S5 E2: After You

Summary

Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast – Season 5, Episode 2: "After You"
Hosted by Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard)
Release Date: September 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode takes fans behind the scenes of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 5, Episode 2, offering in-depth conversations with cast members Teddy Coluca (Lester), Emory Cohen (Young Lester), and Jackie Hoffman (Uma). Host Michael Cyril Creighton explores how the show balances comedy with real emotion, the handling of pivotal character moments (notably Lester’s death), and the quirks of long-term recurring roles. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, reflections on character development, and hilarious behind-the-scenes stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Heart of Episode 2: Lester’s Story (00:07–02:00)

• Recap: The episode flashes back to the early ‘90s at the Arconia, tracing Lester’s journey from day one as a doorman under George’s mentorship to his eventual takeover of the underground gambling operation. The story revisits critical moments, including the night of Tim Kono’s murder and Lester’s recent death (believed accidental by the police).
• Insight: “Lester really was the backbone of that building… Lester kept that building running.” (Host, 05:38)
• Character Legacy: The flashbacks allow new facets of Lester’s life to emerge and underscore his quiet centrality to Arconia’s community.

2. Teddy Coluca on Finding Out About Lester’s Fate (02:11–06:15)

• Surprise Death: Both Teddy and Michael reveal they learned about Lester's death while reading the script, not from production heads.

  "I had no idea… I finally get to the end, and I see Lester, and I went, I can’t tell anybody. I call my—They’re killing Lester." – Teddy (03:23–03:44)

• Family Reactions: Teddy shares touching moments watching the episode with his grandchildren:

  “All of a sudden, there I am laying in the fountain, and one of my granddaughters, Nina, says, ‘Oh, no, Grandpa.’” (04:42)

• Impact: The emotional resonance of Lester’s death is heightened both for the cast and viewers, deepening his character.

3. Filming the Fountain Scene & On-Set Experience (06:15–07:58)

• Practical Effects: Teddy wore a wetsuit under his costume and praises the stunt team and crew for their care during shoot days, especially in cold weather.

  “The stunt guys really took care of me… There was a guy in that fountain with me whenever I was in the fountain.” – Teddy (07:02)

• Favorite Scenes: A highlight is Lester’s touching scene with his wife, Rainey (Dianne Wiest), blending humor and pathos for the character.

4. Character Reflections: Lester's Name & Mustache (09:17–10:21)

• Using Teddy’s Real Name: The writers asked Teddy if they could use his real surname for Lester.
• Iconic Mustache: Teddy discusses typecasting and his self-promotion as "New York City's cutest little chubby Italian," reflecting on how it shaped his career.

5. Emotional Acting Moments (10:55–12:54)

• On-Screen Chemistry: Brief, unscripted moments—like Howard and Lester’s comforting interaction as Howard’s mother is rolled out—allowed authentic emotion to shine through, drawing from real-life experiences.
• Lying in the Casket: Teddy shared personal hesitations about being filmed in a coffin, referencing a shared history of loss with his wife and the amusing irony that “it might be the funniest scene I’ve ever done… and I’m dead.” (13:05)

6. Game Section: “How Well Do You Know Your Tenants?” (13:11–15:27)

• Teddy successfully guesses which iconic quotes belong to which residents, demonstrating the ensemble’s familiarity and playful camaraderie.
• Notable Quote:

  "The rest of you, if you’re a murderer, stop murdering." – Bunny, guessed by Teddy (14:03)

7. Emory Cohen on Playing Young Lester (15:49–24:37)

• Preparation: Emory watched films from the ‘90s/2000s set in NYC for period authenticity and drew inspiration from Teddy’s lived experience.

  “I realized, oh my god, it’s a love story. So it kind of was like—the stuff all sort of just meshes.” – Emory (17:36)

• Set Dynamics: Emory describes the challenges and excitement of stepping into an established show, as well as being ‘shielded’ among working actors, away from the megastars at first.
• Favorite Character: Emory singles out Bunny as his own favorite, crediting her emotional depth in season two for helping him feel more connected and braver about his guest role (20:08).
• Working with Bobby Cannavale: Emory fondly recalls his last day filming—sharing an unspoken, tension-filled money exchange scene with Bobby Cannavale.

8. The Life (and Chair) of Uma with Jackie Hoffman (26:45–33:53)

• Origin of Uma: Jackie was originally a near-silent character—“In that pilot, you have no lines. You just give the finger.” (27:57)—and is surprised and delighted by Uma’s expanded story over five seasons.
• The Cast Chair Saga: Jackie comically laments being the only major recurring player without a customized cast chair.

