Quinta Brunson

[00:00] Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I'm so excited about our guest today. It is the incredible Quinta Brunson, who is not only funny and smart, [00:10] and gracious and [00:13] a seemingly great boss, but is a mogul, is kind of... [00:18] uh, [00:19] just... [00:20] an incredible driving force in an industry and in many ways saving it. [00:26] from extinction. No pressure. But anyway, I'm so excited to have Quinta here to talk about all of those things and to hang. And we always like to do something at the beginning of our shows where we gather people together together [00:42] that know Quinta, that have worked with her, that know stuff about her that we would never know, and ask them questions. [00:50] how they feel about her, and what they think I should ask her. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Life's journey brings constant change, filled with exciting surprises, new chapters, and grand challenges. And the Toyota Grand Highlander is more than a vehicle. It's your partner in embracing all life throws at you. Blinked and the kids have grown up? The third row can fit three adults. From daily routines to life-changing adventures, [01:20] Learn more at toyota.com slash Grand Highlander. Toyota. [01:25] Let's go places. [01:28] This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking your pockets before putting clothes in the washer?

[01:37] Oof. Enjoy your freshly cleaned and completely destroyed earbuds. Yeah, checking first is a good plan. So check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. [02:07] Let me just tell you who I have here. [02:09] With me, I have Kate Peterman. Kate's a writer on Abbott Elementary. Hi, Kate. Hi. Zach Evans, also writer, creative director in LA, founder of Create Repeat, an online community for creatives, and also a BuzzFeed alum with Quinta. Hi, Zach. We have Ash Perez. Hi, Ash. Ash, also a BuzzFeed. I [02:31] you could say a BuzzFeed alum, right? BuzzFeeder. [02:37] Buzz feeder. Okay. Welcome. And then we have the big boss. [02:41] Andrew Gauthier, French name, congratulations. Andrew, you were the head of BuzzFeed Video when Quinta and Zach and a lot of you and Kate and Ashley were all making content together. This is not a deposition. Nothing you say will be used. [03:00] But welcome to Good Hang. How's everyone doing? I feel a bit like I'm in a performance review with Andrew, but besides that, great.

[03:11] and performance reviews. [03:12] Yeah. [03:13] Um, because I think a lot of, a lot of performance reviews are just like criticisms. And I think I always tried and I think we always tried at BuzzFeed to focus on positives. [03:24] You know, we wanted to like be an incubator for talent. So it was, you know, focusing on what people were best at. [03:30] Andrew, I can say that's a lot of corporate speak you just threw at me. You said incubator. [03:37] You said it. Let's go around before we start and say some of our most fun things. [03:43] corporate slang. I'd like to circle back and piggyback off of what Andrew was just saying. I take, yeah. Follow up on that, Kate. Uh, I would just like to plus one, all of your comments on that as well. I just want to ping that plus one real quick. Do you guys know the comedian, Lisa Beasley? [04:00] Mm-mm. [04:01] She does a corporate character. That's so funny. On TikTok, she does a character called Corporate Aaron. Yes. [04:12] Oh, yeah. She did it during COVID, that incredibly long period. [04:17] nasally, [04:18] beginning of a meeting where she's like, it's 929 and I guess we'll get started. And she has like tons of vocal fry and she's definitely trying to get the meeting started. She's really upset and she has a lot of stuff to get through. It's not easy. It's not easy. Anyway. Okay. Kate, why don't we start with you? Tell me how you and Quinta met. We met in college. I met Quinta

[04:48] because our [04:49] Mascot was the Owls. I'd love to hear that you did, like I did, very nerdy stuff. [04:56] improv stuff because oh yeah [04:58] I think sometimes in comedy, there are two types of people. There are the cool people. [05:03] People. And then there are people that did improv. [05:08] And you write for Abbott. How long have you been writing for the show? And what's that like? Since the first season. It is sick because I remember being with Quinta on her like balcony at this old apartment. And she was like she had just gotten home from Philly and she was like, I was visiting my mom and I just really want to do this show about. [05:29] teachers and this was like years before abbott actually happened so it's been in like [05:34] It's cool to see it go from that idea and then... [05:38] I was in the pilot with her and getting there to film and seeing her like walk around calling the shots and just because I got there and I was like, [05:46] It was my first ever time, like... [05:48] whatever. And, [05:50] So I was so nervous and trying to be professional. And then she just turns the corner was just like, KP and just like nice and loud. And I was like, oh, this is so fucking cool. I'm interviewing Quinta today. I'm going to ask her a bunch of, you know, stuff that maybe... [06:03] We, you know, one would expect me to ask, but is there anything you think I should ask or, or, or any questions? [06:10] Anything you think she'd like to even talk about or something you think people would want to hear from her? Ask her if she now knows if Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi are two different things. She asked me in confidence, like in a little whisper. She was like, are Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi the same guy? Like as if she had to go.

[06:29] talk to him and it was for no reason. It's so funny to me. Okay, that's a great one. Okay, Zach, moving on. How do you and Quinta meet each other? I met Quinta in 2014 at BuzzFeed. I was an intern at the time. It was my first job out of college and she had just got brought in to do a couple of comedy videos with our friend Justin Tan. Quinta to me has always been so amazing at how [06:59] internet was a stage for her to play in. And, you know, of course we all grew up, [07:04] Wanting to be on SNL or in wanting to go this traditional route, going the stand up route. And she did all those things. And I truly believe she could have done it any path, but she decided to go this Internet direction. And truthfully, I don't think she gets enough credit for being that first person. [07:21] one of the first people to make the leap from being an internet personality to being in the mainstream and [07:28] dominating. Thank you, Zach. That was awesome. Okay, Ash. [07:32] Tell me your origin story and your question. [07:35] Okay, my origin story with Quinta is that we sat next to each other at BuzzFeed and notoriously, probably unlike these people where Quinta's original thought was Kate is tight, Quinta did not like me. My fun fact of my whole life is that the character of Janine is based off me or loosely based off of me on Abbott. [07:56] Do you have confirmation of that? Yeah. She said it in interviews. She said it in Variety, so I have it. She said it in the writer's room. Yep. Okay, I have two questions. One is a serious one, and then one is going to make her groan, and she's going to know why I asked it, which I'm so excited for.

