WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.700 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Our mission here, well, 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:04.580 it's to take a whole stack of facts, could be 00:00:04.580 --> 00:00:07.160 a career, maybe a concept, sometimes a conflict, 00:00:07.339 --> 00:00:09.199 and really just give you the shortcut to being 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.140 genuinely well -informed. We're always looking 00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:15.080 for those, uh... Surprising links, right? The 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:16.699 kind of hidden genius behind names you probably 00:00:16.699 --> 00:00:19.739 recognize. Exactly. And today we're diving deep 00:00:19.739 --> 00:00:22.039 into the career path of the American performer 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:25.079 Martha Kelly. Now, Martha Kelly's career is, 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:27.539 I think, a really fascinating case study, mostly 00:00:27.539 --> 00:00:29.800 because it just completely defies that modern 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:32.520 idea of, you know, overnight success. Right. 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:36.399 She's been active since 1994. Yeah. Comedy, acting, 00:00:36.579 --> 00:00:38.979 started out in L .A., Torrance specifically. 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:41.960 Yeah, born and raised L .A. area. But the real 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:44.780 story here isn't just the starting point. It's 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:47.039 the journey, the evolution. It really is. It's 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:49.740 the kind of professional path that sort of proves 00:00:49.740 --> 00:00:53.799 patience is maybe the ultimate career boost in 00:00:53.799 --> 00:00:55.520 the long run. So when we look at everything she's 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:57.340 done, the whole body of work, we're trying to 00:00:57.340 --> 00:00:59.299 answer this pretty compelling question. How did 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:03.039 a comedian... Known for this incredibly specific, 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:05.579 kind of gentle, observational stand -up style, 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:08.739 often built on vulnerability, self -deprecation. 00:01:08.980 --> 00:01:11.719 How did she transition into being this serious, 00:01:11.939 --> 00:01:14.859 Emmy -nominated, dramatic actress, someone who 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:19.180 can deliver just pure, quiet menace? Exactly. 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:21.620 That duality, that's what makes this Duck Dog 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:24.400 so interesting. For years, really, her defining 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.280 role was Martha Brooks. Right. In baskets. Yeah, 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.760 the kind, maybe slightly awkward, but intensely 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:32.640 practical insurance adjuster. Always the steadfast 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:35.019 friend to Zach Galifianakis' character, Chip. 00:01:35.060 --> 00:01:36.879 That was the Martha Kelly persona we sort of 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:38.980 knew. Then almost out of nowhere, it feels like, 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.599 we see the peak of her critical acclaim. well, 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:44.459 so far anyway, for playing Lori. Lori in Euphoria, 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:47.939 a terrifying, really understated, almost predatory 00:01:47.939 --> 00:01:50.439 drug lord on HBO. It's such a controlled performance, 00:01:50.700 --> 00:01:53.879 so chilling, and it earned her that primetime 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:57.219 Emmy nod for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama 00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:01.000 Series back in 2022. A gentle, awkward insurance 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.900 adjuster. And then a high level drug trafficker 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:08.580 who holds Rue's life in her hands. I mean, that 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:10.759 contrast, it's not just good casting. It tells 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:12.919 a much bigger story, doesn't it? It really does. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:15.719 It's about professional adaptability. It's about 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:17.699 leveraging those fundamental performance skills 00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:21.139 she'd been honing for decades. So today. That's 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:23.539 what we're tracing, that long road of development, 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:26.639 the intentional shifts, and just analyzing the 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.639 sheer force of will, maybe, that let her nail 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:31.879 two characters that are just so radically different. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.099 Yeah, and we need to look at the actual mechanics 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:37.319 of performance, right? How the timing, the control, 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.400 the observational power she built up over, what, 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.120 20 years in stand -up? How that gave her the 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.139 exact toolkit she needed to command a dramatic 00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:47.659 scene with, like stillness and silence instead 00:02:47.659 --> 00:02:50.280 of a punchline. This wasn't some fluke. It was... 