Sicker in the head More conversations about life and comedy

Director, producer, and funnyman Apatow (Sick in the Head) returns to talk shop with comedians and entertainers in his latest collection of scintillating interviews. As he sits with 31 celebrities--among them political-comedy pioneer Mort Sahl, political-comedy mainstay Samantha Bee, late-night patron saint David Letterman, and provocateur Sacha Baron Cohen--timeless themes emerge. There's childhood obsessions (young Mindy Kaling wrote out TV comedy sketches to dissect their machinery); clueless plunges into improv classes and stand-up open mics nights; breakthroughs to SNL and HBO; sit-com or Hollywood glory; and frank conversations about the grind of hosting a nightly talk show. Meanwhile, much musing on the recent politicization of comedy gives rise to a shared wistfulness for simpler times--as Jimmy Kimmel laments, "I long for the days when the big issue that I would rant about night after night was how long the receipts are at CVS." And while the yuks abound, there's some serious existential digging, too ("Success is actually pretty meaningless in the end," observes Margaret Cho. "It affects you inside, it's weird"). Apatow's empathetic questioning and his interlocutors' keen wit make for a fascinating chorus of showbiz lore. (Mar.)

Apatow continues his long-running media project with more interviews with comedy's brightest talents past to present. In this follow-up to Sick in the Head, the humorist presents interviews with another wide-ranging set of performers who have made laughter their life's work. Initially, Apatow took a leisurely approach to these new interviews, but once the pandemic hit, he found his subjects easier to access since "it's hard to say no to an interview when it is clear you are available." Apatow admits that because of the vulnerable, raw space the pandemic created, the conversations became more personal and honest. This impression conveys across a variety of interviews in which the humor is plentiful and supplemented with intimate anecdotes that provide rare glimpses into the comedians' lives and work. Readers will learn countless intriguing details about each individual, including Bowen Yang, who reflects on his experience as an openly gay Chinese American comic writing and performing on Saturday Night Live; and David Letterman and Gary Gulman, who chat about their depression and how discussing the condition became natural for comedians. Among the many hilarious career reflections are entertaining stories from Kevin Hart, Margaret Cho, Sacha Baron Cohen, Will Ferrell, and Whoopi Goldberg. Posthumous nods can be found in a conversation with John Candy, recorded in 1984, in which he applauds the coveted "killer instinct" of stand-up comics. As in his first volume, Apatow interviews a variety of stars--not just on the comedy circuit, but in other areas of the arts and media. For example, TV personality Gayle King, while not particularly known for her sense of humor, contributes keen insight on her life and the world today. Most of the pieces are enlivened by Apatow's solidarity with his subjects. Other interviewees include John Cleese, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mindy Kaling, Samantha Bee, and Tig Notaro. More hilarity and heart courtesy of a distinguished collection of seasoned performers. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Introduction I started this book before the pandemic. I did a few interviews--Mort Sahl, Whitney Cummings, Nathan Fielder, Gary Gulman--but I wasn't exactly putting a ton of time into it. Then the pandemic hit and I realized that most of the people I wanted to speak with were stuck at home with nothing to do, too. It's hard to say no to an interview when it is clear you are available. We all were available--for everything. So, I began making calls and lining up conversations. And as we talked, a weird thing happened: Many of these conversations became way more personal and honest than they otherwise might have been, because we were in this vulnerable, raw space together. It's hard to hold back in an interview when you have been pondering your life (and death) for the past few months--when not over-eating, drinking, or watching streaming programming you don't even like. Finishing this project was challenging. There were so many people I wanted to speak to, and I knew that as soon as the world calmed down it would become much harder to get access to them. As things opened up again, I was forced to give up my quest for Pete Townshend and Meghan Markle. Maybe for the next book. (Or the next pandemic?) It's hard to write the intro to this book because I still feel so in between. I am not who I was before the pandemic began and yet I am not sure who I am now. I am, frankly, existentially confused. What meaning does my life have? What is the point of all of the work I have done? Why am I so disinterested and interested at the same time? How come I have become so close to my cats? Why do I keep getting more cats? Maybe the conversations in this book will shed some light on these questions. Other than my love for my family, the one consistent observation I have had, during all of this madness, is that I needed to laugh. I needed the insights of comic minds. I also was told by a lot of people that my work had given them brief, happy breaks from all we are experiencing, which was nice. I spent months getting those same breaks with Ted Lasso , Schitt's Creek , Jackass , and anything by Maria Bamford. I have always seen comedy as a lifeline--which is why I've been interviewing comedians about why they do what they do since I was fifteen years old. Without comedy, I don't know how I would survive. When the pandemic was at full force, I grabbed my family and made a really silly movie. I didn't know what else to do. Is that healthy? Is it denial? Is it medicine? Is it sick? I am not sure. But now I know that when the world seems to be collapsing my reaction is to make a movie about a group of people having a meltdown during a pandemic as they attempt to make a movie about flying dinosaurs. The process of making that film with my family got me through. It gave me purpose: to be ridiculous. Isn't it all ridiculous? It also got me out of the house and into a community of people with the same goal--to make people smile. When the shit hits the fan that is all I have to offer. I may not know how to turn the gas off when the building is on fire, but I might be able to make you piss your pants. That's got to be worth something? I am still struggling. I don't feel right. But maybe if things get back to normal, and maybe after I do another book and make a few more ridiculous movies, I will feel right again. And the world will have some more weird stuff to read and some more stupid shit to watch with the shades closed as the world teeters outside. Excerpted from Sicker in the Head: More Conversations about Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.