Hannah Einbinder and Chloe Fineman on ‘Creepy’ Open Mics, Meeting Francis Ford Coppola and Making Women ‘Feel Seen’ With Comedy

variety.com:

Hannah Einbinder and Chloe Fineman have come a long way since they became friends eight years ago during an open mic night at a wine bar in Glendale.

Einbinder, the daughter of original “Saturday Night Live” cast member Laraine Newman, now trades wits with Jean Smart on Max’s “Hacks,” while Fineman took her outlandish celebrity impressions from Instagram to NBC’s “SNL.” Here, the two discuss how “Hacks” deals with aging in a scene where Smart’s character, Deborah, takes a bad fall, how Fineman’s Melania Trump impression got her cast in “Megalopolis” and what it means that comedy is “dying.” HANNAH EINBINDER: The first time I saw you, I was like, “Well, she will be on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ of course.” CHLOE FINEMAN: I had a clown phase.

Then I got dumped by my clown teacher. Then I was like, “Maybe I’ll go after ‘Saturday Night Live.’” I remember you getting [the Just for Laughs festival], and then it was off to “Hacks.” But you tested for us. EINBINDER: I did a screen test for “Saturday Night Live.” I auditioned for “Hacks” maybe three days before the initial COVID stay-at-home orders.

The rest of the process was over Zoom, and then there was one very high-risk screen test. We had a screen between us, just me and Jean talking through it on a dark, empty soundstage. FINEMAN: It’s interesting for me to watch, because I know every person on the show. EINBINDER: They try to really stack the show with comedians.