[08:14] So the first one is just as an avid student of comedy, what are the top three sitcoms that influence your sense of comedy? Like so much of my memories of Quinta, we used to like she used to come over to my house and we used to watch old I Love Lucy episodes and just like talk about like. [08:28] what structured the comedy or we would watch pilots to stuff and like, [08:32] just like an actual student of comedy in a way that I think is so valuable and that people don't necessarily know, especially because she got her start on the internet. She has a deep, deep lexicon. So I would love to hear her answer to that. And then, do you think you would have been as famous if you had ordered a medium instead of a large? I can't guarantee it's going to make [09:02] for He Got Money was her... [09:06] She orders a popcorn. Oh, the popcorn and the Skittles. A large. Right. And so she's become very much like, and that was, I would say, one of her very first, like, memes along with He Got Money. So. Great. Okay. Thanks, Ash. And Andrew? Maybe this is corny, but I would actually be interested in what, you know, what, you know, [09:25] 2014 Quinta Quinta [09:28] would think about Quinta now. You know, if you went back in time a dozen years ago while she was at BuzzFeed, like, [09:33] How would she react? All right. Well, thank you so much for your time. It was really nice to see all of you again and to meet some of you for the first time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your time.

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[12:54] Okay, Quinta Brunson is here. Quinta, I'm so grateful you're here. Thank you for doing this. I'm grateful you are here and that you were born and that you exist. I'm grateful that you were born. What day were you born? I was born December 21st, 1989. Capricorn. [13:11] Sagittarius. Oh, I'm directly on the cusp, directly on it. So you're not wrong because some books do say Capricorn and then so much on the cusp. I'm right at like 1138 or something. I asked my mom, she's like, I don't know what time you were born. Okay, sorry for asking. But she said it was between like 1130 and 12. So directly on the cusp, which is good because I think [13:33] If I was full-blown Sagittarius, I would have been a stripper. I think if I was full-blown, nothing wrong with it, but I'm just saying that I would have been a stripper. And then if I were a Capricorn, I would have been Elon Musk. I would have been really like... [13:45] I feel like there is a... [13:48] total mogul vibe that I get from you. I know. [13:52] I'm not going to capitalize on it. Why not? I don't want to be a mogul. Okay. Okay. Let's talk about this because you kind of are already. So it's. [14:02] You're not. What do you think classifies a mogul? Well, this is a really good question. I feel like you are the captain of a huge ship. One ship though. That's true. But you know. [14:13] That's just because you're acting. Once you get off set and have to do those hours, you're going to be the captain of like four ships. We've talked about this, Amy. I know. I just want to do my thing. I just so relate to this grind that you're on. And also, Quinta, here to say...

[14:32] It is phenomenal what you are doing. That show is number one, saving and has saved sitcoms. It has its proof. It is what everybody points to. Yeah, I do. Yep. [14:48] As a spec, as a... [14:52] as a comp for how comedy can still work on broadcast TV. And there's not many left. [15:00] No, I hope that changes. I do. And I do admire the [15:04] Other people [15:06] sitcoms that are out there maintaining. They don't grasp the same kind of attention that Abbott does, but I do think there are [15:16] Thank you. [15:16] other producers and showrunners out there attempting to do good work, specifically on network television and television. [15:23] There's a show Ghost on CBS that has a bigger audience than we do. It just doesn't garner the same attention. So... [15:29] I just always try to acknowledge that there are other shows trying, but I do also understand that Abby occupies a very unique and specific space. So, you know, it's funny cause we're four seasons in now and, [15:41] I really... [15:43] want like counterparts, you know, I want, I want, um, [15:48] I live for a renaissance. I don't enjoy the feeling of St. Dennis is a show on NBC and I feel like, [15:58] But so much of this, and maybe I don't know if it was like that back then, but so much of it is about timing and when and presentation and so much goes into making something an overall success now that –

[16:11] I don't call myself lucky because I think about all the things that go into it. But I do think you have to think about so many different factors to make your show a success at all now. Totally. And I know you're a big student of the sitcom. Yeah. You're a big comedy student in general. What were the shows that you cared about growing up? What were the sitcoms that you think about and what were the ones you thought about when you were making Abbott? Coach was a show that was very formative for me. I forgot. My mom and I, we loved Coach. [16:41] how much Coach was on in my household that was like, [16:44] If that was on, we were stopping and we were watching. I'm not sure if it was on Naked Night yet, but that was a big show for me. Mary Tyler Moore. Yes. King of Queens, very big for me. I just... [16:55] I don't know why, but one of the biggest influences in my life. I still love that show to this day. [17:03] 30 Rock, huge. I know. You're a big 30 Rock fan. I know that about you. It's so ridiculous. It's great. [17:09] A little show called Parks and Rec. The Office, of course. Martin. [17:15] Living single. [17:17] Carb Your Enthusiasm, I don't know if that counts because it's not network, but Always Sunny, same kind of bucket as... [17:23] Her, um... [17:26] I'm forgetting things. Well, I'm sure you're asked this question, but what do you think? I always thought that for me, what drew me to a sitcom was the fact that I could picture in my mind what the characters were doing when I wasn't watching them. Yep. And that's exactly what happens on Abbott. Definitely. That's a big part of it. And I think it's important if I can see the end of it.

