Transcript of Kate McKinnon

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We have a great, hilarious guest today, the amazing Kate McKinnon. Kate, who you know from SNL and films and the world. And Kate and I go on an adventure, and we're going to talk about woodworking. We're going to talk about sketch. We're going to talk about what do you do next when you have fulfilled your dream. And in Kate's case, it's homesteading and being in the movie The Roses and writing the second book in her Millicent Quibb series. I'm so excited to talk to Kate today. Before we do, always, we check in with someone who knows our guest, who has a question for our guest, and we have a great one today. Kate's fellow cast member, her chosen sister. You know her from SNL, from Shrill. She's an incredible comedian and actress and writer and person. Ad Bryant. Ad? Hi. This episode is presented to you by Paul Mollet. Some of the best memories you'll ever make are around the dinner table. You'll never regret trying out those new recipes that may or may not go sideways or putting on a spread so big that your in-laws are still talking about it years later.

Brownie points. When it comes to the dishes, it's nice to know that there's a product that works as hard as you do. Paul Mollet Ultra removes up to 99. 9% of grease, leaving your dishes sparkling clean. Visit palmolive. Com. Shop now. We're talking to you from Los Angeles? Yeah. That's where I am. That's where you live now.

I know. I know. It's weird. Eighty.

I had a moment today where I was just excited about talking to you and just thinking about... I know this doesn't sound very basic, but just the women of SNL. There hasn't been as many as you think.

No, totally. It's a major crew of cool stars and girls.

It's true. I think you and I were at a photo shoot and somebody... I feel like we were at the same photo shoot when someone said the number of cast members of SNL, and it wasn't a lot.

Totally. Also, I don't know, I felt this at the 50th where then when you have everyone in the room not counting the hosts, you're like, this is little. This is a little group. Yeah.

I got a laptop here, so I'm going to see how many cast members have been on SNL.

But yeah- Do you have a guess first? A jellybean jar guess?

Okay, yeah. Let's guess before. Okay, I won't look.

Three- I'm going to say 140? Is that wrong?

Yes, 167.

Come on.

That's the Blackbox Theater, honey. That's just a full Blackbox Theater.

You always see everything in theater sizes. That's the stadium.

But I was thinking about… It is. It's a great group, of which I'm very proud to be a part of, and I know you are, too.

It's the same. Oh, my God. Yeah, it's very overwhelming to me if I think about it at all.

I know. Me, too. You and Kate McKinnon, our guests today, were there at the same time in The people, especially the women that you are there with at the same time, means a lot. Tell everybody, when did you guys start? When did you start? Were you starting at the same year? What year?

Well, she had a weird where she started five shows at the end of the previous season.

Maya Rudolf did that, too. Maya started at the end of the season.

Which that seems so stressful to me. I don't know how she did it because she also came in alone in that moment. But I think Kate and I, we shared an office, and also just we both are scared. I think we both were also like, We are both extroverts for our jobs, but I think we're both secretly introverts who like to be quiet and hidden. We bonded over that, I think.

It's funny you say that. That was one of the questions I had for her today is how she managed being in such an extroverted job as an obvious introvert, because I really find her to be a genuine introvert.

Yeah. I think in some ways, it's part of her genius is she's almost like a recluse who has to go and have time. But then it's so fruitful. I mean, one of the first times I went to her apartment, I was like, Oh, my God, what are all these cool paintings? She was like, I did this. I was like, What? We would be writing a sketch, and then she would be like, Well, get a keyboard, and then be playing a full. You're like, Wait, you play the piano? She was like, Well, I do play the cello, too. She is like a sneaky freak who has a million skills and talents, a savant thing. That's why she's mysterious in that way. She is.

She definitely is like an onion. Also, not to make it about me, but I'm feeling such shame about the fact that if I knew how to play the cello, you would know it, babe. You'd know it. You'd know it day one.

No, I'm seeing. Everywhere I go, I'd be like, Well, I do cello, but I do piano, too.

And I paint a little on the side. But anyway, let's get back to you. It would be on my- I guess I'm...

Sorry, I'm one of the greatest sketch communions of all time, too. That's just the other thing I do. I can build tables and garden and...

You're like, And I'll I'll take a Grande Latte, please. I know. I have to say, Eiti, I find this with you, too. Both of you guys have a very calm energy that draws you in. Neither one of you, you're very like, come hither. Come hither.

That is what everyone always says about me. I'm sexy, come hither vibe.

You are, because you both are like, there's not a lot of push. There's not a lot of push.

I think we really helped each other in that way because especially when you get to SNL, it's so overwhelming. It's so cool. I think sometimes we both would have the instinct of like, Is it okay for me to leave this party and go home? We often for each other were like, I would like to. Let's go. You know? We gave each other permission to be the ones to go first, basically.

That's actually a good friendship.

That was really helpful at times. But I'm so honored to be thought of as come hither. That might be my new cello.

Come hither.

Ms. Paula thinks I'm a come hither.

Cut to your cosmetic brand, come hither. Come hither, baby. Then you're like, Where is it being I'll never tell. Before I get to your question for Kate, what was the first stuff you did together and wrote together?

