“I’m noticing…I think I’m having trouble with my hearing? Something’s off. I always misunderstand a word or miss anentirechunk of information all together.”This is the set-upto one of many self-deprecating jokes inTig Notaro’s latest stand-up special,Hello Again. The comedian, whose newest hour is available on Prime Video, has always embraced vulnerability in her work, with varying degrees of intensity. She sprung on everyone’s radar in 2012 (a year after releasing her first comedy albumGood One) when she bravely and hilariously spoke about her recent breast cancer diagnosis to a crowd of confused and supportive audience members. She wasn’t looking for pity; she was just telling it like it is.
Not only was this the beginning of a prolific career in comedy for Notaro, but it perfectly encapsulated her dry, deadpan, straightforward delivery that’s become her trademark style. The comedian, who also co-created and starred in the heart-wrenching, semi-autobiographical dark comedy seriesOne Mississippi, continues to thrive in all areas of the industry. In addition to racking up acting credits in projects such asThe Morning Show,Army of the Dead, andStar Trek: Discovery, she’s directing, writing, and producing movies with her wife and fellow performer,Stephanie Allynne. They co-directed theSundance hitAm I Ok?, a blisteringly emotional dramedy starringDakota Johnsonas a young woman on an unexpected journey of self-discovery in her 30s. Notaro also co-hosts the hit comedy podcastHandsome, which she does alongside comediansFortune FeimsterandMae Martin.
During this 1-on-1 with Collider, Tig Notaro talks about what it was like having her wife direct her Prime Video specialHello Again, her terrifying experience of getting trapped in a bathroom before a show, and what her sons Max and Finn think about her comedy.
Tig Notaro: Hello Again
Notaro faces absurdities, from hallucinatory texts to a surreal Hollywood meeting. Her life provides fodder for standup routines, including a late night encounter with a mustachioed fireman that makes her rethink things.
COLLIDER: A couple years ago when I started writing for Collider, I was a little baby nervous writer, and I wrote an article recommending podcasts hosted by actors and you and Cheryl Hines mentioned the article on your podcast [True Story] and it broke my brain. So I just want to say thank you, you gave me confidence.
TIG NOTARO: Oh! Yes, my pleasure.
Another question before we get to your tour. I sawAm I Ok?at Sundance. I thought it was a brilliant movie. I want other people to see it. Do you have any updates on when that’s going to be released?
NOTARO: I do! I can’t tell you right now, but we just got word…because it, yeah, it went to Sundance, sold to HBO Max and then it just kind of went away? That happened when HBO and HBO Max — a lot of projects kind of “went away,” — and so it, I think they were going to try and sell it outside of that network, and then we got news that, now, I guess it’s Max? Or HBO Max? Somebody’s releasing it this year and we know when, we just can’t tell you yet. The announcement will be coming soon and the movie will be coming soon.
I saw the movie, and I was telling everyone and they were like, “What movie are you talking about? You’re making this movie up.”
NOTARO: Dakota Johnson is so — as you saw — she is so incredible in this film. Incredible. Incredible.
And she was a huge fan of yours going into this movie, so how was it directing her?
NOTARO: It was great. Yeah, I mean. (Laughs.) I remember when her boyfriend Chris Martin reached out, emailed me, and told me I was her favorite comedian, and I remember I wrote back and I said, “Are you sure? Because this will be very awkward…” Because he was hiring me to surprise her at her 30th birthday, and I thought, “Oh my God, what if he misunderstood something and I am on stage and she is like, ‘Who is this?’” But yeah, we connected at that party and just kind of walked away like, “Oh, it’ll be fun to work together some time.” And then, when this project came about, sent it to her and she was on board. And she had been wanting to do something a little more comedic and this is a good mix of dramatic and comedic so it was fun to be part of that for her.
I’m excited there’s a release date, people will realize I wasn’t making it up.
NOTARO: Yeah. (Laughs.) That’s the thing! After it streamed at Sundance during the pandemic, everybody was like — continues — to ask us. Stephanie and I talk about that — my wife and I co-directed that — and we hear all the time from people, “When isAm I Ok?coming out? When isAm I Ok?coming out?”
Tig Notaro Almost Didn’t Make It to One of Her Shows
I was at the Peekskill, New York show, the show you almost didn’t make it to.
NOTARO: Yes!
That was insane, all the rental car troubles, fanny pack was missing…
NOTARO: Oh my God. Everything.
Have you had worse experiences before a show? Does anything top that?
