Awkwafina, Rian Johnson & More BEST Red Carpet Moments! | Poker Face | E! News
Here with us now is the multi-hyphenate star, writer, director, and EP of Pokerface, Natasha Leon. Welcome. Hi. How are you? So great to see you. You are stunning. We will talk about fashion, but really we got to talk about this show because all of your co-stars are raving about you. They are all talking about how much fun it is to be on this show. So tell us about your process of getting your friends to be on this season. Uh yeah, I guess there’s quite a few. I saw Taylor Schilling and Nora aka Aquafina. Yep. Uh I saw Freddy, Freddy Armachine, who’s not been on the show, but uh we try each season. Uh Camille, I saw Ria. Uh they all said nice things. All of them said very nice things. I send them I send them big baskets today and a bunch of puppies. Yeah. I mean, you’re getting your friends to play, you know, some of them against type. Did somebody surprise you when you got on set with them? Uh, Method Man. Is he here tonight? I haven’t seen him. He’s supposed to be here tonight. He is supposed to be here tonight. Yes. Oh god. Uh, it turns out that uh he and I are really uh I think we maybe we’re the same person. I uh we we get along so well. We had so many laughs. I never want to friend my friend John Melany, but uh yes, I think Method Man is funnier and I said it here first. And so yeah, that’s a dare. John, oh you heard it, John. Yeah. What is the thing that you and Method Man bonded over immediately? Uh well uh I guess our uh New York attitude problems and uh just how soft we are despite them. I think well you know I’m not in Wuang yet. Uh but I I heard you’re close now. I’m on my way. Well I I do love this book. The Dell the Woo by the original. Have you ever read that? You should. No. That’s a book recommendation. I’m not sure anybody still reads in 2025. No we read. We still have clubs and everything. Oh, read that book. Um, but uh, yeah, I think that we’re just people who really want to do a good job, but uh, seem tough because we have accents, but uh, at heart are just, you know, softies and we come out things. I guess we’re both of us when we get nervous, we’re like, “Yeah, let’s go. Let’s go. Okay.” And then sort of fall back into a pocket organically, but we uh, laughed and laughed. Uh, he let me call him Clifford. I guess only his grandmother does that. That’s really good. So then I did my uh you know I’m working my way towards a hunchback uh thanks to too much I think cell phone use in Ben. It’s uh coming quickly and so I showed that to him and he enjoyed my uh my impression of his grandmother it seems. Yes. I love the character Charlie. There’s so many endearing sweet qualities about Charlie. Thank you. What part of Charlie most relates to you? Uh, I guess I don’t like uh seeing unnecessary injustice. I don’t like it when the big shots of people in power seem to have to uh put somebody down in order to feel big. I think that’s a dirty business. So, I think that Charlie really goes out of her way to sort of, you know, see if there’s a little guy out there and uh try to correct it uh the best she can or at least find some sort of justice for this person who would maybe otherwise be unseen. And I I love I think it’s an honor to get to play that. I hope to assimilate more of that into my life. Uh uh so yeah, I love that about her. What can you say about the arc that fans are going to watch Charlie go on this season? All right. Well, I think that she starts a little bit, you know, the inciting event, of course, of the the pilot is her best friend Natalie Dasha Paleno is uh murdered. And so, she’s got to crank it. She’s a cocktail waitress. She tells Adrien Brody, you know, uh, hey, I kind of like my life, you know, uh, do I need to be rich? I don’t know. H, I guess being, uh, rich is better than being poor, but it’s shittier. That’s not a word for this channel. uh then just fine, you know, and I think that she doesn’t really want to change much. Uh she’s got the sun shine at her back. She’s a bit of a desert rant. She likes her little trailer and you know, she’s having a nice life. But once she gets into this caper, she’s got no choice but to sort of set right uh the the murder of her best friend. Um and that launches her into a full season. A lot of them are end up being bottle episodes, you know, which is the goal kind of Columbbo style that you could drop in or drop out. Um, and towards the end of the season, we see again that here she is, her sister, Clea Deval. I mean, it’s high stakes. She’s on the run. Um, then, uh, Ron Pearlman is the big bad in season one, but Ria Pearlman. Uh, so they’re not the same person, it turns out. Uh, so Ria is much, uh, smaller. Easier easy to confuse the two, I think. Uh, and, uh, so Ria kind of takes over these five families, and that’s kind of like the launching point for the top of the season. uh the incredible Cynthia Revo uh is there in our first episode. She’s extraordinary. Um and then it becomes sort of I guess her on a road trip again, but she’s a little more existential, a little bit more lost. You know, she’s been on the road all alone with no tether, no contact, no roots for about a year. And so, uh a little bit more eager to make connections and then we bottle back and then we take another turn, I guess. Uh so many turns in this show. Do you already have a running list of people you can’t wait to call up for season 3? Uh, was Meet Man in this season? I keep forgetting. Yeah. And Nick Noly was in last season. Maybe I’ve done it. You know what I mean? You got all the dream wish list. Wait, Nick Croll. We talked yesterday. You said that we talked not too long ago. You said Nick came to the season one premiere. Ate the food, used the valet. He did. He ate the food. He didn’t show up for season two. Uh then he sort of uh fake gave me a $100 bill because he really was a a fan of the show and then he uh he took it back which I thought was a weird move because Big Mouth has been running for like 42 seasons. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I’ve only ever been paid scale. Uh so uh well hey before we let you go we have to take a look at this gorgeous fit. I love all of the style decisions you make. Oh fabulous. I don’t make them. People help dressed me in this and uh you know Alessandro for Valentino. It’s always a a stunning. I couldn’t make this in a vacuum. Let’s be clear. But you look great. Congratulations on the season. It’s really It’s really fun. I always wear up another Natasha. Uhoh. Oh I’ve done it twice. Two Natashas. What are we going to do? Guys, you should know that we’re not actually the same person. We don’t know that, but you should. Stop sending our emails to one another. Okay. Natasha Le Natasha Leon just said, “Peace out. And that method man was right very funny. Amazing. He was my husband. What happened? You and Mosha got divorced and I don’t I don’t want to be a part of this scam. See you later. Thank you so much, honey. Have fun. Congratulations. Yeah. Is he She said that he’s hilarious. Is that he just hilarious? He was crying. I mean, he was amazing. His range, it was it really blew me away. Okay, that’s what we’re going to look like. We’re not that pixelated hope on guard. You know, it’s it’s a different era we’re living in. They’re going to put the pieces together later on. Wonderful. Okay, let’s talk about your experience working on the show. Everyone has been raving about it and talking about the moment they got the call. What was it like? Oh, I thought you said everyone you’ve been interviewing has been raving about my performance on the show, and I’m like, I’m only in one episode. I don’t know if they’ve all seen it, but word does get around. No, everyone’s raving about their experience and just working with Natasha and just being a part of such a fun show. Um, well, I really loved working with her and I’ve always wanted to work with her. uh ever since I saw But I’m a cheerleader when I was like little, you know, and I just thought she was so funny and it’s really cool to see her taste evolve because, you know, she’s in total control of this project and I think she just, you know, she’s into so many cool things and cool films and she really tries to put like her artistry mixed with like this like, you know, cool catalog of films that she’s influenced by and, you know, make her own thing. I just think she’s really talented and you know she’s an aur if you will. I like that. Yeah, she is an aur. You live in Hollywood. Have you heard that word before? Aur. Yeah, for sure. You haven’t. People throw it around. See, told you. Yeah. I That’s one I’m going to keep with me though. I’m going to You know what it means? Uh, is it author but fancy? It’s like an artist. Like a fancier artist. It’s like It’s like the opposite of a hack, you know? It’s like you’re in control. It’s like you’re the director, you’re the writer, you’ve done it all. But that’s not exactly what she did on this because I know that she had writers. But anyway, the point is an aur is kind of in control of the entire thing, not just like someone for hire. I’m gonna just call myself that from now on. Uh you’re an aur. Sorry about that. Are you do you are you do you like are you one of these people who relaxes to true crime shows and podcasts? I don’t. But uh I have a lot of friends who go to sleep to them, but this one is like so action-packed. It won’t be like this one you can’t go to sleep. It’s not the thing you put on, right? But detective shows. No, but I had actually watched the entire first season and then I got the call and I thought that was so cool because, you know, I got hooked and uh I just thought it was so good, so watchable, you know. It really is. Did you have one of those like serialized shows that you grew up watching or do you remember like your like your grandparents, your mom or dad watching like, you know, like the Rockford Biles or something like that? Be like, “What is this?” And then as you got older, you’re like, “Oh, I’m I’m totally into the serialized.” I was always into like comedies. So when I was younger, I was like watching Nick at Night or like you know reruns of things like I remember like All in the Family we would have to watch like with our parents that kind of thing. Um but in terms of the Rockford Files, no I never watch things like that. That was like it was almost like more m I don’t know more male to watch, you know, like I was watching like Falcon Crest. Oh, or like Santa Barbara or like I was like really into like when I was in middle school I was very into soap operas. How? Why? I was like going home to watch Young and the Restless. Like I would skip school. Me and all my friends would do that. Well, that’s a must do when you’re sick, you know. That’s really sad. I love I love it. Maybe it lends to your to your amazing capabilities. Exactly. It shaped you. It made you who you are, I guess. Thanks so much. How’s it going, man? How you feeling? Feeling good? Fantastic. I feel great. You joined the hottest show that everyone is dying to be on. They’re killing to be on. I was killing to be on. I might have killed someone to be on this show. Tell us about your character. What can you tell us? You know, here’s the thing. All the guest stars that have come in and then they um you know, they just jump in. So Natasha, I think this is how it works in Hollywood. Natasha calls you and goes, “Hey, do you want to come do my show?” She mistakenly like sent me a wrong episode. I was like, “Yeah, I’d love it. Of course, I’ll come Natasha. Let’s do it.” And then she’s like, “Oh, wait a minute. That’s not the episode. Sorry I sent you the wrong episode. sent me the next episode. Um, and I was like, “Yeah, I’ll do that one, too.” So, I don’t really know what’s going on in the world in general. I just know where I fit into it. Yeah. Okay. There’s there’s a a murder mystery at a wedding. What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you whilst you were wearing a tuxedo? Oh, man. Tuxedos are dangerous. They are. You know, because usually if you’re at a tuxedo, it means like people are splashing out. I’m trying to think of the most dangerous thing that’s ever happened to me in a tuxedo. Or it could be the craziest, the most fun, the wildest. No, I can’t really say it on e this is the only place to say I’m not going to say this is online so you can say whatever you want. It’s online. There’s no one on the internet, right? No one’s there. We’re just streaming live. Dark hole. Oh, great. Okay, so no one’s on the internet. Um, no, I didn’t I haven’t done no like hangover type nights, you know, like um I’m trying to think. I mean, normally you get in a little bit of trouble. You know, you’re going to like the Met Ball or something like that. Are you going on Monday? No, I’m going to be out of town. Ah, unfortunately. Um, but those kinds of nights can evolve. It’s usually the third destination that gets you into trouble. So, you might go to something really swanky and nice like a Golden Globes or something like that. Then you go to the after party. Think, okay, this is good. The third, that’s where you need to like pull the emergency break and be like, I need to go home. Yeah. If there are steps that go down, you’re going to the fourth place. Yes. Then you’re in real trouble. Usually there’s