ahead. If you're ready to get started, find a co [e-mail] host this episode is

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinner's on Me. This week's guest is an old friend of mine. I mean that in years, not in age.

[Jeff Hiller]

It's Jeff Hiller.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Jeff Hiller and I have known each other for a few decades now. You know him from his Emmy Award winning role in HBO's Somebody Somewhere or his scene stealing guest spots in Pluribus and Elsbeth. He's also in the upcoming Apple TV series Widow's Bay. We met up at Betty on Manhattan's Lower east side near Jeff's apartment over omelets and baked eggs. We share early audition stories and we hear about Jeff's day job before fame. To get back into the conversation, you're pulling up a chair just as I tell Jeff about a Target commercial I

[Jeff Hiller]

auditioned for back in the. I remember auditioning for a Target commercial once, and they made us wear red shirts to the audition. I was like. Like, they couldn't imagine. Like, they need to see what your skin tone looked next to the color red because that's the color shirt.

[Danny Burstein]

Well, that might be true for you.

[Jeff Hiller]

I mean, for me, it was. That's probably why I didn't get this one. Not my color. Like a candy apple red. Not for me. Maroon. Yes, yes.

[Danny Burstein]

And deepen it a little bit. What about an orange?

[Jeff Hiller]

Oh, God, no.

[Danny Burstein]

That bad?

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. No, I don't think I've ever attempted orange. Purple is one. Is actually a good color for me. I don't know why I'm talking about this, but.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hunter green.

[Jeff Hiller]

Hunter green. I'm golden in hunter green.

[Danny Burstein]

Julianne Moore wore that hunter green gown to.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, yeah. Gasped. I gasped. And we put a redhead in green. Listen, I don't know Julianne Moore at all. I'm sorry to be Julie.

[Danny Burstein]

When.

[Jeff Hiller]

Julie Moore.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, my sweet friend Julie.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, I remember. So this Target commercial, I was in a red shirt, and, like, they just had us, like, walking toward the camera, like, doing something. I don't know if I was bouncing a ball or what. And I remember the casting director saying to me, just act normal. Like, they were mad at me because I was doing too much in this moment.

[Danny Burstein]

I hope I book it.

[Jeff Hiller]

But I remember being like, oh, my God, this is humiliating. I'm not even doing anything.

[Danny Burstein]

I know. Or do you ever have to go the one where you just step forward and smile?

[Jeff Hiller]

Smile. Yeah, yeah. And then you don't get it. Like, what did I do wrong?

[Danny Burstein]

I did one for that. I remember they were like, this will be shooting in Argentina. You will be there for a week. You need to tell. The slate was like, tell us your name, your height, your. If you have your passport. Have you ever been out of the country before? Have you had certain vaccinations, all this stuff? And then the audition was just. The slate was like, three times as

[Jeff Hiller]

long as the audition. Oh, my God. And you waited probably, like a half hour to go in and do that. Yeah, I know. My God. I mean, there is a piece of.

[Danny Burstein]

But also, I made a living from commercials, so I'm so grateful for that same.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. I mean, for a long time I did as well. Yeah, yeah. Our good friend Colin Hamlin, I'm sure he told you about this. This thing for the apple. He's on the iPhone.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, yeah, yeah, Commercial.

[Jeff Hiller]

And they wouldn't tell him what it was that he was, you know, selling. It was just top secret. And it was all about, like, just pushing a phone across the table.

[Danny Burstein]

Right. And you're probably like, I bet it's a phone.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, well, no, he was like, I think it's for like, Pledge Cleaner. Like, he was like, thinking about, like, it must be something for like, wood cleaner.

[Danny Burstein]

Famously secret Pledge.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, I know. I was like, yeah, Colin. Really? I probably could have guessed.

[Danny Burstein]

It was probably Big cleaner.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, yeah. But it wasn't like an Apple phone that he was. Or it wasn't like an iPhone that he was using. Cause, like, it was top secret. I remember I was doing a movie with someone and like, they had a. Sometimes in scripts they have like placeholders for names, but. And you probably have. You know, you're a writer as well. I'm sure you've done the same thing. Wait, is it you that told me this story? If it sounds familiar, like, this is my story, you can stop me. But someone was like, there was a placeholder for like, I think it was like, Chubby Waitress or something. And it just never changed. It never changed. It never, like, found like, another way to. They just kept forgetting, like, we have to like, rename this character either with a name or another, like.

[Danny Burstein]

Right.

[Jeff Hiller]

Descriptor. It was Chubby Waitress. Chevy Waitress. Her weight was an important part of the character, I guess.

[Danny Burstein]

Right, right, right.

