Transcript

Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler

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

· 1 h 6 min · 12,190 words · 329 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler", an episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler published December 9, 2025 (1 h 6 min, about 12,190 words). It mentions 98 people, works and ideas, including Good Hang, Friends, Seinfeld, Parks and Wreck, Wiser Than Me.

What this episode is about

Julia Louis-Dreyfus discusses her podcast "Wiser Than Me," her Emmy-winning career, and her humorous rivalry with Amy Poehler regarding their photo collections. The conversation also features insights from actor Tony Hale, highlighting his thoughts and experiences with Louis-Dreyfus.

Key takeaways

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus is to TV awards what LeBron James is to basketball MVPs: a consistent powerhouse.
  • Who needs elves when Walmart Express can do gift magic by Christmas Eve? Santa's taking notes.
  • Tony Hale's 'witness protection program' studio proves DIY podcasting is the new suburban chic.
  • Buster Bluth's mother-son smoking scene redefines 'dysfunctionally sweet': a genuine 'Arrested' deviant.
  • The secret of star power: Julia's kindness set the Veep vibe, proving nice guys finish first.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Good Hang, Arrested Development, Buster Bluth, Catherine Packard Martell
  2. – 20:00: Apple Watch, Visible, antibacterial wipes, Apple Watch Series 11
  3. – 30:00: Friends, Lorraine Newman, Martin Short, Northwestern
  4. – 40:00: Seinfeld, fluorescent lighting, Parks and Wreck, Friends
  5. – 50:00: Attorney General, Captain Kangaroo, Carrie Lizer, caviar
  6. – 1:00:00: apple slice, adulting, airvaced, celery
  7. – 1:05:34: Aia Xanerys, Bird by Bird, Cat Spelain, dill pickle chips

Notable quotes from "Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"

  • Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We just have such a pro. We have the queen. We have just the hilarious, incredible, inspiring Julia Louie Drifus joining us today. And we talked to Julia about so many fun.
    about Good Hang · at
  • Incredible, sweet, super talented, hilarious Tony Hail joining us. Tony, who you might know from Arrested Development, Buster Bluth. What a character. he played Gary on VEP.
    about Arrested Development · at
  • Have that show of what she gave us. and we just loved her and we just became friends. she's also work is not her number one priority. Her family is.
    about Friends · at
  • This episode is brought to you by Visible. When your phone's plans as good as Visible, you've got to tell your people. It's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable connection. Get.
    about Visible · at
  • This episode is brought to you by Apple Watch. Real talk. Think you're asleep champ? 8 hours. Boom. Nailed it. But then Apple Watch Series 11 will tell you that you actually woke up five times and.
    about Apple Watch · at
  • This room [gasps] on the 17th floor with fluorescent lighting and, folding tables and that's where they do the table read.
    about fluorescent lighting · at
  • Yeah. And met Larry David, who you then worked with again on Seinfeld. Seinfeld still similar kind of thing like didn't had an inospicious start.
    about Seinfeld · at
  • She was so nice. She brought champagne and strawberry. She was the best.
    about strawberry · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Catherine Packard Martell — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Was the first time I think we might have first met when Martell was on SNL cuz my wife was a makeup artist on SNL and I think but I was just the guy next to her that was like I'm not going to say anything. I'm not gonna.
  • Jessica Walter — Person · 1 mention · first at
    The codependency you know that's in that show between me and Lucio Bluth who is played you know wonderfully by Jessica Walter and there is a scene in there which so is such a…
  • Martin Short — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah. I told this to Martin Short, Marty Short, when he was on the show. We were talking about the SNL 50th which stirred up so much for everybody.
  • Lorraine Newman — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Who you know I grew up watching and I the one of my tenderest moments was I was talking to Lorraine Newman who I don't know that well but I worship. Yes.
  • Paul Baras — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Three of us were on SNL and the fourth person, Paul Baras, was hired as a writer.
  • Carrie Lizer — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Kid and talented. Okay so we talk about Seinfeld Adventures of Old Christine. Incredible show. Carrie Lizer love. She's your kind of person.
  • Cat Spelain — Person · 1 mention · first at
    For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spelain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Aia Xanerys — Person · 1 mention · first at
    For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spelain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.
  • Ann Lamott — Person · 1 mention
  • Armando Iannucci — Person · 1 mention
  • Carol Burnett — Person · 1 mention
  • Dick Ebersol — Person · 1 mention
  • Gilda Radner — Person · 1 mention
  • Janis Ian — Person · 1 mention
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus — Person · 1 mention
  • Michael De Santa — Person · 1 mention
  • Soupy Sales — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

  • Operating Instructions — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Lamont's work, she is a very prolific and successful author who has written books like Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird and Tender Mercy's many works of fiction. and her…
  • Bird by Bird — Book · 1 mention · first at
    And successful author who has written books like Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird and Tender Mercy's many works of fiction. and her latest book, Somehow Thoughts on…
  • At Seventeen — Book · 1 mention
  • Somehow: Thoughts on Love — Book · 1 mention
  • Tender Mercies — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • Good Hang — Company · 6 mentions · first at
  • Friends — Company · 5 mentions · first at
  • Seinfeld — Company · 5 mentions · first at
  • Parks and Wreck — Company · 4 mentions · first at
    We really did. And she the one thing I mean you did the same thing on Parks and Wreck, but it's you whoever is number one on the call sheet, which means whoever's the star of…
  • Wiser Than Me — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    We talked to Julia about so many fun good things. We talk about season 4 of her podcast, Wiser Than Me. We're we're going to talk about her Emmy domination and how she just…
  • Arrested Development — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • Survivor — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    I think what I'm Survivor, but let me just ask you something about Survivor.
  • Nespresso — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen…
  • walmart.com — Company · 1 mention · first at
  • Toy Story — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Well, I feel like you should be in a Marvel movie. And also, you are in Toy Story. Toy Story 5 is coming out.
  • Toy Story 5 — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Well, I feel like you should be in a Marvel movie. And also, you are in Toy Story. Toy Story 5 is coming out.
  • visible.com — Company · 1 mention · first at
  • apple.com — Company · 1 mention · first at
  • SNL 50th — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah. I told this to Martin Short, Marty Short, when he was on the show. We were talking about the SNL 50th which stirred up so much for everybody.
  • Northwestern — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Theater practical theater company moved to SNL together. You were on TV from Northwestern.
  • Captain Kangaroo — Company · 1 mention · first at
  • Spud on Instagram — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Oh, here we go. Spud on Instagram. Okay.
  • National Geographic — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Okay, let's talk about Alone. So, for people that don't know, I think it's on National Geographic channel, maybe History Channel, and now it's on Netflix. there's a 45,000 seasons of it. And 45,000. And I think we watched every.
  • History Channel — Company · 1 mention · first at
    People that don't know, I think it's on National Geographic channel, maybe History Channel, and now it's on Netflix. there's a 45,000 seasons of it. And 45,000. And I think we watched every episode during CO.
  • Jerry the new jury duty — Company · 1 mention · first at
    I want to watch Alone with you and I want to watch Jerry the new jury duty with you and Oh, wait a minute. That would be fun.
  • Paperkite — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer, and Paperkite.
  • The Ringer — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer, and Paperkite.
  • Alone — Company · 1 mention
  • Caviar Kaspia — Company · 1 mention
  • Frito-Lay — Company · 1 mention
  • Moxie — Company · 1 mention
  • Parks and Recreation — Company · 1 mention
  • Practical Theatre Company — Company · 1 mention
  • The Amazing Race — Company · 1 mention
  • The New Adventures of Old Christine — Company · 1 mention
  • The Soupy Sales Show — Company · 1 mention
  • Veep — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

