Mitch McConnell Takes a Tumble | John Mulaney, Linda Cardellini | Tuesday, December 10

Summary

Summary of "Mitch McConnell Takes a Tumble | John Mulaney, Linda Cardellini | Tuesday, December 10"

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon delivered an engaging and multifaceted episode on Tuesday, December 10, featuring a blend of topical humor, celebrity interviews, comedic sketches, and heartwarming moments. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon and produced by NBC Universal, this episode navigated through political satire, personal anecdotes from guests, and festive holiday cheer, culminating in lively interactions with renowned comedians John Mulaney and actress Linda Cardellini.

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1. Opening Monologue

Jimmy Fallon kicked off the episode with his signature humor, addressing current events and popular culture.

• Google's Year in Search 2024: Fallon humorously critiqued Google’s data collection practices, saying, “It's Google's nice little way of saying we're absolutely spying on you” (00:00).

• Popular Google Searches: He highlighted the most searched topics of the year, including "presidential election," "New York Times connections," and "the Yankees," juxtaposed with the least popular searches like "Joe Biden thirst traps" (00:00).

• Mitch McConnell Incident: Fallon referenced a recent news story about Mitch McConnell’s fall during a Senate Republican lunch, providing a comedic twist by mentioning McConnell’s upcoming "fight" with Jake Paul (01:30).

• Book Ban Legislation in New Jersey: Transitioning to political humor, Fallon discussed the governor of New Jersey’s new law blocking book bans. He introduced John Hanigan, an aide from the governor's office, to elaborate on the legislation (01:30).

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2. Interview with John Mulaney

John Mulaney, an Emmy-winning writer and comedian, shared insights into his personal life and professional endeavors.

a. Book Ban Legislation Discussion

• Book Ban Ban Ban: Mulaney and Fallon engaged in a humorous back-and-forth about the complexity of the new book ban laws. At 02:24, Mulaney clarified, “No, Jimmy, the book bans are blocked. It's a book ban block,” leading to a playful exchange about the convoluted nature of the legislation.

b. Family Life and Broadway Play

• Introducing Ruth Kurt: Mulaney introduced Ruth Kurt, who discussed her family life, including the birth of her daughter, May (09:32).

• Balancing Family and Career: Ruth Kurt shared anecdotes about her three-year-old son, Malcolm, and their life as a family of four, intertwining humorous observations about parenting with heartfelt moments (10:08).

• Elvis Obsession: A highlight was the discussion about Malcolm’s fascination with Elvis Presley. Kurt recounted how Malcolm developed a love for Elvis through the movie Lilo & Stitch and a podcast, leading to his impressive engagement with Elvis' music (12:15).

c. Comedic Sketch: "Go On, Get"

• Farewell to Everyday Frustrations: Mulaney performed his popular sketch segment “Go On, Get,” where he humorously addressed mundane annoyances like inconsistent windshield wiper controls and complicated door handles (05:58).

• Audience Engagement: The segment was rich with relatable humor, making it a standout moment that resonated with the live audience.

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3. Interview with Ruth Kurt

Ruth Kurt delved deeper into her experiences in Broadway and her collaboration with fellow actors.

• Broadway Play "All in": Kurt discussed her new Broadway play, highlighting the ensemble cast that includes Fred Armisen, Richard Kind, Naya Lease, and Phillipa Soo. She emphasized the play’s diverse characters and time-traveling narrative (19:06).

• Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes: Sharing humorous behind-the-scenes stories, Kurt recounted how Richard Kind humorously worried about falling asleep on stage, illustrating the playful dynamics among the cast (20:22).

• Guest Appearance and Thank Yous: Kurt expressed excitement about Fallon’s upcoming appearance on the Broadway play and appreciated the show's supportive environment (19:06).

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4. Interview with Linda Cardellini

Linda Cardellini, an Emmy-nominated actress, shared nostalgic memories and current projects, adding a personal touch to the episode.

a. Holiday Traditions and Decorations

• Early Holiday Decorating: Cardellini discussed her family's tradition of decorating for the holidays early, right before Thanksgiving. She humorously mentioned the logistical challenges, such as storing a massive outdoor snowman purchased from Costco (23:11).

