What's up, guys? Nicky Novak here in the Young Hollywood studio powered by Subway with Steve Levitan. Great to see you.

We are powered by Subway.

We are powered by Subway. Well, wait a second. Wow, who knew that? You know that Subway has like superpowers at this point. There's subways everywhere. Apparently. Wait, somebody told me you were a fan. A little birdy told me you did a panel today and you said that you were a Subway fan. Is this true?

I've been known to eat uh

What's your sandwich of choice?

Uh, turkey. I'm a turkey man.

I'm a turkey girl. So, there you go. Any lots of veggies. I'm assuming you're healthy. You're a Hollywood guy.

Trying to be. That's why you go to Subway.

See, that sounded like a commercial. All right. Everywhere you go now there's awards being thrown at you in Modern Family and you just won a Sag Award for Best Ensemble. I mean, it's like

Well, I didn't but yes, our

But you're genius. Our

actors did.

Your creative powers allowed that to happen.

Yes. We got very lucky with this show.

The show's received so many awards. You received the Peabody Award. Crazy, right? Well, it's funny because I was talking with Larry King here yesterday and I asked him if he had a moment in his career where he felt like I've made it and he said when he won the Peabody Award. Have you had a moment like that where you felt like you really made it?

You know, when I was uh I'm from Chicago. Back when I was doing Just Shoot Me, I wrote this scene that mentioned this restaurant that uh we always went to and they the name went out of this restaurant and they contacted me. And it's a very hard to get in place. There's long lines everywhere and it's a rib place. but you always have to wait an hour to get in there 'cause they don't take reservations. And so when I went back to Chicago, they said, you know, call us and uh come see us. So I did and I came in with 10 people and they had a table for 10 waiting for me and then they had a letter from me up on the wall.

Wow.

And I said I made it. I made it. That was it.

What was your first job before you got into Hollywood? Like, were you ever

I did what you're doing.

Really?

Yeah. How about that? You wouldn't think so as uncomfortable as I am in this seat.

Well, maybe we should turn it around. Ask me ask me anything.

Yeah, where are you from?

Canada.

Really?

Yeah. See how bad I was. I mean, I choked. So I have some quick a quick rapid-fire rounds.

Uh-oh.

for you. I'm gonna give you like a word or a phrase, tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. Okay. Okay. Pilot season.

Hell. No explanation needed.

Network notes.

Double hell. No. No, it's death by a thousand cuts.

it is. Are they ever good?

Yeah.

Okay. Agents.

Um, Triple hell. No, no. Listen, I have a great agent. He's been with me for 20 years. So agents can be wonderful and then they can be then you can have those those agents. But so far, I'm working with some good ones.

Okay. Ratings.

Ratings. Am I supposed to give you one word? I don't know what I'm supposed to give you.

Whatever's in your head. Word or phrase.

Ratings are good. You want ratings. We're gonna have any problems in this in that department.

Last but not least. Nicky Fink.

Uh I like Nikki. I like people who say what's on their mind. Uh and she certainly does. And so far, she's been kind of ridiculously nice to me and I don't know exactly why. But I will take it.

Don't jinx it.

I'm not gonna jinx it. She's been very sweet. Thank you, Nikki. Nikki, Nikki. And uh so we're all good.

And any advice? 'Cause you're a fantastic speech giver when you are accepting awards. Holy cow.

No pressure as you say that as I'm about to give a speech tonight. For anybody out there that may be receiving. Be prepared. Don't ever get up there and say, oh my God. I never expected this. You were one of five people nominated. Just be prepared.

But I love the people that say that and they pull out five pages.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, that's the key. You gotta work so hard that it looks effortless.

There you go. Key to a lot of things. That's good advice in general. Thanks, Steve Levitan.