The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Cecily Strong

Episode Date: April 20, 2021

Actress and comedian Cecily Strong joins Andy to discuss being an art school cool kid, her horoscope (Aquarius, Leo rising), and why it's okay to cry in sketch comedy. Cecily also talks about her new book and the upcoming premiere of her new show, Schmigadoon!

Hello, everyone. This is another episode of the three questions. And I've got three questions. I mean, they're always the same three questions. But today I am posing them to a very, very funny woman, Cecily Strong. How are you? Hello. Icily Strong. How are you? Hello. I'm all right.

How are you? I'm good. I'm good. We have been trying to arrange this for a while. You've had some, you know, some remodeling or something, weren't you? Well, I was supposed to have construction starting three weeks ago, but I got a text from my building manager that he got exposed to COVID. So he was waiting on a test. And then I was like, take your time. It's fine with me as long as you need. And so he was positive, but he's feeling okay. And he did his two weeks, but then he was still testing positive.

And I was like, we'll just, we'll wait till the negative test. No big deal. You can muddle through. Right. Are you in New York City full time now? I'm in New York State full time. I'm splitting my time between my home in Hudson Valley and then my apartment in the city. Oh, nice.

Nice. That's good to have a little bit of both worlds. Yeah, I could never, when I lived there, I could only just do the city. I always felt like if I leave the city, I'll never come back. Oh, and that, I mean that I'm only going back for work. I, it's, it's much better up here. I would be up here all the time if I could. Yeah.

Is that a Midwesternism? I mean, because you're a Midwestern person. Kind of like being away from the hubbub of the city. You know, I don't think so. Because I was still, I lived in Chicago for so long. Yeah. So I was much more in the city then. And I loved being in the city.

It's just, I'm still a little scared and I'm sure I'll be back. It's like, you don't buy, you don't get an apartment in New York thinking that you're, you'll have to be in there all day and only in there. And it's like, which, which thing do you want to sit on? Because you can't move. It feels like I'm bedridden. Like I'm terminally ill in that apartment because you constantly are sitting there's no standing oh oh wow really there's no room to really stay yeah it's a small studio apartment my bed's in my kitchen and just to give you an idea is it really wow i made a one bedroom

the real i'm sure we'll see now the building manager should be happy about that because you've made it more than it was you've turned a studio into a one bedroom yeah right exactly um you're you were born in springfield illinois which i was excited to hear that because i had a ton of family from springfield my dad grew up in springfield oh really yeah i was a Springfield native. You know, I was a year and a half when we moved, so I don't remember Springfield too much. But my dad knows everyone, everywhere he goes, because he's loud.

So I'm sure your people know of my dad. What was he doing in Springfield? Was that the original family home or they lived in boston for a while first and then they they were my family is an east coasty family and then by the time they had us we were just these squat they went from like tall live east coast people to now we're this like squat midern family, squat accents and squat bodies. It happens. Yeah. Covered in fleece and wool. Yes. Shivering, setting ourselves on fire to stay warm. My dad worked at the AP then,

and then he got a job at a different PR firm in Chicago when we moved. Oh, cool. And how many kids are there when you say we? farm in Chicago when we moved. Oh, cool. And how many kids are there when you say we? There's me and my brother. And then I have two, I have a stepbrother and a stepsister. And I have my sister-in-law, my stepbrother's wife, Sarah, and their son, Jack, my nephew. And then my stepsister, Sammy, her husband, Josh. Oh, so nice big spread out family. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. And everyone gets along pretty well. Yeah, I think so. Surprised that I think it's it hasn't always been that way, but it definitely is now, I think, at least for me. Who knows? I could be missing

something. Maybe if you when this when this podcast comes out, you can check the comments and see if they will let you know how they truly feel about you in the comments of this. You know, I don't think anyone in my family is an internet comment person. Do they listen to you doing things like this? Because that's always... For sure. I think my mom has a Google alert on me. I've asked her so many times not to, but she definitely still does. And she'll read, she's the one that'll read all the comments. When I told my mom about, I wrote a book, I just finished like the first go at the manuscript. And when I told my mom, it was like a big deal. And then she's like, well, don't make me fat or stupid. And I was like, that's the whole point of the book, mom. What am I going to do now if I can't be fat and stupid? Yeah. You too can make it in show business with a fat, stupid mom.

That's all I wanted to write about in Coffin. I just want to diss my mom in a book. Oh, the ability to make it about yourself. That's a wonderful thing. Yeah. Well, now, you didn't grow up. You moved from Springfield to Chicago. Didn't you grow up in Chicago? Well, I grew up in Oak Park. No. Oh, Oak Park. I have lived in the city, but growing up, I grew up right outside.

Right. I mean, Oak Park is pretty close. And it's pretty city. It's a beautiful town, though. It's like very. Yeah. Frank Lloyd Wright-y. Right. Yeah. I didn't live in the Frank Lloyd Wright-y part, though. It's like very. Yeah. Frank Lloyd Wrighty. Right.

Yeah. I didn't live in the Frank Lloyd Wrighty part, but. Right. I was on the south side of the expressway. And so people called it North Berwyn. Yeah. And do you find do you find a kinship among Midwesterners? Do you find there to be.

