Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs of ‘Hacks’ Know a Thing or Two About Pizza

The co-stars came by the New York Times kitchen studio to chat about food, cooking and the last season of their show.

Welcome back to the Pizza Interview, a series from New York Times Cooking where the Q&A has a catch: Our guests have to make pizza.

“Hacks,” the HBO comedy series, is back for its fifth and final season. Set in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the show stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a comedian on a mission to revive her career, and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, a Gen Z writer tasked with giving Deborah’s jokes a fresh take. The series was co-created by Paul W. Downs, who also stars as Jimmy LuSaque Jr., Deborah and Ava’s manager. Meg Stalter plays Jimmy’s assistant, Kayla Schaeffer.

Watch the full video below (or on YouTube), and read ahead for excerpts from the interview and outtakes, which have been edited and condensed.

Have you ever made a pizza before?

MEG STALTER Mm hmm.

PAUL W. DOWNS Yes, we’ve both made pizza. My sister is a pizzaiola, so I have actually seen a lot of pizza being made because she’s an actual professional.

STALTER What all do you do to be an -iola?

DOWNS She studied the Neapolitan method of making pizza. She makes wood-fired pizza at Emily’s Hearth in Northwestern New Jersey in Sussex.

What’s your favorite pizza place?

DOWNS Have you had Grá?

STALTER I love Grá.

DOWNS It’s so good. That is, if I’m outside of New Jersey, where Emily’s Hearth is my favorite.

STALTER There is a pizza that I don’t want to say. It’s sort of a Midwest pizza, but we do have it in L.A.

DOWNS You can say it!

STALTER Jet’s Pizza is kind of good.

DOWNS I’ve never had it.

STALTER They have a BLT pizza with mayonnaise and lettuce on the pizza.

DOWNS Wow. This is probably controversial, but Goop pizza is really good.

STALTER Is it controversial that I’m eating it every other day, Paul?

Have you ever cooked for each other?

DOWNS You know what, I made Meg a beef Bourguignon for her birthday.

STALTER But I don’t eat beef.

DOWNS But she doesn’t eat beef.

STALTER And you knew that, so it was a big prank.

DOWNS So we invited some people over, and everyone else ate it. Have you cooked for me?

STALTER I actually feel like I’ve tried to bring you lots of treats, but you said something like: “I don’t trust it, I don’t trust it. I don’t know where your hands have been.”

STALTER What’s your favorite thing to cook?

DOWNS I like cooking breakfast. I’ll take a leftover, and I’ll make an egg invention with a leftover.

STALTER If you made a big old lasagna, what day are you not eating it?

DOWNS Oh, after 30 days, you have to not eat the lasagna. I think up to 30 days is fine.

STALTER Thirty-one, eh.

DOWNS Gotta be within the month.

Have you ever worked in the food service industry?

DOWNS Yes, I was a waiter at Tavern on the Green. Where I had to wear a tuxedo in 100-degree heat.

STALTER That’s so sweet, a tuxedo.

DOWNS I was a junior waiter, so I had to wear a lime-green tuxedo.

STALTER I worked at two places. One was Friendly’s. I was really bad at having any more than one table. I also worked at Panera Bread, and they only let me bus tables. They didn’t let me be the cash register person or the soup pourer. I don’t even think that’s a job. Everyone’s allowed to usually do all the things, and I was only allowed to bus tables.

DOWNS I think you’d be an amazing waiter to have at a restaurant.

STALTER Well, I don’t have a job now, so I guess maybe I’ll do that. Since you’ve decided to end our show.

If the cast of “Hacks” owned a restaurant, what would everyone’s role be?

DOWNS I’m trying to think of who’s the best cook. Like, who would be the chef?

STALTER Well, also it’s personality, because I could see you and Lucia [Aniello] being head chefs.

DOWNS OK, I could be the sommelier. That would be fun.

STALTER What’s that?

DOWNS That’s the person that tells you about the wine, suggests a bottle, brings it out.

STALTER I could be the midnight janitor that comes in and vacuums the carpets. “Hello, girls.” I’m saying hi to Rose [Abdoo] and Hannah [Einbinder] as they’re leaving.

DOWNS You’re lighting up a cigarette in the restaurant. I’m like, “Hey, can you put the cigarette out?”

STALTER And I go, “No! I’m vacuuming it!” I throw the cigarette, I’m vacuuming the cigarette up.

DOWNS Vacuuming it? It’s about the air quality!

STALTER I have a Febreze can, hello!

DOWNS Anyway, the restaurant doesn’t do very well, I guess.

If you were a food dish, what would you be? Can you answer for each other?

STALTER You’d be one of those snow cones where they load it. It’s like a loaded snow cone so there’s custard and snow cone. And there’s like gummy worms and stuff. Because that’s the best thing you could ever eat, and I think you’re the most awesome.

DOWNS That is so sweet. Thank you so much.

STALTER So many layers.

DOWNS I think that you would be. …

STALTER Say something nice!

DOWNS I think that you would be a funnel cake.

STALTER Makes you sick after a couple bites? Great.

DOWNS No, no, no. No, because you’re also so sweet. You’re an American classic.

STALTER Well, we actually had funnel cakes one day at “Hacks,” and I got sick from eating it.

DOWNS How about this? You would be a chocolate chip cookie because it’s classic, it’s delicious, everybody loves it.

STALTER Yeah, people pretty much know what they’re getting every time. It’s not even the best kind of dessert. It’s like, “I guess we’ll get a cookie if it’s free.”

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