Oh wow- this week’s chat goes long and deep! You might know Mo Collins and Brett Gelman for their gonzo characters, but they are both incredibly kind and thoughtful folks. We get into the complexities of social interactions, gender displays, the state of comedy… to quote Mo, “the conversation is the thing that will propel us forward”.
Mo Collins
Mo is best known for her iconic characters on MADtv and legendary newswoman, Joan Callamezzo on Parks and Recreation. She spent the past few years surviving in the wilds of the apocalypse in Fear The Walking Dead. Mo does numerous voices in the animation world. Most notably in 2017 when she was nominated for an Emmy on F Is For Family. An avid improvisor, and less avid stand up. Follow her on Instagram @that_mo_collins and Facebok @mocollinsfanpage.
Brett Gelman
Since Variety named him one of its “10 Comics to Watch” in 2010, Brett Gelman has shown film, TV, web and live audiences how he commits to every role. He can most recently be seen in his fan-favorite role as Murray, an eclectic conspiracy theorist, on Netflix's hit series STRANGER THINGS. Also on Netflix, Brett co-stars in METAL LORDS from Executive Producer David Benioff (Game of Thrones). He was also on the third season of David E. Kelley's Audience Network show, MR. MERCEDES, opposite Brendan Gleeson and Holland Taylor. He can also be seen in LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE from SONY opposite Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, and Scoot McNairy. Follow Brett on on all social media @brettgelman.
Hello, our names are Justin Elizabeth Sayre, Kirsten Vangsness, and Drew Droege, and we think everything is our fault. But we’re not getting better. How do we navigate this mess? Dive in for a deep listen! Also pay attention on these streets!
Justin Elizabeth Sayre
Justin Elizabeth Sayre is a playwright and performer who Michael Musto called, “Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg.” Sayre is a fixture of the Downtown Cabaret Scene in New York, first with their long-running variety show, The Meeting (Bistro Award-winning & 2 MAC nominations). They are currently in residency at Joe's Pub at the Public with their new variety show, Assorted Fruit. As a playwright, Sayre’s work has appeared at Dixon Place, The Wild Project, The Celebration Theatre, Dynasty Typewriter, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre. Their 12-part-epic Ravenswood Manor, a Camp-Horror-Soap-Opera, called “a sharply written and well-acted exemplar of the horror-comedy genre,” by the LA Times and is currently being developed with Sony Television and Rupaul. Sayre has written a series of YA Novels, Husky, Pretty, and Mean, released by Penguin Books, and the book, From Gay to Z: A Compendium of Queer Culture just released by Chronicle Books. Sayre has written for Television, working with Michael Patrick King on his Hit CBS comedy, 2 Broke Girls and Fox's The Cool Kids. Sayre also appeared on HBO’s The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow. They are NYCLU artist ambassador and a 2023 MacDowell Fellow. Follow them on Instagram @justinelizabethsayre and on Facebook.
Kirsten Vangsness
Kirsten Vangsness has been a recipient of the HRC Visibility Award and the Open Fist Theatre Excellence in the Arts Award recipient. Most recently Kirsten starred as the title character in the critically acclaimed new play “Nimrod” by Phinny Kiyomura and was honored play Lottie Pratchett in Justin Elizabeth Sayers lascivious play: “Lottie Pratchett Took a Hatchet” She recently wrapped the 16th season of Criminal Minds where she plays the tech genius Penelope Garcia a show she has co-written 5 episodes for including the first series finale. In 2019 Kirsten wrote a feminist musical space romp called Cleo, Theo and Wu that was taken to the Edinburgh Fringe along with her solos show “Mess” (which Neil Gaiman has called his “favorite one person show”). She often hosts Selected Shorts short story readings for NPR and has created a YouTube show about art and self actualization called Kirstens Agenda. She is the co-owner of the Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana, California. Kirsten is long time member of Hollywood’s Theatre of NOTE - a non profit theatre company committed to new works where she hosts “Bits” a monthly writers salon. Follow her on Instagram @kirstenvangsnessand and on her website.
You definitely know Arden Myrin and Missi Pyle as your favorite actors from all your favorite shows and movies. While they usually portray the most unhinged and confident characters, IRL they are quite contemplative and sensitive. Listen to us all talk about how weird we have always felt. Oh, and we’re all single!
Arden Myrin
Arden VanAmringe Myrin is an actress and comedian. She is known for her roles in the televisions series Insatiable, Insecure, Grey's Anatomy, Conan, Orange Is the New Black, Hung, Key & Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, W/ Bob & David, Psych, Bones, Fresh Off the Boat, Suburgatory, 2 Broke Girls, Reno 911!, Shameless, and Gilmore Girls. Myrin has appeared in many films, including Bachelorette, the Mr. Oizo films Wrong Cops and Wrong, as well as Kinsey, Morning Glory, and others.
Myrin's theater credits include Robert O'Hara's Barbecue at The Public Theater in New York City, as well as the premiere of John Ross Bowie's play about The Ramones Four Chords and A Gun at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Myrin was in the original New York City production of David Mamet's Boston Marriage at the Public Theater, and appeared in Hay Fever directed by Darko Tresnjak at the Westport Country Playhouse. As a writer she has sold pilots to Adult Swim and MTV, and also is the author of the memoir Little Miss Little Compton. She appeared on Chelsea Lately over 100 times and was a regular panelist on @Midnight.
She was cast member of Mad TV for the last four seasons along with Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Ike Barinholtz, and Bobby Lee. She has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Howard Stern Show, WTF with Marc Maron, and RuPaul's Drag Race. Myrin is also the host of the iHeartRadio podcast Will You Accept This Rose? about The Bachelor franchise. Follow Arden @ArdenMyrin on Instagram and Twitter.
Missi Pyle
Born in Texas and raised in Tennessee, Missi Pyle moved to New York to pursue a career in theatre. While working as a waitress at the Jekyll and Hyde Club, she found out she had been cast opposite John Malkovich in Steppenwolf Theater Company's THE LIBERTINE. Soon thereafter, she made her film debut in AS GOOD AS IT GETS with Jack Nicholson, which was followed by her portrayal of the sparkly alien “Laliari” in GALAXY QUEST with Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, and Tony Shalhou. Later, she made her Broadway debut as German flight attendant “Gretchen” opposite Mark Rylance in BOEING BOEING.
Other notable film credits include CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, GONE GIRL, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, DODGEBALL, JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS, and THE ARTIST, which won 5 Academy Awards. Pyle’s most recent, critically acclaimed work include IMPULSE, MA, NOBODY'S FOOL, and the critically acclaimed FX/Hulu limited series, Y: THE LAST MAN. Missi can next be seen in the feature films A TOURIST'S GUIDE TO LOVE, EMPIRE WAIST, and GLITTER & DOOM; as well as a starring role in the MGM/Amazon series SHELTER. Follow Missi @MissiPyle on Instagram and Twitter.