Hildy's Happy Hour | Octavia Spencer

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Hildy the Barback and the Lake of Fire"
Episode: Hildy's Happy Hour | Octavia Spencer
Release Date: January 31, 2025

---

Introduction

In the premiere episode of Hildy's Happy Hour, hosts Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory, and Melissa McCarthy welcome the esteemed actress and producer, Octavia Spencer. The episode serves as both a nostalgic reunion and an insightful conversation into Octavia's illustrious career, personal anecdotes, and the dynamic camaraderie among friends who have known each other for nearly three decades.

---

Reuniting with an Old Friend

The episode kicks off with lighthearted banter about technical difficulties and playful nicknames, setting a relaxed and humorous tone. Ben Falcone introduces Octavia Spencer, emphasizing their long-standing friendship spanning 28 years ([04:17]). The hosts reminisce about their early days, highlighting how Octavia's infectious laughter contributed significantly to their performances.

Melissa McCarthy ([08:52]): "Outro's frequency is everything."

Octavia shares heartfelt appreciation for her friends' consistent support and acknowledges the impact they've had on her growth both personally and professionally.

---

Octavia's Early Career and the Hidden Valley Ranch Sketch

Delving into Octavia's beginnings, the conversation reveals her initial endeavors in casting and market research before breaking into acting. She recounts her experiences conducting focus groups for luxury car brands like BMW, which inadvertently inspired her iconic Hidden Valley Ranch sketch at the Groundlings.

Octavia Spencer ([13:25]): "We were recruiting groups to provide honest feedback, which fueled the creativity behind our sketches."

Melissa McCarthy confirms the direct influence of these focus group sessions on her comedic writing, particularly the Hidden Valley Ranch segment, underscoring the synergy between their real-life experiences and their creative outputs.

---

Highlighted Projects: Thunder Force and The Shape of Water

The discussion shifts to Octavia's notable projects, with a special focus on Thunder Force and The Shape of Water. Octavia expresses immense joy in portraying a superhero, a long-held dream she finally realized thanks to her friends' unwavering support.

Octavia Spencer ([21:24]): "Getting to wear a super suit was like stepping into a childhood fantasy come true."

Melissa and Ben share behind-the-scenes anecdotes about suit fittings and the challenges faced during production, highlighting the collaborative spirit that defines their working relationship.

Regarding The Shape of Water, Octavia delves into the demanding yet rewarding nature of working with director Guillermo del Toro.

Octavia Spencer ([24:33]): "Working on The Shape of Water was a revelation. Guillermo's dedication transformed every scene into a masterpiece."

She candidly discusses the rigorous work schedule and the profound emotional journey the film took her on, particularly in processing her own grief over her mother's passing.

---

Personal Preferences and Lifestyle

The conversation seamlessly transitions to personal lifestyles, with Octavia sharing her preference for serene environments over the bustling city life of Los Angeles. She emphasizes the therapeutic effects of nature on her well-being.

Octavia Spencer ([37:29]): "Being out in the woods truly lowers my blood pressure and helps me relax."

Melissa and Steve echo similar sentiments, discussing their fondness for Atlanta's pace and the balance it provides against the fast-paced nature of LA. They also touch upon their shared interests outside of work, such as music genres and outdoor activities.

---

Signature Drink: The Old Timber

A delightful segment of the episode introduces Octavia's favorite drink, the "Old Timber." The hosts recount the origins of this concoction—a blend of red wine and Diet Coke Zero—crafted during their time in Atlanta.

Octavia Spencer ([33:21]): "I mix a little red wine with Diet Coke Zero. It's my way to unwind without all the sugar."

They reminisce about the first time they experimented with the drink, humorously navigating through imperfect attempts to perfect the recipe, which eventually became a staple in their gatherings.

---

Speed Round

Towards the end, the hosts engage Octavia in a lively speed round, posing rapid-fire questions to uncover her preferences and quirky facts. This segment highlights Octavia's candidness and adds a playful layer to the conversation.

Ben Falcone ([49:03]): "What's your favorite color?"

Octavia Spencer ([49:05]): "Blue."

The speed round continues with lighthearted exchanges about favorite movies, foods, and hypothetical scenarios, showcasing the comfortable and jovial rapport among the friends.

---

Concluding Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Octavia reflects on her journey and the invaluable support from her friends, affirming the strength of their bond.

Octavia Spencer ([53:24]): "You guys have made me laugh for 28 long years. Your consistency and dedication are unmatched."

The hosts express their gratitude for Octavia's presence, celebrating both her achievements and the enduring friendship that fuels their creative collaborations.

---

Final Remarks

Hildy's Happy Hour successfully blends humor, heartfelt moments, and insightful discussions, making it an engaging listen for both fans and newcomers. The episode not only spotlights Octavia Spencer's remarkable career but also underscores the importance of lasting friendships and collaborative spirit in achieving creative excellence.

Notable Quotes:

• Octavia Spencer ([04:17]): "28 years. Because, Octavia, everybody has a friend who remembers years and dates and things."
• Melissa McCarthy ([09:13]): "I never fake laugh, ever."
• Octavia Spencer ([21:24]): "Getting to wear a super suit was like stepping into a childhood fantasy come true."
• Octavia Spencer ([37:29]): "Being out in the woods truly lowers my blood pressure and helps me relax."
• Octavia Spencer ([53:24]): "You guys have made me laugh for 28 long years. Your consistency and dedication are unmatched."

---

This summary encapsulates the essence of the inaugural episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the engaging dialogue, shared histories, and the vibrant personalities that make Hildy's Happy Hour a promising addition to the podcast landscape.

Transcript

[Reshma Sajani]

Hi, I'm Reshma Sajani, founder of Girls who Code. Look, I'd consider myself a pretty successful adult woman. I've written books, founded two successful nonprofits, and I'm raising two incredible kids. But here's the thing. I still wake up wondering, is this it? And if the best years are yet to come, when's that going to start? Join me on My so Called Midlife, my new podcast with Lemonada Media, where we're building a playbook for navigating midlife one episode at a time. Each week, I'll chat with extraordinary guests who've transformed their midlife crisis into opportunities for growth and newfound purpose. At some point, we all ask ourselves, is there more to life? I'm here to discover how to thrive in my second act, right alongside you. My so Called Midlife is out now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

Hi, I'm Cool Opv L Isak.

[Soo Jin Pak]

And I'm Soo Jin Pak.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

And we're your aunties on Add to Cart, a podcast all about the things we buy, the things we buy into, and what that says about who we are. We're real life friends who love to.

[Soo Jin Pak]

Talk about what we're adding to Cart.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

Sometimes that means trying the latest snail serum to slather on our faces or a sweater that screams one third ugly. That's right, Sue. Each week we dive into honest, oftentimes TMI conversations about what's taking up space in our shopping carts and in our minds, be it products, trends, or something for our auntie book club. We also bring guests on the show and take a peek into their carts because the things a person buys or doesn't says a lot about them.

[Soo Jin Pak]

We like to think of ourselves as.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

Aunties to all fun, slightly unhinged and.

[Octavia Spencer]

Always ready to share some sage advice.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And a good product wreck.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

Add to Cart is out now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Lemonade. By the way, that sound.

[Ben Falcone]

Everybody, welcome to Hildy's Happy Hour.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Thank you.

[Ben Falcone]

I am your most important host, Ben Falcone, along with Steve Mallory and Melissa McClatchkin. Melissa McCarthy. She's still messing with her microphone.

