Comedian Roy Wood Jr. tells us what his year of ‘Daily Show’ correspondent appearances from home has been like and how the show has changed since Trump left office. He also talks about his new podcast ‘Roy’s Job Fair,’ previews his recently announced stand-up special set to premiere on Comedy Central later this year and shares hilarious stories about his late-night debut on ‘Letterman’ and why his first ‘Daily Show’ audition didn’t go as planned. Twitter: @roywoodjr and @mattwilstein | Ins...
Mar 23, 2021•52 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze returns to ‘The Last Laugh’ this week to talk about his latest special ‘The Greatest Average American,’ which premieres this Thursday, March 18th on Netflix. He breaks down how he managed to pull off his funniest hour yet during the pandemic, why he needed to try out his COVID jokes on Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show,’ where he sees himself in the comedy pantheon and a lot more. Twitter: @natebargatze and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @natebargatze and @lastlaughp...
Mar 16, 2021•45 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast To mark one year since our world was turned upside down, this episode features stories from eight comedians about trying to stay funny in the middle of a global pandemic: — Cameron Esposito — Jimmy O. Yang — Nick Offerman — Tig Notaro — Beth Stelling — Jordan Klepper — John Wilson — Sarah Cooper Twitter: @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 09, 2021•42 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the 100th episode of ‘The Last Laugh’ podcast and Nathan Lane is here to talk about his iconic role in ‘The Birdcage’ nearly 25 years to the day after that classic comedy film was released. We get into all of it, including how he landed the breakthrough role of his movie career, improvising on set with Robin Williams and the complicated experience of promoting the film on ‘Oprah’ before he was ready to come out publicly. Twitter: @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lastlaughpod Hi...
Mar 02, 2021•57 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast In this preview of our 100th episode with Nathan Lane dropping next Tuesday, the star of ‘The Birdcage’ weighs in on the debate over straight actors playing gay roles and shares some unexpected news about a possible sequel to the classic comedy film 25 years after its release. Subscribe to ‘The Last Laugh’ now to hear our full conversation when it’s released next Tuesday, March 2nd. Twitter: @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and...
Feb 26, 2021•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Atlanta-based comedian Blaire Erskine has blown up on Twitter over the past year with videos that not only roast Trump-loving conservatives but have also managed to fool a large number of prominent liberals. With characters like Tiffany Trump’s best friend, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s daughter and Ted Cruz’s spokesperson, Blaire rides a fine line between parody and reality and nails it every time. In this episode, we talk about how she honed this new craft during the pandemic, why 90% of the hate s...
Feb 23, 2021•47 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Larry Wilmore is a comedy writer, producer, former host of ‘The Nightly Show’ and current host of the podcast ‘Black on the Air.’ Now, Larry has executive produced a new six-part docuseries called ‘Amend: The Fight for America,’ hosted by Will Smith, that will premiere on Netflix this Wednesday, February 17th. In this episode, Larry shares behind-the-scenes stories from ‘The Daily Show,’ ‘The Office,’ and his infamous speech at President Obama’s final White House Correspondents’ Dinner. &n...
Feb 16, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast After nine seasons spent bringing lovable weirdos to life as a cast member on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Bobby Moynihan is at it again on the Tina Fey-created sitcom ‘Mr. Mayor.’ On this episode, Bobby talks about being one of the biggest SNL fans to ever make the cast, shares Donald Trump’s alarming praise of his racist “Drunk Uncle” character and reveals what made him leave the show after a presidential election season dominated by Alec Baldwin. Twitter: @bibbymoynihan and @mattwilstein | In...
Feb 09, 2021•44 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast In a rare interview, the man behind @TheTweetofGod —former “Daily Show” writer David Javerbaum—opens up about creating that wildly popular Twitter account and adapting it into the new ‘Godcast’ podcast. He also tells stories about writing jokes with Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, composing songs with James Corden and Adam Schlesinger and teases his upcoming book, ‘ The Book of Pslams: 97 Divine Diatribes on Humanity’s Total Failure . ’ Twitter: @TheTweetOfGod and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @la...
Feb 05, 2021•25 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast After years spent roasting D-list celebrities on ‘Chelsea Lately,’ A-list celebrities on the Comedy Central roasts and hipster couples on her ‘Honeymoon Stand Up Special’ with husband Moshe Kasher , Natasha Leggero has moved on to roasting houses. On this week’s episode, the co-host of ‘House Hunters: Comedians on Couches Unfiltered’ opens up about her “uniquely challenging” comedic journey, including a transcendent stand-up debut, an early brush with “cancel culture” and a lot more. Twitt...
