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<p>« The Gag Reel By: Mo Diggs | Main| GIVEAWAY | Kenny Vs. Spenny: Season 3 » Monday Dec 03 2007  Jason Sudeikis: The Ultimate Interview | Part 1 - On StrikeBy: Billy Nord</p>
<p>Monday, December 3, 2007 at 7:13AM</p>

<p>Photo: Jason Anfinsen</p>

<p>For the past four seasons, millions of television viewers have embraced thirty-two year old comedian Jason Sudeikis as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He's taken on primetime television impressively with the role of Floyd, Liz Lemon's love interest on the Emmy Award-winning gem, 30 Rock, and has brightened up the silver screen in The Ten. In 2008, he'll appear alongside Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate in The Rocker, and will be a featured voice in the next addition to Rockstar Games' epic Grand Theft Auto series. An improv veteran and improv addict, you can often find him sharpening his wit on stage in New York and Chicago, most times with hilarious 30 Rock scribe, Kay Cannon (aka Mrs. Sudeikis)</p>

<p>All this week, The Apiary will run portions of the various conversations Mr. Sudeikis and I have had over the course of several months. Our first interview was in June, days after the 2006-2007 season finale; our final took place late this November, in midst of the WGA strike; a disgusting disaster still affecting the lives of hardworking writers and their families.</p>

<p>Initially, I had toyed with the idea of penning a profile piece, but eventually abandoned that after the many hours spent transcribing tape. Going back and re-exploring these lengthy conversations I'd realized that, without a doubt, Sudeikis' story is best told by Sudeikis; and he tells it well. Plus, I'm an incredibly huge fan of natural conversation. What you see below, and throughout the next five days, is how it went down. Rough, solid and unedited, with depth definitely as thick as its length. Or something else that's less phallic-like.</p>

<p>With that said, we're going to start from the end--the most recent interview, a conversation that occurred on a brisk Friday in November; during a breakfast in Greenwich Village. The topics we focused on were both the WGA strike and SNL's recent show at Manhattan fixture, The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. I hope you enjoy, and please check back with us tomorrow for the next installment.</p>

<p>Do you remember the first time you'd heard rumblings about a potential strike?</p>
<p>Jason Sudeikis: Yes, it was definitely through my wife, Kay. She'd heard about it in the writers' room on 30 Rock. She's new to that whole world, but a lot of people on that show had written for a bunch of other shows, so they were much more plugged in behind closed doors. I'd heard about it at the beginning of the SNL season. Everyone was like, "Is it going to happen?" "I don't know, is it going to happen?" Both parties have been thinking about a strike for quite awhile.</p>

<p>How long was it discussed before the strike actually occurred?</p>
<p>From what I understand, it's been years.</p>

<p>Years?</p>
<p>Yeah, I think so. I mean, I can only imagine what goes on when this amount of money is relevant.</p>

<p>Has this been going on prior to television networks streaming full episodes online?</p>
<p>I don't know; that's the discussion. I don't know too many details about it. I pick up things either reading or through Kay. First of all, I don't like misinformation with anything. There are rumors and there's the truth.</p>

<p>It seems as if everything written online by WGA members is the closest to the truth you can get. They have no reason to spin or distort, the corporations have every. So, when you'd first heard about a potential strike, you'd said it was at the beginning of the SNL season. Was this during production of the first episode, or the days before you'd began working on the first show?</p>
<p>I think it was right before we'd gone in to work the first episode; there were a couple of meetings. And then, there was the weird meeting right before the week of the Brian Williams show. There was the possibility the strike was going down that Wednesday, which would have been a very interesting time if they'd chosen to strike. We would have had to finish out our show without writers. The Thursday/Friday re-write process would've been eliminated completely.</p>

<p>Thinking back now, after reading about "Scab" shows, do you think it would've cast a negative light had SNL produced a show without writers?</p>
<p>I think it would've been done with the understanding that the show was already written. It's the same reason why people were cool, for the most part, with 30 Rock shooting the scripts they had already completed.</p>

