"The Mayor" (w/ Laura Dern)

Summary

Las Culturistas – “The Mayor” (w/ Laura Dern)

Date: February 11, 2026
Podcast: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang
Guest: Laura Dern

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic and deeply engaging episode, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang welcome true Hollywood legend Laura Dern for a wide-ranging, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation. Nicknamed “The Mayor” of Hollywood by the hosts, Dern reflects on her groundbreaking career, the evolution of women’s roles in film, the realities of show business, her cultural influences, and the moments that defined her both personally and professionally. Her wit and warmth shine as she shares anecdotes from film sets, industry award shows, and her unique upbringing, while also offering insights for the future of culture and the entertainment industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Laura Dern's Iconic Status (02:10–04:04)

• Laura enters described as a “burst of sunlight in pink corduroy”—the garment becomes a recurring in-joke, spotlighting her style and warmth.
• The hosts rattle off her accolades: Oscar, Emmy, SAG, and multiple Golden Globes, culminating in Bowen joking, “Not all awards are gold or brass or metal. Some of them are glass.” (03:06)
• She's compared to a “mayor” or the “R.A. of the Hollywood dorm”—someone approachable and omnipresent, but cooler.

2. On Anger and Acting Range (06:56–08:52)

• Discussion of Dern’s range, especially her skill at portraying anger:
  • Matt recalls her intense voice role in White Lotus and remarks, “for someone that's such a sunny person... you do anger the best of anyone.” (07:26)
  • Dern opens up: “I do like to look at life with glass half full… but I think… my characters have given me room to explore all the things I obviously have been feeling.” (07:45–08:27)
  • Connected to her role in Enlightened as Amy Jellicoe, and how that show gave her (and creator Mike White) space to unleash pent-up feelings and social critique.

3. The Genesis and Significance of Enlightened (08:27–11:43)

• Creative origins: Inspired by post-2000-election malaise and the pre-iPhone era, Dern describes conceptualizing Amy Jellicoe as “What if I Love Lucy became Norma Rae?” (09:41–10:16)
• Legacy: Bowen and Matt praise the impact of Enlightened, suggesting “now we’re all Amy” (11:01), reflecting the current overwhelming times where everyone feels a bit unraveled.

4. Changing Roles for Women in Film (11:43–13:51)

• Laura traces how shifting society led to fuller roles for women:
  • “Suddenly women, for the first time, were in leadership positions… so the characters changed because the world had changed.” (11:43)
  • Contrasts early roles (like in Citizen Ruth) where characters didn’t know they had rights, to later, more empowered performances.

5. Behind the Scenes of Big Little Lies (14:03–16:04)

• Matt and Bowen describe how Big Little Lies blended comedy and drama, breaking TV molds.
• Dern says much of Renata’s role was improvisational, due to director Jean-Marc Vallée’s approach: “...it created, again, room for... comedy... but also the rage and the violence.” (15:48–16:04)

6. Jurassic Park & Film Memories (20:07–22:28)

• Discussions about acting with animatronics and non-existent dinosaurs:
  • “The Brachiosaurus was an X on a piece of paper stuck on the tree. She wasn't there with us. But the raptors were there. And scary.” (21:25)
  • Playful banter about dinosaur names and humility in Hollywood.

7. Fame, Humility, and Industry Lessons (22:28–25:06)

• The conversation pivots to humility and ego, using Jeff Goldblum and industry personalities as examples.
• Fun digression into theme parks, ride experiences, and Laura’s “awkward” moment encountering her own action figures at Universal’s Jurassic Park ride.

8. Career Aspirations & Early Inspiration (29:55–33:40)

• When asked whom she still wants to work with, Dern tells a formative story:
  • As a child extra on Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, she ate 19 ice cream cones for a scene. Scorsese said, “she’s gonna be an actor.” (31:16)
  • She fell in love with the creative process more than “acting” per se—collaborating and storytelling in the moment.

9. Hollywood as a “Neighborhood” – The Evolution of the Industry (33:40–35:45)

• Dern reminisces about her Hollywood upbringing:
  • Industry used to be small and craft-focused, with few award shows and little glamor.
  • “It was a craft. And everyone made a little to go work in independent films, certainly in the 70s, into the 80s...” (33:57)
  • Contrasts with today’s fame culture and social media omnipresence.

10. The State of the Industry: Integrity, Culture, and Economic Survival (37:20–43:29)

• Laura expresses hope that “people with the money” (i.e., studios, financiers) keep supporting art and culture for the country’s “soul.”
  • Shares Billy Wilder’s advice: “You own a pool, they own you.” (38:44)
  • Addresses the struggles of maintaining health insurance and dignity in the acting profession, even for legends: “Actors don’t have that luxury, which is nuts. And our union should be changing that 100%.” (41:17)
  • Matt, Bowen, and Laura commiserate on the decline of local movie theaters and urge creative ways to revive them for “brilliant weird brains” everywhere.

11. The Culture that Made Laura Dern: Punk Rock Beginnings (47:28–51:28)

• Answering the podcast’s signature question:
  • At 13, filming the punk movie Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains introduced her to subcultures “ten years ahead of everyone else.”
  • “It was this defining moment of, oh, no, I get to have my own culture 100%. It’s this other stuff I was exposed to. Nobody even knows about it. But it’s my culture.” (49:39)
  • Later, Blue Velvet with David Lynch further defined her personal creative world.

12. Culture Gaps, Generational Shifts, and Real Housewives (52:08–56:15)

• Laura recounts a hilarious story of unknowingly meeting Heather Gay from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City at a hotel, not recognizing the reality TV reference:
  • “I said, girl, don’t put yourself down. You just told me you wrote a book. You’re so much more than a housewife... She’s a Real Housewife of Salt Lake.” (54:13–54:28)
  • The hosts and Laura joke about cultural disconnects and joining the “queer community” through shared experiences.

13. Queer Culture and the Ellen “Puppy Episode” (58:47–64:26)

• They discuss Dern’s role in the seminal Ellen coming out episode, reflecting on the impact and risk:
  • “I had the honor... of being part of Ellen DeGeneres’ coming out episode... Bomb threats, losing sponsors... major security. The world went, no, no, no. She lost her show.” (60:35–61:17)
  • The gravity of the moment, holding Ellen’s hands as she said “I’m gay” on TV, left a lifelong impact on Dern.
  • “The privilege... of feeling for someone in a moment was so beautiful.” (62:34)
• How culture “catches up” in hindsight to brave firsts.

14. Public Spaces, Pet Peeves, and "I Don't Think So, Honey" (78:44–82:03)

• In the recurring "I Don't Think So, Honey" lightning round, the participants sound off on their biggest pet peeves:
  • Matt: Doors that are both push and pull (70:40)
  • Bowen: The lack of underwater basket weaving classes (76:27)
  • Laura: People who treat public spaces like they’re private, e.g., slow crosswalk walkers, people clipping their nails in airports, and loud “Sarah” commentaries in theaters. “How about... in the airport? Clipping nails. No, as the nail is like flying into your face.” (79:36)

15. Taylor Swift and Cultural Moments (74:06–76:07)

• Laura shares her experience starring in Taylor Swift’s “Bejeweled” video and attending the first ERAS tour show.
  • “Her genius brain... you can now see in the documentary.” (76:03)

16. Final Reflections and Hopes for the Future (82:12–end)

• The hosts praise Laura’s legacy and versatility.
• She ribs about bringing them an underwater-woven basket (83:02) and floats “Olympic-style” bronze, silver, gold awards for the Oscars (84:09).
• Shared gratitude for storytelling, mentorship, and connection.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the evolving industry:
  “Suddenly women, for the first time, were in leadership positions. So suddenly the characters changed because the world had changed.” – Laura Dern (11:43)
• On defining your own culture:
  “It was this defining moment of, oh, no, I get to have my own culture 100%... But it's my culture.” – Laura Dern (49:39)
• On humility:
  “Life can teach you humility, for sure... But... there are some people that, no matter what happens, they will never know humility.” – Laura Dern (22:28)
• On taking risks in culture:
  “That's why you want culture to catch up later. That is culture. Culture's doing it when nobody's caught up.” – Laura Dern on the Ellen episode (61:59)
• On career beginnings:
  “This man [Scorsese] is figuring out how to film it. And these actresses are creating their characters, and together they're, like, feeding off of each other... I want to do that—where you're with your friends, telling stories together.” – Laura Dern (31:43)
• On pet peeves:
  “I don't think so, honey. Shared public spaces are not just for you. A crosswalk means we're waiting, we're being generous. Our cars are stopped. Yeah, take your time, but get across the street... This isn't your Abbey Road.” – Laura Dern (78:52)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• Laura’s arrival & icon intro: 02:10–04:04
• Portraying anger, Enlightened: 06:56–11:43
• Evolution of female roles: 11:43–13:51
• Behind the scenes, Big Little Lies: 14:03–16:04
• Jurassic Park memories: 20:07–22:28
• Humility in Hollywood: 22:28–25:06
• Early inspiration & Scorsese: 29:55–33:40
• Hollywood as neighborhood/history: 33:40–35:45
• State of industry, economics: 37:20–43:29
• Defining culture—punk roots: 47:28–51:28
• “Real Housewife” mix-up: 52:08–56:15
• Ellen’s coming out, cultural trailblazing: 58:47–64:26
• “I Don’t Think So, Honey” segment: 70:15–82:03
• Taylor Swift & cultural moments: 74:06–76:07
• Reflections & closing: 82:12–end

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Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is full of irreverent, affectionate banter (the recurring “roller coaster” in-jokes, the pink corduroy discourse), but also delves into earnest territory—altruism, activism, and cultural change—with warmth and humility. Laura Dern matches the hosts’ self-awareness, humor, and pop-savvy with stories that are generous, sharp, and emotionally resonant.

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Final Takeaway

This episode is a joyful, insightful deep-dive into Laura Dern’s formative moments, artistic drive, and perspective on cultural change. With contagious laughter and hard-won wisdom, she embodies both the “mayor” of Hollywood and its most passionate, humble champion. For listeners, it’s a reminder that the truest “culture” often happens out of step, before the world is ready—and that empathy and boldness pave the way for enduring impact.

Transcript

[Laura Dern]

This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.

[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

And finally, what if your WI fi was, like, the stuff Smartest wifi.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it's WI fi that is so smart, it makes everything work better together.

[Bowen Yang]

Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity. Imagine that.

[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I see.

[Matt Rogers]

My, oh, my. Look over there. Wow.

[Bowen Yang]

Is that culture?

[Apple Card Announcer]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Goodness.

[Matt Rogers]

Wow. Las culturistas. Ding dong. Las culturistas calling. So basically, a burst of sunlight has come in in pink corduroy, which is.

[Bowen Yang]

A fabric that must be hard to deal with as on a construction level.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, well, they say that on Project Runway.

[Bowen Yang]

They did, because I'm looking at what's before me. Impeccable.