[Jeff Hiller]

They were just being mean. It was integral. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Integral. And it basically got all the way to the point of, like, shooting the show. And like, the production assistant, like, putting a piece of masking tape that said Chubby Waitress on like, the door of like, the. They're like, we never changed the name. How do we get this far? It's like now it's like the call sheets going out. It's Chubby Waitress. Like, how. How do we forget?

[Danny Burstein]

I was on a show. It just said lesbian on a.

[Jeff Hiller]

Was it for you?

[Danny Burstein]

And I was like, sorry.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My God, it's so funny. I also love Ruth Buzzy talks about that. Does she?

[Danny Burstein]

She talks about like, how Marlo Thomas one time was like, livid that in Batgirl there was a character named Ugly Girl.

[Jeff Hiller]

Uh huh.

[Danny Burstein]

And she was like, how dare you? You better give her a different character name. And Ruth Buzzy goes, don't. This is how I work. They write ugly girls. I play them.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

I get to do them.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

I win.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

I don't know. I might Fall more on the Marlo Thomas side of that, do you?

[Jeff Hiller]

Maybe

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jeff tells me about working at a themed restaurant called Jekyll and Hyde in New York City. Okay. I am always trying to cook more at home. The one thing I do know is if you start with really good ingredients, everything just gets easier. That's exactly why I love Wild Alaskan Company. They deliver wild caught perfectly portioned seafood straight to your door, and it makes cooking fish at home feel so incredibly easy. What sets them apart is that everything is 100% wild caught, never farmed, no antibiotics, no GMOs, no additives. Just really high quality seafood that you can feel really good about eating. It's also frozen right off the boat to lock in flavor and texture. And everything is sustainably sourced from Alaska. My current favorite is their sockeye salmon. It has this gorgeous vivid red color and such rich flavor that it barely needs anything. The other night, Justin was showering me with praise about this salmon that I made for him. It was so amazing. It's the best he's had in so long. I didn't tell him. I just sprinkled on a little salt, olive oil and lemon juice that that was it. It was just the really great fish that was a star. Although I do have very nice pan sear, if I do say so myself. So I did that part. And if you're trying it for the first time, there's no risk. If you're not completely satisfied with your first box, Wild Alaskan company will give you a full refund, no questions asked. Not all fish are the same. Get seafood you can trust. Go to wild alaskan.com/jtf for $35 off your first box of premium wild seafood. That's wild alaskan.com JTF for $35 off your first order. Thanks to Wild Alaskan Company for sponsoring this episode. If you're a small business, the right hire can be make or break. It's not just about finding someone talented. It's about finding someone talented who also gets it. Someone who understands your needs and actually makes things easier, not harder. If I had to hire someone tomorrow,

[Jeff Hiller]

which I don't, thank God, but if

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

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[Jeff Hiller]

Hiring.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Do it the right way with Indeed. And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Jeff Hiller]

You know, you talking about in your book, you talk in your book about survival jobs, which I didn't know that you worked at Jekyll and Hyde's, which for me is. That's how you got your equity card, right? I love that so much because I, I never went to the one uptown, but I did go to the pub that was down in the Village. And I was always fascinated by just a themed restaurant in Manhattan. First of all, it was like a haunted house restaurant, Jekyll and Hyde. And the food was, from what I remember not. You don't go for the culinary scene.

[Danny Burstein]

No, no, no. It was like waffle fries and like little hockey puck burgers.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yes, yes, yes. And I was fascinated by the actors working there. And, you know, that, that, that duality of being a waiter. The same with Ellen Stardust Diner up in Michigan.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, God, totally.

[Jeff Hiller]

Which is still around, right? That's still around. I mean, and they have like a

[Danny Burstein]

line around the block of people trying

[Jeff Hiller]

to go in, but people who have to juggle, like, serving you food while also performing another task of being a character or a singer. I know at. I mean, for me, that's like quintessential New York survival job. And I feel like I've had a lot of quintessential New York survivor jobs, but that, like, tops all. I mean, truly. Well, I am. But I also love that you got, you know, your union card that way. I mean, it was a loophole. I remember where, like, a lot of people, like, if you need your equity card.

[Danny Burstein]

And then I would. And then. So then I started going to all these EPAs, right? And then it was like. And did you don't do anything. You're never gonna get there.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But also on your. On your.

[Jeff Hiller]

Your resume, did you have to specify? I mean, I guess you could.

[Danny Burstein]

I just did this one.

[Jeff Hiller]

Like how you didn't put in. You didn't put Jekyll on Hydra.

[Danny Burstein]

I just put everybody. Member?

