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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nick Kroll Recalls Orchestrating John Mulaney's 2020 Drug Intervention: 'So Deeply Scared He Was Gonna Die'
Nick Kroll is opening up about the drug intervention he orchestrated for his longtime friend and collaborator John Mulaney in 2020. The Big Mouth co-creator and star got candid during a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where he recalled being 'so deeply scared that he [Mulaney] was gonna die' at the time. More from The Hollywood Reporter Nick Kroll Reveals Lady Gaga and Howard Stern as the Two Stars 'Big Mouth' Just Couldn't Get How Did Peacock's 'Poker Face' Reel in So Many Guest Stars? Natasha Lyonne's Gravitational Pull NeueHouse and Stacey Wilson Hunt Team to Launch Podcast Series 'My Hollywood Story' 'It was so scary and brutal to go through,' Kroll said. 'He was in New York. I was in L.A. It was the height of the pandemic. So it was incredibly stressful to be in the midst of the pandemic, trying to literally coordinate and produce an intervention, bringing a bunch of different people together, friends from college.' To add to the stress, Kroll had a lot going on in his personal life as well, including his pregnant wife nearing birth and filming Don't Worry Darling ('There was no stress there,' he quipped to Shepard, hinting at the film's drama). And then he said Mulaney 'was running around New York City like a true madman. And I was so deeply scared that he was gonna die.' Kroll went on to talk about the processes of planning an intervention, which also led to a revelation. 'You're all of a sudden going back and being like, 'Oh, that's why I've had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time,'' he explained. 'It gives you both empathy for them and also a tremendous amount of anger because they've been lying to you.' The Red One actor also shared an emotional phone call he had with Mulaney shortly before the intervention. 'I have a very clear memory of being outside of my house — someone was working inside my house, it was again [the middle of] COVID — sitting on the ground, on the phone with him, both of us crying, and me just being like, 'I'm so scared you're going to die,'' the comedian recounted. 'And I felt him feeling the same way, but also like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah…anyway, I gotta go. I'm in this new Airbnb.'' Mulaney has previously detailed the experience of his intervention during his Netflix comedy special, Baby J. The intervention, which happened on Dec. 18, 2020, saw the comedian surprised by a group of friends, including Kroll, to address his misuse of cocaine, Adderall, Xanax, Klonopin and Percocet. He then spent two months in a Pennsylvania drug rehabilitation facility. Kroll later noted on Armchair Expert that after rehab, it still took some time for them all to heal from the experience. 'When he came out of rehab and started doing standup all about it, he was still pretty fucking pissed about the intervention,' he said. 'So he was pretty angry and all of a sudden, I was like, 'Oh, I don't know if I like having jokes about me.'' However, Kroll said he eventually recognized that the way everyone processes pain is different. 'What [Mulaney's] willing to share is what makes him so fucking funny and dynamic and intoxicating as a performer, that he's giving you a written version of his life, but he's giving you access to elements of himself,' he explained. 'And I myself am very guarded in certain ways.' Throughout their careers, Kroll and Mulaney have collaborated on several projects, including the Broadway play Oh, Hello and the Netflix series Dinner Time Live. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nick Kroll shares shocking insight into John Mulaney's relapse ahead of famous intervention
Big Mouth creator Nick Kroll has shared his deepest fears about watching his friend and collaborator, fellow comedian John Mulaney, spiral during his drug addiction relapse in 2020. On the latest episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Kroll candidly explained the process of trying to organize the now-famous 2020 intervention that prompted Mulaney to check into rehab. 'It was so scary and brutal to go through because he was in New York. I was in LA. It was at the height of the pandemic,' Kroll explained on the podcast. 'So it was incredibly stressful to be in the midst of the pandemic, trying to literally coordinate and produce an intervention, bringing a bunch of different people together, friends from college.' In addition, Kroll's wife was about to give birth. 'And I was shooting Don't Worry, Darling, which there was no stress there,' he joked of the highly publicized drama surrounding the film. 'Then John was running around New York City like a true madman. And I was so deeply scared that he was gonna die,' Kroll continued. 