Transcript

Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler

From Good Hang with Amy Poehler · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 5 min · 13,056 words · 324 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler", an episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler published November 18, 2025 (1 h 5 min, about 13,056 words). It mentions 75 people, works and ideas, including Wicked, Best in Show, Obsessed, Good Hang, Ariana Grande.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Wicked, Ariana Grande, Walmart, Best in Show
  2. – 20:00: L'Oréal Paris, Amazon, Apple Card, Best in Show
  3. – 30:00: Pop Music
  4. – 40:00: The Voice, Wicked, Best in Show, Broadway
  5. – 50:00: Obsessed, Ben Stiller, Wicked, Beanie Feldstein
  6. – 1:00:00: Wicked, Bath Bomb, Best in Show, Entomology
  7. – 1:05:29: Visible, Aia Xanerys, Amy Miles, Cat Spalain

Notable quotes from "Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"

  • Bath and she's going to demonstrate what she does in there. and we're going to of course talk about Wicked 2, the film that's out this week. the gigantic hit that she is the…
    about Wicked · at
  • This episode is presented to you by Walmart. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty good giftgiver, and for me, it's about making the extra effort to find the perfect gift. Walmart has the top brands we all love in one place.
    about Walmart · at
  • Watching my heroes, you and Kristen, named dropping us very casually in your discussion about Salt Lake City housewives. I like leapt out of bed. I was like supine in bed, maybe flirting with seasonal depression, and.
    about Salt Lake City · at
  • Think she has had such a varied career, right? like start off Nickelodeon or I'm sorry, you start off Broadway, you go to Nickelodeon, you go pop star, you go actor and like there's like fashion iconography on top of that like.
    about Broadway · at
  • Woohoo. This episode is brought to you by L'Oreal Paris. Is anyone not overwhelmed by the number of skincare options out there these days? L'Oreal Paris gets it and they're changing the game with their Revital triple power moisturizer. It.
    about L'Oréal Paris · at
  • A muscle memory. So for weeks and weeks, I'd go every day. I was a coach on The Voice at the time, and I was going in the mornings to Eric and then my acting coach, Nancy…
    about The Voice · at
  • Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Obsessed Mariah Carey.
    about Obsessed · at
  • Today's Polar Plunge is presented by Visible. When your phone plans as good as Visible, you've got to tell your people. Unlimited data, just 25 bucks a month. Join today at visible.com.
    about Visible · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Ariana Grande — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Episode of Good Hang. Boy, we have a superstar on this podcast today and a wonderful person. Ariana Grande is joining us. And I never had the pleasure of meeting Ariana and I…
  • Ben Stiller — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Movie, but it's like it's such a treat and it's such a privilege. I'm I'm learning so much and working with Ben Stiller and Robert Dairo and everyone that is in this cast. I'm…
  • Bowen Yang — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Speak well behind her back and give me a good question to ask her. And we have the one, the only Bowen Yang. Bowen Yang from SNL who I just got the chance to perform with a few…
  • Matt Rogers — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Perform with a few weeks ago. incredible actor, comedian on a terrific podcast with Matt Rogers, Lost Culturistas, which we all know and love. So, let's hear what Bowen has to say about our girl Ariana Bowen.
  • Liz Gillies — Person · 1 mention · first at
    With someone and you find someone that tickles you the same way. My best friend Liz Gillies, we look up to you and Tina so much because we are Oh my god, we should do things like that someday.
  • Eric Vitro — Person · 1 mention · first at
    How did you train it? I trained with my vocal coach Eric Vitro and it just takes a muscle memory. So for weeks and weeks, I'd go every day. I was a coach on The Voice at the time, and I was going in the mornings to Eric and.
  • Claudia Banks — Person · 1 mention · first at
    A coach on The Voice at the time, and I was going in the mornings to Eric and then my acting coach, Nancy Banks, and we would work on random things, not even Glenda related…
  • Eugene Levy — Person · 1 mention · first at
    You're Can you do a little Eugene Levy?
  • Judy Garland — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah the invisal line of my teeth. It was really fun. And then you can do that really breathy, and also Judy Garland is up in that world. I know you love Judy and she and you…
  • Lady Gaga — Person · 1 mention · first at
    She dressed she and Lady Gaga also does that as well. So well.
  • John Hamburg — Person · 1 mention · first at
    John Hamburg, who John is awesome.
  • Beanie Feldstein — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Around me. And I'm very inspired by my cast. I love and Beanie Feldstein is in it and she's incredible. I love her so much.
  • Jenna Weiss-Berman — Person · 1 mention · first at
    You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and…
  • Cat Spalain — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Jack Wilson — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Kaia McMullen — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Aia Xanerys — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Joel Levelvel — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Amy Miles — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Cynthia Erivo — Person · 1 mention
  • Frankie Grande — Person · 1 mention
  • Jon M. Chu — Person · 1 mention
  • Kristen Wiig — Person · 1 mention
  • Marjorie Grande — Person · 1 mention
  • Taran Killam — Person · 1 mention
  • Tom Stoppard — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

  • Wicked — Book · 12 mentions · first at
  • Best in Show — Book · 4 mentions · first at
    A lot of things today. We're going to talk about Ariana's love of the Christopher guest movie Best in Show. We are going to talk about what it was like singing with Mariah…
  • Obsessed — Book · 3 mentions · first at
  • Wicked 2 — Book · 2 mentions · first at
    Bath and she's going to demonstrate what she does in there. and we're going to of course talk about Wicked 2, the film that's out this week. the gigantic hit that she is the…
  • Rain on Me — Book · 1 mention · first at
    You could that rain on me so good. well thank you and I loved seeing you two together because it just felt like two professional super talents like I could just.
  • The Twilight Zone — Book · 1 mention · first at
    With Liz that we did together. That's forever my favorite. And I was also the pig face from Twilight Zone. That was like a Oh, yes. That's a old classic.
  • Annie — Book · 1 mention
  • Eye of the Beholder — Book · 1 mention
  • Maybe — Book · 1 mention
  • Meet the Parents — Book · 1 mention
  • PACE Act — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • The Voice — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Terms and more at applecard.com.
  • Verizon — Company · 1 mention · first at
    It's one line wireless on Verizon's 5G network for $25 a month. That's a top tier network at a budget friendly cost.
  • The Ringer — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia…
  • Paperkite — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For…
  • Paper Kite Productions — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

Concepts & topics

  • Seasonal Depression — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Out of bed. I was like supine in bed, maybe flirting with seasonal depression, and then I [clears throat] you y'all cured me right quick.
  • Mockumentary — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Really young. did you love that style of, that like mockumentary style?
  • Pop Music — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Started doing different things. I think you know I spent so much time only doing pop music but I grew up as a girl who loved musical theater and comedy. So I think the thing…
  • Music Theory — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    No, but I did learn a lot about music theory today. Thank you so much, Amy Polar, for my One of those notes reminds me of Annie, which I know you were in,.
  • Vocal Training — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    So that it can be as honest as possible and feel like it's just acting and like the singing whatever. It's vocal training way long before you get there.
  • Falsetto — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Important to me to get ready for the audition. And you know I just spent every day going to retrain that falsetto oporadic area of my voice because I wasn't using it for a long…
  • Entomology — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Just have one more if I don't get it out. I wish I were a person who like had entomology endless entomology knowledge and I could look at a bug and be leodopa a pier. that kind of person. I do wish I had that.
  • Cancer (astrological sign) — Concept · 1 mention
  • Gender Fluidity — Concept · 1 mention
  • Musical Theatre — Concept · 1 mention
  • Smile — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • Salt Lake City — Place · 2 mentions · first at
  • Broadway — Place · 2 mentions · first at
  • London — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Friend boss Lauren Michaels was like you can't miss shows like if you're going to fly back and forth to London like I just don't think it's going to work. And then on the…
  • Wimbledon — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Are you going to Wimbledon? Are you going to Wimbledon? I was at Tom Stopard's birthday and he's he's he's written some of the best.

