WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.819 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we're really 00:00:02.819 --> 00:00:06.219 digging into a career path that honestly kind 00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:08.480 of defies easy categorization. We're looking 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:10.900 at someone who's moved seamlessly across stand 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:14.460 -up, acting, hosting, writing books. And then 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:16.980 into major TV production. Yeah, it's quite the 00:00:16.980 --> 00:00:18.739 journey. We're talking about Jamie Lee. You might 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:21.620 know her from MTV's Girl Code way back or maybe 00:00:21.620 --> 00:00:24.640 more recently as a key figure behind the scenes 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.620 on Ted Lasso. Exactly. And the listener sources 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:30.879 we have are pretty extensive biographical details, 00:00:31.059 --> 00:00:33.560 her full filmography, awards, interviews about 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:36.340 influences. It's a lot. It really is. And it 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:38.640 lays out almost like a blueprint how someone 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.899 can build a career with this incredible versatility. 00:00:41.979 --> 00:00:44.359 It's not just about talent. There's a clear strategy 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:46.380 there, even in those early jobs. Right. So our 00:00:46.380 --> 00:00:48.100 goal today is to kind of piece that together. 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:50.399 How did Jamie Lee go from, you know, stand up 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:53.539 comedy in Texas and New York to becoming an Emmy 00:00:53.539 --> 00:00:55.439 winning executive producer on one of the biggest 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.539 shows in recent memory? What were those key moments? 00:00:57.820 --> 00:01:00.420 We've got the info on her education, those first 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:03.240 industry gigs, the whole timeline. It really 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:05.879 paints a picture of someone who is very focused, 00:01:06.099 --> 00:01:08.719 very deliberate, I think. OK, let's unpack this 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.400 then. Maybe starting right at the beginning. 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:14.219 Laying the groundwork. Sounds good. So Jamie 00:01:14.219 --> 00:01:18.280 Amanda Lee, born March 15th, 1983, in Dallas, 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.140 Texas. And there's this interesting detail in 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:24.340 the sources about her background that feels pretty 00:01:24.340 --> 00:01:26.459 significant. Oh, yeah. She grew up in Dallas, 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:29.840 very much Texan culture. But her mother was Jewish 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.379 and from New Jersey, while her father was a non 00:01:32.379 --> 00:01:35.060 -Jewish Texan. So you've got this kind of built 00:01:35.060 --> 00:01:37.409 -in cultural mix. right from the start. That's 00:01:37.409 --> 00:01:39.629 fascinating. You can almost picture it that sort 00:01:39.629 --> 00:01:43.489 of East Coast, maybe faster -paced neurotic energy, 00:01:43.709 --> 00:01:47.370 perhaps, mixed with that more laid -back, observational 00:01:47.370 --> 00:01:49.849 Texas vibe. Exactly. It potentially gives her 00:01:49.849 --> 00:01:51.870 this dual perspective from day one. When she's 00:01:51.870 --> 00:01:54.310 looking at things like social interactions, family 00:01:54.310 --> 00:01:56.489 stuff, themes that pop up in her comedy, she's 00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:57.950 maybe seeing them through two different lenses. 00:01:58.230 --> 00:01:59.989 That's got to be great training for a writer. 00:02:00.170 --> 00:02:02.810 For sure. An early appreciation for how different 00:02:02.810 --> 00:02:05.670 people see the world. And then she goes off to 00:02:05.670 --> 00:02:08.569 college, University of Texas at Austin. And importantly, 00:02:08.770 --> 00:02:11.629 she wasn't just like starting business or something 00:02:11.629 --> 00:02:14.729 unrelated. No, the sources are clear. She focused 00:02:14.729 --> 00:02:17.490 specifically on film, theater, and screenwriting. 00:02:17.849 --> 00:02:20.349 So right away, she's learning the craft, the 00:02:20.349 --> 00:02:22.930 technical side of things. Right. Not just performance, 00:02:22.990 --> 00:02:26.189 but structure, narrative, how scenes work, that 00:02:26.189 --> 00:02:29.009 focus on the mechanics, the how -to of storytelling, 00:02:29.250 --> 00:02:31.729 feels like a big clue about her later success, 00:02:32.069 --> 00:02:35.270 especially in writing and producing. She wanted 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:37.210 to know how it all fit together. Makes sense. 