Funny In Failure

Michael Kahan
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  • Comedy Interviews
  • Updated weekly

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. 13 hr ago

    Reed Birney: I Didn't Die

    Reed Birney has been working in film, television and theater for decades. Among his earliest credits are Albert Innaurato's Broadway comedy GEMINI in 1974 and Arthur Penn's FOUR FRIENDS in 1981. A celebrated member of the New York theatre community, Reed has won a Tony and numerous other awards and nominations for plays including THE HUMANS, CASA VALENTINA, MAN FROM NEBRASKA, UNCLE VANYA, BLASTED, and CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION. Most recently he starred opposite his son Ephraim Birney in CHESTER BAILEY at Irish Rep, and in the highly successful run of Donald Margulies's LUNAR ECLIPSE at Second Stage, following a sold out run at Shakespeare & Company. On television, he was recently seen recurring opposite Kim Kardashian in the most recent season of "American Horror Story". He was also recently seen in Peacock's "Poker Face", and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." Other TV credits include HBO's "Succession" and Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale", as well as the Apple TV+ series "Home Before Dark". He is also well known for his performance as Vice President Donald Blythe in the Netflix series "House of Cards". Next he will be seen in a series regular role on the upcoming season of "Silo" on Apple TV+, and also recently joined the cast of the limited series "Rabbit, Rabbit" for Netflix. In film, Reed received a Gotham Award nomination for his performance in the Bleecker Street feature MASS opposite Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton. The film's cast was also honored with the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Other recent film credits include THE MENU opposite Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, the Universal/Blumhouse thriller THE HUNT, and Netflix's THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION and LOST GIRLS. Reed recently shot an independent feature THE STEEL HARP with Lois Smith and Cherry Jones, as well as BLUE FILM which debuted at Edinburgh Film Festival in August.  We chat about almost quitting 3 times, regrets, 35 bad years & breakout roles 'later in life', embracing fear, being a LIFER, rejection & nasty things people say, spreading the ashes of one of his teachers, terrible plays, His Tony speech, good and bad agents, not working for a year + more! Check out BLUE FILM (tickets currently out) https://obscuredreleasing.com/films/blue-film ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 28min

  2. 1 Jun

    Andrea Savage - Proof of Concept

    Andrea Savage is an actor, writer, director, producer and podcaster. She is probably best known for creating the breakout television show, I'M SORRY on TruTV. The show premiered to high network ratings and critical acclaim, eventually becoming a Top 5 show on Netflix. Seasons 1 and 2 of I'M SORRY are currently streaming on Amazon and Hulu. You might also recognise her from her iconic roles in Veep as Laura Montez, Stacy Beale in Tulsa King, Denise/ The Therapist in Step Brothers, Helen Basch in Episodes and in Curb Your Enthusiasm to name a few. Andrea also hosted the popular podcast, Andrea Savage: A Grown-Up Woman #buttholes We chat about her famous poker nights, I'm Sorry + creating and running your own show & when it doesn't go ahead, Step Brothers, making many shows that don't go ahead, groundlings & being let go, being authentic, moving forward & what's next plus more! Check Andrea out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreasavage/ Podcast (apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andrea-savage-a-grown-up-woman-buttholes/id1480598793 Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/6DSEMaqG4O6Pqa5MmzODcA ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 26min

  3. 25 May

    Maxon - Potential in you

    Maxon is a Singer-Songwriter, and Co-Founder of independent Peninsula record label Sandhill Records. As an artist, Maxon spent her early teens years running in and out of studios, writing and recording original music with her then vocal coach and release artist Cheryl Beattie (Warner Music, 1999). A two-time recipient of the Mornington Peninsula Development Arts Grant, winner of the Green Wedge Songwriting Comp and City of Melbourne Grant Recipient, Maxon's ability to shatter yet heal hearts with her raw creations and powerful depth simultaneously makes any listener feel instantly seen, understood and coaxed into the light. An LGBTQIA+ creative powerhouse fluent in fusing Americana with 70s folk- rock and a modern sheen, Maxon's relationship with music spans beyond the studio and the stage. From devouring John Mayer's Room for Squares on CD on a family road trip through to rapidly developing her own love for singing and songwriting, Maxon has since gone on to share stages and lineups with the likes of Tones and I, Ella Hooper, Alex Lahey more, and has also appeared at major festivals including St Kilda Festival and Melbourne Fringe. Maxon's long-awaited debut album Talking With Strangers is now out as well as her song Little Blue! We chat about her love of music, sound healing, lessons from being a music teacher, learnings from being on TV, authenticity and being true to yourself, performance, red flags, her new album, opening up + plenty more!   Check Maxon out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmemaxon/ Website: https://www.itsmemaxon.com/ 'Talking with Strangers' Album: https://gyro.to/TalkingwithStrangers?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn2no0tPM8xMPs-jj3aDNBJB-CzPwQHbpRARbvraW43fVtaviqG7HJ8uVVIKY_aem_b7ziEdd_VnT75udmS7cbzA ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 8min

