June Squibb

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Visit apple.com slash HR accuracy. Hello everyone, this is Amy Poehler. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I'm in a different studio today, but don't worry, I have my fake food with me, so no need to panic. But I have the great June squib here today.

June is a legend. She is an incredible artist and wonderful person, and we talked about a lot of things today. We're gonna talk about Ellen or the great, her new movie that premiered at Cannes. We're gonna talk about what it was like being an actor in New York in the 1950s. Her love of sketch comedy, the fact that we were both an inside out.

And we're gonna just talk about her incredible career. And what is like being 95, which June makes it look real good. So I always like to do this at the beginning of every episode. We talk well behind our guests back, and we have someone who has worked with June in a great film called Nebraska. He is SNL alum and incredible actor and dear friend, Will Forte joining us from a trailer somewhere on the set of something.

Hi Will. This episode is presented to you by Walmart. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty good gift giver. And for me, it's about making the extra effort to find the perfect gift. Walmart has the top brands we all love in one place, Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it.

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Go to walmart.com or download the app to get all your gifts this season. Hello, how are you? Will Forte, it looks like you're in a trailer. I'm in a trailer. Where are we talking to you from?

I don't even know. I'm outside Midland somewhere. I'm like an hour south McDonough, I think it's called. McDonough, Georgia. We are talking to June Squib today.

Oh, get ready. Very excited for you. I'm very excited. You've met her before, right? You know what?

We only met once briefly at a Pixar event because we were both there for Inside Out 2. Wait, you came? Didn't you come to the Nebraska screening in New York? Well, I don't remember things. If you say I was there, sure.

But I don't have any memory of that. I think it might have been there, but it doesn't mean you ever met her. Like in fact, she might not have even been there. In fact, in case it wasn't there. If someone tells me something happened, I have to believe them.

Because if someone could come up to me at this point and say like, we were roommates in New York and I would say, okay. No. Because I cannot remember. Somebody asked me the other day if I met Oprah Winfrey. I couldn't answer.

I'm like, I love Oprah. I would, you would think that I would know if I met her. I can't remember. Where do you remember meeting June? I met June for the first time.

About a week before we started shooting Nebraska, we got together to do some little rehearsals. And she was just very instantly charming and maybe put me right at ease because I was very nervous about the experience. She was just so, so wonderful. What were you nervous about at the time? I just had never really done something that was more on the dramatic side, even though it's kind of a comedy and a drama.

But to do it on that scale with the director, Alexander Payne and then Bruce Dern and June Squibb, it was daunting. And how would you say June works? How does she like to work? Does she like to rehearse? Does she lose?

Does she really? From what I remember, June had the entire script memorized before we even started. You can ask her if that's true. But I'm pretty sure that she had memorized every one of her lines before we even started. Wow.

That's so clear. Like I'm somebody who really like, I try hard to make sure that everything is memorized. I don't want to be the person who screws that up. But I mean, I was just blown away by that. Like that was way over the top.

That's, I mean, when I've been doing research on her, she's such a formidable actress and started out in the theater and just has like a ton of experience and training. So it's not surprising to me, but that is a lot to memorize. Yeah. And she just was amazing. It's such a pro and at the same time, so warm and just you just love being around her.

You'll see. You know what I'm finding is so many people, I bet you've seen this too, like people 90 and over, non-engineerians or whatever, people tend to either speak to them like they're little kids. Like say like, how are you? Like are you having a nice day? Or they assume that they've got a ton of wisdom that they want to share.

Like they assume like they're, you know, tell us your secrets. Like, and what I've noticed about when I've done some research on June is June does not, you know, she's so together with it and in the moment, like she's not interested in being like this wise person who's learned all these lessons. She seems very current, I guess is the best way to put it. Yeah, I mean, she has that wisdom for sure, but isn't like she doesn't hit you in the base with it. She's just like, she's like the perfect person because she's like super sweet, but got a little spice to her also.

It's just a perfect combination. Did she ever like, did she ever give you some wisdom? Maybe a few times. A few times. Did she ever what?

Did she ever give you any wisdom? Or did she ever like have a little sharp tongue like little spice that you saw while you were working together? Well, that's the thing is like she's so sweet, but then she, the part that she plays in the movie is, you know, she's defending the family and she gets really spicy. Okay, so do you have a question you think we should ask June? Anything you think you'd want to hear on this podcast?

June, my question is, what is your favorite food and why? And will you please tell me in song, answer the question in song, an existing or made up song? Well, I mean, hopefully we can get the rights to whatever thing she sings, but that's a perfect question. Well, you want to take it one more time? Yeah, and just play around with it.

Have fun. What is the, oh my God. Okay. No pressure, but we are getting ready to break for lunch. So let's whenever you're ready.

