Rainn Wilson

And the reason I'm going into it in that way is I realize now after a lot of therapy and a lot of soul searching that comedy for me did come out of a certain measure of pain and trauma. It was a coping mechanism that got me through a difficult childhood and also was a way for me to connect with the outside world in a way where I always felt alienated and cut off and like I never fit in.

And the reason I'm going into it in that way is I realize now after a lot of therapy and a lot of soul searching that comedy for me did come out of a certain measure of pain and trauma. It was a coping mechanism that got me through a difficult childhood and also was a way for me to connect with the outside world in a way where I always felt alienated and cut off and like I never fit in.

And the reason I'm going into it in that way is I realize now after a lot of therapy and a lot of soul searching that comedy for me did come out of a certain measure of pain and trauma. It was a coping mechanism that got me through a difficult childhood and also was a way for me to connect with the outside world in a way where I always felt alienated and cut off and like I never fit in.

And comedy was my way in. Like, I was never gonna be popular. I was never gonna be good looking. I was never gonna be a jock. I was never gonna be... you know, smooth and charming, but I could do weird impersonations and I could do funny pratfalls and I could tell jokes. And that allowed me to fit in.

And comedy was my way in. Like, I was never gonna be popular. I was never gonna be good looking. I was never gonna be a jock. I was never gonna be... you know, smooth and charming, but I could do weird impersonations and I could do funny pratfalls and I could tell jokes. And that allowed me to fit in.

And comedy was my way in. Like, I was never gonna be popular. I was never gonna be good looking. I was never gonna be a jock. I was never gonna be... you know, smooth and charming, but I could do weird impersonations and I could do funny pratfalls and I could tell jokes. And that allowed me to fit in.

And it's funny, the professor and author, Arthur Brooks, talks about that in terms of comedy, that you can't... Two things can't exist in the brain at the same time, which is like, you can't live in comedy and laughter, and you can't live in depression at the same time. They're like pistons working like this.

And it's funny, the professor and author, Arthur Brooks, talks about that in terms of comedy, that you can't... Two things can't exist in the brain at the same time, which is like, you can't live in comedy and laughter, and you can't live in depression at the same time. They're like pistons working like this.

And it's funny, the professor and author, Arthur Brooks, talks about that in terms of comedy, that you can't... Two things can't exist in the brain at the same time, which is like, you can't live in comedy and laughter, and you can't live in depression at the same time. They're like pistons working like this.

Yeah, exactly. Or love and fear can't occupy the same brain space at the same time. You can literally try and feel love and fear at the same time. You can't do it. You know, they're an antidote for each other. And laughter and sadness are the same way. It's like the drama masks, you know. It's the smiling and the crying drama masks from ancient Greece. And...

Yeah, exactly. Or love and fear can't occupy the same brain space at the same time. You can literally try and feel love and fear at the same time. You can't do it. You know, they're an antidote for each other. And laughter and sadness are the same way. It's like the drama masks, you know. It's the smiling and the crying drama masks from ancient Greece. And...

Yeah, exactly. Or love and fear can't occupy the same brain space at the same time. You can literally try and feel love and fear at the same time. You can't do it. You know, they're an antidote for each other. And laughter and sadness are the same way. It's like the drama masks, you know. It's the smiling and the crying drama masks from ancient Greece. And...

You know, out of a really difficult childhood that was incredibly challenging in its own way. We've all had very challenging childhoods, I'm sure. There are ones far worse than mine. Mine kind of was centered around a loveless marriage and a lot of like suburban ennui. You know, I wasn't like...

You know, out of a really difficult childhood that was incredibly challenging in its own way. We've all had very challenging childhoods, I'm sure. There are ones far worse than mine. Mine kind of was centered around a loveless marriage and a lot of like suburban ennui. You know, I wasn't like...

You know, out of a really difficult childhood that was incredibly challenging in its own way. We've all had very challenging childhoods, I'm sure. There are ones far worse than mine. Mine kind of was centered around a loveless marriage and a lot of like suburban ennui. You know, I wasn't like...

beat, you know, there wasn't like, you know, grotesque things happening to me like happened to a lot of people in the world. So I want to I want to couch it in that. But again, comedy was my way out. Comedy was my way of soul searching. So All of a sudden, I signed up for an acting class. I found I was pretty good at it. I made people laugh. I played characters. I did funny walks.

beat, you know, there wasn't like, you know, grotesque things happening to me like happened to a lot of people in the world. So I want to I want to couch it in that. But again, comedy was my way out. Comedy was my way of soul searching. So All of a sudden, I signed up for an acting class. I found I was pretty good at it. I made people laugh. I played characters. I did funny walks.

beat, you know, there wasn't like, you know, grotesque things happening to me like happened to a lot of people in the world. So I want to I want to couch it in that. But again, comedy was my way out. Comedy was my way of soul searching. So All of a sudden, I signed up for an acting class. I found I was pretty good at it. I made people laugh. I played characters. I did funny walks.

I did funny voices. I told jokes. I did improvisation. I got a lot of accolades for that. These tools that I had learned in this kind of pressure cooker of a really... kind of disconnected, loveless child space, all of a sudden came in very handy. And then I went to acting school, and then all of a sudden I was working as a professional actor.

I did funny voices. I told jokes. I did improvisation. I got a lot of accolades for that. These tools that I had learned in this kind of pressure cooker of a really... kind of disconnected, loveless child space, all of a sudden came in very handy. And then I went to acting school, and then all of a sudden I was working as a professional actor.