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Actor Kathryn Hahn joins Sam from her “she shed” to talk about how important it is to try a decision on for size before you make it and how she’s very good at getting rid of stuff (except for her kids’ art projects). They talk about taking jobs to pay off student loans, the distinct wetness of pre-packaged hardboiled eggs, why moving to LA was never part of her plan, and watching their moms go through menopause.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Samantha Bee, Kathryn Hahn

Samantha Bee  00:30

Look, I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and besides, I couldn’t find a dead horse if I wanted to. They’re all in RFK Jr’s car, but I simply must remind you to check in on your local Planned Parenthood. I know, and you know Planned Parenthood is synonymous with abortion in this country, but they do so much more to serve over 2 million patients a year. They perform STI testing, cancer screenings, administer birth control, they do wellness exams, and yes, they even perform vasectomies. Because, yeah, in case you forgot, while you’re making abortion a women’s issue, men are a vital part of unplanned pregnancies too, which is why I have some serious Choice Words for Republicans like President elect Trump and Vice President Elect Vance, who are committed to defunding Planned Parenthood as soon as they take office, providing health care to millions of people is expensive. The majority of Planned Parenthood’s patients are at or below the poverty line, but no one has ever turned away if they need care. Abortion is an important part of what they do, but it is not the entire organization. Planned Parenthood is lucky to get donations from caring citizens every day, but it needs government funding to continue its services as well. Its finances are precarious, even under the best administration, so just imagine what it’s going to look like over the next four years. So this holiday season, if you’re looking for ways to get involved or to spread some generosity around, reach out to your local Planned Parenthood If you are lucky enough to still have one.

 

Samantha Bee  03:02

This is Choice Words. I’m Samantha Bee. My guest today is Kathryn Hahn, who I am such a huge fan of. You know Katherine from Step Brothers, Wanderlust, Transparent Wandavision and her new show, Agatha, all along, we need so many breaths of fresh air these days, and this was surely one of them. I laughed so hard My cheeks hurt, so take a listen and make good choices. This conversation could not be better time. Oh, I know my goodness, how? First of all, how are you?

 

Kathryn Hahn  03:44

I am very well, the world can go back. Wait, do you know where I first met you in person was, I’ll never forget it, because I was so starstruck. It was an awards show.

 

Samantha Bee  03:58

Yes.

 

Kathryn Hahn  03:59

And we were seated like, next to each other, like, maybe I know, I was so excited.

 

Samantha Bee  04:05

I was so excited to meet you. I was trying to remember which award show it was.

 

Kathryn Hahn  04:10

I think it was, listen to me. I’m like, I think it was, but I haven’t been there many. That’s why I’m like, I know exactly watches.

 

Samantha Bee  04:21

Emmys. Maybe it was like the untelevised ones, but we were still highly, totally, like, you still gotta bring the heat, even if they’re not putting it on television, right?

 

Kathryn Hahn  04:36

And I always bring flats in my husband’s jacket just because I can’t deal with the heels all night.

 

Samantha Bee  04:41

Can I ask you a question? Man, yeah, he’s a good man. You know what? It’s so funny. I’m so happy that you mentioned that, because I do that too, and it was just for like, you know, for shits and giggles. When you’re online shopping and you don’t buy anything and you’re like, put stuff on your cart. I put a pair of flats in my cart. It. And I was like, you’re not going to the Emmys. I don’t need these.

 

Kathryn Hahn  05:04

Like, cute little flats, like ballet flats, like little ballet flats.

 

Samantha Bee  05:07

Like squishy ones that would fit in clutch, like a huge clutch, you could get.

 

Kathryn Hahn  05:12

A great idea to have any time you have to dress up. It’s true. I guess I don’t have to. I mean, so I literally would either have hotel slippers, yeah, in the same way, or what. There’s been a couple times where I’ve put full on Birkenstocks, which is like a real bummer for him, because then he has to deal with the high, high heeled shoes for the rest of the nice.

 

Samantha Bee  05:32

Very true. But I was very happy when the during the advent of the giant clutch, that was like, yes, comically oversized. I was like, yes, what we’re talking about, this is clutch like a burst bag.

 

Kathryn Hahn  05:49

But it was a large clutch that I love.

 

Samantha Bee  05:52

Loved like a joke. It’s like a joke about clutches.

 

Kathryn Hahn  05:53

Yes, like a joke, right? It’s like, you might as well be carrying around a standard sized pillow in calves leather.

 

Samantha Bee  06:06

100% I’m like, yeah, all the male designers thought that this was, like a real, like, campy statement about clutches. But we’re like, I can bring it on, because I have to put shoes in this.

