Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: NAT FAXON Is From Manchester “ON” The Sea
Hosts: Seth Meyers & Josh Meyers
Guest: Nat Faxon
Release Date: February 3, 2026

Main Theme

In this episode, Seth and Josh Meyers are joined by Oscar-winning writer, actor, and director Nat Faxon. Together, they reminisce about growing up in New England, family ski trips, the strange pride and politics of town names, and the joys and disasters of traveling with siblings and parents. True to the Family Trips format, the episode is packed with hilarious childhood stories and reflections on family traditions, vacations, and the universal moments of awkwardness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New England Rivalries and Identity

• The episode opens with classic New England banter. Despite all being “from” the area in spirit, the Meyers brothers confess their deep, inherited dislike for the Patriots—while Nat is a fan.
  • [11:06] Seth: “I hate the Patriots more than any team in sports.”
• The politics of New England town names are explored. Nat grew up in Manchester, Massachusetts, which controversially changed its name to “Manchester by the Sea” during his childhood by the slimmest of margins (51% to 49%).
  • [12:04] Nat: "During my childhood, there was like this huge vote... to change the name from Manchester to Manchester by the Sea. It was like razor thin margin.”
• Nostalgia and gentle ribbing about class, accents, and regional markers, such as the “wicked” local accent, play out.
  • [16:27] Seth: “When Casey Affleck came on the show... said it should have been ‘kid’ instead of ‘bro.’”

2. Childhood, Boarding School, and Sibling Dynamics

• Nat describes growing up with one older sister in New England, both eventually sent to boarding school (Holderness School, NH)—where going was the “norm” not a “punishment.”
  • [24:07] Nat: “Every time I tell people that though, they're like, oh, you had serious problems... but that’s just what you did.”
• The challenges and rapid maturation that come from starting boarding school at 13 are recounted with humor and empathy.
  • [25:35] Nat: “I was 13... I had not gone through puberty... around men essentially who are like 18, and then you go in the shower and you’re like, don’t look at me.”
• Nat’s enduring bond with his sister is highlighted, including her joining his school after a bad experience elsewhere.
  • [27:38] Nat: "We are very close... geography is hard... but we were close growing up."

3. Family Vacations: Ski Trips, Sibling Mayhem, and Growing Up on the Slopes

• The Faxons, like many New England families, were big into skiing—often to New England resorts, sometimes going west, and once, a formative Europe trip.
  • [28:59] Nat: “We did a lot of skiing, we did a lot of ski trips... Sugarloaf and the Sugar Bush and Stowe…”
• Legendary family trip to Sun Valley, ID, featured a “kids’ condo” and an “adults’ condo,” marking a coming-of-age for a young Nat.
• Powerful story of Nat losing his “blankie” (childhood comfort blanket) to hotel cleaning staff, symbolizing a rite of passage.
  • [32:13] Nat: “Blankie died on this trip... the cleaning people just took all the sheets and took them away.”
• Awkwardness and small traumas of pre-pubescent life on the road, including being the youngest and slowest to mature among cousins and friends.

4. Ski Culture: Then vs. Now

• The dads reminisce about growing up skiing without helmets or waterproof clothes, now marveling at the safety-conscious culture of modern ski trips.
  • [35:57] Seth: "I cannot believe now that when we were growing up, we were skiing without helmets... helmets existed!"
• Hilarious tales of outdated ski fashion and the evolution of ski gear.
• Nat’s “Dick Move” as a parent: putting his kids in ski school so he could have real fun, and the complex feelings of trying to balance being a coach vs. being a dad.
  • [33:54] Nat: "I was that terrible dad that didn't... have zero patience for my kids learning to ski."

5. Eccentric European Ski Adventures

• Nat recounts shooting “Downhill” in Austria and living out the ultimate European ski fantasy: wild aprés-ski, boundary-free slopes, accidentally skiing into another country.
  • [44:47] Nat: “Their slogan is relax IF you can — it's like a threat. ... There’s a McDonald’s... with a strip club in the basement.”
• The unique, often nudist, sauna culture in Europe leads to laugh-out-loud stories of awkwardness as an American abroad.
  • [57:09] Nat: “It was all... co sex... I don’t know what the word... all gender.”
  • [58:37] Seth: “I feel like if we’d grown up in Europe, I could go to a spa with all you people. But I know I’m not down for it.”*

6. Filming and Vacation Destinations by Design

• Nat and Seth joke about writers and directors picking shooting locations based on the best places to vacation (see: “The Descendants” in Hawaii, “The Way Way Back” in Massachusetts).
  • [64:35] Seth: “Do you think you write movies based on where you want to spend it? … You also did Descendants...”
  • [64:39] Nat: “Adam Sandler sort of set that bar... he’s doing something great.”
• Anecdotes about how movie locations are sometimes chosen for personal convenience or whimsy more than artistic vision.
  • [66:33] Seth: “For anybody who's listening, who's wondering why movies get made where... It's, Where does Steve Carell live? And where did Kenny Lonergan point?”

