Transcript of D'Arcy Carden (Live)

This episode is brought to you by Chase Ink Business Credit Cards. Let's be real, if you're running a business, you're putting in serious work, and every dollar you spend should be working just as hard right back. That's exactly what Chase Ink Business Credit Cards deliver— cash back on the everyday business purchases you're already making. And the best part, you can reinvest that cash back into your business. Cash back built for every business. Find the right card for you at chase.com/inc. Good evening, everyone. How are you feeling tonight? Welcome to Town Hall. I am Amy Poehler.

I am so happy that you're joining us this evening.

Ah, here we go, here we go. Before we start, we just wanted to say thank you everybody for coming and especially thank Chase Ink Business Credit Cards, our sponsor tonight. Give them a round of applause.

Thank you, Chase.

We are gonna start our show with a performance, um, an old beautiful friend of mine who happens to sing the Good Hang theme song. A performer, a writer, she is an incredible artist and a wonderful person, and she's joined by her friend Chris Anderson. Give it up for Amy Miles, everybody!

Amy Miles! Howdy. How do?

One thing my friend Miss Poller always taught me is whenever I would say, "I'm nervous, I'm nervous," she'd say, "Don't say I'm nervous. Just say I'm so excited." So I'm excited. You ready, Mr. Chris?

Yes.

Okay, so I need audience participation.

Do you guys know how to clap?

Okay.

So what you're going to do is you're going to clap 16 times really fast, just like this.

You're going to—

when I go 1, 2, 3, clap, you're going to go— Yeah, I don't know how many that was, but that sounded right. Just clap until it's like awkward, you know what I mean?

Are you guys ready?

Because you're part of this. Don't mess it up. 1, 2, 3, clap!

Everybody, everybody's gone. Everybody, everybody, everybody's gone. Everybody, everybody, everybody's gone. Everybody, everybody, everybody's gone. Everybody's gone. Woo-hoo-hoo! Going further, higher. Go out with a bang. What's up? What do you say? All I ever wanted was a really good hang. Hold my hand, see if I'm breathing. Tilt to the right and start believing. Money's got a dress that the party started. Money's got a party that starts tonight. Money's got a dress that the party started. What'd he say? Starts tonight. Money's got a dress that the party started. What'd he say? Ah! Party, you broke my heart.

When I see you, I turn and go home.

Woohoo! Go in for the hug, go out with a bang. What's up? What do you say? I ever wanted— That was a really good hangout. What do you say? I ever wanted— That was a really good— Hey, people of Town Hall! The Amy you've been waiting for! My friend, your friend, Amy Poehler! Amy Miles, everybody. Amy Miles. Amy Miles, Chris Anderson. Hello. Woo-hoo. Hello, everyone.

Welcome to Town Hall.

Hello, hello.

Happy National Kinetic Sand Day. Not a sponsor. And happy Viola Davis's birthday.

Yeah.

How psyched are you that this show is at 6 o'clock?

Right?

I know what you want. I know what you want. You know, I wanted to do the show at 5 o'clock, and Jenna said no. She said that we have to give people some time to come from work. So just out of curiosity, did anybody leave work? By a show of hands, anybody leave work early today? Wow, a lot of people have jobs. I'm very impressed. Anybody not work today? I know you're all up there. Hello, you're all up there. You'll get down here one of these days, don't you worry. Anybody work from home today? Oh, that's great. But think about it, you'll be in bed by 8:30. Fully entertained. You can watch a show tonight. It's incredible. And we're very, very excited about our guest. I am very— you know, on the way over here, I was thinking to myself, "Oh man, I get a chance to hang with Amy and Chris and this guest," and I'm like, "How lucky am I?" And I think you'll understand when you hear from our guest tonight. She is— talk about a good hang, our guest. This person is— well, let's just say it's Darcy Carden joining us tonight.

Hey! Darcy!

And you know what, Darc? I didn't even say hello to Darcy backstage because I wanted to keep the tension. I wanted to— But D'Arcy is such an incredible actress. You may know her from The Good Place. You may know her from Broad City. You may know her from Five Star Weekend. Humongous hit. I mean, she— D'Arcy does so many things so well, and we're thrilled to be talking to her tonight, and I think you're in for a treat. So really glad you could join us. But, you know, we always do this on Good Hang. We always talk well. Behind our guest's back. It's a little different when you're on stage and they can hear it, but it's still the same. And we get a question from someone who knows our guest that I can ask them. And we are very, very excited to introduce our guest tonight, who, um, oh, I don't know, maybe you know from The Good Place as Chidi? Give it up for William Jackson Harper, everybody!

Woo-hoo!

Ah!

Will, have a seat. Will, Tony nominee. That's all I gotta say. And you're in American Hostage with Jon Hamm coming out in September. Congratulations, Will.

Thanks.

Good to see you. Good to see you too. I like your hat.

Thanks.

Okay, great to see you. No, I'm just kidding. Um, well, um, we do this thing, you know, where we talk about our guests, and I want to get into Darcy because it's so easy to talk about her.

Yeah, right?

Yes, right? We can talk about how great she is all night.

All night and all day.

Yeah, but, um, how was your day?

Uh, largely uneventful. I, I, I hung out with with my wife, Allie.

Yes.

And hung out with my dog, Chico. And did nothing else.

Nice.

Yeah, it was pretty great.

Did you get caught in the rainstorm that I heard happened just a bit ago? No.

No.

You didn't get—

Missed it.

Missed it entirely.

Now, what's a nothing day for you look like? What's your dream nothingness, you know?

Oh, dream nothingness or like the typical nothingness?

Oh, that's an existential question right there. That's some Good Place shit right there. Yeah, yeah.

Dream nothingness is going to the gym on the early side.

Okay.

And then going to have brunch.

Yeah.

Like late morning. So you're having that cocktail around like 12:15 or so.

And we earned it 'cause we went to the gym.

We went to the gym. So we're like, all right.

And what are we doing at the gym? What kind of reps and stuff?

All right, well, you wanna get into my split? Yeah, it ranges. Like I do strength training, 3 days a week and then why am I still—

It's a podcast. We're supposed to talk about our workout.

And then I do like HIIT training and cardio stuff another 3 days.

Okay, fantastic. Brunch and then?

And then a nap.

Yeah, because we're drinking during the day.

We're drinking during the day.

Yeah.

And then maybe—

And we have a show to get to at 6 o'clock.

This is also a 6 o'clock show is— I'm so excited.

Thank you.

That it's a success.

You know, people laugh when I say it, but I wish I could, I wish every show was a matinee.

Yes, I know. Actually, Ali and I go to matinees for theater shows often because we're just like, I don't wanna be coming home when it's dark outside. No. I wanna be inside already.

Yeah.

Like—

10:30, I want my headgear on. I wanna be fully— Yeah, yeah, fully in pajama mode.

Yeah, yeah, put on the— do the red light therapy and all that stuff.

And yeah, um, well, I feel like we have a lot to talk about, and I want to talk about your, uh, partnership in many ways with D'Arcy because that show was such an ensemble, and you guys like really loved each other. And, and you can tell from the work, and it's not surprising because the kind of show you made together. And, you know, D'Arcy has so many people that want to speak well of her And we thought, you know, because she's such a dynamic, wonderful person, we should maybe bring out two people who love D'Arcy. So joining us along with Will, from— well, author, producer, actor, Enneagram 8, and Broad City star Abby Jacobson, everybody.

Abby!

Do I talk about my workout too?

Yeah.

Yeah, what was your workout?

A lot of reps, heavy stuff.

Yeah.

Yeah. But your circuit?

