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So, I just saw Molly recently, Molly Shannon. Um, and she is on the show. We we had her a little bit ago and she is
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always such a bright light. When you see her, she always smiles. She lights up. She has something to say. She asks about
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me. And I think she's starring now with Will Frell in his new show, Hawk, >> cuz he was at the golf tournament. And
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yeah, Will Ferrell's a golfer >> and >> I think she's the ex-wife, which is
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perfect. Those two are so funny from SNL. >> Yeah, they've done a lot of things
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together over over the years. They're very >> And a lot of people I know, she is
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definitely an SNL one and especially women come up and go, Molly was so great and she's such a good vibe and she had
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and she's kind of quiet in real life and then she has these, you know, big characters. So, lot lot to go over with
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her. >> Yeah. Yeah. You'll see. We talk about what she does for working out. That's
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very funny. It really surprised me. And uh she's just kind of in the running for
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as nice a human as you could kind of interact with that, you know, this is just for me. I was on a flight American
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going to New York and this woman was kind of like asking me questions and this and that and she said that Molly
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Shannon went up and talked to her for two hours about her life and her family and you know just the nicest.
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>> I know. She's like, "Oh, really?" She really gets into it and you go, "Oh, is
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this person actually listening to my story?" Yeah. >> Yeah. So, I decided to try to go up
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there longer than Molly did because I was just competitive. I'm kidding. No,
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she's she's very nice, really funny, super talent, and uh just a great hang.
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So, I would check this out if you didn't hear it the first time. And if you did
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hear it the first time, >> do it. Do it again. >> Uh here she is. Molly Shannon.
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>> That's amazing. This is such a great idea. Congratulations, guys. >> Thank you, Molly. And um you know,
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Molly, uh a bunch of high school friends and I chipped in and we bought a Bitcoin. So, I'll let you know how that
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goes. >> Okay, great. >> I like how we're very quiet. >> Yes, I have a card.
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>> You know, I like when people talk this way, like sometimes if I if I like if a
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if a fan comes up and it's like, I just wanted to say that, you know, I'm like,
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h I feel so relaxed by your voice. So, I'll keep talking to them if I like the
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voice. I think that you I think I relate that to you because maybe you talk like
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that in sketch or something or maybe we've talked about that's where you
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>> talked we've I've talked about this in interviews but I actually have something
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called ASMR for real which is like a type of response to certain voices where you feel really relaxed.
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>> So it's not it's it's real. I've had it since I was a kid. So store the game
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that we used to play David is kind of based on that but it is really real. Like if a certain if I ask like a
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stranger for directions and say they had a certain voice where they were like okay let me just get the map and then
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they touch the map and they have a certain type of voice it puts me in a very relaxed state. So is it like Zelic
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Woody Allen that you start to become them in a way like hi Molly I'm just a really big fan you go thank you so much
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I love that she just keeps asking for direction it's not like that >> I love that for you
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>> it would it's a feeling of like it feels almost like getting a massage it's like
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>> I did it too it's like when you were a kid and people would read you stories if
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you got the right voice to read you a story that's what you wanted some teachers had it
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>> sometimes cute someone read you go to sleep you know when you're little and
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You just go lock into it and you go, "It's the best." And then you s teacher
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would read the story >> and I'm in second grade and the teacher was like 25 and had like nylon stockings
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on and a short dress. It was just sort of it made you feel funny. >> Oh boy.
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>> It made me feel funny like when I used to climb the rope in gym class or where
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that came from. Anyway, I don't know why I went there but >> wait wait wait. So you're saying that
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she would have stockings on? >> Well, just first time I'd seen an adult
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woman and they they were very beautiful. They were second grade teachers. This is
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the ' 60s. Anyone could be a teacher now. And they were pretty young women. And they would have just a normal skirt
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on and crossing and uncrossing their legs. And I'm seven, eight or nine. I just sort of got a little tingly. You
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start noticing women and you go, "Oh, I like this." And then they're not doing
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anything wrong and everything is sexual to you. >> Yeah. They're just they're just living
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their life and you're like, "Whoa." >> Yeah. >> She's walking. That's great. It's like
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when you love the fell in love with the lifeguard. Remember in seventh grade? I just made this up, but you know what I
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mean. I was like >> I like there's so much in her book and it's the only thing that isn't in her
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book about the lifeguard. I have a question from Molly about your book. >> Okay. Oh, great. David,
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>> you >> worked it. Cravings. Is that in sense right here? >> Yes, it's right near here.
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>> Is it still here? >> Uh, no. It closed down. >> That was here forever.
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>> It was here forever. The best grilled lemon chicken salad and really good
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pastas. I worked there for about four and a half years. I read all that part of your book and
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then I started in the beginning this morning. It's really compelling. Thank you.
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>> It wasn't like oh we got a book we got to okay what Dana one was like very well
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written >> and I wanted to ask how old were you and how long did you go at cravings and when
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did you leave craving? How old were you? That's the only thing I didn't >> Yes. I worked at Cravings for four and a
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half years and um I I got Saturday Night Live when I was 30. So, but I had left cravings I think a couple years before
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that. >> So, from 23 and a half to 28, >> something like that. Yeah. About about
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like that. Yeah. But we had fun. It was It was a He Ibrahim, our boss, hired really good people. So, we would have
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parties at night and dinners. We We had a blast working there. >> That's right. In that strip where there
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you can sit on the street at Sunset. Right. Now, you It said here um that you were was it improv? And you would call
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people to come to your shows like a bringer show like you'd say. Is that true? you you made a bunch of phone
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calls. It said like 500 to get 200 people to show up. >> Yeah. I would use um I was it was before
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email, so I would um tell my customers, "Oh, I do this comedy show called the
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You got to come see my show. What's your name?" And they're like, "Oh, Ben." I'm
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like, "Oh, what's your girlfriend's name?" Melissa. Okay, Ben and Melissa.
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Give me your number. So then when I did a show in Santa Monica, I would pack the
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house with like 200 people and I would just invite one industry person per show and make it like this hot show. But um
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really I was calling everyone myself like, "Hi Ben, I met you at Cravings. Can you and your girlfriend Melissa come
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to my show?" "Yes." "Okay, great." And I would make all these calls. And when I
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got Saturday Night Live, I took that box of name and phone numbers that I'd saved
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from all my waitressing days and threw it in the dumpster cuz I didn't have to
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call anyone anymore to invite them to my show. >> That's nice. Like a robo light dumpster
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on fire or whatever. Sounds very dramatic. It >> does. at you. Sorry. >> So funny. No, I I didn't light it on
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fire, but it was dramatic in that I took that box and I was like, you know, all the little papers went flying.
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>> By the way, it worked. All that work paid off. So, you were a gogetter then.
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>> You got Marcy was who? Now, where did Marcy see you? Marcy Klein, talent
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coordinator for SNL. >> Marcy Klein came flew out. Thank you so much. Thank you. Oh,
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>> she's you almond milk. Can I get some biscotti? Molly some almond coffee in an
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Ellen mug. >> Yes, with almond milk. That's so nice. Um I >> just fill that anywhere, Molly. It
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doesn't matter. >> I Marcy Klein came out to see my stage show, >> the Saturday Night Live producer
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with management. Well, she wasn't a talent manager, but she was in charge of
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talent or something. Well, we had a couple of headings. Marcy. >> Yeah. She was the um producer, talent
00:07:39
coordinator, but she came out to LA and saw my show and loved it. And then she was like, I'm bringing you to to New
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York to audition for Saturday Night Live. So >> fun. Yes. >> Marcy was a big part of all that because
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>> Yeah. >> She was there when I was there. She was in on my audition. She was in on yours
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probably, huh? >> Nope. >> Whoa. Was at Dana's audition. Go ahead,
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>> Dana. This is a 30 second story about me. >> Okay. >> Uh I was on SNL. I played Brown
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University. >> Wow. >> And um there was a woman in front that was kind of heckling me or friendly or
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whatever. and she had gigantic hair. So I did a comedian's trick of calling her
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big hair woman that became a runner. It's an old comedian. So hey big hair woman. What do you say?
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>> So it ends up that was Marcy Klene. And then Marcy the year next year comes to
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SNL and I remembered her from Brown University. So when we have her on this podcast I'll I'll call her Big Hair
00:08:30
Woman. Oh >> she has an incredible performance. >> What famous singer was at your audition?
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>> Well that was I did it at in Santa Monica as well. a little club called
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Igbies. And Rosie O'Donnell was playing there and I had to ask her. I didn't
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even know Rosie O'Donnell. She seemed like the most confident person I ever met.
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>> Yeah. >> Could I lean in on your show and I'm going to bring Lauren Michaels? And then
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she said, "Okay." And we flipped the coin. I went on first, but Lauren walked
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in. >> Brandon Tardikoff, head of the network. I go, "God, I'm getting really nervous."
