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[0:14] Robert Bannon: Well, as we celebrate pride here on the round table, it's our biggest month, and we are loud and prouder than ever this year. And I have the perfect book for you to read. You know our next guest, you love him on television. He scared me in American Horror Story. But he's so funny. And when I picked up his book, which is now out, everybody, and you can get a copy of it as you're listening to this, and I want you all to see Actress of a Certain Age with the funniest chapter titles of all time, including the funniest asterisks telling you about the chapter titles. And I thought, what am I gonna learn about Jeff? And I realized what I learned about Jeff is he's incredibly funny. He seems incredibly sweet, he's incredibly from Texas, people. I have so much, I have a lot to ask him. Jeff Hiller is here, and we are so excited. Jeff, welcome to the show.

[1:03] Jeff Hiller: Thank you. I'm sorry I scared you.

[1:06] Robert Bannon: That is the real me that went on American Horror Story.

[1:09] Jeff Hiller: This is terrifying.

[1:10] Robert Bannon: No, it is not. Don't say that. This interview's over. That's called range, because how do you go from things like this to this?

[1:21] Jeff Hiller: Honey, she's an actress.

[1:23] Robert Bannon: She's an actress. Excuse me?

[1:29] Jeff Hiller: Amazing.

[1:30] Robert Bannon: And you did not originally set out to be an actor.

[1:33] Jeff Hiller: No, I was gonna be a pastor at first. Um, but then you know.

[1:38] Robert Bannon: Complicated. Happy pride.

[1:44] Jeff Hiller: And so I felt like that was maybe not a good match.

[1:47] Robert Bannon: You can be a pastor now. People sometimes get mad at me for saying you can't.

[1:51] Jeff Hiller: I totally know you can be a gay pastor now. You couldn't in the 90s when I was first coming out. But yeah, and I always really wanted to be an actor anyway, so it was for the best.

[2:04] Robert Bannon: Well, it all turned out and worked out in the most beautiful, amazing way, and the whole thing is documented with Actress of a Certain Age, which is really fun and it's laugh out loud funny. Like it is like I'm in the bed just chuckling to myself out loud. How long have you worked on this book?

[2:23] Jeff Hiller: Um, it took me about a year to actually write it, but a lot of it is based on standup that I've done through the years. So and then I did a full stand-up show just so I could create content for the book.

[2:37] Robert Bannon: Well, you have the perfect content in the book, and it's an incredible tale about family and about your journey. So, like you said, you were gonna be a pastor. You took other roads to becoming an actor. You had other jobs as well. And I want you right here, Jeff, without people have not read the book yet, to free yourself of the guilt of choosing to be a famous television star and putting away your social work. It you know, Jeff, someone has to make money, someone has to have a job.

[3:04] Jeff Hiller: Someone needs to make you that's right. Suck it, poor people. I have series and I have seasons of a television show that I have on.

[3:19] Robert Bannon: No, did you really feel guilty?

[3:20] Jeff Hiller: Do you um it's a joke? And I but like there is, but you are doing social work and you are helping people every day by making them laugh in a scale that you never could do.

[3:30] Jeff Hiller: That's true, and plus, I wasn't very good at being a social worker. I was pretty bad at it. I was kind of inept. So it's for the best.

[3:37] Robert Bannon: It's for the best. I'm much more successful at this. And not everybody, and your talents and what you can do is something really, really special. I loved hearing your journey. I loved hearing about Upright Citizens Brigade. I loved hearing about you moving to New York or LA. The whole book is outlined. Was there something that was hard to talk about in the book?

[3:57] Jeff Hiller: Um, I talk about my mom dying, which I know people are like, oh God, I don't want to hear her read some book about your dead mom. But I just I keep it light and we'll go through it quick. And then maybe talking about being bullied as a kid was kind of hard because I kind of hadn't taken in how traumatic bullying is or was, and so that was I think a little bit difficult, but I also I was really because I have read so many celebrity memoirs, I was like, let's make this let's keep it light, let's keep it moving.

[4:34] Robert Bannon: And you addressed that from the beginning, and you know what's funny is as a child, as a little gay boy, I did as well. But you have me beat because you've read hundreds, and then you brought receipts because not only did you read hundreds, you've reread many. So we have this thing in my house, as you know. You're you have a uh you're married, and I'm married, and we all have we're all the gays are here, people, and we're not going anywhere. And we have a battle in my house because my husband's nerd is he likes books about like dragons and wizards and witches. And I'm like, you're such a nerd. And then he says, but you read Dolly Parton's autobiography every year.

