"RE-RELEASE: Jenny Slate"

Summary

SmartLess — “RE-RELEASE: Jenny Slate” (November 13, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this re-released episode of SmartLess, hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome actor, comedian, and writer Jenny Slate. The trio, known for their spontaneous, humorous rapport, dives into Jenny’s eclectic career, her life transitions from LA to a small town in Massachusetts, her approach to creativity, relationships, parenthood, and—of course—the beloved character Marcel the Shell. The conversation oscillates between candid, deeply human moments and the signature SmartLess banter, giving listeners a warm, funny, and insightful window into Jenny’s world.

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Episode Highlights & Key Discussions

1. Introduction & Immediate Banter

• [06:09] Jenny joins the hosts, responding playfully to the build-up and jokes about the chaotic intro energy.
  • Jenny, on joining the 'reveal':
    “The energy mounting, waiting to be revealed…what if I'm, like, a bad surprise and no one cares?”
    (06:13)

2. Life in Massachusetts & The General Store

• [07:28] Jenny is podcasting from a supply closet above her husband’s general store, explains how unreliable her Wi-Fi is, and paints a vivid picture of her coastal life.
  • “I don't feel safe, I don't feel like myself unless there's a toilet truly screwed in with full on plumbing into just whatever space I'm in.” — Jenny (07:57)
• [08:54] Jenny describes her home “on a little peninsula…by the ocean” and how she’s still adjusting to the slower pace after years in LA.

3. Meeting Her Husband

• [11:17] Not the typical “meet-cute” story:
  • Jenny met her husband in Arctic Norway during a film project, via friends.
  • “She’s an artist, she’s in the Arctic, but what she finds is love…and a toilet directly under her.” — Jenny (11:35)
• [12:43] Clarifies her husband is from Massachusetts but was living in Amsterdam at the time.

4. Personality, OCD Tendencies & Growing Up

• [13:49] Open discussion on “OCD” and neat-freak tendencies:
  • Jenny says her need for tidiness came from an “unsettled, messy” home, contrasted with her clean grandmothers.
  • “For me, untidiness means an unsettled mind—it makes me feel crazy. I don’t understand why you’d ever leave a cabinet open.” — Jenny (15:16)
• The cast share stories of their own childhoods and how those environments shaped their habits today.

5. Transitions: From LA to Massachusetts, Parenthood

• [23:38] Jenny compares the bigger adjustment: moving in with her husband versus having a child.
  • “It was harder with the baby, because Ben understands what I say...The baby just doesn’t understand my threats yet.” — Jenny (26:41)
• Navigating work and parenthood:
  • Jenny records voiceover work in a linen closet; Wi-Fi continues to be a battle.

6. Life as a Voice Actor & Creative Process

• [24:25] Jason asks how Jenny started in voice work (“Big Mouth,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Great North”).
  • She didn’t realize it could be a steady career and relishes its creative and logistical freedom.
  • “It’s challenging creatively…but also really easy. Not that I’m just showing up in my PJs, but…” — Jenny (24:34)
• [25:56] Jenny reveals her voice work setup:
  • “I do it in the linen closet between my bedroom and my daughter's bedroom…”

7. Cannabis Story — Accidentally Taking 120x the Dose

• [31:10] Jenny recounts a (hilariously) harrowing story of overdosing on THC drops, misunderstanding “drops” for “droppers.”
  • “I took the three droppers and…I think it was like the worst experience of my life. I tried to watch Amelie—couldn’t figure out what language it was in.” — Jenny (32:10)
  • Turns into comedy fodder for her stand-up, but she confesses she’s sworn off weed.

8. Stage Fright & Performing Vulnerability

• [36:48] Probing Jenny’s Netflix special, Stage Fright:
  • She discusses the paradox of loving and hating stage performance, the adrenaline and anxiety.
  • “People say ‘just be yourself,’ and I’m like, that’s the worst advice because there’s a million people in my head.” — Jason (37:08)
• [39:29] Jenny likens stand-up to a date:
  • “It feels like a social thing. I like it—that I have to be up here and they’re all gonna see me, just like, choking and floundering...or maybe mastering the chaos.” — Jenny (39:41)

9. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Origins & Movie Process

• [42:24] Jason frames the broad question: tell us everything about Marcel the Shell, the voice, origin story, the new film, and whether she’s tired of doing it.
  • “I’m not sick of the voice. I love doing it. It feels like a soothing thing.” — Jenny (43:27)
  • Marcel originated as a joke among friends in a crowded hotel room, then stitched improvisationally into a character and video by her then-partner Dean Fleischer-Camp.
• [45:28] The stop-motion film took seven years (“Because it’s stop-motion and we were basically funded like an arts grant, not a studio.”)
  • “It gave us total freedom, but took a long time—the film was improvised off of a long treatment.” (46:08)
• Isabel Rossellini voices Marcel’s grandmother, and even let them improv on her New York farm (46:32).

10. Closing & Affectionate Send-offs

• [47:49] Jason: “Jenny, it’s such a pleasure. Thank you for being here. I want everyone to go see the movie.”
• [47:57] Jenny: “Ladies and gentlemen. So are you. Really, really fun.”
• The hosts heap praise, call her “super fun, cute, funny, just adorable, super talented” (49:19).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t feel safe, I don’t feel like myself unless there’s a toilet truly screwed in with full on plumbing into just whatever space I’m in.” — Jenny (07:57)
• “It’s not a studio, it’s like basically getting arts grants. Which also gave us total freedom…The film was improvised off a long treatment.” — Jenny (45:33, on Marcel)
• “For me, untidiness means an unsettled mind—and it makes me feel crazy.” — Jenny (15:16)
• “I tried to watch Amelie and couldn’t figure out what language it was in and was just like—what is this?” — Jenny (32:10)
• “People say ‘just be yourself,’ and I’m like, that’s the worst advice because there’s a million people in my head.” — Jason (37:08, summarizing Jenny’s approach)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:09] — Jenny’s introduction, supply closet setting, and the “big reveal”
• [11:17] — Meeting her husband in Arctic Norway
• [13:49] — Talking about neatness/OCD and childhood environments
• [24:25] — Becoming a voice actor and her creative process
• [31:10] — Jenny’s accidental extreme THC incident
• [36:48] — Stage Fright, live performance philosophy
• [42:24] — All things Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
• [45:28] — Marcel movie’s painstaking process and collaboration
• [47:49] — Farewells and praise from the hosts

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Tone & Flow

The episode is classic SmartLess: loose, warm, quick-witted, supportive, and delightfully off-the-rails at moments. The hosts’ chemistry, plus Jenny’s quick vulnerability and comic timing, make for an episode that’s equal parts personal reflection and riotous storytelling.

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Summary Takeaway

For anyone who missed the audio: this episode is a tapestry of Jenny Slate’s joys (family, creativity, rural peace), foibles (coastal internet, baby chaos, accidental weed adventure), and artistic process, wrapped up in the affectionate, irreverent energy of three sharp hosts who clearly adore their guest. The conversation will leave you laughing—and perhaps feeling a little more connected, or at least a little less alone, in your own messy, funny, human life.

