We’ve got another acting podcast today! Actor Mo Collins (Mad TV, Parks and Recreation, Fear the Walking Dead) joins us on the Box Angeles podcast episode 354. Mo stops by the bungalow and discusses why she is not optimistic about the business, the importance of questioning your faith as an artist, not currently having an agent, and candidly discusses the challenges of staying relevant in the industry, and more!
“You have to be your greatest advocate and cheerleader in this [business].”
— Mo Collins
Beats
00:00 – Mo slates her name.
00:12 – Introduction.
03:42 – Small part on Jingle All The Way.
04:37 – Auditioning in Minnesota.
06:14 – Studying improv as a junior high kid.
08:09 – Attending St. Catherine University before getting kicked out for ‘grafitti’.
11:24 – Surviving as a comedian in the Twin Cities.
13:36 – Getting fired from Brave New Workshop.
16:26 – Working at Disney in Orlando.
19:56 – Moving back to Minneapolis.
22:21 – Feeling late on the move to Los Angeles
25:00 – Current relationship with auditioning.
33:50 – Reason for leaving Mad TV.
37:17 – Loving what you do.
38:03 – Thoughts on current state of the business.
45:00 – Doing a one person show Mo Collins is Wiggin Out.
48:02 – Why isn’t Mad TV on a streamer?
53:28 – Origin of the character Lorraine Swanson.
55:37 – Residuals.
56:34 – Representation.
59:48 – Who took a chance on Mo and playing Gina on 40 Year Old Virgin.
1:03:26 – Mad TV parties.
More Mo
– Check Mo’s IMDb.
– Follow Mo on Instagram @that_mo_collins.
Transcript
MO COLLINS (00:06)
My name is Mo Collins. I’m 5′ 9″ and sitting down.
MIKE ELDER (00:12)
Hello and welcome to the Box Angeles Podcast with me. I’m your host, Mike Elder. Thank you so much for listening to the program. It’s an honor to have you here. I don’t take it lightly. Appreciate you. A little housekeeping real quick.
Tell a friend. Why don’t you tell a friend about the show? If you like what I’m doing here, it would mean the world to me if you shared it with somebody close to you or an enemy. Whoever you want to share it with, please share it with somebody. That’s all I’m going to ask. Let’s make the world go round by word of mouth. Okay?
We had a really fun episode this week. I just talked to actor and comedian Mo Collins. You know Mo from shows like Mad TV, Parks and Rec, Fear the Walking Dead, her voice on shows like F is For Family, the Simpsons. She’s been on a bunch of comedy shows over the years. She’s a very funny person. I met recently at a UCB show. We had a great conversation. We bonded over being both from Minnesota.
So obviously today we talked about that to no end. I was curious about her journey, studying at Brave New Workshop in Minnesota, how she ended up in LA, how she got started, all that. We did a little bit of autobiography, if you will, on that. But we also talked about where she’s at with her career right now, how much she’s been working, where she’s getting work from, her reps, her auditioning, whether or not she is or isn’t auditioning, which was fascinating. We talked about wondering if we should be doing this and having a crisis of faith in our beliefs, of us, but always coming back to that and how that’s important to have that sort of moment. Moment where you’re questioning stuff. This was a really honest conversation, as they tend to be lately, given the sort of the zeitgeist of the world.
And Mo didn’t disappoint. She is an absolute hilarious person and it’s fun to see her talk candidly and openly about her career and where she’s at with everything. So I like this episode. I think you too will enjoy it. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mo Collins.
🎵 ROCKFORD (02:10) 🎵
You wanna talk to me? You wanna talk.
MIKE ELDER (02:16)
Hi, Mo. That was great. That’s a great slate.
MO COLLINS (02:19)
Is that good?
MIKE ELDER (02:20)
It’s like you’ve been slating all your life.
MO COLLINS (02:21)
Yeah. Can you save that for me? So I can actually just use that? Yeah, I don’t want to slate anymore.
MIKE ELDER (02:26)
Do you reuse slates? I never do. They’re always like, you can reuse one. I’m like, no, I want to do the one that I want to match what I am wearing for the other.
MO COLLINS (02:33)
You think people give a shit?
MIKE ELDER (02:35)
I don’t know. I’m very anal in particular.
MO COLLINS (02:38)
Look, if you’re going to get me up standing up so you can see I’m five nine, I’m gonna tape that once. Do you know what I mean?
MIKE ELDER (02:45)
Oh, the full body’s different, yes.
MO COLLINS (02:46)
Like, if I get a good slate, that has the information. So, yeah, I’ve got a couple.
MIKE ELDER (02:52)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (02:53)
That serve. And they’re seldom pulled out because I really don’t do anything anymore.
MIKE ELDER (02:58)
Got it. Yeah. The full body makes sense. But the normal slate, I’m always like, I wanna match. I’m OCD. I wanna.
MO COLLINS (03:06)
What do you mean, normal slate? Cause isn’t it just sort of like there’s that separate slate.
MIKE ELDER (03:09)
Hi, I’m Mike Elder. And then I pull out and do the full body on a different take.
MO COLLINS (03:13)
Oh, you do?
MIKE ELDER (03:14)
Yeah. Because I turn it around. I have to turn around the iPhone for that. Because I have to, like, zoom out. I do it right here.
This is my wall. And I have to, like, zoom out, like 0.8, you know what I mean? To get the full body.
MO COLLINS (03:25)
Yeah. I have my husband hold the camera for the phone.
MIKE ELDER (03:28)
I’m a single man. That has to do with it.
MO COLLINS (03:30)
But I have done it on my own. Like, it took a lot of propping and junk and so much work. It’s too much work.
MIKE ELDER (03:35)
It is a lot of work.
MO COLLINS (03:36)
It’s just too much work.
MIKE ELDER (03:37)
Wait, we have so much to talk about, Mo so much. How much time you got, speaking of and all that.
But, like, I really. What I really want to start with is Minnesota.
MO COLLINS (03:45)
Yes, we’re from Minnesota.
MIKE ELDER (03:46)
Minnesota bbs.
MO COLLINS (03:47)
Yep.
MIKE ELDER (03:48)
And I’m curious. Like, okay, so as I was like, researching you, I saw you were on our great film Jingle All The Way, which is hilarious.
MO COLLINS (03:56)
Was I on it or.
MIKE ELDER (03:57)
I don’t know.
MO COLLINS (03:59)
Did I get cut out?
MIKE ELDER (04:00)
Oh, you got cut.
MO COLLINS (04:01)
You see me in the background. But I went through three auditions to get those two lines, whatever they were. I went through, like, it was a huge deal, obviously, in Minneapolis and huge audition process. Huge. I was so psyched to get, obviously, like, I’m Minnesota girl and here’s a big feature film coming through and Schwarzenegger and all that. And they ended up cutting it. You know, it wasn’t a good look that I was so much taller than Schwarzenegger, so.
So that didn’t work. Out very well.
MIKE ELDER (04:35)
Interesting.
MO COLLINS (04:36)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (04:37)
But. Okay, so my question is, were you like, acting in Minnesota before you came out here much?
MO COLLINS (04:41)
Oh, yeah.
MIKE ELDER (04:42)
You were auditioning and doing the whole thing?
MO COLLINS (04:43)
Oh, definitely. Definitely.
MIKE ELDER (04:44)
My experience before I came here was I was. You did Brave New Workshop, the improv theater? I did. I did as well. But I was auditioning for our Fortune 500 companies, like Best Buy and Target stuff. But they would constantly audition us and then book LA talent and fly them out. And that was my experience.
MO COLLINS (05:00)
Well, I’m much older than you, and that was not happening back then. We did work like Best Buy was sort of. We were just so psyched if you got a Best Buy or a Target or something, because those were local companies. And so I think that probably back when I was doing it, they were also looking in Chicago maybe. But it wasn’t so much, really. I don’t know if it was at all, to be honest with you.
MIKE ELDER (05:24)
That’s wild.
MO COLLINS (05:25)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (05:26)
Like, everybody I talked to too was like, yeah. Did you get it? Did you get it? And they’re like, no, no. And it was like just a common theme. And I was like, well, I can’t be in Minnesota then.
MO COLLINS (05:34)
I don’t like that. Yeah, I really don’t like.
MIKE ELDER (05:37)
I don’t like it either, because I thought they had a. They were. It seems like they were required to audition a certain number of locals, but not necessarily hire them.
MO COLLINS (05:42)
Especially if you’re looking like for sort of a brand that has that Midwest feel, stick to. Stick to Minnesota.
MIKE ELDER (05:51)
I agree.
MO COLLINS (05:51)
I don’t know.
MIKE ELDER (05:52)
Were you auditioning for much like TV and film?
MO COLLINS (05:54)
Like, not much. No.
MIKE ELDER (05:55)
When did Fargo come out that was predated you? Probably Juno. That was after you moved to LA.
MO COLLINS (06:01)
Was it? I don’t remember when that was, but there were also a couple years I lived in Orlando, Florida, working for Disney.