[Melissa McCarthy]

My microphone keeps getting lower. Now I am sitting like a golem. I am so concave because. Do you see it going down?

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah. No, I.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It started at my mouth.

[Ben Falcone]

I wish I was responsible for this.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It's giving me now.

[Steve Mallory]

Now I wish this was a video show.

[Ben Falcone]

If only you could see this video. Also, there's Steve Mallory. Say hi, Steve. Hi.

[Steve Mallory]

This is Steve Mallory.

[Ben Falcone]

And there we go. Steve Mallory is a co wrote Chris Fennec wrote it. Yep. Wrote Hildy the bar back in the League of Fire. But this isn't Hildy the barback in the League of Fire. This is. What is this again?

[Steve Mallory]

Hildy's happy hour. It's Hildy adjacent.

[Ben Falcone]

It's Hildy's happy hour, where we sit down, we have a couple of beers with guests, and this week, aren't we just the luckiest gooses in all the land? Of all the gooses in all the land, Aren't we the luckiest gooses?

[Melissa McCarthy]

But I like gooses better. Is it geese?

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, my God.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I don't like geese. But gooses.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, geez. It's geese. Now I feel dumb. But we're the luckiest geese in all the land to welcome our delicious, wonderful. Can I not say delicious cannibals?

[Steve Mallory]

I don't say delicious.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And after the show, we will bake and carve the one and only Octavia Spencer.

[Ben Falcone]

Octavia, welcome.

[Octavia Spencer]

Okay. I love the sound effects. This is going to be the soundtrack to my life.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay, so, you know, this is just going to be a show where we ask a couple questions, and we just sort of, you know, tell a few jokes. Octavia, we've known you for a long time. You're one of our best friends.

[Steve Mallory]

Do we have an actual amount of years that you guys know each other?

[Ben Falcone]

That's what I was. That was. Thanks for.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Don't blow it.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, how many years?

[Octavia Spencer]

28.

[Ben Falcone]

28 years. Because, Octavia, everybody has a friend who remembers years and dates and things.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Octavia is ours.

[Ben Falcone]

So we met 28 years ago. 1996.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Which is weird because I'm only 34.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, you're 34. I can't do the math, but that sounds right.

[Octavia Spencer]

And I'm. I'm 18. Look, I'm like. How old am I? I'm 39. Nope, that would make me 60.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Wait, you're making yourself older.

[Octavia Spencer]

No, I'm gonna make myself. No, no, I was gonna. Well, I'm older than you, so I gotta be just a couple. What did you say?

[Melissa McCarthy]

No, you're not.

[Octavia Spencer]

I'm older than you.

[Ben Falcone]

No, she. Octavia knows. Don't.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, this is not.

[Octavia Spencer]

I'm older.

[Steve Mallory]

It's not the person.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, I'm older than you.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Oh, yeah. I don't know. When I had to. I was on a sideline. I was at cvs, and I had to give my birthday, which I was like, oh, okay, I got it. And then I had to do one of my kids, and I said, Our exact wedding date instead of the date of my child's birth. And I just looked at her, and she's like, that's not right. And I'm like, that's because I'm garbage and I just gave you my wedding anniversary Because I panic when I mask dates.

[Steve Mallory]

Or it was a real shotgun wedding.

[Octavia Spencer]

It wasn't.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Which would have been fine.

[Ben Falcone]

Octavia, Is your birthday May 25th? 25th in the right month.

[Steve Mallory]

Wait, can I ask a question? What was the meet cute? I know where you guys hung out, but what was the actual meet cute?

[Octavia Spencer]

The meet cute was at a bar to watch a football game. And you guys. I was literally with Tate and the whole Mississippi contingency, because I think it was an Ole Miss game that we were watching, and we watched an Ole Miss game, and it was literally. I don't want to say it was Ole Miss in Auburn. I think it might have been.

[Ben Falcone]

I think it was.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I think it was. I think I've never watched someone go at it like, I'm not a sporty person. So watching you, your investment that.

[Ben Falcone]

So McCarthy knows nothing about college sports and doesn't care. Now, Octavia, Ms. Spencer. Huge Auburn fan, Auburn alumni alumna, I believe. And War Damn Eagle.

[Octavia Spencer]

I believe.

[Steve Mallory]

Can someone settle the War Eagle Tigers thing? When did that. How did that happen?

[Octavia Spencer]

So War Eagle is our battle cry. It's our greeting. It's our. It's what we say when we see Auburn Tigers in the wild.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Wild.

[Ben Falcone]

Got it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And.

[Octavia Spencer]

And we are. Our mascot is the Auburn Tiger. I'll be the Tiger.

[Steve Mallory]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

So, you know.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, he's a. He's got a name. Alby.

[Octavia Spencer]

Alby.

[Melissa McCarthy]

What's the inflection? Like War Damn Eagle.

[Octavia Spencer]

No, War Eagle. And he's like, war Damn. War Damn Eagle. You know, so War Eagle. I was in. No, no, no joke. We were on the tour for the help, and I was in Spain, and we were walking across a courtyard, and someone says. And I was like, what?

[Ben Falcone]

That's wonderful.

[Octavia Spencer]

In all the places. So did you shout back? I did. War Dam. War Dam Eagle.

[Ben Falcone]

That's wonderful. So when people shout War Eagle, you.

[Octavia Spencer]

Say, Ward Wardam, War Damn Eagle.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Which we were shouting that like, we have a real soft spot for Auburn.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah. Because we did the premiere, as you know, for life, of the party at Auburn because they won a contest. And then I actually feel more kinship with Auburn than my own alma mater, University of Illinois, which, you know, seems to.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We all have onesies with Auburn on it.

[Ben Falcone]

It's still like a weird.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We had such a good time.

[Ben Falcone]

Sweatshirt. We had such a ball.

[Octavia Spencer]

I love that so much.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We have a little thing on, like, a. The theater door that's just, like, all are welcome here that they let us put on because.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, because the Warner brothers did a donation, so we did one as well. And so we donated the door to the theater, which apparently is still there. It says, all are welcome.

[Octavia Spencer]

Oh, my God.

[Ben Falcone]

Not here. No, it's just not the word here. The word here, it says, all are welcome, period.

[Octavia Spencer]

That's. That's very beautiful. You guys.

[Ben Falcone]

You guys. So we've noticed.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Also, can I just say one thing?

[Ben Falcone]

Sure.

[Melissa McCarthy]

About our first meeting in our Meet Cute. The real thing was both intoxicating and also deceptive. Possibly because when Octavia started coming to shows at the Groundlings.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

As you know, her laugh. Her laughter is so infectious, like, legitimately. And when she would come to shows, all of our scenes would do better because she would laugh. And I don't know. I've got to say, I don't know that people were laughing at us as much as they were laughing with Octavia.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, we were laughing at you guys. You know, I don't just laugh. I mean, it's gotta be funny.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Well, you never fake laugh, ever. But when you would go, the whole crowd, like, they would. It was like a weird thing that they would roll with you. And then we started getting kind of panicky. Cause we were like, tate, can you call your friend Octavia? Because I have a couple new scenes in.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Cause Sunday. Every Sunday show is like, we're all writing new stuff each week. And literally, we kept begging you to come, and the shows would go better. And then when you weren't there, it wasn't.

[Ben Falcone]

It was real quiet.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And that's just true, right?

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, 100% true. That's why we don't know what.

[Steve Mallory]

Anything is actually funny without you there.

[Octavia Spencer]

Let me tell you something. Oh, I used to love coming to see y'all. It was the best. There was nothing like it. And where we were then and where we are now, it tracks for me because one thing you guys have always been is consistent with the talent, consistent with working hard, consistent with creating, and funny as hell. Just funny as hell.

