The Last Laugh

By The Daily Beast

What's The Last Laugh 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.

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The Last Laugh episodes:

04.17.2024
Demetri Martin ‘Deconstructed’ | Plus, What’s Up With SNL?
Demetri Martin just put out his first new stand-up hour in six years. But when he sits down for this interview with The Last Laugh podcast, he’s about to tape the second of what will be a trilogy of specials...
04.10.2024
Alex Edelman on ‘Just for Us’ | Plus, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Series Finale!
Alex Edelman was having a hectic week before an unexpected earthquake briefly knocked out the internet in his New York apartment just before our podcast taping. “I feel crazy every day,” Edelman admits on the eve of his solo show,...
04.03.2024
W. Kamau Bell Returns! Plus, ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show’
It’s been six years since W. Kamau Bell’s last special ‘Private School Negro’ premiered on Netflix. And after hosting CNN’s ‘United Shades of America’ for seven seasons and directing two hit documentaries, he’s not totally sure that he should still...
03.27.2024
Tig Notaro Returns: ‘Hello Again’
It’s been more than a decade since Tig Notaro broke through in a big way by walking onto the stand-up stage in Los Angeles and telling her audience, “Hello, I have cancer.” And for better or worse, she has even...
03.20.2024
Kyle Kinane: From Comedy Central to ‘Dirt Nap’
It’s genuinely disorienting to see Kyle Kinane without the signature beard that has become his comedy brand over the past 15 years or so when his clean-shaved face pops up on Zoom. “God, I hate brands so much,” he says....
03.13.2024
Renée Elise Goldsberry: From ‘Hamilton’ to ‘Girls5eva’
Despite never really doing comedy before ‘Girls5eva,’ Renée Elise Goldsberry has managed to steal nearly every scene she’s been in over the two seasons of that show’s initial run on Peacock and third, which arrives with a splash on Netflix...
03.06.2024
Bassem Youssef: ‘Egypt’s Jon Stewart’ on Biden, Piers Morgan and More
Comedian Bassem Youssef has been widely known as “The Egyptian Jon Stewart” ever since he gave up being a heart surgeon and made himself into the premier political satirist of the Arab Spring. Now, more than a decade after that...
02.28.2024
Donnell Rawlings: From ‘Chappelle’s’ Show’ to Netflix
Before Donnell Rawlings was a professional comedian, he was an amateur heckler. He would go to comedy clubs and yell back at the stage, sometimes getting even bigger laughs than the guy with the mic. So even with his Dave...
02.23.2024
Rory Scovel Returns: ‘Religion, Sex and a Few Things in Between’
Comedian Rory Scovel has never really known what he was going to say when he walked onto the stand-up stage. But that all changed when he decided—20 years into his career—to finally do the “homework” of actually writing a complete...
02.21.2024
Jenny Slate: ‘Seasoned Professional’
Jenny Slate has never been a traditional stand-up comic. And after a lengthy hiatus that followed her 2019 Netflix special ‘Stage Fright’ and included both a global pandemic and the birth of her daughter, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get...
02.14.2024
Laurie Kilmartin: ‘Cis Woke Grief Slut’
Laurie Kilmartin knew that naming her new stand-up special ‘Cis Woke Grief Slut’ might be a little provocative. “I'm open to hate watches!” the comedian and longtime ‘Conan’ writer jokes in this episode. No stranger to controversy, Kilmartin also breaks...
02.07.2024
Moshe Kasher: ‘Subculture Vulture’
Before Moshe Kasher became a stand-up comedian, his life was defined by his intimate connections to Alcoholics Anonymous, the deaf community, rave culture, Burning Man and Judaism. Each of these distinct communities serve as chapters in his excellent new book, ...
01.31.2024
Jacqueline Novak: ‘Get on Your Knees’
Jacqueline Novak spent six long years developing her “90 minute meditation on the blow job.” Now that “Get on Your Knees” is streaming on Netflix—and garnering rave reviews—the comedian sits down with The Last Laugh podcast to talk about what...
01.24.2024
Zach Woods: ‘The Office,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘In the Know’
When Zach Woods was first cast as Gabe on Season 6 of ‘The Office,’ he found a comment online where someone described his face as a “combination of sadness and food poisoning.” And that was before he had even appeared...
01.17.2024
Paul F. Tompkins: The Best Comedy Podcast Guest
Paul F. Tompkins is widely considered to be among the best comedy podcast guests of all time. But as he tells me in this episode, he doesn’t let that pressure get to him, because he offers up humbly, “I don’t...
01.10.2024
Joe Pera: ‘Slow & Steady’
Is Joe Pera for real? That’s the inevitable question you start asking yourself after seeing him perform soft-spoken stand-up jokes, listening to his deliberately sleep-inducing podcast or watching his exquisitely serene Adult Swim series ‘Joe Pera Talks With You.’ In...
01.03.2024
Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood Jr. Return—Together!