'And I was trying to orchestrate all this of combining all the elements that go into these things, like the intervention person, where he was gonna go, who was gonna be at it. 'It was so f***ing stressful.' Kroll continued: 'You're all of a sudden going back being like, oh, that's why I've had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time. Oh, this explains that. And so it gives you both empathy for them and also tremendous amount of anger because they've been lying to you.' Kroll recalled being on the phone with Mulaney and sharing his fears. 'Both of us crying, me just being like, I'm so scared you're gonna die,' Kroll said. 'And so I felt him feeling the same way, but also like, just like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But anyway, I'm in this new Airbnb. I gotta go.' The infamous intervention involved about a dozen of Mulaney's famous friends, including Kroll and late night host Seth Meyers. They all convened in New York and lured Mulaney to attend after convincing him he was having dinner with a friend from college. Speaking to Meyers on his eponymous show in September 2021, Mulaney said: 'When I opened the door, I knew right away it was an intervention. That's how bad of a drug problem I had, that when I opened a door and saw people, I went, 'This is probably an intervention about my drug problem.'' Mulaney went straight to rehab from the staged intervention and stayed for two months. He admitted to being addicted to Adderall, Xanax, Klonopin, and Percocet, and was also heavily using cocaine. The comedian then turned the ordeal into a Netflix special called John Mulaney: Baby J, which debuted in 2023. Mulaney has credited the intervention with saving his life. 'I don't mean to be weird. It was a star-studded intervention. It was, like, a good group,' Mulaney said of the intervention in the Netflix special. Despite being angry at the time, he did acknowledge that the act was life-changing. 'I am grateful to everyone at my intervention,' Mulaney said in the Netflix special. 'They intervened. They confronted me and they totally saved my life.' If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here. In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Nick Kroll reveals devastating details about John Mulaney's ‘brutal' intervention: ‘Scared' he was going to die
Nick Kroll helped save John Mulaney's life. The 'Big Mouth' star, 46, appeared on the new episode of Dax Shepard's 'Armchair Expert' podcast and opened up about staging a drug intervention for Mulaney, 42, in 2020. 'It was so scary and brutal to go through,' said Kroll. 'He was in New York. I was in LA. It was at the height of the pandemic. So it was incredibly, literally, stressful to be in the midst of that, trying to literally coordinate and produce an intervention, bringing a bunch of people together, friends from college.' Advertisement 7 Nick Kroll, John Mulaney at the 'John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in L.A.' Netflix FYSEE Photo Call in June 2024. Variety via Getty Images Kroll recalled that Mulaney, his longtime friend and collaborator, 'was running around New York City like a true madman' at the time. 'And I was so deeply scared that he was gonna die,' he added. Advertisement 7 Nick Kroll on 'Armchair Expert.' Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard/Youtube The comedian explained that he 'orchestrated' the planning of the intervention which was 'f—ing stressful.' Kroll also said that the process gave him new insight into the pair's friendship. 'All of a sudden, you're going back, being like, 'Oh, oh, oh — that's why I've had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time. Oh, this explains that,'' Kroll shared. 'And so, it gives you both empathy for them, and also a tremendous amount of anger because they've been lying to you.' 7 John Mulaney and Nick Kroll attend the afterparty for 'Oh, Hello On Broadway' in 2016. Getty Images Advertisement 7 Nick Kroll and John Mulaney attend the Michael Che and Colin Jost's Emmys After Party in 2018. Getty Images for Google Recalling an emotional conversation he had with Mulaney days before the intervention, Kroll said, 'I just sat on the ground, on the phone with him, both of us crying. I said, 'I'm so scared you're going to die.' And I could feel him feeling the same way, but also like — 'Yeah, yeah, yeah…anyway, I gotta go. I'm at a new Airbnb.'' Mulaney believed he was going to a college friend's dinner when the intervention took place in New York City. Some of his closest friends were there, including Kroll and Seth Meyers. 'When he came out of rehab and started doing standup all about it, he was still pretty f—ing pissed about the intervention cause he was having a good time,' Kroll recalled. 'So he was pretty angry.' Advertisement 7 Nick Kroll and John Mulaney at the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards. Penske Media via Getty Images The 'Saturday Night Live' alum went to rehab for his addiction to cocaine and prescription pills for two months in December 2020. He poked fun at the experience in his 2023 Netflix special, 'John Mulaney: Baby J,' which didn't sit well with Kroll. 