
This week, Kathryn Hahn joins Seth and Josh on the podcast! She shares stories about her dad taking the family to an abandoned ski lodge in the middle of summer, their visit to Cedar Point amusement park, and whether she plays good cop or bad cop with her kids. Kathryn also reflects on the experience of delivering the commencement address at her (and Seth's) alma mater, Northwestern University, plus much more!
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Seth
Hi, Poshi.
Josh
Hi, Sufi.
Seth
How are you?
Josh
I'm good. I'm so excited.
Seth
You're very excited. And all of our listeners should be excited, too, because by the time you listen to this episode, Josh and I will have been to the Grand Canyon.
Josh
Yep.
Seth
Do you want to explain why we're going to the Grand Canyon?
Josh
Yeah. Well, part of it is because you're such a curmudgeon about the Grand Canyon. I think that's.
Seth
Without it. Yeah. Yeah. It's a very. It's a payoff to a very funny joke.
Josh
Yeah. Every year, we're in a fantasy football league with you, me, a bunch of your college friends who are now my friends, and a couple others who have been adopted, brought into the fold over the years. So every year, we go have a fantasy football draft, and it's more about having a weekend with buddies, and whoever wins the league hosts the draft, which is kind of a burn, because it. When you win, you have more work than everyone else in the league.
Seth
You have to plan a draft that delights and entertains your 11 closest friends. And it has to stop a previous draft. Yeah.
Josh
And people have been crushing it for years. So our friend Derek Vandervoort won a couple years ago, lives in Wilmette, Illinois, hosted us there. Great draft. It's close to Northwestern, and so we got to do some Northwestern stuff there. He didn't want to have us back again, and he's a listener of the podcast, and so he was listening. He was like, hey, I think I want to try to get a place near the Grand Canyon so we can get Seth to the Grand Canyon. So he had reached out to me to figure out, is this, you know, is this a bad idea? Is this a good idea? And so we have found this incredible Airbnb up in Flagstaff, and with an assist from. With Airbnb.
Seth
Well, also our friend from the canyon, we had a canyon connection.
Josh
Yeah. Lauren Cisneros has guest of the pod. Yeah, I've been reaching out to her. So I've been in touch with the canyon, and yeah. So we've got this great place. And for an afternoon and actually for our actual fantasy football draft, we will be on the ridge on the rim of the Grand Canyon at this great spot that was recommended by Lauren and where you need a permit. And I think one of the strange things is gonna be, for a huge chunk of our time at the Grand Canyon, we will be drafting fantasy football teams, which is notoriously the worst part of our weekend, because for the rest of it, it's Just fun. And then it just feels so.
Seth
It slows down to such a drag. Also, no Internet service out there. So a bunch of guys are gonna be carrying around just loose leaf paper with players on it. It's gonna be. I think it might be exactly what our league needs to take the edge off.
Josh
Yeah.
Seth
The other great thing is there's a sort of reveal, a gender reveal, if you will, of the draft that tells you where you're going to go. And the email this year was just a picture of the Grand Canyon. And I think it said, let's find out together. Is it worth it?
Josh
Yeah.
Seth
And I could not. I had to read it three times before I realized that you and Devi had actually planned a draft at the Grand Canyon.
Josh
Yeah.
Seth
So I will finish the show. I think I'm the last man in. Cause I have a show on Thursday. I will finish the show Thursday. I will go to the airport. I will fly to Phoenix. I will drive two hours to Flagstaff. I will meet you guys at midnight on Thursday. You'll already be two days into the weekend at that point.
Josh
Yeah. I feel like this weekend started as a Friday to Sunday and then got bumped Thursday to Sunday. And then, I don't know, for the last chunk of years, there are guys that are like, why are we not going on Wednesday? And so, yeah, there's a. There's an early. I'm on a 6:45am flight on Wednesday morning to get out there and spend a day, a day with the early arrivers.
Seth
Now, one, I'm not that upset because you guys are golfing. And that's the part of the weekend that I like the least. So it's very good for me. I miss that part.
Josh
It's also going to be 109 degrees where we're golfing.
Seth
The other thing that's funny to me is based on college, I think if you had to bet which person here will not have a job, everybody would have bet me. And it's very funny to me that all these years later that I have the job, that means I have to show up latest. I should know. Everybody has jobs. It's just, I think they have a lot of flexibility. And, you know, they also had kids younger than I did, so a lot of their kids don't need them around.
Josh
Yeah. We also. We looked at this weekend as a possible wedding weekend, But I told MacKenzie, I was like, we can get married over this weekend. And, like, I could miss the draft, but then I will never see you for our anniversary.
Seth
Right.
Josh
And there are two guys in our group who miss their anniversaries every year and their wives seem cool with it. They seem cool with it.
Seth
You're also doing what I did, which is basically, I got married the week before the fantasy football draft and I said to Alexi, I will not have a bachelor party, but the week after our wedding, I'm going to go to the draft. You are not having a bachelor party. And this is basically serving as that.
Josh
Yeah. And one of the guys reached out and was like, hey, do you want to come in like Tuesday and we'll do like a bachelor party thing for you? I was like, we don't need to gild the lily here. That's it already is enough. So, yeah. I'm so excited and I hope everyone's excited.
Seth
We are gonna bring recording gear and Josh is going to capture my real time reaction to seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.
Josh
Yeah. So, yeah, looking forward to that.
Seth
It's really, really funny that this is how I'm gonna go.
Josh
Yeah. I mean, I don't know if there's another way to have to get you there.
Seth
That's true.
Josh
That wasn't your hand. Yeah.
Seth
It's a nice tie in to Northwestern because our guest today is Katherine Hahn, who was also a Northwestern. Northwestern alum. But it's also a segue to some sadder news as well. A friend of ours, Eric Gilliland, who was a Northwestern alum, passed away this week after a long illness. And he was a fantastic person. He was a comedy writer. He wrote and ran Roseanne for years. He did a lot of other things. You saw him at the Meow reunion.
Josh
Yeah. He was one of the sort of coordinators or chair people of this reunion for our college improv troupe. And he was like easily the most mentioned person in this auditorium over the course of a weekend, people. He was the definition of beloved. And he was so, I want to say like he was a gentle giant, but he wasn't a big guy, but he was so gentle and nice. But he was a giant. His personality was giant.
Seth
Yeah.
Josh
In terms of his influence and how many people sort of called him out as the sort of the guy who made their experience in Meow in this improv troupe and just how sharp witted he was on the last night there he was, you know, there were six of us who were the last people to leave this bar and he was one of them. And we walked back to the hotel together and yeah, I just heard the news yesterday and I was devastated. But what a sweet, nice, beloved man.
Seth
Meow our improv troupe. When I was a senior, we went out to LA to do some shows and there's a big community of Northwestern people out in la and we all thought, oh, we'll go out and basically all get hired for TV shows and stuff based on doing an improv show at a Northwestern alumni event. And obviously that didn't happen. But Eric Gilliland, who was, I think, at Roseanne at the time, he was a real, you know, big deal. He took us all out to dinner and he basically just offered his experience and told us we could ask him anything we wanted. And the thing I remember is he just seemed so delighted by the whole thing. He seemed delighted to be able to take a bunch of college kids out to dinner and pick up the tab and talk to them about comedy and talk to them about the business and give them words of encouragement and, you know, then continued to be the exact same kind of person the entirety of our relationship. He was just a really special guy and we were not alone. Social media, so many people that I also love and respect. He obviously had that kind of effect on them as well. And he was a close friend of Richard Kind. And I think we all know that if you're a close friend of Richard Kind, that's the nicest thing you can say about a person.
Josh
Yeah, yeah. I've read some things that people have written online and because he came out of the comedy world, there's a lot of just great, great stories out there about Eric Gililand. So, yeah, maybe take a trip and Google and read some of those things, but rest in peace, the world will miss him. Yeah, absolutely.
Seth
So thank you for letting us share that. And now let's talk to Katherine.
Josh
Family trips with the My Brothers Family chips with the Millers. Here it goes.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my gosh, yes.
Seth
Look at this.
Catherine Hahn
Woo.
Josh
Go Cats. Go Cats.
Catherine Hahn
Go Cats.
Seth
You know what? I'm going to just get right. I'm going to open with Cats. Okay, Catherine, because there was one year where all four of us were at Northwestern at the same. Yes, yes, there was one. You're the first guest where we all shared a commissary. That's what they call it at school. Do they call it commissaries? No, they call it Caf? Curious.
Catherine Hahn
They call it militaries school. That'd be amazing.
Seth
Yeah, we went to military school.