7. Speed Round & Final Reflections (66:52–68:31)

• The hosts hit Nat with a quick round of questions about his travel and vacation preferences:
  • Ideal vacation: Adventurous
  • Favorite means of transportation: Train
  • Dream family to travel with: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and family (they seem rich and fun!)
  • Dream trip: Skiing in Japan
  • Pitch for Manchester by the Sea: “A quaint New England town literally by the sea... beach that sings. It is literally called Singing Beach.”
  • Grand Canyon? Never been, not that interested, but maybe for the “checked the box” factor.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Manchester by the Sea’s name change:
  [12:04] Nat Faxon: "There was this huge vote... on whether to change the name from Manchester to Manchester by the Sea. It was like razor thin... 51% to 49% that it passed.”
• On losing his “blankie” at age 12:
  [32:14] Nat Faxon: "The cleaning people... took all the sheets, you know, and took them away, and they're like, 'You're too old for a blankie, you sad child.'"
• On American awkwardness with European saunas:
  [57:09] Nat Faxon: "It was all... co sex... I don't know what the word... co sex."
  [58:37] Seth Meyers: "I feel like if we'd grown up in Europe, I could go to a spa with all you people. But I know I'm not down for it."
• On ski school parenting:
  [33:54] Nat Faxon: “I was that terrible dad that didn’t... have zero patience for my kids learning to ski.... Now she didn’t get quite the proper training, I think, as the other two, so now she’s just lagging behind and we’re like... we ridicule her.”
• On the realities of childhood gear:
  [36:02] Nat Faxon: “Wore those like tight, really tight, like stretch pants with like the, with the pads... There was no, like, Gore Tex... they would get soaking wet.”
• On European aprés-ski:
  [44:47] Nat Faxon: "They call it the Ibiza of the Alps. Their slogan is 'relax IF you can’—it's like a threat... There’s a McDonald’s with a strip club in the basement."
• On picking movie locations:
  [64:39] Nat Faxon: “I feel like Adam Sandler sort of set that bar. ... Shooting a movie in some cool place is the best.”
• On family hot tub time:
  [55:40] Nat Faxon: “Love the hot tub. ... When you get out and lay in the snow and then get back in ... it always is a little tight."
• On the strip club in McDonald's:
  [44:54] Seth Meyers: “I can't believe Europe is the first place to have a strip club in the basement of McDonald's.”

Important Timestamps

• Manchester by the Sea’s name story: 12:00–13:49
• Boarding school stories: 24:09–27:28
• Losing the blankie, coming of age: 31:32–32:14
• Parental ski school confessions: 33:54–35:08
• Skiing injuries and safety evolution: 35:57–37:51
• Downhill filming & European apres-ski: 44:47–47:32
• Speed round of questions: 66:52–68:31

Tone and Language

The episode is warm, conversational, and packed with dry, self-deprecating humor typical of the Meyers family and their guests. It blends nostalgia and comedy, with candid confessions about parenting, childhood, and imperfection.

Summary

If you’re nostalgic for 1980s New England, grew up skiing or losing blankies in Idaho, or just want to hear Emmy- and Oscar-winning comedy friends unpack family disasters with wit and warmth, this episode is for you. The show is equal parts memory-keeping, gentle roast, and love letter to family, awkwardness, and the quirks of growing up.

Notable Ending Moment:
A musical sketch recounts Nat’s 12-year-old failed romance on the family ski trip, culminating with the devastating loss of his childhood blankie and the slightly less dramatic survival of his virginity—“this was all pre-puberty, sweet boy.”

[70:30–72:28 musical summary segment]

Recommended for:

Anyone who loves travel stories, coming-of-age embarrassments, the details of family life, or the peculiar pride of New Englanders.