[5:12] Jeff Hiller: Yes, I do.

[5:15] Robert Bannon: So that's different. She's a goddess.

[5:19] Jeff Hiller: Exactly. I don't care about dragons. I want to know how Dolly wrote Jolene. That's my exactly. Her coat of many colors story. It's too beautiful. I cry. It's a whole chapter. Jeff, that is why I loved your book because I got it right from the beginning. I was that young kid who was reading all the celebrity autobiographies. So how did that start for you? And now you have your own.

[5:39] Jeff Hiller: I in the Christ. I mean, with a really loose definition of celebrity. But yes. I think because I wanted to perform and I wanted to be an actor, I liked reading a book where I know that they're eventually going to make it. And I loved that. And when I was younger, it felt like, oh, this is hope. And then as I aged and I wasn't having the success that they were, I was like, oh wait, this is kind of depressing, actually. But I also just really love hearing people's stories. I love hearing what people's lives are like. That's just something that's interesting to me. And you know, I also you know, I want to hear the hot goss. I want to hear like who Ioni Sky slept with. I want to hear. I want it.

[6:29] Robert Bannon: What do you mind besides yours? I know you've been editing a book. Do you know the last biography you read?

[6:35] Jeff Hiller: Oh yeah, I just read uh um well I'm I'm I'm reading Paul Shears. I just read Jeffrey Self's. Before that I did read Ioni Sky not that long ago. And there was another really big one that I just read. Oh, well, Cher. I read Cher and Barbara. I read both of those two.

[6:54] Robert Bannon: You can't you get your gay card revoked if you don't read Barbara and Cher.

[6:58] Jeff Hiller: That's right. That Barbara one was like, oh, I'll call me my auntie. That was a college course. I think I got three credits at a community college somewhere in Palm Springs Community College.

[7:08] Robert Bannon: You read the Barbara book.

[7:10] Jeff Hiller: But it was so good, it was so good. And she gives the T in that as well. You could read between the lines about her boyfriends and co-stars.

[7:18] Robert Bannon: I got you, Barbara Girl. So, Jeff, for you, you gave an outline in the beginning of the rules that you were going to follow because you say crazy things. Not they're not crazy. You say very educated things, like, we're not going to talk much about my childhood because you don't care. We're gonna get to some of the good juicy part. You spill some celebrity tea, you talk about your famous friends, you talk about dating. You have stuck. This is the if you want to read, he's done the research for you. He made the perfect book.

[7:45] Jeff Hiller: Well, don't you aren't you like, oh god, now they're talking about their grandparents?

[7:49] Robert Bannon: Oh my god. I just want to see when you got the movie.

[7:55] Jeff Hiller: Yeah, it's funny because I did an interview recently with someone who wrote a book, a very good book, and the first two chapters were great grandparents. And I thought about you because I had just done this interview, and I thought, like, man, I skimmed through those chapters. A great book. Totally. And sometimes they're like telling really important things that like play out in their life, but like you don't need to hear about my parents' parents. There's nothing much that it's gonna tell you.

[8:21] Robert Bannon: While we're talking to Jeff, make sure you follow him on Instagram right now at Boo Boo Miller and get to up to date so you can see all the things that you're doing and all the things that he does. My favorite chapters in the book are definitely when you move here and you are talking about your improv years and all of the work that you did. And what I loved about it is you're very forthright and say, like you did shows for ten dollars, I don't know, a half a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. You performed in all different venues in front of from two people to many people, and you really has that skill, improv. Is that something that people learn? Are you innately born with it? How do you talk about what you were able to just kind of find your niche?

[8:58] Jeff Hiller: Yeah. And it's funny because I really thought I would be bad at it. And then I was like, oh, I'm actually great at this. But I think that um I think people can learn. That's why they have classes, and I taught them, so I'm not such a hypocrite that I'm like, oh, you can't learn it. I just teach it for the money. But um, I think you can learn it, but I think that there is um it's it's I think it's it can it can be really helpful for people who are thinking and think too much, and um, but I think that if you do think too much, you might not ever be super successful at improv. But here's the good news improv doesn't pay anything. So you don't need to be a good at it. If you take a few lessons from it and that helps you in in your job where you are prep re you know, preparing lots of things and working really hard and looking at all the details, oh beautiful. Um, but it's okay if you're not good at improv.

