RE-RELEASE - Will Ferrell

Summary

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Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

RE-RELEASE: Will Ferrell (Live at Largo)
October 22, 2025 | Audacy

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Overview

In this vibrant and hilarious episode, Dana Carvey and David Spade sit down with comedy icon Will Ferrell for a lively conversation recorded in front of a packed audience at Los Angeles' Largo theater. Characteristically unscripted and brimming with spontaneous riffs, the trio dives deep into their shared history at "Saturday Night Live," Will’s ascent from the Groundlings to a breakout SNL star, iconic sketches, movie memories, secrets of their creative process, and wild behind-the-scenes moments. With plenty of affectionate ribbing, impromptu impressions, and some truly memorable anecdotes, this episode is a treat for SNL fans and comedy nerds alike.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live Largo Show Setup & SNL Camaraderie

• The episode opens with Dana and David hyping the special nature of recording live at the Largo and welcoming Will Ferrell to ecstatic applause.
• They joke about celebrity "exit strategies" after shows and riff on the unique, upbeat energy that Will always brings.
• Early moments set the tone for the night: “He comes—he’s not walking through it…he’s trying to get laughs. He’s cracking up. We’re all cracking up, making fun of each other. These are the kind that are—I like the super fun, just goofy, stupid.” (Dana, 02:53)

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2. Origins & Early SNL Days

Childhood to Groundlings

• Will recounts almost not pursuing comedy, watching open mics before daring to try:
  • “Almost get the guts to sign up, but sit in the back...and go, oh, I’m funnier than them…Ooh, no, not that guy.” (Will, 11:15)
• Spade remembers Will from his days at Butterfield & Butterfield after an Elvis memorabilia auction (31:53).

Audition Stories

• Will shares his now-infamous SNL audition, including bombing with a “cat toys” sketch:
  • “I thought that would be funny to play with cat toys on the ground...Dead silence.” (Will, 14:51)
• Dana and David marvel at Will’s “Get Off the Shed” sketch, which was both an SNL debut and an audition piece.

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3. Inside SNL: Pressure, Panic, and Finding Your Place

• Will reflects on the anxiety and near-panic attacks of SNL:
  • “Especially after that first year…It would just come out of the blue…It’s inexplicable.” (Will, 25:52)
• David and Dana relate, discussing the slow process of earning confidence and audience acceptance on the show.
• The pressure cooker of SNL, and the relief/slight guilt of sometimes staying “too long.”
• On creative defense—when sketches would bomb, Molly Shannon recalls Will "tripling down":
  • “I had this perverse thing of like, okay, audience, you don’t like it—now you’re really not gonna like it. I’m going to punish you for hating this sketch even more.” (Will, 17:14)

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4. Iconic SNL Sketches, Characters, and Impressions

• Will pays respect to Dana as an SNL luminary:
  • “Dana Carvey, one of my all time favorites. Great sketch players of all time. David, you did stuff too. That was interesting, but thank you.” (Will, 09:50)
• Dana, David, and Will trade stories about their big SNL moments—Perot, Larry King, the Bushes, Robert Goulet.
• Behind-the-scenes bits on cast dynamics, cue card chaos, legendary writers (Jim Downey, Al Franken), and technical gags (fake vomit, blood squibs).
• Spade on Will’s success as an impressionist:
  • "You’re on the Mount Rushmore." (Dana, 10:06)

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5. Transition to Movies & Behind the Scenes of Classics

Groundlings to SNL—Timing & Opportunity

• Will shares about leaving USC, flirting with becoming a sportscaster, bank teller days, Groundlings ascension, and how quickly things moved once SNL came calling.
  • “By that spring of 95…It was pretty fast. It was like two years.” (Will, 41:18)

SNL Movie Alumni

• The challenges and business of adapting iconic sketches (like "A Night at the Roxbury") into films.
• Candid talk about movie box office legacies:
  • “Maybe Night at the Roxbury made 30. Wayne’s World was the big hit.” (50:11)
  • “Some movies like that, in hindsight, you probably thought they made more.” (50:32)
• His commitment in films, from "Old School" to "Elf" and "Anchorman":
  • “That was the thing I loved about Chris Farley...they won’t be able to out-commit me.” (Will, 52:03)

Unforgettable Shoots

• Will’s full-streaking scene in "Old School":
  • “That first take, I’m running and I’m trying…'Oh my God! Hey, hey, hey! So many pubes!'” (Will, 54:20)
• On working with Chris Kattan in “Roxbury”, and technical mishaps with effects teams.

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6. Anchorman, Creative Process, and Industry Pushback

• Will and McKay pitched "Anchorman" for two years, faced a "pass" from most studios—only to be fast-tracked after "Old School" success.
  • “We had 10 or 15 different financiers…pass on it in one day. It was a great day.” (Will, 72:56)
• Will details finding the “Ron Burgundy” voice:
  • “Started thinking of the Ron Burgundy character, because I was watching footage of this news anchor who had been retired for 20 years, but he still talked like this…” (Will, 70:13)

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7. Philosophy of Comedy & Comparison to Legends

• Dana and David compare Will’s style to Peter Sellers and Phil Hartman, highlighting his ability to "lower his IQ" on demand and complete dramatic commitment to absurdity (68:39, 69:33).
• Will on approach:
  • “You never wink and you commit like a dramatic actor.” (Spade, 68:42)
• On ensemble work:
  • “Phil Hartman and Dan Aykroyd were like my guys. I loved how they could swim—be the main guy or the background guy.” (Will, 29:26)

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8. Memorable SNL & Conan Moments

• Will explains the origin of "More Cowbell," and how it took two tries—with Host Christopher Walken delivering the now-classic line.
  • “I know that if Christopher Walken says, ‘I have a fever—and the only prescription is more cowbell,’... Only he can get a laugh off of that.” (99:47)
• On never appearing as himself on Conan:
  • “No, he was just very good at acting and playing along…” (Will, 96:29)

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9. Norm Macdonald & SNL Fellowships

• Multiple affectionate Norm Macdonald stories, including Norm’s prank on Chris Kattan (hiding his shoes for a whole season):
  • “An entire season goes by…Norm goes, ‘Oh yeah, I did take your shoes that flight in November. I threw them in the trash can. Just so you know.’” (Will, 82:16)
• The comedians discuss the bonds and strange trust games played among the SNL cast.

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Memorable Moments and Notable Quotes

• On SNL Pressure:
  • “It literally took me five years before I didn’t feel nervous every single second.” (Dana, 24:46)
  • “By year six and seven, I think I finally had the guts to be like, I’m not going on a Tuesday [to dinner with the host].” (Will, 25:02)
• On Commitment:
  • “They won’t be able to out-commit me. It was like my promise to myself.” (Will, 52:03)
• On Anchorman’s Harsh Pitching:
  • “We had ten or fifteen different financiers or studios pass on it in one day. It was a great day.” (Will, 72:56)
• On Legacy and SNL “Mount Rushmore”:
  • “He’s a top two, at least… top three. Where in that three? I don’t know.” (David, 89:05)

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Audience Q&A Highlights

[90:28] — Favorite sketch that never saw the light of day?

• Will: “I had written a sketch about a guy who looks exactly like Gabe Kaplan from Welcome Back, Kotter...He works at an insurance company...Day Gabe Kaplan comes in…but no one told my character…It worked great at table—died so hard onstage.” (Will, 90:45)
• Dana: “Obsessed with Kurt Cobain, worked at Baskin Robbins, wouldn’t wash my hair...Crickets.”

[94:25] — On playing the Bushes for Ron Howard’s "All the Presidents"

• “We just did our characters one at a time... You just remember things...full fecal.” (David, 95:35)

[96:29] — Why always appear in character on Conan?

• Will: “No, he was just very good at acting and playing along…they just embraced any sort of bit.”

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Timeline of Key Segments

• 03:20 — Opening banter, introducing Will Ferrell
• 10:25 — Early days at SNL, David as Will’s “big brother”
• 14:51 — Will’s audition stories (cat toy sketch)
• 17:14 — On doubling down in a bombing sketch
• 23:55 — Monologue drama, hosting SNL
• 41:18 — From USC to SNL (Groundlings, first break)
• 50:11 — SNL movie legacy, box office discussion
• 52:03 — On commitment, inspiration from Chris Farley
• 54:20 — “Old School” streaking scene story
• 70:13 — Finding the Ron Burgundy voice
• 72:56 — Anchorman, repeated rejections and finally breakthrough
• 82:16 — Norm Macdonald’s hidden shoes prank
• 90:28 — Audience Q&A: favorite “failed” sketches
• 99:47 — The story behind “More Cowbell”
• 102:57 — Taking breaks, family life, summers in Sweden
• 104:31 — Starstruck at SNL: meeting Jagger, hosting memories

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Closing Thoughts

With signature wit, self-deprecating humility, and the easy camaraderie of longtime friends, Ferrell, Carvey, and Spade deliver a rich, layered conversation—a fly-on-the-wall view into the creative pressures, oddball moments, and magical alchemy of SNL and mainstream comedy. Will’s inimitable blend of total commitment and quirky vulnerability colors every story, making this episode a must-listen for comedy fans and SNL buffs.

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Summary prepared by Fly on the Wall Podcast Team
All notable quotes are sourced directly from the episode transcript by approximate timestamp.
For further questions, guest requests, or more episode recaps, contact [e-mail].

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Transcript

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

One of my favorites Dana all time first ballot hall of famer Will Ferrell. We had such a blast with him.

[B]

One of the greatest. And actually this one was fun because we did it live at the Largo.

[A]

Yep. Such a crack up.

[B]

And Will is, you know, just funny. I mean, just listen to this. You'll laugh. There's a big audience there.

[A]

And, you know, he's always upbeat. He's game for anything. He's the same as we are. He comes. He's not walking through it like when we had Sandler. He's trying to get laughs. He's cracking up. We're all cracking up, making fun of each other. These are the kind that are. I like the super fun, just goofy, stupid. We talk about snl, obviously, but it just is. The crowd likes this. And we go a little long, but it's great. It's worth it. It's worth the ride.

[B]

Yeah, it was definitely fun. He's very sweet. The first thing he said when he got there goes, hey, man, sorry, I. I've been really busy that I haven't been on your podcast till this long or whatever it was. I go, no, it's fine. We're like, we're just thrilled.

[A]

And that's the night he got smothered.

[B]

With autograph people out back signing, oh, my goodness. I got mobbed because he. He had a system to get out. Drove by you guys. I was the last celebrity with a small C there. Cut it out, man. I was in a miasma of young people. Like, it was like a rave off. And I was. And they were crushing each other. Shut up, dude. You, man.

[A]

Come on, sign this.

[B]

But that's not on the. This next podcast.

[A]

All right, here he is with.

[B]

With no further ado and no notes. We just winged it.

[C]

Will Ferrell.

[B]

David and Dana.

[A]

Sitting in a tree we're just a fly on.

[B]

The wall down the hall of the.

[A]

They got it. They know.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Hey, Dan, how are you?

[B]

That was Jimmy Fallon on our podcast. Got an acoustic guitar and made up that theme song as Neil Young. So.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Can we play it again?

[A]

Okay, listen, let's. Let's.

[B]

Thanks for coming.

[A]

Let's get our buddy out here. We got a good crowd. They know the show. They know Largo, and they're. They've been waiting. They just heard the Gettysburg Address read to them, so they're excited.

[B]

There are a lot of rules.

[A]

Ready for some jokes? I talked to this guy backstage, and he's not really on tonight, but you know what? Dana and I are going to cover for him.

[B]

We're going to. He's going to come in the hot seat.

[C]

That's what he is.

[A]

One of the. I hate to say, all time Greats first ballot, hall of Famer John William. Oh, here he is. From snl.

[B]

Yeah. All right.

[A]

A little more applause than we got, but who cares? There he is. I'm going to go all sideways.

[B]

Test one.

[A]

I'm kind of in front of you.

[C]

Check one. Sibilance. Sibilance.

[A]

Did you like. They got my chair from a fucking yard sale.

[C]

I was like, that chair was put together like 15 minutes ago.

[A]

I'm getting a better. I'm getting a worse. Okay.

[C]

This is a good angle, too.

[B]

Yeah, I know it's weird to try to talk. So, Will, when did. Were you impressed when you first met me?

[C]

If. Well, if I lay back enough, I can catch both of you guys.

[A]

I can't even see you at that.

[B]

I said, come on, he's not that tall. Get him a 5 foot 8 seat. Now he's got a bad back.

[A]

Listen, I remember the night I got Spinal Bifida. I was at Largo.

[B]

Spinal who? Oh, that was a great heavy metal band from the 70s.

[A]

So, listen, we got time for one more.

[C]

What was the last time you heard a final Bifida reference?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

I just think I just said it.

[A]

And then I felt like it's mean.

[B]

Because it's very Dennis Miller. It's Spinal Bifida.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

The starting linebacker for the Detroit Lions. All right.

[C]

Also, too, if anyone's worried, I brought my wallet. I don't know why.

[A]

Look at how fat it is. You rich?

[B]

Damn, that's a fatty.

[C]

That's a movie star wallet.

[B]

Right?

[A]

That's just from Al.

[B]

Do you carry cash?

[C]

You still carry cash? You carry cash? There's gonna be a fun giveaway tonight. Cash. I'm just handing out cash.

[A]

I didn't know there's an ATM here.

[C]

Spinal Bifidonite.

[B]

Would you like some gum?

[A]

Gum and get some.