Sponsors

  • Walmart — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
  • L'Oréal Paris — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
  • Visible — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
  • Nespresso — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it.
  • Nintendo — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it.
  • Apple Card — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything like a slice of pizza.
  • Amazon — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Your skinare and your complexion with the Revital Triple Power Moisturizer by L'Oreal Paris. Order now on Amazon.
  • Apple — Sponsor · 1 mention
  • Lush — Sponsor · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Boy, we have a superstar on this podcast today and a wonderful person. Ariana Grande is joining us. And you know, I never had the pleasure of meeting Ariana and I walked away feeling like the biggest fan, but also like I had met just a dear dear openhearted and tender and nice person. So um we are going to talk about a lot of things today. We're going to talk about Ariana's love of the Christopher guest movie Best in Show. We are going to talk about what it was like singing with Mariah Carey. We're going to talk about how she likes to take a bath and she's going to demonstrate what she does in there. Um, and uh we're going to of course talk about Wicked 2, the film that's out this week. Uh, the gigantic hit that she is the star of. Uh but but before we get started uh talking to Ariana with a person this special, we really need a special person to uh kick

us off. And you know, I wanted to talk to somebody who knows Ariana, who is um you know, close to her, who wants to speak well behind her back and give me a good question to ask her. And we have the one, the only Bowen Yang. Bowen Yang from SNL who I just got the chance to perform with a few weeks ago. incredible actor, comedian on a terrific podcast with Matt Rogers, Lost Culturistas, which we all know and love. So, let's hear what Bowen has to say about our girl Ariana Bowen. Hi. This episode is presented to you by Walmart. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty good giftgiver, and for me, it's about making the extra effort to find the perfect gift. Walmart has the top brands we all love in one place.

Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it. That's why it has to be Walmart for all my gifts this year. Guest best giftgiver award goes to yours truly. Get the brands everyone loves at prices you'll love at Walmart. Who knew? Go to walmart.com or download the app to get all your gifts this season. Get up. What do you say? I wanted [singing]

Hi. I love this print and this bow. Oh my god. Thank you. I really was trying to think about what to wear for Ariana and I wanted to go a little high fem.

Yes. And uh this won't come as a surprise, but I don't have a lot of that in my closet.

You are the high fem. You don't need adornments for that. Wow. Thank you. She does bring out a um a femin a real like delicate feminine energy. Yes. A daintiness that's really nice to try to get into. Um, okay. We're gonna talk to her today and thank you for this time. But before we do, I just have to say once again confess my love for not only you and all of the work that you do, but Lost Cult, which congratulations on the award show that you created out of nowhere that I hope is very strong and um, lucrative IP for years to come.

Um, congratulations on your podcast which continues to delight, inform, and entertain me in all different ways all the time. I love it.

The fact that Thank you so much. I receive that. The fact that I was watching my heroes, you and Kristen, named dropping us very casually in your discussion about Salt Lake City housewives. I I I like leapt out of bed. I was like supine in bed, maybe flirting with seasonal depression, and then I [clears throat] you y'all cured me right quick.

God, seasonal depression is a funny drag name for for I don't know, anyone. For me,

ladies and gentlemen, seasonal depression coming to the stage. Um, by the way, before before we get to before we get to the question, what where are we right now? Are we in an office of yours?

We are in my home office. Um, and I feel like I'm a commentator on MSNBC. Well, I was going to say if we were on a Zoom right now, like a Zoom pitch or something, I would pin your photo, make it full screen right now, and I would look at everything. Do you not do that when you're on Zoom? Listen, this if this were my podcast, I would go into I don't think so honey about blurring your background on Zoom. I get why people do it.

I don't like it. I think a blurred background is usually hiding a bed. Yeah. Unmade

an unmade bed. And I remember those days of co where heads of giant film studios were talking in front of their unmade bed on Zoom.

Have some respect. Not for you. For me. Exactly. Have some respect for me. [gasps]

I don't want to see that. I don't want to see a crumpled duvet. No. Get in front of a blank wall, babe. Anything but a bed in the background. You're a grown man.

You're a grown and somehow you're under lit. Like, fix it. But I just So, congrats on your background. It's beautiful. I love it. Thank you.

So, um we're talking to Ariana Grande today and you know I have been very heartened and not surprised by the relationship that you two have like talent talent loves talent and that both of you feel like you have just become very genuine and warm friends. Is that the case?

It is absolutely miraculously the case. When did you guys first meet? We first met in rehearsals for Wicked and this was after the saga of um me maybe not being able to do the movie because of the SNL schedule and it has always been was always in that time like my top priority. Our wonderful benefactor friend boss Lauren Michaels was like you can't miss shows like if you're going to fly back and forth to London like I just don't think it's going to work. And then on the wicked end, they were trying to figure out how to make it happen. And they were like, "Okay, I think we're going to deploy Miss Grande to pick up the phone and call up Lauren and try to convince him to let me do it." And I think that was the beginning of like sealing the deal of finalizing it, right? It's like she like just that imagining that conver like to be a to be a wire tap fly on the wall for that phone conversation is is

really thrilling to me. Just like hearing the two of them talk to each other. I mean they they have a great relationship too cuz she's been at the show. She hosted the first time. I thought that was a gang busters episode before my time there. And um so she really like she already like went to bat for me before I even met her. And Lauren was like, "A Ariana I get it.

Ariana, I get it. I get it. It's that thing where you're trying to balance and you friendship and your dreams.

Are you going to Wimbledon? Are you going to Wimbledon? You know, I was at Tom Stopard's birthday and

he's he's he's written some of the best plays ever and I think, you know, Wicked is I think Wicked's a play is Would you say it's a play?

But you know, shout out to the Lord. He did not need to give you that time off, babe. He didn't need to give you the time off. And she closed the deal.

And she closed the deal. And um then thus began this like really organic thing. And I was very this thing that I've learned from working at SNL is like you never step on the gas if you want to like make any sort of genuine connection with the host. You never want to force a friendship or camaraderie. Um, and so I went into that experience being like, I'm going to be boundaries king mutually, like respecting other people's and honoring my own. And I was not like forcing this friendship necessarily, but she was just so warm and inviting. And somehow within like a couple weeks, we were like watching mommy dearest together and like playing rummy cube and like baking cakes. And it was it just happened in the most unforced way, I think.

And that that also speaks to like the tone of the friendship and and sort of her personhood in herself. Like she's just a very I don't know. I think she's someone who like is strength in softness. She is like, you know, incredibly vulnerable and that is why people adore her. So, what question do you have a question that you think nobody ever asks Ariana or would be an interesting question for her to speak about or um you know something that would be fun for us to talk about?