[Matt Rogers]

This would walk the Runway and she could walk the Runway in it. And they would say whoever is on the judging panel would be pockets. I know exactly where she's going. It has pockets. I love when they say it has pockets as a way to be like, well done. Finally, this is a 10 out of.

[Bowen Yang]

10 practical functional are they not right though? Absolutely.

[Matt Rogers]

You add pockets. You did something. And that's actually roller coaster number nine.

[Bowen Yang]

You had pockets, you did something.

[Matt Rogers]

Hot cloth.

[Bowen Yang]

Any pocket.

[Matt Rogers]

Not only does our guest have pockets, our guest has. Let's talk about the hardware. An Oscar, an Emmy, a SAG award. Multiple Golden Globe awards.

[Bowen Yang]

A. I mean, a couple glass ones too. Because not all awards are gold or brass or metal. Some of them are glass.

[Matt Rogers]

That's roller coaster number 10. Not all awards are gold or brass or metal. Some of them are glass. And it must be a nightmare to sort of wade through our guests foyer because there's so many awards to knock over. And shoes and pink corduroy garments.

[Bowen Yang]

Pink corduroy garments. The mudroom must be full of the stuff.

[Matt Rogers]

The fact is, this is a genuine pop culture icon lasting over the years. I was saying to Bowen, it feels like Hollywood is a neighborhood and our guests would be able to greet anyone on the street and warmly. And like the mayor, but not the mayor because it's not a political thing. It's just kind of like, I'm here and you can come to me.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

Anyone has questions like, come to me.

[Bowen Yang]

Everybody. Good. She's the R.A. of the dorm of.

[Matt Rogers]

Hollywood, but a cool R.A. that gets fired. Like I did. Famously.

[Bowen Yang]

She's a fucking legend.

[Matt Rogers]

I am so beyond.

[Bowen Yang]

She's in. We were just talking to her earlier before. Just kind of a little amused bouche of a conversation. Right?

[Matt Rogers]

The best bouche.

[Bowen Yang]

She's like at least 20 things to promote right now. So it's like, oh, but when you're. You don't. Anytime on the calendar is the right time to just talk about the stuff.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, exactly. There's always gonna be a thing.

[Bowen Yang]

Palm Royale, season two. Just finished. Executive producer on that. Jake Kelly. Is this thing on?

[Matt Rogers]

Don't to be coops.

[Bowen Yang]

Bradley Cooper loves a shaky camera that just kind of winds around you pretty.

[Matt Rogers]

Far and finds you.

[Bowen Yang]

And finds you.

[Matt Rogers]

I still. I just watched A Star is Born Again because I. By the way, I famously saw it five times opening weekend. That's like sort of where I am on the Kinsey scale. That's. What is that? Like an 11 out of six. Star is born five times opening weekend. The man has talents. The man has many gifts.

[Bowen Yang]

The man has many gifts. He eats shit in this movie.

[Matt Rogers]

I can't deal exactly with that, but you can. You can in the cinema.

[Bowen Yang]

In the cinema.

[Matt Rogers]

And I'm sure on streaming at some point. Like everything.

[Bowen Yang]

Like everything. We're thrilled to have her. Everyone in the room at home.

[Matt Rogers]

Hold on to your butts, as it were.

[Bowen Yang]

Hold onto your butt, everyone.

[Matt Rogers]

Welcome, you guys. Hi.

[Laura Dern]

Thank you for the shout out of my pink corduroy.

[Matt Rogers]

It's really working.

[Laura Dern]

I mean, I'll thank Gabriella Hurst, who designed this, But I will say I think Reese should have worn this on the show.

[Matt Rogers]

You know, she came in in just like a basic black.

[Laura Dern]

How was she not in full pink corduroy?

[Matt Rogers]

Do you think maybe she felt it would be on the nose?

[Laura Dern]

It would have been too on the nose.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure, sure.

[Laura Dern]

Which is why I can do it and then pay homage to her.

[Bowen Yang]

Exactly.

[Laura Dern]

Through my pink corduroy.

[Matt Rogers]

Because really, we're here to talk about Reese.

[Laura Dern]

Well, you guys talked about me. She told me she's like dern. Oh, my God. I went on their show and we talked about you.

[Matt Rogers]

It's funny. So you have a Reese, right? Reese has a Nicole.

[Bowen Yang]

Does Nicole have a U?

[Laura Dern]

I think that.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Wait. How does that go?

[Bowen Yang]

So, Nicole, what's the circle here?

[Laura Dern]

Nicole does have a me.

[Matt Rogers]

She does have a me. Yeah. What do you think is a you impression?

[Laura Dern]

I think it involves, like, using my arms and hands way too much when I'm talking. And now I'm just gonna, like, stop.

[Matt Rogers]

Don't be self conscious about it.

[Laura Dern]

I feel like it's very, you know, it's her doing, but I think it's very animated.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Cause the gesticulation is. People keep it at the wrists, at the fingers. They just articulate this way. But you're going full elbow, shoulder.

[Laura Dern]

I think if mimicked, it would be. Yeah, you'd have to really. You have to give it your all.

[Matt Rogers]

It's like I always refer to myself as one of. When I get excited, as one of those balloons outside of a car wash. Just like. So it's not quite that I relate to that, though.

[Bowen Yang]

Right.

[Matt Rogers]

But we actually were talking, and I was like. I remember watching White Lotus and when you. This was, I think, the second season. Oh, yeah. When you had a voice performance as Imperioli's estranged wife. And I remember listening to it and the way that, like, the anger built. I was like, you know what's so funny? Like, for someone that's such a sunny person and clearly such a friendly person and such a kind person, you do anger the best of anyone.

[Laura Dern]

Aww.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you? I agree.

[Matt Rogers]

I wanted to ask you about that.

[Laura Dern]

What the fuck do you mean by that?

[Bowen Yang]

And I'm a little scared.

[Matt Rogers]

But I wanted to ask you about that. Like, do you. When you get a script that calls for Anger, like, you really lock in. Like, is that an emotion you enjoy portraying?

[Laura Dern]

Yeah, maybe. I mean, I'm sure there are people in my life, like my own children, that would say I'm not always sunny, but I do like to look at life with glass half full, which, as we know, like, the glass is just like.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it gets. There's not a liquid in there sometimes.

[Laura Dern]

No. But I think then, you know, we become very blessed if we get to, like, work it all out, every character. So I think I'm just. I've been bottling it up, I guess, for years, and so my characters have given me room to explore all the things I obviously have been feeling. But, you know, just.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, I think what broke the seal was probably enlightened. Absolutely. It was like an unleashing of something that was meant to be contained or something. Right. It's like Amy's whole thing is like, oh, no, I'm good now. And then, clearly, she will always be at the mercy of a corporate structure or a wellness, and those things just bear down on you, and then you have no choice but to, like, lash out. I know.

[Laura Dern]

We love her so much. Amy Jellicoe.

[Matt Rogers]

Amy Jellicoe.

[Laura Dern]

I love her. I mean, you know, sadly, it's probably the character I could be forever if I chose, like, I. And I think Mike White feels the same way. I think we both feel like we are Amy, but we meet Amy every day, of course, and we're all Amy now. And what's incredible about his writing, and I think our idea was based on. It was actually after the 2000 election, and we were noticing, like, pre. The iPhone revolution, right? There was this moment where there's unrest and no one's in the streets, and we thought, you know, a lot about who. What kind of person would it take? And I was talking to the head of HBO because we'd made the film recount for hbo.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh.

[Matt Rogers]

Which I loved.

[Laura Dern]

I love that movie.

[Matt Rogers]

You were fantastic in that.

[Laura Dern]

So crazy to play that character and person. And we were working on it, and I had said to Richard Plepler, who was at HBO at the time, you know, what kind of individual does it take? I've got to play that person. And when I was talking to Mike about it, my summary of not even knowing who Amy was yet or in the writing of it, I said, what if I Love Lucy? What if Lucy became Norma Rae?

[Bowen Yang]

Wow.

[Laura Dern]

I was like, that, I think, is who it would take. And that was sort of the birth of then this person who I think, you know is Amy. She's just a mess and thinks she's doing the right thing, but in all the wrong ways. And then, you know.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

She gets and reaches a breaking point.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, yeah. And the platform is, give her a.

[Laura Dern]

Soapbox and, oh, honey, what if I.

[Matt Rogers]

Love Lucy, who became normal?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, that's it. That's.

[Laura Dern]

And, I mean, then the world would be a better place. I love that world.

[Matt Rogers]

But a lot of people accept that. Amy Jellicoe, I think, would be way more like. I think the reason why she was popping so much when Enlightened first came out is because we were like, we don't. We've never seen this.

[Laura Dern]

Exactly. And now we're all Amy.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Right.

[Laura Dern]

I mean, I think the world is so overwhelming to everyone.

[Matt Rogers]

Right.

[Laura Dern]

That everyone has a little bit of Amy.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

And we're the better for it.

[Laura Dern]

Yes, exactly. Exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

I think. But I think that's my theory. And this is just me totally projecting that onto you. But I feel like that is that kind of. Not that you ever asked for it, but it gave this permission for you in this new zone of your career to, like, just dial it up, dial it down. It goes into Renata, it goes into all of these different people. It goes into Marriage Story. Like, that model is so beautifully set, and I think you kind of just hollowed that out for everybody.

[Laura Dern]

Well, that's beautiful to hear. I have to say. I think it's because suddenly women, for the first time, were in leadership positions. So suddenly the characters changed because the world had changed. Like, I wasn't gonna play the leading divorce attorney or the head of some tech company. In the early 90s when I started CA were no women in those positions.

[Matt Rogers]

So we couldn't examine the way that they, like, were scrutinized or the way they behaved in those positions because they didn't exist.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah. I think about the movie. I did Citizen Ruth, and I love that character Ruth Stoops in this Alexander Payne comedy about the abortion issue. And someone was like, oh, you know, there's this scene that's very anthemic where she gets to talk about her rights. Yeah. And I was like, what's funny about it? Cause that movie's hilarious to me, is it's not that she says what her rights are. It's that she doesn't even realize she has rights. And so it's so janky and not. She's not sure. And at the end of this speech, I turn to the people next to me after I say, you know, I'm a woman, and I have my right to Choose. And I. Da, da, da. And then I looked at Kurtwood Smith and all these protesters next to me, and I go, right. Like, you know, she.

[Bowen Yang]

Did.

[Laura Dern]

I get that right? Am I allowed to say that? So, you know, growing up, the characters that I got to play who were exploring sexuality for the first time, but didn't know if they were entitled to it or it was all new. And then suddenly I grew up as a woman into a world where the characters changed, and suddenly I was looking at, you know, the leaders in their industries, which gave me the ability to have rage or say what I needed or, you know, be not only disarming, but even cruel to a man in the room or whatever, depending on the character. And that was so fun. Cause it was all new.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. I feel like it's like with Renata, she's so outsized, but she is so righteous. She believes all of it.

