I am from Plymouth, New Hampshire. I told my parents when I was 4 years old that I was going to be a movie star - I know, true story!

And then a whole bunch of shit happened between 4 years old and now, and here I am. A lot of bad choices and good choices.

But I am an actress. I pretend to be other people for a living, it gets confusing. I didn't ever stop acting, I was in plays starting at 4 years old, my parents were like "let's do this!" so I kept going with this.

My new show is called Benched and I play Nina Whitley, Public Defender who is just... batshit crazy, but in the best way possible. She WAS a corporate lawyer, everything was going great, and then it all came crumbling down, and she did NOT take it lightly. It premieres tomorrow, October 28, 2014 at 10:30 PM ET on USA Network.

I'm here in New York to take your questions (I used to live in Brooklyn, but that doesn't mean anything to anybody). Victoria's helping me out. AMA.

https://twitter.com/elizacoupe/status/526850550244319232

EDIT thank you all so much for your questions! They were all hilarious and insightful. And I now need to go rethink my life, but that's ok, I have a journal... and hey, really, you guys should watch Benched because it's an amazing cast and an amazing show, and since you all clearly loved Scrubs and Happy Endings and Community, this is the same wheelhouse.

Comments: 240 • Responses: 87  • Date: 

lazenbooby46 karma

You had a great on-screen relationship with Damon Wayans Jr in Happy Endings, am I right in thinking that you're good friends off screen?

ElizaCoupe47 karma

Yes, we are very good friends.

nuccbko40 karma

Would you do a Happy Endings reunion ala Arrested Development if asked?

The Benched pilot was really good, also. Looking forward to it.

ElizaCoupe58 karma

ABSOLUTELY, 100%, without a question, I'd do it tomorrow.

Thank you! Tell your friends.

dvdmovie139 karma

I thought "Happy Endings" quickly became one of the best comedies on television - the cast had wonderful chemistry, the writing was smart and the the series was densely packed (the series can really be watched again and again), with some hysterical riffs ("Today Was a Good Day" blaring on the soundtrack as you and Damon's characters were greeted by the homeowner's association at the end of one episode.)

The series got so good I said "I know this will probably be cancelled." Sure enough. At some point, do you feel like network TV is a little broken from the standpoint of having little desire to really help a series along that has promise? So many great shows last a season or two before being given the boot. What are your thoughts about the future of TV and things like people attracting millions of subscribers on Youtube? Was there any move to take "Happy Endings" to cable? It would have made a great show on cable network FX.

You were terrific on "Scrubs" and "Endings" and will look for your new show.

ElizaCoupe24 karma

Aw, thank you so much. I actually think that right now is an incredible time for television, and I think that cable and networks are taking more risks, and I am really grateful to be on cable now, because there is a lot more freedom to do what i want.

Sisiwakanamaru24 karma

Hello, I saw you for the first time on Scrubs but you nailed your role in Happy Endings. I have three questions for you:

  • Do you still contact other Happy Endings cast regularly?
  • Can you convince me why should I watch Benched in one sentence?
  • What is your favorite dessert?

Thank you.

ElizaCoupe35 karma

Yes. Just texted with both Casey and Elisha just this month, and Damon regularly.

Oh god, first of all, I'm not great at sentences, it's gonna be a run-on sentence.

"Because you will learn about what it's like to be a lawyer without having to take the Bar, or having to know anything, and also laugh, a lot."

Oh... anything with chocolate.

HerpDerp7221 karma

ELIZA!!! Saw the pilot early on the USA stream and you're hilarious and entertaining as hell...like always. I'll be watching the episode again when it airs. Quick question: are you going to ask someone to change your picture on Wikipedia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Coupe

ElizaCoupe31 karma

OH MY GOD I've NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE?!?! HOW DO I CHANGE IT? I'm going to ask all of you to change it!

ElizaCoupe35 karma

I look like Emma Bunton!

Mist3rA14 karma

If you were a pizza, what kind of toppings would you have?

