Mike Birbiglia

Summary

Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade: Interview with Mike Birbiglia
Release Date: June 4, 2025

In this engaging episode of "Fly on the Wall," hosts Dana Carvey and David Spade welcome acclaimed comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia. The conversation offers an in-depth look into Mike's comedic journey, creative processes, and his experiences within the entertainment industry, particularly his connections with "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) alumni.

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1. Introducing Mike Birbiglia and His Work

Dana Carvey opens the discussion by highlighting Mike's latest Netflix special, "The Good Life," commending his storytelling prowess and ability to blend serious themes with humor.

• Dana Carvey ([01:56]):
  "He's one of the great storytellers we have out there and he'll deep dive into his methodology about having a theme where he can go kind of serious and funny."

2. Early Career and Experiences with SNL

Mike shares anecdotes from his early days in comedy, including participation in contests at Georgetown and ASU. Dana and David reminisce about their initial interactions with Mike and his performances.

• Mike Birbiglia ([03:02]):
  "Yeah, explains a one man show. What's the difference between a stand up set? Went to Georgetown, did a comedy contest early on I did at ASU also. So we had that."

3. Friendship and Collaboration with Bob Odenkirk

The conversation delves into Mike's friendship with Bob Odenkirk, sharing stories of their time in the industry and mutual support among comedians.

• Dana Carvey ([04:48]):
  "He's awesome. He said the single word non sequitur. But since you're smiling and you know, the single, maybe funniest thing that's ever been said on the podcast."

• Mike Birbiglia ([05:27]):
  "He came to the filming of The Good Life because he's in town doing Glengarry Glen Ross. And he's just like a deeply supportive person of, I think, comedians."

4. Transitioning from Stand-Up to Filmmaking

Mike discusses his evolution from traditional stand-up comedy to creating one-man shows and writing/directing films, highlighting how his background in film studies influenced his comedic approach.

• Mike Birbiglia ([21:03]):
  "And over the years I just got kind of hooked on this idea of like, if you can have the jokes work and the story work and then the larger show work, then, like, it's kind of a magical thing."

5. Experiences in Comedy Clubs and Learning Crowd Dynamics

The trio shares experiences performing at iconic venues like the Comedy Cellar, navigating interactions with seasoned comedians, and refining their material through tough crowds.

• Mike Birbiglia ([32:01]):
  "I opened for Hedberg a bunch of times. I remember I opened for Jake Johansson, who was a brilliant."

6. Creative Process and Writing Methodologies

Mike elaborates on his method for developing material, utilizing bulletin boards to organize storylines and character development. He credits the "Script Notes" podcast as a significant influence on his screenwriting approach.

• Mike Birbiglia ([53:37]):
  "I do two bulletin boards. I go. I go. The story cards, the scene cards, and then the other one is the characters."

7. Personal Stories Shaping Comedy

Mike shares a deeply personal story about his sleepwalking incident, which not only impacted his life but also inspired his film "Sleepwalk with Me."

• Mike Birbiglia ([37:15]):
  "I sleepwalked through a second story window [...] I was running in my underwear, bleeding."

8. Professional Growth and Future Projects

The conversation shifts to Mike's professional milestones and future endeavors, including writing his third movie and collaborating with other notable comedians like John Mulaney and Nick Kroll.

• Mike Birbiglia ([53:00]):
  "I'm writing my next movie. My first movie was Sleepwalk With Me. My second movie's called Don't Think Twice. And I'm writing a third movie, which is like an ensemble comedy that takes place at a wedding about a bunch of old friends."

9. Balancing Personal Life and Career

Mike discusses maintaining a balance between his professional commitments and personal life, mentioning his family in Brooklyn and how his daughter is beginning to appreciate his work.

• Mike Birbiglia ([58:02]):
  "I live in Brooklyn with my wife and daughter. She just turned 10. We had like a birthday sleepover this weekend."

10. Closing Thoughts and Final Remarks

As the episode concludes, Dana and David express their appreciation for Mike's contributions to comedy and storytelling. Mike shares final thoughts on his excitement for future projects and ongoing collaborations within the comedy community.

• Mike Birbiglia ([59:20]):
  "I just love the podcast and I am honored to come on now."

---

Conclusion

This episode of "Fly on the Wall" offers a comprehensive exploration of Mike Birbiglia's multifaceted career, blending personal anecdotes with professional insights. Dana Carvey and David Spade create a welcoming atmosphere, allowing Mike to delve into his experiences and creative processes. The discussion not only highlights Mike's achievements but also provides valuable perspectives for aspiring comedians and storytellers. Whether you're a fan of Mike Birbiglia or new to his work, this episode is both informative and entertaining, capturing the essence of what makes him a standout figure in the comedy world.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Dana Carvey ([01:56]):
  "He's one of the great storytellers we have out there and he'll deep dive into his methodology about having a theme where he can go kind of serious and funny."

• Mike Birbiglia ([21:03]):
  "And over the years I just got kind of hooked on this idea of like, if you can have the jokes work and the story work and then the larger show work, then, like, it's kind of a magical thing."

• Mike Birbiglia ([37:15]):
  "I sleepwalked through a second story window [...] I was running in my underwear, bleeding."

• Mike Birbiglia ([53:37]):
  "I do two bulletin boards. I go. I go. The story cards, the scene cards, and then the other one is the characters."

• Mike Birbiglia ([59:20]):
  "I just love the podcast and I am honored to come on now."

This structured and detailed summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, providing a clear and engaging overview for both existing fans and new listeners. By highlighting key discussions and including pertinent quotes with timestamps, the summary ensures that readers can grasp the full scope of the conversation without having listened to the episode.

Transcript

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

Amazon.comprime Great dude today. Dana Mike Burbiglia I'd like to buy a bowel. Burbiglia yes, Bur begs known as if you don't have time, you say Burr bigly and you lose the A. Save time.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, Mikey B. By the end of the podcast we were very good friends. Mikey B. Has a new special on Netflix, the Good Life. He's one of the great storytellers we have out there and he'll deep dive into his methodology about having a theme where he can go kind of serious and funny. It's very interesting.

[David Spade]

Yeah, explains a one man show. What's the difference between a stand up set? Went to Georgetown, did a comedy contest early on I did at ASU also. So we had that. Oh we talked about that. We kicked and scratched about that. He's a sleepwalker. We make fun of him for that.

[Dana Carvey]

He does sleepwalk and there's some danger involved and it's a long story and it's. It's a. Something that's been a big part of his zeitgeisty material.

[David Spade]

And if you don't know him, he's well respected comic out there in the New York circuit. Give it a. Give it a listen and you'll know him more. We like to get people on here that you may not be a household name yet, but very close. And sure he will be.

[Dana Carvey]

He writes, he directs movies. He did a sleepwalker movie and he's working on a new one. So he breaks down his. His methods for us.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And we have a bunch of laughs, so stay tuned.

[David Spade]

Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Dana Carvey]

Wow. As I live and breathe.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

As I live.

[Dana Carvey]

Has anyone ever told you that you kind of, when you smile there is like your. Your long lost cousin Bob Oderkirk just in this.

[David Spade]

Oh, yeah. I just thought.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I get it. I do get. I do get Odenkirk sometimes. He. We shot a pilot once for CBS like 15 years ago where he played my brother.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, okay.

