Rachel Dratch’s Big Fat Greek Adventure

The comedienne on late nights, funny women and Christopher Walken's sex appeal.

You think dreams have more meaning than just subconscious brain drain?

Yes, I do! Not every dream, some are just random. Sometimes if someone is describing a dream, and they’ll use a certain phrase, it’s so significant. You’re like, “That’s what your dream means!” Sometimes just saying it out loud, the way you describe it — this would really help if I had a specific example, but I don’t. I’ve had some doozies lately.

I feel there aren’t enough funny women in showbiz today. Would you agree?

You know, I don’t think I do right now. When you’re starting out in improv, or Second City, or even “SNL,” I don’t think of any us — any of us women who are in comedy — think, “Well, I’m a woman.” You just think of your own style and what you think is funny. Maybe the reason you have that impression is, now that I’m out of “SNL,” out of the little safety nest, I do notice that in terms of Hollywood and movies. There are very few comedies driven by women. The ratios… I don’t even know. Every movie that’s a comedy is about guys, and the women fill in the blanks. But when I think of funny women that I know, I don’t think I agree with that statement.

I’ve just known more funny men than women, which is why they stand out more to me.

Well, yeah, that’s true. When I first got to Chicago to do the whole improv thing, a lot of the teams would be like seven guys and one woman, and I think it’s because fewer women are drawn to it. But [during] that time, it started to even out more. Maybe it’s because, when they’re little, boys are encouraged to act out, fall out of their chairs and be the class clown. Girls are encouraged to be on the sidelines and laugh at the guys. I don’t know. Ah, gender theories.

Having finally joined Twitter recently, I put out a call for questions to ask you from friends and fellow journalists in the Twittersphere. First up, one of my “tweeps” was told that, even as a family, “SNL” was ferociously competitive. Is that true?

In a way, it’s true, and in another way, it’s not. Back in the day, in the ’80s — I don’t know what it was like in the ’70s — but I heard stories of ugly competition. By the time I got there, the cast was huge, and someone’s going to end up on the bench every week. So it was competitive to get your scene on and hope it gets picked, but it wasn’t competitive like, “I’m going to put a thumbtack on your chair!” People were really supportive, and would laugh at your scene at the table if it was funny. We were all friends. So it was your own plight to try to get on the show, but it wasn’t like, “I’m going to sabotage this scene!”

Here’s another one from Twitter: “Do you realize how cute you are when you do the Groovy Cat?”

Aw, that’s so nice! You can’t tell me who wrote that? It must be someone with little kids. I did an episode of “Yo Gabba Gabba!”, which is this crazy psychedelic kids’ show. They have celebrities come on and do the Dancey Dance. It’s for three-year-olds, so they’ll have Jack Black on, or Jack McBrayer from “30 Rock.” You go and do a little dance — the one they gave me was the Groovy Cat.

When did you first realize that you had the power to make people laugh?

I was shy when I was little, but in junior high and high school, I started goofing off in class and trying to crack jokes, much to the chagrin of my teachers. I was also doing school plays. Then that combined into a powerful explosion of funny. [laughs] Please say I was joking when I said that. I had a group of funny little girlfriends, too. They’re still funny. When I was in college, there was an improv group, and I was like, “Ooh, I think I can do that,” and I joined. I really liked improv because you don’t have to prepare a monologue, and you don’t have to ask, “What’s my motivation?” It’s so in the moment — that’s where I found my real joy.

One last one, from the Village Voice‘s official Twitter: “Who’s rumored to be the best ‘SNL’ lay over the last decade?”

Oh my god! Is that from Michael Musto, or something? Shoot, I have no idea. Christopher Walken and Mango. Now deal with that. [laughs]

“My Life in Ruins” opens wide on June 5th.

[Additional photo: Rachel Dratch in "Yo Gabba Gabba!," Nickelodeon Studios, 2009]

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