WWDTM: Sterling K. Brown, Nathan Lane, Brian Tyree Henry, and Vanessa Bayer

23:06We just celebrated 19 years in March. Mazel tov. March what? I want to write this down. So you had an episode where you talked about the fact that you did ayahuasca together. That is correct. That is correct. Whose idea was that? And again, I mean the podcast. It was mine. The podcast is my wife's idea. Ayahuasca was my idea. We're both what we like to call crunchy granola black people. So we don't really fit in the box of typical sort of things. We like to do what they call white people stuff. You are on NPR right now. Yeah, I know. I'm on NPR right now.

23:55That's good. That was really good. But the ayahuasca, we went to Costa Rica. It's one of the few licensed dispensaries of the medicine in the world. And I think we were interested in seeing, a friend of mine described it to me as it unlocks blind spots that you weren't aware that you had. And can you share what your blind spots were, please?

24:18The biggest blind spot in all of this thing is that we all sort of delude ourselves into thinking that we have some degree of control over what happens next. And really, all we have control over is our response to what happens next. That's probably the biggest takeaway. You know what else is a way of finding out you have no control about what happens is being on stage with Tig Notar. I want to ask you one more thing, which is I love working actors, the guys and women who put in their time, and I love asking them about the odd jobs they might have done. Is it true that before getting into acting, you were an intern at the Federal Reserve?

25:05Yeah, that's right. that's correct i was an economics major when i was in undergrad and i thought that that being an intern at the fed was going to be something that led to me doing some sort of investment banking thing or what have you and really what it led me to pete was knowing that i was bored to tears working at the federal reserve really something else yeah do you ever find yourself you know since like financial policy is so much in the news the whipping out of well you know as a former employee at the federal reserve i can comment i try to comment as little as possible i think that's Most people don't want to hear from actors about most things, so I just try to stay in my life.

25:40Yeah, said the guy with a podcast.

25:48Well, Sterling K. Brown, it is a personal pleasure to be talking to you, and we have asked you here, in fact, to play a game that this time we're calling... A Retirement Paradise. So your show, as we've discussed, is about a community called Paradise. Very mysterious. So we're going to ask you about a community that claims to be a paradise and isn't mysterious at all. Jimmy Buffett's Latitude Margaritaville retirement communities. Come on now. Come on. Answer two out of three questions about what sounds like really a terrific place to be. And you will win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Sterling K.

26:28Brown playing for? Irene Chan of San Francisco, California. All right. All right, Irene. Here we go. Here's your first question. The Margaritaville Retirement Community calls itself Your Home in Paradise. And down there near the eastern coast of Florida, they offer a wide variety of amenities, including which of these? A, the hangar workshop where residents are invited to, quote, trick out their golf carts. B, Jimmy Buffett karaoke, which happens every night. Or C, a nude beach. all right i think if you're in a retirement community you're not trying to drop trowel so then the first one was tricking out the golf cart it is florida it's golf courses that seems like it's gonna be the answer and it is that's right yeah they like a lot of retirement communities uh because they're sort of self-enclosed people ride around in golf carts instead of cars, and as you can imagine, drunken golf cart driving is a persistent problem down there.

27:36All right, here's your next question. You got one right. Let's go for two. Margaritaville prides itself in being a place where people, quote, 55 and better can, quote, grow old but not up, unquote, and that explains why their monthly newsletter once contained what exciting phrase? A, Bert took over the DJ booth for trap music night. B, party starts at four and ends when you pass out. Or C, look at all the fun our residents had at the QVC watch party.

28:10This one, I'm believing B makes the most sense. The party starts at four and ends whenever. I'm pretty sure they might have said that at one time, but the one we saw was the fun at the QVC watch party. The line to get in, the QVC watch party. Went down the block. Now, this is all right, because there's one more to go. If you get this right, you win everything. Now, the founder, of course, was the late Jimmy Buffett, quite a remarkable guy with a remarkable career, and he found his musical success relatively late in life. In fact, after years of trying and failing to be successful in music, he was just about to quit it and go into what business when he did finally have his first hit record.

