0:01
So, you're kind of forced to do whatever I do.
Search this video
0:03
Oh, there's like a pickly thing in there.
0:10
Hey, what's going on everybody?
0:10
For First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
0:13
It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
0:16
And today we're joined by Will Forte.
0:18
He's an actor and comedian you know from his nearly decade-long run on Saturday Night Live, films like MacGruber and Nebraska, as well as his sitcom Last Man on Earth.
0:24
You can also catch him in the upcoming comedy mini-series The Four Seasons, premiering on Netflix May 1st.
0:30
Will Forte, welcome to the show. Thank you very much.
0:34
What's going through your head as you stare down these wings in front of you?
0:37
Do you feel prepared for the moment?
0:39
I have a lot of nervous energy going through me.
0:41
I You know, this is where I find out what kind of person I am.
0:46
And I am hoping to pass whatever test this is. I'm ready. Let's do it. Okay. That's delicious. Mhm. I need the whole thing.
1:26
Recently, you and I shared the privilege of being a part of Conan O'Brien's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Yes.
1:32
And during the event, John Mulaney made the remark that Conan is a prototype for comedy writers to become performers.
1:36
I'm curious, what was that transition like for you, writing at places like That '70s Show and Letterman before becoming a cast member at Saturday Night Live?
1:47
You'd write something and then somebody would perform it in the back of your head you'd be going like, "Oh, they should have hit that.
1:54
They should have stressed that word."
1:56
And that you know, you're you're just in your head you're kind of doing your own acting performance of it.
2:02
So, it was kind of you know, little did I know that I would get a chance to actually you know, perform one day and then the first couple of years at SNL were tough.
2:13
If I wrote something for myself, then I knew exactly how to do it.
2:14
But, if somebody else wrote it for me, I would oddly hold back a little bit.
2:18
So, Lorne gave me a little talking to after my third year and uh and kind of set me straight.
2:27
Said, "Get out of your your writer brain."
2:30
And I did and and then established uh I kind of took a step out of lower mediocrity to like a higher level of mediocrity. Yeah.
2:46
It almost seems less spicy than the other one is.
2:49
There's some mind games going on in this lineup.
2:55
Well, but I can see that you're prepared. I'm on to you, sir.
2:58
Inquisitive eyebrows, I can tell.
3:00
A Shawn, I have to tell you a funny story.
3:02
I don't know if I ever told you this.
3:04
So, at the Big Slick in Kansas City, it's a charity show, you know, which benefits Children's Mercy Hospital.
3:12
You come out sometimes and you will do a version of the show.
3:17
One year I was a part of it. I ate this final wing.
3:23
Then I went to the restroom.
3:25
And I had not washed my hands.
3:28
And about 3 minutes later, my penis was like a [ __ ] volcano. It was on fire.
3:36
So, like I learned a lesson.
3:38
That's the I learned that eye lesson, but it's also a penis lesson. That's right.
3:43
And not enough people know that.
3:45
You know, people ask about the eyes all the time, but there are lots of mistakes that you can make in the uh crisis of hot sauce. Yeah. Yeah.
3:52
So, I just basically have to go straight from here to the bathroom and wash my hands a couple times? Couldn't hurt. That tastes really good.
4:08
You're loving them so far. I am.
4:11
Stop making them so tasty if you don't want me to love them. This is delightful.
4:16
I can't believe I haven't touched my eyes yet. Yeah, please don't. I mean, I don't want to.
4:22
I just feel like the whole the whole week leading into this, I'm like, I'm going to touch my eyes and it's going to be Maybe it'll be great.
4:30
Maybe it'll be good television.
4:32
It's always is good television. Yeah.
4:34
What comes to mind when you think about the most deflating note or directive you got from the network when you were showrunning, created, and starring in Last Man on Earth?
4:43
In the pilot episode, my character gets sick of being alone, so he's going to drive into a rock and end it all.
4:53
We did several takes of barreling down the road towards this rock.
5:00
And then I got a note from somebody from one of the executives, "Can we do that but with a smile on your face?"