[B]

You don't have to have it. I'm just.

[C]

Is it a trick? Is it a trick?

[B]

No, it's nothing.

[A]

Dana, all kidding aside, let's get to the serious.

[B]

Let's see where you. Like where I'd like to start.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Hold on.

[A]

I know I can't see you at.

[C]

All, but I know I'm gonna.

[A]

Do you mind holding it?

[C]

Yeah, I don't mind.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I feel like. Yeah. This is more Tony Bennett, kind of the best is yet to come. I feel fine. Didn't you do Tony Bennett on the show?

[C]

I did not. Oh, anyway.

[A]

Anyway, let's go to questions.

[C]

I did. Robert.

[B]

What did he sound like?

[C]

Alec. Baldwin did Tony Bennett.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

He did a great Tony Bennett. No, I did Robert Goulet.

[B]

Bob.

[C]

Bob Goulet.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And he just had a very deep voice and referenced his appearance in Camelot. Camelot. Then we just write him in weird scenarios. I think he did a. A rap album with Jay Z. We did a sketch with Jay Z.

[B]

That makes sense.

[C]

Yeah. And we also did a bit where it was Robert Goulet's musical called Red Ships of Spain where he didn't realize he was making out with his daughter. His real life daughter. Anna Gastar played his daughter at very. Anna played his love interest. And in Red Ships of Spain, it turns out was his daughter the whole time.

[A]

You can't write this stuff.

[B]

Oh, you did write this stuff.

[A]

Okay, well, let's go back to the beginning, Will.

[B]

Let's go back to the beginning. Can I do a childhood chunk to get us all warmed up? Because I want to take Will to 10 years of age.

[A]

That far back.

[B]

Okay, it's here. Okay.

[C]

But hold on. I just want to say it's a pleasure to be here.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

Great to be here, you guys.

[A]

Very nice. Thank you.

[C]

Dana Carvey, one of my all time favorites.

[B]

You can't tell me.

[C]

Great sketch players of all time. David, you did stuff too. That was interesting, but thank you. Will, you're on the Mount Rushmore. Yes.

[B]

We're going to the after party together.

[C]

Spade, Little train that could, you know, Charlie Hussle award every year at the banquet, give it to Spade.

[B]

Hi, Charlie Brown. You always root for him, but in.

[C]

All honesty, Dave was. You were still with the show when we all got hired and you were like a big brother to us. You kind of showed us the ropes and we had a year overlapping. A year overlapping. You were super cool to me, especially to all of us. Took me to dinner multiple times, hung out, gave us words of wisdom.

[A]

Do you remember one time I invited you over the Upper west side to have lunch and then I.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Ate before you got there? Yeah. Isn't that funny? Isn't that funny why I remember that.

[B]

But you always eat before.

[A]

I know, but he wasn't even late. It was not even his fault. I just. It was.

[C]

I don't think I was late at all.

[A]

It wasn't. It was my fault, but that was just. Maybe I was nervous.

[B]

He's eating a meal when you walk in.

[A]

I guess I think I was finished.

[C]

And I used to back. Wait, sorry, what?

[B]

No, not at all. Okay.

[C]

Back in the days where I was thinking, do I Want to get into comedy? Can I even get into comedy? Do I even have the guts to even try this stuff? I would go to open mic night at the Irvine Improv.

[A]

Oh, I love that place.

[C]

And almost get the guts to sign up, but sit in the back of the house, okay. And just watch the comedians and. And go, oh, I'm funnier than them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, I'm funnier than. Ooh, no, not that guy. That guy's really good. But spa. You hosted one. I watched you host open mic, and next I know, you're on snl and.

[A]

You'Re like, what the.

[C]

I was like, really? I guess anyone.

[B]

Well, then anyone could get on snl.

[C]

You were super funny and relaxed. I was like, oh, man.

[A]

You know, when I saw you on SNL and you guys, Farley, Sandler, those kind of guys, that whole team that I was with left one year, I heard they got fired. I did not know they got fired. Did you hear that? I heard they got fired.

[B]

I want to meet the guy who fired Farley and Adam Sandler.

[A]

They gotta go. That's his name.

[C]

Laura.

[B]

There's nothing there. What?

[C]

No more gas in the tank, Chris.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Not funny, period. Get him out of my sight.

[C]

I don't see a track record.

[A]

I don't see it. Nothing there. Lauren was like, chris, come to my office and clean your locker. But we. Well, I stayed an extra year, which I don't know if that was good or bad, but I stayed. And then I think maybe you and Sherry o' Terry and maybe Molly, they all came in. And the first show that you did, because I felt like sort of went to college, but came back and sat on the wall in high school, like, I should have just left with everybody. Right. But I stayed and did, like, I had five minutes a week to do my own thing.

[C]

Some more glory.

[A]

But, yeah, a little bit. Yeah, I was milking it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Some to the kitty. So then I said, okay, I think the first show you did that I remember you did get off the shed. Is that. Is that true? The first show?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that was one. I didn't know. I didn't know your audition. I didn't know anything. And I thought, this guy's got some fucking game. Because it was such an oddball. Didn't see it coming. Didn't know where it was going. Sketch. And then I think.

[C]

Did you think it's what I auditioned with?

[A]

Actually, you did get off the show in the audition because I saw. I saw a clip of you doing the cat. Yeah. And maybe that's sort of a viral clip.

[C]

Dead silence.

[A]

Am I crazy? It was.

[B]

Sigh.

[A]

It didn't do well.

[C]

Yeah, no, it was. I was literally that one again.

[B]

Just.

[C]

It was just a guy in his office who was like, you didn't give.

[A]

It my setup, by the way.

[C]

There's no, there's no setup.

[B]

I want to know what played to silence. Lorne Michaels sitting there. Have you got anything else? And you pull this out. Well, we've heard the shed thing, but is there something else.

[C]

In 8H?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

With a spotlight on you.

[B]

Horrifying.

[C]

No one else in there except Lauren in the back smoking a cigarette. Just his little ember of a cigarette.

[B]

Holding that Tiparillo.

[C]

Yeah, a Tiparillo.

[A]

It's funnier when you say it.

[C]

And the premise literally was. I think there was a table and a chair and a phone, maybe a prop phone. And it was like, please hold all my calls. And then I just started playing with.

[A]

Cat toys like an adult on the ground, like hitting a toy like that.

[C]

And then the secretary would buzz again and I'm like, yeah, tell him I'll call him back in 20 minutes. And then I go back on the ground. But it was today. Dead silence.

[A]

I. I was shocked.

[C]

And I remember thinking in my head like, well, this is going to be a really good story. When I go back to la and they're like, what happened? I'm like, well, I, I thought that would be funny to play with cat toys on the ground.

[A]

They're like, wait, you did that in your audition? You're like, no, it was funny.

[B]

I thought the guy who fired Sandler and Farley loved it. He loved it.

[C]

That's. Now that's comedy.

[B]

Cuz the guy doesn't play with cats. I think I've been walking a little bit. Sorry.

[A]

It was cat toys. He like lays on the ground and bounce around like a piece of yarn and plays it like that. Yeah, and very funny. And I was watching it because it was like, it was like on Yahoo News. I'm like, they're like Will Ferrell's first audition. I go, oh, I don't think I ever saw this. And then you do that. And it was like crickets. I go, yeah, who, who's there? Marcy and Ken among. And that's it.

[C]

That's it.

[A]

Because no one not. You're not required to go to auditions. I don't think.

[B]

I only went to Bobby was like.

[A]

Bobby Van Rye going, get him next time, guy. Yeah, yeah, Stage manager.

[C]

Nice strike.

[A]

So you do that. You do get off the shed. Did anything do well?

[C]

No, because there were no la.

[A]

He.

[C]

I think Lauren.

[A]

Did they tape it and watch it or something?

[C]

They would tape it and watch it. It was being beamed back to like Burbank at the same time. It was be. It was being.

[A]

He's at Hamburger Hamlet. I watch you.

[C]

I'm using the technical term. Beamed. Yeah, it was beamed.

[A]

You're being beamed.

[B]

But Molly Shannon told us something about you, very specific, that I love. She said that when you were in a sketch on SNL and it started to tank. We're all being.

[A]

Yeah, always.

[B]

That you would triple down. You would get harder at it, like commit.

[C]

I'd either commit or slow it down even. Yeah, I quit.

[A]

Sand.

[C]

Longer pauses in between to torture them. Lines to where the point. Wally, the cue card. Wally, a cue card.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Would be pointing.

[A]

You have more.

[C]

Sometimes if the cue card guy thought you weren't seeing your line, they would point at it. At the line frantically. So I took like a 15 second pause before I delivered the next line. Wally's.

[A]

Yeah, you're in blue.

[B]

That's you.

[C]

But yeah, we would. We would.

[B]

It's.

[C]

I don't. I had this perverse thing of like, okay, audience, you don't like it now you're really not gonna like it. I'm going to punish you for hating this sketch even more.

[A]

That's a good idea.

[B]

Break out on a cold.

[C]

Sweet.

[B]

You had some kind of confidence. But I want to talk about when I first met you and I knew I would like you because you did something. I was coming back hosting. Hey, watch out. Hey, kids. I had a couple nominations. How are you?

[C]

You were super nervous, but you came.

[B]

Up to me and you had a shirt. No, you had a shirt with a zipper, I think. And you just got really close to me, right in my space, unzipped it and this massively hairy chest and just leaned in with a smile. Hi, I'm Will. You know, it was just. I didn't quite in real time, I realized, okay, he's doing stick. But for a second I thought, does this guy have spatial problems? You know.

[C]

Just let him do his thing.

[B]

But. And just. He's leaning in and zipper came down a little more. A little more.

[C]

He wants you to get his scent and then he'll relax.

[A]

Musky.

[B]

But that was. That was fun. And that was when we did. Did we. Did I do Ross Perot and you did Larry King? Because Lauren Michaels talked about that.

[C]

I did a fabulous Larry King.

[B]

Lauren Michaels. I was like, wow, that sketch was great. And you Were great as Larry King.

[C]

Oh, I was so terrible.

[A]

Was it you, Dana?

[C]

You were like, don't worry about it. I'm gonna carry the whole thing.

[B]

Well, I had an ace in my pocket, of course, by the name of Ross Perot.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So it's the. The easiest laugh I ever got in my life.

[C]

I was like. All I could do is like, I'm Larry King. Here we are.

[B]

Ross Pero.

[C]

Ross Pero. What are you. That's all.

[B]

I think you carried it beautifully. It was a precursor to Alex Trebek playing the sort of straight line. That was good.

[A]

People know your cues.

[B]

But being funny with the straight line, you know? But anyway, that was fun.

[C]

But I think we did bush and Bush Jr. With the. I had the antlers. I kept banging the antlers.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That's. So I'm doing George Senior, who's 6 4, and W's 5 11. So I had Herman Munster shoes. Like to hear. And they patted me up. He's coming in as my little baby son, basically. So at one point will plops on my lap.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

There you are, son. How are you? And if you play back on YouTube, you hear me go, we're on a.

[C]

Deer hunt or something.

[B]

I tried to. Yeah, there was.

[C]

Because I'm rattling the antlers.

[B]

Another time we were out hunting, and I told you to go out and.

[C]

I get taken care of.

[B]

Yeah, it was clear.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Keep.

[B]

Keep going into the woods. Keep walking. And then Daddy.

[C]

It was Of Mice and Men moment.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Right, right, right, right. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Well, I played Ross Pro in a rehearsal.

[B]

He was in the wide shot.

[A]

I was in a wide shot as Ross Pro.

[B]

The most.

[C]

Remember playing Woody Allen? Do you remember we did a sketch.

[A]

Was it the Woody Allen.

[C]

Yeah, you did Woody Allen.

[A]

Was it the Woody Allen in a classroom scene with Seinfeld or Jason Alexander? Or was I just playing him?

[C]

I think you were just playing him.

[B]

Did you do.

[A]

I don't even mean to be didactic or facetious, but Andre Previn. Yeah.

[C]

Because I was playing the actor. The actor who was his buddy. I forget which film. We would just go, max, Max. You're crazy.

[B]

Max. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Maybe some smuggler sketch.

[B]

I did it once. A cold opening where Rob Schneider was playing Soon Yi.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I can't. I know.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It was the early 90s, right. So I come out.

[A]

I'm gonna do a citizens cancel.

[B]

I come out live, and there. There's no Rob Schneider playing Soon Yi. And the cue card guys like this. And I'm like, I can't Even, you know, she's not even here, you know, I don't know what I'm gonna do, you know, because again, so I had to just do that.

[A]

He's in makeup stuff.

[B]

He was in the makeup chair.

[C]

Sorry.

[B]

Sorry about that.

[C]

I didn't know.

[B]

Woody. I'm sorry.

[A]

I thought Gap girls.

[B]

Sorry, go ahead. We're. We do a lot of characters on the show.

[A]

Yeah. No, but when I. When I came back to host will. No applause. When I came. When I. No, I'm just saying.

[C]

No, no, no.

[A]

You pick your spots.

[C]

They're hanging on your everywhere.

[A]

Yeah, when I came back. That's why all I remember. Listeners, all I remember was, I think there was an army sketch. And then you had a hard brim hat. Do you remember the idea of this sketch? And then when you came up to me in air, you were poking me in the face with your hat brim.

[B]

Sensitive.

[C]

Steven Cragg wrote that sketch.

[A]

Oh, yeah? What was the story? You were sensitive.

[B]

Drill sergeant. Drill sergeant.

