WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.060 Welcome to the Deep Dive, the place where we 00:00:02.060 --> 00:00:04.860 take all that noise and information out there. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:07.240 And really boil it down. Exactly. Boil it down 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:09.279 to the stuff you actually want to know. The really 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:11.759 fascinating bits. And today, wow, we're focusing 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:14.279 on someone whose voice is just... Yeah. Well, 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:17.359 you hear it, you know it. Instantly. Instantly 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:20.420 recognizable. But her career is this incredibly 00:00:20.420 --> 00:00:25.339 complicated, like, layered thing. Kristen Scholl. 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:27.559 Yeah, Kristen Scholl. And you hear that voice, 00:00:27.579 --> 00:00:29.420 like you said, and it pulls you in two directions, 00:00:29.539 --> 00:00:32.479 doesn't it? You've got the pure, you know, chaotic 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.100 energy of Louise Belcher on Bob's Burgers. Skimming 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:38.479 away with the pink bunny ears. Classic. Right. 00:00:38.619 --> 00:00:41.600 Total cynic. Hilarious. But then you flip it 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:43.700 and you've got the guide from What We Do in the 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:45.630 Shadows. Oh, yeah. Completely different vibe, 00:00:45.789 --> 00:00:48.649 deadpan, kind of bureaucratic. An ancient vampire 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:52.310 dealing with admin. It's amazing. The same person, 00:00:52.350 --> 00:00:55.750 the same vocal instrument can do both. A 10 -year 00:00:55.750 --> 00:00:58.270 -old agent of chaos and this immortal being. 00:00:58.369 --> 00:01:00.590 It's wild. It really is. And that's kind of our 00:01:00.590 --> 00:01:02.710 mission here, right, in this deep dive. We want 00:01:02.710 --> 00:01:04.890 to go beyond just those two roles, even though 00:01:04.890 --> 00:01:07.209 they're absolutely central. Can't ignore them. 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:09.909 No way. Yeah. But we're looking at an artist 00:01:09.909 --> 00:01:14.299 who took this super specific. Really unique presence. 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:17.299 Her voice, her delivery. Exactly. And she managed 00:01:17.299 --> 00:01:19.680 to make it work across so many different things, 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.019 like radically different mediums. So we're going 00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:25.099 to track that path. Look at her beginnings in 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:28.840 live comedy. Some pretty out there stuff. The 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:31.900 alt comedy scene. Yeah. Then her massive voice 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:34.560 acting roles, obviously. Her writing career, 00:01:34.739 --> 00:01:38.180 which is significant. And... maybe most interesting 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:40.480 how it all links up exactly how these really 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:42.739 diverse projects kind of talk to each other okay 00:01:42.739 --> 00:01:44.500 so let's start where we have to start really 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:47.140 it's impossible to talk about kristen's goal 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:51.219 without zoning in on well her voice the voice 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:55.379 that distinctive high -pitched almost childlike 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:59.180 sound it's central but it's not just a gimmick 00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:02.540 is it it's not a limitation it's like her superpower 00:02:03.079 --> 00:02:05.099 It's totally a strategic asset. She's used it 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:08.860 so smartly. It can be pure innocence. One minute. 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:12.020 Like Mabel Pines. Right. And then the next, it's 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:14.379 delivering this really biting, super cynical, 00:02:14.500 --> 00:02:17.000 observational humor. Yeah, it cuts right through. 00:02:17.180 --> 00:02:19.479 It's her sonic signature, no doubt. And what's 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:21.340 really cool is how he plays with it, you know? 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:23.819 Modulates it. Yeah, exactly. She could be kids, 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:27.219 teenagers, weird creatures. Talking dinosaurs. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:30.620 Talking dinosaurs, yeah. And even, like, serious 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:33.330 adults sometimes. Yeah. But it always had that 00:02:33.330 --> 00:02:36.189 core Skoll energy, that kind of enthusiastic, 00:02:36.449 --> 00:02:39.030 slightly manic, definitely off -kilter thing. 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:41.330 But her fans just love. Absolutely. And it's 00:02:41.330 --> 00:02:42.969 what made her pop, you know, back in the day 00:02:42.969 --> 00:02:45.669 in New York's alternative comedy scene, which 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:48.030 was super competitive. Okay, so where does that 00:02:48.030 --> 00:02:50.389 persona even come from? Because you hear her 00:02:50.389 --> 00:02:53.150 all hyperverbal, kind of theatrical. They picture 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:55.090 a certain upbringing, right? Totally. Like art 00:02:55.090 --> 00:02:58.580 schools, big city background. But her early life, 00:02:58.659 --> 00:03:00.900 it's this fantastic contrast, really surprising. 