Leanne Morgan

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Hello, everyone.

Welcome to Good Hang.

I'm very, very excited about our guest today.

It is Leanne Morgan.

She is an incredible, hilarious stand-up who had a huge special on Netflix and now has a new show on there called Leanne.

And look, Leanne is someone you probably are getting to know or just found out about, but guess what?

She's been doing comedy for a long time and you're going to hear all about it today.

So we're going to talk about a lot of things.

We're going to talk about her love of Diet Coke.

We're going to talk about the fact that she was voted best looking in high school.

We're going to talk about her husband, Chuck Morgan, and her new show and all the good stuff that comes along with it.

And we always like to start these episodes by asking someone who knows our guest what question they think I should ask them.

And so joining me is a great, hilarious actress.

You've seen her in a very small scene in Sex in the City, and you've seen her in Third Rock from the Sun.

And you're going to see her in the new show Leanne playing the sister of Leanne Morgan's character, Kristen Johnston.

Kristen, can you hear me?

Is the Zoom working?

Hi.

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I was kind of thinking today, it's crazy.

We must have met.

I know.

I think we did.

Yeah, we must have met like before the New York smoking ban.

That's where I feel like we must have met.

I feel like we were at a bar somewhere talking about like...

We could have been drunk together.

God knows.

That's probably.

I was just reminiscing with someone the other day.

I can remember when the New York smoking ban came into effect and we were like, they're not going to let us smoke in restaurants.

That'll never stick.

We were like, no way.

Wait, Amy, I'm so old.

I actually remember physically smoking on an airplane.

Yeah, I remember, I was, I was, I remember people smoking on an airplane.

I was, wasn't of the age yet to smoke, but you're only a few years older than me.

Well, neither was I, but I did it anyway.

But you know what?

I have to say, smoking aside, because yeah, I did smoke for quite a few years, but growing being in New York in the 90s was really fun.

I know, you know, we're similar, we're close to the same age.

And Leanne, too, Leanne's just a few years older.

And I want to talk to her about that because we all came up in the 80s and it was a completely different.

So different.

I mean, I feel really lucky and blessed to,

you know, run around drinking from garden hoses and not coming home until like midnight at, you know, you're six years old or whatever.

It was fun in the 70s and 80s.

Okay.

So tell me how you met Leanne, how you got involved in the show.

Okay.

So, you know, I did this show, mom, with Chuck Laurie.

Chuck calls me a year ago, a year and a half ago.

And like, you get a call from Chuck Laurie and you're like, oh,

do I call back?

You know, anyway, he calls and he's like, look, do you know this stand-up Leanne Morgan?

And I didn't because I'm not a stand-upy person.

And he goes, just.

watch her.

And so I watched, I don't even know why.

And I watched like the first 10 minutes I called him back.

I was like, oh my God.

And he said, we're doing a show.

We want you to play her sister.

Susan McMartin's doing it.

And I was like, I'm done.

I didn't even let him finish the sentence.

And then we met a couple months later and fell deeply, deeply in love.

I feel, I'm really excited.

I've never met her.

I'm really excited to meet her because I feel the same way.

I feel like we're going to be friends.

Well, the two of you, I mean, she told me like a month ago she was coming on this.

And I was like, oh, my girl crush.

But also I was like, the two of you, it's going to be insane, maybe.

I don't even know.

I don't even know.

You're going to have to, it's going to win Emmys.

I'm just saying.

Or whatever it is.

It's going to be the first podcast to win Emmys and a Webby.

But it's never going to.

Maybe an Oscar.

Wait.

You play in Leanne, the show that's coming out.

You play the younger sister, the divorced kind of like what?

The hot mess.

The hot mess person.

She's just a mess.

She's a mess.

Yeah.

No, it was really, really fun because also she is you know when you meet her i mean she's just everything you want her to be you know she's super authentic and kind and hilarious obviously um

and so it was really fun to play off of that and just be dark and horrible

just a wreck so it was fun and i mean also i just love i mean i want to talk to leanne about it but

You know, I'm sure you're the same way.

Most of the women I know in my 50s are

in many ways at the best place in their life so far.

For sure.

But yeah, I just love it, man.

You know, your friends, their kids are off to school or out of the house.

So, like, it's just a reconnection of like the women in your life.

And you kind of don't care about men anymore.

Sorry.

And it's just, I don't know.

I find it really fun.

Well, you know what?

It's so great about being Gen X,

a generation that everyone forgets.

And who cares?

We don't care, whatever.

Never mind.

We don't.

we actually prefer it we yeah leave us alone we raised ourselves but that's right what is great about being gen x is the women that are now gen x are approaching menopause with all due respect to the boomer women ahead of us they didn't they didn't have the same kind of language resources attitudes they never they didn't talk my mom's like didn't talk about menopause no i mean until i brought it up with her so it's like something you had to ignore well it was like a it was like a a joke it was like yeah don't talk about it Yeah.

Yeah.

It was like, it fell into those categories of like being frigid or being

like a slut.

Or just getting your period.

Yeah, yeah.

You just don't talk about it.

Don't talk about it.

I remember that word.

She's a real slut.

I know.

I mean, right.

Nobody talked about their period.

No way.

I know.

No way.

Or you'd talk about it quietly in the bathroom with the other girls.

Do you have a damn pot?

pot?

But like, it wasn't like, you know, they now like the Gen Z, they don't care.

They talk about all of it.

It's awesome.

Gen Z.

I mean, I don't know about you, but I love Gen Z.

I do too.

I love them.

I actually choose to hang out with them.

Like my friend's kids are so incredible.

I know.

They're so.

My joke.

about Gen Z is

they're so

open.

They teach me so much and they always dress like they have the flu.

That's so true.

Yeah.

And so what, there's a lot that she tells us in the work that she does, but what do you think?

What question do you think I should ask her today that might be a good one to throw her away?

Oh, I think you should ask her.

Well, I would love to know this.

When, like, when did, was Hollywood different than she expected it to be?

And when did she kind of realize that?

And the other thing I would love to know is who is her favorite co-star

for listeners kristen's very leaning in and she has her hands and crossed in prayer and she's looking real cute and last question for you is do you find it hard to be around leanna and not talk in her accent um well i had to talk in her accent as the character that's right you well it's a little less i mean hers is very special so i didn't want to imitate her but i probably talk a little bit like her daughter tess um

I actually find it impossible.

Yeah, but yes, the answer to that is yes.

I find it really fun to slide into that.

But weirdly, when she's not around, I turn into like, you know, who was that terrible southern?

I don't know, like a cartoon southern.

I can't do it.

But if she's there, I'm fine.

I do it.

I know.

And you know what I love that Leanne says is when she says Nashville.

I like the vole.

The vole and Nashville.

And Crackerborough.

Cracker Barrel.

Let's go to Crackerborough.

You're like, are we going to Cracker Barrel?

I don't know know what you're saying.

And it's Cracker Barrel.

But yeah.

I love an accent.

I do too.

I love an accent because we don't really have one.

I used to have a Milwaukee one.

Did you have a Boston?

I had a big time Boston and a really bad Boston Boston accents.

Did you have to get like voice classes to get over it?

No, you know, I went to college and I realized very quickly, like, oh, oh.

Yeah.

I have to try to figure this out.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

And it comes out when I'm angry or you know, yelling or something like that.

Yeah, it can come out.

Yeah, for the most part.

The Boston's out.

She's out.

Stay away from Amy.

The Boston's loose.

I love you so much, Amy.

Kristen, thank you so much for this time.

You're my favorite.

Okay, bye.

So good to see you.

Say hi to Leanne.