Yeah, I mean like what does she think the throughline of her work is? Like I think she has had such a varied career, right? like start off Nickelodeon or I'm sorry, you start off Broadway, you go to Nickelodeon, you go pop star, you go actor and like there's like fashion iconography on top of that like throughout. It's like I want to see what the unifying theory is from her. She will kind of like squirm at that question because anytime I like want to like talk to her about like what her favorite album is, she's like, "Don't do that." Like it's it's great. It's great.

It's like true friend. She's like, "I don't want you're not like entertainment tonight. Like what are you doing?" I'm curious to see how she would answer that through you through me. And also the second question is um silly dumb question. What's the best note to sing?

Oo, what's the best note to sing? That's such a good It's [gasps] so good because I mean I I'm sure you are the same. I mean, I I just love music and watching when the way singers sing. I feel that way about when dancers dance. Like, it's just like it's just like, "Wow, how did you do that?" I just can't. It just feels like magic. And there's so many notes that she can sing,

right? She must have one that she must Let's do Let's do a B. Let's do an A. Let's keep it in G.

Keep it in G. just do G5 or whatever the octave is. It's like it's like the the the letter and the number because it's the octave on the piano or whatever. Like I don't you know I'm not I'm not a music theorist, but

she I'm sure she has a thought around that. That's such a good question. It's like we've done B minor too many times. That old hacky note.

Oh, that old chestnut. Gh. Get that away. Get B minor away. I need to do major.

Well, I cannot wait to see you soon. Thank you so much for doing this. I know she will be thrilled that you did, Bowen. I just adore you.

I love you so much. I'll see you very soon. Same, same, same. Thank you so much for your time. Bye.

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Ariana, I'm so excited to be here with I don't even know how to talk anymore. That was not

It's okayish. Did you just use an English accent? I know. You have to start over.

Do you I feel like you're a sponge though. I feel like you pick up on the way other people talk.

I think I I I've always loved to do voices. Like when I was a little girl, I loved to impersonate and do characters and voices and accents. And

you're so good at them. And that's kind of what I wanted to start with today. First of all, it's nice to meet you.

It's nice to meet you, too. I love you so much. I love you, too. I feel like I know you as most people do, but I am thrilled to meet you in person.

Me, too. And I was thinking about how to start today and I was thinking, yes, we'll talk of course about the huge success of Wicked and we'll talk about your music and we'll talk about your life and all that, but I wanted to talk about you as a funny person, as a comedian, as a deeply genuinely funny person. You're very funny.

Thank you. coming from you. I'm I am Yeah, I'm like I've been saying since I walked in, but that's really how I like I can't

I adore you and I Yeah, I look up to you so much. I love SNL. I'm so like I Well, what is your relationship to comedy like when when you were growing up? What were you watching? What did you like?

My favorite movie was Best in Show from a really young age. I Which is so strange, you know, to be a child and to really love that. I I I don't when I was really young. Um,

did you love that style of, you know, that like mockumentary style? I did. I I did. I loved like dry humor and um it made me feel so close to my family, like laughter. My dad and I bonded over our favorite movies. And

Well, what kind of what what's your dad's sense of humor? Um, we love Jim Carrey. Uh, we love, you know, all the Adam Sandler movies and, you know, that kind of thing. The Christopher Guest, of course, and SNL. And that was just sort of how we bonded was through comedy. Do you remember getting your first laugh? Do you remember like being in [sighs and gasps] getting my first laugh? Yeah. I I actually Wow. I I've never thought about this in my my life, but I was really little. I don't know how old I was, but I was doing standup. I forget the name of my persona that I had created, but I was doing standup as a guy, as like an as like this guy, this old guy from my grandparents, and I got a laugh from them, and I just remember it felt so special. I don't know. [gasps] You were in their house doing it.

Yes. And I And I don't remember the name of the character, but it was full out. It was like I had disappeared into this man. I'm always interested in the connection between musicians and comedians because I think they have some kind of love for each other and I I don't know exactly know what it is.

I think so. I think I think for me personally the thing that I love about both so much music and comedy is that they've always made me feel so like safe and like I can relate to the person, you know?

And um you learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. Yes, you do. Yeah. Um, and when you find someone who uh has the same sort of like ticklish spots as you, that's just

the best thing. You know, when you work with someone and you find someone that tickles you the same way. My best friend Liz Gillies, we look up to you and Tina so much because we are like, "Oh my god, we should do things like that someday."

You guys are so funny together. Oh my god. What I love about your what I've seen of your relationship is again that kind of feeling of play. Like you know each other and you kind of you're like being stupid basically. We love to be stupid. What a gift it is to be able to play and be stupid sometimes.

I know. And I mean, I feel that when you do SNL is that you're not a afraid to be stupid and you kind of like it.

It's the best. It's the best. And it's it's so vulnerable, but you can't be afraid. It's like it's just the most thrilling thing in the You really have to be down.

You do. You can't go in halfway. No. And it is you whether it's you're impersonating someone or you're doing some stupid idea. It's it's it's I I'm sure you feel this way too. I bet it's similar to singing which is you have to kind of push through

to the other side and make sure you're committing to whatever you're doing. Have to see it through.

It doesn't matter. [gasps] And if you're on the and you're if you're locked eyes with someone and the scene is cuz you've done SNL a few times

and their bald cap is sliding and you're like what the hell are we doing? Yeah. Or you're like, "This scene's never gonna see the light of day." Like we This is not making the show. We You have to be safe with each other.

Totally. It really is where like love blooms. It really is. It really is. It's true.

It's true. Because if you if you hang in there with each other, then you're kind of friends for life.

Yeah. It's true. Yeah. We've we've kind of had some really extraordinary circumstances with slime and bald caps and things. Did you ever have any things on SNL where where you know it's always fun like the bloopers of that show like where things go wrong or you don't make your change or anything like a stress dream come true? Did anything ever happen there when you were there?

First of all, I am dying for your stories. Can I can I return the question after I answer?

Absolutely. Please. I have so many for you. Can we do another episode where I'm just asking all the questions, please?

Um let's switch seats. But um no, I thankfully other than like breaking a couple of times. Yeah. Um, there was this sketch that didn't air that we did with Taran Kllum

and he was and he had this like big 70s hair and he played this like weird musician person and he wrote this song that was so long and so strange and and I don't think I don't think like Lauren loved it at the end of the day.

Sure. And the audience was like I loved it so much. You were fighting for it. The audience was on our side as well, but it it was cut for time and that was kind of heartbreaking because it was just so ticklish.

I bet he still thinks about it that and appreciates it because it was there's nothing better than when the host fights for something of yours. Even if it doesn't make it, it means something that they do.

I cherish it. My dad watches it every day. That sketch it's on YouTube and he watches it every single day without I'm I'm not kidding. He starts his days with Smile. I think it's I don't remember what it's called, but I think it's the song was called Smile

and he was like a 70. So it made the show We were a sip of water and she smiled too big for her face and everyone was like

but we were love we loved it. We loved it. Oh my god. I mean yeah one of the people that became a friend to you is Bowen. Yay.

Yes. Such a talented nice person. The most brilliant, the kindest, [clears throat]

most caring. So so ridiculously otherworldly smart. Mhm. And just so funny. I love him so much.