[C]

But I barked out all the commands. But it was all loving therapeutic advice. Yes.

[A]

And then when you got up to me, you hit me in the forehead with your. And of course, it threw me. It was like an old portfolio. Used to just start to make you laugh on air. But it was really just fun being in a sketch with you. Because when I did my year, where I stayed too long is what we're calling it now, I had my own five minutes, but I didn't do sketches. So I felt a little weird because you guys were doing stuff. So we weren't super connected. But I would like to see you guys and stuff. But coming back to host, we were all part of it. That was fun because the whole thing I remember hosting was that one sketch with him and. Because some work, some don't, obviously. And I think that one is where, when I hosted, Sandler was going to be in my monologue. Remember, he did audience member, oh, what are you doing? You're so mean. He would stand up. And so we had a whole monologue that. What are you doing? No, he was like a very timid guy with glasses and called audience member, member. And then he had done it a few times, and so he's doing it when I host. And then that morning water boy opened or something. He had to fly back to la. And then they go, Lauren goes, well, it looks like Adam's out. I go, out of the monologue. Out of the monologue. And he goes, well, aren't you a standup? And I go, I mean, sort of I. I don't really do it anymore. I work at this fucking dump 20,000 hours a week. I haven't done a set in eight months. And he goes, maybe just seven minutes. That's all you need. I go, yeah, but I need it polished. I can't run to the Comedy Store. I can't run anywhere. So I put together. I don't know how we got into this.

[C]

Sounds like a fun challenge.

[A]

It was a challenge. And it was. I did a bit about a polar bear, and I did a bit about something else, but it was kind of fun and terrifying. And then I remember your sketch, thus. That was great doing it with you. That's all.

[C]

Every moment of snl fun and terrifying.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Very scary. Do you remember have you ever said no to a Tuesday dinner at Orso with the host.

[B]

With host.

[C]

And I think I finally over. Because I remember you guys talking about this in one of the podcasts that you finally work up enough courage to say no. But I think it took because I remember you saying, Dana, you saying, ridiculously true. Five seasons before, it felt like it was like your home gym or before you stopped.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I literally remember your words. It literally took me five years before I didn't feel nervous every single second.

[B]

And you had the same experience.

[C]

Same experience. And so by year six and seven, I think I finally had the guts to be like, I'm not going on a Tuesday.

[A]

Usually there was a Tuesday.

[B]

Then you. I think somewhere. You. You went to this other gear. I don't know what. But when it happened.

[A]

But you got good. I think it was the last week.

[C]

The last of my lap.

[B]

Yeah. Your last show, Cowbell. And then I think you left right after cowbell. Right.

[C]

Every. Every best of sketches. In my last show of the seventh.

[A]

Season, I heard Cowboy Fire, you asked them to do panic attacks.

[B]

Were you nervous then? Because Bill Hader told us that he was having panic attacks the whole time. I never was able to see it. Like, literally panic attacks in the bathroom by himself, crying and. But you control it.

[C]

But were you never that bad? But there were. There was just. You know, it got less and less with each year.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it would always surprise me, especially after that first year where you're like, okay, I think I've gone through everything you're gonna go through where you potentially are gonna get thrown. It would just come out of the blue. Where it would be. I don't know. It wouldn't even be, like, the first show of the season. It'd be something like the seventh show. It's like, why do. I don't have a good feeling? This is not gonna be good.

[B]

It's an anxiety.

[C]

It would just come out of. Just come out of nowhere and. And that'd be fine the rest of the year. But it's inexplicable.

[B]

It's two things happen. I think there's people like Eddie Murphy, who's a Savant Basically at 19. But I think for most people, you get a little more confident, and then the audience starts to see you, and then you get a little more confident, and then finally when the audience sees you come out, they're kind of excited. And then it builds on it. I've seen it happen with a lot of cast members over time.

[A]

That's why Lauren says, do you know? Well, with me, I was newer, but like a feature player, but do a few lines here, a few lines there, just to get them to see your face and know you're part of the situation. So then they know, okay, he's one of these guys. And then they will buy you when you do a full sketch. But you came. You were one of the ones that, like Dana, where you came out and you had to be a full. Were you a full cast member when you started?

[C]

Well, we were. We were. We were really lucky because that year before. Yeah.

[A]

Got rid of all that when they.

[C]

Got rid of the.

[A]

Farley Sandler.

[C]

Farley Sandler.

[A]

Get rid of them.

[B]

Cleaning out the deadwood.

[C]

Myers, this clown.

[B]

Yeah, he's good.

[C]

Phil Hartman.

[A]

I was hanging out of the door.

[C]

Like Titanic Lovett, you know.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Fumigate the place.

[A]

Start over.

[C]

So we had a brand new.

[B]

We had.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Brand new cast members and a brand new writing staff.

[A]

Very weird.

[C]

So we didn't know any better.

[B]

We.

[C]

We were like. It wasn't that. Because I've talked to past cast members who were added one at a time, like, by themselves, and that's super.

[A]

Or mid season. Mid season.

[C]

To try to break through that way. In fact, Molly was mid season the year before I got there.

[A]

Oh, she was there and we were.

[C]

Laughing because she was like, what is this? You guys get, like, cue card training and you get shown where all the. Here's the wardrobe department. Here's your quick change area. I didn't get any of that. My God.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And she was just laughing, going. She was like. I was a little mad, actually. You guys got to. Did you get trained on the Q? Did you. Do you remember anything like that?

[A]

No one even talked about it.

[B]

Just terror. I mean, my thing was freaky because in the first show I was in the cold opening, and I didn't know it was the cold opening. I was just in it. I knew it was my first time doing sketch comedy. It was hard for me not to look at the audience like a stand up, you know. And then the church lady popped and came in and I had Sigourney Weaver and Phil and Jan, and so then that took off crazy. So I was just boiled in water immediately. And then chopping broccoli, but no one.

[C]

No chopping broccoli.

[B]

Chopping broccoli.

[C]

Geez.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Which.

[B]

That was my first show.

[C]

That's your first show?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, my God. The cutaway to Phil, by the way.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Just him and Joe, everyone just going, this is the worst song ever. And then Phil Hartman just going, yes.

[B]

Phil Hartman. I'll give you a dormant. As great a compliment as I can. You remind me of a lot of people, Peter Sellers. And you also remind me of Phil because you were. You were Alex Trebek. That would have been what. Phil would have played that character.

[C]

Phil Hartman and Dan Aykroyd were like my guys. I looked up to those. Just loved how they could swim. They could be the main guy or be the background guy.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's what I loved about ensemble comedy.

[B]

Yeah. And, you know, everyone is. Who knows them both just said they're. They're kind of scientist comedians. They would just. Phil would read, you know, books about evinrude motorboats on the set and then pick up a script, kill it in the rehearsal, come back, and Ackroyd's the same way. He's interested in Phil Hartman and astronomy.

[C]

Came to host when we were. I don't know if it was that first year or the second year.

[A]

Oh, really?

[C]

He comes back to host and I'm in the room, I think it's with Tom Janis and Adam McKay and Keckner, and I just can't. I don't know what to say to him. So I'm just sitting in the chair and I'm just like, that's Phil Hartman. And he finally picks up on. He's like, what gives with the Pharaoh kid? Chat got your tongue? Just like, do I walk out of the room? I was like, I just. Like, no. I just. What these guys said. Let's just.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, I'm. I'm writing the thing that they're going.

[B]

To write for you too.

[C]

And. But he was just a. What a great guy.

[B]

Yeah. There was just something about him, and he was so effortless and he didn't Care. And he was so unassuming about it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And we. That's why we nicknamed him the Glue. He was just somebody who was always there.

[C]

But, God, he picked up on the fact that I just. I wouldn't.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I couldn't speak. Yeah.

[B]

That's so interesting, because now we have data of where you went and where. Where you're still going. And to hear this stuff, I feel like human. Yeah.

[A]

Stopped.

[C]

Do you remember when I ran?

[B]

Stopped. You had murdered.

[C]

When I ran.

[A]

Don't even say it.

[C]

I hadn't seen you in a while. I run into the Laker game, you're like, oh, hey, Will. Hey.

[B]

Hey.

[A]

Hey.

[C]

Sorry about the career.

[A]

I can't even hide my jealous rage.

[B]

Yeah. You're like, hey, by the way, good to see you.

[C]

Sorry about the career.

[A]

Yeah, sorry. Everything went up on a fucking rocket ship. No, because the first time I saw you was at Butterfield and Buffalo. Butterfield. Oh, yeah, you heard me.

[C]

Oh, man.

[A]

We worked at an auction house that was. Is Christie's now, I think, on a sunset. And I was buying Elvis memorabilia, and I took my.

[C]

Oh, Elvis credit card.

[A]

New money. Yeah. And I was. I bought an Elvis set list. Joey Esposito, who is Elvis, is one of his buddies, was there authenticating stuff. I got a set list. Then he wrote out his handwriting. And I loved Elvis. I bought one of his guns, and then I bought a. And then his watch, and I thought it was cool as shit. And then you worked there.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then you. I had my Land Cruiser, which I still have tonight, and you walked me out, and that's where I met you. And then when I saw you at snl, I think we remembered that you worked there. Right? You didn't work there.

[C]

Oh, my God. Yeah. No, I worked there. And my then good friend.

[A]

And that was the last time I was funnier than you.

[C]

Later.

[A]

My wife. Oh, yeah, she worked there.

[B]

Oh, that's right.

[C]

She was the auctioneer. Yeah, exactly like that. Can you yell out a number? You keep saying, hey, better.

[A]

Hey, better.

[C]

We can't follow the bidding.

[A]

But it was interesting seeing you there. And then obviously, we. We joke around, but the. The. The monster movies after that, I mean, we could talk about snl. Because I was going to ask you before we get to all these movies, your. What was your favorite commercial parody you were in? Do you remember commercial parodies? Did you do a lot or not?

[C]

Yeah, I didn't. I was. I was a little bit. When I first started, I wasn't in. I was. I don't Think I was in any of those initial commercial parodies.

[A]

And usually it was sort of like jury duty because it takes you away from the show a little bit because you have to dedicate a full day to shooting it during the week. And now they do a lot of pre tapes during the week. Yeah, you see the host in a lot of. I mean, they beat the shit out of that.

[C]

But you'd come sometime in September to start.

[A]

You can go do them early. Oh, yeah, go do them early. I don't know if we did that.

[C]

Before that first show.

[B]

Yeah, it wasn't in many.

[A]

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[A]

Hi, I'm Paul F. Tompkins.

[C]

My name is Lauren Lopkus.

[B]

And I'm Scott Aukerman.

[A]

And we're from the show threedom.

[B]

It's a show where three friends get.

[C]

Together, we laugh, we talk about our.

[B]

Lives, and we have fun playing games.

[A]

It's really just that simple.

[C]

There's not a lot to it.

[A]

Tell you everything we've ever done in our whole entire lives. You'll hear every story that we have twice at least.

[B]

New season's out now and you can get it wherever you get your podcast. We don't care where you get your podcast.

[A]

Get them up your butt. New season is out now. Okay. Instacart.

[B]

Instacart.

[A]

When it comes to game day, I want to spend my time actually watching the action, not standing in a long line at the store, driving all the way up there. That's why I'm using Instacart. Instacart. It's more than just a grocery delivery app, Dana. I Don't know if you know this.

[B]

I'm learning.

[A]

Hair company that makes life easier with just a few taps. Shop from all my favorite stores. I can have some snacks, Cool snacks, wings, whatever I want. Deliver right to my door. Fastest 30 minutes, buddy.

[C]

Whoa.

[B]

So you don't miss the game. You get all your cool stuff for your cool friends. Honestly, I've come to trust Instacart shoppers to get it right. Whether it's chips and salsa. You like that. For friends, you've got a couple a pack of drinks for tailgating. Or those last minute extras I forgot to grab earlier in the week. Come on, man.

[A]

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[B]

That's code f otw, p o D2o to get 20 off your first order of 80 or More. Offer valid for a LIM time. Excludes restaurants. Additional terms apply. One thing I'm just quickly, very interested in because I, you know, you think everyone knows everything about you, but what was that transition from USC to being to the ground lanes and then how long at the ground lanes till you got on snl? How fast did you get on SNL from when you started trying to be a comedian?

[C]

I graduated SC in 90, moved home immediately, which was great.

[B]

Back to Orange County.

[C]

Back to Orange County.

[B]

Okay, good move.

[C]

Everyone was super psyched.

[B]

So that's in 1990.

[C]

That was 1990.

[B]

I'm back, dad.

[C]

Yeah, I'm back.

[A]

Thanks for the education.

[C]

Yeah, thanks for the degree. And I was going to try to be a sportscaster. That's what I studied at sc. And I was going. But at the same time I thought, ah, I better try this comedy thing if I'm gonna give a shot.

[B]

Because that was from a childhood sort of inkling prankster and all that.

[C]

Always liking it, but too afraid to try it. And that's when I started taking classes at the Growlings, trying some stand up comedy.

[B]

Pretty darn good.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Did you ever play the Cannery down in Newport or the San Juan depot where an actual train goes through? You're set.

[A]

Well, I did, like, official comedy.

[B]

Had that. Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But I don't think I was in.

[C]

Like, Shakies Nino's in Long beach, an Italian restaurant.

[A]

I did not.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

All the big spots.

[A]

I did.

[B]

Yeah. Sir laughs a lot. Yeah. The Rib Tickler, Minneapolis. I played that's real.

