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Are power best friends a thing? Like power couples, but for besties? If so, that’s Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata. They co-host the aptly named podcast “Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata.” They talk to me about coming up in the industry together, and a long-disputed fact about their friendship leads Nicole to embrace her identity as a doll collector. Plus, there’s all-around great friendship feels from two incredibly accomplished women.

Please note, Funny Cuz It’s True contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Sasheer, Elyse Myers, Nicole

Elyse Myers  00:15

Okay, actually, can you just pretend that you’re listening to a fully complete theme song here? I got really in my head. And I tried to make it perfect, and I couldn’t. So this is going to be the theme song right here. Hello and welcome to another episode of Funny Cuz It’s True. I’m Elyse Myers. Today I am super excited to introduce you two best friends in real life and host of the podcast titled best friends, Nicole Byer and so Sasheer Zamata. Nicole has been nominated for two Emmys for hosting Netflix’s nailed it. She stars in Grand Cru and hosts multiple podcasts. So Shira is a former SNL cast member. She’s most recently been seen in woke and home economics. And she just joined the Marvel Universe, which I think is super cool. When you get these two together. Well, you’re about to see for yourself. It’s pretty magic. So two things that are funny because they’re true. Number one, both of these women have very infectious laughs like the entire time. The sound of their laugh throughout this interview just makes my heart so happy. I left very, very excited about life. And number two, for somebody that claims to not be adult person, Nicole shirt talks about dolls a lot. Okay, let’s get into it. Nicole, what are you munching on? I have to know because I just slammed some spicy Mexican food and it was a mistake. Lasagna. I love lasagna. So here, did you just have some lunch to read before?

Nicole  01:40

I did. I had some leftover pokey from lunch yesterday. I’m not a poke a person. I tried it for the first time. I didn’t realize how much raw fish it was about. It was about it’s a terrible sentence.

Elyse Myers  01:55

Are you not like a sushi person either?

Nicole  01:57

Not really. The texture of raw fish for me is too gummy. Upsetting. It is very gummy.

Elyse Myers  02:05

Okay, now that we’re speaking about food, there was another question I was gonna ask as an icebreaker, but I’m actually going to ask this. So you know how like, when Christians take communion, it’s like the body and the blood of Christ. This is okay. So what would be what would you assign to be your body, your blood to take communion? Over you?

Nicole  02:24

Lasagna and white wine? It’s hard to like slam vodka. Well, I’m layered.

Sasheer  02:34

But you only do little shots of.

Nicole  02:36

Yeah, but I feel like it might be shocking. I think wine might be a little bit nicer for the palate. And also might pair well with the lasagna.

Elyse Myers  02:44

Yeah. You want it to be an enjoyable experience. Like, oh, yeah, yeah. Sasheer, what about you?

Sasheer  02:49

Hot dogs and ginger ale. Or maybe ginger beer?

Elyse Myers  02:54

Oh, ginger beer. Okay. Yeah, I when I lived in Australia, ginger beer was like, that was like all they drank if you weren’t drinking alcohol. Yeah, could not get it into the taste. I like wanted it to be my favorite. And I just like couldn’t get into like.

Sasheer  03:06

I like the bite of it. I like ginger ale. But ginger beers. Feels a little spicier. A little more exciting.

Elyse Myers  03:15

It’s dangerous soda.

Elyse Myers  03:18

It’s like the closest thing you get to alcohol.

Sasheer  03:24

And I’m in Georgia now and ginger beers everywhere, which I love because I also don’t want to drink all the time when I’m going out. But I’m like, Oh, the fun drink. I’ll have some ginger beer.

Elyse Myers  03:35

It is It feels very fancy. Nicole, are you in LA still?

Nicole  03:39

I am in LA. Braving the rains. It’s wonderful.

Elyse Myers  03:48

Amazing. I wanted to say I am huge fans of both of you. And I was introduced to both of you guys’ work separately, like one through nailed it, Nicole. And then Home Economics used to sit here at both my favorite shows. And it was like when I got the opportunity to talk to both of you. And then like find out you guys were like best friends. I was like, this is so crazy. And so I am really happy to be talking to you today. And I wanted to ask, like, first of all, how did you guys meet and how did you kind of start being friends and also so publicly?

Sasheer  04:13

We met through improv Okay, at New York City.

