Podcast Summary: Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Episode: Jonathan Groff
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Amy Poehler
Guest: Jonathan Groff

Overview

In this lively, warm, and candid episode of Good Hang, Amy Poehler sits down with Broadway, TV, and film star Jonathan Groff for an in-depth conversation about his multifaceted career and joyful approach to life. They are joined briefly by Gracie Lawrence, Groff’s co-star from his current Broadway show Just in Time, who shares stories from their collaboration and asks Groff about his famously calm demeanor. The discussion covers Broadway, making meaningful friendships at work, early formative experiences, playing Dorothy, approaching risk and change, and what’s been making them laugh lately.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening and Gracie Lawrence’s Cameo (02:27-12:01)

• Amy introduces the episode and welcomes Gracie Lawrence (of the band Lawrence and co-star in Just in Time) for a fun pre-show hang, joined humorously by surprise guests in Gracie’s dressing room: Jon Stewart and Abby Jacobson.
• Gracie confesses that watching Good Hang pre-show was a calming ritual for her and her roommate:

  "A calm would come over us." (04:00)

• Gracie describes their band’s involvement in their new Broadway show "All Out" and her admiration for Jonathan Groff:

  "I love Jonathan Groff in such an intense way...I think he's like one of the greats, like one of the greatest performers of all time. He reminds me of the kind of performer that is of a different era. He can do it all and is so magnetic and so charming." (07:31)

• Notable, memorable moments include talk of Jonathan’s intense on-stage eye contact and playful backstage shenanigans, highlighting his ability to keep performances fresh and fun.
• Gracie asks Amy to pose her burning question to Groff:

  "I've never seen him frazzled or anxious or nervous. ... When did he, has he always been this way? ... What, if anything, scares him now?" (09:15-10:53)

2. First Meeting & High-Energy Introduction (12:52-18:03)

• Jonathan and Amy officially meet for the first time and joke about their immediate rapport:

  "When you came in, we hugged and you lifted me up, which I really enjoyed...people should know you're very jacked." (13:17)

• Discussion turns to the structure of a Broadway performer’s day, waiting all day for the “hardest” and yet most joyful part—the show:

  "The most challenging part of my day, but it's also the most joyful part of my day...I'm like a kid with the high school play." (15:07)

• Groff walks Amy through his post-show routine—night biking home, decompressing with YouTube, and a true night-owl lifestyle.

3. Joy, Ambition, and Goodness in Artistry (18:03-21:29)

• Amy praises Jonathan for balancing ambition with compassion:

  "You, to me, are the embodiment of someone who is deeply, deeply open and a good, caring, nice person. And also crushing it and ambitious and ambition with a side of compassion, basically. You don't have to be a jerk." (18:03)

• Jonathan reflects on ambition as non-competitive, echoing the “a rising tide lifts all boats” adage and appreciating peers, especially those “magnetized to the same joy of performing” as he’s grown older.

4. Formative Years: Horses, Broadway, and Family (22:11-33:39)

• Jonathan shares childhood memories of life on a Mennonite horse farm, being more drawn to Sondheim than horses:

  "My brother and I were both petrified of the horses because they're so scary...I was blasting Britney Spears and Stephen Sondheim...being like, this. I don't fit here." (23:06)

• Heartfelt stories about family acceptance—being “allowed to be” himself even in a conservative environment:

  "They just beautifully allowed me to fly my freak flag." (26:12)

• Both Amy and Jonathan discover parallels in their childhood performances as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, hilariously contrasting Groff’s “tornado-forward” approach with Amy’s “leading lady” instincts.

5. Path to Broadway & Early Career Breaks (29:03-34:48)

• Groff traces his journey from discovering musical theater at the local library, through school trips to see Broadway, to working in community theaters and meeting his future Just In Time cast mate decades earlier.
• Talks about forgoing college after booking the Sound of Music tour, parents’ support, and the pivotal moment of being Tony-nominated for Spring Awakening at 21.

6. Self-Discovery, Identity, and Artistic Growth (35:12-47:09)

• Jonathan describes how Spring Awakening opened him up as a person and an artist:

  "Playing the role in that show allowed me to grow the muscle to be able to do that [come out]." (38:24)

• Deep conversation on the struggles and fears around coming out, family reactions, and the complexity of living authentically, particularly for people-pleasers.
• Career evolutions: from Glee to Looking to Hamilton, each marked by periods of risk-taking.
• On accepting the part in Hamilton after Looking’s cancellation, his initial “just say yes” attitude, and discovering the comedic brilliance in the King George songs.

