- 6 hours ago
"It also feels like the right time. We’ve all grown up, and it’s about a very specific time in your twenties in New York, so in a way it feels like a perfect graduation to the characters," Downs said.
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00:00Hey everyone, you're watching InStudio and today's guest is Paul W. Downs. How are you?
00:09I'm doing great. How are you?
00:10I'm good. Thanks for coming in.
00:11Happy to be here.
00:12For those of you who don't know, it's raining in LA and we're slowly surviving.
00:16It's very hard to get here. I know. It was really a challenge. I almost cancelled.
00:18You were on time. You were actually early.
00:19Wow. Thank you so much. Please keep that on record.
00:22That's great.
00:22On time slash early. Yes.
00:24Now, as all good things come to an end, this is the final season of Broad City.
00:28What are you going to miss most about the show and what do you think viewers are going
00:31to miss, I guess, most about watching everything?
00:33I'll probably miss craft services like free cheese is something I've always strived for.
00:37You know, actually I hate cheese.
00:38Do you really?
00:39I'm one of the few people who does not like cheese.
00:41Wow, good for you. I did Whole30 and I went off dairy and it was the hardest part.
00:44I'm doing Silver January. It's not Whole30.
00:46Are you really?
00:47Yeah.
00:48Okay, cool. That's good.
00:49Anyways, back to the question.
00:51It'll be really sad because we have had such a... we've been so lucky to make a show with
00:56our friends.
00:58Yeah.
00:59Abby, Alana, Lucia and I especially have been collaborators and friends for like over a decade
01:04and making this show together has been such a labor of love and I think people respond
01:09because in part we're all actual friends, so that kind of comes through. So that'll be
01:14really sad, but it also feels like the right time. You know, we've all kind of grown up and
01:20it's about a very specific time in your 20s in New York. So in a way it feels like a perfect
01:26graduation to the characters. So in that way it feels like we got to do it before we overstayed
01:30our welcome.
01:31And when you know it's the last season, it's kind of like a celebratory season as well.
01:34Yes. Well celebratory and also emo. It gets really emo, you know. I would say the last half
01:41of the season there's a lot... there's like tears in a lot of... or from the characters.
01:45There's a lot of like saying goodbye and crying, you know.
01:48Did you cry? Have you cried yet?
01:49Everyone did it the last... like the last day.
01:51Yeah.
01:51Because actually most of the cast is in the last episode.
01:54So the series finale was like a goodbye to everybody. It was really a goodbye. It was
01:59very surreal.
02:00Just make me cry.
02:01Yeah. Oh, thank you. Please. It'd be great if I could make you cry.
02:03That'd be good.
02:04Just bawl right now.
02:06For Trey, what was the inspiration behind that character? You must know someone like that.
02:11I think we all might.
02:12We all do.
02:13I mean, Trey's an amalgamation of a lot of people. I do work with a trainer here who's
02:17great and I did steal a couple phrases from him. He's not really like Trey, but...
02:20Does he axe head to toe?
02:21What was that?
02:22Does he axe head to toe?
02:23You know, he might axe head... no, I don't think he axe head to toe, but he does do...
02:26It's kind of gross.
02:27He does do relax your face, relax your face.
02:28Okay.
02:29Which was one thing I did once as Trey. And actually, he told me about Equinox, I think,
02:33has trainer Olympics, which became the basis of an episode.
02:35Yeah.
02:36There are certainly things stolen from him slash life, but Trey is just that, like, over-enthusiastic,
02:42over-geager guy that everybody's seen, everybody knows.
02:45Everybody's taken a class with that person.
02:48I just want to get in here, axe my body from head to toe, and then send out!
02:53There's no I in Solstice.
02:54There is.
02:55Well, yes, there is.
02:56Now, a lot of people here in the office wanted to know if you and Abby end up together.
03:00Last season, is it a...
03:01Everyone asks this and I don't think I can answer.
03:03I will say this, I will say that, to the last moment, there is a...