[Ben Falcone]

Thank you.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And just dragging you with us, kicking and screaming if you want to.

[Octavia Spencer]

Or not. I'm literally now the only drag is that I'm slow. I'm not the fastest runner in the bunch now.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay, so for all of this is the first episode of a show. So for all of our numerous fans out there, that all four of you, let's dig a little bit and talk to you. Spencer. So when we first met you now, so this would be 28 years ago. I personally am 51 years old, so I would have been 23 or 24. Wow. And you roughly around that age, you were working in casting or is that when you were doing focus groups?

[Octavia Spencer]

I was doing well, I did both.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

I was working as well, actually, when I first moved out here. I was hoping to do. To work in casting, but I hadn't started yet. I think that started later, just a little bit later after I met you guys. Okay. At the time, I was just trying to audition and stuff, but I also worked at a market research company. I got that job at the market research.

[Ben Falcone]

We'll keep auditioning. You'll probably get somewhere looking into the future.

[Steve Mallory]

Keep your dreams.

[Melissa McCarthy]

What, like, what kind of things were you when you were doing, like the. How did you like this product? What were the products?

[Octavia Spencer]

Oh, my God. We would get focus groups to do television shows, to watch television shows.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

We had car studies where people. It was usually the luxury brands that were looking for the car. The luxury car owners.

[Ben Falcone]

Are we talking like a Lexus?

[Octavia Spencer]

Oh, there were like, we. It would be like BMW, but you had to own other cars.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

And so they would bring people in to talk about the. The things they liked about other cars. And then there would be one or two BMW owners in the group. We also did champagne. We did. I mean, we did.

[Ben Falcone]

So what would you do? Would you. Would you have a group of people and sort of like, direct their.

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, what we would call, we would recruit the groups. Right. So you would call and you would ask a series of questions. And the people that answer the questions the way that. From the scripts, because the clients would send you the questions to ask all the people that we would screen, and then that's determine who got onto the groups. And my favorite was watching the TV groups because it gave me a lot of intel on how studios and networks. What. I didn't realize it at the time, but the people behind the glass, because they do a focus group. You know, when you did that for snl, it's very much like that.

[Ben Falcone]

And by the way, here's a synergy moment I'm pretty sure you came up with. At least I know the character was yours. But the idea of the focus groups, because Octavia is for the Hidden Valley.

[Steve Mallory]

Ranch sketch that you were doing at the Groundlings.

[Octavia Spencer]

Oh, yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I wrote that like 10 years earlier at the Groundlings.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah. But I Think because you knew Octavia was doing focus groups.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I didn't know a focus group was a thing until you told me what you did. So I for sure wrote Hidden Valley Ranch because of what you did. 100%.

[Octavia Spencer]

It's 100% like that. It's 100% like when they're testing, let's say, Hidden Valley Ranch, you. Sometimes they would have tasters, you know, like we're, you know, bringing a new flavor to market. The bacon. The bacon. Whatever. We're adding bacon. And then you baconate Bacon Nate and the ranch.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We're bacon Nate in this ranch burger with a bats. Pineapple.

[Ben Falcone]

No, Steve doesn't like it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It's okay. The pine. Look at where my mic. It's almost at my lady part. All of a sudden, I realized I was speaking into my brain, slumping the whole time, just going lower, and I was like, I am getting a crook in my neck. Sorry. Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah, I did. I wrote that because of you. So I was like, I didn't know. People sat in a room and talked about they test.

[Octavia Spencer]

That's how they test their new products.

[Ben Falcone]

And in the mean. And then you were getting parts in Spider man, and we used to go watch you and all the show and all the things you were doing, and it was amazing.

[Octavia Spencer]

So it's a. It's. It's true love in this room. And you guys have made me laugh for 28 long years.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Hi there. It's Julia Louis Dreyfus. This fall, my podcast, Wiser Than Me is back for season three with even more wisdom straight from some legendary old ladies. These chickadees have a lot to teach us. Every word is a lesson in living unapologetically and focusing on the stuff that really matters. From Lemonada Media Wiser than Me, Season 3 out now. Find it wherever you get your podcast, subscribe to Lemonada Premium in the Apple podcasts app and listen to every episode of season three A.D. free.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Hi, I'm Emily Deschanel.

[Soo Jin Pak]

And I'm Carla Gallo. And we're excited to tell you about Boneheads, our new Bones Rewatch podcast.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I played Dr. Temperance Brennan.

[Soo Jin Pak]

And I played Daisy Wick. And we are gonna watch from the very beginning.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We're gonna watch the episodes. We're gonna reminisce, we're gonna laugh, we're gonna cry. We're gonna tell behind the scenes stories.

[Soo Jin Pak]

We're gonna go on tangents.

[Melissa McCarthy]

A lot of tangents.

[Soo Jin Pak]

So whether you're a seasoned Bones fanatic or a newcomer looking to dip your toes in to The Wild World of Forensic Anthropology. This show is for you boneheads from.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Lemonada Media is out now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Falcone]

I mean, I remember this was. I was doing a hit pregnancy movie called what to Expect when youn're Expecting It. Octavia sent me the nicest. That was one of the first emails I think I got. And she sent me the nicest email about that. I was doing a movie, and it was, like, so sweet. And meanwhile, she was doing all these things that were truly great, and I was doing.

[Octavia Spencer]

No, I wasn't. You were actually working in. In the business. Yes, I was working as a. Tangentially, I was working. I was auditioning, but I was working at a market research company. So, you know, you. Both of you guys were actually working, working.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You started working, though, although you just played 75 nurses in a row.

[Octavia Spencer]

75 nurses that went. He went that away. The doctor will see you now. Push that. You know, I feel.

[Melissa McCarthy]

How many nurses? Because at one point, the number was astounding. How many nurses did you apply but you were still working where. I was still nannying, which I loved, and working, like. But I wanted to act. But you. You had the number at one point.

[Octavia Spencer]

It was. It was about 30. I mean, we didn't count some of them because it was like, nurse number one. Baby. Nurse, baby. You know, it was like some nurses. We then started demanding that the characters get.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Get a name, get a name. Get a name, guys.

[Octavia Spencer]

This nurse needs a name. Bernice. I played Bernice the nurse. Like, just. But it was about. I would say, honestly, it was about 35 times.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I remember you. I don't know where we were, but you're talking. You're like, I wore yellow scrubs, blue scrubs. Like, you went. You just went down a tirade of the amount of colors of scrubs you've worn. And I remember.

[Ben Falcone]

Didn't you do a doctor thing one time?

[Melissa McCarthy]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I did.

[Ben Falcone]

What was your doctor?

[Melissa McCarthy]

I think I was having a. I don't know if I was dying or having a baby. I can't remember, or I thought my baby was in danger, but I remember they had to, like, lift the cloth, and it was my fake tummy. But even still, I was like, I feel weird, and I don't know why you're here. And everyone was very nice, but I was just like, I don't know why I'm doing this.

[Ben Falcone]

It was like a. This would have been 20 years ago.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah.

[Steve Mallory]

I will say this, though. If I broke a leg or a finger, I'd want you to look at.

[Octavia Spencer]

It first, just in the real dialogue. I gotta be honest with you. I played a nurse so many times that I really didn't know how to check blood pressure. I would check my own. I really did know. I was like, am I sick? Let me check my blood pressure.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Octavia and my wonderful husband, we are both hypochondriacs. Your card carry. I'm not outing them. No, they own it. They love it.