Well, we do this thing on this pod where we kind of ask people um we have guests uh who know our guests to come on and and we speak well behind their back and they give me a question to ask and so we talked to Bowen today.

Oh my god. Yes. Bowen was your person. Yes. And um Bowen had such amazing things to say about you and just you that sketch when you two were together as the that was your idea, right? The when you were basically playing some version of your mom.

I was I was a version of my mom. So for people that don't remember, it was kind of like a game a version.

Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Um she's very proud of that, too. Yeah. It was a game night that went wrong basically.

It sure was. Yeah. And you came to Bowen with the idea which he said was like being handed a gift.

Yes. Because sometimes life has to inform art. And this was one of those moments. I was like, Bowen, there's no reason that this happened if we're not supposed to use it. And it was a

So what is your mom like? Tell us tell us what your mom is like. Like like that sketch.

I mean just sometimes. Just sometimes. That's a that's a side of her. She's a beautiful gorgeous soul. I love her so much. But she was very proud of that, too. I warned her 15 minutes before

it started the show. No, the the show started that night. She was in my dressing room. She's like, "Break a leg, honey." I was like, "By the way, sorry. I have to tell you because the wig arrived and it's your hair." I thought it was going to be like a blonde bob. I didn't know it was going to be your hair, but since it is your hair, you do have to know I'm you in a sketch. And she was like, "I can't wait." And she loved it.

She loved it. And I heard her as I was running to my quick change being like, "THAT'S ABOUT ME. IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. She's being me."

She loved it. She loved it. But we were having a family game night and my brother's husband's brother was a guest. We were playing games and um you know my my I don't have the I didn't get this thing that my brother and my mom have where playing games is really is really really competitive.

Okay. I don't you just want to have fun. I love to have fun. I want to be with everyone. I love them. I'm like really thankful for the time that we get to be together. I'm like, "Yay, let's play a game."

That's not how they are. Yeah. It's really Yeah. And they're really grateful, too. And it's good vibes until, you know, someone's losing. And then um Yeah. My mom just said like under her breath like [clears throat] tiny dick syndrome or something. And I was like,

"Whoa, mommy, excuse me. Mommy, wait. Mommy, your your inside thought went outside."

Yeah. ma'am. I was like, "Mom, you didn't just say that." And they were all like giggling, but like nervously. And I was like, "This is she's joking. She's doing a bit." And she was like, "No, that's what that is."

And I was like, "Coming down the barrel so hard." And I was like, "Excuse me, guys." Bowen. Hi. Something has just happened at some point in our lives. We have to use this.

You were so funny in it. I mean, you're so funny in so much stuff that you did. I mean that you're you're singing off key in Domingo which is hard to do I was it hard to do to sing off key.

It was fun. It was really fun and I liked that it got worse every time I came back to the mic. It was like as sort of really subtly

but the but no but with game night I I I had to fight for that one like you said like sometimes the it's it's the most gratifying when you fight for it and then finally people believe in it.

I was so happy. I feel like I get a sense from you that, you know, and you've been working long enough now to know that one of the things I think that's nice about getting older is you know what you're good at. Like you're like, I think I can do this well. Like that isn't always the case when we're figuring ourselves out, like what we can actually deliver on, but I feel like that's what I mean about the confidence. I feel like you know what you can do well comedically.

That is such a generous and nice thing to say. Oh my god, I hope this is okay. Sorry that I'm here. No, I'm kidding. But like,

but I feel that about you. I know what tickles me and I know that I um I know how it feels like with the players like to experience and if it has that like

carbonation that ticklish thing it's then there's a chance you know and I am not one to

you know I would never but we we were in Lauren's office and we were going over the run of show and he kept moving game night over and I was like Lauren I'm so sorry please can we at least try it at dress can we please try it at dress please I'm so like I promise I owe you forever can We just try to address a little more crew and he moved it back.

Okay. Yeah. I mean, people don't know that that what's so cool and terrifying about the SNL system is it still uses just index cards.

I love the index cards and you have these index cards with your scenes and then it's just very like high school play. You walk in and everyone looks up to see if their card made it into the show.

It's so special. It is. It's really old school and it is I have a little bit of PTSD when I see index cards when you just said moving the index card that I just had a moment of like

cuz I remember many times where the index card was in a safe zone and then you come in you're like where did it go?

Oh no. Wait, do you have ones that you want to share about? Well, you know what's also fun about those index cards is there's always kind of a collection at the bottom because the show often runs long.

Mhm. And you know, sometimes things have to get cut on the fly as people know. There'll be like two index cards fighting for the bottom,

right? There'll be two scenes that are in the bottom and you're like, see on the mat like let's see which one makes it

and you don't know until it's just Yeah. It really does kind of build your I think your um tolerance for rejection, right?

Yeah. just kind of like you get used to thinking, okay, this isn't my last good idea. I have to try again next week. I think that's good.

Yeah. Yeah. But you feel but I I I feel like Well, Bowen Bowen was so great talking about you because, you know, he's such a a friend and also loves talking about how easy it is to talk to you. And then his two questions were really funny. One I don't really understand. One was kind of like two question. No, they were there. But one was like um what what would Ariana say is the trajectory of her career? What is the unifying theme?

Oh wow. I know. It's it's kind of might be hard to answer this early in the interview, but

No, I feel it feels clear actually. She's ready to answer it. It just it feels as clear as Yeah. I don't know. I I think I just am feeling a lot more connected to myself and my art since I started doing different things. I think um you know I spent so much time only doing pop music but I grew up as a girl who loved musical theater and comedy. So I think the thing that will be like best for my soul and also for my art and for what I'm giving myself to is if I'm chasing things that um sort of feel just very right in the moment even if it's spontaneous if it's something different like I am doing a movie right now because it's a role that I I read the script and I love it and it's funny and I love the cast and I'm so excited and then I'm going to do a small stint of shows next year because

that is like something that authentically sounded good to me. Yeah. And then you know from there there are other things that are different and I think following those authentic impulses um feel it feels like a really good idea like a a a good thing. I think I

I think it's a sense of like getting older and getting understanding like listening to your own body like figuring out Yeah. figuring out asking yourself what do you want first which isn't always the case and in

when we're um when we're doing a lot of work we're sometimes doing things because we have to do them or we should do them and then when you take even a second to say

what do I want to do? What feels right? Yeah. Yeah. That's something that is learned over time. For me, I when I, you know, sort of came into all of this and my pop career sort of took over my life in a way. I didn't have that at all, you know,

and I think that is I feel very like privileged and grateful to have learned that that there can be room for for different creative endeavors. And um

so that's been a really beautiful thing. I think it will change a lot. I think the first the last, you know, 10 or 15 years will look very different to the ones that are coming up.

And I don't want to say any definitive things like I I do know that I'm very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not

happen again for a long long long long time. Sure. You know, so I'm going to give it my all and it's going to be beautiful and I'm so grateful that I think that's why I'm doing it

because I'm like one last harrah. Perfect. Because for now, never say never. No, no, no. I'm not.

And it and also I think to your point like when you're able to step away from acting or music or writing, you then you really appreciate it when you get to go back to it

so much more and like you are able to do better by that art form because you're appreciative and really able to feel present in it. Well, this leads me to Bowen's next question, which was, "What is your favorite note to sing?"

