This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Rory O'Malley: You're listening to episode number 45 of Living the Dream with Rory O'Malley.

[0:05] Rory O'Malley: If you like the podcast, subscribe, rate, review.

[0:09] Rory O'Malley: Audition, side job, swimming upstream.

[0:12] Rory O'Malley: Believe it or not, you're living the dream.

[0:16] Rory O'Malley: Hello, dreamers, Rory O'Malley here, your host of Living the Dream. Thank you so much for listening, tuning in, downloading. What do you call it? I don't know, but thank you for doing it. Um this is a wonderful episode with my very good friend Edi Patterson.

[0:33] Rory O'Malley: Edie is currently on VICE PRINCIPALS on HBO, a very funny show, and she is hysterical. She's one of the funniest people I know. And we met doing a TV show on FX called Partners with Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence. I was playing the sassy gay assistant to those two guys, and she was like the detective, I think. Um it wasn't very clear. They were doing a lot of uh uh exploration with her character.

[1:05] Rory O'Malley: And as you'll hear, we talk about they literally changed the entire character after we filmed 10 episodes and that we reshot it and she came up with a whole new character. Um she's amazing. She's remarkable, and she came from the Groundlings. She is an incredible improviser, and uh she comes from that world, and I just am so impressed with so many of the things that she's done. But I've seen her do an entire one-woman show improvised, and we talk about it because it was incredible.

[1:40] Rory O'Malley: It is just amazing to me that somebody can get a few suggestions and then do an entire one-woman show as a character that uh someone from the audience has suggested. Um she's remarkable. She also happens to be one of the nicest people ever, and I really loved getting to hear her story more. She's a comedic genius, and I'm really glad I got to have this conversation with her. I hope you enjoy it.

[2:04] Rory O'Malley: Alright, we started, we're recording.

[2:07] Edi Patterson: Great.

[2:08] Rory O'Malley: Great. Welcome to Living the Dream.

[2:11] Edi Patterson: Oh, thanks.

[2:12] Edi Patterson: Um we just we just had lunch for the last.

[2:18] Edi Patterson: I mean, we're we when we get together, we can talk. We it's been a while. We haven't been able to really relax into it.

[2:26] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[2:27] Edi Patterson: So we leaned in pretty hard, had some bone broth.

[2:30] Edi Patterson: Yeah, oh the bone broth.

[2:32] Edi Patterson: You brought me to a restaurant that had bone broth, which I've never tried. I've been scared to do it, which I don't know why, because I'm like a I'm a carnivore.

[2:39] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[2:40] Edi Patterson: But I told you I was convinced that it would taste like fish or be really fishy. And I don't know why. Like they were just using fish bones. I guess you could have like salmon bone broth or something.

[2:52] Edi Patterson: I've only ever had it chicken bone broth. One time in New York, I walked to some place and I had um beef bone broth. But chicken was tastier.

[3:01] Edi Patterson: This was this was chicken that we had. It was really good. It was really good. And it's really healthy for you. I feel like a hipster. They say that it uh repairs all your muscles and makes your nails and hair grow.

[3:14] Rory O'Malley: Oh my gosh.

[3:15] Edi Patterson: Oh my gosh. I'm gonna go file my nails. They're gonna be on fire tonight.

[3:20] Rory O'Malley: What if you got real long witchy nails tomorrow?

[3:25] Edi Patterson: That that could happen. I could use that as the king.

[3:28] Edi Patterson: That would be awesome. I'll paint them. You start bringing out like a washboard that you can just clack up and down.

[3:36] Edi Patterson: Um, so we met each other working on a TV show called Partners with Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence.

[3:45] Rory O'Malley: That's right. It was 10 episodes on FX, and it was crazy because we did 10 episodes in like six weeks. It was the last of the 1090s.

[3:57] Edi Patterson: Right.

[3:57] Rory O'Malley: 1090, which is a very specific thing that was started by Tyler Perry, I think.

[4:03] Edi Patterson: Oh yeah, maybe so. I think the first one they ever had was the one that they had that went the longest was that Charlie Sheen thing.

[4:09] Edi Patterson: Right.

[4:10] Rory O'Malley: But yeah, maybe Tyler Perry. Which Michael Arden was on, uh, who's a who's a Broadway actor and uh director. Um, but yeah, they had had some success with it, so they were trying it again, where you do 10 episodes, you air them, and if enough people watch it and if the ratings are high enough, then it automatically orders 90 more episodes.

[4:29] Edi Patterson: Yeah, which it's like crazy to even say that. Like, how is that ever a thing?

[4:35] Rory O'Malley: I don't know. I mean, I think that like maybe it you have to know a little bit about the business to know how crazy that is, but probably not. Like that sounds like a lot to my mom who doesn't know anything about I mean 90.

[4:52] Edi Patterson: 90 more.

[4:53] Rory O'Malley: So, okay, so say you think of like that network model where oh, giant full season is like what, 22?

[5:01] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[5:02] Rory O'Malley: Even with that, how many seasons is that? I mean, that's at least five seasons of a show, right?

[5:08] Edi Patterson: Yes.

[5:09] Rory O'Malley: Just after six weeks of work.

[5:11] Edi Patterson: Right, of going, you know what? Let's get in here for five or six years.

[5:15] Rory O'Malley: Yeah. And and the way that they are able to do that is because they do it so quickly, they save money. It's like, you know, you basically show a network that you can put together this TV show extremely fast and efficiently, and it's worth it so that it will go into syndication.

[5:32] Edi Patterson: Right.

[5:32] Rory O'Malley: And then you'll have a hundred episodes that you can have exist for all time.

[5:37] Edi Patterson: So it was fun. I mean, we had really fun. We had a blast.

[5:40] Rory O'Malley: Totally. Um, it just felt like being on a playground, and then I'm so glad that we had each other. We had a lot of great people in the cast, but we you and I definitely from the jump, honestly.

[5:53] Edi Patterson: Like from day one. I seriously remember being at that table read.

[5:57] Rory O'Malley: We we had to go um to way out in Santa Clarita.

[6:03] Edi Patterson: Right.

[6:04] Rory O'Malley: By the six flags.

[6:05] Edi Patterson: By the six flags. Yeah. And uh I remember at that very first table read, I was like, hmm, who's my friend here? Because you you start to have that like first day of school, like, yeah, who where am I? What is this? Yeah. And I just like was like trying to terminator scan the room, and I went, that guy.

[6:27] Edi Patterson: Yeah, that guy.

[6:29] Rory O'Malley: Oh my god. No, that's exactly how it was for me. I feel like I forced you to be my friend.

[6:33] Edi Patterson: No, no, no. There was no forcing. I knew you were hysterical, and I was like, this is my this is the person who's gonna make me laugh throughout this, no matter what. Because it was humor being so fast.

[6:45] Rory O'Malley: It was crazy. I found out that I got the job just like two days before.

[6:49] Edi Patterson: Oh my god, that's right.

[6:51] Rory O'Malley: It was over Christmas, I was at home in Cleveland, and I got the call, and they were like, Oh, you have to be in LA for the table read in 48 hours. I had no clothes.

[7:00] Edi Patterson: Right, so you had to go buy a whole wardrobe of clothes.

[7:02] Rory O'Malley: Yes. I went to a J Crew in Cleveland with my husband, and we went on a shopping spree, and he was so pissed because he was like, I can't believe you get to have a shopping spree. You don't deserve this. I should have a shopping spree.

[7:15] Edi Patterson: Gerald!

[7:16] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[7:16] Edi Patterson: But I didn't have I had nothing to bring to LA. I was supposed to go back to New York. So I got there, and you know, there's Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence, two legends of TV. It was really overwhelming. And you were my buddy. Just instantly.

