Amy Poehler Reveals Who Wrote Her James Cameron Torture Joke For The Golden Globes

Frank DiGiacomo

5 years ago

I've noted this a few times now, but of all the jokes that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler told during their killer Golden Globes performance, the one that resonated most with me was their jab at Avatar director James Cameron: "I haven't been following the controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty," Poehler said name-checking director Kathryn Bigelow. "But when it comes to torture, I trust the woman who spent three years married to James Cameron."

I loved the joke because it was daring — a tough one to pull off in an industry crowd that tends to protect its own even when they may despise that person behind his back. (Jessica Chastain's televised gasp said volumes.) Poehler pulled it off beautifully and, in an interview that was posted on Friday in The Huffington Post, she finally revealed the author of the joke.

The Parks and Recreation actress and her series co-star and Adam Scott talked to the site about the movie that they premiered at Sundance, A.C.O.D., which stands for Adult Children of Divorce, and in the process, Poehler revealed that the Cameron line was the work of 30 Rock writer Sam Means. Here's the excerpt that appears on HuffPo.

You did a great job co-hosting the Golden Globes.

Scott: Didn't she?

Poehler: Thank you.

I do feel that you may have been taken off the short list for "Avatar 2."

Poehler: [Laughs.] Perhaps! Perhaps.

Not just with the James Cameron joke, but anytime you do a joke like that, can there be repercussion? Or do people take that in stride?

Poehler: I hope so. There was nothing in that moment that we walked away from feeling bad about. There was never a moment that we walked away going, "Was that too ... " You know, we vetted our own jokes with each other. Tina and I have had a lot of experience doing those kind of jokes, so we know when things feel too "something." That room was a special kind of room, so we had to think about how to play to that room. So, we didn't regret anything that we had said or felt like we were coming in a weird way. And if it's funny, you can get away with a lot, hopefully.

Scott: And I was saying before, James Cameron ... even he has to appreciate what a beautifully crafted joke that was.

Poehler: Written by a gentleman named Sam Means -- a writer for "30 Rock." He wrote that joke.

I'm assuming there was no hesitation when you heard that joke.

Poehler: Oh, no. It's a great joke.

Good work, Mr. Means. Now, if you happen to notice a non-descript black van following you, here's a little advice: run.

WATCH: The Best Of Tina Fey & Amy Poehler's Golden Globes Performance