I'm Lisa Arch, an actress for the past 25 years. You may have seen me on the newest season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", AMA!

God I love Curb. Fabulous show. Is Larry as hilarious in real life?

He is! He's very serious, in terms of wanting the show to be funny and shooting to go well. But it's like working on a playground. Everyone gets to be as creative as they want, and Larry can't help but laugh when he thinks something is hilarious. It's completely infectious.

Someone said he laughs like a puppet.

LOL! I think his laugh is awesome. But I think I see why they say that. It's the up and down motion of the jaw. I'll take a Larry Laugh any damn day.

Same here! I love it. You are fantastic on a fantastic show!

THANK YOU!

Any good stories from shooting this last season of Curb and which episode was your favorite?

No real great stories. It's all just a wonderful time. Here's a little inside info: The catering on that show is INSANE! I'm gluten free and dairy free (and now meat free). There is NO SHORTAGE of delicious foods on that set. The craft service table is full of gluten free, vegan choices as well as everything else! And every meal I had there was so frigging good. Nobody probably cares about that, but it was very memorable for me!!! Also, everyone without exception is stupidly kind. Susie Essman goes out of her way to say hello. JB Smoove will talk your ear off. Richard Lewis is hilarious. Richard Kind has AMAZING stories. And if Larry compliments you or laughs at something you do... It's like the skies open up and the sun is shining only on you.

OH! I loved the series finale!! I thought this whole season was possibly the best one.

I’m going to be him when I’m older lol our sense of humor is identical. Thanks! You rock. Show rocks.

Thank you!!!

I remember seeing you on Big Time Rush. I would watch with my 10 year old daughter. I'm 40. Should I be ashamed? 😶

HELL NO! My son was obsessed with the show after I did it. We then watched every frigging episode and listened to all the music over and over!!! Wait.. Should I be ashamed?? ;)

The episodes were so good. Always looked forward to next weeks episode. Don't get me started on iCarly.

HA! Same!!

What was your favorite acting gig? Which was your least favorite?

Favorite: Curb Your Enthusiasm, without question. Every time.

Least: X-Files. I was a nervous wreck all day because I had a bathtub scene. Then the scene was SO ROUGH. I was in tepid water for hours. Plus... Creepy.

Oh Shoot. I answered but I don't think I sent it.
CURB is 100% my favorite.

X-Files was my least. I had a bathtub scene and I was nervous all day. Then I spent hours in a tepid tub, doing a super creepy scene. Not my best day.

Orison? That’s a great episode!

Is it??? SO not my genre. And it was just such a hard day for me. LOVELY people. Everyone was so sweet. Just rough for me. I'm glad it's a good one though. That takes some of the sting out of it!!

Can I still call it a “lazy Susan”?

Yes. But if I'm at your dinner party, I'd prefer "energy-challenged Susan" or "Susan who enjoys a good nap".

Got it. And sorry about Larry David and Larry David Jr. ruining the dinner party. Those guys are total assholes.

LOL

How did you get started in acting?

At 11, I joined an acting/dancing/singing camp during the summers. I loved it, knew that dancing and singing wasn't my thing, but I didn't know what WAS my thing. I loved performing but hadn't found my niche. At 12, I saw Whoopi Goldberg perform her one-woman show on HBO, and knew immediately that I wanted to do characters and comedy. I memorized one of her monologues and performed it for my folks that night. I literally haven't stopped performing since.

Do you use Arch, btw?

No idea what that means. You mean as a last name? Yes.

Is it true that everybody I see on the TV can actually see me and hear me and knows what I'm thinking even now though the TV is in the other room and it's turned off?

Everyone on the TV can see and hear you when it's ON! Don't let those conspiracy theorists convince you that we can hear you when it's off. They haven't developed that technology yet.

Did you know Jenn Aspinall (make-up) or Ty Donaldson (extra?) when you were at MadTV? I think they were both there around your time.

I knew Jen! She is immensely talented. She was one the first makeup artist I knew who was so brilliant with special effects and turning people into completely different people. Brilliant. I remember Ty too!!!