MIKE ELDER (06:07)
Oh.
MO COLLINS (06:07)
So I was not around and then I went back to Minneapolis.
MIKE ELDER (06:11)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (06:12)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (06:12)
Wait, so let’s quickly run through this. So. Because I’m curious, your trajectory, because it feels very similar to mine, minus the Orlando stint.
But you did. You were in Minnesota. You were a college kick out. You got kicked out of college six months and then you just started doing comedy and performing or what was your.
MO COLLINS (06:27)
I had learned how to do improv and sketch and write sketch back all the way back to eighth grade when I was in a. A group, five of us, Rulolenska’s Friends from London was the name of our group. Little junior high group.
Thank you, Mr. Hermanding. Rest in peace. And we would even Go to high schools to perform.
So this was this. And then every summer too, I did summer school theater, which this same director that got me into improv, he directed the summer school program. So it was like 7 through 12. And all those years we. Through a huge production together, we would write. It was everything. Comedy, music, all of it.
And so it was embedded in me, my love of both improv and the arts and all of that. And then after getting, you know, asked to the option to stay or leave St. Catherine’s up in St. Paul, I decided to get back to that thing that I love, which was improv. And Mr. Hermaning had told us all about Dudley Riggs. So I saw in the City Pages that they were.
They hold classes. So I got into the classes and it was pretty much right away I found my tribe, as you will. Then I got into the touring company from there.
MIKE ELDER (07:47)
Oh, they had a touring company at the time?
MO COLLINS (07:48)
They did.
MIKE ELDER (07:48)
I don’t think they do anymore. Right.
MO COLLINS (07:50)
God, it was the best time ever.
MIKE ELDER (07:53)
Where were you touring?
MO COLLINS (07:54)
Oh, five state area.
MIKE ELDER (07:56)
Oh, great.
MO COLLINS (07:57)
Was it Tri State? What do they call it? But yeah, we’d go all over Minnesota to colleges and things, into the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin, you know.
MIKE ELDER (08:09)
That’s great. Did you go to St. Catherines for anything related to these things?
MO COLLINS (08:13)
I went there because my parents made me.
MIKE ELDER (08:14)
Oh, okay.
MO COLLINS (08:15)
I wanted to. I had my art portfolio ready to go and be an artist.
MIKE ELDER (08:20)
Like a drawing?
MO COLLINS (08:22)
Painting. Yes, painting.
MIKE ELDER (08:23)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (08:23)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (08:23)
Is St. Kate’s known for that?
MO COLLINS (08:25)
No, they have a decent art department. And so like I worked at the art department when I was there for six months.
MIKE ELDER (08:32)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (08:33)
And took obviously an art class that one semester. But I didn’t want to go there.
MIKE ELDER (08:40)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (08:40)
I mean, that’s the last place I should be. An all girls Catholic college. It was, you know, like all the things I was trying to escape and I did.
MIKE ELDER (08:50)
But that’s interesting. I will give your parents credit. Most parents that force their kids to go to school don’t let them do it, study art. So the fact that they didn’t know.
MO COLLINS (08:58)
It was just I got to take. I mean, you sign up for classes.
MIKE ELDER (09:01)
What were you studying?
MO COLLINS (09:03)
What was I. I wasn’t studying anything. I was a freshman. I just signed up for classes. Like there was some I had, I had to take. Had to take a theology class. What else did I have?
I had a theology class, which I think I went to like twice. And I had my art class, which I loved. And I had philosophy, which I would go to periodically because the whole semester was the discussion of the. I think. What was it called?
Does God exist? Or something like, God. It was. The whole thing was about the existence of God. It was. And I was, like, the only one that ever spoke up in there, you know, like, kind of trying to figure it out and had questions and. Cause I was raised Catholic.
MIKE ELDER (09:46)
Yeah. As most people in Minnesota are a lot. Wait, so the irony is, didn’t you get kicked out for graffiti?
For doing your art?
MO COLLINS (09:53)
It was beautiful. It was. It was beautiful.
MIKE ELDER (09:56)
One person’s graffiti is another person’s.
MO COLLINS (09:58)
Well, I mean, you know, to them, it was, you know, horrible. It wasn’t about what we did. It was. That we did was chalk washed right off.
MIKE ELDER (10:08)
Oh, that’s hilarious.
MO COLLINS (10:09)
Yeah. Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (10:12)
Overreaction.
MO COLLINS (10:13)
It was such an over. Like, we had. So. It was so be. Like. It was so great.
Me and my friends. Couple of my friends just got baked and went and did that.
MIKE ELDER (10:21)
On like a big wall on campus?
MO COLLINS (10:23)
Down the hallway of the nursing department, which are my dorm.
MIKE ELDER (10:28)
Wait, it was inside.
MO COLLINS (10:29)
It was inside the Whitby hall, which is where my dorm was. We were up on the fourth floor, but first and second floor of that building were classrooms.
MIKE ELDER (10:38)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (10:38)
So we. We took the elevator down after hours and did the hallways.
MIKE ELDER (10:44)
Yeah. That’s amazing. Do you have pictures of it?
MO COLLINS (10:47)
I wish, but, you know, we didn’t have these cell phones.
MIKE ELDER (10:51)
Wait, have they. Never have. They never reached out about an honorary doctorate at this point?
MO COLLINS (10:55)
Are you kidding me? They don’t even know I exist.
MIKE ELDER (10:57)
Yeah, they do.
MO COLLINS (10:58)
No, they don’t. For one thing, they know me as Maureen Collins.
You know, it’s like. And I don’t believe those people ever watched programs I was on.
MIKE ELDER (11:08)
I disagree.
MO COLLINS (11:09)
I mean, sure they have, but. No, nobody’s gonna recognize. I mean, nobody would recognize.
MIKE ELDER (11:12)
Would you accept an honorary doctorate?
MO COLLINS (11:14)
Why? No, I’m sticking with authenticity, man.
MIKE ELDER (11:19)
Rebel for life.
MO COLLINS (11:20)
I don’t fucking need that.
MIKE ELDER (11:22)
Okay, that’s fair.
MO COLLINS (11:23)
I really don’t.
MIKE ELDER (11:24)
So, okay, so you’re touring. So are you making a living as an actor, then?
MO COLLINS (11:28)
For. I was paying my rent. Yeah, I was. I mean, keep in mind, rents were. I mean, what was my rent? 300 bucks.
MIKE ELDER (11:35)
I mean, it’s still pretty cheap in Minnesota, honestly.
MO COLLINS (11:36)
But 300 bucks. But, you know, you go out and do. You’d make anywhere from 50 to 125 for, you know, like, going out with touring company for a gig.
MIKE ELDER (11:49)
Oh, per gig. That’s great.
MO COLLINS (11:50)
Yeah, the touring company, we would perform every Sunday as well, and. Oh, gosh, that was, I don’t know, 50 bucks. Or something. Maybe 25, I’m not even sure.
MIKE ELDER (12:00)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (12:01)
When I was in Resident Company, you know, you were salaried. Ooh, I don’t remember. I think it was 100 and some a week.
MIKE ELDER (12:10)
That’s great.
MO COLLINS (12:10)
So you could pay your rent, right?
MIKE ELDER (12:12)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (12:12)
I mean, so that’s all you need. But it also. I mean, Resident Company, you’re there from the morning, all day writing, and then you’re doing the show and then the improv set at night and then you’re at Green Mill afterwards and repeat.
MIKE ELDER (12:25)
Yeah. And you know, we were talking about this the other day. Improv in Minneapolis has blown up a bit.
MO COLLINS (12:30)
Has it?
MIKE ELDER (12:31)
Oh, maybe we weren’t talking about it. Well, they have a bunch of UCB people came from Minnesota and they have a theater. Is it called Huge Improv?
MO COLLINS (12:38)
Huge improv is there. Yeah, I know some people.
MIKE ELDER (12:40)
Comedy sports is still big there, I think.
MO COLLINS (12:42)
Gosh. Wow.
MIKE ELDER (12:43)
Was there any other theaters or at the time?
MO COLLINS (12:45)
Was comedy sports there when you were comedy? It wasn’t comedy sports. It was comedy theater. Theater was a comet. No, maybe it was comedy sports. That was actually the first one I performed in before I even got into the touring company. There was comedy sports.
Was that it? It’s the same company.
MIKE ELDER (13:03)
It was in Uptown when I was there.
MO COLLINS (13:06)
It was in a restaurant basement when I did it.
MIKE ELDER (13:07)
Oh, funny.
MO COLLINS (13:09)
Yeah, it was. It was in a basement. It was Theater Sports. That was what it was.
MIKE ELDER (13:14)
Oh, okay, that makes sense.
MO COLLINS (13:15)
It was Theater Sports.
MIKE ELDER (13:15)
That sounds right.
MO COLLINS (13:16)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did. Did. That was actually the first improv. Other improv theaters at the time. I mean, this is the 80s. Not that I really remember.
MIKE ELDER (13:31)
Okay. Did you never venture to Chicago then? Orlando was your move for Disney? How did that come about?