[17:50] their journeys in the sitcom. And I don't know, that doesn't mean I know when it's going to come, but I see... [17:58] Maybe that's just important for writing. You know, you see a destination for your characters. [18:02] But, um... [18:04] very important to me when it comes to making a sitcom. When I visit sitcoms like Parks or The Office and I think about where those characters began and where they end, I think [18:14] That is what kind of inspired me to tell that story about a different set of characters. I also think like, [18:22] worlds you can, that really have a day by day engine, you know, like, [18:28] And there's something, there's some silly thing. I would say Friends was huge for me too, because it was when I started to really grasp onto plot lines that were so... [18:38] you know, Monica lost her earring. I think that was like big for me for some reason when, when it's like, you can make a whole plot, but that's like a day to day of a friend group. And that's what happens in Abbott, just day to day issues that we turn into hilarious conundrums and situations. I read something that really struck me, felt so familiar when you were talking about Janine, your character on the show that you wanted her and her look to, [19:03] to feel [19:06] appropriate with her job and her town, which, um, and I, I felt that because I remember when we were first starting to build Leslie Knope's character, like I really wanted her hair to be very blonde. And because, because she's getting her hair done in Indiana, no offense to the great stylist in Indiana, I bet there are many now, but you know, like she's not going to get lowlights at the best

[19:36] Like she's not quite getting it right. Yeah. And that's beautiful though. That's so human. And you're doing that. You've talked about that with Janine. How are you doing it with Janine? Janine started in a place where – [19:48] I think a lot more about Janine than I think shows up on screen, which honestly is what you want. I don't need the audience to think about her as much as I do. But I knew from the beginning this is a girl who had a weird relationship with her mother. Maybe her mother didn't teach her how to, like, take care of her hair or even her dress comes from. I want to be the opposite of my mother because I... [20:10] Don't think my mother's a good person, so I should dress like a good person, which is the opposite of how she dresses, which is kind of... [20:17] But Janine doesn't believe it's slovenly or bad. Janine looks in the mirror and goes, this is a good outfit. Yeah. [20:23] You did it, girl. [20:25] You did it, girl. You did it. You did it. She does that trick where she turns to the – You know. And she takes one accessory off too much. I feel like she goes, you look exactly – [20:36] like Holly Berry. And like, it was like, no, you don't. But she believes she does. And I think that's sweet. I think when the character... [20:44] believe so deeply in [20:47] that [20:48] the show doesn't care what the audience thinks that was a challenge with janine because [20:52] I'll be real with you, you know. [20:54] She's a black character. [20:57] Black audiences have so few still representative characters on screen. And Black womanhood alone is so touchy.

[21:07] So when a lot of women were seeing Janine not present anything, [21:13] as they wanted her to, that became tough. And I understand it, but I think it's important for us to have characters who are more realistic than they are the absolute best representation of us. I think it creates layers for us, not only on TV, but in the public eye. When I was thinking about her, I wasn't really thinking about representation, but she became representation. I don't know if you dealt with that. Yeah, I think it's always the interesting struggle about playing comedic [21:43] is you want them to be flawed and have stuff to learn. [21:47] And the minute people... [21:49] either yourself or other people start to get in your head about what they should be representing. What it often does is limit the, [21:57] the way, honestly, that men get to play characters, which is they get to play these like really flawed people with a lot. And I think it's often the burden that women are made to carry, which is we're supposed to be a lot of things at once, which few people are. So it's it's kind of it's hard to do both. It's hard to play somebody funny who's also like really got it together. Yeah. And is very, you know, like. [22:22] at the on chapter 10 when you meet them. Yes. And I think Janine, it was like one of the most [22:30] exciting things about that show was you could see, oh, we're really going to go on this ride with her. Like we're on this ride with her. And it's sometimes...

[22:40] I think it's hard to get people on the ride because they don't know they're on the ride. And I think Abbott really started where I was like, this is going to be a ride. And I feel like that goes into thinking about things. This is going to go for seasons. I want to tell stories here. We got to start. [22:56] We got to start somewhere. We cannot end, you know, where we want to get to in season 10. And I think when audience members don't know they're on a ride, it can be very... [23:05] frustrating for them. And maybe this wasn't always the case before the internet, but [23:10] Now, I don't know if you dealt with this on parks. I have had people come up to me on the street and, [23:15] and go... [23:17] I don't like what you're doing with Gregory's character. [23:26] And... [23:27] Yeah. And you're like, oh, thank you so much for caring. It's your, your caring all over me. Thank you so much. [23:35] What? It's insane. It's become a real direct like and oh, and then that person went, I messaged you on Instagram about it. [23:46] Well, I tried to get in touch with you and I wanted you to know that I don't like what you're doing with Gregory's character. She really came to me in a club, mind you, like very much like, oh, I'm so glad I'm seeing you. I sent you an Instagram message. [23:56] I like how you pretended you didn't see it, but now I got you in person. I don't like what you do. I was just like. [24:02] Aren't those times times where you wish you were like the enigmatic film actress who people feel nervous to approach? I do. I do. I very much do. Because television people feel like really, really you're part of their family. You're part of their family. And we love that. Well, you have this incredible. . .

[24:20] um, [24:22] I don't think it's spoken of enough that you took advantage of the window of [24:30] kind of, you know, [24:32] You're... [24:33] 10 years after I was coming up, which was basically that – [24:37] there was this BuzzFeed video window where people were producing stuff online, early online. BuzzFeed was interesting because it was so international that you were aware that like, oh man, like people in Japan are watching our stuff. We're being dubbed in different languages. So you were aware of that. But for me, I was never very proud of [24:59] my online presence. I felt like as someone who came from improv and sketch, [25:05] I was still performing at IO every night and, and, [25:09] Then I realized that [25:10] my improv group, we realized people were coming to see our group. [25:14] Because of my online presence. And we were more used to, all right, guys, we got 10 people in the crowd tonight. Let's go crazy. That's three more than last week. We're killing it. No parents. No, it's so good. And then all of a sudden we have a packed IO for like, what is going on? But they're coming because. [25:34] They're actually paying attention when I post. I have a show at IO tonight. And, like, people were coming. I was like, what are these people doing here? And they're like, you said you had a show. I was like, oh, you get so used to no, I don't know, but you were part of, like, the heyday of UCB. But I'm just saying, like, in my world, it was like, if you got eight people in the audience, it was like. Oh, a hundred of that was our always trying to get people. But you were kind of ahead of your time because there was this feeling, to your point, like, where that content didn't count. Yeah. Like, it almost felt.