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And then Sher settled in. So that was my trio. Three shot. Here is your life. I if I didn't make it that night, I I
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think I'd be working at what was it? Car's car. Where'd you work? Cravings. I
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know it's gone, but I'd reopen it so I could work there. >> And how many minutes did you have, Dana?
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>> I I was actually doing the standup thing route. So, I had an hour, hour 10 of
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standup. >> Amazing. >> But you would audition at the comedy store and you do 5 minutes. Well, isn't
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that special? Get off. Didn't work. I bombed every time. I followed Kenisonson
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once. >> Dead silence. So this time I had 45 in a real club. >> Yeah.
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>> And I was just scared out of my mind. When when Marcy saw you >> Wow.
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>> Did you How was your nerve level at that point with your act? Did you were you
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getting really confident or a little Were you nervous when Marcy was there or she you didn't know who she was really?
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>> Let's see. She came to my Yeah. So she flew out and came to see my stage show
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which was about an hour, the Robin Molly show. And I was definitely nervous. I was Well, I was very excited that we got
00:10:01
her to come see my show. So I was just thrilled. So we kind of I had kind of taken off a year from doing the shows
00:10:08
because I was like I just I don't know if I have the heart to stay in this business. So really a year before that I
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really thought I might quit cuz and become a real estate agent or I don't know. I I but then I heard Marcy was
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coming to town. So I whipped together a show for at the last minute and I paid for the band and asked my partner Rob. I
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said do you mind could you do one more show please and I'll I'll take care of
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everything. I'll invite everyone. I'll just is all you have to do is show up.
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And he said okay. So, I was just really just excited that she was there and it was a great feeling in the audience and
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um so but yes, I'm sure I was nervous. But then for my actual audition flying
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to New York, I had 5 minutes at Standup New York with um Oh, wow. >> and I got to do characters and uh let's
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see. I'm trying to think. Yeah. So, that I was definitely very very nervous.
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>> Stand up. Well, I'm just interested, you know, if anyone's hearing this and
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they're like at a theater group in high school or something that you only Shannon was thinking maybe I gonna quit.
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Maybe I'm not going to do this. Of course, I think we all >> and then 18 months later or something,
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you know, a talent coordinator from SNL and then you're on your way. So, >> yeah,
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>> um we had reinforcing mechanisms being standups. That's how I made a living.
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So, I couldn't quit. But I I quit several times uh in college. I mean, I I bombed so bad. So, how did you deal with
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that? Were you Did you feel like you went into kind of a depression? >> Um,
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I wasn't like I never really got depressed for a long period of time, but I remember I had an audition
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um on a lot in the valley. I forget if it was CBS Radford. And I remember not being asked to stay. It was one of those
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things where you could see the girls who were they were going to say, "We're
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going to go straight to producers at 5:00." So, you kind of know >> they hang around.
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>> They hang around. kind of know >> and you say you can go. They go, "Yeah,
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and you get to know the girls on the circuit, kind of the comedy girls or groundlings girls." And I went and did
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my thing and they were just like, "Thank you, Molly." You know, like next. And uh
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and then I walked out to the room and you could see the girls who were being asked to stay and I was just like, "Bye
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everyone. Good luck." My heart melted, you know, >> crushed. And I went out to the parking
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lot and I saw this great actress named Katherine Lenasa and she's just so lovely. And she she was like, "What were
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you auditioning for?" And I I I I think I forget what it was, but >> she was just so casual. And I remember
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she was like doing stretches by her car, like ballet and stretching her leg. And
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I was like, "Oh, I wish I could be easy breezy like Catherine Lassa, not caring." And and I was feeling dark,
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like, uh, this is so so much rejection. And I think I'll just go to Gellson's
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and get a half a chicken and go home and close my shades and call it a >> chicken. That's so nice. It kind of
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sounds delicious though in a way. >> It's delicious. Yeah. And that is what I
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did. But um I just in that moment was like >> I don't think I have the heart for this
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anymore. This is just too hard. So much rejection. And so um that's when I gave
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up for a year. >> I would be sitting in auditions and it's so depressing with Brad Pitt next to me
00:13:10
and going like, "Are you reading for Hunk also?" >> Well, let's see who gets it.
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>> Uh let's stay friends after though if I get it. Anyway, I read for Paul Newman
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and Joanne Woodward. >> Did you really? >> They gave me a scene partner and I
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sucked. You've seen my movies. I mean, I didn't know what I was doing. So, Paul
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Newman's there and I'm in awe of Kooland Luke >> and he had these red socks on and John
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Woodward had a little dog and I just got confused and I'm with the scene partner
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and she was really good, but we just [ __ ] it up and we went outside the room and I go, "Man, that went bad." She
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goes, "You [ __ ] me, man." And Robbie Benson got the part. Robbie, if you're listening, you actually Benson
00:13:51
really did. >> Robbie, Harry and Tanto, it was called. Robbie Benson was is a badass actor. But
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yeah, I felt bad that I took her down with me. >> I apologize. I apologize to Sherot Terry
00:14:05
years later. No, I'm kidding. That's a joke. >> Were you just cold reading the scene?
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>> Yeah, you'd get it and you'd have you'd hold the script and you had a few
00:14:13
minutes to look over it. That was a terrible Were you a good auditioner, do you think, and just had bad luck? Or
00:14:18
were you I was >> Let's see. I think Well, what about what do you about you? So, I can't imagine
00:14:22
you messing that up, Dana. >> Um, I was terrified of acting. I was good like doing my own comedy,
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>> but I to me actors were it was I never took any acting lessons. I never did any
00:14:34
theater group. So, it was like what? I got to sound like someone else. It seems very easy now to me. Like I can really
00:14:40
act good now, >> but I'm a little late to the game. >> But you know, sometimes people look down
00:14:46
on you like if they hear you're a standup or maybe impro if you're with with actor actors and I've been in
00:14:51
auditions >> and they go, "Oh, so you're a stand-up." And I go, "Yeah." And I see them going,
00:14:54
"Oh boy." Like they know they think you're already they're already winning
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>> and they kind of are cuz it is harder. >> Yeah. >> I had I thought I was so naturally good
00:15:03
and I heard Eddie Murphy never took a class. So when I moved out here, I got some auditions right away cuz I was like
00:15:08
blonde. When I was 20, I looked 15 and then I was like, I'm so naturally funny.
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So I I didn't know what I was doing, but I'm just like reading and I was then
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they're like, he's horrible. Like they just go, he doesn't know what he's
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doing. I go, no, I'm naturally gifted. And I wasn't. And then I had to do two
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years of class cuz they they wouldn't bring me back for auditions. They said
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he's too green. >> Oh my god. >> And it was such all my heat went away. I
00:15:30
got to town. I had some heat >> and then it went away. And then two years later, I'd start again from
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scratch >> of like I know a little more. are like, I don't know how to hold the side. They
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don't look up or look down. I >> And you just need to have a little confidence to go in front of an acting
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teacher say when you walk in, do you do this? And she goes, no, that's a red
00:15:48
flag. Like, so then I just learned, oh, so if I just go in and I don't do these
00:15:52
things, at least I'm in the mix. I I read for Brandon Tardikoff. >> Did you?
00:15:55
>> And right before, he's going to give me a holding deal. It was already all set.
00:15:58
And I walked in and this [ __ ] Dennis, somebody, head of casting, I'm in the waiting room. I got a coach. I
00:16:03
went over my [ __ ] size. I didn't know what I was doing. And he walks in. And
00:16:06
he goes, "Oh, I think we're going to do these." >> And he switched it, took out of my hand,
00:16:10
put in a new thing. He goes, and I go, "This is a new scene." They go, "Yeah."
00:16:14
They go, "Ready for you." And I go, "No, no, I didn't have the balls." They go,
00:16:17
"Give me a second." I walked in, I just read it off the page. And they go,
00:16:20
"Thank you." And they go, "And my manager Ges, how'd you [ __ ] that up?"
00:16:24
>> I go, "What do you mean?" He goes, "There's no development deal. He he
00:16:27
said, "You're too green." I go, "Well, they did the old switcheroo on me." He
00:16:30
goes, "Well, no one's going to remember that part." I read a love scene with
00:16:35
Lynn Stallmaster in a room in a dark No, it was a guy, right? Lynn Stallmaster. >> He's a man, but it was just me and him
00:16:43
alone reading a love. I'm with this guy in a room. It's all and the lights are
00:16:47
down. I care about you so much. >> Don't you understand? >> Yeah. Well, I like you, too.
00:16:55
My name's Judy, as you know. You know, I mean, it's like So, >> it's so hard to Let's get back to our
00:16:59
guest. We do like to talk about ourselves. Wait, I have to ask one question. David,
00:17:08
how old were you when you came to town? >> 20. >> 20. >> But he looked 15.
