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Mayortends to orbit around organized chaos, bureaucratic or otherwise.
And how could it not?
Give us the nonsense!
Then theres chief of staff Mikaela, portrayed with panache byCrazy Ex-GirlfriendalumVella Lovell.
Youve starred in shows spearheaded by two of the funniest ladies around, Tina Fey and Rachel Bloom.
How the hell did you get so lucky?I have no idea.
I have severe imposter syndrome all the time.
What am I doing here and how did I end up in this room?
Rachel is wild because I dont know if you know this but we went to NYU together.
But we didnt know each other!
We had all these friends in common.
And with Tina, I was shaking in my boots the whole audition process.
Two very different situations but two incredibly funny and legendary comedians.
I know everyones talking aboutAbbott Elementary, but I thinkMr.
Mayordeserves to be part of that conversation.I agree!
Its great to actually be a fan of something you get to work on.
Its the same withMr.
Mayor.The confines can be creatively explosive if in the right hands.
Tina and Robert think the fun of connection television is that its for everyone.
Thats also the confine.
You have to be okay with your kid and your grandma seeing this.
Its a puzzle for people.
Whats a good example of those creative confines forMr.
We have jokes every ten seconds onMr.
Mayor.Its a show you have to watch a few times because the human brain cant catch all of them.
Assuming the audience is smart enough to keep up with everything is a real gift.
Im curious if you agree with that, and if so, how it reflects in your character.Completely.
Were trying to talk about these subjects in city government, but were not going to solve them.
Tinas writing is so layered.
It feels like the comedy Olympics, and you have to fully dive in.
Once we start a scene, youre kind of shot from a cannon.
This question is amazing, by the way.
I havent thought of these things before.
Getting the material, theres so much pressure because Tinas humor is such a fine line.
It doesnt work if you dont play it for real, but it also has to be light.
Its this dance of being light on your feet and fully embodying the characters reality.
Its been a joy to watch Holly, in particular, because shes such an actor with a capitalA.
Everyone has their own style of doing it.
I do my best to get to the truth of the moment.
My goal is to be as truthful as I can and see if the humor comes through.
I take things very seriously as Mikaela.
And then I cross my fingers and close my eyes and pray that the joke comes across.
Thats what youre hoping for with this show!
I always find myself writing down the one-liners from Tinas shows.
I got to the end of Hinge.
My last date was with an improviser who robbed me.Theyre so genius.
I do the same.
The scripts are an overflowing joke fountain.
How do they come up with this stuff?
What would you like to see her as?
Whatever it is, I want her to stick around for a few episodes.
I hope its not a one-off.
Her Dolly Parton impression onGirls5Evawas next level.
I feel like it would be particularly good if she had scenes with Holly.
Tina, if youre reading this, hey write a part for yourself.
I think a solid dozen.What if I just went, He was a living nightmare.
Hes a perfect gem of a human.
My favorite story is that on my very first day …
I had never been so terrified doing that pilot.
What am I doing in this room with these people?
Did someone make a mistake?
The first scene I shot was walking with Ted through City Hall.
Im shaking in my boots.
you’ve got the option to see the movement.
He turns to me and goes, Oh my God, Im so nervous!
I was up all night.
I wasnt sure if I would be good or not.
First days, right?It totally disarmed me.
He can be vulnerable with you.
He put me at ease immediately.
Thats a valuable lesson for us all.
Especially if youre in a vulnerable situation, which we are every day as people in the world.
Its a good reminder that if you share with someone how youre really feeling, its a gift.
