Cole Escola

Summary

Podcast Summary: Good Hang with Amy Poehler – Episode Featuring Cole Escola

Podcast Information:

• Title: Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• Host: Amy Poehler (The Ringer)
• Episode: Cole Escola
• Release Date: July 15, 2025

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Introduction

In this vibrant episode of Good Hang, Amy Poehler welcomes Cole Escola, a celebrated performer renowned for writing and starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, Oh Mary. The conversation delves into Cole's journey in the performing arts, the challenges of life in New York City, their unique artistic collaborations, and the aftermath of the play's successful run.

Career and Oh Mary

Cole Escola opens up about the inception and success of Oh Mary, a play that has captivated Broadway audiences with its unconventional portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln. The discussion highlights the dedication and creativity that went into crafting a character "based on zero research," making it a tour de force performance.

Cole Escola [15:35]: "Can you root for someone who's annoying? That's what I wanted because, you know, I'm annoying."

The episode underscores Cole’s multifaceted role as both writer and actor, emphasizing the personal investment and passion behind the production.

Relationship with Amy Sedaris

A notable segment features Amy Sedaris, a close friend of Cole, who joins briefly to support Cole's achievements. Their playful banter provides a glimpse into the deep bond and mutual respect they share, adding warmth and humor to the episode.

Amy Sedaris [07:14]: "Well, Cole's an old soul, young spirit. I have that. The joke question and the lesson."

Life After the Play

Transitioning from the spotlight of Broadway, Cole discusses their life post-Oh Mary. They reflect on the intense schedule of performing eight shows a week, describing it as "the hardest job" and the struggle to find personal time amidst professional commitments.

Cole Escola [10:11]: "Eight shows a week is really, like. I used to think, like, well, you have your days free. Totally. But I, um. I will never think that way about Broadway people or theater people ever again."

Cole also shares insights into their sleep patterns and coping mechanisms after exhausting performances, painting a candid picture of life behind the scenes.

Personal Stories and Anecdotes

Throughout the conversation, Cole and Amy Poehler exchange humorous and heartfelt stories from their past. Cole reminisces about early acting experiences, including a youthful role in a regional production of The Grapes of Wrath, and their inadvertent mishaps during performances.

Cole Escola [27:20]: "I played Winfield Joad. My lines were, ma. Ma, look over there."

These anecdotes not only highlight Cole's comedic prowess but also underscore the resilience and adaptability required in the performing arts.

Tonys and Success

Cole reflects on the Tony Award triumph, emphasizing the collective effort and support from long-time collaborators and friends. They recount the overwhelming emotions and the sense of accomplishment that came with winning the prestigious award.

Cole Escola [17:04]: "The best part of the whole experience was, like, people that I have been performing with for 15 years...showing them that we scored a goal for the team."

The conversation also touches on the public's reaction to their success, including hilarious and memorable moments from the award ceremony.

Creative Process and Craft

A significant portion of the episode explores Cole's creative process. They discuss the importance of understanding the writer's intent and the collaborative nature of bringing a script to life. Cole shares their approach to acting, emphasizing the need for trust and deep engagement with the material.

Cole Escola [30:35]: "I need to really trust the writer or, like, feel like I really understand the writer."

This section offers valuable insights into the intricacies of theater production and the delicate balance between artistic vision and performance.

Memorable Moments and Fun Interactions

In a lighter vein, Amy Poehler and Cole engage in a playful lightning round, answering fun and quirky questions. Topics range from misadventures with text messages to favorite New York restaurants, showcasing Cole’s quick wit and personable nature.

Cole Escola [41:44]: "Big bowl of mashed potatoes."

Cole Escola [42:16]: "I would serve her dying body... cold mashed potatoes to dying Martha Stewart."

These interactions add a layer of relatability and humor, making the episode both entertaining and engaging for listeners.

Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Cole expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share their story and encourages aspiring performers to persevere in the arts. Amy Poehler concludes by highlighting Cole’s diverse body of work and directing listeners to explore more of Cole’s content online.

Cole Escola [36:52]: "I look back on it. Wait, wait. I just want to say, like, keep going. Keep going. If you're out there and you're thinking, is it going to happen for me? It will. It absolutely will."

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Notable Quotes:

• Amy Poehler [03:00]: "Well, I was gonna say, why aren't you. You should do."
• Cole Escola [10:24]: "I love talking about sleep. I'm kind of weird. I'm like one of those quirky kind of people."
• Amy Poehler [30:43]: "I struggle with it all the time. About, like, working for others."
• Cole Escola [37:12]: "Sir, we got your test results back, and I've been trying to tell you."

Conclusion

This episode of Good Hang offers an in-depth look into Cole Escola's life as a performer and creator, intertwined with genuine friendship and humor. Amy Poehler skillfully navigates through personal stories, career insights, and playful interactions, providing listeners with a rich and engaging narrative that both entertains and inspires.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Trip Advisor. Do you ever land in a new place? And you go, okay, now what? You know? And you're just like, I guess I'm in Europe, but which church should I visit? Thankfully, TripAdvisor's Things to Do has yous Back. With more than 400,000 experiences to choose from, like guided hikes, snorkeling, sloth spotting. Yes, sloth spotting. There truly is something for everyone. The best part, everything to do is backed by real traveler reviews. So wherever you're headed, plan less and do more. With TripAdvisor, you use code AMY.10 for 10% off. Things to do terms apply. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Very excited that we have our guest today, Cole Escola. Cole is an incredible performer. They wrote an original play, oh Mary, which was a huge hit on Broadway and which gave them the Tony award. And we're gonna talk to them about a lot of things today about struggling in New York City. We're gonna talk about their love for Martha Stewart and. And we're gonna talk about what are they filling their days and nights with now that they've stepped away from their very famous play, which is still going on, by the way, in which depicts a very insane Mary Todd Lincoln with zero research. Highly recommend. Before we get started though, we are gonna check in with someone who knows Cole who has a question for them. And that person is comedy legend, incredible performer, and just the funniest, the funniest lady around Amy Sedaris. Amy, this is Amy. This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart school supplies. We all remember getting them. I remember Trapper Keepers and so many colored pens. But now I'm sure there's a million more things to get. And thankfully Walmart has essential back to school supplies starting at $0.25 plus all the latest tech starting at $9. Who knew hello Kitty pencil cases, Nintendo notebooks, food shaped erasers, Chromebooks keyboards and more at low Walmart prices. They even have Lilo and Stitch headphones. Who knew shop walmart.com to score their favorite back to school tech and supplies. Well, first of all, hi, thank, thank you for doing this.

[Amy Sedaris]

I'm sure happy to be doing this.

[Amy Poehler]

We're talking to Cola Scola today and your relationship with them is. Runs really deep and it's very special and I think a lot of people were very, very excited that they won the Tony and very excited to hear your name.

[Amy Sedaris]

I was just as surprised. Yeah, that was so sweet of Cole to. To mention my name. Maybe because they owe me $5,000. I don't know. Do you think now where you are in life, you could do oh, Mary?

[Amy Poehler]

Me? Well, I. I was gonna say, why aren't you. You should do.

[Amy Sedaris]

Oh, I don't know if I have the energy anymore or that schedule. I don't think I could do it, you know, eight days a week. I mean, I'd like to for you lose weight, you get muscle. I mean, that aspect. Live audience. But man, that's a brutal schedule. That's for a young person.