[Ben Falcone]

I don't know if I love it. She loves it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You and Br. You both embrace. I don't know if you love it, but you embrace it.

[Octavia Spencer]

Ben.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It's who I am, you know? You know, I was checking my blood pressure.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, my God.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We've got seven cuffs in our home at any given moment. Yeah, like, he's got them in drawers. Because, like, over here in the kitchen. It can't be a upstairs. Because what if I need it quick? And I'm like, need it quick for what?

[Steve Mallory]

If you go upstairs, your blood pressure is going to soar.

[Ben Falcone]

I know. It will go up.

[Octavia Spencer]

Exactly.

[Steve Mallory]

I believe my first sphygmomanomometer. Yeah, that's what it's called. Sphygmomanomometer. That's what the blood pressure cuff is called.

[Ben Falcone]

Is that what it's called?

[Steve Mallory]

It's called the sphygmomanomometer. My first one was given to me by you. Ben gave me my first.

[Melissa McCarthy]

That means love.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, that's true.

[Ben Falcone]

Is it a wrist one or an arm?

[Steve Mallory]

It was a full automated arm one. It was nice. It was a luxury.

[Octavia Spencer]

I don't like squeezing my own arm. I got out of doing that because.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It always gave me anxiety. Is that a weird euphemism?

[Ben Falcone]

Too soon. Too soon.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Not on episode one.

[Ben Falcone]

You know what we're going to do? We're going to get. We're going to get back. We're going to get out of this curve. Boss, we're in. And we're going to get back to all the things that our yummy, yummy fans want so deeply.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yep.

[Ben Falcone]

Our yummy, yummy fans want us to ask. Ask questions from our fancy guest. Like, what has been. And this is. I'm sorry, we're hitting hard now. What has been your favorite project to work on?

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, okay.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I have.

[Octavia Spencer]

I have a couple.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

Because it's Thunder Force.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Don't. You can't.

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, no, I'll see. Let me. Let me say for her. I will say that's why I said I don't have. Just with one. The one that gave me a lot of clarity. About life was the shack.

[Ben Falcone]

Nice.

[Octavia Spencer]

The one that I had the most absolute fun on. I would say it was Thunder Force. Getting to work with you guys, but also wearing a super suit. And, you know, one of those things is, it has always been a dream of mine to be a superhero, and nobody was gonna cast me. Nobody was gonna cast me until I got called.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Do you remember day we both put them on, and we were, like, so nervous, and then we were like, jesus, these are cool.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

Now, what about. What about.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You know, this will have to be edited. What was a wonderful company that we went there?

[Ben Falcone]

Ironhead.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Also, I do have to say there was a snafu with making our suits, and we didn't have the right thing. And I drove, which is totally inappropriate. I drove to the president or whatever his wonder what wonderful title is of Iron Head. Who does, like, all the super suits. They do them all. We were coming in too late.

[Ben Falcone]

It was impossible.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It was totally and totally inappropriate. Wildly, wildly inappropriate.

[Ben Falcone]

But our. The stuff that we had looked like sort of like unitards.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It was like we got them, like, out of a bag on Hollywood Boulevard.

[Ben Falcone]

They were really rough.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And I did tell him I was coming and was like, I'd like to just come over. His wife was literally, like, two weeks from having a baby.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, my God.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I got there, and I was like, I'm aware this is inappropriate. And I was like, there. Octavia and I are never. We are not considered for these parts. We were going to do these parts. We love the script, but if our suits look like we're wearing, like, you know, $14 suits, I'm like, we just need your help. And he's like, I just. We're over. He was so lovely. Can't do it. We're overbooked. And then I literally started crying, and I said, you have to help us. We need. We need to not make this a joke. And he goes, my wife is gonna kill me, and his partner's gonna kill him, and his wife's super pregnant. And they made those beautiful suits, and we put those on, and iron had, like, crushed it.

[Octavia Spencer]

They really did.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And they really did. I was like, I've never felt better about myself.

[Octavia Spencer]

I. I have to say, I felt powerful. I felt very powerful, too. It was wonderful.

[Ben Falcone]

Hey, Netflix. Thunder Force Force 2.

[Steve Mallory]

Let's see bingo and the Hammer.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Bingo and the hammer.

[Steve Mallory]

Thunder Force 2. Bingo in the Hammer.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Come on, Netflix.

[Ben Falcone]

I forgot I wrote the damn thing, and I forgot her name was Bingo.

[Octavia Spencer]

Now.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay, so other than we. We touched on Thunder Force at Least for a second. Not as much as we should have. But. But we. I mean, we did the Shape of Water. You won an Oscar the same year Melissa was out.

[Octavia Spencer]

It was wonderful. It was one of my favorite, favorite jobs to do, but it was also hard.

[Ben Falcone]

The Shape of Water was.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah. Because Guillermo is a night owl. So our. He. He likes to work at night, and then he gets up early in the morning to write, and then he goes to cut and then he comes to set. So your sleep schedule. I only work two days a week.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay.

[Octavia Spencer]

Sally and those guys worked three days a week.

[Ben Falcone]

I mean, are you starting like two?

[Octavia Spencer]

By the end of the movie, we were rapping at like 7:00am Whoa. You know? Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Like mean splits.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah. It got to the. It got to that.

[Ben Falcone]

Well, I mean, it's 7am that's just nights.

[Melissa McCarthy]

That's just. But not if you're starting earlier.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Also, I love. I love that. I love that movie with. With my whole heart. Like, I think that's everything magic. It's magical. It's. It's good guys, bad guy. It's like. I just love everything about it. The cast was bananas, and Guillermo is.

[Octavia Spencer]

One of my favorite directors to work with because I was a fan of his and how he. The puppeteer.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Like.

[Octavia Spencer]

Like the way I read that first page of that script, it was all underwater, and I just had to know how he was going to do it. I read the first page. My character probably came in on page, you know, 18. I said he and I were only supposed to meet for about 30 minutes. We went and had lunch, and it was like a three hour meeting. He didn't tell me anything about the script. We talked about antiques. We talked about all of his other projects. He's like, I'm not going to tell you. I'm not gonna tell you, Octavia. I want to know. And now I'm racing home and y'all know I drive like, you know Hulk from driving Miss Daisy. Ten and two, five miles per hour. I think I got home in 30 minutes. You know, it was in Van Nuys. My lunch with him and.

[Ben Falcone]

Wait, you went to luncheon? Where are we going?

[Octavia Spencer]

No, it was. It was. It was. Oh, God. It was Marmalade. Marmalade Cafe.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay.

[Steve Mallory]

Sherman Oaks.

[Octavia Spencer]

In Sherman Oaks. Sherman Oak jokes. Sorry.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Shout out to Marmalee.

[Ben Falcone]

Shout out to Marmalee.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You made my life.

[Octavia Spencer]

Marmalee.

[Ben Falcone]

Big ass menu.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I remember when you were meeting with him, and I was like, what was it like? What did you talk? I was so.

[Octavia Spencer]

Like, it was amazing. And. But but see, that's the thing. My, my. The meetings are only supposed to be 30 minutes, and you just. You're a fan, and you talk for, like, three hours. Same thing with Gil Netter, who did the shack. It was only supposed to be 30 minutes. It was three hours later.

[Steve Mallory]

Wait, I want to know a little bit more about the shack because you said that was a defining one. Why is that?