I will.

Thanks so much.

Bye.

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Oh my gosh, Leanna's here.

I'm so excited to talk to you.

I wish that we could be together every day and do like jazzer size

with me and you and Tina.

Mima.

And we can all do jazzercise.

I'll invite Tina.

And we would love jazzercise, something slow like that.

We do,

before our shows, we do just simple stretches.

Do you stretch?

I try to, but not as much as I should.

Do you do any kind of like...

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, women.

I know.

Yeah, you don't even have to say it.

I try to lift every once in a while because of menopause, bone density.

What has happened that we are at the point in our lives where we are like, they're like, okay, you have to be hot, then you have to have kids, and now you have to lift heavy weights and

heavy weights and wear a weighted band while you walk and eat protein.

Everybody is eating too much protein.

You are big time, Leanne.

You are big time.

What an incredible couple of years you've had.

I mean, and

we all know it takes whatever many years for an overnight success.

Like, there's no overnight success.

You've been working really hard for a long time.

For 25 years, 25 years doing stand-up.

Incredible.

I want to get into it because for people who are joining us and listening, Leanne Morgan is with us.

You are popping in that pink.

Thanks.

I work for you.

But wait, is this, Leanne's wearing a denim shirt that has a tie included?

Yeah, I didn't know what to do.

It was so cute.

Because I was, I mean, this is a big deal for me.

I said, this is my Super Bowl.

Bowl.

And I just, and I put on big breeches,

but I do have a panty line.

But

I was going to wear a full thing of spanks.

And I thought, I want to be able to enjoy this, being with you.

And being in the moment.

I can't do spanks anymore.

For who?

Who are they for?

I don't know, but hateful, hateful.

Okay.

And me being on a television show now.

Yeah.

I saw my butt on TV.

So I do, they put me in a bunch of spanks during my TV show.

Yeah, it is.

I mean, I guess it's great to

slimming

ways to girdles, all that shit.

Like, I can't believe we're back there again.

But there's no worse feeling than having to take it off and the struggle and the way you hurt yourself.

Like, you pull a muscle taking it off.

I know, I know.

And also, I think there's no sadder thing than when you have to take off your own jewelry and there's nobody there to help you take it off.

Nobody to help you.

I'm going to start wearing those magnet ones like my little Aunt Aunt Lila did.

She would hand me a tums and then put her little magnet.

Hang on.

She always had dirty tums in the bottom of her purse.

Ooh, I love it.

Loose tums.

Wait, talking about jewelry, let's start at the beginning.

So Leanne Morrigan in Tennessee.

In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Tell me.

I have to say that.

Okay, I wanted to think about teenage Leanne for a second.

Okay.

Because were you like a funny high schooler?

Were you, did you get like class clown or something?

Did you get a superlative?

I did get a superlative, and it was Miss Joe Burns High School.

And

best looking.

Because I still had my bloom, Amy.

And I was, you know, but I only graduated 42 people in a town of 500 where we grew dark fire tobacco.

I'm not kidding.

You got, but still, that, you can still take that.

You got best looking.

I did.

That's a big deal.

But they didn't even have a funniest.

Now that I think about it,

and that would have been my favorite.

I know.

That would have been my children got it at their school, funniest, because they're funny.

But yes,

I was, like my teachers would say, Lynn, can you be the MC?

Can you do the announcements?

Can you do the

because I was a ham.

But also, they thought I would get up in front of people and they knew I could do it.

So I did do all that for my little high school.

Okay.

And then did you feel like at any point during that time that you, did you know anyone that was a performer,

anyone that was an actor?

Anything?

No, no, but I grew up from the time I was nine or ten thinking I'm going to be in show business.

I'm going to go to Hollywood.

I did.

And my little mama, Lucille, let me stay home from kindergarten.

I almost failed kindergarten because she let me stay home and watch match game in Hollywood Squares.

I love Paul Lynn.

Love.

And Gene Rayburn had had the skinny microphone and everybody was dirty.

It was filthy.

Filthy.

But I love that.

I grew up watching, you know, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and all that.

And my mama would say, you're going to Hollywood.

Yes, you can go because you've got blonde hair on your body and you'll photograph well.

And I thought, oh, I can make it.

And then I went through high school and we had this little, this is crazy, but we had a wonderful,

our choir teacher, band teacher, Mr.

Bunch, who was precious and loved me and knew I couldn't sing and all that, but would include me in all that.

And I would just mouth words in front of the choir because he thought I could dazzle.

And then we had this speech and drama class where they let us do improv.

And I loved it.

And then I was in one play in high school.

They did a lot of musicals.

And I had talented people in this little town of, and 42 people in my class.

I had a boy that graduated from Juilliard and became an actor.

Wow.

And then there were four boys that had a little country music band called the Red River Boys, and they were talented.

And so we had fun like in improv and all that.

What was your high school play?

Do you remember it?

It was Lil Abner.

Oh, yeah.

And

I didn't have a line, Amy.

I was the sex symbol.

You were really, I mean, you were cruising on that best-looking.

I was.

I was stupefying Jones.

My hair would not fit in this studio.

Oh, none of us.

And I had on pantyhose underneath the bathing suit.

And I did not have, I just had to gyrate.

But I'm not kidding you.

I thought, okay, this is the beginning of my Hollywood career.

I really did.

I thought, okay, I've got something.

What is it like being considered really attractive in high school?

Because you don't want to peek too early.

And I think I did peek too early.

It's not easy to be considered good looking in high school.

It's a lot of pressure, I imagine.

I can only imagine that.

It was a lot of pressure.

And me and my sister, Beth, who is three and a half years older than me, we were tall and blonde.

And we would lay out behind our little house and yard chairs with snakes and sunbathe.

And the farming people would haul corns at us.

And, you know, and we wouldn't.

You know, we knew we were kind of a big town in that town.

Yeah, a lot of people honked.

I mean, being tall and blonde in the 80s, jackpot.

A lot of people were

a lot of people honked.

A lot of people honked at us.

But me thinking, my sister wasn't thinking anything.

I was thinking Hollywood.

I mean, this is my base, my groundwork to be in Hollywood.

That's what I thought.

I really didn't.

It's funny you say that because there was a certain like burden.

when you were like considered good looking in high school, which is like, this is my burden.

I'm going to let people look at me and honk.

while they were picking up meat at my mom and daddy's meat processing plant so we did everybody's meat so people would drive up in trucks it was behind our house and look down at us laying in a yard chair with copper hands around us

because there was no swimming poo sure

We had to drive into town to get to a swimming pool.

That's how rural.

And baby oil, I'm sure.

Baby oil and sun damage and

horrible.

What are you doing with it?

We'll get to your career, but what are you doing with your sun damage right now?

Because it's coming to roost for me.

It's coming to roost.

I had just had a doctor say, no more sun.

He did or she did.

She did.

Yep, let's go.

A woman dermatologist is the best.

Yes.

Because, okay, Amy, I don't mean to be Debbie Downer, but I had a melanoma when I was 21 from laying out with all those copper hangers.

That's what I want to know.

And then,

and so I had, you always get a female dermatology, a love man.

No, I don't like male doctors.

But female, they'll they'll measure your toenails and like what all they are thorough.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

So, um, I didn't have as much sun damage as a lot of people my age because I got that at 21 and they scared the living daylights out of me.

I'm sorry because your skin is amazing.

Thank you, Amy.

Well, I've eaten too much.

I mean, I've eaten a lot of white flour and sugar and like processed food, which is not good.

We're never going to get that back.

Like we didn't know.

We didn't know.

