Obsessed: The Podcast
Episodes
Paula Pell: SNL, ‘Girls5eva’ and ‘Die Hart 2: Die Harter’
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paula Pell spent 18 seasons toiling behind-the-scenes as one of ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ most legendary—and often unsung—comedy writers. Now,...
Hasan Minhaj on ‘Daily Show, ‘Patriot Act’ and More
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hasan Minhaj has had a very busy five years between the release of his first big stand-up special ‘Homecoming King’ in 2017 and the premiere of hi...
God and Satan Interview Matt Wilstein!
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus crossover episode from our friends at the GOD POD, Satan joins God to interview The Last Laugh host Matt Wilstein. They discuss TikTok, ...
Ike Barinholtz: Picking Up Where Mel Brooks Left Off
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s taken just over a decade for Ike Barinholtz to fully make it in Hollywood, with starring roles in big films like ‘Blockers’ and high-profil...
Danny Pudi: ‘Born to Play’ Abed on ‘Community’
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Danny Pudi received the pilot script for ‘Community,’ his agents wrote at the top that Abed was the role he was “born to play.” He had no...
Ken Marino: ‘Party Down’ Is Back!
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Marino knows that he’s often called upon to play one of two archetypes. From his earliest days as a member of his NYU sketch group The State to ...
Alison Brie on Rom-Coms, the ‘Community’ Movie and More
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Brie had one of the luckiest big breaks in the history of television. Before the age of 30, she managed to simultaneously co-star on TV’s mos...
Sam Jay Returns: SNL, ‘Pause’ and ‘You People’
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since leaving her gig as a writer at ‘Saturday Night Live’ behind in 2020, Sam Jay has become an increasingly prolific force in the comedy world. ...
Sherri Shepherd: Daytime TV’s New ‘Feel Good’ Queen
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sherri Shepherd has been a stand-up comedian, sitcom star, ‘The View’ co-host, and now, with her eponymous syndicated talk show ‘Sherri,’ a le...
Nate Bargatze Returns! (Again!)
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Nate Bargatze describes what he does for a living as “saying dumb stuff in front of large groups.” And he’s very good at it. In his thi...
Vir Das: From ‘Two Indias’ to ‘Landing’
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With five specials on Netflix and millions of followers on social media, Vir Das is an international comedy superstar who can sell out stadiums around...
Jermaine Fowler: ‘The Drop’
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jermaine Fowler has never shied away from a challenge. The comedian and actor dropped out of college to become a stand-up and painstakingly worked his...
‘Paul T. Goldman’ Creator Jason Woliner Returns!
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Woliner is still trying to figure out why he has spent more than 10 years of his life working on a strange comedic docuseries about a middle-age...
Chelsea Handler Returns: ‘Revolution’
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chelsea Handler knows exactly what she wants. After an eventful 2022 that included a celebrated guest-hosting gig on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and the r...
The Funniest Performances of 2022!
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode of the year host Matt Wilstein is joined by The Daily Beast’s Laura Bradley and Allegra Frank to share their lists of the funni...
Elon, Chappelle and More With The New Abnormal
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our annual, year-end crossover episode in which Matt Wilstein joins The New Abnormal host Andy Levy to talk about Dave Chappelle inviting Elon ...
Paul Walter Hauser: ‘Black Bird,’ Chris Farley and More
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Walter Hauser is the rare actor who can make audiences laugh hysterically and break down crying, sometimes within the same project. From early gu...
‘Reno 911’s’ Thomas Lennon Returns!
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the past two decades, comedian Thomas Lennon has spent more time on screen in short shorts than he could ever imagined. In this bonus episode, Len...
Atsuko Okatsuka: #DropChallenge to HBO
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka can’t seem to stop blowing up on the internet. Sometimes, it’s by accident, like when she joked through an earthquake on ...
Tom Papa Returns: ‘What a Day!’
