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Late Night with Seth Meyers - Season 13 - Episode 42: Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Paisley
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00:05From 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, it's Late Night with Seth Meyers.
00:12Tonight, Aubrey Plaza, star of pizza movie actor, Aiton Matarazzo, star of the comeback
00:19actor, Dan Bukatinski.
00:25And now, Seth Meyers.
00:28Hey, everybody, I'm Seth Meyers.
00:30It's Late Night.
00:31We hope you're doing well.
00:32And now, if you don't mind, we're going to get to the news.
00:34FBI Director Cash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit yesterday against The
00:42Atlantic Magazine over an article alleging that Patel has abused alcohol.
00:47Said Patel this morning, oh, man, I did?
00:52That's right.
00:53Cash Patel filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic Magazine over an article alleging
00:58that Patel has abused alcohol, though you'd have to be pretty drunk to think a print magazine
01:02can afford $250 million.
01:07The U.S. and Iran are reportedly negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war.
01:12Specifically, Trump's trying to negotiate them down to one page.
01:17No way I'm reading three pages.
01:20In a new interview, President Trump said that he will reach a peace deal with Iran and added,
01:25quote, it will happen one way or another, the nice way or the hard way.
01:29The nice way or the hard way.
01:31That's not how you reach a peace deal.
01:32That's something you yell during a bank robbery.
01:37President Trump criticized Spain's economy in a post over the weekend on Truth Social and
01:42said that the country is, quote, sad to watch.
01:45Adding, they can't even afford full-sized entrees.
01:53A new Grateful Dead app launched last week, which features high-quality recordings of more
01:58than 400 full-live shows and better-than-CD quality.
02:01Said Dead fans, wow, it sounds even better than I don't remember.
02:07In honor of Star Wars Day, the dairy brand True Moo is offering a vanilla-flavored blue milk
02:13that has eight grams of protein per serving.
02:16Because if someone hands you a glass of blue milk, the first question you'll have is,
02:21how much protein is in it?
02:25A humanoid robot won a half marathon on Sunday in Beijing with a time nearly seven minutes
02:31faster than the human world record.
02:32And if you think that's impressive, some other dude smoked them all by 45 minutes
02:37with a machine he calls a Nissan Altima.
02:42The food company Purdue Farms announced last week it will offer so-called 6'7 chicken nuggets,
02:47even though everybody who thought 6'7 was funny is now too old for chicken nuggets.
02:54A 101-year-old New Zealand man was recently named the world's oldest croquet player.
02:59Here he is pictured next to the world's youngest croquet player.
03:06That's right, a 101-year-old man in New Zealand has been named the world's oldest croquet player.
03:12Well, just be careful which balls you're hitting.
03:23I'm a little worried about what's coming next.
03:26That was a monologue, everybody!
03:30We've got a great show for you tonight.
03:32You know her from Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus.
03:35She's the co-creator and star of the new animated series Kevin,
03:39streaming now on Prime Video.
03:40One of our favorites, our friend Aubrey Plaza is back on the show.
03:46You know him from Straight to Things.
03:48Well, on Broadway shows such as Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd,
03:51currently he's starring in pizza movies, streaming now on Hulu.
03:54Gaten Matarazzo is here, everybody!
03:58First time, I'm so excited.
04:00And he's a multi-talented Emmy-winning actor, writer, and producer.
04:03You know from shows such as Scandal and Hacks.
04:06He both stars and executive produces on The Comeback,
04:09which airs Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
04:12Dan Bukatinski is also joining us.
04:15Family trips this week with Jason Schwartzman.
04:18Give it a listen.
04:19He's always fantastic.
04:21Well, you guys, it's finally spring.
04:22Everyone's cleaning out their closets, planting their gardens,
04:25and that includes my writers.
04:27You know, they write hundreds of jokes every day
04:29just to get the 10 or 12 we use in the monologue.
04:32And honestly, a lot of those jokes just aren't good.
04:36You know, sometimes I even think they throw in a couple of stinkers
04:39on purpose just to fill the page, just to meet the assignment.
04:43But just because it's allergy season,
04:45that doesn't mean we can tolerate laziness,
04:47which means it's time for another surprise inspection.
04:57So here's how this works.
04:58I'm going to read some real jokes
05:00that were really submitted by my real writers.
05:02Some are dumb.
05:03Some are offensive.
05:04Some are just insane.
05:06Most importantly, my writers don't know we're doing this,
05:08and because they don't watch the show, they'll never know.
05:13And as a reminder, these are jokes that were worse
05:16than the croquet balls joke we read.
05:22So they didn't hit that high bar.
05:25So based on how you reacted to that
05:28is why I'm currently super worried.
05:34President Trump is set to host a celebration
05:36for National Agriculture Day tomorrow
05:39at the White House with nearly 1,000 farmers
05:41and probably a couple hoes.
05:49Now, we will, for the purpose of shaming them,
05:52be showing the photos of each writer who wrote the joke,
05:55and the first one was by this gentleman, Mike Scollins.
06:00Sadly, you're going to get used to him.
06:04Today was National Funeral Director
06:06and Mortician Recognition Day.
06:09Congrats! You earned it!
06:19Yeah.
06:25Scollins with back-to-back inanimate object punchlines.