00:17:13
>> But you could play. >> I tried to audition uh with your uh I had a box of props. Gross. And I and I
00:17:18
waited to improv. >> And you know what's funny? I had a Batman sweatshirt on to sort of signal I
00:17:24
liked comedy. Like this is kind of like >> a good idea. >> So gross. But I was like, I'm kind of
00:17:31
funny already, right? It was just a bat. I was like, huh? And like I crowd and go, you don't even need to audition. I
00:17:37
know you got something going on. >> That's funny. >> And so I go out and then and then Dana,
00:17:41
you might have done this. They go, every 3 minutes they pull it out of a hat. But
00:17:45
I think it's all rigged because it's even worse cuz you don't get sickened by
00:17:49
your audition. Every 3 minutes you're sick cuz they go, "Is this it? Jim Squankm. Nope. Nope. Got three more
00:17:56
minutes." And then every that's all until midnight. Then they go just go
00:17:59
home. That's it, folks. And I was like, "Oh, I never got picked." So I gave up
00:18:03
again for a year and then I came back to LA. See, everyone quit. >> Try again. Everyone quit. It's just the
00:18:08
way it is. You have to check. I want to hear what happened when you walked into audition room cuz when I walked into it
00:18:13
and I'd see all these versions of myself like really young men with no chins and and just sort of
00:18:20
like So I'm like, "Oh, this is me. I'm part of this tribe." So when you when
00:18:25
you walked into a Molly's channel, of Molly or was it >> I mean I definitely when I started to
00:18:32
get further along there were definitely like you know you probably oppos audition opposite groundlings girls like
00:18:38
really talented kind of that those really fantastic comedy girls. >> Um but before that no I don't think so
00:18:46
but I would usually audition for like the best friend or whatever that type of thing.
00:18:49
>> When did you get really when did you kind of or did you always have it cuz I
00:18:52
was reading your book last night but I just your internal confidence I'm always
00:18:56
fascinated by that. Is it? >> Cuz I would say mine would go up and down. Do you have do you have I mean is
00:19:02
there there's a Molly in there that goes, >> "Fuck these people. I'm [ __ ] great,
00:19:06
right? Get out of my way, you know, or or how do you process your talent and and what happened to you? How do you pro
00:19:14
or is it just surreal to you?" >> Um I think sometimes if I felt like I
00:19:17
remember auditioning for a commercial and uh I was a waitress at the time. I didn't have a lot of money, but they
00:19:23
were just like kind of rude. These like producer writers were all there and kind
00:19:28
of blaming the actors and no, you know, and it and uh I was just like and all these really cool actors were
00:19:36
auditioning and and then I went and did it and I think they weren't really paying attention and they're just like
00:19:41
acting disinterested and they were making everybody wait for a really long time. And uh I then I think when I was
00:19:50
finished I said you know the the problem you have is the writing. The actors are
00:19:53
all really good. These people are talented. You got to fix your script. This writing is not good enough.
00:19:56
>> A good one >> because I was just like I I just so I could be tough that way.
00:20:02
>> Um and just not care. If I knew that something was right, I would get I think
00:20:07
sometimes that's a good >> you know sometimes if you feel angry that can be healthy, you know, standing
00:20:12
up for yourself. I definitely did stuff like that where I was like, I don't give
00:20:15
a [ __ ] You know, >> they start treating you so shitty sometimes in those auditions. You go,
00:20:20
they don't even look up. They don't do anything. They know they're not taking
00:20:22
you. They look at you, look down, and go, "Oh, yeah. You're they're out." And
00:20:25
then they go, "Go ahead." And they go, "We're not doing the other scenes."
00:20:27
That's the worst. Cuz the person before you is there for 25 minutes and they're
00:20:31
laughing and chuckling and really clicking the heels. And then I read one scene, they go, "We're just doing one."
00:20:36
I go, "That last person did nine." And then they go, "Well, we're just doing
00:20:39
one with you." And I go, >> "Yeah." So I was so good I got it just
00:20:44
from that >> they're like we'll explain in the parking lot and get them out of here.
00:20:47
>> Exactly. And and I and understand I was working with the public all the time as
00:20:51
a waitress and so I was always polite and so I just thought it's Yeah. It's
00:20:56
disrespectful to treat people that way. So at any level I don't think that I
00:21:00
think supplanting anger for fear is just a nice move. >> You know like I have a fear of flying
00:21:06
and sometimes I'll just manifest anger to myself. [ __ ] this thing. Let's
00:21:10
[ __ ] light this candle. You know, it's just a good way to get aggression out, you know. Um,
00:21:17
>> wait, you mean that you So, you'll be >> fearful, anxious, >> to fly, and then you'll start saying
00:21:22
like, "Fuck this plane." >> Yeah. >> [ __ ] this. Let's light this candle. You
00:21:26
know, I don't know. A date is never me. I never see you mean to anyone though.
00:21:30
>> Um, I >> unless it's really really >> people like me. I'm a nice guy, which is
00:21:36
kind of It could be also what an obnoxious passive aggressive guy, you know. Uh, depends what song you like.
00:21:43
But, uh, I had horrible anger issues in my 20s and I would be nice until I wasn't nice. Never make a nice guy mad
00:21:50
cuz then they have all this suppressed anger stored up and I would go zero to a thousand with a bank teller or a
00:21:57
director >> and I never had a middle gear. Then I figured out I have all this anger from
00:22:02
my childhood so I've been better. >> It's like Molly said if you're bullied I
00:22:05
get that. I get bullied all the time. So all my whole life. So if you get pushed
00:22:08
around, you get this or someone's very disrespectful. I snap on a dime. >> David, did you get bullied when you were
00:22:14
a kid? >> Oh my god. Non-stop. >> You did. What? When you were in grade
00:22:18
school? >> I was a bit of a pipsqueak. I wasn't this strapping athlete you see today.
00:22:22
>> And I was always pushed around and I didn't have a dad, you know, and I was
00:22:26
mad my dad wasn't there. So one time I fought back on this kid in sixth grade
00:22:30
and he kept pushing me and hitting me for no reason and it was so humiliating. >> That's awesome.
00:22:34
>> And then I'm like it just came out like my dad left me. you want all this anger?
00:22:38
And I just went bananas on him. I'm sure you and he went down his back and I
00:22:42
started beating the [ __ ] out of him and the whole school was watching and they
00:22:45
and he crawled up and he goes, "The coach is coming." And he ran. The coach
00:22:49
was not coming. >> What was his name? I love Oh yeah. Sandler brings him Ronnie
00:22:54
Carrasco was my last fight. >> Ronnie Carrasco, you know, called me out in seventh grade. We're terrified all
00:23:01
day. They then this kid was like in fourth grade go, "We could hear the punches, man. We could hear the punches.
00:23:07
>> You just get them in a headlock. We you know. Anyway, by the way, >> I had boys in high school. I should say
00:23:14
all of their names right now because they deserve it. When when I would walk by, they would nay at me like
00:23:20
>> and it really hurt my feelings. >> Um all the time. I was like, what are
00:23:24
they? Why are they doing that? Do they think that I look like a horse? And um it was humiliating. And I wish I would
00:23:32
have spoken up or told, you know, the the head of admissions or the headmaster, but I never did. I would
00:23:37
just take it every day. And then I heard that it was because there was a horse named Molly in Animal Farm
00:23:44
>> and that was annoying. But every day so mean. >> God, if we can call those guys right
00:23:52
now, get it out. >> They were twins. >> [ __ ] Twins. >> No, no, I won't say.
00:23:58
>> All twins are on standby right now. new twins and another one and they were such
00:24:01
dorky twins. >> Sandler bullies me cuz we I told him that story one night 10 years ago and
00:24:08
then now we're like we're doing a gig in St. Louis and he looks out of the crowd
00:24:11
and he goes I think Oscar's here and I go get the [ __ ] out. Oh, he kind of he
00:24:15
knows it drops my heart. But is that like was he >> So you So you talk about him a lot cuz
00:24:23
>> I just did like to those guys just Oscar who just was rabbit punching me
00:24:29
which is legal. I'm talking to some people at little league and he just starts rabbit punching me in the back of
00:24:34
the head. I'm like >> that's a >> and then immediately a circle around me.
00:24:37
No, no, there's not a fight here. Wham in the face. I'm like I don't know. I
00:24:40
can't get mad. I don't know what we're fighting about. And if you'll explain it
00:24:43
to me, I'll gladly. >> Yeah. >> Well, at least it was outside the house.
00:24:47
I got I got beaten in the house and outside the house. >> No, but I kind of ran, which is
00:24:52
>> You did. Why, Dina? >> Well, Daddy liked to get a little He likeical throw things around a little.
00:25:02
>> There's plenty of people had a couple whoopins and I'm not sort of the drill
00:25:07
back then, >> but my childhood that's a whole other issue. guest to do that. If you don't start a
00:25:14
podcast, you're the most curious guest we've ever had. We can't even get to
00:25:18
>> Jana, you can't let that slip by me because now I have so many questions.
