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Someone let Ben Affleck’s and Jeremy Renner’s publicists know: comedian Ego Nwodim might be giving you a run for your money. Ego exudes love for not only the 2010 Boston-based crime drama The Town, but for its relationships, storyline, New England accents, and the physique of one Doug MacRay — and by the end of this conversation with Ellie and Scott, she’s not the only one.

Follow Ellie @elliekemper on Instagram and Scott @mescotteckert on Twitter, and get in touch at borntolovefeedback@gmail.com. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Reshma Saujani, Scott Eckert, Ego Nwodim, Ellie Kemper

Ellie Kemper  01:49

Welcome to Born To Love the show where we talk to the people we love about the things they love, I’m Ellie Kemper.

 

Scott Eckert  01:56

And I’m Scott Eckert.

 

Ellie Kemper  01:57

And today we are talking to the super funny, super charismatic comedian, ego wode, but first, Scott, you told us last week you had something groundbreaking to share this week. So please tell us, what are you loving.

 

Scott Eckert  02:12

I’ve been sitting on it. Ellie, just just a peek behind the curtain of making the show is that we take turns listeners talking about things that we love from the week last week or so. And I was so excited last week to talk about the thing that I love, but it wasn’t my turn. I was so excited. I was like, Can I go? And everyone involved in the making of the show was like, No, you cannot these, this hard and fast rule. But now, thankfully, I get to reveal what I loved in the last two weeks, Ellie and it was riding in a driverless car.

 

Ellie Kemper  02:48

Oh my gosh.

 

Scott Eckert  02:50

Have you done that, Ellie? Have you even seen them?

 

Ellie Kemper  02:53

Have I even dreamed? Have I seen such a thing? Where do you think I live?

 

Scott Eckert  02:56

Mars.

 

Ellie Kemper  02:57

I know I haven’t seen anything. Scott, how have you been sitting on this so long? Tell me everything.

 

Scott Eckert  03:03

I don’t know how I went the whole last our whole last recording, and my body was vibrating because all I wanted to do was talk to you about how I Scott. Have written in a self driving car? I’ve done it more than once. Now here’s the back story. I’ll keep it short, guys, but, but the bottom line is that, for the last, I would say, almost two years in my neighborhood in Los Angeles, these bizarre looking cars called waymos, I believe Google owns them, have been driving around my neighborhood, and they have all these crazy spinny cameras. Ellie, have you seen them?

 

Ellie Kemper  03:38

I’ve never seen them. Do I need to Google an image right now? Or are you going to describe it with words.

 

Scott Eckert  03:42

You could I mean, I’ll describe it, but it’s a Jaguar SUV, which is funny, and it’s white, but it’s covered in bizarre space age cameras that spin. There’s a big one on the top, and then they have them on all the sides and the front, and it’s just covered in cameras. And for years, I’ve seen them driving around our neighborhood, and at first there was a person driving them, and I assume that the person was driving and the computer was learning. And then I saw them where a person was sitting at the driver’s seat, but hands off the wheel, and I assume that that was the person was there to, like, save the car if it went, if it made bad decisions, yeah. And then eventually, several months ago, I started seeing nobody in the car at all, car driving itself, ghost car. And then just recently, a friend of mine was like, Oh yeah, I got, I like, I I have an in or whatever, and I’m a tester, a beta test or something. And then finally, just about two weeks ago, my wife looked it up. And you don’t have to do anything special. If you live in an area where the cars are operating, you just sign up, just like Uber or Lyft or whatever. So she signed up, and lo and behold, I don’t. Know if this is an introductory rate or if it’s permanent, they cost half as much as any other driver service. So we were like, Let’s try it out. So we took, maybe judge me, if you want listeners, we took our two elementary school aged children and ourselves, and we got into the driverless car, and the wheel turns. It’s as if a ghost is driving it. And on the screen, you can see an image of what I assume the computer sees, and it’s got cars ahead of you in real time, and all of the people, the pedestrians and even their dogs, they light up in a different color, light up very brightly, I think I assume. So it’s like we know where the people are right, and it was wild.

 

Ellie Kemper  05:44

I don’t know that I would have i the listeners might not judge, but your co host might judge. I don’t know if I would have made the same decision. No judgment. I would have gone, here’s what I would have done. It doesn’t matter what I would have done, I’m not gonna yuck your yum. Scott, what were the hormones coursing through your body? Was it adrenaline? Was it cortisone? I think cortisol. Wait, cortisone cream. Cortisol is the same.

 

Scott Eckert  06:14

What did a doctor jump on this podcast and put on an Ellie mask?

 

Ellie Kemper  06:20

I’m so sorry. My cousin Dr Aline Kember came on to talk about different hormones that course through your body during an exhilarating event. But now back to Ellie Scott. What did you feel like riding through the streets in a car with no driver? This is a headless horseman times 1000.

 

Scott Eckert  06:39

It was crazy. It was cool. The car didn’t do anything that was unsafe, so that, in that sense, it was good. We didn’t get in a crash. I did notice.

 

Ellie Kemper  06:51

The bar was low.

 

Scott Eckert  06:52

The bar was low, no crash, but, but I had noticed that sitting because now they’re everywhere in my neighborhood, like I just the other day, saw three of them stopped at a stoplight together. They’re ubiquitous.

 

Ellie Kemper  07:05

Where you live. I mean, I know where you live, but I haven’t seen any in my neck of the woods, and I find maybe they’re doing some sort of test, I don’t know, like a test situation.

