The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Melissa Rauch

Episode Date: December 24, 2024

Actress Melissa Rauch joins Andy Richter to discuss falling in love with multi-camera comedy, why she was initially reluctant to star in the new “Night Court,” being a “professional extrovert” and a “personal introvert,” and much more.Do you want to talk to Andy live on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio? Leave a voicemail at 855-266-2604 or fill out our Google Form at BIT.LY/CALLANDYRICHTER. Listen to "The Andy Richter Call-In Show" every Wednesday at 1pm Pacific on SiriusXM's Conan O'Brien Channel.

Hey everybody, welcome back to The Three Questions. I'm your host Andy Richter. This week I'm talking to Melissa Rauch. Melissa is an actress and you've seen her in The Big Bang Theory, True Blood, I Love You Man and much more. She can currently be seen as the star and executive producer of the new Night Court on NBC. Here's my conversation with Melissa Roush. It's good to see you. How's things? It's good. It's good. It's been a while since I've seen you. It has. It was. I mean, it's got to be since Conan time, right?

I think so. I think so. I think that was the last time. Oh my God. That's almost five years now. That's ridiculous. That's ridiculous. How fast it's all going. Oh my God. Am I talking to you from home? I'm not. I'm talking to you from, I came to New York to do some press. So I'm currently in New York. And it's for Night Court, right? It's for Night Court. Yeah. Yeah. This season premiere is tomorrow night. So I came here

just to do some quick press for the launch of season three. That's nice. Third season. Third season. Yeah. Third season. Very, very grateful. Network comedy is still alive, apparently. I'm very excited that it is and hopefully it stays alive, but my goodness, it's crazy out there. Yeah. And that's shot here though, right? Yes. We shoot it in LA at Warner Brothers and it's a multi-cam, so we're in front of a live studio audience which is

so fun and it's really special. There's nothing like the electricity of that audience and you know you've been on you were on that lot for so many years there's something very magical about getting to drive up to that that lot every day. It's Burbank. Who can deny the magic of Burbank? The magic of Burbank that's what they call it, right? The magic, magical burbank. That's right. Have you done much single camera stuff? I mean, do you have a preference?

Do you like one better than the other? You know, I started mostly when I first started doing TV, it was mostly single cam stuff. Like a lot of guest star stuff in single cam and, or pilots that were on for a hot second or never made it to air shows that didn't really see the light of day. And then the Big Bang Theory was the first time that I ever did multi cam. And I came from a theater background.

So my first time on that set, I just I fell in love with the format. It's really I think it's the best of both worlds. You're getting to essentially do a play every week in front of this live audience while also being on camera. And there's just this like real excitement and electricity on a show night and getting it up in front of the audience and then getting their feedback right away. It's sort of like a built-in focus group for your show every week. So you're able to, you know, align. You want to get a bigger laugh on, you could go back in and give an alt for it and tweak it and adjust as you're shooting. And it's a really special format. I don't know that I necessarily have a preference because I like like both equally, just in different ways. And I got, and the energy and the excitement

that you get in a multicam is very specific and special. Yeah, I always had problems with the multicam, which for people, I mean, you know, we toss around these terms, but it's like, it's the difference between being shot in front of a live audience and not being shot You know shot like a movie not in front, you know For people that don't know. Yeah, but I always had trouble with The holding for laughs thing, you know, like yeah, like it just it's unnatural, you know

And I guess if you have more of a theater background, it's more, you know, it feels more comfortable. But for me, I, you know, I was always like, oh, I got to, you know, I want to say the next line and I have to stand here and wait for people to laugh. Right. Stop laughing. Yeah. I know it's funny, but laugh at home.

Don't laugh here. Yeah. It's a definite, there's a definite rhythm to it. Yeah, I so hear on that. It's interesting, when I first started doing it, I realized that the sort of like riding the wave of it, that like when those laughs come in, it's often stuff that doesn't even end up on TV,

but you sort of need to, when you're figuring out fun in the moment, but necessarily, it doesn't necessarily end up on the screen. Yeah. But there is, yeah, it's very much like live theater in that way. You're right. Yeah. And the schedule's better and you have kids, too. Yes.