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(All ad and non-content sections omitted for clarity.)

Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

So.

[Jason Bateman]

So you can try it yourself. Just go to LinkedIn.com smartlist that's LinkedIn.com smartlist Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. This episode is brought to you by Saks Fifth Avenue. You know, when it's the holiday season, you're focused on shopping and planning and all the pressures and you kind of maybe lose sight of what really matters. Saks is your go to for holiday inspiration. With thoughtful gifts, elegant pieces, and cozy must haves that makes shopping personal and effortless. From the perfect Chloe bag to a standout Prada jacket, Saks has everything you need to celebrate the season in style. If you're looking for shopping to be personalized and easy this holiday season, then head to Saks Fifth Avenue for inspiring ways to shop for everyone on your list. Hey, guys. Just kind of like a massive major workout. My thighs are pumped. My thighs are pumped. Everything's pumped up so big I can't even like, I pass a mirror and I'm like, wait a minute, where did Sean go? And it's. He's right here. So. But who am I kidding? I didn't work out. I never work out. Welcome to Smartless Smart.

[Jenny Slate]

Less.

[Will Arnett]

Smart Smart Lettuce.

[Jason Bateman]

I woke up this morning about the NASA thing. Did you see this? Read this thing today that the Voyager, you know, it's like 15 billion miles away and they don't quite know what's. There's something going on with it where they're not receiving correct information, but they're still receiving information.

[Jenny Slate]

And.

[Jason Bateman]

And I'm interested in that. Did I just lose everybody?

[Will Arnett]

No.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you don't. You want to try to stay away from just half stories.

[Will Arnett]

That's what I was going to say. I was going to say like I'd be interested if you gave me actually anything interesting to think about.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, well, I can tell you what happened with my. I got my MRI back from my neck.

[Will Arnett]

This I want to know about.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay.

[Sean Hayes]

And what they say it's a no.

[Jason Bateman]

I got a better story.

[Will Arnett]

Pain in the.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, so listen. So this is a true story. As you can notice, I got my Haircut yesterday. Right. It's really, really short. And I got a little color in there, too. So Scavo. Blah, blah, blah. Joke, joke, joke. Scavo Greek. Fantastic.

[Will Arnett]

Is that what we do now to fucking. The fuck is going on? What are we at a kid's birthday party?

[Jason Bateman]

So I'm sitting.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, wait, wait. You just glossed over the rinse. You put a rinse in there? Huh? What was the. What's the name of the color on that rinse? It's usually something like chestnut fore or something like that.

[Jason Bateman]

No, that's my handle on my. My profile and my.

[Will Arnett]

On your weight is. No, it's. It's two words.

[Sean Hayes]

Chest, nuts.

[Will Arnett]

Nut. No, it's nut on chest. Right? Please. Nut on chest.

[Sean Hayes]

Dot com. We really got to get a snare drum in here.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, I got that. I got that. Swissle.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, boy. Here it comes. Here comes Shecky. Go, Shaq.

[Jenny Slate]

There it is.

[Jason Bateman]

So listen. So wait. So I'm sitting there, and you know Chris McMillan who does your hair? Jason.

[Sean Hayes]

Sure.

[Jason Bateman]

So he's sitting on the other side in his station across. And I go, chris, get me something. Like a piece of candy or something. I wanted some sugar or something sweet. And he goes back in the. He's like, I don't have anything. You want me to make a peanut butter sandwich? I was like, nah, I don't want that. So I'm sitting there, and Scoville's cut my hair. And like, 10 minutes later, he hands me a bag of chocolates. He sent somebody out to get me chocolate.

[Sean Hayes]

It's full service over there.

[Jason Bateman]

Isn't that the nicest thing in the world?

[Will Arnett]

Chris did. Or Skevo did.

[Jason Bateman]

Chris did.

[Will Arnett]

That's pretty nice.

[Jason Bateman]

The guy who owns the salon.

[Sean Hayes]

That's pretty nice.

[Will Arnett]

I know. I know, Chris.

[Jason Bateman]

I know.

[Sean Hayes]

For Tracy. I can't believe you're asking them for snacks in there. Let's just go in there.

[Will Arnett]

Also, there wasn't a please in there. You were like, hey, Skittle, give me some candy. You said, hey, Chris, give me some candy. I know. What is going on. You're a tyrant.

[Jason Bateman]

Sweet. I can't believe that. That he actually sent somebody out to get me chocolate.

[Will Arnett]

Also, who eats peanut butter in a hair salon? The hair is going to get stuck in it. Gross. That sounds disgust.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, anyway, listen, I don't want to keep our guest waiting.

[Will Arnett]

I do.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, Listen. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

So with all this momentum, this hilarious momentum, let's go ahead and intro the guest.

[Jason Bateman]

I am super excited about our. Don't make me do it again.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, I'm super excited about Arm's Length. Is so.

[Will Arnett]

Is.

[Sean Hayes]

What's so weird? It's a little slide whistle. Like, I'd have to drive 10 miles to buy one of those. And yours is just arm's length. That's right.

[Will Arnett]

I don't know what the search terms are for it.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, I'm super excited about our sweet, kind, funny, cutest pie guest today. I had the pleasure of standing next to her as we both voiced characters in that animated show I did last year, Q Force, and she made me laugh really hard. She's the epitome of a workaholic. She doesn't stop working, and I'm not sure why. She's on Smartlist because she graduated valedictorian of her class from Milton Academy before attending Columbia as a lit major. She starred in films like Obvious Child and Gifted. She's guest starred in Parks and Recs and everything funny you can think of. Earlier this year, she starred with our friend Charlie Day in the Amazon original Rom com I Want yout Back. And she is, of course, the star of my favorite animated character of all time, Marcel the Shell with shoes on. It's the wonderfully talented and hysterical Jenny Slay.

[Sean Hayes]

Jenny Slay, who's really great.

[Will Arnett]

Jenny. Hi.

[Sean Hayes]

Hi, Jenny.

[Jason Bateman]

Jenny, thanks for being here. This is so cool.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, my gosh. It's so. I don't know if your guests say this a lot, but, like, the energy mounting, waiting to be revealed, and then all, like, it depends on what your personality is. But if you're like, oh, my gosh, what if I'm, like, a bad surprise and no one cares or. And then you guys are so funny, and I was laughing, and I didn't trust the mute. I was like, maybe. Like, maybe I'll laugh so hard I'll bust through the mute.

[Jason Bateman]

As the youngest of five children, I'm a bad surprise. So there it is.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean, don't.

[Will Arnett]

You know what, Jenny, I'm so sor. First of all, hi, nice to meet you.

[Jason Bateman]

Hi. You've never met. You get to do the Lego Batman movie together.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, wait, we.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

But we didn't record a. Briefly in passing. But this is our first conversation.

[Will Arnett]

We've never had an actual dialogue, so.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, double snub before.

