Friends Keep Secrets: The Nick Kroll Episode
Podcast: Friends Keep Secrets
Hosts: benny blanco, Lil Dicky (Dave Burd), Kristin Batalucco
Guest: Nick Kroll (plus John Mulaney, Dave Franco, Kristen Bell in the hang)
Date: April 7, 2026
Episode Theme:
A candid, hilarious, and freewheeling house hang with Nick Kroll, focusing on comedy, voice acting, creative competition, self-image, nostalgia, fatherhood, and anxieties—with plenty of playful, irreverent tangents.
Episode Overview
This episode invites listeners into an intimate, unscripted hang at Dave and Kristin’s home with their crew—including Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Dave Franco, and Kristen Bell. The vibe is irreverent and loose, with riffing on everything from LA smoothie prices and adolescent embarrassments to the emotional mechanics of being a professional comedian and dad. Through it all, Nick Kroll’s distinct comedic perspective shines: candid, self-aware, and vulnerable, using humor to connect over shared anxieties and life’s awkwardness. “Friends Keep Secrets” delivers on its premise—offering the feeling that you’re right there in the room, whether they're making ball jokes, swapping career stories, or gently roasting each other's insecurities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Erewhon Smoothies, Celebrity Stunts, and Capitalism Satire
- Starts with a discussion of Erewhon’s famously pricey smoothies, joking about selling an “empty cup” for $100 as a “commentary on capitalism.”
- Nick Kroll: “For a good one, you want to get over like 40. 45. If you know you’re gonna get a smoothie. Yeah, you do. 45.” [00:22]
- Nick riffs on "Vons farts" (jars he claims to have sold at Erewhon), poking fun at absurd health/wellness trends.
- Tangent into “what if a celebrity like Brad Pitt made a wild public stunt announcement?” and how fame warps reality.
2. Body Image, Abs, and Comedic Insecurity
- Playful debates on six-packs, lighting tricks for photos, and male body image anxieties—often veering into dick jokes.
- Nick Kroll: “I had my dick had a six pack. My dick was lifting.” [04:04]
- John Mulaney: “My first song I ever put out, like, one of the main bits was Dick has Abs.” [04:09]
3. Comedy “North Stars,” Career Competition, and Sibling Bonds
- Each guest names the “comedy movie of their life” (Heavyweights, Wayne’s World, The Producers, Big Lebowski, Superbad).
- Nick: “I loved [Wayne’s World] and then The Producers because I was a fancy little boy.” [04:59]
- Nick shares about his brother and the special bond they have, including a memorable solo vacation together.
- Explores the healthy (and not-so-healthy) rivalry between friends in the comedy world, and how professional jealousy manifests.
- Nick Kroll: “I have a healthy competition with all of my friends in comedy because I also am attracted to talent.” [17:18]
4. Finding Voices—Animated Work and the Art of Voice Modulation
- Nick explains his approach to developing voices for characters (e.g., Gunter in “Sing,” Maury the hormone monster in “Big Mouth”).
- Nick Kroll: “It’s all a choice of an accent, a dialect, and then a modulation. And then if there’s some extra something on it.” [13:29]
- Performs several voice impressions for the group, deconstructing how each is built.
- Nick Kroll: “My one physical strength I think is my ability to do long larynx work.” [15:03]
- Talks about the physical toll and creative challenge of holding a voice through long recording sessions.
5. Creative Insecurity, Early Embarrassments, and the Roots of “Big Mouth”
- Nick gets real about not feeling like a surefire future star as a kid—even though he was voted to give his high school graduation speech (which he “bombed”).
- Relates formative adolescent trauma straight out of “Big Mouth”—getting pantsed at a party, childhood crush humiliations, and body insecurity.
- Nick Kroll: “I was pants in like seventh grade in front of my high school… And I had not hit puberty.” [24:48]
- The group riffs on the freedom of talking about “dicks” in creative work—animated and otherwise.
6. Parenting, Projection, and Navigating Anger
- Nick describes being a dad, seeing himself in his son, and wrestling with wonder and frustration (“he’s just being a four-year-old, but I’m getting angry at myself”). [37:06]
- Nick Kroll: “As he learns how to navigate the world, I can get angry with him and I’m realizing on some level I’m just getting angry with myself.” [37:06]
- Opens up about his even-keeled emotional state, not experiencing much anxiety—but recognizing new forms of anger since becoming a parent.
- Touches gently on generational cycles, expectations, and hope for self-acceptance.
7. Turning Off “The Performer,” and the Joy of Hanging with Peers
- Discusses the tension between always being “on” for laughs and learning to be present and vulnerable in real life.