00:02:37.270 --> 00:02:39.810 So she graduates from UT Austin, degree in hand, 00:02:39.930 --> 00:02:42.110 and boom, straight to New York City. No messing 00:02:42.110 --> 00:02:44.389 around. Right into the thick of it. Wants to 00:02:44.389 --> 00:02:46.490 launch everything at once. Stand up, writing, 00:02:46.569 --> 00:02:49.800 acting. But interestingly, her first steps weren't 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.240 immediately on stage. Yeah. The sources mentioned 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:56.080 her first industry job show this real willingness 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:58.879 to work behind the scenes first. Totally. Before 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.280 trying to make a living just telling jokes, she 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:03.120 gets a job in the publicity department at Comedy 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.439 Central. Which is smart. Right. You're learning 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.479 how the industry markets comedy, how shows get 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:10.599 promoted, how the whole machine works from the 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:13.039 inside. That's valuable intel for anyone, especially 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.539 a future producer. Absolutely. And then she makes 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:18.530 another key move. Shifts from publicity to being 00:03:18.530 --> 00:03:20.710 a writer's assistant. But look where? On the 00:03:20.710 --> 00:03:23.009 marriage ref. Okay. And who was running that 00:03:23.009 --> 00:03:25.090 room? That's the thing. She's assisting people 00:03:25.090 --> 00:03:27.449 like Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Papa, Jeff Cesario, 00:03:27.669 --> 00:03:32.830 Chuck Martin. Comedy heavyweights. Wow. So being 00:03:32.830 --> 00:03:35.250 a writer's assistant for Jerry Seinfeld, I mean, 00:03:35.270 --> 00:03:37.530 that's got to be like an intense boot camp and 00:03:37.530 --> 00:03:40.069 joke structure and discipline. What's the real 00:03:40.069 --> 00:03:43.030 value there, do you think? Well, beyond fetching 00:03:43.030 --> 00:03:45.659 coffee. You're observing everything. Seinfeld 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:47.379 is all about precision, right? The structure, 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:49.439 the timing. So you're seeing how they take raw 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:52.419 ideas, observations, and just meticulously shape 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:55.060 them into tight TV -ready comedy. You're learning 00:03:55.060 --> 00:03:57.240 that TV comedy isn't just spontaneous riffs. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:00.740 It's engineered. Exactly. It's a process. And 00:04:00.740 --> 00:04:02.819 that kind of environment, that level of rigor, 00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:05.479 it must have seeped in and influenced how she 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.620 thought about her own comedy. Which maybe explains 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:10.520 the really interesting mix of influences the 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:12.979 sources mentioned for her. It's quite a range. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:14.699 Yeah, the list is pretty diverse. You've got 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:18.459 David Cross, Todd Berry, then Margaret Cho, Joan 00:04:18.459 --> 00:04:23.120 Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres, Nick Swardson, and maybe 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:25.810 the most intriguing one, Miss Piggy. OK, let's 00:04:25.810 --> 00:04:27.689 break that down. Cross and Barry more on the 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:31.269 alt comedy, observational, maybe dry or absurdist 00:04:31.269 --> 00:04:34.490 side. And then Joe and River's iconic, sharp, 00:04:34.649 --> 00:04:37.709 boundary pushing female voices. Yeah. Trailblazers. 00:04:37.910 --> 00:04:40.810 Ellen, obviously huge. Swartzen maybe leans more 00:04:40.810 --> 00:04:43.930 absurd again. But Miss Piggy, what does that 00:04:43.930 --> 00:04:46.709 tell us? Well, Miss Piggy is pure character commitment, 00:04:46.910 --> 00:04:49.089 right? It's theatrical. It's diva energy. It's 00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:51.649 committing fully to the absurdity of the bit. 00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:53.629 So contrast that with someone like Todd Berry, 00:04:53.750 --> 00:04:55.889 who's known for, like, super minimalist delivery. 00:04:56.069 --> 00:04:58.750 The fact that she cites both suggests she appreciated 00:04:58.750 --> 00:05:01.110 different tools in the comedy toolbox early on. 00:05:01.230 --> 00:05:03.449 She could see the value in tight structure and 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:05.689 in big character work. So she could probably 00:05:05.689 --> 00:05:08.660 adapt, right? Write a sharp, structured joke 00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:11.199 for a late night set, but also lean into a bigger 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.519 character if a script needed it, like maybe later 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:17.000 on crashing? Precisely. It shows this understanding 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.120 that humor isn't just one style. It's flexible. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:23.160 And that mindset, that foundation, really sets 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:25.459 the stage for her breaking through more publicly. 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:28.040 Which brings us neatly into part two. Yeah. When 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:30.319 all that groundwork starts to pay off on stage 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:32.579 and on screen. Exactly. The stand -up career 00:05:32.579 --> 00:05:35.920 really starts gaining momentum around 2010. And 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:38.560 the big catalyst seems to be last comic standing. 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.639 Season seven, she reaches the semifinals on NBC. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.420 That's huge exposure back then. Oh, definitely. 00:05:45.129 --> 00:05:47.769 Even if you didn't win, getting that far on Last 00:05:47.769 --> 00:05:50.170 Comic was a major calling card. It meant national 00:05:50.170 --> 00:05:53.649 TV time, a solid tape for bookers, just proof 00:05:53.649 --> 00:05:55.730 that you could deliver. And the sources show 00:05:55.730 --> 00:05:57.870 she was smart about using that momentum. It leads 00:05:57.870 --> 00:06:00.290 directly to booking college tours, which is, 00:06:00.310 --> 00:06:01.949 you know, great for honing material and actually 00:06:01.949 --> 00:06:04.089 making some money. Yep. And then the big one 00:06:04.089 --> 00:06:07.670 for stand -ups. She lands a spot on Conan. That's 00:06:07.670 --> 00:06:09.810 like the gold standard. Still is, really. And 00:06:09.810 --> 00:06:12.250 then she also gets this recurring gig on Chelsea 00:06:12.250 --> 00:06:15.189 lately. Right. Appearing on Chelsea Handler's 00:06:15.189 --> 00:06:19.110 roundtable like five times between 2013 and 2014. 00:06:19.870 --> 00:06:22.389 That's a different skill set again. Quick wit, 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:24.930 conversational, holding your own in a fast paced 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:27.529 group. Great training for being a media personality. 00:06:27.889 --> 00:06:30.370 And the industry itself is taking notice. In 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:32.910 2012, she gets selected as a new face at the 00:06:32.910 --> 00:06:35.290 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. Which is 00:06:35.290 --> 00:06:37.029 basically the comedy industry saying, OK, this 00:06:37.029 --> 00:06:39.889 person is legit. They're on the path. It's a 00:06:39.889 --> 00:06:42.279 huge stamp of approval. But what's really key 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:44.139 here, I think, is that she wasn't just doing 00:06:44.139 --> 00:06:46.459 stand -up while waiting for these breaks. No, 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:48.839 she was still writing. In 2011, she gets a writing 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:52.339 gig on MTV's Ridiculousness for... Eight episodes. 00:06:52.579 --> 00:06:55.240 So she's actively working both sides, the unpredictable 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:58.160 stand -up stage and the more structured writer's 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:00.680 room. She's hedging her bets, maybe, or just 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.019 building skills everywhere. Probably both. And 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:05.040 that combination leads directly to the show that 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:06.899 really put her face out there for a whole generation, 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.180 Girl Code. Ah, yes, the MTV era. Girl Code ran 00:07:10.180 --> 00:07:13.279 from 2013 to 2015, and she was a core cast member, 00:07:13.420 --> 00:07:16.180 right? Like 75 episodes. Yeah, it was a phenomenon 00:07:16.180 --> 00:07:18.720 in its own way. It tapped into something really 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.310 specific about young women's experiences. but 00:07:21.310 --> 00:07:23.589 made it feel universal. And there's that quote 00:07:23.589 --> 00:07:26.350 from her in the sources about the show's philosophy, 00:07:26.449 --> 00:07:29.509 which feels really central to understanding her 00:07:29.509 --> 00:07:31.810 approach. Can you share that? Sure. She said, 00:07:31.910 --> 00:07:34.810 I love, hopefully, being a voice for girls and 00:07:34.810 --> 00:07:37.410 also connecting and making them feel heard. I 00:07:37.410 --> 00:07:39.089 think the more specific you can be about your 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:41.350 experience, the more it appeals to everybody 00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:43.689 of both genders. That feels really important. 