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So, Chelsea, I'm curious to know how much of a challenge
is it for you to switch off between acting and producing?
Chelsea Handler: It's not a challenge at all. I
mean, I've been doing that on my other projects for, you
know, for "Chelsea Lately" and "After Lately"
and pretty much everything I've ever done has kind of -
I'm also a producer on them, with my books or my standup
tour and everything.
So it's very natural to me. You know, I actually prefer
the off-camera stuff to the on-camera stuff, to be quite
honest.
What would you say is the formula for good comedic TV?
Laura Prepon: No, no. I was - honestly, I was just
going to say from being fortunate enough to be on shows
that have lasted a long time, and people have really responded
to, is I honestly think that it - the formula for a show
for people to come back and watch is you have to really
love the characters and you have to care about them.
I really think that's the main thing because, you know,
we always said with [That 70s Show] that you could put that
show in any decade, but you really care about the characters.
And on this show one of the main things I really realized
very quickly was all these characters are very real, they're
really funny, and you care about them. And you care about
their relationships. And I think the people, aside from
the comedy, are really going to respond to that.
And, you know, our main set piece on the show is a sports
bar which, you know, it's very - it's got like a little
bit a "Cheers" vibe where, you know, everybody
does kind of know your name. You know what I mean? Like
you feel comfortable there, and I really think audiences
are going to love coming back to see, you know, what's happening
with us, which is great.
Chelsea, the people around you have been elevated in
stature because of their association with you. And I'm wondering,
you mentioned that Natasha would be on the show and Ali
Wong. What about any guest appearances cameos by Chunk and
Gary Handler?
Chelsea Handler: Well Gary is not - he can't even
learn how to go to the bathroom outside all of the time.
So he's definitely not going to be on TV. I'm not going
to reward him with a television cameo until he gets that
down. Chunk is - I don't know. Maybe we'll have Chunk come
on.
We haven't had him - we haven't thought about that yet.
He doesn't - we have to film the show in Burbank, which
is the Valley, and Chunk's never been to the Valley. So
I don't want to shock his system just yet. He's just dealing
with the fact that I got another dog.
And Laura, you've been working with some very notable
comedians lately with Chelsea Handler, of course, and on
"That 70s Show" with Tommy Chong. What do you
learn from being around such notable characters in comedy?
Laura Prepon: Well honestly I think the main thing
is just, you know, instinct. Like, a lot of amazing, you
know, comedians that I've worked with just really follow
their instincts and you can't really teach someone comedic
timing. And you just kind of have it. And it's really great
to, you know, be around that and see that and, you know,
fortunately grow up with it on an amazing show like "70s,"
you know?
Now although the show is just premiering, how do you
hope the progression of Chelsea's character will continue
as you tell the story, or her story?
Laura Prepon: I don't know if we're really, like
- I mean, right now we're not too worried about that. Right
now we're just, you know, telling amazing stories and I
think people are going to really love the characters and
want to come back just, you know, kind of check out what
we're up to and what's going on with the relationships.
But I think, if anything, we'll just naturally grow like
any other show and have evolved to, you know, to that type
of thing. You know what I mean
Chelsea Handler: Yes, I think it'll probably progress
naturally like it, you know, it has in real life. You know,
over time, obviously, you know, the character's set in her
20s. She plays, you know, 26 or 27-year-olds when I'm in
the mid-20s. And just kind of where I was at at that time.
And obviously, you know, you grow, you know, you grow
over time. I mean, it's just one season. So right now we're
just trying to establish the character. But with success,
you know, obviously she'll go though ups and downs and probably
grow out of it just the same way I have. But, you know,
I had a really good time for a really long time, and then
it just turned into a different kind of good time. So we
shall see.
She's definitely getting her share of good times, though,
because she has a different guest star -- male guest star
-- every week that she has to make out with or have sex
with.
Sometimes when we want to give her a break we don't make
her have sex with them. We just make her kiss them.
Laura Prepon: Exactly. Thank you. And I appreciate
that.