[9:56] Robert Bannon: So well, I love it. You can learn all about it, and he will tell you all about it in the book. And then you also tell the story about how you became Somebody Somewhere and how that journey happened with Bridget. It's a crazy story. That's really what like you got a message and you auditioned and you you did not know her super well.

[10:14] Jeff Hiller: No, no, and she definitely wasn't written for me or anything like that, no.

[10:20] Robert Bannon: Um, yeah. And I think that you know, we worked really hard to foster chemistry and make it seem like we were besties, but um, no, we weren't. We're just really great actors.

[10:32] Jeff Hiller: I mean, we're friends in hell.

[10:34] Robert Bannon: Yes. I have her cell phone number, Robert.

[10:37] Jeff Hiller: See you could text her right now.

[10:40] Robert Bannon: I could, I won't though.

[10:41] Jeff Hiller: Just kidding.

[10:43] Robert Bannon: Well, she answered is the question eventually?

[10:46] Jeff Hiller: Oh, I don't want to I don't want to find out.

[10:50] Robert Bannon: No, we're actually friends. We're actually friends. And I you I mean you shared like years of you spent COVID times together, like trapped in a house. You detail that in the book as well.

[11:00] Jeff Hiller: Yeah, it was like a big sort of real housewives like mansion.

[11:05] Robert Bannon: Right.

[11:06] Jeff Hiller: With like dual staircases and um and you know, no fur not enough furniture.

[11:12] Robert Bannon: That's fancy network money because if you know if you're in a po you're a web series, you're you're not staying in that house.

[11:17] Jeff Hiller: No, well, I will say it was in Lamont, Illinois. It was not like in downtown Chicago or anything.

[11:24] Robert Bannon: Fair. Also chronicles that story and the the many twists and drama and good and bad moments that all happened in that time of your life as well. Jeff, I have to confession to make. I was worried that we weren't, you know. I I got married this weekend and we were talking about would I be able to be here? And I said I have to talk to Jeff. I read the book, I'm prepared, I'm ready to talk to him. But you talk about your own organizational skills in the book.

[11:41] Jeff Hiller: And I said, I wonder how Jeff keeps track of what his interviews, his press, because you're so hard on yourself. You make it like you forget to like breathe, eat, sleep. Like, do you do you have notes everywhere? Do you have an insane you Google calendar?

[12:03] Jeff Hiller: Unfortunately, I never forget to eat. Um or sleep for that matter. Those are the things that I remember. I remember those. Um I there have been more than there's been more than one occasion where I have been like, oh, who's calling me? Oh my god, it's an interview.

[12:23] Jeff Hiller: Um yeah, I'm not great at details. Uh that's I think why I'm good at improv. Um so I probably should have like gone to acting school and learned how to like read the script a thousand times and find all the small nuances, but I didn't. But uh yeah, it's hard for me. It's hard for me to remember all of the like, for instance, I'm just looking down and being like, Oh, you have your full name, and I just have my first name with no one. No capitalizes. It says casual, it says we're friends and we're hanging out together. That's perfect. Yeah, and that's just saying it's good that there was a copy editor on the book, you know what I'm saying? But that's what I loved about the book is that you speak to us in such a funny tongue-in-cheek way, but it's so casual.

It's it feels like we're having a conversation. It's like you are literally going to have a cup of coffee or having a lunch moment with us friends, and you're just telling us about some of the favorite moments that have happened to you. But I want to say in real life, I am a better friend. I actually listen in real life. It's not just 200 pages of you just talking. Well, maybe after a cocktail, but what is your process to write? Where did you set times? Did you have a like what do they call that? Uh uh, I don't have one, a deadline?

[13:38] Jeff Hiller: Oh, you had to look in? I did. I had a deadline, and when I turned it in on time, which was a surprise to everyone, including me. Um, my editor was like, Oh, I didn't think you'd actually turn it in on time. Uh I don't have time to read this for a couple months. Well, no, how do you how do you judge if something's funny on the written page without you having an audience? Like, you how do you know these jokes land? What is it? An instinct? Is it you reading it to your friends? Or or pe what how do you get the vibe right? Well, that's what I I would go and do things on like I would write chapters and then I would pull the jokes out to try and do them in stand-up around New York. Um, and and the ones that hit the best, I would keep and then and there were some that I was like, this is so funny. And then I get up there and people be like, man. And then you're like, Well, I guess I gotta kill this darling.