Similar. I mean, you know, I do. I think it's, I don't, I haven't found a kinship among many lately, but I do think there is a thing with Midwest people, or definitely like friends from the Midwest, at least. At least people I think I like from the Midwest. Right. In some ways there's a humility. There's a, there's a kind of sort of down to earth feeling about it. And that doesn't always work well with show business. No. I mean,

yeah. Like humility doesn't necessarily serve you well in show business. And have you felt, cause I certainly have felt that at times. Absolutely. Yeah. It doesn't like, oh man, i should be a bigger dick you know uh you know i shouldn't be so humble and so oh whatever no it's fine and do you get that you know do you find that too you know i do and but i've seen it as a good thing and a bad thing it at whatever if i'm at a good point, a good day, I feel good about my career or a day

I don't. But I mean, I've certainly cried a lot and I've taken a lot on the chin and I feel like taking it on, I guess I've always, I've put it that way. I've always said like, I'm good at taking it on the chin, but that can make you a for right a lot of people who want to use it who want a good punching bag we make great punching bags yeah and i have found too that being the non-squeaky wheel you don't get any grease and i have and i have heard uh oh andy won't mind like enough like like well we will have to make him wait three hours wearing a leather costume oh andy won't mind you know you know i think actually i've gotten good at saying no because of snl but still i mean i still will then like go out of my way to prove

that i'm amenable but uh i think i've gotten better at that because of so many experiences of, of let's see what we can do. She'll do it. And then I finally, one day I went, I will, I'm not going to do this because I just did that. So I don't think I have to do this today. I don't have to stand outside until 5.00 AM. I'm going to put my foot down. I'm leaving at 4.00 AM. Yeah. Yeah. Did you always want to be a performer when you were young? I mean, was there a moment when you were like, it's the stage for me? I think it was, I was pretty young. I mean, I was like a weird, loud kid and I performed a lot around the house. And I think my parents, just to get me out,

they put me in a drama class in preschool. I mean, it wasn't like a real drama class. There were three of us and we were three years old and we did the elves and the shoemaker. I think they're like, you go yell over there for a while. And we'll pay someone to do it. Right. Someone else can deal with you. Were they, were your folks theatrical? Did they have any sort of like, I mean, not, not professionally, but just where they, you know, community theater people? I mean, they both like to take credit for why I'm funny.

I say that in quotes, you know, that I got my sense of humor from them. My dad's very loud. My uncle, his brother is a Broadway producer. So we saw a lot of shows. Oh, wow. But he was like, don't let her, don't let her enter show business. But you know, show business in Chicago is. Yes. You know, it's a different thing. A different business. It's spelled differently, I think. For the Z.

Yeah. So you were doing, while you were a little kid, did, were you, were you auditioning as a kid? Well, I did community theater. I did my first play when I was eight. I did Grapes of Wrath, and I was Ruthie Joad, who was a 12-year-old character. So that was kind of a big deal. I was like, well, I'm eight, but I'm playing a 12-year-old. Which shows my maturity.

Probably age makeup, a lot of lines. A lot of age makeup a lot of dirt dirt makeup for the jodes uh and then i did my first like professional show in chicago when i was 11 10 or 11 and then i did so i did i worked in chicago for a while until i was a teenager, and then I was just a teenager for a while. And was there a reason? Did your folks be like, because I would think being a child actor is one thing, but being a teen actor. For sure.

I think there's self-doubt and self-awareness and self-hate sets in, and that makes it a lot harder to be on stage in front of people. So right around 14, I was kind of, but I mean, I still acted in high school. And there's just less roles, I think. And I don't blame people. Like, who wants a 16-year-old from the suburbs in a show in the city? Usually there's a 25-year-old who's a normal functioning adult. That could play the 16-year-old and they don't have to go to school.

There's no child labor laws. There aren't those laws. You don't have to worry about anything. Yeah. And was it just the performing that you really liked or was there more to it? that you really liked or was it kind of, was there more to it? Well, I mean, as a child, I would have told you it was everything. I mean, I was a director and a writer and a DJ and a teacher. So, yeah, as a kid, I wanted to do it all. And then I don't want to do it all anymore. I do like performing and I like writing. but even writing was another thing I had to learn

to let myself say that I was, because I didn't study it. And it was like, well, I don't have a degree in writing. How can I say I'm a writer? As if like, that's why I can say I'm an actor. Right, right. No, I think that's, yeah, that's, again, that's a very Midwestern thing, I think. I mean, just to say you want to be in show business is not very Midwestern.

Crazy. And I had a friend, or my stepbrother had a friend once who was from New York, and he said, you know, the thing about everybody in Chicago, you guys think everybody is showing off. Yeah. And I was like, yeah, that's true. You know, that's like our biggest fear, like, all right, calm down. We get it. The aspect of it that I always was kind of, well, I became aware of after, you know, I was older. It's kind of like, look at those people over there trying. Yeah. You should know that it's just better to not really try. So when you got over your, and I get, you know, it is, I have a 15-year-old daughter, so I'm familiar with the age of not wanting anyone to look at you. Yeah.

Because she went through that. She liked acting and she liked being in school stuff. And then it reached a certain age in puberty where she's just like, no, I don't want anyone looking at me ever. Right. You know, which is just coming out of that. But yeah, after that, were you sort of back to being ready to be stared at? Well, I don't think I'll ever get back to the level of like me at 11 or 10. I never get back to the level of like me at 11 or 10, but I'm certainly much more okay with making a fool of myself in front of people.

I enjoy it. I miss, I can't wait until I'm vaccinated, until there's herd immunity in the world and I can go back to making a fool of myself in front of other people again. Is that, do you have that dichotomy of kind of being a show-off and a shy person? Yes, for sure. Talk about that a little bit. Why do you think it's okay in some areas? Because I have it too. In some situations, yeah, sure, let it hang out. And then in others, I'm just like, I don't, I want to go home.

