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Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by ebay. Lately, more and more people have been talking about selling on ebay, and we can see why. Everyone has stuff that no longer fits their lives. And selling on ebay is actually really easy. Just snap a few photos, write a description, and set a price. Suddenly, the stuff that's just been sitting around is in front of millions of buyers already searching for what's next. Find what you love. Sell what you don't on ebay. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Very excited to talk to my buddy today, Greta Lee. Greta is an incredible actress. You may have seen her film Past Lives. You may have seen her in the morning Show. She's been in Girls in Broad City and Russian Doll, and she's so talented and beautiful and wonderful. And we're gonna talk about a lot of fun things. We're gonna talk about being a waitress. We're gonna talk about how to drown on camera. We're gonna talk about all the fun we had making Russian Doll together. And she's also gonna explain her new part in Toy Story 5 in which she plays the villain, and that villain is an iPad. But before we get into talking to Greta, we're gonna speak to somebody who knows her, who wants to speak well behind her back, and give me a question to ask her. And that is celebrity chef Alison Roman. Alison Roman, an author, a podcaster, kind of a. A food expert, hostess with the mostest. And Allison is going to join us. I believe she has a cat that's also going to join as well. So let's hear from Allison and get a question. Hi, Alison. Uber Eats has all your summer favorites from Ulta Beauty, which means your sunscreen can just come to you. Your daily spf, that new cleanser you've been wanting to try. Whatever you need to glow this summer, delivered in as little as 25 minutes at the same prices you'd pay in a store. Shop their big sunscreen summer beauty sale through July 11 and get up to 40% off summer essentials with new deals every week. Shop Ulta Beauty on Uber Eats and get your summer glow on. Hi.
Alison Roman
Oh, my God. Amy.
Amy Poehler
Hi.
Greta Lee
Hi.
Amy Poehler
It's so nice to meet you.
Alison Roman
I can't tell you how nice it is to meet you.
Amy Poehler
Is this your personal kitchen?
Alison Roman
It is, yeah. I live here. It's like this big guy is here. This is Leonard. He's just such a big guy.
Amy Poehler
Leonard.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Alison Roman
He loves to be in the mix.
Amy Poehler
Well, first of all, we're going to talk about Greta today. The great Greta Lee of course. But I do want to talk to you about First Bloom, which is your brick and mortar store that you open in the Catskills. And you're opening perhaps other places.
Greta Lee
Perhaps.
Alison Roman
Yeah. I started a little grocery store in 2023. We opened sort of like a. And I didn't. I didn't really have like a full plan. I was like, I'm gonna open a grocery store. And that was it. And then I did, and I was like, okay, well, now what? But it went really well and I love doing it. And yeah, we're gonna open one in Brooklyn later this year.
Amy Poehler
I listen to podcasts while I grocery shop or listen to music because I like the. I don't really wanna. I don't wanna chat.
Alison Roman
No, I don't wanna chat. Although I do. And part of. I mean, I guess it makes sense. Cause I did open a grocery store, but you know, like the, like the co ops, I don't know. LA doesn't really have.
Amy Poehler
This is very Brooklyn. This is very Brooklyn. Yeah, I don't fuck with the co ops. It's so stressful to me.
Alison Roman
Who is the time.
Amy Poehler
Exactly. It's my worst nightmare to walk into a place and people are already disappointed about my participation. Oh, yeah, like, hey, nice to see you. It's been a while.
Alison Roman
So that said, I did determine that, like, I thought if there was a job that I would. Would do at a co op, which doesn't exist, but, like, I would stand in the aisles and effectively, like, tell people what to do. Like, if people were like, what do I do with like red lentils? I'd be like, oh, well, I. Here, here are some great things. And then I just stand there. I don't have to do anything else.
Amy Poehler
That's really smart. You'd just be like. You'd be like the cruise director. Like, let's talk about ramps.
Alison Roman
Yeah. What are you really gonna be? Honest with you? With ourselves. Are they going to rot in the fridge? You're going to throw them away?
Greta Lee
You are.
Alison Roman
You're going to compost them. But like, the number of times I'm in a butcher shop and I hear like, a person, most often a man who doesn't know what they're doing, and they ask the butcher, and the butcher, like, gives them kind of vague advice. I sometimes pipe up and I'm like, oh, you don't want to grill that. That's going to be a nightmare. Or, you know, like, sometimes I actually like to sear it briefly, you know, like. And I'd say eight times out of 10. They are so uninterested in what I have to say. Like, they're like, thanks.
Greta Lee
Sure.
Alison Roman
I'm just a lady in the booker.
Amy Poehler
They're like, thanks, lady.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Alison Roman
And I'm like, some people would kill for this.
Amy Poehler
You're like, babe, I.
Alison Roman
This is.
Amy Poehler
I'm a professional also. It's like. It's. You're like a doctor on an airplane. And they're like, is there a doctor on board? And it's like, I guess I got to. I guess I got to go save a life.
Greta Lee
Yeah, exactly.
Alison Roman
And imagine. Imagine having a medical issue and the doctor comes over and the people are like, we're good. You know, that's sort of what it feels like to me. I'm like, being robust the butcher.
Amy Poehler
But okay, so speaking of Brooklyn, I feel like that is where maybe you met Greta.
Alison Roman
It is where I met Greta, yeah.
Amy Poehler
Didn't you work together at a restaurant?
Greta Lee
So we did.
Alison Roman
And I think, like, I was working at Milk Bar at the time, which was like, that we shared a kitchen with Sambar, which is where Greta worked. And. But we were, like, in the basement.
Amy Poehler
We were very separate.
Alison Roman
It was like Milk Bar people, and Sambar people did not necessarily co. Mingle. And so I knew of her. I think I saw her. Like, the hot person that worked at Sambar.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, like, the most beautiful person in the world.
Alison Roman
Exactly. You're like, who's this hot, cool person that's so well dressed and seems fun? Like, I can't be friends with them. I was talking to somebody about this the other day, like, how hard it is to be well dressed now because of the homogenous culture. And everybody sees everything and. But she so manages to, like, carry through. I mean, her style is the envy of every person with a. With, you know, awareness of the Internet that has, like, seen all of her appearances over the last few years. But, like, she's always had it. She's always had individuality that, like, really comes through.
Amy Poehler
Let's talk well behind her back. What do you love about her?
Alison Roman
I love that she is one of the hardest working and also kindest people that I've ever met. And I also. And this isn't really, like, you know, a virtue, but she is hilarious. She's so funny and so funny, so funny and, like, has a great sense of humor and is just, like, such a bright light in the world. And no matter where she goes and, like, how she shows up, like, just existing, she is as fabulous as you might think she is if you've never met her. And I have seen it with her kids and her family and her friends and with, like, a random server at a restaurant and with basically any human on the planet. She's just, like, exceedingly kind and generous, but. And, like, hospitable. She has like, a real, like, hospitality vibe around her, and I feel like she was always the person hosting. She was always the person inviting people over. It was, like, the more. The merrier energy every time. And that is such a rare personality trait, I think.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. I mean, you. You are a great example of this, but it does feel like host. So much of hosting is the vibe you give off when you're hosting.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
So I love hosting. However, I'll just say that I realized that at times I was a little bit of a stressy host, but you
Alison Roman
feel like you've outgrown that. Like, you. You've moved on into a different era.
Amy Poehler
I've worked on it. Yeah, I've worked on it.
Alison Roman
Well, you also. You realize that, like, no one has a good time when you're stressed out. Like, everyone actually has a bad time.
Amy Poehler
I know, but, like, we all know these things, but you know when you're.
Greta Lee
You're.
Amy Poehler
When something comes out of your mouth and you're like, oh, fuck, I said that out loud.
Alison Roman
Like, I. I still do it. I'll be like, oh, it's fine. No, it's really fine. Like, it's not fine. It's not fine at all.
Greta Lee
Totally.
Amy Poehler
Or, like, I'm. I. You can eat that. But we're not. Not yet. You know, like, whatever stupid you say.
Alison Roman
And then there's like, the apology part where it's like, well, this was supposed to, but I didn't have the. And it's like, I even have to check myself. And because I'm so good at giving people advice to not do that. And then I do that, and I'm like, well, I'm a bad student of myself. Like, I have to, like, practice what I preach here. But, yeah, it's very hard. But I'm really happy to hear that you're on the other side of that, or at least on your journey.
Amy Poehler
I'm working on it with professionals day and night. Day and night. Okay, so we always start our episodes with a question for our guest. Do you have a question that you think Greta would like to answer or I should ask her?
Alison Roman
Yeah, absolutely. I was thinking about, like, what people don't know about her. Like, what people maybe don't ask her often. Or, like, I wonder how much they get into, like, that restaurant part of her, because I have a belief that once you're a restaurant person, you're always a restaurant person, and it teaches you a lot. So I kind of want to know how in this iteration of her life, in this career does what from restaurant days has she held onto? Or how has working in restaurants made her a better actor or multi hyphenate, as it were?
