ICE Killing in Minnesota Ignites Protests as Trump and Kristi Noem Double Down | Lucy Liu

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition | January 9, 2026

Episode Focus:
Jon Stewart's Daily Show team, hosted by Ronny Chieng (with guest Lucy Liu), delivers a characteristically satirical but sharp look at America’s policing—centered on the recent ICE killing in Minnesota and its political fallout—while also touching on the psychology of pet psychics and discussing Lucy Liu’s latest film Rosemead.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode revolves around the political and cultural shockwaves from an ICE-related shooting in Minnesota that has ignited widespread protests and polarized responses from major political figures, particularly Kristi Noem and Donald Trump. Through a blend of biting humor and investigative critique, the team explores the consequences of aggressive policing, the recruitment culture of ICE, and public mistrust. The episode closes with a lighthearted feature on pet psychics and an engaging interview with actress-director Lucy Liu, giving listeners both critical insight and entertaining relief.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Shooting in Minnesota: The Event and Public Outrage

• Event Overview (01:41): ICE agents surrounded a woman’s car in Minneapolis and shot her when she tried to drive away. This incident, caught on video, sparked heated protests.

  • Ronny Chieng: “We got so much to talk about tonight because everything in America is super cool right now… President Trump is doing everything he can to keep us safe.” (01:17, ironic tone)
  • Michael Costa (quoting the mayor): “Get the f*** out of Minneapolis.” (01:41)

• Protester Reaction (02:23):

  • “Demonstrators taking to the streets... some confronting ICE agents throwing snowballs.” (02:23)
  • Ronny Chieng's quip: “First we fight the oppressive police state and then hot cocoa.”

• Political Reactions and Media Spin:

  • Kristi Noem quickly claimed, with no factual basis, the woman “attacked” the officers and doubled down even after facts contradicted her statements (03:02–04:18).
  • Ronny Chieng on Noem: “Maybe you didn’t see the video clearly because your stupid hat is blocking your vision...” (03:16)
  • Pres. Trump’s social media post described the victim as “viciously” running over an officer, further inflaming tensions.
    Ronny Chieng's response: “This is like one person saying the dress is blue and black and the other person saying it’s a dishwasher.” (05:32)

2. Broader Issues: ICE’s Militarization and Recruitment

• Divide Over Video & National Mood (05:32):
  The incident is used as another “political Rorschach test.” Partisan interpretations overshadow any shared reality.

• ICE’s Recruiting Tactics (06:26–07:54):

  • Advertising on themes from violent video games (Halo), targeting gun rights supporters, “military enthusiasts,” and UFC fans.
    • “It’s not just how they’re promoting; it’s who they’re recruiting." (07:04)
  • Many new hires fail drug tests, academic requirements, or physical exams. Nearly half fail an open-book written exam.
    • Ronny Chieng: “How the f*** do you fail an open book test? … This is what happens when you don’t have immigrants to cheat off of.” (08:03)
  • ICE’s “lawless militia” image: poorly trained, overzealous, and unaccountable agents making safe situations more dangerous.

• Recent ICE Abuses (08:47–09:44):

  • Accounts of citizens (including elderly) wrongly detained, body slammed, shot, or brutalized, including children at a Halloween parade.
  • Michael Costa: “A Halloween parade for children canceled after agents deployed what appeared to be Tear Gang.” (09:37)

Notable Quote

“The violence and showing the violence is the point. … Maybe this ICE agent feared for his safety, but this woman probably feared for hers, too, and for good reason.”
— Ronny Chieng (09:44)

3. Satirical Solutions: "NOICE" Ad (11:02)

• Fake, satirical PSA offering would-be ICE recruits a PlayStation 5 and “a dozen Xboxes,” so they can play shooter games at home instead of joining ICE.
  “If living out your video game fantasy makes you want to join ICE, then we’d rather you didn’t.” (11:07)

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Segment: Pet Psychics (14:02–20:31)

Michael Costa Investigates the Booming Pet Psychic Industry

• Meet the Pet Psychic (14:29):
  Daniel MacKinnon claims to communicate psychically with both living and deceased animals.

  • “I hear words in my head. I see pictures in my head. … I smell psychically.” (15:15)

• Service Details and Skepticism (15:58–17:28):
  She charges about $500 per session and has thousands of clients.

  • Her rationale: “Other people believe it. They pay me to do it.” (17:17)

• Demonstration:
  – Couples seek closure from a deceased retriever; MacKinnon claims the dog “knows the plan” they made three weeks ago.
  – Michael Costa jokes about the validity, but acknowledges the emotional benefit for clients.

Notable Quote

“People that are critical of pet psychics or psychics, in general, would say this is batshit crazy. No one is able to access the mind and the emotional feeling of a dead dog. What the f*** are you doing with your man?”
— Michael Costa (19:02)

• Personal Reading:
  MacKinnon does a reading for Michael’s dog Walter, claiming Walter just wants more attention from his owner.

