- 2 days ago
"She understands my mentality and my point of view so well," Gaffigan told The Hollywood Reporter. "It’s amazing. It’s a real gift."
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00:00Hi, this is Mariah Gullow from The Hollywood Reporter, and I'm in studio today with Jim Gaffigan.
00:08Well, thank you for having me.
00:10Thank you for coming. Welcome to L.A.
00:11I love it.
00:13You love L.A.? You're into the West Coast?
00:15You know, it's a little too sunny for me.
00:17Yeah.
00:18Generally, warm weather, I'm like, it's not necessary, because I don't like wearing sunscreen.
00:23I'm so bald, I have to wear a hat, too, so.
00:26But it's a lot of indoors stuff here.
00:28Yes, yes. We have good air conditioning.
00:31Great air conditioning.
00:34So we're here to talk about your comedy special, Noble Ape.
00:38Yes, I'm very excited.
00:39Let's start with the title.
00:41The title, Noble Ape, was inspired because I think of myself as, I mean, all humans are animals,
00:50but I think of myself as kind of a big, lumbering ape who kind of, you know, lives off of animal instincts,
00:59but I aspire to be something more.
01:03So that kind of ties into Noble Ape.
01:06Well, that makes a lot of sense.
01:09And Noble Ape is being released in theaters and digitally.
01:13Yes, it's pretty much everywhere.
01:17It's rather confusing because, in a way, it's being released how everything was released five years ago,
01:24which is where everyone can get it on different platforms.
01:28They can get it at your website, jimgaffigan.com.
01:31Well, the list of all the places you can get it, there's links.
01:35But it's not exclusively to, you know, iTunes or exclusively to Amazon.
01:41It's also on demand.
01:43It's, you know, people consume things in different ways.
01:46So it's also on your Xbox, you know, and the music streaming services.
01:52So it's pretty much everywhere.
01:55Yes.
01:55And why was it important for you to have such a wide release for this particular?
02:00You know, having, you know, this is my sixth special,
02:02and I feel the outlet for specials, it changes every couple years.
02:09Like Comedy Central, my first two specials, I was grateful to have that opportunity.
02:14And then I released one, my own, on my website.
02:18And then the next two were through Netflix.
02:23And what I, and I received a couple offers from different places.
02:28And what was so appealing about this offer was that it was available to everyone at the same time,
02:34whether someone, you know, likes to listen to comedy in the car,
02:39or someone likes to download and own it at home,
02:44or, as I mentioned, some people just do pay-per-view.
02:48I mean, I have five young children,
02:49and so movies, I typically purchase them so that they can watch them a hundred times.
02:54Yes.
02:55Right.
02:56Let's talk about the subject matter of this particular special.
03:01Sure.
03:02Because you talk a lot about your wife's illness.
03:05Yes.
03:06It was last April, it was discovered my wife had this mass in her brain, a brain tumor.
03:14It's been a crazy year for me, crazy year.
03:17I don't know if you know, in April, it was discovered my wife had a brain tumor.
03:20I'm not even making this up.
03:21It was removed.
03:22She's great.
03:23Everything's good.
03:28I didn't remove it.
03:29I was in the other room soiling myself, but...
03:33The tumor is gone, along with my ability to ever win another argument.
03:39It's not like I was winning a lot before, but now I'm retired.
03:43It was the size of a pear, but it was removed.
03:49It was in a very precarious position around the cranial nerves, and so we went through this,
03:56obviously more her than me, but this harrowing four-month period.
04:02She's still in recovery from it.
04:04I mean, she's fine, we're traveling and everything, but so this four-month experience inspired a lot of the comedy for Noble Ape.
04:15My wife is my writing partner, and everyone, when I started touring with this special,
04:21I was really surprised because I was talking about my wife's brain tumor,
04:26but it became apparent that it resonated with people because we all have had loved ones that have gone through medical crises,
04:35and we've all spent that, you know, three to four weeks in a hospital, which inspires some of these jokes.
04:42So it resonated with people, which was really...
04:45I mean, I wanted to talk about it anyway, but I didn't expect it to resonate the way it did.
04:51It was strange.
04:52You know, when the doctor told me the tumor was the size of a pear,
04:55I thought, wow, I guess doctors are bad at analogies.
04:59But I quickly realized they're just dumbing it down for idiots like me.
