Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - Jon Rudnitsky and Mike Answer Your Questions About Failure and Jokes

Episode Date: June 22, 2026

This week, the very funny Jon Rudnitsky joins Mike to answer listener submitted questions. The two of them discuss how long it was before they started earning money from comedy, the complete loss of dignity required to make it as a stand-up, and what it is that keeps them showing up every day. Plus, how Jon caused what he believes to be one of the greatest mistakes in SNL history.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're here with John Rudinsky. This is working out. I'm like Brubingley. Okay. Here's what I'll say. This morning I watched the unreleased documentary that you made about being a road comic post-S&L. Yeah.

Your cast member for one season, and then you went on the road as a comic and documented yourself performing in, like, challenging clubs. Yeah. Very, like... Yeah, and clubs is even a generous term for a lot of these places. Hotel ballroom. Motel ballrooms.

Yeah. And it's, these are hard gigs. It's actually like so much like my movie, sleepwalk with me, like so much like it. Yeah, that's why I was really excited for you to see it. Because I knew you could relate to the struggle.

Yeah. And it's so. I'm excited for people to see it when it comes out. Hopefully someone's watching this who will buy it and distribute it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I can stop doing these fucking gigs. Yeah. But holy cow.

It is, you're so funny. Thanks, boy. It's so miserable. And also, it is, like, makes you feel good about being alive and being a comedian at all. Yeah. It hits these themes that we talk about on this podcast all the time. And today's is going to be interesting episode because we took questions. on Instagram for you and me to talk about.

And what's funny is, is some of the questions really... Who is John Renitsky? That's going to be the first half hour. But I actually do think, like, a lot of the questions tie in to your documentary, which I think people will love, but also we can kind of talk that out here.

But it's, I have to say, like, I don't want to give anything away about your special. Like, I do, but I will say, like, man, was I moved by it. And I feel like I'm very rarely moved by a comedy special. It is. I mean, how, I don't want to get into it too hard because it's like people can't see it, but it's like how long did it take to shoot it?

It took like four months. Wow. Yeah, with my buddy Noah, who's in the dock. Yes. He was my, he is my opener. And, you know, the dream is obviously. to have a Netflix special. And it's clearly, I'm so far from that in this documentary.

And I, for the last 10 years or whatever, have been like, what do I have these fucking gigs? I got to get out of these fucking gigs. And then I got good at these gigs. And then I thought, well, I'm kind of thinking I might be better at these gigs than I would be at like a gig where I'm set up to succeed in a way. So I'm like, what if I shoot the special at these terrible places where they're half filled,

and they don't know it's a special, because why would anyone shoot their special there? And they don't even know who I am, and I have to earn their respect, because that's how all my shows are. And I just thought, yeah, because most specials comedians are trying to look cooler. They're high-fiving their most famous friends backstage,

and I was like, what if I do the exact opposite? What if I am walking through the most poorly lit hallway past, you know, people doing a puzzle in the lobby, and, you know. And at one point, there's, Your name isn't even on the marquee. No. And the show is that night.

And you're like, when do you change the marquee? And they're like, day of the show. It's two hours before the show. I mean, it is. It's, yeah, it's great. And it's great. Look, I, and it's so funny. And you are so good at doing those gigs.

Thanks, right. You're performing for 12 people in like Oklahoma. And it's like, and I'm like, the audience is lucky. That's a funny show. That is a good show. Yeah, thank you, Mike. It gets to the heart. That movie gets to the heart without giving it away of like what, you know, working out and my career and your career and all these comedians like, it's at the heart of what we're even doing.

Yeah. Which is like, stand of comedy, it's simply the art form of one person speaking to two or more people. That's it. Yeah. And you do get confused when you see these flashy comedians, specifically. where it's like an arena or whatever of like, wait, maybe it's that. And it's like, no, no, it's not that. Yeah.

Yeah. Because if that's the win, you're going to kill yourself. Like, because that's not what it's like. That's just not what it's like. Yeah, yeah. And I actually think getting S&L and losing it and getting to this point where I made this thing, which, you know, who knows where it's going to land. it was just like, I'm like grateful actually that I,

that I've been on this journey so that I can make this thing. Wherever it lands, because I'm like, this is worth it. And I learned that like the win can't be getting the thing because I've had it, lost it. And if that was all that there is, then it's over. So you have to be like, hey, I said something new tonight. That's the win. I have a joke that worked tonight.