06:30According to the latest numbers,
06:32the price of period products has increased since 2020
06:36to nearly $7.50 per unit.
06:39Unless you know how to pull a few strings.
06:46Please be a female writer.
06:48Please be a female writer.
06:49Please be a female writer.
06:50Show me, Alex!
07:00That's mad, everybody, if you see him in the street.
07:03Feel free to slap him.
07:06According to the latest numbers, the price of period...
07:08We're doing another one.
07:12The price of period products has increased nearly 40% since 2020,
07:16leaving all their customers in the red.
07:22Please be a female writer.
07:24Please be a female writer.
07:25Please be a female writer!
07:35A pig named Merlin!
07:37All right.
07:38Yeah.
07:40Okay, it's a cute pig.
07:41It's going to be a happy ending.
07:43I'm not worried about this one.
07:46Pig named Merlin recently set a Guinness World Record
07:48for the most followers on Instagram.
07:50Oh, so they're allowed to post hog.
08:13What human instinct is making you applaud for that?
08:18Six Flags Over Texas recently announced a new chaperone policy
08:21for guests under 17 years old.
08:23I'll do it, said R. Kelly.
08:30And we don't have to change the picture,
08:32because he actually wrote that one.
08:44Somehow, we brought a golf audience in.
08:48During his confirmation hearing today
08:50for Homeland Security Secretary Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen
08:53said he fell in love with his wife in third grade.
08:56Me, too, said one man.
09:02All right.
09:02So, like, you guys know how you feel.
09:04You don't have to clap for this guy.
09:08And they don't.
09:11All right.
09:12And finally, we have one last chance to win you back.
09:14Is it Scullin's? Can you show me?
09:16It is. All right.
09:17So, Scullin's. We let Scullin's, Tanktop Scullin's,
09:19write the last joke here.
09:21And I don't know. I'm hopeful.
09:23I'm hopeful we can save this thing,
09:26that we collectively can just laugh
09:28and not feel bad about ourselves.
09:30I think that'll be really important
09:32for the rest of our week.
09:34Let's put ourselves in Scullin's hands.
09:38And finally, Duncan Hines has introduced
09:40new peanuts-themed baking mixes.
09:43And I know someone who'd love to eat peppermint patty.
10:08What did we learn today?
10:12Yeah. All right.
10:14Let's think about it during the commercial break.
10:16This has been Surprise Inspection.
10:23We'll be right back with Aubrey Plaza, everybody!
10:42Our first guest tonight is an Emmy
10:45and Golden Globe-nominated actress.
10:47You know from her work in Parks and Recreation,
10:49The White Lotus, and Agatha all along.
10:51She's the co-creator and star
10:52of the new animated series, Kevin,
10:55which is streaming now on Prime Video.
10:57Let's take a look.
10:58I'll Google couples therapists.
10:59You'll go sort it all out,
11:01and then we'll all look back
11:02and laugh about this at my Oscar party.
11:04Kevin, I know this is scary,
11:05but you're going to love our new place.
11:07Our new place?
11:08Our, like, you and me?
11:09Why would I be going with you?
11:11Because you're our cat,
11:12and I'm the only real adult here.
11:15Your cat?
11:16You don't own me.
11:17You don't own this.
11:18Kevin.
11:19I thought this was like a Hype House situation.
11:21We're always making videos.
11:22I don't have a job.
11:24Hmm?
11:24Kev, would some tuna water help?
11:30Do not do that.
11:32Don't treat me like that.
11:33Kevin, it is okay
11:34if you're having some feelings about this.
11:36Please welcome back to the show
11:37our very good friend,
11:38Aubrey Plaza, everybody!
11:58It has been too long since I have seen you, my friend.
12:02I know.
12:02Did you miss me?
12:03I missed you.
12:05Yeah.
12:05And is it safe to assume,
12:08my dear friend Aubrey,
12:09that you were with child?
12:11How dare you?
12:13Oh.
12:14Ask a woman that.
12:15Oh, no.
12:16Did I...
12:16Have I jumped to the gun?
12:18How dare...
12:19No, you're right.
12:20There's something inside.
12:22There's something inside you?
12:23Yes.
12:24And I need...
12:25Hoping baby.
12:26Hoping baby.
12:27It's a baby.
12:27Okay.
12:28That's very exciting.
12:29We're very happy for you.
12:30What's that?
12:31Um...
12:31Do you want me to pull it out?
12:34That's why I came here tonight.
12:36Oh, I would rather not do that.
12:38Either you or Henry Winkler.
12:40Those are my top two.
12:41I mean, I would choose Henry, wouldn't you?
12:43Well, he delivered my baby on Parks and Rec, so...
12:46That's true.
12:47That's all I know.
12:47He's had a dress rehearsal.
12:49It's very rare to get a dress rehearsal a summer.
12:52It's so wonderful to see you.
12:53I'm so happy to have you back on the show.
12:55Congratulations on Kevin.
12:57This is based...
13:02This is actually...
13:03This is based on a real-life situation,
13:06and you co-created this with an ex-boyfriend
13:08of, like, 20 years ago.
13:10Yes, I did.
13:11It is based on our actual cat, Kevin.
13:14We had a cat called Kevin.
13:16Uh-huh.
13:16He looked like Kevin, the cat, on television.
13:21And, yeah, the show is based on our breakup.
