"Amy Poehler"
Listen and follow along
Transcript
Introducing Searchlight Pictures' new movie, The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman.
Perfect couple, Ivy and Theo Rose have it all.
But when Theo's career comes crashing down, just as Ivy's fame starts to skyrocket, a tinderbox of fierce competition and growing resentment threatens to destroy everything they've built if they don't destroy each other first.
Directed by Jay Roach of Meet the Parents, written by Tony McNamara of Poor Things, and also starring Andy Sandberg, Allison Janny, Shutigatwa, and Kate McKinnon.
All's fair when love is war.
The Roses in theaters everywhere, August 29th.
Get tickets now.
Uncrustables are the best part of the sandwich.
They're the perfect grab and go for all of life's moments with unbeatably soft bread and a variety of flavors like peanut butter and grape jelly, peanut butter and strawberry jam, peanut butter and raspberry spread, and so many more.
No mess, no prep, just thaw and eat.
Get them in the freezer aisle today.
Today's episode is sponsored by Ashley.
They don't just sell incredible furniture, they're also making an impact in vulnerable communities.
Here's a tough fact.
Over 7 million kids are affected by the welfare system and over 368,000 are currently in foster care.
So together with Ashley and Sirius XM, we made a donation to four others, an organization working to end the child welfare crisis in America.
You know, partnering with Ashley in our live show,
first of all, they just made our set look really good.
They made us really comfortable.
And they kind of made us look legit because otherwise it would have been, you know, milk crates and,
you know, cardboard boxes.
And Ashley made it look like a real, kind of looked like a living room, made it really comfortable, made our guest, John Mayer, really comfortable.
And then he thought that maybe we were professional, we're not just a bunch of clowns.
To be honest, there was a point where I got so comfortable, I forgot that I was in front of an audience.
I was sitting back on that nice Ashley couch and I was just hanging out with my buds in my living room.
Anyway, Ashley offers timeless, well-crafted furniture with white glove delivery right to your door.
Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style.
Do you know that this year,
we're coming up on five years?
I know.
Isn't that a good thing?
I mean, right?
So then, how many episodes is that?
We've been doing one.
We're going to be 250 episodes, and I don't know.
And 25 is the silver, 50 is the gold.
Is there anything for 250?
Is that triple silver?
It's but.
What is it?
Centennial?
Wasn't it?
Wait, guys,
this is our 250th episode.
Also known as Du Incento Cin Cuantesimo.
Bravo, Bravo.
Bravo.
Welcome, guys.
So nice to be here.
Oh, you came from the back of the theater.
Yeah, I came.
I finally made it my way to the front.
Nice to see you guys.
Look at you guys.
Anyway, hey, listen, do you mind if I drop some beats on you?
Would that be okay?
Let me tell you something about.
Just close your eyes.
Okay?
Now,
imagine, imagine Italian Riviera, 1982, white Ferrari Mondial.
Puff, puff, screaming down the auto strata.
You have a Cinzano with ice.
Okay, now you feel in the vine, huh?
Listen, let me ask you something.
When you're making a podcast,
everybody wants to know what's that old-fashioned recipe.
But one thing one favore
testa rigara a speedato What I'm trying to say is
Smartless
Duccento cincuantesima
cincuantesima
cincuantesima
I love you
If you wanna do one thing in this year, get Smartless to 50.
Shawnee, have you been?
It's been a minute.
My nephew and his girlfriend and three friends are visiting in town this weekend, which is super fun.
Wait, are we going to see them tonight?
No,
I know.
I think it's too many people.
Right.
You're not going to go.
Am I going to see you tonight?
No.
What?
I know.
It's going to be bad.
But, you you know, but I don't get to see my nephew and everybody.
I feel bad.
I saw them last night, right?
Why don't you come over here afterwards?
Oh, yeah, that'll happen.
Hey, yeah, Jason, why don't you come over there afterwards?
Right around 8.30 or something, drive across the city and spend another two hours.
This will happen for sure.
Yeah.
But last night, I took him to Koi, right?
Last night?
Sure, you know.
And I was...
Oh, yeah.
Your favorite seafood restaurant.
It was so good.
And
I was walking back to the car, and there was a pothole that I thought was just like a surface, like a puddle.
And it was a massive pothole.
And I completely twisted my ankle.
It was so fucking painful.
Look at that.
Is it all swollen?
Yeah, let's see.
Come here, book, you can't see it.
It's huge.
No, I can see that.
You iced it.
This is going to heal fast, right?
Like, I freaked out last night.
Probably not.
It'll probably heal the wrong way, and you'll be club.
Do you know the term club foot?
Deadfoot.
Well, but fortunately, it's not going to take anything away from your life.
Usually it means that you can't be playing basketball or doing all the jogging and all that.
Luckily you don't do any of it.
Yeah, this is true.
This is that what you're getting at, Jason?
Yeah, you'll still be able to shuffle into Chin Chin for lunch and koi for dinner.
What if you go to the doctor and you're like, will this affect my ability to watch TV all day?
Well, no, I just prop it up on the couch.
That's what I've been doing.
Will I still be able to chop celery into my egg salad?
No, tuna salad.
Will I have to cut my sloppy joe intake?
You know what, though?
Here's the deal.
They went to the tar pits, you know, the La Brea tar pits near the museum.
They being your nephew, my nephew and girlfriend, and their friends.
Isn't they still a tourist attraction here?
It is.
They've never been.
And they bought crickets.
They bought a bag of crickets and they ate them.
Sour cream and onion crickets.
And they pulled them out.
What does that have to do with the...
Okay, go ahead.
Because they're saying the dinosaurs used to eat crickets back in the tar pit days.
Why do they sell those?
No, no, no, no.
They sell them in the gift shop.
They sell them in the gift shop.
Why?
I have no idea.
The museum?
Yes.
And they pulled them out.
You want one?
I'm like, I'm not going to eat a cricket.
Oh, God.
Disgusting.
The last time I heard crickets was Good Night Oscar.
It was right after the curtain went down.
But that's a.
Look at him.
He's on Fire Day.
He's on Fire Day.
Who would do the worst worst at some sort of like outdoor survivor type of show where you got to eat
two stuff like that?
I'd laugh.
No, but
I think I might do even worse.
Well, you would call your lawyer and say, am I obligated to eat this?
Imagine if we took the word obligation out of your vocabulary.
You weren't allowed to use obligation.
Yeah, I need
new shtick.
I'm sick of my own fucking voice.
I'm going to be silent today.
We love your voice.
I miss both you guys a lot.
I know.
I'm so glad to be boring tonight.
I've been in New York and I've been with lots of friends and lots of people and obviously with Bradley, but I really miss you guys a lot.
I know, like I said, I really did this morning.
I'm so jealous.
I can't see him.
Anyway, here we go.
Speaking of can't wait to see people.
I can't wait for you to see our guest today.
Oh, great.
This person is someone we all have a segue.
Thank you.
Thank you.
She's someone we all know well.
So much so that I'm not sure what I can say about her that won't give give it away but she's a prolific comedian she's an author super producer really great director she played dorothy and the wizard of oz when she was 10 and i more recently i think she played alphaba in the movie wicked i don't know a boston she didn't a boston native her summer job was working at an ice cream parlor where she'd sing happy
with kazoos today she's a comedic force in hollywood hilarious colleague and the world's favorite cool mom to regina george is our ridiculously funny friend, Amy Poehler.
No way.
Wait, truly?
I didn't invite it.
I guess so.
Well, well, well.
Wait a second.
Holy shit.
Well, well, well.
Wait a second.
First of all, how many levels am I?
I know.
This is what.