• Heartwarming Gesture: She recounted how her husband surprised her by buying the snowman despite initial reservations, showcasing a sweet moment of marital affection (24:20).

b. "Freaks and Geeks" Anniversary

• 25th Anniversary Reflections: Cardellini reminisced about the cult classic show "Freaks and Geeks," celebrating its enduring legacy despite its short run (24:46).

• Personal Connection: She shared a poignant memory of receiving news about the show's cancellation while on her way to appear on David Letterman's talk show, highlighting the emotional impact of the event (25:00).

c. Upcoming Netflix Series "No Good Deed"

• Series Overview: Cardellini provided an overview of her new Netflix series, "No Good Deed," describing it as a dark comedy with an ensemble cast including Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Luke Wilson, and others (27:05).

• Character Dynamics: She discussed the plot centered around a couple selling their cherished house, leading to scheming and secrets among potential buyers. Cardellini emphasized the series’ blend of humor and suspense (27:46).

• On-Set Stories: Sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Cardellini humorously revealed how she “borrowed” shoes from the set as an homage to the Wicked Witch of the East, adding a playful nod to fans (28:15).

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5. Notable Quotes

• Jimmy Fallon on Google Searches: “Google’s nice little way of saying we’re absolutely spying on you” (00:00).

• John Mulaney on the Book Ban: “No, Jimmy, the book bans are blocked. It’s a book ban block” (02:24).

• Ruth Kurt on Malcolm's Elvis Obsession: “He's just brilliant. He’s gonna be three months old on Saturday. May is her name” (09:40).

• Linda Cardellini on Early Decorations: “We have nowhere to store it. I mean, you have to put all that stuff away, you know, after Christmas” (23:22).

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6. Conclusion and Insights

This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon adeptly balanced humor with heartfelt conversations, providing viewers with a blend of topical satire, personal stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of its guests. John Mulaney’s comedic sketches and personal anecdotes, coupled with Linda Cardellini’s nostalgic recounting of beloved shows and her new ventures, created an engaging narrative. The episode underscored the show’s ability to entertain while offering meaningful insights into contemporary issues and the personal lives of its guests.

Listeners can expect a diverse range of topics, from political humor and legislative discussions to personal stories about family life and upcoming projects in the entertainment industry. The inclusion of notable quotes and interactive segments ensured a rich and enjoyable listening experience, making this episode a memorable installment in the long-running talk show’s legacy.

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Timestamps Reference:

• 00:00 - Opening Monologue
• 02:24 - John Mulaney on Book Ban
• 05:58 - "Go On, Get" Segment
• 09:32 - Introduction of Ruth Kurt
• 10:08 - Ruth Kurt on Family Life
• 12:15 - Malcolm’s Elvis Obsession
• 19:06 - Ruth Kurt on Broadway Play
• 20:22 - Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes
• 23:11 - Linda Cardellini on Holidays
• 24:20 - Heartwarming Story about Snowman
• 24:46 - "Freaks and Geeks" Anniversary
• 25:00 - Personal Connection to Show Cancellation
• 27:05 - Linda Cardellini on "No Good Deed"
• 27:46 - Series Overview
• 28:15 - On-Set Stories

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

Studio 16, Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City with the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Tonight join Jimmy's guest, John Mulaney, Linda Cardellini. And featuring the legendary Ruth Kurt 2066. Jim. And now here he is, Jimmy Fallon. That's a hot crowd. Thank you so much. Welcome, everybody. Welcome, welcome. Enjoy yourself. Welcome to the Tonight Show. You're here. You made it. Thank you for watching at home. Well, guys, Google just released their year in search, which shows the things people around the world Googled the most in 2024. Yep, it's Google's nice little way of saying we're absolutely spying on you. Meanwhile, tomorrow will be way more fun because they'll be releasing the top searches done with Incognito mode. Oh, yeah. Some of this year's most popular Google searches were presidential election, New York Times connections and the Yankees. While once again, the least popular search was Joe Biden. Thirst traps. Some news from Washington today. Mitch McConnell needed medical attention after he took a fall during a Senate Republican lunch. Thankfully, McConnell is doing okay and should have no problem getting ready for his upcoming fight with Jake Paul. He's going to be close. So that the governor of New Jersey just signed a new law blocking book bans. For more on how this could affect New Jersey residents, we are joined by an aide from the governor's office, John Hanigan. Welcome to the show. John. Hi. Hi. Great to be here. So just to be clear on this, the books are blocked?