Nicole  04:16

The Upright Citizens Brigade theater. Yeah. We both have a same teacher. Sylvia […]. And she put together a group of like multi-level women to do a show. And so she was one of the multi leveled women and as I was watching this.

Elyse Myers  04:33

Multi leveled women.

Sasheer  04:35

Multi leveled women. I think what she was trying to say is like, each woman was at a different level of like, class and experience at the theater, but not that each woman individually had.

Nicole  04:53

Emotions and levels happening at the show. It was a real clusterfuck.

Sasheer  05:02

When you really think about it.

Elyse Myers  05:04

What were your guys’ first impressions of each other? Did you hit it off right off the bat.

Nicole  05:08

Um, we didn’t really like Speak, speak to each other right off the bat, like we did the show. And I was like, boy, she’s cool. She’s pretty, and she’s cool. And I’ve said it in other interviews, but she was wearing like, Goldenrod and turquoise. And I was like, these colors are poppin she has money too, because she looks nice.

Sasheer  05:30

These are all thrift store clothes.

Elyse Myers  05:34

Sasheer, what did you think of Nicole?

Sasheer  05:36

I just remember being like, she’s hilarious. Like, she’s so funny. And yeah, I think maybe I’m like, kind of, it takes me a minute to warm up to people in general. So I’m sure I was, like, shy to try to actually talk to her. Outside of the group.

Elyse Myers  05:56

Are you one of those people where like, people think that you don’t like them? Because you’re so quiet that they’re just like, she hates me? I feel that way. I get really quiet and I just feel then I then I like, feel like if I don’t say something, they’re gonna think I hate them. So then I overdo it. And then I end up just like, they’re like, annoying them.

Sasheer  06:14

It’s a hard situation for everybody involved.

Nicole  06:16

I don’t think it was that hard for you to open up. I thought you opened up pretty quick. Cuz you were quiet sometimes. But I was like, Oh, I think she’s like a normal person who doesn’t need to hear their voice at all times. You kept laughing at things. And I would laugh at the same things. And I was like, okay, so she is funny. But she doesn’t like talking that much. And then maybe like the first time we like hung out. I was like, oh, no, she does talk. You just have to like, talk to her about things she’s interested in. But I gotta say, great listener for stuff you are not interested in. And you’re very supportive. I feel like you’re my boyfriend sometimes. Like when we went and saw those vintage Broncos, and you like very politely nodded your head, ask questions that you didn’t care about the answer to? Like for my benefit. I was like, Oh, my boyfriend’s so nice to me.

Sasheer  07:13

Yeah, I have been told many times, I’m a great listener. And I yeah, I guess it’s not that I don’t that I’m not easy to open up with other people. But I guess I yeah, I don’t need to talk all the time.

Elyse Myers  07:27

I think we should sit for the next hour and complete silence. I think that that would be that would make the most sense.

Sasheer  07:35

That wouldn’t be very happy.

Elyse Myers  07:37

I think that honestly, for the bonus material for this episode, we should just make the Saucier cut, which is like 60 minutes of silence. Through you guys. You met when you were dealing at UCB, you said, okay, and it and what were your guys’ goals when you were there? Because did you both want to kind of be where you’re at right now? Or did you have different ideas, and it kind of happened this way?

Sasheer  07:57

I actually didn’t go in with a goal. I had seen the touring company for UCB at my college before I moved to New York. And I was like, Oh my God, there’s so funny. I guess. So I guess there wasn’t goal. So because there was a q&a after. And Bobby Moynihan was part of the group at the time. And someone asked, How do you get a career in comedy? And he was like, moved to New York. And then he got SNL, like, months later. And I was like, well, he must know what he’s talking about.

Elyse Myers  08:31

So comedy was like the end goal. But that was as specific as it kind of was for you. Just comedy.

Sasheer  08:37

Yeah. All right. I knew I wanted to perform. I actually thought I was gonna do theater. I auditioned for like, off Broadway stuff. As soon as I got to New York, but then kept going to UCB to watch shows. And I was like, I think I should take some classes. And I was taking classes. And then I was like, I think I should try to be in a group and then was doing that. And it was mostly just because it was fun. I love that. And I felt like I was surrounded by people who, like, got me and who I got. Yeah. And then eventually the people I was surrounded by were getting on TV. And I was like, oh, yeah, that’s, well, I want that. And this works. Yeah, it works. And then it kind of just like fell into place.

Elyse Myers  09:17

Nicole, did you come in with that kind of the same general dreams of comedy? Or did you have a specific goal in mind?

