March 6, 2024 • 59 mins
Topics covered include: Wrinkly passports, being unable to operate any form of transportation, the Kim’s Video of 90s El Salvador, changelings, teenage obsessions with Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, scholarships for congeniality, night terrors, Julio’s short stint handing out chocolate samples at Fairway supermarkets, never-aired SNL sketches, the true joy of filming Problemista, gravitating towards green, favorite childhood toys, and questioning whether chaos is essential for good art.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Yeah. Good.
All right, let's begin. Well, not yet.
Let's begin now. Hi, Julio.
Hi, hi, hi. How are you?
I'm pretty good. How are you?
I'm good. What are you doing?
What are you up to? Oh, like.
(00:21):
Well, we're just supposed to have a conversation that can go
any which way. And so I just wanted to begin
with my favorite question, whichis what?
What are you doing right now? What are you doing right now?
What are? You up to.
I mean this this the podcast. Well, not just the, you know,
like. Problemista.
Problemista stuff, yeah. What?
I mean, like, what did you do this morning?
(00:43):
Oh well, I just came back from avery impromptu trip.
Oh. I know.
I didn't know this, tell me more.
So OK, I was supposed to go to Costa Rica for New Year's.
This is where the story starts. OK, you've been there since New
Year's. No, you're like, you're like my
(01:04):
producer. Be like, you should have been
working. No, no.
I was supposed to go to Costa Rica for New Year's.
I, I did go. I, I went, I landed at the
airport and then at the airport they told me that my passport
was too wrinkly. And then they escorted me on the
plane right back. Too wrinkly?
Too wrinkly? I don't understand.
(01:24):
The the passport was too wrinkly.
That's not a. That can't possibly be true.
Well. They're they were using the
excuse that your passport was too wrinkly, like they couldn't
tell who you were on the in the photo or.
Something, well it was like something with like the part
that you scan it like wasn't scanning or something.
So they thought maybe it was a fake passport.
I think it was very. That is a very you situation.
(01:48):
It's. Your passport.
It's highly it's too. Wrinkly to fly.
I was just like when when they said it, I was like, Oh, no,
yeah, of course. Like not, not a part of me was
like shocked or like. It's like passport ages.
I was like, yeah, but it was, you know what?
It was very, which just had likehappened to me my whole life.
(02:11):
It's like minus this many pointsin your worksheet because it's.
Too wrinkly. Too wrinkly It's.
Too fucked up like you did the work but but you don't care.
You did the work, but then you you scrunched it into a ball and
laid it out flat and did the little pirate thing on the edges
with the fire. I wish it was.
It's always mostly like I'm always losing things.
(02:34):
So if I present something I I just found it.
It actually surprises me that you lose things because you love
little things so much. Oh, but see, I live with them.
And then I let them go. You but, but are you looking for
them? I mean, this is getting into a
different project that we'll talk about at different times.
Are you, Sir? Are you losing your little
(02:54):
things and then in a desperate search to find them?
Or are you like, you know what? She's gone, she's gone and you.
And if she was meant to be mine,she'll return.
I think, well, there's certain things that like with like
little trinkets and things, yeah.
I lose so many little trinkets. I lose them and then I think I
had a great time with them and then someone will find them and
(03:17):
be very happy I. Hope, and they'll have a great
time too. And they'll have a great.
Time. And then they'll lose them, and
someone else will. Sure, that's beautiful.
But then when it comes to like, because I've lost my passport so
many times, and when I lose my passport, I'm like, oh, it'll
come back somehow. And does it.
Sometimes. But then but I have.
Fully called like like the the Rockaway Beach Police station
(03:40):
asking if they found a passport on the beach.
Because you're at Rockaway Beachwith your passport.
I'm. At Rockaway Beach with my
passport. Yeah, just in case a a ship goes
by and you're like, take me to another country.
Well, it's my only form of ID because I never make the time to
(04:00):
go get a New York State ID. And you don't have a driver's
license. I don't know how to drive.
You've never driven. I took like two classes.
And then what happened? And then I was like, this is I
like apologize to the woman. I was like this is this is just
not for me. It's not a fit.
It's not a. We tried but it's not a fit.
Ultimately driving, it's just not not for me.
(04:22):
I didn't like like the car felt like too big.
Why didn't you get like a little?
Smart car. No, no, no, no, no.
I mean like in comparison to my body.
But what if you had a little smart car?
It it'll still be bigger than me.
Does anything that's bigger thanuser have you?
Do you fly on airplanes? Yeah, but I'm not in charge of
(04:43):
the airplane. Oh, so it's nice to be in it if
you're not in control. Yeah, and that's why you decided
to direct. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah. The psychological leap of that
is really interesting. There are things that I'm like,
there are things that I do and then I think that I don't do OK.
And I'm like, very, I do not drive, I do not eat those things
(05:09):
I do not do. And it's just like, I don't
know, it just makes life easier.Do you think you're extreme?
Do you think you have an extremepersonality?
I mean, that sounds like. I don't mean extreme in a bad
way. I mean, do you?
Are you like you're all the way in or you're all the way out on
things? I think that I'm either very
interested in something or completely disinterested.
(05:30):
Like completely apathetic, not even hate, just like no I
literally don't care. Yeah, never learn how to ride a
bike. You never learned how to ride a
bike? No what?
How did you avoid that? You just said no thank you.
I just said no thank you. You don't like I've been saying
no thank you my whole life. Yeah.
Any vehicle. I don't know how to operate any
(05:52):
form of transportation. That's so interesting.
But that's why I wanted to come here.
Part of the reason here being New York.
I thought you meant to here to this podcast.
Here to this podcast to talk about this.
Yeah. You wanted to come to New York
because you knew you wouldn't have to learn any form of like.
You wouldn't have to drive. You wouldn't have to take a
bike. Yeah, I mean, you could trust
other. People.
But that was like, I was like, I'll never learn how to drive
(06:14):
because I'm going to go live in New York.
Can you, can we go back a littlebit to your, to the beginning of
your journey of your life? Can we go back to your birth?
It was a February 11. Was it a rainy day?
Do we know what the weather was like?
I don't know what the weather was like.
(06:36):
That's Do you know what the weather was like when you were
born? No Scorpio.
Scorpio. But I I I do know it was a
Sunday, and I do know that football was on and my dad was
very distracted. It's a it's an American tale as
old as time. Oh yeah.
Wait that is such a funny like opening montage like Yep that's
(06:56):
my dad freeze watching the game going.
Freeze. Yeah, exactly.
It's perfect. He thought I was going to be a
boy and a football star. Too bad I was destined to be an
actress we should make. This I know.
We will. We will.
I'll force you right off. Yeah, yeah, great.
(07:17):
OK, so we don't know what the weather was like, but we know it
was February 11th. I don't know what the weather
was like. Where are we?
Where are we? We are in El Salvador and I know
that an earthquake had just hit.So it was a house that was like
acting like a hospital. Wow.
Because the hospital had been damaged.
Oh my God. Yeah, that's what I know.
(07:39):
And what were you like as a babyand a young and a young child?
I do not know what I was like asa big baby.
Oh, you're a big baby? Big kind.
Yeah. Do you barely see my eyes?
Do you have the little line on your arm?
This When you bend your arm, yousee this little line.
(08:00):
I don't know if you can see that.
I do. I do see it.
Is that because you were a big baby?
The I someone told me once that the only reason that you have
this is because you were a big fat baby.
Really. Yes.
And that it like imprints itselfpermanently.
And I don't know if that's true or not, but I always ask people
when they say they had roles. Yeah, you know, to if they have
the line. Oh, but you don't have the line.
(08:21):
I don't have the line. OK.
So I guess that was just been moving on that.
Was what have they been showing me Pictures of a different
child? Oh my God, the changeling.
Is that what it's about? Were you a changeling?
Wait, is that a term that exists?
Isn't a changeling like a a little like it exists with it?
Well, I, I I don't know enough about a changeling.
(08:43):
But it's also a show or movie. Yes, it's like a, but I think
it's like a myth, like the changeling anyway, so you as a
as a toddler, say personality. I'm just, I'm going back
because. It's quiet.
Very, very quiet, very well behaved.
(09:04):
That was always the feedback from the teachers.
It's like. A pleasure to have in class.
Just a just a delight. Just like a pleasure.
So well behaved, really bad at the school work.
But really well. Behaved.
Really a joy That's so interesting.
Why did? Was it because you were shy or
(09:24):
because you like really wanted to follow all the rules?
Or what was it? I think I was very, no, I know I
was very shy and yeah, have always been like so scared of
rules. So like even now.
Yeah. You feel very afraid of rules.
Yeah, like, but it depends how what you define as as like.
I'm thinking like literal rules like.
(09:46):
You're not like social rules. Like yeah, not like.
Personality rules. Not like or like like art rules.
Yeah, yeah. But yeah, in terms of like.
I mean, I guess that makes sensewith the themes of this film.
Sure, sure, sure. But OK, so just going back to
you saying you knew you didn't want to be on anything with
(10:07):
wheels or operating, it sounds like because you're very
discerning about what you like and what you don't like and
you're always that way. It was always that way.
What you were drawn to like visually, what you.
I didn't have, I didn't try pizza till I was like like in my
teens. Because you didn't like the look
of it. Because I was like, no, I think
it'll just be the crust for me. And then I didn't actually try
(10:32):
the cheese part to like very late in my life.
Same with the hamburger. But now you're vegan.
Yeah, so that came and went. That was a face.
Yeah, that was a. Face, but it's nice that you
tried. Yeah, I give it a try.
But do you try everything even though you know you're not going
to like it at some point or not at one point or another?
You're like, I know this won't be for me, but I'll take two
classes to drive or I'll get on a bike.
(10:54):
Taking two classes to drive was because my parents were like no,
you need to learn how to drive. That's so funny.
And and I was like, well, I tried and it's not for me.
It's. Not for me.
It's not a fit. Yeah.
OK. So then as you get older, your
mother is very artistic. Yeah.
And you were that way from the beginning.
(11:15):
You were very inspired by. Yeah, so she.
Shapes and colour. Shapes and colours, shapes and
colours. She, she was a fashion designer
and she had a store of her designs that we and we lived
above it. So I loved, like, sketching and
love, like designing. And she like, designed all the
(11:36):
furniture in our house. And my dad was always very like,
excited to see like creation happen in the, in the home.
Yeah. Like, he wanted me.
Like, at one point he wanted me to be a painter 'cause he's like
it, like, loves just like art and creative people.
(11:57):
Yeah. Do you like painting and
sketching still? I tried, I really tried painting
when I was way younger, but I didn't particularly feel like I
had, like, that was not my talent.
What was your talent that you felt when you were younger?
(12:20):
I thought it was going to be just like more like globally
like this. I, I thought it was going to be
an architect for a while, up until like I was 18, I thought
like, I'm gonna be an. Architect.
You thought that all the way till 18?
Yeah. Why Architect?
Because, well, it was what was like immediately like available
to me and as much as like my momis an architect.
(12:41):
Yeah. So like, and because it felt
like I didn't, I hadn't even, ithadn't even occurred to me that
the fact that I like movies meant that that was like a job
that one could have. Yeah.
Because there was no like like theatre department or anything
(13:03):
like that. So it was like.
But then, OK, well, obviously somuch of your work integrates
that, whether it's architecture,I mean this and also Problemista
is like so inspired by many reallife events, but you in your
comedy, in all of your work. Oh, now I feel like I've come
full circle and I, you know, I get to have my cake and eat it
(13:23):
too, because I get to design andwork with production designers
and work to design it and like, create a visual language.
Well, my question is so it when you realize that there's this
industry outside of it, like movies, you could have gone from
architecture into production design, but you went into
(13:44):
comedy, why did? That is a very.
Why did comedy called you? Like when did that begin?