03:08Will they, won't they?
03:09Till the very last moment of the show.
03:11Till the last episode.
03:12And there's some big, big risks are taken, some big swings.
03:16But I think I should leave it at that.
03:18That's a good tease.
03:19I think I should.
03:20Yeah, right?
03:21Thanks.
03:22One thing you've been really open about is kind of bringing your own personal ideals
03:26and beliefs into the work you do.
03:28I will not talk about that.
03:29Can you kind of talk about that?
03:30No.
03:31And why is it important for you and why should, I guess, creators make an effort to do this?
03:36Yeah, I mean, I think because a lot of the stories on Broad City are based in truth,
03:41things that happen to somebody on the show, we want to also...
03:44I was just talking to someone, it's like so real and so outlandish at the same time.
03:47It's like, that's what it is.
03:49That's great.
03:50I don't know if you've experienced this, but like so much stuff that happens, you're
03:52like, I couldn't write this.
03:53It's too nuts.
03:54Yeah.
03:55You know, like truth is stranger than fiction.
03:56But almost every episode is based on some event that happened to one of us.
04:00They get much more absurd.
04:01We like blow them out.
04:02They get crazy.
04:03Yeah.
04:04At least some genesis of something happened.
04:06And so I think it's hard not to be political or civic in the characters since all of us
04:12that make the show are.
04:13And also it's such a privilege to have a platform to even just reframe the way we talk about certain
04:20things, whether it be even not overtly political, but just about the way we talk about friendship
04:25or the way we talk about women or the way we talk about people without homes or whatever.
04:28I think it's just something we're actually really, and have become more acutely aware
04:32of.
04:33We watched season one while we wrote season five just to be like, what happened on this
04:37show?
04:38I haven't seen the show.
04:39Don't get the show.
04:40But we were like, wow, even the amount that we have become aware of certain things and
04:44certain, even just language, we wouldn't do what we did first season anymore.
04:51Alana is truly a predator.
04:52Alana is a Me Too-er.
04:54She is constantly slapping at Abby's butt.
04:56You know what I mean?
04:57There were things where we were like, wow, cool.
04:59We have to tone that down.
05:00But it also, the context has shifted and the time has changed and she's grown up.
05:05In terms of toning things down, it seems like the show has a lot of freedom.
05:09Has there been a lot of scenes that you've had to cut because of the network or had a storyline
05:16you scrapped that you wish made it to air?
05:18Can you talk about it?
05:19There are storylines that, full storylines that have gone.
05:21Yeah.
05:22But usually it's for time.
05:23Okay.
05:24Because most of the stuff that's the most outlandish or the most insane is honestly
05:31addressed before we shoot.
05:32So for instance, we did that pegging episode where there's like dildos and like, so there's
05:37so many legal notes that are like, there can be no head, no veins, and no shirt.
05:40It's like there's so many prescriptive things.
05:43But they're like, as long as it's not flesh colored, you're good to go.
05:46And they've actually been pretty cool about as long as we-
05:48It's like a fair note.
05:49Yeah.
05:50As long as we tell them what we want to do and work with them, we find a way to make
05:53it work.
05:54Or there's some other time thing that helps us get away with certain things.
05:58That's so great.
05:59What else can you tease about what to expect in the final season?
06:02A lot of the people in the world of Broad City, we always think of it like, you know, it's
06:06almost like this, well, if only, we're like the Simpsons and we have like a huge world
06:09of people that have come and gone and recur and a lot of those people are coming back.
06:13So you see Amy Sedaris as Pam.
06:16You see Gene Garofalo, Susie Essman of course is back, and Bob Balaban who play Alana's parents.
06:22So you see a lot of great returning guest stars and there's some surprise guest stars too.
06:26But I think in the past we've had like some big names do the show and this year it really
06:30is about the people that inhabit the Broad City world.
06:33And so it's, in some ways it's like old school Broad City.
06:37Yeah.
06:38It feels like classic Broad City, if you can say that, after five seasons.