5:10
And you're like, I just was like, [ __ ] that, that's stupid.
5:14
No, not going to do that. I didn't say that.
5:16
I'm not a mean person, but I in my head, that's what I said.
5:20
And so, we just kept doing it the way we were doing it.
5:22
And then later, the end of the day, when we were walking out, the guy pulled me aside um and he said, "Thank you so much.
5:30
I It really, you know, that really just pushed it over that as if I had done the smile." But I hadn't. Very weird.
5:47
Ooh, this is really good.
5:47
There's like a little lemony taste.
5:50
Is it true that you were almost electrocuted while filming The Brothers Solomon because somebody plugged a battery from your costume into a real outlet? Yeah.
5:59
There was Yeah, there was this like ice skating outfit that that had lights on it and somehow, yeah, that when when we tried it out for the first time it was while it was on my body.
6:16
And so everything shorted and and I got a little jolt.
6:18
It I don't think I was ever really close to to being electrocuted.
6:23
That sounds pretty close to being electrocuted. I have, yeah.
6:32
Rojo, I know to to be red.
6:37
Oh, wait, I should be like putting extra Maybe that's it.
6:42
I should put extra sauce on. Okay.
6:45
Well, buckle up my seatbelt while Okay, I'll wait till I'll wait till later.
6:48
I'm not going to get cocky.
6:51
So, it must be a unique creative experience to make something like MacGruber, which at the time Parade magazine called the number two biggest box office flop of 2010.
7:01
But in the time since it's gone on to be this exalted cult classic and then spawned a spin-off TV series of its own.
7:08
I'm curious, what if anything do you learn from an experience like that?
7:14
The main thing that I learned from that experience cuz we were very oddly proud of that movie.
7:21
As disgusting as it is, we we we got to make the exact movie that we set out to make.
7:30
It bombed and it was very hard, but knowing that it was oh, this was the exact movie we wanted to make it made it so much easier.
7:39
After a couple weeks, we We "You know what? [ __ ] it. We love this movie.
7:40
Let's not let this you know, these headlines of movie movie bombs uh taint this experience for us.
7:49
Let's just be proud of what we did.
7:54
Do the movie you want to make.
7:56
Not try to make something Not try to make decisions for other people.
7:58
If you're making the decisions for yourself, then then you can live with it, no matter what happens. All right. What in the world? Did I kick this? What happened? Did you see?
8:14
My whole uh my whole chair just went down. Like an elevator. a wing fart? I wish.
8:24
I think that would have propelled me. already moved on.
8:25
Am I [ __ ] I started going. You moved on?
8:27
The whole thing is coming undone over here. Tastes so good. Oh my goodness.
8:38
I'm looking into some crazy eyes right now.
8:41
I see a dangerous man who kind of likes it.
8:44
I mean, they're They do all taste really good.
8:48
So, in talking to your peers and hearing them talk about you, it's clear that they have a deep respect for you as a performer who'll commit 110% to a bit or a character, no matter how absurd.
8:56
I'm curious, did it take a while for you to unlock that confidence and that tightrope walk between triumph and bomb?
9:05
I I feel like I always was a committer from the beginning.
9:09
It's not really something you learn.
9:11
It seems Now, I'm I feel like a douchebag even just So, it's saying a like a almost like sounds self-congratulatory, but as an actor, the thing that I never had a problem with was commitment.
9:22
a problem with was commitment. I try to take advantage of that by putting myself in weird situations and and kind of, you know, at times you feel like you're you're almost trying to outlast the audience and just like challenge them to
9:38
you know like it's an endurance thing like all right I'm going to keep going and you're kind of forced to watch this so if you don't find it funny we'll see we'll just see who wins this one and and a lot of times the audience wins and they don't ever find it funny. Oh my god I watched the Conan the Conan
10:00
Oh my god I watched the Conan the Conan version of this recently. That was so funny.
10:06
By the Andy's just got freaking hot sauce everywhere and when he starts licking his nipples or or not licking his nipples rubbing his nipples.