I guess you should have been my counselor, and then I would have
been. Happy to do it now, yeah?
Yeah, I was like, Oh yeah, that actually makes perfect sense.
You didn't go into production design, you went into comedy.
(14:04):
Well, I didn't know production design existed as a job.
Like I didn't really like understand.
So you chose comedy? Well.
You're like, then I'll be a writer and I'll do stand up and
I'll stand up instead. No, I did.
I did not think of doing a standup or comedy until like, like
(14:24):
the day before I tried it for the first time here in New York.
OK, wait, hold on. We we have to back up.
We have to back up. Then you decide to come to New
York when you're 18. I wanted to come to New York
when I was 18. I couldn't cuz I well first like
multiple reasons. Reason number one is I was not a
good student. OK, so already.
(14:44):
It's very well behaved but not agood student on paper.
Very well behaved. Got it.
Yeah. A delight to have around.
Does not do the work. OK, Got it.
Yeah. So that immediately made it sort
of like scholarships and things like that, right?
Like why would they? Because you're adorable and.
(15:05):
I'm a delight to be around. There should be a scholarship
for congeniality. There should be but I I applied
to the new school and the new school admitted me but have.
You ever been out of El Salvadorat this point?
Yeah. So I when I was like way, way,
way younger, I'd gone to like Florida, OK.
(15:28):
Miami. OK to like.
Did you like it? I liked it fine, but I never
like it wasn't a fit. Grew up like it was not a fit.
It was not a thing. So then I I was like, OK, so I
wanna go to New York and this one school admitted me, but I'm
not getting enough money to go. Like, I never lacked anything.
(15:52):
But the like, my parents didn't make like, American standard.
Yeah, wages. We'll supply and move to New
York and go to. Well, also just like the cost of
like the cost of school is like.Insane.
Yeah. And it's like, oh, that is like,
(16:14):
like it's hard to wrap and be your mind around.
Yeah. So then I went to advertising
school in El Salvador for like, for two years.
See, that makes sense as a bridge from architecture to sort
of advertising. Yeah, a little bit.
So I went to advertising school,got a two year degree.
(16:34):
An associate. 'S an associate's baby.
Got an associate's in advertising.
Then I worked in advertising fora little bit.
What would you do? I was like a very bad
copywriter. You were a copywriter, so
there's some writing, no? There's some writing.
OK, Yeah. OK.
And then I reapplied to the new school.
(16:57):
OK. Because you had made some money
at this point doing that. Very little more than made
money. I had gotten good grades at the
advertising school. Oh, interesting.
Yeah, because that was more of afit.
Because that was more of a fit, yeah.
It's visual, it's creative, it'slike.
Yeah, so then I applied again, and then this time they gave me
(17:20):
like a almost like 90% scholarship.
So wow. So I was able to make it work
and. So you're 20 or 21?
21 cuz I took a break. So then I was like, I came here
and I was a 21 year old freshmanOK.
And then I was like, I was like,this is stupid.
(17:42):
And then I like so I, I translated my own transcripts
wow. And just sort of made myself a
junior. Oh my God, do they know this or
are they learning this right now?
I think. They might be finding out right
now cuz I was like cuz I like. For a boy who loves the rules.
I look at you go, I looked at like the requirements to be a
(18:03):
junior and it's like you should have taken like this lit class
and like that thing and I was just like you.
Know like I have an associate's.And I was like, honey, I know a
little bit of Photoshop. Wait.
What were you majoring in? At.
At new school it. Was just an English degree.
I just like, really wanted to behere.
Yeah. And then went to school for two
(18:26):
years and I thought, if I get straight A's, yeah, someone's
gonna give me a big job. And it it doesn't matter what
that job. Is it doesn't matter what that
job is. OK.
And then like, somehow I will find a way to get into
television writing. OK.
And I'll be ATV writers if I getgood grades.
But where did that leap happen to wanting to do TV writing?
(18:50):
Well, by the time I was 18, I was like, I had like a teachers
and a counselor being like, you know, you could that is a job
that exists like not here, but you could go do it.
And then I was like, OK, so. Then did you start watching?
Like, were there movies that youfell?
In no, I mean, I was already doing that.
I was already, I was already like consuming the kind of work
(19:11):
that I wanted to make. I just didn't realize that I
like. What was that?
What was that kind of work that you were consuming at the time?
You know, like I, this is actually a question that I want
to ask you again. It's like what?
Like during the very formative, like teen years.
Teen years. Yeah.
Like what are the movies that were that you were like, I want
to do that. It was like Sofia Coppola for
(19:31):
me. It was like.
It was Marie Antoinette was likea.
Well, best trailer of all time. Absolute banger.
Yeah. For me, I was, I would say teen
years. Well, that was when I I, I was.
Were you already acting? No, I moved.
I moved to start auditioning when I was 15.
So like right around that time Istarted watching silent comedy
(19:57):
like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
It actually was really formative.
It really was. Also also, yeah, not for
nothing, but Chaplin and Bella. I mean, it was, it wasn't
pretty. It's pretty inspiring to see
silent comedy when you're, you know, your face is made of
rubber and your body's like a noodle because then you kind of
(20:19):
go like, oh, I might not be super physically coordinated.
I'm the furthest thing from an athlete.
But if you can combine physicality and comedy.
Yeah, you know, you're a very physical actor.
It but I'm not even a very physical person.
I don't even know how that how that syncs up other than
comedically. Will you understand your face
very well? God do I ever.
(20:41):
I study in a day, hours a day inthe mirror.
No, but I have such a skill likeI have like you and like other
like Tilda is like I feel like can change the color of her eyes
at will. Truly, she the kind of power
that Tilda harnesses is unlike anything I've ever seen.
It's truly. Scorpio.
(21:03):
Another Scorpio. We're one day apart.
Yeah. Oh yeah, that's true.
When we first met like 10 years ago, we realized that we were
one day apart. And, you know, every year ever
since, we have said happy birthday to each other on our
respective birthdays. She's the best.
Well, I mean, we're going to get.
We're going to get into problem Easter until DeLand in one
second. But just to go back.
(21:24):
Yeah. OK.
Your movies were Sofia Coppola movies.
Do you like the kind of feeling that I something I I love about
her? Do you like Omotivar?
Yeah, though he didn't come to me like I didn't start watching
him till later after after my like, like Sophia, like American
(21:48):
indie cinema. Who else?
What else? Oh my God.
Like like. I'm just saying because we're on
the A 24 podcast, they're gonna love hearing.
About it. They're gonna love hearing about
it. I mean, definitely like I loved
Rushmore. What else it what else?
(22:10):
It ET Mama MBN which is which you reference in the work.
We have to talk about that. Yeah, we were.
Talking about how we were when Imet.
Yeah, Oh my God. You know what movie I loved?
What? Dogville.
Oh my God, Dogville. Yeah, yes, Incredible,
incredible. So this stuff was like all
(22:33):
loading up and you were like, I love all of this.
Yeah, there was. I want to be a television.
Rental place that had like all the hits, didn't come to
theaters and like that. What here?
No. No, no, this is an eltabador it.
Was kind of the Kim's video of. Yeah.
And I was like, and I would be like, OK, I'm gonna rent 4
movies every time. Yeah, I'm gonna rent 4 movies
(22:55):
every time. And one of them is something.
One of them has to be Hollywood trash.
Great. One of them has to be something
that I had never seen or heard of, but the box seems cool.
Judging a book by it's. Cover Judging a book by it's
cover? Great.
One of the another thing has to be in black and white.
(23:17):
OK. And then the other one has to be
the one that I actually want to see.
That's great. So you're forcing yourself
through like an education like these three.
Yeah, and you know what it's like now, Now, now, I understand
I have OCD, but Ditto, kiddo. It was like, Oh yeah, no, that's
that's that because I got to getmy for movies.
(23:41):
I can't just get the 1 I actually want to see, I have to
get my 4. I may have to be in the
category. Exactly.
Well I can't do 2 black and white.
What a useful use of OCD. Yeah, no, it's helped and hurt.
Me for education? Yeah.
Where does it hurt you? Oh, like most.
Everywhere else. Like checking the stove every
time before I leave my house do.You have to do things in
(24:03):
multiples. Do you have number OCD?
I used to have that as a kid. As a kid, I would have to like,
I would get in bed and then I'd be like, OK, now I have to go to
the kitchen, touch the refrigerator with both hands,
man, with this side of my hands and then the other side of my
hands. Get back in bed, do the thing
(24:24):
again, then come back in bed. And then, like, look at the
light bulb. And then like, you know, you
know, when you can like, cross your eyes so you can see double.
Yep. Yeah.
Do that with a light bulb. OK.
And like, those are the eyes. And then my hand is the mouth
and I do four different faces, and then I can fall asleep.
What would happen in your body if you didn't do that?
(24:44):
You could not fall asleep. It was just like but I was fully
anxiety. I was an insomniac as a kid,
like every like as a as like since I can remember.
I'd go to my mom and was like, can you explain to me again how
you fall asleep? Because you just the idea of
letting go of control in that way is probably.
Terrifying. I think so.
I was like, I don't, can you explain sleep to me again?
(25:06):
And she would be like you just close your eyes and do it.
She would usually come and sit next to me till I fell asleep.
Wow, yeah. And so how many hours a night
would you sleep? Are you still on an Insomniac?
No, not anymore. How did you get good at sleeping
pills? No, not Oh my God.
If I take half of melatonin, I'm.
Oh, that's lucky. Ducky yeah, I know I'm very
(25:28):
lucky that way. But I don't know, I feel like
the more I started doing what I like and having like liking my
life more, yeah, the better my sleep got.
Oh, interesting. It's almost like when you're
happy, your health and life fallinto place.
Yeah. Yeah, that's so weird.
(25:51):
It's so random. That's so random, you're crazy.
Did you ever have? Sleeping rubble.
Oh God yes I still do. Like anytime I'm.
Does it come and go? No, it definitely is like under
duress or stress or any type of anxious period.
It is very difficult to fall asleep.
I mean the obvious thing. Or I fall asleep and then I wake
up at 2:00 in the morning and everything feels so true and
(26:14):
like, you know. Everything one OK when you say
everything feels so true, you mean like your anxiety yes feel
true even. Though they're not it'll live
the night when the world is asleep and I wake up, it comes
to me in a way that feels like I've just had a reckoning that
is it. It like it's woken me up from
from sleep and I'm like, it's true.
(26:35):
This thing you're worried about.Yeah, it's happening and it's.
True, that tooth will fall off that tooth.
Will fall off. Exactly.
And it's that is the worst part of the night for me when I'm
when I'm anxious. It's not the falling asleep so
much as the middle of the night terrors.
Yeah. Yeah, anyway, so.
(26:55):
My middle of the night terrors just.
Something a little cute about me.
It's one of my little things. OK, so TV writer then how again?
Sorry. Comedy.
Yeah. How did we?
Get into this. So then I graduated.
Because Julio and I met at SNL. Yeah, he was a writer for SNL.
So we'll get in. There I graduated from school,
(27:18):
yeah. And I was like straight A's,
like. Yeah, baby.
Visa hack citizenship When they see these grades you're.
You're like gonna be begging me.And then I entered a period that
inspired the period in the movie.
Yeah, in Pro La Mista where I had to find a sponsor and that
(27:40):
was very difficult. Did you, like in the movie, end
up working for like a lawyer? Oh, in any.
Way Or were you were you considering working for a?
That the lawyer in Leif is the lathe place Kaleo and.
(28:04):
You're better at this than I am.Is a combination of two or three
lawyers that I've that? You worked with.
One of them I worked with, he was like a workers comp.
OK, got it. Lawyer.
OK. And I was like, I think,
translating. OK, so you were translating.
In this time, translation jobs. Yeah, my God, I had so many
(28:26):
jobs. So many jobs.