[26:04] like a side gig while you were trying to get the gig. But now, however many years later, you look at it now and it's like the way that everybody is discovered. I came to just appreciate it as another stage. [26:17] If you... [26:19] can get on a stage and do standup, get on an improv stage and do improv. Why can't you [26:25] make a video to [26:27] Garner an audience. Isn't that what we want to do as performers anyway? And also it's a way to just practice writing. Absolutely. [26:35] Absolutely. That's what it really did for me. [26:38] Um, [26:39] I had taken writing courses. I had studied comedic writing. [26:44] But I do think [26:46] writing for BuzzFeed was the best way to learn how to [26:50] do it for massive audiences, which is a skill that I still see. [26:55] writers. [26:57] peers, [26:58] um, [27:01] Hmm. [27:02] They don't technically teach you that in school. Yeah. I think it's something you learn by doing. I think you're right. And I think what improv and sketch teaches you is just like, [27:13] Picking your battles. Like you find people that write stuff and they don't want to change it and they want to kind of lock it in. And there's the one thing with sketch and improv is your ideas. They just are thrown away over and over and over again. And you get this muscle that you haven't had your last good idea. Yes. [27:34] Absolutely. Which is so freeing. Yeah. It makes you a more collaborative person and makes for better work. And I think so BuzzFeed definitely did that we made, which was insane. We would make like.

[27:46] three videos a week that were going to be shared and seen by like millions and millions of people. And if one bombed, it was like, I'm already on my next video. I'm going to, you know, I'm already I've moved on. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, literally. I can't remember half that half the things I made there, which is both good and bad. But I feel like you probably can't remember half the sketches you you did for. Oh, God, no. Yeah. Well, speaking of BuzzFeed. Oh, no. Oh, no. [28:13] I lost my glasses. Oh, are you just getting glasses? Oh, I got scared. Speaking of BuzzFeed, check out my new glasses from BuzzFeed. Oh, actually, I'm going to take a lip balm break if you want to take one, too. Quint and I brought our lip balm. Lip balm and water. And kept it close. [28:29] And I'd love just to take a moment. Oh, this is my camera? Mm-hmm. Get in there. Hold on. Yours looks better because it has a little wand. Mine is my grubby little finger. No, it's cute. That's how the girl puts it on in the Sephora commercial. She does it with her finger? Yeah. What else are you going to do with it? I'd just love once again to ask Laneige if they ever want to sponsor. Yeah, I'll sponsor Amy. This is a lip sleeping mask. For now, I'll turn it to the side so I won't sully your brand.

[28:59] finger in that pot many times and it's always and not just at night right that's not just a lip sleeping mask it's not just for night just for nighttime um okay so we do this fun surprise thing where [29:13] Before I talk to you, I get on a Zoom with some people that know you. [29:18] Whoa. I'm so forwarded. And just to talk about you and really to like get some perspective on what I think I should ask. So earlier today I was on a Zoom with Kate. No way! Did Kate freak out? She's the best. She loves you so much. Did she pretend she was super cool? She was very cool. Everyone was very cool. That is so funny. Oh my God. I was on a Zoom with Kate. So it was like a BuzzFeed reunion. It was Kate. It was Ash. No! [29:48] Jack. Which one? Evans. Stop! These are people who probably were freaking out, Amy. They seemed very cool. They seemed cool because they probably got it together first, but you need to know that it's probably... And then your old boss, Andrew. Andrew Gauthier? Oh. French last name. He's so hot, guys. I don't work for him anymore. I can say that. Yeah, you're right. But he's a sweet man. So we were talking about... It was really cute. And it's kind of like talking well behind someone's back is the goal. And they were so happy to do it. And we were [30:18] talking about, um, [30:19] That time there and your time there. And it was really cute because everyone was – [30:25] you know, kind of going back to when exactly what you were saying, when we were producing a lot of stuff and trying to, everyone was trying to figure out where to live. And it's a very tender time and the people that were there and a lot of, uh, you know, like Kate, especially are people that you still work with and who kind of Kate told this amazing story about like the, one of the first days on set and how she can remember you saying, I want to, I think I want to do this show, you

[30:55] And then, you know, smash cut to it happening. Yeah, I have such a random weird suit. So someone tried to sue me, me, WB, ABC, and say that they came up with Abbott. And my memory is shit. There's something to know about me. Same, really bad. I think it's because we have to learn lines. I think so, too. Kate's memory is crazy. [31:18] just lock the fuck in. And Kate was like, no, no, no, no, no. I will go into that courtroom for you because she was there the moment I had. I knew that it wasn't true, but I had nothing to back it up. And it's okay. That's why we have lawyer. I was never going to have to back it up anyway, but I'm just like, damn, I cannot remember. Kate remembers time, date, where, when. Incredible. Incredible. So she's my best friend, but she's also just incredible for stuff like [31:48] hear this and coming to your female friendships are super important to you. Super important. Like why, what do they do for you? Yeah. [31:54] Oh, that's a good question. [31:58] Oh, man, that's such a good question. I don't know what they do for me. Well, you just said something that I feel like, if I may, I feel like a lot of women in my life would testify for me. Yes. They really do. They experience life with me and we all kind of remember for each other. For each other, yeah. And maybe Kate and I particularly. [32:22] have been through so much together.