[David Spade]

So I buy it.

[Dana Carvey]

So.

[David Spade]

So is that the one that didn't go?

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's the one that didn't go.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. We heard that saved your career, getting away from Bob.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, whatever.

[Dana Carvey]

Whatever happened to him and Nick Kroll.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.

[David Spade]

I like the executive that passed on it. I mean, if it's something like that, you just say, yes, you fit. Even if the show sucks, you go, yes, let's get all these guys under a deal. And then you start changing it or whatever you want to do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's right.

[David Spade]

Sometimes I think that I go, why are you passing on this package? It's too good.

[Dana Carvey]

Did you think it was bad? Because, you know, I know Bob Oda Kirk fairly well, and he would be. Is very. Comedy is really, really important to Bob, to say the least.

[David Spade]

You.

[Dana Carvey]

No, no, it's great.

[David Spade]

Oh, you guys are so funny.

[Dana Carvey]

He's awesome. He said the single word non sequitur. But since you're smiling and you know, the single, maybe funniest thing that's ever been said on the podcast, because we knew Bob when he was like an underling. He was like on SNL and stuff, but I always loved him. And he's a writer, but he's kind of struggling. It's in his book. He comes on our zoom and like, you know, Better Call Saul was kind of like, you know, he knew comedians have, like, what. What the fuck? Bob Odker. Now he's, like, winning Emmys as an actor. And then when he did Nobody or the Fuck Fighting one. What was that called?

[David Spade]

Yeah, Nobody.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And he said to himself, if this thing works, man, you guys are going to be going, what?

[Mike Birbiglia]

The.

[Dana Carvey]

Fiction Star. Now it's just like, because we know Bob from before, so it's funny, and there's a sequel. Dan, we're gonna let you talk in a sec. But I just want.

[David Spade]

No, no, no, we don't. We don't need to do that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I. I mean, Odenkirk. Yeah. He came to the filming of the Good Life because he's in town doing Glengarry Glen Ross. And he. He's just like a deeply supportive person of, I think, comedians. He's just really good to comedian. Fellow comedians.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He.

[David Spade]

Good dude. Overall.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He. He. If I'm not mistaken, he rode living in a van down by the river.

[David Spade]

You are not mistaken. Yeah. One of the biggest gifts to snl.

[Dana Carvey]

By the way, do you remember when we met? This will be a really quick story. You may not.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I opened for you in Rhode island at a college. Is that what it is?

[Dana Carvey]

That's it. But I was. I was on some kind of doing a little mini tour. So I had a friend of mine, Mark Pitt. It was my opener, and no one told me that they booked an opener. So when we showed up, they go, this guy Mike wants to go up. And, you know. And you don't come off like a cocky guy. You're kind of assuming I go, oh, no. What's this guy gonna do?

[David Spade]

What's he gonna do?

[Dana Carvey]

I didn't know. I didn't know you. Do we really need him? Oh, yeah. So, you know, I'm thinking, oh, yeah, this is gonna be a cluster. This guy. I'm not getting good vibes. So then I'm watching you.

[David Spade]

Not good vibes.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, because Mike is unassuming and. And quiet. And then I'm watching the show. I'm like, he's building and building. I went, holy. This guy?

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's so nice.

[Dana Carvey]

I. I thought it at the time, and I do not think I followed you correctly. I think you left awake because it was clever and stuff. I made some faces, did some funny sounds. And after. No, no, after 10 minutes, it was like they were done.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It was. It was like, you know, you absolutely crushed. It was. I. I don't think I'd never seen you live, but, you know, I grew up on both of you. Guys on snl. So I would do. In seventh grade, I remember I was doing at school, Church Lady, Hans and Franz, George Bush senior.

[Dana Carvey]

Sorry.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And by the way, killing. Literally doing your characters. No one really knew what they were from snl, so I was just getting. I was like the seventh grade hack.

[Dana Carvey]

So they didn't know. So you're doing your new character in junior high called the Church Lady. Like that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

And killing with it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was killing.

[Dana Carvey]

You want to do it?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I would never. I would. I would never. It would be the most embarrassing thing.

[Dana Carvey]

Easy one to do.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, you know, well, well, everybody. I mean, that's one of the things about your impressions, is that your impressions are so good.

[Dana Carvey]

Thank you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, your Biden is so crazy good that essentially it's that thing in culture where everyone retrofits their Biden.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

They all. Everyone goes, now wait a minute.

[David Spade]

It's like walking. Everyone turns into a walk in. At a certain point. You go, oh, now I can do it. It's like a home kit.

[Dana Carvey]

And guess what? And by the way, it was the non sequitur. Guess what?

[Mike Birbiglia]

And by the way, guess what.

[Dana Carvey]

The fact of the matter is, I'm not getting around here.

[David Spade]

I mean, serious, I'll knock you out, Jack.

[Dana Carvey]

Get your facts, Jack. I'll beat the hell out of you.

[David Spade]

Take my people, Jack.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

How would I have known about the cancer? They couldn't have known. They don't do checks for that kind of thing.

[Dana Carvey]

There you go.

[David Spade]

What if they knew about the cancer for four years? It's like another thing. They're like, what is another thing? We kind of spaced out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, but. Okay, so I used to do SNL impressions in seventh grade. And then I remember one the. Here's the mistake I made. I did Jon Lovitz's Annoying Man.

[David Spade]

And if people don't know the character.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He just shows up. Yeah. Dennis shows up to Dennis Miller's update and he just goes, annoying Man. He puts his fingers around his eyes and shit. I did it to this guy in class named Kenny who was tough. And I go, kenny, annoying man. I don't know if I can say curse.

[Dana Carvey]

You can't curse.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Socked me in the face. Shocked me in the face. Bleeding in science class, seventh grade. And I never did annoying men again.

[Dana Carvey]

Character. The name of the character is who the character is.

[David Spade]

We did too much of that back then. I think Sandler was crazy spoon man.

[Dana Carvey]

And he had a crazy spoon opera man.

[David Spade]

We had a lot of mans on the.

[Dana Carvey]

On the head productions, man.

[David Spade]

I don't think they do it as much anymore like that, you know, just straight up, here's what it is.

[Dana Carvey]

What do you think, Mike?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Just building it out from who the people are.

[Dana Carvey]

Comedy a star. Because we would have little jingles like, he's massive, massive head wound hairy or Lyle the effeminate heterosexual. And when I was out there, I asked him and they said, oh, we don't. We don't do that anymore. Well, I guess it's out of fashion, but to me, it's so fun. Funny to lay it all out like that. Present it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think my favorite analysis of SNL through the years because I've, you know, I've watched it since I was a kid. I still watch it is when Seth Meyers said, every single episode since the beginning of time. Some of it is great, some of it's terrible, some of it's okay. And it's never changed.

[David Spade]

Very true.

[Dana Carvey]

No, it's never changed. That's why we don't have a plethora of other live sketch shows in America. Except now they're going to do one in Great Britain, I guess, Saturday Night Live and jolly out London. So. But yeah, it's not easy. And you're humiliated half the time. You know, you kind of just. Yeah, it didn't really happen. You know, it didn't happen. The audience knows it didn't happen. Lauren Michaels know it didn't happen. And you kind of just blew it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I made. I made a mo. I don't know if you guys know this. I made a movie called Don't Think Twice years ago about Keegan. Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs are part of, like, an improv group where everyone's best friends and then one of them gets cast on like a Saturday Night Live type of show called Weekend Live, and then everyone else doesn't. And it's about what happens in friendships when. When people realize they're not going to get the same thing. Do you. Did you guys have that when you guys got it?

