RE-RELEASE - Jason Sudeikis

Summary

Summary: Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade — Jason Sudeikis (Re-Release)

Podcast: Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Guest: Jason Sudeikis
Date: September 18, 2025
Main Theme:
A deep, comedic, and reflective conversation with Jason Sudeikis, covering his journey in comedy and television, Saturday Night Live (SNL) stories, movies, improv beginnings, and the cultural impact and creation of Ted Lasso.

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Episode Overview

This re-release celebrates Jason Sudeikis — from his Kansas childhood and basketball days, through his formative years at Second City and SNL, and culminating in the tremendous international success and resonance of Ted Lasso. The hosts and Sudeikis discuss the evolution of comedic careers, creative collaboration, lessons from SNL, the blending of humor and heart, and the behind-the-scenes magic of Ted Lasso. The episode is rich with anecdotes, impressions, comedy theory, and memorable showbiz wisdom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jason Sudeikis’s Early Life and Basketball Roots

• Basketball prowess: Sudeikis played high school basketball and was the point guard, crediting the team camaraderie as a shaping force for his comedic sensibility. (09:55)
  • Quote: "A lot of what we do on Ted Lasso is my experience of what it's like in locker rooms, people joking around." (10:20)
• Kansas childhood: Early exposure to varied comedic influences, including fake radio shows and characters with friends and siblings. (11:18)
• Comedy influences: Mom introduced him to theater and touring companies; improv beginnings at Comedy Sports in Kansas. (12:10)

2. Path to Comedy: From Improvisation to Chicago & Second City

• Chicago move: Inspired by family ties and mentorship (uncle George Wendt). Sudeikis credits the collaborative culture of Second City for honing his comedic instincts. (13:45)
• Improv vs Stand-up: Discusses the challenge of improv compared to stand-up: “Improv is so fucking hard. In standup… at least you can get a head start, you know, and think about it.” (13:00, David Spade)
• Stage fright: Saw performing as a sport, channeling excitement/anxiety into energy: “No stage fright. I’d get excited… like anxious is excited plus nervous.” (14:15)

3. SNL Years: Becoming a Cast Member and Writer

• Route to SNL: Initially hired as a writer, transitioned to performer following a distinctive audition. (21:27)
• Impressions: Discusses his take on Joe Biden, with a standout story about Fred Armisen texting him when Biden became Obama's running mate. (03:24)
  • Quote: “I did him in a Halloween sketch... and when Obama picked Biden as his running mate, Fred Armisen texted me saying, congrats... I was like, I guess that means.” (03:24)
• “What Up With That”: Evolution of his iconic background dancing and what made those sketches beloved. (26:40)
  • Quote: “It was the one that we did, my generation, where when they started to build the set, people would start to get hyped... everyone was in it!” (27:17)
• Main Justice and Potato Chip sketches: Affection for quirky, cult-favorite sketches; respect for writer collaboration, especially with Will Forte and John Solomon. (44:22)

4. The Alchemy of SNL: Writing, Performing, Surviving

• SNL’s pressure and culture: The rollercoaster of rejection and validation, how imposter syndrome is common, and the wisdom passed down from Tina Fey and others.
• Lauren Michaels: Sudeikis reflects on the enigmatic SNL producer’s hiring style and mentorship. (23:17)
  • Quote: “He was always really nice to me. I think he wanted me to get out of my own way while on his watch.” (23:35)
• Advice to new cast members: “Enjoy the process of creation and destruction on a weekly basis... don’t judge yourself for when it sticks and when it doesn’t.” (64:07)
• Favorite SNL moments: Bonding and creative sparks at the rewrite table, collaborating with peers like Fred Armisen. (33:05)

5. The ‘Ted Lasso’ Journey: From Commercial Parody to Global Phenomenon

• Origin Story: Ted Lasso began as a 2013 NBC sports promo. Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly developed the character and world, modeling their planned series after the British Office. (78:27)
• Development Process: Multiple pitches, network passings, eventual landing with Apple. Bill Lawrence’s showrunner expertise proved pivotal. (80:11)
  • Quote: “It starts and stops... But when Bill Lawrence looks at it and goes, oh, there’s something here... he got us moving.” (81:01)
• Writing British characters: Benefited from theater stints in Europe and deep respect for British comedic archetypes. (82:35)
• Why it resonates: Heart, egolessness, and subverting sitcom tropes (“be curious, not judgmental”). (85:02)
  • Notable story: Real-life inspirations for Ted's positive, non-ego approach, influenced by psychedelic experiences and Michael Pollan’s writing on ego loss. (85:36)
• Cultural recognition: Celebrities and fans reaching out, the show’s multi-level impact on viewers’ emotions and worldviews. (77:05, 110:24)
  • Quote [on success]: "It came out during quarantine... a guy would drive by the house when I'm taking out the garbage and honk, hey, I love the show." (95:33)

6. Creative Process and Collaboration

• Harmony in collaboration: Sudeikis praises the “best idea wins” attitude, openness to crew and cast input, and trusting department heads. (88:09)
• Editing and production insights: How his SNL experience shapes his show-running and editing sensibility (“If you leave a little space for the people behind the camera and in the office, marketing, whatever, to lean into this show, the same space and grace we want to afford the audience as well.”) (89:12)
• How to lead a show: He sees himself as helping “plate the dishes” at a big creative cookout. (87:04)

7. Reflections on Career, Fame, and Next Steps

• Navigating new attention: Sudeikis discusses handling renewed Hollywood “heat,” being deliberate about next career steps, and staying true to creative roots. (98:58)
• Long-term perspective: Emphasizes grace, luck, and pride in lifting others up, not just personal achievement.
  • Quote: "All I've done is added to the people that I want to make laugh and be proud of what I'm doing and then how I'm going about doing it." (101:42)
• Staying humble: Paul Newman as a role model for humility and acknowledging luck. (102:48)

8. Pop Culture, Influences, and Legacy

• Movies and music that shaped him: Beverly Hills Cop, Color of Money, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard, Monty Python, Nirvana, and more. (103:20, 107:51)
• Kids and legacy: Sharing his love of movies and music with his children, reflecting on their excitement for art and comedy. (107:51)
• Comedy’s emotional impact: Recognizes the meaningful ways shows like Ted Lasso touch people during tough times. (110:07)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

On advice to young SNLers:

• “If you get really good at doing SNL... you then need to leave... you'll feel like Daniel LaRusso, like The Karate Kid, 'oh, I didn't know I learned how to do this.'” (63:23)

On creative courage:

• “Just because it dies doesn't mean it's dead. Like it can come back around and find some other place or inspire some other thing.” (54:00)

On showrunning:

• “It’s a little bit like... everybody brings a dish and I just sort of help put things on the plate.” (87:04)

On ‘Ted Lasso’ ethos:

• “No ego. If you don't put any... if you just play it without any of that, he's not trying to get over on people. He's not trying to trick anybody.” (85:02)
• “Be curious, not judgmental. People have asked me to write that on their arms... and I don’t even know if it’s Walt Whitman’s.” (86:07)

On collaborative philosophy:

• “If you leave a little space for the people behind the camera and in the office... to lean into this show, the same space and grace we want to afford the audience as well.” (89:12)

On the unpredictability of show business:

• “There's so much whimsy to this game. And there by the grace of God go I. Gotta stay humble.” (102:48)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early SNL/Impressions & Basketball: 03:24 – 10:20
• Comedy Roots/Chicago/Second City: 11:18 – 14:10
• Getting to SNL/First Audition: 21:27 – 23:17
• ‘What Up With That’ and SNL Sketches: 26:40 – 29:36
• Creative Process at SNL/Writer’s Room: 31:41 – 33:18
• Advice to New SNL Hires: 64:07
• Developing ‘Ted Lasso’: 78:27 – 84:26
• Ted Lasso’s Philosophical Core (“No Ego”/“Curiosity”): 85:02 – 86:07
• Dealing with Hollywood Fame/Next Steps: 98:58
• Discussing Influential Films & Legacy: 103:20 – end

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Tone and Style

The episode is casual, fast-paced, and hilarious, laced with showbiz wisdom, behind-the-scenes stories, and the hosts’ signature blend of respectful roasting, self-deprecation, and affection. Sudeikis’s thoughtful, Midwestern, and collaborative style stands out amidst the banter.

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Final Reflection

Jason Sudeikis’s humility and openness shine as he recounts the unpredictable but rewarding roads from Kansas gyms to SNL to shaping one of TV’s most beloved recent characters. Ted Lasso’s global embrace is traced back to lessons learned in comedy teamwork, empathy, and trusting the creative process. The conversation is a must-listen for comedy fans, aspiring performers, and anyone curious about why heart matters as much as humor in showbiz — and in life.

Transcript

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[David Spade]

Here we go. Dana, We've got a, we got a re release of Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis. Great dude. Good looking dude. Dude, that was a lot of fun. Came in, sat with us, we covered a lot. We talked to him for forever.

[Dana Carvey]

We got every SNL thing in there. We got a lot of his big movies in there. And then toward the end we unpack the Magic of Ted Lasso which has a new season coming out. So it's a nice time to kind of revisit Jason because he was, I.

[David Spade]

Think it's his 50th birthday also. Yeah, he's got it made. And yeah, we went over we're the Millers and Hall Pass, just stuff that we'd seen. We wanted to kind of have a few questions about. Yeah, and also obviously Ted Lasso obviously getting into all the snl stuff and all his buddies on there that his run of there had a lot of great people.

[Dana Carvey]

So, yeah, a very hot time in the show. And he. He talked about his love of pinball machines. There's a lot of personal insight. So it's one of our longest podcasts in person. And so I thought. I really enjoyed it.

[David Spade]

Yeah, he'll like it, too.

[Dana Carvey]

Here he is.

[David Spade]

We won't take it any longer.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, he has an elevator.

[David Spade]

It's time you learned he only gets paid scale plus a million.

[Dana Carvey]

So you did Joe Biden in the early days. Him 2012.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Where he's kind of a way in 08. I mean, I did. I did him in the. I mean, the first time I did. The first time I did him was like when some Christmas episode of maybe 2007 or something like that, like, and I forgot. And then when Obama picked Biden as his running mate, Fred Armisen texted me saying, congrats. I was like, well, for what? He goes, biden. I go, I play Biden. He goes, Yeah, I played SpongeBob SquarePants. Like, it was like a. Yeah, it was a Halloween sketch. And I was like, oh, right. I was like, I guess that means.

[David Spade]

I already had it locked in doggy unintentionally.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. I mean, and then I got to do it and be. You know, who was the magician that went on after the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Basically, I lived that existence playing Joe Biden in the vice. Vice presidential debates against Tina Fey's Sarah Palin.

[Dana Carvey]

They look alike, they sound alike. It'll blow your mind.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. And just everybody was clamoring for it, and she crushed it. And, yeah, I had fun runs written by Jim Downey and Seth. But everybody was like, yeah, yeah, okay, there we go. Here we go. You touched on that.

[Dana Carvey]

There wasn't much to do. He was full sunglass Corvette guy. He was at alpha at that point compared to, you know, he's older now.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So it was a different take on it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Paternal. Very grand. Paternal. Za, za, za, za, za.

[Dana Carvey]

That's all I got.

[David Spade]

That's kind of close.

[Dana Carvey]

Good Lord.

[David Spade]

So we have Kansas. Yep. Kansas is own now.

[Dana Carvey]

You play basketball. The only thing I ask. I'll ask this first. Could you touch the rim?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I could.

[Dana Carvey]

Could you dunk a baseball?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I could dunk a baseball, yes. I probably dunked a basketball 10 times in my life.

[David Spade]

Shut up.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Really? Never during a game with a referee. I was just talking about this yesterday.

[David Spade]

Any witnesses?

[Dana Carvey]

There's basketball going on right now. You know, a lot of basketball. So I'm just.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Dunking's on everyone's mind.

[Dana Carvey]

Two or six?

[Jason Sudeikis]

One.

[Dana Carvey]

Six one. What's your wingspan?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, probably six one. Probably nothing. Nothing spectacular.

[Dana Carvey]

So you had a pretty good vertical to get a basketball.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was also adrenaline. I also had a lot of friends that could jump. And so it's a little bit of peer pressure that way, too, where it's just. Come on, just shut up and do it. But I do remember If I dunked 10 times. Six of them. Six of those times were one day after playing basketball. Like in between junior, senior year, you know? No, no, sophomore. Junior year. Like during summer.

[David Spade]

That's unreal, dude.

[Dana Carvey]

My dad put up a nine foot hoop and it fucked all the kids because we were awesome on the nine feeling. And then we go to high school.

[Jason Sudeikis]

What the hell? After airball.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I can get the net. I can dunk on the net.

[Dana Carvey]

Nine foot is awesome.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's. It's. It was a. It's less of a big deal now. I feel like, you know, shooting threes off the dribble is what it's all about now because of, you know, Steph Curry and whatnot. But back in. Yeah, back when I was playing, dunking was the biggest deal in the world. I mean, that's. I was the test market for those strength shoes, you know, that they, you know, really.

[Dana Carvey]

That would kind of create.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I mean, I had a pair for the legit reason. I would jump rope in them all the time. A lot of. A lot of times spent on that.

[David Spade]

But, yeah, you know, when they do it now, it's. They go up past half court, it's like one step, two step, shoot it, and you go, jesus, how do you guard? You don't even know what's happening.

[Dana Carvey]

He changed everything.

[David Spade]

It's just one, two, boom, and you go. And then they make it 90% of the time.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, Him, Caitlin Clark on the, you know, the women's college, you know, Circuit two. I mean, it's all. All over the place. All. All over the world. Yeah. Just shooting.

[David Spade]

You play, Sandler?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I. Adam and I have played. I think we may have played once or twice, but not, not. Not enough to have a scouting report. I hear he's good.

[David Spade]

I know he gets into it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

He's competitive, too.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

What are you doing?

[David Spade]

It's all funny games till the game starts. Exactly.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Like, get open.

[Dana Carvey]

I go. You don't talk to me like that. Jesus. Happy Gilmore. I'm not.

[David Spade]

You check the call sheet. I go, all right.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You are not triggering financing out here, buddy, we are all the same. No, I. But. But no, he. He plays. He's played in a game with my buddy Sam Jones that I've played in a few times and buddy Brad Morris. But yeah, I haven't played maybe once or twice. I mean, the. Probably the best. The most fun I'd have playing in the Was. Was hearing the stories of Garry Shandling's game, then getting invited to go play in that with Sarah Silver.

[David Spade]

Oh, you did?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, and before he passed. And then. And then a huge thing was when. When Gary was like, hey, you can come without Sarah if you want.

[David Spade]

Oh, that's a big deal.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Lovely. Like a lovely. Sort of. Because I'd read about that game forever. Like.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Sarah, you. I mean, who were the regulars?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, my gosh. I mean, McKay was there.

[David Spade]

Jimmy Miller.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Jimmy was there a couple times.

[David Spade]

I mean, early. Not early, early days, but I. There was a run there when I went and I was no good and I sort of got pushed in the background. Yeah, yeah, Just not the emails.

[Dana Carvey]

You could do a Mugsy Bugs out there.

[David Spade]

I was. I was like, you know, distraction, whatever they call.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I just want you on the. Out there, like on the side. Just like, you know, we need it.

[David Spade]

Every now we need five to keep it even. You go out there and run around.

[Dana Carvey]

Circles or a spud web. I would have been a spud web, but no, I got out of that quickly. I was. Yeah, I was D basketball in high school, and our center was literally 5, 3. He controlled the paint. Yeah, that was when they had d basketball. Five foot tall, 91 pounds as a freshman. What about you? Were you always a bearded stud in high school? Were you a late.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was a beard of acne like any of us. Right. I don't think I could grow a beard until about an hour before I got here.