What jobs did you do? Are they accurate to what you
see in the movie? There are more than what you see
in the movie. What were some of your favorites
that didn't make it into this? Well.
Or not favorites, but you know my.
Actually like the truly like thebest working experience I ever
(28:46):
had was being a samples person at like Fairway supermarkets.
Oh, handing out samples. Handing out samples.
Oh, fun. Because it was like chocolate
samples. And because no one's upset at
you. You're only a plus in people's
lives. You're only a bonus.
You're only a bonus. Like here's some free.
(29:07):
Chocolate and also no one like needs anything from you.
Right. You know what I mean?
That's a really great point. It's like and you can't do it
wrong. Well, I mean, you could be a
little bit too in their face with the chocolate.
Like you have to try it. No, you have to try it.
Oh, I just stood behind. I didn't say any.
I didn't say a word. I just stood behind the table.
(29:27):
And you never got bored. Was it interesting to meet all
of these people that are just come and go and don't need
anything from you and you just give them a little treat?
It was, I wouldn't say it was interesting, but it was
relaxing. That's a very nice job.
Yeah, and then my boss was out of state.
So like as proof that I did it, he only asked for someone to
(29:49):
take a picture of me behind the little table in my like little
hat. And every day.
Like, it was just like, and you got to prove that you didn't eat
all the chocolate that I sent, you know?
How could you prove? That just with the picture.
Yeah, you prove it with the picture.
How do you know? You're and.
(30:10):
Then you upload the picture, youe-mail it, and then you get your
check. That's incredible.
It's it was great. What was your worst job?
This is in the movie is stoppingwomen on the street asking if I
can ask them a question about their hair.
You really did that? And sell salon packages, yeah.
(30:31):
Oh my God, how many did you sell?
0. Also 0.
Also 0. He sells zero in the movie.
Spoiler alert, yeah. Zero.
Absolutely. And I did it.
I only did it for like 2 weeks and it was just the opposite of
the the chocolate samples right?Yeah, because no one wants to be
(30:54):
stopped to get sold something when they're like commuting to
work. That's very true.
That is the opposite. People are like living their
lives. They don't want me to be like,
OK, one time, the one time that I actually successfully stopped
someone and was like. And sold a salon package.
No, no, no, she was. Or just got into a discourse.
(31:17):
Because usually it's like, they just walk past you.
Yeah. Just like, no, you're invisible.
Yeah. Yeah.
But these two, they were younger.
They were like, maybe like college aged.
And I was like, can I ask you a question about your hair?
And like, and then one of them goes, and then one of them truly
(31:37):
goes, like, sure, what's up? And I froze.
I froze because it had never happened.
Before, you've never considered what the next thing would be.
That there was a second step andI was like, oh, this salon is
having a promotion. Do you know when you're And I
was just like, not. And it dawned on me like, oh, I
(32:00):
actually don't understand what this job is.
I actually do not understand what I'm selling.
What was it like a discount on atreatment or a service?
Clipboard, that was like, you would get a discount on some.
Yeah, like a discount for a blowout.
(32:22):
OK, But like, for example, it sounds kind of nice, but then
it's like, you know, you'd have to give your name, your e-mail.
It's like a lot of sacrifice. Yeah, completely for this like
$5 off a blowout. 4 or $5 off the blowout, Yeah.
OK. And so you never ended up
getting paid from this job because you didn't sell
anything? Not, not, not a dime.
OK, and this is all while you'retrying to get sponsored.
(32:44):
Who? Who is in the Yeah, well, I
don't want to actually spoil whosponsors you in the movie, but
how did you get sponsored eventually?
I got sponsored through a small art foundation.
OK. Ran by a couple of people
(33:05):
including a former professor which actually good grades, good
grades for coming back to the good grades who was like if you
ever need anything let me know. And you were like, I need
something and I'm letting you know.
I'm like I need something and I'm letting you know you.
Need a visa right now and. He was a board member of this
this foundation, and then he introduced me to the person that
(33:28):
was my boss and then I got sponsored.
So you were working for an art foundation?
Yeah. OK.
And then how did you get to SNL?Well, did you not hear that I
worked for an art foundation? No.
I then when I felt like OK, I feel like I figured out the
important part. Yeah, the visa.
(33:50):
The visa. Yeah.
And you know, you get to stay here.
Was it it? Was it like a three-year visa?
It was a four year visa. That's.
Pretty good. Yeah.
So then I was like, OK, well, what do I want to do?
No, actually, no. It was during the period where I
was still trying to find a sponsor.
I was like, well, I don't know how much longer I have.
(34:13):
Yeah, here. The hourglass I might fail.
The hourglass I I might fail at this.
Why am I even here? And then I was like, Oh yeah,
you're here because you want to be like ATV writer and a movie
writer Yeah. And then I was like, well, oh, I
know what doesn't require me to like go to school again or know
(34:34):
anyone or. SNL.
No like doing stand up open mics.
Oh my God. And then I just googled it.
Oh, so that this was the day before Yeah thing.
Yeah. OK, so then you.
Just I was working code check and I was like wait what about
stand up and I like googled it. Did you have a bunch of little
ideas written down like 1 linersand and things that you could
(34:56):
riff on or were you like, I'll just improvise this, I'll just
go to an open mic night and makethings up?
No, I was like, I'll go home tonight and think of something,
and then tomorrow I'm gonna. I'm gonna.
Holy cow. OK.
And I did it and it was horrible.
How long was your set? It wasn't an open mic, it was
like a 5 minute which was reading.
(35:17):
It off of the paper. Yes, I was reading it off of the
paper and then that sort of became my thing.
Reading it off the paper. Yeah, Oh God, I love it.
And then I did a very bad job, but I liked it.
You liked the feeling? Yeah, of what was about it
(35:39):
because. I think I think that in terms of
like creative ventures, I think that stand up comedy is the
thing that scares me more than anything.
It's so exposing, It's so vulnerable.
It's like this is what I think is funny like which is really
like I not only do I think this is.
Funny of showing a video to someone on your phone and on.
(35:59):
Stage what do you think about what I think is funny and how I
say it that I also think it's funny it's just so it's like
you're naked emotionally I. Never.
I feel like you have the like most people feel the way that
you do. It's in terms of stand up
comedy, but. So what was it about it?
(36:21):
I think that it or what is it a challenge?
And I felt like I was in controlof it on like most things that
were happening. Yeah.
So I felt like this is like an interesting, fun, weird thing.
And also I've always been a verycurious person.
Yeah. So like, and I get to like go to
different shitty bars all over New York and see, like all these
(36:45):
people who are like trying to make it in the comedy world that
just looks so interesting. Yeah.
So then I I kept doing it. And then a friend told me of a
stand up competition that at thetime was called, It was called.
What was it called? It was NBC stand up for
(37:06):
diversity. And you had to wait in line all
night, all night. So I waited.
I went on the sidewalk all nightwith other people.
And then you'd come in and then like you'd go in front of The xx
and you would do one minute NBC execs, NBCXX OK, NBC like
diversity XX. And then you would do like one
(37:28):
minute. And then if they like that, they
would call you back. And then I got a call back.
And then I got another call back.
And then they like flew me to LAwhere it's.
Like Star Search. Truly.
Yeah, Yeah. And I had never been in LA
before. Didn't like it, wasn't a fit,
was not a fit. And then I did a show there and
(37:51):
then I got like manager agent stuff from Wow.
Off of that. Off of that.
That's incredible. And then I started being able to
like because obviously all thesewriting jobs are so gate kept.
You can't like. Just break into.
No, it's like, yeah. So then I was able to, like,
apply for these jobs. I applied to work at SNL, got an
(38:16):
interview, which was so excitingbecause that was like one of my
first job applications. Wow.
Got an interview, did not get it.
OK. Two years later, I was asked if
I wanted to audition. OK.
And I auditioned for it, and I to.
Be a cast member. To be a cast member.
(38:38):
But it was like a very, it was like a mid season weird.
Like are you actually looking for anything or So then I did
that and then they asked if I wanted to be a guest writer.
(38:58):
And then I did that, and then they hired me full time and then
I met you. And then you met me the next
day. And then, four weeks into the
gig, I met you. Are you serious?
Something like that. You were not 4 weeks in then.
I mean. 11/16. December, right?
December 2016. Yeah.
So it was like. That was the very beginning.
I mean, that was my first half of my first year.
(39:18):
Oh my God, I did not realize. That, yeah.
No, I had no idea that was rightaway.
Yeah. Lose right away.
Julio wrote the brilliant wells for boys.
Which I don't know if you remember this, but there's no
way you're gonna remember this. But I love wells for boys.
I love Wells for boys, but my heart was in a different.
(39:43):
Sketch the silver. Yes, of course I remember the
silver. Are you kidding me?
Your direction was like, you're like Nicole Kidman in birth.
Like, it's like, I really remember.
You have this sketch. Wait, did it ever?
Did it ever happen? No.
Can we talk about it now? Yeah, sure.
OK, there was. This at the table.
Read is this silver woman in so there was wells for Boys, which
is about a boy and like. A.
(40:05):
Very, very brilliant. But there was this other and I
remember feeling so devastated because I felt like I really let
you down at that table read because I was in love with this
silver woman idea and I was like, it was so specific, the
way it needed to be played. And when you're at these table
reads, it's like 5 hours and you're reading like how many
sketches 50? Like 40 something. 40 something
(40:27):
in that night. And so Julio and I had talked
about this silver woman and he'slike she's you know, it's really
it's like she's having like thiskind of slow motion mental
breakdown. You know, it's like Nicole
Kidman in birth. And it's like really, you know,
it was a very dramatic performance, as it is in in most
of your work like this, like Tilda in problemista or like in
(40:49):
the actress or which is another one that we did for SNL.
Like none of this is taken lightly.
Like your approach to comedy is like at While it might be
absurdist, the. Way what you're talking about,
you have to. Believe it with your whole heart
and it has to be life or death. And I was like, OK, so I was
wrapping my mind around this, and I felt like I completely
butchered it. And that's why we didn't get to
(41:11):
do it. And I hope that one day we can
go back and do it again. But the idea was that she's like
having a dinner party and she brings out her silver.
Her silverware. Her silverware and she can hear
she can hear the silver she. Can hear the silver.
Yeah, and it's driving her insane.
It's driving her insane because when someone's taking a vite of
something, she can hear the forkscream.
(41:31):
Yeah, like she can hear the painof the ladle, you know, like
what they're going through in order to serve these, like,
well, to do people. She's so deeply empathetic to
her Silver. Yeah.
And I was so genius. And I really, I just did not
Kidman enough. I really.
Did well, I was and I want another.
Chance I want another crack at silver.
Woman, but it's so funny that like cuz Wells for boys that
(41:55):
sketch like people do really seethemselves in it, which is why I
feel like they were like we should do this.
I was like, what do you mean people are not going to see?
Themselves. What do you mean?
This isn't relatable, but that was what I mean just to you know
(42:16):
now we were so lucky to get to to produce problem me stuff.
But Dave Mccary, who you who I know very well as well now who
directed Wells for boys. You and Dave really bonded
throughout your SNL. Yeah, no, it was like journey.
Incredible because I he directedalmost everything I ever wrote
(42:37):
there and I got to be I got so much access to the process.
Yeah, especially because he's sogiving that I got to like really
shadow direct for. Yeah, this was all for.
A lot of it it's. So yours.
(42:58):
Because I was, I was just like learning so much for, because I,
you know, I didn't go to film school or anything.
So I was just like learning so much from it, to the point where
I felt now that I directed a movie, it didn't feel scary.
Because you, because you were, so you're the most integral part
(43:21):
to that process. Be also your.
Your work is so nobody but you can really.
Well, no, but it, it did feel like I had, I had always felt
like, oh, I wanted to wreck one day.
Not just yet. Yeah.
