Shania Twain dishes about 'amazing' Broad City cameo

Country-pop queen Shania Twain has long played a minor role in Broad City: While working at Soulstice in the comedy’s first three seasons, Abbi perpetually wriggles out of commitments or explains lateness by lying that she’s training the musician.

But on last week’s Broad City episode “Twaining Day,” the second installment of its fourth season, the show put a spin on the running gag, bringing in Twain herself for a guest spot. “It was an amazing experience, and I thought the story was fun,” Twain tells EW. “It seemed like a really natural fit and it was a great segue from where I was in their script.”

In the episode, Abbi returns to Soulstice for the first time since leaving her job there — and is stunned to see former lover and boss Trey (Paul W. Downs) training Twain. Abbi ends up assisting Trey, but the exercise-averse (in the show, at least) Twain makes the workout session about Abbi’s romance with Trey when he leaves the room. “They thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if [Twain] would actually come?'” Twain says. “I was just really up for it.”

Downs, who also writes for the show, recently took EW inside Twain’s casting. “She’s a writer of love songs!” he explained. “So honestly, we were like, if this is a moment for us to reconnect Trey and Abbi and also have them deal with what happened last year — because there’s been some time between it and they haven’t spoken — she seemed like the perfect counselor. She is somebody who writes love song lyrics all the time. The fact that we were able to get Shania and realize the lie that Abbi’s told for the past four seasons was really fun.”

Beyond her distinction as a longstanding Broad City running joke, Twain applauds the comedic work of creators and costars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. “I just love the way they address their true opinions with a sense of humor,” she says. “They’re bold, but so lovable at the same time.”