“I have always found that through specifics, you find the universal. In recent years, as opposed to observing some kid on the subway or a man in a bookstore, my observation has become more internal. I’m trying to dig into the specifics of myself and find some universality there.”
-Nick Kroll, episode 301 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Today, we’re joined by comedian Nick Kroll! To begin, we dive into the origin of Little Big Boy, his first stand-up special in ten years (4:40), his pivot toward more personal comedy (7:22), and a bit about mothers and sons (10:30). Then, we walk through Kroll’s upbringing in Rye, New York (13:08), falling in love with comedy at Georgetown University (19:35), and a formative experience chauffeuring actor Harrison Ford (25:30).
On the back-half, we discuss the role of observation in his sketch work (29:40), memorable characters from Kroll Show (31:52), why he continues to evolve his comedy (34:05), a transformative trip to the Galápagos Islands (39:42), lessons learned from fatherhood (41:34), and his hopes in the years ahead (44:15).
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Show-notes:
- Watch Nick’s new special, Little Big Boy, on Netflix.
- See the Season 6 premiere of Big Mouth on Friday, October 28th.
- Follow Nick on Instagram and Twitter.
- For more conversations, hear our talks with Bill Hader, Abbi Jacobson, Quinta Brunson, Lena Dunham, Nick Offerman, Hiro Murai, Meg Stalter, and John Early.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
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Original illustration by Krishna Shenoi.
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