00:25:22
Wow. >> I know. Well, we'll we'll talk afterwards. >> Okay. >> When we interview rolling,
00:25:28
>> we're going right. >> I want to talk about >> Yeah, it is a lot of No, I have to ask
00:25:31
you about a standup comic named >> I don't like >> you did a character, right? I don't
00:25:35
remember. I think I remember Darcy and it was don't get me started. Were you
00:25:39
very like um >> very monotone? Is that what you're saying? >> Yeah, she's kind of like um on the
00:25:45
spectrum maybe, but trying to get into stand of comedy, has a lot of dreams, but really not gifted, but she's like,
00:25:51
"Don't get me started. Don't even get me started." And she does comedy that's
00:25:56
about dating, but she's probably like, you know, very out of touch with herself, but uh so she does, uh but that
00:26:04
I love doing that character. I did it at the very end of SNL and I purposely did
00:26:08
it to not get any laughs because I was kind of sick of always you got to make that I did the opposite where I just and
00:26:16
I really just did >> the jokes not really nailing it right. They're they're probably bad, right?
00:26:20
>> Yeah. Intentionally bad. I did intent and I did it to kind of make Jimmy
00:26:24
Fallon laugh and Will Ferrell laugh. It was really kind of just for them and the
00:26:28
audience did not get it at all which was perfect cuz I wanted it to be like dead
00:26:32
silent crickets and it took a while to get it on cuz you know if you put something through once and it doesn't
00:26:37
get on you really shouldn't push it again but I pushed it through again and it finally got on update and um
00:26:45
>> and uh it was great. And then >> Were you with Jimmy? >> I did it yes I did it with Jimmy. Yes, I
00:26:50
did it with Jimmy and then I did and then Scott Wayne wrote a version where I was performing at an old age home and
00:26:56
like don't get me started. Don't even get me started. >> Yeah, I remember that. You know, when
00:27:00
men leave the toilet seats up and she would do this dorky comedy about men versus women and um and um basically in
00:27:07
the sketch there were people dying in the old age home being wheeled out who would die. Their pulses stopped and I'm
00:27:13
still doing my stand up and I have no I don't the character has no sense so she
00:27:18
doesn't care if people are laughing or it was the most fun. >> So do you feel like you're more
00:27:23
confident like that? I feel like I was the most confident the day I stepped off SNL. I kind always have a part of me
00:27:29
like maybe two more seasons cuz I finally didn't give a [ __ ] in the best sense of of that expression. Did you
00:27:37
feel like at that point >> you're making Jimmy Fallon laugh? I mean you must have evolved in terms of just
00:27:43
you know after doing you did a 100 shows you just feel different about doing SNL
00:27:47
right at that point there's a confidence. >> That's true. Well I think Lauren's world
00:27:50
is so different than Hollywood. Like Lauren doesn't care what anybody thinks.
00:27:53
He's like I like them. He'll take somebody and he doesn't care. He does
00:27:57
his own thing. That's what I found refreshing. Whereas maybe I felt the town of Hollywood before I got SNL was a
00:28:03
little more like kind of people following people or you know Lauren just decides what he wants and he doesn't
00:28:08
care and they leave the world. They don't fight him on everything. >> Yeah. He's so good. So I really liked
00:28:13
Lauren's world and um yes I felt like it was like a comedy boot camp. I felt like
00:28:20
I I got to a point there where I really started to enjoy it. I was like you know
00:28:23
what? I'm not going to worry about if I get something on or not. I'm just going
00:28:26
to enjoy it like a creative arts camp. Like like I'm working with these amazing
00:28:30
writers and tal and such talented people that if I start to look at it more as like an arts camp, like a fun, you know,
00:28:37
that then I could enjoy it more. I mean, look, we all know it's competitive, of
00:28:40
course. But I I changed my philosophy about it like threearters of the way through through there and just started
00:28:46
to really enjoy it, like pretend like it's like like a summer camp for creative people.
00:28:51
>> Did people calm you down? Because when I I was battling nerves when we've talked
00:28:54
to Bill her and others around the nerves of SNL and then I'd come out and I would
00:28:59
see the church lady said and I would see Phil in his costume Phil Hartman and I would see Jan and they would call me
00:29:07
down. I'm like these are my people and love it. >> So good. It's so much fun to have people
00:29:11
that are pretty much whatever damage why we do this who we are in this little tribe against the world. It's nice,
00:29:18
isn't it? >> That is so cool. So what it sounds like what you're saying is that you would
00:29:22
just feel like you're just with them and you could like tune out the >> Will Frell there and you're walking into
00:29:27
the set or Anna you got somebody does kind of calm you down a little bit. You're more excited and you're in it
00:29:33
together. >> Exactly. I I actually Will and I wrote this sketch once where we were two
00:29:38
characters. We did it center stage so there's no excuse to not get a lot of laughs because it was easier. And we
00:29:43
were played two characters who'd recently lost 100 pounds and the sketch tanked. Not a laugh. But Will and I made
00:29:51
a deal when we went out there. We were like, "Okay, if if it's just crickets,
00:29:55
we're just going to commit harder." >> See, I love that. >> And we were looking at one another and
00:30:00
like a twinkle in our eye like, "Oh [ __ ] we are bombing." And then we just
00:30:05
performed it harder and harder like, "Can you believe it's 100?" And nobody
00:30:10
was laughing. I wish I could have a copy of this sketch. And it was just exactly
00:30:14
like you say, Dana, like such a bonding. It's like all I cared about was me and
00:30:18
Will. Will and me, nobody else matters. And this might be the most fun I have ever had. And I feel like you have to
00:30:25
embrace the bombing as much as the scoring because they really go together. You know,
00:30:32
>> it might be a clever bit because sometimes the audience doesn't if they
00:30:36
don't get it, they they sometimes feel like they're missing it and they go,
00:30:38
"This is good." Because in the old days, you do a sketch like Cheburger
00:30:42
Cheburger. They don't know why it's funny. And then they go, "Remember that
00:30:44
great sketch?" And Dan Akroyd goes, "Oh, Conan's bombed three times." It's like
00:30:48
they would just keep doing it and then finally it clicks in that and people go I love this one
00:30:52
>> and it takes a while to get why it's funny and and some it's not so easy
00:30:56
where it's just like joke jokes jokes or I'm a crazy character and they go I get
00:30:59
that >> but when you're doing something very dry that's fun and if if they stick with it
00:31:04
sometimes by the end of the sketch or the next time >> you know you did all all these styles
00:31:08
you do this sort of very subtle acting and uh >> and then you you're doing u
00:31:14
>> Mary Katherine >> Yeah >> Gallagher you And and so that would be
00:31:18
if the sound broke at a bar, they're watching SNL, the sound was off, >> that was still going to get laughs and
00:31:24
then it was also funny with the sound. It was like a atomic bomb of comedy, right?
00:31:29
>> Oh yeah. Oh, that's so sweet. That character was so fun. >> I mean, yeah.
00:31:33
>> Did you not audition for that or am I crazy? >> I didn't audition for that because there
00:31:36
was a woman who around town who was calling herself kind of the unofficial talent scout who I won't say her name,
00:31:42
but she was like, "Whatever you do, don't do that little character, Mary
00:31:45
Katherine Gallagher. when you audition for Lauren because if you do that you'll
00:31:49
never get hired. So I listen to her. >> Yeah. Isn't that crazy? >> What a brain.
00:31:54
>> I had it with church church lady. I had managers that that said uh you're doing
00:31:58
that too much in your act my stand up. You're coming off gay. You know this is
00:32:02
the 80s. So worst case >> scenario. I would only do five minutes out of a 75minut standup set. I'm only
00:32:08
doing five minutes. Nah, it's too much. You're coming off gay kid. >> Interesting. And did you do it for when
00:32:13
you had that standup audition when Lauren Michaels was there with Brandon >> Yes. Yeah, that was in my
00:32:18
>> quiver. And I bet Lauren loved it. >> Um Lauren was he said he knew at that
00:32:24
moment, you know, I I went through a further audition and I was terrified, but he he said he'd already decided at
00:32:30
that moment. And you had me at Lauren. I love that Lauren. You know what thing is
00:32:35
great about Lauren cuz you're bring making me nostalgic for him >> is that he loves funny people. He loves
00:32:41
us. >> We bomb him. He loves this. He just loves that we're doing this.
00:32:45
>> Yeah. Yeah. He really does. It's so sweet. He's >> He is truly a legend. And the thought of
00:32:52
him not being there is just h or I can't even imagine it. It's his show.
00:32:57
>> You mean this show? >> It's his show. They've integrated >> and and he has so much love. You know,
00:33:03
people don't know that about him. And uh he's such a deep thinker and loyal and
00:33:10
funny and so intelligent. And >> you still talk to him or do you ever >> Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah.
00:33:15
>> Well, he's fun to talk to. >> He sort of has this this uh you know
00:33:19
he's a little intimidated at first cuz he's so like but he's he's so vulnerable
00:33:23
underneath all that. >> It's still your boss always forever. It'll be like that's my boss.
00:33:28
>> Yeah. But he's sentimental. I mean now that I'm after I turn 60 I just tell
00:33:32
people I love them and stuff really casually. Sandler did it when he was in his >> coming off gay. You're coming off gay.