One of the first things I think we really started putting our heads together on stuff were those girl music videos that we would do. Twin Bed, I think, was one of the first ones. Then we did like, Back Home Ballers and a couple after that. But that That was one of our first. We both were like, Oh, we like music, and let's try this.

Did you shoot them at the Douglas house?

Yes. I feel like our generation was some of the last to still go to the Douglas house because they don't go there anymore.

For people listening, the Douglas house was just a big house about 45 minutes outside of the city where if you watch in the '90s and 2000s, every commercial was shot at, every fake commercial was shot at.

Smith's Gang, all the I grabbed my pants, all those were there.

For our generation, it was like, lower back tattoo remover and the Roomba that went up your pants. Just so many mornings super tired at the Douglas house.

Completely. Also, I would lay in their rooms as if they were my own. Just so rudely. I would never do that if I were shooting in someone's house now. But at that time, I was like, I got to lay on on the floor in here on someone's couch or bed. I don't know. You got to know how anything works.

So it was like, our space.

Also, what I love about watching you on the show and all the women of S&L, and Kate, too, is just never worried when you perform. Never always feeling super relaxed that you're in control of what you're doing, that you have a deep sense of play. Something natural does happen, I think, is the longer you're there, which is just you get a good case of like, the fuck it's like, who cares? Let's just try shit.

A hundred %.

You and Kate, as seniors, were really fun together.

Well, we were doing bad behavior, basically.

What? What was your best?

I feel like she... I mean, she's the number one culprit of this in my time at SNL, was she would basically perform so funny during the week, so funny during rehearsal. Then at dress, or I mean, at air, it was just something you had never seen before. I would be eye to eye with her or whatever, and I'd be like, This bitch is letting it rip, and I'm just at her mercy.

So fun.

It was a thrill.

Well, I'm excited to talk to her today. Also, I'm intrigued by Kate always because Kate has a million hobbies and interests, and she is not on as a person. She's not like... You can actually go pretty deep and go into these crevices of her mind, so I'm excited to get there. But what do you think? Do you have any question for her today that you think she might want to be asked or a story she might want to tell or anything you think you'd want to know?

Well, it's funny because I feel like knowing her, I'm like, there's no question she wants to be asked.

I've already heard that she's like... She told someone, I know she was like, Amy's going to look into my soul, and I don't want that. She doesn't want to do this interview. She's going to be- She wants to do no interviews, by the way. I know. Okay.

I'm stalling. I guess my question is, what's her perfect day of solitude, which might include an indoor activity, probably an outdoor activity, knowing her, and also a meal she would make just for herself. I feel like that's where she's in her flow state. I'm like, What's she doing? What's her dream version of that? Or even how she spends her time like that?

That is such a good question because asking somebody about what their perfect day tells you so much about them. I definitely feel like Kate's perfect day is a solo day.

Which I respect massively. Totally.

That's a fantastic question.

Wait, I feel like there's one last question you should ask Kate. This is just the least one, but ask her what she used to carry her hair extensions in. I don't know what the answer might be, but I I think she might remember what she used to cart those around in.

Perfect. Can't wait. All right, Eady, thank you so much for getting on. It's so great to see you. You're come hither attitude just drew me in for a minute one, babe.

Well, come hither anytime you wish.

Say hi to Connor. Lots of love. Okay. Bye. Okay, bye. Bye. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. You left your wallet in the car, or was it at home? No need to panic. With your iPhone, you can tap to pay using Apple Card with Apple Pay, and earn unlimited daily cashback when you do. Apple Card is ready when you need it. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Terms and more at applecard. Com. Oh my God. Wait, McKinnon. Wait, what's going on with this water? What is this water? Talk to me about this. This is my jug. Do you try to get through this once a day? I try.

I put it I wait for months at a time. And then I say, Where's my jug?

Oh, my God. How many gallons is in here?

This is one gallon. Actually, this is not full, but you can see how that feels.

This is nice. Yeah. And do you try to get a gallon a day? I do.

I mean, when I'm doing... When I'm being good and cool.

Yeah. That's why your skin is so good. It's this gallon jug.

Thank you. Yeah. No, it's good because it weighs 25 pounds one fall. So you're getting whatever this is. And it's really good in a Zoom because- It's funny. Your Zoom is flagging, and then you bring this into frame without introing it. That's another five minutes of material for your Zoom. That's some last.

I love this jug.

Thank you so much. Here, you can-May I?

Yeah. I'm just going to put it over here for continuity. Yeah. So we can make sure that it doesn't-As Lauren say, co-star. Okay.

I know. Thank you. Yes. Let the audience come to you. When in doubt, seduce and keep your jug on the floor.

Try to get your jugs all the way to the floor if you can. Hi, friend. Hi. Hi.

You're beautiful. Congratulations on this.

Thank you. I'm so happy that you're here. I'm very happy to be here. I know that you do not like to do interviews. Well, and my first question is just something very, very simple, which is, what is God's plan for us?

God has gone. God has... Jumped ship.

God is taking a break.