[7:30] Edi Patterson: Instant. And we were like, what is this? We have to like create something in six weeks to episode of TV. And then we had that thing where, like, after we finished them, remember I was a Russian chick.

[7:45] Rory O'Malley: Oh, oh, I remember.

[7:46] Edi Patterson: And then we had to We shot we shot 10 episodes where you were a Russian character.

[7:51] Rory O'Malley: Oh yeah, yeah. And then redid all of it with me as a sassy American.

[7:56] Edi Patterson: Yes. Which was literally I didn't know this was possible.

[8:00] Rory O'Malley: We neither. I felt like we were in a science fiction.

[8:03] Edi Patterson: I was just glad to not be fired.

[8:05] Rory O'Malley: Yeah. Oh no. You were, you are you were the funniest thing in it.

[8:10] Edi Patterson: And you were, oh come on. You are a comic genius.

[8:15] Rory O'Malley: You are so bitch.

[8:16] Edi Patterson: I'm not, I can't. I'm the this is the truth. And everyone knows it. But I think they were like, um, Russians aren't in right now. You know, cut to where where we are in the world today. Like I always think about that.

[8:27] Rory O'Malley: Oh my god.

[8:29] Edi Patterson: Like everyone is probably trying to write in Russian characters at this point since the election.

[8:34] Rory O'Malley: Probably.

[8:35] Edi Patterson: That they're like infiltrating, you know, but like they were just a little nervous about having a Russian character or something. Or it was like they tested it and people were like, what is that accent? Who's this bitch?

[8:46] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[8:48] Edi Patterson: But but I I would imagine it was more like that. People going, mm-mm. I don't like her.

[8:54] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, well, I mean, I I mean I understand what you're saying. Like, maybe it is from testing, but it could not have been you were so funny doing that. It was hysterical.

[9:06] Edi Patterson: And your accent was amazing. But also maybe they weren't ready for it. Maybe maybe whatever test audience they had was just like not about it and wanted something a little easier to digest because you were operating on a lot of different levels.

[9:24] Rory O'Malley: What was the name? I forget the name.

[9:25] Edi Patterson: V.

[9:28] Edi Patterson: It wasn't like Velma.

[9:30] Edi Patterson: Verushka.

[9:31] Rory O'Malley: Verushka.

[9:32] Edi Patterson: Yeah. And then, yep. And then it turned into Veronica.

[9:37] Rory O'Malley: Yeah. That's that's what happened. I think I still got to do it because of Bob Boyette and Robert Horn. I my gut is that even though people were like, whoever played that Russian, get her out of here. That probably those guys were like, no, no, no, she can do it.

[9:56] Edi Patterson: Yeah. Yeah. But I feel like they had to talk some people into some stuff.

[9:59] Rory O'Malley: Okay. Well, they should they shouldn't have had to talk to people into it too much because you were the comedy. You were so so funny. And I just had the best time working with you.

[10:13] Edi Patterson: I remember from on my part when we had to do those reshoots and we were working on scenes again. I had gotten my hair cut. Do you remember the controversy?

[10:21] Edi Patterson: Yes. I mean, it was like it was like six months later. And I had I had, you know, I have short hair, so any kind of difference can be a lot. And I had gotten my hair cut for the summer or whatever. And it was like I was every day going to work just trying to make my hair look longer.

[10:39] Edi Patterson: And it did not work. Like yanking on it on the drive. I was blowing it out, like trying to make it just higher, which just made me look like an insane person.

[10:48] Rory O'Malley: I forgot about that. It's funny the things that you stress out about.

[10:51] Edi Patterson: Totally. Well, remember one of the girls had shaved her head.

[10:54] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[10:54] Edi Patterson: And they had to like make a wig that looked like her old hair.

[10:57] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[10:59] Edi Patterson: Like, yeah, how could we know? I mean, how can we know not to shave our heads?

[11:03] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[11:05] Edi Patterson: Um, yeah, we didn't know that we were gonna come back to shoot like that. But it was very stressful every day. I was like trying to like match the shots from six months before with my hair. And like some people were like, what are you talking about? You're crazy. And then there were some people like, why would you cut your hair ever?

[11:21] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[11:21] Edi Patterson: I was like, I'm sorry, I'm a person. Um so we had we had that great experience though, but it was so it was so intense and so fast. It was hardcore. I'm so grateful that I I got to have you there with me.

[11:38] Rory O'Malley: Because anytime we were like thrown off, we had each other to go to each other's trailers and be like, Yeah, Rory would hear this on his trailer, ting ting ting ting ting.

[11:48] Edi Patterson: Um, can I you mind if I eat my lunch in here?

[11:52] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, yeah. We had a lot of a lot of meetings, a lot of meetings in the trailer. Um, but I and it's I and Bob Boyette, who produced it, and Robert Horn, they they created it and and produced it. They were both so good to us.

[12:04] Edi Patterson: So great. And I just had lunch with Robert, and he said, I'm so glad that you got to do that so that you could meet Edie.

[12:15] Rory O'Malley: I love that.

[12:16] Edi Patterson: I know. It makes me cry. And I know that for for me, it was like I'm so glad that he could see how close we became, and you know that um it's one of those things where we're both gonna be so busy forever, but we'll always have that, and so that we can always reconnect because of it.

[12:33] Rory O'Malley: Totally. But I am so glad that you're doing this podcast because I am obsessed with who you are in this business. And I of course talked to a lot of people in the Broadway world, but I'm so glad that I'm here in Los Angeles now doing the show because I get to talk to other kind of live performers who, especially out here in Los Angeles, who have forged their own path and done things with comedy that I'm obsessed with that I think you're a magician with what you do as an improviser. You uh you're a groundling and I want to get to how we got there, but I've seen you how you got there from Texas where you grew up. But you I've seen you perform a one-woman show that you improvised, an improvised one-woman show.

And I when I say that it is one of the most glorious uh impressive things I have ever seen. I just I could not put into words to other people what it was that you took a few suggestions and then for an hour put an entire one-woman show on. I mean, that thing is crazy. That thing is it kind of like a groundling's dare? You know, like I know some of you have done it. I can't I do feel like it's something that I should have like some sort of um a medal. Like necklace with a medal on for like Yeah, it was an Olympic feat for sure. Because it's it's so weird. I've done it. Wow, I just spit all over your phone. Oh, that's all right. I'll I'm collecting DNA after every I've done it three times now or four, I've maybe done it four times now, and I'm shocked every time. It's a little less, but I'm shocked every time at like the flat out terror that I will feel at some point beforehand. When I start, thank goodness it all goes away.

[14:25] Edi Patterson: Yeah. Because then you're just in it. But beforehand, I always have a thought of why did I agree to this? Now I've got to like work so hard to get my head right and forget just forget that there's any stakes on it and like try to get to a free, like fuck it head space.

[14:45] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[14:46] Edi Patterson: Um, and then it's always a blast, and then I want to do it again, and then and then the terror comes back around.

[14:52] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, you have to kind of trick yourself into forgetting that terror.

[14:56] Edi Patterson: That's happens with a lot of stuff.

[14:57] Rory O'Malley: Totally. But I I can't imagine being up on a stage and say, improvise for an hour by yourself because improv and improvising, especially at the groundlings where you came from is a team sport.

[15:10] Edi Patterson: Totally. I mean, you guys are athletes going back and forth with the things that you throw at each other and you catch the ball and you throw it back with a different Well, and like a um because it's two say it's two people or three people or whatever, because it's two brains making an energy together. What happens, neither one of them could have done on their own.

