Andrew Rannells (2:35)

We really are.

Amy Poehler (2:36)

And she has such a great rep. She really does.

Andrew Rannells (2:40)

I've. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't say, like, ah, she's the best. It's always a good idea to hang out with Regina Hall.

Amy Poehler (2:48)

Okay, we're gonna get to Regina. But first of all, I'm very, very excited to talk to you.

Andrew Rannells (2:53)

To me?

Amy Poehler (2:54)

Of course. I hope I can get you in the stewed one of these days.

Andrew Rannells (3:00)

I would love it.

Amy Poehler (3:01)

I mean, I haven't got a chance. I feel like you and I have probably crossed paths and, like, been in the same room at a fancy event, but I am a very, very big fan of your work.

Andrew Rannells (3:12)

Well, that's very generous of you to say, because I am a huge fan of your work, and I always get very nervous when I see you.

Amy Poehler (3:19)

Oh, tell me why.

Andrew Rannells (3:21)

Well, I just get nervous that I'm like, should I talk to her? Should I not talk to her? Am I talking to her for too long? Oh, should I? Yeah, you know, it's like, should I get in, get out? It's one of those things I usually is at some event.

Amy Poehler (3:32)

Yeah.

Andrew Rannells (3:33)

That, like, there's a bunch of people around, and it's like. I don't know, there's, like, a receiving line of people who want to, like, talk to you, and I just sort of. I choose to do the like.

Amy Poehler (3:43)

Well, I will say if. If you have chosen not to talk to me, I appreciate that because I have a lot of social anxiety, which does not look like I do, but I do in those events, and I get overwhelmed.

Andrew Rannells (3:56)

Same, same, same. One of the first, like, big parties I went to when I first moved to la. I was very lucky. And I walked in with Jessica Lange, and. I know, right?

Amy Poehler (4:07)

You floated in with Jessica.

Andrew Rannells (4:09)

I floated in with Jessica Lang. And Jessica wanted to, like, hold on to me because I'm sort of tall and. And I think she likes that. I think she likes that. So then all night, I got to be the gatekeeper to Jessica Lange. And people, people I really respected who didn't know me were coming up to me and saying, could you introduce me to Jessica Lange? And I was like, absolutely.

Amy Poehler (4:31)

You were like, let me check with Jessica first.

Andrew Rannells (4:33)

Yeah, it was. That was. So I guess my advice is if you can go to one of those events with Jessica Lange, do it.

Amy Poehler (4:40)

That makes sense. God, I would.

Andrew Rannells (4:42)

Totally make sense.

Amy Poehler (4:42)

You two would make a very nice couple, I have to say. A handsome couple.

Andrew Rannells (4:46)

I think we. Yeah, I've got to be with her a couple times, and it's always successful. But, you know, how's this for a segue? You know who's very good at those events? Regina Hall.

Amy Poehler (4:57)

Ooh, tell me why you go to.

Andrew Rannells (4:59)

A party with Regina hall. And she, first of all, everybody loves her, so that's great. And she just sort of. I don't know, she just kind of floats above it and just has a very kind of. Just kind of, like, chill attitude about everything. Now, whether or not that's actually what she's feeling, right? I'm not sure, because, you know, we all, you know, process those things differently. But it is really fun to go to those events with her because she just kind of. She just sort of always is herself. And I will say from, like, you know, we got to work together for three years on the show Black Monday and on Showtime, and whether it was like 4am in the makeup trailer or 3am on a night shoot, she always maintained the same level of, like, cool and, you know, happy to be there and like, sort of calmed everybody down because Don Cheadle and I on that show often had to do some, like, really wacky stuff. And she not only could match that, she, you know, oftentimes, like, outdid us in that arena, but then also just brought, like, all the heart to it. She really, like, anchored it in a way, and it was such a good lesson of, like, how to be. You can be absurdly funny and really broad, but still have a lot of thought and heart behind it, which I learned a lot from working with her, that, like, you can do all of the clowny, silly stuff, but unless there is some kind of heart to it, it just looks like faces, you know.

Amy Poehler (6:39)

I think that way about you too. Like, I feel like there's the. Sometimes there's the exceptional eccentric, really kind of out there, funny person who's their own island. But for the most part, I find that people that are very good at comedy have a swee or a gear where they can really, like. They're just very good at being in the moment and being present when asked to do that. And it. And it's kind of the theme that I want to talk to Regina about today is her career is really, really diverse and really wide her range. She's done a lot of different things, and she can do really dumb, fun comedy and very deep, grounded stuff. And that's not. A lot of people don't have that range.

Andrew Rannells (7:24)

I don't know. There's. It sounds maybe trite to say that she has a light to her, because that usually is reserved for people who get murdered. But she does have a. She really lights up a room. She really lights up a room. And not in a way she's gonna get murdered.

Amy Poehler (7:40)

No, not in that way. In a different way. In a very different way.

Andrew Rannells (7:44)

In a better way.

Amy Poehler (7:44)

In a very different way. You know, I absolutely loved you in Book of Mormon. I was lucky enough to see the original cast and you in it with Josh and so many other great people. But you bring something up that I always wondered about, and I haven't been able to ask anybody who's been on Broadway for as long as you have.

Andrew Rannells (8:06)

Sure, sure.

Amy Poehler (8:07)

Why is it unprofessional to see who's in the audience?

Andrew Rannells (8:12)

Well, in theory, you should be, I guess, connected to your co stars.

Amy Poehler (8:19)

Sure.

Andrew Rannells (8:20)

And telling the story. But I think over time, you know, you're doing it eight times a week, and you get to a place where, you know, eyes. I mean, you know, that's the tricky part about. One of the tricky parts about live theater is that of all of the. Whatever, 1200 people that are in that audience, somebody's looking at you at all times. And I just know that from an audience member, like, sometimes you drift to, like an ensemble person. Whatever. You're like, you're not watching the action, so you do kind of always have to be on guard.

Amy Poehler (8:53)

Yeah.

Andrew Rannells (8:53)

That, like, okay, somebody's watching. So.

Amy Poehler (8:56)

But you never used to do what I used to do, which is literally peak.

Andrew Rannells (9:00)

Oh, well. I mean, we got to a point where I could look into the audience at certain points and be like, oh, look who's there. And sometimes the worst is when. When you make eye contact with that person.

Amy Poehler (9:11)

Oh.

Andrew Rannells (9:12)

Ooh.

Amy Poehler (9:13)

Yeah.

Andrew Rannells (9:13)

Ooh, that's rough.

Amy Poehler (9:14)

That's rough.

Andrew Rannells (9:15)

That's rough. I made direct eye contact with Oprah Winfrey, and I thought, I don't. That probably wasn't a great idea. And I reflexed. I smiled at her as if there was no fourth wall.

Amy Poehler (9:28)

You went, hi. You went, oprah.

Andrew Rannells (9:31)

Just like, I'm doing, like a nightclub act. I was like, oh, Oprah. I remember smiling at her, and she smiled back. Cause she's polite.

Amy Poehler (9:38)

She could probably. She's probably had a lot of experience with intense eye contact.

Andrew Rannells (9:45)

I mean, the reactions to her must be extreme.

Amy Poehler (9:50)

You are so incredible in the Book of Mormon.

Andrew Rannells (9:53)

I. Oh, my gosh.

Amy Poehler (9:54)

I mean, you've written two books. You have.

Andrew Rannells (9:57)

I have.

Amy Poehler (9:58)

You have. You're constantly in so many good things. Like we mentioned Girls 5 Eva, the show that you did with Tina. You also are just in Lena's new Show too much where you play her husband, which was so satisfying to see.

Andrew Rannells (10:14)

I do. We've graduated from being like the messy kids to now being, like, the still kind of messy adults.

Amy Poehler (10:20)

So I ask all of my guests if they have a question for our guest. And like I said, I hope someday to get you in the hot seat. So do you have any question you think I should ask Regina today? A story you think she might want to tell, something you don't know about her, something you think people should know about her.

Andrew Rannells (10:39)

Her career is so diverse, and she bounces between all of these things, like this Paul Thomas Anderson movie that. That she is, you know, that's. That's coming out, that it's wildly different from anything she's done in a lot of ways. And I, as much as I. I assume that she's, like, the architect of that. That she's, like, making these choices and doing these things. Like, I wonder. Yeah, I do wonder. Like, did she seek that out? Was she, like, I'm gonna switch this up, or is this something that just sort of builds. It was built sort of naturally.

Amy Poehler (11:15)

You're right. I don't think we know enough about, like, Regina's origin story. When I was learning about Regina, I know she wanted to maybe be a journalist at one point, so I'm very curious when she started acting. And then also, yes, the. Her career is really feels like a flow, basically.

Andrew Rannells (11:33)

And also, you know, obviously, like, who does she like better? Does she like me better or Don Cheadle? I think that's an important. I think a lot of people probably wonder that.

