"Bad Teacher" Star Ari Graynor on Filling Cameron Diaz's Stilettos

Okay, great to have you back.

Thanks for having me.

We actually had um the cast of Bad Teacher the film, over here when the film came out. The funny thing is is that I actually have not seen Bad Teacher the movie.

Oh, really? You haven't?

No.

No, and it was one of my favorite movies actually.

Oh, it is? Oh, good.

Yeah, I I auditioned for it originally, obviously not for the Cameron role. Um, and I didn't purposely not see it. It wasn't like I was super bitter that I wasn't in the movie. I just sort of missed it. And then I think I saw pieces of it on TV or something, but I but I never watched the whole thing. And then when the show happened, then I consciously decided not to see it because our TV show is is like a loose takeoff from the movie. But you know, Cameron and I, we have our characters have different names. It has you have different backstories.

Tell us your name.

Yes.

Explain your name.

My character's name is Meredith Davis.

Yes. Did you steal somebody's identity?

Sort of. I just I I steal somebody's resume to become a teacher. I I was married to this guy. He cheated on me, left me with nothing. There was a prenup. There was no I'm I'm like left with no money, I have no wife, I'm like suddenly kicked out of this whole world that is the only thing I've ever known as an adult. She's strong, she's confident, there's no filter, she's just like, "On to the next. I have to figure out how to survive, I got to meet another rich husband."

It seems like one of the most fun roles that I could ever see an actress play.

It's really, really fun. And that's the thing, you know, I was scared about doing TV and about doing doing network TV.

You can Why?

Because you can potentially be doing it for a really long time, or that's a huge commitment.

It can be a big commitment or, you know, like you just don't know.

You hear things about network shows like there's not a lot of creative freedom sometimes, and The script was so funny, and it was so smart, and it was this character that I just had never seen on television. Number one, I love that it's a woman. It

Totally.

about a woman. Yeah. And she's powerful. Yeah. As much as there's dysfunction, there's power there. I mean that's the thing. There's so few really meaty female characters anywhere like in TV and film. I think TV is actually doing better a lot better than than film these days. But okay, yes, she wants to get a rich husband, but she also is kind of like this amazing role model for me in that she doesn't care what people think. She doesn't have a filter. She's just like, "This is what I'm going to do." See, that's what I want to be in my life. I am not that way.

Me neither.

That's why it was so fun to play her because I'm like constantly afraid about what somebody's thinking of me.

Are you?

Whether or not I'm doing right.

I think I saw something like that on your Twitter about like

Probably. I mean, it's like what I think about so much. I'm like getting better partly because you know, playing someone like Meredith, you kind you know, you get to like walk around with a little swagger.

Well, and the sex, she's sexed up too. I mean she's got some good outfits. Really good outfits. If you could have anybody be your teacher for a day and teach you anything, who would it be?

Oprah.

What would she teach you about?

Life. You know, you know she's giving seminars now. She's going around the country and she's giving talks. It's about how to have your best life. I mean, I will go to that seminar gladly. But I want her to give it to me I want her to give me like a private seminar on my couch over a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio or something. Could you imagine?

Have you met her?

No, dying.

Really?

Yeah. She's your I mean, who doesn't love Oprah? You know what I mean? That was just her like the first name that came to mind. But uh but I feel like Oprah has she's got lots of to teach you. She

Yeah, she'd have some good advice I would think. The guest stars on this show, Mark Cuban, who we know and love here at Young Hollywood.

Mark Cuban playing himself.

Oh, he's playing himself.

He's playing himself. Okay. And that was so funny because, you know, you see in the script like Mark Cuban. It's like, "Okay, guys, that's nice but like he's he's not really going to do it." They do that with Hollywood scripts sometimes. You'll see, "Oh, so and so makes a cameo." You're like, "Yeah, they're going to have to rewrite that." That's never going to happen. And then low and behold, there comes Mark Cuban. He was hilarious.

So we should mention that the show airs Yes. after Two and a Half Men on CBS Thursdays 9:30. Starts on April 24th.

April 24th. It's a big it's CBS's big night. It's Big Bang Theory, We Are the Millers, Two and a Half Men, and then us.

Some of my favorite shows.

I know. And now have this one to add. It's a nice balance for CBS. It's a good balance. Yeah. And it's so exciting that CBS put us on their biggest night of comedy. That's the night that I honestly, to be I I would stay home from a date just to watch TV. I mean, if that isn't if that isn't the best sign of approval. That's my big night of television. That's the night where I got a whole lineup. I got no reason to go out. You got to be worthy if I'm going to go out and mess up. That's the night, man. Yeah. That's the night. So, Thursdays 9:30, April 24th. I'll be at home watching.

Yeah, not going on dates.

Not going on dates over. No. They got to be really worthy.

Okay. Thank you for coming in.

Thank you for having me.

Congrats on the show. I cannot wait for it to start cuz I can't wait to watch it. It was hilarious.

It's really fun.

Congrats. Come back again.

I will.