Oh, this is going to happen. June, hello. I love you and I miss you. You are one of the most wonderful people I've ever gotten to work with. My question to you is this, what is your favorite food and why?

And please answer this question in song. And that song must be in the public domain. Thank you. Perfect question. Forti, do you think you're going to live to 95 and do you want to?

I know that I have, the Ouija board has said I will be dead at 73 by stabbing, but I think I'm going to figure out a way like whoever makes it through those final destination movies. I'm going to be that guy and I will make it to 95. I believe it. How about you? I hope so.

I definitely want, I want to make it to 100. And June is aspirational to me. I want to be like June at 95, working occasionally, having fun, having fun with my friends, like being really sharp. I, she is an amazing role model. And I'm with you.

Yeah, I can't wait to have her. All right. I love you so much. Thank you so much for getting on and doing this in the middle of your work day. Have fun with her.

I'm jealous you get to talk to her for so long. Thanks buddy. Tell her hi for me. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats.

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You know someone asked me today, they said, have you met June? And I said, what, we've met in that like Hollywood way where we've just like seen each other at events. But we haven't really been able to. I remember Scarlet and I saw you at the rehearsal for the Oscar presenters. That's right.

That's right. That's the last time I think I saw you. And a lot of people don't know that you have to kind of show up for those events and rehearse her stage. Yeah. Which is kind of good because you have to see where to walk in.

Oh, I would have been, you know, I had never done it before. I'm sure she has. But I hadn't. And so it was all completely, you know, new to me. Yeah.

Now where you go, what you do, everything. You are in a new movie right now that's Scarlet directed. It's Scarlet directed, yes. And one of the great. Her directing debut.

Yes, feature. The feature, excuse me. Do you like working with first time directors? I do. And I've worked with quite a few.

Yeah. What do you like about it? I find if they're good, they're good, you know, if they know what they're doing. And first time directors so often do. And I think that many of them work hard at finding out what to do.

You know, if they're confused or not sure, they try to make sure they find out the answers. Do you have a style or a way that you like to be directed? Do you like more thoughts right away? Do you like rehearsals? Do you like, do you like, do you have a way to prep in a way that you like?

I certainly prep in a certain way. Yeah. I learn by just going over and over and over. But in doing that, I'm studying the script. So I know that script backwards and forward by the time I get on set.

I really do. I just feel, you know, I know everything about it. Do you think it comes from your training? Yeah. I think I was in theater for so many years.

And the learning process is different because there you usually learn as you rehearse. And of course with film, we learn and then go do it. Yeah. So it is a difference. But basically with theater, God, did we ever learn the on time thing, you know, which is so everybody preaches in film all the time to.

Yeah. I feel like, I mean, I don't think enough people know your extensive theater background and where you started. And you know, you were also married to an acting teacher and you studied a lot and you did a lot of things. And can you tell me a little bit about what it was like in the 1950s to move to New York as an actor? I mean, it was wonderful.

Oh, I loved it. I loved it. I felt I breathed really fully for the first time in my life. And I had had five years at the Cleveland Playhouse. So that prepared me in so many ways for New York.

But there was nothing like New York and being young in New York, being in the theater. And I was one of the lucky ones that started working fairly soon. Where were you living when you first moved to New York? We lived. There were three of us, my first husband and a very dear friend, Jack Lee, who was a Broadway conductor before his career ended.

And we lived in a funny apartment that they took down for Lincoln Center. Oh, wow. Yes, we lived there for two or three years and then they sort of bought us out. And then we moved though to a very duplex in the village. And it, oh, Albie moved in after we did.

Edward Albie? Edward Albie? Yes. The playwright? Yes.

It was a wonderful apartment, had a garden and everything. Do you remember what the rent was? I think it was about $200. And that was humongous to us, of course, at the time. We can't afford this.

Three of us. What was the vibe in being in New York in that time? Because what was the post-war booney vibe of the 50s in New York? What did it feel like? I think it was very up.

I remember that. And of course, we were seeing a lot of theater. And we saw all the big music. We saw the original Fair Lady, the original music man. We saw West Side Story in its second or third week of playing.

Who was on stage then, do you remember? Well, was it Cheetah? Cheetah. And I knew a lot of the dancers at the time. And I don't remember their names.

Wow, that's so cool. But it was a wonderful time in musical theater. And many people don't know this. My first 20 years in New York was spent in musical theater. That's right.

I did either musical theater, cabaret, reviews. Some nightclub, I had an act with another comic actor. You did? A comic actor? What kind of stuff would you guys do?

Well, we wrote everything. And I remember we wrote, I wore an a-pad and a beautiful blue dress, just a real frothy dress. And he sang about loving his girlfriend, no matter what. Well, and then cabaret did the same thing afterwards. And this was before cabaret when we did it in our act.