[Laura Dern]

Cause she's right.

[Bowen Yang]

I agree.

[Matt Rogers]

And it's truly like, I will never forget I said thank you. That was, I think, the moment where I was like. Cause I remember we were on this podcast and. Cause it was kind of a slow burn in the beginning. Big Little Lies. You remember? Yeah. Like, it was.

[Bowen Yang]

I guess so. Yeah. And I mean, now it's hard to look back on it without seeing it as, like, a phenomenon right off the bat, but. Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

But it took a few episodes, and I remember we were watching it, and I was like, you guys might want to check out Big Little Lies because there's something really cool happening. And when you screamed, that was for me, when I realized, like, this tone is really something new because it was a comedy when you and Rhys were on screen, and a drama when Nicole was on screen. But then there were moments that were, like, really almost brutal when those tones collided. And I felt like that was a perfect example. And I was like, we're seeing something super fresh here.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

And, like.

[Laura Dern]

And that speaks to Jean Marc Vallee, the director, who is such an incredible filmmaker.

[Bowen Yang]

Amazing.

[Laura Dern]

And Rhys and I made the film Wild with him, and then kind of Big Little Lies was right after that. And so it was just beautiful to have that kind of trust, you know, found family and our work, and life is the greatest thing that ever happened to any of us. And so I just would go wherever he said, and we'd done something so bad. And the character I had played only came from kindness, being Cheryl Strayed's mother in that film. And so he was just like, you know, we're going everywhere now. Like, this woman takes no prisoners. She just Goes. And everything was improvisational. And he always.

[Matt Rogers]

I always wondered about that.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah, we were just trying stuff, and he was so inventive. But it created, again, room for, I think, the comedy of it, but also the rage and the violence and horror of what was happening at times to these women, particularly Nicole's character.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, it helped so much. And your tribute today to Rhys's character, to Cheryl and Wyll, is that you brought a huge backpack and it's over on the side.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

We're about to actually.

[Laura Dern]

We're all going on the.

[Matt Rogers]

We're all going on the sequel. We are waiting for an excuse. We're waiting for an excuse to get physical.

[Bowen Yang]

1800. What? That's like 90 marathons.

[Matt Rogers]

Do it. You put your hands in the dino poop, you would do it. I feel like whatever it is, you would do it.

[Laura Dern]

Guys, like, I'm a professional paleontologist.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, are there things, other things about your career that you, like, remember? Not misremember, but that when you remember, when the memory of it comes up, it is totally surprising to you, Even though it, like, happened to you, you've registered it, but it's like, there's such an expansive breadth there that you're like, oh, my God, when I did Citizen Ruth, like, this is a totally different reality in the world, in my life, in my Me as Laura Dern. Like, I mean, like, what does that. How does that square with you? Like, you looking back, and I know you don't. I know actors don't really do this. They don't look back on their career and go, wow, I can't believe this. But as we're having a conversation with you about your career, like, do you think that memory gets a little refracted in a way?

[Laura Dern]

I think it has to. And I think as long as we are willing to be present, truly present in invention, in bravery and honesty, then we never have to catch up. Cause we get to just be there. And I'm gonna say something about you, because humility, as a deep part of someone's nature, you have it or you don't. And I had the pleasure of being in the room when you received an award at the Academy Museum.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, you were.

[Matt Rogers]

That's.

[Laura Dern]

And you were incredible because you weren't in the experience of what was happening to you. You weren't in the experience of your success or this new moment. You were in the experience of being grateful for the opportunities you've been given, for your friends, being in celebration of you having had the opportunity to do what you love, not in your achievements. And it was so beautiful to just hear your gratitude. You were tender and emotional as you shared it. Like, you were just deeply grateful. You can't fake it. You can't. Nobody can write a speech for you to sound humble, but you were purely in the moment. So even in 20 years, when someone says, wow, is that a big moment in your career when people were. I know from your generosity, in that moment, you'll be like, God, yeah. If I had realized what a big moment it was, maybe I would have been more nervous or more. But it wouldn't change you because your nature is in great in being so grateful. And that was so beautiful to see in a room filled with, you know, artists and film industry and all that stuff.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, I'm shuddering at the cause. It's just like, oh, my gosh, like, you were there and it was just. If I think about that list of people, I'm like, oh, that's incredibly overwhelming. But I'm so. Thank you for saying that.

[Laura Dern]

Well, it's really beautiful. It really moved me. And I think if I in my career had someone saying, oh, by the way, the movie you're doing right now is gonna be iconic. You can't.

[Matt Rogers]

You can't do it.

[Laura Dern]

You can't.

[Matt Rogers]

And you've been like. And it's been true for you in, like, niche iconic and also the most mainstream iconic.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

And I just. I remember, like, it's like, everyone talks about, like, you know, the word wonder is defined by Laura Dern discovering the Brachiosaurus. Did I get that dinosaur right?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

Was it a Brachiosaurus paleontologist down. But, like, it is true. It's like if Steven Spielberg says to you, like, now remember, this is gonna be what people remember about the movie.

[Bowen Yang]

It's impossible.

[Laura Dern]

You're gonna define the word wonderful.

[Matt Rogers]

You better make sure that you really define the word wonder right now with your performance, Laura Dern, because this is history forever. For millennia.

[Bowen Yang]

For millennia.

[Matt Rogers]

But it's just. It is fascinating to think about that. It's like it' to celluloid there in what, three, four takes? Five, six. Yeah, but. And then. And then it's forever. Do you move quickly on a movie that's that big? You have to do that.

[Laura Dern]

You do. Until. Until a dinosaur breaks down, I guess.

[Matt Rogers]

Like, my brain did not compute that so many of those dinosaurs were actually practical.

[Laura Dern]

Isn't that incredible? I mean, insane. Especially a massive part of the T. Rex, which was the only orner reactor we worked with. Like, he would break here and there.

[Matt Rogers]

Similar to Bruce the shark from Jaws.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, exactly.

[Laura Dern]

These guys and their egos. But it was amazing. I mean, sadly, the Brachiosaurus was an X on a piece of paper stuck on the tree. She wasn't in there. She was not there with us. But the raptors were there.

[Matt Rogers]

That's.

[Laura Dern]

And scary.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And people are like, oh, my God. To act with something that's not there. First of all, an incredible animatronic. Thanks to the genius of Stan. Winston was right there. And I'm alone. And the lights go on, and this thing comes out at me, and there are puppeteers who are making it scary. I was so scared.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course, your body doesn't know the difference. Yes, right. But those Brachiosauri, they were humble by nature. What?

[Matt Rogers]

No, no, no, no, no. Brachiosauris. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Cause, you know, it's not. You just sound like a crazy person. But it's Brachiosaurus.

[Bowen Yang]

It might be Saurus.

[Matt Rogers]

Brachiosaurus.

[Laura Dern]

I mean, that was incredible. Brachiosaurus.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm going out on a limb.

[Laura Dern]

I'm not able to say that. I don't think I would have been that smart.

[Bowen Yang]

You're a woman of letters.

[Matt Rogers]

You are a paleontologist. You just are. But.

[Laura Dern]

Yes. Sorry we interrupted.

[Matt Rogers]

No, no. Brachiosaurus.

[Bowen Yang]

I even meant to say those Raptors, they are. They are humble by nature. You think humility is by nature? You don't think there's a. You either are humble or you're not. Like, you don't think there's, like, some spectrum there.

[Laura Dern]

I. Life can teach you humility, for sure. It can bring us to our knees without question. But as we know, and I mean, I think we can see faces in our heads right now, there are some people that, no matter what happens, they will never know humility. It's all just unfortunate. And usually it's the people who continue to be placed in positions of power or accolades or deep success.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. We're talking about Jeff Goldblum. We're talking about.

[Laura Dern]

Don't get me started. Don't get me started. I have not received a Culture Award, but Jeff Goldblum's chest.

[Matt Rogers]

Well, just you wait. Can I say, the Culture Award was the fact that he.

[Bowen Yang]

We're so sorry. First of all. We're so sorry.

[Laura Dern]

Yes, yes. I'm owed an apology, by the way.

[Matt Rogers]

Don't worry.

[Laura Dern]

I've never had so much fun in my entire life in watching the entire award show with my daughter.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my gosh.

[Laura Dern]

We had so much fun. It's a masterpiece. It made me so happy. And yes, Jeff's chest should have won.

[Matt Rogers]

Listen, the fact that he came out and was the first award, I was like, now people know.

[Laura Dern]

They.

[Matt Rogers]

They don't know what to expect, you know? And the fact that he showed up and was down to do that just shows that he's the coolest. That was amazing. But I would imagine he was even the coolest back then. Like, that's a cool group of people together.

[Laura Dern]

And he's humble. Although I just wonder for any man in ego, if he was like, how come they only designated it in Jurassic Park? Like, the fly, wasn't it?

[Matt Rogers]

Of course, it's encouragement to see more yet.

[Laura Dern]

There you go. There you go. Designated from one film in the Wicked prequel.

[Matt Rogers]

In the Wicked prequel, I want it to be all about. We saw in the movie Wicked that he was. Sorry, he was a big slut back in the day. He was sleeping with at least two buttons. What I'm saying is I wanna see.

[Laura Dern]

Snap off in the song.

[Matt Rogers]

I wanna see it right?

[Laura Dern]

Just go into a song and Sexy wizard.

[Matt Rogers]

Pre the wizard.

[Bowen Yang]

Pre the wizard.

[Laura Dern]

Sexy wizard just. You had me there.

[Matt Rogers]

Sexy wizard was what we got. But now we're gonna get the origin story as it were. The first two buttons popping.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

There you go.

[Matt Rogers]

So do you do roller coasters? Are you a theme park person? Cause Jurassic park, you must be treated like a senator when you go there.

[Laura Dern]

I went once.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

First of all, it was terrifying.

[Matt Rogers]

Well, yes, terrifying.

[Bowen Yang]

The velocicoaster or the.

[Laura Dern]

No, I went to just the Jurassic Park. Oh, I'm so sorry.

[Matt Rogers]

Of course, of course. The boat.

[Bowen Yang]

The boat ride.

[Laura Dern]

The boat ride. But the drop is terrifying.

[Matt Rogers]

It's one of the largest drops.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah. Thank you. And I was so scared. And I was like, when my kids were little and we were gonna go and they had friends. I think it was a birthday party for one of the kids. And I didn't wanna say I couldn't go, which is like. So let me, like, guys, I can't go on that ride. Literally, children, you know, this is great.

[Matt Rogers]

So what happened was. Can you stop the ride? I want to expound. So this was a great day, but.

[Laura Dern]

I, you know, was like, just hanging out with my baseball cap. We did the ride, all was good, and walked through the gift shop, which you have to go through to get out. And it's like me with the triceratops scene is playing and all these dolls that I didn't know existed of you that look like me. And it was a little Awkward.