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:53.199 Skilled transference. Totally perfected. Okay, 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.000 so let's really unpack this timeline. Because 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:56.960 to understand the actress Martha Kelly, you first 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.099 have to understand the comedian. She was born 00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:02.000 in 68. And our sources say she started trying 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.580 out stand -up around age 25. That's 1994, right? 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:07.699 At the Laugh Factory in L .A. The famous Laugh 00:03:07.699 --> 00:03:10.379 Factory. But what jumps out immediately is just 00:03:10.379 --> 00:03:12.680 the sheer commitment it took right at the beginning. 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:16.400 Yeah, the L .A. scene in the mid -90s. Notoriously 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:20.740 tough. Super competitive. Kelly's comedic voice, 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:25.060 it didn't just, like, appear overnight. The key 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:26.840 detail here, I think, is how long that initial, 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:29.680 let's call it an apprenticeship, lasted. The 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:31.819 sources confirm it took her a full five years. 00:03:31.939 --> 00:03:35.159 Five years. Yeah, 1994 to 1999. Just for her 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:37.340 material, her stage presence, you know, that 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:39.659 internal confidence, just to slowly, organically 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:42.300 kind of come together. Five years. I mean, in 00:03:42.300 --> 00:03:44.300 any job, that's a significant chunk of time. 00:03:44.460 --> 00:03:47.030 But in comedy? Where the pressure to be funny 00:03:47.030 --> 00:03:49.110 right now just burns so many people out, that 00:03:49.110 --> 00:03:51.990 five -year dedication is, well, it's monumental. 00:03:52.310 --> 00:03:54.449 Totally. It clearly wasn't about getting instantly 00:03:54.449 --> 00:03:56.729 famous. It was about the daily grind, you know, 00:03:56.789 --> 00:03:59.430 finding her voice. Working the circuits, dealing 00:03:59.430 --> 00:04:01.729 with, let's be honest, the brutal feedback from 00:04:01.729 --> 00:04:04.349 crowds sometimes. Yeah. And just systematically 00:04:04.349 --> 00:04:07.349 tweaking every joke, the rhythm of every sentence. 00:04:07.370 --> 00:04:09.270 And think about the psychology of that time. 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:12.900 Every single comedian has to bomb. Those early 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:15.620 years are defined by failing and trying again, 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:18.139 iterating. Right. If you actually survive those 00:04:18.139 --> 00:04:20.879 five years, you haven't just developed jokes. 00:04:21.100 --> 00:04:24.899 You've developed this kind of almost impenetrable 00:04:24.899 --> 00:04:27.920 confidence that's built on just surviving public 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.240 vulnerability night after night. It's like she 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:32.420 was putting in her 10 ,000 hours of public performance 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:34.699 practice before she even got close to the major 00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:37.139 leagues. Exactly. And that slow burn development. 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.259 Yeah. That's absolutely crucial for understanding 00:04:40.259 --> 00:04:44.439 her later dramatic. control, that patience, that 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:47.120 stillness. I do wonder, though, was the L .A. 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:49.740 scene maybe just too saturated for her specific 00:04:49.740 --> 00:04:52.319 style? Because the sources show her real breakthrough 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:54.660 didn't happen there. It happened after she moved. 00:04:54.779 --> 00:04:56.860 That's a great point. She really popped up strongly 00:04:56.860 --> 00:04:58.959 on the comedy stages in Austin, Texas around 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:01.959 the fall of 99. And that timing coincided with 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:04.439 the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival auditions being 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:07.199 held there. Why Austin, do you think? Well, Austin. 00:05:08.250 --> 00:05:11.250 especially around the late 90s, early 2000s. 00:05:11.529 --> 00:05:14.670 It had this really vibrant comedy scene, but 00:05:14.670 --> 00:05:17.850 maybe a little less commercially driven than 00:05:17.850 --> 00:05:20.329 L .A. or New York back then. Okay. So that environment 00:05:20.329 --> 00:05:22.250 might have just been a much better fit for her 00:05:22.250 --> 00:05:24.550 very specific style, what we're calling that 00:05:24.550 --> 00:05:26.810 observational slow burn approach. Right, the 00:05:26.810 --> 00:05:29.290 deadpan delivery, finding humor in anxiety or 00:05:29.290 --> 00:05:32.209 just mundane stuff. Exactly. It rewards a patient 00:05:32.209 --> 00:05:34.639 listener. Yeah. L .A. often demands that high 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.980 energy thing, right? Austin maybe allowed more 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:40.000 room for nuance, for quiet confidence. And it 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.100 seems like once she landed in Austin, the validation 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.300 came pretty quickly. April 2000, she grabs this 00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:48.019 major regional title. She won the Capital City 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:50.779 