  “I think they just want to keep me cranky.” – Jackie (29:14) “They took a piece of masking tape, scrawled my name on it with a magic marker, and put it on a chair. And that’s what I call success.” (29:52–30:02)

• Creating Uma’s Backstory: Jackie improvises about Uma’s history, saying she was briefly in fundraising, has always been cranky, and had a husband who died “in an unfortunate incident in a restroom in a bus station in Texas.” (31:12)
• Unlikely Friendships: The Howard–Uma dynamic is highlighted—"I consider Uma Howard’s only friend in the building." (31:44)
• New York Then and Now: Jackie sums it up: “A beer costs a lot more, and you never know who might be a pimp.” (33:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Discovering Lester’s Fate
  • Teddy Coluca: “I had no idea… I call my—they’re killing Lester.” (03:44)
• On Awards Recognition
  • Teddy Coluca: “Never in a million years did that ever cross my mind. And I think at my level, that’s it.” (08:46)
• On Acting with Legends
  • Teddy Coluca: “An actor like me, who would have ever thought I’d win a Screen Actors Guild Award? Never.” (08:31)
  • Michael: “We’re working with Oscar winners, but you know what? We’re the greats, too.” (08:26–08:29)
• On Set Camaraderie
  • Michael: “The crew is the best crew you could ever have… in every single department.” (07:10)
  • Emory Cohen: “That episode made me feel like a part of… so maybe it’s—maybe it’s about this moment that helped me feel braver about being a part of the show.” (20:56)
• On Uma’s Evolution
  • Jackie Hoffman: “Since the beginning. Since the pilot. And in that pilot, you have no lines. You just give the finger.” (27:50–27:57)
  • Jackie Hoffman (on the lack of chair): “People who guest star one time, people who just—the cleaning people have a cash chair. For some reason, there’s no Uma chair. But I think they just want to keep me cranky. They’re doing a good job.” (29:14)
• On New York’s Changes
  • Jackie Hoffman: “A beer costs a lot more, and you never know who might be a pimp.” (33:38)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------| | Recap of Episode 2 | Michael | 00:07–02:00 | | Teddy on Lester's death | Teddy, Michael | 02:11–06:15 | | The fountain scene & working with Dianne Wiest| Teddy, Michael | 06:15–07:58 | | Awards, character legacy, and mustache lore | Teddy, Michael | 09:17–10:21 | | Howard & Lester’s emotional on-screen scenes | Teddy, Michael | 10:55–12:54 | | “How Well Do You Know Your Tenants?” game | Teddy, Michael | 13:11–15:27 | | Becoming Young Lester: prep & pressure | Emory, Michael | 15:49–18:45 | | Emory on Bunny, cast dynamics, Boardwalk Empire| Emory, Michael | 19:49–23:40 | | Mustache magic, makeup & time jumps | Emory, Michael | 23:43–24:37 | | Dead Giveaway Game | Emory, Michael | 24:43–26:11 | | Jackie Hoffman & Uma’s journey | Jackie, Michael | 26:45–33:38 | | Uma’s chair and backstory | Jackie, Michael | 29:12–31:12 |

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Tone & Takeaways

Staying true to the show’s comedic, self-aware, and heartfelt tone, the episode mixes sharp wit with genuine emotion. Insightful discussions about character arcs and on-set dynamics are punctuated by playful behind-the-scenes banter. For fans and newcomers alike, this episode offers both a deeper appreciation for the “fabric” characters like Lester and Uma, and a reminder that it’s the working ensemble—often the “fourth wheels”—who bring Arconia’s world to life.

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Next episode tease: Look forward to Beanie Feldstein on pop stardom, composer Siddhartha Khosla, and Jane Lynch on Saz’s afterlife philosophy.

Transcript

[A]

Has Uma always been grumpy?

[B]

This is where I'm supposed to look for some life changing event when my daughter got hit by the garbage truck.

[A]

Oh, hello and welcome to hulu's only murders in the building official podcast. Now with video. Next season we're going to add a scratch and sniff option. I am your host, Michael Cyril Creighton, and I play your favorite trio's fourth wheel, the sexiest librarian on the upper west side, Howard Morris. We're dissecting episodes, sharing behind the scenes stories and playing games with some of the amazing actors, writers and crew from season five of only murders in the building. We'll talk with actress Jackie Hoffman about playing uma heller and what it takes to get a goddamn cast chair on this show.

[B]

Things are only getting worse.

[A]

We'll talk with actor Emory Cohen about the fitness routine required to pull off playing young Lester. And we will talk with actor Teddy Kaluca about the journey he's gone on in the last five years to play our beloved doorman, Lester Kaluc. Huh. Same last name. Coincidence or conspiracy?

[C]

Come on. I don't know about that.

