Latest news with #TheSecondBestNightofYourLife
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Brett Goldstein on 'wonderful' 'Ted Lasso' revival and his first HBO standup special
Brett Goldstein on 'wonderful' 'Ted Lasso' revival and his first HBO standup special Show Caption Hide Caption Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this spring. USA TODAY's TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don't to want to miss this spring. Trying to connect with Brett Goldstein for a virtual interview is something out of a comedy. About five minutes into a chat with the writer, actor and standup, best known his portrayal of gruffy, 'Don't you dare settle for fine' Roy Kent on 'Ted Lasso,' he disappears from the screen. He returns, squinting and scrunching his scruffy face while searching for a solution to his glitchy internet connection. Over the next few minutes he repeatedly reappears and vanishes, even briefly adopts his Roy Kent voice and playfully drops an expletive. Eventually we are in business. Comedy is about extremes, Goldstein says. And a reporter with finite time eager to talk to Goldstein about his debut comedy special, HBO's 'The Second Best Night of Your Life' (April 26, 10 ET/PT) and 'Ted Lasso' returning for a fourth season, battling an internet connection acting like Lucy from 'Peanuts' with a football is funny. In 'The Second Best Night of Your Life' Goldstein draws punchlines from a 2023 episode of 'Sesame Street,' hailed as the best day of his life, being famished during a 2023 trip to the White House when food was scarce out of respect for taxpayers, and even his own love life. "I love standup," says Goldstein, 44. "I do think it's the purest in terms of there's no one you have to discuss it with.' There's no need to pitch writers or executives. Goldstein writes for 'Ted Lasso,' is a co-creator of Apple's dramedy 'Shrinking,' and appeared in the most recent season. 'With standup, I could have an idea in the afternoon, I can try it that day, and if it works great. And if it doesn't work, fine. We tried it.' The vulnerability of Brett Goldstein's standup Goldstein started performing standup in 2007. Before going on stage he felt fear, after a high. 'I'd say the next two years were probably bad gigs,' he says. But he persevered. Goldstein launched The Second Best Night of Your Life tour in 2023, now a 63-minute descent into his mind available for home viewing. In the special's opening, Goldstein puts on a confident façade, puffing on a cigarette and greeting fans in a fur trapper hat and coat. Really, he's so nervous he vomits. The bit is inspired by material Goldstein once performed. 'It's insane how casual they are,'" he says in an interview, "when I'm like, there's no way I would be that relaxed before. They're always just, like, chilling. 'Ohh, time for this show, is it?'' In his debut, Goldstein remembers not eating or drinking before his White House visit "because I assumed we were going to live like kings!... We were there nine hours. Hour eight I was sat with the president going, 'Are you sure, just a thimble of water? Please sir, let me Uber Eats.'" Regardless of the subject matter, Goldstein says he always feels vulnerable the first time he tests new material. 'When I try a joke, it's not really me saying, 'Is this funny?' What I'm saying is, 'Am I mad? Am I insane?'' he says. Am I alone here? 'If they laugh, maybe you're not. Or you are, but it's OK, we accept you. But then everything is truly, tragedy plus time.' 'Ted Lasso' Season 4: 'In my heart I thought there'd be more' Goldstein is currently busy writing the highly anticipated fourth installment of 'Ted Lasso,' announced to all believers in March. The comedy centers on the character, played by Jason Sudeikis, who transforms an English soccer team with his unyielding optimism. In the new season, Ted has been named the coach of a women's team. As to whether he's resurrecting that lovable Cadbury Creme Egg of man (with hard exterior and gooey center), that's a secret currently being guarded like an AFC Richmond goal. When asked, Goldstein playfully echoes his publicist, nearly verbatim. 'What I can say is I'm back in a professional capacity as an executive producer and writer,' he says with a wide grin. The revival of the Emmy-winning comedy didn't entirely surprise Goldstein. When the series wrapped, "I cried and we had such an emotional goodbye,' he says. 'But I do think a part of me thought this wasn't the end. I just felt like it's such a lovely world. It sort of felt like surely there'll be a way to do more.' But as more time passed since the May 31, 2023 finale, he reconsidered. 'I guess I then thought maybe it isn't going to happen,' he adds. 'So then when it was happening, I was like, 'Ah, wonderful.' But I wasn't completely surprised, because I think in my heart I thought there'd be more.' Recently, Goldstein appeared on "Shrinking" as Louis, the driver involved in the car accident that killed Jimmy's (Jason Segel) wife. Segel thought the role would distance Goldstein from Roy. "Jason was into that," Goldstein says, "and I think, because of his experiences, I was more worried about doing this difficult part well" and joining one of the "greatest casts ever."
