Nick Kroll

Kroll acknowledges his privilege gave him a safety net and says he pursued comedy to avoid regret.

“I think the idea for me was like, well, I'm going to regret the fuck out of this if I don't try”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 31:55

Kroll says leaving his first sketch audition was the moment he knew comedy was what he wanted to do.

“it was truly the one time in my life I walked out of that thing. I was like, This is it”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 24:45

Kroll argues that a more thoughtful approach creates more room for performers to play different kinds of people.

“I think there's a general attempt to be more thoughtful about what we're doing or how we're doing it”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 23:37

Kroll says he would not play his Sit Down, Shut Up character today but feels cultural attitudes are settling.

“I don't think I would play that character right now, but I do think things are settling a bit”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 23:07

Kroll believes Big Mouth produced more seasons than nearly any other scripted Netflix show except Ozark.

“We did more of those than basically any other scripted Netflix show, I think, besides Ozark”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 19:51

Kroll says he co-created Big Mouth with Andrew Goldberg, whom he met in first grade.

“my friend Andrew Goldberg, who Sean mentioned, I met in first grade. We created the show together”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 17:42

Kroll jokes that both critics and the public disliked Cavemen, his first job.

“The critics hated the show, but what I always took solace in was that the public hated it as well”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 57:01

Kroll feels fortunate to be making multiple projects while the entertainment industry is contracting.

“it's at a time when the business is tricky and things are going away and there's contraction”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 49:36

Kroll says his father's investigations firm was hired by the Kuwaiti government to trace Saddam Hussein's money.

“the Kuwaiti government hired him to find Saddam Hussein's money”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 38:08

Kroll recounts that Mike Birbiglia, who won the competition Kroll bombed at, invited him to audition for a sketch show.

“he was doing a sketch show later that year and invited me to audition”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 25:55

Kroll jokingly describes his career strategy as aiming for mediocrity across many kinds of work.

“what I'm shooting for is like a B-minus across the board. If you can shoot for a B-minus, you can do so much”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 21:41

Kroll explains that the Maury voice derived from his Kroll Show character Nash Rickey.

“I had a sketch show called Kroll Show. Nash Rickey was sort of like a hair metal guy who was also like had OCD”

SmartLess: "Nick Kroll" (Apr 27, 2026) · Listen from 18:37