Side Dish: More with Mary Elizabeth Ellis - Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Transcript

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (0:00)

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Summary

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Side Dish: More with Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Episode Date: January 29, 2026

Overview

In this “Side Dish” mini-episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson shares extra moments from his dinner with actress and writer Mary Elizabeth Ellis (“A Man on the Inside,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”). Recorded at The Ceviche Project in Silver Lake, the conversation is bright, funny, and reflective, covering their theater backgrounds, career pivots, family, parenting, and the inside scoop on working with Fred Savage and Taylor Swift. This episode serves up candid insights into the joys and anxieties of a creative life, the value of artistic partnerships, and the sometimes-surreal experience of interacting with Hollywood icons.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Theater Roots & College Memories

Mary Elizabeth Ellis’s Path
- Grew up in Mississippi; parents wanted her to stay near home for college, so she attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas (SMU), majoring in Fine Arts (BFA).
- Sorority Life: While involved in theater, her parents required her to also join a sorority. “If you want to be with theater weirdos, you also have to be in a sorority.” (06:28)
- Felt at home with fellow “weirdos” in the theater scene, even as she balanced sorority life.
Post-College Launch
- Discusses “Januarys,” the period when regional theater companies come to audition students. Landed her first professional acting gig in “The Tempest” as Ariel at PCPA in Santa Maria, CA, then in Solvang, CA (08:14–09:09).
- Jesse and Mary bond over Shakespeare, with Mary admitting to using “No Fear Shakespeare” editions. “I would carry around secretly the No Fear Shakespeare edition… and then I’d bring the Arden version to rehearsals.” (10:26)

The Lure of Live Performance

Both miss the thrill of live theater and riff on possibly pivoting to stand-up or storytelling shows.
Mary: “I just miss that. Like, I love that…what’s this audience into?” (11:11)

Improv Roots & Comedy Circles

UCB and the Comedy World
- Mary talks about performing at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in both LA and New York, including a stage show she later adapted into a spoof Lifetime movie for Adult Swim. (13:57–14:13)
- She names collaborators like Artemis Pabdani and reflects on the interconnectedness of the comedy world.
- Jesse jokes about how he knows Mary’s face so well, he assumed she must’ve been on “Modern Family” at some point. (14:39–14:46)

Working with Fred Savage

Both worked with Fred Savage: Mary on “The Grinder,” Jesse on “Modern Family” (where Fred directed episodes).
Jesse recalls: “I remember one day...I tried to lighten the mood on set and I called him Kevin (from Wonder Years) … I think he didn’t like it. He was like, ‘Jesse, not now.’” (16:01–16:45)

The Changing Nature of TV Jobs

Mary reminisces about the structure of older network seasons (“The Grinder” had 20 episodes), versus shorter seasons for newer projects (“A Man on the Inside” shoots 3 months, “Sunny” 2.5 months).
Discusses the complicated scheduling for “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” as cast and writers have competing commitments. “We don’t have a traditional shooting schedule…It’s always figuring out when people could work.” (17:27–18:00)

Creative Partners & Parenting

Mary and Jesse reflect on the importance of having partners who understand the creative grind; Mary shares about “running everything past” her husband, Charlie Day. (18:09–19:12)
Joy of watching their kids develop a sense of humor: Jesse shares, “My three-year-old, his sense of timing is insane…he’s like a comedian.” (19:28–19:52)
Discussion of nurture vs. nature, blended families, and seeing different parts of themselves in their children. (20:06–20:38)

Life as a Creative Parent

Balancing work and family as children get older and school schedules require more planning.
“We started hitting a point where… it’s like, second grade, you know what I mean?” (22:00–22:03)

From Acting to Directing

Mary recently directed a short film and speaks candidly about the learning curve:
- “I didn’t know the language. I don’t know how to speak to [the] DP or…art department on the same page… how to speak to a composer…” (23:29)
- She recommends doing a short before a feature and credits a collaborative approach: “It’s just putting people who know what they’re doing in places where you don’t know what you’re doing.” (23:51–24:10)
Jesse praises director-friend Elizabeth Banks’ (Liz Banks) approach: “She’s like, no, I just… know I can’t do everything. People who are here are hired to do their thing very well; I can’t worry about them.” (24:34–24:38)

Tone and Directing

Mary on holding the “tone” of a piece: “Please, please don’t make me look stupid. Like, hold my tone the same as everyone else.” (25:07)
Discussion of “Showgirls” as a tonal outlier, now admired as a camp classic.

Working with Taylor Swift

Both Mary and Jesse have appeared in Taylor Swift music videos:
- Jesse and his husband cameo as a married couple in “You Need to Calm Down.” "We get married in the video and it's very brief. It's like blink and you miss it." (26:58)
- Mary appeared in a Swift-directed video; she calls Taylor “so confident… it’s her song and it’s her idea, and so she kind of doesn’t have to answer to anyone else.” (27:31)
- Shares stories from set, including action/fighting scenes and the excitement of working with Taylor directly. (27:49–28:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Mary on Sorority/Theater Crossover:
“When anyone weird came into rush, they’d be like, and here’s Mary Elizabeth. She has her nose pierced, you know?” (06:24)
Jesse on Fred Savage Directing:
“I tried to lighten the mood on set and I called him Kevin, which is his character’s name on Wonder Years… He was like, ‘Jesse, not now.’” (16:41)
Mary on Directing:
“I didn’t know the language. I don’t know how to speak to [the] DP… It’s just putting people who know what they’re doing in places where you don’t know what you’re doing.” (23:29–24:10)
Mary on Parenting with a Creative Partner:
“Because making him laugh is my favorite thing.” (19:13)
Jesse on Parenting:
“My three-year-old—his sense of timing is insane… he’s like a comedian.” (19:28)
Mary on Taylor Swift as a Director:
“Just totally knows what she wants. So confident. And it’s her song and it’s her idea, and so she kind of doesn’t have to answer to anyone else.” (27:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

04:17 — Theater school memories, college experiences
08:14 — Auditioning and working in regional theater (“The Tempest” stories)
10:26 — Reliance on “No Fear Shakespeare”
11:11 — Missing the energy of live audiences
13:57 — UCB and improv comedy roots
14:39 — Comedy community and “Modern Family” connection
15:00 — Working with Fred Savage (“The Grinder” and “Modern Family”)
17:27 — TV shooting schedules, “It’s Always Sunny” logistics
18:09 — Creative partnerships in marriage/family
19:28 — Raising funny kids, nature vs. nurture
23:06 — Short film writing and directing journey
24:34 — Lessons from Elizabeth Banks’ directing style
25:07 — Importance of “tone” in film/TV
26:30 — Cameos in Taylor Swift videos
27:31 — Taylor Swift as a director

Tone & Style

The episode is warm, witty, and conversational—filled with playful banter, humble stories about creative stumbling blocks, and affectionate mutual admiration. Jesse sets a relaxed dinner vibe, with Mary sharing both the anxieties and rewards of juggling multiple creative roles.

For more in-depth conversation, check out the full episode of Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Mary Elizabeth Ellis.