ElizaCoupe18 karma

EVERYTHING. Everything. Just everything you could think of, even if it doesn't belong on a pizza. Maybe more of a vegan buffalo chicken wing, made out of tempeh, and a pizza crust made from quinoa flour.

number_1_swimfan13 karma

Miss Eliza, will you be popping up on the next season of House of Lies? I thought you were delightful.

How do you feel about the way Happy Endings finished its run? You and DW, Jr were fantastic, and I thought your chemistry together was the best part of the show. Any good stories from working together?

My wife and I are looking forward to Benched; since Happy Endings we've been a big fan of yours.

Thanks for this AMA, keep up the great work!

ElizaCoupe25 karma

Oh, first of all, thank you very much. And I would never say no to working on that show, everybody on that show is so talented and so amazing, and Ben Schwartz is a longtime buddy of mine, so working with him is like hanging out with a friend.

None of the stories are appropriate. But Damon and I just had SO MUCH FUN together. The whole point of us - whenever we were in a scene, we could barely get through a scene because we were trying to either make each other break - which, he and I were the WORST - someone could walk in a door, and we would start laughing - or just do the most inappropriate thing either to each other or to other people just to shock everyone and make ourselves laugh.

LeftMySoulAtHome13 karma

Hey, Eliza! I love your delivery so much. Would you say there is a little bit of you in there, or is it a sort of character that you've developed?

Thanks for the AMA!

ElizaCoupe15 karma

It's definitely a lot of me in there.

MONKS_STILL_FTW11 karma

Hey Eliza Coupe! Thank you for giving us this chance!

  • What was it like working with the cast and crew of Community? Will we be seeing a return to the show?

  • Do you have any off camera memories from Scrubs?

Thank you again for this opportunity, on behalf of this AMA I'd like to commend you on your amazing talents and wish you luck on your current and future projects

ElizaCoupe22 karma

Working on COMMUNITY was amazing. Danny Pudi was a dream. And I would go back to the show, absolutely, if they asked me!

Oh god... they are not appropriate... but many with John C. McGinley. And of course, /u/zachinoz

lazenbooby11 karma

Hi Eliza! So how do you make a good Marinara sauce?

ElizaCoupe21 karma

Go down to our garden. Grab some tomatoes. Cut them up. Put them in a pan. Put some seasoning and olive oil. Some fresh herbs. Simmer for a bit.

lazenbooby26 karma

I can't help but wonder if me being in your garden would end with a restraining order, but great! Thanks!

ElizaCoupe26 karma

That was really funny, that got a big laugh from me.

xstevemo11 karma

What was your favorite breakfast cereal as a kid? What is your favorite breakfast cereal now?

ElizaCoupe12 karma

Hmmmm.

Plain rice krispies, that then I dumped a snow mountain of sugar on. Like, literally I would just pour sugar until it was a mound. I had a little bit of milk, just because you're supposed to.

My favorite cereal now is... just plain oats. Plain oats and almond milk. Which I NEVER eat. I had cereal for the first time in 2 years last week, I don't do cereal very often.

xstevemo5 karma

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I hope you'll consider trying Chocolate Lucky Charms soon. I hope Benched works out, the pilot was good.

ElizaCoupe14 karma

I have no right eating anything with sugar in it for the rest of my life after what I did as a child. But thank you, i will check those out for my last meal if i am ever on death row.

apenn11 karma

Hi Eliza. Thanks for doing this!

What are you going to be for Halloween?

ElizaCoupe42 karma

Asleep!

4Eyed4Cast11 karma

Thanks for your work on Scrubs and especially Happy Endings! You and Damon were a fantastic on screen couple and complimented each other perfectly.

Where would you have liked to see Jane and Brad go story wise if you had gotten a season 4?

ElizaCoupe30 karma

:sigh:

Definitely no kids. I don't think they should have ever had a kid. I think it would have been funny if they could have rented a kid for a little while, to test it out. And then I think if they were also to have decided they wanted to go to a swinger's party, and then got really, really competitive with it, that would have been really funny. And then I think Jane should have taken pole dancing classes, and again, gotten really competitive at it.