photographers around. So, yeah. Want to be caught dead there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, speaking of a fun night involving a tuxedo and a wedding. Congratulations on your nuptules. Your recent nuptules. What’s the best part about married life? Well, we’re still young in our marriage. Um it’s only been about uh about just over a month, so we’re just enjoying it. We’re having web life, man. Yeah, it’s been great. I love I mean, she’s crushing it on Paradise. On Paradise. She’s Do you get spoilers to it? Do you do you guys have like a Was there like She’s about to start season two. So, it’s a big question of whether I want her to ruin it, but yet she wants to talk about her day at work. So, I’m just saying like just ruin those parts for me and and then I’ll uh and then I’ll obviously see all the other stuff. Right. I like she spoils her parts. All right. We’re joined now by the creator of Poker Face, Ryan Johnson. Welcome to the Poker Face season 2 premiere. How you feeling? I am feeling so good. So ready for this, right? This is exciting. Yeah. You and Natasha have got such a great working relationship. What is it about that relationship that makes it work as well as it does? I mean, I think firstly, we’re just really good friends. We just love each other. And I think, you know, all of us are kind of in this to make great stuff with our friends, and that’s that’s what this whole show is, from the two of us to the co-stars, work with people that you love, and you kind of can’t go wrong. I think, you know, it is really fun seeing all of the friendships in real life get on screen with this show. Between Poker Face and Knives Out, you have become the modern matter, modern master of mystery. Sorry, it was a mouthful there. Three times fast. You are the modern ma master of mystery. So tell me, what are the three elements that make a perfect who done it mystery show? Well, you got to have a great detective and so having Natasha Leon and Daniel Craig, I I think that explains 90% of the success of these things. Uh and then you got to have a fun group of suspects. So on the Knives Out movies, we’ve been really really lucky to have incredible casts. And you take a look at the people who are coming through this carpet tonight. Um I still can’t I can’t quite believe the the people that we got together for the show. It’s amazing the guest stars. Yeah. And number three, uh ah that’s a good mystery, I guess. Number three. Is there a mystery that you’re currently obsessed with that you’re not working on? Not in a scripted fashion. Is there something out there in the world that’s a mystery that you’re like, I’m I’m trying to get to the bottom of this right now in the world. There’s a good point and I’m not solving them anytime soon. How often are you watching a show or a movie and saying to yourself, “Oh, that’s my suspect right there. That’s the next person I need in my next project.” I mean, a lot. And and it’s also it’s really really fun cuz right now there’s a little bit of a mystery renaissance. I think with shows like The Residents, which I’ve really been enjoying, and I think there’s there’s right now sort of a uh and and Chris and Phil’s uh show, The Reunion, The Reunion. I think there’s kind of like a little who done it renaissance. So, for me, I mean, part of me is always watching stuff thinking, “Oh, wow. I’d love to work with that person. But just as a mystery fan, I’m also just I get absorbed in mysteries. I just love them. When you’re watching some of those shows, can you figure out who done it? Never. I’m so bad at it. No, I’m so bad at it. I’m so gullible. I’m so bad at it. I If you actually plot me in the middle of a mystery, I would be totally lost at sea. So, but I think that that gives me something that helps with something. I I’m not riffing. Probably not. Yeah. Well, you are in your bag. We love seeing the work that you do. If I could watch a just a live stream or a documentary of the inner workings of your mind, I’d love to see that. Okay, so you’re into horror. I see. That’s what it’s like up there. You’re doing it. I can get it. Before we let you go, can you tease anything about Wake Up Dead Man? Anything? I know it’s a couple weeks away, but you know, I can tell you um absolutely nothing. That’s right. Thank you. Thank you, Ryan. Ryan, congratulations. Have so much fun tonight and enjoy enjoy your your fruits of your labor, man. You’re telling me that mullet wasn’t real? You didn’t keep that mullet. I cut it. I cut it for this premiere. I got a cut earlier today. Are the Are the tattoos real? Yeah, those are all real. You know, I go method. I grew out my hair. I I dyed it blonde. I got all the tattoos. Wait. For people who, you know, obviously seen it, but for people who haven’t seen it, we’re talking about your character on the show. What can you tell? What are you allowed to say about your character on on Poker Face season 2? He’s a His name’s Gator Joe. He’s a cop in Florida. He’s also an influencer. Yes. So, he’s got a long frosted mullet. He’s got a lot of tattoos and he he has a lot of endorsements and he’s just really flamboyant, over-the-top character, you know? I would have to imagine that as soon as you put on your costume with the hair and the tattoos, like you fully leaned in, like a different vibe washed over you. Yeah. You become a different person. It’s great cuz you look in the mirror and you feel different and you walk different and you think of other people as being different. You think of yourself as being different. So they were so good, you know. I was grateful cuz people don’t look at me and go Florida cop, let’s do that. So I was just grateful that they were like, “Hey, you want to do something totally different?” And I was like, “Yes, of course.” I saw that you were having like kind of dreams about alligators. Is that true? Were you is that like your version of method acting? Kind of. Yeah. Well, I was like, “So, you know, I’m friends with an alligator in this episode, and I was like, I think alligators are like hideous and scary.” Yeah. How do I become like bonded with one? And so, and then I had a dream where like I instead of my cat, I had like an alligator cat mutant mix and it was sleeping between me and my wife. And I remember feeling like such love for it. This is a very weird story. I feel like you’re pitching a show right now. And then when I woke up, I liked alligators. It just happened. You like hypnotized yourself. I hypnotized myself. My subconscious somehow knew exactly what it needed to do. And I remember it being like this really hideous thing with a huge nose and me like feeling such love for it. Then I woke up the next day and I was ready to act. Um I feel like you could be someone’s life coach helping them overcome things that they really fear. Yeah. My thing would just be like take a nap and hope you get lucky. Hope the dreams work out. Super male secret. Yeah. That’s what manifesting. So so grateful cuz I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have that dream, man. Well, we love seeing you. We love seeing your work. We’re so excited that you’re a part of season 2. Oh, thank you. I love the show. It’s my favorite show. So, I was just thrilled to be asked. All right. We’re joined now by BJ Novak. Welcome. How you feeling tonight? Welcome. I’m just so happy to be out. We’re so happy to see you. I’m glad we all have our own mics. Like, it’s like we’re intimate but not too intimate. It’s cool. Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So, it’s season two. The show is so fun. Please tell us what can you tease? The the show is so um standalone and episodic that I got one of the most perfect scripts I had ever been sent and it had nothing to do with anything else on the show. It was just this beautiful standalone episode and there was a part that took me so long. I was driving somewhere with my friend Mindy Kalink. No big deal. And uh I told her last night about the show and I described my character and we got to the to the restaurant before I could finish. It’s such a complicated thing to explain and I think only Pokerface could could pull off something like that. So I can’t even describe my role because it’s so complicated, but it was really really cool and I think the cast is so extraordinary. The main cast, the guest cast, the directors, Tony Toast is incredible as a showrunner. So um I guess I’ve talked for a long time now literally chomping at the bits. I’m like which direction do we go in? But I guess I really want to know did Mindy help you run lines for your role in this show? No, but there were a lot of lines. Yeah, it was like a big long chewy monologue and a half and I that’s my favorite thing. I don’t play with others. Well, it’s just like give me a long line monologue and then I’m out the door. You were not too far from here with her not that long ago where she got her star on the Walk of Fame. Yeah. You know what what is it about this friendship that you know makes it work as well as it does for you guys? Uh I don’t know how she feels. I feel she is just so funny and interesting that I’ll talk to her as long as she’ll talk to me. I like that. That’s a good a good thing to have with a friend, right? I think so, too. Yeah. She’s not my only friend like that. I have some good friends, but she is she is way up there. Well, this month actually marks the Shout out to all my friends. To all the friends. It’s actually the 20th cast of friends. The office premiere. I mean, you guys have been on our screens forever and will like stay with us. That show is just so iconic. Is it weird that people want Yeah. Watch your back poker face. Yeah. Watch your back poker face. See how long Yeah. Um, is it crazy that so many people know every line that you’ve ever said on The Office? Constantly people are quoting things to me that I had no idea I had ever said um on on that show. So, I think it’s really special, you know, writing. I was in the writer room so much in that show that we had so many versions of everything and I wouldn’t even keep track of what ended up in the final episode often. So, when people quote lines to me, I’m like, “Oh, that made it.” You know, that improv was in. So, so it’s it’s like watching it again in a new way. All right, stopping by to talk to us now is Aquafino. Welcome to the premiere of season 2. Excited. Thanks for having me, guys. I mean, what can you tease about your character or your the episode that you’re in? Um, well, it has to do with uh New York City uh renting in New York City. So, I think that’s rent control. I think that’s a pretty good uh episode. Yeah. But I I had so much fun. My character is living with her grandma. So, that’s true to life. Yeah. Love that. Yeah, it’s fun. Now, were you buying to get on the show before you got the call or how did it all work out? Um, well, I had three auditions. I I No, I’m kidding. I I um Yeah, I’m a huge fan of the show. Huge fan of Natasha, obviously, and and Ryan and uh yeah, big big fan of the first season, so I was really happy to be included in the second one. Do you Are you obsessed with any mysteries that Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like what’s the one that you’re that like kind of rattles around in your brain? Like a like a book mystery or a Well, like a real life mystery. Oh, like like I I mean I I love like Scooby-Doo. I love this German show called Dark. It’s very good. You know that show. Great show. Oh, such a good show. I don’t know if that’s a mystery, but No, it definitely is. Yeah, I love that you guys dabble Scooby-Doo. No, Scooby-Doo. We’ve got kid. We’ve got little kids. So, yeah. Oh, yeah. We watch all of those. Oh, that’s cool. Yeah. Nice. Wait. I also love how Natasha was on your show. Aquafina is Queens. And in your show, her character convinced you to bleach your hair and maybe some other things to be bleached. She did. Yeah. But I’m curious to know, are there any real life fashion influences that she could give you? Oh, man. I mean, Natasha, her her style is amazing. Uh, so I mean, just her existing is is cool. Um, but yeah, I I think uh you know, we we’ve definitely I’ve definitely seen her at like fashion events and stuff and we we we lament and we do we you know, we celebrate. So, it’s it’s nice. Yeah, she’s very cool. One of the biggest mysteries out there on the internet right now is uh the Crazy Rich Asian sequel. Is it happening? We’re hearing word that there’s like a TV series. Do you know anything? Do you tell us everything? Um it’s obviously it was it was announced. Sorry. No. Um you know what? I think that that, you know, uh there there’s some there’s some kind of thing going on and uh I’m I’m just really happy to see what they what they have to what they have in in store. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the people want it. The people want the cast wants it. I mean, we love doing it. We want to be together again. I can rewatch that movie any day, anytime. If I need a feelood pickme up and someone like me just used to live in Singapore, it’s like my go-to. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Mine, too. But you you have to be careful watching it on the plane. you know, your own movie. Yeah. Be a little Has that happened to you yet? Um, I’ve seen people like watching it on the like watching it on the plane and then I I I think like, you know, maybe I should go go say something and then I did one time and the lady didn’t put it together and I just was really creepy. It was a creepy like, “Thanks for saying hi.” Yeah. Yeah. Does he get you free beverages or No, get me from the car. Yeah. But like, oh, I love your movie. I’ll buy you lunch. I’ll wear the wig next time on the plate. Yeah, good. Well, we’re going to bring up Have you Do you know Sherry? Sherry Cora from She’s got a guest star. Yes. Okay. Representation. Let’s representation. Just in time. How are you? This is a major fashion moment between both of you. I mean, do we have a full body like head to toe? This is gorgeous. This is the vision board. That was the camera. No, that’s what I think. I never make eye contact. I play hard to get. You know what I mean? Never look directly down the lens. Oh, there you go. We got to give the people what they want. This is what the people want. This is what they want. They want all of us in here. Adore you. Well, Aquafina, so good to see you. Have fun tonight. Thank you so much. Have fun tonight. Thank you. I love you. Love you. Love you. Love you. Wait. I’m obsessed with this moment. Yes. I’m loving this. The feeling is mutual. How are you? We show up and we glow up. You guys do you you all look great. Put that on a fortune cookie. Oh, okay. Let’s make that happen. We’re spitting bars. Keep going. We’re celebrating. We ain’t hating. Men straightening. Oh, not me today. That’s a whole different conversation for another podcast. We could do that another time. Yeah. Poker face season 2. Yo, let’s What can you say about your character? I mean, it’s so fun to pop in with Natasha because she is literally the coolest, wildest, funniest woman on earth. And it’s just such a joy to be in her presence. And the fact that she asked me to be a part of season 2, it was just I mean, say less. I’m on the way. Drop a pin. Yeah. How did the phone call go? Did she call you up personally? You know, I actually met her last year at some point doing a live podcast. It was me, her, and Corey Jefferson. And it was the best night of our life. And then we’ve just kept in touch since then. And you know, to celebrate this show tonight with her right there, you know, pulling up in the barracuda. Yeah, it was cool. What more can you ask for? Epic. Now, are you murdering? Are you solving? I’m in between. Okay. You know what I mean? Yeah. Okay. So, you’re kind of a good guy. She goes both ways perhaps. No spoilers. No spoilers, you guys. Is it like bittersweet that you both get to work on the show, but not together? It was still fun. It was still fun. Yeah. We’ve worked together lots of times, so it’s okay. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Melanie, I know you don’t like to to know spoilers. So, did you guys not read lines or talk about what was going to happen in this season? Yeah. I don’t know what’s happening in your episode. I don’t know what’s happening in your episode. Oh, there we go. Are you the same? You don’t ask for the spoilers or the tea? I do ask, but she just doesn’t tell me. No, I mean, I don’t ruin it. Yeah, there’s parts of there. You You both are doing shows that where spoilers are a big factor. You got to have that that firewall amongst each other, right? Even though I will forget all spoilers by the time I’m watching, so it doesn’t ever bother me, but I still don’t get any spoilers. Is there a uh a room in your house that you’ve not yet danced in? Yes. Important question. Yes. There. Is it off limits? No, there’s just a couple of rooms that are not like finished. He danced in one room before the rug had come in. Yeah, that was annoying. I have to say, very inspired by your home decor. It’s very gorgeous. And the dance videos really highlight that. Melanie, are you often asked to join? Will you ever join? I will never join. No, never. I don’t dance. I’m not a dancer. Well, I mean, you know, Jason’s got some pretty He’s doing enough dancing for both of us. Yeah. Yeah. I’m not a dancer either, but that doesn’t stop me. I mean, and in your episode, you get to show off some what are now, I think, legendary um action and fight moves. I mean, the internet wants to know how well you can fight, and I we get an answer in your episode. That’s true. That’s true. There’s a little fighting in my episode. So, I guess we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. Well, there’s a clue. Yeah. Melanie, you and Natasha been friends for years. Was it a simple text, a call? Did she have to beg and kick and scream for you to join, or were you begging her? No, she um we always had talked about it. the first season it the timing did not work out and so yeah it was kind of a bit of both like she was like I want you to do an episode and then there was a lot of talk about when and when it would fit into Yellow Jackets and then it just worked out perfectly. It was like a week after I wrapped Yellow Jackets. So great. Yeah. Yeah. Do you guys I mean as actors I mean you don’t want to spoil anything for each other obviously we just talked about but do you guys help each other run lines or do you keep that stuff separate? I I don’t like to ask that of anyone. You ask it of me. I do it with him. Yeah. Yeah. She’ll help me out sometimes, but I I need more help than she does. You guys have 5 years of marriage coming up and or it just passed, right? Five years marriage. Yeah. You got to do the math. We all have we all have to do it. You know, everyone Yeah. just is dying for Melany’s love. They’re trying to fight you online. What is the key to making it work, especially in Hollywood? Oh boy. Oh god, feels so jinxy. Okay, we don’t have time. We can totally pivot. You know, as someone who’s also you make a marriage work and then next thing you know, I mean, it’s a lot of just communication and and and uh trying to be brave and be honest and um and continue to fight for it. And we like hanging out with each other. We do really like hanging out with each other. That’s nice. Well, if it come up agent Simon Hellberg, special agent Luca, finally I I can be called a special agent. I’ve only just been an agent before, but this is my most special. No, you’re the special FBI agent who we love and adore. Who excited returns to season 2? I’m excited. I’m excited, too. I get to hold a gun and do all those, you know, all those those stunts everybody’s been craving. Yeah, they’re all talking about the stunts and you get to do it. What did it mean to you to get the call back to do another I mean you’re one of the few recurring characters in this thing. Yeah, I I am. Uh it was it was great cuz I I’m I’m a fan of the show and