05:04Like, the surgeon looked at me and thought,
05:06well, this guy's not going to understand centimeters.
05:12I don't even want to try and explain circumference.
05:15Based on appearance, he doesn't eat fruit, but he's probably seen a pear.
05:23Does a lot of the comedy come from wanting to lift Jeannie's spirits during her sickness?
05:30Our relationship was, you know, you have to add some humor,
05:33but my wife, being my writing partner,
05:38you know, like, some of the situations were just so unique and odd
05:44that there were comic ideas.
05:47You know, my wife was in an MRI for, I think, three hours.
05:52And she came out, and the first thing she said to me was,
05:55write down these observations on MRIs.
05:58I think we can make some jokes out of these.
06:00So there was definitely some, you know, humor was really important in the recovery process.
06:05And as a caretaker, you have to have a sense of humor about it.
06:09I mean, she had a tracheotomy and a feeding tube, so we built some humor around that.
06:16But this special was, it's just very odd.
06:21You know, like, once you can get beyond the fact that a brain tumor is removed,
06:27and then you sit back and you think it was shaped like a pear, that's just weird.
06:34And just, you know, the team of doctors and the healthcare workers that are amazing people,
06:40but there's also a lot of humor in it.
06:42Like, I just think it's absurd that someone would go to college for, you know, 20 years,
06:51and then their job is in a hospital.
06:54Like, to me, that's just brutal.
06:55You know what I mean?
06:56And so, like, spending so much time in a hospital inspired a lot of jokes.
07:01And a straighter the setup, better the punch.
07:04So there's nothing straighter than a hospital.
07:07You know what I mean?
07:08Yes, and you know right away from the special that you have spent a lot of time in a hospital
07:13when you start making jokes about Jell-O.
07:15Yes.
07:16Oh, yeah.
07:16No, it's just absurd.
07:18She mostly ate Jell-O.
07:20Jell-O, you know what they make Jell-O out of?
07:22Bones and hooves.
07:23I always thought that was an urban legend.
07:26Bones and hooves.
07:28What kind of madman?
07:30Let me have the bones and hooves.
07:32I've got an idea for a kid's dessert.
07:36It'll be huge.
07:37We'll get Cosby to do the commercials.
07:40Everyone trusts him.
07:42But I think there's something strange about how human beings, we can't live in that knowledge of that panic and sadness.
07:51So I think people watching or experiencing the special, they kind of get in touch with those moments that you can't live in, you know, whether it was a loved one or a grandparent.
08:04But we've all had that time in the hospital.
08:07Yeah.
08:07And you have five kids.
08:09Yes.
08:10What was your, how did your relationship with your five kids change over time when you were all taking care of Jeannie?
08:16It was, you know, it's ever changing.
08:18Any parent would tell you that.
08:20But what was unique about that experience was the shift from my role as being kind of the sixth child to this caretaking role.
08:33I mean, I do relish the fact that my children could see me taking care of my wife and that there is, and that there's honor around that, doing that for someone you love.
08:46But it's weird, you know, kids are very forgetful.
08:50They're very resilient.
08:51But generally, you know, we got through it with humor, which is important.
08:57So I don't know.
08:58It's fascinating.
08:59You know, a five-year-old doesn't really know what a brain tumor is.
09:04I mean, they don't even know what a comedian is.
09:05But the rest of them, you know, it was, it definitely made us closer.
09:11Yeah.
09:12I wanted to talk about a hashtag that you've been using.
09:15I mean, you're very big on social media.
09:17Yeah.
09:17Well, thank you.
09:18And you have a hashtag called HowWeCare.
09:21Yeah.
09:21And the hashtag HowWeCare is, you know, Jeannie and I were approached by Tylenol.
09:28That is, they started this program to acknowledge caregivers.
09:32It's called HowWeCare.
09:34And they created this care card that, because the caregiving role is, it's a very difficult position.
09:45And there are so many responsibilities.
09:48And so this care card, you can help out people that are caregivers in your life.
09:52And so you can go and give them Uber rides or Handy, which is, can help around the house, you know, building a ramp or whatever.
10:03And so we were approached by them.
10:06And, you know, we were more than happy to kind of team up with Tylenol, just because caregivers are really kind of under-acknowledged.
10:14It's, there's nothing sexy about it.
10:16It's exhausting.