[A]

But first, a quick recap of episode two. So if you haven't watched stop right now. Come back after you've seen it. We flashback to the arconia in the early 90s. A young Lester starts his first day on the job trained by dorman George. And pay attention. The real trick is noticing the little things. As time passes, we see the history of the arconia through Lester's eyes. We also learn about the origins of the arconia's underground gambling scene. And when the elevator is upgraded from crank to automatic, George retires and passes the gambling operation on to Lester. We revisit the night Tim Kona was killed. And after four more murders, Lester hires a new doorman named Randall. We're back in the present. And the trio starts their murder board. The police say Lester's death was accidental, and the trio still isn't convinced it wasn't foul play. So you have been the beloved doorman at the arconia since day one.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

You are an incredible actor, an incredible person that I love very much. And I love you too, Teddy Kaluca. So let's get to it. We have a lot of questions.

[C]

Okay, I'm ready.

[A]

I want to talk about something hard. Death. When did you find out Lester was going to die?

[C]

That's an interesting question. I had no idea.

[A]

Me neither.

[C]

No idea. I can tell you this much right after the writers strike. John? I don't know. We did an Email back and forth. And he said to me, I just want you to know we're back in the writers room, and Lester is on our mind. And I said, I don't know what that means, you know?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And still we're going through season four. I didn't know. Had no idea. No one told me. I like to go watch high school sports. I'll go watch a high school baseball game in town. I'll go watch a high school basketball game. And my wife is always saying to me, don't you have a game to go watch or something? You know, that's her way of saying, you know, you're in my way.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So watching a high school baseball game, I comes across this script for episode 410. Now, what I do is when I get a script, I really don't read the whole script because I like to be surprised myself. You search for your character, but I look for Lester.

[A]

I look for Lester.

[C]

Okay, Lester. Lester. Okay, I'm looking, I'm looking. Oh, there's Lester. He's in this picture. Good, good. Okay. It's. Oh, Lester's here again. I finally get to the end of the play, the end of the script, and I see Lester, and I went, I can't tell anybody. And I said, quick, get the phone. I call my. They're killing Lester. That's how I found out. I had no idea.

[A]

No idea. You just found out? No idea.

[C]

I read it in the script.

[A]

That's how I found out, too. But you know what I was convinced of? I was convinced in season two, the end of season two, that you were the killer in season three. And I'm notoriously always wrong about who the killer is. But I thought because you were a failed actor, which we touch on in the. The killer reveal party in season two, that you were jealous of Ben Glenroy and that you killed him. That was my theory, and I was completely wrong. But, you know, you and I are in the audience.

[C]

Oh, that's where we bonded.

[A]

Yeah. When we were sitting in the audience there.

[C]

Yeah. That's when we bonded.

[A]

That's a great story. So you found out by surprise.

[C]

No one let you know anybody?

[A]

No. Isn't that hard?

[C]

Told my wife, told my agent, and that was it.

[A]

That's the rule that I have on this show, is if you're ever gonna die or you're a killer, you have to tell your spouse and your agent and no one else.

[C]

And it was great that I didn't tell anyone. I have. I think, you know, I have eight grandkids yeah. And two of them, the two oldest ones, came over every Tuesday night and watched every episode with me. So when I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't tell them, but I wanted to see the reaction. So what I did was I had my four oldest grandkids come over. I had them there, and the four of them are watching. And all of a sudden, there I am laying in the fountain, and one of my granddaughters, Nina, says, oh, no, Grandpa, she said. And I saw their reaction. And it was enough for me that they were so surprise.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Until this day, people are so far behind watching the show, I'll get an email or text once, Once a week saying, oh, no. And I know what it means.

[A]

Yeah. You know, I think it's so great because Lester's such a. Like, sort of was. And we learn it this season more that Lester really was the backbone of that building. Lester kept that building running. Lester especially. Cause the way you play it is just such a good, likable, decent human. At first I was like, why are we killing off Lester? Don't do that. But there's so much wealth in his story to be mined this season. I'm really not happy you were killed. I want you to live forever. But I think it really pays off. I think we learn a lot more about Lester in a really great way.

[C]

They wrote some great stuff to show just how much lest they did care about everyone.

[A]

Absolutely. Let's talk about that fountain. You were in that fountain a lot. Was it cold?

[C]

Well, the first time we shot, it was June, and I had a wetsuit on.

[A]

Oh, you did? Under the.

[C]

Under the doorman costume all the time. So actually, it was never really cold. And when we shot this march, they warmed it up. They literally.

[A]

It was cold that day. I remember it was cold.

[C]

I said to them, how. How did you warm the water? And they didn't tell me. They just said, special effects. And I thought, what do they got, a pill? They have a pill?

[A]

Maybe.

[C]

Ended up. Someone told me they had a heater on it for hours.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[C]

And then once I got in and let me tell you, I have to give props to the stunt guys.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Cause the stunt guys really took care of me. There was a guy in that fountain with me whenever I was in the fountain. They were great.