Got a coke and a goldfish in a car with a bunch of kids was my favorite thing.

I mean, any kind of food that you can get at a pharmacy, like that

lasts forever, we ate all of it.

I mean, don't you remember that there was this feeling in the 80s, like, no, don't eat regular food.

Eat the new fake fancy food.

Yes.

And I remember my mama saying, Lucille said that her mama said, don't breastfeed that's for tacky people here's this formula and my mama would sneak and try to breastfeed behind nanny's back because it wasn't cool exactly the same with my mom people were like you if you love your child give them this formula that has all the stuff in it and it was like well i don't want to give my child the horrible natural superfoods

yeah and it was like eat it don't eat a steak eat a steakum remember steak'ems remember steakums Yes.

I love to steak them.

Love to steak them.

Okay, but getting back to jewelry, I'm sorry.

We could talk about this forever.

Being a salesperson is a very specific skill.

Were you good at it?

Yes.

And I think I could sell, if I believe in something, I can sell it.

Okay.

I'll just say.

I'm not good at math.

I'm wearing a bracelet right now.

I'm taking it off.

Can you try to sell this to me?

That why I should have it.

It's just a gold bracelet.

Oh my gosh, Amy.

Everybody needs a touch of gold.

Brightens you up, gives you a pop.

This is what is in right now with this link.

Everybody's wearing it.

That's a wonderful clasp.

I don't think you can get it on by yourself, but

you, I mean, you've got to have that.

And I would suggest even stacking a few more.

Well, I do love that everyone's wearing it.

It does look nice.

A touch of gold.

A touch of gold and a gold earring.

Always keep them in your purse.

You are good because you're now selling me earrings.

You don't want to to go without an earring and that and a gold just always gives you a little something.

Okay, but let me tell you, when I was selling that jewelry, I was supposed to be talking about jewelry and I didn't.

You didn't.

What were you talking about?

Hemorrhoids, breastfeeding, wanting to kill Chuck Morgan, my husband, because he didn't hear a baby cry in the night.

But they had given us a speech, and I would take this big jewelry case and put it out.

And then somebody would have like a coconut cake,

brownies, a dip.

And I was supposed to give this presentation.

And I just, that's where I think I started stand up.

I mean, I had not, I didn't know what my

Hollywood was going to be stand-up.

But Chuck Morgan and I, before we married, went to, and let me go back to say, I did peak in high school.

I went to college and I was like, a wreck.

That's what happened to you.

You were the best looking, best looking sometimes.

I went downhill and was doing horrible things.

Even though my girls go, mom, it's not that bad what you were doing.

But to me, it was bad.

Like, I wasn't going to class and I would try to flirt with boys.

Like, can I have your notes?

And they look pissed.

But

I was smoking a cigarette and I was going to clubs.

I was smoking cigarettes and I loved them.

I'll just say it.

And it was wrong.

It was wrong.

And they're not good.

They're not good.

And they're terrible for you and they shorten your life.

And boy, shorten your life.

Boy, were they.

They are fun.

They were fun.

Good with a Diet Coke cup of coffee.

had a ball.

Somebody said that a Diet, somebody called a Diet Coke a refrigerator cigarette.

I don't know who said that.

And now you're kind of ashamed to tell people, order a Diet Coke.

You're like, can I have a Diet Coke?

I know.

Tell me the first time you and Chuck Morgan met.

Give us the meet cue.

Okay, we were both waiting tables.

I was waiting tables at this place, and he was a new person.

He'd gone back to MBA school and was going to wait tables there.

And they took this training group through and he's very tall 6'4 was very thin I always say he looked like a praying man is he was too thin

and he and he walked through and I said oh you're tall as a tree and he went sorry and I thought another butthole's come to work at Grady's

and then We would have these meetings.

I mean, that was it.

And then we would have these, we'd just stand on the wall waiting to be seated or the table to be seated.

And he would just stand next to him.

He was very quiet.

And I didn't know he was falling in in love with me.

And then we would have a meeting with the manager, you know, like what the shift meeting.

And I got a big baked potato with sour cream and butter on it.

And he said, You shouldn't be eating all that fat.

Because he was on it, he had been getting really lean, praying, man.

It's lean and put cottage cheese on his baked potato.

He's flirting with you.

He's

nagging you, is what the kids say.

I guess, but I thought, butt hole.

Yeah.

Then I would say to a girlfriend, you know, waiting tables, I like your Dooney and Burke purse.

He would bring me a Dooney and Burke purse next day with a big ribbon, but hadn't spoken to me.

So we're going to be talking about that.

And then he was like, when she was trying to dance, I know.

I understand.

And then buying my cigarettes, like, yeah, I'll get you a pack of cigarettes.

And then

we, you know, thought this is it.

And then he was like, you smell bad.

And then start nagging me over it.

And then got that monkey off my back, though.

Yeah.

Then, thank goodness.

He nagged me until I quit.

Yeah.

And because I probably would still still be sitting here smoking if it wasn't for Chuck Morgan.

Yeah.

But even though he was really head over heels right away.

He was.

Yeah.

He was.

And I think it's because he's a math person and I'm an artist.

And your advice to stay married this long?

What's your advice?

Like, how do you do that?

A lot of praying in a bathtub.

We do go to bed mad.

You know, you hear people say.

It's good to hear.

And then you just, you know, go, well, that's not that important.

I'll push that down.

Yeah.

And then, but, yeah.

Do you have that mad?

Tolerating.

So the secret is to just stick in there no matter what.

Stick in there and

know that, yes, he is a math person

and that he is going to not be fun.

It's not specific to your relationship.

Yeah, that find the fun where you can.

But not with your partner.

Right.

I've had old women go, rely on your friends, girl.

Because they want to talk.

You know, men, you're right.

Men sit there and get less and less when they don't want to talk.

Yeah, they get quieter and quieter.

They get quieter and quieter and they just zone out.

And so you do.

I talk to my girlfriends.

He goes, you're always on the phone.

Yeah, I need somebody to talk to, Chuck.

But okay, so Colleen,

and then I married Chuck Morgan.

But we went out to L.A.

and I got to go to the comedy store.

And I saw people do stand-up and I thought, I can do that.

I know I can do that.

Do you remember who you saw?

I saw Domerrera.

Oh, yeah.

Paul Mooney, and he did like two hours.

And we sat there and watched him.

And he told us all that Elizabeth Taylor had died.

And it was a lie, but it was funny.

He goes, Elizabeth Taylor has passed.

And everybody went,

he goes, I'm just kidding.

But I saw all these wonderful people and I thought, I can do that.

I can do that.

Now I know what that is.

But anywho, so then I married Chunk Morgan, moved me to the Appalachia Mountains, and I sold that jewelry.

But I was in a little, I was in a living room with darling women who were also had hemorrhoids and all that.

And I was killing Amy.

How did you go from, man, I want to be doing stand-up to going to the club to do it?

Like, that's a big Rubicon a lot of people don't cross.

You know, they say, I want to be a performer.

They say, I want to, I'm funny.

My, you know, my, my, the people that know me think I'm really funny.

I'm I'm the funniest person at work, whatever people say, but they don't go and do it.

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, I tell you, when I was doing the jewelry, the company noticed that I was booking so far in advance that they asked me to start speaking at their big things.

And that, and then I knew I could do it.

Right.

But I also said to women, book a party with me now or see me in Las Vegas later, which is very arrogant.

But I saw it, Amy.

I thought I'm going to do this.

So then Chuck Morgan sells his business, goes to work for a big corporation that sends us to San Antonio, Texas.

I started doing open mic

in San Antonio.