BrockThrowaway23 karma

This is making me miss Happy Endings way too much.

ElizaCoupe34 karma

Well, then go watch BENCHED tomorrow night! And then you can watch Marry Me, you can watch New Girl, you can watch The Mindy Project... and you can watch Weird Loners, which is what Zach's gonna be in ... and Elisha's new project, One Big Happy in January!

Niel_Sen10 karma

Hi Eliza! Two Happy Endings questions:

Could you share any good/funny behind-the-scenes stories from your time there? Pranks, etc. would be fun to know about.

Secondly - what was your favorite scene to film?

Lastly, and not a question, I loved when you got shocked by security at the airport in Season 3. Your delivery of "You fools! That only makes me stronger!" had me in stitches.

ElizaCoupe21 karma

Anything with Damon Wayans Jr. And as far as behind the scenes stuff, but Damon and I had a game we called "Fuck Chicken." Where we would try to freak out the rest of the castmates into thinking we were literally going to have sex in front of them. Obviously, don't be an idiot right now, there were a million people around and it was not like that. But what we did would make everyone incredibly uncomfortable by getting as close as we could to each other physically and doing something that I can't say right now.

I'm glad you think so because on my car ride home that night, I kept saying "I wish I had done that line differently!" I feel like it came off like shit.

solitarysniper10 karma

Hi Eliza, big fan of your work on Happy Endings and Scrubs!

Do you have any memorable experiences from your time on Happy Endings? Was Damon as goofy as his character on set?

ElizaCoupe19 karma

Absolutely. Damon was goofier than his character on set. And the only thing that was had during those 3 years of filming was a good time, that was the ONLY thing we had. We couldn't believe we were getting paid to do what we were doing.

lazenbooby9 karma

There's a few small similarities between your characters in Happy Endings and Scrubs - can you be mean or are you really a big softie at heart?

ElizaCoupe8 karma

I'm a big softie at heart. But I can be mean.

foraminutethere9 karma

What was it like working on Flight of the Conchords? The foux de fafa song is just fantastic.

ElizaCoupe17 karma

Flight of the Conchords was - up until Benched - my favorite job EVER.

Jemaine and Bret were so much fun and the coolest guys you could ever hang out with.

ksgbobo8 karma

I have a confession. I first started watching Happy Endings because of Elisha and Damon. Then I discovered you and you're awesome.

Question, how do people like you date? And I mean by you, easily recognizable people. How did you meet your current bf? Is there a chance?

ElizaCoupe23 karma

That's really funny, and sweet, and thank you. I met my current bf through one of the producers of X-men. And we ended up just emailing for 3 years. We were email buddies for 3 years, and then finally we met, we had never met in real life for those 3 years, and then finally we met up, and ended up moving in together 4 months later, and now we've been together 2 years.

So the moral of the story is: be friends with the producers of X-Men.

badonado7 karma

From my limited time watching you on TV like in Happy Endings, you seem super in shape. Are you into a fitness or just one of those blessed individuals everyone hates?

ElizaCoupe11 karma

Not blessed at all, I was a fat teenager.

Vandygold217 karma

Hey Eliza. I love you in everything. You are so smart, independent, and of course sexy. Those LEGS!! I was wondering if you and Briana Venskus will do anymore youtube videos? Loved Why Wont You Talk To Me. Also will you ever be doing any kinda of appearances in Nashville? Would love to meet you.

ElizaCoupe6 karma

First of all, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyoU!

And second, yes, Briana and I will definitely be doing more videos. Speaking of Nashville, Briana had a small arc on that TV show, Nashville. And also I will be in Nashville in June.

Niel_Sen7 karma

What was it like to have such a weirdly minor role in Anchorman 2? I remember seeing it and going "YES!" and then finding out that your role was over and thinking "aww..."

ElizaCoupe16 karma

Oh, we had the exact same response!

