One on One: Arden Myrin

Published Jan 18, 2024, 5:00 AM

Arden Myrin has a long list of movie and television credits… but our favorite is Gilmore Girls!

Always the bridesmaid… Arden fills us in on the details of her time on GG!
(And Friends!)

I Am all In.

All I Kiss you, I Am all in with Scott Patterson an iHeartRadio podcast, He.

Everybody, Scott Patterson, I Am all In Podcast one on one interview with Arden Marine. A few facts about Arden. She portrayed Claude for one episode of Gilmore Girls. Claude was one of honors of Bride'smaids. She's an actress and comedian. She was cast as a member of Mad TV for eighty two episodes and was featured on Chelsea Lately for over one hundred episodes. She was on a Netflix series Insatiable, playing the role of Regina Sinclaarenen starred in the twenty sixteen production of Steve Martin's play Meteor Shower at the Long Wharf Theater. Her television credits include Insecure, grais It, Oatomy, Conan Arne, Just a New Black, Hung Key and Peel Inside, Amy Schumer, Psyched Bones, Fresh off the Boat, Subpurgatory two, Two, Broke Girls, Reno nine one one, Shameless, Gilmore Girls, and Secret Chef. Let's bring Arden in, Hi, How are you hi? Arden? Thanks for joining us? How'd you get the role on Gilmore Girls?

You know I remember I went I had just booked Mad TV. And I got the audition for Gilmore Girls, and I remember it was for that day and as you know, like it's a wordy show, and usually most auditions are not like same day. And I remember driving to Warner Brothers and going into like that cute the casting offices that are like all the cute Victorian houses and Jess, I remember I'd gone to my friend Steve Heidner that played Kenny Banya on Seinfeld, the guy that's like dear Gold, and I there's sort of a fun part, and I wanted to but you know, I liked the show and I wanted to book it, and so I drove over to Bania's house and then Bania like he like ran it with me by wrote like you know ten or fifteen times. I mean, I had just gotten it and before the days of zoom, et cetera. And I ran over to Banier. We ran in a bunch uh Mad TV. Let me come in a little bit later, and I drove over and I was just so concerned about being word and grammar.

Profit when you realize that the audition is the job. There's a there's a great video going around Michael Keaton's talking about it, and he says, you know what changed, what changed everything for him was he realized the auditions were not auditions, but you got to treat him like you got the job and this is your first day on the set, so be right.

I like that.

Yeah, I like that, isn't that cool?

Well it also feel like that almost gives me more confidence, like if I actually picturing it, because I do think the job of the job is getting the job, like as an actor, like that that's the job.

Like the rest of the stuff is like the bells and whistle some time.

Right right, it's the job. It's like how do you flip the psychology in the room.

Yeah, I like the idea of first take, like that's basically Also, when you're a guest star, you know, you really you don't have time to mess around, like you got to come in hit it. Like I think guest starring is like such a hard Like I've done both. I've been a regular and I've been a guest star and I and I remember seeing you know, on a lot of show it's particularly multicamps. I did like they would just see people at the table reader at the run through and then they just be gone.

Wednesday.

You know, it's like you got to come in and do it. Like there's like eighteen people in a jet pack covering over the backlock, like happy to come in and do your job.

And so yeah, I definitely wanted to come do a good job.

You know. Once I tried because I heard some advice. I got some advice. I tried this thing where you come in the room, you put your finger up and say, just give me a minute, and you turn your back on them. Oh, and you just focus. You just demand that attention and that moment that's interesting, and then you flip around and go, okay, let's go. So now now they're locked on you, and it will.

Do you do that?

I only did it once.

Did you get the job I did?

I did? But I was feeling so nervy that day, I know, you know what I mean.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was also now everything's like a self tape too, so it's like, okay.

Girl, give me a minute.

Like actually, the second time I tried it, nobody was in the room, so I was like, jokes on, oh, it was.

My cat there.