[Amy Poehler]

I was just at someone's pool the other day and a little kid challenged us, challenged us to all jump in at the same time. And my ears are still ringing. And it's just from jumping in. Jumping in a pool? Yeah, jumping in a pool. I woke up this morning, I was like, oh, I'm like swimmer's ear. Everything hurts. And all I did was just gently jump into a pool.

[Amy Sedaris]

What did I. What did I do? And then you're like, oh, wait a minute.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I know. I was thinking about you because I was thinking, I'm sure Cole would love for you to do oh Mary. And you would be perfect in it. But I know that the schedule is wild.

[Amy Sedaris]

It's too wild. And the whole point would be to work with Cole. You know, I work really well with them. And that's fun too, to discover that.

[Amy Poehler]

We work really well together. I know. So tell me about. I mean, I know a lot of people saw then played chassis on your show. So how did you start working together?

[Amy Sedaris]

I saw Cole orange juice commercial on YouTube. And then I worked with Cole on your show on Difficult people. And then I was just looking for a good neighbor. And I was like, it didn't matter. Male, female, it's gotta be this person. It's gotta be Cole. And always came in prepared. Always came in with lines in their back pocket. Everyone loved Cole on set.

[Amy Poehler]

It makes perfect sense that you two love to work together. And, you know, we're drawn to each other like magnets. Cause I think the same thing about you, Amy. Like, you're such a real artist and such a genuine. For listeners, Amy just leaned really close into the camera. Got really. Like a moth to a flame. Pain, pain. Nipples.

[Amy Sedaris]

I guess I'd be ping, ping down.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. There's never been anything self. In my opinion, never been anything that feels self conscious or even kind of aware of what's kind of expected of you. And Cole is the same way. And because of it, your art feels so specific and satisfying and unique.

[Amy Sedaris]

Well, that's nice. Of you to say, is that why I'm not working?

[Amy Poehler]

Mm, yeah. So you've never done a Broadway show? No. That's nuts.

[Amy Sedaris]

I've never done Broadway. Off Broadway. I've done. But have you?

[Amy Poehler]

No. No. Okay, well, sounds like we gotta do something.

[Amy Sedaris]

Oh, that would be something for us.

[Amy Poehler]

Let's write something where it's just. It's a 45 minute show. It starts at 6pm and we sit down the whole time in wheelchairs. Yeah.

[Amy Sedaris]

Grab bars, speed rails, wheelchairs.

[Amy Poehler]

So we've been asking people who know our guest, who are fans of our guests, to give me a question to ask them.

[Amy Sedaris]

I mean, my joke question's always, if you could have anyone over dinner, dead or alive, what would you serve? Because then you could judge person on what you would make for these people.

[Amy Poehler]

But.

[Amy Sedaris]

And also. And I get interviewed a lot. They'll ask, like, what do we not know about you? And that's kind of hard because one thing about Cole that I really admire and also about young people is they're so, you know, they'll tell you anything. You know, you ask them a question, they're so honest and open about it. You're like, oh, my God, isn't that private? Or, you know, like, well, what don't we know about you? Since you've been telling your whole life story? So that might. For me, it's. I have high blood pressure. Not high blood pressure, cholesterol. People would be surprised to know that about me. I always say, Cole's an old soul, young spirit. I have that. The joke question and the lesson. Oh, I was curious, after all, this entire journey, like, if Cole had to write a memoir right now, like, what would the name of it be? Like, this is. This is a huge success story. Don't you think.

[Amy Poehler]

That is such a great question for people who are wannabe performers. This, this story of oh, Mary, the story of the show that Cole wrote, starred in, and then won the Tony is what is the best version of writing something for yourself? Yes. Success story. Yeah, yeah. Success story. I wonder if there's gonna be a movie, if it would be really, who would be good in the movie? It would be like, I say, get.

[Amy Sedaris]

Linda Hunt in there somewhere. Linda. I want more Linda Hunt.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I'm so fascinated by what's behind you in your apartment because you have the best taste.

[Amy Sedaris]

Well, I'm doing a photo shoot in here today.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Amy Sedaris]

That's my new miniature doll house that I decided to have built into my fireplace because I have a lot of miniatures. And so just put that together last night.

[Amy Poehler]

What's your favorite miniature in that behind you there?

[Amy Sedaris]

Wheelchair.

[Amy Poehler]

The wheelchair.

[Amy Sedaris]

It's well made. It's handmade. It's beautiful crutches, you know, that they don't make anymore. Homemade handmade umbrellas out of toothpicks.

[Amy Poehler]

Ooh.

[Amy Sedaris]

Yeah. I have a really nice collection. Bearskin rug.

[Amy Poehler]

Those are the only things you'd grab if there was a fire. That's it. Y. Right. Thanks, Amy. Thanks for your time. Thanks so much. Great to see you. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Visible. Some searches lead to answers. Others lead to niche conspiracy theories about pigeons. Thankfully, Visible is the wireless that keeps up so you can follow the weird wherever it goes. Get one line wireless with unlimited data, talk, and text for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. Plus, Visible runs on Verizon's 5G network, so you get great coverage and a reliable connection without the premium cost. Red ready for wireless that lets you live in the know. Make the [e-mail]. one Line Wireless starting at $25 a month. Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. Cole, I'm so happy you're here, but I haven't seen you. I've obviously seen you on stage, and I've seen you on tv and I've seen you everywhere, but I haven't seen you in person in a minute. How is it feeling having just finished your run? I know. It's. We're just catching you.

[Cole Escola]

It feels insane.

[Amy Poehler]

We kind of joke sometimes here about, like, how we always talk about, like, hard work, and acting is working hard work. And in many ways, it's not that hard. This is not that hard. No, but what you do is very.

[Cole Escola]

Eight shows a week is really, like. I used to think, like, well, you have your days free. Totally. Like, oh, come on. But I, um. I. I will never. I will never think that way about Broadway people or theater people ever again.

[Amy Poehler]

It is the hardest job.

[Cole Escola]

So hard. So hard.

[Amy Poehler]

And the hardest part of your day is at the end of your day. So it's like you can't even enjoy your day.

[Cole Escola]

Well, but I slept. I go to sleep at, like, 5:00am.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, talk to me about your sleep.

[Cole Escola]

Okay. So I love talking about sleep. I'm kind of weird. I'm like one of those quirky kind of people. I mean, I do the show. I'm like, vibrating hyper. I eat after the show. I have acid reflux, so I need to wait at least three hours. Which one's is this? Mine.

[Amy Poehler]

Raise your hand.

[Cole Escola]

Is this mine? Is this mine?

[Amy Poehler]

Yep. I just realized that I have that too, but I didn't really know what to call it, but it was like, oh. And I would be like, what's this.

[Cole Escola]

Burning in my throat? I hate that. Pass the marinara, please.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So what did you have post show? Was it a similar meal or different?

[Cole Escola]

It was, you know, not a lot's open at like 10pm so it was either Indian food, which is great for acid reflux because it's very mild, you know.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Just some cool spices, just some spicy cream sauces. Amy Sedaris always says, hot, creamy meal, straight to bed. So. So, yeah, that or like a bowl. Like just slop. And the most chaotic bowl, just like, adding ingredients, not considering what they will add up to.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. How they're gonna marry.

[Cole Escola]

I like oranges.

[Amy Poehler]

So you get your bowl or your food, you eat, and then you would then stay up till five in the morning.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Just like basically being on your phone.

[Cole Escola]

Looking at your phone. Being on my phone, watching YouTube videos. Marco Polo ing, my friends. Do you use Marco Polo?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. I love Marco Polo.

