Jim Gaffigan on the Craft of Comedy and His Bourbon Brand (November 2025)

Summary

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Episode: Jim Gaffigan on the Craft of Comedy and His Bourbon Brand

Date: February 1, 2026
Location: City Winery, New York City
Guest: Jim Gaffigan
Host: Willie Geist

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Episode Overview

This lively episode of "Sunday Sitdown" features comedian Jim Gaffigan in front of a live audience at City Winery, NYC. The conversation dives into Gaffigan’s new bourbon brand, Father Time, the craft of comedy, family life, and his journey from Midwest finance major to one of America's best-known standup comedians. Gaffigan shares behind-the-scenes stories, philosophy on humor, career evolution, and answers audience questions with his signature self-deprecation and warmth. The bourbon—and the family—are never far from the spotlight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Father Time Bourbon: The Genesis and Meaning

[03:04–07:48]

• Bourbon Announcement & Joke: Jim jokes that everyone in the audience is getting a new car, à la Oprah—before revealing it's a sample of his new Father Time Bourbon.
  • Quote: “Every audience member here is going to receive... a new car. Well, instead of a car, we're going to give you a sample... of Father Time bourbon.” — Jim Gaffigan [03:14]
• Inspiration: The pandemic led him and his wife to enjoy a nightly bourbon, sparking the idea for developing his own.
  • Quote: “We started this ritual of having a bourbon every night... I was so inspired by that that I wanted to share that ability to enjoy a bourbon with the world.” — Jim Gaffigan [04:52]
• Naming & Slogan: "Father Time" isn't about time passing, but “the time a father gets away from his kids.”
  • Quote: “This is the Father Time that someone enjoys when they're away from their kids... A father's joy is earned.” — Jim Gaffigan [04:37–04:52]
• Process: Collaborated closely with a college friend from Kentucky, personally sampling and selecting the blend.
  • Quote: “I tried like 100... This is our fourth batch. And I feel like it's getting better and better.” [05:40]
• Philosophy: Unlike other celebrity spirits, Gaffigan’s motivation is passion, not profit.
  • Quote: “I truly love the American whiskey world. My bourbon obsession is less about having a drinking problem. It's more of... I find it fascinating.” [06:34]

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2. The Bourbon Comedy Special

[07:48–09:28]

• Released a special, "Live at Old Forester," focused solely on bourbon-themed humor.
  • Quote: “It's an entire set, 30, 40 minutes of all bourbon jokes. And only he can pull that off.” — Host [08:04]
• Gaffigan chose to upload it directly to YouTube due to its “niche” appeal.
  • Quote: “It's so niche that I didn't even approach the Netflix or... Amazon. I'm just gonna put this on YouTube for people that might be interested. Because... it is just about bourbons.” [08:41]

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3. On Comedy, Family, and Influences

[13:13–17:23]

• Upbringing: Youngest of six in Chesterton, Indiana. Comedy ran parallel to expectations of a “regular” career.
  • Quote: “I grew up in a small town... The closest thing to the entertainment industry was the high school marching band.” [14:18]
• Family Legacy: His grandfather inspired upward mobility—“because of my grandfather Joseph, my father was able to go to college... allowed me to be a comedian that tells diarrhea jokes. It's a real American story.” [15:14]
• Value of Creative Fulfillment: Kept a day job for years while performing at night, only moving to full-time comedy after being let go (literally, woken up at his desk to be fired).
  • Quote: “I had a romantic notion of being a comedian... but I also, I am very risk averse. So I did keep my day job for a long time.” [19:28]
  • Firing Anecdote: “That is definitely true... I had to be woken up to be fired.” [20:55]

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4. Breakthroughs and Navigating Comedy Success

[24:00–26:14]

• Late Show with David Letterman ('99): A formative milestone.
  • Quote: “When I first heard him laugh at one of my jokes, that was amazing... afterwards... Rob Burnett, was like, we wanna do a show. It was amazing.” [24:14]
• Comedy Central Special ('05): Marked career transformation, made standup sustainable and enabled the lifestyle supporting his large family.
  • Quote: “The hour special on Comedy Central transformed my career... I've been able to raise [five children] because of standup.” [25:22]
• Humor from Family: Family life, especially his children, are endless comic material—none of whom, Gaffigan jokes, actually consume his work.
  • Quote: “The good news is... I don't have to feel guilty. Cause they have no interest in my comedy.” [13:05]

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5. The Craft: Finding His Voice and Approach

[28:44–32:56]

• Developing the Inner Voice: Arrived at his comedic style (notably the inner monologue) through trial and error, discovering self-deprecation and authenticity connected most.
  • Quote: “Your authentic self is the answer... you really end up with your most authentic self, if that makes sense.” [29:07]
• Parenting Material: “I complain about my family, but… if your identity isn’t somehow tied up as a father or mother, if you have children, I think you’re doing something wrong.” [30:02]
• Navigating Comedy as a Career: “Some of it is editing... managing career… editing how much bourbon you consume, editing your self assignments... doing things for the right reason.” [31:23]

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6. The Arena Era—Comedy in 2026

[32:56–36:06]

• Explosion in standup’s popularity, fostered by streaming and social media. Access and exposure at historic highs.
  • Quote: “Comedy is booming so much... in this age of AI, in the end, live performance is the safest thing... live experience is pretty important.” [33:26]
• Value proposition of comedy shows vs. other entertainment.
  • Quote (On live comedy): “It’s more about the value of their time... It's a better gamble to buy a ticket to Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld... it’s going to be a quality show.” [35:11]

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7. Acting, Aspirations, and Audience Q&A

[37:39–53:25]