[Matt Rogers]

But you both have dolls. You're a doll, You're a Lego.

[Bowen Yang]

I have a mini fig. Oh, thank you, Laura. So you're a doll and a peach and more.

[Matt Rogers]

But Bowen is talking about the velocity. So if you ever do get down to Orlando, Florida, the Velocicoaster is the Jurassic park ride they have in Islands of Adventure. And BD Wong does the pre show.

[Bowen Yang]

Excellent work.

[Matt Rogers]

It's great pre show work.

[Laura Dern]

I can. Oh my God, I'm so excited.

[Matt Rogers]

It's a full immersive experience. And it's a full on roller coaster that launches through a raptor enclosure. Pretty cool stuff down in Orlando, Florida.

[Bowen Yang]

Great stuff.

[Laura Dern]

I can't wait. I'm going.

[Bowen Yang]

If you have any interest in pre show stuff for the Is this thing on ride? I think you would do great work in that.

[Laura Dern]

Thank you. Thank you. I mean, I'll sit and watch with.

[Matt Rogers]

Peyton Manning next to you.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

With Peyton Manning. Think you would have the. The on screen romance with Peyton Manning?

[Laura Dern]

I mean, I think now that you think about it, like, in hindsight it's obvious, right?

[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rogers]

So I guess the question for you, like is there one person you haven't worked with that you're dying to work with?

[Laura Dern]

Can you imagine if I said someone I have have worked?

[Bowen Yang]

Of course. I mean at this you wouldn't like it.

[Laura Dern]

Oh my God.

[Matt Rogers]

But this is a podcast for manifestation. By the way, many things happen as a result of things being said.

[Bowen Yang]

No.

[Laura Dern]

Okay, let's examine it just would it.

[Matt Rogers]

Would be harder to manifest. But choose your own adventure here.

[Laura Dern]

Listen, you always have.

[Bowen Yang]

I'd like to.

[Laura Dern]

Be with the Beatles.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes, you'd be great. There's four movies coming out about them, guys.

[Laura Dern]

I mean that's hard. I did work with De Niro in a scene but I haven't gotten into it with really gotten into it that I honestly I think about filmmakers first because when I was six, my mom Diane Ladd was in the film Alice Doesn't Live Her Anymore for Martin Scorsese. And it's and I was on set I was that summer with her on the movie and I was an extra on the movie and he was the person who turned to my mother which believe me, I heard because they had to do 19 takes. And I had to eat 19 ice cream cones in the background of this.

[Matt Rogers]

Tough work.

[Laura Dern]

Amazing scene. And it's tough. And it gets tough, actually.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, actually, 14th ice cream.

[Laura Dern]

And he was like, whoa, your daughter just ate 19 ice creams and didn't throw up. He goes, she's gonna be an actor.

[Matt Rogers]

She's method.

[Laura Dern]

And I was like, you know, And I was sick. So all I knew was this man I'd been around all summer, and they were doing this thing that I fell in love with. And I didn't. I actually didn't understand acting. What I fell in love with was this man is figuring out how to film it.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And these actresses are creating their characters, and together they're, like, feeding off of each other. And, like, tell that story about that one time you said your friend. And they start building it, improvising, weaving lines from the scene into other stories and getting to the truth of a moment. And they were in there, and he let me be. I was looking through a doorway. They're in a toilet stall in the back of Mel's Diner. And I was watching them just play together. And I thought, ooh, I want to do that. Where you're with your friends telling stories together. And so I fell so in love with that. So I would say the person I probably would want to the most would be Scorsese. Just to do a full close that loop.

[Matt Rogers]

That does feel like a perfect one to one.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah. That would be amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. I mean, your memory on this is so clear and obviously formative, but it just. So then I guess this answers the question that I had earlier, which is, like, how firmly grounded are you in those memories? And it seems like you are 10 toes down all the way through. And is that the year that you went to the Oscars with your mother? Yeah, like seven years old.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Because she was nominated. Because she. Yeah. And then I think the other story is that then you would go back with her and your grandmother for Rambling Rose. Yeah, that's right. This kind of, like, I love this thing about you sort of, as it were, like, growing up in this industry as your neighborhood, because you get to see the process. You get to see the celebration of it. And then you also get to transcend that and just know that, like, this is a nice part of it. It is more about the work than anything else. And not even about, like, the going to the thing. Although that's nice and fun.

[Laura Dern]

Yes. I have to say. I mean, I just feel so lucky that I had that childhood experience at the time I did. Because the neighborhood would be the true description of it. First of all, actors weren't making money. Movie stars were making.

[Matt Rogers]

Right.

[Laura Dern]

Not that much money. You know, it was a craft. And everyone made a little to go work in independent films, certainly in the 70s, into the 80s, and then became the blockbuster. And the industry changed. But watching my parents work, you know, you would make a movie. And I grew up in what felt like a small town. Yeah. And I would go to my parents, friends, homes that were incredibly well regarded and famous, and they would be in their duplex or their small house or, you know, but it wasn't like fancy luxury.

[Matt Rogers]

Glamour was not the word.

[Laura Dern]

No. And paparazzi. Like, there was. You went to one event, which was the premiere of your movie, where there were photographers. You did the Tonight show.

[Bowen Yang]

And.

[Laura Dern]

And maybe you were on the COVID of American Film Magazine. And then, you know, in independent film, suddenly there was interview. And you do interview, but that's kind of it.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. It wasn't the industry within an industry at all.

[Laura Dern]

And then there was the Oscars and eventually the Golden Globes, but there were only a couple of award shows, so. And there was no social media. There was no. And I think for actors, the whole idea of the craft of method acting. And at that time, this group of actors, many of whom came up together at the Actors Studio, was about invisibility. It was about kind of going deep into this character and being unrecognizable.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And now it's complicated.

[Bowen Yang]

Now you gotta come on here.

[Laura Dern]

Now I've gotta come on this show.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

But it is a real thing to say to you. Cause that's how I was raised. Like, I didn't see you when I was on the set of Palmer, but it wasn't you. You know, it wasn't your energy. You were. Even when we were saying hi between takes and stuff, you were in the character. And it was so beautiful. And he's gorgeous and amazing and so funny and such a great friend to her. You know, like, it's this full being.

[Matt Rogers]

Thanks.

[Laura Dern]

But it wasn't Matt like that. That's great acting. You know, and you're. You just were in that moment, which is so beautiful to watch and so fun. You want to lose yourself in it. You know, it actually.

[Matt Rogers]

The reason I say it's the most fun job I've ever had is because I was. We were telling Kristen it's rare, I think, to go into hair and makeup and come out and don't see yourself. Yeah. And then you go out on the set and it's on the lot. It's this idea. I know we just talked about how back in the day, there it was, it was, there was the. Glamour wasn't the word. But to me there was like this really fun element of glamour in terms of like, you really are. Be. Are someone else. You walk out on the lot, the tram goes by and you're like, wow, this can still happen. And I think a lot of us that are starting our careers, like, are feeling a little pessimistic about whether or not that can happen again. And I would say, like, you being such a leader in the industry, like, what are your reflections right now? And like, what are your thoughts about, you know, where, where we're at?

[Laura Dern]

I think that if the people with the money either have integrity, which would be awesome. And, and there are always a few who do.

[Matt Rogers]

That's true.

[Laura Dern]

And who are kind people and who care about art and culture and understand that like, if a country loses its culture, it loses the country. So like.

[Matt Rogers]

And its soul, you know?

[Laura Dern]

Exactly. So I am a believer in that. But I think that even if they don't know art, that they want to give the money to people to tell their stories and understand that stories are important, then we're in really good shape and we have to keep telling the stories. But I remember Billy Wilder won the lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild. And guys, Sunset Boulevard, the apartment, Some Like It Hot. I know a master has given us like the great gifts of our life in film. And everybody was waiting for this, you know, and I'm paraphrasing, cause I don't know the exact words, but this was the idea. Everybody was waiting for his grand, you know, five minute speech to teach us about cinema and how to keep it alive. And he got up and he said, you own a pool, they own you.

[Bowen Yang]

Whoa.

[Laura Dern]

And he got off.

[Matt Rogers]

Whoa. This.

[Laura Dern]

And that is the, that should be the answer to the question, which is like, when you need a lot of stuff.

[Bowen Yang]

Uh huh.

[Laura Dern]

Or to pay for the stuff you got, that's just gonna cost you a lot of stress.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh.

[Laura Dern]

You then gotta do the thing. You gotta pay the Piper 100%. And so that's the challenge is how do we hold space to do what we love, to tell the stories that matter. And I think the way we're gonna get to do those as fewer people are able to go to the movies at $38 a ticket or you know, take their whole family to see something they love.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

You know, for smaller independent films, certainly it's like, you know, you're gonna have to make those movies for a much smaller budget than I think in the last five years, people have had the privilege of having this.

[Bowen Yang]

This is completely edifying. And this thing you're talking about with Billy Wilder, you've talked about how, like, people in your parents generation are just desperate to find work, book a couple of jobs a year so they can still qualify for their fucking health insurance. It's. It's about, like, material stuff. Yeah. That can, like, keep, like, a home, like a roof above people's heads. Get them, like the health care thing. It's just these. These basic necessities that are being, like, slowly taken away from all of us at various levels of the business. And like, this is. This is exactly right, like what you're saying. Like, if the people with the money can redistribute that in a way that helps it in the most basic way, then that changes everything.

[Laura Dern]

George Clooney is an amazing person and has spoken a lot about this. You know, the question of sort of when you're number one on the call sheet. Right. How does that money get redistributed? Because anyone on that set should be paid and have their healthy care insurance paid and have, you know, money to do a line in a movie, money to be there for the day. And please, God, may we keep background players and extras. Because truly, so many actors get their healthcare insurance for people who don't know they get coverage by booking even to be a background extra, even though they're a incredible actor actress who've worked their career that one day or two days on that movie gives them healthcare coverage for a year. And guys, the crazy thing is we're talking about the actors who we all know and have loved in films for, or our favorite star of a TV show for 20 years, who's now 80, whose health is declining, and there's no retirement plan, unlike a lot of unions, including if I were a secretary at Omaha Stakes and retired and would have health care coverage for the rest of my life, actors don't have that luxury, which is nuts. And our union should be changing that 100%. It's crazy. So even with my parents and all of their friends, the people who raised us on movies and television, they have to worry about not being able to go to the dentist or if they go to the hospital, there's not going to be coverage for those bills is terrifying.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

Mess.

[Laura Dern]

It's a mess. So, yes, redistributing, figuring out a way to keep the work going Figuring out a way to keep theaters vibrant and streaming alive, which gives, you know, a lot of work to a lot of people. There's a way to do all of it.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm all for the popcorn buckets. Do the popcorn bucket.

[Matt Rogers]

Give us the popcorn bucket. It's one of the best parts. Like, I'll do the theme popcorn. I liked that dune popcorn bucket.