You know, I want to be quiet i want i don't want to lose all this attention definitely well i'm always i'm um a real nerd and into astrology so i'm like well it does because i'm an aquarius but i think also there's just no like middle ground i'm either like okay i'm gonna go to the dance and, and perform for two hours for myself, or I'm, I'm want to go home and I don't want to talk to anyone. There's really, there's not a lot of in between, I think. And I don't know why that, I think it's like, I either have to completely let go or, or I'm, I don't let go. Completely withhold. Yeah. Yeah. What's Aquarian about that? Cause like when you said it, I thought like, wait, are those the twins?

Because of duality? No, that does sound like Gemini. That's the twins. No, I just, there's a lot of Aquarian scene. We're eccentric, you know, known to be kind of weird and the clown, but also there's a lot of, we're more shy than people think. And I'm a Leo rising. So that's a lot of, we're more shy than people think. And I'm a Leo rising. So that's a whole other issue.

You know, Leos are really self-confident and put themselves out there. And so, and your rising sign is like your book covers. That's what people think when they see me. Thank you for looking interested in this. No, I mean, I am. I mean, I find it interesting. I just can't remember. And I like to, like what I think is powerful about astrology, I mean, because I don't really think that the way

the planets are lined up. But there's something about it's existed for this long that people find patterns in it that they that they note as being significant or apt and and then the and then the way that this story is told and retold and the way that you're given the advice part of a horoscope it obviously does something for us. Right. And also, too, it's such, I always think it's such a permission to be self-involved, to be like openly self-involved. That's what it's, that's why we like it. It's a way to talk about yourself and to talk about other people, sort of, especially it's like if you don't go to therapy, then you need it even more. You need to find some ways to talk through your stuff.

Yeah, exactly. You know, and I guess there is some sort of, it is aimed at self-improvement, I guess. It can be. Yeah. Well, I think it is. I mean, unless you use it as the- As an excuse.

Yeah, as like, this is why I'm an asshole. I can't help it. Yeah. I have to treat you that way. Because like, I'm a Scorpio, which, and whenever I say, you know, like you say, like, I'm a Scorpio, people go like, ooh. Oh, yeah. Oh, Scorpio. And I, A, like, I get it because Scorpio sounds like the name from like, you know, a James Bond.

It's Scorpio, the arch villain mortal combat guys oh is there scorpion or i don't know what a horrible reference for me to use but um but it sounds like i i am not like in terms of like a scorpio like a this dark hard creature ready to strike and dangerous and sexy and i I just feel like, boy, that's not me. You know, I just don't feel like. You don't come off that. Yeah. I certainly don't feel like a guy named Scorpio who might have an eye patch and a boat.

My dad, my dad and my brother are Scorpios. And they're probably very mysterious. They're very dark and sexy mysterious. Evil. Your biblical character is Satan, I think. It's the devil. For Scorpio? I think so.

I mean, I'm saying it all wrong. I'm being very Midwest mom about this and not worrying about fact checking. But I have some book that gives you, like, your literary character and your biblical character. Mine is The Aquarian Female in Salome, I think. But I'm pretty sure the scorpion male is Lucifer. All right. So there's something to think about. Anything to sort of bad boy up my image can only help, can only help.

Growing up as you get into your teen years, are you always thinking that you're going to do this nonsense for a living or is it just seem too silly? You know, I think it's that it's, I was always like, I can't see doing anything else and, and feeling like my life was full or like I would always miss it if I don't have it. So it was more that the good and bad part of this business is there's not like a way to do it. And there's not an ending point and a starting point. And it makes you crazy and always thinking you're keeping your head above

water or not, but it's also good in that you can't, you can't say that you're doing it wrong necessarily or you can't say you don't have it uh and there's always like something new to do yeah was that a big part of it was that like because i always what i liked about the notion of doing this for a living and it took me a long time to think that that was even possible was the fun that it was fun. And I just, because, you know, and there was just so much there's, I mean, for various reasons,

there was just like a lot of sadness around a lot of the people in my life. And it just felt like, Oh, this seems, why not do something fun, you know? Yes, totally. I think that's a huge part. I think comedy especially is that, I feel similar where there was a lot of sad stuff on and around growing up and in my 20s too. And it was sort of, I always feel good or not always, but I feel usually feel good when I'm performing.

Yeah. Did you always want to be a comedic actor? No, no. I started as a, like a serious dramatic actor, but in my head, I mean,

that didn't not include comedy. It was, I just wanted to kind of do all of it, but I loved doing a drama and, you know, I crying on stage and getting to cry in front of people. It's my favorite thing. Uh, I do cry a lot, but it was, and I went to school, I got my BFA in theater from CalArts and I was doing a scene from Angels in America. Sorry if you've heard this story before. I don't know where you would have. You would have really, you would have been my mother. You would have had to have, but I was doing a scene from Angels in America because when I was 18, you know, that was,

everybody did a scene from Angels in America in acting school. And I was doing that scene with Harper and she's on drugs and she says, are you a homo or whatever? And I remember I was like really feeling it. And then people were laughing when we performed it. And that was sort of the first time I had to rethink what it meant to be a serious actor. Or that it was like, that is comedy, too. You know, like so much of comedy, you are being super dramatic. And it's like life condition is what you're laughing at.