[Cole Escola]

It's the best.

[Amy Poehler]

I thought that that was a Gen X thing, but millennials like Marco Polo.

[Cole Escola]

Millennials are dipping their toes into Marco Polo. Gen Z could not be more.

[Amy Poehler]

They're embarrassed.

[Cole Escola]

They're embarrassed. And Gen Alpha don't have phones. They're like.

[Amy Poehler]

Their phones are in their heads.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, exactly.

[Amy Poehler]

They're implanted in their heads.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But I am, like, kind of obsessed with the fact that you have this. Open spaces. Like, you're wide open space now.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Sedaris]

What.

[Amy Poehler]

What are you gonna do?

[Cole Escola]

To be honest, I was really. I was really like. I got good. Hang on Monday. I'll just. That's my next. I'll get there and then we'll figure it out.

[Amy Poehler]

So. So there's a part of you that, like, wants that structure, and you're gonna have to figure out how to structure.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, yeah. I. I'm sort of. You know, like when you get off of a boat. For those of you that own boats.

[Amy Poehler]

Like we do, everyone listing owns a boat.

[Cole Escola]

You know, when you get off your boat. Yeah. One or one of your boats. When you get off your biggest boat.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And you. You're like. You're. You're wobbly. You're sea legs. That's how I feel.

[Amy Poehler]

I used to say that about snl. Like, leave. Leaving SNL was like a train pulling away.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You kind of like gravel kicked up and it sped away and you could kind of hear the Chatter and the laughter and. And also you are kind of like. Like, glad you weren't on the train. Both those things.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Because for people who feel. Really know, Omari is continuing on without you.

[Cole Escola]

Yes. Titus Burgess starts tonight.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Cole Escola]

Again.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Cole Escola]

He did it for three weeks and now he's back for six. And then after that, jinx Monsoon.

[Amy Poehler]

And then after that. You haven't announced yet?

[Cole Escola]

We don't even know yet.

[Amy Poehler]

So what is it like to create a character?

[Cole Escola]

Good.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Great. But I mean, how do you. Do you pick who's gonna do it? And I'm sure you're at a point now where people are emailing you and saying, I would like to do it. Yeah. Must be interesting. I bet you're thinking about people who want to do it. What is that process?

[Cole Escola]

Like, how are you doing it? You know, the first. It really started after the first replacement, which was Betty Gilpin, who took this part and this job so seriously. Like, trained for it. And, like. And I think people weren't lining up to take over the role yet because they wanted to sort of see, like, how it would go if someone else did it. And she was, like, brave enough to be, like, no, I know. This would be, like, the role of a lifetime for me, so I want to jump at it. And she was incredible.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And it felt, like, really validating to watch. I don't know. Someone love the part.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, you're playing a version of Mary Todd Lincoln based on no research.

[Cole Escola]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's this tour de force. That part allows whoever is playing it to, like, swing for the fences.

[John Early]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's what I love, if I may, what I love so much about it. And loved. And I saw you, only you in it, but. And I can't wait to see more people in it. But what I loved about it is it was, like, this place where you could go really, really big. But it was very, very moving.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, thanks.

[Amy Poehler]

Really moving. It's hard to do both of those things.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

I think you do those things. Both of those sings really well together.

[Cole Escola]

Thanks. I. Yeah, I. That was my goal, was, like, to, like. I even wrote it on my dressing room mirror. Like, can you love me if I'm annoying? Ooh. Like, that's good.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Can you root for someone who's annoying? That's what I wanted because, you know.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

I'm sure you feel this way, too. Like, I'm annoying. You know, I'm too much.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

That is. In fact, a friend of mine has a game where she says Boring or annoying. So you categorize people into boring or annoying. Both are. No one wants to be either.

[Cole Escola]

No one wants to be either, but that's a good one.

[Amy Poehler]

Give me annoying over boring.

[Cole Escola]

Absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

Any day.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Give me someone who tries too hard.

[Amy Poehler]

Of course.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, absolutely. And I'm in the annoying camp.

[Amy Poehler]

And so what I'm hearing is because the show has ended. This is like an existential nightmare for you.

[John Early]

Yes.

[Amy Sedaris]

Yeah.

[John Early]

Got it. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It would be for me, too. It would be like. It's just like, what do I do with my day? What is my life? And you've hit. You hit the peak. You got the Tony. Like, there's nowhere to go but down, babe.

[Cole Escola]

I know. Truly down. Or like, across. Like, leave the business.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Across. Like, just jump in a river and.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. You're just gonna work with animals.

[Cole Escola]

Change my name. Yeah. Don't bring my phone. Like, burn my fingerprints off.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you feel. I hope you felt this way, but I know collectively, people that were watching.

[Cole Escola]

You win were really angry.

[Amy Poehler]

They were really angry.

[Cole Escola]

They were.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, did you. There was rioting in the streets.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, I saw.

[Amy Poehler]

It was like when the Eagles won the.

[Cole Escola]

The what? Sorry? That's for the. For the guys. For the dads. For the dads who listen.

[Amy Poehler]

No, but you. But you. When you won, it felt like people. It felt like you were carrying the hopes and dreams of a lot of people. Okay, well, did you feel that pressure at all when you were.

[Cole Escola]

Pressure. I felt like the. The best part of the whole experience was, like, people that I. That I have been performing with for, like, 15 years at, like, Joe's Pub or the Duplex or, like. Or people that came to see the shows, like, so happy. For me, like, that was the best feeling. Like I scored a goal for the team.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Everyone felt invested in it because they felt like they were part of it. And they saw it when it was smaller and then getting bigger and growing. And it felt like this. Like, you know, it was a rare combination. Your show, O Mary, of feeling indie and small and private and just for you and the entire Broadway community and the entire country coming and feeling the same way, too, is a wild combo.

[Amy Sedaris]

Of both those things.

[Cole Escola]

The whole country came.

[Amy Poehler]

The whole.

[Cole Escola]

We looked at the numbers.

[Amy Poehler]

We went to the numbers.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, there was, like, four even, like, South Dakota. Yeah. There were four people in South Dakota who, like, said they were gonna come.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And they still might. They still might. But, yeah, now it's time to go away, I think.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Take a little break.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, like, If I'm sick of me, I can only imagine how my friends feel. I know that nobody actually knows who I am, but the people who do, they've had a lot of me this past year.

[Amy Poehler]

But I gotta say, you have handled it pitch perfect, Cole. Like, you've been so funny. Like, super funny. Like, self deprecating, but not, like, falsely modest. You've been in. Like, it really feels like you've been feeling the. Oh, my God.

[Cole Escola]

I just. No, I'm.

[Amy Poehler]

Now you're ruining it.

[Cole Escola]

To work with people that you respect. And, like, this is my job.

[Amy Poehler]

I know.

[Cole Escola]

Like, I get to play. I get to play. I get to come here. And this is. This is my work. Like, who am I to complain? I'm so lucky. I'm so lucky.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, I don't even remember who got nominated. Like, the award is not the thing.

[Cole Escola]

No. And we were like, we were all rooting for each other.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amy Sedaris]

You know, and the best part has.

[Amy Poehler]

Been getting to know people.

[Cole Escola]

I actually hate when they called my name. My heart broke. I thought, George Clooney, like, like, like my.

[Amy Poehler]

My friend, my friend.

[Cole Escola]

My friend George. Now he's going to Lake Como without this trophy.