[Laura Dern]

Love it.

[Matt Rogers]

It's multipurpose.

[Bowen Yang]

Love it. Oh, gosh.

[Matt Rogers]

Any but like. Yeah, no, I was actually. It was funny. I was just having a conversation outside and we were talking about a movie theater that we had in common growing up. And my instinct was to ask, what's it look like? Because these movie theaters from when we were younger, I recently went back, we went to go. I think I saw Wicked for good four times. But we went to go see it at my like, at my like local movie theater with my parents. And I was like, oh, no, it's so. It's in such bad shape. I know, because it's like it. And I do think that is something to think about too. It's like people don't want. People barely want to leave their houses. They're not gonna leave their houses to go somewhere that's like uncomfortable and quite frankly, unsanitary. So that's a part of the ecosystem of this too. It's like it's one system.

[Laura Dern]

It's one system.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And we can get really clever conversation for a time soon if you guys are up for it. Which is like, how can we do that? How can we get the energy back in supporting local movie theaters? You know, every town should get to have one art house cinema.

[Matt Rogers]

Agreed.

[Laura Dern]

I mean, my God, some of my.

[Matt Rogers]

Best memories are going by myself down to like Angelica, you know what I mean? And I'll just do three in a row. I pay for each one. I don't hop, hop, hop, but like, you know what I mean? Like I saw like Red Rocket a couple years ago in the theater by myself. And thank God we have someplace to watch this movie.

[Laura Dern]

Well, and that's the thing. I mean, you guys are this extraordinary space for all of us, but also youth culture to kind of find their voice and their art and what they want to do in their lives. Like, it's massive. And if you're in Chicago, New York, Louisiana, San Francisco, you have an Angelica, you have Metrograph.

[Matt Rogers]

But.

[Laura Dern]

What if you're not in those cities growing up and you're not introduced to so much culture that yes, one positive in social media you can find like minded people, but also places and spaces that maybe aren't your brilliant weird brain.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Laura Dern]

And how do we find the brilliant weird brains?

[Bowen Yang]

What if your WI fi was more than just WI fi? What if your WI fi made everything in your whole house just work together better?

[Matt Rogers]

Well, Xfinity WI fi pretty much does exactly that. It's powered by their best, most elite, high performing tech.

[Bowen Yang]

Allow us to paint a very realistic example. Everyone in your house, everyone is on their devices at the exact same time. Gaming, working, swiping. Right? Because of course they are. And the finale of your favorite show of all time of the week is on at the exact same moment. Well, you can boost the WI fi to your device with Xfinity.

[Matt Rogers]

And have you ever asked yourself, what if my WI fi could keep watch over my kids for me? Well, probably not, because that's a weird thing to ask yourself. But Xfinity WI fi has parenting skills, even if you sometimes forget yours. Xfinity's like, don't worry, I'll monitor the WI fi.

[Bowen Yang]

It's completely proactive, fixing issues before they even happen. Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity. Imagine that.

[Bowen Yang]

Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life.

[Matt Rogers]

Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Did you know that most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range?

[Bowen Yang]

Here's the thing. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches.

[Matt Rogers]

With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. The way forward is electric. Learn [e-mail] oh, hear that?

[Bowen Yang]

That's the Spam brand singing you a love song.

[Matt Rogers]

Spam, sizzle, pork and mmm.

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[Matt Rogers]

Speaking of brilliant weird brains, we'd love to find out more about how yours developed. So we'll find out more by asking this question. The central question of our podcast and we've been floating around it, I think, in terms of where it might have happened for you. But, Laura Dern, what was the culture that made you say culture was for you?

[Laura Dern]

It's a long answer.

[Matt Rogers]

You know what?

[Laura Dern]

Good. Okay. So in the moment of what the world was telling me, my culture was right. Right. To be 12 and disco is on fire and everybody's got the same posters in their room, and so it's telling me what I'm supposed to be, right? I had the luxury of being cast in a movie, maybe no one here has heard of it, called, ladies and gentlemen, the Fabulous stains. And at 12 years old, I went to make a punk rock movie. And my co stars were two members of the Sex Pistols, a member of the Clash, Fee Waybill, and Vince Welnick from the Tubes.

[Matt Rogers]

Wow.

[Laura Dern]

Wow. And I went and did this music movie where I had my 13th birthday on that movie. And I was dressed. My hair was, like, long blonde hair down to here. It was, like, shaved. I had a mohawk. I was jet black with a white stripe. You were living it and I was in it. And I suddenly was this, like, punk kid for this character. And I was like, oh, my God, they have holes in their shirts and they're taking safety pins to just, like, keep it. And, like, giant motorcycle boots and miniscars and there's tears and there's fishnets and what's happening? And I started listening to punk music and learning also just, like, female lead singers in bands, which was a whole new thing. And I think for me, the culture became, oh, wait, you can spend your life defining culture based on being, like, exposed to 10 years ahead of where everybody else is.

[Bowen Yang]

Whoa.

[Laura Dern]

And it kept happening like, that was me at 13, and I went back to eighth grade with that hair, embarrassed.

[Matt Rogers]

They were like, what happened to you?

[Laura Dern]

And they were like, you know, talking about the new Police record. And I was like, oh. Oh, my God, I love that record. And I remember this one girl was like, we were just saying, we hate that record. I was like, oh, no, no, no. I meant I left the last record, but that one sucked so bad. You know, just like you're trying to, like, keep up with everybody else. And it was this defining moment of, oh, no, I get to have my own culture 100%. And it's this other stuff I was exposed to. Nobody even knows about it. But it's my culture. And, yeah, I'm gonna have, like, you know, my poster is gonna be Barbara Stanwyck and John Savage cool from hair. And people don't Know who those people on my wall are? And that's okay. Cause they're my people. And then at 17, I was cast in Blue Velvet.

[Matt Rogers]

Yep, you sure were.

[Laura Dern]

And I went, oh, my God, David lynch is my culture.

[Matt Rogers]

And it would take decades for people to, like, really catch it. Right.

[Laura Dern]

So I. The good news is my culture was defined by not needing to be part of the culture that was happening. Right now I have chills.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, that's an amazing answer.

[Matt Rogers]

Cool.

[Bowen Yang]

Must have been very difficult to have the noise. And not that it's noise, but just to have the weather of the culture run upwind to you or just. You're kind of against that for a while. And you have to. That requires the stability for you and your identity and the culture that you loved.

[Laura Dern]

One, I think being an actor, starting acting at 11. So I was always put sort of into cultures through this group of people, this circus. Right. That was making the movie. Yeah, yeah, totally. You're in the culture of Wicked and it's your world, and we're not gonna catch up for a couple years when you started. Right. So. And now it's ours. We own it.

[Bowen Yang]

Right.

[Laura Dern]

And you're like, okay, we were. That's all we lived and breathed for this period of. And now it is pop culture. It's redefined culture. So you have to surrender to that. You're always in another world than other people. But I love that. The bad news segue is you don't know what's happening in pop culture, which, as long as you're not embarrassed, you're good. But then you have kids and you embarrass them.

[Matt Rogers]

No, I know. We're looking over a job.

[Bowen Yang]

No reason to ever be embarrassed. I'm sure. I'm sure there are things that we have no idea about.

[Matt Rogers]

Don't even.

[Laura Dern]

But, you know, like, you're in public spaces trying to, like, be in a moment that excites you. And, you know, you just. You don't know who people are or you don't know what's happening. Usually I. When it comes to film, I'm pretty current. I'm such a music fan. So I kind of know what's going on in music. But I have a story for you, which is. I went into a hotel lobby to meet my friend Sam for a tea.

[Matt Rogers]

Come on now.

[Laura Dern]

And he was talking to this lady, and they were deep in conversation. And I walked up and I wanted to make sure, like, he wasn't finishing a meeting or another thing. So I would go sit somewhere else and we're at the Bowery and this.

[Matt Rogers]

Where it all happens. Where it all happens.

[Laura Dern]

And they sort of invite me into their conversation. And I'm introduced and I say, oh, God, if you guys need to finish. No, no, no, no, no. She says, no worry. I know you guys are meeting. Like, I'm just. I just arrived. I'm going to check in. And I said, oh, oh, you're staying here? And he said, yeah, we just ran into each other, but we're friends. And I said, oh, where'd you come in from? And she had her suitcase. And she said, oh, Salt Lake. And I said, oh, cool. And I said, how did you guys meet? And she said, oh, my God, Sam was so nice to me. I wrote a book. And he just was so supportive. And I said, that's amazing. He's such an amazing writer. He's such a champion of his friends.

[Matt Rogers]

Sam Lansky. Are you talking about Sam Lansky?

[Laura Dern]

He's so great. And so I said, he was so sweet. And she said, yeah, he was really sweet. Like your first book, you don't know what you're doing. And I said, oh, yeah, you're amazing. She goes, anyway, great to meet you. Starts to take. And I said, so, but you don't live in New York. And she said, no, no, no, I live in Salt Lake. And I said, oh, what do you do there? And she said, oh, I'm this housewife in Salt Lake.

[Matt Rogers]

I'm a multi hyphenate.

[Laura Dern]

And I said, girl, don't put yourself down. You just told me you wrote a book. You're so much more than a housewife. And she said, no, no, I'm a Real Housewife in Salt Lake. I said, you just said that. But you also said you wrote a book.

[Matt Rogers]

I wasn't clocking to you.

[Bowen Yang]

You're a housewife.

[Matt Rogers]

You're.

[Laura Dern]

You're like. You do many things.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And Sam had to go, laura, she's a Real Housewife of Salt Lake City.

[Matt Rogers]

It was that woman. Was Heather Gay?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, it was.

[Matt Rogers]

Who sat in that very chair.

[Laura Dern]

And guess what? I don't know anything about.

[Matt Rogers]

That's okay.

[Laura Dern]

I had to call. Jai was like, this woman. But I guess she's. Because I kept defending, like, how don't you know? It's great. I mean, by the way, if you're just a housewife, being a housewife is amazing on my own.

[Matt Rogers]

But she probably was saying, like, oh, I'm. She met Laura Dern. And she was like, oh, I'm a housewife from Salt Lake City.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

And meanwhile, she was actually saying her job title.

[Bowen Yang]

She was shrinking herself in a way. But you were, like, trying to meet her at her level. But it was a who's on first thing of like, no, no, no, we're not totally oppressed.

[Laura Dern]

And by the way, it literally took her leaving for Sam to. To describe to me yet again what it meant. And then I had to call Jaya and say, I was with Heather and I didn't know anything. And she's like, oh, my God, Mom. That's like, the best one.

[Matt Rogers]

She's the Real Housewife of Salt LA City. Her title of this podcast, her episode was the Protagonist.

[Bowen Yang]

The protagonist.

[Matt Rogers]

Because she is that. Also, I'm gonna tell you how gay gay is right now. We've both dated Sam.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, you and I? Yeah, I went on a couple of dates.