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:03.580 It really is. It's like the first big contradiction 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:07.139 that maybe feeds into her comedy later on. Kristen 00:03:07.139 --> 00:03:11.759 Joy Skoll, born January 24th, 1978, in Longmont, 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.939 Colorado. Colorado. Now get this. Raised on the 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:18.139 family's cattle ranch, rural area near Boulder. 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:22.259 Wow. A cattle ranch. Yeah. Lutron family, Dutch 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:25.060 ancestry. Sounds pretty traditional, grounded. 00:03:25.379 --> 00:03:28.469 Yeah. Like. Heartland America. A world away from 00:03:28.469 --> 00:03:30.770 the surreal, absurdist stuff she became known 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:33.909 for. Absolutely. The sources mention her dad 00:03:33.909 --> 00:03:35.949 was a construction worker, her mom a secretary. 00:03:36.169 --> 00:03:38.409 She has an older brother, David. Just a regular 00:03:38.409 --> 00:03:41.150 Colorado upbringing, it seems. That grounding, 00:03:41.250 --> 00:03:43.599 though. Maybe it gives her observations a different 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:45.680 kind of texture. Like she knows that world too. 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:48.039 Could be. So she graduates from Skyline High 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.659 School. That's in 96. Does a year at the University 00:03:50.659 --> 00:03:53.080 of Colorado in Boulder. Keeping it local. For 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.479 a bit. Yeah. But then she transfers and finishes 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:58.439 her B .A. at Northwestern University. Ah, Northwestern. 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:00.180 Okay, that makes more sense. Strong theater program 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:02.639 there. Big time. But finishing school was just 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:05.360 like the warm -up act. The real turning point. 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:08.099 Moving to New York City in 2000. And not just 00:04:08.099 --> 00:04:10.199 moving, right? The sources say it was specifically 00:04:10.199 --> 00:04:12.979 to chase a comedy career. Totally focused. Yeah. 00:04:13.060 --> 00:04:15.180 And she didn't mess around. By 2005, she gets 00:04:15.180 --> 00:04:17.600 her first major shout out. New York Magazine 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:19.379 puts her on their list. Oh, I remember those 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:22.079 lists. The 10 funniest New Yorkers you've never 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.740 heard of. Huge deal back then. Massive boost. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:26.939 Yeah. And that really kicks things off. What 00:04:26.939 --> 00:04:31.029 happens next is just this rapid fire. series 00:04:31.029 --> 00:04:33.970 of awards a total blitz yeah establishing her 00:04:33.970 --> 00:04:37.509 cred not on tv yet but in that really tough experimental 00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:40.310 alt comedy world she's proving herself to the 00:04:40.310 --> 00:04:42.930 comedy nerds first you know so what awards are 00:04:42.930 --> 00:04:46.810 we talking okay so 2006 she wins best alternative 00:04:46.810 --> 00:04:50.089 comedian at the hbo u .s comedy arts festival 00:04:50.089 --> 00:04:53.449 in aspen That's a big one. Huge. HBO backing. 00:04:53.689 --> 00:04:55.790 And maybe even more telling. Yeah. Style -wise. 00:04:56.069 --> 00:04:58.670 She wins the second ever Andy Kaufman Award. 00:04:58.889 --> 00:05:01.009 Okay. The Andy Kaufman Award. That's very specific. 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:02.829 That's not just about telling jokes. Exactly. 00:05:02.949 --> 00:05:04.790 It's for people pushing boundaries, doing weird 00:05:04.790 --> 00:05:07.129 experimental stuff. Performance art meets comedy. 00:05:07.410 --> 00:05:10.170 Winning that connects her directly to that lineage 00:05:10.170 --> 00:05:13.230 of really challenging kind of theatrical comedy. 00:05:13.410 --> 00:05:16.120 It says a lot. It absolutely does. And you see 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:18.259 that theatricality later, right? Even in roles 00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:21.699 like The Guide. That dry, precise weirdness. 00:05:21.899 --> 00:05:24.279 Totally. It comes from the stage. And the local 00:05:24.279 --> 00:05:27.259 scene loved her, too. She won Best Female Stand 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:29.660 -Up at the Nightlife Awards in 06. Then he ended 00:05:29.660 --> 00:05:33.180 the ECNY Awards in 07. Building that New York 00:05:33.180 --> 00:05:35.139 buzz. And then it goes international pretty quick, 00:05:35.220 --> 00:05:37.620 right? Yeah, 2008's a big year. She wins the 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:39.420 Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:42.250 Festival. Major international prize. For her 00:05:42.250 --> 00:05:44.730 show, Kristen Scull, as you have probably never 00:05:44.730 --> 00:05:47.230 seen her before, great title. Isn't it? And she 00:05:47.230 --> 00:05:50.230 actually tied for that one with Nina Conti. Oh, 00:05:50.250 --> 00:05:53.250 wow. Another super unique, high -concept comedian. 00:05:53.629 --> 00:05:56.889 And Triloquist, right. So tying with her, winning 00:05:56.889 --> 00:05:59.680 in Melbourne. It proves her weirdness translates. 