<p>Is 30 Rock still in production?</p>
<p>Not anymore. They shot for a week after the strike began, though they weren't writing.</p>

<p>So if the 30 Rock scripts were written prior to the strike, and they continued to shoot after the strike began, would that mean they weren't able to tweak jokes or dialogue on set, in between takes, despite how much a certain line may not work?</p>
<p>Right. It's an honor system. In a way, Tina is striking against herself, being one of the show's producers. At that level, it becomes quite personal. I have no idea what to say, every single person feels something.</p>

<p>On that show there definitely seems to be a respect for the obstacles WGA members have been enduring. Now, if SNL writers had striked on a Wednesday, and you had been forced to complete a show, do you think there would've been a chance for improv during the live broadcast?</p>
<p>I don't think Lorne would ever do that, unfortunately.</p>

<p>After seeing the successful performance the cast pulled together for the "SNL On Strike!" show at the UCB Theatre, do you think Lorne would ever consider allowing more experimentation on the actual NBC show? Possibly take more chances with improvisation?</p>
<p>I don't think so. I mean, the show at the UCB Theatre was written. There was some improvisation here and there, but it was more based on the shagginess of the thing. Kind of joking like, "What the hell are we doing?" As far as the scenes, those were actually written. We had cue cards and everything. It was a one hundred percent written show. The improvisations that come across on the TV show are within spontaneous moments of, you know, hilarity. You would break and whatnot. It's all rhythm; you gotta worry about the crew, you gotta worry about the camera, you gotta worry about the set. Just the cutting of a scene alone, being able to go from a two-shot to a single. That has to happen on a line-cue.</p>

<p>I believe I'd read Bill Murray used to toy a bit with improv during his days on SNL. He said something along the lines of, and I'm totally paraphrasing, "As long as you get that last line-cue in, you're set. The director can do his job."</p>
<p>Yeah, but there's credit to be paid to the writing and the writers. Unless it's your own personal piece. But still, it's hard not to come off masturbatory and over stay your welcome. The thing I would like to see, the thing I wish could come across on the live show that has the feel and energy of improvisation, would be how hurried the process (of the SNL show at the UCB Theatre) was. We only met one day and then had rehearsal on Friday. We rehearsed for like, five hours, then met again 7pm Saturday for final rehearsal. It's already a fast week (during production of the actual NBC show). You're doing a two-week production in a week's time. Every day you have two things going on. And we did that in a matter of three days. It's the structure of the show, the well-oiled machine that it is, that's allowed it to exist for 33 years. It's also the cast, crew and producers, everyone who was involved in the UCB show, who maintained it and allowed it to sort of run itself. In a way (laughs) it would be kind of awesome if - awesome in a sense that I think we'd be able to pull it off with a lot of success, which would help everything, the show and whatnot - if the strike ended on the 13th, or whatever it is, I pulled that date off the top of my head, and everybody in America knew that SNL only had three days to come up with their show for that following Saturday. I think then we would capture some of the spirit that existed at the UCB Theatre show. And the show would be completely written, not improvised at all. It would be like, "Under the gun, can they put together that hour and a half variety show in three days?"</p>

<p>By the way, the UCB Theatre was such an appropriate venue.</p>
<p>Yeah! It's such an amazing opportunity, you know, Amy, Ian, Matt and Matt had this theatre in New York and they thought, "We should do this SNL show" and they just did it. Not having to kowtow with whatever Neil Simon-theatre.</p>

<p>Do you think it was inevitable, the two worlds, SNL and UCB, colliding for a show? I mean, it's definitely like that almost every single Sunday with Asssscat, but this was an official show.</p>
<p>Yeah. I know that they''ve had auditions there for SNL, as well as showcases for Aspen (Comedy Festival). That place is really plugged in. The same goes for the (UCB) theatre on the west coast. Yeah, it was kind of inevitable. And we made it in the New York Times!</p>