Yeah, lots of different circuits. It's constant constantly mixing it up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta keep it fresh.

Yeah, yeah, lots of muscle confusion.

Yeah, lower body, upper back.

Yeah, you love doing that.

I love that.

Okay, so you both have worked on fantastic groundbreaking shows that have a common denominator, which is D'Arcy is in them. And, um, And I guess I just wanted to ask what it's like to have a person like her around at work.

Well, all right, like, for D'Arcy and I, I feel like it was, like, "The Good Place" was kind of our first, like, big, big, like, we're here every day kind of job. Mm-hmm. And we were, I feel like we sort of bonded over how not normal it was, which was a lot of fun, you know, just sort of like, Show up and like, you know, they feed you, you know? And, you know, it's like that you get paid enough to pay the, you know, the rent.

Yeah.

And like just things like that and just being like, oh wow. And then like doing things like afterwards, like with the, like panels and all this stuff and people have watched the thing that you ran and you're like, what is this? Like how this isn't normal at all. And so like bonding over how not normal how normal everything was, and sort of going through all of that the first time together was really like, it really bonded us. 'Cause I mean, I think, I don't know, I won't speak for D'Arcy, but I know that it was like, it came at a time in life when I was like, well, you know, I probably won't get to experience that kind of job or that kind of life. And to have someone else there in the same sort of space that I could check in with was great.

Oh, that's special. And also, you're like, you've been, you know, you've been working for a while, so it's not like your first job.

Right.

So you can have like some wisdom around knowing that it's good.

Yeah, yeah. It's like, this is, that was great. That was, we were spoiled on that job. It was fantastic.

Yeah.

And Abby, what's it like having D'Arcy around when you work? I mean, I work together a few times. Yeah, you've made out heavily.

We have made out heavily. I think, you know, I go— D'Arcy and I go way back. I was thinking about this today. I met her in a UCB class, a commercial acting class, which is like not really a typical UCB class, but immediately I was like, I was like, "That's the funniest person maybe I've come across." And so kind and generous and warm. And I was very new. This was probably 2007. I was like, "Everybody's kind of scary, and D'Arcy is not that way." And I think after that, we just became really good friends. And then I was like, "I— if I ever—" I mean, at that point, I wasn't like, "I'm gonna get a show, and then I'll get to write her on the show." But, uh, eventually, Actually, I was like, this person has to be on everything I ever get to do. First on Broad City. I mean, I think I should apologize for that to her because Gemma—

What we made D'Arcy do.

Yeah, I was like, yeah, we were like, so you're going to be the only naked one today, all day. And she's like, got it, got it, got it. She's just like—

So how would you describe that character?

Both characters that I've gotten to work opposite D'Arcy, I think, are getting to amplify a part of her that you see when you're friends with her, which is this, like, really silly— like, like, like, she's just the most fun. And Gemma is like— D'Arcy's not Gemma, but Gemma's like wacky and like says it all and means it and is like the most flirtatious, like sexually, like all of it out there. And that's not D'Arcy, but D'Arcy like has that. Yeah. And I think when I was— got into League, I was like, D'Arcy gets— is like this incredible actor and like can— has this huge comedic range. But when I'm with D'Arcy, She's also like the sexiest. Yeah, she has some swag. She, she just is. She's like, she's like so flirtatious. And so when we were, when we were creating Greta, I was like, this is a thing that I see in Darcy all the time, but, but I don't know if the world has gotten to see. And obviously Darcy's not Greta, but there's like the heart of her. I was like, she could, I want her to show this part of her. And then there's also like the silliness and the openness and the vulnerability that is, is in Darcy.

So yeah. Did I answer it?

I don't even remember what I asked.

Me neither. But you know, the cool thing though is that it's kind of remarkable to see someone who has all those things that you're talking about and can be so incredibly vulnerable, but then is, like a very easy hang and very easy to be around.

Yeah, some would even say good. A good hang. Somebody would say good.

Some would say that.

And I'm curious if you feel this way, like the best scene partner. Yeah. Like the best. Yeah. Like giving you everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

She's locked in and I feel like I'm talking about like a college recruit.

Well, I just want people to feel like they're watching their own funeral. Is that weird? D'Arcy, is that weird? We'll talk about it. Um, so, um, what question do you guys want to know? Something, you know, small or big, something you want to have D'Arcy talk about, a story or something you don't know about her, you've both known her a long time, anything you think I should ask her.

I want to know when D'Arcy knew she was funny.

Great, great. And Abs?

I have two. Okay. Okay, here we go. First one is, she's been in so many things, she's acted in so many roles, but I feel like there's definitely something that she hasn't gotten to do yet as an actor. And like, or I don't— I, I'm wondering if she— if there's a thing that she's dying to do. Ooh. And then my other question, I'm sure a lot of people are curious this. Of all the people that she's gotten the opportunity to kiss on screen, like which one, like, did she feel was the best?

Yes.

I love these questions. Thank you so much for these questions. Thank you for talking about our friend. Thank you guys both. Again, if you get the subway, you literally could be asleep by 7:30. I don't mean to— would you— like 8 o'clock?

Yeah. Okay. Okay.

We leave.

But I was gonna say, thank you so much for coming.

Will and Abby, everybody!

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So without further ado, Please give it up, everybody, for Darcy Carden.

Hi, Dars. Hi, Amy. You look so good.

Sorry. OK, first of all, is there— are there 2 people in the back row that would rather sit in the front row? Oh, look at this.

Look at this caring— Just 2 of you, come up here. —this caring person.

Hurry, now. It's your chance, literally. If you're on— if you— you have to be on the aisle, though. Ready, go. Yeah, there they go.

Good job, Dars. That seat was saved. Hey, Jennifer Guffman.

Guess who didn't show? Guffman didn't show.

Hi, Amy. Hi, Darcy.

Before we start, I have a present for you. Wait, I feel like, what do I do right now? Should I scoot back so I can see?

Great. That's a great call. Let's adjust.

OK, we're going to—

Well, I want you to come this way and face me more.

OK, maybe I'm not doing it because I want to give you the present. I don't want to reveal it.

OK, OK, give me the present first.

So first and foremost here is I know how much you love fake food. What about a very realistic looking corn?

I don't have corn. Hold on, hold on.

It feels like there's a button underneath it that maybe you could press and just like, I don't know, hold it up to the microphone or something.

Oh, okay. Here we go. Here we go.

Wow.

So this is opera corn? Opera corn. Opera corn. Wow. So listeners. Yes. Darcy has handed me what is a glistening plastic corn cob.

Slicked in butter.

Gorgeous. And it has a button. And it plays. Let's just hear it one more time.

Yeah, please. Oh, the morning.

Yay! Yes! Different opera songs. I love it.

Oh my God.

Thank you so much, Opera Corda.

Thank you, Nurse.

Of course. Incredible. OK. OK, so do you feel good about— am I up— are we fine? I think we're fine.

Are we fine? Jenna, you guys will tell us.

Okay, has this ever been said before? For the first, I don't know, 3 times I listened to the podcast when it first came out, I would have bet $1 million that you were singing the theme song. Anyone else? Isn't it her voice? You guys are twinsies.

Oh my God. I know. I know. That's my dream to sing like Amy Winehouse. I know.

Oh my God.

But yes, much like Nicole Kidman, I insisted on singing my own theme song. Do you guys remember when she sang that theme song? It was so good. What show was that from? Oh, yeah. Moulin Rouge? No, not Moulin Rouge.

I love the theme song of Moulin Rouge. No, she sang a theme song. She wrong.

