TBTL Episode #4595: Jeff Hiller!!
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Luke Burbank (filling in solo for Andrew Walsh)
Special Guest: Jeff Hiller – Emmy-winning actor, star of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere and author of Actress of a Certain Age
Episode Overview
This episode features a lively and candid conversation between TBTL host Luke Burbank and actor/author Jeff Hiller. With Andrew out of town, Luke sits down with Jeff in a Portland hotel restaurant to discuss Jeff’s career journey, his breakout role on Somebody Somewhere, his Emmy win, and his memoir. They also bond over their upbringings in Christian communities, reflect on aging, celebrity, pop culture touchstones, podcasting, and how to be mindful of evolving language. The discussion is full of joyful digressions, heartfelt moments, comedic asides, and relatable reflections.
Highlights & Key Discussion Points
1. Setting the Scene: Podcasting in the Wild
(02:09–06:00)
- Luke describes the “gentle chaos” of arranging a podcast interview with an actual Emmy winner in a hotel restaurant with mismatched gear.
- A shout out to the accommodating staff at Portland’s Heathman Hotel.
- Memorable Quote:
“This shows you how typical podcast recordings are in the world. You could walk up to a harried server at a restaurant and say, I need to do a podcast. They go, go back to the podcasting room for that.” — Luke (04:53)
2. Introducing Jeff Hiller & the Magic of ‘Somebody Somewhere’
(06:00–15:45)
- Luke gives background on Somebody Somewhere and Jeff’s role as Joel, framing the show as a celebration of adult friendship that isn’t about romance.
- Plays a joyfully quirky wedding fantasy clip from the show (with songs and jokes).
- Luke discusses the importance of finding “your person” in life, even if that isn’t a romantic partner.
- Quote:
“She wanted to make a show that demonstrated a kind of important primary relationship in life with someone that is not necessarily romantic.” — Luke (08:54)
[CLIP: Joel’s Dream Wedding, Gloria Singalong (10:54–12:18)]
3. Jeff Hiller’s Breakthrough: Memoir & Emmy Win
(15:46–16:38, 32:57–33:41)
- Jeff’s memoir chronicles decades of struggle before his big break in his mid-40s.
- Luke highlights how Somebody Somewhere is “niche but beloved” and marvels at Jeff’s Emmy win.
- Memorable Emmy Speech Quote:
“For the past 25 years, I’ve been like, world, I want to be an actor. And the world’s like, maybe computers... Thank you to HBO for putting a show about sweaty middle aged people on the same network as the sexy teens of Euphoria.” — Jeff Hiller (15:46)
4. Celebrity Visibility & Encountering Fans
(16:52–19:56)
- Luke asks Jeff about jogging in Portland and if the Emmy has made him more recognizable.
- Jeff says he’s largely anonymous and enjoys fan recognition when it happens, which is always positive and low-key.
- Both swap stories about awkwardness of being possibly recognized.
- Quote:
“I like it when people recognize me. …It’s not like people are coming up and being like, ‘Say, you talking to me?’ ...They’re just like, I love the show. You seem nice. That kind of a thing.” — Jeff (17:49)
5. Comedy Life, Improv & Drinking Habits
(20:08–23:11)
- Jeff compares his drinking (modest) to his on-screen character’s (“Joel drinks a lot more than I do”).
- Both riff on performing at Kickstand Comedy and the intense but supportive Portland comedy scene.
- Fun tangent: pop culture Mariah Carey references (her Cribs episode and Christmas music) and musical impressions.
- Quote:
“I did hard liquor last night and my watch was like, what have you done? Your stats are all off.” — Jeff (20:21)
6. Growing Up Christian: Faith, Tongues & Humor
(23:33–28:29)
- Both Luke and Jeff discuss being raised in intense Christian communities: Luke’s evangelical commune, Jeff’s progressive Lutheran background.
- Hilarious riff on “speaking in tongues” and childhood impressions of it.
- Both are grateful for positive, social-justice-oriented Christians in their lives—not the Christian nationalism often portrayed.
- Quote:
“I met so many people who are like just the coolest people who are like pro social justice, pro feeding the hungry… nothing like the mainstream view …which is really Christian nationalism or whatever.” — Jeff (27:52)
7. Turning 50, Late Blooming Careers & Persistence
(28:57–31:33)
- Both reflect on about-to-turn-50 feelings, the trauma of turning 40, and how success came later than expected.
- Jeff is candid about struggling in his career for over two decades and why continued acting nourished him even before mainstream success.
- Quote:
“When I turned 40, I was like, oh well, it passed and it didn’t happen, so it’s never gonna happen…Now I realize that’s dumb.” — Jeff (29:54)
“I’d do improv for free…and that fed me. I did stand up…that fed me. I mean, it didn’t pay, it didn’t feed me—it fed my artistic soul.” — Jeff (31:07)
8. Podcasting: The Hunger Games of Audio
(33:39–41:51)
- Jeff laments being burned by bad podcast experiences and why he’s selective about guest appearances.
- They revisit Jeff’s own podcast “Touche” (originally a bawdier title—see next point) about mid-career actors hustling after age 40.