<p>Photo: The New York Times</p>

<p>Prior to that piece, how long had it been since the Times did a profile on Saturday Night Live?</p>
<p>Well, I know Bill (Hader) had a profile and so did Fred (Armisen). But outside of individuals, I'm not sure. They have been pretty kind, though. This piece felt in line with things they've written about SNL in the past. They were able to capture, I believe, the spirit of what was going on. It's always nice to hear positive things about the show in the press because it's a very personal thing. It's nice when we're all feeling the same way; we are all on the same team. Everyone in that room (the UCB Theatre) was on the same team, the cast and all 150 or so people who were there to see it.</p>

<p>It's definitely in the same vein as when viewers watched the very first few episodes. You'd felt as if you were in your own little secret club. There weren't many, if any, seeing the same television images you were witnessing.</p>
<p>Yes! The two things I've said about it with regard to the show, and our group, and our cast, and our writers: the camaraderie that we have almost makes suffering through the strike worth it.</p>

<p>This great feeling you had after the SNL at the UCB show gives you something positive to take away from a shitty situation?</p>
<p>Yeah, absolutely. I mean the fact that we didn't do it for money. It wasn't about the money. Some people out there are labeling writers as "whiny." And saying, "Why should they receive residuals in the first place?" If there's any argument to be made towards that stuff, it's that it's not about the money. Amy (Poehler) said in the Times article, "We just wanted to do this; we like doing this." It was nice to get that little ray of sunshine. And the second thing is, which you were saying before, this was probably the closest, I imagine, our generation will come to feeling what it was like to be on the show in the early days. It was a very specific, intimate thing. Being in the room with staff and Mike Shoemaker, putting up cards (on the wall) with names of sketches on them. That's not something we're privy to on the television show; that happens behind closed doors. It was like all-access. A couple people second-guessed if they should cut their piece strictly for time. Everything together ended up making the show a total of two hours, which is like a normal dress rehearsal show. But it was well structured. Yo La Tengo helped, and having Michael (Cera) there helped. It was great to watch, it all coming together. Sometimes you need a wrench thrown in the system to make you become sort of present again. It reminds you of what you do, and what you get to do for a living. I think Amy summed it up when she said afterwards all of us had that feeling of being on ecstasy. Everyone was rubbing each other's shoulders. We were just very, very happy. It was a great night, and went by so fast. You maybe had time to watch someone do their sketch then you had to run and change for your own or prepare your own cue cards. And then at the end, when everyone was out on stage and the writers were running past holding cards with their names on them, sort of like the credits at the end of the show, everyone in the audience stood and gave an ovation. Everyone went crazy; it was unbelievable. It was fantastic.</p>

<p>So this night revitalized you, reminding SNL has the potential to feel new again?</p>
<p>Yes.</p>

<p>The show can be unpredictable.</p>
<p>Sometimes it's in the form of Paul McCartney walking onto stage, sometimes it's in the form of discovering Ashlee Simpson lyp-synching, other times it's the cast breaking during "Debbie Downer." And that night, we pulled it off. We had to sneak in through the back door, all of us had to bring our own props, you know? Steve Higgins and I, and Kevin Miller, who's one of our writing assistants, went out to buy markers to make our own cue cards.</p>

<p>Cast members wrote their own cue cards?</p>
<p>Yeah, if you wrote the piece, you did the cue cards. I had a scene where I gave this best man speech, I do this character "Ed Mahoney," I've done him before on the show, and I had to write it all out. It really gives you a newfound respect for every aspect of the television show that you'd previously taken for granted. Cue cards, they have it to a science! It's unbelievable. It's so hard to essentially write these things, making the lines visible. They write in all capitals so it's easier to read. I couldn't write in all capitals that night; my brain wasn't functioning that way. Luckily I had (Jon) Lutz, who was nice enough to hold my cards for me. We made just one set of cards, which were positioned right next to the pole, right in the center of the UCB stage. We did the whole thing as close to the real show as possible. Down to the music, down to having one of our stage managers there, Jenna, running around while wearing a head set. A head set that was not real. Darrell Hammond did his impression of Don Pardo introducing all of us.</p>

