Original subtitles

Oh, my God.

Don't do it. Be careful. Don't do it. Wow, that was so close. It was

Hey, what's going on, everybody? From First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans. You're

watching Hot Ones, and today we bring you a very special episode brought to

by Stella Artois, the official beer sponsor of Hot Ones, and I'm thrilled to

joined in the studio with Rachel Brosnahan.

She's an Emmy and Golden Globe Award -winning actress known from acclaimed

performances in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Superman, The Broadway Stage,

much more. But today, her scene partner is a gauntlet of scorching hot chicken

wings, Rachel Brosnahan. Welcome to the show.

Thank you.

How are you around spicy food before we get started?

Like, I'm okay. I enjoy spicy food, but I've never tested myself to this degree

before.

Well, before we get into the wings, I want to let you know that we have plenty

of Stella on deck, and I have a feeling they'll come in handy as things begin to

escalate. So what do you say we get started?

Cheers. Cheers.

Oh, God.

Mmm.

That's delicious.

So since premiering in 2017, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has become one of

most visually elaborate productions on television, with everything from period

recreations to Carnegie Hall to the Catskills, even scenes with hundreds of

extras. What stands out in your memory as the most jaw -dropping set you've

walked onto filming that show?

Oh, man. It was one of those jobs where I was constantly reminded how lucky we

were to be there, but also one of those things where movie magic just comes

alive in front of you. We shot this.

USO scene with 850 background actors, and they built this stage. It was this

incredible oner that we had rehearsed for days.

And it just, the scope of it, the scale of it, especially for a television show,

was unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

We felt like rock stars. It was one of those things where you just wanted to

bottle the feeling and hold on to it for a sad day.

And then Amy Sherman Palladino has this very unique writing style, rhythmic,

almost musical. It makes me wonder, what are the kinds of highly specific notes

or direction that you get in between takes regarding your character's

Mostly you just hear Amy from offset somewhere going, faster, pace, pace,

You know, she would just yell it all the time. But that was mostly the note.

Faster, faster, faster, pace, pace, pace. Well, on the topic of pace, pace,

pace, are you ready to move on here to the next one? Yeah, let's blow through

it.

Also great.

Okay. I see another affirming nod.

Yeah. So far so good. Delicious.

I know it's going to get bad, but.

Enjoy it while you have it. Exactly. That's right. Thank you, Sean.

So you studied drama at NYU, which has all of these different schools that

specialize in different acting techniques.

What kind of Hogwarts hat sorting process?

Went into your decision to become a disciple of Lee Strasberg. Wow, a

I love that. I wish that I had anything to do with it. Mostly you're just a

terrified 17 -year -old getting shoved into a room with people behind a

clipboard, and you do a monologue, and you're trying not to shit your pants and

cry, and then they sort of look at you, and then somebody goes, Strasberg!

Or what's the Slytherin equivalent, I wonder?

Would that be Adler?

Let's go with that.

Adler, you know. And, yeah, I have no idea. They get it right most of the

I think, so they must be able to see something in people who come in. Can you

explain what sense memory is and then maybe use an example of how you might

it to inform a performance?

I had a drama teacher say once that you should never tell anyone about this

because they think you're fucking crazy.

So I preface this by it's crazy.

We're all crazy. No one gets into this because we're well -adjusted and normal.

My understanding of it is that it's the idea that your body remembers things

that your brain might not. One of the ways it was explained to me was that,

know, for example, if you had experienced snow when you were three

you might not remember what snow felt like, but your body does.

And so you could, in theory, draw upon that experience sensorily to...

make something happen for yourself, I'm kind of feeling.

But ultimately, you end up with a toolbox of things that you can pretty

draw upon to evoke some kind of emotion.

I feel it. There's a little bit of worm. Yeah, there's a little kick at the end

here. To me, in the back of the throat. Oh, yeah. There it goes.

Share an experience, Rachel. Yeah.

You performed at Steppenwolf, the New York Theater Workshop, Brooklyn Academy

Music, Broadway and beyond.

What is pound for pound your favorite theater to perform in and what makes it

the perfect room for a stage actor?

Oh, what a lovely question.

Man, they've all been so different. Those theaters are all completely

from each other. I have such a fond relationship to the Steppenwolf because

from Chicago.

Same. Oh, right. I forgot about that. Where are you from? Crystal Lake. Right.

Highland Park. Yeah, yeah. North Suburbs, Northwest.

Okay.

Yeah, I mean, I love that theater. I grew up going to see shows at the

Steppenwolf, and it's such an intimate space, but you really are standing on

shoulders of giants in that arena.

And it was my first professional theater production.

Was that up?

Up. Oh, my God. Yeah. Wow, you really do dig.

Yeah, up. Exactly.

That was one of those moments, which happened over and over again, if you're

lucky, where I was like, I think I was 18, and I was like, I think this is it.

think this is the dream.

It was amazing.

Notes of peach?

Yeah, at first. And then the habanero really kicks in in the second act.

I'm starting to see where we're going with this.

I'm starting to see homegrown hell approaching fast. It is approaching

too, by the way. It's still nice, though.

I like the flavors.

We can still enjoy what we have.

