205: Models with Eric Appel

Welcome back to our show! The whole gang is here and joined by Director and friend Eric Appel to recap Models. The team discusses birthdays, the origin of the Cookie scene, and a hilarious Nick's Box answer from Eric. Plus, the one time Zooey was "scouted" in the mall. Follow us on Instagram @welcometoourshowpod.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Ring Ring, Ring Ring. May I please speak with Zoe.
Oh hello, Lamarne, let's patch in Hannah. God, I forgot
what it was like working with you guys. Hi, Eric, Hi, Hi,

(00:31):
thanks for joining us. Oh, thank you for having me.
I'm excited. Oh my gosh, dudeen An, I know it's
been forever. I know, I know it's been the last
time I worked with you. Guys, you were pregnant, Zoe.
Oh my god, and I have My youngest is five now,
so that's a long time. That's crazy. That's crazy, that's crazy. Um,

(00:55):
So what's up. I'm so excited to talk about one
of my favorite time episodes of New Girl. Yes, yeah,
this is a personal top three. So much truly, I mean,
so much awesome stuff going on. So wait, Eric, was
this this wasn't the first one you did with us,

(01:17):
or was it? Yeah, this was the first one because
you did it quite a few Yeah, yeah, maybe yeah,
yeah yeah. I did the one in the Bar, I
did the flashback episode in the Bar, and then I
did the one with Henry Winkler and Julie Haggardy Ar Yeah,
oh my god, that was him talking about trains. But

(01:43):
but yeah, this was this was my first one. This
is my first one, very exciting. Remember do you remember
getting the call or did you have fred? Like, how
did you get on the New Girl director circuit? Yeah?
I mean that was the year. It was kind of
like my first year of directing a lot of at
work TV episodes. I had done an episode of the
Office the year before, and it was like that was

(02:05):
like my first network TV thing, and then the following
year that the Office episode is very well received, So
like all of a sudden, like my dance card was
full the following year, and yeah, it was really uh
and then you came on over to the greatest show
in television lest So yeah, it's it's it's all coming

(02:33):
from Lamore inside the most humble you know. Yeah. I
remember my first conversation though, when they when when I
found out which episode I was doing it, they sat
me down and said, so, we have to do a
Ford commercial in this episode. You know what's funny. It's
I remember actually you know when it came out, it

(02:57):
kind of like people kind of saying something at it,
but it's like it doesn't matter at all. It was
actually nice that we were able to say a brand
name because that's so what those things are. They're there
to sell, you know. Yeah, And it just happened to
be that we had this like kind of forward tie in,
and it I think allowed us to have a bigger

(03:19):
budget for the episode. Maybe I think so too. I
think my question to you is, did you get credit
for both directing a television show and also a commercial
commercial reel? I did not, unfortunately though at iasted opportunity
to my friend because it does it does feel like
just it feels like a scene. It's so it's like
very well integrated into the episode. Well, also, I get

(03:43):
stuck in the car and fall out of the car show.
Was that their pitch from Ford like they wanted to
do a car show or was that just what the
writers kind of came up with it gave to you.
I think it's what just what the writers came up with.
Like I remember Fox. I think it's that Fox like
had this deal with Ford and all the shows like

(04:05):
an American Idol. It was easier they just like Ford
would do those little music videos that American Idol. And
I think like all the Fox shows had to like
work forward into something at some point. Yeah, I think
that's how it was pitched to me. But it kind
of worked too, I don't know better than there was
another episode where I remember Lauren, I think you might.

(04:31):
It was all the guys had to be like, this
is so cool. We could open the trunks. There was
there was, there were a few there were Yeah, was
that Ford or was that something else? That it was
the Foscape. I think that's what Damon called this car
the fas Cape, the Ford Escape and then the rebranding

(04:55):
courtesy of Damon. Um. Folks, if you're just tuning in,
we have a fantastic show. We are recapping episode five
of season two Models and you know, obviously you've been listening.
We've got writer director Ericappelle. Now obviously he just spoke
about all the things that he's done. But where are

(05:16):
you now? Obviously because a new girl, we've we've turned
your life around, an honest man out of you. Tell
us about what you're working on now? Obviously some great things,
working with some of my heroes. Yeah, I just um.
I did a movie this past year for the Roku
channel called Weird the Al Yankovic Story, which is a

(05:36):
ya which is a like satirical biopic about Weird Al
Yankovic that we co wrote together and I directed, and
Daniel Radcliffe is um is stars as as weird Al
himself and I actually it did. I just got a
I got nominated for a DGA Award, which is funny

(06:01):
because we're sort of, um, you know, it's like a
satire of Awards movies and now it's like becoming a
legit Awards movie, which is really funny for this town. Yeah. Yeah,
so folks, Um, what we're gonna do now is we're
gonna jump right into We're gonna do things differently, uh

(06:22):
from what you've what you probably remember about the show. Um,
so we're gonna recap this episode with the fantastic director
Eric Cappelle. If you if you don't remember this episode,
we encourage you to go watch it. But I'll dive
right into it. It's CC's birthday and she's turning a
young forty eight years old Forget Held, but our girl

(06:45):
is torn between the decades old tradition of clueless and
promtal addresses with with Jess and and and and living
it up at the club with her model friends. That's right,
Nadia's back. Nadia's back, and she's drinking vodka through her butt.
What that is. But there's a lot there's a lot

(07:07):
of but jugging. But if you folks all the episode,
then you know what I'm talking about. I'm not just
being weird like a normal lamb um. Now, when she
tries to merge her two worlds, just gets her feelings
hurt and she gets her boobs punched. Now, meanwhile, Schmidt
and Nick, they're also at a crossroads in their relationship.
Schmidt gives Nick a box of cookies, and the sincerity