Nicole  09:23

Well, much like this year, I thought I was going to do theater. And I did audition for some off Broadway stuff. I auditioned for Greece. I remember the touring company of Greece. I don’t sing. I also didn’t bring sheet music. It was not a good time. So I truly Googled what do actors do when they’re not acting and something that came up was improv and I was like, Okay, I’ll do improv. You didn’t know that. But I literally Googled, what do you do after acting.

Elyse Myers  09:57

When you saw that the result of improv, did that excite you? Or did that scare you?

Nicole  10:03

It excited me because it’s funny. A lot of people get pulled into improv from watching it. So I took a class first. And then they’re like, you’re required to go see two shows. And I was like, Okay, the first show I saw, I was like, I’m funnier than everybody on stage. That’s amazing. And I don’t remember what show it was. But it was like this is silly. Like, I have to take levels to like, get on stage. And then I don’t know what I wanted out of it. I just knew that I was like, this was fun. And I was funny. And it was a way to perform and get my endorphins from performing. And then by like, 401, I was like, well, obviously, I’ll just become an improv teacher and book a commercial every now and again, to really like go on a trip. Moved to LA coached improv for a little bit found out, I’m not good at it. Oh, I’m like a terrible teacher. I coached two teams. And I would sit in this like living room, these living rooms. And I’d be like, I could say the same thing these kids are saying, and it would just be funny. I don’t know how to teach funny. It’s like you either have it or you don’t. And then I would like ask other improv coaches for like, advice to be like, how do you get people to be funny? And I’m like, no, no, you just gotta lie to him. Like, it’s really hard.

Elyse Myers  11:15

Okay, so personally, I am very, very bad at teaching things that I am naturally good at. Because I have so much I don’t know how to communicate, because I’m like, I don’t know. I’m just good at it, figure it out. But, but when I’m really bad at something naturally, and I’ve had to go through the process of learning it from scratch to being good at it, that’s when I can actually teach it well, because I’ve done every step of the process. And none of it came naturally to me. So the fact that Nicole was bad at teaching improv, honestly makes all the sense in the world. We got to take a quick break, but we will be right back.

Elyse Myers  11:59

So when you guys were there, you did how many years together? And then did you do any separately?

Sasheer  12:04

I guess we started performing together pretty quickly. I started in 2009. You start in 2008.

Nicole  12:12

I also believe you started in 2008, despite your lies, and I know you claim to have not even lived in New York in 2008. I know what your claim is.

Sasheer  12:23

I wasn’t even in New York physically, to be able to do it in 2008.

Nicole  12:31

Sure, queen, whatever you want to believe.

Elyse Myers  12:33

We’re fighting. I love it. And then what did you guys do after like, did you were there for a while? And then you? How did you move on from that together?

Sasheer  12:44

We created a web series like got us a lot of attention. It was really nice.

Nicole  12:49

It was called pursuit of sexiness.

Elyse Myers  12:51

It’s so good.

Sasheer  12:53

Thank you.

Elyse Myers  12:53

Did you guys write that together?

Nicole  12:55

You wrote most of the first season of it. We like brainstorm together. And but you put most a pen to paper, I think.

Sasheer  13:02

I think it was like, You’re really great at ideating. So I feel like you would like throw ideas at each other. And then yeah, I was taking sketch classes at the time, so I could format them into scripts. And then yeah, we had helped with Todd Bieber directing it. But like the great thing about UCB and also just being in New York in your 20s was like, you can be scrappy, and we scrappy just met people to collaborate with and it’s like, okay, well, this guy has a camera. This guy has a location, this guy, you know, we can like figure out something to make together. And that was like a lot of our early work, because we wanted to do it.

Elyse Myers  13:41

Do you? Do you find that doing the podcast, your guys’ podcast together is kind of like bringing back those old days of not like being afraid to just make something happen together kind of in the moment.

Sasheer  13:52

I mean, it’s definitely improv energy, because we are not.

Elyse Myers  13:58

You don’t plan anything. This is shocking to me, because I over plan. And I still feel like I fail like 50% of the time. Like there’s an entire staff of people to help me feel prepared before interviews on my podcasts. And I still sit down in my chair to do the interview. And I’m like, I don’t know what I’m doing. I barely even know my name. So the fact that you sit down there like I don’t know, we’ll just start having a conversation. I will never know confidence like that.