[Sean Hayes]

What about no chatting at the. At the craft service table. Did you guys not.

[Will Arnett]

They didn't have one. Sean, tell Tracy what a craft service table is.

[Jason Bateman]

Craft services, where they feed the cast off the side, like, with a line of just food on tables.

[Sean Hayes]

It's a snack table.

[Will Arnett]

It's a snack table for everyone.

[Sean Hayes]

More easily said.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, I read somewhere, Jenny, that you are like. Cause I'm looking at where you are right now that you are.

[Jenny Slate]

I'm not in my home.

[Jason Bateman]

That's what I was gonna say. Okay, so that's what I was gonna say.

[Sean Hayes]

Listeners. It looks like she's in a supply closet.

[Will Arnett]

Is she running a travel agency? Yeah. What's going on?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I'm in a supply closet. Okay, look, I'm in a supply closet.

[Sean Hayes]

That looks like you got last night's dress hanging on a hook behind you too.

[Jenny Slate]

There's a toilet. Underneath me there's a toilet.

[Sean Hayes]

So here it is where you want it to be.

[Will Arnett]

Are you on a boat? Are you in the head.

[Sean Hayes]

Or are you just suffering from colitis right now and you just want to stay ready?

[Jenny Slate]

You know, I don't feel safe, I don't feel like myself unless there's a toilet truly screwed in with full on plumbing into just whatever space I'm in. And I need that even for directly under you. Yeah. So I live for most of the year in a small town in Massachusetts by the ocean and I live on a little peninsula and we have wi fi that is like Internet that my mother in law put in there in like you know, the late 90s I want to say. And no one has ever decided to improve upon it. And so when it's raining, literally it's like raining today. It's not, there's not even really a breath of wind. But the Internet becomes very bad. And so my husband owns the general store. So I came up here with my computer and my like power cord trailing like a little tail and was like can I use it?

[Will Arnett]

Jenny, Jenny, this is crazy. Can you. I know there's not a breath of wind. Can you. What's the five day outlook?

[Jenny Slate]

I'm going to tell you. What? Well, we're going to get into the high, the high 70s is what I heard.

[Sean Hayes]

Now Jenny, this sounds like an ideal life you live. Tell, tell us slow about this peninsula and what did you say most of the years. Does he wear an apron?

[Jenny Slate]

Here's the thing. In ideal life, still have the same personality that I had in la. So I'm waiting for the adjustment to kick in for that chillness. That chillness.

[Will Arnett]

Maybe you need to move to chill. Mark, Come on now hang on a second, Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

So whereabouts, keeping your safety in mind so you don't need to get too specific, whereabouts are you in Massachusetts?

[Jenny Slate]

Sure. I can see Martha's Vineyard from where I live. I'M in.

[Will Arnett]

Are you in Woods Hole?

[Jenny Slate]

I'm not in Woods Hole. I'm in what they call south coast Massachusetts and I'm from Massachusetts and I did not know that this area existed and my husband and I were kind of. Oh yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Where are you from? Where are you from, Jenny?

[Jenny Slate]

I'm from Milton, Mass.

[Will Arnett]

No shit, huh? Matter of fact, I used to know a kid. No, he's from fucking. He's from Bill Rica. But I knew this other kid from Milton. Good kid. You should see this dude.

[Jenny Slate]

What's his name?

[Will Arnett]

His name's Sully, obviously.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh yeah, everyone is.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, but. But he's. He's. Yeah, but he. He lives. He lives. He's from Billerica, but he lives in Milton and he works in Peabody.

[Jenny Slate]

That's where my cousins live. They live.

[Will Arnett]

Are you shitting me? In fucking Peabody?

[Jenny Slate]

No, I'm not kidding, I'm not kidding.

[Will Arnett]

Do they work for the Edison?

[Jenny Slate]

What's that? Like the Edison? Like the, like the Edison power company? Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

There it is. Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

Iconic.

[Sean Hayes]

Jenny Slate. How did you. So did you just stumble into this general store one day and you say, hey handsome, fell in an apron, ding, ding, ding.

[Will Arnett]

And the bells went when she opened the door.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't see a ring on that finger. What about we get a malt?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Is that how it all went?

[Jenny Slate]

Listen, it's not how it went. I wish that. That would be really nice. That's so romantic. But in fact, I met my husband in.

[Sean Hayes]

Online.

[Jenny Slate]

Well, in the. In the Arctic.

[Jason Bateman]

In the Arctic?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh really?

[Jenny Slate]

In the Arctic? I met him in Arctic Norway. I know, it's like, it all just sounds like, you know, those people try to do stuff to make them more interesting, but they're actually like basic. So they say stuff like this.

[Will Arnett]

But this is a great pitch. This is a great pitch. Keep going. So you guys meet in the Arctic? Uh huh. What happened?

[Jenny Slate]

She's in the Arctic. She's an artist. She's in the Arctic. She's there for art. But what she does find is love. By the end, you realize that love is art and art is love. And she's standing on the end of a peninsula with a toilet underneath her. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Can I just say that we love this.

[Jason Bateman]

We'd like to take this off the table.

[Sean Hayes]

We'd like to take this off the table now.

[Jenny Slate]

Truly first time I've ever sold anything in the room.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, wait, so you met in the. How did you meet in the Arctic? What were you doing in Arctic Norway?

[Jenny Slate]

I was making a movie there and my friend Wrote the movie. And her now husband is best friends with my now husband. And so they. And I was there, and they invited him to come there and, like, hang out with us.

[Sean Hayes]

To Norway.

[Will Arnett]

Was it a setup or just a visit?

[Jenny Slate]

Well, they. It was just a visit. I guess there wasn't a lot of pressure put on it.

[Sean Hayes]

So you didn't know it was a possible setup? Did he know it was a possible setup? He must have to, like, pack your bags and fly all the way. For what? There's this great girl here. He must have had some sort. Sort of carrot there, right? Did he know?

[Jenny Slate]

Well, he. He lived in Amsterdam, so we didn't go that far. You know, it's not like he came from Massachusetts. That would be, like, total.

[Will Arnett]

Is he from Amsterdam?

[Jenny Slate]

No, he's from Massachusetts, but he was living.

[Will Arnett]

No, he's originally from Mass, too. What town is he from, too?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, let's revisit this joke.

[Jenny Slate]

We live in his childhood.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Jenny Slate]

Sorry, I forgot this is.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no, it's Will's fault. It's Will's fault.

[Jenny Slate]

No, I. I should, like. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

You know what?

[Sean Hayes]

You know what, Bateman?

[Will Arnett]

You shut the up, Bateman.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, God.

[Jason Bateman]

Jenny, you. The reason why I asked about your. The. Where you're sitting right now? Because it does look like a utility closet.

[Jenny Slate]

I am. I'm in the closet. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, pause.

[Will Arnett]

Anybody? Anybody? Hang on. Oh, let me just do in advance.

[Jenny Slate]

Does anyone ground ball?

[Will Arnett]

Just a bank it.

[Jason Bateman]

I came out of there years ago. Okay.