No, and people are happy. And people are happy. People are happy. In this way that I found, compared to other specials, to be totally convincing because you show people who are disinterested. Yeah. So that when you show someone who's happy, you go, well, that's real. Yeah.

Yeah. I literally have to earn their respect every time. Yeah. Because they're not there to see me. They're there because that's the option for something to do in that town that night. Yeah. Yeah. And even then, a lot of people didn't come. It's empty. Yeah. Yeah. It's called special. So when it comes out, it's called special boy.

Special boy. It's great. Because of my mom telling me I was a special boy. Yeah. Again, I don't want to give it away, but man, you talk about being on SNL and how it gave me so much anxiety watching it. It's just like both of your movies in a way. It is. It's like, don't think of it. Meet Sleepwalk with me. That's how we should pitch it. You come with me to HBO.

It's don't think twice meet sleepwalk with me except no one's famous and it's a documentary. Are you with me? Who's with me? Who's with me? It wants to go to Kenosha. Who wants to go to... But you were on SNL and you were... I mean, it's literally what they describe as actor's nightmare,

which is there's a scene... Yeah. Going on, live on television, all over the world. Yeah. And you're supposed to be in it, but you're not on stage. You didn't realize you were in that scene. There's an empty seat in the scene. Yeah.

And then you... We can laugh about it now. We can laugh about it now. Right? It's fine. Ten years ago. Ten years ago. Ten years ago.

You think you're never going to get over something like that. I mean, granted, I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it. Empty seat. And then you run on. You're sweaty. out of breath, you do the rest of the scene. And then you come off and you see the Keenan who's, I think, been on the show longer

than anyone in history. Yeah, 15 years or so. Yeah, you go, you've seen stuff like that before, right? He goes, not like that. He goes, yeah, not like that, man. Not like that, man. And the thing is, you know, everyone's, everyone's pissed off at us, you know?

Like, even the people that have been, you know, been there eight years, they're more pissed off than anyone because they feel like they deserve some sort of respect. Keenan's in the best movie. Yeah, yeah. Kenan's like gives me a hug. Every time I would see him, he'd give me a hug. You know, you're doing great.

He's the only one that would make me feel reassured. And that moment, he was like, damn, man, not like that. I was like, oh, shit. How does that even happen? Oh, the show's only been on 50 years, and that's the worst. Anyone's fucked up. No big deal. No big deal.

What is it about you that made that happen? Yeah. Well, it's the same reason. I'm sweaty right now. Nothing's changed. Because you came through the next chair and I was supposed to be here. Because you came through the Knicks parade to be here. Because I came through the Nix parade and I said, and the trains were delayed.

I'll take a bike. And then I ended up in the middle of the parade. And then I was surrounded to the point where I couldn't even maneuver the bike. Wow. And all these guys are smoking a blunt and looking at me. Go, bike boy. Look a dumb fucking bike boy over here. You are bike boy.

I'm bike boy. You are bike boy. Getting picked on. I got picked on on on the way here like in high school. In like the peace and love parade.

In the peace and love parade. They could all agree. We hate the Spurs and we hate the Spurs and we hate Bike Boy. We hate Bike Boy. Yeah, fucking Bike Boy. And I'm like,

I gotta get the Mike for Big Leo's podcast. He's the only one who's seen my documentary. Oh my God. That is a dilemma when only one person that's seen your documentary. You really do have to get that. And he's willing to have me on his podcast and I'm fucking bike boy. and I'm in the middle of this thing.

It was a journey to get here. But yeah, I guess to answer your question, what is it that makes me, that guy... It's all connected. It's all connected. It's everything everywhere all at once. It's everything everywhere all at once. I actually want to make a movie about...

But it's called Nothing Nowhere Ever. And it's true because I feel like... Nothing Nowhere, not at the same time. Yes, not at the same, because I feel like I'm in uncut jams, but I'm just trying to reset a password while I'm trying to get a cup of coffee, and somehow it's like full-blown panic.