And I think also, too, that you find out, like, if I play this big emotional moment uh is it gonna make people laugh you know like that's and if it does because i've had that you know i've had that certainly and i've had it in within comedies where like i just remember there i did a show called andy barker pi and i was supposed to like go out and find my child's lost whoopee or something you know like like some sort of and I had to you know like yell like you know I'm gonna get this done or something and my TV wife cracked up every single time and I felt like I was being George C. Scott but yeah like it's, no, it's just funny when I yell. I mean, that's sort of what reality TV is for me, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't even enjoy the competition ones. I want to see women sitting around and talking and sometimes breaking down. And then I'll laugh. Yeah, being grandiose and throwing wine. Yeah, falling. Yeah, being grandiose and throwing wine, yeah. Yes, falling, yeah, all of it. Yeah. I got some research on you.

Did you get kicked out of school for something? Yeah, yeah. Well, my high school life was very colorful. I went to three different high schools. I was expelled from my public high school my sophomore year. They found the first bag of pot I ever bought. Oh, yeah. What are the chances? Well, I left my book bag. I was auditioning for the Shadow Boxer and I was really excited about that. So I left my book bag and just forgot about it.

And they found my book bag and I just bought this bag of pot and didn't really know what I was going to do with it. I bought it with my friend and it was like, I don't, I can't roll joints. I don't, I didn't have any thing to smoke up. So I just kind of had the bag of pot for a while. So it just sat in my book bag. So how long had it been in your bag at that point? I don't even know. At least a week, I would say. Oh, that's so funny. And no smoking of it. Just right. And it's not

that. And I had certainly smoked pot, but I had that was I hadn't bought a bag. So it was like, well, what do I do with this now? Yeah. I have to find a way to imbibe this. Right. But at least I've got it. I've got the creds. But it didn't do that well. I mean, it wasn't great for me because then I got expelled. What was that like? What was that?

It was awful. Yeah. What was that like? What was that? It was awful. And I was, because I was also like, again, I don't, I didn't want to be, I didn't want to like stand out at all to anyone. And I was in a huge high school and I was like handcuffed and walked through the school. Oh, wow. So it was just like so humiliating. And I was a good student and I liked doing theater. And so it was just such a nightmare. But I will say, I mean, it worked out because I, my senior year of high school, I went to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, which I really liked.

But it took a while to get there. I went, so I was expelled and then I went to Catholic school, which is its own funny experience in Chicago to go to an all girls Catholic school. And then I went back to public school and then I dropped out. I got, I was pretty depressed for a while and I dropped out like spring of my junior year. Yeah. And I was already down to four periods a day or something. And it was like, I was going to have to be a fifth year senior to graduate, to get the requirements because I didn't have enough gym.

And I didn't have a class. I would have to take a class called consumer ed. Yeah. And it was like, oh, I'm not going to be a fifth year senior. That's insane so i dropped out for gym and exactly yeah but then i um so then i wasn't sure what i was gonna do and then i found or my dad brought up the art school and i auditioned and got in went there my senior year and did some correspondence classes and i graduated on time and had a ball.

How were your folks about the weed finding? Was Catholic school like, was that supposed to straighten you out? Is that why you wanted to go to Catholic school? No, it was actually like a nice thing because the only other option that was presented was um ombudsman was like a you know it was like a school for kids with behavioral disorders or something in the city and that's where they would send kids who like smoked pot and it was kind of that sucks and i mean there's all these, I have issues now anyway. I'm still, I'll always like hold a grudge against our superintendent because I wasn't an athlete. I was an actor. And so athletes could get caught with anything and get a slap on the wrist. But it was. Oh, really?

Oh, wow. That was like, I'm not important. I'm disposable. Yeah. And feeling that way at 16. And then I was a national, I got a National Merit Commended Scholar or whatever, something that wasn't like a level down from the real award from the PSATs. And I wasn't allowed to go to the ceremony or anything because I wasn't allowed within a three block radius of my high school. Oh, my God.

But they got to like use me. They got to still have the statistic. Yeah. But so anyway, so Catholic school was actually like a much better option. It was the better option. And my parents were really were pretty nice about it. I mean, they I mean, I was grounded for sure, but I think they saw, it was kind of like

you had to, I was handcuffed and I was at the police station and my school, I was expelled. And so it was kind of, I think they went, that's probably enough for you to deal with. I mean, what could they have done that's worse? I know.

Like not letting me watch TV. It's not much worse. Yeah, yeah. So I imagine going to arts school was pretty fucking great comparatively. It was so great, especially because I was so miserable and felt like, you know, I was like seeing bureaucracy and falling through the cracks at 16, 17. And then all of a sudden I felt like this is a place where there was, we were all seen. It was like, we were seen as individuals and we were treated as individuals. Everyone there was like the coolest person I'd ever met. I had a Japanese foreign exchange student friend live with me. And it was just sort of like hanging out around, you know, people who were listening to jazz.

I'd never heard of her painting or something. And I was just like, whoa, it was, I've never, I'll never be that cool again. And I was faking it even then, but I was like, it's made me really much happier. I felt like I was genuinely happy again. Yeah. And you're just to be, and this is what, I mean, I, you know, with my kids, there, there's a, there's an arts, you know, out here in LA, there's an arts high school.

And my daughter's goes to a K through 12 school. So she decided to stay at that one. But like I was kind of telling her, I was encouraging her to, you know, because I don't think either one of my kids are going to get an MBA. I think they're both going to be in some kind of creative field. And I just told her, I said, get around creative people as quickly as you can. Like just that's because that's where you're going to probably fit the best. And it's also just like, where are you going to see people living a way that will be somewhat aspirational to you, you know? And I think it's just, it was all about, it wasn't like, oh, I'm studying acting and that's why it's great. It was, I was around, I was around people

that I liked to be around, you know, they were weirdos like me, some weirder than others. And I appreciated everyone for it, but everybody was, again, it was like, you got to be an individual and it was, that was what was really exciting. And because you don't, you don't really feel that you're allowed to do that as a teenager anyway. Yeah. So I imagine you then went to theater school. You were full on. I was, yeah, then I was in.