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:01.939 Critics everywhere got it. It wasn't just a New 00:06:01.939 --> 00:06:04.360 York thing. Nope. And it wasn't just solo stuff 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:06.560 either. She was deep in the collaborative scene, 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:09.399 co -hosting that weekly variety show, Hot Tub. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:12.360 Right, in L .A. Voted best variety show by Time 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:14.500 Out New York readers in 05, so she was doing 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:17.259 bi -coastal stuff too. Seems like it. Always 00:06:17.259 --> 00:06:19.860 working, always collaborating. She was on an 00:06:19.860 --> 00:06:22.980 improv team, Big Black Car. At the People's Improv 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:25.279 Theater. Honing those improv chops, which you 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:27.600 definitely see later in her character work. That 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:31.240 quickness. Essential skill. And here's a really 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:33.100 fun detail. I think it says a lot about her whole 00:06:33.100 --> 00:06:35.959 five. She was a founding member of the Striking 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:39.160 Viking Story Pirates. Okay, what is that? Sounds 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:41.839 amazing. It's a theater company, right? And they 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:44.220 take stories written by actual kids. Real kids. 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:46.720 Yeah. And they turn them into sketches and songs. 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.519 Live on stage. That is so perfectly Kristen Scholl. 00:06:51.689 --> 00:06:54.170 whimsical, creative, a bit strange working with 00:06:54.170 --> 00:06:57.370 that childlike imagination. Literally. Totally 00:06:57.370 --> 00:06:59.490 indicative of her style, right? And she kept 00:06:59.490 --> 00:07:01.949 hitting the big festivals, too. Edinburgh Fringe 00:07:01.949 --> 00:07:05.370 in 07. Got nominated there in 08 for a show with 00:07:05.370 --> 00:07:07.850 Kurt Braunohler. Double Down Hearts, her regular 00:07:07.850 --> 00:07:10.300 comedy partner. And she even performed at the 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:13.180 Royal Albert Hall in London for the Secret Policeman's 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:16.819 Ball. Whoa, that's a legendary event for Amnesty 00:07:16.819 --> 00:07:19.720 International. Yeah. So, I mean, by the late 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:22.980 2000s, she'd basically conquered the live stage, 00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:26.339 alt comedy, international festivals, high profile 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:29.319 benefits, all before she became like a household 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:31.899 name on TV. So that quirky voice, that delivery, 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:34.879 it wasn't just, you know, a thing. It was the 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:38.360 engine for some seriously acclaimed. boundary 00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:40.560 pushing comedy she was recognized as an artist 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.319 first and that probably gave her the freedom 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:46.300 later to pick and choose those really interesting 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:49.879 unusual projects okay so she nails the live performance 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:53.100 thing that theatrical inventive energy it didn't 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:55.399 just stay on stage did it it translated perfectly 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:57.920 to the sound booth oh absolutely her move into 00:07:57.920 --> 00:07:59.800 animation wasn't just a side gig it was like 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:02.180 discovering her voice was this well creative 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:05.079 Superpower. Yeah, superpower is a good word for 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:06.759 it because it let her play characters all over 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:08.819 the map, right? Different ages, different species 00:08:08.819 --> 00:08:11.199 even. Totally. And what's really interesting 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.680 is how she uses that quote -unquote childlike 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.240 quality. It's not just for laughs. Right. Sometimes 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.699 it's really vulnerable or surprisingly deep. 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:22.060 Exactly. She can pivot on a dime within one line 00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:24.290 reading. It's an incredible skill. So let's talk 00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:26.589 about the big three. The animated trio that, 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:29.550 I mean, really cemented her voice in pop culture. 00:08:29.810 --> 00:08:32.269 These are iconic roles. Okay, gotta start with 00:08:32.269 --> 00:08:35.799 the cornerstone. Louise Belcher. Bob's Burgers. 