10:17
Well looks like you're taking us on a similar trajectory over here.
10:20
but but like I do remember seeing him putting some of this on some So you're kind of forced to do whatever I do.
10:34
Look there's like a pickled thing in there.
10:38
You're taking me on an endurance test all right well we'll see how I last the other.
10:44
I'm trying to see it on the side.
10:46
Oh what oh I don't even want to look at the calories. Please.
10:53
Can you take me behind the scenes of going day drinking with Seth Meyers?
10:54
You know much like this show it seems like it would have some logistical complications in order to have a successful shoot.
11:03
I can take you behind the scenes of first little bit cuz toward the toward the middle you're just pretty drunk and so um it was just the most delightful day because I was at SNL with him for eight years and he's like a brother.
11:18
Well I guess in a lot of ways it's kind of like this like like you're going through this expe- this kind of weird trauma almost traumatic experience. Yeah.
11:30
And and it's already so weird.
11:30
I feel like I you know, my my head is from the the anticipation and everything my head just seems to be swirling.
11:41
So I feel like some of these questions that I'm answering I'm like kind of you know, I don't there's just so much going on in my head that I think is you know, the same for most people who are on the show.
11:51
I'm sure but like you're in the fog of war right now.
11:55
Yeah, you can't place it.
11:57
fog is the operative word.
11:57
Well, It's about to get real foggy in here if you're ready. Okay.
12:03
This is the bomb beyond insanity.
12:05
This is I've heard about this one. Kansas City based Mhm. right? That is. You know too much. Oh, wait.
12:18
I got to What am I doing? Oh, no. Here we go. Oh. There's some Yeah.
12:34
I mean it's definitely Am I dead inside?
12:36
Is this what it's supposed to be? I think you might be.
12:41
Yeah, it's it's it's kicking in there. Yeah. It does taste good. There you go. I love it. Yeah. Do you know what? Yeah.
12:53
I realize I haven't I haven't had any of this milk.
12:55
I think This is No, I'm going to try to get through it without the milk. Best of luck to you.
13:04
Me over here like Now I'm feeling it in there.
13:05
I'm definitely feeling it.
13:08
Is it true that you have one of the all-time highest Donkey Kong scores? Yes. Yes and no.
13:14
I mean So I went to uh Wilmington, North Carolina.
13:18
I was with Sudeikis and and this wonderful group of people, Nick Kroll, Lake Bell, Lindsey Sloan, Tyler Labine.
13:26
made that made this movie Good Old Fashioned Orgy.
13:30
I went down to this local bar, they had a Donkey Kong and I'm like, I'm going to play this Donkey Kong.
13:35
I haven't played in a long time and I was having fun.
13:36
And there was this one Oh, that's right. Okay. I'm good.
13:42
I had a emergency moment for a second.
13:44
This one [ __ ] JLK, right?
13:47
Who's the top of the leaderboard and I'm like, I got to get JLK off this leaderboard. And so I finally did it.
13:57
I got but this is like weeks and weeks of me just Putting everything you have into it.
14:02
middle of the day, spending hours at this arcade.
14:05
Or at this bar that had a Donkey Kong.
14:08
And when I when I I took a picture of it when I finally got this guy off the leaderboard, went and registered it.
14:13
I think I had the 29th highest score of registered scores. That one? That one did? That did Yeah.
14:28
I mean, it's it's it's not somehow overwhelming. But it definitely Yeah.
14:34
Is that a You do you do you're you're a You're something different, Will. Am I? Yeah. Built different. I appreciate that. I know you do. Okay. Queen Majesty.
14:55
Do have any weekend plans? Not this time around.
15:02
It was so busy last weekend, Will.
15:05
That was so fun last weekend. It was so fun. Okay, there we go. There we go. Little spill. All right. Sicilian Scorpion. That's the one. All right.
15:29
With the eye contact and everything. I love it.
15:37
Walking me like a dog on my own show over here.
15:41
And I'm just committing to not showing my cards.