Comedy Club's annual Funniest Person in Austin 00:05:50.779 --> 00:05:53.360 contest. Yeah, that's the kind of win that immediately 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:56.040 gets you noticed by regional bookers, by managers, 00:05:56.220 --> 00:05:58.540 puts you on the map locally. in a big way and 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:00.439 there's that great quote you found from the austin 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:02.699 chronicle back then describing her simply as 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:06.279 plain funny isn't that perfect plain funny it 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:08.720 just captures the essence of her appeal i think 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.079 it's not flashy no gimmicks it's just effective 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.839 accessible humor built on that five -year foundation 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.779 we talked about battle tested totally it signals 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:21.110 authenticity grounded performance Not trying 00:06:21.110 --> 00:06:23.850 too hard. So that regional win, that was clearly 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:26.269 the springboard she needed. Because by 2002, 00:06:26.509 --> 00:06:29.589 her success had gone national. It shows how winning 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:32.709 a key local contest can translate pretty directly 00:06:32.709 --> 00:06:35.689 into industry attention. She had a massive breakout 00:06:35.689 --> 00:06:39.230 year in 2002. Oh, huge year. 2002 saw her hit 00:06:39.230 --> 00:06:42.170 two really key but kind of different professional 00:06:42.170 --> 00:06:45.509 milestones. First, she won Comedy Central's Laugh 00:06:45.509 --> 00:06:47.850 Riots National Comedy Competition. Which is big. 00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:50.040 National Cable Visibility, the top. title of 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:52.259 a competition winner. That signals broad appeal. 00:06:52.459 --> 00:06:54.720 Definitely. And then second, showing she appealed 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:56.980 to the industry insiders, too. She was named 00:06:56.980 --> 00:06:59.100 one of the new faces at the Just for Laughs Festival 00:06:59.100 --> 00:07:01.959 in Montreal, which is, you know, super prestigious. 00:07:02.139 --> 00:07:03.939 OK, so getting both of those in the same year, 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.939 that's powerful. Absolutely. Laugh Riots proves 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:09.819 you're marketable to an audience. Being a new 00:07:09.819 --> 00:07:12.160 face at Just for Laughs, which is like the premier 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.639 industry showcase, that gets you the critical 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:17.000 stamp of approval. Talent bookers, managers, 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.740 development execs, they're all watching new faces. 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:22.819 That's the moment she goes from being a really 00:07:22.819 --> 00:07:25.399 respected local comedian to someone with real 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.060 national touring and TV potential. So the blueprint 00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:30.740 seems pretty clear then. A methodical five -year 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:33.779 buildup, a smart move to Austin, regional domination 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:37.639 there. leading straight into national competition 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:40.019 wins and critical festival nods, that really 00:07:40.019 --> 00:07:42.199 established her profile across the country, didn't 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.139 it? It paved the way for the next stage, getting 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:46.379 onto TV. Yeah, once you get that national profile, 00:07:46.699 --> 00:07:48.100 the game kind of shifts, right? It goes from 00:07:48.100 --> 00:07:50.300 finding your voice to maximizing your exposure. 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:53.120 Yeah. And the early to mid -2000s, that was really 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.879 Kelly's bridge period. Stand -up success translated 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:59.079 directly into being a recognizable face, a personality 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:02.220 on national television. And she definitely worked 00:08:02.220 --> 00:08:04.600 that system. I mean, the list of TV appearances 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:08.620 in our sources, it's like a checklist for a respected 00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:11.639 working comedian from that time. She was on Late 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:14.180 Night with Conan O 'Brien. A huge guest. Comedy 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:17.500 Central's own specials, like the half hour premium 00:08:17.500 --> 00:08:21.100 blend. Staples back then. NBC's Last Comic Standing, 00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:24.519 the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. She hit 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:26.959 all the major spots. And each of those serves 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:29.379 a slightly different purpose. You know, Conan. 00:08:30.520 --> 00:08:33.899 Ferguson, those are the ultimate tests for timing, 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:37.879 delivery. You need a perfectly honed five to 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:40.500 seven minute set to grab that late night audience. 