UnpossibleFail7 karma

[deleted]

ElizaCoupe8 karma

My safe word would be "Benched" or "Christian Grey."

johnjonah6 karma

So I assume you are in line to play a crazy female rival on Marry Me? This pretty much has to happen, right?

ElizaCoupe7 karma

Yeah, I'd say so!

Mist3rA6 karma

What TV show do you secretly enjoy?

ElizaCoupe14 karma

Oh.... well, SCANDAL. I love Scandal. We watch the shit out of Scandal. And Game of Thrones, I am the biggest Game of Thrones geek that you'll ever meet. I got to do a play with Nikolaj, and Gwendoline, and then I had one of those moments where you don't know how to talk to somebody, so you end up overtaking to them, and sharing things about your life because you're nervous and then you end up bonding.

BrockThrowaway7 karma

Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, and Jane Kerkovich hanging out?

Sounds amazing. What play was this?

ElizaCoupe10 karma

Oh, it was called UNSCREENED 2014 Summer Series. And Thomas Middleditch was in it too, from Silicon Valley. SO many people were in it. And you basically just do plays that successful screenwriters have written, it was a reading of plays so you stand up onstage and do a really elaborate reading. In my play it was Michael Showalter, Rob Huebel, and myself.

BrockThrowaway3 karma

You need to get Rob Huebel to share some of his Twitter followers with you, I mean come on! You used to be at like 30k+?!

ElizaCoupe10 karma

I was at 70K, man.

eztarget8966 karma

Big fan of Happy Endings. To this day I'm sad it still got cancelled and was an amazing show with amazing chemistry. How many tattoos do you have? The "Live Free or Die" one is badass.

ElizaCoupe11 karma

Oh, it's so badass. And also, it's intense. But I have 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...

so 7.

MasHamburguesa6 karma

Hello Ms. Coupe. Big fan of Happy Endings and Scrubs. Like you, I am from New Hampshire and we both (I believe?) are fans of improv theaters. I'm recently out of college and while I work in a career that is stable and pays well enough, I started doing comedy and improv about a year ago and have really loved it. I've started wondering if there were some way to ever make a career performing, acting, or writing comedy, and since you have made it, I figured why not ask you. Obviously you think it's possible, but it must've been incredibly difficult right? Any advice for someone that's fallen in love with performing and comedy and is wondering if I could ever do it for a living?

ElizaCoupe14 karma

Okay: I would say, if you want to do comedy and you are a woman, what I've found was the best way into the business is generating the work and creating your own work, because then you are not being thrown into things just because you're a girl. Because then you are thrown into "boring wife," "boring girlfriend," or "annoying sidekick girl." If you create the part, then you can be an INTERESTING girl, which is what girls are, but if you aren't, then you are just supporting the funny guy with a cute smile and cute dress. Just my personal experience.

Mist3rA5 karma

If you don't know the words to a song, do you improvise?

ElizaCoupe9 karma

Absolutely. I make it BETTER. I make it BETTER!

badonado5 karma

We're you a fan of Scrubs before you were cast? How great was it being on the set there? New show looks awesome!

ElizaCoupe12 karma

Yes... yes, I was.

It was amazing. It was like a dorm, a really cool college dorm, with like, the craziest. It was like a college dorm with the most dysfunctional family you'll ever meet, but in the best way.

JeppyBass5 karma

Hey Eliza,

Loved ya on Scrubs and Happy Endings! I also heard you did work with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, which I am currently taking classes/interning/etc. with. Fan of improv? What was your experience with the theater like?

ElizaCoupe8 karma

I'm DEFINITELY a fan of improv. But I must clear something up: I have NEVER taken classes at UCB. I kind of slipped through the cracks there, when I wrote my one person show, and Anthony King (who was the artistic director at UCB in New York) ended up directing it, so we workshopped it at UCB, and that's how I got in the door there, pretty much.

Vandygold215 karma

  1. What is your favorite Happy Endings episode and why?
  2. Did you use a body double in 12 Miles of Bad Road?
  3. How many s'ups can you do?

