#315 Michaela Watkins star of Dinner with the Parents

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:28

All right, Carol, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get the show going each and every weekend. This week was no exception. Welcome, everybody. It's episode 315 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Welcome to what's sure to be the best bonus family episode ever. Michaela Watkins is here and today we're talking dinner with parents. Now I haven't done a Thursday episode in a long time but dinner with the parents. It was released on the 18th. I got to meet with Jon Beckerman. And when I love a show, I try to talk to as many people from that show as well. If you look at my show history, I had a bunch of people from Happy Days love but the Orville you got it. You got it, you know. Anyway, so I love dinner with the parents honestly loved it, loved it, loved it, loved it, loved it. I got a chance to have a quick conversation with Michaela Watkins on the show's launch day last week. And oh, and by the way, I'm declaring this the pass over episode The official Passover episode of Classic conversations. Michaela and I ended up sharing some family stories during the interview. Anyway, I'm excited for you to hear this conversation. Don't miss John Beckerman showrunner creator have dinner with the parents talk to them earlier this week. That's an awesome one. Also, right now, here's a little bonus episode for you. The star of dinner with the parents. Michaela Watkins enjoy.

Alright everyone, I'm excited to introduce my next guest love during casual, benched wet, Hot American Summer, first day of camp and now starring in dinner with the parents. Welcome to the show. Michaela Watkins . Hi, i How are you?

Michaela Watkins 2:08

Thank you for having me. Can you hear me? Okay? And all that jazz.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:12

I can hear you. Okay. And all that jazz. Okay, great. I was so excited when to be reminded that you were in the Wet Hot American Summer first day of camp.

Michaela Watkins 2:21

God that I mean, I am such a fan of all David Wayne stuff. But yeah, that one's wouldn't is just I mean, they just have always all those guys from the state just have the wrong brand of humor. That is a replicable. I

Jeff Dwoskin 2:34

loved it. I mean, when I discovered the movie, and then they brought it back. And then it's just them. There's just something so funny about it. I just needed to get that cast back. I mean, it's just yeah, Michaela, I, I watched all of dinner with the parents. Oh, you did? Oh, yeah. When I was talking, I talked to John Becker, man. And I was like, oh, you know, usually I'll watch an episode or two to get a feel for it. And I was like, I just got sucked right in.

Michaela Watkins 2:59

Oh, that's awesome. I'm so happy to hear that. My first review is from you right now.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:04

Oh, well, then allow me to continue. I think your your your going down is one of the funniest TV moms ever.

Michaela Watkins 3:10

Oh, but that is so nice. Thank you. You're welcome.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:14

And I was I mentioned this to John too. But it was like when I'm watching this show. I'm about halfway through. I realized, wait a minute. I'm the I'm as old as the parents. This is the first time I'm watching a show. And like, I'm the parents and I like was like a mental you know what I mean? You know,

Michaela Watkins 3:32

tell me about it. I don't even have kids. So you know, all of a sudden, I'm playing a mom of these two grown boys. And I'm like, wait, what? That's who I would be if I had kids. Is that what is that happening? It's really because you know, we all see ourselves as like, I don't know what what age do you think you are? Like if you had to? If you if no one told you your actual age. What age do you feel like you are?

Jeff Dwoskin 3:54

Oh, do I feel? Probably still in my 30s?

Michaela Watkins 3:58

Uh huh. Me too. I'd be 39 Maybe 38? Yeah. I used to say like 33 or four. But I think I've graduated to 39. I

Jeff Dwoskin 4:08

hear you like it right? It doesn't compute in my head that now mentally I'm of the age and have kids that old? Yeah.

Michaela Watkins 4:16

And I know my mom doesn't feel at seven. I know my mom. My mom is like my mom thinks she's 30 years old. I think

Jeff Dwoskin 4:24

I say that to my wife all the time. She's like, I cannot believe you know, we have a 22 year old and a 25 year old and I'm like, how did you think your mom feels?

Unknown Speaker 4:33

Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 4:34

your mom's like, I'm a 50 year old?

