Claim OwnershipMike Birbiglia's Working It Out
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Comedian Mike Birbiglia welcomes a different comedian or creator each week and together they work out original, untested material. And, occasionally, uncomfortable topics. Join them as they work it out.
166 Episodes
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Author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote one of Mike’s favorite books about creativity, Big Magic. She also wrote a book that, to her surprise, become a cultural phenomenon: Eat, Pray, Love. Mike and Liz discuss the unexpected impact of Eat, Pray, Love, and what it was like for Liz to watch Julia Roberts portray her on the big screen. Liz gets candid about the ups and downs of a creative life, including the reasoning behind the cancellation of a novel she wrote that took place in Russia. Plus, some bawdy jokes and stories care of Liz’s uncles and grandfather, and the surprising reason why Liz was stopped at airport security. Please consider donating to The Loveland Foundation
In this Working It Out Q&A Mike breaks down the development of the New York City finale of his show The Good Life. He explains the evolution from Please Stop The Ride to The Good Life. Plus, he answers your questions about embarrassment, fear, jealousy, and inspiration.Get tickets to The Good Life at the Beacon Theatre
1 In the 90s, Michael Ian Black’s college sketch group The State got a show on MTV, spawned another iconic group, Stella, and led to the classic movie Wet Hot American Summer. Now Michael sits down with Mike to talk about how all 11 members of The State have remained friends through the ups and downs of show business. Michael shares his advice on how to keep a comedy group together as well as a marriage, as he and his wife just celebrated 26 years. Plus, jokes and stories about truth or dare, the pros and cons of leaving New York City, and behind the scenes of Michael’s love scene with Bradley Cooper.Please consider donating to the Mark Twain Library.
Bridget Everett, star of the hit HBO series “Somebody Somewhere,” joins Mike on the podcast this week to discuss creative risks and processing grief and loss through their work. Plus, that time Bridget and Patti LuPone performed together at Carnegie Hall. Also, Bridget describes the most outrageous audience reactions she has received in response to performing her songs like “Titties” and “What I Gotta Do to Get That Dick.”Please consider donating to True Colors Flint Hills.
In celebration of his new album, Warriors, Lin-Manuel Miranda sits down with Mike for a wide ranging talk about writing musicals, riding the subway, and taking big creative risks. Lin explains why you need so many ideas to write a musical, and he shares the important lessons he learns from writing and performing in school plays as a student. Plus, Lin recalls the origins of Hamilton and some of the more chaotic performances in the show’s run.Please consider donating to RISE Theatre.Get tickets for Mike’s shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York here.
Hannah Gadsby joins Mike in the studio for the first time. The two talk Hannah’s new solo show “Woof!”, a painful celebrity encounter with Anna Kendrick, and how to keep track of multiple contradictory ideas in the creative process. Plus, a robust Working it Out session solves the mystery of if that dingo ate a baby. Please consider donating to: The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
This week Mike answers listener questions. Does improv help your stand-up? What was your most nightmarish stand-up set? How do you convince yourself to keep going when it’s not going well? Plus, Mike reads a piece he wrote about his complicated but ultimately rewarding experience at the Emmys.
11-time Grammy winner, celebrated rock star, and noted Working It Out theme song composer Jack Antonoff returns to the podcast. Mike and Jack discuss Jack’s performing with Taylor Swift and collaborating with Sabrina Carpenter, why cynicism can’t exist in a live performance, and the joys of Tim Robinson’s sketch show “I Think You Should Leave.” Plus, Mike reads excerpts from his wedding speech/roast of Jack, and a musical working it out session in which a new theme for the show is born.Please consider donating to The Ally Coalition
This week Matteo Lane joins Mike for an episode that has something for everyone. From Matteo’s hilariously scorching takes on modern pop stars to tales of secret families to insight about what Matteo did when he hit a wall in his comedy career. Plus, Mike and Matteo work out jokes about Mike meeting the Pope in Rome and Matteo gets serious about his Liza Minelli impression.Please consider donating to Howard Brown Health
Comedian Jon Laster returns for his third appearance on Working It Out. Longtime friends from the Comedy Cellar, Mike and Jon catch up on Jon’s app Blapp, which highlights black-owned businesses, Jon’s more personal comedy material about his struggles with alcoholism, and why Jon calls his company “Thanks Mom.” Plus, Mike and Jon ponder how it is that Mike, despite working in nightclubs, has never even seen cocaine.Please consider donating to the United Negro College Fund
This week filmmaker and actor Zach Braff joins Mike to talk everything from Garden State to Ted Lasso to what it’s like to direct Morgan Freeman. Zach discusses the story of his ex once following him through Europe and Mike and Zach discuss the possibility that a story like that could be the starting point for a one person show. Plus, the time Zach got too drunk and excused himself from a Rush concert to take New Jersey Transit home.Please consider donating to: Midnight Mission
Please Don't Destroy: SNL's Three Sad Virgins(Recorded February 2024) Mike welcomes Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, aka Please Don’t Destroy, known for their wildly popular shorts on SNL. Mike is determined to get Martin to talk more than he did on Pete Holmes’s podcast. The group shares what they like and dislike about each other, and break down what it’s like to be both sketch writers and filmmakers on SNL. Plus, what it’s like to work with Bad Bunny in a Shrek costume.Please Consider Donating To: Meals on Wheels
Beloved Irish comedian Aisling Bea returns to Working It Out. Mike and Aisling discuss how to find your people, Catholic school health class, and dating app fails. Plus, new jokes about what Mike’s dad was doing while his family went to church and the most obvious and best thing about pregnancy sex.Please consider donating to City HarvestClick here to purchase signed print of “The Old Man & the Pool” joke cards to raise money for the YMCA New York.