[32:26] As friends, as women, as comedy writers. Kate wanted me to ask you this. KP. [32:33] Are you aware now that Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi are? Shut up, Kate. Shut up. Don't go through Amy to do that. That's not nice, Kate. That's not okay, Kate. But can we... [32:46] Are you aware that Bon Jovi is... Yes, I know that. I don't know white people. I know you. I know Tina Fey. I know white people in comedy. Okay? [32:59] You don't need to know. You don't need to know. I just like don't know some people. I don't I understand the name Phil Collins. I don't know what Phil Collins look like. I don't know that he's different from. Sorry to that man. That Kiki moment. Unbelievable. Was so on point. Unbelievable. That is how I move through life. If they're not in comedy. [33:21] Truly, yeah. [33:23] I don't know. I actually think it's also a wonderful way, like almost a gentle form of rebellion, which is, I have to say, my generation was told that we had to know a lot of these people. For sure. For sure. And now we don't really need to know them. It's okay. It's okay. And also, you were working in... [33:42] In pop culture, too. I mean, SNL is still essentially working in pop culture. You have those. I don't have a reason to know who... [33:50] I'm not crazy. It's crazy to be in a band called Jon. Is he Jon Bon Jovi's band? She doesn't know.

[33:57] I couldn't tell. And it's crazy because now I'm going to blow your mind even more. His original name. Come on. Was John Bongiovi. [34:07] And then he changed. The band name was Bon Jovi, a shortened version of his real name. So then he started going by Jon Bon Jovi. But true fans know that it was Bon Jovi. You know everything you just said sounds crazy. And the thing is, I'm supposed to know this, but then I'm supposed to deal with people who can't tell me and Kiki Palmer apart. [34:28] or say my name or can't I just can't if you know about Bon Giovi Ovi and I'm too difficult it's two syllables Quinta same person I don't understand anyway so that was that was and I don't [34:42] You know what else is crazy? Wait, I lost my point, but I was going to say something about Jon Bon Jovi. Band. I'm trying to think of a band name. Like, who could I compare it to that had a band that was named after their last name? Oh, well, there's another bunch of white boys. Remember Hanson? [34:59] I understood that. [35:02] I understand that. You know who I got mixed up for the longest time? Not anymore. But there was no reason for me as a young girl in Philadelphia to understand the difference between [35:13] Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts. [35:15] There was no reason for me to know the difference. You might have a little bit of face blindness. I do. I do. I do have that. And they know. I know Sandra knows now because that's my girl. Of course, I can tell you guys apart now. But growing up, no reason for me to know that. And when people are like, you don't know. No, I don't.

[35:36] I like that. I'm glad that you absolutely do not need to know. Yeah. I can't believe Kate's. [35:42] Okay. Ash, three sitcoms who have influenced you. We talked about that. And then... [35:50] Andrew asked, um, [35:52] What would 2014 Quinta think of Quinta now? Oh, Andrew. I know. And such a managerial question, too. Oh, Andrew. Andrew. [36:01] Andrew's so lovely. I think 2014, me would be like, exactly, period. Because I was a very determined, knew where I was going. [36:16] Girl, I do not like to do that thing where people pretend like I had no idea like this could happen to me. Like, no, I made every single move in my life so that this could happen to me, including leaving Philadelphia. I knew specific things had to happen. And even the way I came into BuzzFeed, I had vision. I was like, I see where this place is going. I see what I can do here. I see how not only it can help me, but how I can help it. And I think it's a means to something much larger. [36:46] is [36:47] But I think that's the beauty of vision. You can... [36:52] You feel, see something, you're working in accordance with something. And I'm a big believer in that, I think. You know what I love that you're doing, too? And from from here on out, I guess we would call it like the Chalamet in terms of like, I want to be the greatest. But but what I think.

[37:09] Go ahead. Yeah. What did you think of that moment? I loved it. What I thought was so interesting about that moment. Whether it was coordinated or not. I thought him mentioning Viola Davis in his speech. I was like, that... [37:24] It's fucking smart. A hundred percent. Whether it's coordinated or he really, really meant it. Very smart to do. Smart kid. That, that, that alone had me. Me too. Had me. And. [37:39] in a way that I don't care if it was like, I'm going to say this because, or I genuinely really mean it. Because even if you were going to say it because, yeah, just say it because, because mention Viola Davis. A hundred percent. And I, it was, at the very least it was [37:53] the example of someone paying attention. Yeah. And, [37:58] I think [37:59] I, I think that, you know, not to gender it, it happens to men too, but women are especially, uh, required, uh, to, um, be very surprised by their success and really be, they're asked all the time. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? Yes. Like, how does it feel? And you and I, I think share this similar thing, which is, it feels good. I've been working really hard. I imagined it would happen for me. I've been there forever. [38:27] Along the way, I've watched it slowly grow. It hasn't been overnight. And it was, you know, and yes, of course, luck. And yes, of course, privilege. And yes, of course, time. All of that stuff. And also, I believed it could happen. And so now there's sometimes an expectation of people want.

[38:44] the kind of ingenue vibe of, um, [38:48] How did I get here? Oh, my God. The lights, the cameras. I just tripped and then I was here. I can't believe it. Oh, my. [38:56] And I'm not doing that. One thing I love about I've always appreciated about you is you you also do that without sacrificing your sense of like whimsy. [39:07] You have, I don't know, you just, you still have fun and you don't apologize for that either. And I think that's really cool. When I went to see you and Tina... [39:15] Um, [39:17] at the, in Vegas, uh, [39:19] And that was so fun because actually Ash and Kate came with me and I told you that was like our Super Bowl. But you tried you did what I would storytelling stand up. [39:30] And seeing you [39:32] do new things. I was like, yes, yes, yes. You are not apologizing for the fact that you have this show or all the things that you've done. [39:41] But you also are having enough fun with trying new things and you just have fun. Like you have a smile on your face. You're not like, I mean, this is kind of honestly why I'm doing this is because it's kind of like, I want to talk to people. I have a good time. I listen to a ton of podcasts. Yeah. I don't think that because you get to a certain level of something that you're supposed to get really tight and get worried about trying new things, you're supposed to do the opposite because you're feeling like you're lucky enough to be confident. You're lucky enough to have some currency or some people who believe in you. [40:11] So that's when you're supposed to keep staying flexible, trying and failing over and over again. And I think you are similar. Like we learned it early. We learned it with improv and sketch. You're just supposed to keep trying things. You're supposed to keep trying. I think I have seen a lot of other women who are in similar positions.