(07:30):
it throws Nick throws him way off. He just wants,
you know, he just wants a turtle. That's it, and
Schmidt is hurt that Nick doesn't think of him. Now,
the next morning, Cecy wakes up two hungover to do
her modeling gig, and Jess does not want her friend
to get in trouble at work, so she offers to
do the job you spoke about that earlier. Now, the
negative perception of modeling is shattered when miss Day learns

(07:53):
firsthand how difficult it is to wear heels at a
rotating stage. I mean, come, mom, man, this is modeling
t one. It's hard. I know how to do it.
Everybody knows how to do it. That Jesse makes a
terrible model obviously, but she remains a wonderful friend and
it gathers up the courage to be vulnerable with Schmidt.
Everyone leaves this episode better friends. And that's what happened

(08:14):
in this episode. And also Winston was there. I think yes.
Episode two oh five Models directed by the Eric Appella
and written by Josh Malmouth his Wheelhouse Models. So what
do you remember, Eric about directing this episode, m oh Man,

(08:40):
I remember a lot about directing this episode. I actually
there's actually a funny story about this episode that is
like in a Pell family classic. Oh, we have to
hear it. Um. So I don't know if you know
this or remember this, but the Model Scout. There's a
flashback scene where young Jess and young CC are approached

(09:03):
by a model scout and that is my wife. That
is that is yes, Oh my gosh. But the reason
that it's such a funny story is my my wife
at the time was doing a lot of acting, doing
a lot of commercials, little bit parts on TV shows
and whatnot, and she got the call to come in

(09:24):
an audition to play this model scout. Now, no one
knew that she was my wife for acting like her
last name was different, like as an actress. Yeah, see,
I was gonna say this was a whole meppo baby,
So your wife now, so she told me. I remember

(09:45):
her telling me like, I'm I'm I just got called
in for your episode, like thank you, and I'm like,
I didn't put you up for this randomly, you got
called in to play the model scout. But I'm like,
I feel it's weird. I pictured the mode scout to
be like older and frumpier for some reason, right, So

(10:06):
I'm like, yeah, yeah, I'm like it just feels it.
I don't know, it kind of feels like I'm like,
you're more of a model type, you know, a day long.
But anyway, I'm like, I'm not going to tell people.
I felt weird about telling people that she was my wife,

(10:26):
Like I didn't want to get her hired or anything,
but you know, because or not hired, right, yeah, like
you don't want to anyway you want didn't want any way. Um,
but I did say, I'm like, don't so don't be
bummed out if you don't get this, because I you know,
I don't know if people like maybe everybody's picturing someone
different in this role too. My question to you is

(10:49):
do you do you? How do you direct her? Is
it fine? Hands on, it's fine. I think it was fine.
But but anyway, so I I I'm like, I'm not
going to weigh in first, and Liz is the first

(11:09):
person to weigh in and give her picks for the role,
and she picks my wife first, and I was like,
so then I chimed in and I'm like, hey, I
didn't want to say anything but that Johannah Parker is
actually Johanna Pelle. That's my wife. And I'm so glad
that you, like organically, you know, came to this picked
her on your own. Well, I actually will say that

(11:31):
that's most of the time, Like I know people who
like are model agents and stuff like that, and they're
usually kind of really like put together and attractive and like,
so I think I think that's it was the right
thing which I came to, which like I came to
realize because I have to. I have a ten year
old and an eight year old daughter, and we've been

(11:51):
approached at the mall of a couple of times, you know,
by people who I think are just trying to get
you to sign up for act classes in the By
the way, my daughter's like they want me dad. This
is like, you know, I actually have a funny story
about this. Like in high school, I was like hanging

(12:13):
out at them All with my two friends and this
super creepy guy came over to us and was like,
you guys should be models, and we were like, uh,
you know, I was really skeptical because I was always suspicious.
And I remember he was like, oh, some of your
friends from He said what school do you go to?
And we told him and he said, oh, some of

(12:35):
your friends have modeled for me. And he had a
book full of pictures and he had pictures of some
girls from our class and we were like fifteen guys.
It was very creepy. And then he gave us his card,
and I remember my two friends were kind of like, oh,
he thinks we're models. That's so cool. And I took
the card and I hit it and I threw it

(12:59):
away and my friend was like, oh, do you have
that card? And I was like, oh, uh no, I
don't have anymore. Because they didn't want anybody to get
like catfish into like some kind of like you know,
trafficking ring. You find out later that that man was
Steven Spielberg. Yeah, that man was not that man was

(13:20):
more like Jeffrey up scene. Yeah, but like very creepy. Yeah,
like yet you gotta gotta watch out for teenagers hanging
out them all by themselves. Wow. Wow. But yeah, So
that's my that's like my main That's why this episode
is so you know, so special to us at my house.

(13:42):
But I remember I remember so much of it, and
you know, watching it back, I watched it back last
night and and you know, so many memories kind of
came flooding back. It's so funny to know, you know,
you watch a scene and you're like, that was day one.
There's the first scene I shot. Well, it was the
first scene that you shot at this episode. The first
scene was um, after the cold open. It was the

(14:05):
first scene of act one. It was Nick watching the Turtle,
the Turtle documentary on tv UM and uh yeah, Jess
comes comes in dressed up to go out for the
birthday party. Oh yeah, how did you guys pick that outfit? This?