[14:29] Jeff Hiller: And it literally took me out because I had known your television work, I had known you from American Horror Story, which I love so much and scary. And then I but I have never seen your stand-up. I've never gone to a comedy club in New York and seen Jeff. I'm now live in Detroit. I don't think Jeff's been here yet. I would love for you to come on down and tell jokes out here in the Midwest. And I read the book, and I from the first chapter, you just get it. You're just gonna get it. And this is what I say. If it's if you're celebrating Pride and you're part of the LGBTQIA plus community, you're gonna love it. But if you're just looking to chuckle in this this summer, you want to hear a fun story and you want to laugh and you want to read it on your cruise on your plane, on your at home on a Saturday morning. This is the book to read, Jeff. It is so fun.

[15:12] Jeff Hiller: Thank you. Uh, I appreciate that. I think it's fun too. Fun beach read. Fun beach read. When you're coming to Newark Airport and you have a three-hour delay and your plane has lost satellite. This is the book you should be reading. Oh, I mean, I don't want people to associate my book with Newark Airport, but sure, yeah. You know, when they told me it was gonna be released in June for Pride, I was like, What? This isn't a gay book. I just happen to be gay, and then I reread it and I was like, This is a gay book. I mean, it is called Actresses of a Certain Age, Actress of a Certain Age. Well, I mean, a many actresses in the book, how did you choose the chapters are named after titles? Did you narrow this down? Did you leave out some of your favorites, or are they all there?

[16:06] Jeff Hiller: I left out a lot of my favorites because I wanted the title. Oh, so each chapter is named after a celebrity memoir. And I wanted uh, like for instance, bossy pants isn't in there. And when I sent it to Tina Faye, who who very kindly blurred the book, she was like, How come there's no bossy pants chapter? And I was like, because I just do not have a chapter that even slightly relates to the word bossy pants. I'm just not a bossy pants person. And that's why Tina's career is where her career is, and my career is where my career is. Do you have Tina Faye's phone number? Like you have Bridget's.

[16:36] Jeff Hiller: No, but I do ever email, I guess. If you see Jeff, that doesn't mean you can mug him and steal his cell phone, people. Don't do that. Don't do it. Not for Tina, no. Exactly. But I um I I every single book that's mentioned in there is one that I have read except for one. There is one called Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man by Tim Allen. I have not read that one, but the title so perfectly matches a story that I tell in that chapter that I just had to use it. Um, but everything else I've read, everything else I've read. You sure do you tell the story? He I'm telling you, people, he's gonna tell you about his experiences in his life. That's why you need to take a moment and read the book. So you can hear a story about me being naked on Fifth Avenue in New York City, and getting paid.

And let's just leave it there. If you want more details, you gotta buy the book. Pay for it, people. So get the book. Get the book. What was it like when you just unboxed it? I saw it on on social media. You're physically available. And you have events coming up. You're going to be there in conversation with different co-stars and and mark like all of the people that you're out and about and you're gonna be around signing books. And I hope you randomly walk into bookstores and just sit down and start signing books. Even if they're not yours, just sign them.

[18:04] Jeff Hiller: Just take a book. Gary Gennetty told me that he does that. He goes into to bookstores and he signs some in his books, not just anybody's books. I love it. So all my love. Is that Steinbeck? I don't know. That's right. So you can follow on Instagram. The dates are gonna be there, you're gonna be uh around. And I'm sure people are gonna see this and read this, and I know that you a lot of people are gonna see themselves. I love the story about you coming from the south and coming from Texas and coming to New York and LA and making it because I know there are many people out here, especially young artists who are gonna get inspired. Do you when you hear that from people or people find you funny and and find inspiration in who you are? It's gotta be worth all of the, you know, no pay shows and all of the hard struggling days that your work now gets to be seen and inspire the next generation.

[19:01] Jeff Hiller: Well, I don't really think about inspiring the next generation. My my fan demo is kind of of my generation. They're not it's not like the there's not a lot of twinks, they're like, I love Jeff Hiller. But um but I I do love that I don't have to have a day job anymore. It feels like oh it feels so great that I don't have to wait tables or make spreadsheets or uh or teach improv. I it feels very, very um exciting and wonderful. And I love that I get to act because I love acting. I'm gonna name a chapter in my autobiography, Twink Say We Love Jeff Hiller. That's that's my I'm just trying to think what that chapter would be about. And I feel like it could go a couple different ways. It could, and I don't have the I haven't written it yet, but I'm gonna think about it. But it's not I better write that down. I mean, I'm gonna read that book, obviously.