ElizaCoupe12 karma

1) My favorite episode... is probably when Jane and Penny go to the car dealership, the "Car Czar" episode, because I got to be real creepy. And also anything with Rob Cordry.

2) No. I did not. That was my real body. And the fact that anyone has seen that is... weird, because that show never saw the light of day.

3) More than you can probably count.

PantslessDan5 karma

What was it like going onto Scrubs after the series had "ended"? Your character was the best part of season 9 IMO.

Also, I'm very sad that Happy Endings got cancelled. It was such a good show. How much of the lines were improvised? Can you share any funny stories from the set?

ElizaCoupe13 karma

It was amazing, it was intimidating because these people had been together for a million years and then I'm just bebopping on set like I know what i'm doing. I just let them be my teachers.

Tons of it were improvised. But the writing was also that good. And... funny stories... American Horror Story was shot right next to us, and Zach Quinto would be walking around the lot with his banjo, which was beautiful because he could play really well, and we would be really stupid, and then we would stop as Jessica Lange would come by, and we would stop being idiots (because we would be joking by our trailers) and we would start acting like REAL actors, talking about "David Mamet" and "David Rabe" and other Davids that have written plays. And Zach would walk around and play the banjo, we would be doing nightshoots, and you see Jessica Lange walking by in a robe with her cigarette, and we would be like "We just did about 5 fart jokes while you're working on your Emmy-Award winning drama."

thecrazedy7 karma

Hey, if there was true justice in the world, Happy Endings would've been the show that earned Emmy recognition.

ElizaCoupe11 karma

Aw, that means so much, thank you. I agree.

stid955 karma

Do you finally know what cars are ?

(and by the way, I'm a huge fan of Happy Endings ;) )

ElizaCoupe4 karma

Yeah, I'm fully aware now, thanks.

screenwriterjohn5 karma

If you were a car, what kind of car would you be? A sedan?

ElizaCoupe18 karma

Hilarious. Haha.

I'd be a Coupe. Haha.

johnjonah6 karma

You seem more like a dune buggy.

ElizaCoupe7 karma

Cool man, thanks.

I think?

Weekendstink5 karma

Hey Eliza! I loved you in Happy Endings and Scrubs! Do you like to play board games? If so, what is your favorite one?

ElizaCoupe14 karma

I'm a dork, I like chess.

MrDoradus5 karma

Do you have any "crazy" or wacky celebrity encounter stories?

Anything along the lines of "F*ck your couch" goes. :)

ElizaCoupe15 karma

Ok, so at the American Academy Awards, everyone was telling me Jim Carrey was there. And I had a slight obsession with Jim Carrey. And we were backstage, and he was like, standing there, and I deer in the headlights could not say anything... and then I had to leave, and I came back, and everyone was clumped together and it was dark backstage, and I backed up and hit this crate, and somebody's knees were sitting on the crate, and I turn around, and Jim Carrey's face is basically in my butt. He didn't even notice, cuz he was like, going over what he was going to say, and I - instead of saying what a NORMAL person would say, like "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," I made a really weird noise.

It was trying to say about 10 things at once. "Imsorrysadhappyiloveyouyoureamazingdawg."

And then I just walked away.

redfive5tandingby4 karma

I always wonder when people do the talk-show circuit... which is your favorite morning/daytime/late night talk show?

ElizaCoupe5 karma

Oh!

Well, we're going to say The Today Show, which I will be on tomorrow. And for late night, too hard to choose, they are all good!

screechdiddy4 karma

What is it about puppeteers that you find attractive?

ElizaCoupe17 karma

Uh... I divorced a puppeteer? But I think they are actually quite brilliant, and creative, and I guess at that time in my life, actors are called "meat puppets" so ... no wait, that was weird. I don't know.

orangejulius4 karma

have you worked with public defenders at all to get an idea for how to portray your character?

what are your thoughts on public defenders and has your work on the show changed the way you view legal representation of the indigent?

ElizaCoupe6 karma

No. And I purposely didn't because my character was supposed to be such a fish out of water that I didn't want to know anything.

