New York City Hall is offering alternative programming for Election Night, a revival of the cult broadcast series.
“Difficult People,” the edgy sitcom that ran for three seasons on Hulu from 2015 to 2017, reunites with its cast on Nov. 3 for a staged reading of a sequel script that creator Julie Klausner wrote with Alex Scordelis. In the film, which was commissioned by Universal and never produced, Klausner’s protagonist Julie and her best friend Billy (Billy Eichner) try to realize their dreams of stardom once again, even after retiring from the entertainment world. Throughout, they are forced to reckon with how the industry has changed since we last saw them, from the glut of cheap horror movies to the steady rise of social media influencers.
Klausner and Eichner will be joined by “Difficult People” cast member Andrea Martin (who plays Julie’s mother, Marilyn). James Urbaniak (Arthur, Julie’s boyfriend) and Gabourey Sidibe (Billy’s restaurant boss, Denise), and guests including Christopher Meloni, Cecily Strong, Michael Urie, and Paul Walter Hauser. (Although Cole Escola, who plays Billy’s hated co-worker Matthew, is unavailable, Klausner has found someone equally adept in the over-the-top camp—Susan Lucci will play the role, as Escola and Lucci announced on Instagram.) Everyone will work within a different roster of “Difficult People”: The show has skewered both Hollywood and its own protagonists, who simultaneously see clearly the shortcomings of the industry they hope for. to participate and dream about their own prospects. “Difficult People,” which was first acquired by the U.S., became one of Hulu’s first original series.
Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner
©Courtesy of Hulu/Everett Collection
For Klausner, whose recent credits include acting in “Long Story Short” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and writing on “Schmigadoon,” this return is both nostalgic and full of potential. as he said DiversityHe has hope that the evening may bear fruit and that more “Difficult People” may emerge in the future. Either way, revisiting her character nearly a decade later gave her the opportunity to comment on years of stories that Julie and Billy could see through their familiar searing, perceptive lenses.
Were there any stories you hoped to tell when “Difficult People” went off the air?
I think when you have the center of friendship there are endless stories, right? Many times, probably incorrectly, I would start with a joke and come back to it because I get so attached to my jokes. But when you have something as permanent as the love that friendship brings, there is no limit to what we can do. And then commenting on the changing culture – it was very disappointing not to be able to be on the air when #MeToo hit the air.
Certainly.
And the amount of changing business and comedy (strikes, mergers, Covid-19, et al) has been truly frustrating. I wanted to see Billy and Julie while we were in prison. I wanted to see how Marilyn handled her Zoom sessions. I have to give credit to this season of “The Comeback” for being more inspiring to me than almost anything else this year: Being able to meet those characters in this moment — and being able to [the story] It started during the strike – I thought it was so genius. As the kids say, this brought me that feeling.
©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
At the beginning of your script, Billy and Julie are further away from showbiz success (and each other) than ever before. They sing about how wonderful their lives are, but they feel obvious fear. What was it like to reinsert us into their mindset?
I love introducing characters that reassure you that they’re happy and you know they’re lying because that’s who they are. When were they happy? It’s not in their dictionary. This is also why it’s a musical number; It should feel inherently dishonest.
The problem isn’t just that they’re happy to complain, it’s that they’re who they are when they’re trying. And unless they’re together, they’re not who they really are. Stories about romantic love don’t move me; Maybe it’s because of my age, but stories about friendships that last over time affect me much more now. People do things because they love them, not for financial success and fame.
It’s interesting that time has never softened these characters and their friendship is still an ongoing strength. You’re not involved in this here.
We had a rule on the show: Billy and Julie never fight, and Billy and Julie always know what the others are up to. In such a hostile world, it was “us against the world” and there was something comforting about that rule. There will be no conflicts that will stress people out.
Every time Billy or Julie encounters a fan, it’s jarring; So few people have ever heard of them that even a single fan encounter is the equivalent of winning an Oscar. “Difficult People” wasn’t obscure by any means, but when it came out as early as it did in the streaming revolution, did you feel like the show was an underdog?
They are so excited that someone other than each other appreciates them! The idea that someone else might get them is very exciting. I still get that beautiful feeling of “You’re buying what I’m selling” when people express their love for what I do. I grew up a fan of all things cult related. I have never watched “Friends.” I was watching “Mr. Show” and “Larry Sanders” and “Strangers With Candy” and “The Kids in the Hall.” It’s nice to see something, but I also appreciate the loyalty of the audience. Because that was me growing up.
Kate McKinnon, Andy Cohen, Sandra Bernhard, Nathan Lane, Maury Povich, Lucy Liu, John Turturro
©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection / ©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection / Barbara Nitke / Seacia Pavao
The show was a magnet for high-profile guest stars like Julianne Moore, Nathan Lane, Ken Burns and others, and now Christopher Meloni will also appear at the reading. How do you know which celebrities are the “Difficult People” type?
Chris is so funny. In terms of the show’s guest stars having the hanging sensibility, all they really needed was a sense of humor and a willingness to make fun of themselves. I keep coming back to “Larry Sanders” because it was the first time I saw how much fun celebrities were having playing weird versions of themselves. David Duchovny in that series finale is so iconic. It’s the real ones, you know. It was a great way to lend a hand to show business while we were making fun of it, because at the same time, everyone — at least everyone who’s cool — sees themselves as outsiders. A program about foreigners appeals to the right person.
By the way, I just saw “The Debut.” Julianne Moore gives me Valerie Cherish.
I know!
What will happen? He is already an icon. He’s hurtling towards legendary territory. Close the lids; What will happen is the Liza area.
Gabourey Sidibe and Cole Escola
©Courtesy of Hulu/Everett Collection
In “Difficult People”, which speaks of the expectation of great success, she has since blown up and said “Oh, Mary!” Cole Escola, who won the Tony Award for his performance, was featured. What was it like working with them in the beginning?
I’m excited to see Cole succeed as a writer and actor, not one or the other. Because Cole wasn’t just on screen, he was also in the writers’ room. Cole was the writer for Seasons 2 and 3, and some of the best stories that have nothing to do with his characters come from Cole’s mind. Billy needed an enemy and a work family because I had my mother and my partner, and so we had to flesh out Billy’s world a little bit. So we started with the enemy and knew we wanted a drama queen. We knew Cole was going to do it in a way that no one else would, and we could keep pushing the character to make Matthew go dumber and dumber and crazier and crazier. “The Simpsons” writers always ask, “Homer?” He talks about asking the question. more idiot?” We never stopped to ask that.
Do you hope the next act of “Difficult People” goes beyond reading? What’s on your vision board?
I am well aware of the current climate of the entertainment industry. I am well aware that this is a very different business than when we started publishing nearly 10 years ago. So I have expectations, then I have hopes and dreams. I hope something great comes out of the night and it could very well be a great night! Seeing what has happened to these characters since we last left them behind could be an incredible experience we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
That said, it’s like I would love to see something great come out of this, and I keep going back to the season of “The Comeback” where they had the opportunity to comment on the AI and the consolidation and congestion in the writers’ rooms and all the other things that were making us so stressed out. There are ways to revisit “Difficult People” that go beyond the traditional 30-minute reboot. I saw the five-episode reunion of “Girls”; This is absolutely amazing. I like the idea of doing something limited. Actually making the movie would be a dream. It would be a dream to do a stage adaptation in the style of “Schmigadoon.” I think there is more than one way to approach both the “Difficult People” feature and the script we were hired to write four years ago. He didn’t go forward. It’s become this lost thing that we’ve adapted for now, and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to share it with people.
This interview has been edited and condensed.