[Amy Poehler]

And that's.

[Cole Escola]

So I get to have it. So I sent it to him. I sent it. I did.

[Amy Poehler]

You did.

[Cole Escola]

I did.

[Amy Poehler]

And you sent it from the heart.

[Cole Escola]

I sent it from the heart. Or I sent him a picture of it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Cole Escola]

With my finger.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You're not gonna give him the real. No, no, no, no, no. He doesn't deserve it. He has too many and famous. You ran up there famously. You really hustled up there. Wow.

[Cole Escola]

They tell you you have 90 seconds from when they call your name to the end of the speech.

[Amy Poehler]

So crazy.

[Cole Escola]

So I was like, I want to talk for as long as possible. That's my.

[Amy Poehler]

That was your goal.

[Cole Escola]

It's always been my goal. Like, when I was a kid and they would ask, like, oh, what song do you want to sing? I would sing the Twelve Days of Christmas because it was the longest song that I knew and still the longest song. But so I was just like, well, I want to be able to thank everyone that I had in my head. Cause I didn't write anything down stupidly.

[Amy Poehler]

Such a good speech. Such a good speech.

[Cole Escola]

But I left so many people out.

[Amy Poehler]

But that's okay. Because what you did is like. I think you learn a lot about somebody when they give a speech because to your point, you are aware of the time.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You were trying to use it to your advantage.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It's shocking to me how many people get up there and they go like, anyway. And you're like, time is ticking.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I can't believe you are taking so much shame.

[Cole Escola]

And also that thing that I think it was on this podcast that Tina said to you about like that Steve Martin said. So this is like you gotta kill every time.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

It's like, I do feel that, yes.

[Amy Poehler]

You have to be funny and you have to be gracious, but you have to be like, you have to produce that moment.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And you produced it really well.

[Cole Escola]

Thanks. Played a good game. And we just feel really good about where we're at right now, numbers wise. Just gotta stay in it and hope for the best.

[Amy Poehler]

Now, I heard this straight character you did on Colbert.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you have a straight. A straight woman my age, voice?

[Cole Escola]

Your age? No, just older.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Like a boomer woman's.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like my, like my mother.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. What is that kind of character?

[Cole Escola]

Well, I'm a little bit hoarse, so my voice is a little lower than I'd like it. But we were gonna go up Saturday and just see what Tracy and them were gonna cook and just sort of just nothing for people who can't see.

[Amy Poehler]

Cole is touching their head a lot.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And. And you're right. Just a little aggrieved.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And a tiny, like a tiny headache.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, Tiny, tiny headache. Just thinking about, just like talking. That's my favorite. I mean, when I was growing up, just hearing small talk between women at the store was my. Just heavenly.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, you was raised primarily by women.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, yeah, by my mother and my grandmother. And I loved my grandmother's friends and, you know, complaining about health issues.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, but you grew up in Oregon.

[Cole Escola]

Thanks.

[Amy Poehler]

And. And that's not, that's not. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. No. You grew up in Oregon, you got into community theater, you made your way to New York.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

What was like the first, like, can you just paint a picture of when you first arrived in New York city? How old?

[Cole Escola]

18. Yeah, I mean, fresh from my, like, hometown, you know. And then the first place I lived was the 92nd Street Y on the Upper east side. Now imagine an 18 year old little gay kid coming to New York City and that is their first impression of New York, the Upper east side. Thinking like, wow. Wow, I can't wait to have fun.

[Amy Poehler]

Old men.

[Cole Escola]

Old men. Wow. Oh, wow. These restaurants close at 6pm this is amazing.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And why did you end up over there?

[Cole Escola]

I went to we can bleep the name of the school out.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Cole Escola]

For one year. One calendar year. And their dorms were at the.

[Amy Poehler]

And why did you drop out of college?

[Cole Escola]

Couldn't afford it. Like, I couldn't even afford to take out any more loans.

[Amy Poehler]

Was that a stressful. Were you thinking, like, this is a nightmare, that I can't be happy?

[Cole Escola]

No, no, no. I was heartbroken. I was like. I didn't know how I was gonna get back to New York because I sort of figured this out the first summer I came back home. I was working at a church camp with my brother, mowing lawns, digging post holes, washing dishes. And. And then I found out, like, they're not gonna give you any more loans. Cause you don't have. Unless you have a guarantor.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Cole Escola]

And all the adults in my life were poor.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep.

[Cole Escola]

And I hated them for that.

[John Early]

I was like.

[Cole Escola]

It was so juvenile to be like, well, maybe if you'd made better life choices, mom, I could live out my dreams. And now I'm like, thank God I don't have student loans.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

I don't have student loans because I couldn't afford to go to school.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, rejection is God's protection.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you. I love when you came up with that.

[Amy Poehler]

I came up with that.

[Cole Escola]

I remember when you came up with that.

[Amy Poehler]

What did you do, though, at 19 then? You just worked hard and.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, I worked at the Scholastic bookstore playing Clifford the Big Red Dog.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Cole Escola]

And, I mean, I worked at the cash register as well. But that was. I really came alive when I played Clifford, you know?

[Amy Poehler]

And you were living with who then? Like, you were, like, renting a room from.

[Cole Escola]

Renting a room in a railroad apartment where a complete stranger had to walk through my room to get to his bedroom.

[Amy Poehler]

Sure.

[Cole Escola]

And often, like, my. I had, like, one season of Sex and the City on dvd. And he would always. I was always missing one. Discipline. And then it would appear back the next day, and then it would disappear.

[Amy Poehler]

And he took it.

[Cole Escola]

He took it. It was a straight guy, and he was, like, jerking off to it. Oh, sex scenes.

[Amy Poehler]

Episodes.

[Cole Escola]

And this was like. I mean, this was what year? 2008. So porn was available online?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, he could have.

[Cole Escola]

But.

[Amy Poehler]

But there was just something.

[Cole Escola]

Something about Kim Cattrall, I guess, that just.

[Amy Poehler]

Hey, hey, hey. I get it. Hey. I get it.

[Cole Escola]

We both do.

[Amy Poehler]

We both get it. When did you first get paid to be an actor other than Clifford, But.

[Cole Escola]

Well, but my first paying job was when I was 11.

[Amy Poehler]

Really?

[Cole Escola]

I was in, like, a regional production of The Grapes of wrath. I made $50.

[Amy Poehler]

Total.

[Cole Escola]

Total.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep.

[Cole Escola]

I played Winfield Joad.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Cole Escola]

My lines were, ma. Ma, look over there.

[Amy Poehler]

Great.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, that's $50. But I did come up with. I said this already to Mo Rocca. I'm sorry for those of you.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, God. Then we're gonna cut it if you've already put it on, Raka.

[Cole Escola]

But I think you'll appreciate this. At 11, I came up with. There's a scene where everyone's, like, saying grace over food.

[Amy Poehler]

And.

[Cole Escola]

And I came up with stage business of, like, opening my eye and stealing a piece of food.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my God. I have a similar story, which is when I was about that age 10 or 11, I was Dorothy and the wizard of Oz. And I have to.

[Cole Escola]

Great comedic part, by the way. Hilarious.

[Amy Poehler]

Hilarious.

[Cole Escola]

So many laughs.

[Amy Poehler]

And they. Because it was the 80s, they just gave us a real dog. They were like, hold this real dog. You know, it was just someone's dog. And I had the dog the whole day, and no one petted. And it was. And I would never do that now, but someone just gave us a dog. I was 10. And there's a moment where Dorothy says, like, where the tornado starts. And Dorothy says, toto, Toto, where are you? Yeah, and in the first show, I was holding Toto and I got a laugh, but not the kind I wanted.