That's the other thing. Yeah. It is a, it's a wonderful schedule for being a mom. I'm very grateful for that. I bet, yeah, because two of the shows, of the three shows that I did that were like my show, one of them was Multicam and that was a lot. Just, it's like, it's almost,

when you work on a single camera show and you're working 12 ish hours a day. I mean, the first show that I did, my son, who's now, uh, 23, going to be 24 soon. Um, I would go like four days not seeing him awake. He was like a year and a half old. Then when I did a multi-camera show, it felt like I felt like it was cheating. Wait a minute. I, I get to go home now. That doesn't seem, you know. It's so true. It's such a, it's a very civilized schedule. I remember the first time that I did a multi-camera and I

came home from work and my husband was only used to me working like 16, 17 hour days and I got home at like a reasonable hour. He said, oh no, you were fired. Oh God, you're home. And it really is. That must be what it is, honey. I must have gotten fired. You get to see the confidence. Yeah. But yeah, it's a really civilized, lovely, lovely schedule. Yeah. Do you have a preference for television or film? I mean, cause you've done, I mean, you, you directed a film. I remember that.

I think that that's what the last time I saw you, you were. Oh yeah. I came up to talk about the bronze. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I, I gotta say, like, I, I think it's sort of a, a different muscle. I love both of them equally, but in different ways. And I think the fact that we, you know,

with especially doing like night court, there's you're doing a new play every week. And it's like this sort of this thrilling excitement of getting a new play up every week where with the feature like you have more time to build it and to settle in. But I love it. That was such a great experience. It was the first movie that my husband and I wrote together and the whole experience

of it was really great. It was my first experience at Sundance and was a huge, huge learning experience. We did it sort of really down and dirty in like 22 days in Ohio on a shoestring budget. So it was a huge learning experience and one that I'll always be grateful for. And it's been really cool that like, you know, every time the Olympics comes around, it sort of gets a resurgence and more eyes. Oh, yeah, yeah. Which is really nice.

It's very brave to work with your spouse like that. You're just asking for trouble, you know, you're never off the clock with each other when you do that. It's very true. We work together on a night court too. And I don't really have a shutoff valve, which I need to work on. Like I said so many times like okay I'm gonna stop talking about work at 10 o'clock tonight

Anymore and then like and ten of them like I forgot to There's really there's No, no boundaries whatsoever. Yeah, just all becomes a mix of home and work life Were you that aware of the original Night Court? Yeah, yeah, it was. I was a huge, huge fan of the original. I was very much a kid who was raised by TV. Yeah, that's sad. I know.

Not so sad. But it was a nice box set. I know, I know. And honestly, it's more interesting. It was much more interesting than any of my siblings, so. I feel the I know. And honestly, it's more interesting. It was much more interesting than any of my siblings. So I Feel the same way. Yeah, I go outside. I have why I go outside like 30 different places. I can go in this box That's exactly right. Now it's hundreds and hundreds. I can't even imagine being raised by the TV now It was I had appointment television if I did, you know, Punky Brewster, like my whole day was shot. Right. Yeah, it was, I was not an outdoor cat by any means. So

I was home watching, watching my shows and had my appointment television. If it was, God forbid, it was interrupted by like a presidential address. My day was ruined. But I very much remember watching Nightcore. I think a lot of it went over my head I remember my parents saying like cover your ears at certain jokes, which of course just made me more intrigued That doesn't work. No, no, you just want to know why what am I not supposed to hear? And I think yeah, but there was something very different about it There was sort of like a there was an irreverence and this sort of left to center comedy that was sort of unlike anything that was going on at the time.

Also having this humanity to it that I think was, you know, of the sitcoms of like the 80s and 90s, they really weren't afraid to like dip into those emotional pockets and have these moments of heart or go to commercial without a laugh. And that was always something that really interested me about Night Court. So getting to reboot it and take a lot of that template and the DNA from that show and get to do it here was always sort of a part of what we wanted to do

with the show. And then of course, like getting John Larriquette to come back and reprise his role was really what got us off to the races for this incarnation. Do you think it would have happened if he hadn't done that? I don't think so. I think you really needed that, you know, that legacy character to bring you back into the world. At least in the story that we wanted to tell, we knew that we wanted it to be the daughter of Harry Stone. I originally wasn't going to star in it. I was just going to produce it.

So when I originally approached John to do it, it was just in the producerial role. And he kept on asking if I was going to play the role of Abby. And I was, I kept saying no, it was being very dodgy. Why did you do that? I think I just, I had just come off Big Bang. I thought, you know, I didn't know if I was going to jump back into another sitcom right away. I had some other projects that I was working on. And I thought, okay, I was really sort of going down the road of like, just working on behind the camera stuff until like, I found the next project that I wanted to say, okay,

I'm gonna commit to go on camera for this. And then as we started working on it, I kept thinking, I got really close with John during the process, it was during the pandemic, we started pitching this, developing it right before, and then we pitched the whole thing over Zoom, basically with everyone working from home, and him and I developed this friendship and we're talking a lot during that time. And then

towards the end of the development process, we, it started to get to the point where it looked like a pilot was going to get made and the studio and network were sort of asking if I was going to play the part. And I kept thinking, like, if this script was brought to me, I'd be jumping on it and like fighting for this role. Our show under Dan Rubin did a wonderful job with the script for the pilot. And I thought like, what am I, some kind of dummy? I'm gonna be behind the camera watching

whatever girl is getting to do this. Like the legend that is John Larriquette. Like I'm saying- I could be that, that could be me. Yeah. The legend that is John Larrichat. Like I could be that. That could be me. Like what am I? Fuck her. It should be me. Yeah.