Amy Poehler
Allison, I love that question. I also was a restaurant person and waiter for many, many years in New York and wanted to ask just that because I do think it is incred. Training for life.
Alison Roman
Yeah. It's like the work ethic is unparalleled. And I think that, like, she has so much of that, and maybe that was pre restaurants, but I also think if you have it, you're more inclined to work at a restaurant, so it all kind of ties in together.
Amy Poehler
Before we go, I'm gonna ask you for some free advice, like people do to doctors and to chefs, which is. I feel like my artichokes, there's. I have to take so much off.
Alison Roman
I can't even tell you how niche this question already is. Specifically to suit my. I have a dried artichoke on my. In a vase right here. I did not. This is just on my counter. Like, I'm obsessed with artichokes. Me too.
Amy Poehler
I just got back from Italy. Not to brag. And the artichokes there were next level, divine. Incredible. I love. I love how it looks. I'm just starting to work with them, and it is like. It's must be like what a gardener feels like when they have to just like, crazy prune a rose bush. Like, it's like, I have to cut all of that away.
Alison Roman
You're like, I'm killing it. There's nothing left.
Amy Poehler
Cut the top, cut this now cut the stem. Get all the leaves, Almost all of the leaves off. I guess my question I'll make it is how do you like to prepare your artichokes these days?
Alison Roman
Well, forever and always. And let me also just say that I, too, have been to Italy. Not to brag, not recently, but it has happened. And the way that they do artichokes there is so, like, they're almost treating them like a trash vegetable. Like, they're so prolific and, like, the way that they grow and they, like, you see truckloads of them, and they. They peel or, like, pare back. Like, the whole thing, it's just the
Amy Poehler
heart, and they're like. The rest is garbage. They throw it away.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Alison Roman
And I had never experienced that until I left The United States, obviously, because I grew up with basically a whole steamed artichoke where you trim the stem. But the stem is super edible. I love eating the stem. The stem is basically like an extension of the heart. So it's just as tender, it's just as edible. It's sweet. It's delicious. But I just trim the. The leaves just right beyond the thorn.
Amy Poehler
Okay. And you cut the top and I
Alison Roman
leave the whole leaf. Yeah, I cut the top to expose a little rose in the center.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Alison Roman
But that's honestly, just for esthetics. Like, that's not really serving a purpose, but I like to do it. And then I'll season it with salt, and then I'll steam them.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Alison Roman
Like, you know, an inch or two of boiling water. Artichokes prop them up.
Amy Poehler
Do you take the fuzzy stuff out after they steam or before?
Greta Lee
After they steam.
Amy Poehler
I think I learned that. I think I learned that from you.
Alison Roman
I do a video online on how to eat an artichoke.
Amy Poehler
Okay. Thank you for confirming my positive artichoke bias. I can't believe you have a dried one right in front of you.
Alison Roman
I know. Just trim. Oh, also, I was going to say trim away, like, the tiniest leaves near the outside base of the sun.
Amy Poehler
Of course. I'm not an animal.
Alison Roman
And then once you steam it, if any of the, like, leaves on the outer part are too tough, just discard them. But, like, I don't trim it too far in advance.
Amy Poehler
Okay. I love to hear this. Okay, listeners, I hope it's getting you hungry for artichokes. Thank you so much, Alison. What a pleasure. And I'm sure Greta will be so happy that we talk. So thanks again.
Alison Roman
I hope so. I love her so much. She's so wonderful.
Greta Lee
Bye.
Amy Poehler
Bye. Bye, Leonard. This episode is brought to you by Visible. How many of you are currently listening to this podcast on your phone? If you are chronically online, like we all are these days, your wireless network should be, too. With Visible, you get unlimited 5G data and unlimited hotspot, all powered by Verizon's 5G network. The perks of big wireless for half the cost. Visible isn't just a wireless plan. It's unlimited wireless, designed to always keep you connected and no contract holding you back. Switch today@visible.com plans start at $25 a month. Or get our premium Visible Plus Pro plan and save $10 on your first month when you use promo code. Hang an exclusive offer for podcast listeners. Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. Hi, Hi, bub.
Greta Lee
Oh, I just want to stare at you. Oh, my God.
Amy Poehler
Greta. Greta is here and she has her arms full of gifts. Okay. Yeah.
Alison Roman
Okay.
Greta Lee
So, yeah, I have some flowers. It's a collection of natives and non natives. People really care about that. Here.
Amy Poehler
From your garden.
Greta Lee
My garden.
Amy Poehler
Come on.
Greta Lee
Look at that. We have some white sage and some, you know, well, lemon verbena and.
Amy Poehler
And you wrapped it in a paper.
Greta Lee
Paper people.
Amy Poehler
This is a professional wrapping job with a rubber band and everything. This is gorgeous. Thank you.
Greta Lee
Okay. There's more. I have this. Okay.
Amy Poehler
What we also have.
Greta Lee
It's like, I'm worried. You don't. You don't have a grocery store. Like, you don't have access to.
Amy Poehler
This is kale. This is from your garden. Yeah.
Greta Lee
And I have these eggplants. Honestly, you're helping me. I can't eat this all.
Amy Poehler
Okay, I'm gonna say something. I'm very sorry.
Greta Lee
What?
Amy Poehler
I don't like eggplants.
Greta Lee
I knew. I knew it.
Amy Poehler
I'm so scared. Get this out. Get him out of here. I knew that was gonna happen.
Greta Lee
I love.
Amy Poehler
I love how they look. I. They're so funny. I love it as an emoji. Incredible.
Greta Lee
I know.
Amy Poehler
But as you know.
Greta Lee
You don't like the taste. It's too slimy.
Amy Poehler
It's too slimy.
Greta Lee
No, but you can learn. You can. Listen, this is. This is the thing. Now I know there are a lot of things you can do.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
With eggplant. Okay.
Amy Poehler
What about kale? You like kale? Love obsessed with kale. This looks like dinosaur kale.
Greta Lee
Dinosaur kale and curly kale.
Amy Poehler
Avocados. Incredible avocados for people listening. They're huge.
Greta Lee
They're huge. You can't eat them for, like, a year.
Alison Roman
You, like.
Greta Lee
You can't, like. Don't even give it back. Just leave it here. Just. It's like decoration. Don't even look at it. Don't touch it for, like, at least a year. Okay.
Amy Poehler
I'm pulling out a gigantic.
Greta Lee
That's an Oro Blanco. Excuse me.
Amy Poehler
See?
Greta Lee
Saint.
Amy Poehler
It's.
Greta Lee
It's a cross between a pomelo and a white grapefruit. They're delicious.
Amy Poehler
Wow.
Greta Lee
It's really. It's really nice. In a. Like an alcoholic beverage with. This is a Mexican lime.
Alison Roman
Wow.
Greta Lee
It's yellow. It's wonderful. And some of the lemon verbana. You can put, like, flowers in your drink. I live in LA now. What's happened?
Alison Roman
Well.
Amy Poehler
Hi.
Greta Lee
Remember me?
Amy Poehler
I know you're very L. This is very la.
Greta Lee
Look, you have your own kale.
Amy Poehler
Greta brought her own kale.
Greta Lee
This is bad.
Amy Poehler
She brought her own kale. I mean, in la, you have to have it in your car.
Greta Lee
Yeah. At all times.
Amy Poehler
This, to me, is success. That you have a garden and you bring in your fruit to people. That is.
Greta Lee
Is it?
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Oh, gosh.
Amy Poehler
That's success.
Greta Lee
Thank you.
Amy Poehler
We have done so much stuff together.
Greta Lee
We have.
Amy Poehler
I was, like, looking at what we've worked on together, and I want to talk about all of it. We've worked on Broad City. We worked on a show called Old Soul. We worked on Sisters, Russian Doll. And I just want to start by saying, here's what I love about you. Not only are you super talented and so good at so many things, but I feel like you. How I would describe you is you are a person who takes their work seriously, but not themselves seriously.
Greta Lee
Oh.
Amy Poehler
Would you think. Would you agree that that's kind of true?
Greta Lee
Yeah, I do.
Amy Poehler
I agree. Yeah.
Greta Lee
Next question. Okay.
Amy Poehler
So how did we first meet?
Greta Lee
How do we first meet?
Amy Poehler
Because I don't remember when we met. I mean, we met on some project that we worked on, but which one
Greta Lee
did I audition for? You first. I mean, I'm sure we've met. Broad City, maybe. That time in New York gets really confusing to me.
Amy Poehler
Agree. Same.
Greta Lee
And I feel like I end up talking about it a lot because, you know, once you get in the habit of telling your story of how you started, and then you're, like, telling the story, and then soon you're like, I don't even.
Amy Poehler
Is this real?