'All of a sudden, I was like, 'Oh, I don't know if I like having jokes about me,'' said Kroll. 'But then we talked about it and I was like, 'I don't like how you're representing this,' and he was like, 'I hear you. I totally hear you.'' 7 Nick Kroll and John Mulaney at the Keep It Clean To Benefit Waterkeeper Alliance in March 2018. Getty Images for Waterkeeper All 'And everyone's process and art is different,' Kroll noted. 'So what he's willing to share is what makes him so f—ing funny and dynamic and intoxicating as a performer. He's giving you a written version of his life, but he's giving you access to elements of himself. But it's what makes him such an amazing standup.' Mulaney has been sober since leaving rehab. He married actress Olivia Munn in July 2024 and they have two children together, son Malcolm, 3, and daughter Méi, 8 months. 7 John Mulaney and Olivia Munn at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. WireImage Munn, 44, told GQ last year that she staged her own mini-intervention for Mulaney before he went to rehab. Advertisement The 'Your Friends and Neighbors' actress also shared that she still randomly drug tests Mulaney to help keep him sober. 'It's like a relief,' Mulaney said in the GQ interview. 'I like to be able to not even have that be a question in her or anyone else's mind. Something about peeing in that cup is like, I'm walking this walk. It gives me confidence.'
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Nick Kroll Recalls John Mulaney's Drug Intervention
Content Warning: This article contains discussion of drug abuse. John Mulaney has talked openly about his past addiction to alcohol, cocaine, and prescription drugs. And after relapsing in 2020, the comedian entered a rehab facility for two months. The rehab stint came after John's loved ones staged an intervention during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, John has said he was 'mad' at his friends for staging the intervention, which was attended by a ton of high-profile comic friends, but he later understood how necessary it was. 'I didn't want an intervention,' he told Seth Meyers in 2021. 'At that moment in time, I wanted to continue using drugs. Sitting here tonight, I'm so grateful to you and to everyone there for saving my life, OK? That night, I was not grateful.' A number of well-known folks were also in attendance at the now-infamous intervention, and among them was Nick Kroll. Now, while recently appearing on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, Nick gave his recollection of events, both before and after the intervention took place. 'It was so scary and brutal to go through,' Nick recalled. 'He was in New York. I was in LA. It was at the height of the pandemic. So it was incredibly stressful to be in the midst of that, trying to literally coordinate and produce an intervention, bringing a bunch of people together — friends from college, other close friends… John was running around New York City like a true madman. And I was so deeply scared that he was gonna die.' Discussing how the experience tested his friendship with John, he added: 'You're all of a sudden going back and being like, 'Oh, that's why I've had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time.' It gives you both empathy for them and also a tremendous amount of anger because they've been lying to you.' John was lured into the intervention under the belief that he was going for dinner with a friend from college. Just days before it took place, Nick said he had an emotional phone conversation with John, during which he expressed concerns for his life. 'I just sat on the ground, on the phone with him, both of us crying,' Nick remembered. 'I said, 'I'm so scared you're going to die.' And I could feel him feeling the same way, but also like — 'Yeah, yeah, yeah…Anyway, I gotta go. I'm at a new Airbnb.'' John went to rehab straight from the intervention, although Nick said that it still took a while for them to smooth things over as his friend processed the emotions of the whole thing. 'When he started doing stand-up again, and all of it was about the intervention, he was still pretty fucking pissed,' Nick remembered. 'He came back clean, but he was mad at us. And I was like, 'Oh…I don't know if I love that joke about me.'' Speaking in John's defence, he added: 'Everyone's process and art is different. What makes him so funny and dynamic and intoxicating as a performer is that he's giving you a written version of his life, access to elements of himself. And I myself am very guarded in certain ways.' Interestingly, Nick noted that, while we often hear about these scenarios from the perspective of the person who is facing the addiction, it's less common to hear 'from the folks who are terrified during these things.' 'Addicts talk about their experiences, often in brilliant, stand-up-ready ways. But there are also people in their lives who are just trying to keep them alive. That's part of the story, too,' he said. 'I just didn't want to lose him,' he said of John. 'It's that simple.' You can find Nick's full episode on the Armchair Expert podcast here. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nick Kroll Opens Up About Orchestrating John Mulaney's Drug Intervention in 2020: ‘I Was So Deeply Scared He Was Gonna Die'