[15:31] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[15:32] Edi Patterson: So yeah, I remember that occurred to me the first time I did it. I was in the gas show before I did it. Uh huh. And I was watching a scene in the gas show, and it was I was laughing. The eight o'clock improvised show on Thursday nights.

[15:47] Rory O'Malley: Cooking with gas.

[15:47] Edi Patterson: Yeah. That I do um every Thursday. But I was watching that and laughing so hard, and then like ice water ran through my veins, and I was like, oh no, that's that's the magic of improv. Is like two people making something that didn't exist. What am I about to do? Why it's anti.

[16:06] Rory O'Malley: But the weird thing is maybe I told you this your um your brain splinters off in an ideal world in that improvise one person show. And I didn't know this would happen. But you you do start to feel like you're with other people and you start to count on those in quotes other people like you would in an improv scene. And you just have to like keep keep taking chances like you would with another person and expect that they know answers that you don't I know that doesn't make any sense.

[16:36] Edi Patterson: That's like so brilliant and uh certifiably insane.

[16:42] Rory O'Malley: It's insane. I mean it is like right next door to multiple personality disorder.

[16:47] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[16:47] Rory O'Malley: It's totally crazy. Um how do you keep and and we're gonna go back but I really had to talk to you about this because we haven't talked about it in some I love talking about this because I think it's so if you when you start to break down it's so weird.

[17:01] Edi Patterson: Yeah yeah how do you remember everything?

[17:05] Rory O'Malley: I think sometimes when I've been improvising with people it's like they help me remember what we had just said or like what the scene is or where you are sometimes you make fun of each other because you forgot or you like said something that's not in the world that you've created. How do you compartmentalize all that information after an hour you've come up with this whole story and you tied it up in a beautiful bow and you like thanks um I you remember a lot of it.

[17:31] Edi Patterson: Part of that is like um tools that we try to hammer with um with my other group in pro theater of like repeating names once they're out and like just um hopefully if you repeat a name a couple of times it's in there and you've got like a visual with it. That one though, I I had to in the first I can't remember which one you saw.

[17:57] Rory O'Malley: Um Do you remember anything about it?

[18:00] Edi Patterson: Yeah, well she was a she was a former actress who was on Law and Order or no or uh NCIS.

[18:07] Rory O'Malley: It was Margot Margot Mark Helgenberger.

[18:09] Edi Patterson: So that was the first one I'd ever done.

[18:11] Rory O'Malley: Really?

[18:12] Edi Patterson: And that's when I learned this thing that I'm about to tell you. Is the um there were things I didn't remember when I was doing that one.

[18:20] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[18:20] Edi Patterson: And in a panic at one point, I had come into a dorm, and as another character, I didn't know. It was it's so dumb because the audience builds you um different sets on stage. There are two doors on the ground like stage, but for some reason I like spacework improvised another door.

[18:39] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[18:40] Edi Patterson: Why? I have no idea. Right. But when I was leaving as another character, I didn't know where the handle was, and I didn't know which way the door opened in or out. And so I realized I didn't know that, and so I just asked the other person in quotes like where's the handle in this door?

[18:59] Rory O'Malley: And then I just realized like, oh, that guy will know.

[19:05] Edi Patterson: And because then I knew no matter what I said of that guy, that was right.

[19:09] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[19:11] Edi Patterson: So then he was able to answer, and then I was able to let it go.

[19:14] Rory O'Malley: And you are that guy.

[19:15] Edi Patterson: Yeah, I'm that's a good one. I think I want to be clarifying the people listening. I'm every character.

[19:19] Rory O'Malley: She's gonna ask that guy because he'll know.

[19:23] Edi Patterson: She's talking about herself.

[19:24] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, I'm talking about myself. I'm literally about to ask him and then jump over to where he's standing and answer myself.

[19:31] Edi Patterson: Right.

[19:32] Rory O'Malley: And then go out.

[19:33] Edi Patterson: But I that's when I sort of realized, like, oh, if I don't remember something or don't know something, just ask someone else, which is also me.

[19:41] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[19:41] Edi Patterson: But it was cool to know, like, oh yeah, just keep jumping off the cliff.

[19:45] Rory O'Malley: Well, and because if it's it's if somebody says it on stage, it's true.

[19:50] Edi Patterson: Like, yes, you can yes and with yourself, is basically what you're saying.

[19:54] Rory O'Malley: That's the that's the basic rule of improv.

[19:57] Edi Patterson: Yes and.

[19:59] Rory O'Malley: Okay, so I had to get that out of my system to talk about that a little bit because it was so impressive. It was amazing.

[20:06] Edi Patterson: Um, you grew up in Texas.

[20:08] Rory O'Malley: That's right, Texas City, Texas.

[20:10] Edi Patterson: Texas City, Texas. How did you start getting into performing?

[20:14] Edi Patterson: Um, well, we didn't have like stuff to do performance-wise until high school.

[20:21] Rory O'Malley: Really?

[20:21] Edi Patterson: But there was a thing in well, let me backtrack it even more. I always did, always did stuff like for my mom and dad and my sister. Um I didn't know what it was I was doing, but I knew that I liked making them laugh.

[20:39] Rory O'Malley: So you'd come home and do Mrs.

[20:41] Edi Patterson: Stelle, who was weirdly, in Texas City, Texas, I had an English first grade teacher who was like so cool with an English accent, and was like, I don't even know exactly what this religion is, but she was like Christian scientist.

[20:57] Rory O'Malley: Okay.

[20:57] Edi Patterson: And like she was just super exotic and interesting. And so I'd come home and do her for them. I would copy her accent and they would die laughing. And I'm like, huh, that feels pretty great.

[21:07] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[21:08] Edi Patterson: So I would do her, and then I would do other people, and um it was I got I got really into like I liked watching people and then pretending to be them.

[21:20] Rory O'Malley: And uh not to backtrack it too much in a dark way, but my uh my dad's dad was really ill for a long time, and they had um while my mom and dad and my uncles and stuff were at work, there were these caregivers who would come during the day, and they and then we would go from after school until like 10 o'clock at night.

[21:44] Edi Patterson: But those women um would live there, like in an extra room, and they were always like I mean, a lot.

[21:53] Rory O'Malley: Really?

[21:54] Edi Patterson: Yeah, like they were there was nothing about their personalities that were like, yeah, she's okay. I mean, it was just like coming in hot. Even if they were like super shy, they felt like serial killer shy.

[22:12] Rory O'Malley: Like wow.

[22:12] Edi Patterson: So anyway, I got so much material from them and would like to do them for my parents.

[22:18] Rory O'Malley: Oh my god.

[22:20] Edi Patterson: So you just had you had a lot of material to pull for.

[22:23] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, but I was really shy um at school and stuff, and then like seventh grade, there was a thing called class day, and um me and some other girls wrote this dating game parody.

[22:37] Edi Patterson: It was like a big variety show type thing where you could do whatever.

[22:41] Rory O'Malley: And the well, there was one girl who was the girl who's gonna go on a date, and the three of us were gonna be like the guys she was gonna go on a date with.

[22:48] Edi Patterson: So we were all in drag. One was a football player, one was like a businessman, yeah, and I was the nerd, and had like so typical like tape on the glasses, pocket protector, like my dad's shirt tucked into some pants, and um anyway.

[23:04] Rory O'Malley: Like I said, we had written it and then we were performing it, and um I noticed that like everything I was saying and doing was like super landing, really, and that was the first time like through my body I felt that drug of like holy shit, this could be my job.

[23:21] Edi Patterson: Yeah, um, so yeah, and then in high school and you know, like you don't know what landing is, quote unquote, but you know what it feels like, yeah.

[23:30] Rory O'Malley: It's it's a funny thing, totally when you're a kid, yeah.