Greta Lee
Did I. Am I lying? Because it's easier just to say the story.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And who can prove it? And then, you know, I was on Girls, and then it was this really special, really important time for women and women in comedy. And there was this moment. It was very distinct, too, because I think I was observing it somewhat from the outside a little bit, because I was coming off of doing theater, and I was like, really? Just, I want to do straight theater. But Abby and Alana and, you know, you and Tina and Maya and everyone on snl, riding the wings of that into Lena and Schumer and everyone, it was really. It was big.
Amy Poehler
I want to talk about going back because it's so interesting you bring up the theater part because in researching you, I did not know that you, before I met, you, had already been on the West End.
Greta Lee
No one cares. No one cares about that.
Amy Poehler
I care about that.
Greta Lee
No, you do not. Really?
Amy Poehler
Are you kidding me? First of all, I know you love theater. I don't know how people do it. So I want to ask you. Okay, okay, but hold on. Okay, going back even farther. Your mom classically classically trained pianist.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Your dad, doctor.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
What kind of doctor?
Greta Lee
He is a physical therapist.
Amy Poehler
I need him.
Greta Lee
Do you?
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Let's go.
Greta Lee
What do you need?
Amy Poehler
What's wrong?
Greta Lee
Well. What's wrong?
Amy Poehler
I said I wasn't going to bring it up. My fucking frozen shoulder is back, dude.
Greta Lee
No, I know.
Alison Roman
With that.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so I need his number.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Dr. Lee.
Amy Poehler
And please, nobody call in. Nobody call in. This isn't even a call in show. Wait, nobody? I don't know.
Greta Lee
I got him to call in.
Amy Poehler
Nobody call in. Please don't give me your advice about frozen shoulder. I know all of it. I know all of it, and I appreciate it, but I can't. Okay. This. We're cutting all this.
Greta Lee
You're gonna cut out.
Amy Poehler
So stunning. Okay. Your dad is a physical therapist. So you have a left brain. Right brain. Household growing up.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
What was that? Is that true?
Greta Lee
Yeah, I mean, I guess that's what they say. They're like. I don't know. My parents are weird. They're so amazing.
Amy Poehler
Tell me.
Greta Lee
Wild.
Amy Poehler
Um. What are they like?
Greta Lee
They are. Okay, well, I just took them to the Dior show. Okay, I saw that. I know.
Amy Poehler
So nice.
Greta Lee
But here's the thing. You know, they invited themselves. Like, everyone is talking about what an incredible daughter I am.
Amy Poehler
Okay. Okay.
Greta Lee
I got a text from my mom that was a screen grab of a picture of lacma. This is a venue for the show. And she was like. Didn't say anything. Just a picture of that and an announcement that said, Dior cruise show will be at the. At LACMA with the new David Geffen Gallery. And I kind of. I just. I didn't really respond right away, which I think made it.
Amy Poehler
You just gave it, like, a heart.
Greta Lee
Yeah, I hearted it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Yeah. You sent an eggplant emoji. It was very confusing.
Greta Lee
She's like, I hate it when you do this. And no, she invited herself. She was like, so, I'm coming.
Amy Poehler
What time?
Greta Lee
Yeah, and your dad's coming, too, because it's not fair. He's coming, too, if I'm coming. Which is funny because I was like, I didn't say you're coming.
Amy Poehler
Okay, let's break this down, though, because do you feel obligated to say. You can say no, I could, but
Greta Lee
no, actually, I can't. Okay.
Amy Poehler
Okay.
Greta Lee
No.
Amy Poehler
Okay. Okay. Because that's the dynamic a little bit
Greta Lee
when it comes to certain things. I also. Okay. I mean, to Be fair. I go to these things, and it's, it's exciting, but to go with your parents. To go with my parents, yeah. It is something special.
Alison Roman
It is.
Greta Lee
I mean, there's. They've never been to a fashion show before.
Amy Poehler
What did they think of it?
Greta Lee
They were amazed.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
They, they touched everything they wanted. Everything. They took there. These blankets that were meant to keep people. They, they grabbed all of them. They want. They, they have so many now. I mean, I, I, they. It was incredible. I, I don't know. I think they were. Because sometimes they get shy. I don't know if you have this with family or relatives, if you bring them together.
Amy Poehler
I wish my parents were shy.
Greta Lee
Okay, so they're not.
Amy Poehler
They go right up to, like, anybody.
Greta Lee
They'll go to, like, we're big fans of yours. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
We want a picture before the night's over. Like, that kind of thing.
Greta Lee
They're the demanding type.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Like a little entitled.
Amy Poehler
My parents were not shy, are not shy.
Greta Lee
Well, my parents, my, the thing. I would rather that. But what makes it even more confusing is they're, they're both. It's like a light switch. They're either, like, so, like, cosplaying, like some sort of, like, silent, shy, demure thing, and, and then it'll just switch to super aggressive, super demanding, you know? Do you know who my daughter is? Like that kind of stuff.
Amy Poehler
But your parents are first. Are you first gen?
Greta Lee
They immigrated and had me here. Okay. So I'm the first person in my family to go to school in America.
Amy Poehler
Got it. And they immigrated from Korea, met there, and then they spoke Korean in the. Or mostly English.
Greta Lee
Korean was my first language.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I had a really fucked up accent, actually, because we moved by kindergarten. I was in Brooklyn and I had, we were living in Canarsie, and I had, like, a Korean, Brooklyn accent.
Amy Poehler
What does that sound like?
Greta Lee
They won't tell me. I want to know.
Amy Poehler
Is there anyone that has that accent
Greta Lee
now that I keep pointing back at people? I'm like, like, her.
Alison Roman
Like that. And no.
Amy Poehler
And they're like, no, no, no.
Greta Lee
But I went to esl and I went to speech therapy and all of that. I'm dying to know.
Amy Poehler
Oh, how funny does it sound like. Well, I want to talk about Langu. Cause a lot of your work is, like, circles around that. Especially the most beautiful film, my favorite film of the past five, ten years, Past Sisters. Sisters.
Greta Lee
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
But you're a little kid. You do singing competitions, classical singing.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
What's the difference between Classical singing and singing. Well, it was like.
Greta Lee
It was opera.
Alison Roman
It was.
Greta Lee
Okay. There we go.
Amy Poehler
It was another way to say opera.
Greta Lee
Well, yeah, but I did things. Like, I won, like, the Bach festival. I'm like, what was I doing?
Amy Poehler
I was just, like, being smart, doing
Greta Lee
good, doing so many things. But I was so into it. And my siblings. Both. My siblings can sing pretty much every Italian aria because of me. Like, they hate sing it at me now. But that's like, I was.
Amy Poehler
So you were singing Italian arias at what age?
Greta Lee
I mean, middle school. I started in middle school. I was like, a conductor of a children's choir at one point. Oh, my God.
Amy Poehler
Did they ask you to do it, or did you just.
Greta Lee
No, they didn't ask me to do it. I just did it. They were like, why is she doing that?
Amy Poehler
They were like, ma', am, you need to leave.
Greta Lee
Stop. Stop doing that.
Amy Poehler
I mean, you're a big time achiever. I mean, you work really hard, and I do.
Greta Lee
I want to stop doing that.
Amy Poehler
Well, I mean, what is, like, a through line in all of your stuff is that. And what I meant in the very beginning is, like, you really show up and you work really hard, but there's an ease to. When you work there. There's not a striving vibe about you at all, Greta. But you are when you look at what you've done. Like, before you arrived in New York, before you were getting all those acting parts, you were winning competitions, and you were, like, studying theater and in, like, Broadway shows, basically.
Greta Lee
I had my first job right out of the gate in New York City, actually, was Law and Order svu. I did one episode of those.
Amy Poehler
Okay, pause.
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Okay. So we love Law and Order at this show.
Greta Lee
Yes, you do.
Amy Poehler
We've interviewed Mariska the Great Mariska Hargitay.
Greta Lee
I did. I did a scene with her. Okay.
Amy Poehler
Okay.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Now, I tend to sometimes stay a little bit away from SVU because.
Greta Lee
Too sexy.
Amy Poehler
Well, that's one way to put it. Why Mariska's too damn sexy. Because I get worried about, like, is it gonna be. Is a girl gonna be in the drawer? Is she hanging from the wall? Okay, well, it's a lot.
Alison Roman
What?
Greta Lee
I was in the incest episode. I knew it. I knew it.
Amy Poehler
I was so afraid to ask.
Greta Lee
It was such good residuals. Not so upsetting. It did so well. Oh, God. Wait.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so you were. That is the thing. I. The young version of me wants to be an SVU or Law and Order, but you.
Greta Lee
Okay, it's a really big deal, but so imagine Though that's my first job. Right. Sure. And I call my parents, immigrant parents, and I'm like, I did it. Oh, my gosh. Okay. It's airing this time.
Amy Poehler
They.