13:24We were a couple, almost 20 years ago.
13:28We lived in Queens, in Astoria.
13:30And we actually had two cats.
13:33We had two cats, Kevin and Howard, brother cats.
13:37And, yes, the show is based on the premise of, you know,
13:40a couple breaking up and telling their cat.
13:42Um, and the cat ends up breaking up with them.
13:46Okay, gotcha.
13:47Um, because...
13:48Goes on his own.
13:49Exactly.
13:49Animals and humans in the show, they can negotiate these things.
13:53What were Kevin and Howard like?
13:54When you adopted these cats, uh, 20-odd years ago,
13:58were they good cats?
13:59They...
14:00Well, yeah, we...
14:02They were...
14:03They were very little.
14:05They were too small.
14:06We found out they were too little to be adopted.
14:09We actually...
14:10Where did you get them?
14:10Where do you get cats that are too...
14:12So this was not an official place?
14:13It was a little bit shady.
14:16I can't remember exactly.
14:18It was probably, like, a Craigslist thing.
14:20Okay, gotcha.
14:21I remember we drove out to Howard Beach
14:23and adopted them from, like, a mob family.
14:26Right.
14:26And it was really scary,
14:27but we got the kittens in the car and drove away.
14:30Seems like, you know, of the sort of rackets
14:33you hear about the mafia being involved with...
14:35I know.
14:36You rarely hear kittens.
14:38No, they try to get rid of as many kittens as they can.
14:41Do you think...
14:42Do you think the kittens knew too much?
14:43The kittens saw you?
14:45Yeah.
14:46Yeah, so then we brought them home,
14:48and we didn't...
14:48You know, we had never had kittens before,
14:51and we didn't realize they were too little
14:53until they started sucking on each other's buttholes.
14:55Oh, wow.
14:56And why is that a giveaway that they're too little?
14:59Well, Seth, I'm glad you asked that.
15:03We called the vet, and they said,
15:05oh, they're so little, they're looking for milk,
15:07and they don't know where to get it,
15:08so they started sucking on each other's buttholes,
15:12and they were trying to just find a little bit of milk.
15:15Yeah.
15:17Little butt milk to make it through the day.
15:19Yeah, just a little anus milk,
15:20and then so we started feeding them, like, little droppers,
15:23and we learned how to give them our milk.
15:24That's very nice.
15:25You taught yourself, yeah.
15:27Yeah, that's nice that you guys stepped in
15:29instead of, like, well,
15:30they're going to have to learn on their own.
15:31Yes.
15:32But that actually made it onto the show,
15:34so if you watch Kevin, the cartoon show,
15:36you will see Kevin,
15:37but in the show, Kevin goes to his therapist
15:40because he has butthole issues.
15:42Gotcha.
15:43Because his butthole's weird,
15:44because if you suck on a butthole too hard,
15:46part of it can come out.
15:48Really?
15:48And you know what I'm talking about.
15:52You are, you play a human.
15:54Jason Schwartzman is Kevin.
15:56Yes.
15:57The great Jason Schwartzman.
15:58The best.
15:58You have a lot of other wonderful cast members.
16:01John Waters.
16:02John Waters.
16:03That's amazing.
16:06How, are you friendly with John Waters?
16:09I am.
16:09I love John.
16:10In fact, it's his birthday.
16:12Oh, happy birthday to John Waters.
16:14I think.
16:16Close enough.
16:16We'll celebrate.
16:17It's a birthday tonight or tomorrow night.
16:19Yeah.
16:19But yeah, we became friends.
16:21I asked him to do a hosting bit
16:23on the Independent Spirit Awards with me
16:25and then a long time ago before the pandemic,
16:27and then we just became friends
16:29and we've been trying to make this movie together
16:31and nobody will give us money for it
16:34because it's so weird.
16:35But we will make that movie, John.
16:37I promise you that.
16:39What does John play in the show?
16:41John plays a orange Persian cat called Armando.
16:46Uh-huh.
16:47Who's kind of like the older cat.
16:49He's kind of like a queen from Queens.
16:51God.
16:52Yeah.
16:53Kind of, you know, he's like over humans.
16:55He hates humans.
16:56And he's kind of like a, he's a failed Broadway director.
17:00He ends up directing a theater troupe full of horses
17:05that are doing a production of Mame.
17:06Um, and we did get the rights to Mame for the show.
17:10So you will see a bunch, an actual, um...
17:12Wait, you actually, for the television show,
17:14Kevin got the rights to Mame.
17:15Yes, that was very hard.
17:17But did you have to be honest about how you were going to use it?
17:20Oh, yes.
17:20We had to, we had to tell them,
17:22no, it's horses performing Mame.
17:24Um, and, well, we got it.
17:25We got them there.
17:26We got it.
17:27That's incredible.
17:28Um, you did something, uh, I was very, uh,
17:32I've never heard of anybody going to see this live,
17:34but you went to the WNBA draft.
17:36Oh, yeah.
17:37Which happened last week.
17:38I did.
17:39And, uh...
17:42I will say, like, I saw, uh, I saw photos.
17:45I watched videos.
17:46Like, I love watching, uh, people sort of elevate
17:48from, like, their amateur to the professional ranks
17:50and find it very touching.
17:52Um, you were a fan of the WNBA.
17:54Was this something, have you been to a draft before?