Michaela Watkins 4:36

No, like my sister's oldest son just had a baby. And I'm like, that makes me a great aunt. What? How? I mean, yes, she's older than me. So I was, you know, pretty young when when her son was born, but he just had a baby. So my sister's a grandmother. I mean, how On Earth, it's just weird. Anyway, this is boring. I'm sorry that we're talking about age ages beautiful. It's a it's a blessing. It's a privilege. It's a gift. It's a

Jeff Dwoskin 5:09

gift. So well, it's since we're diving a little into dinner with the parents, so I just give him one. This is on Amazon for EV. It's about Jewish family and the sons that come home every Shabbat to have Friday Night Dinner.

Michaela Watkins 5:23

Yeah. And it never goes according to plan ever.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:26

What kind of drew you to this? Ah,

Michaela Watkins 5:29

I like comedy. I like to laugh. I like to make people laugh. I read one of the scripts. It wasn't the pilot script. Interestingly, I think it's the second or third script. Maybe that was the first one I read. And I just thought I could do something with this. And also, it's shot in England. I like England a lot. I like jobs. And I like you like working? Yeah, I like working. I like being able to pay my bills. And I really I met John Beckerman, who's the creator and I really liked him. I just thought he was so awesome. And he told me he was they were like, probably going to offer it to Dan back at all to play Harvey, my husband in the show. And I've worked with Dan before and I just thought so much of a job for me is Do I enjoy going into work and being with the people I would be with all day. That is such a huge part of of saying yes to things. I know people just think well, the scripts funnier, blah, blah, blah. You know, maybe that's enough. But no, it's got I have to imagine that when I go to work. I wouldn't be happy to be there. And and that's what it was Carol Kane, you know, she's a legend. But all these people came on after I saw I didn't know who was necessarily going to be at it. Just Dan, and that was enough for me. He's

Jeff Dwoskin 6:43

hilarious. Yeah, you make a hilarious couple. What was it like working with Carol Kane? Like a legend? Surreal,

Michaela Watkins 6:50

you know, because I grew up watching her. And she's uniquely funny. She's got this unique voice that I love to imitate her. I'm not sure she likes it when I do. But I can't help myself. So I do it all the time. I she is she's a love. You know, she's just a loving lady. And we became good friends.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:10

Oh, speaking. You just remind me of something. So speaking of doing imitation, so I was watching Henry Hall is plays your son on this. And he's amazing. And he's Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Brad Hall's son. And it was while I was digging in, as I was stalking you on YouTube and such, I found a clip of you and Julie, on the view, promoting a movie that you were doing together. But my question is when you were there, and they played you doing Barbara Walters live. The uncomfortable part was funny because they're like, you know, you're doing Barbara Walters on the view out there, obviously, but like the idea of sitting there and then Fred Armisen is joy Beyhadh. And like, and then Kenan was Whoopi, as I you're like, Oh,

Michaela Watkins 7:56

yeah. And yeah, watching her watch five hours and do an impression of her this probably not like, yeah, I remember I did a photocopy on SNL, and she said that she was just glad Kenan Thompson didn't didn't end up doing her.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:14

Thank you. You could constantly stay with a straight face with Kristen Wiig doing Kathie Lee,

Michaela Watkins 8:20

I just I love playing opposite Kristen. I longed to do it again. It's been too long. Makes me sad. I want to do it again,

Jeff Dwoskin 8:27

ever on its season to have dinner with the parents. Very sorry to interrupt. Hope you're enjoying this bonus episode of Classic conversations. Just want to take a quick second. Thank you everyone for their support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors. You're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. And now back to my conversation with Michaela Watkins, did you watch the original UK version? Friday Night Dinner?

Michaela Watkins 8:51

I you know, I my husband's like when they offered it? He's like, You should watch the UK version. And I was like that yeah, that would make a lot of sense. And he put it on and I was howling. I thought it was so funny. But I also can't watch it because you know I'm about to probably say yes to this job and play Jane and I just can't I can't have somebody else's interpretation in my head so I had to stop which was unfortunate because I really enjoyed watching that show.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:22

Are you like waiting to hear like because people are gonna compare like they compare like when the office because that show in the UK? Right now don't worry about you are you know, you're part Oh, thank