Greta Lee
And they didn't tell them what it. No, I'm not going to tell them. But I'm like, okay, I don't know what. I don't know what they.
Amy Poehler
What do you remember about shooting that with Mariska and team?
Greta Lee
Were you just. I was like, like terrible. Like, you know, I. The bells are like, like the. I had no idea what it was. People don't know that.
Amy Poehler
That sometimes we're in like a big studio.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Before they start the scene, they like ring this giant scary bell.
Greta Lee
Tornadoes coming.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And instead of ducking and hiding or running, you're supposed to act.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And they're like, now go cry.
Greta Lee
Yeah, exactly.
Amy Poehler
Did you have to cry?
Greta Lee
What did I have to do? Oh, no, I had to. I was the roommate of the victim. Okay.
Amy Poehler
That's. That's.
Greta Lee
So I wasn't participating. Thank God.
Amy Poehler
Great. So you just were around.
Greta Lee
You were like.
Amy Poehler
You're like, I don't even know. I didn't do it. Kind of.
Greta Lee
Kind of. Oh, man.
Amy Poehler
You were like, I don't know. She was here last Tuesday night and. And then she wasn't.
Greta Lee
Yeah. All right.
Amy Poehler
Putnam Spelling Bee is the next big job.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
What is it like to do shows? How did you. I mean, you're a young person at the time, but what did you do to prep and get ready? I'm always very curious about people that are on Broadway.
Greta Lee
Yeah. The seven shows or eight shows a week. I don't know. I think a lot of things happening because I also, I graduated from Northwestern, which was a big ten school. Like, it was an incredible theater program and all of that, but it's also a big ten school. So I learned how to like do like a keg stand and made all kinds of friends from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. And it was very formative.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And I kind of then was bringing that sort of like, oh, I'm gonna like move to New York City and become an artist and live like a Sex and a city fantasy. But I had a very intense full time job. And you kind of. It takes so much discipline. And I think that, you know, it was hard.
Amy Poehler
I bet.
Greta Lee
I was 21. I was 21, 22. Trying to figure out how to be a responsible professional. Show up on time.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
You know, every time.
Amy Poehler
Right. But you're on the West End. I want to ask you about Mark Rylance.
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
I Love him. He's an incredible actor.
Greta Lee
Yes, he is. Yes. That whole experience was also very unique, very special. We did a play called La Bette. It's. It was set in 16th century France, and it was in iambic pentameter.
Amy Poehler
Oh.
Greta Lee
My character only spoke in words that rhymed with blue.
Amy Poehler
Oh, dear.
Greta Lee
Well, you say oh, dear. Yeah. Oh, dear is right.
Amy Poehler
That would definitely be one of those things that I would show up and I'd be like, oh, man, I wish I knew this.
Greta Lee
No, I think you would be like, yes.
Amy Poehler
Really? I'd be into it.
Greta Lee
I think you would.
Amy Poehler
Okay, cool.
Greta Lee
But this is like, when I guess in talking about this, I'm like, God, life is long. I'm like, I. Wow. There's, like, so much stuff people have no idea about, but you have had
Amy Poehler
an amazing, interesting bunch of jobs. You have toggled between very dramatic and very comedic, which few people can do well. And you have gone back and forth and back and forth.
Greta Lee
I don't know why. Well, because you're tiring. You're really good at both.
Amy Poehler
Stop being so good at both. Stop being good at both. I mean, I'm always worried that we're going to lose you because you're so naturally funny that you are gonna lose
Greta Lee
me into my garden. I'm gonna never come back.
Amy Poehler
You're gonna make jokes to the eggplant plants.
Greta Lee
They're gonna get bigger and they're funny.
Amy Poehler
No, I'm afraid we're gonna lose you to, like, the drama world and.
Greta Lee
Oh, you won't.
Amy Poehler
Okay. All right, whatever.
Greta Lee
No.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so then here's something fun.
Greta Lee
Okay.
Amy Poehler
You and I have something in common that I don't think we ever talked about, which is that we both worked in restaurants.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And I do think there is, like, a very specific type of person that works in restaurants, especially, like, New Yorky restaurants. And you're younger than me, but I imagine we, at the same time in our lives, worked in, like, kind of, like fancy restaurants in New York. So we do something on the podcast where we ask a friend or someone to speak well behind your back and to give me a question. We talked to Allison Roman today.
Greta Lee
Oh, my goodness. Yes.
Amy Poehler
We're Brooklyn buddies.
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
And she was with her cat, Leonard, and we were talking about. She was talking about so many things that she loves about you. Your ease as a person and as a host. Your incredible style, and, like, how you don't make anybody feel bad that you're the prettiest, coolest person in the room. You never make us feel bad. About it, which. Thank you, Greta. And also just your work ethic, like, how you have this way of kind of getting things done that feels like somebody who used to work in the restaurant. Because you were working with her, Right? Where were you guys working together?
Greta Lee
We were working for David Chang at the Momofuku restaurant.
Amy Poehler
What was that like? That was a hot restaurant.
Alison Roman
Crazy.
Greta Lee
It was so, so fucking crazy. Crazy. I just. So hard, so hard, so hard, so, so hard. But at that time in New York,
Amy Poehler
though, it's like, what year was that?
Greta Lee
From, like, 2007, 2008 to. I don't know. I mean, I was there on and off for a good five years, maybe more.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Like, I'd go do a job. I'd book something and think, like, oh, goodbye. I'd have, like, a big goodbye. Like, I'm never coming back. Yeah. Like, and, like, oh, and, like, pick up the tab, you know, like, oh, my God. My friends who worked in finance, I'd, like, book, like, one. One commercial and be like, I got this. I got these buddies don't even worry about. And then just come crawling back.
Amy Poehler
But.
Greta Lee
But that time for food was really exciting because, like, David Chang, and we're friends now. We have kids the same age, and, you know, we. We live really, really close, and we have mutual friends. And it's funny reminiscing about that time collectively, because there's just. It's like, chefs were rock stars, and being a part of that was really exciting for all of us.
Amy Poehler
What's it like working at, like, a restaurant that is so hot, you know, that everybody wants to get to. What was the. What was it like?
Greta Lee
I was so powerful.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I was a hostess. I was, like, basically encouraged to be mean. So great.
Amy Poehler
Incredible.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Okay. As a. As a past hostess of a very fancy restaurant.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
What would you say to people? Never works. Oh, you know what I mean? Like, when would people get. You know, what would they do that? You'd be like, absolutely not.
Greta Lee
The culture was different then. And you would easily tell someone, okay, it's gonna be four hours. That's not even within, like, a meal, a stretch of a meal time. Like, four out. Like, dinner time is over. Like, if you're starting, four hours is crazy.
Amy Poehler
4 hours get seated or four hours to eat.
Greta Lee
Four hours to get seated. Wait times to tell someone, like.
Amy Poehler
And they're like, thank you, mistress. I have another.
Greta Lee
So do I just wait over here or do it like, do you want my phone? And be like, no, go away? That's what that means.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Four Hours means it's not happening.
Greta Lee
Yeah, it's not happening.
Amy Poehler
Did you ever have people try to slip you cat?
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And did they ever, like, try to, like, throw, like, fancy names around, like.
Greta Lee
Yes, but that. I. I think that that restaurant, though, I don't know where you work. That was really discouraged. So it was helpful. Like, that just wouldn't work.
Amy Poehler
Sure. I mean, I feel like when I was waiting tables, there was definitely a vibe of a finance vibe, I guess is the only way to say it.
Alison Roman
Where.
Amy Poehler
And let's be honest, it was finance bros who were like, I'm willing to spend a lot of money here. That was the vibe. Like, I know you might have a system and reservations, but I'm very r. Yes, I know. Like, I'm gonna have so many oysters.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Where did you work? Where do you want to seafood?
Amy Poehler
I went to a place called Aqua Grill.
Greta Lee
Oh, my God. Do you remember it? Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Rest in peace.
Greta Lee
Oh, my gosh. You were one of those bitches. Oh, I see it now.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, it was Soho. We were like a Soho gang.
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Very, like, seafood forward. A lot of ice trainers.
Greta Lee
Do you have to wear, like, a pressed shirt? A button down?
Amy Poehler
Yeah, I had to wear a button down and a button down, and I think it was a maroon apron. Oh, wow. Remember, maroon was really big.
Greta Lee
Yes, I do.
Amy Poehler
So Allison's question. Sorry. So let me get back to Alison. So Allison's question was a really good one, I thought, which was, like, what have you held onto from your restaurant days? Like, how. How does it help you as an actor? Does it. Do you think about any of that? Like, is there any connection to what you do now?
Greta Lee
I think, like, you know the expression being in the weeds, what that can feel like, and. And. And, like, the crush of it and how exhausting it is. And I feel like that part that. I don't know, that kind of like. Like, multitasking. Extreme multitasking, what we do.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I was, like, thinking about, like, something I shot where I. I was drowning.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. Acting.