[C]

But I was doing some standup. I was doing. And groundlings. You have to. You work your way through this school.

[B]

Yeah. And.

[C]

But it. The courses are so booked up. You'll finish one level and you got to wait six months before the next one opens up. So then I was just back at home working odd jobs. I was a bank teller.

[B]

I was. And this is in 91.

[C]

91, 92.

[B]

You're still doing odd jobs.

[C]

And then I think 93, I get into the main company or the Sunday company at the Growlings.

[B]

Did you have a character that you had developed at that point that got you to that? Was Harry Carey around?

[C]

Harry Carey was in the main company. Okay. So the Sunday shows, like their B team, like their minor league team. And then you get into the main company and. And that's when. Get off the shed sketch I had done and I started doing Harry Carey. That was during the baseball strike one year.

[B]

Inspired character.

[C]

And I thought, oh, baseball. There's no baseball games right now. Wonder what Harry Carey's doing with his days. I thought it'd be funny. I should set him in like an acting class doing a play reading of a super dramatic play.

[B]

Perfect.

[C]

And so I wrote this sketch about Harry in a community theater rehearsal space. And, you know, I was like, okay, let's take the scene from the top. And you know.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And then it was Harry Carey doing like, damn it, Carol, what happened to us?

[B]

I look in your eyes and I.

[C]

Don'T see love anymore.

[B]

And then you disappear. I literally your face from this angle.

[A]

Funny.

[B]

I didn't see Will for a second. That was.

[C]

I remember Maggie Baird, who was she? She played my wife. But they. The other act they had to play. I said, you guys have to play it. Really. Like, if you can make yourself cry, do it. So they're reading the lines, like, I don't know. I just. We're distant and she's like getting herself to cry. And then I'm playing off of that. It was. It was madness. But the audience. I knew it was working. When the audience was laughing at the. Without any knowledge of who Harry Carey was, they'd just be like, who's that crazy guy you do with.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. They just sounds funny.

[C]

But so I'd done that. And by that spring of 95, that was when we had heard SNL's looking to recast. So it was pretty fast. It was like two years.

[B]

Did you have anybody in a position of authority, a mentor or someone at the ground or someone who pulled you aside at one point? Said, I think you really can do this.

[C]

It was a really supportive.

[B]

Was everyone sort of giving you feedback?

[A]

Was it more supportive than snl?

[C]

Well, I would say typically, yes. But we. The group we had at the show.

[A]

We were kind of like, you got kind of lucky.

[C]

We got lucky.

[B]

Who was in that group?

[C]

That would have been Molly and myself.

[B]

Chris Kattan.

[C]

Chris Cattan came later. Anna came the next year.

[A]

Sherry.

[B]

Oh, Sherry. Terry.

[A]

Weren't you.

[C]

Norm was doing Tim Meadows.

[A]

Tim.

[C]

Jim Brewer.

[B]

Wow. So everyone went on from there. Steve Carell's wife, Nancy Walls, who was on.

[C]

And it was a lot of people who had done sketch comedy. So everyone was just kind of like, pulling for each other in a very own SNL way. Because we knew, like, ooh, the show's about to get canceled. Not to mention everyone in network television saw there was blood in the water, so we had to go. But Mad TV premiered.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Howard Stern had a sketch comedy show.

[B]

Oh, really? Your first year, all that was on Funny.

[C]

But I think you.

[B]

And you did your show in 96. Yeah, that first. Yeah, that was prime time. It made half an episode. They pulled us out.

[C]

But you. Were you guys doing it on a Friday night?

[B]

I wouldn't. I didn't know. It was right after Spin City or Home Improvement.

[C]

And there was a fourth. There was a fourth. There was four or five different sketch.

[B]

Combinations in that whole year. And then Living Color might have still been on. Maybe.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, the state, maybe.

[C]

So anyway, so we were, like, actually pulling for each other.

[A]

Sort of friendly. Was cheerleaders. That first year.

[C]

Was that first year.

[A]

So you had a couple that really worked. So there's no danger. No, no, there was.

[C]

Yeah. Don't ruin the flow.

[A]

You're getting it wrong when I say my stuff.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

But cheerleaders must have. I think it crushed from immediately. And then you did it a few times that year, so you were in no danger of feeling down deep you might get fired or anything. You were doing well enough that first year to go. I'm pretty solid.

[C]

Except they did a thing where I think we were signed for the first nine shows and then picked up.

[A]

Oh, gonna pick up. Ooh, gross.

[C]

But then. But then that was a gross pickup.

[A]

I mean, it's just.

[C]

But then they. Dare I say they broke the contract and they said, nope, you're just picking. Picked up. You're picked up for just five more shows.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

And then we'll see if you're picked up for the last five.

[B]

This is your first season. Just getting these Little pickups.

[A]

That's what happens when I date girls. They pick me up for two more dates and then they go. We'll see how it goes after that. I'm sorry.

[C]

You don't have to laugh.

[A]

No, no, you don't have to.

[B]

It's all right.

[A]

They thought you said it, so you started laughing. Yeah, no, he's been so.

[C]

But it was still.

[B]

So.

[C]

It was still harrowing.

[A]

It's. By the way, I don't think you're ever relaxed there going, I got it made here. So I don't think that's ever a feeling if you're new, even if you're.

[C]

Doing those last couple seasons.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[C]

But you're.

[B]

You're.

[C]

But I did have a fantastic. So when my arbitrarily. That My last year, when I just decided that would be my last year.

[B]

Yeah. Seventh season or whatever.

[C]

Just felt like the right amount of time. Lauren took me to dinner to talk me into staying.

[A]

Chili's.

[C]

Houston. Houston's.

[A]

I can get us in. I can do hillstone.

[C]

Houston's at 9:30. Does that work?

[A]

After the rush?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

These dinners are very interesting. So Will, you're going to stay. That's why how he does it sometimes. You'll stay another two years.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I just tell you.

[B]

He'll tell you what's going to happen.

[C]

I think it was at Pastis.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Okay. But how awkward because you. You want to say no. You want to leave. Right.

[B]

Well. Well, you'd already filmed Old School, but we'll get to that. Right. During.

[C]

Yeah. That was in the can.

[B]

That was in the can.

[C]

That was in the can. But no one knew.

[B]

You didn't know where it was.

[C]

That was in the can.

[B]

That's a term for film.

[C]

It's edited, but they haven't shown because.

[B]

They used to have cellulose.

[A]

You did that in the summer and then you came back and did snl.

[C]

I think I did it partly through part of the fall of that seventh season.

[B]

Okay, so how did Lorne pitch you?

[C]

Lauren said the most. He said, so I understand you're thinking about leaving and I would just suggest this. You're at a high point right now, but you want to start just to begin to dip and then you should leave. I'm like, but Lauren, that seems counterintuitive.

[A]

And then work for John Lovitz.

[C]

When Lauren doesn't really want to hear an answer, he always goes, just think about it.

[B]

Yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Just think about it.

[C]

Think about it.

[A]

I'm gonna draw the chart on a napkin. And I high point.

[C]

I'm going, yeah, let me. Let me just think about waiting for me to dip and then leave. I will think about that.

[B]

And you just said, I'll think about it.

[C]

And then we never talked about it ever again.

[B]

But it seems like, you know, you did Molly's movie. You did a lot of. You did the movie with Chris and you, you know, you were kind of. And then you'd done cowbell and everything else. It seemed like your timing was impeccable. I mean, you were ready. But you could have killed for three more years in the show.

[C]

I mean, if. No. If anyone had put a show biz gun to my head and said, this is all you get to do, I would have said, great. That was the hardest, most fun job I've ever done.

[B]

Most exhilarating. Bizarre, right?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, I couldn't hear you.

[A]

Did someone put a gun to your head there?

[C]

Someone put a gun. Elvis. One of Elvis's old guns.

[A]

Oh, God damn.

[C]

Bought an auction to my head.

[A]

Don't use mine. Right back.

[B]

Comes around, comes around.

[A]

This crowd does not know what to do.

[C]

I think I was in a dark nightclub in Scottsdale, where I'm from. Camelback in 54th. Yeah.

[A]

When you did so in the. In the summers.

[B]

You did.

[A]

That's what we would try to do is a movie in the summer. So you did. What was the first one? Was it Superstar? Were you in Superstar?

[C]

I was in Super. The first one, Superstar.

[A]

Was it Roxbury?

[C]

I think the first one was Roxbury.

[A]

I heard the original title was called A Day at the Roxbury. Then he goes, maybe night, Night.

[B]

We're doing Bury this month.

[A]

Is there any way you could still shake your neck like that, or. No, it's too hard.

[C]

I don't know if I can't. I don't know if I remember.

[B]

Don't try.

[C]

What the motion was. It was.

[B]

Is this love?

[A]

If I did it now, I would just hold my head still and go try to trick the audience like a.

[B]

Little cardboard cut out.

[C]

Actually, that's a sketch Catan and I would do at the Growlings.

[B]

Oh, you brought it in.

[C]

So we brought that in. But yeah.

[A]

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but for the audience, if they don't know. But we say it sometimes when you come on, when I was there, you would say what sketches you had when you came in or what characters.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And then you own them, even if you did them on the show. I think Mike owned Wayne. Wayne's World and then I was just. No, I don't know.

[B]

Well, they were pretty tricky about that. I don't know. We'll own it even if we don't own it.

[C]

Maybe 50.

[A]

50. And then whatever you came up with in the writers room, they own, right? Is that how it works?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So if you came in with that and then I think it's more incentivizing if you would think if. If it was a sketch they owned. You know, because Lauren was doing a lot of sketches for a while. Like even Tommy Boy was sort of us at the office based on.

[B]

What was that movie, you guys? What was Tommy Boy about?

[A]

I get the top of the hand and then Wayne's World and let's get.

[B]

Some box office numbers out here. Roxbury versus Tommy Boy.

[A]

No, Tommy Boy.

[B]

Tommy Boy was pulling coin down.

[A]

We were. We weren't a big hit though.

[C]

We were. Rockbury maybe made 30.

[A]

We barely. We made probably 35. We barely.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. Wayne's World was the big hit. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, Tommy boy made like 50.

[A]

No, it. It just made. What about Black Sheep?

[B]

What about what Black Sheep.

[A]

Black Sheep made about the same it. But they sort of did better in. As it went on. Like on video.

[C]

But.

[A]

Yeah, but some movies like that, in hindsight you probably thought they made more. But it didn't. It opened number one and so did Black Sheep. But it wasn't like a huge killing. But it just sort of resonated over time, which helps because a lot of them do better and then they don't resonate. You know how it is.

[B]

You got a lot of movies Life.

[C]

On actually all DVD and yours did well.

[A]

But cable. But to other people, not really.

[B]

DVDs are huge. What was your biggest. Well, that's live streaming is. Let's get some hardware going. I want to put it in a slot.

[A]

No, it was like I remember Walmart said every time people throw in Tommy Boy or Joe Dirt when they come by in the aisle and it doesn't go down every week they get the same amount of people just go. I just throw in. Just throw it in. So that made money, I guess for them, but not really me. But I like those ones that kind of live on. There's not that many but when you came out so old school was such a monster. Was your idea to be naked and streaked because you did that before or.

[C]

There'S always seems to be.

[B]

You wanted to treat America got a comfort level of using your body, you know, in a very funny way.

[C]

I had a comfort level. Yeah.

[B]

You would Streak in college, right? Or zap.

[C]

Made it. I had. Yeah, I had. My dad's in the audience tonight, dad.

[A]

Oh, yeah, you're trying to overthink your answers.

[C]

I streaked in college, dad.

[B]

Your dad is out there right here on our audience, Mr.

[C]

But. Yeah, well, I was always. That was the thing I loved about Chris Farley. I remember thinking, okay, I'm going to meet people that are just as funny as me and people that are much funnier than me. But the one I'll just. They won't be able to out commit me. It would be. It was like my promise to myself.

[B]

You fulfilled that promise. I don't think anyone committed harder.

[C]

I had no problem taking my shirt off during sketches and things like that. But I do remember reading the script for Old School and reading that joke. Reading. And there's sometimes a disconnect that you read it and you go, oh, that'll be funny. Until the day you actually have to perform it.

[B]

And you come out of your trailer. What are you wearing, a robe or what do you. How do you come out of your trailer?

[C]

Shoot this and we.

[B]

Time for the run down the street.

[C]

Little. Little marble. Little marble sack.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

As they say in the industry.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And yeah, we shot it here in Montrose. Anyone from Montrose here tonight?

[B]

I've only heard the band Montrose.

[C]

But yeah, we shot that right out here near Altadena. And I just remember we were shooting in front of a bunch of stores, storefronts, and there was like a local health club and there was all these yuppie people working out, getting their power walking in. And I said to the pa, like, does anyone. Has anyone told them what's about to happen? Because I'm in the robe and I got the marble sack attached to the crucial area. And does anyone know I'm about to drop the robe and like, do. Do we want to tell, you know, some kid on a headset?

[A]

Like, what?

[C]

Huh? Yeah, I don't know.

[A]

We want to get real ra.

[C]

Okay, back to one get. I think that we're going to film it now. We're ready. That first take, I'm running and I'm trying to. I'm like, honey, we're all going straight. I'm hearing off in the distance through the window of the health club. Oh, my God. Hey, hey, hey.

[A]

So many pubes.

[C]

And then we shoot it. We cut, we reset.

[B]

Another take.

[A]

He's not gonna do it again.