Everything quiet there.

It's October twenty twenty, so you know, me and my me and.

My Tiger King has pulled to the other room. Give me a minute.

So what was it like shooting those scenes? Because they were really fun scenes. I thought they were some of the funnest stuff i've and the best acted stuff that i'd seen.

Well, thank you, you know, I had it.

It's funny again when you go in and do your guest spot and then it's like like we were a pack of bridesmaids and it was fun to be in like the you know, the early adds, juicy couture sweatsuit and the giants like thug boots and like I was me and Abigail Spencer, who I just ran into on the like running the reservoir, and we had an like I felt like a few of us kind.

Of bonded, you know. And it was Marley Shelton's sister Sam.

And it's sort of usually you're when you are a guest star, you're kind of a lone wolf, you know, you kind of it's like party of one.

You're not quite sure who to sit with that time.

You know, I'm always like, I guess I'll sit with like hair and makeup.

You don't know, you know.

When I did Friends, I was like I'm gonna sit with Monica like I don't think I did.

Seinfeld and and and uh and Jason Alexander actually sat with me at lunch.

Did kicked What season was it? Like how early on?

I mean it was they were they were at least six or seven season.

I mean that says a lot about a person.

That season seven, you know, and it's like the biggest show in the.

World, in the history of the world.

In the history of the world. And he's up with you. That's because you know what, that's not always.

I had lunch with George Costanza that I did. He was great.

That's fun. That's fun.

I think they realized as a cast, it's like they probably take turns like we know they're going to be so nervous. We gotta calm them down, yes, because they're always trying too hard or they're too nervous. That too much energy and the comedy suffers. So George, take this high string guy who's too happy to be here.

And because your thunderblanket is your way to blanket. It was your thunderblanket that's got sent to you.

You know. I feel like Michael Richards gave me a box of really nice Cuban cigars. Oh yes, they were fantastic. To me, they were great.

Stay Julia Louis Dreyfus and like a galling comedy. Not only is she a chiller comedian, she is so stunningly beautiful, always hasband, always will be.

To be such a smart babe. And the podcast is great, like it is like.

When you you forget what a knockout you're like every role she's never done, like she is such a star.

Just shout out Julia Louis drips.

It was very distracting.

I'm sure I was.

I don't think I've ever been that nervous, you know, in my life to do a couple of scenes with her, and I was just like, wow, what am I doing here?

A multi caam too, and again I called I started a multicams. But I remember when I did Friends, I booked it day of. It was another day of and and the other guest star was Sean Penn and it was like season seven and you're like the panic of like there was a lot of props and like they don't they didn't need.

To run it, you know what I mean?

Well, they are the Friends. They're a well oiled machine and like just the terror of like having to be a self content like your own energy, right of nervous, like you have to go in not only pretend like these are the other characters, but be cool and then pretend to be somebody else interacting with someone that's not an iconic character. I mean, did you see people come in and just panic on Gilmore Girls because I thought there a raditat tat they did.

They would they would lock up due to the speed. Yeah, you know, like we're talking experienced Broadway veterans. Yeah, and then it was like, what is happening here? This is I can't do this? And really, now you can do it, we can do it, you can do it, and then they do it.

Yeah, and then they do it.

Yeah, it relax into it a little bit. Yeah.

No, I just did MAZ the last season, and I remember like I was thankful that I knew in advance, like you better run, you better run and run like like so that you so that that's the machine of these like that's how they write, and that's the machine and that's what makes them great and that's what's fun to watch.

And it's like what instrument are you in there? Like this is what the orchestra.

Is this is what the music is like, just just run, run your stuff, get ready so you can go be the best piccolo or whatever.

Mm hm.

So I had a good time.

