Judy Greer

Summary

Where Everybody Knows Your Name – Judy Greer Episode Summary

Podcast: Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)
Guest: Judy Greer
Release Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts/Co-Hosts: Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Mary Steenburgen (subbing for Woody)
Duration Analyzed: Main content (excluding ads, show promos, intro/outro)

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Episode Overview

In this rich, candid episode, Judy Greer joins Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen for a deeply personal and playful conversation. The trio traverse Greer’s journey from character actress to leading roles, the realities of being a step-parent, acting philosophies, stories from set and personal growth, and why kindness matters (and gets complicated) in both Hollywood and everyday life. The tone is intimate, irreverent, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny — with plenty of warmth and wisdom.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. First Impressions & Early Memories (01:45–05:00)

• Mary’s Early Memory of Judy:
  • Mary fondly recalls Judy’s arrival at a pilot taping years ago, describing her as immediately participating and “amazingly nimble” in improv, even among industry veterans.
  • “[Afterwards] I was going, wait, who is that person?” — Mary Steenburgen (02:06)
• Judy’s POV:
  • Judy hilariously recounts her nerves walking into a celebrity’s house for the first time:
  • “I had never been to a celebrity's house before…gates and boxes and buttons.” — Judy Greer (04:30)
• Show Biz Rituals:
  • Talk of improv, pilot presentations, and the intimidation factor of industry icons.

2. The Amateurs (aka The Moguls) Movie Memories (06:17–09:36)

• Mutual Praise for the Script:
  • The guests reminisce about the cult favorite, praising its “dirtiest, cleanest, sweetest movie” vibe.
  • “I thought that was one of the best scripts I’ve ever read.” — Judy Greer (06:41)
  • “When you appear on screen or I know you're in it, I relax because I know I'm in such good hands.” — Mary Steenburgen (09:15)
• Behind the Scenes:
  • Stories of shooting in Piru, CA; on-set dynamics; and how ensemble chemistry elevates scripts.

3. Greer’s Acting Origins & Training (09:55–17:55)

• Dance & Acting Roots:
  • Judy shares her roots as a ballet dancer, the pivot to high school drama, and her leap into DePaul University’s competitive conservatory.
  • “I got competitive, so the program I was in — where did you go?” — Judy Greer (13:25)
• Drama School Culls & Critique:
  • Reflects on being nearly “cut” multiple years for her Midwestern accent and discusses the harsh realities and competitiveness of conservatory training.
  • “Often the first year I was told it was because of my Midwestern accent…” — Judy Greer (14:39)
• Early LA Impressions:
  • Her uniquely Midwestern qualities that “felt authentic” made her stand out in Hollywood in an “interesting” way (15:34–16:22).

4. Acting Coaches, Craft, and Growth (17:52–25:39)

• Why Use an Acting Coach:
  • Judy and Mary candidly discuss why they still use acting coaches, likening it to athletes “needing a coach to get better.”
  • “Olympic athletes have lots of coaches. That’s how you get better.” — Judy Greer (18:05)
  • “[Coaching is] a way to see something in a scene that I can’t see myself.” — Judy Greer (18:59)
• Dealing with Insecurity on Set:
  • Judy shares the value of being “honest” with your emotions on set, using whatever mood or feeling is present that day (33:14–34:34).
  • “What’s the most important thing I can do is be honest.” — Judy Greer (33:52)

5. Navigating Kindness, Authenticity, and “Celebrity Tip” (40:20–45:42)

• The “Celebrity Tip” Phenomenon:
  • Lively debate about the obligation to tip extra in public spaces, and how motivation for kindness gets complicated by status:
  • “At best, ‘celebrity tip’ is fully what I’m taking away from today.” — Judy Greer (40:53)
• Doing Good for the Right Reasons:
  • The trio weigh the value of spontaneous versus performative kindness — is it still real if your motives are mixed?
  • “Those two things can be true — you can be doing it to make someone happy, to make someone like you, and also because it’s the right thing to do.” — Judy Greer (41:44)
• Service Industry Stories and Empathy:
  • Colorful tales from Greer and others’ days as waiters, and how that shaped their view of generosity and respect.

6. Working on “What Women Want” & Bananas on Set (29:12–33:11)

• First Big Studio Experiences:
  • Judy relives her early nerves on “What Women Want” and reveals hilarious confusions about on-set jargon:
  • “I’ll never forget a camera operator telling me: ‘Hey, can you just, like, banana to your mark?’” — Judy Greer (30:17)
• Learning by Doing:
  • Emphasizes her policy of “find the reality in the situation and use it,” especially when new or lost.

7. Step-Parenting & Blended Families (55:22–61:18)

• Shared Step-Parenting Stories:
  • Judy and Mary bond over being stepmoms, discussing their non-parental but supportive role.
  • “Step-parenting is hard — you have all the responsibility with none of the authority.” — Judy Greer quoting her therapist (56:12)
• Navigating Roles, Chores, and Guilt:
  • How they involved the kids in wedding vows; negotiating tricky household boundaries.
  • “I went from having the basket in the supermarket to the big cart, overnight.” — Judy Greer (58:39)
• On Having Kids:
  • Candid reflections on career and family balance, and Judy’s choice not to “rock the boat” once she had a positive stepfamily dynamic.

8. On Streaming Success: “STICK” and Working with Owen Wilson (50:03–53:48)

• Behind the Scenes of “Stick” (Apple TV):
  • Judy celebrates the chemistry with Owen Wilson and the joy of a streaming “hit.”
  • “Everything that comes out of his mouth is so honest and so not what I think of when I read a scene.” — Judy Greer (51:53)
• Second Season Hopes:
  • Teases the plot direction and the pleasure of seeing friends’ creative projects succeed.

9. Giving Back, Social Responsibility, and Hope (62:18–72:41)

• On Coping with the World’s Challenges:
  • Judy describes her involvement with International Medical Corps in Ukraine and Jordan, focusing on the importance of mental health care alongside physical aid:
  • “When organizations leave, the people are still there… they need help with their brains, learning to cope with what they've lost and what the future might bring.” — Judy Greer (66:00)
• Doing What You Can:
  • Advocates for making a difference in your immediate community as well as globally:
  • “If you want to help and you don’t know what to do… you can always just start on your block, start in your building… see where it expands.” — Judy Greer (71:03)
• Hope, Art, and Community:
  • The conversation ends with affirmation that laughter and kindness are forms of hope and activism.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Improv Nerves:
  “I was terrified because it’s you and you are an icon. I grew up with you.” — Judy Greer (03:36)
• On Acting Coaches:
  “That’s how you get better, is by working with people.” — Judy Greer (18:07)
• On Bananas on Set:
  “Can you just banana to your mark?” — Judy Greer (30:17)
• On Step-Parenting:
  “You have all the responsibility with none of the authority.” — Judy Greer (56:12)
• On Doing Good:
  “You can do things for other people and have it be kind of iffy, your motivation — but it’s still better than not doing something good.” — Judy Greer (41:26)
• On Making a Difference:
  “You can always just start on your block… just pick up garbage on the sidewalk. That’s inspiring.” — Judy Greer (71:03)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 01:45 – Mary Steenburgen’s first memory of Judy
• 06:17 – On filming "The Amateurs" and being ensemble actors
• 09:55 – Judy’s beginnings in theater and her transition to acting school
• 17:52 – Benefits and stigmas around acting coaches
• 29:12 – Early film roles, learning set lingo
• 40:20 – The “celebrity tip” dilemma and service experiences
• 50:03 – Reflections on “Stick” and working with Owen Wilson
• 55:22 – Shared experiences as step-parents and family dynamics
• 62:18 – Coping with global suffering and grassroots activism
• 71:03 – Bringing hope and tangible change, no matter how small
• 72:45 – Closing appreciations and affirmations

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Tone & Atmosphere

Chummy, unguarded, and full of industry stories with a sincere through-line about the meaning of work, kindness, and connection. The episode is a mix of hearty laughter, self-deprecating admissions, and genuine wisdom, befitting a show devoted to seeing the whole person — not just their “career highlights.”

