Current favourite book
I'm going to say my own book. It's called Girl Logic and it's about my insight into why women think the way that we do. For girls, it's a gentle tap to let them know they're not alone in what they might think are crazy thoughts. For men it's great because it's about personal stories, work ethic and life, but also it gives them some insight into why women think the way that they do.
Restaurant
My favourite restaurant is Bludso’s BBQ in Los Angeles – its the owner’s last name; it’s not meant to have the word ‘blood’ in it. My fiance is the executive chef for the group, and it specialises in barbecued meats. I love their burnt ends, do you have them there? It’s the thinner, crispier end of a brisket. You chop them up and put on barbecue sauce. I also like corned beef, but I think Irish corned beef is different to Jewish corned beef.
Play/musical
I know I'm supposed to say Hamilton, but it's really hard to get tickets here in California. I think my favourite play as a kid was Our Town by Thornton Wilder, but I haven't seen a production of that recently, and I still love Phantom of the Opera. I think every woman's dream is to have a partially mutilated man turn her into a star, and then feel he has ownership over her.
City
I’m going to say Tokyo. It’s important, especially as an American but also as a world traveller, to take yourself out of your comfort zone and go somewhere that’s the opposite of home. Americans are very loud and proud and in your face; the Japanese are proud too, but there’s a subtlety to it. The way they think and words they use is totally unrelatable, and that’s part of what I search for when I go abroad. I especially remember going to a small district called Ebisu which was cute and fun. Have you ever visited somewhere and thought ‘ooh, I belong here, I should open up a shop here that sells little figurines and I’ll learn the language’?
Comedian
There’s a comic who’s known as Sebastian Maniscalco. I always go on about him but I don’t know if the feeling’s mutual. His style is observational, it’s Italian-American, and his genuine disgust for most people, processes and things delights me. For my money, I think he’s one of the best comics working today – no one has a cadence or timing like his.
Gadget
I was given a set of Apple AirPods. A lot of people think they’re terrible but I’ve found them to be absolutely wonderful.
Social media profile
I don't enjoy Twitter anymore. It's become a sad, angry suckhole where even if you're liberal, you're told that you're a right-wing Nazi. That's a difficult place to be. On Instagram, I follow a lot of weird things, like I'm obsessed with this account that follows octopi and tells you how they live and shows different videos (@octonation). I follow this Japanese girl who has a giant red lizard (@macgyverlizard). I follow someone who's domesticated a fox (@juniperfoxx). At the end of the day, as humans all we want is to look at a cute animal eating something small. My Instagram is full of that. If you want to see a Russian dwarf hamster eating a miniature Thanksgiving dinner, I have the Instagram account for you.
Actor
I’m currently working on a movie called Instant Family, which is a true story about adopting kids. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne and Octavia Spencer. Being on set with these people who have huge careers is a tutorial on how to be actor, and I get to watch them for free all day.
TV show
I really enjoy Planet Earth which is on Netflix here. If you ever wanted to bask in the glow of the planet's magnificence, it tells you everything you wanted to know about the kimono dragon or predators in an Arctic tundra. You don't even have to be stoned to watch it.
- Iliza Shlesinger plays Vicar Street in Dublin on April 19th
