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I don't know why anyone would subject themselves to this. This show, by the way.
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Hey, what's going on everybody?
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For First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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She's one of the most decorated figures in television history, a recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American humor, as well as 11 Emmys for her work across Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Veep.
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She also stars in the new Nicole Holofcener-directed dramatic comedy, You Hurt My Feelings, in theaters May 26th.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus, welcome to the show. Well, thank you. Do you mean it though?
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How are you around spicy food before we get started?
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Um I'm not I I like a little bit of spice.
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So, I'm guessing this is not going to work out well for me.
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Well, there's only one way to find out.
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Are you ready to get started? Yeah.
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You don't have a spit bucket or anything. We we do. Yeah, we actually do.
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We We got a lot of stuff going on over here.
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you going to eat it, too? I'm right here with you. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers, Julia. Uh-huh.
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Yeah, that's pretty good. There we go. I like that.
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Yeah, here comes a little burn, but it's good.
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That's the classic hot sauce, ladies and gentlemen.
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So, in your new film, You Hurt My Feelings, you play the role of Beth, a novelist who overhears her husband giving harsh feedback to her latest book, forcing her to question not only her work, but also her relationship. Yes.
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The film marks your second collaboration with director Nicole Holofcener.
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What is it about her style of storytelling that makes her such a sought-after director?
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Well, um I think the Nicole Holofcener's voice is is a unique voice um in filmmaking.
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Um she really knows how to straddle both comedy and drama at the exact same time.
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And she also is an amazing writer of dialogue and her exploration of relationships are profound, actually.
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My I'm going to tell you my lips are burning from uh the first one.
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Okay, so this is some other one. Yeah, yeah.
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The uh the other one, we have a curry verde here in the two spot. Okay.
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And I'm assuming these all just go up in hotness.
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Yeah, that's exactly how the show is designed.
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I don't think this is much hotter than the first one. Okay.
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Did you like hot sauce before you started this show or did you learn to love it? I learned to love it. I learned to love it.
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So, when we first started the show, I didn't think I don't think we thought we'd be programming it.
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You know, I think we thought it might be kind of a quarterly sort of Super Bowl-like internet event. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean?
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But then, once it started happening, you kind of buy into the concept and then all of the sudden Ka-ching, ka-ching. Ka-ching, ka-ching. Ka-ching, ka-ching.
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And you know how it goes.
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And then here we are, 21 seasons later, still doing it. Still doing it. Thank you. Thank you.
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Yeah, it's been a it's been a grind.
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But to answer your question, I had to learn to love hot sauce, but now I do. But now I do.
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From A Day in the Life of Joe Egg to Three Penny Opera, is there a student production that you did while at Northwestern that you think disproportionately shaped you as a young performer? Uh boy.
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Um I would say um Jesus Christ.
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I I say that I'm I'm thinking cuz I I feel like my brain I'm like you're you're jumping back to college and it's hard for me to remember but I um I did an improv show while I was at Northwestern called the B Meow Show. Yeah.
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And that was the show that that changed my life uh dramatically. Dramatically.
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It was born out of making fun of the Waa-Mu show which is pretty straightforward uh sort of musical comedy review kind of a show and it I I don't I'm not dissing it in any way but Meow was like um just a parody of it in a sense.
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It was born out to be sort of a um you know anti anti that. Okay.
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Yeah, this got a little more burn.
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I can feel that but I'm fine. I see it. Everybody relax.
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You know, I was supposed to do this show 3 years ago.
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I know with Will Ferrell. With Will Ferrell. Uh-huh.
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Um but I was really sick. Really sick?
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You know, cuz that's always the thing when you do it you know. No, no.
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I mean I I was truly sick.
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So, you're very lucky I didn't come on your show.
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So, earlier this year you launched Wiser Than Me, a podcast where you talk to icons like Carol Burnett, Jane Fonda.
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How would you describe your general approach to these conversations and what if anything did you learn from being on the other side of the interview? Ah. You know what? It's hard. Yeah, yeah. Do you find it hard?
