In this web exclusive from CBS Sunday Morning, stand-up comedian John Mulaney talks with correspondent Tracy Smith about his earliest experience learning about jokes; developing his on-stage persona (and why it involves a suit); why he’s happiest writing for other people; and how he approaches his sobriety after having gone through rehab and becoming a father of two children.
John Mulaney: John Mulaney is a two-time Emmy and WGA award-winning writer, actor, and comedian. Mulaney can be seen in his latest Netflix stand up special, BABY J. Released in April 2023, Mulaney converts his personal turmoil into comedic brilliance, which earned him 2023 Emmy nominations in Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) and Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special. On tour, he has sold out massive venues around North America from Madison Square Garden multiple times to the Hollywood Bowl.
In 2018, John Mulaney traveled the United States with sold out Kid Gorgeous tour, which was later released as a Netflix stand-up special and won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Special; In 2015, he released The Comeback Kid, also a Netflix original, which The AV Club called the “best hour of his career;” In 2012, his Comedy Central special New In Town had Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly hailing him as “one of the best stand-up comics alive.”
John Mulaney has been invited to host Saturday Night Live five times. He began writing for SNL in 2008 and created memorable characters such as ‘Stefon’ with Bill Hader and appeared as a “Weekend Update” correspondent. He has written for IFC’s Documentary Now! and Netflix’s Big Mouth, on which he voices the character of Andrew. In December 2019, the critically acclaimed and Emmy nominated musical variety special John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch debuted on Netflix.
He’s also starred on Broadway in the runaway hit written and performed alongside Nick Kroll in Oh, Hello On Broadway. The duo have since released a Netflix special of the same name, as well as Oh, Hello: The P’dcast, based off their characters Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland.