[Jeff Hiller]

Great, great, great. You don't need to know how or why. Exactly.

[Danny Burstein]

I got my SAG card doing a voice. Like a sing voice of a double nip gum commercial that. Brad. Alex. Brad. Jill Abramowicz's husband, Brad.

[Jeff Hiller]

Oh, I don't know who this is. What are you talking about?

[Danny Burstein]

He writes jingles, and he was like, hey, you want to come in? I think you'll probably get your SAG card from it.

[Jeff Hiller]

That's how you got your SAG card?

[Danny Burstein]

Yeah.

[Jeff Hiller]

My God, you found so many creative ways to get in the back door. I love it.

[Danny Burstein]

I love it. Creative.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

Desperate.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No, it's great.

[Danny Burstein]

How did you get your Equity card?

[Jeff Hiller]

Like, on the Shakespeare in the Park. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

On the town.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, I know. It was. It was crazy. It was crazy.

[Danny Burstein]

That is crazy.

[Jeff Hiller]

I got my Saga card doing a Dasani water commercial.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, really? Dasani.

[Jeff Hiller]

Dasani. It was, like, one of their first commercials. But, yeah, I got my. My Equity card doing theater at the Delacorte. Which you've performed at. I have.

[Danny Burstein]

Yes. Yes. 12 years after I started trying to get my Equity card. Right, right, Right Now I've done two Shakespeare productions, and then I did Midsummer.

[Jeff Hiller]

I played the same part that I did.

[Danny Burstein]

Yes.

[Jeff Hiller]

I heard you were incredible. I missed that production. You were not in New York. That's the thing about this. The park shows, they happen so fast. I know, it's true.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But yes.

[Jeff Hiller]

I mean, I heard you were absolutely hilarious.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, Jay Sanders was your bottom.

[Jeff Hiller]

Jay Sanders was bottom. Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

Danny Burstein.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. I mean, come on. What a fun part.

[Danny Burstein]

I know. And Phylicia Rashad was Titania. And during tech, she fell asleep on the bed because, you know, we were taking so long.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

And then. Then later, the same bed she had fallen asleep on, there was a raccoon that climbed up on and died.

[Jeff Hiller]

No. Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

Have you been to the new. Have you seen the redeveloped one?

[Jeff Hiller]

I haven't seen yet.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I did Shakespeare park last summer.

[Jeff Hiller]

I was the first show back.

[Danny Burstein]

How was it? Is it nice?

[Jeff Hiller]

Incredible. I think for, like, an audience member, you wouldn't necessarily notice, like, but there's, like, more.

[Danny Burstein]

But it's the dressing room accessibility.

[Jeff Hiller]

The dressing rooms are so much nicer. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah. No, it's great.

[Danny Burstein]

I remember there was a payphone in it in 2017, I was like, wow, this is old.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, the payphone's gone. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's much better for the actors back there.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, I tell Jeff about the hilarious way my mom interacted with my wedding officiant, the legendary playwright Tony Kushner, on my wedding day. Okay, be right back.

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[Jeff Hiller]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Jeff Hiller]

My parents were both. My wedding, and they were, at the time, no longer together. And Justin and I, we. Justin's parents are all very supportive and great. We had. We didn't know how to, like, structure the. The ceremony, really, and, like, how, like, who walks down the aisle first and, like, all this stuff. Right?

[Danny Burstein]

So, yeah, all the traditions, all these

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

things that you're like, it's kind of

[Jeff Hiller]

like the rules are broken already. Like, everything's up to you. So we did this thing where we both. We had two different aisles, and Justin's parents walked him up one aisle, and my parents walked me up the other aisle, and we all met at the. At the. At the. At the top. The top. At the altar or whatever. And so, like, there was, like, no, like, you know, one person and the other. And it was lovely because all, you know, we had four parents up there with us giving away their. Their. Their. Their kid. And. But right before, you know, because my parents, like I said, were divorced at this point, and they didn't. They don't interact a lot. They sort of come together for big moments in their children's lives. And so it was like, just me and my mom and my dad and Tony Kushner, who was our officiant.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And it was just the four of

[Jeff Hiller]

us sort of like, behind this door, waiting to go in and, like, watching my mom and dad, like, make small talk. Oh, God. With Tony Kushner there and then I was sort of, like, trying to stay in this zone of just like, oh, my God, the world almost fence forward. Yeah, exactly. I Was like, my hero's here, who's about to marry us. My parents are here who've had their own journey with this thing. Like, this is a lot of things happening emotionally. And so I'm just sort of like, trying to stay calm and centered. And my mom says to me, I know she meant it in the best way.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She's like, you getting into character, Jess?