 

Scott Eckert  07:14

It’s that there’s, like a map when you get the app, there’s a service area map, but you can only take it within a certain area of Los Angeles, so, like, I think you’re outside the service area, but the bottom line is, it’s wild and and I noticed when I was sitting at intersections before in my own car, that I would expect the cars to be especially cautious, right, right? And I do think that they are, but when the light turns green, they go, they like, zoom. And at first I thought, I thought to myself, well, maybe that’s because the algorithm, like, is doing some kind of acceleration. And then I realized, like, no, it’s just a jaguar. It’s got pickup. Here I am sitting in my like, affordable Kia, my sensible Korean car, and then meanwhile, the robot’s like, revving its engine. It’s got.

 

Ellie Kemper  08:09

Scott I mean, you know, listen, I am no fool. I know that this is the wave of the future. I know that it’s better for the future in many ways. I’m not sure how. I guess it saves on, what does it save on drivers?

 

Scott Eckert  08:23

Well, but it’s bad for drivers, right? Because it will eliminate drivers, if their success, there’ll be fewer human drivers, which is horrible. It’s horrible for the future, but in the same way, but you got to think about it like a factory, right? Like when they build a new factory with robots, it’s like, oh, well, that’s bad, because there are many workers who are eliminated, but on the other hand, the workers that remain can do more work and things are produced more cheaply. I mean, long term, it’s very easy for me to imagine, like, Oh, if I could take one of these everywhere and had zero wait time and they were super cheap, like, I might prefer that to driving, not all the time. I would like to keep a car to go on trips and and do things and go to the store or whatever. But just like, I don’t know, a trip to the restaurant or something, you can get one right away. I loved it. I thought it was cool.

 

Ellie Kemper  09:19

Well, clearly you loved it, because that was your love of the week. And I gotta tell you, I’m I’m sort of sitting over here just admiring you, because I think that that was to me, that feels like a scary thing. You confronted it. You didn’t even want to confront it. You saw it as something you wanted to do. It was sort of an exhilarating risk, almost. I don’t even want to call it a risk. You didn’t do anything dangerous. I’m not trying to judge you. I was earlier. Now I’m not I think I’ve talked about birds last week, you have just upped the bar now of what we are here to love this week has just been upped so high because you took a ride from the future. And a part of Los Angeles I don’t regularly access, and you’re the envy of everybody’s eye.

 

Scott Eckert  10:06

You got to come and visit everybody. Come visit, take a take a driverless car and feel the future, taste the future. Like you said.

 

Ellie Kemper  10:13

Scott, I’m so happy you did that. It sounds like an amazing love to have had. I’m grateful to Vanessa for for forgetting the idea in the first place. Scott, what a week and what a two weeks. You’ve been sitting on this for two weeks. I’m so happy you did that.

 

Scott Eckert  10:27

Well, thanks, Ellie. I’m glad I could share it, but I’m even more excited for our guest, Ego.

 

Ellie Kemper  10:33

Scott, Ego has been cracking me up for and my family up and America up for a very long time Ego, is an actor, comedian and cast member on Saturday Night Live, where she has been since 2018 if you’ve seen that classic SNL sketch where a woman aggressively cuts a steak at dinner and makes Pedro Pascal break character instantly, then you know Ego in addition to all of her hilarious work on SNL, you may know her from her new show Mr. Throwback, where she stars alongside Steph Curry, she also has a new podcast out now. It’s called Thanks Dad With Ego Nwodim, and it features such fatherly figures as Hassan Minaj and Bill Burr, who she adopts as her dad for the day. So I’m very excited to talk with Ego, and when we come back from a short break, we will do just that.

 

Scott Eckert  13:30

And here we are withEgo. Here she is in the flesh or on our screens now a go. You are an actor, you’re a comedian, you’re on SNL, you have a podcast, you you have a TV show, but you are not going to talk about any of that. That’s not why you’re here. Instead, you’re gonna talk to us about what you love, Ego. What do you love?

 

Ego Nwodim  15:17

The Town, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Rennert, Jon Hamm, yeah, town. I am here to talk about the town and proclaim my love for the town.

 

Ellie Kemper  15:26

Ego, I could not be more excited to talk to you about this. It’s 2010 right? It’s a 2010 bank robbery, heist, crime, crime, heist, critically acclaimed thriller.

 

Ego Nwodim  15:37

Yes, correct, yes.

 

Scott Eckert  15:39

For our listeners, for our listeners who haven’t seen the town or may not know what it is. What would your pitch for the town be?

 

Ego Nwodim  15:47

Okay? It’s giving everything you want. It’s, it’s, it’s starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, as mentioned, it’s about this small town, the town in Boston called Charlestown and the where bank robbery was sort of a business passed down from one an elder to a young man, and they would rob banks as though that was a legitimate business. And I love it because it is based on true stories. Some of the heists themselves are based on true heists that happen in Charlestown. And you’re gonna get you’re gonna get love, you’re gonna get conflict, you’re going to get sacrifice, you’re going to get grit. And I absolutely think everyone should watch it.

 

Ellie Kemper  16:38

Hold on. I’m now having a memory which I may have glossed over.  Do they have that little forward at the beginning saying that this is fake?

 

Ego Nwodim  16:46

Sure do. And I think I get wet every time I read that forward, every time I every time I think about that forward, I’m like, and that that friends is why it’s incredible, because it’s not we love make believe. I love make believe. I do sketch, but I’m like, but it’s make believe, and it’d be great make believe if it were, but then it’s like, they let you know this is based on some real shit. And I am obsessed, I guess.

 

Ellie Kemper  17:11

I am humiliated because I was going so I watched the film from start to finish. I clearly have a memory of this forward. But somewhere along the watching journey, I must have forgotten that, that it is based on a true.