17:56It was actually my second time.
17:58Wow.
17:58Yeah, I let go into the draft.
18:00Wow.
18:01Um, it was, yeah, it was really fun.
18:03My sister, um, Natalie and her wife, Zoe,
18:06um, and I planned to go.
18:09And then I was, I had dinner with, and Sue Bird,
18:11who's a WNBA icon.
18:12Okay, fantastic.
18:12Legend.
18:13Legend.
18:14And, um, I was, I had dinner with Sandra Bernhardt
18:16randomly the weekend before.
18:18And I didn't even know she was a fan of, of,
18:20of women's basketball.
18:21And she was like, honey, I love college basketball
18:24and you gotta get me to that draft!
18:25Um, she was like, honey, come on!
18:27And I was like, okay.
18:28So, um, she basically forced her way in there.
18:32Yeah.
18:32And, um, and then we all went.
18:34And we, yeah, we, we rolled pretty deep.
18:37That's fantastic.
18:38Um, here's, uh, here's your crew.
18:40There's, uh, Sue, Sandra, that's yourself.
18:42And then, uh...
18:42That's my sister.
18:43That's Zoe, her wife.
18:44That's me.
18:45That's Sandy and Sue Bird.
18:47And so, what is your, like, what is the best way
18:49to, like, watch the draft?
18:51Are you just, like, celebrating the moments
18:52everybody has?
18:53Yeah, I mean, we all had our own agendas.
18:55Like, Sandra wanted to, like, tackle Dawn Staley.
18:58And we had to hold her back, like, out of love.
19:00Right, right, right.
19:01She loves Dawn Staley.
19:02She was, like, you know, foaming at the mouth
19:03trying to get to Dawn.
19:04And, um, so we all have, you know,
19:06we geek out on this stuff because we're so,
19:08you know, we're such big fans of,
19:10of the women that play.
19:11And I think, for me, the most fun part
19:13is just watching the families at the draft.
19:15Yeah, of course.
19:16Um, because they're so, I mean,
19:18it's so exciting for the, for those women
19:20that, that get picked.
19:21And they're all, yeah.
19:22And they're all, it's just, it's very joyful.
19:27And, um, and this year more than ever
19:29because the women, they just signed a new contract.
19:32Yeah, they're actually going to make some money.
19:33With the league.
19:33Yeah, they got a raise.
19:36So, um, it's a really exciting time for, for the W.
19:40You played basketball growing up.
19:42I do.
19:43Your sister played basketball growing up.
19:44Yeah.
19:45Uh, who is the better basketball player?
19:47Um, me.
19:47Okay, great.
19:48Are you older or younger?
19:50I'm not, I'm not actually.
19:50Okay, gotcha.
19:51Were you a competitive, are you this sort of,
19:54like, when you're out there,
19:55do you have, like, a win at all costs mentality?
19:57Yeah.
19:58I'm a really big, like, soccer on the court.
20:00Got it.
20:01Um, so I would just drive people crazy
20:02with my mental game.
20:04Uh-huh.
20:04Um, just kind of psychologically
20:06try to freak them out.
20:07And it would really bother them a lot.
20:10I, I believe you're very good at that.
20:12Yeah.
20:13Because if you talk a lot while you're playing,
20:14it's distracting.
20:15Yeah.
20:16Um, especially when I'm in their face.
20:18Did it come naturally to you?
20:19Like, to be, like, sort of a, like a talking,
20:23like a lot, yeah.
20:24Yeah, right out of the thing, I was.
20:26You'll be able to tell right away with this one.
20:28They talk.
20:29I can tell you as a parent,
20:30they start talking immediately.
20:32Oh, God.
20:32Yeah, I don't even, yep, yep.
20:35Um, you also, uh, this is a tie-in to Kevin as well.
20:38You brought, uh, your co-star, uh,
20:40Nagatha all along, uh, Patti LuPone.
20:42You're, you're one-time roommate.
20:43Oh, yeah.
20:43You brought her to a WNBA game.
20:45Oh, yeah, Patti.
20:46And had Patti ever been to a WNBA game?
20:49No.
20:50Look at her face.
20:52Now, what was her take?
20:53Did she enjoy herself?
20:55Oh, she, she loved it.
20:56Can't you tell?
20:58Um, she's, it's her birthday too, by the way.
21:01You're just making it up.
21:04I swear to God.
21:05Really?
21:05I swear.
21:06Um, and then Patti, uh, Patti is also in, uh, Kevin.
21:11Yes, Patti LuPone plays a pony called Patti LuPone.
21:16Is she in Mame?
21:17She stars in Mame.
21:19She's not in Mame.
21:20She's a star of Mame, obviously.
21:22Um, as a pony.
21:25Yeah, that's right.
21:26Now, you have to watch this.
21:27So excited when you realize that you could get Patti LuPone to pay Patti LuPone?
21:31Patti LuPone will do whatever I want her to do.
21:35But did you call her?
21:36I mean, was that a fun phone call to make?
21:39Yes.
21:40Did you text her or call her?
21:42I, I don't know.
21:43I think I'm, I'm pretty sure I called her and I just said, hey, Patti, I'm going to need
21:47you to voice a pony on my cartoon.
21:50And she went, okay, doll, just tell me where to go.