Oh, my God. I got to move to Carol Gardens. Maybe that'll help. Everything is funny through a certain lens. Yeah. Even your movie's a good example of this. Like, you're literally playing for, like, 10 people in a lot of cities in, like, junky places.

Yeah. And it's really funny. Yeah. And through a certain lens, it's really sad. Like, you can't afford to even be there. You're paying more in, rent and gas and car rentals and flights, then you're even being paid?

Yeah. And it's funny. I know. It is both funny and sad. It's everything everywhere all that wants is the truth. And I do feel like, I don't know if you feel this way, or if you felt this way when you were playing gigs like that. But it really is like a full emotional arc.

Like I feel like I love a full movie every time I go on the road. Because I get there, I'm like, what am I doing with my life? Yeah. And I'm in the back of the room. and the opener is just bombing. And you're like, I can't do this anymore. And then you go up there and you turn the show into something. And then somebody comes up to you afterwards.

And they're like, I was having a rough week. And you really made me feel all right. And then you're like, all right, I guess that's why. And then you're like, you leave and you're like, I'm happy I did that. And then the next weekend you forget. And you're like, I can't believe I'm fucking doing this shit again. Yeah. Every, if you're watching this or listening to this and you want to

know what it's like to be a performer, but you're not a performer. Walk out on the street and start performing. Yeah. That's what it's like. Yeah. By the way, always. Like you get to five years in, it's pretty much that. Yeah.

You get to five days in, it's pretty much that. You get to 15, 20 years in, it's pretty much that. You feel that way now? 100%. Sold out theaters? Those shows are better. But I do often do. You know, benefit shows and this and that, where you go like, oh, that sounds not good.

Yeah. You know, the announcement before me is sad and morose about some kind of announcement, someone dying or someone having a stroke. Yeah. And please welcome Mike Brubigley. It still happens. That never ends. It never ends.

No, I don't think it ever ends. Yeah, but I guess we get our funny from that a bit, because if it's all cozy, then it's harder to draw from things, I suppose. This put things in perspective once. I did a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation. Yeah. And I think it was me and Malaney, a few other people.

And I did, I, it's, you know, it's not conference room, but it's like a ballroom. Yeah. People eating. Most people kind of don't know who you are. You're kind of doing your best to get a few laughs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then after me,

there was like a sit-down, with Seinfeld being interviewed by someone. He didn't do a set, but he was like interviewed. And I see Seinfeld afterwards, and he was like, ah, man, I wanted to do a set like you. Oh, man. You go, oh, like even in a situation where it's not a great gig, the real true people, the true comedians are like,

I want to do that, even though it's not ideal. Yeah, yeah. And also you think, I mean, at this point, because of 10,000 hours of terrible gigs, you're like, I think I could do it. Yeah. I think I could try to win them over. I think I could turn this into something. I think I can make this. All right.

I think I can make them love me. Okay. So we're going to go to questions. This is from, sometimes we do this. Every few months we get questions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. P.K. smash says, how long were you doing stand-up until you started earning money? I'll let you know.

Set your clocks. What's crazy is it really fluctuates, you know. Yeah, sure. It really fluctuates because you get a private gig or something. That's normally tougher than a club gig, and it pays ten times what a club gig would pay. Yeah. For five shows or something.

Right. It can really change, you know. But, okay. One of my favorite things about your movie is that, you keep kind of explaining that you're just not good at marketing. You're just like, so much of being a comedian is marketing. And like, I'm just so bad at it. And then you're like watching people do crowdwork on Instagram.

You're like, that makes people big. And then you try to do that. But then you're pretty good at crowdwork. Like, you literally do it. You're like, oh, this is good. I try. I try. I think I am good at it.

But it's a little too late, I guess, to, you know, How is it that you're doing everything right and it's going so badly? That's what I'm trying to ask you. Do you, do you know? Do I know? What would you say? Here are my guesses. I actually don't.

I actually don't know. I think this is hard because it's like you're such a good comic. I think it's going to happen. Okay, great. I think you're going to break. Okay, great. That's my feeling. I love this.