[Dana Carvey]

How'd you get rid of the acne? Because I had it bad, too, and I bought all the products, and then once I said, fuck it, I'm not going to put anything on it. And then within two months, it went away.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Isn't that something?

[Dana Carvey]

Did you do that?

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was a little bit, like, it just kind of went away. Like, a lot of things that have affected me or have fallen on me as almost maybe psychosomatic things, whether it be, you know, patches in growing a beard or back pain. Like so much of it, I think, is. Yeah. Where you're at mentally, and there's so much attention put on that. And my mom, bless her heart, was always really more worried about it than I was because I'm not looking at my face all day. You know, we're looking out our eyes. And so she was really adamant. Yes. She had me going through all this stuff, going to like a dermatologist. And I think it did exacerbate the problem.

[Dana Carvey]

I put Stridex, Medicaid pads, and every time I. And I realized later it took me about a year to go. It's just making it worse.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. It just hurts.

[David Spade]

Dries you out. And I didn't know it as a kid.

[Dana Carvey]

And then the oil comes gushing in.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And then, you know what's going to happen.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Exactly. Yeah. But I have a handful of, you know, playing, you know, pseudo dermatologist, you know, scars from, from trying to like, get rid of things, you know, preemptively, versus just taking. Learning the patience of just like letting it be.

[Dana Carvey]

Just how the mind controls everything.

[David Spade]

Let's just not get laid this year and let's just ride it out.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Take it easy. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Were you in high school? Were you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I.

[Dana Carvey]

Were you like captain of the team or you were kind of a funny guy with your friends or what was your lane?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Funny guy? Like? I was the point guard. So, like kind of a de facto, you know, captain in the sense that you're coming down varsity starter. Yeah. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay.

[Jason Sudeikis]

During junior year. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

As a junior.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Okay.

[Dana Carvey]

So you were good?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I was decent. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For, for my, for my area and my. And like my skill level. Yeah, I was, I wasn't too shabby. But. But yeah, I mean, I definitely, I mean, a lot of what we do on Ted Lasso is my experience of what it's like in locker rooms, you know, people joking around. We, we were a very fun group of guys. I have very thoughtful friends, guys that I'm still, you know, very close with and friends with to this day. And we just, yeah, we joked around a lot. Much of the chagrin, I think, of our, you know, our, you know, very athletic minded, alpha head coach who was lovely and playful as well, but more playful when we were listening and winning.

[Dana Carvey]

We had the same situation with a cross country track distance running coach. Blood, gut and hair, real ex marine, all that stuff. So were you kind of the funny guy on the team? Because I was with a lot of guys who had great sense of humor and I think I kind of developed as a comedian in high school sports. Running.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, 100%.

[Dana Carvey]

Because they would laugh at everything I said.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. And also I, I always grew up around and gravitated towards funny people like I had funny friends and they were funny in different ways. So like, my friend Chris was more of like, oh, what if this happened? And then another guy's like more like wordplay and another guy's like a guy I do character voices with. Another guy's the guy that we would do fake radio shows with. Or then when I got a video camera in sixth grade, the guy that you'd make fake talk shows with, you know, and you know, doing both of your guys stuff, you know, being like an snl, you know, fanatic at that point. Especially before you start going out on weekends, you know, on Saturdays and having a friend that can drive like, you know, we did. I did that all the time with, with all these different groups. And then my sisters did singing and dancing at like a place called Miller Marley. And so I was around all those type of like more overt theater folks, you know, the people that wanted to do musicals that did, you know, summer stock, you know, in Kansas City in the Park.

[David Spade]

And Kansas doesn't have a big comedy scene. Right. It's just more. It was a theater improv situation.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It had it. Theater. Yeah. I mean they had stand up clubs and I assume you all did like Stanfords and Sons clubs and coming through there. I know I saw Dennis Miller do, you know, stand up my. Right before my senior year, me and my dad went to go see him in kc, Stanford and Sons. Yeah. But yeah, I mean my focus was mostly mom taking us to go see touring companies, going to see my sisters do stuff during the summer. And then there was a place called Comedy Sports that was like sketch or mostly. No, all improv. Kind of like whose lines it anyway, you know, like short form.

[David Spade]

That's hard actually.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I just love that. And it is hard. And if that's what you'd learn doing, you know, like just constantly jumping through hoops, people setting you up to fail. Like the audience is all baked into it. You develop a little bit of a fan.

[David Spade]

It's so fast. Improv is so fucking hard. And standup is hard, but it's. At least you can get a head start, you know, and think about it. Yeah. Because now when you're in high school, there's a point where you go, I actually think I could maybe do this as a living. I didn't really think that when I was doing standup. I just did it one day and just said, I'll never do this for a living. I just want to try it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, no, for. It wasn't until moving to Chicago that I think I want to do this for a living at that point. I moved after I stopped playing basketball in college and stuff. Like I was just like, okay, quit doing that. Started doing comedy, sports, working at a grocery store, living in my parents basement. And then I was like, I'm Chicago. I'm going to move to Chicago. You know, my folks are from there. My grandmother lived up there. I lived with her. My uncle George and Aunt Bernadette had done Second City. You know, George went. I think I assume that.

[Dana Carvey]

So you had a place to land.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I had a place to reap for a while.

[David Spade]

George went.

[Dana Carvey]

Is your George Wendt is your, is your son?

[Jason Sudeikis]

He's my son. It's weird.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a genetic name.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I'll talk you through it. It makes sense. Brought an iPad to explain things visually. But yeah, like that was when I made the decision like, oh, I want to try this. All the rest of it was just about having fun, was just wanting to do something that I saw and having the opportunity to do it. I assume it's the same.

[Dana Carvey]

Did you have stage fright or were you pretty comfortable?

[Jason Sudeikis]

No stage fright. No. I'd get antsy, I'd get excited. You know, I try to explain what anxious is to like my kids. I say it's excited plus nervous. So I was definitely anxious. But. But I think there is something about having an athlete's mentality towards it all. And it's something I still say today and something again we've used on the TED Lasso show. There's no defense in the arts. There's nobody trying to actively, for the most part when you're doing it, stop you from doing it. Yeah. Just your own apathy, your cynicism, your ego, your baggage.

[Dana Carvey]

I tell my sons, there's no getting your feelings hurt in show business. It's like no crying in baseball. It's a monolith. It's not against you, it's not stacked against you. It's just a thing.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And there's.

[Jason Sudeikis]

How are you going to respond?

[David Spade]

It was made to make you feel bad.

[Dana Carvey]

I just want to insert this because I always been noticed your voice and did you get some voiceover offers early in in Chicago with your voice?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Never, Never, never in a million years.

[Dana Carvey]

You have a very good.

[David Spade]

He just noticed kind of sexy a minute ago.

[Dana Carvey]

I. Hey look, I don't watch morning voice. It is very sexy. But no, no, no.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It might be deeper right now just because of, you know, Ford screaming for sure like, yeah, like Arnett has gmc. I could never. Yeah, I, I did, I did A voiceover thing for Applebee's, like, a few years. Which was. Which was nice because, you know, they're headquartered back home and stuff.

[Dana Carvey]

And how did that sound? Did you put on a voice? Voice.

[Jason Sudeikis]

See you tomorrow. Applebee's, like, in my. Like, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Feel like a pot pie. Yeah. All the spaghetti you can eat.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Tired of blooming onions? Then come to Applebee's.

[Dana Carvey]

Breadsticks, fish sticks.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But I do. I remember. And there's a big teacher, big influence in my life. She comes up all the time. But this woman, Sally Shipley, who taught speech and debate, had one of her students. She also taught radio, tv. And one of her students was like, oh, we should do this thing. You know, you should get to do the voiceover. Is Jason Sudeikis. He has a nice voice.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And I was like, I do. I didn't know anything about that.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, I don't have a voice. I don't have a face either. I say the same thing.

[David Spade]

You barely talk.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm like an invisible person. But you can put stuff on me or give me a voice.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Silver screen. You're just you. You are.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm. I'm just invisible. I'm a totally neutral person.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Whoever you want to be. Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

You can put a nose on me, whatever. Give me an accent.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's a blessing and a curse, isn't it?

[Dana Carvey]

You know, I'm so tempted to talk about Ted Lasso, but do not.

[David Spade]

They told us. Do not.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, for real?

[Dana Carvey]

I figured. Well, they said 45 minutes in. He doesn't want to promote Ted Lasso. It says right here, the only ones.

[David Spade]

Talking about Lasso working at Banana Republic.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Great, perfect.

[Dana Carvey]

We want to spend an hour on.

[David Spade]

And he's an insane pinball person. Have you been to the pinball place in Veg?

[Jason Sudeikis]

The pinball museum off the Strip.

[David Spade]

Fucking monster right by the airport. It's unreal.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Really is.

[David Spade]

They write pinball big enough, you know where it is? And I went in.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Bing, bing, bong, bong, bong, bing, bing, bong, bing.

[David Spade]

Free game. It goes like this. Free game. But I did it. I went through there and got all the effects. Good place to meet kids. So, no, I went in there. I felt weird because I'm like, it's mostly adults. I go, who's weirder? You know, I'm in here. But I played Galaxia. Asteroids. Asteroids. You don't find him everywhere, Dana.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No.

[David Spade]

You don't go to Shake.

[Dana Carvey]

He's. No, I did. Guys, I'm from the 50s. I mean, we had A pinball machine at the. At the lake.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was the devil's game back then. It was gambling. It was bad news. Don't put your quarters in.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, Guppy would. The guy who ran the Where's Guppy Been? Mercantile and Lake Ronan, Montana, he was the king of that pinball machine out on the deck. And there were goats and we'd challenge him and.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Anyway, I fell in love with it. Yeah, like, well, after the fact, throughout, it's always been there because growing up, you know, born in 75, so arcades were big as a kid, and. And dad taking us to go those things, and I would play, you know, like, you know, Dig Dug or any of the other games, Tron whatnot. And then he'd always go over to these pinball machines. And that was the first time I saw a dude like, you know, cradle the ball where it wasn't just luck. It wasn't. He wasn't just slapping it up there. I was kind of like, oh. Then kind of got away from it. Then the felt. One of the fellows that owns and created this theater called Boom Chicago in Amsterdam is a big pinball, you know, fanatic and knows a lot about the history and. And just how the games are made and the designers, and he had one and kind of taught me and Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard on Lasso, taught us kind of the, you know, the more nuanced version of that. And then 10 years went by, and then I bumped into one again. And whenever, like, especially when you're with someone and you go do films and you're. And you're spoken for, it, like, to go out on the town can be, like, laborious, especially as you. As you like. People knew me from snl, so me and my friend Chip, who I work with, we would go find a place. I found an app that was just like, oh, really? Yeah, where you find out where the pinball machines were. And it's so great because it give you a. Give you a reason, go out, give you a focus on something. It's not just having a beer. Like, you know, we're not, like, do something, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Give you something and to focus on. And also, as people maybe started to join us, you could kind of just include them. It was. It was always. We'd always rent a pinball machine to wherever we were shooting a movie just to kind of learn and give ourselves something.

[Dana Carvey]

And Jerry's Deli hatched a little. A little PG13 on Netflix here, boys. Okay.

[David Spade]

Jerry's Deli in the Valley was a Big place to hang out. I think it's still there, but maybe it's not.

[Dana Carvey]

Jerry's old.

[David Spade]

Yeah, but they had. So that was the old days of, like, Sandler, Drake, Sather, Schneider. They had pinball in there. Fun House. A game called Fun House. And we would just. Hours there were just. Because there's nothing with standups in the day.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Board up for us, Go bomb at night, come back in. It's practical.

[Dana Carvey]

It's. It's physical.

[David Spade]

It's a quarter. It's not that bad. You get 10 bucks. Yeah. If you can ride it out.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And if a good get. Yeah. If you have a good game, it lasts 15 minutes. And then you're sort of competing against folks.

[David Spade]

Oh, you hate when someone's going down.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

I'll come back.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And then you. Do you hear that knock?

[David Spade]

That's a good one. It's very close to what it is.

[Dana Carvey]

So you lived above a Burger King?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes, yes.

[Dana Carvey]

So this is. When is the burger. This is my first Burger King's Corner.

[David Spade]

King's.

[Dana Carvey]

It must have been in New York.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was absolutely in New York. I'm 46th street between 5th and 6th. It was the first place. It was the only place I looked at. I moved in. They had me at the Paramount. Supposed to be two weeks.

[David Spade]

Is there any for snl?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes.

[David Spade]

That's what I do, too.

[Dana Carvey]

I go, really?

[David Spade]

Something's wrong with my room. It's 2ft by 3ft. I went down the front desk, and they go, oh, you got a King suite. I go, no, this is my whole room. And I had no fucking idea what was going on.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I had to sleep in the fetal position.

[Dana Carvey]

It was so small, literally, you couldn't stretch out.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, you know, you could absolutely touch the wall either side, like, you know. But this was. This was at the Paramount. This was the room that. The hotel that they built.

[David Spade]

They don't count on you bringing a suitcase, because when you go in, they.

[Dana Carvey]

Go, you want to go in or the suitcase? You both can't go in.

[David Spade]

It's. Honestly, there's. Where's a stand on your bed?

[Jason Sudeikis]

But I was there. Yeah, I was supposed to be there two weeks. I ended up extending it like six somehow. And went to a Internet cafe, looked up a place on Craigslist. My sister Kristen had already lived there for a few years, so I had her come to the, you know, look at the place. And it was. And I could see the 30 rock out the back, out the blinds. That was why I was here. I figured I was going to get Let go within at least whatever the writers killed, minimum.

[David Spade]

It's burned in all of us.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I know where just.

[David Spade]

We all sound like, fire me. Just.

[Dana Carvey]

Why would they hire you as a writer? Did they see you perform, but then also liked your writing and said, let's just try them that way?

[Jason Sudeikis]

That's the impression. I never asked, but that was the impression I got. I mean, it was a little bit like. Like I would have said, like, you know, I was kidding about Sandler wanting you around the game. You always hear that Lorne, like, he just wants funny people around. So even though I auditioned for it, and I auditioned the year after Tracy had left and it was year, Keenan got hired, a fellow named Finesse Mitchell. And, yeah, I had a decent audition. I had one piece in there where I play a senator who offends black people. And then he. When he goes to apologize to them, he then offends Jewish people. And then he offends. Then he. When he.

[Dana Carvey]

2003.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Exactly. Yeah, it was. It was based on Rick Santorum. Like, he was like. He compared homosexuality to bestiality. And then in his apology, like, just doubled down on it. It was like, what is going on? And so I did that, but it was nonpartisan. And so they liked, you know, the writing of that because it was. It was, you know, taken.

[David Spade]

I, like, there was thought behind it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Steve Higgins was. Was more vocal about. About why I got hired.

[David Spade]

Maybe you could give it to.

[Dana Carvey]

Higgins was the champion for you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, him and Tina. And Tina who. I knew her and her husband from my Second City days. And so, yeah, so then it was just a matter of going out there. I go into that building, walk upstairs. I was like, chris, how is this? She goes, it's nice like this. It's clean. Like, I go. And I don't have a good sense of smell, if any sense of smell. So, like, I was like, does it smell like burgers? She goes, you can kind of smell the fries, but it's gone by this floor because it was like, I think, like, three or four floors walk up. And the reason why I was on top of a Burger King is because a fellow named Louisiana. Our landlord owned. Was a, you know, franchise guy, and he built these. These things right on top of it.

[David Spade]

I still thought, we're doing snl, but. So SNL smells a little like Tater Tot.

[Dana Carvey]

I always go to purpose.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's the key.

[David Spade]

If I pick you up, just come down.

[Dana Carvey]

What was your. I always ask cast members, like, Lorne Michaels is this enigmatic.

[David Spade]

Of course, we've been doing Lorne, if you haven't noticed, mine's a little soft.

