The Last Laugh

Pauly Shore rose to massive fame in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, first with his MTV show ‘Totally Pauly’ and then in hit films like ‘Encino Man,’ ‘Son in Law’ and ‘Bio-Dome.’ Now he’s back with his first starring role in a long time in the new movie ‘Guest House.’ In this episode, Pauly opens up about his early years growing up in The Comedy Store, the surreal experience of becoming one of the most famous people on the planet and the challenge of watching it all come crashing down more than 20 years ago. He also shares stories about meeting Donald Trump at MTV’s Spring Break, playing Stephen Miller for Funny or Die and a lot more. Stream ‘Guest House’ on Amazon Prime VideoTwitter: @PaulyShore and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @paulyshore and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emmy-nominated actor and director Ramy Youssef talks about creating his Hulu series ‘Ramy’ and what it’s like to be young and Muslim in the comedy world right now. He also discusses his HBO stand-up special ‘Feelings,’ growing up in New Jersey in the shadow of 9/11, how his Egyptian immigrant father ended up working for Donald Trump and a lot more.This episode was originally published on April 16th, 2019. Twitter: @ramy and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @ramy and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beth Stelling may have been the very last stand-up comedian to tape a special before the country shut down. Performed on March 7th, 2020 and released this past month on HBO Max, ‘Girl Daddy’ is Beth’s debut hour-long special and we should all be grateful she got it in under the wire. In this episode, we talk about how her own experience with sexual violence helped fuel some of the funniest #MeToo jokes ever committed to film and why she’s sick of answering for comedy’s male predators. Beth also talks about writing with past ‘Last Laugh’ guests Sarah Silverman and Pete Holmes, the experience of watching Richard Pryor for the first time during quarantine and why she is in no rush to get back on stage anytime soon. Twitter: @BethStelling and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @bethstelling and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best known for playing Leon Black on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ comedian JB Smoove is never not the funniest person in the room. That was certainly true when he wrote for ‘Saturday Night Live’ and took on legendary status for his outrageous pitches to hosts. In this episode, JB goes deep on his challenging SNL experience, making Larry David crack up on ‘Curb,’ what he thought of Donald Trump’s reaction to the MAGA hat plotline from last season and how the show might tackle life under quarantine in the upcoming 11th season. He also talks about co-starring in the new Quibi series ‘Mapleworth Murders’ and what it was like improvising with Kanye West in an infamous HBO pilot that never made it to air. Twitter: @ohsnapjbsmoove and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @ohsnapjbsmoove and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stand-up comedian and host of the ‘Gettin’ Better’ podcast Ron Funches is back on ‘The Last Laugh’ for this very special bonus episode. Since we last talked to Ron in April of last year about his Comedy Central special ‘Giggle Fit’ he has developed an all-new hour that he will be live-streaming on YouTube on Saturday, September 5th. He also has a new comedy game show called ‘Nice One’ premiering on Quibi next Monday, August 24th. In this catch-up chat, Ron talks about those projects and shares his thoughts on Joe Rogan, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K. and more. Buy tickets to stream Ron Funches’ new live-stream special ‘Awakening’Twitter: @RonFunches and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @ronfunch and @lastlaughpodHighlights 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 this 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.’Twitter: @mattwilstein | Instagram: @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 pandemic and her thoughts on Kanye West’s “ignorant” attack on Harriet Tubman.  Twitter: @dopequeenpheebs and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @dopequeenpheebs and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedy legend John Cleese joins the show this week to talk about his first-ever live stream event ‘Why There Is No Hope.’ During this rousing conversation, he shares his take on the laughable “hypocrisy” of Donald Trump, why Monty Python steered clear of overtly political satire, his crusade against “woke” comedy and the people who were offended by the crucifixion scene in “Life of Brian.” He also reveals the biggest regret of his professional career and what he hopes his comedy legacy will be.  Twitter: @JohnCleese and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @johncleeseofficial and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this preview from next week’s episode, Monty Python co-founder John Cleese shares details about his upcoming live stream event ‘Why There Is No Hope,’ including his uncensored thoughts on the “complete assholes, who are really only out for themselves” like President Donald Trump and the time he told off Steven Spielberg. Subscribe to ‘The Last Laugh’ now to hear our full conversation when it’s released on Tuesday, August 4th. Buy tickets to live stream John Cleese’s ‘Why There Is No Hope’Twitter: @JohnCleese and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @johncleeseofficial and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marks exactly eight years since comedian Tig Notaro opened her stand-up set in Los Angeles with the words, “Hello, I have cancer.” She now finally has a clean bill of health for the first time since 2012. In this episode, Tig opens up about moving on from ‘One Mississippi’ and Louis C.K., the fundamental silliness of her online talk show ‘Under a Rock’ and why decided to host her new advice podcast ‘Don’t Ask Tig.’ She also tells a hilarious story about the time she guest-starred on ‘The Office,’ shares an update on her forthcoming Netflix film in which she plays the first lady opposite Jennifer Aniston’s president and reveals that she has taken on a whole new career during quarantine. Twitter: @TigNotaro and @mattwilstein | Instagram: @therealfluffnotaro and @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.