[40:29] become harsh over time because, you know, [40:33] So if you're going to be that confident, [40:35] Now you almost have to take up a harsh demeanor or something. Yeah, that's right. So you have to be masculine. If you're going to say, I'm good at it and I know it, then you better be masculine too. Don't you dare smile ever again since you know you're so good. But it's weird. And I'm really interested in watching... [40:56] women push back out loud, not just talking about it, but actually doing it, which is why I say I like to see you like smile so much, because to me. [41:07] That is the active doing it and like have fun in front of people's faces. It's weird. It's almost like that kind of makes people angrier than anything else. When I am like having pure unadulterated fun, [41:18] I feel a small sense of like, how dare you? Oh, it's a revolutionary act as a woman to have fun. And the other thing is, and I would say about you that I said behind your back is Quinta plays loose. [41:30] And what I mean by that is a good athlete, [41:33] you're to me you're like a good athlete amy don't talk sports to me right now i'll fall in love [41:39] I love sports. I mean, this is a podcast we should probably only be talking about sports. [41:44] You want this thing to do well. But you play so loose because you are... [41:49] You're so good at what you do and you are in charge, but you would like you have the you just have that ease and you have it when you when you act, you have it when you're in giving a speech. I mean, your Emmy speeches when you win are so good because they are exactly what you say. You are in the moment. You're not. Yeah, you're not going. Who me? I didn't even know. It's like this is a correct choice.

[42:19] thank you for choosing the winner that i am the winner but you're also super gracious to everyone who is in your category you give um you know you put things in context which few people do and and it's really relaxing to watch you thank you you're welcome i love sports so much and it [42:49] I don't know who that is. No, he's the quarterback for the... [42:56] Um, [42:57] Not the Giants. Sorry. Not the Jets. The Bills. Sorry. Thank you. Oh, he's so nice. He's dating Haley Seinfeld. I never even knew that information. Now I know that he's dating Haley. And he did a very sweet thing where he knew every all the young children that he visited at a recent hospital. He knew all their names. [43:15] I don't know his stats. You know, he's controversial, but as a player, yeah, people like think he's. [43:22] I'm not going to whatever, but he has a beard. This is what I think about sports players. No one. I don't need. Don't tell me. I don't need to talk to them. I don't need to know about their personal lives. I'm trying to do this with the Eagles now. Do not look at them. [43:35] They don't perceive them. They do football well. Don't come over here. Okay, I'm the exact opposite. You want to know everything. I don't care so much about the football, but I want to know. You want to know everything. How's it going with mom? See, I want to know. I want to know. I want to know. That's the problem. What do you do in the offseason? Going into Josh Allen's life. No, let's talk about what he does with the basketball on the field. That's what's important to me. I hear you. But anyway, but. That's like the Olympics, though. When the thing starts, when the, whatever they're competing in starts, I'm like, hmm.

[44:05] I like all the stuff when they're back in their hometown. I feel you. I mean, I guess it is important. I just, I guess I'm only talking about the Eagles. I just don't want people to ask about the Eagles. Congratulations on your win, by the way. That must have been exciting. It was. So much has happened to me in the past 10 years, but I would say top five is the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. Wow. Yeah, I know. I'm feeling so good. Quinta, is there anything, I mean, we have to just, I guess, promote Abbott, which. Please watch Abbott Elementary. It's on ABC, which is a network. We all know. We all know where it is. [44:35] It's on Hulu. And I mean, I know during COVID, I had so many people come up and say that parks got them through. And I know the same for Abbott. Totally. Totally. [44:48] I took that at the time as this bigger feeling that comedy is a comfort, and there's some kind of giant... [44:58] warm feeling I get from being a part of anything that special. Did you get the same experience? People say that to you. [45:05] Absolutely. And it is a mark that you... [45:09] Get to leave. [45:12] with the world, not on the world, but with the world, which is so special. There was a girl that came up to my co-stars on the street, Cheryl and Lisa. I can't stop them from walking around on the streets. I try. I can't do anything about it. We just filmed in Philly and I had one thing. I was just like, guys, maybe don't walk around here because it's very recognizable. Maybe just take it easy. Nope. They go to get their nails done. They're walking to different stores.

[45:39] I can't control them. Anyway, so, but a girl walked up to them and Cheryl took a video of this girl talking about, [45:47] How on our show, because Philadelphia has a huge Muslim population, we... [45:53] try to represent the city as much as we can. And we had an episode that featured a young Muslim girl in her hijab. And this girl was crying, came up to Cheryl talking about how much that meant to her. It's like the opposite effect of someone being like, I don't like what you're doing with Gregory. It's someone being like, you don't like get art. Like she said, she was already a fan of the show. That wasn't going anywhere. But then to see that like, [46:20] shifted her shit. And I think that is like the power of a sitcom. We're making you laugh. And then we're making you cry. And we're in your house with you, either in the binge format or once a week. And it's that laugh that's special. [46:35] Because I can be in the house with the drama all the live long day. But I'm, like, scared of people after I watch them on a drama for too long. Like, oh, God, you scared the hell out of me. Even though they're very nice people. It's like, you know, y'all are scary. But – [46:48] the laugh is like, [46:51] You cannot... [46:52] You cannot. [46:54] I think it's holy. I think it's holy. I think so too. I don't want to be corny, but I mean, I love being corny. So I think it's straight up. Maybe I'm about to be in my corny ear. Come on in, come on over. I'm in it. And it's great. And you can just say things like laughter is holy and everyone goes, Oh, that's it. But you know, Anne Lamont, you know, Anne Lamont, the great writer, she, she says that laughter is carbonated holiness, which is like kind of how it feels for me. Like when, when laughter actually happened, it feels like you're getting some,