[Dana Carvey]

Please. Everybody does it. But your relationship with him, how did it evolve? Were you standoffish at first? Were you?

[Jason Sudeikis]

No. He was always really nice to me. I think he wanted me to get out of my own way while on his watch a little bit. I would say that the part of him that hires people because he sees something in them or someone that he sees something in says that you should go after this person's got something. Like, I think he's seen all of us or our archetypes, like, a dozen times over at this point. So he kind of is like, okay, I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you Billy Murray advice, you know? Right.

[Dana Carvey]

They attach you to someone.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, I don't know. I've never asked him, but that's what it felt like. A little bit, like. Cause he was auditioning, you know, who to, you know, you know, like. But he was always supportive. Like, he was always someone that I felt I could go up and speak to. I remember that after that first audition, you know, talking to Horatio and Maya Rudolph. Horatio I knew from Second City, Maya, who I just met. But it was lovely. I went down to go downstairs and go, they're not gonna laugh. No one's gonna do anything. Like, don't worry about it. And I went down and did it. And after I got done with my studio audition, the first one, Lorne came over and shook my hand. And I did not know what to make of it. Would not know what to do where it doesn't. Yeah. I still don't know what to make of it.

[Dana Carvey]

He came over and shook your hand.

[Jason Sudeikis]

He stood up, walked over. Now I don't. Now I walked forward and I was told that no one's gonna laugh. People did laugh a little bit. It was only like five people. And then he's not gonn. And then he got up and did the opposite of that. I was like. And I didn't go upstairs and try to make sense of it. I probably haven't really spoken much about it, because it didn't. I was like, now I don't know if I didn't. I then walk out, go back to my dressing room, which was, you know, Daryl Hammond's dressing room, I believe, at the time. And he may have just walked out behind me and gone to the john. You know what I mean? Like, so I don't know, can you.

[David Spade]

Give me a piggyback ride?

[Dana Carvey]

But it is understanding. He will cast it sort of almost like a sitcom in a way. You know, you'll be Bill Murray, and.

[David Spade]

Bill Hader will be like a Phil type or.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No, no. I don't know if I was. I feel like he wanted me to be the thing that really helped, like, sort of pushed me over the edge. Because I wrote for those first two seasons was like I wrote when you came back to host once, and I was on the cast when you came back to host once. But in those first two years, there was a sketch that we did when Tom Brady hosted, and I basically did, like, this, like, the same dancing that I do in that. What up with that sketch? The exact same.

[Dana Carvey]

We wanted to talk about that, but.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I did that dancing because Beck was performing that week, and he had a guy that was doing the dancing kind of off to the side. And so I just made the choice to do this, and then it made a bunch of people laugh. And I remember Tina telling me that during dress rehearsal, when that sketch was going on, he kind of looked at the screen and goes, dan Aykroyd.

[David Spade]

Dan Aykroyd.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know, and then we had the show Saturday. The sketch made it on, as did the other sketch that me and my buddy Joe Kelly wrote for our man Tom Brady. And then two weeks went by, and during that break, they hired. Hired me into the cast. So it was kind of like, well.

[Dana Carvey]

It'S such a specific dance, and it always makes you laugh, even if you. I watch it again, and I'm laughing every time because it's so specific, and you're playing it so earnest and so clueless, so. And what's up with that? You can't take your eyes off you. And Kenan talked about how much you made that sketch.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know, I mean, that's very sweet of him.

[Dana Carvey]

I would argue you didn't have a line what he called. It's like a bicycle thing. And then you would do the side.

[David Spade]

Running man is hard to do. And you look so stupid.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

And your wig. And also I think in the Ted Lasso clip where they say it looks like you're in the middle of all the guys and like, a first show.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

So it's a. It's a hilarious.

[Dana Carvey]

Very specific.

[David Spade]

What's up with that is just funny anyway.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's just funny. And it was such a joy. I mean, what were like when people ask me my favorite sketches from there, that one is always top three. And not necessarily because of the effort I put into it or the way people respond to it, which is always lovely, but just it was the one that we did, my generation, where when they'd start to build the set, people would start to get hyped. And then it found that spot after update, so they'd tear away the update thing. Then they'd start putting up that. And the people in the crowd, we.

[Dana Carvey]

Were all in it. Everyone was in it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Everyone was in some weird gigantic cast. And you'd always have like Robert De Niro there or somebody like, you know, like some weird cameo. You know, Bill dressed as Lindsey Buckingham knew exactly where it was going to go. We're just slotting in all these things.

[David Spade]

And it was great to get a cameo. It's great when people even cast want to be in it. Or a host comes in and says, I want to be in that.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, that's the. And so for people who don't know what's up with that was like Kenan was a game show or a show, a talk show host and he never got to asking anyone any questions. It was these long musical interludes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Longest sing.

[David Spade]

You have background singers, I think.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And then you dancing and also athletically, did you get out? I mean you did it for a long period of time.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It was more of a magic trick. I would do it for a little bit of time and then I'd jump in to frame. Like that was the thing that. I mean the thing I always look at is I have been doing that dancing since I was like on basketball teams like from the early 90s. That's just watching UMTV raps with Fab 5, Freddy and Kid and Play and House Party and all those movies. And yet it was the same thing. I made my 15 year old friends laugh. The things that I delighted in were me learning the edge of frame and how to make it look like I'm dropping in off of something or taking a long exit, roundabout thing. Doing a Sherman Helmsley walk off and just trying to tickle Keen and trying to make him laugh and just milk up as much screen time as possible just to make Kenny among in the booth laugh.

[Dana Carvey]

And you were doing it different on air, you were just surprised.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You try to switch up little things here and there. Yeah. A good spry group of people, my generation that at some point realize that if we, if we make the boss laugh by making each other laugh, he'll.

[Dana Carvey]

In a sketch that's funny with the sound off, like there's no real joke. Once the melee starts and the party and the dancing and all this stuff, you can just. The audience can really just laugh.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, it's great.

[Dana Carvey]

Because they're not listening for any. You know, which is another one I wanted to bring up that you did with Keenan was the Scared straight.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And he gave you kudos, too, as his partner in crime, you know, going, hey, hey, come on. I mean, that thing is really, I.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Mean, again, so fun because we'd always get. The host would have something fun to do. But then Bill and Andy were in there, and Bobby Moynihan is who I picture for the third. And just. And Keenan, when you get Bill and Andy cooking and laughing. And then Bobby too. Bobby's so funny. And then, yeah, Keenan would come in there just hollering at whoever. I'm trying to think. I mean, I like hollering.

[Dana Carvey]

And were you writing on the show with four other people at that time? Did you come up with this with Kenan or.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No, that was probably him, I'm guessing Brian Tucker, maybe somebody else. Rob Klein, potentially. But no, a lot of times I was just like. Those two instances were just. I was merely a muse.

[Dana Carvey]

And who did you connect with as a writer? Did you have someone you wrote with more regularly or would come to you with stuff?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, well, I mean, those first two years, I really felt imposter syndrome of, like, as a writer, only because I had only recently discovered, like, what I did. What I liked writing for myself, but again, that virtue of having funny friends, it was like one of those things. And there are two. There are two sort of commandments, if you will, or like a piece of advice that. That Tina gave. One was like, you know, don't write anything that you feel like you can do yourself, you know, because it'll drive you crazy, especially if you're. If you did audition for the show. And now. And I did it once, and she was 100% right. I wrote a Dr. Phil thing for Jeff Richards, like, later in my first season, because I just wasn't getting anything on. So I was like, well, write something that I know. And Jeff and I worked on it really well, and it didn't go super great at the. At the read through. And I remember being unnaturally upset, like, where it's just like.

[David Spade]

Well, you mean you knew how to play it. But that's my thing.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, but. But it. But when you. When you give it, when you hand it over, it's like, I'm okay. I was okay doing that. But, but, but I, But I. But people. It's. It's like the. It's like people weren't hot on, On Jeff at that point in that room. And, And. And and he was doing it well. It just. It just, like, didn't get over that hump that Wednesday night. God.

[David Spade]

I think when they hire you as a writer, I think, Dana, it's, like, a little scammed. First of all, it's a little cheaper. It makes you work harder. I didn't want to be a writer. I didn't know how to be a writer from Arizona. I just barely had 25 minutes of standup. And Rob Schneider and I, we got the call together, and he goes, hey, it's great news. We're hired as a writer. Performers. I go, no, he's. No, that's great. That's what Chevy Chaser or someone was. I go, I don't know how to fucking write. And I don't know how to write for other people. I barely knew how to write for myself. So you get in there, and they would say, you know, write for Dana. Write for Mike Myers. Write for whoever. And I'm like. Like, it's so hard. And also, I barely have ideas myself. And then you give them away, and it kills you inside.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I know. And it's. And for me, what eventually happened was I started pairing up with, like, Fred. Fred and I hit it off. And, you know, Fred's just a lovely, fun guy. And what I couldn't do was make up something for these guys, like, on a blank page at that point. But what I could do is listen to what they did do. Bad impressions of it, let my brain click into that and help with rewrites. Like, the rewrite table was. I loved. I still love it. I'd sit at any show's rewrite table, like, yeah, you know, that's. That's my.

[Dana Carvey]

It's fun to help someone else's. Your ego's out of the way, and you're just like, oh, how about to.

[David Spade]

Get one line in anything best.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's like.

[David Spade]

And you feel like you're in the game. You're like, if I can compete, just be even with these guys or in the mix.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Absolutely. Like, I like that I'm not taking up space here, that I do belong here. I have worth being here. They haven't wasted the other time.

[David Spade]

They're not rolling their eyes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Exactly.

[David Spade]

I told Dana this when he was there. I think when I. There's a sketch. I used to play receptionist. I wanted to do it. I hadn't been on much, and I was sort of teetering on every summer. They'd go, I don't know if we're gonna keep them. And I'm like, God, Damn, how can I work any harder? Maybe I'm just not good enough. And then that one, I got on, and then David Bowie was musical guest. So I said, ask him if he wants to be at the end and I won't know who he is. And then he said yes. And then he wanted to call me. And then he asked if he could be my part and switch. And I said no. And it was so hard.

[Dana Carvey]

But I go, I have nothing.

[David Spade]

I mean, and it made me think what you said about you just want to get on. So even one of your good sketches you might just give to someone that you brought in just to get on, to stay and then worry about it later. Like, okay, I gave it one away, but I don't even know if that one was any good. You just go, I want to do it. And he's like, oh, yeah, okay. And I was like, oh, my God.

[Dana Carvey]

And I have to.

[David Spade]

I get to talk to David Bowie and then I get to go sideways with him right away. He's like, yeah, okay. Go fuck yourself. Good luck with your shit.

[Dana Carvey]

I had that. I had that. But he was angle on that with Robin Williams, who I adored and was a really good friend, but he really wanted to do church chat. And this is in the early days. This was my golden ticket. And I was very careful. And I thought if Robin got so excited, it would be like, oh, look, no tits. You know, you know, that kind of stuff. I was just afraid of it. And he even called me Saturday morning at like 10am to be in it. To be in it, to be a guest.

[David Spade]

I would really like to play.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, it was heartbreaking, but, you know, we got past that. It wasn't, but it was in those days, if your thing was very precious, you know, I wanted to keep it quasi real, in a sense.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But, you know, not like, quote unquote, sell out, like by giving it to the. Over to the show. I mean, again, I'm using this, you know, metaphorically. It's not selling out.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, that was a lucky thing, because the cast, I had Phil and Jan and people in it, and it was a lucky thing. I didn't know home base and then have the cast come and go and the host. So Lauren loved it. Yeah, because I didn't have to score.

[David Spade]

Did you come in with characters?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Not really. No, I did. I did, like. No, not really.

[David Spade]

Write them down. I mean, yeah, I did like three.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Characters and like seven impressions that first audition. And. And it was mostly that senator sketch that I mentioned. And. And from What I heard like, like when you get to that point, like, how the heck did I get here? You know, like three years once. Once you sort of know you're. That you're there, how did that make it?

[David Spade]

Whatever you did, you mean?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it was, it was as much money, like, like the banter in between, like, dealing with, like, whether the piece played well or didn't, you know, I. But I was. I was, yeah, dubbed, you know, being funny. So they just wanted me at the table because it did feel weird getting, you know, being an actor. I mean, I. I called my. My manager over at Brillstein Jeff, and I was just like, maybe I've fucked up. I think I should just stay the acting. No, you're in showbiz now. And he would say, you know, you, Sandler, Chevy Chase, Tina. You know, obviously at that, at that point, like all starred as writers is like, you know, and I do sketches, questions and anything. It was great. And yet it really took that relationship with Lauren. And the one thing that I learned there that I feel like I would encourage folks to do is go talk to a person that can. If you can, if you have the opportunity to find audience with the person that can actually change the situation, do that versus talking to everyone to the left and right of them. Yeah, that's it. And Lauren was always open to that with me. And, you know, I think that.

[Dana Carvey]

When did 2A holes come in? Cause that was one fairly early on.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That was Chris and I's first season.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. So that really. You popped when I saw that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. I mean, that was this magic Christmas episode that Jack Black hosted. Neil Young was the musical guest we had. Our new sort of generation was pretty intact there. I had come in at the end, last three episodes of the season prior to Bill and Andy got hired over the summer, and then Kristen got hired about like five, six weeks into the.

[Dana Carvey]

Season, and then Fred a little later.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Well, Fred had already been there. Fred Forte had already been there.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. So that was. That was a, you know, a very fertile time on snl. Yeah, the cast was.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But that specific episode was that they did Lazy Sunday, the digital Lonely island guys. We did two A holes. Will Forte did the spelling bee sketch that he had submitted probably six times in. In the couple years, which was a Groundlings trunk piece that he had that just everybody loved. Just. It never got over the hump. But J. Jack Black, who was the host of my very first episode as a writer that I got a piece on, he was just like this lucky charm for me. Specifically, but I feel for a lot of folks because he was one of those hosts that would just support the piece in a holes. He's straight up, just a straight man. And that was Chris and I. We were writing together every single week and we were just tired and we're just chewing gum and just started talking like that. Hey, babe. Hey, babe. And just how do we make this guy's life a nightmare?

[Dana Carvey]

How would you describe that to people who are listening? It may not have seen it. It's like two cocky young people. Self involved.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Two self involved people making a business transaction as difficult as possible for the person trying to help.

[Dana Carvey]

And you had a rhythm of baby.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, there was a. Yeah, it's kind of like. Yeah, it's like chewing the gum. Yeah. Hey, babe, what are you doing? Yeah, what do you want to do? Yeah, we want to go to Hogwarts, you know. And then Kristen was just like this kind of like. And she was like almost like a Paris Hilton type, but you know, just vocal fry and just, I want to go in there.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm tired.

[David Spade]

Sometimes at three in the morning you go, Is this even funny? But 100, you're just like, are we delirious? It's funny, but also it's you two, which is already you're halfway there because people want you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know, at that point, I mean.

[Dana Carvey]

Maybe you weren't even that still emerging. Yeah, I think, yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, she was off to the races because Chris had so many. Have so many good characters. I mean, the Groundlings folks like Blue always consistently blew doors off of us Second City folks, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Did they really?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I think like in, in regards to characters, you know what I mean? Like, like, I mean, I mean, that's what I love about the. I'd say that, you know, Farrell and McKay are like bird and magic, like just like platonic soulmates that were like The Hatfields and McCoys who then came together with these two sensibilities of these two amazing sketch, you know, American like comedy theaters. And then boom, like, you know, we're off to the races once they, once they decide to like just, you know.

[David Spade]

Harmonize with each other. We had more stand ups back when you did.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, a lot of us were stand ups. Didn't have real theater up in San Francisco. There's no Groundlings or. Yeah, I would have been in it in a second.

