Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Regina Hall

71 min
Sep 23, 20257 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Amy Poehler interviews actress Regina Hall about her diverse career spanning comedy and drama, discussing her journey from journalism student to acclaimed performer, her experience hosting award shows, and her work in both blockbuster franchises and prestige films like Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another.'

Insights
  • Career success often comes from saying yes to opportunities rather than strategic architectural planning, with early choices compounding into diverse options over time
  • Hosting live events requires emotional detachment and confidence that 'what you have is enough' rather than perfectionism, allowing performers to set a relaxed tone for audiences
  • Comedic range and dramatic depth are not mutually exclusive—the best performers can execute broad physical comedy while maintaining emotional authenticity and heart
  • Women build professional resilience through friendship networks and tribes, while men often rely on spousal relationships as their primary support system
  • Phobias versus phonias represent different neurological responses: phobias are fear-based while phonias are sound-triggered anger/disgust responses requiring different treatment approaches
Trends
Counter-programming strategy in film releases: comedies outperform against prestige/sci-fi films when audiences seek lighter entertainmentDiverse casting and representation in major franchises (Scary Movie sequels) pushing boundaries of humor in contemporary comedyPrestige directors (Paul Thomas Anderson) increasingly casting comedians in dramatic roles, blurring genre boundariesAward show hosting evolving toward authenticity and real-time pivoting rather than scripted perfectionWomen in entertainment building sustainable careers through portfolio diversity rather than genre specializationHealthcare experience design gaps (mammography, dental procedures) remain largely unchanged despite technological advancementMisophonia awareness growing in podcast/audio content spaces, affecting listener retention and content consumptionOpen MRI technology adoption addressing patient anxiety in medical imagingMarriage longevity benefits for men (5+ year life expectancy increase) versus stress impact on women's health outcomesClimate anxiety and prepper mentality among Gen X/millennial professionals balanced with fatalism and present-moment focus
Topics
Career trajectory and opportunity recognitionLive event hosting and award show productionComedy versus dramatic acting rangePhobias and phonias (misophonia)Claustrophobia and medical anxietyFilm franchise sequels and audience expectationsPaul Thomas Anderson directorial styleCatholic education and faith journeyGender differences in relationship benefitsHealthcare experience designPodcast audio quality and listener comfortClimate change anxiety and preparednessSleep quality and stress managementNetworking and social anxiety at industry eventsJournalism versus entertainment career paths
Companies
Uber Eats
Sponsor offering Sephora beauty products delivery with $10 off first order over $50
Sephora
Beauty retailer partnering with Uber Eats for same-day delivery of cosmetics and beauty essentials
BMW
Automotive sponsor promoting certified pre-owned vehicles with warranty and roadside assistance
Showtime
Network that aired Black Monday, the series where Regina Hall and Andrew Rannells worked together
The Ringer
Production company for Good Hang podcast
Paper Kite
Production partner for Good Hang podcast
People
Regina Hall
Guest discussing her diverse career in comedy and drama, from Scary Movie to Paul Thomas Anderson films
Amy Poehler
Host of Good Hang podcast, discusses her own hosting experience and career parallels with Regina Hall
Andrew Rannells
Pre-interview guest who worked with Regina Hall on Black Monday, discusses her professionalism and range
Paul Thomas Anderson
Director of 'One Battle After Another' featuring Regina Hall in a dramatic role
Leonardo DiCaprio
Co-star in 'One Battle After Another' whom Regina humorously describes as inexperienced on set
Tina Fey
Worked with Amy Poehler on SNL and film Sisters; mentioned as comedic inspiration for Regina
Maya Rudolph
SNL cast member mentioned as comedic inspiration alongside Amy Poehler and Tina Fey
Kenan Thompson
Regina Hall wanted to work with him on Scary Movie
Don Cheadle
Co-star on Black Monday with Regina Hall and Andrew Rannells
Meryl Streep
Discussed for her comedic and dramatic range in films like Heartburn and Sleepless in Seattle
Jack Nicholson
Co-star with Meryl Streep in Heartburn, praised for on-screen chemistry
Rashida Jones
Hosted pajama parties and dance floors where Regina and Amy have socialized
Sheila E.
Interviewed by Amy Poehler about rhythm and choreography skills
Oprah Winfrey
Andrew Rannells made direct eye contact with her during Book of Mormon performance
Jessica Lange
Andrew Rannells attended LA events with her, using her as social buffer at industry parties
Lena Dunham
Created 'Too Much' where Andrew Rannells plays her husband
Tracy Oliver
Wrote Girls Trip and produced Harlem series with Amy Poehler
Bill Esper
Regina Hall studied acting at his school in New York
Quotes
"You can be absurdly funny and really broad but still have a lot of thought and heart behind it, which I learned a lot from working with her that like you can, you can do all of the clowny silly stuff, but unless there is some kind of heart to it, it just looks like faces."
Andrew RannellsEarly interview segment
"I think for me, like if I when I'm working, I think of everybody who put so much work into it before I got there. Writers, you know, people who write, that's once it's written, selling it, like sitting with studio notes, there's so much... So for me to come and be like anything less than like excited for what, like they're bringing a vision together."
Regina HallCareer discussion
"What I have is enough because I always feel like the minute you feel like you panic. Yes. That's when it's going to be the hardest."
Regina HallAward show hosting discussion
"I thought if you'd spend your life in prayer, prayer for others, I would imagine, because it's unless you were like healing, because they don't, you're not really attached to anything material, right? So there, they wouldn't have an outward striving."
Regina HallDiscussing childhood interest in becoming a nun
"I think it was probably accidental because in the beginning you would just, you kind of said yes. Yeah, totally. I got a job. Yeah. When does it start? When does it start? If that would have been my first offer, I would have been there."