[A]

They go above and beyond. The crew is the best crew you could ever have and ever ask for in every single department. There's a moment with Rainey, your wife Dianne Wiest, that I love so much. And it's When Lester blames himself on the first murder in the building, they must have walked right by you. And she comforts you, saying, one murder, it's certainly not your fault. Or something like that. And then we get this great montage of four murders. And then she goes, four is a lot of murder.

[C]

A murder. The killer must have walked right past my desk.

[A]

No, it's not your fault.

[D]

One murder in 30 years.

[B]

Four.

[A]

Oh, honey, I'm not gonna lie to you. Four's a lot of murders. What was it like working with Dianne Wiese?

[C]

I wish I worked more with her, to be honest. She was lovely. She was exactly what you see. Sweet. And again, I wish I just had spent more time with her than I did.

[A]

Isn't that kind of the rub of this show is like, you get to be with the. The greatest of the greats, but ever so briefly.

[C]

I mean, sometimes. I mean, just think about it. I mean.

[A]

I mean, I try not to think about it, because if I do, I wouldn't be able to go to work every day. We are with.

[C]

We're working with Oscar winners, but you know what?

[A]

We're the greats, too.

[C]

I mean, and I'll bring this up. I mean, an actor like me, who would have ever thought I'd win a Screen Actors Guild Award? Never.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Never in a million years did that ever cross my mind. And I think at my level, that's it.

[A]

I mean, yeah, it's part of the ensemble.

[C]

I don't have a part ever that I can. That I can be nominated for an Emmy. But that Screen Actors Guild Award just meant so much to me.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

It's 35 years of, you know, I live in New Jersey, running into the city, running home, running into. Audition for one line. Thank God. Now we do it at home.

[A]

Right, Right.

[C]

But, you know, I was overwhelmed by that.

[A]

Yeah. Lester, his last name is Kaluka. Ah, Teddy. What is your last name?

[C]

Kaluka.

[A]

Okay. Do you have anything else in common with Lester?

[C]

That's a funny story about the Kaluka thing. Yeah. John called me one day and he said. Or he emailed me. I forget what it was. And he said, they would like to use your real name, Kaluka.

[A]

Using your last name is really easy as far as getting clearance, I'm sure, right?

[C]

I guess so.

[A]

I don't know. I have a question about the mustache. Do you always have it?

[C]

Always had it, yeah.

[A]

Really?

[C]

When I started out in the business, yeah, I was this little chubby Italian, and I actually, you know, we all market ourselves and I actually put out a postcard when I first started out with myself in like this campy cap. And I put on the postcard New York City's cutest little chubby Italian. And it worked. People used to say to me, who told you you were New York City's cutest little chubby Italian? I think my mother can't tell you how many doors it got me into.

[A]

That's great. Yeah. It obviously is working for you.

[C]

Yeah, it did.

[A]

You're one of the, you know, I would say one of the great character actors in New York City. You pop up everywhere. You've been killing it for quite a while and it's totally impressive.

[C]

My claim to fame was always throughout my 30, almost 40 year career was this guy has played more cabbies than hot dog men than anybody in New York. And that's a fact.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. For a while I played more shopkeeps and angry maitre d's than you could ever imagine. I'm branching off now.

[C]

I play old guy or older guy.

[A]

That's amazing. We've had a couple nice little moments on the show, but we had a really lovely moment when Howard's mother is being wheeled out of the arconia. We didn't have a single line in that scene scripted, but it was so easy to get into because you have such an amazing comforting presence. The tears were very real.

[C]

Yeah. And I just felt for you because of who I am in life, I guess I just felt for you. And not to get too personal, but my mother in law passed away a couple of years ago and it brought me there.

[A]

Yeah, it was a nice scene. That's the thing about the show. The scene was maybe 2 seconds long and it felt so full. It was so great.

[C]

I remember I put my arm on you and it just was like.

[A]

It was beautiful. Yeah. So in the first episode, you are in the casket. Is that actually you in the casket?

[C]

That's me.

[A]

And how did you feel about that?

[C]

When we got the first two scripts, we were going to do table read, I was going to shoot a commercial on the day of the table read, I had to leave for North Carolina. And I'm reading episode one in bed. I'm looking, I'm looking. And I said, they put me in a casket. And my wife started crying immediately. Immediately. And first I said to John, john, I don't think I could do it. I mean, you know, you know, and I know, and I'll say that I don't mind that. My wife and I were both widowed when we were young. Both of us. And we met at a bereavement group, which I only went to one meeting.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I called John, and I said, I don't. I don't know. I don't. I don't think I can do this. He said. I said, well. He said, well, this Steve has a bit he wants to do, and I really think it's gonna be funny. I said, all right, I'm gonna talk to my wife. And then. But what I'm getting is John called my wife, and he's the most soothing person in the world, 100%. And we've seen it now. We've seen the episode. And it was. The way they did it, the way they handled it was great.