[David Spade]

You know those mornings where everything feels like it's moving 100 miles an hour, emails are flying in, you're trying to hit your protein goals somehow you're already running late. Yes, same. That's exactly when I hit pause and I head to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Whether I'm craving something bold and fruity or warm and savory, Tropical Smoothie Cafe makes it easy, breezy easy. I'll grab a Peanut paradise smoothie, 22 grams of smooth peanut buttery protein or mix it up with a PB protein crunch bowl packing a punch at 32 grams of protein.

[Dana Carvey]

And when I'm in a breakfast sandwich mood, there's sausage, egg and cheese, Dilla or the All American wrap are always hot, toasty and packed with the protein I need to actually power through my day, not just survive it. The best part? I order ahead in the app, swing by and grab it on the go. No waiting, no stress. Just me, my smoothie and a much needed mental getaway. Every smoothie, bowl and wrap is made to order, filled with better for you ingredients and serious good vibes. So go ahead, manifest a more refreshing morning Tropical Smoothie Cafe. You're on tropic time now. Hi, I'm Nancy Cartwright. You may know me better as the voice of Bart Simpson on Simpsons Declassified. We're diving into the mystery that keep the Simpsons forever young. Have you ever wondered how the Simpsons regularly predicts future events? Who better to ask than the show's creators, performers and writers? The celebrity guests? Be sure to follow and listen to Simpsons Declassified wherever you get your podcasts.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

You know, right? I totally I can shop from my favorite stores right from my phone and trust the Instacart shopper to pick the best items just like I would. Instacart brings convenience, quality and ease right to your door so you can focus on what matters most. Download the Instacart app and use code F OTW POD20 to get $20 off your first order of $80 or more. That's code F, OTW POD20 to get twenty dollars off your first order of eighty dollars or more. Offer valid for a limited time. Excludes restaurants. Additional terms apply. I wonder what it's like to be in the Groundlings today.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Right.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, because it's obviously such a feeder system and all now the hall of fame with Lovett's and Phil and going, of course, you know, must be very nerve wracking because if you get in that and you're in the main company, people, you have a chance, you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Know, Lawrence, I would assume so, but I think it's like especially being out here, because that was one thing about Second City in Chicago, is that you weren't. It was just about trying to do that well, like navigate like that. You wanted to be a good improviser, you wanted to be a good writer, you wanted to be a good actor. But like, but you know, you wanted people to, you know, do a good job for the piece. But it wasn't. You weren't thinking beyond like the building you were in in a lot of places, you know, because I think it's. Because it's in Chicago. Even though it has that same, you know, alumni, you know, plus, what, 20.

[David Spade]

More years, you're kind of famous, just doing it in Second City.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Right.

[David Spade]

I mean, that's a pretty big deal already.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. And you're getting paid for it, which, I don't know. I don't think Groundlings gets paid. I don't know. What if things have changed over the past few years?

[Dana Carvey]

But can we talk about a few more of your really cool sketches you were in? I mean, the commitment. I mean, I watched the. I don't know if David saw it, but the potato chip with Will Forte and the way you play that you both played, it was such full on sincerity and drama. And then when you started to break, I just thought, no wonder he's so good at Ted Lasso. You see, the seeds of it. It's comedy. But I really felt bad for the way you played it, that you first, you were super defiant. You didn't eat the potato chip. It's a complete theater of the absurd.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, absolutely.

[Dana Carvey]

With such commitment. And Will Forte is a freak that way. He's on. And then the way you. You decided to give it up. And then the way you saw it, I mean, you must have known that was. Because that's such a weird sketch that it must. People who like it must really mention it to you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, 100%. That's one of those sketches I'd be curious to Know from both of you, what's the one that people can come up to you and you know, like, oh, we would have been friends as kids. If you like that. Then we were. Then we're like friends for life. People say, what up with that? That's great. People dress up like that character for Halloween. But I would say potato chip and mane justice would.

[Dana Carvey]

Main justice is another two are two.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That if people come up to me, you go, I love potato chips. That I'm just instantly have a soul connection with that person. Do you have one like that Skinheads.

[Dana Carvey]

From Maine, which I did.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I love. We both have a Maine sketch on.

[Dana Carvey]

The Variety show with Colbert. It was just a flight of fancy of a Petridge farm kind of voice. Being a skinhead, you know, the weather's the only thing that the Jews don't control. You know, it was that level of him. That's funny, Clem. He goes, I hate stick for beating Spaniards. And so it was skinheads for me.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So people at an airport come up, hey, man. Our friends and I always mention that because we're skinheads.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Exactly. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Thanks for repping us. What about you, David?

[David Spade]

It would be bye bye bye bye now. We did bye bye twice. The second. The second one bought it miserably.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a very catchy. Catchy.

[David Spade]

It's a catchy one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

That was the only one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Was only twice.

[David Spade]

That's what we did. And then we went away for. Well, I went to Los Angeles the next day and this. This flight attendant said it. And then from then on, I probably honestly heard it maybe every day of my life for about 10 years.

[Dana Carvey]

Because when you go off a plane, if they say anything like that, your head goes to your sketch.

[David Spade]

Absolutely, yeah. And then like an automatic dream to say. And then they were told not to say that anymore. And then they show the sketch because my friend's wife worked for America. And they show them and say, this is what they think of us, so we have to change our. I'm like, jeez, we've ruined everything.

[Jason Sudeikis]

We say good morrow now. We say good moro.

[David Spade]

We say, get fucked. Get fucked. Get fucked. I mean, they still hate you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Whatever. They're saying, sorry about the legroom. Sorry about the legroom. Sorry.

[David Spade]

Now it is.

[Dana Carvey]

They.

[David Spade]

It bought me some street cred with. Sometimes they come by like around the southwest and they give you like a thimble of water. And then they come by and they. They go, hey. And they wink and they give me like a two gallon jug and I go, oh my God. And then the person next to me, can I get another water?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I'm like, I'm water logged.

[Dana Carvey]

I've had too much.

[David Spade]

I'm holding it like a baby. And they're like, get. I have too much water.

[Dana Carvey]

Mean.

[David Spade]

I know they better get mad.

[Dana Carvey]

I. Now, what about this Main justice guy? That's another. Really?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I mean, it's the same character, you know, which is.

[Dana Carvey]

But it's such a fun. How do you describe that sort of character? I mean, he's like, got a little goatee. He's like Colonel Sanders or something.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Like, what's funny? And this is one of those things that I love, like one of the lessons, like showbiz lessons that, that it can almost extend into life lessons that SNL is the. The potato chip sketch was. Was done when I was. I was going through a divorce. I was like, you know, like, not sleeping well, like being pulled every which way. John Solomon and Will Forte were writing buddies, went to UCLA together, et cetera, and, you know, created all this stuff since Last man on Earth and MacGruber and whatnot. They write potato chip. And the reason they write that thing is because I had done a sketch a few weeks earlier, the first time we did. What up with that? Actually, when Gerard Butler hosted and I had just seen Cool Hand Luke and I was kind of like, oh, it'd be funny to do a Cool Hand Luke sketch. But it. But Cool Hand Luke tries to get out of eating the eggs by just being like, are these free range eggs? It's like he says, I bet I can eat 50 eggs. And then I wrote myself as like the George Candy part. So I'm doing all that. Oh, boss, here, Come on now. Doing all that. And it did well, but it didn't get picked. And that's the beauty of Wednesdays is like, that's when you write one for them, one for you, and you do something and then your friends hear things or your co workers hear things. Oh, Jason could do this voice. And so then they write potato chip and write me in that voice. And so it comes from that. And so they're just right from this really crazy suit of place, which is literally just me doing a bad George Kennedy from.

[Dana Carvey]

But a loud, bombastic, cocky, high energy is fun to do in that studio.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

And.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And just picturing an outfit, you know, whatever. You know, again, one of those great things that I think Kristen is such a perfect example that the ground these folks had, like, they could see these characters that could just be transferred on the television, you know, with with, like, wigs and just, like the slight. Like, just a couple, you know, props and wardrobe, and boom, they're, you know, off they went. So then with Main justice, there was an idea that I had had first year for Horatio Sands, and it was more like Texas Justice. And then it just, like. Then we just, like, added some layer of absurdity to it. We just make it main. And I mean, I've told this story before, but, like, Lauren and Seth hated it. Cause there's no logic whatsoever.

[Dana Carvey]

It's not really a Maine accent.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, it's not Maine. It makes them like, why are they talking like this? What is going on? Why are you talking about crawdads up in Maine and not lobster? All this stuff. And myself and Mike o', Brie, who was my office mate and a good friend, we wrote together a lot. And I'm trying to think who else was in there. Oh, I think Rob Klein as well, who's a Harvard kid. You know, like, so, like, you know, super clever and silly. We were just like, you. What are you talking about? What was the logic behind Toonce's the driving cat? You made us this way. You, like, it's your fault. Yeah.

[David Spade]

So, like, I blame you, dad.

[Jason Sudeikis]

So that's why, like, two thirds of that sketch, we just go through the list. Like, we're like, Bobby Moyhan's character is like, what the hell is going on? And then I just go through just exposition. Like, oh, maybe this happened after Hulu Queen Katrina. Maybe there's a time hole war. You know, like a. Like, whatever.

[Dana Carvey]

It's just this weird.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's just to satisfy the story of.

[Dana Carvey]

Where does this guy.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And then we just push on through. But, yeah, that's one of those ones that you just. You know, I think it was probably from the one. Yeah. The Cool Hand Luke. But then also being a fan of Harry Connick Jr. Like, and like. Like when New Orleans folks would, you know, get real, real comfy and just start talking real cool.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah. Did you. When you were just Kulan Luca, what were the things that blew your mind as a kid, like, with movies or TV and stuff? They inspired you? Was it Kulan Luke, one of them?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, the first one that comes to mind is Beverly Hills Cop. Beverly. Seeing Beverly Hills Cop in the theater. Yeah, all of it. Yeah. Do you guys have to pay for the rights for that? If we use.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, then we just laid out on it. We could do six notes. You could do six notes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And then we're like, I do it for the repeat.

[Dana Carvey]

Marcy Get Tina J.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Anyway, but that was, that was a big one. I mean, SNL was huge. Was like, you know, that was. That, that, that was, that was certainly.

[David Spade]

When were you in high school? When was SNL?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, 1994 was like. 94. I know. Yeah. But I would say, okay, the. Up till. Up until sophomore year until my friend Matt Bale got his driver's license.

[David Spade]

Somehow you got a car and then.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, and then you're out every Saturday night. I mean, what were you doing? We were on 11:30.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Like bowling.

[Dana Carvey]

Really?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, I probably didn't do too much. I don't know, know. 10:30. 10:30 in K in Kansas City, you guys.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, we were on 10:30.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Super. Yeah.

[David Spade]

Damn, Arizona. It's like on at 9:30.

[Dana Carvey]

You want me to do any of my sketches you may have missed?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean.

[David Spade]

I got to ask him about Peacock movies.

[Dana Carvey]

Everything's on Peacock. Do they have to name the network? It's. It's a swear Peacock. You can't really put on an art.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Piece on the Peacock.

[David Spade]

Where the Millers, horrible bosses. Stop me if you're in any of these horrible.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, we were told by.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Who were you told by? You're up to. You can do whatever you like about.

[Dana Carvey]

The age group of, you know, when you're a certain age. I know.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I love, I love looking at the ones you like. Dick Fuel, Crime Scene.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, I thought that guy was awesome too.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I thought that was so cool, that character. Dick Fuel. It's just me doing like, like a bad Stallone, but also like with Be Diesel. I'm doing Vin Diesel.

[Dana Carvey]

But so you've got a really good bald cap on like a super short crew cut. Yeah, you're coming in. What. What was it?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, he's just. He's supposed to take a hit from Jeremy Renner. Yeah, he's just a stunt guy and he just flinches every time.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And he fights back. It's so silly. It's so like. But yeah, we. I did that for the MTV Movie Awards when I hosted. It was me.

[Dana Carvey]

You can look at this as if you want. It's just.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Okay, so Crime Scene. Crime Scene is one of my favorite. We did that with Charlie Day.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay, so now that was another great one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But that's written by Joe Kelly, who's one of the co creators. One of my dear friends co creators created Ted Lasso. That was a scene that he wrote for a sketcho after he, he, he didn't get asked back. He had a killer year at snl, didn't Come Back, went on to go do great work at How I Met yout Mother, a handful of other sitcoms. You know, he co created Detroiters, et cetera. That was a scene that I saw him do in the sketch show. It was all about cops and magicians. Right. So he does this thing and I'm like, this is a humdinger. Like, I just love the writing of it. It's so clever. And so like, it reminded me of like in that space of the audition sketch from Mr. Show or the dead parrot sketch. Monty Python, definitely. Where it's just. The writing is just super clever. And those are two of the all time greatest scenes. Right.

[Dana Carvey]

And just very quickly it was like he's kind of doing sort of a quasi Colombo investigating a murder. And then. He doesn't relate to anything you mentioned.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No, not baseball. He doesn't know what baseball is. He doesn't know what World War II is. He doesn't know me.

[Dana Carvey]

I know. I never watch television.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. And so, yeah, he's just like this cop who's just kind of a TV star.

[Dana Carvey]

Very Monty Python.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Very. I mean, 100%. And. And so then when, when Charlie hosted, I. I asked Joe if we could, you know, if we could do it. He's like, absolutely. Charlie and I were doing it. I was going to play the part Charlie was playing. He. And then Charlie was like, what if we switched? I was like, yeah, let's do that. Because Charlie and I had done Horrible Bosses 1 and 2. I'd been on It's Always Sunny. I think he's as smart and lovely and funny as they come.

[David Spade]

It's funny.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And so I was just like. And trust his instinct and his gut like crazy. And I was just like, yeah, let's do it. And that sketch, I love the pieces. And it's just one of those things that. Similar to like doing the George C. Scott or, sorry, George Kennedy voice is like, just because you do it, like there and it dies doesn't mean it's dead. Like, just because it dies doesn't mean it's dead. Like it can come back around and find some other place or inspire some other thing that then finds the right host and the right timing, right home.

[Dana Carvey]

Same thing with Cowbell. Until Walking came and in.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. Because then they do it a few times.

[Dana Carvey]

They did it and it just never landed.

[David Spade]

Someone said they did as the host. Who was we talking to? They said they did it and they said it didn't work.

[Dana Carvey]

It didn't work.

[David Spade]

And then they got a fever.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, you can't. It's one of the greatest rhythms per thing. And then Will, who can lower his iq, which we said in, like, five seconds. So Cowboy does this thing with his eyes where he's really stupid. He's so committed. So the two together. It's a magic sketch. Sketch. But this one I watched and God damn, that was fun.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, that's. That's Joe Kelly and Charlie Day and me, just me just trying to get in where I fit in, you know?

[Dana Carvey]

Damn.

[David Spade]

Dan. I'm asking about Horrible Bosses because.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, we should. Because people on our staff were.

[David Spade]

I saw it. I love.

[Dana Carvey]

No, well, I saw the Horrible Bosses, too, and also the Millers. That one was another smash.

[David Spade]

Do you have Aniston in both of them?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, she's in all three.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, what is she like?

[David Spade]

I've seen all these movies. Wait, she's in.

[Jason Sudeikis]

In them.

[David Spade]

I remember one thing.

[Dana Carvey]

You go to her parties and you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Don'T even know because she's finished. He cares about her as a person.

[David Spade]

You're going to get disinvited thinking, did she need coaxing to be super dirty and that. I think that was the Horrible Boss's one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Or is she, like, just ready to just break it out?

[Dana Carvey]

She played a stripper in the.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, she's. I didn't get the impression she needed to be coaxed into it at all.

[David Spade]

So she reads Horrible Bosses where she's filthy. You know that one, Dana, she.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Crotches.