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For First-Time Listeners

If you’re new to “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” this episode is a warm, inviting entry point. It captures the show’s mission: actors getting real about life, art, and what makes us known to one another. Judy Greer’s humor, openness, and generosity set the tone, elevated by Mary and Ted’s gentle, probing spirits.

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Recommended next steps:

• Watch “The Amateurs” for more Judy Greer ensemble magic.
• Check out “Stick” on Apple TV for Greer and Owen Wilson’s chemistry.
• Consider small acts of kindness as activism — even a “banana to your mark.”

Transcript

[Judy Greer]

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[Judy Greer]

Whatever I was gonna take away from that, you said earlier, that was awesome. It's now Celebrity Tip.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Welcome back to where everybody knows your name.

[Mary Steenburgen]

From hit sitcoms like Arrested Development and.

[Ted Danson]

It's Always Sunny to blockbuster films like Ant man and War for the Planet of the Apes, Judy Greer has had an unbelievably prolific career as a talented character actor. So prolific that she wrote a book about it.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It's called I Don't Know what yout.

[Ted Danson]

Know Me, My Life as a Co Star.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Right now, you can see her on.

[Ted Danson]

Apple TV in Stick. So, ladies and gentlemen, here's Judy Greer.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Can I do my first memory of you?

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

My first memory was I can't even remember how many, but 20 at least. Years ago, I and some other people were thinking about doing a show called Dancing Across America, where it was going to be real interviews or real connections with real people, gang members. You know, I would walk in their shoes for a mile or whatever to discover what they're like. And then without making fun of them, we'd have very funny writers write backwards, meaning shoot the documentary part and then make the mockumentary part around what we got. I would go across the border with, you know, migrants from Mexico. But later we would shoot me arriving in a private jet.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You know, all of that kind of stuff. Anyway, we were sitting around a table improvising. We had actually had a film maker, a documentary filmmaker shooting it. And we were outside and you just walked in. From my vantage point, you just walked in and started improvising immediately. But improvising sounds like you were Doing something different. It was just all of a sudden you were there, totally participating. And at the end of the evening, I was going, wait, who is that person? Tell me your point of view from it.

[Judy Greer]

Um, Terror, nerves.

[Woody Harrelson]

Like what? Like.

[Judy Greer]

Like asking. Like being asked to.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay, so my point of view is I got asked to do, like, the presentation, right, the pilot presentation of this idea that you were putting together. And it was gonna just be. It wasn't like a job, but it could maybe become a job.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

And do you wanna do this? And it's all sort of improv, like, loosely outlined. Like, so you'll be told the outline of the day and then kind of like the role you're going to be playing, and then you'll just improvise it all. And I was terrified because it's you and you are an icon. You. I grew up with you. And, like, also hoping if I was good enough and improv enough and interesting enough, that, like, when this became a TV show or whatever, it was going to be that, like, I would get to be a part of it. Like, for me, it felt like an audition. And then also it was going to be at your house, which, like, I had never been to a celebrity's house before.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I was like, they are different.

[Judy Greer]

Well, they have gates and there's boxes and buttons. Now we all have that. But at the time it was. It was really only you and were.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You late or something? Why had we started without you? I don't know.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think that part, I don't remember. It could have been that I was meant to arrive because. Was I pretending to be your assistant or something? Yeah. No, I think maybe I was held back. Oh, I'm not a late person, so I would imagine that was by design.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I literally did not know you were there. All of a sudden I was sitting here. Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

I remember seeing your kitchen. Not the current kitchen, but a kitchen of your 20 years ago kitchen. And yeah, just being like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe, like, I'm in their house. I think the only other celebrity house that I was in was I auditioned for a movie that Penny Marshall was directing. And they had the auditions at her house, right. And they had put us all in different rooms. And the room that they put me in, in Penny Marshall's house, which also had a gate and a button, was covered. And I'm not exaggerating, like, floor to ceiling on every single surface with beanie babies. There wasn't even actually anywhere for me to sit except on the floor. The carpeted Floor of this guest room that was so covered in Beanie Babies, like, I couldn't sit on the bed. There was a bench that was covered in Beanie Babies. The Beanie Babies were all over the bed. The Beanie Babies were hanging from the walls in, like, shoe pockets. They were coming out of drawers that were open to display the beanie. It was like.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Like, almost scary, right?

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, a little bit like, is this a hidden camera show? Before that was a thing. And then I went to your house and was like, what's.

[Judy Greer]

What am I gonna. What's gonna be here?

[Woody Harrelson]

But it was just.

[Mary Steenburgen]

My memory just was how amazingly nimble you were and how I had no idea. You just came out for me out of left field. And then later, we got to work kind of together on the amateurs. It started off the Moguls with Jeff Bridges.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes.

[Judy Greer]

What? Why? I thought that was one of the.

[Woody Harrelson]

Best scripts I've ever read.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Me too. Me too. I don't know why it didn't. I know they had trouble in the first 10 or 15 minutes supposedly setting it up, but it was one of the funniest, honestly.

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, and the cast and even the sort of vibe on set making it was so incredible. And I just thought. Yeah, Like, I thought it was just the most incredible story. And it was so fresh and new and interesting. And then you have, like, all of you. It was like, you, Jeff Bridges. I remember Lauren Graham was in it.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Patrick Feue, Joey Pants.

[Woody Harrelson]

I mean, Joey. And we were shooting in Piru. Do you remember going to that, like, crazy faraway land? And I remember calling my agent and thinking, like, don't they have to pay me to go this far away?

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Because I thought it was, like, location, because it was so far.

[Judy Greer]

And they're like, nope, it's just on the edge. Just on the inside of that line. And I was like, oh.

[Mary Steenburgen]

The story was that the town, very small town, and Jeff was kind of the leader of the town in this kind of, you know, a bunch of losers kind of way.

[Woody Harrelson]

I was gonna say the word loser, but I'm glad you did.

[Mary Steenburgen]

He feels like the only way for this town to be noticed and find its way is if they make the entire town. Everyone in it makes an amateur porn film.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, it's about money.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Cause he. Yes. The town is, like, down and out. And his ex wife, Lauren Graham, is about to marry a guy with money and his son, and he needs to, like, make some money. And he gets this whole town involved, and it, like, revives the whole town. Like, the Whole town makes this porno.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And they went. One of the first people I went to was you because you worked in a mattress store. So clearly that's the best scene where.

[Judy Greer]

You'Re like, well, everyone knows girls in mattress stores are slutty. And I think it was Jeff's character. I was like, you can't just assume that like, that. Why would anyone. Nobody knows that. And then you come in and ask me, and the Metro store owner, I.

[Woody Harrelson]

Think you ask me, and then I'm like, well, yeah, obviously, of course I will do porn. And you should have, like, the owner of the store do it with me.

[Judy Greer]

And she walks out and she's, like, super hot.

[Woody Harrelson]

She might actually have been an exotic dancer. Anyway. And then we have that fun scene where we jump up and down on all the mattresses.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It was the dirtiest, cleanest movie and sweetest, innocent movie.

[Woody Harrelson]

Aw.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And then I get to watch you over and over and over and over again, just being so good. You are one of my favorite actors. When you appear on screen or I know you're in it, I relax because I know I'm in such good hands and you're going to take me someplace and be funny or real or sweet or touching or. You're really a good actor.

[Woody Harrelson]

Thank you.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

Thank you.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'm also really bad at taking compliments.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah. Because they do. They go straight to that ego part of your brain, which is a horrible place to be.

[Woody Harrelson]

I can't believe it.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You are a good actor.