Of course, my first question is, did you know about this?
And of course.
No.
Okay.
Not a glimpse of recognition on Will's face when he said all of those things.
There's no way that I thought, well, I knew that you worked at Brigham's, but I didn't in Boston.
Chadwick's will.
I worked at Chadwick's Chadwick.
No, sorry.
Unbelievable.
But we went to Brigham's with your dad, and he asked the people if they let him.
Let him finish, Amy.
Yeah.
I can't.
Wait, Amy,
did you have to, because of kids' stuff,
did you have to like say, oh, I can't, or whatever, or some schedule stuff and lie or something?
You know what?
It was really easy to hide it.
Nobody was asking.
Do you think Archie and Abel would have been able to keep the secret?
Did you not tell me?
Well, I think one of them knew.
One of them knew.
One of them saw
our youngest saw my schedule on the kitchen table and said, you're doing smartless?
Oh, wow.
Does dad know?
No way.
No, don't say anything.
I love it.
Debbie kept the secret.
It's so cool.
Way.
And also, Amy and I were texting last night about something else.
Zero.
That's
unbelievable.
Yes.
Amy, I didn't know what to say.
I didn't know how to introduce you without them going.
I'm so honored to be your guest, Sean, of all three.
Likewise.
First of all, I've asked her to do it and she said no.
And then she said yes.
Well, I wanted to wait until you had done 250 episodes to see if this thing was real.
Wait, I know we've been trying to get you on for so long and it's so bad.
I usually give something five years before I try it.
Sure.
Sure.
Wait, Will, how many times have you asked her to do it?
A couple times.
I asked you to do it on tour, I think, right, AIM?
Yeah, I think so, yeah.
But, you know,
it just had to, I just was waiting.
I was waiting for my buddy Sean to give me the go-ahead.
Here I am.
Here I am.
I gave her the green light, and she showed up like a race car.
Hang on one second.
Hang on.
Amanda, get over here.
What?
But wait, Sean, did you think for a second, like, wait, should I?
Is this this cool?
Like, should did you ask Bennett or Rob to like kind of float it by will to see if you're- Yeah, no, I mean, Amy's been on my.
What are you guys talking about?
Why do you have to float anything past anybody?
Well, we kind of do that every once in a while.
Guys,
nice, by the way, great welcome.
Nice to see you all.
I mean, Jesus, you're all talking about how weird it is that I'm here.
Hi, I'm your guest.
Nice to see you.
How are you here?
Good lord.
You can't take over our podcast.
You can't take it.
No, it's the only way to talk on this podcast is to completely take it over.
Believe me.
Believe me.
It's unbearable if the guest doesn't because
you make us sit and listen to you in the beginning anyway.
And it's torturous.
It's torturous.
It's unbelievable.
What do you think about it?
And every single time I hear you guys talk about how much you miss each other.
And am I wrong that you talk to each other every week?
No.
We don't get to see each other.
We don't get to see each other.
First of all, slow down.
I'm outraged like five outrages ago.
Okay.
This is so great.
Wait, but for Tracy, just so, just to really air right for my sister.
Of course.
You guys are married and now you're not.
And it's been years and years.
Everything's going swimmingly.
What a great way to put it.
Anyway, let me be the first to say, welcome to Smartless.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We're 17 minutes in, but thank you for that.
Amen.
And great crickets joke, by the way, Will.
That was a really good question.
Thank you.
Very, very smart.
Very smart.
Thank you.
Jason, are you okay with your mic?
Yeah, I'm having a real mic issue this morning.
Is it bad for you guys?
Is this bad for me?
No, it sounds great.
Okay, good.
It sounds fine.
Now,
so,
Amy, Will, how did you guys first meet?
Yeah, we're going to get into it.
No, we're definitely not.
First start to fracture.
No, we're definitely not.
We're definitely not.
Amy, can I tell this story about that you and I were talking about
Sederis the other day?
Oh, yeah.
That's a good, yeah, that's a very funny story.
So, and I think I maybe told it once, but before, because.
Great, great Amy Sederis.
So, Amy Sederis, who's working with us on the film, I was hanging out with her the other day, and
years ago,
Amy Poehler and Amy Sedaris would often get mixed up for each other because they're both comedians, and they're both both sort of blonde and kind of, you know,
cute and funny and talented.
So they'd get mixed.
And I've been with Poehler a million times where people like, well,
people would say to remember him, they'd go, like, I'm such a fan of your brother.
And you're like, oh, he's a lawyer.
Thank you.
He'll really appreciate me.
So, so, so I guess it happened to Sederis too.
And one time, like 20 years ago, I read this article in a magazine where Sederis says, people come up to me all the time and say, oh, my God, I love you so great.
And I'm such a, you know, I just love you and Will.
And Sedera says in the interview, and I usually say to them, like, yeah, Will and I are having a lot of sexual problems.
Which is so funny.
Yeah, that is really funny.
Oh, look at Bless.
He's really having an issue.
Peyton's really having, it's so fascinating that he's having microphone.
Will, Sean, tell her what it's like when I have technical issues.
He's not good.
I'm going to slam the laptop in a second.
We had
to close it.
We hear it.
Amy, we had McConaughey on once, and he was trying to get, and he was in the blind, and Jason was having issues, and it took 20 minutes, and he got so mad, and he was like, Fuck it.
And he started freaking out.
And McConaughey starts laughing with his camera covered.
And Jason goes, Oh, it's really funny, is it?
Who's laughing?
Who's that?
That's not helpful.
And he slammed it.
And I slammed my laptop like a bitch.
Yeah, yeah.
Wow.
It was not all right.
All right.
All right.
Is what you're trying to do.
All right.
All right.
So, Amy, how did you start in comedy?
Yeah,
oh, believe me, we're getting into that.
We're getting into that.
Oh, Lord, you guys, with your questions, they're so good.
First of all, your questions are always so good, right?
So thought out.
We're up for a, as you would call it,
we're up for, as you would call it, a peabody.
Yeah, a peebody.
Wait, Amy, how was, can we talk about
can we talk?
How was the, um, was SNL 50 fun?
Because that show was funny.
Oh, man, it was so fun.
It was kind of
out of body.
Like it was kind of too, it was, it was almost too big, like celeb fatigue almost.
Yeah.
Um, but it was uh so fun.
And I think it was a big success.
Yeah, it was a great show.
I started thinking about all the SUVs that must have been choking out Midtown.
Like, you want me to give you a, you want me to give you a scoop?
You want me to give you a smartless scoop?
Like a
breaking news.
People had to share dressing rooms, rooms, and I shared mine with Meryl Streep.
Oh.
How cool is that?
Okay, is she a dirty bathroom girl?
Does she keep the top off the toothpaste?
Well, SNL, you don't have your own bathroom.
You have like a, you know, it is a straight up, everyone uses like a hall bathroom.
You don't have your own bathroom and your own dressing room at SNL.
Do people still smoke back there?
No, I didn't see anybody smoking.
Maybe vaping, but I, but, but, yeah.
But yeah, maybe you could.
If you just did it, I bet no one would stop you.
Was she a good dressing room partner?
The loveliest.
We were kind of two ships, but I took a picture of the door because it was nice to have my.
I love that sketch she did.
I know.
So funny.
Her and Kate.
Oh, Kate is so.
I mean, could she have hiked those jeans up higher?
I mean, it was
just tough.
Just tough.
But it was fun.
It was so fun.
It felt like a high school reunion.
Everybody regressed a little bit back into their old roles.
Wasn't that fun?
And it was fun.
It was, you know,
I can't believe I was there, to be very honest.
Like, it was Tin Tina were great in your business.