00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:39.259 Since 2011, still going strong. Her longest running 00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:41.759 main cast role in animation, right? And just 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:45.019 the perfect use of that voice for pure calculated 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:48.259 chaos. Absolutely. Louise is all scheme all the 00:08:48.259 --> 00:08:50.759 time, wrapped in that slightly cynical but still 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:52.480 kind of vulnerable package. And the industry 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.679 noticed. She won the Annie Award for voice acting 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:57.399 in 2015 for Louise, which is huge in animation. 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:00.279 Deservedly so. Think about the technical skill 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:02.600 needed to keep that. character consistent that 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:05.539 specific blend of mania and hidden heart for 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:08.200 over a decade it's remarkable okay then roll 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.539 number two the total opposite end of the spectrum 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:13.320 almost mabel pines mabel From Gravity Falls. 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:16.899 Yeah. Ran from 2012 to 2016. Main cast, 39 episodes. 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:19.279 And Mabel's got the high pitch, the energy, but 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.919 it's pure uncut optimism, right? Glitter and 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.639 sweaters and just joy. Exactly. It shows the 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.200 range right there. Same basic vocal tool, completely 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.659 different emotional output. So how did she keep 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:31.899 them sounding distinct? They're both energetic 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:34.379 kids. It's in the nuance, the emotional texture. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.090 Louisa's voice is often guarded. like a weapon. 00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:40.169 Mabel's is just wide open, totally transparent, 00:09:40.470 --> 00:09:43.549 all that boundless enthusiasm, sometimes naivete. 00:09:43.610 --> 00:09:45.909 You hear the difference immediately. Yeah. And 00:09:45.909 --> 00:09:47.909 she got awards for Mabel too, a Behind the Voice 00:09:47.909 --> 00:09:50.289 Actor Award and another Annie, both in 2012, 00:09:50.610 --> 00:09:53.730 a Masterclass in Using Voice. Okay. And the third 00:09:53.730 --> 00:09:57.139 one, this one hits different. Sarah Lynn on BoJack 00:09:57.139 --> 00:10:00.419 Horseman. Ah, Sarah Lynn, yeah. Only 14 episodes 00:10:00.419 --> 00:10:04.120 between 2014 and 2020, but what an impact. Huge 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.600 impact. The washed -up child star. That role 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.220 used her voice, that slightly manic, high energy, 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.440 to show someone completely broken. It was devastating. 00:10:13.909 --> 00:10:15.830 Especially her final episodes. The performance 00:10:15.830 --> 00:10:18.789 was just raw. So raw it got her a primetime Emmy 00:10:18.789 --> 00:10:20.990 nomination, right? For Outstanding Character 00:10:20.990 --> 00:10:23.490 Voice Over Performance in 2017. Yeah, for the 00:10:23.490 --> 00:10:25.450 episode, that's too much, man. That nomination 00:10:25.450 --> 00:10:27.929 really underscores her ability to use that comedic 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:30.610 voice for profound tragedy. It's incredible range. 00:10:30.950 --> 00:10:33.690 Okay, so beyond those big three, the sources 00:10:33.690 --> 00:10:36.919 show she's just... everywhere in animation, like 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:40.539 across huge franchises. Trixie the Triceratops 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:42.500 in Toy Story. Trixie, yeah, perfect example. 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.179 Using that distinct voice for a non -human character, 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:48.679 but still totally relatable and funny. And she 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:50.559 wasn't just in one movie. She's the voice of 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:53.419 Trixie. Exactly. Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, the 00:10:53.419 --> 00:10:56.019 shorts, the video game. Forky asks a question. 00:10:56.730 --> 00:10:59.029 She's woven into the fabric of that massive, 00:10:59.070 --> 00:11:01.350 beloved Pixar universe. That's a huge deal. And 00:11:01.350 --> 00:11:03.169 in other movies too, right? Supporting roles. 00:11:03.350 --> 00:11:06.649 Yep. Shannon in Despicable Me 2. Barb in Cloudy 00:11:06.649 --> 00:11:08.789 with a chance of meatballs too. Sure. Even popping 00:11:08.789 --> 00:11:10.809 up in Shrek Forever After as a couple of witches. 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:13.470 She gets her own. And recurring TV roles too. 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:15.370 Loads of them. She was Victoria Best on Word 00:11:15.370 --> 00:11:18.659 Girl. Oh, yeah. The super competitive kid genius. 