(14:26):
What was it like Bellerina turnshop walker. I actually, that's
so funny that you say that, Um, that was a
dress I had at home. That was my dress? Really?
And uh yeah, and it was like a dress that
my my friend was a designer. And I love that dress.
It's gorgeous, and I like, it's actually really like it's

(14:50):
I don't know if it's like it's not like it's
it's it's ready to wear, but it's like really it
was a really nice dress. But um, I audit in
because I knew that it was like a body condress
that I felt like looked good at me. So I
know they wanted like a body condress. So I was like,
all right, I've got one. A body con dress is

(15:13):
what is a body con dress? Body con dress is
like a really form figure like tight dress. It's like
Kim Kardashian. Yeah, it's something that has stretched to it
um and is normally really tight. It's like a dress
that has has some some some it's like a it's

(15:36):
like a box of brief but for all over exactly exactly.
But address that's yeah, that's nice. That's nice. That's what says. Yeah,
every yeah, yeah exactly. Um And and I feel like, uh,
that's kind of like what the Kardashians always wear. They're
always in body con. So yes, that that dress. Yeah,

(15:59):
and you know what I remember remember I remember so
much about shooting this episode. Um like it felt like
legendary to me, like our whole you know, like everything
about it felt like legendary. But then what I realized
watching I was like, oh, but the guys part of
this episode was totally legendary too, Like give a cookie,
Get a Cookie? Is like is one that a lot

(16:20):
of people quote and are always asking, um, you know
Jake and Max about all the time they I think
someone thought I remember when we talked to Malmouth that
a lot of people had thought that that was improvised,
that give a cookie, get a cookie, Get a cookie,
give a cookie. You know, um, that that was improvised,

(16:41):
but it wasn't. Was written. Yeah, it's the cross section
of you know, great directing, great writing, and great acting
right there. Yeah, that scene, that was a memorable scene.
I remember Jake like actually like real tears, like getting
emotional moment like I And it was like pretty early

(17:04):
in my directing career, and uh, you know I remember
just like, wow, this is crazy, this is crazy. I
didn't it was unexpected in that moment, but it was
like really like I'm like, oh, he's like really going
for it. Is amazing. Yeah. Yeah, the girls are flying
fists and the boys are just crying, and moments like

(17:28):
that when you're working with a guy like Jake Johnson,
who we we come to note as a person who
probably can't read. So I mean, and I say that
in Jess, but he loves to improvise, like he loves
it a lot. Now does that throw you off when
you come on a show, you know, sort of like
you said so early on your directing career, with a

(17:49):
cast of people that love to improvise and a crew
of writers and showrunner who love to improvise. How did
you work with that? How did you deal with that? Yeah? Well,
I mean luckily that's sort of so. I I came
from the upright Citizens Brigade Theater like I started, Yeah,
like I started at UCB in two thousand and two

(18:12):
in New York and um, you know, was on like
a house improv team there with like Ellie Kemper, and
I kind of came up with that whole that that
whole generation of you know, um, Adam Paley and Ben
Schwartz and Aubrey Plaza and Donald Glover like those were
all my you know class and improv class back in

(18:33):
the early two thousands. So um, and I honestly, I
think that's kind of what got me hot. Like I
was sort of the new face in like directing you know,
network TV comedy, and there was so much improv across
a lot of shows from the office. I did have
a lot of happy endings episodes as well, and yeah,

(18:55):
um yeah, because I was someone that could just get
in there and like roll with the improv and pitch
new things and just like I kind of knew how
as it's just the world I came from, like a
very collaborative, uh comedic world. Were you allowed to pitch
a lot of stuff here on our show? You know,
there's some certain parts, um, the Russian cartoon, you know,

(19:17):
the monkey Cracker thing, like there was an animation to
it really does look like me. Really, I really do
resemble that. That was so that was so good. Um
and like the music that Ludwig wrote for it, and um, yeah,

(19:40):
that whole monkey Cracker. You know, it's funny. There's a
part in the episode there's like this dance monkey part.
I'm like, I wonder if the song dance Monkey. You
know that song dance Monkey? Have you ever heard that? Oh,
there's there's this like pop song from a couple of
years ago called Dance, Monkey and Dogs. Really, I'm like,

(20:00):
I wonder if this was somehow influenced by like this
episode where she's telling Jess dance. But yeah, the monkey.
Were you involved in like directing the animation or did
that just come fully packaged to you? No, the animation
was like a fun surprise for me when I saw
the episode The Circle. I actually remember Josh Mammoth like

(20:42):
coming up to me like when we were shooting later,
because they were like still working on the animation, like
while we were shooting it, but like a few episodes later,
was like, do you want to see the monkey cracker thing? Yeah?
And I was I'm like, I've never I never knew
how much I looked like a Russian monkey. Yes, because

(21:07):
I can think, like, how am I? How are they
going to make this monkey look like me? And I'll go, oh, okay,
I get it. Yeah, it's all the eyes. It's the
eyes and the banks. Its eyes and the banks. The
monkey really had really good banks. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, the
eyes and the banks do all the heavy lifting. Yeah, truly, Eric,

(21:29):
I have to ask you about meeting Rebecca who plays
Nadia for the first time. Um, were you surprised by
her when she changed from her beautiful British accent into
her crazy Nadia accent? Did she improve any of those
crazy lines in that cold open Um? Yeah. I mean
I can't remember what exactly she she improvised or what

(21:51):
was thrown out to her in the in the moment,
but the transformation of her getting into that character, yeah,
it was pretty amazing. Yeah, and so funny the random
things that you know, come out of her character's mouth
and and um, yeah, she was so such a blast

(22:11):
to work with. There's that really funny moment with the
um uh, the Wilmer vild rama. Yes, but I remember
her like the accent on saying his name was really funny.
It was just like a slight Yeah. Yeah, I can't remember,