21:53I was like, so where and when, doll, call my agent.
21:55I'll be there.
21:56She doesn't, she's a work horse.
21:58Yeah, she's a work horse.
21:59The greatest gift I feel like you can give her is to call her with work.
22:02She wants, she wants it.
22:03She wants to work.
22:04God love her.
22:04She does.
22:05Um, thanks for being here.
22:06Thanks for having me.
22:07Congrats on the show.
22:07Congrats on everything else.
22:28Our next guest, a very talented actor you know from his breakout role as Dustin Henderson
22:33in Stranger Things, as well as his work on Broadway and shows such as Dear Evan Hansen,
22:38Sweeney Todd and Les Miserables.
22:40He stars in the new comedy, Pizza Movie, which is streaming now on Hulu.
22:44Let's take a look.
22:46These duds?
22:47Guess so.
22:48Want to play Wizard's Oath?
22:49No, we can't.
22:50We need three people.
22:51I could play.
22:53No, it'd take too long to teach you the rules.
22:59Oh, no.
23:07Are you ready, kids?
23:09Yeah!
23:10Here we go!
23:12Everything's nice.
23:13Everything's cool.
23:14Everything's nice.
23:15Why are our hands stinking?
23:17No one's gonna die today.
23:19Please welcome to the show, Gaten Madereza, everybody!
23:35How are you?
23:36I'm doing very well.
23:37It's fun having you.
23:39As clips go, that's one of the weirder ones.
23:41I figured it's like, is that the clip they're using?
23:43That's the clip they're using.
23:44Yeah.
23:45Yeah, I would like to say that in context it makes more sense, but I don't think that
23:48that would be necessarily the truth.
23:50It's really impressive that you went from Stranger Things to something weirder.
23:54Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:55Like, people will look back, that's like, that was just, like, very normal stuff.
23:59That was the normal stuff for sure.
24:00That was the goal.
24:01That was the goal.
24:01Yeah, I think so.
24:02Congratulations on Stranger Things.
24:04An incredible run.
24:08And it does, I think one of the things that everybody has sort of enjoyed about how it
24:12all wrapped up was one, you know, obviously the work on screen, but it was very special
24:16to watch one, you guys grow up together, and it did seem like there was a real closeness
24:20to that group of people.
24:21Oh, yeah, for sure.
24:22And their family.
24:23I mean, we, like you said, we grew up together.
24:25We worked on it for a decade, and it's a long time to do anything, but especially during
24:30such formative years of our lives, it was basically half of our lives up to that point,
24:35so it was nuts.
24:36I, you know, obviously I was on a show for 10 years, and we were a little bit older when
24:40I did it, but, like, it's that same thing where you're just, like,
24:42with a group of people that long, and I actually, I feel like, I don't know, there's
24:46some similarities.
24:47I saw you and Finn getting interviewed once, and the way you were doing bits, like, it
24:50was like, you were kind of talking past the interviewer, and I'm like, oh, my God, this
24:53is like watching Bill and Fred do an interview.
24:56We felt terrible.
24:57It was probably, like, along, like, the part of the day where we were just probably pretty
25:02gassed out, like, at that point, and we just kept on going.
25:05But it was fun to realize, like, you guys, obviously, you were delighting each other, which
25:10is my favorite thing to watch on camera.
25:13Finn hosted SNL.
25:14Yes, he did.
25:14You got to show up.
25:15You got to show up.
25:18We were...
25:18Oh, he was great.
25:19His episode was unreal.
25:21And we were saying backstage, very, very nice to be able to experience SNL.
25:26Incredible.
25:26As a plus one.
25:27Exactly.
25:28That's the thing is that you got to see the chaos unfold, and there's no pressure whatsoever.
25:32So I got to watch him go to the monologue and have the whole week of prep, and I was
25:35talking to him the whole time, and him f***ing his pants over it, and I mean, I'm like, all
25:42right, I guess I'll show up on Saturday, and, yeah, it was the best.
25:46It's incredible.
25:46I don't know how you did that for as long as you did.
25:49Barely.
25:49Yeah, sure.
25:50The answer is barely.
25:51Another thing, pressure, I would imagine, is the finale of Stranger Things, and, you know,
25:56obviously, desperately wanting to nail the landing, and you guys, I was actually in theaters.
26:01Yes, it was.
26:01You wanted to see it in theaters.
26:02Very much so.
26:03It was very special.
26:04But you also did not, who could blame you, did not want all the extra attention of you
26:08being you going to see it, so you had a plan.
26:11A little bit, yeah.
26:12What was your plan to avoid detection?
26:14So there was a little bit of context leading up to this.
26:16I was just going to go.
26:17I was in Florida visiting my mom.
26:19She lives there.
26:20We were there for Christmas, and I wanted, like, to be able to go and enjoy, like, festivities
26:25where she lived, but kind of just not get recognized as much as I dressed up as the
26:30Grimm.
26:30So you went to the movie as the Grinch.
26:33But you kind of, you, uh, you gave me, you didn't, I won't, by the way, I also, I'm
26:41not judging.
26:41I would have also thought this was a good idea, but of course, it wasn't a good idea.
26:44You know, no, I got, it had the adverse effect.
26:47I feel like more people came up to me and asked me for pictures.
26:49Yeah.
26:49Because I was dressed up like the Grinch.