I’m excited to So when I read the script, you know, I’m curious who’s going to play the John Melany type and it was John Malini. Even just a John Molany type I I’d be a fan of. But, uh, so I I get to come and play with all of these insanely fantastic actors and comedians and directors, and it’s a it’s like a company of just the highest pedigree of of cool talent. Really awesome. It does sound like this is a show that everyone is vying to be on or it’s a show where you want to come back like you. So, what is it about working with Natasha and this casting crew? Oh, wow. Well, Natasha is like she’s sort of like if Joan Rivers and Jenna Rollins just like slammed into each other and gave birth to a a a fuzzy-haired uh lady. She’s she’s the best. She’s totally a a force of nature. And and the cool thing is is that a lot of the times, you know, if you’re a guest on the show, you don’t really end up coming back because you either are murdered in a horrific way or you commit a horrific murder. But I get to keep coming back because I’m I’m a good guy. So, I I sort of fumble up the ladder of the FBI um and I think develop some kind of some sort of feelings for Natasha. I feel like I my character wants to protect her. That’s how I see it. It’s it’s a it’s a brother sister kind of vibe now. But, you know, that can evolve or wait, can it? Yeah. With some romance, it sounds like Yeah, why not? There’s uh there’s a good friend of yours, Jason Ritter, is in a later episode. You guys don’t get to work together, I don’t think, but No, I didn’t get to work with him. If you guys were able to or had to solve a mystery in real life, which one of you would be like the Sherlock Holmes, which one of you would be the Watson? I I He would be so far ahead of me. He’s like a a big gamer. And I I the first escape room I ever did was with him and it was very unfair and I felt humiliated by him cuz we went in and he just he just discovered immediately like went over to the wall, took down a painting, took down this, looked at a clue and I just stood there. Um, but I, you know, he used to play video games all night. We were roommates in college, so I think I threw away my education by going to class and he he studied hard at at playing all the video games and now he can get out of an escape room in record time and here I am. So that’s a really important party trick. So you need to learn from someone, let it be him. Yeah. Yeah. You don’t want me leading the the mission in real life. Great. David Ellen Greer right now. Welcome from the premiere of Poker Face season 2. This show is all about mystery. Real life mystery you are obsessed with. So you’ve been mentioned. Oh, you’re actually reading our prompter right now. Here comedy. We’re going to take a beat. We’re going to take first. What’s one thing, excuse me? What’s one thing performing standup comedy that has taught you that you didn’t learn at Yale? Well, you want to take that one? The setup. You understand? or the call back. I have never been good at the call back. You know, you plant the seed when you first I’m talking about lemons. Yeah. Yeah. You do you come back and that’s why lemonade sour, you never got that part. David, you literally make a better host than we do. Yeah, I know. Do you want to do the rest? Just do it, man. Yeah. Yeah. Come back anytime and help us out. I don’t know how much you guys really enjoyed that, but you know. No, listen up a little. We do. Will you tell us? Are you a murderer? Are you a good guy? What can you say? Um, in life, not on the show. No, I’m just kidding. So, I mean, kind of spilled beans. No. Okay. All right. I’m a I’m a I’m a mal content. Oh, I’m a super. The bane of every New Yorker’s existence. I’ve never had Have you Have you guys ever lived in New York? I No. No. Oh, wow. A super in a small building. They hold the key to the universe. Literally. Oh, wow. Literally. I was in an apartment when I lived in New York and I said I think I have uh mice and the super said how many? That’s the answer to that. How many? Because it was just like one question like I think I saw one. Yeah. Or one seven times. One is too many. Seven or one. Yeah. Exactly. Put like a little little nail polish on his forehead. What uh what was your I mean what’s it like watching Natasha do her thing on the show? getting into that into that Charlie Kale vibe. I love Natasha. I met her many many years ago and we did a movie a long time ago and she annually calls me to work with her and this is the first time in a long time to not be able to say yes because my schedule has always been notoriously busy. Natasha will text me and say, “Are you available?” And I say no and she hangs up till next year. Till next year. Yeah. But this was great. that was actually available and this is her show and it’s really cool. I couldn’t do the other one cuz I was always busy. So, I love seeing her and working with her. Yeah. Well, we love that the stars aligned and the timing aligned and you can finally be on the show and we can’t wait for your graduation. And listen guys, nobody does it better. Wow. Than you guys really and why are and and um are you going to enjoy the premiere tonight? Oh, absolutely. And don’t forget about those lemons. Excuse me. How about you? I am going to introduce. All right, that’s all the time we have. Okay, you have been friends with Natasha for years. What is it like supporting her and seeing her career evolve over the years? She’s such a funny person that uh the reward of it is just getting to see her reaction to all this stuff. She’s just so funny about everything. She told me yesterday that you, John Melany, and Nick Croll are on a text chain together that’s quite active. What is happening in that text chain? What can you say? It’s I want to say it’s more abstract than it is anything else cuz it’s just these are such funny people that we just get stuff from the news and just it’s pretty great. And you guys hear us like riffing on stuff in the It’s almost even it’s almost even like weirder than riffing. Uh-huh. It’s just almost like stream of consciousness. She said yesterday that John Melan’s character in the you know in in the show in season 2, she she said that she floated it out to the text message. I don’t know if this is a joke. that he was the first one to respond that he wanted to do it. Is that is that true or not? That sounds true. If that sounds true, why not? You are one of the funniest people I’ve ever seen on You’re very nice to see. No, seriously. Like I know so many of your characters and know so many lines of yours. What is a common line that your fans maybe yell out to you when they see you on the street? Oh, cuz I know