Sasheer  14:31

And sometimes that even comes out strange.

Elyse Myers  14:35

I love her laugh so much. How did how did the idea of your best friends come about you? Were you literally just sitting there like we should start a podcast.

Sasheer  14:44

Actually Airwolf approached us because they saw us to improv and they were like, you guys have great chemistry. You should do a podcast and we were like, I think trying to think about what podcasts we would host together. And then we were like, I mean, I know we’re friends, as well. Just channel so we’ll talk but I like that we also landed on the theme of friendship because like friends will call into the show and ask friendship questions and we get advice to the best of our ability. We’re not professionals. But we have been friends for a very long time, and have gone through so many, you know, ups and downs and wins and losses with each other. And I think we have a good perspective on like, what it takes to have like, a lasting, long distance, sometimes adult friendship.

Elyse Myers  15:33

That’s a skillet, not a lot of people have, including me. I do not, do you ever feel like when you get asked those questions, but you don’t know what to say here had something go completely wrong. And you’re like, I don’t know, I’m just gonna hang up.

Nicole  15:46

I don’t think we’ve had any like real tough ones. You’re pretty good at like, listening, and then being like this, and I’m pretty good at being like, okay, here’s what I was feeling when I was listening. That might be wrong, and I may not have been listening fully. But yeah, I don’t think we’ve really come across anything too, like heavy or wild.

Sasheer  16:07

I didn’t know the array of friendship questions we get, I thought it’d be like, I don’t know, my, my friend’s boyfriend is annoying, or, you know, like, things like that. But they’ve gotten as deep as like, my friends won’t invite me out anymore. Because I kids, and I don’t know how to like, bring it up because it feels awkward or like.

Nicole  16:27

Add the answer to that is get rid of your kids. Truly throw them away.

Elyse Myers  16:38

I thought she was gonna say get rid of the friend but went another direction. What do you guys think differentiates your friendship now as adults versus what it was like when you guys were just meeting as young, scrappy kids?

Sasheer  16:53

I was gonna say like, we have more like, I think because we were both therapy. And we weren’t when we met. We have deeper, like more honest communication, which is nice. Yeah, I feel like we talked about emotions and stuff and how we feel more than we used to not that we ignored that stuff before. But I think we just didn’t really know how to access it.

Nicole  17:19

Also, we spend more time apart now that we’re more adult, we appreciate when you come together.

Sasheer  17:25

Yeah. When we first met, we were like, We were inseparable. We would like go to the same commercial auditions, we get lunch. She’d go to UCB to work, I would sit behind her at the desk, just to hang out. We’d go see a show we would get dinner. Then we go separate and go to our separate apartments and then call each other on the phone. Like we were like, minute by minute.

Nicole  17:49

We traveled together. Yeah, we were like every waking moment we were together. But now. We have jobs.

Elyse Myers  17:59

Do you guys think it’s helpful to have somebody who is so like-minded and so focused on the same things like side by side as you’re kind of chasing these careers, because I know that being in the entertainment industry is just so wildly chaotic, and it can feel so scary, I guess. And it’s like, I feel like having somebody next to you that thinks like you might be helpful.

Nicole  18:20

I think it’s important to have someone with you for anything. Not even entertainment industry. Like I can’t imagine not having a good best friend. I’ve had bad best friends where, you know, they don’t really treat you nicely. And it’s so weird one side of lopsided relationship, but I feel like it’s I think it’s good for everyone to find that person who they can like laugh at anything with and spend lots of time with and have like a nice healthy relationship like not that ours doesn’t have problems. Sometimes we do. But for the most part, it’s easy. We’ve had a problem. Because you lie. You lived in New York in 2008.

Sasheer  19:07

Excuse me?

Elyse Myers  19:09

You’re gonna have to show a photo, you have to have a photo with a date stamp on it. You got to look back in your iCloud and find it didn’t happen this year in New York. We’re waiting. We have to see this photo. I believe both of you somehow. So I need we need proof one way or the other.

Sasheer  19:27

You know what, the thing is, I definitely moved to New York around New Year’s Eve of 2009. So maybe I was there December.

Nicole  19:49

I don’t know why it’s in my phone.

Elyse Myers  19:54

Is it a screenshot or a photo?

Nicole  19:56

It’s, I think a screenshot it’s an it’s an This marriage hairy doll and it’s it’s like Apple Ami. I don’t know why it’s in my phone.