06:40I don't know if you can say that.
06:41Because Alana kind of talked about that too, is like bringing it back to like what the show
06:45was intended to do.
06:46Yeah, because when we watched season one, again, to remind ourselves what the show is,
06:49we were like, oh, there were some just fun games that were just kooky adventures and we
06:54wanted to do some of those.
06:55And then there's also the matter of knowing it was the last season, finding a way to close the
06:59curtain on this chapter of the life of all these characters.
07:02And so we were pretty, it gets emo, you know.
07:06That's great.
07:07Yeah.
07:08What else are you working on that you can kind of talk about?
07:10What's next for you?
07:11Wow, what can I talk about?
07:12It's, the list is so long but so short, you know, in terms of NDAs.
07:16That's very true.
07:18Let's see, we, Luchi and I are writing a movie right now.
07:22Okay.
07:23And we are about to go out with a show with Jen Statsky, who's a writer for Broad City
07:28and The Good Place.
07:29That's awesome.
07:30Which I haven't watched yet but I hear.
07:31Oh, it's so great.
07:32And in fact, Gemma, who is a trainer at the gym.
07:34Okay.
07:35She plays Jenna on the show and she is incredibly talented and good and it's so amazing that
07:39the world knows that now and, you know, she's just the best.
07:42But anyway, what was the question?
07:43Oh, other things we're working on.
07:44Yeah, what are you like, what's going on?
07:45So, Luchi and I, my partner and I have a production company and we are with Walden Books
07:49and Michael Lucas Company producing The Baby Sitters Club for Netflix.
07:53Oh, that's really cool.
07:54Yeah, she's directing the pilot and some episodes and also they're developing that now.
07:58Cast yet or...?
07:59Not yet cast, no.
08:00It's like still pretty early stage.
08:02But you know.
08:03No, I don't.
08:04I think actually they're trying to like discover people who are right for these.
08:08I feel like Netflix does a good job at that too.
08:09I think so too.
08:10And it's because it's something that has existed.
08:12It's like a big franchise that people know.
08:14You have to be true, I think, to canon and like respect the actual characters.
08:20So they're trying to find the right person.
08:22Now in your career now, like looking back to, I guess, young Paul W. Downs.
08:27Wow, the 60s.
08:28Is this...
08:29Do you like...
08:30Are you...
08:31Not happy, but is this...
08:33No!
08:34You're doing what you love.
08:35Is this...
08:36What would you tell, I guess, your younger self about...
08:38Don't worry so much.
08:39Don't worry so much.
08:40Okay.
08:41And actually that's the thing that I stole from...
08:42And worry about what?
08:43What did you use to worry about?
08:44Anything and everything.
08:45Yeah.
08:46I mean, Steve Martin in his book, Born Standing Up, he says that he wished each could tell his
08:50younger self not to worry.
08:51Yeah.
08:52And it's true.
08:53It's like things will work out.
08:54Don't stress.
08:55Now, part of the worry and anxiety, I think, of being someone who, you know, writes and performs,
08:59especially for comedians.
09:00Yeah.
09:01I'm sure it's true for whether you're just an actor or just a writer or whatever in any creative
09:04space.
09:05But comedians, I think you put yourself out there.
09:07A lot of your material is your thoughts and your voice.
09:10Yeah.
09:11And it's such a constant hustle and struggle that I think it's hard not to feel anxious
09:15and think about working all the time.
09:18I wish I'd chilled a little bit more.
09:20But in a way that also fueled my productivity, I think, so it was also good.
09:25But I'd be like, hey, it's going to be really fun.
09:28So just enjoy it.
09:29Don't get stressed.
09:30Enjoy it.
09:31That's great.
09:32We're going to play our staple Fishing for Answers game that we play with everyone.
09:35Okay.
09:36Everyone?
09:37Are you a good fisher?
09:38No.
09:39Well, let's see.
09:40Who's been the best at this game?
09:41Can you be the best?
