Paul Rudd

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iPhone 11 or later required. Readiness score is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. Heart rate accuracy based on Apple conducted study August 2026. Visit apple.com slash HR accuracy. Hi everyone, this is Amy Poehler. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We're going to talk to the great Paul Rudd today. I've known Paul for a million years and I love him, you love him, America loves him, the world loves him. We're going to talk about some cool stuff today. We're going to talk about how he almost lost the part in Clueless because he had...

A bad haircut. We're going to talk about how dumb comedy is our favorite kind of comedy and maybe it's not as dumb as you think. And we're going to get into the absurdity of existence because that's what we do here. We go deep and then we get really shallow. And we're also going to talk about his film Friendship with the great Tim Robinson, which is coming out soon. So check it out. And we're going to start this episode the way we always like to, which is a fan or a friend or someone who knows our guest so they can tell me what they think I should ask. We have a very special guest, another member of the Handsome Man Club, and that is Jon Hamm, who has known Paul Rudd forever and I believe is calling in.

from the set of a film right now where he is about to get on a hot air balloon. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Life is going to throw grand challenges your way and the Toyota Grand Highlander is ready for them. You can choose from three different powertrains. Gas, hybrid, and the available 362 horsepower hybrid max. All with available all-wheel drive and towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. But...

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Explain to me what we're seeing right now. You know, it's a typical day in Hollywood. I'm in a tuxedo at 7 o'clock in the morning with a hot air balloon in the background. I just got off that hot air balloon. So you're telling me you got off a hot air balloon and you got on the phone so you could talk to us on Good Hang. In a tuxedo. Well, I assume you're always wearing a tuxedo. I mean, it kind of feels that way, right? How many tuxedos do you own? You know, when I moved into the house that I live in now, I think I sold or got rid of or donated or something probably 15 tuxedos, and I probably still have a double-digit amount of tuxedos. None of them fit.

Yeah. None of them fit. I was shocked that this one fit. This is one of mine. They said, do you have a tuxedo? The costume designer came over last night. I was like, yeah, I got it. Come on, just come over to the house and take a look and see whatever tuxedo you want to have. You're like, let's go to my white tuxedo closet. I did that too. So you're wearing your own personal tuxedo. Yes, personal tux. Well, thank you because I would expect nothing less. How much time do you have? Five minutes? I have some time. We're turning around. So yeah, we have time. For those that don't know, turning around is a movie term that means... Shooting the other way from what you just shot. So you have to move all the equipment and everything. Everything has to move. That's why all the trucks are moving and all the...

There's a hot air balloon. There's a hot air balloon. Listeners, if you're listening, let me just describe it. I really hope there's a video component to this. There is. There is a video component. He's in a beautiful white tuxedo, and behind him is a hot air balloon that he just got off of. Doesn't this frame look like I'm thinking about a hot air balloon? Okay, we're talking to Paul Rudd today. Yes, my dear friend of many, many years. We do this thing where we kind of talk behind their back before we talk about them. We talk to people that know them. Can you tell me where you first met Paul? I first met Paul in St. Louis, Missouri. Paul?

was roommates and friends with my high school girlfriend's older brother. And this family was dear friends of mine, too, and still remain. They were all at my wedding. It's a whole thing, the Clark family. So Paul came back with Preston, the older brother, for Thanksgiving or something one weekend, and he looked like Michael Hutchins. He had long, curly hair. It was probably 1990.

89 maybe. And he couldn't have looked any cooler. He had a denim jacket that he had painted or had had painted someone that painted on the back of the cover of Duran Duran's Rio. Wow. The Donald Nagel painting, that very 80s thing. So he was operating at a much higher level than anybody we had really ever run into at that point in our lives. Was he older than you? Yeah, he's two years older than me. So he was a freshman in college when I was a junior in high school. And yeah, that's when I first met Paul. And it was like, he was funny and cool and interesting.

you know, a college kid. And did you become friends instantly? Like you really connected fast? We definitely connected. I would say that, you know, Paul, that was when Paul and Preston were going to KU, Kansas University. And then when I ended up going to the University of Missouri.

I went to visit Paul, who had by this point transferred out of KU and moved to LA and was going to the Academy of Dramatic Arts. And he lived in North Hollywood with Preston and our friend Beau. And I came out for spring break to hang out with him. That's when I really became friends with him because we were hanging out in LA. Thanks. In LA, really just making a scene in 1991, 92. So we would go down to like the third street promenade and hang out.

Just in jean jackets? Like a bunch of cool guys. Yeah. There was a place called Yankee Doodles that was like a bar that had pool tables. And that was where we went. And you were all like auditioning at that point? I was still in college. Paul had just booked a big Nintendo ad. So he was just riding high. And then by the next time I came out, when I came out, when I moved out here after college in 95, he had done Clueless and he was on the way to go do Romeo and Juliet. He was on the way.

to the to the stars so it was crazy that's that's uh I watched it all happen you know he was he was he was he was the first one of us that really got famous it was very very cool that what was that like to have a I know I remember my first friend who was famous like when I moved to New York Janine Garofalo was my first famous friend and it was a trip what was it like they're operating again they're just operating in different circles and you're like oh right those are the people that I read about Because he read about them back then. It was like Premier Magazine had a feature on Paul or Entertainment Weekly or something. He was like a big brother. Big brother, for sure. For sure. Even though he stands about a foot shorter than me. Let's be honest. Nobody's taller than you, Ham. Look at you. You literally look like you own this town. John is now walking through the fake town in his tuxedo getting ready to get back on the hot air balloon. Yes, yes. You look like a billionaire who's just having a day out. This is literally, if I was a billionaire, I would take my hot air balloon to work.

