D'Arcy Carden Returns

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

• D'Arcy Carden and Sherry Cola formed a strong bond while co-hosting the travel show on HGTV, which is described as 'Home and Gardening Television' and features unique vacation rentals.  Copied to clipboard!
• D'Arcy Carden admits to suffering from 'time blindness,' which she uses as an explanation for being late, contrasting with her husband Jason, who is very punctual.  Copied to clipboard!
• The conversation explored the societal tendency to police self-diagnoses of conditions like ADHD and OCD, leading to a discussion on the nature of sympathy and comparison of struggles.  Copied to clipboard!
• D'Arcy Carden finds that performing broad comedy while crying requires a different, less emotionally invested approach than dramatic acting, prioritizing the fun of the scene over the authenticity of the tears.  Copied to clipboard!
• Carden's initial childhood aspiration for Broadway shifted when she realized her skill set was better suited for comedy after observing the intense technical demands of traditional musical theater.  Copied to clipboard!
• The transition from being a nanny for Bill Hader and Maggie Carey to becoming his peer in the industry, particularly when auditioning for projects like *Barry*, brought complex feelings of nervousness and the desire for her success to be earned rather than perceived as a favor.  Copied to clipboard!
• Dax Shepard and Monica discuss the visual impact of muscularity on shorter individuals, particularly concerning neck thickness when wearing high-collared clothing.  Copied to clipboard!
• Monica announces she will not be producing her annual gift guide this year due to feeling 'fried' and overwhelmed by the end-of-year schedule, offering gift suggestions instead on the fact checks.  Copied to clipboard!
• The conversation concluded with a 'Dax Facts' segment covering Dax's preference for even numbers in years/age, the true nature of the ID TV network, and a debate over the pronunciation of 'caramel' versus 'caramel'.  Copied to clipboard!

Segments Expand All Collapse All

D’Arcy Carden’s New Show

Copied to clipboard!

(00:04:59)

• Key Takeaway: D’Arcy Carden is co-hosting a secret travel show on HGTV.
• Summary: D’Arcy Carden is currently shooting a travel show for HGTV, which involves checking out unique vacation rental properties. She is co-hosting this show with Sherry Cola, whom she met on the set of Nobody Wants This. The premise involves traveling across states like Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Texas to view these properties.

Self-Diagnosis and Mental Health Labels

Copied to clipboard!

(00:07:00)

• Key Takeaway: The prevalence of self-diagnosing conditions like ADHD and OCD/OCPD is driven by a policing nature and a finite view of sympathy.
• Summary: The discussion contrasted OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), often involving intense fears contrary to one’s values, with OCPD (Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder), which relates more to a desire for orderliness. Listeners learned that the resistance to self-diagnosis often stems from a fear that it dilutes the sympathy received by those with clinically severe conditions.

Time Blindness and Relationship Dynamics

Copied to clipboard!

(00:21:09)

• Key Takeaway: D’Arcy Carden attributes her lateness to ’time blindness,’ a concept Trevor Noah described as only processing ’now’ versus ’not now.'
• Summary: D’Arcy Carden frequently uses ’time blindness’ to explain her difficulty with punctuality, contrasting with her husband Jason, who is highly conscientious and early. Trevor Noah’s description of ADHD time perception—only recognizing the present moment—resonated with Carden’s experience of needing external systems like alarms to manage future events.

Long-Term Relationship Milestones

Copied to clipboard!

(00:25:53)

• Key Takeaway: D’Arcy Carden and her husband are approaching 20 years together, having started their relationship when she was 23.
• Summary: D’Arcy Carden and her husband have been together for nearly 20 years, having met when she was 23 and he was 27. They initially resisted the relationship because it felt too serious too soon, but ultimately could not deny their instant best-friend connection. They do not utilize ‘hall passes’ because their relationship started with such a strong foundation of friendship.

Concert Addiction and Enjoyment

Copied to clipboard!

(00:31:36)

• Key Takeaway: D’Arcy Carden experiences an addictive compulsion at concerts where the enjoyment of the present moment is overshadowed by the fear of missing the next show.
• Summary: Despite generally disliking concerts due to feeling confined and obsessing over duration, D’Arcy Carden admits to attending too many, feeling addicted to the experience. This compulsion involves immediately planning the next concert while still at the current one, fearing the enjoyment will end. She notes Beyoncé’s recent three-hour performance was the best she has ever seen.

Acting Pressures and Emotional Scenes

Copied to clipboard!

(00:39:41)

• Key Takeaway: The most pressure D’Arcy Carden felt acting was during a The Good Place episode where she played every character, requiring flawless execution of impressions.
• Summary: Carden found the pressure immense during a specific The Good Place episode where she portrayed every character, feeling the weight of the show rested on her performance for that installment. She also discussed filming a crying scene for Loot where the tears came easily, but she prioritized the on-set camaraderie over achieving ‘real’ tears.