MO COLLINS (13:36)
Oh, God, I. After I got fired from Dudley Riggs. It’s a trend, right?
MIKE ELDER (13:44)
I love that you just like, say that casually, like, we heard the story. How’d you get fired?
MO COLLINS (13:48)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (13:50)
Graffiti in the hallway.
MO COLLINS (13:51)
Graffiti in the hallways. Goddammit. No, it was stupid. It was ridiculous. I’m one of the very few people to ever be fired from Dudley Riggs. I was in the. I was brought into the resident company because one of the women left to go have a baby.
MIKE ELDER (14:06)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (14:07)
So I came in and I came in and I did very. I was doing very well with, you know, reviews and such. And it’s really all I wanted to do was to be in that resident company, to learn and do that. So I’m in a show and that show was going to be coming to an end, so I had to start Looking for work post that show because this woman was coming back.
MIKE ELDER (14:34)
I see.
MO COLLINS (14:35)
Well, without talking to me, they extended the Dudley Riggs show for three weeks. But I had a gig that I was going to be starting in two weeks. So I was like, I don’t know what to tell you. You don’t have a job for me. I have to take this work. And I got this weird feeling around the theater. So I made a meeting with Dudley Riggs himself on a Friday, and I said, something’s weird.
Are you gonna fire me? This is three weeks out from when the show was actually gonna close and two weeks out from when my new job started. Yeah, but I saw two weeks, I was fully committed. And he’s like, no, we’re not gonna fire you. And the next night, after two shows and an improv set, somewhere around one in the morning, the director came in, squatted up on a stool and said, that was my last show.
MIKE ELDER (15:35)
Geez.
MO COLLINS (15:37)
So what that meant was that the resident company now had Sunday, Monday, Tuesday to get somebody in to fill what I was doing in the show because they were butt hurt because I got another job because they got rid of me. So it was just ridic. But boy, it did not stop them.
MIKE ELDER (15:59)
So did you. So are you good with them now or did it still end?
MO COLLINS (16:02)
No, it’s fine. But you know, I’m not going to lie, I was a little irritated when, when they were using my name. Once I got on Mad TV as like, this is the place. And it’s like, wow, I just kind of want to go, this is the place. I got fired. So not even going do really well. Yeah, go do really well.
Get them great reviews and get yourself fired and then, you know, land in LA and do well.
MIKE ELDER (16:26)
That’s frustrating. So how did Orlando come about?
MO COLLINS (16:29)
Oh, so afterwards I was going to do that job, but this audition came up for Orlando’s. They were opening up MGM theme park and they were looking for actors to be on the boulevard. Right. And yeah, do improvise.
MIKE ELDER (16:43)
What do they call it? Like essentials or something? Or not.
MO COLLINS (16:46)
Street environment. Streetmosphere.
MIKE ELDER (16:48)
Streetmosphere. Okay.
MO COLLINS (16:49)
Yeah. And I, I went and I auditioned. You had to have.
MIKE ELDER (16:55)
In Minnesota?
MO COLLINS (16:55)
In Minneapolis, bunch of people, bunch of friends, did, you know, kind of like, what the heck? And my one minute monologue, I literally didn’t say a single word. I just. I was a drunk lady trying to tell a joke at a party. That’s how I introduced it.
And all it was for a minute was until she’s crying her eyes out. And just falling over. And I got hired for being a jackass. And I went down to Disney and then four of us at the time were set aside even from that to become. To basically go through two months of circus training to become this physical comedy troupe like Keystone Cops and Public Works. And we drove this truck and we did physical bits. So I, I was, at first I was offended.
Like, I come from Dudley Riggs. We do satire. And then you’re like, you couldn’t make me go out and just hit people, like pretend to hit people and myself. And it turned out to be one of the greatest things I ever did.
MIKE ELDER (18:08)
Why is that?
MO COLLINS (18:09)
What I learned? Like, just the joy and physical comedy. I mean, I was always a physical performer, but this is a whole separate, very Chaplan esque skill that I really am glad I got.
MIKE ELDER (18:24)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (18:24)
The silence of comedy.
MIKE ELDER (18:26)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (18:27)
Pretty great.
MIKE ELDER (18:27)
That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (18:28)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (18:29)
Wait, so you. They. I’ve heard that. And I, I used to go to Disney every year for mascot nationals when I was the mascot.
MO COLLINS (18:35)
What?
MIKE ELDER (18:35)
But I always thought it’d be really cool to do that stuff because you’re so like in part of it and you’re just doing bits and like. Yeah, but they put you up, right.
And it’s kind of golden handcuffs. They pay you pretty well or no?
MO COLLINS (18:49)
They put you up when you first got there, but then you had to go get an apartment.
MIKE ELDER (18:52)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (18:53)
But yeah, you had a. We were, you know, it’s corporate. We were on a salary, we got health insurance. So that was good. And that part was good.
MIKE ELDER (19:05)
Yeah. And were you like, did you. Were you just constantly around those other Disney character people?
MO COLLINS (19:10)
Yes. We shared a trailer.
MIKE ELDER (19:13)
I would assume. And you worked long hours, Right. Probably.
MO COLLINS (19:15)
Or no, it was like eight hour days. You know, it was a 40 hour week.
MIKE ELDER (19:18)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (19:19)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (19:20)
That’s great.
MO COLLINS (19:20)
Yeah. And then I, from there I went over to Comedy Warehouse on Pleasure Island, which was their first.
The first time. Yeah. The first group that did like straight improv show.
MIKE ELDER (19:30)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (19:30)
Was myself and several others.
MIKE ELDER (19:32)
Oh, from your little click at MGM?
MO COLLINS (19:36)
No, not, not necessarily. No. Some others that had been doing this other like kind of sketch or other thing.
MIKE ELDER (19:44)
This is awesome.
MO COLLINS (19:45)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (19:46)
Like this is mid-20s. You’re probably just living the dream, feeling great, making money.
MO COLLINS (19:50)
Yes.
MIKE ELDER (19:51)
It sounds like what we all aspire to do.
MO COLLINS (19:53)
Yeah. Really? It was great. It really was.
MIKE ELDER (19:56)
So why’d you quit Disney? And I don’t want to talk all your autobiography, but why’d you quit Disney and go back to Minneapolis?
MO COLLINS (20:02)
Well, I left Disney because it was sort of again, kind of a mutual scenario after one of the shows. And this was during Saddam, you know, the Gulf War. And, you know, satire to me, you ride the line. You’re middle. You’re middle. You show both sides.
MIKE ELDER (20:23)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (20:24)
And anyway, I must have. That’s. That was deeply embedded in me from Dudley Riggs and whatever improv I had done that night. They came up and, great job, Maureen. Because my, you know, Maureen was my name tag, even though my stage name was Mo. But, you know, if you’re going to talk about the Gulf War, be pro war. And I’m like, okay, I’m going to go home and write a letter. And I did.
I wrote a letter and left. And then I left Orlando. It was just, you know, I wasn’t doing anything. I was extremely depressed, had a boyfriend that was cheating on me and just all kinds of shit. And it was just time to go home and ground myself. And I did and got back into theater in Minneapolis, like, theater, which was really cool.
MIKE ELDER (21:13)
Did you ever do the Guthrie?
MO COLLINS (21:14)
I never did the Guthrie, but I will.
MIKE ELDER (21:17)
They’d take you.
MO COLLINS (21:19)
Would they? We’ll see.
MIKE ELDER (21:20)
It’s beautiful. The new one is beautiful.
MO COLLINS (21:21)
I would love to do the Guthrie.
MIKE ELDER (21:23)
You’ve been to the new one, right?
MO COLLINS (21:24)
I have not been.
MIKE ELDER (21:25)
Oh, it’s stunning. Before I left, I did background work in a play.
MO COLLINS (21:29)
Really? It looks beautiful from the outside.
MIKE ELDER (21:32)
Eight days a week or eight shows a week. It was great. That building’s phenomenal.
MO COLLINS (21:35)
No, I would totally do a Guthrie show.
MIKE ELDER (21:38)
Did you have reps in Minnesota?
MO COLLINS (21:39)
Yeah, you know, Susan Wayman Agency, the Eleanor Moore Agency. I don’t know if they’re still in existence there, but those were my two agencies.
MIKE ELDER (21:48)
Are any. Do you have any of the commercials you did from back then?
MO COLLINS (21:50)
From back then.
MIKE ELDER (21:52)
Oh, this is fascinating me, because I.
MO COLLINS (21:54)
Feel like, God, I did a ton of them.
MIKE ELDER (21:57)
I didn’t do shit while I was there. I did, like, a Buffalo Wild Wings print campaign.
MO COLLINS (22:02)
Yeah, I wish. Like, somebody pulled out, like, a ski Doo Boats a few years ago, which was a great commercial that I did. And it was really fun to see.
MIKE ELDER (22:13)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (22:16)
I did a ton of commercials.
MIKE ELDER (22:18)
That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (22:19)
I did pretty well with that.