Yeah, you and Tina Fee.
I loved it.
That was a great bit.
That was so good.
Thanks for Tracy Tina Fey.
So, listen, Amy, when you're talking about it.
I think
Tracy's.
I got it, bro.
Sean, you treat Tracy like she's getting dumber.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
Amy, tell a little bit.
Wait, just you guys, and then you and Maya did Bronx Beat, which is an all-time favorite.
Hilarious.
Can you tell everybody?
These guys probably don't know where Bronx Beat came from, the origin story of it.
it's oh yeah the the story of that is there's a amazing um
uh hair uh
the head of the hair department jodi mancuso is from the bronx and she has that accent and she would just work with us in the hair makeup room and um we just started talking like her so there's a real jodi so when we do the show we always go into the hair room and just have jodi get you on be like our vocal dialect coach yeah get us there yeah did you have you ever thought about bringing her in on the sketch Yeah, but you know, it's funny that we, you know, we brought Donna, the dresser,
on for that moment.
And those, the crew, like, they're so, you know, real professionals, like, don't care about being on camera.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like a really actual good professional could give a shit if they're like an if they're acting except for Wally.
Wally loves it.
Wally does love it.
Wally loves it.
Yeah, Wally the keyboard.
The stage manager.
But I said professional.
I said professional.
But Amy, being back doing that 50th like that like you said it's like a reunion i think i asked you a long long long time ago when you uh departed the show and you you decided to leave that i was like won't you miss like that i thought you were kicked off sorry i had a different
i was asked to leave
i was making people uncomfortable that's why yeah yeah you were given the opportunity to retire yeah well i had a very uh gentle hr meeting where a man in a suit
um put me on an elevator severance style, and I don't remember what happened since.
Do they have an HR on the show?
Because if so, that's got to be a really high-trafficked office.
Well, they do.
They do have an HR, and they do, like all the shows that we've all worked on, you know,
I mean, do you remember?
And do we still have to go through the, you know, all that training every time, which is very good to do?
Great job.
But yeah, it is,
I believe,
I believe that they do that still and should.
It's probably a very different environment than I was there 20 plus years ago for all of us.
But when you like there's you're one of the all-time greats to ever
be on SNL.
And it's true.
It's true.
I mean, everybody's great, but there's breakouts.
Oh, somebody should have to be on Tales.
What about the after party?
Was there a good, there must have been a very robust after party for
robust after party at the Plaza Hotel.
Whoa.
Was there an after-after with the little load?
There may have been.
I didn't hang that long.
I love bedtime.
Yeah.
I used to be a vampire and now I love bedtime.
I think about bedtime all day.
Yes.
Do they still do the little like the little sort of the size of like a
fortune and a cookie?
The hand a little address for the after-after party?
Is that still something that's done?
I feel like like one of the things that was different is, you know, things are texted and emailed.
And, you know, I didn't have any of that when I was there wildly.
We didn't even have phones that we carried around on the floor.
I mean, maybe we did occasionally, but we would kind of leave them in the dressing room.
But now everything is texted.
So I imagine maybe it's a text now.
Maybe it's a Snapchat or some kind of YouTube channel people subscribe to.
Maybe it's probably a podcast that tells you what were the after-access.
Speaking of pods, you've got a new pod on, Amy.
Oh, my God.
Thank you so much for that.
Yes, you're not going to be able to do it about your new new pod.
Oh, that's why she's here.
Yeah, that's right.
What's it called?
And where can we find it?
Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
It's called Good Hang, and it's on Spotify.
I can't wait.
And I'm very excited.
It's been really fun.
We've been recording and getting ready for our launch.
I don't know when this show is going to come on, when this one drops.
How far ahead are you guys?
July of 2026.
Okay, July 2026.
So it's been going for about a year, and it's been good.
This is a good bump.
This will be a good bump.
bump.
We'll be right back.
Introducing Searchlight Pictures' new movie, The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman.
Perfect couple, Ivy and Theo Rose have it all.
But when Theo's career comes crashing down, just as Ivy's fame starts to skyrocket, a tinderbox of fierce competition and growing resentment threatens to destroy everything they've built if they don't destroy each other first.
Directed by Jay Roach of Meet the Parents, written by Tony McNamara of Poor Things, and also starring Andy Samberg, Alison Jani, Shuhi Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon.
All's fair when love is war.
The roses in theaters everywhere, August 29th.
Get tickets now.
Uncrustables are the best part of the sandwich.
They're the perfect grab-and-go for all of life's moments with unbeatably soft bread and a variety of flavors like peanut butter and grape jelly, peanut butter and strawberry jam, peanut butter and raspberry spread, and so many
more.
No mess, no prep, just thaw and eat.
Get them in the freezer aisle today.
This is an ad by BetterHelp.
Hmm.
Like a lot of people, I'm always on the lookout for
wellness and health content.
I'm looking for ways to better myself.
I don't know, I think that I've had moments in my life where I've been, I felt overwhelmed and that has kind of,
you know, overshadowed my decision making or clouded it potentially or just impacted in a certain way.
And
these days, it feels like there's advice for everything, cold plunges and gratitude journals, screen detoxes.
But how do you know what actually works for you?
With the internet and information overload about mental health and wellness, it can be a struggle to know what's true and what actions to take these days.
Using trusted resources and talking to live therapists can get you personalized recommendations and help you break through the noise.
With over 30,000 therapists worldwide, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform having served over 5 million people globally.
It's convenient too.
You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button plus switch therapists at any time.
As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise.
Talk it out with BetterHelp.
Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/slash smartless.
That's better H-E-L-P.com/slash Smartless.
And now back to the show.
But wait, but Amy, yeah i was gonna ask you if you ever wanted to do sketch comedy again because going back to what i was saying before you're one of the all-time greats and you um it's hard to find people that can do what you do and kristen wigg does and maya and tina and all these you know really breakout people can do and so but every time i see you do it i'm like oh i just wish you would go like do more sketch comedy because go back
how like what do you mean like do a sketch show that's a lot of work i know but so you're like oh ooh, nap time, bedtime.
It just feels like, I know what you mean, Sean.
I love doing it.
I just don't know if I could launch back into an actual full-time sketch show.
It's so much work.
And creating the material, generating the material is
so time-consuming, but I love it.
As a fan, I think I speak for a lot of people.
Like, oh, when do we see you?
And everybody together.
Like, ooh.
Well, we're not really taking questions from fans right now, but
Amy, do you
really still do like ASCAD or there's no version of that anymore?
No improv.
But, you know, Tina and I have been on tour.
We've been,
we've done our show a bunch of cities last year.
We're going back out again in March, April, and May for, you know, if you're in Orlando, do you have some dates you want to talk about?
Yeah, we have Orlando.
We have Detroit.
We have Chicago, Boston.
We're playing Red Rocks.
Wow, no shit.
Red Rocks.
Yeah, yeah.
That's cool.
Is it written or is it improvised?
Yeah, so
it's written.
It's
like a long variety show.
We have special guests come in.
We do, um,
we kind of go through the history of our 30-year friendship.
But there's a section in it there where we talk about Chicago and how we met.
And so we improvise there, which is really fun.
Yes, I want to talk about that because I did Second City 2 and you did too.
Yeah.
And I never performed on the main stage, but you same.
Oh, wow.
So people, people think you're probably from Chicago all the time, but you're from Boston.
Yeah, people think I'm from the Midwest a lot because also with Parks and Rec, their head goes to Indiana, so they think I'm like a Chicago home.
Would you consider yourself like a Boston homegirl?
I mean, I'm definitely a homie.
How is Bill Paul?