  • strawberry — Product · 2 mentions · first at
  • apple slice — Product · 2 mentions · first at
    More than those videos of either dogs like that one dog who keeps attacking an apple slice.
  • Nespresso machines — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen…
  • Walmart app — Product · 1 mention · first at
  • key lime pie — Product · 1 mention · first at
    We've gone to Yeah, that's the second week of Too Deep, which is Well, my favorite dessert is key lime pie. Thank god. Let's get back up to the service. You know what I mean? I'm not trying to change lives here, Tony. You.
  • tampons — Product · 1 mention · first at
    You kept tampons in your bag just in case.
  • antibacterial wipes — Product · 1 mention · first at
    I got it. I got it. I got And I have antibacterial wipes, too.
  • Apple Watch Series 11 — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Watch. Real talk. Think you're asleep champ? 8 hours. Boom. Nailed it. But then Apple Watch Series 11 will tell you that you actually woke up five times and never hit deep sleep. Rude, but helpful.
  • caviar — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Ate. We went to She very generously took me and Brad to a restaurant in Paris called Caviar Caspia.
  • champagne — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Amazing. It was like caviar and potato and champagne and it was very Yeah.
  • pingpong balls — Product · 1 mention · first at
    There was something and I think it was on Subie sales or maybe it's Captain Came where pingpong balls would fall down and you know when you're two that's like drop deadad funny. Yeah.
  • cold cap — Product · 1 mention · first at
    I was high as a kite and I was doing this thing called a cold cap.
  • celery — Product · 1 mention · first at
    This dog is just attacking this piece of celery.
  • dill pickle chips — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Have you ever had dill pickle chips?
  • salt and vinegar — Product · 1 mention · first at
    I enjoy a salt and vinegar. Me too.
  • iPhone 12 — Product · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

  • Buster Bluth — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Hilarious Tony Hail joining us. Tony, who you might know from Arrested Development, Buster Bluth. What a character. he played Gary on VEP.
  • fluorescent lighting — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
  • dysfunction — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Of his mom's mouth and I was like if that's not a picture of dysfunction that I mean that is crazy.
  • Rachel — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Blazer. [ __ ] jackpot. like you and Jen Aniston, when you look at pictures like Rachel and Elaine, everybody's dressing like that now.
  • Attorney General — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Is yes I would say. I mean initially no. I just heard about the concept that, unhappy vice president.
  • Narcissism — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Really good because you're I mean Selena was like ultimate narcissist.
  • Jack-in-the-box kind of a joke — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    No, you know what I mean? It's kind of the Jack in the Box kind of a joke.
  • adulting — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    So great. And as we get older, it feels like adultting, this term adulting, like it just gets hard because you know the hard parts of life are the juiciest parts. Like the challenge parts that we have to get through are the that's the.
  • service to others — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah. I agree that like to be of service to others is the way to get yourself up out of the basement. Yeah.
  • airvaced — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Is pretend to break my leg and get airvaced out. Have you watched Alone?
  • cloud — Concept · 1 mention
  • Elaine Benes — Concept · 1 mention
  • Elves — Concept · 1 mention
  • Forky — Concept · 1 mention
  • Gary Walsh — Concept · 1 mention
  • grief — Concept · 1 mention
  • inmeshment — Concept · 1 mention
  • Leslie Knope — Concept · 1 mention
  • Lucille Bluth — Concept · 1 mention
  • pollyannaish — Concept · 1 mention
  • psychology of isolation — Concept · 1 mention
  • Selina Meyer — Concept · 1 mention
  • Woody — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • green room — Place · 1 mention · first at
    If it is weird that you didn't. if my assistant Will is listening to this right now in the green room, could you put some more photos on my phone, please, while Julia is getting it for me?
  • Studio 8H — Place · 1 mention

Sponsors

  • Visible — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
  • Apple Watch — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
  • Walmart Express Delivery — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your.

Full transcript with timestamps

Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We just have such a pro. We have the queen. We have just the hilarious, incredible, inspiring Julia Louie Drifus joining us today. And um we talked to Julia about so many fun good things. We talk about season 4 of her podcast, Wiser Than Me. We're uh we're going to talk about um her Emmy domination and how she just beat me year after year. Um we're talking about how many photos we have on our phone. Um and spoiler alert, I have more. And um you're going to hear her reject my idea that she is the LeBron James of television. So great episode coming up.

But before we start, we always like to check in with someone who knows our guest, who has a question to give me to ask our guest. And we have an incredible, sweet, super talented, hilarious Tony Hail joining us. Tony, who you might know from Arrested Development, Buster Bluth. What a character. Um, he played Gary on VEP. Incredible character. He is the voice of Fear and Inside Out 2. Incredible character. We love Tony. And, um, let's check in and see if we can hear him from his incredible studio. Tony. This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen to forget something, no judgment, you can even order gifts up until 5:00 PM on December 24th. Santa, you might want to take notes. Download the Walmart app or head

to walmart.com and get your gifts delivered fast. Subject to availability, terms and fees apply. booth in a recording booth.

Okay, this is a little booth I made in my house. And if I really showed it to you, you'd be like, "Oh, that's sad. Tony needs help."

First of all, everyone now, you're you're nobody if you don't have a booth in your house.

Really? I'm ahead of the game. This is like feels like a co, you know, thing. You build a wall

and you make it soundproof and you start a podcast. Soundproofish. If I really showed it to you, go, "Oh, I get it now. That's a that's a he's on the witness protection program."

Oh, it's so good to see you. We first met on the set of Arrested Development back in

whatever that was. Yeah, actually, was that I think we was the first time I think we might have first met when Martell was

on SNL cuz my wife was a makeup artist on SNL and I think but I was I was just the guy next to her that was like I'm not going to say anything. I'm not gonna say anything to Amy. No. No. And so I don't know if we actually met, but I just kind of probably stared at all you guys.

Yeah. Your very talented wife, Martell, was a makeup artist during my years at SNL. And um uh and then we got to know each other on the set of Arrested. And I mean, Buster Bluth, what we we need a movie about what's on going on in his head.

Yeah, there was a lot going on in his head. and and I mean he could barely get to the pharmacy but he uh just oh man there somebody was was asking me the other day about um just the codependency you know that's in that show between me and Lucio Bluth who is played you know wonderfully by Jessica Walter and there is a scene in there which so uh is such a beautiful picture of the codependency where she's on house arrest and she can't smoke and so she tells me she goes buster come here come here and she says she makes me inhale the smoke out of her mouth as she smokes and then blow it out on the balcony

and then she takes another drag and then blows it into my mouth and I've got to exhale in the balcony. I was like if just like a baby bird getting a worm out of his mom's mouth

and I was like if that's not a picture of dysfunction that I mean that is crazy.

Well to me that's a picture of a loving son taking care of their mother. You know [clears throat] what Amy I think this is a side conversation. That's what a son should do for its mother.

You're absolutely right. My mother would agree. You have created such great codependent dysfunctional relationships in the work work that you do because Lucille and Buster I mean is and and then the relationship you and Julia have on VEP is

how when you explain your relationship to Selena in that like how do you relation how do you how do you sum up the relationship you guys have together on the show your characters.