[Octavia Spencer]

I didn't realize. So y'all know I'm really big into true crime. And a friend of mine, Amy, gave me a book. She's like, you're gonna love this book. And of course, it was about a serial killer. And I'm like, you know, and so I'm reading it, and this, the first couple of chapters, this family is at a lake, and the daughter is taken, and the family, you know, goes into shock. The dad shuts down emotionally. And during a snowstorm, they never caught the guy who killed their daughter. They never knew what happened to their daughter.

[Ben Falcone]

Wait.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

And I thought this was like, a religious.

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, let me tell you, this is. So it's bringing me in, right? Because you get me with the true crime, but I stay for the religion. So this guy in a snowstorm, he thinks that his family is being targeted by the killer. In the middle of a snowstorm, there is a note that is just a handwritten note or typed. And it's like, if you want to see me to talk about it, come see me at the shack. Papa and his wife referred to God as Papa, but he thought that somebody had been watching them and was taunting them. And so he was like, okay, I'm coming, you know, so he goes to seek revenge to avenge his daughter and has a spiritual awakening. And what I didn't realize is that I compartmentalized my grief. My mom died when I was 17, and I never really. I had never really dealt with the grief. And doing that project made me release a lot of things and allowed me to release a lot of grief and just make my peace with it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I never knew that. I never heard you talk about that.

[Octavia Spencer]

Okay, here's the one thing that'll make you guys laugh. When I agreed to do it, I then got scared because I'm like, you know, when you play a character, you kind of have to have some. As a human, you have a connection with playing another human, because you're going to play a human or you're going to play a tree, or you're going to play an Android or something. Playing God, the supreme being, the creator of all things, I started thinking I don't have a way into this character. What did I just sign up for? Because am I going to walk around saying platitudes or am I going to. You know, And I. It was like months. I was reading all of these religious doctrine and from different religions, and I had no way in. And I got real nervous when I was getting ready to go over and start and do rehearsal and everything because I don't know how to play this character. I'm like, I'm reading the Bible. But it's different when you're reading the Bible as a sinner.

[Ben Falcone]

Sure.

[Octavia Spencer]

Rather than reading the Bible as the ultimate saint. And I was in LAX, getting ready to go, and I'm in the bathroom and I walk in and I have this.

[Ben Falcone]

The normal place to meet God.

[Octavia Spencer]

No, no, no, listen. What happened?

[Ben Falcone]

I guess I did.

[Octavia Spencer]

This is. This is what happened. I'm in the stall and you know how long the lines are. I walk in to the bathroom and I yell, I'm the father. I'm the father. That's. And I yell it out and I'm like, oh, God. I thought I was thinking that about. I think I said it because as I scream it out, the bathroom got really quiet. And so I just stayed in the stall and let it get like. Let people, you know. But I. I'm like, I'm. I'm not the father. I'm the mother. But that's. That wasn't my way in. You know, I'm like, you're the mother of all beings. So that was. But I. That was how I was able to get my way in.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I love. In a stall in lax and a stall in lax.

[Octavia Spencer]

I screamed out, I'm the father. So those of you who are in the bathroom with me and you heard me, somebody somewhere will tell this story. I think she yelled out, I'm the father.

[Steve Mallory]

I've only had regrets in an LAX bathroom.

[Ben Falcone]

Me too.

[Octavia Spencer]

Me too. Except for that.

[Ronald Young Jr.]

Are you ready to dive into the ultimate pop culture showdown? Join me for Pop Culture Debate Club. I'm your host, Ronald Young Jr. Each week, our panel of trendsetters, critics and fan favorites clash over the latest in movies, music, TV and more. Who's right and who's just plain wrong. That's for me to decide. Check out Pop Culture Debate Club every Thursday, wherever you get your BBC podcasts produced by Lemonada and the BBC.

[Octavia Spencer]

Can'T.

[Soo Jin Pak]

Get enough of your favorite Lemonada media podcasts. By subscribing to Lemonada Premium today, you'll gain access to fun and inspiring Bonus content from all of our podcasts across the Lemonada Media network. As a subscriber, you can listen to never before heard interview excerpts, behind the scenes segments, and continue to uncover new ways to make life suck less through all of our exclusive subscriber audio. Get 30% off of our Lemonada Premium annual subscription today by clicking on our podcast logo in the Apple podcast app and then clicking the subscribe button.

[Melissa McCarthy]

The only thing I've yelled maybe in a laxl is like, mom, my phone. The one time I have it in a back pocket, I was like, that's dead to me forever.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, that phone goes, no, thank you.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Me forever.

[Ben Falcone]

Now let's talk a little bit about drinking. When was the first. It's just an effortless segue to what this is.

[Melissa McCarthy]

That just flows. Great conversations, Toilet God. Drinking, drinking.

[Octavia Spencer]

All of my favorites.

[Ben Falcone]

Now, you don't drink a lot, Octavia.

[Octavia Spencer]

Oh, God.

[Ben Falcone]

I do that for you. So you. Could you describe your drink?

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, my drink is a. I take a little red wine and I put diet soda on it.

[Ben Falcone]

Diet Coke Zero.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, my Coke Zero. And then I. You guys is where I mastered this. At your house. Yeah. When I came over one time, I had started drinking this sangria from Trader Joe's. It was my favorite. But I'm like, this thing is, I'm just literally drinking it, and I needed to be able to have, you know, my. My little relaxation but not have all the sugar. So when I came to your house that time, I'm thinking, let me see if I can have a little wine.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We didn't start in Atlanta earlier. Or did it start.

[Octavia Spencer]

It started first in Atlanta. It started first in your house. And then you guys, like, actually didn't realize because you were like, what's that drink that you. You like to do? But it had. It had happened at your house for the first time.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Here's. Here's what it is. It's red wine. Which when we were out, Octavia used to say, oh, honey, just give me what's your cheapest red wine? And then I finally said, you have an Oscar.

[Octavia Spencer]

Stop asking for the cheapest red wine.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Just get a nice glass of red wine. And she goes, oh, you know what? Better red wine tastes better with a Coke Zero.

[Ben Falcone]

Any fruit at the bar and all the ice you can.

[Melissa McCarthy]

All the ice. And then you also like a little bit of club soda mixed up into it. It. And we call it the old OT for old Timber. Timber.

[Steve Mallory]

Timber.

[Melissa McCarthy]

She never has more than one. But if she did have more than one, she.

[Ben Falcone]

She would fall Down.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And then we found out that that's actually like this drink from Spain. It was Sarah Cooper, who was at our house, who's an amazingly funny woman. She was like, oh, yeah, that's a, that's a drink from Spain called the, like, Calamocho Mocho.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And we just called it OT for a decade and made fun of you. And she was like, no, that's a real drink. And then we were like, well, what do we know?

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah.

[Steve Mallory]

When we used. I think I bartended at. During Thunder Force because we would have Friday night, Friday night things.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Steve Mallory]

And I took it seriously. And I was. I remember mulling oranges and cherries and getting nice one. And then at some point I'm like, I think I'm doing too much work.

[Ben Falcone]

You did not care. She did not care.

[Octavia Spencer]

But you remember, you guys, when we were at that dinner, and I think it was in Atlanta, in Atlanta, y'all had ordered that Barolo. And of course, I didn't know anything about wines. And I remember being in my little corner of the table and I poured the diet Coke into the wine glass and you heard. And I'm like.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We'Re like, let her be.

[Ben Falcone]

Just let her be. All the wait step at the now defunct, now closed King and Duke.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And they had, they had your recipe up at the bar. They had the OT up at the bar on the wall.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh.

