Side Dish: More with Richard Gadd

Summary

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Side Dish: More with Richard Gadd
Episode Date: August 6, 2026
Location: Frederick’s, Islington, London

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Episode Overview

In this candid “Side Dish” episode of Dinner’s on Me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with Richard Gadd—the creator and star of Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” and the new HBO/BBC drama “Halfman”—for an open conversation over a meal in London. Against the backdrop of roasted fish and the cozy Frederick’s, the duo explores what happens after making a culture-defining TV hit, the unique opportunities of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the delicate dance of finding humor amidst life’s darker moments. Throughout the chat, they swap personal stories on fame, the emotional legacy of long-running series, and their mutual love of live performance.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Navigating Life After a Culture-Defining Show

• Ferguson reflects on ending an era-defining show:

  • "[When] you're doing it, you're in the bubble… you don't see all that… Or else it just becomes too overwhelming." (Richard Gadd, 03:35)
  • The emotional bond to his character was heightened by real-life parallels—he got married the same year on TV and in real life, amidst a shifting cultural climate for LGBTQ rights.
  • "This show is changing minds while… directly affecting me…" (Richard Gadd, 04:17)
  • Even years after ending "Modern Family," Ferguson meets young fans who grew up with the show. “I’m meeting kids now who were babies when the show started that are enjoying it as teenagers now. That feels really special…” (Richard Gadd, 05:09)
  • The cast’s closeness and ongoing relationships help soften the heartbreak of a major chapter ending.

• Impact of ending during the pandemic:

  • The last Modern Family episode wrapped just before COVID-19 lockdowns. This strange timing forced an unusual period of introspection. “I was also expecting my first kid, so… I was able to slow down in a way that I hadn’t in 11 years… emotionally, I think there was something about that reset that really did me some good.” (Richard Gadd, 06:38 – 07:16)

Effects of Fame and Audience Connection

• Being approachable and the intimacy of television fame:

  • The conversation touches on how television roles foster a sense of family with viewers, sometimes leading to intense emotional encounters.
  • “I had a girl at the stage door the other night… she made a collage of Modern Family photos… she started crying… her mom was like, the show means a lot to the family… I gave her a big hug and that made her cry more… Wow, that’s really profound and powerful.” (Richard Gadd, 08:42 – 09:14)

• Cultural difference in public recognition:

  • Ferguson notes the different experiences of being recognized in LA vs. London, where the density and tourism can heighten encounters.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival: A Meritocracy for Artists

• Gadd’s Fringe experiences:

  • Richard Gadd spent a decade at the Fringe, describing its unpredictable ups and downs.
  • “I never ended Edinburgh and thought that I didn’t get something out of it… you will get something out of it by the end. And I think because of ‘Fleabag’, because of ‘Baby Reindeer’… and other success stories... broadcasters and channels know that… a hot property up in Edinburgh can translate quite well to screen.” (Richard Gadd, 12:57 – 14:26)
  • The festival is painted as one of the last “true meritocracies” in the business. If you have a good show and patience, “good stuff rises to the top and cannot be ignored.” (Richard Gadd, 17:06 – 17:42)

• Edinburgh’s magic and nostalgia:

  • “It holds so much nostalgia for me… best friends, best connections… best memories of my life, I think, in Edinburgh.” (Richard Gadd, 14:30 – 14:57)
  • Vivid descriptions of the city alive with back-to-back street performances in every venue imaginable.

Comic Performance: From Mime to Musicals

• Anecdotes on miming:
  • Ferguson shares that he took children’s mime classes and performed in mall window displays, blending naturally into shop mannequins.
  • “It was all about the start and the stop… we just did that for like 20 minutes… people would be walking by and… I wonder if that’s a real person… then they’d all scream…” (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 16:03 – 16:44)

Transitioning from Stand-Up to Screenwriting

• Gadd’s challenges and rewards:

  • “I love comedy and I love being a comedian. Real tough. I found it really tough… there was always a desire to get like a television vehicle away and do something like that. Yeah, that was always the aim. But I think I will go back to the live space at some point.” (Richard Gadd, 19:19 – 20:20)
  • Gadd emphasizes that his style even as a stand-up was closer to the dark, nuanced blend of humor in “Baby Reindeer”—belying the idea that he was ever just a “bad comedian.”