And I was like, I love, and I went to an art school for theater too. That was the, you know, I liked that environment. I wanted a conservatory program at an art school, and I wanted to be in California. And so I really only had one choice, and I had to get in. Was that Cal Arts? And that was Cal Arts? Cal Arts, yeah. Is that in Pasadena or Santa Clarita? Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita. So, yeah, and that's not the best. That's not the most exciting town in Southern California. It sure isn't. I mean, it was, like, known for close to where James Dean died. Right. That's what I knew of it. And Magic Mountain.

And Magic Mountain. Yes, of course. It's got a six flags. Yes. Yeah. Actually, Tim Burton went to CalArts, and I always tell people this little tidbit that who knows if it's true, but they said Edward Scissorhands was based on that town was like Valencia and the house on the hill was CalArts. Oh, wow. Just that that suburbia and the micro mansions.

I grew up in Burbank, too, and I live in Burbank now. And I think at times I feel like a really like a classic middle-aged white man because I live in the town that Tim Burton based his whole career on rebelling from. Like everything, like it seems like most of his work was like rejecting this boring suburban status quo. And I'm kind of like, well, I like it. There's a lot of parking. It's brave to embrace that, but you got to. You have to. You like it.

I do. Now, when you're in CalArts, are you focusing on comedy or are you still? No. So I was doing theater and CalArts is a lot of, they do a lot of avant-garde theater, which luckily I didn't do too much of. We were always like, oh, I'm in the puppet show, you know, when you'd get cast in something. Yeah, yeah. There was interesting stuff. There was interesting stuff. I mean, I did a Chinese opera with a director from China, from Beijing.

I think he was Chen Shizhang. And then Stephen Merritt from Magnetic Fields wrote the music. But I mean, they were training us in Chinese opera movements. And it's just like, that's Kellogg's. It was probably offensive to everybody. Yeah. Well, and you've always, you've got that now under your belt. Like you get hired, there's a Chinese, your agent's like, well, it's a Chinese opera.

You can be like, no problem. Yeah. I don't know how good we ever got. I certainly was very out of my league. Actually, Alison Brie and I went to school. She was a year ahead of me. We were both in that, in that piece. Oh, wow. I was thinking about this other day, just about acting. And is there, is there anything that gets weird sometimes of like, you know, you're, you know, like people, they plant seeds and get the food and then they're a farmer and or they, you know, put pipes in houses and they're a plumber.

And then there's like this job that's I pretend to be other people, you know, like that. That's because I think it's natural for your work to kind of become your identity. You know, I mean, like it's been that way forever. I mean, you know, like people's name is Miller because there was somebody ran a mills at some point. But I mean, I don't know. Is there just something weird about the psychology of like when your skill becomes your ability to be someone that you're not yes no I think about it sometimes and wonder if if that makes me sociopathic at all and then I think of my job I'm always you know I'll watch a commercial for maxi pads or diarrhea

medicine or something and it's like that's job too. I'm glad I don't have to do that this week. Right, right, right. But I constantly am watching commercials and because it's like, we're all actors. This is all our job. I could be doing that in a year. It's like, but wait, have I told you about this medicine? Listen, Judy, you can roller skate again. Yeah. There's a lot of them that I'm truly humiliated by, but I think it's nice to not, uh, to not have to be myself all the time. I think that's part of what's what I like about it. Yeah. You didn't stay in LA. Did you want to go to California? Cause you thought like that eventually you would just segue into a Los Angeles life. I really was just like, I'm cold in Chicago. I want

to go somewhere warm. You know, it's like the first time you get a choice, a chance to move. It's like, I'm moving to the sun. Yeah. And I, um, I was dating someone at the time and that was where we both would want to be. So it was, it was all of that, but a lot of, it was sunshine. I mean, it didn't work anyway because I had to come home every winter for, for that break. So it was like, I still had to go to Chicago in the coldest time ever. And, but you ended up back in Chicago after graduation.

I did. Yeah. Well, not after graduation. And I was actually in France during my graduation. I was doing a show. Ooh la la. Super ooh la la. It was very cool. I mean, but that's one of the great things about CalArts was we had opportunities like that. And they kind of went like, well, if you do this show, you won't be at graduation. So think of it. I was like, I'll do it. Of course. I'm fine missing graduation. Yeah. So, and then I stayed in LA for seven months. I think I took a class at the Groundlings and I sold wine at Greenblatt's and I loved the class at the

Groundlings, which is really a big reason why I moved back to Chicago. Yeah, because it always, coming from Chicago, when you come out here, having done IO, I never did Second City, but I did ImprovOlympic. And coming out here and then hearing Groundlings this and Groundlings that and feeling like, that's a ripoff of what we do back in the back in the heartland right so yeah i could that's it's funny yeah very rarely it's like people people i

think start in chicago and they come out here and do groundlings and you did it backwards right yeah yeah that's kind of how i do everything yeah so you, and that was in your mind, like I'm going back to Chicago and I'm going to kind of focus on this kind of. Yeah. And it was like, I mean, I was also, I didn't know what I, what I was doing. I was making $9 an hour and spending my entire paycheck on my rent. And I wasn't even paying equal part rent anyway. my entire paycheck on my rent and I wasn't even paying equal part rent anyway.

So it was also like, I was going to be able to live cheaper in Chicago and, you know, every now and then my mom could buy me groceries if I need. Can't you tell my loves are growing? I imagine CalArts to ImprovOlympic is a pretty big change. You know, the only big change was, I think, and I guess this is what was good about being kicked out of school. And I had been told no.