So and then at the last minute I was like, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do it. And John's words to me, cause he was sort of like, he, he wasn't, when we initially approached him, he was like, absolutely not. I'm not doing this. He was lovely, but said, that is behind me. At one point he was even offered a spinoff and he had turned it down. So he really wasn't interested in coming back to do it. But he left this much of a door open.

He's like, but you know, we have any more thoughts. Let's keep talking. And so we did. And every time he left that door open, I was like, can we talk a little more? But he still wasn't like 100% sure he was gonna do it. And then when I said I was gonna do it, he's like, oh, fuck you. Okay, now I'm gonna do it. All right. Oh, so he was even in on pitches and stuff, but was still kind of wishy-washy about, oh wow. He just, he didn't know, like he was definitely, I think he was going to do it and he loved the script and he was very much involved in the whole process. Yeah.

But I think he knew that, you know, there was no backing out now, now that I was signing on to do it with him. Yeah, yeah. Now, I mean, this is perhaps an awkward question because you are in a reboot, but there is so much reboot now, you know? I mean, and in times, I mean, and some of it warranted, like this is warranted, like it's a beloved show that's being handled well with talented people But there are times. I mean I just personally there's times and I'm like Isn't there anything new we can do?

You know like like does everything because some of them are just half-baked rushed slapped together you know, I mean I once joked to somebody that like in slapped together, you know. I mean, I once joked to somebody that like, in today's client, you couldn't get Master and Commander made, but you could get Captain Crunch the musical made. You know what I mean? That's a good idea. It's mine. Hands off. Hands off. No, that's Tony the Tiger. That's not right. But you know what I mean?

What's Captain Crunch tagline? Is there a Captain Crunch tagline? I don't think so. I think that's a, it's true. There is a plethora of reboots and I gotta say, as a fan of Captain Crunch, I think that's a, it's true. There is a plethora of reboots and I gotta say Um as a fan of the original nightcore as we were doing it and as we were getting it off the ground the idea of Fucking this up. Can I curse? Sorry? Yeah, of course you can. Okay. Um the idea of us really

Not doing it. Well was very scary to me because as a fan I would have been so pissed if we did tarnish what the original was. I mean if you had been a fan and someone else had fucked it up. Oh my gosh. I would be so annoyed and I was scared for us as we were doing it. Like we have to get this right. Because as someone who loved this show, like, I don't want this to be like the last word on night court, but this is that they took this title and this great IP and just made a mockery of it. Um, so, and I think having John with us from the beginning, um, was wonderful because he, no one is going to know that world more than someone who spent, you know, a good portion of their career, close to a decade doing it. And everyone, I think everyone involved,

has been a fan of the original and it's been very important that the original was honored in a way that is respectful and knowing that that's what came before us and what really laid the foundation for this show while also trying to make it fresh and new for people who maybe didn't see the original version. I started calling it when we were pitching it a new boot, which I sort of said as a joke. I said to my husband, I'm like, well, it's not really a reboot. What if it's a new boot? And I I kept calling it totally as a bit a new boot And then by the time we got to the depiction I was like it actually is a new boot and I'm gonna double down on this

And yeah, and say this is this is what it is because it has Obviously the structure of the original and it's such a great Formula like just the architecture of what Night Court is. This is Manhattan or Raymond Court in the middle of the night. Anything goes because it's not, you know, murder trials. It's people who would get arrested between like 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. in the middle of Manhattan.

So you can get like this amazing story generator with anything. It's a freak show, basically. It's a freak show. It's a freak show. It's essentially a freak show with heart. Yeah. And it's vaudeville. And it's so fun because that idea that anyone could come into the courtroom,

the bomb goes off and then you just watch to see how everyone reacts to that. Yeah. It's great. It is a really good refillable joke. Yes, yes, exactly. And that's the key to most good shows, you know? And then it comes down to the execution, you know?