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I like being on this side of the table rather than your side of the table. All things being equal.
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on the other side of the table a lot? I have.
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And why don't you like it?
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I feel a responsibility like I got to keep the tent up or like the ball up in the air, right?
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you don't feel it now cuz you should feel it now.
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That's what I feel now in this seat. I like that.
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But when I'm a guest, I also feel that and then how annoying is that as a guest, you know? That's what I'm saying.
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Yeah, but I feel it too as a guest. Oh, okay.
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Yeah, I feel enormous responsibility and just both take our foot off the gas. Yeah, [ __ ] it.
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Let's you know, who cares? Who cares about this?
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Whether it's Jane Fonda's life review method or Amy Tan's vow to do things that scare her, including swimming with sharks, is there a piece of wisdom that you've soaked up through this experience that you've then applied to your own life?
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Uh no is a complete sentence. I like that very much. It's a really good one.
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I think it's a good one especially for women, if I may be so bold as to say that.
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I think women have a tendency to apologize too much.
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Um and um or apologize, I should say, inappropriately.
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Um and then, by the way, I'm so sorry if I'm go I'm getting a little And then um Ruth Reichl was talking about the critical importance of doing things that really do frighten you.
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That maybe you're not quite even prepared for in certain circumstances.
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And that was uh that's I think that's good advice under under, you know, in certain situations.
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Right, like if you're not so much of a hot sauce person, but then here you are taking on the world's spiciest wings, for example.
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And of course, you could make terrible mistakes.
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This is a little bit like going to a wine tasting in the sense that it it all tastes alike. Mhm.
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Why did I take such a big bite of this?
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Because you're brave and you're facing the things that you fear. This is getting too hot. Okay. Mhm. That's a little hot.
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Yeah, now we're moving away from wine pairing a little bit.
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And we're just into like waterboarding or something like that.
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Gasoline tasting, you know? Gasoline flavor. Uh-huh.
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So, for my money, Veep is one of the great ensemble comedies of all time, and I'm really intrigued by your research process to take on the role of disgruntled Vice President Selina Meyer.
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Was there a job inside the Capitol that's maybe not always available to the public eye that you found to be especially intriguing or absurd?
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There's the role of the scheduler.
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Um and I think that's kind of amazing.
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I I remember that we were talking to the scheduler of a particular uh senator.
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And she was saying that she sleeps She was saying this with pride, okay?
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That she sleeps with her cell phone on the pillow next to her.
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In case her senator needs her in the middle of the night. Oh, that sounds bad.
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I didn't mean it like that.
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But in in case there's an issue because he's in different time zones, etc. , etc.
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And she said it uh boastfully.
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I thought that was amazing. Yeah. Okay.
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I'm taking a little bite this time. Okay.
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Little shoulder shrug, no problem.
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I don't think that one's an issue.
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But I feel like I'm going to get screwed by these guys, right? I think so. Yeah.
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I think so, and that's just me being honest with you, you know?
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Just being honest with you.
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No, I appreciate honesty.
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You know, and I'm very Yeah, I'll let you know.
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I'll let you know uh when we get to sort of the dorm room prank region of the show, which is coming up.
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But in the meantime, Julia, we have a recurring segment on our show called Explain That, Gram, where we do a deep dive on our guest's Instagram, pull interesting pictures that need more context.
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So, we'll pull the picture up over here on the monitor, and then you just tell us the bigger story. Oh, god.
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From the perspective of someone who fears horses, what was it like to shoot a scene with a horse? Terrifying. And you know what?
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This [ __ ] horse knew I was scared of it. It did, really.
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It did not want to come near me. It's interesting.
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It's like backing away and And you were backing away I was very uncomfortable. Yeah.
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Although I will say I think the jodhpurs and the boots and the jacket are pretty It is a look. It works. works, right? One more for you.
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After three plus decades in the entertainment industry, what was the most novel movie magic experience that you've had so far on a Marvel set? This.