[Cole Escola]

Right, right.

[Amy Poehler]

They were laughing at me.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And you clocked that right away. I clocked it, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So in the second show, I put the dog down and I walked a few feet away from it. And then I said, toto, Toto, where are you? Everyone was like, now that's clever. And it was like, a star is born. And it's so true, that feeling when you're like, wait, I can do something else. The mischief part.

[John Early]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Well, did you feel like. Was there ever a time where you were like, well, I don't want to be an actor because it's not fun. Because the way I felt was like, oh, being a performer means, you know, acting school and doing Our Town. And I was like, I don't think that's for me. So I guess I don't wanna perform.

[Amy Poehler]

Mm. I think, yeah. I didn't know anyone who was an actor or, like, I didn't think it was a job that I could do. But I think even from a very early age, I was like, whatever I wanna do, I wanna be in control of it.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So, like, I wasn't good at auditions.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, same.

[Amy Poehler]

Because it was like, I don't know if you don't.

[Cole Escola]

No, I. Whenever I get sides, I'm like, oh, you know who should get this? God. And I call my manager and I'm like, are they seeing Gideon for this? How about Taylor Trench? Because he would nail this. And also, as a writer, I feel like I don't. I need to know. I need to really trust the writer or, like, feel like I really understand the writer. Cause I think so much of acting, you have to be a little delusional and be like, oh, yeah, I know how to do this. Yeah, I know what they're going for. When I read a script, I'm like, oh, I'd love to sit down with the writer and see now, why is she saying this?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I know. You have to. Yeah, you just have to kind of overcome insecurity and just assume that everyone is supposed to be looking at it.

[Cole Escola]

Like, I actually know how to do this more than the writer knows.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I struggle with it all the time. About, like, working for other.

[Cole Escola]

We've all witnessed that. We've watched you on sets sort of flounder, and we're all just. We've heard you say, come on, girl, Come on, come on. Ooh, get those lines out.

[Amy Poehler]

That would be a great scene where you're acting and you pan to the other side of the monitor and everyone's.

[Cole Escola]

Like, girl, sweating, sweating, sweating.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Volkswagen. Look, a massage chair might seem a bit extravagant, and if you have two of them, maybe that's over the top. But what if those massage chairs can come with a car? Suddenly, they become very practical. The all new 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan is packed with premium features, like available massaging front seats, so it only feels extravagant. Learn [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by Cars.com the Right Car creates so many possibilities, from cruising through Erin Day to spontaneous getaways with the girls. So wherever life takes you next and whoever you're looking to be, there's a car for that on cars.com with up to 50,000 cars added daily and over 2 million cars to choose from, find your Next possibility on cars.com where to next? We worked together on a show called Difficult People.

[John Early]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Speaking of great writers, Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner and Scott King, and we were all working together on a show, and that was a lot of fun.

[Cole Escola]

That was so much fun. That was like. And that was a situation where, like, I trusted Julie completely.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

And, like, the character was. I just got it immediately. And the character Was Matthew this basically demon twink? Yeah, yeah. Full of himself. Musical theater villain.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Like gay villain in a way that, like. Like the way that, like, you said. Oh, you understand. You have a love for. For women. Julie has a love for awful gay guys.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. Yeah, totally.

[Cole Escola]

A deep love and respect for.

[Amy Poehler]

A deep love and respect for. She is so good at writing that. Those kind of characters that, you know, you're kind of rooting for and also afraid of at the same time. Like, you don't want to leave the room while they're around. They'll destroy you.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. That was a really good experience.

[Cole Escola]

That was so fun.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And I feel like, God, we had so many laughs.

[Cole Escola]

This is what I'm saying. Like, we just get to play.

[Amy Poehler]

We get to play.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, but it's also hard when it's hard work.

[Cole Escola]

It is, but it's, like, so rewarding, too. And it's like. Like when I think of, like, you know, like, where I came from and, like, what my parents did to, like. Like, how dare I complain? You know? How dare I, you know?

[Amy Poehler]

And someone's like. Ma', am, your coffee is ready. I'm just trying to hand you your coffee. I did. I just asked you if this was your coffee.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you. I appreciate it. I won't be tipping, but thank you.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. So you have a.

[Cole Escola]

You know who I heard doesn't tip? No, I'll tell you later. Oh, I'm just kidding.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you. Have you ever waited tables?

[Cole Escola]

I work in the restaurant industry. I was a busser, and then I worked. I was a. I worked at a bakery. I was a counter person.

[Amy Poehler]

I feel like you would be very good front of house.

[Cole Escola]

I'm not. Cause I don't. Well, so I also did sex work. Breaking news. And that was.

[Amy Poehler]

And that's front of house.

[Cole Escola]

That's front of house. That's all house. That's front and back.

[Amy Poehler]

Front and back of house.

[Cole Escola]

Of house.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Price difference. But you. What do you want? You want the front of house or the back of house tonight? 50. 50 bucks for the back of house.

[Amy Poehler]

And you'd do a whole thing where you pretend that they weren't. You didn't have a reservation for them. And it'd be. Your name's not on the list.

[Cole Escola]

It's not on the list.

[Amy Poehler]

Check again.

[Cole Escola]

Sorry.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

That was way, way, way, way less demoralizing than service job.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

Like, because a sex work. I was in control. Like, I named my price. I. It was also, like, the money for the time spent away, you know, making $100 in an hour. And, you know, this was two. This was a different time. Okay. This was a long time ago. That was a lot of money back then. Okay. That was a lot of money back then.

[Amy Poehler]

This was pre Tony.

[Cole Escola]

This is pre Tony. Okay? So I couldn't charge what I could charge now. Now I could get it easy, 140.

[Amy Poehler]

Of course, that Tony bump.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, please. The Tony bump. But like, that versus making $10 an hour, having people yell at you because their chocolate cake is dry.

[Amy Poehler]

What I'm learning is, like, control, creative control, especially control of your time structure is very important to you, and therefore, you use all of those.

[Cole Escola]

I use people.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

I use people.

[Amy Poehler]

That's the only thing we're gonna pull from this, is you saying, I use people. And we're gonna put it on a loop like a boomerang.

[Cole Escola]

Just, like, keep injecting it throughout the whole episode.

[Amy Poehler]

And why is that?

[Cole Escola]

Seven times. I use people.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It's gonna be like a Howard Stern clip that we play over and over again. That Fred presses a button, and then it goes, I use people. No, but you took all the strengths to make the show that you made, because it's like you created. I mean, it is so hard to write a show. And you've done a few of them.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, I've been in New York for 20 years this year.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And I probably started writing and performing, like, my third year here, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. It's. It's.

[Cole Escola]

And I just couldn't be more grateful for, like, because that experience, it's like. I look back on it. Wait, wait. I just want to say, like, keep going. Keep going. If you're out there and you're thinking, is it going to happen for me? It will. It absolutely will.

[Amy Poehler]

Sir, we got your test results back, and I've been trying to tell you.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you so much.