[Judy Greer]

Thank you.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay. I'm a good actor.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You're a good actor. You really are. Thank you. How did that start?

[Woody Harrelson]

Acting?

[Mary Steenburgen]

High school. Junior high.

[Woody Harrelson]

Ish. High school. Ish. It started in high school because I was actually a ballet dancer, and there was a. Like, a special arts program in my high school, and they had dance, but my ballet instructor didn't want me to do it because she didn't want me, like, getting weird. Weird advice and teaching, getting taught by. I mean, it wasn't like, the instructor of the dance program was great, but she just was like, no, don't mess with what we're doing here. And so I didn't. But I also wanted to audition for something in the arts program because I didn't really want to do academics that intensely. So I auditioned for the acting program, and I got in. So I did that in high school, like, for the last two years or.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Something, while doing regular study. Right?

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It wasn't like Julia. Like, it was like. Or LaGuardia. I guess it is. No, it was A very, very lovely but basic public high school in a suburb of Detroit called Livonia, Michigan. And so I did that. I did the acting bit there. I really liked it. I liked being on stage because I'd been sort of used to being on stage when I was dancing, so it didn't feel too weird to me. But then when it came time to go to college, I didn't really know what I was gonna do. And there was an acting program at DePaul University, which I ended up getting into, but it was hard to. It was hard to get into. And this girl from high school is telling me about it. And it was in Chicago, and my parents didn't want me to go farther away than Chicago, but I was like, how far away can I go, please? Can I go to New York? They were like, no. Can I go to California? No. I'm like, Chicago? They were like, yes. So I was like, okay. So I auditioned. I got into that. That was all acting all the time, which, at the time that I auditioned, I had no idea about. I didn't know what a conservatory was. And I remember I got in and I get to school, and I've been watching all these, like, you know, movies where you, like, sign up for your classes in college and there's crowds everywhere. I'm like, specifically thinking of Rodney Dangerfield's.

[Judy Greer]

Back to School for some reason. And I'm like, they hand me my classes when I get there.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I'm like, where's the part where.

[Judy Greer]

I sign up for? Like, first of all, where's my academics?

[Woody Harrelson]

Second of all, like, where do I.

[Judy Greer]

Sign up for my classes?

[Woody Harrelson]

They're like, no, it's a conservatory. Like, this is what you take. And I was like, well, I can't stay here. I'm not gonna learn anything. But it was fun. And I didn't leave. And then I just kept staying. And then I just kept staying. And then I got better at it. And I liked. Was a.

[Mary Steenburgen]

At the time, two year, three year.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was four years. My parents didn't really care because I was gonna get a degree. And they were like, you're getting a bachelor's degree. It's fine. I'm like, but you don't understand. Like, I don't take academics. Like, I'm in a class with the basketball players.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Like, why were you blowing the whistle on yourself? I know.

[Woody Harrelson]

I mean, I know.

[Ted Danson]

I was thrilled to be in a.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Conservatory and not have to do that.

[Woody Harrelson]

Which, by the way, in high school, I would have loved it. In college, I was like, no, now's the time where, like, where I need to learn. And so I was kind of like, well, this is where I'm gonna get smarter. And if I'm only taking acting classes, I'm not gonna get smarter. But again, yeah, like, I just kept staying. I'd be like, next year I'm gonna leave. But I got competitive, so the program I was in. Where did you go?

[Mary Steenburgen]

I went to Stanford two years and did nothing.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, well, that makes me feel better.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Fell in love with acting and transferred to Carnegie, which is a good thing. Bachelor of Fine Arts.

[Woody Harrelson]

That one. I found out after the fact. I was like, oh, you go to, like, Carnegie Mellon? You go to Northwestern, Obviously, nyu or like, I guess depal. I didn't know. Anyway, ours, we got cut after the first and second year. Did you?

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah, yeah. It was the old look to the left of you, look to the right of you nonsense. Most people won't be there.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right? I know. So I. So if you can make it to your third year, you're fine. In our program at the time, they don't do it anymore. So on both years, my first and second year, I was warned that I was gonna get cut. And then I decided, yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Which gave you a little fuck you.

[Woody Harrelson]

A little, like, competitive nature. A little fuck you, A little like, yeah. I was kind of like, dare you. But also thinking, like, great, maybe that's the push I need. Like, maybe I'm not meant to be here, maybe I'm not.

[Judy Greer]

But the reasoning was.

[Woody Harrelson]

Often the first year I was told it was because of my Midwestern accent, which.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Do you still have that, by the.

[Woody Harrelson]

Way, our mutual friend Ajay Sehgal will tease me about for the rest of my life.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I'm not hearing it, am I? Right now, I'm not good at.

[Woody Harrelson]

I do think not. But I mean, it was bad. It was like, oh my God. And everything I said ended with a question mark. And they called it like, you speak with an upglide. And we never really know, like, if you're asking a question or what you're saying. Cause it's really hard to decipher. And that was how I talked. And also, like, I'm talking like that and it's like very nasally. And I mean, I. I get it now, but it's also funny to make.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Use of with some characters. It's a very funny dialogue.

[Woody Harrelson]

But you know what I found when I got to. I'm skipping forward a bit, but when.

[Judy Greer]

I got to la, what I found.

[Woody Harrelson]

Was interesting to casting directors here and I did loads and loads of generals and I would meet with all the assistants and then I would meet with the casting directors. Was that there was something so Midwestern about me. I mean, there is. That was, like, interesting because I was in New York, I was in la, I was Chicago. And it was like this more. I don't know, it was just something that felt at the time, lightning in a bottle moment where I came here and I had like, this thing was a little bit different and it was very authentic. Like, to me, it wasn't like, that was not me.

[Mary Steenburgen]

That was me.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was not either of our butts.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I'm just. Yeah, not my butt.

[Judy Greer]

Anyway, I made it into the. I made it through the whole process in school and once I got to.

[Woody Harrelson]

The third year, then I was like, well, shit, I kind of like this and now I'm kind of into it. And I always had a. I always had jobs on the side and I quit my jobs and I was like, I'm, like going all in with school right now. I'm going to focus on school and I'm going to be a good actor.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Sorry, I'm bad. The Paul is in Chicago.

[Woody Harrelson]

Chicago. No, you're not bad. It is.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So you can make use of all of the theater and everything in Chicago at the same time or not.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, they frowned on that, although everyone did it. But I'm a real rule follower. So we were not allowed to work professionally. So I was like. When I found out some people were like doing like commercials on the side secretly, I was like, oh, rotten hell.

[Judy Greer]

I am not turning them in. But I could, I could. I was like, how could they do that? How could they do that?

[Mary Steenburgen]

Was this Sandy Meisner like, technique? Because he won't let you work either.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think it was. I mean, I don't even remember techniques. I guess it must have been kind of ish. We didn't. We had this teacher, she's passed away, but her name was Bella Itkin. Oh, UTA Hagen. She loved UTA Hagen and we had that book, the UTA Hagen book, but I don't remember. I've since used an acting coach that I love and I think Meisner is something that comes up.

[Mary Steenburgen]

But do you still use acting coaches.

[Woody Harrelson]

When you get a part? Yeah, I do. Not every role, but sometimes I do. I am about to compare myself to an Olympic athlete. At first I was embarrassed about it. For some reason, I thought that it was a secret. And then I was reminding myself that Olympic athletes have lots of coaches, for one thing, you know, and that's how you get better is by working with people. And the thing about acting is that you don't always get to act every day. Like, you don't always get your 10,000 hours in. So, like, preparing and showing someone something who is coming to it without anything, you know, having. I mean, should I have the luxury of being able to sit down with a director before we start a project and actually go through things and then rehearse? And then rehearse, by the way. Never happens. Like, you're still getting all the noise that the director has about the project. Like, going to someone. A coach, going to someone who doesn't know anything about the project, and they're just looking at a scene floating in the ether and seeing that scene for something that I can't see. A different version, a different way. A different way in a different choice.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It's.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's really incredible. And I think it helps a lot on set, especially these days. Like you said, there's no rehearsal. You're so rushed all the time. I feel like a great director never makes you feel rushed. But that's hard to do to, like.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Come in because they are rushed.