[23:33] Edi Patterson: It just it yeah, it just feels like um like truth or like flying, yeah, and you go, Oh my god.

[23:42] Rory O'Malley: It's like a power, superpower when you're a kid and totally to us now too.

[23:47] Edi Patterson: Mm-hmm.

[23:48] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, and you go like, oh my god, that's that's my thing.

[23:51] Edi Patterson: Yeah, yeah.

[23:52] Rory O'Malley: Um, but that's the first time I realized, oh right, I could be that for my job.

[23:57] Edi Patterson: Because I don't think I knew before then that it was a job.

[24:00] Rory O'Malley: Really?

[24:01] Edi Patterson: Um yeah, I knew that I liked that stuff and wanted it, but I didn't realize I don't know why, and not until seventh grade did I go, oh right, I could do that.

[24:13] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[24:14] Edi Patterson: Um, and then in high school I did plays and stuff.

[24:16] Rory O'Malley: You did you did you do all the shows in your high school or you did community theater as well?

[24:20] Edi Patterson: Um, just all the shows in my high school and then majored and um did like BFA and acting in college.

[24:26] Rory O'Malley: Where'd you go?

[24:27] Edi Patterson: Texas State, which is um now in the past few years has turned into like one of the like top rated places in the country for musical theater, which was not my major, yeah.

[24:39] Rory O'Malley: But yeah, it's right up there with your school now.

[24:41] Edi Patterson: Wow, yeah, it's crazy.

[24:43] Rory O'Malley: That's great.

[24:43] Edi Patterson: Yeah, this woman, I can't remember her name came in in the last few years and like revamped it.

[24:49] Edi Patterson: Wow.

[24:50] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[24:50] Edi Patterson: There's so much talent in Texas. Texas is like a really because it's huge.

[24:52] Rory O'Malley: It's huge.

[24:55] Edi Patterson: Yeah, yeah. You can find people who can do anything in Texas. It's so big. But there is actually a really good theater art scene in a lot of cities.

[25:05] Rory O'Malley: That's true.

[25:06] Edi Patterson: In Texas, a lot of great theaters in general. But I totally a lot of kids. Like, you know, like forensic speech and debate, like Texas is such a big city for that for high school students. So you graduate from college with a BFA in theater. Did you come to LA immediately?

[25:21] Edi Patterson: No, I lived in Austin for a minute.

[25:24] Rory O'Malley: Oh, you did?

[25:25] Edi Patterson: Yeah. And then not super long. It's a great town.

[25:29] Rory O'Malley: I've never been.

[25:30] Edi Patterson: Oh my god. I never. I know everyone loves it, and I just want to go.

[25:33] Rory O'Malley: Dude, you gotta go.

[25:34] Edi Patterson: Yeah. That's a fun place to get your start after college, huh?

[25:39] Edi Patterson: Yeah, because that's where I started, like with my first official improv troupe that were like doing shows for paid audiences and that's where I met Dan, who's my husband. He and a guy named Brian came to teach my group because the guy who ran our group was friends with them.

[26:02] Rory O'Malley: Oh and I already knew I was moving to LA. And so I became friends with those guys, and yeah, crazy. Then like a year and a half later, after being pals, Dan and I started hanging out.

[26:15] Rory O'Malley: While you were in LA or when you were in?

[26:15] Edi Patterson: No, in LA. Oh when they came to teach, I already was like in motion to move here.

[26:22] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[26:23] Edi Patterson: Yeah. So they came to teach from Los Angeles or?

[26:25] Edi Patterson: Yeah, because the guy running the group in Austin knew them from San Francisco.

[26:32] Rory O'Malley: I see. So when you got to LA, did you immediately start with the Groundlings or?

[26:36] Edi Patterson: Yeah, I went to a show like probably honestly within the first week and a half of being here.

[26:43] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[26:43] Edi Patterson: And just had that feeling of like, oh my god, they like what I like.

[26:51] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[26:51] Edi Patterson: Because they were doing characters, and that was so obviously the emphasis. Yeah. Was characters and specificity of character and so yeah, I immediately started.

[27:02] Rory O'Malley: And you had your teacher and the women had to your grandpa. You had like all the stock characters, I mean you've been working on them since you were a kid, so it makes sense.

[27:12] Edi Patterson: I don't think I used any of them, but yeah, I knew that was my thing, yeah.

[27:17] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, so you so Groundlings, I don't know if people realize this. Obviously, a lot of people have had success from Groundlings, including yourself, but it's a very rigorous school. It's like you have to go through so much to get to the Sunday Company, which is the last level of the school, right?

[27:37] Edi Patterson: Yeah, which is, you know, I mean, so many amazing people have gone out and have great careers from the Groundlings, but it's not easy getting there.

[27:46] Rory O'Malley: No, it's not at all. And I think I always feel bad for people when you know their agents or their whoever tell them, like, hey, get Groundlings in your resume, kid.

[27:59] Edi Patterson: Yeah, and I feel like so many of them go through like their whole basic class and maybe even their intermediate class and their next level, and have never come to a main company show on a weekend.

[28:11] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[28:12] Edi Patterson: And I just think like there's so many places in town to do improv or to do sketch, and it's all in different ways. And I just think like, oh my god, if you didn't come there and have the feeling of like, holy crap, my whole body is electrical current because this is so true to me. This is where I need to be. Yeah, then don't bother. Like if character and stuff is not what you love doing, don't even worry about it. Just go somewhere else.

[28:45] Rory O'Malley: Right, because it takes so much work.

[28:50] Edi Patterson: Totally. So much investment of your time and effort. It's not like people think they're gonna go there and they're just gonna have a better career outside of the Groundlings.

[28:59] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, I think there's this thing that's sort of sold to them by people not in the Groundlings, you know, like I'm saying by their like, you know, whatever agent or whatever acting teacher who says, like, here's how you get on this TV show, kid. And it's like, oh man.

[29:15] Edi Patterson: Well, I mean, and that comes from the fact that being a Groundling is a stamp of approval of you are you've got the comedic chops to walk into any situation and create something funny.

[29:29] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, hopefully, yeah. I mean everyone I've met through there, including like you and so many other people, they're the funniest people I know, you know.

[29:37] Edi Patterson: And I mean there are other groups, there are other groups, but I feel like especially because so much of the comedy that we grew up with came from Groundlings, and you can kind of see that that's like an epicenter of a generation of comedy.

[29:54] Rory O'Malley: Sure. Well, I feel like too, like, I feel like that's definitely the way you lean. It's like character and specificity, and I think it's yeah, it's just a taste thing. It's like, what do you like?

[30:05] Edi Patterson: Right.

[30:06] Rory O'Malley: You know, which weirdos fit the type of weirdo you are.

[30:11] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[30:12] Rory O'Malley: You know?

[30:12] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[30:13] Rory O'Malley: But what it talk about what it takes to be a part of that company, and it's people don't you do improv improvisation. I don't know why that's so hard for me to say.

[30:24] Edi Patterson: Um, but you also do these characters, and so you have to do a lot of writing on top of that. So you aren't just acting, you are a writer because of Groundlings. So what does that take?

[30:37] Edi Patterson: Um as you're collaborating with your other Groundlings, or is it a little on your own?

[30:43] Edi Patterson: Yeah, so kind of both. The first few levels at Groundlings are all improv.

[30:50] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[30:50] Edi Patterson: And then you get into the writer's lab at some point, which includes a show at the end, and so for that one, your teachers walking you through like how do you write a monologue and taking you through thinking about people in your life or flipping through a magazine or just different ways to get inspired to become someone else and make it super specific, and then you do a show at the end of that one where you have written sketches with other people and some stuff yourself, and then there's another level after that, right?