Have you found looking for acting work to be as cut throat as depicted in shows and movies? After 25 years, do you feel you have built up renoun or a reputation to be able to ‘walk into’ certain acting jobs?

I have built up nothing but a thick skin. I have been incredibly lucky to work in this industry. Yes, it's cut throat and competitive as hell. And it takes a LOT more fame than I have now to get offers without auditions. HOWEVER, acting in my 40's is much more fun than it was in my 20's. Girls at auditions used to be so competitive and try to sabotage... Now it's a roomful of women rooting for each other and we laugh our asses off. I'm very happy I stuck it out and I hope I continue to work.

Love this! Very inspiring:) thank you

Oh, thank you!!!

That is uplifting news in these strange days.

:)

Are you recognized for roles you’ve played without people knowing where they saw you?

HA! That is a great question!! YES!! All the time!!

If my husband is with me, he'll usually gauge the person's age and figure it out for them. Then they're like, "YES!"

Occasionally, someone will know exactly where they know my from, and it's usually a big fan of Windy City Heat, which is a movie I did that has a cult following.

And there have been several times where someone recognizes my voice!! Then, for some reason, they know exactly which show I was on. "You were on Hanna Montana! I recognized your voice!" That has happened a handful of times.

Do you respect wood?

Is this Ron Swanson?

If you had a time machine, what would you do with it? (what would you prevent?)

Obvious answer: I'd prevent the Holocaust. I'd prevent 9/11. I'd go back in time and do research to find the cure for cancer. I'd get someone else elected president in 2016.

I'd want to meet Martin Luther King, Jr., I'd want to audition for SNL in my early 20's, I'd ask my son who he'd want to meet and take him there. Oh, and I guess if I can go into the future, I'd want to see how long this damn virus is going to be around so I could let everyone know they should stay in their houses to make it end.

This was a more serious question then I was prepared to answer. I might have another crack later.

How would going back in time allow you to find a cure for cancer... What in the past would allow you to solve that problem that you don't have access to now, nothing is stoping you from working on it today and there are already plenty of probably way more capable people in past and present dedicating their lives to this. So again, how would that in any way allow you to cure cancer?

Very good point! Since you are WAY smarter than I am, can YOU please go back and find a cure? Or, as you so astutely pointed out... Just find one now! Thank you!

You could use your time machine to go FORWARD in time, get the cure from the future, then bring it back...

YES! Genius!! Thank you! Phew.

Do you poop every day or are you more of a once a week kind of person?

Every day. Or I don’t leave the house. Constipation makes me angry.

Did you have to do a lot of takes for Crank Yankers? Was any of it improved?

I don't remember doing more than one "mark" for Crank Yankers bits. They usually worked pretty well on the first person we tried. But I must have had to repeat at least one. And yes, it was all completely improvised!

Overall, what's your favorite thing about being an actor? I'm sure you hear this question a lot lol

I just love making people laugh. That’s the best part. Getting to perform is an amazing thing. I’ve been doing it since I was 15. Plus, the whole process is cool. Wardrobe fittings, sitting in hair and makeup (on of my favorite parts), getting to know the crew... it’s all pretty awesome.

What are your future plans?

To hopefully keep auditioning and booking fun shows to work on. To one day soon, create some of my own content. Also, to spend as much time with my 12 year-old son before he heads of to college.

For WCH (the greatest movie ever) how were the cast and crew made aware of the ‘situation’ with Perry Karivalo? Were there group meetings? Phone conferences? And, moving forward, does Don contact you from time to time to keep you up on the big three? I recall that you were at the 10 year anniversary so somehow you knew what was going on. Thanks Jiggly!

HA! I was kind of just thrown into that. In that scene at the beginning where Perry is auditioning for the movie? They just told me who I was playing and what I needed to accomplish. (Very similar to Curb). I believe that scene was used to sort of sell the movie (don't quote me on that.)

Then, we'd do rehearsals for the scenes without Perry. We'd always be like, "What if he doesn't react that way?" And Don or Tony would always say, "He will. Don't worry." They know him so well, it's scary. (No pun intended.)