00:33:37
That's what Sandler said. So funny. >> Your agent calls you out of the blue. I
00:33:44
heard you told your friend you loved him. >> You're coming gay. ARE YOU STILL THERE
00:33:48
ON THAT LADY CHARACTER? DOUBLE GANG. >> GET OUT OF MY SIGHT. >> THAT'S WAIT, WHO'S THE MANAGER who said
00:33:53
that? You can't say. >> Oh, >> no. That's okay. You don't have to say.
00:33:57
You don't have to say it. >> Yeah. Uh, it was a, you know, look, they >> it was the it was the '8s and, you know,
00:34:05
whatever. I don't I don't want to say it was a big talent agency. And I I don't
00:34:08
think they were trying to [ __ ] with me. They really believe that because >> if you're not listening to the
00:34:12
character, well, well, well, it just sounds like, >> you know, you could say, you're
00:34:17
stereotypical. I'm playing some affeminite character instead of a church lady. So, a clever church lady
00:34:23
character. >> So, it's very clever. We should talk about the injuries you
00:34:31
took because that was a big part of your book as I am. >> I am okay. >> All right. Orthopedically
00:34:37
>> cuz I remember you threw yourself around like barley and he would be really in
00:34:41
pain and uh I think I remember when I was still there we had overlaps cuz we did play store. Dana, you guys were cast
00:34:48
members together, but and lovers. And you weren't >> Were I know you wrote, but were you also
00:34:54
paid as a writer or not? >> No, >> not the whole run. >> Oh, paid as a writer. No, just
00:35:00
>> that crazy. Everyone >> there. We all wrote >> I think my They dropped my writing
00:35:03
credit when I went full cast. Um, >> but it was But everyone still writes for
00:35:07
themselves obviously. And people at home don't know that if you write it's fun to
00:35:12
write with a writer from the show because you have to have someone watch it, you know, like from from the booth
00:35:18
when you're rehearsing. If you write it yourself and there's no one else
00:35:20
involved, who's watching? I don't even know who watches it. So, you have to
00:35:24
write to get yourself a writing job. >> Steve Corin, >> who did you write the best with?
00:35:28
>> Um, I wrote with so many different people like Paul Lel and Steve Corin and
00:35:33
um but basically it feels like I when I first got there I was I was so you know,
00:35:39
oh my gosh, how do you figure this out? But it just takes, >> you know, feeling comfortable with one
00:35:44
person in the room. I think you have to be able to be yourself. But I always tell people who are trying to get into
00:35:49
writing. Um, if you just have that one person you can be in the room with where you don't feel dumb throwing out ideas
00:35:55
and you can really fully be yourself, that's all it takes, you know, or write
00:35:58
by yourself. >> And if you're a writer, it's good to lock into someone else. That's good
00:36:02
because if you can write for someone, you see these writers that are like Tim Hurley, he's with Sandler for every
00:36:06
movie. Like there's a lot of people that are double up and they just do movie
00:36:09
after show after movie. >> And it really is important to find someone you can lock into. uh on the
00:36:15
show. I I think what I was saying about Mary Catherine is >> I think they were using steel folding
00:36:21
chairs and I remember going are those real steel folding chair. There's no she
00:36:26
keeps falling. >> I remember feeling worried for you. I mean I seen it live like whoa that
00:36:31
looked gnarly back onto whatever you're falling on. I didn't I was kind reading
00:36:36
your book last night like you you were like another type of Farley. I mean, I don't think many people threw themselves
00:36:41
around >> this the 8H like you did in that character and you kind of got in a
00:36:47
hypnotic state in a way or you'd be react I didn't feel the pain when it was going
00:36:52
on. I would throw myself into metal chairs and do crazy stuff >> and I look at that now and I'm like, "Oh
00:36:58
my god, I'm so glad I didn't break my neck or, >> you know, my back." Yeah. I wasn't even
00:37:05
thinking about that. But then the next day when I would wake up, I would be I would definitely feel like, oh, my
00:37:10
muscles hurt and I would have cuts and bruises and um so I would feel it the next day, but I also liked it because I
00:37:16
felt like I worked really hard and threw myself into the character and I really did want to perform and be physical and
00:37:22
be like the boys when I started and I really wanted to do that and then it also helped me kind of pour my nervous
00:37:28
energy into the character because I was so nervous. So the physical aspect of it
00:37:32
felt like a release. >> I got that. Yeah. And so how big how what was the evolution of that becoming
00:37:38
a movie? It would you did it and then you did it and then it became a huge hit and it was exploding when you come out
00:37:44
and you get applause. I mean that feels great, right? >> That feels so good. Um I guess
00:37:52
especially because well I uh it took a while to get on because I put it at the read through and then um Lauren liked it
00:38:02
right away. He was like, "Oh, let's wait and save it and we'll do it with Gabriel
00:38:04
Burn." And then he was Yeah. Perfect. >> So then Gabriel Burn came. But then when
00:38:10
it for the show order that that week for the dress rehearsal, it was on the B. It was at the bottom
00:38:17
and uh I was like, why why is this at the bottom? Which means it's probably going to get cut for the dress show.
00:38:22
>> It was late in the show. >> Um it was late in the show. The dress
00:38:25
schedule is not going to make it. Yeah. they don't have >> and so I that but that was kind of good
00:38:30
because like I thought h I'm going to have to show them and I think because I'd read it at the table they weren't
00:38:34
understanding how physical it was going to be and because I'd done it in my show
00:38:37
that character in my show for so many years I knew what it was when I did it in my stage show I would climb the walls
00:38:43
and get up on the rafters and they'd have to pull peel me down off the wall so I
00:38:48
>> and did you have the outfit sorry did you have the outfit in the stage show
00:38:51
>> and and no in the stage show I think I just wore a black skirt she became a
00:38:55
Catholic school >> that it was very funny look with the underwear and everything underwear.
00:38:59
Bobby socks. Yeah. So, go ahead. So, >> so then I thought I'm really going to
00:39:02
have to show them. So, that was kind of good. So, for the dress show, I just really went crazy performing it. And
00:39:10
people went crazy. It got such a great response. And then I went into Lauren's
00:39:16
office between Dress and Air to see what made it to the live show. And my sketch
00:39:22
got moved from the bottom of the show to the top. >> I was number one. That same thing
00:39:26
happened with a church lady. >> Is that right? >> Something about these characters. Did
00:39:30
you have the smell the armpits and superstar on the first one? >> I did superstar as a joke. I threw it in
00:39:35
for my friend cuz we used to always my friend Deborah Polmo as a joke. I I used to always go superstar just so I did it
00:39:42
for her. I threw I exited the stage as Mary Katherine Gallagher. Then I came back in and slid on chairs and just
00:39:48
under my breath went superstar for my friend at home watching to make her laugh. So it was just thrown back said
00:39:54
then we kept it in as like a >> ref then it became it's just like a great exclamation point someone who just
00:40:00
fell all over the place and owning it. >> Yes. Exactly. And it's also um
00:40:04
>> and so proud of it. >> Yeah. And it's a representation of my childhood of overcoming hard stuff and
00:40:11
still having resilience and hope and maybe stumbling and falling and maybe looks like they're not going to make it
00:40:19
and then they rise above the wreckage. It's a repeat dance of those themes. >> So you you were able to sometimes people
00:40:28
ask me where things came from and all that and I'm I try to come up with an answer and sometimes I'm not sure but
00:40:33
you were able for yourself >> to figure out at some point that that character was a manifestation of stuff
00:40:39
that happened to you. >> Exactly. >> And it was like self-care basically.
00:40:44
>> Yeah. >> I get to reenact this but be superstar at the end without what that's so
00:40:48
interesting. >> It's like healing. So before I was even in therapy, I would do the character on
00:40:54
stage and I remember a friend came once and they said, "Oh, that character, the
00:40:58
school girl, or it wasn't a school girl then, Mary Cathol seems, she seems angry." I was like, "Angry?" Really? I I
00:41:03
didn't I I thought, "Oh, that's interesting." >> But uh because the original scene was
00:41:08
just a girl auditioning to try to be in a David Lynch movie and we would just improvise and I'd be like, "No, no,
00:41:13
you're not understanding." And I have to prove myself and get this person to, you
00:41:17
know, like me and cast me. And so it's just a little exercise in trying to be
00:41:22
seen and understood >> and um so yes, so that's where art can like save people, you know what I mean?
00:41:29
That performance as a release >> and um does that make sense? So sometimes you can be in the in like in
00:41:35
so in your in your work and being creative and not realize what it is you're trying to express and not be able
00:41:42
to be objective about it till later. Does that make sense? Yeah, I think uh you know in a cartoon way I think that's
00:41:47
a really evolved way to think of things in that character. Um I did a lot of passive aggressive characters because I
00:41:53
had trouble expressing anger because I grew up with a lot of anger in the household. So you you were just taught
00:41:58
to suppress it. >> So Hans and Fron I don't know you kind of even looking me and you you know
00:42:05
church lady well you're don't quite know what you're doing. So all my characters
00:42:09
were kind of angry initially and passive aggressive. I guess that was healing. So, let me ask you a question. So, so
00:42:15
you felt so in your house, but you said that your dad could be really aggressive
00:42:19
and violent. >> Yeah, violent you had to did you what how did you survive it? Hey, Charles,
00:42:26
>> I'm going to disappear basically. So, we weren't like I asked Sandler about that.
