Obsessed: The Podcast

Sherri Shepherd has been a stand-up comedian, sitcom star, ‘The View’ co-host, and now, with her eponymous syndicated talk show ‘Sherri,’ a leading figure on the daytime TV scene. In this episode, Shepherd opens up about the inspiration and advice she received from Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters, how she wants her own show to avoid the types of controversies that still fuel ‘The View’ and how she’s learned to handle the inevitable backlash that will come her way. She also shares some hilarious stories about starting out in stand-up comedy with the Wayans brothers and Jamie Foxx, her memorable guest-starring role on ‘Friends,’ what it was really like to play Tracy Morgan’s wife on ‘30 Rock’ and how she found out she wasn’t Mindy Kaling’s first choice to play Senator Chase on ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls.’Follow Sherri Shepherd on Twitter @sherrieshepherd and Instagram @sherrieshepherdFollow 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

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 third appearance on the podcast for this bonus episode, Bargatze talks about making the jump from Netflix to Amazon for his latest special ‘Hello World,’ which premieres on Tuesday, January 31st and finds him grappling with the everyday challenges of parenthood and middle age as only he can. We also get into the pros and cons of being a “clean” comedian, the one joke that caused a sex worker to call him out for being insensitive and his biggest comedy goals moving forward. Follow Nate Bargatze on Twitter @natebargatze and Instagram @natebargatzeFollow 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

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 the world. But his career nearly came crashing down after he put out his “Two Indias” video in 2021 and had charges brought against him for defaming his home country on foreign soil. In this episode, Das breaks down how he managed to turn one of the most painful experiences of his life into his strongest hour of stand-up yet in ‘Landing,’ which premiered on Netflix this past December. He opens up about what it felt like to be labeled a “terrorist” for speaking out against injustice, shares how he pulled off the “magic trick” at the center of his special and responds to American comedians who complain about getting “canceled” but have never been threatened with imprisonment for telling jokes. Follow Vir Das on Twitter @thevirdas and Instagram @virdasFollow 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

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 way up the ranks of show business until landing his breakthrough performance opposite his comedy idol Eddie Murphy in 2021’s ‘Coming 2 America.’ In this episode, Fowler talks about his latest leading role in ‘The Drop’ as a man whose life is thrown into comedic chaos after his wife (‘PEN15’s’ Anna Konkle) drops their friend’s baby at a destination wedding in Mexico. Fowler also discusses the highs and lows of his comedy career so far, from rejecting “imposter syndrome” while acting opposite Murphy to the promising sitcom he co-created with ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Quinta Brunson that never saw the light of day to the game-changing stand-up hour he currently has in his sights. Follow Jermaine Fowler on Instagram @jermainefowlerFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @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

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-aged Florida man who tweeted at him out of the blue. Earlier this month, the director of ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and several ‘Nathan for You’ episodes finally premiered ‘Paul T. Goldman’ on Peacock. And as he explains in his return to the podcast, the impossible-to-describe project has left him with more questions than answers about its mysterious protagonist. In this episode, Woliner talks about how working with Sacha Baron Cohen helped inform his freewheeling approach to ‘Paul T. Goldman’ and addresses the many comparisons that have been made to his friend and collaborator Nathan Fielder’s HBO series ‘The Rehearsal’—including allegations that he’s “exploiting” the man at the center of the show. Follow Jason Woliner on Twitter @jwoliner 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

Chelsea Handler knows exactly what she wants. After an eventful 2022 that included a celebrated guest-hosting gig on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and the release in December of her latest Netflix special ‘Revolution,’ the comedian is gearing up for an even bigger 2023. She is set to guest-host ‘The Daily Show’ in February, and as she readily admits in her return to the podcast, she is actively pursuing that chair on a permanent basis. Handler talks about finding a new level of confidence on stage, why late-night TV is desperate for female voices and why she still believes in love after breaking up with fellow comedian Jo Koy. She also weighs in on Kanye West and Dave Chappelle’s “hurtful” antisemitism and recalls the time she narrowly escaped an unwanted sexual advance from her one-time comedy hero Bill Cosby.Follow Chelsea Handler on Twitter @chelseahandler and Instagram @chelseahandlerFollow 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

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 funniest performances of 2022 across stand-up, TV, movies and more. If you’re looking for ideas about what to watch over the holidays, this episode is for you!See our full lists of the funniest performances of 2022 at The Daily Beast.Follow Allegra Frank on Twitter @LegsFrankFollow Laura Bradley on Twitter @lpbradley Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @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

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 Musk up on stage to get booed at his final tour stop of 2022, how comedians and others have responded to a rise in antisemitic rhetoric, the state of “free speech” and “cancel culture” in the comedy world and a lot more.  Follow Andy Levy on Twitter @andylevy Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @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

Paul Walter Hauser is the rare actor who can make audiences laugh hysterically and break down crying, sometimes within the same project. From early guest spots on comedies like ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ and ‘Community’ to his breakthrough roles in dramatic films like ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Richard Jewell’ to his deeply disturbing performance as a deranged serial killer in the Apple TV+ series ‘Black Bird,’ Hauser has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with as a performer. But as he reveals in this episode, it has taken a toll on his personal well being. We get into all of it, including how he broke into the business by writing a movie for Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele, talking his way into a role on Tim Robinson’s ‘I Think You Should Leave,’ hitting “rock bottom” and getting sober during the filming of ‘Black Bird,’ and the Chris Farley biopic he is more ready than ever to make. Follow Paul Walter Hauser on Instagram @paulwhausergramFollow 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

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, Lennon returns to the podcast to talk about his latest performance as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in the new holiday film ‘Reno 911!: It’s a Wonderful Heist.’ He explains why he thinks the show’s characters keep getting funnier as they age, shares the story of how he found out Steven Spielberg was a fan and looks back at the earliest days of his influential sketch group The State and the original creator of ‘Reno 911!’ Follow Thomas Lennon on Twitter @thomaslennon and Instagram @thomaspatricklennonFollow 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