 

Kathryn Hahn  06:17

We might as well just call spade a spade and make it a backpack. Can we?

 

Samantha Bee  06:21

Oh, god, you’re speaking.

 

Kathryn Hahn  06:25

Sometimes those huge clutches come with a strap so you can wear to convertible back.

 

Samantha Bee  06:30

Yeah, convertible. I’m not a fan of tiny versus thankfully quit.

 

Kathryn Hahn  06:34

Oh me too. But you can’t fit a phone, and I have definitely worn them like, when someone else was like, This is it? And I’m like, yes, it is.

 

Samantha Bee  06:44

It hangs off my hand, and it’s not as big as my hand.

 

Kathryn Hahn  06:48

I still have to carry my phone in the other hand. And they’re getting confused one another.

 

Samantha Bee  06:54

Okay, we’ve I think you’re incredible. I think you’re incredible. So I’m like, so god damn tickled to be talking to you. I need it. I need to talk to you like I need oxygen in my lungs. And so perfectly time to talk about choice, because you’re talking about choices out in the world. Yes, oh Jesus. All right, okay, we’ll talk about choices. Here we start the conversation by talking about, like, what are you God? Are you good at making them? Are you an excellent decision maker?

 

Kathryn Hahn  07:31

I am, you know, in certain like, if it’s about looking at a at a closet. I am very fast with me. Yes, no, donate. Like, I have no sentimentality when it comes to that kind of stuff, great stuff. I have a really I’m very easy with letting go of any like kids drawings aside. I’m very okay with letting go of it. I love just being able to like and it never happens like for family, but like that, that vibe is, like, my favorite, like clean counters, like a nice drawer, um, but when it comes to making kind of life decisions, or even, like a decision at a restaurant, it like takes me a second. I don’t need to pull the room for the rest, you know, for the restaurant, and usually not even for, like, a huge life decision, but because sometimes it makes it more confusing. But I’m definitely not that great at those.

 

Samantha Bee  08:30

How do you do it? How do you get there?

 

Kathryn Hahn  08:32

Oh, just so much hand wringing. Everyone gets sick of being around me. They’re listening to me flip flop. I it’s pros and cons. Sometimes I think I should just sleep on it. Sometimes I say, I say the thing, I say an answer, and then I immediately it’s depending on how I feel afterwards. Immediately take it back. So sometimes I need to, like, try it out, getting better, just the older I get, but.

 

Samantha Bee  09:01

I feel like I relate to that. Like trying on a decision, like saying it out loud to myself and others and just going like, Yeah, I’m gonna do that thing that sounds good. I’m gonna Yeah that. I’m gonna do that. And then I feel queasy for hours, and I go, I don’t think that at a cellular level, everybody, every cell knows it’s not happening.

 

Kathryn Hahn  09:27

But then there’s always the part of me that’s like, but like, what would have happened? Like, what like, what is, you know, my mom would always say, if you’re in doubt, don’t which I try to hold true to, but I but sometimes I don’t trust myself.

 

Samantha Bee  09:44

Right, sometimes you’re like, but there’s other factors, yes, that, like, maybe we should do things that feel hard or will be profitable in some way, or, like, yeah, enhance other aspects of life. So that kind of like, overrides, yeah. But then you’ll have to have, like, a little system that you put that stuff through.

 

Kathryn Hahn  10:05

And I think I do have to, if it’s not an immediate Yes, then that is a sign that I want to investigate, or an immediate No. So that’s like, that’s where you want to investigate and try on and  those lists are really helpful. The like, if one outweighs the other, of course, but then some of it is just intuition and like, you never know if it was the right one. Sometimes you just have to. And I do, like I was saying, I feel like the older my kids are, and the older I’m getting, the easier it is to make a faster decision, because I just don’t want to, like, I mean, in my 20s and 30s, I would luxuriate right that, and now there’s just not enough. It doesn’t feel like that is time that I want to spend, doing that.

 

Samantha Bee  11:01

I think that’s, in a way, a gift, a little bit like, obviously Time goes so explosively fast, you get which I totally hate.

 

Kathryn Hahn  11:12

Which I know, it’s November, horrible. It’s November like, what?

 

Samantha Bee  11:16

But it does give you the opportunity to cut away things that aren’t worth your time. They’re like, life’s too short. Life’s too short to worry about it. Decisions. Decisions, yeah. That’s cleansing. We’ll be right back after this.