 

Ego Nwodim  17:25

Can’t forget the forward serif, white text, serif on black screen, to let you know this is what you’re about to see. Is based on a true story the culture of this community, I mean, they might not like the one says it that way, but like it was a part of this community. This is, these are true tales. This is how it went down again. I own so I got it. I saw it five times in theaters. Okay, first.

 

Scott Eckert  17:56

Oh, my, five times in theater.

 

Ego Nwodim  18:00

Ttheaters, yes

 

Scott Eckert  18:01

Bingo, I am. I would consider myself to be a little bit of a movie nerd. And I cannot remember a movie that I have seen five times in.

 

Ellie Kemper  18:10

It was your Titanic. Remember I was one of I saw Titanic multiple times a movie The the town did not, for me, hold that same special place. What I can what is it about the town that resonates?

 

Ego Nwodim  18:25

I just, I mean, the friendship. So Jeremy Renner, there’s a moment where Ben Affleck’s like, we have, will you come with me to go do something? He’s like, You can’t ask me about it. I don’t want to talk about it after. But are you coming? And Jeremy goes. Whose car are we taking? All right? I know friendship, that is loyalty, that when we talk about ride or die, that phrase gets thrown around so willy nilly, kind of like love, right? But I really love this movie. I mean it by definition, but we’re talking ride or die, okay, ride or freaking die. And then Jeremy Renner at the end of the movie, I don’t want, am I allowed to spoil it? I don’t want to spoil.

 

Scott Eckert  19:02

I think the movie came out 14 years ago and you love it. And I think that we should this, of all places, this should be the place where we’re allowed to talk about what we love. So I say go for it.  You spoil it.

 

Ego Nwodim  19:15

Yeah, okay, sorry, guys, it’s gonna get spoiled. Here’s the thing, here’s what I’ll say, if you haven’t seen the movie. I’m going to ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to pause this episode, go watch the film and then rejoin us. Is that wrong? Is that bad for the sponsors? Okay, okay, great. Okay, great.

 

Ellie Kemper  19:33

Now you’re always you always put the sponsors person we love you for it. Yes, go. You need to see the movie in order to join in the love.

 

Ego Nwodim  19:40

Yes, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Someone spoiled the departed for me. And I’ve never, I’ve never got to enjoy it. Because I was talking about how much I love the town, and this girl was like, You should watch the depart. If you haven’t seen it, you’d love it. I go, I’m gonna watch it. I’ll watch it tonight. I don’t have a life. I will watch it tonight. Yeah. She goes, Oh yeah, it’s really great. And I that movie came out more than 14. Years ago, and I still don’t feel comfortable spoiling it in this moment, but I will spoil the town, but I’m telling you I’m gonna spoil it. Okay, right? Anyway, the girl told me what happens in the elevator. And I go, I just told you I was gonna watch it, and so I’m watching the home movie. And I go, I know how this ends. I know literally, how this ends.

 

Ellie Kemper  20:16

Was that a friend of yours ?

 

Ego Nwodim  20:18

Was a friend? Okay? Was a friend and so anyway, the other thing I’m obsessed with from, I mean, there’s a million things, but, I mean, I know continuity issues. I can hear the ADR in this movie. I’m not kidding. Oh, okay, yeah, at the end, Jeremy, right, Ben is Ben’s character is like, Hey, Doug. He’s like, we’re gonna get jammed up. We’re gonna get caught up. I don’t even want to do this. I have a bad feeling. Jeremy Renner character is like, Gem gem. Teachers were like, he’s a real gem anyway. Rebecca Hall’s incredible. And how can I forget Rebecca, oh my gosh, I didn’t even know she was British. I didn’t know. Oh, I didn’t know she was British in it. And then I found out after and I go, You trickster anyway, so Jeremy, at the end of the movie is like, we’re not getting jammed up, and if we do, we’re holding court in the streets. What a sexy line. What a sexy line of dialog. And he goes, we’re holding court in the streets. And then at the end, they do, in fact, get jammed up a boy, am I rooting from them the whole time? And they almost get out of there, and they get jammed up. And then Jeremy kept his word yet again, and they held court in the streets, and he was gonna die iconic. I have, I have a chill talking. I was just talking to Kenan Thompson about this a week ago. I talk about the town all the time. Okay, I have a chip. I do. I was probably talking about the town 48 hours ago. Oh, last night, I was talking about the town at drinks with my friends. Unrelated to this podcast, he’s talking about the town.

 

Ellie Kemper  21:55

I’m sorry. Is there any other movie that it has such a special place in your heart? No, like, Do you often refer reference movies? It’s just this is.

 

Ego Nwodim  22:03

No, I don’t I’m not. And I’m not even your movie gal, to be honest. I’m actually quite my attention span is so garbage that I’m like, Yeah, I’m a TV gal, and so I’m not even a movie gal, but the town my real favorite movie. But now, okay, so I was saying for a while, I know I’m gonna get back to my other point, but I was, I’ve been saying for a long time, for many years there, I would say from, let’s call it 2015 to 2020 I was like, I ironically love the town. I was sort of like, I’m obsessed with it. How funny is it that I’m obsessed with the town? But the truth is, I did see it five times in theaters. I did buy the DVD when I lost the DVD with the director’s cut, I then went and bought another DVD. I lost it because I accidentally gave it to someone in a move out situation anyway. So I said, I was saying I ironically love it. And then one day it occurred to me, like, three years ago, I go, I don’t think this is ironic my love. I think you actually love this film. And that’s fine, because I would say this, I’d be like, the town’s like, my favorite movie as a joke, but I do really love it. But man on fire is my actual favorite movie, which last night at dinner, my friends and I were, like, such a good movie. I was like, talking about Dakota Fanning. I was talking about the moment where she’s like, crazy. No, anyway, and but then I looked it up and I said, it has such a low Rotten Tomatoes, it’s so low. So then I was like, is it good? Because I do. This is the first movie that made me cry. Was made on fire, right? I’ve never seen it. It’s really, really good, in my opinion. But Rotten Tomatoes thinks it’s shit.

