RE-RELEASE - Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd Paul Rudd who's who's kind of the ageless Movie star of our times Yeah, there is something weird about that. He's so he's a good-looking youthful glow. Yes, and he's Funnies he gets to do both he gets to drama and funny and I think he's a five-timer over there at SNL hosting and Obviously who's ant-man, but he's in the Marvel verse or whatever it's called and He does a lot of stuff. He was in friendship a movie that just came out What what a good time he comes he likes to come and have some laughs Mm-hmm, and he's excited to meet you Yeah, we you know, I calmed him down. I go look I'm just a person Yeah, we talked about his career. I remember asking him this question When when did you feel rich or what was your first big paycheck? You know and that was he had an interesting answer for that takes a long time to build up to something That's substantial even though you got a big movie star, you know, it's hard to negotiate that spoiler alert. It was the Queen Mary and He has a Really cool Paul McCartney story. Oh, that's right. You know me. I can talk about anything beatily forever Let's let him tell it here. He is Paul Rudd Five time yeah, remember the five-time hosting club. Yeah We're gonna go over a clueless. He launched pretty fast. Yeah, Halloween Halloween six I was in Halloween to Stacy dash was in moving. I was in moving so six degrees I read for moving for real and you're moving. Yes, you move a lot No, I read for the movie moving and they said And I said oh fuck for the schizophrenic guy who takes who does he goes crazy and takes priors car across? Yeah, yeah, you're okay. Paul. Did you read for that part? No, I didn't you know, I was still in college I remember when it came out and Hmm, it was very exciting, but I never you know, I was just still in school I never it was it was a little bit before my My time in the industry he turns down movies right now. That's all you do is turn down. Oh, yeah It's a did said a daily occurrence. Yeah, that's all the stuff. I'm turning down. They used to call Kevin Klein Kevin decline No, that was I don't think call Paul Rudd, but what I got exhausted. This is quite a resident. I know it's where do you start? It seems like a dream if I had a kid come out of college, I would write there's no declining there It's yeah, I'll do it. Sure. Great all quality work. Where do I sign? You know, you you produce you co-write you co-wrote the sequel to Ant-Man. Is that right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, the the first one and the second one. No way really now. I didn't Write that one, but I did so they come to you as an actor And then they say and then you say well, I'd like to co-writer they offer it or how does that? No, it just kind of happened It you know that when a man first started it I was cast in that movie by Edgar Wright who was the original director and There was a script and then they wanted to do something else and then there was another script that they had hired from They had written another person or another two people. I don't know had written another script Edgar left the project. There was another Script that came along and it just seemed like it was a little all over the place and When we were looking at other Directors Adam McKay came in and then he and I were talking we were talking about what we could kind of do with the movie And then they hired us To write it the two of us. So oh cool Adam and I kind of hold up in a In a hotel room for a couple months and then just really tried to cruise through that But he's such a great. I mean, you know, yeah, okay I would say the two of you in a room writing and making your choices. No wonder it was a hit I mean Adam is brilliant. You're I don't think I was not aware But now I look at all the hits you've had. I'm assuming you had a hand in all of it You sometimes you're a hired actor, but you just seem like you'd say to Judd Apatow. You know, how about if I do this? Well, I think you guys know yeah, the way I think worked with a lot of the same people there does seem to be a Lot of improvisation or every you know a kind of a collective effort on you know, certainly with the way Judd works We're all kind of things together and do your Judd. That's all It always sounds like he's got a little bit of a yeah, he's a blow his nose Oh, this is great. I love your idea. This is a bookmark impression. I've worked on I really love your idea It's Judd doing Regis all my precious start Are you ready for this? She said what's with the Shanley? My job was that was that was my Judd as Regis Just looking at the diary's a Shanling I don't do that's my that's so great. I love that. That's like my Biden always ends with Pirates the Caribbean Just makes me happy. It's just people all this out of flation a parrot a parrot is a parrot of the parrots of caravan so the idea that you're Regis always ends with Shanley. It always ends with Shanley. Shut up. What are you doing? Yeah, that's the kind of yeah I'm a bigger fan. Well, Paul. I know Dana's kind of screwing around, but I'm doing an interview here Okay, you did Walter Cronkite. Yes I'm actually when I saw Ant-Man I don't see all the Marvel ones because Part of me is you know, obviously a little jealous, but some of it is like when you when you have Well, when you have this I can't help it, but when you have to please the whole world It's still different than doing an artsy movie or like, you know, maybe even anchorman or movies that are just to like This is fun for just comedy fans. I kind of like the joke on the jokes kind of stuff And then when you do something that's for the world It's probably gets a little water down because you know, it's got to be for everybody and that's just the way it is And they do well, but when I saw Ant-Man I was surprised that it was had so many clever moves to it that by the time it ended I thought During and I thought oh might this might be a phase But then it held all the way through and that made me go see the second one and the same thing happened And I thought oh, that's cool because this Ant-Man wasn't probably one of the ones It was the biggest ever that they were gonna make but turns out to be one of the funniest and best ones Oh, well, thanks man for real for real. It did it did seem like it was a little those ones were a little different than the Than the rest. I mean they were they kind of existed even though they were part of that Marvel universe They existed in their own space and they were a little smaller and You know it that the whole thing really is run by Kevin Feige the guy who does You know who orchestrates kind of most of that Marvel University Kevin Feige's are actually a He's a pretty big comedy fan and a lot of the stuff that he likes and I you know, I got to know him while we were making these it's really kind of abstract funny not, you know, particularly crowd-pleasing stuff and I remember we were Atlanta filming I think it was this it was either the first or second Ant-Man. I don't remember but no, it'd be the first one and Tim and Eric were on tour and went I was gonna see him and Kevin went went with me we went backstage afterward and he'd never met Tim Heidecker and he and here's like the head of Marvel kind of You know fanboying out on Tim Heidecker because he just loved all the crazy stuff he was doing and he's actually in the second Ant-Man and in the first one Greg Turkington who plays Neil Hamburger for those real deep comedy fans deep and does on cinema at the cinema With Tim Heidecker. He's in the first Ant-Man. So, you know, there's a big contingency of on cinema at the cinema Fans Kevin being one of them. It's it The layers of the onion go that's nice though because also those days when you know someone's come to the set that you kind of know or something That's always a fun day on the set Yeah, did you and Adam McKay ever write something and you said let's just put it in They're never gonna go for this and then they were maybe surprised. I Remember Know anything that they went They went with I