The Last Laugh

The Daily Beast
The Last Laugh

Welcome to ‘The Last Laugh’: Real conversations with really funny people. Every Wednesday, The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein interviews some of the biggest names in comedy—as well as the new voices crashing the party—about what it’s like to make people laugh during this current cultural and political moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 21 HR. AGO · BONUS

    Joe Rogan, Stephen Colbert, SNL, and More With The New Abnormal

    Once again, the time has come for our annual, year-end crossover episode in which Matt Wilstein joins The New Abnormal host Andy Levy to talk about the year in political comedy from the comedy podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Andrew Schulz who helped win Trump the 2024 election, to Kamala Harris’ decidedly safer appearances on Call Her Daddy and SNL, to the unfortunate decline of “resistance” late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert heading into Trump’s second term. Plus, the one comedian who could serve as the perfect “anti-Joe Rogan.”  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein  Follow 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.

    32 min
  2. Ronny Chieng Returns: ‘Daily Show’ and New Netflix Special ‘Love to Hate It’

    4 DAYS AGO

    Ronny Chieng Returns: ‘Daily Show’ and New Netflix Special ‘Love to Hate It’

    When Trevor Noah stepped down as host of ‘The Daily Show’ a couple of years ago, it didn’t even occur to Ronny Chieng that he could be capable of taking over that seat. But now that he’s been sitting in as guest-host as part of a rotating group of correspondents he finally feels like he deserves to be there. “I think I get how to do it,” he says. “And I’ve done it like 20 times now, so it’s definitely possible for me to do it.” In his return to the podcast, Chieng discusses the process of putting together his third stand-up special for Netflix, ‘Love to Hate It,’ which includes material about possibly becoming a father, how the internet is destroying male brains, and making “MAGA friends” in Hawaii. He also talks about grabbing the “fearless mantle” from heroes like Jon Stewart, being the first late-night host to joke about the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, and how he thinks ‘The Daily Show’ will evolve when Donald Trump takes back the White House in 2025.  Follow Ronny Chieng on Instagram @ronnychieng  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein  Follow 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.

    46 min
  3. Joe Mande: ‘Hacks,’ ‘Parks and Rec’ and New Hulu Special ‘Chill’

    DEC 11

    Joe Mande: ‘Hacks,’ ‘Parks and Rec’ and New Hulu Special ‘Chill’

    Over the course of his nearly 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Joe Mande has developed an uncanny ability to accurately forecast the utter stupidity of American culture. That unique skill led his friend John Mulaney to suggest that he’s more prepared for a second Donald Trump presidency than anyone else they know. In this episode, Mande discusses his latest stand-up special ‘Chill,’ which premieres on Hulu this Friday, December 13 and was recorded before the 2024 election but includes some eerie predictions about how the country might change over the next four years. He also talks about his time in the trenches of the writers rooms for ‘Parks and Rec,’ ‘The Good Place,’ and ‘Hacks,’ on which he appears as Ray the Las Vegas hotel clerk who at least some fans want to see end up with Hannah Einbinder’s Ava. Mande isn’t ready to predict that outcome quite yet, but he definitely wants it to happen. “Hannah and I have talked about this at length and it just does feel like the natural conclusion to both of our stories,” he says. “We call it hashtag #Rayva, and we need to get this going.”  Follow Joe Mande on Instagram @joemande  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein  Follow 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.

    51 min
  4. Jim Gaffigan on Donald Trump’s Unorthodox Comedic Style

    DEC 5 · BONUS

    Jim Gaffigan on Donald Trump’s Unorthodox Comedic Style

    The Last Laugh listeners, please enjoy this excerpt from the latest episode of The Daily Beast's new podcast! Comedian Jim Gaffigan reflects on the surreal experience of performing at the Al Smith Dinner, describing Donald Trump’s unorthodox comedic style as “performing on his heels” and surprisingly “killing the entire time.” Gaffigan also jokes about parenting his five kids: “Every Monday morning is kind of a surprise for them. Like, ’What? There’s school?’” Subscribe now to The Daily Beast Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
  5. Ilana Glazer: ‘Broad City,’ ‘Babes,’ and ‘Human Magic’

    DEC 4

    Ilana Glazer: ‘Broad City,’ ‘Babes,’ and ‘Human Magic’