 

Ellie Kemper  23:35

I don’t alter your own I mean, it clearly does.

 

Ego Nwodim  23:40

Last night where I was like, will I allow this to alter? I’d never looked up the rotten tomatoes on Man On Fire when I applied to USC, one of the questions for like, dorm room placement was like, What’s your favorite movie? I said, Man on Fire. The town wasn’t out yet. Came out the year I graduated college. Okay, as you know. And so I say, Man on Fire. I’d never first movie to make me cry. Love it. Saw it in eighth grade. I last night when I saw that Rotten Tomato score, and I quietly googled it at the table. So friends are still talking, and we’re like, it’s amazing. It’s amazing. I go, Well, do other people think it’s amazing? And they don’t even know this because I didn’t tell them. I quietly put my phone down. I said 30. I think he said 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. And I thought, huh, I quite like this film. I think I need to watch it again as an adult. But I had this moment where I go, will you let the opinion of strangers dictate your favorite movie and whether you thought it was quality or enjoyable? And I didn’t decide because it was so late at night, but I it’s a thing I’m going to journal about. I’m sure where I go? Are we going to are we going to let Rotten Tomatoes decide for me if a movie was good, yeah.

 

Scott Eckert  24:49

I respect so deeply people who will champion something that other people hate, because it’s so easy to say that something’s overrated, right? Right? It’s so easy to like, Oh, everybody loves the godfather. I think it sucks. Like, that’s the easiest thing in the world. But to take something like man on fire and say, You know what? A lot of people say, it sucks. But guess what? I think it’s great that I respect, respect deeply. Yeah. And to take a movie like you did, it seems like you did it to yourself with the town you thought it was like, maybe a movie people might look down their nose at or that, or that was just like you loved ironically, and then you and you woke up, and you’re like, No, I really, straight up love it, and I love this. I am gonna tell you I am so grateful that you came on this show because I saw it once in the theater. Hadn’t really thought of it since my wife was terrible. It was a go to plane movie for my wife. My wife used to ride a lot of planes, and she saw it many times, and she loved it. And and then I re watched it for for this show. It’s great, Ego.

 

Reshma Saujani  25:55

What’s the problem?

 

Scott Eckert  25:56

Yeah, I think it’s great. And wait and I’m sorry. Ellie is gonna weigh in, trust me, and before she rains on our parade, I’m gonna say some things that I didn’t expect I’d be saying, okay, Ken Affleck is a snack. He is better looking in this movie than in any other movie. Thank you. I am totally won over. I’m gonna finish my little rant here, I promise you, for listeners who haven’t seen the movie, he’s a bank robber, and, like in the very first sequence, he’s like, the nice bank robber, Jeremy Renner is the nasty one, and they rob a bank, and they then there’s a bank manager, played by Rebecca Hall, and they take her hostage, and Jeremy Renner kind of wants to kill her, but Ben Affleck’s like, hey, hey, hey, it’s cool. I’m gonna make I’m gonna make sure she’s cool. So then he finds her in regular life. And wouldn’t you know, they fall in love. And here’s the thing, am I telling that to somebody who has not seen the movie, but it’s probably rolling their eyes. I fucking buy it. I buy it. Rebecca Hall, I she’s doing a great job with not doesn’t have a lot to work with, but she’s doing a great job. Ben Affleck, though I completely buy and she’s like, I don’t know, she’s a fancy pants person. And they make, they make a big deal out of that. She’s like, helps, helps underprivileged people. Ben Affleck is like, my job is hauling rocks, and she falls in love with him despite that, and I believe it. And guys, beautiful spoiler, she finds out that he’s a bank robber, and she still loves him. And I buy it. I buy it. Ego. So thank you. Thank you for having me re watch it?

 

Ellie Kemper  27:41

Well, you guys, I the and I’m not raining on your parade at all. What I want to tell it’s it’s more it’s in the spirit, or it’s following the trend of reading about a movie after you’ve watched it and seeing what other people think. Because when I saw it in 2010 I thought I remember Blake Lively’s performance. I just remember, that’s what I remember. Because I remember thinking, this is a character, yeah, I have not seen her play someone like this. That was in 2010 I didn’t even watch Gossip Girl, so I don’t know what I was comparing, right? But then when I watched it again this week, I thought, I’m just going to tell both of you who are huge town fans. Yes. I thought this is absurd. I thought this there isn’t a how is this plot at all Bible? And then I look at you’re reminding me right now. Oh, it’s actually based on a true story. That’s insane.

 

Ego Nwodim  28:30

Exactly, well, that’s Think about how many things in life happen. Have you ever had anything in life happen when you go if I wrote this, someone would think I made it. They’d think it was too absurd. They’d think this was insane. They’d call it implausible, but it happens, it happens, her performance. It absolutely is a character that Boston, that town, I don’t, yeah, it’s fascinating to me. Yeah, I that’s something to unpack, for sure. I want her to come host us now, because I have a sketch idea for that. Because I that’s not something I did watch Gossip Girl religiously. That’s not something I would have ever thought was in her wheelhouse. So good on her, you know, good on her.

 

Ellie Kemper  29:12

Because I was a tour de force.  Yeah, I mean, it was a character.

 

Ego Nwodim  29:15

It was a it literally was.