10:18And just, I know that, you know, traveling to and from the hospital was something even after Jeannie got out of the hospital.
10:26You know, that help of a care card would have been great.
10:31Yes.
10:32Let's talk about how Jeannie takes care of you, because she directed your special.
10:37Yes.
10:37What kind of a director is she?
10:39Well, she, you know, our relationship, we've been, you know, it'll be 15 years we were married.
10:45And our relationship is just so enmeshed.
10:49So there's no real censorship of what she says.
10:55And having written the material with me and, you know, there's a lot of disagreements on things.
11:01But I feel like she's kind of a secret weapon, because she understands my mentality and my point of view so well, that she can say, you know what, you're trying to say this, but people are hearing this.
11:13And so, I mean, every comedian needs that skill to understand that, because it is a conversation with the audience.
11:21But having someone who happens to be your spouse, it's amazing.
11:26It's a real gift.
11:28At one point in your special, you say, my wife doesn't like that joke.
11:32Yes.
11:32I know people are scared about Trump being president, but I can tell you, as a straight white male, I feel like I'll be okay.
11:48My wife hates that joke.
11:51And I love her, but not enough to get rid of that joke.
11:55Does that happen often?
11:57That happens a fair amount.
11:58I mean, she definitely has, I mean, I have the final say, but she'll have, you know, strong opinions on editing.
12:08You know, and, you know, like the joke in question that we're talking about is about how, that's all about how people, I look like a Trump supporter.
12:16And living in New York City, and I say, you know, we're all worried, but the good news is that I think all, you know, white men will be okay.
12:25And so my wife, who is still reeling from the election a year and a half later, you know, she understands the value of it, but she also doesn't like the reality of it.
12:35Would you and Jeannie ever consider writing a movie or a book based on your experience?
12:41You know, I think my wife, she's definitely in the process of writing a book about her experience.
12:49And it's just finding time, you know, it's being the parent, you know, of one child is taxing.
12:59And so I know that it's also very cathartic for her to write about that experience.
13:06So, but we'll see.
13:07I don't know when the expectation is, but she's very funny.
13:11You know, she helped me write the two books I wrote.
13:14So I know it'll be a great book if she ever gets time to do it.
13:18Yeah.
13:19So a couple of quick questions before I let you go.
13:22Who was the first comedian that really made an impact on you?
13:27I would say Jonathan Winters because it was this self-contained, like he created a world where the, it was stand-up, but it was such character-driven.
13:41And there was, like he played all the roles.
13:44And so it was, it was really fun.
13:46What was the first movie that really made an impact on you?
13:50I think, I want to say the little kid in me, Bad News Bears, with Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neill.
14:03Because I remember being in love with Tatum O'Neill.
14:07And, but that, and just kind of like the irreverence and the humor of it, it felt real.
14:12And I watched it with my kids.
14:14It's filthy.
14:15Yes.
14:16But I, you know, you don't remember some of, you don't remember how kind of like completely inappropriate it is.
14:25He's driving around and drunk half the movie.
14:27So, but it's an amazing movie.
14:30What was your favorite comedy club to perform in back in the day?
14:34I mean, I, I still perform in comedy clubs all the time in New York City to develop material.
14:42I do have, you know, a special place for Gotham Comedy Club in New York.
14:48Because when I was finding my voice, which is, you know, my point of view and, you know, the type of comedy I would do, they were very nice to me.
14:58But many comedy clubs have been very nice to me.
15:01Yeah.
15:02What was one of your worst sets or auditions?
15:08You know, in hindsight, actually in Noble Ape, I talk about when I opened for the Pope.
15:14Which, um.
15:15There was a lot of anticipation around that.
15:17Yes.
15:17And it was a classic, it's a no-win situation.
15:21That you, people don't realize there are some comedy, uh, performance situations where you're not going to win.
15:30Um, and that's one of them.
15:33Look, the White House correspondents, there's going to be people that are angry.
15:36And so, um, but you know, there's a lot of really horrible experiences, uh, when I started.
15:43But I think you have to block them out, you know.
15:47What was your best family vacation?
15:48Best family vacation.
15:53I mean, we just were on vacation, uh, in Ireland.
15:57And it was, we have friends who also have five kids.
16:02And they were there.
16:03And, uh, her parents are from Donegal.
16:07And so we spent, uh, five days in Donegal in this small town.
