Was it a different dynamic on Sword of Trust, which, though you starred in it, was ultimately her film?

By that time, we were wrestling with feelings that were deeper than creative and friendship. She was separated [from her husband, the host and actor Kevin Seal] and the tension had become more intense. Wed been working on a script together for years and we just werent getting it done. Shes like, Im going to write you a movie. Im like, Yeah, OK, sure. And she did. She and Mike OBrien came up with an idea she decided, because she drove past a pawnshop, that I would be a pawnshop owner and she willed it into existence.

What was the day-to-day experience like on the film?

I was cranky and difficult. It was hot down there [in Birmingham, Ala.]. I felt fat. It was very daunting for me, because I was on set with a lot of monster improvisers. And after a day or two, I said to Lynn, if you dont reel them in, Im going to be this dumb straight man to a bunch of over-the-top characters. Im going to be filled with resentment and Im not going to be able to ease into this. And Lynn made an interesting choice to act in that movie [as the troubled ex-girlfriend of Marons character]. That scene when she comes to pawn that ring [chokes up], the emotions were real. Its really Lynn holding me open, which is something she did in real life, too. Once it got to a point where she had resolved some stuff in her relationship and we were able to acknowledge a real love for each other, I actually said to her there was drama here I said, Look, if we dont try this, whatevers going on here, Im going to regret it for the rest of my life. And so, we did.

Were you hesitant to acknowledge your relationship on the podcast?

It took a long time and Ive learned a lot of lessons around that. My audience has been through several relationships with me. When you talk about somebody, they dont have a voice in it. So choose what youre doing there. Once Lynn and I were able to start seeing each other, we kept a low profile for like three to six months and then she started to ease into the conversation. I think she was getting upset with it. She was like: When can we be who we are? Enough already. And Im like, Yeah, youre right. This quarantine was not the greatest of situations but it accelerated things. It enabled us to double up our time together. She had moved all her stuff down here and we were together all the time. We were cooking and talking and eventually we started working on the script again.

See more here:

The Lynn Shelton That Marc Maron Knew - The New York Times