(22:32):
but it was. What was great about that is that
that was a callback from this from one. Oh yeah,
that's just mentioned. She mentions him about all the things
about America that she likes. I think that was what
the bit was, and Wilmer Valderrama was one of them,
and it was to see that she meets she meets
a guy at a bar who pretends to be Wilmer

(22:54):
to go home with her. One thing that I found
interesting about this episode was, and I want to question
you guys about this, the the relationship between Nick and Schmidt.
Nick being uncomfortable, He's uncomfortable and weird it out that
Schmidt thinks about him. Is that is that weird to
you guys, that your friend would tell you that they

(23:16):
think about you often. That's friendship. That's yeah, that we're
very thoughtful about each other. We say I love you
to our friends all the time, we said think about you,
what we said miss you. I mean, it's it's very
I think I think it's a guy thing. Maybe the

(23:37):
notes all the time. I don't know. You tell us
from a male perspective, Yeah, would you think it was weird? Yeah,
if your friend was like, I think about you, like,
but you're I feel like you have a lot of
female friends, Murne. We think about you, We think about you,
and we think about yeah you. Yes, I do have

(24:01):
a lot of a lot of female friends. But I
have a lot of male friends. And you know, I
have a list. I have a list of of men
that I think about and it's a very it's a
very short list. Jesus, and that's that's my brother, Jesus,
I think my brother. I think at my brothers all

(24:22):
the time, right, Yeah. And then Lebron James, that's your friend, Lebron,
my personal, close friend, Lebron personal. Yeah. I think for me,
like in my not now that I'm in my early forties,
I feel like I'm more maybe in touch with my
emotions with male friends and would be able to say

(24:44):
things like I think about you. I feel like, you know,
younger when I was single, and you know it just yeah,
it's I think maybe it would have been weird. I think.
I think the dividing line is one you're a dad,
you can say I think about you, but before maybe

(25:05):
yeah maybe not yeah, not that you can or can't,
But I just mean maybe a guy who's a dad
has like an emotional perspective that's different from like a
single guy. You know. Yeah, sure they're in the struggle
and they see someone else in the struggle and they're
just reaching out across the divide. Yeah, bets are off

(25:27):
once you're a dad. It's funny that, um, but that
storyline is so great. I mean I love that. Just
kind of the commentary on masculinity and men male friendships
and told in such a simple way, Like that entire
story takes place in the apartment. It's all metaphor too.

(25:48):
It's like a hundred percent like it's like the cookie
is the metaphor for thinking of someone, Yeah, and then
the turtle or the tortoise is the metaphor were like,
you know, friendship or whatever. It's It's it's nice you
could definitely um yeah. I mean I felt like both

(26:10):
the kind of guy storyline and the girls storyline we're
both little like one act plays, I know. But the
thing I forgot about it is really the whole episode
is answering the question would you still be friends with
them if you met them today? And that's what both
Naked and Jess are facing, right. I thought I forgot
that that that was a thing that joined it together.

(26:30):
Would you judge a friend that became a model, right, Like?
Would you? Yeah? I'm asking you now, I'm happy if
someone is happy. I'm like, I'm happy for you. Yeah.
But it's funny, you you you get why. It's like
more like Jess's like, it's like you gave from a
protective place, a protective because she knew her as a kid,

(26:54):
and that's not how she thought of her. I think,
you know, that's right. I think that for people. Yeah,
I wouldn't judge someone who became a model, but maybe
like if you're friends with somebody from when you're you know,
seven years old, and you know, you think you're the same,
and then one of you ends up becoming a model,

(27:15):
and then there are a lot of kind of like
surface level things that go into that. But but vot
could drink it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, a lot of it
I think is like the circle that that person exactly. Yeah, yes,
we see that, and we see that come to like
in this episode when you're trying you're trying to fit

(27:35):
in a little bit with her friends. Oh yeah, to
see you know. I thought that was a very fun funny,
interesting scene. Talk about that a little bit. Even from
the creation the standpoint, Eric, there's the dancing, the mocking,
it was also funny to me. And then the boob fight, Like,
I have so many things to say about this boobfight. Yeah,

(27:57):
the boot fight is really great. Do you remember Zoey
they offered us um, I don't know if you remember this, Eric,
if we needed any protection. Oh yeah, I was like,
I think we're okay. Both are like I think we're fine.
We're not, but they weren't. You didn't have pads for that. No,
but I do remember being offered like, do you need

(28:19):
any protection around your boobs in case you I think.
I was like, I think we can figure out how
to fake this to look real, we're not really fall off.
And you know it worked because my friend I watched
the episode last night with a buddy of mine. Um,
and he and and he knows that I'm you know,
like prepping for the recap, and he goes and he goes, Um,

(28:43):
he goes, I need to know how bad that hurt.
He goes, and I said, the pads on. Guys think
that boobs like hurt more than they really. Yeah. Right,
don't you think, Hannah, that they get this idea that
there's some correlation between like boobs and testicles they're very different. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

(29:07):
I think that they're that or they think it's like
they're they're junk that like boobs are like that. I
think there's that confused sensitive on that level. That's right.
But I also think that we have trust that nobody's
gonna punch anybody, because I remember seasons later when I
had to do the scene um where I kick Nick

(29:30):
Ceci kicks Nick in the dick right, and I was like,
we're gonna fake it, like there's this or I punched him.
I punch him in the deck and in a bar.
I remember that. And they asked Jake, They're like, do
you want to cup? And I'm like, oh my god,
it's just a fake thing. And he was like I
want to cup and I was like, bro like in case,

(29:50):
oh no, neither Zoe or I wanted patting or protection
puts off to post production and the folly artists on
this this was like, I I can't say enough how
much the um the post production sound had to do
with the comedy of the scene. Like it's a super

(30:11):
funny scene that works and is written really well, directed
really well. It's funny, but it doesn't work unless you
have that like slap slap, slap slap. Because there was
no sound. It doesn't make a lunch, it doesn't make
any sound. Yeah, but the sound makes it just it
just makes it funny because I always thought boobs had sound.

