The only topics that were forbidden John Mulaney: Baby J was his divorce and his newborn son.
Otherwise, the much-admired comedian has spent his entire life doing it Baby J Special for Netflix – his first in five years – in which he talks about the “action-packed” time in his life when his friends performed a procedure before sending him to rehab.
When his friends and family confronted him about his addiction, Mulaney wasn’t exactly focused on his stand-up potential. “I was pretty drunk when I got there,” he told Deadline.
But after Mulaney came out of detox, she turned to her friend and comedian Joe Mande “to find out what happened.” He said it was extremely funny that I took notes of each letter after he wrote it and read it, and that after the intervention I told him how I arranged the speeches. He immediately showed me how fun the dynamic was.”
Here, Mulaney talks about producing the special, which is nominated for two Emmys and will likely compete for the new category of Best Performance in TV Stand-Up Comedy at the Golden Globes, and why he didn’t expect it to offend some people. don’t feel like they laughed at the lowest moment in his life.
DEADLINE Is it weird doing interviews for this special because it’s so personal?
JOHN MULANEY NO. I have always remained very personal and understand that the subject matter is, for lack of a better term, darker or more intimate. But honestly, my approach to it felt similar to the rest of my specials. That’s why it wasn’t more difficult for me to talk about it.
DEADLINE They called it a “far-reaching conversation.” Should that be code for “It might not be what everyone expects”?“
MULANEY It was a throwback to the GQ article I ended the special with, which said, “We spoke in a long conversation with the comedian.” I found it really funny that my drug addict self was so pushy in this interview, and I just thought that was a funny way of putting it. I thought it would be a good caption for the special, but then I thought it wasn’t such a comprehensive conversation. It’s about a topic.
DEADLINE When did you notice the 11-year-old on the balcony?
MULANEY Oh, right away, because Boston Symphony Hall is a rectangular room surrounded by balconies. It almost feels like they’re reaching for the side of your head. So I noticed him right away. You see these dark profiles of grown heads and then there was this little head and I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ He is very young.’
DEADLINE Yes, but what a gift. The jokes were pure gold.
MULANEY All I had to do was address it to myself and the audience that night.
DEADLINE During the special you talk about all the comedians who were present at your performance and how they told each other not to play roles. But when you went through the intervention, you had one Aha moment about how it could be a great stand-up gig one day?
MULANEY NO. I wish I was smarter, but no, it was just a bad moment. And I’m someone who, because of everything that’s happened in my life, I knew it was going to be kind of fun. It was more like chemical hell that took it away. When I got there I was pretty drunk. I was high and couldn’t keep using because I wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom. So I was in a very excited state.
DEADLINE: Did you think you should discuss this with your friends before starting the special? Who participated in the intervention?
MULANEY [Laughs] I solved it by letting it run and then asking, “Hey, was that okay?”
DEADLINE And what did they say then?
MULANEY A friend of mine said, “Why are you cool and we’re all dumb when you tell the story?” And they were right. I said, “Because I’m telling it from this little bastard’s perspective, where I was the coolest guy in New York that night and you completely floored me.”
DEADLINE In some ways, it seems as if the jokes wrote themselves. Did you feel that it would be difficult for you to talk about the fact that some of your friends were on Zoom later?
MULANEY When I finished detoxing, I started thinking about the procedure and called my friend Joe Mande to get a sense of what was happening. He said it was extremely funny that I took notes on each letter after he read them and that after the intervention I told him how I arranged the speeches. He immediately showed me how fun the dynamic was.
DEADLINE I went online again to look for some random reviews and every review is a little toned down, like people think it’s hilarious and yet they feel like a terrible person when they laugh, and they feel like it’s an emotional roller coaster is. “It feels disturbing,” one person said. Someone else wrote: “Please stay safe, we need your continued brilliance.” What feedback have you received?
