Without Haleigh Raff, Seth Meyers would have no one to talk to. Raff oversees the talent department at “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” where she and her team discuss who will sit next to Meyers each night.
How do you book talent?
My team meets daily to discuss who is in town, what movies are coming out, what shows are coming on. Right now [mid-February], I’m booking June. We think about an A-list star and go into a second guest that’s a sports star or an actor, and then we go into the third guest that is a standup, author, or musical act. When you’re looking to build a show and you have Jennifer Garner as a lead, I think, What works well with Jennifer Garner? Who would complement her? There are always these guests who are amazing that everyone wants, like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Schumer. You have the guests you know will come and deliver for you, like Amy [Poehler] and Tina [Fey], Andy Samberg. Then you have amazing guests who really prepare for each interview, like Ben Stiller, Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, and Adam Sandler.
Where did you start?
I went to Syracuse [University] and majored in television, radio, and film. I did a bunch of odd jobs and I knew someone at “[Late Night With] Conan O’Brien”—he was a producer. I just kept calling and calling to get in. I got a job as a segment producer’s assistant. You have to get in and prove you’ll do whatever it takes. If you show you have the drive, you’ll make it. You have to work crazy-long hours for low pay.
What do you like about booking?
I love booking new people and taking a chance on them. We had Thomas Middleditch [“Silicon Valley”] come on, and he killed it. Demi Lovato was here, and she surprised all of us. She told this amazing story about mermaids. It was one of my favorite segments.
How do you adapt what you do for each person you work for?
You know what your host likes and what works with them. We noticed that Seth really enjoys talking to authors, so we made that part of the show. The “SNL” talent works well because it’s like family. He has a great time. What are Seth’s favorite shows? The movies he likes? We have to play to the country but also to what he’s interested in because it plays very strong.
What advice do you have?
First off, if you’re going to get into the entertainment business, just go for it. It took me a year to get into “Conan”; meanwhile, I was working in advertising. The rejection is all part of it and it makes you stronger. Give it your all. I notice when I hand something to someone and it gets done right. Be persistent, but there’s a fine line between persistence and annoyance. Know when enough is enough.
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