Because you can give that same vessel to somebody who will fill it with garbage. You know what I mean? Like it does, it's like that's the beginning of being good, but then you have to fill it with good stuff. It's true. Yeah. It's true. But that really's true. That really is. And I mean, when you're thinking about, you know, especially when you're thinking about,

do I want to do something? Is this a good, you know, it is. It's like, oh yeah, this is, you could do this till the end of time. Yeah. You know, just the concept of night court as a place and as a story generator, it's like, oh, it'll never stop, you know. Exactly. It's like, oh, it'll never stop, you know. Exactly. It's so true. And then you like, you have the built in

workplace family that is really at the heart of it. And then in this version, you have John Larrichette, you know, coming back to Dan Fielding and his relationship with Abby, the daughter of Harry Stone. And although they didn't know each other, they have this common thread of the love for her father. So then we have this sort of father-daughter surrogate relationship that really is at the center of the show and is really like a north star

for a lot of the stories. And our writers have just done such a fantastic job balancing the humor and the heart of the show and making sure that we know that we can crank up the comedy as much as we want, but it's grounded in these relationships. And they really do such a wonderful job in making sure that that balance is there every week.

Have you ever regretted your decision to be the number one on the show, you know? Or the number, I don't know what number you are on it. But you know, like to not cast somebody, I don't know what number you are. I don't like to be to not cast somebody else. Has there ever been like a, oh shit, I would like to stay home and just, you know, tell people what to do over the phone. No, I gotta say the, I so often think, Oh my God, that sliding door. If I didn't do it, I would be kicking myself.

I mean, it's, it's so fun. It's so, um, it's joyful. It's joyful getting to be on that set and getting to create the show. And the cast is so good between John and LaCreda who was there with us from the pilot and Niamh B. Niamh B. Um, who I knew when I was on Big Bang. He was at Mike and Molly and we would just talk to each other as we were parking our cars and always loved

hanging out together, but we didn't get to work together until this. And he joined the show last season. And then this season we have Wendy Mallett joined as a series regular. She's our prosecutor and she guest-starred the first two seasons, but she came in to join the cast fully this season and she's just spectacular. The whole cast is extraordinary. She's so good. She's so good and just an amazing person. And makes it look so easy. Yeah, effortless and the classiest of the classy.

No matter what I do in my life, no matter if I took all the etiquette and like finishing classes in my life, I would never be that kind of like, she's just a lady and she's so classy and like the best heart and same with John, like the two of them honestly are like the classiest humans and the whole cast there. I know people say this like, oh, we're a family. Like it is so true. Everyone is so talented and so good. And Gary Anthony Williams also who he's so funny and he guest starred a bunch of the

first few seasons and he's just become like this fixture of the show and he's a comedy laser. It's really, it's great. Like everywhere you look, no matter who you're paired with, you just know that you're going to have like this awesome game of, of catch. Yeah. Are you somebody like just kind of getting back to that idea of letting somebody else play that role? Is, are you the kind of person that, that needs it? Like, do you getting into show business and like, is it, do you really thrive on the attention and when you don't get it, is it like, do you miss it? Oh, that's such an interesting question.

I actually hate attention and I'm a major introvert, but I love doing this. Like I was a very, very shy kid, super, super shy. But the first time I got laughs, I couldn't believe what that feeling was. So it was, yes, of course, I was getting that attention in that moment, but there was something about the performance element of,

oh, I may be shy in conversation, but getting to do this, like, I get to express myself in a way that I wouldn't give myself permission to do otherwise. Yeah. I kind of look around and like, we get to play pretend. Yeah. I loved playing house as a kid and like sometimes we're on set and I'm like, there's like clowns around us like doing like that are brought in as defendants. and I'm like, this is so cool that I get to play make believe for a living. And I do like I, I, I get so much joy from being on a set and from getting to

do this job. So I would say when I'm not doing it, I miss it. And I think the barometer for that is before I got Big Bang, when I was out of work, the depression and sadness when I was looking for that job and not being able to be given the opportunity to do what I love was such a struggle. And I think it's why I honestly started writing and doing standup was because when you're not given that ability to do what you love and you're at the mercy of other people, or like just, I want that hit, I want to feel good and no one's letting me do it. I sort of started writing or doing stand-up as a way out of that, just to have an outlet for that passion and to feel like I was being productive

and having some forward motion and where I wanted to be. Yeah. I mean, I've talked to so many people on this podcast and even in the years before just chatting with people who were on the Conan show, not necessarily during the interview, but like on the couch during the commercial break. And there are so many people who are professional extroverts who are actual introverts. You know, like shy people who show off for a living.

And I think the key to it is, because I kind of relate, I've gotten, as I've gotten older and just been in front of people for hours and hours and hours, I can do it now. But my, like last night I went and did monologues for AskHat at UCB, which I hadn't done in years, literally. And I was, I said, yeah, sure, that sounds like fun. And then yesterday morning, I felt like, oh, fuck, I don't want, I just want to stay home. I like staying home, you know?