[Laura Dern]

You think I haven't dated Sam?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Rogers]

Now it's really a queer community.

[Bowen Yang]

It's a queer community.

[Matt Rogers]

Really? Icon. Start that indie spirit song back up.

[Bowen Yang]

You dated Sam 10 years before we did.

[Laura Dern]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, that's what it is.

[Matt Rogers]

Lovely person. Lovely person.

[Bowen Yang]

He's the most wonderful, lovely person and.

[Laura Dern]

Such a true champion of people.

[Bowen Yang]

I know.

[Laura Dern]

It's great housewife who became a novelist.

[Matt Rogers]

I was just. I've just hosted today's show a couple weeks ago when Kieran and Shipka was there, and that's one of his, like, closest.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right. They're buds. Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

He's like. He is truly a fixture.

[Bowen Yang]

But this is so funny because I really wanna go back to this idea of, like, embarrassment and shame around the culture that you knew and that you're like, ah, you don't.

[Matt Rogers]

Like.

[Bowen Yang]

There's no embarrassment in not knowing who that person is. It's like the girl being like, we were just talking about the Police record, and it's the one we don't like. It's like, yes. There's always gonna be, like, a misalignment or something, you know, unless you are part of the beautiful collective that is on the same track with something. It's. I kind of like that. I'm discovering a lot of films myself very late.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes.

[Laura Dern]

Well, by the way, it's the essence of this show. It's why I was so excited to be here and why Jaya was saying to me, you know, I know these are your people. I know this is your world. Because it isn't defining culture. It's asking, what is your culture? And obviously making fun and having fun and being in the bliss of, like. It keeps being redefined. Like, what's important to Us. What's hilarious to us. It's so. That's so freeing.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

But I will say this. You walking into the Bowery and that interaction with Heather Gay. That's the culture Awards. That's Las Culturistas Culture Awards. That's the tone. That is exactly. That is, by the way, what we need.

[Laura Dern]

Could be the award I present together. Can I be, like, tallest woman? Tiniest impact? I'm like, what is my first woman's tiniest impact is.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, your impact would be described as tiny, funny.

[Matt Rogers]

But I was like, why did my.

[Laura Dern]

Award be like, the minute that chest. Figure it out, that chest got an award. I was like, I. I'm hungry.

[Matt Rogers]

People are like, what?

[Laura Dern]

You get an Oscar? Do you want another Oscar? I'm like, I want a last country.

[Bowen Yang]

Laura Dern. There's a bespoke category and award on the horizon coming your way, guys.

[Laura Dern]

I got the song. Like that. Like, to get a song.

[Matt Rogers]

You got a song?

[Laura Dern]

Come on.

[Matt Rogers]

That was. Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

No, that was only because he just referenced it.

[Matt Rogers]

Well, no, no. 100%. But that was, like, a moment in culture too, which was, like, synchronicity. Like, there was this moment where every single person that's in the queer community was like, wait, you know what we all have in common? We fucking love Laura Dern. And that had to be a thing to receive for you. But it's also like, you as the human being experiencing and not the topic is like a different thing.

[Laura Dern]

It's amazing.

[Matt Rogers]

So when they all of a sudden a community turns to you and said, hey, like, what did that kind of feel like?

[Laura Dern]

Okay, that was insane.

[Bowen Yang]

Surreal.

[Laura Dern]

It was insane. I didn't know. I didn't understand what was happening. So I knew in the moment, I had to surrender and just start enjoying it and dancing, even though I had no clue why it was happening. But back to cultural shifts. You know, obviously, we're only gonna affect change if we're the first ones. We're only gonna affect change if it's your voices before other people have caught up to feeling brave enough to say it. So we've all been taught that culture catching up to storytelling for the LGBTQ community had to be a thing when someone would go first.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laura Dern]

So my experience and me calling people going, guess what I'm doing? I'm not supposed to talk about it, but I'm doing this thing. I'm doing an episode of tv. And they're like, whoa, you know, you just starred in Jurassic Park. Like, why are you doing an episode? And I said, no, my friend is doing something. I want to be part of it, and I can't really say what it is. And I had the honor and privilege of being part of Ellen DeGeneres coming out episode called the puppy episode. And it was a massive, massive moment. But the moment now reflected on seems like, well, of course, obvious, duh. A million people must have done it before that. And people must have been going crazy and celebrating, and it must have been such an emotional moment. Bomb threats, losing sponsors and, you know, advertisers, and, like, a crazy week during the filming.

[Matt Rogers]

Cause that was what you were doing at the time, was out of step with what?

[Laura Dern]

Out of step, yeah. And then when it happened, same for Oprah Winfrey, who plays her therapist on the episode.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

In a way, the assumption is, you're gonna do this thing, and thank God people will wake up, love their relatives and their neighbors, see them. Everything will expand, Culture will catch up, and it will be a beautiful celebration. Was major security for a couple of years for any of us involved. The world went, no, no, no. She lost her show like it was.

[Matt Rogers]

You know, there were repercussions that were wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Laura Dern]

And yet now a moment like that happens. And for the people involved in this celebration, I had a couple of people, part of the gay men's choir of Los Angeles, come up and go. Like, I was a kid who didn't even know what was going on. I saw that episode, and that meant. And you go, oh, right. That's why you want culture to catch up later. That is culture. Culture's doing it when nobody's caught up. Yeah. I mean, it's just such a gift. So that actually was the, I think, the aha moment of honoring a community, being part of it.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

And also, let me just say, being part of that moment with Ellen, it wasn't that I was somebody, like, supporting an actor or a friend by being part of the show makes me emotional. But I was holding her hands as they were shaking, you know, and she was looking in my eyes saying, for the first time, I'm gay, out loud with people watching. And the privilege, the luxury of feeling for someone in a moment was so beautiful.

[Matt Rogers]

Literally holding space.

[Laura Dern]

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. And so, you know, watching someone do that for themselves and for their community and for their lives, you know, it was, like, amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

That can't help but be the focal point for when you do watch this chorus of men sing your name. It's funny and it's frivolous and it's Beautiful. It's celebratory. And people are saying how much they love you, but you're like. You immediately are flashing back to the hands in your hands. Yeah, that's. I mean, that's. Wow.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Can I ask, like. But like, among the people involved, like, what was it like sitting with that energy for the longest time between, like, you and Oprah and Ellen? It's like the aftermath of that must have been so disorienting.

[Laura Dern]

Crazy.

[Bowen Yang]

Crazy. That's all.

[Laura Dern]

And. And, you know, crazy on so many levels. Crazy that I know Oprah crazy.

[Matt Rogers]

You know what I mean?

[Apple Card Announcer]

Crazy.

[Bowen Yang]

Crazy.

[Matt Rogers]

That's the first thing. Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

That I had bonding experiences and she did her. An anniversary show, her talk show and had us come on and we talked about it for the first time, like deeply talked about it and hung out that night. And I think we were all together, honestly, till like three in the morning sharing the stories.

[Bowen Yang]

Wow.

[Laura Dern]

Of the gratitude we experienced, of the personal stories shared. But I've just been so lucky to be someone that people will share their personal stories or their family stories or their struggles with me. Only by, you know, by being adjacent to this brave moment in someone's life.

[Matt Rogers]

Will they intuit correctly that you were a safe space for someone that needed. And so now that's part of your essence. And that is a beautiful thing to have be part of your essence.

[Laura Dern]

It's incredible to even think that anyone would believe that of me. So I will hopefully always rise to the occasion to hold space for anybody. But, you know, that's. Yeah, that's the dream anyway. For sure.

[Matt Rogers]

I love that.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for sharing that.

[Matt Rogers]

I can't believe that that was the hotel lobby story, by the way, too. That's just.

[Laura Dern]

And by the way, my daughter was right. She was like, don't tell that on a talk show. Don't tell. You've got. Getting you on Les Culturistas. I am calling your publicist. You have a story for that.

[Matt Rogers]

You know what that means? J. That means that you are in the fandom, a publicist. You are a publicist. Is that how you identify reader Katie, Publicist, Finalist. You are a finalist, but yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, for her.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

You're a publicist in this realm.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah, I'm a publicist, but I'm with her and in public.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. Okay.

[Bowen Yang]

Publicist with her and in public. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Matt Rogers]

100%.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for sharing that.

[Matt Rogers]

Wow, that is so. I mean, just like. Yeah. I mean, I. I just. I just feel like it's not surprising to me at all to like, you really do enter rooms, and it feels like everyone is just, like, because you are Hollywood royalty. But basically, there's so much more. It means so much more than that, that when you carry all these things and you have all these insights and you have all this experience and you're able to speak to it in such a way and share it in such a way.

[Laura Dern]

Why weren't you guys there when I went through a breakup?

[Bowen Yang]

We'll be there.

[Laura Dern]

Can you imagine during breakups, like, your champions show up in the room and be like, she's Hollywood royalty, and you.

[Matt Rogers]

Can'T break up with her. But, like.

[Laura Dern]

But Reese was saying when you're, like.

[Matt Rogers]

16, that when you guys met, it was on your. Your death scene in wild.

[Laura Dern]

Spoiler.

[Matt Rogers]

Sorry, y' all spoiled wild. But you guys had just gone through divorces.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

And that sort of, like, rocketed you.

[Laura Dern]

Guys to, like, and immediately, literally within two minutes of meeting on set.

[Bowen Yang]

Wow.

[Laura Dern]

Shared everything with each other.

[Matt Rogers]

So you guys are real.

[Laura Dern]

We were saf. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's incredible. She's the best.

[Bowen Yang]

She's awesome.

[Laura Dern]

I mean, tiniest person, biggest. Let's be clear. I'm already planning.

[Matt Rogers]

In a real way.

[Bowen Yang]

Real way.

[Matt Rogers]

Shall we move to. I don't think so, honey.

[Bowen Yang]

We shall.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, my God.

[Laura Dern]

Already?

[Matt Rogers]

I know he's not crazy.

[Laura Dern]

I just. I said, are people nervous when they. I mean, again, thank God that my publicist, my daughter, even told me, hey, mom, they're gonna ask this question. You gotta at least. And I was like, I don't like to prepare for things, Jai. She's like, mom, you have to at least know the theme or the thing that bothers you, and. And then you ride it out.

[Matt Rogers]

You'll see soon.

[Laura Dern]

You gotta just go with the feeling. Right.

[Matt Rogers]

All we ever know is the property.

[Laura Dern]

Are there people who actually write a bit of a rant?

[Matt Rogers]

I'll say something. They tend to feel less impactful when they are being read because you can tell the spirit is not moving. The spirit has already moved, and so therefore, it's on the written page. But when the spirit moves in real time.

[Laura Dern]

No, it's church, you guys.

[Matt Rogers]

Those people out there in the dark, they can feel it.

[Laura Dern]

You really have. This is Church Ways.

[Matt Rogers]

This is now a religious podcast. It is.

