Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - Melanie Hutsell

Episode Date: July 5, 2023

The Brady Bunch, the Miss Vagina Pageant, and women on the show with Melanie Hutsell. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dana, you take this one, I gotta take this call. Yeah, go ahead. Melony Huts. Yeah. Oh, okay, this is what it's come to. A million Deutsch marks? Yeah. 200 episodes in the channel, he's just, yeah.

And I'm gonna, that thing we talked about the other day, I won in, I'll give five percent. What? Anyway, can I talk about our friend Melony Hutsal? Yes, my friend. Melony Hutsal, a great cast member of SNL, 91 and 94. I overlapped with her for a couple years, David, for three years. She was a powerhouse sketch performer on that show. And she's Southern,

Anna, and charming. Like very likeable, very like what she was in the show. She still is. We talked about the, oh my God sketch. She used to do Delta Delta Delta Delta. Remember that sketch? She did that. She first of all two things. One is her journey to how she got on the stuff. Yes. So is very charming and interesting

and her relationship with Lauren at that time. We'll talk about that. And then we broke down. We broke down my favorite. Yeah. One of my phrases, her epic sketch that she shepherded, she wrote was the Parktreach family versus Brady Bunch. Versus the Brady Bunch. It was huge. And how she got

that mounted. Who did you play? One of my favorite ones ever. I was on the drums and I was not happy with you. Then which I was a cast. I was Chris Parkridge who I didn't know if he's in the credits. He was a fucking, basically a day player. They didn't use him, he'd be running around scenes with no lines and then they go, Spade, you play him, get in the drums and we'll make sure Sandler and Farley was in. And you all blocked me.

Farley was Rubenkin. We had Farley. It was like 12 people in this sketch. We go moment to moment. I played David Cass. It was in the case I didn't get that out. It was great. So let's do it.

Let's do it. You want Melanie Hutsle. So let's do it. You want Melanie Hutsle. You want Melanie Hutsle. You want Melanie Hutsle. You want Melanie Hutsle. You want Melanie Hutsle.

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just for, for, that's recreation. No, my husband is a composer. And so we have our, he has this little studio down here. Sexy. I know, isn't it crazy? No, we do, this used to be our kids' playroom. Mm-hmm. And it's now his studio.

This is where I do my fun self-tape auditions. Hello, Melanie, Sag After us. Exactly. So a lot happens, a lot happens in this room. Isn't it nice? You have some V drums in the background. I see virtual drums. Yeah. Would you like to buy them? I already made a bid through Greg Holtzman. I actually made a bid on them. It's a whole wife-eye thing. I know you're a dress.

No, no, no. I have a keyboard in my house, but I play like a little kid and guitars. And I do that stuff. I know what you do, Dan. Oh my God, you set up a pre-reunct set it. She just, she just, that was literally one of my most favorite sketches ever, along with most of the rest of the world, right? I jump the rocker out. It was so, it was so dumb.

That's why. Just naive commitment. It's either really stupid or really clever. It's like the whole idea you can't get it out of your head. Is it different every time? Like, she jump. Yeah. Oh, by this point, if I'm doing stand up in a yell for it at the end, I have the guitar,

it's 10 minutes. It's 10 minutes. A chopper, a chopper, a chop, a chop. I mean, it just goes. It's like 20 minutes of just, a chop, a chop. I love that. I love that.

So Melanie Hotsol and David actually shared the Saturday Night Live stage from 90 or 91 to 90. I left 93, but I was there three years with Melanie, David, maybe four. And I watched, I'll just cut to one of my favorite things you've done. And I watched it this morning, which was the, I looked at it today and I'd go, that is a perfect sketch. Wow. So my sketches are like, okay, I can't imagine it being better for what it was trying to do. And it is written by Melanie Hutsle and whoever else. Wow.

Okay. Pretty bunch versus versus the partridge family Susan Day was the host. Wow. Yeah. No, that was That was a lot of fun. Yeah, and that was a lot of fun. Tell, and you. That was a lot of fun. Tell us how you conceived that. David was on drums. We were in the parts family band, and I was David Cassidy with a guitar. So tell us how that came about, that sketch.

And also real quick, Chris Farley was Rubik K. Which was one of my favorite moments. And he grabbed and kissed Julia Swini aggressively. At one point, you know, Chris, he would tend to commit. Just a little bit. Well, you know, Jam Brady was one of the characters that I came to the show with. And Marcy Cline was absolutely obsessed with the Brady Bunch. So I had that going in my favor. Marcy, Marcy, Marcy. Marcy, Marcy, Marcy. And so I remember that that week,

and Susan Day was coming, and so there was all kinds of talk around the office. And I knew I needed to produce and come up with something cool. And I remember Marcy Klein just kind of like showed up in the in the hallway. Just some like weird moment. She just appeared and she was like, Melanie, as you know, Susan Dei is our host this week. And we're expecting a lot. And you need to get it done. Jesus.

Funny. And some people don't know, because we're supposed to do this, like, you know, it's like radio DJs. Melanie was famous for doing Jan Brady and toured with the Brady bunch. You know, that was your plan. That was your plan.