 

Samantha Bee  11:45

When you think of a big choice that you made that was like, maybe a big swing, or maybe even just like something little that you wouldn’t have even thought of, that really impacted you. Is there one that you think.

 

Kathryn Hahn  14:52

Well, when I was graduating from grad school, I went to for theater, which I thought. I thought it was for theater. I had gotten a, like, a, basically a bus, like a road and truck job for this play proof. Oh, it was Mary Louise Parker, which I loved. That was she, originally the part. It was also one of those plays that was like, just killed me. And so it was like to play her part for the first, like regional tour of the show. And that was also at the same time that I had gotten, like a job that would take me out to Los Angeles, you know, at a time in my life that I really needed I was swimming in debt from undergrad and graduate school, my then boyfriend, now hubby and I were, like, not in a really, you know, we were still like, who are we, and, you know, the money for this tour would not have been anywhere near, I mean, it was any kind of money, so at that point it was just like, I was so thrilled to be asked to work in any capacity. But yeah, it was definitely not like chipping away at Sallie Mae kind of money, yeah. And that was like the first time in my life that I had to really have the luxury of being able to say, to have that be the the question, like, I’d never had that before in my life. So, and it was very difficult, because I felt like the stakes felt so huge. It was like, Is my life gonna go this way or that way? Is it gonna be like Cal that LA track, which I’ve never, I’d never even been to like that was, I didn’t think that those would be my people out here, like I was so embedded on the East Coast. I’m from the Midwest, or would it be Theater, which is, like, where I had felt the most myself, right? Was in that space. And, you know, it was a, it was like a medical procedural show that who knew, who knew, like, how it would like, have turned out. And it was a really fun part. And I love the people involved. But again, like, do I want to just up and move? It felt like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz is like, this way or that way? Like it just felt so monumental to me.

 

Samantha Bee  17:11

How did you decide? How did you do it?

 

Kathryn Hahn  17:14

Well, there was a bunch. First of all, I think that the student loans were a huge faction, huge.

 

Samantha Bee  17:23

That’s a big burden.

 

Kathryn Hahn  17:25

That was, it’s a big, big burden. Like, I remember my last year of grad school, my friend and I would get a piece of pizza and be like, you know, like, in five years, this $3.99 cent piece of pizza will have cost us $17 because of how much, how much debt we had taken out just to even live there, yeah. So I that was huge. And then I think also my private life, like my life with my I think if I had gone on tour for like a year, right, it was a difficult thing than thinking of this show that at the time would have was only like five episodes. Um, I still had this feeling like it was only temporary, like I had my storage unit in Brooklyn for years after we were living here, you know, we when we finally had it like you hauled out, it was like, that’s what we deemed store worthy. It was like bags of tights like New York, which is.

 

Samantha Bee  18:23

Like all of my character wigs and my Joan armatrating albums.

 

Kathryn Hahn  18:28

Did I need character shoes?

 

Samantha Bee  18:31

Character shoes? I love attractors. I have one bin. I kept one bin from those ears, just because you’ve got to keep one. If you have the room for it, you got to have one Rubbermaid bin that is a whole, whole 20s.

 

Kathryn Hahn  18:46

It’s your it’s your, like, bus and truck show, like, that’s what you take with you. Yes, yeah, you have no idea that. And then I want to move to LA for this job I was staying at. Do you remember, or have you ever heard of the Oakwood apartments. Oh, yeah, of course, yeah, of course. I stayed there. There’s an amazing documentary about it, but I stayed there. So it just felt like me and a lot of stage moms and their offspring, and really divorced men and weirdest five and like I would go there convenience store and buy, like, pre packed hard boiled eggs. It had already been shucked. You know what I mean? Like, kind of in water where you’re like.

 

Samantha Bee  19:26

Why you could, like, taste someone’s hands, because they shelled it and then sealed it

 

Kathryn Hahn  19:33

And then had to put it in, like, egg water, yeah. I was like, open it up and dry it off. And it was like, Oh, God, I think about that. Yeah. So I was there, and I had like a purple Suzuki sidekick. And my whole life in LA was that stretch of Ventura between, you know, all the way up to this place called to die sushi buffet. So that was my life.

 

Samantha Bee  19:58

Did your boyfriend? The later husband, did he come with you? Or did you.

 

Kathryn Hahn  20:03

You stayed back here because we thought it was very temporary, but then when it became kind of a, not even kind of, when it became a serious regular job, he moved out, yeah, but it was that was like a, you know, we were long distance for like a half a year, even for him to move out here like both of us was this was not what I had in the plan of my life. I love at that age, like there was nothing like being like wandering around New York City, like I loved my place in Brooklyn. I love the walking traditions and my friends. You know, this just felt so spread out and lonely and just general on generals.