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Papa has to be considered one of the least controversial comedians working today. And yet, as he explains in his return to the podcast for this bo...
Sebastian Maniscalco: ‘Is It Me?’
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sebastian Maniscalco is consistently one of the highest-grossing stand-up comedians in the country. And now, with a new Netflix special ‘Is It Me?’...
Matt Rogers: ‘Have You Heard of Christmas?’
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Rogers can’t quite believe the year he’s had. From his first regular TV role on Showtime’s ‘I Love That for You’ to his scene-stealing ...
Patton Oswalt Returns!
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Patton Oswalt’s role as a desperate father who ends up impersonating a beautiful woman on social media to catfish his troubled son in the n...
Neal Brennan: ‘Chappelle’s Show’ to Netflix’s ‘Blocks’
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neal Brennan has always felt like an “outlier” in the comedy world. He’s a successful stand-up who’s still best known for co-creating ‘Chapp...
Natasha Leggero Returns!
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Natasha Leggero doesn’t think she’ll ever make a Netflix special about her daughter. So instead, she wrote a laugh-out-loud hilarious boo...
Chris Redd: SNL, Kanye and ‘Why Am I Like This?’
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It was never Chris Redd’s dream to be on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ And yet the rapper-turned-comedian seemed to just be hitting his stride on that ...
Preview: Chris Redd on Comedy Cellar Attack
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this preview of our upcoming episode with Chris Redd, dropping next Tuesday, the comedian and recent SNL alum opens up about the brutal attack outs...
Nick Kroll on ‘Big Mouth,’ Stand-Up, SNL and More
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Kroll is an actor, stand-up comedian and co-creator of one of the funniest shows on television, ‘Big Mouth.’ Season six of the Emmy-nominated...
Fortune Feimster Returns!
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Fortune Feimster has had an incredibly busy two years. And she put as much of it as she could fit in her new Netflix stand-up special ‘Good...
Melissa Villaseñor: Life After SNL
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Villaseñor was among the eight cast members to leave ‘Saturday Night Live’ after its most recent season. And in this episode, she opens u...
‘Daily Show’s’ Roy Wood Jr. Returns!
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Trevor Noah announced he would be stepping down as host of ‘The Daily Show,’ he cited a conversation with Roy Wood Jr. as part of what made h...
Judy Greer: ‘Arrested Development’ to ‘Reboot’
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It wasn’t until Judy Greer had more or less given up on becoming a Hollywood star that it finally started to happen for her. The perennial “best f...
Hasan Minhaj: ‘The King’s Jester’
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hasan Minhaj has had a very busy five years between the release of his first big stand-up special ‘Homecoming King’ in 2017 and the premiere this ...
Jena Friedman on Borat, ‘Daily Show’ and ‘Indefensible’
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jena Friedman is a former ‘Daily Show’ field producer, an uncompromising stand-up comedian and, as of this past year, an Oscar-nominated screenwri...
Sheng Wang: ‘Sweet and Juicy’
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Sheng Wang has spent much of his comedy career trying to hide in plain sight. Now, thanks to a boost from his longtime friend and colleague A...
Alison Brie: ‘Community’ to ‘Spin Me Round’
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Brie had one of the luckiest big breaks in the history of television. Before the age of 30, she managed to simultaneously co-star on TV’s mos...
Jay Duplass: Breaking Into ‘Industry’
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jay Duplass never wanted to be an actor. For years, he remained entirely behind the scenes of the intimate indie films he wrote and directed with youn...
Natasha Rothwell on ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘Insecure’ and More
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Emmy-nominated comedian and actress Natasha Rothwell talks about her very big year, from facing off with Jennifer Coolidge in ‘The White Lotus’ to...
Dave Foley: Dark Side of ‘Kids in the Hall’
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Dave Foley is thankful to be the narrator and not one of the subjects of Vice TV’s ‘Dark Side of Comedy’ docuseries. The co-founder of ...