After or before? Yeah. But kind of before before during and after ish. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, I, you know, I say that about Marcy Climbe, but the truth is she was a huge part of me getting on the show. So thank you, Marcy. When you were a Marcy. She was the grandmother, the psychiatrist, the go-to person,

the handholder of the guest host, I mean, she was like a big, big presence in those years. Oh, absolutely. So who cracked the code of like Brady Bunch versus Farge's family? It's kind of sitting there. It's just you need to put your your the Brady Bunch and then Susan Day came in. Susan Day comes along and then Marcy says her thing and and thankfully, you know, comes along and then Marcy says her thing and and thankfully you know some people I think would probably I don't know I could have just froze up at that point but it felt good from me

to have somebody kind of laid out like this is what is expected and whatever and so when I was growing up I used to watch the Partridge family and the Brady bunch back-to-back, just like we all did. And in my young little, however old mind watching those shows, I would kind of get the character. The two shows were so much alike that I would get the characters mixed up. And I also had this fantasy that they lived on the same street and New each other I had a fantasy about Susan day, too. I don't think it was exactly that my wife loved David Cassidy I mean literally Danny by Newtri's doing those like wise cracker lines. I thought it was so hilarious

I'm hilarious and so I Just decided at first it was gonna be some kind of like dream sequence and then it just kind of like went from there and became the battle of the bands. Like it just made the most sense. And also it was like I, you know, I was so excited to do a sketch that included so many people. Like almost the whole cast, I think. a sketch that included so many people, like almost the whole cast, I think. That's always a sort of a home run to be like,

they love it when the big cast thing they put early in the show. The half the fun of that is probably, you walk over to desks, you know, you go to offices and go, hey Farley, do you wanna play Room of King Kate? He's like, yeah, and then you get to go put everyone in And it's like, you feel like such a big deal for a week. Because you're, and then if people don't know, if you're listening and you don't know the, it's not a show. You're sort of

your own director, whether you like it or not. So they have you watching a sketch. And you're like, I'm watching the sketch rehearse. I don't know one fucking thing I'm supposed to do. I, they go, you direct it. Yeah, yeah You're the director you're in charge of the choreography it pretty much everything Yeah, you go meet music and then you go meet with set design and you go to say they tell you what could I say? Can I just say one thing about it? We're watching it today based on that is just I Didn't realize into watching it today How funny those songs were.

And so catchy, but you had us all in the costumes. I had a funny wig on. And then I'm saying, I'm no, no, no, no, no. And we're all smiling and it really just made me laugh. And so that starts a sketch off with so much energy, like a band lip syncing with music, funny look, the drums. And then you guys come in, it's almost like

West Side Story throwing it down. And Neelan had this funny wig with drums. Yes. And then you guys come in, it's almost like West Side Story throwing it down. And Neelan had this funny wig with his heathen. You had all the braids there. What was Sandler's character in that? Because he had a funny voice. And Sandler was Peter Brady with the voice. And it's time to change. And he was so great.

He was so, and you guys were, everybody was great, but I have to say, coming from the annoyance theater in Chicago to Saturday Night Live, like the biggest difference I learned that week, is that guess what, not a lot of rehearsal. You know, like, from the background that I had come from, we would, you know, for a performance like that, we would rehearse for weeks and weeks and weeks

and it was just like, you know, we blocked it. And then, you know, Saturday, you do the thing. And the dressing doesn't even fucking count. Like when you're blocking it, you're just going in this tape on the floor and there goes, everyone's just like it's a dead zone. Everyone just meandering around, you can put it in the chips. You're like, okay, there'll be a couch there.

That's where tape is your drums will be over here. And everyone just staring off in the space. You're like, okay, we got it. But that doesn't really count as getting it all the smoothness. That is that dead zone between Wednesday and the read through. I guess you got it read tired. It's gonna be on, right? Melanie, okay, it's on.

Yeah, it read tired. It's it's gonna be on right. Yeah. Melanie okay. Exactly. Yeah. It's on. You're probably getting notes to whatever trims or little things. And also you're going into producer mode. You know that he needs a wig. We need a guitar and you have people helping you, but you're driving it. Yeah. And then like to David's point, you run it Thursday with no just kind of on a floor. And the first two times the crew kind of chuckles. And by like the seventh or eight time,

it just running it, it just feels dead. And then when, and then Friday, you do it again, with a little more cameras. Maybe if you're lucky. And no one's laughing. And it feels even more dead. And then by Saturday afternoon, it's all getting the costumes on

and trying to do this rushed thing. And so for the time you get to the dress show, the practice show full tilt. Yes. You feel like this is a tour. We don't have any chance. And then finally, you have a fresh audience. Yes. And yeah.

No, you need one more day, one more rehearse because by the time I've been on air going, I can't, I don't even know where I'm supposed to go. What's happening? I don't even know where I'm supposed to go what's happening You know I don't even know my character I did see not to jump away But I saw one with us just now was Delta Delta Delta and with Woody Harrelson and And I walk into a scene with Woody and I literally drill a hole in the ground My eyes to look for my mark. It was so unprofessional and embarrassing

It's all I saw I go what am I doing am I looking for my mark. It was so unprofessional and embarrassing. It's all I saw. I go, what am I doing? Am I looking for my mark? And I hate when people do that movies. They walk into the scene, look down, then look back up. I go, all right, you're on your mark. But I got scared because I said, oh my God, I just did it.

It really, it took me a lot of time. I watched that one too this morning. I did a deep Melanie Hutsle dive. And I thought that was part of your character kind of just looking down like being kind of a sort of seductive, like a team. You made a work for the sketch, didn't you? Remember when I go,

yeah, maybe we could get your books, get those exam notes and I go, let's meet up later on, seriously. I mean, you can maybe, I'm super happy with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember that. That's so funny. So Melanie, yeah, go ahead,

I just want to finish off your, what happened with you with the Rebunction part of that? No, I was just listening to finish off your, what happened with you with, uh, no, I was just listening to you, listening to you run through like what happens in the process of all that. And I'm like, starting to have a panic attack. Oh, yeah. Sorry. I don't know.

I, you know, me along with Sarah Silverman. And I think Jay Moore started having panic attacks during Silent Lops. He does have panic attacks. That's right. And you should have been having him too. Yeah. Everyone should have a panic attack. If you literally get a handle on what you're doing and, you know, and how under rehearse you are, and then you've got all that many people watching it.

