Nancy Updike

Armando Iannucci gets called prescient a lot, but I think of him not so much as prescient as in tune. He follows the news. He is paying attention to now. Veep got into aspects of the political culture in Washington in a way no other show did. The epic pettiness, the unglamorous maneuvering.

Armando Iannucci gets called prescient a lot, but I think of him not so much as prescient as in tune. He follows the news. He is paying attention to now. Veep got into aspects of the political culture in Washington in a way no other show did. The epic pettiness, the unglamorous maneuvering.

I'm always interested to see through his work what he finds funny and relevant and sometimes frightening in the world. So I went to London to interview him about one of his new projects, a new play, which I will get to. But right now, all you need to know is that I came to the interview as a fan, straight up. I didn't hide it, but I didn't lead with it either. We were both there to do our jobs.

I'm always interested to see through his work what he finds funny and relevant and sometimes frightening in the world. So I went to London to interview him about one of his new projects, a new play, which I will get to. But right now, all you need to know is that I came to the interview as a fan, straight up. I didn't hide it, but I didn't lead with it either. We were both there to do our jobs.

I was told I would get an hour with him. To be safe, I was 15 minutes early. And while I was waiting, I got a bloody nose. I got the bloody nose while I was standing in the living room type room somewhere upstairs at the Noel Coward Theatre in London. A room that has a white carpet and white upholstered chairs and a silver upholstered couch. I pulled a bunch of tissues from my bag.

I was told I would get an hour with him. To be safe, I was 15 minutes early. And while I was waiting, I got a bloody nose. I got the bloody nose while I was standing in the living room type room somewhere upstairs at the Noel Coward Theatre in London. A room that has a white carpet and white upholstered chairs and a silver upholstered couch. I pulled a bunch of tissues from my bag.

Pretty much always have tissues. And I was holding a pile of them to my bloody nose. Normal. It happens. I get bloody noses sometimes. Then I ran out of tissues. So I started using paper towels from the kitchenette that was attached to the living room. And it was a lot of blood.

Pretty much always have tissues. And I was holding a pile of them to my bloody nose. Normal. It happens. I get bloody noses sometimes. Then I ran out of tissues. So I started using paper towels from the kitchenette that was attached to the living room. And it was a lot of blood.

So I had a big wad of paper towels pressed to my nose, trying not to drip on the white rug, when Armando Iannucci walked through the kitchenette and into the living room. He and the publicist were concerned. He said, do you need a few minutes? He understood about bloody noses. The publicist said, would you like to use the toilet? I said, yes, that would be great. Thank you so much.

So I had a big wad of paper towels pressed to my nose, trying not to drip on the white rug, when Armando Iannucci walked through the kitchenette and into the living room. He and the publicist were concerned. He said, do you need a few minutes? He understood about bloody noses. The publicist said, would you like to use the toilet? I said, yes, that would be great. Thank you so much.

I am so sorry about this. Where is that toilet? And I went to the bathroom to wrap this mess up. And I had what seemed to be a rolling series of bloody noses or one big one that had many phases. I don't know. But what I do know from sad, gross experience is that a bloody nose means there's a clot somewhere high up in my nose that needs to come out for the bloody nose to stop.

I am so sorry about this. Where is that toilet? And I went to the bathroom to wrap this mess up. And I had what seemed to be a rolling series of bloody noses or one big one that had many phases. I don't know. But what I do know from sad, gross experience is that a bloody nose means there's a clot somewhere high up in my nose that needs to come out for the bloody nose to stop.

So, I was trying to blow my nose and blow the clot out, and it took me some time to realize that as I was doing that, unsuccessfully, I was spraying tiny droplets of blood all over. The sink, the toilet seat, the floor, the mirror, the wallpaper, the wallpaper. I started wiping everywhere, like it was a crime scene.

So, I was trying to blow my nose and blow the clot out, and it took me some time to realize that as I was doing that, unsuccessfully, I was spraying tiny droplets of blood all over. The sink, the toilet seat, the floor, the mirror, the wallpaper, the wallpaper. I started wiping everywhere, like it was a crime scene.

And I rolled up a tight little roll of toilet paper and stuck it up my right nostril to catch the blood. That's what I do at home when I have a bloody nose and no one's looking. And the little roll of toilet paper filled with blood and fell on the floor as I was wiping the floor. Had to roll up another one. That filled with blood. Roll up a new one. Take out the old one. Repeat. Repeat.

And I rolled up a tight little roll of toilet paper and stuck it up my right nostril to catch the blood. That's what I do at home when I have a bloody nose and no one's looking. And the little roll of toilet paper filled with blood and fell on the floor as I was wiping the floor. Had to roll up another one. That filled with blood. Roll up a new one. Take out the old one. Repeat. Repeat.

I went through an entire roll of toilet paper and had to start a new one. So I was pacing around this little bathroom with toilet paper in my nose, looking for tiny blood drops and muttering to myself, you gotta wrap this up. Wrap it up. Wrap this up. And time was passing. So I started thinking, maybe I could interview Armando Iannucci with rolled up toilet paper sticking out of my nose.

I went through an entire roll of toilet paper and had to start a new one. So I was pacing around this little bathroom with toilet paper in my nose, looking for tiny blood drops and muttering to myself, you gotta wrap this up. Wrap it up. Wrap this up. And time was passing. So I started thinking, maybe I could interview Armando Iannucci with rolled up toilet paper sticking out of my nose.

Or, or maybe I could stick a really tiny bit of toilet paper far enough up my nose that he wouldn't see it, but it would still block the blood. This nosebleed went on for half an hour. It was a full-on anxiety dream come to life. And Armando Iannucci's movies and TV shows are full of awkward scenes that happen on the job.

Or, or maybe I could stick a really tiny bit of toilet paper far enough up my nose that he wouldn't see it, but it would still block the blood. This nosebleed went on for half an hour. It was a full-on anxiety dream come to life. And Armando Iannucci's movies and TV shows are full of awkward scenes that happen on the job.