00:08:40.659 --> 00:08:43.379 Totally. The Comedy Central specials, they solidify 00:08:43.379 --> 00:08:45.879 your reputation with actual comedy fans, give 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:48.480 you material for touring, maybe a CD or DVD back 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.399 then. And we should remember these appearances, 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:52.360 they're way more than just getting your face 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:54.379 out there. In Hollywood, especially for someone 00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:57.120 with her kind of understated delivery. Those 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:59.240 TV spots are basically the ultimate audition 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:01.019 tape. That's exactly right. They prove you're 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:03.000 reliable, you can memorize and deliver material 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.080 perfectly under huge pressure, and you have a 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.360 unique stage presence that translates to the 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:11.399 camera. Precisely. Those skills, the timing, 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:14.860 the presence, the consistency, they are immediately 00:09:14.860 --> 00:09:18.490 transferable to scripted acting. A director sees 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:21.870 someone land a complex, subtle joke on national 00:09:21.870 --> 00:09:24.490 TV and thinks, OK, that person can deliver dialogue. 00:09:24.610 --> 00:09:26.750 They can hold focus. Which brings us right to 00:09:26.750 --> 00:09:29.610 that pivotal moment, the transition point. And 00:09:29.610 --> 00:09:31.629 it's actually surprisingly late in her career, 00:09:31.710 --> 00:09:33.409 isn't it? After decades doing stand -up, she 00:09:33.409 --> 00:09:36.029 makes her acting debut in January 2016. Yeah, 00:09:36.110 --> 00:09:38.950 decades. And what's really key here is how it 00:09:38.950 --> 00:09:40.690 happened. It wasn't through some traditional 00:09:40.690 --> 00:09:43.269 casting call. It was a personal connection paying 00:09:43.269 --> 00:09:45.649 off years down the line. That's the comedy world. 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:48.980 network effect in action right there. She was 00:09:48.980 --> 00:09:51.539 asked by her longtime friend, Zach Galifianakis, 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:54.519 to co -star with him in his big FX series, Baskets. 00:09:54.740 --> 00:09:58.279 That just bypasses the usual, often brutal, Hollywood 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.259 casting process. It really emphasizes the value 00:10:01.259 --> 00:10:03.279 of keeping those professional relationships going 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.360 over the years. But wasn't that a massive risk 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.720 for Galifianakis? I mean, casting a basically 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:10.159 unproven screen actress in such a central anchor 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:12.799 role, it says a lot about the trust he must have 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:14.460 had in her, just her raw performance ability. 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:16.809 Well, what did he see? I think he saw reliability, 00:10:17.289 --> 00:10:20.850 authenticity, control. Galifianakis himself, 00:10:21.129 --> 00:10:23.929 he understands that kind of understated observational 00:10:23.929 --> 00:10:27.309 comedy. He knew Kelly's timing, her rhythm, her 00:10:27.309 --> 00:10:30.370 sort of innate trustworthiness. Her stand -up 00:10:30.370 --> 00:10:33.429 persona, vulnerable. Yes, self -effacing, sure, 00:10:33.529 --> 00:10:35.429 but fundamentally grounded. That was exactly 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:38.830 the emotional core Baskets needed to kind of 00:10:38.830 --> 00:10:41.649 anchor Chip Baskets' chaos. He wasn't casting 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:43.909 a caricature. He was casting an emotional center 00:10:43.909 --> 00:10:46.029 for the show. And it wasn't just the small part, 00:10:46.149 --> 00:10:48.789 a guest spot. She co -starred as Martha Brooks, 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:51.210 the insurance adjuster, Chip's friend. The commitment 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:54.590 was huge. 40 episodes between 2016 and 2019. 00:10:55.049 --> 00:10:57.389 40 episodes. That's an enormous commitment for 00:10:57.389 --> 00:11:00.009 a first real acting gift. Totally. This is where 00:11:00.009 --> 00:11:02.230 that long -developed stand -up skill set really 00:11:02.230 --> 00:11:04.450 had to pay off in a sustained way. Absolutely. 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:06.590 It required her to maintain character continuity 00:11:06.590 --> 00:11:09.049 week after week, work consistently with high 00:11:09.049 --> 00:11:11.049 -level writers, directors, hold a significant 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:13.309 presence on screen opposite, you know, Louis 00:11:13.309 --> 00:11:16.139 Anderson and Gellifian. Big talents. Huge. And 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:18.240 her stand -up background made her a master of 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:20.580 understatement, right? She never had to, like, 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:22.960 steal a scene. She just had to react authentically. 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.080 Let her timing deliver the emotional beat or 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:27.960 the quiet joke. The Martha Brooks character. 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:31.740 She was gentle, almost painfully awkward sometimes, 00:11:32.059 --> 00:11:34.659 but always the voice of reality in that very 00:11:34.659 --> 00:11:37.320 surreal show. Exactly. And that role, it really 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:39.799 transformed her. She went from being a comedian 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:43.259 who sometimes gets TV gigs to... An established 00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:45.399 working actress. It opened up a whole new chapter. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:48.679 So the success of Baskets, that really cemented 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:51.879 her comedic acting abilities. But the true, like, 00:11:51.899 --> 00:11:54.440 jaw -dropping demonstration of her range came 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:56.639 next. Yeah, this is the pivot. It's the moment 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:58.740 she pivots from being defined by a character 00:11:58.740 --> 00:12:01.879 built on empathy, on gentleness, to delivering 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:04.120 one of the most, frankly, chilling and contained 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:06.820 villainous performances we've seen on TV recently. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:08.759 The sheer shock of the contrast, that's what 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:10.879 drives the critical success here. We knew her 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:13.059 as Martha Brooks, right? That gentle soul. And 00:12:13.059 --> 00:12:15.340 then she gives us Laurie, the drug lord in Euphoria. 00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:18.100 A performance so radically different, the industry 00:12:18.100 --> 00:12:20.159 just had to sit up and pay attention. And they 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:24.279 did. In 2022, she gets that Primetime Emmy Award 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:27.419 nomination. Outstanding guest actress in a drama 00:12:27.419 --> 00:12:29.580 series. Which is huge for that kind of role. 00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:32.320 Definitely. And Laurie started as just a recurring 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:35.019 role in season two, but the sources show she 00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:37.299 was actually elevated to a main role for season 00:12:37.299 --> 00:12:40.000 three. That promotion alone tells you about the 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:43.500 immediate, powerful impact she had on the story, 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:45.860 on the audience. Let's talk about the mechanics 00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:47.860 of this shift, though, because this really gets 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:50.960 to the core of our deep dive today. Playing Laurie 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:53.139 requires performance traits that seem like the 00:12:53.139 --> 00:12:55.419 absolute opposite of stand -up comedy. Right. 00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:58.580 And yet they rely on the same fundamental principle, 00:12:58.779 --> 00:13:02.779 absolute control, control over timing, over delivery. 00:13:03.019 --> 00:13:04.899 How do you mean? Because Martha Brooks was anxious, 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:08.139 expressive in her discomfort. Laurie is, well, 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:10.320 she's utterly devoid of visible emotion. She's 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:12.960 quiet, still completely unnerving. Okay, think 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:15.889 about it. Lori's power comes from what she doesn't 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:19.370 say, what she doesn't do, how still she is. Now, 00:13:19.429 --> 00:13:22.509 in stand -up, a great joke often relies on the 00:13:22.509 --> 00:13:24.970 performer managing the space, the silence, right 00:13:24.970 --> 00:13:27.269 before the punchline lands. You maximize the 00:13:27.269 --> 00:13:29.289 tension before you give the release of laughter. 00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:33.250 Kelly spent 20 years perfecting that moment of 00:13:33.250 --> 00:13:35.409 controlled silence on stage. Right, holding the 00:13:35.409 --> 00:13:37.490 audience. Exactly, holding them. Now, in Euphoria, 00:13:37.669 --> 00:13:41.110 she applies that identical control. But instead 00:13:41.110 --> 00:13:44.240 of leading to laughter, That silence, that stillness, 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:48.559 leads to genuine, quiet menace. Wow. Lori doesn't 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:50.679 need to yell. She doesn't need big, dramatic 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:53.740 gestures. The danger feels internal, contained. 00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:57.039 That stand -up skill of using stillness to focus 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:59.080 the audience's attention, which you absolutely 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:02.519 need when your style is plain funny, she repurposes 00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:05.220 that here. Stillness becomes a weapon of intimidation. 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:06.860 You're just waiting for her to move, waiting 00:14:06.860 --> 00:14:09.000 for her to speak. And that hesitation, that lack 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:12.179 of reaction, is terrifying. It's incredibly disciplined 00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:14.279 acting. It's the mastery of the pause, isn't 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:16.500 it? A pause in stand -up can land a joke perfectly. 00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:19.440 A pause when you're playing a drug lord. It suggests 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.440 a life -or -death calculation is happening behind 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:24.639 those eyes. Precisely. That ability to just hold 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.759 an emotional vacuum, which she does so brilliantly 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.879 as Laurie, it feels like a direct translation 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.360 of her stage timing, just weaponized differently. 