Feb 02, 2021•43 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Sam Morril is so prolific that he managed to release two full-length stand-up specials in 2020 when most comics couldn’t even get on stage. In this episode, we talk about how he pulled off ‘I Got This’ and ‘Up on the Roof,’ both of which are available to stream for free on YouTube now, plus his unique outlook on the power of “offensive” jokes, his unexpected cameo in ‘Joker’ and a lot more. Twitter: @sammorril and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @sammorril and @lastlaughpod Highlights ...
Jan 26, 2021•50 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast On Donald Trump’s last full day as president, comedian Sarah Cooper looks back and her life-changing year lip-syncing him on TikTok and ahead to her own post-Trump ambitions in comedy. We also talk about the early stand-up material she now worries might get her “canceled,” the surreal experience of watching Trump talk about her on Fox News, how she got Helen Mirren to recreate the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape for her Netflix special and a lot more—including whether she’s really done with Trump. ...
Jan 19, 2021•55 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast In this preview of our episode with Sarah Cooper dropping next Tuesday—AKA Donald Trump’s last full day in office—the comedian shares her parting message for the president she has spent the past year making fun of on TikTok . Subscribe to ‘The Last Laugh’ now to hear our full conversation when it’s released next Tuesday, January 19th. Twitter: @sarahcpr and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @sarahcpr and @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast . Hosted on Ac...
Jan 15, 2021•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Colin Quinn got COVID-19 for the jokes. Well, not exactly. But as the stand-up comedian and star of HBOMax’s ‘Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show’ explains in this episode, he’s already developing new material about the experience. “And guess what? If I find out other comedians are doing a corona routine, I want to make sure they had it,” he jokes. “I don’t want any medical appropriation!” During this hilarious conversation, Quinn goes deep on his long comedy career, including w...
Jan 12, 2021•55 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Jason Woliner thought it was a terrible idea to make a sequel to the “funniest movie ever made.” Sacha Baron Cohen hired him to direct it anyway. In our first new episode of 2021, Woliner tells some truly insane stories about the making of ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,’ including how they found Maria Bakalova to play Tutar, why he was forced to bleach his hair blonde and take on a secret, less “globalist” identity, the time he almost got beat up after the debutante ball dance scene and what reall...
Jan 05, 2021•57 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comedian, podcast host, best-selling author and, until recently, one half of ‘2 Dope Queens’ with Jessica Williams. Now, she has officially gone solo, first with a new advice podcast called ‘Black Frasier’ and soon with her own Comedy Central talk show titled ‘Doing the Most’ in which she “big spoons” celebrity guests like Kevin Bacon and Tan France. We get into all of this, plus what it’s been like experiencing the resurgence of Black Lives Matter during a global p...
Dec 29, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this special crossover pod, ‘The Last Laugh’ host Matt Wilstein joins ‘The New Abnormal’ co-host Molly Jong-Fast and producer Jesse Cannon to look back at the year in political comedy, from the confrontational antics of Sacha Baron Cohen and Jordan Klepper to viral impressionists Sarah Cooper, Blaire Erskine and the women who saved SNL from Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey. Twitter: @NewAbnormalPod , @MollyJongFast , @JesseCannon and @mattwilstein Instagram: @mollyjongfast , @jessecan...
Dec 27, 2020•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast To celebrate the end of this absurd year, Matt Wilstein is joined by The Daily Beast’s Laura Bradley to share their lists of the funniest performances of 2020. They include some previous ‘Last Laugh’ guests ( Sam Jay! Jordan Klepper! ) and a whole bunch of comedians who will hopefully join us on the show in the future. See our full list of the 20 funniest performances of 2020 at The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-20-funniest-performances-of-2020-from-borat-schitts-creek-snl...
Dec 22, 2020•55 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Starting with his breakthrough role as Rafi on ‘The League,’ Jason Mantzoukas has a solid decade under his belt as the comedy world’s favorite “crazy, wild-eyed maniac,” in his words. In this episode, Jason takes us through his prolific career, including hilarious turns in ‘The Dictator,’ ‘Transparent,’ ‘The Good Place’ and so many others. Remarkably, some of his most nuanced work has come as Jay, a horny bisexual tween, on Netflix’s animated hit ‘Big Mouth,’ which premiered its excellent fourth...
Dec 15, 2020•56 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast When Michael Kosta decided to call his new Comedy Central stand-up special ‘Detroit. NY. LA.’ he had no idea people would be watching it in lockdown just so they could vicariously travel around the country. In this bonus episode, the ‘Daily Show’ correspondent (and former tennis pro! ) talks about finding the balance between George Carlin and Steve Martin, becoming Trevor Noah’s token white guy and how he thinks late-night comedy will change post-Trump. Twitter: @michaelkosta and @mattwils...
