- The dude abides.
(rock music)
- I mean I like hats, I like crazy hats--
- But you don't like this.
- And I also like a velvet riding hat
with the actual thing in it,
but maybe not for indoors in summer.
- Okay but just, the dude told me to wear this.
- Okay.
- He told me he thought it looked cute.
- But isn't he crazy?
Isn't that like, isn't that a famous thing?
- You don't want me to wear this hat.
- [Natasha] I mean, I'm not in charge.
It doesn't matter to me.
- So I will say that when I first met you in New York
you were not yet a comedian.
Every time I'd come out west I was surprised.
It seemed like it came out of nowhere
that you not only had a knack for comedy
but seemed to really want to pursue it
and you were willing to go out every night
and try out material for four people
or two people or one person.
- Did you come to some of those shows?
- So many!
So many, I would, my brother and I would come
and give you notes, remember?
We would like write down this worked,
this didn't work.
Often my brother and I were the only people at your shows.
- That's true.
I do feel artistically though that New York,
you're in survival.
At least I was in survival the entire time,
so when you're in survival you're just trying to like
afford to eat your meal and you're not really having
the luxury of facing yourself artistically
and what would be the best thing for you to do
or what would be the most inspiring thing.
I had the opposite, I felt like everyone thinks
they get inspired in New York.
I wasn't really inspired in New York.
I was more just like desperate and trying to,
and there was no jobs and you know
and you thought you had to be there
but really it's kind of dumb to be there
'cause there's only like two shows that even cast there
and so then I just started doing standup here
because I saw some girl do it and she was,
I knew her from New York and I was like
oh you can just stand on stage and talk.
Like I didn't really know what it was.
- Did you think she sucks and wow that's easy?
- No I thought she was like similar or something.
I was like oh, 'cause I thought you had to be like
to be a comedian you had to be an old man
in a suit talking about your wife.
Like I didn't really know.
I was more like into music.
So I didn't really ever go out to comedy shows.
So I saw this girl who I knew who was just like cool,
and I was like oh she's just standing on stage
talking about how dumb people are,
and I was like I could do that.
- [Ari] So and now you're,
you've created your own show and--
- [Natasha] Another Period?
- Do you feel like all of your cylinders get to fire
when you're creating and starring?
- Yes, the only thing that I find
that isn't firing sometimes is I get into a bad mood
and I get overwhelmed and you have to tell yourself,
you're in such a cool position you know?
So I think just really trying to maintain your
energy to be positive, and to be emanating positive energy
to everyone around you.
- It's the hardest thing as a director too,
I have the same thing.
- But it makes such a difference and it
blasts out to everybody and so--
- But what pisses, like what are your weak spots
where you feel your mood goes sour on set?
- Like if I look in the mirror and my bangs look bad.
Just kind of like go off.
When I've done network TV shows,
not that I was producing but that I was acting in,
you get so used to them you're like
can I get a different necklace?
And all the sudden like a rolling rack of jewels
and then someone's like can I get you ice cream?
And then someone's like I have to powder your bangs.
There's one person powdering your bangs,
there's someone else putting slippers on your feet.
You just get so used to not doing anything
that yeah, you can start to get those feelings
of like wait a second!
You know, don't bother me I have this or you don't want to
comply with people and I just think like
those energies for me are the most important thing
to kind of actively fight against.
Recognize, and fight against.
- Eric Rohmer, the director
who was directing films until he was 92,
a very long career, never wildly successful
but always successful enough to keep going, amazing.
But he would have, he would break his crew
every day apparently around four in the afternoon
and make them tea, and specifically he made them tea.
He didn't have a craft service break
where people went out and got tea
or candy was brought to the set.
He would personally be the one to put on the pot
and make the tea and sit with everyone and talk.
And hearing about that I thought
what a wonderful way to sort of keep your little crew
on your low budget film and your low budget actors,
keep the morale up and keep your own sense
of the beauty of what you're doing.
- And people are dedicating
their life energy to you you know?
It's like at least 12 hours day
and they're, they probably get home
and don't have any energy to do shit
and it's because they're helping you
create your dream you know, so.
- So I've tried to incorporate some of those ideas
whether it's the tea in the afternoon.
- Oh really you've made your crew tea?
- No I haven't made my crew tea.
I've tried in my own way to bring positive energy and that
you know in my case can sometimes crank up to manicness,
but manicness can work too
because if you're super--
- If you're manic, you're focused.
- You're focused and other people try to meet that.
So I'd rather be manic and have other people hustling
and being like let me see if I can improve that
then as kind of like hey man it's all chill
and then everyone's chill and it's like, oh wait a minute.
Three hours just went by.
So I don't know if the tea thing would have worked for me.
Although I think it's beautiful.
- By the way, sorry, but looking at
all of these Bernie things all over this place,
it would be very funny if this was a functioning diner.
Like the kinds of arguments you would get into with people.
I almost wish it was just for that.
(people chattering)
