When Robby Hoffman learned she had been nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for HBO Max’s “Hacks,” she had a question about Emmy voters: “What are they, stupid?”
It’s a dry, silly and brutally frank response — exactly what you’d expect from Hoffman, who plays Randi, the unnerving assistant to Paul W. Downs’ and Megan Stalter’s characters, Jimmy and Kayla. There’s also a note of truth to it. “Hacks” was Hoffman’s second high-profile acting job ever, after FX’s “Dying for Sex,” in which she plays a BDSM practitioner who helps Michelle Williams’ character on her quest for sexual exploration. She doesn’t have a PR team — a must for most Hollywood stars — which makes being thrust into the Emmys’ campaign machine, with its many panels and press interviews, “weird.”
“There are the biggest stars you’ve ever seen on [these panels and me, and we’re
talking about the difficulties of acting,” she said, perhaps referring to the SAG-
AFTRA interview she did recently with Zoë Kravitz, Bryan Cranston and Ron
Howard (who seemed particularly amused by her anecdotes). “I feel weird even contributing to the conversation. I find acting one of the easier things I’ve done. I just thought it was a pleasure and a great gig and really a dream job.”
If you’re familiar with Hoffman’s intense yet sincere style, you won’t be surprised to learn that the “Hacks” team wrote Randi specifically with her in mind. “I’m an inspiration in the industry,” she deadpanned.
A comic’s comic known for her stand-up and for writing the PBS children’s
series “Odd Squad “(for which she won a Daytime Emmy in 2019) as well as “The
Chris Gethard Show” and “Workin’ Moms,” Hoffman, 35, often appears on “Comedians You Should Know” lists. Initially, her “Hacks” character seems to be the result of another questionable decision made by Stalter’s impulsive Kayla. Randi saw her first movie a week before joining a talent agency and seems more excited to talk about her Hasidic Jewish roots and sexuality than anything related to showbiz. But as the season wears on, Randi’s openness and dedication to the job win Jimmy over.
“It’s very intimidating. I will say that Randi and I felt very similarly in the sense
that she was new to this job and wanting to be a good assistant — overly eager, aggressive but kind, hard-working, a little rough. But in real life, I wanted to keep this job,” said Hoffman, who grew up in Brooklyn and Montreal, the seventh of 10 siblings in a Hasidic family. In January, she married “The Bachelorette” and “The
Traitors” alumna Gabby Windey.
Hoffman’s acting journey is just beginning. When she spoke to TheWrap, she was in the middle of shooting HBO’s as-yet-untitled Steve Carell comedy created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses. Though this side of the industry may be new to her, she’s embracing the increased attention with the same excitement and confidence that’s integral to her comedy.
“Everything I do takes time. When you’re doing things on your own, that can be especially true,” she said. “But when you do get the time, wow, you really get to shine. You’ve been cooking. So it does feel nice to come out of the oven a
little more baked.”
This story first ran in the Down to the Wire Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Read more from the Down to the Wire Comedy issue here.