Catherine Hahn
The commissary. That's where all the businessmen meet.
Seth
You gave the commencement?
Catherine Hahn
I did this year. And, well, you left some big shoes to try to fill. I started watching and I had to stop. Because I was like, what is. Also. It was. As soon as I said yes, I was like, why did I do that? But then it was the sweetest day. I don't know if you.
Seth
I loved it so much.
Catherine Hahn
So.
Seth
I loved it so much.
Catherine Hahn
Me, too. I loved it. I was like, that's one of my most. Like, my core memory now is, like, being there with Ethan after all these years and seeing, like, pals and just felt. And also, this class was very special because they had, like, missed their last year of high school and then half of their first year of college. So it was, like, just felt very special.
Seth
Yeah, that's great.
Catherine Hahn
They're all lovely. Go cats.
Seth
Did you put. I mean, I felt like, again, same thing. The minute I said yes, I regretted it, because I did not. I never wanted to embarrass myself less than I did there.
Catherine Hahn
I know. And then I was like, what's the tone? I couldn't figure it out. I was like, what do I say?
Seth
I would imagine you and Ethan, it's helpful that you met your husband in Northwestern, so I would imagine he was helpful as a sounding board.
Catherine Hahn
That was an in. And also, as my friend Chase said, she was like, why don't you just say, like, hold a placard that just says, see David Foster Wallace's this is water, Which I don't know if you've ever heard, but that's his. I mean, because, like, he said it all.
Seth
Yeah. That's. If there's ever one not to watch before you give one. That one.
Catherine Hahn
And then I was like, maybe I just do the whole thing word for word.
Josh
Are you emotional when you go back to Northwestern? Do you. Does it do anything to you in that.
Catherine Hahn
In that way that, you know, this time it did. Just because it was so. Just felt like it was such an honor and to even, like, be. I don't know if you had that, like, night before where you, like, are with all the, like, professors and the, like, chairs and the da, da, da, da. And it was like. It just felt so. I just felt a renewed gratitude that I was actually able to, like, have a liberal arts education at a school like that. It just felt. I just felt like a rush of gratitude.
Seth
Do you remember who spoke at yours when you graduated?
Catherine Hahn
I didn't see mine.
Seth
Okay.
Catherine Hahn
It was.
Josh
Nor did I. Yeah, I got a job.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God. You did. So you couldn't do it?
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
What happened?
Josh
I got hired by Boom Chicago. So I had to leave eight days before my graduation, and I missed Tony Kushner. At the School of Speech graduation. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God.
Josh
The main graduation. Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Ours was because I had to look it up. He was. He's a former president. Henry Beechen, I think, or something like that. But he was a former president of Northwestern. But I.
Josh
Of Northwestern. Yeah. Because that's not a president of the United States.
Seth
There's no Henry. Josh is kind of the podcast's resident presidential historian. He's the Doris Kearns Goodwin of the two of us.
Catherine Hahn
No, it's always good to have a historian around. Just a fact check.
Seth
I mean, I'll just tell you real quick. Just throw out names, and Josh will tell you if they were a US President or not. It's crazy.
Catherine Hahn
It's so crazy. Like, I haven't been around somebody that knows our history like this.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Such a long time.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
It's a flex, Carrot Top.
Josh
Not a president.
Seth
Harvey Maddox.
Josh
Not a president.
Catherine Hahn
Okay, how about. How about Dr. Phil? He's got a lot of clout. Okay, okay.
Seth
John Adams, president. Oh, not that one. I was doing a different John Adams. There's a lot of John Adams, Josh. You should know better. You guys, I'll say it. And I know this is maybe hurting our chances of having him on the pod, but my graduation speaker was Robert Redford.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, yeah.
Seth
And he was fine.
Catherine Hahn
Okay.
Seth
Yeah.
Josh
Schwimmer was your school of speech.
Seth
And my thought he was great. Was exceptionally good.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, I bet.
Seth
And it was young. It was young Schwimmer. Early, maybe year two or three of friends. And he. You could feel how much he cared. And it was a performance of a lifetime.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God.
Seth
Without. I'm not being sarcastic at all.
Josh
No.
Seth
I bet David knows this, because the first time I met David, I told him how much it meant to me, and he was genuinely touched because he put so much into it.
Catherine Hahn
Cause he put so much into it. I mean, I feel like this was, like, I had such respect for writers, because I was like, this is torture. Like, I would have something, and then I would fuss with it, and then it'd be gone. And then I had, like. I had never had this experience. I had, like, such, like, I can't do it. And then I was like, get back to work. It was such a process. I was, like, tortured writer. But I want to see yours after this, because I want to, because you're. I know that you left some huge shoes, as I said before, but I got to watch yours again.
Seth
There's some. I had the same thing when I was doing mine. And again, I think it speaks to the kind of shoes that walk through the halls of Northwestern. Colbert had recently done it. Julie Louis Dreyfus had recently done it. So there's. Look, if you're going to do it, look out for the shoes. Look out for the shoes.
Catherine Hahn
You gotta look out for the shoes. Or just put blinders on and be.
Josh
Like, la, la, la, la la.
Catherine Hahn
And just do it as if no one's done one before.
Josh
Hey, we're gonna take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.
Seth
Hey, Pashi.
Josh
Yes, Sufi?
Seth
You know what I love when I'm watching football?
Josh
What's that?
Seth
Touchdown.
Josh
Oh, td. A Teddy.
Seth
Teddy. Taking it to the house.
Josh
Mm. What do you.
Seth
What is your favorite way to say touchdown?
Catherine Hahn
Touch.
Seth
You know what I call it?
Josh
What's that?
Seth
Ted Danson td.
Josh
Oh, not bad.
Seth
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Josh
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Seth
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Seth
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Josh
What's that, Sufi?
Seth
They don't score touchdowns. They just win football games.
Josh
Yeah, not bad. It works.
Catherine Hahn
Here we go.
Seth
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Josh
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Seth
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Josh
To be here. Go.
Seth
So where, where before you left for Northwestern, where were you? Where was high school for you?
Catherine Hahn
High school was in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, which is where I grew up. I mean we were like in, outside of Chicago and then this west and then a place in Minnesota until we were, until I was four. Until we were four. All of my multiple personalities. And then, and then we moved to Cleveland Heights and we had that. So I was there and I went to Catholic school all the way up through high school.
Seth
And how was that exposed?
Catherine Hahn
A lot of nuns. I mean I liked a single sex education in high school. Like I really loved not having to deal with clothes or that kind of like FOMO stuff like, or like I can't, I'm not. Why is it not looking cool on me? Like it was like a good. Although my mom did think that I was going to grow, I think like seven sizes in the four years of high school. So my first day, like everyone came up to me and just went pull my skirt down because it was so big. And basically it was all the girls. All the girls. And then I had saddle shoes that look like full on like clown bows of the clown shoes.
Josh
So this is going to a new school, this Catholic school that you went to?
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, but it was like the same. It just was. It kind of went from co ed elementary to like single sex high school elements. So you knew those girls. It wasn't like, yeah, okay, we just kind of filtered.
Seth
But it is really the, the amount of effort that has to go into being poorly dressed at a Catholic school with a uniform. It's an achievement.
Catherine Hahn
And a uniformed school, it's a pretty. It's tough. But I was. I definitely. There was a lot. Yeah, I definitely. I mean, I loved. The nuns were so awesome. There's some really radical nuns that I was like, oh, incredible educators. But then there were some nuns that were just so, you know, you could just screw with them. And it was so fun. They've just been there for so long and they were just so old and like, you know, we would whip like maxi pads into like the little like there was some like gorgeous sculpture of Mary but in this pond. And we would just like. It was just. We were so silly and they were always. She was always like, ladies, ladies. That was a particular novel.
Seth
Did she kind of low end love it? Do you think that most of the nonsense. Yes, great.
Catherine Hahn
100%. She was also our directoress, that's how she called herself and loved it. Just like wanted to hang out. I think was just so excited by anyone that was like not so serious down to have a good time.
Seth
They're not, look, they're not treated well in pop culture. Our nation's nuns. And so we're glad that you're putting a positive spin on them as educators.
Catherine Hahn
If I can do that, that's the one thing I'm behind.
Josh
Was it a. Was it a day school or did you live there?
Catherine Hahn
Oh, no, no. Yeah, it was a day school.
Seth
Okay, gotcha.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah. Did you guys go to boarding school?
Josh
No.
Catherine Hahn
No. Oh, I was like, wow. Wait.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Okay. Yeah.
Josh
No, I couldn't.
Seth
Would you. I mean, do your kids, I'm assuming, don't go to boarding school?