(30:33):
And my favorite part is it is which which was
improvided just kind of came out in the moment was
when you start going what you start yelling water at
each other. What oh, because that's what guys do right
when they're mad. That's right, we brought up in that

(30:53):
h what what what? Um? The other weird memory that
came flooding back to my mind is that I think
they were setting up for the boob fight because we
were doing it downtown right in this like weird it
was warehouse. Yeah, it was so gross. And I remember
Liz was there and Josh was there, and you were

(31:13):
and I was we were just hanging out and I
feel like Liz just like lit up like a Christmas
tree and you were standing there to Zoe, I feel like,
and it was we'd just gotten confirmation, um that Jamie
Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner were going to play your pants. Wow.
I remember that moment and I had to sit down.

(31:36):
I was like, are you joking? That to me was
just like the hugest casting of like these huge You
were like, these are the Chist wind chimes. These are
the Kist wind chimes. If anybody who gets that gets
that and fans, um, yes, I'd call my like, I'd

(32:01):
call my parents. I was like, oh my gosh, like
our show. I just felt like, which was a great
show and it was beloved. But I was like that
just like elevated the whole thing, and I was going
to be sitting in a room with these two incredible
people and maybe they'd come back and keep being the parents,
which they did. But I remember that moment setting up
for a slat boob fight in a downtown wherehouse and

(32:23):
hearing that these two huge, you know, movie people were
going to join our show. Rank your level of excitement
when you heard about them being cast versus when you
heard about me being cast in the show, rank Like,
they're different things, and now I know what they are. Kid.

(32:46):
I was gonna say, there's some really funny stuff, um
that I loved the Pops back with the like models
and stuff like Eric talk about that, um like just
the flashback because I thought it was so funny. They
had the well there's the one who table. Yeah, I
like table, table is flat? Yeh, yes, the table is flat. Yeah.

(33:10):
I can't I can't remember where we shot that. It's
so funny. Little Pops like building a set just for
like one little that's apart. Yeah yeah, I remember, yeah,
because we shot it on the same day. We just
like flipped it a little bit and we shot it
on the same day Cold Open. Yeah did that was
was that girl that played the model? That was her

(33:32):
only episode she was in right or she yeah? But
they were all well yeah, and then the other girls
who are the models in uh in the warehouse scene
and we're really funny and everybody like totally committed to
this like model stereotype that yeah, yeah, yeah in a
funny way, like really being like the sidekick of sidekicks

(33:55):
of Nadia, Yes, and just being terrible to jets. Yes,
monkey monkey dance. Yeah. That's always a fun thing to
for people to play. Is just like they're being terrible
to just but they don't even realize how terrible they're being.
Like they're having the time of their lives and Jess
is just like absolutely crushed by what they're doing to her.

(34:20):
It's like a really fun tone to hit. There's a
moment in this which I found it be very very
interesting and weird at the same time. Um, well, Jesse, Jess,
and ask the guys if you know one of the guys,
I know what, I know exactly what you're gonna say.
And she asked the guys. She's like, oh my gosh,

(34:41):
you guys, did you guys watch porn together again? Yeah,
it's always so awkward, it's so it's such a weird thing.
I don't I have never done that. I'm gonna just
say it now, Eric, haven't done that with guy friend. No,
that's a very private experience. No, that would be so weird.

(35:05):
But it's so funny. I would love to know what,
Like if Josh like, who, Who's who pitched that exactly
because it's such a fun I mean it, texts him
right now and ask Josh if he's ever watched with
a friend the level of weirdness, the level of weirdness
that the cookie brings up. Yes, is the level of

(35:26):
weirdness that watching porn amongst friends would bring up. And
that is a high level of weirdness. Yeah, so I
think it's a I think really it's commentary on how
weird the cookie made everybody. Well that can't Yeah, I love.
And then all the details that also come out about Schmidt,

(35:46):
like aside from the cookie, the other things that he
does that you never get to see, Like there's a
joke about him doing turndown service, like every night, Yeah,
he puts a chocolate on his pillow, like you don't
like the chocolate. No, I love the chocolate. Oh I
guess they just eat themselves then yeah. Um, and then

(36:11):
you get to see a flashback. I think Nick, Nick
and Schmidt's uh the first time they met, right their
origin story? Yeah about that, yeah, all of that talk. Yeah,
Nick's got that mustache. He's like he looks like a deadhead.
You know, he's like a tie eyed. He's got this

(36:32):
weird mustache. I think he has a Fannie pack on
as well. Um. I remember what was really fun was
their um, you know, their their dorm room that you
got to see because it's the same. It was also
one of the really really fun things for me about
directing the show is like, oh, I'm like the first
show I did was The Office, but then this show

(36:54):
it was like, oh, everyone's my age, Like I'm making
a show, you know, I'm directing a show about yeah,
my age. So the college flashback, it's like, oh, this
is when I was in college, and this dorm room
looks like my dorm room. Yeah, you know, like there
was a fight club. Nick had a fight club poster
on the wall and you know, yeah things. Yeah, how