Dec 11, 2020•40 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast It took Jessica Kirson 19 years to land her first-ever hour-long special ‘Talking to Myself’ . Despite her reputation as a club comic who can kill in any room, the networks weren’t exactly banging down her door. “I was never the hot, skinny, flirtatious female comedian,” she says. “So I was just funny.” Ultimately, it was fellow comedian Bill Burr agreeing to produce her special that made Comedy Central pay attention. In this episode, Jessica opens up about her long road to success, including ho...
Dec 08, 2020•48 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast As the new Mr. Belding stand-in on Peacock’s ‘Saved by the Bell’ reboot, John Michael Higgins is “basically a dunk tank clown,” in his words. The comic role of “old white man” is one the veteran character actor has come to accept later in his career. But he’s still probably best known for playing the younger, more flamboyant half of the gay couple with a Shih Tzu in the 2000 comedy classic ‘Best in Show’—a part he says he would never get today. In this episode, John opens up about his risky big ...
Dec 01, 2020•51 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast The mysterious New York filmmaker behind HBO’s ‘How To With John Wilson’ joins this very special bonus episode to break down how he made perhaps the most fascinating TV show of 2020. John reveals how ‘Nathan for You’ creator Nathan Fielder helped pitch the show to Hollywood executives, why he considers himself “completely different” from Sacha Baron Cohen, how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the season one finale and what fans can expect from a possible season two. And yes, we talk about the f...
Nov 27, 2020•37 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast After stealing scenes in ‘Silicon Valley,’ ‘Veep,’ ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and bunch of your other favorite shows, Mary Holland is about to break out in a big way as the co-writer and co-star of the new holiday rom-com ‘Happiest Season,’ premiering on Hulu November 25th. In this episode, Mary talks about how she went from improvising ridiculous characters at the Upright Citizens Brigade and on Scott Aukerman’s ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!’ podcast to becoming a go-to eccentric character actor on screen an...
Nov 24, 2020•44 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast In his most recent stand-up special ‘Oh Come On’ David Cross imagined the many outrageous ways that Donald Trump’s presidency could end. Now that it’s actually happening, the famously cranky comedian isn’t exactly dancing in the streets. In this episode, David expresses cautious optimism for America’s future and looks back on his majorly influential comedy career. He also breaks down why he was “disappointed” that Netflix took down a controversial episode of his recent ‘Mr. Show’ reboot and reve...
Nov 17, 2020•50 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast The hilarious stars and creators of Showtime’s ‘Moonbase 8’ are here to help take our minds off of politics. John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen and Tim Heidecker are individually three of the funniest people around and they’re even funnier together in their new show about a trio of wannabe astronauts stuck in the middle of the Arizona desert. In this episode, they talk about how their overlapping careers led to this triumphant collaboration, tease the possible return of their good friend Dr. Steve Bru...
Nov 10, 2020•33 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast The creator and star of ‘The President Show’ on Comedy Central joins ‘The Last Laugh’ podcast for a special Election Day episode to mark what could be the political end of Donald Trump. “I wouldn't go that far!” Atamanuik, whose incredibly dark outlook on the future of America helped define his scathingly funny show, says when the idea of Biden blowout is raised. We talk about how he created his damning Trump impression, the backstory behind his bizarre feud with SNL’s Alec Baldwin and when he t...
Nov 03, 2020•50 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast Chelsea Handler is a comedian, activist and best-selling author of the book ‘Life Will Be the Death of Me,’ which is available in paperback now . In this episode, Chelsea talks about the Trump-inspired midlife crisis that shifted her priorities away from celebrity culture and towards progressive politics. She also opens up about what she learned about systemic racism by making her 2019 Netflix documentary ‘Hello Privilege, It’s Me Chelsea,’ previews her new stand-up special ‘Evolution’ on HBO Ma...
Oct 27, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast ‘Daily Show’ contributor Jordan Klepper returns to ‘The Last Laugh’ podcast to talk about his insane year spent going to Trump rallies amidst a pandemic and delivering some of the most scathing political comedy of the 2020 election cycle. He reveals how a new sense of “desperation” has pervaded MAGA world compared to 2016 and what he’s learned about Trump’s chances by trolling his supporters. Jordan also opens up about how his own experience with the coronavirus back in March makes him skeptical...
Oct 20, 2020•43 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Hari Kondabolu has reunited with his friend (and former ‘Last Laugh’ guest ) W. Kamau Bell for a new season of their podcast ‘Politically Re-Active.’ In this episode, Hari shares his thoughts about Donald Trump, Joe Biden and undecided voters ahead of the 2020 election. He looks back on his mildly embarrassing late-night stand-up debut on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and explains why Margaret Cho made him want to become a comedian in the first place. And finally, Hari reacts to the way ‘The Simp...
Oct 13, 2020•46 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 