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, sure.

[David Spade]

Yeah. That's the whole. That's going back to the improv and seeing people. You saw. Now you got a heat on you. And. But I watch people do it before me and after, so it's always just an odd. And then you get on SNL and it's the same thing. People get in sketches and all their stuff gets on that week and yours does and you're, hey, good job. Go get them.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, it is a funny thing.

[David Spade]

So hard to cover. You're like.

[Dana Carvey]

Because you're coming from your stand up Scene and your friends, you know, and then suddenly you're on television and they're not. And it's just kind of awkward, you know. Bobby Sling was like, I can't believe. I can't believe this song. Saturday Night Live. I can't believe it.

[David Spade]

I can't believe this song sound.

[Dana Carvey]

You of all people, you people, you know, And Seinfeld was always. Because Jerry had, you know, this spectacular confidence even way before he made it. You know, you just. See, I met him in, like, 1980. He was in his suit and he had it all together.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I've always heard that.

[Dana Carvey]

And then when I got on SNL and went to some award show for comedians or something, he go. He just walked up and goes, congratulations, you made it. Just walked away. It wasn't no envy, nothing. But I. Yeah, show business is like, have you had that experience? Because what I was going to ask you is this. And it goes to a overarching theme of how you do your performance when you were coming up through in the clubs.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Did.

[Dana Carvey]

Because a lot of times the blender's going, you got to follow a dick joke guy, you know? And so how did you survive those days before you became.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, it was funny. It's like, I remember because I was a writer, you know, when I was in high school, I saw Stephen Wright live at the KAB Melody Tent, and I was just like, this is the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life. You know, before that, I'd watched snl. I'd watched early Letterman. But then when I saw a comedian live, I was like, this is crazy.

[David Spade]

And he was a different comedian.

[Dana Carvey]

Like a magician.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like, yeah, perfect.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I was just like, I want to, you know, I want to do this. And then I just started writing jokes, and I had, you know, notebooks of jokes. And then by the time I. When I was in college, I was working the door at the Washington D.C. improv and.

[Dana Carvey]

Great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And. Yeah, great club. When you were like, Mitch Hedberg, David Tell.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know, and Margaret Cho and all these people who are great. You know, Dave. Dave Chappelle and Brian Regan, and it was great. And then when I would work the road after. When I. After I was 22, after college, I was working, like, hard gigs. And I remember, like, I would open for these guys and they would. I remember one guy, he just said to me, he goes, you're gonna make it. Like, I would do, like, not great. And he goes, like, you're gonna make it. And I was like, I literally Go, why? Why do you think?

[David Spade]

That's a great question?

[Mike Birbiglia]

And he goes.

[David Spade]

Instead of thanks, right?

[Mike Birbiglia]

He goes, you're right. You write your jokes. I was like, what the are you talking about?

[David Spade]

That wasn't enough information?

[Dana Carvey]

No, there's a lot of. There was a lot of road warriors that did a lot of dick jokes. One guy, I can't remember, but he got. This guy was so hung, they call him the human tripod, you know? You know, in loud bars. And so to survive in that environment, you start to get louder and faster and bluer. But, yeah, you actually crack craft.

[David Spade]

Maybe he's saying, yeah, you're a crafty writer. You're writing good material. It will surface because you're.

[Dana Carvey]

You're.

[David Spade]

You know, if you get a crowd that listens, I think that's what you need. And some people can do it with this sound off. So the way you write, it's sort of like Nate does right now. He gets a quiet crowd that listens and waits for him. And so I think you, over time, like, I've never heard one negative thing about your act or anything. And, you know, usually that's nice. Usually it's me kind of starting the guy.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't want to fan out over you. I was watching you saying, they're bad.

[David Spade]

You know what I mean? Just to get the thing rolling, just like, hey, you know, it's kind of shitty, but I like some of it, but it's just, you know, So I do that. But I think you've got a good rep out there, and I think that just grinds through and keeps your career going and keep getting better and better and better. That's a good thing to have, because it's hard to stick around in the bizarre, as we all know.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, David, growing up, and this is a true story, my family used to take road trips from California to Montana every summer. Seven of us in a station wagon, air conditioning only for the front seat. And we would go and look, and seriously, they'd be freezing up there, and we'd be heating up in the back. But it was always like, where do we stay? Day? You know? And sometimes it got really complicated. I mean, one time, we just could not find a. A motel. Winnemucca, Nevada. And so we just pulled off on the side of the road. So, you know, remember, listeners, your house can become an Airbnb.

[David Spade]

And actually, I've got an upcoming trip planned soon. While I'm away, I could totally Airbnb my spot. And why not? My home could be someone's perfect getaway while I'm off on my own adventure. It's such a great way to make a little extra money toward that vacation. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host hey, podcast universe.

[Dana Carvey]

It's Brian Green from the mediocre comedy podcast sensation the Commercial Break. Recently, TCB celebrated five years of existence, and we did it in style by doing 12 episodes. Episodes in one day. That's right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We recorded and published 12 episodes in one day.

[Dana Carvey]

We had some show friends like Tig Notaro, Reggie Watts, and Tom Papa stopped.

[Mike Birbiglia]

By to have a discussion with us.

[Dana Carvey]

We took listener calls and reviewed all six seasons of the commercial break. And if you're hearing this message, we.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Likely stayed awake for the entire thing.

[Dana Carvey]

So if you're on a long road trip on that family vacation where you try and get away from your family or you're generally trying to avoid responsive like some podcasters we know, you can.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Go to wherever it is you listen to your podcasts and check out tcb's Endless Day.

[Dana Carvey]

The Commercial Break is also available on Audeze's free app. You can download it onto your phone.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Or go to tcbpodcast.com TCB's endless day. It ended. So it's kind of a terrible name, but it's 12 hours of bingeable entertainment. Best to you.

[Dana Carvey]

I'd like to make observation about that in a minute, but first, I just want to know about your first set because that everyone remembers their first set, so.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, you know, it's funny. I just realized this first set was Funniest Person on Campus contest at Georgetown University.

[David Spade]

Love it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Nick Kroll was in the contest with me.

[Dana Carvey]

Great comic.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And the host was Victoria Jackson.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, really? That's a better story than I thought.

[David Spade]

Love it. Love it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're so funny, Mike. Cute.

[Dana Carvey]

You're cute and funny up there. She. That's who she is.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, I swear to God, I came off stage, I came off stage and I, you know, it was like me doing a. A big character. There was a musical number. It was, it was bananas.

[David Spade]

Back then. Yeah. Good job.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I walked off stage in Victoria Jackson, who, you know, I idolized watching snl.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And she goes, you're gonna be a comedian. It's literally the first person in my life to tell me I'm gonna be a comedian. I was like, I can't believe it.

[David Spade]

What's coming from someone famous? That means a lot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It was great. It was a crazy experience because she on snl she would obliterate. She would kill in sketch.