Um, I worshiped She was Jesus to me. I was I don't even think I ex I mean I She literally called me a [ __ ] mime on the show because she didn't really want me to speak. So she had she gave me no value, but I just had these crazy rosecolored glasses and just I never heard it. I just heard poetry when she was screaming at me.

So it was just and she knew it. She knew it and she abused it. It looked like you two had an incredible working relationship. Like it just looked like you loved working together.

We really did. And she um the one thing I mean you did the same thing on on Parks and Wreck, but it's you whoever is number one on the call sheet, which means whoever's the star of the show, they typically set the tone of the experience. And sometimes unfortunately that's I haven't had this experience but you know sometimes it's like everybody's walking in eggshells and there's a lot of ego and entitlement which just sucks creative energy out of a space and it's just not a gift to anybody. And then sometimes you have like you or Julia where you walk in and it's just it's it's open. We're all on the same team.

There's a kindness. There's a respect. And let me tell you right now it is a gift for the next seven years that we have that show of what she gave us. and we just loved her and we just became friends. I mean, she's also work is not her number one priority. Her family is. She has a life outside of it. And I know just the humanity of Julia was really just awesome. Awesome to be around.

Yeah. And you know, you I think you because you're a deep thinking person. Too deep.

Too deep. Some people say too deep. That's the rumor. Tony Hill. Too deep. Damn it. That should been the name of my podcast.

Too deep. Too deep to what would be the book? It would be Tony Hail. Um or somebody's or I'm talking to somebody, they start saying something, I go, "Not deep enough. You got to go deeper.

Go deeper." Actually, go deeper. Go deeper. Go deeper. [clears throat] Not deep enough. I'm like, "Byebye.

Go deeper." And then and it's go deeper, get back up to the surface. You've gone too deep.

It's way too deep. So, I ask my Zoom guests to give me a question to ask my guests. And I'm wondering if you have a question, big, small, deep, not deep

for Julia that you think would be appropriate. One thing that I always loved to witness with Julia was her relationship with her mom.

Mhm. She really loves and respects her mom. And I I we never really talked about I mean, we talked about her mom a lot, but never really talked about much her growing up. and growing up what she remembers kind of how her mom cultivated that foundation.

Mhm. You know, cuz it's such a cool thing to watch now and I'm like, "Oh, wow." Like, "What did your mom do right?" You know?

Yeah. It's a great question. What did your mom do right? That's that's actually a I think that's kind of that's kind of like the theme of your 50s and 60s because your tw listen I love to generalize so I apologize in advance but if your 20s and 30s are like who am I not and I don't want to do this and like what didn't go right then as you get older you start to realize what else what what did I what the people who raised me what did they

you know they're doing the best they can what did they do, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you can you can really see it with the the fruit of that with her with her relationship and you know, both you and I are parents and I want I want that kind of longevity that she has with her mom.

Man, what an awesome gift. Yeah, you're so right about the 50s kind of having eyes to see things,

which is such a gift. Um that's um that's too deep. That's that we went through.

We've gone to Yeah, that's the second week of Too Deep, which is Well, my favorite dessert is key lime pie.

Thank god. Let's get back up to the service. You know what I mean? I'm not trying to change lives here, Tony. You know what I mean?

Like, we're trying to have a laugh. This is a good hang. So, sorry. And look, I took you down. I I put the weights on our ankles and I brought us down.

I was about to go into like dessert. The sugar does hurt my stomach, but I do I want to keep it up. stay.

I'm not going to say anymore. So, also maybe if I follow up the qu maybe if I ask Julia the question about her mom, I should follow up with what's your favorite kind of pie.

I will say what's her favorite dessert? I want to say I think it might be a really good chocolate cake, but I don't know if that's true.

Well, I feel like I would trust you knowing everything about Julia after Vep. Yeah. I didn't know anything about politics on that show, but I knew what designer she was wearing. I knew what jewelry she was wearing. I knew who just had an affair that she was talking to. I knew all that stuff.

You kept tampons in your bag just in case. Different colors. Several. That's a real man.

Thank you. That's a real man. Thank you. Know why they haven't put me in a Marvel movie.

He's a guy that has tampons in his bag. Me, me, me. I got it. I got it. I got And I I have um antibacterial wipes, too. Um, well, um, I feel like you should be in a Marvel movie. And also, you are in Toy Story. Toy Story 5 is coming out. You're in that.

Five is coming out. Forky. Sweet little Forky. Man, Forky was the best. Is the That's go so great.

Yeah, Forky has a lot of questions. And uh, what's his what's [clears throat] Forky's game? Like, what's what's going on with Forky?

God, we're getting too deep again. Here we go. Going down. You're like, Forky is like, why are we here?

Fork is like, why are we here? But also the fact that he like came into the world being like, I'm trash. I'm just trash. And Woody's like, no, you're more than trash. You you're made for a purpose. Come on.

Oh, that Pixar man. That Pixar man just gets you. They just get they just get you every time.

So, I think that'll come out uh this summer. And this this this this theme of this one is toys against tech, which I think is a really cool

Ooh. Yeah, that's that's very that's very cool. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I um as [clears throat] long as uh as long as you guys don't come after my phone.

You can say all you want about tech, but my phone is my best friend. So, what if when the movie comes out, like the SWAT team just goes to your house and goes, "Amy,

give me your phone." What if at the very end tech just wins? It's like, yeah, no more toys.

Amy is really a spokesperson for AI when everyone's concerned big time. Ay, we need AI.

She's the ambassador. AI's ambassador. Polar Tony, I love you. See you later. Bye.

This episode is brought to you by Visible. When your phone's plans as good as Visible, you've got to tell your people. It's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable connection. Get one line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot for $25 a month. Taxes and fees included, all on Verizon's 5G network. Plus, now for a limited time, new members can get the Visible plan for just $19 a month for the first 26 months. Use promo code switch 26 and save beyond the season. It's a deal so good, you're going to want to tell your people. Switch now at visible.com. Terms apply. Limited time offer subject to change. See visible.com for plan features and network management details.

This episode is brought to you by Apple Watch. Real talk. Think you're asleep champ? 8 hours. Boom. Nailed it. But then Apple Watch Series 11 will tell you that you actually woke up five times and never hit deep sleep. Rude, but helpful. Apple Watch Series 11 tracks your sleep, helping you understand your total sleep time bedtime consistency and interruptions. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes play-by-play look at your sleep so you can tweak your bedtime routine and help yourself to wake up refreshed. I didn't know sleep could be so fascinating. Apple Watch tracks your sleep so you can stop guessing and just maybe start waking up like a well-rested woodland creature. Highly recommend. Try it. Find out more at apple.com/applewatch series1. iPhone 11 or later required.

Julia Lou Drifus is here and we've started our um interview by comparing how many photos we have on our phone.

I would call it a competition if you don't mind. Well, I I want to talk about this because what I like about you is you like to win.

I do like to win. I know. I love that about you. Let's Let's reveal the numbers of photos we have on our phone.

I'll go first. Go ahead. 82,000. Oh [ __ ] Is that winning or losing? Is it winning or losing that I have 82,000 photos on my phone?

Wait, you mean it's a round number like that? Yeah. No, it's 82014. 82,14. What do you have?

I'm 56,276. Chop chop. Screw you, Amy Polar. Now, you know what it means is that we have not asked a young person to plug in our phone and to transfer our photos somewhere else. We should

I want to have them on my phone. Me, too. There you go. But we should be downloading them somewhere else. Right.