The first time Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood Jr. worked together was for a 2015 ‘Daily Show’ field piece that asked the question, “Are all cops racist?” Now, they are kicking off 2024 by joining forces once again for a...
12.27.2023
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on SNL, ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Veep’ and More
If there’s anyone in Hollywood who might be immune to criticism, it’s 11-time Emmy-winner and Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But as the comedy legend admits in this episode, the rare negative comment about her work...
12.22.2023
‘Daily Show,’ Hasan Minhaj and Matt Rife With The New Abnormal
It’s time again for our annual, year-end crossover episode in which Matt Wilstein joins The New Abnormal host Andy Levy to talk about everything from how the Hasan Minhaj “emotional truth” debacle upended the search for a new ‘Daily Show’...
12.20.2023
Wanda Sykes: The Slap, Chappelle and Turning 60
It’s been more than three decades since Wanda Sykes first stepped onto the stand-up stage. And sometimes, it feels like she’s just now getting her due. The legendary comedian just received her first-ever Grammy nomination for her latest Netflix special...
12.15.2023
Judd Apatow Returns to Talk Rickles, Newhart and Norman Lear
Judd Apatow is known for making long movies, from comedies like ‘Funny People’ or ‘This Is 40’ that balloon past two hours to documentaries on his comedy heroes like the two-part, four-hour films about Garry Shandling and George Carlin. So...
12.13.2023
Leo Reich: ‘The Youngest Comedian Ever!’
Before Leo Reich takes the stage at the top of his new HBO special ‘Literally, Who Cares?!’ we hear him introduce himself as the “youngest comedian ever.” As he explains in this episode, “I try to really lean into a...
12.06.2023
‘American Fiction’s’ Cord Jefferson: From Gawker to the Oscars
10 years ago, Cord Jefferson was blogging for Gawker. Now, his directorial debut ‘American Fiction’ is almost guaranteed a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars and he’s a frontrunner for Best Adapted Screenplay. In this episode, Jefferson traces his path...
11.29.2023
Larry Charles: ‘Seinfeld,’ Larry David and ‘Dicks: The Musical’
Even if you don’t know Larry Charles’ name, his work is inescapable. He spent years as a writer on ‘Seinfeld’ before starting his career as a director on shows like ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and movies like Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Borat’...
11.22.2023
Mike Birbiglia Returns: Comedy, Truth and ‘The Old Man and the Pool’
When a special arrives on Netflix in its finished form, viewers don’t typically get to see all of the excruciating work that went into making it a polished piece. But for anyone who has been listening to Birbiglia’s Working It...
11.15.2023
Whitney Cummings Returns! — And Gets ‘Mouthy’
Whitney Cummings likes to think of herself as a comedy “martyr,” one of many modern comedians who are willing to “sacrifice themselves just to make sure the First Amendment is still intact.” She believes so strongly in her right to...
11.08.2023
Get Ready for All-New Episodes Coming Soon!
The Last Laugh podcast is back… and moving to Wednesdays! Make sure you’re following this feed so you can listen to all-new episodes of this podcast, with some very exciting new guests, starting next Wednesday, November 15th. Follow Matt Wilstein on...
10.31.2023
Henry Winkler (‘Barry’)
Henry Winker (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series) has repeatedly doubted himself throughout his long and storied career. From landing the coveted role of Arthur Fonzarelli on ‘Happy Days’ to winning his first Emmy Award...
10.17.2023
Sharon Horgan (‘Bad Sisters’)
Sharon Horgan (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress and Writing in a Drama Series) can’t seem to stop creating television shows. From ‘Pulling’ to ‘Catastrophe’ to ‘Divorce’ to ‘Motherland’ to ‘Shining Vale’ to her latest, the Apple TV+ comedy...
10.03.2023
Alan Ruck (‘Succession’)
For the first 30 years of his career, Alan Ruck (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) was sure he would always be remembered as Ferris Bueller’s sad best friend. Then ‘Succession’ came along and changed...
09.19.2023
Gary Gulman on Growing Up a ‘Misfit’ and ‘The Great Depresh’
It’s now been four years since Gary Gulman released his remarkable stand-up special ‘The Great Depresh.’ And despite a global pandemic that caused its own parallel mental health crisis, he says he’s really never felt better. The prolific comedian has...
09.05.2023
Maria Bamford on Stand-Up, Netflix and Mental Health
Maria Bamford has been performing stand-up comedy for more than 30 years and just keeps getting better. Her most recent hour-long special ‘Weakness Is the Brand’ found her at the top of her game, delivering operatic bits about her ongoing...
08.22.2023
Sam Richardson (‘Ted Lasso’)
