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PODCAST

The Last Laugh

The Daily Beast

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.

society & culture comedy interviews

All Episodes

55:22

Kerri Kenney-Silver: ‘The Four Seasons,’ ‘Reno 911’...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/05/07

Kerri Kenney-Silver never thought she’d get a part like Anne on ‘The Four Seasons.’ After more than two decades playing the disturbingly odd Deputy Trudy Wiegel on ‘Reno 911!,’ the 55-year-old actress believed Hollywood saw her as little more than outrageous comic relief. But then Tina Fey gave her the gift of a lifetime by casting her opposite Steve Carell on Netflix’s latest hit series. In this episode, Kenney-Silver talks about finding the nuance in what could have been a stereotypical caricature

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58:28

‘Conan’ Writer Mike Sweeney: Mark Twain Prize,...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/04/30

Mike Sweeney started writing for Conan O’Brien 30 years ago and has been right there by his side ever since. His work has fueled not only the host’s two big late-night shows—with a tumultuous stint on the ‘Tonight Show’ in between—but also his recent gig hosting the Oscars and his newest project, the travel show ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go,’ which arrives Thursday, May 8 on Max. In this episode, Sweeney discusses this particularly momentous time in O’Brien’s career, including how Donald Trump’s takeover

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48:49

Brett Goldstein: ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘Shrinking’ and HBO...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/04/23

Brett Goldstein got so famous for his Emmy-winning role as Roy Kent on ‘Ted Lasso’ that most people have no idea he has been a professional stand-up comedian for nearly 20 years. Now, that is all about to change when he debuts his first-ever stand-up special, ‘The Second Best Night of Your Life,’ on HBO this Saturday night, April 26. In this episode, Goldstein talks about why he resisted putting his live show on tape for so long, how fans of his TV work are often surprised by the real him, and how

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57:09

Robby Hoffman: ‘Hacks,’ ‘Dying for Sex’ and Gabby Windey

The Last Laugh ·

2025/04/16

Comedian Robby Hoffman is having a moment. This month alone, she appears in prominent, memorable roles on two critically acclaimed TV shows—‘Hacks’ and ‘Dying for Sex.’ And, as Hoffman reveals in this episode, she is on the verge of some very big announcements regarding the future of a comedy pilot about her life and a high profile stand-up special. Of course, all of this comes after what has become her biggest claim to fame as one half of a queer power couple with reality TV star Gabby Windey, who

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57:20

‘Daily Show’s’ Michael Kosta: Mocking Trump and...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/04/09

‘The Daily Show’ has undergone a lot of turmoil in the two and half years since Trevor Noah shocked even his closest colleagues by giving up the host chair. And even Michael Kosta can’t quite believe that he has emerged as one of four rotating hosts—along with Jon Stewart on Monday nights. In his return to the podcast, Kosta talks about his experience taking the reins of the long-running political late-night show every few weeks and how he’s striving to make it more than just a mouthpiece for the

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46:54

Riki Lindhome: Going Solo After Garfunkel and Oates

The Last Laugh ·

2025/04/02

Riki Lindhome spent her 20s and 30s as one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Now that she is solidly in her 40s the comedian is finally going solo with a debut album ‘No Worries if Not,’ which tackles the unique challenges of being a “middle aged” woman, as she put it. In this episode, Lindhome breaks down the process of turning real-life struggles into comedy songs and shares what it has been like to perform music for the first time without her longtime bandmate Kate Micucci. She

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17:53

Amber Ruffin on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The Last Laugh ·

2025/03/30

The Last Laugh listeners, please enjoy this excerpt from the latest episode of The Daily Beast Podcast! Comedian Amber Ruffin joined hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee to talk about how she planned to pregame for comedy’s toughest gig and least receptive audience, and the challenge of roasting both sides in D.C. Shortly after this interview dropped, the White House Correspondents’ Association fired Ruffin as host of its annual dinner—and now won’t be having a comedian performer at all.Subscribe now

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55:49

Sam Seder: The Progressive Who Took on 20 Trump...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/03/26

‘The Majority Report’ host Sam Seder has been a political commentator for more than two decades. But nothing he has done in his long career has brought him quite as much attention as a new video in which he was forced to debate 20 hardcore Donald Trump supporters one by one as part of Jubilee Media’s increasingly popular “Surrounded” series. In this episode, Seder breaks down the surreal experience of systematically schooling the shockingly young and diverse MAGA adherents on everything from Social

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1:14:08

Andrew Schulz: Interviewing Trump, Roasting Tom...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/03/19

Andrew Schulz knows that hosting Donald Trump on his Flagrant podcast would make everyone think he’s a “right-wing MAGA lunatic.” But, as he makes clear in this episode, his politics are more complicated than what meets the eye. Schulz, who just put out a surprisingly vulnerable Netflix stand-up special called ‘Life’ about his experience with fertility and fatherhood, opens up in this conversation about the backlash he has received for being part of the Joe Rogan-led podcast manosphere, how he

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52:57

Edi Patterson: ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Breakout Star

The Last Laugh ·

2025/03/12

There’s a stunning transformation that happens to Edi Patterson when she puts on the aggressively curly haired wig for her character on ‘The Righteous Gemstones.’ “Something different happens to the makeup of my atoms, once I get Judy’s hair on,” Patterson says in this week’s episode. “Because I do really feel like she’s a living person who’s inside of me, and I just get to unleash her and turn it up.” Without the wig, the Groundlings alum is nearly unrecognizable—and her real-life persona is far

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47:51

George Wallace: Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld and...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/03/05

Comedian George Wallace has finally become the lead of his own sitcom at 72. And all it took was convincing Norman Lear to reimagine ‘Sanford and Son’ with Laverne Cox as his character’s trans daughter in the TV legend’s final project. In this episode, Wallace talks about everything that went into making his new series ‘Clean Slate’ happen—and what he hopes it teaches the most ignorant members of MAGA nation. The stand-up comedian also looks back at his more than 50 year career in show business,

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50:11

Oscars Legend Bruce Vilanch Tells All!