Okay, so what question do you think I should ask Paul? We're asking people what I should ask him. You know, because I listened to your guys' thing with the one you guys did with Tina, which I thought was so good, and you guys had such a great rapport. I texted you guys. John's getting in the hot air balloon right now. And we... I loved you and Seth and Dratchy and everybody coming at it. I think the question I think you should ask Paul is at what point... I was asking this to Billy Crudup on the set the other day. What point...

or has it happened yet in his career or in his life? Has he lost the freaking out about being good all the time from an acting standpoint? You know what I mean? I don't have that stress anymore. Yes, what do you think that is? I love what I do, and I love doing it, and I know if I don't do a great job, I'll do it again, and it'll be good on the second take or whatever.

So exciting. Guys, listeners, John is about, he's rolling, I think. Are you rolling? Going up, going up. Yeah, we're about to roll. So that's what I would ask him. Okay, when did he stop freaking out about doing a good job? Like, is he settled in? Maybe he still hasn't. Maybe he still hasn't. When did that nickel drop? When you come on, I want to ask you that question. Can you keep your phone on while you go up in the balloon? I can't because I'm on camera. Oh, damn it. Oh, I hate Hollywood. I hate acting. I was so dumb. Okay, I love you so much. Thank you so much for this. Love you, Fuller. Can't wait to see you, buddy. Okay, talk to you soon. Bye.

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I don't even know where to start. Paul Rudd is here. It's so exciting. Rudd, you and I have known each other a very long time. I would say...

Over 25 years now, maybe, right? Oh, yeah, yeah. Do you remember the first time we met? Was it maybe at... I don't know. Is this a test? Not only is it not a test, but I can't remember anything. Good, good. Perfect. I'm terrible. I want to say, was it maybe...

It might have been at a UCB show early on, or there was another time I think I was at 10th Street Lounge with Janine Garofalo, maybe. My first famous friend. Yeah, it was around that time. Because we kind of both moved to New York somewhat around the same time. When did you move? Like 95. Yeah. Right from Kansas you moved? No, I was in California. I'd gone to an acting school for a couple of years. What kind of school? The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

It sounds like... What do they call it? What's the shortened version? Ada. Or Ada. Ada. I don't know. There's Ada, Lambda, Radha, Bada. I went to Bada, too. You went to Ada and Bada? Yeah, I couldn't get into Kada. That was the next one. And what did you do there? Did you do, like, constant plays? So much theater, Amy. Oh, so much talking about theater. Let's have our tea before we talk about theater. Let's just enjoy a sip. You know, the thing about theater is... The thing is, you know, Pinscher said once... You know, I remember...

Godot. Oh, I remember we were doing Malfi at the Round Wharf, Bobby and I, and we were in between show, Guillaume, we were in between matinee and evening performance. When I was understudying for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, I remember thinking, if we could have done crimes this way, of the heart. Yes, yes, no, absolutely. It's funny you should say that because when Renée Abergineau and I were doing Mattress, Once Upon A, we had this exact same conversation about, you know, doing Tis Pity. She's a whore.

I was in Westbound American High School. I was actually buried, to his pity she's a whore, which is a real play. What was your high school musical or play? High school musical South Pacific. And you played? Buzz. Buzz was just created. Is Buzz in the show? I think he's in the show. He's a pilot. I think he maybe had a couple of lines. But I loved dramatic films and dramatic actors, and I thought, oh, this is what you're supposed to do. And so then I got to college, and it was like, oh, I'm studying Shakespeare, which I'd never done before, and found that I really liked it. Yeah. And what were you doing to make a living during that time? What was your jobs? So many jobs. Yeah.

I was going to school. I would DJ and MC bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs. That's right. I did that for a while because I could work on weekends. Right. What was the party pumping song? What was the song that would get people on the floor? CMC Music Factory? Yeah. Oh, sure. I mean, big. That was big. Yeah. There was also just the real fun of just a straight up moany moany that Billy Idol would do because...

Come on, that part. Come on. Here she comes now saying money, money. Hey, hey, now get laid, get fucked. And that was like, that was like. I forgot about that. Get laid, get fucked. And you would always find like 13 year olds going. They were like, finally. I'm going to say this. And then I'd look around and see kind of like the grandparents. So then you go to school, you come to New York. I went to this acting school in California, Ada, which is where I met Adam, by the way. That's how we became friends. Tell us how you met Adam. You're really cute.

So it was, I was probably. Adam Scott. Adam Scott. I was probably 21. And Adam was maybe 17 or 18 years old. Maybe I was 22 when he was 18. And there was like a party. The school was only like two, a couple years. It wasn't big. But this, I do remember the first time I met Adam. And it was somebody having a party. And we hit it off right away. We talked. And I want to say we talked about REM. And we became.

We became pretty good friends not that long after that. He went there after I did, and then we did a play together. Because I graduated from that school, and I stayed in California for a few years, and then tried to get a play going that one of the teachers, a woman named Diana Stevenson at that school, she had said, let's do this play about Byron and Shelley called Bloody Poetry. And so it was a small little cast, and Adam and I did it together. You did? Do you have any recording of that or anything? I have a recording of the play. And it's the two of you playing Byron and Shelley? He played Polidori. He played Buzz. He played Buzz.

He was the buzz in bloody poetry. Did you audition for any John Hughes stuff? No, that was before my time, yeah. I loved it. I did too. But I auditioned for different things, and I didn't really get them. And then I did audition for Clueless, which was like the John Hughes things. And I went in. I didn't really get it. I was reading that script. I'm like, oh, this is like a bunch of kids, huh? This reminds me a little bit of those movies I grew up watching.