09:42Emily Blunt and John Krasinski recently did this.
09:44Emily Blunt.
09:45It's so funny.
09:46I just called her out as someone I like to work with in my last interview.
09:49They were probably the best two people for this game.
09:52Really?
09:53Pressure's on.
09:54Pressure is on.
09:55I'm better with a straight man, you know?
09:57I need someone else to...
09:58But maybe you can do it for me.
09:59Yeah, let's go.
10:00Yeah.
10:01What is your favorite movie theater snack?
10:03Woo!
10:04Those are good thoughts.
10:07I think...
10:08Actually, is this a word that people know?
10:09Nonparels?
10:10You know what a nonparel is?
10:11There's like snow caps.
10:12They're called snow caps.
10:13I like snow caps.
10:14I also like Reese's Pieces.
10:15Oh.
10:16Yeah.
10:17That's a good mix.
10:18What's something that they don't serve in movie theaters?
10:20I mean, they serve alcohol now, but what's something they don't serve that you want?
10:23Lobster.
10:24I would always take lobster.
10:25That'd be good.
10:26But nothing nice.
10:27A nice movie theater lobster.
10:28Yeah, a nice clarified butter with some lobster.
10:29I was answering these for you.
10:30Oh, thank you so much.
10:31You want one?
10:32You can do one.
10:33Okay.
10:34What has been your favorite memory working with Alana Glazer and Abby Jacobson?
10:38I'll give you separate ones.
10:40Okay.
10:41You guys are friends, so it doesn't have to be necessarily like on set or like working.
10:45This one is so, and this one I think Alana has talked about in interviews before, but
10:48it is so hilarious to both of us now.
10:50I did a show at UCB, a live show called The Paul Down Syndrome.
10:54Yeah.
10:55And way back in the day, Alana basically was like my stage manager, and she was backstage
11:01helping me with wigs and doing stuff.
11:03Lucia, who obviously I still work with as well and is my creative partner, I was directing
11:10the show.
11:11She watched, so she wasn't backstage.
11:12And there was a bit at the end of the show where I came out and I basically said good
11:14night, and then I turned and I had no, like I had no back of my clothing.
11:18That's great.
11:19And on my, on my ass it would, it said the end.
11:21But every show I did so much shit and I got so sweaty that it would like melt.
11:25Melt off.
11:26So Alana would touch up the words the end on my ass with a permanent marker.
11:30That's so funny.
11:31So that is honestly like, something that we're still like, what?
11:35Does Broad City end with the end on your...
11:37It doesn't.
11:38Okay.
11:39Oh man.
11:40If only you were in the writers room, that would be good.
11:41That would be such a good idea.
11:42Yeah.
11:43And then for Abby, I think, well, our favorite memory that I can tell because it's just us,
11:48it's just us guys, is we auditioned for our first Herald team together at UCB and it's
11:53something that we constantly somehow comes up and any of our friends around us are like,
11:58Jesus Christ, stop with this story because we tell this story all the time.
12:02We got a drink before and it was just a fun, you know, a fun moment.
12:05How was your time at UCB?
12:07It was great.
12:08Yeah.
12:09It was really great.
12:10It was, you know, I think you meet a lot of emerging comedians that now are working and
12:14it's like such a crazy place to cluster and meet people and collaborate with people.
12:19And if we hadn't done that, I wouldn't know Lucia or Abby or Alana.
12:22That's awesome.
12:23Yeah.
12:24It was a pretty special and magical experience.
12:26It's so crazy that the original theater's now moved.
12:29Yeah.
12:30It's bizarre, but it's, I don't know, it's a special time in our life.
12:35I was thinking about recently taking improv classes, but I don't know.
12:38Do it.
12:39I should.
12:40You absolutely should.
12:41It's so, it's such a good thing to, it's a good skill.
12:43Do you think I'm funny?
12:44Absolutely.
12:45But you actually, you have to use improv skill for doing this.
12:47Yeah.
12:48To do this.