00:07:43.829 --> 00:07:45.730 It's not just about being funny. It's about connection. 00:07:46.329 --> 00:07:49.069 Exactly. It's this idea that deep specificity 00:07:49.069 --> 00:07:52.490 is actually the route. to broad relatability. 00:07:52.730 --> 00:07:55.310 If you drill down into the honest, sometimes 00:07:55.310 --> 00:07:58.550 awkward details of one person's experience, even 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.069 if it seems gender specific, the underlying emotions 00:08:01.069 --> 00:08:03.250 resonate with everyone. That feels like a guiding 00:08:03.250 --> 00:08:05.069 principle that you can see later in her work, 00:08:05.089 --> 00:08:07.430 too. Maybe even in Ted Lasso, that vulnerability 00:08:07.430 --> 00:08:10.509 wrapped in comedy. I think so. Girl Code seems 00:08:10.509 --> 00:08:13.009 like where she really honed that skill, mining 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:16.189 the personal, the specific, and finding the universal 00:08:16.189 --> 00:08:19.329 thread, turning potentially niche anxieties into 00:08:19.329 --> 00:08:22.329 shared laughs. And all through this girl code 00:08:22.329 --> 00:08:24.730 period, she's still keeping her stand -up profile 00:08:24.730 --> 00:08:28.350 high, right? Doing spots on Conan again, James 00:08:28.350 --> 00:08:31.490 Corden, Carson Daly at Midnight. Building that 00:08:31.490 --> 00:08:34.149 resume, making sure the industry saw her as both 00:08:34.149 --> 00:08:36.690 a personality and a solid joke writer and performer. 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:39.320 She's becoming a known quantity. Which kind of 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:41.299 sets her up perfectly for the next big move, 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:43.440 taking a very personal life event and turning 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.059 it into, well, a whole mini empire. Right, the 00:08:46.059 --> 00:08:48.679 ridiculous pivot. This is where she really demonstrates 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:50.980 leveraging personal experience into multiple 00:08:50.980 --> 00:08:53.440 forms of content. But first, even before the 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.580 book, she's kind of leaning into this expert 00:08:55.580 --> 00:08:58.840 guide role, isn't she? Yeah, hosting gigs like 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:02.129 True TV's 10 Things You Know. 10 Things You Didn't 00:09:02.129 --> 00:09:04.649 Know About X, and that online series for Entertainment 00:09:04.649 --> 00:09:07.490 Weekly called Polished. She's building this persona 00:09:07.490 --> 00:09:09.210 of someone who could break down a topic with 00:09:09.210 --> 00:09:11.429 humor and authority. Okay, so she's got that 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:14.429 host guide vibe going. Then, the catalyst, she 00:09:14.429 --> 00:09:16.789 gets married to fellow comedian Dan Black in 00:09:16.789 --> 00:09:20.289 April 2016. And, like any good comedian, the 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:22.649 stress and absurdity of wedding planning immediately 00:09:22.649 --> 00:09:25.350 becomes material. Which leads directly to the 00:09:25.350 --> 00:09:28.809 book, Woodiculous, an unfiltered guide to being 00:09:28.809 --> 00:09:32.240 a bride. Out in December 2016. And she co -wrote 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:34.259 this one. Yes, with Jacqueline Novak, another 00:09:34.259 --> 00:09:36.639 comedian. Which is also interesting, shows she 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:38.799 can collaborate effectively on a big project, 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:40.580 like a book. And the book does really well, right? 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.019 Bustle Magazine called it the hashtag one wedding 00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:45.740 book in 2017. Yeah, and look at the names endorsing 00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:48.899 it. James Corden, Nikki Glaser, Pete Holmes. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.919 Conan O 'Brien, Phoebe Robinson. That's a serious 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:55.039 range of comedy clout backing it up. It shows 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:57.539 her appeal was really broad by this point, crossing 00:09:57.539 --> 00:09:59.799 different comedy scenes. But there's that comparison 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:01.820 from the laugh button that I think really nails 00:10:01.820 --> 00:10:04.220 the tone. Oh, yeah. The Amy Sedaris one. Exactly. 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:06.980 They said what Amy Sedaris has done for hospitality 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:09.840 and crafting, Jamie Lee now does for weddings. 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:12.500 Which is such a perfect description. Sedaris 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:15.679 has that blend of like intense satire, almost 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:19.149 surreal domesticity, but also. Weirdly practical 00:10:19.149 --> 00:10:22.169 advice sometimes. Applying that kind of slightly 00:10:22.169 --> 00:10:24.950 unhinged but useful lens to the wedding industry. 