"Jonah Hill LIVE"

Episode of SmartLess · May 8, 2026 · 1 h 16 min

Recorded live at the Avalon in Los Angeles, the SmartLess hosts interview Jonah Hill about his comedy upbringing, career from Superbad to directing, fame, fatherhood and new films.

Summary

This live SmartLess episode was recorded at the Avalon in Los Angeles. Before the guest arrived, Jason Bateman discussed leaving to direct a film, and Sean Hayes played a clip from a video chat he and his husband Scotty had held that morning with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, relaying details such as the station's speed and the astronaut's improved eyesight in microgravity. Bateman then introduced Jonah Hill after misplacing his written intro.

Hill described moving to a small town near San Diego to raise his two sons away from the entertainment industry, and recalled growing up in 1990s Los Angeles amid skateboarding, hip-hop and comedy. He called The Simpsons the biggest influence on his life, said he considers himself primarily a comedy writer, and credited mentors including Simpsons writer David Mirkin, Spike Jonze and Judd Apatow. He traced his path from Crossroads School and the New School to I Heart Huckabees (through Dustin Hoffman), Campus Ladies, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad. Will Arnett recounted pitching Hill and Michael Cera as a duo to a studio executive before Superbad.

Hill said sudden fame made him self-centered for a time, and that he retreated into the writers' room of Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno, then chose Cyrus over The Hangover, which he credited with leading Bennett Miller to cast him in Moneyball. He praised Martin Scorsese, whom he directed in a cameo in his film Outcome, and argued that AI cannot replace comedy writers because comedy requires human experience. He also discussed Brazilian jiu-jitsu, surfing and parenting, and promoted Outcome on Apple and his upcoming theatrical comedy Cut Off with Kristen Wiig. The hosts closed with a sincere wrap-up about their friendship and thanked their producers.