00:14:32.860 --> 00:14:35.039 And this Emmy nomination, it just validated her 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:37.000 versatility completely, proved she wasn't limited 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:39.700 by that established baskets persona. It basically 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:42.480 signaled to Hollywood loud and clear this woman 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.860 can handle heavy, dramatic lifting. Yeah, it 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.759 opened doors. And we saw her move pretty confidently 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.539 into other roles that required that same kind 00:14:50.539 --> 00:14:52.580 of precision at constraint almost immediately 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.019 afterwards. Like in 2022, she took on a pretty 00:14:56.019 --> 00:14:59.080 significant historical role playing Rosemary 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:01.500 Woods in Gaslit. That was the limited series 00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:03.960 about Watergate. She was in five episodes playing 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:06.580 Rosemary Woods, Nixon's secretary. That's an 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:09.200 interesting contrast even to Euphoria. Laurie's 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.000 pure invention, right? A fictional, terrifying 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:14.799 creation. Woods is a known historical figure. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.320 Tied to the infamous 18 and a half minute gap 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:19.519 on the tapes. Exactly. So that role requires 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:22.360 her to completely minimize her own recognizable 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:25.820 persona, her comedic timing, and instead embody 00:15:25.820 --> 00:15:29.200 this specific, quite constrained historical figure. 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:31.529 You need accuracy. Yeah, you have to be precise. 00:15:31.669 --> 00:15:34.809 Avoid caricature, but still capture the essence 00:15:34.809 --> 00:15:38.350 of a known public figure. Again, those observational 00:15:38.350 --> 00:15:41.009 skills you hone in, stand up, watching people, 00:15:41.169 --> 00:15:44.070 picking up their tics, their mannerisms, presenting 00:15:44.070 --> 00:15:46.929 them with that kind of dry accuracy seems essential 00:15:46.929 --> 00:15:49.529 there, too. Totally. And let's not forget her 00:15:49.529 --> 00:15:52.610 dipping into high concept fantasy as well, playing 00:15:52.610 --> 00:15:55.549 Zoria Eutrenia in American Gods for a couple 00:15:55.549 --> 00:15:58.549 of episodes back in 2017 and 2020. Right, grounding 00:15:58.549 --> 00:16:01.210 these complex mythological stories. All these 00:16:01.210 --> 00:16:03.730 subsequent roles, they just proved that the jump 00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:06.629 from baskets to euphoria wasn't a fluke. It was 00:16:06.629 --> 00:16:09.850 built on real, demonstrable, transferable range. 00:16:10.190 --> 00:16:13.049 Not just getting lucky with one great part. So 00:16:13.049 --> 00:16:14.590 what becomes really clear when you look at the 00:16:14.590 --> 00:16:16.990 whole picture is that Martha Kelly isn't just, 00:16:17.009 --> 00:16:18.889 you know, an actress who used to do stand -up. 00:16:19.009 --> 00:16:21.110 She's become this professional utility player. 00:16:21.169 --> 00:16:23.389 She seems comfortable across basically every 00:16:23.389 --> 00:16:25.610 medium available to a performer today. Totally. 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:29.009 Blockbuster films, intimate indie dramas, and 00:16:29.009 --> 00:16:30.909 yeah, that highly specialized world of voice 00:16:30.909 --> 00:16:33.289 acting too. Her filmography alone, it's like 00:16:33.289 --> 00:16:35.669 a masterclass in managing scale, isn't it? She 00:16:35.669 --> 00:16:38.570 can just seamlessly navigate these huge studio 00:16:38.570 --> 00:16:42.230 productions and then shift to the really nuanced 00:16:42.230 --> 00:16:44.929 world of auteur -driven projects. Yeah, look 00:16:44.929 --> 00:16:47.529 at the difference in scale between, say, her 00:16:47.529 --> 00:16:50.559 role in Spider -Man. homecoming back in 2017 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:53.679 and something like marriage story in 2019 spider 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:55.919 -man she plays a tour guide right it's a small 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.820 part memorable definitely a comedic beat basically 00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:01.960 one scene right The challenge there is delivering 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.680 this high impact performance in minimal screen 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:07.359 time. You've got to inject humor into this massive 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.799 Marvel Cinematic Universe machine. Exactly. It 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:13.720 requires immediate, like high definition characterization. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:16.480 Yeah. Precision timing. You have to be able to 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:19.140 work within the constraints of a huge, fast moving 00:17:19.140 --> 00:17:21.460 set. You show up, you deliver the exact comedic 00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:23.279 energy the director needs, and then you're gone. 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:25.339 That efficiency. It's honed from years of stand 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:27.380 up touring, right? Where you have maybe five 00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:29.259 minutes to win over a brand new audience. Makes 00:17:29.259 --> 00:17:32.900 sense. Now compare that to Marriage Story. Noah 00:17:32.900 --> 00:17:35.980 Baumbach, heavy dialogue, prestige indie drama. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:39.460 She played Nancy Katz. That demands a completely 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:41.940 different energy. Totally different. Intimacy, 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:44.740 focus on dialogue, collaborating with actors 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:48.019 like Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, on what 00:17:48.019 --> 00:17:51.740 was probably a tiny, quiet set. This contrast 00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:53.960 is key, I think. The Marvel set needs technical 00:17:53.960 --> 00:17:56.339 precision, dealing with cameras, franchise stuff. 00:17:56.500 --> 00:17:59.079 The Baumbach set needs deep emotional immersion, 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.720 vulnerability. And she proves she can operate 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:04.119 effectively in both spaces. So just a lack of 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:06.660 ego, maybe? A real professionalism about the 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:08.180 material itself. Doesn't matter what the budget 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:10.079 is. Yeah. And we also see her in things like 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:12.900 Corporate Animals in 2019 as Gloria. And more 00:18:12.900 --> 00:18:15.839 recently, sitting in bars with cake in 2023 as 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:18.039 Ruth. These are those solid supporting roles 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:20.220 that need grounding, relatability, something 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:23.269 her The plain funny persona just nails. Exactly. 00:18:23.329 --> 00:18:25.769 But we definitely have to emphasize her versatility 00:18:25.769 --> 00:18:28.390 doesn't stop with live action. There's this whole 00:18:28.390 --> 00:18:30.630 other really demanding and increasingly significant 00:18:30.630 --> 00:18:33.390 part of her career, voice acting. Which requires 00:18:33.390 --> 00:18:35.089 a completely different skill set again. Right. 00:18:35.250 --> 00:18:39.019 Totally. Voice acting demands. You convey everything, 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:41.980 character, emotion, setting, just with your voice. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:44.799 You lose the physical presence, the body language, 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.140 the costume. Yeah. All those tools she used to 00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:50.460 effectively say is Laurie in Euphoria. So the 00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:52.299 voice itself has to do all the work. Pretty much. 00:18:52.990 --> 00:18:55.950 And here, that comedic timing she developed over 00:18:55.950 --> 00:18:58.789 two decades, that becomes maybe the ultimate 00:18:58.789 --> 00:19:01.109 tool for defining the character. She's currently 00:19:01.109 --> 00:19:03.809 voicing Agent Harrington on that Adult Swim animated 00:19:03.809 --> 00:19:06.049 series, Common Side Effects, which started in 00:19:06.049 --> 00:19:09.450 2025. That requires a very specific, often rapid 00:19:09.450 --> 00:19:12.069 -fire kind of Adult Swim comedic style. Right. 00:19:12.150 --> 00:19:15.049 But look at the sustained voice work, too. She 00:19:15.049 --> 00:19:17.950 had the main voice role, Carol Cole, in the 2023 00:19:17.950 --> 00:19:20.349 series, Carol and the End of the World. Holding 00:19:20.349 --> 00:19:22.789 a lead in animation. That's demanding. You're 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:24.990 the consistent emotional anchor for the audience, 00:19:25.109 --> 00:19:27.450 purely through vocal performance, selling the 00:19:27.450 --> 00:19:29.730 whole character arc with just your voice. Absolutely. 00:19:29.930 --> 00:19:31.890 And maybe the most extensive work she's done 00:19:31.890 --> 00:19:34.490 in this area is her recurring role as Bethany 00:19:34.490 --> 00:19:37.150 in The Great North. She was in, what, 24 episodes? 00:19:37.430 --> 00:19:40.230 Right. Between 2021 and 2024. 24 episodes, yeah. 00:19:40.390 --> 00:19:42.930 When you rack up 24 episodes in a recurring role 00:19:42.930 --> 00:19:45.849 like that, you realize, okay, this isn't just 00:19:45.849 --> 00:19:47.829 casual work for her. It's like a parallel career 00:19:47.829 --> 00:19:50.630 track built on very distinct, specialized skills. 00:19:51.130 --> 00:19:54.109 Creating a consistent, repeatable, funny voice 00:19:54.109 --> 00:19:57.109 character across multiple seasons that takes 00:19:57.109 --> 00:20:00.589 vocal endurance, technical consistency, and just 00:20:00.589 --> 00:20:02.930 a deep understanding of comedic rhythm that, 00:20:02.950 --> 00:20:05.549 again, probably comes straight from all those 00:20:05.549 --> 00:20:08.309 years on stage. No doubt. And then finally, we 00:20:08.309 --> 00:20:10.490 should just acknowledge her continued presence 00:20:10.490 --> 00:20:12.809 on the guest star circuit because these roles 00:20:12.809 --> 00:20:16.029 often feel like... like artistic reunions almost, 00:20:16.190 --> 00:20:18.589 linking back to that comedy community that really 00:20:18.589 --> 00:20:20.230 launched her acting career in the first place. 