[David Spade]

So hard and super cute.

[Dana Carvey]

So unique. I've said this before, but when I was in the 17th floor and I think I just got in the show and Victoria was there and Lorne Michaels came up to me because he just had talked to her. He said, dana, will you talk to Victoria and try to figure out what, what that's all about? Because you're one.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What does that mean?

[Dana Carvey]

There's something funny there playing a character, you know, but she wasn't, you know. And that purity bounced off the screen and snl, this innocence, the true innocence about her. But so what I was going to observe about. Because I like we have standups on this show and as a stand up, you're. I'm pretty much good with a great stand up for about 15 minutes. You know, as Spade said at the 50th, I get the general gist. You know, we know how the. But with you and there's others but you're. It's personal. And so there's a through line and a story. I know. Then I want to ask you about stand up versus one man show and the one, you know, the blurring of that. But I found myself really compelled of this idea. When you tell maybe a story to your daughter, you make up a story, then she pauses and says and then what happens? And so you, you subtly ride this narrative. And so, and then you go for this moment where you just land a somber moment about your dad. You just say he felt sad and it just sits there. And I'm like, yeah, so that you. And you're also balls out funny all the time. So it's very interesting. I found myself like I'm literally going to finish it. I only got halfway through.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh wow.

[Dana Carvey]

Today because.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Thanks, man.

[Dana Carvey]

I want to know what happens. So it's. Anyway, that's all I had to observe. I'll let you guys talk now.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, that, that's. That, that's definitely the, the goal. Like what happened was, is I. When I was in school, I was studying film and, and plays, like how to write. Screenwriting and playwriting. And I thought for sure when I got out of school, like being a delusional 20 year old, I was like, I'm gonna be a screenwriter. Of course everyone wants me to write films.

[David Spade]

Waiting.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah, they're all waiting. Everyone's just looking for script.

[David Spade]

Hurry get out of school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. And so I. And so, and so then the closer I got to graduation, the more I would talk to people in the business or adjacent to the business. And they're like, yeah, no one wants movie scripts at all, especially not from you, who has no credits or credibility. And someone said to me, and I, and I thought it was good advice. They were like, you should just keep doing stand up because you know, you're working the door and you're, you're pretty good at it, and then eventually you'll be able to make movies. And so along the way, I started kind of merging playwriting and stand up into a thing. And so when I think of the shows, I think of them kind of like what you're describing. Like movies. Like in a movie, you have to have the scene lead to the next scene. So then the next scene. So then the next scene. And if it doesn't have that propulsion, you just shut it off. Like. Right.

[David Spade]

People fade out.

[Dana Carvey]

You're surviving laugh to laugh then. The ultimate opposite of this.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, in.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. But then I go, you know, like, I think where I met Spade was over at the Comedy Cellar one night, like maybe a year or two ago. And that's where I work out the joke part of it. Because, like, the joke, because that's important too. Like, you have to have the jokes work in isolation with audience members that aren't there to see you. That's the goal.

[David Spade]

That's true. And then, because it's different than stand up, because stand up is literally like, if you go 30 seconds without some sort of laugh, you're like, what's going on? But if you have a one man show and you're doing it like a story, you can have ups and downs and parts that are sort of dramatic. Is that what you're saying? Kind of, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And like, you know, I was lucky about, I don't know, 15 years ago, 17 years ago, I met up with Ira Glass, who's the host of this American Life on public radio. And he kind of sort of, he kind of taught me how to shape individual, like 8 to 10 minute stories. And I was doing this moth storytelling series in New York. And so over the years I just got, I got kind of hooked on this idea of like, oh, if you can have the jokes work and the story work and then, and the larger show work, then, like, it's kind of a magical thing.

[Dana Carvey]

Who else is doing what you're doing of your generation? I mean, I know you. You knew John Mulaney, or you know John Mulaney and Nick Kroll and stuff.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Is anyone else? Because it seems like you kind of stick out in this way right now. If you consider yourself as a stand up. But, but you're also a one man show guy, so.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, I produced Alex Edelman's show, which is called Just for us. And it's kind of, it's definitely kind of in that vein. I mean, like Jacqueline Novak, I produced Jack Novak show Get on your knees, which is a little bit in that vein. Yeah, it was at Largo a lot like in the last few. And really funny.

[David Spade]

And title titles a bit, you know, leading.

[Dana Carvey]

Billy. Billy Crystal had. I think it was called A thousand Sundays.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's right. That's right.

[Dana Carvey]

A narrative.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah, he's fantastic. John Leguizamo does it, who's really good. He's another one. But like the, the, the, the format is real. It's actually really big in England. Like, like Edinburgh. Like I went to Edinburgh Fringe Festival a few years ago for the first time. I had never gone and I was like, oh, like, like a hundred people are doing shows like this simultaneously. But it's just never really caught on here.

[David Spade]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Because with standup specials, I don't know now, but a few years back it'd be like you'd have your. Maybe a current event chunk or you'd have relationship chunk and then you might have driving in cars. And now dogs are different from cats. And it would be. I have those sort of an archetypal kind of. And then when it's one thing through narrative with all its different tributaries. I don't know. Sounds fun. If I wasn't lazy and, and went to college of San Mateo, I would do what you do.

[David Spade]

Dummy. Dummy alert.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You should, though. I mean, you and you. But you have a really. You have a lot of great raw materials for. Because you had that whole health scare in the, you know, few years ago. Like the things that you could talk about are endless.

[Dana Carvey]

That's. That's true. All right, thank you.

[David Spade]

That is true.

[Dana Carvey]

I've distilled it now to just kind of going back to sounds and trying to get people involved with abstraction. So it's a wholly different course. But I want them like in junior college with my friends were stoned, I would do a Star Trek bit and it would go on for 10 minutes and stuff like that. You know, I've just gone full circle.

[David Spade]

You can do your thing about the hospital and play all your organs. Just give them all like a little personality.

[Dana Carvey]

Hey, man. It was a box bypass. Two words that don't belong together. But he got one out of the two arteries, right? So he's 50. 50. You can't judge it.

[David Spade]

Listen.

[Dana Carvey]

So you know that.

[David Spade]

That'll keep you in the NBA.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, in a way. In a way, Shandling did it to a degree, right? Like, he was very personal. He didn't. It didn't have an arc necessarily, but, like, it was just very personal.

[Dana Carvey]

That's a. That. That's it. When it's personal. That's also another thing that attaches if it's just abstract jokes, but when it's personal, you know, I don't know, who do you like out there right now? And I was going to ask you about this phenomenon of people in the last six, eight years playing stadiums or arenas. Like, it was not so common 20 years ago. So what is that about? And would you like to play Madison Square Garden?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I feel like, like, you know, there's a handful. Like, I'm trying to think, like, Atsuko A. Katsuka, who has an HBO special I think is really, really funny. I think there's this guy Chris Fleming out in LA, who's from Massachusetts. Really, really funny. I mean, I. I like, you know, I love Tig Notaro. I mean, she's in my sort of class.

[David Spade]

We.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Sort of.

[Dana Carvey]

Personal.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, very personal. But, yeah, it's weird. The stadium thing feels like it's gotta end, right.

