“Even in success, I’m realizing more and more that the outcome is so much less important to me than the day of doing the thing. That’s not goal-oriented; that’s not like I’m going to be number one at the box office, but it is like, I come home and I’m glowing, jazzed. I’m so happy I had such a good day acting with my friends.”
-D’Arcy Carden, episode 464 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
From “The Good Place” and “Barry” to “A League of Their Own” and “The Five-Star Weekend,” D’Arcy Carden has become one of the most recognizable and beloved performers on television.
We sit to discuss her Bay Area upbringing (6:33), moving to New York to pursue acting (16:05), and finding her community in long-form improv at UCB (21:08). Then, she reflects on the day jobs that kept her afloat—including babysitting Bill Hader’s kids (24:53), watching friends around her begin to break through (29:54), and what kept her from submitting an application for SNL (35:08).
On the back-half, Carden revisits “The Good Place” audition that changed her life (42:49), the pressure she felt on set (51:34), and an enduring piece of advice from her co-star Ted Danson (56:48). To close, we talk about the joy and heartbreak of “A League of Their Own” (58:37), the future of Hollywood (1:01:50), and why, after reaching her wildest dreams, she hopes to keep acting forever (1:10:08).
As always, our email: talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Watch this conversation on YouTube:
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Show-notes:
- See D’Arcy in The Five-Star Weekend on Peacock.
- Watch her in The Good Place, A League of Their Own, Sunny Nights, and Barry.
- Follow D’Arcy on Instagram.
- For more episodes: Timothy Olyphant, Abbi Jacobson, and Bill Hader.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Photographs by Emil Ravelo. Design by Derek Gabryszak and Will Tuddenham.
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