Yeardley Smith & John DiMaggio – Simpsorama

By starrymag | November 6, 2014

Q) John, if you could start out by telling us how Bender reacts to being so close to a Duff brewery?

John: He loves beer.  He loves it.  I tell you, it was such a joy to do this episode and if you think Bender is funny, wait until you see Bender and Homer together, drinking.  It’s quite an event.

Yeardley: It’s quite an event.  There are some physical similarities that may surprise you.

John: Yes, exactly.  You’ll love that.

Q) Yeardley, what’s Lisa’s reaction to meeting Professor Farnsworth?  He’s probably quite like-minded to her since they’re so intellectual.

Yeardley: I think she’s less impressed with him than you might think and even yet less impressed with Bender who she’s convinced is, perhaps, not the most advanced robot in the history of the world.  How is this possible? But Bender and Lisa have some great, great exchanges.  Bender, even though Bender’s not necessarily technologically advanced, he’s sort of that take no prisoner’s kind of guy and Lisa always responds to that.

Q) What is it like voicing a character as opposed to often appearing on television; do you get recognized less frequently because of it?

Yeardley: I get recognized every day.  Mainly because—I’ve done a lot of on-camera stuff, but I’ve looked the same since I was about the age of six so I’m just—and I sound the same.  You can’t get away from me.  I also do, I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of press for our show.  You’d be surprised, actually, how much, how often I get made.  People send me a lot of free food in restaurants; that’s all I can tell you.

John: I get drinks bought for me, which is kind of detrimental to my health, but that’s okay.

Yeardley: At least you get to keep your girlish figure, John.

John: Yes, I know.  Yes, my girlish—specifically my breasts.  Anyway, that’s horrible.  No, but it’s funny.  The more I’m around, the more I get noticed.  I do a lot of conventions, as well; that puts my face out there and having to do press stuff like this it definitely, definitely gets your face out there.  Plus, I’ve also done on-camera stuff as well.  It surprises me.  It’s just that I’m a pretty big guy; I’m like 6 foot 3 inches, 295.  People are kind of nervous to approach me because they think I might eat them.

Yeardley: Meanwhile, people hug me in the supermarket.  I don’t think that happens to you, John.  They literally like ‘Oh my God,’ and then pull me toward them while I’m by the cabbages.

Q) Both those shows are from Matt Groening, but where do you see them set—what do you think are their biggest similarities and where do you think they kind of go off in their own directions?

Yeardley: the animation dovetails quite beautifully.  But when we did the Family Guy/Simpsons episode, you can totally see the difference in animation style, which works, but this you go, oh, oh.  It’s sort of the same universe, if not the same planet.  You know what I mean?  There’s a common sensibility in the, I think in the dryness of humor.  Would you say so, John?

John: Yes, I would say the slow burns are very, very similar and, just the same, the character design is very, very similar.  You’ll see a joke that points that out in the episode.

Yeardley: Yes, that’s so good.  That’s such a good joke.  Isn’t it?

John: Yes.  It’s really funny.

Yeardley: I have to say, you have to hand it to us for take no prisoners; we poke fun at everybody, including ourselves.  I do like that about us.

John: Yes.  I think that the shows share that; their absolute ability to make fun of themselves.

Q) Did you all record together and, if so, what was it like to bring in people from the two shows together?

Yeardley: It was mayhem.  It was complete mayhem. They had to batten down the hatches.  They had to lock off the lot.

John: It was pretty darn funny.  There was a lot of buffoonery going on.  It was great. It had a lot of laughs.

Yeardley: We do a table reading of the script before we record the episode a few days later and that was a really lively table read.  Totally.

Q) Had you worked together?  Some people, I think, have done both show.

Yeardley: Tress [MacNeille] has done both shows.  No, we had never worked together.  They try to keep us apart because they know it’s probably a little oil and water and they don’t want to start a fight.  Sometimes you just got to throw down and like the two sides of the magnet together and see what happens.

John: Yes, yes.  It’s kind of like a crypts, bloods relationship, but it’s okay; we’ll get over it.

Yeardley: It’s like that.  It’s like the sonic boom.

John: We’re all in the same gang.  Anyway.

Q) I’m curious if you could tease maybe a couple moments from the episode.  What were your favorite interactions between Simpsons/Futurama characters when you read the script?  What were the ones that really, really got a good laugh out of both of you?

John: I enjoyed the exchanges between Bender and Homer and Bender and Lisa and Leela and Marge, actually.

Yeardley: I totally agree.

John: Also, I think, I really, I think Lisa is the coolest Simpson in the future.  That’s my vote.  I really believe that.  She’s the one that’s fully ready to handle being in the year 3000.

Yeardley: This is true.  She’s the one who’s going to get away and survive.

John: Yes.  That’s it.

