Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Kristen Wiig

September 30, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Bill Hader praised Kristen Wiig's effortless range and innate understanding of what worked on *Saturday Night Live* from the moment she joined the cast. 
  • Kristen Wiig revealed that a psychic telling her she should have moved to LA a year earlier prompted her to drop out of college in Arizona and move there to pursue acting. 
  • Both Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig share a tendency to feel empathy for inanimate objects and avoid looking at post-event photos to protect their mental well-being. 
  • The conversation shifts to a strong endorsement of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," with the speakers finding its unscripted nature paradoxically relaxing compared to acting. 
  • The participants share a belief in the paranormal, including past lives, ghosts (which one speaker has felt but not seen), and astral projection, contrasting with a desire to avoid direct ghostly encounters. 
  • Amy Poehler concludes the episode by celebrating Kristen Wiig's extensive comedic contributions to television, specifically listing several of Wiig's memorable 'SNL' characters. 

Segments

Praise for Kristen Wiig
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Bill Hader recalls Kristen Wiig’s immediate, spot-on impression of Judy Garland during their early writing sessions.
  • Summary: Bill Hader recounted an early writing session where Kristen Wiig instantly delivered a perfect impression of Judy Garland, surprising him with her talent. He noted that Wiig’s comedic instincts naturally aligned with what worked on Saturday Night Live. Hader admired her ability to make complex comedy look effortless and fun.
Parenting and Pranks
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristen Wiig’s 13-year-old daughter scared her by sending a photo taken from underneath her bed.
  • Summary: Kristen Wiig shared a recent anecdote about her 13-year-old daughter scaring her by sending a picture taken from under her bed while she was reading. Wiig mentioned her three daughters are ages 16, 13, and 11. This story followed a brief discussion about Wiig’s current life focusing on writing.
Confidence and Early Career
Copied to clipboard!
(00:09:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Bill Hader posed the question of whether Kristen Wiig always possessed her high confidence in her comedic ideas, even in early days.
  • Summary: Amy Poehler relayed Bill Hader’s question regarding the origin of Wiig’s massive confidence in her ideas, noting she seemed ‘fully formed’ upon arrival. Wiig recalled that Will Forte advised her never to write based on what she thought Lorne Michaels would like, but only what she found funny. This segment highlights the importance of trusting one’s unique comedic voice.
Early Life and Troublemaking
Copied to clipboard!
(00:17:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristen Wiig admitted to being a troublemaker in her youth, resulting in detentions, suspensions, and police visits for prank calls.
  • Summary: Wiig revealed that her parents’ divorce led her to become a troublemaker, resulting in multiple suspensions and police visits for prank calling. Moving with her mother from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Rochester was described as a life-saving change that removed her from a negative peer group. She noted that proximity to certain friends dictated the choices she made as a young person.
Psychic’s Prophecy and LA Move
Copied to clipboard!
(00:19:59)
  • Key Takeaway: A psychic in Arizona told Kristen Wiig she should have moved to Los Angeles a year prior, prompting her to immediately quit school and move.
  • Summary: While attending the University of Arizona as an art major, Wiig felt she was supposed to be elsewhere, a feeling confirmed after taking an acting class. After asking herself in the mirror what she wanted, she decided to move to LA, which was validated by a psychic in a bookstore. She packed up her car, quit school, and moved in with a friend already living in LA.
SNL Onboarding Experience
Copied to clipboard!
(00:24:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristen Wiig was hired for Saturday Night Live after the season had already started, leading to an overwhelming, sink-or-swim onboarding experience.
  • Summary: Wiig first saw the Groundlings in the 90s and realized she wanted to perform sketch and improv, which became her path toward SNL. She was hired after the season had begun, watching a show live before starting her first day on Monday, which felt like being thrown into an emergency room without training. She recalled sobbing to a friend afterward due to feeling overwhelmed and not knowing anyone in New York City.
Bridesmaids Success Timeline
Copied to clipboard!
(00:38:20)
  • Key Takeaway: The massive success of Bridesmaids was not immediately apparent to Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo until after the opening weekend passed.
