Sicker in the Head

January 31, 2022
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.

February 1, 2022
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.

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