I had already, like, lost. I had eaten humble pie. And so I think a lot of people, when they graduated Cal Art, it was sort of like, well, I have my BFA. I'm not going to take classes anywhere. I know how to do it. Like I studied for four years. And I think saying I'm going to study more, I had like a humility already in me. So I think that was like the biggest, like no one that, no one I graduated with at that time would have taken a class. No way.

Yeah. Was there a difference? Was it like, oh, this is so much more me or. Was it sort of just like a different a difference, like a different sort of muscle, you know? Well, I had much more confidence when it was theater. So I was like, I know I'm good at this. And I was always terrified doing comedy and doing improv and being like, well, I didn't study that. And I haven't been doing that since I was three years old.

So I don't know how to do this. And, you know, seeing so many good shows and bad shows like at IO and Second City. But I was never, I never was confident about it. Really? Yeah. Never, ever? I don't think I was ever, no, never, ever, never fully confident. I'm sure I pretended I was sometimes, but I definitely wasn't.

Because I always feel like you got to, I mean, at least for me, having been on Conan Island for years and years and you know being lucky enough to have a steady job and it's like I I haven't auditioned a lot in years um and usually when like I get a side gig it's just kind of they you know it's they want me because I'm me. But like, but I always auditioning, I always felt like I have to believe I am the greatest. Like I have to go in there without caring whether or not I get it, take it or leave it there, you know, their loss, if they don't hire me, you know? And so it's just, I mean,

for you to not be, feel confident about improv and then to go be on Saturday Night Live, what's happening? How do you do it? Well, I think it's just, it's, it's that crazy of a thing that sort of happens to you. You know, I, I was like in shock the whole first year on the show anyway. I wasn't even on stage. I was in the touring company of Second State. I was an understudy for the stages. And I was like, you know what? If this is what my life is, I'm very happy with that because I get to perform.

And I had come to that point in my life. And then all of a sudden I was on the show I watched. And so that was, I didn't really understand for a year. But I think that's part of SNL is that we're not like working comedians necessarily, not known comedians. Yeah, yeah. And then you're all of a sudden on TV. And then you've learned how to buy clothes that fit your body for the first time. And you're like, Oh, isn't that something? That's

what I should have been wearing. Yeah. Who knew? What was that first year? Did you feel just so overwhelmed by the opportunity that, that you, that that was kind of more flummoxing than the actual environment of the show itself or the institution that it is because that's the that that show is like an institution that's not just right you know any tv show right i know i i mean i don't think there's even time to have that kind of self-reflection. You're immediately thrown in and there's really nobody, there's no rules.

I was like, and where is the backstage? You're like, this? What do you mean? It's like, oh, there's not a whole backstage behind that door that I've seen the host come out of? I didn't even know how the floor was set up. So it's really, you're just sort of,

someone's grabbing your hand and you're running. And that's what it felt like. Just like a chicken with my head cut off. So, and chickens with their heads cut off don't self-reflect often, I don't think. Well. Maybe the head does. Yeah, the head's like, I look good from behind.

The head's like, how did this happen? How did I get here? Why am I still running? What do you think, what made the difference between sort of just like the getting more sense of poise about being there? Was it just the time or was there any kind of one moment that helped or a person that helped? Time, for sure. And then certainly, you know, being around

people I really looked up to and thought were so great and having them say that something was good sort of made up for all the bad voices and every bad comment that you'd read that's like i mean that's what's really that's the hardest part i think is like all of a sudden there's really awful things written about and it's like everything you've thought the worst things you've thought about yourself someone has put into words and written down online yeah and so then you're like well it must be true if i think it and someone else thinks it and so and you're talking about randos you're like, well, it must be true if I think it and someone else thinks it. And so- And you're just talking about randos. You're not talking about like critics or anything. Mostly randos. I mean, I wouldn't even know the difference between randos and critics. It was weird to go from nothing to all of that. And I mean, you watch it with everybody who comes into

the show. It's like, I'm so happy. And. And then like, just wait and wait till the show, you don't get your things on and you get cut and you're like, I'm fucking miserable. Or like, I suck. I mean, you just, your ego takes such a beating and then you rebuild it sort of at that show. I think Lorne was certainly helpful. I was lucky in that I had a good relationship

with him early on. It's taking it on the chin. It's, again, if you can do that. And then I think it's like therapy now for me to talk to the newer people and sort of make them feel better and go like, I know it's okay that you're crying in sketch comedy. Sometimes, you know, we all do, and you're doing well. Getting to help them is very therapeutic for me.

And, like, that's why I went through that. That is good. That is helpful, yeah, because there is, like, I mean, that's the way to, that's the optimal way to handle adversity is to those then that come after you who go through the same is not to go not to go like you know haha yeah you know it's like you you now you deal with it if you've been hazed you either haze or you stop the hazing you know and i think it's much preferable to stop the hazing that's quite a brave stance for me to take hashtag stop stop the hazing yeah and it and you're right that is because i

starting on the conan show though it was very weird the amount of people like i always have said like it's the different way all the different ways to call me fat like was just like like wow it's so you know just just i mean i was pregnant for six years or something it's like i must it's like i have an elephant crime gestation period i'm an elephant but and i also there was one guy i remember too that said said something about me. And then there's Richter, you know, who's like the boring slob that wouldn't have a friend unless nice guy O'Brien had befriended him. And I was like, fuck, man, I don't deserve friends, according to this writer. And it was like an AP writer, too, at the time. It was in the paper. You know?