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Interview: Lucy Liu on "Rosemead" (23:41–41:22)

Introduction, Warm-Up, and First Starring Role

• Lucy Liu appears to promote Rosemead, her first true leading role despite decades of A-list work.
  Ronny Chieng: “It’s your first time on the show…and it’s your first time starring in a movie, which is weird, because I feel like you’ve been starring in every movie since the 90s.” (25:21)

• Rosemead as a Passion Project:
  Film is an intimate drama about a terminally ill mother (played by Liu) and her son, grappling with loss, grief, and healing.
  – Lucy Liu: “It’s based on a true story…It’s about every family…how we can support each other.” (27:42)

Challenges of Indie Filmmaking

• Efforts to find funding, working with 16 different small investors; Liu took on multiple off-camera roles.
  • “There was no budget. I think I was the assistant…Can I get you a coffee?” (31:42)
  • “My job is to risk. If I don’t risk, then there’s no reward. And the reward is not like, how did it do at the box office. The reward is, who did I meet?” (41:05)

Reflections on Acting, Loss, and Presence

• On Longevity & Change in the Industry:
  “People are nostalgic…technology is very fast…it could be harder and it’s going to get harder…have gratitude for where you are.” (35:38)
• On Grief and Healing:
  “Grief is not linear…You think time heals it, but it doesn’t necessarily… I think there’s a lot of healing about this movie.” (40:03)
• Living in the Present:
  “I want people…to feel the presence of what’s happening to them now and appreciate. Because there’s so many things that are going by so quickly.”
• On her work:
  “These are not just like work to me. These are…parts of my life that I can remember. And this is my photo album.” (33:23)

Notable Quotes

“This movie…is something we want to honor [the family’s] name and also remember that when you talk to somebody and you communicate, you connect with people, it can save lives.”
— Lucy Liu (28:26)

“My job is to risk. If I don’t risk, then I don’t…there’s no reward…The reward is, who did I meet? What are the experiences that I had?”
— Lucy Liu (41:05)

Closing

• Ronny encourages audiences to go see Rosemead in theaters, to “support the arts,” and experience film together in a communal way (41:22).

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• Satirical jabs at both Kristi Noem and Trump’s political spin, especially their rush to judgment before investigation.
• The contrast between the somber and absurd: from ICE abuses to the phenomenon of pet psychics.
• Playful sparring between Ronny Chieng and Lucy Liu, poking fun at their careers, fame, and indie filmmaking hustle.
• Moments of genuine reflection on grief, love, and creative risk-taking.

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• ICE Shooting & Protests: 01:17–11:02
• NOICE Satirical Ad: 11:02–12:07
• Pet Psychic Feature: 14:02–20:31
• Lucy Liu Interview: 23:41–41:22

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This episode blends scathing satire of political and policing failures with moments of surprising warmth, epitomized by Lucy Liu’s reflections on grief, art, and humanity. Both deeply relevant and entertaining, the show offers listeners context, laughter, critique, and a few unexpected insights.

Transcript

[Stassi Schroeder]

I am your host, Stassi Schroeder. Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast.

[Guest/Caller 1]

What's the most unhinged thing of season three?

[Guest/Caller 2]

Steven.

[Ronny Chieng]

Because he's so evil, I do think he is misunderstood.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

You see everyone face consequences. It's intoxicating.

[Stassi Schroeder]

The writers just know how to trick ya. There's always a twist in this show.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

It's nothing you would expect.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Tell Me Lies, the official podcast, January 6th. And stream the new season of Tell Me Lies January 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney New Year.

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[Ronny Chieng]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Ryan Chang. We got so much to talk about tonight because everything in America is super cool right now. We are very lucky to live in a country where we enjoy a great relationship with law enforcement agencies. President Trump is. He's doing everything he can to keep us safe. And, oh, it looks like the incredibly handsome mayor of Minneapolis has something to say to ice.

[Michael Costa]

Get the out of Minneapolis.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, okay, look, to be fair, ICE is what people in Minneapolis say most winters anyway. Okay, but this time he's actually referring to the immigration cops. I assume at this point you've all seen the horrible video or you've been working really hard not to see it. So don't worry, I'm not going to show it to you. But basically, ICE agents surrounded this woman's car and ended up shooting her when she tried to drive away from them. That certainly would have made me way too scared to confront these guys. But the people in Minnesota are built different.

[Michael Costa]

Demonstrators taking to the streets after the.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Shooting, some confronting ICE agents throwing snowballs.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's right, throwing snowballs. First we fight the oppressive police state and then hot cocoa. Now, look, people have been watching the video over and over, breaking it down frame by frame until they end up with resting Cash Patel face. And it's already become just one more political Rorschach test in America. Some people see a peaceful protester getting murdered and other people are fascists. But regardless of where. Regardless of where you stand on that, nobody was seeing what Kristi Noem saw.