Regina HallCareer architecture discussion
Full Transcript
Bowser is back! Ha ha! Bowser! Bowser! Everyone calm down! The Super Mario Brothers can take care of the kingdom. Let's go! On April 1st... Toad pack our things. Woohoo! The galaxy... Whoa! Is waiting. Who is this? Nessie! So some cool dinosaur just shows up and he's now part of the group. Cool. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. All needs cinemas April 1st. Raise the rudder! Raise the sails! Raise the sails! Captain and unidentified ship approaching. Over. Roger that. Wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution? Terms and conditions apply. Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Good Hang. So excited to talk to Regina Hall today. I love Regina. I love her work. And we're going to talk about a lot of fun things today. We're going to talk about her incredible range as an actress. We're going to talk about the difference between phobias and phonias. We're going to break down what it's like hosting award shows. And we're going to discuss her new movie, her great new P.D. Anderson movie. One battle after another, which is in theaters this week. But we always do this before we have our guest. We talk to someone who knows our guest, who wants to speak well behind their back. And we have a great guest today, the extremely talented Andrew Rannells. Andrew was Regina's co-star on Black Monday. He is the imaginary father of the imaginary twins, Don and Don, that they seem to share. A little inside joke on set. And you know him from Book of Mormon. You know him from Girls 5 Eva. You know him from Too Much. Lena Dunham's new show. He's just a real peach. So let's get him on. Andrew? Andrew? Are you there? Amy? There you are on your set and everything. There you are. It's so good to talk to you. It's great to talk to you. Thank you for asking me to do this. Are you kidding? Thank you so much for doing this. I know you and Regina are good buds. We really are. And she has such a great rep. She really does. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't say like, ah, she's the best. It's always a good idea to hang out with Regina Hall. Okay. We're going to get to Regina. But first of all, I'm very, very excited to talk to you. To me? Of course. I hope I can get you in the stooge one of these days. I would love it. I would love it. I mean, I haven't got a chance. I feel like you and I probably crossed paths and like been in the same room at a fancy event. But I am a very, very big fan of your work. Well, that's very generous of you to say because I'm a huge fan of your work. And I always get very nervous when I see you. Oh, tell me why. Well, I just get nervous that I'm like, should I talk to her? Should I not talk to her? Am I talking to her for too long? Oh, yeah. You know, it's like, should I get in, get out? It's one of those things. I appreciate it. Because it usually is at some event that like there's a bunch of people around and it's like, I don't know, there's like a receiving line of people who want to like talk to you. And I just sort of, I choose to do the like, get in, get out. Well, I will say, if you have chosen not to talk to me, I appreciate that because I have a lot of social anxiety, which does not look like I do, but I do in those events and I get overwhelmed. Same. Same. Same. One of the first like big parties I went to when I first moved to LA, I was very lucky and I walked in with Jessica Lange. And I know, right? You floated in with Jessica Lange. I floated in with Jessica Lange and Jessica Lange just wanted to like, hold on to me because I'm sort of tall. And, and I think she likes that. I think she likes that. So then all night, I got to be the gatekeeper to Jessica Lange and people, people I really respected who didn't know me were coming up to me and saying, could you introduce me to Jessica Lange? And I was like, absolutely. You were like, let me check with Jessica first. Yeah, it was that was so I guess my advice is if you can go to one of those events with Jessica Lange, do it. That makes sense. God, I would, you two would make a very nice couple. I have to say a handsome couple. I think we, yeah, I've got to, to, to be with her a couple of times and it's, it's always successful. But you know, how's this first segue? You know, who's very good at those events, Regina Hall. Ooh, tell me why. You go to a party with Regina Hall and she, first of all, everybody loves her. So that's great. And she just sort of, I don't know, she just kind of floats above it and just has a very kind of, just kind of like chill attitude about everything. Now, whether or not that's actually what she's feeling, I'm not sure because, you know, we all, you know, process those things differently, but it is really fun to go to those events with her because she just kind of, she just sort of always is herself. And I will say from like, you know, we got to work together for three years on the show Black Monday and on Showtime. And whether it was like 4am in the makeup trailer or 3am on a night shoot, she always maintained the same level of like cool and, you know, happy to be there and like sort of calmed everybody down. Because Don, Cheetal and I on that show often had to do some like really wacky stuff. And she not only could match that, she, you know, oftentimes like outdid us in that arena, but then also just brought like all the heart to it. She really like anchored it in a way. And it was such a good lesson of like how to be, you can be absurdly funny and really broad but still have a lot of thought and heart behind it, which I learned a lot from working with her that like you can, you can do all of the clowny silly stuff, but unless there is some kind of heart to it, it just looks like faces. You know, I think that way about you too. Like I feel like there's, there's the, sometimes there's the exceptional eccentric really kind of out there funny person who's their own island. But for the most part, I find that people that are very good at comedy have a switch or a gear where they can really like they're just very good at being in the moment and being present when asked to do that. And it's kind of the theme that I want to talk to Regina about today is her career is really, really diverse and really wide. Her range, she's done a lot of different things and she can do really dumb, fun comedy. And very deep grounded stuff. And that's not a lot of people don't have that range. I don't know if there's, it sounds maybe trite to say that she has a light to her because that usually is reserved for people who get murdered, but she does have a, she really lights up a room. She really lights up a room and not in a way. No, no, not in that way, in a different way, in a very different way, in a better way, in a very different way. You know, this, I absolutely loved you and Book of Mormon. I was lucky enough to see the original cast and you in it with Josh and so many other great people. And, but you bring something up that I always wondered about and I haven't been able to ask anybody who's been on Broadway for as long as you have. So sure. Why is it unprofessional to see who's in the audience? Well, in theory, you should be, I guess, connected to your co-stars and telling the story. But I think over time, you know, you're doing it eight times a week and you get to a place where you know, eyes, I mean, you know, that's the tricky part about one of the tricky parts about live theater is that of all of the whatever 1200 people that are in that audience, somebody's looking at you at all times. And I just know that from an audience member, like sometimes you drip to like an ensemble person, whatever you're like, you're not watching the action. So you do kind of always have to be on guard. Yeah. But like, okay, somebody's watching. So, but you never used to do what I used to do, which is literally peak. Oh, well, I mean, we got to a point where I could look into the audience at certain points and be like, oh, look who's there. And sometimes the worst is when you make eye contact that person. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's rough. That's rough. That's rough. I made, I made direct eye contact with Oprah Winfrey and I thought, I don't, that probably wasn't a great idea. And I reflexed, I smiled at her as if there was no fourth wall. You went, you went high. You went Oprah. Just like, just like I'm doing like a nightclub act. I was like, oh, I'm Oprah. I remember smiling at her and she smiled back because she's polite. She could probably, she's probably had a lot of experience with intense eye contact. Oh, so she hears, I mean, the reactions to, to her must be extreme. You are so incredible in the Book of Mormon. I, I mean, you're, you've written two books. You have, you have, you are, you are constantly in so many good things. Like we mentioned Girls Five Ever, the show that you did with Tina. You also are just in, in Lena's new show too much where you play her husband, which was so sparse. I was wanting to see. I do. We've graduated from being like the messy kids to now being like the still kind of messy adults. So my, I ask all of my guests if they have a question for our guest and, and like I said, I hope someday to get you in the hot seat. So what, what, what, do you have any question you think I should ask Regina today, a story you think she might want to tell or something you don't know about her, something you think people should know about her. Her career is so diverse. And she bounces between all of these things like this Paul Thomas Anderson movie that she, that she is, you know, that's, that's coming out that it's wildly different from anything she's done in a lot of ways. And I, as much as I, I assume that she's like the architect of that, that she's like making these choices and doing these things. Like, I wonder, yeah, I do wonder, like, did she seek that out? Was she like, I want to, I'm going to switch this up. Or is this something that just sort of build it was built sort of naturally. You're right. I don't think we know enough about like Regina's origin story. When I was learning about Regina, I know she wanted to maybe be a journalist at one point. So I'm very curious when she started acting. And then also, yes, the, her career is really feels like a flow, basically. And also, you know, obviously, like, who does she like better? Does she like me better or Don Cheadle? I think that's an important, I think a lot of people probably wonder that. Yeah. And maybe you can stay on the zoom while I ask her that. Yeah, I'll take my camera off and then, you know, and then I'll surprise her and be like, I knew you were going to say Don. Regina and I would annoy the cast that we, she told everybody that we were married at one point. And some people, some people who didn't really know me very well thought that that was true. And then she, she sort of in a who's afraid of Virginia Wolfway created children for us. That we would talk about Don and Dawn and we would reference Don and Dawn, our twins and who had the twins and where are the twins and how are the twins doing? She's so good. I can't wait to talk to her. I really appreciate your time. And how tall are you, Andrew? Six two. Congratulations. Thanks. Thanks so much. I just, that's so great. I did, I like Jessica Lang, a tall man. Jackpot. Sign me up. I did it. It is so great to talk to you. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you very much and thank you for being so generous and so lovely. And I hope I see you at some event sometime soon and we just totally ghost each other. Yeah, I'm not going to look at you. I'm just going to be taking care of Jessica. Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Thank you. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Beauty emergencies are bound to happen. How many times have you, oh, I don't know, dug around in your purse and pulled out mascara and thought it was lipstick. And then all of a sudden you got mascara on your lips and you're like, this is not the kind of look I want to bring to the very fancy dinner party that I'm about to have. So now that Sephora is on Uber Eats, you can get all your beauty essentials delivered for the same price as in store. Plus treat yourself to $10 off when you spend $50 or more on your first Sephora order on the Uber Eats app. Order Sephora on Uber Eats today. Offer ends October 30th, one order per customer. Additional terms apply. See app for availability. Delivery fees may apply. You're wearing formal pajamas. I am. I am. I was like, how can I be dressy and comfortable? And it's so hot out. Because I was going to be in sweats. You look great. But not for you. You know what I insist on? Full-hair makeup. Yeah. If she's not beat, I don't want her. That's what I said. Yeah, I need two hours. I need you to have two hours of hair and makeup before we hang out. Wow, you look gorgeous. This lighting is nice. This is great lighting. Isn't it? You know what I realize? I'm not aging. Lighting is just getting bad. Because in my bathroom, I have really good lighting in my bathroom. Yeah. And in my bathroom, I'm something else. Yeah. In my car, not so much. But in my bathroom, I'm like, I'm chef's kiss. But in the car, in the sunlight, so it's the lighting. I always say this about, I mean, I'm probably saying something very obvious, but when I go into dressing rooms, I'm like, I can't believe the dressing rooms aren't better or lit. I would buy so many more things. It would just be better for business. I'm in a dressing room where I honestly, the first time discovered like the depth of my cellulite. Yeah. That's the truth. It was in a dressing room. Yeah. Yeah, it's super, super sad. It's when I started running. I started jogging. I said, I was shopping with my boyfriend at the time, and I screamed. I'd never seen, I did. I said, is this what he's looking at at night? Something's wrong with my life. And I said, my life, and he was like, what happened? You know, they don't notice. No, they don't care. They just notice the legs. They don't care what's on it. They don't care. They don't care. No, I feel that way too. One time when I got a mammogram, I turned to the person and I was like, it's just, it's shocking how this hasn't gotten better. How has this not gotten better? How have we still have to literally squeeze our boobs? I don't have a lot of boobs. I was like, what are you getting? And it's even, sometimes worse. You're getting this much breast. It's sometimes worse when you don't. If it's larger. And you, they're both worse, I guess. But like sometimes if you can't, if you don't have a lot to put in the machine, that we're squeezing it between two metal. No, like a waffle. And that there's nothing to look at. No. They're just, you're, and then they're like, if you just move your arm a little, like it's not like you're, it's a, it's a, it's your kind of contorting your body in a, in a very. And I said, and I remember doing it very, you know, like lucky me. I have a nice place to get my mammogram. I'm very grateful and privileged to have a nice place to get a mammogram, not a poster on the wall, not a piece of art to look at. No distraction. I was like, you guys don't want to put even an inspirational. No. And it takes about, it takes a few minutes to get the right angle because it's not just getting it in there. It's getting it in there. I need a little bit. And I was like, there's, there's no, there's got to be a better way. Yeah. It's shocking to me how things are done. My breasts gave up. They were like, well, fuck it. If we've got something in it, then we've got something in it. Cause after a while I, they just couldn't get a photo. No, they can't get a photo. And then what about when it comes out cloudy and they're like, we need another one. We need an ultrasound. Also they're like, they squeeze you in the tightest vice ever. Yes. They say, don't move. Yeah, don't move. And then they leave the room because there's too much radiation. Yeah. Yeah. That's the truth. Right. So it's just you, your nodes and your breasts and the rest of your body exposed. And not a, like, you don't even want to play an episode, an old episode of everyone loves Raymond. There's no sound. There's no music. I know. No music. There's no music. There's nothing. I remember talking to my great dentist. I love my dentist, but I remember saying, I love a dentist too. You like your dentist? I do. And I get nitrous. A lot. I like my dentist. I do too. And my dental hygienist. I love, I love her. Did you work as a dental hygienist? A dental assistant. Like, yeah, I just handed the instruments over and cleaned them and stuff. Do you feel like you have healthy teeth? I do for the most part. I grind my teeth. Oh, yeah. And I didn't know that when you grind, you can get a little recession from the grinding. Yeah. Do you wear a thing? I wear a thing now. Yeah. We're with Regina Hall. We just got a million doing it. We were talking to my teeth and boobs. We're right into it. But I feel like the last time we saw each other was on a dance floor at Rashida Jones' birthday party. That was the last time, but there was a time, I think, after too. What was that? Uh-oh. It was on a street and you were directing. What was that? And it was on a cul-de-sac. And I was like, what's going on down there? I think they're filming something. Oh, yes! They were all around the corner from, yep. And I walked down the street and I was like, who's directing? And they said Amy Polar. And then I made my way. I made my way. I was very excited. Do you remember that? I do remember that. That was pre-COVID? It was pre-COVID. Okay. Yeah. And then everything else has been a blur. Yeah. Yeah. Because I was trying to- Like that breast exam. Everything else has been, felt like a mammoth. Everything did. Everything did. It was like, this is going to really hurt. It's really weird. It's going to take a long time. And everybody's going to leave the room. And you're going to be exposed to all things. Totally. Totally. But I feel like we've had a couple of times. So Rashida Jones often had a pajama jammy jammy. She talked about it in this podcast and she had a dance party. And I feel like we've had a couple of good times on the dance floor together. Dancing in pajamas. Do you like to dance? Here's the thing. I do like to dance. I wish I were a better dancer. I'm not a good dancer. I can hold a beat. Sure. But I would love to be able to do- and