Yeah. Like, I don't deserve, i wouldn't have friends if it weren't for conan o'brien you know wait a minute but even at and then you didn't have to there was no online there was no you know right it wasn't like randos were silent pretty much unless they wrote you a letter um right so yeah it's a lot worse now because people are fucking nasty it's bizarre but i think it makes it also like helps you be nicer and like oh i'm not going to be judgmental in that way because i don't want to be that ever and it's sketch comedy this is we're we're all making a different fart joke and being like, mine is high art and that

one isn't. It's just, it's all, it's very subjective. But what isn't subjective is that people are working hard. And so that's what I can appreciate in everything. Now, SNL kind of has a school year. You've got your summers off and stuff. And as the year, do you approach each new season differently as, you know, as time has gone on? Has there been something that sort of helped? No, I would always have all these weird, like, should I have been working more? Again, it's all just waves of how I feel about my career and my life. And I'm not doing enough.

I'm embarrassed to go back because I didn't work over the summer. And I think there's always like you're nervous going in and like, do people think this about me? And then you go in and you're like, oh, it's all my same friends. It's the same people. It's your friends. And you're back to making the same fart jokes. And then you're like, this is great's all my same friends, the same people. It's your friends. Yeah. And you're back to making the same fart jokes. And you're like, this is great. I don't know why I worried.

Why was I thinking anyone would think anything about me? Nobody's thinking about me in a good way. They're not thinking. Yes. No, that's always a good thing to remind yourself when you, you know, I always think like, oh, I bet that person's mad at me. And I realize they're not even. Yeah. Right. Now, has that has being bet that person's mad at me. And I realized, oh, they're not even going to be. Yeah, right.

Now, has being on, because it's been nine seasons, it's your ninth? Yeah. That's hard because I feel like you were the new kid two minutes ago. You know, it's just. Yeah. So when I saw that nine, that's like, wow. And congratulations. Kudos on sticking it out um is there something that being on the show on that that particular show this long like has that had dividends sort of

within your own sort of you know the how you view yourself how you how you live in your life and how you relate to the people in your life? Well, it certainly becomes a part of your identity. And I think that's what was always the scariest thing to me about even thinking about leaving. Was like, what am I if not someone on SNL? But I think being on for nine years, it was like year seven that I went, I'm okay leaving. Yeah. I finally feel, I feel comfortable there. I feel like I sort of know my position there and I

get to then have fun. It's more fun when I'm not constantly worried about, like, what is my what's my legacy or something? Whatever you can think of to like I was to not feel OK that day. I'm feeling OK. What can I think right now to change? I self-sabotage. Now you're doing a new show with Keegan-Michael Key, correct? Yes. Yes.

And it's called Shmeyadoon. Yeah. And is it is that Brigadoon? I mean, obviously. It correct? Yes. And it's called Shmeyadoon. Yeah. And is that Brigadoon? I mean, obviously. It is, yes. I mean, it's, the name is to let you know that we are living in a musical.

It's a couple that goes on a hike to fix their relationship and they are, they get lost in this town that is an old musical. Oh, cool. It's really cool. And it was like, we filmed it and Broadway's been dark. And so it was really getting to do theater during COVID.

It was every day felt like it was magical. And everyone who worked on the show, I think I wrote more like love letters, you know, platonic love letters to everybody. I just really loved everybody. And it felt like it was all the right people. Everyone who was there should have been there. And it's like theater people and you don't get to rehearse and we don't really get to be around each other and so those moments that we got to were just so wonderful and and loving and special and funny you know all of it it was really really a wonderful experience so that you can have covid prevented you from having actual rehearsals which has got to be a very weird way to shoot a musical show so So weird. And everybody who came in, you know,

Jane Krakowski's in it. She's unbelievable. She's so good. She has this number that's like killer. And she kind of went, is that, wait, those are the only takes I get? And it was like, yeah, that's, we gotta keep moving. We have to be done.

And yeah. And I think that was weird for everybody but that was just that's how to do it was it shot in new york so no we were in vancouver oh yeah because i was i i was wondering if with broadway being shut down did you have like your pick of the of the musical people no but we started we still got a lot of, we sort of still did have a pick of musical people. I mean, we had Kristen Chenoweth and Aaron. Aaron basically won a Tony while we were filming because the nominations came out and he was the only person nominated. That's awesome.

And it was like, well, we have a Tony award. Congratulations, Aaron. And then we would film. Enough about you. Yeah. Congrats. Now let's get back to work. But it was really, really, really talented people. And everybody worked really, I think it was just so important to everybody. And so you could tell everybody worked a lot by themselves on their own time so that when we finally got to do it, everybody was so prepared. And so like, I'm so ready to do my number. And they killed it. That's great. Do you have like a, I wish I could sing and dance all the time, kind of like if every job had some singing and dancing, do you like singing in public? every job had some singing and dancing. Do you like singing in public? I love, I like singing more than dancing. I mean, I like my own kind of dancing, but I'm not a great dancer. I've always,

I've always been jealous of great dancers. I think dancing is wonderful. And I'm like, you're so expressive. And then I think I'm doing that. And if I ever see what I look like, that's not what I'm doing. Um, it's not what it is in my head. Uh, and even like singing, I've always been like, well, I can sing it for sketch comedy. And so working like alongside these heavy hitters, I was, I was certainly, uh, I was very intimidated. And you just have to do it though. Right. I mean, I was very intimidated. And you just have to do it, though, right? I mean. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I definitely tried to, like, get in with the choreographer because I was really most afraid of dancing. And I was kind of like, all right, Chris, let's be friends. So I can then say, well, Chris, we don't really want to do that move, right? Yeah. You're not going to make me do that. Yeah. How about I just walk from one spot to another? How about that?