[C]

There's like one old guy in there still power walking. Extra. By the third take, health club totally cleared out. No one wanted to watch me run naked down the street.

[B]

How many takes it was?

[C]

It was probably more than we needed.

[B]

Camera from behind. And from behind.

[C]

Crane.

[A]

Crane change.

[C]

Gotta bring in the Super 50 techno. Yeah, yeah. Side shot.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then camera in the car where I go in butt first to sit down. So, yeah, a bunch of shot. A bunch of.

[A]

Dana, I know this is supposed to be about Will. I remember that movie, Dana. I mean, Will, can I tell you one embarrassing story? Just remind me of walk. I have to move for this. It's not worth it at all. But we'll take it out later. So this is embarrassing because one movie I did called Warning Shot, it was sort of a drama. And there was gun. Thank you.

[B]

Warning Shot. That's when you played the kingpin, right?

[A]

Oh, yeah. I was a bad guy.

[B]

The drug lord.

[A]

So I was a drug lord. Dana, I knew you'd see the trailer, so I.

[B]

You sent it to me.

[A]

So there's. Dana, we're taking this all out anyway, it doesn't matter.

[C]

I gotta watch Warning Shot.

[A]

So we'll watch it on the plane.

[C]

So put it in my notes.

[A]

Here I am. And you got it down for sure.

[C]

Warning Shot.

[A]

Warning Shot.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And I don't want to give the whole thing away because everyone's gonna run home.

[C]

Directed Warning Shot.

[A]

I don't know if we had a director. I realized halfway through, we were just all talking.

[B]

AI directed it.

[A]

So they said there's a part where I get squibs, lingo. So there's a gunfight.

[B]

You're gonna get shot.

[A]

So they have to. Ling me. They have to.

[C]

And it's the fake blood.

[A]

Squid me up. So they put like little, you know, pepcid acs on you that blow up. You know what I mean? Like, whatever. But they have to. I don't know if it's electronically. They have to tape it to you, right? And they actually make. It's. It like makes a spark or something. So they.

[C]

Small explosion, right?

[A]

So they tape a couple here to my bird chest. And then. But I'm at lunch eating a burrito. And then they go, hey, shooting after lunch. I go, okay. And. But like you, I don't even think about it. And then I go, oh, wait, I have to. This guy's coming in here. So the special effects guy's got, like a ponytail, you know, this kind of thing always. He comes in, hey, it's like. It's like a sound.

[C]

To go. Shirt.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He goes, we're going to do these and you might feel a spark. And if there's a full fire. We'll, you know, we'll address it then. And I go, okay.

[C]

Which means it's happened before, which means.

[A]

It'S his first day. So he goes, they just pulled me off this other thing. Home Depot.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. So he goes, okay. So he wires me up, like, shirt off. And then they go, 1, 2, 3, 4, let's say. And then they tape them down. And now they stick them on. And now they have to go down my pant leg. And then, you know what I mean? Like out the back, the wires. And then the guy has like a little blow up plunger.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So I have to put my pants on over that. So these are on here. And they go back like six feet to him. And he's like, got it. And then in my trailer, and I delicately put my shirt on, they go, ready for you. So I start to walk out, he's following me. And then I start drifting off on the way to the set going, what are my lines? Blah, blah, blah. Take that, dagnabbit. Or whatever I'm saying.

[B]

And you were playing like a macho bat.

[A]

Yeah, Like I'm a tough guy, so I'm just.

[B]

I'm drift.

[A]

This is the embarrassing. I'm drifting off and then I go. And then three toots in a row just to myself. I don't care. I'm just walking. And then I hear behind me, hey, come on, man. I forgot he was. I Forgot he was 6ft and already leaning over.

[C]

Hey, come on, man.

[A]

Because I'm first team. The worst thing you can say is, come on. He wanted to bust my head open. And I go. He goes, it's cool, it's cool. But it wasn't cool. It was so horrible. I. I couldn't apologize, but I had to laugh so hard first because it was so uncool.

[B]

And then he's walking through.

[A]

And then guess what? The squibs went wrong after that because.

[B]

Sibs were a relief. After that.

[A]

I just walk on the set. I go, are we ready? And he's like, blam. And I'm like. He's like, oh, early.

[C]

It's usually the indignant special effects person who. They get mad at you even though they didn't have it hooked up right. And so filming a night at the Roxbury, one of the gags was, we're driving, we're doing the head thing. And then catan smash. Does it so hard, he smashes his side on the window, his passenger side window, with his head and it explodes. But that's all Squibbed up. So that's supposed to just crack.

[A]

Smash.

[C]

That's supposed to crack with the aid of technology.

[A]

Timing. Wham. Right when he touches it. Bam.

[C]

Special effect guy. Same. Same guy. He's waiting by the console, you know, going hot.

[B]

Going hot.

[A]

On a cool dialogue. Coming in hot. Yeah.

[C]

You're timing it out. You're rehearsing how many head.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

We'll do it on the fifth one. And on the fifth one, Chris will go like this. So we're doing. You know, what is that? And we're doing our thing. And Chris. One, two, three, four.

[B]

Whack.

[C]

Side. Does nothing. The side went.

[B]

Doesn't break.

[C]

Doesn't break at all. Guy comes in, it's like, I don't. It's all checked out or something. Wasn't plugged in. As if we're supposed to go, oh, great, no problem.

[A]

Ah, fuck.

[C]

But Catan's got, like, a shiner weld. Yeah. Then he's like, do we trust him? Do we do it again?

[A]

He goes, are we doing it again?

[C]

But they get so excited when they discover their issue.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. He's like, it wasn't my fault. It wasn't plugged in. You're like, that's still your fault.

[B]

Isn't it funny? It wasn't plugged in. Can you believe it?

[C]

Hysterical. It wasn't plugged in.

[B]

Show business is difficult. That's all we're saying it did.

[C]

So you. I do love the guy.

[A]

Like, I love it.

[C]

Come on, man.

[A]

Oh, he just kind of.

[C]

Come on, man.

[A]

He did. The harshest. He could go is, hey, come on, man. Like. And then I was like, oh, my God. He can't yell at me. It's so. Because he just.

[C]

But we always found that with the effects guys on SNL that, like, if you.

[B]

If you had a gag, barf or.

[C]

Something, like, please, we need so much blood. It's supposed to be over the top amount of blood. You got it. It's going to be so much blood. Dressers will show, like, one spot, and you'd look over and the guy would be like, I don't know what happened. I'm sorry. I don't know.

[A]

You want more than that? You're like, yes, I want the funny version of the blood.

[C]

Funny version. And, like, then add 100% to that.

[A]

We did it with Alec Baldwin, and we were. And Jay Moore. We were all like. Every cop that came to a set goes. I think Phil comes up and he.

[B]

Goes, this is the sickest, most gruesome set.

[A]

You know, I'VE ever seen car crash, right? And he throws up. And then he goes, captain, Captain, what's going on? Then he throws up. And it was just a joke of we all throw up. And like, me and Jay, by the time we got there, we were newer and we had two lines, but the throw up wasn't working as well. And it goes. It's same thing. Up your leg, up a hose, and a guy back. And then at rehearsal, we're like, guys, more the same thing.

[C]

Yeah, please.

[A]

Funny. Throw up. It goes everywhere. And it's too much. No one's mad. It's too much is better. And I think by the time we did was either a leaky faucet, you know, it just barely. And you're like. And then it's funny because you're like.

[C]

It's just a little.

[A]

Because it's coming out of your arm like you're barfing. And it goes like that, right? There's a spray my whole face. Anyway, that's not. That's neither here nor there right now. No, no, no. But.

[B]

But do you have any other stories you like to share.

[A]

That did you do? Were you an anchorman? Because I didn't read everything I know you were in.

[C]

No, I auditioned for.

[B]

What was the guy? Ron Flurga.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Was Burgundy. That wasn't something from snl, right? That was something you thought of after.

[C]

That was after. Yeah, that was after the show.

[A]

Was that one of your first. You left snl? Was that one of your first. Left SNL starring in movies? Old school. Old school came out.

[C]

Came out after I left.

[A]

Crushed.

[C]

While we were filming. Yeah. So I left and I didn't.

[A]

Is that the only old school?

[C]

There was film, but they held onto it, which is usually a bad sign.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Release it until later.

[B]

After Anchorman.

[C]

No, no, before.

[B]

So it was old school.

[C]

And then I. We were working on Elf, this script about an elf.

[A]

Oh, Elf was back then.

[B]

That did.

[C]

That was not enough. That needed a bunch of work. So when I left the show, there wasn't. I didn't, like, have this stack of scripts waiting for me, but holy.

[A]

To come out with those three.

[C]

Old School, Elf and Anchorman were the first movies I did after I left the show.

[A]

That's unreal.

[B]

At old school, you go, you're crazy.

[A]

Is that.

[C]

Is that what you say after the start?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Hysterical.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So many parts. Old school are great. When Vince Vaughn goes, hey, you need some sand? I got a sand guy. Everything about old School is funny. Love that one. Elf, obviously, was such a huge home run hit and still to this day.

[C]

But elf was that was a little scary. Only because I'd come off of SNL and old school known probably for doing more PG13, right edgier stuff.

[B]

And then you're in a and then.

[C]

I'm in this family film family thing.

[A]

That's risky going.

[C]

This could be it. I don't know. I'm just sitting around running around the streets of New York in yellow tights.

[A]

Dana, what does a confident smile say to you? And maybe more importantly, what does it say about you With Smile Generation? It says you're taking care of more than just your teeth. Because confidence doesn't start and stop at a bright smile. It's about your whole body wellness. Smile Generation reimagines oral health as the gateway to long term confidence. Why? Because oral health issues have been linked to heart disease, diabetes and even cognitive conditions. When you care for your smile, you're investing in your future and that confidence. It starts with feeling supported. With Smile Generation trusted providers, you're not just another patient, you're a partner.

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[B]

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[A]

Okay, confession time. So I'm very guilty of choosing convenience over nutrition. You know, I've heard that when your fridge is fully stocked with greens. All good intentions. Somehow a few taps on your phone later, you got takeout on the way. Have you done this? I have. Or those overpriced spinach wraps from the local coffee shop that leave you feeling more regret than comfort? We've all been there that's where kachava comes in. And it's completely changed my fall mornings. I use cachava. I've done it for a few months. Honestly makes life easier. It's tastier. I customize my shakes. Lately I've been doing the chocolate with a little nut milk, spoonful of almond butter. It's basically like a dessert that fuels my whole body. I feel a difference too. I feel a little lighter. I have steady energy through the day. Better digestions, muscles feel recovered, mind sharper.

[B]

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[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's, that's what kind of holds you up.

[A]

Well, elf all those things.

[C]

Thank you, Dana.

[B]

Yeah, I also thank you.

[A]

I say the same thing. I said it before you got here.

[B]

It's Dana, you can do a trick that Kevin Nealon can do.

[C]

It's.

[B]

You can lower your IQ just 20 points just with your eyes, very subtly. And it's genius. But every time we were doing Hans and Franz, cocky idiots, and we were talking and they go five, four, three, I'd look at Kevin and his eyes would just go really dumb. Yeah, he could lower his IQ like 40 points. But you have that skill set of being able to just take IQ off your. With just something about your eyes. You think that's good? Yeah, it is.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

I like a guy, what was his name? Sounds Sellers.

[A]

Peter Sellers.

[B]

Peter Sellers. Kind of like that guy Pete Sell. I call him Pete Sellers because you do have some symmetry with him. A lot of comedians want to claim Peter Sellers, but I do think you have something, you know, that cocky idiot character that also is very like dry, extremely bizarre word packages. With a lot of physicality. Anyway, I've been researching you for.

[C]

But that's how. Started thinking of the Ron Burgarty character, because I was watching footage of this news anchor who had been retired for 20 years, but he still talked like this.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I walked through my local market, and. And I'll be ordering, you know, be buying my groceries, and people will hear my voice, and they'll know. They'll ask me, were you in news? And I say, yes, I used to be. And I thought, who talks like that? Like what? You're not a news guy anymore. And I thought, oh, that's funny. Someone who never loses that affect.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

But all the stuff. Writing that San Diego's funny. Casting it. Right. There's so many ways to do a movie wrong. Even if you have a funny character, like, you got to get it directed well, written well, perform it well edited. There's so many ways to ruin it along the way. And that's why sometimes you sign up for a movie, it's. It just doesn't come out because there's so many ways to mess it up. But to have all those work all the way through is very, very tough to do. And Anchorman is one of those that just hit on all cylinders. And then the sequel. I was watching the. The fight scene from the sequel today, and it's so fucking funny where you're thinking of different ways to have different news people, and then everyone's playing it as funny, and all. They keep coming in their different groups. All that was funny. And topping the first one was hard, but you did that with that.

[C]

And also two days with Kanye West.

[A]

I figured out that was Kanye.

[C]

I'm like, kanye made this cameo, but he filmed his thing, and then he just hung out.

[B]

He just stayed.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Playing Yeezus for us over and over again. Yeah, yeah. Whether you wanted to hear.

[A]

Yeah, that's demo jail. Yeah.

[C]

It was wild.

[B]

Interesting.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah, it's funny.

[A]

I used to be. Yeah, whatever. I had a guy like that, and he would play his album over and over.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

In the car and then in the house. And then.

[C]

You didn't want to say. No, you. You already played it for me. But I'll listen to it again, give.