MIKE ELDER (22:21)
Okay, that. That’s fascinating to me because, like. Like I said, I had a very different experience. So when you came out here, you had momentum, obviously. Momentum.
MO COLLINS (22:29)
That momentum that you have in Minneapolis doesn’t square here. It means nothing.
MIKE ELDER (22:34)
So you had no reps when you came out here?
MO COLLINS (22:36)
No, I came out with. Well, I came out on my own, honestly, because a bunch of my Friends had already come a year before. I was the only one up there, like, married, with a kid. And then I saw the first episodes of Mad TV while I’m serving SpaghettiOs to my family, and I’m like, oh, I’m late. So then another group of Minneapolis friends, we came and we did an original show that was put together by us. We did it here. Theater that used to work. Right. Like you do.
You put something up and casting people would come, and that’s what happened.
MIKE ELDER (23:15)
Where’d you put it up at?
MO COLLINS (23:17)
It was on. Oh, what was it? The Hudson.
Okay, the Hudson.
MIKE ELDER (23:27)
Wait, so that’s it. You came out, put up a show with your friends from Minneapolis. A casting person from Mad TV was there.
MO COLLINS (23:33)
Yeah, we did it. We did two months there. And I decided in that time to move out to LA. So packed up, sold a house in Minneapolis, moved out and started, you know, auditioning commercials and things. And the Mad TV, how that. Yes. Cara Coslow, who’s a casting director back then who worked for Carsey Werner, she came to our show and she loved us.
She got us a meeting at Carsey Werner, but she then also introduced me to, you know, other casting people. And the. The Mad TV audition came up, like, within my first year. And the only.
MIKE ELDER (24:21)
Right.
MO COLLINS (24:21)
The only way I could have gotten that is because of the background. I did have the sketch improv. Like, I had no television resume. I couldn’t have. I couldn’t have gotten, like, you know, young mom on a sitcom or something. I just didn’t have the resume for that.
MIKE ELDER (24:40)
I mean, that’s awesome, though, because that was my question. Like, it seemed like there was a gap there. I didn’t know if you took the Groundlings or something to get ingratiate. That’s like, what I did. I took every use, UCB, IO, everything. But, yeah, you just came out, got solid casting.
You were off and running. That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (24:54)
The right audition, the right time, the right place, and being prepared.
MIKE ELDER (25:00)
Yeah. Okay. We don’t have to talk about your autobiography the entire time, but I do want to talk about auditioning now at this point, because we were kind of talking about at the start, you still. And I’m sorry I asked this question, and I’m sorry I’m projecting on you because I asked so many people this question. Like, Matt Jones, I just asked him, like, I find it fascinating that you still have to audition.
MO COLLINS (25:22)
Me too.
MIKE ELDER (25:27)
We know what you do. It’s all out there. They can see it. So I guess, like, how much of what you get is offer Versus audition. And like, have you ever thought about quitting? Auditioning?
MO COLLINS (25:41)
You could just stop it. Have you ever thought about quitting?
MIKE ELDER (25:44)
Well, that’s a whole different. Yeah, we’re already 20 something minutes.
MO COLLINS (25:48)
There’s no quitting who you are. The things I do get.
And I really, really. I seldom work. Like, I don’t know, did I do two jobs last year? This year I have no on camera.
We’re halfway through the year. The only jobs I get are because somebody says it’s got to be Mo Collins. My auditions, which are very few, very few. I don’t book. They’re very few. There’s a catch 22 going on right now. Maybe I mentioned this the other night when we were speaking, but it really helps to have work to get work.
And I don’t have work right now. If you’ll notice, it’s these same people going from one job to the next and oftentimes having even more than one going at once. Maybe three jobs going at once. So I really don’t know how to get back on the wheel. If I was ever really on the wheel to begin with. I might have been hanging on like a sad gerbil at some point. But I’m not on the wheel and I don’t have work to get back on the wheel.
MIKE ELDER (27:06)
And by wheel, you just mean, like in the minds of other people.
MO COLLINS (27:08)
The Hollywood wheel, the. The machine, if you will. Right. So it really does take somebody just saying it’s got to be Mo Collins.
Like I did. Night Court was I think the last on camera thing I did.
What was that? Last fall, 2024.
And I mean, they, they auditioned like crazy for that role. Apparently was a good guest star. Couldn’t find that role. Couldn’t find it. I guess the thing could have been farted out my backside. It was so Mo Collins, like, you know, But I didn’t even get to read for it. But John Larroquette’s wife said, Mo Collins.
MIKE ELDER (27:53)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (27:54)
And then I got offered the role.
MIKE ELDER (27:56)
So you’re open to auditioning. They’re just not coming your way. Why do you suppose that is?
MO COLLINS (28:02)
Well, partly because they are going to their list of people that they want and those people are working. Now. My chances come in if they’re all working and unavailable, you know.
MIKE ELDER (28:13)
Yeah, but you just implied that that Night Court thing was built for you. You said it in third person, which I love and respect. But like, why did they not ever audition you if they audition so many people?
MO COLLINS (28:23)
Like, yeah.
MIKE ELDER (28:24)
How many people are in your category? I don’t you know what I mean? Like.
MO COLLINS (28:26)
I don’t know.
MIKE ELDER (28:27)
Can hold a comedy Night Court guest star.
MO COLLINS (28:29)
I really don’t. I don’t know. But it was also like this casting. They. I have a history with them.
MIKE ELDER (28:35)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (28:35)
I should be in their mind on their lists. I just should be. I don’t know why I’m not. I’ve done everything I can to put myself on that list. I’ve kept myself busy. I do podcasts, I’ve developed shows for myself and pitched them. I’ve done one person stage shows.
I’ve gone out and frickin done stand up like I headlined. I’ve done everything you are supposed to do to stay relevant and I don’t know, I don’t know why beyond. I just don’t know. I’m just not on the wheel. They never really, I don’t know that this industry ever saw me as a commodity if you will.
And that’s big. I don’t think they ever equated me to money. God knows they never really paid me my value and I think when they’re looking for people, they’re looking for that kind of value. Not necessarily. I mean yeah, I would hope they’re looking for talent but if they were just looking for talent, I’d be there. Because there’s one thing I maintain. I’m talented, I’ve done a shit ton and I’m good at what I do and I’m a fucking blast on set.
I’m on time, I’m all the things, I know my lines, I’m all the stuff you’re supposed to be.
MIKE ELDER (30:00)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (30:01)
So I don’t know would if you.
MIKE ELDER (30:02)
Got like let’s say you suddenly got inundated with auditions.
MO COLLINS (30:06)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (30:07)
I don’t know. One a week, let’s say. That seems like a lot right now.
MO COLLINS (30:10)
Yeah. Right.
MIKE ELDER (30:10)
Would you turn down anything? Like if you got co star auditions would you turn it like under five years, turn that down?
MO COLLINS (30:15)
I do. I will turn things down and I have like there’s so here’s.
MIKE ELDER (30:21)
Because that’s a tricky. And I don’t want to speak on your behalf when you’re at a certain level to me you don’t want to revert necessarily. But also when you’re in the conundrum you’re in right now, it’s like why not? Because.
MO COLLINS (30:31)
I don’t want to just work. I want to do what I’m supposed to be doing. I see I’m holding my value now. That’s me, that’s and my nose that come occasionally are me holding my value because I do believe I have built something for my name. People do know that Mo Collins that did these really cool great things. Mad TV, Parks and Recreation, Gina, whatever it is that has built that name, Mo Collins. I want to hold her value when I start doing things that are co stars or even some that they call guest stars, but to me, they’re just.
They’re seat filler roles, as I call them. Anybody could do them. They’re not my brand, they’re not special for me. I disappear in those and I don’t want to do those because I would rather disappear with people remembering that Mo Collins that I built than disappear doing just seat filler roles to somehow earn my health insurance. Yeah, I worked too hard for that name and so I’m preserving it.
MIKE ELDER (31:45)
Yeah, that’s fair.
MO COLLINS (31:46)
So I ch. I. I do choose and there is stuff that I. That does come through because it, it’s just like, you know, here’s a crumb and it’s like, I don’t. I don’t want your crumb.
MIKE ELDER (31:56)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (31:56)
I want salmon.
MIKE ELDER (31:58)
It’s interesting. Like, do you think of it? Do you now, as you say that, like, do you. How do I phrase this question? So, basically, Mad TV almost seems perfect for you in the sense that you’re, I assume, writing most of your own characters. So, like, it’s your voice.
MO COLLINS (32:15)
My characters I develop. But, you know, we had great writers.
MIKE ELDER (32:18)
Of course, but like, it’s just so in your voice and so you. That maybe you were spoiled to a degree to get that right away where, like, you had it so perfectly.
MO COLLINS (32:28)
Oh, no, I was not spoiled. I worked very hard to get to that, to be ready for a show like Mad TV. Like, don’t. I was 32 when I got that. So we’re talking about, you know, a solid more than a decade of working in the industry, be it just commercial, whatever. Like, I worked very hard to be ready for a show like Mad TV. And then I worked triple hard being on it.