[Will Arnett]

There you go. Okay. Here's in vaudeville. Cause Sean would love to walk you through some of the. Every time. On the set of Will and Grace. They all did that to each other.

[Jason Bateman]

I read somewhere once that you were, like, a massive OCD clean freak. Because I am a little bit of that, too.

[Sean Hayes]

I am.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

I've got a problem.

[Will Arnett]

I'm not.

[Jenny Slate]

You do. What's it like? What's happening for you?

[Jason Bateman]

Like, did you have a messy childhood, Jenny, or something? Sorry, Jay.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I did. I did have a messy childhood.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, Jenny, don't drop your voice and get real real with us.

[Jenny Slate]

I did.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, boy.

[Jenny Slate]

I did have a messy child. I think I was more like me. I did. Adjusting in my jeans. I did have a messy childhood, guys. I did. I did. I had a messy childhood, but very clean grandmothers like tidy houses. And there was just, like, a big obvious, like, oh, I'm way less stressed out at both of my nana's houses than in our house, where it's, like, crazy. It's, like, crazy.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm the Same way I grew up, like, in a mess.

[Sean Hayes]

So then your OCD comes from trying to create order and cleanliness as opposed to trying to avoid germs?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I don't think I have. I mean, obviously, I'm kind of, like, at the COVID level of afraid of germs that maybe most people are. But for me, a tidiness means, like. Untidiness means, like, an unsettled mind, and it, like, makes me feel crazy. And there are, like, little things that, like, I don't understand why you would ever leave anything open. Like, why you would leave a cabinet open.

[Will Arnett]

I can't get that.

[Jenny Slate]

Dishwasher, a jar. That's crazy to me.

[Sean Hayes]

What about the toothpaste tube?

[Will Arnett]

What is the people. That's not for me. It's not. It's more. I'm with you on the people who can leave a cupboard that much open. I'm like, just close it. I was just my friend, Eli.

[Jason Bateman]

What else are you leaving open? Right?

[Will Arnett]

What?

[Jason Bateman]

Cause if you leave those things open, what else are you leaving open?

[Will Arnett]

Holy shit. Holy shit. Shit just got really.

[Jenny Slate]

Eli's.

[Will Arnett]

Hey, wait, Sean, you're not a. First of all, Jason, the term OCD is way overused. It's not ocd.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't have ocd.

[Will Arnett]

Right. Just to be clear, it's not ocd, so nice try. It's the same way that everybody says that. I don't know, we just use a lot of these terms that are just, you know.

[Sean Hayes]

Sorry, man. I work on it.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Okay, thanks. I'm a little intense today, Jenny, because my inner. My. My.

[Sean Hayes]

We interrupted him right in the middle of it. What, were you blasting buys and.

[Will Arnett]

No, just doing it. Just doing a little boxing, bro.

[Sean Hayes]

All right, right on, right on. Were you winning or.

[Will Arnett]

I hope so, because I was up against the bag.

[Sean Hayes]

All right, so Eli.

[Will Arnett]

But Eli would. We. He would go. When we were in Atlanta, and I'd come to the kitchen in the morning, and there'd be four glasses, some cups and whatever stacked next to the sink, and I'd go and stuff open. I'd go, at least forget. I get. You're not going to put it in the dishwasher? Can you not put it at least in the sink? It is. How much it's easier. Gravity would take your hand down even.

[Sean Hayes]

Further into the sink and run some water in it.

[Will Arnett]

And run some water in it and just leave it. And he literally, at one point, just kind of looks at me and goes, yeah. I don't know.

[Sean Hayes]

You got a deal on this. Roommate, huh?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Scotty can't handle when there's actual, like, pieces of food in the sink, too. Like, if I just put a plate.

[Will Arnett]

Down, he has to rinse it out.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I always clean the food, make sure there's no food in the sink. But I don't really put the dishes in the dishwasher. He likes to do that.

[Sean Hayes]

He likes to do that.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, that's nice.

[Will Arnett]

And now a word from our sponsor. Today's episode is sponsored by Ashley. They don't just sell incredible furniture. They're also making an impact in vulnerable communities. Here's a tough over 7 million kids are affected by the welfare System and over 368,000 are currently in foster care. So together with Ashley and Sirius xm, we made a donation to four others, an organization working to end the child welfare crisis in America. You know, partnering with Ashley in our live show. First of all, they just made our set look really good. They made us really comfortable and they kind of made us look legit because otherwise it would have been, you know, milk crates and, you know, cardboard boxes. And Ashley made it look like a real, kind of looked like a living room. Made it really comfortable, made our guest, John Mayer really comfortable. And then he thought that maybe we're professional. We're not just a bunch of clowns. To be honest, there was a point where I got so comfortable, I forgot that I was in front of an audience. I was sitting back on that nice Ashley couch and I was just hanging out with my buds in my living room. Anyway, Ashley offers timeless, well crafted furniture with white glove delivery right to your door. Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

And now back to the show.

[Will Arnett]

Jenny. I don't know if you're like this. I like things to be orderly and stuff. And at the same time, I'm not like a. I'm not a germaphobe, but I just like things as certain to be kind of clean and sorted. And sorted.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I like that too. I like to, like, display my kitchenware. Like, it is sort of a useful art installation. When people, like, move the bowls around, I'm like, okay. But like, I know it's not okay to be unchill about that. But then when sort of the people are gone, I'll put it back. But I. Mostly I'm just like. Yeah, I like to. I think it's about respect. I really do. And I like how it feels.

[Will Arnett]

I'm with you on that.

[Jenny Slate]

Like, close the circle, like when I make dinner every night. And like, while the thing is, I was just saying this to a friend, like, I guess this is a big thing. I love a clean station. And when whatever's on the stove getting, you know, having its final, you know, moment on the stove, I do all the dishes I can.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I love it.

[Jenny Slate]

It feels so good to me.

[Will Arnett]

I get that. You know what? I'm gonna share with you guys a story that I haven't really told you before.

[Sean Hayes]

Tuck in.

[Will Arnett]

Which was, I think I was kind of messy when I was younger. I went to all boys boarding school. And when I was there, I was in seventh grade, I was 12. And hang on, it gets mildly, mildly interesting. Okay. And I. One day, and the guy who ran the house kept telling me, you got to clean your room, gotta clean your room. Finally one day I came back and my shit was everywhere. And I came back and all my shit was gone from my room. And I go, where's my stuff? And he goes, come with me. And he'd taken all my stuff and put it in garbage bags and put it in the back of his car. And he drove me six Miles away. And I had four garbage bags full of stuff. And I was a little 12, I hadn't. You know. And these big bags of stuff. And he was like, put them down. And he said, hopefully now you'll learn to clean your room. And he drove away. And so I had these four huge bags and six miles. And I thought, how am I gonna do it? So I started doing like two bags, 50 yards, go back, get the other two bags. So they were too much, too big.

[Sean Hayes]

Are you kidding me?