00:42:32
Oh, and his family was just like they could yell at each other nose to nose. You want to get some ice cream? Okay.
00:42:38
You know, healthy. >> Yeah. >> This was not that. Yeah, it was the 60s,
00:42:43
five kids, a lot of independence. See you later, you know. So, I mean, I I survived.
00:42:48
>> What was your mom like? >> Um, she was sort of very sweet but very
00:42:53
dainty and and very much under his thumb and she was the artsy one. >> Interesting.
00:43:02
>> These big families, you know, we raise each other a lot. We scrambled. It was
00:43:07
like if there was sugary cereal, get it now, you know, that kind of stuff. So, um, anyway, it's very interesting. It's
00:43:13
always fascinating. Like David, he had an easy childhood, so it's still he's so
00:43:17
[ __ ] funny, but with just a Oh, no. >> David, you were raised by your mom.
00:43:24
>> Yes. I'll take this question from Molly. >> Yes. You were raised by your mom.
00:43:27
>> Uh, my mother, I was saying about Dana's mother, like it sounds like mine. She
00:43:31
was very like creative and she was a writer and she loved artsy stuff and always wanted us to do anything like
00:43:38
that that we thought was my brother was more artistic, you know, anything comedy, anything, she loved it. She
00:43:44
loved writing so she would always push that but that the dad wasn't around. I
00:43:47
think you had sort of >> uh the reverse of that with your mom and you had a tough uh I think it's funny
00:43:54
because all these comedians >> it just always sort of is the same >> type of story where it's just tough, you
00:44:00
know, and a lot of people have tough growing up. I mean that's we're not
00:44:03
we're not all >> and they're not all comedians. >> It's just that's why we're not that
00:44:07
special in that regard. But I did I was lucky to have a mom that was very, you know, she had it dealt some tough cards,
00:44:15
but she tried her best and the dad was around. But I think the mom really tried to make up for it, you know.
00:44:21
>> That's great. >> She was great. She's still around. Thank
00:44:23
God cuz that's a tough one. And uh >> I think that plays into everything, you
00:44:29
know. >> Yeah. >> It only takes one. It's like I think >> you need something. Yeah.
00:44:34
>> If you have one good parent, >> I like the figure of sweets. They say
00:44:38
having a champion. >> Yeah. >> And when I was reading your book this
00:44:41
morning, uh your dad became your your champion like you can do anything. My mom was like that with all of her
00:44:46
siblings, you know. >> So it was we did we were >> with all her children or all her
00:44:51
siblings? >> With all her all of us kids. >> With all of you kids, you know, so she was supportive that
00:44:57
way. >> Did she stay married to your dad? >> She did. >> She did. That's so interesting.
00:45:02
Interesting. >> Oh, 1940s, 1950. It's that generation. You don't leave. Well, well, let me ask
00:45:08
you this. So, so she um So, did you feel like you had to be more like her? >> No, I kind of I kind of took care of
00:45:19
her. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I was her surrogate husband. >> That's so interesting. That makes sense.
00:45:25
That's I had that a little bit with my father, too. There's nothing to be
00:45:29
embarrassed about with a >> Oh, no. It was It's just normal codependency. How do How do you get
00:45:33
attachment? How do you get love? And by behaving this way, you get it. You don't. I went to therapy, too. Maybe we
00:45:38
went to the same therapist. You are. I have to say, I don't know how much more
00:45:42
time we have. We've never had a guest quite like you. You're so interested.
00:45:46
>> You're interested in us and we love it. Narcissist. >> So interesting. Well, you guys are so
00:45:50
talented and and I have to say it's so fun doing the show because I would rather hear you guys talk.
00:45:56
>> Yes, we would too. We know that listening to this particular episode want to hear about Molly Canon, you
00:46:03
know. Well, I like talking about anything like that because I think that that's it's helped so much.
00:46:07
>> I like talking about >> therapy helps so much. >> Yeah. How long did you go?
00:46:11
>> A long time. >> Okay. I went five years, but maybe I'll I'll go back.
00:46:15
>> That's great. >> She's driving me nuts. Molly's got such
00:46:18
an interesting disposition cuz you're always upbeat and you're such a good
00:46:22
listener and even we don't have to talk about it but when we were at that norm
00:46:26
thing the other day um >> you're such a good articulate uh speaker and you speak from the heart
00:46:33
about any subject and just when out >> and you meet people you're just very
00:46:38
locked in. It's very you don't see that a lot. You think you do but you don't.
00:46:42
And so it's very uh uh and then your whole upbringing and just to this point
00:46:48
in your comic, it's just we're also been through the ringer in a weird way.
00:46:52
>> And uh it's funny cuz when you finally make it, you're like, "What the [ __ ] was
00:46:55
that about?" Like, "Was it worth it?" But you're very uh I just have to give
00:47:00
you a compliment that when you're out >> and about, she's got such a good vibe
00:47:03
about it. Everyone loves it. >> You must have a lot of friends. Is if you're a curious person, people like
00:47:08
that. >> That's You know what I was going to say? Don't you think like sometimes I think
00:47:11
going through that tough stuff when you're little does give you that kind of
00:47:15
command of an audience, that control? You have to have some kind of weird skill to be able to, you know, do what
00:47:22
you guys do like get get up and perform and know how to like hold a crowd. I mean, that's not an easy thing. How how
00:47:29
do you think your childhood gave you that ability to do to have that special skill?
00:47:35
>> Oh god, these are really good questions. It's maybe attention. >> I'm actually recording this. I Yeah, I'm
00:47:41
going to use it for my book. >> Dana. >> Hello, Dana. >> Well, hello.
00:47:49
>> Oh my god, it feels so good to laugh. >> One thing I will think though is I don't
00:47:54
like I feel like I feel like the healthier I become, I feel like >> I don't want to keep going toward those
00:47:59
old patterns of going toward pain or this or that you're not good enough. It's like, oh my god. After a while,
00:48:06
>> you know what I mean? when you have your health and this and that, be happy,
00:48:08
right? It's like, oh my god, give me a break. >> It's a great thing.
00:48:11
>> I have to ask you about the the show where you at QVC. It's called I love
00:48:15
that for you. >> I love that for you and we talk to your lovely co-star. >> Do you know we talked to your lovely
00:48:20
coach? >> You talked to Vanessa. >> I actually saw the first two episodes
00:48:23
last night. >> I saw one. That's so sweet. >> I love when you do characters and then
00:48:29
the character does a little character voice. >> Oh, >> it's so funny.
00:48:33
>> That's so such a specific thing only you could say. I love it. Just do a little
00:48:36
bit cuz you're like whatever you do. >> Well, she you're for the people at home.
00:48:43
>> Yes. >> For the I mean in their home. >> This is on Showtime. Vanessa Bayer.
00:48:47
>> Yes. I love that for you, Vanessa. Such a >> I love that for you. It's a really cool
00:48:53
show. >> You say what it is. >> Oh yeah. I play a host of a home shopping network and I'm like the queen
00:48:58
saleserson and I >> can sell stuff like this is the cutest little jar of sugar. You see, you know,
00:49:05
and Vanessa taught me how to do it, but this is what these women do, and they're
00:49:07
very good at selling. >> Very funny to watch. >> Yeah. But Vanessa grew up watching it,
00:49:12
so it's based on her childhood. And Vanessa Vanessa and I are both from Cleveland, Ohio. And
00:49:17
>> hilarious. >> Vanessa is another one who she seems almost like she could be a
00:49:19
psychotherapist, not an actress. She's very calm and real life. Did you Did you
00:49:23
find that? She's so grounded. >> You know, and you before Molly, you saw
00:49:30
one and she plays there the uh QVC girl. And it is kind of funny for you cuz I like it cuz it's very calming to hear
00:49:36
those people talk like you said and you're just so happy. I could just drone
00:49:40
on and watch them for a while because they're very interested in what they're
00:49:43
talking about. They're very interested in the audience and they're just talking
00:49:45
to you and they don't [ __ ] stop and it and it and they showed Vanessa going
00:49:49
through the audition process >> of that show and it seems very hard that show. It made me scared to be on QVC
00:49:55
because >> you you just got to run it and then they have a a graph showing when the sales go
00:49:59
down. Did you say something wrong? And you go and she accidentally um smells something and acts like it smells kind
00:50:06
of bad for a half a second and then he go the sales [ __ ] plummeted. >> Yeah.