(37:18):
much did you get to inform like their wardrobe or
that whole dynamic that kind of happened or how Schmidt
looked or was that all Liz? I think that was all.
I think that was a lot of Liz. Like I
you know, I had a little bit of input on
just yeah, some of the some of the things in
the room and what the room looked like. Um, but
I remember when we shot the scene, you know, there

(37:40):
was there was just a really long like there was
so much improv in that's we just kind of let
those guys go like once you get you know, Schmitz
in that costume and like, yeah, they're just both in
these lives. A lot of inspiration, a lot of scope
for the imagination there. Yeah. Yeah, Like I can't remember
what exactly was scripted and what wasn't. But Schmidt was

(38:02):
eating hard ramen, like just the noodles, like crunching on
ramen noodles. Um, I've seen people do that. It's weird. Yeah. Yeah,
Nick's like throwing them in his mouth, but try to
get him to catch them. One. There was like a
gag reel or something or does it play during the

(38:22):
end credit the body slammed? Yes, yeah, yeah, they the
body slam is actually in the episode. But but at
the end they're they're like, just there was just like
so much gold catch throwing the food out of his mouth.
I think that's yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there was. There
was so much, so much gold in that. Do you

(38:45):
remember that that cake Dude's part at the end was
like a reshoot? Yeah? I did not, I did. I
was you were there because I remember actually remember that,
like and I will say, I actually believe this to
be like a perfect episode, but that that piece they
were like trying to figure out how to make the
end work exactly, and so they all kind of came together,

(39:08):
and that Jake really didn't like the cake dudes part,
and that he talked about cake dudes for like years afterwards.
He was like, and then it's just cake dudes, Like
he was cake dudes as a thing. But I remember
we shot it really fast, like you weren't even there,
which is crazy. We shot it really fast at the

(39:28):
end of some like other episode, like when we were
shooting another episode. They were just trying to find, you know,
the ending that they could you know, that would fit
in you know, twenty one minutes and thirty five. I
can't can you remember what the original ending was it
was a scene it was everyone around the table. It
was around the table maybe or something, and there was

(39:50):
cake there. I don't remember, but yeah, it's funny. I
don't remember what the original one was, but it probably haven't.
You know, they used to send you a DV director's cut.
Oh yeah, it was probably too long because like you like,
everything lived and died by this, like twenty one minutes

(40:12):
and thirty five seconds, and everything was like that. I mean,
it's still true and network TV today, but but like now,
we watched so many shows that are on streamers and
you know, cable and everything. But but it's like it
had to be over by then, and and there was
no wiggle room. I remember that this one was kind

(40:34):
of tough in editing to get it down to time.
I betguetop and it gives why Sage advice from over
the screen. Um, but there was um yeah, I remember.

(40:57):
I want to say that my director's cut was like
seven minutes over time or something. Oh wow, really long
because I because the so much episode real estate was
taken up by that by the car show, which is
this big set piece. Yeah, I remember we talked about it,
um Zoe being like you're like a real Lucille Ball moment. Yes,

(41:21):
And I was so I loved how that, Like I
thought it was so much fun to do and to
work on. And I also have to give props to
Monica Brauner, who's my stunt double. Ye, she's absolutely amazing
and like anything that was like unsafe for me to do,
Like she just was like so there in game and
she would like always like watch me get my body

(41:43):
language right and then could be so funny and then
do something totally dangerous at the same time. Yeah, but
that was such a fun sequence to work on, and
I m I actually I also U the two like
the car announcer and then I actually know one of

(42:05):
those guys who was like the car rob ryness. He's
really funny guy. Um but yeah yeah, and another guy
who's like announcing I don't remember that actor's name, will
have to have to get it, but um they when
he's announcing, he's he's like trying so hard to keep
it professional, but I'm so unprofessional. My eye is like like,

(42:31):
uh yeah, that was such a funny thing that like
the eyelashes were too heavy for your own Like Jess
is so out of her element as a model that
like she can't even handle, like she has weak eyelids,
weak eyelids. But it is true because I actually know

(42:53):
friends that like don't wear makeup at all, and if
you try to put makeup on them, they're so confused.
You know, it's like it really throws Stump off their game.
But it's also like the heels too. They also put
me in the highest possible doesn't make a comment to
about it. He's like, what's on your face? Oh? Yeah,
that on your face? So I just got Connor actor

(43:21):
that played the Okay, yeah, well he was great too.
You know a lot of really great people in this episode.
I just got a text from Josh. I'm about the
watching porn with your uh friend platonically? So I said,
who pitched the watching porn together with a platonic friend? Joke?
Did this happen to someone? And he goes, I don't
remember who pitched it. It's a good point though, um,

(43:44):
And I said, did this happen to you ever? You
know he's got to ask and he said, no, it
has not. But it's funny and I feel like you
see it reference in movies. Guys will be like, let's
go watch porn and it sounds horrible. Yeah, I can
imagine that being an enjoyable experience unless you're friends at

(44:04):
porn star and you're just critiquing the work as one does. Yeah,
are there porn critics like, yeah, they have the award show.
I think they got the award show. I've never heard
their peers though. The thing about it is though, like
when you you know, if watching porn, like getting turned

(44:27):
on or something, is like a vulnerable moment, you know
what I mean, like you can't control it, And I
think like if that's what the awkwardness is about, it's like,
oh I feel too exposed, Like yeah yeah yeah, like music, okay, yeah,
it's like a sixth grader getting like a boner in sweatpants.