And then I drove back and forth with three babies by then, three little babies.

They were three, five, and seven by the time I got to Texas.

And I would go to Austin, Texas, where it was one of the best comedy clubs.

Dennis Miller's brother, Rich Miller, owned that club.

And I got up at chickstick, they called it, when they let women up on wednesday night for 10 minutes they were like come on gals

all of you get together and you equal one other guy

we'll get 20 of you together and you can all talk about that stuff you talk about uh-huh and all the boys were doing arnold schwarzenegger impersonations

and i'll just tell y'all i sit out

but i did have on a little um i'd look back on it and comedy central did not want me nobody you know i was not i didn't have any edge to me i had an unfortunate bob i had capris on that had burns on them.

And I was talking about who doo-dooed on a t-ball field, which is still some of my best material.

Totally.

You would have been my favorite for sure.

Thank you.

But I was doing that with little children, honey, and did that in Texas for about three years.

And then...

you know, got on a little tour with two other female comedians.

We slept around and, you know, people probably begged.

Our agent begged people to take us.

But anyway, it gave me the seasoning.

But I always, the whole time, it was, I wanted to be on Sarah Night Love.

And I just look back on it and I've said to people that I've gotten to meet from Sarah Night Love, Fred Armison, who is from heaven.

Totally the best.

From heaven.

And you know, I did a movie with Will Farrell and he said, to tell you hello.

And I told him when my show was coming out and my new Netflix special.

And he said, oh, that's great.

I'm too busy.

I won't be watching that.

But I mean,

what you're saying is my favorite thing, too.

Like, teasing is a really fun love language.

Like, when people tease each other, like it, to me, it means they have respect for each other.

Like, and you tease Chuck, your husband, a lot.

Like,

I wouldn't say necessarily tease him, but he's a big part of your material.

He is.

He's been a lot, Amy.

Chuck.

Chuck Morgan and I are exact opposite, and I find that funny.

It is so funny.

I love how you describe him and your relationship and how he,

how he, how like his system and your system work together.

What is Chuck's system?

What is your system?

I don't know if it works that well together.

We've made it.

We had a bunch of kids together, and he takes care of the checkbook because I can't deal with that.

But Chuck Morgan is very introverted.

I'm extroverted.

I've had to talk for him for years, but he's social.

He wants to be with people, but he's a fly on the wall.

He likes things organized.

I'm, you know,

um,

I remember saying to him, like, I know I've got something, Chuck, I can make it.

And Hollywood, let's sell everything and I'll cook off a hot plate.

And he went, Are you crazy?

We need health insurance.

And I guess it's a good thing he, you know, kept me down

Because I did get to raise these little children.

And then this happens to me in my late 50s and I don't think I'll get hooked on dope.

I mean, I'm not kidding.

If this had happened to me at 20, I would be on dope, I think.

Yeah, well, this is so much pressure.

How have you done it?

Well, it's really interesting you say that.

Like, I feel like the idea of coming into this kind of lifestyle in your 50s, you do have a lot of tools.

Like you actually have a, hopefully, like a family that you can depend on because I know you depend on them and you have a solid marriage.

And like, it is hard.

It's like a weird, uh,

but wait, I want to go back because Chuck, you say, Chuck, I want to do this.

He says,

let's get real.

Yes.

And he always supported me.

And he would take care of these babies.

Yes.

And honey, I would pass them off in a minivan to him and go get on stage.

He always supported me in all of it.

He just said,

he's not a dreamer.

I'm a dreamer.

And he said, they need health insurance.

He was right.

He has always had a big job, executive at a company, made a wonderful living for us.

I didn't have to take horrible gigs where I had to drive 300 miles for $50 and sleep in my car.

Right.

So it was because of Chuck Morgan that really it all worked out the best way it could.

It really did.

But yes, Chuck Morgan, I've been traveling with him.

I'm going to Tampa today to be with him.

And I will have to hold his mixed nuts.

He will say, hold this.

Do you have any toothpaste?

Like,

I'm constantly having to tend to him like I would a child.

Well, I feel like for a lot of women I know our age and older, the other thing is when you have a partner,

straight, because look, we're talking about straight men, which unfortunately is what we're attracted to.

Which I've always said, my next husband's going to be a gay man.

And we're going to look for fabric together.

And he'll leave me alone and I'll leave him alone.

I mean, would that not be the?

I've got so many gay friends, men, that I'm in love with.

Yeah.

That one says to me all the time, would it kill you to put some height in your hair, Leighne?

And he's always getting behind me and giving me a back comb.

But I love that.

And Chuck Moran loves the gay men.

They'll tend to Chuck and go, here, Chuck, here's a cocktail and some nice chicken salad on a nice cracker.

And Chuck, you know,

beans.

But, you know, men that are married live longer and women who are married live shorter.

Because we have to tend to things.

It's, it's real.

Like women who are not married, who are single, not married, live longest.

Take that in.

Take that in.

And I know that's a statistic that I was very well aware of.

And also that what I love when you talk about your husband and your work is

you talk about the way in which like he's like reluctantly along for the ride that is you, you know, which is so fun and funny because he loves the ride.

He loves the ride.

Yeah.

And he does.

He does.

And he'll say, I've got fans.

I just shot

my second Netflix and he came out on stage afterwards and was doing this.

But Chuck Morgan says to me all the time, I'm going to

retire from my job.

He's still working for that big company and I'll just come with you.

And I'm like,

no.

No.

Because I mean, I can't be putting on spanks while he's eating nuts and grabbing my breasts.

And I've got to get my comedy mind.

Like, I have to take a comedy nap.

Even if I don't go to sleep, I've got to shut my eyes.

Get right.

No, you need to be a part.

Chuck can't come along.

I can't.

You can't.

He can't come along.

Because he needs me to tend to him.

And I've got, somebody's got to tend to me.

I'm getting to be.

I'm going to attend to you, Leona.

My baby child.

She's my professional makeup artist.

And I say, caregiver.

And she said, I didn't sign up for that.

But she is still strong and still has grip in her hands.

You know, I don't have any grip when I went through menopause.

I would wake up.

and try to unscrew something and it was like a like you're just like well i guess i'm just never going to get in there you're never going to eat a pickle

Nope.

Unless you just smash it on the ground.

I know.

I ordered all those things from Amazon that grips.

Oh, yeah.

That you haven't had one of those grip things and then just hit it with a butter knife before you open it.

But she tends to me.

And what is it like being, oh, is it nice to be hanging out with your girlfriend?

It is, but let me tell you, it is.

She has been, but she, you know, gets hormonal and can be smart, Alec.

But, you know, that's okay.

That's nature.

But she's about to move to New York with my middle child, my other daughter, Maggie.

Oh, wow.

The answer.

That's a big deal.

Because how old are they now?

27 and 29.

And they're going to miss these grandbabies.

I've got two grandbabies that live in Knoxville.

They're like 20 minutes from me.

Yeah.

Two grandsons or two.

Two grandsons, a redhead and a white-headed one.

And then you talk so much about your son and you're acting.

It's so funny because of your, how, how, how, how are how is it feeling now that your son is a dad oh it's precious I knew he'd be a big sweet daddy but he's an old soul you know I talk about him all the time like played the banjo in middle school after football practice

had a garden still has a garden these babies eat out of that garden and um he's from i think he took after my people farming people he likes to grow things and what do you like to do loves history um he grows everything gardens and my little mama always had a garden and put up and canned.

And we killed her on beef.

Do you do that still?

Do you still make

now?

I'm, you know, kind of busy.

Lucille, now, mama doesn't can anymore, but we'll go to her house and we'll all can, just like, you know, like down the line, people bring a bushel of corn.

