Aparna Nancherla is a comedian, writer, actress, and bestselling author whose distinctive voice has made her one of the most original comics working today. You've seen her stand-up on Netflix, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Conan, heard her in BoJack Horseman, and watched her in series like Corporate, The Great North, The Standups, and A Simple Favor. Her memoir, Unreliable Narrator, further cemented her reputation as one of comedy's most thoughtful and honest voices.

We sit down over a game of Jenga, but the conversation quickly becomes something much more interesting. We talk about why performing comedy became possible only after confronting depression and anxiety and what it's like to build a career while staying true to a personality that isn't exactly the loudest one in the room. I really appreciated how candid she is about mental health. Nothing feels performative. She's simply willing to talk about experiences that a lot of people quietly carry around every day.

Of course, we still make time for the important questions. We debate why people invent terrible excuses for skipping parties, the ethics of overpriced coffee, and whether meditation automatically makes you a better person.

Aparna has a quiet confidence that's easy to miss if you're only listening for jokes, but it's exactly what makes her such a compelling comedian. As simple as her advice sounds - "just keep going" - I have a feeling it's going to stick with a lot of people.

Order Aparna's book "Unreliable Narrator: My, Myself, and Imposter Syndrome"

Watch Aparna's special on Comedy Central's "The Half Hour"

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Kevin Nealon is a comedian, actor, and writer whose nine-year run on Saturday Night Live produced unforgettable characters like Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. He's also known for starring in Weeds, appearing in films like Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Grandma's Boy, and Daddy Day Care, and, more recently, for his wonderfully offbeat hiking interview series, Hiking with Kevin.

Kevin has one of those comedic brains that never seems to stop wandering, and that's exactly what makes this conversation so much fun. We bounce between stand-up, sketch comedy, life at SNL, and the strange little observations that seem to fuel his humor. I loved hearing him talk about the value of slowing down enough to notice things most people walk right past. It's a perspective that explains a lot about why his comedy has always felt so effortless.

Kevin seems incredibly in his own skin. After decades in comedy, there's no sense that he's trying to prove anything. He's curious, playful, and just as happy talking about everyday life as he is sharing stories from one of the most iconic comedy institutions in television history. That's probably why this conversation feels less like an interview and more like spending an afternoon with someone who's mastered the art of finding humor in just about everything.

Watch Kevin's full comedy special "Loose in the Crotch"

See Kevin on tour

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Chris D'Elia is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host whose career has included starring roles in NBC's Whitney, Undateable, Netflix's You, and The Good Doctor, along with multiple stand-up specials that have made him one of comedy's biggest touring acts. This conversation, though, catches Chris at a fascinating moment - right as Whitney is about to premiere and everything is beginning to take off.

I always enjoy looking back at conversations like this because you can hear someone who's excited, grateful, and still very much in "building mode." Chris talks about the years of auditioning before finally landing a network sitcom, why he never wanted success to change the way he approached comedy, and the importance of embracing what makes you different instead of trying to fit someone else's mold. There's a confidence there, but it hasn't crossed into certainty yet, which makes for a really fun snapshot in time.

We debate the artistic merits of hip-hop, laugh about his website making fun of rap lyrics, complain about people asking for rides to the airport, and rank movies versus television. It's one of those conversations that constantly bounces between thoughtful and absurd without ever announcing the transition.

Watch Chris' recent special "Grow or Die"

Catch Chris on tour

Listen to Chris' podcast "Congradulations"

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Aasif Mandvi is an actor, comedian, and writer best known for his years as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, along with memorable roles in Evil, The Internship, Spider-Man 2, Million Dollar Arm, and The Last Airbender. As both a performer and outspoken commentator, he's spent years using comedy to examine politics, identity, and the immigrant experience from a perspective that's entirely his own.

I knew this conversation would go deep pretty quickly, but I didn't expect us to dive in headfirst quite like we did. We spend a lot of time unpacking the 2016 election, media, representation in Hollywood, and the responsibility that comes with having a platform. Aasif doesn't offer rehearsed talking points. He thinks out loud, challenges assumptions - including some of my own - and isn't afraid to wrestle with ideas that don't have easy answers.

That said, this isn't a political debate disguised as a podcast. We also talk about growing up between cultures, the strange expectations placed on South Asian actors, and how comedy can sometimes reach people in ways that facts alone can't. Whether you've followed Aasif since his Daily Show days or know him from his work as an actor, I think you'll appreciate hearing him without a script, a teleprompter, or a character to play.

Read Aasif's book "No Land's Man"

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Deepica Mutyala is an entrepreneur, beauty creator, and founder of #LiveTinted, the beauty brand she launched after her viral color-correcting beauty hack introduced millions of people to her perspective on representation in the beauty industry. Before building her own company, she worked at Birchbox, became one of the earliest South Asian creators to break through on YouTube, and has since been recognized by outlets including Forbes and Fast Company for her work in beauty and entrepreneurship.

This conversation is all about taking a chance on yourself before anyone else is willing to do so. Deepica tells the story of quitting her job without telling her parents, the emotional moment her dad handed her what he called an "investment" instead of a handout, and how that vote of confidence changed everything.

Of course, we still have plenty of fun... We debate Taco Bell with the seriousness of a Supreme Court hearing, compare our favorite late-night work habits, swap stories about social media, and somehow wind up talking about Beyoncé, Rihanna, American history, and why "fake it till you make it" might not be such bad advice after all. But underneath all of that is a conversation about identity, ambition, and building something that didn't exist because you needed it to.