[31:25] Rory O'Malley: If you pass through that one where you do two shows and it's more just more intense and more in line with what you would be doing in the Sunday Company if you got in.

[31:37] Edi Patterson: Right. And that one you do two shows and it's just longer and more intense, and then that when you're collaborating a ton with people and writing sketches, and then if you get in the Sunday Company, you're writing with people and on your own a different, almost a whole different show every week.

[31:57] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[31:58] Edi Patterson: Yeah. And if you um if you're lucky and you keep staying in, you get voted on every six months. But if you keep staying in, you do that for a year and a half. So you're just writing constantly for a year and a half.

[32:14] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[32:14] Edi Patterson: If it works out in the best way possible.

[32:16] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[32:18] Edi Patterson: So you're doing that for a year and a half. Um it's like grad school, boot camp, all of them.

[32:25] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[32:25] Edi Patterson: Yeah. So, but I mean, it's a small theater. I can't imagine that you know, people are buying tickets, but you still have to support yourself and figure out how to live as a person in Los Angeles.

[32:37] Rory O'Malley: Totally throughout that entire thing.

[32:39] Edi Patterson: Totally. I mean, calling it a grad school is probably right on hitting the nail on the head. So all those people are doing whatever, figuring it out. Some people are, you know, already maybe in the world where they like have a commercial going. So they can live on that for a little bit, or some people are attending bar at night, and some people are doing whatever day jobs, so they have to meet people to write at night, or I know a guy who was being a like a security guard somewhere at night, so he would go straight from shows to like his night job. Like, yeah, everyone's just doing whatever they need to do.

[33:24] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[33:25] Edi Patterson: And I, when I was in the Sunday Company, I had been before that, I had been doing just all kinds of all kinds of stuff. Like, including being a clown and princess at parties.

[33:38] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[33:38] Edi Patterson: Um, temping, working at like some boutique clothing store where the woman who ran it, my friend Kendra and I worked there, and the woman who ran it used to start sentences with um, hey, I'm gonna need you to.

[33:54] Rory O'Malley: Which is like, oh dear God.

[33:56] Edi Patterson: I'm gonna need you to.

[33:57] Rory O'Malley: Oh god.

[33:58] Edi Patterson: Yeah, yeah.

[33:59] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[34:00] Edi Patterson: Um, but I so weirdly, right before I got in the Sunday Company, me, Dan, and some other people from Impro Theater, which is the other group that I do improvised plays with.

[34:12] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[34:13] Edi Patterson: Full-on plays, improvised full-on plays, full length costume sets, everything, but it's just made up.

[34:20] Rory O'Malley: Unreal.

[34:21] Edi Patterson: So so many people from that group had been asked to go do this gig in Vegas, like a sketch and improv show in Vegas for I think our initial ask was like four weeks or something.

[34:37] Rory O'Malley: Wow, and so we were like, okay. And it was sort of that in the vein of like a Broadway model, I think we had Mondays off.

[34:45] Edi Patterson: Right.

[34:46] Edi Patterson: Initially, and then there might have been a time when we had two days a week off. But so we went there and we did it for four weeks, and it was going well. It was um Martin Bergman, who's a good friend of ours? His wife is Rita Rudner, and someone, someone in our group had worked with them on something. Who works a lot in Las Vegas, yeah, and is just the coolest chick ever. That's honest to God. Uh someone we know had worked with her, was her friend, and then knew of this play that Dan and our friend Brian had been doing off Broadway. Anyway, he somehow knew of our group and was like, hey, come do this. We'll do it after Rita's show as an experiment. We're like, okay. So we lived in New York, New York, and did this show for four weeks, and then it went well.

And then they were like, let's extend this for eight more weeks, or whatever they said. Anyway, it kept getting extended, and we would have like little chunks of time off, or like Dan and I had some time off in it because we came back here and got married, and like wow. But anyway, it went on and off for a year.

[35:57] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[35:58] Edi Patterson: In Vegas, living in New York, New York.

[36:01] Rory O'Malley: Oh my god.

[36:02] Edi Patterson: And it's not like we were making um gobs of money, but I'd managed to save enough to live for a little bit.

[36:09] Rory O'Malley: Sure.

[36:10] Edi Patterson: In addition to like, you know, just weird, um, weird acting jobs, like maybe a commercial here or there, maybe a tiny thing on this TV show, or maybe I'm gonna go do this improv thing at this corporate gig, or yeah, but anyway, that Vegas job really helped me through Sunday Company.

[36:32] Rory O'Malley: Right, and by then I kind of knew because that was all that whole year was before you got into Sunday Company.

[36:37] Edi Patterson: Yes.

[36:38] Rory O'Malley: Okay, because right before it.

[36:40] Edi Patterson: Okay, and all the other times that you're doing classes and doing Groundlings stuff, that's more of like you're showing up for class and you have performance, but like Sunday Company is like you are the face of the Groundlings.

[36:53] Edi Patterson: Well, you're um people know a lot of not everyone knows this, but people know it's the last level of the school. So they know it's not you're not the Groundlings. Right. They know you're still learning and you're but yeah, you have a show in the main theater every week.

[37:09] Edi Patterson: You're the Groundlings.

[37:11] Rory O'Malley: A lot of time.

[37:11] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[37:12] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[37:12] Edi Patterson: So that's it, it's a huge commitment. Not only is it, of course, a dream come true, but it is like all of you.

[37:19] Rory O'Malley: So, but it's one of those things, like you just, if you're gonna make the most of it, like in every way emotionally too, like you have got to realize when you're doing it how lucky you are to be in this place that people are just gonna come to.

[37:37] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[37:38] Rory O'Malley: And like it's gonna be sold out. You're not having to rent the theater to perform. It's amazing.

[37:47] Edi Patterson: Totally.

[37:47] Rory O'Malley: And you have to live up to that totally pressure.

[37:50] Edi Patterson: But my god. So that's the thing to the head, the most healthy head space when you're in the Sunday company to keep reminding yourself, like, oh my god, if nothing else, I've got this six months of a free theater to do whatever I want and it's gonna be sold out.

[38:07] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, it's pretty amazing.

[38:09] Edi Patterson: Yeah, but I think the stress can like override that for people of like, I have to, I have to do this and I have to do this, and yeah. A lot of times, like I say that with Hamilton, um, that when you have this amazing opportunity and you're performing and you're living your dream, it's the podcast is um that you start to turn it into how can I make this into the next thing?

[38:36] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[38:37] Edi Patterson: So I'm sure when you are in the Groundlings and Sunday company and you want to get people in those seats to see you to get you in that on that next TV show, Saturday Night Live, doing all of the things that it does.

[38:49] Rory O'Malley: And it's hard because it taints the fun and dream come true part of what it is.

[38:56] Edi Patterson: Totally. Like I'm so lucky with Hamilton that I had the Book of Mormon experience because that was a very difficult through Book of Mormon because I didn't have the confidence to just be like, just enjoy it. It doesn't matter what comes next. You'll just keep going on along in life.

[39:09] Rory O'Malley: But here in Hamilton, I'm like, oh, I'm gonna enjoy it every single second of this.

[39:13] Edi Patterson: That's awesome. You know?

[39:14] Rory O'Malley: But it's hard when you're sure I don't know if I had my best head space during it, because all I could think about was make it so that you're undeniable enough to become a Groundling.

[39:27] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[39:28] Rory O'Malley: But so I was constantly thinking next step.

[39:31] Edi Patterson: Constant, constant, constantly.

[39:33] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[39:34] Edi Patterson: Um, and I had a blast. I don't think I missed out on any enjoyment of it, but yeah, man, I think if anyone while they're in it can just be in it, it's ideal.