Yeardley: To make sure that the entire human race doesn’t come to an end.  You know what’s funny, when Michael was saying the episode is about Futurama, you guys trying to keep the Simpsons from destroying the future.  I’m like, that’s not what the episode’s about; that’s not what the episode’s about.  We’re trying to keep Bender from killing Homer.  So there.  I won’t tell you how that ends, but that’s a totally different story.

John: Yes.  That is.  That is.

Q) John, do you think that there’s still plenty of future for Futurama?  Do you think you guys will all be gathered together for different occasions to do another movie or, maybe, another little chunk of episodes?  What do you think is the future for the show?

John: I think that there’s definitely the possibility of a future.  Matt is always saying to us, hey, don’t worry about it; it’s alright.  It’s like okay, when do we start?  What’s going on?  We’re all pretty much game for doing more Futuramas.  Absolutely.  One of the best experiences in my life, professionally, doing Futurama.  Anybody throws up the flag and says here we go, we’re doing it, I’m all game for it.  There’s definitely more stories.  The last episode ended the way it did and totally left the door open for more things to happen.  You never know.  Whether it comes back to network television or goes to something like Netflix or something like that; who’s to say.  All I know is that the cast would be ready to do it at the drop of a hat.

Q) Yeardley, when you started with The Simpsons, what were your expectations?  How long did you think that this show could run?  How long did you hope that this job could last?

Yeardley: Well, as an actor who is actually very fortunate to have some success, you’re happy if a job lasts more than three weeks.  I will say, when I got The Simpsons, I got The Simpsons because I’d done a tiny little play in Hollywood a year before The Simpsons was being cast and the woman who cast The Simpsons on The Tracey Ullman Show was one of the 17 people who saw that play.  She said I know you should play Lisa Simpson.  It’s a great sort of Lana Turner drugstore story. But I will say, when my agent said you’re going to go in and read for this voice-over, I said I don’t want to do voice-over.  This is not part of my plan for world domination; I don’t really care about that.  It’s not on my list but okay.  He told me I should go and I’m not an actress who turns down auditions so I’ll go. I didn’t have a voice-over agent.  I had never done voice-over before.  I’ve, really, never done it since.  When I got the job on The Tracey Ullman Show, and it was this strange format where we would do, I think we told a whole story in one minute; broken up into 20 second bumpers. Just before the commercial break.  I was like this job is what?  We’re doing what?  It was so unusual.  I thought, look, I’m down with this as long as it doesn’t interrupt my true quest for world domination where I’m going to be a superstar.  Then we spun off into half hour.  I do remember everybody saying this is the worst idea a network has ever had.  They haven’t had a cartoon on in primetime since The Flintstones.  You all are high; you’re ridiculous; have a nice day. Then it hit so big.  Of course the turnaround was instantaneous.  We’re like no, no we knew it; we knew Simpsons were going to be big.  It’s going to be awesome.  Then you were happy that you went five years because now you can go into syndication and that’s the juggernaut.  Then, it was 10 years, and then it was 15 years, and then you’re creeping up on Gunsmoke, which is 20 years.  Then you pass Gunsmoke and then you’re like, okay.  We now have writers on the show who grew up watching the show and I don’t think there’s any other show on television that can say that. It’s been the best job of all time.  I certainly landed in the honey pot and thank God I was arrogant, but I wasn’t stupid.  So here I am.

Q) You guys are both a part of social media.  Are you looking forward to that instant fan feedback you’ll be receiving when the cross-over episode premieres?

John: Yes.  Absolutely.  That’s one of the wonderful things about social media is that you can really reach out and enjoy your audience, if you will.  Yes, they’re all excited about it.  When we had that one little scene in Futurama when they had Jake the dog and Finn the human from Adventure Time in it that was—they freaked out over that.  I’m just excited that they’re going to be able to see a full half hour of comedy from both shows.  It’s pretty awesome.

Yeardley: I think it’s great.  It’s a really funny episode.  I really think the fans won’t be disappointed.  Certainly, my Twitter account blew up with Family Guy and then it also blew up when The Simpsons did every Simpsons ever 12 days, 24/7 when we launched FXX. As John says, it’s a truly wonderful, very immediate gratifying way to interact with your fan base which, for both shows, is impressibly huge. Again, when you’ve been on television as long as we have, a lot of people have heard of you.  They’re like hi. I want to be part of the story.  It’s a unique situation.

John: And when you’re behind the mic, you don’t get to hear the applause, except from behind the glass which is rewarding.

Yeardley: And you still can’t hear them. Yes.  When you have your followers go nuts over something that you’ve done, it’s pretty cool.  Yes, I’m excited and I know they’re excited, too.

Q) John, I see that you’re a part of the Movember.

John: I’m totally doing Movember.  I’ve already raised $250.

Q) Why is that such an amazing cause for you?

John: It’s pretty cool.  I’m usually in a beard so I had to shave clean and now I’ve got my little mustache growing.  It’s alright. It’s a great cause and people need to talk about it.  It’s important for men’s health.  I’m coming up on the age where I’m going to need to have that meeting with my doctor that all men approaching 50 need to do.  It’s one of those things that you need to handle.  I can’t believe I just said approaching 50.  Anyway, the horror.