Michaela Watkins 9:33

you. I'm sure people who you know when you like I don't want to watch the Canadian version of succession. Like it's just there's only one succession for me. So I just feel like of course, I'm bracing myself for people to make a comparison and to feel really like that their beloved show has been hijacked by Americans and turned into you know, a bad thing or something. But what can you do? You know, it's like we made it Now it's out there in the world and I can't control it. So I just have to let it be what it is. I think they'll both stand on their own. We're not like Green cancer, we're just making a comedy. So like if people take it too seriously, I just want to say calm down.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:14

Exactly. How much did you draw in your own Jewish background growing up and a character or any of these circumstances are we

Michaela Watkins 10:22

We're not this kind of Jewish family. First of all, my parents are divorced. So like, we weren't even really a unit anyway. But we, my mom is, you know, not religious at all. My dad got very religious after they divorced, which was very surreal and weird. So yes, like, I understand. And I know the traditions and I know like, you know, I think there's really funny stuff with there's a Passover episode, like, a Shiva where someone dies. And I think those are really fun, funny episodes, it doesn't lead into hard into the Jewish thing, but you know, on the show, but I know that they're Jewish. And so I guess I didn't try to not be Jewish, if that makes sense. I didn't try to you know, I've played Italians and Greeks and all kinds of other people and Catholics. I just played a Catholic woman on an Italian Catholic woman on Abbott Elementary. So it's like I like to play all these other characters but with this, I just kind of let my my Jew fly by Jews sides. Like it's,

Jeff Dwoskin 11:25

it's yeah, it plays into the cultural aspects of it. Not the kind of religious No,

Michaela Watkins 11:31

in fact, I laughed because my character is really a was a really, she was hooking up with her, you know, boyfriend during Hebrew school on and not learning how to be a good Jew. So there they do talk about that in one of the episodes.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:45

I think that is what a good Jew is. That's what you do it

Michaela Watkins 11:48

yeah. And I think I don't think I was hooking up with anybody at Hebrew school because I was really an awkward. You know, in middle school, I was a real awkward kid with frizzy hair and braces. But I do know that I was heavily interested in flirting with other boys and not at all learning about how to be Jewish.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:09

Well, speaking of flirting, talk to you about John Glaser and because that's a funny kind of reoccurring thing with him being his character on the show.

Michaela Watkins 12:18

What's your favorite thing John's ever done?

Jeff Dwoskin 12:19

My favorite thing John's ever done. I love the one. I'm trying to remember the name of it. So when we're he has to wear the mask the whole time. Oh, okay. He's done a lot of great stuff. His stuff is all so unique.

Michaela Watkins 12:29

I just feel like he's always very interesting every time I see him, and he's always very different. Like I really I saw him in, in girls.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:38

Did you ever watch girls? I never watch girls now. Oh, yeah,

Michaela Watkins 12:41

he was in that. And he was Gabby Hoffman's like, partner. He was such a weirdo. Weirdo. Anyway, I so working with him has been really a treat. He is very, very funny actor. And he is just a funny guy. It's just a he's a quirky. Funny guy.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:00

Yeah, he's he's hilarious. He, I'm trying to D locate it. That's the show. Oh, right. It's like 15 minute episodes or something like that. I was. Yeah. He's really really funny. He actually I was raised in Michigan. He's from Michigan. So I had met him before we had mutual friends. Jeremy jam is probably one of one of the best on Parks and he's

Michaela Watkins 13:20

doing a really good The show takes place in Pittsburgh. And he really leaned into the Pittsburgh accent in the show do Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 13:26

his accent is love for his dog. And his obsession with you. It's something Yeah.

Michaela Watkins 13:32

Yeah. I love I love playing the object is someone's desire. Even if it's the weirdest guy in the whole neighborhood,

Jeff Dwoskin 13:40

your character is I mean, it's so there's so relatable, you know, I mean, it's like the episode where you're you have though the neighbors over and you're trying to get in with them with the bachelor because you want to just be part of the group. Yeah, it's such a relatable show. It's so funny.