[David Spade]

Yeah. She talks dirty. And after. Not too far from friends after that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Right.

[David Spade]

It was pretty. I mean, at least she was like America's Sweetheart.

[Jason Sudeikis]

2013. We did it. Or. No, that was like 2010. Yeah.

[David Spade]

So she.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah.

[David Spade]

Same year as Grown ups. You remember that?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Throwing a wig. You know, putting a wig on, too. I mean, that was definitely her being, you know, I. I would assume her having fun with the assumption that people make. Yeah. I mean, it was kind of, you know, the second one. I really like the second one. It was. It was like our homage. I mean, I think the world, like I said of Charlie and of Jason Bateman and of their partners. Like, it's such a fun group to roll with and do. Even press together. Golly. If I could have one thing, one do over, I would have put out that Horrible Bosses 2 movie. Maybe more in the summer. Because they did it. Warner Brothers New Line released it, from what I understand, as like, counter programming for Thanksgiving. And it was like, you know, because that's. Usually we put out Oscar movies and, like, family movies. It's like, it's like. And they just, I think they miscalculated. You know, people wanting to go see a movie with their grandparents where Rachel from friends is wearing a ring like around her, around her neck, like, like.

[David Spade]

She'S riding a sibian for most of the movie.

[Dana Carvey]

Somebody somewhere had that idea in a room. Everyone's yes, yes, let's do that. Plenty of those sappy dog movies will go around the neck.

[David Spade]

I'd love to be on the side. You know, they're just like doing a scene. They're like, one more Jennifer maybe say, yeah, eat your pussy. Okay, rolling. And she's like, wait, what am I doing? Just to get to yell out, bark.

[Dana Carvey]

Out, alternative jokes, everybody.

[David Spade]

But yeah, yeah, that's how all those movies work. That way they just run in jokes. That's the fun ones. When you do comedies, I love it. Funny people.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I want us to keep doing it like almost like the Marx Brothers. Like just, you know, the next movie we're going to do is like a prison break movie. Like just keep doing genres. But as the three. Yeah, these three goofy like middle aged.

[Dana Carvey]

Dudes and just going through it, which your attitude. I mean, I hear people say this a lot. Like they don't make comedies like, like that anymore or like Tropic Thunder or you know, just. It feels like we're in a different place with comedy films.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Like all balls out funny, R rated comedies.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I guess they're out there. I don't know. I'm a shut in.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Dana Carvey]

I didn't watch all of Ted Lasso.

[David Spade]

I think sometimes they from the top you get down. Like, I don't know if I do that. You can do it. But you know, it starts to. You start to lose jokes. Even in specials. It never works.

[Dana Carvey]

Or you censor yourself kind of stand up.

[David Spade]

They start cutting stuff. They start saying and you're like, oh. Cause it used to be just say whatever and live or die about if you're gonna get in trouble, it's you. And now they blame Netflix or Amazon and that makes them nervous. So it's just hard to get out. Do whatever you want. Podcasts. We're not really dirty. Dana's filthy. But we're not really dirty.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Loves working bl.

[Dana Carvey]

You can't.

[David Spade]

So. But this is one of the last places, if you want, you can sort of say whatever you want. There's not really a boss.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And we have editing capabilities. So if you said kill all whatever.

[David Spade]

We're gonna take 90% of this out.

[Jason Sudeikis]

We'll have to be more serious.

[Dana Carvey]

We're gonna start in one minute.

[David Spade]

We're gonna start. Dude, I did one such a good.

[Dana Carvey]

This is our best warmup, Dana.

[David Spade]

I did one the other day, and I was doing my fucking gross bits Ahoy. I was like, ba, ba, ba bits.

[Dana Carvey]

Bob bits.

[David Spade]

I walked in, coming in hot in about five minutes, and they go, that's great. All right, let's roll tape. And I go, you're joking. And then they're like, we're here with David. I go, you guys, it was rolling. Everyone was fun.

[Dana Carvey]

Always rolling productions. You want to shoot the rehearsal, hit.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The red button and let her rip.

[Dana Carvey]

We covered.

[David Spade]

George went.

[Jason Sudeikis]

We did a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

We did a little bit of Wendy Hall Pass.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I did do Hall Pass with Owen Wilson.

[Dana Carvey]

I think we should go there. I knew a guy who had a real, real hall pass with his wife, like, literally.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And who was it?

[Dana Carvey]

I don't know if he ever paid it off, but it was like they both married as virgins together. And she said, you. You got. You got one. So when this movie came out, I go, damn, they made a movie about that?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[David Spade]

Good idea. I've been a hall pass for a couple people.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Have you?

[David Spade]

Starting to get it, Dan.

[Dana Carvey]

Starting to get it.

[David Spade]

I was in Vegas at the meet and greet, and they really say that.

[Dana Carvey]

To Lovett's all the time. Starting to get it now. Here's his Go Ahead song. Oh, yeah. Should I do one couple of those for.

[David Spade]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Dana Carvey]

I try to come up with the worst hacky redneck comedians. So he's called Red Rednecky. The redneck comedian. I married my sister only cuz mama turn me down. Come and get some.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Got to be catch, right?

[Dana Carvey]

I asked my mama, what's for dinner? She said, roadkill. I said, what kind? She says, I got to take a drive. Come and get songs I like.

[David Spade]

It's in the jokes. And you're like, oh, is that after the joke?

[Dana Carvey]

That's the Come and get some.

[David Spade]

I got mine as rap.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's your cigar pull like you know it burns.

[Dana Carvey]

It's like, come up with a catchphrase. Come and get some. I had to look it up. I couldn't have been the first one to say, come and get some.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I remember. Who's the guy that would do Shucky Ducky Quack Quack. It was on Deaf Def Comedy. He might have been called Chucky Ducky.

[David Spade]

Oh, it might have been his name.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Shucky Ducky Quack.

[Dana Carvey]

I think Louisiana well, there's millionaire influencers that just have a catchphrase. I like Hot Soul.

[Jason Sudeikis]

They have a catch filter, a meme.

[Dana Carvey]

And a coffee cup. I don't know. I'm not a grumpy old man. I swear to God I'm not.

[David Spade]

I like with his movies, I just say what movies he's in. You were in Hall Pass, correct? Yep. Okay, what else?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Other than like most of it.

[Dana Carvey]

I did like Hall Pass Masterminds.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Masterminds?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, Mastermind was that.

[David Spade]

It's a cartoon one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That was. No, that was. That was with Kristen Wiig and. And Galifianakis and Owen Wilson again. Yeah, I was just. I played a little like a hitman. Showed up there for a couple weeks. Hired Gun. You know, you come in, you screw together your stuff and then you went back and hosted.

[Dana Carvey]

Was that kind of cool?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. I'd been asked prior, but the time was off and it was. I went back and played, you know, Biden a couple times.

[David Spade]

Oh, you did?

[Jason Sudeikis]

A couple times. But at that point I never. I hadn't had the chance to host and yeah, this perfect timing. Yeah, it was nice. I mean, it's. It's a surreal experience. The one thing that was different was it was post Covid. So like, you know, the table read was, which I loved, you know, like Wednesday was like, like a little theater show for everybody, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh yeah, 55 skits.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, it was. I. I just loved it. And, and just the marathon, like, it's insane. It's insane.

[David Spade]

Bo. In that room alone, I wasn't so nervous.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. And also everyone there has seen the best of the best of the best. Like at least a third of that room has been there from the get go. So they're just kinda like, okay, yeah, we saw this. We've seen this a hundred times over. But regardless of all that, the opportunity for the first time ever. Yeah. Cause during my time there's between 45 and 55 sketches. Like when working there, the 10 years I was there, I'd probably on a good week be in 12 to 17 of those sketches. So the most time you're watching, reading, and read through and read through and read through. So then to show up and go back and to be in 95% of the sketches.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, you can cold read over 50 sketches over four hours.

[David Spade]

Sickening.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I loved it. I try to read them. You make little notes, you try to do it and then just give it your all.

[David Spade]

There's no way you could do it all.

[Dana Carvey]

Are you a good reader?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I'm Like a cold reader and stuff.

[Dana Carvey]

Some people are exceptional and then some people are good. If you're okay with it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I am okay with it. And it did make. And it's something I'd say to anybody that is currently working at SNL or ever did or will will. Like, if you get really good at doing snl, you go, you then need to find. You need to then leave. Like during the off weeks or the summers, go, go play with other people that don't do snl. And you'll be, you'll be like, you'll feel like, you know, Daniel LaRusso, like the karate Kid, where it's like, oh, I didn't know I learned how to do this.

[Dana Carvey]

You're faster because you're in this all star team and you lose perspective and.

[Jason Sudeikis]

They don't joke bunker mentality into your relationships, you know, seems like you have.

[Dana Carvey]

Dovetailing to Ted the last. So you seem to have a lot of wisdom. Wisdom around snl. Like, what would you say to a cast member who just got hired and you had 30 seconds with them?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, like, I would say enjoy the process of creation and destruction on a, you know, weekly basis. Just enjoy it. Like, like make, eat shit, etc, repeat. Like, and, and, and don't judge yourself for when it sticks or what it doesn't. Because, like, I've never said just because it dies doesn't mean it's dead. I've never said that before, but that makes total sense to me.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah. And there's timing. Where is the set in the studio? Who are you following? What sketch are you following? And what's the vibe of that audience? Sometimes I can just tell when I'm doing stand up that there's a dead spot and I see a open mic coming up, I go, no chance. Five minutes ago, probably would have rode away. Right now it's just dead. So there's a lot of whimsy.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know, Jerry Miner, who is a friend and was a guy that I looked up to, you know, when he was at Second City, when he was on one of the stages there, he came back to guest, right. And I asked him the same question. What would you, you know, if you had to do it all over again? His time there, I think he was there for like maybe two, three seasons. He was. I had more fun. If you could. The sooner you can make snl, your recess versus your school. Yeah, the better. It's easier said than done.

[David Spade]

It's so hard.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's so hard. But that, but. And yet if, like, if you're able to do that.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, I feel like it builds like you're. Unless you're a savant, like certain people, just immediate. But you're trying to fight nerves. Try not to try. Try not to be too funny. Get the card, here's the guest. Look around, land the laugh, be there. And then the audience, eventually you land enough, the audience kind of see you can feel the vibe. They're liking to see you. And then you get more confident and they like you more. And then I can see this happen when with Cecily Strong, we were watching her evolution on the show.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Absolutely.

[Dana Carvey]

And you can't rush it, but it's, it's.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Lauren tried to expedite in a kind way. He asked me to do the warmup before the show, like probably after my first or second year in the cast. And I'd again, never done stand up.

[David Spade]

What would you do?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I would just. I would just do like, like old school jokes, you know, raise your hand if you've never been to a TV taping before. All right. But another show of hands. Who's at a TV taping for the very first time? A lot of the same people, you know, you know, stuff like that.

[Dana Carvey]

My son mentioned you yesterday because he was at that show and he goes, I oh, we're going to interview him. He goes, oh, man, he's a really good stand up.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, no, not at all.

[Dana Carvey]

Because that's all he saw you coming out.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, I mean, that was Lauren just wanting the audience to have a better sense of who I was before you get out there. And he would be, you know, Norm used to do it, but like Norman, Nelly would say, so I'm going to be in this sketch. I'm going to come out. When I come out, really, really let him have it. Let him hear it, you know, just please love me.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, you know, it'd be great if you could like stand up and apply.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, right.

[Dana Carvey]

That'd be better than anything.

[David Spade]

Lauren's like, norm, let them not like you ahead of time and then go do your update where they're going to hate you.

[Dana Carvey]

Don't you love when nor Lauren always uses the one name? Chevy did it. Danny did it that way. Billy liked it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

There's only one Lauren I love towards the end there, like on Tuesdays was the host dinners. Did you guys have those like where you. Oh, yeah, I love them because it was like, it was a little bit like the part of me that wouldn't do homework and then would try to talk about current affairs or current events before you Know, we started talking about, you know, Beowulf, you know, like, I didn't read Beowulf, but I can. I can talk about the twa, you.

[Dana Carvey]

Know, how to four hour boozy dinner and then go back and write the show.

[David Spade]

Yeah, I did it to avoid writing. When they go, we're trying to gather people. You want to go spade? I'm like, yeah, I love to.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Just to see Lauren, like, get loose. And I learned through repetition. So hearing stories that he may have told before, like, it didn't bother me at all. I just kind of, like, play as Ed McMahon or just like. Or just. I was always like. I loved when you came back to host you. I feel. I felt I always had fun making Loren, like, my straight man. Like, during pitch meeting on Mondays, I would. I would. I have for years, since even Chicago. I still carry him, like, these little tiny notebooks, and I'd just sit there with this little notebook, and it would be like, all right, Jason. And I'd go, hey, Lauren, you still need you. You ran out of karaoke last night without paying. You owe me a hundred bucks. He's like, I'll get you. Okay. You said that, you know, like, whatever. And then. And so then, you know, whome, you know, Ludacris or Ben Affleck doesn't know what my relationship is with this guy who's an icon. And it's just me, like, you know, that's just giving him. Giving him guff. But he always, like, we would always laugh about. It was always, like, respectful. It was never me, like, you know, being a dick to him, but it's just. Just kind of like acting like he was just one of the. One of the bros. One of the guys. Yeah. Yeah.

[David Spade]

Hosting is scary. One time I went back and I was. I got sick after, during dress, and I had to lay down, and Marcy. I don't know if you were there when Marcy Klein was there. She was, of course, dramatic anyway, and then freaking out, pounding on my door. I was in that little dressing room off of 8h. The host and the music are right there. So I was in there laying on the ground, and I threw up. And then it was mid dress, toward the end of dress, and I missed two sketches, and I just went in, and then they go, so those got cut.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

The writers are like, awesome. And then. Awesome. It's already got a stink on it. If we try to bring it back next week for Michael Keaton.

[Jason Sudeikis]

A little bit of bar flex.

[David Spade]

Yeah, little bar. And then I. I got up. I Mean hero is a strong word, but I got up and I did the show, but no hero. That's people whispering, Jordan, I was flu. I went out there and did a real C episode. I hosted twice. I don't know if anyone was better, if you can consider that. I remember Adam was in my. My monologue once, and then he Waterboy open and he had to fly back to la. And I was. And Lauren goes, just do stand up and. But I'm like, it's not that fucking. I never even go on anymore. So I had to go do cold standup of like, dogs are funny.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Do you know, he made me do. Or. He made me. He asked me to do the warmup for the fucking 40th anniversary. Oh, he asked me to because I had done it for eight years. That one that I was telling you. And again, just straight up, just. Just being goofy, you know, I mean, Don Pardo would introduce me, and here, Jason and I can give it up for Don Pardo. The man, the mythos legend. The only person in this building that was quoted in the Bible, you know, just doing old jokes. God said, let there be light. He flipped the switch, you know, like the corniest, hackiest, whatever, but just having fun, right?

[David Spade]

The audience is.

[Dana Carvey]

And then all cast that 40.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That's what I said to him. Like, he has Eric Kenorn, who is a buddy and he's produced on the show, was, you know, writer guy that we work wrote together all the time. I was like, what are you doing? Like, like Sarah Sillman's in the house. You know, Chappelle Spade. I mean, I name check. I was like. I was like, these guys would all like, why me? Will he just do it? You know, and so I. So I do it. And it is. I eat so much shit. Like, it's not. No one's listening. It's like 10 minutes before it's live and you're looking out there and what I've said is, like, it looked like the gatefold of, like, sergeant Pepper's the COVID Everyone.