No, it's, yeah, it's, it's live theater on drugs. It's more normal to have a panic attack. If you don't have one, something's wrong. Yeah, it's more told me he goes, spade, I know, I go, he came, I know him well, but I said, it is tricky. And maybe, you know, the first couple of reads through, you should just get in your legs. And even if you have good sketches, sometimes, you know, they don't always get on and it feels unfair.

And he goes, I know the whole drill, dude, I've heard all the stories I got. I go, okay, I go, I just had a tough time with it, you know. And then he goes, first thing is he had a sketch kind of high and read through, I think. And then it did pretty well. You know, it was sort of like a toss up and it didn't get on. And he goes, that's okay.

It's how it works here. And then two shows later, he had happened again. And then the third show goes, what the fuck is going on? I think fucking killed. And I go, here we go. And then by the four and twenty, I think it's a, I'm not having any money to act. I go, it's a little quicker than normal.

But yes, we all do. You're not feeling any different than anyone. Well, what happens is you're on the show a lot on one Saturday. The next Saturday, you're not in it much. And then you have well-intended friends on the phone saying, they fucked you, man. They fucked you. You're the funniest one on the phone saying, they fucked you, man. They fucked you up. You're the funniest one.

I want to say more of you. I was not saying enough of you. And it's just like, oh, yeah, nothing that you're saying is helping. One time Lauren brought me in, he goes, and I'm sure he's done this every cast. Remember, he's sitting there opening his, you know, life savers, he goes, you know, David, everyone's going to tell you the funniest one in the show.

You're not. And I go, the first half, I go, they are saying that. And then I go, oh. He told me that story as well, but it was about you. Okay. Dana, everyone's gonna say, David. But I want it, Mel, I want it just because

that sketch killed so hard. And you let it. How did you feel like, like when you're on the air show and it's happening, like from your point of view, during the air was it like, okay, this is in its own way peaking right now, because that is a great feeling when you know it's gone well. How did you feel personally?

It's funny that you bring that particular sketch up because that was definitely like my favorite sketch that I did on Saturday and I was my favorite moments on the show. But at the same time, I couldn't feel my body. It was very surreal, very like out of body experience because I've been playing to a 99-seat theater in Chicago called The Annoyance Theater, which I was one of the co-founding members of that theater.

And you felt like a rock star, because it was 100 people in this tiny little room. And then all of a sudden, you're on national television. You think it can't get any bigger, and then it gets 100 times bigger. But the other crazy thing is, you go to the rap party and you're flying on cloud 10. And then the next day they're like, all right, Tom Hanks, so it's what he got.

And you're like, is it over already? Like, no, what else you got? Start over. What do you got? And he goes, Melanie, you didn't write anything. Why not? You go, fuck, I'm still riding my high from last week. Melanie, did you, like,

because you have an entrance in this sketch, are you behind the slat, are you in character kind of like talking to yourself as Jam Brady? Oh my God, you know, are you like doing it and then you walk into the scene and try not to think too much? I mean, how do you do that?

Because I'll sometimes try to like talk to myself under my, during the commercial break, like or something to think of on SNL. Do you do that? Because I'll sometimes try to like talk to myself under my, during the commercial break like, or something to think to get into an SNL. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yeah. Okay. Or are you like Melanie and then I'll see you in a second.

Go out or you kind of like just trying to just be Jan Brady or you just. Oh no, I was definitely in character leading up to that sketch. To be honest with you, I can't remember if I had anything else to do in that show. It was possibly like the only thing, but this is like so random and weird, but uh, so I had the Jan Brady wig, the little ringlit curls in the front. That was my actual hair. And so me doing those curls myself was always a huge sort of crossover from Melanie Hutsle to Jam Brady. It's like the weirdest thing ever. But also when you're writing to

go in, we've done that with sketches or I have a, you're waiting to go in, you're trying to think of it, but it's almost better to be light on those weeks because you're thinking of you're watching the sketch and you're probably going, all right, he's spayed, he's got a line, okay, Dan is good, okay, so far so good. You almost can't even think like, oh fuck, I have to go walk into this actual sketch on TV in one second.

Yeah, absolutely. And I will say this, I have to hand it to Adam Sandler, that just there on the floor, like before sketches and sometimes after sketches, he would often go, that just there on the floor, like before sketches and sometimes after sketches, he would often go, you're gonna be awesome. You're gonna be awesome. You're gonna be awesome, kid.

You got this hustle, like don't worry about it. You're so funny. You're so funny. It's probably a terrible impersonation about it. That was pretty good. My fault. I don't do Adam. I do Adam's character.

I will fall. Whoa, whoa, whoa do Adam. I do Adam's character. I will fall. Oh, you know that guy. I'm staring. I'm staring. Woo. Can I just tell a quick story about Adam? Just like, or quick, man? Absolutely.

Oh, yeah. Take your time. My husband. Take your time. Well, it's just, it's such an insane thing. And I don't know if anybody has ever talked about this or if he's ever told this on himself. Oh.

But little tidbit, little trivia about Adam Sandler was that he, I walked into the women's bathroom one time. I like it already. I'm glad. And there was a dude in the bathroom. I'm calling my attorney. Keep going. Was he taking a dump? Yes. That's where he would hide. That's where he would go. And I was like, because I could see his big old shoes like a sweat pants. And I was like, oh my god, no. I was like, Adam. And he was like, hello. Hi.

Hello. No, I'll pick that Adam. And I was like, Adam, gross. Oh my god, what are you doing? It just feels like one minute. And so he did that. And then later I called him on and he was like, it's cleaner. It's cleaner in the girls' bathroom.