[Jeff Hiller]

Like, she was probably like, I don't know what do to. To say to this person right now. Like, I know he's used to performing. Getting into character.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You getting into character.

[Jeff Hiller]

I was like, oh, yeah, Mom, I'm trying to get into character. God bless her. But it was.

[Danny Burstein]

Would you try to please you be mother of the grim.

[Jeff Hiller]

Okay, pull it together. But I think Tony was just like. I was actually really happy to have him there, kind of observing the awkward. Awkwardness of all of this.

[Danny Burstein]

How do you know Tony Kushner?

[Jeff Hiller]

I met him through George Wolfe, who directed Angels of America. And George Wolfe directed On the Town, which was the show I got my equity card doing.

[Danny Burstein]

And he was the AD of the public at the time.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yes, George was the artistic director of the Public. And so one Thanksgiving, pretty shortly after on the Town had ended, George had a Thanksgiving dinner at his house. He sort of just invited all these. The people who didn't have anywhere to go to his home. And I was. I mean, I had zero dollars to my name, and I went to this gorgeous brownstone off of Irving and, like, was amongst the most illustrious people. I mean, George's circle was, like, so fancy and so shiny and full of celebrity and, like, people who were at the top of their game. Tony Christian being one of them. And I remember sitting either across or next to Tony Krishna, and just. He was so lovely and just, you know, inquisitive. And ever since.

[Danny Burstein]

Was he with Mark Harris at the time?

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

Was Marques.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, Mark Harris was there too.

[Danny Burstein]

And we've just mind crush on Marque Harris.

[Jeff Hiller]

He's so great. Did you read his biography about Mike Nichols? Oh, so good. Oh, yeah, we love a biography. I do. But he.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He was just really lovely.

[Jeff Hiller]

And the captain, like, then I'd see him out at, like, you know, theater, and he would always remember me. And I mean, I was no one. There was no need for him to commit me to memory.

[Danny Burstein]

Right.

[Jeff Hiller]

But he was always very supportive of my career. And then, like, once asked me to do a reading of one of his plays.

[Danny Burstein]

Wow.

[Jeff Hiller]

And then when we were getting married, Justin and I were like, well, who should we have officiate? And I said, well, my dream, and we'll never get him, but he's at the top of the list is Tony Kushner. And Justin really doesn't have too much of a relationship with him other than having seen Angels in America. But he's like, yeah, that's someone that means a lot to you. Like, let's ask.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And he said yes. And he got ordained for us.

[Danny Burstein]

Wow.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

You were the first one. He did.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yes. And I think he's since married other people.

[Danny Burstein]

It's a nice little side hustle song.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Danny Burstein]

But have you ever married anybody?

[Jeff Hiller]

I have. I married Sarah Hyland, who is Haley on Modern Family, and her husband Wells, only because Ty Burrell dropped out. He had a family emergency. And she called me, like, two weeks before the wedding.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, wow.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And she's like, can you.

[Jeff Hiller]

Can you do. Can you step in? And I had already. I was already going to the wedding.

[Danny Burstein]

Right.

[Jeff Hiller]

And so I was like. I couldn't really say no. Like, I have something else to do that day. Like, I was like. She really cornered me and Because.

[Danny Burstein]

Did you have to do a sermon too?

[Jeff Hiller]

Yes, I had to.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And so I had to write basically

[Jeff Hiller]

a whole, you know, run of show. And I called Ty Burrell and I was like, tell me what you've written so far because I gotta fast track this thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He's like, I only have ideas.

[Jeff Hiller]

And so he, like, regurgitated some of his ideas that he had. I was like, great, I'll use that. I won't use that. I'll use this. And I put something together and it went great. I mean, it was. It was really sweet. And I felt so honored that she asked me, oh, my God. Have you ever married someone?

[Danny Burstein]

No.

[Jeff Hiller]

No.

[Danny Burstein]

I did get asked once.

[Jeff Hiller]

And you said no.

[Danny Burstein]

Well, they were. It was like they wanted to fly me to a faraway place, and I was honored. They were people I did not know, really. It was after somebody somewhere started.

[Jeff Hiller]

Wait, there's fans of the show. Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

And in season two, I marry somebody at the end. And so they wanted me to come, but they wanted. It was like while I was shooting season three.

[Jeff Hiller]

Oh, my God. That's. That's bold to just, like, go after a complete stranger. Where did they want to fly you?

[Danny Burstein]

Somewhere tropical. I can't remember now. It was. I probably would have done it for the free trip if I could.

[Jeff Hiller]

Right, right, right.

[Danny Burstein]

Maybe not. Because it is weird to be like,

[Jeff Hiller]

you don't know these people at all.