Chapters

2:24
Live opening at the Avalon
The hosts take the stage, banter about a backstage slap and Bateman's upcoming trip to direct a film.
7:52
Sean's call with the space station
Hayes shows a clip of his video chat with an astronaut on the International Space Station and shares facts she told him.
13:06
Botched intro and Jonah Hill arrives
Bateman improvises an introduction after losing his notes and brings out Jonah Hill.
16:31
Life in San Diego and a 90s LA youth
Hill describes his neighbors near San Diego and growing up amid LA skate, hip-hop and comedy culture, including his mentor Spike Jonze.
22:36
The Simpsons and becoming a writer
Hill explains that The Simpsons shaped him, that he wrote letters to its writers as a child, and that he sees himself mainly as a comedy writer.
25:04
Early career: Crossroads to Huckabees
Hill recounts Crossroads School, the New School, bar stand-up, and landing I Heart Huckabees via Dustin Hoffman.
32:42
Campus Ladies and Judd Apatow
Hill describes meeting Judd Apatow on The 40-Year-Old Virgin, selling scripts at 19, and learning comedy filmmaking from him.
41:25
AI and the future of comedy writing
Hill argues AI cannot replace comedy writers because comedy depends on human pain and experience.
43:05
Superbad and sudden fame
Hill and Arnett discuss Superbad's making and success, Arnett's early pitch of Hill and Cera, and the disorienting effects of fame.
49:28
Brüno, Cyrus and Moneyball
Hill explains writing on Brüno, choosing Cyrus over The Hangover, and being cast in Moneyball by Bennett Miller.
54:07
Working with Martin Scorsese
Hill describes directing Scorsese in Outcome and what sets Scorsese apart from other directors.
58:51
Hobbies, acting again and fatherhood
Hill talks about jiu-jitsu, surfing, returning to acting for other directors, and raising his sons, while Bateman reflects on children leaving home.
1:07:51
Outcome, Cut Off and wrap-up
Hill promotes his films Outcome and Cut Off, and the hosts close with tributes to each other and their producers.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Sean Hayes
Hayes relayed that the astronaut told him microgravity altered her eyes so she no longer needs glasses on Earth.
“it flattened the back of her eyes. So she doesn't need glasses on Earth anymore”
Listen from 10:52 · International Space Station
Jonah Hill
Hill said he moved away from Los Angeles to raise his family outside the entertainment industry.
“I wanted to leave LA and raise a family outside of Los Angeles and away from entertainment”
Listen from 17:08
Jonah Hill
Hill said that after years of serious work while unhappy, having a family made him happy and eager to be funny again.
“And then I met I had my family and I got happy. And now all I want to do is be funny again”
Listen from 21:13
Jonah Hill
Hill called The Simpsons the most influential thing in his life.
“I think The Simpsons is like the number one thing in the entire world”
Listen from 23:38 · The Simpsons
Jonah Hill
Hill said he regards himself primarily as a comedy writer, with most of his work being writing films.
“But most of my job is writing comedy movies. That's like mostly what I do”
Listen from 24:11
Jonah Hill
Hill rejected the nepo baby label but acknowledged attending Crossroads, where classmates' parents worked in entertainment, gave him a leg up.
“So that was a huge leg up for me to just not be like show business is abstract and far away, right?”
Listen from 27:04
Jonah Hill
Hill credited Judd Apatow with teaching him how to make comedy films, knowledge he now uses at his own production company.
“what he really did was he put me through Harvard education of directing comedy movies”
Listen from 39:19
Jonah Hill
Hill argued AI cannot replace comedy writers because it lacks the human experiences that make comedy funny.
“But they won't have the human experience that allows comedy to be funny because you've got to get dumped to write a funny movie about getting dumped, right?”
Listen from 42:24 · Artificial intelligence in comedy writing
Linked moment · 43:05Skip to 43:05 using a listen link in the info box.
Will Arnett
Arnett recounted pitching Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as a teenage duo to a studio executive before Superbad, who dismissed the idea.
“I go, it should be Michael Cera and this kid Jonah Hill”
Listen from 44:54 · Superbad
Jonah Hill
Hill said the sudden fame after Superbad inevitably made him self-obsessed for a period.
“It just is like, it's impossible not to become like a weird douche for like a year”
Listen from 49:00 · Fame
Jonah Hill
Hill said he retreated from the pressure of fame by working as a staff writer on Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno.
“I was like arguably more famous than Sasha was at that time. And I was like a pimply writer in his writers' room for like six months”
Listen from 51:10 · Brüno (film)
Jonah Hill
Hill said choosing Cyrus over The Hangover changed his life because he wanted to do both dramatic and comedic work, leading to Moneyball.
“But it changed my life because I wanted to do dramatic movies and comedic movies”
Listen from 53:41 · Cyrus (film)
Jonah Hill
Hill said Martin Scorsese told him Outcome was a giant leap forward, which meant a lot to him despite critics disagreeing.
“he's like this is a giant leap forward and i love this movie and that meant a lot to me”
Listen from 56:46 · Outcome (film)
Jonah Hill
Hill argued that audiences love Scorsese's films because a director's work reflects their worldview and people love Scorsese himself.
“A director's work is like their worldview. So the reason you love Marty's work is because you love him”
Listen from 58:08
Jason Bateman
Bateman shared advice he received that children leaving for college is gradual, since it is an independent 18-year-old, not a young child, who leaves.
“you're not losing your four-year-old. Like, it's not your four-year-old is not leaving”
Listen from 1:07:12 · Fatherhood
Jonah Hill
Hill said Cut Off will be released theatrically as part of an effort to bring comedy films back to cinemas.
“And we are trying to bring comedy movies back to the movies”
Listen from 1:10:18 · Cut Off (film)
Will Arnett
Arnett said not enough comedy movies have been made in recent years.
“There haven't been enough comedy movies getting made, and I think it's about time”
Listen from 1:10:26

People

In the conversation

Jason BatemanAmerican actor and director, co-host of SmartLess
Will ArnettCanadian-American actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess
Sean HayesAmerican actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess
Jonah HillAmerican actor, writer and director

Discussed

Judd ApatowAmerican filmmaker who gave Hill early roles and a writing deal
Michael CeraCanadian actor, Hill's Superbad co-star and close friend
Seth RogenActor who voiced the alien in the film Paul, referenced in an anecdote about healing
Martin ScorseseAmerican director of The Wolf of Wall Street, cameoed in Hill's Outcome
Spike JonzeAmerican director whom Hill calls his biggest mentor
Sacha Baron CohenBritish comedian whose darker humour Druski contrasts with his own
Bennett MillerAmerican director who cast Hill in Moneyball
David O. RussellAmerican director of I Heart Huckabees
Dustin HoffmanAmerican actor who got Hill his first audition
David MirkinSimpsons writer and longtime mentor to Hill
Keanu ReevesActor starring in Hill's film Outcome
Kristen WiigAmerican comedian and former SNL cast member known for her Liza Minnelli sketch
K. K. BarrettProduction designer on I Heart Huckabees and Outcome
Henry WinklerActor whose son Max was Hill's high school best friend

Topics

From the publisher

Don’t have a cow, man: it’s Jonah Hill... LIVE at the Avalon. Radio from space, teenagers in Hollywood, cool neighbors, and San Diego. “You couldn’t shake funny if you tried,” on an all-new SmartLess (btw did we say LIVE!?).

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Comedy Interviews·Film Interviews