And gone to a different universe. God was like...

God was like, Yikes.

Miss. That was a miss, and I shall. I'll let them do it. Yeah, we are D-D-Dude. Capital D-Dude.

No, I know that you don't love interviews, but I think what is so special about you, Kate, is I feel like you just deep-end it pretty fast. You like deep-end complex conversations.

Bless you for saying so. I'd like to. What is your sign?

Virgo.

Got it. Capricorn.

Oh, of course. Good. Finally. Finally, a reasonable person.

And your Myers-Briggs.

Entj. Got it.

Good.

What's yours?

Good. Infp.

Yes, you're a definite I. Good. Also your enneagram. Four.

Wing five.

Of course, you're a four. What are you? I'm an eight. That's the one- Eight wing nine. I'm the challenger. The challenger. You are the romantic- The asshole. Sensitivo. I was going to say I'm the asshole. No, I'm the asshole. Oh, my God, that's so funny. I thought I was the asshole. Wait, but what is eight again? Eight is the challenger. So eight likes to lead, has problems with vulnerabilities. So it doesn't go with feelings first, action first. Four is lots of feelings. Yeah. Right? So if you're at Thanksgiving, the eight is maybe at the table arguing about vaccines or something. The four is in the basement looking through photo albums of old Thanksgiving's. Yes. Would that make sense? Yes.

And saying stuff like, It's all over.

Yes. Okay.

Awesome.

Like, we are doomed. God is God. We are doomed.

And I need you to also to know that my face is covered in poison ivy.

Can't see. Okay. Can't see one piece of evidence for it.

Let me see the little dots on my neck.

Can't see at all. You're an incredible makeup artist who we love.

Yes, who we love. Cassie. Cass Garcia.

Who also I work with.

Yes.

Incredible.

She relays messages between the two of us. Same. Yeah.

She's like, I saw Kate. Kate said, Hi. It's That's really nice. You could not tell for one minute that you have poison ivy on your face. But I know that you are like an outdoor cat. Outdoor cat, indoor cat. But you live, basically, you've gone to the farm.

I've gone rogue.

You've gone rogue. Yes.

I remember so clearly, I believe we were in, maybe we were at the Kennedy Center Honors in DC or something, and I was telling you about my desire to go to the woods, and you were like, In New York, the nature that we have is our pets, and we need more nature than that. Yes. And so that, I always had that in my head. And I did it. You did it.

How does it feel?

It's the best. I belong on the homestead.

Yeah, I believe it.

I belong on the homestead.

I believe it. Did you feel that way when you were younger? Did you feel an affinity to nature? Were you that person, like young kid who liked to be in the woods?

I loved bugs and science and making nature crafts. I remember making little bits of mud and putting them places. I remember every time we went to a seafood restaurant, I would say, Mom, can I take the empty clam muscle and lobster shells home with me and put them in the bathtub? After rinsing them of marinaras sauce, she would let me put them in the bathtub, and I would get in with them and just Enjoy that. Yes, I did always love. Yes. Did you?

Well, I liked adventure. I liked the idea of being alone. I liked getting on my bike and riding through the neighborhood Like feeling alone. Yeah. But talk to me about, without obviously revealing anything too personal, what is your homestead? What do you do on your homestead? Talk to me about what happens there. Are you farming?

I think the reason I've done it is that I believe very much that we are doomed, and I want... My goal is surviving the Apocalypse four days.

Okay, that's it.

If I can make it to four? Oh, mama. I will have achieved something.

A long weekend, like a holiday weekend.

That's such a good...

That's such a funny thing to think about is what it would take for four days. It's more food than you think, obviously.

It is.

Yeah.

I know I wouldn't make it past 2 hours, but I'd like to think that I could go 48, and I would be crying the whole time as a four-wing five. But I would like the lack of invitations to social gatherings in the Apocalypse. That would be fun.

Okay, you are a true introvert.

Which I am ashamed of because- Why? I love people. I am fascinated by and love to talk to and listen to people.

But the word fascinated is the part you are fascinated by people. People are... That's what I think I feel from you is a fascination a curiosity about the world and people. That is what is so compelling about being around you is you are very curious about many things. But I sense that people in general, a lot of people, it's not really your gig. It's just one-on-one people, feels like, or two-on-one, however you like it, one-on-one, two-on-one. But when we were talking about you getting back into nature and checking I think it was in the context of New York City being overwhelming and you being there for a long time because you lived in the city for how many years?

Twenty.

You were on SNL for how many years? Ten. Every Every day you saw hundreds of people.

This is the boys that I was just acting up a hair. Excuse me.

If at any point you need a cold compress. Sure. You were fascinating that you are in a bustling city on a bustling show. It makes total sense that you want to go somewhere and just get a little bit quieter and more peaceful after that experience. How does an introverted person like you, how did you manage the hugeness that was that show? It's such chaos.

Do you want me to do an impression of myself at the after-party? Yeah. Okay. So you are, let's say, you're an agent that I know. Great. Okay.

Okay. I'll I'll just be talking to you. Okay.

Really close, really quiet. Tell me about your parents. You know, that thing. Yeah.