Don't they do that automatically in the cloud? I'm literally the last person to ask.

Somebody call Bill Gates. We can get him on the phone because my now when I get a new iPhone, I hand it to my 17-year-old child and I go, "Fix it. Do it." Because I don't even know how to

do it. Do it. I don't know. You don't know how to do it? I don't know how to do it either. But this is making me anxious. I need to take these all off of here. I want There are certain pictures I want to have.

Agreed. But and let me ask the Jenzers in the room, do you guys take your photos off your phone at some point?

Never. Never. See, we're young and hip all of a sudden. Okay, we're really sounding old though because I feel the same way. Like I sweat. Technology makes me sweat.

That's right, mother. It does. Yes, mother. Yes, mother. Yes. Speaking. Are you comfy, by the way? You need anything? Okay, great. Oh, let's move. Let's turn off that phone.

Hold on. Julia's phone is ding. Did you get another picture? Did you get another picture sent to you? I'm up to 56,600. Okay. By the way, my phone is also on.

Um Oh, hang on. I just want to finish this. Okay. Anyway, now it's now it's uh it's silenced.

Okay. Yes. I want to start by asking you about podcasting because we're both podcasting now. No,

I didn't really ask a lot of people for advice before I started this podcast. And

you should have called me, by the way. I know. I I didn't ask any men because I try not to ask men for advice.

Smart. Um, but what what do you think makes a good interview? You've done great interviews now. You've done many of them.

What have What do you think makes a good one? Well, I mean, it sort of um depends on what the the conceit is for what the conversation's going to be.

You've done this right because Good hang lets you know exactly what it's going to be. We could be talking about the photos on my phone for the next 45 minutes.

That's right. We probably will. And we might. And that's like that is dynamite because that's there's an ease to that. Um, unfortunately for me, you've made it hard because you love hard work. Well, I don't know about that, but I I have made it I mean, it's definitely rewarding, but it does I'm talking to older women about the wisdom they have um acquired in their life and would they share it with us? So, that requires me to do a lot of research. I really need to come to the table understanding who these people are and how to have an authentic conversation that isn't just, you know, your normal

uh [ __ ] around. Yeah. Or plug your this that and the other. Yeah. And and I it's why I love your show and I've told you that like I love the deep dive you do. I do feel like I get this very, you know, big picture um perspective from the women and the lives that they've led.

Oh, thanks. I'm going to glaze you for a while on this. This is what the kids call a glaze. I'm glazing.

Like a sugar thing. Yeah. All about sugar. This is like I'm going to tell you how great you are. So, buckle up. [clears throat]

Okay. There's a word There's another word that's out now that I can't remember what it is that I was going to respond to, but it went out of my head.

And if we know it, it's out. There's no way. There's no way. So, glaze is not cool anymore.

Of course it isn't. If I'm saying it. So, now I have to say I'm dead. Yeah, exactly. I'm dead. Seriously? Bet. Bet, Julia. Bet. Um, but but you how much research do you do for a show? Like, do you

A lot, baby K. Well, why do why work so hard? I don't know. Get me OUT OF IT. HAVEN'T YOU GOTTEN THE MEMO TO WORK? Do you see how how why are we working so hard?

I don't know. Well, you say you're not working hard, but even you are. You've you have Yeah, you are, right? Isn't she?

Yeah, she is. Everyone's shaking their head. You are. You're pretending like you're not to be cool, but you're working super hard.

But I got to tell you, you're But it is it it's an indication, I think, of a bigger thing that we all are used to doing, which is being a very good student, like just like working hard.

Yes, that's true. And and has that been something you found in your life? You like you want to do well and be a good student basically.

I want to do well. Yeah. And also for me the with this podcast it was really born out of my own curiosity. In fact I came to you and talked to you about this podcast once.

I know. And I remember thinking this sounds hard. I know. And Jul ladies and gentlemen.

Julia was like what if we did? I was like that sounds like a lot. I don't think so. You do it. That's what she said. Who is coming up that you're Who have you who have you interviewed that you can plug?

Well I can plug the following. I can plug Jane Curtain. Please please let's talk about Jane for one second. Let's just sit sit here and think about Jane for a second.

Well, you know what? It was a really, first of all, obviously an honor to talk to her, but it was a great opportunity to go back and look at her work and particularly her work on SNL back in the day because of course she was one of the original cast members. [gasps] And to understand the effect, speaking for myself, that had on my life.

Yeah. Ginormous. Yes. Ginormous. Totally. And you know I and I watched that first episode and Janice Ian is singing I Learned the Truth at 17 and I was 14 watching the show when that premiered and the these were my people.

Yeah. And so same was true of Carol. Yeah. Do you know you sort of don't to a certain extent these people that have the these cultural icons who've had proper influence. They get into your bloodstream without you knowing it. Totally. And it's and it's it's you know that thing like you have to see it to be it. It's not conscious. It's not like you say, "Oh, there's a woman on there." But you just see people filling this role and you just becomes part of your DNA that that could exist in your life and your world.

Right. Completely. So, yeah. Incredible. Yeah. Incredible. By the way, you may know this, but something I learned talking to Jane that was kind of extraordinary because you and I are familiar with the the schedule of SNL, which is grueling.

Yeah. Jane was not hired as a writer. And immediately she made the decision that she was not going to come to work on Monday and Tuesday. I swear to Christ.

So baller. Baller. She's like, I'm I'm not here to write. I'm here to perform. Let me know when you write for me.

You're pay you're paying me as an actor. I'll be here for the table read on Wednesday.

Wow. And the great thing about that was she's a really good cold reader according to her

and so she'd nail it and then she'd be in sketches. But she was not doing that drugfilled allnighter life. Wow.

And I just that she had the sense to to realize that she was protecting herself.

FYI, she was married, too. Yeah. She always Jane seemed like the reasonable cast member

cuz she was. Yeah. Yeah. I I told this to Martin Short, Marty Short, when he was on the show. We were talking about the SNL 50th

which stirred up so much for everybody. I mean, it was it was that was a lot of there were a lot of feelings in that studio.

I know. And I I I I can speak for myself that parts of me really regressed like back to

you know some version of what I was like when I was there and also the young part of me was like starruck by the people who you know I grew up watching and I the one of my tenderest moments was I was talking to Lorraine Newman who I don't know that well but I worship. Yes.

And her and Jane got ready together. Yeah. They're like that and they got their hair and makeup together before and it just made me feel so happy because I just wanted them to be friends forever.

And they were I know they are. And then they held up Gilda's picture at the end.

It was so touching. I know. Um you Julia, even though I consider you you're I I consider you whether you'll accept this or not like

I don't accept it. [ __ ] I knew it. I don't I'm not going to accept it. I'm just

It's good though. I'm going to say something good. Okay, go ahead. Big sister energy for me. Like,

oh, really? I feel like in the same way you saw Jane. I was 11, 12 when you were on SNL and you were a baby. You were like 21 or something. So, you were not that much older than me, but it you were definitely a new woman on the show. And, you know, I was always paying attention to who who was new on the show. and you looked really young, which I loved cuz I was young and wanted a young person on the show. And I have to say like when I was getting preparing for this interview, there's a million ways that we can talk about all the million things that you've done in your career and your life and who you are as a person and I've got to lucky to get to call you a friend. But you are like the LeBron James of TV.

Yeah. I I mean I thanks but I I'm not gonna I'm not accepting that I'm not accepting that man.