Catherine Hahn
No, I'm too greedy.
Seth
How broke.
Catherine Hahn
That's what I was gonna say.
Seth
How broken a heart would you have?
Catherine Hahn
Yeah. And also, like, why, like that's around the corner. Like, why would you. I don't understand. Some kids love it. I guess some kids really love it.
Seth
No, that weirdly, some of my New York friends, their kids basically come to them and say, I've made a decision. I wanna like go to school somewhere other than this city.
Catherine Hahn
And I love that the parents are like, okay. I would be like, sorry.
Josh
I think it runs in the family too. Like, if you went to boarding school, your children would be more likely to go to boarding school. Just like you appreciated, sort of the single sex education for a while. Same with my fiance. And, like, I think that you, like. Yeah, thank you. I think you. Yeah. You sort of, like, follow that path.
Catherine Hahn
I hear you. And it's definitely. I think, like, there is definitely, like, a. I always saw it growing up in Cleveland as boarding schools being, like, so fancy. Like, so something other.
Josh
Yeah. Seth and I both went to a summer school at St. Paul's Academy in New Hampshire. They had, like, a summer program where they would take 300 public school kids from the state and you'd go for four, six weeks. And it was so fancy and so idyllic.
Seth
And it was so fancy that when we got to Northwestern, it was a little bit shittier, you know, One of the finest universities in the land. And it was like, not St. Paul's nice.
Catherine Hahn
It did not have a commissary.
Seth
It did not. No, it did not.
Catherine Hahn
No, it did not.
Seth
Where did you. And so did you have siblings? What was your situation?
Catherine Hahn
I do have siblings. I have two younger brothers. I'm the oldest and only and only girl.
Seth
Okay.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Almost a girl, not quite a woman.
Seth
And so how much younger?
Catherine Hahn
I have a brother that's two years younger and then a brother that's seven years younger.
Josh
Okay.
Catherine Hahn
And my baby brother is out here, which is pretty incredible. He is newly married and has a baby. And it's just so awesome to have family out here because we had no one. Like, when our kids were born, it was just the weirdest not to have la familia. But then. And then my other brother, the one who's right below me, is in Ohio.
Seth
And before he was married and had a kid of his own. I would imagine a sibling who's seven years younger is maybe crushing the uncle game. Was he an excellent uncle?
Catherine Hahn
Oh, crushed the. I mean, my kids obsessed, like, love him so much. He and my husband, like, Ethan, as you know, they. They have, like, a whole, like, send each other, like, the nastiest stuff. Like, every time I look at it, I'm like, oh, my God, you guys, like. But they. I. It just makes me so happy. Yeah. And he crushed the uncle, and now he's crushing the father game. Like, it's really cute.
Seth
Really?
Josh
Swee, I need you to clarify what the nastiest stuff is that they're sending back and forth because it's. I don't know. Like, is it. Is it pornography?
Seth
Yeah, it's like, he's so good at being an uncle. He did get arrested.
Josh
What do you mean, the nastiest?
Catherine Hahn
You know, like, gross, hilarious. Memes or whatever. I have no social media. I don't know. Memes.
Josh
Okay, okay.
Seth
Memes.
Josh
Memes.
Seth
Memes is better. Memes. I think the modern uncle has to be good at memes. I think that kind of goes with that.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Yeah.
Seth
And so you're the only girl. And was there. Did you have a closeness with the. With the one that was only two years younger?
Catherine Hahn
We did until, like, it was because we were so close in age. I think that, like, we just really wanted to have our own experiences. So, like, high school was not a great, like, time for us. We've gotten, like, much, much closer. My baby brother, we always were, like. I just felt like. Because he was so much smaller, I felt a very maternal vibe. Like, I just wanted to, like, just hang out with him and care. Like, I just was, like. Loved him both to death. But my baby brother, I had, like, a. Yeah, I felt responsible. Like, it was. That was pretty cool.
Seth
What were the. What were Han family vacations growing up? Oh, boy.
Catherine Hahn
I was so excited to share these. Okay, here's an example. I. We never took a plane anywhere. Like, that was, like, a thing. It was always road trips, which was partially financial and partially. My dad just being like, this is how you do it. Like, this is a family vacation. So, like, I remember one time we went to. In the middle of the summer, dead of the summer, we went to.
Seth
Now, just real quick, your dad is a bill, Is that correct?
Catherine Hahn
Is Bill. Yeah. Yeah.
Seth
And I wanna say, I feel like bills are very famous for, like, this is how you do it. Like, our nation's bills.
Catherine Hahn
Our nation's bills. That's.
Josh
They know how to do it.
Seth
Yeah, they know how to do it.
Catherine Hahn
There it is. Except when you pour just straight Drano in a tub, leave it for three days, and then the first time someone takes a bath, the ceiling falls down.
Seth
No.
Catherine Hahn
And then he. He said. He would say he passed away reasonably, but he would say. He would say things like, why does this always happen to me? He didn't have to be like. But he. So anyway, he was very.
Seth
I wonder if.
Josh
Was it multiple times that tubs fell through.
Catherine Hahn
But there was a lot of these things. Like, we had an old school, like one of those thumping, like, huge heaters in the basement that was, like, duct taped around. It was like, duct taped together. And, like, everything around it was flammable. Like, that's where he kept, like, the paint thinner. That's where he kept. Like, we'd always be like, we should move that away from this. Like, you Would open that little door and it'd be like flames. And we just like that. My mom finally was like, bill, Han, we gotta move these away. But he was also very, as I said, like, very frugal. So our trips would be like dead of summer. Drive to middle of Pennsylvania, go to a ski lodge in the middle of summer. It was called. There was a place called Blue Knob, which. Which of course became Blue Knobs. And we couldn't stop laughing about it. And we spent like a full two weeks in an abandoned ski lodge in the middle of summer. And he thought it was hilarious. Like, he took pictures of all of us on the like, Mord ski lift just being like, hurry up, it's so hot. Like, it was those kind of things all the time.
Josh
Was the idea to go like hiking. And was there like a lake around?
Catherine Hahn
No, no, no, no. It was like in those mountains.
Josh
Well, there are lakes and mountains.
Catherine Hahn
There are, but not around Blue Knobs.
Josh
Okay, fair enough. You would know. Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
And there was a lot of like, isn't this fun? Isn't this hilarious and kitschy? And we'd be like, as we were just eating like the shit that you would get out of the, like, we would just like put in quarters and be like Snickers bars.
Seth
So Bill, in general. Bill's vibe was like, he just wanted to like, just like get. Drill it through his kid's head that they were having a good time.
Catherine Hahn
Yes. And like try to convince everybody. But also he was very stressed out. Like, he had this enormous Cadillac, this huge black Caddy that you like from 91 that you could land a plane on the front of. We drove to D.C. and I remember he was in such. He was so mad because of all the roundabouts. And he kept being like, can't do it. I just can't do it. Cuz he just kept missing. And we were just like, I mean, there it is. And then we would just go past. If you get so angry at the signage where people have been able to deal for a long time. We went to the Lincoln Memorial and the only spot available was a handicap space. And he pulled right in. And my mom was of course, like, Bill. And he was like, we're gonna be here 20 minutes. It's 20 minutes. We were like, ah. And then we got out of the car, started walking towards the memorial. And then all of a sudden it was like, cop car, cop car. And my dad turned around without missing a beat, started limping back to the car.
Josh
Oh, Bill.
Catherine Hahn
And he got away with crap. Like, that was the Best thing about it is that he really got away. Like, my little brother had to wear a sling and suck his thumb to try to get in for free into the Notre Dame games. My dad went to Notre Dame.
Seth
Wait.
Catherine Hahn
And my brother's like, no.
Josh
Sling and sucking your thumb gets you in. No.
Catherine Hahn
Like, trying to be, like, from all angles. Like, he's young and this would really mean a lot.
Josh
It's a real Tiny Tim situation.
Catherine Hahn
It is.
Seth
This kid's not. This kid's life is bad. He's younger than he looks. Broken arm, but sure. Tell him he can't come here. Dad's got a weird limp.
Catherine Hahn
You try? Yeah, dad. He always would carry a. There's a place in Ohio called Cedar Point.
Seth
Oh, yeah?
Josh
Have you been there? No, but it's the amusement park. Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Best roller coasters, hands down.
Josh
Yeah, I've heard that.
Catherine Hahn
They're incredible. But we would. Every time we went there, he would carry a briefcase with all of his discharge papers from the Navy to try to get the discount. And nobody ever checked the briefcase. And they just let him in with a discount. And we had to schlep around this very heavy attache. Is that how you say it? Attache?