What happened to that partner? Barry Denon. Well, we actually broke up the act because he was offered cabaret in London as the MC. And I was offered happy time for Broadway. So we both felt we wanted to keep working singly.

So we broke up the act. Wow. But we did some television. We did a little. What did you do?

What television did you do back then? IMDB June is incredible. I feel like I could shout out a million shows. Maybe I was on a million shows. But what did you do?

It was some review thing. I don't even remember what it was. I think it was local. But we also we did some of the small clubs in New York. Wow.

I just feel like it would be so cool to time travel back to that time. Oh, it was wonderful. I mean, and I think that everybody was like eager to be there. I mean, it was like the place to be in the world to all of us. Yeah.

It still feels that way, though. I have to say, you know, I moved to New York in 96. And it still felt like when you arrived there, at least for me, it felt like some version of your life was beginning. Yeah. Basically.

I felt well, I lived there for 65 years before moving out here. Yeah. Wow. Your family, your mom had had a job that is. It's such a great job because it just doesn't exist anywhere, which is your mother.

What was your mother's job? My mother played piano for Silent Films. How did she start doing that? And well, she was a piano player. And my grandfather owned the music store.

So they were sort of into all the music that was happening in the area. He had a store in I grew up in Van Dalia, Illinois, and there was another store in Centralia, Illinois, that he owned. So they were big in music. And I'm sure that's how it happened. So were you were your mom's teaching you how to sing and play from an early age?

Oh, no. She played the piano. And she taught piano. And because she taught piano playing piano, I didn't want to have anything to do with the piano. And then she tried to teach me.

And it didn't work out. So she sent me to another teacher in Van Dalia. And that didn't work out. And so the teacher said, I think June maybe should give up on the piano. So she sent me back to my mother.

So my mother said, well, I'm going to try again. So she was giving me a lesson. And she went outside for some reason. She came back. And I was playing the piano with my feet.

I never had to touch a piano. I can't. I got out of it. She saw me and she said, this is it. Yeah.

I mean, isn't it funny that it's kind of like the last thing you want to do often is the thing your parents are doing? Yeah. And what did they think about you being an actor? Were they supportive? Were they?

I think my father was somewhat supportive. My mother was never. She saw me on Broadway doing a supporting role in a big musical and said, well, do you think you'll come home now? I don't think so. And I was married again.

I mean, you know, it was ridiculous. But in her mind, I might decide to go home again. Well, I don't think people remember that now in this world where everybody is creating content and being famous and trying to be. I don't think people remember during that time, acting was a very treacherous, uneven profession. And so many people didn't make it.

I mean, I have been lucky with my career and I would think you feel the same way. Absolutely. Yes. And so many really talented people. I mean, it's a very difficult career to watch.

But I see you do that I feel like I relate to is like, I've always wanted diversity and longevity in my career. But half the battle is hanging in there, like just kind of getting rejected a lot and just kind of hanging in and believing in yourself. Because it can be a really long runway for you. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Who was someone that you worked with when you were young and you thought, I feel like I'm in the right place? I think with Ethel Merman, with Gypsy. And I was with that show eight months on Broadway and then eight months on the road with her. And she was an amazing woman, an amazing woman. And everybody loved her that was in the company.

She was very much a housefrow. She loved gossip. She loved to hear everything she could about anybody in the show. And she used to tell me dirty jokes all the time. She would be, we were getting ready.

I was behind a scrim. I was an elector, so I was doing my light bulbs. And she was getting ready to come on. And she would sign up behind me. Joke, joke.

And then she would tell me a dirty joke. I don't know how far you're at. Queen, what do you mean doing your light bulbs? Well, I had a costume. And you had to do your own light bulbs?

Yeah. And on the front and in the rear and the crotch. I had bulbs that lit up. And you did the buttons like this? I'm sure they do it entirely differently now, because it's running on Broadway right now.

But then that's when these long wires went all the way up. And it was heavy, because I had this huge battery in the mic. I mean, that term doing my light bulbs sounds like it could be an old Broadway joke. Like he was fired for trying to do my light bulbs. I had that a few times too.

I mean, you do. I mean, you could probably write a book about how so much has changed. Oh, God, yes. And I can only imagine that you had to deal with a lot of, you know, inappropriate behavior. It was a completely different time.

But you know, it's funny because I have friends and we were both dancers. I mean, I danced a lot. And we used it when the two things started. We looked at each other as me too. What do you mean?

I know. And then we talked about it. And you know, we both said, oh my God, if we'd had this when we were coming up, you know, but we both said the same thing. We both knew when to say no. I knew when it was going to be not good for me.

