Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Listen Again: Julia Gets Wise with Catherine O’Hara

Jan 31, 2026
Catherine O’Hara, veteran actress and comedian known for SCTV, Beetlejuice, and Schitt’s Creek, recalls early improv roots and fearless experimentation. They trade Vatican anecdotes and comedy-making memories. Conversations touch on balancing motherhood and career, improvisation techniques, and how aging and gratitude shape their work and lives.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Life Is A Big Improv

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus frames life as improv: accept others' offers and build on them with curiosity and collaboration.
  • She pairs that with the countertruth that 'no' is a complete sentence, balancing openness with boundaries.
ANECDOTE

Vatican Tour Wedding Gift

  • Catherine O'Hara recounts Tim Burton gifting her and Bo a private Vatican tour as a wedding present, which included overly playful moments with papal artifacts.
  • Their guide got scolded by another priest when they joked around in a restricted area.
ANECDOTE

Meeting The Pope And Pope Store

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus describes meeting the Pope after Stephen Colbert invited comedians; she shook his hand and he blessed her back.
  • David Sedaris joined and later shopped at the Vatican store buying robes and papal attire for performance use.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app