[Will Arnett]

No, I swear to God. And at a certain point, I thought, like, I'm gonna fucking break. Like, what's gonna happen here? And I was like, you know what I gotta do. And I just opened. I started putting everything on and jackets and whatever, and I managed to get most stuff on and then just had a small bag left of stuff.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, my gosh.

[Will Arnett]

And I walked like a Michelin swear. True story. And I walked back and I came. And I remember crossing the first soccer field towards my house and him seeing me way sooner than he thought he was gonna see me. And I was carrying the shit, but I was wearing everything. And I felt like a king. And I was like, you. I figured it out, you dummy.

[Jason Bateman]

And then. Did you just throw. Throw it all over your room?

[Will Arnett]

But you know what? Last lap on me. From then on, I was much better. I was much better about cleaning my stuff.

[Sean Hayes]

This was. This was a boarding school.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, this is 1982.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, wow.

[Jason Bateman]

I remember when my dad got blasted drunk one night, which was very, very often. He came home and. And the dishes weren't done. So he's really furious about that.

[Will Arnett]

Did he take an Uber, do you think?

[Jason Bateman]

He took all the dirty dishes and we had linoleum tile on the floor and the kitchen floor, and he put a dirty dish on every single tile so you couldn't walk on the kitchen floor.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, so he was a psycho, too.

[Jason Bateman]

He was a little bit of a psycho, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

God darn it. We've really gotta find him for a very special Christmas episode of Smartless. He's gonna be mine, Mr. Jackson.

[Will Arnett]

He's got a recurring theme, Jenny. Just so you know, by the way.

[Jason Bateman]

And also, sorry. Sorry, Jenny, we'll get back to you in just two seconds. Is that my dad?

[Will Arnett]

Could you bring the fucking bounty up to the front? We need more bounty.

[Sean Hayes]

Get the phone, Jenny.

[Will Arnett]

God damn it. Where the fucking trash bag?

[Sean Hayes]

Answer it. Let's see what it is. If it's an order for some milk or something.

[Jenny Slate]

Somebody answered it.

[Sean Hayes]

The machine got it.

[Jenny Slate]

Somebody answered it. I Guess I.

[Will Arnett]

What if you answered the phone, the person said, you get off this fucking podcast right now. You got that computer, and you get off the fucking podcast with your Hollywood friends.

[Jason Bateman]

So, wait, Jenny, I want to ask you. You've done a million voiceovers. Like, and you're regular on Big Mouth and Bob's Burgers, right?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. And the Great North. It's on Fox.

[Jason Bateman]

And the Great north on Fox. I mean, it's. So why voices? Like, when did you learn, like, you could do all of these different things with your voice?

[Jenny Slate]

I honestly feel like I didn't know that. I didn't know this could be, like, an actual job that you can do a lot. And I don't know if you guys feel this way, but, like, I think it is the most fun. It's so. It's like. It's challenging creatively, but it's really also really easy. Not that I'm showing up in my PJs, but, like, do you hear these? Do you hear these ladies behind this?

[Will Arnett]

Good.

[Sean Hayes]

It's good. It's good. Atmo.

[Will Arnett]

No, it's all good. We haven't asked. Are you in the supply? Are you in the supply room of the general store?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

In between the groceries and the books?

[Jason Bateman]

No. Are you really in the supply?

[Will Arnett]

Is that true?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, wow.

[Sean Hayes]

And right now it's so. It's 1:31 there. So you've got the lunch rush. So is. Is Ben slapping together a bunch of pastrami sandwiches and you know who's number 35?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

So he owns the store, but he doesn't, like, work here every day. He just. He and his brother. So his, like, great grandmother used to come to this store. His family has lived in this town for a really long time, and during the pandemic, he and his brother bought the store and, like, did a little work on it, and they put a bar in here and a bookstore. And so he's kind of like. He's, like, the store owner, and then he comes here every day to do, like, little things for the store. But there's a lovely woman named Marianne who is the manager, and she is letting me be in her office.

[Sean Hayes]

Can you still do all your voiceover work, given the WI fi limitations out there?

[Jenny Slate]

I can, but sometimes it's really bad. Like, I do it in the linen closet between my bedroom and my daughter's bedroom. And I have a little baby. Yeah, she's 17 months old.

[Sean Hayes]

Congrats.

[Will Arnett]

I thought of it. That's so amazing. First of all, I thought of the name for Your autobiography, if you ever want one.

[Sean Hayes]

Here we go. Here we go.

[Jenny Slate]

Sure. Let's go.

[Will Arnett]

Closets. Because you have a lot of closets in your life.

[Sean Hayes]

You've got to get the slide flute out.

[Will Arnett]

Or just my life in closets. You know, that's really clever.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

So who was the tougher transition from you, from living single and having all your stuff in an orderly way? Was it harder for you to get used to living with Ben or the 17 month old? What's been the bigger transition?

[Will Arnett]

Great question.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you.

[Jenny Slate]

That's a really good question.

[Sean Hayes]

Take your time.

[Jenny Slate]

It does come down to the neat freak thing. I think it was harder with the baby because also Ben understands what I say. And so when I'm like, I don't like when that's like that, he doesn't just be like, he can understand a.

[Sean Hayes]

Threat when he hears one, right?

[Jenny Slate]

That's right. Yeah. Whereas the baby just doesn't understand my threats yet.

[Sean Hayes]

Isn't that amazing how you cannot negotiate with something that doesn't speak your language? Like, that was a big, big lesson for me. Like, I can't just say, well, you're not having, you know, dessert tonight or whatever. Like, they don't care. You got. For the first couple of years, you got to just deal with it.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

So, Jason, you. How, how. What was the age that your kids finally were able to understand? I'm going golfing today. Like, what was the. Because for a while they just. You know what I mean?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, that was. They were 12.

[Will Arnett]

But wait, so Jenny, so you have a 17 month old daughter.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And you guys. And now you're firmly living back in Massachusetts and Ben and his brother have opened the general store and you're there and you've kind of. Are you done with the West Coast? Are you done with la? Are you done with New York? Are you just like, I'm gonna. This is where for now, in your mind, are you like, this is my life now, living here.

[Jenny Slate]

I like it here more. But we, we still have my house in la on the east side. Must be nice, huh?

[Sean Hayes]

You know, on the east side. Is that what you said?

[Jenny Slate]

Here's the thing. On the east side. On the east side, in Silver, by the way.

[Will Arnett]

That, That's a Massachusetts thing to say, by the way, which is like, oh, must be nice.

[Jenny Slate]

Must be nice.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, it must be nice. Gotta have some.

[Sean Hayes]

What does Ben think about. What does Ben think about Los Angeles?