This week on Moulin Rouge. No, it was for a TV show. I believe it was with Hugh Grant. The Undoing. Thank you. The one with the coats.

That was Nicole. She can do it all. She can do it all. We know this because of—

We know this. We know this. And also, I want to say, Darcy, thank you. You were on our second episode. You did this. You did the— you gave me a question for Rashida Jones. That was so fun. And thank you because when people invest early in a podcast before—

I know.

I really— you're coming in. Coming on before you know if it's going to be something special.

Amy, anything for you, and I cannot mean that enough.

Thank you, buddy.

Anything for you.

Thank you. I love you so much. Okay, okay. So let's get down to business, Darcy. I just want to keep goofing. Well, you grew up in the Bay Area. Yes. And yeah, and you know, I know—

That was my cousin Niva.

And also the Bay Area, I think of the Lonely Island. Yes, yes, totally. And Bay Area is like, for us East Coast people, it's like, what is this?

Yes, totally.

Like, it feels like such a big area. Yes, yes. Such a bay? The Bay Area? It's a entire area. It's like would be like, like it would be like if we were like, we grew up, like we're from like the tri-state area.

Yes, we never say that. I thought about this before that like there's not a lot of areas. Yeah. We don't talk about it in area.

Yeah, the Bay Area. The Bay Area.

The Bay Area. The Bay Area. It's almost one word. The Bay Area. Yeah. Yeah.

And your dad, you called yourself, you like in a very sweet and like self-effacing way, you've called yourself a nepo baby because your dad was in the music business and he started a magazine, BAM, which was a music magazine. Bay Area Music. Bay Area Music. Yeah. So I've never seen a picture of your dad.

He's Turkish? He's Turkish and Greek, half and half.

What did he look like? He looks like—

Or does look like. Yeah, he looks exactly like Harold Ramis. Great.

Like, I'm like expecting a picture to pop up. Like that.

Like you're just listening, a picture pops up.

So not like mustache.

He had a mustache for one church play.

OK. That he was in or he attended? That he attended. That he was in.

I think it was, um, I think it was Our Town.

And did he know any Turkish? Well, he must have.

He was born there, right? Yes. But he moved to America when he was, I want to say, like, I, it's like 3 or 4.

Okay.

But he was like, you know, 3 or 4s talk. 3 or 4s talk. 3 or 4-year-olds talk. They talk. They do talk. Yes, they talk all the time.

Yeah, they be talking.

Um, so he did know Turkish, and now he He really doesn't. Do you know any Turkish? I don't know any Turkish. And I'm like full of shame about it. I've never been to Turkey. We were like— he's also half Greek. And I feel like I know a lot of—

And did he kind of absorb— like, that's what he embraced a little bit more?

I think Greeks in the audience maybe know, like, it does sort of take over. If you're like a little Greek, you're 100% Greek. Yeah. If your spouse is Greek, you're more Greek.

I mean, look what's happening now. The Greeks are—

going nuts. They're dancing in the aisles.

All right, all right, all right. Spanakopita on the wall. Exactly.

But yeah, so we— I feel like we really, um, we were like a Greek family. Okay. All I'm saying is I know no Greek either. Say agape. Okay.

That means I love you. And, um, your dad loved music. Yeah. You know a lot about music. You grew up loving music. Was there any— it's— I mean, to have a cool dad who loves music, was there ever music that you liked I liked that he was like, this is garbage.

It's just so funny that you're saying this. Okay, my mom is equally— my mom and dad started this magazine together. Erasing the woman.

No, no, no, no. Already 7 minutes in. She is—

my mom is like very behind the scenes. So her name, she wasn't like holding up the Forbes magazine at all. She was just like, you know, she was there with him. And she also has this like incredible sort of encyclopedic knowledge of music. Yep. And out of absolutely nowhere, I think 3 days ago, she texted me. I wish I had my phone. I want to read it to you. She was like, when you were in junior high, I told you that I didn't like the sound of Eddie Vedder's voice and you got really mad at me. And I just want to say, I think he has a great voice and I'm really sorry.

She was making amends.

Yes. It was wild. It was so wild. And I was like, I actually really appreciate that. And I was like, I'm sorry. It's funny to think of like 12-year-old you being like, I love Pearl Jam. Yeah.

Screw you. It was how you were like rebelling a little bit against cool parents.

And I think also we did, you know, my siblings and I really loved a lot of my parents' music and my parents also liked really modern music. So to have anything that they did that they weren't into felt like, I don't know. Also, I grew up in the Bay Area, so— Bay Area. I know, I know, I know. We, we listened to like a lot of hip-hop. I feel like my mom was always sort of like, okay, she, she was really into Run-DMC, but the rest of it she's like, great, enjoy. Like there were just some things that sort of missed her. Right. But in general, my dad and I, I feel like we really liked a lot of the same music. And actually, yes, I'm just remembering that also my mom didn't like Pink Floyd. Uh-huh. Hot take. Hot take. Take. And then when I was in, like, college, I sort of discovered that I really like Pink Floyd. And my dad was like, finally, I love Pink Floyd.

He's like, I can't talk about it around your mother. Exactly. You know, can I talk about Pink Floyd for a second?

Please, Amy.

Songs are too long.

3 minutes or die.

I mean, there's a couple of times. It's like manspreading. Yeah. It is. It's like, dude.

Dude, we get it.

Come on. It's kind of like, you already said that. Yes. I heard you. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You already said that. You already said that. Now, did you go to shows all the time?

This was like, to me, one of the coolest parts of my childhood. Childhood was that my parents really included us in the concerts of it all. They're like, we, we— and everything, everything came through the Bay Area, so we saw everything. We, we— they would just— we— yeah, they would take us to everything.

And do you remember like a formative moment when you were a young person watching somebody on stage? Yeah, I do. I like—

well, Huey Lewis was my first concert.

Oh my God, Huey Lewis was one of my first concerts too! That's cool. That is cool. That is cool.

And I also remember— Give it up for Huey Lewis.

Wait, what? Give it up for Huey Lewis.

Give it up for Huey Lewis.

Thank you, guys. Talented.

Such a voice. Talented. And the harmony, the whole band, and the news. Give it up for the news.

They never get any credit.

They never get any credit. I remember being much like you guys in the very front row of an Eddie Money concert.

I was just talking about Eddie Money the other day. You were? Yes, I just— I was looking him up when we were driving because I was like, what is Eddie Money's deal? What is this? First of all, it can't be the name his mother gave him, and it's not, right? No.

What a cool name.

I believe his last name is Mahoney. His real last name is Mahoney. That's kind of a cool—

like, totally from Mahoney to Money. Yeah, but he did one of those— I think— I bet this was like my second or third concert. I was so little, probably too little to be there, but he did the thing where he's singing to the mic and then he put it down to me. And I remember being like, oh, I don't know this lyric.

I'm like 5.

And it was— but, you know, cool, cool to— there's something about when I say like nepo baby, what I mean is like there was no— like the proximity, like to be close.

Well, you were around creative people, right?

That's like— and I know nepo actually doesn't mean that, but what we've sort of decided nepo baby means, it's like I think a lot of people people, you know, are like, want to be an actor and they are raised in Ohio or something, and they're like, well, I don't— I've never seen a movie filmed here, so I don't really understand, you know, like, it doesn't— it— you can't like grab it.

Yes.

And so there was something about, even though the music industry is not the— it's the entertainment industry, and I was like, well, that could be a career, that could be something that you like do with your entire life. Yes.

Did you ever want to go into music? I kind of did.