Well, here's why I say that. You're not accepting. And I think that's smart to not accept it. Actually, I take it back.

Yeah. Yeah. But no, but the but you have been you're pretty good. Just say you're pretty good. It's fine.

You won three. This is this I'm going to extend the metaphor and I'm just I'm pleased that I came up with this from a sports perspective cuz

um cuz you're such a sports girl. Such a sporty head. I mean, this is what this podcast is about, sports. Yeah. Like, let's go deep into the draft.

into the draft and football and the Kelsey's. Let's go into there. Let's get deep in. Okay.

No, but um because you're LeBron because you have won championships for more than one team. You're You have been on huge legacy shows

more than once. It's not That's very unusual. It's very That is unusual and that's a lot of good luck, you know, really. And so so great, but not really LeBron.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. But but what is your We started talking about winning. We were comparing photos.

What is your relationship to winning? Cuz I like that you like to win. Like I like I like com like fun competitive women.

Well, first of all, fun is all caps because because there's another kind of competitive woman. Totally.

Um that we don't care for. That's right. It has to the fun part has it has to be like in good fun. And

well, here I'm going to tell you a story about you that I like so much. Okay. So, um you and I have now a couple of times done bits around award shows

and and when we're competing against each other. That's right. So anyway, what I have found over the years is that it's very good to focus on what to do if you win or you lose.

And Amy Puller is very fun to come up with bits with. I love a bit. Love a bit at an award show that because it used to be fun. It used to be like goofy and now it's so serious.

Yeah. And and by the way, we took speeches seriously, but from a comic point of view.

If you win for a comedic role, try to be funny when you give a speech. Or how about even if you win from a for a dramatic role, how about that? Great idea. Turn it on its head.

Flip it. Flip it. Anytime anybody does, they look like a genius. Genius. No, for real, you look like a genius.

It's true. So, we did a couple of them where we my I think my favorite one with you, but you tell me was when we we pretended to switch acceptance speeches.

That was my favorite. You went up there. So good. We gave each other a hug and then we pretended to like oopsie switch speeches and then you went up and you started thanking people from parks and wreck and then we had a moment of like oh [ __ ] And the camera cut to me. And those were the years I have to say there were so many great women always in our category that came and went. Julia was always there cuz she always crushed us all every year. But um but um and like people were really game to have fun cuz completely

and I don't remember anything other than the fun times of those bits. Yeah, me too. I really I was always so grateful that you were

because there were certain people that weren't down to do those bits and they won't be named but we did try to with other people and they didn't think it they didn't want to do it.

I know I think some of them were nervous like genuinely nervous. Okay, fine. You can say that.

But okay, I want to start though. Uh, I want to go back a little bit because I feel like we talked a little bit about this in person, but we we kind of had similar sketch Chicago beginnings.

Yeah. Like we we were in a group. We were the only girl in the group. Yeah. And our group kind of moved to a new city

to like make a start. And in your case, Practical Theater theater practical theater company moved to SNL together. You were on TV from Northwestern.

Yes. So, what year was that? 1982. Yeah. And we were doing a show in Chicago that was a big hit in Chicago. And uh

and all the people in the show got hired. There were four of us. Three of us were on SNL and the fourth person, Paul Baras, was hired as a writer.

Yeah. And you all moved to New York and just started together. What was it like to have four or five of your closest friends to start that show with?

Um, well, it was tricky. Yeah. Not because we didn't get along, but because we were a group of people who were met with a lot of animosity.

Yeah. And uh by the by the people uh whose friends had just been fired. Right. Right. And if I can imagine it, because I was myself the same way, there's like a pluckiness to a sketch group. Like a sketch group is like improv and sketch is like standup was cool and improv and sketch was kind of nerdy. Nerdy for sure.

And you know, so it was like, "Hey guys, we're here." And I'm sure everyone was like "Okay

congrats." No, but you're going to I don't know if you know, maybe you know this, but when they they had us at the first t Oh god, I can't even Oh, no.

It was just so excruciating. There's this room [gasps] on the 17th floor with fluorescent lighting and, you know, folding tables and that's where they do the table read. And in that same room, they had us, these new people coming in, do part of our show that we were doing in Chicago for the writers and cast.

Oh wow. Yeah. In fluorescent lighting. Oh wow. And we came out to your point and it didn't land. It did not land. Even saying it, my my armpits are going bananas right now.

It was so bad there. So anyway, that's how it began. It was a terrible, inospicious start.

And you were there for a couple of years. Three. And you were there during a period of transition. I mean, Lauren was

not there. Lauren was not there. Dick Everol was there. What a strange window to be there.

Oh, baby. It was bad. Yeah, it was not great. It was not great but fabulous learning experience.

Um, it was hard and it it was a little crazy making, but I I came away from it u sort of stronger.

Yeah. And met Larry David, who you then worked with again on Seinfeld. Seinfeld still similar kind of thing like didn't had an inospicious start.

Yeah, it was a four episode order. It was like they were just trying to um sort of burn it out.

It when I was doing research. Oh, look at you working hard. Very hard. Um you are the person I've worked the hardest for. Um

that's total [ __ ] But go ahead. It is true. Yeah. I've worked the hardest for Michelle Obama.

Yeah. Um smart. Yeah. Um smart. But uh no, but but like Parks and Rick, Seinfeld was always close to being cancelled. People weren't getting it. It was like we don't know what we have here. Nobody.

It was until the the third year it started to take off. Yeah. And was was Elaine written as a man at first? That character?

No. But wasn't it four men and then they changed it to Elaine? I don't know. You don't know? No, I was Is that a weird way to ask it? You know what I mean? I do, but it makes me laugh. I think I'm tired. I've got Elaine was You were playing Elaine as a man. Yes.

No. Correct. But wasn't the character they brought you in because they were like Julia and because

they did a pilot. Yeah. And then apparently the network told them you have to put a girl in the show. There's a tape out there somewhere where there's a another person in No, not in there is not a regular

women in it in the pilot. Correct. Wow. Yeah. It's a It was a different time. And so they said, "You know what? You need a girl."

Yeah. And so so I came in and I've never watched the pilot of Seinfeld, by the way. And so uh why would I? I'm not in it. Why would I bother? And so

you refused to watch anything? That's right. That's right. What was the name of the show you were in by then?

Exactly. Yeah. Um, so, uh, yeah, so that's what happened. So they put me in, so I was in the episode two onward.

And I feel like success in the comedy world, in the sitcom world, is often like kind of measured by whether or not people will dress up as you for Halloween.

Oh, because I I think Elaine is a popular Halloween costume. It is. It is. And it's an easy one to get together. Like it's just it's a dress and a blazer and a and a a curlyhaired wig.

God, I could I'd love to go back and fix that look. Yeah, I I I feel there's some early Leslie no

styles where I'm like didn't put enough thought into that. Yeah, but we weren't really thinking about that. No, we were act we were acting and we were in our charact. No, but

No, but I actually remember cuz like when Friends came out at some point when we were doing Seinfeld, not in the beginning, it was sort of I can't remember what the years were, but and all those girls were so sexy.

Yeah. And I remember thinking like, ah, [ __ ] I should have been sexy. I think that all the time.

Seriously, I I can't tell you how many I'm like, oh, I forgot TO BE SEXY. NO, TOTALLY. A [ __ ]

Oh my god. This was such a missed opportunity. Reminded of it. When you see other people, you're like, "Oh, that's also something I could have tried to be."