[Jenny Slate]

He likes it a lot. He. I mean, we had two years there before the baby was born and he was like, whoa, I can't believe you just pick an orange off the tree and you go for hikes. And it's like, very chill. I mean, we don't have like a. I don't know, like a super flashy lifestyle. So I think he was like, this is vacation y. Like, this is pretty vacation year, which it is. And my best friends live all around us and everything. But I will say about our house in la, it's a beautiful, small old house. I bought it when I was single, and I was like, a heavy stoner. And, like, the refrigerator is not even in the kitchen. It's in, like, a tiny room off the kitchen. And at the time I was like. I was single and I was like, it's like under the Tuscan sun, like, I'm just gonna buy an old house and just live in here and have all my shirts and, like, this will be very romantic for me. And then he came. You know what I mean? Like, just like, oh, my blouses. Like, it's just me and my blouses, and I just don't give a hoot anymore about anything. I'm just living in my old home. And then Ben came to live with me, and I was like, oh, my God, it's so messy in here. All like, with two people even. It's crazy.

[Will Arnett]

And Ben's like, where are all these shirts from?

[Jenny Slate]

Like, what? You never told me that you had so many blouses.

[Jason Bateman]

We need to open a general store.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, right. Totally. Just drove him to that. So anyway, so I was like, oh, I love this house. Then he came, and I was like, ooh, there's kind of a lot of stuff in here now with two people, and. But I felt like it was fine. And then now with the baby, and also we got a dog during the pandemic. Like a beautiful large border collie mix. That house is like. It's just really hard. It's way too small, and the stairs are really loud and.

[Sean Hayes]

You okay, Will?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[Sean Hayes]

Take a minute, man.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry. Open your mouth.

[Sean Hayes]

Clean the microphone a little bit, I guess.

[Jenny Slate]

Sorry. Jesus Christ. That was like, my favorite. Favorite. Truly will never have a better joke than burping.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, sorry about that. Sorry about that, you guys.

[Sean Hayes]

Welcome to Barstool Sports. So. But. But you. But you guys have decided. We're going to.

[Will Arnett]

What.

[Sean Hayes]

What is your child's name?

[Jenny Slate]

Her name is Ida. Ida.

[Sean Hayes]

So you. You guys said, let's. We're gonna raise Ida in Massachusetts, not. Not out here in la.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Good. Good choice. Tell me what's Happening, like, where do.

[Jason Bateman]

You want to live? And she said, I don't know.

[Sean Hayes]

Or Idaho. Thanks. What happened to your weed? Your weed addiction? Did you. Did you crack that while you were pregnant? You got rid of all that or are we back into.

[Will Arnett]

No, she doubled down when she was pregnant. Do you think?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I went straight to.

[Will Arnett]

I'd like to go wide with that. I'd like to go wide with that on a podcast about how I doubled down.

[Jenny Slate]

Nine months till the baby's here, I gotta just do all the drugs. No, I.

[Sean Hayes]

Is it legal in Massachusetts? Like it is out here in California?

[Jenny Slate]

I think it is. I think it is now. I. I think it is. I actually, I had like a bad moment of like. I don't know if it's possible, but I kind of think I overdosed myself on weed or like when it was not with a joint or anything. Like, I. I used to smoke a lot of weed and I could smoke as much as possible, I guess it seemed like. But I took a CBD gummy that my friend was like, oh, you need to activate it with a THC dropper. And she was like, but you. And it was like. Because I had like a back issue. I don't think CBD is really real, but that might be controversial either way. She was like, if you want it to work, you have to use the.

[Sean Hayes]

You gotta kick it in.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, the THC dropper. And she was like, but you smoke so much weed that, you know, it says between one and three droppers, you should probably take three droppers. So I was like, cool, I'll take three droppers.

[Sean Hayes]

And then you had to call your mom.

[Jenny Slate]

I took the three droppers and I just. I mean, it was like. I think it was like the worst experience of my life. During which I tried to watch the movie Amelie and couldn't figure out what language it was in and was just like, what is this?

[Sean Hayes]

That movie's so good.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, I'm trying to work it into stand up now, but it's still like a little scary that this happened, you know, it's like, it's not exactly funny yet because I actually think I did almost die and I. I threw up like outside of my bathroom because I like couldn't figure out how to get over the threshold. Like, just crazy shit. Went to bed with all my clothes on, my boots, like some like, like little zipper up booties, like got in the bed that way.

[Jason Bateman]

Text.

[Jenny Slate]

I'm like, I need to call for help. Need to call for help. And then was like, I need an Adult. It's too late. And then I looked, it was 6:45pm and I was like, it was so bad. And it was truly like, oh my God. I really was like watching Aunt Melee being like, when did this movie get so fucking scary? And what language is this? What is this? Like, I don't know. I used to love this and her hairstyle was so great and everything just looked crazy. But anyway, so then the next day my friend, you know, it was Jane Levy. Do you know her?

[Jason Bateman]

Yes.

[Jenny Slate]

You must know. Yeah. So she, she gave me the THC thing. Anyway, so she was, she called me and she was like, I got all your texts about the patriarchy. And I was like. And she was like, I Jenny, I'm so sorry. It wasn't one, one, not one to three droppers. It was, I misspoke. It was one to three drops. And so I took 120 times the dose. Yeah. And I like ruined my mind. And then, and I was like, I guess I'm off weed. And like a couple months later I thought, I'll just take a little hit and try and get back in. And it was like, it went right back to where I had been that evening. So I'm just done forever. Yeah, I'm not gonna try it.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh my God. So she saved you. She saved you?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, in a way. She saved me. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow, that's so crazy.

[Sean Hayes]

And we will be right back.

[Will Arnett]

A podcast is kind of like a small business. One with lots of talking and someone always forgetting to hit record. And we all know small business thrives when it takes care of the hard working people who keep it running. And that's where JustWorks comes in. JustWorks is an easy to use intuitive HR platform and that help small businesses support their people. Whether you're hiring, automating, payroll, expanding globally or handling confusing compliance stuff, Justworks has you covered. They even offer 247 support for employees still working at 4am Go home already. With Justworks, you can hire and manage international talent without juggling extra platforms, paperwork or licensing fees. And your team gets access to premium benefits like health insurance, 401 and commuter perks. Plus, with transparent pricing, you'll always know exactly what you're getting and what you're paying for. Go to justworks.com to learn more. They do your human resources right so you can do right by your people. Just works for your people.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

And now back to the show.

[Jason Bateman]

Jenny, speaking of like getting freaked out and stuff, you know your Netflix special called Stage Fright? It was so fucking great. I loved it so much. You talk. I love the way it was shot, by the way. So cool. But anyway, you talk about like fear and how you hate it and you love it and it motivates you and how people say, just be yourself. And you were like, that's the worst advice because there's a million people in my head.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

How do you choose?

[Sean Hayes]

Right, Nick?

[Jason Bateman]

So how do you. How do you talk about like the love and the hate of performing live? Like, what is it you. What, what freaks you out about it?

[Jenny Slate]

I like it so much. But it's. It must be like, what? Like adrenaline junkies are like. I guess. I mean, I don't know. Or. But not the guy that does the free solo. I actually think that I sound like an old woman, but that really makes me angry that he does that.

[Sean Hayes]

There's another one. There's another one that makes him look like.

[Will Arnett]

There's the one that he talks about. The other guy, the alpinist, the Canadian kid.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, what?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Isn't it called the Alpinist?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, and that one's really sad.

