- You should do standup, and I can help you.
- What're you talking about? - Talkin' about your act.
- I don't have an act.
- You will when we're done.
This is Alex Borstein, a comic actress who has won two Emmys:
one for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" in which she plays Susie Myerson,
the tough, brazen manager of Midge Maisel,
and I think I've heard her voice somewhere else before...
what is this? - This vooooice.
Oh yeah, she voices Lois Griffin in one of the biggest
animated shows of all time, "Family Guy."
(singing) - La la la!
Borstein's roots are in comedy going way back to the early 90s
when she trained in improv at the ACME Comedy Theatre.
From there she started writing for various series like "Casper"
and "Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain," eventually writing print ads for Barbie.
On the side her first official acting credits involved dubbing
the voice of several monsters in "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers."
You've got Madame Woe, Bloom of Doom,
and Lipsyncher.
- Oh my! Where are those gorgeous Power Rangers?
- I just wanna KISS THEM ALL TO PIECES!
Her legacy in the "Power Rangers" canon didn't end there
as she dubbed the recurring villain Queen Machina in "Power Rangers Zeo."
- Absolutely brilliant.
Then, Alex got two big breaks back to back, the first of which
was becoming a regular cast member and writer on "MADtv."
And not long after that, she was asked by a then unknown animator, Seth MacFarlane,
to voice the mother, Lois Griffin, in a new animated series called...
- "Family Guy!"
She would go on to become a co-producer of the series as well.
Besides Alex's regular gigs on these two shows, she began to pop up
in TV with comedic one-off characters in episodes of "Frasier"
and "Friends." - How could he leave me!?
And she had two recurring characters in "Gilmore Girls," like Drella the Harpist. - Tell it to the tip jar.
Fun fact: Alex was originally cast to play Melissa McCarthy's character
of Sookie in an unaired pilot of the show,
but unfortunately, couldn't continue due to scheduling conflicts with "MADtv."
As far as movies go, it wasn't unusual for Alex to play
characters who, instead of having names, had very specific descriptions:
"Milwaukee Mom with Photo..."
- Gee, you know what? This one, I think it's more than enough.
"Obnoxious Hummer Lady..."
- I do! Look at the size of this bad boy, huh?
...and "Red Hair Woman."
- It's Martha.
She had a name. He just said it. Her name was Martha. Just call her Martha!
But some of Alex's more prominent supporting roles usually involved her
flexing her sass and attitude, like a tour guide in 'The Lizzie McGuire Movie...'
- Rome! The eternal city! Did no one read the info packet?
...a no-nonsense secretary in 'Good Night, and Good Luck...'
- Brent's not gonna be in for another hour...
...and let's not forget about the Razzie Award-winning 'Catwoman,'
in which she fit right in as the plucky best friend Sally.
- If I screw it up, you can throw away the key.
In more recent years, Seth MacFarlane has continued to feature her
in projects like 'Ted...' (screams)
...and 'A Million Ways to Die in the West.'
But one of Alex's favorite roles was in the short-lived HBO dark comedy "Getting On"
as the head nurse in a geriatric wing of a hospital.
- It's not "a feces" it's just "feces."
- But it wasn't a gang of them, it was just one beast.
When this show was cancelled, Alex almost threw in the towel
as far as on-screen acting.
- I don't wanna read your diary. - It's not my diary.
- I don't care what your first time felt like.
...until she was approached by "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" creator
Amy Sherman-Palladino, whom Alex had previously worked
with on "Gilmore Girls."
The rest is history, and Alex has continued making audiences laugh
both behind the mic and in front of the camera.
(laughing)