Josh
Was it a dishonorable discharge? He showed it to him and they're like, oh, not. Not for one of these.
Catherine Hahn
Man, I want to make a dishonorable discharge joke right now, but I can't.
Josh
I think your kid's uncle could.
Catherine Hahn
Am I having a dishonorable.
Seth
He just sent your good news. Your brother just sent your kids a meme. Dishonorable discharge on it.
Catherine Hahn
And it's just.
Seth
We can't describe the picture.
Catherine Hahn
No. But let's say it involves feces.
Seth
I feel like your little brother should have been let in for free. Not because he had a broken arm, but because his dad brought a briefcase to an amusement park.
Catherine Hahn
He. My dad also couldn't wait to get in a Little Rascal. Like, he just was like, that's gonna be the dream. Like, you know how you'd get those. Like, those car. You know, like the little car.
Seth
Oh, you mean like the. Yeah, like the little. The Rascals. The scooter.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like a seat. It's not like a scooter. Like a. You know. And he was so excited the first time he could drive around Cedar Point in a Little Rascal. Some. Someplace to put his. Attache. Attache. That's.
Seth
So the idea of aspiring to driving a Rascal is really funny.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, he couldn't wait. He loved it. He just thought it was hilarious.
Josh
Would he still go on the rides?
Catherine Hahn
Very few.
Josh
Okay. Because I was wondering how you managed to be in a line for a ride in a Rascal scooter if you just sort of keep, like, pulling forward and pulling forward.
Catherine Hahn
He would stay back, nursing the coffee from home or from the beginning of the day. That was, like, totally, you know, just disgusting. And he would try to just make conversation with Goggle.
Seth
Was Bill the kind we have our dad Larry will talk to anyone. Bill was it. Talked to anybody.
Catherine Hahn
He would talk to anybody. Friends all over. Like, his funeral was so sweet because it was everyone. Like, the gas station guy, the, like, you know, the guy from Goodwill, who he'd been, you know, everybody. Like, it was the sweet. All these old priests that used to, like, hang out. I mean, I remember the guy who. This amazing, this hilarious, very awesome priest doctor. Dr. Mahoney. Father Mahoney. No, he's Father Mahoney. I don't know if he's Father.
Seth
No, I think you called priest doctor. I think you were right.
Catherine Hahn
Okay, fine.
Seth
It used to be Father, and then they switched it to doctor.
Catherine Hahn
Okay. He came and said the service, which is really sweet because they, like, grew up together. And there was not a summer weekend that I didn't see Father Mahoney in our backyard just enjoying some beers with Bill. It was the best. Anyway, there's plenty more.
Seth
So, Catherine, I feel like you're on a list with us. Can I say the list that I think you're on?
Catherine Hahn
Yes, please.
Seth
Someone that everybody assumes is Jewish. That is not right.
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Seth
It's now really getting through to me as we have really drilled down on Catholicism, on the Catholic Catholicism. Although you did, like, some. I would say, a Jewish person might call a priest doctor. That's how, you know it's half Catholic, half Jewish. You have a priest, but you call him doctor. But you. But this is something I'm assuming you've had to deal with your whole life. Like, I guess. I don't know why. Hahn certainly sounds like it could be Jewish as well. But you're just straight Catholic.
Catherine Hahn
It's German for rooster. Okay, Right.
Seth
Sorry.
Catherine Hahn
But I. I mean, I don't know. It was, like, interesting, like, not growing up, like. But, you know, we lived really close to this Orthodox community, which was so gorgeous. And, you know, I remember babysitting and that, you know, they ate kosher. And I was, like, totally terrified about, like, what to do and, like, what would happen to me if I did it wrong. But I. And I loved it. And of course, like, meeting Ethan, I was like who's. I mean, I'd say we're both like casual in our. Like, I'm like, I haven't been to church and like since my dad's funeral, I'm. I would say I'm. I don't wanna say recovering, but I'm definitely like have moved. Like it's not my thing. Yeah. And Ethan has like definitely more and I really love it. Like, I really love it. I love the direct contact with. I like the non punishing part of it. But I. Yeah. It was only until weirdly when I was in Hollywood. When I was in Hollywood, like when I first started there, I got a. It was like the best friend chapter and I started to be like, oh, every last name I have has like a Jewish tinge. And I didn't like really put it together until later when it became very clear that this was like there was something like what, like going on about it.
Seth
But yeah, I of course am now remembering full rabbi in transparent as well. Right.
Catherine Hahn
I was a rabbi. Now I will say that the rab, the amazing Rabbi Susan Goldberg, who was my like, you know, touchstone throughout the whole thing was so incredible. We still talk all the time. Like she's like a dear friend and so that was like. It just felt like the most like obviously you can't just like put a costume on and be, you know, whatever, Jewish. But I. It was a very meaningful, just like spiritual friendship that we created. But. Yeah, I know, but people have always thought you were Jewish too.
Seth
100%.
Josh
Yeah. I had a locksmith come over. I had to program a key fob for my Kabbalah.
Seth
But like the salmon locks.
Catherine Hahn
Oh.
Josh
Don'T give him that much credit, Captain. But this kid that came to program this key fob was like, you're Jewish. And I was like, no. And he was like, well. And I was like, well, I mean, my grandfather was Jewish, my dad, you know, but his mother was not. And he's like, yeah, well, you're close. You're pretty close. And he just sort of saw that it was in there somewhere. Back a couple.
Seth
It is wonderful how even a little bit, they're very happy. Yeah, this guy was very happy, by the way. And I should note I pulled what's known as a Han, fully married into a Jewish family. And. Oh, are you. But how are you raising your kids?
Catherine Hahn
Well, they both had like their bar and bat mitzvahs, which were very chill. They were like in our house basically. And. But it was like they wanted to do it. I think they feel like they like. They kind of like the, like, Christian part more for the holidays. Of course.
Seth
Yeah. And now we're going to take a quick break to hear from one of our sponsors. Support for family trips comes from True Nutrition. Hey, Pashi.
Josh
Yes, Sufi?
Seth
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Seth
I made mine and they said a good name for it where it would be the fun guy, and then they told me yours, A good name would be the Killjoy.
Josh
Well, maybe this is Killjoy, but you can also add so many different delicious flavors. But when I'm getting a protein powder, I sort of don't want a flavor, so I just choose I don't want a flavor. So I guess that's a killjoy because I flavor things up once I get them on my own. But if you wanted something like a chai latte way way, you can finally.
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Josh
Hey, everybody, it's Rob Lowe here. If you haven't heard, I have a podcast that's called Literally with Rob Lowe. And basically it's conversations I've had that really make you feel like you're pulling up a chair at an intimate dinner between myself and people that I admire, like Aaron Sorkin or Tiffany Haddish, Demi Moore, Chris Pratt, Michael J. Fox. There are new episodes out every Thursday, so subscribe, please, and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Here we go.
Seth
So we have Cedar Point, D.C. were there. Do you remember the first airplane trip you guys Had. Do you. Did that happen after college?
Catherine Hahn
It happened. I don't think we ever were on an airplane together. Like, I think my. I was always for, like, you know, work. I would drive to Northwestern and back for. Or take the bus, which was an experience.
Seth
Yeah, the.
Catherine Hahn
Like Greyhound or whatever. But I. Yeah, I think it was like, for work when I did. I mean, he came out to visit and, you know, my mom to everybody. But it was. Yeah, I don't know. He was not a. He took the Concorde once, which he talked about all the time. He and my mom.
Josh
My dad took it.
Seth
Yeah.
Josh
Still talking about it so much.
Catherine Hahn
Talking about the Concord.
Seth
I mean, look, if I had been lucky enough, I think this podcast would basically be called Concord Stories.
Catherine Hahn
Concord. But honestly, that would be amazing because there's such mystery around it.
Seth
I know. Well, we hated. He also brought us. He bought us a toy Concorde. So we had, like, you know, our Matchbox cars and then we had the Concorde. And I remember we would talk to our friends when they came over about, like, not everybody gets one of these. Your dad's gotta be on it.
Josh
But he was before Amazon.
Catherine Hahn
He always talked about the supersonic takeoff.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
And then it was smooth, you know, he was like, oh, you could just. You would just have your drink and your. Nothing would slide. You couldn't believe how fast. You didn't know. Like, he was so excited about the PJs or something. Like, it was. He was very Concord. What if it was spot? What if it was actually the Concord Jelly Company fact.
Seth
And the jelly. The jelly you would get on jelly.
Catherine Hahn
We would eat it with a spoon.