You had a quote where you talked about how the role of Lois Lane was the

you've ever played to yourself.

What was it about that role that hit so close to home?

It can be kind of obsessive. She can be kind of intense.

I understand that. I think when I really care about something,

I can also be kind of intense about it. I appreciate someone and hope that I can

do that myself who will go to the ends of the earth for the things that they

believe in.

Is it easier or harder to approach a character like Lois Lane that has 75

worth of mythology built up through comic books and other kinds of media?

Probably both because in some ways there's so much material to draw from

there's so many different interpretations.

and also by different comic book artists and writers over the years. And so

there was such a wealth of material to draw from.

But then obviously there's the pressure to do right by the fans who love this

character so much. And have their own kind of ownership over it, yeah.

and they're right. And so we're just trying to fill these really big shoes

make them happy, but also hopefully bring something new to it as well.

I think that this is a nice checkpoint on the mountain, you know, as we

the summit of this whole experience. Yeah, where's the summit, would you say?

Right after this one, you know? Perfect. We're going to dab.

Great. We're going to rip it, and then we're going to get a beautiful view from

the top of the mountain, all right? So a detail that doesn't get brought up

enough is that you wrestled for two years while at Highland Park High

Yeah. What drew you to the mat, and do you see any similarities between acting

and wrestling?

Totally.

To the second part, it's...

hugely improvisational. You're really just watching someone closely and

listening to them and trying to react to them in real time.

What drew me to it, a lot of my friends had been wrestling since junior high,

and I'd always kind of been interested in it. I'm not sure. I was really

competitive.

snowboarded with a bunch of guys who wrestled and had always just been

about it. Yeah, and you were a snowboard instructor too, right? I was, yeah, for

a couple years out in Wisconsin.

That's like the nearest, very icy.

There's a couple mountains there, very small.

And yeah, a couple buddies did it and my parents were horrified and never came

to a match until like the very end of my wrestling career. And then I

I opted for musical theater, which was a poor choice.

I can't sing or dance. Imagine what would have happened if you really just

doubled down on wrestling.

I would have had a very different life. I would have been on Glow is what would

have happened.

What's it like going back to high school after doing a Michael Bay movie? Does

your popularity skyrocket or do you return to more of the same?

I don't think that many people knew that I had done it.

Because truthfully, I wasn't...

I don't think I was well known for my acting talent in high school.

I, like, barely made the school plays and was mostly in the chorus, but just

loved it and was maybe insane to think that I could actually do it. The naivete

of youth. Yeah, exactly. And so I started looking for opportunity outside

school because I wanted to act and wasn't really, you know, hadn't made

musicals at that point.

And I had this opportunity when that movie, The Unborn, came through Chicago.

Nothing was different. I mean, my parents were still mad at me for not

straight A's.

And I think my parents thought it was fine. Missing the AP Calc exam and on

on. Yeah, exactly. Wow, you really dove deep.

Things are changing.

Yeah, this is another stop.

It really announces that we're in the back half at this point. Yeah, tastes

still great.

Really, at first.

But then, yeah, you're a little more awake now.

Yeah, I'm awake.

Yeah, same page, same wavelength right now. Great.

Have you ever had a moment in your career where you feel like you gave

everything to a scene only to have it cut from the TV show or film? And if so,

is that a painful experience or just the cost of doing business as an actor?

I've definitely had things that were cut, but I feel like so far...

I can recognize that it's usually for the betterment of the story as a whole.

Like it helps the pace or it helps clarify something for the central

But I can't wait to get fully cut out of something sometime in my future.

I hate to say it out loud, but I have yet to be fired. And that's a rite of

passage that, you know, we all deserve to have at some point. What would you

estimate to be your personal record for most takes ever requested by a director

while shooting a single scene?

I had the privilege of being on the first season of House of Cards.

And David Fincher directed the pilot.

I had been warned that he likes to do a number of takes.

I don't know how many it was, but we did so many takes of my first scene, which

was a scene where Michael Kelly, who played Doug Stamper, put a wad of money

my mouth.

And by the time we were done, I couldn't see him anymore. Like, there was a

light. behind him like there is you right now and at some point you should

being able to see your scene partner which maybe is the point i don't know

there's something to you know you do a couple takes and they're fine and then

everything's horrible for a really long time and if you're lucky you push

through and something magical find that magic after you push through yeah

Honestly, not that different from the experience right here. Because here we

are, six down. Great transition time.

Take a great deal of pride in this segue.

And this to me is another jump.

Significant jump.

Whoa.

Whoa.

So I understand that your father worked in children's publishing. I know that

you're an avid reader. I've heard you describe yourself as an anglophile.

If you could adapt one fantasy novel from your youth to turn into a film,

would it be?

Oh, my God.

Don't do it. Be careful. Don't do it. Wow, that was so close. It was

I'm just going to cry openly.

There was a lesser known series called Daughters of the Moon that I read.

alongside no one else.

One second, please.

Take your time.

Holy shit.

Oh,

wow. Okay, I'm going to do this because I haven't touched... That's a veteran

move right there. I do that sometimes, too.

Wow, what was the question?

Oh, Daughters of the Moon.

