The Last Laugh

Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Rob Reiner has directed some of the most beloved and acclaimed films in Hollywood history. But he had never directed a sequel until ‘Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues.’ In this episode, Reiner breaks down why he decided to reunite with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer for one last mockumentary 41 years after they invented the genre with ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ He talks about how the comedy of the film has evolved now that they are in their 70s and 80s, and the secret to playing the straight man opposite someone as effortlessly funny as Guest. Reiner also gets into the state of America under Trump 2.0, how Elon Musk drove him away from Twitter, and what he learned about being a politically outspoken celebrity from Norman Lear and Jane Fonda. Finally, he reflects on his relationship with his late father Carl Reiner, recalls the first time he met Mel Brooks, and considers the enduring legacy of classic films like ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally.’Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

When they were shooting the pilot episode of ‘The Office,’ Steve Carell told Rainn Wilson that playing Dwight Schrute could change his life forever. And he could not have been more right. In this episode, Wilson breaks down his unique career journey from working character actor to sitcom star all the way through his latest film ‘Code 3’ (in theaters Friday Sept. 12) in which he plays a burnt out paramedic alongside fellow comedian Lil Rel Howery. His role in the new movie, as well as much of what he has done since ‘The Office’ ended in 2013, feels very different from Dwight, and purposefully so. Wilson opens up about the massive blessing and occasional curse of being so closely associated with such a hugely popular character. Addressing the perennial question about whether ‘The Office’ could be made today, he admits that the “clueless, insensitive, racist, sexist” jokes hit differently now. Wilson also reveals the “relief” he felt when NBC killed off a Dwight-centered spinoff and shares whether that character could ever pop up on the new Peacock spinoff ‘The Paper’—or perhaps even a movie version of ‘The Office.’Follow Rainn Wilson on Instagram @rainnwilsonFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

Raphael Bob-Waksberg was still in his 20s when he convinced Netflix to produce his audacious Hollywood satire about a washed-up, alcoholic former TV star who also happens to be a horse. Now, as a 41-year-old father of two, the creator of ‘Bojack Horseman’ is back with another animated Netflix series that is just as boldly funny and devastatingly emotional, but without the crutch of constant animal puns. In this episode, Bob-Waksberg opens up about his “vulnerable” new show, ‘Long Story Short,’ which depicts a Jewish family in the Bay Area that is not unlike his own. He breaks down how the show’s unique time-jumping format cleverly tricks viewers into feeling like they have known the characters for years and reflects on how the essential Jewishness of the story has been interpreted—or perhaps, misinterpreted—by critics. Bob-Waksberg also looks back on the legacy of ‘Bojack,’ including what it did or not predict about the state of “Hollywoo” in 2025 and what it would take for him to revive those characters after saying goodbye to them five years ago. Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

Over the course of eight years in the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Beck Bennett performed comedy with more than 150 celebrity hosts. But no one—not even Donald Trump himself—was as difficult to work with as Elon Musk. In the 300th episode of The Last Laugh, Bennett looks back on his SNL audition, discusses what it was like to join the show with one of his oldest friends Kyle Mooney (with whom he just launched his own new podcast), and reveals exactly what made Musk a more “offensive” collaborator than Trump. He explains how he knows Vladimir Putin liked his shirtless impression a lot more than Trump liked Alec Baldwin’s portrayal, how he knew it was finally time to leave the show, and how Lorne Michaels nearly talked him into staying. Finally, Bennett talks about the two very different movies he appears in this summer: voicing a cartoon dog in the raunchy Netflix movie ‘Fixed’ and joining the DC cinematic universe as The Daily Planet’s Steve Lombard in ‘Superman.’Follow Beck Bennett on Instagram @beckbennettFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

10 years into her run at ‘The Daily Show,’ Desi Lydic is riding high with three Emmy nominations—including two for her short-form series “Foxsplains” in which she tries to wrap her head around MAGA’s most unhinged conspiracy theories. In this episode, the correspondent-turned-rotating host talks about how the series has granted her more empathy for brainwashed Trump supporters and looks back on processing his second term victory in real-time while hosting ‘The Daily Show.’ She talks about wanting to be the show’s “female Stephen Colbert” and how things changed once she dropped her Megyn Kelly-inspired character and started being herself on screen. Lydic also gets into the precarious state of late-night TV, from the “shocking” Colbert cancellation to the fate of Jon Stewart under the new Paramount leadership. Follow Desi Lydic on Instagram @desilydicFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

The three creators of the Emmy-nominated comedy series ‘Hacks’ had no idea they were predicting the future when they had their central late-night host character defiantly speak out against her network bosses and then lose her dream job. In this episode, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky break down the “surreal” parallels between Deborah Vance’s arc in Season 4 and the real-life tribulations of Stephen Colbert. They talk about the importance of late-night TV, what its future might hold, and reveal how they got Jimmy Kimmel to play a bully version of himself on the show. The trio also goes deep on casting leads Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, as well as this year’s Emmy-nominated guest stars Robby Hoffman and Dance Mom herself, Julianne Nicholson. And they tease what might be in store for Season 5—including why fans are so desperate for Deborah and Ava to finally hook up. Follow Paul W. Downs on Instagram @paulwdownsFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

Akiva Schaffer prefers to stay behind the scenes. But that doesn’t mean he’s any less funny than his Lonely Island bandmates Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. The three middle school best friends started shooting videos right out of college before landing a plush gig making digital shorts for ‘Saturday Night Live,’ including hits like “Lazy Sunday,” “Dick in a Box,” “Jizz in My Pants” and many others. In this episode, Schaffer talks about their unusual path to SNL and how directing outrageous movies like ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ led him to take on a meta ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers’ reboot for Disney+ starring Samberg and John Mulaney—and now the huge ‘Naked Gun’ reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. He also explains why he might be single handedly responsible for Netflix deciding to greenlight ‘I Think You Should Leave’ with Tim Robinson. This episode was originally published on May 24, 2022.Follow The Lonely Island on Instagram @thelonelyisland Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

Natasha Rothwell can be a bit defensive when it comes to her character on ‘The White Lotus.’ The actress, who just scored her second Emmy nomination for the hit HBO show, may have struggled at first to understand why Belinda did what she did at the end of Season 3. But she also believes she “deserves” what comes to her and gets why she ultimately decided to “f— the morality.” In her return to the podcast, Rothwell opens up about how she used her own past struggles with money to relate to her character on the show. As a former SNL writer herself, she reacts to the “White Potus” sketch that caused an uproar and frustrated her castmate Aimee Lou Wood. Rothwell also discusses how another co-star, Jason Isaacs, helped fuel rumors on real-life drama between cast members, reflects on the disappointing cancellation of her Hulu show ‘How to Die Alone,’ and explains why she has spent nearly a decade tweeting “you are trash” at Donald Trump every single day. Follow Natasha Rothwell on Instagram @natasharothwellFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodWatch this episode of The Last Laugh on YouTubeHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

This is a fraught time to be a political comedian in America. It’s something Stephen Colbert learned when CBS suddenly canceled ‘The Late Show.’ And it’s something comedian Jena Friedman experienced in an even more visceral way the last time she crossed the border back home to the U.S. In her fourth appearance on The Last Laugh, Friedman weighs in on the end of the late-night show that served as her very first TV writing gig and tells the harrowing story of being grilled about her jokes by U.S. Customs and Border Security. She also talks about putting together her new TED talk on comedy and AI, recalls the time she nicknamed her fetus “Jeffrey Epstein” on Colbert’s show, and previews her new stand-up hour ‘Motherf---er’ about becoming a mom and losing her own mom at the same time. Get tickets to see Jena Friedman liveFollow Jena Freidman on Instagram @jenafriedmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodWatch this episode of The Last Laugh on YouTubeHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast