Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: RE-RELEASE – Sebastian Maniscalco
Release Date: November 19, 2025
Podcast Host: Audacy

Overview

In this engaging episode, comedians Dana Carvey and David Spade sit down with fellow stand-up star Sebastian Maniscalco. The trio explores Sebastian's comedic evolution, his working-class roots, entering stardom later in life, the arc of a comic's career, physicality in comedy, challenges with fame in the age of social media, and the peculiar joys and anxieties of performing live. Blending genuine admiration with comic banter, they also touch on the shifting landscape of stand-up and share candid stories from the world of showbiz and acting.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Sebastian’s Career Arc and Late-Blooming Success

• Early Days & Family Support:
  • Sebastian reflects on performing in clubs while still waiting tables into his early 30s.
  • He shares how he and his wife grew together in the world of comedy, with her gradually shifting from watching every set to supporting him backstage ([06:52]–[07:57]).
• Success Built Over Time:
  • "I'm glad it kind of all happened the way it happened. I just, you know, I had a slow burn...I grew up in a working class Middle. Middle class family...Nothing comes easy. We always gotta, you know, wait our turn." – Sebastian ([10:09])

2. Changes in Comedy: Old School vs. Social Media Quick Fame

• Merit vs. Virality:
  • Sebastian, Dana, and David contrast their grind-through-the-clubs process with today’s route to fame via social media, where comic merit can seem decoupled from popularity.
  • "Apparently you turn your camera on and you eat a meatball...and you're just as famous as the guy..." – Sebastian ([15:05])
  • Dana quips about viral stars: “There's a kid who opens, he's handsome, he opens up jars of pickles. He does seven figures. So what do you do with that?" ([15:41])

3. Sebastian's Unique Comedic Physicality & Artistry

• Physical Comedy Roots:
  • Strongly influenced by John Ritter and his own Italian-American upbringing, Sebastian’s style blends storytelling, musicality, and expressive movement.
  • Dana praises his blend of “physicality and musicality” in act-outs:
    • "There’s not one joke in your act verbally, but also that the act outs allow the audience to laugh crazy hard...So then they're free. And so it's a style that I just love." – Dana ([24:38])
• Injury from Physicality:
  • Sebastian has injured himself (blew out a calf, had sciatica) on stage, which affected his performance. He credits Pilates for his recovery ([45:38]–[47:30]).

4. Navigating Fame, Money, and Roots

• Family and Humility:
  • The hosts and Sebastian discuss reconciling new income levels with their blue-collar upbringing and the feeling of having “made it.”
  • "That he's the star. And I'm...hanging on to his coattails." – Sebastian, on his father ([13:26])
• Never Seeking Fame:
  • They reminisce about doing comedy for the craft and not with the goal of stardom.
  • “I don't think the people that have talent and are in this just for the sheer joy of making people laugh are ever looking for fame and fortune in that way…” – Sebastian ([14:52])

5. Stand-Up Craft and Audience Dynamics

• Handling “Greatest Hits”:
  • Balancing audience expectation for favorite bits with the desire to do new material.
    • "Do you start from scratch and do a whole new hour or do you do a mixed bag?" – David ([26:33])
    • Sebastian prefers giving fans fresh material but will mix in classics on tour ([26:47]).
• Crowd Psychology:
  • Navigating different audience reactions, adapting on the fly, and the psychological tightrope comics walk when bits hit or flop ([42:48]–[44:43]).
• Confidence on Stage:
  • The group discusses different levels of confidence and its transformative effect on performance.
    • “When you get to that level of confidence, that next, next wound down level, the audience is so comfortable, they're so relaxed that you have command up there.” – Dana ([39:45])

6. Influences and Childhood Stories

• Early Inspirations:
  • Sebastian cites Three’s Company, He-Man toys, and Michael Jackson as formative influences ([19:21]–[20:12]).
  • He recalls marveling at stand-ups on The Tonight Show and sneaking into clubs as a teen with a fake ID.
• Stories of Celebrity Encounters:
  • Dana’s stories about waiting on the Jacksons, Richard Pryor, and more while a Holiday Inn waiter ([20:16]–[20:52]).

7. Stand-Up vs. Acting: Struggles & Contrasts

• Acting Frustrations:
  • Sebastian and the hosts agree acting’s repetition and lack of real-time feedback pale compared to performing stand-up.
    • "It's like, we're coming around, you know, we're going again, we're moving, we're moving in. Oh, really?" – Dana ([53:12])
    • "In your act, you do it once and you keep moving." – David ([53:56])
• Long Shoots and Master Shots:
  • Stories of movie sets running long due to multiple takes, illustrated by Brian Dennehy's frustration during Tommy Boy ([54:22]–[55:19]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Family and Work Ethic:

  • "The Maniscalco family, nothing comes easy. We always gotta, you know, wait our turn." – Sebastian ([10:39])

• On Modern Fame:

  • "I feel like we're kind of the last of the Mohicans in the sense of we're...we actually had to work. Going to the club, working on the act, the timing, the nuance..." – Sebastian ([14:52])

• On Comedy Style:

  • “It's funny with the sound off.” – Dana ([24:38])
  • “You have no punchlines...So your bits have no joke. It's like Monty Python.” – Dana to Sebastian ([31:45])

• On Comedy Confidence:

  • “There's 99% and then that last 1% is as big as the previous 99. And I think that's where you got to at a given point.” – Dana ([39:23])

• On Audience Dynamics:

  • “Don't you find it fascinating that you're saying they're not biting on this? Meaning as an audience collective, a whole group...how is it everybody in the audience is not on board with this one particular one?” – Sebastian ([43:22])

• On Naming Specials:

  • "Do you have to say the name in your act?" – Sebastian ([50:22])
  • "People go, I’ll watch your special and give you a name. I’m like, you won’t..." – David ([50:26])

• On Acting:

  • "And in your act, you do it once and you keep moving." – David ([53:56])
  • "Everyone's...like, oh, hey, they do the master shot at 8am, right, David?...By the time you get to the money shot on you, it's like eight, nine hours later. You've actually said the words over 200 times." – Dana ([53:56])

Key Timestamps

• Sebastian on his podcast origins: [05:33]–[05:58]
• Sebastian on working at Four Seasons at age 31: [09:06]–[09:22]
• Reflection on late-blooming success: [10:01]–[11:32]
• Physical comedy and injuries: [45:38]–[47:30]
• Discussion on stand-up vs. acting: [52:49]–[55:19]
• On SNL legacy and watching younger casts: [34:07]–[35:59]
• On naming specials and its meaning: [50:22]–[52:07]

Memorable, Fun Moments

• Dana and David teasing about fake ad reads and sponsorships ([06:04])
• Sebastian describing the "evolution" of a girlfriend turning into a comic's wife in the club ([07:23])
• Dana’s Michael Jackson Holiday Inn story ([20:16])
• Sebastian: “He man for five yards” ([20:02])
• Banter about naming specials and Norm Macdonald’s confusion ([51:08]–[52:11])
• "The Sebast cat on the pod today, huh? That's a toddling cat." – Dana ([45:06])

Conclusion

This episode is an insightful, humorous window into the world of professional comedy and the journey to success. Sebastian Maniscalco’s humility, Carvey and Spade’s veteran perspective, and their mutual respect and comic chemistry make for a lively discussion on what it means to work, adapt, and thrive in comedy—whether hustling in clubs, chasing the next “bit,” or simply savoring the challenge of making people laugh.

For fans of comedy, stand-up craft, and behind-the-scenes showbiz, this episode is a masterclass in both humility and humor.