I fucking hope so. Well, because, first of all, I saw you in Cassie David's movie. Yeah. I love you forever. Yeah. You're great. Thank you. I asked you to come over to my apartment, do a reading of my next movie.

You're great. I see you do stand up at the cellar. You're great. Eventually. It's got a hit. It's got a hit. Like your mom said. Yes.

And then I'll have to figure out a new stick. Other than, I don't know what I'm not good at marketing. Yeah. But it takes time. You're going to come, as of today, you're going to come do my show in Nantucket in July. I'm very excited to come to Nantucket. Me, you, Gary Simons. That's the show.

This is my win for the summer, Mike. God. Jesus. You just kind of threw it out there. For me, I'm like, well, I got Nantucket coming up. You know, when they say, what do you got going on this summer? That's what I'm going to say. I have a documentary, nobody's bought,

and I'm going to Nantucket with Mike Pribiglia. What projects you're working on? That's it. That's what I got. So I hope it was an empty offer because I don't know. I'm living for Nantucket now. I've got to look at the logistics. I'm not sure it's going to work.

No, no, no, no, no, don't do this to me. No, don't do this to Mike Boy on camera right now. It's been a tough day. I'm just not sure. Oh, no. I have to call a few people. I have to call a few people get some nose and then see if that comes through. Okay, all right, let me know.

You're fourth. You're fourth. Okay, so now I'll tell people when they ask me what's going on. So I'm in the running to open to Mike in Nanducket. We're waiting to give you a couple nose for other people. Okay. We'll get another question. That was a long answer for how long have you been in until you start earning money.

Oh, man. It fluctuates. This is E. Lutez 44 says, are you hesitant to book shows in deep red states? No. No. I don't think so at all. No. Those shows can be great.

Your documentary gets this. Hopefully people get this from my tour and stuff like that. It's like, I think there's like a deep misunderstanding. of the country sometimes. Totally. People are like, oh, red states, Midwest must be done.

No, it's great. It's great. Like, what are you talking about? I mean, there's a totally other, I mean, I have hundreds of hours of footage from this documentary. And there is, and it was going on during the election. I'm like, there's another version of this movie

where it is that, where you kind of see that it's like, yeah, that people aren't really what we make them out to be a lot of the time. Here's what I'll say. A lot of people are just getting bad information. A hundred percent. Yeah. A ton of people getting bad information.

Yeah. For sure. Yeah. You meet, my experience is you meet a lot of kind people everywhere. Yeah, a lot of nice people. Like literally everywhere in the country, ever in the world that I've gone. Yeah, I know. Like more often than not.

More often than not. It's true. Yeah. It is, it's wild. It's wild. Yeah, and I also, I mean, I also don't go very political in my act at all. But in, uh... And you look a little MAGA.

Yeah, a MAGA passing. until I start talking. And I'm like, oh, God, I got caught up at the airport. But I did get chased off stage in 2016. Oh, yeah? A woman at the Muskegon Bowling Alley. For what? I was performing at a bowling alley in Michigan.

And, yeah, and I did do a Trump thing. And she did chase me out of the venue. That's how the show ended. Chaste you? Yeah, yeah. She got over there. And she ran on stage. And I ran out and just waved goodbye

and I never came back. I never came back. Really? Yeah. Did she catch you? I know if you know Jake Nordwin, he writes at S&M. He was my opener then, and he remembers it well.

I was getting chased out of the Muskegon Bowlinghouse. So she was like, you got back here. Was she drunk? Yeah, she was hammered. Oh, yeah, she had plastic cups stacked, rum and coax stacked in front of her. Wow. Yeah.

This is Tate. League says what was the process of getting past at the seller? Five minute audition. Yeah. That was it. SD watches and... Hard to get, though. Someone has to recommend you, right?

Who recommended you? Yeah. Well, Emma Williman. Oh, that's nice. Without me asking, by the way. Oh, that's nice. Which was so nice. Emma is super funny.

Yeah. Chris Decefano had reached out as well. I think maybe Santino did, too, but I don't know if she got back. And then Emma Willemann did it without. me asking. And then she was like, yeah, great. That's super nice. It was so nice.