[47:24] Why is that corny? It's so the same to every. It's the same everywhere. It's the same. It was a mean girls line about math being the same in every country. But laughter is that to me? Except for French people. I know. I'm so proud of Abbott making French people laugh. [47:45] uh there's almost nothing i'm more proud of by the way i just was saying this to my friends the other day in our group chat i was like the fact that like french people they love abbott they watch it and they like it it's like weirdly one of our biggest markets whoa i'm so proud that's incredible of me those are the things that make me proud of me that french people are like we enjoy the show that is the i mean i wouldn't be that proud of it because french people are so [48:15] people are in what ways? [48:17] they french people got two strikes and they're just in what ways yeah the way they how french they act all the time the way they walk the way that they talk the way there used to be a really amy has a kindred like feeling towards the french well um no i i'm probably feeling like i'm not as cool as them and so i'm i'm acting out because fred armison and i used to do a bit where we wanted to do a sketch called french teenagers and it was just like [48:44] Really cool French teenagers like with leather jackets, like doing backflips and smoking cigarettes. Totally. I love that. Because French people are cool, but they're embarrassing too. They're embarrassing. I got to meet him for the first time. What a nice man. You've never met Fred? Never. That was also what was cool about the SNL 50 was like people I never met before. And he was talking to Tim...

[49:04] um to meadows to meadows and so i was going to say hi to tim but i did not know he was talking to fred armison and i did the thing that i hate where i just assumed that which is so bad to say but i was like oh he's probably talking to a writer i won't interrupt but i'm just going to say hi to tim and i was like hello tim and fred goes hi i was like holy shit i thought you were a writer that came out wrong my bad what's going on man it was but he was so sweet and kind he was [49:34] guy and so funny. You like Peyton Manning? Love. He's a good time too. He's just like, he's so funny, naturally funny. He's so funny. He's so, you know, and I'm sure you've worked with this already. Like at SNL, there's athletes that come [49:52] Come through and they're like, I'm really funny. And you're like, okay. But Peyton is genuinely funny. Really, really nice man. He became my MVP of the weekend. Not going to lie. [50:04] Do you carry you around like a football? No, it's just that as soon as I walked in, and I saw such so many wonderful people that I do know, but when I walked in, I had a coffee in my hand. He was like, hey, where'd you get that coffee? And I was like, sorry, man, I bought it from the hotel. I knew it might be a little crazy. He's like, I should have did that. And it was just so human. And then I got to talk about football with him at the party. It was just like super sweet. Do you do what sometimes happens with guys like that where they're so giant and you're little, I'm little too,

[50:34] just kind of like [50:36] touching them without knowing like, wow, like you're a tree. I also feel like we aren't the same species. I don't feel as though, and I know we're both human. No, you know, I know we're both human. I'm saying, but you know, there's like, oh, I'm a, I am a domestic dog. You are a wolf. Yes, exactly. You know? So maybe it's the same species. And I feel, I think it's an instinctual thing where it sounds like I was talking to Jason Momoa and I found myself putting my like hands on like, [51:03] Like, [51:04] Thank you. [51:05] help like like a like a tiny like like a little yeah an animal i guess just trying to hang on [51:11] in [51:12] It's a touch. Jordan, you know, Jordan Malianas, he's a football player. He came to my set the other day. He's massive. He's massive. Football players are big. He's a big football player. Yeah. And he's just huge. [51:25] And I'm just looking up and you just did you get your little your hands are just on his shoulders. I'm so sorry. I don't mean to. Why am I touching you? [51:35] But I know I feel like big men must get that more than you think, which is people just going, hey, and yeah, touching it. People touch us a lot, too. Yeah, they pat us. Hey, little buddy. They do. They do. You get a little pat on the head or you get a little. Have you ever been picked up against your will? It is one of my least favorite things. Least favorite things in the world. People are laughing because I've gotten picked up. It's a very it's a comedy improv thing.

[52:05] explain it other than pure rage it is insane it to have your feet lifted off the ground against your will if i'm going on a roller coaster i signed up for that if i'm doing something you know what i'm saying but to just be lifted up and me i'm so sturdy i think i'm super like i'm 10 toes down all the time to be lifted off my chin toes yeah so unless disorienting unless it's the right person it's the right person and then you're like oh my god you're like what how could you lift [52:35] It changes my whole purview. I think I'm so big and I'm so strong. If someone lifts you up, I'm like, I'm a pet. I feel like, you know, you pick your pet up and they don't have any. That's what happens to me. Or you say, put me down, put me down. Like, then you feel very stressed. When people are like, why are men? So I get it. Because as a woman, I'm a little like. [52:53] Iffy about my height sometimes. So yeah, I mean, [52:56] whatever I get six foot men, but nothing wrong with the, I think you identify as tall. That's what I do. [53:03] That's why getting picked up throws me off so much. Yes. Because I do identify as tall and that's a break in reality for me. It is. I really feel like my cat, my cat feels super tough. He thinks he runs shit. And then I pick him up and he's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, don't be picking me up. I run this house. No, you don't. I can pick you up. So that's what, that's why it throws me off when someone picks me up because I'm just like, oh. I don't like it either. Well, you heard it here first.