[A]

You another shot at it. Yeah, that was funny because I saw Kanye, I was like, oh, my God, is that Kanye? Like, was he around back then? I guess he was. Must have been pretty new.

[C]

No, he was. It was.

[A]

Yeah. He was pretty old, I think. Whatever it is.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Whatever.

[C]

The answer is.

[B]

But Also your bandmates on that, which you've worked with a lot. Paul Rudd.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Who's awesome, obviously.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Steve Carell. And Carell's so funny.

[A]

Carell got a great funny part.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, it was a great group. And McKay, who we'd met at SNL, so it was a.

[B]

You guys just really knew what you were doing.

[C]

We just felt like we were playing with the house's money. And DreamWorks had said no to it initially and then later came back.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

A bunch of people had passed on it. I think we had 10 or 15 different financiers or studios pass on it in one. In one day. It was a great day.

[A]

That's a horrible.

[C]

McKay and I calling. Did you hear about this one? Yeah, that's a pass. Okay, good.

[A]

But you go excitedly pitch it to everyone, and then you just hear, pass, pass, pass.

[C]

The call should be coming in. Pass, pass, pass.

[A]

Oh, my God, that's sickening. Because it almost doesn't ever work after that. If one passes, it gets like a stink to it. Like the other one's here, and they go, oh, oh, something's bad about. Oh, we don't want it either. So you do that.

[B]

Is it.

[C]

What happened?

[A]

Came out or something, and they go, oh, well, we'll risk it now.

[C]

No, it was old school. Old school came out. And they thought, oh, wait, we have this other script with him now.

[B]

We should do something.

[C]

We like it. Yeah, we like it.

[B]

Hey, that made money. Let's do a chart. And then we take it back.

[C]

We take it back. We like the thing about the newscasters, that thing. But we were trying. They just couldn't wrap their heads around it, that it'd be funny. And I was trying to say it's kind of what Austin Powers will be to the spy genre. It's like. But anyway, so when we finally got to make it, we were like, let's just hurry. Let's just shoot. What. Because they may shut us down at any point.

[A]

Movies do the best feel like that's. And then it was one of those where, I'm guessing the last couple takes, do whatever you want.

[C]

Just keep doing stuff.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Just act stupider and stupider. And then someone's got to pick the one that you live with forever. But then you go, God, there was five other ones that were just as ridiculous.

[B]

Did you ride that way? I mean, because were you on 35 millimeter film in the 90s? And then you get on the anchorman set or whatever, and you got digital for the first time or.

[A]

No.

[C]

When did digital come? Not till anchorman two. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, because then you could improvise for 20 minutes.

[C]

But we would.

[B]

We would do it anyway. Yeah, because it's expensive, right? Yeah.

[C]

Okay. But, yeah, we would just go until we heard that film run out and go to the line producer and just say, you gotta. Can you give us cover here? We just need more film stock. I don't know what else to say. And luckily, the studios, usually, once you got going, they were okay or they.

[A]

See the dailies, they know something's happening. And Talladega Nights is another monster. So that one. No questions. Just wanted you to get the applause. Yeah. And Blaze and Riley. Was that one of the first with Riley or. He was also. When I saw.

[C]

No. So John. John did the table read for Anchorman, and we really wanted him to be in it. And he was doing. He had to go do Gangs in New York or something, you know, some bullshit Scorsese thing.

[B]

And Priest, so.

[A]

But, you know, it's good you guys wound up in that. Oh, and Stepbrothers, so you guys round up in those and.

[B]

Yeah, these are consistent, successful comedies. Very, very hard to do.

[C]

Yeah, it's been. It's been good. Which is why it's just fun to use your guys podcast to announce my retirement.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And.

[B]

Yeah. So should we be honored?

[A]

Do you feel like you're hogging all the good movies or something? Give someone else a chance.

[C]

Yeah, I want to. I want to let. I want to do. We should do a remake of. Already forgotten it.

[B]

The Farty blood. Warning.

[A]

Warning. Shart.

[C]

Warning, Shark.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Your joke. I didn't. Yeah, Warning, Shark.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Let's do a shot for shot remake of Warning shot.

[A]

We could put a little more money.

[C]

Get a director, get that. Same effect.

[B]

Yeah, that guy's still around.

[A]

It's a. You ever have the sound guy get in your face? Hey, man, we're just gonna wire you up here. I'm like, sir, sir, I got it. They're like, it's gonna go right down your problem. Go up your funnel.

[B]

Need to go.

[C]

You want a waist? Do you want an ankle?

[B]

What do you want?

[A]

What do you want? You want an ankle? What do you like?

[C]

Can I tape this to your chest? Is that all right?

[A]

Do you want it up the B hole? You know what that is?

[C]

Do you mind holding.

[A]

Better sound up there. Do you want to just. Do you want to put it in your beard? Bury it in your beard?

[C]

Do you mind swallowing this microphone?

[A]

It would help production.

[C]

I want to get the sound of your.

[A]

Can you carry the boom mic juices?

[C]

Can you learn how to use this boom mic, take it home with you on the weekend?

[A]

Can you hold it just out of frame into your own room?

[C]

Yeah, it's a good arm exercise.

[A]

It would help.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I used to feel sorry for those guys with the 40 foot boom. Oh, for like just shaking a long shaking like that.

[A]

And I'm like, I got another funny idea. And they're like, yeah, keep it rolling. This guy's triceps.

[C]

They'Ll cut and the guy's like.

[A]

Plays down in.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, we got it easy. God damn it.

[A]

Oh, I have a question.

[C]

I know, but don't you. Don't you feel this? You'd be fired from every single job on a movie set. Except for the ones that we get to do. Right?

[A]

Like a real movie.

[C]

That's what I feel like.

[B]

Well, I mean it seems like you were all. Most of the time working with like minded spirits and.

[C]

No, no, I mean as an actor, all the other jobs are so much harder than just.

[B]

Oh, yeah, totally goofing around. Right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I would rather just have someone shoot.

[A]

It than I could never do a real job. Is that you're talking about?

[C]

No, wait, I didn't know. Doesn't my question make sense? Yeah, no, I'm just saying between like camera director.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, I didn't know these other jobs.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

To be an actor, it's like that's the easiest one.

[A]

Well, that's why they all hate us because they go, look at you and they go, look at you coming in here. TRA la la. Oh, do you have to memorize three lines?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they're like. I'm like, give me a minute. They're like, he's coming. You know, it's all that stuff and they're all waiting and then you walk out. Can I get a quick spritz of Final Net? All right. Ready?

[C]

Final Net.

[B]

Final Net. That goes with. Isn't that final spinato.

[A]

My mommy's dad.

[B]

Finalnet? Yeah, kid.

[C]

Is that one of your guys sponsors Final Net?

[A]

Yeah, we have.

[B]

Hey, our sponsors are here. Thanks. Show of hands.

[A]

Now when you. I'm. I'm jump. I'm going to jump around here. I'm going to jump around here.

[B]

Jump around.

[A]

Rapid fire in any. Norm was in jeopardy with you a lot.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Any funny Norm stories or anything about Reynolds?

[C]

Yeah, my God.

[A]

Because that was brilliant. Jeopardy again. One of the big sketches, that huge snr.

[C]

Big sketches.

[A]

Everyone remembers. Always funny. Daryl was funny at. Norm was great.

[C]

Yeah, the best Norm story was. I think it's the one where he's wearing. He comes back, he's wearing a big foam cowboy hat. He's like, that's funny, huh?

[A]

Look.

[C]

Wearing a cowboy hat. And anyway, there's some beat where I. Where I have to be super exasperated with him and I yell at him. And we get out of the sketch and Norm comes running after him. He's like, hey, Will, everything okay? I go, yeah. Why? He's like, you. You seem kind of mad at me out there. Like, no, Norm, I'm act. We've done it. This is like the fourth time we've done the sketch. No, but that time it just seemed like you really were mad at me for some reason. No, we're good.

[B]

That's very Norm right there, buddy. That's his sense of humor. Yeah. He seemed kind of mad there for a moment.

[A]

Right.

[C]

But he was not. I don't think he was doing a.

[B]

He wasn't.

[A]

He might have been serious.

[B]

That you were dreaming was very sensitive in that way.

[C]

Shaken.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then.

[A]

Because you can commit hard and you probably scared him.

[C]

Another great Norm story has nothing to do with Quebec.

[B]

Was.

[C]

And Catan told me about it. They were on a flight together back Louisiana to New York. Chris had taken off his shoes and he can't find his shoes. They're about to land, can't find his shoes. He's going to the flight attendant, have you seen my shoes? I took them off. He's like, I don't know. He's like, Katan's like, norm, come on. You took my shoes. No, I didn't. I didn't take your shoes. Why would I take your shoes? It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I've never taken. He's like, come on, give me back my shoes. I know you took them. I know. Norm's like, I don't know what you're talking about. Katana has to walk through JFK with no shoes. With no shoes. Shoes just in his socks. An entire season goes by and then Catan and Norm are jousting back and forth, and then Norm finally goes, oh, yeah, and one other thing. I did take your shoes that flight in November.

[A]

Flight, November.

[C]

I took on my third. Him in the trash can. Just so you know.

[B]

Yeah. Cuz I. I saw his shoes there. Right. I just. I kind of grabbed his shoes.

[A]

So.

[C]

Yeah, you were right. I. I had.

[A]

He used to give Katan so much. Oh, my God. Yeah, he was tough. Okay, let's see if we have anything else?

[B]

Well, before we let you go, the other.

[C]

The other thing I was thinking about today. Downey used to give me the great.

[B]

I loved being Jim Downey.

[C]

Sorry, Jim Downey, great writer. Legendary writer who came up with strategery.

[A]

Oh, he did.

[B]

I had the A team, too, writing for me with Al Franken and Jim Downey.

[C]

Totally.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But Downey. I loved being in Downey sketches for a number of different reasons, but the best was between Dress and Air. And he'd do it every single time. And I would laugh hard every single time. He'd go, great job. Take it down about 1000%. And then I would just. Yes. And I'd be like, huh? Yeah, okay. And he's like, I don't know what happened. You must have gotten into your big juice or something. But he would literally tell me to take it down a thousand percent.

[A]

Worst advice. Yeah.

[B]

Did you?

[C]

Made me laugh every single day.

[A]

And he would never say, he's joking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember one time I did a joke on Hollywood Minute about. With jokes, you know, they had. Some had a little more of a. Some were clever, some had a little mean streak, but I did a Jim Carrey one. The funniest part is I liked 99% of the people, of course, and Jim Carrey. I was just trying to get foot in the door at SNL and whatever it took. But Jim was doing these, you know, the movies that I loved.

[B]

But I said.

[A]

And they would always prod me to go farther, right? Because it was like, through them. I dare you. I said, oh, Jim. Scary. After this, one of his movies was rushed to the hospital after an overdose of overacting pills with Play It Too Big Juice. And. And the crowd just stared at me, and it was. It was too soon.

[C]

Don't.

[A]

Don't mess with that guy.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, Jim Carrey.

[A]

And I was like, no, I love. You know. And anyway, that was cut after dress. But. But dress. Harrison was a good. But that was. Those guys. And they. They would write me the roughest.

[C]

Oh. Because they.

[A]

Hollywood Minute jokes like that. Rewrite table, they go. Jim would be like, no, you would never. Well, no, you're too much of a pussy. And I go, no, I'm not.

[B]

What?

[A]

And then he'd tell me. I go, yeah, I'm too much of a pussy. I'm not saying that. He goes, of course, because you're a pussy. And I go, why? But it was all whatever he wanted to say and get the anger out and get to me.

[B]

Well, then they hide behind the whole thing.

[A]

I know. That's why it's so funny. They get to say whatever they want, but I would have to sort of temper it. But always funny. I mean, they're always just. They're just fucking.

[C]

Wait. One last norm MacDonald story. Sorry.

[B]

Love them.

[C]

Do you remember the Mama Celeste frozen pizza commercials?

[B]

No. Yes.

[A]

No, I don't.

[C]

And it was this. And she would say, abondonza.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Which is a made up marketing word. There's no.

[B]

There's no words in the Italian language.

[A]

I thought that was genuine. It died.

[C]

Yeah. And one day we're sitting around in the writers room having lunch and we're doing a bit where I'm like, hey, guys, this lunch is pretty good. Abondonza, right? And everyone goes, yeah, abandonza. And Norm's sitting there like, norm, come on, just say it. Say abondonza. Like, no, I'm not gonna say it. I'm like, come on, Norm, just say it. Abondanza. I won't do it. I'm not gonna say it. We get like 15 of us. Like, come on, Norm, it'd be rude. Now we've all said abondanza. You should just say abondanza. No, I don't want to say it. I'm not going to say it. I won't say. He never would say it anyway. That's the end of the story.

[A]

But he.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, well, I think. I think we're going to have a few people question.

[B]

Hey, a penny saved is a penny earned, they say. Right? That's like a 100% return. You can't get that anywhere.

[A]

Is that what he said?

[B]

They're just talking on the phone with normal.

[A]

You know.

[B]

You know, you should bury some money, right? Because then later on your relatives will dig it up and they'll have money. Right. He just had the driest.

[C]

I didn't have a TV the first year that was on the show because I just didn't buy one because I thought, I'm never going to be in my apartment. So I'd go and watch the NBC sports feed on like a Sunday. Norm, of course, is in there. And Norm enjoyed gambling on sports.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

And we were watching some game and I'm like, ooh, gotta watch out. You know, University of Cincinnati, they're. They're pretty good in the mud. He's like, really? I go, yeah, I think they're like 750 winning percentage in rainy games. Ah, I didn't know that. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, logs it away.