• On Gadd’s writing style:

  • Ferguson highlights how “Baby Reindeer” deftly balances humor and darkness:
    • “Deals with such, you know, big issues, toxic masculinity and… codependent relationships… but there’s so much nuance in there and… so much levity where you least expect it… really refreshing.” (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 20:54 – 21:12)
  • Gadd’s response: “The light can never exist without the dark and sort of vice versa. …I wanted ‘Halfman’ to be quite a bit more socially realistic… but even at the lowest of lows I find myself laughing. I think that is very, very human.” (Richard Gadd, 21:38 – 23:07)

Stage Fright, Previews & Musicals

• Opening night nerves and celebrity sightings:

  • Ferguson describes a massive theater premiere with stars and press, distinctly different from the US Broadway tradition:
    • “They shut down the street outside of the theater… even movies didn’t have this big of a premiere… but in the UK, on press nights, you have all the famous people there and also people who are going to judge you and write articles about you…” (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 23:33 – 24:43)

• Musicals: aspirations and vulnerabilities:

  • Gadd confesses he’s never done a musical due to doubts about his singing, with Ferguson reassuring him: “There is something quite beautiful about someone trying to sing who can’t sing… there’s something kind of so vulnerable about it.” (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 26:04 – 26:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Emotional Impact of TV

• “This show is changing minds while… directly affecting me.” (Richard Gadd, 04:17)
• “I was able to, like, really slow down in a way that I hadn’t in 11 years… emotionally, for me, I think there was something about that reset that really did me some good.” (Richard Gadd, 06:38 – 07:16)
• “I think it’s one of those shows that makes you very approachable… when you’re in someone’s living room…” (Richard Gadd, 08:03 – 08:06)
• “That show meant that much to her… that’s really profound and powerful.” (Richard Gadd, 09:14)

On Edinburgh Fringe

• “I never ended Edinburgh and thought that I didn’t get something out of it… you will get something out of it by the end.” (Richard Gadd, 13:00 – 14:15)
• “It holds so much nostalgia for me… best friends, best connections there and… best memories of my life…” (Richard Gadd, 14:50 – 14:57)
• “It does feel like one of those places where good stuff rises to the top and cannot be ignored… one of the last true meritocracies.” (Richard Gadd, 17:06 – 17:42)

On Humor in Darkness

• “There is so much humor… even at the lowest of lows I find myself laughing… that is very, very human in a lot of ways…” (Richard Gadd, 21:38 – 23:07)
• “It’s that whole… giggle at a funeral thing…” (Richard Gadd, 22:47 – 22:54)

On Musicals and Vulnerability

• “There is something quite beautiful about someone trying to sing who can’t sing… there’s something so vulnerable about it.” (Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Richard Gadd, 26:04 – 26:16)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Life after a hit TV show: 03:27 – 07:27
• Intimacy of TV and fan experiences: 08:03 – 09:26
• Fame differences (London vs LA): 09:50 – 10:09
• Edinburgh Fringe & artistic meritocracy: 12:57 – 17:42
• Miming origins – Jesse’s performance past: 15:18 – 16:53
• Journey from stand-up to screenwriting: 19:12 – 21:38
• Humor in darkness (“giggle at a funeral”): 20:54 – 23:07
• Opening night nerves & theater traditions: 23:22 – 24:45
• Stage fright, singing, and musical aspirations: 25:15 – 26:42

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Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is warm, open, and often gently humorous. Both Ferguson and Gadd are candid about artistic anxiety, feelings of vulnerability, and the challenges of life in the creative spotlight. Ferguson’s self-deprecating wit and Gadd’s emotionally rich storytelling set a tone of camaraderie, empathy, and creative encouragement—a true “breaking bread” moment.

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Listen to the full interview for more candid stories about creativity, fame, and finding levity in unexpected places.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners. This week we had on the brilliant Richard Gad.