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:21.120 Perfect casting. And Jake Jr. on Adventure Time, 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:24.480 Tiffy on Archer, Bella the bellhop on Amphibia, 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.700 Molly on Death Hacks. She just keeps popping 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:30.679 up in great shows. I want to go back to the Simpsons 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:32.519 guest spot for a second because there's a story 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:34.299 there, right? Oh, yeah. This is a great little 00:11:34.299 --> 00:11:37.000 anecdote. Shows how much clout she had even back 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:40.240 in 2011. She guest starred as Taffy in Homer 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.279 Scissorhands. Okay. Standard guest spot for a 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:47.110 rising star. Right. Buds. They misspelled her 00:11:47.110 --> 00:11:51.049 name in the credits. Put Kristen Schall. S -C 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:55.169 -H -A -L -L. Ouch. Awkward. Very. But what the 00:11:55.169 --> 00:11:57.970 Simpsons did next is almost unheard of. The very 00:11:57.970 --> 00:12:01.090 next week's episode. Yeah. Bart's chalkboard 00:12:01.090 --> 00:12:03.809 gag in the opening credits, it read, It's Kristen 00:12:03.809 --> 00:12:06.590 Schall, not Kristen Schall. No way. They gave 00:12:06.590 --> 00:12:09.090 her a personal chalkboard apology. Yep. A public 00:12:09.090 --> 00:12:11.190 correction from The Simpsons, a show that almost 00:12:11.190 --> 00:12:13.129 never breaks the fourth wall like that for a 00:12:13.129 --> 00:12:14.889 guest star. It tells you how much respect she 00:12:14.889 --> 00:12:16.970 commanded in the animation world even then. That's 00:12:16.970 --> 00:12:20.210 amazing. What a great story. It really is. So 00:12:20.210 --> 00:12:22.570 when you line up all these roles, the kid genius, 00:12:22.850 --> 00:12:25.809 the tragic pop star, the talking dinosaur. Louise, 00:12:26.230 --> 00:12:29.389 Mabel, Sarah Lynn. It's clear she mastered using 00:12:29.389 --> 00:12:31.830 that one unique voice like a precision instrument, 00:12:32.029 --> 00:12:33.950 finding totally different notes and harmonies 00:12:33.950 --> 00:12:35.970 for every single character. It's not just a voice. 00:12:36.049 --> 00:12:39.019 It's like a whole toolkit. A massively successful, 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.379 critically acclaimed toolkit. Yeah. Okay, so 00:12:42.379 --> 00:12:45.679 she dominates animation, but it's one thing to 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:47.539 kill it in the sound booth, right? It's another 00:12:47.539 --> 00:12:51.039 to bring that alt -comedy experimental energy 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:54.440 into live -action roles. Physical comedy, ensemble 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.179 work. And make it stick. Yeah. And the role that 00:12:57.179 --> 00:12:59.320 really blasted her onto the live -action scene, 00:12:59.419 --> 00:13:02.779 showing off that amazing ability to play, well, 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:06.639 kind of obsessed characters, was Mill. on Flay 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.320 the Conqueror. Oh, Mel, yes. Her obsessive fan 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.639 character, 2007 to 2009. She was in, like, most 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:14.879 episodes, right? 21 episodes, yeah. She was the 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:17.279 ultimate stalker fan of Bret and Jermaine. And 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:19.940 she channeled that frantic energy, that slightly 00:13:19.940 --> 00:13:22.259 unsettling vibe from her stand -up perfectly 00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:24.899 into Mel. She was the ideal foil to the band's 00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:27.309 low -key awkwardness. Just... Totally desperate 00:13:27.309 --> 00:13:29.950 and hilarious. Got her an EW nomination for supporting 00:13:29.950 --> 00:13:32.610 actress, too. It did. And that role really was 00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:34.710 her big launch pad in live action. Yes. Proved 00:13:34.710 --> 00:13:36.870 she could carry a recurring character on a hit 00:13:36.870 --> 00:13:39.330 HBO show. So from there, she takes that comedic 00:13:39.330 --> 00:13:42.740 voice and applies it to political satire. Yeah, 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.600 which makes sense. Her ability to deliver completely 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.700 absurd ideas with utter conviction is perfect 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:51.879 for satire. The Daily Show. Exactly. From 2008 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:54.740 to 2016, almost 10 years off and on. She was 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:57.840 an occasional commentator, did 31 episodes. Often 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.460 as the senior women's issues correspondent. That 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:02.860 was her main bit. Yeah. Using her specific delivery 00:14:02.860 --> 00:14:06.519 to just like inject chaos and weird logic into 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:08.759 political discussions. Making fun of the way 00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:10.879 people talk about serious issues. It really established 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.429 her as a sh**. sharp satirical voice nationally. 00:14:13.730 --> 00:14:16.289 And she brought that same energy later to last 00:14:16.289 --> 00:14:18.750 week tonight with John Oliver. Did a great segment 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:21.950 on sex education. Right. Talking about abstinence 00:14:21.950 --> 00:14:25.370 only versus comprehensive ed. Again, using humor 00:14:25.370 --> 00:14:28.049 to tackle a tricky subject. It's clear she was 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:29.590 never just going to be an actor reading lines, 00:14:29.690 --> 00:14:31.809 though. She's fundamentally a creator, a writer. 