MULANEY I was curious when I noticed that some of them were dark. It consumed darker than I thought. And I know it sounds strange given the subject, but my goal was to make it as funny as possible, without dramatic pauses. I will light up the room and speak very honestly and be vulnerable, which means I think without jokes. And I didn’t want to do that. I wanted it to be a joke-based special about something that’s complex, sad, and a little scary, but with very, very specific details. It was an action-packed time. This is what I wanted to convey. People might say: “It’s harder, sadder, darker, more disturbing.” I’m really flattered and happy that this was reviewed and discussed. That’s what I like best: people talk about it.
DEADLINE You should have known that some people would feel guilty laughing at you because this is clearly a very serious issue.
MULANEY I don’t want to sound naive, but I’m not, because I’m standing on the stage of a beautiful symphony hall. I am healthy again for the first time in years. And in my mind The is the attitude. I wear a suit that creates a permission structure for me: “Hey, I’m fine now.” That’s how I felt. You can all see that it’s okay and you can go on and laugh. But I understand that with an addiction I live with, it’s hard to say, “Now he’s fine and there are no problems, because it’s something you live with day by day.” Maybe I was a bit naive in this regard.
DEADLINE Speaking of the suit: was it fuchsia?
MULANEY Well, let me go for fuchsia because I’m not a big color person. Fuchsia is a bright pink, purple-red color named after the color of the flower, the fuchsia plant. Okay, so we have the suit and then the right color. And then we have your own screen. So I don’t know, I’m not going to say you haven’t experienced Fuchsia. Maybe I don’t know your color settings. It’s like a lighter burgundy. I really love this suit. I got it in England at a place called… well, I won’t say where, in case they don’t want me to share it. But they make pajamas for King Charles and he likes pajamas in very bright colors. He goes to sleep looking like a big bowl of fruit.
DEADLINE Do you think humor helps people better understand or sympathize with addiction?
MULANEY I actually don’t know the answer to that. That would be something others might be able to answer. I know that in every rehab I’ve been to, every encounter with other addicts, or every group therapy session I’ve attended, it’s extremely important and very common and sometimes makes us laugh. these things.
DEADLINE You haven’t talked much about being a new father. Why did you make this decision?
MULANEY I’m still reluctant to talk about it because I’m his father. It’s a very, very simple relationship. The funny thing about this guy is that I almost feel like I’m talking about him behind his back. He is my most important friend. Something is happening that I shouldn’t talk about. It’s just something new and very pure and special, and a lot of the comedy comes from some kind of dissatisfaction or grievance, and I don’t have that. A child is not a sober companion. He is just the incredible gift I received when everything else changed. And if I were to say right away, “Now I’m going to do daddy,” I’d feel like I was wrapping it up with a bow I didn’t want.
DEADLINE Same goes for your divorce?
MULANEY It was just something I didn’t want to get involved with.
DEADLINE There’s another great joke in your special: Even as an addict, your athletic build made you look better than so many people and you look awesome. I guess everyone else looked bad or something?
MULANEY Well, I’ve never heard anyone, let alone a journalist, say I have an athletic build. I can’t thank you enough for that. And congratulations on being the first person ever to say that. I’m going on the air now. It was halfway through the pandemic, when a lot of people were gaining weight and a lot of people were at home and I was away. So I was just kind of bloated and skinny in a pretty unhealthy way. Everyone there was sweet in their own way. It was more of a joke than them looking like shit.
DEADLINE Earlier this year, you made a surprise appearance in the now infamous family dinner scene of Season 2 of The bear. How did it come together?
MULANEY We shot it in April 2023. [Creator] Chris Storer, who I knew, sent me this role and I was already a big fan of the series. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to be asked to do anything on the show, let alone a really funny character, let alone an episode full of talent. It was crazy to sit at the same table with these other actors.
DEADLINE How were these recording days? Was it a lot of monkeys?
MULANEY Happiness, complete bliss. Chris leads the most beautiful, fun and lively set. Everyone has the best attitude, loves the show and really makes the days fun. For the kitchen and living room scenes, we were on location in a house in the suburbs of Chicago. And then the dining room was on set because a car had to drive through.
DEADLINE Another thing: Did you really drink Coke from a koala baby changing table in a public restroom? You talked about this in the special.
MULANEY Natural. And not just once. I mean, that’s a good idea. Many ideas from addicts are good ideas.
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