[Richard Gadd]

You know, Richard as the star and creator of the smash hit Baby Reindeer.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And more recently for the acclaimed drama Halfman airing on hbo, Max and BBC. We met up at Frederick's in the Islington neighborhood of London. And over some nice roasted fish, we talked about what happens after making a culture defining hit like Baby Reindeer, the unique magic of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and finding humor in dark places.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

What's it like doing such a era defining show for so long and the moment it finishes, what's.

[Richard Gadd]

Oh my gosh.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Or is that, is that too big? No, no. If you have to get in the theater.

[Richard Gadd]

No, it's fine. I mean, you'll understand when I say like when you're doing it, you're in the bubble of it and you don't like macro out and you don't see all that.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

You can't. Or else like the. It just becomes too overwhelming.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

But I feel like in hindsight and also because the show had social ramifications in ways that like most shows don't, like specifically around a gay same sex couple.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

And

[Richard Gadd]

you know, just like my relationship to playing that character, like I have a tie to it that feels very like that bond with my, my character in me, like it's very, very strong. I mean, I got married the same year in real life that I did on television.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Wow. Wow.

[Richard Gadd]

And you know, I also, I couldn't ignore the fact that like, you know, we were a reflection of what was happening culturally in that moment with like same sex marriage being legal in the United States or at least at that point in California and because of that that I was able to get married in real life and you know, it was sort of all tied together and like this show is changing minds while. And it was also directly affecting me. And so when something like that ends, it feels, it was, it's very surreal. I mean it's because it's living so vividly still for people. It feels great that, that 11 years of work is like not in a time capsule. You know what I mean?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes.

[Richard Gadd]

And that people are still able to enjoy it. And I'm meeting kids who now who were babies when the show started that are enjoying it as teenagers now. That feels really special and I think makes the end of it feel okay. Also that group of people, because it was 11 years and it was such a life altering experience for all of us. We're so close and having those relationships, like, feels like it. Men's. Whatever heartbreak I have about the show ending.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

I mean, you know how it is, like, when you know the crew and like all those people, like, it's a big extended family and you don't have that every day.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

So at least that, you know, there are crew members I'm still close with and. But the cast itself, like, that part, like, we're all very, very close still.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

And.

[Richard Gadd]

But I'm really proud of it.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, it's so good. It's such an amazing show. It was 2020.

[Richard Gadd]

2020.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

It ended.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah. So we ended right before the world shut down for Covid.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Wow. Wow.

[Richard Gadd]

Which was kind of a miracle, but also a crazy time to process the end of a show like that. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Because you're literally stuck processing it. You can't go anywhere. I don't know what lockdown was like in la, but I assume semi similar to how it was over here.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, I think so. But it was.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

It was almost like you were allowed out for like one hour of exercise a day. Almost. Yeah, it was. That must be so strange. You almost forced to process it in a way. Maybe. Maybe healthy. Who knows, like, in that respect.

[Richard Gadd]

Well, and I was meant to go into another job. I was meant to start a play and that had to end, obviously. I had to stop. Well, it ended up happening later, but we had to stop rehearsal for it and go back inside. And I just felt. And I was also expecting my first kid, so, like, I. I was able to, like, really slow down in a way that I hadn't in 11 years. And I. I mean, I hate to say that it was a good time for me because it was. It was a really hard time for so many people. But emotionally, for me, I think there was something about that reset that really did me some good.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes.

[Richard Gadd]

That I had to just focus on what was it right in front of me, my family, my friends, my husband. Fact that I was gonna be a dad. The important things. Yes.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

And. Yeah. And sort of like. Cause it's a life changing experience. I mean, you understand this after baby reindeer, so many people all of a sudden know who you are and have a relationship with you because of the work that you put out.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

And that's not always a. An accurate depiction of you or in that relationship that they have with your character is not, you know, a Relationship with a real person. And it's like, you know, it's a very tricky thing.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I assume it's one of those show shows that make. It makes you very approachable. One of those shows.