[A]

I love that he heard you and you were able to. I love that you just love your wife so much that you wanted to protect her from that. But it is one hell of a scene. It is one of the funniest scenes in this show.

[C]

I'm telling people it might be the funniest scene I've ever done in my career. And I'm dead.

[A]

Yeah. Before we let you go, I want to play a little game. It's time for. How well do you know your tenants?

[C]

Oh, boy.

[A]

Now, Teddy, in this episode, we learned that Lester has been taking notes on the Arconia residence for years. And like me, you've been on only murders from the beginning. Do you think you can guess which tenant said which line if I present them to you?

[C]

Let's try.

[A]

Let's try. As I said to Paula Abdul during our production of Hedda Gabler, we've got to start thinking outside the box here.

[C]

Marty.

[A]

Yep. Oliver. Good.

[C]

Oliver.

[A]

I always used to say there are three types of people. Alive, dead, and dead.

[C]

To me, it's either Uma or Bunny. But I'm gonna say uma.

[A]

Yep. The rest of you, if you're a murderer, stop murdering.

[C]

I'll say, that's Bunny.

[A]

Yep. Ooh, you're killing it, Teddy. Right now, the thought of wringing your neck really stimulates my root chakra. But it's probably not worth losing three of my mindfulness badges.

[C]

Marty.

[A]

Again? No. I'll give you a hint. He's the king of dips.

[C]

Oh. Oh. Oh, yeah. Teddy.

[A]

Yep. Do I want to break into a dead guy's apartment and go through all this shit? Sounds like an afternoon, Selena. Yep. Don't even have to finish that one. Maybe. Yeah. How do we get Cindy to crumble and cave like a crumbling cave?

[C]

That's Steve.

[A]

Yep. I hate to see the elevators Go. But I love to watch them leave.

[C]

I hate to see the elevators go. But I love to watch them leave.

[A]

Imagine a bunch of, like, hunky.

[C]

I remember the line too. I remember the line.

[A]

There's a bunch of hunky guys working on the elevator and there's one sad little guy with his hair parted in the middle and a shell necklace.

[C]

Did you say that?

[A]

Yeah, I said it.

[B]

It's Howard.

[A]

Well, I have loved having you here. And I know that we're gonna see a lot more of Lester throughout the season. We're gonna learn a lot more about him.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Yep. Without giving anything away, is there anything you're excited to show audiences about Lester?

[C]

Yeah, I think I'm excited to show the audience. Of course, I do a lot of running. A lot of, you know, for my age, I'm running a lot in this season.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And it's great. And I made it.

[A]

Yeah, you're great. I'm so glad you're here.

[C]

Thank you for inviting me, Michael.

[A]

You're welcome.

[C]

Love you. I was a little Delulu back then, but I can remember that first day like it was last week.

[A]

Okay, Lester, work starts at 6am you're about the tenants. That's the gig. And if you do it right, who knows? You might fall in love with the place. I'm joined now by Emory Cohen, who plays young Lester. Hello, Emory.

[D]

Hello, Michael.

[A]

It's good to see you.

[D]

It's good to be here.

[A]

You are no stranger to New York love stories. Yeah. Our audience might recognize you from Brooklyn, the movie from 2015. New York home Forever. Do you think?

[D]

Yeah, probably. It might. It might become upstate. But, you know, it's funny, when we were shooting, because I was prepping, like, January, February, so that's like Valentine's Day.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And on Criterion, they had this selection of New York love stories. And I decided I'm going to watch the movies that took place in the period that my character's in, which is like 90s and 2000s. So I watched, like, Raising Victor Vargas, Kissing Jessica Stein, Crossing Delancey, Frankie and.

[A]

Johnny, Kissing Jessica Stein, starring Jackie Hoffman. Jackie Hoffman.

[D]

I know. I was too scared to say anything to her.

[A]

You love her without it, right?

[D]

I do love her.

[A]

So you watch all these movies to prepare, sort of from the time period?

[D]

I like to prepare. It's fun. I enjoy it. If not, I'm just too nervous.

[A]

I hear you.

[D]

I had been watching the show a bunch, and I was struggling with, like, I had kind of lost. What's my journey. I knew the character. And I was so focused in on Teddy Kaluca and his performance as Lester. And I remember George, Tony Plana's character says to me, one day you'll look up and you'll realize you've fallen in love with the building. And then I realized, oh my God, it's a love story. So it kind of was like. It was weird how like the stuff all sort of just meshes.

[A]

Yeah, it all makes sense.