Seth
But two things. One, I think it's very funny. I like to picture him telling his kids, regaling them with the free PJs on the Concorde while you were at a ski resort in the summer.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, yeah.
Seth
Like, while you're like, wait, what? Why? But then why are we here?
Catherine Hahn
Oh, yeah. We went to a place on Lake Erie called Something Waves. And it was an old motel and, like, cabins right on Lake Erie. And he kind. My mom, you know, we had one car at the time. We were kind of young, the kids and my mom, like, my baby brother was like a baby and he had to go back to work. So he basically dropped us off and left for two weeks. And he would come on the weekends. But this place was like. I mean, we were in a cabin right near the, like, bar, which was on the freeway, which we would go get, like, burgers. Like, that was the place to get food. And we had to duck one night because there was, like, a total shootout happened, like, right outside. Like, it was, where are we? And then, like, I remember my mom walking us to get peaches from a farm stand that she had heard about, but along the freeway. And it took us hours to get there. Like, it was in my. In my mind, it was so far away for peaches. And then we had to walk back. Oh, my God. With like, ugh. And then he would just come in being like, is this great? I was, yeah, hilarious.
Josh
I wonder where your mom gets the scuttlebutt on the peach. The peach stand on the highway. Like, who she's talking to, who's like, hey, you know what you need to do with your kids?
Seth
I might get in a little bit of trouble here because I will say that would be the most pyrrhic victory for me, because there's no peach. That's.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, I love the word pyrrhic.
Seth
Yeah. I mean, I don't. I think peaches are so overrated. And if I had to go on a highway walk and the reward was.
Catherine Hahn
A peach, you would not be a down. No, I was. By the end of it, I was like. I was like, peaches for life. Because I felt like I was like, this is the end of the. You know, we've made it to Oz. And then it was just peaches. But, like, it was. It was like, now forever. I'm like, grill him. Put ice cream on it. I have to love peaches after that.
Seth
But do you. Is it weird? Like, you know. Cause your kids obviously are growing up in privilege. Do you ever tell them about how you. You used to have to walk 10 miles to get your peaches on a freeway? During our summer vacation, we didn't have Whole Foods.
Josh
We used to duck bullets.
Seth
We had to, like. We had to cross an active. An active crime scene, get our peaches. What can I also say, I think that there's a real audacity to having waves in the title of a place that's on the shore of a lake. I think I won't stand for it.
Catherine Hahn
No, I know. I know. I gotta find the name of what was called. Like, it was kind of like Something Waves. Something Waves. But I hear you, because there was really no honest beach. There was like, just.
Seth
I wish it was. I will say the honest title would be if it was just called Something Waves. Like, but you knew that they were like, whatever. Just, you know. You know where we are.
Catherine Hahn
45 bucks a night. I don't know the Kevlar Vests are in the closet.
Seth
What if you get burgers? Just keep your head down.
Catherine Hahn
Don't go in the pool. Don't take a bath. And maybe bring your own fruit. But there was no real beach even. It was, like, just. It was like centuries before those pebbles would turn into sand. Like, you know what I mean? It was like walking on hot pebbles to get to the thing.
Seth
And then a pebble beach is a real. That's a real kick in the teeth.
Catherine Hahn
It's a bummer.
Josh
Did you go swimming in Lake Erie? Was that, like, one of the things you would do there? Or.
Catherine Hahn
Of course at Lake Erie is like. Is beautiful. But there is definitely, like, a chance of a syringe floating up or a dirty diaper or, you know, just used cot. Like, it was like. You definitely had to be like, take a shower afterwards. But I loved. I loved those vacations. That's what I knew that was. I would hear, like, people talk about Hilton Head and Myrtle beach and be like, God, that sounds like a vacation. Like, that sounds like there's a boardwalk. You can get, like, sweatshirts that said, like, you know, Myrtle Beach. And I, like, really wanted, like, a Hilton Head. Like, all those sounded so rad. But we. We made, like, Lake Erie became awesome. My dad, all. Okay, this is another tangent. All talking about my dad and, like, beautiful stories. He had a lot of outdoor or out. You know, those motors that you could put on the back of a boat.
Seth
Yes.
Catherine Hahn
And he was always into just putting one in the trunk. My mom was like, no, thank you. And so the car, the Caddy would be like this. Like, it would just be leaning in the back because it was so heavy. He would go. He would rent one of those, like, aluminum boats, like, those tiny little shell boats. Put his motor on the back. We would have to sit in the front to balance it. And then he would just take off straight into the middle of Lake Erie. Like, he. He would just. He would just. And then we. And then he liked to have a little picnic in the middle of Lake Erie while we were like. I just have such an image of him with, like, a Shasta in one hand and controlling it in the other with a legitimate captain's hat on that he would wear. We called him the Captain.
Seth
That's wonderful. I do like that he was trying to. That was as close as he could get you to a Concord takeoff. Was just jamming it on and getting in the.
Josh
Did the captain's hat live in, like, a special box when he wasn't near water or.
Catherine Hahn
Well, you know, he would wear it on all the time. Ethan would call him the Captain.
Josh
Like, he just even, like, not waterbound, like.
Catherine Hahn
No, see, in Cedar Point. Like, he loved it. Any car. Trot. Any car, long car ride. He was like. Like, he was basically like the pilot or the, you know, the captain of our ship. And he. But it turns out, like, when after he passed away and I went through the house, I thought he had one captain's hat, but then there were so many captain's hats. I don't know where he found them all, but he. There was definitely. Not just one, but we definitely have one at our house. I had to.
Josh
Was it called Wild Waves Motel in Lake House?
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Wait, how is it looking? Has it been. I'm sure it has.
Seth
It looks.
Josh
I. You know, I always like to encourage people to go take family vacations, so, you know, I'm sure people have had great times at Wild Waves. I do doubt that the waves are wild.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah. But it's a rocky beach, like I said, so they do get a little, you know, they do get a little. There's definitely white, you know, foam on the top.
Seth
Yeah.
Josh
But I mean, if she's real, that's a good picture.
Seth
That's a pretty picture.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
See, that's gorgeous.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
I think it's definitely gotten.
Josh
Seth passed out. That picture was so good.
Seth
It was so beautiful. Every time I see a sunset, I pass out.
Catherine Hahn
When you lean to the side, what's happening? Because I imagine there's, like, a spittoon.
Seth
I do. I've been. Skoal is a new sponsor of the podcast. So what about. You have one of each? You have one boy, one girl.
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Seth
And then. Are you in? Are you in each?
Catherine Hahn
You have. How old are your kids?
Seth
Eight, six and two. Eight, six and two.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, Daddy.
Seth
I know, but it's so good. It's the best. I mean, they're the best right now, isn't it?
Catherine Hahn
And, like, a little pack of them. It's like.
Seth
Yeah, you also. You're getting me on a reality. You're really getting me on a good day. They all had, like. Except exceptional mornings. Oh, yeah.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God. Isn't that the best feeling when you just.
Seth
They get along really well. Yeah. They really. It's two boys and a girl. And so it's a really nice dynamic because the boys are. The boys are two years apart. And then she's a little bit of. She's three and a half years younger than the youngest. The middle. Sorry. And she's the baby, and she's also like. So she's just like really robust and like, won't take any guff.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, that's what I felt like having two brothers for sure.
Seth
It's really helpful.
Catherine Hahn
Our TV room upstairs was called the Fartorium.
Seth
Yep.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, we definitely grew up with. With some boys, but it's that you're right in the middle of it. Wow. It's.
Seth
We have a funny thing where, you know, by the way, they know fart now, but like what the oldest originally called it poo poo gas. And so we tried to hold onto that as long as we could, obviously. And so sometimes we're in the car and one of us, Alexia or I will be like, ugh. Who poo poo gassed? And the amount that our daughter is like, I did like, I think she sees it as an accomplishment as opposed to anything to be ashamed of.
Catherine Hahn
She is a girl. After of my own, I take great pride, you know, much to my children's chagrin. I gotta put a lid in it, but do you guys.
Seth
Do you guys travel well as a foursome?
Catherine Hahn
You know, I took it on like, I really love a road trip with them. Like, there's great. That's like my happy place is just having just the four of us in a car. Like, you know, not encompass like just us. And I love that feeling of just like, you know, just being on our. There's something just like about being on our own, like having an adventure that I. It's just my happy place. Listening to podcasts.
Josh
Do you have any games that you play on the regular as a family or.
Catherine Hahn
We used to play. Oh, on the car trips.
Seth
Yeah.