[Richard Gadd]

Yes, it does. Well, when you're in someone's living room, I think, you know.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

And that type of show.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

I mean, God, Jesus Christ, don't look at me.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I think half man and baby reindeer. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

Very approachable. I, I wasn't nervous to meet you at all,

[Interviewer/Co-host]

but it's, it's, it, it's. It was such an amazing show and you're so brilliant in it and because it had that family feel where you almost were part of it. You know, I can imagine people come up and they, they'd grown up, up with it, and they always see you as an extension of the family. I can imagine being quite intense. Yeah, it is.

[Richard Gadd]

I mean, I had a girl at the stage with the other night who had a. She made a collage of modern family photos that she wanted me to sign and. And she was really pulled together for a little while and I signed it and then I was talking to her for a little while and then she just started crying and her mom was like, you. The show means a lot to the family. And, you know, it just was so emotional for me. Like, I gave her a big hug and that made her cry more. I was like, I don't know what to do. But, you know, I. The fact that she had that reaction and it was so visceral, like she couldn't really even. She was trying to control it, but then, like, it just came out. I was like, wow, that's. That's really profound and powerful. That, like, that. That show meant that much to her.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

So.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, yeah, I feel very fortunate that I could be part of that. So.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, and it's lovely to give, Give them that time and stuff like that. I, Yeah, I always think that's. That's really important. I, I always try and give people the time when I can, you know, like. Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's lovely that they're so moved. Moved by that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In la, it must be slight. I'm assuming London's like. Because London, everyone's trapped in amongst each other.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I assume you must get it a

[Richard Gadd]

bit more here and. Yeah. And also it's such a. Well, this time of year, it's such a melting pot of tourism, so it's like, oh, yeah. People from all over the world and, you know, I find out where the show is popular and where it's not. So yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Richard explains why he believes the Edinburgh fringe is one of the last true meritocracies in entertainment. And I reveal the very unexpected performance skill I picked up as a kid that maybe qualifies me for the festival. Okay, be right back. One thing I can always count on with Beckett and Sully, if I make them a good sandwich, I know it's going to get eaten. And honestly, when you're packing lunches day after day, that is a win. You want something your kids are excited about, but you also want to feel good about what you're sending them off with. That's why I love Boar's Head at the deli counter. Our favorites are freshly sliced and made with the quality I can count on. They're Maple Hon Honey Ham and Maple Honey Turkey are made with premium whole cuts and crafted with 100% maple syrup and grade A golden honey so you get great flavor along with quality protein to help fuel busy school days, pair it with their American cheese made from a hand selected blend of 100% all natural cheddar. And you've got a lunch that's simple, delicious, and one they'll actually finish. For lunchtime Inspiration, visit boar's head.combacktoschool They've got lots of kid favorite ideas to make packing lunches a little easier. And for Boar's Head, head to your local deli counter. Sometimes the hardest part of dinner isn't cooking. It's realizing that at 5:45 that you forgot to plan dinner at all. You know, I spent a lot of time eating at incredible restaurants for the show, but at home I want something that's easy, reliable, and actually tastes great. That's why I've been keeping my freezer stocked with Omaha steaks. It's honestly like having a really good butcher on stand. Now lately we've been making the burgers and they have been fantastic. They're juicy, flavorful and taste like something you'd order at a really good neighborhood restaurant. If you've never tried Omaha Steaks, the burger perfection flight. It's a great place to start. For just $79.99, you get 20 premium steak burgers made from five different cuts of steak, including filet mignon, New York strip ribeye brisket and sirloin. So you can actually taste the differences between each one. And try the burger perfection [e-mail] today. That's 20 premium steak burgers for just $79.99 plus get $35 off with the promo code Jesse. That's omahasteak.com, promo code Jesse for $35 off at checkout. Terms apply.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