28:54So, what was he going to be? A, a marijuana smuggler B, he was going to go into private equity or C, he was going to go into the Catholic priesthood

29:08The audience is all yelling A, marijuana smuggler I hear them, I hear Chicago I gotta go with the crowd baby let's go A Yes, yes He says that he was living down in Florida and he was just about to buy a Boston Whaler to bring merchandise to the beach at night when his third album became a big hit and the Jimmy Buffett we know and love was born. Bill, how did Sterling do on our quiz? Two out of three, she reached paradise.

29:46Sterling K. Brown is an Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor whose new show is Paradise which you can stream on Hulu now or catch it Mondays on ABC. starting April 7th. Sterling K. Brown, what an absolute joy to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. You're the best.

30:09When we come back, we hear from Saturday Night Live veteran Vanessa Bayer and the voice of Smokey the Bear. We'll be back in a minute with more, wait, wait, don't tell me, from NPR.

30:25From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Segal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. So, as we've said, Bill and I and the rest of the crew were on vacation. And what better way to celebrate our time off than by listening to something that happened the last time we had time off? Every time I listen, it's like I'm not there all over again. In February of this year, for the first time ever, both Bill and I took the week off. Without either of us there, is it even the same show?

31:10It's like the ship of Theseus, or some other thing that a Stone College freshman thinks is profound. Here's guest host Tom Papa and guest scorekeeper Choke Ianssen talking to actor and SNL alum Vanessa Bayer along with panelists Rachel Feinstein, Peter Gross, and Shantira Jackson. When you look at your body of work, you have this great ability of being so sweet and likable, and then you kind of have this subversive kind of cutting comedy. I guess my first question in real life, are you as sweet as you look? You can ask Rachel and Pete to an extent I think I am sweet but I do love to gossip She's very lovely and warm but she'll get into it Vanessa has never clutched pearls around me once I've never seen her clutch her pearls It seems that your whole family has a really great sense of humor when I've heard you talk about your family and especially, they were especially helpful getting you through challenges when you were younger.

32:23Was that something that just came natural or did that come out of the challenges? I think that me, you know, particularly when I was a teenager and I had leukemia, I think my family really, their senses of humor were like really, really came out. And I think it made us all kind of funnier because we learned that that was sort of a, you know, a thing that put us at ease. It put everybody we knew at ease. And so I think it made everyone funnier. Right. Just to, just to kind of get through it. And it, it's funny. I've heard you tell stories about how you start off just trying to like protect yourself and, and be strong, just all of you just to get through it.

33:01But then when you, when the sky started clearing and it seemed like you were going to be okay, you didn't really stop taking advantage of some of the goodwill that people had towards it. I'm pretty sure I earned some stuff forever.

33:19Yeah, the big term in my family was dropping the L-bomb. My dad got out of his speeding ticket because he said that I was done with treatment and stuff. like yeah using it you know I feel like if you survive something like that or honestly if you survive anything you should get perks forever at least like a Starbucks gift card what what did you get out of when you were a teenager and well the huge thing was gym class but also I will say to this day you cannot climb up a rope and touch the top it's like one of her biggest flaws yeah then i have to live with that so that that's a payoff yeah i've never heard about your audition for snl what was that like you know i got myself into such a good headspace before my snl audition and i'm like i'm just gonna enjoy this it feels like it's like gonna lead to positive things no matter i mean i'm a real big optimist you can tell by the way i'm telling the story but like i just was so excited to be there and i was like i just want to be so present for this.

34:27Sorry to sound like, we get it. But like, I want to be so present. Yeah. And did you know when you were done that you had in fact nailed it? I, well, I was told they're not going to laugh. So don't be offended if they don't laugh. Nobody laughs. Right. They did laugh. I remember after my first character, they laughed and I was like, whoa, I didn't even think this was possible. What was the character? Was it the bar mitzvah kid? No, I did a different little boy who was really into rocks. I didn't. I love that there's multiple. Multiple little boys. Incredible. Yeah. He was really into rose quartz.