Josh
Just in general or just in general? Either.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah. We love. I mean, we used to love Uno for a long time. Now we're into banana grams, which is hilarious because the made up words are fantastic. Like, and we play. There was really a lot of I spy or 20 questions. And my sweet daughter would always say, like, without a doubt. She would be like, what has four legs, eats grass and is a pony? And we would be like, is it an alligator? No. Is it a.
Seth
We had, you know that game where you like heads up? You have like a heads up. But we had got one that was just animals. So it's like a kid's introduction to animal. And it had a kangaroo on the front. And so when you play with Axel, everyone, he would put it on his head, he would go, is it a kangaroo? And at some point you would play the game and there's only like 30 cards. So you'd Play the game. And at some point, you know, invariably he'd be right. You'd go, is it a kangaroo? You're like, it is a kangaroo. He's like, I guessed it.
Catherine Hahn
We started. Our daughter Mae tried to make up a. Or she did. She made up her version of celebrity just with the three of us, because my son is in New York for the summer, which is pretty amazing. But he. She made up this game, just the three of us, which is already impossible. But she was like, round. Round one, you know as many words as you need to get there. Here's your timer. Round two, you just say one word and you have to get it. But we never went through all the cards. She was like, write as many as you can. So mine, my first one that I had to describ, and one word was candle Shop. And I was like, honey, like, I don't know how to describe candle shop in one word in a way that someone would get it.
Josh
She's like, good luck then, mom.
Catherine Hahn
And she was like, it's so funny time.
Seth
I was like, you're like, wick. No, Wick would be good for Candle mom, but not good for Candle Shop.
Catherine Hahn
He'd be like, keanu Reeves. Like, there was like, no, no way out. It made me laugh so hard. I love those.
Seth
I love when they. When you're already so bored while they're explaining the game you're gonna play. Like, you know you're gonna be bored playing it. And my. My oldest can be so boring and just like, just in the. In the pre land. Like just in the. Yeah, like, whatever. The preface, whatever you call it. The preamble. Sorry, that's what I was looking for. The preamble of the game. I'm like. I'm like, I am willing to accept being bored while we're playing this, but could we just get to that? Boring.
Catherine Hahn
Just please. Because we're gonna then get to it. Play one round before you get bored. And then I have to put it all away. Like it's. It is hilarious. The preamble.
Seth
It would be like. It'd be like before a three hour play if the director came out, was like, this is long, and I'm gonna talk for about 30 minutes about it.
Catherine Hahn
I need to give you a play by play of what you're going to see before and what could possibly go wrong and how you could screw it up. That's what we get.
Seth
A genuine curiosity because you're very funny. Ethan is very funny. Do your kids think you're funny or no? Okay.
Catherine Hahn
They think Ethan is very funny.
Seth
Okay.
Catherine Hahn
He's very funny, which he is. He's very funny.
Seth
He's very funny.
Catherine Hahn
He's very funny. But with me, it's a lot of like a little bit like a kind of patronizing. Like, there's like a lot of like. Or like, ah. You know, I get a lot of mom jokes that kind of.
Josh
Are you. Are you like bad cop? Is Ethan good cop in your Bad Cop or do you have to be the taskmaster?
Catherine Hahn
It's a good mix because, you know, he's. I had been out of town a lot when they. You know, that's just the job. And so he would have to like, set a lot of stuff, especially when they became like teens. And then I would come home and be like, what's happening? And then we would. But yeah, it's. The teenage years are. Turns out when they need you the most. And so I. It's been. I love the teenage years. It's so fun to all of a sudden just like go see a movie and talk about it. And like, you know, it's the best. And also it is fricking flying. So I have to stop myself, especially with my son, because he's like, are you crying? And I was like, no. Like. But everything feels like the last, like, I don't know. It feels very. The stakes are very high. And for me, I'm just trying to like, just hang with him and just be. Because he's so radical.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
So it's fun.
Seth
I'm not surprised you guys have rat kids. That is no surprise.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, they both are. They both are just hilarious.
Seth
And do they appreciate that you are in the Marvel universe? Does that mean anything to them?
Catherine Hahn
I kind. We missed them by. I missed them by a couple of years. I think they would have been. But of course, like, we. I didn't tell them a thing about WandaVision. And then we all watched it together during the pandemic. And so they were had like the legitimate, like, surprise or whatever, which was really fun.
Seth
Well, it was. I mean, for them, I guess it's their mom. I think for a lot of us it was like knowing your work before, I feel like it was like sort of a classic casting of you that became a sort of wonderfully thrilling thing we hadn't seen. It was so much fun.
Catherine Hahn
It was so much fun.
Seth
Now you get to do it in a whole series. In Agatha all along.
Catherine Hahn
No, I mean, I'm like, am. I did it. I think it all led to me playing a witch. Like, I think it all led to the witch inside busting out. But she. But yeah, it was really. I'm excited for people to see. It was fun. Yeah.
Seth
How far after WandaVision did. Were you hip to the fact that there was gonna be this show that was just about Agatha?
Catherine Hahn
It was like that summer after.
Seth
Oh, good. So it wasn't right away. That's exciting.
Catherine Hahn
No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I was playing a centuries old witch that nobody had heard of. Like, you know, it was bonkers. But, you know, centuries old.
Josh
People forget. People tend to forget when you're centuries old.
Catherine Hahn
But no, and when you look this awesome, like, it's difficult. It's very difficult to forget.
Josh
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
I mean, to remember. It's difficult to forget.
Seth
Do you have a. Do your kids have a favorite work of yours? The Goods.
Catherine Hahn
Which is the Goods. We watch it every holiday.
Seth
I mentioned the Goods because Neil Brennan.
Josh
I love the Goods.
Seth
Just the Goods is great.
Catherine Hahn
I love.
Seth
He just directed my standup special. My next standup special.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, no. No kidding. He's a peach. A peach. I would walk thousands of miles, but please give him my love.
Seth
Is that when people say he's a peach? Is that what they're talking about? Are you willing to walk down a freeway for them? That's the expression.
Josh
That's how special they are.
Catherine Hahn
I started it.
Seth
Guys. Someone's gonna poke their head into frame and then leave real quick because he was just. I was just being poked in the butt. And now on the arm.
Catherine Hahn
You were totally hidden for so long.
Seth
Well, he admitted that. But look, he just. He just went to come in. He scraped himself at a sailboat. Lessons. No.
Catherine Hahn
Where? Let me see.
Josh
Oh, yeah. Well, yeah.
Seth
All right. Great work. I'm gonna be done in a second.
Catherine Hahn
Listen, I was on one of those metal benches and a Tipped over with me.
Seth
Gotcha. Okay, we're gonna fill everybody in. That's. I would say. You know, when you tell your friends, maybe say it was sailing and not that you were just sitting on a bench that tipped over.
Catherine Hahn
It's funnier.
Seth
It's funnier to be on a bench. It is funnier. It is funnier to be on a bench than tiptoeing. My son came back from sailing lessons. He was a big. What? You can't hear anybody? No, you can hear me. You want to say hi to Posh real quick? Excuse me. Sorry about this, guys.
Catherine Hahn
Hi.
Josh
Hey, buddy. How are you? I hear you tipped off a bench. That's a very good microphone.
Catherine Hahn
Wait a minute. My name is Katherine. It's so nice to meet you. And I Think your scrape is cool? I love a good scrap. It's terrible. I bet it hurts to take a bath. I bet it stings in a pool. Well, I do have a pool. I'm going to the beach now.
Josh
Oh, well, we'll find it. It might staying in the beach. That's salt water, but it's good for you.
Catherine Hahn
I'm not going in the water.
Seth
All right, great. Good update. I'll see you soon.
Catherine Hahn
Hey, a pleasure meeting you. Oh, my goodness. All right, well, I want him to kind of make me interview. That would be fantastic. If he has any questions, being like, who are you?
Seth
They can hear you.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, yeah.
Seth
Hey, will you real quick? Remember when we played the bowling game? Can you explain the four rounds that you came up with? Even he's like, oh, I'm starting to think those weren't great.
Josh
Is he gone?
Seth
Bye. He's leaving now. All right. Bye, buddy.
Catherine Hahn
He's out. All right, bye.
Seth
So. All right. But what a Ricky, you know?
Catherine Hahn
And he's right. The bench is funnier. It does take a tinge to be like, I scraped myself on my sailing lesson. But, like, that is. That is. That's funnier.
Josh
He is also real nectarine.
Seth
I'm gonna close the door.
Josh
Yeah, yeah.
Seth
Pre peach fuzz.
Catherine Hahn
He's a real donut peach.
Josh
Those peaches are weird. I don't know if I trust them. Those, like, I don't know peaches.
Seth
If you have one of these. Oh, sorry. If we talk about new varieties of peaches here.