26:51Right.
26:52In a public setting.
26:53Like, if I was in a mall at Christmas and a Grinch was walking around, I would think
26:57you were there to take pictures.
26:58To take pictures.
26:59Of course.
27:00Uh, and it ended up happening.
27:01But I got to, like, I don't know, I got to have more fun, I got to do more bits
27:04as the
27:04Grinch.
27:05I think.
27:06Because then they could be like, man, that kid who was the Grinch was a real jerk.
27:10But I feel like, like, yeah, I'd be okay with that.
27:13You, uh, uh, so we watched the clip, uh, it's a pizza movie.
27:16This is, uh, it's a really funny premise.
27:18Just explain the clip a little bit.
27:20Yeah, please, please, please.
27:20You guys take some, you and your friend take some hallucinogenic drugs.
27:23Yes.
27:24Uh, there's six, uh, unique stages in how you're going to hallucinate.
27:27Yes.
27:28And the only way to stop the sort of, uh, awful sixth stage is to go down two floors and
27:33get a pizza.
27:34And grab our pizza.
27:35Yeah.
27:35Yes.
27:35It's a fictional, experimental hallucinogenic that we find in our dorm.
27:40Yeah.
27:41And, uh, these, these phases are kind of representative of, of, of classic stoner comedy tropes.
27:47And they, they increase with absurdity over the course of the night.
27:50And it's, it's kind of, it's just the attempt of how insane could we make the mundane task
27:56of ordering food while you're, while you're high B into a movie.
28:00And I think, yeah, I think we succeeded in that for sure.
28:05The visual representation of it is great, but what was it like when you first read the
28:09script?
28:10That was.
28:11Did you see it?
28:11Oh, man.
28:12I could.
28:12Like, could you, could you picture what it was going to be?
28:14Yeah.
28:14For the most part.
28:15There was, there was a lot of stuff that they admitted they knew that there was going to
28:18be tweaks and there were going to be edits as to how things were going to wrap up and
28:22where they were going to end up and different ideas of like who was going to end up with
28:25who and, and what it was going to look like.
28:28And I was excited about being on board for those conversations and I just remember reading
28:34it and thinking that I was never going to read anything like it again.
28:36So if I'm going to pass it up, I have to really consider if I'm, if I would feel very
28:41left out
28:42of a very fun experience, which doesn't seem like you can't be like, I'll pass on this one
28:46and the next one, like, yeah, the next head exploding sequence that lasts three minutes.
28:53That happens too.
28:54Yeah.
28:55Or if we say curse words, our heads explode and so we have to navigate our, our way, even
28:59though I have a very foul mouth.
29:01So I find it difficult.
29:02And you should watch it.
29:03Yeah.
29:04Um, uh, you got your start on Broadway.
29:06How old were you when you were in Les Mis?
29:08Uh, I started Les Mis, I started touring with Les Mis when I was 10 and then they transferred
29:13to Broadway when I was 11.
29:14That's a, that's a crazy age.
29:17Um, long time ago.
29:19What is, uh, what, what era, what era is this from?
29:23What are you doing here?
29:23This is the Broadway era.
29:24This is at 54 below.
29:26That's fantastic.
29:27There was a, there was a little cabaret that the cast of Les Mis did, I think probably on
29:30a, on a Sunday night.
29:31Oh yeah.
29:32I think it's Sunday night.
29:32So you were, you're an 11 or whatever, 12 year old cabaret performer as well.
29:36Cabaret performer.
29:36And this is my friend, Joshua Colley.
29:38He's in Hadestown right now.
29:39That's fantastic.
29:40You guys should go through.
29:41What, he's brilliant.
29:42What sort of songs are you guys singing on a night like that?
29:45Do you know?
29:46We sang at this night, this, we sang all for the best from Godspell, which is a classic.
29:50But the pitch of the show was, uh, it was called Beyond the Barricade.
29:54So it was like songs that are not showtime related songs that you would sing in the shower.
29:58And because we were 11 in the theater, the only songs we really knew and grew up on were
30:03more, it was more musical theater, but of course.
30:06So we sang some of that.
30:07You can watch it if you want.
30:09Um, uh, also very exciting.
30:10Um, I'm very excited for, uh, animated animal farm.
30:13Andy Serkis.
30:14A lot of things.
30:15A lot of things.
30:15Thank you for all these plugs.
30:16It's very interesting.
30:16No, no, of course.
30:17But, um, uh, I'm very excited to watch this, uh, Andy Serkis director today.
30:21He's fantastic.
30:22He's wonderful.
30:22And, uh, which animal do you voice in this one?
30:25I voice Lucky the pig.
30:26Great.
30:26Yes, he is a pig.
30:28Uh, which is actually, there is, it's actually a newer character written, uh, in the film
30:35that is kind of acts as the, the lens of, of how to look upon animal farm in the eyes
30:41of the screen, which has always been hard to do because of course in the novel it's eerily
30:47told in a non, in an unbiased kind of perspective.
30:50And they thought a really interesting way of introducing that would be through the eyes
30:54of a young pig who's very, very little and seeing everything unfold around him, but also
30:58in a position of great privilege in, I'm sure most people here have read Animal Farm and
31:03saying it doesn't go well.
31:04Um, and so I thought that that was an interesting idea and perspective to, to introduce.