[39:46] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[39:47] Edi Patterson: Mm-hmm.

[39:47] Rory O'Malley: It's hard.

[39:48] Edi Patterson: It's really hard.

[39:49] Rory O'Malley: It's hard.

[39:50] Edi Patterson: And you can't turn that into being lazy and not rising to the occasion.

[39:55] Rory O'Malley: But you will regret it if you don't enjoy that moment of actually crossing that finish line or being in it.

[40:03] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[40:04] Rory O'Malley: Um, who were the people that you, who came before you in Groundlings that made you fall in love with that? Like, were there people specifically that you saw in that time when you first went to Groundlings?

[40:15] Edi Patterson: Yeah, I mean, the thing that pops in my head that I remember, I don't know why. I can't even tell you what happened in this sketch. But I just remember it was a sketch where um Mary Joe Smith and Roy Jenkins were in bed. And for some reason when I think about going to that show, that's my visual.

[40:36] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[40:36] Edi Patterson: Um, and they're both so awesome, but I got to also be in at the same time as some of the people that I super looked up to, who are now friends of mine, which is still really cool. I hope I never lose that of thinking that they're so cool.

[40:53] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[40:54] Edi Patterson: Um, but you know, Jim Rash and Mitch Silpa and um Melissa McCarthy and Rachel Ramrus and Mitch and you have a really good working relationship.

[41:08] Rory O'Malley: I mean, you're good friends.

[41:09] Edi Patterson: But you've done shows with just the two of you and he's amazing.

[41:14] Rory O'Malley: And he also has a very, very important role in Briot's Maze.

[41:17] Edi Patterson: Yes, he does.

[41:18] Rory O'Malley: He's Stove.

[41:19] Edi Patterson: He's Stove.

[41:20] Rory O'Malley: He's Stove the flight attendant, Steve.

[41:22] Edi Patterson: Yes, he is.

[41:24] Rory O'Malley: He is.

[41:25] Edi Patterson: Um, which you know, it is so great. But you guys have, it's fun to see that you all do all this other work on TV and film, commercials, you see Groundlings everywhere.

[41:36] Rory O'Malley: But when you go to a Groundlings show and you see you guys on stage, and the fact that you're all still showing up to Groundlings and performing there, it is magic.

[41:47] Edi Patterson: It is like this is where the comedy is created.

[41:51] Rory O'Malley: That's awesome.

[41:52] Edi Patterson: You know, like you love it. You're doing it because you love it there.

[41:56] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[41:56] Edi Patterson: And that's the thing. Like, um, you know, too, everyone I just mentioned is an alum.

[42:04] Rory O'Malley: And um, yeah, Mitch still does shows up there with me a ton.

[42:08] Edi Patterson: And um, Jim Rash still just shows up there with me a ton. Kevin Kirkpatrick still does shows um a ton and like, yeah, it's cause everyone loves it still.

[42:17] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[42:18] Edi Patterson: It's like a really fun place to be.

[42:20] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[42:21] Edi Patterson: It's, I mean, I love going there.

[42:23] Rory O'Malley: You had me do Cooking with Gas.

[42:23] Edi Patterson: Cooking with Gas.

[42:27] Rory O'Malley: And you were awesome.

[42:28] Edi Patterson: It was the scariest slash most exciting thing I've ever done. I've obviously done improv, but you had me come the week before, and the guest that week, I think was Mo Collins.

[42:40] Rory O'Malley: Mo Collins from Mad TV.

[42:41] Edi Patterson: You're like, oh, you can come, you do it. We have people come all the time. I remember you kept saying, like, we had a professional wrestler come and do it.

[42:48] Rory O'Malley: You can do this.

[42:48] Edi Patterson: I was like, his whole thing is improv, you know, like he's up there fanning the fight.

[42:54] Rory O'Malley: Um, but it was such a blast, and you guys are so good at what you do that you carried me through every situation, every scene, and obviously I would, you know, throw one thing in there and be like, I did it, I said something.

[43:08] Edi Patterson: You were awesome.

[43:08] Rory O'Malley: You were awesome.

[43:09] Edi Patterson: But that's the fun of like honestly, Rory, you were so good.

[43:16] Edi Patterson: Um, but that's hopefully that's the thing is to like take care of that person who comes and like make sure it's fun. You guys do it so well because it's not just like how well somebody is at improv. You guys work so well together that you have your own language up on a stage and you know who to pass the ball to at every moment, and to get to like just be thrown into this all-star basketball team of improvisers.

[43:45] Rory O'Malley: You're just like, okay, can't throw me the ball. Okay, I have it all. Here you go.

[43:48] Edi Patterson: You know, it was just like you just felt completely taken care of, and I called so many people to come to that show because I was like, this is the only time I'm gonna be on the Groundlings stage.

[43:59] Rory O'Malley: This it was, it meant so much to me.

[44:01] Edi Patterson: That's awesome. Because, you know, there's so much history on that stage.

[44:07] Rory O'Malley: And to be asked to be a part of it when so many people work for so many years to be up on that stage.

[44:14] Edi Patterson: I knew it was a real, real privilege.

[44:16] Rory O'Malley: It's, I mean, it's crazy, like to go into the attic to print something on the computer and like be looking at a poster that um Phil Hartman drew.

[44:26] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[44:27] Rory O'Malley: That someone framed, and like to think about the fact that um Lynn Stewart, who played Miss Yvonne, is my friend.

[44:36] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[44:36] Rory O'Malley: Like that, yeah, that I used to like panic run into the TV on Saturday mornings to watch Pee-wee's Playhouse and like, yeah, it's just insane.

[44:49] Edi Patterson: And that was all developed at Groundlings, Pee-wee or Miss Yvonne.

[44:53] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[44:53] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[44:54] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[44:55] Edi Patterson: It's insane.

[44:57] Rory O'Malley: It's insane.

[44:57] Edi Patterson: There's so many different parts of Groundlings history that people don't even realize.

[45:01] Rory O'Malley: Oh yeah.

[45:01] Edi Patterson: It's like so storied and like complex and rich.

[45:06] Rory O'Malley: And continues and continues to be.

[45:09] Edi Patterson: I mean, so many people doing so many different things.

[45:12] Rory O'Malley: You, I'm, we're sitting um in your house and there are just show posters of all the different shows that you've been a part of.

[45:19] Edi Patterson: Um, that you and Dan, your husband who directs uh and performs as well.

[45:24] Rory O'Malley: But this is just an assortment.

[45:26] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[45:26] Rory O'Malley: I um, uh, uh, there's probably better ones.

[45:29] Edi Patterson: I was thinking the other day, those two up top. I'm like, oh, the graphics on those aren't great.

[45:33] Rory O'Malley: They're also switching them out, you know.

[45:37] Edi Patterson: You know, I want a room like this. Right now I have like one poster up in the bathroom.

[45:41] Rory O'Malley: This is like, this is so great because I can see that you have so much history of your own already that you've done so many different shows, worked with so many different people.

[45:52] Edi Patterson: I don't think there's anything that will bond you closer to another actor than improv because you need to be there for each other.

[46:00] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[46:02] Edi Patterson: Um, and you can just like, it's a weird, it's a weird, like animals, um, like dog sniffing butts thing.

[46:13] Rory O'Malley: Like there's, it's such a bonding thing, and it's also such an immediate way to see if you've got like a strange um comedy chemistry with someone.

[46:26] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[46:27] Rory O'Malley: Um, that uh, that's for sure what happened with Mitch. When I was still in the Sunday company, we just got paired by our friend Jeremy Rowley, who's one of the best improvisers on the planet to uh be like a couple in this pilot presentation he was doing.