You wanted... But that's what I'm talking about. You like a one-on-one connection. You like people. You want a connection. I really do. Yeah. When I watch you on SNL, you're so connected to what you're doing. You're very relaxing to watch because you don't seem nervous.

I'm But I know it was so bad, but we were still.

But was that all... Am I getting it totally wrong? Was inside a swirly swirly, or was the inside peaceful? Were you in the zone when you would perform?

Oh, gosh. Always terribly nervous, horrifically nervous, less so at dress. I always felt I did my best at dress, and then air was just less good because I was thinking about the cameras. But when it was just dress and just… I could really, sometimes, if I was really in it, feel like I was in dialog with the people in the audience and we were sharing something. I feel like sketch is like, you see something that you love that delights you, and you're just showing it to people, and then you're like, Do you guys like it, too? Because I think this is funny. If they do, then you have a connection. I felt sometimes like I was just with friends. Lauren said that, I'm sure. It should feel like you're in your living room playing Oh, it's good. I did get to that point in the dress rehearsal.

You definitely did. First of all, we got to see… I mean, this might make you uncomfortable, this praise, but I feel like there's… Here she goes. Okay, hold on. Hang on. Praise is coming. Okay? Praise is coming. There are people on that show that I felt were naturals on that show. Now, whether or not they felt natural is their own personal story. But you, Maya Rudolf, this is my opinion, you, Maya Rudolf, Dana Carvie, Will Farrell, people who just came onto the show, fit right in and just became just like instant captains, just instant crushers, just so good at that show because that show needs a specific something. I don't know. I don't even know. I always felt that from you, just this calm confidence when you were performing. It's interesting to know that inside you were not feeling that way. What did How did you do when you were not feeling like you did well? How did you manage that feeling? I mean, I can't think of any time you didn't do well, but I'm sure you felt that.

There were plenty of desperate failures that haunt me even now. No, a lot of failures, and they still sometimes I'll think of something that didn't work or that I just couldn't get there in time with the writing or the performing, and it still stinks, and I still feel shame, and that's on me. But I also made the terrible mistake of reading stuff on the internet. Reading stuff.

That's terrible.

Which I truly wish I could go back and have never looked at the internet because it has... That haunts me as well.

Also, you just cannot remember the good things. I can't remember. No. For the hundred good things, it's just like, can't conjure them up. But the one bad one, you'll never forget. Yeah.

There are phrases that I have read that... Not even that mean. Right. Sure. Not unfounded. Like things with a kernel of truth. Like thoughtful critiques that I agreed with that have ruined my life.

That will be on your head still. Okay, but so when you were… Did you have any… Okay, did you like to rehearse all the time? Were you in your room, were you the performer? You're in your room before you're doing your sketch, quiet and intensely working on it. Did you like to play around and stay loose before a scene? Because I didn't really ever get a chance to work with you very much. We only did a few small things together. Did you like to be and get ready for stuff, or did you like to stay loose and… You know what I mean?

Yeah, I think I mostly like to wing it. I don't know if you can relate, if it was just a two-person scene that was really a scene that required… Your eyes are so beautiful. I'm… Mine?

Yes. My God, Kate.

You know what?

You shine like a sun, and I'm having trouble concentrating on what I was saying.

I love you. Hey, you too. My queen, my queen. If it was like a two-person scene with a lot of lines. Yes. I would try to, not memorize, but become very intimately familiar with the lines.

I could feel that, that you like to know your lines, which some people don't really try to do because people don't know, but it changes a lot at SNL. Sometimes you're a little screwed if you know your lines too well. Right.

If it was not changing that much, it was more…

Yeah.

… scene, I would like to run through it a few times. But otherwise, I like to wing it.

That's what I mean is you had a very groovy flow in a lot of the stuff that you did. Who knew, babe, that inside It was a bunch of mice carrying ladders and stuff? Who knew? When we talked about you hitting the road and getting homesteading, basically, what I feel like was underneath that was like, here's the new next chapter of the version of my life. If my life is a book, I'm interested in what the next chapter is. What would you title this chapter of your life, Post-S&L? Growing your own Food, Prepping for the Apocalypse.

My goodness.

What would you say? What era are you in?

Getting real. Getting real. Or 41.

Getting with an apostrophe, getting real.

Well, let's be honest. I feel like I had one dream. One dream. It was SNL. Did it. Done. Loved it. Awesome. Not quite sure.

Mm-hmm.

Not quite sure what to really be single-minded about. I love filming movies and the small amount of episodic television.

What do you love about making movies?

I love being able to... I love going somewhere for a month or two and walking around and falling in love with 80 new people and the circus, the camp of it, the summer camp. You went to camp?

I never did. Oh, my God. I know. I went to a day camp, but I never went I would have loved to have gone away from home. But yeah, just this idea that you had this stolen time almost in another place.

You can be anything. I love that. I also love... I just love movies. I think they're wonderful as a medium. I love doing a scene as scripted and then trying it 80 different ways, and they pick the best one as opposed to, you've got one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. Will you capture it or will you let it slip?