And then I got this audition to go in, and I remember there were other characters. I'm like, oh, that's a cool character. I hadn't seen the character like Christian before like this. I liked it that there was a gay character that was not being made fun of. It was kind of the coolest character. The bar was so low then. It was like, hey, he's gay and nice. Yeah, and it was just like, oh, wow, this is like, I haven't seen this movie really before. And anyway, so I went in and I asked to audition for all the different parts. And then they said, well, what about, read for the part that I wound up playing, which was the Josh character. And so I did it. I didn't really hear anything afterward. And I remember I had long hair. And then a couple weeks later, I wasn't even thinking about it. I just.

I was walking past a barbershop and I said, just buzz my head. I mean, my hair was down about there. Wow. And they just went with the clippers and everything. I just want to cut it all off. And then a week later, I went into a restaurant and Amy Heckerling, who directed the movie, was eating there. And she looked at me. She was like, wait a minute. She froze. She goes, what did you do? What did you do to your hair?

I was like, ah, I still have shape. You're like, it's getting too long. She goes, you auditioned for this part. You were maybe going to get this part, but you can't cut your hair. I was like, and I was so, I'm like, ah, well, it's meant to be. It's meant to be. I was so stupidly kind of cavalier about it. Yeah. But then I had to do a screen test for Gluis, and they put me in a wig to try and match what my hair is. And there's nothing that feels more manly than when you're trying to get chemistry to get. You're like, sweetheart, don't pull my hair too much. Eventually, like enough time had gone by that, anyway, they're like, yeah, this is not going to work.

Just grow your hair out. And so they skipped a wig. And by the time it got to filming, my hair had grown enough that it worked okay. That's an amazing story because what it says to me too, though, and I find this about you as a person, is like you do not have a grasping energy when it comes to work. Like you care about it very much. It's really important. You choose things wisely. You work really hard when you're there. But I don't get a sense from you that you are, I don't know, there's a way, there's a vibe with you and work that feels like a healthy attachment. It doesn't feel like you're.

what the kids would say, very thirsty. And therefore, I think people really lean into that and like that. Would you say that's true? In some regard, yeah. I don't feel competitive with other actors. I'm a real big fan of a lot of other actors. I get really excited by people who are talented. And I don't think this should be torturous. I know this is something you and I both really share, which is this should be fun. It's a really fun job.

you respond to comedy in the same way I do, and that it should be a fun experience. Have you had the experience where you're working on something and it might be funny, and people say, oh, if you find it funny, it's not going to be funny, and it's supposed to be torturous, otherwise it won't work. If you think it's a blast, it's not going to translate. And I think I... I couldn't disagree with that more. Agree. What do you do when you're on a project and someone's either mis... Like, what's your conflict style? Because, like, do you get quiet when you're mad? Do you yell? I certainly have yelled, my God. Oh, stop. Okay, you've yelled. And don't you dare say anything like that to me ever again. Okay. Ever. Okay. Are we done with this?

So my conflict style is probably different depending on who I have a conflict with. Yeah, right. And more often than not, I'll check out. That's what I was going to say. I was going to say, go to sleep, maybe. I'm just like, this is going to be over soon. If I just get in this bed and just go to sleep. I'm just going to try and ride this out. I can't go anywhere. I've got to do this. Get in one of those pods and just deep freeze myself until this gets fixed. That's exactly right. Deprivation. Sensory deprivation tank. Okay, I do want to ask you about our working together. Because we did it quite a bit. We worked together quite a bit. We've been so lucky to work together on so many things. And we worked on one of the most fun movies, Wet Hot American Summer. And I think it was fun for a million reasons. It was fun because we were all in our 30s and we were at a summer camp. It was fun because...

A lot of us were, myself included, were like in the beginnings of things. Yeah, we were all kind of starting off. We were. And we had great leaders in Michael Showalter and David Wayne who were kind of like goofing around and setting the tone, but also serious writers and filmmakers. We also met a bunch of lifelong friends on that movie. And it felt very, you know, pre-9-11, frankly. It was like before those times. It just felt like of another era. Yeah. It was like pre, like, I don't even remember having cell phones. There were no cell phones. Remember there was a payphone?

Yes. And everybody would call home to their significant others and be like, yeah, I guess I'm up here for another three weeks. I know, they changed the schedule. Do you remember we had to leave for a week in the middle of shooting? Because there was an actual camp? No, because somebody rented it out for a bar mitzvah. And we all left for a week and then had to come back. That's right. I forgot about that. Now, it's kind of legendary. People know that it rained 25 of the 28 days or whatever the shoot was. And we had to pretend it was sunny. And it was freezing cold. Freezing. What do you remember about staying warm or the weather when we were shooting Wet Hot?

I remember in those brief moments when it was sunny, we all were like, oh my God. It was like, what can we film? What can we do? You know, I remember the opening scene that we did when we were all around the campfire when they're playing Jane, that it had been pouring and it was like soaking wet everywhere and freezing. It was all freezing. It was freezing all the time. I remember the, I remember the kind of the clothes we were wearing at the time. I remember being really grateful and this isn't the first time that I'm grateful that like I didn't have to wear, you know, like Liz Banks was kind of playing like.

the girl who was a little bit more free let's put it that way and she had to wear like bikini tops and stuff and I remember many times in my life I had this feeling where I'd be like I'm so happy that I get to wear like a members only jacket I'm so cold whereas now I run very hot but back then I was so cold I mean and I remember being really grateful that she I remember her having to dance and it being really cold yeah yeah And I remember going to Salvation Army. Do you remember that? We would all head out to Salvation Army. Because the thing that people didn't know is we worked very little. Yeah. And whoever wasn't filming, because there was a 30-minute drive to Target in the main town. I don't even think it was Target. I think it was just like Walmart. It was Walmart. It might have been pre-Target. And whoever wasn't filming had to go buy the beer. Yes, for the night. And we were all wearing like kind of...

you know, Wellingtons and, and, uh, and then we would all just hang out and, uh, drink beer and play guitar, the guitars and, uh, play music really loud, really late. Um, do you remember David Hyde Pierce? Yes. Coming out to tell us to, can you be a little quieter? Yeah. It was his first, he showed up.