[46:44] Edi Patterson: Okay, and um, yeah, we just out of the gate, like locked eyes and like happily improvised, I think for an hour and a half that day.

[46:53] Rory O'Malley: Wow, and then something else later, and then we were like, we should do something.

[46:59] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[47:00] Rory O'Malley: Um, but yeah, it's, it's a weird, it's strange, like how quickly you can sort of like, not to be too cheesy, but sort of feel someone's soul a little bit.

[47:08] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[47:09] Rory O'Malley: You're connecting with them on a very different level.

[47:12] Edi Patterson: Totally.

[47:13] Rory O'Malley: And especially when you are standing up in front of strangers.

[47:19] Edi Patterson: Mm-hmm.

[47:19] Rory O'Malley: I mean, and you have that fear, and you really rely on the other person.

[47:23] Edi Patterson: I mean, it's, it's a, it's spiritual.

[47:25] Rory O'Malley: It is, it's spiritual, and then when you're operating on the level that you guys are, I mean, you, you have to be a believer.

[47:31] Edi Patterson: You really do.

[47:32] Rory O'Malley: I think it's, I think it's so impressive. You have been able to take these comedic skills that you've taken to the Groundlings and go to TV.

[47:41] Edi Patterson: Not only were you in Partners, that's right.

[47:43] Rory O'Malley: The hit TV show that we were both in.

[47:45] Edi Patterson: But you also right now are on HBO's VICE PRINCIPALS.

[47:49] Rory O'Malley: And you are so fucking funny on it.

[47:53] Edi Patterson: There's no other way to put it. You're so funny on it.

[47:56] Rory O'Malley: And I love the story of this because you came in and they just started writing more and more and more for you.

[48:03] Edi Patterson: It's the second season out there right now.

[48:04] Rory O'Malley: It's the second season.

[48:05] Edi Patterson: How this came about.

[48:08] Edi Patterson: Well, yeah, so it was a regular audition.

[48:11] Edi Patterson: Um with uh Sherry Thomas.

[48:15] Edi Patterson: Shout out to my girl.

[48:16] Rory O'Malley: Thanks, Sherry.

[48:17] Edi Patterson: Thanks, Sherry.

[48:18] Edi Patterson: Um and I, yeah, I just went in and I had like some sides from like I think the third and fourth episode.

[48:26] Edi Patterson: And I didn't know that uh Danny and Jody were gonna be at the audition.

[48:30] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[48:31] Edi Patterson: Danny McBride, who wrote it.

[48:33] Rory O'Malley: Danny McBride and Jody Hill.

[48:34] Edi Patterson: Jody Hill.

[48:35] Rory O'Malley: And Jody directed the first season of VICE PRINCIPALS.

[48:38] Edi Patterson: Um, I walked into this tiny room and they were sitting on the couch, and I was like, oh, okay, great.

[48:45] Rory O'Malley: And so then I just figured I would read with Danny, because the care, the sides were with his character.

[48:52] Edi Patterson: Right.

[48:53] Rory O'Malley: And um, Sherry was like, no, no, no, I'm gonna read with you, which made me laugh and like probably in a good way, kind of took me off my footing a little bit and like confused me in probably a fun way.

[49:05] Edi Patterson: Yeah, yeah.

[49:06] Rory O'Malley: Um, but yeah, that was really fun. I improvised a little bit, and um, a little bit, isn't that?

[49:13] Edi Patterson: I feel like that's what got you the part because there was, I told you there was a promo uh and he like said something about you improvising um after a sexual act you were performing on him and you said something like, you been eating strawberries?

[49:31] Edi Patterson: Yes, he like he said that's why you got the job.

[49:34] Edi Patterson: Oh, that's awesome. Well, then I guess that's why I did because you're a sick puppy because I'm a sick son of a bitch, but like for a writer to have somebody with your improvisational background come in and know that you're gonna be able to take this already good material, this already funny material, and elevate it any chance that you get to be able to take tons of takes, like you're I mean, I'm just so glad they saw it that way.

[50:05] Rory O'Malley: Yeah because I don't know, I just felt like it was such a all around such a lucky thing because it's not like every job you go do, you feel like, oh my god, they really see me, they see the essence of me and what I can do, and this I super felt that with these guys, right? Um, and like pretty early, pretty soon on, like maybe even the first day I shot, we were doing a scene and we'd done it a couple of times, and I just asked him, like, I'd literally just met him, and I was like, Do you ever want us to say something different to you? Because I could tell just from being a fan of him that he's a he's a very funny improviser. You can just tell.

[50:49] Edi Patterson: Right. And um, I think he said something like, Um, yeah, we'll get a few out and then say whatever you want. And I was like, okay. Awesome. That was all you needed.

[51:01] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, and then I was so happy. And then I knew I trusted them so much that I knew like if it was ever too much or they would they would range. Just tell me. But see, that's that is it's gotta be so hard for you anytime you're on a set or or working on something because you're like waiting to be told that because it's where your mind works. You're like, I have so many different options of this moment. Like, or let's just see, or not even I have options yet, but like um let's open it up and see what happens if we do. And play with each other, see what's in that moment.

[51:33] Edi Patterson: Yeah, it's not like you have something planned. Yeah, it's just like you're like, I you work best in comedy when it's alive and when anything can happen. So you're like, let's play for a couple.

[51:43] Rory O'Malley: Totally, especially when it's like that when they gave such a good basis for the character, and I just really felt like oh, I'm her now, and we could go as long as you want. Yeah, and so then it's so fun. We're like, oh, keep the camera going and let's see what Ed comes up with. And that's I don't know if it was that, but we sure did have fun.

[52:04] Edi Patterson: Yeah, yeah. Well, and it's it's funny because that was something that when we were working together with partners where they have six weeks to do 10 episodes, there's just no way they could do it. Not an option, not an option, and I know for a fact that like those writers, those producers like think you are total genius. I know that, and and if they could, it's a different it's a different medium. And if they could have just pointed a camera at you and just let you lose.

[52:32] Rory O'Malley: Oh, same you, dude. They would have done it. There would have been a lot more um scenes between uh Veronica and the guy answering phones.

[52:40] Edi Patterson: Yes, Michael. Okay, wait, I have to tell you this. So I had to do I had to do this. Michael, everyone remembers Michael. He but there was that you barely remembered your character.

[52:50] Rory O'Malley: I know. I know. So please don't take offense that I just call Michael, the guy answering the phones. I was in charge of the schedule as well. But they I I did this like survey, or somebody asked me to like make my pick for the top 25 gay characters on TV.

[53:09] Edi Patterson: Uh huh. And I was like, I was given a list of all of the gay characters on TV, which is I was sad that there was a list that was compiled and I could like pick my favorite 25 because it's like Was it accurate?

[53:20] Rory O'Malley: It was. They were like, you know, if you have ones that you think we forgot, please put them out.

[53:24] Edi Patterson: Okay. And there were like Gerald, my husband and I were like, oh, you forgot this person or this person. And I was like, well, they forgot Michael from partners.

[53:32] Rory O'Malley: They sure did.

[53:34] Edi Patterson: And forgot about Dre. He wouldn't make the list. I don't think they ever got that far through his sexuality. I was like, please. Please. We they they didn't you see episode number four where Kelsey and Martin had to pretend that they were gay lovers getting married.

[53:50] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[53:51] Edi Patterson: That was like cutting edge comedy. Come on. Did you do Michael from Partners as a Write-in?

[53:59] Rory O'Malley: I I tr I made a uh made a push for it. It didn't unfortunately it didn't make the list. I really did write it on the email.

[54:06] Edi Patterson: Awesome.