Do not miss your chance because opportunity comes once in a lifetime. But that was what SNL was. Yes. You did it so well. You feel like you... Yeah, I hear what you're saying. It's like, okay, I did that. I did that to the best of my ability. Now I want to practice my backhand, basically, or not even my backhand, just try a new shot.

Yeah, totally. I loved doing pre-taped pieces for that very reason, and I have truly loved every experience I've had working on a film. So I'd love to do more of that. But there's only so many hours in a year that Yeah. You know, SNL took up so much of all of our lives. And when it's over, it just leaves a time hole. And so I had to fill my time home.

That's the name of your workshop. Fill your time home with Kate McKinnon.

And so I've done that. I've, I've tried to be useful in growing food, and I've also taken up carpentry as well.

Okay, I've heard about this. Can you talk to me about the materials you're using? Because I know a little bit about woodworking from nick Offerman. Have you spoken to nick?

I've never... No, I meant to.

He has an amazing workshop, and he's such a good teacher and share of knowledge. Tell me what you like about woodworking and carpentry. What's your favorite part?

It is... Well, I think it's in my jeans because my grandfather was a woodworker. My father was an architect. I love the practicality of you can manipulate this material and then you can spend time in it. How crazy is that? You can sit on it. I love to sit on things I do. It's just so much... It's a sketch, a book, a something. It's so ephemorable. To say, I will sleep on what I did today is like,. That's life.

That's cool. What materials do you like to work with? What wood?

I've been doing mostly trim carpentry, which is moldings and paneling. I've using reclaimed hemlock for that, mostly.

You've been making your own moldings?

Yes. I thought I was the only one. Then I'm backstage at that SNL 50 concert. I'm talking to Brandy Carlyle. She's doing trim carpentry. I'm like, Brand, of course you are. She's like, John Stewart's doing his trim. I'm like, turned out it's trite what I'm doing. Everyone's doing trim carpentry. You're doing trim carpentry, I know.

I mean, people think I'm doing trim carpentry, but I'm not. So when you're making stuff, it was something like when you're working with wood, What happens when you make a mistake? Because I'm asking, I'm very intimidated by working with wood. I feel like if you measure wrong, you're fucked. You can't. What do you just…

I put it up inside the home anyway. I have absolutely decreased the property value of the house with my shoddy work. Yes, I know that I have.

It is not Brandy Carlyle level.

No, nothing is.

That's true. What do you want to make? What's the dream thing you want to eventually make? Do you want to move on from molding and moldings? Do you want to make furniture?

Do you make furniture? I made a table. Dang. That That was cool. But honestly, I would like to move into plumbing and electrical. I would like to have all the skills of a general contractor.

I love that. I love that. Why?

Why?

I don't know. Well, because the end is near. We have to...

Well, someone's got to wire the shelter.

Yeah, exactly. If we're going to get one more day in that shelter, we're going to need to fix the toilet. I so relate, though, Kate. I mean, I have no doubt you will. I have no doubt you'll learn about plumbing.

I mean, that's a ways away.

You think so?

Well, it's someone's job for a reason. Yeah, That's a way away. That's a two-year certificate at minimum. Yeah. But, yes, I would like to acquire all of those, the skills that can make a home function for four days.

What I like about this conversation is that I feel like we're going out in the woods, and then we're coming back into the city, back and forth. Coming back into the city, if I can. Yes. Can you speak about the last show of yours at SNL? Because I remember that feeling very powerful and very moving, and I we spoke about it, and it was for you. It was a very beautiful send-off where you walk up into the stairs as Ms. Rafferty meeting the aliens. Finally, maybe. We don't know. Or finally meeting, or them taking you away. Are you willingly going? We don't know. What do you think happens to her and to you? But that walk up the stairs and the wave goodbye was really beautiful and really cool. What was your last show like?

I thought it was really beautiful, too. It was not my pitch. That was Streeter, Seydal and Mikey Day came up with that. My pitch was that I did this character, Sheila Sauvage, the barfly, and my pitch was that I would tongue every single person in the cast in a line. I thought ultimately that the alien thing was a little more meaningful and had a A better tone. We went with that. Everyone narrowly missed sucking my face.

A goodbye, a goodbye tongueing.

But that was very emotional because It was everything. I mean, that place was everything to me.

You did over 200 shows or something.

That place was everything to me, and those people are everything to me. Jenna. Yeah. Chris Kelly, everybody, and Lauren, who has been a surrogate father to me, and I could cry now thinking about what he has been to me in my life, as I'm sure we all could.

Can you speak a little bit more? What has he done? What was your relationship with him?

My father passed when I was 18. I loved my father beyond. He, Lorne, just was nothing but paternal. When you have somehow, by the grace of whatever, earned the esteem of a man like that, a man who's that larger than life, it means everything. I was just sad to go. I had to. I had reached a point where I was running during the show. That was not working for me physically anymore. Yeah. There you have it. But it didn't mean I wanted to get away from those folks.

