1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,074 - You should do standup, and I can help you. 2 00:00:03,074 --> 00:00:05,415 - What're you talking about? - Talkin' about your act. 3 00:00:05,416 --> 00:00:06,974 - I don't have an act. 4 00:00:06,981 --> 00:00:08,761 - You will when we're done. 5 00:00:08,761 --> 00:00:13,610 This is Alex Borstein, a comic actress who has won two Emmys: 6 00:00:13,613 --> 00:00:17,576 one for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" in which she plays Susie Myerson, 7 00:00:17,577 --> 00:00:20,075 the tough, brazen manager of Midge Maisel, 8 00:00:20,075 --> 00:00:23,194 and I think I've heard her voice somewhere else before... 9 00:00:23,201 --> 00:00:24,559 what is this? - This vooooice. 10 00:00:24,567 --> 00:00:28,132 Oh yeah, she voices Lois Griffin in one of the biggest 11 00:00:28,133 --> 00:00:30,280 animated shows of all time, "Family Guy." 12 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,075 (singing) - La la la! 13 00:00:32,078 --> 00:00:35,583 Borstein's roots are in comedy going way back to the early 90s 14 00:00:35,583 --> 00:00:38,661 when she trained in improv at the ACME Comedy Theatre. 15 00:00:38,667 --> 00:00:41,768 From there she started writing for various series like "Casper" 16 00:00:41,777 --> 00:00:45,939 and "Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain," eventually writing print ads for Barbie. 17 00:00:45,942 --> 00:00:49,718 On the side her first official acting credits involved dubbing 18 00:00:49,718 --> 00:00:53,993 the voice of several monsters in "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." 19 00:00:53,993 --> 00:00:56,877 You've got Madame Woe, Bloom of Doom, 20 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:58,202 and Lipsyncher. 21 00:00:58,211 --> 00:01:01,863 - Oh my! Where are those gorgeous Power Rangers? 22 00:01:01,863 --> 00:01:04,374 - I just wanna KISS THEM ALL TO PIECES! 23 00:01:04,381 --> 00:01:06,850 Her legacy in the "Power Rangers" canon didn't end there 24 00:01:06,850 --> 00:01:11,421 as she dubbed the recurring villain Queen Machina in "Power Rangers Zeo." 25 00:01:11,422 --> 00:01:12,920 - Absolutely brilliant. 26 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,643 Then, Alex got two big breaks back to back, the first of which 27 00:01:16,644 --> 00:01:19,952 was becoming a regular cast member and writer on "MADtv." 28 00:01:19,955 --> 00:01:25,053 And not long after that, she was asked by a then unknown animator, Seth MacFarlane, 29 00:01:25,056 --> 00:01:28,670 to voice the mother, Lois Griffin, in a new animated series called... 30 00:01:28,673 --> 00:01:31,169 - "Family Guy!" 31 00:01:31,169 --> 00:01:33,754 She would go on to become a co-producer of the series as well. 32 00:01:33,754 --> 00:01:37,415 Besides Alex's regular gigs on these two shows, she began to pop up 33 00:01:37,421 --> 00:01:40,965 in TV with comedic one-off characters in episodes of "Frasier" 34 00:01:40,970 --> 00:01:44,444 and "Friends." - How could he leave me!? 35 00:01:44,446 --> 00:01:50,741 And she had two recurring characters in "Gilmore Girls," like Drella the Harpist. - Tell it to the tip jar. 36 00:01:50,749 --> 00:01:55,290 Fun fact: Alex was originally cast to play Melissa McCarthy's character 37 00:01:55,292 --> 00:01:57,672 of Sookie in an unaired pilot of the show, 38 00:01:57,675 --> 00:02:02,421 but unfortunately, couldn't continue due to scheduling conflicts with "MADtv." 39 00:02:02,425 --> 00:02:05,714 As far as movies go, it wasn't unusual for Alex to play 40 00:02:05,722 --> 00:02:10,696 characters who, instead of having names, had very specific descriptions: 41 00:02:10,698 --> 00:02:12,716 "Milwaukee Mom with Photo..." 42 00:02:12,716 --> 00:02:15,840 - Gee, you know what? This one, I think it's more than enough. 43 00:02:15,842 --> 00:02:17,631 "Obnoxious Hummer Lady..." 44 00:02:17,633 --> 00:02:19,679 - I do! Look at the size of this bad boy, huh? 45 00:02:19,685 --> 00:02:21,630 ...and "Red Hair Woman." 46 00:02:21,634 --> 00:02:22,423 - It's Martha. 47 00:02:22,428 --> 00:02:26,848 She had a name. He just said it. Her name was Martha. Just call her Martha! 48 00:02:26,854 --> 00:02:30,205 But some of Alex's more prominent supporting roles usually involved her 49 00:02:30,208 --> 00:02:35,063 flexing her sass and attitude, like a tour guide in 'The Lizzie McGuire Movie...' 50 00:02:35,063 --> 00:02:37,619 - Rome! The eternal city! Did no one read the info packet? 51 00:02:37,619 --> 00:02:40,413 ...a no-nonsense secretary in 'Good Night, and Good Luck...' 52 00:02:40,413 --> 00:02:42,184 - Brent's not gonna be in for another hour... 53 00:02:42,184 --> 00:02:45,828 ...and let's not forget about the Razzie Award-winning 'Catwoman,' 54 00:02:45,829 --> 00:02:49,708 in which she fit right in as the plucky best friend Sally. 55 00:02:49,711 --> 00:02:52,878 - If I screw it up, you can throw away the key. 56 00:02:52,882 --> 00:02:55,996 In more recent years, Seth MacFarlane has continued to feature her 57 00:02:56,002 --> 00:02:58,945 in projects like 'Ted...' (screams) 58 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:00,840 ...and 'A Million Ways to Die in the West.' 59 00:03:00,842 --> 00:03:06,146 But one of Alex's favorite roles was in the short-lived HBO dark comedy "Getting On" 60 00:03:06,146 --> 00:03:08,960 as the head nurse in a geriatric wing of a hospital. 61 00:03:08,962 --> 00:03:11,087 - It's not "a feces" it's just "feces." 62 00:03:11,093 --> 00:03:13,897 - But it wasn't a gang of them, it was just one beast. 63 00:03:13,905 --> 00:03:16,634 When this show was cancelled, Alex almost threw in the towel 64 00:03:16,634 --> 00:03:18,190 as far as on-screen acting. 65 00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:20,020 - I don't wanna read your diary. - It's not my diary. 66 00:03:20,024 --> 00:03:21,645 - I don't care what your first time felt like. 67 00:03:21,647 --> 00:03:24,519 ...until she was approached by "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" creator 68 00:03:24,519 --> 00:03:28,155 Amy Sherman-Palladino, whom Alex had previously worked 69 00:03:28,158 --> 00:03:29,380 with on "Gilmore Girls." 70 00:03:29,384 --> 00:03:33,401 The rest is history, and Alex has continued making audiences laugh 71 00:03:33,404 --> 00:03:36,525 both behind the mic and in front of the camera. 72 00:03:36,525 --> 00:03:40,715 (laughing)