Amy Poehler & Meryl Streep Shared A Dressing Room At SNL 50 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

You know, it's odd to think about it. now, but you and and Tina, you're this. wave of women that came along, and I. think it's easy for people to take it. for granted now, but you and uh Rachel. and a bunch of other women. Yes, there. were women before you and I know you. have your idols are like Gilda Rner, Lucille Ball, Katherine O'Hara, um, who. I sat next to at the 50th anniversary. and I couldn't I mean I I see her from. time to time and I love I love Katherine.

O'Hara and sometimes she's very earnest. So when when the show was about to start. and Paul Simon came up and he's I get. the microphone and Sabrina Carpenter. came up and she's at her microphone and. they're both ready to go and she went oh. this is it's Paul Simon this is going to. be good and I said well we'll see and. she looked at me like and she was like. what do you mean and I said you know. these things come and go you never know. with Paul which is she's always great. and she was like you he's always. great and this is like we're I'm picking.

a fight with Katherine O'Hara before as. they're calling out 321 one my my my fun. um name drop of that weekend which was. really fun was um you know everyone. there were so many people that people. just shared dressing rooms so I was. sharing my dressing room with Merryill. Street and like you know just like a fan. I took a picture of the door that said. my name and Merryill Street and it was. really cool and um she was you know. getting ready for her sketch and really. rehearsing it and I remember thinking I'. I never rehearsed as hard as Mel Street. has this one moment Seriously, don't.

overthink it. It's It's vaudeville. Be. loud. That'sville say just be loud. Um. Yes. And then in the seats, which you. know was a night of all famous, you. know, um alumni and people, I uh I sat. down and I turned to my left and it Jack. Nicholson. Yes. And I was like, "Of. course, my old friend, my dear friend. Jack.". I think when those things happen, I just. go with it. Yeah. I just say, "Of.

course, Jack Nicholson's here." Of. course. I mean, of course, of course, my. comedy heroes are here. Yes. Um, Letterman sat like three rows down from. me and I went over and said hi and was. struck by his beard. I mean, literally, it hit It's incredible. It hit me. He. turned and it I was slapped by. That's. what success is, is being able to. perform at an event in front of your. comedy. heroes and, you know, give like a B. minus performance and not want to die. That's success. Yes, it is. because it's. happened so many times in my life now.

where I've had to do the AFI tribute or. something in front of Steve Martin and I. walk away and go, "Well, that was a was. a B minus.". And I go, "You might be being a little. hard on yourself." I could think of hard. hard B minuses. Okay. Oh, I know the one. you're talking about. Yeah. Um I don't. You did call me up. You can't call me. I. called you up and I said that was gave. me that grade. I said B minus. That was. like a C plus. So you met Tina at Improv Olympics in. Chicago 1993. What made you know that. you two were going to be like sort of.

peanut butter and jelly? Sha Halpern, who was this woman running that theater. at the time, said to both of us, "Oh, I. know a woman that you would like." And. she just put us on an improv team. together. And I and I knew Tina was from. Philly and I knew she had written a. really funny play about Katherine the. Great and her intimate relationship with. her horse. And um I knew she was really. smart and funny, but when we met, we.

just kind of we don't actually we we. were on the road doing a show and we. kind of talk about how we don't actually. remember the exact moment we met. Um. because we didn't know we'd be married. for so long um and so in love, but uh. but we just got put on an improv team. and we just instantly and I think this. is the case today, just worked together. so well. Like we like we like to work. the same way which you know when you. work with people there's a language that. you have and how you like to work and.

you either kind of have it or you don't. and if you do have it it's it's the best. on update and anytime I've seen you two. together you always have A+ jokes you. have great jokes great delivery and some. people think what's the trick it's like. uh well you know yes have good delivery. is really important and sometimes you. need to have a saver but have the stuff. and you two always have really good. stuff you know because I think it I I. feel like I've I've given you credit for. this. So tell me if you said this. Yes. But you did. Um but we we we talk about.

this and you saying this um a lot which. is as you know when you're doing comedy. you have to have good jokes all the time. and new jokes all the time. And then you. see musicians go up and sing their song. and you're like, man, if if I could just. go up and sing a hit over and over. I. have this experience, which is I was in. I want to say Phoenix, Arizona, and I. had to do something for an affiliate. So. I'm there and I go in and of course I.

