Why Hannah Einbinder Hides Her Emmy And Loves Magicians

0:06This is The Run Through. I'm Chloe Mal. And today I am so excited to be sharing my conversation with actor and comedian Hannah Einbinder. Hannah is having her biggest year yet. I got the chance to speak to her ahead of the premiere of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which I've been really workshopping, saying in order, which is the third film from director Jane Schoenbrunn, in which Hannah plays Chris, a young queer director who is working on a revival of a slasher horror franchise. Opposite Hannah is none other than our beloved friend of the pod, Jillian Anderson. Very excited for everyone to hear our conversation.

0:44And Hannah Einbinder. Do you fully, like, identify as Los Angelino? There's no ambiguity. Oh, none at all. Yeah. I don't identify as an American. I identify as an Angelino. Like, I pledge allegiance to the United States of Los Angeles. like just to be clear it's like I'm not with that whole thing I'm like LA yeah is the rest of your family like that my my mom is a second generation LA I'm third interesting so my my my dad is from Philly but he grew up Philly California because my dad's mom came out as a lesbian when he was six months old in 1962 and she moved out to Cali so he was Philly Cali.

1:28Okay. But the reason I'm an Eagles sports fan is because of the Philly aspect. So he could connect with his father through Philadelphia sports. And then that became a connection point for us and so on and so forth. But yes, LA is my shit. Wow. Where do you live now? What neighborhood? I can't really disclose. No, I'm kidding. I live on the east side. Okay. That also has been a real... I got ops. We can't say specifically where. That's been a big difference for me is like I feel like all of my friends growing up now fully live on the east side. Their entire world is on the east side. And so to me, it does slightly feel like I visited different L.A.

2:05when I go now. I love L.A. from the tip to the tail. All right. Yeah. I'm all about it. I'm very happy to visit. Yep. And then very happy to leave. And that's how I feel about New York. And I say that with respect. You know what I mean? What neighborhood do you like to stay in when you're in New York? You know what? Can I say something? None at all. Are you ready for this? Red Hook. Wow. Yeah. You don't see that coming a lot. Red Hook is really cool. It is really cool. Red Hook is really cool. It's a bit hard to get to, obviously. It is, but I think that's kept it feeling separate. Well, that's why I like it as an Angelino, because it's just not that crazy chaotic.

2:42It's just a frequency thing, energetically-wise. Yeah. Like, I just, I'm low and slow. You know what I mean? I want to hear about what you're going to wear to the premiere of... By the way, all the producers want to kill me because I cannot get the name of this movie right. You got this. You got this. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. But I keep freaking words. I keep saying it's sex and miasma. There's a lot happening. I want to know what you're wearing for the premiere and if you're going to meth address and wear something bloody. So that's really – thank you for asking. I don't – I haven't nailed down the look exactly quite yet.

3:19But I am going to get a manicure by this incredible artist, Instagram Claws by Joy. And Joy does like these really intricate artistic manicures. And I think my nails will be some sort of blooded metal, like some crazy alternative like thing as a nod to the film. So that's that I think I'm definitely I have my she lives in New York here. So I'm going to go see her. Oh, my God. Are you here until the premiere? I am not. I'm going to be here and then we're going to go to Portland. Oh. Just been kind of touring, Jane and I, across the nation and world, I guess. Okay. And then LA. Wow. And then back here?

4:01Mm-hmm. Wow. Yeah. What does a tour like that entail travel-wise for you? Like, do you have things that, like, what's on Hannah's rider for a nice travel experience? Water in glass, pretty much. But I mean, if you're traveling a lot like that, like crisscrossing the country, are you doing certain things like health-wise? Are you wearing compression socks? Like what is getting you through that? Damn. I'm realizing I should be doing that in this conversation, but that's good because there's still time and I can make a correction. No, I actually have a little lavender essential oil. Okay. That's important for me.

4:36Okay. Have a heating pad. Okay. You know, a little soothing thing. I got the, you know, I got aches and pains. I do a little like eye patch. I got my Tower 28. You know what I'm saying? That's like a hypochlorous acid spray. It's just to kind of like hydrate and, you know, to take away the dirt from any of the various encounters with the dirt. The dirt. The dirt. Capital T-D. The dirt. And I feel like I'm playing with fire because, you know, I've been on the pills like everybody else since I was like fucking 16 or whatever. And I'm just like, I've been smoking and like it's just you're not supposed to do that.

5:12You shouldn't do that. There's too many things we shouldn't be doing. Oh, God. But then it's like you got a plastic fucking microplastic credit cards worth of plastic in your brain. I know. I know. I saw that. I wonder how they know. But I do trust the greater. Yeah. Sort of the medical. Yeah. Yes. Me to the Internet. I want to know what your horror diet was before taking on this project. Yeah. Like, or are you a horror slasher girly? you know what I would say is that slasher was the only blind spot I had in the sub-genre like the slasher sub-genre was the only blind spot that I had I really like kind of like the John Carpenter, Stephen King stuff like those adaptations are cool to me I like comedy horror so amazing you know what we do in the shadows the original movie and there's this movie Housebound I love like the supernatural stuff and then like the Saw stuff Like I do like a good variety of horror.