And like, and not even so much like I'm going to bomb or anything, but it is like, oh, if I ended up, I wouldn't have to get like even a little bit nervous if I stayed home, you know? Totally. like even a little bit nervous if I stayed home, you know? Yeah, totally. But I think that there is something about the fact that it's a tension that you control. Like you get to say, now you can look at me and now you can listen to me. It's not like just here I am and you come up and you expect me to do something, you know? Like I've decided to be here now. And then I think there's an extension of that when you are looking for work, where you just being like, who are the, who do these gatekeepers think they are? To keep me from, you know, like doing this thing that I'm sort of

conflicted about anyway, you know, like that goes against my better judgment and my nature, you know, like, and they're going to tell me I can't. And so it's an interesting thing that I've seen. I've heard so much, like shy people going like, yeah, I'm a horse's ass for a paycheck, but I really, I'd rather be home with the two people I trust or three people or one person. Absolutely. Yeah. And especially like, you know, with the two people I trust or three people or one person.

Absolutely. Yeah. And especially like my gosh, that's interesting that that came up too in the in the commercial breaks, because it is for an introvert, the talk show format. It's such an interesting thing, because you're it's essentially a conversation that is already hard for an introvert to do, but with all of these people watching. Yes. So it's- And pressurized because it's a little tiny. It's just a little tiny. It's no time at all.

Like I don't know how you ever felt, but so many times being the subject of a talk show interview, I'd be like, holy shit, that was like, that felt like 45 seconds. Yeah. And it was really eight minutes or whatever, you know But yeah, it's incredibly pressurized and I had to constantly remind myself How because early on like I remember just for one like Sam Neal

Who I just think like Sam Neal's a movie star like Sam and not only that, he's hilariously funny. He's just like charming and handsome. And I just like he's a really to me like, oh, that guy's that guy is together. And he was every time he was on the show was a nervous fucking really. Yeah. And I'm just it was always so striking to me because I'm thinking of it sort of intellectually and thinking like, well, you're charming, you're good looking, you've been in a ton of stuff and people love it. Like, just come out, relax. And that's so easy and kind of like demeaning for me to come on,

just relax. But it's, it's a totally different thing when you have to be yourself in front of people. Yeah, so, so true. Can't you tell my love's a girl? I got to say that it was I love doing the show so much because both of you just made it feel like a conversation in the best possible way. Oh, thank you. Yeah. It was always very, very comfortable. Always put me at ease and it really just felt like hanging out with friends, which was really special. Well, and we did it so much too that like, like you just begin to know that like anyone like if you like being nervous and being put pressurizing it doesn't help. It doesn't help

the quality of the end product. Totally. You might as well just enjoy yourself. So true. My gosh, that's so true. That's so true for life in general. Yeah. Absolutely. Now you were, I mean, you obviously were a comedy fan

because I have here that your Bat Mitzvah had a Melissa's comedy club theme. Did you try to be Mitzi Shore? Did you like, were you the owner of the club and you know, choosing who got to go up and who didn't just made like all my aunts and like put my aunts and uncles on a lineup. Yeah. Yeah. You got five minutes.

Yeah. Exactly. I'll yank you if you're not killing. There's a two drink minimum and everyone gets what goes up. I really used that as a chance just to have a captive audience and like I did do a tight 10. Did you really?

Oh, that's hilarious. And each table was a different comedian. Where I sat with my friends was Melissa's Comedy Club. And then, but I mean, I had like crowd work prepared. There was a lot of like, like, hey lady in a blue dress. My mom's like, it's me, I'm your mother. I paid for this. But it was, it was, I, yeah,

I was obsessed with comedy from a young age. And I think the first time I saw standup was on Star Search and I couldn't believe that was a job and it was someone doing impersonations and I thought it was so, so cool. So then I really badly wanted to do stand-up, but there was nowhere to do it. So I did it for, like I would go into show and tell and like I didn't bring anything but I would like to show you my Pee Wee Herman impression And I didn't make for being the most popular kid at school Yeah, but and it was like that's an example of like didn't talk like did not talk to anyone But like you said, it's such a great way of putting it. I it was on my terms and now I will get up and speak.

Maybe as Pee Wee Herman, maybe as Don Knott from Three's Company, but that will be how I will communicate with you. I remember I did, I loved the Whoopi Goldberg standup special that I shouldn't, I mean, I was way too young to be watching it, but she had this. It's more of a one woman show.

Yeah. It was considered more theater than stand up. It was. And it was wonderful. But there was some content that wasn't necessarily appropriate for a third grade class. Yeah, there was like a crack head in there, I believe. Yeah, it was like one board where

she was like pointing to her junk. She's like, over here. And I did that for show and tell. And my parents got a phone call saying, your daughter doesn't speak, but she's pointing at her business and quoting an HBO special. So maybe I would talk with her.