Nick Kroll appeared on the latest episode of the 'Armchair Expert' podcast with Dax Shepard and got candid about orchestrating a drug intervention in 2020 for his friend and frequent collaborator John Mulaney. The intervention took place during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. 'It was so scary and brutal to go through,' Kroll recalled. 'He was in New York. I was in L.A. It was at the height of the pandemic. So it was incredibly stressful to be in the midst of that, trying to literally coordinate and produce an intervention, bringing a bunch of people together — friends from college, other close friends.' More from Variety 'Big Mouth' Was Courageously Filthy 'Til the End, but About So Much More Than Sex: TV Review Nick Kroll Reveals the 'Sick Little D-' Scene in 'Big Mouth' That Netflix Asked to Be Cut: 'It's the Grossest Thing' 'Poker Face': Simon Helberg on Singing Sondheim With John Mulaney and 'Getting Into the S--' During Big Shootout Scene Compounding the stress was Kroll's personal life. His wife was nearing the birth of their child, and he was in production on Olivia Wilde's film 'Don't Worry Darling,' a project already plagued by tabloid drama. 'There was no stress there,' he joked before admitting, 'John was running around New York City like a true madman. And I was so deeply scared that he was gonna die.' Kroll described the intervention process as an actual test of friendships, with blurred boundaries and forced hard truths that surfaced. 'You're all of a sudden going back and being like, 'Oh, that's why I've had an inconsistent friend for the last X amount of time,'' the comedian explained. 'It gives you both empathy for them and also a tremendous amount of anger because they've been lying to you.' In one particularly raw moment, Kroll recalled a phone call with Mulaney just days before the intervention. 'I have a very clear memory of being outside of my house — someone was working inside, and we were still mid-pandemic. I just sat on the ground, on the phone with him, both of us crying,' Kroll remembered. 'I said, 'I'm so scared you're going to die.' And I could feel him feeling the same way, but also like — 'Yeah, yeah, yeah…anyway, I gotta go. I'm at a new Airbnb.'' The now-famous intervention was staged in New York City. Many of Mulaney's friends — including Kroll, Seth Meyers and others from Mulaney's inner circle — convinced him to come under the guise of a college friend's dinner. Mulaney later revealed he had been abusing Adderall, Xanax, Klonopin, Percocet and cocaine. He went straight from the intervention to rehab, where he stayed for two months. Kroll admitted that even after rehab, the experience didn't immediately bring peace. 'When he started doing stand-up again, and all of it was about the intervention, he was still pretty fucking pissed. He came back clean, but he was mad at us. And I was like, 'Oh… I don't know if I love that joke about me.'' Still, Kroll recognizes the importance of allowing artists to process pain in their own way. He added: 'Everyone's process and art is different. What makes [Mulaney] so funny and dynamic and intoxicating as a performer is that he's giving you a written version of his life, access to elements of himself. And I myself am very guarded in certain ways.' 'John Mulaney: Baby J' was the 2023 Netflix comedy special that detailed Mulaney's drug abuse and road to recovery. The special earned him an Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety special and critical acclaim for its unflinching honesty. In it, Mulaney calls the intervention 'star-studded' and 'life-saving.' 'I am grateful to everyone at my intervention,' Mulaney says in the special. 'They confronted me, and they totally saved my life.' Kroll, who is promoting the final season of Netflix's 'Big Mouth,' said he has only recently started talking publicly about the ordeal. Nonetheless, his love for Mulaney is evident. 'I don't think people hear enough from the folks who are terrified during these things,' Kroll said. 'Addicts talk about their experiences, often in brilliant, stand-up-ready ways. But there are also people in their lives who are just trying to keep them alive. That's part of the story, too.' Kroll and Mulaney have collaborated on various projects for over a decade, including the Broadway run of 'Oh, Hello' at the Lyceum Theatre from 2016 to 2017. Their bond, though forged through comedy, was ultimately tested by crisis — and survived. 'I just didn't want to lose him,' Kroll said. 'It's that simple.'Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