You love those folks. You love those folks. You You love those folks. The folks. And boy, Kate, they love you. You know who loves you so much? And there's a million people who do. Seth Meyers. He loves you. He just is like... And again, praise coming in. Prepare. But you were just such a natural captain when you were in there on that show. You led that show through a lot of years, and you were in a lot of sketches, and you were doing a lot. You were carrying a lot on your shoulders in that show, whether or not you felt it or not. You were being asked to do really big playing, for quote unquote, like important people at important times, whether it's Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani. You were playing all the... It was the world. The world is nuts, and it's weird, and I know from experience, because we both played political figures, to play people in real-time that are also existing in real-time in the world, and there's real-world consequences, and it's very strange.

Yes, yes, it is. Yeah, it certainly did.

What was it? How did it feel? Did you feel any responsibility when you were playing anybody, or did you have to let that go and not worry about it?

No, mama. I felt a lot. I felt a lot. Yeah. I'm sorry. Just to talk about Seth for one second. Yes, let's go back to Seth. When Seth left, it was in February. That was another... That I felt like... I only overlapped with him for two or three years or so. But And he is not very much older than me, but I felt like he had a paternal thing. And when he left, oh, my God, I was so crushed. And I forget that life goes on and you form other connections and stuff. But that was like, oh, I love that guy.

Yeah. I love that guy.

Yikes. Any horse. What were we saying about politics?

Oh, just about politics. Who cares? You know what?

Oh, politics. Well, it's a double-edged sword, I felt. Let me know how this lands for you. But I felt it was a double-edged sword in that I felt like I was really doing something with my life, something meaningful, being engaged in the most peripheral possible way in culture, in history.

Yeah.

In the… Yeah. Just on the sidelines, putting on a wig. Right. Doing little songs about whatever was actually going on. But being in the smallest way a part of that felt like I was doing something meaningful. With that came... I remember there was one article that was like, Will She Hurt Hillary Clinton. Oh, God. I was like, Oh, God.

Y'all? Y'all?

Shouldn't read, should not have read, should never have looked. But that notion just broke my brain. Obviously, no one, I think, doing a satire has the power to actually influence. But I did not want to hurt anybody, even people I vehemently disagreed with politically. I still didn't want to ever hurt anyone's feelings. So, yeah, there was some balancing to do there.

Did you ever meet anybody while you were dressed as them?

Yes. Who? I met Secretary Clinton, Senator Warren. That was so awesome. Oh, my gosh.

Oh, you guys did a really fun. You guys did like a TikTok switcheroo. Yeah.

Yeah. She was like, after there was some vote on the floor of Congress, I believe it was on January sixth about, I forget what it was, and all the Democrats were saying no, and all the Republicans were saying, yes, I forget what about. But they were going down the list, calling the names of all the Democratic senators, and everyone was saying no, no, no. And then it got to and she was like, No.

Then I know it's a question you get asked all the time, but I do love this question, which is, well, two, did you ever We used to go on the server and watch sketches that bombed? We used to watch our sketch. Do you like it? Do you like it when sketches bomb a little bit? Did you ever enjoy that? Did you ever rewatch a sketch that didn't make it? We used to go and watch our sketches from that bombed and just watch it together, process it together. It was just such a nice feeling. Basically, just a reminder that everybody bombs, basically. Did you ever do that?

Yes, there were a few hits that we would watch over and over again. There was one rehearsal where a person, I won't say who, who simply stopped doing this sketch and sat down on the stage. Sure. That was a fun watch. Yeah, just stuff like that.

We had a host, again, I won't say who, halfway through just fell asleep a little bit. It was like this was during dress. I was like, Okay, well, I guess this character is asleep now.

Don't blame him.

I agree. It's time to sit down.

It's a tough I'm not a gig. Did you find that hosting was so much harder than you could have ever imagined?

Yeah, I wanted to be back with the... I didn't want to be in... I didn't want to be. Yeah, I know. I wanted to be like... I kept being like, What are you guys doing over there? I kept wanting to be over there. Yeah. Who did you love? What host did you love? That you just think about, you're just like, Oh, my God.

That's so I remember really loving Amy Adams. Yes. Emily Blunt. Yes. A lot. Those are the two that pop into my mind. But just I loved actresses who were wonderful comedic actresses and also actresses.

Oh, that's so interesting. What type was your favorite? I enjoyed, weirdly often, athletes because they wanted to be coached, and they would be like, How do you want me to say it? How do you want me to do it? I'd be like, Oh, thank God. This is exactly how I want you to do it. They felt really good about that. If they scored, they were like, Yay. If they didn't, they were like, This isn't my gig. They didn't feel… It relaxed me. It relaxed me when athletes would host. Or people like that, people who were just like, This is so weird that I'm here.

Did Charles Barkley ever host when you were there? No.

Did you love him?

Oh, my God. You loved him? Now, there's a funny athlete. Jesus Christ. He may be the funniest man alive. I did do one of my barfly sketches with him, so I have His tongue has been in my mouth, and I... It was nice.