Greta Lee
I know. Acting is so weird. Why do we do it? I don't know.
Amy Poehler
I hate it.
Greta Lee
I hate it, too.
Amy Poehler
So why did you have to drown? And is this recent?
Greta Lee
Yeah. Is it.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so you were drowning. It's in that other spoiler alert.
Greta Lee
But did you know, Amy, that acting like you're drowning for something is just drowning?
Amy Poehler
I. I can't.
Greta Lee
Did you know that this is why
Amy Poehler
you shouldn't do drama. There's no reason.
Greta Lee
Don't do it. It's not any.
Amy Poehler
And Even getting in water. Absolutely not. No swimming, nothing. So, yeah, right. They're like, okay, so do the fake drowning. Yeah, it's like, okay, I guess it's the swallowing water.
Greta Lee
You have to choke, and you have to. And when it's really good, they don't know if it's good, if you're acting or if you're dying. How are they going to know that? And they tell you things like. Well, you give them the signal, like hand signals, like, but if you're dying,
Amy Poehler
how are you going to give the signal? Yeah, you can't give them the signal because it really breaks the mood. It does.
Greta Lee
It breaks the mood. And also, you want to be good. So in here, I guess you're like, oh, turns out maybe you don't. But if you are successful enough at the drown, then you. It's impossible to distinguish between real and not, you know?
Amy Poehler
Well, this goes under a thing I like to say. Don't be good at things you don't want to do.
Greta Lee
Right.
Amy Poehler
So if you're good at the drown, you're gonna get asked to do it again. So be careful, because if. If that scene is.
Greta Lee
There was a lot of it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. And they're gonna be like, let's get Greta. She's good.
Greta Lee
She's good.
Amy Poehler
You just get scuba certified. Oh, my God. No scuba. No scuba. People should not scuba. Sorry, I have a lot of hot takes today.
Greta Lee
But scuba.
Amy Poehler
Absolutely not. This episode is brought to you by All Free Clear Detergent. Are you trying to be a bit more mindful of the things you buy for you and your family? You know, reading the labels, checking the ingredients, trying to understand what all those letters, numbers, and long words mean. I get it. Sometimes we don't really know what's in the things we buy, and we want to feel good about our choices. So when it comes to laundry detergent, choose. All free clear. 100% free from dyes and perfumes. All Free Clear detergent uses only essential ingredients that tackle tough stains and odors. And it's gentle on skin. It's a powerful clean you can feel good about. So go on, pick up a bottle of All Free Clear for your next laundry day. This episode is brought to you by Purdue Global. What no one tells you is how chaotic adulting really is. I swear, there's just no clearing the to do list these days. That's why a lot of times, chasing dreams gets put off until someday. But if you want to level up your education, Purdue Global meets you exactly where you are, right in the middle of real Life. The moment doesn't have to be perfect before it can be your moment. Start your comeback today at purdueglobal. Edu. Goodhang.
Greta Lee
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Amy Poehler
I solve mysteries for a living.
Greta Lee
I think I'm good to go.
Alison Roman
Maybe in one of your books, not in real life.
Greta Lee
Catch every killer episode.
Alison Roman
Here's some who can vouch for your whereabouts at the time of the incident.
Amy Poehler
What are you, the alibi police?
Greta Lee
That's literally who I am.
Amy Poehler
Exactly who I am.
Greta Lee
You're killing me. All episodes now streaming on Acorn tv.
Amy Poehler
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Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And I'm the mother of two boys. And they are how old?
Greta Lee
Okay, let's see. Apollo is nine now and Raph just turned seven.
Amy Poehler
So having a seven and nine year old, those are kind of delicious times for boys. What's it like being the mom of boys?
Greta Lee
I'm obsessed with them.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Oh, God.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I love them so much.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Oh, it's so annoying.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. They're your little husbands.
Greta Lee
They're my little husbands.
Amy Poehler
Yep. Oh, yeah.
Greta Lee
Okay.
Amy Poehler
No, they're better, right?
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
They're your best friends. They're your best friends slash son husbands. No. Let's get it right. How have you changed from being like, because you're a mom now. What's.
Greta Lee
I mean, everything's changed. Everything's changed.
Amy Poehler
I.
Greta Lee
God. I'm also a boy mom, and I think that is specific. And I never thought about that one way or the other. And I look at other moms who are not boy moms and I'm like,
Amy Poehler
oh, okay, let's talk about it. Because I also am a boy mom.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Wait, how old are yours?
Amy Poehler
My guys are getting old. They're like 15, almost 16 and 17.
Greta Lee
No.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, they're. Oh, no.
Greta Lee
15 and 17.
Amy Poehler
They're like. Yes, I know. They're like driving and out in the World and.
Greta Lee
Oh, God.
Amy Poehler
I know. And almost voting and. But you. I want to talk about it because, you know, there's a joke about boy mom, but there is something very interesting about.
Greta Lee
Wait, what's the joke about boy moms?
Amy Poehler
Well, the joke is kind of that boy moms are, I guess, like, a little more worn down because, you know, not all boys, of course, but. And not all people. Kids that identify as male. But in general, you have to play a lot. There's a lot of play.
Greta Lee
Why do you think I'm so tan?
Amy Poehler
You're just always outside playing.
Greta Lee
I'm just outside. I'm, like, running on the bicycle. I'm like. Like, I'm doing stuff.
Amy Poehler
I know.
Greta Lee
With the boys.
Amy Poehler
I know. You're like. It's always like, camp. It's like, let's go run them out every day. Just. You gotta run them like dogs.
Greta Lee
You do. And. And, yeah, because. And I'm also talking about how much I want them to be outside and how much I want them to be in their bodies. And so what does that mean? I have to be outside? Like, I want them to play soccer. I'm playing soccer. Like, I want them to. I'm doing all of it.
Amy Poehler
Do you like doing it? Are you an athletic person?
Greta Lee
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I do like it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Did you play sports and, like, what was your sport?
Greta Lee
I did. I was like this. I'm such an actor. I was always, like, good enough. I'm really good at faking it.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. Me too.
Greta Lee
You know what I mean?
Amy Poehler
I was good with chatter.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Like, I didn't really quite have the
Amy Poehler
athletic thing, but I was. I was really good at.
Greta Lee
Yeah, same. Yeah, same. But sometimes I get it wrong, and the kids are like, what are you doing?
Amy Poehler
Like, are you playing basketball? Balls. Do you run?
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Knew it. Incredible.
Greta Lee
I know, but what's that like again? Had to do that for a movie.
Amy Poehler
Oh, God. That's right. I do it.
Greta Lee
Don't run in a movie.
Amy Poehler
Don't worry. Nobody's gonna ask me to run for a movie. It is so hard. It is so, so hard.
Greta Lee
Running is so hard.
Amy Poehler
You run.
Greta Lee
It's bad for you. It's actually bad for you.
Amy Poehler
I absolutely agree.
Greta Lee
Yeah. I had to run in something where.
Amy Poehler
What did you have to run in for?
Greta Lee
Tron. I had to pretend that I was gonna be killed if I didn't run for my life. Okay. So if you think about that movie and you think about, like, the end, like. No, I'm gonna say, like, half of that movie, my character is running. For her life. And I'm not like, you just have to sprint. There's no way to train for that.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And my character isn't a marathon runner, so it doesn't justify me. Like, it's just like, me in this state, then suddenly running, like, I don't know, like, 13 miles, like, in one, you know, a night shoot where I'm just.
Amy Poehler
What?
Greta Lee
I broke. Yeah. Again, I was like, why?
Amy Poehler
You ran 13 miles?
Greta Lee
I measured. And, yeah, with. I forgot how many takes we did. Where. This one? Yeah, it was a shot where I was, like, running along the length of a pier and they had to bring in the. We shut down production because the next day I took one step and I couldn't. I couldn't walk.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, of course. Because you basically ran a half marathon without any training.
Greta Lee
Half marathon, yeah.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I mean, I train. I train, I train, but I didn't train in the right way. I mean, I didn't know how. Like, I didn't know how, but I
Amy Poehler
remember doing Blades of Glory, this ice skating movie, and the. What did you do? We had an incredible, like, ice dancing coach who, like, was in the Olympics, and she would just be teaching me, and I was like, I'm not going to be able to do this. Like, I am an actor. I will try my best, but there's. I can't learn how to be an ice dancer. I don't. If you gave me, like. If you gave me all the money in the world, like, we're gonna to have to. We're going to work to work around this.
Greta Lee
So you would just tell her this, and then what. What would she say?
Amy Poehler
Well, really good coaches, you know, they just are like. They're like, yeah, but you got this, right? No, I'm like, I do not have this. And to your point about the chatter, I would. We would have our, like, workouts, which I dreaded, even though she was so wonderful.
Alison Roman
And.