Oh my god. My [gasps] favorite note to sing. I know. Okay, I'm going to play you a note. You tell me if you like it.

Okay. Because we got to get I mean, I I just got nervous when I just named the note G cuz I was like, "That's a note, right?" Yeah, I know that G is is a note that I that was the highest note of my adlib that I sang in 13. I think G is pretty high.

It was something that I sang in 13. I know that. That's a nice one. Can't tell you, but I love it.

Okay, let's do another one. What about Is this what I'm supposed to do? Here we go. I can't Here we go. Here's a C. Oh, beautiful. And we have never sounded that

gorgeous. Okay, so Bowen, we don't know. We don't know the answer. We don't know.

No, but I did learn a lot about music theory today. Thank you so much, Amy Polar, for my for my

One of those notes reminds me of Annie, which I know you were in, which is one of my favorite musicals.

Yes. What is that note? I don't know. We'll never know. I'll never know. But I do know that's a hard one to hit. I hear the relation. I hear the I know why you thought of that.

One of my favorite songs in any musical is Maybe and Annie. I love Maybe. That is such a good song.

Sad one. That's a sad one. Well, that'll do it. Yeah, that'll get you going. That'll get you going.

And was that fun to be a little kid and Annie? It was fun to be a little kid and Annie.

What a part. What a big part. It was really a huge undertaking at that age. It's true. I was I was talking to Rachel Drach. We were talking about um uh musicals that like shaped us. And for women my age, you in my 50s like Annie was just it was kind of like it was about it was just like it was about us. Like it was it was like a musical for us. It really was. It felt like the first it was not about us. We were not orphans.

Thinking wait but it was for us. Annie was for you. It was a young It was a She was the same age as us, right? Like that part was, you know,

to just to have a young girl be the lead of a of a Broadway show and it's named after her. It's not called Daddy Warbucks and the Little Girl. It's called Annie.

It shouldn't be be called that. Shouldn't be called that. I don't like that title.

Wait, so what are your what are your Well, it's funny with Oh, my SNL or my musical.

Your SNL like bloopers. Blooper. What's one of your favorite blooper moments? One thing that comes to mind is one time I was doing a sketch where uh I think Jason Baitman was the host and there was a monkey in the sketch. Like a a I would say maybe a chimpanzeee like a actor.

Yes, an animal actor. How do you feel about animal? I don't like them. Yeah. I don't like them. And uh I it's too stressful for me. And it was like a young chimpanzee and um I keep I'm going like this because I just want to show how strong it was.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I walked past the chimpanzzeee and it reached out and grabbed me by the wrist.

Oh no. And wouldn't let go. In the middle of a quick change. I think it was like the blonde hair or my vibe.

And I started screaming. Oh, that's really traumatic. And chimpanzees are very strong.

Yeah. I I I like I famously. Yeah. So, that was one where I was like and I couldn't get it to let go of me and I had to Yeah. It was all fine. It was all fine. But that wasn't that was a Would that be considered a blooper?

I don't I don't know. I think that's like PTSD. That's like a different folder. But I love it. I'm glad. I know. I do want to talk to you about musicals because I know you love musicals. Of course

I do. I I like them very much. I do. I like them very much. I feel they are. I can also admit they're ridiculous. Well, what I what I love about them is when I feel transported, to me, that is the best feeling ever when I watch anything or but it's harder for me to get transported in musicals than in other things. And I get like, you know, it's kind of like improv like there's a vulnerability in that moment and if it's good, you're psyched. And if it's not good,

it's tough. It's tough. It's ticklish. Yes. How do you when you're you've done many musicals, you you're you're currently making a film about probably the most famous musical, Wicked. Like when you're when you have that moment right before the actor sings,

right? It's just like jumping off a cliff kind of. You have to stay in the acting moment and then switch into song.

Do you know what I mean? What do you do in the preciousness of that moment? Well, for Wicked,

Mhm. thankfully, I do feel like it's really well written for the characters and for the moment. So, it feels like they have to sing the next thought, you know? But I think

so that it can be as honest as possible and feel like it's just acting and like the singing whatever. It's vocal training way long before you get there. So that it doesn't even feel like a thought. Like I trained my voice for months before my first audition because Glenda's voice is so different than mine.

How did you train it? I trained with my vocal coach Eric Vitro and it just takes a muscle memory. So for weeks and weeks and weeks, I'd go every day. I was I was a coach on The Voice at the time, and I was going in the mornings to Eric and then my acting coach, Nancy Banks, and we would work on random things, not even Glenda related things, just to sort of get the muscles moving. And I hadn't acted in a long time. And I it was important to me to get ready for the audition. And um you know I just spent every day going to retrain that falsetto oporadic area of my voice because I wasn't using it for a long time. And um you can hear the quality change if you look through like the voice notes from way back then. Like the first week I went there was so much air seeping out and then slowly but surely like week after week there was more purity and more clarity to get higher. Does there have to be less air? Like everything has

to be tighter in the vocal cords like No, I think it just sounded I guess what what I mean by that was that you could hear like more rasp in my voice,

right? So the same amount of air, but just the quality became clearer and more pure as time went on.

And Glenda doesn't have a rasp. She's so touchy. No, I mean unless there's like an emotional break or something like that can be imperfect, but she has a really a pure tone and it's um more classical and I trained really hard so that that could not be a thought

on set so that by the time we were in it and had to move seamlessly into the songs hopefully you know that wasn't a stress that wasn't a thing. No one was worried about are the notes going to come out right? And if they didn't, it probably made sense emotionally. You know, there are moments where

especially in the second one where we have breaks and we have like choked up and you can hear it. And that's kind of like the beauty of being able to do it live on set because you get to honor what's happening in the scene.

Yeah. But it's wicked. And I what you're saying where like maybe if it was something else it might be I don't know. It's like that back and forth is so hard to do. Yeah,

you know, thankfully these songs felt so intentional. Every single song in Wicked feels so purposeful for the arcs of the characters and for what's going on.

Did you speak in a different voice as Glenda? I did. A higher voice so you could stay there when you sang.

I did. It's It was kind of um So on days when I'm singing I'll And also most of the time this is kind of where my voice sits is like here.

Yeah. Um, but sometimes it'll move lower and then sometimes it'll move higher. For Glenda, when she's uh younger, it was a little bit pingier and in the when she's older, it's a little more grounded, a little more lived in. She's like a public figure now. She's supposed to, [clears throat] you know, she has this like responsibility. So, it's a little more and she's been through more. So, it has a slightly different tone. But then when she's with Elfie again and having fun, there's more pep and um yeah, I feel like people

That's incredible that you tracked all that. It was important. Thank you. But, you know, it felt really important and helpful because we were shooting both films at the same time.

Yeah. So, just making sure I also I I kept uh track of all of that with colorcoded sticky tabs so that I could like take a peek at which color so that I could bounce back and forth. And then, you know, there were a lot of little tools that helped with the mind set shift

between both films, but that was um one of them. and singing voice and speaking voice feeling a little different were that was a really fun thing to sort of figure out.

Um some of her songs in the second movie you get to hear her open up a little more

whereas like everything in the first movie is so um controlled and prim and proper and bubbly.

Um yeah, you get to kind of like peel back so many different layers. She grows a lot in the first movie. Her arc is it she has a a big arc in the first movie and then in the second one there's

a lot more to go. Yeah, because you're so good. You're such a mimic. You do men's voices very well.

