logo
Bill Burr on his problem with billionaires like Elon Musk, his Broadway debut, and overcoming anger

Bill Burr on his problem with billionaires like Elon Musk, his Broadway debut, and overcoming anger

Boston Globe21-03-2025

The Broadway debut is a big moment in Burr's career, but one years in the making for the longtime actor and comedian, with Odenkirk praising his co-star for rising to the occasion.
Bill Burr during rehearsals for "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Michaelah Reynolds
'Even I had no idea how perfect Bill would be,' the 'Better Call Saul' star told the Globe in an email. 'The expletives and vituperative rambles flow from his mouth like a mountain stream, sparkling and forceful and, dare I say it, joyous.'
'He is acting his pants off, inhabiting this guy physically as he paces around the room, spoiling for a fight,' he added. 'I never imagined how powerful he'd be in this role.'
Professionally, Burr is riding high after making the jump to Broadway and dropping his latest special, which quickly rose through the ranks of Hulu's top 10 chart since debuting last week. Personally, it sounds like Burr is living his best life too, particularly when it comes to his relationship with his
special, he's trying to be 'more agreeable' now that he's 'too young to die of natural causes, but it's not too young to drop dead,' revealing that he gained perspective on his nearly two-decade long relationship with his wife following a funeral for a friend.
Advertisement
'She agreed to spend her life with me, and I'm being this curmudgeonly [expletive] and I'm kind of ruining, a little bit, the one life she has,' Burr says in the special, noting that he's now getting along with his wife better than ever since choosing to curb his anger.
'Before I had kids, obviously I met my wife, and she was able to explain to me how my anger affected her mood. Even when I was in a good mood, there would be a level of tension,' Burr told the Globe by phone from New York City on St. Patrick's Day. 'It's not like I was coming at her, I would just lose my mind over the littlest, stupidest things, and I learned that I wasn't really mad at the stupid little thing, it was all this other unresolved stuff.'
'If you really love the person that you marry, [if] you're any sort of human being, you don't want to be hurting others with your behavior,' he added. 'It's a big responsibility. You don't just marry somebody, and [go], 'This is who I am, deal with it as it is.''
In several recent interviews, Burr has also been open about taking mushrooms and the positive effects the trips had on his mental health, telling
Advertisement
Bill Burr in his new Hulu special "Drop Dead Years."
Koury Angelo/Disney
It was this realization, along with his experience 'being around angry adults' as a kid, that inspired Burr to work on his deep-rooted anger issues. As the father to an 8-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, Burr never wants his or any children to feel the way he did when he was young, 'because then they learn that there's no point in speaking up because nobody listens to you, and you're leading them down a really bad road,' he explains.
Overall, Burr is the type of dad who emphasizes 'chilling out' and not pressuring kids to take on a 'kill or be killed' mentality with overly structured activities around things like school and sports. 'Don't throw them into the rat race before they're even in it,' Burr said. 'Let them be kids, let them sleep, let them watch cartoons, let them have a good time. Teach them lessons along the way, but you just have to know how to chill out sometimes.' However, he jokes that, with all of his efforts to overcome his anger, he 'might have over-corrected as a parent,' as his kids now see him as something of a softie.
'Having kids is like this great comedy show,' said Burr, whose experiences as a father influenced his directorial debut, the
In 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' Burr will appear as foul-mouthed salesman Dave Moss (played in the 1992 film by Ed Harris), while Odenkirk plays his over-the-hill co-worker Shelley Levene (played in the film by Jack Lemmon), and Culkin takes on the role of star salesman Richard Roma (played in the film by Al Pacino). Burr has Nathan Lane to thank for the gig, as the Tony- and Emmy-winning actor recommended him for the role (Lane was initially set to play Shelley in the production, but had to drop out for a TV project). Odenkirk had even wanted Burr for the same role in a different production of the play he tried to get started out in Los Angeles before joining the Broadway revival.
Advertisement
From left: Donald Webber Jr. and Bob Odenkirk during rehearsals for "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Michaelah Reynolds
'I don't know what that says about me, but most people thought, 'Hey, that angry lunatic, you know who could do that?'' Burr joked, calling it 'beyond flattering' for Lane to recommend him, especially since they had never met before. 'To be looking out for someone like that, I think that says a lot about who he is.'
Despite this being his first foray into theater, Burr feels comfortable onstage because of his experiences years ago taking acting classes, as well as the decades of
stand-up shows he has under his belt. However, he likely would've approached the role differently if he were his younger, angrier self.
'If I had a chance to play him earlier in my life, I probably would have just related to him as an angry guy,' Burr said. 'I would have had a certain sort of take on him. But, you know, as you get older, you keep making the same mistakes. You do a little more self-examination, so I was able to come up with some reasons why that overlapped in my life, why he was upset.'
Advertisement
Between the big Broadway gig and letting his anger go, Burr sounds like a new man. But that rage will still occasionally
bubble up from under the surface, like when he talks about President Trump and Elon Musk. Burr has not been shy with his criticism in recent public statements, telling everyone from
'They're so upset with this country and the way it's working, it's like, you guys are multi-billionaires, what is the problem? I feel like it's working for you,' Burr said. 'You know what's not working for you? All of these tech nerd billionaires who don't want to pay anybody.'
When asked why he's been so vocal against Musk and Trump, Burr is quick to reply, 'Why isn't everybody?'
Bill Burr's new special is now streaming on Hulu.
Koury Angelo/Disney
Burr just wishes there was someone who could help turn down the temperature politically, but is perplexed by seeing 'these super rich people want to keep the water boiling, which I don't think is what we need right now.'
'We need somebody with a red tie or a blue tie to calm everybody the [expletive] down,' said Burr. 'This is such a great country. Are we really going to ruin it because five guys are competing to be the first trillionaire?'
For Burr, who admits that he used to live and die by how his comedy sets went and how they made him feel, he's no longer doing stand-up for personal reasons or motivations. At this stage of his career, Burr is just focused on bringing a little light and levity to audiences, especially during such tumultuous times.
'I'm always trying to improve on what it is that I'm doing up there,' Burr said. 'I'm doing it for them now.'
'Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years' is now streaming on Hulu.
Matt Juul can be reached at

