Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

Nick Kroll, a comedy powerhouse from Kroll Show and Big Mouth, reunites with Mike Birbiglia for a nostalgic chat. They dive into their college improv days and how silliness fuels comedy. Nick shares a hilarious anecdote about F. Murray Abraham during Oh, Hello's Broadway run. The duo also discusses the evolution of comedy from live venues to digital platforms, the importance of hard work, and the complexities of friendship amidst fame, fatherhood, and creative endeavors.

Mike and Jorma Taccone are old friends and former next door neighbors. Jorma also just so happens to be an acclaimed screenwriter, director, actor, and member of the legendary comedy team “The Lonely Island” with Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. The Lonely Island made the Saturday Night Live classic digital shorts D*ck in a Box, Natalie Portman’s rap, Laser Cats, and literally a hundred others. One time Jorma even made Mike wear a wig to play a TMZ-type reporter in his film “Popstar." Jorma goes deep on the scrappy, DIY nature of the early Lonely Island SNL short films and how sometimes it’s better to show someone your absurd idea than to explain it to them.Please consider donating to Food Bank for New York City Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comedian Rachel Feinstein is a comic’s comic— the type of original comic who cracks up other comics. In this episode it definitely works. Rachel breaks Mike as she tells stories about her almost-too-supportive parents to her almost-too-unsupportive firefighter husband. Plus, jokes about marrying up vs. marrying down, pushy in-laws, and what to do when your husband’s romantic gifts are mostly from Costco. Please consider donating to Friends of Firefighters Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an age when many comedians talk about being cancelled, Vir Das was actually very nearly cancelled in a real way. When his YouTube monologue "Two Indias" went viral, a criminal complaint was filed against him in his home country of India. Vir talks to Mike about that experience and how he was able to turn the pain from the experience into the comedy in his recent Netflix special. They also discuss Vir’s journey from Bollywood star to international stand-up sensation, and why it’s important for a comedian to give the audience all they’ve got.Please consider donating to Voice of Stray Dogs Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many people worry about getting hit by a bus. Last year, comedian Ryan Hamilton did get hit by a bus. Ryan talks to Mike about the shocking experience, his long recovery, and Ryan’s process of talking about the accident on stage. The Idaho native and BYU alum also talks about doing stand-up in Idaho and Utah, and how to be a "clean” comic without the audience even realizing it. In anticipation of Mike’s own trip to Salt Lake City, Mike also recalls a story of when people in Utah thought he was a “dirty” comedian, and the time he got caught lying in Boise.Please consider donating to the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Mike, filmmaker Marc Forster is a rare example of making a new friend as an adult. Mike and Marc met on the new film A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks, in which Mike plays the antagonist. Since then, they’ve become good friends. Now Marc sits down with Mike to discuss his journey from Germany to Switzerland to NYU film school. Marc explains how he built a filmography so varied that it includes the zombie apocalypse blockbuster World War Z as well as the Winnie the Pooh story Christopher Robin. Plus, Marc’s advice to aspiring filmmakers, why his family calls each other “shnufi," and why the buddy system is important in creative pursuits.Please consider donating to Smiling Gecko Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stand-up comedian and actor, Chris Redd, joins Mike Birbiglia to discuss expressing ADHD, depression, and anxiety through comedy, the relationship between hip-hop and comedy, and the mechanics of crowd work. They also reflect on childhood aspirations, resistance to change in the workplace, self-awareness, and balancing dread and excitement in life.

Mike welcomes to the podcast his longtime creative collaborator, the director and actor Seth Barrish. Seth directed all five of Mike’s solo shows but that’s just one part of his varied career. Seth discusses his early days as a pianist at The Comedy Store, working with actors like Anne Hathaway, and what it’s like being a “that guy!” actor himself, including two different roles on two different seasons of The Sopranos. Seth and Mike go deep on acting process, how to deal with rage-aholics, and Seth’s near-death experience in Africa.Please consider donating to City Harvest Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Atsuko Okatsuka first appeared on Working It Out in 2021, she and Mike were both still developing their new shows. Now Mike’s The Old Man and the Pool is on Broadway and Atsuko’s The Intruder is an HBO comedy special. So Atsuko returns for a third chat with Mike to discuss the development of those shows. Plus jokes and stories about food conspiracies, making friends as an adult, and how to stop an awkward conversation.Please consider donating to Downtown Women's Center Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wendy MacNaughton is an acclaimed visual artist whose work you’ve probably seen and/or love. Between illustrating the bestselling cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat, drawing for the New York Times, and teaching “Draw Together” online art classes for kids, she somehow found the time to design the artwork for Mike’s show The Old Man and the Pool, as well as co-design the cover art for The New One book. Mike talks with Wendy about the process of finding one’s artistic voice, turning her car into a mobile art studio, and the relationship between writing jokes and drawing pictures.Please consider donating to Girls Garage Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.