what I would say if I was just walking by or you were walking by. The one I get the most is um straight to jail. Straight to jail. From Yeah. from parks and recreation. And does that get old or do you appreciate it? I really like it cuz it’s nice. You know, I remember like if you know I saw someone who I admired or or whatever and recognized somebody, I would say something. So, it’s nice. It’s nice, you know. I like that. Well, then I feel like this is a safe space and I just have to end on cacao. Hey, joining us now is guest star from season 2, Gada. What up? What up? What up? How are you? Doing good. I’m doing good. Okay, you got to tell us about your character. I need to know like if you could describe your character’s personality in three words, what do you got for us? Uh, vivaceious. Okay. Um, smart and funny. Oh, I like that. You are a really funny guy. I like that, man. How what was the vibe like on set? Were you a fan of the first season? Oh, definitely, man. The show’s high pace. I like the energy of the show. Natasha is a legend. She’s dope. Killing it. But I I was so happy when I got the call and I got to do the self tape and, you know, it is amazing experience and so happy to be a part of this. Yeah. Tell us about the the vibe on set. What was it like between takes and between rolling? Uh it it was cool, man. You know, Natasha brings a lot of energy. You know, she requires everyone to be on their aame. You know, I learned how to be more hands-on, you know, like just by seeing how serious she take the show. So, yeah, the vibe was cool. Everybody was on point. Everybody was cool. I got a director that I worked with. Her name is Mimi. She directed our episode. She’s amazing. So, yeah, it was fun. Now, last year, people were saying that anyone but you made romcoms like fun and trendy and cool again. We’re hearing there’s a chance there’s a sequel. Do you know anything? Hey, I don’t know nothing about that. But if there is a sequel, I will be ready. Soduck, I love you. I can’t wait to, you know, work on that. That’ll be tight. But that that movie was fun. We shot that in Australia. Sydney Glenn, the whole cast was amazing. My favorite is uh German That’s my guy. So good. You do it all. You do music. You do acting. You’re also in one of my other favorite shows, Dave. Oh, let’s go. Where where are you right now with your career? Are we leaning more towards the acting or we diving into music as well? Uh, we doing both. You know, we we staying with the foundation. Music is what got me to, you know, TV and entertainment film world. So, we doing both. Uh, I got movies coming out. Shot a movie with Paris Jackson and Rory Koken. You know, it’s coming out soon, but it’s dope. You stay busy. I love it. Do you find that the music and the acting sort of influence each other in what subtle ways? Has your involvement in both changed the way you do one or the other? Uh, it’s just all about passion, man. you know, it’s centered around passion and just being a dreamer. So, I like performing, you know, and they they both tie in to performing and it’s an art. It’s a skill, you know, whether you’re doing music on stage and you got mic control, you hyping up the crowd, they remember your song, or whether you say aable line or you make somebody feel you emotionally. So, they they both the same, but they’re just different. But I love them equally both. Dana, it’s so good to see you. I’m loving your fit, by the way. I feel like it it really goes well with the theme of the show as well. Let’s go. Come on, man. Hey, Poker Face is a wild show. I can’t wait for y’all to see it. And I want y’all to see my episode, too. We had the best time. I had so much fun on this episode because um Natasha is so present and you never know what she’s going to give you. So, she’s just right there and it feels like improv in a way, even though of course it’s scripted. So, it’s that’s the best kind of acting for me. It’s just really fun. Between takes, what were you guys doing to just keep the energy up and and the camaraderie between you guys? My god. Probably just laughing a lot because Aqua I play Aquafina’s grandmother. I left the gray wig at home for tonight. You’re looking fabul. And so yeah. No, I it just it was my first time working with Aquafina and Natasha. So just getting to know them and like you know hanging and going to restaurants. We we shot in a place called Greenpoint uh Brooklyn and I fell in love with that place. Oh my. It’s like you been to that part of Brooklyn. It’s just hipster. It’s very like Los Angeles, Eagle Rock. Yeah. Yeah, I totally live there. Wait, I would love that for you. I think that’d be such a fun Oh my gosh. Like just quirky little shops and cafes and things like that. It is exactly the kind of spot where you would expect to find Natasha and Aqua. Japanese uh breakfast for example, like you know what things that are vintage stores, you know. Yeah. And you have been able to revive some of your most iconic characters from King of the Hill to Futurama. What is another character of yours that you would love to dive back into? Oh gosh. Well, a million years ago I did a movie called The Joy Luck Club and um it would just be so we’re we’ve remained like really close friends, the four daughters. So that’s a 30-year friendship. So even if it’s not that even if it’s not a sequel, we would love to just do something together. Just Asian woman power, you know? That’s so sweet. That would be really fun. what you’re doing to the community for the community means so much being a part of it just looking up to you for all of these years that I wasn’t sure. Yep. So, you’re telling me Wait, there’s a a group chat with the OG Joy Luck Co. Oh, every day we’re on a group chat. Wow. And Rosyn mutes us, which is not very nice because we just text so much. That is so sweet. I love knowing that. Look at how beautiful she looks. I know. She really is incredible. You look incredible. Thank you. I love it. I love that this this orange is the new black like sisterhood has has maintained over the years. Oh yeah. And Usuzo’s here as well. I saw her just from afar. But yeah, I clock that. And I think Adrien is No, Adrienne’s not here. Maybe. I don’t She’s not here, but she was on She was on the show. I don’t know. I don’t know. Well, tell us about what it was like reuniting on screen with Natasha. Well, she’s literally the best. So, it was so much fun. I mean any doing anything with her is so much fun. Yeah. Can you tell? I mean this is like already a party. It’s just like a friend reunion. Exactly. Like does she call you personally? Like is if people don’t know Touch it is ever all her business via text. She like