I mean, really, when— maybe this is like every kid, but when I was in elementary school, I made like we had to make something like, like about our future. And I drew myself as a pop star, as an actor, as a major league baseball player.

I mean, you made that, right?

I know. Yeah. And then as the president. Sure. But like, overly confident.

Like, that's a very healthy child. I think. I think that's great. That's my parents. Now, I've heard that you as a young person also had a big love for Annie. Yes. Yes. Can we talk about Annie a lot? Yeah, yeah. Can we talk about Annie? When did you see Annie?

Annie, I guess, was my first real play. Like, we saw a lot of children's theater where you're kind of like sitting on the stage or whatever. But Annie, we went to the Concord Pavilion. Anybody knows it? And we saw like a real production of Annie. And did you have this thing where you were just like, get me up there?

100%. I feel like it was a real— it's a real defining moment for young women of our age, or maybe you're younger than me, but like in that age group where Annie was like, it was like incredible parts for young women. There was like 12 orphans. Also, the idea of being an orphan, the idea of being an orphan was like, it was so romantic.

It really was. Yeah, it really was. It really was. Let's play orphans. Yeah, let's be orphans.

Yeah, like orphans were cool. Yes, I know, I know, I know.

Why is that? And I always I was like, well, certainly I wouldn't play Annie, but Pepper. Yeah, you're right.

And there was just this moment of like, the songs are— it was like they're singing about us.

Yes, totally. OK, now I'm just going to bring up this damn nepo thing one more time. But we got to go backstage. OK, whatever. Sorry to brag. And in my whatever age this was, 4 or 5-year-old, delusion or whatever this was, Miss Hannigan was backstage, the woman who played Miss Hannigan. And she was sort of like bent over talking to someone. And I slapped her ass.

No. No, D'Arcy.

No. No. Like almost like I punched her in the face. I was just like, you bad bitch.

That poor actress. That poor actress.

Oh my God. Do you remember her reaction?

I think she was kind of like, whoa. Definitely was not expecting some weird little girl boy being like, short hair.

You love to sing. You love to harmonize. I do.

Yeah, you do too. I have the lyrics.

I have the lyrics to "Maybe" by Annie. Ready? Okay. Just sing the first couple lines. With you? Yeah, let's try it. I don't remember it.

Maybe far away, or maybe real nearby. She's awesome! Damn it!

What is— what is I was like, what a song. Sad romantic song.

I know, we were just talking about it. We were like, could it be a song at a wedding?

It can't be, can it? Bet you he reads.

Bet you he reads. Bet you she sews. Maybe she's made me a closet of clothes. Maybe they're strict as As straight as a line. Don't really care as long as they're mine.

Incredible. Incredible lyrics.

Incredible.

Good job, Annie.

Okay, so then you get to teen years and you fucking do the coolest thing. You put an apostrophe in your name. You put an apostrophe in your name. I'm kind of Eddie Money in that. That way. It's your Eddie Money moment.

That's my Eddie Money moment.

And you come to school and you're like, dank, you poinda. So for people who don't know, Darcy spelled— how do you spell your name?

It was just D lowercase a r c y, right? And then I really became obsessed with grunge music and Smashing Pumpkins. And Smashing Pumpkins has Darcy Rotsky on bass, and she was just like the fucking coolest. Sorry. And, um, child in the front, child in the front, child in the front.

Good to know. Good to know. Hey, hey, hey, child in the front. Hey, child in the So maybe for myself. Yes.

And I just— I just— I was— thank you. I was basically like, she's cool. Yes. I love her. She's cool. I want to be her. And it was a not decision. It was just like, then that was my name. It wasn't a big decision. It really was just like—

OK, first of all, that's an earth-shattering decision. It's so funny.

It really was like— I wasn't like, should I? Could I? I just did it.

And when you walked into school— I was like, pop my collar. I picture that, like, annoying.

It just was like, I just started doing it. I just started doing it. And my mom was like, hmm? And she does this thing. She doesn't really do it anymore, but she would often sign a letter M'OM as like a little— Oh, cute. So you're like, I can do it too, darce.

Cute. Glory. Glory. Praise the glory.

You know, I have a quick Darcy story from Smashing Pumpkins, which is I was waiting tables in Chicago. And one of the guys, they was like, oh, I do a catering business on the side and I cater weddings. We need extra help. Can you help me this weekend? I said, sure. Oh, we're going to somebody's house for a wedding. Who is it? It's Darcy from the Smashing Pumpkins. Oh my God. You catered Darcy's wedding, Amy? Well, I didn't cater. I passed around hors d'oeuvres.

I think that's catering, right?

Yeah, I didn't actually.

Right, right.

Yes, but I had a white shirt and black pants and she lived in Michigan City, Michigan. Wow. I forget who she was marrying. I could look it up, but I— it's just— there's no way to know. My laptop's so far away.

It's so heavy. It's such— it's like— and I hope they're, they're together.

I don't know.

And I don't think— I don't know. I don't think they are. And I hope they are.

And I don't believe they are.

I don't believe they are.

Um, but, but it was a very intimate small wedding and Billy Corgan sang in the living room. Oh my God. I know.

Is this like something that you've told before?

I did. I wrote about it in my book because— I've read your book.

I was like, only me with a Darcy story.

But she was so cool, even like not at her wedding as well.

And at her wedding, was she wearing not a white dress? Oh, that's a great question. You know what I mean? It's got to be black.

You know, my memories are like, um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get you. You know, they're really like, uh, you know, like when, um, a child makes a drawing. Yes. And then it's left out in the rain and you're kind of like, I know it was something. Yeah, totally. That's how it feels.

Yeah, that's— I mean, yeah, yeah.

You were also class clown in high school. Congratulations. Thank you. I love a woman. A woman. A woman class clown. A woman clown. Well, I would just say that women who are class clown kind of sometimes go two ways. Right. Sometimes they're the bad kids. Right, right, right. Mischievous. Mischievous. And then they're just genuinely funny. Rachel Dratch was class clown. She was. Rosie O'Donnell, class clown.

Yes. And yes, Rosie O'Donnell, class clown, and also prom queen. Me too.

You were prom queen too?

We didn't have prom queen, but we had homecoming.

Oh yeah, homecoming queen and class clown. It's incredible. You know what I say? It's the apostrophe. Okay, well here's—

it was the apostrophe. You know what's funny is like, this is because we're doing this live, I feel like I can like peek behind the curtain. The guests ahead of time are supposed to be a surprise.

Right.

Okay, you should know Abby absolutely spilled the beans.

Yeah, we forgot to tell. You know, I don't love surprises. Okay. And I get stressed out about pranks. Yeah. Oh, I do too. So I don't want to make anybody feel like they have to keep a secret.

And it was— and also it's not like I knew what they were going to say. It was actually perfect because then I could hang out with them backstage and everything. Great.

So I was like, tell or not tell, up to you.

It reminded me that my dad spilled the beans the night before the homecoming queen.

Isn't that funny? Oh my God.

Isn't that funny? I guess not. So maybe it just reminded me where I was like, do I like to know things in the moment or do I like a little heads up? But my dad was like, I got to tell you, you got homecoming queen.

Well, he didn't really—

he didn't like accidentally spill the beans. He told you. He fully told.

And my mom was like, Dennis! And then he went, just kidding. Dennis? Dennis.

He couldn't tolerate his own stress about it. That's right.

He had to tell me. That's kind of a cute memory.

And did you like it?

I did, because then I didn't have to be— I mean, then I was just— Depressed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you were like, oh my God. Oh my God, yes.

I was kind of like, oh my God. It's like the Bay Area. OK, you go to school for theater. Yeah. You think about music, but you're— are we checking our pants?

