-Welcome, welcome, welcome to the show.
It very nice to meet you.
-Likewise. -You look fantastic.
-Thank you. -In addition to being
a great actor, you're also a stand-up comic,
which I think
helps with the show, probably. -Sure.
Doesn't hurt. -Are you doing shows this summer?
-I am. I'm going on the road. -Do you like going on the road?
-I do. You know, it's similar -- a little bit different.
I don't travel quite in as luxurious style
as Deborah Vance. -Yeah. You don't.
Deborah Vance, the fictional character,
her motto is, "Less is less"... -Uh-huh.
[ Laughter ] -and my motto is, of course,
"The exit row is the first class of coach."
[ Laughter ]
So. -It actually is, yeah.
It really is. -I mean, think about it.
-Of course, I always ask for the exit row, yeah. -That's what I'm telling myself.
-It's a lot of pressure, though, I feel, for me, because like
I have to save everyone's life, in case of emergency.
[ Laughter ] -Yeah, but wouldn't you rather it be you
than like some guy? -You know, yeah, always.
I'm like, "Hey, guys, you're in good hands."
[ Laughter ] -Yeah. -"I actually listened
to everyone. I know how to open this door."
-If you saved my life, I'd be like,
"Yeah, the plane went down. but Jimmy Fallon."
[ Laughter ] -Yeah, yeah.
-"Literally." -How long
will you be on the road for?
-Oof! You know how on-the-road time
is like such an -- such a -- such a weird --
I mean, is time a construct, as we all know.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
-But on the road, it gets a little funky.
I believe it's roughly July... to September?
I'm hitting like places around the States
and then going to London and Canada.
But it does get a little like I don't know where I am
or when I am sometimes when I'm out there.
-When I am. -[Both] Yeah.
-Yeah, like I was in D.C. last week --
or maybe two weeks ago --
or, actually, I guess it could be a year.
Again, not good with time.
[ Laughter ] -Wow, yeah, you're really -- Yeah.
But I was in D.C. and I was like
kind of giving the crowd a little bit of grief.
I was like, "You guys aren't partying?
What's going on? Like it's Saturday night."
And they were all like, "It's Thursday!"
[ Laughter ] -Wow. In unison.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
-Congrats on "Hacks," by the way.
-Thank you. -You're fantastic. It's your first TV show.
[ Cheering and applause ]
Emmy-nominated. Not too shabby for your first.
But you play a comedy writer, which is a tough gig.
As a comic, did you feel like you would look the part,
when you were auditioning, You're like, "I can do this.
I know how to do this"? -[ Laughs ]
No. I -- [ Laughter ]
There was no -- Honestly, this is like the first time
my low self-esteem has ever come in handy.
[ Laughter ] -Really? -Yeah, because I was just like,
"There's no way I'm booking this.
Better just have fun with it."
-Yeah. -And it -- it kind of like
ended up helping me, in the end,
because I was a little bit more free.
-You said the screen test was you and Jean Smart,
who's also brilliant as well. -Yes.
-What was that like?
-It was bizarre. It was --
This is before the vaccine, during the COVID-19 pandemic
that, of course, is still going on.
But just in the beginning
and it was on a dark soundstage at Paramount,
a completely empty soundstage. For those who don't know,
it's essentially a warehouse where they build sets. [ Laughter ]
-So you went into a dark warehouse?
-I did. -Yeah.
-Only two like interrogation lights on Jean and I
and like nine producers in the dark.
And I kind of just walked in being like, "Okay,
so, this was all a ruse to murder me. Well played!"
[ Laughter ] -You actually brought a photo
-Yeah. -and it's pretty --
You nailed it. It's frightening. -Yeah.
-Yeah. -The Plexiglas
between Jean and I and she's obviously giving me
a little smirk like, "This little young girl's got it,"
or whatever -- [ Laughter ]
-People love the show. It received
15 Emmy nominations last year.
[ Cheering and applause ]
15!
It won a Peabody Award. -Insane.
-And both seasons are 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
[ Cheering and applause ] How does that -- That's --
Yeah, "Hacks."
It is very funny. It's a comedy.
But there's also some very dramatic moments in there,
very emotional moments.
Do you like getting into the -- the drama and the acting?
-I do. I love drama. -You do? Yeah.
I know. -Just as a concept.
[ Laughter ] -I love drama, too, yeah.
-Well, but I think like any accurate depiction
of a life of any person
has an equal amount of comedy and drama in it,
if, you know, if you're paying attention.
-Yeah. [ Laughs ] -And -- [ Laughs ]
And so a lot of people do ask me like, you know,
"How are you able to sort of like get
into the more emotional moments if you have like
so little acting experience?" And I just want to be clear,
I have cried at every job I've ever had.
[ Laughter ]
-No matter what job. -The whole crying at work thing?
Not new for me, you know? [ Laughter ]
-You cry at all jobs. -Yeah. I mean,
is there an American across this great nation who doesn't?
[ Laughter ] -Alright, yeah. No, yeah, yeah. -Folks?
-Everyone here cries, yeah. -We're all crying at work...
[ Cheering and applause ] -We had a good cry. -...right? Yes!
-I -- Like before, when I was a barista,
I would just cry in the storage room
between an industrial fridge and a bunch of coffee beans
and they'd be like, "Hannah! Your ten-minute break is over.
Get back to work and stop crying."
Now, I'm crying on set and they're like,
"Yes! More! Again! Amazing!
[ Laughter and applause ] Queen!"
-Yes, queen. Yes, queen.
That's hilarious.
Well, I just want to say that
"Hacks" is officially picked up for a third season,
so, congratulations on that.
[ Rimshot ] [ Cheering and applause ] -Thank you.
-You're fantastic in it.
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Hannah Einbinder in Season 2 of "Hacks."
Take a look at this.
-You know what, Deborah?
You're orientation isn't gay or straight.
It's egomaniac.
-[ Scoff ] Ah, this waistband is kind of loose.
-[ Sigh ]
-Ah, should've done another round of testing.
-♪ Someone marches ♪
-Oh, no. -♪ Brave ♪
♪ Here ♪
-Molly's hitting. -♪ Beneath ♪
-What? -♪ My ♪
-I might have to dance.
-Molly? -♪ Skin ♪
♪ And constant ♪ -Okay, I can't watch this.
-♪ Craving ♪
♪ Has al... ♪ -[ Gasp ] Ooh, ooh!
-♪ ...ways ♪ -Is that a dolphin?
Right there. -♪ Been ♪
-No, that's trash. -Agh! God.
[ Laughter ]
[ Cheering and applause ] -Hannah Einbinder, everyone!
Seasons 1 and 2 of "Hacks" are streaming now on HBO Max.
Mo Willems joins us after the break.
Stick around.