[Melissa McCarthy]

So if you came in, they knew exactly how you wanted to make it. That was a delicious place.

[Octavia Spencer]

It was so good.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I missed the Atlanta food.

[Steve Mallory]

I just remembered that it had a cheese popover. I don't remember the drink thing, but they had a pop.

[Ben Falcone]

They had it. And they would owe every meal. They would just bring you that old pop over. Okay. Okay. Octavia.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yes.

[Ben Falcone]

This is another effortless transition.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Yes.

[Ben Falcone]

These are the things that I provide. Effortless transition. Melissa provides funniness. Steve provides.

[Steve Mallory]

I'm just pushing the buttons.

[Ben Falcone]

Whatever. I'm pushing the buttons.

[Steve Mallory]

That's what I'm doing. I'm pushing the buttons.

[Ben Falcone]

Here's a question, and this is a real question. These are the hard hitting questions. And by the way, McCarthy's mic is.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Just down to my lady parts more.

[Ben Falcone]

Than close by my mouth birth canal. Okay, but these are the hard hitting questions. Do you think that you'll live in LA your whole life or do you think you'll move somewhere south where, and I quote, my blood pressure lowers.

[Octavia Spencer]

I will definitely keep a place in la, but I will before work. But I know that I like to not be in a city center. I love Being out in the woods, because your blood pressure definitely lowers. When I'm in the south and visiting family, I just, I realize my shoulders are like bricks because I'm clenched all the time, but when I'm there, I relax because it's woods. But here's the thing. By day, it's really fun. By nights, when it gets really dark.

[Ben Falcone]

That'S when you get scared and freak out and lock all your doors.

[Octavia Spencer]

You know what I'm saying? Exactly. But, yeah, I, I, I will. I will definitely always have a place here.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I kind of think the same thing.

[Steve Mallory]

I agree entirely.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, I, I do miss Atlanta. Sometimes I think the.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I miss Atlanta.

[Ben Falcone]

The humidity. Something about the humidity worked for me.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And I don't like humidity. I grew up in Illinois, and I was like, oh, something in Atlanta. I was like.

[Ben Falcone]

It just felt very, you know, I'm not gonna, I'm gonna drop a name here. Dax Shepard.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Wow.

[Steve Mallory]

He's a podcaster.

[Ben Falcone]

He's a podcaster.

[Melissa McCarthy]

He armchair expert, guys.

[Ben Falcone]

We had him over for poker, and he said, you know, the funny thing is, I've lived in LA for however many years, and I never quite felt at home. And I thought that was the most interesting thing to say, because I love our home here. I love our friends. You know, the kids have grown up here. And it is weird, though. Like, it kind of resonated. Like, it is my home, but is it my home? Do you know what I mean?

[Melissa McCarthy]

I think you find spots that just hit you in the right spot. And something about Atlanta always kind of hit me.

[Octavia Spencer]

Right.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Because we work there a lot, which is why we were there so much. Much. And there was just times when, like, if we were working there, Ben and I would. We suddenly were like, are we just fully in rocking chairs, having. Having, like, a whiskey and listening to Jet? Remember, we got really into jazz, which is just not huge. Former, like, punk would expect to say.

[Steve Mallory]

Ben, no one is into jazz clarinet. I just want to clarify. Keep going.

[Melissa McCarthy]

So we. We got into it pretty deep, but there is something about that pace that.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

That it does change your kind of your metroidome.

[Octavia Spencer]

It definitely does. La. We are constantly. It feels like you're on a treadmill. And y'all know by looking at me, I don't really like being on the treadmill. I'm just gonna be real honest about myself and, and what I love about working. When you're working down south and visiting down south, like how you guys made it on Thunder Force, we just worked French hours, so it felt humane. And then we Always had family dinner on Sunday night. It was just really, really fun. We don't really do that here it is. It's very fast pace. And what I love about our friend group is that you guys have. You. You wave your finger and go, you got to check out. You got to check out. And we got to go to dinner. We got to do. Because otherwise we'll get into a routine of just being busy.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Hamster on the wheel.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

Too much work.

[Octavia Spencer]

Right. Would you say?

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, 100.

[Octavia Spencer]

Because you like your place in the mountains.

[Steve Mallory]

I do.

[Octavia Spencer]

You know, Yeah.

[Steve Mallory]

I need to get the woods and.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Just.

[Steve Mallory]

I like spending three hours cooking dinner somewhere.

[Ben Falcone]

Steve, you're. You're more mountain people, huh?

[Steve Mallory]

My people are mountain people. Yeah. I'm very Scandinavian in that way. And from the Northwest.

[Ben Falcone]

You like to, like, smack a big fish in the head and cook them?

[Octavia Spencer]

I do.

[Steve Mallory]

I like to cut down a tree with my hands, you know, And I'll build a little log cabin for me and my dog that I don't have, you know.

[Ben Falcone]

You do have a dog. You have a dog.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, Tucker.

[Ronald Young Jr.]

Tucker.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, your dog. Teeny little purse dog.

[Melissa McCarthy]

He was missing half of his teeth, and his tongue no longer stays inside of his mouth.

[Steve Mallory]

Consider him a dog.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You're kind of a fjord guy, would you say?

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, definitely fjords. Definitely trees. Definitely mountains. And. Yeah. And also back to, like, the place that you think of home, la, is I've been here for an eternity, but when I go someplace like the Northwest, which I'm from, I'm like, oh, this is nice.

[Melissa McCarthy]

But then, don't you. Who told you somebody gave you a great quote once, like, you have to go away. You want to go away. You have to go away. So you want to come back home. Because, like, when I leave la, then I'm like, we get to see places. But also it makes you really want to come back home, which is a good thing.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why I think it's great to be able to have a place here, but also to. Sometimes you need to just let the battery, you know, idle down.

[Ben Falcone]

We got a little place in New York City, and I brought you over there. Octavia walked you from your hotel. And that I've noticed. I don't know if it's because I keep coming back to trees. Like, some it's because of the trees, but I swear, it's something about New York feels more. Is it just akin to how you grew up or something? But the trees seem more. You know, there aren't. It's all palm trees are the problem.

[Steve Mallory]

Is there that many trees in New.

[Octavia Spencer]

York, but you guys have a lot of trees on your. On your. On your balcony. Like, you. The terrace. You guys really made it feel very tangible. Like your indoor, outdoor space, but also the life. Like you can be busy in New York and then shut it all out.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I don't know why.

[Octavia Spencer]

You know why? Because it feels like we have to drive everywhere here.

[Ben Falcone]

Because we do have to drive, you know.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We do.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah. And you don't have to drive everywhere in New York.

[Ben Falcone]

No, it's true.

[Melissa McCarthy]

You know, the wandering is what. Like when I came from, you know, I. I'd never been to New York. When I moved there at 20, I'd never seen anything like it. I remember a, you know, small farm in Illinois.

[Ben Falcone]

You couldn't ride your bike because it was too much. Everywhere was gravel.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Too much gravel. You'd wipe out and, like, get road rash. It was like, oh, Christ. I spent half my life looking for cows in barns that my parents were like, there. We don't have livestock. That's my fancy wife, guys looking for cows. But I do remember getting to New York and, like, the wandering was the most incredible thing that I was like, you just walk for miles a day because everywhere you look was something new. And you were so with people. The only thing with LA is you do get very isolated because you're alone or in a car and if you chat with people, because I'm still a Midwesterner and was in New York for so many years that, like, you know, if we're in line.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I think you should start a conversation. Well, that's why we're just like, why are you talking to me?