I mean, I'm definitely tell us who Bill Paul is.
Let's talk about Bill Paul.
We talk about Bill for a minute.
Oh, God, he'd love it.
So, this is he'd like us to talk for an hour.
This is, he would.
So, this is the reason I got Chadwick's and Brigham's mixed up.
I just want to tell this story, if I could.
We can always cut it, Aiden, by the way.
Which is
we went to.
I can tell there's no editing.
This is ookie baggy.
We go to Brigham's, which is an ice cream store in the mall in Burlington, Mass, which is where Amy's from with her mom and dad.
Well, with her dad.
And there's this girl.
She's like, I don't know, 17 working there as like her afternoon weekend job scooping ice cream.
This is when Amy's first on SNL.
And her dad goes, like, you know, 25 years, he goes, goes to the girl that's kind of silent.
And he goes, you like your job?
And she goes, she's like scooping ice cream.
She's like, yeah, I guess so.
And he goes, you know who really likes her job?
Yeah.
My daughter.
He teed himself up, huh?
He was so good.
That's great.
But when he's shut down,
he's shot out of the chest.
And he will get on the elevator with people and he'll say, Do you like TV and movies?
That's his question.
Like, as anyone.
And you're on the elevator with him?
We played golf with these guys years ago, and
Bill and I were playing with some random dudes.
And he gets back in the cart and he looks at me and he goes, Well, I told him.
He can't put out.
He's so, he's so proud, though, in the best, best way.
Both are parents.
My parents are like Boston strong, very proud.
They like to be.
Retired teachers.
Yeah, they watched every SNL.
They came to every early improv show I ever did live.
They like had a big watch party for me when our show launched in 1998 on Comedy Central, UCD.
They just are very, very big fans.
They're the definition of supportive parents.
like if you
do were they the ones that were that were the first funnies in your family for you like is that is that where you got your I think like I will I I throw this back out to you guys because I think that you have probably have families like this too you know you have to kind of keep up like for me teasing is a love language if I like you I can tease you and and manners are kind of for people you don't know or you don't like
so like the idea that you could bust each other was a was a way in which to sharpen your skills and so we would we would tease each other there was a lot of laughs at the table like it's very like boston irish um
and some families i learned as i went to college and like are not that which is always so shocking to me when families are families don't get to like poke each other it's like oh okay
this is a different set of rules and you would you would often accuse well first of all i would say when you say sitting around the table let's be honest it's sitting around the kitchen
well let's be honest it's sitting around the tv it's sitting around
the tv but also you would accuse me of playing too hard that jason i would play too hard yeah well you guys you guys so it was this deep love the love was too deep
you know how they call things a love tap you guys are a love shove
you love
i love
that it's
but so it depends on the mood you know but but i i agree with you like people like you could meet people and it it there is that thing of like if i'm not teasing you
right distance, then I'm not really interested.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, I mean, but it, but some people have a higher and lower tolerance.
Like, you know, you have to just be a little gentle.
But as far as your, I read too, Amy, that you say that you were parentified at a young age, meaning that like you became your parents because your parents were so young when they had you.
Yeah, my parents were young.
And don't you feel that way?
Like, I don't know,
I don't know,
but don't you feel, and this might be just our generation too, just feel like we felt very old really fast.
Like we felt we had freedom, which gave us a sense of, you know, agency.
And then we had jobs really early.
And we didn't, we just, it just felt like we grew up fast.
I don't know if that's a generational thing, but.
Well, Jason, the thing about Jason,
I'm not joking, was out working when he was,
sweet little JB was working when he was seven.
Nine.
So cute.
Like with a little briefcase and
a little security number.
And a small mustache.
Yeah.
So you guys, so you both, what I'm interested in and, Amy, your background and your parents being school teachers and
learning kind of from that.
Like, what did you take from them for Archie and Abel?
And Will, what did you take from your parents for Archie and Abel?
And how do you do that together?
Let me try to bundle that for you.
Amy, do you parent like your parents at all?
Oh, by the way.
Look at you, Donald Keele.
Oh, yeah.
No, I've been working on it.
I've been working with a tutor.
You've been working on bundling?
Yeah, bundling is sort of a gathering term that he suggested I use internally, but now I'm spreading it.
Yeah.
That actually, you could sell a whole bunch of like a series of tapes.
Talking about bundling other people's questions.
Let me bundle that for you.
You could be so successful talking about bundling.
If you jumped on a mini trampoline and did a cold dip at the same time, you'd be a bundle.
Bundle king.
I think parenting is a constant, ever-changing
thing, right?
It's like somebody said this to me once that I always loved, which was parenting is like a series of short stories.
So a short story starts and you think, I don't know how this story is going to go.
I don't know the characters.
I don't even know what's going to happen.
And then you're in the middle of the short story and you think, man, I never want this to end.
I love this.
I I love this.
I got it.
I'm in the groove.
I know what I'm doing.
And then the short story is over, and you think, oh no, there's no way the next one could be better.
It's just like a series of
your kid is changing so much and the world is changing so much.
And you have to stay kind of flexible, pliable, learn from your mistakes.
Yeah.
I think the difference for me is,
for my own parents, is I have to try really hard.
Amy, you're really good at this, and you helped me do this in concert with you
to try to be,
to remember to listen to what they're saying and to not try to impose what I think they, you know, you need this, you need that, but to actually sit and listen to what your kid is trying to say.
Like, you know what I mean?
Encourage them to, as much as they can, to speak and to
really hear.
And it's not, I don't come by it naturally because that's not how I was raised.
Do you know what I mean?
Yeah,
I'm the same.
It doesn't always feel natural.
Your instinct is to want to give them advice
or tell them what to be aware of or afraid of or share your own personal stuff.
Like that's so instinctual, of course, because we want the best for our kids.
And I remember reading somewhere that when your kid tells you something, you just repeat it back to them like you're doing a headline of a news story.
It actually works really well with people too.
I bet it happens on this podcast too.
They say, oh, I had a bad, I had a bad day in math.
And then you go, you had a bad day in math.
That's all you say.
Period.
I mean, I'm usually thinking about what the bit is.
Like, you know what I mean?
But no, but you're right.
You're right.
And the other day, we again, we were talking about something with one of our kids.
And I said, Amy and I were talking on the phone.
And I said, oh, I identify with that.
And I think that my own experience, and you said to me, you're like, they don't really want to hear about your experience.
They want you to listen to theirs.
Yeah, yeah.
And we all, all, this happens.
Don't you feel like this happens as adults too?
When someone talks about, like, well, when I used to, you're just like, oh, yeah, boy, you know, even in your 50s, it still happens where someone talks about, well, I,
you know, in the business I used to be in, we would be able, and you're like, well, that's not the way it is anymore, old man.
Right, right, right.
That's not that, you don't understand.
Like, yeah, Jason, you must get old man a lot, right?
A lot more recently.
It's pretty shocking.
Yeah, I find that it's you've I'm constantly battling like, how much should I be like leading this parenting thing or how much should I be reacting to this parenting thing?
In other words, like, should I be waiting to see what they need me to parent them at or should I initiate sort of parenting
based on nothing they're actually showing me?
In other words, like, should I wait to see until how they react to a certain situation and then talk to them about that?
Or this could use a bundle.
Yeah.
Yeah, we could bundle this.
Are we still rolling?
But I think what you're trying to say, yes.
Amy, tell us.
Let's bundle.
Let's bundle.
Amy, try to guess what he's trying to say.
I think the bundle here is how can I be best of service to my kids?
That's okay.
When they're teens, yeah, that's the bundle.
But, you know, I read something, and by read something, I mean, I saw it on TikTok.