But it didn't feel scary becauseI had been on set for so many
(43:42):
times, like so many of the SNL sketches I was part of.
Like they've allowed me like access to like every part of it
down to like, you know, like sound mix and, and color and
like all those things. So you have kind of a a
relationship to all of it by thetime Well then so post SNL loses
(44:03):
spookies. And then I saw and then I like
show ran with my friend Anna loses spookies.
Right. Which was also like almost
directing but not really. So it was like another like.
Another step into feeling like the confidence to then go and
run a set and like be the full blown captain of the ship in
(44:25):
every turn. But then you for your first
film, you write it, you direct it, and you star in it all at
once, and you have to direct yourself.
And Tilda Swinton. Yeah, yeah.
Which is not a big deal at all. OK, so it did not.
It did the making the movie justdid not feel daunting because I
(44:53):
sort of like won the lottery in terms of like people to do your
first movie with cuz I had Dave buy the monitor every single day
yeah to just sort of you know, keep his eyes like.
And you trust each other and. You can talk about about
everything. Yeah, yeah.
(45:15):
And I don't know everyone who worked in that movie.
And it's like. Well, meeting Tilda, how did
you? Oh, I met Tilda on the Zoom.
She got the, she got a hold of the script and she immediately
was like, I want to do it. And it was just such a such a
dream come true. And then come to find that she
(45:38):
is so collaborative and so unpretentious and so in it just
because she wants to like play with you.
And it really felt like, I don'teven think of like, quote UN
quote directing Tiller. But like working with Tiller
felt no different than working with like my friend Spike, my
(46:00):
friend River, my friend Anna. Like people who are like my age,
they like, have come up with me.Like it's like, yeah, no, we're
just like cuz. She's so easy.
It's so easy, yeah. And so I mean, also your
relationship with this movie is like the most important thing
and the fact that you 2, I thinkyou found so much through having
that comfort with each other. Yeah, it's so fun and
(46:24):
collaborative and I don't know, making the movie such a joyful
experience, like every, every department was just like so
happy. What was the hardest thing about
it? The hardest thing about it,
About making the movie, Yeah. I immediately just you're like,
it's such a joyful experience. I'm like, yeah, what was hard?
(46:45):
Yeah, I was like, what was the worst?
What did you hate? Sucked?
I think that I am the worst at like everything that comes after
the movie. Like the editing process or the
marketing? No, the marketing.
The A 24 podcast. No, like the the sort of like
(47:08):
navigating the ecosystem of like, OK, now you had your fun.
Yeah. Now you have made a product,
right? How will this product be solved
be sold to the? World at large.
To the world. And then and that part is like,
yeah, we forget that. We don't just get to go away.
Oh yeah. No, after we make something.
(47:29):
No, you're out there, baby. We're gonna force you to get out
there. We.
Should be able to hire. Like avatars?
Yeah, a version of yourself that.
Just does the press. For it in like a really concise
way that where you they say whatyou wish you could because.
I feel like there are actors whose favorite part is the is
(47:50):
the promotion, so if we could all get one of those.
That would be the coolest. Thing that would be incredible.
If you could hire someone who looks like you, you wish you
could look no like you could really curate the experience
where you're like, this is what I would like to look like on
this show. And this is what I would like to
say on this. You get out there and you do get
(48:12):
out there. That's a brilliant idea.
Yeah, that would be amazing. And then you just keep going and
and working and making mistakes.Yeah, that would be incredible.
It's all the like little decisions and they're like like
stuff like this. This is great because I
actually, we actually get to like talk and I don't feel like
I'm selling anything. Yeah, but it's like sound bites
or Yeah, saying the same thing over and over.
(48:35):
Yeah, Yeah, this is nice, but the you the little decisions
thing, I mean directing the reason that I think directing is
so insane to me and I can't evenever imagine you you wanting to
do it now. OK, I really don't.
I mean, it's I guess don't quoteme podcast if in 20 years I'm
(48:55):
like, I guess I'm gonna try. No, but the I admire directors
so much and people that want to direct so much because that what
you're talking about with all ofthe little decisions, every
single moment of the day as a director is a little decision.
Yeah, like that's true. My little problems.
Yeah, you've got little problemsall day long.
(49:15):
But they're so fun and I mean, not every decision is fun.
Like I was just, I'm just in post production for this other
TBD project that we will talk ata later time.
Yep. And it was like, I it's like,
OK, when the washer goes off, should they VFX done or should
(49:36):
they VFX 00? And I feel like I gave an
answer, but then the question came back to me again and then I
guess I gave a different answer and then so of course, so it's
like, and I was just like, I like there.
I swear, I swear. This is one of those things that
like, it's fine. Do whatever you want.
Just do whatever. You want Donuts?
(49:57):
You have to know, I guess, whereto let go of control, but then
also simultaneously be so in control because it's completely
yours, especially as a writer, director.
Yeah, that's a. That's a.
That to me seems like a brutal balance.
That's why it's fun to produce that and to go like, Oh my God,
you know how to do all of this. You make.
(50:19):
Well, I mean, being a director is not that different.
It's like you need to find people who are excited for the
project for the same reasons andwho are in your same, like,
wavelength. Yeah.
And then and then those cars start moving without you.
Because you can trust them to like like department heads and
(50:39):
things like that. Trust them to bring you things
because you like you hired them because you like what they do.
You like what they do, but that's not the only cuz I feel
like there's a lot of people whojust because we admire someone
doesn't necessarily mean that we'll work well with.
Them, yeah, but sometimes you don't find that out until you're
already doing it. Yeah, of course.
(51:00):
And then you've got all those. Little problems all the time
yeah yeah, yeah. But I'm very I I also like
working with people who are like, I would really love to do
this thing yeah and I would really get.
I would really love to do it because I would get to do either
this for the first time, which is such a joy, or this show this
(51:22):
side of myself that I don't get to do with most other jobs I
take. You mean in any department?
In any department. But is it really fun for you in
the production design world? Yeah, I love it.
Is that what's your favorite part of the like of the jobs
you're not fully doing? What's your favorite part to get
involved in? I think production design and
(51:45):
then maybe second wardrobe, yeah.
Yeah, because an architect and afashion designer.
I mean, come on. Yeah.
That makes total sense. And your mom is still involved
with things, right? Yeah.
I mean, I always like whenever Ihave like a visual design
question, like I'll ask her for advice.
(52:06):
That's. Great.
Does her aesthetic, like what she's drawn to, visually mirror
what you're? Drawn to for sure.
Do you think yours was inspired by hers?
For sure. Like, very geometric, very.
Is her favorite color clear? I don't think her favorite
color. I think her favorite color
currently is green. What kind of green?
(52:28):
I think she, she's, I think veryin like a nature phase.
OK, so like a. Chorus green like a yeah.
Growing up I think it was red. Like a like a blood.
Bright, bright blood red. What's your favorite color right
now? That's a good question.
(52:49):
I you know I am trying. I know this sounds like a
generic question to most people,but with Julio, it doesn't feel
generic at all. It's very meaningful.
You have to. Understand I'm gravitating
towards green too because I think I'm looking for peace, aw.
Is that your Pantone color over here?
Yeah. You're 2024.
You're February 11th. Yeah, I think I'm looking for
(53:12):
like just, I don't know, to like, relax.
What's your favorite trinket right now?
My well, OK, I'm wearing this charm, which is a phone.
You can open it and it's a little phone.
Where did you find that? Where do you find your?
Different like vintage little places like flea markets, Etsy.
(53:35):
Hello. Hello, Etsy.
That's yeah, that's very precious.
Yeah, that's a precious phone do.
Some of the cards. OK, so.
We get to do cards. We're.
Going to do some cards, I guess we're on camera.
We're going to do some cards. Now.
(53:56):
These were sent in. We were told that these were
sent in by you at home. OK, So the first question that
they've put on our cards is are you a problemista?
Which I I'm not even exactly sure what that means.
The way that I like defining is someone who is attracted to
problems or. Like Alejandro?
(54:18):
Yes, Or makes art inspired by problems.
Or thrives in problems. Thrives in chaos kind of, or
little problems. Specifically, problems.
Got it. And I think I am one.
Are you? You think you are a problem
Mista? A problem Mista.
Or a person that you're saying you're a person that thrives in
(54:40):
little problems. No, I do not think that.
That's why I don't want to direct.
Oh, sure. Yeah, You're like, no.
No, no, no problem. I like major chaos.
Then I go stoic and get things done but little problems.
God. Oh OK, Get Me Out of here.
You know what I mean? Not asking for chaos, but you
know. Oh, is chaos essential for good
(55:00):
art? No, no, I, I really strongly
believe that I like, I like, I only got 4 hours of sleep and
it's just like, well, that's bad.
That's just bad. You should go sleep, yeah.
Unless you have insomnia like us, 'cause.
You having something like no, I don't think I, I this idea that
(55:21):
that art has to be difficult, yeah, to be made in order for it
to be good I. Totally agree.
I totally agree. Work with people you like.
Yeah, do projects you. Like just have fun, just have
fun. Take it easy baby.
Favorite Tilda Swinton movie? Oh God, Problemista is mine now.
Problemista My choice favorite Tilda Swinton movie.
(55:45):
I That's so hard. You know, I I I think maybe like
the global answer might be like,you know, like Orlando or but
but I just saw and I haven't seen a techno lust.
I've never seen techno lust. She is one of many times where
she plays more than one person in that she plays clones of
(56:08):
herself. It's very, it's actually very
like Powerpuff Girls coded because one of them is like one
of those only wearing blue, the other ones only wearing red, the
only ones only wearing green or yellow, I think, and they're
clones and they live in a computer.
I have to see techno list. Yeah.
What's your favorite childhood toy or game?
(56:29):
Oh. I used to put cars like, like
little, like the cars that are the.
Do those have a name like Match,like Matchbox?
Yeah, yeah, I used to put them in a long line and.
Like Domino's? It's kinda.
And then when people ask like, what are you doing?
I would say they're in traffic. They're stuck in traffic and
(56:51):
they don't know why. That was your favorite thing to
do? Yeah, that, and I also had A,
and I've been remembering this lately where it was like that
was like early directing where Ihad a like a a Little Mermaid
Barbie doll, you know, you know,the kind where you can take the
tail out. And then like, of course, yeah,
(57:12):
she was never a mermaid for me. I was like, I can't do it.
I can't work with that. So she was like, so she had
legs, she had human legs. And I had a tethered, A tethered
little wedding dress that I would put her in and I would
make her walk in the in the dirt, barefoot in the tattered
wedding dress. My God.
And something happened to her and we and I, it was like there
(57:34):
never was a wedding. They're but to me it's like
she's not Ariel. She's there's a redhead actor.
She's a redheaded wedding dress and she never got to the altar.
She never got to the altar. I don't think there ever was a
groom, you know what I mean? But there was a storyline
happening and it was, it was. She's not well.
(57:55):
She was. She was not well.
She's not well. Did she have anything, any other
accoutrement around her? No.
She just was walking slowly in the dirt.
Yeah. Oh my God, I love her.
You should play. That I would love to redhead.
Hello. I'm available.
That sounds incredible. They need us to shut up.
You're over us. OK, I guess we really knocked us
(58:18):
out of the park cuz they're likeget out.
They're like, get out. I well, I don't think we got to
learn much from you, but that's okay.
But you know what? I'll make an FAQ page.
Okay, perfect, let's have a follow up.
Entire website built too. Yeah, I'll have a follow.
Just in case. Okay, perfect.
Perfect. I guess my answers it's.
(58:39):
All you've guessed. Yeah.
And it's a picture of the Barbiedoll that you just talked.
About an address? Yeah, exactly.
Okay, perfect. Well, thank you so much, Julio,
are you kidding? Thank you.
I'm so I'm so glad that we get to that.
We have been hired as the new weekly host of the A 24 podcast.