[David Spade]

I feel bad when I go, I'm going to Tempe next month. And I. People like, oh, Sun Devil Stadium. I go, no, I'm playing a theater. They're like, oh, I guess a lot of people were playing Sun Devil Stadium. Like, a lot of people are one.

[Dana Carvey]

One guy, I won't say who is. He's playing Nebraska. They're setting up the whole state. North border of Nebraska. They have. They have speakers all throughout the state. Nebraska, that's a pretty big state, I hope.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wow.

[David Spade]

I would play the Four Corners.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I. I've never. I've never. I saw, I think, one or two shows at Madison Square Garden of comedy. And I was just kind of like, yeah, I don't know. It doesn't. It doesn't allure me. But, you know, I like. Like, I filmed my special at the Beacon at the Beacon Theater. To me, that's like the perfect big venue.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

2700.

[David Spade]

Would you act, work in a big 10,000 seater? Was it the same thing? Or is it too small to listen to? I have a child, I think, with.

[Dana Carvey]

Screens, I mean, because Nate. Nate is similar in some ways, but I think the screens must do it, I suppose, otherwise.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, because I. I opened for Jon Stewart years ago at Meriwether Post Pavilion. That was like 9,000 people and it was good. It's just like you're playing for television. Yeah, right. It's like the screens, it's like you're just projecting.

[David Spade]

You're pausing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

A 40 foot screen.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, I think it's, it's, it's great for your, your pocketbook, but it's not. I mean, if money wasn't any concern or anything. What is your favorite size room? Just for you having fun.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, what's funny is in, in la. I don't know if you guys go over there much, but like Largo is.

[David Spade]

The best comedy room.

[Dana Carvey]

300.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Unbelievable. And, and then in New York, the comedy seller is unbelievable. It's 140 seats in a basement.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, I, I really think that just the compression of the energy and it feeds around and so for me especially, because I'll just get into some rhythm and if I'm getting that energy, I'm just going to keep riding it, you know, with some character. And, and I do like 100 seater, 80 cedar, low ceilings, you know, for fun.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, like, like my favorite, probably my favorite thing that I've ever done in comedy is like being at the Cellar and Chris Rock pops in and you're seeing him in front of 140 people, like work out new ideas. You're just like, this is the craziest thing. It's like a fantasy sequence. As a comedy fan, that's the fun.

[David Spade]

Of the Cellar, I think is wide. It's. It's about three feet deep. And like if you go to the restroom in there, I think Colin was on last time I was there and I had to go pee and I'm like, no, because he'll see me for sure. It's just distracting. Like you have to walk right in front of him and everyone and it's so small that it's too obvious. I have a question about that table the comics sit at. That's always curious to me. Who's allowed at that table?

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's a good, that's a really good question. Even barely the comics. Oh, barely, yeah. Yeah. How is it some of the comics are allowed at the comics table? No, I mean, I love that one table. It's. Yeah, here's what I'll say. It's one table. There's an auxiliary table. There's an auxiliary table.

[David Spade]

Spillover table.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, there's a spillover. I think that, well, when I was in my 20s and I was playing there, I would get, you know, it's the early 2000s, I would get murdered by, you know, Patrice O' Neill and Bill Burr and all those. Colin Quinn, like, it was all the tough crowd guys. Greg, Geraldo.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And they would just rip me to shreds. I mean, it was just a, it was a different.

[David Spade]

You mean if you sat there or they would just give you shit, that's who was sort of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, if I, if I sat there, I love it. Or even like Jimmy Norton, he was in that group. And, and I love these guys, but like back then, like, because I was like this wide eyed kid. It's funny, I remember one time, Todd Glass, who I know, yeah, yeah, Brilliant comic.

[Dana Carvey]

Funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He came, he was visiting me in town and he came and he saw those guys just rip me apart at the table, like. And he couldn't believe it. Like, I don't think he'd ever seen anything like it. And he was like, why do they talk to you like that? And I go, I don't, I don't know, man. This is. I'm, I'm new, I'm young, whatever. And then he brought up you, Spade. He goes, he goes, the only other person I saw this happen to was David Spade. Because when he came to la, he was immediately really good and young and he got a lot of stuff fast. And so people like came at him really fast. Is that true?

[David Spade]

I've never even asked the way of the world. But yeah, that was at the improv. And the worst part was I was like, they're like, you're doing a movie already? I go, I guess. Aren't you supposed to. Is that. I mean, I've, I've done five sets, I've paid my dues. But the improv was a place where, like, it goes back to you saying you want to write movies. But to do stand up was good advice because you have to somehow be in front of people doing something because people won't see you. When they go. People in my acting class are like, oh, I don't do commercials, I don't do soap operas, I don't do this. Or TV shows. You go, if you're good, they will find you. But you have to be in front of something. You could find someone good even in a commercial. You go. Or they just catch your eye. You have to be out there and to stand up. You get to be at the improv if you get on. Or the store now. And the seller obviously is very famous. But there's, there's always someone, even if it's other comedians, like they might be writing something, you know, who'd Be good this guy, because you're in front of them. And so I got stuff because casting people just drift into the improv and go, oh, I wasn't even here to see this guy. But they'll just grab somebody and go, oh, they'd fit. You know, we should. And that really helped me.

[Dana Carvey]

You did not look like a regular stand up David. You know, you had the long surfer blonde hair. You looked maybe 16 when you were 22.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I watched Spade when I was in college. I watched your half hour and I love it.

[David Spade]

Thank you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like a perfect half hour. You were like, yeah, probably young with that.

[David Spade]

And that was so great because I didn't realize that was one of the reasons I got spots of the improv. Because the chalkboard lineup they wrote on the chalkboard in the old days and it was Kevin Nealon and Leno and Seinfeld and Richard Belzer and just guys that did not look like me. And I was just from Arizona, I was 20 and I had long blonde hair. So I think Bud Friedman was like, oh, we need one of you. You just look different. Just get up there and mumble around. I don't care.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like.

[Dana Carvey]

Prime Video, Amazon music, and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get.

[Mike Birbiglia]

More out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more. This episode is brought to you by Stay Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Dana Carvey]

I do think there's no greater calling card than stand up. If they know you wrote it now they. They can see you can land a joke. And in your case, you could, they could see you're an actor. You could definitely, you know, and you've done movies and stuff. Sleepwalk with Me.

[David Spade]

Do you bring that cork board into your meetings to show how hard you work?

[Dana Carvey]

Is that full of Saturday Night Live sketches?

[David Spade]

The yellow ones are the funniest. The pink ones are under construction.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Literally just. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Are those your ideas? Random ideas?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. That goes back to when I was 18 years old and I started writing jokes and just putting them on note cards on my wall. I still do it.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, they want me to have a background here, so I'm gonna let you do that. I think it looks really good.

[David Spade]

It looks, like very professional. Like, I'm so busy.

[Dana Carvey]

If you could take a picture of that, send it to me, I'll blow.

[David Spade]

You know what's funny about that is that it shows. Shows people that it's hard enough to do your act when you see it polished. This is the. That you're doing all day to get something that works for 30 seconds. Like, to get anything that works is so hard.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, it's. I always say that to people who are starting out in comedy. It's like, I write four hours of comedy to do an hour of comedy.