<p>Did he do that from the theatre's sound booth?</p>
<p>No, it was from the stage. Amy introduced him after the cold open.</p>

<p>How was this show initially pitched to you? How did it actually come together?</p>
<p>An email was sent the week before, sort of saying, "Hey, we think this show's going to happen." And then there was another sent the following Monday which read, "If you have sketches you'd like to submit, send them to Cristy," who is one of the assistants and who was very, very instrumental with this whole thing coming together. We had to send copies (of submitted sketches) to Seth (Myers) as well. It was all about finding sketches that were easy to pull off in this forum. My thing was just this best man speech at a wedding. You know, just me speaking for two straight minutes. Basically it'll be a one-shot on the television show, with some reaction shots from other cast members.</p>

<p>Was it an escalated monologue?</p>
<p>Yeah, just a monologue with my character saying inappropriate things. Telling stories about taking mushrooms, stuff like that. Completely inappropriate. Wildly.</p>

<p>Probably based on your real life, I'm sure.</p>
<p>All great comedy is based on truth. All bad comedy is based on truth too. Sometimes other comedy... all my comedy is based on other comedy (laughs). So, preparing for the UCB Theatre show, we got the email and then sent our sketches in. Friday, all of us met at the UCB classrooms, which I had never been to. On 30th Street, I think. Close to the theatre. 75% of the people were there; some of the cast couldn't make it in that day. Michael Cera wasn't there; he couldn't come until Saturday, the day of. And then we went to the theatre and blocked it all out. We then talked about lighting. Again, people sort of jumped into certain roles. It was great to see everyone scattered around UCB, all doing their cards and everything; helping each other out. Gathering props, here and there. Searching for a baby stroller or a king's crown, whatever we needed. By that time, the running order was sort of set.</p>

<p>And you'd met Saturday prior to show time?</p>
<p>Saturday we met at 7 o'clock, and went through the show exactly how we'd rehearse prior to the actual television show.</p>

<p>What normally would've occurred on Monday, meeting that week's guest host, etc. actually happened hours before the UCB show?</p>
<p>Yeah, but we all sort of knew Michael. We met him various times when he'd been to the TV show.</p>

<p>Have there been talks of him hosting the television show?</p>
<p>I think so. I know Jonah Hill was supposed to host the week after Brian Williams, so, I'm sure we were looking to get him. He was fantastic at the live show. He's just a really good actor. Really, really good timing and just fell right into it. I think he had a lot of fun too. And even if you had never seen SNL, you could tell this was something different. Something special, and he was caught right up in it. Yo La Tengo as well.</p>

<p>Who directed the show?</p>
<p>Oh, we were all sort of self-directing. You'd watch each other's piece, and everyone was there for one another. Which is what we do on a week-to-week basis, but this was sort of magnified. This was just a heightened, sped-up version. No one got to see it, which it almost feels like, besides the 150-or so people.</p>

<p>Was there anyone shooting video?</p>
<p>There is footage. Maggie Carey, a documentarian and Bill Hader's wife, shot footage. So, I know there's stuff out there. Though I don't know what they're going to do with it.</p>

<p>If the footage emerges years and years from now, that would be the best thing.</p>
<p>Yeah, I wouldn't want to watch it anytime soon. I still get fired up thinking about it, talking about it. Sometimes having the actual thing presented in front of me, I'm kind of like, "Ehh." I wish there was footage of the rehearsals, because that was something to watch. I think watching the rehearsal process is something I enjoy a lot now. Just watching a sketch find its feet, really working the scene, watching people be themselves. They're funny as hell too. I've been taking home a lot of rehearsal DVDs of the show, when we're doing blocking especially.</p>

<p>That's great they shoot those.</p>
<p>The best one I've watched was that scene Bill and I do, where I play the boom-mic guy, the most recent one we did with LeBron James. There are little nuances here, little lines, little moments where you're on your feet. You know, I throw him a book and he says, "What is this?" and I say, "That's a book!" That sort of thing. That came from us improvising while I was off camera.</p>