Comedy vs. Crying in Acting

Copied to clipboard!

(00:43:31)

• Key Takeaway: For broad comedy, actors can prioritize the fun of the take over achieving perfectly real tears, as the overall comedic tone allows for less strict emotional commitment.
• Summary: D’Arcy Carden described preparing for a crying scene in comedy by listening to a playlist, but found one take sufficient, preferring the enjoyment of the set environment over the tears’ authenticity. She noted that in broad comedy, one is allowed to ‘hand it up a little bit’ regarding emotional depth. Carden also shared an anecdote about feeling frustrated when a real tear rolled down her cheek but was hidden by her hair, as the character would never move it.

Real-Life Triggers for Crying

Copied to clipboard!

(00:44:23)

• Key Takeaway: Carden’s real-life crying is often triggered by music, and the initial reaction to her grandmother’s death was muted, suggesting the brain delays processing grief until later emotional connection points.
• Summary: Carden cries in real life, often due to music, but her initial reaction to her grandmother’s death was surprisingly calm, which she found unusual. The realization of the loss hit her later when her mother mentioned that her grandmother knew Carden was going to be on Jeopardy! before she passed. This connection between a specific event (Jeopardy!) and her grandmother proved to be a significant emotional trigger.

Broadway Aspirations and Pivot

Copied to clipboard!

(00:45:55)

• Key Takeaway: Carden abandoned her childhood goal of Broadway success after realizing her skill set was not suited for the technical demands of traditional theater, pivoting toward comedy.
• Summary: Carden initially had her sights set on Broadway, a path she saw clearly through regional theater peers. However, after moving to New York and seeing a highly technical show like 42nd Street, she realized the talent in the back row surpassed her own, leading her to conclude that Broadway was not her skill set and she needed to find something else, like improv comedy. She later performed in the Broadway play Thanksgiving Play written by Larissa Fast Horse.

The Thanksgiving Play Experience

Copied to clipboard!

(00:47:21)

• Key Takeaway: The Broadway production Thanksgiving Play was a successful comedy that evolved from attempting political correctness to graphically depicting the historical reality of Thanksgiving, resulting in the cast being covered in blood nightly.
• Summary: The play, written by Larissa Fast Horse (the first Native American woman to write a Broadway play), centered on four white teachers trying to stage a politically correct Thanksgiving show. Carden played an actress hired to play multiple roles, including a Native American character, who was not smart but lovable. The play eventually dug into what actually happened, becoming graphic and resulting in the actors being covered in blood every night, though the audience still laughed throughout.

Allergy to Repeating Comedy

Copied to clipboard!

(00:49:28)

• Key Takeaway: Carden’s training in improv, where material is never repeated, has created an ‘allergy’ to repeating successful comedic moments in scripted work, which was challenging on Broadway.
• Summary: Coming from improv and TV/film backgrounds, Carden finds it difficult to repeat a successful bit, feeling it becomes false if done again immediately. She struggled with the theater requirement to repeat successful moments until opening night, contrasting with her improv training where novelty is key. She ultimately enjoyed the Broadway experiment but noted the difficulty in suppressing the urge to avoid repetition.

Australian Show with Will Forte

Copied to clipboard!

(00:50:37)

• Key Takeaway: Carden and Will Forte filmed a series in Australia called Sunny Nights directed by Trent O’Donnell, which is set to premiere on Stan TV in Australia on Boxing Day (December 26th).
• Summary: The show, Sunny Nights, was shot the summer before Short and Sweet debuted and is directed by Trent O’Donnell, known for Colin from Accounts. Carden and Forte play siblings in the series. It will premiere in Australia on Stan TV on December 26th and will stream in America at a later date.

Barry and The Good Place Audition Timing

Copied to clipboard!

(00:51:55)

• Key Takeaway: Carden auditioned for Barry the same week she auditioned for The Good Place, highlighting the intense pilot season scheduling that preceded her major roles.
• Summary: Carden auditioned for Barry the week of or after auditioning for The Good Place during the pilot season era. She shot the pilot for The Good Place one week and Barry the next, though Barry was not picked up for a year. She also noted that her transition from being a nanny to an actor was influenced by her long-term relationship with Bill Hader’s family.

Nannying to Acting Transition

Copied to clipboard!

(00:52:33)

• Key Takeaway: Carden almost avoided auditioning for Barry because she was nannying for Bill Hader, fearing the awkwardness if she failed, but Hader was supportive after she got the role.
• Summary: Carden nannied for Bill Hader and Maggie Carey for years, and she almost called Bill to withdraw from the Barry audition to avoid potential awkwardness if she didn’t get it. Hader watched her audition afterward and texted her immediately upon learning she got the part, demonstrating his support. Despite the long history as a nanny, Carden notes that she still sometimes defaults to an ‘assistant feeling’ around Hader, though their relationship is now a deep friendship.

Working with Maya Rudolph

Copied to clipboard!