I tried a couple years back to adapt that into a television series, and I'd

still love to. It's about these four young women, who are just trying to be

normal high schoolers and learn that they have magical powers.

And I think it's really empowering to young women.

And they deserve to have that.

So one day, look out for Daughters of the Moon.

Yeah.

I do think this is helping.

No, it does.

Beer is a good lifeline.

Okay. If you're ready to move on. Yeah, great. Let's go. This is the bomb beyond

insanity.

Be careful.

Do you ever say a prayer?

Yeah, in my head. Yeah, how's it go?

Yeah. Will you say one for us?

Who are we looking at?

Looking up to the spice gods.

Yeah. Please give us the strength to make it all the way to the end. We know

that you'll challenge us. Are you looking down at hell right now? With the

beyond insanity.

It's helpful to look up and down. You were like, to heaven and to hell. Yeah.

Whoever's going to help us out here, I'll take it from either side. Great.

No lips.

Deep.

Oh, God.

Oh, God. Two legs.

Oh, God.

Oh, no.

Mm -hmm.

Wow.

Oh, no.

Yeah, just be careful.

Hands.

Cool. We'll stay like this for a while.

Wings fly through this.

What I've done is I've pulled some of Midge's most iconic looks.

We're going to pull them up over here on the monitor.

I'm just kind of curious what the costume says.

I'm sobbing.

Is there anything significant about the color pink in wardrobe choices?

What do I do?

Probably.

Our costume designer.

Donna, Amy used to say that Donna discovered, holy shit,

so many new shades of pink.

She invented shades of pink for this show.

That one, I don't know what it's called.

Up next, I believe Donna described red as a power color.

Do you agree?

What role does it play in the costume here?

Am I sweating?

Yeah. How red do I look? You know how you were talking about not being able to

see a scene partner just the way I do? You can't see me anymore? That's kind of

where I'm at right now.

Yes, I'm sure it is a power color in some states, and New York was one of

on this day. Up next, what makes this the right fit for attending a friend's

wedding after a falling out?

I mean, you know, it's, like, conservative in some ways, but there's a

like, boob cut out so that you can steal the attention.

You want people to look at you and take you seriously.

And then lastly, have you ever had a time where a wardrobe has failed you

a shoot? You do a lot of high fashion running.

It makes me wonder if a heel ever snapped or anything like that. I'm going

put that on my resume.

A heel has definitely snapped on the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel more than once.

it's tough when they're vintage because there's no...

replacement so if you look really closely you can probably see some um wow

really sweating you can probably see some uh lack of continuity with the

how we feeling we are feeling so many things i don't know what we just looked

here's the good news nothing is as bad as what you just ate you just had the

worst one yes i think you're lying no i don't i'm actually at the chicken wing

talk show host of the highest dignity I don't know. There's something about your

eyes.

I can't taste it anymore.

Oh, man.

Helps. For the uninitiated, what makes Xenon Girl of the 21st Century a goaded

children's movie?

I mean, her one earring, she inspired a generation of fashion girlies.

She had a computer chip on her ear.

Nothing says Y2K more than that.

I would love the Xenon girl at the 21st Century Reunion.

Broadway adaptation, maybe.

A Broadway adaptation.

I shall not be performing the lead role.

So this is the last dab. We call it the last dab because it's tradition around

here to put a little extra on the last wing. You don't have to if you don't

to. You're doing it.

You're doing it. I'm going to tell you. Okay, hold on.

How do we get in there?

I can give you mine if it's tough with the nails.

I don't know if there's a fresh manicure. I don't know. It is, but fuck

We're here.

We're here.

That's good. That's good. That's good. I just do a little dip and rip.

This is something to be proud of. We've gotten all the way. This is something to

be proud of. You're exactly right. This is the moment.

Cheers. Is that too much? Am I going to die?

Uh, you know, we're going out of the way.

Oh,

God.

And with that, the wings of death are behind us.

Hey. And to close things out, tonally, what's the difference between your

natural speaking voice and the way that your character talks?

Like, how would Midge describe conquering the wings of death today?

I feel like Midge would be like...

Fuck you, Sean.

Get my tits up.

And she'd have some excellent joke that I'm too spiced out right now. Spiced

out. Is that the professional term? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the industry

-specific vernacular.

No, I feel like mid -talk at ten times the speed that I can in my real life.

And, you know, to be honest, a lot of that was brought on by Corset and Amy

-camera being like, talk faster, talk faster.

And there was only one way to do it. And so that just became Midge's voice.

Well, look at you, Rachel Rosnahan, taking on the weight of death,

living to tell the tale. And now there's nothing left to do but cheers with

Estella to the summit and the beautiful view. Cheers to the beautiful view.

Thank you for this adventure.

And now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you. This

camera, this camera, this camera. Let the people know what you have going on

your life.

I'm currently shooting the second season of Presumed Innocent for Apple.

And I'm shortly going to start shooting the next Superman film, Man of Tomorrow.

Thanks, y 'all.

Worse than you thought it would be? What you thought it would be?

I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it to the end.

So better.

Competitiveness. I learned something about myself today. That's exactly

I'm sobbing.