remember We thought oh, this would be cool like we're in the first one without you know, it's we were also kind of trying to retain or go with what we read in Edgar's version He wrote with a guy named Joe Cornish that we thought was great and there's this heist movie But we put in this idea that like what if he does a test run and actually accidentally fights an adventure That would be really cool and we were laughing about it and we put it in and we did wind up shooting it but I think in the second one we talked about the Villain being kind of this thing that went from person to person We love the idea of having Nathan field or be the bad guy because it just seemed like a really weird choice and funny Yeah But then when you're and then it would hop from person to person and I guess when you're villain is an invisible gas It doesn't they don't really feel like they're gonna make that movie. I Remember we liked that idea. I think most of the ideas we had that we really liked didn't get made Oh, okay. Wow, we sound a little bit bitter You're not at all I do still want to see Nathan fielder is a villain in a movie. Oh, yeah, that's that's a perfect choice Nathan for you. That's never show, right? Or Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was by the way. I think one of the funniest shows at the last Two decades. Yeah. Yes. I totally concur So you get it you do ant man in your how big so you're already a superstar I'll just say it or yes star. I'll say then you're in a marble thing and How does that? What's that like? It's like your fame went to this other idea, right? I mean the whole thing was is was and is strange because it's not really I never saw that coming I certainly didn't imagine that You know years later, I would still be kind of doing something like this. I was never a comic book reader I was that was not my world really And while it's been, you know, an amazing thing to be a part of for sure The whole thing kind of over time Just it became so much bigger and a bigger thing in my life where I would go outside and people would just yell ant man and that You know, and it's such a global thing It's me. You know when you go to the airport. Yeah, I just had this one. I was good the people that Aren't fans, but they have pictures and all these, you know, Funko pops to sign on yeah And they literally like hate me, but they want me to sign everything and then a second I stopped signing they hate me worse. It's just the weirdest thing that's turned into oh my god I have fans and then oh I took me a lot of figure out these aren't fans at all. They just Signed Yeah, that's that's it. That's true. That's they're like trading baseball cards and they all hang out at the airport It's a weird thing. Yeah, and I got I got there were the gate Dana in Wisconsin I go, I go I go I'll sign one each of these things But what which then they hate me immediately, but then I go just how do you know what my flight is? How do you know anything right? They're like no, no, it's all cool I go no, but you're at the gate and then they yeah, no matter how many times they say no All the way down to baggage and then they still hold them out and I go did I change my mind last five seconds? And then they go all the way to my car then I get mad. That's always weird because I'm not in a Marvel movie. I'm just like I just I don't get it and then you're not you don't even like me What are we doing? They manipulate me by saying you're nicer than spade. Yeah, I just keep going I am No, I'm nice. I'm nice. I'm nice. I imagine there you get no there are fans there They want you like a Joe dirt poster or Don't you rack your brain for no one like all that stuff you yeah, you can present a move. Yes. What's that? Emperors new groove. It's a David's animated hit. Yeah, oh Paul I don't want to over talk about it, but you know when we started though. What was it like on groove? You know who's on it at first with me. Hey, how's it going Owen Wilson? You know, we could we could go to Argentina and go surfering if you want to Yeah, there you go now I used you know what I worked I love There was a moment when you know around me kind of can't help but fall into an Owen Wilson voice He's so different. It reminds me of well, there's there's Woody Harrelson Billy Bob Thornton and Owen Wilson It just seemed to have this different frequency the way they're navigating life. Mm-hmm. They talk weird They say things different, but they're so charming, you know, let's say they say everything at kind of their own speed their own vibration and Owen is a really I mean like he's brilliant. He's a really smart guy. Yeah. Oh, yeah Hey, and you know, we worked on this movie together and there was this scene that We were talking about what the definition of love was to us our characters It was and we kept doing it over and over again and and and then the next day he said, you know, I remember this article I Read in the New Yorker and it was that it was from like 10 years ago or something and he had found a copy of it and Printed it out. I thought who remembers an article they read in New York There was somehow applied to the scene that we were talking about. Yeah, I'm shocked. He has a printer Did they have a definition of love? I'm trying to have someone ask me that. I'm not sure. Yeah I think the Owen is it's Owen and then a door opening. Yeah Yeah, what is Owen turning into Regis Philbin? You know, are you ready for this? We could go surfing in Argentina but I Sent him a with my phone painting that I did he goes we got another Basquiat on our hands He's a big art collector and extremely well read. Yeah, and Billy Bob Thornton is his own other lane You know, he talked about the 2016 election all he said to me was that we got some John Wayne shit going on Just stuff like that. Just taking the whole election and distilling it A great story like monsters Inc stays with you forever and Disney Plus is where you'll find your next great story from the return of the award-winning hit series Rivals welcome to the naughtiest show on television to the unmissable crime drama High potential a lifetime of great stories awaits this spring on Disney Plus 18 plus subscription required T's and C's apply. Hi everybody I'm Maury povich on my podcast on par with Maury povich I'm gonna sit down with the icons the stars and the faces at the very center of today's big cultural moments with everyone from Comedians Josh Johnson Dan Soder Leigh Ann Morgan to newsmakers Don Lemon Joy Reid Aaron Parnas and so many more So join me for new episodes every week because nothing is off limits great conversations They're always on par follow and listen to on par with Maury povich wherever you get your podcast Hey everyone, it's stavros halkis and I'm here to tell you about my podcast Stavies world each week We're joined by great guests like Josh Safty Eric Andre Caleb Herron and more it's sort of an interview show But really we're just messing around making each other laugh and hopefully making you laugh while you're washing the dishes or grocery shopping or how in a long drive Plus I take listener calls where we have honest conversations about dating life and everything in between Imagine if your therapist was a vulgar degenerate whose office was in a Greek diner no scripts no polish and absolutely No holding back Listen to Stavies world wherever you get your podcasts But back to Paul yes for sure who is Obviously like almost a cast member of Saturday night live and now you're working with Steve Martin and Martin short On only murders in the building. Are they fun or are they kind of they're amazing? Yeah Great I know that's that's like a dream job to be on a set with those two guys, right? I mean it is yeah I mean, you know those guys and it's just so It's so fun to be in the room with them And to see them just kind of interacting with each other because obviously they are best friends They love each other and it's a series of non-stop insults But you know For someone like me, I mean, I can't think of anybody I'd be more kind of knocked out by Steve Martin for you know