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Inspired by ‘Sesame Street,' Brett Goldstein combines puppets and stand-up in HBO special ‘Second Best Night of Your Life'
Brett Goldstein may be behind two of Apple TV+'s biggest shows, but he really wants to talk about puppets. The comedian — whose breakout role as foul-mouthed football player with a heart of gold Roy Kent on 'Ted Lasso' earned him two Emmys and who co-created the series 'Shrinking' — has been packing his schedule with film projects and TV show appearances since 'Ted Lasso' premiered in 2020. But once he had a spare moment, Goldstein went back to his stand-up roots with his new HBO special 'The Second Best Night of Your Life' that premieres Saturday. The actor and writer's first filmed special is the culmination of two years of touring across the U.S. and UK. Goldstein dives into the culture shock of being plunged into the American comedy scene, visiting the White House, his love of musicals, and why his experience on 'Sesame Street' changed his life forever. In an interview with the L.A. Times, the comedian explains how 'The Second Best Night of Your Life' came to be a puppet-filled ode to the splendor of American stand-up specials. This interview was edited for length and clarity. Is this your first major stand-up show since your Edinburgh Fringe show 'What Is Love Baby Don't Hurt Me' in 2018? I've been doing a version of this show building off of bits in that [2018 Fringe] show. I built this show mostly at Largo in L.A. and then at ABC in London. Then I toured it for 14 months around America. And then at some point someone said 'You have to film this and stop doing it,' and I said 'OK.' When did you decide you wanted to develop a new stand-up show? I always wanted to tour and I was very lucky that I was doing 'Ted Lasso' so regularly and that was taking up pretty much all of my year. So when that finished I started doing other things and I had more time. But then I had 'Shrinking' and everything else. So I was mostly touring during weekends. Thursday, Friday, Saturday I tour and then come back to the writers room. Does performing and writing stand-up scratch a different creative itch than performing and writing on 'Ted Lasso' or 'Shrinking'? I think stand-up keeps your brain sharp in a way that nothing else does because you have so much pressure when you're standing under the lights in front of a crowd. You have to come up with something in a way that [you don't] when you're in a writers room. But what I really love about it is there's no committee. I don't have to discuss it with anyone. It's amazing making TV and film, but it's a huge thing that involves 200 people and you have to communicate everything to everyone and you have to compromise and deal with execs. And when you do stand-up it's like, 'Here's this, I thought of it this afternoon and I'm saying it tonight.' It's also a different mode. There's a different switch in my brain for stand-up and stand-up is probably the more naughty or ugly parts of yourself that have you like, 'Is this OK? Am I insane to think this?' In the special you talk about watching local comedy shows here in L.A. How did you decide to start developing the show at the Largo specifically? Flanagan at Largo — who owns Largo — he's the reason I love L.A. and he sort of took me in, I think of him like Fagin in 'Oliver.' I was this lost boy in L.A. and I didn't know the comedy scene well. He was so generous and so lovely he just started offering for me to do a whole night and [the special] came from that. You also mention learning confidence from American stand-ups. Is there anything American stand-ups can learn from British comedy? It's not what the stand-ups could learn, it's what the clubs could learn. In American clubs it's relentless. There's 300 acts, it goes on for hours, and there's table service and people getting up. It's insane to me because there's this constant distraction going on all the time. Listen, I'm lucky to be invited to all these clubs and I love and respect them. I just don't understand why there's no breaks. Give the audience a break. In the opening there's a reference to 'Severance.' Is that contractually obligated when you work on several Apple TV+ shows? Yeah, and we had to do a oner to reference 'The Studio.' I did pitch the whole special as a oner and the director said that would be really boring. I also wanted to shoot on film, which we did for the beginning and the ending. I love film and I wanted anything to make it special. And I don't really like the look when things are incredibly clean and flat. I wanted it to look a bit more filmic. Your special opens with you pontificating on how much you love the pageantry of American stand-up specials. But how did you decide that you wanted puppets to play such a crucial role in the framing of 'The Second Best Night of Your Life'? It was always my plan. I love puppets and it seemed funny to me that my crew were 10% puppets and that wasn't mentioned. Brian Henson himself came and did Buddy G the puppet so if you have the opportunity to work with Brian Henson doing puppets, f— do it. We met because I loved the Muppets and think that 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' is possibly the greatest film ever made. I went in