No one, we were all like dumb kids, just wanted to have a blast. But a reminder, we were not kids. We were in our 30s. You were late 20s. I think I was 30. Yeah, you were late 20s. I was 30. And then, and David Hype here showed up. He was coming in later, but he was also the, except for Janine, the only one that anyone would really know. Totally. He was famous. And we were all like, what is this guy going to think? And we all slept in those kinds of like in the infirmary. Everyone had these little kind of their own little rooms and cots or whatever it is. And then the main infirmary where we would hang out as a group every night.

till like one or two in the morning playing music really loud was the main part. And I remember it was his first night. None of us knew him. And it was like one in the morning and it's so loud. He's filming the next morning and he's been in his room. And he probably is rehearsing. He's doing everything. He's a professional. And I remember he came out and then stopped in the doorway and we all, it was like, it's needle on the record. Stop. Everyone got quiet. And we all looked and Ken Marino just goes, oh great, it's Frasier. Do you remember that?

And David Hyde Pierce is like, what are you guys doing? He was so fun. So fun and cool. And it was just like, oh, thank God. Yeah, he was the nicest, most loveliest guy. He was the best. But he definitely was like, what's happening here? What's going on? And we were like, oh, none of us are working. None of us are working. We don't have anything to shoot tomorrow. We're here. There's no telephones. And then whoever did have to shoot, we'd all just go watch their scenes. We'd just go watch it. We'd just go watch it. It was like, it was being at camp. Yeah, it was. It really was. I'm having a Ken Marino memory. He was watching the, he was watching ER on a little like.

There used to be these TVs you could hang around your neck. Do you remember these? That was almost like a portable TV, but it almost looked like a monitor, like what Flava Flav would wear, like a big giant clock, but it's a TV with a strap around your neck. That is my memory. And again, I don't remember things well. But he was watching on a small TV, and he came running through the hallway saying, she went back to Clooney. It was the big moment where, do you remember this? Where Julianne Margulies, Nurse Hathaway, Carol Hathaway, went back to Clooney, met him at his boat. Spoiler alert. Met him at his boat in Seattle.

He came running with tears streaming down his face saying she went back to Clooney. And we were all like... We really did live together for many weeks. Probably was only like three weeks. I think it might have been more like five or six. I mean, it's ridiculous for how little we worked. I mean, the week that we had off for the bar business included.

I think that's, yeah. Yeah, and that was Bradley Cooper's first movie. I think, was it Banks? Might have been Banks. Maybe, yeah. And that was just so, there were so many great people. But I don't remember like filming scenes and everyone's like kind of watching. You were the one that would go to and I'm like, is that funny? Was that kind of, you know, I really valued your opinion on everything. And I would go, I'd say go back out there, do it again. Do it again. Ask for another one. I'd say, yeah. Paul, you want to ask for another one? You want to ask for another one? You want to ask for another one? Okay, then we made a movie called They Came Together.

such a fun movie for people that haven't seen it which is probably a lot of people because it was kind of a small movie it was like a fake rom-com and it was taking all the tropes a David Wayne special taking all the tropes of like what is funny about those movies and I would say we just screened it again and we just had like an anniversary it was so fun and watching it again it was like you are perfectly cast I would probably not cast I would not be cast in a rom-com in that part I would be the friend in a rom-com I don't think I would be able to pull off the rom-com I don't have the symmetry for it But what is so... I disagree, but go ahead. Okay, thank you. But I'm a little slow on that, but... Well, I didn't want to interrupt you. Okay, thanks. But what is so fun about it is it is so stupid. This most stupid, stupidest movie ever. And don't forget, in the middle of that movie, there's a... It stops to have a music video.

with Nora Jones who sang the song from that movie that Adam Scott and John Stamos show up and do cameos in because they come to the studio. Yeah. The video for the song that's on the soundtrack is in the middle of the movie. And then Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, the actors show up to be like, what's happening here? And we're wearing sunglasses. Yeah, and a soul patch. You had a soul patch? Yeah, and a soul patch. But it's like, yeah, us in our street clothes. In our street clothes. And then our buddies also come to like play with some of the buttons. Yeah, they're in this mixing boards and we're just like hanging out goofing around with Nora Jones.

Professional. Professional. Incredible musician. And then after the video ends, it just goes right back to the movie. Yeah. How did this movie get made? It's so stupid. It's so dumb. It's so fun to watch again. It is so dumb. I mean, and I know we share that, like, that feeling of dumb. It's hard to explain that feeling of, I mean, well, I guess everyone understands it. That feeling that you have with your friends when something is so stupid and so funny. I think it is truly like the...

opposite of your own mortality. Like, it feels like you'll live forever when you're laughing at dumb. Does that make sense? It makes total sense. It's the greatest. And that endorphin. Yes. Everything just kicks in and you're like, oh, oh, this entire life is absurd. Yes. All of this. That's right. Everything. The absurdity of existence. Yeah. What are you listening to, watching? What makes you laugh right now? All kinds of different things. I suppose, um...

when people talk about comedy specials and stuff, I always say, oh, have you seen Patrice O'Neill, Elephant in the Room? That's one of my favorites. So funny. It's like, the fact that Patrice O'Neill, that we lost Patrice O'Neill when we did, where I feel like he was on the verge of just being the guy, is just heartbreaking. I think he was just so funny. I feel that way about Bernie Mac, too. Yeah. Really, really, really funny. Gone too soon. And that's one of my favorites. One of the things I just kind of...

I always seem to watch. I mean, I like little memes and things that get passed around like the guy jumping into the pool that it's frozen over and he doesn't know it. Just like wipes out. That kind of stuff is people falling. Forget it. I love it. But I love, I always go back to news bloopers. Oh, God. Let's just watch. Hold on. Let's just watch a few. Great. Do you have any that you remember that like I can Google?