You know, like, it’s a. It’s a lot of work to be on a show like Mad TV. You don’t just show up and kind of read your lines right. Like you’re, you’re creating it too.
MIKE ELDER (33:05)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (33:06)
So I know I wasn’t spoiled. I’ve always just been ready because I’ve done all the work.
MIKE ELDER (33:12)
Yeah, I. Sorry, I clearly misphrased that question. I didn’t mean spoiled. Yeah, I meant, like, you just. It was such a good job to showcase that Mo Collins saying it and then to find that again, is so probably hard to find something.
MO COLLINS (33:27)
It shouldn’t be though, should it? Because I did everything on that show.
MIKE ELDER (33:30)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (33:31)
And then I left there and I did things that showed that I do more than just sketch.
MIKE ELDER (33:35)
Right.
MO COLLINS (33:35)
I’ve done that. I’ve shown that.
MIKE ELDER (33:37)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (33:38)
You know, I did Fear the Walking Dead, I did a drama. I’ve shown, I’ve shown Hollywood that I’m worth a try.
MIKE ELDER (33:46)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (33:47)
I’m worth a contract, for God’s sake. You know, I’m worth a contract. Like for real.
MIKE ELDER (33:52)
Wait, like, can we. I had written down that I wanted to talk about your Mad TV salary dispute. Do you want to talk about that?
MO COLLINS (33:58)
I don’t care.
MIKE ELDER (33:58)
What, like what. What was the genesis of that? Because unfortunately that caused you to miss a lot of one season. I read. Like, was it basically you just were not making what you thought you were worth.
MO COLLINS (34:09)
On the Mad TV?
MIKE ELDER (34:10)
Yeah, yeah. On Mad TV.
MO COLLINS (34:12)
Wait, say, what about the Met?
MIKE ELDER (34:15)
Didn’t you miss a number of season, like nine because of a contract dispute? That’s what your Wikipedia says.
MO COLLINS (34:21)
That’s not. No.
MIKE ELDER (34:22)
Oh my God.
MO COLLINS (34:23)
No, that’s not.
MIKE ELDER (34:24)
That’s what your Wikipedia says.
MO COLLINS (34:25)
That I missed a bunch of episodes.
MIKE ELDER (34:27)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (34:27)
Oh, no. I left halfway through season nine by choice.
MIKE ELDER (34:30)
Oh, okay.
MO COLLINS (34:31)
Yeah. So that’s why I wasn’t in the second half.
MIKE ELDER (34:33)
Got it.
MO COLLINS (34:34)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (34:34)
Because of the contract dispute.
MO COLLINS (34:36)
A contract dispute. No, I.
MIKE ELDER (34:39)
No, Wikipedia is wrong.
MO COLLINS (34:40)
Yeah, it is wrong. It’s wrong.
MIKE ELDER (34:42)
Why did you leave season nine?
MO COLLINS (34:43)
I chose to because I completed my five year contract and I mean, they, they pushed very hard for me to do more, so I gave them another half a season. That was my choice.
MIKE ELDER (34:56)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (34:57)
I left because the show was there was. I left while, while I still loved it. I wanted to do that. I didn’t want to have bad feelings about it at all.
And I don’t. I left because there was. I could see that their focus was getting to be more like young, hot. Right.
MIKE ELDER (35:27)
They brought in Frank Caeti.
MO COLLINS (35:29)
Yes, exactly. No, there was. There was a young thing happening. And I thought, well, I’ll be God damned if I’m going to stick around and let them make me feel old.
I’m not old. And so, you know, it would be where they’re starting to. Because they have to try some of their stuff over things that I’m creating so creatively. It was just sort of like, okay, I’ve guessed. They’ve run their gamut with me. They. They don’t necessarily want.
I don’t know, it’s just Sort of. I was just ready to move on. And I really felt I had this solid foundation under me in the industry and would be able to jump out and get right to some other things. Yeah, and that didn’t happen. You know, it did for some people. Like, Nicole Sullivan had left and she jumped right into a contract, you know, so. And that.
That was the progression of. That’s what happened in Hollywood back then. You know, it’s very different now.
MIKE ELDER (36:32)
But what do you mean by a contract? Like a studio contract?
MO COLLINS (36:34)
Holding deals. Yeah, the good old holding deals people got. I mean, Nicole got several. You know, it’s like you’d leave and then. And have that next thing and then you’d get put into a show, you know, So I wanted to make myself available for that. Never happened.
MIKE ELDER (36:51)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (36:51)
Did a ton of pilots. Oh, my God, my pilot resume is killer. Did not get picked. I mean, it is killer. Like, there are seasons. I do two pilots a year.
MIKE ELDER (37:02)
Wow.
MO COLLINS (37:02)
Oh, yeah. I was. I was pilot girl. Make that shit funny, Mo. And just. Yeah. Never happened.
MIKE ELDER (37:11)
That’s wild.
MO COLLINS (37:12)
I know. I know. I’ve always just, like, been right, right there.
MIKE ELDER (37:17)
But, like, to that point, like, our. How happy are you that you had the opportunity to even get that close on so many opportunities? Does that make sense?
MO COLLINS (37:25)
Yeah, it does. I love what I do. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done. You know, I’ve had great experiences and met incredible people. I love what I do. I really love what I do.
MIKE ELDER (37:36)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (37:36)
You know, I love being on set. I love delving into character and story. I love crew. Like, I like getting in my car, driving to work, and pulling into a parking spot that has my name on it. I still take pictures.
Do you know? Like, it’s.
MIKE ELDER (37:56)
No, I don’t know. I would know nothing about it, but it sounds great.
MO COLLINS (38:00)
It’s. I love it. I really do. I love it.
MIKE ELDER (38:04)
Yeah, I love driving on studio lots. That’s like. Are you optimistic in general about the business despite everything we’ve just said?
MO COLLINS (38:10)
Am I optimistic?
MIKE ELDER (38:11)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (38:12)
No, not anymore.
MIKE ELDER (38:13)
So what would you tell somebody like me or even somebody like from Minnesota that wants to move out here and pursue this? What would you tell them right now?
MO COLLINS (38:19)
Pursue it.
MIKE ELDER (38:22)
Despite the lack of optimism?
MO COLLINS (38:25)
Well, that’s my lack of optimism. It’s true. Like, it’s my bitter tongue. No, I still love what I do. You know, decades into it. I’m not gonna tell somebody not to pursue it if it’s their dream and their passion. Be prepared for all kinds of no’s and recklessness and but it’s also, you know, there’s a new playground for them to figure out one which I’m also trying to figure out.
It’s very, very different than when I came out. Like I said, I did a show in a theater. Casting came. That doesn’t happen. We’re in our, you know, we’re up against our walls in our apartments and homes and doing take after take to get something. You hope it’s a very different world. And then are they even seeing that self tape? Who knows? Who knows? Ether. But, you know, figure it out.
Find your way. What’s your way? Find out what their way is. As much as you can. Figure out your way and plow through. Persevere. Don’t give up.
No means yes today. No. It’s like.
MIKE ELDER (39:39)
Feels like you’re trying to hype yourself up a little bit.
MO COLLINS (39:41)
I am always. Every day. Every day. Every day. I just, you know, my husband and I, we just live like actor assassins. Like being.
Trying to be ready. Always ready.
MIKE ELDER (39:52)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (39:53)
You know, because you do. You have to be ready to jump.
MIKE ELDER (39:55)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (39:57)
You know, get your skill set together. Like do things.
MIKE ELDER (40:03)
You mean just everyday life things? Well, no, like, like improv and sketch and writing.
MO COLLINS (40:09)
Write a show, do a podcast, beyond people’s pod, whatever. Do it all. Because one thing ain’t enough. Headshot. That kind of thing. Agent. That ain’t enough.
That ain’t gonna do it. That ain’t gonna do it.
MIKE ELDER (40:25)
I don’t see. This is funny that I like. I like that you’re like, if you might not be optimistic, but if somebody else wants to do this, who are you to tell them not to? I appreciate that. But I do think that the zeitgeist right now, like, I’ve always been an optimistic person.
MO COLLINS (40:41)
Me too. I am total glass half full.
MIKE ELDER (40:43)
And I couldn’t be more. I quit my job after 10 years this spring.
MO COLLINS (40:47)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (40:47)
I still couldn’t be like, happier and more excited about this stuff, but I even find myself, which I’ve never done truly before, and I’ve been around some pessimistic people, but, like, I’ve never been like, should I be acting until I don’t know, the last few months, which is so interesting. Oh, I mean, I still.
MO COLLINS (41:07)
Yeah, yeah. But that’s.
MIKE ELDER (41:08)
My survivor lamp is still burning.
MO COLLINS (41:10)
That’s the normal. You have to. It’s got to be that. Like, it just is that life ebbs and flows. Right. Like the wave has to go out in order for it to come back in.