Yeah, that's right. Funny, I know. I think Jeremy Irons did the same thing when he guessed host it. No, not making a fuss. Melanie, I have a question for you. Hello, I'm just using the Lou have on that. When you, when, now that you're saying it,

Susan Day hosting, it seems like why, and I love Susan Day, but why Susan Day then? I can't remember. Was she an LA law? I think she was on LA law at that time. And she was the reason Johnny Carson got mad at me. Because we did a Carson on that show. And Johnny, I didn't write this part,

but apparently Johnny didn't know the Partridge family was off the air. So I understand you're on the Partridge family with David Cassidy. How is that show? You know, and she'd already 15 years ago. So John, you're so uncool. That was so uncool. Oh, well, anyway, it all goes full circle. Absolutely. And I was going to say it's like, it's such an interesting thing about impersonations. It's such a, it's such a fine line of like, it can be the greatest thing in the world

or you can really hurt somebody's feelings. I know and I was not aware of it then. I'm more aware of it now. Like I might hurt that person if I did something. We're just doing it to be funny. Even if you really like the person, like Daniel loves Paul McCartney, Daniel loves all these people and he does them. And you don't know, there's a part, because you have to exaggerate

an impression and there's a part of the person that probably gets their feelings hurt, but you think, oh, isn't it cool? I do you because you're really getting all the benefit and the person that looks like an asshole. Right. So, no, totally. I don't really like it, but he liked the impression, but that particular one I Tweeted him a little bit and and that must have felt absolutely Like crazy to have Johnny Carson be upset with you

Like now that I really think about that. I'm like I cannot even imagine And I want to hear your stories too because that's that's SNL either running into a host or whatever just these surreal moments upon moments upon moments. And that would be one of them like really? No. Well, I mean, you know, just surreal. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, because I because of my age at the time, I was playing like pretty much any and every young teenage girl that was on television at the time, one of the being toy spelling now. And then after I had done SNL, I think for a year, we were doing the real I Brady bunch here in Los Angeles at the Westwood Playhouse and she came

to see the show. And like backstage everybody was like, we're spelling it's here. She's so fast. Stop, stop, stop, stop. No, you're not supposed to work. And she came up to me after the show and she was like, I love you. I think you're really funny. Like, don't even worry about it, you know?

Yeah, so that was good. And then another particular scenario that I still have am haunted by was impersonating my ambiolic because it was just, there were some things about that that namely a prosthetic nose, which was so offensive. I think twice about that back then.

You just wanted to get a big laugh and then you just are like, oh, that's so funny, it works. Then you rarely think, oh, this person, when I did that one with Owen Wilson's nose, looking like a dick. And then they said you have to change it between dress and air.

It looks to, it's exactly a dick and Prosthetics like okay, okay, and then I was in something else and we had to go deal with this other fire We had to put out and I was walking into the sketch code. Oh my god. We never fixed this before air So it's like 15 it was thrown to me. It wasn't one of the ones I do. It's just like, you play him. You know, you do this hosting. I got to know him a little bit through Kevin Neal and before the pandemic.

And it really nice guy. And I asked him about people doing impressions. And he has such an interesting cadence. It's such a, you know, and I said, well, what do you think of people doing it? You know, he's like such a, you know, and I said, well, what do you think of people doing it? You know, he's like, well, you know, I really prefer that they wouldn't, you know, and I'm like, okay, so I don't really do them if he's just, you know, Owen, we'd like to have him on the show. But he's such a, but that's such your example. I just know him now, so I wouldn't want to hurt him.

The thing right now is just how to do Joe Biden, because if you do it a little too heavy handed, are you making fun of an elder citizen or, you know, that one's a little tricky. That's a good point. And one more thing I'll say about my am is that I did sort of hear through the grapevine that, you know, of course she was a teenager at the top. Even worse than that.

Very different. Yeah. And I heard that, you know, she really got her feelings hurt. And years and years and years went by. And I'm going to tell the short version of this. Take your time. I love these stories. We have to kill you in half a second. No.

I really was haunted by it. And I felt terrible. And my husband is Jewish, but we were just dating at the time. We went to a synagogue in Westwood and I saw her and my heart started pounding and I was like, I got a talk to her, I got a talk to her. And then by the time I got to her,

she was already gone and I was like, oh dang. And then like another time I got to her, she was already gone. And I was like, oh dang. And then like another couple of years go by and I actually see her at an audition. And we were auditioning for the same role. And I can't even remember what that was that we were sitting on a couch together. And like she hadn't looked up from her script. Like she's like studying her lines or whatever.

My heart's pounding. I know. And then finally I just, I was like, my, I'm and she was like, yeah, and she goes, oh, hi. And I was like, hey, I just wanna say something to you. And I said, I did an impersonation of you on Saturday Night Live. I was not happy about certain things and I just want to apologize to you and say that

I'm sorry. Like, I had tears in my eyes and she looked at me and she was like, I release you. Oh, that's cool. That's funny. I know. She was like, I release you and then she was like, I'm not going to say that I didn't feel that back then. She said, but, you. And then she was like, I'm not going to say that I didn't feel that back then. She said, but, you know, we can let this go.

And it was just like so nice. And that's such a, that's almost like a star worst thing. I was Johnny and said that to me, I release you. I am so of you. What? Who are you running with then? When you were with Beth K. Hill and Shavan was that sort of your squad? Shavan Fallon, Beth K. Hill. Any K. Hill. She likes to be called Betty now. Betty K. Hill and Shavan was that sort of your squad? Shavan Fallon, Beth K. Hill.

Eddie K. Hill, she likes to be called Betty now. Betty K. Hill, hi. Betty K. Hill, really? Betty? Specie. Yeah, Betty K. Hill was Beth Leney. Julia Sweeney was in there. Yeah.