Well, you know, there's just something so beautiful and great about people that it's the news. It's serious. And when something goes wrong. You know the gay blind one? That one is incredible. That is the most incredible one. I've watched that so many times. It's like four seconds.

The blind mountain climber. Right after the break, we're going to interview Eric Weyhenmayer, who climbed the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. But he's gay. I mean, he's gay. Excuse me. He's blind. So we'll hear about that coming up. Okay. Okay. And as we head to the break, and you know, wait a minute, because you know in her, like, oh boy, I just messed up. And he is like, I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen. Okay. Okay. So, all right. Oh my God. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Blind. He's blind. I love bloopers.

bloopers. I feel like you grew up with bloopers. Nothing. When I see people really laughing and really like there's in those news bloopers, there's one, there's one, it's these two guys, they're speaking a language I don't understand. It's like, I don't know what, by the way, some of the ones that like news in other countries. Oh, I don't even think to look for that. I'm going, I'm going best news bloopers of 2023 or 22. I've seen them all. Like global news bloopers. That's what I'm finding right now. I will watch those over and over again, but there's like one where these two guys and somebody says something and I don't know what he's saying, but the other guy says it and he starts laughing and they both start laughing and they are.

crying. And they're on the ground crying. And I don't know what the hell they're talking about. Tears. Because there's... God, I do love it. God, I love that. Why do we love it? Because there's something... It's the opposite of pretension. It's pure joy. It's defenseless. It's the purest.

It's celebratory. My wife has said before, this is such a good idea. She goes, they should have, in hospitals when people are going for chemotherapy or whatever, and they're sitting in the chair for hours, they should have on screens all around just bloopers from people laughing. That is a great idea, Julie Rudd. It's a great idea. It's a great idea, and I agree. If I see people laughing really, really hard, I'm done. I love it so much. I love it so much. Me too. Speaking of laughing really hard, and speaking, I think, of a show that did help a lot of people during hard times, you were on Parks and Rec.

You only did five episodes. Do you know that? I know. But you played a character that stood the test of time. I mean, if only. If only we had Bobby Newport. Just a guy who wants to be liked. Yeah. I know, if only, right? I mean, Bobby, at the time... Means Well just doesn't quite grasp any of it. He wants to go to the after party. Yeah. Bobby Newport, played by you, was the rich son of the Sweetums family. The family, the Newports, that owned the big factory in the fictional town of Pawnee that Parks and Rec took place. And Bobby Newport ran against Leslie and...

It was like what Bobby had that Leslie could never get was that, gee whiz, like, I can't believe I fell into this. Like, I just want to have a good time, you guys. Yeah, I think that's even a line. That's how Bobby feels about abortion, isn't it? Oh, yeah, right. What did he say about abortion? I guess my thoughts on abortion are just like, want everybody to have a good time. I just want everybody to have a good time. I mean, come on, guys. What? And Bobby kept getting flustered by Leslie wanting it because he wants it. Like, there's that great scene where he's like, can you just drop out of the race because I want it. Yeah, yeah. Because I want it. I want it. Come on. Please, you can do it. Just do it. Come on.

And people are like, I don't know, I love the guy. He's great. And he doesn't seem to want it. Yeah, and he doesn't know anything, but neither do I. That's, you know. Leslie, no, was capable and great for that job. Bobby Newport is not. No, and Bobby was, I think, was thinking like, maybe I'll just get it. And then Leslie, you can do it. Yeah, how about that? That's a good compromise. What are your memories of doing that character? He was such a funny character. You were so great. Thank you, Amy. My memories of that were, I can't believe I get to work with my favorite people in the world. You and Adam and Catherine and Rashida.

It was like the dream. I mean, this is, you know, I remember when you were talking to Tina on the very first episode you did where you were saying you feel like the great thing that can happen if you are able to sustain enough of a career that you can get to a point where you work with your friends or you can work with people you really like. Because it's not work. It's just the best. And, I mean, it was such a fun character, obviously, and the show is so great, and you're so great in it. It was just...

It was a dream. It was a dream. And, you know, I loved it. I loved every second of it. I loved hanging out with all you guys. It was so fun. It was really fun. It was. And those scenes were so funny. Like, you got to do the stupidest, talk about fun stupid, the stupidest stuff. Yeah. Well, there's nothing funnier to me than unearned confidence. Yeah. Like, just somebody feels like, you know, I've got it figured out. And it's like, no, you don't.

if it's nice, it's really funny if it's not nice, unearned confidence. But that was the thing. He had a lot of unearned confidence, but he was just dumb. Yeah, he wanted to have a good time. He was sweet. He was sweet. That's a fun thing to get to play. It's a fun kind of character to get to play. Would we describe him as guileless? Is that the word? Yeah, I think that's a good way to do it. I know that word. That's a really good, by the way.

Of course you do. Fucking great word. You know, it also was really cool to watch you and Adam in scenes together because have you been in a lot of stuff together? Not a ton of stuff. I know. It's weird. He's kind of like my closest, oldest friend, but we haven't done a ton of stuff together. Like, would you ever do a movie together? I'd love it. You should. He's such a good actor. He is. He's a really, I mean, clearly everyone's obviously recognizing this. He's such a good actor. I mean, I used to say that to him in real time when he was acting. I'd be like, you're acting so good. And you'd be like, shut up. We're in the middle of the scene. But I'd be like, you're acting so good. Well, he's like, he's one of, you know,

He's so good. And he really can play very complex emotional scenes. And you really kind of know what that character is thinking. But then he also has a way of being able to kind of remove this, have this kind of emotionless removal of whatever he's doing. It's really interesting, which plays into Severance, I think, very well. And you can do that too. To be a movie star, you have to be able to make your face still. You have to be able to just get the machine on neutral for everyone to project. And he's very good. It's like a Greek mask kind of thing. And so Adam is great at that. And one thing that I always thought with Adam when I met him is...