[Danny Burstein]

No.

[Jeff Hiller]

I mean, even Tony, like, I knew him a little bit. But not super well.

[Danny Burstein]

Right.

[Jeff Hiller]

He sat down with us and was like, I need. We need to get to know one another a little bit better before I dive into writing a ceremony about you.

[Danny Burstein]

But, man, if you're gonna have somebody write a ceremony about you.

[Jeff Hiller]

I mean, I submitted it to the pilot surprise prize, but it didn't.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It didn't win.

[Danny Burstein]

My ceremony was nominated.

[Jeff Hiller]

It was nominated. It was shortlisted. Shortlisted, yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

Do you think? God, like, so you've got your Equity card. So you were just like a kid. You went in for, like, an audition. You already had an agent.

[Jeff Hiller]

I had an agent and a manager. No, I just had a manager who told me he only signed me because I had red hair. He really told me that his name was William Shill. And he did that thing like that that the character in Lost in Yonkers, the aunt would do where he. They would talk about. He would have to take a. Keep pressing me. Keep talking. So we. He would have this, like, really weird way of talking where he'd just, like, all of a sudden be, like, inhaling but continuing to talk. And he was like, so I only accepted you because you're up right there. And he would submit me for these, like, just really random regional theater jobs. And a lot of them were, like, dance roles. Oh, right. And I was like, I can't dance like a West side Story. It's like, I'm not gonna be in west side Story ever. And then he submitted me for on the Town and I was like, I told you on the Town. I knew it to be a big dance show. I was like, I'm not a dancer.

[Danny Burstein]

Well, especially those sailors.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I was one of the three sailors. I know.

[Danny Burstein]

And so you're the one that gets driven around in the cab?

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah. Driven around in the cab. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Leah DeLaria played Hildy. Yeah. The cab driver. But, yeah, I went in and I.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I think George Wolfe was, like, just

[Jeff Hiller]

more interested in finding people who he responded to.

[Danny Burstein]

Did he say, I only cast you because you. Red air.

[Jeff Hiller]

Red air. Maybe I do remember. Betty Calmed and Nate off Green were still around and they were part of the cast casting procession for them. And I remember thinking, if I don't get this, like, I've auditioned for the people who wrote Singing in the Rain.

[Danny Burstein]

Right.

[Jeff Hiller]

Like, that's enough.

[Danny Burstein]

Right, right. How amazing.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah, that was a really incredible moment. Yeah. But, yeah, I got it. And that was such a huge opportunity. But, like, again, like, no credits on my resume, you know, I really felt like I was faking it. I mean, but it happened.

[Danny Burstein]

And then. How many times. Times have you done a show at the Delacorte since then?

[Jeff Hiller]

I think seven.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, I was gonna say, but there was 17.

[Jeff Hiller]

No, no, no, no.

[Danny Burstein]

I feel like you're always in them.

[Jeff Hiller]

I am. I gotta take a break.

[Danny Burstein]

No.

[Jeff Hiller]

Why?

[Danny Burstein]

Are you kidding?

[Jeff Hiller]

There was a ten year gap, though, where I didn't do anything there and, like, they kind of forgot about me. But then since I've been. I've been pretty regular there. Yeah. But I do. I do need to take a break. Why? I don't know. Like, I've done all of them now.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What's left?

[Danny Burstein]

Have you ever done one more than once?

[Jeff Hiller]

No, I haven't. I haven't. But I would like to do Midsummer Night's Dream and play Bottom.

[Danny Burstein]

Oh, come on.

[Jeff Hiller]

Yeah.

[Danny Burstein]

That's a no brainer.

[Jeff Hiller]

I mean. Yeah, I think so.

[Danny Burstein]

Yeah.

[Jeff Hiller]

And you could play this beat. No. You could play Titania. You've already done this beat. Yeah. Titania sleeping.

[Danny Burstein]

I think I'd be great.

[Jeff Hiller]

I think you'd be great. I think you'd be great.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was a little more from my conversation with Jeff Hiller. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Betty on Manhattan's Lower east side. Next week on Dinners On Me, you know her from Broadway shows like Wicked and Waitress and Hell's Kitchen, it's Shoshana Bean. We'll dive into the powerhouse performances that made her a fan favorite. How her journey from theater to solo artist shaped her signature sound, and why she's very excited for her latest project, the Lost Boys on Broadway. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

[Jeff Hiller]

Hey, Mama. Thanks for making all my favorite recipes. Hi, Ma.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Thanks for your unfiltered advice.

[Jeff Hiller]

Hi, Mom. Thanks for always being by the phone. Hey, Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

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