[Amy Poehler]

We really need you to see a doctor. So I talked. So when you thanked Amy Sedaris.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

That was a big deal for a lot of people. And it was. And you thanked many people in your speech. And for people that know Amy Sedaris work, what it felt like was. I can't explain it, other than this genuine moment of a friend who was there for you. And you thanked a lot of your friends who were there for you for a long time. Yeah, that's. It was really special to feel that.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

I really want. I thought, like, who do I want to hear from the next day? Like, who. Like John and Claudette. All of My friends that I thanked were like, what? They sent me a picture of their jaws hanging open, like, I can't believe you thanked me. But my friends are the most important people in my life. And I would, you know, what am I gonna, like, you know, pull up some corny ass teacher from. Sorry.

[Amy Poehler]

You've never had a teacher.

[Cole Escola]

Never had a teacher.

[Amy Poehler]

Not once. You've never had a teacher. You brag about that.

[John Early]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

No, but. But also, you saying that. That's so. That's so interesting that you say that. Who do you want to hear from? Because also, when you mention Amy and. And John and Jeffrey and Claudia, like, you're also, like, sending a signal of, like, this is the kind of artist I am. Because those kind of artists, Amy, specifically Sedaris, you know who. When I. When I came to Chicago, she was the senior. Like, she was on stage.

[Cole Escola]

She was queen bee.

[Amy Poehler]

She was queen bee. And she, like, you had this true artist vibe, which was like, they, they, they. They make commercial work that people will love, but they're making it for themselves. Like, there's not a feeling of, what should we do that's going to work or is interesting. It's just like, I just want to do what me and my friends will think is good. And we talked to Amy before this podcast.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, boy, let me have some Coke Zero.

[Amy Poehler]

And she loves you. And talked about how thrilling it was to hear her name and how she was watching it with everybody, and it was very exciting. And your appearances on her show were so stupid and funny.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Thanks.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible wigs on wigs.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, my God, the best.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Amy is such an expert on wigs, and I'm sure you are at this point, too.

[Cole Escola]

I've. I've given up a little bit.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, okay. How do. I'm sure you know how to put on your own wig? For people who don't know how to put on their own wig, what are some tips?

[Cole Escola]

Honestly, some people just don't have a face for wigs, and I have the perfect face for wigs.

[Amy Poehler]

You do have a great face for wigs.

[Cole Escola]

I. Look, I'm not saying I'm stunning. You are stunning, but I'm not saying that. Okay, you said it.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Cole Escola]

I'm not saying. You know, I have a lot of faults. My teeth don't match. None of them look like they belong together. But my face is perfect for wigs, and I can admit that it is.

[Amy Poehler]

Every single wig changes your face.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

And every single time you put on a wig, I just feel lucky that.

[Cole Escola]

I get to do it. Sorry, Sorry.

[Amy Poehler]

It's just, it's play.

[Cole Escola]

It's play like it's my. My job is to play like, are you kidding me?

[Amy Poehler]

Show up. Are you kidding me? Every day I'm like, pinch me.

[Cole Escola]

Like, ew, ew, ew.

[Amy Poehler]

Ugh.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I mean, yeah. Oh, but okay, so you do Amy's show.

[Cole Escola]

Uh huh.

[Amy Poehler]

You thank her at the Tonys. And she had a couple questions for you. Great questions. Of course, because it's Amy. Genius. She had two questions. The first one was, if you could have a dinner party for anyone, alive or dead, what would you serve?

[Cole Escola]

I hate cooking.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh.

[Cole Escola]

Well, I hate doing dishes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And I'm also someone who, if the recipe says, like, it takes an hour and 15 minutes, I need four hours.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Cause I'm. I'm taking. I'm doing every step like four times in my head. Repeating it back to myself. Marco. Polo. Ing a friend. Explaining it to them.

[Amy Poehler]

Taking notes on that. Marco.

[Cole Escola]

Polo.

[Amy Poehler]

What?

[Cole Escola]

I'm gonna. Yeah, taking notes on that. Marco Polo. I would make mashed potatoes.

[Amy Poehler]

A big bowl of it.

[Cole Escola]

Big bowl of mashed potatoes.

[Amy Poehler]

And who would be at your dinner party? I know it's a hard question.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

The sun, the alive or dead part.

[Cole Escola]

Okay. Martha Stewart. Oh, but then I wouldn't want to.

[Amy Poehler]

But you'd want her when she was dead.

[Cole Escola]

I would want her dead.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Half dead. Dying. I would want to serve cold mashed potatoes to dying Martha Stewart.

[Amy Poehler]

That makes sense.

[Cole Escola]

That's my dream dinner party. Her last bite. I would get to say, like, you know, I served Martha her last bite.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. And she was like, mmm, mm, cold.

[Cole Escola]

You know, she. I was obsessed with Martha as a child.

[Amy Poehler]

Ooh.

[Cole Escola]

I was her. Her show from the 90s, you know, where it was like, in her home.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

And she would be like, while the pie's baking, let's retile the roof. It was like, she just assumed, like, you can do it, there's time.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

It takes 45 minutes for the piece. That's plenty of time for the roof. Get up there.

[Amy Poehler]

That's the best thing about WASPy energy, which I never knew growing up. I wasn't around it. And when I was finally around it in college, I couldn't believe how much the women got done in a day.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It was a lot. Mucking about and getting things done.

[Cole Escola]

She's in a cranberry bog, you know, while her steak's marinating.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, she's doing it.

[Cole Escola]

She's really doing it. And then. But I loved her show so much. And I wanted to be like a Connecticut wasp, you know? But I would spend all of my birthday money on Christmas decorations because I wanted to, you know, copy her.

[Amy Poehler]

Cause Christmas was the most important holiday.

[Cole Escola]

Christmas is the most important holiday. But I met her a year ago at this little dinner. And we were sitting. We were alone at a table. Cause no one else had sat down yet. And I'm like, don't talk to her. Leave her alone. She doesn't need to know, you know, how much she means to you. And she just looks over at me and she goes, are you Mary? And I was like, um, yeah. And she was like, I haven't seen the show yet, but I love history and I'm dying to see the show. She hasn't, but it's fine because that's.

[John Early]

I have that.

[Cole Escola]

I have the memory of her looking at me from across the table and saying, are you Mary? It was like, yeah. Anyway, so, yeah, that's. To answer the question. I would serve her dying body.

[Amy Poehler]

Dying Martha. Cold mashed potatoes.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you. This leads me to this question, which is, you have so many people have come to your show.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And you are a big fan of a lot of the people that came to your show. Who stands out as people that, like, was like, wow, I can't believe they're here.

[Cole Escola]

Well, Rosie o' Donnell was big for me because I would run home after school every day to watch her show. And that's, like. That was my only avenue to seeing Broadway performers was her show, you know, that was big. Elaine May.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Cole Escola]

That was huge. Uh, that's it. Everyone else could fuck off for all I care. Get out of here.

[Amy Poehler]

Get out of here.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But you would greet people after. Your show's so tiring.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, I love it.

[Amy Poehler]

You do?

[Cole Escola]

I do. I do. Maybe because I wrote it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

So it's like. It feels from me.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

So maybe if I was just doing. Just acting in someone else's show, I'd be like, can I please just go home?

[Amy Poehler]

I felt a little codependent when I got the chance to see you after your show. And I felt a little codependent about, like, taking up your time. Cause I just felt. I knew that you were so generous. And I was like, wow, Cole's being so generous with their time after the show. Because I just felt like, oh, you must be so tired. You have to get to bed. But now I know you had hours before you would sleep.