since The sure I think the moment I ever realized people could make a living talking I was so obsessed with him I saw him in the 70s. I saw him at the boarding house in the 70s and he was just magic When he's stand up when yeah, and he recorded some of those albums at the boarding house. Yeah 300 seats. Oh, I can recite those albums. I don't know why he was the same thing Paul I was one of the first ones I locked into and I just couldn't get enough Yeah, and I know and you are the same it's like as soon as as soon as you start hearing one of those routines Yeah, I still remember every intonation every line. Yeah, I found that to be kind of true with a lot of people Kind of in our generation, you know that that and I've talked about it with Judd or some of these other comedians that those records that he put out and and Steve Martin Stand up and we're so kind of instrumental in Forming senses of humor and and everything else. I can't imagine anybody else in my life that had probably more of an impact So now on me so now Yeah, like it's sitting in the room with them sure and talking with them. It's it's amazing and Martin short. I mean I Don't think there's a we've had that we all we all give it up to Martin. Yeah, I know Everyone does far as just funny no one's anti-martin short But you got Selena you got also I saw a photo yesterday very photogenic beautiful Meryl Streep So it's her too So it's Meryl Streep Yeah It really is I know it's I I still can't quite wrap my brain around it Yesterday was the first day we filmed and it was kind of a big scene and it was the first day that we were all there and I and I was just panicked. I mean, I'm like, oh, don't forget any of my lines don't I Was have fun. I was just I was so yeah, right Yeah, and then and then and then and then when I was leaving Meryl Streep, I'd met before but I don't know really I mean, I'm so kind of I mean, I'm well, she's a freak in a good way. Yeah, she's a freak She was like saying goodbye. She can't kiss me on the cheek and I kissed her on both cheeks like we were in Paris It was so weird. She didn't say anything, but I was so I didn't know how to behave because I was so Starstruck started branching her and and I was like driving home and I thought I kissed both of her cheeks She I feel like an idiot Maybe it's cuz all the classic kissing sketches, which I don't know how many you've done But they were like electrically funny and I think you were in the very first one and maybe yeah Yeah, I do hosted the kissing family. Yeah, local checks. Yes. It was the I was in the very first one and I came back I did a few of them. Yeah, yeah, it's a rehearsal or not Yeah, you do We did yeah, I mean you really go for it in the front of people, you know, yeah But I think I Think so I think I think one time I even did it when Jason Siegel was hosting and I came back and just did the sketch And I think he yeah, I think he kissed me through this might have been during dress He threw me so hard against the wall Set almost fell like And he's a pretty big guy. It's like he's a very big guy And a very forceful kisser. It's such there's a little bit of tension around it It's irresistible not to not laugh because it's like the characters are doing it and also Paul Rudd is French kissing Fred armorson. Yeah on camp. It's just the thing that would always and I says This is what I remember the most from it and it was and I remember didn't in the very first one was Fred Always saying We're Vogel checks It's not we're just we're family. We're We're just Vogel checks And it was always such an earnest reading that uh, yeah We were her singing started laughing and it was it was the way it wasn't the kissing that made I think us laugh It it was funny. It was Fred going Our Vogel checks Fred has an earnest gear in his comedy when he would do the Californians and the way he Sincerely no we took the 101 just the whole attitude is so earnest But I get that gear that he has it's so original and funny, you know one time um, this must have been I don't know like 15 years ago. Maybe Uh, I was at a it was bill hater was having a birthday dinner and this and it was at a restaurant And we're sitting around across and across the table Might have been more than 15 years ago, but bill uh, our fred was talking about the Beatles And uh, and you know his love for the Beatles and he just kept talking about the Beatles and at one point I said So all right, so now if I want to listen to Beatles like what album should I start with? Sorry asking a question like I've never heard of the band And then he started saying like they're just these four lads. They're kind of mop tops There's an album and he would start talking to me because the guy is the master of a bit and he'll stick with it and um I won't talk to fred for months and months and then all of a sudden I'll get an email and it'll be something about the Beatles And like this is the band that I was talking about and this has now gone on forever. I still get messages everyone's from fred Updating me on some new things or some things about the Beatles the band he was talking about that night He's such a musical comic in his rhythms and we we had him on it once you get going on the Beatles He knows You know the two time to the eighth time in the middle eight. Oh, yeah Yeah, he's just he's a musicologist You know ever did you ever see his uh that dvd put out the drumming complicated drumming techniques with jens heneman? Yes, well, I did see a special where he goes around all the different drum kits and plays Yeah, he had had that stand-up special the comedy just the drummers, but yeah, he put out like a drumming Oh god I said, yeah, it was complicated drumming techniques with jens heneman. I remember when my son was really little he was obsessed with it He loved drums, but I don't think he got the comedy The drums are fun though. Yeah, yeah, but it's such a specific Kind of thing that he's doing and I just god that was the funniest thing ever Well, when I first saw him at the do the the accent pick a bit at the Largo So he's going around and he's doing new new Hampshire or whatever That we what and he's the accents are really good and then he's getting I didn't realize in real time He's getting very specific like bake his field. I'm from bake his field like he's making up And it's slowly slowly Burn, you know burns the audience down When I saw you with bill hater And fred and some of the sketches are that wow, that's just that's so much fun to be with those two guys Oh, man Is that your first first time was that sort of the the group was christin wigg and those guys? And then when you come back is it different every time or would sort of overlap the first couple times? They were still there. I mean it actually made it a lot easier Uh Because I had a couple of friends on the show and a couple friends were writers. So I you know, obviously had always wanted to host the show or somehow be involved and so the first time I got to Host the show it it was a little easier because my friends were a few of my friends were there bill being one of them And then yeah, it's now it's it's been an interesting thing to host over the course of several years where Yeah, I think maybe the fourth time or so I went back and was like, oh my gosh, it does feel really different because it's new people Yeah, maybe it was 2013 it did by 2013 had fred and bill left Because that's that was your next hosting 2008 2010 the third time was 2013 And then maybe kate mcginnan had come in. I don't know if christen wigg had left and he had kate mcginnan Yeah, I don't know whether or not it was the third time the fourth and kate was there um Yeah, it might have been I think maybe I don't know. I don't remember exactly was keenan thompson there Keenan keenan was there keenan was there when you were there? Keenan is the greatest he was a child actor on the show and then he just stayed on He that guy is an MVP man. He never stumbles a line. He just doesn't miss a moment I mean every single time The camera will just like cut to him. He's got the perfect