Zach Galifianakis Explains Why He Couldn't Make “Between Two Ferns ”Today, Shares Guest Who Was Surprisingly 'Really Good at Comedy'

Zach Galifianakis says he's hesitant to revive Between Two Ferns due to today's “meaner” culture

NEED TO KNOW

• The satirical talk show featured celebrity guests like Brad Pitt and President Obama, the latter of whom Galifianakis called “great at comedy”

• Galifianakis recalled Obama personally calling him after their episode, a moment he commemorated with a photo of an empty chair

There's one main reason thatZach Galifianakiswouldn't bring backBetween Two Fernsand it has to do with the times we live in.

OnThe Rich Eisen Show,Galifianakis, 56, was asked how long it had been since he filmed an episode of the satirical talk show and if he would ever bring it back.

“I feel like we're kind of living in meaner times right now and I'm not sure that that tonally might work at this moment. I don't know. I don't know," theHangoverstar replied.

Podcast host Rich Eisen, however, noted that he thinks “people are kind of in on the gag at this point," to which Galifianakis replied, “I guess so. Maybe that is the reason to do one.”

Eisen said that he occasionally pulls up bloopers from the show when he needs a laugh.

“I have seen those bloopers. I always say my career is a blooper," Galifianakis said. "Those bloopers are joyous. I've never been interested in pranking anyone. I always wanted to be a joint effort, but I never wanted the audience to think that. So then when we showed the bloopers, we kind of gave that up a little bit."

Between Two Fernswas a satirical talk show that started as a web series, known for its awkward interviews with public figures and Hollywood stars. The series was produced on and off between 2008 and 2018, featuring celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and even President Barack Obama.

There was also a Comedy Central television special and a Netflix original movie,Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which came out in 2019.

There's a moment in the Pitt episode where theFight Clubactor spat gum in Galifianakis' face.

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“I asked him to do that,” he admitted to Eisen.

“I think he just put my gum in his mouth and spit it in my face. It was my gum. I think he took it out of me, I can't remember. Right. Yep. That's how that went down," he added.

Most of the guests, Galifianakis shared, “were pretty game," but emphasized that they didn't "get the questions ahead of time" — aside from one special guest.

"I think with President Obama, they did because we didn't have that much time with them, and then I don't want to give them the questions at all because that takes away the element of surprise that you need that honest reaction from them."

While they made an exception for the 44th U.S. President, Galifianakis said the politician showed up eager to participate and didn't give away any of the jokes.

"It's like Obama's from The Second City. He's really good at comedy," the actor said, admitting he was "incredibly nervous" beforehand.

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“We were in the White House, we went to him and I'm not a cool cat. He was great," Galifianakis recalled. "He called me after it came out. He called my cell phone. I'll never forget, I was at a construction site. He calls me. I'm with traffic cones and he calls me, we chat and then I hang up. I'm alone and I had no one and I just took a picture of the chair I was sitting on."

“I have a picture of an empty chair next to two traffic cones to commemorate the call I got from Obama," he added. "I actually got nervous when he called me because I didn't expect that. I didn't, he didn't have to call me."

Read the original article onPeople

byNito

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May 03, 2026

Zach Galifianakis Explains Why He Couldn't Make “Between Two Ferns ”Today, Shares Guest Who Was Surprisingly 'Really Good at Comedy'

Zach Galifianakis says he's hesitant to revive Between Two Ferns due to today's “meaner” culture NEED TO KNOW ...

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5 new Broadway shows that you absolutely must see this summer

Spring has sprung on Broadway ‒ and along with it, a whole bunch of new shows to satiate theater fans.

Over the last month and a half, more than a dozen new plays and musicals have opened in New York's theater district, coming in just under the wire beforeTony Awardsnominations are announced May 5.

Last fall's offerings left much to be desired, with the exceptions ofsome playsand the thoroughly delightful"Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)."The spring hasn't fared much better, although there are exceptions.