[John Mulaney]

No, Jimmy, the book bans are blocked. It's a book ban block.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sorry, It's a book ban block. Meaning you can't block book bans.

[John Mulaney]

No, no, no, no. Okay. That would be a book ban block ban.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Got it. They're basically banning book bans that block books. So it's a ban ban.

[John Mulaney]

Yeah, you bet it's a ban ban. But with book ban fans wanting to block bands from being banned, better bite the bullet embrace for a book ban block ban block.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So where does it end there? Couldn't there be a book ban block ban, block ban.

[John Mulaney]

They're good. And you could read about it in a book ban, block ban block ban book.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay, so if someone wanted to make it illegal to remove Peter Pan from.

[John Mulaney]

Schools, well, they'd be a pan ban block, Stan.

[Jimmy Fallon]

All right, that makes sense. Hey, one last question. How many books could a book ban ban if a book ban could ban books?

[John Mulaney]

Is some kind of joke to you, Jimmy?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, no, no, no, I didn't.

[John Mulaney]

Because a book ban would ban as many books as a book ban could ban if A book ban could ban books, which is ex.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is why.

[John Mulaney]

Look, this is exactly why a book ban block needs to block as many book bans as a book ban block could block. If a book ban block could block book bans.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's what I thought. Thank you very much. An aide from the governor's office. Everyone, thank you very much for being here.

[John Mulaney]

Read books, Read books.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's how you do it. Well, switching gears, I saw that for the first time ever, you can now buy a car directly on Amazon. Ooh. The only hiccup is that since it's Amazon, your car will be delivered in 4,000 separate packages. And finally, this is going viral. Target is running a new Christmas ads that feature a character people are calling Hot Santa. Watch this.

[Linda Cardellini]

I can't believe turkeys are only 79 cents a pound this year.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Let me guess. You don't believe in Santa either, do you? Sarah, did you hear that?

[Linda Cardellini]

It was Santa Claus and he's like, weirdly hot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, now J.C. penney is trying to get in on the action with a similar ad campaign, but I don't know if it's working quite as well. Check this out.

[Linda Cardellini]

This winter coat is 75% off.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I can't believe these deals. I bet you don't believe in me either.

[Linda Cardellini]

Sarah, did you hear that?

[Jimmy Fallon]

That was one of Santa's elves and he's like, weirdly hot. I think the words you're looking for are weirdly hot. J.C. penney. Hey, budget's tight. Interesting. We have a great show. Give it up for the Roots, everybody. Thank you very much, everybody. What a show we have for you tonight. He's an Emmy winning writer and the very funny comedian who stars in the new Broadway play All in, which begins tomorrow night at the Hudson Theater. John Mulaney is here, one of the best. She's an Emmy nominated actress starring in the new series no Good Deed, which premieres this Thursday on Netflix. Linda Cardellini is joining us. We'll be right back with Go On Get. Everybody, come on back. Yeah. As we can tell you all.

[John Mulaney]

Welcome.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Back to the Tonight show, guys. It can be hard to say goodbye, but sometimes you have to. And there are a few things I'd like to say goodbye to. Right now. It's time for Go On, Get. Go on, get. Go On, Get. Windshield wiper controls being different in every car. And one car twisting the knob activates the wipers. And another, it turns on the high beams. I'm trying to drive in the rain, not play a high stakes game of Bop it, Push It. Twist it. Flick it. Pull it. Go on, get it. Go on, get. Push doors with handles. Who designed you, the Riddler? I just made a fool of myself at this cracker barrel, so now I gotta make a performative oops face so everyone doesn't think I'm a complete elite moron. You're pulling my leg and pushing my buttons. Door. So get on and go. I mean, go on, get. Go on, get. People who say, oh, we've actually met before. Way to make it weird. Obviously, I didn't remember your name. I would have said, good to see you again, Brent. Oh, your name's Michael. Well, guess what? I already forgot it again. So next time I say, nice to meet you, you say, nice to meet you, too. Or you can go on and whatever your name is again. Oh, yeah, G. Go on, get different kinds of sneezes. We have one national anthem, and we should have one national sneeze. I don't need to hear the hold it in till maybe no one will notice sneeze or that big old scream sneeze that sends people hiding under their desks. And don't get me started on the multiple sneezes. You get two blushes, and then you're dead to me. Give me a classic iq or you can I get. Well, as hard as him Go. But I'm glad I got that out of my system. Stick around. We'll be right back with John Mulaney, everybody. Our first guest is an Emmy and a very funny comedian. He stars in the new Broadway play All in, which begins tomorrow night at the Hudson Theater. Please welcome John Mulaney. John Mulaney. Hey, Jimmy. Thank you for coming back to see us.