12:49Yeah.
12:50I was thinking about it.
12:51It wasn't for this.
12:52It was more for like, just me.
12:53Yeah.
12:54Yeah.
12:55Okay.
12:56Honestly, it's good for you and everybody.
12:57Yeah.
12:58Here's your next one.
12:59Okay.
13:00Wow.
13:01Who should host the Oscars?
13:02Wow.
13:03You know what?
13:04I have an answer for this.
13:05Okay.
13:06It's so funny because I'm going to try and remember because I had one when it first happened.
13:10Oh, I think Kate McKinnon should do it.
13:11That'd be so great.
13:12I don't think she would actually.
13:14No.
13:15But she is so fucking funny.
13:16Can I do that?
13:17No.
13:18You can edit this.
13:19Keep swearing.
13:20Yeah.
13:21She is, she's the best.
13:22She's another person that I met at UCB.
13:23That's awesome.
13:24You know, 100 years ago.
13:25But I think she would be an incredible Oscar host.
13:28Why do you, like, I mean, as a comedian, why do you think comedians don't want to host?
13:33I think because there's a lot of pressure to move the show along and I don't think it's
13:37necessarily the platform for you to do your material.
13:39No.
13:40You know, it's like a very specific thing and I think, depending on what it is, like,
13:43Independent Spirit Awards maybe less so or, you know, even Golden Globes.
13:46That's like one of the most, that's one of my favorite shows.
13:48It's such a fun show.
13:49Yeah.
13:50But I think for the Oscars it's a little, it's prestige.
13:52So, you know, there's a whole, like, air of, I don't even know what.
13:55Something.
13:56Something, something there.
13:57Well, that's for you.
13:58But guess what?
13:59I'll do it.
14:00By the way, I'll host the Oscars anytime.
14:01So.
14:02I'll co-host.
14:032029, baby.
14:04Here we go.
14:05You co-wrote and starred in Rough Night.
14:06Yes.
14:07Not the question.
14:08How many rough nights have you had in your life?
14:10Wow.
14:11I've had, I've had a lot.
14:13I've had a lot.
14:14I had one recently.
14:15Actually, it was, it was New Year's Eve.
14:19We went out and it was a rough night.
14:23It was great.
14:24It was a great night, but it was like late.
14:25Where, where were you in New Year's Eve?
14:26I was in Costa Rica.
14:27Oh.
14:28I was in Costa Rica on New Year's Eve and we went to this bar and no one was dancing.
14:31So we all were dancing.
14:32And then the band was so stoked that we danced that they stayed until after closing.
14:35And we stayed and like sang foreign on blonde songs with these Costa Rica guys that didn't
14:40really speak English.
14:41But you know.
14:42Rough night.
14:43It was rough, but amazing.
14:44Roughest nights are the best nights, right?
14:45Oh, wow.
14:46What went into becoming Zac Efron for your diary of Zac Efron?
14:49And who would you want to make a diary of today?
14:52Wow.
14:53Um.
14:54What went into that?
14:55This is a while ago.
14:56Yeah, it is a while ago.
14:57You know, I first did an impression of Zac Efron on Very Mary Kate.
15:02Okay.
15:03You never read Mary Kate?
15:04Elaine Carroll's show that was a College Humor original.
15:06I'm not, I'm not.
15:07She played Mary Kate Olsen and it was such a funny and incredible show.
15:12Yeah.
15:13Check it out.
15:14Check it out, everybody.
15:15But I did an impression.
15:16I was like, oh, this is really fun.
15:17I want to do more of Zac Efron because Zac Efron is, you know, perfect.
15:20Yeah.
15:21So it's like kind of fun to pay homage but also skewer a little bit.
15:25And you know, the impression was pretty easy.
15:28It was just like, I crossed my eyes and went, awesome mom.
15:30Basically that's it.
15:31Awesome mom.
15:32Um, and had like those swoopy bangs because it was in the time of swoopy bangs.
