Newsday "Fast Chat": Tina Fey

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M ary Tyler Moore turned the world on with her smile. Tina Fey turned the world on with her “Blerg!” “Dorp!” “Nerds!” and other off-kilter utterances as Liz Lemon on “30 Rock.” That farcical NBC comedy about a late-night sketch show, echo- ing Fey’s experience as the first female head writer of “Saturday Night Live,” won boatloads of Emmys and helped make Fey a movie leading-lady with comedies such as “Baby Mama” (2008), “Date Night” (2010) and “Admission” (2013). In “Muppets Most Want- ed,” opening Friday, Fey, 43, plays Nadya, a guard at the Siberian gulag where Kermit the Frog has been imprisoned. She spoke with News- day contributor Frank Lovece. I’ll ask you what I asked [“30 Rock” co-star] Alec Baldwin when he did a Rus- sian accent in “Rise of the Guardians”: How do you choose between realistic and Boris Badenov? What did Alec say? Hmm. I’d have to look it up. Keep talking while I do that. I feel like it’s a fine line between the two — it’s a pretty crazy accent. I tried to do a real one, but then I think we all jacked it up on certain words, like, obviously, “Kyier- mit” — a really great name for a Russian accent. OK, here’s what Alec said: “It wound up being pretty Boris Badenov, but that was a choice.” Alec is pretty good at ac- cents. We had a dialect coach for this movie, Jill Mc- Cullough. From the time you got there in the morning, she would talk to you in whatever accent you were supposed to be doing, and then she’d turn around to, like, an Irish crew guy and talk to him in an Irish dialect and then talk to some- one from North London in a North London accent. I love her. I should probably ask, what’s your take on Alec’s New York magazine article [in which he expressed great frustration over several people and things, though not “30 Rock” nor Fey]. I didn’t read it, because I think I thought, “Yeah, I pretty much know this spiel.” You’ve talked about being awkward-looking in your youth. But you ranked in Maxim one year and on People’s “Most Beautiful People” list. When did you get hot? That remains to be seen, Frank. It comes and goes like the wind. You’re too modest. Even in [the web series] “Comedi- ans in Cars Get- ting Coffee,” where it’s not like your Vanity Fair cover with full hair and makeup, you look great. Thank you! Look, it’s part of being a woman and it’s kind of a shame, but you have to be a little conscious of the way you look. I can’t roll like Louis CK and just be, “Hey, let’s shoot.” You and writing partner Robert Carlock were doing a TV pilot set on Fire Island. We may eventually do that — we have a couple of pilots we’re producing, and that one hasn’t gone forward yet. We’re doing a pilot out here with [writer] Matt Hubbard, set at a women’s college, and Robert and I wrote a pilot for Ellie Kemper [“The Office”] that we’re going to shoot next month. So you were at Second City, and landed a writing position at “Saturday Night Live.” What was it like getting the news? I think the first person I called when I heard was [former Second City cast- mate] Amy Poehler. She was already living in New York and I started crying because I was sort of overwhelmed — they literally gave me one week to pack up my apart- ment in Chicago and move to New York. And my boy- friend at the time — now my husband — was going to have to stay in Chicago for work, and I was kind of overwhelmed.... I remem- ber Amy laughing and she was like, “How much money is it?” It was certainly the most money any of us had made, and she was, like, laughing really hard, like, “You gotta do this!” Last thing: You have my favorite line in “Muppets Most Wanted.” Really! What is it? “Goodnight, Danny Trejo!” [Laughs] I think we may have come up with that on the fly, but I can’t remember. I don’t think it was in the script. I’d have to check. But I’m so glad it’s your favorite line! Well, then . . . “Goodnight, Tina Fey!” “Goodnight, Frank!” fast chat { Tina Fey } L ong Islanders, prepare to meet your “Waterloo.” The music of ABBA, Sweden’s biggest import since the Volvo, takes center stage at the Para- mount in Huntington with ABBA Mania, a show featuring four look-alikes performing the group’s hits while dressed in disco costumes fit for a dancing queen or king. Tickets for Wednesday’s 8 p.m. show are $29.50-$65. The timing couldn’t be better. Not only does 2014 mark 40 years since the foursome conquered Amer- ica with its hit, “Waterloo,” but March is shaping up as a big month for ABBA fans. On March 6, “Mamma Mia!” overtook “Rent” to become the ninth-longest- running show in Broadway history. Then last week, Swedish publisher Max Ström released “ABBA: The Official Photo Book,” to mark 40 years since ABBA’s Eurovision Song Contest win. The book, in the format of an LP, con- tains more than 600 pic- tures and back stories. Singer Björn Ulvaeus reveals that ABBA’s glittery garb came about because Swedish tax laws allowed band outfits to be deductible if they weren’t worn as street clothes. “We looked like nuts in those years,” he says. “Nobody can have been as badly dressed onstage as we were.” — DANIEL BUBBEO GETTY IMAGES / JASON MERRITT Mamma mia, here comes ABBA Mania Fans of the real ABBA have a lot to dance about. AP plus Tina Fey has a role in “Muppets Most Wanted,” which opens Friday. See a trailer for the film: newsday.com/movies C3 Fanfare newsday.com NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014

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Newsday (March 16, 2014). By Frank Lovece.