NOTARO: I mean, right now, as we are speaking, there is a new episode of This American Life that just came out, and there’s audio of me doing a set right after I had been locked in my bathroom at my hotel room. And I had a full meltdown in the bathroom. I could not get out for thirty minutes. I was spiraling with anxiety and I was so off the charts upset. And I was telling myself — I was backstage before I walked on — I got out of the bathroom, I was backstage, I was in tears on the phone with my wife and she’s talking me through it. I’m about to be announced to walk onstage, and I kept telling myself, “I can do this, just compartmentalize, put it somewhere else in my brain,” I’ll just go onstage and nobody has to know what happened. And then as soon as I opened my mouth I’m like, “I was locked in a bathroom!” So, yeah, there’s a scaled down version of that set I did in Sacramento that night two years ago of me spiraling after that happened.
Have you gone to the bathroom since?
NOTARO: I have been holding it for two years.
NOTARO: But it has made it hard for me to get on elevators… it’s really messed with me, but I’m coming through it.
Tig Notaro’s Sons Have Some Thoughts on Her Comedy
That’s good to hear. I rewatched/relistened to your albums and specials going up to this one. I like to follow the evolution of your comedy, obviously the last few specials include your little roommates Max and Finn more. How aware are they of what you do for a living? Like I’m curious if they maybe are doing stuff hoping you talk about them on stage —
NOTARO: No, they don’t think about it like that, but I think they have become very aware of what I do. When they were really little, probably between two and four, and we’d be places and people would come up and strangers would say, “Oh my gosh, I love you!” and then they would hold onto my legs and then they’d be like, “Who was that? Why did that person say they love you?” and I’d be like (Laughs.) “Well, I tell jokes…” you know, it was hard to explain. But now they get it. The first time they saw me do comedy was actually my animated special on HBO, and they watched that on repeat, I think because they liked the animation. And then recently, several months ago I was doing a matinee vegan benefit, and I thought, “Oh, since it’s at 2:00 and since our family has plans right after, maybe we can all go,” and I ran it by Stephanie, and she was like, “Yeah, that sounds good.”So, we went, and I didn’t account for the fact that my son Max would heckle me.He wasn’t technically heckling me, but he was fact-checking me, and anything I said that he thought was bizarre or untrue, he would just yell out, “That’s not true!” or “You’re lying!” I had to say to the audience, “My apologies, my kids are here today.” And they were laughing so hard and my son Finn was just sinking in his seat, he was mortified. But Max just kept being like, “Not!” and I had to say, “Max, these are true stories that you maybe don’t know about, and this did happen,” and he was like, “That’s a lie!” So, yeah, they’re aware of what I do, and, in fact, I was taking Max home from a martial arts lesson one day and we were getting in the car and this woman and her kid — they were parked right next to us — and the woman said, “Are you Tig Notaro?” and I said, “Oh, yeah, I am,” and Max — this is the same son that heckled me, he’s in the back seat, already in his car seat — and he yells, “Quit bragging about being a public figure!”
NOTARO: (Laughs.) And I’m like, “I’m not bragging about being a public figure!” So, that’s what they know.
Wow, he keeps you humble I guess.
NOTARO: (Laughs.) Yes, well, he, you mark my words, you keep your eye out. You’re going to see Max Notaro. He’s a bit of a comedian.
That’s very cute. Stephanie directed the special and obviously you know her pretty well. What does she bring to a project as a director that you maybe never thought of?
NOTARO: Well, I think whether it’s a project like my stand-up special or even if I ask her an opinion about my material, I always, one million percent, respect and respond to what she is saying. And I think that she and I have a very similar sensibility, but it’s different enough that we just kind of perfectly elevate that vision. A lot of people respond in ways, like, “Gosh, what is that like? Working with your wife?” And we genuinely love it. We love it.
My favorite bit probably of your new special was, “Scootin’ down the hall.” It kind of reminds me of your Taylor Dane joke and “No moleste.” These jokes just kind of have a life of their own now. Are you able to predict when a joke is going to really hit or are you totally shocked?
NOTARO: (Laughs.) Sometimes I’m like, “Oh, this feels like I have something,” and of course it’s nice when the audience responds to it, but, other things, I’m always like, “Wow, I can’t believe…” like, “Scootin’ down the hall,” Sarah Paulson loves that and she’ll text me that she’s scootin’ down the hall or asks me if I’m scootin’ down the hall. And it just sticks with people. But I didn’t imagine the scootin’ down the hall thing. That was an afterthought. To me, that’s not even a huge part of what is happening in that bit, but, it sticks with people.
Well, this has been a dream come true, I really appreciate meeting you and talking with you, so thank you so much.
NOTARO: Thankyou!
And also, I want Fortune, you, and Mae to “Keep it handsome.”
NOTARO: (Laughs.)Youkeep it handsome. And thanks for listening, I appreciate it.
Hello Againis available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.