Amy Poehler (11:45)

Yeah. And maybe you can stay on the zoom while I ask her that.

Andrew Rannells (11:48)

Yeah, I'll. I'll take my camera off and then, you know, and then I'll surprise her and be like, I knew you were going to say Don. Regina and I would annoy the cast that we. She. She told everybody that we were married at one point. And some people. Some people who didn't really know me very well thought that that was true. And then she sort of, in a who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf way, created children for us that we would talk about dawn and dawn and we would reference. Dawn and dawn are twins and who had the twins and where are the twins and how are the twins doing?

Amy Poehler (12:26)

She's so good. I can't wait to talk to her. I really am, so.

Andrew Rannells (12:28)

I know. I'm excited for you to talk to her.

Amy Poehler (12:29)

Your time. And how tall are you, Andrew?

Regina Hall (12:32)

Six two.

Amy Poehler (12:32)

Oh, congratulations.

Andrew Rannells (12:34)

Thanks. Thanks so much.

Amy Poehler (12:35)

That's so great. I Like Jessica Lange, a tall man.

Andrew Rannells (12:39)

Jackpot.

Amy Poehler (12:41)

Sign me up. I did. Is so great to talk to you. Thank you so much for your time.

Andrew Rannells (12:48)

Thank you very much. And thank you for being so generous and so lovely.

Amy Poehler (12:52)

And I hope I see you at some event sometime soon and we just totally ghost each other.

Andrew Rannells (12:57)

Yeah, I'm not gonna look at you. I'm just gonna be taking care of Jessica.

Amy Poehler (13:03)

Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Thank you. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Beauty emergencies are bound to happen. How many times have you, oh, I don't know, dug around in your purse and pulled out mascara and thought it was lipstick, and then all of a sudden you got mascara on your lips and you're like, this is not the kind of look I want to bring to the very fancy dinner party that I'm about to have. So now that Sephora is on Uber Eats, you can get all your beauty essentials delivered for the same price as in store, plus treat yourself to $10 off when you spend $50 or more on your first Sephora order on the Uber Eats app. Order Sephora on Uber Eats today. Offer ends October 30th. One order per customer. Additional terms apply. See app for availability. Delivery fees may apply.

Regina Hall (13:54)

Woo hoo hoo.

Amy Poehler (13:55)

You're wearing formal pajamas.

Regina Hall (13:57)

I am.

Amy Poehler (13:57)

I am.

Regina Hall (13:58)

I was like, how can I be.

Amy Poehler (13:59)

Dressy and comfortable and it's so hot out?

Regina Hall (14:02)

Because I was gonna be in sweats. You look great, but not for you. Mm.

Amy Poehler (14:07)

Mm. You know what I'm saying? Full hair and makeup.

Regina Hall (14:12)

Yeah. If she's not beat, I don't want her. That's what I said.

Amy Poehler (14:15)

Yeah. I need two hours. Yeah, I need you two hours of hair and makeup before we hang out. Wow, you look gorgeous. This lighting is nice.

Regina Hall (14:23)

This is great lighting.

Amy Poehler (14:24)

Isn't it crazy?

Regina Hall (14:25)

You know what I realized? I'm not aging. Lighting's just getting bad. Because in my bathroom, I have really good lighting in my bathroom. Yeah. And in my bathroom, I'm something else.

Amy Poehler (14:37)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (14:37)

In my car, not so much. But in my bathroom, I'm like, I'm Chef's Kiss. But in that car, when the sunlight. So it's the lighting.

Amy Poehler (14:47)

I always say this about. I mean, I'm probably saying something very obvious, but when I go into dressing rooms, I'm like, I can't believe the dressing rooms aren't better lit. I would buy so many more things. It would just be better for business.

Regina Hall (14:59)

It was a dressing room where I honestly, for the first time, discovered, like, the depth of my cellulite yeah. That's the truth. It was in a dressing room. Yeah.

Amy Poehler (15:10)

Yeah. It's super, super clean. It's.

Regina Hall (15:12)

When I started running, I started jogging. I said I was shopping with my boyfriend at the time, and I screamed. I'd never seen. I did. I said, is this when he's wrong with my. And I went. And I said, baby. And he was like, what? He didn't. You know. They don't notice. No, they don't notice the legs.

Amy Poehler (15:31)

They don't care what's on.

Regina Hall (15:32)

They don't care. They don't care.

Amy Poehler (15:33)

I feel that way, too. One time when I got a mammogram, I turned to the person and I was like, it's just. It's shocking how this hasn't gotten better. How has this not gotten better? How have we still have to literally squeeze?

Regina Hall (15:47)

I don't have a lot of boobs. I was like, what are you getting?

Amy Poehler (15:49)

And it's even worse.

Regina Hall (15:51)

Breasts.

Amy Poehler (15:51)

It's sometimes worse when you don't. If it's larger and you. You. Well, they're both worse, I guess. But, like, sometimes if you can't. If you don't have a lot to put in the machine that we're squeezing it between two metal.

Regina Hall (16:04)

No, like a. Like a waffle and that.

Amy Poehler (16:06)

There's nothing to look at.

Regina Hall (16:07)

No, you're just. And then they're like. If you just move your arm a little. Like, it's not like you're. It's a. It's a. It's. You're kind of contorting your body in a very.

Amy Poehler (16:17)

And I said. And I remember doing it very, you know, like, lucky me. I have a nice place to get my mammogram. I'm very grateful and privileged to have a nice place to get a mammogram. Not a poster on the wall. Not a piece of art to look at.

Regina Hall (16:32)

No distraction.

Amy Poehler (16:33)

I was like, you guys don't want to put even an inspirational.

Regina Hall (16:37)

No. And it takes about. It takes a few minutes to get the right angle. Cause it's not just getting it in there. It's getting it in there. I need a little bit. And I was like, there's gotta be a better way.

Amy Poehler (16:48)

Yeah. It's shocking to me how things gave up.

Regina Hall (16:52)

They were like, well, fuck it. If we've got something in it, then we've got something in it. Cause after a while, they just couldn't get a photo.

Amy Poehler (16:58)

No, they can't get a photo.

Regina Hall (16:59)

And then what about when it comes out cloudy and they're like, we need another one. We need an ultrasound also.

Amy Poehler (17:04)

They're like. They squeeze you in the tightest ever.

Regina Hall (17:08)

Yes.

Amy Poehler (17:08)

They say, don't move.

Regina Hall (17:09)

Yeah. Don't move.

Amy Poehler (17:10)

And then they leave the room because there's too much radiation.

Regina Hall (17:13)

Yeah. Yeah. That's the truth. Right. So it's just you, your nodes, and your breasts and the rest of your body exposed and not a.

Amy Poehler (17:22)

Like, you don't even want to play an old episode of Everyone Loves Raymond or whatever.

Regina Hall (17:26)

There's no sound. There's no music.

Amy Poehler (17:28)

I know. No music.

Regina Hall (17:30)

There's no music. There's nothing.

Amy Poehler (17:32)

I remember talking to my great dentist. I love my dentist. But I remember saying, I used to love your dentist.

Regina Hall (17:38)

I love a dentist, too.

Amy Poehler (17:39)

You like your dentist?

Regina Hall (17:40)

I do.

Amy Poehler (17:40)

And I get nitrous area a lot.

Regina Hall (17:42)

I like my dentist.

Amy Poehler (17:43)

I do, too.

Regina Hall (17:43)

And my dental hygienist, I love. I love her.

Amy Poehler (17:46)

Did you work as a dental hygienist?

Regina Hall (17:49)

A dental assistant, Like. Yeah, I just handed the instruments over and cleaned them and stuff.

Amy Poehler (17:55)

Do you feel like you have healthy teeth?

Regina Hall (17:58)

I do for the most part. I grind my teeth.

Amy Poehler (18:05)

Oh, yeah.

Regina Hall (18:05)

And I didn't know that when you grind, you can get a little recession from the grinding. Yeah.

Amy Poehler (18:10)

Do you wear a thing?

Regina Hall (18:11)

I wear a thing now.

Amy Poehler (18:12)

Yeah. We're with Regina hall, and we just got really into it. We were talking about teeth and boobs. We're right into it. But I feel like the last time we saw each other was on a dance floor at Rashida Jones.

Regina Hall (18:25)

That was the last time, but there was a time, I think, after, too.

Amy Poehler (18:29)

What was that?

Regina Hall (18:30)

Uh, oh, it was on a street. And you were directing, and it was on a cul de sac. And I was like, what's going on down there? I think they're filming something.

Amy Poehler (18:42)

Oh, yes.

Regina Hall (18:43)

Around the corner from. Yep. And. And I walked down the street, and I was like, who's directing? And they said, amy Poehler. And then I made my way. I made my way. It was very exciting. Do you remember that?

Amy Poehler (18:53)

I do remember that. That was pre Covid.