[Dana Carvey]

Every person was famous.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Every person was famous. And then famous on top. Famous was talking to famous. At some point, I was like, you know, said to Keith Richards, who was talking to Jack Nicholson, you know, Keith, Jack. I think if you guys sit down, people will start to follow along. Just nothing. Then next. And I'm like, so I'm not bummed. I'm just laughing about. I look out in the crowd. Galifianakis is crying with laughter about how much shit I'm eating. Bourne then comes up to me, says, do you want me to, like, off mic. Do you want me to introduce you? Settle him down. I was like, yes, please. I go, yeah, man, that'll help. And he starts to go up to the mic. I go, hold on. Let me introduce you. I go, ladies and gentlemen, really quick, let's give it up for the man. None of us would be here without him. The one and only. Please put your hands together for Mr. Dick Ebers. And I do. And I make that joke. And as I do, that Bill Murray walks right in front of me, looks up at me and gives me a little thumbs up. I was like, that's why you say yes to this game.

[David Spade]

I'll take that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Everybody quiets down a little bit. And then I got about 30 seconds to just say, hey, everybody, have fun tonight. Before they got loud again, before the real show started.

[Dana Carvey]

That was just mayhem. I didn't know the dressing room. I think I was just hanging out in the hallway or something.

[Jason Sudeikis]

My mouth gets dry just thinking about it right now. Stargazing.

[David Spade]

Every turn into the like, somebody, somebody.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I got to meet Eddie Murphy that night. I got like. It was like a to do.

[Dana Carvey]

Chappelle asked me, where. Can I smoke a cigarette?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I wasn't sure. Go to the stairwell. I don't think you can. What about a vape? He goes, I don't like him.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, well, all right.

[Dana Carvey]

I know, but it was wild. Bradley Cooper. Can I get a picture with you? You know, sure. Something else for one night.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I know.

[Dana Carvey]

All right. Let's talk about Ted Lasso.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

Ted Star as a video, as a commercial.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah, Very. Well.

[David Spade]

There was a guy with a beard in that. And then. Who made that call?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, there you go.

[David Spade]

Is it the same.

[Dana Carvey]

It's.

[David Spade]

It is the same guy.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Coach, as I was watching this morning, going, brendan, I don't know if they brought him over.

[Dana Carvey]

No, no, your guys, chemistry and pattern.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, we're pals from way back when.

[Dana Carvey]

I'll just set the table. David.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So I hear about Ted Lasso. Everyone's talking about Ted Lasso. I'm watching stuff. So eventually my wife and I get to Ted Lasso. So, like, everyone else are like, it's.

[David Spade]

Sort of mandatory at this point.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And then it became like, this is lightning in a bottle. And you've heard everything and you actually. You can talk to it, but you've heard from famous people, right, that just had to tell you what they thought. Can you. I mean, want to mention them or.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No.

[Dana Carvey]

Just famous.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Well, I mean, the ones that stick out were like, you know, finding out that Brad Pitt liked the show. Finding out that, you know, Frank Oz writing a lovely letter, you know, at the Emmys last year, sitting next to. To Brian Cox and his wife, and we were at a table with some of the succession folks, and then him being like, I love the show, man.

[Dana Carvey]

If you get it, you get it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Never in a million years.

[Dana Carvey]

It works on so many different levels. It's very. The pop culture pattern, how fast you all do it around the room, talking about Julie Andrews movies. It's all thrown away.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Julie Andrews sent Brett Goldstein a very nice headshot. Her own appreciation for him.

[Dana Carvey]

So another example, Roy Kent, guys, all these cocksuckers were going to kill him. So it's like. It's almost like Andy Griffith at times. It's so earnest and sincere.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And then the likability factor of Ted Lasso, you know, the country bumpkins. He doesn't know what he's doing. He's smarter than everyone. He has no ego. When the guy tried to take you down, that actor would be Muhammad. And then you did your press conference and turned it. So what? So you got. You do the NBC thing. And I watched it again. Cannon, you're a fish out of water. So then you guys get in a room, they get the order.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And so when did you know, like, holy shit, we got a real hook for this now because you cast all these Other characters.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

How does that come together?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, it's like, you know, it starts and stops. Because we did the first commercial in 2013, the second one in 2014 we got to do. Because the one in 2013 was well received.

[David Spade]

It's sort of well received just by your friends. They hear it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. But we also heard a few football. It was made to bridge the gap between American football fans and soccer fans. And Brendan, who plays Coach Beard, and Joe Kelly, who's one of the creators of the commercial. And we're all friends, and we're kind of like Goldilocks. I know nothing. Joe knows a little bit about both, and Brendan knows a lot about both, but mostly, and more importantly, soccer. And so we tried to do that with the first commercial, and it hits like this weird Venn diagram of football fans like it, soccer fans like it, comedy folks like it, and the average advertising, the business people like it. And so we get to do a second one. They don't want to give us the same budget, meaning they don't want to fly us out to the uk that's okay. All right. We'll make the commercial about how Ted got hired and fired in three days and loved. Fell in love with soccer, fell in love with the UK and so that's where all the enthusiasm and the egolessness to a lot of degrees came out. So then in 2015, Joe and Brennan and I meet in Brooklyn. My partner at the time was like, you guys all really enjoyed doing that. You should do something. I was like, yeah, but what? So we sit out for a week, and we're like, is it another commercial? Is it a movie? Is it this? And we sort of modeled it after the British office. You know, six episodes, one season, six episode, second season. Then like an hour and a half special for the third season. And we just. All these story ideas and characters just dumped out of us in. If that was a week. We worked on three projects that week. I would say four out of those seven days. Like, we're just dedicated, and we just filled up these pages. Then it goes away for a couple years. We have. Olivia and I have kids. Joe.

[David Spade]

Couple years.

[Jason Sudeikis]

A couple years, yeah. We didn't do anything with it because we. Because kids, Joe and three other buddies created the show called Detroiters with Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson and our buddies at Cannon. And that was on Comedy Central. So that was taking all of Joe's focus. I was doing little things with Forte and movies here and there. And then Bill Lawrence approaches me about doing a project. We talk about that. That doesn't quite. You know, we don't end up doing that. But he's like, if you have any ideas. And I have like this stack of like 50 pages, like first draft, rough draft of a pilot, but then all these different breakdowns of episodes and ideas and whatnot, and. Want to take a look at this? I sent it to him.

[David Spade]

She gave it to Bill.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, gave it to Bill. Bill. And so that's. So to answer your question, it's when someone that knows that much about television looks at it and goes, oh, there's something here. Oh, yeah, you guys could do this.

[David Spade]

You're probably 90% there with that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

To a certain degree. Yeah. I mean, a lot. Not that Bill's influence wasn't immense and super duper helpful and really was the gas that got this sort of like this old gelappy.

[David Spade]

Showrunners are big. Big in this town.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Huge.

[David Spade]

They almost are more important than the idea or the stars.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. And he provided all that. So he really got us moving. And I look back through the text recently, kind of remind myself of our own origin story. And it really took a good calendar year for just the business. He had other things going on. We had other things going on. And navigating the deals with and I mean, it was. You're talking about NBC owned the rights. Warner Brothers is where Bill's deal was a show for Apple, and that was once Apple came on. So we pitched it to everyone, but Apple was the only one to say, we'll take it. We'll take a shot at it. And then all the deal making after.

[David Spade]

That once takes a while.

[Dana Carvey]

So other places you went in with a pitch and they said, no, thank you.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Netflix passed. Amazon passed. I mean, it makes sure I get it.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, until you see it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

No one believes it until you see it.

[Dana Carvey]

But you did have proof of concept.

[David Spade]

All you need is one.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But the commercials are pretty broad, and I understood that. Right. And yet we tried. We did do our darndest to pitch the tone of what it was. And yet nobody was buying. And I don't begrudge anybody, really.

[Dana Carvey]

No.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No.

[Dana Carvey]

Tim Cook.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Nailed it.

[Dana Carvey]

Timmy Cook. How did you write the British characters, though? Like this. The woman who plays Rebecca is so good. I mean, all the British people are so good. How did you put yourself in how they would react to the Americans because they're so well written, too.

[Jason Sudeikis]

A little bit was good fortune of Brennan, Jo and I all getting to work in Europe. We did theater for varying degrees, like Brennan for Off and On. For five years, Joe off and on for two, three years. Me, off and on for a year. We're just writing archetypes and just of the American whatever spirit and the assumptions being made. And we'd made jokes about all those stereotypes and assumptions while at Boom Chicago taking the piss out of ourselves. So we kind of had that to a certain degree. And. And, I mean, Brits are like, you know, in a fun way, you know. One other thing we learned that I feel like I learned when doing stuff at Boom Chicago is how that we're more similar than we. Than we'd like to think, regardless of flag or. Or, you know, age or race, gender. All the. All those things. Those. Those complicated, amazing things that make the human jambalaya, like, at the end of the day, you know, we like salt, we like sweet. We like, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

We're like, you know, kissing. Yeah. But. But I mean, even, of course, across everywhere. So if there's an archetype of someone that is too positive, I think any of us will assume, like, oh, they're not. They're a nightmare or something bad's gonna happen. And he just sort of played against those things, you know, 75 years or however many years of sitcoms have us thinking that these things are supposed to go this way, these things are supposed to go that way. And we just try to, like, twist them or just turn them just a little tiny bit, like, nothing. Again, nothing that we thought was.

[David Spade]

So you don't see everything coming. You know, some people are smart. They think they see everything coming. And then you go, oh, a little. Not what you think.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, exactly. And. And. And I remember feeling that way when watching the documentary about Mr. Rogers being like, oh, boy, here comes the. The dark turn at minute 50. And then it doesn't. Then you're like, okay, they're. Oh, they're gonna wait until an hour and 10 minutes in. Then it doesn't. You're just like, oh, he was just a decent man.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Who was trying to make a difference in children's lives and also adults. Oh, wow.

[David Spade]

So there's people.

[Jason Sudeikis]

How subversive.

[Dana Carvey]

That's cool.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Right?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. What do I do about that?

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, obviously, like, Ted Lasso the first season, there's a. A lot of failure.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

In the way. And then just the fun of watching how he navigates it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. And how he encourages other people to do it. Like, for me, it also. It always reminded me of, like, highway to Heaven or, you know, Touched by an Angel. Like this idea. Yeah. Like. Like that this person would come in and, you know, sort of act this way, and people go, what the hell's going on here?

[Dana Carvey]

Right. It was like. You're right. Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Just subconsciously. I didn't realize. Realize at the time. But a big thing was about his egolessness. Like, if you don't.

[Dana Carvey]

No ego.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No ego. If you don't put any. If you just play it without any of that. He's not trying to get over on people. He's not trying to trick anybody. And it's still 100% consistent, regardless of people thinking that it's different than that now than it was.

[Dana Carvey]

No. I talked to someone the other day who went on some psychedelic trips with ayahuasca and. Or mushrooms or whatever. Whatever. And it was really all about getting rid of the ego, because once the ego goes away, then something has changed this person. So it's interesting you mentioned Ted has no ego.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. That book had to change your mind. But Michael Pollan was a big influence on me. And the times that I had done mushrooms in my Amsterdam days.

[Dana Carvey]

I do. Oh, the Amsterdam episode. I saw that a couple weeks ago.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Are a lot harder.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah. No, that's something you have to. To see that episode, you got to watch more than once.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. There's a. Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

But the whole show has so many levels to it. It can be slapstick, it can be funny and silly, and then it can be very real. It's like when you're playing darts, you, Ted, and you go something about. I'm just curious.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Be curious, not judgmental. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

People mention that to you?

[Jason Sudeikis]

A handful. Yeah. People have asked me to write that on their arms. And they get a tattoo, and it's not his. And I don't even know if it's Walt Whitman's. I mean, we say it's Walt Whitman's because it's sort of apocryphal. It sounds like. It sounds like.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Your character is casually always quoting.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Robert Frost. But it's always thrown away.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. You know, trying to be. Yeah, like. Because it's. He's not too. Yeah, he's not too. Problem.

[Dana Carvey]

You shepherd it like a sketch in a way. I know you have your three other partners. By the way, there is so many producer credits on the. On the show. It's amazing.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I don't even know.

[Dana Carvey]

I. I just watched the show and.

[David Spade]

Wait, am I a producer on it?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I don't know.

[Dana Carvey]

You're on it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You might be after those.

[Dana Carvey]

You're a co executive. But do you treat it like so you're probably. Someone else is technically directing, but you're going to be. You're just going to be an overriding creative force in it. Just like shepherding a sketch.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Sure, yeah. I mean, the way I can. It's a little bit like. It's a big old cookout. Everybody brings a dish and I just sort of help put things on the plate.

[Dana Carvey]

But the sensibility has to stay wherever you want it to be.

[David Spade]

Well, if you're sure, if something sounds false, you can stay a sensitivity. I don't feel like.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah, That's. That's been afforded to me from the get go.

[Dana Carvey]

Do you.

[David Spade]

It's. It's done now.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Right.

[David Spade]

So you miss. You're gonna miss it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I'm sure I will. Yeah. I mean, we're still, you know, like, I still watch cuts for, like, you know, music stuff or something like that, but for the most part, yeah. But all the editing's done, all the writing's done. It's. And now, yeah, we have the final four episodes being rolled out and then, you know, handful of press here and there, which is a joy to do because I get. We all get along, actually, in the end.

[Dana Carvey]

Editing bay. So it's sort of. There's so many choices in there. And so I would assume, coming from all those years of sketch comedy and other things, that. And you may have people that are on the same sensibility, but sometimes you'll know, or I assume you're going to know, but we have to go to that reaction shot a little sooner.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes.

[Dana Carvey]

To get to laugh.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes.

[Dana Carvey]

So there's all that mathematics in there. And so this show is landing it so consistently.

[David Spade]

That stuff's hard.

[Dana Carvey]

I would assume it's either a few people that are right on the same frequency. Frequency. Or one person that says, guys, I think we should do it this way. Yeah, there's a reason why it's so brilliant.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, I think it's just the best idea winning. And. Yeah, there's a certain level of harmony in it. And it is something that I learned in that same Karate Kid way that I was talking about with snl, where by the time you were there and by the time you were there 20, 15 years later, all those same people were still there building those sets, making those props, building those wigs. And they're all great at it. They've done 10,000 hours times, just our three generations, much less the two prior and the four cents or whatever. And I was like, okay, my sketch got picked. I'm going to go into that room with the heads of each department and just let them know what the sketch is about from my perspective, without pontificating, without being condescending and just let these geniuses do whatever they want to do with it. And then we have done that with this show. And if you leave a little space for the people behind the camera and in the office, marketing, whatever, to lean into this show, the same space and grace we want to afford the audience as well. I think a lot of people get, you know, feel more ownership over.

[David Spade]

Yeah, they're good in their job and you let them do their job. And if you hire good people, I, I like to not worry about some things. I like to kick at someone and say, you know what, you're doing way more than I do. And you come in there and try to boss me.

[Dana Carvey]

It's nothing like someone handing you some.

[David Spade]

Something good.

[Dana Carvey]

And you get to basically. And I get the Robert Smigel was that for me and Bonnie Terry Turner, you know, in terms of. It's such a difficult word art or whatever, it seems like there was some. And you can talk to this or not autobiographical tinges in the third season based on you, potentially your private life. You can speak to that or not. But I couldn't help but notice and I thought it was so wonderfully done because I've been on the road at times with my sons and stuff like that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean those are very poignant scenes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Thank you. Yeah. What's interesting is that my relationship to my life, it wasn't there from the very get go. Even when the initial idea of doing a show, why would he go there? Because a guy like my age would have most likely have a child, at least one child, and probably be in a relationship. If he's not, there must be a reason why. And so that's why the pilot ends the way the pilot, I mean, literally the second it was thinking about it in the long form of a television show, I was like, I knew that that was the ending of the pilot was going to be okay. So none of that was autobiographical. And then as life sort of marched on, the only thing in my life that helped inform the playing of things and maybe even the notion of a story point when breaking the episodes was being a father. And so what that's like to be away from, from your child. Because, you know, Otis and Daisy were, you know, the season two and season three were in London, so I wasn't away from them. You know, with, with, you know, the way we, we split our time with our children. It's a Week on, week off, so. But I was always, you know, they don't do overtime in the uk, so I was home. I was able to be home.