Fantastic. Okay, so we do this thing in the show where we talk to people before our interview. I don't know if you know this. We talk well behind their back. We talk to somebody who knows them, and they give me a question to ask them. So we talk to Adi Bryant today, the great Adi. Oh, here we go. Tears, waterworks. Adi and you. Tell me a little bit about what it meant to have Adi there when you were there and working with her. What was your relationship like?

She taught me so much about comedy, but she also taught me about just being a person. Comedy is, I mean, she's a genius, but like just one of the most solid people I've ever known. When I moved into my apartment, she was like, Invest in your base, which she was basically telling me to get okay furniture, which I wasn't planning on doing. (laughter) But she just... I think in many ways, she taught me how to live and how to be okay. Even in silence, I was like, Okay, this is my sister. Everyone here is my friend. This is my sister.

We were rewatching the sketch today of you and Adi as the, I think it was Henrietta and Nan, the PowerPoint ladies who couldn't get the PowerPoint to work.

It was, I She was reminded. She was reminded.

Give me 15 more of those right now.

I was reminded of that the other day, and I was asking the girl who wrote it, did you come up with the phrase digi files? And she said, no, that was Ead.

Digi files. I like when Eady says, I don't think I can learn anything anymore. I don't think I can learn anything new anymore. Oh my God. There's Okay, so Adi had a question for you, which is she had two great questions for you. One is, ask Kate what she used to carry her hair extensions around in. Do you remember?

It was a tiny linen draw string polka-dott bag that I think she gave me. Okay.

Great.

It seemed like an item that Eady would have because it was polka-dotted and it was like sweet and draw a string. Okay.

I'm going to take your word for it. There's no way we can check. But the second question was, what would be your ideal day? Because we were talking about what we were talking about earlier, that there's this part of you that loves that feeling of performing and meeting 80 new people and being on the road and being part of the circus. Then there's a part of you that wants to be in the woods and in nature and be in a peaceful version of your life. What is Kate McKinnon's perfect day? How would it go?

I would wake with the sun. I would garden for a couple hours, do carpentry for a couple hours, and then gather my mother and sister, the loves of my life, or some other folks that I love, and make pasta together and eat it. Yum. From scratch.

Damn.

That was my 40th birthday party. It was a pasta-making party with my family and my best friend in her family. That sounds great. What was yours? Do you remember your 40th birthday party?

My 40th, yeah. My 40th, I was still filming Parks and Rec, so it was like a bar somewhere in the middle of filming. My 50th, I had a dance party, and that was so fun because I love dancing, and I prefer dancing over talking.

Yes. Do you like to dance? I love to dance, and I also prefer dancing over. I will leave a party after 10 minutes if it's just talking because I can't.

Adi said the same thing that you two gave each other a lot of permission to leave parties, which is what friendship is all about. Okay, we're going to talk about your incredible book because, and I want to talk to you about books. But I want to just do a very quick rapid fire. Okay? Number one, gardening tip. Or any gardening tip.

Compost.

It's all about- Okay, I got to- I'm in compost. Oh, God.

No, it's a pain in the ass. Yeah, I got to do it. Yeah. Okay. No, it's terrible.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate fudge brownie.

You said that really casually. Do you not like ice cream?

No, I love it. Okay.

Favorite childhood movie?

The Producers. We watch the producers every week in our house.

Favorite books growing up?

Raald Dahl. I loved a Good Atlas. I loved a I have a book about geography.

Are you good at geography?

Cultures of the World. I do love geography.

Do you have a good geographical sense? I would say yes. When you're standing somewhere, you want to know where north is, and you talk that way like it's west of the highway, and you know where countries are. I do.

That I do. That's great. I love the countries, and I love to know their capitals, and I love knowing countries and capitals. It's a hobby.

I'm going to give you one. Argentina.

Buenos Aires. Irish.

Canada.

Ottawa.

China.

Beijing.

Costa Rica.

Well, now, is it San Juan?

Close.

No, it's San Jose.

Is it? Yes, San Jose.

Please God. Okay, thank you.

Let's see, Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa. Dang.

Hungary.

Budapest.

Iran.

Teheran.

Libya.

Tripoli.

The last one is the capital of Senegal.

Is it... No. Accra is the capital of Ghana and the capital of Senegal is... Fuck me. I knew this. I really... It's with an R?

Yeah, there's an R at the end. It's Dakar.

Yes. Fuck.

Shit. Kate, that's impressive.

Hobby. In fact, during a read through at SNL, when I wasn't in any sketches, I just was practicing my capitals for fun.

Let's I'm going to talk about the Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. Yes. Your second book. Incredible. Congratulations. Thank you. You have a series now, the Millicent Quibb Series, and you have one and two, and two is out. Yes. It is a New York Times best seller. Tell us about this book, why you wrote it, what's it about.

Well, I I started writing it 12 years ago before SNL. Amazing. Then I just kept at it intermittently throughout that time. I love middle-grade literature because I think it has things in common with sketch comedy, i. E. Funny hair and funny names and a sense of hope.

Yeah.