Rashida does them very well. She can learn choreographed dances. And I wish I had that gift. Yeah. Her and her sister, Kedahda, can do like old routines from the 90s. They can get a choreographer in front of them and they're able to dance and learn that choreography. You can't do that. I can't. No. I was having a conversation with Sheila E. She was like, excuse me? I know. You just dropped that? I know. And did you see how I dropped it suddenly? Like I said nothing. I was like, yeah. So when Sheila and I were talking, E, you know. I did a one-on-one interview and so she was my subject. Oh, cool. And she's so amazing. And I was asking her, did she understand her impact on girls when she first came out? Because like the drums, we hadn't seen a lot of women playing the drums necessarily. But anyway, she said everything for her moves very separately. She can feel all the rhythms of everything. She feels every limb and every portion. Everything is separate for her. So if you feel like you're not maybe the strongest at choreography, what part feels like you're like that's a good skill? Like I can do that well. Can you memorize fast? Do you have a good ear? Can you sing? I think I can. But I'm going to tell you. You know, because I used to tell me that I had a terrible pitch. I disagree with that. And then I went on, I think it was Corden. And I was like, and they started and then I joined in. The harmony and boy was I off. So I'm not a harmonizer. Okay. I'm a soloist. Yeah, no one else sing when Regina is singing. But I have a good gift for, I can remember a face. Hey, that's good. Yeah, not a name. Terrible with names. You'd be able to. You. Remember me? I want to talk to you about so many things today, Regina, because the theme today for me with you is range. Like you are, you can do it all. And how to approach you and your career and your work is really interesting because you can come in through a lot of different doors. And it's, it's, well, first of all, let me just say that you have a great rep. Like everyone loves working with you. Oh, I thought you were talking about my agent. I was about to say he's lovely. I agree. I'm like, I've got a good team. But yes, a great reputation. Does it matter to you? Like how you like when you go to work, like what matters to you? Like how you show up and how other people show up? I think for me, like if I when I, when I'm working. I think of everybody who put so much work into it before I got there. Writers, you know, people who write, that's once it's written, selling it, like sitting with studio notes, there's so much, you know, this you've done it all, directors that goes into it. So for me to come and be like anything less than like excited for what, like they're bringing a vision together. In addition to what I get to do and have fun, then I think it's, I won't take it if I don't think I could come and bring something to the environment or and to the work. So I think that that's important for me. Okay. What kind of kid were you? Cause you grew up in DC and, you know, went to Fordham went to NYU to be a journalist, like very, you were not a kid who were you around actors or anyone who was acting? No, because I just, we didn't, I guess we had, I was like, we didn't have any, but yeah, I wasn't exposed to it. You weren't, you weren't studying it in school. No, we had our plays. Okay. I went to Catholic school. And so we had the nuns who I loved. I loved my nuns. I love. What do you love about nuns? Because my mom went to Catholic school and she was very afraid of her nuns. Oh, I think I had some, I was respectfully afraid. I mean, I certainly had a reverence where I wouldn't cross a line, but I wasn't afraid of being hurt. I was more afraid of them telling my mom and then getting in trouble. So I didn't, I didn't have that. They were, I found my nuns to be very, I mean, they were, I wouldn't say they were strict, but they were, they were loving, I would say. Yeah. They were loving. And then is it true that you thought about perhaps becoming a nun? I did. I did several times when I was in high school. And then again, when I was older and I was too old, you were too old to 39. That was a cutoff. I was 41. They were like, it's not a backup plan, miss. Get on out of here. But it's, oh, for that particular, for that particular order. Okay. Got it. Because they're different orders. Yes. With some orders, it's a sleeping partner number thing. Yeah. Right. Four. I don't know if anybody, you can only have slept with four people. Yeah. Nami, can you make it? You don't have to count them, you know. No, I can't. I don't want to brag, but... Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. So there is an, there's some orders where there's a number that you can only have had a certain amount of partners. Some are, could be a certain amount of partners. Some might be how many attachments that you have some, you know, in the world. It's hard. And some is age. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. But what made you Regina, as a young person, what, what made you think you were a nun? As a young person, what was attractive about that life for you? What did you think about? What was the fantasy of that life? I thought if, wow, if, if you, you know, you'd spend your life prayer in prayer, prayer for others, I would imagine, because it's unless you were like healing, because they don't, you're not really attached to anything material, right? So there, they wouldn't have an outward striving. Yeah. And, of like, oh, right? The thing of like, you know, success, whatever that is. And no romantic heartbreak, right? You don't want to say love, because that part is beautiful, but it's the other side when, yeah, whatever, whatever trauma, whatever reasons, things don't make it. And then you had that singular focus. I'm sure that it's not that easy. I'm just saying that was, that was what I romanticized. It would be if I did it. And then I thought that was like lovely. And, and, and what is, how is your faith? Like now, many years later, young Regina looking out at the world that way, figuring that might be a way in which I can manage my own world. How do you practice your version of love and God now? What does it look like? I mean, I think I really believe, if you believe in past lives, I believe I had a past life where I was that. I believe I've come from that. So I believe it probably exists within me because it has existed. Yes. And so it feels familiar. It feels familiar. And so there's a certain piece in that familiarity. It makes sense to me then that you're, you know, for a while thinking about going into journalism, because it's just like quite, it's like the idea of like unpacking big questions, finding out the truth, being curious, like all that stuff feels like it's connected. When did you decide, okay, I'm, I'm happy that I have my journalism degree, but I want to be an actor. What, when did that change happen? What? Well, my parents were like, you're not going to, just my parents were divorced, but they were just like, you're not going to be in New York partying. Because I had also, I'd left the nun life behind. You were like, before I go in. I was in New York and I was partying and I loved partying. You know, I had great friends and from college and like we finished. And then it was like, what am I, you know, we were going out. And you were probably in New York at the same time, like in the nineties, right? New York in the nineties. It was great. It was great. It was great. And so we used to go out a lot and then my mom was like, my dad was like, what are you doing? You have to get a job or something. I either had to get a job or go back to school. And so I went, I was like, I'm choosing school because I could arrange my classes to still party, but work. I couldn't do it. I did work for six months. Oh, what was your job? I was working at a director's office and their office was in their home until they really had to carefully vet who worked there. So I was like an assistant. Was that like your first job in near the industry? Yeah. And it was working with a director. Yeah. He was a commercial director, a TV commercial. And one day I fell asleep with my elbow on a button on the computer and it was blinking. It was just like all X's, whatever was at the end and the screen was playing. I woke up because I had been out too late. And I was like, and then my roommate and I were like, we are going to raise money. And I don't know. And I was like, we have to quit our jobs. Our jobs are holding us back. Yeah. And then I had to borrow money and my parents were like, what are you going to do? I was like, I'll go back to school. Okay. So you went back to study journalism then. I went back to study journalism and my dad had a stroke and passed away very suddenly, my first few months of school. Right, first few months. And so you didn't, you stopped going to school after that? No. I finished because I knew he'd want me to, but I had a friend who said, do you want to make extra money doing commercials? And she was like, I introduced her to my manager. I met her manager, that manager. I couldn't show up for auditions because I was like, I'm doing my thesis. I can't show up to an audition. But