[David Spade]

And even now have a good feel for it. And before you'd write something, be like, a random thing would work. But now you go. I think in my head, this will work. I did that last week because I have to work on new stuff, and I'm like, these three will work, and two, two didn't. And I'm like, why, at this point, do I still not know for sure what will work? It's so confounding sometimes.

[Dana Carvey]

Mike, have you ever written a bit or a piece of your special or whatever where you kind of thought, well, I don't know if I'm ever gonna write something that lands this beautifully, like, full circle, you know, I said, I.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Think, like, yeah, my sleepwalking story is like that. And to an extent, which is like, you know, basically 20 years ago, I sleepwalked through a second story window.

[Dana Carvey]

Did you fall? Did you fall?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I know. I jumped through the glass.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And because I had a dream there was a guided missile headed towards my room, and they told me the missile coordinates were set on me. And so in my dream and as it turns out, my life, because I was diagnosed with this thing called rbd, REM Behavior Disorder, I jumped through the window, and I landed on the front lawn of the motel. I took a fall. I kept running. And I'm running. I'm slowly realizing I'm on the front lawn of La Quinta in. In Walla Walla, Washington, in my underwear, bleeding. And that. And the true. And the strangest thing is, in that moment, I was relieved that I hadn't been hit by the missile.

[David Spade]

Right?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was like. So I could see. I would have been a disaster, that story.

[Dana Carvey]

I could see where it's like. It's so Nobody else goes. I've heard that from a lot of.

[David Spade]

I've got one like that.

[Dana Carvey]

Everybody jumps through a window, especially La Quinta. But no, I could see where you kind of like. That's why, you know, you did a movie as well, right? And you did.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

And you put mittens on after that. Is that the rumor?

[Mike Birbiglia]

For a period. For a period of time, I wore a sleeping bag. A doctor told me to do this. Wear a sleeping bag up to my neck and wear mittens so I can't open the sleeping bag.

[David Spade]

So, awesome.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So I did that for years. For years I did that. Did he say, I don't do it.

[David Spade]

Stay away from missiles?

[Mike Birbiglia]

He said, yeah, that's probably the spider bag as well.

[Dana Carvey]

And maybe think about the Holiday Inn next time.

[David Spade]

Maybe the first floor.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't trust La Quinta. So, one thing, I'm kind of curious about you because I don't know in specific, like, you in your career. Like. Like, when was the first time you knew, okay, I'm going to make enough money. This is now my job. After you graduate college. Okay, I'm good. This is what I'm going to do with my life.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember I had, like, one of those calendars from Staples, and I would. I would go through and I would, in highlighter, if I had a club week booked, you know, it'd be like San Jose Improv. And it would be like. And you'd write in parentheses, like, 300. You know what I mean?

[Dana Carvey]

Like, $300 for nine shows. Yeah. Or whatever.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. It'd be like Cincinnati, go bananas. 325.

[David Spade]

Like, it's going up such.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah. It's such a small amount of money. And you would just. And every month I would go, if I can just make $1325, I can pay my rent. And. And it was probably, like, I would say, like, a year into moving New York to New York, where I was like, okay, I can. I think I can do this.

[David Spade]

And then were you going in and out of town?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I was driving my mom's station wagon that had, like 130,000 miles on it.

[David Spade]

Two gigs. A lot of them on the east coast, thank God. Right.

[Dana Carvey]

So when you were traveling like that, were you the emcee or the opener or.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was the emcee or the feature? I was the MC of the feature. And I mean, I've just opened for. I mean, I opened for Hedberg a bunch of times. I remember I opened for Jake Johansson, who was a brilliant.

[Dana Carvey]

Well from San Francisco.

[David Spade]

Oh, my God, it's like comedy school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like that.

[David Spade]

You go, I get to sit in the side and watch this.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's crazy. That. And that was my favorite part of it. And then I got. And then I got Letterman from doing Montreal Comedy Festival. I did Montreal Comedy Festival, New Faces when I was 23.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then, wow. Eddie. Eddie Brill saw me and was like, I think we could work on a set for Letterman. And I was like, that's crazy. Like, this is literally between SNL and Letterman. That's like, all I grew up on. So I was like, this is crazy. And then it was like a year later.

[Dana Carvey]

So 24. You're doing a set on Letterman.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, it was banana.

[David Spade]

And for the crowd at all. It takes a year to buff out a set, right? It does. It takes a long time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[David Spade]

They have to keep seeing you and go. Change that word. I'd put that sentence at the end. I'd open for the. And you're like, ah, it'll do good. The fear factor going on of Letterman.

[Dana Carvey]

I know. What was your headspace behind the curtain? And you heard here, Letterman announce you. How were you? You were.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember that.

[Dana Carvey]

That's nerve.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember they came up and I remember they came up and they go, do you want cue cards with your jokes of your jokes? And I go, no, I think I know the jokes. And then my brother Joe was there with me, and Joe goes, yeah, he wants the cue cards. Like, he likes time to. And then I swear to God, I said my first joke. My brain, you know, you're standing on, like, this, like, circle in the middle of the Ed Sullivan Theater on the stage. The moment I said one joke, I forgot everything in my act. And I was like, I am so fucked. Right? I am completely and totally. And I look up at the cue card, I'm like, there's the other jokes.

[David Spade]

What does it mean by. Says McDonald's? And you go, oh, I know what that means, folks. I went to McDonald's last night.

[Dana Carvey]

We're good. And was it a travel. He didn't invite people to the couch. But how good was that set? Was it good enough or very good?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think it was good enough. I think it was like, you know, my agent, who was a new agent at the time, like, he hadn't. He was kind of. He and I were the same age, which is always good. It's so funny when people. People always ask you, like, how do you get an agent? It's like, well, try to find someone who has, like, no career, no clients, you know what I mean? No clients. And now. Now he's, like, the biggest agent there is. Like, he. You know, Mulaney and Kevin Hart and all these huge. At the time, he. No, it was Mike Berkowitz.

[David Spade]

Mike Berkowitz. Okay, I'll be.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And. And. But at the time, he had nobody. And it was me. He actually, in me and Greg Geraldo. That's who.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, and who was a brilliant comic. And. And. And he was like, well, I could market you as, like, the youngest comic to ever do Letterman, which was a lie. It was like, fully.

[Dana Carvey]

I can market.

[David Spade]

I can think of lies.

[Dana Carvey]

So it sounds good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah. So I would go to, like, Joker's Comedy Club in Dayton, which is, like, attached to, like, a strip club, and, like, sells, like, dildos and, you know, dildo straws in the lobby. And then. And they would. And they would. And they would have. It was like, for bachelorette parties. Yeah, I think. And then they would. And then they. They would. It would be marketed as, like, the youngest guy to be on leather. It was like, literally a lie.

[David Spade]

It was just not even funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah. Not funny. Not even.

[David Spade]

But young.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But young. But young. And then. And then I figured out how to do an hour. But it's like, it's funny because when you're starting out, and I did, like, God, I must have done, like, a.175 colleges like the one that you and I did in Rhode Island. But, like, I. I mean, you. I feel like you figure out how to do an hour of comedy. When they tell you you have to do an hour of comedy, it's, like, hard.

[David Spade]

It's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So sure you guys dealt with that.