00:14:31.950 --> 00:14:33.970 Which brings us to her behind the scenes work. 00:14:34.190 --> 00:14:36.370 She was a writer and consultant for South Park 00:14:36.370 --> 00:14:39.190 season 11. Which is, I mean, working at the absolute 00:14:39.190 --> 00:14:42.600 pinnacle of TV satire. Huge deal. There's a catch 00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:44.200 here, right? The source has mentioned something 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:45.899 else. Yeah, this is where it gets interesting. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.620 The detail is she was actually fired after just 00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:52.100 one month. Wow. Fired from South Park? Yeah. 00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:54.980 It really speaks volumes, I think, about how 00:14:54.980 --> 00:14:59.360 intense and maybe cutthroat those high -level 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.759 writers' rooms can be, especially South Park, 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:04.480 which is famously demanding. It shows the pressure, 00:15:04.539 --> 00:15:06.820 even for someone super talented like her, high 00:15:06.820 --> 00:15:09.210 stakes. Definitely. But she didn't just stay 00:15:09.210 --> 00:15:11.330 in writer's room. She wrote a book, too. Right. 00:15:11.450 --> 00:15:14.970 The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex. Co -wrote it with 00:15:14.970 --> 00:15:17.149 her husband, Rich Blomquist. Who's also a Daily 00:15:17.149 --> 00:15:19.590 Show writer. Published in 2010. And there's another 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:21.409 interesting tidbit about the book, about her 00:15:21.409 --> 00:15:24.409 persona. Oh, yeah. This is fascinating. She apparently 00:15:24.409 --> 00:15:26.909 originally wanted them to use pseudonyms for 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:30.269 the book. Really? Why? Because, and this is a 00:15:30.269 --> 00:15:33.590 quote, she didn't want anyone to imagine me doing 00:15:33.590 --> 00:15:35.289 those things described in the book. Uh -huh. 00:15:36.110 --> 00:15:38.629 That's incredible. She was that aware of how 00:15:38.629 --> 00:15:40.629 people perceived her, that sort of childlike 00:15:40.629 --> 00:15:43.549 association? Seems like it. She knew her public 00:15:43.549 --> 00:15:45.950 image was so tied to that voice and persona, 00:15:46.149 --> 00:15:48.909 and she wrestled with how to square that with 00:15:48.909 --> 00:15:52.470 writing, you know, a sexy sex book, even a humorous 00:15:52.470 --> 00:15:54.769 one. Shows she thinks carefully about that line 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:57.330 between her art and her public image. Ended up 00:15:57.330 --> 00:15:59.149 using her real name, though. She did. Okay, so 00:15:59.149 --> 00:16:01.809 shifting back to major TV roles, anchoring big 00:16:01.809 --> 00:16:04.809 shows, The Last Man on Earth. Carol Pilbajan. 00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:09.409 2015 to 2018, 65 episodes. What a great character. 00:16:09.629 --> 00:16:11.769 She was fantastic in that. Yeah. The emotional 00:16:11.769 --> 00:16:14.669 and structural counterweight to Will Forte's 00:16:14.669 --> 00:16:17.190 character, right? Totally. In that post -apocalyptic 00:16:17.190 --> 00:16:20.230 chaos, Carol was desperately clinging to rules 00:16:20.230 --> 00:16:22.549 and community. Using that school enthusiasm, 00:16:22.669 --> 00:16:25.389 but for trying to maintain civilization. Yeah, 00:16:25.429 --> 00:16:27.009 she really carried a lot of the show's heart. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.740 in her own weird way. Showed she could handle 00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:32.159 that kind of moral center role. And big step 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:34.519 here. She also directed an episode of Last Man 00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:37.340 on Earth. Yes. Gender friender. That's a really 00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:40.039 important detail. Moving behind the camera. Taking 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:43.519 all that experience, writing, consulting, acting, 00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:46.100 and channeling it into directing. That signals 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:48.919 real ambition to control the whole creative process. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:52.100 Often gets overlooked. Definitely. And then the 00:16:52.100 --> 00:16:54.700 role that's made her a total icon for cult comedy 00:16:54.700 --> 00:16:58.110 fans right now. The Guide. The Guide, What We 00:16:58.110 --> 00:17:00.309 Do in the Shadows, started recurring, right? 00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:04.049 Seasons three and four. Yep. just stole every 00:17:04.049 --> 00:17:07.009 scene she was in. That perfect deadpan delivery 00:17:07.009 --> 00:17:09.150 managing the Vampiric Council's bureaucracy. 00:17:09.609 --> 00:17:11.950 With occasional flashes of insecurity. It's brilliant. 00:17:12.250 --> 00:17:14.309 So brilliant they promoted her to the main cast 00:17:14.309 --> 00:17:16.210 for season five. Sometimes a character just pops 00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:18.269 like that because the performance is undeniable. 00:17:18.470 --> 00:17:20.170 And she could also do family -friendly prestige 00:17:20.170 --> 00:17:23.009 stuff too. The Mysterious Benedict Society on 00:17:23.009 --> 00:17:25.789 Disney+. Right, playing number two from 2021 00:17:25.789 --> 00:17:28.869 to 2022. Just shows her range across demographics. 