16:13And it was, it was like going to another planet.
16:17Yeah.
16:18Because we live in New York City.
16:19And there was just, I mean, the roads are just absurd.
16:22But it was amazing.
16:24It's like everyone has, like, everyone can play an instrument.
16:28Everyone sings.
16:30It was, it was pretty, it was pretty special.
16:32And it doesn't feel so weird to have five kids when you're in Ireland, does it?
16:36No, it doesn't.
16:36It doesn't at all.
16:38Um, what was the most disappointing toy you've ever gotten for your kids?
16:43I would say, uh, you know, I'm in this animated movie that's coming up, uh, in, I don't know.
16:53You know, you do animated movies and then, like, a decade later they come out.
16:56Yeah, that's true.
16:57But, um, they gave me my character.
17:01He's, like, one of the leads of, and I was so proud.
17:03And I brought it home to my kids.
17:05And I was like, this is me.
17:07And they're like, great.
17:07And then, like, maybe 20 seconds later I saw it just on the ground.
17:12And, like, the head was, so I was like, but that's, that was me.
17:17And you guys like stuff like this, right?
17:19And so they just didn't care.
17:20They didn't care.
17:23Um, in your special you discuss a lot of fruits.
17:25What is your favorite fruit and why?
17:28I would say my favorite fruit, I mean, now I have an affinity for pears.
17:33I got my, after my wife got out, like, that Mother's Day I got her a necklace that had a pear.
17:39Aw.
17:40Um, but I would say, uh, you know, the avocado is so beautiful.
17:46I feel like it could be a fruit or a cheese.
17:49It's amazing.
17:50Yeah.
17:50Right?
17:51It's both of those things.
17:52Yes.
17:53Um, the Emmys have been announced.
17:55Uh, do you have anybody you're rooting for?
17:57Just, you know, it's weird because I just was gone and I was not in my typical binge mode that I'm normally in.
18:06I don't know.
18:06I think Handmaid's Tale is pretty amazing.
18:09Mm.
18:10It's pretty amazing.
18:11I think, uh, Elizabeth Moss is, uh, amazing.
18:16I don't know.
18:17I think, uh, I hope that, and I don't even know if it's nominated, but Wild Wild Country, I hope that's acknowledged.
18:24Ah, yeah.
18:25Because I thought that was really.
18:26That was a binger.
18:27That was a binger.
18:29That's a, you know, when it ended, you're like, oh, I wish there was, like, three more episodes.
18:33Yeah.
18:34Um, like, the past year, I've, I've done, uh, Handmaid's Tale.
18:39I did Wild Wild Country.
18:40Uh, you know, always Game of Thrones.
18:43Um, what's something else?
18:46Now I'm like.
18:47Game of Thrones is something you can't watch with your kids, huh?
18:50Well, you'd be.
18:51Or do you?
18:52You have to understand, my wife, uh, I, I love the.
18:56You have to understand, my children have watched, like, most of The Walking Dead.
19:04My young children.
19:05Like, my five-year-old does a great impression of a zombie.
19:08And so there's something, you know, it's weird, because you, you, you get married, or, you
19:14know, you have kids with someone, and you think, well, obviously, we're not going to
19:19let, but my wife brought my, you know, now 14-year-old, but she was probably three, into
19:26a haunted house at, like, three.
19:28And I was like, what are you doing?
19:30Like, she's like, she has to be desensitized to this stuff so that she can enjoy it.
19:34And so, Walking Dead, all my kids have watched it, and they're just unfazed.
19:40And I have friends, adults, that are like, I can't deal with it.
19:44You know what I mean?
19:44I'm like, my nine-year-old loves it.
19:47And, you know, it's also, what's great is there's also the graphic novel, so then they're
19:51reading.
19:52Yeah, there you go.
19:54Wow, really, Walking Dead has made your kids very healthy.
19:58It's helped.
19:59And I'm the only one eating.
20:00I eat during Walking Dead.
20:02Oh, crap.
20:03Like, they're, like, eating a zombie.
20:04I'm like, this is great pasta.
20:06You know?
20:07Well, Jim Gaffigan, thank you so much for being here.
20:10Your special is Noble Ape.
20:11It's available everywhere.
20:13You can check it out on jimgaffigan.com.
20:17Thanks so much.
20:18Appreciate it.
20:18Bye.
20:22Bye.
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