This has been quite the year for comedian, actor, and writer Rhea Butcher. Lucky for us, we get to join her for the ride. From her marriage to her new show, new album to late night appearances, we were able to catch up and discuss what this year has been like for her. We also pick her brain about being married to a comedian, what it was like seeing a “winner” in Cleveland, and if we’ll get to see the first ever stand-up special taped while skateboarding.
Here’s our Q&A with Rhea Butcher:
This is a big year for you! Your debut on late night, debut album, debut of Take My Wife, and the debut of your real life marriage. I’m not going to ask you to rank them, but talk about each a little bit and what it’s been like to achieve them.
It’s crazy! I can’t believe all this stuff happened to all come out within a two month period. I’ll be on Adam Ruins Everything and also The Meltdown this August and September, respectively. I was pretty much working on all of these things at once, so it’s kinda hard to separate them out in my mind. I didn’t realize when you make a tv show that it becomes your life 24-7 until it’s released… and then it’s just more like 12-7. I recorded my album in one night in Portland while we were in pre production for Take My Wife, writing and setting up for production, while I also had a sinus infection that made me lose my voice two days before the recording. And the Conan set was right after we wrapped production on TMW, and I had just begun a two week writing gig.
I grew up on Conan. So getting to do stand-up on his show was like being on Carson. He was so nice and so was Andy. That show is so great and I think they are really representing contemporary stand-up in such a rad way. Check out Dolcé Sloan, Solomon Georgio, Joel Kim Booster, Cameron Esposito, and Gary Gulman on Conan. Such a great sample of what standup is really like right now. Oh, and watch my set if you haven’t seen it yet, of course. 😉
You chose to name your album Butcher, which is your last name. And quite a distinct one at that. Were there any potential album titles that fell to the wayside before you settled?
This one was my very first idea and I tried to think of some other ideas but none really felt like they fit. Sometimes the first idea is just the right one! My mom always told me she thought of naming me Rhea first off and ever since then I’ve just been like, yeah, go with the first idea.
You’re originally from Akron, OH and a little birdy told me that you “may” be a massive sports fan. I’m from Warren, OH myself and something so magical happened this summer that I thought I would never ever witness. Can you walk us through said event from your perspective?
Oh man. I went into these Finals a little differently this time around. Last year, I thought we had it; LeBron JUST came back, he made the promise, and we were looking great. Then Kyrie got hurt and so many others, and then we ran into The Warriors. This year, I was more of the typical Cavs fan – hopeful, excited but prepared. I was traveling a lot at the beginning and I watched the first two games in a green room with a bunch of comics, almost all of whom were cheering for Golden State. I had to get out of there for my own sanity. Then I watched game 3 with a friend and got excited. Then I went to see Cleveland play the Angels in Anaheim and sat behind the Cleveland dugout with a bunch of Ohioans watching the score and just kept thinking, “we can do this guys, we can do this.” Then I watched game 7 at my house, alone with my wife, wearing the same clothes I did for game 3. I didn’t believe it when we won. I was hyperventilating and crying. I think I looked just like LeBron did at the end of the game. My dog was terrified and my wife was confused. I played Andy Billman’s wonderful 30 For 30 film Believeland ad afterwards, she was like, “ohhhhhhh, I get it now.” She’s from Chicago. They had the Bulls and Jordan.
I’m still so happy about it. I’m so happy for Akron. It means so much to me that a kid from Akron got Cleveland their title. Also that he had to leave and then also come back. As a kid who had to leave home to chase her dreams, it really hits home for me (pun intended). I’m crying right now writing this! On a plane!
“Remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the first championship for Cleveland in 52 years and then the Indians went on a 14 game win streak and were undefeated at home in June?”… “Yeah, me too.”
Let’s discuss your upcoming role on truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything which is back for its second season. You know a show is doing well when you see a full-sized bus driving down the New York City streets outfitted with Adam head nice and big on the side.
Adam is so great and I’m so happy for him and the show. It is a tremendous project to be involved with. Each 30 minute episode is basically a film. They are making some amazing television – it’s so funny and so smart and also has heart. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.
To bring it back to your new show on Seeso, Take My Wife, does putting the real elements of your personal life that are included in the show on camera make it easier to assess your life and reflect on your life? And has it affected any decisions you’ve made since going forward because you have this new perspective?
I don’t know that it makes it easier to assess my life or reflect on it, because I don’t think I’d put anything in the show that I hadn’t felt like I’d already dug into. Of course you spend your whole life assessing and reflecting but I wouldn’t want to put anything on stage or on screen that I haven’t processed. It does make me feel really good when people tell me they relate to say, my day job problems or even us swapping clothes.
What does your partner Cameron bring out of you that no one else can when it comes to comedy? Or are you both better served working on your craft separately?
We work together and separately and I think it works very well. We host Put Your Hands Together as a duo but also do sets separately on that show, and of course work on Take My Wife together. But we also do stand-up individually. It’s all just feeding each thing, we’re like sprinters who compete in individuals and then also a relay race.
Skateboarding has been a part of your life and it begs the question, will you be the first comic ever to do a stand-up special while boarding around a skate park doing tricks?
Probably not, unfortunately. I love skateboarding but my ability is waaaaaaay not what it used to be. I just turned 34 and that is by no means old, but it is when you haven’t been skateboarding every day all day for at least 10 years. In my mind I can still rip around but then I get on a board and my knees are like, “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?” I am still so stoked that I got to skate even just a little bit in TMW. That’s actually the only video I have of myself skating. I skated for 10 years and I never shot one video!
Do you prefer killing from start to finish in front of an audience of pre-determined fans or the challenge of winning over an audience who has never experienced Rhea Butcher live?
I like both! Both are fun.
If you could travel back in time and catch any one particular “comedy” moment live from your career so far from the perspective of an audience member, which would it be?
I would love to go back and see my first open mic set. That would probably be fun and also terrible but I’d love to see it. Funny that you asked this question because today is my anniversary of doing that first set.
You can pick up Rhea Butcher’s debut album Butcher right here from Kill Rock Stars Recrods. And be sure to head over to Seeso and get a subscription so you can enjoy Take My Wife. And be sure to look for her on the upcoming season of Adam Ruins Everything on truTV.