When I say rural, I mean, I'm from farming, rural people.

So when you say we all can, is it kind of like assembly line?

We're all canning that day.

We're sealing it up.

We're canning that day, sealing it up, chopping everything.

She makes a vegetable soup, a homemade vegetable soup with tomato juice that you would slap somebody over.

Unbelievable.

Do you like to cook?

I do like to cook.

I do.

And I fed all these children.

Well, you know, I was doing comedy on the weekends, but I was tending to them and cooking.

And yeah, I've always loved that.

And, you know, being a mama.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I know.

It's just lovely way in which you talk about your family.

Like you're really, you're all very close.

And I bet this happens a lot is people feel like they know you

right away.

So when you're doing your shows, what do people come up and say to you?

Like, how do you, how are your fans interact with you?

Oh, my gosh, Amy.

They, like, I go on stage and they throw their person there.

I didn't even say anything.

And it, and at first, it messed with my head when I got my first big, big panty tour is what I called it because I love a big panty.

And they would

like just

at me.

And I think it's because they felt ignored and I was like the only person speaking to them.

And it made me feel, I should have gone into therapy because I thought I need to go home with every one of them and clean their house and vacuum out their car because they were so precious to me.

But this is what they say to me.

They go, oh my gosh, that is my baby child.

That is, I'm married to Chuck Morgan.

This is Chuck.

This is my middle child.

Yes, they all say that to me.

Yes, I have to say, Leanne,

in all seriousness, like when I came across most, I knew of you, but came across most of your work during the pandemic on TikTok.

You dang it.

Yes.

And I thought, oh, my phone is really getting to know me.

Like my phone now really knows what I like.

Like this is exactly what I want.

And that is the feeling that people get when they watch you perform is they feel seen.

They really do.

They feel seen.

They feel like there's some version of them.

It doesn't get

spoken of or spoken to.

And And you talked about it a little bit, and I really agree with you.

Like there's this whole group of people that are looking to be

entertained and to spend money and to come to your show.

And I think not just women, men and women, but they're often ignored.

I know that's what it was.

I do.

And I, and I feel like on Netflix, my special

huge hit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And

who knew that was going to be that one?

Should we brag about how many people was it?

What was it?

I don't know how many people were.

Many millions.

Millions.

Millions and millions.

Huge hit.

And I was not expecting that.

I really wasn't.

I couldn't believe that Netflix was going to give me.

I have one other special that somebody put on Hulu.

I don't even know who.

And I have a very unfortunate hair color in it.

And I won't, I don't want, I'm not even going to say what it's called

because it is so awful.

What is the color?

Is it a blonde that went on?

It is a blonde that had no dimension.

We've all that was yet.

That was the color of that yellow mustard.

I want to take, I got to go get my roots done, and I want to take your blonde in for a demo because I'm really like your blonde.

And for those of you out there, it's not easy being blonde.

It's a lot of work.

A lot of work.

It's constantly in the chair.

It's constantly.

And now that I'm older,

white comes out

or gray comes out all the time.

And I don't know what I'm putting on my head.

But it's Tennessee.

Tennessee girls know how to do blonde.

I swear, Amy.

Everywhere I go, and when I was in L.A.

doing that TV series, they were like, who is doing your color?

It is a darling little girl in Tennessee who knows how to do blonde.

One day I tried to calculate how many hours I've been in the hair chair getting my hair dyed blonde.

And it was

many days in a row.

Like it was like a couple weeks.

Somebody tell me what I spent in a year.

We couldn't tell Chuck Morgan.

Because I have two girls and I was getting their hair highlighted, honey, because I'm from the South.

I mean, I'm not an animal.

I was getting theirs.

We were getting spray tans, whatnot.

Sure, of course.

But when I did the movie with Little Reese Witherspoon and Will Farrell, she looked at me and said, you need dimension in your hair.

I still had that terrible hair color.

And I thought it was pretty.

And it was like the color of mustard.

No dimension.

And she just looked up at me.

You know, she's about right here, beautiful.

She went, you need some dimension in your hair.

And you said, hi, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, little Race Witherspoon.

How was it doing that

with Will and Reed?

Well, I thought I was going to get the shingles because it was my first movie.

And

I have had the shingles shot, which I thought was going to kill me in a hotel room in Nashville, Tennessee before I got on an airplane.

That's a booger.

That one is a big one.

But everybody needs it.

You do definitely.

Because I've had shingles twice.

Oh.

Oh, God.

Shingles is the worst.

The worst.

And we are the chicken pox generation.

Like, we all had chicken pox.

Have you ever had it?

No, because I was so afraid of getting the shingles that I got the shingles vaccine.

And it's for life.

It's a shingles vaccine.

Oh, we don't have to get it again.

Nope.

Oh, hallelujah.

I think it's a big one.

I think that's why it's a big one.

It's a book, too.

You got the two one?

Yeah, you have to go a second time.

And that is hard to remember.

To remember to get the second one.

Have you had your colonoscopy?

Oh, yeah.

I get those all the time.

Yeah.

Because I've always had IBS, my darling.

So I started getting those.

And then how great are the drugs?

Right before you go out.

Right before you go out, you're like, just wait one more second.

Can I lay here?

Just talk a little bit more about, yeah, it's the best feeling in the world.

But, and, and we're old enough now to get the pneumonia shot.

Are you going to get that?

Um, I guess so.

When do you, okay, I'll be 50.

Well, I'll be 60 in October.

Incredible.

You look incredible.

60 is the new 30.

Yeah.

What are you going to do for your 60th birthday?

I think I'm going to go on a vacation with these grandbabies and my children.

You know, I'm not at the point where I can hire Earth, Wind, and Fire yet, but I think I'm going to go, I think I'm going to go on vacation with all these babies.

That's nice.

That must be really, I mean,

a lot of friends in my life are turning 60, and it feels like it's kind of, it feels, it's an interesting birthday.

It feels like.

I know, because I thought 50, I took to the bed over that.

That was wonderful.

That was wonderful.

Well, then maybe we must,

if we're to learn anything from our 50s, which to me is teaching me that the best is yet to come, then we should continue that lesson in our 60s, right?

Yes.

I know.

But like little Maria Shriver, you see her on and she's thriving, got on cute chains.

We just need some.

We need to stack our chains.

We need to stack our bracelets.

That's what we need.

More jewelry.

We need more jewelry.

Yeah.

We didn't care about jewelry.

Well, you wear a lot of big earrings.

Do you like big earrings?

I was during the big panty tour before I had a stylist.

Okay.

Now these women tell me, no.

Pull it back.

Yeah, I made some missteps.

I was dressing myself.

Of course.

Honey, I always had on a girdle, but

I was doing some missteps.

And I was also inflamed.

After COVID, and when my tour went like gangbusters because everybody wanted to go somewhere.

Yeah, exactly.

There are pictures of me, and I'm sweaty looking.

I had drank wine and eaten chicken pot pie during COVID.

Right.

And my breasts were like two feed sacks.

I'm trying to do better.

I really, and people said to me, you've got to train like you're in the Olympics to tour.

And I'm, you know, I've got like 70 days between now and November.

So I had to.

Are you going on tour in November?

I'm touring now and I'll tour until November.

Okay, what, talk to me about your tour because Tina and I have been on a tour and I saw that.

similarly, like you're on the big panty tour.

We're doing our restless leg tour.

I feel like we're covering a lot of the same women.

And I know, I wish I could be with y'all.

I know.

And being on tour is strenuous, even though you think people are like, but what's your routine?

What do you do, don't do?

