You may not know her name, but chances are you’ve seen her content. And, she likely made you laugh when you needed it most over the pandemic. In fact, over the past two years, Meg Stalter has crossed over from a buzzworthy social media comedy queen to a popular podcast host to taking a prominent role on the Emmy-winning series “Hacks” and, finally, live comedy performances across the country. Just three years ago, Stalter was still living in Cleveland, Ohio, attempting to get her career off the ground. Now, the current Los Angeles resident has seen her career take off and it’s still climbing.
In “Hacks,” Stalter plays Kayla, the highly inappropriate assistant to Jimmy LuSaque (Paul W. Downs, also the show co-creator), the agent of the show’s stars, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Of course, Kayla gets away with being a Human Resources nightmare because her father just happens to be Jimmy’s boss. In season two of the series, Jimmy tries to put an end to Kayla’s unprofessional habits to mixed results. Jimmy may be at his wit’s ends with her, but Stalter believes Kayla really does love and want the best for her boss.
“I mean, in the hotel scene in season one, even though she came onto him, I think she decided to do that five minutes before it happened,” Stalter says. “I think she really wants to impress him though. And I think her drive is fully to impress him and get his love. I think she teases because that’s her love language, which I can kind of relate to because my siblings and I, we like to wrestle. And that’s like how we love each other.”
Over the course of our conversation, Stalter discusses hitting the road again, how she comes up with her online bits, teases a big moment for Jimmy and Kayla towards the end of the season, and, most importantly, reveals how nervous she is to potentially meet drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya.
Please note: A minor moment in “Hacks” season two is discussed in the context of the interview.
____
The Playlist: I have to say, I’m a huge fan. The stuff you do on social media is stellar.
Meg Stalter: Thank you.
We will obviously talk about “Hacks,” but when you come up with those ideas are they bits that you’ve thought of a couple of days beforehand? Is it more spur of the moment?
It’s so funny because sometimes it’s something that comes really quick and it’s like, “Oh, I should make this video really quick,” that’s the one that blows up. And then others, you plan, and you do a bunch of different shots. Like the “Hi gay” video, that took like seven minutes. And it was huge. And then there are other videos I’ve done a lot of planning for. And I don’t know why. I don’t know if like when it’s Instagram or TikTok, they just want to see you be on and they don’t want to see high production. I don’t know. It’s really strange. But mostly it’s like something I’ve thought of that day I feel, and I’m excited to do.
If someone was going to go see a Meg Stalter show, would you describe it as similar to your social media voice or different?
I would describe it as a woman who has a show that’s falling apart, like a woman that thinks she’s really talented and it’s sort of like a one-woman show-esque. It’s pretty much a persona that is just a brat. And I have a band come out, and I fire them after the first song. And it’s definitely different than a lot of stand-up shows, I’d say, but similar to Megan Stalter’s character as someone I would do online.
Last year, you got the role of Kayla on “Hacks.” Season one came out and it became one of HBO Max’s biggest hits. How has the show affected your career? Did you feel like it took you to another level?
Oh my God. Yes. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I think the show really changed my life. I think not only was it like, “O.K., more people are seeing my stuff,” but it’s more like I got to work with my best friends and fall in love with the cast and crew and feel like, oh right, this is really validating. This is what I want to do forever. So it kind of changed everything in that way, where it’s like, “Oh, this feels really special. And like, this is what I want to do.” But yeah, I think I feel really lucky.
If someone hadn’t watched the first season, how would you describe Kayla to them?
I would describe her as a really bad assistant who comes from money, but means well and has a really big heart, but is constantly making a mess and doesn’t really realize how big of a mess she’s made. And she really loves Jimmy.
You don’t think it’s just her pestering him?
No, I don’t think it’s romantic love, but I think … I mean, in the hotel scene in season one, even though she came onto him, I think she decided to do that five minutes before it happened. I think she really wants to impress him though. And I think her drive is fully to impress him and get his love. I think she teases because that’s her love language, which I can kind of relate to because my siblings and I, we like to wrestle. And that’s like how we love each other.