    Ilana Glazer knows that she will forever be known as the “freewheeling stoner” Ilana Wexler from her beloved Comedy Central series ‘Broad City.’ But over the past few years she has fully embraced the role of mother—in her life, in her indie film ‘Babes’ and now on the stand-up stage in her upcoming Hulu special ‘Human Magic.’ In this episode, Glazer opens up about channeling the joy and anxiety of parenthood into comedy and the pressure not to disappoint the ‘Broad City’ superfans who want her to be her iconic character in real life. She also shares details about the episode of that show that she and Abbi Jacobson planned to shoot in Israel and why she’s “very glad” that decided not to go through with it at the last minute. And Glazer discusses the decision to walk away from ‘Broad City,’ her thoughts on a possible reboot down the line, and why, after so much time spent trying to mobilize young voters, she ultimately wasn’t “surprised” by the 2024 election results.  Follow Ilana Glazer on Instagram @ilana  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein  Follow 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.

    43 min
  6. Anthony Jeselnik on Trump, SNL, and Why He’s ‘Uncancelable’

    NOV 26

    Anthony Jeselnik on Trump, SNL, and Why He’s ‘Uncancelable’

    Self-described comedy “villain” Anthony Jeselnik has made a career out of telling expertly crafted, extremely dark one-liners, from his breakthrough set at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in 2011 to his newest Netflix special ‘Bones and All,’ which marks his 20th year in comedy. In this episode, he talks about crafting his Comedy Central interview show ‘Good Talk,’ how he thinks his comic persona will continue to evolve as he ages, how getting fan mail from a white supremacist made him rethink one of his darkest jokes, what “surprises” him about Louis C.K.’s attempt at a comeback, his failed audition to anchor SNL’s “Weekend Update,” how Lorne Michaels “helped Trump get elected,” why he considers himself “uncancelable,” and a lot more. This episode was originally published on September 3, 2019. Follow Anthony Jeselnik on Instagram @anthonyjeselnik and TikTok @anthonyjeselnik Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein and Threads @mattwilstein Follow 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.

    1h 1m
  7. ‘Parks and Rec’ Star Jim O’Heir: ‘Welcome to Pawnee’

    NOV 20

    ‘Parks and Rec’ Star Jim O’Heir: ‘Welcome to Pawnee’

    Jim O’Heir has almost 200 acting credits to his name, appearing on dozens of iconic TV shows like ‘ER,’ ‘Friends,’ and ‘Better Call Saul.’ But as he reveals in this episode, he almost turned down the role of Jerry Gergich on ‘Parks and Recreation’ because his agents worried it was too small. O’Heir writes about his fateful decision to take a chance on what could have remained a “background” part in his new book ‘Welcome to Pawnee,’ which is part memoir, part oral history and all around love letter to the show that changed his life. The veteran character actor shares stories about auditioning for Ron Swanson, finding out he and Retta had been elevated to series regulars just of Paul Schneider (Mark Brendanawicz) had been let go, learning that Christie Brinkley had been cast as his wife, and why he believes the show is still comforting people in dark times nearly a decade after it went off the air. Plus, O’Heir delivers perhaps the all-time greatest answer to our final question: What’s a memory from your career that you laugh about now but really was not funny when it happened? Buy Jim O’Heir’s Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation Follow Jim O’Heir on Instagram @therealjimoheir  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein and Threads @mattwilstein Follow 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.

    57 min
  8. Timothy Simons: From ‘Veep’ to ‘Nobody Wants This’

    NOV 13

    Timothy Simons: From ‘Veep’ to ‘Nobody Wants This’

    For better or worse, Timothy Simons will probably always be best known for the first TV role he ever booked: the cravenly odious political climber Jonah Ryan on HBO’s ‘Veep.’ He could have been typecast as a lanky creep forever, but in the years since that show ended, Simons has managed to have a surprisingly varied acting career, most notably with his role as rom-com sidekick Sasha in this fall’s Netflix hit ‘Nobody Wants This.’ In this episode, Simons talks about finding the nuance in what could have been a one-note character and reacts to the controversy around the show’s depiction of its Jewish female characters. He also looks back on what it what like to begin his career opposite a comedy legend like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and reveals the disturbing similarities between Jonah Ryan and America’s next vice president, JD Vance.  Follow Timothy Simons on Instagram @timothycsimons  Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow 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.

    49 min
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About

Welcome to ‘The Last Laugh’: Real conversations with really funny people. Every Wednesday, The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein interviews some of the biggest names in comedy—as well as the new voices crashing the party—about what it’s like to make people laugh during this current cultural and political moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Daily Beast
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    348
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 185496
  • Show Website
    The Last Laugh

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