Oh my God. Well, I'll see you next.
Week I'll see you next week where we cover.
(59:01):
Best shampoos on the market? Best shampoos on the market.
I can't wait. Your sponsors.
Thanks for joining us. Bye.
Thank. You bye.
Yeah. Good.
All right, let's begin. Well, not yet.
Let's begin now. Hi, Julio.
Hi, hi, hi. How are you?
I'm pretty good. How are you?
I'm good. What are you doing?
What are you up to? Oh, like.
(00:21):
Well, we're just supposed to have a conversation that can go
any which way. And so I just wanted to begin
with my favorite question, whichis what?
What are you doing right now? What are you doing right now?
What are? You up to.
I mean this this the podcast. Well, not just the, you know,
like. Problemista.
Problemista stuff, yeah. What?
I mean, like, what did you do this morning?
(00:43):
Oh well, I just came back from avery impromptu trip.
Oh. I know.
I didn't know this, tell me more.
So OK, I was supposed to go to Costa Rica for New Year's.
This is where the story starts. OK, you've been there since New
Year's. No, you're like, you're like my
(01:04):
producer. Be like, you should have been
working. No, no.
I was supposed to go to Costa Rica for New Year's.
I, I did go. I, I went, I landed at the
airport and then at the airport they told me that my passport
was too wrinkly. And then they escorted me on the
plane right back. Too wrinkly?
Too wrinkly? I don't understand.
(01:24):
The the passport was too wrinkly.
That's not a. That can't possibly be true.
Well. They're they were using the
excuse that your passport was too wrinkly, like they couldn't
tell who you were on the in the photo or.
Something, well it was like something with like the part
that you scan it like wasn't scanning or something.
So they thought maybe it was a fake passport.
I think it was very. That is a very you situation.
(01:48):
It's. Your passport.
It's highly it's too. Wrinkly to fly.
I was just like when when they said it, I was like, Oh, no,
yeah, of course. Like not, not a part of me was
like shocked or like. It's like passport ages.
I was like, yeah, but it was, you know what?
It was very, which just had likehappened to me my whole life.
(02:11):
It's like minus this many pointsin your worksheet because it's.
Too wrinkly. Too wrinkly It's.
Too fucked up like you did the work but but you don't care.
You did the work, but then you you scrunched it into a ball and
laid it out flat and did the little pirate thing on the edges
with the fire. I wish it was.
It's always mostly like I'm always losing things.
(02:34):
So if I present something I I just found it.
It actually surprises me that you lose things because you love
little things so much. Oh, but see, I live with them.
And then I let them go. You but, but are you looking for
them? I mean, this is getting into a
different project that we'll talk about at different times.
Are you, Sir? Are you losing your little
(02:54):
things and then in a desperate search to find them?
Or are you like, you know what? She's gone, she's gone and you.
And if she was meant to be mine,she'll return.
I think, well, there's certain things that like with like
little trinkets and things, yeah.
I lose so many little trinkets. I lose them and then I think I
had a great time with them and then someone will find them and
(03:17):
be very happy I. Hope, and they'll have a great
time too. And they'll have a great.
Time. And then they'll lose them, and
someone else will. Sure, that's beautiful.
But then when it comes to like, because I've lost my passport so
many times, and when I lose my passport, I'm like, oh, it'll
come back somehow. And does it.
Sometimes. But then but I have.
Fully called like like the the Rockaway Beach Police station
(03:40):
asking if they found a passport on the beach.
Because you're at Rockaway Beachwith your passport.
I'm. At Rockaway Beach with my
passport. Yeah, just in case a a ship goes
by and you're like, take me to another country.
Well, it's my only form of ID because I never make the time to
(04:00):
go get a New York State ID. And you don't have a driver's
license. I don't know how to drive.
You've never driven. I took like two classes.
And then what happened? And then I was like, this is I
like apologize to the woman. I was like this is this is just
not for me. It's not a fit.
It's not a. We tried but it's not a fit.
Ultimately driving, it's just not not for me.
(04:22):
I didn't like like the car felt like too big.
Why didn't you get like a little?
Smart car. No, no, no, no, no.
I mean like in comparison to my body.
But what if you had a little smart car?
It it'll still be bigger than me.
Does anything that's bigger thanuser have you?
Do you fly on airplanes? Yeah, but I'm not in charge of
(04:43):
the airplane. Oh, so it's nice to be in it if
you're not in control. Yeah, and that's why you decided
to direct. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah. The psychological leap of that
is really interesting. There are things that I'm like,
there are things that I do and then I think that I don't do OK.
And I'm like, very, I do not drive, I do not eat those things
(05:09):
I do not do. And it's just like, I don't
know, it just makes life easier.Do you think you're extreme?
Do you think you have an extremepersonality?
I mean, that sounds like. I don't mean extreme in a bad
way. I mean, do you?
Are you like you're all the way in or you're all the way out on
things? I think that I'm either very
interested in something or completely disinterested.
(05:30):
Like completely apathetic, not even hate, just like no I
literally don't care. Yeah, never learn how to ride a
bike. You never learned how to ride a
bike? No what?
How did you avoid that? You just said no thank you.
I just said no thank you. You don't like I've been saying
no thank you my whole life. Yeah.
Any vehicle. I don't know how to operate any
(05:52):
form of transportation. That's so interesting.
But that's why I wanted to come here.
Part of the reason here being New York.
I thought you meant to here to this podcast.
Here to this podcast to talk about this.
Yeah. You wanted to come to New York
because you knew you wouldn't have to learn any form of like.
You wouldn't have to drive. You wouldn't have to take a
bike. Yeah, I mean, you could trust
other. People.
But that was like, I was like, I'll never learn how to drive
(06:14):
because I'm going to go live in New York.
Can you, can we go back a littlebit to your, to the beginning of
your journey of your life? Can we go back to your birth?
It was a February 11. Was it a rainy day?
Do we know what the weather was like?
I don't know what the weather was like.
(06:36):
That's Do you know what the weather was like when you were
born? No Scorpio.
Scorpio. But I I I do know it was a
Sunday, and I do know that football was on and my dad was
very distracted. It's a it's an American tale as
old as time. Oh yeah.
Wait that is such a funny like opening montage like Yep that's
(06:56):
my dad freeze watching the game going.
Freeze. Yeah, exactly.
It's perfect. He thought I was going to be a
boy and a football star. Too bad I was destined to be an
actress we should make. This I know.
We will. We will.
I'll force you right off. Yeah, yeah, great.
(07:17):
OK, so we don't know what the weather was like, but we know it
was February 11th. I don't know what the weather
was like. Where are we?
Where are we? We are in El Salvador and I know
that an earthquake had just hit.So it was a house that was like
acting like a hospital. Wow.
Because the hospital had been damaged.
Oh my God. Yeah, that's what I know.
(07:39):
And what were you like as a babyand a young and a young child?
I do not know what I was like asa big baby.
Oh, you're a big baby? Big kind.
Yeah. Do you barely see my eyes?
Do you have the little line on your arm?
This When you bend your arm, yousee this little line.
(08:00):
I don't know if you can see that.
I do. I do see it.
Is that because you were a big baby?
The I someone told me once that the only reason that you have
this is because you were a big fat baby.
Really. Yes.
And that it like imprints itselfpermanently.
And I don't know if that's true or not, but I always ask people
when they say they had roles. Yeah, you know, to if they have
the line. Oh, but you don't have the line.
(08:21):
I don't have the line. OK.
So I guess that was just been moving on that.
Was what have they been showing me Pictures of a different
child? Oh my God, the changeling.
Is that what it's about? Were you a changeling?
Wait, is that a term that exists?
Isn't a changeling like a a little like it exists with it?
Well, I, I I don't know enough about a changeling.
(08:43):
But it's also a show or movie. Yes, it's like a, but I think
it's like a myth, like the changeling anyway, so you as a
as a toddler, say personality. I'm just, I'm going back
because. It's quiet.
Very, very quiet, very well behaved.
(09:04):
That was always the feedback from the teachers.
It's like. A pleasure to have in class.
Just a just a delight. Just like a pleasure.
So well behaved, really bad at the school work.
But really well. Behaved.
Really a joy That's so interesting.
Why did? Was it because you were shy or
(09:24):
because you like really wanted to follow all the rules?
Or what was it? I think I was very, no, I know I
was very shy and yeah, have always been like so scared of
rules. So like even now.
Yeah. You feel very afraid of rules.
Yeah, like, but it depends how what you define as as like.
I'm thinking like literal rules like.
(09:46):
You're not like social rules. Like yeah, not like.
Personality rules. Not like or like like art rules.
Yeah, yeah. But yeah, in terms of like.
I mean, I guess that makes sensewith the themes of this film.
Sure, sure, sure. But OK, so just going back to
you saying you knew you didn't want to be on anything with
(10:07):
wheels or operating, it sounds like because you're very
discerning about what you like and what you don't like and
you're always that way. It was always that way.
What you were drawn to like visually, what you.
I didn't have, I didn't try pizza till I was like like in my
teens. Because you didn't like the look
of it. Because I was like, no, I think
it'll just be the crust for me. And then I didn't actually try
(10:32):
the cheese part to like very late in my life.
Same with the hamburger. But now you're vegan.
Yeah, so that came and went. That was a face.
Yeah, that was a. Face, but it's nice that you
tried. Yeah, I give it a try.
But do you try everything even though you know you're not going
to like it at some point or not at one point or another?
You're like, I know this won't be for me, but I'll take two
classes to drive or I'll get on a bike.
(10:54):
Taking two classes to drive was because my parents were like no,
you need to learn how to drive. That's so funny.
And and I was like, well, I tried and it's not for me.
It's. Not for me.
It's not a fit. Yeah.
OK. So then as you get older, your
mother is very artistic. Yeah.
And you were that way from the beginning.
(11:15):
You were very inspired by. Yeah, so she.
Shapes and colour. Shapes and colours, shapes and
colours. She, she was a fashion designer
and she had a store of her designs that we and we lived
above it. So I loved, like, sketching and
love, like designing. And she like, designed all the
(11:36):
furniture in our house. And my dad was always very like,
excited to see like creation happen in the, in the home.
Yeah. Like, he wanted me.
Like, at one point he wanted me to be a painter 'cause he's like
it, like, loves just like art and creative people.
(11:57):
Yeah. Do you like painting and
sketching still? I tried, I really tried painting
when I was way younger, but I didn't particularly feel like I
had, like, that was not my talent.
What was your talent that you felt when you were younger?
(12:20):
I thought it was going to be just like more like globally
like this. I, I thought it was going to be
an architect for a while, up until like I was 18, I thought
like, I'm gonna be an. Architect.
You thought that all the way till 18?
Yeah. Why Architect?
Because, well, it was what was like immediately like available
to me and as much as like my momis an architect.
(12:41):
Yeah. So like, and because it felt
like I didn't, I hadn't even, ithadn't even occurred to me that
the fact that I like movies meant that that was like a job
that one could have. Yeah.
Because there was no like like theatre department or anything
(13:03):
like that. So it was like.
But then, OK, well, obviously somuch of your work integrates
that, whether it's architecture,I mean this and also Problemista
is like so inspired by many reallife events, but you in your
comedy, in all of your work. Oh, now I feel like I've come
full circle and I, you know, I get to have my cake and eat it
(13:23):
too, because I get to design andwork with production designers
and work to design it and like, create a visual language.
Well, my question is so it when you realize that there's this
industry outside of it, like movies, you could have gone from
architecture into production design, but you went into
(13:44):
comedy, why did? That is a very.
Why did comedy called you? Like when did that begin?
I guess you should have been my counselor, and then I would have
been. Happy to do it now, yeah?
Yeah, I was like, Oh yeah, that actually makes perfect sense.
You didn't go into production design, you went into comedy.
(14:04):
Well, I didn't know production design existed as a job.