I did. And then I took a class in acting and I think it was very healing for me after my dad to be out of my head a little bit. And that's how, and then I was like, oh, I love this. So then I finished NYU and then decided to go to Columbia's bartending school because I was going to need to pay for acting school. Yeah. And then I went to acting school. I remember my mom was like, so you just don't want a job, huh, baby? And I could have been a professional student. I did love school. I studied at Bill Esper. I could see you also being a great bartender. Oh my gosh. I could see you. I would have been, but I don't know how to make any drinks because you were supposed to spit those drinks out in class. I was really tipsy after every class. Yeah. But I liked it. And so much of bartending is faking, like faking, like you're just making the drink, but it's about the chit chat. And I do like people. Yeah. So I love to converse in me. I find people to be fascinated. Okay. So back to commercials. You're auditioning for commercials. Any commercials, did you get any commercials during that time? I did. What did you get? I got. That was a big deal to get a commercial in the 90s. It was national. Shit. McDonald's. What? I got a national McDonald's commercial. I did. How much money did you make from that? That could pay. That could change your life. A national commercial. Yeah. Yeah. It was, yeah. My line, I had to say in some McDonald's fries. You were ordering them? I was at a movie theater watching. We were watching a movie about McDonald's and then. You were watching a McDonald's movie? No. No, we were watching a movie about something and they were running. Maybe I don't even remember, but he says, I could go for a Big Mac. Yeah. I think the movie they were watching and then I said in some McDonald's fries. And what do you remember about being on the set of, like, you know how sometimes you can remember the feeling when you're shooting something? What was it? Were you nervous? I was nervous. Yes. I was nervous. I remember I was like, I don't know if I like my hair because they did these rods, but now I look back and I'm like, that hair was just fine. I thought everyone was going to recognize me. I thought that commercial was going to air. I was outside like this. You were like waiting. Waiting for people to be like, the fries are on your chance. Did you just do a McDonald's? Not one. No, buddy. But that's a big get. It was a big get. That is a big get. And it ran for a while. It did. It ran for like, you remember how they had to pay for your cycles? I think I made like over a pit, like 30, 40,000, 30,000. Yes. Back then you could make heat. Yeah. And there were some people who made like, yeah, but I made like, like, I think I made like 30. Yeah. And if you could get a commercial and it could run and if it could. Your residuals were nice. Yes. It's been like really interesting to look at your range. Like we talked about, I mean, you have done all different kinds of work. You've done, you've been in big, huge franchise. Can I interrupt? Yes. I love this woman. No, I want to say that. Like a kiss. No, no, no, I have to say it because I have to say how profoundly inspiring you are. Right. That's across all cultures, races and genres. You know that too. Thank you for saying that. In terms of comedy. Yeah. Because it's like, you know, you say Amy Poehler, it doesn't matter. Right. We all know who it is. And so when I would watch you and Tina, I'd be like, they're beautiful. They're funny. And so you, you know, you're always looking at people who you admire. And I think also how much fun they're having. Right. And so whether it's conscious or subconscious, like and Maya. Rudolph. Who's also hilarious. But to see women be so funny and so like beautiful and yet not vain. Because you can't really have that right when you're doing comedy. That's right. You can't be like, I don't know, but it was profoundly like impactful and inspirational with, I don't even think without me, without me knowing it at first. And then it became like, oh my goodness, I love them. Well, you know, thank you for saying that. It does mean a lot because I have followed your career and been, and been so impressed by how genuinely and deeply funny you are. You are really funny. And also you have played incredibly subtle, grounded, interesting characters, including the film that you're in, the new Paul Thomas Anderson film that you're in that we'll talk about. Like you are playing deep, complex characters and also getting to swing the other way. That's very inspiring because it's very hard to not be just limited or like, you know, to come in through the comedy door and never leave that way. It's, I haven't found that to be like, was that, did that happen in the movie? Did that happen in the beginning? Like when you were doing more comedic stuff, did you feel? I think after Scary Movie. I think after, and the interesting thing with Scary Movie is after Scary Movie, then it was like, oh, she only does broad comedy. So then you have to say, well, can you get a, you know, a grounded kind, and a lot of them I just, you know, I mean a lot of stuff you don't get, right? Isn't there like times? Well, I'd be curious, because I was thinking like, what is Regina when you were, you know, we all have this thing where we get script sent to us or parts sent to us and we scroll down to see what people are thinking about us. And sometimes it's like, okay. I got my first part job I got was a stripper and I just was like, I'm going to get inundated. I haven't been asked again. And I'm offended. I'm serious. I literally was like, watch, I'm just, I'm just, I do remember I had an agent, I love her so much, her name is Jamie. She said, we've gotten a foreign film for you. I haven't read it yet, but we just got the offer. This was after scary movie. And I was like, oh, gosh, I'm international. And this is before emails. And remember when you had to pick your scripts up? Oh yeah. Physically go to someone else. So I physically went to the agency and it was in the bin because I wasn't at the point where they were messaging them to me. So I got the script and I remember it. It was player haters, which she was reading as Playa the beach. No. Playa haters. Playa haters. That's what she said to me on the phone. And I said, it's, it's, it's player haters. I was like, she was like, so it doesn't take place on a beach? She was like, no, and it's not a foreign film. It was nothing foreign about it. And so, and so I didn't end up doing play a had to hiatus. Playa hiatus. Playa hiatus. It's a foreign film. She was so excited to, um, Jamie. Do you feel like you were getting after scary movie? Were you getting a lot of the same stuff offered to you? Probably like more broad. Like, yeah. Yeah. I was laughing. So I was like, I bet Regina and I would be in a movie where we'd be playing like, stereotypical versions of, because I still to, you know, to this day, someone's like, we thought of you. We think it's great. And I'm like, okay. And I read the part and I'm like, oh, I know. One of those characters that is just like usually very like, let me speak to the manager. Very nice. Very like, get her out of here. Yeah. And, and I feel like we would probably be cast in a movie where we would be. Yeah. I'd be the one that you wanted to speak to the manager over. I'd be like, they'd always have it like there's some hood chick and she's always like, and I would be like, totally. Cause you just can't do that. All this year, like what else? So, okay. Versions of that. Well, that, that's the, it leads me to my question. So we always, we do this thing on the show where we talk behind, well behind someone's back. We kind of try to find out more about them, see people that know them. And so we talked to Andrew Randall's today. Hi baby daddy. I heard you have twins together. Don and Don. We have a child. We don't know where our kids. Don and Don. I love Andrew. I love Andrew. I know. He's so, what do you love about him? Oh, he's just, he makes me smile. He makes me laugh. He's funny. So talented. Yeah. But he's just such a nice human being. Like I love Andrew. Like I knew he was going to be like, I love Andrew. Like I knew he was my baby daddy from the first moment I saw him. Yeah. I know. I can tell you have a special connection with him. I love Andrew. Like one day we did a scene and I said, Decad instead of Decade. And it was late. And then every time we had to do it over and it would come to the word. You know how that happens. You get the giggles and we couldn't stop. I have, I have, I have a clip of that. Decad. And I was like, I love Andrew. And I was like, I was, it was just, we couldn't stop. And he was like, don't, don't work at me. And we couldn't do it. We couldn't do it. We had to break. He loves you and he loves working with you. Loved working with you and you guys worked together on Black Monday. And, and, and he talked about like one of the questions is kind of like what we talk about or talking about now because like whether it's, you know, girls trip or love and basketball or one battle after another, your new film, you've done big budget, you've done small independence like support for the girls. You've