Michaela Watkins 13:55

Thank you.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:56

When did you know you're larious and wanted to be an actor? I

Michaela Watkins 14:00

hoped I was hilarious. I don't know if I knew I was. But I certainly tried to be as a kid just to like, you know, we were talking about divorce parents, you know, you try to have some levity and make sure everybody's getting along and everything. And I just didn't like it when everybody was uncomfortable. It's wanted everybody to be comfortable and happy. But I would say, you know, I really am a soy boy crazy when I was a young adolescent. Really boy crazy. And I felt like if I couldn't get guys to like me, because I was hot that I was going to have to go another route. And what I would do is make them laugh. And that was very intoxicating for me. And so I think that was like the biggest, most encouraging greenlight to doing comedy. And then I think I just kept developing it developing that muscle.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:55

Did you do a lot of impressions and stuff at the Groundlings like the ones that you eventually Yeah, like,

Michaela Watkins 15:00

you don't really do impressions of the Groundlings, which is interesting. It's more original characters. So when I had my SNL audition, I was thinking I would have to they were starting to do so many impressions at that time that I felt like I should probably, I, I don't know, I kind of thought of half of them on the plane going there. To test for it.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:21

Bitch, please is one of the funniest things ever.

Michaela Watkins 15:24

Thank you. Thank you. Alright, so

Jeff Dwoskin 15:26

in terms of dinner with the parents, like what is I know we talked about Shiva, Shiva episode, the Passover episode, what I think is so cool about the show is that it takes a lot of these Jewish things and puts a really kind of funny spin on it. And I think it'll be cool for people to be introduced to Jewish things in this way. So I do

Michaela Watkins 15:46

have a big Jewish following big Jewish audience would you say? I don't.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:52

I'll take one guy, but like, yeah,

Michaela Watkins 15:54

exactly. I was just gonna say if you do, I was gonna I was gonna tease that there's this one episode, where it might be the finale. There's, there's my characters playing this autoharp. Do you know what that instrument is? You know, it's a very weird instrument and John Beckerman, the Creator gave me one when we were shooting and said, and you learned to play Dayenu on this and I was like, probably, and I took it home and I sent him a video of me it being you know, in my flat in London, like, died. I knew that, you know, I went after we were done shooting, I was at a dinner. I was at a Seder. And were you sing the song Dayenu. That would be that would have been enough is what it translates to. And there was the hosts mother in law, who she was in, she's like, 91 years old, and she started to feel ill. And she had kind of an A medical that like, she's fine, but she passed out. But the kids music teacher at school, picked up an autoharp and started playing Dinu and singing it and walking around while the ambulance showed up. And you know, the paramedics are like talking to the mother in law, and you see this woman walking around singing diameter with an autoharp. It was almost exactly one of the episodes, and I thought I was having a fever dream. It was so weird. You

Jeff Dwoskin 17:19

know, I gotta say, I have the same story, right? We're really we're at Seder, my cousin Josh, all of a sudden goes Uncle Martin sleeping. Oh, no, he's met he had taken the wine and mix with his medicine. My, my dad got him on the ground, resuscitated him. And I just remember the ambulance is coming to the house. And I remember my aunt Deborah going crazy, because, you know, you pulled over right when the ambulance is coming, but they pulled over in front of the driveway. You know, and it's like, and so I just I remember that, like, I mean, that was so long ago, but like, You just reminded me i Yeah, it was he lived he lived so Oh,

Michaela Watkins 17:56

thank god. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:01

All right. I know I gotta get you out here because you've got a million places to go. So I thank you 1000 times for hanging out with me. And everyone watched dinner with the parents. It's on Amazon freebie. There's episodes up there. Now you can go dive in it is I promise you one of the funniest shows you will watch.

Michaela Watkins 18:17

I appreciate it. And thanks for having me. And thanks for talking about the show. And I'm so happy like it makes my day. I don't

Jeff Dwoskin 18:23

like it. I love it. I love it. Yay. 100% 100 stars. All right. How awesome was Michaela Watkins. I encourage you to Google all her Saturday live sketches dive in some of her other work. She's been in so many shows. Anyway, but definitely first top of the list dinner with the parents. Check that out. It is hilarious. You're gonna love it. Well, that was our Passover episode. I'm going to try and find some more folks from the show to talk to hopefully we'll see. I don't know. Well, I don't know. We'll see. Anyway, huge thank you to Michaela Watkins for carving out some time for me. And a huge thank you to all of you for coming back week after week means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

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