[Woody Harrelson]

They are so rushed. And especially, I mean, sometimes, man, you'll spend, like, all day shooting, like, one weird special effect, and then you have, like, a really poignant, like, character arc scene with another person, and they're like, I think we got it. Let's move on.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And you're like, wait, that was really good lunch.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Yeah. That was great. That was great. I think we got it. I don't think we even need to come back after lunch, huh? But. Okay. It's so bizarre.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I had an acting coach once.

[Woody Harrelson]

Only once.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I went back to him a lot.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

This was in New York. And it was very strange because we were about to shoot Damages, and the writers, who are absolutely amazing writers, came up to me the week before, and we had gathered for two weeks in New York before we started shooting and said, would you mind going. This is after reading and rehearsing, going to our acting coach. He's really wonderful. You know, Glenn Close goes to him. And they tried to make it not sound like what I was just hearing, which is worse. You need some help. And I went. And it was the best thing I've ever done.

[Woody Harrelson]

But at the moment, I would have died if someone.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I died. But then I swallowed it and went, this is too good to be stupid. I walked in and he said, do you have any. A page from the script or something? Anything. Just read. And I read. And he stopped me After a page and went, okay. And I was playing a kind of a sociopath billionaire. But he said, okay, now I know that you're a really, that was very good, really nice actor. Meaning when you start, I know you're gonna go all the way through and finish that paragraph for me. And I know you are, and it was good and all that, but you're a really nice actor. You need to take that kind of billionaire. You. I'll do what I want point of view and treat the material with, you know, irreverence. So that, yeah, here's my first line. And you know what? Fuck you. I may or may not say my next line. Not literally because, you know, you might get fired, but he instilled that irreverence because I found that. Sorry, is this your podcast or mine? I can't remember.

[Judy Greer]

It's yours.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So I'm very jet lagged to hear.

[Woody Harrelson]

The rest of this.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Okay. My little thing is when you do half hour, it is like a musical. There is music, there is a rhythm, and you got to stick to it. You have to make all little bends and twists and turns to the rhythm. There's a metronome going. Yeah, you can't stop and be.

[Woody Harrelson]

When you say half hour, you're talking.

[Mary Steenburgen]

About comedy and three camera comedy in front of an audience.

[Woody Harrelson]

Because now half hour, I know, now.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It'S a film, which is great and I love it.

[Woody Harrelson]

But yes, agreed.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So I became a nice actor. Yeah, you know, I kept to the rhythm.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And he really helped break that. I love acting coaches. I wish I could go back to school, but it'd be weird and kind of false. But I do love that.

[Woody Harrelson]

That is kind of how I found my way to her, to this woman. Because I wanted to go back to class and I was working so much, I couldn't, Like, I just couldn't. I mean, God bless, thank God, all that. But like, I, I, I would pay for a class. I would pay for the month of class, and then I would never go. And, and I was kind of like, I knew people, worked with coaches, had heard it before, but I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know even where to start. And then, and then like, yeah, I was like, I need to get back into class. I want to grow. Like, I want to get better. I want to be a better actor. And I couldn't go to the classes. And I was like, oh. I was kind of starting to just say it out loud to people at work. And I remember I was shooting Jurassic World and I think. I don't remember how it came up, but Bryce Dallas Howard. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't out her. But anyway, she was telling me, she's wonderful, she's the best. But she was like, oh, you should, you know, call this woman. And then another person was like, oh, have you ever heard of this woman? And then a third person was saying, like, oh, you should talk to this person. And it was all the same woman. And I was like, to have three people tell me the same name, right? I was like, okay, this is God or universe, whatever, telling me to, like, call this woman. So I called her and we had this like, great talk on the phone. And she was like, what do you want? Like, why do you want to work with me? And I said, I just, like, want to be a better actor. Like, I act a lot, I work a lot, but. But my roles, like, like, I don't always get like a big juicy hunk, you know, so I'm not like getting better always at work. Sometimes I'm like walking into a room and being like, who threw out my leftovers? You look sad. What happened? Is your dad still out of town? Like, I'm exposition sometimes. So I'm like, how can I get to that next level? How can I get better? Or how can I take what I'm getting, which is already great, and just make a little bit more something of it? That's what I think a great coach does. And they do see things like, they see us differently too.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I think also if you're not just repeating yourself because the last thing you did, worked and was successful or whatever, that you do have to start. I think this is true, should be true about all creative processes. Starting at zero each time, not knowing each time. And that's scary to do. And I think having a coach or somebody in your corner going, no, no, no, don't know, it's good. Don't miss.

[Ted Danson]

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[Mary Steenburgen]

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[Ted Danson]

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[Mary Steenburgen]

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[Ted Danson]

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[Mary Steenburgen]

I'm very impressed.

[Ted Danson]

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[Mary Steenburgen]

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[Ted Danson]

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[Mary Steenburgen]

I remember one of the first things I went oh dear Lord. Judy was Mel Gibson. Sorry. What Women Want What Women Want. That was such a wonderful performance. Thank you. It was really good.

[Woody Harrelson]

I loved her. I loved Erin, the file clerk woman.

[Mary Steenburgen]

On the verge of a nervous breakdown kind of part. But sweet and funny. Yeah, it was really, really good.

[Woody Harrelson]

I really, I auditioned for every role in that movie. I think besides the one that Helen Hunt played. I auditioned several times for the role that I got. I felt, like, really lucky to get that role, to be a part of that project. And I felt, because I was still sort of new and starting out like a real outsider on set. And I'm always so pleasantly surprised when the reality mimics the art in a way where I don't have to do that much. Like, I didn't really know what I was doing. I was still learning how to be in movies. I was still learning all the crap about light and bananas and all this stuff. I'll never forget a camera operator telling me, like, hey, can you just, like, banana to your mark?

[Judy Greer]

And I was like. I was like, yes. And then I walked, like, straight to my market. If you're listening, a banana is where. Because camera lenses are weird, a banana.

[Woody Harrelson]

Means, like, instead of walking from, like, point A to point B, you walk to point B. Like a banana, you kind of, like, curve it.

[Judy Greer]

And it's such a silly thing. But at the time, he's like, hey, can you just banana to your mark? And I'm like, yeah. And not asking, like, what the is a banana? Like, what are you saying? Because I was, like, from the theater.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I feel like a banana.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'm like, I.

[Judy Greer]

Okay, Like. Like, be little. Anyway, so I walked to my mark straight.

[Woody Harrelson]

And he's like, yeah, so how about.

[Judy Greer]

Like, just for the next take, if.

[Woody Harrelson]

You could just, like, do a little banana to your mark? And I'm like, okay, dude, I don't know what a banana is.

[Judy Greer]

I. I thought maybe I could fake it, but he's like, okay, right?

[Woody Harrelson]

So it's this. And he told me, and he was so sweet.

[Judy Greer]

But that was.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Usually you're blocking something, perhaps in the background that they want to see or some Peter.

[Judy Greer]

Like, the way the camera angle is.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Even.

[Woody Harrelson]

I. I still don't know.

[Judy Greer]

But if they tell me to ban.

[Woody Harrelson]

I know what to do now.

[Judy Greer]

But at the time, I didn't. And so all of this is leading.

[Woody Harrelson]

To me feeling like I don't know what I'm doing, which is how this girl feels, which is, like, the best thing I can do is just try to find some reality to the situation to bring.

[Mary Steenburgen]

That's so smart.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. And this poor girl who I fell in love with.

[Judy Greer]

And I've always kind of thought, because.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was early in my career, I've always wondered, like, sometimes I play a role, and I'm like, oh, this is Erin now. Like, this is her now.