I'm in awe of how long they've been doing this, and that they still are. It's all absurd. I don't hear from them, but I saw Tony at a party and he caught me up on the most recent craziness.

I hope that answers your question? Sort of?

You did answer it Lisa!

Thank you so very much for doing so (and this AMA). I’ve been hooked since I saw WCH the first of only 3 times it was aired. The community of fans is so loyal and obsessed with the Scaremsater’s every move we welcome anything and gobble it up!

Good health and happiness to you.

And to you!! Thank you!!

How heavy was Michael Richards?

He's like 6 foot 5, so he was pretty heavy. But he braced himself on the edge of the couch so I wasn't getting his full weight. That's something I only need to do once in my life, though.

Omg I TOTALLY remember you from disney channel shows! Your characters were hilarious! Did you get along with your costars? Who was most memorable? And is disney as difficult to work with as they say??

I never had any difficulty working with Disney! Honestly, I always had such a good time. But I was small potatoes. It's not like I was working hand and hand with the network or anything.

I absolutely got along with the other people on the shows. The most memorable is probably Emily Osment. She is the absolute kindest human. Years after I shot my 3 episodes, I was sitting at a restaurant and she came up to say hi. She knew my name and everything. I later found out she saw me, texted a producer to find out my name, and came up to me. It was a lot for a person to go through just to make another person feel good. And it did!

And Rondell Sheridan from Cory in the House was a sweetheart. He came to my house to meet my son when he was born. Pretty dang cool.

And thank you!!

Just watched you in Windy City Heat. How hard was it to keep it together without Perry getting wise?

It was pretty easy to keep it together, actually. You kind of had to or you'd ruin everything! It was definitely nerve-wracking, but I looked at it pretty much like any other role. It was a blast!

Now, off screen... Watching other people work with him? That was NUTS! I couldn't keep it together.

Which peanut butter do you prefer, crunchy or smooth?

Smooth!! But I really prefer almond butter. And I like that with chia and flax seeds!! Yum

Amy...?

No my name is Aaron. I tried asking you this question on Twitter/Instagram 2 years ago and you blocked me. Now I finally know the answer and there’s nothing you can do about it. Victory is mine!

LOL!! I wouldn’t block someone for asking that!! Unless you also asked to see my feet or something. Either way, you win!

Are you watch any season this days? Can you suggest your favorites?

My husband and I are watching VEEP for the first time and we are obsessed!

As a family, we watch Parks and Recreation at least once a day.

CHEER on Netflix is awesome.

And my guilty pleasure right now is American Idol. I can't help it.

It looks really fun. I gonna check them. By the way I love watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. Please be active, it's really nice to see you here :)

Thank you. That's very sweet.

How old were you when you knew you wanted to get into acting?

I was 11 when I started acting “school” during the summers. I was 12 or 13 when I realized I wanted to do comedy. I was 15 when I joined my first sketch troupe. I was 18 when I knew there was nothing else I wanted to pursue as a career. So I guess pretty much always....

your great at your roles! Thanks for doing this!

Whats a funny Larry on set story?

Whats the difference between a Disney set, and then a set like Curb?

Great questions! The funniest Larry story for me, is watching him with another actor before I have an entrance. He’s as amused by the people on the show as the audience is. So watching him laugh over and over in a scene Is the best. He doesn’t usually know what anyone’s gonna say, so it’s a surprise and he SO LOVES the comedy.

You’ve got to be pretty wholesome on a kid’s set. It’s still super fun, but definitely toned down (for the adults) on set. The atmosphere there is all about the kids. Plus there’s less screwing around when the cameras are rolling, because they’ve got to get to their classes. There’s less time to shoot because kids have to work less hours.

Curb feels like a playground for adults. That’s the best way to put it.

I'm glad you said Larry enjoys it so much. The best scenes for me are when you can tell Larry is trying not to crack up, or when he actually does lose it and just laughs.

Absolutely. The BEST is him and Richard Lewis. They've been friends since they were KIDS! So, Richard amuses the hell outta Larry. You can totally see it in the show.

thanks for the answers! Stay well during all these crazy times!

You do the same!

What color is your toothbrush?