So Chelsea, you make a lot of references on your talk
show about your style or sense of style and how sometimes
you have to get a little bit more glammed up, depending
on who your guests are that day. What kind - what's the
sense of personal style that you want to transition into
the show?
Chelsea Handler: You know what? I've never really
been one - I mean, obviously it's nice to have nice things.
But I've always kind of had the feeling, ever since I started
doing standup, that it was better to draw attention to what
you're saying than what - than to you - the way you look.
And so that's always - you know, I've gotten a lot of
flack for it. People are like, oh, you know, you don't,
you know, you're - you could be dressing up, you could be
doing - you know, you look like such a tomboy. You know,
this was earlier on.
And I've always been like, well that's not really the
focus of what I'm doing. You know, I wanted to be a comedian,
I wanted people to laugh at what I was saying, not to be,
you know, staring at my boobs or, you know, wearing a skirt
and show off my - I just didn't think that that was the
best way to get taken seriously in that world.
You know, now it's a little different and I have a lot
more fun with stuff because of, you know, because I've established
myself and everything. But, you know, you definitely don't
want it to be a distraction.
And, you know, obviously Laura's really, like sexy and
cool and all of those things. So you want to embody that
without making it the focal point.
And as two women who've had such longevity on television,
have you noticed that you've felt your personal style changing
over time?
Laura Prepon: Yes I think naturally, you know, it's
kind of like we tell (to this guy) where it's like when
you start out a certain way everything kind of, you know,
it always evolves, it always changes. You know, you're always
growing.
I know that, you know, when I first started acting, I
mean, I've evolved and changed so much and learned so much,
obviously. And I think that all is, you know, that all comes
through in your acting and your comedy.
Chelsea Handler: Yes and I would say definitely.
I've definitely evolved with style and all of that stuff.
Because, you know, when you're able to get nicer things
you get them and you're able to appreciate nicer things.
It's like anything in life. You know, you start to get to
travel to the places that, you know, you won't - weren't
able to afford before.
You know, it's also where your focal point is in life
and what's important to you at the time. You know, in the
sitcom, Laura's whole life is just about the here and now,
and like, having as much fun as possible and enjoying life
and not being judgmental and just, you know, kind of taking
everything in stride and being able to make fun of herself
while also being able to make fun of the people around her.
How much of a role does Jersey play in this show?
Laura Prepon: Yes. I mean, honestly, we don't really
reference New Jersey that much. I mean, if anything, you
know, we, like, you know we're in Jersey. You can tell,
like that we're East Coast with all the characters on the
show. Especially with Lenny Clarke's accent, you know that
we're somewhere on the East Coast and hopefully, you know,
his accent's very (much) ... but you definitely get a vibe
of East Coast on our show.
Other than that, you know, we reference, like being Mets
fans and, you know, hating the Yankees and being Boston
... fans and stuff, but other than that, we don't really stress
too much where it is. But you definitely get, like that
kind of comfortable, homey, like, you know, East Coast vibe,
which I personally love.
How much did you have to scale back and censor because
it's a network show? I mean, are you allowed to say kaslopis
and stuff like that?
Laura Prepon: Yes we - our...which we have someone
on set, you know, when we're shooting. And sometimes we'll
get away with, you know, a certain word.
Like last Friday we - when I read it I'm like, there's
no way we're going to get away with that. And we did it
for the first take and then our Standards and Practices,
she's a lovely, lovely lady. She Urban Dictionary viewed
it and it was like, no you can't say that. So then we had
to change it.
But, you know, she's very understanding. They've gotten
a little more relaxed with us because it's all, you know,
in the name of, you know, we're just being funny and having
a good time.
But it honestly, it depends. Audiences are way more mature
now. You know, I feel like they can handle a lot more than
they used to. So I feel like we're getting away with a lot
more than we probably would have, you know, five or six
years ago.
So it's not necessarily a watered down version of the
book. It's still edgy.
Chelsea Handler: Oh, it's very edgy.
Laura Prepon: No - yes, we're definitely edgy, yes.
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