The first two professional acting gigs that Sam Richardson (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for ‘Ted Lasso’) booked were on ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘The Office.’ And he has never stopped rising the ranks of...
08.08.2023
Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’)
Comedy icon Martin Short (2023 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for ‘Only Murders in the Building’) is well into his 70s. And while he’s still capable of the unbounded energy he first showed the world...
07.25.2023
Bill Hader (‘Barry’)
Bill Hader (2023 Emmy-nominated actor, writer and director for HBO’s ‘Barry’) is well known as the most generous “laugher” in comedy. But when he’s talking about his increasingly dark HBO series ‘Barry,’ those laughs come with a razor sharp edge....
07.18.2023
We’ll Be Right Back!
After 215 episodes, featuring interviews with some of the funniest people on the planet, The Last Laugh podcast is taking a little breather. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements about what the next iteration of this show will look like...
07.11.2023
Andrea Martin: 50 Years of Comedic Genius
Andrea Martin has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world since her professional debut as part of the Toronto cast of ‘Godspell’ in 1972 and a few years later as a cast member on Canada’s answer...
07.04.2023
Nick Offerman on ‘Parks and Rec,’ Hollywood and More
Nick Offerman, who is poised to land his first acting Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on HBO’s ‘The Last of Us,’ takes us inside his prolific Hollywood career. In this episode, the actor opens up about tearing up at...
06.27.2023
Nimesh Patel: ‘Lucky Lefty’
Comedian Nimesh Patel knew the second he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that he would be talking about it on stage very soon. And about a week later—after successful surgery to remove his right testicle—there he was at the Comedy...
06.20.2023
‘Jury Duty’ Director Jake Szymanski Tells All
Director Jake Szymanski came up at Funny or Die and ‘Saturday Night Live,’ but nothing he had ever done in the comedy world could have prepared him to pull off what was essentially a real-life version of ‘The Truman Show,’...
06.13.2023
Paula Poundstone: Stand-Up Legend
Paula Poundstone may have essentially invented “crowd work,” as the process of turning conversations with members of an audience into comedy is known today. But she still hates the term. “If I’m walking down the street and I say hi...
06.06.2023
Alan Ruck: ‘Succession’s’ Connor Roy Says Goodbye
For the first 30 years of his career, Alan Ruck was sure he would always be remembered as Ferris Bueller’s sad best friend. Then ‘Succession’ came along and changed everything. In this episode, Ruck shares his thoughts on the end...
06.02.2023
Preview: Alan Ruck on the ‘Succession’ Finale
In this preview of our upcoming episode with Alan Ruck, dropping next Tuesday, the actor who brought Connor Roy to life over the last four seasons of HBO’s ‘Succession’ shares his reaction to the series finale and what he thinks...
05.30.2023
Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar!
Comedian Amber Ruffin is systematically taking over the entertainment industry. And now she’s bringing her sister Lacey Lamar along for the ride. With two books, and now a new podcast from iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network, the...
05.23.2023
Jay Baruchel: ‘Knocked Up’ to ‘BlackBerry’
Jay Baruchel never intended to be a comedian. But there was a brief moment there in the mid-2000s when he made what he now describes as the “stupid” decision to try and become a movie star. In this episode, the...
05.16.2023
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: ‘Seinfeld, ‘Veep’ and ‘You Hurt My Feelings’
If there’s anyone in Hollywood who might be immune to criticism, it’s 11-time Emmy-winner and Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But as the comedy legend admits in this episode, the rare negative comment about her work...
05.09.2023
‘Late Night’s’ Sal Gentile on the Writers’ Strike
One week into the WGA strike, it’s time for a closer look at what’s at stake for the writers who entertain us on a daily basis. And there’s no one better to break it all down than ‘Late Night with...
05.05.2023
‘The Other Two’ Star Heléne Yorke
Despite playing the often monstrously narcissistic Brooke Dubek on the criminally underrated comedy series ‘The Other Two,’ Heléne Yorke finds herself able to relate to her character more than she would like to admit. In this bonus episode, Yorke previews...
05.02.2023
‘The Daily Show’s’ Lewis Black Returns!
After 27 years as a contributor on ‘The Daily Show,’ Lewis Black is finally getting the chance to host. While the comedian candidly admits that it took Comedy Central long enough to give him a call, he is set to...
04.25.2023
Jeff Hiller: ‘Somebody Somewhere’
There was a time when Jeff Hiller would have killed to play the stereotypical “gay best friend” on TV. Now, after years of fleeting guest spots from “gay hooker” to “bitchy” flight attendant, he’s showing the world what he’s capable...