• Love for Acting: Enjoys developing complex characters, although admits auditioning is rough.
  • Quote: “Auditioning as kind of like stripping, but you don’t get a dollar. There’s a vulnerability in that process.” [38:09]
• Alternative Lives: If not a comedian, jokes he’d be a model or farmer, with real interest in bourbon, gardening, and even politics/ad storytelling.
  • Quote: “I mean, I would love to... I find bourbon and American whiskey fascinating. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a farmer. I love gardening.” [40:59]
• Parenting Advice: Humorously, “It’s going to get much worse,” regardless of your child’s age.
  • Quote: “New parent: I would say it's going to get much worse... Parents of teenagers: my advice is Father Time Bourbon... Parent of college age: I would say it's going to get much worse.” [44:47]
  • Willie’s more sentimental advice: "The anxiety of that moment when she or he leaves is worse than the reality." [45:44]
• College Drop-off & Parent Weekend Conspiracy: Jokes about drop-off rites and “Parents’ Weekend” mostly benefiting hotels.
  • Quote: “I'm convinced that parents weekend, that's a scam... it's the hotels that are like, can you do a parents weekend where we can charge $8 million for a Super 8 hotel?” [48:01]
• Role Preferences: Loves dramatic roles (“the more complex and weird the character, the better”), especially “Linoleum” and “American Dreamer” [49:32].
• Comedian’s Analytical Mind: Admits he always edits and improves stories mentally, even when listening to non-comedians.
  • Quote: “I think that there is the editing thing that's always kind of going on, but I think everyone does that. Right?” [51:11]
• Comedians’ Social Instinct: Agrees comedians often respond to jokes by acknowledging “that’s funny” instead of laughing.
  • Quote: “Some laughs can be fake. So saying that's funny has more integrity.” [52:06]

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8. Legacy and What’s Next

[53:25–54:40]

• Self-Aware Reflections: Accepts that he’ll always be “the Hot Pocket guy,” but cherishes the creative process above all.
  • Quote: “If and when I die... I will be known as the hot pocket guy. But that's. There's worse things, you know... the creative fulfillment of coming up with a new joke, there's not much that beats that.” [53:33]
• Comedic Fountain: Even when it feels like the well is dry, new material always emerges from life’s observations.
  • Quote: “Do you ever feel like, oh, the well is dry?... But then, you know... you go out and observe something.” [54:08]

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Notable & Memorable Moments

• Opening “You’re All Getting a New Car!” Bit (03:13): Gaffigan channels Oprah, swapping cars for bourbon—a perfect introduction to Father Time’s tongue-in-cheek branding.
• The Jerry Seinfeld Bourbon Story (09:43): A hilarious and revealing anecdote about Seinfeld, comedy camaraderie, and a $500 glass of rare bourbon.
  • Quote: “Jerry got a Courvoisier, and I ordered the King of Kentucky... it was pure euphoria... The only thing I made up is I've never met Jerry Seinfeld.” [09:58–12:28]
• Firing While Sleeping at Work (20:55): True tale of being fired from his advertising job for napping at his desk—classic Gaffigan self-deprecation.

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Highlights from the Q&A

[40:12–52:44]

• Alternative dream jobs: Model, farmer, ad man, politician (with a wink).
• Purdue football "career": Lasted all of 10 days—Gaffigan jokes about not exactly being “Rudy.”
• Parenting advice: Expect chaos, more chaos, and make peace with letting go.
• Civilian storytelling: Confirms he mentally edits other people’s stories: “You can cut that. Not important to the story... but I always greet people with love.” [51:43]
• What’s next: Passion projects and the endless process remain the goal.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Father Time Bourbon Introduction: [03:04–07:48]
• Bourbon Comedy Special: [07:48–09:28]
• Jerry Seinfeld Bourbon Story: [09:43–12:28]
• Comedy Origins & Family: [13:13–17:23]
• Breakthroughs & Standup Career: [24:00–26:14]
• Developing Comedic Voice: [28:44–32:56]
• The Arena Boom: [32:56–36:06]
• Acting Career Revelations: [37:39–39:29]
• Audience Q&A: [40:12–54:14]
• Legacy Reflection: [53:25–54:40]

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Tone and Style

Throughout, Jim Gaffigan’s delivery remains humble, observational, and wryly self-effacing—intertwining family, food, and everyday struggles with genuine affection for his craft. Host Willie Geist matches Gaffigan’s easy humor, keeping the interview conversational, thoughtful, and warm.

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Standout Quotes

• "A father’s joy is earned." — Jim Gaffigan [04:52]
• "I truly love the American whiskey world... I find it fascinating." [06:34]
• "I love the process so much... The creative fulfillment of coming up with a new joke—there's not much that beats that." [53:33]
• "If and when I die... I will be known as the hot pocket guy. But that's—there's worse things." [53:33]

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In Summary:
This Sunday Sitdown is a masterclass in understated comedic philosophy—foregrounding Jim Gaffigan’s love for his family, his craft, and even his bourbon. Bursts of humor, honest confessions, and some wisdom for parents make this episode accessible, heartfelt, and inspiring for fans and aspiring creatives alike.

Transcript

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[Jim Gaffigan]

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[Jim Gaffigan]

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[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down Podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Got an extra special one for you this week. I a Sunday Sit Down Live conversation with the hilarious Jim Gaffigan. You might remember we had a Sunday Sit down live with Nate Bargetze earlier this year and then one with Ina Garten, all in front of a live audience of you, the viewers, at City Winery in New York City City Winery is our gracious host and sponsor for these events. We love having a good comedian in there. Nate was hilarious. We thought Jim would be the same. And man, does he deliver. As you're about to see, Jim's got his own line of bird. That's the level of his success right now. He loves bourbon, discovered it over the pandemic, as you're about to hear, and so decided, hey, what does it take to get into the business? It's called Father Time Bourbon. So we thought we'd sit down, have a long conversation about his life, career, about his family and food, which tend to be the two most prominent subjects of his own comedy, and do all that over a glass of Father Time Bourbon. He also had a little surprise for the audience of you the the Sunday Today viewers who came Once again, we were so moved from far and wide, people coming from Texas and California and Atlanta and Chicago and Canada and Florida, all over the country to come see us and to see Jim Gaffigan. You know who Jim is. I don't have to tell you. He's one of the most popular standup comedians in the world. One of that rare collection that includes Nate Bargazzi of guys who can just sell out not only theaters but arenas as they go on these tours. So just one of the all time great guys. Famously has a large family of five. Those kids are the source of much of his comedy and is the youngest of six himself. So he knows from big family. So a great conversation at City Winery in New York City right now in front of a live studio audience. A Sunday sit down live with Jim Gaffingen right now on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I feel. I feel kind of bad that we're up here drinking the finest bourbon that's ever been made. So I have a surprise.