(44:52):
Questions you brought like that just brought back. Yeah, yeah,
I know. My daughter's yeah, my daughter is in fifth grade,
my eldest daughter, and uh yeah, it's like the year
when like the sex aid and stuff starts to happen.
Oh no, she's come from in school. She's like, Dad,
have you heard of a boner? Do you know what

(45:14):
that is? A kid had a boner? In six six?
They have like trapper keeper so that they could just
down the hull. I'm like, if that sixth grader knew
that you were at home telling your dad he had
a boat at school, he would never forget it for

(45:35):
the rest of his life. Die. Yeah, that's like one
of those memories from inside out, like Turns and the
core memories. Hey, guys, do you know what time it is?

(46:00):
It's mean alert time moments. Maybe once in a while,
there is something that will happen in a scene of
a movie or a TV show that will shatter the
walls of said show, something that will stand out in
a project so much so that fans will refer to
that scene and not even have seen the show. Now,

(46:21):
in this episode, we've stumbled across another iconic moment in
New Girl history, and we've already spoken about it. This
one is truly a fan favorite. Gave me Cookie, Got
you Cookie? Now that that meme is a shorthand for
wanting to express fond emotions but being unable to do
so in a straightforward manner. So let's talk specifically about

(46:43):
the filming of that scene and some of the things
that you remember. The type of cookie that was apparently
that's a very special cookie, black and white cookie, black
and white cookie. I thought maybe he would have given
the cookie to me. Yeah, it was a black and
white cookie that he bit into a star of David.

(47:06):
So it's like the gesture is it's just such so misguided.
The sentiment is there, but he went about it the
wrong way. Now, I remember, Zoe, you said that it
was that that was scripted, That wasn't an improvised moment scripted. Yeah,
it was all scripted. And I remember specifically Jake in
um because people have asked about that moment a lot

(47:30):
in like, you know, I remember Q and As and
I remember people saying, like people always asking if that
moment was improvised, and always Jake Johnson was like, no,
that's Josh Malmouth all the way. Who was by the way,
when we started New Girl, he was a junior writer,
like he had only I think done been on one

(47:50):
other show, and like first I remember it was like
I was like, this guy is hilarious and just so
fun and like like game, you know, he's just he's
a fun He's a fun writer to work with. You know,
have you guys seen this meme go around? Have you

(48:11):
have you seen this eric at all? I have seen
it I've seen it in the wild a couple of times,
and I'm always like tickled to see that pop up. Yeah,
I mean I think quite a few times i've seen
it pop up and yeah, I'm like, oh my god,
I can't believe it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember that,

(48:33):
um the cookie thing at the table read killing, Like
I remember everyone Fox and twentieth and I remember everyone
just saying, like, no notes, you know, like after the
table read, you discuss everything they give notes on on,
you know here little things you know, to change in

(48:55):
the script or or to plus up and focus on
a little bit more. And I remember it was like
the gimme cookie, got you cookie, the cookie thing, we
no notes, excited to see it, and also like set
the foundation so deeply for the rest of this series
for the audience to understand how deeply these men love

(49:17):
each other, you know, in a spoken way, like Jake
had to say it, you know, Nick's character had to
say it. And I just feel like that was something
that just set up so much comedy then and so
much stuff that was just understood by the audience and
for the rest of the series, which is why it
feels so important to the show. Yeah, to see Nick

(49:39):
get vulnerable in a way like that, Like he makes
fun of Schmidt for um crying earlier in the episode,
and you know, then then then he starts crying. You know,
it's like such a great moment aside from being hilarious,
it's like just works on an emotional level. Yeah, exactly,

(50:00):
such a great scene. Should we dive into a little
True American? Yes, we're back and it's time for True
American regular listeners. No, we've switched up the game a
bit when we have a guest for the show and

(50:24):
now we try to get the truth of their experience
on the show. Eric, are you ready? In episode one
of season two, Schmidt decides to throw a party after
he gets his penis cast off to announce he's ready
to have a sex again, which just saying that as ridiculous,

(50:47):
and the guestless includes a writer from Cranky Anchors. Was
that writer you? And would you attend Schmidt's party? That
writer was not me? Unfortunately, I'm sure I love a party.
I will. Who is the crank Anchers writer? I remember

(51:10):
this episode and I watched it recently, but I don't
remember them saying I think they he said the right
writing staff from crank Anchers. I think. So there were
always those like lists that were funny. Yeah, but you
would go to Schmidt's Penis m casts cast on Vailly party.

(51:33):
I mean would you have to know Schmidt to attend?
I mean I would go if I barely knew him.
I like putting myself in situations that will yield a
story that I can tell me too. Yeah, so funny.
A lot of people have this are like, have so
much social anxiety, and I'm not. It's not that I don't,

(51:55):
but I love an awkward moment, Like I love if
I can have an awkward moment, like I'm excited about it.
And so if I get invite to a party where
I know nobody, I kind of am like, oh yeah, yeah,
i'd be I'd love to be a fly on the
wall at that party, and you know, sort of yeah
in the corner on my phone. Yeah, exactly, exactly, low

(52:19):
expectations of you when you're that guy at the party.
I can't be at an awkward party. I can't. I
hate awkward and uncomfortable situations. Um. I met Julia Louis
Dreyfuss once at a party and she was talking to me.
We were having a conversation, but because because I was
so nervous around her and uncomfortable because I had never

(52:41):
met her before that I stopped talking to her and
turned around and walked away because I panicked. I panicked.
I was like, she's gonna find out that I'm stupid,
Like she's gonna know that I'm an idiot. And then
I just left and my sister was like this, It
was like, why would you watch? What's wrong with you?
I don't know. I didn't know what to do. She

(53:02):
was talking to me, and you know, that's like a
little like a little stagnant part of the conversation and
now it's your turn to participate, and your brain's like
get out, get out, get out. Your flight or fight
started going, Yeah, that's not horrible because it's a great story. Actually,