And so that was it, you know. But I feel you look at when I when when my generation kind of looks at the generations below and notices the things that they don't put up with anymore. And it really makes you take stock of the stuff that you put up with. That you did put up with, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Who's your favorite dancer? Jacques Dambois. And I've seen him dance up club. I mean, you're a real not just television of the film.

You have. Oh, yeah. I saw him. He was a guest at a theater. And I guess it was Kansas City.

Or no, Dallas too. All these big theaters. I worked a lot in those. And he was doing a leading role in one of them. And I saw a rehearsal of it.

Wow. But I just think his career, I mean, and he's still going. He is. He has a group. Well, I'm sure he's in his 80s or 90s now.

Everybody's in their 90s now. Right. Yes, they are. I'm glad you said this. It's really true so many people here.

Non-engineerics. We're all living so much longer, right? You can't get rid of it. It's fantastic. I mean, there are so many people in their 90s now.

It's fantastic. I mean, my dear friend who passed Norman Lear. Oh, yes. He made it to 101. And Carl Reiner and who passed.

And Mel Brooks, who's still like, there's just a lot of. It's almost like it's amazing. 200? OK. Do you want to make it 200?

Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah. That's a great number. My agents say I'll still be working.

So I don't know about that. I know you love seeing in the rain. You also love Gene Kelly too, right? I know. I loved his dance.

Me too. I loved him as a dancer. I think it's some of the best dancing. And I love Donald O'Connor. I thought his dancing was rather underrated, really.

I think he was so much better than many people realized. And Debbie was good. Debbie was very good in it. They all were. And that wonderful woman who was so funny, who played the actress.

I have a laptop. I can find out who it is. Look, we can't look who it is. I mean, June, I can't remember anybody's name. So OK, singing in the rain.

She played. I can't remember her character name, but it was the actor. Gene Hagan. Gene Hagan. Yeah.

She was so funny. You grew up in the Midwest. And people think I grew up in the Midwest, because I did a show that took place in a fictional town. But what I love about people from the Midwest is a real sense of community and forthrightness. Do you think that that is true?

Do you find that to be true? Yeah, I think the forthrightness is I think because everybody just sort of always says what they think. Yeah, it's true. Yeah, I think they do. Even to the detriment of perhaps the person listening.

But they say it. Yeah, I think that there's a straightforwardness that's very nice to be. I find it very nice to be around. Do you find, like, in your life, did any of that Midwest stuff travel in and air your work? Or the?

Oh, very much so. Yeah. I think it did very much. I think there's a stick to it is to it is, nuss. And I think that that's very Midwestern.

Agree. I mean, it's like you've got a job, so you do it. And no matter what that job is, if it's yours, then you have to do it. I spent some years in Chicago. I just feel like there was a sense there of exactly what you just said, one foot in front of the other.

There wasn't a ton of complaining. You don't complain. Yeah. You just do what you're supposed to be doing. Do you feel you do that?

I think I do. Yeah, I think that's something that has been a part of me. And we were very far south. We were on a line with St. Louis, Missouri, which is considered a southern city, really.

And my accent, I still had a southern. I probably still do have a southern sound. And they tried to take. I remember when I went to the Cleveland Playhouse. One actor went out of his way to take the Midwest southern out of my voice.

And he did, for the most part. Interesting. So by the time I went into New York, it was more, you know, it wasn't a southern. It was like voice lessons to flatten that out. Yeah.

Or not flatten it out, maybe take it. Not flatten it out. Yeah. Lemon. Which one?

Lemon. That's lemon. Got you, Lemon. Lemon brothers. Lemon.

I had lemon in my tea. Lemon. Oh, let's see. I know with my Boston accent, I had a hard time when I would do, when I had to say it a lot on Parks and Rec, or I had to say the word, I still have to swallow before I say it. Government.

Government? Something about my Boston accent makes me want to say government. Oh, yes. I can't hear that. But it's government.

Government. Government. That was a hard one for me. And when you get, does your accent come back at all when you're with people? If I get tired, it does.

I get very southern if I get tired. Picture. Picture. Picture. Yeah.

That's another one. Do you like doing accents? I don't. I'm not great at accents. And supposedly, if you have a southern accent, it's harder for you to do accents.

Oh. I don't know why. I think it's the slowness that you're, I don't know. But I've been told that or I've read that or something. Have you ever had to do an accent in a film or a part that was challenging?

Yeah. I do. I can do Irish fairly well. I've done that on stage and in film. And but I'm just not, I don't have that kind of year.

I really don't. No, you mean, I think you either have it or you don't. It's amazing to watch like a real mimics book and pick it up fast. And I mean, you know, it, it, I mean, some people could just read and do it. And you know, what do you want Polish?

Okay. I mean, I can't do that. I mean, I can do it if I work at it a long time, but you know, you can't just throw something like that at me or I can't. I won't. I'm not going to throw it at you.