00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:32.250 She can do edgy cable, network sitcoms. and Disney 00:17:32.250 --> 00:17:34.549 Plus win. She's just been everywhere. We didn't 00:17:34.549 --> 00:17:36.869 even really dig into Hazel Wasser's name on 30 00:17:36.869 --> 00:17:40.269 Rock. 11 episodes. Or her guest spot on Mad Men 00:17:40.269 --> 00:17:42.730 as Nanette. How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family. 00:17:42.950 --> 00:17:44.990 The list goes on. It really does. The resume 00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:47.230 is just proof. She's one of the most versatile, 00:17:47.349 --> 00:17:50.730 most bankable comedic actors working today. Period. 00:17:50.970 --> 00:17:53.470 Okay, so to really wrap our heads around all 00:17:53.470 --> 00:17:55.450 this, we kind of need to connect the work back 00:17:55.450 --> 00:17:58.190 to the person, right? Especially when the sources 00:17:58.190 --> 00:18:01.680 give us these... Quite personal details. It adds 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:03.960 a whole other layer. Absolutely. It provides 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:06.799 that crucial human context behind the comedic 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:09.259 force. We know she's married to Rich Blomquist, 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.140 the comedy writer, since 2012. And they have 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:15.539 a daughter, Ruby, born in February 2018. Right. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.079 But the sources add this important detail. Ruby's 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:22.339 birth came after years of trying and some experimental 00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:24.579 fertility treatments. Sharing that, it offers 00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:27.660 this really rare personal glimpse. Shows the 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:30.440 same kind of perseverance and dedication in her 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:33.079 private life that you see in her career. And 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:35.299 they live in Los Angeles now. So that context 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:37.720 about starting her family is powerful. But there's 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.079 an even more intense, really harrowing personal 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:41.980 story in the sources. Something that happened 00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:45.470 while she was working. Yeah, this one. Definitely 00:18:45.470 --> 00:18:47.750 makes you pause. It really highlights the difference 00:18:47.750 --> 00:18:50.849 between the cheerful voice we hear and the struggles 00:18:50.849 --> 00:18:52.829 that could be happening behind the scenes. This 00:18:52.829 --> 00:18:56.150 was revealed in 2017. She suffered an ectopic 00:18:56.150 --> 00:18:58.789 pregnancy. And it wasn't just that. Her fallopian 00:18:58.789 --> 00:19:01.730 tube ruptured during a recording session, an 00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:04.589 unspecified one, for Gravity Falls. Oh, my God. 00:19:04.970 --> 00:19:07.150 While recording Mabel Pines. The sources indicate 00:19:07.150 --> 00:19:09.029 it happened during a gravity fall session. It 00:19:09.029 --> 00:19:11.630 was incredibly serious. A life -threatening medical 00:19:11.630 --> 00:19:13.750 emergency. Had to be rushed to the hospital. 00:19:13.970 --> 00:19:16.829 Emergency surgery. The source mentions she lost 00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:20.670 at least two liters of blood. Wow. Just absorbing 00:19:20.670 --> 00:19:23.130 that. Dealing with something that terrifying, 00:19:23.369 --> 00:19:26.470 that physically dangerous, while literally channeling 00:19:26.470 --> 00:19:29.210 the voice of pure, innocent joy like Mabel Pines. 00:19:29.430 --> 00:19:31.769 It completely reframes your perception of her 00:19:31.769 --> 00:19:33.900 commitment, doesn't it? The resilience required. 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.839 It's that hidden struggle beneath the performance. 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:39.759 Yeah, deep respect. Okay, so beyond those really 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.980 heavy personal moments, the sources are also 00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:44.619 full of these amazing deep cuts. Little things 00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:46.960 that show just how completely woven into the 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:49.500 culture she is. Yeah, these are the fun nuggets 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:52.440 that show her total saturation, like video games. 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:55.779 She voiced a character, Serna, in the big EA 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:58.539 game anthem back in 2019. Different medium again. 00:19:59.109 --> 00:20:01.890 requires that technical precision and showing 00:20:01.890 --> 00:20:05.150 the artistic respect her voice commands she voiced 00:20:05.150 --> 00:20:08.210 delirium in the audio drama version of neil gaiman's 00:20:08.210 --> 00:20:10.769 the sandman delirium okay that's perfect casting 00:20:10.769 --> 00:20:14.329 for her voice in the sandman act two stepping 00:20:14.329 --> 00:20:17.650 into that huge respected mythology totally shows 00:20:17.650 --> 00:20:19.950 her voice is seen as an asset even without visuals 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:22.170 and music videos she pops up in some cool ones 00:20:22.170 --> 00:20:24.670 yeah pure alt comedy cred she was in the video 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:27.839 for conversation 16 by the national Back in 2010. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:29.480 Oh, I remember that one. And, of course, the 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:33.259 big one. Weird Al Yankovic's tacky video. Yes. 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:36.819 The parody of Farrell's Happy from 2014. Being 00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.339 in that lineup with all those other huge comedians, 00:20:39.420 --> 00:20:42.680 it just confirms her status in that top tier 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:44.960 of American comedy. Definitely part of the zeitgeist. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.920 And commercials, too, right? She's been the face 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:50.180 or voice of some big brands. Oh, yeah. Highly 00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:54.079 visible. T -Mobile, Wendy's, Radio Shack, Starburst, 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:58.420 Sony Xperia, Zaxby's. Her specific persona, that 00:20:58.420 --> 00:21:00.900 voice, clearly resonates with a mass audience. 00:21:01.099 --> 00:21:03.279 It's commercially viable. Proves her unique thing 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.740 has broad appeal. And just to round it all out, 00:21:05.779 --> 00:21:08.279 remember, she started in live action. Small parts 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.740 way back, like Miss Tree and Kate Leopold in 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:14.279 2001. Or Mary Ellen in a walk in the woods much 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:17.339 later, 2015. She's truly done, well, kind of 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:20.160 everything. A real multimedia force. Yeah. Hashtag 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:22.579 tag outro. So when you put it all together. The 00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:24.940 Colorado Ranch Kid, the Andy Kaufman Award winner, 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:27.099 the voice of Louise Belcher and Sarah Lynn. What's 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:28.839 the big picture? Yeah, what's the main takeaway 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:30.759 from this deep dive? I think it's that Kristen 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:33.299 Schuhl isn't just defined by that incredibly 00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:35.240 distinct voice, even though the voice is like 00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:37.619 a massive part of it. Force multiplier, yeah. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.640 She's defined by just how ubiquitous she is, 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:43.359 strategically everywhere, across every single 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:46.000 corner of modern comedy and media. It's really 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:48.480 rare, isn't it, to take such a singular, really 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:52.230 specific identity. That alt -comedy weirdness. 00:21:52.289 --> 00:21:55.430 And leverage it into massive mainstream success, 00:21:55.670 --> 00:21:58.509 both critical and commercial, without really 00:21:58.509 --> 00:22:01.390 watering it down. She stayed true to those experimental 00:22:01.390 --> 00:22:04.670 roots. She connected the dots between the edgy, 00:22:04.690 --> 00:22:06.829 boundary -pushing stuff that won her that Andy 00:22:06.829 --> 00:22:08.829 Kaufman Award and the kind of work that gets 00:22:08.829 --> 00:22:10.630 Emmy nominations and Annie Awards, you know. 00:22:10.750 --> 00:22:13.269 High -level mainstream stuff. It's the ultimate 00:22:13.269 --> 00:22:15.829 tightrope walk, maybe. Delivering that chaos, 00:22:15.950 --> 00:22:18.450 that invention she's known for. But with the 00:22:18.450 --> 00:22:21.170 professional polish and consistency needed for 00:22:21.170 --> 00:22:24.130 these huge franchises. Yeah. Controlled chaos. 00:22:24.809 --> 00:22:28.670 Perfectly calculated. So thinking ahead, where 00:22:28.670 --> 00:22:31.230 does she go next? She's been a writer, a consultant 00:22:31.230 --> 00:22:33.509 on shows like South Park. She wrote the book. 00:22:33.529 --> 00:22:35.509 She directed. Exactly. That's the big question, 00:22:35.549 --> 00:22:37.349 isn't it? Given all that experience behind the 00:22:37.349 --> 00:22:39.910 scenes. Where does that really unique inventive 00:22:39.910 --> 00:22:42.549 perspective take her when she leans more into 00:22:42.549 --> 00:22:44.630 directing or producing? She's conquered acting, 00:22:44.849 --> 00:22:48.079 voice acting, live comedy. across pretty much 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:50.299 every medium you can think of. So the next step 00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:53.299 feels like synthesizing all that, right? Shaping 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:55.200 the whole thing from the creator's chair. Yeah. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:57.140 Taking everything she's learned and applying 00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:00.599 it from that side, that feels like the next logical 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:02.920 and honestly really exciting frontier for her. 00:23:03.059 --> 00:23:04.940 It really does. Fascinating career to keep watching 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:07.740 for sure. Absolutely. Well, thank you for joining 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.980 us for this deep dive into the wonderfully complex, 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:14.140 chaotic, and just brilliant career of Kristen 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:14.500 Scholl.