<p>When we talked after the first time you'd played that character, this was with Julia-Louis Dreyfus, you said you felt the audience that night, during that particular sketch, wasn't on your side. For some reason or another, you felt they were uncomfortable. Now you bring the character back for another go, was the crowd response different?</p>
<p>I hope so. I mean, at the end of the day, I think it's easier to find the sketch funny when it's me being mean to a guy clearly who looks like he could beat my ass, LeBron James, as opposed to me being mean to someone as sweet as Julia. I think there's more of a sort of knee-jerk reaction towards me being mean to a woman than me being mean to a man, I would guess. I know I would probably feel that way too. I mean, I am not a mean person. Once that becomes understood, then I think you can get away with the luxury of being mean more often. Maybe this character might be my way to sort of prove that. Because there is no justification as to why he's like that, but he just is. I think after three or four times the viewers seem to find justification themselves.</p>

<p>So will we be seeing the Boom-mic guy on screen again?</p>
<p>I think so, yeah. Me and Bryan Tucker write those.</p>

<p>I'd recently watched his rap video. Insanity. There had to have been an embolism experienced during that shoot.</p>
<p>Is that the one with Akiva, Jorma and Andy?</p>

<p>Yes. And lots of screaming. So good.</p>
<p>He's hilarious. And he's the quietest, most reserved guy in the world. That's why it's great.</p>

<p>The two of you write the boom-mic sketches?</p>
<p>Yeah, we write together quite a bit. Brian, me and Fred wrote those iPhone ads. That came from us using the break to watch a lot of TV, see what catches our eye.</p>

<p>Those parodies of Dane Cook's baseball ads were right on the money.</p>
<p>That was a weird moment because Dane Cook had been on the show, and I didn't write those, but he'd gotten back to me about them. He liked them; other people liked them.</p>

<p>He's one guy who enjoys publicity.</p>
<p>Yeah, he's not going to be mean about it. There's no reason to be. It wasn't anywhere near as harsh as the stuff they do on Mad TV. We were really just emulating the actual ads.</p>

<p>So the current status of the cast and crew, everyone's in support of the writers strike?</p>
<p>I am. And I can only assume everyone else is, but I can't really speak for everybody.</p>

<p>In seems most are in support of the strike. Can I ask, from your perspective, and hypothetically speaking, of course, when does frustration set in?</p>
<p>I would assume some people already feel that. This is not about it being figured out for January or February, it's about it being figured out for five years from now when everything is completely different. It's two groups of people attempting to anticipate a new form of technology, and set a precedent that will most likely be followed by both the Actor and Director Guilds. I'm sure through the holidays there will be some financial tragedy for some. While comedy writers do get paid well, not all of them are millionaires. You can't say they're millionaires as often as you can say producers are millionaires. You know, Kay and I are at the low/middle of the totem pole in this thing. I mean we have jobs, which makes us slightly different than some of the people in the Writers Guild. But, we get paid week to week. I get paid per show; Kay gets paid per week. We don't have development deals. We're on salary, but it's not these two million dollar deals. So, we have totally gotten hit by doing this. And the majority of people are going through the same thing. There could come a time when lots of people become frustrated. Look, the last strike lasted twenty-two weeks; it's going to end. And maybe I'm being naive by saying that, you know, but hopefully it ends tomorrow. I would much rather be going to work and seeing my friends and co-workers, making the show. I know Kay would much rather be going to work than attending three work out classes a day just to kill the time. Our brains are still working; we are still coming up with ideas.</p>

<p>The Apiary | 4 Comments | 8 References in Epic Interview References (8)</p>
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<p>Reader Comments (4)</p>
<p>this is a great read. looking forward to more December 3, 2007 | keith h. That rap video did make me laugh. Great interview. December 4, 2007 | The Newsbites That rap video did make me laugh. Great interview. December 4, 2007 | Tyler Riewer Great interview My Son, you do a good job.I Love YouMom December 5, 2007 | Mom Post a New Comment</p>
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