still expression He's just so good It takes a while to get that way on that show because you're waiting for a camera to cut to you like you're in a jeopardy sketch Has to cut to you know when it's too early. You're kind of waiting and then you do your face. It's It's it's hard. It's really true because there are so many little technical things that It just takes time to learn such as when that camera is cutting to you. You know, you're those those Those pauses are unnatural. So um, you just have to learn those kinds of things. That's something like I think I over the course of Hosting a few times started to pick up because I never nobody ever tells you Well, this is how you should really read the cue cards This is how you really need to wait for that camera and I was unaware Having not worked on shows really like sure. Yeah when that light goes on over the camera wait He see that in your peripheral vision There's another thing when you do a sketch day, you know this you get a big laugh at At uh, you know dress and then you pause on air and it doesn't get a laugh You look crazy or because there's nothing there But you're waiting or you run over it because it didn't get a laugh at dress and you run over Your laugh because you get it. You're like, oh, fuck. I stepped on it's horrible And if you think you're on camera for whatever reason and then your line just doesn't do anything and you realize later You weren't on camera, but at the moment it kind of deflates you for a moment You know, you think oh, what did I do different than the dress show? It is like trying to catch the wind I mean there's but but did you get to a point? It took me 80 shows as a cast member. I think to get Comfortable enough to say I'm consistently having fun But as a host, you know, what was it like just the second time compared to the first time and the third time I mean you feel you seem incredibly comfortable I'm not but you're you're acting okay. I'm not comfortable but I you know the the first time I was on total adrenaline and it was so Crazy, I remember feeling so uh exhausted when we finished the dress rehearsal and then I thought oh my god I have to do this again. You're low now the the first time I remember that first time feeling that It was also really weird for me because Not to bring things down, but the first time I hosted was I think two weeks or so Almost three weeks after my father had died. So I was in this state of Complete kind of was in I was in I was grieving morning But I was also yeah, I was also kind of half there, but I was so excited to host snl um, and so it was the the entire experience was just kind of uh out of body and I remember when it finished. I thought how do these people do this every week because it it was such a you know, it's such a sprint and all of the quick changes and running around Um, and then the pressure and the stress and all of it, uh The whole thing was was wild. I was I had a great time But it was such a an emotional experience kind of a beating too Yeah, yeah, you wake up with bruises and things. You don't know what's going on. Everything's moving so fast You're sprinting you're banging your head and then they want you to get to a party at 2 a.m Already done an 18 hour day Paul over here. What would you like? Could you think yeah, and then it's amazing. It's like ridiculous. You go through all these walls of fatigue But David and I could tell you that being host is Generally speaking so much harder so much Yeah, because you're in everything. Yeah, you're in everything and you can be an update. You can be in the cold opening You do a free tape Yeah, well, it was very exciting and then the second time I went back. I think I think it was the second time Paul McCartney was my yes was the musical guest. So I I mean Holy shit, it was incredible. By the way, the first musical guest I had was Beyonce. Yeah McCartney I've had amazing musical acts So you get to go ladies and gentlemen Paul McCartney, you know, so all these dream dream state fever games I still have the cue card. He signed it for me And he looks over at you. Fuck. Okay. What would you like me to say on it, Paul? I gotta call actually it was about one in the morning and bill hater called me I was I it's bill. He says you want to know who I was sorry. I'm calling so late But I have to tell you you want to know who your musical guest is. Oh really? He said Paul McCartney And I just couldn't go back to sleep God damn. Well, here's your music. I think this is the guy Fred armison was talking about It sounds familiar. You had one direction. You had dj call it Out of those musical guests. Yeah, do you have anyone's number? Um I you know what I think I had Nile Horan from one direction He works at urban outfitters now No, I'm kidding. That's the old spade. I would have said I don't say that anymore. That's that's that's the Hollywood minute I don't do that. We emailed each other a few times. They were great. Yeah, how far super They're awesome. Cool. Yeah, it was so crazy because it was like the height of one direction. Oh my god How crazy sleeping outside and yeah, it was and they're mad. You're the one walking out. They're like, where the fuck is Harry Styles? By the way, totally It's hard to get to know like we were told sort of uh Between the lines don't talk to the host a lot like don't you know, you don't want to get in their face and you're a cast member Other than because it's like when do you get to know each other? During a week because you know you do read through and you leave and you're sort of separate and you leave and then In rehearsals, you're sitting around for a little bit so you can kind of bullshit about it while you're in between We're going to fix something give us a minute fixing a light And then you kind of get to know the host a little just because you're right next to them And then you do this do this There's the show But everything's moving a million miles an hour then there's a rap party and then you feel like this kinship But you didn't know anyone that well, but it's sort of a good feeling because you went through this So the next time you host might might be more fun because you feel like you've got a base now with everybody Right and you sort of know that I imagine it's different with you know with every host Yeah Because the first time I did it and and subsequently second third time I mean I've I've known people on the show and have been friends with people on the show And you do guest spots to yeah, I had done guest spots. Yeah, but they're the um The uh The idea it's like, okay. Well that first day they were coming around giving a pitch And then I thought okay. Well, I can at least go hang out with my friends and talk about sketches So You know, you guys know how that week works and then it's Tuesday comes around you and you go out to dinner with Lauren and a few other people from the show Some hosts will then just go back to their hotel after that dinner Yeah, I live in New York, but it so it's like I just have to go home But also after the dinner well, I'm going to go back to 30 rock and help them right sit with the writers and hang out with my friends and maybe try and come up with ideas and so I was I have always been um every time I've hosted in those rooms and trying to you know Pitch things or or help with if people are writing things that kind of Go around and that is the fun. You know, you sit on some filthy couch and you You shoot around ideas and you're like this could be on national tv in three days and uh It's just you guys are laughing saying this stupid as shit going. What if we put that in there? What if we say it like in the juice? I mean those sketches Writing them in here in the hallway and you go this sounds funny massive procrastination with Anxiety it's getting low. It's two. Okay. It's three at some point We got to make its decision and then it's a fury of like we'll do this. We'll do this. We'll do this You know, yeah, but whenever I see people with talent I'm always in awe of them when I see them start to do their thing Like christin wigg was kind