At one point in my life, I worked on that side of the business. And this season has one of my favorite moments when Jimmy gives her the script to do coverage and you turn and look up “what is coverage” on your computer. She really is not good at being an assistant.
That really, really nails who she is. One of my favorite things to play is someone nervous and yet confident. And I think she is so confident and then nervous and unsure secretly. Her taking the script and being like, “Oh my God, absolutely, I’m on it.” And then to be like, “What does coverage mean? Doing coverage on the script? What does that mean?” Yeah, that really nails who she is.
I spoke to the show’s creators, Paul, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky and they said that there is a big moment with your character and Paul’s character during the season. With that not occurring in the six episodes they provided us to screen, can you tease what that might be?
I’ll say that it’s electric. It’s a really electric moment.
O.K.!
It’s really big. And I think it kind of changes things for her, I think in a big way. But I think it’s for those moments where she’s really confident. I’m looking forward to seeing how it came out.
Do you think by the end of this season, she’s more self-aware or still not really as self-aware as you would hope?
No, I don’t think she’s fully self-aware. I just think she is more confident, which ends up being helpful and I think potentially could be hurtful, but I think for her, she’s like, “I’m on top of the world.” I think she’s like really making moves.
You were touring around the country with your comedy show since last Spring, right?
I think August maybe was their first time starting to do live shows again. And it’s been so special because we’ve all been separated. And now it just feels even more electric when we get to do live shows and there’s nothing I love more. There’s truly nothing like it. I hate to complain because a lot of people had it way worse and everyone’s lost people and it was really strange not performing for that long. And I hate complaining because I felt really lucky and taken care of. So, it’s hard to complain during this, but I mean, I’ve just been really happy to be back doing live stuff. And to meet the people that have been supporting me has been really incredible.
I’m guessing most audience members met you first through your online stuff. Do you see yourself as a live comedy performer first? Is that like your go-to?
I think I’ve always wanted to be an actor and then I fell in love with comedy and fell in love with writing because I wanted to write myself stuff. So, I think I always call myself a comedian, but I think when I was little, I always wanted to be an actor.
What is the next step? Do you want to write a movie, or write your own TV show? You’re clearly talented as both a writer and an actor.
My dream’s always been to write stuff that I’m in. I really want to be in a big, scary movie. I think it’d be really fun. I think “Scream” is so good because it’s funny and campy and really actually scary. I think doing something like that would be so exciting and so different than anything I’ve done before. So that I think is a big goal to be in something really scary, but also kind of campy and funny.
We need to put it out there that you need to be in the next “Scream.”
Yeah. I want to be.
They’re still writing it. There’s still time. My last question is that you’ve got this online persona, you’ve been on “Hacks,” you’ve gone to the Emmys, you’ve done all this stuff. Have you met anyone that was a fan of yours that shocked you the most, that you could not believe that this person was watching your videos or sort of even paying attention to you in your career so far?
I mean, every time there’s anyone that I have seen before that I’m a fan of that follows, I’m like, “What? That’s so wild.” And I actually don’t always know. You never notice who’s following, but my sister, she’ll send me a text. And she will be like, “Joe Jonas follows you. Why don’t you follow him back? You need to follow him back. You’re insane.” I think the ultimate celebrities to me are Trixie Mattel and Katya and we’ve messaged, but I’m really nervous because I am such a fan of them, that I’m nervous that when we meet, I want to like be myself around them. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah.
I don’t want to be so nervous that I can’t talk. So I’m nervous to meet them because I’m such a fan.
I mean, they’re pretty down to earth. I see Trixie out of drag running all over my neighborhood in LA all the time.
So, funny and down to earth and I don’t want to be too nervous, but I think that we would get along so well.
Again, we need to put it out in the universe that you need to do a video or something with Trixie and Katya. That has to happen. But Meg, thank you so much for taking the time.
Thank you!
“Hacks” season two debuts this Thusday on HBO Max.