-You look fantastic. -Thanks so much.
-You know, I'm doing a little research for our interview here,
and I saw it was ten years ago
that you had one of your biggest --
One of your first roles, you were in "Once" on Broadway.
-Yeah. I can't believe it was ten years ago.
-Ten years ago. -It's bananas.
-That's wild. -Yeah.
-What do you remember about --
Because you got nominated for a Tony for that.
-I did. -Yeah.
-I was. Yeah! I was! -Yeah, that's right.
Tell me more about it.
I mean, that's pretty -- -Yeah, it was wild.
It was, like, beyond anything I ever could have imagined.
It was really, like, a golden experience.
-Yeah. -It was beautiful.
-Do you get nervous when famous people
come to see the show and -- -Terribly. I --
-Do you like to not know? -I like to not know.
I don't even like to know when friends of mine are there.
-Right.
-I've gotten a lot chiller about that now.
Because that's not quite a chill thing to do.
Be like, "Come see it, but don't tell me."
-Yeah, no, you're not quite doing that.
-Yeah, I don't do that anymore.
But I was really always very, very nervous.
And there was one night where --
I enter, like, through the back of the audience
for that show, and I enter --
So you wait in the back of the house.
And I saw there was Secret Service everywhere.
And Beyoncé and Jay-Z had been coming to see, like,
a lot of Broadway shows that week.
And I was like -- [ Chuckles ] "Here we go."
Like, I was like, "Well, they're here. This is great."
-"I'm about to meet them." -And I was, like, shaking.
And I was like, "I can't believe they're here.
I can't believe they're going to see it.
Okay. Alright."
And I -- We did the show.
And then they, quickly, as soon as it ends, they were like,
"Come backstage. Someone pretty special wants to meet you guys."
And we were all, like, shaking --
-"Beyoncé just heard me sing. What am I going to do?"
-"What am I going to do?"
And they were like, "Okay, guys, come on out.
Joe Biden's here."
And I was like...
[ Laughter ]
-Yes.
-Which, you know...
-Alright. -It's different.
-It's a different type of -- -It's just different.
-It's a different -- -It's different.
-It's a different type of special.
But it's very -- They're pretty different.
-Yeah, did Beyoncé ever come to see the show?
-She didn't make it.
I think she had stuff she had to do.
And -- They're busy.
-She never saw "Once" once. -Yeah, that's right.
She didn't see it once.
-"Nonce." -She saw it "nonce."
-She saw it "nonce." -Yeah, she saw it nonce.
That's okay.
-We asked you if you had any photos of anyone backstage,
and you were like, "I guess."
But then, wow, this is a home run.
-A home run. -Liza Minnelli came to see you.
-Yes. [ Cheers and applause ]
-That would freak me out more than --
-Oh, well, you can see I'm out of my body.
I have -- She came, and I burst into doves and I couldn't --
I was beside myself. Because she's an icon.
-Well, it's Liza Minnelli. -There's no one greater.
And her whole entire career -- I mean, I just rewatched
"Arrested Development" in lockdown,
and her on that is incredible.
-Liza Minnelli is just a -- She's a legend. Amazing.
-And "Arrested Development," it's like funny "Succession."
-[ Laughter ] -I didn't think about that.
-I mean, "Succession" is very funny, too,
but I was like, "Whoa. There's like some..."
-I get it. Yeah. -Yeah.
-But she was -- What do you say to Liza Minnelli?
-Nothing.
I think I just stammered and shook and got sweaty and --
-Did everyone freak out? -She was lovely.
She lined us all up, and she went up and down the line
and gave everyone, like, two specific compliments
while holding their shoulders.
She held my face.
I mean, I passed out. I couldn't believe it.
I don't remember what she said, but...
-I love Liza Minnelli. -I know.
-Speaking of icons -- -I was so nervous.
-There's a thing -- There's a Cher biopic in the works.
And I'm excited about that because I'm a big Cher fan.
-Yeah. -There's fans on Twitter
that said you should play her in the biopic.
-Well -- And I was very flummoxed by that.
Flattered. -Flattered and flummoxed?
-Flattered and flummoxed and bursting into bats.
I couldn't believe it.
Yeah, I realized -- A friend of mine had told me about it.
And I think I had found it so outlandish and, like, lovely.
But I was like, "Well, no." Like, she's Cher.
And she's -- I mean, I worship at her feet, too.
But she's like a slinky cat and I'm like, you know --
I'm like Don Knotts on a boat.
[ Laughter ] You know what I mean?
He's having fun, but he's windswept.
Do you know what I mean? It's like --
-You think you're Don Knotts on a boat
compared to a slinky cat? -Yeah.
Like, she's, like, chic and she's, like, all...
And I just -- -You're Don Knotts...
-On a boat, Jimmy. Did I stutter?
Yeah.
-Don Knotts on a boat. -You know what I mean?
