- Okay, Ellie, it's "Cake Week" on the show
and one of the stories that was my very favorite
that you and Sam Pasternack, one of our producers,
spoke about
was your mom's traditional cake.
Will you tell us about it?
- Great, first of all, I couldn't be happier
that I'm here during Cake Week, the most iconic of weeks.
My mom is the best mom on the planet
and every year,
ever since I could eat solids, so maybe for 38 years,
she has been making me a chocolate cake with mocha icing
for my birthday.
There is a picture of this cake.
It has such a special place in my heart.
She would make it when I was, you know,
in elementary school, middle school,
I was allowed to have cake for breakfast
the following days after my birthday
until the cake was gone.
When I was in college my mom made this cake, packaged it up,
and shipped it to me, and somehow it arrived intact
which is no small feat.
It's a testament to how great the cake is,
how strong her love is (laughing).
But it is just the most magical cake
and I got to have it this spring.
I was in St. Louis for the lockdown,
and I got to have it this spring and it was,
again, one of those,
we talk about bright spots during this pandemic,
and that was a bright spot.
- I have to say that that just gave me such goals
when I read that as a mom
and hearing you say that she's the best mom.
I mean, ever since I had my daughters
it's like nothing matters in my life.
And, you know, we're all gonna, you know,
have some humor and dysfunction and things in our families.
There's no such thing as like a perfect road.
It's perfectly imperfect.
But you've just...
I think that's such a beautiful story
and I think it's really inspiring and motivating
for all us moms out there,
and you're a mom and you have two beautiful children,
to step up and create those traditions and memories
like your mom.
- Absolutely.
By the way, you got me with that tweet
about surviving the pandemic.
My gosh, ugh.
- Really? - I started crying.
It's true.
These kids are doing amazing jobs, just incredible jobs.
- Oh, I'm so glad 'cause, you know,
we all work together here,
but sometimes we're in a bit of a vacuum and I just was,
I sometimes come in and I'm like,
that's what's so fun about doing this show day-to-day
is you get to come in with what you're really experiencing,
and in 2020 we gotta keep it real and in the moment
because it's shifting so quickly.
So thank you for that feedback 'cause, okay.
We're gonna do a live reading from "Christmas Magic",
a play you wrote for your mother.
- Yes!
I cannot believe you are now starring in this play.
We wrote this play, you know, when I was 10 or 12,
put it on in the front hall.
This is a play called "Christmas Magic."
Again, it's one of these homemade productions,
and "Christmas Magic" is a story
about the true meaning of Christmas.
And so very quickly, Annie Belami is the star of our,
is the heroine I should say, of our play.
And she's made her mom and her sister
some homemade cards for Christmas
'cause she doesn't have a lot of money to spend.
Well her classmate laughs at here, says "You dope.
"The true meaning of Christmas is presents.
"You've gotta get them something flashy,
"something expensive,
"otherwise there's no point to Christmas."
So Annie rips up her cards.
She gets a hot pink hairdryer for her sister
and a nail dryer for her mom.
And then low and behold,
on Christmas morning, underneath the tree
there's no hairdryer, there's no nail dryer,
the cards are intact.
They are under the tree.
They are not ripped up.
It's nothing short of a miracle.
And
I think that's,
that's the setup to the scene
that you and I are about to perform.
- Okay, well I'm very excited and ready.
(Ellie laughing)
- You did that very quickly.
(Drew laughing)
- I saw an opportunity, okay.
There is live theater going on you two.
Stop. Sit.
Sit.
Sit. You're our audience.
Sit.
- Sit guys.
Oh, they're too cute.
- Okay.
- I'm Annie.
- You're Annie, if you don't mind.
- What?
But I don't.
I can't.
- Annie, what beautiful cards these are.
How good you are at drawing Christmas trees and candy canes.
- But, no, I--
- I love the sequence.
- I'm telling you, this doesn't make any sense.
- What doesn't make sense?
I think it makes sense.
You're great at art,
and Mr. Bunton, your art teacher, agrees.
Remember your report card?
- No, but you don't understand.
I ripped these cards up.
- What?
Why?
- Because I realized that my gifts were too babyish
and I knew I had to get you something fancier,
so I ripped up my cards and I got you a hairdryer,
and Terry, I got you a nail dryer, mom.
- Why would you do such a thing Annie?
- I did it because Katie told me
the true meaning of Christmas.
- What did Katie say?
- She let me know that Christmas is all about the presents
and that we are too old to be making cards anymore.
- Annie, I have to tell you something.
Katie is wrong.
Sure, it's nice to show people that you like them
by giving them something they'll enjoy,
but I enjoyed this card
more than any nail dryer or hairdryer.
- Really mom?
- Absolutely.
Annie, you gave us the greatest gift of all, love.
- Oh, mom.
- Yes.
(people cheering) (Ellie laughing)
(Drew laughing)
- I can't believe,
I can't believe I got to star in an Ellie Kemper original.
I was so excited.
I made sure to ask Sam what my motivation was,
and as a director and the creator and writer of this play,
sincerity was important.
So, thank you Ellie.
It is a privilege to be in your world.
I love you and your mom
and I can't think of not only the apropos-ness of Cake Week
but the holidays in general
to hear that story about you guys.
It's goals all the way.
And-- - That's so nice.
Thank you.
- And I love what you said about comedy.
And there's just nothing more
than I feel like this show's intention is
is to celebrate the art of comedy
'cause I don't think I would know
how to get through life without it.
But I need the heart too,
and you are the heart and the humor,
my potent favorite combo.
- That means so much to me.
And again, I just want to emphasize
how much joy you bring people on a daily basis.
So thank you for that.
- [Drew] Right back at you.
Thank you so much.
Our wild wacky film "The Standout" is out tomorrow
on VOD and digital.
And we will just continue to celebrate you
with everything that you do.
I can't wait.
And let's do this again.
Thank you Ellie Kemper!
- Thank you for having me!
(upbeat music)