15:35It was in the swoopy bangs.
15:36Different time.
15:37I would have to gain some muscle now too.
15:38So who would you want to do a diary of today?
15:40Um, I'll have to come back to you on that.
15:42Okay.
15:43Let me know.
15:44Yeah.
15:45I'd be careful cause I have so many celebrity friends.
15:46It's just too hard.
15:47Okay.
15:48Um, what was your first impression of working with Rough Night co-star Scarlett Johansson?
15:51Um, Johansson.
15:53Um, my first impression.
15:55So we-
15:56Yeah, like first time meeting her.
15:57I've always, I've actually always loved her work and, um, everything from like, uh, Lucy
16:04to like, Ghost Town.
16:06And you know, I've like loved her stuff for so long.
16:08But, uh, in fact I saw Lucy like, I know it doesn't matter.
16:11Um, but meeting her in person I was like, oh she's so chill and cool and smart.
16:15I was like, wow.
16:16I was very impressed by, um, how, how much more of a, how, how much more impressed I was
16:23in meeting her in person.
16:24You know, you meet people in person and often times you're like, okay.
16:26You know, you're like, wow, you're smaller in person.
16:29Or you know, or you're like, don't meet your idols.
16:31But, um, meeting her was great because she was funny and cool and got it.
16:35And she was someone I was like, oh, I would actually hang out with this person.
16:38Or I would want to.
16:39Um, so.
16:40That's great.
16:41Yeah.
16:42Two more.
16:43Here we go.
16:44Oof.
16:45Oh, here it is.
16:46Growing up, who was your favorite comedian?
16:48Wow.
16:49Um, Robin Williams was my favorite comedian growing up.
16:52And Mrs. Doubtfire was my favorite movie growing up.
16:54That's awesome.
16:55And I've watched it many, many, many times.
16:56It's still-
16:57The anniversary of the film actually was recently.
16:58Oh, was it?
16:59I didn't know that.
17:00I think before his passing he was gonna do a sequel.
17:03Really?
17:04I think that was like, in the works.
17:05I think it's like the perfect screenplay.
17:07You cannot, you can't do it without Robin Williams.
17:10No.
17:11You know what I mean?
17:12He's so good and liquid funny.
17:13But I also growing up really, like the obscure person that I used to watch like, Comedy Central
17:19stand-up specials of was Paula Poundstone.
17:21I really liked Paula Poundstone.
17:22Okay.
17:23I was like, this woman is hilarious.
17:25And still is.
17:26Last one.
17:27Last one.
17:28Okay.
17:29Here we go.
17:30Wow.
17:31This is supposed to be Ernest, right?
17:32I've been answering them honestly.
17:33No, this has been so great.
17:34What is your current favorite TV show?
17:36Well, I have to say, I just finished Succession.
17:39Oh my god.
17:40And it's so good.
17:41It's my favorite show.
17:42It's so good.
17:43It's the best.
17:44The best show.
17:45It's so good.
17:46And the last episode was so incredibly good.
17:47I was sad that I don't have more.
17:48Oh, the ending, yeah.
17:49Yeah.
17:50Oof.
17:51The ending is-
17:52Everyone should watch it.
17:53It's incredible.
17:54Yeah.
17:55So I think right now that would be my favorite show.
17:56Cause it's such a-
17:57Like it's a drama, but it's-
17:58Yeah.
17:59A funny show.
18:00Like, what's his name?
18:01Oh, it's so funny.
18:02Tom?
18:03Wazgim.
18:04Wazgim.
18:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:06He's the funniest thing ever.
18:07He's so funny.
18:08The best character, yeah.
18:09I know.
18:10And what else is funny is Broad City, which comes back to Comedy Central Thursday, January 24th.
18:1310, 9 Central.
18:14Hey Central, it's at 9, okay?
18:15Yes.
18:16Be careful if you live in Central time zone.
18:17Thank you so much for-
18:18Check it out.
18:19Thanks for having me.
18:20Of course.
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