I'm good. We're going to be the rest of this interview and we're going to pretend we're friends. That's okay. Having come from musicals, are you hoping to do more musical stuff? Like, do you want to ever have you been able to do anything musical?

I did a glee and I think I did three numbers in it. What did you sing? Memories. Cats. But Chris Colfer and I sang that together.

You guys are buddies. Yes, we are heavy duty buddies. And we did another, I can't even know what numbers it was, but memories was the big one that we had. What, what, what's so great about Chris? What do you love about Chris Colfer?

He seems like he's. Oh, well, I met him on glee and he had written a script and was doing the lead and it was Peter Pan and I was playing Wendy. It's a whole story. But anyway, so we worked together so closely and I think we were shooting. It was big scenes and I think we shot like a week and a half or two weeks ago.

It was a long shoot and I just sort of got to know him and liked him a lot. And so we started then having dinner together and he has a great partner. Will Sherrod who I adore too. So it was just, you know, great fun. What do you, what do you get?

What do you learn from and get out of people who are younger than you? Because I mean, as an older person, I feel like what happens is people want to ask you for a lot of wisdom. Oh, no, no. They know they're not going to get it. So they don't, they don't ask that at all for me in any way.

Yeah. And I feel like people really project on that on people that are older that they have something they want to share when in my experience younger people teach me stuff all the time. Oh, yeah. Like I learn a lot from them. What do you learn from people like Chris and I know you have a lot of younger friends.

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I just, if I like someone, I don't think I ever think in terms of how old they are. You know, if I feel an affinity, you know, that there's something here that I want to be more a part of, you know, I mean, why would I tell anyone what to do? Well, because I think people in their 90s are treated like astronauts.

I think people are like, you, you're, you've got to go somewhere. You're there and what are you bringing back? Like, I think people really, you know, I mean, it's people, you know, we're all afraid to die. Mortality is the thing we're obsessed with. And when people are in their 90s, I think there's some people want to know the secret.

They want, they think you got something in your pocket. Well, I don't think any of my friends feel it. Let's just go to that one. We're sort of on an even key. You know, keep me happy or forget it.

What age do you feel you are? 35. I always feel I'm 35. I don't know what I felt when I was younger than 35. But as I got older, I kept referring back to 35.

I don't know why. I deeply remember my 35th birthday too. Do you? Maybe when you were 35, what year was that? Where were you?

Well, I was in New York. I don't know. I don't remember why 35 is so important. I think it's because I remember my mother at 35. There was something very grand about her at 35, which I did not always find as she got older or even younger than that.

But somehow her, my mother at 35 was great. I agree with you that when we meet people, I feel like we meet them. And we meet very old wise, 25-year-olds. And we meet really all over the place, hectic, 95-year-olds. We meet all of those people.

Like the age doesn't have a lot to do with where you're at. No, it really doesn't. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Marshall's. Fall fashion is well and truly on the way.

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Learn more at AMX.ca slash YAMX. It makes me think about what we're talking about, kind of makes me think about what we worked on together, this film Inside Out, Inside Out 2, because it's kind of, there's some themes in there too about the idea of time passing. And for people who haven't recognized June's voice yet, as they've been listening to it, but you played nostalgia. It was nostalgia. What I loved about nostalgia when she comes in, and she's drinking her tea, is that it's kind of Buddhist what nostalgia does, because nostalgia kind of says, remember.

Basically, remember when we were all getting along, but she keeps coming in during chaos to kick everybody back to, let's just take a minute and remember. It feels very, I don't know. But I keep pushing her out. I know, it's kind of interesting why they don't want to get nostalgic in that moment. What did you do?

Are you a nostalgic person? Not terribly. Yeah. I've always been like what's going to happen, even as a young person, I was like that. Yeah, what's next?

Yeah. And do you think that's one of the reasons why you've worked so much and had such a long career as you've been feeling? I think it probably has a lot to do with a career. Yeah. And they're working so much.

I mean, when I started out, I would have done anything. And I think you have to. I think when you're just starting either out here in Hollywood or in New York, wherever you are, or Chicago, because there's a big group there, you have to do everything. You can't say no to anything because it's working, keeping that thing going that is going to save you. Well, I know you describe yourself as a character actor.

And I love the way you talk about how you approach. You know, you're obviously done these amazing films in which you've led them and been number one in the call sheet and been nominated for awards. And you've done so much work where you have been part of an ensemble, part of a, and you talk a lot about how you treat them the same. I do. Yeah.

Why? Well, to be honest with you, I feel if I'm doing it, it's the most important thing in the film. I've always felt bad. And that just carries through. I mean, you know, and I think too, you know, you've seen films where somebody comes in and does one scene and you, wow, who's that?