[Willie Geist]

Oh.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Every audience member here is going to receive a new car.

[Interviewer/Host]

Wow. What a moment.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, instead of a car, we're going to give you a sample.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Of Father Time bourbon. Wow. And now if you. If you have a drinking problem, understand that. I'll give you a couple more.

[Interviewer/Host]

This is the real stuff, guys.

[Jim Gaffigan]

This is the real stuff.

[Interviewer/Host]

You can drink it now or not. Whatever you want to do. Save it for later. Oh, I see some people are diving right in. There's been no hesitation whatsoever.

[Jim Gaffigan]

The important thing is to keep it smooth. Yes, it's smooth. And this is. This is an American whiskey.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, you're getting a lot of thumbs up on the front row here.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's good stuff. Good stuff.

[Interviewer/Host]

How is it, guys?

[Willie Geist]

We like it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It.

[Interviewer/Host]

I saw your face.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Good. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Delicious, right?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

There you go.

[Interviewer/Host]

She doesn't drink bourbon, but she loves it. Fantastic.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm bringing people together.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes, you are. Yes, you are. So, guys, as you enjoy your bourbon, I want to hear the story of this bourbon, which is called Father Time. It's Jim's Bourbon. It's not Father Time. Like the guy who controls time and the guy who never loses all that stuff, or even.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's different or even that special time that a father will spend with their child. This is the father time that someone enjoys when they're away from their kids.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, it's Father Time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's Father Time. Oh, it's that time. And the slogan is, a father's joy is earned. Because how I ended up here is during the pandemic, my wife and I, we were in a house with all these kids. We have five kids. They're now 13 to 21. I'm living in a psych ward, and we started this ritual of having a bourbon every night. And so I was so inspired by that that I wanted to share that ability to enjoy a bourbon with the world.

[Interviewer/Host]

And so how does one begin to create his own bourbon? Cause we've all had that thought. Be fun to create my own bourbon. Well, step one is what?

[Jim Gaffigan]

The most important step is acknowledge that you need help. And the reality is there are a lot of Celebrity spirits. But I was lucky enough. My college buddy, Stu Pollard, he is from Kentucky, and he had some contacts in the bourbon world. And so I went down and sampled multiple bourbons, which is a sacrifice. I was trying. I tried like 100. And so then we selected a couple. We got again, we got a lot of help, and we developed a precious batch. This is our fourth batch. There's a different. And I feel like it's getting better and better, which is super exciting because obviously there are celebrity spirits and some of them are garbage.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you were gonna list some of them that are garbage. I know you were listening.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, I mean, it's like some people go into things for different motives. I truly love the American whiskey world. I love every aspect of it. You know, my bourbon obsession is less about having a drinking problem. It's more of. I find it fascinating.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And as I look out in the audience, I see there's some guys who either drink a lot of bourbon or have stopped caring what they look like.

[Interviewer/Host]

Or both.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Those are not mut. So you go down there, you do the tasting, you get this thing up and running. And were you ever worried about the critics who were gonna say you're just another handsome Hollywood actor trying to create a buck on the back of his fans? Clooney with Casamigos, Ryan Reynolds with aviation. Did you ever worry about that stereotype?

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, I was very mindful of that. But I also did not approach this as a money making exercise. Meaning I certainly don't want to lose money. But it's not like I'm working with some big investors. It's really just me and a college buddy that are focusing way too much time and energy on this project to the annoyance of our wives.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, and, you know, Jim's committed to this because he's got a comedy special that's going to stream on YouTube on 23rd November, the same day that this interview airs on Sunday Today live at Old Forester. This is the bourbon set.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

And I watched it today, and it's an entire set, 30, 40 minutes of all bourbon jokes. And only he can pull that off.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, it's one of those standup is all self assignment. But there was no one that was like, hey, when is a comedian gonna do a show about bourbon? I just have, you know, I focus. I've always obsessed on certain topics, whether it be bacon or hot pockets or bacon. And so then I had like 10 minutes of bourbon jokes, and I was.

[Willie Geist]

Like, you know what?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I'm just gonna do See how long I can go. And so it's around 43 minutes. But it's also. It's so niche that I didn't even approach the Netflix or the Hulu or the Amazon. I was like, I'm just gonna, you know, put this on YouTube for people that might be interested. Because, again, I want people to know it is just about bourbons. So if you're not interested or you're looking for brandy or tequila jokes, there aren't any. But if you like whiskey, I think you'll get a kick out of it.

[Interviewer/Host]

It's very funny. And you pull it off. And you're at home with these barrels behind us, too. Cause that's kind of the energy of this special as well.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love it.

[Interviewer/Host]

There's a story in there, if you don't mind retelling. Blow the Host special about your love of bourbon and now your appreciation for fine bourbon.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

You're out on the road on this arena tour. You and Jerry Seinfeld walk into a hotel bar, and what happens?

[Jim Gaffigan]

And Jerry, you know, doesn't really drink. I don't know if you're aware, but Jerry Seinfeld is very poor. He kind of is check to check.

[Interviewer/Host]

Really. It's an industry secret.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, Jerry did very well. Jerry doesn't really drink, but he knows that I enjoy bourbon. And when we were checking into our hotel, I think after the Charlotte show, there was a bar in the lobby, and Jerry said, hey, why don't we get a drink? You can get a bourbon. And Jerry actually sounds like that. Right. And so as we walked over to the bar, we've seen it. Here we are at, you know, at City Winery. They have beautiful walls of all these bottles. And this. This bar had probably 100 bottles. And at the top, I saw a bottle of King of Kentucky, which is a very rare. Initially, it was only release in Kentucky. And I thought, maybe I should get that, you know, But I knew it would be expensive. Maybe 70, 500 bucks. But then I realized, you know, Jerry Seinfeld can handle that. So as we sat down, Jerry said, get whatever you want. And I thought, oh, I'm gonna, you know. And Jerry got a Courvoisier, and I ordered the King of Kentucky. And I watched this bartender climb this ladder up, and she grabbed the bottle, she brought it down, she poured it, and she handed it to me, and I tasted it, and it was pure euphoria. You know, I felt like I was the King of Kentucky, which is kind of ridiculous, because we all know that's Colonel Sanders. Right. And so I had an epiphany in that moment. I was like, I should have Jerry Seinfeld try King of Kentucky. Jerry will become a bourbon drinker because of me. And then Jerry and I can go out drinking expensive bourbon and Jerry can pay for it. So I said, jerry, you gotta try this. And he tastes it and he goes, I don't like it. It's not good. But get another one if you want. And I thought, oh, I'm gonna. And I got another one. And then the check came, and I noticed Jerry was looking at it kind of strange. And I was like, is there an issue? And he goes, you King of Kentucky's cost 500 bucks a.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Now, there are a couple things you can do in that situation. And I should also point out that Jerry is a friend, but someone I respect. So I could have said, jerry, that's ridiculous. Let me pay. But all I said was, sorry, Jerry, you know? And that's a true story. That's a true story. The only thing I made up is I've never met Jerry Seinfeld. You know.

[Interviewer/Host]

By the way, after watching that today, I looked up King of Kentucky. And if you can find a bottle, wow, it's three grand or something like that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. It's also really. It's a real special one that I feel about King of Kentucky, how most parents feel about their children. Your mom before this was like, stop being so mean to your kids.

[Interviewer/Host]

Where's my mom? Mom, are you up there somewhere? Jody, where are you? I said, mom, look, it's Jim. She said, stop being so mean to your kids. Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

The good news is that my children, all the things I say, I don't have to feel guilty. Cause they have no interest in my comedy.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right. They're not gonna see it.

[Jim Gaffigan]

They're never. I'm more concerned about accidentally posting a photo where they appear in it on Instagram than me saying something in my stand up right now. Right.

[Interviewer/Host]

That millions will see on Hulu or wherever it is. I want to talk about your kids in a minute and how they fit into your act. And Jeannie, your wonderful wife. But I'm interested in the genesis of your comedy, which is youngest of six kids, Chesterton, Indiana.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Previously known best for the wizard of Oz festival, I believe.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes, there is.

[Interviewer/Host]

And now they have Gaffigan. So they got rid of the wizard of Oz festival. Did they got rid of.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I got rid of.

[Interviewer/Host]

So was it being the youngest of six that made you funny in a call? It's an old story. Right. Like you needed attention in the house, and you had to act out a little bit.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You know, I don't know. I mean, there is a lot of youngest kid comedians, but then again, I think Chris Rock is the oldest. Right. Of a large family. So I don't.

[Interviewer/Host]

I don't know.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, I feel like it's. You know, and I grew up in a small town, so there was not anyone in the entertainment industry. There was not even a newscaster or, you know, someone from a local affiliate thing. It was. Chicago was a good hour and 15 minutes away. So it was the closest thing to the entertainment industry was the high school marching band, which is. Was very prestigious.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

So.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But. Yeah. So I don't know how I ended up here. I think that I did always love comedy. I grew up loving Letterman. I remember laughing at Phyllis Diller on the Mike Douglas show, you know, so I've always had an affinity for it, but I didn't think it was a realistic pursuit.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you come from a family where your dad works at a bank and you wear a tie and you go to work, and that's how life works.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Absolutely.

[Interviewer/Host]

You're certainly not gonna be a comedian.

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, no. Like on Father Time, on the bottle of Father Time is my grandfather, Joseph Patrick Gaffigan. And he was. He made dentures. And I remember growing up thinking, okay, he made dentures. That's great. But in a way, it's the. The reason he's a hero is because he had stopped this cycle of Gaffigan's kind of working in coal mines. Not that there's anything wrong with working in a coal mine, but Joseph's father said, you can do anything, but you can't work in the coal mine. So because of my grandfather Joseph, my father was able to go to college. And so then my father going to college allowed me to be a comedian that tells diarrhea jokes. It's a real American story.

[Interviewer/Host]

This is the dream. This was the dream out of the coal mines and here telling these jokes. But you did kind of stay on the path of a. You know, you majored in finance at Georgetown of like, okay, comedy's fun, but I gotta get serious about life.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I was definitely raised to seek security and, you know, success was wearing a coat and tie. But, you know, the great irony is all my siblings that went into finance, I make a lot more than them, you know, so, you know, and I was the weird sibling, like, oh, Jimmy and his hobby for a long. For a good 20 years. Cause, of course, there was a lot, you know, and my brother Joe was nice enough to fly me home for Thanksgiving many times and I've never paid him back. No, but it's, it's. Yeah, it's. I feel very fortunate, you know, but, you know, it really comes down to the creative fulfillment, which is so rewarding, which is why I did this bourbon set is. Hopefully people will enjoy it. But in the end, it was the process that was so rewarding to me.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Jim Gaffigan right after the break. Pandora makes it easy for you to find your favorite music. Discover new artists and genres by selecting any song or album, and we'll make you a personalized station for free download on the Apple App Store or Google Play and enjoy the soundtrack to your life.

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[USAA Representative]

Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kids legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids, all eight of them, should something happen to us.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Are you my dad now? No, sorry. I do basements. Connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust.

[Willie Geist]

Find pros for all your home [e-mail] welcome back. Now more of my conversation with Jim Gaffigan.

[Interviewer/Host]

So you go, you start in state, you go to Purdue, you play football for a couple of days.

[Willie Geist]

Was it weeks?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think it was. I think it was 10 days.

[Willie Geist]

10 days?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, 10 days.

[Interviewer/Host]

All time leading rusher in school history.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, yeah, I mean Drew Brees went there, but like who's a better football player? I don't know. Yeah, so it was.

[Interviewer/Host]

But then you go to Georgetown, you transfer to Georgetown, major in finance and you come here and you're out in the world. You're working in advertising, doing the job with the suit and tie. So when does the idea of getting up on a stage become real for you? When do you start doing that?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I had a very romantic notion of being a comedian, but I didn't know anyone in the entertainment industry. I remember the night before I graduated from college, I was talking to a friend of mine and I was saying, you know, secretly, I want to be a comedian and an actor. And she was like, well, you should do that. And I'm like, but everyone wants to do that. And she was like, I don't want to do that. And I was like, you're lying. And so it was this kind of process of really kind of embracing it. And I also, I am very risk averse. So I did keep my day job for a long time, but then I became comfortable with the notion that I was just going to be the weird uncle because it did not look like I was going to be able to make a living. I thought, all right, well, at least I enjoy doing stand up. Enjoy, you know, auditioning for things.

[Interviewer/Host]

So you were like, you said you kept your job and you're doing standup sets at night. Sometimes late at night. Hamburger Harry's, I think you're there.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Gladys Simon, if she's watching. Thank you, Gladys.

[Interviewer/Host]

There you go. Yes, she helped you on your way. But there's a story that you can either tell me is true or false, which is you were a little tired when you go to work, sometimes you might take a nap at your desk.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you actually had to be woken up to be fired. Is that true?

[Jim Gaffigan]

That is definitely true.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's amazing.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That is definitely true.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm so glad it's true.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I was, you know, I was definitely, you know, thankfully, advertising is, you know, the type of where, you know, kind of eccentric or creative behavior is kind of embraced. So it's like, oh, my gosh, Jim showed up two hours late to work today, and it was kind of considered interesting if you produce. Like, I don't think you could do that on Wall street, like, just show up. But, yeah, no, I was, you know, it was, you know, the great irony of that story is that a friend of mine, Dave Attell, had that as a joke. And then it happened to me. So whenever that comes up, I have to say, you know what? That's also a Dave Attell joke because he's like Nostradamus or something. But it was. Yeah, it actually happened. And my boss, who fired me at the time, shoot, it was one of those things where I couldn't quit because I needed to get the unemployment and the health insurance and stuff like that. And so I had. You'd lose an account in advertising. You're like, all right, Here we go. They're gonna get rid of me. I'm the guy who's asleep in his office at lunch. And it's just like. Finally came to the point where she was like, all right, now you're free, right?

[Interviewer/Host]

Fly away, fly away. So you decided to pursue comedy full time, especially given your background and your family's saying that's not really a serious job. And I think this is applicable to a lot of people in a lot of different businesses who have a dream or something. What kept you going when, like you said, you probably couldn't always pay your rent or eat the way you wanted to eat or all of those things? Why did you stay with it as long as you did before you hit it?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think that I had. I never was. Because I had a career or the normal path prior. I knew that I wasn't interested in that or a corporate position, wasn't. Even though I look like a Republican, it wasn't right for me. And so the alternative was I would rather scrap by than. You know, there came a point. I did a. You know, I went through therapy and all this stuff, and I was like, okay, I'm gonna be comfortable with the fact that I'm not going to be on TV or successful. And that was kind of this really breakthrough moment for me, emotionally, where I could process that. But, yeah, so, like, I didn't foresee giving it up because I do find it so creatively fulfilling. You know, stand up and being rejected for acting roles is so fun.

[Interviewer/Host]

That ended at some point, too, though. There's this. You say you grew up idolizing Letterman. There's this breakthrough moment when you're actually on Letterman in 1999. What did that mean to you? To be on his show and to be embraced by him afterward?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, it was so huge because being from Indiana and obviously Letterman is from Indiana, and this icon, and you don't know. I mean, his influence on my sensibility or my approach to comedy was. Was very obvious. And so it was a goal to get on the show. It was when I first heard him laugh at one of my jokes, that was amazing. And then afterwards, when his executive producer, Rob Burnett, was like, we wanna do a show. It was just like. It was amazing. And then like anything in the entertainment industry, it's a little bit like, come here, come here, come here, slap. So it was. But I've also. I think I have a healthy perspective on it in that it's, you know, it's always two steps forward, one step back. And you have to kind of keep a healthy perspective on it.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you kept grinding. You kept grinding. You get this Comedy Central Special in 2005, I think, which maybe actually was the breakthrough. Cause people really started to know you after that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. I mean, it is, you know, the hour special on Comedy Central transformed my career and also my, you know, like, I could have. I have five children that, you know, I've been able to raise because of standup. And from what I've observed, they're not gonna make any money, so they need this. And it makes. Makes me realize. And I don't know if there's any other parents out there. It makes me realize that my final task of parenting is to leave them with nothing. You know, maybe it's a romantic notion, but I want them to pay for my casket. Jesus, your mom's not gonna like that one.

[Interviewer/Host]

So that does get us back to the question of how your family feels about being the center of your comedy. Since you really broke through and found your voice. They were. You got married to Jeannie and, you know. Yeah, no, 20 some years ago, and the kids were little when you really broke out. How do they feel about being the story?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I don't care. No, I mean, no, here's what I would say is that my, you know, the benefit of having five children is I can talk about a story that occurred with one of my children, and you can't be sure which one I'm talking about.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But most importantly, they're not interested. So they're not kind of like, dad, I watched your special. You know what I mean? Like, I have this book, dad is Fat, where my son came up with the title. He still hasn't read it. You know, like, it came out 15 years ago. He doesn't. And he's. And in some ways, I understand. Do you know what I mean? And I also think that it's healthy that they're not interested in my material and stuff like that. And so it's. Yeah, it's all good. And, you know, obviously I try to be respectful, and I think anyone who's a parent is, like, aware that we've all made mistakes. Like, you know, there's, you know, not only do I wish I never gave my children a phone, I wish that, you know, like, there's sometimes. Maybe I should never have posted a photo of them. You know, like, the whole thing. But, you know, parenting is, you know, you try your best, and then you as a parent, you become the receptacle for all the blame. Right.

[Interviewer/Host]

I like it. In one of your Acts, you say they kind of approach you like you're a bank teller.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

They have this sort of like unemotional, like detached conversations with them.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I think like Apple Cash. Like that obviously was the idea of some child. Right. How am I going to get Starbucks money from my parents? They came up with Apple Cash.

[Interviewer/Host]

Without talking to them?