 

Samantha Bee  20:45

Yep, yeah. That’s a big that’s a huge leap of faith, huge leap of faith, or non faith, because he stayed behind and you were like, well, keep the keep that my side of the bed warm, coming back.

 

Kathryn Hahn  20:57

Let’s keep that plate. Let’s keep that unit in Brooklyn going for no reason, keep the lights on.

 

Samantha Bee  21:05

That’s right, when you, when you finally paid off your student loan, were you like, God damn.

 

Kathryn Hahn  21:14

I remember. I mean, it was very long after that, but I remember one calling Sally Mae, because I used to call. I mean, so a while ago, used to have to call every month to make sure that the check was so or how much I could put in that month. And so when I called and they said, Congratulations, like I it was like, I think I basically burst into tears. It was like that. She was so proud of me. I felt like it was such a sweet phone call that I never thought I would be able to hear but I just kept going to school because I just kept wanting to act. And that was, like the way could do it, which is pay.

 

Samantha Bee  21:52

Yeah, to pay them, to give you parts.

 

Kathryn Hahn  21:54

Yeah, and the parts were, I mean, for me in my 20s, was like grandma and grapes of wrath.

 

Samantha Bee  22:01

You don’t mind wearing an age wig do you?

 

Kathryn Hahn  22:11

L et me get out my rubber my Rubbermaid box, and I’ll see what I have in here.

 

Samantha Bee  22:16

I’ve already got the outfit house. Dress in my tickle trunk.

 

Kathryn Hahn  22:25

A bra with this bird seed and the boobs.

 

Samantha Bee  22:29

Oh my gosh.

 

Samantha Bee  22:31

Those are the those are the days so funny.

 

Samantha Bee  22:34

Oh, my God. Okay. I was listening to you on NPR recently, and you said that you feel like it’s at this stage of life and this point in your career that you feel like you have more control over your choices, is that, I mean, yes, right?

 

Kathryn Hahn  22:53

It’s weird, because that’s what the planet like, every society the planet like. That’s what I grew up believing was not to be the truth that, like my you know that you would kind of max out, and all of a sudden there’d be this switch, and you would just be playing moms and grandmas and right? And this, this has been weirdly the most fertile, no pun intended, time of my like of this since I was doing theater, like, since I was getting no money for it. Yeah, I know. So it’s kind of, I think I just happened to meet a couple of incredible, like, rad women writer directors who just wanted to see people our age, like, living their complex, messy lives.

 

Samantha Bee  23:45

I love messy and you know, it was so fun, like being a outside observer to your life and career, but like watching every can I say this? Can I give a compliment and you won’t be like ill, like, stand up. I don’t know it’s coming. I feel like you’re one of those just pretty rare birds, actually. Oh gosh, every time I see you in something, I’m like, you do the most everything you’re in. I’m like, you know what I mean? Like, sometimes as you like, building your career. Like, some parts are small, some parts are big. It doesn’t really that’s not the point. The point is you’re always, like, so juicy and everything that you do, yeah, like for real. And so is it creepy?

 

Kathryn Hahn  24:38

Did I just No. It means a ton. It makes me laugh, because I remember, like, early on, I was like, Yes, I definitely was doing the most. It was some big swings early on.

 

Samantha Bee  24:52

In an awesome way, in a way that me as an audience member was like, love you. Like I just. Recently, I watched my 18, my son is 16, and I was like, you have to watch wanderlust. And he was like, what is this? And I’m like, You’re gonna love it. You’re gonna fucking love it. And he was like, Yes, I love it.

 

Kathryn Hahn  25:17

Yeah, that is such a fun freaking movie. I love every single woman.

 

Samantha Bee  25:22

Oh, do you want to talk about Agatha all along? Okay, sure. Like, I love, I loved Wandavision, yeah, the first TV show in the MCU was that.

 

Kathryn Hahn  25:33

Yes, oh, I don’t know there was like, I think there were other ones. Like, this is the first one under the Disney plus banner, like marvel at Disney plus. So this, and we weren’t supposed to be first. It was supposed to be, I think, Falcon and Winter Soldier, which is a, oh, okay, much more like the dish. So we were supposed to come like second as this kind of, you know, weird steps history kind of experiment. And I think weirdly, being first out of the gate worked in our favor, because it was so left field of what had been going on over there. And yeah, I not not knowing that much about Marvel myself at all before joining. It was, yeah, just so thrilled by just the storytelling. So I was able to kind of go in without the like burden of all this right history, whatever knowledge and canon.