He's the funniest. He's got the driest, kind of most irreverent sense of humor. I mean, that's how we became friends, because we liked a lot of the same kind of jokes and things like that. I just watched the Severance finale, and I texted him. I was like, you are so good at acting. And then he was like, oh, thanks. I'm glad you watched it. And I was like, there was so much running.

I haven't seen it yet. I haven't seen it. You haven't seen the finale? No. It hasn't been spoiled? No. I'm staying away from everything. I don't look at my phone. That's why you can't be on TikTok. If you're on TikTok, you've got about an hour. Yeah. And then there's audios made of what you said at the end. I know. I know. So I've been able to avoid all that. I've told him. I haven't reached out to you yet. Because you're saving it. I haven't seen it yet. And you're just edging. You're not going to watch the finale. Oh, I'm not going to watch season two. You're like, well, we'll see. I'll tell him he was great in it. But I mean. Anyway.

He really is terrific, and you know that better than anybody. Well, this is a perfect segue to male friendship. Okay. Because you have so— Let's chug. Hold on, let's chug her teeth. I mean—

This was, that is such a good, let's get six more teas. I got to cover this. So for sponsorship, no one knows what I'm drinking. You can't see any labels. You can't know. The inside of my mug is filled with labels. I lose that cap in case one figures it out. And then by the way, this is some, I should say this is my, oh my God, Paul's peeing under the desk. Look, this is a long podcast and I don't want to walk away and interrupt the flow, so to speak.

Have you ever done that, like, on a trip, peed in a bottle? Never. I have. Really? That's great to hear. Because, you know, you are, I mean, there's not a lot of straight men. Like, you're the first. There's a few. I guess there's a few. But you are a straight white male. I mean, so. I feel seen. So how's that going for you? Because it's, you know, it's not easy out there. Well, I mean, by the way. Straight white male in his 50s. I mean. Now's our time.

But you guys get to pee in bottles on the road. That is true. It is one of the good things. You do. You get to pee in bottles. You get to do a lot of, like, you know. Yeah, pee in bottles. Straight white man gets to pee in bottles. And up until just five minutes ago, that was okay. Now people are like, maybe don't throw your pee bottles out on the street. And straight white males are like, fine. Whatever. Howard Hughes did it.

But straight, you have a movie about two men and the friendship between them with the great Tim Robinson. And it's called Friendship. Yeah. And it is, I got to watch it. You did? Yes, I watched a screener. I'm trying to do my homework as a podcast person. God, you're good. And it's so tiring. Oh, movies are so long. They're like two hours. Yeah. By the way, everything's long. They're so long. And having to do, even if it's like something you're interested in, people you know, it's all work. Yeah. But I did really want to watch the movie, I have to say. Because I love you. I love Tim. Tim is so awesome. And Andy DeYoung is awesome. Isn't he great? He's great. The director and writer.

It is a movie, it is such a good movie about the loneliness epidemic of men and the attempt at making a friend and then, like, what goes wrong. Right. Like how, I mean, it's about missing, I mean, it's Tim at his Timist, which is, like, he's missing the clues and he's getting them wrong. I know. And you play this really, really funny, like, he's kind of a...

tender-hearted nerd he's not as cool as you think he is as you learned no not at all okay friendship though you've done a couple movies about that yeah one thing that i feel like um i've always had like i've been good at in my life is picking friends um it's the one thing that even like when i was in grade school and i didn't i was not like the friends with everybody like i was not that kid at all but um i i could i think i have i can recognize like nice people and so my whole life like all my friends were they were kind of funny and nerdy and all the ways you want your friends to be nerdy and uh and decent and um and so i just want to like you know it's like you want to hold on to the people you care about and and and the other thing too is you know you and i were talking about this it's i think in a way We live weird lives because they're public lives. And it can be a little overwhelming. And, you know, the noise of the world and the noise of this job and everything else. You kind of want your world to be smaller. Each year that goes by, I just kind of want it smaller. And I want the important stuff to count. And to me, the most important stuff that I've learned, probably because I'm now 55 years old, is that...

Oh, the pinnacle, the height of it is just being with the people that I love and really laughing with like a bunch of friends. It's the greatest. It's the best thing there is. And so that is just always trying to cultivate that. Well, we tried to cultivate it by talking to your friend Jon Hamm today. Another longtime friend. I know. I've known Jon longer than I've known Adam. And it sounds like you were a big brother to both. Like you're a couple years older than both, right? So we do this thing where we kind of talk well behind somebody's back.

And try to figure out stuff that they think I should ask you. So we talked to him before you came in today. And Jon Hamm from Mad Men. And for those five people that don't know who I'm talking about. And let me just explain what he was doing when we spoke to him. He was wearing a white tuxedo. His own.

He was on the set of a movie, which I think you might also have a part in at some point. He was working on a film. And he was getting off of a hot air balloon that he had just been on. And he spoke to us in the 10 minutes before he had to go do another take. And so he spoke to us as he got on the hot air balloon about you.

Oh, my God. That's incredible. And he was really sweetly talking about the first time you met. Long hair. You had your long hair. You had your jean jacket. And you remember what was painted on it? That I had painted on the back of it? Patrick Nagel. Yeah. You had painted it? I painted it. Okay. I'm like, I need this. I want to get a good acid wash jean jacket. But it needs a Patrick Nagel print on the back. And I'm just going to have to paint it myself. Beautiful. He remembers that. He was like, he was the coolest guy ever.