[Guest/Caller 2]

What happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action. They got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis. They were attempting to push out their vehicle and a woman attacked them.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, what are you talking about? Because maybe you didn't see the video clearly because your stupid hat is blocking your vision, But thank you for weighing in. And sorry to interrupt. Interrupt your girls weekend in Nashville. I just don't see how you could see an attack in that video. Well, I mean, wait, is this why Kristi Noem shot her puppy? I mean, did she. Did she think it was trying to ram into her of a car? I don't know. Maybe that's all she sees. Cars ramming into her. This was barely two hours after the shooting, and without any investigation, Noam had already decided that the woman deserved it. But later that day, once more facts came out, she ignored those two and doubled down.

[Guest/Caller 2]

This domestic act of terrorism to use your vehicle to try to kill law enforcement officers is going to stop. People are being trained and told how to use their vehicles to impede law enforcement operations and then to run over anybody who gets in their way.

[Ronny Chieng]

Training, being trained. I mean, I am outraged that you would inflame the situation with divisive and charged accusations, but that is a cool costume change. Okay? I love how she went from cowboy to undercover cop at a high school party. I mean, I hope the next hat is gonna be one of those Rasta hats. And she can be like, yeah, And she can be like, hey, man, it's domestic terrorism. Wa. Wa. Look, this country does not need a divisive figure like Kristi Noem right now. It needs a leader with the maturity and unifying rhetoric to bring us all together. Shut up. Shut up. Shut the up. President Trump, I call on you to heal this nation.

[Guest/Caller 2]

This is what President Trump just posted. The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer who seems to have shot her in self defense based on the clip. Hard to believe he is alive but is now recovering in the hospital.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, I don't. You guys. Okay, okay. I'm starting to sense a bias in the audience here, but you know what, you mean it's hard to believe he's alive. The guy walked away. Like, was Kristi Noem's hat so big it was blocking your vision too, President Trump? I mean, even if you think the video is ambiguous, it's not that. This is like one person saying the dress is blue and black and the other person saying it's a dishwasher. Okay? It's not that's a basic shape to what happened. But here's the problem. Everyone is arguing about what happened in the seconds leading up to the shooting, but what we really need to be looking at is what happened in the months leading up to the shooting. Because something like this was almost inevitable when ice. When you have ICE promoting itself like this. A massive PR push is underway to.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Recruit new ICE agents, including ads targeted at young Americans.

[Guest/Caller 1]

It's posted a meme referencing the video game Halo to its official X account.

[Guest/Caller 2]

With a slogan, destroy the flood.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, look, I'm just saying you're not gonna get responsible professionals when you tell them the job is a freaking awesome video game. Okay? You're gonna get a bunch of guys who own this chair.

[Guest/Caller 1]

And.

[Ronny Chieng]

And it's not just how they're promoting their mission. It's also how. It's also the guys they're trying to recruit.

[Guest/Caller 2]

The effort will target gun rights supporters, military enthusiasts, people who have attended UFC fights or listened to patriotic podcasts.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's right, it's military enthusiasts, patriotic podcast listeners, and UFC fans. Basically anyone you pray your sister would finally break up with. And. And if you're watching, look, I like to call balls and strikes, okay? So if you're watching this and you're saying, hey, Ronny, you're being unfair. I'm a military enthusiast, patriotic podcast listener, and a UFC fan, and I'm highly professional. Well, hey, I guess they want going after you. Some of the recruits failed drug testing, have disqualifying criminal backgrounds or don't meet the physical or academic requirements to serve.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Additionally, nearly half of recruits failed the written exam, even with access to notes and textbooks.

[Ronny Chieng]

How the do you fail an open book test? The answers are here. You just put them here. This is what happens when you don't have immigrants to cheat off of. Okay? And I. But look, I guess it's. But I guess it's hard to take a written test when you're wearing Oakleys indoors. So now we have a massive new police force of poorly trained recruits hopped up on Rick Ross music, unleashed into American cities and suburbs. And for the past few months, federal agents have been terrorizing people in their own neighborhoods.

[Guest/Caller 2]

Over the past year, Americans have witnessed masked ICE agents detain mothers in front of their children, people shot by federal agents, and more than 170 US citizens held inside detention centers.

[Guest/Caller 3]

A 79 year old business owner says he was body slammed and pinned to the ground despite being a U.S. citizen.

[Guest/Caller 1]

Carlos Jimenez, a U.S. citizen, tried to.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Drive around the officers when one shot him in the back. Of his shoulder.

[Guest/Caller 3]

Masked agents shot pepper balls at a pastor. A woman who was handcuffed was suddenly.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Being dragged by one AR Federal agents drag away a blind protester.

[Guest/Caller 2]

We kept yelling, she's pregnant. She's pregnant.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, look, I know, I know I voted wrong, okay? I'm sorry. But look, it's so evil that the only level above this is cartoonishly evil.

[Michael Costa]

A Halloween parade for children canceled after agents deployed what appeared to be Tear Gang.