Julia Sweeney, Beth K. Hill, Shavan Fallon. Yeah, those were my two. Ellen Kleghorn. Ellen Kleghorn. I love Ellen. I love Ellen now. When you met Lauren, this is kind of a funny question. Maybe it's got no good answer. But how long did you wait to meet him?

So when I was working at the annoyance theater, we were doing the Real Eye Brady bunch, and we were also doing a show called the Miss vagina pageant, which was obviously, we were making fun of beauty pageants and the objectification of women. Is that what they do? I'm sorry, what? Is that what those do in those beauty pageants? I guess they do.

I don't know who they are. I thought of it that way. Yeah, I remember. I remember. I remember. But anyway, we had created this hilarious show. It was all women. And so much fun.

And that's when I sort of developed the sorority character and played Miss Tennessee. And so SNL scouts were coming through Chicago. And, you know, they always go to the typical places. They go to improv Olympic. They go to second city. But there was an ad in the paper for the show called the Miss vagina pageant. And they're like, oh, a comedy with all women. Let's go see. See this. Wow, that's cool. They did a deep dive.

Okay. Yeah. That sounds like Kizminder something's going on here. Mexico. Yeah. And so Beth K. Hill was in that show. Kate Flattery was in that show. Susan Messing, just so many people.

And so over a period of time, like every week for a while, there was a different SNL scout coming to see the Real Eye Brady Bunch and the Miss Magyronan Pageant. And so then the next thing we know, and we're just this tiny theater, our artistic director, Mick Napier, was just all about the work and you know. Do you know someone's there? We knew that there were scouts. Yeah, we knew that there

were scouts and so anyway like this one we- I'm getting nervous just seeing my nervous. What happened? So this one we, Mick gets a call and we find out that Lauren Michaels wants to come see the Miss vagina pageant. And, but he can only come see it on a Wednesday night at midnight. I was about to say Wednesday at 9 a.m. You're like, oh, and he would be bringing his friend when he jones. Wow. Perfect. He brought Cher when I auditioned. He always brings the biggest celebrity sales you deals with the pressure. Exactly. Exactly. And so, you know, there was like

all this weird talk of like, you know, people just felt weird about putting on the show at midnight, like, I don't know. No, it sucks. It was just a strange feeling and then finally, like, it's like, oh no, we're doing it. We're going to do the midnight show for Lauren. Yeah. And so we got that together. We invited every friend and friend of a friend of a friend to come to this midnight show. And he was there. He was there in the front row with Quincy Jones watching this crazy show with all these women. And then from there, we found out that four of us would be going to lunch with Lauren

and Mike Schumaker the next day. Mike Schumaker. Mike Schumaker. Now a producer on Zethmires. Yes. And then three out of the four were flown to New York. Oh, after the lunch one fell down. So I went to the lunch.

Someone fell out over the lunch. Who wanted too many crab cakes? Yes, now. And also, Derek crab cakes? Oh, what a drag. And also, Derek. He didn't use a napkin. Yeah. So I go ahead. Wrong four.

So I remember after the lunch finding out that Lauren wanted to talk to me and have a conversation. And so we literally walked along like Michigan together. And I remember one of the first questions he asked me was, what are your parents do? He asked me what my mom and dad did. And I was like, that's very lorne. I know.

And it was, there was something kind of sweet about it, you know, and I was like, well, my dad works at Alcoa Luminum Company and my mom is a hairdresser. And I was just like, and then I was like, I, my dad works at Alcoa, aluminum company and my mom is a hairdresser. And I was just like, and then I was like, I just wanna say right now, I want this more than anything. And if I were to get this job, I would work harder. I mean, I was just like,

blah, blah, blah, blah. You literally said that. Oh wow. I don't think anyone says that. That's a good thing to say. I've never heard of anyone saying that thinking it, but that's good. That's good to say it.

But it shows you. Probably it came off so genuine. It just kind of came out. It just kind of that's like out of a movie that that's like norm array or something. If I get this job, I'll work hard. I mean, can you remember exactly what you said, like the phrasing? I'll do Lauren.

So what do you what do you what do you what do you think about the show? I mean, do you think I want to be part of it? Are you okay with being famous? If Lauren, if you were to give me this job, I I want just please understand I want this more than anything in the world and I know you've probably heard that a lot from a lot of other people but I will I'll work harder than I've ever worked in my whole life and you won't. Okay, then long pause and then Lauren says, right. We're gonna go get some mini tacos at the four seasons bar. It's always a walk, Dana.

Lauren goes, come by the BH hotel, maybe take a walk. I go, okay, and I walk and he goes, this way, we're walking. And now it starts getting dark. I go, are we fucking lost? He walks so far I'm like Lauren. I don't even know if we're in BH anymore and he's like this way take a right now He has the 10,000 step thing going. I was at the Beverly Hills Hotel with him like maybe a couple years ago And I'm driving off and he goes I go where are you going? He's just walking. Well, I haven't gotten my 12 or 10,000 steps

But Lauren is a touch stone like that for all of us as well. The most eccentric, brilliant, like there's only one Lauren Michaels. That's why everyone does an impression. Do you have any kind of little bit of impression? Melanie, my impression is of your impression. It's just, yeah, it's just very, you know, like once you once you break the code, it's just there's a lot of little different ways to do it. So I'm going to do it very, very shy, you know, others are like, it's really like fucking

good, you know, he has a, he has these different rhythms, but you know, I did meet with him every once in a while, like, you know, in his office, just due to. Okay. Yeah, just the two of us, I, you know, I often had it in my heart to talk to him about, you know, maybe maybe the women needed a little more airtime type situation, which was what I really looked back on that. Like it was, you know, I had a lot of guts. I get you are no more. Ray. You're, you're, you it was, you know, I had a lot of guts. You are normal, Ray.

You're so honest. No, I don't know that. I don't know that. I mean, we're unionizing the women on the show. What? Yeah. I talked to Lauren about that because I, and we talked to Anagasthir about it, and she said that it just sort of reflecting societal changes in that, from the knots forward, there was just more women with getting more airtime and doing more stuff. And now eventually the women are playing men

like Ted Cruz and stuff. So you were definitely in that pre-era of when it was harder. It was definitely a club that was brought up a lot. I remember that. I mean, we did gap girls. I think Julia was a little sideways about now they're playing girls when we don't have enough time to play. And then we're going to have a lot. I remember that. I mean, we did gap girls. There was a, I think Julia was a little sideways

about now they're playing girls when we don't have enough parts. And it was like, I get what she's saying. I mean, I get it all. It was, it was, you know, and it's such a tough place because it's every man from self and everybody wants to be on.

Every woman. And if every, and if, if it's not treated fairly, it's almost so much you can do. there's almost so much you can do, there's only so much you can do, and it's all up to everybody above us, and it's hard to have a hard to heart with Lauren, and it's hard to go to Lauren and say a complaint in quotes,

or a fix or something you'd love to discuss, that's a legitimate problem, and it takes balls, even. But, you know, man or woman, he does, he definitely like sketches where a lot of people were active. And that's why I just fell into church chat accidentally, but then I had Jan Hooks doing Tammy Febaker.

You know? And you loved to always have Jan in a sketch because she's, she's. She's got the same. That's the thing, it's like chemistry between two people is, you know, that's golden on a live TV show. And but it can't be forced. It has to come organically. And, you know, anyways, I don't know where I was going.

Well, who did you connect with the most on the show? Did you, you and Beth, Beth was there one year, but did you have people that you were kind of, like sort of buddies with on the show that you would hang out with the most? And. Well, I think that was the thing. I mean, you know, I look back on you and Jan Hooks

and David, you and Chris Farley and you and all the other guys. You guys had like this chemistry. And so, yes, to answer your question, the people that I had chemistry with were Shavan and Betty K. Hill. Ellen, Kleghorn and I tried, we tried for years to get a thing. To get a thing going. And it's just, it's one of our biggest regrets. I should speak for myself.

It's one of my biggest regrets is that that never happened, but it wasn't that we didn't try. And so, you know, that's what was interesting about my time on the show was that, after that first year, I didn't have Beth and Shavon anymore. And they had left. And so then you're kind of looking to other people, Julius Weeney and some of the guys. Where do I fit in?

Yeah, where do I fit in because there was the older set, Dana, sorry. No, you're right. No, we were the veterans. And then, and then the, I call them the university, but the new people came in for the first time, where you had a cast and then another cast, like, you know, another team ready to go, because Lauren didn't want a cast to leave and mass. You did with, you know, so he wanted trainees, so to speak. So that was a

Very intense time to be on Saturday live I think in the early 90s because of all that I was shadowing Dana like someone at an Arby's or something I was like I'm gonna I go behind Dana just watch what he does and go okay when you do it You got to go like this you got there and kill and I'm like got I went Lauren wanted mess with me. David's ready anytime You know, David would sit behind me and read through, you know. Yeah. No, I mean, you're right. It was an interesting time. And, you know, I always sort of looked to the, to the older, you know, all of you guys, you Dana and, and of course Phil and Kevin Neeland, you know, sort of as like this anchor for the show, you guys were settled and had been around. Well, we had a hundred shows under our belt, which is

such a hard show to get relaxed to do. You know, Dana, I was watching you on Saturday Night Live when I was in high school. And then you're there. And yeah, and in college, like, you know, we did a show at the University of Tennessee called All Night Theater and my friend Mark Roe. I played Tammy Febaker, he played Jim Baker at like three o'clock in the morning. You know, and so we were copying you and Jan. Which is so... The way I would have thought is like, Jan, Tammy Febaker has a sister that she never met.

And then you have dueling Tammy Feiz on a sketch. Oh. Stuff like that. I'm re-cute you. Do you remember a dumb sketch where you... I don't know why I remember this because it was famous people who sing with their dead relatives and you were Tammy Y. Nat I think. Yeah. And they go, I'm not dead. And you go, I'm actually not dead. I go, that's how rumors get started. This is

how rumors get started. Yeah, exactly. I remember it because someone I think Natalie Cole came out with Nat King Cole and. Oh, yes, and so we did a whole thing of and Chris Barley who did Chris Barley play? Oh my god It was so funny anybody anyway anyway. I that one just stuck out my head because I thought Is there any impression you didn't ever get to do that you wish you got to do? Or is there something that came up years later

we were like, how I'd like a character? That's a good question. A French chef. I can't wait for it. You could probably do every president since and that would have been fun. Yeah, go ahead. I always wanted to do,

I had all these like Southern characters that I wanted to do that I would bring to the To the team Re Pauline Pauline Pauline Pauline Pauline. Yes, but I remember there was the sketch I don't remember that much about it, but Steve Corn and I had written it together Right writer and it was just called the Country Christmas Show. And I remember that Glenn Close was gonna be in it with me, Boss Clem.

Oh, one close, yeah. And I remember the song, and this is how it went. Oh, good. Ready? This is how the beginning song went. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to my Country Christmas show. Ha!

I'm, Jeannie, Jeannie Jean. That's all. Like, I'm, like, I'm, like, I'm, welcome, welcome to my country Christmas show. Ha! Um, Jenny, Jenny Jean. That's all I got. I literally... Jenny Jean type jeans. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. It's already catchy. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome.

So yes, I remember the song. That's all I remember. We talked to Tom Hanks and he remembered the whole subway surfing song of a sketch we did that I was in and I helped him write and I did not remember one line from it. And it got cut, right? And he got cut and he sang the whole song we were like. He sang the whole song, just that's a photographic memory.