for a general meeting with them and Brian was so nice and let me ask a million questions. They said, 'We'd love to work with you sometime.' And I said, 'I'd do anything, where do I sign?' This was just before I did 'Sesame Street.' Do you have a specific 'I made it' moment as a comedian or do you think that's still ahead of you? [After] doing 'Sesame Street,' I really mean that everything else is a bonus. I already did far more than I ever thought I would do. I'm very lucky and grateful. It amazes me that people came to see this show. I love touring and I would love to do more of it, but if no one ever comes again, I had a good run. And is that where the title of the special, 'The Second Best Night of Your Life,' comes from? When I did 'Sesame Street,' it was the best day of my life. And so every day since is pointless. I wanted to say, come to the show and have it be the second best night. You've still got things to look forward to. Would you ever want to become a full-time children's entertainer to work with puppets? When I have finished doing all the things I want to do film and TV-wise I would like to spend my final years as a full-time cast member on 'Sesame Street.' I would like that to be where I end.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brett Goldstein Comedy Special ‘The Second Best Night Of Your Life' Gets HBO Premiere Date, Trailer
Brett Goldstein's debut comedy special The Second Best Night of Your Life is set to premiere on HBO on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and will also be available to stream on Max. Up above, you can view a trailer, which Warner Bros Discovery unveiled today, along with the premiere date. Goldstein's debut HBO special sees him shed his testy Roy Kent façade from Ted Lasso — the hit series he co-created and stars in for Apple — to share his insights on love, sex, masculinity, Sesame Street, and everything in between. Written, performed and exec produced by the Emmy winner, it was taped at Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. More from Deadline 'The Last Of Us' Renewed For Season 3 At HBO Ahead Of Season 2 Premiere David Spade Sets New Comedy Special 'Dandelion' At Prime Video 'White Lotus' Creator Mike White Addresses Season 3 Criticism & Scene Between Piper & Belinda's Son Zion He Cut From Finale Jeff Tomsic directed the hour and also exec produced, along with Molly Mandel and Rotten Science's Matthew Vaughan. Goldstein's headlining stand-up tour with his Second Best Night Ever hour was his first. In addition to Ted Lasso, which was just recently set for an anticipated fourth season, he's well known for co-creating and exec producing Apple's comedy Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, which is heading into its third season. Currently in production on Office Romance, a Netflix rom-com in which he stars opposite Jennifer Lopez, his upcoming slate also includes Kornél Mundruczó's drama At the Sea, alongside Amy Adams and Murray Bartlett, and All of You opposite Imogen Poots, which premieres on Apple TV+ later this year after premiering at TIFF 2024. Best of Deadline 'The Last Of Us' Season 2: Everything We Know So Far Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 Everything We Know About 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 5 So Far
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brett Goldstein Comedy Special ‘The Second Best Night Of Your Life' Gets HBO Premiere Date, Trailer
Brett Goldstein's debut comedy special The Second Best Night of Your Life is set to premiere on HBO on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and will also be available to stream on Max. Up above, you can view a trailer, which Warner Bros Discovery unveiled today, along with the premiere date. Goldstein's debut HBO special sees him shed his testy Roy Kent façade from Ted Lasso — the hit series he co-created and stars in for Apple — to share his insights on love, sex, masculinity, Sesame Street, and everything in between. Written, performed and exec produced by the Emmy winner, it was taped at Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. More from Deadline 'The Last Of Us' Renewed For Season 3 At HBO Ahead Of Season 2 Premiere David Spade Sets New Comedy Special 'Dandelion' At Prime Video 'White Lotus' Creator Mike White Addresses Season 3 Criticism & Scene Between Piper & Belinda's Son Zion He Cut From Finale Jeff Tomsic directed the hour and also exec produced, along with Molly Mandel and Rotten Science's Matthew Vaughan. Goldstein's headlining stand-up tour with his Second Best Night Ever hour was his first. In addition to Ted Lasso, which was just recently set for an anticipated fourth season, he's well known for co-creating and exec producing Apple's comedy Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, which is heading into its third season. Currently in production on Office Romance, a Netflix rom-com in which he stars opposite Jennifer Lopez, his upcoming slate also includes Kornél Mundruczó's drama At the Sea, alongside Amy Adams and Murray Bartlett, and All of You opposite Imogen Poots, which premieres on Apple TV+ later this year after premiering at TIFF 2024. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 5 So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