[Ruth Kurt]

Thanks for having me, man. Nice to see you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You look studly as always.

[Ruth Kurt]

You look fantastic yourself.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Congratulations. You and Olivia just welcomed a new baby. A baby girl.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yes, we have a new baby girl. Who's that?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you. I'm so happ.

[Ruth Kurt]

She's gonna be. She's gonna be three months old on Saturday. Yeah. May is her name.

[Jimmy Fallon]

May. She's really cool.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Very cute. I've seen pictures.

[Ruth Kurt]

She's brand new to the world.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Ruth Kurt]

So she doesn't have a long, boring, Covid story, you know, where they walk you through the winter of 2020, and.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You'Re like, yeah, I know where they were.

[Ruth Kurt]

And then, you know, February 2020, you go, I know. What happened. She's just new.

[Jimmy Fallon]

She's just brilliant.

[Ruth Kurt]

No baggage. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And how's Malcolm? And how's the family adjusting to now the family of four?

[Ruth Kurt]

Oh, it's great. I mean, my son is. He just turned three years old.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

So he. At first, like, it was like when any new person comes into an organization. Like when someone starts at work. Like, he and I would sometimes break off to talk about her. Like, we were walking down the street once, and he looks up at me and he goes, mei Mei is so weird. And I was like, yeah, Mei Mei's really weird. And then sometimes when she squeaks or does something, I'll pull him aside. I go, come here. I go, did you see what Mei Mae did? He'll go, she is so weird. But he. I said to him, I go, you know, I love you both. I have two kids now. You know, blah, blah, blah. Explaining to him the situation. And he said to me, I have three kids. And I was like, you have three kids? And he goes, I do. And I asked him. I go, when did you get three kids? He goes, I have three sons.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah. We were at Target recently, and he was. I was pushing him in the cart, and he's standing up, and this woman walks by and goes, your son should sit on his tush. Because my son was riding in the cart and we were going fast and he was standing and he fell and there was a cut with blood. So sit on your tush and walks away. And you know when someone tells you what to do as a parent? I went, hey, he can do whatever he wants. He's not gonna sit down.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

So then we're walking around Target and Malcolm steals the story from her. He just goes, dad, did I ever tell you about my son at Target? I go, what happened? He goes, my son was in the cart and he fell and there was a cut with blood. I went, this happened to your son? He goes, my son? Yeah. And then that night, he was like throwing a. He was really worked up cause he didn't want to go to bed. And he's just like, I wanna. No, no, I wanna watch tv. And I go, hey, man. I just. He was already kind of emotional, so I went, hey, Malcolm, tell me again what happened to your son? And he goes, no, my son?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, he's a cute baby, man.

[Ruth Kurt]

He's a cool, cool guy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Very lucky.

[Ruth Kurt]

He's a very unique American individual. Met Malcolm.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Very, very cute.

[Ruth Kurt]

He's a very.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Turned three a couple weeks ago. And you were telling me the theme for his birthday party was Elvis.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah, we had an Elvis theme per his request. He's like a big. He's three, but he's a really big Elvis fan.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How did your 3 year old get into Elvis.