Remember that data? I was like, holy shit, that was weird. Is it so crazy like what you remember and what you don't remember and then what other people like will point out to you? Like it kind of makes me worry about my brain a little bit every once in a while but I do have a memory about I remember when Tom Hanks was on the show and all of this was so

you know obviously surreal and weird like talking to these famous people. Yes, for all of us. Yeah. For all of us. And I remember it was just like, you know, that those weird hours on Tuesday night when everybody's riding their sketches and all stressed out. And he's just kind of like walking from office to office, just having fun, figuring out what everybody's going to be doing.

And he was just like, he looked doing. And he was just like, he looked at me and he was just like, man, he goes, you're set. You're all set. He goes, you're going to do your sorority girl movie. And it's going to be awesome. And you know, like you're, you've got your career. And he had just come from Adam Sandler's office. So they just had this thing of supporting Melanie. No, I know. And I thought that was so nice of him to say it never happened. But. Well, he all, he wanted to be a cast member.

He's the least pretentious. I don't know what you would call him. Superstar. I don't know what you could call him today. I don't know, mega star, but he just has no pretense about it. No pretense. And you know, somebody else that was like that was John Goodman. Oh, yeah.

I love, he did the show a couple of times within the three years that I was there. And I remember the second time he came around, like he asked me, how's Claudian Steve doing? That's my mom and dad. And I was like, he remembers my parents' names. Like, that's so nice.

That's next level. The talent to cold read 50 scripts, essentially on Wednesday as a host. And certain ones really stood out. I mean, John Goodman would make in the moment changes or, you know, you get just a bare note, but he was, he was a brilliant cold reader. So was Danny DeVito. Thanks.

Yeah. So it was Alec Baldwin. Alec Baldwin, which maybe you'll relate to this. I think I've said this before, but Victoria Jackson would, because he would host occasionally and she should go, it's not going to happen this week. I go, what? I'm not going to happen this week. I go what? I'm not going to fall in love with him. I'm not going to fall in love with him. Okay, and then by Friday she go fell in love with him. Oh, yeah. She said she couldn't look at his eyes

because they were so blue. Once I saw them, I was in love. No, oh, that is okay. I'll speak to that. He did, Alex Baldwin came into my office and I couldn't talk. Like, I literally couldn't, I felt like he was so good looking. And so famous. And, um, I was like when Sharon Stone was there and all the guys were freaking out. And Sharon Stone comes in her slinky dress, comes in your office.

Hi, so sweet. Everyone, everyone's like, God damn, no one this pretty and famous will zone comes in or slinky dress comes in your office. Hi, so sweet, everyone. Everyone's like, God damn, no one this pretty and famous will ever be in my little room again. And our offices, if people don't know, are so tiny and gross, they're just like a gross couch that's been there since Tim Kazzarinzki. And everyone is like sitting on the same couch year after year of year. And they're like, hey, and they come in there. And some people just beam like superstar, you know, and you're like, holy shit.

And they're always nice. I did. I always be with Anthony Hopkins once and just meeting him in this little room in this haunted hotel with Alan Parker. And he was so intense in that voice. It's like put a camera on this fucking. Jesus. But I remember Lauren Michaels speaking of beauty Paulina Poroskova came in on my first show

just to hang out, I guess. And she was sitting in the read through and she kind of looked like she had a mask on, you know, and it was fun to ask her, what does it like to be used in this nice show? But I remember Lauren saying, you can't marry a face. Oh. Eventually, there's like that thing you could use to the face and then you need another face. Oh, eventually there's like that thing you could use to the face and then you need another face. But yeah, those are so charismatic. Put a fucking camera on them. I mean, I just feel like I'm, I, there's nothing to me. I'm like paper. I just need, I need a wig or an accent

or something. I, I'm like the invisible man. David has a great voice. He doesn't think I think he does, but I think you said it twice, so now I believe you, but you have a voice. Fred Wolfen, I talked about that. You have a cool voice, like an interesting voice. You do have a cool and interesting voice. And I think that, you know, when you said that, it kind of makes me think about like the stand-ups, you know, the cast was comprised of the stand-ups and then you have the people with the improv background. And David, you did stand-up, I don't know how long leading up to Sarah Ant Live. And then you come on, you'd been out there for a little bit. Several years. Yeah. Several years and then you have to do characters, right? But and then Dana Dana you were so amazing at characters and

also did stand up. So so I think I don't know it's something that I've thought about a lot of just like I feel like a lot of times people who were stand-ups that came to the show had a better ability to sort of like protect themselves and look after themselves to where as people from an improv background, it's like we're all in this together. And I'm not saying that stand-ups aren't like team players Well look, okay, you can finish your thought but I have a thought about that go ahead Yeah, I mean, you know, it's like I If somebody were watching me on the show

There's no way that they had any idea who I was as a person because I was always doing a character. And David, when you would go on a news update or whatever, we could see David's date. We could see who you were. I mean, I learned, that's why I never thought I'd be on the show because quickly Dana, I just was thinking, I barely was doing stand up and writing stand up and trying to get good at that. I was in middle. I was even a headliner. So to go on the show, it's a whole new muscle to learn. I wish I could have taken a year of classes of improv to go.

