-Welcome to The Daily Show. -Thank you, sir.
Let me start with the most important thing.
Congratulations, not just on the 13 nominations for the show
but the three that you have received personally.
-Thank you. -13 Emmy nominations.
(cheers and applause)
That is a... That's a pretty big deal.
Yeah, it's good also 'cause it's-it's a number I like.
-It's a... -You know, if you're not gonna get 666,
that's 6-6-6, you want 13.
-You want the 13? -Yeah.
It feels like, I mean, like, it's a show about bad luck
-that is, like, turning into good luck for you. -Yeah.
I mean, the show Russian Doll, you know, swept everybody.
I remember everyone saying to me, they're like,
"Have you watched Russian Doll? You got to watch Russian Doll.
And then everyone would spoil it for me by telling me to watch it
but they're not gonna spoil it. They'd be like,
"It's about this person and she dies every day.
"But I'm not gonna tell you, but she dies every day.
And she comes back every day."
Like, the show really connects with people,
even though it's dark, and then sometimes it's funny,
and then sometimes it's really dramatic and sad.
Why do you think people love the show this much?
(sighs) Well, first of all, I mean,
it's overwhelming, 'cause, you know, you work so hard.
And, uh, just the idea that you're, like,
so meticulously constructing and writing it,
and trying to Easter egg it everywhere--
the idea that people are seeing that is huge.
It's, uh, revolutionary.
And as a creator, you know, it feels, uh,
-it's a very warm, nice thing. -Right.
Um... And, uh, yeah,
I mean, I think that, just, we're in a crazy time,
you know, in this country, and, uh,
I think that, you know,
we really tried to tell the truth the best way we could.
And, um, to talk about big ideas,
and sort of, uh, the heart of the matter.
And so I think, um,
you know, maybe that that sort of accounts for some
of the response to it is that we're hungry
for that kind of storytelling in this moment.
It is interesting how, like, your character travels through
this journey, where, you know, in the first episode,
I remember watching and she's very just like,
-yeah, whatever's happening is happening. -Yeah.
-I call that my Pesci, my Pesci move. -Yeah.
-Is that your Pesci move? -Yeah.
Yeah, it's very, like, you know?
And then it becomes, like, you know,
at first it's frustration, and then it becomes, like,
-a deeper search for meaning, you know. -Yeah.
-It seems like what we all have as human beings. -Yeah.
I feel like that's what I've watched you do
-as a fan of yours in life. -Aw, thanks, Trevor.
No, genuinely, because I-I remember, like,
I fell in love with your acting in American Pie.
-That's when I first fell in love with you. -Yeah.
That was my big deep dive.
-Right. No, really. -(cheers and applause)
Your humor, your acting,
just, like, the way you come across on camera.
And what's changed in your roles is you still have that humor.
You still have that charisma, but, like,
everything that you touch seems to have a deeper meaning.
You know, you have that with Russian Doll
and Orange is the New Black talks about such big ideas:
Addiction, you know, belonging, you know, like,
the way we treat people who are in prison, being a woman.
You know, do you feel your life translating into your work
or do you think your work is affecting your life?
Uh, first of all, I'm very flattered
and humbled by that question, thank you.
Um, I do think that there's-- I've always had
a sort of philosophical leaning.
It's a reason I deeply admire Jenji's work
and the opportunity to do Orange is the New Black,
and getting to direct there as well.
I mean, it's been a really, uh, sort of all the things
that, uh, I care about, but they sort of,
I guess I'm just getting older.
Like, the morning of, uh, those Emmy nominations came in
and I was reading a book to try to distract myself.
And as soon as, like,
a text message came through with the good news,
I felt my eyes go a little fuzzy,
like my body relaxed, and said,
"Get some bifocals, take it easy, kid."
You know? The war is over.
Just, uh, lean in to aging.
And, you know, go with brains, good luck.
Uh, so I don't know.
-I mean... -I don't know, you dismiss it.
I think everybody gets older,
but not everybody gets wiser and that's what you've done.
The show is a amazing. Your acting is amazing.
I'm excited to see what else you're gonna create.
Thank you so much for being on the show.
-Thank you so much, Trevor. -Wonderful having you.
-Thank you. -Orange is the New Black
and Russian Doll are available on Netflix right now.
Natasha Lyonne, everybody,