  • Summary: Kristen Wiig was still a full-time cast member on Saturday Night Live when Bridesmaids was released, making the balance difficult. Wiig and co-writer Annie Mumolo initially assumed the film’s fate was sealed after opening weekend, expecting it to fail if it didn’t meet certain comedy benchmarks. The film’s true, massive success became clear to them later on.
Favorite Characters and Comedy Praise
Copied to clipboard!
(00:41:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Amy Poehler’s favorite Kristen Wiig character is the ‘Surprise Lady’ because the character’s nervous excitement mirrors aspects of Wiig’s own personality.
  • Summary: Poehler cited the ‘Surprise Lady’ as her favorite character due to the funny physicality and the character’s inability to contain her excitement. The best praise in comedy, according to the hosts, is when something is deemed ‘funny and stupid.’ Wiig confirmed that her first sketch on SNL was the ‘pregnant in the butt’ sketch, pitched by J.B. Smoove.
Music, Art, and Relaxation
Copied to clipboard!
(00:44:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristen Wiig relies on music to open up the creative part of her brain, allowing her to access her true point of view for writing and art.
  • Summary: Wiig stated that music is essential for her to create anything, whether drawing or writing, as it helps her bypass self-censorship about what others might think. She expressed a desire to record music but doesn’t know how to start, leading Poehler to suggest she join a band to play ‘quieter’ music. The conversation concluded with both hosts admitting they prefer early bedtimes (around 9 PM) and quiet mornings over going out late.
Appreciation for Salt Lake City
Copied to clipboard!
(00:54:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The appeal of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” lies in its chaotic, unedited reality, which is found to be strangely relaxing.
  • Summary: The show is described as ‘bonkers,’ featuring great fashion and drama. Watching non-acting reality television helps turn the brain off, despite causing stress or nightmares due to yelling and brightness. The relaxation comes from witnessing unedited, immediate events rather than polished, effortful acting.
Jen Shaw Sprinter Van Clip
Copied to clipboard!
(00:56:01)
  • Key Takeaway: A pivotal moment in the show involves Jen Shaw’s castmates reacting in a Sprinter van while the FBI raids her house.
  • Summary: Jen Shaw is currently incarcerated, having been involved in a situation where the FBI raided her home while she was supposed to be on a trip. The clip features the other cast members realizing what is happening while they are all together in a Sprinter van, notably without anyone removing their sunglasses.
Starting Reality TV Binge
Copied to clipboard!
(00:58:21)
  • Key Takeaway: For new viewers interested in ‘The Real Housewives,’ specific starting seasons for any city can be recommended to ease entry into the franchise.
  • Summary: The commitment required for the franchise is significant, estimated at 3,000 hours to kill, making the upcoming holidays a good time to start. The speakers note that other podcasts, like ‘Las Culturistas,’ are also obsessed with the Salt Lake City franchise.
Belief in Paranormal Phenomena
Copied to clipboard!
(00:59:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Both Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig affirm strong beliefs in past lives, ghosts, and astral projection, with Wiig having felt energy in places where someone died.
  • Summary: Wiig believes inner circle members have known each other in past lives, noting the familial feeling between her and Bill Hader in ‘Skeleton Twins.’ Wiig has felt ghosts but never seen one, and she believes in astral projection, citing a vivid dream visit from her great aunt after her death.
Ghost Busting Experience
Copied to clipboard!
(01:01:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristen Wiig’s friend successfully had her house ‘ghost busted’ remotely by a professional in New Mexico, resulting in a noticeable change in the house’s atmosphere.
  • Summary: Wiig’s friend hired an online professional ghostbuster based in New Mexico. After the service, the friend reported positive changes, leading Wiig to contact the professional herself. Wiig noted that after the intervention, her own house ‘felt different.’
Tribute to Kristen Wiig’s Comedy
Copied to clipboard!
(01:02:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Amy Poehler celebrates Kristen Wiig’s legacy by listing several of her iconic, hilarious characters from their time together.
  • Summary: Poehler expresses gratitude for sharing a timeline and show with Wiig, highlighting her hilarious comedy over the years. Characters mentioned include Dunice from the Lawrence Welk show, Gilly, Penelope, the target lady, Judy Grimes, Shauna (the sexy office lady), and Mindy Grayson (the woman who can’t get a password).