I am working on it because I'd like to do more male drag and more male voices. You're Eugene Levy is amazing.

Thank you. How did you see that? How have you seen that? From my laptop. Everything is here.

No one knows about that. You're Can you do a little Eugene Levy? Can you do you remember?

Yeah. I you know I I the thing about that day is I had I went to a place but I've never gone before

and I don't know if I'm able to accessly but I can I also had put my gum in my Invisalign.

Oo that's helpful. We had teeth but they weren't like working. They weren't sticking.

So I put gum in my Invisalign which really helped. And you were playing the character he played in best in show not Eugene. It was um

Eugene is very sophisticated. Not this character, Jerry Fleck. I was playing Jerry Fleck.

And he was sort of like, "Hold on, I have to like I have to like relax my body. I don't know how to drop into this."

Um I'd like to think that Cookie and I It's not as low as I'd like today. I don't have my basement today.

It's so good. Work as a team, though. I do nothing. She does all the work with Winky. Uh back to I don't know. back in the day when I I was at Pon Deellion Junior High. Well, um I wish you I wish people listening could look at Ariana's face.

Really bad. What is it doing? It's transforming. It's really good. I never have any idea.

But you have a you have a way to get pretty You can get pretty low. I sometimes can. Yeah.

And you do have that. I mean, I I love I I love I want I want like I feel like there's a lot of men's voices you could do well.

Oh my god. Because you're very you're very you're very high fem as people like to say. I don't know. And um fem

high fem I think. And um but I think we both are. I I didn't think I was, but Bowen told me I was.

I think you are. But you also have such comfortability doing great male voices and characters.

Same. And I and you know and I think what I love about you is the way in which you're very like open and um uh supportive of the way that gender is its own fluid experience and expression in in in the way you live your life and also the way you support people who are expressing that fluidity.

But I think you have a very interesting masculine feminine energy that you're always playing around with and it's cool to see it.

That's so nice. It's cool to see it. That's so nice. You have a wide range of how you can play around.

That is so nice. Yeah. I'd like to play more men. Yeah. Okay. America. Oh, we should have worn mustaches for this.

I love a mustache. I love a mustache. I love a mustache as well without with with for Jerry for my performance as Jerry. I um I had these big eyebrows

and no other makeup and and um big the yeah the invisal line of my teeth. It was really fun. And then you can do that really breathy, you know, and also Judy Garland is up in that world. I know you love Judy and she and you have you can do I just I mean I'm just I'm pointing out your range

coming from you. I feel like I am dreaming. I don't know if anyone's told you you're very talented.

That is very kind. You're very very talented. So are you. Well, I mean, and and you know, you it is pretty it's so fantastic to hear your name up with. It's like Seline, Whitney, Mariah,

what are you talking about? You're in that sentence. No. Yes, ma'am. No, no. Yes, you are in that sentence. And what

that's crazy. It must be I guess because I'm talking about people that you love study and completely like are are you know a huge fan and you're also their peer and you're singing with them. Who is someone that you sang with that you had to just kind of like keep looking over and being like oh my oh my god like I can't believe I'm singing with them.

Mariah. Yeah. Every time I'm I cross paths with her, which has been like a handful now, and that feels just like such a dream,

I have to pinch myself. And um the best part is how kind she has been to me and how she's embraced me and um

just she's a wonderful kind person. I I really love her. It's very surreal. What was it about Mariah's music growing up that spoke to you? What was that special sauce about her voice?

The vocals and the sense of humor. I think her her her pen and her producing ear. I mean,

yes, she's the greatest vocalist, of course, but the the other pieces are just so are just what make her her, you know?

Yeah. Um, talk about, you know, she's the greatest singer. So many people sing beautifully, but her her point of view and her sense of humor and her um [snorts] wit in her songwriting [clears throat] and Yeah. And she talk about male drag.

Why did she do that? Yes. What did she obsessed video? Look it up. Let's look it up. You have to see it.

She dressed she and and Lady Gaga also does that as well. So well. Yes. Oh my god.

And I mean I love these divas. I she's another as well who is just so I love the sweetest in the world.

You could that rain on me so good. Um well thank you and I loved seeing you two together because it just felt like two professional super talents like I could just

we're theater nerds as well. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Obsessed Mariah Carey. Oh, she's dressed as a um she's at the limousine. She's a limousine driver. She's obsessed with herself. She's playing a

Wow. I never saw this. I'm I know. I'm She's one of us. That is so cool. Who are you seeing in music in film and who who are you saying like, "Whoa, they're doing something really exciting inspired by them."

I have to say, I'm sort of I'm on set right now. I'm filming this movie. I'm filming.

Can you talk about what you're filming or is it I'm filming Fauler-in-law? Oh, nice. So, I'm having so much I know it's crazy. It's like the fourth movie, but it's like it's such a treat and it's such a privilege. I'm I'm learning so much and working with Ben Stiller and Robert Dairo and everyone that is in this cast. I'm I'm really enjoying my time with and it's such a

Who's directing it? John Hamburg, who John is awesome. Yeah, he's wonderful. Yeah, he's great. And it's just so great to um sort of experience a new a new journey and uh like learn from those around me. And

I'm very inspired by my cast. I love and Beanie Feldstein is in it and she's incredible. I love her so much.

So funny. So funny. So wonderful. And um yeah, I'm learning a lot from my castmates and um yeah,

and it's probably like a lot less physical um it's probably a lot less physically exhausting than Wicked, which

must be not. I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but I have to say it cuz you're going to laugh your ass off. My character is a triathlete.

Oh, no. So, you're always running? I spent yesterday doing burpees in high knees with Robert Dairo and he's like good job Olivia good job and it's like the craziest most I'm like what is this movie what are we doing but [gasps] I'm having a blast like it's really special but no it's bar it's not physically exhausting yeah she's a lot of things but a triathlete is one of them there's also a lot of biking in this movie like a lot a lot a lot lot

Ben Stiller is so he's so fitian he runs a couple miles a day before. Yeah, it's too much. I mean, it's crazy.

No, it's it's too much. I feel like I'm on the set of the Avengers between him and Bob, Mr. Dairo. I'm like,

yeah. Are you guys But Bob Bob's not running in the morning, is he? Oh my god. At like 4 at like 3:30.

They got them. They got to stop. That's not okay. Obsessed with them. But I do love a good morning Pilates moment. I do.

Here's how I feel about running. Yes. Yes. You prefer I prefer walking. I prefer walking.

There we go. And when people are running, I'm like too much running. Yeah. What are you running from?

I I hear it's too much running. But I just I just assume that Wicked is just so much physical because also the outfits the outfits are a lot of like like wearing an outfit is is a heavy like that's just a and the

Well, every day was corseted. The only the only looks the only looks that I had that weren't corseted were my pajamas. But it was but it was helpful.

Yeah. It kept you feeling Yeah. I I was so eager to get into my corset and her shoes because I wanted to like find her posture immediately and like her weird stiffness. I wanted to jump into that.

So I had a rehearsal corset and rehearsal shoes and then it was like fine by the time we you know it was it was great.