You know, do you?

Well, I quit.

I really, really tried not to.

I was drinking alcohol during the big panty.

Now this tour, this, the just getting started tour.

And I tell people, I named it that because I just feel like I'm getting started in my 50s and women throw their person there.

But I really am trying to eat better.

And I, and I, and when I put that darn luggage down, I should go in that gym.

Amen.

And I don't want to.

I mean, there's no, is there anything sadder than repacking

the extra exercise clothes that you brought that you didn't use and pretending like, oh, I didn't know I had them in here.

That's so weird.

I do that every time.

If I knew I brought my sneakers, I would have went to the gym, but just like, who are we kidding?

I do the same thing.

And then I started packing like my own bands.

Oh, I don't know.

Never took them out.

You can put them on a hotel door.

Hotel door, do they?

Not once.

But I try to.

I do have to have a comedy nap.

Even if I don't lay down and sleep, I just have to stare into space to get my mind right in a hotel room.

Then we go and do sound check.

I eat cheese, and I shouldn't.

I always have a little bit of cheese, a gluten-free cracker.

Who am I kidding?

A little ranch dip, some carrots.

And then, do you like, do you ever have, you probably don't have any like hecklers that you have to deal with?

No, every once in a while, there'll be some little drunk woman that yells out C-section or, you know, wanting to be heard.

That's exactly what we didn't have the whole tour of knock on wood.

We had the nicest crowd.

And then one time there was a lady who was a little drunk.

It it was like a 6 p.m.

show by the way could we try to do like four or six p.m.

I do fours love a four I do a seven if I add it's a four not a 10 never no way were we and a woman one time was like just chatting and then said like Amy Amy and I was like yeah and she was like hi

she said hi it was so nice

Yeah, I get nice people.

They don't mean anything ugly.

They just yell out stuff.

Yeah, girl.

Yeah, girl.

You know, and you're like, I can't think, what was I saying?

And I just saying now, what was I saying?

And then, you know, a woman will yell out, bingle, you know, and I can keep going.

That's what's sweet about people my age watching me is they're like they can't think of their name either no so we're all in this together everyone's like where do we park where do we park and eating popcorn bloated i can't eat popcorn i love it oh it does it bloated it gives me heartburn and i get i get

i'm nervous about choking Oh, I just now I choke all the time.

I'm nervous about choking.

I get very nervous.

I feel like in general, I've turned into a toddler where I look at food and I'm like, that's going to not go, that's not going to get down there.

No, grape.

Grape tomatoes.

Grape tomatoes.

No way.

Do you?

Because I do.

I get to where I cough and I'll cough in a restaurant and get choked and my kids will go.

You want to hear another depressing statistic?

More women die from choking than men because they walk away from the table because they don't want to bother anybody.

I'm so sorry.

So nobody can even.

It's the most, it's like they're like, don't worry, I got this.

I'll give myself the Heimlick.

And they die.

What kind of sleeper are you?

Are you good?

Like, how are you?

How's your sleep?

I'm prioritizing my sleep.

Same.

In this show business world.

Because I had to learn lines for that sitcom.

And I realized then I thought I gotta be sharp I gotta know what in the world I'm saying yeah so I do like to take a little melatonin some kind of blend with a you know a GABA L-thenanine

L-thenanine.

Okay.

If you take one of those and you can get them over the counter, but just if you, if you have a combination of thing like chamomile or it's got, it's got to have more than melatonin in it.

Okay.

And sometimes I take non-melatonin i'm always buying sleep things because i don't want to get hooked on pills yeah you can't take a sleeping pill i mean and you know that it's so funny you talk to boomers and they're like i don't take sleeping pills i just take two tylenol pms every night and you're like ma'am

i know and then people say i take benadryl and i think does that cause alzheimer's you're not supposed to take i know not anything that knocks you out you're not supposed to i do look at screens at night and i shouldn't same i love my phone my phone is my best friend i love them to scroll scroll and look and see.

And then, but I'd really try, I like, I have a sleep mask on.

I have my Invisalon tray in.

I have to keep it on.

I like 65 to 67 degrees at night.

I love a cold room.

A cold room.

Yeah.

What does Chuck think of?

He's freezing.

It's freezing in here.

And he doesn't like to spend the money because Chuck Morgan is a very tight

money person.

He's a numbers person.

Okay, so he does the numbers.

He does the numbers.

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When this comes out, your show will be coming out in a couple of days.

Congratulations.

Bless you, my darling.

Chuck Laurie

is the producer.

You are, it's on Netflix.

It's a multi-cam.

Multi-cam.

Loosely based on your life.

It's based on my comedy, but not my life.

Because we thought that would be weird.

But let me tell you that the premise is my husband walks off and leaves me after 30-something years of marriage.

And now I'm sitting here, what in the world am I going to do?

And I cannot tell you how many fans said, Chuck Morgan doesn't deserve you.

I knew this would happen.

He sucks.

He's kept you down long enough.

He's jealous.

And I was like, whoa, no, that's not what's happening.

My own little daddy got a call from one of his friends who was in his 90s and said, I'm so sorry that they're going to.

And I said, Danny,

yeah.

And I go, Danny, Beverly Hillbillies isn't true either.

This is not true.

But, But it is based on my comedy and my sensibility.

So when Chuck Laurie came to me and sat on my back porch and held my grandbaby and said, will you do this with me?

I was like, what?

And then Netflix, I mean, has been so good to me and has given me these Netflix stand-up specials, Amy.

And that's the stamp.

But they better, Leanne, you're crushing it.

They better give you those specials.

They're lucky to have you.

Oh, you angel.

Thank you.

It's true.

Like, you earned it.

You're selling out everywhere.

You're huge.

Oh, my darling.

Thank you.

I think they pay you a gazillion dollars for them.

They're so whoever, like, I mean, they're, they're super popular.

You're so, you're such a fresh voice.

And so, in this show, you have great cast members that you're with.

Kristen Johnston.

Okay, so Kristen was the person that we talked to today.

We always like to talk well behind people's backs before we interview them.

So we talked to Kristen today.

Oh, and we got a question from Kristen to ask you.

She's so great.

Oh my gosh, honey.

A pro and was so good to me.

And I learned a lot from her.

I went in that thing terrified.

I didn't know how all that worked.

Yeah.

Honey, the first three weeks, first three episodes, I said to my baby T.S., who was living with me, I can't do this.

What is this?

And she was like, you're going to give me the shingles.

I was hysterical.

But I, you know, it was just terrifying.

And you're like learning everything new.

Camera blocking.

What?

What is that?

A script.

All of that.

Right.

Crafty.

Right.

All these terms.

But don't you feel, Ian, and you know this, don't you feel like life is just a series of

terms to keep you out of the room?

And then once you learn the terms, you're in the room.

Like, it's like now you know the terms.

And I guess so.

Because you are the prize.

You have all of the goods.

Like, like the kitchen changes, but you have the food.

Wow.

I mean,

you're nothing without the food.

So you have all the food.

You're just talking about getting to know another kitchen.

But, you know, what a week of learning the terms and now you got it.

Oh, Amy, did you pay attention to Sco?

You are so smart.

Oh, I didn't get best.

Best looking.

Let's just put it that way.

I didn't get best looking.

Okay.

So Kristen's.

question was what did you think of LA?

Like you're talking about Hollywood and it being a

idea in your mind since you were young.

You knew you wanted to get there and you get there.

Was it what you thought it would be?

At first, I'll be honest, when I got there, I was kind of scared.

I'm not used to that traffic.

We are in a, at Knoxville, Tennessee, and it was, and I knew that weather was going to be beautiful.