[Judy Greer]

Like, she's a part of me, I think forever, for some reason, because it was such an important moment in my.

[Woody Harrelson]

Career, but also in. In my. In my life. I. I had the first day of work. I did my big, big scene at the end with Mel. That was my first day.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I got all this street cred with the crew after that. But the whole rest of the movie, I don't have a line.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It was a long scene, and it was good and emotional and all that.

[Woody Harrelson]

And it was like, I showed up. Nobody knew who I was. We shot it for, I think, two days at a frat house, like on campus of USC or just off campus. I'll never forget, because Nancy Meyer's video village was like, set up in a bedroom, and next to her chair was a bunk bed filled with dirty clothes. It was a fraternity's. It was just like, so bizarre to see her. Cause she's, like, so classy and cool, and she's, like, sitting next to, like, fraternity. But anyway, so it was like, great, because while I was like, I can't believe I have to do these, like, first. This huge scene is like, the first thing I'm gonna do. But I realized after the fact it was great because instead of just basically being like a background artist who was falling down the stairs for the entire movie, like, I got to show up and act. And then for the rest of the movie, when I was background falling down the stairs, people were nicer to me.

[Judy Greer]

Which wasn't always the case.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I've heard you do other podcasts. I was listening this morning. So I don't want to jump around too much, but your ability, you were talking about being able to be uncomfortable without medicating with a drink or something. But in acting, it's a little bit that way, too. This is what's going on with me today. I am depressed and terrible. Terrifying. Use it.

[Woody Harrelson]

This is what you're getting.

[Mary Steenburgen]

That's all. That's all you've got to use.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. I've never really subscribed to, like, changing myself. Like, how.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Why?

[Ted Danson]

That's.

[Mary Steenburgen]

That's awfully smart and sometimes takes me a long time to get to.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think it's like, it feels like cheating sometimes, but I think that, like, what's the most important thing I can do is be honest. And so if I'm honestly exhausted, cranky, or I'm honestly in like, one of the best moods I've ever been in in a scene where I have to kill someone, like, that's fun too. Like, that's. I just would rather use that. Than try to, like, squash down what's really happening to find some, like, fake feeling. I don't know. But have you. I mean, like, once music became digital, I think it just changed the game for me because I can listen to a song and be just like. So immediately put in a mood. But what I've learned, and when I ask directors sometimes, like, hey, can you send me a playlist of, like, what you're thinking of, like, for tone and mood and songs for the movie or TV show, and they're like, yeah, totally. And I'll listen, I'll be like, oh, no, no, this isn't. Like, I'll just have songs for each scene that aren't really what I think they are thinking. But for me, help me get, you know, or like, if I am in a good mood and I have to be in a bad mood, maybe there's a song that can just like, instantly take me there. But there's always a good energy to being a happy person. And I've always been very. I'm curious about, like, do you have to be crazy to be a true artist? I've been asking myself this since.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I hate that question. I hated that at theater school. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I think, like, I always wonder and I don't. I don't totally know the answer, but I'd like the answer to be no, because I'm not crazy and I'd like to be a good artist. But I think that, like, you know, trying to, you know, when you talk about method, right. Like, staying up for days because you are playing a junkie who can't sleep or like all of those things. Like, I mean, I don't know. I don't. I don't know the answer, but I don't want it to be that you have to be crazy or you have to be on a substance in order to, like, dig into something that's real or diggy or even funny or dark or anything like that. But I struggle with that topic a lot in my brain.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I was told by. I think it's okay to mention Joel Schumacher. He's past. And he was, I think, a wonderful director. And. But we were just having a conversation and he said, you can't be an artist with more middle class mores, you know?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I'm.

[Ted Danson]

I am so middle class.

[Judy Greer]

So middle class.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I was told if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. You know, I was not trained to be a rebel.

[Judy Greer]

Me neither. I like rules. I like structure.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I probably not cut out you know, all that stuff.

[Judy Greer]

It's nice to be nice. There's stickers of that all over the Minneapolis airport. And I was like, oh, I want.

[Woody Harrelson]

That on a pillow. Hidden. But I do want it.

[Judy Greer]

But I know.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's so interesting he said that. But I think that there is, like, a people pleasing sort of Marty version of a me. That is what he's talking about. And he might say it's middle class or I think Midwest or just mid basic. Yeah, that. That I think, like, his version of it is what I'm thinking of when I'm not, like, being authentic to myself, which is a term I think is overused, especially now. But, like, when I'm. When I'm not really. When I'm trying to be like, two people. Pleasy is when I know that I am.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Me too. My tendency is to tilt way too far forward in life.

[Woody Harrelson]

Even like a. Even something as small as, like, where's your chair on set? Like, when you walk off the set and you have to sit down while they're changing a lens or a light or something. Like, are you like, hey, how are you? Oh, hi. What'd you do last night? Or, like, do you know, Like, I'm like, I have a really diggy scene today. I need to be alone in the corner. Like, I need my chair to be away from everybody. I need to be by myself. Or I need to go. Go back to my trailer. So I'm not like, hi. Oh, my God, I love your blouse.

[Judy Greer]

Did your kid win their soccer game yesterday that you left early to go to?

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, that's not gonna. I mean, in that sense, I think I agree with him.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I was trained to be nice by my mom. I was very. But I didn't have a choice, you know, I had to be nice, kind, sensitive. I'm still learning to discover that I'm a dick, that I can be mean as hell, that I could be petty and all those things. And when Mary calls me on one of those moments, I'm always. That's the only time we fight, is when I'm wrong about being a dick. Because I, you know, and I don't want to be that.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So I will fight to the death.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's not who I am.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And not be the who. Yeah. And as soon as I go, yeah, yeah, that was mean, right? Yeah, I am mean. Or that first off, it's very relaxing. But then you have a choice, if you have to be nice and kind because of your upbringing or your whatever. And I think that's maybe what he was talking about because it's great to be nice and kind. But I think you need to know both sides of that middle line in life. You need to know that you're fully human.

[Woody Harrelson]

Mm.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And you are as petty and mean and jealous somewhere or full of anger or stuff. So that if you know it, then.

[Ted Danson]

You can choose it.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Then it's a much more important kindness.

[Woody Harrelson]

I find for myself choosing. Yes. To choose to be kind rather than to have it be your knee jerk. Yes. And what is behind wanting to be nice and kind? Because I. I think wanting to be nice and kind when I'm genuinely like, when I'm not. If I'm doing it because I just want to, because it's just coming naturally or is it from the point of view for me of wanting to be liked, then it's fake.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I have problem with that because I do it. You know, because fake is a go to for me. Not really. That's harsh. But if you do something, if you. This is my favorite kind of example. You're the barista gives you your cup of coffee and you're going to give him a celebrity tip. But you wait until he's looking. If he's turned around, you don't just slip in and you wait. Okay. But he got a good tip. You were doing it clearly for yourself.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So at best, celebrity tip is fully.

[Woody Harrelson]

What I'm taking away from today.

[Mary Steenburgen]

What's that?

[Judy Greer]

Whatever I was going to take away from that. You said earlier. That was awesome. It's now celebrity tip. Like I'll be giving celebrity tip. I know I have to give a celebrity tip, so I'll just do the tip.

[Mary Steenburgen]

But if you ask the fellow, he doesn't care.

[Judy Greer]

He doesn't give a shit. If you're tipping him five bucks on a $2 coffee, he's like, great. Yeah, great if I see it or not.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So you can do things for other people and have it be kind of iffy, your motivation.

[Judy Greer]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

But it's still better than not doing. Not doing something good.

[Woody Harrelson]

For sure. Smiling at someone is always preferable.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And it makes. And it makes you feel better. So are you doing it for yourself? I would say yes. I like being happy. My body feels better if I'm happy.