[Ronny Chieng]

The. It's a Halloween parade. Those are just kids. They want actual Korean demon hunters, okay? And look, if you're thinking they don't need to enforce the law this violently, you're correct. They don't need to be this violent. The violence and showing the violence is the point. This is why just breaking down these videos frame by frame doesn't tell the whole story of what happened here. Okay, People keep saying this ICE agent feared for his safety. Maybe so, but we also have to acknowledge that this woman probably feared for her safety, too, and for good reason. And telling someone to just comply with law enforcement isn't helpful when ICE has spent the past year acting less like law enforcement and more like a lawless militia. So, unfortunately, we can keep expecting this to happen, not because ICE is going to dangerous situations, but because they keep going into safe situations and then making them more dangerous than they need to be. But at the very least, if ICE is going to keep recruiting people with no business being in law enforcement, maybe we can counter that with an ad that UN recruits them.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Are you the type of guy who wants to be an ICE agent? Because it looks like playing Halo. Then here's an even better idea. Just stay home and play Halo. If living out your video game fantasy makes you want to join ICE, then we'd rather you didn't. So call 1-800-NOICE and we'll send you a PlayStation 5 and a dozen Xboxes so you can work out all that aggression safely in your stepdad's basement. Or maybe you like how ICE makes law enforcement look like a rap video. So we'll sign you up for YouTube Premium so you can just keep watching rap videos in your house, away from everyone else. Joining ICE means going outside, and outside is cold, but inside is warm and has WI fi, so you can look at all those dank ICE memes. Whatever void in your life is making you respond to those ICE ads, we'll fill it. It's better for everyone. We'll also throw in a pornhub subscription. You didn't ask for it, but we just assumed. So stay at home because we want you to not join ICE brought to you by Americans who just want to go outside without getting shot.

[Ronny Chieng]

When we come back, Michael Casa talks to dogs. So don't go.

[Guest/Caller 1]

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[Ronny Chieng]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Feels like everyone is losing their job these days, although we can't tell because the government agents who track that data also lost their jobs. But there's one industry that's booming. Michael Costa has more.

[Michael Costa]

We Americans spend big money on our pets, from gourmet food to grooming and anal gland extraction. Which is why I brought my best bud, Walter here the coast of Maine to check out a new pet industry that appears to be booming.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Do you like the beach? Do you like the tummy rub?

[Michael Costa]

Daniel MacKinnon is a provider of a new in demand pet service with tens of thousands of followers on social media.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

It's helping all of those people who have all of these animals in their lives be the best people they can be for their animals.

[Michael Costa]

So you do like trainings or how does that work? What is it?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

I am an animal communicator.

[Michael Costa]

Okay.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Otherwise known as a pet psychic.

[Guest/Caller 3]

Psychic.

[Michael Costa]

So you must know what my next question is going to be.

[Guest/Caller 1]

Yes. Which is, are you crazy?

[Michael Costa]

Where's the bathroom? Even though Danielle's powers had failed my first test, I was cur to find out more about her unique pet service in one moment. How does it work?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Okay, this is how it works. I hear it in my head. I hear words in my head. I see pictures in my head. I feel feelings from the animals. I smell psychically.

[Michael Costa]

What do you smell?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Sometimes I'm smelling dog poop or the barn or whatever the animal wants me to smell.

[Michael Costa]

Why would an animal want you to smell poop?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

A lot of the time, the animal will give whatever information they can to me to help their human go, oh, yeah, that's my pet.

[Michael Costa]

So that means if someone's not, like, believing me as a human or trusting me, should I make them smell my poop?

[Guest/Caller 1]

No.

[Michael Costa]

And communicating physically with living animals is just the base level service that Danielle offers.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

One of the ways that I communicate with pets is usually when they're passed over.

[Ronny Chieng]

Wow.

[Michael Costa]

You talk to dead animals?

[Guest/Caller 1]

Yep.

[Michael Costa]

Dead, yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

And they talk back.

[Guest/Caller 1]

Dead.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Dead.

[Michael Costa]

Okay. What does someone want to hear from a dog that's crossed over?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

They usually want closure.

[Ronny Chieng]

Closure.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

They feel grief and they feel guilt, and they wish they'd spent more time with their pet. And they want to be able to say, I'm sorry.

[Michael Costa]

As a kid, we bought a goldfish, and then it didn't make it and we flushed it. Could you access that fish from 40 years, 25 years ago?

[Ronny Chieng]

When I was a kid, yes.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

You can actually connect with any animal at any time that has crossed over.

[Michael Costa]

Could I talk to the horse that General Grant was on when he fought in the Civil War?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Technically, yes.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, I guess it would be interesting to find out who a horse thinks won the Civil War. But like any innovative new business, Danielle has to face her fair share of criticism. How do you know that it's the animal and not just your own crazy head?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

I would say 99% of the time, there's a part of me that's going, you're crazy. This is crazy. But then I'm getting, yes, that's totally my cat. I can't believe this is working.

[Michael Costa]

And Danielle does have one other reason to believe in her psychic powers.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Other people believe it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

They pay me to do it.

[Michael Costa]

What does a psychic reading cost?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Mine are around $500.

[Michael Costa]

Do you charge before the reading or after the reading?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Before the reading.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is a good business.

[Michael Costa]

And is there, like, how many people? Like, two people, three people?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Thousands of people.