Transcript of Newsday "Fast Chat": Tina Fey

  • MaryTylerMooreturned theworldonwith her smile.Tina Fey turnedtheworld onwith her Blerg!Dorp! Nerds! and otheroff-kilter utterances as LizLemon on 30Rock. Thatfarcical NBC comedy about alate-night sketch show, echo-ing Feys experience as thefirst female headwriter ofSaturdayNight Live,wonboatloads of Emmys andhelpedmake Fey amovieleading-ladywith comediessuch as BabyMama (2008),DateNight (2010) andAdmission (2013).In MuppetsMostWant-

    ed, opening Friday, Fey,43, playsNadya, a guardat the Siberian gulagwhereKermit the Froghas been imprisoned.She spokewithNews-day contributorFrank Lovece.

    Ill ask you what Iasked [30 Rockco-star] AlecBaldwin whenhe did a Rus-sian accent inRise of theGuardians:How do youchoose betweenrealistic and BorisBadenov?What did Alec

    say?

    Hmm. Id have to lookit up. Keep talking while Ido that.I feel like its a fine line

    between the two its apretty crazy accent. I tried todo a real one, but then I thinkwe all jacked it up on certainwords, like, obviously, Kyier-mit a really great name fora Russian accent.

    OK, heres what Alec said: Itwound up being pretty BorisBadenov, but that was achoice.Alec is pretty good at ac-

    cents.We had a dialect coachfor thismovie, JillMc-Cullough. From the time yougot there in themorning, shewould talk to you inwhateveraccent youwere supposed tobe doing, and then shed turn

    around to, like, an Irish crewguy and talk to him in an Irishdialect and then talk to some-one fromNorth London in aNorth London accent. I loveher.

    I should probably ask, whatsyour take on Alecs NewYork magazine article [inwhich he expressed great

    frustration over severalpeople and things, thoughnot 30 Rock nor Fey].I didnt read it, because I

    think I thought, Yeah, Ipretty much know this spiel.

    Youve talked about beingawkward-looking in youryouth. But you ranked inMaxim one year and onPeoples Most BeautifulPeople list. When did youget hot?

    That remains to beseen, Frank. It comesand goes like thewind.

    Youre too modest.Even in [the webseries] Comedi-ans in Cars Get-ting Coffee,where its not likeyour Vanity Faircover with full hairand makeup, youlook great.Thank you!

    Look, its part ofbeing a woman and

    its kind of a shame, butyou have to be a littleconscious of the wayyou look. I cant rolllike Louis CK andjust be, Hey, letsshoot.

    You and writing partnerRobert Carlock were doing aTV pilot set on Fire Island.We may eventually do that

    we have a couple of pilotswere producing, and thatone hasnt gone forward yet.Were doing a pilot out herewith [writer] Matt Hubbard,set at a womens college, andRobert and I wrote a pilot forEllie Kemper [The Office]that were going to shootnext month.

    So you were at Second City,and landed a writing positionat Saturday Night Live.What was it like getting thenews?I think the first person I

    called when I heard was[former Second City cast-mate] Amy Poehler. She wasalready living in New Yorkand I started crying becauseI was sort of overwhelmed they literally gave me oneweek to pack up my apart-ment in Chicago and move toNew York. And my boy-friend at the time now myhusband was going tohave to stay in Chicago forwork, and I was kind ofoverwhelmed. . . . I remem-ber Amy laughing and shewas like, How much moneyis it? It was certainly themost money any of us hadmade, and she was, like,laughing really hard, like,You gotta do this!

    Last thing: You have myfavorite line in MuppetsMostWanted.Really! What is it?

    Goodnight, Danny Trejo![Laughs] I think we may

    have come up with that onthe fly, but I cant remember.I dont think it was in thescript. Id have to check. ButIm so glad its your favoriteline!

    Well, then . . . Goodnight,Tina Fey!Goodnight, Frank!

    fastchat { Tina Fey }

    Long Islanders,prepare to meet yourWaterloo.Themusic of ABBA,

    Swedens biggest importsince the Volvo, takescenter stage at the Para-mount inHuntingtonwithABBAMania, a showfeaturing four look-alikesperforming the groupshitswhile dressed in discocostumes fit for a dancingqueen or king. Tickets forWednesdays 8 p.m. showare $29.50-$65.The timing couldnt be

    better.Not only does 2014mark 40 years since thefoursomeconqueredAmer-icawith its hit, Waterloo,butMarch is shapingup asa bigmonth forABBA fans.OnMarch 6, Mamma

    Mia! overtook Rent tobecome the ninth-longest-running show inBroadwayhistory. Then last week,Swedish publisherMaxStrm released ABBA:TheOfficial Photo Book,tomark 40 years sinceABBAs Eurovision SongContestwin. The book, inthe format of an LP, con-tainsmore than 600 pic-tures and back stories.Singer BjrnUlvaeusreveals that ABBAsglittery garb came aboutbecause Swedish tax lawsallowed band outfits to bedeductible if theywerentworn as street clothes.We looked like nuts in

    those years, he says.Nobody can have been asbadly dressed onstage aswewere. DANIEL BUBBEO

    GETTY IMAGES / JASONMERRITT

    Mammamia,here comesABBAMania

    Fans of the real ABBAhave a lot to dance about.

    AP

    plus

    Tina Fey has a role inMuppets Most Wanted,which opens Friday.] See a trailer for the film:newsday.com/movies

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