John Mulaney knows just how to bring on the giggles and the gulps in equal measure, and his appearance on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman is no exception.
The 45-minute special, which arrived on Netflix on Tuesday, April 30, features the comedian speaking freely about everything from his struggle with addiction to being a new parent to reevaluating his father’s legacy as an adult, and it’s both hilarious and touching.
Here are a few things we learned about the funny man from his candid one-on-one with his biggest admirer, David Letterman.
Letterman credits him with restoring his faith in stand-up comedy
The former late-night host was effusive with his praise of Mulaney’s comedy style, full stop.
He broke a tooth from the stress of detox
Right off the bat, the special dives into one of the more sensitive subjects in Mulaney’s life: his struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction, and he minces no words about it.
In addition to describing breaking a molar from all the teeth-grinding in the hospital, he also broke down his former daily routine in excruciating detail, saying, “I wouldn’t have even thought I was addicted to it. It’s just how I lived every day. So you wake up, take a couple of Adderall, feel there’s too much of an edge, take half a Klonopin, got a little too sleepy, have to do — have to finish a script and then get on the phone, take another Adderall. The Adderall’s wearing off, which is not the best feeling, so let’s just take one Adderall with a half a Xanax, and just ride that all day long.” (As of the taping of the special, he was nearing his three-year anniversary of sobriety.)
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Lorne Michaels helped him get sober… sorta
Mulaney revealed in his talk with Letterman that he once spent an hour talking on the phone with his former boss at Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels, and he had some historical context that was helpful.
“He goes, ‘I knew John Belushi for seven years. I’ve been talking about him for 48 years.’ He goes, ‘That’s the shrapnel that happens when someone goes down like that,’” Mulaney remembered. “And he goes, ‘You know, John didn’t wanna die. You know, he didn’t plan to. Just ’cause it’s a story, just ’cause it’s sort of set in stone like history, people don’t want to die from this.’”
He was subjected to some really creative bullies
Mulaney talked about some of the clever disses that he couldn’t help but remember from his youth, quoting two in particular: (1) “Look at that high-waisted man, he got feminine hips.” (2) “Hey baby your man smells like cold pasta.” Good thing Mulaney had a sense of humor to survive those sick burns.
He knew he’d be a star
Upon visiting his high school alma mater, Mulaney admitted that he had big ambitions even then, saying, “I had high self-esteem about how funny I was. I don’t know if this is obnoxious to say, but I thought, ‘I should be on the godd*** stage at the Hollywood Bowl!’”
He avoids being canceled by not thinking about it
While meeting with some kids who attend the same high school he did, he answered a question about how to avoid being canceled for his jokes by saying he doesn’t think about it and if he does, he’s just negative criticism, and, “That’s life.”
His favorite project of all is adorable
Of all his professional accomplishments, the one Mulaney is proudest of is his variety show John Mulaney and Sack Lunch Bunch, and he’s not afraid to take a dig at the streamer hosting this special when remembering that show.
“That’s my favorite thing I ever did,” Mulaney said of the show. “So I loved doing it, and Netflix was like, ‘Oh cool. You gonna do standup again?’” (The answer? Yes, he’s set to do a new six-part special titled John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest. Who’s laughing now?)
He also had high praise for Jake Gyllenhaal as Mr. Music, saying, “I think it’s his best performance, I’m not joking.”
His reaction to having a baby was adorable
About fatherhood, Mulaney admitted he and partner Olivia Munn weren’t trying for a baby when they got pregnant with little Malcolm, but once it happened, he was hooked.
“It wasn’t so much that I thought I wouldn’t as it was never a good day to have one,” Mulaney explained of his reluctance to parent. “Then this guy came along, and I was starstruck when I met him. I went, ‘Oh there you are. You’re that thing I couldn’t find. I was looking in not good places, and oh, there you are.’ That was what I thought.”
His dad’s reaction to his career choice was epic
In the special, Mulaney gets to talk both about and to his father, who he described as a hulking figure in his youth who wore nice suits and had a high-powered job as a corporate lawyer.
Upon learning that Mulaney wanted to be a comedian for a living, he remembered his father saying with incredulity, “Best case scenario, you’re like what, Steve Martin?!”
He carries three cans of sardines in his suitcase
As one does? Apparently?
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Netflix
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