Kathryn Hahn on Guest Hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Her Northwestern Commencement Speech

-Our first guest tonight is an Emmy-nominated actress you know from the movies "Step Brothers," "Glass Onion," and "Bad Moms," and shows like "WandaVision," "Mrs. Fletcher," and "Tiny Beautiful Things." She stars in "Agatha All Along," which premieres September 18th on Disney+. Let's take a look. -Come again? -The Witches' Road -- I want you to take me there. Please? -The Witches' Road doesn't exist. -You're lying. -Am I? -That's just what real witches say, to keep the amateurs out. The road will give you the thing you want the most, if you make it to the end. And I can. I will. ♪♪ Hmm. -Please welcome back to the show my very good friend Kathryn Hahn, everybody! [ Cheers and applause ] [ Up-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] -Hi! Thank you! Hi, Seth! -I'm so happy to see you. -Oh, I know, I'm like, "Mmm!". -Mmm! -Just want to hang out. -You know what? I know I love you because I immediately forgave you for the fact that you -- you horned in on my turf. -Yeah. I know. -You guest-hosted Jimmy Kimmel three nights. -Yes. I did. -Fantastic work. Did you love it? -He asked me first, so... -Okay. -Um, I did love it. -Did you immediately love it, first day? -No. As soon as I said yes, I -- it was like a horror movie. I was like, "Why did I do this? I'm a vomit." [ Laughter ] "This is a nightmare." And then, when I started doing it, I had such empathy for the guests, 'cause it's always really freaking scary to be up here and do... -Yeah. -So, they were all -- So, I just was like -- like you do. That was, like -- The thing I learned was just, like, throw good energy. their way. -I mean this -- and I think you understand now -- I do think it's harder to be a guest on a talk show than to be a host, because when you're host, you do it every night. You have writers all day, helping you out. -Yes. -And the guest doesn't get as many reps. And it's just very intimidating, like, even now when I'm a guest. I did Kimmel earlier this summer. It was terrifying. -Terrifying, because you are, like -- you're trying to be yourself, but you kind of know what you're going to -- It's all this weird tension of like, "Who am I?!" [ Laughter ] It's weird. Like, "Am I that person? I don't know." [ Laughter ] -You did something else where -- that does not come with writers, that is equally intimidating, which is -- we both went to Northwestern University -- you gave the commencement this year. -Yes. -That's a big -- I mean, for me, it was a big ask. I was very happy to do it. -Huge. Also, big shoes to fill. I mean, it was, like, Colbert, you. That was crazy. -Julia Louis-Dreyfus. -Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Baryshnikov. -Baryshnikov. He has tiny shoes. But they're... [ Laughter ] They're, like, tiny little ballet. -And he walks like this. -That's it. Right. -Yeah. They're like this. [ Laughter ] I can't even say it. On point. -Oh, en pointe? -He walks like this. -En pointe? -En pointe. -En pointe. -En pointe. -The way we say it in my dance class is "en pointe." -I love en pointe... -I'm sure "on point" is fine. -On a steak. -But that is -- Were you intimidated? Were you scared? -Are you kidding me? Again, as soon as I said yes, I know what, now, a tortured writer is, because -- Ah. -But you look very scholarly. -Listen, I'm a doctor now. -You are a doctor. -Yes. [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you. -Because you know what they say. The kids love getting a selfie with a doctor. -The kids love getting a selfie. My kid said "doctor of farts." That's what he said. And I was like, "Yeah, that's what I got. A doctor of farts." -So, your kids were not impressed that you got out? -They didn't go. They had plans. -Yeah. -I was like, "Okay. It really puts it it all into perspective." -Did your husband, Ethan, who went to Northwestern with us, as well -- did he go? -Yes! -Oh, that's nice. -Oh, my God. I had my mom and, like, pals. It was so fun. And, like -- I'm with you -- like, there was something really moving about the whole thing. Like, I really loved -- Also, it's a tough year for these kids. Like, you know, they were in the pandemic for their, you know, high school graduation and, like, the first year of college. -Right. -So it was, um -- I don't know, the whole thing, it also was very nostalgic. -It's very special. I mean, you know, I've done commencements at other places and it's meant nothing to me. I'm just dead inside. [ Laughter ] -So you could just... -I just mail it in. But Northwestern, it was really -- to be back and be sitting there... -Like that for you? -Yeah. -Oh, my God, what you did that I love is you quoted other awesome commencement speeches. -Oh. -That were beautiful. And I had a friend that said, "Why don't you -- You should just go out there and just read David Foster Wallace's. -Which is, like, one of the more famous. -It's the best one. If you haven't read it, that's it. The bar is forever raised. -So you just would go out and just do, word for word, David Foster Wallace? -Word for word, and then walk off. -And then people would be like, "She might be the greatest American writer." -Yes. [ Laughter ] -"Why is she wasting her life in silly TV shows?" -Yes. -You mentioned your kids, um, not impressed with your commencement, but I do want to ask if they're impressed with your work in the Marvel Universe. We're gonna be right back with Kathryn after this.