Well, my pants did that. You know.

Well, here's the thing about pants now. Pants are ridiculous now. They're stupid.

And everybody knows it.

Everybody— they're so bad. They're so big. There's so many pleats.

And I want them big, but then when you sit, they're like, ha ha ha ha. This is the joke part. You look insane.

So how do you go from theater?

Where do you go to college? Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. Interesting. How do you get there? OK, you go straight up the— OK, because I couldn't remember the freeway either. I— okay, Ashland is a big— it has the— I want to say it's the biggest Shakespeare festival in the country. Is that right, Ashland connoisseurs? Yeah. And I— and so my theater class in high school, every year we would go up and watch a bunch of plays and I just loved it. It's like a— it's like an almost like a bless you blast from the past, like out of the Elizabethan era town. Ooh, it's cool. It's wild. It's crazy.

So you used to go up there and watch Shakespeare?

Yes. Shakespeare? I do, but don't hold that against me.

I don't. I enjoy Shakespeare too, but I don't— I— it's— I'm— it's a long process for me. I know, I know. Yeah, it's a long process for me.

It does— another sneeze? Chill out, we already had the one. Oh my God, guys. I mean, you know, I love Shakespeare when it's good, right? I mean, whatever. Also, I've seen kids do Shakespeare and it can be good, but— Can it? No. Not good. Not good. No. Yeah, they do it. Cute, maybe cute. Sort of. Yeah, you're kind of like, eh. Do at least Shakespeare Jr. Yeah. Don't give me the full Monty.

Yeah, you're right. Do a quick Shakespeare.

But I did. I, you know, it's like I fell in love with it so hard in, I guess, high school, but really in college when I studied it.

Cool.

And then the further away I get from college— it's been 2 years now. What is that joke? The further away I get, the less I like have a connection to it. So I'm almost like, I need, I need to— I'm like scared of it a little bit. I'm like, do I remember who's my favorite? What's my favorite show? Who's my favorite character? I don't know.

Now, do you have a Shakespearean part you would have loved to have played or you did play and loved? Doing?

There in Midsummer, I always really loved Helena. Yes. Which I'm sure, you know, she's our— if we're—

I was in, in college, we did Midsummer Night's Dream, and I was one of the fairies. I was Peaseblossom. Peaseblossom!

Of course you were freaking Peaseblossom. I was Titania. Titania. Titania. Titania. Who's that? She's like the queen in the beginning, and then you kind of never see her again until the end.

Oh, I, I'm having a memory now that I was also— I did doubled up and I was the New Yorker that comes in. Excuse me? Isn't there a New York—

No, wait, that's Brigadoon. Okay. Sorry, funny Amy. Hey, thou art, thou art Peasblossom.

So how do you go from Shakespeare to comedy to UCB? Okay. Okay.

So I do my 4 years in Ashland. I loved it. I got— I loved it. It was a great college experience, but I was like itchy as hell to get to New York. I had to get to New York. And so truly like, you know, graduated and hightailed it to New York and spent like a year or 2 auditioning for things and doing what every actor that comes to New York does, which is just kind of go like, oh, it's harder than I thought it was going to be. Yeah, like, like, this is really something.

They weren't kidding.

And, um, and, and had like, um, I think I had hit the 2-year mark and I was like, I love it here, but I think I don't want to like keep temping. Like, I probably just have to— I'll move back home or whatever. Um, but I loved it. Like, I'm so glad I did my 2 years. And Amy, then a friend took me to a UCB show, and it— and I knew what UCB was from the TV show. I knew who you were because I was a big fan of you from SNL, but I didn't really know what UCB was in as far as like, you know, the live theater of it all. And I had seen some improv that was more like short-formy and always enjoyed it, but it wasn't like calling my name. And I— my friend took me to an Ass Cat, which is like the big UCB show every Sunday night. Yes. And yes. And—

And— And— Wow.

Wow.

So good. And you were in the show, which she wasn't every week at all. She's a busy lady, but she was in the show and it was like Jack McBrayer and Rob Riggle and Jason Mantzoukas and maybe Seth Meyers. It was like I was kind of like, oh, holy shit. Oh, God. Like, just— and then had the thing where you almost like go into like a tunnel of light. And I watched the show with everybody Everything else fell away and I was like a little bit like the Annie moment where I was like, get me up there. Yes, get me like I get me the hell up there. Everything in my life just changed. This is all I want to do. This is like, like I figured it out. I found it and I signed up for class the next day. And it was so long ago that you would like bring your form and your check in to sign up for class. And the person that took my check was an intern named Donald Glover. Amazing. Eddie Money moment, Childish Gambino. And then I just became obsessed and I stayed in New York for 11 years and it became my life, my love, my church, my everything, everything, everything.

Yes. And I feel like a similar feeling with you about our love of improv, which I know like any art form, you can kind of make fun of it. Improv is definitely made fun of a lot. Yeah. It's like not— it doesn't feel cool sometimes, but I think it's like the coolest thing in the world and the coolest people do it, I think. What do you like about it?

I, by the way, I agree so hard and truly like the top of that pyramid or whatever is you, dude. I mean, I do.

Like, I don't know how—

I mean, I could spend the entire episode talking about you and what you mean to me and what you mean to us. But what you mean to me, you, like, you in so many ways, you completely changed my life and, like, showed me how to do it. You really, like, showed me how to do the thing I wanted to do that I didn't know even existed. And that's improv, but that's everything. Like, bitch. D'urse. I mean, I— yeah. Thank you. You know, like, it's— It is always a weird thing to be like friends with somebody that you actually worship. And that's just the breaks. But I, you know, I agree. Like, I know it's sort of like almost cool or trendy to shit on improv. And I, but I don't even care. I don't care. I don't play to it. Like, I get it if you don't like it or if you think it's cringey. I think it's like magical art. I think it can be the funniest thing you have ever seen in your entire life. The way it, like, connected me to people that I'm still friends with all these years later and in, like, a special way that's different than just working together or doing a show together, like a sort of psychic bond, you know?

I— it also shows you, like, how to be a person in the world, not just an actor. That's right. You know, like, listen to the person, set you up for success. Like, I want you to succeed. I want to help you. I want you to help me. I want to be a team. I mean, All I ever wanted was a really good hang. All I ever wanted was to be on a team. Yes, to be on a team.

And you bring up the word listening. I feel like it teaches you because it's kind of life or death because you have to listen very carefully because you're like, where are we? What are we doing? What are you talking about? And that kind of active listening bonds people really fast.

I agree.

And when you're around people that aren't used to or don't practice that listening, it's like, whoa. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, in life and in totally work.

Like, it's also what makes you like so unbelievably good at this, you know? It's okay. Yeah, okay, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. But I mean, but also as an actor and everything, like, but don't you think everything, like, as a director, as a writer, as a mom, like, I'm sure it's like just a person in the world.

Yes. And I also feel like if you have that skill, if you feel like you can, then it's like a, like some form of meditation where you're actually in the present moment, which is impossible to be. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it is impossible to actually be where you are, sitting here, feet on the ground, sneezing, whatever you're doing, right? It's, it's impossible to actually be not racing ahead or thinking back. Like, it's, it's, it's— for me, it's, it's a lifelong lesson. Improv helps me stay in my body, actually.

100%. Yes. I— oh, you took a breath.

Okay, no, keep going.