35:08Oh, man. And they laughed right away. Yeah, they laughed right away. And then they called me back a week later and I met with Lauren and I was told I would hear within the next day. And then so my parents stayed up all night. That's great. We didn't hear. And then like a week later, I got a call from a producer. Vanessa Bear, we've asked you here to play a game we're calling... It's a Golden Jubilee. Okay. You're helping SNL celebrate their golden 50th anniversary, but they're not the only one turning 50 this year. Answer our three questions about other things that started in 1975, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of their choice, on their voicemail.

36:00Chioki, who is Vanessa playing for? Liz Ward of Austin, Texas.

36:08All right, here's your first question. Jaws turns 50 this year and wouldn't be nearly as iconic without John Williams' memorable two-note theme. When he first played it for Steven Spielberg, what was the director's response? A, he got so scared he fled the studio in terror. B, he reminded Williams that they were only paying him per note, so he better step it up. Or C, he said, quote, that's funny, John. Really? What did you really have in mind for the theme of Jaws? My guess is C. You're right, C.

36:52That was fast with confidence. Okay, here's your next question. 50 Cent turned 50 this year, and almost as famous as his music is his feud with fellow rapper Ja Rule. Things got so heated at one point that 50 Cent did what? A, convince Ja Rule to invest in this super cool and not at all shady thing called the Fyre Festival. B, bought 200 front row tickets to a Ja Rule concert so he'd have to perform to an empty arena. Or C, bought the URL JaRule.com and made the homepage just say, more like Ja Fool. My guess is B. You're right. B. Whoa. Whoa. That was really rough. What a tough... That's so funny that he did that.

37:52I know. He's also mean. He's so mean. All right, here's your last question. Okay. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton married for the second time in 1975, with Taylor saying, quote, We married once again, back where we belonged, where we always belonged. What did she say ten months later?

38:17A, quote, these have been the most beautiful 10 months of either of our lives. B, quote, were you to look up love in the dictionary, certainly you'd see a picture of Richard and me. Or C, quote, we can't be together.

38:39I'm going to say C. You're right, C. Oh, just so. The couple divorced shortly afterwards. Chioki, how did Vanessa Bayer do on our quiz? She got all three right. Yeah. Nice job. Vanessa Bayer is an actor and comedian who's celebrating SNL's 50th anniversary. Vanessa Bayer, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Vanessa killed it!

39:20In April, guest host Karen Shee talked with actor Brian Tyree Henry, star of the TV show Atlanta and Apple TV's Dope Thief. But Karen asked him about his greatest role ever. Brian, I wanted to ask, you've been nominated for an Oscar, Tony, and an Emmy. So my next question was, how does it feel to achieve the pinnacle of cinematic success? by which I mean voicing Smokey Bear.

39:50To be honest with you, it feels like the role I was born to play. Oh, wow. I truly love going to National Parks shirtless as often as possible. So I feel like it was a method acting gig. Okay, wait, going off of this, though, I did have a question. marry kiss kill smoky bear paddington bear and winnie the pooh

40:19okay mary i would say mary smoky for the benefits um you can get it to any national park you want so clearly right um mary kiss i would kiss paddington because you know he deserves it and he'll taste like marmalade so that's that And you got to kill Winnie, because put your pants on.

40:51I have another question, which is that you've been in Transformers, The Eternals, and Spider-Man. These are all huge franchises, and I wanted to rewind all the way back in time and ask, do you remember what your very first role was? Yes, embarrassingly enough I was Santa Claus In my preschool production I don't even know what this play was about But I remember I had like a cotton ball beard You know, where they glued this beard together And you know, all the parents were there And I was the final part of this Christmas play And I'm playing Santa Claus And I have Mrs. Claus with me And we've been rehearsing all week And literally as it comes to me I pull my beard down And go to my teacher off the side of the stage And I go, what's my line?