of shy and just like hey, what's up? And then she just all of a sudden It's like monster characters super talent Did you experience that in a way with different cast members where you're like like bill hater is so shy and fred armorson They're so sweet and shy and soft spoken when you first meet them and then they go out there. What the fuck school? You know, they're just and you think how can you be talented you're quiet and polite There are well there those guys are comedy savants. I mean, I don't know how and christin I mean, I mean they're like genius really incredible what they do and you know, um, I'm always amazed and I'm I'm such a fan such a fan of funny people and comedy and People that have been on that show fans of you guys and and so Like to to you know see to see all of this stuff kind of You know in person and then get to do it with them It's it's pretty mind-boggling. Yeah, and to see christin wigg it's uh, she can kind of she can do everything Yeah, to see them in their natural habitat when they get into a character and they're into sketch and they're cooking It's really fun to watch everybody Killing it. Yeah, it's also fun. Like you said when you're when you're kind of in Rehearsing a sketch or they're figuring stuff out and you're standing around with everybody. Yeah, that's fun to see cast members who are obviously really close with one another start to do bits yeah, yeah the king of it and so hanging out is Hilarious, that's a boy. Yeah, we would do that totally. I would try to write people into sketches. I just wanted to hang out with Like, you know what I mean? Just put it on because I know rehearsal is kind of boring They just have the tape on the floor. You don't know where the since the fucking set is even made yet And then you're just blah. They're like, okay, hold on. We got a lighting thing And then you're just making fun of each other and someone's eating in the corner and the pressure's off at that point It's not pressure. You're just trying to get the blocking down And it gets harder throughout the week, but it's definitely you do Wednesday and you hopefully it lands, right? That's the read through right by Thursday you run it for the crew and they kind of giggle There's no sets first time second time, but you get a feel for it. We get a feel with the crew You get a feel of this couple laughs by the time the dress show came around on saturday I was thinking we got nothing, you know, I'd been beat down All the rehearsals and all the walkthrough Everyone did you feel that like this thing peaked on Thursday? Oh, yeah, no one's laughing anymore We depend on the crew. They've already heard it five times. You're like And then hopefully sometimes at dress you're like, damn, this is killing. It's really fun But then you have to not peek at dress. How did you manage that? Well, I just I just want to try and make my way through I think imagine peaking a dress and not and not but um, that has happened I mean, there was one sketch that I I think like repeatedly kept coming back that I always liked and it never made the show And I think the secretary I said like we tried again, but we never got to it If you know if it goes through read through it doesn't get on it's got a stink on it Even if there's no if there's no other reason other than someone just read it wrong and they forgot to do the accent And you go, it's no no, it's just they go. Nope. The second time read everyone just leans back You're like, don't you fucking take a dive on this one? It's good And it's hard to resuscitate it or if it got on dress and goes away There's always that well, there's a reason it didn't get on air. So it's hard to Yeah, and I've had that it went on dress and then it didn't go in but I always loved it Give it a do you want to share? With us maybe it was about the giving tree. I remember I got it was a dad reading It's already free to his kids not realizing that it's so sad and he starts to spiral out and and and then you know winds up crying and you know, uh Drinking and the cops come to the house. I mean, it did you know, it just evolves into this Uh, yeah, even now as I describe it, I'm thinking no, I see why this What was the what was the kid's name? In the sketch, um, I don't remember the kids names I was just trying to do an impression of lore not thinking the sketch is going well at read I think maybe bobby moinehan might have been one of the kids, but I think maybe a girl was One of the girls might have been named suzie Um suzie's sad. Uh bobby bobby sits back Uh bobby bobby uh has a tear of and that's this is a read through is reading stage direction, right? Yep. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, too. All right, and it's starting, you know, like this one's not gonna make Yeah, sense memory is has there ever been like for you guys? Did you ever do a sketch that? Like was the biggest surprise that it was the sketch killed so hard and you really didn't see that one coming Is there one that sticks out for either one of you that? Well, I would say Frog, you know, if you want to go david from my very first SNL I'd never done sketch and the church lady sketch with so gorney weaver and phil hartman and stuff Moved up to the first sketch And and then it really killed and it really it shocked me. I'd never had a dress on I'd done a little bit of the character in my stand-up So that was that was a big surprise Yeah, I just did one where it wasn't that big of a sketch but where I was a receptionist and I kept condescendingly talked to people and go and you are like it was like a hollywood person didn't really made people explain their credits and then uh, it was last in the show and I put the first in the live show and it was rossan phil came in as jesus And uh, there was one of the person but it it killed and it was first one up And that's that was rarely happening with me dain had happened every week But to get the first sketch out was a big one when I did the pepper boy was sandler pepper boy It wasn't really happening Throughout the week. It wasn't really it did not happen at dress But we both just went for it hard. Of course we had farley in there too the ultimate button. So that crushed on air Enough that sandler called me at four in the morning just said carrie pepper boy That was it It's hard to kill in a restaurant sketch in the corner. Yeah, you know, it's not at home base, right paul I mean, you know, you hard to time the laughs can't quite hear the audience. Yeah, yeah, you're kind of off to the side It's true where the audience is above you Where you're doing the sketch on this on stage makes it a difference Yes, because you you can immediately kind of feel and hear the audience or you're not sure you scored They're watching on a 12 inch tv in the audience. You know what I mean? They're like, yeah Oh, wait because they can't see a really interesting point that you don't sure about that often Where you're actually doing very well, I would have to when I got used to this process I would go to where the set designers were they had a little map of 8h And I'd look at my sketch and I'd see it in the corner And I'd say could I get this near home base or whatever and they go? Well, not not if there's a fucking cheater They go not if there's an entrance. I so what if I take the entrance out? Yeah, then we could move it here. Oh my no kidding. That's fascinating. Oh, yeah Learned all the trees is right. That's really you gotta do it, you know But what about please don't destroy that group was really good Paul. You did one called a good variant I saw it was funny as shit. They got a lot of different moves in those things Yeah, well, you know, we were supposed to do a version of that those guys are great. Yeah um, the the fifth time my fifth time Uh, I hosted the show was cancelled the day of it was the I think it's the only time in s and l history that a show got cancelled that day It was because with you and well, Tom Hanks was there Tom Hanks and uh, Tina Were there because They had come in because they were in the monologue because there was a big five time Yeah, and then the show got cancelled at about two or three in the afternoon, but they were already there So we were trying to come up with a show on the fly. It's really a fascinating thing to see and be a part of but earlier in that earlier that week I was going to do a uh, please don't destroy video a version of the Good variant. Yeah, um, but the shoot got cancelled because one of the guys got covet same and so they had already had a crew and they Cam everything was set up to film something at night. So we took a sketch and turned it into a In a film and then we filmed that and then they showed that during the show Was it that one? Wow. No, it was the one home goods. It was a show. It was the one with the With ad and kate about wanting grandkids and and oh, yeah, yeah, okay Yeah, so that was that was done in place of the please don't destroy it It was it was covid closure, right? And it was uh, covid. Yeah, because it it it happened It was that week where the really uh, that omicron variant came back hard. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah people were Yeah, I thought it was kind of going away and then it came back fucking hard around november simbers something. Yeah Yeah, it was I mean it was really Tense and then you know, we're all going through our testing and then that morning I remember going in and getting tested saturday morning crossing your fingers Totally and I remember I got the results of my test It came back negative And I I was just jumping for joy like thank god Perfect brand and and then the whole thing got shut down can't do without the host So you get through and then they shut it down. Anyway, that's such a drag Yeah, um, it was uh and that that monologue was weird because I I hosted for kimmel once and it was in a house With a monologue with no people. So I said to the crew before you we were rehearsing and I go you can laugh They go, oh, we're not supposed to I go, please god Give me a tiny noise anything to play off of just to dart my eyes around just to make it feel like there's some life in here because Just to nothing is too hard. So when you did yours, I could hear A little bit of something that must have been right or writers or something Yeah, I think that's what it was. Um, and you know, michael chay and and and canan stuck around But that that was it and uh, and yes when the crew guys and so there was some laughter And higgins was there But it was so strange. It was such a weird feeling that it was one of the weirdest most I mean just no audience on saturday night live because yeah no audience and also no real rehearsal No, nothing nothing and for the hours before the show It's like, well, what do we do? What I mean, we have to write something And figure out what it is And I remember lauren saying do you have any Hi christmas You know episode that you really like and I said, you know, I remember when I was in high school seeing uh, steve martin talk about Uh, you know that his christmas wish and all right Memorized it and I loved it because steve martin and um, and so that's great. We'll dig it up. It's on it's in the show So wait a minute. You now officially have joined uh the uh 70 timer club of someone who does a great lauren Yeah It is so weird whenever you are around anybody doesn't matter when they were on snl Yeah, people start talking about lauren. They just start going into they go right into it so you You spend a lot of time with lauren because lauren spends a lot of time with the host and also you get start You're afraid you're the third paul. He likes paul mccartney paul simon I like all the pauls No, he's he's he's we love him too. He's he's uh, he's amazing. He's amazing guy. Yeah, nobody's ever done what he's done Not even close. Yeah, I mean 50 years are you gonna be at the 50th? I certainly hope so. Yeah, I mean I would love to I was at the 40th, which was I mean what a That was a real fucking I remember we had a little running gig. I just had met you that night or something That was that's exactly right liked you right away and I every time I'd go do something I'd say to you I'm gonna bring you up. It's so ridiculous. I'm going to do wains world. I'm gonna bring you up But that's right. Yeah, that was the the 40th Uh, but so with lauren and your relationship, but do you have any I mean I hate to say Hey, I know your story's about lauren, but did you ever stay all night at the party or do you kind of because lauren will stay till 6am Do you care if lauren I got to go or No, I'll never I'll never leave early Um, okay, you smoke it out with him. You wait especially if I'm sitting at a table with lauren. I mean I will You know even recently I went just to to Watch the show and it's like I'm at that party and it's like the greatest thing I'm sitting with I went with marty and steve We're hosting and uh, and I'm at the table after with martin short and lauren And then of course I'm in the middle and I just want to start hearing them talk about three amigos Yeah, of course happened. Yeah And uh, oh, it's amazing. It's amazing. They're There are many times That I just Kind of step outside of what's actually happening in the moment and say can I cannot I cannot believe this You just can't believe it and there's something like having it on this show with these guys I had it at that at that table listening to the three amigos stories. I had it when I was hosting snl and Uh, Paul mccartney was the musical guest and there were many times that week that I mean I couldn't believe what I was saying And I had that same thing. I did a I did a I did one of those. Um, I did a you know a lonely island video at that week and andy and I They pulled him Paul mccartney who did a little thing on it And we were standing around the three of us for an hour and he was just telling us stories about John Lennon and the Beatles and every day. Wow Now I'm jealous Yeah, I'll tell you one of the honestly one of the coolest things I have ever experienced ever Was on the thursday, you know thursday for People that don't know that's when the band really kind of comes in for the first time and they do their run through and so We were taking those pictures that you they use for the bumpers Next to the stage. So thursday comes in the thursday happens the band comes in and we're taking pictures and uh, Maryl and I said we're not going to take pictures. We have to go watch Paul mccartney so we did and um, he Performed I played a couple of songs and then there was a grand piano on the floor and um, he didn't know what he was really going to play so he just came down and sat behind the piano and There's maybe you know, the crew is there It's probably about 20 people And he sat down the piano and he just started playing the long and winding road Wow, I got chills. I got chills. I know and I was standing 10 feet 10 feet behind him, you know, and and I'm just I hadn't met him. I hadn't I was just kind of Observing and like I couldn't believe I was in the same room with Paul mccartney But I was standing behind him and I was looking at his hands playing the keys And I was looking at his feet pressing the pedals and hearing him sing long and winding road I'm thinking oh my god, that's the That's him. That's the guy who made this and those are the foot pedals that he you know That he pressed that same way when he recorded it and it was It was amazing. It was just amazing and everyone applauded when he finished. He said, oh, thank you. Thank you Then he went into lady Madonna and then more people kind of started coming into the room and morning came in And he wound up playing about 10 Beatles songs just for us in the room Just piano just piano You know, how does how does he come up with those those middle eights? They call them the changeups and the the chord structure and how it just hits you every time I'm in Lenin. It's divine. There's no I mean, I'm I'm in that I don't think I do the greatest band that has ever existed. They're the greatest band that ever will exist They are like Shakespeare. They're like Bach. They're like every Several hundred years