Amy Poehler
And I learned. I was like, oh, you know, what if I get a little coffee in her and ask her a couple questions? I can burn some of this time because we only had an hour. So I would buy her coffee and we'd sit. And I remember she would sit in front of the clock and we'd be right behind her, and I'd be like, what is going on with your daughter? And she'd be like, okay, well, we have to get to work. But anyway. And she would. Because I was like, please don't put me on the ice.
Greta Lee
Anyway. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Did you train? But you now run on your own in life okay, good. Thank God. God. Don't run again. No, don't ever run again.
Greta Lee
It's really bad for you. Don't do it.
Amy Poehler
Okay. When I met you, you had done a bunch of tv, like you said. You were on Broad City, you were on Girls. You were doing a bunch of different things. And we worked together on a show called Old Soul with Natasha Lyonne, a pilot that did not get picked up and was a basic idea, was Natasha was kind of the youngest person in a group of very old people. And we gathered these incredible actors. Fred W. Willard, Richard Benjamin, Alan Burstyn, Marla Gibbs, Rita Moreno. And it was a crazy cast shot. Not picked up.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Insane. Insane.
Amy Poehler
What do you remember about that? Do you have any memories at that time?
Greta Lee
I remember Rita Moreno told me I was on my phone too much. Really wasn't. I still think about. It's like one of those things that you just can't. You're. I can't let go of that because I'm like. Like, I was barely. And I'm. I'm not on social media now. Like, I'm very. I. I don't consider myself to be addicted. I'm not. I wasn't.
Amy Poehler
Well.
Greta Lee
But she told me I was.
Amy Poehler
It's funny, I'm having a memory that I did a movie with Charles Grodin, a movie called the X, and he said, you're always on your phone. And I put my phone down. Like, I remember just being like, thank you for that feedback. But Rita.
Greta Lee
Rita gave it to you? Yeah, she did. Yeah. But she also.
Alison Roman
She.
Greta Lee
I think she'd just written a book or. I don't know. She was giving a lot of sort of, like.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Life advice and sort of her take on things, and it was so fun. Yeah, it was really fun to hang out with that crew. I remember it feeling like such a sure thing.
Alison Roman
I know.
Amy Poehler
I know, right? Okay. And then. Then we worked together on Sisters, which is a movie for people. Paul Lepel wrote it. Me and Tina were in it. It was a crazy, talented cast, none of whom worked enough, in my opinion.
Greta Lee
It was like, weeks and weeks. Why? How. Makes no sense what was happening? I don't know.
Amy Poehler
It was just like you and Kate McKinnon and Bobby Moynihan, just, like, at craft service.
Greta Lee
Just like, just there waiting for so long. Because that sinkhole. Remember, there was soundstage. We had to be indoors the. The house. Like, all the plants were dying.
Amy Poehler
That's right.
Greta Lee
They were decomposing. We. Do you remember?
Amy Poehler
Yeah. We had to build a sinkhole that's right. It didn't start to smell there for some. They built us.
Greta Lee
Not you guys, but they built, like, Bobby Kate. Who else? John Glazer. These little plywood cabins, like little boxes to live in. They were like dog houses to sit in. To sit. I don't know what they wanted us to do in them, but that's what we had. And we were getting the box. Get in the box, and we would just wait. Why were we there for so long? That movie took so long.
Amy Poehler
It did.
Alison Roman
And.
Amy Poehler
And also, I can remember because everybody on the. John Leguizamo. There were a lot of, like, very talented people in the movie. John Cena was John Cena, and. And Baron holds so many people. But I can remember. And when you're smart enough to be working for a long time, there's definitely a feeling when you walk into something and you're like, okay, we're gonna be shooting at, like, a sinkhole for two weeks, where you start to angle. Like, you're like, do I need. Do you think my character is here?
Greta Lee
It needs to be like, I wonder
Amy Poehler
if she's already left the party or the sisters.
Greta Lee
Like, you are a sister, and you're like.
Amy Poehler
Like, could she have left the party? I feel like she's gone. And there was a couple moments where, like, camera was shooting this way, and whoever was in the background was like, oh, my God. Samantha Bee was in the. I was like, I'm gonna be in the background of this shot for the next two weeks.
Greta Lee
Oh. But.
Amy Poehler
So I apologize.
Greta Lee
Thank you. Thank you. I came here to accept this apology. Now I have it. But it's so nice, though, thinking about. I feel like that doesn't happen anymore.
Amy Poehler
I know.
Greta Lee
No one would say yes to that anymore.
Amy Poehler
Everyone would be like, what?
Greta Lee
Like, you actually can't.
Amy Poehler
Everyone would be like, no, that's. We.
Greta Lee
We have fought.
Amy Poehler
Our unions have fought for you to not do that anymore. Our unions have fought against the wooden boxes. No, but I remember. I remember that time when we got to improvise together. And I feel like that scene that we got to do do together is really funny. And I. But I. But I'm curious if you think it still holds up. Yeah, it does.
Greta Lee
Yeah, it does.
Amy Poehler
I think it does, too. Why? Because it's tricky territory. So there's a scene in the film where Greta's character is playing, like, who.
Alison Roman
You.
Amy Poehler
What you first think is, like, this kind of submissive, quiet, but, like, secretly angry Nail technician. Nail technician who you think cannot speak English very well and is just kind of like, Dealing with these ridiculous women. And my character is doing that, like, gross kind of liberal thing where she's trying to connect, like, tell me about you. You. And how do you pronounce your name and all that stuff and.
Greta Lee
Let me save you. Yes, exactly.
Amy Poehler
Very white savior bullshit. And we are doing it back and forth, but it does walk a little bit of a line. And it is the bigger question for me about, like, in your career, I'm sure you've had to decide over and over again, do I want to play a character that could seem stereotypical? Do I want to. Do I want to speak Korean in this part? Do I want to. Like, what has that been like for you to have to try to figure that out? Everybody has to kind of figure out how they're going to exploit what they naturally know how to do at the beginning of their career, but it's not always based on their ethnicity. So, like, how do you juggle that or manage that or have you.
Greta Lee
It's annoying. Yeah, it's annoying to navigate. But with that, that was an easy decision for me because. And I understand the kind of. The conversation around it and what was tricky to navigate, but it's just. It's people. Like, I. I have so much love for Hyewon because, like, I know that chick. I know her. I know her so deep. And I. Some of my funniest experiences at nail salons, I was mora. I, you know, it switched. And I think that scene also works because, you know, status is inverted. And I think that it's easy to assume. And I think it's easy to assume if you are not in the marginalized position. To assume, like, oh, no. Like, this is hurtful or this is. But I think when you're looking at people, and for me, in that moment, she is in total control. Yeah, it's so funny. And I've been in that situation at the nails.
Amy Poehler
The thing about comedy, it's tricky, right? It's like, if it's funny, then there's something that's striking the right chord, but you can't always figure out what it is.
Greta Lee
And it's not funny unless you. It's true. And there's something about that that was very true. Yeah. And I felt like what we were doing and. And what the opportunity was was a chance to play something that rang very true for me. And I could see. I knew it was going to be funny. I knew she was going to be funny. And there were many opportunities for her to come alive and like, yeah, be a person.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you play someone completely different in Russian Doll. You play this, like, beautiful, kind of like, sweet birthday baby, let's get ready to party. Like, the version of, like, who you want to have greet you at the door. Like, the ultimate hostess.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And also just this kind of, like, lost but free spirit. Like, so aspirational, this woman. What was your experience like on Russian Doll? What is it like to say a line over and. And, like, for that line to become so iconic and, like, also to be on a show that was such a hit.
Greta Lee
Yeah. How wild was that? I mean, well, you know that first I said no.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I was like, there's no way I was. I just felt like, I don't know how to do this.
Amy Poehler
I don't know how to do this. Okay, why did. Do you remember why you said no?
Greta Lee
Yeah, it was like, I don't know how to say the same line again and again.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I asked you guys, I said, can we just shoot it once and you can reuse that?
Amy Poehler
Right.
Greta Lee
And you said no.
Amy Poehler
Right. So for people who don't know, I produce Russian Doll along with Natasha and Leslie Hedlund, and we were talking about Greta's character specifically being like, this reset. You are the reset. You're kind of home for that character. You really are a safe person. You play us, even though you play this twinkly, sparkly, like, adventure crazy lady. You are safe. Yes.
Greta Lee
And they're with the chicken, and it's like. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
So you have to do the same line over and over again, because the shade, they start over and over again, and it's kind of like Natasha's character has to reset. So how did. What was it like to do it? Was it like. Did you get into it?
Greta Lee
Well, I said the line, I think, that way once, and then I realized that was the way I had to say it every single time. And I can't say. It felt like I. I had landed, like, the perfect way I wanted to say it. It was already die like I was. That's.
Amy Poehler
That's the one.
Greta Lee
Okay, great. Moving on.
Amy Poehler
Let's get her in. Let's get her. Let's get to her drowning.