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Lilo & Stitch' Positively Bubbly With $611M Global, ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning' Easily Runs To $354M WW
‘Lilo & Stitch' Positively Bubbly With $611M Global, ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning' Easily Runs To $354M WW

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

‘Lilo & Stitch' Positively Bubbly With $611M Global, ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning' Easily Runs To $354M WW

Updated: With a pair of phenomenal holds, Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning continued to dominate global turnstiles this weekend. To wit: Disney's Lilo & Stitch added $113.1M from 52 offshore markets, lifting the international box office cume to $330.7M. The overseas drop was just 28%. The worldwide total through today is $610.8M. More from Deadline 'Lilo & Stitch' Kicks Up $63M Second Weekend, 'Mission Impossible 8' $27M+, 'Karate Kid: Legends' At $21M - Box Office Update 'Lilo & Stitch': All The Box Office Records Broken Peter Bart: Barry Diller's New Memoir Might Be The True Final Reckoning Paramount/Skydance's Mission: Impossible 8's sophomore offshore session was good for $76.1M, a great 33% dip from opening. The international total on the Tom Cruise-starrer is now $231.2M, and global is $353.8M. Before we dig into details on the above, note that Sony's Karate Kid: Legends, which kicked off international rollout in early May ahead of its wide global release this weekend, kicked up another $12M from 43 offshore markets this session. That takes the international cume to $26M through Sunday. Alongside domestic, the global gross to date is $47M. Major markets to come on this one are: Australia (June 5), Italy (June 5), China (June 7), Spain (August 8), France (August 13) and Japan (August 29). Now, turning back to Lilo & Mission… Disney's live-action take on the 2002 animated adventure has already become the No. 2 studio release of the year internationally, and is the No. 1 non-local title across Europe (except for Denmark and Finland), and in all markets across Latin America as well as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand. Notable holds this frame include France (0%), Germany (-12%), UK (-28%), Australia (-29%), Brazil (-34%), Spain (-36%), Mexico (-40%), Korea (-44%) and Italy (-46%). Some markets saw increases, including Netherlands (+21%), Belgium (+13%), Saudi Arabia (+8%), Poland (+7%), Singapore (+3%) and Ukraine (+1%). New this session was Hong Kong ($1.1M), where the little blue alien opened at No. 1 and 4% ahead of The Minecraft Movie. Among other benchmarks, L&S is notably the 2nd highest grossing Disney live-action title of all-time across the Latin American region (behind only The Lion King); the 2nd highest grossing Disney live-action title ever in Mexico, 3rd highest in Colombia and 4th highest in Brazil. Further, it is the highest grossing film of 2025 in Italy (non-local), Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. The Top 5 to date are: Mexico ($45.9M), UK ($34.5M), France ($23.1M), Brazil ($21.6M) and Germany ($18.1M). Japan opens next weekend. As for Mission 8, audiences continued to accept. Notable strong holds were seen in Netherlands (-4%), Germany (-10%), France (-21%), Indonesia (-21%) and Japan (-23%). Also notably, China debuted this frame. This is a market that typically gravitates towards the franchise, but has been wonky of late with Hollywood fare. So, great news that The Final Reckoning became the highest-grossing imported film on a single day this year, and the fastest imported film to reach the RMB 100M mark in 2025. The gross there is a strong $25.2M while social scores are the highest of the franchise. The Top 5 markets to date are: China ($25.2M), UK ($22.3M), Japan ($18.5M), Korea ($17M) and France ($14.2M). Elsewhere, New Line/Warner Bros' Final Destination Bloodlines landed with another $14.4M from 75 offshore markets, a strong 37% drop from last weekend. The international running total is $117.6M through Sunday with worldwide at $229.3M. The Top 5 are: UK ($12.5M), Mexico ($11.2M), India ($7.6M), Philippines ($6.9M) and France ($6.7M). The film has also become the biggest horror movie of all time in Pakistan, and the 4th best ever there for a WB title. MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE (UNI): $4.2M intl weekend (41 markets); $6.2M intl cume/$6.8M global (WB): $3.1M intl weekend (73 markets); $524.1M intl cume/$947.1M global (DIS): $2.8M intl weekend (52 markets); $187.7M intl cume/$369.6M global (WB): $1.8M intl weekend (59 markets); $83M intl cume/$350.1M global (SNY): $1M intl weekend (8 markets)*Denotes new Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5 So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery

Bryce Dallas Howard Doesn't Care If You Think Her Wearable Electromagnetic Frequency Devices Are Woo-Woo
Bryce Dallas Howard Doesn't Care If You Think Her Wearable Electromagnetic Frequency Devices Are Woo-Woo

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Bryce Dallas Howard Doesn't Care If You Think Her Wearable Electromagnetic Frequency Devices Are Woo-Woo

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There's no right way to 'do' wellness, but Marie Claire's Doing Well offers a glimpse into the self-care mantras, therapies, and affirmations practiced by industry trailblazers. When I finally log into my Zoom with Bryce Dallas Howard—late, thanks to classic tech issues—I expect awkwardness and scrambling. Instead, she smiles big, laughs, and says, "That gave me some extra time to apply my lip!" Her vibe? Down-to-earth, sharp, and quick-witted. Then I clock the product in her hand: the unmistakable bright purple, stacked compact from my newest beauty brand favorite. "Wait—is that Subtl Beauty?" I ask. We instantly bond over a shared "I'm obsessed" before she tells me she discovered it mid-flight, while overhearing the brand's founder in the seat in front of her (hi, Rachel!). "I DMed her as soon as we landed," she laughs. That's when I knew this wasn't going to be your standard celebrity profile. Howard doesn't do small talk or scripted interviews. Chatting with her feels more like catching up with your smartest, most grounded friend—the one who, oh yeah, just directed a Disney+ documentary and is starring in an upcoming Prime Video action-comedy (it premieres June 12 on Amazon, mark your calendar). Between our conversation about Pets (the documentary that was inspired by her personal relationship with animals) and Deep Cover (think improv comedy meets undercover sting operations), it's clear she's been busy. But when I ask how she manages to juggle everything and have a good relationship with wellness at the same time, it becomes clear that Howard's approach isn't about control or perfection. Instead, it's about joy and self-kindness. She's candid about emotional eating, talks openly about walking away from diet culture, and finds happiness in the things she values the most, big or small—like frequency devices, a skincare product she's been scraping from the same jar since 2017, and the cute animal videos she binges that send her into a dopamine spiral. Howard isn't here with a wellness playbook—just real talk about listening to your body, ditching the guilt, and finding calm in the everyday. Oh, and, of course, she's got her lip on. I'm a huge fan of frequency healing. When I'm stressed or feeling overwhelmed, I put on frequency sessions. It helps me drop out of the mental chatter and just be present. I wear these devices—I actually just ordered a new one. It's a Trinity. My mom wears hers pretty much around the clock. My husband's been having sinus issues, so we busted it out for him today. I just really believe in that stuff—frequencies, EMFs, radiation, all of it. It's powerful. I'm very into it. Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to it whenever something pops up. My mom used to get cold sores on her lips, and now she keeps it on the 'cold sore' setting. She hasn't had one in years. It's this thing where you can use sound, vibration, or electromagnetic frequencies to help your body and mind reset and relax. It feels like this deep recalibration. I had my first experience with it a few years ago, and I was like, 'Whoa, what is this?' It's one of those things that sounds woo-woo but actually makes a huge difference in how I feel physically and mentally. I usually reach for something that's calm and doesn't require much brain energy. It's less about active learning and more about a pause. Usually, videos of pets. Online comedy. Laughter is the most powerful form of self-care for me. When I'm feeling really overwhelmed, I like to take a break and watch videos of animals—pets doing silly, joyful things. It's such a quick way to ground myself and bring a little lightness back into the moment. If I have just 10 minutes to reset, I'll watch videos of animals being their goofy, authentic selves. There's something about their pure joy and spontaneity that immediately shifts my mood. That kind of lightheartedness is pure medicine for me. In our hectic lives, we often forget how much animals ground us. That's exactly what I wanted to capture in my new documentary, Pets on Disney+—the deep, sometimes surprising, relationships that enrich our well-being. I basically made Pets as a place to house all those wonderful, funny videos that just make me laugh. The Retrouvé Revitalizing Eye Concentrate. Okay, I'm going to admit something I probably