Yeah, maybe I don't dance in this part. Wouldn't that be funnier? Yeah, I hate choreography and I hate having to do it. It just makes me mad because it just, it's like the one yoga class I ever took. I had this, it's gotten the one yoga class I ever took. I had this. It's gotten better over the years, but like just an adversarial relationship with my body. Like it's like I feel like.

Absolutely. That's the biggest part. Yeah. It's like why I didn't choose you. This vessel, you know. I would not. Yeah. Yeah. And I just on one of the shows I was on, there was like a they thought, oh, there's like a little fantasy sequence and it's a musical.

And, you know, and I was like, can I just come in in the end and put on a button on the scene? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You know, like it was originally. Let me do the comedy part. They had like me like doing the lead and all this stuff. And I was like, couldn't all the other characters.

And I just sort of pop in at the end. And it's like I've spent my whole life trying to make sure, like, look at my head. Look at, you know, smoke and mirrors to not show my body. And then all of a sudden I'm like, that's all I get to do? Like, can I do, I'm great at face dancing. Like, can I do, I'm great at face dancing. It's like, I've been trying to fool everyone into not noticing my body for years. And then it's like, that's all you get to use? No way.

Haven't you noticed the mirrored poncho I'm wearing? Right. You notice that my hair is gigantic? I'm like a drag queen. I'm like, look up here. Look over here. Look at my lashes. Don't look down. Well, do you, ongoing, what do you, I mean, what do you think you're going to be doing? I mean, aside's in store for you?

I don't know. And I think part of that has been this weird, you know, what COVID has done, and it's made me more comfortable not knowing and sort of I feel okay about that. And, you know, I never thought I'd write a book or I didn't think I would write a book. It's certainly not that book. And I did. I'd never thought the Apple TV plus show would actually, we'd actually make it because, you know, you talk about things forever that you don't do. And so it's like doing both of those things during a time when the world shut down was already, that's shocking. I had no idea. And so I'm sort of, I'm trying to be more comfortable and like listening to what else, what's going to come my way.

And I'm more open to things, I suppose. More close to some things and more open to seeing what happens. Yeah, that's what happens. You get older and you just sort of, it's just like you just feel like you don't have the time for the stuff that's not you and just like might as well stick to the things that are me. Yeah. And I'm gardening.

I want to try gardening. I want to, you know, there's not that I'm going to become a farmer, but I might. You never know. Nothing's stopping you. Yeah. Now is Schmigadoon, is that, are you a creator on that show? I have producer credit, but I didn't write it. We have Cinco and Ken wrote it. They did Despicable Me. They're really great writers. And Cinco was our showrunner. And then Barry Sonnenfeld directed it. Oh, cool.

And when's it coming out? Summer is what we know of this year. Okay. Summer of this year. All right. Well, the third question of these three is what have you learned? Any big advice? You know, you seem real pushy about getting your worldview out.

That's what the book's for. Yeah. Yeah. And when is that out? I should ask that. When does the book come out? That's summer too. That's August.

Big summer. I know. It's really, it's like, I'm actually terrified. I'm more terrified about the book than anything because I'm, I've been so private. And then all of a sudden it's like, I'm, I'm publishing my therapy really. And it was like keeping a diary during such a crazy time. And then like, well, I should share that with everyone. It's insane.

You're still, you're still ambivalent about it, about sharing that much. Well, I mean, I did it. I don't think I can be. Yeah. I have to now be excited. I got to fake it till I make it because it's, it's going out there. Otherwise I'm, I'm going to be in some legal trouble, but I have a wonder. I really liked my editor. He's held my hand throughout the process and uh so we'll see yeah i don't know i know i i just don't i'm like what is this summer going to be like with these two things that are so new um but what i've learned is it won't matter it matters to to be alive and to be with people that you love and if you get to do what you love aren't you lucky well that's pretty good i mean that's and it's a pretty basic truth too because it doesn't i as i've said before

you know like if they if some alien overlord lands and they start looking at people as essential personnel and non-essential personnel, like I'm getting vaporized. Unless they need commercials. No, because it is like, what do you do? I say words and play make-believe. I know. I can't even, my mom was a nurse practitioner for a long time. And I'm like, I can't, I faint if I see blood. So I can't even like physically help people. Well, that's a good place to end this. You can't even physically help people. Can't and won't.

Can and won't. Fuck you. I got mine. It's up to you to get yours. Well, Cecily, thank you so much for taking the time. Thank you. And good luck with this new show. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it. I really am. I think it's nice to share something that I think is so joyful. And is SNL on for next year? Is that up in the air? Everything's up in the air. Yeah, it'll depend on a lot, I guess. It'll depend on how I feel in August, I suppose.

All right. Well, it's a big summer. Everyone, remember, this is Cecily Strong's summer, not your summer. Yeah, thank you. And thank you all for listening. Thanks again, Cecily. And I will be back next week with more Three Questions. I've got a big, big love for you. The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a Team Cocoa and UROLF production. It is produced by Lane Gerbig, engineered by Marina Pice, and talent produced by Kalitza Hayek.

The associate producer is Jen Samples, supervising producer Aaron Blair, and executive producers Adam Sachs and Jeff Ross at Team Coco, and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Your Wolf. Make sure to rate and review The Three Questions with Andy Richter on Apple Podcasts. Can't you tell my love's a-growing? Make sure to rate and review the three questions that Andy Richter on Apple podcasts. This has been a team Coco production in association with.