00:10:25.129 --> 00:10:27.990 Yeah. Genius. It allows the book to be both genuinely 00:10:27.990 --> 00:10:30.950 helpful and a sharp critique of the whole perfect 00:10:30.950 --> 00:10:32.929 wedding pressure cooker. Right. So it's not just 00:10:32.929 --> 00:10:36.149 jokes. It's a perspective, an established voice 00:10:36.149 --> 00:10:38.669 on a topic. It becomes intellectual property. 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:41.909 And how does that IP pay off next? It leads straight 00:10:41.909 --> 00:10:44.370 to the Netflix show in 2021, The Wedding Coach. 00:10:44.909 --> 00:10:47.590 Six episodes where she's the host, using her 00:10:47.590 --> 00:10:50.529 ridiculous expertise to help real couples deal 00:10:50.529 --> 00:10:52.730 with pre -wedding stress. That's a perfect full 00:10:52.730 --> 00:10:55.450 circle, personal experience, stand -up material, 00:10:55.909 --> 00:10:59.529 book reality show host expert. It's a master 00:10:59.529 --> 00:11:01.870 class in content strategy. And crucially, it 00:11:01.870 --> 00:11:04.690 shows she can manage a project. Taking an idea 00:11:04.690 --> 00:11:07.669 based on her IP and seeing it through to a major 00:11:07.669 --> 00:11:10.690 streaming platform series, that's basically training 00:11:10.690 --> 00:11:13.590 for being an executive. No doubt. Managing a 00:11:13.590 --> 00:11:15.990 book launch, developing a reality show format, 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:18.350 these aren't just creative tasks, they're management 00:11:18.350 --> 00:11:21.190 tasks. That experience feels vital for what comes 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:23.110 next. Definitely. It bridges the gap between 00:11:23.110 --> 00:11:25.809 being talent and being someone who runs the show, 00:11:25.929 --> 00:11:28.629 which sets the stage for her move into more prestige 00:11:28.629 --> 00:11:31.669 TV. But even before Lasso, the industry was already 00:11:31.669 --> 00:11:34.009 signaling she was ready for bigger things. Right. 00:11:34.110 --> 00:11:36.309 Let's talk about that critical recognition part 00:11:36.309 --> 00:11:39.730 four. Around 2017, things really seemed to heat 00:11:39.730 --> 00:11:42.389 up. Yeah, you see this convergence of accolades. 00:11:42.450 --> 00:11:45.190 Elle magazine lists her as one of the top comedians 00:11:45.190 --> 00:11:47.690 to watch. Nerve says she's one of the top five 00:11:47.690 --> 00:11:50.490 comedians who should be movie stars. Refinery29 00:11:50.490 --> 00:11:53.149 includes her in their big list of female stand 00:11:53.149 --> 00:11:55.870 -ups you need to know. Even HuffPo highlights 00:11:55.870 --> 00:11:58.649 her Twitter presence. So across the board, the 00:11:58.649 --> 00:12:01.710 consensus is she's established, she's versatile, 00:12:01.830 --> 00:12:04.470 and she's poised for something more. It's clear 00:12:04.470 --> 00:12:07.309 she's seen not just as a performer, but as a 00:12:07.309 --> 00:12:10.889 smart, multi -platform creative force. And that 00:12:10.889 --> 00:12:13.889 something more starts to materialize with HBO's 00:12:13.889 --> 00:12:15.789 crashing. Which is interesting because it's a 00:12:15.789 --> 00:12:17.789 show steeped in the comedy world she knows so 00:12:17.789 --> 00:12:19.929 well. She joins first as a writer for season 00:12:19.929 --> 00:12:21.990 one, still building those writing credits. But 00:12:21.990 --> 00:12:24.830 then for season two, a big shift. Huge shift. 00:12:25.029 --> 00:12:28.070 She becomes the female lead, Allie Rison, for 00:12:28.070 --> 00:12:32.090 11 episodes across 2018 -2019. So she goes from 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:34.450 the writer's room to starting on the show. That's 00:12:34.450 --> 00:12:36.230 pretty rare, isn't it, to make that jump within 00:12:36.230 --> 00:12:39.190 the same production? It really is. It shows incredible 00:12:39.190 --> 00:12:41.610 trust from the producers and showrunner, Pete 00:12:41.610 --> 00:12:44.710 Holmes. It proves she can handle both the structural 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.309 demands of writing and the performance demands 00:12:47.309 --> 00:12:50.549 of a major role on a premium cable show. It makes 00:12:50.549 --> 00:12:52.769 her incredibly valuable, right? She understands 00:12:52.769 --> 00:12:54.509 the scripts inside out because she helped write 00:12:54.509 --> 00:12:56.370 them, and she understands character because she's 00:12:56.370 --> 00:12:58.769 embodying one. Exactly. That dual insight is 00:12:58.769 --> 00:13:01.570 a massive asset in television. And she's not 00:13:01.570 --> 00:13:03.950 abandoning acting either. The sources mentioned 00:13:03.950 --> 00:13:06.309 that in 2022, it was announced she's starring 00:13:06.309 --> 00:13:09.129 in a comedy film called Plan B. Yeah, alongside 00:13:09.129 --> 00:13:12.730 some familiar names like John Hider, Tom Barringer, 00:13:12.970 --> 00:13:16.149 Shannon Elizabeth. So even as the producing side 00:13:16.149 --> 00:13:18.970 takes off, she's keeping that performance muscle 00:13:18.970 --> 00:13:22.470 active. Maintaining that diverse portfolio. But 