I mean, you just don't know. Yeah. And I just, I like the work. I enjoy doing what you do to get it up there on the screen. When you worked on your performances in about Schmidt and Raska are so good.

Your Selma is so great. You and Fred are so great in that together. And then Eleanor are the great. Work on films like that with directors. Like, and you've got, you've memorized your script.

Do you like to come in feeling like you know who you are already? Or are you, are you hoping that that gets kind of shaped as you're working? I think it's more shaped as it goes on. And you know, I think I know a lot, but I also work with no idea what I'm going to do. I have none.

Yeah. So what happens is what happens hits me. And then that's how I react. Who are some of your favorite scene partners? Where you felt like you were in scene with them and you, there was a vibe that was really working.

About, yeah. Well, Richard Roundtree and Fred in Thelma. I think they were both kind of amazing. Yeah. And Eleanor, Erin as the young girl that we have so much together.

And what Jack Nicholson, he was, he was so great and so wonderful to work with. And he always made me feel like a peer. He never once. Well, he better. He was.

Yeah. Well, but you know, I came in and he could. So easily have been, I'm Jack Nicholson and you're not, you know, that one of those. Yeah. And he never ever that I appreciate that so much with him.

Yeah. Love to hear that. Did you ever have a young actor in their first role or film and you've thought, oh, they're very good. And then see them, you know, ascend over like, does anyone come to mind? I did send a woman and, Oh God, what is his name?

We can look it up. We've got, you know, Chris O'Donnell, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Oh, wow. Yeah. It was so funny because I had a, I had a scene with both Chris and Philip and I came home and I said, boy, I just worked with this young kid and he is going to be so big.

I said, this kid's going to be a star. I knew it. I mean, and I really don't do that very often. I mean, I don't. What did you see?

What did you remember seeing? I don't know what it was. There was something about him and he was, he was, he was never like standing out. He was always a part of he and Chris. He and the other boys, you know, that is, I mean, he didn't push anything.

He was amazing. But you knew, I knew just a minute I worked with him. He was such a talented actor. Oh, yes. Did you get to work with him again?

No, I never did. They used to tease me because my character's name was Hunsacker. So they called me the Hun and they would tease me all the time. And we lived in this motel, all of us, because we were shooting outside of New York and he and Chris constantly were trying to get me to go have booze and beer in the bar downstairs. And I would go once or twice, but I was a big Knicks fan.

And so I would sit there watching the Knicks and they'd be up with the bar drinking. Yeah, are you a basketball fan? I am. Who, are you a big sports fan in general? Not, not hugely.

I played basketball at high school and I loved it. And I started watching the Knicks when I lived in New York. Were you a guard? I mean, you don't have the height. I was a guard.

I was a guard. I could have stopped anything. I was really good at it. That's cool. Wow.

And do you, were you a sporty kid? Yeah, I ran. I was a pretty good runner and the tumbling, you know, that you do in the gym and I was a cheerleader. You had to be sort of sporty for that. And a drum major at.

Yeah. And they're all sort of sporty. It's more or less. And like in your, you know, 70s, 80s and 90s, what do you, how do you stay? I mean, you're very physically fit.

What do you do? I do Pilates once a week for an hour on the reformer or on the floor. Someone that was some just stretching and then wait stuff. Yeah. I have two different massagers and masseuses.

And I try to walk. I try not to just sit all the time. No, you have a, you, we spoke a little bit about your late husband who was an acting teacher and who taught, I thought this was really wonderful, taught, worked with Margot Martindale's husband or and you got you and Margot were neighbors and are still remained very good friends. And Margot is such a terrific actress. She's happened.

And is this a true story that she got the script for? Nebraska? Yes, it is true. What's that story? I was coming out of my apartment and she was coming out of hers and she said, Hey, she said, have you heard about this new film, Nebraska?

And I said, no, she said, you've got to tell your agents about it. She said, you should be doing this role. And she said, they sent it to me, but she said, I'm too young. She said, I really am too young. And she said, it's a wonderful role.

So that sort of started it. And so I talked, I talked to my agents about it and they kept up and since I had already done about Schmidt with Alexander and the thing was that they didn't, Alexander and the casting director both thought I was wrong for the for Nebraska. And I said, they think I'm that little lady from about Schmidt. And that's exactly what it was. My agents kept at them to the point where they finally said, have her send, you know, we'll send a script or send some scenes and have her send a tape in.

So that's what happened. Wow. And Alexander again said, the minute I saw it, I knew you should do it, but he said, it was so funny because for about Schmidt, he had cast it from somebody out here. And I was in New York and my agents kept pushing the pushing, pushing, pushing. Finally, they again said, just tell her to send a tape in.