So point being normally your one man band, and I got to go in and be part of A Briesmay's team and it was fun, like it was it was comforting to be part of a little squad. I had a really I remember sitting having lunch out by like the band, like that little outdoor band area that they have in the back lot of Warner Brothers, like right, and and it was it was exciting just to see the sets. And I love that lot, like it's always you know, I grew up in a tiny town in Rhode Island. It kind of looks like small town New England. But it's also the magic that it's like, oh, this is Hollywood like these this is not like it's it's a it feels like you're making a.

Movie doing working on the back lot of Warner Brothers.

Oh yeah, we had the whole back lot. I don't think people realized we had the largest block of real estate of any show or film that was for those seven years that was filming there. I mean, we even had more space than Tom Cruise because he did that, he did that last Samurai movie. There they really Yeah, they took over one of the streets and it was it was it's like you know, medieval. Uh. Yeah, it was wild. Because we were on the sound stages that day and we were in the back. We still had so much real estate. We didn't notice the Tom Cruise film. You know what I'm saying.

Yeah, that's so cool.

That's fun.

There's so much history on that line. So that's my favorite lite.

Yeah, and if and if you know, the Batman people filming the movie were making too much noise that night. We calm them down because.

That's so cool. It is so cool.

It was. It was wild.

Do you get stopped every day still? Like do when you go out? Because because when people are super fans of something, like when you're like, do you just like, I bet it's a very loving, loyal person that wants to come tell you what something meant to you.

Yeah, it's always the heartfelt, emotional encounter. It means so much to them. It's always a very very nice and tender Yeah.

It's so sweet.

Yeah, I mean once you leave, I mean it happens every day I go out in la where I live now. I moved out of l A. But but once you leave the state of California, get it. You get into America, you know, proper or whatever. Then it's just like.

The chart, do you live in America proper?

I do live in America proper.

That's so cool. I'm so happy for you.

I got it. We got out of the bubble.

That's nice. Congratulations, it's so cool.

It was time to La is a young city, you know, that is a young city. So yeah, it just sort of wasn't for us. We're raising a child, and it's like, you know, we we let's let's get into a little more of a normal place. You know.

It sounds really really that l.

A isn't great and exciting a lot that's.

Really happy Like that sounds like you picked happy. That's great.

Yep, we did. Anyway, You've got a lot of experience in comedy comedy. Is just like, did you know early on in your training or in your life that you were going to end up doing this comedy? Being like comedy comedy comedy? Yeah, why tell us? Why? You know?

I just flew out that way, you know, and I was like I was the only redhead. I'man now mad TV made me blonde, but I was like the only redhead.

School, you know what I mean. It's just like I just came out like that. And and I remember we didn't. I grew up in such a rural area that.

It was really like I my education was like they would play these old movies, so it was like Madeline Cohn and Terry garr and like you know, or like a young Shirley MacLean. And then my mom like would show me like old SNL things. She'd show me like Builder Radner, and then my brother would show me like Steve Martin movies. So I definitely had the right family, the right programming, the engineers of like really a like things I shouldn't have seen at like.

Six, about that right, right, But like it was just.

Classic like literally like Molly Pi like all this stuff at six. The programming was and like looking at those those goalths in like you know, Madeline Connor or Terry got like like they were the most juice, like they were great actresses or even like a young Goldie like there was just they just never played anything current. So my version of what it was was either going to be like a busby Berkeley, like nineteen thirties cigarette girl at like the Rainbow Room like it was. It was a very it was not a present day vision of it. And and it was sort of the best of and I'm thankful to my mom for And I grew up in like a town with a general store and to stop light, so like who and she was from New York, so she'd bring us down to New York and I had an awareness like.

That there was to dream big.

But like there was something about the the lack of structure and the lack of proper like classes or whatever, like just making my own thing and having this sort of education in my brain that I was like, I can do that.

I want to I can do I.

Want to do what they're doing and I'm absolutely going to Wow wow.

Yeah, So those were so those were your big influences matter, Yeah, Like.