15:48
Pound for pound, what's the best prank you've ever pulled on your parents? I have an awful one.
15:54
Uh, I'm not even going to tell it. Tell it. It's awful. Let it go. Let it go.
16:06
You've clearly you you have remorse and you've clearly It's horrible. You'll see why.
16:11
Please feel free to cut this out. I once It's really bad.
16:20
I let I saw my mom driving I saw her driving the neighborhood and I'm like, "Oh, this would be funny."
16:27
I wrote on a piece of paper and like, "I'm so sorry, Mom."
16:31
And then left that at the front door and then like laid down and on her bathroom floor as if I was no longer alive.
16:43
And hearing her scream, it was the worst It's It was the worst thing and I immediately popped up. "Mom, I'm kidding."
16:50
That was And it's like, you know, little [ __ ] freaking 14-year-old thinking it's funny and it's like, it did It was a good lesson though.
16:57
It did teach you like Oh, not everything's funny.
17:02
There are things that hurt people and you know I certainly look back at my own work and there are regrets I have, but I don't love comedy that hurts people or makes fun of people.
17:18
Everyone always DOES THAT. WOAH! WOAH!
17:24
JUST A LITTLE LIKE SEE what I'm working with over here.
17:28
Don't really put a lot on it. Oh my gosh.
17:37
You got to riff for the people.
17:38
Yeah, I got to see what I'm made of. Cheers. Cheers well. I see all.
17:50
I'm trying to figure out what the excited eyebrow bounce I can't tell what the flavor is, but But you're digging it. Oh my gosh.
18:01
Well, an incredible feat.
18:03
And here we are at the end of the wings of death.
18:07
And to close things out, I want to close things out with a bang if you'll humor me. All right.
18:14
I want to reset the studio right now Yeah. into a spelling bee. Okay? Okay.
18:21
And I'm going to challenge you to spell habanero.
18:28
B T D T M R P A B T T F G M R D P T B Q R 3 T B R T M K Habanero. That sounds right to me.
19:03
And look at you, Wil Forte, taking on the wings of death, not even breaking a sweat, adding more sauce on the wings and doing it just for fun.
19:14
And now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you, Will Forte.
19:18
This camera, this camera, this camera, let the people know what you have going on in your life.
19:23
Uh I got to be in Tina Fey's new show, The Four Seasons, coming out on uh I think May 1st, Netflix. It's really good.
19:32
Steve Carell's in there, Colman Domingo, Kerry Kenney.
19:35
It's an amazing group of people, Erica Henningsen, Marco Colbani. It's It's awesome. Thank you. This is so fun. I DIDN'T EVEN MILK IT. WHAT IS GOING ON?
19:52
DO YOU HAVE A cast iron mouth?
19:56
I heard Bill Murray like didn't he Yeah, yeah.
19:58
Like didn't get affected all the way through.
20:00
Everybody can have that like those moments.
20:01
Like to me more Ariana Grande and Will Forte, but you're the first person to have that where you're popping the tops on things, especially Oh, really? Oh my god.
20:11
Fans will go crazy for it. Oh, that's that's nuts.
20:12
I mean You're about to have an exalted place in the pantheon of Hot Ones.
20:19
You know the best part of this whole thing? What?
20:22
Made it to the end without touching your eyes, Will.
20:24
The I haven't washed my hands yet. That's delicious.
20:34
Hot Ones fans, it's our 10th anniversary and we are celebrating all year long with a brand new hot sauce drop every single season.
20:40
And we are kicking things off with the pickled garlic sriracha.
20:45
It's got the famous sriracha flavor bomb you know and love, tangy, spicy, a little sweet, plus our secret ingredient that takes it to the next level, pickled garlic and a squeeze of lime to make this twist uniquely ready for the spotlight.
20:56
We've also cranked up the heat to make it a little bit spicier than your average sriracha.
21:00
To pick up a bottle, you know the drill. heatonist. com, heatonist. com, that's heatonist.
21:06
com to get your hands on the brand new pickled garlic sriracha from Hot Ones.