Supposedly,
when your kids become teens, you go from producer to consultant.
That's the difference.
You're no longer producing their lives.
You're there for them to consult.
So you have to like kind of, you have to kind of let them start producing their own lives, which is not easy.
Perfect use of the bundling concept.
Yes.
Right.
And
I've also heard that,
you know, part of like, I've heard you love therapy as much as I love therapy.
I can talk about it all day long.
I love it.
I love going to therapy.
Do you go to therapy?
Yeah.
Are you scared?
And I'm always trying to make her laugh.
And she's like, hey, let's get back on topic.
She's so lucky to have you.
You're so funny, Sean.
Thanks, Anthony.
You're the funniest.
You're the funniest.
No, you're the funniest.
And so, but
I've heard, which means I saw it on TikTok, that you identify as someone who's a natural like fixer or you want to.
get into action and problem solve because that's kind of how I am a little bit.
But as you've gotten older, that you've taught yourself how to pause and feel feelings and stuff like that.
And how
you got a lot of quotes out there.
I do my research.
I do my research.
You're already talking out out loud you're really living out loud i sent sean a bunch of needlepoint pillows with a bunch of stuff on it and sent me and took credit for it he's
trying to fill the pillows i'll just regurgitate a whole conversation you had on your phone that i overheard um no that how has that like shaped you today because i also read
that you uh the best work that you've ever done is the work where you feel most present yeah i think improv was really helpful with that like you have to stay super present just to be I mean, I imagine you guys feel that with this podcast too, right?
Like you're actually where you are
as opposed to being ahead or behind, which is really hard.
Yeah, I'm still searching for that, still every day trying to stay in the present moment.
It's not easy for me, like to not, you know, jump ahead.
Yeah.
Will you talk to me about that?
Cause I've always been told that like it's best to just stay in the present, but like my brain tells me.
I know.
So you go in there and your brain is like
I got plans, you know?
And like
yeah, I've got plans.
I've got a desire for the way I want this meeting to go or this
thing.
I struggle with that too.
I know.
Oh, JB, that's so sweet.
It's true.
You do.
You do go to the bottom.
But what are you supposed to do with that?
Wait, what is that?
Is that me inhaling a bonhit?
Inside your brain.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Yeah.
It's just.
And then, and then a little
plan flies by like like a bird.
Like,
yeah.
That's a little plan.
So am I just supposed to react to things and not drive anything?
I don't know.
It's a great question, actually.
I don't know because I'm struggling with that all the time.
How much can I be prepared?
Because that calms me down.
Preparation calms me down.
Yeah.
But, you know, life, you cannot control.
You cannot control things in life.
I mean, it's just like you have to let go.
You know what's a perfect example of that, JB, today, when I just told you, I sprained my foot really bad last night.
It was so painful.
I can't even describe it.
And I woke and my old me would have been like, oh my God, I got to cancel this.
I can't do this.
And I'm like.
This is what it is right now.
And I surrender to it.
And I go, if I can't do this and I have to cancel that and I can't show up for, then that's what it is.
I think
it used to make me really depressed.
I think there is that.
That is one of the benefits I've been saying recently.
I've been saying in therapy
that, no, no plus.
I've been saying that.
Oh, wait, Will, you're going.
That's great.
And you are 54.
54.
Okay.
Very good.
And what I've noticed at 54 is, and especially in the last six months, that I'm...
It just kind of occurred to me.
I'm like, oh, I'm doing a much better job of this is what the situation is.
And I'm realizing it in real time.
And I'm not really in a panic about the outcome.
I'm just accepting it for what it is.
And I said this to you the other day, like that I got this notion of like
feelings are going to come.
Feelings aren't going to kill you.
Your feelings aren't going to kill you.
That's a big one.
And it really, and I went, oh, yeah.
And I can let it, I can let it, I can feel it and then I can let it go.
And I can recognize.
I think I used to, you know, you'd freak out and then you'd think about it later.
Now I can, in real time, go, oh, this is where I am.
In a much better way way than I, for me anyway, that I've ever been able to do.
And I think that that's the benefit of being older, having experience, et cetera.
I find my 50s to be my favorite decade by far.
Yeah.
Yeah.
By far.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
That's the way you get to your 60s.
It's pretty cool.
I'm having a great time.
No.
Yeah.
What if you guys find out you see Jason's license one of these days when you find out he's 62?
I thought about that the other day.
No, Willie, I like what you said about like not being attached to the outcome.
Maybe that's a good hack for me.
It's like, it's okay to be prepared, but don't be like stuck on it has to end this year.
Yeah, again, it's a new concept for me.
I've just been kind of going through it and it's very freeing.
Well, like Jason, for example, your mic hasn't been working this whole time and the whole audio hasn't recorded and you should be fine with that.
Like just let that go.
It's going to be great.
It's a great episode and just let go of the outcome of that.
Amy, any funny stuff happen on stage before we put it in the middle of the day?
Any funny getaways?
No, come on.
Wait, Amy,
why is 50 the best decade?
I feel like I finally have a better sense of who I am.
Kind of what we've been talking about.
I have a some of my priorities are, you know, like I just feel like there's a.
I'm a little kinder to myself.
I definitely care less about how I'm perceived by other people as long as I feel like my side of the street is clean.
Yeah, yeah, nice.
And I have a lot of wise people younger and older than me.
Like I'm in this sandwich of experience.
So I learn a lot from people who are younger than me and I learn a lot from people that are older than me and knock on wood.
I still feel healthy.
Like being in your 50s, you're like the youngest old person, you know.
You're the youngest of the old people.
Is that right?
You're the freshman of old people.
That's really true.
And so we'll never be this young again right in our 50s because
you know i'm looking to people in their 60s and 70s to seeing like how they're living life how they're doing it how they're keeping healthy and then i still feel connected to people in their 20s and 30s like it doesn't feel so far away yeah i'm i'm on medication to reverse the aging process oh what are you doing i'll text you i'll send it in the chat i'll send it you that guy who does all those crazy things to like stay and super
god remember that
you watch that oh my god that's wild wait amy remember remember when you used to come over and we would watch Intervention?
Oh, my God.
Yes,
we would airplay all the instruments in the opening theme.
Great theme.
Intervention.
What a great thing.
Good show.
I know.
That show made me so uneasy.
I wanted to tell the story, or for you, tell the story about, remember the time that you told your friend that the TV was voice activated?
Oh, geez.
It's such an have you told that story yet?
I don't remember.
Oh, God.
Can I try to tell it?
Yeah.
It was,
Sean was was with a bunch of friends, right?
Yeah.
And yeah, go ahead, Sean.
No, no,
I was just going to help you out.
And you guys were really.
We would get stoned after
an episode, after taping an episode of Will and Grace.
And we would go, we went back to his house one night.
That's the show you were on.
That's it.
I'll never get through it.
That is it.
You couldn't think of it.
Talk about it.
Never going to get through it.
This guy.
A story that long will never make it on here.
Go ahead.
No, no, go ahead.
No, tell it.
It's good.
It's really good.
Just bundle it.
All right.
We'll bundle it.
Bundle it.
I'll try to bundle it.
Okay, here we go.
So we would go back after his house.
We would get stone.
We'd just hang out and talk about the night and whatever after we tape an episode of Will and Grace.
So we go to his house.
It was a brand new house.
And he has a brand new house.
He has a brand new media system.
This massive screen in this screening room.
And I'm high out of my mind.
I can't even see straight.
And he's trying, he goes, I just got the DVD of Castaway.
We should watch it where the plane crows down because the effects are so cool, right?
I'm like, Yeah, let's put it on and watch it.
