Amber Ruffin says Chelsea Clinton 'would've gotten a callback' to write for her talk show

If being a best-selling author and public health advocate isn't enough, former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton can fall back on a second career as a comedy writer, according to Amber Ruffin.

The talk show host invited Chelsea and mom Hillary Clinton to visit The Amber Ruffin Show writers' room for an episode of the Clinton's new Apple TV+ docuseries Gutsy. "They really wanted to know what it's like to do the show, and I thought, well, short of actually performing the show, the main part is being in the writers' room and dicking around — sorry, goofing around," says Ruffin. "I didn't think there's any way they're going to let us come up with sketch ideas, and then they'd sit there and listen to them. But they did, and so I'm very glad that I shot for the moon with that because it ended up being extremely fun."

She was particularly impressed with Chelsea's comedic skills. "Chelsea was hilarious," says Ruffin, who had the Clintons do improv exercises and a sketch brainstorming session. "If that had been an audition, she would've got a callback, for sure. We would've had to have a second interview with her to write for the show, definitely."

Though Ruffin and her staff were initially nervous about Hillary and Chelsea's visit — "Before they came by, we were like, 'Do not act the way you normally act… we cannot be our normal selves,'" says Ruffin — everyone quickly relaxed. "[Hillary and Chelsea] are two of the chillest people of all time, which I have to say was quite the surprise. I did not expect that. They just jumped head first into goofiness."

Ruffin also appreciated the pair's interviewing technique. "These public speaking fools, they have talked to literally everyone all over the world, so of course they're smoother than smooth," says Ruffin. "They were just listening so hard. And if you're any lady anywhere, nobody trying to listen to you — especially not a person of that stature, to this degree, being this interested in your little ramblings. When I found out that they wanted to talk to me, it was such a nice feeling because it forces you to have to be like, 'Oh yeah, I did something that is noteworthy, so much so that these two people, both of whom I consider out of my league in every way, noticed.' And that felt great."

Read more about Hillary and Chelsea in EW's new digital cover story. Gutsy — which also features guests Megan Thee Stallion, Kim Kardashian, Jane Goodall, Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn — premieres on Apple TV+ Sept. 9.

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