And I remember I didn't even showcase when I was on SNO because I was still nervous about doing the cellar. And I feel like when it happened, it happened at just the right time, you know. This is my... What was your... Once per episode plug of the comedy seller. I just think it's the best comedy club in the country. It is the best comedy.

I mean, it's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. The food's great. The hang is great. The hang is great. The staff is nice. The comics are the best comedy. comics. Like, I just think it's, like, fantastic.

It's the best. And it's, it's like, yeah, you feel like, I made it. I always tell New York tourists, people are like, I'm coming to New York, which I do? I always say the comedy seller. Yeah. Because it's also not even, it's hard to get reservations. You've got to do well in advance. Yeah.

But it's not that expensive. No, it's an incredible night. Yeah. And I love, like, sitting and having dinner. How was it over that room? I was good. And then you're running in between shows and hanging out. Wait, what was your story of getting past?

I, um. I think it was Tom Papa recommended me. Yeah. I'd open for him in Jersey. Okay. And how many years in were you? It didn't go well. Oh, it didn't go good.

Yeah, it was like 23. Oh, shit. I started when I was 19. That's crazy. Yeah. So this is like 45 years ago. It was like, yeah, it was like 20, 25 years ago. The feeling's the same, though.

That's insane. That's insane. I'm literally just realizing that. It's my birthday this week. Happy birthday. 48 this week. Wow. Thanks, man. Yeah.

25 years ago. That's crazy. Didn't get past. Oh, you didn't get past the first? No, I auditioned three times. Oh, shit. Yeah. And it was so painful.

Yeah. Because it was just so sad. Every time I didn't get past, I was just so sad. Do you feel like, when you think back to your 23-year-old self, like, oh, I wasn't ready? Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, and by the way, actually ties into your documentary. and doing hell gigs in the middle of nowhere for 10 people.

It's like, I actually needed to do that more. Yeah. So that the nerves are gone in any situation. Yes. Bombing at an SNL table read helps. You know, you're like... Something very few people have experienced. Yeah, you're in front of like all your heroes

and a different movie star every week and you're just eating shit. And then you're like, I guess this, yeah, show. and Kenosha's not so bad. Not so scary anyway. We have a great job. We get to just hang out with funny people. It's inspiring. Which segues into this next question from everything is pop.

Are all comedians mentally ill? Yeah, I think so. But I've been wondering, I've been wondering lately, aren't we all mentally ill and we just talk about it? That's right. That's a good question, too. And we take our mental illness. and we found a way to channel it.

Yeah. That's what I'm wondering. Or maybe some people are fine. Are some people okay? I don't think so. I don't. My experience with comedians is no one's okay. No one's okay.

Yeah. If you probe enough, on the surface, they seem to go and then you probing on. Oh, okay. I'm trying to think of like who might be okay. I think Adam Sandler seems great. I don't know him at all, but I'm like... He seems good.

He seems good. Yeah, agree. Conan seems good. Conan seems pretty good, yeah. I guess I'm describing billionaires. The billionaires seem to be doing well. But you know what's funny about that? I thought that, and you don't have to have seen your documentary to kind of identify with this idea,

I think one of the things that your documentary kind of... zooms out to is the cultural conversation right now, like, there's a declining middle class. Yeah. And it's like there's the big winners and there's the big losers in America. And I think that that's true in comedy also. Yeah. It's like there isn't really a comedy middle class. You're either like selling out MSG or you're in those shitty rooms.

Because the clubs are also like actually for the MSG people to kind of work out their stuff now it feels like. Or just YouTubers who have a huge following. and I mean, I'll get weekends at some of those clubs, but a lot of those weekends are going to people with a following who haven't even been doing stand-up that long. Completely. Yeah. Anyway, but I feel good.

Mentally ill. What do you think your mental illness is if you had to pinpoint it? I will say I identify with what Conan talked about in, I think it was fresh air interview. Okay, okay. Like years ago. Yeah. Where he's,

I think he describes himself as like a high functioning depressive. Oh, wow. Okay, so I was wrong about Conan. I said Conan and I didn't even know. But it's funny, like he talks about it. And I was like, wow, every now and then someone says something at an interview you go, oh my God, that's exactly how I feel like. He goes, I didn't used to say I was depressed because I felt guilty.