 

Scott Eckert  29:17

There is a scene in the town where John Hamm walks into a room, and Blake Lively is sitting there, and he looks at her, and he says, I know that you have alcohol, cocaine and oxycodone in your system right now, and you’ve just been in a car accident. And here’s the deal, guys, I believed it. Blake was convincing me that she had all those things in her system and that she had just been in a car.

 

Ego Nwodim  29:48

She did listen, she ditched. I was convinced there too, by the way, that specific seam continuity issue her necklace is in a different place. Her necklace is when they cut back to her necklaces like. Kind of leaning this way, and then it cut back to her, and then the necklace is kind of fixed. That’s how many times I’ve seen the movie anyway.

 

Ellie Kemper  30:07

And she loves it. In spite of that.

 

Scott Eckert  30:11

She’s such a mess that her necklace moves itself.

 

Ego Nwodim  30:14

It moves itself.

 

Ellie Kemper  30:16

Trying to walk right off her neck. What I saw in doing my like, post movie, watching, reading, I did not realize Jeremy Runner was Jeremy Runner was nominated for an Oscar. Did you know this?

 

Ego Nwodim  30:31

I for his birthday? I think I did, and I was rooting for him. I was really rooting for him, because that was phenomenal.

 

Ellie Kemper  30:38

Totally on board. I guess my impression of the town was that it was more like a summer flick or something like, yeah. I didn’t realize that it had the critical claim that it does.

 

Ego Nwodim  30:47

Yes, and this is the thing. I was shamefully loving the town in a sense, because I it’s not some like art house, like sexy, it’s not sexy in that way. And, no, but, but listen.

 

Scott Eckert  31:00

Hard, it was, disagree, sexy in that way, guys.

 

Ego Nwodim  31:10

Well, you know what to your point about Ben? I mean, he’s fucking ripped in that movie.

 

Ellie Kemper  31:16

He is ripped as hell. And there’s really only that one shot in the sex scene.

 

Ego Nwodim  31:23

Sex scene, and then there’s one where the cops are watching them have a barbecue, like party, and his shirt is off, and I’m like, Oh, lord, my lord. And I feel like, for the first time, I was like, okay, Ben, Benjamin Affleck, I’m looking at you, but, I will say that is not why I love it. I got to get back to this, because it’s really important. I was talking to Keenan at our host dinner about this, the moment where Jerry Miranda is like, we’re gonna in a whole court in the streets. He kept his word. They got jammed up. Ben knew they would gotta listen to your gut, guys. There’s lessons there too, you know. And so he just skipping you everything you could want. So he gets, they get stuck. He’s gonna get killed by this cop. It’s a shootout, and he’s, he kind of takes cover behind a mailbox and then realizes he’s gonna die. They’re like, surrender, Put your guns down. And he goes, fuck you. Kind of love that, because he’s like, No, I’m literally not going back to prison. Been there, done that, not interested. And then there’s a there’s like, someone has dumped a coke on the, like, in a Styrofoam cup from, like, a fast food restaurant. Is like, sitting there on the ground. And Jeremy, iconic to add, frankly, yes, absolutely grabs the Coke, someone else’s fucking coke that they tried to trash and throw it disgusting, but when you’re gonna die, does it matter? Do germs matter? Sweet? No, it doesn’t matter. On your way out his last his last drink before he knows I’m going to die, he grabs his coke, sips from it, and then, like a true king, I have to give this man credit for standing on business. He turns around and attempts to further. He knows he’s gonna He’s surrounded. And he takes that SIP because he knows he’s gonna die. And he’s like, but I’m not going out like this. I’m not going out without a fight. And he turns, points his gun to start to shoot it. I mean, then he’s riddled with bullets.

 

Scott Eckert  33:18

But we should it’s a it’s a pretty dark movie, guys, it’s a little bit of a downer, if we’re being honest.

 

Ego Nwodim  33:27

It is not a feel good, happy. It’s not a reality, that’s for sure.

 

Ellie Kemper  33:32

No, it’s not. And I mischaracterized it as a summer flick, but I thought it was like a summer thriller flick. No, it’s not a feel good. It’s certainly not.

 

Scott Eckert  33:39

But there are moments of feel good.

 

Ellie Kemper  33:42

I guess the thing that I found, and you both have, like, done a good job, like painting it in a different light for me, but I just don’t understand why Rebecca Hall falls, and what virtues does Ben Affleck have.

 

Ego Nwodim  33:58

Protection in that movie, protector. Remember he went in. She was getting yelled at by the kids when she goes to her car, and that’s when Jeremy went with him, protector, to put an end to that. And then you ever, Ellie, ever just have chemistry with the person? And it’s sort of inexplicable me either, but in the movies.

 

Ellie Kemper  34:19

Yeah, it’s just a chemist. No, you’re right. You’re exactly right. It’s clearly chemistry.

 

Ego Nwodim  34:24

She’s got that body, and they have that chemist.

 

Ellie Kemper  34:29

That wit.

 

Ego Nwodim  34:30

And that wit, and I know, like he was a bad boy, like you can tell he was. He used to be in trouble. And it’s sort of like, oh, and she’s, she works with the troubled youth, and so she’s, I think, intrigued by that, and it’s like, oh, he’s reformed, like, I think it’s all the made, a little bit of savior complex too, like a little bit of that. You know, she’s so it happens.

 

Ellie Kemper  34:53

I just, I don’t see it for the long haul, but I, I for the moment, for the few days. Or whatever that takes place over the course of the film. All right, okay, I guess I can buy.

 

Ego Nwodim  35:04

You can buy it. You’ve really made me think, because I’ve never thought about whether they would sustain or not. I know I thought about it. Okay, see, are you? You’re a big realist. I mean, I’m a kind of a realist too. I don’t.