[Cole Escola]

Hours before I would sleep. And also, like, the thing. People after the show are like, I know you hear this A lot. But I'm like, I don't. It's never enough. A. We're not performers. Because, like, you know what? I'm fulfilled. I don't need any more validation at all now. I just do it for you. No. And also, like, every show, I'm. I'm working my ass off. Like, I. I want to hear after every show, feedback, you know?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And so I'm sure the stage manager and director were so sick of me, I would be like. Just, like, I would come off stage gasping for notes, being like, scene three. I know I didn't get there. I know I didn't get there, but I think I stuck the landing at 4. Right. They'd be like, yeah, it was a good. It was the show. It was the show. You've done it 500 times. It was just like the rest of them. But.

[Amy Poehler]

But that's the way to keep it fresh is like, you're just constantly tweaking it. Yeah. And the other question Amy Sedaris had was, if you were to write a memoir of your past year and a half and you had to title it today, what would it be called?

[Cole Escola]

Enough already.

[Amy Poehler]

Enough.

[Cole Escola]

Enough already. My Year on Broadway, the Hard Way, A story of love and redemption.

[Amy Poehler]

Keep going.

[Cole Escola]

Love and redemption through the eyes of someone who's seen it all and lived to talk about it. Or.

[Amy Poehler]

Or Slash. Enough already.

[Cole Escola]

Bits and bobs.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. I have a few quick lightning round questions to ask. Okay. What is your. And this is just fun. These are just. This is just.

[Cole Escola]

These are just for fun. Okay, I can relax now.

[Amy Poehler]

So that was very serious.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah. I felt really sick.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. The earlier stuff we do have to send to the government, but this we can just keep for ourselves.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, they're. Honey, too late. They're listening.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever sent the wrong text?

[Cole Escola]

Oh, yeah. Because it's the worst nightmare I've sent. There was someone that I had a crush on who I was very attracted to, and I went to send a picture of him to my friend.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

But instead I sent him a picture of himself.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And then quickly was like. I think I said something like, I love this shirt. Like, where'd you get it? Just sweating bullets.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah. Have you ever sent a screenshot of a convo similarly like a screenshot and then sent it to the person?

[Cole Escola]

No. No, I don't think I've done that. I've almost done that. And, you know, I've definitely heard tell and I.

[John Early]

Have you done?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. And I've tried To cover it by being like, can you see this? I said anything. Saying, wait, can you. Can you read this? As if something. Something was wrong with my phone, and I was testing my phone.

[Cole Escola]

Well, now they know. You gotta cut this out. Because, yeah. Eight of your friends right now are.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, can you see this picture, bitch?

[Cole Escola]

I really thought she was gonna.

[Amy Poehler]

And they were like, yeah, I do. And you're like, oh, good. Cause my phone has been weird, and I'm trying to figure out if my pic. If my screenshots work.

[Cole Escola]

Anyway, let's get lunch, please.

[Amy Poehler]

I love you.

[Amy Sedaris]

Love you.

[Amy Poehler]

Great.

[Cole Escola]

Love you so much.

[Amy Poehler]

So happy you're back with that guy.

[John Early]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, so what is your go to. Do you use ebay?

[Cole Escola]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

What's your go to search term? What do you search ebay for?

[Cole Escola]

I guess my most used word is vintage.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

Or I'll just type in an actress's name and then sort by price. Highest.

[Amy Poehler]

First to get the highest price.

[Cole Escola]

To get, like, yeah. Cause that's what's gonna be, you know, like, oh, this was her couch.

[Amy Poehler]

That's smart.

[Cole Escola]

That's how I've. You know I have Marlene Dietrich's library card. Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

You do?

[Cole Escola]

Yes, I've talked about this. I told Mo. I told, you know, this. Amy, come on.

[Amy Poehler]

You already told Mo this.

[Cole Escola]

I told everyone.

[Amy Poehler]

And by the way, that reminds me. Beautiful homage to Bernadette Peters.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, thanks.

[Amy Poehler]

You dress beautiful. Beautiful. And you heard from Bernadette?

[John Early]

Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And that was the most beautiful I've ever felt. She said, I thought they looked absolutely lovely. Although when I wore it, I wore my chest hairs in a different pattern.

[Amy Poehler]

Perfect.

[Cole Escola]

But more importantly, congrats, Cole, on the Tony.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

What a class act.

[Cole Escola]

Very class act. Very.

[Amy Poehler]

Why is Bernadette Peters important to you?

[Cole Escola]

I mean, as a kid, she just was Broadway, you know, Like. And I don't know, just. I just. She's show business.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, My dad used to say, like, make a joke. He'd be like, the only person I would leave your mother for is Bernadette.

[Cole Escola]

P. That's now the term.

[Amy Poehler]

A little. Why are you telling me this? This is weird. Picking me up for my soccer game.

[Cole Escola]

Like, not letting you, like, putting his hand on the door before you're about to leave. He's like, wait, the only person I would leave your mother for is Bernadette Peters.

[John Early]

Have a good day at school.

[Cole Escola]

You're like, I'm six.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm six. I'm trying to go to sleep. I'm whispering this. You're whispering this into My ear.

[Cole Escola]

Julie Kosner is the one that. I first heard the term a little something for the dads when she was doing on her podcast a Tony's recap of Aladdin. Aladdin had performed at the Tonys. And you know, they had the sort of like, you know, the girls sort of like shimmying. And she said like, oh, you know, a little something for the dads to show. Like, hey, Broadway is not just for, you know, the women and those gay guys. We got a little something for you two fellas. And I feel like Bernadette is, you know, she's got a little something for the dads.

[Amy Poehler]

She has a little something for the dads. She does. It works for the dads. Gorgeous. Okay, but.

[Cole Escola]

Sorry. Lightning round.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, lightning round. Start. Not doing this fast enough.

[Cole Escola]

No, me.

[Amy Poehler]

If you could cast a modern day politician as Mary Todd Lincoln, who would it be?

[Cole Escola]

Lindsey Graham would probably, you know, he'd probably learn a lot about himself.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right.

[Cole Escola]

He might like wake up and be like.

[Amy Poehler]

It would hard to get himself.

[John Early]

Oh, my God.

[Cole Escola]

Is that what he sounds like?

[John Early]

Yep.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my God.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, my God.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my God, Mary. Oh my God. That's what he would call it.

[Cole Escola]

I've been so bad. I'm sure sorry, everybody. You know, playing this part has taught me that it's not okay to judge lest ye be judged.

[Amy Poehler]

I've been so bad, I better quit. But I'm not gonna. I extended my run. I'm so bad, I hope I don't get back for it.

[Cole Escola]

I bet one of you men better not spank me. And I better not pay you to do it.

[Amy Poehler]

And I don't like to be chased either. Before I get. Okay, what about a famous act who would play the role of Omar in a dramatic film? I'm sure you've thought about this. I bet there's talks about making a movie.

[Cole Escola]

If there are, honey, I'm out of it. I'm out of it.

[Amy Poehler]

Amy Sedaris suggested Linda Hunt.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, right. Linda Hunt. Absolutely incredible. Cherry Jones could do it.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, Cherry Jones. She could do anything.

[Cole Escola]

She could play Lincoln too. That would be really.

[Amy Poehler]

She would be amazing as Lincoln.

[Cole Escola]

Or. Yeah, a Muppet.

[Amy Poehler]

Or a Muppet.

[Cole Escola]

Miss Piggy as Mary Todd Lincoln. And then everyone else is human.

[Amy Poehler]

That's a great idea.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah. Actually, cut this. Cause I'm gonna. I'm talking to Disney tomorrow.