 

Kathryn Hahn  26:31

You didn’t have to know the whole canon when you went in.

 

Kathryn Hahn  26:32

Didn’t have to know the whole canon. I found it out. I like, did you know? Of course, like, they give you so much research, and that was fun to just look at this character, this old witch, through that.

 

Samantha Bee  26:49

So the transition so you’re going from a supporting character to this is your show. You are the lead character, witch, straight to which centuries old witch, claiming her power as she gets older. Is there anything more relatable?

 

Kathryn Hahn  27:07

No.

 

Samantha Bee  27:07

Anything more desirable?

 

Kathryn Hahn  27:09

No, I know. We just kept thinking and being chased by death the whole time, like bad pursuit, like the whole thing, like flirting with it, and not like, you know, the whole most complicated, tortured, twisted relationship is with Death, right? And especially the older you know this which gets and all of us, which is the big picture alone. When Jack Schaefer, who also wrote on division, when she pitched this to me, I was like, oh, so excited. And like, you know, you don’t really get involved with something for the metaphorical aspect of it. I was just so excited by where we would find this character left off after the events of Wandavision. So then, as I read it, and all these, like these, of course, genius themes started, like popping out. And then when I watched it, and I saw even more of it, I was I just made me worship Jack Schaefer. Even more to see

 

Samantha Bee  28:05

Witches have a moment.

 

Kathryn Hahn  28:10

I love a witch moment, especially because we have also heard witch hunt for so long that it’s kind of like and doesn’t really belong in, you know, in the mouths of who’s saying it. So it was really fun to be able to give the real witches our props.

 

Samantha Bee  28:28

I’ve heard you reference the word menopause, yes about the new show, because she’s wearing the end of a row. Very sexy. All the network executives, I’m sure we’re like, say that word more. They were like, impressed.

 

Kathryn Hahn  28:45

Can you just keep saying menopause?

 

Samantha Bee  28:49

We want to attract a lot of teenage boys, so can you say menopause? But explain that also.

 

Kathryn Hahn  28:57

I listened to the interview great. My thought would be just if you could sprinkle the word menopause and hormones in there just a little more freely. That would be preferable and more on brand.

 

Samantha Bee  29:13

Well, that thought more Choice Words after one more break.

 

Samantha Bee  29:21

I just did a show called How to Survive menopause. So I’m gonna write a book. I’m gonna I wrote, I did. It was like I just did, like a little stage show. It’ll be an audible thing that you can download and stuff in March. But I was like, we need so much more of it. And at some point, I was talking about it like, my I love my son so much. He’s incredible. He’s here. I love him. He’s a tender, wonderful boy, and he loves birds and cats. He’s great. And even he I was on my way to the theater, and I was like, I’m doing, I’m busy tonight because I’m doing my show. He was like, what show I’m like, the one I’ve been talking about for two months. It’s called How to Survive menopause. And he was like, can I just stop saying the word menopause? No, I know.

 

Kathryn Hahn  32:04

Right, actually, otherwise you’re gonna just think your mother has lost it. And it’s good to give it some context.

 

Samantha Bee  32:10

I’m like, this education is actually gonna serve you in life, you just don’t know it now.

 

Kathryn Hahn  32:17

Yes.

 

Samantha Bee  32:18

When are we getting our first real, really funny menopause TV show. We’re gonna.

 

Kathryn Hahn  32:23

I know.

 

Samantha Bee  32:24

The Golden Girls, but, like.

 

Kathryn Hahn  32:25

Honestly, it has to be, yeah, right. But menopause, I know you’re absolutely It’s bananas, because we all, you know, half the population all, all goes through it, even the dudes, apparently, yes, um, they’re virgin. And even all the doctors that I’ve seen out here, like it’s still such a uncharted territory. It’s such a moving target to laugh. It’s just like the whole idea of perimeter. I mean, you could attribute so many other symptoms to it that you’re not it could be that. It could be some could be something else. So it just, it does feel like such uncharted territory.

 

Samantha Bee  33:07

When it starts, when it ends, the bottom of the ocean. Go down to the bottom. Can you get to the bottom of the Marianas Trench and then back? And then it’s fine. maybe?

 

Kathryn Hahn  33:18

Maybe it’s fine. Or maybe your lungs explode on the way back.

 

Samantha Bee  33:23

I don’t know. I’m amazed by how much no one teaches you about it, and even, like, even if you’re reading about it, they’re just like, you may experience hot flashes. I’m like, Yeah, but what is that?