 

Ellie Kemper  35:18

Yeah, but movies are for escape, so, you know, I shouldn’t overthink that piece of it. I just I, I think you’re right. I think it was chemistry. He’s her protector. She’s saving a broken bird. All of this, yes.

 

Scott Eckert  35:31

Put yourself in her shoes. Okay. She’s gone through a traumatic experience. Her she just was threatened with murder. She thought she was gonna die. She is having PTSD flashbacks at the laundromat. And then the world’s most beautiful man shows her a kindness. He says, are you okay? And she’s like, yeah. And he’s like, are you sure I think that I’m doing this word for word audience. And he reaches out and he says, It’s okay. I can’t even do it, but in like, the most bostony accent he could possibly do it, he’s like, it’s all right. I cry all the time when I get my nails done at the nail salon. Oh yeah, and then she laughs, because, see, he’s such a masculine man, but he’s making a joke. He’s showing his own vulnerability. And in that moment, I was the one who got wet.

 

Ego Nwodim  36:26

And that made you wet. I mean, listen, I got wet at the top. You got wet. What? A third of the way, and everyone’s getting wet. Everyone will leave this movie wet. I’m talking.

 

Scott Eckert  36:37

All right, well, that, I don’t know that there’s a better way to pitch it, and it’s a movie that’ll make you wet. Do you have any final thoughts before we shift away from the town Ego, anything that we haven’t touched on?

 

Ego Nwodim  36:49

Away from the why would we ever what would we okay? Any final thoughts? I just listen. I’ve been given shit by people being like, I’ll say it’s my favorite movie. And people go, the one was Ben Affleck, 2010, Jeremy Renner. I go, Yeah, that’s the one. Why do you keep saying these things as though they’re like, Jeremy Renner, Ben Affleck, that’s a town, yeah? And then they’ll go, yeah. I mean, it was good. And I go, so why can’t it be my favorite? Problem?

 

Ellie Kemper  37:18

Yep, it is. At what we you sent over a list of topics, of things that you love, and The Town was like a blazing siren. It was just like, of course, I was not expecting such specificity. I understand it’s a powerful film. You can’t yeah. You can’t leave it thinking, Oh yeah, that was a movie. Yeah, you have your effect. I mean, it’s still with me. I watched it five days ago, yes, and I’m living and breathing, yeah. So, so I get it, I get it. And again, I hope that everybody did take that break to go watch The Town. If you haven’t go watch it now, it’s a.

 

Ego Nwodim  37:59

Beautiful performances, and just to be rooting for the bad guys and going, you know, Jeremy’s character is, he’s rough around the edges, right? He’s not as evolved as Dougie McCrae. But you go, you also get him. I understand him, you know, I get him. And so just a beautiful film top to bottom and Ode to Boston, a city I’ve spent maybe 30 minutes in but […]

 

Ellie Kemper  38:32

In your experience, it captures the essence of Boston.

 

Ego Nwodim  38:38

What a beautiful.

 

Scott Eckert  38:39

It’s much grittier than the Logan Airport Terminal.

 

Ellie Kemper  38:45

Thank you so much for sharing your love with us.

 

Ego Nwodim  38:47

Of course.

 

Ellie Kemper  38:47

If you have a minute, we play this game called Love it or loathe it. If Are you able to stick around and play it and so able to Yes, great. Okay, guys, when we come back, we’re gonna play love it or loathe it with, Ego.

 

Ellie Kemper  39:59

And we’re back. Okay hooray. You guys, we have been talking about the town. There’s so many things to love about the town. Now we are going to play a game called Love it or loathe it. So Ego this game, it’s deceptively simple. We are going to throw some items, subjects, activities at you, and you’re going to tell us if you love that thing or you load that thing. Here’s the catch, though, there can be no in between. There’s no gray area. You never feel so so about something, you either love it or you loathe it, okay? And we hope that you win.

 

Ego Nwodim  40:45

Okay. I win, okay. I hope I do too.

 

Ellie Kemper  40:48

All right. The first topic, love it or loathe it, Texas tuxedos. Do you know what that is?

 

Ego Nwodim  40:56

No. And I was tempted to just go, here’s my hard answer. Should is it better for me to have I wanted to abide by the rules of the game? Is it better for you to tell me what it is and then I answer, or I can just answer now I don’t know what that is. Loathe it because I don’t know what it is. It’s okay to hate a thing you don’t know, and that’s my political platform yeah.

 

Ellie Kemper  41:22

Hate what you don’t know.

 

Ego Nwodim  41:23

Yes, yeah.

 

Scott Eckert  41:24

What if I were to tell you that it’s an all denim outfit, denim jeans and a denim jacket put together. Do you regret your loathing, or do you realize you in fact, love it?

 

Ego Nwodim  41:35

How does it differ from a Canadian tuxedo?

 

Ellie Kemper  41:38

Wow, I did not know what a Texas tuxedo was, and our producer had come up with Texas Tux tuxedo, and then our other producer said, Oh, I know it as a Canadian tuxedo, so I do think it has many names, and I didn’t know that that look had a name at all. Okay, so it’s not different.

 

Ego Nwodim  41:55

Okay, well, then in that case, I would like to amend my answer and say, Love it, love it, love it, love it, unequivocally. Love a monochromatic moment. Love, love a matching texture. I love a I love a set outfit. And when, when you’re giving denim on top, denim on bottom, it’s giving set. And so two piece set, and I’m here for it. Love.

 

Ellie Kemper  42:17

Yes, done, perfect. That was the right answer, Scott.

 

Scott Eckert  42:20

All right, Ego love it or loathe it. Twitter.

