Nick Kroll and John Mulaney
Amid a maelstrom of personal chaos and the onset of a global pandemic, comedian Nick Kroll undertook the grave responsibility of orchestrating an intervention for his longtime friend and fellow performer, John Mulaney. Kroll, renowned for his work on Big Mouth, revealed his journey of fear, anxiety, and ultimately, relief, in a heartfelt episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.
“Mulaney was running around New York City like a true madman,” Kroll confessed, illustrating the severity of his friend’s condition at the time. “I was so deeply scared he was going to die.” As the pandemic’s grip tightened, the stress of coordinating an intervention from Los Angeles proved overwhelming. Yet the urgency of Mulaney’s situation pushed Kroll into action.
Beyond the challenge of rallying friends from different life stages, Kroll was also navigating his own personal trials. With his wife on the cusp of childbirth and the frenzy of filming Don’t Worry Darling, Kroll quipped, “There was no stress there,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to the film’s widely publicized off-screen drama.
Detailing the intervention process, Kroll reflected on coming to terms with Mulaney’s erratic behavior. “You start realizing, oh, that’s why I’ve had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time,” he shared. The emotional turmoil of feeling both empathy and anger toward his friend’s deceit made for a difficult journey.
A poignant memory of a phone call with Mulaney lingered heavily in Kroll’s heart. During a candid conversation outside his home, with the chaos of COVID-19 swirling around them, both comedians broke down in tears. “I’m so scared you’re going to die,” Kroll said, his voice trembling. Though Mulaney acknowledged the concern, his response was marked by dismissiveness, clouded by his own turmoil.
The intervention took place on December 18, 2020, marking a pivotal moment in Mulaney’s life. Kroll was among the close friends who bravely confronted Mulaney about his drug use, which included substances like cocaine, Adderall, and Xanax. That moment led Mulaney to check into rehab, where he spent several months seeking recovery.
After rehab, Kroll reflected on the healing process, both personally and professionally. “When he came out of rehab and started doing stand-up all about it, he was still pretty angry about the intervention,” Kroll admitted. “So suddenly, I was like, oh, I don’t know if I like having jokes about me.” But in time, Kroll came to embrace Mulaney’s raw honesty in his material.
“What [Mulaney] is willing to share is what makes him so funny and dynamic,” Kroll explained, acknowledging his friend’s unique ability to transform pain into humor. While Kroll himself is more private, he has come to appreciate Mulaney’s openness.
Together, Kroll and Mulaney have built a legacy of creative partnership, from their Broadway hit Oh, Hello to the acclaimed Netflix special Dinner Time Live. Their enduring friendship and professional collaboration continue to evolve, shaped by both hardship and hope.
