Obsessed: The Podcast

Whitney Cummings likes to think of herself as a comedy “martyr,” one of many modern comedians who are willing to “sacrifice themselves just to make sure the First Amendment is still intact.” She believes so strongly in her right to say whatever she wants on stage that she left Comedy Central, HBO and Netflix behind to put out her latest uncensored stand-up special on Only Fans TV.  In this new episode, Cummings talks very openly about the state of comedy as she sees it in 2023 and why she decided to embrace the “safe-for-work” arm of the popular porn platform to produce a series of celebrity roasts and now her sixth special, ‘Mouthy.’ The comedian also discusses why trans jokes comprise nearly half of the new hour, how her perspective on the divisive issue differs from male comics like Dave Chappelle, why she was willing to apologize to one trans audience member who was offended by her material, that time she may have gone too far in front of an audience of Saudi businessmen and more. Stream ‘Mouthy’ on OFTVFollow Whitney Cummings on Twitter @WhitneyCummings and Instagram @whitneycummingsFollow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Last Laugh podcast is back… and moving to Wednesdays! Make sure you’re following this feed so you can listen to all-new episodes of this podcast, with some very exciting new guests, starting next Wednesday, November 15th. Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry Winker (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series) has repeatedly doubted himself throughout his long and storied career. From landing the coveted role of Arthur Fonzarelli on ‘Happy Days’ to winning his first Emmy Award for playing Gene Cousineau on Bill Hader’s ‘Barry,’ the beloved actor has struggled to overcome what only became known as “imposter syndrome” in recent years. “I invented the syndrome!” Winkler says in this episode. Winkler, who has just written a new memoir called ‘Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond,’ tells stories about his struggles to find work after The Fonz, explains how Adam Sandler helped revive his comedy career, reveals why he turned down hosting SNL, recalls his funniest line from ‘Arrested Development’ and so much more. This episode was originally published on July 26th, 2022.Buy Henry Winkler’s new book ‘Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond’Follow Henry Winkler on Twitter @hwinkler4realFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharon Horgan (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress and Writing in a Drama Series) can’t seem to stop creating television shows. From ‘Pulling’ to ‘Catastrophe’ to ‘Divorce’ to ‘Motherland’ to ‘Shining Vale’ to her latest, the Apple TV+ comedy thriller ‘Bad Sisters,’ she is one of the most prolific TV showrunners in the game. In this episode, Horgan talks about going outside of her comfort zone for her new show and creating her first truly villainous character after years of writing flawed but ultimately sympathetic figures. She also reflects on how she met her ‘Catastrophe’ co-creator and co-star Rob Delaney on Twitter, remembers her final dinner with the late Carrie Fisher (who just happened to bring along Salman Rushdie) and looks ahead to the even more personal show she’s hoping to create next.  This episode was originally published on August 23rd, 2022.Follow Sharon Horgan on Twitter @SharonHorgan and Instagram @sharonhorganFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first 30 years of his career, Alan Ruck (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) was sure he would always be remembered as Ferris Bueller’s sad best friend. Then ‘Succession’ came along and changed everything. In this episode, Ruck shares his thoughts on the end of ‘Succession,’ including what lies ahead for Connor and Willa’s marriage, the story behind filming that “virtual dinner” with Brian Cox, and why creator Jesse Armstrong made the right decision to quit while he was ahead. The actor also reveals why he asked for his character to be killed off in Season 2 and how the role he was waiting his entire career for has forever altered his professional legacy. This episode was originally published on June 6th, 2023.Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s now been four years since Gary Gulman released his remarkable stand-up special ‘The Great Depresh.’ And despite a global pandemic that caused its own parallel mental health crisis, he says he’s really never felt better. The prolific comedian has a new memoir out called ‘Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the ‘80s’ and when we spoke, he was about to perform at Carnegie Hall—less than five years after he walked out of a psychiatric ward. In this episode, Gulman opens up about how he turned things around and achieved a new level of comedy confidence that has allowed him to be vulnerable on stage in a whole new way. He also weighs in on Bo Burnham’s anxiety-themed special ‘Inside,’ discusses his role in Amy Schumer’s Hulu series ‘Life & Beth’, looks back at his “miserable” time on Dane Cook’s ‘Tourgasm’ and a lot more.This episode was originally published on September 21st, 2021.Buy Gary Gulman’s book ‘Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the ‘80s’Follow Gary Gulman on Twitter @GaryGulman and Instagram @garygulmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maria Bamford has been performing stand-up comedy for more than 30 years and just keeps getting better. Her most recent hour-long special ‘Weakness Is the Brand’ found her at the top of her game, delivering operatic bits about her ongoing mental health struggles and relentless drive to be a good person in the world. In this episode, we talk about how she arrived at relative stability, the challenges that female comics still face in a male-dominated industry, how she felt when Netflix canceled her autobiographical show ‘Lady Dynamite’ after two seasons and a lot more—including an unvarnished take on Louis C.K.This episode was originally published on January 28th, 2020.Buy Maria Bamford’s book ‘Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere’Follow Maria Bamford on Twitter @mariabamfoo and Instagram @mariabamfordcomedyFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first two professional acting gigs that Sam Richardson (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for ‘Ted Lasso’) booked were on ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘The Office.’ And he has never stopped rising the ranks of the comedy world since, from what was supposed to be a one-episode guest spot as Richard Splett on ‘Veep’ to his first real romantic leading role on Apple TV+’s high-school reunion murder mystery comedy ‘The Afterparty.’ In this episode, Richardson talks about collaborating with his former improv teacher Tim Robinson on the brilliantly funny ‘Detroiters’ and ‘I Think You Should Leave,’ how he ended up channeling his Ghanaian heritage on ‘Ted Lasso’ and how it felt to be called “his generation’s Tom Hanks” by one of the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood.This episode was originally published on February 15th, 2022.Follow Sam Richardson on Twitter @SamRichardson and Instagram @thesamrichardsonFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedy icon Martin Short (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for ‘Only Murders in the Building’) is well into his 70s. 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’ and talks about the origins of ‘Only Murders’ co-starring Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.This episode was originally published on August 18th, 2020.Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Hader (2023 Emmy-nominated actor, writer and director for HBO’s ‘Barry’) is well known as the most generous “laugher” in comedy. But when he’s talking about his increasingly dark HBO series ‘Barry,’ those laughs come with a razor sharp edge. In this episode, the ‘Saturday Night Live’ alum goes deep on the mental state of his hitman character as the show approached its final season. He also reflects on his anxiety-filled SNL experience, why he and John Mulaney never made that rumored Stefon movie, the specific genius of ‘Documentary Now!’ and why he couldn’t stop laughing at Paul Rudd’s final ‘Mac and Me’ prank on the final week of ‘Conan.’ This episode was originally published on April 26th, 2022.Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices