Stand Up

The sharp-witted standup comic, who died Feb. 19, got his start in comedy clubs in the 1970s, but was perhaps best known for playing Det. Munch on Law & Order: SVU. Originally broadcast in 1987.

Marc Maron talks about his new HBO comedy special From Bleak to Dark.

The comic, actor and writer opens up about his name, his family tree and his sexual orientation in an HBO special. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," he says. Originally broadcast April 18, 2022.

Sarah Silverman is known for breaking taboos in her comedy. Her new off-Broadway musical The Bedwetter, adapted from her 2010 memoir of the same name, centers on the most humiliating part of her childhood: wetting the bed every night until she was about 16.

The comic, actor and writer opens up about his name, his family tree and his sexual orientation in a new HBO special. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," Carmichael says.

Gottfried was known for his unusual voice and cranky stage persona — which made him a perfect fit to play the evil parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin. He spoke with Fresh Air in 1992.

Anderson grew up in Minnesota, in a family with 11 children. His Emmy-winning performance in the FX series Baskets was based upon his mother. Anderson died Jan. 21. Originally broadcast in 2016.

Rogen's film credits include Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Steve Jobs and Long Shot. In his new memoir, Yearbook, Rogen shares funny stories of his early years and his more recent life.

Ray Romano's comedy special, Right Here, Around the Corner, is now streaming on Netflix. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2016 about the story behind the title of his hit sit-com Everybody Loves Raymond.

Melissa McCarthy stars in the new film Can You Ever Forgive Me? as a biographer turned literary forger. She talks about growing up on a farm, her early comedy act. her breakout role in Bridesmaids, and playing Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live.

Comic W. Kamau Bell talks about his new comedy special, searching his ancestry, and raising his bi-racial daughters in the Trump era.

A rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes made comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh uneasy about performing live. Then she remembered a childhood experience that helped her regain her footing.

Comic Pete Holmes grew up a devout Christian so when he started doing standup he had to find out how he fit in. His new TV series Crashing is based on those experiences.

Comic and actor Louis C.K. created and stars in the new HBO comedy series Lucky Louie. C.K. has been a writer for David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Chris Rock and Saturday Night Live. He also wrote, produced and directed the film Pootie Tang. Lucky Louie airs Sunday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO, following Entourage.

Glover created, co-writes and stars in the FX series Atlanta, a hybrid of comedy and drama set on the fringes of the city's hip-hop scene. He has also recorded music under the name Childish Gambino.

A genuine and funny comic, Chris Gethard talks about how he decided to bring his struggle with depression and suicide into his comedy act, and how improv changed his life.

We remember the comedian Richard Pryor, who died on Saturday. This interview originally aired on May 22, 1995.

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