31:10So I play, I play that young lad.
31:12Uh, I'm just so, uh, delighted to have you here finally, man.
31:15I'm a big fan.
31:16Likewise, dude.
31:16Thank you so much for being here.
31:17You guys, this is Gabe.
31:18Thanks, guys.
31:20Thanks for being singing out.
31:21We'll be right back with Dan.
31:23Oh, thank you.
31:37Our next guest is an Emmy award-winning actor, writer, and producer you know from shows
31:42such as Scandal, Hacks, and Web Therapy.
31:45He stars in and is an executive producer on The Comeback, which airs Sundays on HBO and
31:49HBO Max.
31:50Let's take a look.
31:50Jane, this is private, okay, so can you and the cameras please not come in?
31:55This is personal.
31:58Okay.
32:01Why do you have to get them?
32:02Valerie Jerish?
32:03Yeah.
32:03This is David Berkus.
32:05Uh-huh.
32:05Hi.
32:05I've asked David to do a session with us.
32:07David is a brilliant couples therapist.
32:09Uh-huh.
32:10And has cameras.
32:12Well, I'm producing this pilot on my own.
32:14Uh-huh.
32:15I mean, couples therapy content is so hot right now.
32:18Is it?
32:18Yeah.
32:19Well.
32:20Billy, you can't just suddenly put me in front of a therapist and expect me to talk
32:26on his show.
32:27You do everything in front of the camera, but suddenly, not when it benefits my mental health
32:33or career.
32:34You see?
32:35This is what I was talking about.
32:37Please welcome to the show, Dan Bogodinsky, everybody.
32:52How are you?
32:53I'm so happy you're here.
32:54Me too.
32:55I'm thrilled.
32:55This is the craziest, strangest run of any show ever.
32:59Season one, 2005.
33:01Yep.
33:02Season two, 2014.
33:04Season three, now.
33:05Yes.
33:06I was going to say, have you ever worked on anything like this before?
33:09But, like, no one has.
33:11No.
33:11It's the only show in history that took 22 years to make three seasons.
33:16And, no, obviously that wasn't the plan in the beginning.
33:18No.
33:19When you did the first season, I would assume the plan was the second season would be the
33:22next year.
33:23Yes.
33:23We were canceled.
33:24Yeah.
33:24And that's very sad.
33:26And it was very popular.
33:27I'm sorry.
33:27It was beloved.
33:29It was.
33:29It was.
33:29It had a niche audience.
33:31Yep.
33:31People who got it.
33:32And I think some people thought it was maybe ahead of its time.
33:34Yep.
33:35And we didn't get a pickup.
33:37And it was sad.
33:39And lo and behold, you know, 10 years later, the opportunity to make another season.
33:45So cancellation is not such a terrible thing, apparently.
33:48I mean, yeah, no, no, no, no.
33:50I would love not to try.
33:51We're not going to.
33:52Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:53No, I'm glad it's worked out for you, but I don't want to try that.
33:56No one tried to be canceled.
33:58And it must have been.
34:00It felt like a gift to get the chance to do eight more.
34:03It was such a blessing to do two, right?
34:05And at the end of two, we ended it in such a beautiful, dramatic way.
34:09And we thought it was over again.
34:11Yeah.
34:12And then everyone was like, you're going to do a third season of the comeback?
34:14And I was like, well, you never know.
34:16I mean, I guess the weird thing is because you had 10 years between your first and second
34:19season, people don't stop asking, right?
34:21Like, nobody goes up to, like, David Chase now and is like, you're going to do more Sopranos?
34:25Like, you know, but, like, you guys keep doing it, right?
34:28Exactly.
34:28And we're like, well, you never know.
34:29You never know.
34:30And as it turns out, and the thing is, we would always talk about it.
34:33We would always talk about, like, where do you think Valerie is right now?
34:36Right.
34:36And I was like, oh, my God.
34:37It would be so great to see her in London and, like, you know, Downton Abbey.
34:41Yeah.
34:41You know, going head-to-head with Maggie Smith.
34:45Yeah.
34:45But we needed a big story.
34:48And Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, who created the comeback, were like, those are
34:52little, you know, those are little incidents.
34:54A big story.
34:55Like, first season was about reality television threatening our business.
34:59And what's a big enough threat that would make it worth it to do a third season?
35:04And it was like, it was AI.
35:06And when you heard that it was going to be AI, did you just realize right away, like,
35:09oh, right, that's perfect.
35:10That is what it should be.
35:12Correct.
35:12I mean, I think Lisa was the first one who was like, oh, it's too bad that we couldn't
35:15see Valerie Cherish on the picket line.
35:17Like, how would she react to the strikes?
35:20And then the two of them looked at each other and were like, what if she was in the first
35:25sitcom written by AI?
35:26And it was like, oh, that has to happen.
35:30And they pitched it to HBO, and they were like, well, if you're going to do it, you have
35:33to do it right now.
35:34Right.
35:34And it was true.
35:36The two of them wrote all eight episodes.
35:38We shot them November to, August to November, and we're on the air now.
35:42Your character, Billy, was a publicist in the first season, and you're sort of feeling
35:46yourself now.
35:47You've gained power over the course of the 20-plus years we've been with the comeback.
35:51Yes.
35:52It must be fun.