Q) Yeardley, you have great comedic timing.  Is it something that’s always been a natural ability of yours, or did you work at some way to hone it?

Yeardley: I think I honed it at the dinner table.

John: That’s a good place to do it.

Yeardley: I do think—because that’s a tough room, my friend, let me tell you. I think I’ve always—it was my—when I was insecure I knew if I could make you laugh, when I was growing up, then you probably would like me.  It was sort of a survival technique and I’m happy to say that I was actually able to make a living at it.  I really love it. I do remember the very first time I was in a school play; I was 12 years old and I was playing Dagmar in I Remember Mama.  I remember the first line out of my mouth the audience just like fell; I don’t even remember what the line was, but I do remember they laughed heartily and fell out of their chairs, practically.  I thought, oh, oh, I need to do more of that.  That’s the magic.  It was sort of greed and survival all at once.

Q) Yeardley, you mentioned the every Simpsons ever and I was just curious, did you check in because so many people really celebrated the show and the long history during that period.  I wondered if you took a while to watch some episodes and what your, sort of, take away from all that Simpsons love that was going on was?

Yeardley: I mean it was astounding because it could have gone either way; it could have been you all shot your wad years ago, I don’t know why you’d think we want to watch every Simpsons ever, or it could have been the juggernaut that it was.  That so was incredibly gratifying when the risk you’re taking works out in your favor. I did check in; it was really fun when people would Tweet me about oh my God, this is my favorite line; my favorite episode; this is the best change.  I don’t have a very—we’ve done so many episodes and I have a terrible memory any way so it’s sort of the perfect storm when people come up to you and go you remember the line, I’m like, no I already don’t.  I already don’t remember that so you probably know more about it than me.  It was wonderful to be able to then go back and see moments that people were loving and realize how truly, truly great they were. The show has, for having been on the air for so long, they’ve really quite brilliantly developed it from, in the beginning, The Simpsons never did anything that real people couldn’t do.  For instance, we couldn’t drive an RV off the cliff and everybody survives because that doesn’t happen in real life.  Then you got to like Season 9 and you’re like oh my God, what are we going to write about?  You know what, maybe we should take advantage of the fact that we’re a cartoon; we’re going to drive that RV off the cliff and everybody’s going to survive and it’s going to be hilarious. They managed to milk every fantastic facet of the show and the genre to their best advantage and I continue to marvel at their ability to reinvent us in a way and keep us current and relevant.  Things like putting Marge on the cover of Playboy and doing the FXX marathon and the games they come up with.  This app that they launched in October, I mean, come one, that’s lightening in a bottle is what that is.  I’m so grateful to be a part of something that smart.

Q) Having worked on these characters for so long, is there any extra work that you guys put into keeping the characters fresh or keeping them alive?

John: For me, it’s a cigar and a shot whiskey.  I’m kidding.  Yeardley was saying how smart the show is, the shows are, and it’s really true.  I don’t have to worry about anything with a Futurama script.  The writing staff for Futurama, specifically, is the most over-educated staff in Hollywood history.

Yeardley: We have the other half of the over-educated staff.

John: Yes, exactly.  We had all alumni from you guys. We have doctorates in chemistry and biology and math in the writing staff.  There’s no reason for me to say, well, don’t you think this would be funnier?  There’s no real reason, I mean sometimes I’ll do something and it’ll be funny and it might stick, but when you have people that brilliant that work that hard on math jokes, you’re not just going, hey, what about the Pythagorean theorem?  That’s not going to work; that’s not going to cut it. For me, it’s always just relying on the brilliance of the writers and being able to bring it to life.  I think the energy is the most important thing.  That’s the most important thing, for me, is approaching it with the right energy and you go from there.  I think that’s pretty much the case for me.

Yeardley: I think that’s well said.  I’m also, I’ve actually had this question a few times and it’s interesting.  It’s not like doing Cats for 26 years where you’re doing the same lines and the same blocking. Oh my God.  I mean seriously, you’d be homicidal.  Every week, the words are completely different and I truly love Lisa Simpson and I have this funny relationship with her where I feel like she very much exists outside of me.  She, I’m a part of her, but I’m really only a third of her.  There’s the writing and the animating and then there’s me.  We each take 33.3% and so it’s a very unique kind of collaboration and when I watch Lisa Simpson on TV, she makes me laugh.  Then I think, oh, oh, I’m a part of that and it’s tremendous. Because I never watch myself on TV.  If it’s live, it’s me Yeardley, I wait a couple of years then it’s been so long I’m like, oh well, you can’t do anything about that.

John: That’s really—that’s right on the money.  I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s so true.  When you see yourself animated, or when you see your character perform animated, it’s so much different than seeing yourself live.

Yeardley: You feel funny.  Yes. Exactly.  Exactly that.  There are great surprises there.

John: That’s the thing that’s really interesting about it.  Absolutely.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*