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Elsie Fisher & Bo Burnham's Worst Eighth Grade Nightmares

4:53·By Gemma G
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Get ready to relive your most awkward tween moments when actress Elsie Fisher and writer/director Bo Burnham stop by the Young Hollywood Studio to discuss their buzzworthy coming-of-age film, 'Eighth Grade'! They reveal some crazy moments from the set, as well as some real-life awkward middle school experiences, plus they tell us what music they're into at the moment and talk some astrology!

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Young Hollywood

What up, Young Hollywood? I am here with Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham. What up, ya'll?

Bo Burnham

We feel good, we feel free, we feel in the moment.

Young Hollywood

That's what I'm talking about. You have a birthday coming up, correct?

Elsie Fisher

I do, August.

Young Hollywood

August?

Elsie Fisher

21st.

Young Hollywood

21st. So that makes you a Leo.

Elsie Fisher

I'm year of the horse with the Chinese calendar that lines up more with my personality and my face.

Bo Burnham

I don't

Young Hollywood

What? Don't say that. Hey. Horses are good looking in my opinion. You have a nice mane.

Elsie Fisher

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Young Hollywood

Thank you, mane. Okay, mane. I'm so done. I'm so done. And your birthday is?

Bo Burnham

April 1st.

Young Hollywood

Shut up.

Bo Burnham

Yeah.

Young Hollywood

So you're an Aries?

Bo Burnham

I'm an Aries. I'm an Aries. Oh, nice. April 9th. And then I'm also year of the sheep.

Young Hollywood

I don't, I love how you guys know the year of like is that the Chinese horoscope? I love how you guys know this. I don't know mine. So can we please talk about this new movie, Eighth Grade?

Bo Burnham

It's a movie about her. She plays Kayla. A girl in the last week of eighth grade just trying to live in this world, which is enough for a movie.

Young Hollywood

Okay. Most awkward moment in middle school. In eighth grade, to be exact.

Bo Burnham

I was pants on a whale-watching trip in international waters, so he couldn't be prosecuted. And Yeah, so that was my moment.

Young Hollywood

That is a lawsuit. That is a real legit lawsuit.

Bo Burnham

I remember his first and last name. I will not say it.

Young Hollywood

No, expose him. Expose him on Young Hollywood.

Bo Burnham

I can't. I can't. Just kidding.

Young Hollywood

What about you?

Elsie Fisher

Um, so for me, I drank a puddle on a dare.

Young Hollywood

Drinking Puddles is a great memoir title for you.

Elsie Fisher

Yeah. Drinking Puddles, Puddles of my heart.

Young Hollywood

Yeah. Autobiography. This is actually pretty freaking lit. From drinking puddles to Fiji. Oh, I love. Oh, yes, those square bottles. They don't They don't roll. They don't. They don't. From zero to 100 real quick. Real quick. Hey. That is a you are a down chick. She's like, don't stunt on me. I am hip on game. She was building up her antibodies. That's why she was drinking those puddles.

Elsie Fisher

Yeah, you don't see me getting sick.

Young Hollywood

So what you were doing?

Elsie Fisher

I didn't get the flu and it was coming around. I'm all good now.

Young Hollywood

Look at you. I love it. I freaking love it. So I want to know how was the process of making this movie?

Bo Burnham

It was great. I mean, we work with actual kids. You know, she really graduated from eighth grade and then went to film the next week.

Young Hollywood

Did you really?

Bo Burnham

Yeah.

Young Hollywood

Shut up.

Bo Burnham

And then like all the kids were kids from that school. Kids that went to that school. Um. So the extras were like the real kids who actually attend that school. Yes, for real. And like the the band teacher where you see his, you see his rat tail in the trailer, that's the real band teacher with his real filthy rat tail. Okay, he was a great guy and he washes it.

Young Hollywood

I would hope so.

Bo Burnham

Yeah. But but yeah, I saw it's like we just wanted it to feel real and organic. Um, and so yeah, it was crazy. It was a bunch of kids running around being insane. And my job is to like make sure they didn't drown in the pool party.

