In an age when many comedians talk about being cancelled, Vir Das was actually very nearly cancelled in a real way. When his YouTube monologue "Two Indias" went viral, a criminal complaint was filed against him in his home country of India. Vir talks to Mike about that experience and how he was able to turn the pain from the experience into the comedy in his recent Netflix special. They also discuss Vir’s journey from Bollywood star to international stand-up sensation, and why it’s important for a comedian to give the audience all they’ve got.

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Jessi Klein: This Is the Reason For Comedy (Recorded July 2022)

Jessi Klein is an Emmy-award winning comedian, writer, actor, and author, with a resume that includes Inside Amy Schumer, Saturday Night Live, Transparent, Kroll Show, and the voice of Jessi Glaser on Big Mouth. On top of all that, WIO listeners may remember her from Mike’s film Sleepwalk With Me where her character places a pizza pillow around Mike’s neck and then sprays him with tomato sauce. In this episode the two old friends punch up jokes and discuss why writing about being a parent can be a third rail subject. They also go deep on Jessi’s New York Times-bestselling book “I’ll Show Myself Out” and Jessi explains why the title of two of her book chapters are “In Defense of Drinking” and “Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die.”

Many people worry about getting hit by a bus. Last year, comedian Ryan Hamilton did get hit by a bus. Ryan talks to Mike about the shocking experience, his long recovery, and Ryan’s process of talking about the accident on stage. The Idaho native and BYU alum also talks about doing stand-up in Idaho and Utah, and how to be a "clean” comic without the audience even realizing it. In anticipation of Mike’s own trip to Salt Lake City, Mike also recalls a story of when people in Utah thought he was a “dirty” comedian, and the time he got caught lying in Boise.

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Sarah Sherman: From New Faces to SNL (Recorded August 2022)

Sarah Sherman a.k.a. Sarah Squirm is the first and only Working It Out guest to show up wearing a t-shirt of the band Cannibal Corpse. The breakout SNL star sits down with Mike and the two comics cover everything from Kaufman-seque performance art to Sarah’s Weekend Update segments where she mercilessly roasts Colin Jost. Plus, jokes and stories about infrared saunas, getting chased by tweakers in the desert, fish eating fish, and a one-time only duet of Fran Drescher impressions.

For Mike, filmmaker Marc Forster is a rare example of making a new friend as an adult. Mike and Marc met on the new film A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks, in which Mike plays the antagonist. Since then, they’ve become good friends. Now Marc sits down with Mike to discuss his journey from Germany to Switzerland to NYU film school. Marc explains how he built a filmography so varied that it includes the zombie apocalypse blockbuster World War Z as well as the Winnie the Pooh story Christopher Robin. Plus, Marc’s advice to aspiring filmmakers, why his family calls each other “shnufi," and why the buddy system is important in creative pursuits.

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Zarna Garg: Humor is a Strategy (Recorded June 2022)

Comedian Zarna Garg immigrated to the U.S. from India at age 16 and started performing stand-up comedy in her forties. As Zarna’s daughter Zoya explained in her New York Times-published college essay, it was not an easy path. Zarna sits down with Mike to discuss how humor has always been a strategy in her life, from escaping an impending arranged marriage to navigating life in a new country. Plus stories and jokes about upgrading her husband, trashing her mother-in-law on stage, and why Zarna approaches stand-up comedy like hosting a dinner party.

Mike and Chris Redd first met when they appeared in the movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Since then they’ve become friends in the world of stand-up comedy. Today they break down how to express ADHD, depression, and anxiety through comedy and how Chris arrived at the material for his new HBO special “Why Am I Like This?” Chris and Mike also discuss the relationship between hip-hop and comedy, the mechanics of crowd work, and why there’s a playlist for everything.

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Jimmy Fallon: Dip It in Ranch (Recorded August 2022)

Mike literally picks up Jimmy Fallon in his car and drives him to the studio for this joke-filled and joyful episode of Working It Out. The two friends share stories about everything from camping out with their daughters to impressions of Rodney Dangerfield to Jimmy’s early days of standup when he shaved his face on stage. Plus, Jimmy explains why he couldn’t stop laughing in the legendary Cowbell sketch on SNL with Will Ferrell and how watching comedy when he was injured in the hospital led him to a revelation about the healing power of laughter.

Mike welcomes to the podcast his longtime creative collaborator, the director and actor Seth Barrish. Seth directed all five of Mike’s solo shows but that’s just one part of his varied career. Seth discusses his early days as a pianist at The Comedy Store, working with actors like Anne Hathaway, and what it’s like being a “that guy!” actor himself, including two different roles on two different seasons of The Sopranos. Seth and Mike go deep on acting process, how to deal with rage-aholics, and Seth’s near-death experience in Africa.

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When Atsuko Okatsuka first appeared on Working It Out in 2021, she and Mike were both still developing their new shows. Now Mike’s The Old Man and the Pool is on Broadway and Atsuko’s The Intruder is an HBO comedy special. So Atsuko returns for a third chat with Mike to discuss the development of those shows. Plus jokes and stories about food conspiracies, making friends as an adult, and how to stop an awkward conversation.

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