I totally get that. Because my friends who were depressed couldn't get out of bed, couldn't leave their house. Right. I go, well, I can leave the house. High functioning. I can get out of bed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so that's sort of how he, I think, evaluated it in the long term.

Yeah. And I relate to that. Because I look at my life and I'm like, I get to do the best thing. Yeah. I actually love my life, but I am often mostly freaking out. but I feel like I get to at least, like on the way here when I'm being called Bike Boy, I mean, this is, this should be a nightmare,

but I'm like, well, this is a funny thing I get to talk about now. This is my lead story. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. So the fact that we get to channel it into something makes it okay, it feels like. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I find that like when I'm not doing well, mental health-wise,

it's not because I'm not getting on stage or something, it's because I'm actually not writing in my journal. Writing my journal actually is, like, it's, it lets out pressure. Yeah. Because I'm like, when I write it, I've said it's one of my specials, but it's like when I write down

what I'm angry about or sad about, I can look at it as someone else's story. And be like, oh, well, you don't have to get that upset about that. That's not that bad for this guy. And it's like, this guy's you. Yeah. Oh, man.

Damn. Usually it takes like a month or two to look back at the old journal entries to be like, oh, okay. I was being irrational in that moment. Yeah. And that you can be like, well, this is not so different than that moment either. Yeah. Anyway, I'm cured. We're all good.

We're all good. We figured out. We solved it. We solved it. Yeah. All right. This is UVI weed lodlow. And the question is, is social media the only way to make it in comedy now?

This is what we were just talking about. It's not the only way, but it's a function of connection period. Right? Yeah. So, like, when I started out, I was a door person at the DC improv in the late 90s when I was in college. Yeah. And I saw that there was like these comedians, I think it was like Brian Regan and like Jeff Dunham who had the puppets. Yeah, of course.

And a lot of them would have like little cards on the tables asking for people's mailing address or email address. And then they would just like stay in touch and it would build the following. It's the same as social media. It's just an exponentialized version of it. Totally. That's like the analog version of what it became. But those comedians who did that, like mailing us back then, did well. Yeah.

They figured it out. Yeah. But also, like, it's, if you think about it, a sense of humor is just subjective. Yeah. So it's like, my experience of your documentary is I was alone laughing out loud in my bedroom watching it. Someone else might not laugh. They might not go to that. I'm not on that frequency.

Right. Right. Mm-hmm. So it's like, the analog version of you would be like, here, sign up for my mailing list in the 90s. Right, right, right. And now version is like, follow me on Instagram or whatever the hell is the next thing. Totally. AI, social media.

Yeah. But, like, I think that the mistake is not extending yourself to who is looking to possibly be on your frequency. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like a lot of times I'll see people and they'll be like, I'm not doing social media. And then they're really good.

Yeah. And it's like, that's fine, but also you have, the other end of that is like you might, people who have your frequency might not find you. I mean, these shows for 10 people, whatever, it's like I can cut a clip from that and it can get a million likes. Yeah. You know, that doesn't always, it often doesn't happen. But the fact that that you can do that for that few people, but it can reach that many is, yeah, makes it feel like it's worth it. And it's also like it's a specific sense of humor. It's like, it's like I'd say you and I both are people who just have a specific sense of humor.

We're not for everybody. Right. So if you're not for everybody, which is most comedians, most musicians, most artists. My favorite comedians are really not for everybody. Exactly. Then I think you have to figure out, okay, I got to figure out how to get this to a lot of people so that the one percent of those people is who like this. Like this, are like, I should go to his show in Brooklyn. Yeah.

So that's why, like, the necessary evil of social media, I think, like, has to exist. If you want people to watch what you're doing. I think so. I think so. This is Funky Kong is asking, how much of a joke is scripted versus improv? It's a good question. How much of... Of, like, your jokes or my jokes are scripted versus improv.

Oh, yeah. What would you say? For me, it starts from a place of, like, like 50-50. Yeah. But by the end, when I'm filming it, it's pretty much like 90% scripted. Right, right. Oh, even when you film it, there's still a level of...