Sharon Horgan: ‘Catastrophe’ to ‘Bad Sisters’
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sharon Horgan can’t seem to stop creating television shows. From ‘Pulling’ to ‘Catastrophe’ to ‘Divorce’ to ‘Motherland’ to ‘Shini...
Adam Scott on ‘Severance,’ ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘Party Down’
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Scott is best known for his roles in workplace comedies like ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘Party Down,’ which makes him the perfect actor t...
Abby Elliott: SNL to ‘The Bear’
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Abby Elliott had been holding out for a role like Sugar on a show like ‘The Bear.’ Despite four mostly successful seasons on ‘Saturday Night Liv...
Jo Koy on Stand-Up, Chelsea Handler and ‘Easter Sunday’
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the difference between challenging stereotypes and perpetuating those same stereotypes? That’s just one of the many questions international...
D’Arcy Carden: ‘The Good Place’ to ‘A League of Their Own’
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before D’Arcy Carden landed the role of a lifetime as Janet on ‘The Good Place,’ she was starting to worry her comedy career might never take of...
Henry Winkler: From Fonzie to ‘Barry’
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Winker has repeatedly doubted himself throughout his long and storied career. From landing the coveted role of Arthur Fonzarelli on ‘Happy Day...
Desus and Mero on Late-Night TV, AOC and Taylor Swift
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Desus Nice and The Kid Mero—who officially announced this week that they will be “pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward”—join Th...
Jon Gabrus: ‘101 Places to Party Before You Die’
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Gabrus didn’t realize he had spent his entire comedy career preparing to travel around the country getting wasted and being hilarious on camera....
Nikki Glaser on Stand-Up, Celeb Roasts and ‘FBoy Island’
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 T...
Tim Heidecker: ‘No More Bullsh*t’
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you only know Tim Heidecker as one half of ‘Tim and Eric’ with his longtime comedy partner Eric Wareheim, you are missing a lot. The comedian, ...
Robert Smigel on Triumph, SNL, Conan and More
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1997, Robert Smigel put a dog puppet on his hand, started making poop jokes in a thick Russian accent and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was born. 25...
Sarah Cooper Returns!
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Cooper became famous using only her face to lip-sync Donald Trump. Now, in her new audiobook, all she has to work with is her voice. In her retu...
Joel Kim Booster on Stand-Up, ‘Fire Island’ and More
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Joel Kim Booster likes to play the “hot idiot” on stage. But as you will quickly learn by listening to this episode, he is actually quite insightf...
Kate Berlant and John Early: ‘Would It Kill You to Laugh?’
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If we lived in a just world, Kate Berlant and John Early would be the most famous and successful comedy team on the planet. So that’s the reality th...
Will Forte: MacGruber Lives!
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Will Forte is the king of second chances, whether it was getting another shot at ‘Saturday Night Live’ after turning down Lorne Michaels or revivi...
Chris Parnell: SNL’s Unbreakable ‘Ice Man’
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Parnell is the only cast member to ever be fired twice from ‘Saturday Night Live.’ And as he explains in this episode, it was only after Lor...
Kristen Schaal on ‘Bob’s Burgers,’ ‘Daily Show’ and More
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Be...
The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer: SNL to Chip ‘n Dale
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Akiva Schaffer prefers to stay behind the scenes. But that doesn’t mean he’s any less funny than his Lonely Island bandmates Andy Samberg and Jorm...
Mary Lynn Rajskub: ‘Fame-ish’
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You know Mary Lynn Rajskub’s face even if you don’t necessarily recognize her name. That conflict is at the center of her new book of essays about...
Jessi Klein: ‘I Love That for You’
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most influential comedy voices of her generation, Jessi Klein spent years working as a development executive at Comedy Central before makin...
Margaret Cho on Chappelle, Tarantino and Alt-Comedy
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly three decades after starring in the first major sitcom to center on an Asian-American family, Margaret Cho is more “hopeful” than ever abou...