Like I didn't really like understand.
So you chose comedy? Well.
You're like, then I'll be a writer and I'll do stand up and
I'll stand up instead. No, I did.
I did not think of doing a standup or comedy until like, like
(14:24):
the day before I tried it for the first time here in New York.
OK, wait, hold on. We we have to back up.
We have to back up. Then you decide to come to New
York when you're 18. I wanted to come to New York
when I was 18. I couldn't cuz I well first like
multiple reasons. Reason number one is I was not a
good student. OK, so already.
(14:44):
It's very well behaved but not agood student on paper.
Very well behaved. Got it.
Yeah. A delight to have around.
Does not do the work. OK, Got it.
Yeah. So that immediately made it sort
of like scholarships and things like that, right?
Like why would they? Because you're adorable and.
(15:05):
I'm a delight to be around. There should be a scholarship
for congeniality. There should be but I I applied
to the new school and the new school admitted me but have.
You ever been out of El Salvadorat this point?
Yeah. So I when I was like way, way,
way younger, I'd gone to like Florida, OK.
(15:28):
Miami. OK to like.
Did you like it? I liked it fine, but I never
like it wasn't a fit. Grew up like it was not a fit.
It was not a thing. So then I I was like, OK, so I
wanna go to New York and this one school admitted me, but I'm
not getting enough money to go. Like, I never lacked anything.
(15:52):
But the like, my parents didn't make like, American standard.
Yeah, wages. We'll supply and move to New
York and go to. Well, also just like the cost of
like the cost of school is like.Insane.
Yeah. And it's like, oh, that is like,
(16:14):
like it's hard to wrap and be your mind around.
Yeah. So then I went to advertising
school in El Salvador for like, for two years.
See, that makes sense as a bridge from architecture to sort
of advertising. Yeah, a little bit.
So I went to advertising school,got a two year degree.
(16:34):
An associate. 'S an associate's baby.
Got an associate's in advertising.
Then I worked in advertising fora little bit.
What would you do? I was like a very bad
copywriter. You were a copywriter, so
there's some writing, no? There's some writing.
OK, Yeah. OK.
And then I reapplied to the new school.
(16:57):
OK. Because you had made some money
at this point doing that. Very little more than made
money. I had gotten good grades at the
advertising school. Oh, interesting.
Yeah, because that was more of afit.
Because that was more of a fit, yeah.
It's visual, it's creative, it'slike.
Yeah, so then I applied again, and then this time they gave me
(17:20):
like a almost like 90% scholarship.
So wow. So I was able to make it work
and. So you're 20 or 21?
21 cuz I took a break. So then I was like, I came here
and I was a 21 year old freshmanOK.
And then I was like, I was like,this is stupid.
(17:42):
And then I like so I, I translated my own transcripts
wow. And just sort of made myself a
junior. Oh my God, do they know this or
are they learning this right now?
I think. They might be finding out right
now cuz I was like cuz I like. For a boy who loves the rules.
I look at you go, I looked at like the requirements to be a
(18:03):
junior and it's like you should have taken like this lit class
and like that thing and I was just like you.
Know like I have an associate's.And I was like, honey, I know a
little bit of Photoshop. Wait.
What were you majoring in? At.
At new school it. Was just an English degree.
I just like, really wanted to behere.
Yeah. And then went to school for two
(18:26):
years and I thought, if I get straight A's, yeah, someone's
gonna give me a big job. And it it doesn't matter what
that job. Is it doesn't matter what that
job is. OK.
And then like, somehow I will find a way to get into
television writing. OK.
And I'll be ATV writers if I getgood grades.
But where did that leap happen to wanting to do TV writing?
(18:50):
Well, by the time I was 18, I was like, I had like a teachers
and a counselor being like, you know, you could that is a job
that exists like not here, but you could go do it.
And then I was like, OK, so. Then did you start watching?
Like, were there movies that youfell?
In no, I mean, I was already doing that.
I was already, I was already like consuming the kind of work
(19:11):
that I wanted to make. I just didn't realize that I
like. What was that?
What was that kind of work that you were consuming at the time?
You know, like I, this is actually a question that I want
to ask you again. It's like what?
Like during the very formative, like teen years.
Teen years. Yeah.
Like what are the movies that were that you were like, I want
to do that. It was like Sofia Coppola for
(19:31):
me. It was like.
It was Marie Antoinette was likea.
Well, best trailer of all time. Absolute banger.
Yeah. For me, I was, I would say teen
years. Well, that was when I I, I was.
Were you already acting? No, I moved.
I moved to start auditioning when I was 15.
So like right around that time Istarted watching silent comedy
(19:57):
like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
It actually was really formative.
It really was. Also also, yeah, not for
nothing, but Chaplin and Bella. I mean, it was, it wasn't
pretty. It's pretty inspiring to see
silent comedy when you're, you know, your face is made of
rubber and your body's like a noodle because then you kind of
(20:19):
go like, oh, I might not be super physically coordinated.
I'm the furthest thing from an athlete.
But if you can combine physicality and comedy.
Yeah, you know, you're a very physical actor.
It but I'm not even a very physical person.
I don't even know how that how that syncs up other than
comedically. Will you understand your face
very well? God do I ever.
(20:41):
I study in a day, hours a day inthe mirror.
No, but I have such a skill likeI have like you and like other
like Tilda is like I feel like can change the color of her eyes
at will. Truly, she the kind of power
that Tilda harnesses is unlike anything I've ever seen.
It's truly. Scorpio.
(21:03):
Another Scorpio. We're one day apart.
Yeah. Oh yeah, that's true.
When we first met like 10 years ago, we realized that we were
one day apart. And, you know, every year ever
since, we have said happy birthday to each other on our
respective birthdays. She's the best.
Well, I mean, we're going to get.
We're going to get into problem Easter until DeLand in one
second. But just to go back.
(21:24):
Yeah. OK.
Your movies were Sofia Coppola movies.
Do you like the kind of feeling that I something I I love about
her? Do you like Omotivar?
Yeah, though he didn't come to me like I didn't start watching
him till later after after my like, like Sophia, like American
(21:48):
indie cinema. Who else?
What else? Oh my God.
Like like. I'm just saying because we're on
the A 24 podcast, they're gonna love hearing.
About it. They're gonna love hearing about
it. I mean, definitely like I loved
Rushmore. What else it what else?
(22:10):
It ET Mama MBN which is which you reference in the work.
We have to talk about that. Yeah, we were.
Talking about how we were when Imet.
Yeah, Oh my God. You know what movie I loved?
What? Dogville.
Oh my God, Dogville. Yeah, yes, Incredible,
incredible. So this stuff was like all
(22:33):
loading up and you were like, I love all of this.
Yeah, there was. I want to be a television.
Rental place that had like all the hits, didn't come to
theaters and like that. What here?
No. No, no, this is an eltabador it.
Was kind of the Kim's video of. Yeah.
And I was like, and I would be like, OK, I'm gonna rent 4
movies every time. Yeah, I'm gonna rent 4 movies
(22:55):
every time. And one of them is something.
One of them has to be Hollywood trash.
Great. One of them has to be something
that I had never seen or heard of, but the box seems cool.
Judging a book by it's. Cover Judging a book by it's
cover? Great.
One of the another thing has to be in black and white.
(23:17):
OK. And then the other one has to be
the one that I actually want to see.
That's great. So you're forcing yourself
through like an education like these three.
Yeah, and you know what it's like now, Now, now, I understand
I have OCD, but Ditto, kiddo. It was like, Oh yeah, no, that's
that's that because I got to getmy for movies.
(23:41):
I can't just get the 1 I actually want to see, I have to
get my 4. I may have to be in the
category. Exactly.
Well I can't do 2 black and white.
What a useful use of OCD. Yeah, no, it's helped and hurt.
Me for education? Yeah.
Where does it hurt you? Oh, like most.
Everywhere else. Like checking the stove every
time before I leave my house do.You have to do things in
(24:03):
multiples. Do you have number OCD?
I used to have that as a kid. As a kid, I would have to like,
I would get in bed and then I'd be like, OK, now I have to go to
the kitchen, touch the refrigerator with both hands,
man, with this side of my hands and then the other side of my
hands. Get back in bed, do the thing
(24:24):
again, then come back in bed. And then, like, look at the
light bulb. And then like, you know, you
know, when you can like, cross your eyes so you can see double.
Yep. Yeah.
Do that with a light bulb. OK.
And like, those are the eyes. And then my hand is the mouth
and I do four different faces, and then I can fall asleep.
What would happen in your body if you didn't do that?
(24:44):
You could not fall asleep. It was just like but I was fully
anxiety. I was an insomniac as a kid,
like every like as a as like since I can remember.
I'd go to my mom and was like, can you explain to me again how
you fall asleep? Because you just the idea of
letting go of control in that way is probably.
Terrifying. I think so.
I was like, I don't, can you explain sleep to me again?
(25:06):
And she would be like you just close your eyes and do it.
She would usually come and sit next to me till I fell asleep.
Wow, yeah. And so how many hours a night
would you sleep? Are you still on an Insomniac?
No, not anymore. How did you get good at sleeping
pills? No, not Oh my God.
If I take half of melatonin, I'm.
Oh, that's lucky. Ducky yeah, I know I'm very
(25:28):
lucky that way. But I don't know, I feel like
the more I started doing what I like and having like liking my
life more, yeah, the better my sleep got.
Oh, interesting. It's almost like when you're
happy, your health and life fallinto place.
Yeah. Yeah, that's so weird.
(25:51):
It's so random. That's so random, you're crazy.
Did you ever have? Sleeping rubble.
Oh God yes I still do. Like anytime I'm.
Does it come and go? No, it definitely is like under
duress or stress or any type of anxious period.
It is very difficult to fall asleep.
I mean the obvious thing. Or I fall asleep and then I wake
up at 2:00 in the morning and everything feels so true and
(26:14):
like, you know. Everything one OK when you say
everything feels so true, you mean like your anxiety yes feel
true even. Though they're not it'll live
the night when the world is asleep and I wake up, it comes
to me in a way that feels like I've just had a reckoning that
is it. It like it's woken me up from
from sleep and I'm like, it's true.
(26:35):
This thing you're worried about.Yeah, it's happening and it's.
True, that tooth will fall off that tooth.
Will fall off. Exactly.
And it's that is the worst part of the night for me when I'm
when I'm anxious. It's not the falling asleep so
much as the middle of the night terrors.
Yeah. Yeah, anyway, so.
(26:55):
My middle of the night terrors just.
Something a little cute about me.
It's one of my little things. OK, so TV writer then how again?
Sorry. Comedy.
Yeah. How did we?
Get into this. So then I graduated.
Because Julio and I met at SNL. Yeah, he was a writer for SNL.
So we'll get in. There I graduated from school,
(27:18):
yeah. And I was like straight A's,
like. Yeah, baby.
Visa hack citizenship When they see these grades you're.
You're like gonna be begging me.And then I entered a period that
inspired the period in the movie.
Yeah, in Pro La Mista where I had to find a sponsor and that
(27:40):
was very difficult. Did you, like in the movie, end
up working for like a lawyer? Oh, in any.
Way Or were you were you considering working for a?
That the lawyer in Leif is the lathe place Kaleo and.
(28:04):
You're better at this than I am.Is a combination of two or three
lawyers that I've that? You worked with.
One of them I worked with, he was like a workers comp.
OK, got it. Lawyer.
OK. And I was like, I think,
translating. OK, so you were translating.
In this time, translation jobs. Yeah, my God, I had so many
(28:26):
jobs. So many jobs.
What jobs did you do? Are they accurate to what you
see in the movie? There are more than what you see
in the movie. What were some of your favorites
that didn't make it into this? Well.
Or not favorites, but you know my.
Actually like the truly like thebest working experience I ever
(28:46):
had was being a samples person at like Fairway supermarkets.