[D]

So I really was working on Teddy's idiosyncrasies and things. And then I said to John Hoffman, I said, you know, I'd really love to be able to, you know, talk to Teddy, get to know Teddy. And so he puts us on the phone together. I started asking him about like his process and how he found Lester and all this stuff. And he's like, Emery. When I first showed up, I had one line on an episode and I started to realize that Teddy and Lester are kind of one in the same. So I just started asking him questions, you know, about like being a standup comedian in New Jersey early on. And he told me these great stories about working background on a Bruce Willis, Taylor Hackford movies. I just had him tell me stories.

[A]

Yeah, he's the best.

[D]

He is the best.

[A]

What did it feel like? Because I know as an actor it's pretty hard to jump into an already established show for one episode and sort of getting to the groove of an already pretty well oiled machine. And this is even a little bit different because you have to carry this episode. You're carrying this flashback episode.

[D]

It was great to start day one with everyone because then you're, you know. Cause everyone's starting at the same time and like. Cause I did a lot with you and Uma and Bunny. I was kind of shielded from like the really famous people. Sorry. You guys are great, but like, you.

[A]

Know, we're the working actors.

[D]

I know. And that's what I am. Look, I mean, yeah, like, I was more nervous to work with Martin Short, you know, and that as you should be at.

[A]

And the thing that I always am surprised about is that like Steve, Marty and Selena are megastars, right? Yeah. They're so kind to everybody that walks on that set, be it a day player from top to bottom. So they really set the tone. But I hear you. Like, I've been on the season. I've been on the show for five seasons and I can't think about sometimes who I'm in the room with because if I do, I won't be able to do My job.

[D]

Ye.

[A]

Like, very comfortable around the trio now. But if I let my guard down in the back of my head, I'd be like, you're. You're acting with them. You're acting with them. Who is your favorite character, and why is it Howard?

[D]

Why is it Howard?

[A]

I know it's Uma. I know it's Uma.

[D]

It's not. It's actually Bunny.

[A]

Oh, it's Bunny. Bunny is your favorite.

[D]

Yeah. When. So I get it.

[A]

Jane is incredible.

[D]

Jane's incredible. When I was rewatching, I watched the show, like, all the way through a bunch, at least twice.

[A]

And.

[D]

There'S an episode in season two. It's Bunny's last day on Earth.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So incredible, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Where you sort of get. You think you know who Bunny is, and then you learn in such a deeper way. And she cries at the door. Right. Isn't that the one where she's sort of left out? And she cries silently at the door.

[D]

And the garret, and she's going. She's doing her exercise. And I don't know, I just felt like. Cause I already knew I was playing a part, like a luster. And so, like, sometimes when you watch the show, you know, it's not. It's Eugene Levy and Eva Longoria and Sting and Meryl Streep. Like, when I saw that episode, I just really connected with, like, another, you know, New York actor just doing their thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And so I felt that episode made me feel like a part of. You know what I mean? So it made me feel like I could show up and do my episode. So that's why. So maybe it's. I don't know if it's about the character, if it's about this moment that helped me feel braver about being a part of the show.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But that's why, I gotta say, you killed it.

[A]

Like, your energy was infectious. I also, like, I could tell even when we were in the makeup room how happy you were to be there. And that's sort of the key to the show's success, is that everybody that. That walks through that door is just really happy to be there. It's not like a lot of other jobs. And you laughed a lot, and I loved that.

[D]

I did laugh. Well, you were a laugher.

[A]

I made you laugh. Me?

[D]

You. And who played your mother?

[A]

Oh, Siobhan Fallon. Hogan. Fallon. Great. From snl.

[D]

So here's the thing. So I don't do a ton of comedies, so when something happens on a set, we normally stop and have to go back. You guys. Don't do that. So you're pushing Siobhan in a wheelchair through this door, and I'm opening the door for you, and you missed, and you banged into the side of the door really hard. And now in my mind, it's like, I should shut the door. Now we're ending this. And you just go, oh, sorry, Mother. And the two of you just carry on.

[A]

Yeah, I almost really hurt her. There's a big thud. Sorry, Mother. I know.

[D]

And she was just like, oh, Howard.

[A]

What are you doing? I forgot. Yeah. That was a fun day. Siobhan was a real dream to have around. I have a specific scene I want to talk about because I was incredibly impressed with what you did with Zero Words. There's a scene where you take the envelope of cash from Bobby Cannavale, and it's sort of like Lester's deal with the devil. He's going to start working in the casino and helping Nikki out with it. There's just something. You take the money, and so much is said through your eyes. And the way you're nodding, it's really sort of very masterful. And I just sort of wanted to know if you remember filming that scene and what it was like to work with Bobby.

[D]

I remember filming the scene because it was my last day and it was Bobby's first day. I loved him in the third season of Boardwalk Empire. Like, I thought he was amazing. So there was a bit of extra energy just getting to work with him. I remember he kept doing this thing, like, he would hold the money out, and I would go to reach it, and he would pull it away, and it became this kind of thing between us. I remember being locked in on Bobby and wanting to do good work because I was in the room with him. That is what I remember most of all.