Greta Lee
Yep. Okay, good.
Amy Poehler
Let's get to the drowning scene.
Greta Lee
Start running. Okay, moving on. Yeah, but you know that I love acting with Natasha.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
My buddy Tosh.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And it's been some time, but there is this thing with her where I feel. It feels different for me than. Than other people that I've acted with. There's something. There's something that happens when I act with Her. And. And that was true for Russian Doll too, because it's not. I can't say that there. I could lie and tell you that I came up with some like, int. Insane backstory and boarded like each time we went back, but it wasn't. It wasn't that. It was just about friendship.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And like, it's just like a connection that you have with someone. And Natasha over the years, I. I just, like, she's just one of those people that I had like a very instant connection with.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
And you just look into those huge fucking eyes and you are just so locked in and. And it's just. It's so nice. Yeah, it's.
Amy Poehler
It's. I think it's what anchored that show was the genuine chemistry between the two of you because you had worked together, you really had such great respect for each other. You work so well together. And that show is about like,
Greta Lee
who.
Amy Poehler
Who is. Who are my chosen family? Who are the people that are gonna be like, at my birthday party saving me from myself? Like, who are they gonna be? And you can't really fake that. And you definitely had that.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Okay. But now I'm moving on to drink.
Greta Lee
Is it weird that I'm drinking Diet Coke? Honestly, like, I feel like.
Amy Poehler
No, I. You are the first guest to have a soda and it isn't a clear glass, which we probably forced you to do. Yeah.
Alison Roman
You know what?
Greta Lee
I'm so tired. I'm just tired now.
Amy Poehler
Is that a straight up Coke or a diet.
Greta Lee
It's a Diet Coke. I mean, that's what was available.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. You're not drinking any. Any judgment here. Sometimes you need a. So like a little soda.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Are you coffee drinker? Yeah. And why are you so tired? Too personal. No, I mean, what's going on with your sleep? Let's get to it.
Greta Lee
God.
Amy Poehler
I know, right?
Greta Lee
Look, I. I was like, I don't want to talk about perimenopause, cuz this is like all in. Like your frozen. Which one is frozen up again?
Amy Poehler
I said to Jenna. Yeah, I was like, I'm not. I said, I'm like not going to talk about it cuz it's like it makes me feel so old and women out there are suffering. You're not old. You're beautiful. But I am an old, old crone. I'm an old crony witch who can't lift her arms.
Greta Lee
I'm trailing behind you. And I'm right there.
Amy Poehler
Left, left shoulder. Millennials are just getting old. And I'm here to tell you as gen X. Yeah. First of all, welcome. Like, we welcome you. Like, like, coming on the other side of it is not bad. It's actually kind of nice to not be young, like, considered young. It's kind of nice.
Greta Lee
But you have a frozen shoulder.
Amy Poehler
But it's a nightmare for the body. It's a nightmare every day. The body.
Greta Lee
I know it's happening. I don't know.
Amy Poehler
I, like.
Greta Lee
I don't actually drink soda. I am today. You know what I mean? Like, do you remember the truth?
Amy Poehler
Yeah, you're.
Greta Lee
Whatever it takes.
Alison Roman
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Let's try it.
Amy Poehler
What is your sleep routine? What do you like to do? Like, how do you talk to me about your nighttime routine?
Greta Lee
My nighttime. Well, when I'm home. Right. And I'm.
Amy Poehler
Too much travel.
Greta Lee
Yeah, Too much travel.
Amy Poehler
What? Yeah. Traveling for what?
Greta Lee
Oh, yeah, the trap. Yes. Too much. Like, oh, my God. I was in Korea two weeks ago, three weeks ago.
Alison Roman
Okay.
Amy Poehler
This is why you're so tired.
Greta Lee
But.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, but what were you doing in Korea?
Greta Lee
It was a film festival.
Amy Poehler
Well, speaking of Korea and thank you for that transition. Past lives. What? Greta?
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
I believe I may have texted you.
Greta Lee
I think you did.
Amy Poehler
I mean, that movie is spectacular. Your performance in it, everyone's performance in it. Celine is so beautifully directed.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
It's just like we were talking about it earlier today in anticipation of this, and we were just talking about the meditative quality of it. The rhythm of it, like, the music of it. It's like everyone is. Is watching and being watched at different times. It's this big, beautiful triangle. The actors are so great. You are so good in. Must feel so wonderful to be in such a good movie. Does it?
Greta Lee
Yeah, it feels so good.
Amy Poehler
It must.
Greta Lee
It feels so good.
Alison Roman
Of course.
Amy Poehler
It's so good.
Greta Lee
It feels good to be in a good mo. It feels really good. You want it all the time. That's what you want.
Amy Poehler
I know. Your performance in it is so beautiful. All the awards and, like, I know the award season is long over. That's been many. Did you win? I don't even know. Did you win?
Greta Lee
No. I was even nominated. Yeah. But, you know, no one even knows that. No one knows.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, no one knows 100%. No one ever remembers who won. I couldn't have introduced you as Academy Award winner, credit league. No one would.
Greta Lee
And I wouldn't have said any. I wouldn't have corrected you.
Amy Poehler
No, no, that's bullshit. Of course. Your.
Greta Lee
What.
Amy Poehler
What is Celine like to work with?
Greta Lee
Like, you know, it was her first. It was her first movie.
Amy Poehler
Crazy.
Greta Lee
I think it was her first time,
Amy Poehler
Celine song, the director of Past lives. So was it just collaboration City there?
Greta Lee
Were you. Yeah, it was its own thing.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Yeah.
Greta Lee
I'm never gonna have anything like that. I felt like it's. I felt like, oh, we're making something that is gonna be something you did.
Amy Poehler
You felt it at the time. You could.
Greta Lee
You could feel that. And it felt very. Yeah. Extremely collaborative. She'd done a lot of theater, and it was so personal, and it was just. Everyone was taking such a big risk, too. Like, I had no idea if I was gonna be able to. To act in Korean. Yeah. And also, I'd never been the number one in a movie on the call sheet ever before. I'd never done drama in that way. Like, I hadn't done realism. Okay. You'll understand this. I realized this instinct that I needed to turn off where I would improvise my face off. And I needed to turn. I needed to stop doing that. Where I would fill the silence with jokes. Can you imagine past lives with, like, what that bagel? Where'd you get that? Russian daughters, like,
Amy Poehler
speaking my language.
Greta Lee
She'd be like.
Amy Poehler
She'd be like, stop.
Greta Lee
Stop that. And be like, what? Which is also such an immature response. Like, what?
Amy Poehler
What?
Greta Lee
I'm not doing anything. The whole idea that the camera was gonna stay on my face with nothing happening, I could not handle it. I would be like, cut, cut. We got it. Like, what do you do? Just long shots, Just looking out the window.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Greta Lee
For so long.
Amy Poehler
Yes. That is. Thank you for sharing that, because I so relate. It is like, my hardest thing to just be kind of, like, still in the moment, like you said. Sit in the kind of, like, in betweenness of it all. And that film does that beautifully like you. That dreamy quality of the in betweenness of everything. Whatever you had to adjust, you adjusted perfectly because it is so I recommend to anybody who has not watched Past Lives. I mean, it's my favorite kind of, like, melancholy, nostalgic, kind of happy, sad, love, dream. And, yes, it was a side of you that, of course, I knew that you had, but I don't think a lot of people had got to see, which is to your point. The kind of space given to you and given to the project was really amazing.
Greta Lee
Yeah. I feel like at one point, I counted how many seconds was the longest number of seconds that I'd been in one day. Take, like, literally for the frame for it to stay on my face for longer than I think it was like a couple of minutes, which was really wild.
Amy Poehler
Well, you know what it makes me? It leads me to the question that I like and I want to form the right question because I, I. It's the idea of being looked at and watched in general. Even though we're in this profession and you would think we would be comfortable it. And yet what are we doing?
Alison Roman
What am I?
Amy Poehler
You are fashion. Like you are a fashion icon, Greta. You're basically a model.
Greta Lee
I don't.
Amy Poehler
You wore. You're so. You have the best clothes in the world. You're incredible at posing.
Greta Lee
Thanks.
Amy Poehler
And there's something that comes over you where you like.
Greta Lee
It's acting. It's acting. It's like character acting.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
I like, I think when ever since I was really little, I just wanted to be a male character actor. Like, I wanted to be one of the guys and I, and I think that posing on a red carpet is not anything close to like, you know, dairo or like.
Amy Poehler
But okay, I'm gonna make a connection to De Niro is when I see you being like when, when we're all watching you on the. I'm just talking about like fashion carpet stuff because it takes a certain like, like you have to kind of withstand the, the, the gaze, the, the, the male gaze usually, but, but just the general gaze that you have this very solid foundation in that moment that is very De Niro esque, which is, it's very baller like you, you have a very like confident vibe and you know, you have great style and you know what you like to wear.