Leave it to "Saturday Night Live" vetRachel Dratchto completely nail the assignment in"The Rocky Horror Show,"an oddly straightjacketed yet visually eye-popping revival of the queer cult classic. We admittedly welled up at least a couple times watching"Every Brilliant Thing,"a cavity-inducing one-person show that works entirely because of the infectious likability and enthusiasm ofDaniel Radcliffe.

And even among the major disappointments, there were still bright spots: Sara Chase and McKenzie Kurtz are boundlessly charming in the otherwise exhausting"Schmigadoon!", adapted from the one-joke Apple TV comedy series. Samantha Schwartz is a pint-sized cyclone who cheekily bulldozes through the disaster zone that is"Beaches,"while the reliably excellent Linda Emond elevates the sour slog of"Becky Shaw"with vicious hilarity.

Nonetheless, if you're planning a trip to New York in the coming months, here are the five shows that we'd wholeheartedly recommend:

5. 'The Balusters'

In recent years, there has been no shortage of new shows skewering liberal hypocrisy and unchecked privilege. But few do it better than playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, who throws a stick of dynamite into an affluent neighborhood association meeting, where a squabble over stop signs slowly descends into "Lord of the Flies"-style chaos. It's a biting satire that leaves no one person unscathed, with plenty of genuinely startling twists and a top-to-bottom fantastic ensemble led by the endearing Marylouise Burke and compelling Anika Noni Rose, whose naive newcomer is not all that she appears to be.

Now playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 W. 47th St.) through June 7.

4. 'Titanique'

We’ve had the great pleasure of seeing “Titanique” in all of its New York iterations, from the basement of a Gristedes grocery store to its slightly larger digs in Union Square. We feared this deeply silly “Titanic” parody might drown in a Broadway house, but remarkably, the show is sharper and funnier than it’s ever been. Set to a decibel-busting catalog of Celine Dion favorites, the laugh-a-minute musical imagines if Dion herself was a passenger on the Ship of Dreams. The cast is blissfully bonkers, from the brilliantly unhinged Marla Mindelle to the game-for-anything Melissa Barrera, making a dazzling Broadway debut as Rose. But Jim Parsons and Layton Williams all but run away with the evening, finding diabolical laughs as Rose’s helicopter mom and a Tina Turner-esque iceberg.

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Now playing at the St. James Theatre (246 W. 44th St.) through Sept. 20.

3. 'Fallen Angels'

Rose ByrneandKelli O’Haraare heaven-sent in this divine and delirious revival of Noël Coward’s sneakily groundbreaking 1925 play, about a pair of high-society housewives who hatch a plot to hook up with their former lover (Mark Consuelos). We’ve all known for years that Byrne is a comedic genius (“Spy,"anyone?), and here, she whips out a Rolodex of side-splitting expressions and zesty one-liners. But to our wonderful surprise, O’Hara is equally adept at slapstick hijinks, as the lustful ladies get sufficiently sozzled awaiting their mysterious beau.

Now playing at the Todd Haimes Theatre (227 W. 42nd St.) through June 7.

2. 'Death of a Salesman'

At the risk of sounding excessively hyperbolic,Nathan LaneandLaurie Metcalfgive two of the most stunning performances you'll ever see on a Broadway stage. In Joe Mantello’s staggering new production of Arthur Miller’s 1949 American tragedy, self-deluded everyman Willy Loman (Lane) gets lost in the funhouse mirror of his life, haunted by the squandered potential of both him and his son, Biff (the revelatory Christopher Abbott). Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda. We genuinely can’t remember the last time we were left so completely speechless by a piece of theater.

Now playing at the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway) through Aug. 9.

1. 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball'

Is there any other (Jellicle) choice? The absolutely undeniable must-see show of the summer is “The Jellicle Ball,” which takes a glitter-dusted sledgehammer toAndrew Lloyd Webber’s 1982 mega-musical and transplants it to Harlem’s queer ballroom scene. The greatest revivals are the ones that make you totally rethink a show you always thought you knew, and here, co-directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch unearth astonishing new layers of “Cats,” telling an unexpectedly stirring story of survival and found family. The entire cast is off-the-charts phenomenal, and the mind-blowing choreography by Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons is the very best to hit the Main Stem in years.