7. Performance Process & Backstage Life (51:28-56:09)

• Amy asks about downtime backstage at Hamilton:

  "I ended up really learning how to embrace...I would have visitations from the cast...Then I started reading all the books that I wanted to read...and it became a very productive time." (53:46)

• Funny rituals (Groff would "have five Altoids in my mouth" for his cue), and mutual “cue-missing” anxiety dreams in performance settings.

8. Merrily We Roll Along: Sondheim, Memory & Full Circle (56:51-62:49)

• Both discuss the depth and resonance of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway as Groff turned 40, recognizing its autobiographical links to Sondheim’s own life, and its theme of friendship, time, and artistic growth:

  "It was every dream I ever had come true." (60:16)

• On the power of crafting something with intention, regardless of how it's received in the moment:

  "If you do something with your whole heart, it can continue to resonate and stand the test of time." (62:49)

9. Friendship, Intimacy, and Chosen Family (65:08-70:03)

• Amy observes how Groff’s projects often translate into lifelong friendships; Jonathan reveals this partly stems from the closeted intimacy needs of his youth and the authenticity found in theater communities.
• Heartfelt tribute to late friend Gavin Creel—meeting him as a teen at the stage door, the “electricity” of those early theater experiences, and how transformative those relationships can be.

10. Gracie Lawrence’s Question: Calmness in the Face of Pressure (70:45-76:54)

• Groff finally answers Gracie’s earlier question, crediting his “fainting goat” instinct to go “dead calm” when scared:

  "When something scary happens, I go dead calm. I start to just talk really slowly and I bring it all the way down..." (72:45)

• He shares a story about losing his voice onstage and handling it with composed directness, putting his cast and the audience at ease.

11. What Makes Jonathan Groff Laugh (77:19-81:13)

• Late-night decompression equals YouTube bingeing (“my only addiction”):

  “Weirdly, even though I'm not on any social media, I was the one that knew the YouTubes that would make us laugh.” (77:33)

• Amy and Jonathan bond deeply over news blooper videos ("Gay Everest," "Grape Lady") as the ultimate cure for work stress and proof of their kindred comedic spirits.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ambition and kindness:
  "Oftentimes ambition is seen as...a cutthroat thing...but we're all just on our own little, like, track and field lane." — Jonathan Groff (18:34)
• On family support:
  "They just beautifully allowed me to fly my freak flag." — Jonathan Groff (26:12)
• On playing Dorothy:
  "I was very tornado forward in my interpretation." — Jonathan Groff (26:47)
• On coming out:
  "I have to play this role. And they let me do it...and playing the role in that show allowed me to grow the muscle to be able to do that." (Coming out after Spring Awakening) — Jonathan Groff (38:24)
• On risk and artistic growth:
  "If you do something with your whole heart, it can continue to resonate and stand the test of time." — Jonathan Groff (62:49)
• On calmness under pressure:
  "When something scary happens, I go dead calm. I start to just talk really slowly and I bring it all the way down..." — Jonathan Groff (72:45)
• On what truly makes him laugh:
  "A news blooper is the best." — Amy Poehler (78:12)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [04:00] — Gracie Lawrence describes pre-show rituals and praise for Jonathan Groff
• [10:53] — Gracie poses the calmness/anxiety question for Groff
• [15:07] — Jonathan on prepping for a late show and the challenge/joy of live theater
• [23:06] — Jonathan’s childhood on a Mennonite horse farm and feelings of being different
• [26:12] — Family support for his creative/different side
• [26:47] — Dorothy stories (Amy & Jonathan)
• [38:24] — On coming out, artistic therapy via Spring Awakening
• [47:09] — Being offered Hamilton, building the King George character in real time
• [53:46] — What Groff did backstage during Hamilton’s long breaks
• [62:49] — Power of intention; Merrily and the value of quality, even in “failure”
• [72:45] — Jonathan describes his dead calm under pressure
• [77:33] — Jonathan’s favorite way to decompress: YouTube and news bloopers

Tone & Takeaways

Amy and Jonathan’s rapport is immediate, affectionate, and full of playful humor and mutual respect. The episode is rich with honest insight on creativity, career longevity, identity, and joy, always circling back to the pleasures of collaboration, friendship, and the freedom to be yourself—both onstage and off.
Perfect for fans of theater and comedy, and for anyone seeking a gentle, affirming, and deeply entertaining podcast conversation.