Nathan Lane’s Vertigo Delayed “Mid-Century Modern” Production | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you're working with this cast. You're. making it's it's multicam, so you're. making mid-century uh uh modern and it's. on Hulu. And I want to talk about when. you're in that process. Um is am I correct? Linda Lavin was part. of this. Yes. And she has since passed. Yes, she has. I don't know. I'm trying to think. I. remember I mean she was huge when I was. the show Alice is how I got to know. Linda but uh and that was her iconic TV.

role. but wonderful actress. Oh yes. How much did you work with her? Um well you know in in the theater she's. a beloved figure Tony award-winning. actress. Um famously I I remember seeing. her in uh. Neil Simon's play Broadway bound. she. played his mother and you know it's one. of the greatest stage performances I've. ever seen and we knew each other just in. passing you know as a I was just a fan. and we would see each other occasionally.

and I we'd always say I hope we get to. work together someday so when this. happened um it was this whole. thing has been an incredibly happy. experience. um a rare thing and uh it's all the. people who you know Jimmy Burroughs the. director I've always again one of. Jimmy Burrow is one of these guys that I. mean cheers. going back to the Mary Tyler Moore show. friends uh. taxi um everything he's the dean of the.

multicam so you know and it's the. created by um Max Mutchnik and David. Cohan who created Will and Grace. and they've put together this tremendous. writer room and uh with Jimmy there and. what they're doing. Um, and then just. the casting is everything. Uh, and so. Linda was. I it's a that's a I don't know that's. another podcast maybe, but it's it's um.

it's been it was tragic and and and and. shocking and and and then emotional and. then. they took a week they pushed a week so. that they could write an episode that. deals with the death of her character. and also where the show is going to go. going forward. And um and they did a a. beautiful job and it was overwhelmingly. emotional, but she was you would not. believe she was 87 years old. I mean,

she was just and then you put her in. front of an audience and. you know she was as Jimmy would say she. was with a joke she was like a. heat-seeking missile. She just she was. just brilliant. There is there is that. thing I always heard it about George. Burns that when he was you know famously. almost made it to 100 but when he was. like 96 they said you could wake him up. he could be sound asleep on an airplane. and you could wake him up and he could. do 10 minutes like because that thing. doesn't go away.

Uhhuh. You know, I mean, I know that God. knows what'll happen to me, but whenever. if I'm in a coma and any of my writers. come by or people come by or and poke. me, I I will start doing a bit and um then. they'll kill me. Yeah. Yeah. Then they'll stop. But what is I mean, we just That's. I think Yeah. No, she was just I mean, in general, she was a great actress. I. mean, she could do drama or comedy, but.

she was so brilliant at this this sort. of thing and and um and we just it's. just been a very happy family. Matt. Bulmer and an actor named Nathan Link. Graham who are sensational. and Matt who. I I feel like he's going to be the um. the re revelation for a lot of people. because you know he's a big handsome. glute but also a wonderful serious actor. but he's riotously funny and it was an. ordeal to get through because um uh and.

then on top we did this very emotional. episode and we felt like we honored her. and and and uh we got through it and. then I started to get vertigo Well, and. I'd had it since we've done therapy. I. thought we'd now get to the more medical. side of my life. I can do that. I can handle that as. well. Oh, good. I think it's a zinc deficiency, isn't it? Always. So, I I u So, I had.

these I had this about a year ago, what's called positional vertigo. And. then there's a thing called the Epley. maneuver, which you know, sounds like a. bad off Broadway play. the Epley. maneuver playing at the village gate. Anyway, um uh and it usually goes away. after a couple of days and some. dramamine. So, this time uh I I it. really hit me and I went to an ENT. They. gave me a cortisone shot, but I'm.

holding on to walls and you really my. equilibrium really thrown. And so I. Google Vertigo and the first thing that. comes up is the Dizzy and Vertigo. Institute of Los Angeles in Beverly. Hills. And the pictures look nice and. they look professional. Never go by the pictures. and I'm I'm I'm like desperate. So uh I. go back. So I make an appointment and I. go back to the ENT the next day. Dr. Schnitman.