I was gonna say, I'm having a memory of the first show I did with Yes. What is it? It was an ASCAT. So I was like, I was on the sort of list of performers that would kind of like fill in last minute, which was a dream come true. I was so happy to be included. And so on a Sunday night, I would kind of keep my Sundays open just in case. And sometimes it would, you'd know in the morning, sometimes you would, it would be like someone bailed a half hour ago. Can you get here? And I would always try to do it. But I, there, there was like a night where husband Jason, hi Jason, and I and we were— I mean, oh my God, we were dirt poor, but we decided to like go to a nice dinner for some reason in our neighborhood. I think we were new to Brooklyn Heights and we went to like a nice dinner and I ordered a freaking steak. Like we were having a nice dinner and we're sitting there having like a nice little romantic date and I get a text and it was like, someone dropped out.

Can you be at UCP in like 30 minutes? And I was like, bye. And I'm not kidding. I got up so fast that I knocked over the table people behind me. And Jason was like, go! Oh, and then we got to do a show together, and you were so warm and welcoming and cool. And we did— it was actually like, it's hard to remember improv shows and scenes, but I kind of remember it. And it was like actually a great show. And you did the thing that you do, which is like on the back line, which is like when we're not in the scene but we're still on the stage, so you shouldn't really talk. You like talked to me and said I did something funny, and you said like, you made me laugh so much. And I was just like, I like ascended into the heavens. And you just, you take care of your people and you're such a giver. You're such a giver. You're such a giver with your laugh and your love and that mean— and yeah, and your praise. It really, it changes people's lives.

Thank you, Darcy. Thank you. Sorry. Sorry. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. In the words of Lena Waithe, Yes. Thank you, and I receive that. OK, great.

That's all I needed.

I just needed to tell you. I receive that. But you're talking about Jason, your wonderful husband, who you met at Disneyland. I know. Why did it have to be that? Jason. Jason, producer, are you a Disney adult? Do you care about Disney? I— you know— Oh, we got one.

Not with that, but like, I always am like, I'm not a Disney adult, and yet I go every year.

We go every year. OK. That's actually a really good question is what makes someone a Disney adult? Because going once a year feels like not so much. That's not so crazy. But once a year, like what?

I mean, it is really fun to go with my nieces and nephews. It's really fun.

But you go sometimes without them? We went twice without.

We went twice without. Yeah. But with nieces and nephews, like just took my whole family. We just went in the spring and it was so fun.

And when you were with Jason, when you met Jason, you were with a group of people. Yes. Was the moment, the meet cute?

Well, I was like, hubba damn hubba. Yeah. But I was also like not looking for a boyfriend or anything. I was just kind of like, that guy is cute. And then I sort of like, I think I class clowned him a little bit. You class clowned him? I like burped at one point, which is fine.

Girls can burp.

Yeah, they can burp. I have some like weird thing that pops in my sternum, and I was like, hey, feel this, brother.

The old classic.

Like, I wasn't flirting with him. Right. But I was definitely like, oh, I like him. And then I—

yeah. And how long have you guys been together now?

We have been together for like 20 years. Yeah. Right on.

Yeah, she's the very best. Around this time, you also meet Abbi Jacobson. Abbi J. Ilana Glazer. Ilana G. And you guys work together in many different ways, including Broad City, which we mentioned. Yes. Do you remember those times coming in? Because you know there is a Reddit thread about your character on Broad City.

What do you mean? What, just like—

Just a lot of theories about her. You should go down there. Go down if you ever want to go down.

I want to go down. I think you should.

I don't know, sometimes it's scary to go down for sure, but I bet they're pro.

I feel like— yeah, that's true. Also, there's like enough distance that I could handle it. Yeah, if it was like current. Yeah, yeah, right, right.

Yeah. So those early scrappy days—

scrappy dappy doo. Um, so scrappy.

What was it— what is it like to have worked on a show that like you've worked on a couple now where people come up and still feel really connected it?

It's kind of like a little bit beyond wildest dreams because I think I just wanted to act. And you want to touch people, but you almost don't think about that next step of them letting you know that. And with a show like Broad City that people keep discovering and rediscovering, and it kind of like, you know, especially younger generations are like, feel seen. And a show like The Good Place I mean, I really— I— in League of Their Own, like, I've really lucked out with some shows that have meant— have touched people. And hearing that, I mean, you know, like, it's kind of beyond wildest dreams.

Do you have— Abby had a question for you, which was, do you have— well, she had two. Yeah, she did. Let's get the easy one out of the way first. Who did you like to kiss the most?

Okay, let's see. OK, here's the thing you may not know. I have kissed so many people on camera. You have? Fantastic. It's actually crazy. Men and women? Men and women. Should I name 10? Yeah. OK, let me see how quickly I can do this. OK, Abby, Gemma Chan, Roberta Colindris, Justin Long. Are you ready for this? Lenny Kravitz. Kristen Bell. Damn it. OK, that's 6. Wow. There's more. There's more. But whatever. But whatever.

Ab— Kravitz is in the race.

Ab— yeah, yeah. Kravitz is in the race. Let's tell them. It's Abby.

Yeah. It's Abby.

It's Abby. It's Abby. It's totally Abby.

What's it like to kiss your friend?

Want to try?

Want to find out?

That's such a straight person question.

I'm like, wait a minute, you kiss your friend who's a girl?

Whoa.

Wow. Yeah.

It is. It's funny. It's like the immediate sort of awkwardness of like, OK, let's go.

We're going to kiss. Yeah.

You're my friend.

We've known each other for a long time. And then there's something very easy about it. The awkward moments that may come later don't come. Yeah. You know? It's really easy. And we were also goofing. We were kind of like, "This is crazy." And we did get, like— There's a really great, in my opinion, a great scene, great kiss in that pilot episode, in the first episode. And we did it a few times, and we were like, "Wow, this is great. We're doing it. We're doing it." And then, um, Jamie Babbitt, an amazing director who directed that first one, was like, "Guys..." Guys, you got to use tongue.

She's like, what are you doing?

More tongue. And we were like, OK.

Here we go.

So we tongued each other down.

But you know, it's better than the opposite, right? What? Can you imagine the opposite if they were like, guys— Oh my God. Can you imagine if you got the note of like, guys—

Just one of you. Just one of you gets the note. Just one of you.

Oh, it's like, D'Arcy, can I speak to you for a second? Yes. Oh, hey, I love what you're doing.

I know. It's so good. I was so lost in the character.

I didn't even— Yeah, and we can tell. And it's so good. But you've got to stop using so much tongue. It's actually— it's an HR issue. And then Abby's other question was, is there a part that you're— like a thing that you're dying to do that you haven't done or want to do?

I mean, I— speaking about Shakespeare, like, I have such a love for it. And to, like, never do it again feels like a shame to me. Yeah. So I would, you know, like, I would love to do that for myself to kind of, like, remind myself what this particular genre of theater and of acting that I fell in love with that I've, like, really lost touch with.

Would you like to do it in the park?

I would love to do it in the park.

I would love to do it in the park.

Well, let's claim it. Claim it.

Yeah. Let's claim it in the park.

I would love to play Peas Bottom in the park.

And then I'll play the New York lady that comes in.

You come in off the street every night.

They're like, uh-oh.

Like, it's part of the show. What's this, Shakespeare in a park? I mean, we don't usually get this in the Triborough area.

OK. But also Bourne.

But also Bourne.

Like, also kicking ass and actually killing people and actually using guns. Like, I got to do Handmaid's Tale.

Oh, God, that's right.

Which is wild. And I did get to kill dudes.

That's right. Not to spoil, but you know.

You know. Like, it was great.

Child in the front row.

Yeah.

I'm so sorry. Sorry, that's a hard knock life. He's so cute.