Right. I'm seriously like a midriff. Anything. Anything. But that's why we love Elaine. We love her because of that. Because she feels like us. She feels like someone we would know and love. Like she feels like our funniest friend. She feels like her like, you know, I mean, I think

and she's so funny and it's it just could it wouldn't work if Fain was paying attention to that.

It never would work. It might have worked. That's true. She just went through like a really [ __ ] sexy phase.

Not so [ __ ] Just coming in like in tight jeans and like how they all dressed.

Yeah, I know. Anyway, because let's not dwell on my regrets. But also you had two two boys did you were you pregnant?

Oh right I forgot. Yeah I had two babies during that time. So the sexy thing although you know look to me more did it.

I know but but I didn't even know about that. I didn't know about like you know going like that with your big tummy and looking hot. I was just you know I was just wearing huge like picnic tablecloths. Yeah. But that style is back now. You know, 90s are 90s are back, baby.

Listen, if anybody in America is listening to this, please don't do the '9s again.

I'm going to disagree with you. Okay. Well, you're wrong and I'm right. No. And so, just leave it at that. You're you're being triggered, but I'm telling you, '9s like that the the floral with the like a chunky shoe and a tight and a blazer. [ __ ] jackpot. like you you and Jen Aniston, when you look at pictures like Rachel and um and Elaine, everybody's dressing like that now.

And I I don't know what to say. I'm just so [ __ ] sorry. I really I really really am. But I will tell you one thing and I've told this story before, but when I was pregnant with Charlie with my second son and I was really pregnant and I was about five or six months and I got pretty big and Jerry comes up to me and he says, "Hey, we got an idea in the right." Oh no. And he said, "Um, how about this idea? How [clears throat] about Elaine just gets fat?"

Incredible. What an idea. What an idea, Jerry. So, I burst into tears, of course. And um

I will say the following though, in retrospect, it might have been great. It might have been funny.

It's a funny idea. Yeah, it's a funny idea. Yeah. And I think hilarious and because, you know, with a big tummy and then you're like putting a belt on it and you're pretending you're not pregnant, you're just getting fat.

But when you're not feeling in your own body, it's it's like it didn't it didn't it didn't work. I remember on Parks and Wreck I had been pregnant on twice on that show too and or sorry I had started when I had just given birth for my first kid and then I got pregnant on my uh with Abel my my youngest a few years later and I remember my character Leslie was going to become pregnant on the show and I said I I did some version of like bursting into tears where I said I cannot be fake pregnant. I've just been really pregnant on both SNL and Parks and Wreck. I've been genuinely pregnant and I c you can't make me now wear a fake stomach. Oh, so it was Oh, it was like after you give birth after birth, they were like, "Let's strap that belly right back on." And I was like, "No, no, no." Well, how about this? How about after I gave birth to Charlie and I'm picking up our our uh my other son Henry

from my camp and I'm picking him up and this mom comes up to me. She goes, "When are you two?" Mm- [clears throat]

Yeah. No. Um you're you have the greatest kids. Oh, thank you. Thank you. And such talented boys and really nice. They're men. Talented men. They are still my boys.

Yeah. And and I love your relationship with Brad, who's a wonderful person. Yeah.

And you guys are like a really beautiful example of a loving, funny, supportive marriage with two very talented people. And you're

FYI, we're separate and getting divorced and you're going to announce it here. Yeah. I just thought this is the time. I mean, you brought it up. I might as well.

Well, you know what? Good. Easy. Easy go. And I worked with your son Charlie on on Moxy, a film that I made. He was a total doll.

You know what? I have to tell you something about that. That was the first professional job he ever had was you gave him that job in Moxy. And I am so grateful to you for that. Not because you gave him the job, of course. Yes. But because I'm so grateful because you're a good person and he didn't have an experience with um a jerk, of which there are so many.

Yeah. And um it was very informative to him. So I just want you to know that for real and this is totally me telling you

thank you and you've no I I'm actually I'm tearing up but it really I really mean it. Thanks.

I love him. I love him. He's such a nice kid and talented. Okay so um we talk about Seinfeld Adventures of Old Christine. Incredible show. Carrie Lizer

love. She's your kind of person. She is an an incredible showrunner. You've worked with great showrunners.

Yes, I have worked with great showrunners. Yes. Armando Ayanucci who is a creator of um VEP. How did did that um part was that part written for you? [snorts]

Um is yes I would say. I mean initially no. Uh, I just heard about the concept that, you know, unhappy vice president.

Um, and then, um, and I was like, ding, ding ding ding ding. And then I met with him and then he started to write it after that.

Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I loved the idea and I loved his work. I mean, Julia. Yes. That show

that show was so much fun to do. I have to say, I still miss it. Yeah. Do you miss doing parks?

I miss the people. Yeah, I miss the people a lot. I mean, I have a lot of them on here because I miss them so much. Like I miss I It felt like And it feels that way with VEP, too. Like the chemistry of the people, the funniness of like the laughing all day.

All day. So, we do a thing on um the the podcast where we have people come on before our guest and talk well behind our guests back.

Talk well. Yes. You've not listened to this podcast, have you? Let me explain something to you. You You called me to do something for a garden, but you didn't say talk. Well,

yes, I did. No, you didn't. I did, too. I said No, you said come up with some questions for her.

That's not talking well. When I introduced you, I said that we're going to talk well behind AA's back. Did I not?

No, you didn't. I'm being gaslit by this enterprise. Whatever. I'm never I am never talking to you again. And by the way, aa, who was on our podcast, you you came on to do a an incredible uh little uh you know, segment in the front. And aa and you are buddies.

Yes. And when when I was talking to her, she was saying you guys were ready to go on a trip together.

Yeah, we did. Please tell me about it. Tell me what you ate. Tell [gasps] me. Just tell me what you ate. We we went to She very generously took me and Brad

to a restaurant in Paris called Caviar Caspia. Yeah. And frankly, I don't even like caviar.

What? Yeah. And it was delicious. Was everything Did everything have caviar in it? Kind of.

Amazing. It was like caviar and potato and champagne and it was very Yeah. Ex just exotic and it was in Paris.

So, you know what else do you need to know? She was so nice. She brought champagne and strawberry. She was the best.

God, I was I supposed to bring something? It's just weird that you didn't, I guess. Like, I mean,

if it is weird that you didn't. Uh, if my assistant Will is listening to this right now in the green room, could you could you put some more photos on my phone, please, while Julia is getting it for me?

More photos on my phone right now. And also, can you go and get some uh chocolates and quickly get some chips and you rip up the thank you note I was about to send to Julie?

Also, could you please bring me send flowers to myself because I'm clearly not going to be getting anything from Amy Polar. I I distinctly said that polka dots were only for me.

The other thing is is that how could it have been that I came out here wearing this blouse and you did not see what she had on. Okay. Anyway, so I spoke to someone who knows you really well and that is Tony Hail.

Oh my Tony. I know. Tell me about tell me how much you love Tony. I love Tony. He's the best. He is the greatest guy.

What do you love about him? What's so great about Tony? He is deeply funny. Yeah.

Like deeply funny. He is profoundly generous. He is incredibly neurotic. Perfect.

He worries about everyone. Yeah. So if there's a group of people and somebody is off or not fitting in or having a hard time, he can only focus on that.

Yeah. And uh which speaks to his kindness. Yeah. And I just would do anything to work with him again. I want to find a way to work with him again. You guys were so great together on that show and everyone on VEP was great. But Selena and Gary's relationship was very special.