6:15What's the scariest, the most scared you've ever been in a movie? Oh, gotta be Silent Hill. Oh, I don't even know what that is. Silent Hill is from 2006. I saw it when I was a kid and honestly, like I revisited it just recently. It was, I think, the first horror movie that I saw and the scariest because it's based on a video game and it's a really beautiful adaptation. Oof, not for me. Yeah. pass oh my god i thought it was pitching on friday so good and i was like so stressed the whole time oh my god what's yeah that's it's just a lot of yeah cyclops is getting stabbed and i felt bad for the cyclops you don't really oh oh that's cute a cyclops empathy and then all the yeah it's just a lot of a lot of killing you're not into the you don't want to you don't like that.

7:05No, I was watching a Scooby-Doo last night with my kids and that was, it was, I was like screaming at these monsters. I was like, this is too much for me. Oh my God. Okay. Shaggy got shocked by a monster came out of nowhere. I was like squealing. How are, do your kids mind it? My son is obsessed with horror. He's sick. So he's seen nothing, but he just knows it's an exciting thing he wants to be part of and shan't be with me no is all I have okay um that's sweet so yes I was really um watching this with my sweater over my head oh shit yeah I mean I get that feeling too but I think I mean like I see a huge link between comedy and horror I think that it kind of creates like the same thing in the body like this like that's interesting build up of tension with this like big release and so like I feel like I kind of connect to that obviously like Like one can enjoy one without the other for sure.

8:00But I just see like I think that's why you see so many like comedians go in that direction. Like you look at a Jordan Peele and you're like that to me makes so much sense. Jane has a comedy background. Really? Yeah. Jane did like sketch comedy and you see the like back, back, back in the day. And like that, I mean to me the movie is like comedic horror. Totally. It's more comedic of a comedy than it is a horror film in my opinion. I don't really spend time trying to like say what it is. It's like kind of beyond like genre. It is hard to describe it as a genre because I feel like some things I read described it as slasher horror and other described it as a horror comedy.

8:39And you can sort of make the argument for either. Were you familiar with Jane Schoenburn's, the director's work before this? Yeah, yeah. I had seen TV Glow in the theater, and then when I found out that I was meeting with Jane, I revisited it and the first feature, World's Fair, and, like, very quickly I understood, like, oh, these stories are, like, especially TV Glow and Miasma are, like, very deeply personal allegories for their experience in transness, transition, and just, like, emotionally and in a general sense. Well, you play Chris, who I feel like is a stand-in in some ways for Jane in this, if we take an autofiction approach to it.

9:25And I feel like in some of the early screenings, Jane really owned that and said that that was very inspired by their experience. Did you feel like you looked to Jane for working on that as you were taking her on or not really? Yeah, I definitely tried to absorb some of Jane's like mannerisms and frankly, like more so than just like the way that the character presents and their affects and the physicality and the wardrobe and all of these things that felt like they needed to be kind of like similar to Jane, but also like a third thing. more than any of that like I think yeah there are various like emotional themes explored in the film that are true to their experience and I honestly found through our conversations true to mine you know we just had such extensive conversations while we were on set and beforehand about like very intimate things that you know you kind of don't talk about maybe interesting like what But, you know, like sort of generally what the film explores is like the feeling of dissociation during sex relative to sex, like kind of just coming into your body, leaving your mind and just like the block that certain people have.

10:40And like the journey of the film in many ways is like about like the liberation from shame. and so just having discussions about like what that meant to us in our personal lives and Jane was very you know vulnerable with me and I in turn was also vulnerable with them and now kind of like the way I'm talking about it is being like yeah like I definitely feel like you know many of us like really have not taken the time to examine how true that is and how universal it is and how there should be an alternative and there is an alternative. Especially, I think, when, and this is, you know, it doesn't matter, you know, what your gender is.

11:20I think, like, there's definitely, though, like, these performances that men and women are expected to play, you know, during sex. And so, yeah, sometimes that performance overtakes, like, real presence and you're not really, like, a part of it. And it's just this rote, you know, sort of thing. But yeah, so we just had a lot of conversations that I had to kind of go like, wow, okay, a lot of this is true for me and I'm going to kind of work through it alongside the character, you know. What was the experience of being at Cannes like? Was that your first time going to Cannes? Yes. Very stressful dressing-wise.

