Actor + Comedian Eugene Mirman on Comedy, Love and Loss

This week I am sitting down with actor and comedian Eugene Mirman to discuss his incredible body of comedic work and his new documentary It Started As A Joke which chronicles the 10 years of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, an independent festival started on a lark by the Bob’s Burgers’ alum.

As explained by comics like Kumail Nanjiani and Kristen Schaal, Mirman is essentially a founding father of the Brooklyn comedy scene (he's been called the original “influencer”), and the festival’s success is a testament to his impact. But, true to its title, there’s a bit more on the documentary’s mind; we’re also introduced to Mirman’s wife, Katie Westfall Tharp, and learn how the two fell in love, had a son, moved to Cape Cod, and fought through Tharp’s cancer diagnosis and later recurrence.

Tragically, Tharp died this past January, almost a year after It Started As A Joke premiered at SXSW. In its depiction of her kind spirit, the film now doubles as a bittersweet tribute to a loved one gone too soon. Ultimately, this is a candid conversation about doing work that makes you happy, pushing through the inevitable hardships and learning curves that follow, and having the courage to love with everything you have despite the pain of loss. 

It Started As A Joke is available now on Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, FandangoNow, Sony, and Microsoft Xbox.

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