 

Kathryn Hahn  33:37

What is that?

 

Samantha Bee  33:38

What does it feel?

 

Kathryn Hahn  33:39

Why do we do that, right? What can we do? I remember getting, like, a wild yam cream and just being like, Okay, you’re supposed to, like, put it on the inside of your legs and but, like, there’s all wild yams. But, like, I I would have tried for that hot minute. No pun intended. I would have tried anything, but anything it was. But I remember, like, when my mom, like, nobody talked about it, no, of course. And I just remember like, oh, she was like, wrapping Chris, she would not mind me saying this, like, wrapping Christmas presents, smoking and crying. Like I wandered downstairs and I thought, and I was like, oh, something’s going on at the basement with mom. But, like, it was all menopause. Like, yeah, that was just what it was. She just and that was back when they were giving women the pills were of pregnant horse pit, horse mess.

 

Samantha Bee  34:29

Yeah, or, like, from a nun, like, from a virgin nun in Italy, like, her urine. Like, crazy.

 

Kathryn Hahn  34:36

Crazy.

 

Samantha Bee  34:36

Remember going to because we had, we lived in New York, and we had our first child in like, 2006 and my stepmom would come and babysit. Oh, where does it go? Somebody told us, literally that we were supposed to keep the apartment so hot. Hot because you can’t ever put a blanket on a baby. They were like, You need to keep this apartment so hot or your baby is gonna die. It’s gonna strangle itself in blankets. And we were like, holy shit. So the we turned the heat up to 86 oh, my god. Mom was she was like, I love this baby. Like, after two days, she was like, I cannot come to your home. Like, I cannot be in your home. And then she would walk around the streets, and she literally wore sweat bands, like Bjorn pork, like I had sweat like a head tennis sweat band and wristlets. Water was coming off of her and sheets like, she, I don’t think she’s healthy. Like, what’s going on with her women? Like, regular menopause.

 

Kathryn Hahn  35:50

Yeah, just regular menopause. I know.

 

Samantha Bee  35:53

Yeah.

 

Kathryn Hahn  35:54

Did you have any of those? I never had any. Like, during the day, all of a sudden I was covered in sweat. It was more like at night for me.

 

Samantha Bee  36:04

More like at night I would leave. I stopped buying white sheets because it just, there’s a crime outline that’s just yellow, of like a human body in a twist, like somebody was killed here. There’s no point. I did now I buy pink sheets. There’s just like Rose tone because it conceals.

 

Kathryn Hahn  36:25

Yes, it really the crime a dusty rose.

 

Samantha Bee  36:29

A dusty rose, still an outline, probably, but you got to keep refreshing. It’s just like, just like you got to keep pressing refresh by cheaper sheets more often.

 

Kathryn Hahn  36:41

For sure. We actually bought separate comforters just because I was like, ah, like, I could, I would just, like, whip them off. We have, like, two side by side.

 

Samantha Bee  36:49

I think that that’s a technique. It’s like, it is Swedish duvet. Is there some name for it?

 

Kathryn Hahn  36:54

There’s a name for it? Yeah, I can’t remember what what it is. It’s like, the du fold the duvet. I don’t know what it is, but yeah, we got, we each got one, and it’s actually kind of made life a lot more smart. What if I was like, we just bought one, and we share.

 

Samantha Bee  37:09

We share, we just share everything. My side is wet, yes, sopping wet. Duvet. Did you hear it? I did hear that women or people. This is not just women, humans, age and waves. So like, you hit one wave in your 50, late 40s, early 50s, and then, like, I thought I was dying. I was like, I’m gonna die, for sure, but I didn’t. And then you hit it again in your early 60s. I was like, we gotta get strong. Oh, workout. I’m gonna work out in your she shed.

 

Kathryn Hahn  37:44

My  she shed. You sure can, she said, but it’s also tougher to get muscle mass. Yes, I guess, yeah, because I used to be able to like and it’s a little tougher, but also something you’re supposed to do the older we get is, is strength train, which I.

 

Samantha Bee  38:03

Kind of be doing, yeah.

 

Kathryn Hahn  38:05

Yeah, a little, yeah. I love, I mean, I do love exercise. Motivation has been weirdly less, but I do love, like, moving in some way, even if it’s a hike with my pal, you’re in New York, you could just walk everywhere. Like, York. You get to walk everywhere, like, walk.

 

Samantha Bee  38:25

But then, you know, like, but then the lower half is very exercised and fresh, yeah, the upper half just slowly turns to powder. And then the shoulders with a messenger bag, and then you’re crooked, yeah? And you go see someone, and they’re like, you’re crooked. And you’re like, Yeah, fuck, I don’t know I was the way this.