don't have Phoenix, Arizona affiliate. material in my back pocket. I have to. bother my writers. I have to think. myself what stuff I can say, what's. going on, find out what the local. references are and construct the whole. thing from scratch. And I get to before. we get started, I go down to the lobby. and I see Sting is there and he's just. got a guitar on his back and a leather. case and I went, "Oh, hey, how's it. going?" He's like, "Oh, it's going all. right." You know, and I said, "What are. you doing?" He said, "I'm doing a. benefit." I said, "I'm doing a benefit, too. I'm doing something for and I've. been working and I've been working." I.

said, "What are you going to when he. said, "I'm going to play Roxan." Oh, and. I'm going to say play every step you and. and he's not even thinking about it. No, he's not even thinking about it. And. everyone's delighted. Yes. That's what. they want. Yeah. No one's uh I was uh I. was at an event with you. I remember. this really well. It was an event with. you at the Museum of Natural History and. I don't know if I was performing or. what, but then the music came out and it. was John Bonjovi and he did cow honest.

steel. You jumped up, you lost your mind. and you were screaming all of the lyrics. which was great. And then I look over. and John Bonjov's wife is doing it. What? Yeah. She's there too and she's. like, "Yeah, yeah, I love this." this. and I'm thinking that's a good that's a. good marriage. That is a good marriage. there. Marriage has lasted all these. years. Dorotha, I know everything about. Dorotha. Yeah, she's very cool. Yes, Dorotha. Um, yes, well aware of Dorothia. Looked. her up all the time. John Bon Jo. She's.

very cool. High school sweetheart. So. cool. Yes. I think she might need to. worry. Are you coming after her? I mean, Dorothia has seen a lot probably a lot. more threatening people throwing. themselves at Ed Chan than me, but their. marriage is strong. I believe it is. And. uh I love John Bonjovi. I mean I went to. Bonjovi when I was in high school. I. even wrote a sketch about it at SNL. where when he hosted John Bonjovi came. out of the poster in my childhood. bedroom and I dressed up like I looked. when I was 13. And John Bonjovi the the.

musician went into his storage and wore. the same outfit that was on the poster. Still fit. So he keeps it really tight. And that's why Dorotha is still. interested. I like how he went into his storage. No, he had it in his closet. Yeah, he has. that day. Yeah, he he has all of his. poster clothes in his closet right off. his bedroom. Well, I would say in. response to you saying about good jokes, I think you and I could probably say.

that we both came up at a time when the. writer was king and writers were really. important at SNL and they were really. important on your show. And not only do. I like some of them are here in the. building and I work with some of them. forever, but they were also writer. performers and you had a bunch of them. on the show and same at SNL. Like it. just was you learn you learned the you. just can't go in with flimsy material. You have to just keep trying jokes which. I'm sure you're getting ready to do for. the Oscars and everything like over and. over again. No, I haven't started yet.

Um, good. Days away. And I just figured, you know, this will write itself and see. though. Yeah. Um, do it in the parking. lot on the way in. But um that's all. Lauren Lauren Michaels. Uh and it's not. everywhere. There used to be this era. for a long time. Writers were kept like. rats in this back room. And I had a. really good first job in LA and not. necessarily the news, but we weren't. part of the production. We didn't really. interact with the crew. Mhm. We were in. a room, Greg Daniels and I were in a. room with Billy Kimble and we just had.

desks that faced each other like. accountants and we just banged out. sketches all day long, sight gags, whatever. And then at the end of the. day, we'd submit them and go home. But. that was and I remember thinking, "This. is not the show business I wanted to be. in. I want to be backstage. I want to. see show girls, people in horse. costumes, people dressed, you know, as a. knight. I want all that craziness and. get to. SNL and Lauren it didn't matter if you. were like me 23 24 years old he'd he'd.

just say all right what have you got. what's your name Conan okay and let's. hear your idea and you tell the idea. okay go pitch it to Steve Martin me or. go pitch it to comedy pick any comedy. icon and I remember thinking you're. allowing me to go into a room alone with. this person I could have you like why. You have you done a background check on. me? Oh yeah. Finish that sentence. I. know you could. You would have a what? A. knife. Well, I mean if it was I carried. a knife back there. You always bring. Yeah. You You were You always were.

flashing your knife. It's a It's a. Brooklyn. thing. And I used to just It was one of. those ones that flips out and flips back. and I was always around and I remember a. lot of normals like, "Can you not do. that?" But it's Brooklyn, so it's a. cheese knife. It's for It's for cutting. cheese having parties and stuff. Um look. at this. And then and then. [Laughter].