In just under a decade, Jerrod Carmichael has had a remarkably varied career. On the heels of his latest HBO special, we return to our conversation with Emmy-winning comedian.

At the top, we unpack the origin of his deeply personal series Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show (6:30 ), his early days making his NBC sitcom (10:57 ), and why he decided to broadcast a deeply intimate conversation on the reality show (13:00 ). Then, he unpacks his view of the camera as a vessel for honesty (17:10 ), the response from audiences witnessing Jerrod ‘Truman Show’ himself (21:30 ), and his three-decade history of storytelling (34:15 ).

On the back-half, Carmichael describes the artists who inspired his work (43:00 ), a formative performance in his first HBO special Love at the Store (50:50 ), and the evolution of his comedy (57:37 ). To close, he reflects on the central truth he explores in this new series (59:30 ) and how he hopes this art will at long last set himself—and his family—free (1:08:30 ).

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Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles.

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