done scary movie. You've done big and small, like dramatic and comedic. And he was just saying, like, I want to ask Regina, does she feel like she's the architect of this? Or does it feel like part of a kind of a bigger flow? Like, like, are you feeling like you're adjusting the dials on those all the time or are you just kind of seeing what's coming up next? I mean, at a certain point you have more options, right? As your career. I mean, I think it was, I mean, I would love to say I was an architect. I think it was probably accidental because in the beginning you would just, you kind of said yes. Yeah, totally. I got a job. Yeah. When does it start? When does it start? If that would have been my first offer, I would have been there. So it's kind of been like. I know it is kind of funny retrospect when people say, you know, what made you make that choice? And it's like, they just, they just made ass. I know, and it went well. But that's kind of how it was. I mean, Scary Movie was a little, I think Best Man in the Love, Scary Movie was different because I was a huge fan of the Wands and I, I mean, I would really wanted to work with Keenan, but, and then that just ended up having, but it's, I will say, for the beginning it was kind of an accident. Everything was an accident. When that movie comes out and it's a huge hit, you've been in a couple of films that are just like giant hits right away, Scary Movie, Girl Strip, like where you're just on this train. What is that like to just have, you know, do something and then suddenly it's like, oh, we've got a franchise. You know, nothing, I don't know. I'll ask you this. Nothing necessarily feels like that in real time. Yeah. That's right. It's kind of like what is, what's the story behind it? That's right. It's kind of like what's discussed later. Yeah, it's later. I think in real time it came out, it did well and I was like, you know, that's great, but I did die in the first one. That's right. And I was, and you know, and I, and I didn't expect to come back for the second one. It was like, I didn't have a deal. Remind me how they got you back after you died. It was a near-death experience. That's right. They described it as a near-death experience and then I became psychic, but I really wasn't psychic at all. She was, or she was psychic. But I think, yeah, that was like, it's kind of like, you know, you don't know who knew. Yeah. I mean, and that was kind of. Did you feel that way about Girls Trip 2? Which, I mean, I can remember when that came out. Tracy Oliver, who I got the pleasure to work with, we produced a show together called Harlem. Oh, yes. For a couple years on Amazon. I love that. And Tracy's. Megan. And Tracy's so talented. And I just remember that feeling very exciting when that was a big, big hit. What was that experience like? That was great. You know, I will say this, this is going to sound crazy to many people, but my dog got really sick right before. And my dog passed away like four days after Girls Trip came out. And he had been really sick. And I loved my dog, Zeus. So it was a bit of a blur. I was very sad. Yeah. I was very sad because I had lost my little fat little baby. You know, he was a little bulldog. And so I was very happy it did well. Yeah. I remember because at first I was like, I think I was not. I think the girls were a lot more optimistic. I was like, should we be coming out in the summer? That was my thought. I was like against, I mean, he's not like he's very talented, but Chris Nolan and Dunkirk, I was like, we're coming out the same day. But sometimes that counter programing can really work. Sometimes. And at that, and I guess at that time it did, I guess because I was, you know, I'm a Nolan fan. So I was not. So yeah, it was, it was, it was, it was great. But sometimes you've had a day and you're just like, I can't go see Dunkirk today. You're like, I can't do it. I had my day was Dunkirk. Yes. Right. And I need to laugh. Yeah. I don't need Dunkirk again. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because I remember Tina and I did a movie called Sisters and it came out against Star Wars. And so it was like, hmm, I have a film I'm coming out in an animated film. Spongebob. Yes. And that's coming out the same day as Avatar. So I was like, that, that, that, that. But I like that programming. I like that because. Tell me how. Because I don't understand that. Tell me, tell me. I like it. You like an Avatar. I like an Avatar Spongebob. Yeah. Choice because. Cause I feel like I would take my kids to see Avatar as well. Dude, how much Avatar are we going to get? But the thing is, this is the last Avatar. So now you, you gotta go see it, but it hasn't filmed anymore. And it takes like. I mean, is it the last Avatar? Yeah. I mean, how many times do we get fooled by that? Right. That's true. The last. I feel safer now. And I don't know. And that one, I just, it's going to take so long. That's the other thing is movies are so long. Well, Spongebob is only, it's short. I mean, 96 minutes. Of course it is. Cause it's hilarious. Yes. And it's in and out. But I mean, when you see, I just like, the other thing is like, what do you, I could only go to that movie at starting at four o'clock. And there's no way I'm going to go to an eight o'clock movie of Avatar. But if Spongebob, aren't they sleep by then to the kids, you got to get them in and out of there by 12. One, two, five. Yeah. Spongebob, you got to do like a six PM probably. Six PM. But I think are you going to get a lot of adults? That's a good idea. Cause that's going to Spongebob. But don't you think those adults would see Avatar too? I'm just not this adult. Not that. So we got, we got one everybody. I'm going to say it right now. And I'm sorry if I'm going to like cause problems. I'm not going to see the new Avatar. I'm not. I don't, I'm not going to see it. Well, we're not on IMAX anyway. So the Avatar took the IMAX. So we're going to be on. I also, I don't like IMAX. Yeah. Those big theaters. That is so intense. It's too loud. Well, we're coming out. One battle after another is coming on IMAX. Okay. Except for that. Right. Yeah. That one. That one. But so before I get to that movie, because it looks so great. And I mean, Paul Thomas Anderson has just such an incredible director and your cast is incredible. Um, but I want to talk about award shows because you and I are, we both hosted stuff. You, I love, yes. I love when you host. And I love when you host. You are so good at it. Well, I mean, what do you like about doing it? I mean, I don't know that I do. I know what you mean. It's hard. I know. I mean, it's hard. And it's a little bit of like diminishing returns. Like the more you do it, like when you pull it off the first time, you're like, we did it. And they are like, come back and do it again. It's like, I don't know if I should do it. Although you all have managed to do repeat performance and honestly be amazing each time. Thank you. Right back at you. And I feel like you have something that hosts need that you just kind of can't teach, which is you have to be a little. A little ambivalent, a little relaxed. You can't care too much about it. No, because people can feel that. I know they can feel it in the room. They can feel it in the room. So what do you do to kind of keep that vibe going or you're like fake that vibe when you're out there doing it? I do. I mean, I don't know. Let me ask you if you feel this, you know, you're nervous, but once the curtain goes up, you're like, well, here it is. Yes. There's nothing you can do. I mean, it's just at that point, it's just, you know, it's like that breast exam. It's on. The shirt is off. We got to do it. The machine is open. We got to slap them one in there. I think it just kind of, I mean, you got to feel that what you've got is enough. I think, I think that's what it is. You've got to just feel like, well, what I have is enough because I always feel like the minute you feel like you panic. Yes. That's when it's going to be the hardest. And you were the host, whether it be you're having a dinner party, whether you're having a wedding, whether you're hosting the BT awards, whatever is the thing. If you're having fun, right? I agree. And you set the tone, people relax. But if to your point, if you, I mean, you were hosting the Academy Awards during a very hectic year, the year of the slap, very stressful, you and Amy and Wanda, and you guys had to handle like this crazy live thing. Yeah. Are you the kind of performer when something like that happens where you, like, how do you adjust? Do you just like try to stay in your body? Do you disassociate? Do you, what do you do? How do you adjust when those kind of things happen? Well, I had, I mean, I, I mean, it was wonderful to have them, you know, and not be doing that alone. Yeah. And they were great. I think you just start like, let, we just, you know, the show must go on. Right. I think there's just something about the show must go on mentality that you just start like it is. Here we go. Yeah. And because you're at that point, you are thinking of your audience. You want your audience to continue to enjoy the show. And you don't, and that's the thing about a live show, you