THR Roundtable
John Mulaney’s 2014 sitcomMulaneyalmost had a very different tone.
In a recentHollywood ReporterroundtablewithJason Segel,Steven Yeun,Tyler James Williamsand Mohammed Amer, the 40-year-old comedian and formerSaturday Night Livewriter revealed that the semi-autobiographical sitcom was originally about him getting sober at 23 years old.
“There was another version at NBC calledMulaney Don’t Drink, which was about me getting sober,” he said. “It was based on the time in my life when I got sober at 23 and had two roommates and was just trying to figure out:What does a good person do?That was an actual part of my life, or a pointless gauntlet I threw down in front of myself.”
John Mulaney.Marcus Russell Price/Netflix
Looking back, Mulaney now regrets the creative decision. “There was really something lost when I, on the advice of others higher up, took that out,” he explained. “But also, I take full responsibility. I lost this thread that made it something.”
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
When asked if he would ever consider attempting a similar project today through streaming, Mulaney didn’t have a definite answer. “I’m not sure,” he said. “One thing I learned doing it was that I wasn’t sure what my story was. You know,What exactly am I bringing to everyone and why? And do they need it?”
“And I wanna be clear: I have no idea what I’m doing,” he continued, “I’m as open to everything, naive about everything, and confused about everything.”
Marcus Russell Price/Netflix
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“Do you know what it’s like for 12 people to save your life? It’s too many people,” Mulaney joked during the special. “There are 12 separate people out there who, if I’m at dinner with them, I have to be like, ‘No, I got that. Come on. You saved my life — over Zoom.’”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