Do you know what I’m saying? So as far as, like, faith in self or optimism, whatever you want to call it, like. Because let’s keep in mind that when we are in those moments of doubt and all of that, we do things to count, we ultimately are like, fuck that. Whatever. We find something like, God damn it, no. Like, I am good at this. I am.
Like, sometimes you have to step back and have those doubts maybe to go, no, I am good. Or you come across something you’ve done and you’re like, that’s good.
I deserve work. Right? Like, you have to be your greatest advocate and cheerleader in this. And while you say, I’m not optimistic anymore, and part of that is true, I am also.
MIKE ELDER (42:07)
You said that.
MO COLLINS (42:07)
I know I did say that, but I really want to blame you for that.
MIKE ELDER (42:10)
Okay, I said it.
MO COLLINS (42:11)
No, but you really grabbed onto it, latched on. I am. I am still here and doing this because I suppose of optimism. But to me, optimism is more in the form of, this is what I do. This is who I am.
Like, this is me. You don’t quit yourself. It’s me. And I’m always hopeful about myself. Like, I don’t trust anybody more than myself, and I’m to be trusted. You know, that. I wasn’t always.
I’ve had times in my life where I failed at that. But now I’ve learned so much. And, yeah, I’m my greatest cheerleader. And while doing that, I’m also not going to accept certain things for myself because I deserve better.
MIKE ELDER (43:12)
You know, I love that you’re a Catholic or were a Catholic.
MO COLLINS (43:15)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (43:15)
That just reminded me of the Screwtape Letters. Did you ever read the Screwtape Letters?
MO COLLINS (43:18)
Screwtape Letters?
MIKE ELDER (43:19)
It’s like that Christian writer is one of his big books, but it’s about the devil, one of the devil’s apprentice trying to steal a soul. And he keeps telling the devil what’s happening. He’s like, I got him. He’s running away from the church. And the devil’s like, no, that’s not good. He needs to get away from the church to realize it’s the correct answer. But that’s kind of what you.
The vibe you were giving me when you were talking about them.
MO COLLINS (43:38)
Oh, I love that. Yeah, I think that’s true.
MIKE ELDER (43:41)
Yeah, get away and come back. I love that. Yeah, I think it’s. I. I just shot my short film. Part of quitting my job was I have to show it shoot. The short film that is in My Voice is about me and can be me rather than these fucking callbacks for you know, Wells Fargo or whatever.
They’re not my voice and don’t showcase me. Yeah. That felt so good to do, but it’s so time consuming. But it also felt so good. I’m so excited to get it done and share it. But to your point about like believing in yourself.
MO COLLINS (44:10)
Yeah, Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (44:11)
I think you gotta just have something in your voice and like find that stuff.
MO COLLINS (44:14)
You do. Yep. You find.
Find your voice, you know, and sometimes, you know, like, I’ve got a history. I do characters, but in a way my voice is everybody’s voice, if that makes sense. I call myself a mockingbird. Not in the making fun sense mocking, but like the hunger. A mockingbird. I play back what I see in my.
MIKE ELDER (44:32)
Yeah. Hunger Games. Did you ever watch Hunger Games?
MO COLLINS (44:34)
No.
MIKE ELDER (44:36)
They got a Mockingjay that literally just does that and it’s like a big part of this story.
MO COLLINS (44:40)
Oh, seriously? Yeah. I don’t. Okay.
MIKE ELDER (44:43)
You should watch. It’s great.
MO COLLINS (44:44)
I should watch it.
MIKE ELDER (44:45)
The first one.
MO COLLINS (44:47)
Been so busy with self tapes, but no, I. And then of course, like through stand up and stuff, I learned to find my voice differently and now I’m. Now I’m 60 and I know my voice a lot better.
MIKE ELDER (45:03)
That’s interesting. Why don’t you. Sorry. Have you ever considered doing like a 60 minute comedy special of your characters and stuff?
MO COLLINS (45:11)
I’m so glad you brought that up because that’s what I am like you could easily doing right now.
MIKE ELDER (45:16)
Tell me more.
MO COLLINS (45:17)
Okay, so a couple years ago, a couple times, I did something called Mo Collins is Wigging Out. I’ve taken all the best things about who I am as a performer. My stand up, my character work, my improvisation. And I did this down in Austin. It worked really well and I fell in love with it so much. Like, this is. This is who I am. It’s me.
I go out, I have fun with the audience. I bring a shit ton of wigs one at a time. I’ll have a person come up, pick a wig for me. I have a big mirror up there because people want to know, like, they love my characters and I want to give them a little insight as to how they’re created, you know, and let them see the process a little bit. So they pick a wig, have fun with them. Razzin, go to the mirror, put it on. I get suggestions from the audience and I start a monologue and then I do a bunch of.
I do that several times, but now these characters can also restart. I could throw off a wig, throw the other one back on, make them talk to it, like, there’s so many ways this can go.
MIKE ELDER (46:20)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (46:21)
So that’s actually why I went to see Frank Caeti’s show, because I wanted to remind myself of that theater space, the UCB, because I used to do Mo versus Mo there, which was a show I wrote for myself. And, I mean, I’ve done a ton of shows there. Asssscat, all kinds of things.
And I like the space. But I heard that they tape it, too, because I want to put together a sizzle reel of Mo Collins wigging out.
MIKE ELDER (46:46)
That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (46:47)
And book myself at theaters across the country where people want to see me. I have a great fan base. Like, if only the industry understood that.
I have a beautiful fan base.
MIKE ELDER (47:00)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (47:00)
Like, they’re incredible.
MIKE ELDER (47:02)
It seems like that’s what stand up comedians are doing now. They’re realizing that this whole thing over here doesn’t matter. It’s touring and getting in front of the people that matter.
MO COLLINS (47:09)
Yeah. So it would be a theater, you know, in theaters, but it can’t be huge. Huge theater, you know, intimate enough so that. Because I like an intimate show, too.
Like, it’s very. I play a lot with the audience. We have a great time. But then the end of the result of doing that, too, is I could be taping these as I’m out there and pick some best of moments and cobble together. Mo Collins is wigging out. You know, Netflix special, Hulu Special, whatever it is. Everybody’s doing specials.
Well, I’m special.
MIKE ELDER (47:43)
Yeah, you should. When are you doing it at UCB?
MO COLLINS (47:46)
I don’t know yet. I have to figure out. I’m looking at other theaters right now, too, because I want to figure out, like, what’s the best space to just do that? Get it. I have some people lined up to help me put a. Edit a reel together and start booking it.
MIKE ELDER (48:02)
You should. That’s great. I’m excited. I can’t wait to come to that point. We were talking about Mad TV. I don’t even think it’s on a streamer. Like, why is it not on a streamer?
MO COLLINS (48:10)
It is.
MIKE ELDER (48:11)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (48:12)
Okay.
MIKE ELDER (48:12)
So it’s not like a mainstream one, though, is it?
MO COLLINS (48:15)
No. I mean, years ago it was Comedy Central, you know, Paramount shit show.
MIKE ELDER (48:20)
So.
MO COLLINS (48:20)
Yeah. Whoa. No, thanks. So several months ago. A few months ago. Whatever. Several months was the end of last year.
Somebody pointed out. I was like. They sent me a clip like they were watching it. Something that I knew wasn’t on YouTube.
MIKE ELDER (48:39)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (48:40)
Because that’s what it’s been for years. It’s just what People like, oh, I watch you on YouTube. You know, I’m like, where did you see this? They’re like, oh, it’s streaming right now. Then they sent me another screenshot and screenshot.
And I’m like, what? So I go and I look, I’m gonna. I’ve. I can’t remember the name of the.
There’s three of them. They’re owned by Ryan Reynolds, or he’s a part of them. At the very least, you pay for subscriptions. But sure enough, I went to the websites and, like, every single day. And they have 14 seasons, all seasons of Mad TV. And keep in mind, we did 26 episodes a season.
MIKE ELDER (49:19)
But are you getting paid for.
MO COLLINS (49:20)
No, not a penny.
MIKE ELDER (49:21)
Well, then why don’t you sue his ass?
MO COLLINS (49:24)
Because that takes money.
MIKE ELDER (49:26)
Yeah, it takes money to make money.
MO COLLINS (49:29)
Yeah. I spent a lot of time back and forth with the union trying who.
MIKE ELDER (49:34)
Technically owns Mad TV.
MO COLLINS (49:36)
Let’s see at this point, because it.
MIKE ELDER (49:38)
Seems like it would behoove all you guys. Even you got some big hitters out of that cast now, like Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
MO COLLINS (49:44)
They’re busy.
MIKE ELDER (49:45)
Well, I know, but they could still stand a benefit to have that on a streamer.
MO COLLINS (49:49)
Of course, of course, but.
MIKE ELDER (49:52)
And that’s a lot of content.
MO COLLINS (49:54)
It’s a lot of content. And, you know, then you start even, like, I brought up to the unit, I’m like, some of those characters. I own Lorraine. I got a contract that tells you I own her.
MIKE ELDER (50:04)
Oh, really?
MO COLLINS (50:05)
Nobody contacted me. You know what I mean? It’s gross.
