- So, our friendship in the show
very much mirrors our own in real life.
But, did we even create
the "Mendy," the Mindy-Emily--
"The Memily."
- I know.
"The Memily."
- I think it's so funny. Thinking back on
when we first met at that table read,
and like, the fact that
there's like, photo evidence of us
like, meeting for the first time
and like, falling in love.
It was like, truly like, a meeting of like, soulmates
in a sense, I feel like.
And I remember, as we were shooting,
you and I just kept saying like,
"I feel this is just real life
and they're just happening to tape it."
Like, "Are we rolling?
"Like, why aren't they rolling now?"
It just clicked.
- How many times were we like, just talking
amongst ourselves and people thought we
were running lines, or we were running lines
and people kept on trying to talk to us. But, like--
- Oh,
that happened all the time.
- All the time.
And we were like, "No, we got it."
- Yeah, and people thought that we knew
each other before, which was-- I loved
'cause it just is like a testament
to how much we connected.
There's obviously the comparisons
that come to mind, you know, whether
it's with 'Gossip Girl' or 'Sex in the City,'
but I think that we were very
like, adamant that it'd be Emily and Mindy.
Like, not another version of something, but just--
they have their own type of relationship.
I haven't seen a character meet another character
in the way that we did, and that our roles
in Paris were very specific.
I mean, it's not-- we weren't like,
in high school together, you know?
It's very different.
- And they both go into it not trying
to find a friend and then realizing
when they meet each other--
it was kind of like,
I didn't even realize this part of my heart
was like, empty until I realized exactly
how I could fill it.
And it's one of those like,
friendships that are lifelong.
- Yeah.
- I think we said this. I think we watched
like, an episode or two together
a while ago and thought, "Wait, this is such
a relatable friendship, but is just
'cause it's us?"
(laughs)
- I know, I know. I thought the same thing.
I was like, "Is anyone else gonna find that
this is relatable, or is it literally
because I'm sitting next to you right now
and we've had that conversation?"
- It's so funny 'cause in real life,
sometimes you would be Mindy for me.
And we would always be like,
being each other's therapists and cheerleaders.
And I just love seeing a friendship, too.
And the reason I know that it's so genuine
is because it's very much how we are.
- Yeah.
- Of just like, full support and just like,
"I'll tell you when you're wrong,
but I'll support you when you're right or wrong."
You know, all of that.
- So, we both, as Mindy and Emily, and Lily and Ashley,
play each others' therapists in a sense.
- Yeah.
- What do you think the key is to both
of our characters' perseverance?
Like, we're both thrown these situations,
whether it's with our family, with our career,
and we both find really amazing ways to pivot
and to kind of overcome them.
And so yeah, what would you say
is Mindy's key to that perseverance?
- Well, I think what I was so thrilled about
in watching it again, 'cause we know,
we knew the plot and we-- I mean,
you'd filmed every single day, but
for me, not having watched how some of
it came to fruition,
I just love how smart Emily is.
And I love how smart both girls are.
And I think in real life too, something
that we've talked about in ourselves is,
I don't think-- it's not even just
that we have a positive outlook,
but we never really think of things
that come our way as problems.
It's immediately to, "How
can we find a solution?"
- Yeah.
- And we it see every episode. And we see,
you know, I feel like Mindy's approach,
especially about personal stuff too,
is very much she leads with humor
because humor is a way to break down walls
and make other people comfortable.
And I really love that about her
and I try to implement that in my own life.
And I just think that their perseverance comes
from like their smarts, and also growing up
in the world that we are in now.
- Yeah, I agree.
I think it's kind of the same for Emily.
Like, the idea of not really seeing
a problem as a finite problem,
but as like, a kick-starter to a solution,
like you said. And, you know,
whether it's no hot water,
or it's a problem at work,
or it's something romantically,
it's like, she just has to keep pivoting.
And, you know, we didn't know that the show would come out
at a time when the world is pivoting.
We're all trying to figure out new ways
of handling our everyday lives
and the nuances of that.
And so, I think it's really inspiring
to see two women overcoming obstacles
and not seeing them as these
like, finite problems,
but working through them
and like, leaning on support with
one another. And asking for help isn't a weakness,
it's a strength, and leaning on our friends
now more than ever is the way to feel less alone,
and to kind of get through
what we're all going through as a
as a human race, you know? And so,
I just think like, it's really inspiring more now
than ever to see that kind of relationship
and friendship.
- Lils, why are you so excited
for, especially, young women to be watching
this show and like, Emily's adventures
and her journey throughout this season?
- Well, for me, one of the things
I loved most about Emily from reading the pilot,
and then the subsequent episodes,
is that there's not this transformation scene,
you know, where she goes into a dressing room
as "Emily from America" and comes
out "Emily in Paris," and is, all of a sudden
like, acceptable, you know?
And embraced by her coworkers
or her new friends.
She is innately who she is.
And she's bold, and bright,
and a little bit obvious, and optimistic.
And I think it's really important
to acknowledge the idea of not having to change
who you are in order to be understood or embraced.
And that is something that resonated
really strongly with me, I think will resonate
really strongly with girls, women, boys, men.
I think everyone's got a little bit of
that Emily in them, in that sense.
To see two young women going through it
and, like I said before, leaning on each other
to do so is really special.
Because now more than ever,
like, you and I have had conversations about like,
identity crisis within the last couple months
of just being like, "What makes me tick?
"What do I want to do? What are my priorities?"
And I think when we share those things
with one another, and we share our emotions
and our experiences, even if they're not exactly
the same, we acknowledge the fact
that we're never alone.
And that's what Emily and Mindy have,
is the the reciprocal relationship
of reminding each other that they're never alone.
- Yeah. Oh my god, Lily.