[Woody Harrelson]

Those two things can be true. Like you can be doing it to make someone happy, to make someone like you see you, like, accept you, take you in. And you can also just be doing it because it's the right thing to do.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Thank you, Judy. Because I've been wrestling with this.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, you have not the celebrity tip is so good. I have a friend who, for years. I don't allow it anymore.

[Woody Harrelson]

He would wait till we would split the bill, and he would wait until I filled out mine, and then he.

[Judy Greer]

Would label more than me, and I'd be like, God damn it. And he would do it every time. And even just last week, we went to dinner and we both had our pension, and I went after you, and he was like. Like, he's nodding his head. Yeah, I know. Okay, you got me.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I've done one worse. Where there is some degree of truth that celebrities are expected.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

To tip more.

[Woody Harrelson]

I mean, I can't even imagine you.

[Judy Greer]

At a bar with a bartender.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I don't do that. I. Yeah, ironically, I never did, but, boy, that's my hellhole. But I have been so bad as to go out with people who either aren't aware of the celebrity tip part, but they insist on picking up the tip. And as we get up to leave, I'll put some cash down for a little bigger tip. That's worse. That's bad. Is it?

[Judy Greer]

Isn't it what we're talking about?

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, isn't it just like. Like. Yeah. I'll never forget. I probably shouldn't say who it was. I was in college. I was waiting tables while I was in college, and I waited on George Wynn.

[Mary Steenburgen]

No, no.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know it. No, I'm just kidding. I waited on two super duper, crazy, insane, famous athletes at the time. And it was a full, straight down the middle, 20% tip. And it was like, they were so famous that my manager at work took all my tables away, and I just waited on them for the night.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

And they ordered.

[Mary Steenburgen]

We're talking basketball, maybe.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, maybe we're talking Chicago bowls. One round of drinks. Like, share, like, a basic bitch dinner. Like them, their wives, they all got, like, one drink, and they shared two salads, and they got one entree, and they left. And I got a 20% tip, which, by the way, is okay. But it was like, I had no other tables that night.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I was like, fuck, man.

[Judy Greer]

Like.

[Woody Harrelson]

And also, I wasn't. Like, I was very cool. I didn't bug them. I just, you know, I didn't even talk to them. Maybe I was not being a great waiter, but I just. The way it was going, it felt like they were really on a double date. Like, two total norms. And I wasn't going to be like, are you guys loving your taliata?

[Judy Greer]

How's it going?

[Woody Harrelson]

How are those Caesars?

[Judy Greer]

Like, I'm not Going to do that ever. But to them.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Mary was a waitress in New York for seven years while she was going to school. And then later, before she started working, working as an actor. If I. When she met me, if I'd been a shitty tipper.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I wouldn't literally would not have stood a chance with her.

[Woody Harrelson]

I mean, you. Like, I. I know people say this, and it's. But I believe it, that everyone should be. Should wait tables for, like.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

At least six months.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, you have to be in the weeds and you have to have, like, a bad. I mean, you just have to.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

I chased a. Got a table out of a restaurant once, like, asking them, because they didn't leave me a tip. And I was. I'd been working at this restaurant for long enough at this point that I had, like. I was pretty confident. And I, like, followed them out of the restaurant, and I was like, excuse me, was there a problem with the service? Just curious. I just want to know if I could do anything to improve because you didn't leave me a tip. And I'm just wondering. And they were like, yeah, they just turned and walked away. I felt really good about that, though. They didn't, you know, come back and give me any money. But, like, I saw what you did.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

You think we don't know if you can't afford to eat here. Don't.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I won't say who, but Mary waited tables on somebody who left her 10%. It was like a dime or, you know, a quarter on a $3 bill or whatever.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And he went on to become a famous talk show host and had her on the shelf, and she. She told him exactly what he ordered and exactly how much the bill was and how much.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my God, I love her even more. And I didn't think it was possible to have more love for her.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Have you worked with her? She's the best.

[Judy Greer]

It seems like we should have, but I don't think so.

[Woody Harrelson]

I know I auditioned for a movie that she was in, and I obviously didn't get the role, but I can't remember if we've actually worked together or not. I've just been circling you two for so long.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I auditioned for a part in the movie. She didn't get it either, thank God, because I was a hot mess at the time.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

Well, now you have the best role in her life ever.

[Mary Steenburgen]

My favorite waitress story for her. She walked by a table, and some guy brushed, who was sitting down, brushed her kind of ass as she walked by. And she went. Was that. Yeah, it was. But came back. And he did it more obviously.

[Woody Harrelson]

Customer, worker, customer. Okay.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And she grabbed a pot of coffee and said, if I'm. If I walk by and he does it again. And he did. And she poured the entire thing of coffee. It wasn't scalding hot. She's quick to add, in his lap. And he leapt up, and I don't know what would have happened, but the bartender was her buddy and leapt across the bar, grabbed the guy by the scrap of the neck, and threw him out into the street. I love that.

[Woody Harrelson]

I love that, too.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Waitress come up in stories. Kind of my favorite.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my gosh, that's really good. That used to happen a lot.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah. I mean, how long did you wait tables?

[Woody Harrelson]

I did it in high school at, like, a mall restaurant, this place called Olga's Kitchen, which was, like, a take on Greek food in high school. So that would have been like junior, senior year. And then in college, I did it for, like, on and off all through college. But I was a waitress. I was a cocktail server. I was a bartender at a nightclub. I worked at a coffee shop. There were these four guys. When I was working at this coffee shop once, there were these four guys that came in all day, every day because they were studying for the bar. And I was so invested, and they never came back. And I never knew if they passed it.

[Judy Greer]

I was like, you guys have to come back.

[Woody Harrelson]

And they're like, oh, my God, we totally will.

[Judy Greer]

And they didn't.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I still, to this day, I'm.

[Judy Greer]

Like, I wonder if those assholes passed the bar.

[Woody Harrelson]

I wonder if they're attorneys in Illinois.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Now or suit on the Supreme Court or something. Horrible.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, God, I never even thought about that. But, you know, I was like, that was a lot of coffee. I was serving them. And when you're, you know, at a diner, coffee shop, you get refills. It's like poo covered in pee. What you make.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know, I mean, it was like.

[Judy Greer]

Free refills on coffee. And, like, these guys have just put themselves through law school, and they sit there all day in the. Good taste.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

I'm like, but they're gonna be really fancy lawyers. They're gonna come back here and they're gonna tip me and they're gonna remember me, and they never did.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Let me pull you from your waitress and plop you down in the middle of stick. No stick.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Singular. You were. I loved it.

[Judy Greer]

Isn't it great?

[Mary Steenburgen]

It is wonderful. It's a wonderful story. Everybody is so good.

[Woody Harrelson]

I love it.

[Mary Steenburgen]

But you really here. I'm gonna mess you up again. But you. It was so. You had so much gravitas. And then when you come back around and you think, maybe you guys, we'll get back to. You were so beautiful and so wise and you had this. I don't know what.

[Woody Harrelson]

Thank you.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It was really lovely.

[Judy Greer]

I love that show.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Owen is. Must be a dream to work with.

[Woody Harrelson]

He is amazing. We have also kind of been circling each other for a really long time. Like, timing didn't work out or, I don't know, things like past projects. Although I reminded him we did work together technically on a film called Marmaduke, where he voiced the dog Marmaduke, and I was a live action human. I was Marmaduke's mom. We did not meet. Anyway, yeah, we have been kind of almost worked together so many times, Owen and I. So when I finally got cast in this with him, it was funny. I'm always nervous before I start. I mean, I'm generally nervous anyway, but, like, the first day of work with him just felt like I'd known him forever. We just clicked right away. And the scenes were really good. So well written. There was so much compassion in, like, the dialogue. I felt like between these two people, I think that what tore them apart, what causes them to split up, you know, was never a lack of. Yeah. It was never a lack of love for each other. You know, it wasn't infidelity. And I think that that is something that is important to understand, like why they can still be so connected and why they can have so much love for each other, because they just dealt with the grief in very different ways, you know, and so just was really fun to do. And I love him. And everything that comes out of his mouth is so honest and so not what I think of when I read a scene. Like, he just brings something so special.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I think the role's so good for him. And honestly, it's really fun to be in a show that people actually watch and really love.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Streaming is something else when something gets dropped like they do on streaming, and the world all of a sudden sees it.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Pretty amazing.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I feel very lucky that I got to be a part of it. And we're doing a second season.