Josh
Seth. Hang on.
Seth
Oh, then I'm gonna jump in and stop our listeners from having to hear that. Nobody wants to hear from peaches. I don't know if you have one of your kids that's more like injury prone. Ash is so injury prone. Like, the fact that he sat on a bench and it tipped over. If you said one of your kids sat on a bench and tipped over, I would have bet all of my amani on that, dude.
Josh
All of your amani.
Seth
Every cent of my Amani.
Catherine Hahn
I mean it. No more sailing lessons. I would say that both kids were extremely accident prone when they were your son's age. But now my son is so cool for school. He just kind of slides through it. And my daughter, who's 15, we both have cases of the dropsies. Like, we just. All of a sudden, things just, like, fall out of our hands and we're like, ah. But she. She's, you know, she's. They're so freaking fearless. Like, she rides horses, and she has been for a really long time at this, like, awesome barn at Atwater Village, which you would never.
Seth
Oh, that's great.
Catherine Hahn
Even think of it. I know. And the paddocks. She's the paddocks. But it's right next to the LA River. The great waves. No, wild waves. Of Atwater Village. But she. You know, it's the fearlessness of just, like, walking up to this huge creature and just being like, no, no, no. Like, she's a very stern rider. Like, she really has them in the palm of her hand. It's very funny to watch. Yeah.
Josh
My fiance's an equestrian, and when you sort of see someone around a horse who knows horses, like, who, Like, a horse is, like, kicking up its, like, front hoof, and she's like, hey, stop it. And it's like, whoa. I wouldn't tell that horse to stop it. I just, like, step back and let it.
Catherine Hahn
You need a minute, buddy? Like, I'm so.
Josh
Let me get you a carrot.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah, exactly.
Josh
Exactly.
Catherine Hahn
You want to just hang out today? I get it. I don't need to get on a saddle. And then as soon as I get up there, I'm like, ah. But she's. But, yeah, it's very funny to watch that. I wish I could have heard his bowling.
Seth
I will tell you this. You mentioned the dropsies the other day. He ran outside. I was outside, and he ran over, and he gave me a hug, and I was like, what was that for? He was like, I just love you. And I was like, oh, that's so sweet. He goes, also, you know that bowl the candy's in? I just knocked it over. And mom is so mad at me. I was like, put a little air between I love you and I'm using you as, like, Mafia protection.
Catherine Hahn
No, but they do that when they start to, like, go to one parent or the other. That's when it's. That's when you're like, okay. Because there's a lot of that. I remember my son when we were in our old house, and he was, like, sleeping in his, like, big boy bed. And, you know, because he had. I mean, he was like, not even two. Whatever he was. And he. In the middle of the night, he just walked in our room, and we were like, buddy, what's up? Can you not sleep? He's like, oh, no. I just found this DVD on the floor. And he was so lying because he just couldn't sleep and just wanted to hang out. But you know when it's like, yeah. Oh, my God.
Seth
Our son Axel, the middle one, does a thing where he is not confident with the one lie. So it's always two. So he'll come in the middle of the night. You're like, what's wrong? He's like, my tooth is loose and my leg hurts. It's not both. It's neither. By the fact that you put two, it means it's neither. It literally can't pick. He can't pick Elaine.
Catherine Hahn
It's like my dad. Like, literally, you gotta have a sling and be a child.
Seth
I. You know, we kind of opened with. And since we're gonna let you go. So the Drano. He put Drano in a bathtub and it really fell through the floor.
Catherine Hahn
He left it there for so long. And it must have been. I mean, our house was old to begin with. And, like, I don't think we ever saw a handyman. It was all my dad, who was like, macgyver. Like, he did keep it together, duct tape and all. But he. I guess that's what happens. It was like the bottom of the tub was rotting out anyway. And so all of a sudden, in the living room, it was just like. Just like this one area. Why does this always happen to me? He came up.
Seth
Why does this never happen to people who don't put Drano in tubs? We. All right, Catherine, this has just been fantastic.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my God, what a delight, you guys. What a delight. And I also want to say I love Poehler and Jones so much. They're like, they're dear, dear friends. And your TikTok.
Seth
Thank you. Was so TikTok of the summer.
Catherine Hahn
Hilarious. TikTok, tip top of the summer.
Josh
Tip top. Yeah.
Seth
It is really. It is the funniest thing, because I don't understand or comprehend TikTok. And Poehler is, as you know, and we say, this is two people, three people who love her. Very bossy. She said, we're doing this TikTok. And I said, I don't think I want to do it. She's like, then don't be in it. I didn't ask you. And so then I made my little subtle move to walk behind and. What a thing. I mean, it's like having a non speaking role in Citizen Kane.
Catherine Hahn
I know. I couldn't. They were like, it's going viral. And I was like, let me see this. And then I was like, you guys, it's also legitimate hilarious. And when she does that thing with the bag, I'm like, you are the cutest thing I've ever seen. And so fucking so freaking funny.
Seth
Yeah, well, that's my first time hearing of this. You did. Yeah. See, that's you.
Catherine Hahn
I wanna see it.
Josh
I don't know. Josh is.
Seth
Josh is gonna see this TikTok, and I'm just gonna get ahead of it. He's gonna be underwhelmed.
Catherine Hahn
Ah, yeah, okay, that's your. But as a brother, I understand that.
Seth
Yeah, it's kind of TikTok. As much as, like, you are, I am both receiving your praise, and I am also smart enough not to say to Josh, you. You.
Catherine Hahn
I really wish that I could see your reaction to seeing it, but it is hilarious.
Seth
Well, funny, ladies. I'm not gonna brag. Gonna see Rasheeda tonight.
Catherine Hahn
You are?
Seth
I am.
Catherine Hahn
Give her my love. I just miss her so much.
Seth
She's the best. You're the best. But before you go, you have to answer the questions we ask all of our guests. And Joshua.
Catherine Hahn
Okay. Okay. Rapid fire.
Josh
You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?
Catherine Hahn
Ah, adventurous.
Josh
What is your favorite means of transportation? Train, plane, automobile, boat, bike, Walking.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, it depends where and how far. But I do love a car. But I love a plane.
Josh
Okay.
Seth
All right.
Josh
Very good. This one a little trickier.
Catherine Hahn
Nothing like the Concorde.
Seth
Yes, there's nothing like the Concord.
Josh
If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a family vacation with?
Catherine Hahn
I would love to take. I mean, I think it would be fascinating to take a family vacation with the Duns when they were. When everybody was, like, younger, before, like, all that fricking tragedy. But, like, just.
Seth
Are you reading? Have you read the book?
Catherine Hahn
I'm in the middle of it. I love it.
Seth
It's the book of the summer.
Catherine Hahn
It's the book of the summer. I love Griffin so much. We did a show together and it was. I just. He's such a good writer. Of course he is.
Seth
But, yeah, it's Griffin Dunn. Posh and I have reached out. We gotta have him on the podcast. It's the greatest. It's like. It's nonfiction, but it reads like the great American fiction.
Catherine Hahn
It does. And also, he is an incredible storyteller. I hope he is on your podcast because he is so funny and such a good storyteller.
Seth
And I do. Wait. It's the Friday Afternoon Club. I do. For anybody listening, Friday Afternoon Club is Griffin Dunn's book about his incredible family. And if you're looking for a summer book, it is the one to read.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah.
Josh
All right.
Seth
Great answer. Great.
Josh
If you had to be.
Catherine Hahn
Thank you. I'M so validated.
Josh
Yeah, you're one out of. You're one for three.
Catherine Hahn
So far, you all were doubtful of my way, of my mode of having a vacation. You're, like, adventurous. No, it's relaxing.
Seth
Yeah.
Catherine Hahn
I could see it on both your faces.
Seth
We were like, wait, what?
Catherine Hahn
But I nailed it.
Josh
Okay, if you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?
Catherine Hahn
I mean, I got to say Ethan, but I. So I would say Ethan or I can't. I can't pick between my children.
Seth
Certainly not after you said Ethan. So now there's somebody who's going to definitely be last.
Josh
Yeah, I'd stop at Ethan.
Seth
Yeah, Just do Ethan.
Catherine Hahn
Yeah. Ethan. Yeah.
Josh
Yeah, yeah. Great. You're from Cleveland Heights, correct?
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Josh
Would you recommend Cleveland Heights as a vacation destination?
Catherine Hahn
You know what? I actually would, because in the summer, it's gorgeous. And the museum. We have one of the only free art museums in the country. And it's so good. There's so many incredible museums, and it's really gorgeous. And you're close to the Amish, which is always a really fun side trip.