Here's how you do it with these people. And here's how you write sketches and get immersed in characters. I think I just resigned myself. I wasn't gonna be as good as Dana and all these guys and Phil, so I said, I like the Bill Murray type, not in any way my as good as Bill Murray, but he was always a little bit of Bill Murray in his sketches, and I said, I think that's the best I can hope for. I'm sort of a version myself. And when I had Hollywood minute, Lauren was like,

do that more. Like, I think he knew I wasn't gonna be doing crazy characters. He finally said, just be a version of yourself and that will be easier life for you. So my only thing to add to this is that when you're coming up through stand-up, the dog geek, dog world, and the survival mechanism of stand-up, the Friday night late show, where the middle act is trying to knock you off your pedestal And you got to do an hour to drunk people it was just it was it's it's a an emotionally violent sport SNL is in a different way so you're coming from that thing that I must kill

Every time all the time and there's good and bad that comes with that It took me by the time I was doing Carson. I was I was relaxed. I wasn't pushing But my standard in my head of the amount of laughs I should get was like that of a standup, but I didn't realize till later doing standup in small clubs recently with my sons that I was a sketch player the whole time. There was just no groundlings in San Francisco. All my bits were character driven,

which was kind of hard to land, but it good in a small room. But I do feel like the stand-ups have a dog eat dog sort of survival instinct of to kill. And then we learn to be sketch players and play well with others. You know, you don't ever, when you're out there with your friend, you want to, you want to play fair, not, not undercut or overlap. And you know, with Hans and Franz, you know, I had my friend there with Mike and I in Wayne's World with Phil and I at Carson. Sandler and I doing the pepper boy when I host it.

So there was such a high for me of getting used to the idea of being in something where someone else is supporting me or when Jan hooks would do her thing and really loving that, you know, but when you're a alone gunslinger, you're like, I got a kill and I got a BB funnier than the other guy. So that's all my hat that. Yeah, absolutely. It's like, you know, when you're when you're by yourself, you don't have anybody else to blame for not getting the laughs or whatever. And so yeah, and the other thing about the stand-ups

is like once you're off the show, you have that to go back to right away and make money, and you go right back into your craft. And so for me, after I came off of SNL, I went back to improv theater and that didn't pay the bills. That's not, yeah, it's a different check. It's a different thing, but I did do that

when I moved out to Los Angeles. So that's okay, of course. I mean, that's what you're good at, and that's what got you where you were. It's like, you gotta stay out there, and that's a good way to be, to constantly be in front of people. Absolutely, absolutely.

And I miss it like crazy right now. And I'm hoping to get back into the. Corona killed that. You know, no one thought there'd be anything negative about COVID, but there is. There is a couple of things. Yeah. Yeah. No, I know. Everyone thought it was going to be so great. And it wasn't. No, I know. Everybody thought it was going to be so great. Melanie, I don't know if a day and everything else to add, this is very interesting conversation. Thank you for having it with us. Yeah, I mean, this is illuminating, you know, I love hearing how people navigated that and how honest you were with Lauren in two ways and I I would say that You were powerful as a performer when you chose to be I mean you you had a really you had a lot of commitment and strength and

That that room is kind of a rock and roll room because all the ambient noise and stuff So you do have to like you know project and you had a lot of power and you were so funny and It was so very interesting just hearing your journey through that that land. Well, well, thank you. Thank you for saying that and thank you both for having me on your new podcast. It means a lot to me and it's so great to see both of you and you both meant different things to me at the time when we were kind of like all going through it together.

And yeah, I mean, you're exactly the way I remember you as so genuine. Oh, she looks exactly the same. Maybe one year. First of all, I just wanted to say there's a Dorian Gray thing going on here with Melanie. But that's okay. The time machine worked perfect. I don't know how you're staying. Oh, that's very nice. But you came out very genuine then. I mean, I was in my own kind of surreal world doing Ross Row and all these things.

But I do remember how just genuine and real you were as a person. And there you are. That's a pleasure. That is so nice. It's a pleasure to see you guys. I miss it. Once you do Saturday night, Saturday night live, how do you follow that?

It's just kind of like it's in your being and your spirit. And it's like the one thing that everybody in the world wants to talk to you about, right? And when I think about live TV, it's nothing in the world, not even childbirth, honestly, that will rip you to the present moment in such a way that is so powerful. And the three of us are, we are three of 156 people in the world that were on that show.

I didn't know that statistic on my own. I was listening to Bobby Moyahan was talking to my ambiolic on her podcast. And he said that, that's interesting. Oh. Well, he actually said, what, how many of us are there, like 150? Like, I don't know. And then my husband Fred looks it up.

Yeah. And so it's like 156 people. Oh, he was good guess. So it's just crazy to really think about that. And it's something that I look back on fondly. There were hard things about it. There were hard things about it. There were awesome things about it. It was a dream come true.

And I don't know. That's all I really have to say about it. Oh, positive. Oh, you get what wisdom when you, as you go on and you substitute any kind of bitterness or regret with gratitude. How lucky was I to get on that silly show. Yeah. That's a good, that's yes. I agree with your assessment. But I do, I enjoy when I go back there sometimes and do a guest spot. It's never the same because you

kind of see, but it is a one-off experience. So that's Hensar Little Podcast, which is fun to hear the human side of this, the effect on people's lives. But anyway, you've been awesome. We don't know how to wrap things up because we're not professional. It's hard to know how to wrap things up. I'm sorry. We did a good job.

Yeah, we did. It's so great to see you both. You too, honey. Be well. I hope we run into each other good job. Yeah, we did. It's so great to see you both. You too, hun. Be well, I hope we run into each other in LA. I would love it. Some little theater at the time. Sure, why not? Sounds good.

Oh my God. All right. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. This has been a podcast presentation of Cadence 13. Please listen, then rate, review, and follow all episodes. Available now for free wherever you get your podcast.

No joke, folks! Fly in the Wall has been a presentation of Cadence 13, executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Chris Corkren of Cadence 13, and Charlie Finan of Brillstein Entertainment. The shows lead producers Greg Holtman with Production and Engineering Sport from Serena Regan and Chris Bezlove Cadence 13. of brilstein entertainment. The shows lead producers Greg Holtman with production and engineering support from Serena Regan and Chris Bezlove Caden's 13.