I'm sure they thought that would be the and Alexander told me, he said, I saw that tape and knew you had to do it. Well, we do this thing on this podcast where we have people talk to me before I talk to the guests and give me a question, ask. And we kind of try to talk well behind people's back. So I was talking with Will Forte earlier. And he had.

I adore him. I know. And he adores you. Yes. And he was on set of a new movie in a trailer and we got him on Zoom to tell us what it was like working with you and then just to give you a question, to give me a question, ask you, what was it like working with Will?

Oh, he's great. And he was so scared because you can't say, I'm a comic. I'm a comic. We all know you're an actor now. Will just shut up and do it.

You know? And so that, you know, he was wonderful. He was so great. And then he went to Cannes the first time I went. He and I and Brewster.

Yeah. What was it like working with Brewster? Oh, Brewster's great. This is one hell of an actor. He really is a great actor.

Yeah. Guys were great together. Yeah. Um, so Will wanted me to ask you. Um, this was his question for you.

And he wanted me to tell you June, I love you. Um, I love everything about you. Um, what is your favorite food? And could you tell us about it in song? Oh, no pressure, June.

Well, my favorite food or papusas. I have a cook who's from set. But what are the islands that she or her mother makes? Papusas for me. All the good, good, I love.

I see. Papusas. Papusas. Papusas. I love you.

Yeah. They're real for today. What are the last songs from South Pacific? That's beautiful. That's like the new, um, Peach's song, the Jack Black thing.

Um, so the other thing I wanted to ask you about is I'm the mother of boys. You have a son and he is in the business. You're right, writer, director. Um, what was it like, you know, you were working mother in the 70s. What was it like being a working mother in the 70s?

Much different. He was born in 70s. He was born in 70s. Yeah. So 80s, I guess.

The 80s, what was it like? Well, by then he was, I think at high school. So he was pretty, you know, in New York, he was pretty loose. Oh, yeah. You guys were in New York.

Yeah. Yeah. And do you ever work together? Do you? Yes.

I did, I did some films for him. I did in New York and out here both. And, um, gosh, he, but I don't know, he was just a little family of three. Yeah. And we didn't get off.

And I went off, but he had his dad there always. And, um, and you, and your ex husband, Charles, was an acting teacher. Did you work with him on your stuff? That was really interesting. What did you learn from him?

Well, everything, truly, because, you know, my work as a, as a performer, really, in musicals, I mean, I considered myself pretty realistic. And I was considered one of the more realistic actors doing musical theater. But, uh, Charlie, when I met him and we met doing a musical in stock and he said, you could be a really fine actress if you really do what you were doing. And he was right. I mean, and he, I remember going into his class and it was hard because, I mean, it was like tearing down everything that I believed or thought I was doing, you know, and to put something else in there.

And I was crying and he was yelling at me and the, all the kids in the class were laughing. They thought, Oh, this is pretty funny. So we went through this awful screaming and yelling and everything. But I mean, truly, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if it were not for him. Honestly, it seems very passionate.

It was. I mean, he was determined almost more determined than I was to do it. He was determined I was going to do it. Hmm. That must have been nice to have someone in your corner like that.

And it was interesting because I, we worked together them for years and I was auditioning for a regional theater, a script that I liked a lot and wanted to do. And he always helped me at home. And I said, you know, I have this audition. And he said, I'm not going to help you. And I said, no, I need help.

And he said, no, you know what you're doing. You do it. This is very exciting foreplay that you're talking about. And yeah. And no, I know it wasn't.

It was like, you know, but we kept and then I got the role and I said, you've got to help me. Yeah. He refused again. He died about six months later. Wow.

And I think he knew somehow that he had to like push me out or out of the nest. Well, June, that's wild. He maybe sensed something. I think so. So do you feel like in the early days, you were kind of dependent on his?

Oh, very much. So, yeah, I couldn't, I felt, you know, I couldn't do it if he didn't help me. He sent me straight. Yeah. And he just, and that was, he just refused and he never once helped me after that.

And how old were you when he passed? 99, 1999. Right. So I have no idea. I mean, I can't do that.

We have to do that. Let's not do it. Outrageous. And did you ever consider dating or did you date after that? I did date a little bit, but I did a little bit in New York and I dated some out.

What's what's dating like in your 80s? Not very interesting. It really wasn't. Yeah. I did.

You know what? No, nobody came along that really excited me. And I was working all the time, you know, so I just sort of went by the wayside. Well, you know, I mean, do you feel like what I ask a lot of my guests is, but you have friendships now, especially female friendships are probably, you know, they span many decades. What are they, what are they continue to do for you?

Even, you know, into your nights? Well, I think mentally, I think without them, I would, you know, I need that, I think, you know, the mental push, the mental excitement. Yeah. Yeah. And someone who kind of knows your story.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we still, I mean, I have two female friends that I'm very, very close to. And I see them all the time.