[A]

Well, it paid off. I do have one last question.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

Mustache. That was not real in the show, right?

[D]

No. It wasn't the most comfortable.

[A]

The mustache.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

What was that mustache made out of?

[D]

I think it was made out of yak hair. Cause there were, like, phases of the mustache. There was mustache with no grays in it. Then there was mustache with grays in it. Then there was gray mustache. And there were days on set where we would have to put it on, then take it off and put it back on to jump through time. They put something. I don't remember. I think it's called stipple.

[A]

Where they tape your face back.

[D]

No, that they didn't.

[A]

That I would do every single day of My life, if I could, where.

[D]

It'S like, it was amazing seeing a bunch of actors with tape looking, like, really young. No, but it was the opposite. It was something that would accentuate your wrinkles. It made me feel older. It was like a glue. And so your wrinkles would stick.

[A]

Sure. We're gonna do another episode about the glue. Are you ready for a game? Yeah. Okay, cool. Let's play a game.

[D]

Let's play a game.

[A]

Now it's time for a game called Dead Giveaway. I have here 10 things that you might have spotted from episode two. I'm gonna describe them to you, and it is your job to guess as many as you can with 60 seconds on the clock.

[D]

Sick.

[A]

Great. Let's play Dead Giveaway. Here we go.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

This is what Bobby Cannavale handed you an envelope. This is what you took in your hand when the handy elevator crank. Yep. This is what your job is.

[D]

Doorman.

[A]

Yep. This is sort of like a book that you write stuff in.

[D]

Glad. Sure.

[A]

This is what Bobby Cannavale's character Nikki wore on his lapel.

[D]

A gardenia.

[A]

What color?

[D]

White.

[A]

Yep. This is what the trio has usually in Charles apartment, where they pin things to it.

[D]

Oh, a murder board.

[A]

That's right. This is what I'm having right now. This is what Bunny has sweats.

[D]

It's hard to be.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. When you're an older lady.

[D]

Hot flash.

[A]

Yep. This is what your wife is.

[D]

A singer. An opera singer.

[A]

Right. This is where you do your side hustle.

[D]

A casino.

[A]

That's right. This is a cheaper version of a bottled drink made of fermented grapes.

[D]

Wine.

[A]

Yeah, but in a. Oh, you let me down. There was one more left.

[D]

That was a fun game.

[A]

Have you ever been to a casino?

[D]

They're okay. I like a little blackjack.

[A]

I'm not allowed to go to casinos.

[B]

Really?

[D]

You have a problem.

[A]

My husband said that he does not like the look I get in my eyes when I'm in front of a slot machine. It is sort of. I go to a different psychotic place.

[D]

Oh, man. I want to see.

[A]

Maybe someday. Emery, it has been such a joy talking to you. I wish you were in more than that one episode because I love spending time with you on set. And thank you for bringing Lester to life.

[D]

Thank you for having me, Michael. I had a great time on set and with you here today in your living room.

[A]

Thank you. I'm here with Jackie Hoffman, who is known for playing fan favorite Uma, the Arconia's crankiest resident. Jackie, I am so happy to have you Here.

[B]

Thank you, Michael. I'm still cranky. These chairs are like the chairs in the waiting room on my 600 pound life.

[A]

There's plenty of room.

[B]

People trying to tell me something.

[A]

No, they're trying to tell me something, Jackie. So we have known each other for over 20 years. Do you remember the first time you met me?

[B]

I thought it was when I did Jack in the Box, the web series when you played a box office guy. Am I wrong?

[A]

You are wrong. I did reach out to you and asked if you would do this web series. And you said to me, I'll do it if I don't have to get up early and there's a snack and I don't have to memorize anything. And that was 2009. But the first time I saw you was 2001 in the book of Liz Downtown. And I have been a fan ever since. So it's really amazing to be on this show with you. And I love how much Uma has grown since season one. Since the pilot.

[B]

Since the beginning.

[A]

Since the very beginning. Since the pilot. And in that pilot, you have no lines. You just give the finger.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Did you have any idea that five seasons in Uma would still be kicking.

[B]

Around that five seasons in she'd still have no lines?

[A]

No.

[B]

I'm thrilled. First of all, it's a miracle for anything to last more than one season in the climate. So I'm just thrilled about. It's miraculous. It's well deserved, but still miraculous.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think that flipping Steve the bird, it just dictated her trajectory.

[A]

Yeah. The character was.

[B]

Said everything about what we were gonna see from this person.

[A]

Absolutely. They said that the character was so clear from the very beginning. But then we get so much more of her. Especially I think it was season three, Right. Where we get the episode where we realize she's a kleptomania. Episode seven, you know. You know.