[Ted Danson]

Are you.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

So excited.

[Woody Harrelson]

I know. I'm excited to see what these people do now. I think it was a little bit teed up that maybe he might wanna try golfing again.

[Judy Greer]

I don't know.

[Woody Harrelson]

We'll see. I don't know anything about the new season. Jason Keller, who created the show, is a friend of mine. I've known him for years actually socially. And he wrote Ford versus Ferrari. And he's such a talented. I know he's such a great screenwriter. And, and he was sort of talking to us socially just like, yeah, I've got this idea about like a, like a golf pro who's not. And we're like, oh, cool, whatever, awesome. And then it's just like, you know.

[Judy Greer]

Seeing your friends do something and have.

[Woody Harrelson]

So much success and do it so well, like, it's just really exciting.

[Ted Danson]

Growth Therapy helps you invest in what really matters, your well being. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. They connect you with thousands of independent licensed therapists across the US Offering both virtual and in person sessions, nights and weekends. Whatever challenges you're facing, Growth Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com Ted and Woody today and get started. That's growththerapy.com Ted and woody growththerapy.com Ted and WOODY availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Podcast Producer/Announcer]

Olivia loves a challenge. It's why she lifts heavy weights and likes complicated recipes. But for booking her trip to Paris, Olivia chose the easy way. With Expedia. She bundled her flight with a hotel to save more. Of course, she still climbed all 674 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. You were made to take the easy route. We were made to easily package your trip. Expedia Made to travel flight inclusive packages are atoll protected.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You are a stepmom.

[Woody Harrelson]

I am.

[Judy Greer]

So are you.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I'm a stepmom.

[Judy Greer]

Stepdad.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. It's a different path.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And Ken, not tricky bad. But like, I think early on, both Mary and I realized, because I had two kids and she had two kids, that. And we actually included it in our wedding vows, we realized we needed to say a vow to them, which was basically promise to be the best friend I can be to you for the rest of your life. Because you're not their parent.

[Woody Harrelson]

No.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You're not their mom and dad or whatever.

[Woody Harrelson]

No. And sometimes they remind you of that.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yes. Yes. It can be thankless. But if you realize, oh, all right. I'm your cheerleader is what I am.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You know, and I I had a.

[Woody Harrelson]

Therapist, a different one that I. I love therapy, by the way. A different one that I see now. But at the time, my therapist said she was like, step parenting is hard because you have all the responsibility with none of the authority.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And when she put that into words, became very crystal clear what my job was like. I was like, oh, I'm just here to, you know, like, like be a good. Like a good. I don't know, like an aunt, Like a godparent. Like a. I mean, in my particular situation, step parenting is, you know, every situation is so specific. Mine was really easy and good and.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Like, yeah, ours was too.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know, I have no complaints. And there was never. I mean, there was like, you know, a couple times where I was like, oh, right, yeah. No, I'm not your mom. But mostly it was like, me telling my husband, and he needed to tell them something.

[Judy Greer]

And I'm like, ah, like your husband.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Your mate is definitely in the middle.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Judy Greer]

And he would just be like. I'm like, they need chores. And he's like, well, tell them to have chores.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I'm like, that's unfair.

[Judy Greer]

It's unfair for me to have to tell them they have to have chores. And he'd be like, oh, man. I'm like, I think it's interesting that.

[Woody Harrelson]

He has a test tomorrow, but you're still having the pitching coach come and work on his pitching for baseball, but not a tutor helping him with his test.

[Judy Greer]

He'd be like.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Oh, how old were you? No, how old were they?

[Judy Greer]

Yeah, it's okay. I could also die.

[Woody Harrelson]

I, I, they were 9 and 12, because I remember. Yeah, he was.

[Ted Danson]

That's pretty close to what we were, too.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, it was actually great. And truthfully, like, I wasn't. I didn't have a baby, but I was planning on it, kind of. I was like, yeah, I mean, obviously I'm gonna have a kid. And then really, it's not. Because, like, I could see the story going, like, they were so terrible. I didn't want to have a kid. But, like, they were so great that I was like, why would I, like, ruin all this? Like, this is, like, so good. Everything is.

[Mary Steenburgen]

And your hands are full.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, I mean, I was busy. I didn't slow down my work at all. So it was like I was. All of a sudden, I went from being like, yeah, maybe I'll stay a couple extra days on location and, like, do a thing to, like, get me on the first plane out. Like, I have to get to Thousand Oaks because, like, Emily has A soccer game. Lucas has a baseball tournament. Like, was like, I went from, like I always say, like, I went from having like the basket in the supermarket to having like the big cart overnight.

[Judy Greer]

Where I'm like, what do you feed these humans?

[Woody Harrelson]

Like, what do they eat? You have to cook them food.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Costco all of a sudden, at the.

[Woody Harrelson]

Time, I know I was like, holy shit. It was a crash course.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I always think that mothers who work. It's probably true of mothers who work in any job, but as an actor, you love your work. Mary loves her work, loves her children, especially when they were young. And she would feel guilty about leaving. And she told her young, I don't know, four year old Lily, because she was feeling guilty about to get on.

[Ted Danson]

A plane saying, I have this job.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I love being your mom so much and I love my job as an actor. And sometimes my job makes me go away. And I hope you someday have, you know, this speech went on for about 10, 15 minutes.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, boy.

[Mary Steenburgen]

So I hope you. And Lily soaks it in and says, well, picking my nose, that's my job. And Mary went, okay, all right. Perhaps she does not need this space.

[Woody Harrelson]

Same conversation again in a few years.

[Judy Greer]

Oh, my God.

[Mary Steenburgen]

It's hard being. I think it's easier being a father, you know, just because it shouldn't be. But there is this sense of, oh, this is what we do.

[Judy Greer]

The man has to go down.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, I know. And we're still, like, we're still screwed for wanting it all or for thinking we can do it all. Or like. Yeah, I mean, I know that the trend is definitely shifting. I know of several stay at home dads, and I love that. And I. But I. But yes, I think I felt very much like if I had a baby that I would have to really slow down my work. And I, like, just wasn't sure. I wasn't sure I could or would want to or be able to raise a baby the way I would have wanted to working as much as I wanted to. And I love working now, had I not had step kids, that would be different. But it was like I met these beautiful humans and so I got to have, like, all. I got to have all of it, right? I got to have, like, the kids. And we all have such a great relationship and I'm so lucky and they're so great and we're all so close and even their mom, like, it's all. It all worked out really, really well. But I don't know, I just didn't really know if I wanted to, like, Rock the boat.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

With like, one. But who knows? It doesn't matter anymore. I don't even have to think about it anymore. But I was like, can I? And my mom was a working mom, and I'm an only child, and she was working a lot. She had a really big career and.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Hospital administrator.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes. So, like, you know, without being like, I didn't want to leave my kid.

[Judy Greer]

As much as she left me. That was kind of what I was thinking. I could say that. Because I don't think she knows how.

[Woody Harrelson]

To listen to a podcast.

[Judy Greer]

I'm always like, mom, listen to podcasts when you take your walk. They sound so Midwestern. Mom, listen to a podcast when you take your walk. I don't know how to do that. I'm like, okay. But, yeah, I was always like, oh, I wish that she would have been around more, you know, by the way, didn't. Because I'm a victim of it, too. I didn't really wish my dad would have been around more. Even though I have a great relationship with both of them.