00:13:22.470 --> 00:13:24.809 OK, let's get to the role that arguably defines 00:13:24.809 --> 00:13:27.970 this latest, highest phase of her career. Part 00:13:27.970 --> 00:13:31.539 five. Ted Lasso. This feels like the culmination 00:13:31.539 --> 00:13:33.779 of everything we've talked about. The writing 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:36.220 discipline, the understanding of structure, the 00:13:36.220 --> 00:13:38.960 ability to blend humor with genuine emotion learned 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:41.340 maybe back in Girl Code. The project management 00:13:41.340 --> 00:13:44.039 skills from the ridiculous era. It all comes 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:46.539 together here. She joins the Ted Lasso writing 00:13:46.539 --> 00:13:49.659 staff in 2020. Right. And she's credited with 00:13:49.659 --> 00:13:52.100 writing some really key episodes, too. For the 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:56.110 children, signs, and notably... Man City. Man 00:13:56.110 --> 00:13:58.809 City is a big one. That deals with Ted's panic 00:13:58.809 --> 00:14:01.970 attacks head on, plus all the tension of that 00:14:01.970 --> 00:14:04.809 crucial football match. It's heavy emotional 00:14:04.809 --> 00:14:07.870 lifting. Absolutely. Being trusted with an episode 00:14:07.870 --> 00:14:09.929 like that shows she wasn't just there for the 00:14:09.929 --> 00:14:12.490 lighter comedic beats. She can handle the core 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:14.769 emotional architecture of the series and its 00:14:14.769 --> 00:14:16.690 main character. But the really game -changing 00:14:16.690 --> 00:14:19.389 moment is the promotion announced in 2022 for 00:14:19.389 --> 00:14:21.730 the third season. This is the leap. She becomes 00:14:21.730 --> 00:14:23.929 an executive producer. And we need to be clear, 00:14:23.970 --> 00:14:26.799 this isn't just like a fancy title. Right. What 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:29.320 does being an EP actually mean in this context? 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:31.879 It means moving from primarily generating script 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:34.700 pages to having a significant say in the show's 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:37.620 overall direction. EPs are involved in the big 00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:40.820 picture season arcs, casting, editing, maintaining 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:43.539 the show's tone, sometimes budgets. It's a major 00:14:43.539 --> 00:14:45.399 step up into creative and strategic leadership. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.559 So the showrunners and producers saw not just 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:51.019 her writing talent, but that leadership potential, 00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:54.179 that ability to manage the bigger vision, likely 00:14:54.179 --> 00:14:56.460 honed through all those... earlier projects. 00:14:56.779 --> 00:14:58.899 Exactly. She's moved from contributing parts 00:14:58.899 --> 00:15:02.080 to helping steer the entire ship. And the industry 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.820 awards powerfully confirm this new status. We're 00:15:04.820 --> 00:15:07.559 talking top tier recognition. Yeah, the big ones. 00:15:07.700 --> 00:15:10.679 As part of the Ked Lasso team, she shares in 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.600 the primetime Emmy wins for Outstanding Comedy 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:17.740 Series for both 2021 and 2022. That's the pinnacle. 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:20.159 Two years running. But it's not just the overall 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:22.600 show award. No, the writing itself gets recognized, 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:24.600 too. They won Writers Guild of America Awards 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:27.379 in 2021 for both comedy series and new series. 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:29.759 That speaks directly to the quality of the scripting 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:31.659 and structure she was part of building. And then 00:15:31.659 --> 00:15:33.539 there's the Producers Guild Award. Right. The 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:37.379 PGA Award in 2022 for Outstanding Producer of 00:15:37.379 --> 00:15:39.960 Episodic Television. This one is crucial because 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:42.659 the PGA specifically honors the producing role, 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:45.740 the management, the logistics, the creative oversight 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:48.620 needed to actually get the show made. So that 00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:51.000 PGA win basically rubber stamps her transition. 