Regina Hall (18:56)

It was pre Covid.

Amy Poehler (18:56)

Okay. Yeah, yeah. And then everything else has been a blur.

Regina Hall (19:00)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amy Poehler (19:02)

Cause I was trying to.

Regina Hall (19:03)

I took that breast exam.

Amy Poehler (19:05)

Everything else has been. Felt like a mammogram during COVID Everything was like, this is gonna really hurt. It's really weird. It's gonna take a long time, and.

Regina Hall (19:15)

Everybody'S gonna be exposed to all things.

Amy Poehler (19:17)

Totally, totally. But I feel like we've had a couple times. So. Rashida Jones often had a pajama jammy jam as she talked about in this podcast. And she had a dance party. And I feel like we've had a couple good times on the dance floor together. D. Do you, you like to dance?

Regina Hall (19:34)

Here's the thing. I do like to dance. I wish I were a better dancer. I'm not a good. I can hold a beat, sure. But I, I would love to be able to do. And Rashida does them very well. She can learn choreographed dances. And I, I, I wish I had that gift.

Amy Poehler (19:49)

Yeah. And her sister Kidada can do, like.

Regina Hall (19:51)

Yes. Kidada's a great dancer too.

Amy Poehler (19:54)

Routines from the 90s, they can get.

Regina Hall (19:56)

A choreographer in front of them and they're able to.

Amy Poehler (19:59)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (20:00)

To dance and learn that choreography.

Amy Poehler (20:03)

You can't do that.

Regina Hall (20:04)

I can't. No. I was having a conversation with Sheila E. And she was like, wait, excuse me.

Amy Poehler (20:08)

I know. You just dropped that.

Regina Hall (20:10)

I know. And I did. Did you see how I dropped it? Like, suddenly? Like, I said nothing as I was like, yeah. So when Sheila and I were talking, E, you know, I did a one on one interview. And so she was my subject and cool. So amazing. And I was asking her, does she understand her impact on girls when she first came out? Cause like, the drums, we hadn't seen a lot of women playing the drums necessarily. But anyway, she said everything for her moves very separately.

Amy Poehler (20:43)

She can feel all rhythms and every.

Regina Hall (20:46)

She feels every limb and every portion. Everything is separate for her. Ooh. Yeah.

Amy Poehler (20:52)

So if you feel like you're not maybe the strongest at choreography.

Regina Hall (20:55)

I'm a unit.

Amy Poehler (20:56)

What part feels like you're like, that's a good skill. Like, I can do that well. Can you memorize fast? Do you have a good ear? Can you sing?

Regina Hall (21:06)

I think I can. But I'm gonna tell you, you know. Cause I used to tell me that I had terrible pitch. I disagree with that. And then I went on. I think it was cordon. And I. I was like, I. And I. They started and then I joined in the harmony. And boy, was I off. So I'm not a harmonizer.

Amy Poehler (21:33)

Okay.

Regina Hall (21:33)

I'm a soloist.

Amy Poehler (21:35)

Okay. Yeah. No one else should sing when Regina's singing.

Regina Hall (21:39)

But I have a good gift for. I can remember a face.

Amy Poehler (21:45)

Hey, that's good.

Regina Hall (21:46)

Yeah. Not a name.

Amy Poehler (21:49)

Terrible with names, but you'd be able to.

Regina Hall (21:52)

You remember me.

Amy Poehler (21:56)

I want to talk to you about so many things today, Regina, because the theme today for me with you is range. Like you are, you can do it all. And how to approach you and your career and your work is really interesting because you can come in through A lot of different doors, and it's. It's. Well, first of all, let me just say that you have a great rep. Like, everyone loves working with you.

Regina Hall (22:22)

Oh, I thought you were talking about my agent. I was about to say he's. I agree. I was like, I've got a good team, but.

Amy Poehler (22:31)

Yes. Oh, a great reputation. Does it matter to you? Like, how you. Like when you go to work? Like, what matters to you? Like, how you show up and how other people show up?

Regina Hall (22:45)

I think for me, like, if I. When I. When I'm working, I think of everybody who put so much work into it before I got there. Writers, you know, people who write. That's. Once it's written, selling it, like, sitting with studio notes. There's so much. You know, this. You've done it all directors that goes into it. So for me to come and be, like, anything less than, like, excited for what, like, they're bringing a vision together in addition to what I get to do and have fun, then I think it's. I won't take it if I don't think I could come and bring something to the environment and to the work. So I think that that's important for me.

Amy Poehler (23:26)

Okay. What kind of kid were you? Because you grew up in D.C. and, you know, went to Fordham, went to NYU to be a journalist, like, very. You were not a kid. Who were you around? Actors or anyone who was acting?

Regina Hall (23:39)

No, because I just. We didn't. I guess we had. I was like, we didn't have any, but, yeah, I wasn't exposed to it.

Amy Poehler (23:47)

You weren't studying it in school?

Regina Hall (23:49)

No, we had our place.

Amy Poehler (23:51)

Okay.

Regina Hall (23:51)

I went to Catholic school, and so we had the nuns who I loved. I loved my nuns. I loved.

Amy Poehler (23:58)

What do you love about nuns? Because my mom went to Catholic school, and she was very afraid of her nuns.

Regina Hall (24:03)

Oh, I think I had some. I was respectfully afraid. I mean, I certainly had a reverence where I wouldn't cross a line. But I wasn't afraid of being hurt. I was more afraid of them telling my mom and then getting in trouble. So I didn't have that. I found my nuns to be very. I mean, they were. I wouldn't say they were strict, but they were. They were loving, I would say. Yeah, they were loving.

Amy Poehler (24:33)

And then. Is it true that you thought about perhaps becoming a nun?

Regina Hall (24:38)

I did several times when I was in high school, and then again when I was older and I was too old.

Amy Poehler (24:44)

You were too old to 39.

Regina Hall (24:46)

That was a cutoff. I was 41. They were like. It's not a backup plan, miss. Get on out of here. But it's. Oh, for that particular. For that particular order.

Amy Poehler (24:55)

Okay, got it.

Regina Hall (24:56)

Because they're different orders. You know, with some orders. It's a sleeping partner number thing.

Amy Poehler (25:00)

Yeah. Right.

Regina Hall (25:01)

4. I don't know if anybody.

Amy Poehler (25:04)

Wait, you can only have slept with four people.

Regina Hall (25:05)

Yeah. Amy, can you make it. You don't have to count them, you know.

Amy Poehler (25:11)

No, I can't. I don't want to brag, but. Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. So there is a. There's some orders where there's a number. You can only have had a certain amount of partners.

Regina Hall (25:25)

Some are. Could be a certain amount of partners. Some might be. How many attachments that you have? Some, you know, in the world. It's hard. And some is age.

Amy Poehler (25:33)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (25:34)

Wow.

Amy Poehler (25:35)

But what made you Regina, as a young person? What was attractive about that life for you? What did you think about what was the fantasy of that life?

Regina Hall (25:46)

I thought if. Wow. If you. You know, you'd spend your life in prayer. Prayer for others, I would imagine, because unless you were, like, healing, because they don't. You're not really attached to anything material. Right. So they're. They wouldn't have an outward striving.

Amy Poehler (26:03)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (26:04)

Of like. Oh, right. The thing of, like, you know, success, whatever that is. And no romantic heartbreak. Right. You don't want to say love, because that part is beautiful. But it's the other side when. Yeah, whatever. Whatever trauma, whatever reasons things don't make it. And then you had that singular focus. I'm sure that it's not that easy. I'm just saying that was what I romanticized it would be if I did it. And then I thought that was, like, lovely.

Amy Poehler (26:43)

And how is your faith like now, many years later, young Regina, looking out at the world that way, figuring that might be a way in which I can manage my own world. How do you practice your version of loving God now? What does it look like?

Regina Hall (27:00)

I mean, I think I really believe. If you believe in past lives. I believe I had a past life where I was that I believe I've come from that. So I believe it probably exists within me because it has existed, you know, and so it feels.

Amy Poehler (27:15)

It feels familiar.

Regina Hall (27:17)

It feels familiar. And so there's a certain peace in that familiarity.

Amy Poehler (27:20)

It makes sense to me then, that you're, you know, for a while, thinking about going into journalism. Cause it's just, like, quite. It's like the idea of, like, unpacking big questions, finding out the truth, being curious, like, all that Stuff feels like it's connected. When did you decide, okay, I'm happy that I have my journalism degree, but I want to be an actor. When did that change happen? What?

Regina Hall (27:44)

Well, my parents were like, you're not going to just. My parents were divorced, but they were just like, you're not going to be in New York partying? Because I had also. I'd left the nun life behind.

Amy Poehler (27:55)

You were like, before I was in.

Regina Hall (27:57)

New York and I was partying, and I loved partying. You know, I had great friends and from college. And, like, we finished and then it was like, what am I to. You know, we were going there.