[Ruth Kurt]

So I think it started with Lilo and Stitch. Cause they listened to Elvis in that movie.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

But then he and I were listening to this podcast called the History of Rock and roll. And 500 songs. Yes. Yeah. Both of us were listening to it. And he heard the kids love that play. Kids love that podcast. Yeah. So he heard the. So Mystery Train by Elvis. And he goes, dad, I like that song. So we started listening to more Elvis. And then we were sitting at home one day and I said, do you want to see what Elvis looks like? Like, do you want to watch him sing? He goes, yeah. And I turned on the Elvis 1968 comeback special, the Best. And my son, 2 years old, was riveted more than any inside out moana anything, really. Staring at Elvis in a leather suit in the late 60s.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You actually brought us some B roll, some footage here.

[Ruth Kurt]

This is the first time my son ever saw Elvis.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And look at him there.

[Ruth Kurt]

He could not look away.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Dude, I love this kid.

[Ruth Kurt]

Oh yeah. And then he got his own guitar so he could play in his chair.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I mean, come on, Are you kidding me? That kid's the best.

[Ruth Kurt]

Malcolm looks great. But you know, Elvis was sitting. Elvis was so goddamn lazy in that, especially sitting in a chair that my son now thinks you learn you only guitar sitting.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, he has the blue chair. I remember the whole thing.

[Ruth Kurt]

He's never gonna play, but he loves Mystery Train.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What other cuts of Elvis does he like?

[Ruth Kurt]

Well, he liked Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis for a while, but then he heard Blue Suede Shoes, Carl Perkins. Cause we're driving. I'm always driving and yelling these things into Carplay, you know, being like Siri play Blue Suede Shoes. They played the Carl Perkins version, which my son likes more. So now when we're driving, if we listen to Elvis, Blue Suede Shoes. He goes, dad, I wanna hear Blue Suede. Choose Carl Perkins version. Three year old doesn't three year old. And he likes Bill Haley, like in the comments. Yeah. Rock around the clock and shake, rattle and roll. When you listen to early rock and roll, it's four children. It's like, we're gonna rock.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We're gonna rock.

[Ruth Kurt]

That is fun. We're gonna rock. Like the lyrics. Yeah. It has an easy to follow beat. All the songs are about rocking.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Ruth Kurt]

And there's no clear indication of what rocking means, but yeah, he loves that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He loves that. We'll give him my best. Please.

[Ruth Kurt]

I'll give him your best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

I'll send him your warm regards.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you very much. I know you're really into Steely Dan. Did it work? Did you convince the baby? Does he love Steely Dan?

[Ruth Kurt]

Oh, okay. So I love Steely Dan. Some people don't like Steely Dan. It's a very divisive band. When I had a son, I go, great. Fresh person, right?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Fresh person, yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

Fresh ears. That's one reason to have a baby is because you can test Steely Dan out on him. So he was nine months old, and I was like, okay, it's time. And he loves dancing. My son loves music. He'll dance to sirens. He loves dancing. So I put on the Steely dance song Hey, 19. Cause that's fun. And you look at all the applause of recognition for Hey, 19.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Please sit down. Please sit down.

[Ruth Kurt]

People are pleased. We have to continue with this segment. Yeah, exactly. And I'm staring at Malcolm. He's nine months old. I turn on Hey, 19. He's not dancing. So I turn on. I change it to the song Gaucho from the album Gaucho Again, folks, sit down. Stop applying.

[Jimmy Fallon]

People are walking out of the studio. We are walking. He knocked it.

[Ruth Kurt]

The guy's from Steely Daniel walking exactly out of Vegas. So I turn on Gaucho, still not dancing. And my son looks at me and he says, E I E I O. And I go, you want to listen to Old MacDonald? And he goes like that, wow. And I turn on Old MacDonald. He immediately starts dancing. So here's what's interesting about that story. He had never spoken before. That's how much he hated Steely Dick.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He had to say something.

[Ruth Kurt]

He taught himself to talk. He couldn't get words out, but he just. He couldn't stand this pop jazz. E I E I O.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're busy, man. I want to get into the Broadway show. But first.

[Ruth Kurt]

Oh, this is very exciting.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know. I'm very excited about this. But first I want to talk about season two of Poker Face. Oh, yeah, you're in Poker Face.

[Ruth Kurt]

I'm on Poker Face doing an episode with Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face. It's great.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love Natasha Lyonne.