[C]

I think we're doing a bit.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

Right.

[C]

There's no way. How do I know that stuff?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Week later, no one's like, you cost me 35 grand. I'm like, doing what? What do you mean? Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati in a month. Like what? You said they were really good and rainy. Rainy? You bet on. I was joking.

[A]

Can you bet that much?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Why are you telling me that amount, too?

[B]

That's like when Norm asked Lovitz for giving me 200. So they're playing a cassette.

[A]

That's funny.

[B]

You know, he's like. John's like, okay. So the next day, yeah. Lovett's like, can I get my money back? He goes, no, I lost it. I lost all of. Why are you mad? I lost $8,000.

[A]

Yeah. He goes, you only lost 200.

[B]

You only lost 200.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We love Norm. There was only one Norm, and he was amazing. A comedy genius. Will Ferrell.

[A]

Dana. I think he went, they want to ask a few questions from the audience.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Then we'll get Will into his limo.

[B]

I was just going to butter up Will.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

I was going to say to Will because he loves sports. Like, if I was going to do a sports team of SNL stars.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I put you at the power forward.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[B]

And maybe an Ackroyd or Phil at the center. Yeah. Maybe Bill Hader after that. It's. I. I never try to pick SNL people because then I go, adam Sandberg. I miss him, but I would.

[C]

You.

[B]

Lauren said that about you. No, He's a top two, at least.

[A]

Top two.

[B]

Well, is he possibly one? I'm not gonna say, but he's a top two. Top three.

[C]

Top three. Where in that three? I don't know.

[A]

We don't know. I feel. I feel like the general consensus is me, Dana, Will. In the history of snl, I think it's Spade, and sometimes it mixes up.

[C]

Dana, Will.

[B]

Dana, me. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

But we're up there, man. It's lonely, but we're up there.

[C]

No. Yeah.

[A]

Now, I was sort of an intern there for six years.

[B]

David Spade plays the Little Engine that could. But you had an incredible career. Who did world missy? 800 million minutes. Yeah. 800 million minutes.

[A]

That's how it goes now.

[B]

6 billion minutes. That's a hit.

[A]

That feels good. I don't know. It sounds like a lot of minutes.

[B]

Yeah. Six billion.

[C]

Biggest film in Chile.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

They love you in Uruguay, kid.

[A]

You. I can't step foot in Bulgaria.

[C]

Lower Mongolia.

[A]

You're killing it. Go out there. We're gonna ask Will, we'll get four questions from the audience and then. Will, you don't even have to answer if you don't want. Just make them feel stupid. All right, does anyone have a question? And then he'll run out there and then. Oh, we got one over there. Let me see. Oh, wait, too late. He was over there.

[C]

Oh.

[A]

Oh, no. I'm over here. Hello. Do you guys have a favorite sketch that literally just never made it even past pitch? Like, not something that got cut for time or cut from rehearsal, but you pitched it and you thought it was great, and it just did not go over.

[C]

I had a sketch that tops my list. I had written a sketch about a guy who looks exactly like Gabe Kaplan from welcome Back Cotter. And he's a super, and he works in an insurance. The insurance company he works for. He knows that Gabe Kaplan is a client. And it's the day that Gabe Kaplan came in to renew his insurance coverage. But no one told him. No one told my character that Gabe Kaplan was there. And I was, how did this not get on?

[B]

Are you sure this doesn't get on?

[C]

No, it got on to dress, but it was so silent. At one point, there's the smallest laugh in the world. Like kind of in the upper deck there, you just hear, hehe. But it died so hard. So that was it. But it worked great. At the table.

[A]

I have one quickie, which was a guy. I'm sorry, buddy. He was obsessed with Kurt Cobain after his death. And I worked at Baskin Robbins and I wouldn't wash my hair. And Bob Odenkirk and I wrote it, and it was Kurt every time I was trying to name ice creams after him. And then when people come in, they go, my manager goes, you gotta wash your hair. I go, no, Kurt, he. Curtain dirt. You can't wash him away. And then again, crickets. But that was crickets at read through with Odenkirk, who's a great writer. And it was a fully formed sketch, and it just didn't work.

[B]

Season two, we're doing a press conference, and they said, do you have any new catchphrases to me? So I just said, my new catchphrase is, I got to, got to, got to go. Right? So I wrote a sketch called Funny little Poopy Head. And I was Mr. Funny Little Poopy Head. Jan Hooks was Ms. Funny Little Poopoo. And it was really, if it had gotten on, I would have enjoyed it, but it was just to hear Lauren say funny little poopy head. So there Was so much stuff. Stage direction. And Lauren Michaels had to say that funny little poopy head is sad. Funny little poopy head walks across the room. That kind of. And my. And then he goes. I got to. Got that. Got to go. And then Jan Hooks. His hook was. And I'mma go on with them. Never made it to work. Only at the Largo.

[C]

Yeah. Yep.

[A]

All right, next one. Greg. Anybody? They're slow to the.

[B]

Oh, Greg.

[C]

Yeah. Hey, you did College game day in 2010 with Lee Corso. What was he like? Is that for me?

[A]

I don't think I did.

[B]

I don't remember I being in it.

[A]

So was that you?

[C]

Oh.

[B]

It was a film called College Game Day. No.

[A]

College Game Day.

[C]

Would that have been outside the Coliseum? Oh, before the SC Oregon game? Yeah.

[A]

Oh, easy, Rain man.

[B]

Are you wearing an N95? Yeah, yeah, definitely outside the Coliseum.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, of course. I'm an excellent driver.

[C]

I don't remember having much interaction with Lee Cor. I'm sure he was nothing but lovely.

[B]

What about Lee Van Cleef? Did you ever do anything clean.

[A]

This? Young man, you've had your hand up for so long. Go ahead.

[C]

I think for the podcast. Yeah.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

Thank you. Hi, Will. Dana. Do you guys were part of a video where you played the Bushes? Oh, all the presidents for.

[B]

All the presidents for Ron Howard.

[C]

Do you guys have any funny stories about that? And David, will there be a sequel to that movie?

[A]

Don't make up a question for me. You love these two.

[B]

He's huge. And chilly.

[A]

And David, are you taking an Uber home?

[B]

First of all, that was with Funny or Die for funnier.

[C]

Die. That was for Funny or Die about passing legislation.

[B]

Yeah, legislation. Legislation. And I remember we just did our characters one at a time.

[C]

We had all. Everyone who'd played a president on snl.

[B]

Yeah. We even had Dan Aykroyd do Bob Dole. I think I know he was there.

[A]

Bob Dole.

[C]

Aykroyd.

[B]

Or was it Akroyd?

[C]

Aykroyd did Jimmy.

[B]

Oh, Jimmy Carter.

[C]

Jimmy Carter.

[B]

Oh, yeah, probably Jimmy Carter.

[C]

Oh, did he do Nixon?

[B]

Oh, God, he did a lot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'll just do all.

[C]

Chevy did Ford.

[B]

Chevy did Ford.

[C]

Fred did Obama.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

It carried you wrong. I just remember when I was doing something and you said you liked it afterwards. I don't. I was just ad libbing as George Bush senior and the phrase came out. He went full fecal. I don't remember what it meant, but I remember he came out after him like the full fecal.

[C]

Part.

[B]

You just remember things. Full fecal, full. Got it. Of that fickle cation.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

I'm getting more relaxed all the time.

[C]

I know.

[A]

Yeah, we're finally relaxed. We got one more question. All right. Hey, this is a farewell. Whenever you were on snl, you would often go on Conan as different characters. You would never come on as yourself. Was Conan aware of this? Because I feel like he was not in on the bit and he was often surprised when you would do this.

[C]

No, he was just very good at acting and playing along because they. That. I mean, did you ever try to.

[A]

Surprise him with anything?

[C]

I forget.

[B]

But then you would ad lib and stuff. You go way off.

[C]

It might have been because Conan and that whole stat, they were so into, please do whatever you want. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

They.

[C]

That was like the greatest show to go on, that early Conan, because they were just embrace any sort of bit. It was like, you know, I have an idea where I want to get in a drum off with a kid drummer and he's gonna be much better than I am, and then I'm gonna chase him out of the stage, you know, and they're like, yep, let's do it. Okay, I have another bit where I want. Can you set up a pull up bar? And I want to do. I want to do a setup where I'm going to do as many pull ups as I can do and I'll give $10,000 to charity. And I can't even get one pull up.

[B]

For every pull up, you get hurt.

[C]

And I just struggle. 15 seconds.

[A]

You're like, I did 30 yesterday.

[C]

What's wrong? I can't get one. Oh, well, too bad. March of Dimes, you know, whatever. But no, they would funny. They would go for everything.

[B]

And it seems like you always had a gear where a lot of your stuff. If the sound broke, I call it funny. With the sound off, it would still work, you know, just because like, like the cowbell guy, just the way you were dancing around, like just all that. And walking was good in that too, right?

[C]

God, yeah. He's.

[B]

Do people know. Is this true that you. You tried it out with different hosts and it never got on until Walking came around.

[C]

I tr. Well, it's funny. It was the season before was Norm's last season because you guys were talking about it with Downey, the whole Norm getting fired and then strangely enough, he comes back the next year to host.

[A]

Oh, yeah. And he said, they fired me, but.

[C]

I tried it at the table with Norm as the record producer and it worked fine. But it just didn't get it picked. And then I brought it back later, going, oh, no, I'm going to rewrite this for Walking.

[A]

It's hard to do it twice.

[C]

It's hard.

[B]

Yeah. I was there that night. I was. I was doing a guest spot or something.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And I remember that destroying. And. Yeah.

[C]

And we were way over and.

[A]

Will, where were you? Yeah. You weren't dead center.

[C]

No, it was way in the corner. Dead corner there.

[A]

People don't know that's.

[C]

You remember.

[B]

What was the. I mean, how did that come out?

[A]

Just.

[B]

Just suddenly. Because it's such a bizarre, incredibly inexplicable idea. That's why it's. It's just as funny now. You could watch it 20 years later.

[A]

It looks funny. It's a weird song.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Listening to Blue Oyster Cold on the radio.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It was just that faint cowboy going, does that guy have any friends? You know? Is that the only song he ever got to play? Cowboy.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then I'd always. I'm like, I'm gonna write that as a sketch. Nothing you can pitch.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I write and I rewrote it for Walken, and I'm just like, oh, I know that if Christopher Walken says, I have a fever.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And the only prescription is more cowbell. Only he can make.

[A]

Get a laugh off of that. You can't lose, because the stiffer he does it, the more he's married to the cue cards. I have a fever.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And they all. And you're like. You're like phonetically almost getting through it. It. And it's so funny.

[C]

And I remember. I remember.

[B]

Is Kevin Pollock here? Could you do Christopher Walken? I think he. Is he here?

[A]

Oh, is he here?

[B]

No. Oh, Kevin. So this is the world's greatest Christopher Walken, impressionist. Oh, I have a fever.

[C]

Prescription is more cowbell. You.

[A]

Kevin Pollock.

[B]

Kevin Pollock happened to be here.

[C]

But you would. You would say to Walken, you go, hey, Chris, you're just killing it. You're so funny. Everything. He'd be like, we should have Kevin do it. Really?

[B]

Because I have gone to the party.

[C]

I have no idea. I just say the lines.

[A]

He doesn't even get the sketch.

[C]

And I was like, well, you're doing great. If you say so. Okay. Like, I got in trouble. Yeah.

[B]

For cow bell. I'm just doing Kevin now. But yeah, but. Yeah. There was something magic about that thing anyway. That was something special.

[A]

I like those ones that live on forever. Those are great.

[B]

Yeah. So, Will Ferrell, you are one of the all time. And you, you're. You're still going strong. I don't know what you're doing next but. But I was going to ask you what's the longest break you've had in the last 25 years from doing show business? It seems like you've been. Did you have six months off at one time?

[C]

Oh, sure.

[B]

So you take breaks and what do you do during your breaks? You ran three marathons.

[C]

Long time ago.

[B]

That was just a passion.

[C]

Yeah, just wanted to run. I retired in 03. And Lauren wouldn't take you back, right? Are your kids. Oh, they're my 13 year old.

[A]

I'm like joking.

[C]

Dominate.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I know. Kids are 11 when they're taller than.

[B]

Me, I'm like, I just, they just hang out.

[A]

I'm.

[C]

I love. I'm uber driver for my kid, you know.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

A sophomore in high school. Go to.

[B]

It's kind of fun when they're like, yeah, 10, 11, 12. And you're driving them to school and I gotta play A Day in the Life for them.

[C]

Right.

[B]

You know, and they play me hip hop and stuff, which is a fair exchange. But it's a lot of fun and cool bonding because I was noticing my kids weren't talking to me in the car at a given age when I'm driving them to school. And then I would put on AM News radio and a man was killed today and shot blood was flying and they're like dead. What was that? What's going on? So that really would open them up. But you must have had experiences like that. Maybe it was. But truly you must have made them fans.

[C]

And we've made a concerted effort to just take the whole summer off, no matter what I'm working on. So we go.

[B]

I did that too.

[C]

We go to Sweden of all places every summer. So we have. My wife's Swedish. We have a place out there. The boys all speak Swedish. They hang out with their cousins.

