The Bob Rivers Show - September 7, 2005
(You can stream the interview from here.)
Amy Poehler: you know, the sexy blonde news chick on 'Saturday Night Live'?
After an interview this morning, the guys are pretty sure they've found a way to lure Kaci to the "other side", so to speak. As Bob, Spike and Joe chatted with this guest, they noticed Kaci in the newsroom growing increasingly flustered at the thought of piping in to ask a question. The reason?
The guest was "Saturday Night Live" star Amy Poehler, one of Kaci's all-time comic idols. Amy got her start doing what Kaci's been doing on the weekends: (No, not THAT. Minds out of the gutter, please.) We mean improv comedy.
Bob, Spike and Joe know her better as 'the hot blonde chick on SNL who sits next to the hot brunette at the Weekend Update desk.
Either way, if you've missed Amy Poehler this summer during SNL's hiatus, you're in luck. Tonight, she stars with her colleagues in the Upright Citizens Brigade in "ASSSSCAT: Improv," a special airing on Bravo Wednesday night at 11.
Bob welcomed her to the show, then congratulated her on the success of taking over Jimmy Falon's position at the Weekend Update desk with Tina Fey.
"When America thinks of news, they think of YOU!" Bob pointed out.
"God help them if they come to me for their news! Good Lord," Amy laughed.
"When you and Tina Fey did it for the first time, was it scary for you?" Bob asked.
Yes, his tone was serious when he asked that, but what you didn't see was the invisible hi-five he and Spike gave each other. (They have an "innuendo of the day" score card in there somewhere.)
"Oh it really was," Amy agreed. (Scary, that is.) There have been so many amazing people who have sat behind that desk, she added, it can be daunting to try anything new on SNL. But there was a comfort level as well- Amy and Tina have been performing together for over ten years since their earlier improvising days in Chicago. And as it usually happens with most decisions on SNL, the addition of Amy to the Weekend Update desk was a last minute decision.
Perhaps remembering Kaci's sheepish admittance to avoiding kissing a girl on-stage during a recent Jet City Improv show, Bob asked Amy if there were any tough things asked of HER on stage over the years.
As it turns out, not really. Amy told us improv is all about committing to the moment, trusting the people you're on stage with, being willing to jump in, and not being afraid of looking like an idiot.
Come to think of it, we're pretty used to jumping in and looking like idiots every morning. Perhaps we had more talent than we had given ourselves credit for.
Her show on Bravo will illustrate the bare bones of improv, she added. They'll take a word from the audience, turn it into an opening monologue, and improvise scenes for the show from there.
A light bulb went on in Joe's head. "Improv must be a little like drinking or doing drugs- it must be addicting," he said.
"Hmm. Well, he's actually right," Amy agreed.
The appeal of improv, Bob pointed out, is knowing right away from your audience how you're doing. And in fact, Amy told us, that's the same way the cast of 'Saturday Night Live" is able to determine what level of humor is appropriate when handling issues in the news. More specifically, the recent tragedy in New Orleans is definitely too big to ignore- but they can gauge from their audience what people are ready to laugh at.
"I would guess they're ready to make fun of our leaders at any time," Bob offered.
Listen to more of our chat with Amy Poehler under "Related Audio." Click HERE to read more about her show on Bravo tonight, 'ASSSSCAT: Improv," airing tonight (Wednesday) at 11.