The transcript of our interview had been sitting for a few days, waiting for me to get through some other work, when news broke that Mulaney had been admitted to a rehab facility, reportedly for “cocaine and alcohol addiction.” After discussing it internally and with John’s team, GQ decided to publish it.
Five months later, Mulaney returned to the comedy club circuit to workshop what would become the bulk of his new Netflix special out today, Baby J—only then, it was called From Scratch. The implication of the first title was clear: he was rebuilding his career and his life the only way he knew how: through stand-up. Word quickly got back to me that this included a new bit inspired by the Q&A I’d done with him. I told David that we had to pull up and see the set for ourselves.
And sure enough, there at City Winery, he ended a great set reflecting on his addiction, sobriety, and the star-studded intervention that saved his life by pulling out the printouts of our interview, which he claimed to have absolutely no memory of because, as he explained, he was so out of his mind at the time.
We interrupted, with honorable intentions, but Mulaney was ready for us. He proceeded to tweak the set in real time, asking to interview me about how he seemed during our 2020 conversation—and if I could tell anything was off. Not knowing John Mulaney personally, I could only yell back that I thought he seemed fine, as the audience roared with laughter. He finished reading the interview, saluted me one more time, and was gone.
Since then, as Mulaney continued to tour From Scratch, I’ve gotten the occasional text from a friend or tweet from a random person who saw the show, looked up the interview, and laughed after seeing my byline. The show expanded from comedy clubs to arenas. David and I got floor seats at Madison Square Garden, but it’s no City Winery—security likely would’ve thrown me out like Jazzy Jeff rather than give me a chance to recreate the 2021 reunion.
The special is a painfully honest yet hilarious reckoning of Mulaney’s personal failures, learned behaviors, and resilience, complete with a happy ending. He’s a proud father to a one-year-old son—though some dark shadows linger. At one point, he says that to look in the mirror is to see the person that tried to end his own life. Baby J is a fitting, and funny, reconciliation with a turbulent time in his life—and he doesn’t owe anyone any more words on the matter that he doesn’t care to say.
But if John Mulaney is interested in doing an interview he’ll actually remember, I’m here whenever he’s ready. I’ll bring the Froot Loops.
Frazier Tharpe
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