A skeptical outlook on everything fosters an honest recalibration of how things really are versus how people think they are, says the author and actor from The Office, and that creates comedy. Novak and host Kelly Corrigan dish on Hollywood and dig into how dark comedy can bring people face-to-face with an ugly truth. His response speaks to the close ties between what makes us laugh, what makes us cringe and what makes us weep. The surprise comes in Novak’s insight into the visceral nature of comedic truth.

Novak is a comedian, actor and writer known for his work in “The Office,” where he was also an executive producer, and in films like “Inglorious Basterds” and “Saving Mr. Banks.” His book of short stories, “One More Thing,” was published by Knopf last year.