[Michael Costa]

Two of those thousands are Matt and Lauren. They're clients of Danielle's who are hoping to communicate One last time with their deceased golden retriever, Camden.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

So I'm gonna have you show me the picture in a moment. Things that I want to.

[Michael Costa]

Did you get payment yet from that?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Yes.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

It's way easier to do.

[Ronny Chieng]

Of course. Yeah.

[Guest/Caller 3]

Okay.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Okay. So I'm just gonna take a moment to connect with Camden. Hold on. The first thing that comes through is that he has been watching you from the other side. And he shows me you feeling a lot of stress and pressure. And that three weeks ago, you kind of put a new bit of a plan in place. He knows the plan. He's giving you the confirmation that this is the way to go. Do you know what I'm talking about?

[Guest/Caller 4]

Yes.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Michael Costa]

Three weeks ago, you made a new plan. And Camden is aware of this plan. I mean, you're saying that a dog who's dead is aware of a current plan that they came up with three weeks ago.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

So that I should say, seems to be around like business.

[Guest/Caller 1]

It is.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, it makes sense to me that Camden has become a business savvy spirit dog. But did Matt and Lauren have any doubts? People that are critical of pet psychics or psychics in general would say this is batshit crazy. No one is able to access the mind and the emotional feeling of a dead dog. What the are you doing with your man?

[Ronny Chieng]

I mean, everyone's entitled to their own beliefs and opinions.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

I personally believe that there are souls.

[Stassi Schroeder]

And that someday, hopefully, we'll get connected with them again.

[Michael Costa]

Are you guys just bored?

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

No.

[Michael Costa]

So these clients were clearly benefiting from her services. But could Danielle convert me into a customer by entering into the head of my best friend Walter? Alright, here's him on the dock.

[Guest/Caller 1]

He.

[Ronny Chieng]

He.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Walter.

[Michael Costa]

Walter.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Living, living dog.

[Ronny Chieng]

Dog. Okay, yeah.

[Michael Costa]

I mean, I could have told you that stuff.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

So I'm just gonna go to Walter in my head.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Guest/Caller 2]

Okay.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

So hold on one sec. So when I ask him about his relationship with you, and he does give me sadness, you're spending a lot of time doing other stuff. You're not very present when you are home.

[Michael Costa]

Wow. And then I would this. Is this where I would pay you?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

Can you tell Walter that a simple thank you would go a long way? I feed him every day. I go take him to the vet. I spend $770 a year on him.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Well, he said he loves you and he just wants more time from you.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Michael Costa]

Even though Danielle was definitely wrong about reading Walter's thoughts about his beloved owner, it did seem that her pet service brings owners and their pets closer together. And Maybe that's the only thing that matters. Can you tell him that his breath is stinks?

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

He doesn't care.

[Michael Costa]

He doesn't care.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you, Michael. When we come back, Lucy Liu will.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Be joining me on the show.

[Ronny Chieng]

So don't go away.

[Guest/Caller 1]

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[Ronny Chieng]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. I'm so excited. My guest tonight is a good friend, an actor, a producer whose new film is Called Rosemead. Please welcome the one and only Lucy Liu. Oh, yeah, dude. Yo, I said Lucy Liu, not Simu Liu. You didn't say. No, you didn't say Su. Lucy Liu. Oh.

[Michael Costa]

Well, can I stay anyway?

[Ronny Chieng]

No, get the out. Lucy's here. We want to see Lucy.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Get the out of here.

[Ronny Chieng]

Get the out. Go. God damn these desperate actors. All right, let's try that again. Please welcome my good friend, the one and only Lucy Liu. Wow. Wow.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I didn't realize that was so easy. Easily replaced.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, Nobody asked for me. I don't know where he came from.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I think the Lou.

[Ronny Chieng]

I think he lives here.

[Stassi Schroeder]

The Lou connection, maybe.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thanks for coming on the show. It's so good to see you.

[Stassi Schroeder]

This is my first time.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, first time. First time on the show.

[Stassi Schroeder]

First time.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's your first time on the show, and it's your first time starring in a movie, which is weird, because I feel like you've been starring in every movie since the 90s. So what?

[Stassi Schroeder]

I guess I was not really starring. I was like, number 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Keep going.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, you say that, but I feel like you were the star of Kill Bill. Yeah, you still have to say that because that's what your publicist told me. You know, this is.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You know, she gets paid to tell you that stuff.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, but you've been around kicking ass for a while.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I've been around for a while, and this is.

[Ronny Chieng]

But you truly feel this is the first time you've starred in something?

[Stassi Schroeder]

I mean, I never thought about it until they broke it down like that. I feel like I have always been leading because it feels like everything is moving forward. So I always think that way. But when they put it in the words like that, it really kind of stood out to me. And I feel like if that's the case, then this is my greatest pride to have been in this movie. Rosemead.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right? Cause you mean. Yeah, Well, I mean, I know that technically might be true. I don't think anyone listening to that actually believes that, because I feel like you stole every scene in every single movie. But let's just. Let's just go. Let's just go with it. But this. This has been a real kind of passion project. You were. You're not just like a hired gun on this. You were, like, pushing this through. Really? You were like.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I came to you with this project so long ago, too. Ronnie was almost in the movie, guys.