[53:33] and try to not say who she reminds you of. No, that was a you thing. Oh, that's a me thing. That's a me thing. Okay. You can say it. All right. That's just me. So before we wrap up, I'm doing something, you know, I'm asking, because again, this is, we're attempting to have a good hang here. [53:51] And I'm asking people like, what are you what are you going to right now that's making you laugh? You know, what is the thing that you go you look up or a place you go or a person you talk to or a thing that, you know, is kind of the way that you escape? I regret to say that there's this these videos online. [54:10] I don't really watch TikTok. [54:12] Really? Why? I just don't. I never really. So there's these video I'm learning of this cat and it's in, I don't like it because it's AI. [54:24] Okay, look, this isn't a shame based. I mean, there's no shame here. I'm shaming me. [54:29] It's an AI cat. Yeah. And she like always is he starts his day. [54:40] Okay. Already. Okay. He starts his day. What's his name? Okay. [54:45] H-S-I-N. I don't know how to pronounce him. He is... [54:49] From Asia. Okay. And he. H-S-I-N cat. [54:53] Yeah, do you see him? [54:55] Okay, let's see. [54:57] Oh, H-S-I-N. Yeah, cat. [54:59] It's a breed of cat. [55:01] Can I? Yeah, let's look at it. No, you're going to have to search for him in TikTok. Okay, very good. Stand by.

[55:08] Bye. [55:09] I'm going to look him up. And he always begins his day. He wakes up and he decides, he goes to the market and he buys some vegetables. And then he goes and finds, are you looking at him? [55:25] No, that's not. No, hold on. No, that's not. Oh, this cat? Yeah. Okay, so we'll put him up here. So he will find a friend, like a chicken or a rabbit. He's finding a chicken in this one. Is he? And so what he does. And he's also. [55:39] And he cooks the chicken. So he always he drugs them first. He invites them over for a drink and then they drink it. [55:47] And they pass out. He's drugging these. Wait, OK, this is a whole story. Yeah. And he and then he cooks him and he eats them. And he then he even has a little funeral for them after he cooks them. It's like you kill them. And he has his friend. He has a friend, the lion who he calls over to eat because I think the lion is the only apex person. [56:12] Predator in his life. Okay. Because he cooks and eats. Sometimes he drops a bomb in the ocean and then he kills a shark. He has shark meat that day. And the caption is always like... [56:22] I was in the mood for something different today. Or the captions like, met a friend today. And you think it's going to end well this time? Nope. He cooks whatever. One time he met a crocodile. I was like, this is seeming like a budding friendship. Now he's in jail. He's in jail. He gets, there are consequences, but his friend the lion always bails him out. Mm-hmm. Sometimes he whacks someone over the head and then he eats them. But sometimes they get them back, like this fox.

[56:52] Whacked him over the head once. And I was like, finally, this cat is getting fucking his own, this little fucking maniac. But then he calls the lion. The lion comes and whacks the fox. They have fox for dinner that night. [57:04] And you watch it. I watch every single one. Because I don't look up anything else on TikTok, my algorithm is just this cat. And every time I'm like, I hope this little bastard gets what he wants. But then when he is in the hospital, I'm very scared. I'm like, please go to the hospital. Please let him leave. Yeah, because he really gets beat up sometimes. I hate how much I laugh. Also, I know what you mean. I'm watching it. What is weird about it is it's. [57:34] Like the cat is like giving another cat a bath. Yeah. The cat is a human. He has human quality. But looks like a cat and now is eating a chicken that he made. That he made. And it's a really fat cat. Yeah. And so he changes sizes too throughout scenes. And it's like, why in this scene are you bigger than the lion? I'm interested in how he perceives himself to other animals. And he saves a baby every once in a while because you see him saving a baby. He doesn't eat the baby. He doesn't eat the baby. Thank God. [58:04] I thought he was going to eat that baby, but he's all. And I think that's like him being like, see, I'm I'm cool. But no, you are a psychopath. You are drugging other animals and eating them. And so that's yeah, that's how you escape. [58:19] Yeah, that's how you escape from working too hard. But I get why you like this, because it's story. It is storytelling. And it's AI, so it gets it wrong a lot. And it also makes me feel good. I have a friend, Ash, actually told me. Ash told me that.

[58:36] Ash has a friend that works in AI and they, and that person was like, look, the day AI really figures it out. [58:43] The day everyone should be really scared, Alzheimer's will also be solved. [58:49] And I was like, [58:50] Oh, because if AI can really get that close to how our brains really function, we will have then... [58:59] also had the keys to figure out Alzheimer's. And so that brings me comfort and it brings me fear because I like what you just said. I mean, and also I like that that's the kind of thing that an expert would say on a podcast, but, and I'd be like, what? I heard it from a friend who heard it from an expert who said, that's hilarious. Okay. Thank you so much for doing this. Bye. [59:26] Thank you so much, Quinta Brunson. You are amazing and so talented. And it means a lot that you came. And you're the best, Quinta. [59:37] And, yeah, you know, this is the end of the show where we... [59:40] go a little deeper on something that, um, [59:43] Brings me joy or [59:45] changes my brain. And so, uh, [59:49] We mentioned Lisa Beasley at the very top of the show when we were talking to some of Quinta's friends who worked at BuzzFeed. And I just want to mention her again. Lisa Beasley Experience is where you can find – Lisa B Experience is where you can find her. And she's just a hilarious comedian, does a ton of characters, and she did that really funny character, Corporate Aaron. Check that out if you haven't seen it. It's just corporate speak at its best and the maddening pace in which people deliver non-news.

[1:00:19] in in workspaces. It's a really funny and so is she and [1:00:26] Yeah. So if you have not seen her comedy, check it out. And always check out The Great Quinta on Abbott. And check us out always here at Good Hang. Thanks for hanging. Okay, bye. [1:00:38] You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullin, and Alaya Zanaris. [1:00:56] and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.