It’s really, really gross. Consider the writers, too. Like, these are writers, too. These are all kinds of people that could be benefiting right now. Because God knows people are struggling in this industry. Our residuals as it is is just shit, just pathetic. But to get nothing is straight up thievery.
MIKE ELDER (50:31)
I agree.
MO COLLINS (50:32)
If you ask me, and it does. It hurts my feelings. Honestly, it hurts my feelings to know that all of those years and hard work are just out there for somebody like, Ryan Reynolds, to make a buck.
MIKE ELDER (50:48)
Okay, what. What if this is probably illegal, but fuck it, what if you just, like, take them and put them on your own YouTube channel and start monetizing it yourself?
MO COLLINS (50:57)
I don’t know how to do any of that.
MIKE ELDER (51:00)
You can pay somebody very little dollars to rip them and then upload them.
MO COLLINS (51:04)
Did I say I need. I don’t. I’m not making any money these days. Where’s this money gonna come from? Like, I know, I’ll do it for you. Old adage.
MIKE ELDER (51:11)
It takes Three of them on dvd.
MO COLLINS (51:13)
Do I. What? No, that’s the. They didn’t do that.
MIKE ELDER (51:15)
What?
MO COLLINS (51:17)
They did three weird collections for DVD and that’s it.
MIKE ELDER (51:22)
Why was that? I love it. But why was that show so, like, disorganized almost?
MO COLLINS (51:28)
You know, our producer, David Salzman did not take into account. You got to spend money to make money.
MIKE ELDER (51:35)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (51:36)
Because even, like, when we were on the show, we weren’t even allowed to go do other things, which really is only good for Mad TV. Right. Exposure. We didn’t do, you know, why is there not a Stewart movie? Why is there not a Lorraine movie?
These things didn’t happen. And they should have. Could have.
MIKE ELDER (51:56)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (51:56)
And we’d be a totally. We’d perhaps be an institution at this point. It’s beyond just being iconic, you know, as people like to say, which is very. It’s very nice. Thank you. But, you know, it was the producers. They didn’t. And I think there might have been something between the producers and Warner Brothers regarding ownership and all of that.
I think that maybe there was some conflict there.
MIKE ELDER (52:23)
I don’t want to hit this back at you. I apologize, but. And maybe you did this. You did a Lorraine, like, spin off or something with your husband.
MO COLLINS (52:31)
Well, during COVID when the pandemic began, I just kind of thought, well, what can I do to make people feel better?
MIKE ELDER (52:39)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (52:39)
Right. And laughter is my thing. So I pulled Lorraine out of the closet and, you know, we were stuck at home. So my husband and I did it. But I own Lorraine.
MIKE ELDER (52:52)
Right. If you own it, why wouldn’t you make the movie?
MO COLLINS (52:54)
Do you know?
MIKE ELDER (52:55)
I’m aware. I’m aware.
MO COLLINS (52:56)
It would just be like. It would, you know, it’s like, you know, back in the day, there was, well, Alex Borstein wanted, or she did make, like, t shirts with Ms. Swan. Right. I believe. I don’t know for sure, but it’s her character. I don’t know if she owned it in a contract or not, but they put a cease and desist on that and.
Oh, you know, so it’s like, you know, to make that happen, it’s like I’d have to get them involved and I don’t know, I don’t really want it.
MIKE ELDER (53:28)
Speaking of, did you base Lorraine on my mom or was.
MO COLLINS (53:31)
She’s an amalgamation of, as you know, you know very well, Minnesota women. And I actually there used to be a show up in Minneapolis on Lake Street. What was the name of the. There was a show called Balls. It was a late night show. Leslie Ball ran It. The Jungle Theater.
Is that still up there?
MIKE ELDER (53:55)
That sounds familiar. I have been there in a while.
MO COLLINS (53:57)
Used to be on Lake Street. I don’t know if it still exists or not. Across from Bryant Lake Bowl. And there was a late night show and my friend Melissa Denton and I would do these. We called them the Banks ladies because they were just Minnesota women that would go shopping at Banks, which was a thrift store. And that’s where Lorraine started, you know, the whole. And then.
Yeah, I took her to Mad TV. I kind of altered her a little bit and brought her to Mad TV. But she’s straight out of Minnesota.
MIKE ELDER (54:28)
Yeah, she is. 1000%.
MO COLLINS (54:30)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (54:31)
Did any of the people you mentioned you. You were doing junior high, you had a group.
MO COLLINS (54:36)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (54:37)
Did any of those people ever go on to do stuff as well? Like, did they ever move out here or are they just, you know, working in Minnesota?
MO COLLINS (54:43)
It was junior high.
MIKE ELDER (54:44)
No, I know. I’m just curious if, like, any of them had any success because.
MO COLLINS (54:49)
Well, you know, some people I know from, like the. Oh, well, another person of. From Mr. Hermanding, who’s the one that, you know, Namey Moe, put me up on stage for the first time.
MIKE ELDER (54:59)
Teacher.
MO COLLINS (55:00)
Yeah. Yeah. He. He brought Steve Zahn into the improv world and thus, you know, became Steve Zahn.
MIKE ELDER (55:11)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (55:12)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (55:12)
That’s great.
MO COLLINS (55:13)
I know.
MIKE ELDER (55:13)
I love when Minnesota people do stuff.
MO COLLINS (55:15)
Yeah, it’s great.
MIKE ELDER (55:17)
When I first moved out here, I was shocked how many Minnesota people I met.
MO COLLINS (55:20)
Yeah, I’m trying. I thought you mentioned somebody else the other day that I was shocked. I can’t think of who that was, but, yeah, there’s good people, man. I mean, you know, Minnesota’s full.
MIKE ELDER (55:29)
We also run away from the cold because.
MO COLLINS (55:31)
Yeah, it’s cold.
MIKE ELDER (55:32)
We’re brutal.
MO COLLINS (55:33)
Yeah, it’s brutal. Brutal. They live longer, but it’s brutal.
MIKE ELDER (55:37)
You mentioned residual suck. How much? Like, what is a good. Like, what’s your best residual you’re getting?
MO COLLINS (55:43)
My best residual?
MIKE ELDER (55:44)
Like, what show is paying more than you would have thought or is still your. Do you have one that’s like.
MO COLLINS (55:50)
No, I don’t.
MIKE ELDER (55:52)
Really? Not like Parks and Rec? You’re not getting much.
MO COLLINS (55:53)
No, it was never syndicated. So it’s. It’s sort of like nothing.
MIKE ELDER (55:58)
That’s wild. How’s it syndicated?
MO COLLINS (56:01)
I guess they went straight to Peacock streaming. Right. Wasn’t syndicated. So, I mean, that’s where actors used to kind of get right. Good. I mean, I wasn’t paid very well on Parks and Rec either, so they wouldn’t. They’re not much of anything at all.
MIKE ELDER (56:21)
Pardon my naivity does residuals are. That’s not based on how much you got paid right away, is it?
MO COLLINS (56:26)
Yes.
MIKE ELDER (56:27)
Really?
MO COLLINS (56:27)
They are kind of based on that, yeah.
MIKE ELDER (56:29)
Oh, I didn’t know that.
MO COLLINS (56:30)
Yeah, in a lot of cases. Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (56:34)
Huh. Okay. How many. How many agents have you had out here? Like how often have you switched agencies?
MO COLLINS (56:43)
Oh, maybe not that many. Maybe like five or six times.
MIKE ELDER (56:47)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (56:47)
Something like that.
MIKE ELDER (56:48)
What’s generally the impetus for that? Is it you leaving them or they leaving you or just growing apart?
MO COLLINS (56:54)
It’s usually me moving on.
MIKE ELDER (56:55)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (56:56)
Yeah. Cause nothing’s happening.
MIKE ELDER (56:58)
How often are you talking to your current agents or your team? Like, are you having meetings about like this Wiggin out show?
MO COLLINS (57:04)
And like, I did talk to. I have a manager and I told him about it. Let me add on to. As far as when you want to get into this business, you will be doing everything.
MIKE ELDER (57:22)
I know. That’s so wild.
MO COLLINS (57:23)
You have to do everything.
MIKE ELDER (57:25)
Like even.
MO COLLINS (57:26)
Unless you’re a list, then, you know, pick up the phone.
MIKE ELDER (57:28)
But it finds it. I find it so discouraging when I talk to, no offense, people like you that are still doing the work and it’s like.
MO COLLINS (57:35)
I don’t have an agent.
MIKE ELDER (57:37)
You don’t have an agent?
MO COLLINS (57:38)
No, I don’t have an agent.
MIKE ELDER (57:40)
Really?
MO COLLINS (57:41)
No. I was hip pocketed back when Fear the Walking Dead was about to offer me a contract after I had done a few episodes and I didn’t have an agent, really. Well, I did, but I was getting rid of them. And so I do have a voice agent. So I said to my voice agent, would you field this call for me? There’s a contract coming in. And he said, I would, but I’m gonna hand you to our theatrical department to do this for you.
