The Last Laugh

Natasha Rothwell has had a very big year, from facing off with Jennifer Coolidge in ‘The White Lotus’ to stealing scenes in the final season of ‘Insecure.’ And things are only looking up from here, with two new shows in development at HBO, a third in the works with Disney-ABC and a mysterious role in the upcoming ‘Wonka’ movie starring Timothée Chalamet. In this episode, Rothwell opens up about auditioning for ‘Saturday Night Live’ as part of that show’s “clunky” search for a Black female cast member and ending up as a writer instead, getting hired as a writer on ‘Insecure’ before landing her breakout role as Kelli and returning to her dramatic roots as Belinda in ‘The White Lotus,’ a role that became very different after she was cast.   Follow Natasha Rothwell on Twitter @natasharothwell and Instagram @natasharothwellFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When they first started performing stand-up in the early 1980s, Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould could not have been more different. And as they reveal in their new documentary ‘Joy Ride,’ they “hated” each other’s comedy. But over the years, their styles converged and now they tour the country together, telling hilarious stories from their wild pasts and making each other laugh as hard as their audiences do. In this episode, Goldthwait and Gould open up about their contentious past and reveal how a harrowing car accident on tour nearly cut their lives and careers short. They also share the truth behind Goldthwait’s decades-long feud with Jerry Seinfeld, what Robin Williams was really like when the cameras weren’t rolling, Gould’s favorite jokes he wrote for ‘The Simpsons’ and a lot more. Stream ‘Joy Ride’ on Amazon Prime VideoFollow Bobcat Goldthwait on Instagram @bobcatgoldthwaitFollow Dana Gould on Twitter @danagould and Instagram @danagouldFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Pally has a special knack for making hilarious but little-seen comedy that only gets rediscovered by a wider audience years later. There was his beloved cult hit ‘Happy Endings,’ which struggled to find viewers when it ran on ABC from 2011 to 2013, but is now finding new relevance on Netflix. There was his legendary guest-hosting trainwreck on ‘The Late Late Show’ that has since become an internet obsession. And now there’s ‘Champaign ILL,’ an alternate universe ‘Entourage’ that came and went without much fanfare when it debuted as a YouTube Original three years ago but is now making a splash on Hulu. In this episode, Pally opens up about how the gay character that launched his comedy career might look less “progressive” in hindsight and tells hilarious stories about Regis Philbin introducing him to Donald Trump, how he ended up impersonating Don Jr. on ‘The President Show’ and a lot more.Follow Adam Pally on Twitter @adampally and Instagram @adam.pallyFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. tells us what his year of ‘Daily Show’ correspondent appearances from home was like and the many ways in which the show has changed since Trump left office. He also talks about his podcast ‘Roy’s Job Fair,’ previews his new stand-up special on Comedy Central, breaks down how his trans jokes differ from Dave Chappelle’s and explains why his first ‘Daily Show’ audition didn’t go as planned.This episode was originally published on March 23rd, 2021.Follow Roy Wood Jr. on Twitter @roywoodjr and Instagram @roywoodjrFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last several years of his career, comedian Ricky Velez has been best known as Pete Davidson’s best friend, both in real life on on-screen in ‘The King of Staten Island.’ Now, he is grabbing the spotlight for himself in his new hour-long HBO special called ‘Here’s Everything.’ It’s his first time ever performing stand-up on TV and, as the title suggests, he holds nothing back. In this episode, Velez talks about how growing up half-Irish, half-Puerto Rican in Queens made racism a foreign concept, how his gig as a contributor on Larry Wilmore’s ‘Nightly Show’ led to beef with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and what he’s learned about fame and unwanted attention from SNL’s Davidson. Follow Ricky Velez on Instagram @rickyvelezFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jena Friedman is a former ‘Daily Show’ field producer, an uncompromising stand-up comedian and, as of this past year, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter for ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.’ Now, she’s taking on the true crime industrial complex as the host of ‘Indefensible’ on SundanceTV and AMC+. In this rare repeat appearance on the podcast, Friedman talks about exposing “crisis pregnancy centers” in ‘Borat,’ weighs in on “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” and shares her thoughts on the death of John McAfee, with whom she conducted the definitive interview for her previous show ‘Soft Focus.’Follow Jena Friedman on Twitter @JenaFriedman and Instagram @jenafriedmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dane Cook was, for a brief time in the mid-2000s, the most popular comedian on the planet. Then, as the rockstar cliche goes, it all came crashing down. It turns out his story is more complicated than that, as he lays out in this episode. We talk about his humble Boston beginnings, why he turned down the chance to replace Adam Sandler on SNL and how he has continued to push himself as a stand-up comic with his first special in over a decade on the horizon. Cook also opens up about his joke-stealing feud with Louis C.K., his own “cancel culture” moment and a lot more. Follow Dane Cook on Twitter @DaneCook and Instagram @danecookFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Tour dates and tickets at DaneCook.com Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rhea Seehorn may be best known for playing the very serious Kim Wexler opposite Bob Odenkirk on ‘Better Call Saul.’ But for the first 15 years or so of her acting career, she couldn’t break out of the “sitcom” box. This fall, while fans eagerly await that ‘Breaking Bad’ spin-off’s climactic final season, Seehorn is returning to her comedy roots as the hot-mess matriarch Debbie in Paramount+’s new animated series ‘The Harper House.’ In this bonus episode, the actress opens up about getting “pigeonholed” in the comedy world, fighting to get the role that transformed her career, and then proving that she can still be hilarious by going toe-to-toe with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on ‘Veep.’ Plus, Seehorn teases season six of ‘Better Call Saul,’ including what it’s been like to have Bob Odenkirk back on set after his heart attack, how she feels about Tony Dalton’s Lalo surviving last season’s finale and what those finger guns were all about. Follow Rhea Seehorn on Twitter @rheaseehorn and Instagram @rheaseehornFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Tomlinson started performing stand-up at church shows when she was just 16 years old. Now, at 27, she is one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy scene, with a popular hour-long special on Netflix called ‘Quarter-Life Crisis’ and a new nationwide theater tour this fall. As Tomlinson breaks down in this episode, she had to make a hard break from her religious upbringing to be accepted into the mainstream comedy world, trading in her “clean” material for jokes with a “darker” edge. Follow Taylor Tomlinson on Twitter @taylortomlinson and Instagram @taylortomlinsonFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Subscribe to Taylor Tomlinson’s ‘Celeb vs Superfan’ podcast Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been two years since Gary Gulman released his remarkable stand-up special ‘The Great Depresh.’ And despite a global pandemic that caused its own parallel mental health crisis, he says he’s really never felt better. The 51-year-old comedian is currently touring two new hours of material, one of which will land him at Carnegie Hall in November, less than five years after he walked out of a psychiatric ward. In this episode, Gulman opens up about how he turned things around and achieved a new level of comedy confidence that has allowed him to be vulnerable on stage in a whole new way. He also weighs in on Bo Burnham’s anxiety-themed special ‘Inside,’ previews his role in Amy Schumer’s new show, looks back at his “miserable” time on Dane Cook’s ‘Tourgasm’ and a lot more.Follow Gary Gulman on Twitter @GaryGulman and Instagram @garygulmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.