Amy Poehler (28:10)

We were probably in New York at the same time. Like, in the 90s.

Regina Hall (28:12)

In New York in the 90s. It was great.

Amy Poehler (28:14)

It was great.

Regina Hall (28:15)

It was great. And so we used to go out a lot. And then my mom was like, well, my dad was like, well, what are you doing? You have to get a job or something. I either had to get a job or go back to school. And so I was like, I'm choosing school because I could arrange my classes to still party, but work, I couldn't do it. I did work for six months.

Amy Poehler (28:36)

Ooh, what was your job?

Regina Hall (28:37)

I was working at a director's office, and their office was in their home. And so they really had to carefully vet who worked there. So I was like an assistant.

Amy Poehler (28:49)

Was that like your first job in near the industry? Yeah. And it was working with a director?

Regina Hall (28:54)

Yeah, he was a commercial director. He did TV commercials. And one day I fell asleep with my elbow on a button on the computer. And it was blinking. It was just like all X's, whatever was at the end, and the screen was blinking. And I woke up because I had been out too late, and I was like. And then my roommate and I were like, we are gonna raise money. And I don't know. And I was like, we have to quit our jobs. Our jobs are holding us back.

Amy Poehler (29:24)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (29:28)

And then I had to borrow money, and my parents were like, what are you gonna do? So I was like, I'll go back to school.

Amy Poehler (29:32)

Okay. So you went back to study journalism then?

Regina Hall (29:34)

And I went back to study journalism. And my dad had a stroke and passed away very suddenly. My first few months of school.

Amy Poehler (29:39)

First few months. And so you didn't. You stopped going to school after that?

Regina Hall (29:43)

No, I finished. Cause I knew he'd want me to. But I had a friend who said, do you wanna make extra money doing commercials? And she was like, I'll introduce you to my manager. I met her Manager. That manager. I couldn't show up for auditions. Cause I was like, I'm doing my thesis. I can't show up to an audition. But I did. And then I took a class in acting. And I think it was very healing for me after my dad to be out of my head a little bit. And that's how. And then I was like, oh, I love this. So then I finished NYU and then decided to go to Columbia's bartending school because I was gonna need to pay for acting school. Yeah. And then I went to acting school. I remember my mom.

Amy Poehler (30:21)

Where'd you go to acting school?

Regina Hall (30:22)

You just don't want a job, huh, baby? And I could have been a professional student. I did love school. I studied at Bill Esper.

Amy Poehler (30:32)

I could see you also being a great bartender.

Regina Hall (30:35)

Oh, my gosh. I would have been, but I don't know how to make any drinks. Because you were supposed to spit those drinks out in class. I was really tipsy after every class. Yeah. But I was.

Amy Poehler (30:48)

But so much of bartending is faking, like. Faking the. Like you're just making the drink. But it's about the chit chat.

Regina Hall (30:55)

Yeah. And I do like people.

Amy Poehler (30:57)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (30:57)

So I love to converse and meet. I find people to be fascinating.

Amy Poehler (31:03)

Okay, so back to commercials. You're auditioning for commercials? Any commercial. Did you get any commercials during that time?

Regina Hall (31:08)

I did.

Amy Poehler (31:09)

What did you get that was a big deal to get a commercial in the 90s?

Regina Hall (31:13)

It was national shit. McDonald's.

Amy Poehler (31:16)

What? You got a national McDonald's commercial?

Regina Hall (31:19)

I did.

Amy Poehler (31:19)

How much money did you make from that? Because that could pay. That could change your life. A national commercial.

Regina Hall (31:26)

Yeah, it was. Yeah. My line. I had to say. And some McDonald's fries.

Amy Poehler (31:31)

You were ordering them or.

Regina Hall (31:32)

I was at a movie theater watching. We were watching a movie about McDonald's and then watching a McDonald's movie. No, we were watching a movie about something and they were running. Maybe. I don't even remember. But he says, I could go for a Big Mac. Yeah. I think the movie that we're watching. And then I sent in some McDonald's fries.

Amy Poehler (31:52)

And what do you remember about being on the set of. You know how sometimes you can remember the feeling when you're shooting something? What was it? Were you nervous?

Regina Hall (32:00)

I was nervous. Yes. I was nervous. I remember I was like, I don't know if I like my hair because they did these rods. But now I look back and I'm like, that hair was just fine.

Amy Poehler (32:09)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (32:10)

I thought everyone was gonna recognize me. I thought that commercial was gonna air. I was outside like this. You were like, waiting.

Amy Poehler (32:19)

Waiting for people to be like, the fries girl. There she is.

Regina Hall (32:21)

Did you just do a McDonald's commercial? Not one. Nobody.

Amy Poehler (32:25)

That's a big get.

Regina Hall (32:27)

It was a big get.

Amy Poehler (32:28)

That is a big get. And it ran for a while.

Regina Hall (32:30)

It did. It ran for like. You remember how they had to pay for your cycles? I think I made like over a like, 30. 40,000. 30.

Amy Poehler (32:38)

Yes. Back then you could make he. You could.

Regina Hall (32:41)

And there were some people who made like. Yeah, but I made like. I think I made like 30.

Amy Poehler (32:46)

Yeah. And if you could get a commercial.

Regina Hall (32:48)

And it could run and your residuals were nice.

Amy Poehler (32:51)

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Amy Poehler (34:45)

It'S been, like, really interesting to look at your range like we talked about. I mean, you have done all different kinds of work. You've done. You've been in big, huge franchises.

Regina Hall (34:56)

Can I interrupt?

Amy Poehler (34:56)

Yes.

Regina Hall (34:57)

I love this woman. No, I want to say that you know what? No, no, no. I have to say it because I have to say how profoundly inspiring you are. Right. That's across all cultures, races, and genres. You know that too. Thank you for saying that in terms of comedy. Yeah. Because it's like, you know, ever you say Amy Poehler, it doesn't matter. Right. We all know who it is. And so when I would watch you and Tina, I'd be like, they're beautiful. They're funny. And so you. You know, you're always looking at people who you admire, and. And I think also how much fun they're having. Right. And so whether it's conscious or subconscious, like, and Maya Rudolph, who's also hilarious. But to see women be so funny and so, like, beautiful and yet not vain, because you can't really have that, right when you're doing comedy. You gotta feel like you can't be, like, I don't know. But that was profoundly, like, impactful and inspirational, I don't even think without me knowing it at first. And then it became like, oh, my goodness, I love them.

Amy Poehler (36:29)

Well, you know, thank you for saying that. It does mean a lot because I have followed your career and been so impressed by how genuinely and deeply funny you are. You are really funny. And also, you have played incredibly subtle, grounded, interesting characters, including the film that you're in, the new Paul Thomas Anderson film that you're in that we'll talk about, like, you are playing deep, complex characters and also getting to swing the other way. That's very inspiring because it's very hard to not be just limited or, like, you know, to come in through the comedy door and never leave that way. Yeah. Have you found that to be like, was that. Did that happen in the beginning? Like, when you were doing more comedic stuff? Did you feel.

Regina Hall (37:15)

I think after Scary Movie? I think after. And the interesting thing with Scary Movie is after Scary Movie, then it was like, oh, she only does broad comedy. So then you have to say, well, can you get a. You know, a grounded. And a lot of them, I just kind of, you know, I mean, a lot of stuff you don't get, right? Isn't there, like, tons?

Amy Poehler (37:35)

Well, I'd be curious. Cause I was thinking, like, what is Regina? When you were, you know, we all have this thing where we get scripts sent to us or parts sent to us, and we scroll down to see what people are thinking about us. And sometimes it's like, okay, I got.

Regina Hall (37:50)

My first job I got was a stripper. And I just was like, I'm gonna get inundated. I haven't been asked again, and I'm offended. I'm serious. I literally was like, watch. I'm just. I do remember I had an agent. I love her so much. Her name is Jamie. And she said, we've gotten a foreign film for you. I haven't read it yet, but we just got the offer. This was after Scary Movie. And I was like, oh, gosh, I'm international. And this is before emails. And remember when you had to pick your scripts up?

Amy Poehler (38:24)

Oh, yeah. Physically go to someone's house.

Regina Hall (38:27)

So I physically went to the agency, and it was in the bin because I wasn't at the point where they were messengering them to me. So I got the script, and I remember was Playa Haters, which she was reading as Playa the Beach.

Amy Poehler (38:40)

No.

Regina Hall (38:41)

Yes. Playa Hiatus. Playa hiatus. That's what she said to me on the phone. And I said, it's Player Haters. I was like.

Amy Poehler (38:53)

She was like, so it doesn't take place on a beach?

Regina Hall (38:56)

No. And it's not a foreign film. There's nothing foreign about it. And so. And so I didn't end up doing Playa Haters.

Amy Poehler (39:09)

Playa Hiatus. Playa Hiatus.

Regina Hall (39:13)

It's a foreign film. She was so excited, too. Jamie. No.

