Funny In Failure

Michael Kahan

A podcast that interviews funny and interesting people to discuss their careers and some of the challenges they have faced. I hope to use this platform to normalise and encourage the discussion of failure, particularly through the lens of the entertainment industry, to show that it can be a stepping stone towards the road of success. Nothing is better than humour to normalise a situation, so having deep and meaningful conversations, interspersed with comedy and laughter, helps us celebrate and appreciate life's frustrating moments.

  1. 2 days ago

    Scott Michael Foster - Sobriety, Gratitude & Creativity

    Recognized by Variety as one of its "10 Actors to Watch," actor and producer Scott Michael Foster has established himself as a versatile leading man, known for bringing humor, heart, and complexity to memorable roles across television and film. Beloved by audiences for his fan-favorite roles in Greek and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Scott first gained widespread recognition for his fan-favorite role as Cappie on the hit series Greek, a role he played for four seasons. During the show's run, he expanded into writing and producing, selling his original script Neighbros to Comedy Central. He is also well known for his role as Nathaniel Plimpton III on The CW's critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning musical comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Joining the series in its second season, Scott quickly became a fan favorite for his portrayal of the ambitious attorney and eventual love interest to Rebecca Bunch, played by Rachel Bloom. Scott currently stars opposite Lacey Chabert in Hallmark+'s highly anticipated limited series Paris Is Always a Good Idea,. Adapted from Jenn McKinlay's bestselling novel, the six-episode series follows a woman who embarks on a journey across Europe to revisit pivotal moments from her past. Scott stars as Jason Knightly, an ambitious office rival-turned-ally who joins her along the way as they work to secure a critical donation, forging an unexpected connection in the process. Additional recent credits for Scott include starring opposite Laura Marano, Avan Jogia, and Jordi Webber in Netflix's romantic comedy Choose Love, as well as Hallmark's Return to Office opposite Janel Parrish. He also recurred on Netflix's You opposite Penn Badgley and appeared alongside Gina Rodriguez in ABC's Not Dead Yet. His extensive television credits include Californication, The River, Zero Hour, Once Upon a Time, Blood & Oil, Friends with Benefits, Law & Order: LA, Parenthood, Quarterlife, Halt and Catch Fire, The Closer and Chasing Life. On the film side, his credits include My Dead Boyfriend opposite Heather Graham, Gina Gershon, and John Corbett; IFC Films' The Pact II; The Boy Behind the Door; Heritage Day and Teenage Dirtbag. Beyond acting, Foster has continued to expand his work as a producer. He executive produced and starred in the short film Dandelions, written by Kevin Bigley and directed by Kate Cobb. The film follows a successful novelist who returns to the small hometown that inspired his work and is forced to confront the people and experiences he leveraged for personal success. Dandelions screened on the festival circuit, further showcasing Foster's commitment to championing character-driven stories both in front of and behind the camera. We chat about sobriety and the profound impact it's had, being a certified scuba diving instructor, Greek and dealing with it at a young age, being home schooled, fear, singing, love of musical theatre and performing arts, his producing work, selling his first script, being ok with not being busy (at times), Crazy Ex girlfriend and performing with it, his new show which is out now, Paris Is Always Good Idea + more! Check Scott out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmfoster/ Website: https://scottmichaelfoster.com/ ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  2. 10 Aug

    Joe Sib - Primal Power of Laughter

    Joe Sib's career began in music as a singer before evolving into stand-up comedy and storytelling, where he became known for blending humor with deeply personal, relatable stories. He has released comedy specials with Dry Bar Comedy and 800 Pound Gorilla, made numerous television appearances, and toured internationally, including arena performances as part of the opening act for Metallica with Jim Bruer. Beyond stand-up, Joe co-founded the independent record label SideOneDummy Records, helping launch the careers of influential punk and alternative artists. Today, it is his ability to connect through storytelling that defines his work on stage. His Edinburgh shows out now. Joe returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his new show, Aggie – A Comedy About Moms, following his successful 2025 Fringe debut with California Calling. The show is a hilarious and heartfelt look at family, relationships, life on the road, and the stories that stay with us long after the moments have passed. We chat about leaving music to become a comedian 'later in life', Joe's Edinburgh shows, touring with Jim Bruer & Metallica, reinvention, being a magician and his love of Houdini, knowing how to get back stage (taught from his father), delusion, being fully present on stage, social media & addictions, the importance of fun + plenty more! Check Joe out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_sib/ Website & tickets: https://www.joesib.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joesib22/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAYfIYCI9DBQbrAb_S-vzAw Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joesibcomedy ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  3. 3 Aug