[Ronny Chieng]

I know, but I just. I know. I just. I just felt like I couldn't play an Asian mother. You know, I don't. I just. I'm sorry. I just wanted to ring.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Grow your hair out.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's not a big deal. Yeah, I just couldn't do it.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It's been a long journey. Like eight years.

[Guest/Caller 3]

Eight years.

[Stassi Schroeder]

So it's a deep movie and I think it's not necessarily what people are used to seeing me in. So maybe that was the difficulty. But I think that what we have and what we've created is something really special and something that we haven't had in our filmography.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. So what is it about?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Well, it's about. Well, it's a love story really, between a mother and her son and she has a terminal illness and her son is also stricken with the loss of her husband and his father.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. So a comedy. It's like a comedy.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It's a romantic comedy and everyone should go see it on Valentine's Day. But really I think there's. It's based on a true story. So I think there's something there that we can mine from it. It's not just about the Asian community. It's about every family. It's about our community in general and how we can support each other.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. I don't know how much to talk about it without giving spoilers. So I'll follow your lead on this because I watched it. I read the script too, because I was supposed to be in it.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah, I don't want to.

[Ronny Chieng]

I just see the script didn't quite make it. I'm just number eight on movies where if you have no budget and you film in the tri state area, I'm.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You're the guy.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm the guy. I'm the guy.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You're the go to guy.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm the go to guy. I'm very happy to be that guy. By the way, number eight on the list.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Well, I think this movie is something that is dedicated to this family that's no longer here. And it is something that we want to, you know, honor them and honor their name and also remember that when you talk to somebody and you communicate, you connect with people, it can save lives.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, it's about. Bunch of. Bunch of woke hadoo gooders over here trying to save the world. But I mean, the movie is about people who. Someone who's suffering through mental health illness and it's based on a true story and the story is quite intense. Again, I don't want to give away what happens in it because I'm trying to follow your lead here. If anyone's going to spoil it, I'M going to let you spoil it. But. But it's an intense story, and it's based on a true story, as you said. So how did this even get come to your attention?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Well, it's kind of a niche. This story, the real story, happened in 2015, which is not that long ago. It's just a little over 10 years. And then Frank Chong wrote an article, and then that article was then purchased and then made into, basically, a movie. A script. A script was written, and so I came on board, and then we tried to find financing for it. It's a very small movie. It's probably the budget of, like, when you're Mugs. When you guys make mugs.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, no. Yeah. No, no.

[Stassi Schroeder]

If you guys get any free mugs, then put it towards an independent movie. So it's.

[Ronny Chieng]

You're mistaking us for the Tonight Show. This is.

[Stassi Schroeder]

This is after. After.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is basic cable. We. Oh, my God, we are dying over here. Okay.

[Stassi Schroeder]

That's why I've never seen the show.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, exactly. We're dying. And also the president hates us. Yeah, but we. The. It's an indie project that you really.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Shepherded through, so dealing with small 16 different investors. I mean, you guys could have been one of them, and they were part of the community, and they realized that the impact of this movie was so much more important than possibly getting their money back.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, okay.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

He's like, what?

[Ronny Chieng]

That's very honest.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Capitalism is not always what the impact is.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. Yeah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You know, if I send one of these mugs to the 16 investors, maybe they'll feel like they actually, you know, got something back.

[Ronny Chieng]

Really? This shit is worthless. I'll send mugs. I'll send mugs to them. If it helps you out, I'll sign these mugs and go, you guys got scammed by this.

[Stassi Schroeder]

If you sign them.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. I'll be like, congrats on getting scammed by Lucy Lewis.

[Stassi Schroeder]

If you sign it, it might lose value.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, exactly, Exactly.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

She's just.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Just kidding.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I'll get.

[Stassi Schroeder]

See me all the three.

[Ronny Chieng]

Why are you shitting on me? I'm trying to promote.

[Guest/Caller 3]

I love you.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm trying to promote your movie. Where the is going?

[Stassi Schroeder]

The Thracians, all three of us are signed this mug.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sign it if it helps raise money for this movie. And. Sure, but if the movie had no money, how the did they afford you?

[Stassi Schroeder]

You know what, girl? I was working cr. I was driving. I was a teamster. I did all the things.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, no, it was.

[Stassi Schroeder]

There was no budget.

[Ronny Chieng]

I mean, it's a legit question because you're kind of used to. How should I put this? Being fawned over as an A lister most of your life and in your big movies. So this movie. This movie is like. Like you said, it's kind of. It's very small, it's very contained, almost like black box theater. I assume you didn't have five assistants on this. You probably had.

[Stassi Schroeder]

No, I think I was the assistant.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, you were the.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I was like, can I get you a coffee?

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. So what, I mean, does that. Because you're so. You're so up.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I think it's so hands on that we really worked as a team, as a family to make this happen and really bring the story to life. And to be honest with you, the fact that it's, you know, coming out this weekend in theaters is a miracle.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure.