My toothbrush is white and electric. And since I got it, my teeth have never been cleaner.

Hey! I remember you from Dinner and a Movie! Absolutely charming and hilarious.

I’m a single dad of four and I’m wondering if you have any tips for entertaining kids during what looks like it will be a pretty long quarantine? Thanks!

Oh, thank you! OMG single dad of FOUR? You can't see me, but I am bowing down to you. That's amazing.

Board games

Dance Parties! There are so many people teaching dance for free right now on IG, and other places. It seems silly, but it's such a good way to kill 30 minutes and let off some steam!

Weight lifting. (Depending on the ages)

Long walks outside (depending on the weather)!

MOVIES! TV! iPAD! FORTNITE! I say, if they get their work done, let them play! Facetime friends, etc.

Play a game where you learn about each other's favorite things.

Hope that helps! And GODSPEED!!

Who was your reoccurring role in crank yankers?

Cammie, the stripper! Topics included sex with ghosts and stripping with a seeing eye dog. Super classy stuff!

Ah holy shit that's awesome

😊😊😊

While I am a huge fan of the show, I find myself getting a bit peeved about the massive age differentials between the "couples" in the show. I mean the Richard Lewis/Isla Fisher coupling was ridiculous, and I have to say I found your own coupling with Richard Kind a bit much as well. I was wondering about your take on it?

I’m not going to say I don’t agree. I kind of write it off as a quirk of the show, but sometimes it’s definitely a bit distracting.

Did Larry leave a good first breath impression?

Yes!!! There’s always mints on set and Larry is minty fresh!! (Even at the audition 10 years ago!) they call him Fresh Larry. (No they don’t.) (But they should.)

Did you have a plan to fall back on if acting didn't work out?

I didn’t. I actually quit college to pursue acting, so I don’t even have a degree! (OY)

I did wait tables for 8 years, and I was an incredible waitress. So, I think my current fallback plan is to be a sarcastic, gum-chewing diner waitress one day.

Haha. Watch the movie "Waiting" if you haven't seen it already.

Did you move to where the work was or did you start out with local things? Plays, etc?

That’s about a TGI Fridays type place, right? I worked there for 2 years!! I grew up in LA, so I was already here. But yes, did tons of local improv and sketch comedy!!

Has the Corona virus curbed your enthusiasm?

NOPE! I am fully enthused. (While also being fully aware of the depth of the situation. Staying indoors and begging others to do the same. Trying not to have a nervous breakdown. Trying to stay positive during the moments I feel like it's all falling apart. And trying to make my house a super happy place to me so my son stays as happy as possible!) Otherwise, fully enthused!!

I'm sorry for being a bit off-topic (actually, way off topic), but did you know that there is an operating system name of which coincides with your last name? https://archlinux.org/

I did not! But you're the second one who mentioned it. I married into the last name... So I'm not fully operational.

When you were on MadTv, did you pick which sketches you'd want to be in or what was the whole process behind that?

If we came up with a character, we would work on writing a sketch with the show's writers. Then they would cast the rest of the people in it. If they needed a certain impersonation, they would find the best person for the job. So, if it was your own. character, you were obviously in it. Otherwise, you were basically given a script and you'd see what you were in.

How amazing is to work with Larry David? I’m a Jewish American and I can’t imagine life without curb your enthusiasm

It’s amazing to work with the whole group. It really is an incredible experience!!!!!

How was jon hamm?

Very nice. Everyone on set was talking about how smart he is, because he was doing the NYT crossword puzzle in ink!

[removed]

Great question!

So what’s your actual job?

Acting on various shows... That's my job. I had many jobs before that. Mostly waiting tables. But acting has been my job for close to 25 years.

Sorry, I've never heard of you?

No apology necessary. Most of the world hasn't heard of me! I have to remind my own mother who I am sometimes.

Yes or No?

Do you like the KKK?

Yes. Very much was my answer to "Do you like acting".

I obviously do not like the KKK. Or you.

Sorry about that. We've banned the guy but leaving the question up for posterity.

Thank you!!

What?

Uh oh. Did I do something wrong?