So he walks all the way to the front of the screening room and I'm way in the back.
And I'm starting to giggle.
He's like, What's so funny?
I'm like, Nothing.
And he can't get it to play.
And I go,
Is that a Sony?
And he goes, Yeah.
And I go, Well, they're, those are the new ones.
You don't even know what you have.
You're so rich, right?
They're voice activated.
And he goes, What?
And I go, Those are voice-activated new screens.
Like, you have to speak the name of the movie into the DVD player.
And he goes, you're making that up.
That's not even true.
I go, those are the new screens.
You have to speak the name of the movie.
And he totally bought it.
And he goes really close into the DVD player.
And he goes, cast away.
And he looks at the screen and it didn't come up.
And the second time,
cast away.
And I couldn't.
Me and Meredith Walker, we and Meredith Walker say castaway into our remote control a lot.
No way.
A lot.
And into our DVD.
Oh, Meredith.
Let's say hi to Meredith.
Hi, Dave.
Hi, Meredith.
Hi, Dee.
Are you guys still working together?
It's a friend of all of ours, Meredith Walker.
Is she still in Austin?
Yep, living in Austin.
Hey, oh, yeah.
She's so great.
We love Meredith.
We love, love, love.
Yeah, we say castaway quite a bit.
Oh, that's true.
I love telling someone something is voice activated when it isn't.
I don't like a prank.
I'm not a prank person at all.
You might know.
For anybody to use.
That is a harmless, funny fact.
That's harmless.
We'll be right back.
A podcast is kind of like a small business, one with lots of talking and someone always forgetting to hit record.
And we all know, small business thrives when it takes care of the hardworking people who keep it running.
And that's where JustWorks comes in.
Just Works is an easy-to-use, intuitive HR platform that helps small businesses support their people.
Whether you're hiring, automating payroll, expanding globally, or handling confusing compliance stuff, JustWorks has you covered.
They even offer 24-7 support for employees still working at 4 a.m.
Go home already.
With JustWorks, you can hire and manage international talent without juggling extra platforms, paperwork, or licensing fees.
And your team gets access to premium benefits like health insurance, 401k, and commuter perks.
Plus, with transparent pricing, you'll always know exactly what you're getting and what you're paying for.
Go to justworks.com to learn more.
They do your human resources right so you can do right by your people.
Justworks for your people.
AutoTrader is powered by Auto Intelligence.
Put simply, their tools and data sync to your exact budget and preferences to tailor car buying to you.
Want a pink mid-size SUV with 22-inch rims and a V8?
How about a two-door convertible with a premium sound system and heated cup holders?
Nothing's too specific.
AutoTrader, powered by Auto Intelligence, helps you find your dream car at the right price in no time because they do all the hard work for you.
Imagine knowing what you can afford before you even start shopping, having access to the largest automotive inventory anywhere with enough search filters to make it feel personal, only seeing listings based on your budget and your must-haves, finding the car that gives you the feels and the deals while feeling like you won the negotiation without negotiating.
And you can close the deal however you want.
AutoTrader, powered by Auto Intelligence, is the totally you way to buy a car.
Visit autotrader.com to find your perfect ride.
This episode is brought to you by Sonic.
You know how pickles are so often disparaged, picked off the bun, never given the respect they deserve?
That's why the arrival of Sonic's new Big Dill meal is such welcome news.
It comes complete with a Sonic smasher topped with Grillos pickles, pickle seasoned tots, and a piclorita slush with bursting pickle juice bubbles.
At long last, it's pickles time to brine.
Get the Big Dill meal at Sonic for a a limited time.
Live free.
Eat Sonic.
All right.
Back to the show.
Okay, so wait.
Sean, do you have any questions for Amy?
Your guests?
Okay.
I mean, no, no, this is minute 46.
I don't think we've had a legit one yet.
I know.
I've asked her a couple ones.
Really?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And do we really need to?
I mean, no, it's a conversation.
Yeah.
Wait, wait.
I do do want to get into, you touched on it before, talk a little bit about um, when you were in Chicago, AIM, and how you knew
your experience,
second city, who was in that when you were on the tour, you toured with Second City and
Improv Olympic, Chicago, all that stuff, and then how you, how that moved to New York and UCB and all that stuff.
Just bundle it.
I mean, it is, I'll bundle it because it is important as a storyteller to discuss my craft.
You will get kicked off this podcast if you realize that.
I love telling a story, and I love crafting a story, and I love my story craft to be about telling craft.
So
the only thing we like on this podcast more than independent film is talking about independent film.
Go ahead, Evie.
Started out in Chicago and arrived at Second City in 93 and the seniors to my freshman were on the main stage of Chicago, Amy Sederis, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert.
Amazing.
Mike Myers and Chris Farley had just left to go to like stardom
at SNL.
I rented Chris Farley's old apartment
in Chicago?
In Chicago.
I didn't know I was renting it, but you know.
In the Hancock building?
No, it was another earlier one.
Yeah.
You know, back then in the 20s, when we were in our 20s and we moved every year, like we were moving every year.
Yeah, yeah.
Yes, that's true.
And I think the apartment was probably like $390 a month.
Yeah.
And hard to make that rent.
Yeah, yeah.
And then, yeah, studied and met Tina there very early on and met Rachel Dratch, who I was the understudy for at Second City.
And it was just, the place was lousy with talent.
Everyone was so great.
And
then moved with, and then
UCB, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, Ali Faranaki.
All those great guys.
Yes, yes, yes.
Adam McKay, all those guys, Neil Flynn, they were all part of a big improv group called The Family that we would go and watch and they were incredible.
And then they also had UCB.
I joined in 93 and then in 96, which is not that much time now that I think about it, it was only three years, but we left and moved to New York, drove to the city, did a show and just started.
Well, at the time it was,
and
Will, I don't want this to be uncomfortable for you, but I was dating Matt Besser at the time.
I knew it.
I fucking knew it.
No, no, truly, I knew it.
But here's the thing.
Here's a funny story.
And Amy knows this.
So 96, and she knows how good I am with dates in this.
Yeah, you're very good.
96, they come and they do
UCB, so it's Amy, Walsh, Besser, and Ian.
And
they do their show Bucket of Truth, which was an amazing show.
It's so funny.
It was a sketch show that improv and sketch, et cetera.
And they're doing it downstairs at the West Bank on 42nd Street.
And Peter Principado,
the beloved Peter Peter Principato, who we all love,
my first agent.
First agent.
William Morris.
And Peter Principato, and he was my agent at the time.
And he said to me, Hey, I've just signed
this new comedy group.
You've got to go see them.
They're performing at the West Bank.
So I went with Duff.
And
Amy, I was dating Missy at the time.
I don't know if I told you.
Oh, too shea.
So
we go, the three of us, to the West Bank, knowing nothing, go downstairs to that little stage and watch them do Bucket of Truth.
And we're blown away.
We go for some.
You had not yet met Amy.
Not yet met.
We watched the show.
We're blown away.
We go for a drink after we're talking about it.
We talked about it for a few days because nobody was doing what they were doing.
And we were like, God, that was so funny.
And it was so inventive.
And it was so cool.
And blah, blah, blah.
And so that is January of 1996.
And just like, what the fuck?
Continue.
Sorry, Amy.
Yeah.
Then we were there just slogging away.
And like Will said, and we remember this too, right?
Like people had to come see you live.
They had to go actually see you.
We didn't have any, like
now you can really deep dive on someone really fast on the, on the internet, but we didn't have that.
So you had to like go see people live.
What was that first space you guys had when you started?
We had a Solo Arts was the name of a, yeah, was a like the walk-up theater where we would improvise there and stuff.
