John Mulaney (right) visits his high school, St. Ignatius College Prep, with “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” host David Letterman.
Netflix
When John Mulaney filmed his 2015 Netflix comedy special “The Comeback Kid” at the majestic Chicago Theatre, he delivered an insightful routine about a family road trip to Wisconsin when he was a small child, with the kids all chanting “McDonald’s, McDonald’s, McDonald’s!” as their father pulled the van into the lot — and then proceeded to order a single black coffee for himself before continuing on the trip.
“My dad loved us; he just didn’t care about our general happiness or self-esteem,” Mulaney says when introducing the story, which is both hilarious and a little heartbreaking.
Flash forward nearly a decade, to the latest episode of the Netflix series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman,” and there’s a scene filmed at Rosebud on Taylor Street, with Letterman, Mulaney and Mulaney’s father, Charles “Chip” Mulaney, a law firm partner who looks like he could be cast in a Grisham adaptation, gathered around a table. John asks his father, “Do you remember when you ordered one black coffee at McDonald’s when we were little?” and his father replies …
Well. We’ll leave it there, and let’s just say the entire exchange is proof much of the best comedy comes from authentic experience — and those experiences aren’t necessarily funny at the time.
After a legendary 30-year run of hosting relatively traditional talk shows in which interviews were divided into small chunks of seven or eight minutes divided by commercial breaks, the 77-year-old Letterman seems to be having the time of life and is delivering consistently great television with “My Next Guest …” which debuted on Netflix in 2018 and features Letterman conducting illuminating, funny and memorable long-form interviews with a diverse roster including Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Jay-Z, Cardi B and Billie Eilish.
The Mulaney episode is one of the best yet, with two of the best comedians of their respective generations engaging in talk that is of course hilarious, but also poignant and revealing. My only complaint is it runs for just over 45 minutes, when it feels like it could have filled at least twice that running time.
Directed with style by Michael Steed, with pinpoint editing by Jess Gordon and graceful music by, yes, Paul Shaffer ladies and gentlemen, “My Next Guest …” was filmed in December at the perfect locale: The Den Theatre, a warm and intimate storefront venue in Wicker Park. Against a backdrop of lush green curtains and soft lighting, Letterman and Mulaney relax in leather chairs and settle in for an interview that’s more of a conversation than a Q&A. Mulaney cites Desi Arnaz’ Ricky Ricardo as an unlikely influence — young John liked the idea of going to the club at night and reading magazines and smoking cigarettes at home during the day — and speaks with candor about his drug addiction, at one point ticking off the list of pills he would take in a given day, each one with a specific purpose.
Mulaney recalls a conversation he had with Lorne Michaels, who told him, “I knew John Belushi for seven years. I’ve been talking about him for 48 years. … That’s the shrapnel that happens.” (Mulaney has been sober for about 3½ years, and he also talks about becoming a father, welcoming a son, Malcolm, with Olivia Munn in 2021. His anecdotes, while funny, indicate he’s his father’s son.)
We’re also treated to a segment in which Letterman and Mulaney visit St. Ignatius College Prep on the Near West Side, marking Mulaney’s first time there since he graduated nearly a quarter-century ago. (“I have not been invited back,” says Mulaney.) They roam the hallways and visit the theater while Mulaney tells stories about his childhood and his time at Ignatius, and they visit with a small class of students who ask terrific questions such as, “How do you come up with jokes that are funny, but don’t get you canceled?”
Another detour takes us to Biloxi, Mississippi, where Mulaney creates about 15 minutes of instant material upon arriving there for the first time.
“A lot of towns have casinos,” he tells the adoring crowd, “[but] you have more casinos than cities that are famous for having casinos, and not a DIME is making its way into the town, Jesus Christ. Let me see the books, let me see the books …” Later, Mulaney tells Letterman, “Biloxi is a place where the outside seems haunted.” (Again: We won’t spoil the answer.)
Like Letterman, Mulaney is an incredibly talented and whip-smart comedian who always seems to be navigating the territory between being honest and sincere while also indulging in cutting cynicism and observant sarcasm. They’re deeply likable, almost in spite of themselves. And I mean that in the best possible way.