So I was hip pocketed, which means not really there. And so they didn’t do anything for me. They didn’t negotiate. They just took the contract and took the money. So I ended up, you know, when I was done with Fear the Walking Dead, I got rid of them.
MIKE ELDER (58:28)
How do you not have a TV agent?
MO COLLINS (58:31)
I don’t know
MIKE ELDER (58:32)
what the hell?
MO COLLINS (58:33)
Yeah, yeah. Nothing makes sense. Nothing.
MIKE ELDER (58:41)
I’m swimming out. I’m swimming away right now.
MO COLLINS (58:43)
Yes.
MIKE ELDER (58:44)
Was that your metaphor? What was your metaphor? You had to get away.
I’m getting away right now.
MO COLLINS (58:47)
Like a wave you got. The wave has to go out to come back in so the kids can play on the beach. Yeah, I don’t even try anymore with that. Do you know what I mean? Because it’s even what my management company sends. It’s like the things that I am booking. It’s because they’ve called and said, is Mo Collins available to do this?
That’s how I work. You know, it’s going to be, you know, like the times I’ve come close lately is because of Joan Kalamezzo on Parks and Recreations, producer. The producers of Parks and Rec, they are. They’re in my corner and they know what I can do. So they have brought me in. And I’m grateful for that because it’s going to be something like that, that somebody in power, somebody with leverage, says it’s got to be Mo Collins. Yeah, that’s how I’m going to win that game.
MIKE ELDER (59:50)
Well, that is a beautiful segue to my last question, which is I always ask, who took a chance on you? Because you need those people to take a chance on you.
MO COLLINS (1:00:02)
Fear the Walking Dead. Fear of the Walking Dead took a chance on me. They hired me because of Gina on 40 Year Old Virgin. They did.
That’s how I got the gig.
MIKE ELDER (1:00:12)
That’s great.
MO COLLINS (1:00:12)
They did again, casting hadn’t called me in to read for the role. And I almost didn’t go. I got this call, like, same day audition. I’m like, I’m not gonna get. And I was really busy, about to put up a play here in Los Angeles. We were in tech week. I’m like, ah, they’re not gonna.
But I should go, it’s a drama. I should show casting that I do drama. So I went. Not realizing the producers called me in.
They said, get Mo Collins. And then that night they called and booked me next day, I went. And they’re like, you know that character Gina? And I’m like, yeah. And they go, her. And I go, all right, let’s go stir up some beef. And that was how I got Fear the Walking Dead was because somebody took a chance just off of, you know, an improvised character. Gina.
MIKE ELDER (1:00:59)
That was like 20 seconds in the movie, maybe. Yeah, 30.
MO COLLINS (1:01:03)
Yeah. Entirely improvised. I thought I was going to be fired in that moment.
MIKE ELDER (1:01:07)
Wait, why?
MO COLLINS (1:01:08)
Well, I didn’t know what the parameters were because there was no script that, you know, it was just sort of like.
MIKE ELDER (1:01:14)
It feels like your wheelhouse.
MO COLLINS (1:01:17)
But improv is what I do. But I’m saying I didn’t know the. Where the. The edge the line was for what they were trying to do on that 40 Year Old Virgin.
MIKE ELDER (1:01:24)
Okay.
MO COLLINS (1:01:25)
And, you know, I. He says, you know, what’s. Oh, Gina.
I’m like, Gina, what’s up. And I just like, oh, shit.
Did I just. Did I go too far by saying, Gina, do you know what I mean?
And then I’m like, well, you’re in it. Keep going. So I just, you know, you’re tucking your sack back. I just sort of went like, I’m going to keep going with what I’m doing here. There are no boundaries as far as my brain is concerned. If they let me go after this, that’s fine, you know? And the camera finally went cut, and everybody burst out laughing.
And then everybody wanted to improvise with Gina, you know, which is why on the back end of the dvd, you’ve got those extras.
MIKE ELDER (1:02:07)
Yeah.
MO COLLINS (1:02:07)
But I did not know what the parameters of the comedy were. Like, blue or, you know, like, how blue is it gonna go? Like, I had no idea. So I was concerned as I was improvising that that was my last take.
MIKE ELDER (1:02:22)
That’s wild.
MO COLLINS (1:02:23)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (1:02:23)
I mean, it’s so perfect in retrospect, I’m shocked, to be honest with you. Bravo for coming up with that line you came up with it’s Gina.
MO COLLINS (1:02:29)
Just in the moment.
MIKE ELDER (1:02:31)
That’s hilarious.
MO COLLINS (1:02:33)
Yeah. Gina, what’s up?
And I’m like, oof. Okay. I didn’t even know, like, I’m being a lesbian. Is that.
Is that okay? Because it was just. I was brought in to improvise for the speed dating scene. That’s what I had read for or improvised audition for. What’s her name? Jane. Got it. The. Yeah, she got.
She got the role I actually auditioned for, but they obviously saw that I’m talented improviser, so they brought me in.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:03)
That’s hilarious. How many takes did you end up doing?
MO COLLINS (1:03:07)
Oh, I don’t know. Not much. It was pretty quick.
It was really quick. But then, like I say, they actually had me just jump to play with other people because they were just having fun.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:15)
Yeah. That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (1:03:16)
And that was my. My $300 day.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:18)
That’s awesome.
MO COLLINS (1:03:19)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:20)
Wow. What a cool story. Wow. Well, this was great, Mo.
MO COLLINS (1:03:24)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:24)
Thank you for coming down.
MO COLLINS (1:03:25)
Thanks for having me.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:26)
You told me the other day you used to hang out and party in this hood.
MO COLLINS (1:03:30)
Yeah.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:30)
Does it feel weird to be back at Los Feliz?
MO COLLINS (1:03:32)
I’m gonna go over there right after this. Just get right back into that bathroom. Do some rails. No, no, no. Actually, it’s fun to drive over here and just remember, like, who I was and all I’ve become.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:48)
Did the Mad TV people party hard? Were they cutting rugs after shows?
MO COLLINS (1:03:54)
Not a big, like, not. I Mean, we were drinkers.
MIKE ELDER (1:03:58)
They seem like punk rock people.
MO COLLINS (1:04:00)
We. We would go out and have drinks. Yeah, we would go out and have drinks. Yeah. But we. Yeah, we partied. We definitely partied.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:09)
Was it what I. Now I’m comparing it to SNL. SNL has their parties after the show.
MO COLLINS (1:04:13)
I’ve been to those.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:14)
The Mad TV party.
MO COLLINS (1:04:15)
No, they were nothing like that. Nothing like that. No.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:19)
But I feel like there’s more punk rock probably you guys are doing something similar, but more on, like.
MO COLLINS (1:04:23)
I mean, I went on to do some things, but. No, but in general, no, the Mad TV was not that.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:30)
Okay, that’s a bummer. It feels like it was.
MO COLLINS (1:04:34)
No, pretty tame. Like, we’d go get tables at a place and just have a really nice time. Oh, right.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:40)
So many.
MO COLLINS (1:04:41)
The madcapness was. Honestly, like, the madcapness was there, you know, in the dressing rooms or off stage or whatever.
Like writers rooms. Like, that’s where. That’s where the crazy. Yeah, the more kind of crazy fun was.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:55)
Wait, where did you guys film?
MO COLLINS (1:04:57)
Hollywood Center Studios.
MIKE ELDER (1:04:58)
Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Mo, this was a pleasure.
MO COLLINS (1:05:03)
So fun. Thanks for having me.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:04)
Glad we did it. I’m glad we. I’m glad we bonded.
MO COLLINS (1:05:06)
Anything for a Minnesota boy.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:08)
That’s right. Don’t be a stranger.
MO COLLINS (1:05:09)
Don’t be a stranger.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:10)
You got to slate. Tail slate here.
MO COLLINS (1:05:12)
What does that mean? Throw my ass up. What does that mean? I’m learning today.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:17)
Have you ever done a tail slate?
MO COLLINS (1:05:18)
What’s a tail slate?
MIKE ELDER (1:05:18)
Just you say your name again. Just so that they remember who you are.
MO COLLINS (1:05:21)
See, I’m learning today. So they remember who I am. Fuck if you don’t remember who I am.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:25)
Wait, do you not pause real quick? Do you never audition commercially anymore?
MO COLLINS (1:05:31)
No, I would do them. If they called and said, we’ve got a campaign, I would do them.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:37)
Oh, you only want to do a campaign?
MO COLLINS (1:05:38)
Yeah. I’m not going to audition for commercials anymore. Again. I’m preserving that Mo Collins.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:43)
Often in a commercial, especially with a group. If you do a group audition, I’ll be like, okay, tail slate. And then you just go, Mike Elder. Mo Collins.
MO COLLINS (1:05:49)
No, no, I’m not doing that anymore. Never.
MIKE ELDER (1:05:52)
Well, you have to do it here.
MO COLLINS (1:05:53)
Mo Collins. What’s my product?
🎵 ROCKFORD (1:05:54) 🎵
MTV and the channel E!. A thing for a celebrity.