Very special. How would you sum it up when you explain it? Um, have you ever seen a uh like like a trellis with a plant growing throughout it?

That's their relationship. Codependency to the max. Max. Inshment times a thousand.

Yeah. That plant is not going to live without the trellis. And FYI, the trellis doesn't give a [ __ ] about the plant.

Yeah. Like the trellis actually is like, could somebody cut this plant off me? Yeah.

Like this plant might take also makes me look better so it can stay. Yeah. I mean the way good metaphor. It's really good because you're I mean Selena was like

ultimate narcissist. Yes. And which by the way couldn't be more fun to play. Oh, I bet. What was fun to play? Why was that fun? What did it allow What did it allow you to play around with and do that you don't get to do in your real life playing her?

Focus only on myself. Yeah. And Yeah. and and appalled that if anyone is not focused on me.

Yeah. And take no responsibility for anything. Yes. Never apologize. Never apologize. It's always your fault, your fault, and your fault.

She just never ever looked inward. Right. Ever. Yeah. She didn't know what that meant.

Yeah. Yeah. So, that was fun. Well, um Tony had a great sweet, of course, loving question. and he loves you and adores you and um he his question was like very tender just like Tony but he was saying like what he loved about you as a parent. He watched you be the kind of parent that you are and it really inspired him as a parent and also he was very moved and is very moved by your relationship with your mom and his question was what do you think your mom

um did right? What did she give you? What are you like happy that you got from your mom? M

it's such a sweet tender such a tender question. I know. I mean there are obviously many things that I got from my mother including this wide jaw of mine.

It's gorgeous. Um, but I would say that my mother is a very cur intellectually curious person

and I think some of that has rubbed off on me and um and also my mother uh has a very good sense of humor.

When you were growing up, was she watching stuff that influenced you? I know a lot of my comedy came from my mom, like what my mom was watching.

What did your mom watch? Well, Carol Bernett, Monty Python, SNL, like my parents had that on in the house. Did your mom watch that kind of stuff growing up?

Yeah. Well, yes. And uh I mean I vividly there was a show on when I was little, like really little, like maybe two.

Um and it was a show called Soupie Sales. Oh yeah. And also Captain Kangaroo. Yes.

And we used to watch that and howl. There was something and I think it was on Subie sales or maybe it's Captain Came where pingpong balls would fall down

and you know when you're two that's like drop deadad funny. Yeah. No, you know what I mean? It's kind of the Jack in the Box kind of a joke.

Yes. And we would start h my memory is that she was laughing as hard as I was. My guess is that maybe she was laughing cuz I was laughing.

Yeah. But but I remember sort of feeling like I was partnered with her in enjoying this extraordinarily funny pingpong bit.

Yeah, laughing does do that with our families. Like it b I mean it's a Yeah, it's a binder.

Binder. And also you learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. Totally.

Like I know I've learn I learned you know I got I I don't think it was the first time we met but when you came back to host SNL was a big deal for all of us who were on the cast at the time that you were there. very excited and we got to like spend some time together and I remember being so pleased that we would laugh at the same thing like it felt like oh I just felt um excited that we were enjoying the same things in the same way. It felt like we were speaking there was real immediate sympatico. I remember that very well because when we were we were in in the we were must have been re um rehearsal day or something and we were in 8H and I I was at the page station thing and you came up to me. You just went like this.

You went, "Okay, run." And so I just ran and we just went running down the hall. It was just some dumb bit. But I thought, "Oh, I like this girl so much." We were just, you know, talking around. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think when you came back to host that year, you had a really good time.

I had a ball. I had a ball. And by the way, if you can believe this, speaking of male female things, I was the first female cast member to ever come back and host.

Wow. Whoopsy daisy. Yeah. And that was 2006 or something, correct? Yeah. Yeah. and you were coming into a cast that was like there was a lot of really strong talented women performing together and

it was a good vibe. At least that's what I was picking up on. It was the first time I really had fun doing the show.

Yeah. I mean, what was so nice about hosting back then with you guys was to feel the female power

that was evident um and long overdue. And so that is a good feeling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Um and that's why I like talking to these older women, too. Anyway, I think it's pretty critical to have these conversations and to hear from these um really interesting people.

Well, I mean, Julia, you do that to me. You inspire me every time I see you engaging. Like, I feel very inspired by you. Like I I feel very like you you turn on a switch for me often where I see you doing something and I'm like, "Right, right. that's the kind of engagement I'm supposed to be doing or like being reminded that I'm doing like you definitely do that for me and you do that for me professionally too. I see the the moves that you make professionally. I'm like damn so smart, so interesting. Like you're you are I'm always looking to you.

Oh wow, that's so nice of you to say that. Really makes me feel good. Yeah, I really feel that way.

I really appreciate that. Thanks, Amy. You're welcome. What a good hang this has been.

It is. Okay. And then my last I have two questions. One that's fun and one that's a little bit more serious. But like um what I take away from your show and what I take away from knowing you is like the incredible uh total joy and privilege it is to just get older. Like there's so many people that aren't here that want to be here. Like how how great to be alive basically. Like

so great. And uh as we get older, it feels like adultting, this this term adulting, like it just gets hard because you know the hard parts of life are the juiciest parts. Like the challenge parts that we have to get through are the that's the meat on the bone. It's just it's

getting through can be rough. I know. And you've had a tough couple. You've had to get through illness. Yes.

Loss of your house, like um loss of people in your life. Like it's not easy. And we all go through this like everybody listening knows what this feels like. They have versions of it in their life.

Grief. Grief. What is the thing that on the other side of certain types of grief you've like learned about yourself? What what has it made you? Cuz is it just as simple as like I'm happy I'm alive?

No. Yeah. I know. like you you've sh you shared with the world when you were going when you were treating your cancer, your breast cancer, and it was very helpful for a lot of people. It isn't something you needed to share. You did.

Well, I had, you know, I was kind of uh backed into a corner on that one because we had to shut our show down. I It's funny how that worked out because normally I would not have done that. I'm very [clears throat] private.

Yeah. Um, but because we had to shut the show down, VEP at the time for a year, uh, I had to say, you know, 250 people weren't going to be working or whatever it is. So,

um, so I had to make a public thing about it. But the good thing about doing that was that uh I did have this incredible experience of people reaching out to me asking me for you know um asking me about my experience going through the breast cancer uh you know for advice uh and

and I was able to help and there was something unbelievably comforting about being able to do that on the other side of this uh trauma,

right? There is a lot to be said in self soothing by soothing others. Yeah. You know, for real. I mean, it's a that's a and I don't mean to sound all polyianaish. I I actually think it's true.

Yeah. I agree that like to be to be of service to others is the way to get yourself up out of the basement. Yeah. It's so true. Yeah.

And we need it's like we're in such short supply of it right now. And the other way that I think that

and I think you're the same that takes me up from the basement the elevator is laughing.

Well, 100%. Without it, you're dead. It's so true. Like you have to laugh. You have to laugh when it's the worst. You have to laugh.

And those are my favorite laughs when it's very when everyone is, you know, it's like church giggles basically. or like funeral laughs where like you have a someone who loves you enough to know they're going to take a swing here to get you up out and you have so many funny friends.

Yeah. You must have had so many moments where things were dark for you and someone kind of scoops you up with a laugh.

Oh, totally. Well, when I was actually when I was going through chemo and um I had a a lot of girlfriends come and shove into this tiny little room, you know, I mean, like the size of this table and everybody was there and

I was high as a kite and and and I was doing this thing called a cold cap. Oh, yeah.

