Ryan Murphy Helped Susan Sarandon with Her Bette Davis Impression

-This might've been the first time we --
we ever met each other.
-You mean that we're talking about.
-I know, yeah. Hello. -Right.
-This is 2002.
This is very pale-- I'm a very pale version of me.
[ Laughter ]
You and Robin Williams. -Yeah.
-And we were at a -- [ Applause ]
-What were we at? I don't know.
-My skin is the same color as your pants.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
-That's how pale I was.
We were at a charity thing for, I think, Katie Couric.
-And, look -- now it's not.
-Yeah. I got tan. I got a tan.
Exactly. [ Laughter ]
Yeah, but I forget what we were talking about.
But I used to see you all around at different events,
and you're always so fun to hang out with.
-Yeah, that's what's nice about New York.
You're all squished in together. -Yeah.
-Serendipity. -You see?
And last time you were on the show,
we were talking about "Feud," and when we went to commercial,
I said, "You're gonna get an Emmy for this thing,"
because you were fantastic.
And you were like, "I haven't seen it.
Don't tell me. I don't know."
And, like, you were so shy about it,
but I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
-All right, you were right! -I knew I was right!
-Yes! -Bette Davis.
It must be exciting, even though --
I know you've won an Academy Award,
but just to get nominated for an Emmy is fun.
-Well, we got 18 nominations. -Come on.
-So I kind of feel like -- [ Cheers and applause ]
Yeah. -That's great.
-So it makes it really fun because, like,
almost everybody, I mean, you know.
Ryan's little cottage industry, everybody got nominated,
so I feel like I'm part of the family, and I'm so hap--
The table's gonna be fun.
-Oh, that's gonna be a fun table.
-It's gonna be a fun table, so that's what's important.
-But you were nervous doing this, doing this role,
because you had to get the voice down.
-Oh, I thought you meant going to award shows.
I was gonna say, "Yeah, getting my dress is a horrible thing."
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-That does make me nervous.
I was overwhelmed.
For six weeks or so,
my fun-fear ratio was definitely off.
I-I just -- you know, because everybody
has this idea of what she's like and what she sounds like,
and it's not the way I talk,
'cause I'm, like, a slow sloppy talker,
and she's, like, so... You know.
And everybody's seen an imitation of her,
and I don't know. I just...
Pbht! I just thought it was good.
You know, it was hard. It was really hard.
-Plus, you're coming into, kind of, Ryan Murphy's family,
which he's worked with on other people before, the same people.
-Yeah, I was the odd gal out, for sure.
-You would sit by yourself at the lunch table.
-Yeah. -Like, "Hi, guys!"
[ Laughter ] -Yeah.
-"Want to be my friend?" -I just used it.
I used it. -Yeah, exactly.
-The sense of isolation.
-And it was beautiful. The set was great.
-Yeah, no. They did a great job.
-Hair and makeup. -Yeah, they really --
-And he does a really good Bette Davis,
so he was always helping me.
-Oh, is that right? Was he really?
-And Joan Crawford, but mostly Bette.
-Yeah. And you haven't seen it still, right?
-No. -No.
-I'm going to dine out on the fact
that everybody else loved it, but I don't --
I'm not gonna see it.
-Do you watch your own things or not really?
-I watch them if I can say something
that will make a difference.
If I have no control over the final product,
then why kill myself and watch it?
No, I don't. -Will you really?
-Well, isn't that, like, the alcoholic thing?
Know what you have the power to change or something like that?
That's kind of the way I -- -I don't know.
[ Laughter ] -Sorry.
Is there an alcoholic in the house that could help us?
-I wouldn't know what you're talking about.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
How about "Ray Donovan"? Let's talk about that.
-Oh! -Our pal, Liev, yeah.
And you're great in that one, yeah.
-Thank you. -You love doing this.
You loved this show.
-I really am having a good time.
You know, being bad is so much more fun than being good.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-You know, the burden of sincerity is so heavy.
And Liev has, like, a word -- or, a sentence cap in every --
You know, I'm sure, in every episode.
He only can say so many sentences.
So you have to talk a lot.
But he's so charismatic.
-He only says, like, five sentences an episode?
-I'm really having fun, and I decided to only --
try to wear only --
I'm the head of a studio.
Of course, I'm being blackmailed.
I need a fixer. -Yes.
-But I'm also starting a jumpsuit nation.
I'm only wearing jumpsuits, like onesies for grown-ups.
-From now on? -Yeah, well, pretty much, yeah.
-Yeah. Is that a onesie?
-Don't you like this idea? This is a onesie.
-Oh, yeah. [ Laughter ]
-So, that was also fun.
The wardrobe's great.
I get to be exactly the opposite of who I am, like, really.
You know how everybody on these shows, the guys,
when they're very strong, they just
never do anything above a whisper?
-We have Liev on the show, and I can't ever hear what he says.
-That's what I'm doing, too. That's what I'm doing.
-This is Liev -- talking to Liev.
And he's been on the show many times.
You can tell him I said this.
He comes on, and I go, "How you doing today?"
He goes -- [ Mumbles ]
[ Laughter ]
-Yeah. Yeah. -[ Mumbles ]
-So that's what I'm doing now. [ Laughter ]
-Wait. So that's your new move? Jumpsuits and --
-Ray, I gave you a job. Now do it.
[ Laughter ]
So much fun. -You're good at whisper acting.
I love it. It's great. -It's so much fun.
And when I did -- what was -- "Zoolander 2," you know,
and Kiefer Sutherland was so funny in this scene.
He was kicking down the door, and everything he was saying...
And I was like, "You're hilarious!
You are so funny."
And he said, "That's what I do."
[ Laughter ]

Ryan Murphy Helped Susan Sarandon with Her Bette Davis Impression

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