So it's great. Yeah. What are you, what are you doing right now? What do you listen to, watch, read that makes you laugh? You know, when you want to laugh, when you want to check out, I watch Saturday Night Live.

Or what do you do? Oh, yes. Every week, not every week, but a lot. So good. Who are some of your fav performers on that show right now?

I love Colin. I mean, I just think he and Michael Chay together just knocked me out. But so you like sketch comedy. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And I did it, you know. So I really sort of, I have a thing. I understand that you know, like what kind of shows did you like in the comment? Were you like a Python fan?

Were you laughing? I liked laughing. Yeah. The buzzy was a really good friend of mine. Ruth Busy was a friend of yours.

We worked together in reviews in New York, actually in Provincetown. Tell me about that. Ruth Busy, like, well, she and I worked in the same little group. I love you called her Busy. Yeah.

Yeah. Sorry. That's what everybody calls. I didn't know that. I called her Ruth Busy.

Ruth Busy. No, Busy, Busy. And so we worked together. We did a ship. We did a cruise ship together and we did some nightclubs in New York together.

And then she had gone to Promenstown the year before and they needed someone. The summer coming up as a summer job. And she suggested me. So they talked to me and then they hired me. So we had the whole summer together.

Oh, that's fun. Yeah. And do you ever watch the neighborhood? That to me is funny. Max Greenfield.

Yes. And Cedric. Yes. Yes. So funny.

They are funny. They are really funny. Max is so funny. He used to be part of those like comedy, Deaf Jam, a bunch of standups together. And he was so funny.

That's a good show. I'm amazed at him. I watch him on the show because of how he he knows he's going to do it. And it's comedy, but he's just sort of like, I don't know. He's wonderful.

Did you ever see that got arrested on stage? Oh, I know who you mean. Let's play this game. Let's see how long. OK, I heard that for memory, you shouldn't look things up.

You should try to visualize. Put it. OK, we're going to do it. Putting the. Let me.

Let me. Let me. Oh, my God. Yes. Let him.

Oh, my God. I did see him in Chicago. I know you would see him. What was that like? Do you remember seeing him?

Yes, I remember that everybody. Oh, because he could say these things. Yeah, he was an interesting guy. And that, I mean, I think that's going back to where we started our conversation. There's something about why would have loved to have been, and it must have been so cool to have been in the city during that time in the 50s and 60s when everything was just starting to unravel in an interesting way.

You know, I keep thinking I can remember being worried about things. And again, it passed. And I hope that's what happens with us now. It too will pass, but I don't know. Yeah.

I don't know. Well, I think that is the one thing that a long life gives you is you get to see. I think a lot pass. But it's just yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I love our time together, June. Thank you for coming and doing this. It's been so great.

I mean, I just I think you're such an incredible talent. And I'd love to be your friend. And I know this is awkward, but I tend to bully people into being my friend. So you don't have to bully me. OK, so if it's if you would accept the invite, I would love it.

I would love to be. Yeah. Considerate. I'd love for us to be new friends. Yeah.

And I know it's awkward. I'm asking you on this podcast. What are you going to do? Say no. No, no, June just hands me.

June hands me your card and it just five, five, five, five, five. I'll call you next week. Thank you so much. You're doing this, this has been the best. I hope you had a good time.

I did a great time. Great. And I got a mocha. Oh, gosh, your mocha. We even sip it.

Sip some of that mocha. It's going to be watery now. It's still good. Thank you so much, June. Sway, but my new best friend, you heard it here.

If you can't take it back, we recorded it. June, you're the best. So such a great artist and person. Thank you so much for coming in. And June talked about a lot of exciting musical theater.

So for today's Polar Plunge, I just want to just take a moment to say that West Side Story was so important to me as a young person and that being able to even picture the original musical and seeing it on stage in its first week or two that June talked about. I don't know. If you haven't seen the film, watch it. I'm sure there are productions, local productions happening right now. The original film from the 60s is so beautiful and the music is so beautiful.

And I'm sure we can't afford to sing this, but I would like to say. And everything you use, I am. Anyway, thank you for listening. And see you soon. You've been listening to Good Hang.

The executive producers for the show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Burman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Guy. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cass Valene, Kaya McMullen, and Elia Zanaris. For Paper Guy, production by Sandrine, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Burman, original music by Amy Miles. My teammate says he plays pick up basketball, quote, for the cardio.

Well, there's more to it than that, Sean. Like with Beth 365, I could pay the second my team goes at big with early payout and could cash out at any time before the game ends. Sean's getting steps, but I'm getting paid. Beth 365, the home of a winning, or must be 19 and older. Ontario only.

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