[Will Arnett]

The Alpinist. Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

But man, oh man, what a documentary. Yeah, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Most of them don't end with like. Don't have amazing endings.

[Jason Bateman]

You know what I mean?

[Jenny Slate]

No, they're not. Like a lot of times back in the parking lot at the end.

[Will Arnett]

No. Oh, you mean. You mean the guy who climbs the ice waterfall at night by himself with no ropes? Doesn't end well.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, the guy with the bears. The guy who did all those cute movies of the Bears.

[Sean Hayes]

That one I still need to see.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

Also, I got busted on not seeing the Revenant the other night at dinner with my parents and my husband because I said that a Snuggie was like, that guy in the Revenant who wears the bear suit.

[Jason Bateman]

Leo DiCaprio, you mean?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. Like, truly everything. Everyone is like. What are you talking about? You're talking about Leonardo DiCaprio. Like the, you know, Oscar winner, the actor, the guy. He's not the guy. He's Leonardo DiCaprio. And he doesn't wear a bear suit. Like, I guess he gets attacked. I didn't.

[Sean Hayes]

He gets attacked by a bear.

[Jenny Slate]

He's too afraid.

[Sean Hayes]

It's stunning. You should just see that one scene. Or just watch the YouTube special on how they shot that scene.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Jenny Slate]

That seems like at a safe distance.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, God.

[Will Arnett]

There's also a video, a YouTube video about the guys getting prepared to shoot the YouTube video for the. Which is amazing. It's mainly just.

[Jenny Slate]

That seems like a safe place.

[Will Arnett]

It's mainly just in the parking lot and putting on. Putting on Patagonias and shit. But it's good.

[Jenny Slate]

No, I need to be pretty far afield. I think, of the central experience. I don't really wanna. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait. Go back to the fear thing.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, well. Yeah. I think the fear is that people don't think that they won't like me and that they won't think of, like. Yeah. That I'll be wearing a Patagonia jacket.

[Will Arnett]

And I'll be like, they're a great Jack. They're great jackets. Especially if you're. Well, they're expensive, but if you're a size large, they're great.

[Jenny Slate]

They're great.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry, I just had to put that out there.

[Jenny Slate]

They're telling just what you need to tell. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

So what? So that fear of when you're up there on stage and they're not gonna like you if you play that out in your head. Is it like that? Oh, my God. I have no place to go. I can't hide.

[Jason Bateman]

Right. Because you still do it.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. I mean, it feels like a social thing. I like it that I'm gonna have to be up here and they're all gonna see me, like, just, like, choking and floundering and being out of control and all the things that if I succeed at, they'll see me as a master of the moment and chaos and power or whatever. Not that I see it that. But I think that would be the other side of it. Not That I think I'm the master of chaos when I'm on stage.

[Sean Hayes]

I would imagine that you'd have to find a place of the perfect combination between sort of an adversarial relationship with the audience so that you feel sort of puffed up and strong, like, okay, a worthy adversary and you can defend yourself, but then also kind of be a teammate with the audience too. You want to try to find that connection with them. I bet that's a really, that's a real challenging place for stand ups. I, I, I don't think I'd ever have the spine to do it, but.

[Jenny Slate]

It'S like a date terrifying. I think of it like a date. Like you're like the person could.

[Will Arnett]

I actually think you don't have the balls to do it.

[Sean Hayes]

Or spine. No skeletal structure whatsoever.

[Will Arnett]

Exactly. I don't think you have the sack. I don't think you have any of the undercarriage to do it. Sorry.

[Jenny Slate]

Look, I don't have that undercarriage either and I.

[Will Arnett]

No, you do.

[Sean Hayes]

How often are you still getting up there and doing standup?

[Jenny Slate]

Well, in la, I was going. So I usually go up at Largo and I was trying to go like twice a week while I was there because I want to make a new special and that's harder, obviously, like when I want to put the baby to bed. And you know, and I like it when Ben sees my sets because especially after having the baby, it's like, oh, I guess I'm just this person who like complains about almost everything all the time. I really want him to see me as someone who other people think is like literally in the cheapest way, like popular. Like I would like him to, you know, like, everything's fine, but I'm just like, that's such a good, I think it's such a good look, you know, up there on stage, if they're liking you, it's like, oh, right, I forgot that. That there's this powerful person. And it is nice, but it's also really scary. But I have to do it.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you make him the butt of any jokes either intentionally or unintentionally? When you're sharing your stuff about home and the kid and adjusting to that new life in your house, do you back into sort of throwing him under the bus at all? I used to do that on talk shows with my wife and then she straightened me out.

[Jenny Slate]

Did you ask permission or would you just like.

[Sean Hayes]

I didn't. And then I got my snout smacked and then I started asking for permission and then she started Saying no. And then I started looking for different material.

[Jenny Slate]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Jenny, I want to talk about. I want to leave you with Marcel the Shell, because it's so good. I watched the movie last night. It's so good. Here's what I need to say. I've been a fan of Marcel the Shell with Shoes on forever. I know it's been, like, over 10 years or something like that, right?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

And I used to watch those videos all the time. And what I love about it is, if you haven't seen it, all you need to know about it is it's literally Marcel a shell, and he has shoes on, and you literally play a shell named Marcel, and he. How the voice? Like, how the voice. Why the Voice? Are you sick of the Voice? Tell us all things about Marcel, because how did you think of him? And are you kind of, like, done or more, More, more? Because I can't get enough of him.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, thanks, thanks. Thanks for saying that.

[Jason Bateman]

Like, wait, sidebar, really quick. I loved when Marcel played taps from his horn, which was a piece of hollow spiral macaroni. And he sleeps in his. Which is a bedroom made out of bread, which is fantastic.

[Sean Hayes]

Bless him.

[Jenny Slate]

And when he play taps, he plays taps. That is. That's, like, my favorite part of the. That, like, sort of. It's a sad part.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

Sort of like a eulogy part. And it's so funny, and it's macaroni, and. Yeah, it's like a shofar. In my culture, we call that a shofar. Yeah, for sure. Very lot of secret Judaism put in there. I'm not sick of the Voice. I love doing it. It's like. It feels like a. You know, like. I don't know, like, a soothing thing. I do it by myself a lot. I, like, came up one weekend when I was, like, in a hotel room, sharing hotel room with, like, five friends, and everyone was, like, broke, and we were all sharing a hotel room, and, like, every thing you could sleep on was being used, like, the cot and the two beds and, like, someone on the floor or whatever, and they were just, like, all men. And I felt, like, tiny and that it was, like, so messy and cramped in there. And I started to talk to, like, sort of rib people in that voice. And then. And then my partner at the time had, like, promised that he was gonna make a video for a little show in Williamsburg, and he hadn't done anything yet. And he was like, could I interview that voice? And, like, maybe there'll be a character and I'll, you know, make something with it. So he. He interviewed me in that voice. And then he made Marcel's Body. And then we just, like, made that video.