And I don't think I ever went to the fringe, even when I would do shows that weren't smash hits because I did 10 years in a row and did you know that? And it's an up and down kind of thing. You know, it's kind of up and down, but you feel like you're so still like increasing kind of thing. But it's, it's almost like the stock market almost, in a way. But I, I went 10 years in a row, but I, I never ended Edinburgh and thought that I didn't get something out of it. Whether it was meeting someone who, who was like an important contact for me or whether it was, or whether it was doing a show and feeling like I got like good reviews and the people came down or whether it was selling. I, I always ended that month feeling like I had advanced whether, whether, whether the, the show had been a massive success or not. And I think, and I think it is. And I, I would almost say that that will happen to anybody who goes as well. It's just, just the nature of the way that festival works. You, I feel you will get something out of it by the end. And I think because of Fleabag, because of Baby Reindeer, because of, and there's been other like, success stories up with the Friends, like all the, you know, Garth Marine Star plays Steve Coogan, Mighty Bush. They all, they all sort of originated there. League of Gentlemen, like quite a lot of, like, very, like a lot of comedies that are very much like, embedded in the culture of like British societies were started up at the fringe. And so I think, I think broadcasters and channels know that in a lot of ways a hot property up in Edinburgh can translate quite well to screen.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember Ben. I've always wanted to go, oh, wow.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, it's quite something. It's quite remarkable. I mean, I think people come and they don't quite realize the scale of it until they're there. But it's almost like every, it's beautiful thing. I love it When I think about it, I, I sometimes get emotional because it's, it holds so much like, kind of nostalgia for me and it's like I've made the best friends and the best connections there and I've had the best times with people, best memories of my life, I think in Edinburgh.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

And. But I think people can't believe the scale of it. Almost every. Every street corner, every pub, every theater, every. It's. It's stopped for. Of performers back to back. Somebody's juggling, somebody's singing, somebody's playing guitar. Somebody's doing a comedy show, somebody's doing a theater show. Somebody's miming and.

[Richard Gadd]

Miming.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

That's what I would do. I was a mime when I was a kid, actually. I took a mime class.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What was.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Did you ever do it, like, do it on the street or anything?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Sort of.

[Richard Gadd]

We, we went to.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I remember we would.

[Richard Gadd]

We would go do certain events. Like, we would get to. We had like a five minute presentation that we could do a lot of, like, pulling the invisible rope, you know, that sort of stuff.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

Hamster wheel. Stuck in a hamster wheel.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, wow, that's good.

[Richard Gadd]

But then I do remember one time I was trying to think it involves, like, getting your foot high enough so that you can, like.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's all about establishing the.

[Richard Gadd]

The perimeter, you know, and then it's the whole thing of, like, going too fast and then stopping and then it's the whole thing. Well, that's a lot of core strength.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Thr.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes. Yeah, I bet, I bet. Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

But I do also remember one time we. We went to a mall and they put us in a window of like a clothing store, and we were just like, put amongst the mannequins and we were just doing like, you know, and then like every once in a while and like, that's good. It's all about the start and the stop.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

It's really good.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah. Yeah. And like, we just did that for like 20 minutes. I don't know why.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

And were people in the shop window, like, looking in, being like. Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

People would walk by. It was like one of those indoor malls. Like, people would be walking by and they'd be like, oh, I wonder if that's a real person. You just like, stay still for a really long time. And then. And then they'd all scream, you know, wow, wow, wow.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

So they're all like looking through and then you give them like a shot. Yeah, that kind of stuff. Yeah, that's. That's.

[Richard Gadd]

So basically I'm ready for Amber. I could just take that. My hamster wheel.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. I mean, I remember once seeing a fully mime show for like an hour and thinking it was what's kind of a blower when.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, it's incredible. It was, I can't remember the name of it now.

[Richard Gadd]

His name was Marcel Marceau. It was.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. And it was, it was incredible. And you get all kinds of. I think it's where it does feel like one of the last true meritocracy sometimes, that fringe in the sense that I think like if you have a good show, people will come and you will get your time in the, in the spotlight. It does feel like one of those places where good stuff rises to the top and cannot be ignored. And that's why I think it's such a great place to go and try and do new work. But you got to go. It's such a, such a, such a thing to behold.