Amy Poehler (39:17)

Do you feel like you were getting after Scary Movie, were you getting a lot of the same stuff offered to you?

Regina Hall (39:21)

Probably like, more broad. Like. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amy Poehler (39:25)

Like, I was. I was laughing. Cause I was like, I bet Regina and I would be in a movie where we'd be playing, like, stereotypical versions of. Because I still, you know, to this day, someone's like, we thought of you. We think it's great. And I'm like, okay. And I read the part, and I'm like, I know one of those characters that is just, like, usually very, like, let me speak to them. Manager. Very nice. And very, like, get her out of here. I know.

Regina Hall (39:54)

Yeah. And.

Amy Poehler (39:54)

And I feel like we would probably be cast in a movie where we would be.

Regina Hall (39:59)

I'd be the one that you wanted to speak to the manager over. I'd be like, they'd always have it like, there's some hood chick. And she's always like. And I'd be like.

Amy Poehler (40:06)

And I would be like, totally.

Regina Hall (40:10)

Because you just can't do that. All this. You're like, what else? Versions of that.

Amy Poehler (40:14)

Well, that. That's leads me to my question. So we always. We do this thing on the show where we talk behind. Well, behind. We kind of try to find out more about them through people that know Them. And so we talked to Andrew Rannells today.

Regina Hall (40:25)

Hi, baby daddy.

Amy Poehler (40:27)

I heard you have twins together.

Regina Hall (40:29)

Don and Dawn. We have children. We don't know. Where are our kids? Don and Dawn. I love Andrew. I love Andrew.

Amy Poehler (40:39)

I know. He's so. What do you love about him?

Regina Hall (40:41)

Oh, he's just. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. He's funny. So talented. But he's just such a nice human being. Like, I love Andrew. Like, I knew he was my baby daddy from the first moment I saw him.

Amy Poehler (40:56)

Yeah, I know. I can tell you have a special connection with him.

Regina Hall (40:59)

I love Andrew. Like, one day we did a scene, and I said decade instead of decade, and it was late. And then every time we had to do it over and it would come to the word we couldn't say. You know how that happens.

Amy Poehler (41:11)

You get the giggles.

Regina Hall (41:12)

And we couldn't stop. I have the clip of that. That was decod, Dec. And I was like. I was. It would just. We couldn't stop. And he was like, don't. Don't look at me. And we couldn't do it.

Andrew Rannells (41:24)

We couldn't do it.

Regina Hall (41:25)

We had to break.

Amy Poehler (41:25)

He loves you and he loves working with you. Loved working with you. And you guys worked together on Black Monday. And he talked about, like, one of the questions is kind of like, what we talk about. We're talking about now because, like, whether it's, you know, girls trip or love and basketball or one battle after another, your new film, you've done big budget, you've done small independence, like, support the girls. You've done scary movie, you've done big and small, like, dramatic and comedic. And he was just saying, like, I want to ask Regina, does she feel like she's the architect of this, or does it feel like part of a kind of a bigger flow? Like, are you feeling like you're adjusting the dials on those all the time, or are you just kind of seeing what's coming up next?

Regina Hall (42:13)

I mean, at a certain point, you have more options, right? As your career. I mean, I think it was. I mean, I would love to say I was an architect. I think it was probably accidental because in the beginning you would just. You kind of said, yes. Yeah, totally, I got a job.

Amy Poehler (42:26)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (42:27)

Flyer height. When does it. When does it start? When does play? If that would have been my first offer, I would have been there. So it's kind of been like.

Amy Poehler (42:36)

I know. It is kind of funny in retrospect when people say, like, you know, what made you make that choice? And it's like, they just asked.

Regina Hall (42:45)

I know. And it went well. But that's kind of how it was. I mean, Scary Movie was a little. I think best man in the Love. Scary Movie was different. Cause I was a huge fan of the Wayans. And I mean, I really wanted to work with Kenan, but. And then that just ended up having. But I will say for the beginning, it was kind of an accident. Everything was an accident.

Amy Poehler (43:07)

When that movie comes out and it's a huge hit, you've been in a couple films are just like giant hits right away. Scary Movie Girl strip, like where you're just on this train. What is that like to just have, you know, do something and then suddenly it's like, oh, we've got a franchise, right?

Regina Hall (43:25)

You know, nothing. I don't know. I. I'll ask you this. Nothing necessarily feels like that in real time.

Amy Poehler (43:29)

Yeah, that's right. It's kind of like what is. What's discussed later.

Regina Hall (43:33)

Yeah, it's later. I think in real time. It came out. It did well. And I was like, you know, that's great. But I did die in the first one. And I was. And we, you know, and I. And. And I didn't expect to come back for the second one. It was like, I didn't have a deal. I didn't.

Amy Poehler (43:48)

Remind me how they got you back after you died.

Regina Hall (43:50)

It was a near death experience.

Amy Poehler (43:53)

Right?

Regina Hall (43:53)

They described it as a near death experience. And then I became psychic, but I really wasn't psychic at all. Brenda just. Or she was psychic, but I think, yeah, that was like. It's kind of like, you know, you don't know. Who knew? Yeah, I mean, and that was kind of.

Amy Poehler (44:12)

Did you feel that way about Girls Trip too? Which, I mean, I can remember when that came out. Tracy Oliver, who I got the pleasure to work with, we produced a show together called Harlem.

Regina Hall (44:22)

Oh, yes.

Amy Poehler (44:23)

For a couple years on Amazon. And Tracy's Megan. Yes, Megan. And Tracy's so talented. And I just remember that feeling very exciting when that was a big hit. What was that experience like?

Regina Hall (44:38)

That was great. I will say this, this is gonna sound crazy to many people, but my dog got really sick right before. And my dog passed away like four days after Girl Trip came out and he had been really sick. And I loved my dog Zeus. So it was a bit of a blur. I was very sad. I was very sad. Cause I had lost. I had lost my little, little fat little baby. You know, he was a little bulldog. And so I was very happy. It did well.

Amy Poehler (45:10)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (45:10)

I remember because at First I was like. I think I was not. I think the girls were a lot more optimistic. I was like, should we be coming out in the summer? That was my thought. I was like, against. I mean, he's not like, he's very talented, but Chris Nolan and Dunkirk, I was like, we're coming out the same day.

Amy Poehler (45:32)

But sometimes that counter programming can really work sometimes.

Regina Hall (45:37)

And I guess at that time it did. I guess because I was, you know, I'm a Nolan fan, so I was not. So, yeah, it was great.

Amy Poehler (45:47)

But sometimes you've had a day and you're just like, I can't go see Dunkirk tonight. You're like, I can't do it. My day was Dunkirkian.

Regina Hall (45:57)

Yes. Right.

Amy Poehler (45:57)

And I need to laugh.

Regina Hall (45:58)

Yeah, I don't need Dunkirk again.

Amy Poehler (46:01)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I. I remember Tina and I did a movie called Sisters, and it came out against Star wars. And so it was like, hmm, I have a film.

Regina Hall (46:11)

I'm coming out in an animated film. Ooh, SpongeBob.

Amy Poehler (46:15)

Yes.

Regina Hall (46:16)

And that's coming out the same day as Avatar. So I was like, that's.

Amy Poehler (46:21)

But I like that programming. I like that because.

Regina Hall (46:23)

Tell me how I don't understand that. Tell me, tell me.

Amy Poehler (46:27)

I like it.

Regina Hall (46:27)

You like an Avatar.

Amy Poehler (46:29)

I like an Avatar. Spongebob choice. Because. Because I feel like I would take.

Regina Hall (46:34)

My kids to see Avatar as well.

Amy Poehler (46:37)

Dude, how much Avatar are we gonna get?

Regina Hall (46:39)

But the thing is, this is the last Avatar. So, you guys, that's what they. You gotta go see it. But he hasn't filmed anymore. And it takes like.

Amy Poehler (46:46)

I mean, is it the last Avatar?

Regina Hall (46:49)

Yeah.

Amy Poehler (46:49)

I mean, how many times we get fooled by that?

Regina Hall (46:51)

Right? That's true.

Amy Poehler (46:52)

The last.

Regina Hall (46:53)

I feel safer now.

Amy Poehler (46:54)

And I don't know. And that one, I just. It's gonna take so long, that'. Thing. Because movies are so long.

Regina Hall (47:00)

Well, SpongeBob is only. It's short. I mean, 96 minutes. You're in and out.

Amy Poehler (47:04)

Hilarious. And it's in and out. But I mean, when you see. I just like. The other thing is, like, what do you. I could only go to that movie at. Starting at 4 o', clock, and there's no way I'm going to an 8 o' clock movie of Avatar.

Regina Hall (47:17)

But of Spongebob. Aren't they sleep by then, too, the kids? You got to get them in and out of there by 12.