That is— that, like, coming into a show like that, season 4 or 5, must have been so fun. Dreamy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And out with Ann Damdow. What a giant she is. What an actress she is.

Oh my God, and she's so like— have you met her or worked with her?

No, I would love— I saw I saw a movie that she— I mean, she does sit down. Like, have you seen the movie Mass? No.

Okay, I got to. Hi, right?

It's so sad. Okay, okay, I want to watch it.

I want to watch it.

It's so good. It's a cry fest. Okay, do yourself a favor, watch it on an airplane. I was just gonna say that.

I was gonna say I'm gonna watch it on an airplane sobbing. She like— she is the sweetest, warmest, like, love. She's like a hand holder. She like tells you she loves you a lot. She's she's sort of like, oh, darling. She's like, darling, oh, I'm so glad you're here, darling. And then they would be like— they would truly be like, action. And she's like, where are the girls? It was amazing. I was like— she would— she would switch on a dime. And it was incredible to watch.

OK, now we need you to spend a moment talking about Janet. OK. We do. We need to talk about Janet. Channet, incredible performance. Thanks, Mayim. I mean, nominated for Critics' Choice and Emmy. Emmy? Yes. Yeah. And like, what a part to get. Like, what a fun, weird character to play. Totally. And for people who have never seen The Good Place, Channet is kind of like if, you know, your Siri came to life. Yeah, exactly. She's your assistant that is there to fulfill all your needs. Yes. She's, like, part, like, servant, part all-knowing deity. And she goes on this journey in the show, and there's so many jokes. Yeah. And you got to work with Mike Schur. The best. So let's talk for a second about how great it is to work with Mike.

It's like you're so spoiled. And it was, like, my first show where I was a regular, so I was like, you know, Will and I were, like, there every day.

Yes.

And we got so lucky. So spoiled. And spoiled is meaning because he's the best. That's what I mean by spoiled. Like, it was the best experience with the best people. You're treated so well. The writers are beyond— I'm like, beyond 100. I don't know what that means, but I just kind of came up with a phrase.

They're beyond 100. Beyond 100. I'm taking your course. Yes. It sounds amazing.

It was perfect. It was perfect. And he is a genius, and he's the sweetest. And he's— I mean, like, you know, if you could have asked me what my dream was before I got The Good Place, it's like Parks and Rec, right? It's like, I want to be on that show. I want to be on a show like that with those people and with that guy. And it was— and then it really— I got to do the next thing. Like, I got to do it.

Just— What was your audition process like? Did you have to audition a lot?

A lot, yeah. I auditioned a lot, and I didn't know anything about— anything about the show at all.

And did they ask you to change how you played her at all? Like, was it like, "We want you to come back, but we want Janet to be more..." You know, like, were they adjusting the character while you were auditioning?

As far as I remember, not really.

Not really.

There was something, like, in the stage direction where it was like, "Nothing throws her. She's, like, unflappable." And that really— I really— that, for some reason, that kind of gave me everything that I needed for the audition. Like, nonjudgmental, you know, like, just— I don't know. There was something— there was something in the stage direction, which is also a credit to him. Like, that's so hard to do, to just get sides for an audition and understand the character, which later realizing I didn't understand the character, but for the audition, right? And it was dummy sides, which means, like, fake side— fake script because they didn't want to give anything away. So it was like, I was a hotline operator and you would— somebody would call in because their doll was broken and I would give them advice on how to fix their doll. Interesting. So nothing about The Good Place at all. Just sort of they wanted to see someone that was like helpful and kept getting, you know, problems thrown at her and she was unflappable and helpful.

Now, this show came out before AI like has like started to take over. Yeah. And It's really interesting. Like, you know, it was when Siri and like the idea that your phone talked to you was still kind of cute. Yeah, totally. Cute little Alexa. And now we're all just like, ha ha ha ha. Like, but we're all very scared. Yeah, totally. And do you think it would have changed the way you would play Janet now? Like, would there be a darkness to Janet now?

That's so interesting. I mean, I could definitely see the writers being inspired by that. Yeah. You know, they're brilliant, and they're beyond 100, as we know. Yeah, they're beyond 100. But I'm like, I'm glad it was when it was. Yeah. Because I guess that would have been interesting to play sort of like dark-sided Janet or whatever, different than Bad Janet. But I love her the way she is.

Would you ever have a robot in your house? House?

Fuck no.

Interesting.

I mean, no, I don't have— I, I like turn everything off.

Okay, but don't you think it's inevitable that every single person in this room in like less than 5 years will have a robot in their house?

I think yes, but I like— I am so afraid of everything. Anything with a camera, anything that records my voice, anything. I'm like, turn it off, break it, break it before it comes house. Like, I don't want to be tracked where I go.

But you are being tracked. I know. I know. I hear you, but it's like, it's inevitable now. I know.

So is it like, just lean into it?

I'm just wondering. I just ask because I would— I'm surprising myself. I would never think that I would want a robot. Yeah. But now I don't know. Actually, actually. Like as an older person, they bring you your medicine?

Yeah. But we I assume you want a real person with a breath and a heart. Yeah. Like a nurse, perhaps.

Perhaps a nurse. Yeah.

Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, I did just watch a robot clean my sister's floor, and it was pretty rad. It was like, brrr. And it would be like— That's right. DJ Roomba.

Yeah. That's right. Yeah. Very famous Parks and Rec character. Um, Will spoke so sweetly about you guys working together. I love him. I love the man. And, um, his question was really tender and sweet, I thought, which was, when did you know that you were funny? Can you answer that?

I mean, okay, I think— can you answer that?

I feel like there might have been— I'm just trying to think of like a performance where I got a laugh. Yes. And I remember being like, me, me too. Okay, I remember being like, yes, like this, like, like when a vampire is born. Totally. You're like— I was like, yes.

Okay, that's, that's great. I was thinking like there's a couple moments where I can remember making my family laugh. Like if I would— if my mom was in a bad mood, I would like— okay, imagine you're at dinner with your family, you're at the table, and mom's kind of in a bad mood. And at some point I'd like sneakily take a gigantic gulp of milk— actually not gulp, just fill my mouth with milk. And then like a minute A minute later, somebody would be talking and I would just smile and like let it all go out on the plate. And my mom would like laugh every time. And it was— and I don't know if that's when I knew it was funny, but I was like, ooh, this works. This joke like cheers her up. Yes. But I do remember being in junior high and doing the talent show with my girlfriends. And the song No Rain by Blind Melon was out. Oh. And they sort of dressed as the band, but I dressed dressed as the B-Girl. Yeah. And I did like a little tap dance and then it was kind of like, hey.

And then the music was supposed to start and it didn't. And so I just did like another little tap dance and kind of did that. And the audience laughed and the vampire moment happened. Yeah. Where I was like, huh?

You're like, I shall be chasing this for the rest of my life.

That felt better than anything I've ever felt.

Yeah. God, isn't it funny that it was in an accident too? Like you had to improvise. Yes. Improv. Yeah. Okay, we spoke about Broadway. We talked about, you know, you were on in Thanksgiving Play. How was your time on Broadway? And was it really hard?

Okay, my time on Broadway was so fun. I need you to do it.

No way. Yes, dude. Oh, here's my theory. Here's yours, but only matinees. Matinees, yes, totally. It's too hard.

It's too hard. No, it's not.

Look, somebody's leaving. It's so hard.