He was talking about how you guys met. And it was very sweet because it made me think about both Adam and John and you have known each other a really long time. I've known John since he was... I want to say maybe about 16 years old. What was a 16-year-old little handle? Was he ever short? No, he was all, he might have been 17, 16, 17, around there. He was, we'll talk about the coolest guy in the room. It was not me. I recognized that in him right away. He was really handsome. He was smart. He was athletic. He was all of these things. And I know all of this because he was friends with a girl that I liked. That he was, and that was how I. Was he with the girl? Yeah, they used to go out. And then they. He got the girl. Yeah, but they knew each other for years and years, way before me. And, but I was always a little bit like.

Okay, this guy. Yeah. Oh, how do I compete with that guy? And you're like, I'm going to grow my hair. Yeah. And I'm going to get her away from that chalk. Yeah. I'm going to grow my hair. She's going to look at my hair and go, wait a minute. Do you know Michael Hudgens? It's funny that you say that because Ham described you as Michael Hudgens. Michael Hudgens. Well, that's high praise. But I like what you're doing. You're like, I'm going to go the other way. I'm going to be the art guy. Well, I was, you know, I was certainly drawn to that. And I think that was probably because I didn't have the ability to be the other guy. Because Ham was the sports guy? Ham was sports. And he was just, you know, I remember we were, I have such a.

vivid memory of all of us playing Trivial Pursuit. And I'm just meeting John, the girl that he was friends with that I was dating at the time. We're all playing. We're playing teams. And he would roll and immediately go like, oh, sweet. I'm going to go to history. I'll go to yellow. Oh, yeah. That's a power move. Not art. It's not pink. I'm going to entertainment every time. Of course. And he's like, this guy is going to yellow. And then all of a sudden, it's like he gets a question. What's the biggest lake in Africa? He's like, Victoria. That's a pie. That's a pie piece. And I'm sitting there going.

Then he goes over to Green like a real asshole. He's like, give me all the science. Science and nature, are you? Are you going to be that guy? And so I was so kind of, here's what I do remember. Afterward, after that game, I'm like, I should probably like read some atlases. I read an atlas. To know about the world, to know where countries are. Yeah, because this younger guy who is clearly superior. And was, I probably, you were dating? Yeah, but they were friends. So I was a little threatened.

wow, that's so, and I want to get this girl on. Well, we eventually became like, you know, obviously, after a while, and it's a longer story, but we did become really, really tight. Yeah. And really good friends. Yeah. And it's great. We've been really great friends since. I know, you all are. One of the things that really makes me laugh, what makes me laugh, and I have told this story, and I have nothing to do with this story, but it's when you got the news about your doctor. I know. And he was hosting SNL.

The best. It's so smart. And do you tell it? Yes. I mean, I think he has also told it a lot, too. So, you know, but.

John Hamm was the host. And you hosted like two weeks after, right? Yeah, it was not that long after. 2008, I was pregnant with my son, Archie. Hamm was the host. I was supposed to deliver the baby on Sunday. So I thought I was going to do the show on Saturday and then deliver the baby the next day. Which, wow. True psycho. Like, I just thought like, well, this makes sense and I'll have the baby on Sunday. And I learned my first of many lessons of like your kids are on their own schedule and they don't work with you. But we rehearsed all day on Friday. I was in.

nine sketches or something that week. Six days before I had done the Palin wrap, I was still feeling pretty good. John was the host for the first time. Friday, we're shooting like a madman pre-tape. I get a call that my OBGYN has passed away. A wonderful doctor who was in his 80s, who was this incredible doctor.

He passed away, and I burst out crying on the phone. And when you see a very, very pregnant person hysterically crying, it's very scary. And the whole crew gets really quiet, and I go behind a partition to talk. And I find out the news, and I come out, and everyone's like, are you okay? And I said, oh, my God, my OB-GYN just died. He just passed away of a heart attack last night. And it gets really quiet, and Ham leans in and says to me,

this is a really big deal and I need you to get your shit together. This is the first time posting and I need you to fucking, it's a big week for me. And I go from crying to laughing so hard that, you know, like, like squirts, like, like squirt tears come out and I start laughing, like clapping and laughing. And it was, and it was so fun and funny. And, um, and again, a great example of like life is like, life is what you say it is, right? It's, it's life is what you make it and what you say it is. And.

He made me laugh so hard. And I went to labor that night. And I think a lot of it was that. It was because of the emotional rollercoaster, the release of that. And I think it's also not just a testimony to him, to you, that he knew.

that it's like, you're going to find this funny. Yeah. And it's because that's you. Yeah. I mean, he was so great in that episode. And in fact, Seth Meyers and Lonely Island have a great podcast about, you should check that out, about that ham episode. It's really good. And they talk about all that stuff happening and how everyone had to fill in and Seth had to do update alone and it was like this incredible night. I remember. And he did the- I know. Incredible night. Yeah. And kind of a big day for me too because I delivered a baby. Wait, what? Yeah. Not to brag. Not to brag. But-

Ham wanted me to ask you this before we go. Do you still worry about doing a good job every time you're acting? Like, you know, and I think the deeper question there was like when you get to a point where you can approach a job without that worry about whether or not it's going to go well or you're going to do well. Are you there? And if so, how and when did you get there? Yeah, no, no. I still worry. I sometimes think like, I think I'm getting worse at this.