Ronny Chieng: ‘Cancel Me!’
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since breaking through as a correspondent on ‘The Daily Show’ in 2015, Ronny Chieng has continued to prove himself to be one of the funniest stand...
Mike Birbiglia on Stand-Up, ‘Offensive’ Jokes and SNL
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Birbiglia is currently working out his latest one-person show ‘The Old Man and the Pool,’ including a stop at this coming week’s Netflix Is...
Bill Hader: SNL, ‘Barry’ and More
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Hader is well known as the most generous “laugher” in comedy. But when he’s talking about his increasingly dark HBO series ‘Barry,’ tho...
Rhea Seehorn on ‘Better Call Saul’ and Kim Wexler’s Fate
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rhea Seehorn may be best known for playing the very serious Kim Wexler opposite Bob Odenkirk on ‘Better Call Saul,’ which premiered its highly ant...
Craig Robinson: ‘Killing It’ After ‘The Office’
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Craig Robinson spent years stealing scenes in movies like ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘Pineapple Express,’ and ‘This Is the End’ and on TV—most memora...
Stephen Merchant: ‘The Office’ to ‘The Outlaws’
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It has now been more than 20 years since Stephen Merchant and his comedy partner Ricky Gervais changed TV comedy forever with their original British v...
Judd Apatow Returns!
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Judd Apatow has spent much of his career trying to illuminate the deep emotional core of humankind through comedy. Now, after two years of the COVID-1...
Preview: Judd Apatow on ‘Euphoria’ and Becoming ‘Maude’s Dad’
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this preview of our 150th episode featuring the return of Judd Apatow, dropping next Tuesday, the director of ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘This Is 40,’ a...
Michael Cera: Fame Is ‘Embarrassing’
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After bursting onto the comedy scene at just 14 years old nearly two decades ago as George Michael Bluth on ‘Arrested Development’—followed by t...
‘Big Mouth’s’ Brandon Kyle Goodman Embraces ‘Love and Chaos’
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From his breakthrough gig as a writer for Netflix’s ‘Big Mouth’ to his breakout role as Walter the Lovebug on the new spin-off ‘Human Resource...
River Butcher: ‘A Different Kind of Dude’
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“The pandemic was so long I transitioned,” River Butcher jokes near the top of his impressive new half-hour special ‘A Different Kind of Dude.’...
Taylor Tomlinson on Netflix, Conan and Stand-Up Stardom
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Tomlinson started performing stand-up at church shows when she was just 16 years old. Still just 28 years old, she is one of the fastest r...
Rhys Darby: ‘It’s Pretty Ridiculous, But It Really Happened’
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From his early days as Murray the manager on ‘Flight of the Conchords’ to his latest role as the “gentleman pirate” in Taika Waititi’s new H...
Nick Offerman Returns!
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before Nick Offerman joins forces with his wife, Megan Mullally, to co-host the Independent Spirit Awards this Sunday, March 6th on IFC, the star of ‘...
Aparna Nancherla: ‘Why Should I Apologize for Who I Am?’
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Aparna Nancherla is one of the most accomplished and well-respected stand-up comedians of her generation. But she has spent most of the past two years...
Pamela Adlon on ‘Better Things,’ Louis C.K. and More
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pamela Adlon has had to reinvent herself several times over the course of her unconventional career. From child star (‘Grease 2’) to Emmy-winning ...
Adam Scott: ‘The Role I’d Been Waiting My Whole Career For’
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Scott is best known for his roles in workplace comedies like ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘Party Down,’ which makes him the perfect actor t...
Preview: Adam Scott Teases ‘Party Down’ Return
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this preview of our next episode with Adam Scott, dropping next Tuesday, the star of ‘Parks and Recreation’ and the new Apple TV+ series ‘Sev...
Sam Richardson: Hollywood’s Funniest Leading Man
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Richardson’s first two professional acting gigs were on ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘The Office.’ And he has never stopped rising the ran...
Martha Kelly: ‘Euphoria’s’ Most Terrifying Villain
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Martha Kelly spent close to two decades as a semi-successful, hilariously deadpan stand-up comedian before her friend Zach Galifianakis called her up ...
Bridget Everett: ‘From the Heart to the Tits’
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With her raucous cabaret act, Bridget Everett has never been shy about putting all of herself out there for audiences to enjoy. But in her new semi-au...
W. Kamau Bell: ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
W. Kamau Bell returns to the podcast to go deep on his illuminating new four-part documentary series ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby.’ And with his c...
Preview: W. Kamau Bell Worries Cosby Doc Could End His Career
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this preview of our new episode with W. Kamau Bell dropping next Tuesday, the comedian and director addresses the backlash he’s already started r...
Amrit Kaur: ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’ Breakout Star
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before The Sex Lives of College Girls, Amrit Kaur had only appeared in a handful of Canadian dramas. Hand-picked by Mindy Kaling to play Bela, a sex-p...
Moses Storm: From Doomsday Cult to Stand-Up Star
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In his first hour-long stand-up special ‘Trash White,’ comedian Moses Storm describes himself as going “from the dumpster to HBO Max.” But as ...
Naomi Ekperigin: Netflix’s Most ‘Inclusive’ Comedian
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With a fiery new half-hour special as part of Netflix’s ‘The Standups’ series, Naomi Ekperigin is more ready than ever to achieve that next leve...
Nicole Byer on Netflix, Stand-Up, ‘Nailed It!’ and More
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
‘Succession,’ Chappelle and More on ‘The New Abnormal’
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this special annual crossover pod, ‘The Last Laugh’ host Matt Wilstein joins ‘The New Abnormal’ co-host Molly Jong-Fast and producer Jesse ...
The Funniest Performances of 2021!
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we get to the end of the year, host Matt Wilstein is joined by The Daily Beast’s Laura Bradley to share their lists of the funniest performances ...
Mo Amer Talks Chappelle, Letterman and Eric Trump
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Houston, Mo Amer has one of the most unique stories in the stand-up comedy scene. With his latest Netflix spec...
SNL’s Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer Reunite!
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the three years they overlapped in the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer didn’t have “some big sketch toget...
Susie Essman Actually Loves Larry David
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Susie Essman made a name for herself cursing out Larry David as her alter-ego Susie Greene on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ But as she reveals in this e...
‘How To With John Wilson’ Is Back!
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of this week’s season two premiere, the mysterious New York filmmaker behind HBO’s ‘How To With John Wilson’ breaks down how he made the...
Natasha Rothwell Gives ‘All of the F*cks’
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Natasha Rothwell has had a very big year, from facing off with Jennifer Coolidge in ‘The White Lotus’ to stealing scenes in the final season of ‘...
Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould Used to Hate Each Other
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When they first started performing stand-up in the early 1980s, Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould could not have been more different. And as they revea...
Adam Pally Goes for Broke
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Pally has a special knack for making hilarious but little-seen comedy that only gets rediscovered by a wider audience years later. There was his ...
Roy Wood Jr. on Trump, Chappelle and ‘The Daily Show’
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Roy Wood Jr. tells us what his year of ‘Daily Show’ correspondent appearances from home was like and the many ways in which the show has ...
Ricky Velez Makes Trouble
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the last several years of his career, comedian Ricky Velez has been best known as Pete Davidson’s best friend, both in real life on on-screen in...
Jena Friedman Is the ‘Hipster Nancy Grace’
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jena Friedman is a former ‘Daily Show’ field producer, an uncompromising stand-up comedian and, as of this past year, an Oscar-nominated screenwri...
Dane Cook Never Wanted to Be a ‘Frat Comic’
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dane Cook was, for a brief time in the mid-2000s, the most popular comedian on the planet. Then, as the rockstar cliche goes, it all came crashing dow...