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And the reason is that if you've seen Wakanda Forever, there's the scene that I'm in is meant to be on a bridge in Boston.
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Uh and we and that is the bridge and you can see how much green screen is everywhere. It's all CGI. The entire thing. And oops, sorry.
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And if and if you I was watching it thinking, "God, this is incredible."
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I mean, we were just on pavement in the middle of Atlanta. Yeah. The things they can do.
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It's crazy show business. The spicy shark. Starts off kind of nice. Almost kind of pumpkiny. And then, yeah. And then that happens. Right, right. I do not care for that. I do not like that. I get it. I get it.
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know why anyone would subject themselves to this.
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This show, but No, but why would anyone eat that?
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You know, some people are wild as I think you'll find a little bit further down the line, but you're doing great. You're doing great. doing great. Thanks.
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So, I was once reading an interview with Jason Alexander where he remarked about how tiny the Seinfeld set was saying, "If we knew that we were doing a series for nine years, we would never build that set."
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Elaine Benes is obviously a a physical character.
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Do you have any memory of being challenged by the square footage, the dimensions on set? Oh, boy. Well, yes.
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What we were always challenged by was uh as soon as you walk in the apartment, what are you supposed to do?
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What business am I going to find to do in this apartment?
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And you can't not just going to come in and sit on the couch every time.
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You had Oh, that's right.
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We called I mean, you had the couch, you had the kitchen, and then you had that's the sort of the sweet spot.
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We kind of I think we called the alleyway, which was sort of between the counter and the couch.
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And that was where a lot of stuff happened.
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It felt like you could hold court there in a way.
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But you also had to figure out what you were going to do, which is why I I often would go to the refrigerator and just find things to or even just go and look in the refrigerator and not do anything, but just um it was we were limited, but we had to be um creative about it. Yeah, it's interesting. What's it called? Jalapeño Chico. Chico. You go first. All right, I will. All right. Oh, wow.
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Is it always the same ones?
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So, each new season, believe it or not, you're in the 21st season, as I enjoy this one.
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Um we go out with the old, in with the new every time.
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So, this will get its 12-episode run, you know. This sauce.
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I'm not going to like this at all. I know.
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And you know immediately.
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And you know immediately. It's just awful. Mhm. Jalapeño Chico. Okay, yeah. What's What's the point? What's the point?
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I think like this is to taste food anymore? I mean, it's just Flame.
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Yeah, that one I know is going to be a [ __ ] I can tell looking at it.
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By the way, are you allowed to swear on this show? let it fly. You can let it fly. You can let it fly. You can let it fly. Okay.
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So, I've had the opportunity to ask a lot of actors sweating. It's okay. It's okay. You know what?
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It comes down for me, too.
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You know, I get a little head high off of it.
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We're going to come out of this just completely different people. Yeah. Okay, go ahead. Okay.
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Do you have like a very specific internal barometer to be able to decide whether or not something's going to be funny or is it always just a leap of faith? Oh, I have a barometer.
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Yeah, I have a um an instinct for um uh I mean, I I I That sounds arrogant, actually, cuz I don't mean I always know, but I have an ear for it and I have a an instinct for uh what is funny like on the page.
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Uh but by all means, let's talk more about my career. I'm firing my publicist.
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Not the first time I've want a lawyer now.
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How do you get rid of this spicy in your mouth after all of this?
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Is there any way to do it or is it like I'm permanently Not permanently. disfigured? No, no, not permanently. Not permanently.
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It's going to suck, but then in like 15 minutes, you'll forget it even happened. You know what I mean? Mm.
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Miserable experience, lovely memory. Okay, you take a bite. All right, I'll go.
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Not to psych you out, right?
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And you'll know them immediately. Yeah, that's not great. I know. The worst. Okay. Oh, yeah. Right. Okay. Yeah, laugh.
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You laugh, all of you laugh. That's fine. Oh my god. Yeah. All right, Go ahead.
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Ask me another question and quick.
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All right, so when we had Nick Kroll on the show, he called Oakwood Apartments, which you lived in a year after you left SNL, he called them one of the sadder places in the world.
