She says there’s one specific member of her family she won’t use as inspiration for her work.
Based on her body of work, you likely already know that comedian/actress Amy Schumer isn’t afraid to bare her soul for an audience. Whether she’s doing a comedy special about giving birth or sharing details about her dad’s battle with multiple sclerosis via her standup and her 2015 film Trainwreck, Schumer has a head-first approach to facing a challenge. That often means milking her experiences for material, which is especially true for her latest project Life & Beth, a scripted Hulu series that she created and stars in.
“If something is scary to me, I try to run right to it,” Schumer tells Katie Couric Media while promoting season two of Life & Beth, which premieres Feb. 16.
That explains the pileup of uncomfortable encounters the episodes include, from confronting addiction to awkward doctor’s appointments. Beth, played by Schumer, is navigating life after loss — including that of her mother, her job, her romantic relationship, and more — in New York City. Frequent flashbacks show Beth experiencing bullying, her parents flailing, her trauma-bonding with her younger sister, and her early sexual and romantic experiences — all to help the audience understand why she copes the way she does as an adult.
Schumer has said that about 50 percent of this heartfelt yet hilarious show is autobiographical — but even the inexact details are pretty true to life. For example, Schumer’s real husband is a chef, but the man her character falls for, played by Michael Cera, is a farm- and fresh-food-obsessed groundskeeper of a vineyard near her hometown in Long Island (where Schumer grew up).
Then there are immediately recognizable elements she pulled from her real life; if you’re a Schumer enthusiast, season 2 of Life & Beth might look familiar. One of the focuses of her 2020 HBO docuseries Expecting Amy is her husband Chris Fischer’s diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an adult, and how it impacted their marriage. The camera followed the couple as they navigated a complex yet eye-opening chapter of their relationship. It’s established in Season 1 of Life & Beth that Beth’s love interest John has a very different approach to life than she’s used to, and in Season 2, we find out why, in a series of conversations and doctors’ appointments not unlike what we saw unfold in Expecting Amy.
In both projects, we see the couples adjust to new information and become better equipped to navigate their issues, overcoming hurdles along the way. “I think being diagnosed with autism is a process; getting a label smacked on you isn’t a great feeling, I don’t think,” Schumer says in our interview. Luckily, Fischer has input on how the storylines play out: He’s a writing consultant and producer on Life & Beth. “I’m very lucky to have him every step of the way with the show,” she says.
That appreciation extends beyond the writer’s room, too. “I have never in my life met anyone I’d rather be with, and it’s been six years now,” Schumer says of her husband. “Being married is really challenging, but I would pick him out of any lineup. Not that I’m in front of lineups of men often.”
Schumer loves that people feel close to this story about an average woman facing many micro-traumas from her upbringing, including her parents’ divorce and antisemitism at school. That’s why she mines her life for material, she says. But there’s one topic she won’t touch: “My child, that feels off-limits to me,” she says.
In our exclusive conversation, Schumer explains why she won’t write a character based on her 4-year-old son, and how her husband feels about seeing a version of himself on screen. Plus, Cera shares what he hopes people get from the show.
Katie Couric Media: Season 2 tackles a lot: Beth’s navigating her white privilege with her best friend Maya. Beth’s friends are dealing with affairs and drug addiction. Then there’s the ASD exploration. If you could boil it down to one message, what do you hope people get from this season?
Michael Cera: I would say, “Slay all day, then rosé.” [Laughs]
Amy Schumer: Whoa, I had no idea you were such a fun person.
MC: I mean, this season has the message that you can always keep learning, in all directions. With John and Beth, they’re learning a lot within their relationship and about themselves. And then Beth is learning so much through Maya and all her friends, and all these challenges that we’re facing. You never stop learning and growing.
AS: I think that also the way we approach learning is so important. Sure, you can just yell at someone for getting something wrong, or you can inform them another way and be a little more forgiving. That’s something we explored this season.
The season mirrors a lot of what you went through with your husband, and what you documented in Expecting Amy. What’s his opinion about you continuing to put that into your work?
AS: Chris is a writing consultant on the show and is involved in the entire process. I think being diagnosed with autism is a process and there are lots of feelings about what it means. It’s an ongoing thing — it’s the same for all of us with our own issues that get stigmatized. I think he’s proud. He loves Michael’s performance and he knows it’s not a documentary.
You use so much of your life and your relationships in your work. Is there any aspect of your life or past experiences that you’d refuse to use in your work?
AS: I can’t really think of any. I don’t know what’s left…Nothing. You know what? My child, that feels off-limits to me. I don’t want to show anything with him or tell any stories that he can’t agree to. I get why parenthood changes you — you just want to protect. I just saw Madonna in concert and her kids perform with her, but in all of her songs, all the places that she’s gone and she’s talked about, it seems like she doesn’t sing about her kids. I might be projecting, but the way I see it, even for people who are so open about everything, your kids are just this other level that you don’t want to touch. Or at least I don’t.
I love the scene of John and Beth with the therapist when John is diagnosed, and the therapist talks about all the amazing qualities a person with this diagnosis possesses, like unwavering focus. What are your favorite things about John as a character?
MC: I love that John just says what he’s feeling and doesn’t put it through a filter of codependency, like managing someone else or how they’re going to feel, or how it’s going to land. It’s the truth and he just puts it out there. I don’t think he does it conscientiously, it’s just natural to him. But it’s the opposite of how I operate — I run everything through a high-process filter before it comes out. And I love that about John, because you get straight to the heart of things.
AS: I love that, and I love his rejection of technology and these things that are so normalized. We’re all like, “You’re a weirdo for having a tiny phone that doesn’t have internet access,” but really, we’re the problem and our way of living is destructive. He’s onto something with this return to nature and simplicity. It’s healthier.
The flashbacks of young Beth are really poignant — all the specific quirks of that age specifically. Those scenes bring me back to my youth instantly. Why is it so important to you, Amy, to illustrate some of those moments, and what about your youth was used in this season?
AS: I think all the flashbacks are pretty true to my life, and that was important. I love that people connect with the show — that’s the biggest goal — through brutal honesty and vulnerability. I hope people feel less alone when watching these flashbacks. The goal was for people to connect with it and think about their own experiences, not necessarily just to look at mine. We wanted to make people think and realize that those experiences are a big part of what shapes us, our inner monologue, and how we think of ourselves — and hopefully help people to be a little gentler with themselves.