[Ruth Kurt]

We had a fun time shooting it. We were shooting in, like, Staten island and Queensland. And I don't know if you know Miguel Arteta. Miguel Arteta is a great director. Did this episode and we're at a kind of rundown real life location, like a motel for this one scene. And afterwards, it was this summer. I'm standing there with Miguel and he goes, oh, no, I think I have some bug bites. And I Look down and he's got three red bites. And he goes, oh, no, I might have bed bugs from the shoot. And he talks like that. I'm not just losing my mind. And I go, oh, my God, you got bed bugs. He goes, oh, my God, I hope I don't have bed bugs. So that night I'm at the hotel and I look down and I have three red bites on my leg. I go, oh, my God, I got bedbugs doing a peacock show. So you never think that's how you'll.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Get them, but no, of course not.

[Ruth Kurt]

It is. So I say, I text Natasha. I go, hey, do you have Miguel's number?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Ruth Kurt]

I need to get in touch with him right now about something. She sends me Miguel's number and I text him, I believe you have it. Yes, you have.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Nice to bring us the text. It says here, it says, miguel, it's John Mulaney. I have red bites on my legs, too. What did you do for it? Are these really bedbugs? Otherwise, thanks for a great day.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah, that's polite. You know, I know he's got an early shoot day, but I don't hear from him. And I finally, I call Natasha and I go, hey, Miguel, Arteta hasn't gotten back to me. And she goes, oh, oh, yeah, I sent you the wrong Miguel. So I don't know if y'all are familiar with R and B superstar Miguel, but he got a text at 11pm from me with your. Hey, Miguel, it's John Mulaney. I have red bites on my leg. These bed bugs. Otherwise, buddy, thanks for a good day.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thanks for a good day, Miguel.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So, Miguel, if you're watching.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah, Miguel, if you're watching, they weren't bedbugs. An on set medic let me know that it was fine.

[Jimmy Fallon]

There you go. Everything's gonna be all right.

[Ruth Kurt]

It's a good lesson.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's the best story. Miguel.

[Ruth Kurt]

Miguel.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Let's talk about all in. You're on Broadway.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah. Preview, Star Camera.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here we go. Preview. Now, this is written by Simon Rich, who's a brilliant, great writer. You wrote with brilliant on Siren Live for years.

[Ruth Kurt]

Simon Rich and I started working together in 2008.

[Jimmy Fallon]

There's a picture of you and Simon on Sarant Live.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah. He was 22 and I was 25.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

And we wrote together for like three years. This is his first Broadway play. It's a collection of all these really funny pieces. This cast starting out is me, Fred Armisen, Richard Kind, Naya Lease, Goldsberry.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Stop it right there. That's enough.

[Ruth Kurt]

That's enough. And it's a bunch of very funny pieces. Different characters. We all play through time. We play pirates and dogs and detectives and some are in the future, and it's really fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And then on January 28th, what happens then? I will be joining the show.

[Ruth Kurt]

You'll be joining.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm gonna be in now. You've done Broadway. You're smiling, but you've done Broadway before. What am I getting into? Do you have any advice for someone who has never done Broadway?

[Ruth Kurt]

It's gonna be so much harder than you're anticipating. You're gonna do the Tonight show and then you're gonna run over and do the Broadway show.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's correct.

[Ruth Kurt]

That's so crazy. So my advice would be one, don't.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's too late. I'm in.

[Ruth Kurt]

Rest up. Okay? Cause Richard Kind, the great American actor and treasure. Richard Kind.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Ruth Kurt]

Has. Is very nervous about falling asleep on stage. And I was like, don't worry, you're not gonna fall asleep on stage. He has fallen asleep in every rehearsal on stage. And today we're rehearsing because previews start tomorrow. So we're like, trying to tech it and really get it down. And I look over and he goes, I just woke up. I go, what? He goes, I fell asleep and had a dream. I go, you had a dream? He goes, yeah. People were coming up to the stage and asking everyone for autographs except me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Why? That's what he dreams about.

[Ruth Kurt]

I was like, juan, how did you go that deep in your subconscious to get to that insecurity?

[Jimmy Fallon]

To REM sleep.