[Ben Falcone]

Do you remember we love. We. We lived in Byron Bay, Australia. Steve Mallory, very fantastic. And my favorite. You would go to a place, place called Bay Grocer, and somebody just go, yeah, hey, how those mangoes looking for you? And you're like, I don't know. I mean, the mangoes look pretty good. Yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I was looking at the mangoes, thinking, they look pretty good.

[Steve Mallory]

My wife would complain because I would walk. We could. We could walk from our place to this grocery store. And I would go. I'm like, hey, I'll go pick up some sugar and I'll walk around. And she's like, you've been gone an hour and a half. And I'm like, yeah.

[Ronald Young Jr.]

One of the guys was on the.

[Steve Mallory]

Set of the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah. They just want to talk.

[Steve Mallory]

And now we're just going to talk about it.

[Ben Falcone]

Because now we're friends. Because there's a. Because the. The grocery store there also has a coffee shop. And you just, like. You see people just, like, randomly hanging out in the middle of.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Like, you didn't know. And you would just. If you were. I remember talking to someone for, like, 40 minutes in the pasta aisle, and we were just talking about pasta, and I was like, I find this the most comforting thing.

[Ben Falcone]

Do you like papadilli?

[Melissa McCarthy]

And I was like, I do. I need to shave my legs. Let me get some raw Rise up lights.

[Ben Falcone]

By the way, that is. That is the trick. If you want to have an Australia accent. What is it? Australian.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Rise up lights.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay, so you say.

[Melissa McCarthy]

For razor blades, you say, rise up lights.

[Ben Falcone]

Rise up lights.

[Octavia Spencer]

Rise up lights.

[Ben Falcone]

All right, let's give it a shot. Octavia.

[Octavia Spencer]

Rise up lights.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, wow.

[Octavia Spencer]

Rise up light.

[Ben Falcone]

That's good.

[Octavia Spencer]

Mallory.

[Steve Mallory]

Are you from Melbourne? No.

[Ben Falcone]

Mallory, give me a shot.

[Steve Mallory]

Razor blades.

[Ben Falcone]

Give me a shot with Rise up lights.

[Steve Mallory]

Rise up lights.

[Octavia Spencer]

Lights.

[Steve Mallory]

Rise up.

[Ben Falcone]

No, you're doing too much. Try it again.

[Steve Mallory]

I'm always doing too much.

[Ben Falcone]

Pass. He passes.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Rise up.

[Ben Falcone]

And I can.

[Melissa McCarthy]

No drama. Which so many people are like, no one says, no drama. And I'm like, guys, you all say no drama to me. And I thought they meant like, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're getting upset. Would I just be like, oh, I'd love a lot.

[Ben Falcone]

No drama.

[Melissa McCarthy]

No drama.

[Ben Falcone]

No drama.

[Octavia Spencer]

No drama.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And it was like, oh, no worries.

[Steve Mallory]

I got it for you.

[Melissa McCarthy]

But I thought they. They were like, whoa, Comet. But they just say, there was no drama.

[Octavia Spencer]

But let me ask y'all something about I. Because I. I know that I want to visit Australia, but the creatures. Guys, every time you watch something on, you know, Tick Tock or Instagram, there's a giant.

[Ben Falcone]

Don't. Spider.

[Octavia Spencer]

A giant spider stuff, you know? Like, I mean, it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It feels like everything's trying to kill you.

[Ben Falcone]

There is a spider. There's a spider. Spider the size of a dinner plate.

[Octavia Spencer]

I can't go, guys.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I can't, you know, go to New Zealand.

[Ben Falcone]

Apparently, there's nothing bad in New Zealand. In New Zealand, I can do a New Zealand accent, but I have to whisper.

[Octavia Spencer]

Do it again.

[Ben Falcone]

Ben. Hey, mate. Everything seems fine. Why are you whispering?

[Melissa McCarthy]

It's such a whispering. But I love it.

[Ben Falcone]

I love it. I can do my. I believe my New Zealand accent is perfect.

[Melissa McCarthy]

If I whisper.

[Octavia Spencer]

Wait, do it again.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Try it at full volume.

[Ben Falcone]

Hi, honey.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Whisper.

[Ben Falcone]

Hi, honey. It works perfect.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

Ben, just a little quieter. We are just quiet. We'll be safe.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I need you to record that decision.

[Steve Mallory]

It's a country of ASMR people.

[Octavia Spencer]

This is the whole country.

[Ben Falcone]

All right, all right.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Is it Speed Round time?

[Ben Falcone]

We're very close to the end of this podcast.

[Octavia Spencer]

I'm sorry.

[Melissa McCarthy]

This is coming to an end, and we apologize.

[Ben Falcone]

Here we go. This is our Speed Round. Speed round.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We're gonna go 1, 2, 3. We just keep asking you.

[Ben Falcone]

You lead it.

[Octavia Spencer]

You lead it.

[Cool Opv L Isak]

I think.

[Steve Mallory]

I'm not sure if that's it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Xavier, Spencer, what's your favorite day of the week?

[Octavia Spencer]

Monday.

[Ben Falcone]

What?

[Steve Mallory]

Why? What?

[Octavia Spencer]

Because it varies. I got three. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

[Ben Falcone]

But people normally like those.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Friday, don't judge Sunday, don't judge one Friday.

[Octavia Spencer]

Saturday and Sunday are one day for me. So that's why I say Monday.

[Ben Falcone]

Because you're a worker bee and you like to get back to work. Is that right?

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, I really do like that.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Monday morning.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay. Yeah, okay. That's fair. What is your favorite color?

[Octavia Spencer]

Blue.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay. We have to hand him one of these here.

[Steve Mallory]

Why? No. Oh, do I. Oh, yep. Oh. Cats or dogs? I have neither.

[Octavia Spencer]

I'm a dog person. Yeah, cats are. You know, after seeing. What was that movie with Stephen King where he. The cat tried to. Pet cemetery.

[Steve Mallory]

Pet cemetery. Yeah.

[Octavia Spencer]

It kind of left an impression.

[Ben Falcone]

No, thank you.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Wasn't there a Ramone song? Wasn't like I Just Want to Be. Isn't that a pet cemetery? We'll cut that out. No, no, no.

[Ben Falcone]

By the way, that's the fifth time McCarthy said, We'll cut this out.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Right.

[Steve Mallory]

I'm ending it.

[Octavia Spencer]

We're leaving it all in.

[Ben Falcone]

Mallory's going to keep it all in.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Okay. Keep it all in.

[Octavia Spencer]

Rise appliance.

[Ben Falcone]

Rise of lights.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Octavio, what is the name of your drink?

[Octavia Spencer]

The name of my drink is the Old Timber.

[Ben Falcone]

There we go. We got it. Octavia, what's your favorite food?

[Octavia Spencer]

My favorite food is everything.

[Ben Falcone]

What's your favorite meal? If you could go to one restaurant, one place, one spot, or have one person cook for you, what are you getting?

[Octavia Spencer]

Okay, in all honesty, I love a meatloaf, but people do meatloaf very different. I mean, I think meatloaf has to have the ketchup. You gotta have the ketchup. The sweet ketchup. Not. Some people do, like this tomato thing.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I'm like, no ketchup.

[Ben Falcone]

Don't make it too fancy.

[Steve Mallory]

All of them big meatloaf is going down.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I hate you meatloaf. I put real, honey.

[Octavia Spencer]

You make the best meatloaf. Second to none. Wow.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay. What's your favorite movie?

[Octavia Spencer]

See, I. I have, like, five.