[Jim Gaffigan]

No, just a direct transfer, simple request, a text message. The parent has an opportunity to show love and the child receives a limited amount of money.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right. And they'll be back soon for more. This we know. So when, Jim, did you find this voice, this comedic voice that you have? When did you kind of, you know, the inner voice thing you've become famous for, which is your sort of your inner monologue?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Like, when did the. The act that we all know or the delivery that we all know, when did you kind of land on that? When did it start working for you?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, there's so many experiments along the way when you start standup and some of it, everyone knows that, like the point of view or your authentic self is the answer. But you're often trying to. You're learning lessons on what is approachable and what is, you know, palatable to the audience. So like, you know, I'm kind of this doughy white guy or. And so like me being angry is not that appealing to an audience. Do you know what I mean? Whereas me being. I've always been self deprecating, but like. Or me being edgy or it's like you find you really end up with your most authentic self, if that makes sense. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

No, and it comes across that way when you talk about your family. We know it's all real, it's coming.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And it has, you know, I think some of the premise is that, you know, I complain about my family, but I believe that if you are a parent and you're involved, that there's, you know, that means you are annoyed. Like if you, of course, if you aren't. If you aren't sometimes. Right. If you're like, if you, if your identity isn't somehow tied up as a father or mother, if you have children, I think you're doing something wrong. Do you know what I mean? I don't know. That's my opinion. That's why I'm running for president.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, this is the rollout, by the way.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Maybe. Right? Never. Never.

[Interviewer/Host]

We've talked about this before, but I think it's interesting for others to hear, which is the. You can be funny. There are a lot of people who are funny and Then there's sort of the navigation of the career, which is like, one time we talked, you said there are a bunch of guys who aren't selling out arenas the way you are, or stadiums or whatever it is who you guys consider. They're like the funniest guy that we know.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

So how do you explain what you've been able to do over the last 20 years to navigate and get to the place you've gotten to, if that makes sense.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I mean, I think some of it is editing, you know, if that makes sense. It's like some of it is just like the. You know, my son Jack is so funny. He's 19. He's one of the funniest people. But some of, you know, him saying some of these things in front of his mother is funny because of the situation. But should he edit more? Yes, he should edit more. And so I think that also comes to managing career, Right. It's maybe editing some of how much bourbon you consume. It's editing your self assignments. You know, like even doing the Bourbon set, which is. There's no financial incentive. Even though Old Forester and Brown Forman are gonna give me a case of King of Kentucky.

[Interviewer/Host]

Are they?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Which was part of the A case, which is. Yeah, so. But, you know, but some of it is, you know, also doing things for the right reason. So, like the Bourbon set, I did it out of. Of this passion, and I didn't really, you know, I'm not making money on it, but I also think that that's a strategic move for, you know, just keeping their creativity going.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, that makes sense. What about this moment in comedy where, I don't know, growing up, I don't remember maybe Eddie Murphy, but there's a group of you guys that can do arenas, and you and Jerry just came off an arena tour, and Nate Bargetzi and all those guys, they're doing that. Is this an especially exciting moment for comedy because of all the outlets, because of Hulu, where you did the Skinny or Netflix or all of seems explosive right now.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It is. So it's so incredible because, I mean, you talk about Nate, I think that we. I don't think Nate has even gotten close to his ceiling. And so there is something about the awareness of stand up, the education of people identifying the type of comedy they like and then having accessibility to see that. You know, like There was no YouTube. There was. There was no Comedy Central, there was no Sirius xm. And so now all those things exist. So people discovering standup and making an informed decision on what they want to do on a Saturday night or a Saturday afternoon by seeing a standup show is just, I mean, something I didn't even contemplate or even when Nate was starting, it wasn't a hypothetical. So, like, there is something where comedy is booming so much. But I think in this age of AI, in the end, live performance is the safest thing. It's oddly strange, you know, that I think that live experience is pretty important, Ryan. Yeah, that's.

[Interviewer/Host]

And for people to get exposure that maybe otherwise wouldn't. I know you're. She's top of mind, so I'm thinking of Leanne Morgan, who I know you're a big fan of, and she's actually on our show just to plug it this Sunday. But again, like, she's about to go out on an arena tour.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And, like, that is amazing. Right? It is amazing. This many people can pull that off.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It is amazing. And it's also, I think, you know, and this is. Jerry actually brought this up. It's like if when people go out to a comedy show, you know, yeah, there is the cost, but it's really more important. It's the value of their time. And it's a better gamble to buy a ticket to Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld than to see a movie that maybe the Times gave a vague, positive review of. It's not about the money. It's about the quality of time. Like, if you are going to see, you know, Nate or Leanne or whatever, you know, it's gonna be a quality show and you're gonna enjoy it. So it's. It's really a. It's a great time for comedy.

[Willie Geist]

Stick around for more of my conversation with Jim Gaffigan, right after a quick break.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Jim Gaffigan.

[Interviewer/Host]

We're gonna get to some of your questions that I have up here in just a minute. I wanna make sure we get those in. You mentioned acting growing up, wanting to be an actor. Your friend the night before school was saying, go do it right. And you've had this now amazing acting career going back 15 years at least to being on Broadway. You're coming back to Broadway here in a little bit and you're in serious roles and thinking about like Chappaquiddick and Linoleum. What do you love about that separate from being a stand up star?

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, I mean, I really do love acting because you can, you know, there is something about really exploring a character and adding value to this overall portrait that's being painted, you know, so if you can add more nuance and character development to even what the writer was presenting, that's really compelling. And you also want to be a good soldier and pitch ideas and if they don't want them, you know, you kind of want to be there as a supporting tool, but it's also getting lost in it, which is really fun. But you know, I would say that acting, the audition process, I describe auditioning as kind of like stripping, but you don't get a dollar right. There is a vulnerability that is in that process that, you know, I'm so grateful that with standup, you know, at many different levels of standup, you can find the stage time and the feedback, which is from the audience, which I think it's really hard for actors because it's just the process is understandably, you're dealing with a lot of moving parts.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. And I would think it's so maybe challenging for you because here you get the laugh right away there you audition, you shoot something and like 18 months later, the audience goes, oh, that wasn't any good. Even not, you know what I mean? They judge it like that and it's over.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And also, even, you know, when you write Something I enjoy writing, but it's the feedback. I mean, comedians are so spoiled by the feedback of the standup performance. Like, sometimes comedians aren't considered great actors. And some of it is. It's just. It's hard for that to compete for the immediate feedback and the editorial control they have, if that makes sense.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. All right, I want to get to a few of the questions before we. You guys, these are amazing questions. We're going to get to as many of them as we can. This is a good one from Sharon Audubon, New Jersey. Sharon, you in here? Where's Sharon? Hi, Sharon. Hi, Sharon. Where's Audubon? What county are you in?