where are you going to be hottie? Where you want to be? You want to come come on over here? Yeah. I need you over here. It feels shitty but just come and do it. That’s so fun though because shitty deal but come on come on over here. people who might be watching this who don’t know, it’s usually done through like agents and lawyers and there’s layers upon layers and then meetings and maybe we’ll see. It’s so fun that it’s her just be like come come hang out and do this. Please come hang out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So tell us about your experience working on set. Did it feel like all right times we’re back at it or did it feel different? Not at all. It felt kind of terrifying. I mean it’s a very different thing to have her directing. But also one of my favorite directors of all time Ty West was directing one of the episodes I was in. So, I was so excited, but it was a very different vibe. You know, I was playing an FBI agent. I was on the other side of the of the law this time. Okay. So, it was a Yeah, it was it was fun. It was really fun. It was a different dynamic to be directed by those two people. Hey, how has your relationship with Natasha changed and evolved over the years? Well, I think I’ve I mean, I’ve always had so much respect for her, but it’s just it’s just grown so much. I mean, I I love her so much and I’m so proud of her. The work that she’s done, I think, is singular. What kind of once in a generation what she’s created. So, um I don’t know. My heart just grows. Oh my god, that’s Marggo Martell. My heart just grows for for for Natasha constantly. That’s what’s how it’s evolved. It’s just expanded. Yeah. There’s no limit to like the Grinch. Not that you’re the Grinch, but you know, I like that like that image. believe that. Yeah. No, I’m not the Grinch. No, not at all. Put your heart love the same. What can you tease about your role in in the the season? Are you allowed to say What are you allowed to say? I don’t remember what I did. Some people are telling us if they were the murderers or the solvers. I I know that I was a gambler. That’s all I can tell you. Okay. Okay. Did we have a dark side or uh semi dark? Oh, okay. Not not real dark. Just like dark adjacent. Dark dark adjacent. Yes, exactly. Between this and the sticky, you’re kind of in these like dark roles now. I’ve been in the dark roles a long time. That’s fair. That’s fair. But let’s talk about the fun that was had on set working with these people. Everyone is raving about their experience. How ah Natasha’s incredible. And it was so so much fun. And and Adam Markin directing I love I love him. And uh I just had a I had a great time. It was a wonderful It was a wonderful time and it’s right there in New York. So that made me happy. Yeah. How does this uh compare to um the Hannah Montana movie? Wow. I know that one specific thing. Let’s see. Well, um so different. It was a lot shorter. Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. People remember I don’t know. I knowown is really what Will wants. And I can do the hoown throwown. Okay. How often? I’m not going to do it. How often is someone walking up to you, probably a millennial like me, and saying, “Pargo, can we do the hotel throw down together?” I was inducted into into the University of Michigan Theater Hall of Fame and they were all girls a little younger than you maybe, but around your age that were uh would had my resume and it was all about the it was all about when I said, “Oh, and then I did this and then I and then I did the Hannah Montana movie.” A and then I said, “And can you do the Hoown throwdown?” And they all stood up and we did the Hoown throwdown together. Oh my gosh, that’s really that’s really funny. Very funny. I mean, you’ve had such an incredible career with so many memorable roles, as you said, some of them dark and some of them like, you know, Hannah Montana. But is there one that sticks with you? Is there one that you think back on particularly fondly or one that you would like to revisit? Oh, Mag Spin It and Justified. Oh, justified and Parisia with Alexander Payne. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I will say like justified hit at exactly the right time for for me where I was like that’s become where I became really aware of you and your work. Well, it was a it was a it was a gift. Yeah. True gift for me that that part. We’re going to talk about your character in just a moment, but if you had to solve a mystery in your life, who’s your first phone call? Oh. To solve the mystery. Yes. Okay. Who’s really good at their detective skills? They’re using AI to find, you know, snatch someone’s face. Louis Theorough, I don’t know why the BBC guy. I don’t know. He seems so smart because people with British accent seem smarter than Americans. Sure. Benefit of the doubt. And he’s a he’s a journalist, investigative journalist, and I love him. So, I want him for no reason to do it. Good choice. Yeah. Okay. Now, let’s talk about season two. We got to know about your character. What can you tell us? Okay. I play Russ Wardell. He’s a washedup baseball player who’s uh having a midlife crisis and there’s a younger, more athletic baseball player taking my spot and let’s just say something tragic happens and then Natasha has to solve the case and I don’t want to give anything away but um I killed somebody. Yeah, I was going to say it sounds like Lil Young’s got to go. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And so um I I Yeah, it’s fun being the washed up guy. I get that a lot. I’m 50 years old. I have the body of a 49year-old. So, I always get cast as the washed up guy, but it’s fun and it’s self-deprecating. You’re not looking washed up at all. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. You’re looking good, man. I feel good. Congratulations. That’s it. Fun tonight. Yeah, I will. I hope you guys enjoy. We did the dang thing. And I just want to say my mom loves the show and she told me before. She goes, “I have a feeling you’re going to get poker face.” And then I did and I got to call my mom and say, “I got poker face.” Oh my god. Is she here today? No, she’s not here. But she’ll be watching the show. She’ll be watching five. Yeah. Everyone watch it. Okay. We will be watching. Thank you so much for having a great night. Okay. Okay. Yeah. [Music]
Drive onto the star-studded Poker Face season 2 premiere red carpet with us as we catch up with the stars from the acclaimed Peacock series. Who do you think is going to be a villain? Full Story: https://www.eonline.com/news/1416958/poker-face-season-2-red-carpet-livestream-with-e
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