[Dana Carvey]

Exact same thing, because I was there just for a second, and when the clubs were just being built, basically, so I think it was Last Unlimited Sacramento, and everyone had. I didn't have the time to go, well, we'll headline you, but you need to do an hour. So that's why I got the guitar and did a few things, and I had props. I mean, I did anything to grab time, you know? So go ahead.

[David Spade]

But were you headlining on snl? Because I. I got SNL as a middle. So when I got enough fame to go, it was gradual, but when I got the headline, I'm like, I don't think I got headline. I barely have. I did. My longest middle set was like 35. And then you got to go to an hour. And I'm like, an hour or 40. 45 is good. And they go, yeah, maybe an hour. We'll put the checks out. What about when they put the checks out and it stops your acting? It's tracked and you go, huh? Everyone just.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember I did. I had done this joke called Premium Blend on Comedy Central. And, and someone saw me on it and booked me at a long defunct club called the Comedy Spot in Schaumburg, Illinois. And they just fully just emailed me from my website, hey, can you come headline our club? I was, you know, you're delusional when you're a kid. You're just like, oh, absolutely. Just say, yes, I'll be right. I'll be there next week. I show up. First of all, no one shows up. No one's heard of me. It's like, no, like, completely empty. It's like a new club. And I, I have 25 minutes of material. I mean, they're literally like, so you do an hour, the opener does 10. And I was like, okay, sounds good. I go out, I'm fully through my act at a half hour, you know, and that's how, what's weird is that's how you learn how to do crowd work.

[David Spade]

You have to, I was going to say, got to go to the crowd.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Where, where you been? Where are you from? Yeah. Did you, did you, when you went on Letterman, did you have special clothes or did you just, did you buy a jacket for the show or did you just wear your cool coat?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, that was the whole thing is they, they, they always said you have to wear a suit because Dave likes.

[David Spade]

He's like, old look, right?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Dave likes when you wear a suit. And so I, I bought my, you know, my first suit.

[David Spade]

That's kind of cool, though. But it's. Sometimes it's bad because, you know, I don't think me, you or Dana would be fully relaxed in a suit when you're always wearing something else. And say. I go, what is the closest. What I always wear to make everything the same as a club. Because when I did my first TV spot, I walked out and I did like you with the cue cards. I was staring at the shiny floor and the crowd and the camera's going. I couldn't even think of my act. I was like, holy, this is what it looks like out here. I'm always looking this way, and then I'm like deer in headlights. And they're like, go ahead and go. And I'm like, oh, okay. What else?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I had a related thing with, with you, Spade, because I remember hearing you talk about when you would do Hollywood Minute on snl and the people were mad, like, the. Because you're making fun of real people.

[David Spade]

Yeah, they weren't really looking for me.

[Dana Carvey]

You started an industry kind of, you know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah. Like, I remember doing a show on one of those VH1 talking head shows.

[David Spade]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And they were like, what do you think of Huey Lewis in the news? And I'm like, blah, blah, blah. He sucks. Whatever the joke was. And I got an email from, like, a whole bunch of Huey Lewis heads who were just like, you fucking suck.

[Dana Carvey]

You feel.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Who the fuck are you?

[David Spade]

Done.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We love Huey Lewis. One of you. Who are you?

[David Spade]

Die. Got a lot of that because I was new. It was actually funnier that I was new and making fun of people because it was so out of the blue. But it was. I always say it was the era of People magazine where celebrities were so adored and you forget that they're all trash now. But when. When back then to say, you see this movie, then they kind of suck in that. Everyone's like, yeah. Wait, what? Why would you just said they were bad in something and you're like, yeah, my friends went to that. It fucking sucks, boy. And you're like, this how real people talk. But they went, Ian, you know who helped me with Hollywood Minute? Bob Odenkirk.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, did he?

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, it's hilarious.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's. Well, that's. That's sort of the secret of Bob is he's like a silent killer.

[David Spade]

Yeah, right. And he's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He's like super nice, Midwestern. And then behind the scenes, he's like, actually.

[David Spade]

And he's smart. And he said, maybe frame it. Like, you know, we were trying different things. I think it was like, guess what, you're an idiot. Like, we were doing stuff about celebrities, and I think it was Michael Bolton. We. And we know you got long hair in the back, but guess what? We all know what's happening on top because it was, like, really thin up here.

[Dana Carvey]

Bob. Bob Odenkirk. And I think it was Smigel and myself, but they had. And I think it was primarily Bob the Grumpy Old man that I did on SNL was the reverse of what you would expect because the guy's like, we didn't have flame retardant sleepwear. If you went to bed smoking, you woke up engulfed in flames. Look at me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Whoop dee doo.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm a flaming corpse. And I like it.

[David Spade]

I love it.

[Dana Carvey]

And that was all Bob. It was such a weird twist on the classic old guy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This Father's Day helped dad be all.

[David Spade]

He can be with a gift from.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The Home Depot because he's not just dad.

[David Spade]

He's the handyman of the house.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The plumber in a pinch and the emergency mechanic. Upgrade his gear this father's day with.

[David Spade]

The Husky Mechanics 270 piece tool set.

[Dana Carvey]

From the Home Depot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Now on Special buy for $119. A $695 value for every kind of dad. Find the perfect gift this father's day.

[David Spade]

At the Home Depot.

[Dana Carvey]

Pro baller Lonzo ball for buzzballs Ready to go. Cocktails take 12.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Buzzballs just dropped their biggest blue balls. The script says Biggie's blue balls.

[Dana Carvey]

Lonzo take 13.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Blue balls just dropped their biggest buzz balls. Ugh.

[Dana Carvey]

Let's try a vocal exercise.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Buzz biggies. Blue balls. Buzz balls.

[Dana Carvey]

Biggies.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Blue balls. Big balls just dropped. Get blue balls this season with buzz balls, please, you're responsibly. Buzzballs. Available in spirit, wine and malt, 15% alcohol by volume. Buzzballs, LLC, Carrollton, Texas.

[Dana Carvey]

I just wanted to insert for a second because it's in my head that wearing suits on talk shows. So initially I'd wear kind of a loose shirt, sometimes a T shirt, leather jacket, because the host was always older than me. It was either Leno or Carson. And then when the host became older than me, like Jimmy Fallon in a suit. I can't wear a T shirt. I'm older than him. So then I switched to the suit. I just want to tell you that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I remember I was so starstruck. I was opening in for Pablo Francisco.

[Dana Carvey]

Caroline killer.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Unbelievable. And Jimmy Fallon came because they had been in an acting class together. And it. And that was another one where, like, Jimmy Fallon was there, and he came up to me. And I'm friends with Jimmy, you know, still today, but, like, he came up to me afterwards, and he was like. He was like, I. He was like, you're gonna do this. You're gonna do this, like you're gonna make it, you know? And I feel like sometimes that kind of thing, like the Victoria Jackson thing and the foul thing, like, it does kind of get you through the hard.

[David Spade]

It resonates. Someone real in show business said I was good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's right.

[David Spade]

Yeah. It's very true.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. This is a week ago about that. Yeah. Jimmy told me about beating you, and he thought, you're gonna make it. And I said, you really think he's gonna make. Tell him make it. Is it crazy? I just do it. I do it as a sound. But, yeah, I was gonna ask you just this sort of Overarching joke. Like, where are you now? Right now. Now you're going on tour. And when does this special come out on Netflix?