(53:23):
something embarrassing just happened to me. And I was like
very kind of actually kind of excited to maybe tell
you guys about it. And this feels like a good
moment that I was like. In my neighborhood, I walked
past a coffee shop and I saw Don Cheetle, who
I know and he's like one of my favorite actors ever,
and so like I'm still starstruck by him even though

(53:43):
I've known him a long time. And I was like
I saw him, I got so excited. I was like done,
it's so in. He was really nice. And then I
walked away. And then next time I was like near
a mirror. I like looked in the mirror and I
realized that I'd gotten dressed in the ark and I
was wearing like a sweatshirt and that i'd take my

(54:04):
kids to school. I'd like gote dressed really early in
the dark. Jonathan got home like late from New York,
and I was like didn't want to wake him up,
so I grabbed a sweatshirt and it had like stains
all over, and then the kids had like spilled stuff.
So then I had to like write it, like write
an email to Don Cheeta like um hey, uh so

(54:25):
like don't judge me going really well, I'm okay. I
felt really good about that like running into but um,
I might have had like crazy like coffee stains all
over me. So anyway, Um, there you go. When you
meet your heroes, sometimes my big I get anxious that

(54:47):
people aren't going to remember who I am. Me too,
Yeah it's Zoe Hill. Remember, yeah, here's what we here's
how we know each other. And it's like, yeah, of course,
I like. I've done that a couple of times my son.
People are like, yeah, I know, I know who you are.
I know talk no. But it is good to remind

(55:10):
people out of context because there's so many people people
like a lot of times, like people see so many
people like I always say it just says my dad
used always do that. He'd be like, Caleb, it's Caleb
like and it was good. I could tell, like, you know,
it's good to you know, remind people because of out
of context problems. Yes, yeah, I'm not gonna lie to
even people introduced themselves to me, and we've met a

(55:32):
million times. I most of the time I do not
know their name. I just get names all the time too.
I like, yeah, yeah, Mark or Mike, I don't know Britanic.
I'm pretty good if I know people you know, like,
but but sometimes you just don't know people well enough

(55:54):
to know their name, you know. Yeah, all right, Eric
got one last little segment here for you. Okay, Nicks Box.
Nick's Box is brought to you by Hyundai. When it
comes to your journey, Hyundai is thinking of every Mile.
So welcome back to this segment where we crawled to
the back of Nick's closet and pull out the memories
that the cast and crew of New Girl have kept
hidden for years. You've done a few episodes of New Girl.

(56:19):
What is your favorite all time favorite memory from working
on the show? Oh boy, okay, give me a second
to think, Give me a second to think about um.
You know, I think it's probably the scene in the

(56:41):
last after the final episode that I directed. It's this.
It's shooting this train, this scene where Darren kill him
is rambling on about trains and improvising. That was something
where he improvised funny like a ton of of just
facts about trains. He's like just a dud of a

(57:04):
boyfriend of like a guy that Jess starts dating and
and oh yeah, so that's the episode She Loves His
parents by Julie Haggarty and Henry Wink Yeah, are like
the best loveliest people in the world. And it's just
this like awkward dinner where she's like, gotta break it
off and it's like and yeah, I remember just uh yeah,

(57:28):
him just going on and on and on about trains
and and everyone just like so dying dying laughing, He's
so funny and asked him if he I said, I said,
are those real facts about trains? He said, no, I
mean great improviser. Thanks for bringing out Nick's box. Hunday

(57:51):
remember from shopping to buying to owning, Hunday has your back.
Like our favorite memories, taking a Hyundai on your journey
will keep you feeling safe and warm. Learn more at
Hyundai USA dot com. Okay, so we do this segment
called Where's the Bear? Because, um, there is this big

(58:12):
fan rumor that there's a bear in every single episode
you have directed multiple episodes. Did Liz or any writer
producer ever tell you, Um, we just need to make
sure that we have a bear somewhere in an episode,
a little toy bear, a bear on the wall. Ever
said to you, Oh my gosh, I I'm not sure

(58:37):
about the bear thing. I'm I think I've sort of
I think there's something some bear reference in in the
in like the Latvia scene, and I think there was
in a lot for the episode. Because in this episode
there's a bear in Winston's room. So that the fan

(59:00):
theory checks out for this episode. Okay, it checks out
for this I don't know if I was told about
the bear and this episode, but see it's a maybe.
If it's there, it's there, possible. If it's there, it's there,
you can't see. This is a point for me. Is
in the pudding. Thank you, Eric, Thank you. That's hilarious.
Thank you Eric. We might have to have you back

(59:22):
to talk about some of some of your other episodes
if you're way, because um, yeah, I would, I would,
I would love to. There's I mean, there's so many
fun memories. Yeah, the next one I did is like
a flashback episode. There's more. There's Schmid and at the
Christmas Tree, a lot Winson in Latvia. Yes, yeah, so

(59:43):
there's Yeah, there's a lot of really really fun stuff.
I would absolutely love to. Okay, that would be amazing
because this was such so much fun. Thank you for
thanks for taking the time and and visiting, revisiting um
and thanks for having me. It was It was great
to see all of you again. So nice Slash, A
pleasure to see you, BROV. Don't forget to like and
subscribe everybody, and also feel free to go to our

(01:00:06):
website and pick up some of our merchet Where's the
Bear merch? We get to your American merch. Welcome to
Our Show merch available now. You've been listening to Welcome
to Our Show, a New Girl recap podcast. Welcome to
Our Show is a production of iHeartRadio, hosted by Zoey Deschanel,

(01:00:27):
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