[19:58] Jeff Hiller: Obviously, you read them all. I feel like I need your address. I'm gonna send you some deep cuts. I gotta find you some that you haven't read, Jen. And this is the one that you're gonna read this summer, everybody. This is the book that you're going to read. In all seriousness, pride is here, it's a crazy year. The world is kind of on fire. They come for us and our community all of the time. Was is it something that you felt like you tell your your story about you and your husband, you talk about dating, you talk about your journey. Was that something that you felt you needed to tell for you? Or do you hope we get some inspiration? Or should we look to you as a, you know, let's fight this fight together, let's march with Jeff.

[20:33] Jeff Hiller: Oh well, I'm definitely gonna march with you. I don't know that I'm should be at the front of the line. I I I really want to support. Uh I'm I'm not I'm not a leader. I I just told you I can't remember appointments. I'm not gonna be able to plan a revolution. But um, but I do think that this is absolutely I mean, and and and this year pride isn't just a fun party with Chipotle float. This this year Pride is a protest where we have to say we have to stick up for our brothers and sisters and siblings who are being completely marginalized. And I think as as as white cisgendered gay man, I I have some I have some privilege that a lot of my queer siblings do not have. And I really want to um stand in solidarity uh amongst us.

[21:24] Jeff Hiller: Yeah, absolutely. Especially right now, especially right now. Absolutely. So our trans family and our our people of color that are out here that are in the queer community, or everybody that we are we've got to stand in the stand, we stand right next to you. See how eloquently he said it. That's why he has a book, everybody. And I you can get it right now. Actress of a certain age, and look, he's an author, he's a comedian, he's an actor. What do you what do you call call yourself? What is your job? Are you an actor? Are you an artist? Are you a comedian?

[21:56] Jeff Hiller: A multi-hyphenite. I'm like J Lo. Or like J Lo. But a much smaller ass. Um I I think I think of myself as a performer, most first and foremost.

[22:10] Robert Bannon: Yeah. He is a smaller ass J Lo performer. J High. You would have been way funnier than she was on the American Music Awards the other night. That's for sure.

[22:20] Jeff Hiller: Oh no, coming for J-Lo. No, I love I got Iowa in trouble. You're right. Fair. Good. No, uh, we love J Lo. We love everybody and we love Jeff Hiller. And we were so I really do love J-Lo. She's gonna be in Vegas. I'll take her. We should go. You want a double date to this to Vegas? Let's go to the Coliseum. Oh, I would love that. I would love. I just saw Beyonce on Saturday.

[22:42] Robert Bannon: Oh, what a life.

[22:44] Jeff Hiller: Yes, the Meadowlands. Which nothing says classy like the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

[22:50] Robert Bannon: That's where I grew up, Jeff.

[22:51] Jeff Hiller: Did it? Yes, it's two miles from there. And I was flying into New Jersey to get married, and everyone on my plane was dressed as a cowboy. And I was so jealous that I was getting married and missing the Beyonce concert. I told my I told my brother. Well, what do I have to get stupid married? I said to my brother, you know, if you were a good ally to your gay brother at his gay wedding, his bachelor party would have been at the Beyoncé concert Saturday in and then have get married on Sunday. He blew it.

[23:20] Jeff Hiller: Well, you know what? The thing is is that it's we have to take some ownership of that because we need to teach our allies. I should have taught him. I should have Sean about allyship. If Beyonce is in the town and your gay brother is here, that's a mandatory thing. That's that everyone knows that.

[23:34] Robert Bannon: It does seem mandatory. It seems like a mandatory meeting.

[23:40] Jeff Hiller: One of my favorite drag queens. That's perfect.

[23:43] Robert Bannon: Mine, same. I love and adore you. Thank you so much for being here.

[23:48] Jeff Hiller: Thank you for the family. I appreciate it.

[23:50] Robert Bannon: Thank you for the book, Actress of a Certain Age is out. And Jeff's, he's gonna have here, boom. He's gonna have more stuff. There's gonna be more television, more stand-up, more shows, more, maybe more books. Maybe there's gonna be so much more to come. So you gotta stay up to date. We'll be following you. Everybody go to Boom Boom Hiller on Instagram. I'm following, and we'll we'll stay up to speed and date on all the things that come. My show is your show anytime. It's such an honor and pleasure to talk to you. I really am such a fan. Congratulations.

[24:15] Jeff Hiller: Thank you. And thank you for having me. And congratulations to you too. Thank you for the channel. And I'm sorry, it's my condolences about the Beyonce thing. She's got a tour. Give me one more tour, Beyonce. One more. She's got more in her.