Deepica has an infectious optimism that never feels forced. She's ambitious without being performative, confident without pretending she has everything figured out, and refreshingly honest about what success actually looks like.

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Charles Fleischer is an actor, comedian, musician, inventor, and the unmistakable voice of Roger Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Beyond that iconic performance, he's appeared in films like Back to the Future Part II, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Polar Express, Zodiac, and dozens of television shows while cultivating a lifelong fascination with mathematics, science, music, and invention.

I don't think I've ever interviewed anyone quite like Charles. You can ask him about comedy and, two minutes later, you're talking about prime numbers, palindromes, the nature of time, and why the phrase "how do you know?" might be one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves. That's not me exaggerating. That's genuinely where this conversation goes.

I was really intrigued with how brilliant Charles is, but also how childlike his sense of wonder remains. He seems genuinely delighted by ideas, whether they're about language, physics, Beethoven, or a simple everyday expression whose origin nobody can quite prove.

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Nina Davuluri made history as the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America in 2014. Beyond the title, she's built a career as a speaker and advocate focused on cultural competency, diversity, and identity, using a platform that has taken her everywhere from college campuses across the country to the Oval Office.

I really enjoyed this conversation because Nina doesn't shy away from the complicated parts of her story. We talk about growing up as one of the only Indian kids in her school, the stereotypes she found herself answering over and over again, and how those experiences eventually became the foundation for the work she does today. She also shares what it actually felt like to become Miss America, the backlash that followed, and why she believes representation only matters if you're willing to use it for something meaningful.

We compare notes on meeting President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, laugh about our parents' reactions to career choices that definitely weren't part of the original plan, and somehow wind up discussing everything from Veep and Stranger Things to Burger King and Mario Kart.

Nina is so thoughtful about success. She isn't interested in being defined by a crown, and she's refreshingly honest about the pressure that comes with being "the first." This was a conversation about identity, purpose, and figuring out how to use whatever platform life gives you.

Book Individual Beauty Sessions with Nina!

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Matt Walsh is an actor, comedian, writer, director, and one of the founding members of the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade. You've seen him in Veep, Old School, The Hangover, Ted, Ghostbusters, and countless comedy projects over the past few decades.

Some guests show up ready to tell stories. Matt shows up ready to have one. We bounce from the absurd importance of punctuation (yes, we spend an embarrassing amount of time debating whether Dr Pepper deserves that period) to improvisation, psychology, and Chicago. Along the way, he shares what it was like helping build UCB from the ground up, working on The Hangover, developing HBO's Veep before anyone knew what it would become, and why he thinks being quick is more valuable than trying to be the loudest person in the room.

I also loved hearing about the years he spent working with troubled teenagers before comedy became his career. It's one of those details that suddenly makes everything else click. Matt has this calm, observant way of looking at people that probably explains why he's been such a great improviser for so long.

Watch Matt's recent film "The Unexpecteds"

Watch the Official Trailer for Matt's upcoming work "Vladimir"

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Utkarsh Ambudkar is an actor, rapper, singer, and improviser whose career has spanned everything from Pitch Perfect, Free Guy, and Ghosts to Broadway, freestyle rap, and the improv phenomenon Freestyle Love Supreme alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you've ever wondered what happens when someone is equally comfortable trading bars, stealing scenes, and debating The Simpsons, this one's for you.

Utkarsh has one of those brains that can jump from profound to ridiculous without warning, and somehow it all makes perfect sense. We bounce from the impossible task of pronouncing his last name to rap battles, GI Joes, and Connect Four (which he absolutely embarrasses me at).

Underneath all the jokes is a conversation I wasn't expecting. We spend a surprising amount of time talking about identity, representation, and what it means to build a career when there aren't many people who look like you, doing what you want to do. Utkarsh shares stories about working with Hank Azaria during the Apu controversy and the unforgettable advice Whoopi Goldberg gave him when he questioned one of his biggest career decisions.

By the end, we somehow land on creativity, success, childhood wonder, and why finishing what you start might be the most important advice an artist can hear.

Listen to Utkarsh's new album, "Too Beautiful"

Watch Utkarsh's Short Film "Spaceman: A Love Story"

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Godfrey is one of those comedians who's impossible to mistake for anyone else. Whether you've seen him on 30 Rock, Louie, Zoolander, Our Cartoon President, or heard him holding court on The Godfrey Complex, you've probably noticed the same thing I have - he's an unmistakable talent.

This conversation feels less like an interview and more like getting caught in the orbit of someone whose brain is firing in ten directions at once. We start by talking about comedy, but quickly end up covering everything from growing up as the son of Nigerian immigrants to why New York comedians are built differently, and why he believes conversation, not polished punchlines, is where great comedy actually comes from.

I loved hearing Godfrey talk about race and Hollywood with a level of honesty that's equal parts thoughtful and fearless. He's passionate about representation, allergic to phoniness, and has absolutely no interest in saying what people expect him to say. Somewhere in between all of that, we accidentally turn the episode into a love letter to New York comedy, spend way too much time helping promote Stand Up New York's new ownership, and somehow convince ourselves Jerry Seinfeld should stop by.

It's outspoken, opinionated, hilarious, and surprisingly philosophical. Which, now that I think about it, is probably the most accurate description of Godfrey himself.

See Godfrey, live, on tour.

Pick up some Godfrey merch.

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