[Ruth Kurt]

Yeah. You got to REM sleep in a two minute standing nap during a play. That's so fun to rest up or fall asleep and see what happens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

See what happens. But it's a great cast.

[Ruth Kurt]

It's a really smart play.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know. Lin Manuel Miranda. Yeah.

[Ruth Kurt]

Lin Manuel's Coming On.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Is coming on.

[Ruth Kurt]

That's right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

David Cross.

[Ruth Kurt]

David Cross. Nick Kroll.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Nick Kroll. Annalee Ashford.

[Ruth Kurt]

Annaleigh Ashford. Hank Azaria. Andrew Rannells.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, ye. Everybody is the name of the show. Get your tickets now. Before you go, I got a belated birthday gift for your son. For Malcolm. This is a limited edition. I'm not kidding. This is Elvis 1968 comeback special doll with a chair.

[Ruth Kurt]

Oh, Jimmy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, man. He has the chair.

[Ruth Kurt]

He has the chair.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Give him my. Give him my best regards, please.

[Ruth Kurt]

Send him your best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Send him my regards. Thank you.

[Ruth Kurt]

That's really week best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

To Olivia, too. And John Mulaney, everybody. All in premieres tomorrow night at the Hudson Theater. We'll be right back with Linda Carolini. Stick around, everybody. Our next guest is an Emmy nominated actress starring in the new series no Good Deed. It's really good. Which premieres this Thursday on Netflix. Please welcome Linda Cardellini. Welcome back to the show. Thank you. So great to see you.

[Linda Cardellini]

Thank you for having me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm so happy to have you back. You're here, this great crowd. It's a holiday spirit. Yeah. How you feeling? Do you get into the holidays of the big Christmas tree and everything?

[Linda Cardellini]

I love the holidays, especially because I have a kid. You know, it makes it so much more fun, Right?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Of course. Yeah.

[Linda Cardellini]

And we decorate. We decorated early this year. We decorated right before Thanksgiving, which I know is controversial.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I do, too. I love it. I did it as well. Why not?

[Linda Cardellini]

We always did a Halloween Christmas, but then we didn't.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We got dangerously close to that year. Well, it's fun. It makes you happy.

[John Mulaney]

Fun.

[Linda Cardellini]

It's so fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You brought me a picture of something that you ended up seeing.

[Linda Cardellini]

Oh, this is one of my favorite decorations. So like last year or so, we went to Costco and there was this enormous outdoor snowman. They sell these giant deals and then. But they're really good deals and they go fast. Right now I see them all over. But at the time, I did not see this guy anywhere.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You can't. No. You don't mess around at Costco. Yeah.

[Linda Cardellini]

And I wanted it with my daughter and her father and he's like, no, no, no. We have nowhere to store it. I mean, you have to put all that stuff away, you know, after Christmas. So he's, no, no, no, we can't have it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's almost like a ten foot something.

[Linda Cardellini]

It's nine feet at its lowest. And so I said, ah, you know, we laughed. And I was like, okay, I get it. And then I was really heartbroken because I thought, I'm never going to find that deal again. And I love a Costco deal too.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Me too. And you're so right.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah. So I came home the next day and he had bought it as a surprise for me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So that's what love is all about.

[Linda Cardellini]

And it's an outdoor snowman. But I love it so much that it's in our house because we have one part where it's very tall. And so we put it inside our house every year. And you kind of have to work your way around it to get to get in the house. It's right in our entryway.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here's the nine foot Snowman with your little dog Raisin right there.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah, that's my dog. We rescued her.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Look at that. Oh, my gosh.

[Linda Cardellini]

We rescued her. And she was a pound and a half. And now she's. She's a whopping like five pounds.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, my gosh. Look at that. It just makes you happy, though, right? Come on, Judd. I wanted to talk to you about Freaks and Geeks, because every time you. Come on, I always bring it up, but I think it's the 25th anniversary of this show, Freaks and Gigs.

[Linda Cardellini]

That's crazy, people.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It only lasted one season, but it.

[Linda Cardellini]

Was like not even a full season, too. It was supposed to be 20 something and they cut it off at 18.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But why do I remember it so well?

[Linda Cardellini]

I don't. I think back in the day when something got canceled, you never saw it again. But now with streaming, it's around still. But it was such a great show.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And appetite and everyone's Seth Rogen involved. I mean, the whole cast.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah, it was fantastic. It was so much fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I think Judd posted this. Look at how. Come on. Look how much fun you're having on set.

[Linda Cardellini]

I know. And this is Sarah, my friend, who, you know, we still hang out and we saw this picture and I said, oh, my God, it looks so much like our daughters. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Isn't that why.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah, it's crazy. So we're that old now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Isn't that crazy? But when did you find out? When did. Like, at mid season. They go, hey, no.

[Linda Cardellini]

So we. I was. This was such a big moment for me because I loved David Letterman and it was like one of the very first talk shows that I did, and they were going to have me on the show. And I remember I landed in New York so excited, so nervous, and I got a phone call in the limousine, which I was in a limousine, which was great. I'd not had that before either.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love it.

[Linda Cardellini]

And it was somebody calling to tell me that the show was canceled.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You were in the limo on the way to Letterman.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yes, yes. And I thought, oh, my God, David Letterman is canceled. And they said, no, honey, it's your show. It's canceled. And I was like, oh, do I still get to go on David Letterman?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Linda Cardellini]

And they said, yes. And so then when I was sitting there with him, it was one of those moments where you kind of didn't sink in. Cause I was still kind of in the euphoria of being on David Letterman. And then David Letterman was like, I'm so sorry your show got canceled. It's real. It's real.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's a great way to have it.

[Linda Cardellini]

But he was so kind.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The news break to you.

[Linda Cardellini]

Oh, my God. So kind to still have me on and I don't have anything to talk about, you know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, you go. Yeah. Well, one day streaming will exist, Dave, and people will watch this.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah, I was psychic.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. I want no Good Deed on Netflix this Thursday, man. It's funny. It's good. It's a mystery. What a great cast.

[Linda Cardellini]

Oh, my gosh. It's so much fun. All stars and all kind. Very kind.

[Jimmy Fallon]

She's Sudra, by the way. Obviously, she's the funniest. But, man, oh, man, she is so funny in this.

[Linda Cardellini]

And with Ray. Ray, play a couple. And they're so great in it. And Luke Wilson.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Luke Wilson's great.

[Linda Cardellini]

Dennis.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Abby Jacobson.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yes, Abby. Poppy. They're all just like. Every person that is in the cast is just such a.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, we're not. That's the whole reason you're here?

[Linda Cardellini]

The whole reason.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Let's talk a little bit about you. Gosh. It's called no Good Deed. And how do we set it up? It's a couple. It's Ray and Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow. They're selling their house.

[Linda Cardellini]

Yes. And it's this house that they loved and cherished, and it goes on the market. And everybody who is looking at the house is sort of scheming to get the house. And then the house, of course, I don't know. You know, in true, I did another show with Liz. It was, like, dead to me style, there's always secrets and twists, and so it has that to it, too. So it's got this really fun, dark sense of humor. This crazy cast and.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Who is the creator again?

[Linda Cardellini]

Liz Feldman.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, brilliant. It's very good. It's very well written. It's very smart. It's very funny. I was going to ask you, like, hey, did you take anything from the set?

[Linda Cardellini]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you said, I did take one thing, and you said, it's not a spoiler, but we can show a photo of what you took. And it's not the car, it's these shoes.

[Linda Cardellini]

I took these shoes and Liz wanted this to be sort of an homage to the Wicked West, Wicked Witch of the East. So if that tells you anything about.

[Ruth Kurt]

My character, it's really funny.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're very, very funny in it. It's really good. And you got to check it out because you don't know, something happened. Something's going on with this house and this history and stuff that people have to cover up and then and all shady characters and you don't know who's doing what. But it's a who's who. But it's funny and it's well done. Linda Cardellini, everybody. No Good Deed premieres this Thursday on Netflix. More Tonight show after the break. Stick around, everybody. Once again and the Roots search in for Late Night with Seth Meyers. Good night, everybody. Thank you. Get into it.

[John Mulaney]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jenny Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings. Wherever you get your podcasts, Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.