00:50:10
>> Just now half a second cuz you didn't >> I have a friend who trained for it for
00:50:13
uh his for a shampoo uh line and he said he was terrible. But they they put you through training and there's a certain
00:50:19
type of language they have to use but he said if you talk about like mama or god
00:50:23
the ratings go up like my mama says you know this sugar is the best. Thank God for, you know, church on Sunday, you
00:50:31
know, sales tick. So, there's just certain things. >> I wonder what we should say in this
00:50:35
podcast to make our ratings go. >> No, you don't say anything. >> Hallelujah. David,
00:50:39
>> hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> Praise. No, I don't want to say that.
00:50:45
>> Um, >> I don't go for ratings. Yes, I do. >> Uh, no, I do. Uh, Molly, we
00:50:50
>> So, Molly, how do you uh how uh So, yeah. >> Do you like apples? >> Apples. What's your favorite? Have you
00:50:57
ever >> I know you like half chicken. >> Can I ask you a question? Have you ever
00:51:00
at a dinner >> been to like a group dinner and just there was like a little bit of a silence
00:51:06
or a lull in the conversation? Just said something just to fill the air. David, you go first.
00:51:12
>> That's all I do. >> That's a good one. That's all you do.
00:51:14
>> Yeah. I go, "Do you like apples?" I go, "I already asked you."
00:51:17
>> I go to I go to uh what's your net worth? That gets everyone going. That
00:51:22
gets everyone. Have you ever encountered anything supernatural besides meeting me? And then people have ghost stories
00:51:30
and that I did that with Julie Roberts and Tom Hanks and these people at this Shakespearean comedy ghost sto
00:51:38
>> Tom would have you would go on you would do Shakespeare but you could do it any
00:51:42
way you wanted. So I was just doing it like hey how you doing on Shakespeare? You know it's like and it's a big
00:51:47
charity event he does and this was 10 years ago. So then Julia Roberts and all these actors and we're all around the
00:51:53
table and it's be a little bit of like that small talk. Well, I think so. You
00:51:57
too. And I go, "Have you guys ever seen a ghost or any supernatural thing?" And
00:52:00
then everyone has a story. >> Yeah. So Molly Shannon, >> that's great.
00:52:04
>> I ask you, yeah, do you >> have you ever encountered >> a UFO? Something you couldn't explain.
00:52:11
It kind of freaked you out. >> Um I you I lived in this apartment in Hollywood that man Ray used to live in.
00:52:16
I like your question, Dana. And um when I was a struggling actress with my roommate Brian Donovan and it had
00:52:21
cathedral ceilings and it was across an El Poo logo on the corner of Fountain and Vine and I had just like a lot scary
00:52:29
over there. >> Yeah. A little scary old Hollywood >> Franklin Hotel or something. Yeah.
00:52:34
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's just >> It's a bit sketch though. >> And um and um we live there together.
00:52:40
And I remember I we had a party and this guy this like guy who was at the party was like them's ghosts in here and I I
00:52:49
said really where's he from? >> He was from Arkansas. >> Does that scare you though about ghosts?
00:52:54
That would scare me. >> No, cuz I didn't really believe but I would have dreams at night. I don't know
00:52:57
if it was sleep paralysis but I would have a dream where I was being held down in only in that apartment.
00:53:04
>> Did you have you ever had that? >> I had it at Sanro Ranch which I made my
00:53:07
wife. We left the hotel in the middle of the night. >> Why? >> I had it twice and I'm like, "What the
00:53:12
[ __ ] is this?" >> A push down like a feeling >> you they It's from nightmares. The
00:53:17
feeling of a horse lying down on you. >> And then I had the house we have up in
00:53:21
Northern California. It's from 1909. I had it in there also. White noise I had
00:53:25
in there, too. Why is everyone sleeping? When I was What the Where's that? >> Yeah. Your brain, but I'm not afraid of
00:53:35
anything anymore really at this age. That's so good. >> But what happened? So was this ghost.
00:53:39
Did you meet the ghost? >> That's all. No, but I would just feel like I was being held down or I would
00:53:43
feel like there was somebody at the edge of the bed holding my feet down and then
00:53:47
I would wake up and it was only in that apartment. When I left, it never happened again. Isn't that weird?
00:53:51
>> We got a call. We get Dan Akroyd on this podcast. He loves this stuff. Dan's into
00:53:56
it. Wow. He would really be fascinated by that. >> But you weren't I would be scared
00:54:01
shitless. >> Yeah, I was a lot. >> When I hear any noises, I'm scared. And
00:54:05
I had another scary thing at that apartment too where there was in my bedroom a peeping tom in the alley like
00:54:11
I saw a head while I was changing and I was like peeping to. And so then I ran out to the front and called the security
00:54:19
guard. I was like Andrew, Andrew, come here. Come here. Hurry, hurry. And he came came into the door and I almost
00:54:26
have to get up and demonstrate, but I don't want to go away from the microphone. Walked in and um came in.
00:54:31
What? What? What? And then while he was in the door, he got in and then he slammed the door shut with his foot. And
00:54:38
it was within seconds that I realized, oh no, that was him. And now I just let HIM INTO MY APARTMENT.
00:54:44
>> OH WOW. >> ISN'T that scary? He was like this. I'm going to demonstrate. He was like, what?
00:54:48
Molly standing up and closed the door, >> kicking her foot back. >> Scary.
00:54:53
>> And now you locked him in the room with you. >> Then he was in the room. I I did quickly
00:54:58
get him out cuz my I just was >> You figured out then you realized >> in the hell I didn't see anything
00:55:06
anymore. You can go now. >> Yeah. I was like you think there's a killer.
00:55:12
>> Here's what he should have done, Molly. He should have closed the door while you
00:55:14
were behind him and he should have gone, he's not in the alley anymore. And then
00:55:18
he goes, he's in your room and turned to you. >> Oh my god. >> And then you would have gone, oh my god.
00:55:25
>> Oh my god. Did you ever see that movie when a stranger calls calls come from
00:55:29
inside the house? I don't want you to do that to me. I can't. >> Lives alone in a 19,000 foot house with
00:55:35
no security. >> Are you David? >> Well, I definitely haven't seen any
00:55:38
scary movies. I would not see it. There was no I didn't see the exist. I didn't
00:55:42
see any of the biggies. No >> no. Why am I inviting? I have enough nightmares. I want to add
00:55:49
more room. Stressful. All right, Molly, let's let's get Molly out of here. She's been
00:56:00
great. >> We have one final question. >> Yes, she's the greatest guest ever.
00:56:04
>> What did you eat for breakfast? Dana first. >> Dana first. >> Dana first.
00:56:11
>> The same thing I have every day. Molly, I had uh one egg and and one egg white.
00:56:17
>> Um I had um some avocado I sliced up. I had a half piece of sourdough. >> You're gay.
00:56:24
>> Toast. You're gay. You're getting >> That's the name of the episode.
00:56:30
>> So, avocado toast and those two things. And then my wife made a thing she calls
00:56:34
a green drink. A little bit of pear and spinach >> and stuff like that. And
00:56:40
>> that sounds so >> What did you have? That sounds exactly the kind of breakfast I Yeah,
00:56:44
>> I had a Gson's half a chicken. No, I just had a smoothie. I had a banana
00:56:49
almond milk smoothie right before I came. >> David, what did you have? >> You know, uh, the big story is when you
00:56:57
said that about Kelson's, when I moved out here to stay with the Funny Boys to
00:57:00
do stand up, I had no money. >> Yeah. >> And I just had change. >> Yeah.
00:57:04
>> And he goes, "You can keep the There's change up on the counter if you want
00:57:06
it." So, I felt so embarrassed, but when I went to do stuff, I would scrape the
00:57:10
change and I went to Ralph's on fountain way down there. >> Yeah. >> It was Ralph's or something. And then um
00:57:16
I went and I got the rotisserie chicken in the thing, same thing. And just took a lot of food. I ate and they come home.
00:57:24
I go like I really went at it cuz I haven't eaten all day. And then I know if I get a spot
00:57:31
at the improv, you get a free pineapple chicken where it's like a little breast
00:57:34
with a pineapple circle on top. Woofed. Yeah, cuz that was it. You don't know
00:57:39
where the next one is. >> And so but this morning, eggs. >> Oh, eggs.
00:57:43
>> Eggs. Scram. And uh the only interesting thing I have well done bacon. That's not
00:57:48
that interesting. And then I have a little >> What's your plain oatmeal, sir?
00:57:52
>> A little plain oatmeal. No bread. >> Yes. >> Don't wait. I try not to eat too much
00:57:57
wheat now. God, we're so old. Sourdough. It's the most benign. Come on. It's Joe
00:58:02
Biden. It's sourdough. >> Okay. >> I don't say inflation. I'm doing Biden.
00:58:07
It's inflation. The Pirates of the Caribbean. >> Is it a joke or is it no joke?
00:58:12
>> It's no joke. >> It's no joke. No, we're not getting around here.
00:58:15
>> Biden's always >> final question. Oh, we getting the last one on her.
