The Last Laugh

Comedian Josh Johnson spent the first few years of his comedy career writing monologue jokes for Jimmy Fallon at ‘The Tonight Show’ and then crafting longer bits for Trevor Noah at ‘The Daily Show.’ Now, after an extended pandemic-induced delay, he is getting his own voice out there in a big way. In addition to his new stand-up special ‘Hashtag,’ which is streaming now on Paramount+, Johnson also put out a mixtape album this year called ‘Elusive’ that combines both deeply funny comedy and deeply emotional music. On this episode, he opens up about how a fear of dying young pushed him to expand his creative ambitions and shares stories from his late-night writing gigs, including what it was like to watch Fallon playfully ruffle Donald Trump’s hair and how working with Trevor Noah has made him a better comedian. Follow Josh Johnson on Twitter @JoshJohnson and Instagram @joshjohnsoncomedyFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod  Stream Josh Johnson’s ‘Elusive’ mixtape  Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedy icon Martin Short somehow turned 70 last year. And while he’s still capable of the unbounded energy he first showed the world on shows like ‘SCTV’ and ‘Saturday Night Live,’ he can also be more sincere and reflective than his biggest fans might expect. In this in-depth conversation, the man who’s known as just “Marty” to his famous friends tells hilarious stories about working with Steve Martin, performing for David Letterman, embodying Jiminy Glick and more. Plus, he breaks down what it took to transform himself into a #MeToo monster for his Emmy-nominated role on ‘The Morning Show’ and teases his latest series ‘Only Murders in the Building’ co-starring Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.This episode was originally published on August 18th, 2020.Follow 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.

As the youngest writer ever hired at ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Simon Rich achieved his biggest dreams ridiculously early in life. Everything that’s followed, including a stint at Pixar writing ‘Inside Out,’ running his own shows—‘Man Seeking Woman’ and ‘Miracle Workers’—and turning his multi-part ‘New Yorker’ story ‘Sell Out’ into the movie ‘An American Pickle’ starring two Seth Rogens, has been beyond his wildest imagination. And for him, that’s really saying something. On this episode, Rich reads an excerpt from his latest short story collection ‘New Teeth’ and reflects on his incredibly prolific career as the most ambitious comedy writer in the game. Plus, hear stories about what it was like to guest-write an episode of ‘The Simpsons,’ the rejected sketch he pitched to LeBron James on his first-ever SNL episode and tackling Willy Wonka’s origin story in the upcoming prequel starring Timothée Chalamet. Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Buy ‘New Teeth’ on Amazon Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Nicole Byer became the Emmy-nominated face of Netflix’s family-friendly baking competition show ‘Nailed It!’ she was best known as one of the raunchiest comedians on the stand-up scene. It’s the type of juxtaposition that has drawn parallels to Bob Saget, another filthy comic who found fame on the super-saccharine sitcom ‘Full House.’ On this episode, Byer breaks down how she balances these two disparate sides of her comedy persona, sizes up her Emmy competition and reflects on the bizarrely “segregated” SNL audition in which she lost out to her best friend Sasheer Zamata. Follow Nicole Byer on Twitter @nicolebyer and Instagram @nicolebyerFollow 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 Kathy Griffin opens up about the infamous photoshoot that changed her life and sounds off on President Trump, Donald Trump Jr., TMZ’s Harvey Levin, CNN’s Jeff Zucker, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Alec Baldwin, Lorne Michaels, Jerry Seinfeld and a hell of a lot more.  This episode was originally published on July 2nd, 2019.Follow Kathy Griffin on Twitter @kathygriffin and Instagram @kathygriffinFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Stream ‘Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story’ on Amazon Prime Video Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Johnson has run from dinosaurs with Chris Pratt, fought off mummies with Tom Cruise and embodied an alternate universe Spiderman. But for his latest project ‘Ride the Eagle,’ the actor has scaled things way back, teaming up with ‘New Girl’ director Trent O’Donnell to see if they could create a movie that is both safe to shoot during the pandemic and satisfying from a storytelling perspective. On this episode, Johnson breaks down how his experience in those blockbuster films have shaped his views on Hollywood, reveals how Cruise taught him the difference between “injured and hurt” and teases the future of his Peter B. Parker character from ‘Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse’Follow Jake Johnson on Instagram @mrjakejohnsonFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Stream ‘Ride the Eagle’ on Amazon Prime Video Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From her breakthrough performance as Mel the stalker on ‘Flight of the Conchords,’ to her long-running gig as the voice of fourth-grader Louise Belcher on ‘Bob’s Burgers’ to her latest role as Number Two on the Disney+ adaptation of ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society,’ Kristen Schaal never fails to bring a unique energy to the screen. And it all begins with her unmistakable voice. On this episode, Schaal looks back on her winding road from alt-comedy darling to mainstream children’s TV star, including detours writing for ‘South Park,’ serving as the “Senior Women’s Issues Correspondent” on ‘The Daily Show’ and getting a well-deserved Emmy nomination for—what else?—her voice-over work on ‘Bojack Horseman.’ Follow Kristen Schaal on Twitter @kristenschaaled and Instagram @k.schaalFollow 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.

Nikki Glaser is a world-class stand-up comedian, a ruthless celebrity roaster and an endlessly engaging daily podcaster. Now, she’s also a reality TV star thanks to her new gig hosting the deliberately absurd dating show ‘FBoy Island’ on HBO Max. On this episode, Glaser talks about how she landed her dream job after “embarrassing” herself on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ shares her unvarnished opinions on body image and cancel culture and reveals some wild behind-the-scenes stories about roasting Ann Coulter, Alec Baldwin, Caitlyn Jenner, Blake Griffin, Jeff Ross and more.  Follow Nikki Glaser on Twitter @NikkiGlaser and Instagram @nikkiglaserFollow 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.

Director David Wain thought his career was over when ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ bombed at the box office in July of 2001. 20 years later, the film has become a full-blown comedy classic thanks to the exploding celebrity of previously unknown cast members like Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler and the fierce dedication of fans who made sure it would live on forever. On this very special episode of the podcast, Wain reflects on the wildly difficult process of putting the movie together, reveals some of the future stars who didn’t make the cut and how its initial failure and ultimate success has affected his prolific career as a comedy director. Follow David Wain on Twitter @davidwain and Instagram @davidwainFollow 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 Rory Scovel never knows exactly what he’s going to say when he steps on stage. But in his latest stand-up special ‘Live Without Fear,’ he threw out the script altogether and performed six consecutive nights of fully improvised material. On the other end of the creative spectrum, Scovel recently took on a major role opposite Rose Byrne in the Apple TV+ series ‘Physical.’ He joins the podcast this week for a surprisingly deep conversation about his unlikely path from experimental comedian to mainstream actor. Follow Rory Scovel on Twitter @roryscovel and Instagram @roryscovelFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Watch the ‘Live Without Fear’ special on YouTubeStream the ‘Live Without Fear’ album on Amazon Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.