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:53.440 It's the industry acknowledging her not just 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:55.980 as a writer or performer who's on a hit show, 00:15:56.179 --> 00:15:59.379 but as one of the key producers responsible for 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:02.250 that hit show. Precisely. It completes the arc 00:16:02.250 --> 00:16:04.629 from that writer's assistant job with Seinfeld 00:16:04.629 --> 00:16:08.409 through stand up MTV, the book hosting, acting 00:16:08.409 --> 00:16:11.830 to becoming an Emmy and PGA award winning executive 00:16:11.830 --> 00:16:15.049 producer. It's really quite a masterclass in 00:16:15.049 --> 00:16:17.429 navigating the industry. It really is. It underscores 00:16:17.429 --> 00:16:19.830 that reaching that level often requires more 00:16:19.830 --> 00:16:21.750 than just being brilliant at one thing. It's 00:16:21.750 --> 00:16:24.029 about strategic movement, building skills across 00:16:24.029 --> 00:16:26.330 different areas, performance, writing, managing 00:16:26.330 --> 00:16:30.240 projects. So thinking about the listener. What's 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:31.840 the big takeaway from synthesizing all this? 00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:34.980 I think the core lesson is about strategic cross 00:16:34.980 --> 00:16:37.600 -pollination. She didn't just ditch stand -up 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:39.500 when she started writing or ditch writing when 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:41.840 she started producing. Each skill fed the next. 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:44.480 That very specific experience with wedding stress, 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:47.299 she turned that into a book and a show, proving 00:16:47.299 --> 00:16:49.340 she could lead a project based on her own unique 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:51.720 perspective. And while she was doing that, creating 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:54.340 that niche IP, she was also putting in the time 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:56.840 getting those serious writing and producing credits 00:16:56.840 --> 00:16:59.620 on shows like Crashing and Ted Lasso. She played 00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:02.799 both games simultaneously. Exactly. She understood 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:05.980 you need both that unique voice and the proven 00:17:05.980 --> 00:17:09.380 ability to work within and eventually lead major 00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:11.839 established structures. And it all circles back 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:14.240 to that girl code idea, doesn't it? That commitment 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.099 to the specific, the vulnerable, the human detail. 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:19.519 That's what ultimately connects, whether it's 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:21.420 in a stand -up set, a book about weddings, or 00:17:21.420 --> 00:17:23.680 a global hit like Ted Lasso. It's that blend 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:26.900 of sharp observation, real emotional depth, and 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:28.819 the technical skill to package it effectively. 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:30.900 Which leaves us with a final thought, perhaps, 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:32.859 for you, the listener. Yet, given everything 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:35.240 we know about her background, focusing on those 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:38.480 specific female experiences in Girl Code, satirizing 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.960 wedding anxieties and ridiculous, and knowing 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:43.759 her significant role as a writer and EP on Ted 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:47.900 Lasso. How might her specific perspective, her 00:17:47.900 --> 00:17:50.079 focus on vulnerability and relationship dynamics 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:53.059 have really shaped the emotional core that made 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:55.420 Ted Lasso connect so deeply with so many people? 00:17:55.660 --> 00:17:59.039 What specific flavors did she bring to that incredibly 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:01.539 successful recipe? Something to definitely think 00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:03.299 about. And as she steps back in front of the 00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:05.539 camera for Plan B, it'll be fascinating to see 00:18:05.539 --> 00:18:08.460 what stories this incredibly versatile Emmy -winning 00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:10.920 producer, writer, and performer chooses to tell 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:13.799 next. A career built on smart moves and real 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:16.160 versatility. Really impressive stuff. Absolutely. 00:18:16.380 --> 00:18:18.480 Thanks for digging in with us today. We'll catch 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.500 you on the next Deep Dive.