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What was your experience like living in that famed haven for struggling actors? Sad. It was It was not great. Oh my god. I really I'm sweaty. This is crazy. Yeah, it is. It is. It is. Okay.
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Are the next two going to be worse?
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You remember how I've been I've been honest the whole time?
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Now you're going to be disappointed. No, no, no, no.
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No sauce is as hot as the sauce that you just ate.
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I say that in my long storied history with hot sauce.
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Okay, well, we've got you on film saying it, so it's the worst hot sauce I've ever had in my life and I think it'll be the worst hot sauce that you ever have in your life.
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If that If that's at all comforting. Okay.
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Um I don't know what did you just ask me?
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The apartments, the apartments that were sad. Yes, not great.
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I lived there for a couple months during what they called pilot season, which I don't even think they have anymore cuz everything's so whacked.
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But um you know, I'm still dying. I You know, I know. I know. I know.
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It kind of supposed to get it better?
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It just You know, you know, I think I mean this is You know, in the storm I know I get it.
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I mean you're pouring in a storm, you know.
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You have a milk mustache. I have one? Now you don't. Good looking out. Thank you. I got your back. I got your back, Sean. Okay. And I got yours.
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You know, I haven't had milk in a long time.
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That's pretty of Did it take you back? It did.
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And just in time for the next hot sauce.
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This is the watermelon ghost. Uh-huh. Okay. You go. I will go. I'll go first. Oh, you took a big bite. Look at you. I know.
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I don't know why I did that. Immediately a mistake. Okay, no turning back. Here we go. There we go. Now, no fun. Kind of strange. But after the bomb, see? Yeah. Okay. Here we go. Yeah.
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As a long-time champion of the cause, what would you say is the most underrated national park? Oh.
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Um Um What is the most underrated national park?
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There's uh Crater Lake National Park.
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I've never And I But I've never been there. So, how do I know? But, it's on my list.
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I have a list, and it's on my list.
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Cuz it's really cool-looking.
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Um I am not going to do what you just did. Don't Yeah, yeah.
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That I think is for the best, and don't you worry about it when you Oh, I'm not worried at all. Okay. So, here we go. Cheers. Cheers.
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Oh, that has bite immediately. Right.
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But the good news is The good news is, Julia Louis-Dreyfus What?
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the wings of death are behind us, okay?
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We have kind of a I know. I know. I know.
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A low-lift low-lift obstacle here to close things up. Oh my god.
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In reading interviews with director Nicole Holofcener, it's clear that she has a special place in her heart for your facial expressions.
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I also read that she brought a fart machine to the Enough Said set and you and James Gandolfini would compete with each other for who could make the funniest face while using it, but that's a different conversation for a different day.
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And a different skill set, I might add.
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All I'm going to do is point to a sauce and you tell me what it was like to eat that sauce only using facial expressions, okay? Okay.
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The Bomb Beyond Insanity. The classic chili maple.
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And the Last Dab Apollo, the one that you just ate. And there you have it.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus taking on the wings of death and living to tell the tale.
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Now, there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you.
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This camera, this camera, this camera, let the people know what you have going on in your life. Well, hello, America.
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Um my movie, You Hurt My Feelings, is in theaters starting May 26th. Please to enjoy. That was fun. Thank you so much.
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I do not care for hot sauce, Helen. Set it in stone. The verdict is in. The verdict is in.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. did so good. You did so good. do so good. I was a little scared. I was a little scared. Well, yeah, kind of. There you go. Woo!
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Hey, what's going on, Hot Ones fans? This is Sean Evans.
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If you've ever watched Hot Ones and wondered to yourself, "How hot are those sauces really?
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I can get through that with no water or milk."
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Well, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.
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The Hot Ones season 21 lineup is now available in its entirety at heatonist. com. Heatonist. com. That's heatonist.
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com to get your hands on the season 21 Hot Ones hot sauce lineup. Milk not included.
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Be careful around the eyes and get them while they're hot.