Oh, handing out samples. Handing out samples.
Oh, fun. Because it was like chocolate
samples. And because no one's upset at
you. You're only a plus in people's
lives. You're only a bonus.
You're only a bonus. Like here's some free.
(29:07):
Chocolate and also no one like needs anything from you.
Right. You know what I mean?
That's a really great point. It's like and you can't do it
wrong. Well, I mean, you could be a
little bit too in their face with the chocolate.
Like you have to try it. No, you have to try it.
Oh, I just stood behind. I didn't say any.
I didn't say a word. I just stood behind the table.
(29:27):
And you never got bored. Was it interesting to meet all
of these people that are just come and go and don't need
anything from you and you just give them a little treat?
It was, I wouldn't say it was interesting, but it was
relaxing. That's a very nice job.
Yeah, and then my boss was out of state.
So like as proof that I did it, he only asked for someone to
(29:49):
take a picture of me behind the little table in my like little
hat. And every day.
Like, it was just like, and you got to prove that you didn't eat
all the chocolate that I sent, you know?
How could you prove? That just with the picture.
Yeah, you prove it with the picture.
How do you know? You're and.
(30:10):
Then you upload the picture, youe-mail it, and then you get your
check. That's incredible.
It's it was great. What was your worst job?
This is in the movie is stoppingwomen on the street asking if I
can ask them a question about their hair.
You really did that? And sell salon packages, yeah.
(30:31):
Oh my God, how many did you sell?
0. Also 0.
Also 0. He sells zero in the movie.
Spoiler alert, yeah. Zero.
Absolutely. And I did it.
I only did it for like 2 weeks and it was just the opposite of
the the chocolate samples right?Yeah, because no one wants to be
(30:54):
stopped to get sold something when they're like commuting to
work. That's very true.
That is the opposite. People are like living their
lives. They don't want me to be like,
OK, one time, the one time that I actually successfully stopped
someone and was like. And sold a salon package.
No, no, no, she was. Or just got into a discourse.
(31:17):
Because usually it's like, they just walk past you.
Yeah. Just like, no, you're invisible.
Yeah. Yeah.
But these two, they were younger.
They were like, maybe like college aged.
And I was like, can I ask you a question about your hair?
And like, and then one of them goes, and then one of them truly
(31:37):
goes, like, sure, what's up? And I froze.
I froze because it had never happened.
Before, you've never considered what the next thing would be.
That there was a second step andI was like, oh, this salon is
having a promotion. Do you know when you're And I
was just like, not. And it dawned on me like, oh, I
(32:00):
actually don't understand what this job is.
I actually do not understand what I'm selling.
What was it like a discount on atreatment or a service?
Clipboard, that was like, you would get a discount on some.
Yeah, like a discount for a blowout.
(32:22):
OK, But like, for example, it sounds kind of nice, but then
it's like, you know, you'd have to give your name, your e-mail.
It's like a lot of sacrifice. Yeah, completely for this like
$5 off a blowout. 4 or $5 off the blowout, Yeah.
OK. And so you never ended up
getting paid from this job because you didn't sell
anything? Not, not, not a dime.
OK, and this is all while you'retrying to get sponsored.
(32:44):
Who? Who is in the Yeah, well, I
don't want to actually spoil whosponsors you in the movie, but
how did you get sponsored eventually?
I got sponsored through a small art foundation.
OK. Ran by a couple of people
(33:05):
including a former professor which actually good grades, good
grades for coming back to the good grades who was like if you
ever need anything let me know. And you were like, I need
something and I'm letting you know.
I'm like I need something and I'm letting you know you.
Need a visa right now and. He was a board member of this
this foundation, and then he introduced me to the person that
(33:28):
was my boss and then I got sponsored.
So you were working for an art foundation?
Yeah. OK.
And then how did you get to SNL?Well, did you not hear that I
worked for an art foundation? No.
I then when I felt like OK, I feel like I figured out the
important part. Yeah, the visa.
(33:50):
The visa. Yeah.
And you know, you get to stay here.
Was it it? Was it like a three-year visa?
It was a four year visa. That's.
Pretty good. Yeah.
So then I was like, OK, well, what do I want to do?
No, actually, no. It was during the period where I
was still trying to find a sponsor.
I was like, well, I don't know how much longer I have.
(34:13):
Yeah, here. The hourglass I might fail.
The hourglass I I might fail at this.
Why am I even here? And then I was like, Oh yeah,
you're here because you want to be like ATV writer and a movie
writer Yeah. And then I was like, well, oh, I
know what doesn't require me to like go to school again or know
(34:34):
anyone or. SNL.
No like doing stand up open mics.
Oh my God. And then I just googled it.
Oh, so that this was the day before Yeah thing.
Yeah. OK, so then you.
Just I was working code check and I was like wait what about
stand up and I like googled it. Did you have a bunch of little
ideas written down like 1 linersand and things that you could
(34:56):
riff on or were you like, I'll just improvise this, I'll just
go to an open mic night and makethings up?
No, I was like, I'll go home tonight and think of something,
and then tomorrow I'm gonna. I'm gonna.
Holy cow. OK.
And I did it and it was horrible.
How long was your set? It wasn't an open mic, it was
like a 5 minute which was reading.
(35:17):
It off of the paper. Yes, I was reading it off of the
paper and then that sort of became my thing.
Reading it off the paper. Yeah, Oh God, I love it.
And then I did a very bad job, but I liked it.
You liked the feeling? Yeah, of what was about it
(35:39):
because. I think I think that in terms of
like creative ventures, I think that stand up comedy is the
thing that scares me more than anything.
It's so exposing, It's so vulnerable.
It's like this is what I think is funny like which is really
like I not only do I think this is.
Funny of showing a video to someone on your phone and on.
(35:59):
Stage what do you think about what I think is funny and how I
say it that I also think it's funny it's just so it's like
you're naked emotionally I. Never.
I feel like you have the like most people feel the way that
you do. It's in terms of stand up
comedy, but. So what was it about it?
(36:21):
I think that it or what is it a challenge?
And I felt like I was in controlof it on like most things that
were happening. Yeah.
So I felt like this is like an interesting, fun, weird thing.
And also I've always been a verycurious person.
Yeah. So like, and I get to like go to
different shitty bars all over New York and see, like all these
(36:45):
people who are like trying to make it in the comedy world that
just looks so interesting. Yeah.
So then I I kept doing it. And then a friend told me of a
stand up competition that at thetime was called, It was called.
What was it called? It was NBC stand up for
(37:06):
diversity. And you had to wait in line all
night, all night. So I waited.
I went on the sidewalk all nightwith other people.
And then you'd come in and then like you'd go in front of The xx
and you would do one minute NBC execs, NBCXX OK, NBC like
diversity XX. And then you would do like one
(37:28):
minute. And then if they like that, they
would call you back. And then I got a call back.
And then I got another call back.
And then they like flew me to LAwhere it's.
Like Star Search. Truly.
Yeah, Yeah. And I had never been in LA
before. Didn't like it, wasn't a fit,
was not a fit. And then I did a show there and
(37:51):
then I got like manager agent stuff from Wow.
Off of that. Off of that.
That's incredible. And then I started being able to
like because obviously all thesewriting jobs are so gate kept.
You can't like. Just break into.
No, it's like, yeah. So then I was able to, like,
apply for these jobs. I applied to work at SNL, got an
(38:16):
interview, which was so excitingbecause that was like one of my
first job applications. Wow.
Got an interview, did not get it.
OK. Two years later, I was asked if
I wanted to audition. OK.
And I auditioned for it, and I to.
Be a cast member. To be a cast member.
(38:38):
But it was like a very, it was like a mid season weird.
Like are you actually looking for anything or So then I did
that and then they asked if I wanted to be a guest writer.
(38:58):
And then I did that, and then they hired me full time and then
I met you. And then you met me the next
day. And then, four weeks into the
gig, I met you. Are you serious?
Something like that. You were not 4 weeks in then.
I mean. 11/16. December, right?
December 2016. Yeah.
So it was like. That was the very beginning.
I mean, that was my first half of my first year.
(39:18):
Oh my God, I did not realize. That, yeah.
No, I had no idea that was rightaway.
Yeah. Lose right away.
Julio wrote the brilliant wells for boys.
Which I don't know if you remember this, but there's no
way you're gonna remember this. But I love wells for boys.
I love Wells for boys, but my heart was in a different.
(39:43):
Sketch the silver. Yes, of course I remember the
silver. Are you kidding me?
Your direction was like, you're like Nicole Kidman in birth.
Like, it's like, I really remember.
You have this sketch. Wait, did it ever?
Did it ever happen? No.
Can we talk about it now? Yeah, sure.
OK, there was. This at the table.
Read is this silver woman in so there was wells for Boys, which
is about a boy and like. A.
(40:05):
Very, very brilliant. But there was this other and I
remember feeling so devastated because I felt like I really let
you down at that table read because I was in love with this
silver woman idea and I was like, it was so specific, the
way it needed to be played. And when you're at these table
reads, it's like 5 hours and you're reading like how many
sketches 50? Like 40 something. 40 something
(40:27):
in that night. And so Julio and I had talked
about this silver woman and he'slike she's you know, it's really
it's like she's having like thiskind of slow motion mental
breakdown. You know, it's like Nicole
Kidman in birth. And it's like really, you know,
it was a very dramatic performance, as it is in in most
of your work like this, like Tilda in problemista or like in
(40:49):
the actress or which is another one that we did for SNL.
Like none of this is taken lightly.
Like your approach to comedy is like at While it might be
absurdist, the. Way what you're talking about,
you have to. Believe it with your whole heart
and it has to be life or death. And I was like, OK, so I was
wrapping my mind around this, and I felt like I completely
butchered it. And that's why we didn't get to
(41:11):
do it. And I hope that one day we can
go back and do it again. But the idea was that she's like
having a dinner party and she brings out her silver.
Her silverware. Her silverware and she can hear
she can hear the silver she. Can hear the silver.
Yeah, and it's driving her insane.
It's driving her insane because when someone's taking a vite of
something, she can hear the forkscream.
(41:31):
Yeah, like she can hear the painof the ladle, you know, like
what they're going through in order to serve these, like,
well, to do people. She's so deeply empathetic to
her Silver. Yeah.
And I was so genius. And I really, I just did not
Kidman enough. I really.
Did well, I was and I want another.
Chance I want another crack at silver.
Woman, but it's so funny that like cuz Wells for boys that
(41:55):
sketch like people do really seethemselves in it, which is why I
feel like they were like we should do this.
I was like, what do you mean people are not going to see?
Themselves. What do you mean?
This isn't relatable, but that was what I mean just to you know
(42:16):
now we were so lucky to get to to produce problem me stuff.
But Dave Mccary, who you who I know very well as well now who
directed Wells for boys. You and Dave really bonded
throughout your SNL. Yeah, no, it was like journey.
Incredible because I he directedalmost everything I ever wrote
(42:37):
there and I got to be I got so much access to the process.
Yeah, especially because he's sogiving that I got to like really
shadow direct for. Yeah, this was all for.
A lot of it it's. So yours.
(42:58):
Because I was, I was just like learning so much for, because I,
you know, I didn't go to film school or anything.
So I was just like learning so much from it, to the point where
I felt now that I directed a movie, it didn't feel scary.
Because you, because you were, so you're the most integral part
(43:21):
to that process. Be also your.
Your work is so nobody but you can really.
Well, no, but it, it did feel like I had, I had always felt
like, oh, I wanted to wreck one day.
Not just yet. Yeah.
But it didn't feel scary becauseI had been on set for so many
(43:42):
times, like so many of the SNL sketches I was part of.
Like they've allowed me like access to like every part of it
down to like, you know, like sound mix and, and color and
like all those things. So you have kind of a a
relationship to all of it by thetime Well then so post SNL loses
(44:03):
spookies. And then I saw and then I like
show ran with my friend Anna loses spookies.