It’s ecstatic, sexy and outrageously fun – it’s heaven on earth for anyone who loves Broadway.

Now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 W. 44th St.).

Honorable mentions:

• “Giant,” the most provocative show on Broadway right now, starring a tremendous John Lithgow as beloved children’s author and volatile antisemite Roald Dahl.

• “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” a slow-burn revival of August Wilson’s enormously affecting play, featuring breathtaking turns from Nimene Sierra Wureh and Abigail Onwunali.

• “Proof,” an engrossing family drama about grief and mathematics, anchored by the never-better Ayo Edebiri and always astounding Kara Young.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:5 new Broadway shows that you must see this summer

byNito

in

May 03, 2026

5 new Broadway shows that you absolutely must see this summer

Spring has sprung on Broadway ‒ and along with it, a whole bunch of new shows to satiate theater fans. Over the last month and a h...

Read More

Natalie Portman Inspired “Stranger Things”’ Gabriella Pizzolo to Get a Psychology Degree (Exclusive)

Gabriella Pizzolo said Natalie Portman inspired her to pursue a psychology degree alongside music, calling it a “smart” alternative to studying drama

NEED TO KNOW

• The Stranger Things actress balanced filming with college life on campus, saying the experience helped her grow and meet people outside the industry

• Pizzolo also said she still keeps in touch with her former costars, especially Gaten Matarazzo

Stranger Thingsstar Gabriella Pizzolo revealed thatNatalie Portmaninspired her to pursue a psychology degree.

Pizzolo, 23, who played fan-favorite Suzie Bingham on the Netflix sci-fi series, recently caught up exclusively with PEOPLE at the Broadway premiere ofBeachesin New York City on April 22. During the conversation, the actress shared that she holds two college degrees.

“I have a degree in psychology and music,” she said, before sharing that Portman, 44, was the reason she chose to major in psychology.

“I remember I was looking for what to study, and I saw Natalie Portman studied psychology, and not necessarily anything in the world of drama,” Pizzolo said.

“And I was like, ‘That's actually really smart.' It's an alternative to drama and theater, but you still learn a lot about people and how they interact through that,” she explained.

Portmanattended Harvard Universityfrom 1999 to 2003 while working on severalStar Warsfilms in her off-time.

Pizzolo went on to say that she also continued her work as an actress while attending school.

“I was filming all the time at night and then going to school during the day. And I think the best part of that is that I didn't do it from home or anything. I was on campus,” she said.

Pizzolo said that campus life helped open her up to people and experiences that she never would have encountered had she just stuck to acting.

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“I kind of got to get to know new people that I would've never known, and they kind of got to share all of that stuff with me while I was going out and doing those things,” she said.

“I feel like it's a very Suzie track to go to school, and be in school while everyone else is out saving the world, doing their things, demogorgons, all that,” she added, referring to her brainy character onStranger Things.

As for what she plans to do next?

“I feel like theater is where I am, and film and acting,” Pizzolo said. “But I feel like psychology helps a lot of actors.”

Pizzolo also told PEOPLE that she still keeps in touch with many of her formerStranger Thingscostars since the series ended — something which she says has “been great.”

“I have gotten to see the people from the show, and it's been great to get to reunite and go over everything after [the show ended], and be people together who aren't on the same show anymore, but still have that connection,” she explained.

She added that she andGaten Matarazzo, who played her on-screen love interest Dustin on the series, “talk all the time.”

“He's doing a lot of theater now, so it's really, really exciting to get to see,” she said.

Read the original article onPeople

byNito

in

May 02, 2026

Natalie Portman Inspired “Stranger Things”’ Gabriella Pizzolo to Get a Psychology Degree (Exclusive)

Gabriella Pizzolo said Natalie Portman inspired her to pursue a psychology degree alongside music, calling it a “smart” alternative to ...

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