Yeah, well, I mean, little kids, that's, you know, they can't, they're, you know, at a certain point, it's all butts. All butts, all butts all the time. But you were,'re, you know, at a certain point it's all butts. All butts. All butts all the time. It's all butts all the time. But you were you and you too, were you like interested in comedy at a very young age also? Yeah, but not in a, in a, in a way that was just kind of that I didn't put together as like a, like this is something I could do for a living.

But like I just remember, you know, like I have a specific remember, specific memories of imitating like Tim Conway from Carol Burnett. Oh wow. And making my grandmother, cause we live with my grandmother and like, and then realizing like, if I keep her laughing, I don't have to go to bed.

Yeah. Stupid kid. Like go, trying to avoid going to bed, what's wrong with you nowadays? It's like, go to bed as quickly as possible. But I, so I had that and I liked being funny and I, my family was funny, you know, like I had, my dad's really funny, my aunt's just really,

like both my dad and my aunt could have been comedians if they wanted to. They're just there. They're that they were that witty and that funny. And my aunt was even, you know, single and living in Chicago during kind of the this the beginnings of the second city days and you know, and just, again, like you said, sliding door, you know, I feel like she could have been Joan Rivers if she just had decided to do that, but she didn't, but she definitely had an effect on me

in terms of just being funny, cause it's fun, like just in life. And it wasn't really, I mean, and I kind of even going through school, it was a small school and there was we didn't you know there's like no real like theater department there was a spring play in a fall play and they were really dumb and I even asked once like why don't we do kind of decent stuff and like the play the theater director was like how we tried that and people don't really like it the kids didn't like it, the audience didn't like it.

So just like, I just remember our fall play one year was called Boys and Ghouls Together. And there was a mummy, which actually my older brother played. It was like a rejected script from like a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie from the 50s. Oh, funny. That was all we did, all these like just dumb, dumb, dumb things. Were you in that one too?

I think I was. I ended up quitting because I knew that I was, like I knew I was pretty good and people would tell me like, you know, that you were pretty good. And there was one, there was a role one year, and I think I was a sophomore, and I know I killed the audition. And then when the parts came out, I got a smaller part, and this other kid got the role that I knew,

that was like kind of the comedic center of the play. And I went in and asked, like, I went in to ask, like, hey, what the fuck? And it was the fall play. And he told me, well, I talked to Mr. Barron's, who was the spring play. And he said that you and then this other girl that I was just friends with,

he said that you were a disruptive force backstage. Which is like, nowadays I think like, I was a theater kid without knowing I was a theater kid among where there wasn't theater kids. Like there wasn't a group of theater kids allowed. And this girl was like, it was like, we are being theater kids, you fucking asshole.

And it's like, so I was punished. So he said, so I gave you a smaller role. And he actually had the nerve to say, you're the, you're the best actor I've ever had come through this. Program. Wow. But I gave you a smaller role. And if you can handle that, then you can maybe have a larger role.

And I told him, ah, no, forget it. I quit. And I just didn't do plays from then on. Have you had any connection with him in recent years? Or like after you started doing this professionally? Nothing that I would, you know, it's like, you know, it's a small town. He was the guidance counselor too, you know?

Having that early fascination with stand-up, did you know that you were gonna kind of be a hybrid actor stand-up? Because, I mean, you started acting in high school, I would think, right? Yeah, I did. I started, did like community theater growing up and, you know, plays all through high school. And I think if I had told my parents I wanted to be anything other than an actor, they would have been surprised. Oh, yeah. So they were very supportive. told my parents I wanted to be anything other than an actor, they would have been surprised.

So they were very supportive. But I think, let's see, when I went to college, I went to college in New York and I was so excited to be in New York, where they had comedy clubs. Even though I was going to a conservatory program that said, you couldn't do, you just have to concentrate on your acting conservatory. I would sneak out and I started doing standup

while I was in college. Because this is what I had been dreaming of my whole life. Like, and now I was in the city where it was happening. So I started doing it in college. I'm trying to think, I did it all through college much to chagrin of like my Shakespeare teachers were like, what were you doing at a comedy club last night? Yeah, yeah. And then after college, I was still doing standup and really looking for that first job and having

a hard time getting it. I was just doing like theater in basements and stand up in laundromats and wherever I could find stage time. And then so I started writing, my now husband, we were not married at the time, we started writing a one-woman show for myself that ended up being what helped me move to LA and was the sort of the start of being able to get work that wasn't just waiting tables, which I was doing a ton of. Do you think that that was pivotal, the fact that you showcased yourself? Do you think that if you had, that it just would have taken more time, but you would have eventually kind of come to the attention of people, the gatekeepers, like I mentioned before. I honestly don't know that I would have.