 

Ego Nwodim  42:24

Honey, I’m just gonna go ahead and say, love it thank you. When I tell you last night I was and I hate that it’s been taken over by the person that took it over. I hate that it’s got its ugly name, X. I hate that anybody can be verified now, not because I assigned so much value or meaning to verification, but it just creates confusion and chaos, which seems to be what the new owner is going for. But last night, before bed, I’m feeling a little discombobulated. And, you know, most people might read and they say phone down before bed, I am on Twitter, laughing my ass off at strangers various topics. There’s this tab that says, For you, I’m laughing. I’m bookmarking gonna send that to a friend when it’s not 1am like laughing out loud in my apartment. And so I am going to say, absolutely love it. And last night, I remember thinking, I know a lot of people hopped off of this platform, and understandably so, I respect that stance. I go. I quite enjoy it still. I do quite enjoy it still. It’s very funny.

 

Ellie Kemper  43:24

Fantastic.

 

Scott Eckert  43:25

You and I, were you aware of one mind on so many things? Ego, on the town, on Twitter? I agree with you completely. The mistake that I made earlier on is the same mistake I think a lot of people make with Twitter, and it’s a negativity machine, and it just feeds you negativity, but that’s only if you’re following negative people. It can also be a joy machine. Yeah, yeah, right. You your social media. You want it to make you laugh. You don’t want it to make you jealous or make you angry. And that’s it’s not an easy thing to do, but I love it too. I’m also a late night Twitter scroller, so, yeah, enjoy.

 

Ellie Kemper  43:58

Well, it is what, you know. It’s a classic half empty, half full situation, and you guys are half full.

 

Ego Nwodim  44:03

Yeah, I think so, yeah, half full.

 

Ellie Kemper  44:06

Love it or loathe it, giving people pet names like smoochums or peanut or honey bear.

 

Ego Nwodim  44:16

Love it. I have, this is this game is too easy for me. No, very clear. I love it because I don’t like when people call me babe. I am gonna just say that. If there’s a place where I can say that out loud, I’m very off put by other women calling me babe and Sweetie, please don’t call me that. I feel like this is a huge deal, that I’m saying it publicly. I don’t know why it gets under my skin. And I’m like, why are you? Why is my peer calling me babe and sweet? I’m not into it.

 

Ellie Kemper  44:48

Scott and I, Scott, we made a sketch about this 15 years ago. I could not agree with you, yeah, because there is so and I, you and I have been searching for a public forum to. Speak about this, I, although I wanted to watch it, write an op ed about it’s I don’t see, but we might differ. I don’t care if someone call me baby. That’s like for some reason, that’s different. Fine for me, babe?

 

Ego Nwodim  45:12

Babe, don’t call me babe. Please don’t call me babe. And don’t call me sweetie babe. Especially, I don’t know what truly gets under my skin, but yes, especially not from a lover. And so I’m like, What’s going on anyway? Baby’s fine. I say baby to people sometimes, but pet names in general, I do love I feel very clear on that. It occurred to me, like my senior year of high school, I was like, I love giving people nicknames, and your name could be. I love giving people nicknames. And then I remember in senior year of high school, going, Oh, no one’s giving me a nickname, but my name is Ego, so I’m like, it’s three letters, and then somehow it’s like, I manifested. Within a couple years, people started calling me eggs, Eggy, like, and I go, wow, okay, if that’s fine, I’m here for it. And so love a love a pet name, love a nickname, love to not. Love to make something up for you. If you’re comfortable, if you say you don’t like that, I’ll honor it.

 

Ellie Kemper  46:05

Fine, that’s right.

 

Scott Eckert  46:07

How about this one? Love it, or loaded, giving pets people names. Oh, like Charlie.

 

Ego Nwodim  46:14

Love it, honestly, my dog’s name is Chief, and I’ve always wanted a dog named chief, and when I got him, he looks like a chief, he behaves like a chief. It was perfect. But I will say every once in a while I look at him, I will not be getting another dog to be a friend to him. I And I’m saying that to myself to tell myself I don’t need to get another dog, because it’s too much. Mike, but I have looked at him often and be like, Man, wouldn’t have been funny if I named you Justin, like, that would have been great for a dog. And so I do love so funny.

 

Ellie Kemper  46:47

Yeah, what is it about it? It’s just, I mean, in a way, I guess it’s a little patron. I mean, it’s a little condescending for me to love it that much, because I’m like, well, you’re a dog. Your name can’t be Justin, yeah, but it is funny.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:01

It tickles me every time. Yeah? Like, imagine a pug named Nancy. Like, come on.

 

Ellie Kemper  47:08

It’s so funny.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:09

Yeah.

 

Scott Eckert  47:10

I wanted, I wanted to name my cat Ben, but my kids, oh, they vetoed. It’s vetoed it.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:16

Man, that’s a good name.

 

Ellie Kemper  47:19

That’s a good name. It all. You know what? It’s not condescending. It gives them dignity. I love it, and also what?

 

Scott Eckert  47:27

I’m just gonna say, I think you were gonna say exactly the same thing. Ellie, I think you’re four for four loves.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:32

You are Love. There are things on this life that I loathe. To be very clear, I’m a woman full of heart takes strong opinions.

 

Ellie Kemper  47:39

We didn’t well, we briefly found a loath in the Texas tuxedo, until you found out what it was.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:44

Then you loved it. And then I was like.

 

Ellie Kemper  47:45

Oh no, I love that. You only hate what you don’t. You only know what you don’t.

 

Ego Nwodim  47:50

And then my, as I said, political stance and platform? No, it’s not, I’m joking, guys.

 

Ellie Kemper  47:58

But this game, you crushed ego, it has been, I mean, I could talk to you well about anything, but specifically the town for an hour more, but we won’t do that to you. You have places to go, people to see what are there any specific projects you would like to mention right now that you’re working?