- Extended explanation of the Broadway backstage slang “two-show [crotch],” its theater-world evolution, and playful worries about cultural ownership of slang.
- Discussion on the futility of “broad” podcasting; Luke preaches the gospel of ultra-niche “narrowcasting.”
- Quote:
“Apparently there’s not any money in podcasting.” — Jeff (41:18)
“I always call this narrow casting…I’m a big fan of. And also, honestly, I’m incapable of broadcasting. It’s always pretty narrow.” — Luke (41:59)
9. Language, Sensitivity & Evolving Culture
(36:36–40:13)
- They talk about evolving out of language that can be unintentionally hurtful (“that’s so crazy” → “that’s so wild”; “beat a dead horse” → “feed a fed horse”, etc.).
- Conversation about making space in language for other people’s comfort, not doubling down, and how sometimes the replacements are even more fun to say.
- Quote:
“I always say, that’s so crazy. And someone said they don’t really like that. So I’ve been trying to say, that’s so wild.” — Jeff (37:48)
10. The Wide Appeal of ‘Somebody Somewhere’ ("Empathy People")
(42:54–48:54)
- Luke recounts how his evangelical parents—unexpected fans—“binged the entire thing in one and a half days.”
- Jeff notes most viewers who approach him are women, aged 40–60, often lesbian or pansexual, and their broader appeal to “empathy people.”
- Stories of fans making pilgrimages to Manhattan, Kansas, inspired by the show.
- Quote:
“Maybe what it is, is like if whatever someone’s age or background is, if they have empathy maybe…like if there’s whatever that thing that runs through a person…that has sort of a… By the way, my parents are the only evangelicals I know that are not Trump people.” — Luke (48:10)
11. Coming Out, Secrets & Youth Group Confessions
(48:54–53:43)
- Jeff and Luke share stories of revealing important secrets to their faith communities: Jeff’s coming out letter, Luke confessing a hidden teenage pregnancy.
- Both stories show the mix of anxiety, humor, and ultimately acceptance that can follow vulnerability in religious settings.
- Quote:
“It’s a little different to have an inkling of that [pregnancy]…were you still with the mom?” — Jeff (51:23)
12. Sex, Science, Weddings & the March of Time
(53:09–54:56)
- Conversation veers into the patterns of weddings (waves of weddings by decade, Christian remarrying), childbearing age, and the biological imperatives and social rituals that come with adulthood.
- Jeff mentions his own simple courthouse wedding.
- Quote:
“In my 40s, I had a wave of the second weddings of the Christians.” — Jeff (53:15)
13. Thanks & Closing
(55:16–55:37)
- Luke thanks Jeff for the conversation, plugs Somebody Somewhere and Actress of a Certain Age, and ends with a callback to their “feed two birds with one scone” language games.
Notable Quotes
-
On persistence in acting:
“You weren’t gonna quit acting. It’s too fundamental to who you are.” — Luke (30:14)
-
On theater lingo and appropriating slang:
“Maybe just don’t do it. …You can tell from the tone. If it’s meant joyfully, maybe just don’t do it.” — Jeff (36:11)
-
On ‘Somebody Somewhere’ fandom:
“Most people I meet who are young say, like, ‘my mom loves your show.’” — Jeff (47:56)
Memorable Moments & Timestamps
- [04:53] – Luke jokes about how podcasting is now so commonplace that every restaurant expects you to need a “podcasting room.”
- [10:54–12:18] – Hilariously earnest singalong in the Somebody Somewhere clip—Jeff/Joel describing his wedding set to “Gloria.”
- [15:46] – Jeff’s Emmy speech: “World, I want to be an actor. World: Maybe computers.”
- [20:19] – “I did hard liquor last night and my watch was like, what have you done? Your stats are all off.” – Jeff
- [25:31] – Luke and Jeff do tongue-in-cheek “impressions” of speaking in tongues.
- [38:00] – Luke on intrusive animal empathy: “I don’t like to throw the word hero around, but…” (in regards to feeling bad for cold cows).
- [39:51] – Luke introduces the phrase “feed two birds with one scone” and laughs about how it lands in conversation.
- [45:48] – Luke describes fans making literal pilgrimages to Manhattan, Kansas, for Somebody Somewhere.
Tone & Style
Consistently playful, self-deprecating, and kind. The banter is fast-moving yet full of warmth and openness, mixing deep candor about faith and identity with improv-like punchlines, signature TBTL digressions, and sincere admiration.
For New Listeners
This episode provides an entertaining window into Jeff Hiller’s career, the culture of Somebody Somewhere, and the humble-grateful attitude of late-blooming creative success. The conversation is full of inside jokes, but the joy, vulnerability, and pop culture riffs are thoroughly accessible, no prior TBTL-listening required.
Suggested Must-Listen Segments
- [15:46] – Jeff’s Emmy speech
- [23:33–28:29] – Faith backgrounds and speaking in tongues
- [39:51] – Animal-friendly idioms section
- [42:54–48:54] – The wide, unexpected reach of Somebody Somewhere
End of Summary