And Dr. Schnitman says Dr. Schmid. Schmidman says it's not um positional. vertigo and and I said well I'm going to. the dizzy institute. right after. this isn't real which sounds like. Nickman says it's don't go to the Dizzy. Institute. like it should be run by Jennifer. Coolage. exactly right. and so he says I that's where I was. going to send you and I said great and. uh so I go and it's a very it's a real.

serious place and and and they were They. were incredible. And um they put me. through a series of tests like a NASA. astronaut in a chair. You go upside. down. All these tests, eye and ear. coordination and and they said, "What. you have is called labyrinthitis, which is a a virus you get in the inner. ear." And I got it in the left inner. ear, which was causing severe vertigo. and nausea. And so they put me the ENT.

put me on prednazone and then I had to. do a series of exercises. uh you know and and what's called. vestibular therapy and and we again we. had to cancel a week so I could get over. this and now we went did the taping we. were supposed to do last week last. night. So how are you feeling now? A little dizzy. No, I feel. I picture when you go to the Disney. Institute, all the furniture is made of. rubber.

Like every, you know, anywhere you fall, it's you're bo you're fine. I said I told this to Tina, I ran into. Tina Fay and I told her about the Dizzy. Institute. She said, "You don't want to. go to that parking garage. It's a very dangerous. crash, smash." Anyway, it's um Yeah. No, thankfully thankfully I I feel great and. it's uh yeah, I've made a recovery, but.

it was it's a weird thing. Yeah. Um and. and uh so yeah, we have one more show to. do and then um uh yeah, it's but it's. been it's it's you know my I have a. dicey history with the multicam. I the first one. most people do. The first one was not my. fault was Mickey Rooney's series called. One of the Boys. Dana Carvey and I did. I'm sure you've discussed this with him. Uh it comes up occasionally. Sure. Yeah.

I was the biggest star in the world. 1940. Yeah. Bang. Zoom. Um I heard it all. But. uh that was 13 and out. And then I did. an episode of Frraasier and I was. nominated for an Emmy and they said, you. know, if you ever want to do this, we. we'd love to develop something for you. I said, okay. They had won the Emmy five. years in a row. We did. Was not the. right fit. 13 and out. Then I did a show with a writer from uh. for CBS uh Jeff Richmond, an old friend,

wonderful writer from Modern Family. He. wrote a show, you know, did not did not. work out. Uh, and no, you didn't really. get much support from Les Moonveves, right? Salt of the Earth, Les Moonveves. So, um, so, you know, I was like, that's. it's just never going to work out for. me. That's fine. You know, I tried. You. know, you it's it's it's a miracle when. those when friends or those things come. together that way. And this time, I have to say, working.

with But these are the best of the best. Yeah. Jimmy Burroughs is standing there with. an eye for comedy. It's, you know, it's. incredible and how he's they're putting. this all together and the writers and. the thing and you're like, I can't. believe this and it feels like. and I love these people and it's and. that's really important at this point in. my life is that that we're we're as. Marty says it's about the hang, you. know, they're they're an example on like. when I did only murders in the building.

They set the tone. Like you feel good. about going to work and and having fun. and doing good work. Those are all people that the minute. it starts to get unpleasant, they're all going to walk. And you're in. that category, too. There's no reason at. this point for unpleasantness. I I I. mean, that's why I adore doing this. It's not a volume business. We're not. cranking out I'm not talking to three. people a night, five nights a week. uh.

40 nights a year. This is um people that. I love that I really want to talk to and. have a real conversation with and get to. know a little better. And if this. started to turn into, oh god, I I don't want to. No, you kind. of have to because they're moving. Okay. Well, they're being real difficult. All. right. No, there's no reason anymore. Yeah. Yeah. And you get and in this. format, you're getting something else. People are more This is nice. This is. this is a real much more real.

conversation than you know in front when. you're playing to an audience. Yes. You. know. um I want to wrap this up because I have. to and um we have gone much longer than. we normally do which is always an. indication that I'm having the time of. my life. And uh I have one wish for you. is that I. that you do when I when I brought up a. little while ago in the interview are. you able to own sort of what you've.

achieved you said well I've been very. lucky and I and I say yes that's all. true and that's the great perspective to. have but uh you're also um a a crazily. talented person who has integrity and. you're a very sensitive person and you. have made this happen. And I I just want. to leave that little nugget with you and. hope that you can hang on to it and then. go hate yourself 5 minutes from now. Thank you. Thank you. I Yeah. Well, will.

you be my friend? No. No. No. Just Just No, I don't see I really. don't see an upside. I don't see an. upside, you know. I know. I thought I was pushing it, but. you know. No, I I was just going by the title of. the podcast. No, it's a it's a gimmick. God bless you and thank you. Bless you. Thank you so much.