Gary Gulman


Ladies and gents, Gary Gulman! With a new special on HBO and a guest role in Todd Phillips’s mind-gripping Joker, comedian Gary Gulman has a lot to talk about. He reflects on childhood and family dynamics (05:59), visiting his mother at home in Massachusetts (11:39), being “a men’s man” and whether he’s even been one (14:33), his relationship with his father and how it affected him later in life (17:44), the woes of writing personal essays (22:59), what he really felt about playing football in college (24:48), depression, shame, and addressing the world from his perspective (28:16), some Gary Shandling parallels (35:46), the fear of not being loved (39:28), hitting rock bottom and climbing back up (43:12), undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (45:26), his wife, Sade (NOT the singer), and what makes her special to him (48:31), and finally… why he just won’t quit (53:45).

Show-notes

  • Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh is available now on HBO.
  • Another great conversation with Gary on This American Life, here.
  • Check out some of Gary’s previous comedy specials on Amazon Prime.
  • Don’t miss Gary’s guest performance in Joker, in theaters now.

Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Music by Dylan Peck and Jinsang.

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