    Geoffrey Asmus - Telling The Joke You're Proud Of

    Geoffrey Asmus is a stand-up comedian. Since he began comedy in 2013, Geoffrey has steadily ascended the comedy ranks. He was selected as a New Face at Just For Laughs Montreal and has featured on FOX's Laughs and Kevin Hart's LOL Network. Fresh from a sell-out US tour, he has opened for Daniel Sloss, Sam Morril, Ari Shaffir, Mark Normand, Dan Soder and Dave Attell. In 2021, Geoffrey released his debut album Prodigal Little Bitch through 800lb Gorilla Records, which reached number one on iTunes and continues to receive national airplay on SiriusXM. He has since released three stand-up specials, including Cancel Culture Isn't Real with Don't Tell Comedy, The Only Funny White Man, and most recently 63 Minutes of Great Comedy, available on YouTube, where his unfiltered stand-up clips have attracted a rapidly growing audience. He is set to perform his first full run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following an acclaimed one-night appearance in 2025 (British Comedy Guide's 6th Best Live Comedy Show 2025), bringing an hour of pure, unfiltered stand-up to audiences this summer. He also regularly tours around the US (tickets below). Packed wall-to-wall with sharp jokes, tightly honed routines, and a constant, playful push at the line, this is stand-up with no frills, no overarching narrative, no confessional detours, just relentless, high-quality comedy, peppered with spontaneous audience interaction and delivered with precision. While there is alight thread touching on American history, politics and the slow decline of empire, this is not a show about those things. We discuss being a quiz bowl legend, bad bombs, getting Just For laughs and what happened during, ethos on new material, starting out in Chicago, comedy community & support, being humbled, re-finding his love of comedy, finding your people, being vouched for, nerves, bad reviews + more! Check Geoffrey out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffreyatm Website/ ticket sales: https://www.whitecomedian.com/schedule Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeoffreyAsmus Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geoffreyatm   ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  4. 27 Jul

    David Magidoff - Just Keep Going

    David Magidoff is a comedian and actor who you might have seen him as Sheriff Teddy Reed in Showtime's Dexter: Resurrection and Dexter: New Blood. Recent credits include High Potential and a recurring role as Nicky Brooks on Apple TV's Emmy winning series The Morning Show. Other credits include: Veronica Mars," "ER," "NCIS," and "Lethal Weapon. He is currently performing a three year sold out run of his improvised comedy show Making Love with David Magidoff (7th August - 23rd August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. David Magidoff is turning tear drops into punchlines through improvised musical comedy at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Making Love with David Magidoff. The mushy-hearted Jewish man who weeps at insurance commercials is bringing that emotional instability to the Assembly, alongside a band, performing ensemble, and a star-studded line-up of guest appearances. He is honoured to be joined by BRIT Award-winning musician Fran Healy of Travis, comedians Mike Wozniak, Mark Watson, and BAFTA-nominee Rosie Jones, with more guests to be announced. Hot off the Netflix is a Joke Festival and midway through a three-year sold-out "tour-de-force" run at Los Angeles' Iconic Elysian Theater, the show sees Magidoff interview a celebrity guest about a real wild love story from their life. He and his cast of world-renowned improvisers including Stephanie Courtney (Mad Men), Kimberly Condict (Shrinking), alongside Grammy-nominated rapper Propaganda, Josh Cake and Karen Hall, turn the story into a fully madcap improvised musical performed live on stage. Magidoff's runaway Los Angeles run of Making Love has featured a wide range of celebrities including Tony Hale (Veep), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), and Oscar Nuñez (The Office)...whose wife jumped on stage and grabbed the microphone from him because he was telling their proposal story all wrong. In a show this raw, the only thing guaranteed is that it won't go according to plan! He also hosted "Fanaddicts," a popular podcast produced by Roddenberry Entertainment, where he invites celebrity guests to share their favorite pop culture obsessions.  We chat about being an improv champion, being the Air BNB queen, real estate advice from Mark Duplass, his Edinburgh shows, having meaningful moments with fancy people, Jew to Jesus story and finding what works best for you, emergency rabbis, being directed by Jerry Seinfeld, prioritising and choosing fun and crazy reason he lost an improv competition + plenty more! Check David out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmagidoff Website & tickets: https://magidoff.com/ Tickets: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/making-love-with-david-magidoff Facebook:  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBK0orXERdXeTkzrDGsw-gg ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  5. 20 Jul