Yeah, Malican Molly Shannon who I now know and like Molly Shannon when I saw and again she's such a good actress, Like you forget that, like her characters have so much empathy and like and there're these flawed people like Mary Catherine Gallagher. She just wants to be loved and sometimes can't. She can't get out of her own way. Like but like that was I saw these great human, flawed with like characters, and I was like, that's what I wanted to do, and I wanted to like show humanity and make people laugh.

Wow. Yeah, fascinating, fascinating. And so what was your first tell us about the experience on Mad TV? Because wasn't was it Alex Borstein?

Yes, she was, so she she was on I think like the first five years and then I was on the last four years. So it was the hardest job I ever had because I didn't come from like growlings. I didn't like I'd made a tape in my living room, you know, like I'd come from like sitcoms and stuff.

So when I was on, it.

Was like Key and Peel and Bobby Lee and like Baron Holt, and like the best parts were incredibly it was sort of the butt was like as tough as SNL with none of the vanity fair conson. So it was like it like made you officially like a comedian, like it like it put me from character actress to like character asher's slash like comedian, which I appreciated, but it was hard because you know, on a if we were on a job together, like you might play Billy and I play Sarah, and we almost have no hand in our fates, like the you know, the writer's hand on your script to the script mad TV, Like every week there's like two slots open that aren't for a recurring character or the celebrity, and like it's like forty sketches that everybody's reading to try to get those two slots. And the competition of that was just something I'd never experienced before and was wild. It was wild, but the fun parts were amazing.

Wow, what's the favorite thing? What's your favorite thing you've ever done?

You know, I think I had the most fun.

I was on a Netflix show for two years right before the pandemic called Insatiable, and I got to play like a villain and a pageant mom and it was a comedy, but also it was like a one hour and the experience of filming at the people that were on it. We filmed in Atlanta and it was like again this big, flawed Southern nightmare.

I think that was my favorite part I ever played with Connan Tatable.

Really, so you do a lot of stand.

Up I do, I do do stand up?

Yeah?

Do you tour the country?

And you know, I just started touring again, like I had it towards this before the pandemic and so like this fall I did, I did an East Coast tour.

But it was interesting.

I you know, I think it's different now, but I remember for a while. Sometimes it's like a weird balance when it's not your main thing. Now you can self tape auditions anywhere, but I felt like when you're not trying to your main thing isn't trying to be the biggest stand up, Like like I felt like I had my ladder wasn't quite on the right wall because I felt like I was gone a lot. So like like you go on lea fly on like Thursday, maybe you come back Monday. More like I felt like I was starting to miss auditions and stuff like that, which I think that self tapes have changed that. But it was one of those things where I think people to start so I had to like but it was interesting touring because you really get to like meet the country and like how well, like people want to show you a good time, people want you to experience their city.

Like it was a. You know, when I've done.

It, it's like so nice to meet, as you were saying, when you meet people that come to your shows or come up to like, I'm proud that I've done it and that I do it, and I am enjoy getting to meet people.

Yeah yeah, So what kind of who writes your material?

You write your own my material? Yeah, uff, yeah, you got to write.

And when when did you start writing your own comedy? When did you start writing your own jokes?

Oh?

Well, I wrote the book behind me too.

Ah yeah, let me see the book.

This is my book.

Let me see this book.

Little miss little Compton like Chelsea Handler quote Wenons.

Yeah, you know, I.

Started doing improv and then when I was on my TV, then I started doing Chelsea Lately. Bobby Lee said to me. Bobby was like, Ardent, You're the only like you know, he was like, we have the same credits, Like you're the only one that's not like touring and monetizing. He's like, he's like, you can understand. I was really purely just fear of like, and so I actually moved to New York. So I was like, well, if I'm gonna do it, I want to do a good job, and I feel like in La it's like you already have those credits. People were like I thought they were like, you know, just because he played soccer doesn't mean you can play baseball. So it's like, let me just go like practice and like goes do small rooms in Brooklyn and like get my sea legs and figure out my act. And my friend says, I'm like kiddy that got into the champagne bottle and Kitty wants to play.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, wow.