[Bowen Yang]

It is.

[Matt Rogers]

Please listen to us for nothing. And I. I beg you to listen to us for nothing.

[Bowen Yang]

What if your WI fi was more than just WI fi? What if your WI fi made everything in your whole house just work together better?

[Matt Rogers]

Well, Xfinity WI fi pretty much does exactly that it's powered by their best, most elite, high performing tech.

[Bowen Yang]

Allow us to paint a very realistic example. Everyone in your house, everyone is on their devices at the exact same time. Gaming, working, swiping. Right? Because of course they are. And the finale of your favorite show of all time of the week is on at the exact same moment. Well, you can boost the WI fi to your device with Xfinity.

[Matt Rogers]

And have you ever asked yourself, what if my wi fi could keep watch over my kids for me? Well, probably not, because that's a weird thing to ask yourself. But Xfinity WI fi has parenting schemes, skills, even if you sometimes forget yours. Xfinity's like, don't worry, I'll monitor the WI Fi.

[Bowen Yang]

It's completely proactive, fixing issues before they even happen. Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity. Imagine that.

[Bowen Yang]

Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life.

[Matt Rogers]

Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a you know that most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range.

[Bowen Yang]

Here's the thing. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches.

[Matt Rogers]

With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. The way forward is electric. Learn [e-mail] oh, hear that?

[Bowen Yang]

That's the Spam brand singing you a love song.

[Matt Rogers]

Spam, sizzle, pork and mmm.

[Apple Card Announcer]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card. You'll love earning unlimited daily cash on every Purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple. Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at Apple co getdailycash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City. Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply.

[Matt Rogers]

This is. I don't think so, honey. This is a 60 second segment where we take turns sort of bellowing.

[Bowen Yang]

Bellowing? We're bellowers.

[Matt Rogers]

It's a cultural bellow. And I have something. This is gonna come out of left field, okay? But I think we're all experiencing it and it needs to be spoken out.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay?

[Matt Rogers]

Okay.

[Bowen Yang]

Matt with a collectivist perspective, centering myself. This is his. I don't think so, honey. Is time starts now.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't think so, honey. Doors that are both push and pull.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Rogers]

This is a danger to society.

[Bowen Yang]

You're getting smacked.

[Matt Rogers]

You are getting smacked. God forbid someone pushes and pulls at the same time. Then we're just slapping on glass. Your wrists are compromised. There has to be decisions. Also, I'm sorry. If you are walking into a store, the door should go into the store. Pulling the door out. I'm just giving an idea about what direction to go. It has to go a direction. That direction has to be clearly labeled. My opinion is, if we're going in, the door should go in. People expect something when they are in a space, to have something enter that space.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

When you were on the street, you do not think, hey, you know what could fly out in front of me right now? A goddamn door. I hate this. We already. And I'm sorry to make people nervous on the streets. We already have the fact that in the summer air conditioning.

[Bowen Yang]

Five seconds could plummet. Oh, man.

[Matt Rogers]

I don't need to be thinking about birds pooping on us. Air conditioning plummeting. And, you know, also doors flying out into the streets. It's push or pull. It is not push and pull. That's not physics.

[Laura Dern]

And that's one minute Public safety announcement.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes.

[Laura Dern]

That's like, let's change up. What? A PSA stands for Public Safety announcement. You have just saved lives with that.

[Matt Rogers]

I'm just saying we have to. We have really should just decide. And I think in always. You know what. You know what great leadership is? You know what great direction is? Making decisions. It is not always about making the right decision. It is about making a decision.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, yes.

[Matt Rogers]

And then you deal with those consequences and those. The fallout from that decision. But we have to make decisions. Making a decision door, push and pull. Sure. It's a choice. It's not a decision. It's not definitive. It is putting too much in the eyes and the hands and the wrists of the public, and we can't be trusted. We need guidance. We need leadership on this.

[Laura Dern]

Amen.

[Bowen Yang]

Amen.

[Laura Dern]

Masterpiece.

[Bowen Yang]

Thoughts on revolving doors.

[Matt Rogers]

Let's go right on revolving doors. I'm actually. I'm actually. I don't like revolving doors.

[Laura Dern]

I don't take them. I do. I push in.

[Matt Rogers]

I say do two doors and then.

[Laura Dern]

It doesn't let me usually. But the revolving. Yeah, I worry I'm not gonna be fast.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

A coat.

[Bowen Yang]

A coat's gonna get snagged.

[Matt Rogers]

To say nothing of claustrophobia, one of the most famous phobias. And yet and yet, can I ask.

[Laura Dern]

Why do we do evolving doors?

[Bowen Yang]

Claustra.

[Matt Rogers]

She is now. I'm giving my daughter that. Yeah, this is my daughter claustrophobia rhyme.

[Laura Dern]

This is my daughter's name right now.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. Listen, are you comfortable with your new name? Claustra.

[Bowen Yang]

Claustra.

[Matt Rogers]

But do you know, I don't know why I'm turning to you to answer this question. Why do we have revolving doors?

[Bowen Yang]

I think it's to regulate the influx and. But I'm just making this up or sort of the. What's the word? It starts with an E. Burn. Burn.

[Matt Rogers]

What's the word?

[Bowen Yang]

Burn.

[Matt Rogers]

Anyway. Anyway.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm not sure why.

[Matt Rogers]

I think you might be in the ballpark.

[Bowen Yang]

Something. Egress. Egress is what I meant.

[Matt Rogers]

Egress and regulation. I'll spot all the words.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, no.

[Matt Rogers]

You believe English is third language? Did you know that when you listen to the speech at the Governor's Awards, everybody was speaking in his third language?

[Bowen Yang]

Everybody. Calm down.

[Matt Rogers]

I refuse to calm down. You need to calm down before we go into Bowens. I don't think so, honey. What was the experience of starring in Bejeweled, the music video with Taylor Swift?

[Laura Dern]

Amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

Amazing.

[Laura Dern]

Thought you wouldn't ask.

[Matt Rogers]

I actually. It was in. It was in, like, the. The secretaries went through the file cabinets of my mind and found that file on a second.

[Laura Dern]

And they said, matt, Matt.

[Matt Rogers]

And I just needed to know if it was.

[Laura Dern]

I heard egress, and it just like.

[Matt Rogers]

That's a very Swiftian word. Are you sure she's used egress?

[Laura Dern]

She probably has. It has to be in a song.

[Matt Rogers]

It's probably on folklore.

[Bowen Yang]

She's used the word.

[Laura Dern]

My favorite record.

[Matt Rogers]

It's so good.

[Bowen Yang]

So good.

[Laura Dern]

It is my favorite record of hers.

[Matt Rogers]

It's absolutely brilliant. And the thing that I always say about folklore is it's there for you when you need it.

[Laura Dern]

It is in every circumstance.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. Ugh.

[Bowen Yang]

Truly.

[Matt Rogers]

Truly.

[Laura Dern]

How about that? The world worships her and I had to join. Just hate on her. I. Like, there was even a kick, like, there were certain things, I'm sure, that weren't used because we were playing Good Faith. And she's an amazing director, by the way. An amazing guy.

[Matt Rogers]

She makes decisions.

[Laura Dern]

Makes decisions. Would have fixed that for us. Indoor, outdoor.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely.

[Matt Rogers]

She'd be like, oh, no, by the.

[Laura Dern]

Way, she could say it today and it would change forever.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it would. It would be like. It would be like when she, like, spoke up for, like.

[Bowen Yang]

For Spotify. For Spotify, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

Against whatever it was. Yeah, she did the right thing.

[Laura Dern]

She did the right thing. She went in when you're supposed to.

[Matt Rogers]

Go in as you push in a door. Yes, I know that about Taylor, but. Yeah, no, I also, like, you were the star of a lot of B roll during the ERAS tour. The influx of people coming in, that.

[Laura Dern]

Was an amazing experience. We actually went to the first show.

[Matt Rogers]

Oh, you did?

[Laura Dern]

We were in Phoenix. It was incredible. And just. It was wild.

[Bowen Yang]

First audience for that. Wow.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Apple Card Announcer]

You know, it was just.

[Matt Rogers]

Wow. Yes. You watched the ERAS tour begin, begin.

[Laura Dern]

Begin, and like, breaking it down after and hearing the ins and outs of notes and just like. And her genius brain and.

[Matt Rogers]

Which you can now see in the documentary.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Rogers]

So cool.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Rogers]

It's a really. It was a good watch.

[Laura Dern]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Rogers]

But for now, we're focusing on one specifically Bo and Yang's. One minute. Because this is Bowen Yang's. I don't think so any. Now, do you have a topic ready in mind?

[Bowen Yang]

I do. It's.

[Matt Rogers]

It's.

[Laura Dern]

It'll.

[Bowen Yang]

It'll get there. But everybody walk with me on this.

[Matt Rogers]

Let's all walk with Bowen.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Bowen Yang's. I don't think so. Any. His time starts now. I don't think so.

[Bowen Yang]

Honey. What happened to underwater basket weaving? It's like a punchline of like, oh, it's a college class that no one in their right mind would take. Take. Make it a real thing. I know it's a real thing. You use kelp to make a little wicker, a little. A little lattice. Some. I know it's a real thing, but let's actually popularize it instead of making it a punchline like. I want. The first time I heard the words underwater basket weaving, I was like 14 years old talking to college counselors, but I was like, 30 seconds. Do you guys offer that? Because I would gladly take. I regret being in NYU and alum that they did not offer that. Even though we had a great swimming team.

[Matt Rogers]

We. I think they were. We had a swimming.

[Bowen Yang]

We had the facilities to have an underwater basket weaving course, and it was never offered to us in earnest. I think let's just really bring the whimsy back to our campuses across this country. Let's just make it fun. College just sounds so stressful now. Look, they're not even writing papers anymore.

[Matt Rogers]

Let them do it.

[Bowen Yang]

Let him weave.

[Matt Rogers]

And that's one moment.

[Laura Dern]

Let him weave.

[Matt Rogers]

Let em. Weave. Sometimes the dichotomy between us just shakes me. Cause I just said doors should push in, and Bowen used the Word lattice in reference to underwater basket weaver.

[Bowen Yang]

Two syllable words which I did in.

[Laura Dern]

Lattice work with kelp.

[Matt Rogers]

Lattice work with kelp, by the way.

[Laura Dern]

But first of all, you're so right. It's too stressful.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Matt Rogers]

So right.

[Laura Dern]

And I say swim teams across the country should be required to have underwater basket weaving for, like, their break time.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Laura Dern]

You know what I mean. It's too stressful.

[Bowen Yang]

It's too stressful. It is a meditative experience. Thank you for agreeing with us emphatically on this.

[Laura Dern]

Amen. I'm signing Jaia up. Oh, NYU doesn't even know they offer that. But they do now.

[Matt Rogers]

They do now. Now she's being your publicist, okay? She's making your decisions.