    Gilli Apter - Confidence to Try

    Gilli Apter is a London-based comedian from South Africa. Gilli started doing stand up in Johannesburg and has since gone on to perform at comedy clubs internationally, most often in London, where she is a regular face on the comedy circuit. She has toured the world hosting the smash hit comedy show, Story Party | True Dating Stories.  Gilli's solo show: The Hilarious Deep Amazing Comedy Show has recently sold out repeatedly in London, in cities across Europe (Madrid, Zurich, Vienna, Lisbon, Riga, Helsinki and more) as well as in her native South Africa.  You can watch her stand up on Trevor Noah's "Nationwild" on Showmax in South Africa, or on "Only Jokes Allowed" on Netflix worldwide. Gilli is currently touring Asia and Australia and later in September she will be in Europe, check the links below for more details. We chat we about doing a video a day for a year, starting comedy in her 30's, mentors and words of encouragement and discouragement, being kicked out of advertising school, embracing 'failure', breakups, the lies we tell ourselves, getting on Netflix, her tour + plenty more! Check Gilli out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillog/ Website/ tickets: https://gilliapter.com/shows/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gilliaptercomedian/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBK0orXERdXeTkzrDGsw-gg ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  6. 13 Jul

    Leonardo Nam - What-Ifs

    Leonardo Nam is an Argentinean-Australian Korean actor who has built a career defined by versatility and emotional depth. Audiences know him from HBO's Emmy-award winning Westworld, where he starred opposite Thandiwe Newton as Felix Lutz, as well as standout roles in films such as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and The Perfect Score.  Other credits include: The Flash, Disjointed, Hawaii Five-O, Royal Pains, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bones, Maggie, MacGyver, Room 104, Sneaky Pete and DC Universe's Swap Thing to name a few.   Off-screen, Leonardo is also entering a major new chapter creatively with the launch of Good On Ya Productions, his independent film and television banner focused on globally-minded, character-driven storytelling.   Leonardo is returning to the spotlight as the fan-favorite character Maddox Hatter, alongside Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Brandy, and Rita Ora in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. As the fifth instalment in the hit franchise, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland follows Red and Chloe as they confront the fallout of their time travel through Wonderland and face the now-villainous Maddox Hatter. Descendants: Wicked Wonderland will premiere globally July 16, 2026, on Disney Channel and stream the following day on Disney+. Also check out his new film, Love Is The Monster, out now! We chat about studying clown work and the propound impact it had, Descendants, leaving architecture, his production company (Good On Ya Productions), moving to America and sleeping on a park bench, the well, wellness & meditation, artist dates, mentors + much more! Check Leonardo out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_nam/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leonardonam ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

  7. 6 Jul

    Joe Flanigan - Overcoming Fears

    Joe Flanigan is an actor and writer. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the main character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in STARGATE: ATLANTIS which went into international syndication with 100 episodes. He additionally wrote for the series. Joe started his career in politics working as an advance man at the White House. That was followed by a stint at Andy Warhol's Interview magazine until finally settling At Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.  He was quickly cast in several NBC projects and eventually put under contract there as a series regular for NBC's 'Sisters' alongside Sela Ward and Swoosie Kurtz.  This was followed by another series regular role…... Don Bellisario's First Monday on CBS starring Charles Durning & Joe Mantegna.  He was then cast on Garry Marshal's The Other Sister alongside Diane Keaton, Juliette Lewis, and Giovanni Ribisi. Joe has appeared in other TV shows and movies, including Birds of Prey, Tru Calling, Thoughtcrimes, CSI: Miami, Women's Murder Club, Warehouse 13, Fringe, 6 Bullets, Major Crimes, Dawsons Creek, Providence, Profiler, General Hospital as Dr. Neil Byrne to name a few. Joe can most recently be seen in multiple episodes on the third and final season of Apple's TV show SEE starring Jason Momoa. We chat about Stargate Atlantis, odd cameo requests, being shy and facing his fears, rejection, doing many pilots before Stargate, sticking to your guns, someone stealing his script, integrity, honouring your instincts plus plenty more! Check Joe out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeflaniganofficial ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

About

A podcast that interviews funny and interesting people to discuss their careers and some of the challenges they have faced. I hope to use this platform to normalise and encourage the discussion of failure, particularly through the lens of the entertainment industry, to show that it can be a stepping stone towards the road of success. Nothing is better than humour to normalise a situation, so having deep and meaningful conversations, interspersed with comedy and laughter, helps us celebrate and appreciate life's frustrating moments.

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