I have the utmost respect for public defenders now. And I think the fact that our show deals with the people that they deal with, that these aren't huge heinous crimes, that these are everyday crimes, it sheds light on something that has been in the shadows for a while.

Drewhannigan4 karma

Hi Liza! What was your favorite part about growing up in NH? Besides all the vert ramps of course!

ElizaCoupe5 karma

DREW! I know it's you, buddy!

thecricketnerd3 karma

How did you hone the "dangerously flashing eyes" method?

PS. I've seen the first episode of Benched, and it's fantastic!

ElizaCoupe4 karma

It's not hard at all, I just... PEER INTO YOUR SOUL.

Daman1593 karma

What do you enjoy doing when you are not acting?

ElizaCoupe9 karma

Hanging out with my boyfriend, and hiking. And watching other people acto on television.

sj903 karma

Denise! No... wait... Joe!

  • What was it like to work for "Scrubs"?
  • How much of the original intensity of the show change when "Scrubs: Interns" started?
  • How similar or different are you to your character on Scrubs?

And the most important one - * What was it like to work with The Janitor?? (even though you didn't have many scenes common with him)

(Going through a 5th Scrubs rerun at the moment, so have lots to ask!)

ElizaCoupe5 karma

It was amazing. I learned so much about comedy, and so much about working, because I hadn't had many jobs before SCRUBs, it was like the biggest crash course in first of all, how to be on a set, and how to think quick, because we were given new scenes written on the back of sides 20 minutes before we were going to shoot it by Bill Lawrence because he's a genius and he knew we could do it.

I don't know, because I was only there for the last 2 years. So it was all still very new to me.

I definitely have the sardonic edge in real life, but I'm a lot more feminine and a lot nicer.

With Neil Flynn? He's amazing! He's a wizard!

AvoSchmavo3 karma

Hi Eliza! Happy Endings is one of my favorite shows and I'm still devastated it got cancelled. Do you have any funny stories from the set?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

I did share some!!

lmeaac3 karma

So I know you're going to be on the TODAY show tomorrow, which begs the question, if you could get drunk with Kathie Lee and and Hoda what would your beverage of choice be?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

I would probably say: I'd just drink a ton of Kombucha and see what happens first. Either we get drunk or have to run to the bathroom.

This_Is_The_Life3 karma

Coupe!!!! So glad to have you back on tv. Once Elisha's show starts next year the entire Happy crew will be back on tv

Few questions

  • 1: What made you want to audition for Benched? Was there anything else you had auditioned for at the time you didn't get?

  • 2: David Caspe had said if Happy Endings had got a 4th season Brad and Jane would have had a child. What do you think that would've been like?

  • 3: How incredible is Damon Wayans Jr?

ElizaCoupe12 karma

1) I didn't audition, it was straight offered. And I turned down like 4 different things, but I'm not going to say what those were, since they were great projects, just not right for me.

2) It would not have happened, I would have fought that. Brad and Jane should have rented a child, see other comment.

3) THE MOST INCREDIBLE.

BrockThrowaway1 karma

It must have been an odd feeling to leave Happy Endings yet have your stock jump because networks/new shows were clamoring at the cast - any thoughts on that?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Yeah, really worked out great for me.

trashmouth123 karma

Which house would you be a part of if you lived in Westeros?

Thanks.

ElizaCoupe7 karma

I would be a Lannister. and I would be a sister to Jaime Lannister, other sister/girlfriend to Jaime Lannister.

ben56472 karma

I loved you in Happy Endings and on Scrubs. It's so great to see you on TV again! :)

My questions are:

  • What do you like the most about watching Scandal?

  • What do you love the most about working on Benched?

  • Have you seen or read Gone Girl? Your awesome co-star from Happy Endings, Casey Wilson has some scenes in it. :)

  • Isn't your co-star from Scrubs, Dave Franco is an amazing actor? He was so good in Now You See Me and Neighbors.