- Dialogue on where “joy” comes from for comedians: getting a laugh, impressing, and true connection.
- John Mulaney: “I’m never happier than when I’m around someone I don’t know that well and I’m making them laugh.” [12:21]
8. “Big Mouth” & Animated Coming-of-Age—Creative Process & Impact
- Nick and the group reflect on why “Big Mouth” had to be animated, enabling more honest, surreal, and nuanced depictions of puberty.
- Nick Kroll: “It was always built to be animated so that we can tell more nuanced, deeper stories about puberty, sexual development, adolescence… you can get away with more and really dig in on a level that would be hard in a live action.” [41:53]
- Considers “Big Mouth” as his “championship ring”—and what it feels like to wonder if he’ll ever reach that creative high again.
9. Material Success, Fashion, & The Hermes Experience
- Nick opens up about caring a lot about fashion, going to his first Hermes show with his wife:
- Nick Kroll: “I care about fashion. I do care about fashion. I went to a fashion show… It was so cool… fascinating to watch being. We went to the factory, and we got to look at the bags being made…” [45:09]
- Broadens the picture of his life—balancing creativity, family, and self-presentation.
10. Friendships, Collaboration, and the Oddities of Male Bonding
- Hilarious, vulnerable back-and-forth about competitive friendships, work squabbles, and even FaceTime “help” for long-distance masturbation.
- Dave Franco: “He basically had this like handheld iPhone video of him… I was able to jerk off.” [56:07]
- Ends with the group taking turns asking each other cheeky, honest questions—culminating in Nick performing customized character voices for each friend.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Nick Kroll, on comedic competition:
“I have a healthy competition with all of my friends in comedy because I also am attracted to talent. I’m attracted to the most funniest, most talented people. So I can’t help but be like, I don’t know. Are you guys...” [17:18] -
John Mulaney on comedic fulfillment:
“I’m never happier than when I’m around someone I don’t know that well and I’m making them laugh. Like, when I make you laugh, I feel like I’m reminded of what I’m like the Injection of happiness.” [12:21] -
Nick Kroll, on voice acting:
“It’s all a choice of an accent, a dialect, and then a modulation. And then if there’s some extra something on it. You know what I mean?” [13:29] -
Nick Kroll, on creative agency:
“I was always too impatient to wait to be chosen.” [19:03] -
On formative trauma (with dark humor):
“I was pants in like seventh grade in front of my high school... And I had not hit puberty.” [24:48] -
Nick Kroll, on “Big Mouth” and owning adolescent pain:
“You have to figure out how to come to peace and embrace that person…because we carry all that shit. You carry all of your anxiety and your depression and…all of those things with you wherever you go.” [36:12] -
On being a creative parent:
“As he learns how to navigate the world, I can get angry with him and I’m realizing on some level I’m just getting angry with myself.” [37:06] -
On the joy of letting go:
“When it goes well and it’s a delight, it’s like to release control is wonderful.” [48:57]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Smoothie/Capitalism/Satire: 00:00–01:30
- Celebrity Stunt Hypotheticals: 01:50–02:45
- Abs, Body Image & Dick Jokes: 03:05–05:00
- Comedy Influences & Siblings: 05:10–06:15
- Finding Your Voice/Voiceover Craft: 07:00–16:25
- Creative Competition: 16:40–19:25
- School/Parental Stories: 09:10–10:35
- Anxiety, Anger & Fatherhood: 36:00–38:30
- Big Mouth Origin/Childhood Embarrassment: 24:45–26:00
- Being “On”/Turning Off Performer Mode: 11:07–13:13
- FaceTime “Assistance” Dick Joke: 55:35–56:18
- Nick’s Hermes Fashion Story: 45:09–46:45
- Closing Q&A & Nick’s Custom Voices: 53:40–57:44
Final Highlights
- Nick’s willingness to share both deep anxieties and absurdist humor—including stories about parenting, old humiliations, professional envy, and his emotional DNA—makes the podcast feel both personal and hilarious.
- The group’s chemistry demonstrates the show’s ethos: that intimacy, vulnerability, and humor are all best shared with friends.
- The episode closes with Nick giving each host a personalized motivational message in different character voices—a perfect meta-comedy signoff.
- “Understanding that you were a fan of mine as I was. You brought me so much joy, Chrissy…” [57:08]
TL;DR – Why Listen?
This episode is a masterclass in both comedy and camaraderie, inviting you into the real hang behind the culture’s favorite comedians. You’ll laugh hard, maybe cringe a little, and—most importantly—feel the warmth and imperfection of real friendship.