shouldn't...a bottle of this lasts forever. I'm still using one I got in 2017. And I did get another one—basically, I tend to pick one up every time I do a movie. So I got a new one in 2020. But I still have both—they just never seem to run out. You only need the tiniest dab. It's so powerful. Weleda Skin Food. I put it everywhere—especially around my mouth. I'll let it sink in like a moisturizing mask. I use it daily; I have eczema, so I'll use it on my hands too, and it's the only thing that helps. By taking things one day at a time, and trying to stay playful. That also kind of ties in with [my new movie] Deep Cover. I play a comedy improv teacher in the movie. Improv helps you stay present, listen, and build on what's already there. So instead of reaching or constructing something unrealistic, I'm trying to be grounded in the here and now. Laughter, playfulness, staying present, moment to moment. That's what really helps. I paint! I'm finishing up an online fine arts program at the Milan Art Institute—I'm in the portfolio phase right now. Even when I'm not working on portfolio pieces, I'll do watercolor or something. It's constant, I have all my [painting] supplies right here next to me. Being a raw foodist. And it's not a knock on veganism—I'd totally do that again. But I was a vegan raw foodist, and raw food was just one step too far. I did it for three and a half years, and when I stopped, it was a big deal because it became a real health issue, especially during pregnancy and after. I saw four doctors, and each of them said, 'You're missing amino acids and essential nutrients. You need to eat some meat.' I was like, 'No.' The last doctor said, 'Bryce, I completely respect your choice, but you're going to have to decide between your ethics and your future.' It was really emotional starting to incorporate meat again—I felt like I was betraying my values. And it's still something I struggle with: where's this coming from, and what's the real cost of this choice? Because the slaughterhouse industry is incredibly abusive. So yeah, the veganism I still value, but I took it too far with the raw foodism. Still, I've learned a lot from it and kept a lot of those tenets in my life. Well…I could definitely improve. But there are two big things for me: First, I don't diet or try to manipulate what I eat or how I move in order to control how I look. When I stopped doing that—when I stopped trying to fit into a certain size—my health totally turned around. I was finally listening to my body again. It became a collaboration instead of a dictatorship shaped by outside pressure. So not dieting has been huge. I don't let my appearance dictate what goes into my body anymore. The second thing is kind of on the other end of the spectrum—I have celiac, so I can't eat gluten. And in the last few years, I developed a pretty severe allergy to eggs. I can still eat eggs if they're baked into something, but if I have scrambled eggs? Whoa. I get just so, so sick. Then, about two years ago, I started to get a very similar reaction to coffee, so I had to give that up as well. Now, more than ever, I am careful not to be restrictive in any way that isn't medically necessary, because there are already so many foods I literally can't have. But hot chocolate works great. Honestly, better [than coffee]. I need a shirt that says 'Powered by Hot Chocolate.' I'd talk about dieting. I'd say: if you knew with certainty that no matter what you did physically, or what you ate, it would have zero impact on your weight or size—how would you eat? How would you move? That kind of framing forces you to reconnect with what you actually enjoy and what actually feels good. It shifts your relationship with your body into something supportive and appreciative. I really believe in the power of emotional eating. I think it's beautiful. People demonize it, but to me, emotional eating can be a way to ground yourself, reconnect, even heal. When you can make food choices that reflect how you feel and you're not judging yourself—that's holistic wellness. I stopped dieting ten years ago, and healing that relationship has been miraculous for me. I've raised my kids that way too, and they're so much more in tune with their own needs than I ever was. I say 'healthy' with caution, but they have a grounded relationship with food. One of them doesn't like meat and just naturally avoids it. The other one doesn't like sugar. They crave salads. It's wild. Of course, there was a lot of brainwashing growing up—in the '80s, '90s, early 2000s—about how we should relate to food. What I'm saying might not work for everyone, but it works for me. I feel empowered not to change myself through things that don't actually serve or support me.