[David Spade]

Is this the Good Life?

[Mike Birbiglia]

The Good Life is out, I think by the time this comes out. August. May 26th.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay.

[David Spade]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So.

[Dana Carvey]

And you have. So it's May 26th, the good life. Netflix.

[Mike Birbiglia]

On Netflix. And. And then I'm. Right. And I'm writing my next movie. My first movie was Sleepwalk With Me. My second movie's called Don't Think Twice. And I'm writing a third movie, which is like an ensemble comedy that takes place at a wedding about a bunch of old friends. And I'm just psyched about it. Like, I'm. I'm taking some time off from Stand up. I'm doing a few shows with Mulaney this summer, being Fred Armisen and Nick Kroll and Mulaney are doing a bunch of outdoor shows this summer in Canada and Maine.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But. Yeah, it's just. I. You. I feel like you never get to do shows when you headline as a comedian. You never get to hang with your friends doing shows. So we're. I love that. We're just doing a bunch of.

[Dana Carvey]

And you're just in the mix there. You don't necessarily close or open. You're just going to be.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm not closing. No, I. John. I don't want to close.

[David Spade]

Still stressful for John, even though it's fun. He's got to go out there and mop.

[Dana Carvey]

John knows what he's doing up there.

[Mike Birbiglia]

John's a killer.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, he's a killer. So you're. I just want to ask for a second. Like, when you write a movie, do you have, like, three bulletin boards? First act, second act, third act. You start putting up ideas or you write it. You're writing it like a story.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I do. I do two bulletin boards. I go. I go. The story cards, the scene cards, and then the other one is the characters.

[Dana Carvey]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I listen to this great aspiring screenwriters. I listen to this podcast for years that John August and Craig Mason do called Script Notes, and it's like 600 episodes about screenwriting. Craig Mason did the Last of Us. He wrote the Last of Us and directed it.

[David Spade]

Amazing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

John, John. John August did Big Fish. Like, they're just, like, great writers. And, you know, I. I just think, like, you know, I try to just think about everything. The reason I do the character bulletin board is like, I always try to think of everything being in relation to, like, what would the character do as opposed to, like, what Would happen to the character.

[Dana Carvey]

And would you direct this? Yeah, yeah. So that would be the ultimate creative play boxes or toy boxes I can see is to write and direct a movie, get all the toys out there, all the actors, all the stuff, and then try to visualize your. Your dream, basically.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Totally. I mean, that's. I mean, like, when I think about my favorite stuff, it's like, you know, like James L. Brooks movies. Like Broadcast News.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, it's good as it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know.

[Dana Carvey]

What was that?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I just, you know, Mike Nichols career. I love, like, I love the idea of just directing a bunch of movies. And I. Yeah. I hope that. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And you. Kramer versus Kramer or the Graduate or.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Sensibility that you're going for, you know.

[David Spade]

Great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I would say close to the. Yeah, I would say close to the Graduate. Like, I just love movies and I feel this way about my specials too. I love things that have jokes and jokes and jokes and then they kind of get you when. When you don't expect it emotionally.

[Dana Carvey]

Tootsie. Tootsie was great big comedy, but, you know, has all.

[David Spade]

When the dad has to sit. Dustin hopping down at the end and talk to him was.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, you know, it's another one, by the way. Trains, Trains, Planes and Automobiles. I feel like is like that. I just. Obviously Tommy Boy is. Is that.

[David Spade]

Tommy Boy is.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, that is true. We talked about Tommy Boy recently with the director and Chris at the end in the sailboat talking to his dad and stuff. I mean. Yeah, it had that.

[David Spade]

That was like a late addition. Like how to wr up and how to make it all make sense. And it was so important, the lore.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of Tommy Boy because that's such an iconic movie. For me, it's like the lore of you guys talking about how you were just doing it, like, on, like weekdays you'd fly to Canada during SNL and then you'd fly back. Like, what the hell? Like, doesn't make any sense.

[David Spade]

That's why we're all crazy sometimes in comedy.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't know your particular style, but sometimes money can get in the way and too many days to shoot can get in the way. Some. The first such a low budget, 25 or 30 days. We just didn't. We just kept going, going, going, going. But in your case, how. How many pages will your script be? Yeah, when you're ready to shoot, it'll be.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It'll be a hun. It'll be probably a hundred pages and we'll probably shoot it. Look, they're gonna. They'll probably say it'll be 25 days, and I'll. I'll just fight and fight to try to get 28, 29 days. I mean, that's the thing that's so hard to explain about making movies. It's like you're just begging for time. You're just like, please, because you're just bleeding money.

[David Spade]

Gonna miss something. You don't want to miss anything. You're like, I need one more take on this. I need one more location just to just make everything better. If we could just. We need this. We need it. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Would you have somebody, like, do a rough edit after every day? Like a really quick digital edit so you can kind of see what you got.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Our editor was this guy named Jeffrey Richmond, who. Who actually edits Severance, which is brilliant show. And he would do. He would do assemblies, but a lot of it would be. He'd be. He'd be like, hey, if you can go back into the kitchen and shoot a thing where she says, like, I don't have the hammer, that would really help us have this whole fucking thing.

[Dana Carvey]

That's better than reshoots. I mean, the kitchen set is still around, you know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. So basically, just to sum up, on this Internet, it's like, you're busy. Life is. Life is good.

[David Spade]

Yep.

[Dana Carvey]

Good life. Netflix right now for you, creatively, it seems like you're very engaged and excited about this movie and everything you're doing, you know, and, yeah, we're excited about the special.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm excited about the special. I'm excited to make my next movie. And, yeah, I'm lucky. You know, I live in Brooklyn with my wife and daughter. She just turned 10. We had like a. Like a birthday sleepover this weekend. The girls watch Clueless just like, oh, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And see John Hughes. All those movies you can show as your daughter. And the. As they. Hopefully they like them all Pretty in Pink. All those movies are.

[David Spade]

She.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, she's got. And she just started watching snl, and so, like, it's. It's really fun to watch her, like, get why it's fun, like, get why the live aspect of SNL is kind of the best part of it, that it's just messy and everyone's in a.

[Dana Carvey]

Costume or whatever, and it's just. Yeah, it's. It's silly and ridiculous. It's a lot of pressure. But, yeah, there's not much more fun you can have if you're in a good sketch on snl. And it's. It's really doing well. It's pretty buzzy because it's, you know, it's going out live to a lot of people.

[David Spade]

Well, thanks, Mike. It's great to see you again. And thanks for coming on with us.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, we, we enjoyed chatting with you. And say hello to John Mulaney and Nick Roll or whoever else you're out there with.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All right, Thanks a lot, you guys. Just love, love the podcast and I, I am honored to come on now.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm gonna go watch the rest of your special.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Amazing, amazing. Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

All right, be well.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All right, I'll see you guys soon.

[Dana Carvey]

Take care.

[David Spade]

This has been a presentation of Odyssey to see. Please follow, subscribe, Leave a Like a review all this stuff. Smash that button, whatever it is, wherever you get your podcasts. Fly on the Wall is executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Jenna Weiss Berman of Odyssey and Heather Santoro. The show's lead producer is Greg Holtzman.