[Stassi Schroeder]

So I feel grateful that you are. Actually, you brought me onto the show to talk about it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, are you kidding?

[Stassi Schroeder]

So I didn't know what you're promoting.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't know how they said they had me at Lucy Liu. I was like, oh, whatever. Come on and talk about.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah, yeah, I'm selling macaroni and cheese, guys.

[Ronny Chieng]

Also, people don't know you directed me in a television episode. 1. So I know your directing style. It is fierce.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It is hard to get on your mark and bark.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, it was. You had great bedside manner. You were very, like, you know, you were very.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Organized.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, you're very work focused on the set. No, not messing around. It's the TV show was. We're not supposed to promote other shit, but whatever. It was an episode of American Born Chinese. I don't know if you even remember this.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah, of course.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do you even care about this, that you directed me in this thing?

[Stassi Schroeder]

How are we reverting this back to you?

[Ronny Chieng]

You are a great director because I look awesome in that show. So you did a great job.

[Stassi Schroeder]

That's my main thing. Lighting. That's all I care about. No, you know what? To me, I think that I feel responsible for the time of the crew and the cast. And I want everyone to feel good and have a joyous experience, even though it's intense.

[Ronny Chieng]

Why?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Because that's your experience. That's gonna be your photo album for your life. That moment in time is going to be your life story.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, wow. Is that.

[Stassi Schroeder]

That's what I feel. Because, I mean, I look at my life like Charlie's Angels Kill Bill, you know, Rosemead, why women kill, Ellie McBeer. Even, like, a cameo in Devil Wears Prada. Like, all of these things are not just like, work to me. These are, like, parts of my life that I can remember. And this is my photo album.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. And so is that. Do you think that's common in the industry or is that just that.

[Guest/Caller 3]

I don't know.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I don't ask people about that. When I sit in your desk and I'll ask the questions.

[Ronny Chieng]

What do you mean?

[Stassi Schroeder]

When I ask them, I'll find out.

[Ronny Chieng]

Not how they feel, but do you feel that they feel that way? Do you feel that other people in show business have that same.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Still asking the same question.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, I see. I see. Oh, you don't wanna. I see.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Just checking my iq, guys.

[Ronny Chieng]

You don't wanna talk about. You don't wanna talk to other people. I get it.

[Michael Costa]

All right?

[Stassi Schroeder]

I would do well in a test if it was an open book.

[Ronny Chieng]

Test or closed. Okay. Okay, I see. Open or closed?

[Stassi Schroeder]

I would pass.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, we get it, y'.

[Stassi Schroeder]

All still. I think people do feel that way, but sometimes you. You don't. I don't see it until later, and I don't want to. I don't want people to wait till later. I want them to feel the presence of what's happening to them now and appreciate. Because there's so many things that are going by so quickly.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

And obviously not just things, but, like, our rights are being taken away. So let's not. Let's not, like, forget that the.

[Ronny Chieng]

Are you talking about.

[Stassi Schroeder]

This took a long time to get even. Our rights as Asians to vote.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, okay. He's gonna get a slap, lady.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Don't worry, guys. I'll punish him.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I know. You're saying, hey, you don't. You don't need to tell the immigrants who came here to be grateful. We are. Great. I'm grateful. If I wasn't grateful, I wouldn't be here, so.

[Stassi Schroeder]

No, you're right. I love you so much. I mean, you know, I'm just giving you a little. I'm ribbing you.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, no, no. But what is the. You've been in. The. You've been in show business for so long now.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah, over 30 years.

[Ronny Chieng]

Over 30 years. You had this, you know, your longevity, and you have the perspective to actually talk about this. Like. Like we have this bias that everything now is kind of worse than it used to be in terms of movie making and the world, quite frankly. But that's the same. Movie making is that you've seen it. You've seen the whole thing. Is that actually true or is that Just rose tinted glasses.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I think that a lot of times we. People are nostalgic, you know, and you think, oh, back then it was so much easier when we didn't have phones, you know, we didn't have. And then it was like we didn't have fax machines, we didn't have all these things. And. And I think that life is changing because technology is very fast. And so it's faster than it used to be. And that's something that we need to recognize. But it also can be something that you can put down and you can slow down yourself. So, yes, it is hard, but it could be harder and it's going to get harder. So we can learn the hard way or we can learn the harder way. So it's kind of a way to understand and to have gratitude for where you are. And this movie took a long time to make and it took a lot of people putting themselves in there and putting themselves out there to make it. But I don't want to focus on the difficulty. I want to focus on the, like, where we are now and celebrate because that time is going to disappear very quickly.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. Yeah. Have. Yeah. Live in the present. Be grateful.

[Stassi Schroeder]

No, no. Buddhism, it's not even that simple.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's Buddhism.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Buddhism, it's not even that simple. It's not even that simple. It's just that things, you know, can go quickly and, you know, it's not even about like the photo album of life because it doesn't even have to be that kind of, you know, I guess, hippie, dippy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It's more that, you know, like there are so many miracles that we forget. Because as you get older in your life, when you're not a child, because everything is like, you stop and you're like stomping the ice to see what's underneath the ice. When you're a kid and when we.