And I always loved that.

And I loved the house that I rented.

And it was very Hollywood Hills kind of looking.

And I was tickled over that.

But the fires came.

We got evacuated.

Yeah.

And we got robbed.

Our rental house got robbed by these acrobatic people.

They found them on film and they climbed, they shimmied and climbed up each other's shoulders and the people who we rented from said, we don't want you to see the video, it'll freak you out.

But they were like acrobat people.

And the good news is we didn't, I was working Palm Springs, had a show that night.

So they cased us out.

It's what the criminals call it.

Must have seen an Amazon package of a supplement.

And then said, let's get her.

But it was me and my baby.

And we didn't have anything valuable out there.

She had a bunch of Amazon earrings.

They wanted dope earrings is what they told us in guns well we don't have guns and then they took all they looked at her medicine and it was like yeast infection thyroid she goes i bet they looked in here and thought who are these pitiful sick people

me all my supplements they didn't get anything

And so it really didn't freak me out.

Yeah, of course.

But by the time we were leaving, we were out there seven months.

I grieved when I left.

I really

thought it was sweet.

And I realized this, because when you're in the middle of the United States, you're like, California, you know,

everybody was precious.

It is a working-class town.

People were precious to me.

And then all these men on the set, because I like to flirt and I love all men.

And they were like looking up real estate in Tennessee.

Like some of them, you know, were in their 50s and never married.

And I go, oh, if you move to Tennessee, everybody would want to breed with you.

And so they're all going, where's Morristown, Tennessee land?

Here's a house for $400,000 that's, you know, got three bedrooms.

And so, and I did like for all the men to eat crafty.

Southern women like to see men eat.

And so they would say, no, you go first.

I'm going, no, you go first.

Let me watch you eat.

So I fell in love with everybody on that sand.

You're right.

I mean, it is, I mean, Hollywood, in quotes, is

a working-class city.

Like the people on set are all hard-working people.

Hard-working, darling.

Yeah, that's right.

That's right.

I had a ball, and I fell in love with everybody, and I loved everybody at the grocery store.

And everybody was sweet, and they go, where are you from?

Where's that accent from?

And let me say to your audience that is huge and you get in this big old podcast doing.

This is my accent.

This is how I really talk.

You know, people think it's not, but I'm from farming people.

But anyway, California people thought I was fun.

Yeah, I bet.

And swayed to me.

And California start talking in your accent back to you a lot.

They do.

I mean, it's been a real struggle for me not to because

I'm that way anyway.

You do.

And we can pick it up a little bit.

Like I interviewed Idris Elba recently.

I know.

And it was hard for me to not try to start talking in a British accent.

But you must get that too.

I do.

I get people do.

And I, yeah, I do.

And

people are fascinated by the South, I think.

I think so too.

What do they get if

you had preconceptions about California that were wrong, what do people get wrong about Tennessee?

Ryan Stiles plays my husband, and he thought that we all packed guns.

I said, I've never shot a gun in my life.

He goes, you sure, Leanne.

I'm like,

we're not going around packing guns or holding guns.

My people say packing.

I think he thought we all have the best.

We're like the old West.

And then people all and I do love country music I'm fine but I'm more of an RBB gay R and B but I mean I think people think we're all you know barefoot

and I did go to college and I finished I will never let you know my GPA

but I think they you know have misconception that we're dumb people

but we have you know nice universities and we get our hair done you have the best blondes in the business we have the best blondes for sure but it and I and And I am sad that you got broken into, though, because

that is too bad because people do think L.A.

is dangerous and it proved to be.

But the captain of the police department lived across the street, darling, got to know him.

He was like, take my cell phone number.

Here's some spray.

If you're out walking, that's good for animals and people.

I was like, what?

So, you know, he taught me how to live out there.

Okay, so before we wrap it up, I want to ask a couple rapid fire thoughts.

Oh, okay.

And see what you think.

What's your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving.

Me too.

I love Thanksgiving.

I love Thanksgiving.

I love the colors.

And I love to have, I love to go to TJ Maxx and buy little turkeys and pilgrims to set on a table.

Because you talk a lot about Christmas and the prep that is involved in Christmas.

And the nightmare that is Christmas.

Oh, the nightmare that is Christmas.

The nightmare is.

And it falls on mamas.

Yeah.

And then you take to the bed.

Yeah.

And feel sick, get a sick headache.

My mom would say, I've got a sick headache.

I got to lay down.

Because you have to wrap all that and do all that.

I love what you said when Chuck asks you on December 24th, is there anything I can do?

How can I help on December 24th?

And then usually I have to do sexual favors to get any help

while you're doing all that and cooking and doing.

And then you got to do it.

And then get all that ready.

Speaking of Tylenol P.M., I'm having a flashback that I was hosting Thanksgiving.

I thought I had taken two Tylenol.

I took two Tylenol PM.

And I was like, oh no, I'm going down.

I just take like a four-hour nap in the middle of Thanksgiving.

Yeah.

It wasn't so bad.

Math.

How do you feel about math?

I don't like it, Amy.

You don't have to do it anymore.

I don't have to do it anymore.

And I'm so thankful.

And there are people who can do math for us.

And I'm thankful.

But I say in my act, in that first special, Chuck Morgan is a math like genius and then he bred with me and we have three children can't do math

they took after me but they're fun you know yeah they're fun they can play the banjo do makeup fun

um what about have you ever seen a ghost do you believe in ghosts i do believe that there are demons maybe

let me tell you

I was in a comedy club, Birmingham, Alabama, stardome.

They have a bunch of theaters in there.

I was doing the main stage.

There was a girl that goes around comedy clubs and talks to dead people.

Oh, like a medium.

Medium.

And she was cute as she could be.

She was sitting in the green room with us, and she said, we were all sitting there.

It was kind of awkward.

And she goes, oh, they're in here right now.

There's dead people in here.

And I go.

In this green room with a bad sofa, with a half bottle of ketchup,

watching,

What was that show?

Heidi Klune was on it with that little magic.

Project Runway.

Project Runway.

I go,

so if I die, I'm going to have to walk around

in this green room watching Project Runway with a half bottle of ketchup.

But she said, yes.

I mean, isn't it convenient, though, that whenever the medium is around, the spirits are also.

They don't say, no, there's nothing in here.

Oh, it's it's great.

Gen X, why are we the best generation?

I think because we have sense.

I think we've still got sense.

Not that young people don't have sense, but there's some grit.

I think there's grit left in there where, you know, we had to work.

Like I had to do terrible jobs.

But I think that makes grit.

I think we're the ones that have got grit, but still open-minded.

Can I say that?

I think so.

I mean, no one's paying attention to us anyway, so we can say whatever we want.

That's the thing about Gen X.

Did you cry at your son's wedding yes like i i died over and i love my daughter-in-law yeah but i was jealous of her i'll just say it because he was my baby that's my boy and then you have to hand him over

and it's hard but then you realize oh i'm getting now another child yeah and she's gonna have these babies for me and i get to have his babies she's gonna have these babies for me for me i like that and those are my babies

um and why do you love the today show oh my gosh I love the Today.

I like to sit in my gown and I like to drink coffee and I like to see who the celebrities who they're going to have on.

And I just, over the years, I love little Kathy Lee, you know, drinking wine, talking.

Yeah, there's been so many hosts that have come through.

Did you, were you there for, like, did you feel really sad when Hoda left?

I felt so sad.

When Hoda left, is she not a light?

Yeah, she seems wonderful.

But I got interviewed by her right before she left.

She was leaving.

And I love her.

And little Jenna.