Amy Poehler (47:22)

One to Spongebob. You got to do like a 6pm Probably 6pm But I think. Are you gonna get a lot of adults?

Regina Hall (47:27)

That's a good idea.

Amy Poehler (47:28)

Cause that's going to Spongebob.

Regina Hall (47:31)

But don't you think those adults would see Avatar 2?

Amy Poehler (47:33)

I'm just not this adult.

Regina Hall (47:34)

Not that. So we got. We got one, everybody.

Amy Poehler (47:37)

I'm gonna say it right now, and I'm sorry if I'm gonna, like, cause problems. I'm not gonna see the new Avatar.

Regina Hall (47:45)

I'm not.

Amy Poehler (47:45)

I don't. I'm not gonna see it.

Regina Hall (47:47)

Well, we're not on IMAX anyway, so the Avatar took the imax, so we're gonna be on.

Amy Poehler (47:52)

I also. I don't like imax.

Regina Hall (47:55)

Yeah, those theaters, that is so intense.

Amy Poehler (47:57)

It.

Regina Hall (47:58)

Well, we're coming out. One battle after another is coming on on imax.

Amy Poehler (48:01)

Okay. Except for that.

Regina Hall (48:07)

Right? Yeah, that one. That one.

Amy Poehler (48:10)

But so before I get to that movie, because it looks so great, and I mean, Paul Thomas Anderson is just such an incredible director and your cast is incredible. But I wanna talk about award shows, because you and I are. We've both hosted stuff I love.

Regina Hall (48:27)

Yes.

Amy Poehler (48:27)

I love when you host. I love when you host. You are good at it.

Regina Hall (48:31)

Well, I mean, what do you.

Amy Poehler (48:33)

What do you like about doing?

Regina Hall (48:34)

It's. I mean, I don't know that. I do.

Amy Poehler (48:37)

I know what you mean.

Regina Hall (48:39)

It's hard.

Amy Poehler (48:40)

I know what I mean. It's hard. And it's a little bit of, like, diminishing returns. Like, the more you do it, like, when you. When you pull it off the first.

Regina Hall (48:46)

Time, you're like, they want it again.

Amy Poehler (48:48)

And they're like, come back and do it again. It's like, I don't know if I should do it.

Regina Hall (48:50)

You all have managed to do repeat performance and honestly, be amazing each time.

Amy Poehler (48:56)

Thank you. Right back at you. And I feel like you have something that hosts need that you just kind of can't teach, which is you have to be a little. A little ambivalent, a little relaxed. You can't care too much about it.

Regina Hall (49:12)

Because people can feel that.

Amy Poehler (49:13)

I know. They can feel it in the room.

Regina Hall (49:15)

They can feel it in the room.

Amy Poehler (49:16)

So what do you do to kind of keep that vibe going or, like, fake that vibe when you're out there doing it?

Regina Hall (49:22)

I do. I mean, I don't know. Let me ask you, if you feel this, you know, you're nervous, but once the curtain goes up, you're like, well, here it is.

Amy Poehler (49:28)

Yes.

Regina Hall (49:29)

There's nothing you can do. I mean, it's at that point and it's just, you know, it's like that breast exam. It's on. The shirt is off.

Amy Poehler (49:36)

We gotta do it.

Regina Hall (49:37)

The machine is Open. We gotta slap em one in there. I think it just kind of. I mean, you gotta feel that what you've got is enough. I think, I think that's what it is. You've gotta just feel like, well, what I have is enough. Cause I always feel like the minute you feel like you panic.

Amy Poehler (49:55)

Yes.

Regina Hall (49:56)

That's when it's gonna be your honest.

Amy Poehler (49:57)

And you are the like a host. Whether it be you're having a dinner party, whether you're having a wedding, whether you're hosting the be awards, whatever is the thing. If you're having fun.

Regina Hall (50:08)

Right. I agree.

Amy Poehler (50:08)

And you set the tone, people relax. But if to your point, if you. I mean, you were hosting the Academy Awards during a very hectic year, the year of the slap. Very stressful. You and Amy and Wanda and you guys had to handle like this crazy live thing.

Regina Hall (50:27)

Yeah.

Amy Poehler (50:28)

Are you the kind of performer when something like that happens where you like, how do you. How do you adjust? Do you just like try to stay in your body? Do you disassociate? What do you do? How do you adjust when those kind of things happen? Well, I had.

Regina Hall (50:42)

I mean, I mean, it was wonderful to have them, you know, and not be doing that alone.

Amy Poehler (50:47)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (50:48)

And they were great. I think you just are like, let, you know, the show must go on. Right. I think there's just something about the show must go on mentality that you just are like, it is. Here we go.

Amy Poehler (51:02)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (51:03)

And because you're at that point, you are thinking of your audience, you want your audience to continue to enjoy the show and you don't. And that's the thing about a live show. You know, anything. Anything can happen anyway when you're doing anything live. So I think you have to just always be prepared for that.

Amy Poehler (51:21)

Totally.

Regina Hall (51:22)

Whatever that ends up being, you just, Just ride it out.

Amy Poehler (51:25)

Yeah. I mean, it's a skill. It's a skill to be able to do that and to not let things kind of throw you. And you're so good at pivoting in real time, like whether you're accepting for Kevin Costner in real time, which was amazing, like a beautiful poem and an incredible.

Regina Hall (51:46)

That is my fault because they said, regina, you should read this book backstage. And I was like, no, no, no, I got it. Right. I was like, no, no, no, I got it. And I didn't realize what they had written. And I sure think it was that discovery in real time.

Amy Poehler (51:58)

But it was very human and very light, lovely, like, because you were real, you were accepting for Kevin Costner, who wasn't there at the time because he was dealing with weather in Santa Barbara, which was real destructive weather that people were, you know. And you were, of course, doing what anyone would do, which is like, doing like this fun, gracious, kind of light tease to the person who won, until you realize mid sentence that you're like, I see. This is more serious. And it was a beautiful pivot. Do you remember? I forget what award show it was. Maybe it was the Emmys and Jimmy Fallon's prompter went out. Do you remember that?

Regina Hall (52:40)

Yes.

Amy Poehler (52:41)

And. And I mean, he was. He handled it so well. He just was like, hey, I can't read the prompter. And he just kind of riffed for a second, and I thought, oh, oh.

Regina Hall (52:51)

I do remember that.

Amy Poehler (52:52)

He just kind of made a thing about it. And I remember, like, for hours after, just kind of lying in my room thinking, that is a living stress dream. That you would just walk out to all these people and just the prompter.

Regina Hall (53:06)

And the prompter. I know. And even for two seconds. Cause it's like the beginning. It's right when you need. It's right when you are like, I need to engage them. I'm letting them know what this night is going to be like. And then you don't have a prompter.

Amy Poehler (53:19)

Back to dentistry. Have you ever had dreams that your teeth fall out?

Regina Hall (53:25)

No. Have you? You have it.

Amy Poehler (53:27)

It's a very typical stress dream that you're that, like, you go to talk and your teeth fall out.

Regina Hall (53:33)

Oh, my God. That. I'm stressed thinking about it.

Amy Poehler (53:36)

I know. I'm sorry to bring it up. Do you have what. What would be a typical stress stream for you?

Regina Hall (53:42)

I probably am not sleeping if I'm that stress. Okay. I think that's what happens.

Amy Poehler (53:46)

Do you. Are you a good sleeper? I love to talk about sleep. I love sleep.

Regina Hall (53:50)

Here's the thing. I love sleep. I want more of it.

Amy Poehler (53:53)

Okay, let's talk about how to get you there.

Regina Hall (53:56)

Okay.

Amy Poehler (53:56)

What's your bedtime?

Regina Hall (53:58)

Well, there's the answer. Too late there. It's too late. There's a lot to do sometimes when I get home.

Amy Poehler (54:05)

Okay.

Regina Hall (54:07)

Or it's that last Dateline episode that I've never seen, and I want to get that last one in.

Amy Poehler (54:13)

You cannot watch a Dateline to feel good late at night. Well, it's just bad for dreams.

Regina Hall (54:18)

Oh, I have great dreams.

Amy Poehler (54:19)

Okay.

Regina Hall (54:20)

A lot of times it's spouses. Have you seen that? Have you noticed that that is true?

Amy Poehler (54:23)

And I was talking about this with Zarna Garg a couple weeks ago. On this podcast that women who are. I think Zarna. Great. That women who are married are much more likely to die. To die earlier and yes, to get married.

Regina Hall (54:34)

Oh, you mean from stress? Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Amy Poehler (54:38)

But it shortens your life if you're married. You know that.

Regina Hall (54:40)

Yeah. Yep. Sucks it right out. Sucks it right out. Yeah. Cuz you're caretaking and you're thinking of. And a lot of times women, they're. They're nurturing, so they're giving so much. But the men, they. They fare better.

Amy Poehler (54:54)

They do. A man.

