Ms. Fey tried to be preppy — “I had a turtleneck with strawberries on it,” she said, “and I would brush my hair, which is incorrect, because my hair is thick and wavy, and you shouldn’t brush it” — while Ms. Poehler sprayed her bangs straight up, and ignored the rest. “You just assume no one watches you walk away,” she said.

“We were late bloomers,” Ms. Poehler added, “and thank goodness. It was fortunate for me to be able to navigate some of that stuff with a good group of women and keep my head on somewhat straight.”

They had spent this entire day doing promotion and photo shoots, and by the evening interview were still dolled up, though Ms. Poehler, tucked onto a couch, had swapped her heels for loafers, and Ms. Fey, stretched out in an adjacent armchair, was wrapped up in a cozy sweater. Clearly tired, they were still considerate with their answers and nonstop with their silliness.

Ms. Poehler calls Ms. Fey Betty (her given name is Elizabeth). “And I would also like for The Times to call me Betty,” Ms. Fey said. Ms. Poehler: “Betty the first time and the second time, Mrs. Betty.”