[B]

Well, I had one episode.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I remember that. And I loved it so much because I know that everybody knows you're a hysterical comedian, that you are one of the funniest performers in New York City and beyond, but you really got to show a lot of heart in that. And I just love that Uma is. Has come to life in such a really amazing way. And I know you always joke that you have no lines, but I feel like she's around the building a lot more this season.

[B]

Yes, I have a presence.

[A]

Let's talk about the cast chair.

[B]

Everybody has a chair with their character name printed on it, except for Me, who's been there since the very beginning. I don't know what that is. I don't. People who guest star one time, people who just. The cleaning people have a cash chair. For some reason, there's no Uma chair. But I think they just want to keep me cranky. They're doing a good job.

[A]

I've seen on your Instagram, you go around to each chair and go, beanie Feldstein has a chair. Richard Kind has a chair. But the crew did something really nice on your last day this season, didn't they?

[B]

Yes, they did. They took a piece of masking tape, scrawled my name on it with a magic marker, and put it on a chair.

[A]

And that's what I call success.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So in this episode, we get to see Uma young and we learn that she predates Oliver in the building, that she's been there for quite a long time. I want to learn about Uma's life a little bit more. So I'm going to ask you some questions and see if you have answers. There's no right answer. You just tell me what you think. What do you think her job is?

[B]

I've been trying to figure this out. I thought. I'm thinking she worked for fundraising but hated talking to people so much that she bailed.

[A]

That seems kind of perfect. When do you think she moved into the Arconia? Wow.

[B]

In the. In the early 90s, I think.

[A]

Yeah, that makes sense. Made a little money from the fundraising, got a little co op. Do you think that she's always been grumpy?

[B]

This is where I'm supposed to look for some life changing event.

[A]

If you want.

[B]

When my daughter got hit by the garbage truck. Yes, I think she's always been cranky.

[A]

Have you always been cranky?

[B]

Yes, I've always been cranky.

[A]

Has Uma always been single? Do you think that.

[B]

I think that Uma was married and her husband got caught in an unfortunate incident in a restroom in a bus station in Texas.

[A]

Did she get there?

[B]

Wasn't much, but she got what there was.

[A]

Good. That's how she can afford those great glasses. You know, I consider Uma Howard's only friend in the building. You're pretty much the only person I ever have scenes with besides the trio. But I consider Howard and Uma to be friends. I think that's like one of the few friends Howard has in the building. You and I, our characters are always on that murder board listed as possible suspects. How do you feel about that?

[B]

As long as I'm up there Maybe I can use that index card and tape it to a chair.

[A]

So in this episode, in episode two, you and I have this moment. There's no lines. It's just a sort of little brief glimpse of us watching Lester's body be taken away by the police. So it's just us in the doorway and lots of sirens and flashing lights. We had to hug. Can you talk about that moment?

[B]

We had this very emotional tearjerker moment where we're grieving over Lester's death, and we both, because we're actors, strategically tried to place our skulls on the side of the camera. So we're. I'm grieving. He won.

[A]

I won. Actually, I was really happy when I saw the cut that they changed the hug to us standing side by side, so.

[B]

Oh, interesting. So they cut the hug all together.

[A]

Well, I think John was pretty clear that we were. What we were doing, trying to get some camera time. So he has us now. He had us now see stand next to each other and our arms around each other. It's actually sweet. And we both look like very dramatic.

[B]

Good God. It's like with children. All right, if your brother gets candy, you get some.

[A]

Exactly. So one of them is great lines. One of her many great lines. One of the three is things are only getting worse. I remember when a beer can cost a dollar, you could smoke on planes. And pimps still dressed like pimps. Have you been in New York for a long time?

[B]

I have been in New York for a very long time.

[A]

How long?

[B]

Well, I was born in Queens, which is a suburb of New York, and then I moved to Chicago to do Second City for a few years and then came back in, like, 96. And I haven't left.

[A]

How would you say in maybe one sentence, how has New York changed since then?

[B]

A beer costs a lot more, and you never know who might be a pimp.

[A]

Amazing. Jackie. I love any chance we get to spend time together. I'm so happy you were here, and I think we're gonna see you later in the season. Thank you so much for coming. I'll see you soon.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Well, that's it for this episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. And if you haven't already, why don't you subscribe and follow us wherever you're listening from or watching from. Leave us a rating and a review. Leave a little comment about who you think the killer is. On our next episode, you will hear from the talented Beanie Felds team about playing the iconic pop star thee our only murders in the Building composer Sid Khosla and from the one and only Jane lynch about what Saz Pataky thinks of the afterlife. Don't miss it. Watch and listen to the Only Murders in the Building official podcast available on Hulu and wherever you get your podcasts. And don't miss Only Murders in the Building, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. Am I allowed to put my foot on the ground right now? Because my foot's asleep?