ElizaCoupe4 karma

Um... It ropes you in, you just can't get away from it. OK, Fitz and Olivia... would never work if they were actually together. Because the whole reason they are hot for each other is because they can't have each other. So if they were to actually HAVE that place in Vermont they would be SO BORED they would be hooking up with the local hardware store owner, or baker, or Mayor, if they need someone with power.

The people. Everyone from the creators to the producers to the cast and crew and craft services, every single person involved with the show is just amazing.

I have not seen it. I do have it on my iPad to read it, which I have not done yet. I'm sure casey is brilliant in it, and my good friend Kim Dickens I'm sure is amazing it in it too.

Yes, he is an amazing actor! I'm very fortunate to have been able to work with him. He's also incredibly funny and a great guy. He made me some playlists I still listen to on my phone now.

Reflextion2 karma

Did you expect season 9 of Scrubs to get the response that it did? Also will you be appearing in Community again or was that a one time thing?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

No, I didn't expect season 9 to get the response it did. But it was so fun and so amazing, that it should have maybe even gotten MORE of a response. And definitely COMMUNITY I would go back on - tell the Russo brothers!

sacredsnowhawk2 karma

If you were a lawyer, would you go the corporate route or the public defender route? Which way should I go?

ElizaCoupe4 karma

Oh!

Oh, that's rough.

Follow what excites you most.

darth_Marshmallow2 karma

Favourite animal?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Lynx.

jefferey13132 karma

What role/bit/joke would make you say no to a script?

ElizaCoupe12 karma

Um...anytime the "r" word is used.

This_Is_The_Life2 karma

Few more questions

  • Who's idea was it to use Ice Cube's It Was A Good Day on the closing tag of you and Damon walkin through the lobby of your loft? The second I heard "Break 'Em" I couldn't love you and Damon and more than I do now after that classic.

  • On Riki Lindhome's Making It podcast you said Tracy Morgan told you he was going to get erect in front of you. How awkward was that and have you seen him since that incident?

Please do more podcasts soon (Nerdist/WTF/etz) I'm sure /u/ChrisHardwick would love to have you on.

ElizaCoupe2 karma

I'm pretty sure that had to do with David Caspe and all the writers in the writer's room of that show.

Frajer2 karma

What was it like working on Scrubs?

ElizaCoupe7 karma

Amazing, it was like comedy school 101.

blinkone80liu2 karma

Hi Eliza! Big fan of Happy Endings and I still watch it regularly as if it never left. David Caspe said that Happy Endings alum will appear on Marry Me. Is there a chance that they will be on Benched? By the way, the pilot was very good and I can't wait to see more!

ElizaCoupe5 karma

First off, thank you! And second, hell yeah, if any of those guys will do the show, then they are more than welcome!

wolfcry4122 karma

Hey Eliza! was having ADHD during your school years a struggle?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Yeah, it wasn't great!

revanon2 karma

Any chance of you ever reprising your Secret Service agent role on Community? I'd be willing to start a White House petition if necessary. Getting you and Danny Pudi on the same screen again is a matter of national importance.

ElizaCoupe3 karma

I agree, maybe Danny will do a guest spot on my show.

Zay-G2 karma

How was it playing the Special Agent on Community? Was it difficult to play a character who pretty much displayed no visible emotion?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

No, it was a dream job, hehehehe!

beernerd2 karma

When playing a character that is "batshit crazy" do you have any personal experiences you use for inspiration? And if so, care to share?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Just... hang out with me for a couple hours, you can get the picture that way. But more specifically, I grew up in New Hampshire with 2 brothers and that's basically just the reason that I am batshit crazy, so anything from where I grew up and who I grew up with, anything from that point on is basically insanity.

Oil-of-Vitriol1 karma

Do you like sardines?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

No, I don't even think I've had a sardine. Actually I'm positive i've never had a sardine.

AGallagher4101 karma

What's your favorite ride in Disney?

ElizaCoupe6 karma

The Teacups when I'm in the mood to throw up.

stevemcqueen131 karma

Hi Eliza - Is Maria Bamford as nuts in person as she seems? Is she really funny?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

She is the funniest person I think I've ever met.