  4. 27 Apr

    Sashi Perera - Villain to Hero

    Sashi Perera is a Sri Lankan-Australian comedian, writer and former lawyer, based in Melbourne. After working with refugee organisations around the globe, she moved to Melbourne to do her masters and fell arse backwards into comedy. She's now one of Australia's fastest rising comedians. In 2023, she was nominated for Best Newcomer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Since then, she's sold out shows in six countries, opened for Hannah Gadsby and made a slew of television appearances including Channel 10's Have You Been Paying Attention? and ABC's Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee. Sashi's comedy shows have wowed audiences all over the world, and her debut novel 'Standstill' was released to widespread acclaim in 2025. Links are below! We chat about being a refugee lawyer, calling off her wedding, her wonderful book, going viral, fertility and mental health, learning to love your body, new material nights, being flown to perform at a wedding in Rome, rage and breaking the cycle, fake wedding speeches vs authentic speeches + plenty more! Check Sashi out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashbomb/ Website/ tickets: https://www.sashiperera.com/shows Book (Standstill): https://www.penguin.com.au/books/standstill-9781761350085 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sashicomedy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sashicomedy ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 20min

  5. 20 Apr

    Ariana and the Rose - New Path

    Ariana and the Rose is a singer, songwriter from New York. She is a synth-pop artist known for her '80s-inspired sound, theatrical flair and honest storytelling. Having previously opened for Cyndi Lauper, shared the stage with Lizzo, played keys with Coldplay on SNL, and with over 15 million music streams and 70 million views on her viral Piano Chat videos, she's cultivated a dedicated global following. Now, Ariana and The Rose is extremely excited to make her Australian debut. The Breakup Variety Hour, a blend of 80s-inspired pop music, cabaret and comedy for its Australian debut at the Sydney Comedy Festival. A bit about the show: The Breakup Variety Hour is a glitter-soaked, neon-lit journey through the six stages of heartbreak – and the live counterpart to her album of the same name. The show is about putting yourself back together after heartbreak and society's relationship to dating and the cultural discussion around being single. We chat about growing and evolving, intuition, her unique style, filling her first 600 seater show and how she did it, when things go wrong on stage, synth, learnings from breakups and making a show about it, going on vocal rest for 6 months + plenty more! Check Ariana out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianaandtherose/ Sydney Comedy Festival: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/161545 Edinburgh tickets: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/the-breakup-variety-hour Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HgPIUp6b7DVdhWK3tkl83?si=1wjjyTY1T1OfJgDK4FrR5w&nd=1&dlsi=c19773d5c9a746d1 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Arianaandtherose Merch: https://store.arianaandtherose.com/collections/products ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 5min

  6. 13 Apr

    Flynn Gurry - Have You Tried Busking?