My heart broke when this musical comedy show was canceled — but at least it's streaming on Hulu
My heart broke when this musical comedy show was canceled — but at least it's streaming on Hulu

Tom's Guide

time2 hours ago

  • Tom's Guide

My heart broke when this musical comedy show was canceled — but at least it's streaming on Hulu

Musical TV shows are hit or miss, but the best ones lean into satire and self-awareness. To sell the idea of characters randomly bursting into song, a little camp goes a long way. Some shows like "Glee" and "Smash" build singing into the story through a cappella groups or theater settings. Others, like "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," invent quirky setups for musical numbers that teeter between realism and ridiculousness (the sweet spot). But I'm here for genre chaos. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode set the bar high for '90s kids and the entire TV industry. Plenty of shows have tried to match its iconic status, but most have fallen flatter than the pitchiest note. One-off episodes are hard enough. Sustaining that energy for a whole series? Nearly impossible — except "Galavant" pulled it off. ABC's short-lived medieval musical show turned every fairy tale trope on its head with biting wit, satirical absurdity and a soundtrack as fresh as its plot. RIP to the real king. True love won't get you far in medieval times — especially if you're a woman. The show opens with our wannabe hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse) on a quest to rescue his beloved Madalena (Mallory Jansen). Except ... she's not in distress. She left Galavant for the king who kidnapped her. Why? Power and money, obviously. King Richard (Timothy Omundson) may sit on the throne, but Madalena's running the show. She knows how to weaponize toxic masculinity — and does, with perfection. Meanwhile, Galavant's off trying to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued. Sorry, Galavant, but Madalena is just not that into you. She's not even subtle about it. Yes, she uses her charms to get what she wants, but it's not manipulation — she tells everyone exactly what she's doing. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. She's not the only badass in the realm. Princess Isabella (Karen David) tricks Galavant into fighting for her kingdom under the pretense of needing a big, strong man. It's not hard; the guy's got a raging ego. He's also a washed-up loser and kind of an idiot. But at least he has a good personality ... just kidding! Medieval Women: 2Medieval Men: 0 You know Alan Menken, the legendary composer behind Disney movies including "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Newsies." He co-composed Galavant with Christopher Lennertz ("Pitch Perfect," "The Boys"). These heavyweights poured genuine talent into this absurd little gem of a show, and it shows. "Galavant's" soundtrack could easily pass as a Broadway cast album. It's not just the vocals — it's the composition, the pacing, the comic timing. Every song is completely self-aware and absurd without veering into nonsense. Somehow, it all works. From 'Hero's Journey' to 'A New Season,' the show breaks the fourth wall with abandon and dares you not to hum along. Galavant himself may be a mildly lovable, mostly pitiful mess, but the show? It's a legendary feminist parody that lands every punch — often to Galavant's face. Sadly, "Galavant" met the fate of too many quirky cult classics like "Pushing Daisies," "Dead Like Me" and "Reaper." Despite all the jokes about low budgets and imminent cancellation, the show's brilliance wasn't enough to save it. "Galavant" may have ridden off into the sunset too soon, but fortunately, the entire series is streaming on Hulu. So if you missed it the first time (like most people did), you've got a second chance to witness the chaotic, catchy brilliance for yourself. And if you've already seen it? Watch it again (and again). The songs still slap, the jokes still land and Galavant is still gloriously bad at being a hero. Watch "Galavant" on Hulu

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store