[Woody Harrelson]

It just was like, oh, I wish my mom was home.

[Mary Steenburgen]

I think all of my activists like stuff that I do, especially the ocean advocacy is because I wanted my father to go, oh, I see. You're. You're an actor, but you're hanging around with scientists. And I really think I was a big impetus.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Mary Steenburgen]

How are you with what's going on in the world? How do you handle your.

[Judy Greer]

I just want to stay in this.

[Woody Harrelson]

Dark room.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Or Denmark. We just came back from Denmark. Oh, my God.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes. Was it magical?

[Mary Steenburgen]

Magical. It's eight and a half million people, so I imagine we could Scrabble together eight and a half million people here and have the same kind of thing. But we would ruin it.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Yeah. But also, like, they're very direct, aren't they? Aren't they, like a direct people? There's, like, a directness to sort of this Scandinavian culture that I really like.

[Mary Steenburgen]

There's even there, I find, like, their design. Because everything is about the food now and design. But design is functional. Yes, it's beautiful, but it's for a function. So it has that simplicity, which kind.

[Ted Danson]

Of is what you're saying, too.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's kind of what I like about the people I've met from there, but I've never been. But also it just looks really peaceful and calming and beautiful. Unlike here, which. How does my heart feel? It's such a kind of beautiful question. It just depends on how I allow it to feel. Like I think I've Gotten involved with an organization called International Medical Corps, which has helped me a lot feel like I'm doing something. Something more than just like sending checks like willy nilly to whom reaches out. And it was something. I met this organization when I was shooting in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and they were there helping. And so I kind of got involved with them on my days off, and I just kept up with them and I've done trips with them. We just went to Ukraine in May.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Wow. What was that like? I mean, stupid question, but what was that like?

[Judy Greer]

It's beautiful.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was, you know, again, the people were so filled with hope. The people I was around. And again, I'm seeing a certain section of it, you know, but the people are. They have so much pride and they are so hopeful and resilient and. And what was explained to us very early on in our trip was that, like, if a building is. Is blown up, like, they'll have it cleaned up, like, immediately. Like. And that's something that was happening in Kiev. That. That is because they are so proud and they're like, so proud of their city, their communities. It's like they don't. Yes, you'll see a building that has been reduced to rubble, but they. They will clean it up and get it, get it, sort of get all the rubble moved away as soon as possible, because it's like, we don't want to look at that. Like, probably not explaining it well, but.

[Mary Steenburgen]

No, you are.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was something to me that was very telling that they have the ability to do that and that that is a priority during this war is to like, like, keep. Keep everything moving and functioning as well as possible. The train, the underground train stations are where a lot of people shelter when they have to. And so, you know, that. That becomes like a. A bit of a community. There's the. The men aren't allowed to leave the country at all. So when we were traveling to and from, we were going through Poland and it was just all women and children on the trains and crossing the border and like Ukrainian men. The men that we were with are, because they're not Ukrainian, to be specific, because they all have to fight. You know, they fight in shifts, and they're all expected to, if you're healthy, to do your part. We were seeing. We visited clinics because a lot of what international Medical corps does, they do obviously like medicine, but they're really super focused on mental health. And so they're really focused. When I went with them to Jordan, I was visiting a Syrian refugee camp that even now still has 60,000 Syrian refugees living in it. And so much of their focus, after doing sort of the triage of what's going on and getting people there and getting people settled, is like leaving them with the mental health, the facilities, the clinics, the people, the staff to try to get people medication they might need, therapy, classes, clinics on how to deal with PTSD and trauma. And that is something beyond frontline medicine. We forget about that. Like, when organizations leave, the people are still there, and they. They are affected by this, obviously, but, like, when you're there and you see it like they need help. They need help with their brains. They need help learning how to cope with what their life is now and what they've lost and what the future might bring. And then add on to it people who already have mental health struggles, who, like, already have things that they're dealing with that have nothing to do with what they're seeing and what they're living through right now, and they're not getting the help that they need. So it does sort of multiply. So seeing these clinics and these places where, like, International Medical Corps is, like, getting drugs there, they're training local staff. That's another thing that I was really impressed by, was that they train all the locals so that they can leave and that the people. It's not like we're just leaving and we're like, well, good luck. Like, they're training everyone so that when they. When they're. When their people do have to leave or funding is cut, that's a fun thing. That at least the. That they've trained, like, local therapists and doctors and clinicians to carry on because, you know, we're not able to. To do it here. We can't do it forever. All these organizations, whichever organization you're involved with or interested in, like, we're all losing money. They're. All the funding is getting cut. And so it's even doubly important to train local people when you're there. Yeah, but I'm not here to talk about that.

[Mary Steenburgen]

No, you are, actually.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay, good.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You are. I mean, from my point of view, I love. I love hearing that from you. Because there's something about this time which is, you know, social media, mainstream media, my side, their side, everybody is dealing in fear and anger. And part of that is because that's how news work. Part of it is because it's true, there's a lot of sadness and suffering, but I have grandchildren, and when I let myself dip into hopelessness, then it's a bit of A shame on me because. No, there are so many things that you can either do to bring joy or healing out in the world. And hope. Making people laugh is also a way to bring hope to people. Look what Bob Hope did. He put himself in the middle of wars to make people forget their fears and feel a sense of community. And that's something that we, as, when we do it right in our business, we do put out hope and joy and a sense of community. So I dip into hopelessness, which I can do daily is not right.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know, it's not. And we have been, for whatever reason, given a somewhat of an opportunity. And I hate this word now, but platform for it because. Because we can get a voice out there. But I think I read. I wish I could remember where I read it, but I remember almost nothing these days. Super fun about, like, starting. Like, if you want to help and you don't know what to do and you don't have money maybe to send a check to, like, you can always just start. Like, start on your block, start in your building, and then, like, kind of just let it. See what happens. Like, see how it expands from there. Like, is there someone in your block that might need something? Like, is there garbage on your streets that you could pick up one day? Like, can you take a garbage. Do you ever. Like, I know David Sedaras is. I love his books and I love to listen to them because he reads them. But he talks about, like, doing his trash walks and just picking up garbage on the side of the road when he does his walk. And it's like someone will see him doing that and not know who he is. Just see a man on a walk, like, picking up garbage, you know, And. And like, that is inspiring. Just that little thing.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yep.

[Woody Harrelson]

And it doesn't really cost anything. You should be out walking anyway. I don't know. That's a thing you can do that.

[Judy Greer]

Isn'T necessarily like going to Ukraine, but.

[Woody Harrelson]

In your little tiny world, you know?

[Mary Steenburgen]

No, no, absolutely. And I think that's really important to put out, that it's each one of us trying to be just a little bit better.

[Judy Greer]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

A tiny, little, tiny little thing you can do.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah. I really love seeing you again. I so admire you. I hope you get that as an actor, you really are brilliant.

[Judy Greer]

Thank you.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Thank you.

[Mary Steenburgen]

Punt Talk India.

[Judy Greer]

Likewise.

[Ted Danson]

That was the delightful Judy Greer earlier.

[Mary Steenburgen]

You heard us talk about the amateurs. I highly recommend it. You don't actually get to laugh and see a porno film being made at.

[Ted Danson]

The same time, so enjoy that's all.

[Mary Steenburgen]

For our show this week. Special thanks to our friends at Team Coco. If you enjoyed this episode, send it to someone you love, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and maybe give us.

[Ted Danson]

A great rating and review on Apple Podcasts. If you like watching your podcasts, all our full length episodes are on YouTube. Visit YouTube.comteamcoco See you next time. Where everybody knows.

[Podcast Producer/Announcer]

You've been listening to where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Liao. Our executive producers are Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez research by Alyssa Grohl Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Antony Yen, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne.

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