So, it's a thing that they do that you can do if you're getting chemo if you choose. And it's this ice cold thing you put on your head and it's supposed to help you not lose your hair. So I did that. So I had this huge like weirdly shaped turban on my head and you know I'm kind [clears throat] of like that and everybody's around me making fun

and it was a dream. That's dream. And at one point I remember I sent a bunch of my girlfriends out because I was I lost so much weight none of my clothes fed. And so I was like, I need, you know, hi, I need new jeans. And so I sent everybody out. I don't know where they went. And then it's on FaceTime and I'm telling them which ones to get. It was fun. It was hilarious.

So fun. Yeah, it really was. And what are you and I ask all my guests this, what are you watching, listening, reading?

What are you What are you laughing at right now? Well, there is nothing I love more than those videos of either dogs like that one dog who keeps attacking an apple slice.

Don't Don't know it. Hold on. It's It is attacking an apple slice. Yeah. He's just going bananas on top of a bed. How do we find that?

We're You know what? How we find it? We type in dog attacking apple slice. I think it's his name is It starts

Our phones are off. Remember, we're going to have to turn them back on. No, mine isn't off.

You never turned your phone off. Puppy shares Apple Slice. No, that seems too nice.

Oh, here we go. Spud on Instagram. Okay. This dog is just attacking this piece of celery.

This one is celery. This dog is a maniac. The dog is growling. It is the size of a rat. It looks

and it is furious at this piece of food and is bearing its teeth. I mean, it's scary.

It's scary. And but it's it's not going to hurt anybody. Oh, this is this is a strawberry introduc. It's war.

Anyway, that makes me very happy. But do you do you watch a lot of videos, YouTube videos, and like and

I I think what I I'm Survivor, but let me just ask you something about Survivor.

I also like Amazing Race. Okay. Survivor and Amazing Race, those kinds of shows.

Do you think you could do well on them? No. No. Really? Is there a part when you watch it, is there a part of you that you think like I this is what I would do, but you don't?

Yes. Okay. Okay. What I would do is uh pretend to break my leg and get airvaced out. Have you watched Alone?

Yes. Incredible. Incredible. Okay, let's talk about Alone. So, for people that don't know, I think it's on National Geographic channel, maybe History Channel, and now it's on Netflix. I mean, there's a 45,000 seasons of it. And

45,000. And I think we watched every episode during CO. Yeah. Fantastic co show. And for those who don't know, the premise is 10 or 11 people are dropped somewhere. It always feels like Canada, but somewhere they have to survive the elements and survive being alone. And the psychology of how people figure out how to not only find food and shelter and outlast their competitors, but the psychology of what happens when people are alone is fascinating.

I I'm for sure would go crazy. Oh, but don't you think you would do on alone? Are you out of your mind?

Better than a Really? You don't think you would do better than some of the other? Yeah. No, I I wouldn't be able to get any food. I wouldn't be able to kill anybody.

So, that would be one problem. And then the other problem would be I don't think you'd be able to sleep cuz you know they got bears up there man.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's I mean, I don't know what head space you're in right now, but there's no way you're making it on alone. No way.

I'm not saying I'm making it. I'm just saying. I'm not saying I'm saying you're not making it one night.

Not even one night. You're gonna be too cold. You have to make a show. My pride. My pride would do one night. I would.

Okay. One night. Not really. But I I love alone. I love it. Why do you love it?

Because I think it's an extraordinary challenge. I think it's a legit, you know, and it's and as a, you know, survivor, it's got all of these things and these games and so on, which is gobs of fun, but it's all fabricated. In this case, you've really got to stay alive.

And you don't know when other people have peeled off. They don't they don't die, but they they they tap out.

Yes. How much do they win? A million dollars. A million dollars. And what I love about the psychology of that show is the way cuz I relate is the way people start to give up before giving up.

Oh, wait. Talk about that. I forgot. Because they start to And I just I I love it because I recognize it, right? Which is when you start to talk yourself out of something, but you're not talking yourself out of it yet, but you're just playing around with the idea because it's such a mental game. You have to just take the highs and lows and like Right. Right. But when people are like, "Yeah, it's just, you know, my family.

I'm sure my family's missing me a lot." Yeah. It's always men, you know, being like, "My wife is probably struggling." And you're like, "Oh, here he goes."

Like just a little day or two before just thinking about That's right. I mean, I I do want the money, but

will my kid ever be ever have their third birthday again? You know, and you're like, "Here he goes. He's getting ready. couple days from now he's gonna tap out like that kind of bubbly stuff. I love human behavior. I just like

it's so good. I want to watch Alone with you and I want to watch um Jerry the new jury duty with you and Oh, wait a minute. That would be fun.

That would be fun. I would like to watch TV with you. Okay, maybe. Is that weird? I want to come over and I feel like get into some kind of comfy situation with you and Brad. Get under some kind of not that way just get blankets

and get blankets. I feel like there'd be a good snack like a chip like a delicious salty chip.

Yeah, but we need some yummy um we need some desserts happening. Ah, are you sweet over savory?

I like it all. Yeah, but I love sweets. Okay, I'm more more savory. So, we can have sweet and a chip and some kind of chip.

Okay. And we watch one of these shows and we I'm picturing it now. Have you ever had dill pickle chips?

Yeah. Doesn't do it for you. Doesn't do it for me, but I love the idea of them.

Oh god, it's making my mouth water just talking about it. Let's get some of those.

We'll get some of those. But you don't like them, so we'll find something else. Do you like salt and vinegar?

I enjoy a salt and vinegar. Me too. Yeah. Love that. Love it. And also I'm a basic Doritos [ __ ]

Really? I know. Not a sponsor is now. Not after what you the face you just made. That's the That's the slogan. I'm a Doritos basic Doritos [ __ ] Really?

That's it. That's the commercial. I love you, Julia. Thank you for doing this. This has been so fun to hang out. I knew it would be fun. I didn't know it would be this much fun.

And I can't wait till I reach 70 so I can come on your show. Yeah. Thank you so much, Julia. That was so fun. It's always so fun to get to be around you and uh and laugh with you and do bits. And um for this polar plunge uh I just want to mention uh one of the guests on Julia's podcast wiser than me who I just love and that is the author Ann Lamont. Ann, if you're listening, I love you. And um if you don't know Ann Lamont's work, um she is a very prolific and um successful author who has written books like um Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird and Tender Mercy's many uh many works of fiction. and her latest book, Somehow um Thoughts on Love, is out. And uh she's just a really candid, funny, deeply funny, tender, um big thinker. And uh I don't know, I just love her and uh hope I get to have her on this pod someday. Check out her her uh podcast uh with Julia. Check out Julia's podcast. Listen to podcasts.

Podcasts are great. We love podcasts. Okay. Thanks. 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 Spelain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. [singing]

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

Amy Poehler (Host), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Guest), Tony Hale (Guest), Advertisement Narrator (Guest).

What is "Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler" about?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus discusses her podcast "Wiser Than Me," her Emmy-winning career, and her humorous rivalry with Amy Poehler regarding their photo collections. The conversation also features insights from actor Tony Hale, highlighting his thoughts and experiences with Louis-Dreyfus.

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

98 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Good Hang, Friends, Seinfeld, Parks and Wreck, Wiser Than Me, Arrested Development. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

The episode runs 1 h 6 min; the transcript is about 12,190 words in 329 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 December 13, 2025.