Air_Puffed_Sugar1 karma

If you had to be a MALE actor, who would you be?

ElizaCoupe5 karma

Johnny Depp AND Jim Carrey.

Niel_Sen1 karma

I noticed you've recently been filming "It's Us" and you've said it's a low-to-no-budget film - what's it about? How did you get involved?

Thanks for stopping by, I miss Happy Endings.

ElizaCoupe1 karma

It's a little indie about this couple, this married couple, who have a very volatile relationship. It takes place mainly in Vermont, and it's very funny, it's very touching, but it's also very intense and quite dark.

Ebriate1 karma

Who is the hottest star you ever met, girl and boy? Were you starstruck?

ElizaCoupe4 karma

Obviously, Pauly Shore. I did my research for Benched by watching "Jury Duty."

Ebriate2 karma

Haha not what I expeeeeected... Did ya get some grindage?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

No comment.

Warlizard1 karma

Oh hell, you were my favorite on Happy Endings!

Great character, great acting, I was really sad to see that show go.

So here's my question:

Is it fair to say that you killed the Scrubs in much the same way that Clooney killed Batman?

Just kidding. I liked you in that too.

My real question:

And then a whole bunch of shit happened between 4 years old and now, and here I am. A lot of bad choices and good choices.

What in the world are you talking about?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

It's life! It takes a lot to get to a place where you are doing what you love and getting paid for it. It's not easy. It comes with a lot of life lessons and experiences.

Mist3rA1 karma

How would you survive a zombie apocalypse?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

I'd have my boyfriend fight them.

stid951 karma

Do you think that's it's hard for a sitcom actor to play in a "more serious" tv show ?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

No, I think comedy and drama are actually right next to each other. If you can do one, you should be able to do the other.

stid951 karma

And, even if you're able to do the other, do you think that there's a stigma on comedy actors, like producers or casting directors thinking that's it's better not to take a comedy actor for a drama ? (I'm working on sitcom for my bachelor degree, so I have like tons of questions about it haha)

ElizaCoupe2 karma

Well, first of all, congratulations on working on a sitcom, I hope it works well for you!

I think that comedy and drama are so closely related that I don't feel like there should be any stigma around it. It all depends on if you approach comedy with the same level of commitment as if you approach drama and vice-versa, you should be able to do both seamlessly.

franlcie1 karma

How did you take it when you found out 'Happy Endings' got cancelled?

ElizaCoupe6 karma

Just the seven stages of grief. Denial, etc.

Tsing_Tao1 karma

I don't really like American comedy, but Benched is hilarious!!

How fun is it to make this show?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

It's the most fun I've ever had in my life.

Cheeky_Guy1 karma

What is your most cherished memory from your childhood?

ElizaCoupe4 karma

Awww.

My dad flooding our side lawn to make us a hockey rink, and us playing hockey outside.

stid951 karma

What's your favorite music bands ?

ElizaCoupe2 karma

There's always that asshole that's going to make a comment on whether I say the cool bands or not, so let's see...

Let's see... Fruit Bats... Nick Lowe... Wilco... Gillian Welch... Lowell Thompson... and Blake Mills.

rap_mein1 karma

Thanks so much for doing the AMA, Eliza, I'm a huge fan...

If you could play a bit role on any current TV series, what would it be and why? What type of character would you play?

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Game of Thrones, for sure.

Excessuperfluity1 karma

Type A personalities usually don't appeal to me in comedy, but you stole the show on Happy Endings. How did you make Jane so sharp but so hilariously likeable? A tough thing to pull off! And will there ever - ever - be a couple as funny as Brad and Jane on TV again? So excited for benched!!

ElizaCoupe3 karma

Aw, that is very sweet, thank you so much. That compliment actually means a lot to me because it was hard to find the likable aspects of somebody who is so sharp and has so many sharp corners. But I think it comes from being a kid growing up in New England where everybody's a little passive aggressive and a little bit bitchy, but underneath it all they are all softies.