If you can get worse. Directors, listen up. Yeah. No, there are times when, you know, it's such a, it's a strange thing where it's like sometimes on one day or something like, oh, this is, I got it. I know how to do this. I feel like I've really kind of figured some things out. Just I've, I've got my, at this point, way more than 10,000 hours in. And, and then other times you're like, wow, I'm not, I don't, I can't do this. I don't know how to do this. And I don't, and it's the mystery of it is a little.

frustrating and bewildering. And, um, so I do feel, uh, like I don't have a handle on it all the time, but I do feel also more relaxed about aspects of it. Um, I know how some of this stuff kind of just the, the technical sides of things, how they work. I understand editing. I understand, um, how, like I can, like I can do a scene. It's like, I'm picturing it as how the editor will see or a director and where you would do a cut point and these guys, certain things you just learn over time. Um, but I, but I don't ever feel a hundred percent, um,

comfortable, I don't think. Do you ever watch a scene and think, oh, I wish I did it differently? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Certainly. And you have that thing on the drive home. You're like, oh, why didn't I say that? I have a scene in Wet Hot that makes me think of that as the scene where we're out in the town. I remember we're all supposed to be like, it's that joke that we go out in the town for the hour. That's right. We go out for the hour and then we all turn into drug addicts, basically. You're sitting next to the crackhead. And we're smoking crack at the end of the hour. And I...

I sometimes, especially early on, and maybe still, there's just times when I went pretty big. And, you know, I think, I think back and I just think like, oh, should I just like dial things down a little bit? I just, I made some choices. Sometimes they worked, but sometimes they just, it would have been maybe, that's one scene that I'm like, I wish I had just gone a little smaller and I think it would have been funnier. Is there anything that comes to mind that you? Yes, here's why I'll say that though. I think you're wrong.

What are you going to say? I'm right. What are you going to say? I think you're hilarious in that scene. Thank you. But it's a little big. It's a little big. I sometimes think, you know, people say less is more. Sometimes more is more. And it doesn't, you go big if it's like coming from a real place. I think that was, you were hilarious. Please stop yelling at me. And don't you ever look at me. Amy, look at me. I am. I don't want to. I'm looking at you. You're not looking at me. You're looking at the table.

I'm looking at you. You're not. This eye is kind of looking at me, and that eye is looking at the fake food. Paul, sometimes I think I go too big. I'm worried. I'm worried about this. That is such a good... God, you still surprise me. I don't think I've seen you do that. It's like that... Just the weird... Or you just look right over... It's like doing that weird thing. It's like there's no real...

There's nothing particularly specific about it. It's like something's off, but you don't really know. I don't know what you're talking about. You need corrective lenses, but you're not wearing them. When I get tired, my eye gets a little. It gets a little wonky eye. I just had a thing with my lips. You got a little surgery? It's not that I got a little surgery. It's maybe that I need a little surgery.

I love you, Paul. Thank you for doing this so much. It means so much. Thank you for doing it. Oh, my God. I'm so happy to do it. You're great at it. Check out Friendship coming out in theaters? No. There's no theaters. No theaters. Oh, my God. Yay! They still exist. I don't know if people go. No, they don't go. I'll tell you, though. They should go. Look, you know me. Why do I want to go in my living room and my couch? I don't promote anything. It's the lamest thing ever. I don't want everyone to talk about it. We don't need to talk about this, but I will say, Tim Robinson is...

fricking hilarious. He's a genius. He really is like kind of the guy. He's hilarious. I got to see this movie in a theater with people and I was like, oh my God, I forgot what it's like to see something that like everyone is laughing at and having that kind of shared experience and it was really, it was, it made me so happy and also kind of like nostalgic and like almost sad. It's like, oh yeah, this used to exist. Remember, like, I still love this too when you watch previews and there's always some joker that's like, no thanks. You know, I was like, ha ha ha. You know, like, oh God, I love that. Even just someone going like, woo.

I remember as a teenager seeing Footloose. Oh, I saw that in the theater. Seven or eight times. I saw it in the theater. It was so good. I went back and watched it the next night. I went twice. Yeah, so many times that movie in the theater. I gotta get Kevin Bacon on here. Oh, you got to. Footloose is so jump back. So I remember this scene where John Lithgow hits his daughter. Oh, Laurie Singer. Laurie Singer and hits her. And then it's shocking. And it cuts to the next scene and he feels terrible. And he's saying to his wife, Diane Wiest.

I've never had anyone in my entire life. And somebody in the back row goes, liar. And the entire theater lost their shit. And I was crying. Like, that's the funniest thing. Liar. Liar. And to this day, I still think of it. Yeah. And it's like, I was 14 years old, whatever, however old I was, maybe older than that, but like.

You don't get that at home on your couch. You don't get it at home. You don't get it at home. Paul and I want to encourage people to shout out at the movie theater. That's right. That's what it's there for. Say whatever you want. You know what? The fabric of society is fraying. Just say whatever you want. And look, if you're in the movie theater with people and you can't think of something to say, just get on your phone. Google some things. Totally. Scroll. Or put your flashlight on and try to find somebody else who's enjoying the movie. Yeah. Go like, hey, what should we yell out? Yes. Or, you know, if you really like something, run up to the front. Yes. And stand in front of the screen and go, I really like this. How about this? What do you guys think? Anything to get you there. Yeah. Oh, my God. Okay. I can't wait to go to the movies. All right. Love you, Paul.

You're the best. Thank you for doing this. You know, I realized with both Jon Hamm and Paul Rudd, I mentioned Janine Garofalo, who was one of my first friends in New York. And like I said, kind of the first person that I met who I had seen on TV first. And, you know, I just want to remind everybody to take a listen and a watch. Janine has done so much great comedy and remains such a sharp and funny.

deeply interesting, curious person who's, you know, still performing and still, you know, she's just like a Gen X legend, Janine. We used to care about selling out and she never did. And Janine was always so kind and so helpful to a lot of young comedians and actors and people, myself included. She was instrumental for a lot of us in, you know, I don't know, feeling cool and feeling like we were part of a club. So watch Truth About Cats and Dogs, watch Romy and Michelle, you know.

Reality Bites. Watch The Larry Sanders Show. Janine is just consistently good and such a good actor and so funny. And I'm just feeling nostalgic for our times together and maybe hope she wants to come here and talk to me. So thank you for listening to another episode and we will see you soon.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.