 

Kathryn Hahn  38:42

I remember growing up and one of my friends moms, again, everybody smoked back then, but I remember she would be smoking like hunched over, and she had one of those, I think it’s called a dowagers hump, like, it’s like a pad of fat that happens on the top of your back and and I it’s like, your neck ends, and then all of a sudden it’s like, oh. And I just remember being like, wow, that. How does that happen? Like, what is that? What is a Dowager? I’ve completely forgot what a Dowager is, somebody that’s.

 

Samantha Bee  39:20

Certainly a pejorative for someone who probably never got married or something, or like their husband died. I don’t actually know what a Dowager is, I’m gonna look it up. Are you creating projects for yourself now? Like, do you what? What other areas are you juicing it creatively? What do you have on the go?

 

Kathryn Hahn  39:42

I have been Sam such a acting like one track mind. I love it so much. And I I love each that each experience is so wildly different than the one before, and that you have to kind of adapt constantly. Be two different processes, not only your directors, but your fellow actors, the crew, the like that really keeps me, keeps my my juices flowing. That sounds so bad.

 

Samantha Bee  40:15

No.

 

Kathryn Hahn  40:18

It keeps me engaged. I definitely have had some directing and writing thoughts, yeah, but I think, because I would love actors so much that I think it would be just, I would love to be there in that capacity, to just kind of doula, you know, it is happening. I just think that would be really incredible. I just love actors, but I think.

 

Samantha Bee  40:46

So true, it’s like the workplace changes for you.

 

Kathryn Hahn  40:50

Yeah, all the time.

 

Samantha Bee  40:51

So it’s like remaking it’s just like a whole new setup. I mean, sometimes it’s the same players and sometimes there’s familiarity, but yes, often it’s just like a brand new set of circumstances, which is very it’s invigorating, right?

 

Kathryn Hahn  41:06

Well, it is invigorating. But it’s also like you really have to get used to that it’s great in terms of impermanence, because even if it is the same group in another project, it’s we’ll never have that environment again, like it will never be the same unless it’s a series blah, but if, but even if, that series is whenever that project is over, it was like, the alchemy would never, you could never match it. So there is, like, I remember at the beginning any even when I was like, in whatever High School at the beginning, but I would cry at the wrap of any play, like the closing height. I just was like, this was my family. Like, there’s, I will never have this, like, kind of feeling with another actor, another group like this was every my whole life was in this, like this crew, and I still have it like, I still do have like, a little mourning period at the end of every one of them, because you do have to kind of throw yourself into this new group of people who all have the same investment. I mean, these hours like, you know, are not for the faint of heart. It’s like, a lot of time away from your family and, like, a so, I mean, I definitely fall all the time for these, for these crews and cast and directors, and so it’s always a little bit of a unpute mort, but not yes, but it does feel like a little death.

 

Samantha Bee  42:25

Do you think that your family will follow you into this and like, do your does your son do this?

 

Kathryn Hahn  42:33

He has, he never. He never wants to be. Oh, I shouldn’t say that. He has not expressed, no one has expressed an interest in being an actor, okay? But my my son really loves directing in cinematography. I mean, that’s what he into right now. My daughter is like, I have no idea what I want to do. And I’m like, you’re a sophomore, you don’t have to worry about it. But my son, who’s a senior, is definitely that’s he’s right now, that’s like, what he’s excited about. But we always laugh, because any project that he’s had to do for school or for anything, he always cast my husband, and he never cast me what he never like, dude, I’m for hire. Like, I’m right here. I’m I wouldn’t have to go far. Like, yeah, not gonna ask for anything, I’m.

 

Samantha Bee  43:20

Really talented.

 

Kathryn Hahn  43:21

No, I’m doing your craft service. Like, this is a twofer. Like, I’m already doing it. Like, I’ll bring my own car, but, yeah, he, um, he really likes to separate the church and state, which I highly, I actually really appreciate.

 

Samantha Bee  43:35

They also don’t. I don’t know if your kids see you for what you do. Do they do you think that they see you and see your work, probably not. Do you think your kids do?

 

Kathryn Hahn  43:45

They don’t.

 

Samantha Bee  43:46

They absolutely do not. They could not care less, yeah, bring home the bacon.

 

Kathryn Hahn  43:52

Like don’t say menopause.

 

Samantha Bee  43:54

Don’t say it. I’m like, this is what? This butters your bread.  This is my art. What are you talking about?