So we just kind of, you know, slogged for a while in New York and handed out flyers in Washington Square Park.
And everyone, I was a waitress and
just thinking like, okay, you know, and then I and then I started getting some bits on Conan because of Andy Richter.
And that's where I got like my SAG card.
That's where I got my, you know, I got paid like an under five.
And now you're in the building though, right?
Like, was it, could you like taste the possibility of SNL perhaps?
Did you allow yourself to start to dream that?
That's such a good question.
I think you're right.
I didn't really put that together, but you're right.
Like walking in a 30 rock, you are.
I always feel like with jobs and stuff, like
Chicago felt like where I was getting my training, but New York and Los Angeles, it's almost like, you know, when you're having like a pickup game of basketball and someone's just standing around and you're like, hey, come play.
Like, come on.
Don't say sure.
Your proximity to the to the game.
can be very helpful.
Like getting closer to the game, just being around.
So that's what happened.
When we moved to New York, we were just a little closer to the game.
So we got asked to do things.
And you're doing, and you're doing bits on Conan and
you did Andy's sister, Richter's sister, and you started doing more.
And all those guys were there who were writers, a lot of whom were performers from Chicago you knew, like McCann and Glazer and all those guys.
Brian Stack, one of the all-time greats, and like, and all those people, they're all there writing on Conan.
And you guys are all kind of part of this, this group of people who are
creating comedy, right?
Yeah, my decision to move to Chicago was probably the best decision for me in my career because it allowed me to meet all these people really fast who then went on to do things that I got to be a part of.
Like I, they remembered me for things, they put me in small things, they, you know, wrote things for me.
And it like was just this like concentrated feeling of comedy at the time that then everybody went to LA and New York.
And, you know, and McKay was the head writer of SNL.
And then Tina got a job there.
Like, we all just started.
It was really, really cool to,
and I depended on the kindness of a lot of those people for a long long time to have a job
let me ask you like a tough question and I'll try to bundle here basic it's basically after all of the accomplishment you've just walked us through the whole beginning and everything it just seems like you've done or maybe even far exceeded what you allowed yourself to dream of at that age when you were starting
what's left what would you love to do in your next you know
why do you still get out of bed amy
yeah i mean that's like you've just you've you've done it.
You've like, you've had like this incredible career already, and you're still, as you said, a freshman.
Like, where would you love, how would you like to use what you've done, the success you've had?
Yeah, sorry.
Go ahead.
Well, I am, that's why I'm starting to wind down, and this podcast is the beginning of that.
Like, I'm just starting to wind down away from showbiz.
Wait, truly?
Fucking cool.
Just kept it cool.
We're the number two most downloaded podcasts on the planet.
So just go to her podcast she's talking about.
Oh, yeah, that is a wind down.
You're right.
That is a wind down.
No?
Or are you talking about us?
Well, you know what?
It remains to be seen.
It remains to be seen.
But no, no, I, I, I, but honestly, it is kind of why I'm excited to do a podcast because I'm actually, Jason, to genuinely answer your question, I am excited about what is the next.
I like thinking about what is the next thing to do.
Like, I like trying new things.
That's what keeps me feeling engaged in the world and in our like creative.
So I'm very excited about this new podcast because I really like, I'm a huge fan of podcasts in general.
Yes, I saw that.
I listen to them all the time and they're really replaced a lot of like media for me.
And I'm into the idea of exploring it because I really like talking to people and I'm curious about people and I learn a lot about myself and I like to have fun.
Like I think what's happened.
in the space, especially for women, is that women are being asked to be like teachers and wise leaders and like a lot of and they don't get to fuck around and and like do very little research like you guys you know like yeah
you guys do not know who the guest is by the wildest con in the world
by the way you could have bundled that insult if that would have been a lot nicer
but let me ask you a tough question you know sean shut up for one second
amy amy answer this question honestly this is a tough this is a tough one this is a hard hitting all right all right and i know you're very serious for a comedian so that's okay
her mom used to say that to her when they get into arguments when we get into a fight she'd say you're so serious for a comedian
so
so wait have you ever listened to smartless of course i have okay you have that's a little high listen to smartless
pretty high
my favorite episode is the one with the lady and the other one with the guy i love the one with the guy oh my god oh i like the one with the Bradley.
But so, but in your answer to my unbundled question, it sort of gets into the area of there is a slight plan, but you still want to kind of stay in the present and not be too sort of strategic about what the next five, 10 years are, right?
So, like, how do you find the balance there?
I guess it's just figuring out, it's just kind of figuring out what is feels challenging.
I like a challenge.
So I like mixing things up to feel challenging.
And also, a big part of my 50s has been balancing my relationship to work in general
and how do I make sure that there's real balance in my life.
Like
the last five, you guys were talking about being in your potential.
Not challenging, potentially, right?
Exactly.
Yes.
Like basically, how to find ease and
enjoy, you know, the past five years have been wild wild and you know what you guys do here what i've been doing is just like trying to just genuinely laugh with my friends it's been actually you know how i've been keeping sane and so i want to just do whatever feels like that which feels kind of fun and a little bit challenging and so i'm always trying to figure it out i don't know it's a long-winded answer
i don't i don't know no but it makes a makes total sense it's basically a combination of all the things and you're able to combine now because you're older and smarter and wiser.
And it doesn't have to be like, all go on career or all go on just like, no, fuck it.
I don't want to do anything.
We're actually able to merge both now, finally, at this age, I think.
And women, I think, especially
have a...
often a burden to really pay attention to what everybody is doing and feeling.
And then if you have the luxury of turning it around and trying to figure out yourself, it's like that is what can be great about getting older.
And women do really well, I think, when they like give themselves time to get it.
Let me speak to that.
Let me speak about women.
Yeah, let's talk about women.
But we'll go ahead.
Your thoughts on women?
But Ama, who is that person that you bounce stuff off of?
Or when you get like.
Oh, I would say all of my, all of the women in my life have been like really, really helpful mentors and teachers and friends and stuff.
Like, you know, the women in my life that have been through it with me, I think, is really the biggest resource for me.
You know, people who have kids and people who,
you know, who understand what it's like to feel overwhelmed and stuff, and especially the past five years, which has just been a complete insane
hit after hit of sci-fi nightmares.
That's a dream of mine.
But
what's it like?
What's it like being, for you and Will, being on the verge of being empty nesters?
It's not the verge, but it's going to come sooner than later.
Do you think about that?
And like, I do.
How that relates to what you're going to do.
I know.
I know.
I haven't really, but kind of in the short story metaphor, I haven't.
I'm like, I don't feel like the story, I'm there yet.
So I'm not quite.
I don't know.
I mean,
it feels so,
I don't even, I don't even know.
Sucks.
I got one about to go to college and it's how does it feel, Jason?
It's bleak, you know, because there's just, it is,
it's a mortality thing.
It's like it's, you know, we all kick, kick, kick it down the road.
Well, but it's like, it's the concept of the end of something that
is just something you is conveniently kind of pushed aside, and then it, then it's here.
Can I say something about that that I've noticed?
And this is, JB, this is, I've learned from you something that, and I mean this, I mean this gently and I mean this sweetly, which I, which is, it's gonna hurt.
No, which is you've been, Jason's been so nervous and anxious about Franny going to college for a few years and he's talked about it.
And so I see him going through the pain for so long.
And this is an example of not living in the present.
So sometimes I think that you had a tough time enjoying the moment because you're just so, you've been anticipating it.
For years, you've been putting that out and talking about it.
I'm trying to separate myself from her so it doesn't hurt.
Yeah, exactly.
