Overview of RE-RELEASE: Jenny Slate (SmartLess)
This SmartLess episode (re-release) features Jenny Slate in a relaxed, wide-ranging conversation with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. They cover Jenny’s personal life (moving from LA to coastal Massachusetts, marriage, parenting), her creative work (stand‑up, voice acting, and Marcel the Shell), and several revealing personal anecdotes (childhood, tidiness tendencies, and a bad THC experience). The episode mixes comedy, heartfelt moments, and behind‑the‑scenes details about making the Marcel the Shell feature.
Key topics & main takeaways
- Living situation and family
- Jenny lives most of the year on a small Massachusetts peninsula where her husband helps run a general store. They also keep a house in L.A.
- She and her husband have a 17‑month‑old daughter named Ida and a dog; parenting has been a bigger transition than living with her husband.
- Career and creative work
- Jenny is prolific in voice work: Marcel the Shell, Big Mouth, Bob’s Burgers, The Great North, and more.
- She continues to perform stand‑up (Largo was mentioned) and is working toward a new special.
- Marcel the Shell (feature)
- The film took many years to make (~7), was largely improvised in audio, then crafted into a stop‑motion film directed/co‑created by Dean Fleischer‑Camp with co‑writer Nick Paley.
- Isabella Rossellini voices Marcel’s grandmother. The movie has a theatrical/A24 release date referenced as June 24.
- Personality and habits
- Jenny describes a strong preference for order and tidiness, tracing it to a messy childhood and finding calm in neatness.
- She dislikes the throwaway use of the term “OCD,” clarifying her tendencies are about order rather than a clinical diagnosis.
- Personal anecdotes and candid moments
- She met her husband while working on a film in Arctic Norway (an unusual meeting place that they joke about).
- She describes a severe negative reaction after taking an incorrectly dosed THC product and deciding to stop using weed afterward.
- A boarding‑school story about being “dropped off” with garbage bags of her belongings shaped her cleanliness habits.
Notable quotes & moments
- On tidiness: “Untidiness means an unsettled mind.” (She explains neatness is how she regains calm.)
- On performing: She fears audiences not liking her but also loves the arena of stand‑up — “It feels like a date.”
- Marcel highlights: whimsical details like Marcel playing “taps” on a hollow macaroni and sleeping in a “bread room,” which underscore the character’s bittersweet humor.
Guest background & projects
- Career highlights:
- Film/TV acting: Obvious Child, Gifted, guest spots on Parks & Rec, Girls, and the Amazon rom‑com I Want You Back with Charlie Day.
- Voice work: Marcel the Shell (creator/voice), recurring roles on Big Mouth and Bob’s Burgers, and The Great North.
- Stand‑up: Netflix special Stage Fright (praised by hosts).
- Marcel the Shell (feature film)
- Originated from viral short videos; feature film expanded via improvisation, careful audio editing, and elaborate stop‑motion.
- Co‑creators: Dean Fleischer‑Camp and Nick Paley; Isabella Rossellini is part of the cast.
- Release mentioned: June 24 (A24 distribution).
Personal & humorous anecdotes worth noting
- Boarding school punishment: After ignoring room‑cleaning rules, a housemaster drove Jenny six miles away and left her there with her belongings in trash bags — she walked back wearing everything and vowed to change.
- Closet recording life: Jenny records voice work from closets/linen closets due to spotty internet at her coastal home.
- Weed overdose scare: Took an excessively high dose due to a miscommunication about dosing instructions and ended up stopping weed afterward.
Practical recommendations / action items
- Watch Marcel the Shell (feature): theatrical/A24 release noted as June 24 — highly recommended by the hosts.
- Check out Jenny’s stand‑up: Stage Fright and her live sets (Largo) if you enjoy candid comedic takes on fear and identity.
- Listen to her voice work on Big Mouth, Bob’s Burgers, and The Great North for examples of her range.
Sponsors / ad mentions (brief)
Several sponsor reads are embedded in the episode (short summaries):
- Autotrader (auto intelligence)
- Rosetta Stone (language learning)
- Ashley (furniture + For Others donation)
- State Farm (insurance bundle)
- BetterHelp (online therapy)
- Doritos Golden Sriracha
- United Airlines app
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade deals
- Claude (AI assistant)
Final notes
- The ep is conversational and warm: hosts interject playful banter, and Jenny matches that energy with self‑deprecating humor and honest reflections.
- Best for listeners who enjoy behind‑the‑scenes stories from performers, voice‑acting insight, and personal storytelling with comic beats.