The Last Laugh

Exactly a decade after ‘Bridesmaids’ hit theaters and smashed records, director Paul Feig joins the podcast to look back on how it all came together so perfectly. Feig goes deep on the whole process, from how he escaped “movie jail” to land the gig to discovering the power of Melissa McCarthy during the audition process and shares behind-the-scenes stories from the movie’s funniest sequences. He also opens up about the pressure he and collaborators Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumulo and Judd Apatow felt to deliver a hit that would somehow prove the value of female-led comedies and why that burden never should have been placed on their shoulders. Follow Paul Feig on Twitter @paulfeig and Instagram @paulfeigFollow 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.

‘Broad City’s’ Abbi Jacobson joins this very special 4/20 episode to look back on highlights from the game-changing comedy series she created and starred in with partner-in-crime Ilana Glazer and ahead to her new diverse adaptation of ‘A League of Their Own.’ Jacobson also talks about her latest gig voicing a college-bound teenager whose family finds itself combatting the robot apocalypse in Netflix’s new animated film ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines.’ Plus, Hillary Clinton, Larry David and Phish!Follow Abbi Jacobson on Instagram @abbijacobsonFollow 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.

Keith and Kenny Lucas spent 9 years developing, pitching and ultimately co-writing ‘Judas and the Black Messiah.’ It was all worth it when they landed a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination for their work. On this episode, the identical twins talk about dropping out of two separate law schools to become a stand-up comedy team, why they have more or less disowned their 2017 Netflix special ‘On Drugs.’ They try to get the bottom of how the two actors who play the title characters in their film—Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield—both ended up getting nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category and also dig deep on the “codependency” that has defined their lifelong relationship, which once included sharing a therapist.Follow The Lucas Brothers on Twitter @lucasbros and Instagram @thelucasbrosFollow 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.

What’s the difference between challenging stereotypes and perpetuating those same stereotypes? That’s just one of the many questions international comedy superstar Jo Koy tries to get to the bottom of on this week’s episode. Koy talks about putting the jokes aside to deal with the harsh realities of his childhood as a half-Filipino, half-white kid in his new memoir ‘Mixed Plate’ and breaks down how he forged his own comedy path, refusing to take no as an answer from Netflix and gaining Steven Spielberg, who’s producing a new movie based on his life, as a fan. He also tells stories about turning down the chance to be Chelsea Handler’s sidekick and shares his reaction to mentor Jay Leno’s recent apology for decades of anti-Asian jokes.Buy ‘Mixed Plate’ on AmazonFollow Jo Koy on Twitter @Jokoy and Instagram @jokoyFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two and half years after Lisa Lampanelli retired from insult comedy to become a life coach, the former “Queen of Mean” opens up about what made her decide to leave roasting behind and why she decided to make a rare appearance in the new FX documentary ‘Hysterical’ about the history of female comedians. Lisa tells wild stories about her early days roasting Chevy Chase and Pamela Anderson, the two separate times she roasted Donald Trump and how that led to a bizarre stint on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice.’ Plus, she breaks down her beef with Patrice O’Neal, Louis C.K. and Joan Rivers. Get tickets for Lisa’s upcoming live storytelling show.Twitter: @LisaLampanelli and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lisalampanelli and @lastlaughpodHighlights 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 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 | Instagram: @roywoodjr and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 CooperTwitter: @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.