Before stealing scenes as the unhinged talent agency assistant Kayla Schaefer on HBO Max’s Emmy-winning “Hacks,” Meg Stalter was already perfecting her signature brand of hilariously delusional confidence. That ridiculousness shines brightest through Kayla’s boundary-crossing, codependent dynamic with her long-suffering manager turned business partner, Jimmy LuSaque Jr. (played by co-creator Paul W. Downs)—a fan-favorite pairing powered by wild, unfiltered on-set improvisations that prove Stalter’s commitment to her bits translates beautifully to the mainstream.
“It’s about getting back to your inner child,” she tells us of the philosophy behind her singular comedic style. Here, Stalter opens up about those improvisations with Downs (which they reprised this past awards season), the unexpected cultural reach of her viral “Hi, Gay!” video, and her fierce commitment to her own creative vision—no matter how absurd things get.
How did your early years with collaborator Sarah Sherman shape your work?
I met Sarah when we were doing standup in Chicago. She was so inspiring to me because I felt like I could relate to her and that we were doing what we really thought was funny—not thinking too much about the rules of it. I think watching her made me want to go even deeper into what I found really funny. In Chicago, when I was doing standup and improv, if something didn’t go well in a show, I was pretty delusional about being like, “I think it’s so funny, and they just don’t get it.” Even though, at first, I probably wasn’t executing the way that I am now. But I always thought I was. Chicago was just such an amazing place to start comedy, because everyone is trying to get better, but also doing it because they love it. It kind of felt like comedy college. We just did it every night, all the time, on weekends. We were finding our voice.
What advice would you give to an actor whose work is considered too out there?
You won’t be happy trying to be someone else or changing your stuff. What makes you an amazing performer is also what makes you unique. You’re bringing something that no one else can bring because you’re being fully yourself. So that’s what your ticket is. Staying true to yourself and your performance. You don’t want to water yourself down or be something else—it’s just going to make you sad and bored.
Your Instagram sketches put you on the map. Do you have a favorite?
I definitely owe a lot to my “Hi, Gay!” video. It’s so much more than a little catchphrase to me, because it’s the thing I want to be known for with all my Instagram videos—kind of making fun of corporations that like to capitalize on the gay community. Also, this phrase, “Hi, Gay,” is kind of sweet. It’s welcoming of queer people in the community. And it’s cool because it’s not mine—it’s everyone who likes that video. So that’s definitely a favorite. It also changed my life. I feel like I found my people.
How did you keep your signature energy from getting lost when transitioning from sketches to a major production?
I’m just so lucky, because the people who make that show are people who love me for myself and found me through my videos. It felt like they wanted me to stay myself on the show. It definitely could be intimidating when you’ve never worked in TV, but they made me feel really comfortable and at home right away. So I owe it to them—the reason I’m not lost in all of it.
You showcase that same vibe everywhere—including your viral acceptance speech for “Hamnet.” What’s your advice for actors on committing to the bit?
It goes with what we were saying before about doing the comedy you want to do, even if it doesn’t land, because those rooms aren’t easy. But I think when I do it with Paul, it makes me really fearless. And also, I know that it’s going to make him laugh. Even if I say something and the room is like, “Wait—is she kidding?” It’s about having good people around you while also staying true to yourself. It took years to find my voice in comedy and then be true to it. But what you’re doing is just getting back to your inner child and what you think is funny.
You got a lot of freedom to go off-script with Kayla. Was there a specific trick for keeping that chaotic energy fresh?
It truly is working next to Paul. He’s making it fresh for me because I’m trying to make him laugh, and he’s making me laugh nonstop. Also, the script is so amazing, so it’s easy to think of other things to add, but [co-creators] Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky keep it fresh by adding things like, “Oh, do you want to say this over here instead?” or giving alt lines. When the director is improvising with you and saying, “Why don’t you try something you want here?” it’s easy to add your own thing and keep it new.
Courtesy HBO Max
How did you and Downs find your rhythm?
We just clicked right away when we met. I feel like there are just some people that you have that rhythm with. I don’t think I could have that with just anyone. I think it’s specific to our connection; there’s a lot of safety there. Because even if we’re doing an appearance, knowing he’ll say something even funnier back makes me be able to say something crazy. So it’s just a natural trust and shared sense of humor.
How do you keep from breaking character?
I definitely break on set with [Downs]. But if it’s onstage, it’s really committing to the bit and really feeling like, This is going to be funnier if I don’t laugh. And I guess if I am laughing or smiling, I try to turn it into part of it. I don’t want people to know that I’m doing a bit.
What was one of the most unexpected things you learned about acting on a major TV set compared to performing improv?
Before working on “Hacks,” I almost thought TV was filmed like a play—like, you’re doing the full scene. I didn’t even know that it’s: You do this part of the scene this many times, and then you go to a different shot, and you do that part of the scene that many times. I thought it was: You film once and do the whole scene. With improv, though, if you make something up on one side [of the camera], you’re going to need to remember what you did when you shoot the other.
Do you have an improv trick to help you remember?
I feel like I don’t worry about it with “Hacks” because they can remind me if I don’t. But if you’re really present in the scene, you do remember what you did. If you’re doing crazy things every time, now that’s hard—they have to keep track of that for you and tell you which one they want you to do again.
Courtesy HBO Max
If Kayla from “Hacks” were in charge of your music career for one day, what’s the first chaotic thing she’d do?
She would definitely send me to a different country to try to get famous there first. She would be trying to K-pop me or something. She’d want me to be in a full girls’ band that can dance, you know what I mean? I feel like she’d be sending me to a lot of dance training with different women.
What’s one memory from “Hacks” you’ll never forget?
There are just so many. I’ll never forget when we were filming in Vegas, because it feels just so crazy to be there for an extended amount of time. I have never been there longer than a week, but a week in Vegas is like a million years. And the last scene, I’ll never forget. It was a crowd scene, and every single time we went to shoot, I’m like, Is this going to be the last scene ever for me on “Hacks”? So I was very emotional. And then I improvised that I was passing out, because I felt like I was going to pass out in real life, and they caught me. It was very sweet.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to learn how to be funny?
It’s interesting, because you could technically teach someone how to do standup and write a joke. But my advice would be to really interact with your inner child and go back to what you thought was funny when you were little. Go back to the things you liked as a child, because it’s probably the same. Some people are just naturally really funny. But I think maybe they’re the most connected to who they were when they were kids.
What’s next for you?
I would love to act more, but right now it’s music. If there’s any sort of audition, opportunity, or role for me, I will take it in a heartbeat. It’s music until the job comes, and then I’ll be taking the job. [Stalter just released a new single, “Prettiest Girl in America,” and is making her Broadway debut in Cole Escola’s hit comedy “Oh, Mary!” as lead Mary Todd Lincoln for a 10-week run beginning July 6 and ending September 12.]
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