Or, yeah, 98%, 95%. Like, it's mostly. Yeah. It's mostly scripted by the end. But in the middle of the process, like, I find that, like, a lot of times it's like these cards, like, I'll bring an idea up where I'm like, I know this line is funny. Yes. Yes.

But, like, I have to figure out what it's about. that's how I work too I think I have one line that's an idea and I think I can talk around it for a while but it really varies set to set but I know that the sets that are more improv heavy I enjoy more

because it feels like I'm more just in the moment it's harder to be in the moment when you're like doing your bits that you've worked out so yeah I'll even try to improvise with in the bit just so it can feel fresh to me and I can find new things within it. So I'd say it's like 50-50. When I go on the road, like I try to do like 20 up to ah

that's just before I go into my jokes. You try to improvise for 20 minutes at the time? I do, I do. I try. That's impressive. In Ohio recently I did like 40 before I got into any jokes. Wow. You know?

Which is, it's fun. Susie Chicago says, I am a late in life comic started at 69. Am I crazy to pursue this at my age? No. No. My mom started doing a show a while back. She stopped now, but like 10 years ago when she was 59.

And she was like, she just wanted to do it for fun. Yeah, I always think it's like, it's a fun experiment. Yeah. To just stand in front of strangers and just say things that you thought of. Yeah. Even if it's an open mic or whatever. I mean, it's just the journal thing. You're getting it out.

There's something very cathartic about it. K.M. Brody says, what actor do you wish would try performing stand-up? It's a great question. None of them. Stay the fuck away from us. Exactly. You heard it here.

You got your thing. You got your dude. Rudnizki wants you out. We don't need any more. Yeah, yeah. They always say that when Tom Hanks, was getting ready for Punchline. Yeah.

He was acting as a stand-up comedian in the 80s. He went to the comic strip and learned stand-up, like he got up. Yeah. And everybody always says, he's really good.

He was. Yeah. Of course he was, right? Of course he was. Of course he was. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah. I think it's hard to want to do...

You have to really have a sickness because if you're making it as an act, actor, that's such a much cozier existence. Yeah. You know, whenever I'm on set, I'm like, this is lovely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we get anything? We just need you to say something we wrote in like six hours.

Do you want some food? Yeah, sure. This is Larry Maher, says, do you get nervous before going on stage? Every time. Every time. You do? Half the time. For me, every time.

Every time? Yeah. For how long? I mean, until I'm up there. Yeah. But I feel like I'm, I always think I'm like, my body thinks I'm jumping out of a plane three times a day. Yeah.

It's funny because I'm prepping for the next movie I'm directing right now. And what I've realized about prepping for something. Yeah. is that to prepare, you're thinking of all the things that could go wrong at once. Yeah. And then when you do the thing, only about three things go wrong. And it's not as bad as you thought of me. It's inherently not as bad as all things going wrong.

Totally. And when those things go bad, you're like, I got this. I got this. I already planned out everything going wrong. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's why you plan it out. I know.

There's no getting around it. There's no getting around it. We're sick. We're mentally. I think that's the ball game. Do you have any shows you on plug or anything? Fuck. Oh, my documentary is premiering at the Galway Film Festival.

In Ireland? Really? That's where it got in, Mike. It's very random, but that's where it's going to be. That's really cool. It's very cool. I'm excited. I'm going to go to Ireland.

The Irish, apparently. When is that? That's going to be July 11th. Oh, our Irish, our Irish listeners have got to be. to go. Yeah, July 10th, July 10th. July 10th. That might conflict with Nantucket. It's not. You said July 30th. July 30th, you said.

We'll be right back. No! We get a shot from up here. Dron shot. So this summer, I got Galway, I got Nantucket. I got Mike singing in the day. I'm on the list for it. Nobody's going from Galway to Nantucketka, by the way. This is a first. Oh, yeah. Maybe we'll get the double,

the double header Galway Nantucketka. Kentucky crowd. We got it. I'll bring them. That'd be cool. I'll bring them all in. Be the one. Be the one.

Be the one.