Like, she's so, like, "Hey, babe."
Groovy. -She's unbelievable.
-Unbelievable. I would -- I've seen "Burlesque" 30 times.
-But what if there's a Don Knotts biopic?
You up for that?
-Yeah. I'm going to fight.
I'm going to fight tooth and nail. Yeah.
I'm going to be like, "Get this. He's on a boat."
-He has long hair. -He has long hair.
-And he's gorgeous. -But he's on a boat.
-"Made for Love" --
season two premieres this Thursday on HBO Max.
I loved the first season. Everyone loved the first season.
Congrats on the great reviews.
How do you set up season two? Where do we go from here?
-Well -- -It's trickier.
-Gosh. It's trickier.
-Well, your husband's planted a chip in your brain.
-And he can see everything.
And then I -- My one ally is my father.
I've been gaslit by my husband.
I'm now gaslighting my father. It is a comedy.
But we -- -Ray Romano plays your dad.
-Ray Romano plays my dad.
But we -- She has to live this, like, double-life lie now.
And so it gets very, very murky.
-Very tricky. -Very tricky.
-And you and Billy are great together.
You guys have worked together?
-Yeah, we played husband and wife in this indie film
a million years ago.
And it was, like, the first film -- it was the first job
that I ever just got a phone call and they were like,
"They want you to play this role."
And I was like, "They do?!"
Which is great, but then they don't --
-You didn't have to audition.
-You don't have to audition, which is so great.
But you don't -- Then they don't know what you're going to do.
So I showed up -- And I had, like, four lines.
But I made this whole back story that she had a pill addiction
and she wore shoes that were too small,
so I would walk weird, and I had, like, a dress
that I couldn't, like, turn around in
so that she'd have to be like really, like, slurry
but, like, locked, and it was --
-That's a choice. -I'll say.
-For four lines. -For four lines.
Yeah, I was like, "Well, I gotta..."
-Did you talk to the director or anyone
before you thought of this choice?
-No, no.
-So you came on set as this person.
-So I came on set, and they were like --
-"Are the cameras are rolling?" -As the cameras rolling.
-"Because here comes this person."
-And I came up, and I forget my first line,
but it was something like, "Thanks for inviting me
to the party," or something.
And I was, like, in a sausage dress being like,
[Slurring] "Thanks for inviting me to the pabby."
And they were like, "Cut! No!"
[ Laughs ] And she was like --
And I remember the director, like --
And it was a big party scene, and she came over
and she was like, "What -- What are you doing?"
-"Are you okay?" -"Are you okay?"
-Exactly. They were like, "Are you nervous?"
And I was like, "No, well, she has a pill addiction."
-"My character has a pill addiction."
-And I had four lines, and I was like, "She's like -- Well,
because she took pills before the party. I don't know."
And they were like, "Yeah, can you just make her Southern?"
And I was like, "You got it."
And then they were like, "Alright, action."
And I was like, "Howdy!" -"Hey, y'all!"
-"Hey, y'all!
It's, like, really great being at this party!"
-Disaster. -Disaster.
And then -- And Billy and I got up to --
We took a train to toon town. We were getting --
'Cause then I was like, "Well, now everything's out the window.
I'm Southern." I had a whole thing going.
-Is he Southern, too, now? -I believe he was.
I don't remember. -So he's like, "Hey, y'all."
-I don't think the picture -- "The picture."
I just, like, went to the '40s. The movie. I don't think --
-"I don't think the picture ever made it."
-I didn't think the picture even took place in the South!
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
It didn't take place in the South.
No, and both of us were just like [Mumbling gibberish]
"Oh, my Lord!"
-Can we see that movie? Can we see you in it?
-You personally cannot.
[ Laughter ] Sorry.
-I really want to. -You can't. I'm sorry.
-I really can't? -No.
-I promise you.
As a friend, I promise you. -You guys can't.
-Alright. We can't.
-Anyone in the room is not allowed, unfortunately.
-But we can watch you in "Made for Love" on HBO Max.
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Cristin Milioti in "Made for Love."
Take a look.
-Hello. Am I a ghost or something?
D-Do you people not see me?!
I know that you know who I am!
I am Hazel Gogol, and -- and -- and
and I am [bleep] allowed to be down here now
because I have --
Because I have this!
Um, you.
What do you -- What is your name?
-Uh, uh, W-William.
Is that a severed finger?
-Good morning, everyone!
-Good morning! -Good morning!
-Did you need to --
You need to tell them that I'm allowed to be down here
and that they can talk to me like I'm a normal
[bleep] person because -- because they're all looking
at me like I'm the boogeyman.
-Of course. Right, right. I'll correct this immediately.
-Wow.
[ Cheers and applause ]
How fun. Cristin Milioti, everybody.
Season two of "Made for Love" premieres Thursday on HBO Max.