[USAA Representative]

Camden.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, Camden. Okay. I'm from Bergen. Good to see you. Okay. Have you ever, Jim, thought of being something else other than a comedian? What would it be if you were not a comedian?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I. Probably a model. Why is that so funny? No, I. I mean, there's things I wish that wasn't that. You know, like, father, look how svelte.

[Interviewer/Host]

Jim is these days.

[Willie Geist]

I'm very sick.

[Interviewer/Host]

What a beautiful man.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I take zero credit. I mean, I. I mean, there's. There's things that I find interesting. I mean, I would love to. I mean, I discovered it late, but I love. I find bourbon and American whiskey fascinating. You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a farmer. I love gardening. You know, I think I have a lot of respect for farmers, and I like that. The whole solitary process or maybe kind of. But, you know, some of it is like, you know, getting up early. I don't know if I want to do that.

[Interviewer/Host]

But it's the hours for you that.

[Willie Geist]

Are going to keep you up.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But then there's, you know, and then I find, you know, I find politics interesting, but I also, you know, he's running guys.

[Interviewer/Host]

He keeps bringing it up.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I would be like a positive Lee Atwater, you know, oh, I don't know.

[Interviewer/Host]

No one else behind the scenes guy making the ads and stuff, you know.

[Jim Gaffigan]

That would be, you know, I do find. I did like advertising, I think.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I love storytelling.

[Interviewer/Host]

So. But at the end of the day, model, we go back to where. I would say, come back to where it began.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Song model. No.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, no, no, no. Okay.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Good morning, everyone.

[Interviewer/Host]

Where's Kerry from Apopka, Florida. Carrie. Hi, guys. Okay, here's a good one. Since I am originally from the great state of Indiana, writes, Carrie, it's widely known you were the greatest athlete in the history of Purdue Boilermaker athletics. Can you please share with us A funny story during your stellar career with the Purdue football team.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Well, you know, there are so many.

[Interviewer/Host]

Where to begin?

[Jim Gaffigan]

So many. Yeah, really, it's, you know, they. I think they have a whole room at the hall of Fame for this. I would say the funniest thing is I was there for about 10 days on the team for 10 days. And there was. I was a offensive lineman, and there I walked on, which I think. I think it's a great tradition that they allow people to walk on ye. And there was a time when the, you know, the coach of the lineman was like, you know, this is the Big Ten, you know, like, you're never gonna play. You know what I mean? Like, there are defensive backs that weigh twice as much as you.

[Interviewer/Host]

Like, we're playing Ohio State on Saturday.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. Like, there was. He was kind of. It was a very diplomatic way of saying, can you get out of my. But that was also a very kind thing to do. And that being said, I wasn't like, Rudy, I wasn't like, I'm gonna do it, you know, I was kind of like, I don't know.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you're like, okay.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I was like, all right, fine. I'll just head to Hardee's and eat, you know. But then.

[Interviewer/Host]

Did you play at Georgetown?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I did play at Georgetown and then I quit. Cause I'm a quitter. And I quit and I went and I worked for a senator named Dan Quayle.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes. Indiana.

[Jim Gaffigan]

And I said, one day you will. I never met him. I opened mail.

[Interviewer/Host]

You know Karen, also from Florida. St. Petersburg. Karen. Where's Karen? Karen from St. Petersburg.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Karen's over there.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, she's over there. Hi, Karen. Okay, here's the question. Oh, Jim and Willie, you are both parents. What is one bit of advice you would give to a new parent? A parent of a teenager. Oh, this is a three part question. And a parent of a college age student.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Okay.

[Interviewer/Host]

You're the expert.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I would say new parent. I would say it's gonna get much worse. Cause, you know, like, there is like, oh, I'm so tired. I'm like, it's gonna get so much worse. And I have all these older siblings. And I was like, I'm so tired. And they were nice. They were like, oh, yeah, I'm sorry to hear that. But like, they had teenagers and they should have said it gets much worse.

[Interviewer/Host]

You got a bunch of teenagers.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Parents of teenagers. I would say my advice is father time, verbal and. And then parent of. Is it college student?

[Interviewer/Host]

College age student?

[Jim Gaffigan]

College age student. I would say it's going to get much worse. So, again, yes, it all ties back to Father Time.

[Interviewer/Host]

This was a long way to plug the Father Time. Father Time.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Bourbon. What would you say?

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, I'm. I'm a new parent of a college student just this year. I would say the anxiety of that moment when she or he leaves is worse than the reality. I mean, this is good news, which is. It's just gun wrenching. How do you get yourself off the floor? And then it happens that if she's ready to go and she's happy, you're happy. So if you can work through the moment until you say goodbye, it actually is better after that. I found. Anyway, I don't know if you found that too, but that requires preparation and being comfortable with her going.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I felt nothing. But no, here's what I would say. Here's what I would say. When I was dropped off at Purdue, my parents didn't bring me, My brother dropped me off. And I would also say I have two children in college. And you know, understandably, the normal reaction is that you're missing this person, this child. And obviously I miss my children. But there is the thing that I find so odd is that they're at college. You know what I mean? I feel like generationally now we're like, are they okay? Are they okay at college? And I understand that mental health crisis is real, but I'm like, they're at college. They're not in Afghanistan. Do you know what I mean? So, like, there is something of. And I want to be sensitive to the fact that it is an adjustment, particularly these pandemic kids that had it tough. Anyway, there's more talk.

[Interviewer/Host]

There's more about. Well, on your point of the drop off, I don't know if you're aware. I bet, genius. There's this whole industry now of like, how to like, build out your dorm room and like, you can hire a consultant to do your dorm.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And the parents go back and visit two weeks later and they're all checking in and yeah, it was just a clean drop for us freshman year and saw him at graduation. That was the next time. Oh, that's the next time, I think. Mom, I saw you at school. Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Like, by the way, I'm convinced, if you want to hear a conspiracy theory, I'm convinced that parents weekend, that's a scam.