The Last Laugh ·

2025/02/26

Bruce Vilanch has written monologues for Oscars hosts like Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, David Letterman, and more. And in this episode, he not only shares some of his favorite jokes, but also reveals which of the many hosts he worked with over more than two decades gave him the most trouble. As the 97th annual Academy Awards approach this weekend, Vilanch walks through the highs and lows of his illustrious Oscars career, from nearly blowing it his first time out

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53:51

‘SNL’ Writer Rosebud Baker: ‘The Mother Lode’

The Last Laugh ·

2025/02/19

Comedian Rosebud Baker has gone through intense tragedy, grief and addiction in her life. But for her, nothing has been more viscerally “traumatic” than the experience of becoming a mother.Baker—who grew up traditionally conservative as the granddaughter of George H.W. Bush’s secretary of state James Baker—finds a way to turn that trauma into super dark comedy in her new Netflix special ‘The Mother Lode,’ half of which she recorded while pregnant and the other half after giving birth. In this

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56:42

Kevin Nealon on ‘SNL,’ Lorne Michaels, Dana Carvey...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/02/12

30 years ago, Kevin Nealon was anchoring “Weekend Update” on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Now he's walking the woods with his famous comedian friends on the YouTube series Hiking with Kevin. In this episode, Nealon talks about how that show got started and looks back at his ‘SNL’ days, including how he got hired, when he knew it was time to leave and shares some hilarious stories about Lorne Michaels, Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Al Franken, and more. And ahead of the big ‘SNL50’ special this coming

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53:15

Carol Leifer: Oscars, ‘SNL,’ ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Curb,’...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/02/05

Carol Leifer has been a working stand-up comedian and writer for nearly 50 years. And she shows no signs of slowing down. After winning her first-ever Emmy Award in 2024 for her work on ‘Hacks,’ Leifer, 68, is currently toiling away in the writers’ room for her 11th Academy Awards ceremony, this one airing live with host Conan O’Brien on March 2. And she is about to release a new book that attempts to teach people ‘How to Write a Funny Speech’ for the big events in their own lives. In this episode,

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48:50

Rose Matafeo: ‘Starstruck’ and ‘On and On and On’

The Last Laugh ·

2025/01/29

Rose Matafeo was almost finished making the final season of her exceptional rom-com series ‘Starstruck’ when she started to seriously question the show’s essential premise. The experience of going through a breakup while trying to find a satisfying ending for the love story at the center of her show has now inspired her latest stand-up special, ‘On and On and On,’ streaming now on Max. In this episode, Matafeo discusses what it was like to move away from the genre that has defined much of her career

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50:52

James Adomian: Impersonating Elon, Bernie, Mike...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/01/22

There are few comedians more ready to take on the insane cast of characters that will surround Donald Trump in his second term than James Adomian. The 44-year-old comedian has made a name for himself over the past two decades for his spot-on impressions of political characters like Elon Musk, Jesse Ventura, and the MyPillow guy Mike Lindell. In this episode, Adomian talks about channeling some of his many voices into his first-ever hour-long stand-up special ‘Path of Most Resistance’ on YouTube

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49:49

Roy Wood Jr. Returns: ‘Daily Show,’ CNN, and ‘Lonely...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/01/15

It’s been more than a year since Roy Wood Jr. left ‘The Daily Show’ and he’s not looking back. This week, the comedian is dropping what is arguably his best stand-up special yet on Hulu and next month will see the second season premiere of his CNN comedy quiz show ‘Have I Got News for You.’ In his return to the podcast, Wood discusses why he wanted to make his yearning for connection the central theme of his new hour, ‘Lonely Flowers.’ He also opens up about his decision to leave ‘The Daily Show’

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46:44

Stephanie Hsu: ‘Laid,’ ‘Everything Everywhere All at...

The Last Laugh ·

2025/01/08

Stephanie Hsu broke through—and landed her first Oscar nomination—three years ago in Best Picture winner ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ That film had some oddball laughs for sure, but if you had only seen her in the dual roles of the diminutive Joy Wang and villainous Jobu Tupaki, you would have no idea she was capable of playing a classic rom-com lead like she does in the new Peacock series ‘Laid.’ In this episode, Hsu talks about how a background in comedy helped prepare her to portray a

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55:44

Jim Gaffigan Returns: SNL, Trump, ‘The Skinny’ and More

The Last Laugh ·

2025/01/01

Jim Gaffigan is heading into 2025 an even bigger comedy star than he was before—thanks to a guest-starring gig on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, a headlining spot alongside Donald Trump at the Al Smith dinner, his latest stand-up special ‘The Skinny’ (which delves into the secret behind his massive weight loss) and a big national tour with Jerry Seinfeld. In his return to the podcast after more than five years, Gaffigan goes deep on the state of his career and how his

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