So when's your next show? Tell us when your next show is.

Well, I'm actually about to go film a movie in Arkansas, so I'm going to do that, and then I have a podcast also on iHeart that is called will You Except This Rose about the Bachelor of franchise, and I'm going to be up at San Francisco Sketch Fest doing the podcast and a bunch of comedy shows the weekend of January twentieth.

Fantastic, Yeah, so great, thank you. All right, We're going to do a little section now called uh a rapid fire, which does not mean you have to answer quickly. Okay, so we should probably change the name of this is like just take your own time fire.

I love it.

How do you like your coffee?

Oh?

I like it strong, I like it with a little milk, and I like it with something that's going to kill me, like a splendor, like a screen lower s TVs.

Gotcha? Are you team Logan, team Jess or team Dean?

Oh that's a real Oh my god, Like I don't want to say Logan.

It's one of the burning questions of the century. Let's face it, which one are you? I'm the one asking the questions here, young lady.

I mean, look, she didn't have chemistry with Logan.

Logan Logan for me?

Okay, I know, I gotta say Logan like watching him when they kiss, just like they have chemistry.

Yeah, I like him because I think he's the smartest and I think even if it, you know, even if it fails, she gets a good settlement. Who's your favorite Gilmore Girl's couple, Luke Lorelli or Emily and Richard. I'm I go look at Moreli, thank you very much. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk?

Ooh boy, I'm gonna go Kirk.

Why we need an explanation?

You know what I feel like, I don't know.

I feel like I enjoy a challenge.

I feel like I could go with the flow sometimes.

Look, I grow up with a tough dad, like I can try to win somebody over.

That's why I go.

Kirk with the with the multiple personalities that Kirk possesses. What would you order at Luke Steiner?

Oh my goodness, I mean, I love I'm on breakfast all day, kind of a gall you know what I mean.

I'm never gonna pack. I'm I could give me an egg, give me an.

Egg and toast, and I'm like, how round, give me an omelet. I gotta go breakfast all day.

You're gonna You're gonna get it, don't worry. Uh Harvard or Yale or drop out and move into the poolhouse? Which one?

Oh god, you know growing up in New England where people are so excited to tell you that they went to Harvard or Yale or I'm gonna say.

Yale, thank you very much. Yeah, there you go.

I'm gonna say Yale.

There you go. Would you rather attend a dar event with Emily or a town meeting with Taylor?

Oh god, well, my grandma.

Was in the daar, so I gotta go shout out Grandma.

Okay, there you gotta keep it real Gilmore girl's character you would want most want to be a roommate.

I mean, I gotta go to my girl, Alex bors.

I got I feel like you know what it's like. I feel like we could just let it home. We put our sweatpant hag out. I feel like that it's gotta be.

Comfortable, Okay, something in your life if you are all in on.

Oh that's a good question. I am all I got to say. I am all in on. I love to go dancing. I am never like a dance party. I am never. I don't care how tired I am. I could be yet, I don't care how bad a wedding is.

I am all in on. A DJ and a dance floor.

Can be like.

I don't care if it's a cool club. I don't care how cool, like good or bad. I'm all in on a DJ and a dance floor.

You like to have a good time? Yeah, yeah, good deal. Pleasure talking to you likewise.

It's so nice to me. Thank you, and good luck with your internet.

Thank you, I'm going to need it. And good luck with your tour. Thank you book. Go see your ard. Marine. Yes, I got that pronunciation marine.

That's a tuppy. That's a drunk Viking toughie.

Confidence is growing. I feel really good and.

Will you accept this rose? Also on iHeart.

Absolutely, give me, give me A, give me a I don't care if it's a four leaf clover, a rose of daisy. I'll take it all right.

I'll give them all to meet you.

Meeting you, Bye bye, hey everybody.

And don't forget. Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmour at iHeartRadio dot com