Bridget Everett

Somebody Somewhere may seem like a vague title, but this television series has hit home with many viewers over the years in very specific ways. The story takes place in the small town of Manhattan, Kansas and follows Sam, played by Bridget Everett, navigating life and the challenges that come with it. Jeff Hiller portrays Joel her gay best friend and debuted in 2020 on HBO.

The show is coming to an end with season three which is currently airing on the streaming platform. Everett and Hiller sat down while visiting the Windy City to discuss the special series.

JN: (Jerry Nunn) I’m so glad you both came to town to promote Somebody Somewhere and appear at the Chicago Humanities Festival.

JH: (Jeff Hiller) Someone just asked me if I was speaking and I wouldn’t classify it as that.. [laughs]

JN: I just saw Randy Rainbow at the festival, so if he can do it anyone can.

BE: (Bridget Everett) Did he break into song?

JN: He was promoting his new book. My first question for you is why do you feel it’s the right time to end the show on a third season?

BE: The truth is we are incredibly grateful that we got three seasons at all. It feels like a miracle.  I don’t see this as the end. I see it as we are stopping for now and where their lives are at the moment. Maybe we will do a movie someday. Let’s get the people to rise up and get a GoFundMe going!

JN: Let’s put that out in the universe. You filmed in Illinois and I tried to be on this season, but the role fell through.

BE: Yes, we filmed in Lockport, Lemont and Naperville as well, around that area. Lockport oddly enough looks a lot like Manhattan, Kansas. We drove around scouting every small town and it was all no’s until we got to Lockport.

JN: How do you feel about the pictures on the refrigerator for a scene in season three?

BE: I love it because it was my idea! [laughs]

JH: In my onscreen relationship he doesn’t allow me to put pictures on the refrigerator when I move in with him.

BE: Are you anti-pictures on the fridge, Jeff?

JH: No, I love it. My issue is the front of my refrigerator is not magnetic, so I have to put them on the side. The side of my refrigerator is completely covered.

What I loved about it was that it was really what a relationship is like. People think it will be like Bridget Jones where they will meet and kiss in the snow and then live happily ever after. It’s not like that at all and takes a lot of work. If the work is worth it and the relationship is fulfilling then stick with it.

JN: I know a lot of gay couples that struggle with where their previous stuff goes when they move in with each other.

JH: Exactly! The dishwasher scene seemed unusual to me at first but then everyone told me they had dishwasher issues.

BE: That scene made me not want to be in a relationship because I like the way I do the dishwasher. I never imagined it to be a thing.

JH: Oh, it’s a thing!

JN: The second episode of season three had me bawling like a baby. How was it filmed?

BE: Incredible. Tim Bagley is all heart and an open, raw vessel in that moment. We all cried every take. It was really extraordinary.

JH: It wasn’t acting where we had to force the tears.

BE: There was no faking anything. There was also an element from the Midwest where he’s private about his emotions and doing something in a public way. It’s like he was giving birth to a feeling or something.

JH: When I read it I noticed that he wouldn’t be able to sing and then I realized the reason he couldn’t sing. I was surprised and I wept because it was so beautiful.

BE: He did every take…

JH: Even when the camera wasn’t on me.

BE: I would look over and he was always connected to the moment.

JN: Is there a good deal of improvisation in this show or is it strictly scripted?

BE: We stick to the script a good amount, but there is time to mess around.

JH: Often at the end of scenes once we have gotten through the dialogue they will let the camera roll and we get to play around. That is when we add in the things that make it seem real with the relationships. It’s not like we are improvising in the way a comedy movie does where it’s super outrageous. We are trying to be authentic.

BE: We don’t bump/set/spike a joke. It’s more of laughing through tears to show an emotion. We will have deep talks with a communication to keep it sweet. I think that’s really special.

JN: I noticed in the hotel scene with your onscreen sister Tricia Miller that it seemed very improvised.

BE: Well, she had an improv that is now the title of episode four “What if it spreads?” We all decided that would be a great title!

JN: That covers a lot! [all laugh]

BE: It’s so perfect. I remember when she said it that it was really good. At first, I thought it was in the script, but no, it was an MCG (Mary Catherine Garrison) original!

JN: Which brings us to STIs. I saw your standup act at The Den Theatre where you talked about your journey in healthcare and sexually transmitted infections, Jeff.

JH: I worked in a clinic. I didn’t have a lot of STIs! [laughs]

JN: Yes, and so did I. Jokes help to get rid of the stigma.

JH: Exactly.

BE: That scene reminds me of when I was little and my sister showed me how to put a tampon in. She sat on a toilet spread eagle and I was on the ground looking at her. These are different ways of showing intimacy.

JH: What’s intimate about that? [laughs]

JN: It can be a very graphic talk for sure.

BE: Not just talking about it, but seeing the step-by-step.

JN: That was your strangest job, Jeff, but what was an unusual job for you in the past, Bridget?

BE: One time I sang at a BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance, sadism) convention in DC.

JN: That’s a good one!

BE: The person introducing me said, “She’s not just here to perform, she’s here to play!” and I was like, “I am? I didn’t remember saying that when I checked into the hotel.”

JN: You should have charged more money for that.

BE: Absolutely.

JN: Somebody Somewhere has a different tone than typical sitcoms similar to Grace and Frankie. What would you like people to take away from this particular project?

BE: One of the slogans for this season is find your people and that’s what it is about. The center of the story is Sam and Joel. It’s a love story of friendship and how important those relationships are. It’s never too late to invest yourself in somebody new and see where it takes your life. I hope viewers can find their people and find their Joel!

JH: It also says that your story is still valid and interesting. There is still time to grow even if you are over 40 and not movie star good looking, even if you are not living in New York or LA. Sometimes TV shows only have perfect people living dramatic lives and we think they are the only ones with stories. This show has trans people and queer people over 40 years old.

BE: Full-figured woman with a midlife crisis…

JH: People with asymmetrical faces!

BE: We did a photo shoot recently and the photographer thought he knew my better side. After he looked then he saw that I do indeed look different from one side. I know what I am talking about!

JN: I did appreciate the LGBTQ+ story in a small town and thought of my guncles (gay uncles) in Oklahoma. Somebody Somewhere is important for representation even if that wasn’t the goal.

BE: There was no idea to teach anyone anything. We wanted to create a world that we want to be in. It happened to check a couple of boxes along the way.

JN: What projects do you have coming up?

BE: Jeff and I are doing True West on Broadway.

JH: And a trapeze act!

JN: I will buy a ticket. [all laugh]

JH: I have a book coming out in 2025 Actress of a Certain Age. It is a comedic essay and a real Randy Rainbow situation!

JN: You can come back to the Humanities Festival like he did then. I hope this show wins all the awards for its final season.

BE: We did win a Peabody Award already and it was a real boost for us all.

JH: That P stands for prestigious and that body stands for body-ody-ody!

Somebody Somewhere airs every Sunday with more information at max.com.