[Jason Bateman]

So cool.

[Sean Hayes]

So is he still a part of all the stuff going forward?

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, Dean Fleischerkamp, he's the director and we co wrote it together with our friend Nick Paley. And. Yeah, yeah, he did everything.

[Jason Bateman]

I love. There's a million one liners. But you know what Marcel uses for skis are men's toenails.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, Toenails from a man.

[Sean Hayes]

Toenail clippings. Not. Not the actual toenail. Full toenail.

[Jenny Slate]

Not the toenail.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah, just clippings. Did I see a trailer for it that's coming out?

[Jason Bateman]

Yes.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, it's coming out June 24 through 8. 24.

[Will Arnett]

What?

[Jason Bateman]

And you filmed it like over a year ago. Right.

[Jenny Slate]

It took seven years to make.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow.

[Sean Hayes]

Jesus.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, we finished it, I want to say, in the winter of.

[Jason Bateman]

How long did it take? Seven years?

[Jenny Slate]

Well, because it's stop motion and we weren't, you know, we were like, like fully funded by Cinereach. It's like a. It's not a studio. It's like, basically, like getting arts grants. Basically. And. Which also gave us total freedom. Yeah. Which is really great. And it took a long time. The. The film was improvised off of a long treatment. So we would like, record, like, improvise. And then Dean and Nick would go back and cull through all the audio and start to make a script off of that and then, like, write things that we should say and. And go back into more improvising. And that process itself took about a couple years.

[Sean Hayes]

And then you would do the stop motion.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. Then I think the order was we locked, like, the audio play, like, everything that Marcel. And his grandmother is the only other character besides Dean. Grandmother played by Isabella Rossellini, who is incredible.

[Sean Hayes]

Nice.

[Jenny Slate]

And she has a beautiful voice. Yeah. And so we did. And she let us go to her farm to improvise. Like, when there's.

[Sean Hayes]

Where's the farm?

[Jenny Slate]

It's in New York. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

City.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, it's in this city. It's so weird. It's on 56th Street.

[Jason Bateman]

So high.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah. So strange.

[Will Arnett]

It's just a farm. And what do they. They just raise improvisers. What's. That's amazing.

[Jenny Slate]

Yeah, it's called yes and farm.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God.

[Will Arnett]

That's amazing.

[Jenny Slate]

I just love that. I love that about her. Anyway, yeah, so we recorded it all and then they filmed the live action because, like, Marcel is, you know, he's in a physical House. And obviously Dean is a real person that you sometimes see, like his hand or him walking away. They filmed all the live action that the whole movie's worth. And then they filmed the stop motion animation.

[Jason Bateman]

It's so good. I love it. I loved it so much.

[Will Arnett]

It's.

[Jason Bateman]

Please go see it if you haven't seen it.

[Will Arnett]

June 24.

[Sean Hayes]

June 24.

[Jenny Slate]

June 24.

[Will Arnett]

It's my sister's birthday.

[Sean Hayes]

Is that right?

[Jenny Slate]

Happy birthday.

[Will Arnett]

Well, two of them. Both of them. Because they're twins.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh.

[Jason Bateman]

Happy birthday.

[Jenny Slate]

Both of them.

[Sean Hayes]

What are both their names real quick?

[Will Arnett]

Tanis and Chanley.

[Sean Hayes]

Good. And what about your brother Chuck?

[Jason Bateman]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, why do we test me on.

[Jenny Slate]

This all the time?

[Jason Bateman]

Jenny, it's such a pleasure. Thank you for being here. I want everybody to go see the movie.

[Sean Hayes]

Jenny, you're hilarious.

[Will Arnett]

And a delight.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jenny Slate]

Ladies and gentlemen. So are you. Really, really fun.

[Sean Hayes]

Next time you're out in Silver Lake, come by the Smartless Studios.

[Jenny Slate]

That'll be nice.

[Sean Hayes]

They don't. They don't exist.

[Jenny Slate]

Oh, they don't. You don't have to.

[Will Arnett]

We're building a whole compound out there to rival Isabella Rossellini's. Yes. And Ranch.

[Jenny Slate]

Yep. Yes. And Ranch. Top of the rock. You can't miss it. It's gorgeous up there.

[Will Arnett]

Top of the rock.

[Jason Bateman]

Top of the rock. She's up there hoeing. Anyway, honey, thank you. We love you and so, so proud of you. And I'm excited for the movie. I hope it does really well.

[Jenny Slate]

Thank you so much.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you. Jenny, please say hi to Ben and Ida. Tell her I miss her.

[Jenny Slate]

I will.

[Sean Hayes]

Bye, Jenny.

[Jenny Slate]

Bye.

[Sean Hayes]

Bye.

[Jenny Slate]

Okay, I'll go. I go now, right?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, you go.

[Sean Hayes]

You go. You go.

[Jenny Slate]

I go now. Goodbye.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you. Now.

[Jenny Slate]

Bye.

[Sean Hayes]

Bye. That's Jenny Slate, y'. All.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

I love. She is great Slate.

[Sean Hayes]

She's a real killer.

[Jason Bateman]

I know. Everybody knows. Everybody knows her voices, right? But they don't know that. She probably does all them because they're all so different.

[Sean Hayes]

I did a small movie with her. She was on camera. Not just the voice, the face, the whole acting.

[Will Arnett]

What was the movie? What was the movie?

[Sean Hayes]

She's very, very good. I believe it's called the Longest Week. Wasn't a large film, but she was in it and she was great. I really had a good time with her. She's real fun.

[Jason Bateman]

She's super fun. Cute, funny. Just adorable. Super talented.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, my God. A great, great energy, great vibe.

[Jason Bateman]

She should teach improv and voiceover stuff because she.

[Sean Hayes]

I know.

[Will Arnett]

It's pretty good.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, Will, so Are you gonna go back, work out and finish that now or.

[Will Arnett]

No, I was just finishing up and I'm really rattled. I'm now I'm so hungry. Obviously.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, go get. Go get something to eat and then I gotta go.

[Will Arnett]

I gotta go meet Jason. We got a meeting.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, we gotta. We got a lunch meeting. Hey, what do you. So what are you gonn prior to your. To your one o' clock lunch?

[Will Arnett]

I am fucking.

[Sean Hayes]

What's it gonna be, though? Is it gonna be a protein shake? Are you gonna ruin all the work you've done this morning? Punch in that dumb white bag. There it is.

[Will Arnett]

My energy has really plummeted in the last 10 minutes.

[Sean Hayes]

Sugar.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. No, I shocked.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, well, why don't we let you go?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you for coming today. We're huge fans.

[Will Arnett]

No. Oh, wait, wait, wait. And do I just slam shut?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, you just cram shut.

[Sean Hayes]

If you're feeling. I want you to just go grab something that looks like it's got a little car, a lot of carbohydrates in it, and just take a big bite.

[Will Arnett]

Smart. Smart.

[Jenny Slate]

Lesson.

[Will Arnett]

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[Jenny Slate]

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[Jason Bateman]

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