Elyse Myers  20:06

So here I am thinking I’m about to see a photo of Sasheer but Nicole Webster phone around. It’s a doll. It’s a photo of a doll from 2009. If you haven’t seen the apple AMI dolls, Google it, just Google it. You’ll understand this moment a lot better. I want you right now to come up with a story about why it’s in your phone.

Sasheer  20:23

It’s in my phone because I bought one off eBay. And I think I might have took a took a screenshot to send to my sister be like, Look, I got Apple Ami.

Elyse Myers  20:40

Are you an avid doll collectors? I’m hearing you have a whole room of dolls?

Nicole  20:46

Just like marriage Harry and her friends. Because they smell good.

Elyse Myers  20:55

Wait, I have no idea what is it?

Nicole  20:59

Nobody does. She’s a knockoff Strawberry Shortcake doll. Oh, okay. That I had growing up, because my mother was too cheap to buy strawberry shortcake. So we got a lot of knockoff thing.

Elyse Myers  21:10

Why would you and […] exists? So you had to buy another one of their off eBay?

Nicole  21:17

Well, I don’t have any of my dolls for my youth. So like, in my office, I’ve got a lot of like, I have some troll dolls. Apple Ami. And then another one that was introduced after. I’m a doll collector.

Nicole  21:18

How does that feel, Nicole, to be a doll collector?

Nicole  21:40

It doesn’t feel good.

Sasheer  21:42

Did you also notice the cardboard cutout of herself behind her?

Elyse Myers  21:45

Is there a doll behind you?

Nicole  21:47

It’s a cardboard cutout of myself. That’s in my guest bedroom. That sometimes people who have slept here have complaints about but I don’t care. I’m not moving it.

Sasheer  22:01

Oh, I never even thought about that. Yeah, you just have a picture. And they’re like, watching them.

Elyse Myers  22:09

That’s your litmus test for how if you want to be friends with somebody, you’re like, if you can’t handle me at my cardboard cutout of me. Speaking of litmus tests, my brother had a company and had a company website for a long time with like a staff page on it. And to weed out people that he didn’t want to work with that, like just didn’t have a good attitude about life. He put his cats on the staff page with like a very professional photo of his cats and professional bios and the people that had an issue with it. He’s like, no, I don’t want to work with you. And to this day, I cannot get over how amazing I think that is, taking a break and we’ll be right back. I know that you guys do so much with your actual names on it and so much as yourselves as opposed to like playing a written character. Is it hard to tap into your own personal life as a creative inspiration?

Sasheer  23:10

I think we’re both in a very fortunate position where people like us, they like to know more about us as people or what our opinions are on things. Which I guess is what people do look for in comedians, they like the comedians personality or their point of view or whatever and yeah, and boy, do we have that. But yeah, I love creating stuff as myself because I don’t know it feels authentic and it feels like I don’t need extra stuff to do it feels very pure to me. Like I do love putting out a story or helping someone put out their story or being a part of something that that is not me specific but also I really enjoy using my own voice because I like my voice and I like when other people like my voice too.

Elyse Myers  24:15

Do feel like it’s easier when it’s just you and that you get to kind of creatively control something or do you appreciate input as well I know that you Nicole get to do a lot of like back and forth but outside of that do you appreciate that or do you like it to just be your vision and your voice?

Sasheer  24:29

It’s really nice one it’s just my vision my mind. I love the whole input and some other people’s voices but yeah, it is. There’s some it’s very easy for it to be like too many cooks in the kitchen very quickly.

Nicole  24:45

Yes. I usually if it is just like my vision. I usually run things past this year. […] friend Christy my friend Marcela, Emily something like just to like, because these are people I like I think are genuinely funny and sometimes there’s, the people in charge aren’t necessarily like creatives. They’re not necessarily like here for your vision, they’re here to like, get a product out. So like, with my special, I wanted to do something big and stupid in the beginning. So I did this, like, stripper dance. And then like, we threw $1 across the stage to be like, oh, she spun out onto the stage. It’s really fucking dumb. And everyone kind of was, yeah, I love a doll. And it’s a sheer watch me pack that doll into a suitcase. And hope that TSA did it open said suitcase. She also watched me have a fucking meltdown on the plane because he had like, eight carry ons, and they didn’t want to let me bring them on. Anyway. But a couple of people were like, this is expensive, and maybe not necessary for your special but then I like talk to us this year, Montana was like, it’s gonna, like, come out of my pay or whatever. But like, I think it’s funny. And I think both of you were like, if you really want it, you should do it is your special, how you want to spend your money is how you do it. And I was like, okay, and then I did it. And I’m so grateful that I didn’t listen to non-creative people’s input. Yeah, I don’t want to shit on anybody. Because it’s not like, they have their bottom line. I have my bottom line. And it’s like to curate my whole vision. But yeah, it’s nicer when you don’t have people opposing you. When there’s no fucking ups. You know?