41:36which in a photo that my mother captured you can see this woman full of rage going merry christmas brian and here i am now a tony

41:51well now when you do win an oscar you have to start off your speech by saying merry christmas mary what's my line yeah Going off of that, I wanted to ask, you've been a part of so many iconic projects, both on stage and on screen. What are you most recognized for when you're out in the world? I believe there's a black person on this panel. Did I hear you? Yeah, it's me. I'm here. Yeah. Wait, wait, don't tell me. It's this guy.

42:26A paperboy. It always, I mean, I can be in places where there's a population of 300 people and somebody is going to scream paperboy at me. But it's changing. It's changing. I went to my local grocery store not too long ago because, yes, I like to buy my own groceries everywhere. and this woman was like hey I just want you to know that I just want to know are you the actor from dope thief and I threw my arms around I was like thank you thank you so much yes I am thank you so much uh so it's all shifting but paper boy is usually the thing that were you at was it the was it Irwan was it the great grocery store close close it was sprouts oh How dare you?

43:19Erwin! All right. All right, Brian Tyree Henry. We've actually invited you here to play a game that we're calling... BTH meet BTS. That's right. You are Brian Tyree Henry, BTH. So we're going to ask you about one of the biggest bands in history, BTS. So answer three questions about the K-pop icons, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Brian playing for? Britain, the Trinite of Round Rock, Texas.

43:59Bless your heart for thinking I'll know any of these answers, but let's go. Okay, here's your first question. After forming in 2010, BTS became one of the biggest bands in the world. They're so popular that which of these is true? A. They were the only band that Pope Francis had on his iPod. B. The crowds at BTS concerts are so loud that the noise is faintly detectable from space. Or C. Almost 1 in 10 visitors to South Korea go there for BTS-related reasons. I'm going to say the last one, 1 in 10 go to Korea. Yes, that's correct. NPR reported that BTS adds$5 billion annually to South Korea's economy.

44:46Wow. Oh, my God. What can K-pop do for you? Yeah. All right, Brian, here's your next question. BTS thinks a lot about their lyrics, so much so that they do what before recording them? A, run them by a women's studies professor. B, have their official fan account send out definitions for any particularly big words. And C, make sure they sound just as good screamed out loud or whispered to yourself alone in your bedroom.

45:20Well, the last one I do myself, so that's right. I'm going to say the second one about having someone look up the words that seem... Do you want to guess again? I only want to be on games that gaslight me like this one. Thank you. Okay, the third one. Listen, I'm going to give you one more guess.

45:49Merry Christmas. Okay, the first one. That's correct. Yay!

46:01All right, here's your last question. Fans were worried about the future of BTS because all South Korean men are required to complete a year and a half of military training. service before the age of 28. So as BTS neared their deadline, the government got involved. How? A, they negotiated a special two-year truce with North Korea to make sure BTS would stay safe. That's all it takes. B, they passed a special law allowing anyone to defer their service as long as they're in a hit K-pop band. And C, they amassed a, quote, strategic BTS song stockpile. You refer their service? That's correct. You got it.

46:47After a bit of deferring for a world tour, all of the BTS members have since enlisted. So, Bill, how did Brian do on our quiz? Brian, you did great. You got them all right. You're a winner.

47:03Brian Tiny Henry is starring in Dope Thief on Apple TV+. Brian, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. You crush it. Thank you, Brian. That's it for our Vacation 2 Vacation Harder edition. Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBE's Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions, Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord. Our tour manager is Shana Donald. BJ Liederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbross, and Lillian King. Our vibe curator is Emma Choi. Technical director is from Lorna White. Her CFO is Colin Miller.

47:35Our production manager is Robert Newhouse, Also, senior producer, Suzanne Chilock, and the executive producer, wait, wait, don't tell me, that's Mike Danforth. Thanks to everyone you heard, all our panelists, our guests, and of course, Bill Curtis. And thanks to all of you for listening. I am Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week, revivified with a new sense of well-being.

47:56This is NPR. Support for NPR and the following message come from Jarl and Pamela Moan. thanking the people who make public radio great every day and also those who listen.