What's The Last Laugh about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Last Laugh episodes:

Demetri Martin ‘Deconstructed’ | Plus, What’s Up With SNL?

Alex Edelman on ‘Just for Us’ | Plus, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Series Finale!

W. Kamau Bell Returns! Plus, ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show’

Tig Notaro Returns: ‘Hello Again’

Kyle Kinane: From Comedy Central to ‘Dirt Nap’

Renée Elise Goldsberry: From ‘Hamilton’ to ‘Girls5eva’

Bassem Youssef: ‘Egypt’s Jon Stewart’ on Biden, Piers Morgan and More

Donnell Rawlings: From ‘Chappelle’s’ Show’ to Netflix

Rory Scovel Returns: ‘Religion, Sex and a Few Things in Between’

Jenny Slate: ‘Seasoned Professional’

Laurie Kilmartin: ‘Cis Woke Grief Slut’

Moshe Kasher: ‘Subculture Vulture’

Jacqueline Novak: ‘Get on Your Knees’

Zach Woods: ‘The Office,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘In the Know’

Paul F. Tompkins: The Best Comedy Podcast Guest

Joe Pera: ‘Slow & Steady’

Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood Jr. Return—Together!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on SNL, ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Veep’ and More

‘Daily Show,’ Hasan Minhaj and Matt Rife With The New Abnormal

Wanda Sykes: The Slap, Chappelle and Turning 60

Judd Apatow Returns to Talk Rickles, Newhart and Norman Lear

Leo Reich: ‘The Youngest Comedian Ever!’

‘American Fiction’s’ Cord Jefferson: From Gawker to the Oscars

Larry Charles: ‘Seinfeld,’ Larry David and ‘Dicks: The Musical’

Mike Birbiglia Returns: Comedy, Truth and ‘The Old Man and the Pool’

Whitney Cummings Returns! — And Gets ‘Mouthy’

Get Ready for All-New Episodes Coming Soon!

Henry Winkler (‘Barry’)

Sharon Horgan (‘Bad Sisters’)

Alan Ruck (‘Succession’)

Gary Gulman on Growing Up a ‘Misfit’ and ‘The Great Depresh’

Maria Bamford on Stand-Up, Netflix and Mental Health

Sam Richardson (‘Ted Lasso’)

Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’)

Bill Hader (‘Barry’)

We’ll Be Right Back!

Andrea Martin: 50 Years of Comedic Genius

Nick Offerman on ‘Parks and Rec,’ Hollywood and More

Nimesh Patel: ‘Lucky Lefty’

‘Jury Duty’ Director Jake Szymanski Tells All

Paula Poundstone: Stand-Up Legend

Alan Ruck: ‘Succession’s’ Connor Roy Says Goodbye

Preview: Alan Ruck on the ‘Succession’ Finale

Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar!

Jay Baruchel: ‘Knocked Up’ to ‘BlackBerry’

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: ‘Seinfeld, ‘Veep’ and ‘You Hurt My Feelings’

‘Late Night’s’ Sal Gentile on the Writers’ Strike

‘The Other Two’ Star Heléne Yorke

‘The Daily Show’s’ Lewis Black Returns!

Jeff Hiller: ‘Somebody Somewhere’