Right. Which was also like almost
directing but not really. So it was like another like.
Another step into feeling like the confidence to then go and
run a set and like be the full blown captain of the ship in
(44:25):
every turn. But then you for your first
film, you write it, you direct it, and you star in it all at
once, and you have to direct yourself.
And Tilda Swinton. Yeah, yeah.
Which is not a big deal at all. OK, so it did not.
It did the making the movie justdid not feel daunting because I
(44:53):
sort of like won the lottery in terms of like people to do your
first movie with cuz I had Dave buy the monitor every single day
yeah to just sort of you know, keep his eyes like.
And you trust each other and. You can talk about about
everything. Yeah, yeah.
(45:15):
And I don't know everyone who worked in that movie.
And it's like. Well, meeting Tilda, how did
you? Oh, I met Tilda on the Zoom.
She got the, she got a hold of the script and she immediately
was like, I want to do it. And it was just such a such a
dream come true. And then come to find that she
(45:38):
is so collaborative and so unpretentious and so in it just
because she wants to like play with you.
And it really felt like, I don'teven think of like, quote UN
quote directing Tiller. But like working with Tiller
felt no different than working with like my friend Spike, my
(46:00):
friend River, my friend Anna. Like people who are like my age,
they like, have come up with me.Like it's like, yeah, no, we're
just like cuz. She's so easy.
It's so easy, yeah. And so I mean, also your
relationship with this movie is like the most important thing
and the fact that you 2, I thinkyou found so much through having
that comfort with each other. Yeah, it's so fun and
(46:24):
collaborative and I don't know, making the movie such a joyful
experience, like every, every department was just like so
happy. What was the hardest thing about
it? The hardest thing about it,
About making the movie, Yeah. I immediately just you're like,
it's such a joyful experience. I'm like, yeah, what was hard?
(46:45):
Yeah, I was like, what was the worst?
What did you hate? Sucked?
I think that I am the worst at like everything that comes after
the movie. Like the editing process or the
marketing? No, the marketing.
The A 24 podcast. No, like the the sort of like
(47:08):
navigating the ecosystem of like, OK, now you had your fun.
Yeah. Now you have made a product,
right? How will this product be solved
be sold to the? World at large.
To the world. And then and that part is like,
yeah, we forget that. We don't just get to go away.
Oh yeah. No, after we make something.
(47:29):
No, you're out there, baby. We're gonna force you to get out
there. We.
Should be able to hire. Like avatars?
Yeah, a version of yourself that.
Just does the press. For it in like a really concise
way that where you they say whatyou wish you could because.
I feel like there are actors whose favorite part is the is
(47:50):
the promotion, so if we could all get one of those.
That would be the coolest. Thing that would be incredible.
If you could hire someone who looks like you, you wish you
could look no like you could really curate the experience
where you're like, this is what I would like to look like on
this show. And this is what I would like to
say on this. You get out there and you do get
(48:12):
out there. That's a brilliant idea.
Yeah, that would be amazing. And then you just keep going and
and working and making mistakes.Yeah, that would be incredible.
It's all the like little decisions and they're like like
stuff like this. This is great because I
actually, we actually get to like talk and I don't feel like
I'm selling anything. Yeah, but it's like sound bites
or Yeah, saying the same thing over and over.
(48:35):
Yeah, Yeah, this is nice, but the you the little decisions
thing, I mean directing the reason that I think directing is
so insane to me and I can't evenever imagine you you wanting to
do it now. OK, I really don't.
I mean, it's I guess don't quoteme podcast if in 20 years I'm
(48:55):
like, I guess I'm gonna try. No, but the I admire directors
so much and people that want to direct so much because that what
you're talking about with all ofthe little decisions, every
single moment of the day as a director is a little decision.
Yeah, like that's true. My little problems.
Yeah, you've got little problemsall day long.
(49:15):
But they're so fun and I mean, not every decision is fun.
Like I was just, I'm just in post production for this other
TBD project that we will talk ata later time.
Yep. And it was like, I it's like,
OK, when the washer goes off, should they VFX done or should
(49:36):
they VFX 00? And I feel like I gave an
answer, but then the question came back to me again and then I
guess I gave a different answer and then so of course, so it's
like, and I was just like, I like there.
I swear, I swear. This is one of those things that
like, it's fine. Do whatever you want.
Just do whatever. You want Donuts?
(49:57):
You have to know, I guess, whereto let go of control, but then
also simultaneously be so in control because it's completely
yours, especially as a writer, director.
Yeah, that's a. That's a.
That to me seems like a brutal balance.
That's why it's fun to produce that and to go like, Oh my God,
you know how to do all of this. You make.
(50:19):
Well, I mean, being a director is not that different.
It's like you need to find people who are excited for the
project for the same reasons andwho are in your same, like,
wavelength. Yeah.
And then and then those cars start moving without you.
Because you can trust them to like like department heads and
(50:39):
things like that. Trust them to bring you things
because you like you hired them because you like what they do.
You like what they do, but that's not the only cuz I feel
like there's a lot of people whojust because we admire someone
doesn't necessarily mean that we'll work well with.
Them, yeah, but sometimes you don't find that out until you're
already doing it. Yeah, of course.
(51:00):
And then you've got all those. Little problems all the time
yeah yeah, yeah. But I'm very I I also like
working with people who are like, I would really love to do
this thing yeah and I would really get.
I would really love to do it because I would get to do either
this for the first time, which is such a joy, or this show this
(51:22):
side of myself that I don't get to do with most other jobs I
take. You mean in any department?
In any department. But is it really fun for you in
the production design world? Yeah, I love it.
Is that what's your favorite part of the like of the jobs
you're not fully doing? What's your favorite part to get
involved in? I think production design and
(51:45):
then maybe second wardrobe, yeah.
Yeah, because an architect and afashion designer.
I mean, come on. Yeah.
That makes total sense. And your mom is still involved
with things, right? Yeah.
I mean, I always like whenever Ihave like a visual design
question, like I'll ask her for advice.
(52:06):
That's. Great.
Does her aesthetic, like what she's drawn to, visually mirror
what you're? Drawn to for sure.
Do you think yours was inspired by hers?
For sure. Like, very geometric, very.
Is her favorite color clear? I don't think her favorite
color. I think her favorite color
currently is green. What kind of green?
(52:28):
I think she, she's, I think veryin like a nature phase.
OK, so like a. Chorus green like a yeah.
Growing up I think it was red. Like a like a blood.
Bright, bright blood red. What's your favorite color right
now? That's a good question.
(52:49):
I you know I am trying. I know this sounds like a
generic question to most people,but with Julio, it doesn't feel
generic at all. It's very meaningful.
You have to. Understand I'm gravitating
towards green too because I think I'm looking for peace, aw.
Is that your Pantone color over here?
Yeah. You're 2024.
You're February 11th. Yeah, I think I'm looking for
(53:12):
like just, I don't know, to like, relax.
What's your favorite trinket right now?
My well, OK, I'm wearing this charm, which is a phone.
You can open it and it's a little phone.
Where did you find that? Where do you find your?
Different like vintage little places like flea markets, Etsy.
(53:35):
Hello. Hello, Etsy.
That's yeah, that's very precious.
Yeah, that's a precious phone do.
Some of the cards. OK, so.
We get to do cards. We're.
Going to do some cards, I guess we're on camera.
We're going to do some cards. Now.
(53:56):
These were sent in. We were told that these were
sent in by you at home. OK, So the first question that
they've put on our cards is are you a problemista?
Which I I'm not even exactly sure what that means.
The way that I like defining is someone who is attracted to
problems or. Like Alejandro?
(54:18):
Yes, Or makes art inspired by problems.
Or thrives in problems. Thrives in chaos kind of, or
little problems. Specifically, problems.
Got it. And I think I am one.
Are you? You think you are a problem
Mista? A problem Mista.
Or a person that you're saying you're a person that thrives in
(54:40):
little problems. No, I do not think that.
That's why I don't want to direct.
Oh, sure. Yeah, You're like, no.
No, no, no problem. I like major chaos.
Then I go stoic and get things done but little problems.
God. Oh OK, Get Me Out of here.
You know what I mean? Not asking for chaos, but you
know. Oh, is chaos essential for good
(55:00):
art? No, no, I, I really strongly
believe that I like, I like, I only got 4 hours of sleep and
it's just like, well, that's bad.
That's just bad. You should go sleep, yeah.
Unless you have insomnia like us, 'cause.
You having something like no, I don't think I, I this idea that
(55:21):
that art has to be difficult, yeah, to be made in order for it
to be good I. Totally agree.
I totally agree. Work with people you like.
Yeah, do projects you. Like just have fun, just have
fun. Take it easy baby.
Favorite Tilda Swinton movie? Oh God, Problemista is mine now.
Problemista My choice favorite Tilda Swinton movie.
(55:45):
I That's so hard. You know, I I I think maybe like
the global answer might be like,you know, like Orlando or but
but I just saw and I haven't seen a techno lust.
I've never seen techno lust. She is one of many times where
she plays more than one person in that she plays clones of
(56:08):
herself. It's very, it's actually very
like Powerpuff Girls coded because one of them is like one
of those only wearing blue, the other ones only wearing red, the
only ones only wearing green or yellow, I think, and they're
clones and they live in a computer.
I have to see techno list. Yeah.
What's your favorite childhood toy or game?
(56:29):
Oh. I used to put cars like, like
little, like the cars that are the.
Do those have a name like Match,like Matchbox?
Yeah, yeah, I used to put them in a long line and.
Like Domino's? It's kinda.
And then when people ask like, what are you doing?
I would say they're in traffic. They're stuck in traffic and
(56:51):
they don't know why. That was your favorite thing to
do? Yeah, that, and I also had A,
and I've been remembering this lately where it was like that
was like early directing where Ihad a like a a Little Mermaid
Barbie doll, you know, you know,the kind where you can take the
tail out. And then like, of course, yeah,
(57:12):
she was never a mermaid for me. I was like, I can't do it.
I can't work with that. So she was like, so she had
legs, she had human legs. And I had a tethered, A tethered
little wedding dress that I would put her in and I would
make her walk in the in the dirt, barefoot in the tattered
wedding dress. My God.
And something happened to her and we and I, it was like there
(57:34):
never was a wedding. They're but to me it's like
she's not Ariel. She's there's a redhead actor.
She's a redheaded wedding dress and she never got to the altar.
She never got to the altar. I don't think there ever was a
groom, you know what I mean? But there was a storyline
happening and it was, it was. She's not well.
(57:55):
She was. She was not well.
She's not well. Did she have anything, any other
accoutrement around her? No.
She just was walking slowly in the dirt.
Yeah. Oh my God, I love her.
You should play. That I would love to redhead.
Hello. I'm available.
That sounds incredible. They need us to shut up.
You're over us. OK, I guess we really knocked us
(58:18):
out of the park cuz they're likeget out.
They're like, get out. I well, I don't think we got to
learn much from you, but that's okay.
But you know what? I'll make an FAQ page.
Okay, perfect, let's have a follow up.
Entire website built too. Yeah, I'll have a follow.
Just in case. Okay, perfect.
Perfect. I guess my answers it's.
(58:39):
All you've guessed. Yeah.
And it's a picture of the Barbiedoll that you just talked.
About an address? Yeah, exactly.
Okay, perfect. Well, thank you so much, Julio,
are you kidding? Thank you.
I'm so I'm so glad that we get to that.
We have been hired as the new weekly host of the A 24 podcast.
Oh my God. Well, I'll see you next.
Week I'll see you next week where we cover.
(59:01):
Best shampoos on the market? Best shampoos on the market.
I can't wait. Your sponsors.
Thanks for joining us. Bye.
Thank. You bye.
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