11:56Holy shit. A lot of rules, a lot of big moments. Yeah. I loved your Celine look. Oh, thank you. Also, another mock turtleneck, the Aliyah look, had like a... Yeah. Yeah. Okay. How did you approach what you were going to wear for Cannes? Well, I mean, I think that what Jamie and I were talking about was... Jamie Mizrahi. Yes. And I think she was like, I think you're so exposed in the film in this way. And so it's like nice to create this juxtaposition of something like more refined just to create like this more well-rounded, like balanced image. And I think that that's like really interesting. And also like we just wanted something that more than anything felt really classic.

12:37Yeah. Did you go to camp as a kid? Because I also liked this as a sort of creepy camp film. Yeah. I went to Ramah for like a two-week session, which is a Jewish summer camp. And then I went to this camp in New Milford, Connecticut called Buck's Rock. Oh, my God. I know it well. Okay. Wait, how? That's so fun. We have a house near New Milford. And so I'm up there a lot, but also Damon Furstenberg's granddaughter now runs it. Oh, wow. So, yes, I hear a lot about Bucks Rock, and I feel like I might want to send my kids there at some point. Bucks Rock rocks hard. It was so random, and I was so scared to go, but it felt kind of co-op-y in a way.

13:28And there was, like, you could work on the animal farm. There was, like, a clowning class. There was dance. There was like all the sports you could want to, you know, ever want to do metal shop glass blowing like theater. It was so like wide ranging and there was something for everyone. I really enjoyed it. It's really cool. Yeah.

13:52The Run Through will be back with more from Hannah Einbinder.

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16:40I was also very intrigued that this was more of a romantic, erotic film than we'd seen from Hacks, for sure. Well, the sex in Hacks is funny. It's so funny. It's always funny, which is great. The magician sex worker is one of my favorite storylines. I talk about that all the time. Thank you. We love it. That shit is so funny. Because my son also wants to be a magician. I'm like, this is embarrassing. You're like, please, horror. Please. Oh, actually, here's more blood, honey. Give me the cards. Walk back away from the wand. Yeah. We stumbled upon an adult magician just, like, in the street, like, doing tricks.

17:19And I was like, we got to go. Hurting him away like it's a demon. Oh, my God. I want to say shout out to a couple of musicians. Musicians, totally. Penn and Teller. They're on the road. No. Magicians. Sorry. I'm joking. I was like, this is a hard pivot. Imagine. Okay, sorry. One second. I want to say shout out to a couple of musicians. Paul McCartney. What is up out there? Woo! Ringo Starr. Peace and love. No. Everyone at Taylor Swift's wedding. Yes. Guest list. No. Yeah. Penn and Teller. No, I'm into magic. I fuck with them. At a high level. Thank you. No, exactly. By the way, it's like improv comedy.

17:59It's like, you better be amazing, doll. Totally. Because you're really upsetting me if you're not. You know what I'm saying? Yes. It's stand-up comedy. Yes. These are stand-up improv magic. Like, this is like a, yes, I'm putting magicians in with stand-up comedians. Sorry, guys. Who are magicians in their own right? Yeah, totally. Totally. Yeah, I would just say you got to be on the highest, highest, highest level or you're making me sad. You're making me scared. I think that's fair. Or scared. Yep, you're frightening me. Okay. Oh, my gosh. And I just read about your Reiki session. Oh, shit. That allowed you to scream.

18:34Oh. And I'm like, do I need to do Reiki? Yeah, yeah. Really? You actually need to go to the specific person that I want to, yeah. Wow. Yeah, yeah. What other weird healing things are you up to? Honestly, that, I don't even know if I'm, I think that would be it. Okay. Like, honestly, I wouldn't say I'm, like, really, like, deep into that. I just like my friend, Emma, she has like she's eight hours away from her Reiki certification. And she. I'd love to hear that for Emma. Come on, Em. Let's get there, doll. No, I'm kidding. No, no, no. She can fully do it. She did it on her girlfriend the other night.

19:06And she was like, it works. Like she doesn't need those eight hours. You know what I'm saying? Okay. Anyway, so she sent me to the woman who she studied under. And it was transformative. It was unbelievable. Someone actually invited me. What do you call a Reiki practitioner? A Reiki-ist? A healer. Okay, just a healer. I would say. Not Reiki-ist. Yeah. Well, now I'm inspired. Yeah, I really, I have to say, like, I think when I get angry, like, or in the past, like, when I've been angry, like, I just, like, get very serious and low and I wouldn't, like, let it out. You know what I mean? Like, that was just, like, a block for me.

19:43Or when I get angry, I would just cry. I would get sad. It would just turn right into sadness. Interesting. I wasn't exercising like volume, which is a really cathartic thing to feel move through the body. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like my colleagues and family would say I don't have a volume problem. Okay. Nevertheless. No Reiki for you. Okay. We're good. We're good over here. I'm sort of jealous and awe that two of your first co-stars are Jean Smart and Jillian Anderson. Yeah. It's my last life for sure. Truly. Yeah. What would you say is one lesson you've learned from each of them? Okay, well, you know, the thing that, like, sticks out for me with Jean is, like, yeah, she's obviously, like, the best actress.