know, anything, anything can happen anyway, when you're doing anything live. So I think you're, I have to just always be prepared for that. Totally. Whatever that ends up being, you just ride it out. Yeah. I mean, it's a skill. It's a skill to be able to do that and to not let things kind of throw you. And you're so good at pivoting in real time, like whether you're accepting for Kevin Costner in real time, which was amazing, like a beautiful poem. And an incredible. That is my fault because they said, Regina, you should read this backstage. And I was like, no, no, no, I got it. I was like, no, no, no, I got it. I didn't realize what they had written. And I think it was that discovery in real time. It was very human and very light, lovely, like because you were real, you were accepting for Kevin Costner who wasn't there at the time because he was dealing with weather in Santa Barbara, which was real, destructive weather that people were, you know, and you were of course doing what anyone would do, which is like doing like this fun, gracious kind of light tease to the person who won until you realize mid sentence that you're like, I see this is more serious. And it was, she is a beautiful pivot. Do you remember, I forget what award show it was. Maybe it was the Emmys and Jimmy Fallon's prompter went out. Do you remember that? Yes. And I mean, he was, he handled it so well. He just was like, hey, I can't read the prompter. And he just kind of riffed for a second. And I thought, oh, I do remember that. He just kind of made a thing about it. And I remember like for hours after just kind of lying in my room thinking, that is a living stress stream that you would just walk out to all these people and just the prompter would go out. And the prompter, I know. And even for two seconds, because it's like the beginning. It's right when you need, it's right when you are like, I need to engage them. I'm letting them know what this night is going to be like. And then you don't have a prompter. Back to dentistry. Have you ever had dreams that your teeth fall out? No, have you? You haven't? It's a very typical stress stream that you're like, you go to talk and your teeth fall out. Oh my God. I'm stressed thinking about it. I know. I'm sorry to bring it up. Do you have, what would be a typical stress stream for you? I probably am not sleeping if I'm not stressed. I think that's what happens. Are you a good sleeper? I love to talk about sleep. I love sleep. Here's the thing. I love sleep. I want more of it. Okay. Let's talk about how to get you there. Okay. What's your bedtime? Well, there's the answer. Too late? It's too late. There's a lot to do sometimes when I get home. Okay. Or it's that last date line episode that I've never seen and I want to get that last one in. You cannot watch a date line. To feel good. It's bad for dreams. Well, it's just bad for dreams. Oh, I have great dreams. Okay. A lot of times it's spouses. Have you seen that? Have you noticed that? That is true. And I was talking about this with Zarna Garg a couple weeks ago on this podcast. That women who are, I think it's not a great, that women who are married are much more likely to die earlier and yes, to get hurt. Oh, you mean from stress? Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. But it shortens your life if you're married. You know that. Yeah. Yep. Sucks it right out. Sucks it right out. You know, you're thinking of, and a lot of times women, they're nurturing so they're giving so much, but the men, they fare better. They do. A man lives longer. That's why I don't even know why y'all don't want to get married. You all should be begging to run down an altar. Like literally. Yeah, right. Men should know that it's going to add. They should do like a, it should do like a very like, like, you know, there's all these like podcasts and books and classes of like maximizing your potential. They should just do it about getting married. They should say you get married, you live five more years. 86% of the most successful men are married. I'm just saying. That's gotta, I mean, that's gotta, you know, they need that grounding. They need that home base. And women don't. No. No. Cause they find it in friendships. Yeah. You know what I was saying and tell me this, anyone else in here, have you noticed that men, oh, there was a study. If you ask men who their best friend is, most of them say their wives. And if you ask a woman, she's really got her friends. She's like, Lisa, you know, Amy, like they really, they have, they have it. And for men, it'll be their wives. Yeah. I do feel like women have, you know, tribes and. We're in our fifties, right? So we're kind of in the middle thirties. Well, we're in our thirties. Wait, let me check. Yeah. Yeah, we are. Thirty nine. Thirty nine. Yeah. And we are in the watery middle. We're in the watery middle. Water so important. Water is a sponsor. It is. Water, please. Yeah. Water, it's. Don't go. Don't go. Water, don't go. Don't go. Do you worry about, like, are you a. Totally in the climate change. Yes. Are you, are you like a prepper? Are you, do you think about. No. Okay. Totally aware and I'm like, fuck it at the same time. Yeah, I know. Because I'm like, what can I do? I can't, I can't live in the stress of it. Yeah. But I'm aware enough to be like, if there is something that can be done, I will do it. If there was a zombie apocalypse. Oh my gosh. Let's just say. I don't, I can't live in buildings and just, just take me out. I'm going to go at some point anyway. I feel this exactly the same. I would just be like, let me be the first to go. Yeah, like don't bite me because I don't want to be alive and dead. But just, just somebody just run me on over. However, whatever is the quickest way. Right. But I don't want to just survive. I haven't slept. Let me get out. I hear something. You've got a gun. We've got one candy bar between us. It's got to last for like 10 days. No, we should do a zombie movie where the two of us immediately get killed. First act. We're trying to get killed. The whole movie. No one will kill us. Can't even get bitten by a zombie. Can't even get bitten by a zombie. We can't. Yeah, no. That was a good idea. Yeah, because I feel, but they're, but what are you like in a crisis? Because I'm projecting you. I feel like you'd be very level headed. I think I'm pretty calm in a crisis. Yeah. At least most crisis, but I haven't metophobia. So it depends on that crisis. I'm not great then. Let's talk about that. I love a phobia. Do you have any? I don't think so. I don't have a real phobia. I think I have like intrusive thoughts that maybe is phobia adjacent, like fear of stuff, but I don't have an actual fear of clowns. I don't love clowns. I don't mind clowns. I don't love them. I don't, I definitely don't want to be around a clown, but I wouldn't scream in my way. They're just, they see, it's a lot. It's a lot. I don't like any people that are like performing clown stuff. But I respect them and I wouldn't scream if I saw one. But a metophobia is... Well, I have two phobias. A metophobia. A metophobia. Yeah. And then claustrophobia. A metophobia is a fear of like throwing up. Yeah. If someone's throwing up, are you throwing up? Yeah. I have some friends who have that. We won't talk about it anymore because it makes people stressed. For people listening, we won't talk about it. But it's real. It's real. And so is claustrophobia. Okay. And so claustrophobia, how does that manifest in your everyday life? You know what? I only am claustrophobic if I'm like, I can't get out. So like I can do a small space if I can get out of it. But if it's a small space and I'm like, like an MRI, I gotta know I can scoot out. But you can't in an MRI. Exactly. That's why I can't do those. Do you take a, do you take a night night pill when you do that? No, I do the open MRI. There's an open one? Yeah. There's, which is wider. It's wider. Well, you can scoot out. You can scoot out and I don't let them leave me alone. Yes. They have to sit there with me and then I have to talk to them. They have to talk to me. And are you feeling, do you know, do you have a sense of where your claustrophobia came from? I remember it starting when I got a face, what do you call those? Facial? Not a facial. Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about. So actors often have to get like a plaster cast of their face and it is terrifying. And that's when I, I didn't have it before that I remember, but I remember when they were both on me plastering me. Yeah. Plastering my face. I know. Neither sounds good. I keep trying to make it sound better. It's a very weird thing that people don't know, which is a lot of actors have to get, especially if you're doing any prosthetics. Yes. And I'm sure makeup artists have made it better and better and easier and easier, but back when we were doing it, it was like, it's too hard. It's so hard. Yeah. And they do your mouth and then they're patting you and your ears are covered and then they're trying to go fast and then it has to harden. That's right. And then once it hardens, they can remove it. And the thing wasn't that I just was like, what if a fire comes? They forget about me and run out. Wait, this is a really interesting thing your brain is doing. So my brain creates scenarios. It wouldn't be the fire that would be the problem. It would be that you've been left alone. I've been left and I can't get the thing out. That's a good thing. That's a new anxiety. That's what happens to me. Okay. So I do want to talk about one battle after another because, I mean, you worked with a lot of great directors. Walt Thomas Anderson is amazing. His films are really amazing. He was one of my, yeah, he's my favorite. What was it like to shoot it? It was shot in all in LA. All in LA. Like really... Different parts of California. Yeah, right, right. Not LA, California. It was great. Yeah. You know, it's wonderful to, I mean, the cast is amazing. And how did you like working with Leonardo DiCaprio? Leo. Well, he's, you know, the thing with Leo is he's not very experienced. He's green. So you've, when you're like, oh no, sweetie, that's crafty. That's crafty. That's not set. Exactly. He went the wrong way. No. Yeah. I had to do a lot of that. No, that's the lens. Don't look into it. Don't look. Cause he was doing a lot of that. Yeah. Once we got past that, though, he was, he was, he was great. He's great. He's great. Yeah. No, it was sad, but it was also sweet. It's endearing. Yeah. It's tender. Yeah. Yeah. And he, he's got a lot riding on this cause he's never had a big movie. No. Yeah. He's got a lot of fun. He sounds sweet. He is. And then you're making another scary movie. Making another scary movie. Which is like a perfect example of your career. You have this like, you know, kind of prestigious, very like intense. And then you're going to go do that dumb fun. Cause I imagine it's real big dumb fun. Oh my gosh. Yes. Yeah. Yes. It is. And like, you know, I think for us, it's like, well, let's see how far we can push humor in 2025. You know, that's a, that's a big thing. You know, the great thing is you get it everybody. Yeah. That's what comedy, that's where it lives, right? Getting it everybody. I think so. I mean, like what I asked this of all my guests, but what are you, what do you, why do I have an urge to do this? What is it called? It's called, um, what's the word when you, misophonia. So I don't think it's a phobia. I think it's a phonia. Phonia. I don't know what's the difference. But yeah. Wow. Misophonia is when you can hear. What's the difference between phobia and phonia? Maybe I have phonias. I can. I can, I have a laptop here. And she is part of that generation like myself of a pre technology. That's right. Where I slowly type things in. We would be going to the microfiche. Remember? Microfiche. Yes. Okay. Misophonia is a condition where specific sounds, this is a condition. Where specific sounds trigger intense negative emotional reactions such as anger, annoyance or anxiety. Wow. I don't know if it's intense, but for example, if I'm listening to a podcast and someone needs to take a drink of water and they're really dry mouth. You can hear it. Not only can I hear it, but I really can't listen to the person. So you have also, you must have an incredible ear. I do have a, I have a good ear and I can hear things pretty well. Now look up phobia and just see what that definition is. Phobia. Let's see what the Latin word of phobia is. Phobia meaning. What if I was like phobia? In an extreme or a rational fear or aversion to something. So it's fear and the other one is anger and disgust. Yeah. But just about sounds. Just about sounds. Cause like phonograph and sonia. Yes. That makes sense. But you want to know what causes phobia. What? Genetic predisposition, environmental factors and traumatic experiences. So there you go. That experience of that thing, of that face thing. I also was like, they could be doing anything. I can't see. Right. I just heard fingers and then like, you know, I could have been ass up in like 30 seconds. Not that I, not that I thought that I didn't think that. But if I think about it now, anything could have happened. They were very nice. Both of them. Treatment is CBT, exposure therapy, medication. I mean, how are you going to, you know, so I just have to get in small spaces, claustrophobia and then just be forced to sit in there, huh? So you don't like to get smushed. I love getting smushed. I don't mind getting, I don't mind getting smushed. I just need to know I can get out. If you put me in a small closet and I know it can't get locked, then I can get in there. Yeah. I can get in an elevator just fine unless the elevator gets stuck. Oh, has that happened? And one day I was panicking. I just hadn't hit the open button because, you know, you know, had that happened. If the doors don't open, it's very stressful. Yeah. Yeah. And I was like, you know, because it's the can't get out part. It's not the actual, because I can do, can you do roller coaster rides where you get strapped in? Okay. I can do them. I don't feel phobia from them. But I hate being shook that much. Like the shaky, like I don't do roller coasters. I feel it's too much. Where is it shaky for you? Just the, I don't, I don't, like a roller coaster to me is like, I get nauseous. I feel like all like dizzy. Yeah. It's not worth it for me. The feeling of. I love them. You love them. I get on them and like, and I want to get off. And when it's gone, chick, chick, chick, chick, I'm like, I want to get off. I want to get off. As soon as the first drop happens and I make it, I'm like, now I can't enjoy it because I worry about someone throwing up on it. But if roller coasters are like a way to shake it up, what is, and I asked my guest this, what is something that you're listening to, watching? Where do you go to laugh? Because I know you love to laugh. You have a great sense of humor. You're deeply funny. Who makes you laugh? I have comfort watches. I've seen Sleepless in Seattle and when Harry Met Sally 5,000 times. Yeah. And Heartburn. I kind of like. I love Heartburn. Isn't it? Heartburn is. I'm not talking about enough. I'm not talking about enough. Maril in that movie and the. Oh my God. And Jack, they're so good together. And you know, Jack, stop. You wanted it to work. What about when she had that pregnant belly and then that little baby and she had to sing and she had to leave? That movie, I think that movie is not. I don't know if it's underrated, but I say it's underrated. I think you're right. It is so good. Check out Heartburn, everybody. It is so good. It's so good. And it's so honest. You know, when she came back, you know what I loved the delivery scene when he was talking to her and he cried and you were like, it's going to be different. And they had the baby, he was right back out there. He was right back out there in 10 minutes. He was doing him. He couldn't even. So she couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't do it anymore. No. People are complicated. People are complicated. It's not good or bad, but it is, it is can I stand it? And there was a little bit of her that was too compromised in that film and that story or everyone's story. And I love, I love Heartburn. Even before the, even in the beginning when it was like, should we get married? Remember behind when she had the cold? Yes. So good. So human. So, so funny. So funny. Yeah. She's funny too. Oh, Meryl's so funny. I mean, Meryl's everything. Meryl? Meryl. I mean, there's no words. Give us a good Meryl. Meryl Rubbiness. Meryl Rubbiness. Yes, just Rubbiness. I mean, love Meryl. That was a great one though. Well, I have to say Regina, it's been so great talking to you and I have to say that the Catholic Church loss has been our gain. I really appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much for coming. It's so great to talk to you. Thank you. This is so much fun. I know. I hope we see you. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Okay. Thanks, honey. Thank you so much, Regina Hall. You are awesome and it was so great to talk to you and so fun. And today's Polar Plunge is presented by BMW Certified. Visit BMWUSA.com slash certified dash pre-owned to learn more. For this plunge, I want to talk about a film that we mentioned briefly that Regina was in, but it's just great if you get a chance to check it out. It's called Support the Girls and it was 2018. It was just kind of this slice of life indie film about a bunch of young women working at like a sports bar. And Regina is just so great in it. And I just wanted to take the plunge moment to remind you to check that out in wherever it's streaming. And just to find example of Regina at her best doing big, hilarious moves and deep grounded. Dramatic acting. So check that out. But don't forget that today's Polar Plunge was presented by BMW Certified. In a world full of uncertainty, BMW Certified pre-owned vehicles are the real deal. They come with a BMW Certified warranty, genuine BMW parts and an additional three years of 24 seven roadside assistance. Learn more at BMWUSA.com slash certified dash pre-owned. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weisberman and me, Amy Pollard. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Katz Belain, Kaya McMullen and Aleya Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weisberman. Original music by Amy Miles.