 

Kathryn Hahn  44:07

Oh, yeah, unless I’m in something with someone that they’re freaking out about, then there are questions, okay, but okay, it’s usually they could same thing, they could care less. Although a lot of my body of work is, is now, like, wonder, like a lot of those things, like step brothers or, anyways, I mean, I did a show called I love dick, which was really hard to like, just kind of throw out casually. Are you on Dick tomorrow? Oh yeah, nah. Whatever. And the kids like, so the kids were, but you know, it was only for my son recently that, you know, he said he’d walk into a party and they’d be playing step brothers, and he would just, Okay, turn around and walk out. He was like, yeah they’re like, no.

 

Samantha Bee  44:51

I don’t acknowledge this.

 

Kathryn Hahn  44:53

No.

 

Samantha Bee  44:54

They’ve not played. They once played a clip of my television show in one of my daughter’s class. Says, and she didn’t mention she didn’t tell anybody that that was her mom. Like, it was just like, random. It was just like random class. I guess it was some subject matter that they were studying. They played, like, a two minute clip. And I was like, and were you, did you tell your team? You know, that must have been fun for you. And she was like, why? I’m like, you didn’t tell anyone. She was like, why would I do that? I’m like, I don’t know. It’s just a fact. It’s kind of interesting. No, I think it was like, not really, not really.

 

Kathryn Hahn  45:30

I think that’s really good and healthy. Sometimes you’re like, Ah, I kind of do it for you, but.

 

Samantha Bee  45:37

No, I think it is good. It is actually, it’s the natural order. They’re not supposed to find us impressive.

 

Kathryn Hahn  45:44

High school tours, you’d always be like, can you stand like, over there? And I was like.

 

Samantha Bee  45:47

Yeah, sure, yeah, it would. It upsets the balance. If your children are, like, impressed by a single thing that you do.

 

Kathryn Hahn  45:56

They cannot be. They can’t they have to make fun of it or just ignore it. Yeah, to get like, thick chicken.

 

Samantha Bee  46:03

You gotta get […] you can’t. They don’t allow you to feel like you’re important at.

 

Kathryn Hahn  46:09

No, they’re just like, they’ll just start laughing. Like, if they’re anywhere near me on a red carpet, like they just are laughing at.

 

Samantha Bee  46:19

You’re like, hold my backpack, and they’re like, Oh my God, you look, what is the face you’re doing with your hands?

 

Kathryn Hahn  46:26

Oh, my God. Like, oh God. Like, you could just feel the judgment. They’re like, around and I’m always like, hands are so weird.

 

Samantha Bee  46:41

There’s really nothing more relaxing than somebody telling you you’re doing something weird with your hands. Like, well, I’m out of my I guess I’m in my head now.

 

Kathryn Hahn  46:51

Thank you much. With your hands, I get that a lot of like, it’s a lot, as in, you’re like, you’re doing a lot, maybe, like, let’s try. And then I really don’t know sometimes what I’m doing.

 

Samantha Bee  47:01

Yeah, no, I’m like, I there’s not enough pockets. Can you tie them back? Tie them down?

 

Kathryn Hahn  47:06

Could you just duct tape them to the sides of my body, yeah.

 

Samantha Bee  47:11

Um, oh, my God, this was it was so I knew it would be so undocking to you.

 

Kathryn Hahn  47:16

Oh, my God, so much. Forever and ever and ever.

 

Samantha Bee  47:21

My face hurts.

 

Kathryn Hahn  47:22

Oh, thank you for having me. I could do this. I mean, again, walking on again, please.

 

Samantha Bee  47:29

Oh, my god, we’re gonna do it. We’re gonna do a two woman show about menopause, and we’re gonna talk, and it’s 18 hours long. Enjoy everyone. It costs $4,000 per ticket.

 

Kathryn Hahn  47:40

Between the two of us.

 

Samantha Bee  47:41

That’s right.

 

Kathryn Hahn  47:45

Thank you so much.

 

Samantha Bee  47:52

That was Kathryn Hahn, and I had no choice but to look up one thing neither of us could remember what a Dowager is, but we knew that it was fancy, and it is the official definition, is a widow with a title or property derived from her late husband. Good for her. Thanks for joining us. I’m Samantha Bee and see you next week for some more Choice Words. You

 

CREDITS  48:27

Thank you for listening to Choice Words, which was created by and is hosted by me. The show is produced by […], with editing and additional producing by Josh Richmond. We are distributed by Lemonada Media, and you can find me @realsambee on X and Instagram. Follow Choice Words wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.