Regina Hall (54:56)

I don't even know why y' all don't want to get married. Y' all should be begging to run down an altar, like literally.

Amy Poehler (55:02)

Yeah. Right. Men should know that it's going to add. They should do like a. You should do like a very, like, like, you know, there's all these like, podcasts and books and classes of like, maximizing your potential. They should just do it about getting married. They should just say, you get married, you live five more years.

Regina Hall (55:23)

86% of the most successful men are married. I'm just saying, I mean, that's gotta, you know, they need that grounding. They need that home base.

Amy Poehler (55:40)

And women don't.

Regina Hall (55:41)

No, no. Because they find it in friendships.

Amy Poehler (55:44)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (55:44)

You know what I was saying? And tell me this, anyone else in here, have you noticed that men. Oh, there was a study. If you ask men who their best friend is, most of them say they're wives.

Amy Poehler (55:56)

Right.

Regina Hall (55:56)

And if you ask a woman, she's really got her friends, she's like, Lisa, you know, Amy. Like, they really. They have, they have it. And for men, it'll be their wives.

Amy Poehler (56:05)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (56:06)

I do feel like women have, you.

Amy Poehler (56:08)

Know, tribes and we're in our 50s, right. So we're kind of in the middle 30s. Oh, we're in our 30s. Wait, let me check.

Regina Hall (56:15)

Yeah, 39.

Amy Poehler (56:17)

39. And we are in the watery middle.

Regina Hall (56:21)

We're in the watery middle.

Amy Poehler (56:26)

Water. So important resource. Water is a sponsor.

Regina Hall (56:29)

It is water, please.

Amy Poehler (56:31)

Yeah, water it don't go. Don't go. Water. Don't go. Do you worry about, like, are you.

Regina Hall (56:38)

Totally in the climate change? Yes.

Amy Poehler (56:39)

Yes. And do you. Are you like a prepper? Are you. Do you think about.

Regina Hall (56:44)

Totally aware and I'm like, fuck it at the same time.

Amy Poehler (56:47)

Yeah, I know.

Regina Hall (56:47)

Because I'm like, what can I do? I can't live in the stress of it, but am aware enough to be like, if there is something that can be done, I will do it.

Amy Poehler (56:55)

If there was a zombie apocalypse, oh.

Regina Hall (56:57)

My Gosh, let's just say I can't live in buildings and just take me out. I'm gonna go at some point anyway.

Amy Poehler (57:04)

I feel exactly the same. I would just be like, let me be the first to go.

Regina Hall (57:08)

Just. Yeah. Like don't bite me. Cause I don't want to be alive and dead. But just somebody just run me on over. However, whatever is the quickest way. But I don't want to just survive. I haven't slept.

Amy Poehler (57:18)

Amy, get up.

Regina Hall (57:19)

I hear something. You've got a gun. We've got one candy bar between us that's got to last for like 10 days.

Amy Poehler (57:25)

No. We should do a zombie movie where the two of us immediately get killed.

Regina Hall (57:28)

For a fact. We're trying to get killed the whole movie. There's no one who killed. Can't even get bitten by a zombie. We can't. Yeah.

Amy Poehler (57:39)

That is a good idea. I know because I feel. But there. But what are you like in a crisis? Because I'm projecting on you? I feel like you'd be very level headed.

Regina Hall (57:48)

I think I'm pretty calm in a crisis. At least most crisis. But I have emetophobia, so it depends on that crisis I'm not great in.

Amy Poehler (57:57)

Let's talk about that.

Regina Hall (57:58)

I know.

Amy Poehler (57:59)

I love a phobia.

Regina Hall (58:00)

Yeah. Do you have any?

Amy Poehler (58:06)

I don't think so. I don't have a real phobia. I. I think I have like intrusive thoughts that maybe is phobia adjacent, like fear of stuff. But I don't have an actual fear of clowns. I don't love anyone.

Regina Hall (58:20)

You don't? I don't mind clowns.

Amy Poehler (58:21)

I don't. I don't love them. I. I don't. I definitely don't want to be around a clown. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't scream around way. They're just. They see. It's a lot. It's a lot. I don't like any people that are like performing clown stuff. Clown stuff. But I respect them and I would scream if I saw one.

Regina Hall (58:41)

Right.

Amy Poehler (58:41)

But emetophobia is.

Regina Hall (58:44)

Well, am. I have two phobias. Ametophobia.

Amy Poehler (58:47)

Ametophobia. Yeah.

Regina Hall (58:49)

And then claustrophobia. Ametophobia is a fear of like growing up. Yeah.

Amy Poehler (58:54)

Someone throwing up. Are you throwing up? I have some friends who have that. We won't talk about it anymore because it makes people stressed for people listening. We won't talk about it. But it's real.

Regina Hall (59:03)

It's real. And so is claustrophobia.

Amy Poehler (59:05)

Okay. And so claustrophobia. How does that manifest in your everyday My.

Regina Hall (59:11)

You know what? I only am claustrophobic if I'm like, I can't get out. So, like, I can do a small space if I can get out of it, but if it's a small space and I'm like. Like an mri, I gotta know I can. Can scoot out.

Amy Poehler (59:24)

But you can't in an mri.

Regina Hall (59:26)

Exactly. That's why I can't do those.

Amy Poehler (59:28)

So do you take a. Do you take a night. Night pill when you take a pill?

Regina Hall (59:31)

No, I do the open mri.

Amy Poehler (59:33)

There's an open.

Regina Hall (59:34)

Yeah, there's. Which is wider. Which is wider where you can scoot out. You can scoot out. And I don't let them leave me alone.

Amy Poehler (59:42)

Yes.

Regina Hall (59:42)

They have to sit in there with me, and then I have to talk to them. They have to talk to me.

Amy Poehler (59:47)

And are you feeling. Do you know. Do you have a sense of where your claustrophobia came from?

Regina Hall (59:53)

I remember it starting when I got a face mask. What do you call those?

Amy Poehler (60:00)

Facial.

Regina Hall (60:01)

Not a facial.

Amy Poehler (60:01)

Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about. So actors often have to get, like, a plaster cast of their face, and it is terrifying.

Regina Hall (60:10)

And that's when I didn't have it before that I remember. But I remember when they were both on me. Plastering me. Yeah, Plastering my face.

Amy Poehler (60:21)

I know neither sounds. It's a very weird.

Regina Hall (60:22)

It's like I keep trying to make it sound better.

Amy Poehler (60:24)

It's a very weird thing that people don't know, which is a lot of actors have to get. Especially if you're doing any prosthetics. Yes. And I'm sure makeup artists have made it better and better and easier and easier. But back when we were doing it, it was like, stick two straws in your nose.

Regina Hall (60:38)

Yeah. And they do your mouth, and then they're patting you, and you. Your ears are covered, and then they're trying to go fast, and then it has to harden.

Amy Poehler (60:44)

That's right.

Regina Hall (60:45)

And then once it hardens, they can remove it. And the thing wasn't that I just was like, what if a fire comes? They forget about me and run out.

Amy Poehler (60:54)

Because, like, wait, this is a really interesting thing your brain is doing.

Regina Hall (60:57)

So my brain creates scenarios.

Amy Poehler (60:59)

It wouldn't be the fire that would be the problem. It would be that you've let. You've been left alone.

Regina Hall (61:03)

I've been left, and I can't get. And I can't get the thing out. Oh, that's a good anxiety. That's what happened. That's what happens.

Amy Poehler (61:11)

Okay, so I do want to talk about One battle after another. Because, I mean, you worked with a lot of great directors. Paul Thomas Anderson is amazing. His films are really amazing.

Regina Hall (61:21)

He was one of my. Yeah, he's like. He's my favorite.

Amy Poehler (61:23)

What was it like to shoot it? It was shot in. All in la.

Regina Hall (61:25)

All in la. In different parts of California. Not la. California. It was great. You know, it's wonderful to. I mean, the cast is amazing.

Amy Poehler (61:33)

And how did you like working with Leonardo DiCaprio?

Regina Hall (61:36)

Leo? Well, he's. You know, the thing with Leo is he's not very experienced. He's green. And so you.

Amy Poehler (61:46)

When you're like, oh, no, sweetie, that's crafty. That's crafty. That's not set.

Regina Hall (61:50)

Exactly.

Amy Poehler (61:51)

You went the wrong way.

Regina Hall (61:51)

No, yeah, I had to do a lot of that. No, that's the lens. Don't look into it. Cause he was doing a lot of that.

Amy Poehler (61:58)

Yeah, yeah.

Regina Hall (61:59)

Once we got past that, though, he was great. He's great. He's great. Yeah. No, it was sad, but it was also sweet. It's endearing.

Amy Poehler (62:08)

Tender.

Regina Hall (62:09)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And he. He's got a lot riding on this because he's never had a big movie. No.

Amy Poehler (62:14)

Yeah, yeah. Oh, he sounds sweet.