00:58:19
>> Yeah, if the decks are clear, the kids are great, everything. What's a Molly's
00:58:24
super day like your mental health day? This is Molly's day off. >> Okay, I like that question. Um, I would
00:58:31
I definitely like to exercise because it relaxes me. >> You go for a hike.
00:58:35
>> Run. A run. >> Yeah, run. I ran this morning cuz it calms me down.
00:58:42
>> I just can't do it anymore. I hike though. >> Oh, hike. Well, hiking is so good.
00:58:45
>> It has to go up a hill though. >> That's amazing. >> So, you start out with a run.
00:58:48
>> Running and I will listen to a good podcast or or interview or you know the
00:58:54
daily or NPR or books on tape. So, I I'll do that while I'm running. >> Okay.
00:59:00
>> And then, um I also like swimming. So, I I a good day would be to swim for 1
00:59:05
hour. >> Wow. Yes. You're my hero. That's what I want to do. >> It makes me feel so happy. I've been
00:59:10
starting to to attempt to do it cuz they have a little pool at this one house we
00:59:14
have. >> Oh, that's so nice. >> So, how do you So, you where do you go?
00:59:16
Where do you swim? >> I swim. We have a pool in our backyard. >> So, it's like 40 ft or 30 ft. 40 ft.
00:59:22
>> Um, I'm not sure. Yeah, maybe. >> So, you get you go back and forth. Are
00:59:25
you switching strokes? You work on those. >> I just do the breast stroke the whole
00:59:28
time. And I also listen to interviews when I'm swimming. >> Do you get your hair wet?
00:59:32
>> So, how do you do that? >> I just not getting electrocuted. >> I just have a speaker. I don't have the
00:59:36
ear pods, but I just have a speaker. So I'm really like, you know, >> or you're kind of like this and it's on
00:59:40
the side of the pool. So you come out, what gets you more >> just zen down, the run or the swim or is
00:59:46
it just the two together? >> That's a really good question. I would say what do you think?
00:59:51
>> I I'm just coming on to the idea of swimming. So I feel like especially if
00:59:55
it's deprivation where you have earplugs and it's like people come out of the
00:59:58
pool like whoa. Yeah. >> In my olden times, my other times I think hard cardiovascular breaking a
01:00:04
sweat. >> Yeah. >> But basically, let's put it this way. your perfect day. It's 10:00 a.m. and
01:00:08
you're basically blasted in a good way. >> Exactly. >> After your run and you're out, so you're
01:00:14
just like this and now what do you do? >> Exactly. Then I guess if it's like a
01:00:18
perfect day, too, I might go to a steam get a nice steam or sauna and it makes me so relaxed and I might bring
01:00:25
>> super relaxed. >> Well, you're asking like a really fun day. This is like this would be while my
01:00:30
kids are in school if I have a little bit of free time. >> The decks are clear. Then I would maybe
01:00:35
I I mean if it's a dream day, maybe I would I I mean I haven't done this for a
01:00:39
while, but I would love to go to a pretty park in nature and sit and do creative visualization. If you're asking
01:00:44
for a dream day, >> like a meditative >> meditative kind of writing,
01:00:49
you know, some part of these things you do all the time, but now it's loaded
01:00:52
into one day. >> Yeah. Loaded into one day. But then um let's see what you go out to dinner with
01:00:57
your husband. >> Oh my god. Well, that's later. say after I pick up the kids.
01:01:00
>> Um my husband likes to stay in and cook. So I don't but but I love going out for
01:01:05
dinner with friends, but he likes to cook cook dinner and stay in. And of course my ideal my favorite thing is
01:01:11
just spending time with my children. So >> they're 17 and 18 and I I'm going to
01:01:16
pick my son up today at school and my daughter and I are going to get acupuncture today. So I like stuff like
01:01:21
that, you know, stuff that makes your body feel good. >> Yeah. Do everything to make you feel
01:01:24
better. Do you watch any entertain? Do you watch movies? You watch dramas when you
01:01:29
>> Yes. I just finished watching the Dropout Mike Show Walter show with Amanda Seafed. I loved it. That was so
01:01:34
good. And my husband and I love documentaries. >> We're watching um Love on the Spectrum
01:01:39
right now on Netflix. >> Watching that some high fives in the room. Love on the Spectrum.
01:01:45
>> Just watch Pam and Tommy. Um was it Did you watch it? Was so funny. >> Tommy's sons bought my old house in
01:01:52
Nino. >> Really? I just saw a picture of that. Oh, and um >> they're in my recording studio and in my
01:01:58
pool. >> Oh my god. >> But I'm happy for them. Go ahead. >> And um yeah, but no, yeah, my husband
01:02:04
and I love documentaries. That's our favorite. >> Yeah. So, watching TV with your husband,
01:02:08
hanging with your kids, >> hanging with my kids, jacuzzi, meditation, park, relaxing,
01:02:14
steam. >> Okay, I like that answer. That's I'm relaxed just hearing that.
01:02:19
>> Oh, good. And just hanging out in the house is so fun with my kids. There's
01:02:23
nothing that makes me happier than just having a free day where you could just stay stay in your house and do whatever
01:02:29
you want. I love that. >> Yeah, I I I love being a dad. I love love that hanging out with my kids.
01:02:34
>> Is it the It's the greatest. Yeah, me too. It's my >> Well, Molly Shannon is her tell me your
01:02:39
book. It's called Hello Molly. >> Yes. >> A great title. >> Yeah,
01:02:42
>> cuz it's just you can never forget it. >> I love Molly. I don't think it's so
01:02:46
clean. It's not like my journey to the thing. What was the name of your book,
01:02:49
David? It was >> stupid. It's not Hello, Molly. I'll say it was Mine's harder to do.
01:02:54
>> What was it called? >> I think it was called >> Oh, one of them was called This is a
01:02:58
good one. A Polaroid guy in a Snapchat world. >> But guy in a Snapchat Snapchat
01:03:06
>> cuz I talk about how the difference is when I grew up. Now it is now everything's different.
01:03:10
>> I like that title. So I like it. But hello Molly. So clean. Boom. And it's
01:03:15
off the title. >> You sing it. That's what's good. >> And you're also I love that for you.
01:03:19
She's won awards. She you've worked consistently ever since you left SNL. It
01:03:23
seems like you're always doing stuff with Will and you they're hiring you for
01:03:27
this and that. Now you're in this show. >> Life is good. >> You're healthy. You can run.
01:03:33
>> You can swim. We learned. >> Yes. >> Stroke only. >> Well, you don't you do you don't get
01:03:37
your hair wet. That's what we we people want to know. >> If I have a I know. I like that that
01:03:41
you're asking, David. If it's a nice blowout, I would probably toss it up cuz
01:03:44
I wouldn't want to ruin it. And then you're going above the water and just a
01:03:48
very meditative back and forth. >> Yes. With with some good reading material. Maybe I would listen to listen
01:03:54
to a New Yorker article on autumn the hour. >> I love that about modern digital
01:03:59
technology. You just you're driving and you can listen to World War II books and
01:04:04
like so Hitler decided it was too late, you know? I mean, I just can't get enough of that stuff.
01:04:11
>> That is that right, Dana? >> Oh, I love documentaries, too. I I kind
01:04:14
of like everything. I'm if wife wants to watch The Crown, I love The Crown and I
01:04:18
like 2001. I see that every year when she's not around, you know. So, I like I
01:04:23
like all of it, but I mostly like dramas and adventures and stuff. >> Yeah.
01:04:28
>> Did you see the original Staircase documentary? It's on Netflix now. That's
01:04:32
excellent. >> About the guy who maybe pushed his wife down the stairs. >> Yes.
01:04:36
>> That's a good one. >> You know what those things If you want to look for dysfunction, Cowills.
01:04:41
>> Ooh. about a 60s pop band, family band. It's about their dysfunctional family.
01:04:46
Very reminiscent of mine in some ways, but it's also their fame and their trajectory. The Cow Cells, I think it's
01:04:52
called, on Netflix. >> Oh, that sounds good. >> Ted Sarandis' um cousin. So, I also
01:04:58
support Netflix on this podcast. >> Call us. >> All right. Bye, guys. Nice to meet you.
01:05:06
>> Okay. Yay. >> Part two. Hey guys, if you're loving this podcast,
01:05:11
which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app, give us a review, fivestar rating, and maybe even
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share an episode that you've loved with a friend. If you're watching this
01:05:22
episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now. >> Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey,
01:05:27
an executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman, Mattie Sprung Kaiser, and Leah
01:05:35
Reese Dennis of Odyssey. Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman and the show is produced and edited by Phil Sweet
01:05:42
Tech. Booking by Cultivated Entertainment. >> Special thanks to Patrick Fogerty, Evan
01:05:47
Cox, Mora Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Shuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gainner, Sean Cherry, Kurt Courtourtney,
01:05:58
and Lauren Vieiraa. >> Reach out with us any questions to be asked and answered on the show. You can
01:06:03
email us at flyinthewala.com. That's audacy.com.