John Mulaney will return with his third Netflix special, titled Baby J, next week, though it will be a different type of comedy show than his fans are used to. Mulaney last took the stage in 2018’s Kid Gorgeous, and since then he has gone through a drug relapse, a stint in rehab, a breakup, and (on the upside of things) he also welcomed a baby with Olivia Munn. So there is a lot riding on this upcoming show.
While speaking with Theo Von on This Past Weekend, Mulaney admitted that the latest special is a lot more personal than his past stand-up shows. The comedian managed to attract a very wholesome reputation (you may recall when he wrote an entire sketch about Subway churros) before his time in rehab, and he even admitted that he tried to bring up his struggle with addiction in the past, but didn’t feel like his fans would want to hear it. He explained, “Of course, the guy who seems like he has it all together has the problem,” Mulaney said of his “good guy” persona. “Because that’s just, like, how life works.” This is the same man who wrote a bizarre musical for children, so bringing up his drug use might have been a little jarring for viewers.
Now, Mulaney is embracing that side of himself. It is his special, after all. “This special I’ve got coming out is about everything from intervention through rehab and after,” the comedian, who used to be extremely private, explained. “So at the moment, or in the past two years, I haven’t wondered what I’m gonna talk about on stage. But now having shot this thing and, you know, and I’m really, really happy with it and it’s longer than my other specials and I’m thrilled that it’s longer. This was the time to do this chunk of material.”
Even though Mulaney is excited about his next phase, he doesn’t know where his material will come from in the future. “Now I don’t remember how to do comedy.” He can always go the “cool dad” route by making fun of his toddler on stage. That always lands!
Baby J debuts on Netflix April 25.