Which is, by the way,
which is so you.
Like, remember, you do that?
Like, Jason's thing to not laugh when he's in a take is to think about people dying in a car crash.
I'm not kidding.
And then he doesn't, and then he won't go up, right?
Well, we all know it.
We all do that.
Yeah, we all know Jason is sociopathic.
No, he's a robot.
But the thing is,
but I see that in you, and I, and I, and I've said it to you before, I'm like, it's okay.
Like, let that moment come when that moment comes and enjoy.
So I've been using it.
I keep reminding myself, just enjoy it now.
Enjoy it now.
It's, it's not, again, not easy.
It is not easy.
No.
It's a great idea.
Well, raise your hand if you think you're going to live to 100 and if you want to live to 100.
That's me.
Okay.
Three of us are raising our hands.
Sean is not raising.
It's that ankle.
Sean's like, I can't go on with that ankle.
I just can't.
With this ankle, no way.
No, I'm not.
I got a shot.
The ankle was the last straw.
I think we got a shot.
Yeah.
No, it's truly.
Didn't one of these really smart scientists lately say that the person that's going to live to 120 or 150 or something is already born?
Like that's kind of common in this generation like 100 is like the new yeah but what kind of life do you have at 120 yeah sean i hear you like as long as it feels like a fruitful life but you know imagine if you were like a little a little dude in a little and a cute little suit but they cut they cut to the like in the news like the local news they cut to like marjorie is 106 today and we're gonna we visited her and she can't talk or move or she and they're like marjorie marjorie what advice do you have to for people to live this long she's like make sure that She's got
cake falling out of her mouth every day.
Yeah.
Please walk in.
Mate, have a glass of wine and put one.
Exactly.
I don't want to be that.
I don't want to be Marjorie.
Remember, Ernest Borgnine had that great, he had his great advice on how to live forever, which was to snap one off every day.
And Amy, you know, and yeah, and you know where he lived?
In Jason and Amanda's house.
So I always remind him to you.
You think about Ernest Borgnine walking around this house.
He's throwing goo all over the place.
He had Borg nine lives.
Oh, nice.
Very noble.
Thanks, guys.
Amy, I have one last comment before we let you go because we've had you for too long and I want to thank you for your time.
Thank you, Sean.
I told you,
and both you and Will,
I love Archie and Abel so much, and they've, and I love Maple and Franny too.
And both of you, everybody on this
podcast right now.
You guys have done such a phenomenal job with with between your journey, between you two, your kids are just unbelievable, great human beings.
And it's the greatest compliment, you know, because to you guys.
Yeah, I just love them.
And you guys are incredible.
And I wanted to remind people to listen to Good Hang With You.
Thank you.
It's on Spotify.
I have great guests coming out.
Tina Faye is my first guest.
No kidding.
That's great.
Yep.
Because, you know,
give America what they want.
And then get Dax on there.
Dax will give you some pointers.
Yeah.
I can't can't wait.
Yeah, any pointers, guys, now that you're five years in?
You can tell we've learned nothing.
Yeah, thanks.
Zero.
We're last people.
I mean, if you guys can do it,
by the way, Amy, you won't be surprised that we haven't looked at comments forever.
They'd always be like, their questions suck, and they interrupt people all the time.
And I'm like, yeah, of course we do.
What are you talking about?
If you guys have taught me anything and you've taught me individually and collectively, they've taught me so much.
This is going to hurt.
It's don't overthink it.
Don't overthink it.
Unbelievable.
So glad you finally, we finally got you.
We love you,
guys.
Thanks for having me on.
It was so fun.
Huh.
Okay.
Glad it was a fun surprise.
It was such a good surprise.
I'm bringing the boys over.
Okay.
Can't wait.
Bye.
Bye, bye, bye, bye.
Bye, Aim.
Thank you.
Yeah, you got it.
My pleasure.
So, well, that was fantastic to meet her.
I've I've been such a fan of hers for, I don't know.
Yeah.
How funny.
I had no, you know what?
When you were doing the intro, and of course I was like, and then she was like, oh, you didn't, I was like, it never occurred to me.
You just thought it was coincidental that all, oh, well, you know, Amy did all those.
How did you guess it, Jay?
From what?
Because you said
a queen of Massachusetts or something like that.
Oh, wow.
That's such a like, yeah.
I love that you didn't know.
I told Amanda last week.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Amanda could work for the government.
She is very good about keeping a secret.
But the kids, Abel, Abel's here right now.
He never said a word.
I love that.
I love him.
I'm going to go to your face.
I'm going to go drag him out of his bed.
That was rad.
Listen, it's not to get weird, but
I hope you're as proud as you should be and she as well.
I mean, like,
that went beautifully.
Like, the fact that you guys not only have raised these two kids so well, but your relationship is so great and healthy.
And like that you could do a fucking one-hour podcast in front of millions of people and not have to fake anything.
Like, it's just, you know, it's really cool.
It's really admirable.
I know it took, like, full disclosure, it.
like any couple that goes through the journey you've gone through, it took a while, but you're there now.
Yeah.
You know?
But, you know, we, I am really proud of it.
And of course it takes
things take a minute because everybody's sort of adjusting to what it is.
But I'm also
very proud of, certainly as parents, what we've been able to do.
And that,
you know,
has been really important to both of us.
And
yeah,
I'm really, really lucky to have her as a partner in this way for us to.
I'm how lucky Archie and Abel are, too, that you guys like worked out a brand new relationship that serves you both and them.
And it's.
And I would say that I probably, you know,
there aren't many people I speak to more than I speak to her, which is weird because, you you know what I mean?
But
it's great.
I feel really lucky and I do.
Does Josh Shotland get jealous at all?
He does.
But she is somebody that I still run a lot of stuff by if I'm thinking of.
Do you get jealous?
If Josh is not available.
He's my buddy Josh that I face.
Oh, Josh.
I didn't hear what you said.
But I still like, she's the person I go, like, hey, I'm thinking about doing this or, hey, whether it's life or work.
And I really, I seek her counsel because it's important to me because I trust her in that, you know.
Yeah, and she's a sharp cookie.
She's awesome.
She's awesome.
And
so.
What did we, what was the buy from the opening?
It was a bicentennial.
Oh, yeah.
Hunt 250 episodes.
That's right.
So anyway, so guys,
that was unbelievable.
And enjoy the rest of your day.
It's our 250th episode.
I can't believe it.
Wait, what?
Yeah.
You remember in 1976 here?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
United States.
That was the 200th.
That was the
Smart
Less.
Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant Terry, Rob Armjarve, and Bennett Barbico.
Smart Less
Introducing Searchlight Pictures' new movie, The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman.
Perfect couple, Ivy and Theo Rose have it all.
But when Theo's career comes crashing down, just as Ivy's fame starts to skyrocket, a tinderbox of fierce competition and growing resentment threatens to destroy everything they've built if they don't destroy each other first.
Directed by Jay Roach of Meet the Parents, written by Tony McNamara of Poor Things, and also starring Andy Sandberg, Allison Jani, Shuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon.
All's fair when love is war.
The Roses in theaters everywhere, August 29th.
Get tickets now.
When you want the group trip to make it out of the group chat, you'd be surprised at the unexpected stays Hilton has to offer.
Imagine stargazing from the comfort of a customized airstream with Hilton's Auto Camp Partnership, unwinding in a rainforest retreat with their small luxury hotels of the World Partnership, appreciating the artistry of Nomad London, or reliving your college days with Graduate by Hilton.
Hilton brings you new, unforgettable stays with your favorite people.
Explore all the new ways to stay at Hilton.com.
Hilton for the stay.