And John Shu seems awesome. He's the best person in the whole entire world. You can just kind of tell right away. I mean,

I have to say in general, the press that you and Cynthia did for the tour was so exciting to watch because

there is an like a, you know, there's this thing that one always has to push against when you're a woman in the business, which is people are kind of constantly comparing and

asking each other. like there's just like a little bit of a a an electricity in the air that people are looking for conflict. And what you and Cynthia did over and over and over again was so radical which is you kept

getting ahead of it, speaking to it and then in the moment really reminding everybody about how you made a commitment to each other to support each other through the project. It was really cool. And in doing so, you commented on the bigger idea of like the pressure women feel constantly to be compared to each other and to

have conflict with each other. Did you two make that pact together? It feels like you did. Did you say it to each other or was it just unspoken?

Well, we did, you know, it was it was really first of all, thank you. It was it was really hard work, you know. Yeah. um not to commit to that but to kind of um take care of each other. Firstly, through this incredibly huge thing that was making Wicked, you know, um I really wanted to

be safe. Yeah. In each other, you know, I I wanted to make sure that she knew immediately. Like I I am a cancer. I jumped in way too fast. I was like, "Hi,

time." You were like, "Ready to cry?" Yeah. I was like, "Hello. Shall we cry together?"

Yeah. Start with the the like the darkest. No, I was like, like, but you know, I really did want to

want to establish that right right away. And I kind of said, "Hey, we're getting to know each other. I, you know, we're going to learn a lot about each other very quickly."

Yeah. You need to know. I want you to know there's nothing that we can't talk about. You don't have to face something alone. Um, if you need help with something, I am on your side already. I don't even know what it is yet, but we'll get there together. This is um a huge undertaking

and I want us to stay connected as much as possible um every step of the way. And you know, there were so many challenges in the making of and that we checked in and we always stayed

um honest, you know. You did. And we got to see it. It was really cool because you have to [sighs and gasps]

deal with a lot of people's energy when they're talking to you about the stuff that you made. And the way And also you guys just physically checked in. Like it's really sweet how you touch each other.

You like to touch in a in a nonsexual way in a in a loving way of like supporting each other.

You like to hold each other's like hands and and be there for it's very sweet. You like to do that with people. You do I do like I do I I am very

I I I channel a lot of energy through my hands. Yeah. And so I'm always holding a hand. I'm always like squeezing a something as you've learned.

I'm always reaching for something. Sometimes you have so many things here that you can squeeze fake food if you want.

That's wonder. No, but it's often it's often like who I'm with and like Yeah. It's like I I like to channel support and energy and like whatever. I didn't even notice that it was a thing about me until that thing happened.

And then you're talking about when you grabbed Cynthia's little finger. It was so cute.

Cuz I didn't know what the was going on. Sure. And um and you were like and you just reached over a little teeny tiny grab.

I knew it was gender and and sexy and beautiful and I just wanted to be supportive. I was like, "Oh my god."

And it was so sweet and it felt sweet. But again, a great example of in a awkward or confusing moment, you you guys kept turning towards each other.

Yes. And I think that's something that we've worked hard to maintain. And, you know, there's a lot of time that passes between the wrapping of the film and then the press tour happening. Um, and then, you know, it's a check-in here and there when you can. You know, we're both so busy, but we do our very best um to stay connected in that way and to take care of each other. Let's all take care of each other so that we can honor the project as much as humanly possible and do great work. Yeah.

Is [snorts] like the best lens ever. Yeah. And I'm so lucky that John Chu is the king of [snorts] that exact thing that we're talking about.

I mean, the fact that he was at his baby's birth and not at Wicked Premiere. Well, I mean, thank thank God.

I know. But there's a few people that would have made a different choice. I know. But he had three over the course of the whole film, you know. I think

he had three babies. Yeah. Well, let's let's be clear. His wife had three babies.

Yes. Yes. First three babies. Yes. But but um but that's how long we've been working on.

Oh, that's a lot of babies. Isn't that crazy? Yeah. Wow. No twins. No twins. Okay. All right. Um Okay. I have a lightning round for you.

Okay. Okay. Okay. So, I have to disclaim. I'm really bad at lightning. Take Lightning doesn't have to be fast. I'm I'm like in the middle always because PTSD I build a case for both answers.

Yeah. So I I'm like very indecisive due to things. Okay. Got it. So I want you to know that this is not it's you don't have to worry about being fast cuz I also don't ask the questions fast.

Oh, thank God. So it's a slow we're on a slow round. A really slow landing like where you kind of see it in the sky and it comes down really slowly and it hits the ground really slowly. Okay. Turtle round. Um, so the first thing I'm gonna ask you is kind of a gotcha question.

Okay, give me give me it. And this gotcha question is you say you're 53. I don't say that.

That's what the internet says. I say I'm 52. Well, the internet says a lot of things.

True. I'm 5'2. That was the question. I'm 5'2. Are you 5'2? I'm 5'2. Is it 5'2 on your license?

Um, do you have a license? I haven't used it in a long time. I'm in I'm in New York. I ask, "Do you have a current driver's license?"

I think so. She thinks so. I'm kidding. I'm joking. No, I do. I do. I'm not driving though.

Do you like being 5'2? What What's the pros and cons of being 52? I asked cuz I am also 5'2, but my license says 53.

I Oh, does it? Yeah. Was that a choice? No, it they measured me or somehow someone put it down.

It was a tall day. You were having a tall day. I was having a tall day. I get it.

And I got I got I got like excited. I was like 53. I was like, "Okay." And then

black pepper. Yeah. So 5'2. So 52. What do you think about being a tiny a tiny person?

I think it's fine. I think I'm enjoying my time. Mhm. Things I wish I could reach more.

Yeah. I wish I could reach like the water more. I wish I could reach it. Is there anything that you think um you wish you had height for? Like

just I guess reaching. [snorts] No, I mean just reaching. Yeah. You know, the highest book, the highest water, the highest whatever it is. But I But I'm okay with it. Do you Are you Do you

I mean I know I know no other way. I know no other way. I know other way. I mean I have heard that uh shorter people live longer,

but um not to brag. I don't know why. I hope so. I hope so. Well, I hope we all live long.

I don't know what I'm saying. We can't all live long. Let's give it to the short people.

I hope everyone lives a beautiful long life. Of course, but let's have short people live longer.

Something Let's have something. Okay, moving on. Lightning round. Okay. Do you think you had a past life? Have you ever felt like you've lived before?

Oh god, you're going here. That's so not lightning. I do feel like I've lived before, but I don't

Who what? Who was she? He What was Where did you live? Do you have a sense? I have no sense. I have no sense. But I But I do feel old.

Um, so that's what people say. They say, "Oh, like an old soul." I I not calling myself an old soul. I think I'm just tired, actually. Just whoever you are was tired. Yeah. I think I think it was tired and I think I think they might have drowned.

Ooh, sorry. Sorry. I just have a thing with like when people hold their breath underwater. I don't like that.

Okay. Very good to know. I don't like that at all. Great. But back to the thing when you said, "Is there anything you wish you could do?" I just have one more if I don't get it out. I I wish I were a person who like had entomology endless entomology knowledge and I could look at a bug and be like, "Ah, leodopa a pier." You know, that kind of person. I do wish I had that.

Who could classify insects? Different insects. Mhm. Different like you know the people who do that with birds.

I have the bird app. The Merlin app. Do you have that? No. It's fabulous. You you play you record the sound of the bird and it quickly pops up what it is. They can tell by their tone of voice. I love that.