Greta Lee
I do.
Amy Poehler
And for people.
Greta Lee
I have great people working with me also.
Amy Poehler
You're fucking Calvin Klein act.
Alison Roman
Jesus Christ.
Greta Lee
Running, but you know, and not running,
Amy Poehler
but the abs, dude, the abs.
Greta Lee
Oh, God.
Amy Poehler
I mean, I don't wanna, I don't wanna objectify you, but you. What, what is going on with your body in my. It's like you're so ripped.
Greta Lee
Just.
Amy Poehler
I was actually rude. It was actually rude for people. Okay, okay.
Greta Lee
Toy Story 5. Yes. Toy Story 5. Calvin Klein to Toy Story 5.
Amy Poehler
Okay. Pixar.
Greta Lee
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Is this your first time working with Pixar?
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Can you talk about the character you are in Toy Story 5? Can we talk about it?
Greta Lee
I play the villain. The main new villain.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. Exciting.
Greta Lee
I play an iPad.
Amy Poehler
No, that's right.
Greta Lee
I play. Her name is Lily Pad.
Alison Roman
Oh, perfect.
Greta Lee
She's an iPad. Oh, wow. Yes. It was just fun. And the movie's so good. Oh, I bet. Really? Joan Cusack. Oh, my God, I love Joan Cusack. I love her so much. What Joan does is just I mean, oh, my gosh. I think I cried six times during a screening. It was really embarrassing, like, with her and Tim, and I was just crying.
Amy Poehler
Oh, God, I love a Pixar crying. There's, like, nothing like it.
Greta Lee
This is such a good. I think if you like past lives, you are gonna love Toy Story 5. I'm serious.
Amy Poehler
That's an incredible tagline.
Greta Lee
I'm serious. I'm serious. It's really good. It's really good.
Alison Roman
Oh.
Amy Poehler
I think I might be trying to put together what you're saying, but that sounds amazing.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Oh, wow.
Amy Poehler
Speaking of Joan and things, people that we love and people who make us laugh, I always ask my guests, who are you listening to? What are you watching? What video? TV show, movie? What are you reading? Anything that you're doing right now to, like, laugh and enjoy. High, low does not have to be fancy.
Greta Lee
Yeah. Okay, so are you ready? My something that I literally just started watching is my friend sending me these YouTube stain removal videos.
Amy Poehler
Okay, let's talk.
Greta Lee
Okay. Yeah, yeah. So there's. There's one guy.
Amy Poehler
I love stain removal.
Greta Lee
You love it, too?
Amy Poehler
Yeah, I love it. All right, here we go.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
So what should we type in?
Greta Lee
Ink stain removal. Ink stain. I mean, let's start with the, you know, the toughest ones.
Amy Poehler
Ink stain is the toughest one. Okay, let's see.
Greta Lee
Gentle gentleman. Gentleman's Gazette.
Amy Poehler
Okay.
Greta Lee
The right ways to remove the ink stains.
Amy Poehler
Okay. To remove ink stains.
Greta Lee
All right, so Gentleman's Gazette.
Amy Poehler
Greta's been watching the right way to remove ink stains. Here we go again. I have got to get my commercials off YouTube.
Greta Lee
I think actually YouTube reached out and.
Amy Poehler
And offered a thing, and I was like, I don't. This just seems too hard. What do you. What do you mean? Like, what do you mean, I gotta get a new account? I mean, it just seems too much. Okay. Oh, cute.
Greta Lee
Yeah, right?
Amy Poehler
Okay, so this is a nice gentleman named Preston. This is a stain removal emergency.
Greta Lee
Go to this time to see our tips. Isn't that nice?
Amy Poehler
Everyone else, enjoy our standard intro.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Oh, so he tells you if it's an emergency, skip the intro.
Greta Lee
He's going to tell you the first thing you need to do is make sure you get it off your hands.
Amy Poehler
I love this guy already. He's treating us like.
Greta Lee
Like we're idiots.
Amy Poehler
Dumb times.
Greta Lee
If you found your way to this video, then it's nice.
Amy Poehler
Really nice.
Greta Lee
And this is. He's. This is a condensed video now.
Amy Poehler
Preston is pulling out a fountain pen, which.
Greta Lee
Right. Oh, you don't use a fountain Pen.
Amy Poehler
You only sign your contracts in the fountain pen?
Alison Roman
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, yeah.
Greta Lee
Wait, I know we're finishing up, but are you gardening now? Are you getting into it?
Amy Poehler
Thanks for asking. I am. I'm getting into it. I'm getting into it.
Alison Roman
Great.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Greta Lee
Like, what's going on? What are you making?
Amy Poehler
What are you growing right now? I've planted some lettuces. Like, easy. Like lettuces.
Greta Lee
Lettuce is hard.
Amy Poehler
Is it hard? Lettuce is hard.
Greta Lee
Lettuce is shit. Lettuce is the hardest.
Amy Poehler
It looks so easy. It's already done.
Greta Lee
Take it out.
Amy Poehler
Take it out.
Greta Lee
It's the hardest thing.
Amy Poehler
Rip it out.
Greta Lee
Because. Because it's too hot for lettuce here. Oh, damn.
Amy Poehler
Because this will happen. I'm not gardening here, honey. I'm gardening on the East Coast.
Greta Lee
Okay, good. Then you're fine here.
Amy Poehler
No way. Disgusting. Rip it out. Rip out the lettuce here. No, no, I'm doing it on the East Coast. But it's still gonna be hot. But you're right. It does burn, doesn't it?
Greta Lee
And it bolts. It flowers because it's too hot, and then it gets bitter.
Amy Poehler
I like that we're ending with gardening because. Because you're. You. You love gardening.
Greta Lee
I find it very gratifying and.
Alison Roman
But.
Greta Lee
But now a lot of actors are doing it, too. And I'm just like, oh, I hate to break it to you.
Amy Poehler
You're an actor.
Greta Lee
I am, yeah. I am.
Amy Poehler
We just found out. Academy Award winning actor. You heard it here first. That's right.
Greta Lee
That's right.
Amy Poehler
Greta Lee. Yep. Love you, Greta.
Greta Lee
I love you so much.
Amy Poehler
Thank you so much for doing this.
Greta Lee
Thanks for having me. Of course.
Amy Poehler
Thank you for my beautiful gifts of bounties.
Greta Lee
Enjoy it.
Amy Poehler
And my gorgeous. My gorgeous produce.
Greta Lee
Yeah, you can't eat that avocado anytime soon.
Amy Poehler
I really need to stare up with my shoulder.
Greta Lee
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Thank you so much, Greta Lee. You are so funny and talented and beautiful, and it's just such a pleasure to get to talk to you. And, you know, Greta has done so many things and worked with so many great people. And we talked a little bit about Joan Cusack today. So for this polar plunge, I just want to remind everybody yet again about the genius that is Joan Cusack. I mean, you know her from Sixteen Candles, from Working Girl, from School of Rock, High Fidelity Broadcast News. Do yourself a favor, open up a bottle of wine and watch Broadcast News tonight. Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Joan Cusack. Just film and comedy at its best. So thank you, Joan. Thank you, Greta. Thank you all for listening and see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to good. Hang the 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.
In this lively and deeply personal episode, Amy Poehler welcomes her longtime friend and celebrated actress Greta Lee for an unfiltered, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation. They cover everything from Greta’s early years as a waitress in New York, ambitions in theater, and life as an immigrant’s daughter to her career pivots between comedy and drama, her parenting journey as a “boy mom,” her gardening obsession, and her recent leap into animation with Toy Story 5. The episode is rich with laughter, mutual admiration, and sharp, honest insights about acting, family, and the absurdities of adulting.
[02:18-12:43]
[13:39-16:23]
[16:23-29:36]
[29:36-36:09]
[36:09-45:49]
[40:32-45:49 | 46:48-51:02]
[46:48-56:41]
[54:32-57:44]
[58:55-61:32]
[61:32-66:19]
[67:54-69:01]
[69:14-72:47]
[72:47-end]
Restaurant Life:
SVU Days:
Acting’s Physical Toll:
On Motherhood:
Identity, Control, and Comedy:
Russian Doll Line Repetition:
Core Drama vs. Comedy Instincts:
Toy Story 5 Tease:
This episode is a masterclass in candor, warmth, and comedic timing—a true “good hang.” Greta Lee’s openness and Amy Poehler’s ease as host create a vibe as if listeners are eavesdropping on best friends catching up over coffee (or Diet Coke). From roll-up-your-sleeves restaurant war stories to the pressures—and pleasures—of starring on stage, screen, and now in major animation, Greta comes across as hardworking, deeply funny, hospitable, and perennially humble, with a dash of sly glam.
For fans of behind-the-scenes tales, cultural crossovers, and the comedy of everyday surviving, this episode is an absolute treat.