They're like, I love Broadway and especially the night performances. So hard. I— it's not. I mean, here's the thing, like, every night. I know, I know. Twice. Not Sunday. Two days. Yeah, but what you would do is a show like I did, which which is like a 90-minute comedy. Yeah, sure. And you— and people give you the like, wow, you're doing a Broadway show and you're out of the show when like Cats is at intermission and they're still like sweating and dancing and they still have to take their makeup off and you're like already at Sardi's. It's really—

at Sardi's after the show. Oh yeah. Well, that's the thing is you kind of like can't eat that late, Darcy. You kind of— I can't eat.

Do, and what you will do is you kind of push your schedule. You like wake up at 10.

You know, Amy Miles and I used to stay up all night and party, and I literally, if I'm awake at 10:30, I'm like, what's wrong? I'm done. I cannot believe the night I used to have.

And I, I mean, I wasn't in like Chicago with you, but when we would do like the marathon, the DCM marathons, we stayed up all All night.

And we drank beer. We drank beer. Straight out of the can. I also want to talk to you about being in yet another, like, 5-star weekend. Huge hit. Do I see it?

A big old-fashioned hit.

A huge old-fashioned hit. With a bunch of ladies.

Yes.

The adorable, wonderful Jennifer Garner.

The best. I know. She's listening to this right now. When I posted that I was doing this, she wrote, "Bullshit." What a peach.

I know, I love her. A peach and a pro.

A peach and a plum.

And a plum and a pro. Peach and a plum and a pro. I love her. And congratulations on like— Thanks. And then you're going to do another season.

Yes. I'm so excited. It's like, I will say, like, let me just tell you guys, you know, okay. Okay, 5 women. Judy Greer also. West and Harlow, like so many women in the cast. Yes. 2 female directors. That's all we had. Like 5 female producers. Female writer. It just happened. Female cinematographer. Amazing. It just happened to be that. Great. And it absolutely ruled. Yes. It was incredible. Yeah. It was problem-free.

Yes, of course. Of course it was.

Yeah, it was really smooth and amazing.

Of course it was. Of course it was. Yeah. And people showed up for it. And like you shot it in Nantucket. We shot in Nantucket. And what month were you there?

September, which is apparently the month.

Perfect. The perfect month.

Because all the tourists are gone. Yes. You kind of get that chill in the air. The island is still gorgeous. Yes. It was really beautiful.

Did you stay in a house?

We stayed in these sort of like furnished apartmenty homes.

Okay, great. The White Elephant, shout out.

Oh my God, we love the White Elephant.

And then, um, um, no, but they're not a sponsor, but I do love the White Elephant. You do? Yeah. Um, I would love a sponsor. And then love a sponsor. Yeah. Um, uh, I also love Chase. And what else?

Other things?

I love Chase Ink business credit cards.

Yes.

But that idea of all those women coming together, of like when we always say that like, oh, it's great to have women around, but you're a real lover of women. Women love you. And there is some way of working sometimes that it's like hard to explain, but I think people when they are around it feel it. What is the best part of that? What, you know, what's the vibe? Like, what's the way of working? Because I'm always looking to see, like, how people like to work. Yeah. Yeah. How do you like to work? And how was that special in the way you were working?

Okay. There was like a few— this is going to sound so sort of cryptic, but there were like a few heavy things that happened during filming in people's lives. Okay. And the way that these women just sort of like made it work in the most the most loving, supportive, simple way where it was not a problem. It was like, "We got it. We've handled it. It's done. Take the day," whatever it needed to be. It was just like— That's only like one small thing, but I just remember it was sort of a surprising amount of things happening during shooting. And it really just— It was like kind of remarkable and beautiful how— how just how much they took care of it, how much they took care of the person that needed to be taken care of.

Very nice. Very cool.

Yeah. And then also just like Gavin. Just Gavin. Just Gavin. Yeah, just freaking Gavin.

Well, I mean, I don't want to freak people out because, by the way, I took a poll of the audience. A lot of people have jobs here. Okay. Which I'm shocked. I know. Like most of the people raised their hand and you You know that you spend more time with the people you work with than usually your family and your loved one.

Right. When you have a job.

When you have a job.

Yeah. You get like a couple hours at the end of the day. You're like, "Love you." It's wild.

Like, you bet. The people that you work with. How many here— anyone here tonight with people they work with? Yay.

Cute. Cute. So cute. Coo-worker night.

Coo-worker night. Yeah. They're like, let's get out of here. Let's— they're like, it's 7:40 and we're almost done. Okay, D'Arcy, I ask everybody this question. I need to know what is making you laugh these days. Okay. You're a comedy aficionado. You know so many funny people. You are. You're like, you know, like, you know, sometimes when you do a lot of comedy, that's that's not the thing you want to escape and watch or do. What is the thing you're liking, watching, reading that you're into?

This answer is coming to me so easily because it actually happened yesterday on the plane waiting to take off. I started watching— I went down a rabbit hole of— let me just think if I can like phrase it perfectly. Okay. I also do not like pranks. No, I do not like being scared. No, at all. All. But there's like this area of, I guess, you know, Instagram, Twitter— I mean, not Twitter, TikTok, YouTube— where, um, it's like people scaring their spouse and the way that they react. It's not like, it's not like, ah, it's like, do you know what I mean?

It is so funny.

And I was watching a compilation of people's— they're scaring their spouse or roommate or whatever, And it would— the reactions are like, they're so insane. I was crying on the plane.

I'm picturing— am I getting this right? It's like someone holding a laundry basket. Yes. And it's like, yes.

Yeah.

And then, yes, somebody holding a laundry basket. And then someone comes around the corner and they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is so funny that while I was I was laugh crying on the plane and people were walking on. I was like, should I pretend like I'm actually sad crying so it's less weird?

Now, does it have to be someone's spouse for it to work for you?

No, it can be— I mean, I'm like, could it be a kid? Yeah, it could be anybody. It could be freaking anybody. I think it's just a lot of spouses or roommates in their home where you feel safe and comfortable. Also, remember, recently, remember my husband Jason, he knows not to scare me. Right. And he did. He was like, he did something where honestly, I was in the shower and I see through a window and he was like right there. That's not okay with me. As a joke? No, he was like fixing something. Okay. And I saw him and I went, not cool. Not cool, Jason. I don't like to be scared. I really don't like that.

I really don't like to be scared.

But I really implore you to kind of go down this and it is is heaven.

I—

okay, can I unpack it with you for one more second here? Is that not an act of violence?

Yes, it is. It is. It's violence. It's abuse. It is abuse. It's a prank, which we both said we don't like.

Yeah. So what do you— but I—

yeah, you don't like it. I couldn't not laugh if I tried. Right? Like when something tickles your funny bone. Yes. It's tickling.

It's so true. You can't help it. Yeah. Yeah. I think I would—

like the funniest noises.

I'm just like—

I mean, this is going to be on camera.

Okay. Darcy Carden, before we leave, I'm going to just give a little bit of love back to you, as you've heard tonight. But D'Arcy, you are so fun to be around. You make everybody feel very included. You're such a good listener. You're such a good actress. Grounded all the way, babe. Deeply, deeply funny and very, very real. And I find that to be the same way you show up as a person. It's very, very rare to find somebody as deeply funny as you are, like Abby was saying, like really, like, laugh-out-loud funny, and a really, really genuine, authentic, fun, connected person. Thank you for being both. Oh my God. Thank you. Thank you for your work. Thank you. I mean— Thank you for coming tonight. I love you so much. Thank you for changing my whole entire life. It means so much that you were here. Everybody give it up for Darcy Carden.

Thank you for being here. Give it up for Amy Poehler! The one and only.

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 Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, Alea Xeneres, Bridget Gearlings, Paige Garbarini, Bell Roman, and Drew Vansteenbergen. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

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