Regina Hall (62:16)

He is.

Amy Poehler (62:17)

And then you're making another scary movie, making another, which is, like, perfect example of your career. You have this, like, you know, kind of prestigious, very, like, intense. And then you're gonna go do that dumb fun. Because I imagine it's real big dumb fun.

Regina Hall (62:32)

Oh, my gosh. Yes.

Amy Poehler (62:33)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (62:34)

Yes, it is fun. And, like, you know, I think for us, it's like, well, let's see how far we can push humor in 2025. You know, that's a. That's a big thing. But you know that the great thing is you get at everybody.

Amy Poehler (62:46)

Yeah. That's what.

Regina Hall (62:47)

Comedy. That's where it lives, Right? Getting at everybody.

Amy Poehler (62:51)

I think so. I mean, like, what. I asked this of all my guests, but what do you.

Regina Hall (62:54)

Why do I have an urge to do this?

Amy Poehler (62:58)

What is it called? It's called. What's the word when you. Misophonia. So I don't think it's a phobia. I think it's a phonia. I don't know what's the difference? But, yeah.

Regina Hall (63:10)

Wow.

Amy Poehler (63:10)

Misophonia is when you.

Regina Hall (63:11)

Can you look up the difference between phobia and phonia. Maybe phonias.

Amy Poehler (63:17)

I can. I have a laptop here. And.

Regina Hall (63:20)

And she is part of that generation, like myself, of pre technology.

Amy Poehler (63:25)

That's right where I started things in.

Regina Hall (63:28)

We would be going to the microfiche.

Amy Poehler (63:34)

Remember microfiche? Okay. Misophonia is a condition where specific sounds Condition where specific sounds trigger intense negative emotional reactions such as anger, annoyance, or anxiety. Wow. I don't know if it. It's intense. But for example, if I'm listening to a podcast. Yes. And someone needs to take a drink of water and they're really dry mouth.

Regina Hall (63:58)

You can hear it.

Amy Poehler (63:59)

Not only can I hear it, but I really can't listen to the. The person.

Regina Hall (64:02)

So you have also. You must have an incredible ear.

Amy Poehler (64:04)

I do have a. I have a good ear and I can hear things pretty well.

Regina Hall (64:08)

Now look up phobia and just see what that definition is.

Amy Poehler (64:12)

Phobia. Let's see what the Latin word of phobia is.

Regina Hall (64:15)

Phobia, meaning if I was like phobia.

Amy Poehler (64:19)

In an extreme or irrational fear or aversion to something.

Regina Hall (64:23)

So it's fear and. And the other one is anger and disgust.

Amy Poehler (64:26)

Yeah, just about sounds. But just about sounds about sounds. Cuz like phonograph and phon.

Regina Hall (64:31)

That makes sense.

Amy Poehler (64:34)

But you want to know what causes phobia?

Regina Hall (64:37)

What?

Amy Poehler (64:38)

It's genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and traumatic experiences. So there you go.

Regina Hall (64:43)

That experience of that thing, of that face thing. I also was like, they could be doing anything. I can't see.

Amy Poehler (64:54)

Right.

Regina Hall (64:54)

I just heard fingers. And then like, you know, I could have been ass up in like 30 seconds. Not that I. Not that I thought that. I didn't think that. Yeah. But if I think about it now.

Amy Poehler (65:04)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (65:05)

Anything could have happened. They were very nice, both of them.

Amy Poehler (65:08)

Treatment is cbt, Exposure therapy. Exposure medication.

Regina Hall (65:16)

How are you gonna, you know. So I just have to get in small spaces. Claustrophobia, and then just be forced to stand sitting there. Huh.

Amy Poehler (65:22)

So you don't like to get smushed? I love getting smushed.

Regina Hall (65:24)

I don't mind getting. I don't mind getting smushed. I just need to know I can get out. If you put me in a small closet and I know it can't get locked, then that can get in there.

Amy Poehler (65:35)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (65:36)

I can get in an elevator just fine. Unless the elevator gets stuck.

Amy Poehler (65:39)

Oh, has that happened?

Regina Hall (65:42)

And one day I was panicking. I just hadn't hit the open button because, you know, you know, the door.

Amy Poehler (65:48)

If the doors don't open, it's very stressful. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Regina Hall (65:51)

And I was like, you know, because it was. It's the can't get out part. It's not the actual cuz. I can do. Can you do roller coaster rides where you get Strapped in hard.

Amy Poehler (66:01)

Okay, I can do them. I don't feel a phobia from them, but I hate being shook that much. Like the shaky, like, I don't do roller coasters. I feel it's too much.

Regina Hall (66:10)

Where is it shaky for you?

Amy Poehler (66:12)

Just the. I don't, I don't like a roller coaster to me is like, I. I get nauseous. I feel like all like dizzy. I. It's not worth, for me the feeling.

Regina Hall (66:24)

Of I love them.

Amy Poehler (66:25)

I. You love them.

Regina Hall (66:27)

I get on them and like, and I want to get off. And when it's going chick, chick, chick, chick, I'm like, I want to get off. I want to get off. As soon as the first drop happens and I make it, I'm like, woo. Now I can't enjoy it because I worry about someone throwing up on it.

Amy Poehler (66:46)

But if roller coasters are like a way to shake it up, what is. And I asked my guest this. What is something that you're listening to, watching. Where do you go to laugh? Because I know you love to laugh. You have a great sense of humor. You're deeply funny. Who makes you laugh?

Regina Hall (67:02)

I have comfort watches. I've seen Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry met Sally 5,000 times.

Amy Poehler (67:07)

Yeah.

Regina Hall (67:08)

And Heartburn, I kind of like more have. Isn't it heartburn?

Amy Poehler (67:12)

Is heartburn not talked about enough? What is Meryl in that movie? And the. And Jack, they're so good together.

Regina Hall (67:20)

And you know, Jack, stop. You wanted it to work. What about when she would have. When she had that pregnant belly and then that little baby and she had to sing and she had to leave that movie? I think that movie is not. I don't know if it's underrated, but I say it's underrated because I think.

Amy Poehler (67:36)

I think you're right. It is so good. Check out Heartburn.

Regina Hall (67:39)

Check out Heartburn.

Amy Poehler (67:40)

It's so good.

Regina Hall (67:41)

And. And it's so honest. You know, when she came back, you know what? I loved the delivery scene when he was talking to her and he cried and you were like, it's gonna be different. And they had the baby. He was right back out there. He was right back out there in 10 minutes. She was ruined him. He couldn't even. Until she couldn't do it anymore.

Amy Poehler (68:02)

No. People are complicated.

Regina Hall (68:04)

People are complicated. And it's not good or bad, but. But it is. Can I stand it? And there was a little bit of her that was too compromised in that film, in that story or Ephron story. And I love Heartburn. Even in the beginning when it was like, should we get married? Remember behind when she had the cold fever?

Amy Poehler (68:24)

Yes. So good. So human.

Regina Hall (68:29)

Yeah, she's funny too.

Amy Poehler (68:30)

Oh, Meryl's so funny.

Regina Hall (68:31)

I mean, Meryl's everything.

Amy Poehler (68:33)

Meryl.

Regina Hall (68:34)

Meryl. I mean, there's Meryl. Meryl. Rub on us.

Amy Poehler (68:39)

Rub up on us.

Regina Hall (68:40)

Yes, just rub on us. I mean, love, Meryl. That was a great one, though.

Amy Poehler (68:43)

Well, I have to say, Regina, it's been so great talking to you. And I have to say that the Catholic church loss has been our gain. I really appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much for coming. It's so great to talk to you. I know. And I'll see you on another dance floor hopefully soon.

Regina Hall (68:58)

Yeah, absolutely.

Amy Poehler (68:59)

Okay.

Regina Hall (69:00)

Okay. Thanks, honey.

Amy Poehler (69:02)

Thank you so much. Regina hall, you are awesome and it was so great to talk to you and so fun and today's Polar Plunge is presented by BMW Certified. Visit BMW USA.com certified preowned to learn more for this plunge. I want to talk about a film that we mentioned briefly that Regina was in, but it's just great if you get a chance to check it out. It's called Support the Girls and it was 2018. It was just kind of this slice of life indie film about a bunch of young women working at like a sports bar. Regina's just so great in it. And I just wanted to take the plunge moment to remind you to check that out in wherever it's streaming. And just a fine example of Regina at her best doing big, hilarious moves and deep, grounded dramatic acting. So check that out. But don't forget that today's Polar Plunge was presented by BMW certified. In a world full of uncertainty, BMW certified pre owned vehicles are the real deal. They come with a BMW certified warranty, genuine BMW parts and an additional three years of 247 roadside assistance. Learn more at BMW USA.com certified-preowned bye. You've been listening to Good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weissberman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by by the ringer and Paper Kite for the Ringer production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spalane, Kaia McMullen and Aleya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Mill.