[David Spade]

For real?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Yeah. So, like, they literally afford you the opportunity to make a living. I know, right?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And. And so I didn't have to. Luckily, I've never had a parent take their own life. So you just kind of have to do the acting thing of empathize with someone that has gone through that or has been forced to go through that based on the decisions. And so, yeah, it's. I understand people conflating the two.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, no, it's a good answer that it's not. Maybe people are reading in a bit.

[David Spade]

Of a place to go anyway.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. It's what would naturally happen in these things. Because so much of it for me is like, what happens when, you know, if you haven't broken up with someone and you haven't been broken up with, then. Then there's a whole bunch of music out there for you once you do. There's a whole bunch of movies and tv, too, whether you're on either side of that thing. And boy, you think you like songs now. They're going to get you through things and make you want to jump off of a roof and think you can fly or the opposite.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a compliment to your acting, too. You know, when you have that little soccer field, the Lego set.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

You're missing your, you know, or just the little references to FaceTime or my son's here right now, or there's where his flight is, all that detail is.

[Jason Sudeikis]

So, I mean, that's just also having friends that, you know, go through all these things and just. Yeah, just keeping those things in your head, heart and soul and letting them bang around there. Then at some point when they come out, they come out. You know, I think about. Watch the. It's not usually conscious. Like, I watched the audio commentary for Godfather. I think it was either one or two just recently. And it was talking about how he made Godfather one and then everybody loved it. And he's like, do Godfather 2. He's like, I don't have a Godfather 2. He's like don't. He goes. But I forget the line the studio had to have for him. It's like you found out the formula for Coca Cola and you won't make any more bottles. Such a great line. And he had this separately. He had this idea about a father and son story where you show the father and son contemporaneously when they're at the same age. And then that, like, came down. He remembered that, and that became Godfather too, you know. And so, like, these things going on in the world, in life, you know, are one thing, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's their time to show up. You know, Christopher Walken hasn't. Hasn't showed up to say the lines yet, you know, and so you're kind of like, all right, well, here. Here it is all at this time.

[Dana Carvey]

And so is it because one of our lords that we remember, he said to me once, never leave a hit. So with Ted Lasso, is it not following your advice? Is it done now?

[Jason Sudeikis]

This story is done. It sounds like such a political answer, but it's the truth. It's like we only conceived these three, then this thing became this big old thing that.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, how much content is the three seasons if you think of it as a movie?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, gosh. I mean, it's 10 episodes. 12 episodes. 12 episodes. But this season is probably twice as long. Long as the first season. The episodes are just, you know, just longer. There's more.

[David Spade]

Yeah, it could go back to being an NBC promo.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

You know what? I think you could.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The Doppler effect.

[Dana Carvey]

I know what. You know how this is some of Flight of Fan. Sorry, interrupting. I'm cross talking. Tarantino wrote a book after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which I loved so much. It feels like Ted Lasso. If there ain't concern to be more television that that character, people would want to hear. Have you thought of that?

[Jason Sudeikis]

100%. Yeah, we've thought about writing a novel about him. Whether it's that, whether it's doing podcasts about the episodes to sort of offer those audio commentaries, which I was so lucky to grow up in a day and age of DVDs, just to sort of talk through things and the themes and the people that have expressed interest in the show and also explain the show in a much more cerebral. Cerebral way than I ever would have been able to explain it to anybody. And even when they're off or wrong, it's still interesting. But, yeah, I mean, there's opportunities, I think, for spinoffs. The way people have gravitated and cared for these characters and seen themselves or their friends or their family in these characters in these situations is we were hoping people would do that. We didn't expect it to be.

[Dana Carvey]

When did you kind of go, holy shit, halfway through the first season or when you won all the 18 Emmy nominations?

[Jason Sudeikis]

@ some point you went even winning the Emmy or even the Nomination for the Emmys. Didn't I think. I don't know, man. It came out during quarantine, so we didn't know. Cause I'm not too active online and less so then I just. A guy would drive by the house when I'm taking out the garbage and honk, hey, I love the show. Oh, right. And it's a little bit the same way I felt SNL days, you know, you walk around on Sunday and people were like, great show last night. You're like, oh, right. People watch.

[Dana Carvey]

There's someone's watching.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know what I mean?

[Dana Carvey]

Terrified.

[David Spade]

You can get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Sometimes just out in the real world.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Oh, 100. Yeah. And it's. And it's usually.

[David Spade]

And then you're getting, like, slaughtered with it. You go, oh, shit, something's. Then an Emmy nomination.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Then Apple probably tells you it's doing well. They might not say exactly how, but it's doing.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That was the. That was a big difference. That was. That probably is from a business side of things, understanding that they have access to metrics and information that they don't share. Was. Was. It premiered on a frame. We had already started our writers room for season two. Like, you know, just kind of just in case. Just in case. Then Monday calls, the heads of Apple call and say, hey, so we'd love to pick you up for a second season. Then two weeks after that, we'd love to add. Can you do two more episodes for a second? Then two weeks after that, we'd love to get you for a third season. And you're like, something has changed.

[Dana Carvey]

They know. Something that I don't know in the Intersect, too.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But that anecdotal thing of walking around, like, became more clear, you know? Cause season two, we were in lockdown up there in London, you know, so. So, you know, we started going to things later. Yes. We were winning these awards, but then you feel like, oh, is that just inside the bottle or the bowl? You know, the showbiz box and. Which is lovely and flattering and also a little something you keep. I don't know about you guys, but I keep a little bit like, well.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, you're going to kill. Do season four.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It'll crush. Exactly. Yeah. You don't. You don't want to spook the muses. And so by the time we're going back there, do this this past third season, all of 2022, and getting to take, you know, the kids to, like, football matches and stuff and have people calling Us coaches and being excited to see us and like that. That I would say, you know, and here.

[Dana Carvey]

And Brad Pitt loved it.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, that's always nice. Miss Piggy and Yoda. Come on.

[David Spade]

No matter what you do, Dana, like, you've done it. We've done it. You hear from the streets, like, I could tell you the top movies that they like the top TV because it's just in order. You just hear this one the most, this one the most. And they probably only really, like, probably 40 of my movies, like, really, really long.

[Dana Carvey]

I like them all. I want to ask you a question. So this is so you're. You come off.

[David Spade]

Why did I add that? I don't know.

[Dana Carvey]

We have editing capabilities.

[David Spade]

Get rid of anything I say.

[Dana Carvey]

This is what's curious to me is because I came off like a rocket. I've never had anything because of this. Thirty years later, I'm having a little bit of a moment in Hollywood. Nothing that anyone would know about, but I'm getting more things happening coming at me. So you come off snl, you're doing all these movies. Pandemic is whatever. You do this. And now here you are, you're the belle of the ball. Hollywood loves you. So now you're wiser, more mature. What's coming at you? Like movies? Would you do a potato chip commercial.

[Jason Sudeikis]

If the Price was right, 100% with Forte and Solomon? Yeah. You gotta dance with the ones that brought you. You know, I couldn't do it alone.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, right now that you have this heat and that the audience loves you, the world, you know, you're in this moment. And so I just wondered how. Because now you're. It's happening a second time. Here it is again.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, it. It doesn't feel like it from the inside. Maybe that's my own. Just sort of like.

[Dana Carvey]

But are things coming at you, though?

[David Spade]

Like, to.

[Jason Sudeikis]

To a degree. But like, there's a little bit of.

[David Spade]

What are you going to do?

[Dana Carvey]

What.

[Jason Sudeikis]

What.

[Dana Carvey]

What do we do? What do we do with.

[David Spade]

But with the TV show, it'd be probably scary to go do one right away.

[Dana Carvey]

Like you.

[David Spade]

You might want to listen for a second.

[Jason Sudeikis]

A complete, you know, about face. I mean, there's a few ideas out there. Like I. I was really, really wanted do this play on Broadway, but just with family. It's tough to. I'm still trying to navigate those real life things and also just where my head, heart and soul are at. And there's also a great desire to get a little bored because I.

[Dana Carvey]

Take your time. I would Say if anybody was advising, I would say just don't be in a hurry. This thing is still, you know, it's still landing. People are discovering it today. Tell anyone who hasn't seen it start.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, and I, you know, I believe in that wholeheartedly. What I truly love is seeing the way all these great people behind the scenes in front of the camera, the way that their lives have changed from it in a way that I was afforded an early glimpse of that with being hired by snl. You know, that, that, that's, that that changes the way folks that maybe weren't supportive of a child taking a path in the arts. Mine were, luckily. But it changes the game there where it's like, you know, my, my son.

[David Spade]

You know, just works at last. Just anything on a. On, especially if one of their first things is a hit. Like, it's also scary because some people, like we used to talk about when you go on Friends and you're young actor and you're on Friends and you don't. As much as you tell yourself, you don't know how hard it is after that, it can't be like this all the time. You know, everyone treats you like a certain way on anything that does. Well, you look back, it's always going to be ups and downs.

[Jason Sudeikis]

So, yeah, it's kind of like what you bring to it. Like, I like, I know we worked just as hard on, you know, any of those movies that you, that you named. As I did on this, I was charged with more responsibility and being like, you know, like from the writing side, producing side, being the final, like, tube for, you know, decision making and, you know, tone cop and whatnot, that's all lovely. But at the end of the day, what I'm putting out there and what I want to put out into the world and how I go about trying to do that, been doing that is, you know, from any of these sketches, you know, from the sketches that weren't on SNL that I did with, you know, all my buddies back in Kansas.

[Dana Carvey]

City up to now, obviously, or your very tight friends. As long as that's coming from that area, then it's probably going to be good. Unless it's, I don't know if Quentin Tarantino, whoever, your favorite director, Scorsese, but in lieu of anything else that's coming.

[Jason Sudeikis]

From you, it feels authentic. And all I've done is added to the people that I want to make laugh and be proud of what I'm doing and then how I'm going about doing it. So it is those guys that I played basketball with, you know, those guys from my, you know, quote unquote crossing cross country team. But then I acquired everything from my, you know, days of improv in Kansas City, Chicago. Boom. And so it's just like this. That same. That same gatefold, that same, you know, that I saw on the 40th. Like, I have that many people, you know, behind me, and they're not looking over me being like, correcting my work or making me second guess. They're just encouraging me. And you just want to kind of be able to look back there metaphorically and be like, yeah, have them, you know, doing that nod of just like, yeah, do it. Yeah, keep doing that. Keep doing that. Keep being, you know, be. You just want to be proud of you. You know, you want to. And you also want to feel. Getting to come through sketch and improv in a whole community like Chicago. Could have happened to 10 dozen of the people that I got to work with, you know, just different times. You know what I mean?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Never got a total break.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And you want to do right by them too, because it's. It's. I don't know, it's.

[Dana Carvey]

There's so much whimsy to this game. And there by the grace of God go I. Yeah. I mean, you have to stay humble and go, I love Paul Newman for that. He was my favorite celebrity. Because one. One they would go, oh, you've raised 500 million for. From your spaghetti sauce. He goes, I wish I kept the money, you know, didn't want to be put on a pedestal. And the other thing, How'd you do it? How'd you. I could give you a thousand answers. Just plain dumb luck. So just those two things you asked.

[Jason Sudeikis]

About movies that were huge influence. It's not a comedy by any means, but a big one that shows up in Ted laughs all the time was Color of Money like. And, you know, in 1986. So, like between my age of 9 and 11, I watched these movies that I'd go to theaters with my dad. Things that are R rated. You know, like, movies are every.

[David Spade]

Everything that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The mental. Excuse me. The male mentoring in that movie like, of, you know, is like. And Tom Cruise after, you know, ladies and gentlemen, you know, Top Gun. Tom. Tom Cruise, you know, well, after Risky Business and all the Right Moves and all that. But like now he's like a bona fide. Like, and he's incredible. He's. He's like.

[David Spade]

That's when you don't hear enough about.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Color Money was because scorsese has so many good ones. But I like, like, I love that movie. I was talking about the Ed Norton, and I saw him recently. We're talking about the movie, and I thought I was going to get laid into when he started talking about Scorsese. Cause that guy knows the guy's done the thing and forgotten more about movies than I'll ever know. And he brings up Color of Money. I go, I was so ready to geek out, be like, that's my favorite Scorsese movie. And a lot of it has to do with the way I saw it. But then also those performances. I recommend people to see that movie. And then if you love it, then go back. Watch the Hustler as, like, a prequel.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, because Jackie Gleason is that Jackie Gleason.

[David Spade]

And Paul Newman.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Where he plays Fast Eddie Felson. The same character, you know, same guy that wrote the novel. Walter Tevis, you know, who wrote both books.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, I like pool hall movies. I like Rackham. We were going to call this podcast Podcast Rack.

[David Spade]

After you do a punchline, you go rack them.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Transition with the sound of the balls. Because there's a mystique. There's a mystique to people that can play the piano really well as adults that you've never seen play piano that are really good at Jeopardy.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You know, and. And pool. Like, if someone's good at pool, you're like, especially if they didn't grow up with money, they didn't grow up with a table in there. Like, how do you get good at pool?

[Dana Carvey]

The way they do the chalk and the way it goes perfectly on their hands.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The math of it.

[David Spade]

They make it look cool. It's so good. Complicated Fool.

[Dana Carvey]

But, you know, the. The dramatic movies affected me 2001. I wasn't everything. Watching John of the Winters and stuff, those things. I don't. I wouldn't say, could I do that. It was just like. Just blew my mind as art. And the Beatles, of course.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Pink Floyd, Tom Hanks and Michael Keaton movies, like, where they're just. Where they're funny 15% of the movie. But it's like they're carrying this dramatic narrative. Like Mr.

[Dana Carvey]

Mom.

[David Spade]

Like, Mr.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Mom. Michael Keat is incredible.

[Dana Carvey]

Mr. Mom is finally Kisses too. I love it. It's just a magical magic as an actor.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, Gung Ho.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I love. That was a movie. I have a Gung Ho poster that my Aunt Nancy gave me in my basement. And that was it. But again, Michael Keaton, like, was so.

[David Spade]

He's great.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I Mean, him and Tom Hanks, like, they, like. Like, just. They were these. These modern versions.

[Dana Carvey]

Tom Hanks and Big.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, Tom Hanks. What'd you guys think of Punchline? I mean, that was your word.

[Dana Carvey]

He knew someone who trained him. Barry Sobel was a standard. Great idea. I mean, he did a great job.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Job. Yeah. It's such an interesting. Like, having, I guess, one that we could talk about altogether is like, you know, Studio 60. Like, when they. When. When someone makes a film or television show about your world. Like, we're. We're very blessed to have a bunch of the football soccer community having, you know, taken us under their wing and embraced us in a way that, again, we weren't, you know, jockeying for. But the fact that we got it authentically and organically, like, really high fly floats our boat. Yeah, we're very, very pleased about that.

[Dana Carvey]

It's hard to make a. A movie about standup, you know, and I think distance running. There's never been Chariots of Fire. Not really difficult to capture that. I think usually there is the meltdown, and then the mic feeds back.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And the comedian has a meltdown, which, of course, Tom Hanks is a brilliant actor, played it perfectly, but I've never seen that.

[David Spade]

Well, they also have locker rooms where.

[Dana Carvey]

The comedian turns and then there's a squeak. And wasn't there a locker room?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes, there was. Yeah. Dressed up as, like, none or something for the show. Yep.