35:53I mean, again, you also, you work with Lisa.
35:55You guys are friends.
35:56And so it just must be delightful to go to work every day and play this character as well.
36:00It is.
36:01It is.
36:01It's so fun.
36:02And Billy started off as this really rambunctious and, you know, a publicist with impulse control
36:08problems who shoved everybody in his path.
36:11And 20 years later, yes, we've been working together for a long time.
36:15We've been friends for a long time.
36:16To play Billy, who's finally getting the opportunity to call himself an executive producer, and
36:22realize that he might have, you know, there might be some stars shining on him soon, maybe.
36:29You and Lisa have both been in this business a long time.
36:32You're both very observant people.
36:34And because this is a show about show business, I would imagine people all the time are asking
36:38if any of the characters are based on them.
36:40Oh, yeah.
36:41First of all, there are so many women of a certain age who would call us from the beginning
36:46and over 22 years who are like, oh, you're writing about me.
36:48Right.
36:49You're writing about me.
36:49Valerie cherishes me.
36:50But the truth is, everybody is a conglomeration of a lot of people that we've seen in our business.
36:56And, you know, we come from, we're carnies, all of us, you know, and we're cracked, broken
37:02people, me included.
37:04And there's no reason we'd be in show business if we weren't.
37:06And so it really is a conglomeration of how desperately, how urgently people really want
37:13to win and to get seen and to be heard.
37:16One of the reasons the gay community responds so much to the comeback is because it's about
37:21a character who wants to be seen and heard, which is very common amongst, I hear, amongst
37:27the gay community.
37:28Yes.
37:28I think that's true.
37:30I want to ask about that because your kids are older than mine.
37:35You have a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old.
37:36I have kids, too.
37:37And it is funny, like, you know, we're in show business.
37:39Like, we have this piece of us that wants to be seen.
37:42Yeah.
37:42That, like, isn't, I sometimes worry is like an unhealthy thing to present to your children,
37:47right?
37:47Like, daddy cares about what other people think about daddy.
37:51Correct.
37:52And are your kids, I mean, again, they're of an age where they probably didn't grow up
37:56with your work, but do they ever see it?
37:57Do they ever stumble across, like, earlier work of yours?
38:00Oh, they stumble across it.
38:01They don't want to see it on purpose ever, ever.
38:04I mean...
38:05So if you say to watch it, they would never.
38:07My daughter has, my daughter literally recently said, like, are there any shows that you weren't
38:12on?
38:12Because I'm watching and then you come on and it's really annoying.
38:16What have you, what have you recently ruined for your daughter with a cameo?
38:19Um, I recently ruined, uh, the, uh, Chicago Med.
38:24Oh, wow.
38:25So she was just watching Chicago Med and then you show up.
38:27She was watching and there I was and she's like, dad!
38:29Yeah.
38:29And then she's like, this isn't a real hospital, it's a show!
38:32Just get, get off my TV!
38:35You took me out of it!
38:35And then occasionally, I hate to admit it, I want to seem cool to them and I did this
38:39movie, this Christmas movie with Lindsay Lohan and my daughter is 21 and it's a romantic
38:44comedy.
38:44Yeah.
38:45It's a Christmas movie, it's, there's something for everyone in it, someone gets stoned in
38:48it, I thought my son would love it and I was like, daddy's in this Netflix movie and, and
38:53I'm, I'm play the husband of Kristen Chenoweth, she was on Wicked.
38:57Yeah.
38:57I'm selling it so hard.
38:58You're coming so, it's so sweaty.
38:59It's so sweaty.
39:00The way you're sweaty, you're, I believe the kids would call this cringe.
39:03This was very cringe.
39:04Correct, they did not want to see it, they have not seen it.
39:06I was like, oh, you couldn't get him to watch it?
39:08No.
39:09I was like, quick, kids, daddy's playing straight and, and even.
39:13Even that?
39:14Even that, even that.
39:15They wouldn't even run in to watch daddy play straight.
39:17To see daddy with a, with a wife.
39:18Wow, unbelievable, unbelievable.
39:21The, the cruelty they, uh, they, they cause us to feel.
39:24I have to stop trying or acting like I care.
39:27You should just, you should have come in and been like, I'm in a Christmas movie, but it's
39:31not for you.
39:31Oh my God.
39:33Yeah, you're like, I think it would be over your head.
39:35Yeah, that's totally it.
39:36You don't think, I don't think you'd get it.
39:37That'll be the answer.
39:38And they'll be in their rooms, like Googling, all right, what's this Christmas movie?
39:41Yeah, yeah, what is this, what is this?
39:42Well, all right, for, for, for next, for the next Christmas movie.
39:44For sure.
39:44Thanks so much for being here, Dave.
39:45Thank you for having me.
39:46Congrats on the show.
40:07Come join the audience at Late Night Live in Studio A.G.
40:10For tickets, head over to LateNightSethTickets.com.
40:13Follow us at Late Night Seth on all social media platforms.
40:17Subscribe to Late Night Seth on YouTube.
40:19Find us online at LateNightSeth.com.
40:22And subscribe to the Late Night Podcast, featuring a closer look, guest interviews, and more.
40:27Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
40:37I want to thank my guests, Aubrey Plaza, Gabe Madarezzo, and Dan Bucatinski.
40:42Thanks for all the time.
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