[54:07] Rory O'Malley: As a joke, and also probably from my own ego.

[54:10] Edi Patterson: Right. Who'd you end up picking for the top?

[54:12] Rory O'Malley: That's tough. Um I picked Ellen.

[54:14] Edi Patterson: I didn't have to.

[54:15] Rory O'Malley: Oh, that's great. Because I I I had a I had a bunch. It was actually one of the most interesting things because my husband and I did it together. And we both grew up as gay kids in the Midwest, and I realized how important those characters on TV were to me.

[54:33] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[54:34] Rory O'Malley: And I think that forever Ellen coming out on a TV show in the way that she did and what that was, not just in the show, but culturally, will always be the most important coming out. But like how awesome that it was a comedian who was able to kind of break down that wall and she sacrificed her show in a lot of ways.

[54:57] Edi Patterson: And um I can't now knowing how hard it is to be in this business, when you look back at something like that and you think I mean the bravery in that is like woo.

[55:10] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[55:11] Edi Patterson: Yeah, that you know, it happens it happens like as you're a kid and you look at it and you know it's a big deal. And then yeah, when you realize how hard it can be to get there, keep it going and get there, and I mean, it must she must have just felt like she was about to walk through fire.

[55:33] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, and she did it.

[55:35] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[55:35] Rory O'Malley: And she did it, and it and you know, it cost her a lot and obviously made her stronger and like she is who she is now, and she's in doing exactly the right thing and is you know, um, she's amazing. But it it was it's you know, it's a lot of other actors too on that list who I was just like like Wilson Cruz from My So-Called Life. I was like, that is he was a kid playing a gay person, you know, and that really kind of defined his career from the get-go, and he did it so well, and um, you know, and then uh the obvious ones of of uh Will and Jack on Will and Grace and and you know, so many other just amazing uh performances of gay characters.

[56:16] Edi Patterson: But where did for your personal list, where did Omar come in?

[56:21] Rory O'Malley: Oh um I think in the top 10, yeah, I put a lot of like of the wire, um and then it's funny because at first I didn't have transparent in because I didn't see it, but I knew, and then I watched um a season and I was like, okay, this like everyone in this is it's really it's it's such a um it's an amazing character study of people of all different kinds of sexual orientation and and transgender, like so many people discovering themselves at different, you know. I mean, Judith Light. She's not she's not gay, but she's having a sexual, you know, discovery or like discovering herself, and like anyway, um, it's it's interesting because when you find uh really good characters, comedic characters who can tell a story and can kind of like bring something to life, which is what you've done so well with groundlings and what you're doing in VICE PRINCIPALS, which is just like insane craziness, you know, but I I know that this is um just the beginning of a lot of really cool things for you.

[57:35] Edi Patterson: Thanks for so so excited that you get to be, you know, there's something to say about being on an HBO show that has that kind of clout and that like it's so good, you're so funny, and I'm so proud of you in this moment, and I know that a lot of great things are on the horizon. Um and you're the kind of person that will still just be going back to groundlings and performing there because you love it.

[58:02] Rory O'Malley: I love it, you love it.

[58:04] Edi Patterson: Yeah, though Thursday nights are seriously, it's one of my favorite things in the world.

[58:11] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, yeah. And even if the day has felt shitty, or even if the week has felt shitty, there are times when it'll go through my head and I'll go, you know what, but Thursday's coming.

[58:23] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[58:23] Rory O'Malley: Because then I feel like okay, everything can just be different for a second.

[58:28] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[58:29] Rory O'Malley: Um I really recommend to anyone listening, if you are in Los Angeles, to go to the groundlings and see shows there, especially on Thursday nights, uh, cooking with gas.

[58:40] Edi Patterson: Sure.

[58:40] Rory O'Malley: Uh, and to watch vice principals and watch everything that Edi Patterson is in because you are so fucking funny, as I have said, it's appropriate for vice principals.

[58:51] Edi Patterson: Yeah, say whatever you want for vice principals.

[58:53] Rory O'Malley: Um, but also you're just the best, Edie. And I'm so as Robert Horn said, I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of that show because I have you as a friend forever.

[59:03] Edi Patterson: I'm so grateful too, man. Honestly, it's yeah, that I feel like that's a huge part of why that job happened for me was to get to meet you.

[59:13] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, it's funny, like as you get older, you start to realize that the value of just making connections with people in this business is one of the reasons why I'm doing this because connecting with people, I'm talking to my friends. This is a good excuse to like spend hours with you, like I have this afternoon, and um I'm really grateful for you.

[59:33] Edi Patterson: We needed to take care of each other in this crazy case.

[59:35] Rory O'Malley: Yes, yes, and we will, yes, and uh just just a side note on that, I think that that's it's just a testament to the fact that I got you as a friend out of that is a testament to a thing that I just I just believe more and more and more that things shake down exactly the way they're supposed to.

[59:59] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[59:59] Rory O'Malley: And even when they feel terrible, like yeah, we were so bummed when that didn't happen. I felt bummed when other jobs don't work out because there have been plenty.

[1:00:10] Edi Patterson: Sure, yeah.

[1:00:11] Rory O'Malley: Um but yeah, and sometimes in the moment you can't feel it and you can't it's it's dark and you don't know like why did that happen? That sucks.

[1:00:20] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[1:00:20] Rory O'Malley: And then later you go, oh right. So that could happen.

[1:00:24] Edi Patterson: Yeah.

[1:00:24] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[1:00:25] Edi Patterson: As I've said on this before, you can't connect the dots forward. You can only connect them back.

[1:00:29] Rory O'Malley: Mm-hmm.

[1:00:31] Edi Patterson: And that is so important to remember in what we do.

[1:00:36] Rory O'Malley: Mm-hmm.

[1:00:37] Edi Patterson: That just keep going forward and you know, we didn't get to do our 90 more episodes of that show. But we so we got so much out of that experience. Learned so much, and we got each other.

[1:00:52] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[1:00:52] Edi Patterson: And could you like could you have ever done Hamilton?

[1:00:55] Rory O'Malley: No.

[1:00:55] Edi Patterson: No.

[1:00:56] Rory O'Malley: No.

[1:00:56] Edi Patterson: That's crazy.

[1:00:57] Rory O'Malley: I know.

[1:00:58] Edi Patterson: I couldn't I couldn't have been on vice principles.

[1:01:01] Rory O'Malley: Like, no.

[1:01:02] Edi Patterson: Yeah, it's just crazy if when you think about all the all the ripple effects of like

[1:01:07] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[1:01:07] Edi Patterson: Yeah, it just happened exactly the way it was supposed to. We got to have that awesome fun experience.

[1:01:12] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[1:01:12] Edi Patterson: Yeah, you you kind of always want things to just be positive. You don't want any of the negative side of things. But truly, at the end of the day, you need the negative things to really enjoy the good stuff and also to just make room. Make room for things that are gonna be really awesome.

[1:01:28] Rory O'Malley: Would you call it a yin and yang?

[1:01:30] Edi Patterson: I guess I would.

[1:01:31] Rory O'Malley: Great.

[1:01:31] Edi Patterson: I guess I would.

[1:01:32] Rory O'Malley: Thank you so much for joining us on yin and yang.

[1:01:35] Edi Patterson: Hi.

[1:01:36] Rory O'Malley: I'm yin.

[1:01:37] Edi Patterson: I'm yang.

[1:01:39] Rory O'Malley: I adore you.

[1:01:40] Edi Patterson: Thank you for so much for doing this.

[1:01:41] Rory O'Malley: I adore you back. Thanks for having me.

[1:01:44] Edi Patterson: Audition side job, swimming upstream. Believe it or not, you'll live in the dream.