[Ronny Chieng]

Which ice? Which one? It's been a really intense week, so.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I know you're right. I think you can stomp both ice.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay. Okay.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You can stomp that ice and you can stop the black ice. Just kill two birds with one stone. But it's like stopping and watching when the grass has got a layer of snow on it. And we don't have time to do that. We have to get somewhere. And sometimes when you watch a child or when you watch a puppy, like, it's just fresh. And I think that moment is enough to kind of like fuel you for a little bit longer. It doesn't mean that you're gonna forget and you're gonna, you know, I don't know, just think that your life is gonna be so difficult. But, like, sometimes we really need a refresher.

[Ronny Chieng]

We get it. You found Buddha. Okay.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

It's great.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's fine. We do need a refresher. A lot of people worked on this. As you said you had to. Did you feel like you had to? It's very intense. Again, I'm sorry we haven't told you much about it, but we don't want to spoil what the story is.

[Stassi Schroeder]

We want you to go and see it.

[Ronny Chieng]

We want to go see it. But it's fair to say it's a very intense. Every scene is very intense. It's very emotional for you as an actress. I felt like you had to stay in this zone for, like, a month of just being in this very dramatic, emotionally intense character in conditions where you had less than three personal assistants. Right. So was. Was that difficult, or you. At this point, you're just like, this stuff is.

[Stassi Schroeder]

No, it was really difficult. And it stayed with me, you know, because it is. It is based on a real life story, and this woman is no longer with us. And I think that I have learned a lot from a lot of the projects that I've worked on, and I've taken all these wonderful experiences with me, but this one has been so deep, not just because of what happened in the story, but really because the language that I went back to, which was my childhood language, and it really connected me in a different way to where I am now spatially in the world. And, you know, it's not even about, you know, Buddhism or faith, because we didn't grow up with any faith whatsoever, which in some ways, I think saved me, because I can be open to all faiths, you know, Like, I don't judge anyone for what they do or how they do. Yeah. That's why I'm bringing it up, to make sure. But there's a way in which this kind of changed the way that I see my own life, you know, and it's like you hold your, you know, the loved ones much closer.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. So you. I guess I under. I. Because I know what the story's about. I understand why you're talking so much about loved ones holding closer, but it's because it's one of the major themes.

[Stassi Schroeder]

In the movie, really. The movie is about love, and it's about loss, and it's about grieving. And I think that sometimes, you know, grief is not linear. Like, you think, oh, I'm really sad. You know, something happened that really, you know, I lost somebody or I lost a pet or whatever it is, but. And then, you know, you think time heals it, but it doesn't necessarily heal it. It just changes. And then sometimes you'll feel sad again and you don't remember why. I think there's a lot of healing about this movie. To me, it has brought me. And I think that's something that I don't know, that I could have learned if I'd gone on a retreat somewhere, you know, so it's very different experience.

[Ronny Chieng]

I can see that from knowing watching the movie, and I can see how you could get that out.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I mean, you saw me before the movie and now you saw me after. So what is your, you know, what is your conclusion?

[Ronny Chieng]

I mean, I don't think you're more mentally ill after doing the movie. So you do, I guess you got mentally ill.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I'm probably just the same. To me, it's status quo.

[Ronny Chieng]

But I'm sure inside you feel a certain way. And like you said, a lot of people work very hard on you put a lot. You risked a lot personally, professionally and financially on this movie.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You know what? My job is to risk. If I don't risk, then I don't. There's no reward. And the reward is not like, how did it do at the box office. The reward is like, who did I meet? What are the experiences that I had? And that's what I take away with me, because I can't control whether the movie does well or not, you know, or any movie that does well.

[Ronny Chieng]

Plus, you already have unlimited money, so it's great. But I guess the point of all this, a lot of people work very hard on this. And so go watch it in theaters. Go support the arts. Stop sitting on the toilet and watching movies on your phone or taking a shit. Go out there and watch a goddamn movie and be with other people. And Lucy, you're the best. You're a legend. Thanks for coming on the show. I've been watching you since I was a kid. It's very cool to have you here and talk to you on there like that. It's great. Rosemary will be in theaters January 9th. Lucy Liu, everybody. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Hope that's ok. That's our show for the night. Now. Here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

My hope is that we only released these earlier. Two days earlier.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm sorry.

[Danielle (Pet Psychic)]

Duck is also high in protein. That's an interesting duck is a good.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

The only release or the new vaccine scheduled two days ago. Explore more shows from the Daily Show Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Ronny Chieng]

Plus.

[Announcer/Ad Voice]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Guest/Caller 4]

Martha listens to her favorite band all the time in the car, gym, even sleeping. So when they finally went on tour, Martha bundled her flight and hotel on Expedia to see them live. She saved so much she got her seat close enough to actually see and hear them. Saw dog, you were made to scream from the front row. We were made to quietly save you. More Expedia made to Travel savings vary and subject to availability. Flight inclusive packages are at all protected.

[Guest/Caller 3]

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