Yeah, yummy.

You were were so funny and great with her recently.

You guys were so great together and she's so lovely.

She's so darling.

She is.

And I found myself saying at the end, I went, tell your mom and daddy, I said, hey.

She went, okay.

It's the president.

Yeah.

I played her.

She's so down to earth.

I played her on SNL.

You did?

Wait.

Oh, my God.

And I did a Bush twins sketch, and we talked about it.

And she was so fun.

Anyone who has a sense of humor about themselves, like, it's pretty.

That's like anyone who can.

And And she talks about, I had a ball in, because we talk about our college days.

She had a ball.

She had a ball in college.

And she'll talk about it, which I think is cute.

Agree.

I know.

And

what do you think is the best word to say in your accent?

Like, what sounds the best?

Butthole has been a favorite.

I love it.

Butthole.

Kristen said Cracker Burrel.

I love Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Burl.

And that's, we talk about that in our show.

We've got a scene where Kristen Johnston imitates me saying Cracker Burl.

I'm like, we're going to Cracker Burrel.

And I literally love the Cracker Burrel.

And you're talking about after a colonoscopy, when you are empty and weak,

go to Cracker Barrel and get the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and fried okra.

Ooh wee.

Okay, so you're on tour right now.

And then when this comes out, your show will be out.

And then, so are people, you're going to be balancing doing the show and touring?

Yes, I did.

Yes.

But well, the show will come out and let's hope people like it.

They're going to love it, Leanne.

Can I ask people to run it while they're vacuuming in the back?

Just do it over and over.

Yes, please.

And also, the fact, I mean, look at how different, I mean,

the fact that you're doing a multi-cam on a streaming circle, like, like the business is so interesting.

It's like,

and that's what they wanted.

They go, Leanne, will you please do a multi-cam?

Because see, I'm and I've loved sitcoms all my life, but then I got into the office in parks and recreation and I was like, I would love to do that.

That's more of my style.

And they were like, well, would you consider doing a multi-cam?

And, you know, I'm, and they were darling and everybody there.

I went, okay.

And has it been good to hear laughs?

Yes.

And I realize now that, yes, like doing the movie, if I, you know, improv, Nick Stoller would say, do it again, Lynn.

Like, what are your breasts going to look like when you have a baby?

And, you know, and all that.

And

then I wouldn't get a laugh.

Nick Stoller's a director.

He's not a man on the street who just yelled at you.

That's important to know.

That doll.

I know I probably embarrassed him to death because I would ask him questions.

About my breasts because they look so big on screen, Amy.

You look terrific.

Rhys Witherspoon's head was the size of my breasts.

How tall are you?

5'8, maybe 5'7 ⁇ now from shrinking.

Because

you look like a model.

Amy!

You angel!

I'm fat as mud.

No, you're not.

Stomach.

Leanne, stop.

I've got this stomach in these mammal brands.

No, you don't.

You stop that right now.

And my neck, when I first saw it, I thought, whose neck is that?

The neck is a thing we're all struggling with.

I don't know what to do.

And I don't want to get that surgery where they take your ears off.

I can't do them all day.

You have to put them back on.

I don't want to have to go through surgery if I don't have to now at my hands.

That's a shame.

And you're so right.

Like the thing that nobody talks about is they have to take everything off

and move it around and do it.

I'm not extended.

Like I'll get microneedling and I have to hold my knees.

Yeah.

It hurts so bad.

That's not even a surgery.

I went to get lasers and I know that some doctors give nitrous for lasers.

I've started sucking on gas.

I suck on that gas and then I go through everything that ever happened to me in high school, college, what I'm buying everybody for Christmas.

I think, can they know what I'm thinking?

Well, because they would think I'm psycho.

So don't do nitrous is what we're saying.

It's not good.

And don't smoke.

Don't smoke cigarettes.

And I enjoy my children.

Oh, I said, I'm, okay, get ready for this because you're younger than me.

Your grown kids, you're talking about fun is your grown children or your best friends.

So fun and darling.

Oh, that's funny.

Oh, it's so much to look forward to.

Oh, I love to hear that.

I mean, Leanne, there's, I feel like there's so much to look forward to.

And I feel like that is exactly what you keep reminding us about.

Like, that's what your work is about.

Like, the best is yet to come.

There's so much to look forward to.

Like, life is to be enjoyed.

Life is supposed to be fun.

This is like, if we're lucky enough to be doing the stuff that we love and we're lucky to be loved by the people that we love, like that's it.

Like that's what life is about.

Yes.

And try new things.

You know, a lot of women that have seen this happen for me in my 50s, they're like, oh, I can go back to school.

Oh, I can go, I can become a yoga teacher.

I've always wanted to do that or whatever, but it's never too late.

It never is.

It's never too late.

And keep dreaming.

I know that's sappy, but you know, it's good to have something to look forward to.

But yes, every stage of children, all that is wonderful.

And then at the very end, right before you die, lift the heaviest weights you've ever lifted.

And drink a bunch of protein shakes and blow up.

You know what I'm saying?

With your stomach.

Only eat ice cream when you are willing to go to bed.

Eat it right on the toilet.

And just

eat it right in the toilet so you're just close by.

That's the truth, honey.

What do you watch, read?

Where do you go to laugh?

Okay.

I have been loving four seasons on Netflix.

I went through that.

Well, Forte Tina Fett.

Oh, my gosh.

So funny.

Carrie Keeney.

Carrie Kenney, Silver.

Yes.

And her husband worked on my sitcom, was on my crew.

And she came to a couple of episodes.

I loved her from 9-1-1, Reno 9-1-1.

Yes, so funny.

But I got to tell you, tires on Netflix just came out.

Shane is silver.

And it is crazy.

It is crazy, nutso,

bizarre, dumb.

I love dumb.

And I love it.

That has killed me.

I was watching, this isn't funny, but that Canyon Ranch, every once in a while, I like a good, I like a good soap opera.

Like they're on the ranch, somebody's taking their land, somebody's been murdered.

Are you a Taylor Sheridan fan?

Do you like

I've watched some of Yellowstone and all that, too.

But Canyon Ranch is on.

Is it no?

Ransom Canyon.

Ransom Canyon.

Ransom Canyon.

Ransom Canyon.

And what I love about it is there's a couple that are doing it, and she has her gown on.

And I think they must be doing that for people my age to have a love story because they're doing it and she's got a gown on.

And that's Minka Kelly.

Minka Kelly, who is beautiful with that

Josh DeShambler.

Do him help.

They do it.

She's got a gown on.

And I just, every once in a while, I need a little love story yeah and with murder uh all right

ransom canyon tires perfect um leanne it's so good to have you thank you so much for coming amy you're so great

thank you leanne that was so fun and it was so fun hanging out with you you're a good hang for sure and we know we talked about something very important and in this polar plunge we need to address it and it is

the burden of being blonde and how hard it is to keep that that up.

And we spoke a little bit about it, but I just want to reiterate what Leanne and I made very clear in this podcast.

You need dimensions.

You need different dimensions.

And it sounds like Tennessee is the only place to go.

So I just want to give a shout out to all the stylists working hard out there in Tennessee to give

blondes everywhere finally a leg up.

You know?

Because we can't have more fun if our hair isn't right thanks leanne thanks so much for listening this episode and um talk to you soon bye

you've been listening to good hang the executive producers for this show are bill simmons jenna weiss berman and me amy poehler the show is produced by the ringer and paperkite for the ringer production by jack wilson cat spillane kaya mcmullin and alaya zanaires for paperkite production by sam green joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Burman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

All I ever wanted was a really good hate.