00:20:20.410 --> 00:20:22.589 It feels like a sign of being really deeply respected 00:20:22.589 --> 00:20:24.990 by your peers, doesn't it? When you look at her 00:20:24.990 --> 00:20:27.029 guest roles, they kind of track the current landscape 00:20:27.029 --> 00:20:29.130 of prestige comedy. She popped up as Barbara 00:20:29.130 --> 00:20:32.589 in Hacks in 2022. Great show. As Martha in that 00:20:32.589 --> 00:20:34.769 brilliant mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows 00:20:34.769 --> 00:20:37.390 in 2023. Perfect casting there. And roles in 00:20:37.390 --> 00:20:39.910 other big shows like Grace and Frankie, Will 00:20:39.910 --> 00:20:42.960 and Grace, American Auto. These are shows where 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.440 timing is everything. The creators, the showrunners, 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.799 they know if they bring in Martha Kelly, they're 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:50.420 getting a guaranteed, perfectly delivered comedic 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:53.140 beat. Or maybe an unexpectedly grounded character 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:56.579 moment that just elevates the whole scene. She's 00:20:56.579 --> 00:20:59.740 that reliable player you call... when the script 00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:01.920 needs that kind of understated excellence. And 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:04.759 her career trajectory is clearly still active, 00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:06.759 still moving forward. We see her name attached 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:09.700 to upcoming projects, Poetic License, that's 00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:13.700 in post -production for 2025, and the much -talked 00:21:13.700 --> 00:21:17.319 -about Coyote vs. Acme, slated for 2026. Yeah, 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:19.359 the consistent flow of work across all these 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.299 genres, it just confirms that the bridge she 00:21:21.299 --> 00:21:24.180 built between comedy and drama is now fully cemented. 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.339 She's just a versatile working actor, period. 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:29.019 OK, so if we try to synthesize this whole journey 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:31.200 of Martha Kelly, a career now spanning 30 years, 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:35.140 what we really see is maybe a template, a template 00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:37.680 for sustained professional success that's built 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.160 on methodical effort, not viral luck. Yeah, it 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.920 started with that absolutely critical patient 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.319 five year development phase, 94 to 99, followed 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.119 by dominating regionally in Austin, then grabbing 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:51.599 those national competition wins. That foundation, 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.779 that hard won credibility and those long term 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:56.900 professional relationships like. Epitomized by 00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:59.440 that call from Zach Galifianakis, it didn't just 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:01.799 launch a second career for her. It gave her the 00:22:01.799 --> 00:22:04.940 refined tools she needed to succeed in dramatically 00:22:04.940 --> 00:22:07.259 different fields. Her career really demonstrates 00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:11.119 that if you intensely focus on core skills, timing, 00:22:11.259 --> 00:22:14.259 control, character observation in one area, like 00:22:14.259 --> 00:22:17.619 stand -up, it can genuinely unlock critical acclaim 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:19.539 in a totally different one, like dramatic acting. 00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:22.480 Her adaptability is just... Stunning, really. 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:25.039 Moving from the compassionate, vulnerable center 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.059 of someone like Martha Brooks to the chilling, 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:30.480 contained menace of Laurie in Euphoria. And doing 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:32.460 all that while maintaining a prolific voice acting 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:35.759 career and moving seamlessly between like Marvel 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.720 blockbusters and quiet indie dramas. It proves 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.900 that when that big industry opportunity finally 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:43.670 comes knocking. You have to have those deep, 00:22:43.730 --> 00:22:46.250 professional chops developed over years and years 00:22:46.250 --> 00:22:48.670 to actually stick the landing with that kind 00:22:48.670 --> 00:22:51.470 of Emmy -nominated precision. Which raises, I 00:22:51.470 --> 00:22:53.150 think, an important question for you, the listener, 00:22:53.250 --> 00:22:55.009 to kind of mull over after this deep dive is 00:22:55.009 --> 00:22:57.930 done. Okay. If Martha Kelly's plain, funny stand 00:22:57.930 --> 00:23:02.390 -up style relies on perfect, subtle control to 00:23:02.390 --> 00:23:04.609 make an audience laugh, often at an uncomfortable 00:23:04.609 --> 00:23:08.259 truth. How much of that fundamental skill that 00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:10.559 command over the stage, the voice, the silence, 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:13.380 is intrinsically linked to the terrifying contained 00:23:13.380 --> 00:23:16.420 performance needed to play a character who embodies 00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:19.480 pure, quiet malice? Think about how the rhythm 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:21.920 of a punchline uses silence to build comedy, 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:24.019 right? And how that might directly inform the 00:23:24.019 --> 00:23:26.259 rhythm of a predatory threat, which uses silence 00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:28.819 to build fear. Is high -level performance control 00:23:28.819 --> 00:23:32.380 just a universal skill, maybe? Regardless of 00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:34.140 the emotional output, something to think about.