(01:05:46)

• Key Takeaway: Maya Rudolph was Carden’s long-time favorite comedian, whose work on SNL made Carden feel like she belonged, making their collaboration on Loot a dream come true.
• Summary: Carden felt such a deep connection to Maya Rudolph’s early work that she avoided meeting her for years, fearing disappointment. Working with Rudolph on The Good Place and now Loot exceeded Carden’s expectations, with Rudolph being described as having unparalleled playfulness. Rudolph sometimes calls Carden her ‘weird sister,’ a validation Carden never expected as an 18-year-old.

Loot Character and Accent Work

Copied to clipboard!

(01:02:27)

• Key Takeaway: Carden’s character in Loot, Luciana, is a ‘super fake Italian’ girlfriend to Adam Scott’s character, which required intense coaching for both the Italian accent and a subsequent Baltimore/Delaware accent.
• Summary: Carden plays Luciana, Adam Scott’s new Italian girlfriend in Loot, whose accent is intentionally bad and mixed with Spanish influences. She worked hard on the accent, leaning into its poor quality as part of the character. She also received voice memos from comedian friends to nail the subsequent Baltimore/Delaware accent when her character’s true identity was revealed.

Time Blindness and Follow-Through

Copied to clipboard!

(01:08:14)

• Key Takeaway: Carden admits to suffering from time blindness, which causes significant delays in following up on collaborative projects, such as plotting future work with Bill Hader.
• Summary: Carden and Bill Hader plot future projects but struggle with follow-through due to her time blindness, often taking months to respond to scripts they discussed. Dax Shepard suggests she needs a non-ADHD person to help manage scheduling and follow-up. Carden acknowledges this is a known issue that impacts her professional coordination.

Dax’s Thanksgiving Food Prep

Copied to clipboard!

(01:22:42)

• Key Takeaway: Dax Shepard is celebrating Thanksgiving three times this year, involving extensive cooking, including making stock from scratch for gravy.
• Summary: Shepard is hosting a Thanksgiving celebration for six or seven friends on the day of the recording, having already prepared gravy and cranberries, including making stock from scratch. He is also attending a brunch on Thursday and another event, making it his third Thanksgiving celebration in a short period. He noted that Thanksgiving leftovers are notoriously better than the initial meal.

Body Image and Visual Perception

Copied to clipboard!

(01:29:37)

• Key Takeaway: High-necked clothing on muscular, shorter men can create an illusion of a stockier neck, making them appear shorter than they are.
• Summary: Muscularity in shorter individuals can be visually distorted by high-necked attire, emphasizing the neck and creating an illusion of being stockier. This visual effect can lead viewers to misjudge the person’s actual height. The speakers also touched upon enjoying physical touch from people they like.

Wicked Show Experience

Copied to clipboard!

(01:36:36)

• Key Takeaway: Dax saw the second part of the musical Wicked with a large group after a chaotic day involving a blood draw and multiple recordings.
• Summary: Dax saw the second part of Wicked and enjoyed it more than the first installment. The day leading up to the viewing was marked by maximum chaos, including an 11-vial blood draw, recording sessions, a pre-interview for Kimmel, and coordinating 13 people for the theater trip. Dax felt it was one of the most packed days he had experienced recently.

Gift Guide Cancellation and Tecla Brand

Copied to clipboard!

(01:33:02)

• Key Takeaway: Monica canceled the annual gift guide because she and Dax are too ‘fried,’ but she will offer gift recommendations on the fact checks instead, starting with the homeware brand Tecla.
• Summary: Monica is skipping the traditional gift guide because the end of the year is speeding up rather than slowing down, leaving her feeling fried. As a substitute, she will feature gift items during the fact-check segments leading up to Christmas. The first recommendation is Tecla Fabrics, a brand known for high-quality pajamas and towels, which has a location in Nashville.

Dax Facts Segment Begins

Copied to clipboard!

(01:37:07)

• Key Takeaway: Dax prefers even numbers for years and ages, making January 1st, 2026 (2026 and age 50) the best day of that year for him.
• Summary: The fact-checking segment required a quick turnaround, with Rob taking down the previous facts while recording continued. Dax revealed his preference for even numbers, noting that 2026 will be a peak year as both the year and his age (50) will be even. The segment also clarified that Investigation Discovery (ID) is primarily true crime but includes other crime-related documentaries.

Pronunciation and Burger Analysis

Copied to clipboard!

(01:40:44)

• Key Takeaway: The pronunciation of ‘caramel’ (two syllables) versus ‘caramel’ (three syllables) is linked to regional speech patterns, with the latter being common in the South.
• Summary: The discussion pivoted to the pronunciation of ‘caramel,’ with Dax noting his Southern tendency to use the two-syllable version, which he finds more fun than the three-syllable version. The speakers analyzed a highly-rated steak burger from Darling Restaurant, noting its thick ‘dad burger’ style and the use of two top buns, which enhances the overall taste experience.