And questions of identity and questions of belonging. A sketch is often about a fly in the ointment, an odd man out. I wanted to write about being a 12-year-old girl in a repressive turn-of-the-century town. I didn't grow up in a repressive turn-of-the-century town, but I grew up in a town with normal folks, and I felt like a freak. I think every 12-year-old feels like a freak. I loved science, and I loved bugs, and I loved icky stuff. I was fortunate enough to have adults in my orbit who were funny and weird, my parents among them and a lot of my teachers. I think having that a mentor who celebrates what is unique about you instead of stepping on it is absolutely instrumental. I wanted to write about a mad scientist who's a pariah in this town who takes these little weirdos under her wing and teaches them mad science, and they fight the bad guys and have adventures. I wanted to write something that hopefully would inspire young people to go outside for the first time in days. And touch grass. And touch grass, as they say. The times of my childhood, which was before cell phones, which were just the best time.

One day, me and Alexis North found a fox skull in someone's hedges, and there was an earwig in it, and it was the great... Talk about the best day of my life. Oh, my God. The earwigs in that fox skull, we were just like, The world is amazing. It's magic. It's made of magic. I wish children had some more access to that stuff today.

Yes.

I wanted to inspire them to go outside and touch a buck.

Okay, well, I feel like this interview started with you worrying that you weren't going to be funny or something. Remember that?

I feel I wasn't. I'd like to start again, please.

You're nuts. You're so nuts. But I want to finish this last thing, which is I think people in comedy, as we know, they're all different kinds of people. Do people come up and expect you to be a certain way? And are they surprised when you are quieter and more reserved or more introverted than they expect you to be?

I think they are, and sometimes they're disappointed and vocal about that. I've gotten a lot of, Wow, you're not funny in real life.

Or speak up.

What?

I've gotten, You're so serious for a comedian. Really? Yeah. You're being very serious. You're so ever-versus. You're being very serious. Or, That's not funny. I've had that. I'm like, Well, I'm sorry, it isn't. It wasn't very funny. Anyway, nice to meet you. Oh, shit. I got to ask you one question. Oh, fuck. You forgot one question. Boot. It's the best question, and it's the best one to ask you. Go for it. What is making you laugh these days? What are you watching, reading, listening to, watching a video of when you need to lighten up?

I'll tell you. There's a man on YouTube- Can't wait. From Australia. He cleans drains. He clears hopeless disgusting clogged restaurant drains filled with grease.

I love Un clogging videos.

This man- This is the Earth saying in us. You never see his face. He is enthusiasm on two feet. He says, he'll say, Oh, you guys, This is what dreams are made of.

Can you believe we get to be clearing this drain?

This one's chockablock. Let's fire off the jet. Oh, you little ripper. Come on, you good thing. Like he It's about… Then he'll be like, Oh, there's a cockroach. Oh, there's some corn there. Toilet paper. Oh, this is what dreams are made of, you guys. And I just love enthusiasm. And I would recommend. It's called Drain Cleaning Australia.

Okay, I'm just going to watch one little thing before you go. You have to. This sounds amazing. Drain Cleaning Australia. Also, I love his commentary about what he finds. Yeah. Okay, stand by. This one says, sewage spraying into the sky. Is that good? Okay, here we go.

We're back for another block dry, mate. I'm just going to let the lovely customer know that we're here. Get up, mate. Bruce from Drain Cleaning Australia. You're home.

So he goes to meet the people first. Let's see. Which direction? It's this direction. It's all-And he's... Oh, sorry. We got a commercial. You pay for YouTube.

You don't pay for YouTube.

You give your witness. I don't pay for YouTube. Are you kidding me? They want me to pay to cut out the commercials? No. I'll wait until the skip button. Okay, here we go.

You little ripper. Hey. And wow, you can see all the tree roots still down there. So we punched a hole through the blockade.

I get it.

I get it. Tree roots are the least of his problems. Usually, it's like a doxon-sized of hair or grease or human shit. It is.

And he's like, Woohoo! You little Ripper! Kate, thank you for being here. Thank you.

I can't tell if your eyes are green or blue. I think they're both. And it doesn't matter.

They're just gorgeous. All that matters is today. All that matters is you and me. Thank you, Kate McKinnon. You You are so interesting to talk to, and I love being around you and your beautiful skin. Check out Kate's book. In this Polar Plunge, I just wanted to talk about the books that I loved when I was in middle school. There were many, many series of books that I love. But we talked a lot about homesteading today and growing your own vegetables and pulling potatoes out of the earth. It made me think about Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingleswilder. God, I just I loved those books. Here's a tip in my Polar Plunge. If you need to take a wonderful nap, put on an old episode of Little House on the Prairie and the sound of the clip-clop of the horses and the music and then paa just coming in from the cold and somebody putting a hot cake on the fire. It's going to knock you out. You're going to go right to sleep. So read the books, incredible books from Laura Ingles Wilder. Watch the TV show and try to stay up as long as you can while you do.

Okay, thanks so much for listening. Thanks, Kate, for being here. I love talking to you and see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weis-Burman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya MacMullen, and Elea Zanaris. For Paperkite, production by Sam Joel Lovelle, and Jenna Weis-Burman. Original music by Amy Miles. All I ever wanted was a really good hang.