I really don't think I think that was what what moved the needle for me. I mean, I couldn't even get representation. It was always like you either need to gain 10 pounds or lose 10 pounds. You're not like you look like a kid, but you're almost a grown up. Like there was no, I sort of didn't fit in anywhere. Yeah. And everybody's, everybody's a genius. Everybody knows exactly what you should do, even though they contradict each other and sometimes are just so stupidly wrong that you're like, no, totally, totally telling other people.

How are you getting paid for this? It's so true. Just such, I mean, my, Winston, my husband had to, like, he was my fake manager for years. Cause I couldn't, like he would, he would like call up, he got me some phenomenal auditions, got me jobs, but he, no one else wanted to represent me. And he really believed in me. And so he did it. Did you give him 10 or 15%? He got nothing.

Screw you Winston. I'll play the rent. You're lucky. Yeah. You're lucky. You should let the kids stick around. He really was so, so good at representing me. And then he also like, he took on some of my friends, so it didn't look weird that

he was only submitting me over and over again also like, he took on some of my friends who it didn't look weird that he was only submitting me over and over again. Oh yeah, oh that's brilliant. So he represented my brother and like, even like a person who was like doing my hair at the time. Like he was like, you wanna come on that way when I, cause it was back in the day when you would submit like a stack of headshots in an envelope.

And he's like, I gotta pad this envelope cause I keep on just sending you and these casting directors think I don't have any clients. Yeah, yeah. But I really do think that had I not created that, I don't know that I would have gotten my first jobs because the show that we ended up writing went to the Aspen Comedy Festival and then we ended up doing it in LA. And then that was really what sort of got me what got me representation eventually. And then even when I wrote The Bronze, that came from, I was very, very grateful to be on Big Bang at that point, because I was at the unemployment office like right before

I got the job for Big Bang, the guest star job. But I really I wasn't getting much film work and I knew that I wanted to play something that was a little edgier and different that I wouldn't be considered for. And that's why we wrote that movie because it was a character that was a horror comedy with a character that was much different than what I was playing on Big Bang. And I think that's sort of always been my way to get the next thing or to have it be the thing that I wouldn't necessarily have been given for myself. Yeah, I heard recently it was a story that Hugh Grant for a number of years was his own agent.

He just really said like, just, he just decided like, why am I spending paying 10% when, you know, cause I think when you're Hugh Grant, you're not, you know, like they come to you if they want Hugh Grant, cause he's Hugh Grant and he just, it's like, yeah, I just put on a different voice that I was my own agent. He goes, I saved so much money. You know, that's great. I know it's really like, okay. You know, you got to be Hugh Grant in order to pull it off. That's awesome. I'm going to ask Hugh Grant if he'll agent for me.

Well, I also want to ask, too, how how having kids has changed your perspective on work. I mean, you know, obviously, you know, no one ever, when they're asked that question says like, oh, work is much more important than my children. Even though I think some people feel it. Yeah. But did it adjust your priorities in a way? I mean that-

Oh my gosh, yeah. Yeah. 100%, and not in the cliched way of like, you know, Did it adjust your priorities in a way? I mean that- Oh my gosh, yeah. 100%. And not in the cliched way of like, oh, now I see everything clearer, but truly, I really do believe that I do. And my priorities feel, there's just almost like a major spotlight on what's important.

Yeah. And it's them. Yeah. And everything I do is in service to that relationship. They're the reason for everything. Yeah. Every job I take, they factor into everything. And I love it so much. Like the happiness that I get from them, it's otherworldly. And I think, you know, my road to motherhood wasn't an easy one. And I remember when I was trying to maybe thinking like, I will, if it happens

for me, I will not take it for granted. And I, I do believe I've held to that. I really like, of course there's days that, you know, you're tired and it's, you know, a next level of busy-ness when you have and craziness when you have children, but there's not a day that I am not just steeped in gratitude that I have them and it's interesting. I remember sitting with you at a friend's baby shower before I was a mom. This I may think this must be like 18 years ago. Now, maybe

less. No, I think it's maybe less. I think it's gotta be I think it might have been at my house. It was at your house. Yeah, your house. I know maybe like, I don't know, maybe like, 12 years ago. I don't think like that. Yeah, it was my ex wife was throwing it and I kind of I think I was the only man there. You were never and but I remember and your kids were you're little at the time. And there was like a lot of conversations happening there about kids and I wasn't there yet. I wasn't like even on the road to motherhood. But I think back to that and I remember like people talking about the joy that came from

children and what that means. And my gosh, I knew that it was going to change my life, but I didn't think that it was going to change my life in all the magical ways that it has. Yeah. It's a hundred percent my focus. Um, and although I love what I do, this is, um, um, it's an, it's next level. I, you know, we've talked about, um, cause when we made our, our movie, the bronze, like I kept on referring to it as like, this is our baby, this is our baby. And then once I had my first child, I was like, oh, I guess that wasn't the case.