I feel like you would also probably be able to impersonate a lot of birds. I think you you have a lot of faith in me. You're being really kind to me. Um best Halloween costume you've ever worn? Oh, well,

or one that you've worn. I think my favorites are um the best in show stuff that I did with Liz that we did together. That's forever my favorite. And I was also the um pig face from Twilight Zone. That was like a

Oh, yes. That's a old classic. Yes. I love Halloween. For people that don't remember, there was a Twilight Zone where a woman woke up from

the beholder. Yes. And it was she woke up from what was like plastic surgery and everyone started screaming and her face looked beautiful.

Gorgeous. But they were all pig faces. Mhm. Fabulous. Chew on that. Fabulous episode.

Um, what about uh best bath product? You love taking baths. What? I love Lush. I'm a Lush person.

You're like a bath bomb. I'm a bath bomb. So you love a fizz. I love a fizz. I love the smell. I love like salts and a bath bomb and a trickle of oil like essential oils.

And do you take um do you have one of those things on your bathtub like where it goes across where you can put your phone? Do you take your phone to your bath?

I do. I take my I also take my laptop. I get a lot of work done. I'm not kidding. Okay, so I have to talk about this because I'm a big bath person. Did someone tell tip you off?

Yes, we heard you were a big bath person. Oh my god. I'm a big bath person. I like like it's like a it's like it's a ritual. It's a Yeah, it's a ceremony. And I have

us talk us through the ceremony. I have my like I have my I'm in the bath and I have my coffee I have my coffee here.

Got it. Do you have a laptop here? No, it's just on the edge of the thing and I know that's scary.

I know. I know. But it's okay. It's always fine. And you know I push the bubbles back so they're not in the way because this is what this is. This is when I have time to do like my approvals of stuff before I go to work. That's good.

So I'm able to like look at the links of stuff in the water. Yeah. I look like interesting and yet afraid of drowning.

I know. But that's the thing. So, I'm in control in the bath. There's big control that we're working on. And I'm in control in the bath.

And I'm a cancer. So, I'm very I'm very aquatic. I love the water. I love to be submerged. But the drowning thing.

Yeah. Um, favorite Italian food. Ooh, I have to say pasta. What kind? So many kinds.

Marinada. Just simple Marinara. Yeah. What my Nona would make. Yes. I'm sorry about the passing of your Nona. She seemed amazing. Marjorie

was amazing and she was so funny. Tell me about her. My favorite Nona story is Frankie coming out

to her and um so Frankie, you're My brother is Frankie. Um he is gay. Um and he is very gay. I don't know if you know. Um and he um and he came out to us and you know my first question was like, "Do you have a boyfriend? Who is he? I want to meet him." And um you know, Nona was just trying to figure it out. You know, very accepting, very loving, very celebratory, but she was just trying to figure it out because she couldn't believe it. And you know, in her mind, she had plenty of like boyfriend. I uh he had plenty of girlfriends and whatever. And um so she goes, "Frankie,

have you seen a pair of breasts?" And he was like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Know, I' I've seen breasts." Yeah. And she goes, "Didn't do anything for you." He was like, "No, no, no, no." And she was like, "Well, you're gay." And Matt was like, "Yeah, I know." Like, he [gasps] was like, "I wasn't asking for you."

She was like, "One time, right before you leave, can I just tempt you one more time?"

Have you seen all of them? She's like, "I just want to know if you know what you're what you mean." It was just so

Before you go, I'd like to remind you what you're missing. And Frankie [clears throat] was like, "I'm okay."

Yeah, I'm good. I know. I've already asked this question. I promise. She seems amazing. Like,

your family seems like it they're like a really funny like tight group. Like, you seem really connected to your family.

They I mean, we are. We are. I mean, are you a typical Italian family? Like, I think so. I think so. I think like I that's how we kind of grew up in the loud Italian household with Sunday dinners and cards and yeah,

you know, I learned poker with like I was saying way before I should have probably. And yeah, I I was

it was beautiful. I do feel like I am so right smack in the middle between my mom and my dad. Like I think Frankie and my mom are like very similar and then I like kind of in the middle of it all. But yeah, they were amazing and my grandpa [clears throat] was the best ever. What was he like?

He was the best. And what did you call him? Grandpa. Grandpa. I called my nona nona and my grandpa grandpa because he thought no no sound too sounded too negative.

No, no, no, no. He didn't like it. He was like, "No, no, no, no, no." Yeah. But he was incredible.

Yeah. And he didn't And when Frankie came out to him, he was just like, "What? What the hell? Who cares? What are we going to love him any less? We got dinner reservations at Positano. Let's go."

Perfect. It's like that's what you wish for every kid. You wish for every kid that they have that kind of like loving, teasing, instant acceptance, instant love,

and just like being seen right away. We need it now more than ever. Amen. Amen.

I wish that for all the kids. Same. And you do you provide that for a lot of people. Ariana, you're just so great. I just love love you so much, too.

I was so nervous and excited to come here because I adore you so much. Thank you. Was there anything we didn't talk about? I don't think they're okay. Great.

Thanks so much for doing this. It means a lot. And um congrats on Wicked 2, which is going to be out this week. And I'm sure this little indie film is going to get a lot of people talking.

No, but congrats on the huge success of it and I can't wait to see all the stuff that's coming up for you. And I'm just such a fan. So, thanks for doing this.

You too. I love you and thank you for having Thank you so much. Thank you, Ariana. It was so great to have you and so great to um hear you talk about all of the good things. And it is time now for the Polar Plunge. Today's Polar Plunge is presented by Visible. When your phone plans as good as Visible, you've got to tell your people. Unlimited data, just 25 bucks a month. Join today at visible.com. So, to plunge into the uh into the interview today, uh I I just want to say that Ariana talked a lot about game night and how uh how much fun she has playing games and how some members of her family get competitive. And I just I wanted to just kind of do a public service announcement to remind people that a competitive person at game night can ruin a game night. But as kind of a competitive person myself, don't come if you're not ready to win.

So, walk the line. Be care and try, but don't be, you know, so awful that uh you make everybody quiet. It's a fine line, but I know you can reach it. So, today's Polar Plunge was presented by Visible. It's one line wireless on Verizon's 5G network for $25 a month. That's a top tier network at a budget friendly cost. Tell your people and make the switch. Terms apply. Sevisible.com for plan features and network management details. Thank you so much for listening. See you again. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles. I could hate.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

In order: 0:00 Wicked, Ariana Grande, Walmart, Best in Show; 10:00 L'Oréal Paris, Amazon, Apple Card, Best in Show; 20:00 Pop Music; 30:00 The Voice, Wicked, Best in Show, Broadway; 40:00 Obsessed, Ben Stiller, Wicked, Beanie Feldstein; 50:00 Wicked, Bath Bomb, Best in Show, Entomology; 1:00:00 Visible, Aia Xanerys, Amy Miles, Cat Spalain.

What is mentioned in this Good Hang with Amy Poehler episode?

75 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Wicked, Best in Show, Obsessed, Good Hang, Ariana Grande, Wicked 2. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

The episode runs 1 h 5 min; the transcript is about 13,056 words in 324 timestamped sections.

More from Good Hang with Amy Poehler

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 19, 2025.