You would think that if a hit comedy wrote a part for you — one that you inspired, in fact! — then receiving an Emmy nod for said role would be a personal and professional ego boost. But Robby Hoffman was already flying high.
“I always was saying, I think there’s something here,” Hoffman tells Bustle over Zoom. “So when people jumped on [after the Emmy nomination], like, ‘Could you believe it?’ I’m like, I can believe it! I knew I wasn’t wrong.”
Hoffman, 36, joined the cast of HBO Max’s Hacks in Season 4 as Randi, a new assistant at Schaefer & LuSaque. Despite the character’s lack of showbiz savvy — “Till last week, I’d never even seen a movie!” she admits — Randi quickly catches up, lending integral (and hilarious) perspective to the team in the show’s fifth and final season (out April 9).
The return of Hacks arrives at an exciting time for Hoffman. Fresh off her Netflix stand-up special Wake Up and her turn on the campus comedy series Rooster, she’s about to go on tour and is cowriting and starring on her own upcoming HBO show, Unentitled. Her personal life is just as buzzy. She recently celebrated her one-year wedding anniversary with Bachelorette alum Gabby Windey, who’s currently hosting Love Overboard on Hulu.
“I’m huge on celebration. She gets an audition, I go, ‘Babe, we’re going out.’ We celebrate everything,” Hoffman says. “That’s something I learned from my brother. My first show that I sold, I really wanted to have a watch. I was always thinking about a watch … and I was like, I don’t know if I should buy myself a nice watch.”
But her brother (she’s one of 10 children!) pointed out that it’s important to prioritize yourself. “He goes, ‘I always like to lease as nice a car as I can afford. I don’t take the base model. I’m taking care of my family, this is my one treat.’ So we celebrate a lot.”
That spirit of celebration is infectious when I chat with Hoffman, from her relationship’s reality DNA (“She had 25 boyfriends. And guess who got the final rose?”) to her cat Nom, who she doesn’t mind saying is the best cat. (“A lot of cats are very scary; they scratch. You could put my cat’s paw in your mouth — nothing would happen.”) And even as she experiences a new scale of professional buzz, she’s grounded by those who have been laughing with her all along.
“People come to my shows, and that’s always been where the people know me, but Hollywood didn’t know me,” Hoffman says. “And now the people get to see, We were on this! So it’s just been really fun.”
Below, Hoffman opens up about thrifting, life with Windey, and her enduring love for Jennifer Aniston.
The Fast Follow With Robby Hoffman
What is the weirdest Internet rabbit hole that you’ve gone down recently?
I watch a lot of car stuff. I’ll watch somebody fix their own rock chips on a car and fill them in with the primer, the paint, the clear coat, sand it down. I just ordered my first electric sander. I consider real mechanics to be like doctors. They have to know the biology of an entire machine, and it’s insane.
I’ve only ever had used cars, so I do as much work as I can and keep on top of it. And it started under necessity, being poor — like, my first car was $3,000 and very old.
What is a TV show or movie you can’t stop trying to get people to watch?
Gab and I were watching Severance, and then we got onto a Patricia Arquette kick. I told her about Boyhood, which I also loved. Then, after Boyhood, she discovered this series called Escape at Dannemora. It’s incredible, and it’s directed by Ben Stiller. Maybe we’re 10 years late on it, but we loved it.
What’s in your fridge right now?
Nothing, bro. It’s not good. I have a steak in the fridge, but I left it before the weekend, and I was shooting all weekend, so I’m like, There’s no way it’s still good. It looks good, but I don’t think I can eat it. And that really bothers me, because it’s a $9 steak.
Have you ever had a niche celebrity crush?
Well, I think people know in the lesbian world, obviously Justin Bieber’s an icon, okay? We love Bieber. He is a lesbian king, and we stan him.
But people don’t know… our queen is Jennifer Aniston. She has been for a long time. All because she wore a belt in the ’90s — but that’s all lesbians need! I don’t even think Jennifer Aniston knows this, but she must: The lesbians love and respect her. Even through all the drama, she carried on being pure class, and she kept wearing a belt. She has been consistent, and we appreciate that.
What is the most specific gift that you’ve ever received?
My mother is extremely eccentric, a real Luddite. She sent me the World Book double-volume dictionary that is just huge, with a whole inscription about the importance of a good dictionary in the year of 2026. She could not believe I didn’t have one. My mother is only in her 60s but is going on at least [age] 110. Just like I’m either 73 or 7, people don’t really know.
What’s your most worn item of clothing?
I wear these pants every day. They’re $11 Tommy Hilfiger charcoal pants from Depop. I buy all of my clothes used. This long-sleeve shirt is actually a Dior shirt that I got for $60 at a store in Scottsdale called My Sister’s Closet. So, it could be $1,000 probably. I cut it myself to shorten it.
I’m not precious about things, but I have nice things because I buy them used. And I’ve been doing that my whole life. People are starting to get to know my clothes. Like, “Oh! Robbie’s in her good shirt.” Like, the shirt I got married in was the shirt I wore on John Mulaney. And the shirt Gabby got me for Christmas I wore to our anniversary and on Kimmel. It’s a good shirt! I’m gonna wear it a million times.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