That was a movie, that was not a baby. Yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah. That always, like when people talk about their fur babies, I'm always like their dogs or their cats as their fur babies, I'm like, I mean, I see what you're saying, but no, that's a dog or that's a cat. And believe me, I love animals, you know?

But it's like, no, that's not, that is, the only thing that's a baby is a baby. You know what I mean? So, now going forward, I mean, what is forward for you? Is there just kind of more, like still kind of trying to produce things for yourself or, you know, auditioning? I mean, but do you see a point at which you do kind of, you know, like take your foot off the gas a little bit because you have had, you know, this string of years of, of really good employment, you know, and really good fortune.

Oh, thanks. Yeah. You know, I think, um, it goes back to the family and realizing that, you know, that time is so important to me. Um, and obviously time that you don't get back. So I'm very grateful. Like we were saying that this job is so, it's so complimentary to how I want to parent and how I want to live my life. So I think everything going forward has to live in service to that and in harmony with that, because that's will always be first and foremost to me. And I'm very grateful that I have the ability to do that. But I think I love getting to do this format. I love this job. Knock on wood, I hope I get to continue to do it for years to come because it is so joyful. My kids can be there with me and, and that's also a really

special thing to get to share that with them. They've said like, when I grew up, could I work at night court? Like, oh, it'd be great if it was, it was running to that time. If not, you could reboot it again. But as long, I just want to keep going in the direction that gives me the ability to, to just be around for what's important. And that's everything to me. Yeah.

What do you think the biggest lesson you've learned in all of your travels and travails? I think it's that also like making the thing the thing. Like what is most meaningful to you is where you put most of your energy. Because I think I did a lot of chasing my tail with anxiety or worry about things that necessarily aren't the, what should be the focus. And I think that having it crystallized with having kids like, oh, this is what's meaningful. So I think that's been quite a lesson to me.

I also think something that I've stopped doing is success forecasting anything like, this is gonna be great or this is going to be amazing. I've always moved forward with the mindset of hope for the best but expect the worst. CB Yeah. BT And I think I can go to either side of the pendulum while I'll be like, oh, this is going to be great or this is going to be terrible. CB Yeah.

BT And I think you do that in years of rejection as an actor, side of the pendulum will be like, oh, this is going to be great, or this is going to be terrible. Yeah. And I sort of, and I think you sort of do that in years of rejection as an actor, just like setting yourself up for the, for it to just be bad at all times. You have to protect yourself. You have to protect yourself. You can't, you can't go like, I love everything and everything's going to be great because you're just going to be squashed like a bug. It's so true.

It's so true. It's so true. And I think, and I, I'm very apprehensive when like, it's the other way. And, oh, this is going to be fantastic. And so I thought sort of have gotten to a place of like, it's going to be what it's going to be. And, and if there's unexpected moments, um, which really are the, the places that I end up getting my most joy from, are the place that I was not expecting to get that happiness hit. Then great, but otherwise I'm not gonna be waiting for like the ball to drop,

I'm not gonna be waiting for it to be amazing. It's just gonna be and whatever those moments are that are wonderful along the way, I'm gonna be grateful for them. Yeah. Well, Melissa Rasch, thank you so much for coming on here. Night Court, the third season, it's on when this airs. It will have debuted.

So check it out people. Tuesday nights, correct? Tuesday nights at 830 NBC If you're still one of those people that watches things when they're actually on yes One of those actually on and if you don't you could also watch it on peacock the next day. That's right. Well, thank you so much Thank you. Thanks for the great time. Good luck with the rest of your you're promoting And and I'll see you soon I hope I see you soon. All right.

Thanks, Amy. Thanks so much. Thanks for having me. All right. Thank you. And thank all of you out there for listening. I'll be back next week with more of The Three Questions. The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a Team Coco production.

It is produced by Sean Doherty and engineered by Rich Garcia. Additional engineering support by Eduardo Perez and Joanna Samuel. Executive produced by Nick Leow, Adam Sachs and Jeff Ross. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Battista, with assistance from Maddie Ogden. Research by Alyssa Grahl. Don't forget to rate and review and subscribe to The Three Questions with Andy Richter, wherever you get your podcasts. And do you have a favorite question you always like to ask people? Let us know in the review section.

Can't you tell my love's a-growin'? Can't you feel it ain't a-showin'? Oh, you must be a-knowin'. I've got a big, big love. This has been a Team Coco production.