Josh
Great. And Seth has our final questions.
Catherine Hahn
Okay, great.
Seth
Catherine, have you been to the Grand Canyon?
Catherine Hahn
Yes. One time.
Seth
With Bill or with Ethan?
Catherine Hahn
That was a dream of my dad's. That never. But we did it with the four of us, this family. And then it was pretty. We stayed in that old, old hotel on the top. And the view is so beautiful.
Seth
It was, like, so worth it. So you categorize, because the follow up is, was it worth it?
Catherine Hahn
Yes.
Seth
Okay.
Catherine Hahn
Yes. It's better than photos.
Seth
All right, Sold. But I am going to picture you and Bill being there, and he's going down on a Rascal in a captain's hat for sure.
Catherine Hahn
And air conditioning.
Seth
Somehow he has an air conditioner duct taped to the Rascal and just nursing.
Catherine Hahn
The same iced tea with, like, seven packs of Splenda from yesterday.
Seth
I will say that my. If I could be stranded on a desert island with any member of your family, I do think it would be Bill. And I hope you won't be Bill.
Catherine Hahn
Oh, my. Yes, he.
Seth
Bill has come off very well.
Josh
Very well.
Catherine Hahn
I'm glad. He was one in a gazillion.
Seth
Yes.
Catherine Hahn
As all of our parents.
Seth
Will you give our love to your entire family?
Catherine Hahn
Yes, I will. And this was so fun, and I'm so glad you guys are doing this because those memories are really. They're like the core ones as a kid. Like, that's what you remember, you know, And I am.
Seth
I loved WandaVision so much. I can't wait for Agatha all along. That's gonna premiere on September 18th. Thank you, Catherine. We love you, you guys.
Catherine Hahn
Thank you so much.
Josh
Thank the haunted. Out to the wild waves on a lake eerie trail. Dad motored them out to the middle of the lake for a wobbly picnic. It took a walk to get some peaches. Miles on the highway was their route, and they were careful not to get caught. He shoot out at home, the captain took a bottle of Drano, poured it down the bathtub hole, left it to sit perhaps a bit too long, maybe a whole day or so. And then the tub fell through the ceiling. The whole damn thing came crashing down. Hopefully no one on the first floor was around.
Podcast Summary: "Katherine Hahn Vacationed At An Abandoned Ski Lodge"
Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers hosted by Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers delves into memorable family vacations, childhood adventures, and the humorous disasters that often accompany them. In the September 17, 2024 episode titled "Katherine Hahn Vacationed At An Abandoned Ski Lodge," the brothers welcome Northwestern alumna Katherine Hahn to share her unique family vacation experiences.
The episode opens with Seth and Josh Meyers excitedly announcing their upcoming family trip to the Grand Canyon, a long-standing jest among their listeners.
Josh [00:35]: "Every year, we're in a fantasy football league with you, me, a bunch of your college friends... So every year, we go have a fantasy football draft..."
Seth humorously acknowledges his impending journey:
Seth [03:14]: "The other great thing is there's a sort of reveal... I could not. I had to read it three times before I realized that you and Devi had actually planned a draft at the Grand Canyon."
This segment sets the tone for the episode, blending light-hearted banter with plans for an adventurous trip.
Before introducing their guest, Seth and Josh take a moment to honor their late friend, Eric Gilliland, a Northwestern alum and comedy writer known for his work on Roseanne.
Josh [07:05]: "He was the definition of beloved. ... His personality was giant."
Seth adds a personal touch by recalling their interactions with Eric:
Seth [08:18]: "He took us all out to dinner and he basically just offered his experience and told us we could ask him anything we wanted."
This tribute underscores the deep bonds formed during their Northwestern days and sets a heartfelt backdrop for the episode.
Katherine Hahn joins the conversation, bringing her own set of Northwestern memories. The brothers reminisce about their shared experiences, highlighting the camaraderie among Northwestern alumni.
Seth [10:23]: "You gave the commencement?"
Catherine Hahn [11:00]: "I did this year. And, well, you left some big shoes to try to fill."
Catherine shares her experience delivering the commencement speech, noting the pressure and eventual joy it brought her.
Catherine discusses her decision-making process for the commencement speech, expressing both hesitation and satisfaction.
Catherine Hahn [11:21]: "It was the sweetest day. ... I just felt like a rush of gratitude."
Seth reflects on his own commencement speech, emphasizing the legacy left by previous speakers like Robert Redford.
Seth [15:07]: "And I can only say, watch out for the shoes. Look out for the shoes."
The conversation highlights the significance of commencement speeches and the pressure of following in notable footsteps.
Katherine delves into her family's tradition of road trips, often visited during the summer months to maintain financial prudence.
Catherine Hahn [27:36]: "We spent like a full two weeks in an abandoned ski lodge in the middle of summer."
One standout memory involves a summer trip to Blue Knob, an abandoned ski lodge where the family endured the heat, exemplifying her father's frugality and sense of humor.
Catherine Hahn [30:05]: "He took pictures of all of us on the like, Mord ski lift just being like, hurry up, it's so hot."
These anecdotes paint a vivid picture of unconventional yet cherished family vacations filled with laughter and enduring memories.
Katherine fondly recounts stories about her father, Bill Han, highlighting his quirky and resourceful nature.
Catherine Hahn [30:44]: "He was very frugal... drove to D.C., got angry at roundabouts, and cleverly avoided parking penalties."
One memorable incident involves Bill’s attempt to secure discounted entry to the Lincoln Memorial by pretending to have a handicap:
Catherine Hahn [31:49]: "He started limping back to the car without missing a beat."
Another tale showcases his ingenuity at Cedar Point amusement park:
Catherine Hahn [32:11]: "He would carry a briefcase with all of his discharge papers from the Navy to try to get the discount."
These stories illustrate Bill's humorous approach to life's challenges and his ability to turn mundane situations into memorable adventures.
Katherine discusses her relationship with her two younger brothers, emphasizing the dynamics shaped by their age differences.
Catherine Hahn [25:03]: "I have a brother that's two years younger and then a brother that's seven years younger."
She shares how her responsibilities as the eldest sister fostered a nurturing bond, especially with her youngest brother.
Catherine Hahn [26:06]: "I felt responsible... It was pretty cool."
The conversation also touches on the playful exchanges between her brothers, showcasing a lively and affectionate sibling relationship.
Transitioning to the present, Catherine reflects on her own parenting style and the adventures of raising three children. She praises her son’s equestrian skills and daughter’s fearless nature.
Catherine Hahn [61:34]: "She rides horses... she's a very stern rider. She's the paddocks."
She also humorously describes her daughter’s creative approach to games and her son's playful antics.
Catherine Hahn [55:32]: "My son Axel, the middle one, does a thing where he is not confident with the one lie."
These insights offer listeners a glimpse into the joys and challenges of modern family life, wrapped in Catherine’s engaging storytelling.
In a rapid-fire segment, Seth and Josh pose quick questions to Catherine, eliciting candid and humorous responses about her ideal vacations, transportation preferences, and favorite family memories.
Josh [71:23]: "What is your favorite means of transportation? Train, plane, automobile, boat, bike, Walking."
Catherine Hahn [71:30]: "Oh, it depends where and how far. But I do love a car. But I love a plane."
These interactions add a dynamic and playful element to the episode, allowing Catherine’s personality to shine through.
As the episode wraps up, Seth and Josh express their appreciation for Catherine’s stories and the memories shared.
Seth [75:08]: "I will say that my... I loved WandaVision so much. I can't wait for Agatha all along. That's gonna premiere on September 18th. Thank you, Catherine. We love you, you guys."
Catherine reciprocates the gratitude, highlighting the importance of reminiscing about childhood vacations.
Catherine Hahn [75:57]: "What a delight, you guys."
Josh on Fantasy Football Drafts
"Every year, we're in a fantasy football league with you, me, a bunch of your college friends..." [00:35]
Seth on Commencement Shoes
"And I can only say, watch out for the shoes. Look out for the shoes." [15:07]
Catherine on Responsible Relationships
"I have a brother that's two years younger and then a brother that's seven years younger." [25:03]
Catherine on Her Father's Ingenuity
"He would carry a briefcase with all of his discharge papers from the Navy to try to get the discount." [32:11]
Catherine on Family Games
"We love. I mean, we used to love Uno for a long time. Now we're into banana grams..." [55:03]
This episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers offers a heartfelt and humorous exploration of family dynamics, cherished memories, and the enduring bonds formed through shared adventures. Katherine Hahn’s stories provide a relatable and entertaining narrative that resonates with listeners, celebrating the joys and quirks of family life.