[Richard Gadd]

I do want to go

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Richard reflects on the long road from stand up comic to TV show creator. And we compare notes on opening nights, stage fright, and whether Richard might have a musical in his future. Okay, be right back. One thing I can always count on with Beckett and Sully, if I make them a good sandwich, I know it's going to get eaten. And honestly, when you're packing lunches day after day, that is a win. You want something your kids are excited about, but you also want to feel good about what you're sending them off with. That's why I love Boar's Head. At the deli counter, our favorites are freshly sliced and made the quality I can count on. Their Maple Honey Ham and Maple Honey Turkey are made with premium whole cuts and crafted with 100% maple syrup and grade A golden honey so you get great flavor along with quality protein. To help fuel busy school days, pair it with their American cheese made from a hand selected blend of 100% all natural cheddar. And you've got a lunch that's simple, delicious, and one they'll actually finish. For lunchtime Inspiration, visit boar's head.combacktoschool. they've got lots of kid favorite ideas to make packing lunches a little easier. And for Boar's Head, head to your local deli counter. And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Richard Gadd]

Did you always want to write for yourself or did you because you studied theater, right?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes, yes. Comedy and theater. Yeah, Very. So different to what I'm doing now. I. Yeah, so I go up to the fringe and I do live shows. I think the aim. Whereas I love comedy and I love being a comedian. Real tough. I found it really tough, you know, and I was always doing a Comedy style similar. Ish to baby reindeer. Like, the. One of the things that sometimes frustrates me about baby reindeers. I think people think I was a really, really bad comedian. I was sort of. I was a bad comedian in the. In the show. You see what I mean? But I did have a style that did. Did work. And by the end of my comedy career, things were going all right. But it was. I mean, things were going good, but it was extremely hard. You know, every year, going up to Edinburgh and the Edinburgh fringe is a beautiful thing. It's a very tough thing and it's a very. It's a very sort of vulnerable thing to do and. And it's a really tricky. And then, of course, going around the circuit and gigging a lot and doing all the festivals and stuff, it is a tough life on the road and stuff like that. And so I think there was always a desire to get, like a television vehicle away and do something like that. Yeah, that was always the aim. But I think I will go back to the live space at some point. Do you? I think so, yeah. But I'm not sure what to do. Maybe not like, maybe not a comedy show again. I don't think I'll be putting on the comedy suit anytime soon.

[Richard Gadd]

I mean, I. The thing is, there is so much humor. I remember when, before I even started watching Baby Ranger, I remember people telling me how funny it was too.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

How surprisingly funny it was. And, like, it's really tough. And especially, you know, they're like, you know, episode four, it's like. It's, like really dark and there's. You can't believe it's going to some of these dark places, but it's really funny. And I think that's why, you know, what I'm so drawn to with your. With your work is that there is. It deals with such, you know, big issues, toxic masculinity and, you know, codependent relationships and, like, big things, you know, big broad strokes, but there's so much nuance in there and then so much levity where you least expect it, which I think is really refreshing.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always think, like, it's. The light can never exist without the dark and sort of vice versa. And I think, like, I think with Baby reindeer, I. I wanted to have a sort of playful, sort of ironic square. I wanted Half man to be quite a bit more socially realistic, a bit more sort of like a bit more grit and real life to it. I felt like the story had to be told. You almost had to Feel the weight and the oppression of the characters for it to work. Whereas with. Because of the voiceover with the. In Baby Reindeer, and because of the kind of the way it, like, whips you through time, there was license for a playful tone, playful style, and comedy always felt very important. It's funny. Like with Half man, the comedy isn't as prevalent as it is in Baby Reindeer, but I still like to, like, put it through. There's a scene I really love in Half man where they're getting interrogated in EP6, and the lawyer's there, and it's like, you've tested positive for. And Jamie does it so well, but it's like you've tested positive for meth and crack cocaine or whatever. And he goes, oh, I didn't know about the second one. And it's kind of, like, looking a bit awkward and really well performed by Tom Andrews and. Yeah, and I sort of like all that stuff. I. You know, I. It's that whole. Yeah, like, giggle at a funeral thing. You know, I think there's been times, like, where even at the lowest of low, I find myself laughing. And I think that is very, very human in a lot of ways. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

No, it's. It's so well done and it's. Yeah, you definitely thread that needle, and it's a hard one to thread, and I think you do a great job with it.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, thank you.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

How. How long do you have left on. Jesus Christ? Because you had to. It was a massive premiere, wasn't it?