20:26She's the funniest woman alive. She's, like, incredibly talented. But the thing that I learned from her, and I think we share this, but, like, it really cemented that this is the only way to be and, like, this is, like, how you, like, lead, is that she's so warm. and she embraces everybody. And like, she's literally like, has like one of the grips like in her arms. Like she's just like stroking. Like she's so loving, so maternal. She cares about bringing everybody together and the vibe on set. She just like, she sets the tone. She does. So Jean, like I've learned everything from her. We had her on the podcast and I asked her if she had learned about Gen Z culture from you and she felt more culturally current.

21:18And she said, I'm definitely more woke, thanks to Miss Einbinder. I know. I do what I can. I try. Do people confuse you a lot or conflate you with Ava? Yeah. I think there's a ton of similarities between us. Okay. For sure. I mean, I think the ways in which we're different, like I think on paper, we have a ton of similarities. I think we just like have different levels of perhaps like self-awareness. I also think Ava's kind of like a bulldozer. Like she has like this kind of like intensity at times. Like I feel like I'm a little more, yeah, just like low, slow, laid back. Like, although I have definitely imbued her with that affect for sure.

22:07I think frankly, like she's become, we've become more similar. Like I think we started in a place where I was like, oh gosh, like, she learned the value of hard work. I think like coming into that role, I had been like grinding as a standup comedian on the road. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I just was like so relentless in my work ethic. And I think Ava was just like a gifted person who like, you know, she just like, yeah, got a job really quick. And so I think there is like kind of this level of like just humility that has like kind of grown in her over the course of, you know, her relationship with Debra.

22:43And so I think we've become more similar, but I think, like, it was less true initially, perhaps. What was the biggest change for you? Because I feel like you were really doing, as you say, sort of relentless stand-up comedy. You were pushing, doing sort of the work that everyone was doing when they're a working stand-up comedian. What has been the biggest shift to suddenly being at the Emmys and having people identify you as Ava Daniels. Like, has that fame switch changed the way that you feel like you have to navigate the world? I would say, so this is something I've been thinking about a lot lately because I'm doing a lot of press right now.

23:22And so I feel like the most visible that I ever have been. I have been thinking about like being a kind of like a music festival kid. I was like early Coachella fucking like before it was like two weekends, before it was like fucking the H &M tent or whatever. You know what I mean? It was like chill and like an art installation. Heavy festivals. Independent. Really cool. And like I just. What was the first year you went to Coachella? I want to say 2008. Wow. Yeah. How old were you? I was in eighth grade. Oh my God. Yeah. Who'd you go with? My mom. My mom like loves electronic music. So she was like, I found this cool festival.

23:58She's so cool. She was like, I found this cool festival. Like it's like pretty new. But like, you know, there's like an EDM tent. Oh my God. So just the two of you went? It was me, my mom and my brother Spike. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And so like I was with her. But you know, like I would then go on like in high school, like my girlfriends and I would go. And I just like remember this feeling of like loving those spaces because I felt completely invisible. Even like just back then, I just identified that feeling of being like, we're running in the night and we're just like linking arms and like running through the crowd.

24:32And it's like, so it's just like free, you know? I think the thing that I have found difficult is feeling a self-consciousness and perhaps like a bit of paranoia that I'm being watched. It's not offending me. People are so warm, so warm. I have the great fortune of having like people who identify me mostly being like lovely women, you know. I'm very fortunate that the people who come up to me are so sweet and I'm happy to say what's up, always. It's just for me internally, it has created a paranoia and a kind of like what's going down a little bit. I've just always really loved being invisible.

25:15And as a stand-up comedian, I just want to be a watcher and absorb and not have to think of myself. The shift from being observer to observed is tricky. Yeah. Yeah. It's just different. It's like not totally, yeah, human. Like or something. I don't know. But it's all good. I know. Obviously, in a very different way. But I was like changing my shoes on the subway the other day. And this like FIT student was like, are you Chloe? I'm such a fan. I was like, this is mortifying. I'm like truly putting on flip flops. And this poor girl, I've ruined any impression she had. No, you made it real. On the one train.

25:52Get them dogs out on the one. Get them on out. Is there anything you've decided or sort of given yourself new rules of, I'm not going to share this with people. I'm going to keep this to myself or I am purposely going to share these things. Like, are there, I feel like I've been encouraged to undergo some media training because of things like that. What's the plan for what you're giving and what you're keeping? Great question. Figuring that out as we speak, literally on the fly at all times. No, I'm like, it's so I'm like happy to break the fourth wall in this moment. Right. Because like, it's so weird.