Elyse Myers  26:28

How do you balance like, what you want versus what like the non-creative people want? How do you do that?

Nicole  26:36

You pick your battles, baby, because you can’t argue the whole fucking time because then people are like, this girl truly is the worst. But if you like, you go, I really, this is the hill, I want to die on for this. And then when it ends up being good people are like, we’re so glad we listened to you. Oh my god. So it’s like, if you don’t pick your battles, and you battle on everything, and a couple of things end up not so great, then you could have people just be like, oh, you really fought for that. And how it turned out.

Elyse Myers  27:07

I’m curious, the entertainment industry as well as like the comedy space. It doesn’t make a lot of room for women. And it definitely doesn’t make a lot of room for black women. And I’m really, really curious how you have felt fighting against that. And if being together and doing this together, has both given you a lot of assurance in what you believe in and your creative vision and where you want to end up.

Sasheer  27:30

Yeah, I mean, it is really nice to be on the ascent with Nicole, because there are plenty of Black female comedians, but you know, it’s nice to like, yeah, have known one. From the very beginning to like, where we are in a career now. And I feel like as long as you have your people in your community, it doesn’t really matter what else is going on in the industry or in the biz? Like you can like create your own stuff. You can find your own audience. Like, there’s always like gatekeepers and stuff like that. But yeah, like, people will find you, people can find you people can find the stuff that they like, and if you’re putting out stuff that people can relate to. You will do well. Yeah.

Elyse Myers  28:22

Nicole, do you have anything magic to add?

Nicole  28:25

I don’t think so. I think Sasheer said it all. Boom, it was insightful. It was good.

Sasheer  28:31

Thank you so much.

Elyse Myers  28:34

I love getting to connect with women like especially that especially that when you that you guys prioritize like relationships, because a lot of comedy does, like rely on people around you and like the yes […] of people. But a lot of it is also competitive. And a lot of it feels like yes, until you get an opportunity that I wanted. And then all of a sudden, like, I won’t cheer you on anymore. And I am curious if you’ve met a lot of people like that in your life that you’re like, I thought you were cooler than that.

Nicole  29:07

Not really, I feel like the friends I’ve made in the comedy space have all been like, a win for you is a win for me. And I feel the same way about a lot of other people. But that’s not to say that I don’t get jealous, like sometimes sushi, or here’s all of my inside thoughts where I’m just like, I can’t believe they got this. And she’s like, yeah, but like, what can we you have? And I’m like, Oh yeah, I’m doing fine. Also, it’s like one of those things where like, I try to really live by the Keep your eyes on your own paper mentality. And if someone gets something then that ultimately wasn’t meant for you. Like it just wasn’t meant for you. It’s not a personal thing. It’s just kind of like the universe doesn’t want you to do that. And that’s okay. Something else. Like there’s a million doors in this world. One will open for you to do what you want to do.

Elyse Myers  29:59

That’s great advice. Is there something that like you are proud of in the other person like, okay, pause really quick. This question I just asked is a huge Jonas Meyers move. If we’re ever in like a group of people, Jonas will just randomly out loud yell above everybody else’s conversation like, all right, everybody stop what you’re doing. Say one nice thing about fill in the blank, like whoever he chooses to do that to in the moment. It’s so awkward, but it’s also really, really fun to hear people’s answers and what they enjoy about that other person. So this was definitely me subconsciously doing this right here. Put in each of you give something we’re like, I just see this in them. And I’m so proud to be their friend because of this.