[B]

That's too cool. So they're just bonded with Sweden. That's hip. Isn't most of life just. I feel like even really busy people, most of life is hanging out and, and talking.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

I mean, isn't that what we do most of the time? I mean we work and stuff, but we just. You're just kind trying to watch something on TV with your wife. I mean that's. You watch live streams.

[C]

Pleasures.

[B]

Yeah. Do you watch All Creatures Great and Small? If you want Liquid Xanax. This is this brilliant show that's just so 19.

[C]

The Beatles documentary. Was that too, in a way.

[B]

Oh, my God. We talked about that song Get Back.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Unreal.

[B]

Well, you know, it's nice of you to say that we, you know, I do. I'm a bit older now, you know. We appreciate. We appreciate that you like it, you know, but we were just lads plunkin.

[C]

I don't know. I don't know who that is. Is that Billy Preston?

[A]

It's Billy Idol. Did you meet McCartney? Will, when you're on SNL did what? Did you see McCartney? Was he on when you're on?

[C]

I don't know if he was.

[B]

I think he was 93, right.

[A]

He was on. I know. When I was there with.

[C]

He must have been. I know. Mick Jagger. Oh, Jimmy did that. Mick Jagger. Oh.

[B]

I came in Lauren's office. This happened to you at Saturday Night Live once. Lauren's office. In 8H, just during the week. And just walked in and no one told me. And then just Mick Jagger's just sitting there with a little sweater and corduroy pants on and combed hair.

[A]

You know, Lauren likes to blindside you with a big star.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

He likes to collect china in different coffee cups.

[A]

Tell him about your stamp collection.

[B]

He's very. What you would call aerial diet.

[C]

The. The dinner. The dinner where Lauren tried to convince me to stay longer.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It was there.

[C]

He kept saying, mick may stop by. I'm like, okay.

[A]

That's what I tell people. But he never stops by. All right?

[C]

And we keep talking. He's like, so Mick, you know, you could. Because they produced some movie together, right? And I'm like, yeah, fine. Okay. And then all of a sudden, Lauren's eyes go wiser. He's here.

[A]

He's here.

[C]

Okay, you sit there. No, no, no, no, no. I'll sit here. I'll sit here. I'll sit like this, and you sit over there. No, no, no. You should HI M. Yes. And he wants your seat.

[A]

Move.

[C]

Yeah, move, move.

[B]

Well, did you always be an idiot? Did you always have to guess when he said Paul? Because there were two Pauls. Paul Simon, Paul McCartney. Paul's coming over. Which one? That'd be McCartney.

[C]

I sat there awkwardly for 45 more minutes, waiting, showed up, and I didn't know what to. Once again, I didn't know what to say.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then the next day at rehearsal, Lauren was like, wasn't that the greatest dinner? And I think he was just excited that he said a celebrity was gonna show up and they actually showed up.

[B]

What was your most starstruck moment? You know, I. For Me, like, meeting Charlton Heston was a big deal. You know, like, whoa. You know, because you meet these hosts and they're sitting down there, and then they go, would you like to go say hello to Robert Mitchum? Sure. You know, it's like you're walking down the hall.

[A]

Marcy would come in, get in there. Sharon Stone. No one's in there. I'm like, okay. And then you go, she's alone.

[B]

She needs help.

[C]

That's Marcy.

[A]

She's reading a magazine. She's like, what? I'm like, I'm supposed to. I don't know. You know what I mean? You know, Marcy, they sent me with.

[C]

George W. They called me. He was in the studio because they were going to tape one of those election specials, and they had Gore do his part.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Clear the studio. Then they bring W in. They call me at home. They're like, get down here. W. Is a huge fan, wants to meet you. And I just started doing the impression, and I was like, okay, okay. I go down to 8h. There's 100 reporters, everything. And it was like Ayala and Marcy, like, go. Go up there.

[B]

Just go and talk to him.

[C]

And I'm like, even the cue car.

[B]

Guy'S going, get up there.

[A]

Wally.

[C]

Hi, I'm Will. I could tell he has no idea that I'm the guy who plays him big.

[B]

Because you hadn't done it during the debates.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Even.

[B]

It was fledgling.

[C]

It was fledgling. And then. He doesn't know me from ad. He could care less.

[A]

And you got bamboozled.

[C]

Both just did this to each other.

[B]

He did Roxbury. How did you.

[C]

Yeah, we did. Rox.

[A]

Did you awkwardly say Abu Dhan?

[C]

I go, thanks so much for doing this. Yeah. This is.

[A]

You got a lot.

[C]

Is this a hectic work week for you? Yeah, it's a busy weeks. Seems like a lot. But you could tell he was stressed to be there. It was just like.

[B]

And Al Gore was there, too.

[C]

Al Gore was there?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And commanding the room.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

He.

[C]

He seemed.

[B]

We're going to put it in a log box.

[C]

So he was, like, totally presidential.

[B]

W. Was.

[C]

But then when they debated, it flipped. Yeah. Will.

[B]

Wow. Yeah. Well, whatever. How did, like, did you have to study tapes or you just kind of got it just by watching him?

[C]

Watching Darryl helped me a little bit.

[B]

Tightening the neck. Right.

[C]

That and squinting eyes.

[A]

Squinting.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

But you could. You did. You did kind of look like him when you got a whole gear on.

[C]

But I think it. And it got better over time. But at first it was not.

[B]

Same with me.

[C]

It wasn't that great.

[B]

Push Senior at all. Only Ross Perot was quick because it was such a cartoon.

[C]

Right away.

[B]

Can I finish one time? Can I finish one time? Can I finish one time? That's all it needed. Just that he's basically James Brown. Can I do it on the one?

[C]

Great political.

[B]

Can I do it on the one.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Get on up. Like a sex machine. Sorry. Just stick.

[C]

Phil Hartman playing Admiral. What's his face. Whatever.

[B]

That guy. Which one? No, Stockdale.

[A]

Is that it?

[B]

Stockdale was driving him.

[C]

You did. You guys did the driving stuff?

[B]

Yeah. And then. Yeah. Why don't you take a walk over there?

[C]

And then he's just going.

[B]

Yeah. Who am I? Who am I? Where am I? He was doing Scottdale. Who's confused? Politics is fun.

[A]

All right, we gotta let Will go. We should let.

[B]

We do. He wants to go on.

[A]

What do you want to do? All right.

[B]

Can we do three questions? Favorite toy as a kid? Don't think too hard.

[C]

Probably Legos.

[B]

Legos, yeah.

[A]

Wrong.

[B]

Because his was Stretch Armstrong.

[C]

Micronauts. Did you have a Micronaut?

[B]

Did you have a bicycle that you really liked?

[C]

Yeah. Schwinn.

[B]

Schwinn. Stingray.

[C]

Stingray.

[B]

What was? TV show or movie?

[C]

Why is that funny?

[A]

Because I think he said. Then he said, yeah, yeah, that one.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, that one.

[B]

Well, the Schwinn was famous.

[A]

I think there was only one bike.

[B]

But I had a Sears front loader. My parents ran out of money.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

So when you're a little kid, you're like 8, 10, 11, and there's a TV show or a cartoon or a movie that just made you love show business or just blew your mind. I'll give you an example. Ben Stiller said it was the Poseidon Adventure. Like that made him want to be a filmmaker.

[A]

That was a cool movie.

[B]

Gene Hack.

[C]

Well, I always love Shelly Winters.

[B]

Yeah, she sure had a figure.

[C]

Yeah. I would say Poseidon Adventure, too.

[B]

Gene Hackman is unbelievable.

[A]

He was great.

[B]

It's up there. That's how we'll live up there.

[A]

One inch thinner, tried Kevin.

[C]

I'll remember the real answer driving home after this.

[B]

But the one thing I saw, Jason, the Argonauts. It could be. You know, I saw those and Wild Wild west was kind of my age group.

[C]

Land of the Lost, I loved, but that didn't make me want to go into showbiz.

[B]

Little House on the Prairie.

[C]

You made me want to go into. No, no.

[B]

What made you want?

[C]

Well, I loved.

[A]

We're not leaving.

[B]

No, this is. We went past it.

[C]

The pressure is building.

[A]

It's a nine parter.

[C]

I love. Okay. These are the shows I loved. I loved Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley. That block on Tuesday nights.

[B]

Yeah, Tuesday night, by the way.

[C]

And then I love Saturday night was Fantasy on Love Boat. And me too.

[B]

See, those are so relaxing. We need shows like that. Just.

[C]

But I wanted to. I wanted to live on the love. I wanted to be happy, calm and always calm. Fun guests every week. Every.

[A]

And Julie, that coked up cruise director.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

She was great. Yeah. Same block. Laverne Shirley. Happy Days, then Laverne Shirley. Fonzie literally jumped the shark. I remember watching that. I made my mom watch it with us. I was like, watch.

[C]

Isn't it funny to think that Henry Winkler, he was the coolest guy in America at that point in time.

[A]

Couldn't believe it. It was so cool. Yeah.

[C]

Playing it.

[B]

And the toughest guy I knew. People thought he could beat up anyone. The Fonz could beat up anyone.

[A]

He never really got in a fight, to be honest. It was.

[B]

No. He just.

[A]

He was all snap his fingers and he'd run or something.

[B]

I don't want to date myself. But mine was Danny K. Didn't.

[C]

He never could say he was sorry. Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I thought he couldn't say. Yeah, he couldn't say something. Maybe I love you. Maybe.

[C]

Sorry.

[B]

Let's call Hank Winkler.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

He's great in Barry.

[A]

You know what? Let's look at a clip.

[B]

No clips.

[C]

What do you.

[A]

He almost got it. Bifida. You just got a little touch of bifida.

[C]

I did.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Spinal Bifida. That's what we're gonna name this episode that's gonna be in the.

[A]

It's like not funny. I don't know why we keep saying it.

[C]

I know.

[B]

Hey, let me. Let me take it down. Take it down as Danny Miller.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Christ's sakes. We heard from the spud man with the spud raspberries and the sound effect guy's face.

[A]

Feral ride Home.

[B]

The feral cat brought it heavy today.

[A]

Yes, you did bring. Man, you're funny.

[C]

As my Lincoln Town Car is waiting for me.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I always request a Lincoln Town. A late model Lincoln Town Car.

[B]

Did you buy. Did you buy something when you first got a million dollars? You buy a crazy car or anything?

[C]

I. I bought a.

[B]

Something from the Elvis set list. Sorry. I didn't want to jump.

[A]

I don't want to be the joke of the thing.

[B]

It's all good fun, Davey.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I bought one of Elvis's guns and I looked at the provenance and it realized Spaded was the previous owner.

[A]

By the way, when he worked there, you were very polite. You're very nice. I don't think you said you were in comedy at all. I don't think you told me that.

[C]

But in fact, I still worked. I got hired at snl, but you know, they don't pay you till you show up. I had bills to pay. I was still answering the phones for like a month and a half.

[A]

Did you have it transferred to your office at.

[C]

Where? Here in LA.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[C]

@ the art auction house. And my co workers were like, didn't you get on Saturday Night Live? Yeah, but I don't leave till August. So I'm here.

[B]

And they don't pay you anything.

[A]

I read it said you were the highest paid cast member ever. Is that true?

[C]

I don't think so.

[B]

They said it was, but what was your starting salary like when you first got on? Do you remember? Because there's a per show.

[C]

It was a per show.

[A]

Yeah. I'm guessing 6,000.

[C]

It was something like that. Okay. It was 55 or 6.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

4,500 times 20. 90 grand. Keep 30. Broke even easily. Star Saturday Night Live breaking even, man.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, 900 a week to write. 1500 bump if I got on update or something.

[B]

Yeah, but the male prostitution paid the bills. Yeah.

[A]

I ran a glory hole on 18.

[B]

We don't want to go on that. That specific. It was just. You were a friendly guy.

[C]

I never got that reference because they'd be.

[B]

It'd be scored.

[C]

They'd be like, ah, that was a real glory hole. I'm like, what does that mean? But, yeah, never mind. Aspade.

[B]

All right, we're gonna take a break and come back with our guest today. Will Phineas.

[C]

Second half will be better.

[A]

Second half of the show. Let's give everyone a five.

[C]

Take five.

[A]

See who stays.

[B]

I'm gonna talk with a Swedish accent.

[C]

The rest.

[B]

Is this offensive? This accent?

[C]

That is really authentic.

[B]

I'm nor.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Is this Swedish a lot?

[B]

Norwegian. We don't like the Swedes.

[A]

I know.

[C]

That's a. That's a bad rivalry.

[A]

Well, yeah. Does the Swedish Chef get a lot of poontang in Sweden? Be honest.

[C]

The Muppet character.

[A]

Yeah. Who else.

[C]

With. You watched the Muppet shooting with human hands?

[A]

Yeah, he was. That guy was talented. I knew that when I watched.

[C]

That guy was talented.

[A]

He could cook. Yeah. And he was. He had a.

[B]

That made you want to be in show business?

[C]

That's the thing.

[A]

God. That's your answer? I'm trying to help you.

[C]

Sesame Street.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Good luck.

[A]

They're turning the lights.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Okay, you guys, thank you. Thank you so much for hanging with us.

[B]

A great audience. The great little pharaoh.

[A]

Thank you very much. Hey, guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app, give us a review, five star rating, and maybe even share an episode that you've loved with a friend.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

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

[A]

Phil Sweet tech booking by Cultivated Entertainment.

[B]

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

[A]

Reach out with us. Any questions to be asked and answered on the show? You can email us at Fly on the Wall at odyssey.

[B]

Com.

[A]

That's a U D A C y com.