[Amy Poehler]

It's not Disney. Is it Disney?

[Cole Escola]

I think they're Disney now.

[Amy Poehler]

Disney.

[Cole Escola]

Guys, can we look that up?

[Amy Poehler]

I hope they had good lawyers because those Muppets don't know what they're signing.

[Cole Escola]

No, I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

That's the one that you turned on. Do you believe in psychics? Do you go to psychics? Have you ever had a psychic tell you anything that came true?

[Cole Escola]

I always quasi believe astrology and all that sort of stuff.

[Amy Poehler]

So what's your sign?

[Cole Escola]

I actually don't believe it.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Cole Escola]

I'm a Sagittarius. Virgo, Moon, Gemini rising.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. I don't know much about it either, but I am a Virgo. That's my sun sign.

[Cole Escola]

You don't know your rising?

[Amy Poehler]

My rising is Aquarius.

[Cole Escola]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

And my moon is Leo.

[Cole Escola]

Of course. Of course. Had to go there.

[Amy Poehler]

Favorite New York restaurant?

[Cole Escola]

Ooh, Uncle Gino's.

[Amy Poehler]

Is that real?

[Cole Escola]

No. Ooh, Sunday, 5:00pm before the dinner rush, getting that corner table at Uncle Gino's.

[Amy Poehler]

Ask for Gino.

[Cole Escola]

Ask for Gino. Ask for. Yeah, he's always there. He's always there. Sundays early, get the corner table and just sit and people watch. I love to just sit and have and eat my pasta and just sort of people watch because, you know, actors, we absorb. Sorry, abcv. ABCV is my real answer.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, great.

[Amy Sedaris]

What is that?

[Cole Escola]

It's the, you know, ABC Kitchen.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

They have a vegetarian vegan restaurant.

[Amy Poehler]

Are you vegan?

[Cole Escola]

I am. I was vegan and then I started eating eggs last year. Cause I was so hungry from the shows.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, of course, you need your protein.

[Cole Escola]

I was, for some reason I was just craving eggs like a snake.

[Amy Poehler]

You're lucky you're not a 50 year old woman because we need like 47 grams of protein a day.

[Cole Escola]

Do you really? Or else your bones just like crumble.

[Amy Poehler]

You turn into a bag of dusty bones. We have to eat 45 eggs a day.

[Cole Escola]

Oh my God.

[Amy Poehler]

And then lastly, if you had to choose just one cult to be in, how would you design your cult? And what would be your like, if.

[Cole Escola]

I was the cult leader?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, great question. Would you like to be in it or would you like to lead it?

[Cole Escola]

I would like to be like the first lady of the cult.

[Amy Poehler]

The Sheila to the Bhagwan.

[Cole Escola]

Exactly.

[Amy Poehler]

You'd like to be the lieutenant.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

The Mary Todd Lincoln.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. And you'd like to keep like promoting the cult leader and being like, they're really important. You have, you have to pay the.

[Cole Escola]

One who's doing all the work hyping.

[Amy Poehler]

You do all the. You'd have all the power.

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, all the power, but no glory. Sort of just behind the scenes being like, we got him, you know, like, in the back of a black car.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, I always love those cult documentaries where the second in command is talking to us about how incredible the cult leader is, and then they finally reveal the cult leader, and you're like, huh?

[Cole Escola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, Jared.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, Jared.

[Cole Escola]

Jared, Jared.

[Amy Poehler]

That's the guy we're talking about.

[Cole Escola]

Wow.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, they're always described as very charismatic and hypnotizing. And then the picture is just like.

[Cole Escola]

I mean, I guess those people are like agents, essentially being like.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, they're the hype.

[Cole Escola]

You're gonna. Oh, my God, you're gonna love him. Oh, God, he's so hot. Just wait.

[Amy Poehler]

And then the last question is, for today, what are you. Okay, you've got free time. You're. You. You've got. You're gonna have to put some structure in your life now, moving forward. I'm not gonna ask you what's next.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Because I feel like it's too soon.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

I just don't know, you know?

[Amy Poehler]

But I want to know. What are you watching? Listening. Reading. And what are you doing?

[Cole Escola]

My kids.

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Cole Escola]

Oh, no, not doing. I mean, listening. Sorry, I answered before. Can we cut that? I'm reading my kids, listening to my kids. I just want to focus on my kids.

[Amy Poehler]

To my kids. I'm having dinner with my kids. I finally get to have dinner with my kids.

[Cole Escola]

I get. I get to just be a mom, which is the most important role.

[Amy Poehler]

It's the most important job.

[Cole Escola]

No, but. Sorry, what am I watching? Listening to? Yeah, what do you.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you do? What makes you laugh? Because you are. You have. You're so funny, and you have so many funny friends. And like. Like, what do you.

[Cole Escola]

What do you laugh at, really? Just my. My friends. Like, I wait for them to make me laugh. On Marco Polo. John early does this bit where he will send me a Marco Polo, as if he's meaning to send a message to someone else. But he. But it's this elaborate thing where it's like he's secretly planning with all of the rest of my friends to kill and cook and eat me.

[John Early]

Like.

[Cole Escola]

Like, you know, like, you know, before the Tonys will send, like, a message being like, okay, so. Hi, Claudia. So Cole fully thinks they're going to the Tonys. So that's fine. I am a little worried about getting them out of the dress, just in terms of grilling. It'll be hard, you know, like, stuff like that.

[Amy Poehler]

Ooh, that is so fun.

[Cole Escola]

Makes me laugh so hard every time. And it's complicated bit.

[Amy Poehler]

A fun, complicated bit. And it goes to show, like, what you said earlier, which is like, your friends love you.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You love your friends. And you guys can deeply tease each other like that, to me, is like a big love language. And it goes to show that, like, you're very safe around each other.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Cole Escola]

And it's just play. Sorry. I'm sorry. We'll be right back.

[Amy Poehler]

There's no. There's. We're not on the air.

[Cole Escola]

All right.

[Amy Poehler]

We're not on the air. This isn't live.

[Cole Escola]

Mark, back to you.

[Amy Poehler]

Anyway, that's been cola's foul. And Mark, thank you. How's it going out there, Mark?

[Cole Escola]

How's the weather?

[Amy Poehler]

Are you doing okay during the hurricane? People should know. By the way, it's like 102 degrees today.

[Cole Escola]

I know. And I'm in flannel.

[Amy Poehler]

You're in long, princely, like, princely flannel.

[John Early]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Cole, thank you so much.

[Cole Escola]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you so. And congratulations on your huge success.

[Cole Escola]

I thought you're going to say huge boner. Sorry, cut that out.

[Amy Poehler]

We can't. It was in a part in the tape where we have to make it a sound clip. And it's. I use people and huge boner. We have to make it another sound clip. I'm so sorry.

[Cole Escola]

It's all right. Than.

[Amy Poehler]

That was so great. Thank you, Cole. That was so fun and funny and it's just for this polar plunge. I just want to point you towards more Cola Scola content because there is so much funny stuff on YouTube, whether it's the orange juice commercial that me and Amy Sedaris and Cole referenced, or it's the serial killer documentary fake videos that Cole made with Jeffrey Self and others. And just there's so much content that they've made over the years that is so funny and stupid and weird and so many different wigs, and they have a face for all of them. So check that out. And thank you so much for listening to this episode and every episode. And thank you so much for listening in general and for being so nice. Okay, bye. You've been listening to good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite for the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen, and Alaya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.