[Bowen Yang]

Your dean.

[Laura Dern]

Mom, you called the school and told them they had to offer.

[Matt Rogers]

Now I'm the captain of the basket evening club for underwater.

[Laura Dern]

They were like, your mother said, we.

[Matt Rogers]

Had to have it.

[Bowen Yang]

So you got.

[Matt Rogers]

Honestly, I think we both made salient points. And now we turn to our guest who's going to tear this up.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, my God, guys, you're going to do great.

[Matt Rogers]

You're going to do amazing. Are you ready?

[Laura Dern]

I am.

[Matt Rogers]

Okay, this is.

[Laura Dern]

And you'll say 30 seconds.

[Matt Rogers]

We were going to.

[Bowen Yang]

We're going to go temples.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Laura D. I don't think so, honey. And her time starts now.

[Laura Dern]

I don't think so, honey. Shared public spaces are not just for you. A crosswalk means we're waiting, we're being generous. Our cars are stopped. Yeah, take your time, but get across the street. You know what I'm saying? You've already got your Starbucks. This isn't your Abbey Road. Jessica Green Bean scrap. Move, move. People who are like, you know, walking. And they go, 30 seconds. Thank you. And they kind of move quickly. And then there are people who are like, they drop something.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

They go sort of back a little.

[Bowen Yang]

And then.

[Laura Dern]

This is disgusting. Can't stand it. How about by the way, in the airport?

[Matt Rogers]

15 seconds happened.

[Bowen Yang]

Here we go.

[Laura Dern]

Clipping nails. No, as the nail is like flying into your face. Someone clipping, clipping their toenails.

[Matt Rogers]

This is David lynch in the airport.

[Laura Dern]

How about inside a movie theater watching Wolves of Wall Street? Margot Robbie comes on the screen. The guy goes, she looks just like Sarah. My best friend Sarah. Margot Robbie looks like Sarah.

[Matt Rogers]

You know what?

[Laura Dern]

Fuck you. I'm like, guys, we're in a movie.

[Matt Rogers]

Theater and that's one minute. We don't want to hear about Sarah. We want to watch Margot Robbie. This is the beginning of her career.

[Laura Dern]

Exactly.

[Matt Rogers]

We were Watching the birth of a movie star.

[Bowen Yang]

Public good goods are meant to be shared in.

[Laura Dern]

Yes, exactly.

[Matt Rogers]

Green means go.

[Bowen Yang]

Green means go.

[Matt Rogers]

As Taylor Swift once said, welcome to New York. It's been waiting for you. But I'm not waiting for you to cross the street.

[Laura Dern]

It's waiting for you to move at our pace.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

This isn't your happy road desk.

[Laura Dern]

We're not in Kansas anymore. Call back a week.

[Matt Rogers]

It was famously once said, we're not in Kansas anymore. So you actually do have to lift those knees.

[Bowen Yang]

You gotta love.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah. So it's. It's we for me. It's kind of like when people are loud on the phone in a space where there's like four other people.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, my God. I was gonna talk about that restaurant. Like a romantic night and somebody's right next to you and they're mad. Right on the phone. Being fired. I get it.

[Matt Rogers]

Being fired.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, yeah, it's their.

[Matt Rogers]

Step out to be fired.

[Laura Dern]

Step out to be fired.

[Matt Rogers]

It's actually roller culture number 100. Step out to.

[Bowen Yang]

To be fired. Get some fresh air.

[Laura Dern]

But guess what? If you're gonna have to do that, the door should go out.

[Bowen Yang]

Yep.

[Laura Dern]

You don't wanna be fired. Have to leave so upset. And then the door keeps.

[Matt Rogers]

There's the door. There's the door.

[Laura Dern]

You're like, I'm trying to get out to be fired, guys. And I can't get out.

[Bowen Yang]

But that's public. That's a courtesy for the rest of you.

[Laura Dern]

It's a courtesy. And you're crying and you, like, have lost your gig.

[Matt Rogers]

I wanna say also the fact that we got a little dose of your characteristic anger right there.

[Bowen Yang]

The rage came. That was beautiful.

[Matt Rogers]

That was a treat and a half. Can I just tell you, you nailed it. You came in here being like, do people get nervous? Do people get nervous? The elbow started going. I was like, you're gonna kill this. And you did, but.

[Laura Dern]

Cause it genuinely pisses me off.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes. And there you go.

[Laura Dern]

Toenail point.

[Matt Rogers]

And now you're on the other side of it.

[Bowen Yang]

You found the truth.

[Laura Dern]

Be in our truth.

[Matt Rogers]

Be in your truth.

[Laura Dern]

You guys gift me that.

[Bowen Yang]

And you give us you so much.

[Matt Rogers]

And including your time today, and this has been the coolest. Getting to know you is awesome. And I remember I showed up on Palm Royale and yes. Was in all the makeup and everything. And then you came and you weren't acting that day. You were just there as a producer. And you came and you were. I could hear you giving, like, feedback off camera. And I just thought it was so, so cool. You're so multifaceted. You're so good at so many different things that you do that people don't even think about that you're doing. Because the. It's. Your reputation proceeds and it is deadass.

[Laura Dern]

Thank you. Guess what? You know what I'm gonna do next time I'm here?

[Matt Rogers]

What?

[Laura Dern]

I'm gonna bring you a woven basket.

[Matt Rogers]

That you made underwater.

[Laura Dern]

Oh, you know it.

[Bowen Yang]

A lattice kelp. A kelp lattice.

[Laura Dern]

Yes. It's gonna be beautiful. I mean, Jaya will have made it in her class, of course, but I'll take credit.

[Matt Rogers]

You'll take credit for it?

[Bowen Yang]

You'll take credit for it?

[Laura Dern]

Of course. That' Good mothers.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Hollywood. This is Hollywood after all.

[Matt Rogers]

After all.

[Laura Dern]

Look what I made for you.

[Bowen Yang]

We'll see you at the Culture Awards.

[Matt Rogers]

With the woven basket, guys. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You're gonna have another huge trophy to put in your mud room. That's the truth. That is the truth.

[Matt Rogers]

And this one will be too heavy to break.

[Laura Dern]

Was your museum award glass?

[Bowen Yang]

I think it was gold, but it was gold. You know what they would give the people the years before us? A tiny silver Oscar statue. And then what they gave to us in our class, I'm not. I'm not noting it. I'm just pointing this out like a solid gold, like, ice cream cone, which is sitting beautifully on my bookshelf. But I did look at the chrome Oscar, this chrome silver Oscar that Paul Meskel has. And I'm like, that's cool.

[Laura Dern]

That's cool.

[Bowen Yang]

But the gold is better. The gold is better.

[Matt Rogers]

Well, the gold is better because that's a real Oscar. We refer to his as a Vibes Oscar.

[Bowen Yang]

It's a Vibes Oscar.

[Matt Rogers]

And we love your vibe so far in your career. We're gonna give you this thing. It's not an Oscar, but we are the Academy.

[Laura Dern]

Should the Oscars. Change it to the Olympic formula where you get a bronze, a silver, and a gold?

[Matt Rogers]

Honestly, though, not bad. I don't think it's.

[Laura Dern]

Well, because then it's like, everyone's a winner, but you got the bronze.

[Matt Rogers]

I do think about. So we were. We were at the Oscars last year, and Best Actress happened, and Mikey Madison.

[Laura Dern]

Is gonna say, and we won Best Actress.

[Matt Rogers]

We won Best Actress. No one even says anything.

[Laura Dern]

I'm like, I don't remember that. And that's the greatest moment in Cult, which, by the way, we're not stopping till the two of you win Best Actress for the same performance.

[Matt Rogers]

Let's go. That's how we know, we've really come along.

[Laura Dern]

You guys are gonna do this.

[Matt Rogers]

We're gonna do it. I'm gonna produce it.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm going after that.

[Matt Rogers]

And Mikey Madison won, and we were all like, oh, my God, she won. But that means Demi lost. Oh, no. I know. And I was like, once you're. When you're in the room and you're kind of, like, feeling that happen, you're like, oh, everyone should win. Why are we doing this?

[Laura Dern]

I know. And what face should I make? Because I am in grief and joy.

[Matt Rogers]

And everything you've had to do faces for all. All different variations of it.

[Laura Dern]

I. I've loved seeing people who, like, go with the.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Laura Dern]

The joke.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laura Dern]

That are like, yeah, David lynch did that one year when it happened.

[Matt Rogers]

Iconic things he did, which I thought was so good. Well, thank you so much again.

[Laura Dern]

Thanks, you guys. Oh, my God. I've had the time of my life.

[Bowen Yang]

We've had a blast and a half. This, this. This spanned all conversational tones in the best way. Thank you.

[Laura Dern]

Thank you.

[Bowen Yang]

We end every episode with a song with these tones.

[Matt Rogers]

Best believe it's still bejeweled. And when I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer to see our guests shimmer. See one of her thousands of films out right now, including Is this Thing On?

[Bowen Yang]

And watch her kick Taylor Swift and the Bejeweled video outtakes.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it's Dream Pop Royale.

[Bowen Yang]

Las Culturistas is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeartRadio podcasts.

[Matt Rogers]

Created and hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, executive produced by Anna Haznier and produced by Becca Ramos, edited and.

[Bowen Yang]

Mixed by Doug Bain.

[Matt Rogers]

And our music is by Henry Kabirsky. Hey, so what if you could boost the WI fi to one of your devices when you need it most?

[Bowen Yang]

Because Xfinity WI fi can. And what if your WI fi could fix itself before there's even really a problem? Xfinity is so reliable. It does that too.

[Matt Rogers]

What if your WI fi had parental instincts? Xfinity WI fi is part nanny, part ninja, protecting your kids while they're online.

[Bowen Yang]

And finally, what if your WI fi was, like, the smartest WI fi?

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it's WI fi that is so smart, it makes everything work better together.

[Bowen Yang]

Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity. Imagine that.

[Bowen Yang]

We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier Protein shakes are my go to they have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar, and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness, it's for getting after life. Premier Protein powers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite flavor at Premier Protein. That's P R E M I E R protein.com Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life.

[Matt Rogers]

Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Did you know that most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range?

[Bowen Yang]

Here's the thing. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches.

[Matt Rogers]

With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. The way forward is electric. Learn [e-mail] you can't spell culturistas without R I.

[Bowen Yang]

That's right. Rhode island is the perfect place not just for the culturistas of the world, but all the other Easters too.

[Matt Rogers]

We're talking about the food Easters, the theateristas, the nature Easters, the luxuriestas whatever you're in Easter for, you'll find it in the Ocean State.

[Bowen Yang]

So start packing those bags and being be the best Easter you can be.

[Matt Rogers]

Rhode Island. All that.

[Bowen Yang]

Plan your trip@Visit Rhode Island.com that's Visit Rhode Island.com this is an I heart podcast.

[Laura Dern]

Guaranteed human.