Nicole  30:36

I’m so proud to be with like to be with to be friends with, one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. People always thinks this year’s the straight man, but she has said some of the wildest shit that I’ve ever heard. She said the funniest joke about this child on a plane that I will not repeat, because I don’t want to get my friend cancelled. But it was so I was gasping. She was just like, like snuggled up in her seat. There was a man that we didn’t know I think the child’s father, oh, no, a different kid’s father, and then our friend Matteo. And then me and Matteo and I were dying, laughing, just like wheezing, so she was just like, and that just like made it funnier. I’m also proud. I don’t know, there’s just so many things about you that are so nice. Like, when my feelings are hurt, you take the time to like, understand why or if I can’t like earlier when I was trying to explain the different lady levels, and you’re like, I’ll just interpret this because you’re not making sense. And that’s nice that you’re never like, oh, you fucking idiot. Not correct. You just like very gently, you’re like, I think you mean this, or you just let things go. And it’s just the two of us. And then you’ll ask me like a couple hours later. What did you mean by that? I’ve had time to marinate.

Elyse Myers  31:54

That’s really special.

Sasheer  31:55

Thank you, Nicole.

Elyse Myers  31:56

Sasheer, what about you?

Sasheer  31:59

I’m proud of Nicole for being so generous. I feel like very generous with your, with everything with your time with your like, with your wins with your accomplishments. Like you. I feel like you just are so good about helping the people you love and like whether that be family or friends or whoever’s in your life. And you do such ease like, without question. You’re like, Oh, someone needs a thing I’ll help or even if they didn’t ask for help. She’s just very good about being like, I don’t know, you need a job. I’ll tell you on the road. Or like, you need a thing you can like stay in my place for a bit or just, I don’t know many people who have such a big heart. It’s really admirable.

Elyse Myers  32:53

Thank you. What are you most excited to do in the future?

Nicole  33:00

I’m most excited to continue collaborating in the future. I’m most excited to like have these like big special moments with my best friend. Like she got to go to the Emmys with me last year and that was like magical. Yeah, I just like I just want to keep doing shit with you. That’s what I want.

Sasheer  33:23

I love that. What about you, Sasheer?

Sasheer  33:26

I’m most proud of my, our standard of special that no one has bought and is not out anywhere yet but exists.

Nicole  33:38

It’s really funny. Thank you.

Elyse Myers  33:41

You should be proud of that getting an hour special is so much work. It’s like that is so much work.

Sasheer  33:47

It was a lot of work. It will be out in some way.

Elyse Myers  33:52

And then at what are you most excited about coming up?

Sasheer  33:54

I’m excited for my specials week out. I just don’t know how yet. But I’m just like I’m in the middle of that process. But I had such a blast putting it together. I think it’s like I feel like it’s the peak of my skill as a joke writer and performer and Nicole put a budget put in and like helped make some jokes like the funniest they could be. And she also like literally buckled by shoes before I’m on stage. She was being so supportive the whole time. And yeah, I’m super proud of that. I think people really like it when it comes out into the world at some point in time.

Nicole  34:41

I felt like a proud mother watching. I was like this, baby. That’s my baby and they’d laugh I’d be like, that’s right you laugh at my baby. She says funny things.

Elyse Myers  34:54

Just like punch him in the face. Yeah, I’m like, fuck you. That’s my baby. Yeah, great. That’s it. Great answer.

Sasheer  35:01

And for this marvel show, I’m shooting. I think it’s really like the craziest thing I’ve ever shot. And I think it’ll be really cool.

CREDITS  35:11

That’s so wild. I cannot wait to see that. That is a huge deal. Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Guys, thank you seriously so much. It was really good to meet you. Thank you so much for listening to my conversation with Nicole Byer. and Sasheer Zamata. Make sure to check out all of their various personal projects, like nailed it, grand cruise, home economics, and listen to best friends wherever you get podcasts. If you like this show, give us a rating and a review. It helps other people find us okay, more next week bye. There’s more Funny Cuz It’s True with Lemonada Premium. Get access to all of Lemonada’s premium content, including my five questions with Josh Johnson, which came out last Friday. Subscribe now and Apple podcasts. Hey, Prime members, did you know that you could be listening to this episode of Funny Cuz It’s True ad free on Amazon music? With Amazon music you get access to the largest catalogue of ad free top podcasts. Start listening today with the Amazon music app. Funny Cuz It’s True is a Lemonada Media and Powderkeg production. The show is produced by Claire Jones, Zoe Dennis and […], our associate producer is Tiffany Buoy. Rachel Neil is our senior director of new content and our VP of weekly production is Steve Nelson. Executive Producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Jessica Cordova Kramer, Paul Feig, Laura Fisher, […] and me Elyse Myers. The show is mixed by Brian Castillo and Johnny Evans. Our theme song music was written by me and scored by Xander Singh.