Young Hollywood

That's good. You definitely don't want any of that going on.

Bo Burnham

Most of them lived. Thank God.

Young Hollywood

Jesus, Joseph, Beyonce, Lady Gaga. Yeah. All of them. So I want to know, I would know from you any crazy moments on set? Any like terrible dad jokes that you dropped and they were like, that's not a thing. What about you?

Bo Burnham

I caught a couple extras making out.

Young Hollywood

Did you really?

Bo Burnham

Yeah, you didn't know that.

Young Hollywood

Stop. Did you make them stop? What did you do?

Bo Burnham

No, it's all, you know, young love. But they were high, I think they were high school extras and they were caught making out behind like the vanity thing, uh, in the makeup.

Young Hollywood

That is so rude. They were like, we're gonna get this in. Yeah. On set. So in your guys's everyday life, like what are you currently listening to? Like what's on your Spotify playlist? Summer playlist?

Elsie Fisher

I listen to Childish Gambino. Tyler the Creator.

Young Hollywood

Hey. Those are my two favorite artists. I'm actually wearing his

Elsie Fisher

Look at you.

Young Hollywood

You are a G Elsie. You are a G. I'm wearing $40 vans. Look at that with the little purple color with the sock. I see you.

Bo Burnham

I listen to Van Morrison. Um, I say it's Lou Bega's Mambo Number Five.

Young Hollywood

Who?

Bo Burnham

Lou Bega's Mambo Number Five is when I was in eighth grade. Yeah, yeah. And all of the songs are actually just lists of things. You know, this is this is old Hollywood right now. I don't think anyone knows who I'm talking about. You know, Mambo Number Five is listing all the girls he's been with. And then there's other songs that are listing just all the dances he's done and then things in his cupboard. He's got, he's got sort of one, um, way that he writes songs and I was digging it.

Young Hollywood

I'm sure. Bless your heart. All right, you guys. I'm into Scorpion a little bit. Oh, Drake. Favorite track on that album.

Bo Burnham

Probably Mob Ties.

Young Hollywood

All right. Okay, I thought you were gonna say like in my feelings.

Bo Burnham

Yeah, well, I know it's so, well, that's what's so weird is that like things how Because the viral thing then makes it a thing way too quick.

Young Hollywood

Got it.

Bo Burnham

Can you listen to that song and not hear?

Young Hollywood

I feel you. And you see the dance and all that.

Bo Burnham

Yeah. I'm kind of like a contrarian. I'm like, now I'm over it now. You feel me?

Young Hollywood

Yeah, I feel you. Anywho, congratulations, you guys. This movie's going to be like ridiculous. Ridiculously huge.

Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

  • Elsie Fisher

    Actress in 'Eighth Grade'

  • Bo Burnham

    Writer/director of 'Eighth Grade'

  • Kayla

    Character played by Elsie Fisher in 'Eighth Grade'

  • Beyonce

    Pop culture reference

  • Lady Gaga

    Pop culture reference

  • Childish Gambino

    Artist Elsie Fisher listens to

  • Tyler the Creator

    Artist Elsie Fisher listens to

  • Van Morrison

    Artist Bo Burnham listens to

  • Lou Bega

    Artist Bo Burnham mentions

  • Drake

    Artist mentioned for 'Scorpion' album

FAQ

What movie did Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham discuss?+
Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham discussed their coming-of-age film 'Eighth Grade'.
Who plays the main character in 'Eighth Grade'?+
Elsie Fisher plays the character Kayla in 'Eighth Grade'.
What is Bo Burnham's zodiac sign?+
Bo Burnham is an Aries, as his birthday is April 1st.
What music artists does Elsie Fisher listen to?+
Elsie Fisher listens to Childish Gambino and Tyler the Creator.
How did the filmmakers make 'Eighth Grade' feel real?+
The filmmakers made 'Eighth Grade' feel real by working with actual kids from the school where they filmed, including real extras and even the real band teacher.
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