[Dana Carvey]

It did it as well as anyone's done it, but it's hard to do it. Like, if someone. They talk about doing a dramatic show about a sketch show.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. You know, like Studio 60, like the. When they did. I love the pilot and then Studio 60.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. It's just tough. Tough to capture that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That was all I watched. Yeah, it is. It's very. It is.

[Dana Carvey]

What are the movies you revisit now?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Pulp Fiction is a big one. Like, I think Die Hard is perfect.

[David Spade]

Harley.

[Dana Carvey]

Quentin.

[David Spade]

What'd you say, the second one?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Die Hard. I think Die Hard, I think movies.

[Dana Carvey]

You can watch, like, my wife and I, it's. You know, we watch a lot of Redford, you know, all the presidents, Three Days of Condor, which casting. Sundance Kid I showed to my. My sons six months ago.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Unreal.

[Dana Carvey]

Unreal. This is awesome. You know, it's really fun. You have all that ahead of you. How old are your kids?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Otis is nine. Daisy's seven.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. So you're. Has he asked for Saving Private Ryan yet?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Not yet. Not yet, no.

[Dana Carvey]

No.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But I do show them. I remember my dad Taking me to see Beverly Hills Cop in the theater. I saw that movie in the theaters. Not supposed to F. Words all over the place. Nudity. Never forget that. And never forget it. And it made me like I wanted to be Eddie Murphy so bad.

[Dana Carvey]

So bad.

[Jason Sudeikis]

So bad. And more so than, like, Chevy Chase and Fletch. I loved Chevy Chase, but Axel Foley really knocked my socks off in a way that still does when I rewatched.

[Dana Carvey]

And they're coming out with a new one, right? Or is that.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I guess. But, you know, we'll see what happens. Yeah. But at least we got the.

[David Spade]

I loved Animal. Animal House is my art. Rated 1. They showed the girls. I know it's heavy duty, and it was pretty great. In the middle of the movie, I go, I have a boner.

[Dana Carvey]

It was so illicit, so nasty.

[David Spade]

And Monty Python.

[Dana Carvey]

Monty Python was.

[Jason Sudeikis]

That was.

[David Spade]

I was pretty young.

[Dana Carvey]

Clockwork Orange.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

That scared me.

[Dana Carvey]

Saw the Longest Day when I was seven in the theater. Black and white. World War II film.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, the ships come up. So I was a little broken German.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You see the Fabelman's, the Spielberg one.

[Dana Carvey]

I haven't watched it yet.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I watched it on the plane ride.

[Dana Carvey]

What do you think?

[Jason Sudeikis]

I loved it. Really? Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, it is Spielberg.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Spielberg telling, you know, autobiographical, like his story, but just his love of movies and having children that are falling, you know, in love with storytelling and getting to see their mom and dad do it. And, you know, so much I feel of. And I understand the laments of over nepotism, but so much of it is seeing someone do it and see them enjoying it or seeing the way people enjoy them. Nothing that I've purchased or have been given on a plane will move Otis towards wanting to do what I do for a living more than him. Probably seeing people give me as many high fives as they do when we.

[David Spade]

Go to soccer or anything. Yeah.

[Jason Sudeikis]

When they're happy to see. When people are happy to see being polite and begin. Because of the themes of this show. They're like, yeah. I mean, it's something that we. I mean, how often have we had the opportunity for people that work in comedy to have people tell them, take them aside and be like, I. I discovered this. I watched this when I was going through this, and it helped me.

[Dana Carvey]

That's the thing. It's like, if you were famous for. I don't want to pick on Porkies. But it's something like that hard r. Weirdo movie that everyone love, but with Lasso tl.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Teddy. With Teddy. You you know, the people are going to be emotional about it because it's. It touches everything.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah. Hannah gets that a lot. The woman who plays Rebecca, just the amount of women that come up to her and just say, you are playing me.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And she is a force of nature, obviously. So.

[Jason Sudeikis]

A thing I was gonna say earlier about the writers, you know, we let all the Brits anglicize things every now and then. Do we push back where it's just like car park versus parking lot or saying tie instead of draw? And some of those things drive people crazy. And I understand that, but that's just, you know, this is the phrase that I would always use just so folks in Kansas can get it. So you're trying to like, to get too much in the weeds of, like, the politics of.

[David Spade]

You don't wann.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Because I think if your dominating emotion is confusion, then you're that much further away from either being happy or sad.

[Dana Carvey]

You talk like Ted Lasso sometimes. Say that again.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Or vice versa.

[Dana Carvey]

If your dominant emotions are.

[David Spade]

I like your confusion. Dominating emotion is confusion.

[Jason Sudeikis]

If your dominant emotion is confusion, you're that much further away from making an audience. If the audience is confused, then they don't know whether to laugh or cry at a given moment. So you kind of try to give them breadcrumbs.

[David Spade]

It's me during Tenet.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

Juno.

[David Spade]

My dominant emotion was anger.

[Dana Carvey]

Juno Temple.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Dana Carvey]

Is great.

[David Spade]

Just gotta go through the list.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, no, I just. I like all the. These two actresses especially are great. Obviously, Britt Goldstein. Just the way he stands all the.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Time as well, you know, like a gunslinger.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, he's just funny. He's a funny, funny voice. I'm sure it's not something or someone's gonna do him on snl.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I know. I'm surprised they haven't yet.

[Dana Carvey]

He's really surprised.

[Jason Sudeikis]

He's such a funny character, but that's all him. You know, it's fun to hear him. Him talk about it because it's him doing Bill Sykes in his mind from Oliver. He's just, you know, just trying to be Bill Sykes, you know, just like. And so, yeah, when I'm doing, like, rewrites or where you're breaking stories, just like the same thing at the rewrite table at snl. Just doing bad impressions of all these, like, very specific, you know, authentic people. I'm just, you know, talking like this with Rebecca and doing like that. Kaylee. And I'm doing bad. I can't do any of these accents.

[Dana Carvey]

Right, but you're just Hearing them, you're.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Just hearing the rhythm and the cadence of it and, you know, trying to draw from what they're, you know, what you.

[Dana Carvey]

And then when did you decide. I just.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Life experience.

[Dana Carvey]

One more question, one last. When did you decide that you would use R rated language? Was that pretty early on?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, you kind of use it.

[Dana Carvey]

You don't lean on it, but all of a sudden it's like these coke shins mostly from him. But that's an Interesting.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I 100% didn't want to use it myself. I didn't want him to be, you know, all those moves that you, you know, I sort of got. And I mean, I was making these choices, you know, for. For the reasons I made them. You know, the movies that I was doing and the characters I was playing, a lot of them were cads, you know, guys on the make, you know, like trying to. Trying to get girls and whatnot.

[Dana Carvey]

Like dick fuel.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Like, he just wanted respect, you know, he just wants respect and a paycheck and a good lunch. But like, but then. So I knew that lay on for me. I didn't want to be bawdy and I didn't want to. I didn't want him to swear. If he did, it was only, you know, I think he's done it once every season. But everybody else, it's like, yeah, that's just the world, you know, as. As it is. So we just wanted to.

[Dana Carvey]

It just works.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Apple never fought it. They didn't want us to use the C word. So we. There was a monologue.

[David Spade]

We had C word thrown around in England more.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, it's like. And that was. The whole premise is like, you know, we were even ready to beep it, you know, but it was May. The, you know, the woman who owns the bar uses it very casually and in. Right. Reference to Ted when he. Yeah, and just Ted and Beard's reaction to whoa, hey. You know, she's like, what? What's the big deal? You know, and just her going, no, you can use it in a bunch of different ways. And she goes through a bunch of different ways. You know, it reminds me a lot of like when we. It ended up not being able to use it because Apple was like, nah, we can't use the C word. I was like, all right. Was. Remember Schneider's stand up bit from days gone by of the word dude.

[David Spade]

Dude?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. Is that great? That idea of.

[David Spade]

I like that you remember that?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That was a year on that special too, I think. Right.

[Dana Carvey]

Is that.

[David Spade]

Oh, the young comedians.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, that thing got a lot of.

[David Spade]

You're in a closet with a knife, dude.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, talented.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Rob has some really good rhythms.

[David Spade]

Oh, no more.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean, come on. Didn't know it was byot. I didn't say it on the ticket.

[Dana Carvey]

Hi, Rob.

[David Spade]

No, that's my joke. Calm down. He's doing me at the U2 concert.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, what is it?

[David Spade]

Bono's yelling, no war. No war. I'm saying no more.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You're saying no more? What are you saying? War.

[David Spade]

Sorry. I go. I don't know. I don't know who the is singing. I'm supposed to read his list.

[Dana Carvey]

Am I booging you and my boog. I didn't mean to boogan. You didn't mean to boogie. That's a bad bottle. When. What's your brain candy? When do you want to calm down? What do you do? Take a walk? Do you watch a. I do. You watch the Best of David Spade? Yep.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Still do. I have one just. You don't.

[Dana Carvey]

You do now.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I do. I mean, I'll play. The last few years has been. Pinball was one for a while, but those are tougher to move around. Right. So playing video games, like playing Fortnite with friends and just turning my brain off and just focusing on that. Then a thing that I got into over the last. I mean, I'd always been into it, but over the last six years basically was like magic, like just shuffling cards. I just find it very meditative and a lot of times when in situations where I've do as much, you know, listening and thinking as I do talking, I'll usually have a deck of cards on me because it'll keep me from, you know, pulling out my beer, you.

[Dana Carvey]

Know, just practice shuffling.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, yeah. Or just. Or just kind of like, you know, doing like little sleight of hand moves and I don't really perform magic for anyone. I just. I'll do it for like friends after a couple beers or like my kids, if there's just like a deck laying around. But I've never been one to be. Hey, you want to see a trick?

[David Spade]

You know, what's your time to relax, David? Yeah, I don't know. Actually.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I haven't been relaxed in 30 years. See, I envy that. I wish I could. I know before I die. I know I will dedicate more time to like trying to play the piano. I've done it throughout my life and then something always. But it's just that desire to want to run before I can even crawl. It's so hard.

[Dana Carvey]

The piano's tough, you know. I have an electric piano too. I'm just banging on it all the time. But I don't, you know. But the guitar. If you get nylon strings. Get a small guitar.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Just learn because it doesn't rip up your fingers.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Before you get the calluses so you get a clear note rather than it's all moving mushy.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Learn five chords, GCD, E minor. And then you can already play 100 songs. No, but it's really simple.

[David Spade]

It's mostly the right hand. Is Smoke on the water still the go to one or is that too.

[Dana Carvey]

Old that age Juice so hard Spade.

[David Spade]

I don't even know what it is.

[Dana Carvey]

No, that's a Deep Purple, isn't it?

[David Spade]

I'm young. Don't act like you don't know what Smoke on the Line.

[Dana Carvey]

Don't make me the old guy. I would do come down, you know. Nirvana. Come and get some as you Calm, calm. Get some as you are.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I mean I've always loved Nirvana. I was right in the sweet spot.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, me too. And I was older but still thought they were brand new.

[Jason Sudeikis]

But I listened to them a ton before doing this season for one reason or another. And I got. And Otis was learning, you know, playing guitar. Him and Daisy take these like lessons. Do this thing out here called Kid Row. It's lovely. It's like School of Rock but they.

[Dana Carvey]

Just call it when you're young, you know. Learned so much better.

[Jason Sudeikis]

And. And I. I bought a. I'm left handed even though I don't play guitar. But I would play I air guitar left handed. Yeah, exactly. Or. Or Kurt Cobain. So I bought like a guitar and try. And Otis and I took a lesson together. He was already better than me and I was slowing him down. And I'm just like even playing Smells like Teen Spirit. So hard, so difficult. And then even if you play the simple version of it like it hurt my fingers. I couldn't like drums are a much more natural fit for me. I have better limb separation.

[Dana Carvey]

You could also get a maple neck Strat and have them. That's a bird David. This is inside Baseball. It's a Strat. Oh caster.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The nylon strings was a mind blower here because I was like oh yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

But you can hear also with very lightweight strings on an electric guitar you could play bar chords of that. Really?

[Jason Sudeikis]

But it's still hard.

[David Spade]

Yes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

It's like.

[David Spade]

It's like Teddy's impossible.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Even people that don't that just do it Noodling. Around make it look so easy.

[Dana Carvey]

It. It. It's a look. Well, next time we hang out, I'll.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Show you a couple.

[Dana Carvey]

I'll show just a D chord and then a bar. Three notes.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I'll bring a pinball and then you'll.

[Dana Carvey]

Be like, I'll take. We have a little farm up. Up north. And I want a room with pinball machines in it because it's worth. At least as a kid they were huge. I've not played it in a while, but. And a pool table.

[David Spade]

Jason was our guest today and he.

[Jason Sudeikis]

He.

[David Spade]

In summation, the left brain lived at Burger King.

[Dana Carvey]

He's one of Kansas's favorites. He's got a very small room at the Paramount Hotel. A small room we don't normally sum up.

[David Spade]

His next thing is going to be something with low pressure. He might remake the Godfather or something.

[Dana Carvey]

Our guest has been Jason Sud.

[David Spade]

You were great.

[Dana Carvey]

I.

[David Spade]

Your car is murdered out, by the way.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Not bad, huh?

[David Spade]

Yeah, not bad.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I wanted to look. Yeah, like a Batmobile.

[Dana Carvey]

Snl all star, movie star. And now a global live streaming star.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I don't know.

[Dana Carvey]

It sounds like a new one. I said star three times. Sounds like a nice resume. I just very cool. The best. And take your time and have fun and. And I'm one of those people that was really affected by this show and just love. It just really affects me. I was affected by Covid.

[David Spade]

You worked out.

[Dana Carvey]

We're going to work on you. David's a work in progress.

[David Spade]

No, I'm not. Look at. I took notes.

[Dana Carvey]

No one works hard.

[David Spade]

Thank you, Justin. What's your name?

[Dana Carvey]

Justin Thoreau has been our. Jason. Billy Sedakis was here today who plays Ted W. Liso.

[Jason Sudeikis]

I think Bill Sedakis was. Wasn't he like a baseball player?

[Dana Carvey]

If I remember Sudakis. Is that Greek or what's that, Lithuanian?

[Jason Sudeikis]

Lithu Lithuan.

[David Spade]

Lithuanian.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Yeah, Lith Lithuanian. Lithuanian.

[David Spade]

But yeah, I'm throwing this away.

[Jason Sudeikis]

Hear your hall pass story. Yeah. You didn't. You didn't. You didn't finish that.

[Dana Carvey]

I dated a girl in hall path.

[Jason Sudeikis]

No, that's not your hall. The girls that come up to you at the end of. You dated.

[David Spade]

He likes the other story better.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh. Oh.

[David Spade]

In. In Vegas, the.

[Jason Sudeikis]

The girl.

[David Spade]

The girls that they go, you're my. You're my whole pass. You get the meet and greet and I go. First of all, they're all nervous. They hands drench like a shamwow. I'm like. Then I go. And they go, I'm your hope ass. You're my home. I go, oh. And they go, that's where I get. I go, no, I know what it is. I'm a hard pass on my side.

[Jason Sudeikis]

You're a hard. You're my hard pass.

[David Spade]

Yeah, you're my hard pass. Hey guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app, Give us review 5 star rating and maybe even share an episode that you've loved with a friend.

[Dana Carvey]

If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now.

[David Spade]

Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey and executive produced by Danny Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman, Maddie Sprung Kaiser and Leah Reese Dennis of Odyssey.

[Dana Carvey]

Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman and the show is produced and edited by.

[David Spade]

Phil Sweet Tech booking by Cultivated and example.

[Dana Carvey]

Special thanks to Patrick Fogarty, Evan Cox, Maura Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gaynor, Sean Cherry, Kirk Courtney and Lauren Vieira.

[David Spade]

Reach out with us. Any questions to be asked and answered on the show? You can email [e-mail] that's a U-Y dot com.