    Flynn Gurry is an Australian singer-songwriter. His brand new single and music video Bones is now out plus he has an incredible new EP Gold. To commemorate the upcoming release of Gold, Flynn will also embark on a tour (currently on) set to stun with his unforgettable live show that has previously seen 4ZZZ praise him as "a charismatic performer who knows how to engage an audience". Raised against the coastal backdrop of Warrnambool, Victoria, Flynn Gurry has catapulted from busking on Melbourne streets through to performing with the likes of Ian Moss, King Stingray, Ash Grunwald and Kim Churchill as a solo artist, while also relentlessly enamouring with his sparkling acoustic guitarwork, magnetic pop sensibilities, honeyed vocals and folk-hued charm. Winning triple j Unearthed's One Night Stand competition in 2024, which saw him perform alongside G Flip, Ruel, What So Not and many more in his hometown Warrnambool, Flynn has since ticked off being a triple j Unearthed feature artist, supported The Dreggs and Pierce Brothers nationally. He has appeared onstage at the likes of Beyond The Valley Festival, Port Fairy Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and BIGSOUND, signed with Cult Artists for bookings and Woolstore Music, aka the management company helmed by indie folk icons Pierce Brothers, and inked a deal with ABC Records in 2025. A timeless artist and storyteller with a sharp sense of identity and modern allure, Flynn Gurry's music has continued to find him in demand both at home and on overseas stages. But in 2026, another spectacular chapter will take flight via the release of Gold, and, as Flynn concludes, these are songs geared to stay with you long after the stage lights have dimmed. We chat about busking and the national busking championships, his new EP + bones, his great imagination, intuition, playing music for his dad, collaboration plus plenty more! Check Flynn out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flynngurry/ Website/ TOUR DATES: https://flynngurry.com/ new EP GOLD: https://orcd.co/fg-gold Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pzf8SC9LZitjezOxsVrNG?si=con4S-JGTqG9hTdtXr09qQ&nd=1&dlsi=8f50b279b147416c Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flynngurry ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 28min

  7. 6 Apr

    #335: Sonya Walger - Star of your Life

    SONYA WALGER is an actor, author, writer and podcaster. She most recently starred in Apple's sci-fi series FOR ALL MANKIND as astronaut "Molly Cobb," and the horror/thriller film NEW LIFE. She also can be seen in Amazon's NIGHT SKY opposite Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, and Epix's GET SHORTY with Chris O'Dowd and Ray Romano. Sonya is perhaps best known for her role as "Penny" on ABC's hit series LOST as well as other series including FLASHFORWARD, THE CATCH, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, and MIND OF A MARRIED MAN. Sonya's novel LION was published in February 2025 by The New York Review Books. Her new novel, WIFEHOUSE, will be published by Union Square Books April 7th 2026. We chat about her love of books and full time writing, Lost, her new book Wifehouse, intuition, auditioning, being invited back to shows, waiting for the phone to ring and empowering yourself, friendships, the power of journaling + plus more! Check Sonya out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonyawalgerofficial/ Website: https://sonya-walger.com/ Wifehouse Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sonya-walger/wifehouse/9781454963301/ ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 29min

  8. 2 Apr

    Emmanuel Sonubi - Finding Another Way

    Emmanuel Sonubi is an award winning stand up comedian , TV personality, presenter, actor and writer. He is one of the UK's most in-demand comedians, whose rise through the UK comedy scene has been rapid and widely celebrated. Since making his debut in 2016, he has progressed from open mic nights to headlining major venues and hosting the iconic BBC stand-up showcase Live at the Apollo. You may have also seen him on QI, Celebrity Mastermind, The John Bishop Show, Comedy Central Live, Pointless Celebrities, Have I got News for you, Unforgiveable, The Stand Up Sketch Show + more. Known for his commanding stage presence and razor-sharp storytelling, Emmanuel has received significant industry recognition. His show was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2023, following a Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer nomination in 2022. He has also been nominated for Chortle Award for Best Club Comic and won Mervyn Stutter's Spirit of the Fringe Award for Best Show in 2025. Following a sold-out run at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, UK comedy powerhouse and two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Emmanuel Sonubi returns to Melbourne with his powerful show Life After Near Death. The show runs from 7th to 19th April playing at the Melbourne Town Hall,  In Life After Near Death, Emmanuel recounts surviving heart failure — and living to tell the tale. A deeply personal, refreshingly honest and outrageously funny take on life, facing the cause of trauma and finding unexpected comedy in the toughest moments. One of the UK's most in-demand comedians, Emmanuel Sonubi seamlessly blends earnest stories and big laughs, with an unstoppable energy and razor-sharp wit. Don't miss your chance to see this masterclass live in Melbourne!  We chat about being a bouncer and the reason why he left, nearly dying and health journey, never having a bad gig, unique start to comedy, speaking up and not arguing, quitting entertainment and why he came, writing joke journals for his kids, doing an hour set with 20 minutes material, not lying, envy plus plenty more! Check Emmanuel out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmanuelstandup/ Website/ shows: https://www.emmanuelstandup.com/ Melbourne Comedy Festival tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/emmanuel-sonubi/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmanuelstandup ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

    1hr 33min
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Kahan
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    345
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Funny In Failure

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