[Richard Gadd]

Oh, my God.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

It was huge. When I saw the photos.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. I was gonna.

[Richard Gadd]

They shut down the street outside of the theater.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

Which is just crazy. I mean, I've done movies that didn't have this big of a premiere. I mean, it was crazy.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Were you nervous? Was it one of those things where everyone backstage is. You feel it. It's like adrenaline. Everyone's high.

[Richard Gadd]

I mean, I felt more nervous for, like, the first few shows because that's like, when Android Webber was coming to see it for the first time, I. I was more nervous for him to see, like, the creatives, like, Tim Rice and Angela were the guys who wrote the show. But, yeah, the opening. The opening night of the. The critics night. I mean, that's the other weird thing about. You know, here in the uk, they do these press nights, and it's actually so much of the press actually comes on those nights where in. On Broadway or in the States, we, you know, we have a preview process where the critics come and then the opening Night is really just for friends and family and a party. So there's no, like, critics there. So it's like, not only do they have all the famous people there and the creatives there, but also people who are, like, gonna judge you and write articles about you when they go home and publish them after the embargo lifts at midnight. You know, it's just like. So it's a lot of things at the same time.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes. Yeah.

[Richard Gadd]

And, you know, you do press interviews afterwards. It's just a whole. It's quite a production, but I'm only in the show until Saturday. And then there's a. There's a rotating cast of guys coming in to play this one part. It's like a role that really is sort of. You could plug anyone into it. It's like, you have an afternoon. If you want to do it, Richard, I'm sure they'd love to have you. If you want to do this tonight. Actually, we could probably get you in.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. It's one of those. It's one of those things where I feel the fear, but do it anyway.

[Richard Gadd]

Have you done a musical?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I'd love to. I worry I can't sing.

[Richard Gadd]

You worry you can't?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I sing a lot, but I worry that I can't sing.

[Richard Gadd]

I don't think I'm the greatest singer. I. Wait, now, did you do musicals in school?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I've never done a musical, no. But I've been to a lot of musicals, and I've had friends and people close to me who have been in so many musicals, and I love them. And I do have a little thing in my head. I'd be like, I would love to try one. I'd love to try one. But I think people go for that blend of. Well, I mean, they go for the singing talent and the ballads and the harp, that stuff. And I've always wondered. I was trying to think of a musical where it has someone in it who can't really.

[Richard Gadd]

Rex Harrison and, like, My Fair Lady.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Right. Okay. Yeah. Henry Higgins.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah. You just speak the songs.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

There is something quite beautiful about someone trying to sing. You can't sing, I feel.

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, sure.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I always remember, like. Like there is something. It's. It's. There's something kind of so vulnerable about it. Right?

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself to do it.

[Richard Gadd]

There's something beautiful about a bad singer. No, I bet. I. I feel like you're probably better than you think you are. Like, I'm. Yeah, okay, maybe you're not Sam Ryder. But, like, who is. Yeah, I. I bet. I bet you'd be great.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

[Richard Gadd]

I don't know. I've. I've never heard you sing. Maybe you're terrible.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I think it was. I'll give you a rendition after this. Okay?

[Richard Gadd]

Yeah, please.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I do a musical song.

[Richard Gadd]

Are you sure you don't want to do it right now?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Audition? Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's definitely. Definitely something. Yeah. Something, something. I hope to do it. Yeah, maybe. Maybe. We'll see. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was a little more for my conversation with Richard. Gad, if you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Frederick's in Islington, London.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Next week on Dinner's on Me. You know her from Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and now as Miranda Priestley in the West End production of the Devil Wears Prada, it's Vanessa Williams. We'll talk about the heartbreak of saying

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

goodbye to Ugly Betty, the resilience she

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

built after being forced to resign her Miss America crown, and the advice she says every parent should remember.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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