Somebody or something comes along that redefines that kind of beauty and And I think the Beatles are that they are for me Goodness said that better. That's really well put in Cheryl Crow said to us that She thought that Blackbird and yesterday were the greatest songs ever written for her. There's so many. That's the thing They have so many. Yeah, and she thought it was she didn't say it in a heavy way almost divine There's almost something like how did those two guys essentially go to high school together and then find those other two guys And you know George Martin and write a hundred masterpieces In six years, you know, it's crazy and then maybe record three of them in one day Yeah, remember Dana when he said we talked to him Paul and he said uh During that get back thing. We were fawning over, you know, the documentary and we said he said he came in with Was it yesterday or and he goes? Well for that one he did have long and windy road and he had get back You know, he was in kind of he said I came with it and I go do you walk in like I got a fucking banger And he goes no you can't you have to go under and just go Hey, I got I got one if you guys want to hear it. I worked on just to probably just for ego wise like let everyone go Let us find it if we like it, you know, and I think it was either yesterday or some other monster Well yesterday was a little earlier, but he played it. He was he he did he did uh, and they love it let it be I think on yeah, oh, yeah, that was that and then um Uh and then my god when he sits down he's playing and he is playing Uh Get back and George and ringo are just sitting across from the listening and ringo starts clapping his hands to a beat and they're And you just think and same thing like I'm how are we seeing this? This is the first time these guys are hearing this They don't know what this song is going to be. It's just it's magical I couldn't get over that that I wanted nine more hours. I could oh sure what I was seeing Wow, I mean, you know, I get in my age group I was you know watching them in real time having older brothers So I was nine when they're on Ed Sullivan But I love when I hear someone who probably first heard them in the 70s late seven after the because that The wave was so high and by they left it 69. I don't think anybody even them understood what had happened Right and then people like you come along and then younger people keep coming along and we're all trying to figure it out And Dennis Miller said to me he doesn't he can figure out the stones. He can figure out pink floyd Dennis Miller said he could figure out zeppelin and he goes honest to god carvey. I can't wrap my mind around the Beatles. Okay It's too much. I know it's it's true because they have that thing That you can't define it's something Otherworldly it's why if you play the Beatles for kids now They caught none of them. There's just it's it's hitting all of us on some kind of level that is Something else. I don't know what it is, but I'll show you this thing. I just got fall I got fucking Lenin's glasses From that photo way Oh my god, it's real glasses real glasses from the oh wow. Isn't that sex? Damn David is holding up a picture of john lennon and he bought the glasses at an auction I'm just telling the yeah listeners. No, it was a bit steep But it was because never see shit like that come along and I saw it I was like And I called the auction place and he goes well It's gonna go up. I said I got to try to get in there and I just got horny for I was like It's too fucking cool because winning your life Lenin and mccartney and And they had proof it was his and I said, uh, I used to wear the friend of mine at some of the snl parties It's really cool. Everyone's really, you know, just cool people are coming to the snl party Maybe it's out in john or whatever and we used to imagine, you know, what if john lennon could walk in? You know, we were like who would just everyone would just stop and So Anyway, I'm with you paul You mean fred armorson at david and whoever else wants to join us We should have dinner and just fan out on I mean try to explain there aren't like a suit I can't I will talk about the Beatles forever Just once that subject comes up or if I see a picture or if there's some kind of video clip or something Conversation stops I know I love the unheralded ones kind of compared to we hear let it be a lot and hey jude, they're brilliant But here they're in everywhere For no for no one. I mean no reply by john lennon is one of the most heartbreaking pieces of and paul Maybe wrote the middle eight. Anyway back to paul rudd who's a super beetle fan Oh I have a question about clueless he's been in so many monsters like anchorman and clueless. Yeah, when did you make your first million dollars? Was it around clueless or on after that? No, god would have been clueless But did that get you paid after that or did it take another five years? No, no, no, no not not at all I'm gonna guess Let me see if that was 95. Oh by the way, we came out 95 and so did billy madison So clueless tommy boy billy madison Oh, that was fucking some comedies my god. Yeah Yeah, I I don't Way way way later way late when it might have been it might have been like actually kind of around marvel Because it wasn't a you were in ensemble one So they can't pay everyone that much if you're in a movie with wil ferrell or steve correll or oh, yeah, yeah a lot of those Uh, so then then when it was paul rudd's movie I honestly I'm just like I'm just happy to work. Of course. Well, I know and certainly and certainly with those guys I mean, you know Do it for wet hot american summer is a little nugget. That's just that might I mean now I don't remember everything about it, but I remember going This is a cool movie and we I I try to get that director to do something. I think because I thought I go. Oh shit. This is such a weird funny cool Low budget well done You must hear about that one a lot Yeah, it it um I think it was probably Partially responsible for me getting cast in anchor man honestly because it was a movie that came out and and you know, no one knew it really but comedy fans and comedy writers Yeah, really kind of took to it and and I I loved it when I read it. It took a while to get it made no one wanted to make it but um I had met david wane and show walter and a lot of those guys They were in a comedy troupe called the state that used to be on MTV and um, you know, they lived in new york and I lived in new york and Um, and I was a comedy fan anyway, and we had some mutual friends And so I met them and and david said we have this script If you want to read it, I think I had just done Clueless, I mean it wasn't that long afterward and um And I read it and thought I've never Like this is the funniest thing I've ever read and you you never get to really read anything that Really makes you laugh like that or I certainly hadn't up until that point. Hmm. I did I felt that way with anchor man too, but um Uh, I I used to keep that script around and just read it for pleasure because it was so funny Well also to get it from the script to the screen. There's so many ways you can screw it up You know, I'm sure you know this I've done a lot of comedy movies and some just don't Connect by the time you go through all the process and you're like fuck. Yeah, where did it go wrong and uh, well I think that with that it was just like, uh There weren't many cooks in the kitchen. Yeah, and it was it didn't it didn't it you know Had a very small budget. No one was really paying any attention And we filmed it at a summer camp and it was people everyone that worked on it I think we all had similar sense Sensibilities and we found the same things funny and so meatballs or something. Yeah It was like a singular voice and I remember Zach orth the actor that he a friend of mine That was working on the film halfway through said I don't know if this movie will ever come out I just want to get a copy of it. Uh, you know, uh, it's a very good sign I just wonder you know when I'm looking at these notes here, you know studying your career It's quality. I mean, I don't see any any evidence of you taking a role because Because you needed the money or something. It just seems like there's a consistent theme with you It's all the way through when you you did uh living with yourself your executive producer's got a golden globe nomination Where you played opposite yourself All kinds of quality work. So were you ever tempted like if you have they backed up the brink truck for commercials, I mean, but commercials are totally fine I would do any commercial if anyone's listening right now in the 90s. You weren't supposed to do them taco bell. Sorry But have you gotten stuff where because of Paul Rudd, you know the the image that you're like, I'd like to take a lot of money. It's just not for me You know, you're at that point now where you have to navigate that well Yeah, I think that I'd say through the You know majority of my career. I've always tried to make as many um Decisions if I had the luxury of making a decision To you know to have it be some an artistic decision and never trying to do anything for the money and um That's usually good Sometimes sometimes you you have to I could certainly point you to a couple on that resume that Say well that one I kind of like Okay, well, we'll ignore that No, I would say not I would say uh of the decisions that I've made in my career 97 to 98 of that has been because I really thought Uh, it was something I wanted to do and that it had the potential to be something fun or interesting or something I would want to see And and I tried to always have that kind of be my guiding light When I was in my 20s and 30s and I wanted to be an actor I really also went a different kind of way and I always think of bands that I really liked I would always think of music always seemed to kind of Be the the north star for me more more so than other actors or Acting careers. I would just think of musicians that I liked and I I liked lots of cool indie musicians and I thought well would you know would tom wates think this is cool Would he do this or would Elvis Costello do this? Would he make this decision? It seemed like all the things that I liked were artistic decisions made by people who I admired and so I really tried to Kind of follow that path With comedies that you know, I think With what hot american summer and then when anchor man came around those were two things. I really really wanted to do Because I felt as if More than anything else I'd I'd ever read up until that point. It spoke to Me and my own kind of what I thought was funny And I really wanted to be a part of that Um and and I think that that then turned into working with jud over and over again I didn't see much like the ant man thing. I didn't see that Lane coming I did not expect over the following many years to work with a lot of those guys again on a lot of comedies You know, it's still it was the most fun. It still is But it's it was always I think I was always Following that like this would be fun. I think this is funny. I really like these people. I like these actors I'd love to be a part of this so Wow, I think you're twin the two lanes that Explain this one is what you just said and the other of never losing a sense of awe and wonder Of this remarkable Good fortune we have to be a show business and for sure You you meet people that get bitter or kind of angry or whatever, you know, rather than just like I can't believe we're able to actually do this on any level, you know, I mean, yeah, right now I'm working I think that all the time You know, even it's like you're in the middle of some some scene and you're just going some improvisation about farts or something you think I'm gonna work right now. This is like I Okay, before we before we let you get back to your other job So you you label things Kevin Dillon told me you love a pee touch Which labels and you love P touch and you put labels on everything you have one That just organizes my Organizes your brain to get it labeled. These are my these are my air pods and by the way, it's my second case That's why it says number two. That's hot All right, so that's are you of with your wife and you are you're the tidy one or or equally as far as Having the kitchen clean and stuff like that Uh, well, she could be she's pretty clean. She'll you know, but I I think that there's a There's a level that I will take it that is Maybe a little Yeah, I'm kind of a little too gene the anal retentive chef Yeah Do you have any other a secret secret show business dream? I mean, would you want to get Do a gary oldman like playing Churchill kind of thing or you know or scorsese movie where you're a gangster or just whatever comes I don't know. Yeah, I you know, I don't I don't necessarily think in terms of like a type of role But I mean, I would certainly like to do things that haven't done and work with many people that you know Like great directors like scorsese and so many incredible directors if Tarantino wanted you in a film Would you take the call in a heartbeat? For sure. That's a good plan. I got obsessed with the last one once upon a time at Hollywood Oh my god, I saw it so many times. It's so good. Yeah, he's great. He would have been what an amazing director Yeah, yeah, I would I would jump at the chance Cohen brothers. I mean like it just yeah, there's so many There's so many That you're just gonna say yes. Yeah Mike Lee Um, I mean, there's some great directors and most people I think probably wouldn't think of me for some of these things at this point But uh, I would love to do more kind of versatile, you know dramatic roles or whatever, but I don't know. I've also haven't really tried to For better or worse guide my career by Thinking well, I just did a comedy now. I'm gonna do something really dramatic You know, I think other actors probably do that and it's might be smart. I just think like oh, that'd be fun Yeah, doesn't always sync up perfectly like that No, no, and that's the other thing too is that people always say well, why did you choose this and why did you choose that and I Want to say well, you know, you don't always get to choose. Yeah There's a bit of whimsy to it. Jack Plants told me that once they got all the parts It's all about the parts And if you get the parts spencer tracy got took that part. I didn't get to do that part. I don't do a jack Plants That's an old reference lost on younger viewers. Not at all. You started with some one-arm push-ups right now Oh, yeah. All right. Well, thank you paul. Thank you. You're fucking stud This has been really interesting and enjoyed it very much. Yeah, so I feel like I know you a lot better than I did after the 40th And I know well, this is the great thing when when I see you at the 50th We're gonna really yeah have a lot to talk about and I'm coming up if you bring me up on the 50th I'm coming I'll be so excited to see you. I'll kiss you on both cheeks. Yeah, and then go. What did I just do? I'll be dangerous plus one Paul, thanks buddy. Very cool of you to come on and talk and uh, thanks for having me guys I appreciate it. Say hello to Stephen Marty and I I've never met maril Selena Tell her I love her I will tell her Hey guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are be sure to click Follow on your favorite podcast app. Give us review five star rating And maybe you can share an episode that you've loved with a friend if you're watching this episode on youtube Please subscribe. We're on video now Fly on the Wall is presented by audicy and executive produced by damy carvey and david spade heather santoor and dreg holtzman matty sprung kaiser and lea riz denis of audicy our senior producer is greg holtzman and the show is produced and edited by phil sweet tech booking by cultivated intersign Special thanks to patrick fogerty evan cox mora Curran melissa wester hillary shuff eric donnelly collin gainer Sean cherry curt kourtney and loren vieira Reach out with us any questions to be asked and answered on the show We've been email us at fly on the wall at audicy dot com. That's a ud acy dot com