Actor, writer, and director Paul W. Downs feels thrilled about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Paul sits down with Conan to discuss co-creating the hit series Hacks, the inside world of writing for a fake late night show, intertwining personal and professional lives with his partner and fellow creator Lucia Aniello, and a fateful missed encounter at a French hotel. Later, an unexpected secret about Sona’s past is revealed. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (669) 587-2847. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan.
Chapter 1: Who is Paul W. Downs?
Hi, my name is Paul W. Downs, and I feel thrilled about being Conan O'Brien's friend.
Oh, that's very nice. It's true.
It's thrilling.
Fall is here, hear the yell. Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. I can tell that we are going to be friends.
Hey there, welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. I'm Conan O'Brien, joined here by the chuckling Matt Gourley, Sona Movsesian. How are you, Sona?
Am I right?
You what?
I'm all right.
Oh.
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Chapter 2: What is the story behind 'Hacks'?
No, I'm busy talking to Shakespeare on AI.
How did you find that someone sent it to you and was like, oh, you'd love this, man?
No, I don't know. Maybe someone sent it or I heard about it on a show or something. I don't remember. I've never done AI. This was early AI days, though.
Oh, okay, because you wouldn't do that now.
No, I'm too.
I was AI before I was cool.
You were doing AI back in the 80s. Yeah, I was. When it was basically Pong. Yeah, war games. Did you guys hear that? Sorry to bust in. No, anything. Anything. Yeah. Because there's an old saying here. Oh, it doesn't matter what you three talk about. It'll be good. This is proof that it's not. We need this anyway because I'm going to edit all that out.
We got nothing.
So you go ahead. Let's start again. Oh, hold on a sec. Hey there. Welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.
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Chapter 3: How did Paul and Lucia meet?
I watched like, you know, Premium Blend on Comedy Central growing up where there was a lot of female standups who I admire a lot. And so I tried it and I found it really lonely. I found it really hard. Yes. I was also doing a lot of characters, and at the time, you know, I think there are, like, phases that stand-up goes through, and at the time, I would say, hey, I have a couple sound cues.
Do you guys have tech? And they were like, what? They were like, tech? I was like, yeah, do you mind if I bring out a wig and a rattle? And they were like, all right.
I don't think you belong here. And it didn't really work. Seinfeld requested none of this. No.
And now it's so funny because now I see stand up and a lot of people have PowerPoints and they have tons of tech and a lot of sound, you know, so it's different now. But when I was doing it, I for a minute and I mean a minute, I was probably four or five months after graduating that I didn't do improv and I did stand up, found it very hard.
And then I went to the Upright Citizens Brigade and did improv and sketch because I missed it.
You get to UCB and there you meet, you start to meet your people. Yeah. Not just Lucia, Jen. Lucia. Lucia.
It's like cappuccino. You know, that's how you. Lucia.
Lucia. Okay. I'm Conando. Did you just get hit with a chisel? Conando. Conando, yes.
Conando from New Jersey.
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Chapter 4: What challenges do comedians face in creating content?
He went the distance.
That's as high as you can go. Yeah. You're lucky to have us.
Yeah, I know. So, wow, both my assistants have risen in the ranks of one of the most prestigious blah, blah, blahs.
Oh, look at that picture. That's so adorable. I think that that's me holding a participation trophy. No, you got a slot car. You're doing a slot car race. That was my Pinewood Derby car that I, like, built. Oh, look at David. And then I lost, and that's my participation trophy.
He got a participation trophy.
What does a participation trophy look like? I mean, it's just smaller than the other trophies. But is it a figure kind of shrugging? It's a car. It's a little car. Oh, it's a little car.
It's not even a car. It's just a blob. That was a big day. Yeah, I can tell. You've never been able to live up to that day. You put in so much work and then you put your car up and it's over in like a second.
David, you look no different today. Sona looks like Sona has grown into an adult person. You look like, look at David and look at this little boy. I need to get the round glasses again. Oh my God. That's a very cute photograph. Now you, what kind of badges did you get? I mean, if you went that high, I mean, it sounds like Sona just had a couple of bullshit badges. Oh,
No, seriously, like you didn't stick around that long.
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Chapter 8: How does AI impact content creation?
We've talked about it before. I hate it. People get very scared about AI. I have been working very hard to have AI replace you, Sona.
Oh.
And I have thousands of servers trying to learn Sona's rhythms. It's impossible. They've all exploded. They've exploded and they're in these salt mines. They keep them in salt mines deep under the ground in Utah. And I've spent most of the money I've made in show business on all these servers.
Oh, thank you.
They overheat and explode because they cannot match the Movsesian rhythms. They don't make sense. AI can't figure it out.
She just moves at a different speed.
Who's she?
She's so, I, me.
Oh, you're talking about yourself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you talking about, the creator?
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