Mike welcomes fellow comedian and podcaster (Giggly Sqaud, Berner Phone) Hannah Berner to the pod. Known for her “Han on the Street” videos, Hannah discusses her journey from college tennis champ to stand-up sensation. Hannah also teaches Mike the meaning of the term “zaddy.” Plus, an athlete at heart, Hannah comes to the notebook section ready to work, bringing a bunch of new bits and stories to work out.Please consider donating to the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation
This week living legend and giant human Stephen Merchant joins Mike for an all-time great episode of Working It Out. Stephen and Mike talk about actionable advice for creatives starting out, the behind-the-scenes politics of co-creating “The Office" and “Extras” with Ricky Gervais, and how Stephen could turn his story about interviewing a pornstar into stand-up. Plus, the time Stephen walked through a glass door at Sarah Silverman’s Hollywood party.Please consider donating to St. Peter's Hospice
Gary Gulman Returns: Work Friends or Friend Friends?(Recorded September 2023) Mike and Gary Gulman have been friends for a long time, but what kind of friends? Real friends or just work friends? Gary returns to the podcast and he and Mike evaluate the true level of their friendship. Plus they discuss vulnerability in comedy, unhappiness vs. depression, and the advice that Gary got from Larry David.Please consider donating to Give Well
Mike welcomes the multi-talented Catherine Cohen to the podcast to discuss making doctors laugh, lessons learned from the Ashley Madison documentary, and the medical ordeal that Cat went through last summer. She and Mike break down the best ways to work out a long story in small increments and how to ease an audience to heavy subject matter. Plus, jokes and stories about 1980s parachute pants, and falling down drunk on a candle.Please consider donating to The Loveland Foundation
Mike welcomes back old friend and Working It Out hall of famer Tig Notaro. They discuss the inevitability of finding your own comedic voice, how Tig had to come out as gay to her own children, and the time her brother fell into her stepfather’s grave. All that, plus tales from Tig’s lesbian party bus with Sarah Paulson and Allison Janney.Please Consider Donating To: World Resources Institute
This week Neal Brennan returns to Working It Out in celebration of his new Netflix special, “Crazy Good.” Neal and Mike go deep on what to do when friendship isn’t reciprocated, what all comics have in common with Seinfeld, and the irrelevance of the question “Is Kevin Hart humble?” All that, plus the listener email Mike received in response to his joke about joining a cult.Please consider donating to Amazon Watch
Hasan Minhaj Returns: Good Boy Syndrome(Recorded August 2023) Hasan Minhaj was one of the first guests on Working It Out back in 2020 and it remains one of the most popular episodes because of Hasan’s natural inclination to work out bits. Off-air Mike and Hasan often trade notes and ideas and today it spills into the podcast. Hasan compares comedy craft to Steph Curry’s approach to basketball, explains what it’s like to interview Barack Obama, and confesses to the guilty pleasure of watching couples argue in public.Please consider donating to Vituity Cares
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Had an idea about why your "oil cylinder" reference didn't fly. What's an oil cylinder?
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Amazing podcast. Deep, intellectual, moving, and even kinda funny once in a while. Love both Hasan Minhaj episodes, all three Ira Glass Episodes, the Roy Wood Jr. episode (true classic), and the Tig Notaro episode, but the one I found to appreciate the most was the Chris Gethard episode. Mike always says to subscribe to his mailing list for show dates and I've tried to several times but it never works. I assume the internet thinks it's spam from Helix mattresses and deletes all the emails immediately. Also patiently awaiting the "Slow Round" conversational board game... Would love to use that to get all my friends who are into comedy to actually open up and stop doing bits... Thanks, Birbigs. Fix your dang email server.
This was a great conversation to listen to! I spent some years living in an Idaho college town, and whenever Ryan Hamilton mentions Idaho, I feel a kinship with his experience. And of course, he is hilarious!
so excited you had a DC show but it is the one week I am out of town. Bummer. not going to be able to see this show live.
get bill burr, Matt stone, trey parker on your podcast
Yes, my celebrity crush is here! True story, my six year old son once saw Stephen Colbert on TV and said "Mom, that's the guy you said you're going to marry if dad dies!" 😂 To be clear, I have no memory of saying that, but I'm not calling my son a liar.
Gaffigan can't seem to finish a sentence, his thoughts ping pong all over the place, almost incoherent. Couldn't finish it.
If the figurine was glass, it was not a Hummel. Hummels are ceramic and produced in Germany, not China.
Randall Park is very talented and I love seeing everything he's been in! He's hilarious in his appearances in the Marvel universe and I hope that his character is given more screen time in future projects!
This episode was the BEST! I've been listening to a ton of various stand-up on Pandora, and have gotten to hear a lot of Jim Gaffiigan's bits. Really fascinating to hear the depth of his thoughts on the history and evolution of stand-up as an artform.
I read Hoot with my kids this summer and then we watched the movie together. I was delighted to see Brie Larsen in it! My son said "Captain Marvel saved the owls!"
Jesus christ. you think this dude is gay? his voice is like nails on a fucking chalk board. hard no.
please note this is a re-release, not a new episode
my fave Massholes💕🔥
this podcast helps me take my mind off things
Does it feel like he rushed through this episode? of course the black female comedian gets the shortest episode.
very interesting to hear great comedians discuss their different processes and give each other feedback.
I was absolutely thrilled to learn Mike Birbiglia is doing a podcast. As a long time fan who's driven for hours to see him live, I could not be happier about having Mike and his witty friends keeping me company at work. I've listened to every episode (twice for Ira Glass) and am anxiously awaiting the next installment. Thanks for all you do, Mike, and thanks to you and your wife for your wonderful book The New One.
loving Mike Birbiglia's new podcast