[Interviewer/Host]

Say more, Jim.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Parents weekend. And by the way, we're paying for this. Right. And then they want you to go back where you just dropped them off a month earlier. They want you to get all the parents to get a hotel room. Those hotels. I think it's the hotels.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, it might be the hotels that.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Are like, can you do a parents weekend where we can charge $8 million for a Super 8 hotel? And then you go back and you know what? Guess what? The kids, they're like, all right, nice to see you. And then the parents just kind of go, what do we do now? It's just awkward. And that leads me to Father Tom Durban.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

There's definitely some collusion. I think you're onto something. Michael from Chesterfield, Missouri. Where's Michael from Chesterfield, Missouri? Somewhere. Maybe a mail in question, who knows? What is your favorite movie you've been in, all the projects you've done? Do you have a favorite?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I mean, I loved Linoleum. I mean, I, you know, I. Some of it is. I can't be objective because I love the character. But, like, there was a movie, American Dreamer, where I played a guy who murders someone. So I like that a lot of you guys are like, I don't know if I like Jim Gaffigan anymore. But some of it, it's just the more complex and weird the character. But Linoleum's a pretty special movie.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's a good movie. Yeah, it's really good. And it seems like you go. You're airing toward dramatic roles when you take movies, which is completely different from your day job.

[Jim Gaffigan]

It's typically. It's more of a complex character. Right. I mean, it's selfishly, you want the character to evolve over the course of the movie or the show. And again, you know, comedy. I love comedy, but it's. You want to do something with a little meat on it. Right.

[Interviewer/Host]

We need get you some of that Marvel Cash for your next movie, I think. Right. It'd be good for.

[Jim Gaffigan]

But, you know, I don't want to be the eye candy. You know what I mean?

[Interviewer/Host]

That's true Again. Took his shirt off again. Okay, here is Renee from Scarsdale, just outside the city. Hi, Renee. Okay, this is a good question. If a civilian, a non comedian, is trying to tell you a funny story, is your brain subconsciously workshopping it as they go, prompting you for ways you would make it funnier? And do you think of funnier payoffs when they're done? Like you could have punched up their story?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think this question says more about Renee, and I think it makes sense. Makes me like her or him. I don't know if it's because it could be a. You know, because I can't see that far but, yes, I think that there is the editing thing that's always kind of going on, but I think everyone does that. Right?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Someone starts with the story, you're like, all right, you can cut that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. Yes, right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

You can cut that. Not important to the story.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Too much backstory going off on this tangent.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

All right, so. But I think everyone does that, right? Yes, but I always greet people with love.

[Interviewer/Host]

There it is. And do you have the thing that comedians have when they sit around and talk and somebody says something funny, instead of laughing, you just go, oh, that's funny.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah, I agree.

[Interviewer/Host]

Like, you're sort of anal. In other words, you're analytical about comedy.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yes. You know, and it's. Some of it is. You want. You know, I think that's a respectful thing to acknowledge it. You know what I mean? And also because there is a level of insincerity that exists in our society where, you know, some laughs can be fake. So saying that's funny has more integrity. I don't know. Yeah, sure. I don't know. Maybe I drank too much of this.

[Interviewer/Host]

Jim has been so generous with his time. He's actually. Actually going to another gig, a veterans event, which is an amazing thing for Jim to do.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. For hero.

[Interviewer/Host]

So before we release you into the wild, what else is out there for you? You've got. Done all these great dramatic movies. You've done 11 standup specials. Wildly, wildly popular. You've got, like, all eight Grammy nominations. You've won three Emmy awards. I think your last special, the Skinny, I was reading, was viewed the clips of it, like, 100 million times or some, like, obscene amount. So when you think about the arc of your career and all the things that are possible for you because of the success you had, like, what else is out there beyond the bourbon? Unless you want to bring it back to the bourbon, what else is out there?

[Jim Gaffigan]

I think the great irony is if and when I die, which could be tomorrow.

[Interviewer/Host]

No, no, no.

[Jim Gaffigan]

I will be known as the hot pocket guy. But that's. There's worse things, you know, but I don't know. For me, it sounds corny, but I love the process so much. So as long as I can, you know, continue to tour and come up with material, that's the reward. I know that sounds corny and. But that's, you know, I'm grateful that I can do that. And the creative fulfillment of coming up with a new joke, there's. There's not much that beats that, you know.

[Interviewer/Host]

Do you ever feel like, oh, the well is dry. And then you go out and observe something. Oh, there's a whole bit right there again.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Oh, yeah. No, there was a lot of moments where you're like, that might be it. But then, you know. Cause I think it was the great poet Ralph Malf on Happy Days who said, I still got it.

[Interviewer/Host]

You know, still got it. And you still got it. Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Gaffigan. So we're gonna do a little.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Yeah. Before.

[Interviewer/Host]

Before we say goodbye to Jim, because if you've seen Sunday Today, you know, we do a little mug shot at the end of the show. So we want to take a mug shot with all of you. So our photographer, Heidi is going to come up. If you have a mug or maybe just a little thimble of Father Time, raise it with us. All right, Cheers.

[Willie Geist]

Thank you.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Thank you. Jim Gaffigan. Thank you for being here. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, guys.

[Interviewer/Host]

Thank you.

[Willie Geist]

Good night.

[Jim Gaffigan]

Thank you so much.

[Willie Geist]

My big thanks again to Jim for a great conversation. His Father Time Bourbon, available to buy.

[Interviewer/Host]

Wherever you get your stuff, stores online.

[Willie Geist]

Or on their website. Also, Jim getting ready now to hit the road again. His Everything Is Wonderful tour picks back up in January. Check online to see if it's coming to your town.

[Interviewer/Host]

In the meantime, you can watch his.

[Willie Geist]

Latest special, live from Old Forester, the bourbon set on Jib's YouTube channel right now. Big thanks again to our host and sponsor, City Winery in New York City, for hosting our conversation. They are such a generous sponsor. We love working with them. And most of all, want to thank you, the Sunday Today viewers who came, as I said, from all over the country, to be in that room with us that night. Stay tuned for information on our next Sunday Sit down live. Thanks to all of you at home for listening.

[Interviewer/Host]

If you want to hear more of.

[Willie Geist]

Our conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC to see these interviews with your own two eyes. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

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