 

Ego Nwodim  48:14

Yes, okay, so I am in Mr. Throwback on peacock with Steph Curry, as mentioned, that is still on Peacock. If you haven’t watched it, it’s six episodes. It’s really fun. Steph is great in it. Adam pally is fantastic in it. Aiden Myer is great in it. The whole cast it was made with love and joy, and I feel like that jumps through the screen. So I would encourage you all to pause right now and watch Mr. Throwback and come back to the rest of the episode. And also, I have my own podcast now, because the world needs more podcasts. In my opinion, there are not enough podcasts. But this one’s very special. I feel it’s called, thanks, Dad. It’s about the fact that I was raised by a single mom. Do not have a relationship with my dad. So I ask people, you know and love, to come on and be my dad for the day, tell me a little bit about their dads, and then tell me what they’re like as dads. And it’s a very special, beautiful time where we get to see a lot of these public figures in different lights. And so I would love if listeners of born to love would come over and listen to thanks Dad, give it a try.

 

Ellie Kemper  49:25

Well, what an uplifting premise for a show, a podcast. And so we love that, and I’m so happy you’re doing it, and we are so happy that you took the time to speak with us today. This has been an absolute joy. Thank you, Ego.

 

Ego Nwodim  49:37

Thank you. Thank you so much, guys.

 

Ellie Kemper  49:48

Well, Scott, that was, I mean, I’m not surprised, just a delightful conversation with Ego.

 

Scott Eckert  49:54

The least surprising thing in the world, although I am surprised that you know, you managed to hide your. Disdain for the town so well.

 

Ellie Kemper  50:03

I have never despised a movie more than the this is why I’m so good at what I do. I was my finest performance.

 

Scott Eckert  50:15

That’s right, any of you who doubted that Ellie Kemper is a tremendous actress need only listen to her comments on the town no, you liked it. Okay, just, not just them. I’m not as much as Ego of course.

 

Ellie Kemper  50:27

No, Ego, there’s no one could. You could not compare anyone’s love of the town to Eggos. It’s, it’s unparalleled. But I did, I like The Town, but I like Ego more. Okay, there, that’s a fair statement, what a nice little time we’ve had. What are you looking forward to this week? This week coming up?

 

Scott Eckert  50:47

Ellie, I’ve got a real big one. It’s a holiday season. I’m going to Colorado for a ski trip.

 

Ellie Kemper  50:55

Okay, oh, it’s perfect, Scott, because you like going to the lodge, right?

 

Scott Eckert  51:01

I do, and I think I’ve talked to you, I can’t remember we talked about it on Mike, I do not ski. I am not a skier. My whole family is, but me. So I’m just, I’m just gonna hang out in the hotel room, read a book, and, you know, just just chill out at the ski lodge. What better way to spend a couple of days before Christmas?

 

Ellie Kemper  51:18

Scott, I think that’s, I mean, to be perfectly honest with you, that’s what everybody goes to ski for the end of the day, and your end of the day will be all day. So I’m jealous, and I know that that’s going to be a wonderful, cozy time sitting by the crackling fire with hot chocolate. What am I looking forward to? Looking Forward here’s what I’m looking forward to this week, amidst all the busy holiday shopping and decorations and work parties and this and that, I’m getting together for dinner with some old friends, and I am so excited because I haven’t had I’m being mysterious about these friends for no reason. It’s just You won’t know who they are, and I’m getting dinner with them, and I’m really excited. They’re friends from college who are all going to be here in Los Angeles, and I am. There’s nothing better, Scott than just having a nice time catching up with friends that you haven’t seen in a while.

 

Scott Eckert  52:17

So it sounds spectacular Ellie, but she’s being modest again. Their friends names are Michelle and Barack.

 

Ellie Kemper  52:28

So good to see them again. We’ve been busy. I mean our high school years. I mean those that was a time. And at last, Michelle Barack.

 

Scott Eckert  52:37

You are a Hawaii girl.

 

Ellie Kemper  52:41

Aloha. And at last, yeah, no, that was the crazy time Barack and I had in high school together in Hawaii, but, but we haven’t seen each other in a while. I get it. He’s busy. I’m busy, but we’re getting together for dinner. What better way to celebrate the holiday season than going skiing and for me eating dinner with the Obamas? So that’ll be good guys fact check, I’m not actually having dinner with the Obamas. If you just dropped in to listen, I’m not actually okay. Well, thank you so much to everyone for joining us for another episode of Born to Love. If you want to find me, @EllieKemper on Instagram.

 

Scott Eckert  53:18

And I’m @BScottEckert on Twitter, be sure to leave us a five star review, and if you have any thoughts or questions for the show, send us an email at borntolovefeedback@gmail.com.

 

CREDITS  53:26

There’s more Born To Love with Lemonada Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content where we flip the script and talk about something we don’t love.  This week, I gripe about line etiquette, standing in line etiquette, that is here are gripes, and not just our loves, but only if you subscribe and Apple podcasts.  Born to Love is a production of Lemonada Media our producers are Kegan Zema and Aria Bracci.  Our engineers are Ivan Kuraev and James Sparber. Our SVP of weekly production is Steve Nelson and our cover art photography is by Tony Russo. Executive Producers are Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Ellie Kemper and Scott Eckert follow Born To Love. Wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership, and take us out in the immortal words of Jeremy Renner from The Town, I’m gonna hear some acting Ellie. Just, just buckle up. You know what your problem is? You think you’re better than people. Mr. Clean, Mr. God damn high and mighty. That’s what you think. But you grew up right here in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, where this movie takes place, the city of Boston.