[Ben Falcone]

Let's. Let's list them. Let's hear.

[Octavia Spencer]

I, of course. I love E.T. i love the Color Purple.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Yes.

[Octavia Spencer]

I love.

[Melissa McCarthy]

By the way, that's Shawshank Redemption.

[Ben Falcone]

Sounds like it's like, effects.

[Steve Mallory]

No, that's an actual airplane.

[Ben Falcone]

It sounds like an extra. Okay, so you like Shawshank, Shawshank Redemption.

[Octavia Spencer]

ET And Color Purple.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah, those are great.

[Melissa McCarthy]

But then I throw in, like, a tootsie.

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah, you throw it at tootsie. See, the Terms of Endearment. Terms. Terms is good. Terms is really good.

[Melissa McCarthy]

But I like your list. I agree with your list.

[Octavia Spencer]

See, I can't choose just one. I'm like. I can't.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Yeah.

[Ben Falcone]

You know, but we're gonna have to. We. We might have to retract from the speed route just for a second.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Okay.

[Ben Falcone]

Because we didn't ask Octavia. She's not only this fancy actor.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Yes.

[Ben Falcone]

As we well know.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And producer.

[Ben Falcone]

That's. I was just about to say, you won an Oscar for Green Book.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Come on, y'all.

[Octavia Spencer]

Well, that's a great movie. It is a good movie. I mean, I. It really. Well, here's the thing. When I went on the set and Pete had cut together some of the movie, when you don't want to leave, when they show you a little bit and you just don't want to leave, you're like, oh, my God, this is my favorite thing. That's how I was with Shape of Water, too.

[Melissa McCarthy]

That's a good feeling.

[Octavia Spencer]

It is a good feeling when you.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Just can't wait to see more, and you'll sit there and wait for it. That's a very good sign. But you have more projects going. You have more, like, your creative force and your work ethic. There's. She's. She's juggling 75 projects at any given moment because she actually really loves them and really thinks they. They have value and they need to be shared, so.

[Ben Falcone]

And she has a fancy company and does all the things, and she's great.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Really does.

[Ben Falcone]

Okay, really quickly. We are now in the speed round. We're back to the speed round. Who's funnier, me, Melissa or Steve?

[Octavia Spencer]

All of the above. But Melissa is the funniest.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I paid her. I paid her, guys. I gave her.

[Ben Falcone]

We already did this one. What's your favorite director of a comedy called Thunder Force?

[Octavia Spencer]

Okay, wait.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, I'd like to. Could I throw.

[Ben Falcone]

Sure. There's another one.

[Steve Mallory]

Yeah, I think. Did I shoot one little tableau scene? I want to just throw myself in there.

[Ben Falcone]

I think I shot a couple, but that doesn't matter. You could shoot that.

[Octavia Spencer]

Nice game. You know what? What? I will say that I love being on set with you guys. Guys, I love how you take care of your cruise.

[Ben Falcone]

Oh, thank you.

[Octavia Spencer]

Every Friday, y'all had treats for the cruise. And. And that is a sign of a producer who understands. And then y'all also gave the certificates. The.

[Ben Falcone]

The Mallory did that?

[Octavia Spencer]

Yeah. You know what I mean? It was just such a.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Was it superstar of the day?

[Octavia Spencer]

Superstar.

[Steve Mallory]

No, superhero. Every movie gets of the day for Thunder Force.

[Ben Falcone]

Yeah.

[Octavia Spencer]

It was so amazing. So I will say, you guys are by far one of the best producing teams, you know?

[Ben Falcone]

Remember how Shannon. Oh, Shannon, she loved getting her words so much.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, my God.

[Ben Falcone]

That was my. Octavia's hair stylist.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, it was a deal.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Oh, it was a whole thing.

[Ben Falcone]

And she was.

[Melissa McCarthy]

It almost started. Steve Mallory, who is the biggest heart and is the one of the funniest humans.

[Ben Falcone]

How dare you.

[Steve Mallory]

Don't tell people that.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Well, I don't mean it, but started this thing and almost started as a joke to, like, pull somebody up. But then he. He writes. Even when he's. He's already writing something, but then he writes on the side, and he would write these speeches, and every day, one or sometimes it got to be so many. You would do like, 2, 3, 6, and talk about the largest part of his job.

[Ben Falcone]

I'd be like, hey, Steve, do you have any bits for this scene? He says, no, but I got a bunch of. Right here.

[Melissa McCarthy]

People up and write the speech about what they do and what they contribute and how, like, it's so important what they do and how much we appreciate it. And people would get like, really? It was really funny. But also, people get really kind of emotional. And it meant something because each person was really got that light shined on them. And it's something we kept doing because Steve came up with it. And it started as like, oh, this will be funny. And then it kind of was like, I think this means something other than.

[Ben Falcone]

That he's a monster. But it's the one distinct.

[Steve Mallory]

It's the most writing I'd ever do. It'd be like 120 speeches by the end of it.

[Melissa McCarthy]

And I'm like, oh, my God.

[Octavia Spencer]

It really. I have to say, it was really wonderful to watch because it did demonstrate to the crew, which is your work family, that you saw them, that you saw how much they contributed every day.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Oh, you can't do it without. I mean, you can't do it.

[Ben Falcone]

And we're working on a new movie, and we're gonna give everybody awards at that.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We're gonna give everybody awards, and you're gonna.

[Steve Mallory]

You're gonna.

[Melissa McCarthy]

We're gonna force you to do it.

[Octavia Spencer]

Like, you don't have to force.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I'm talking into my crush.

[Octavia Spencer]

Again.

[Ben Falcone]

With that. We. We want to say thank you for listening to Hildy's Happy Hour.

[Steve Mallory]

Oh, there we go. Well done.

[Ben Falcone]

That was quite happy.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Hildy's Happy Hour with Octavia Spencer. Octavia Spencer. This week on Hildy's Happy Hour.

[Steve Mallory]

Wow.

[Octavia Spencer]

God, that was amazing.

[Steve Mallory]

Okay, I'll edit out the things you want.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Can we go out with sound effects? Please?

[Ben Falcone]

Can we go out with some sound effects?

[Octavia Spencer]

You have got to send me your.

[Melissa McCarthy]

I will.

[Ben Falcone]

I will. All right.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Bye, friends.

[Ben Falcone]

Bye, friends.

[Melissa McCarthy]

Foreign.

[June Diane Raphael]

Hi, I'm June Diane Rayfiel. And I'm Jessica St. Clair. And each week we are sitting down to talk all about life's twists, turns, and absurdities on the Deep Dive. From exploring the depths of TikTok, which is our only news source, to navigating the complexities of grief and loss, we are just two best friends behind a mic processing life together. This podcast is all about finding the silver linings in the madness. So get ready for unfiltered conversations about motherhood, careers, pop culture, and everything in between. Here at the Deep Dive, we're all about community. We believe in the power of sharing experiences and the strength that comes from supporting one another. And we would love to have you with us. So be sure to join us every Wednesday on the Deep Dive from Lemonada Media, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Reshma Sajani]

Are you in bed by 10? Can you feel your hormones raging more than ever? Do you wake up every day wondering, is this, Guess what? You're not alone. Welcome to my so Called Midlife, a weekly podcast hosted by me, Reshma Sajani. On this show, we're gonna expose the con we've been sold about middle age, figure out what the fuck we want from our lives and how to get there. We'll have help from guests like Julia Louis Dreyfus, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elana Glaser. You can listen to my so Called Midlife ad free on Amazon Music.