WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.459 Welcome to the deep dive. This is where we sift 00:00:02.459 --> 00:00:04.740 through all that information you send our way, 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:07.500 the articles, the data, you know, the noise and 00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:09.740 really pull out what matters. We try to get straight 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:12.240 to the point so you can be, well, instantly informed. 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:14.779 And today, yeah, we're diving into someone whose 00:00:14.779 --> 00:00:18.500 career is just fascinatingly contradictory. Right. 00:00:18.579 --> 00:00:20.000 I mean, think about it. You've got the voice, 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:23.620 the screeching sort of chaotic voice of a hormone 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:26.570 monster from, you know. Big mouth. Which is huge 00:00:26.570 --> 00:00:29.230 on Netflix, obviously. And then on the complete 00:00:29.230 --> 00:00:32.530 other end of the spectrum, you have the intense, 00:00:32.829 --> 00:00:36.090 serious face of an Israeli intelligence agent 00:00:36.090 --> 00:00:40.270 in a historical drama, chasing Nazis, no less. 00:00:40.429 --> 00:00:42.350 It's kind of wild. So who is this person who 00:00:42.350 --> 00:00:45.189 can convincingly pull off both? Nicholas Kroll. 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:47.200 That's our guy today. And what we want to do 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:49.420 is really trace his path. We're going to unpack 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:52.079 his background, which is surprisingly affluent, 00:00:52.100 --> 00:00:53.859 actually. It's surprising. Yeah. And look at 00:00:53.859 --> 00:00:55.960 his early sketch work, how dedicated he was to 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:57.939 building characters and then how he made that 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:01.280 jump, you know, from performer to like co -creator 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.840 and the driving force behind this massive animated 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:06.719 franchise. And we've got a lot to work with. 00:01:06.859 --> 00:01:09.260 We've pulled together sources covering his life, 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.560 his time at Georgetown, that really diverse filmography. 00:01:13.269 --> 00:01:16.510 TV, movies, voice acting. All of it. Plus his 00:01:16.510 --> 00:01:18.709 big creative partnerships, what critics think, 00:01:18.909 --> 00:01:22.030 and how he manages to make these frankly ridiculous 00:01:22.030 --> 00:01:24.730 characters feel kind of meaningful. Yeah, it's 00:01:24.730 --> 00:01:26.870 quite a range. Okay, let's get into the basics 00:01:26.870 --> 00:01:29.650 first. Just the foundational stuff. He was born 00:01:29.650 --> 00:01:34.549 June 5, 1978 in Rye, New York. Right. And it's 00:01:34.549 --> 00:01:37.349 key to remember, he's not just an actor. The 00:01:37.349 --> 00:01:39.750 sources list him as actor, comedian, writer, 00:01:39.890 --> 00:01:42.129 and producer. A quadruple threat, basically. 00:01:42.329 --> 00:01:44.930 And he's been active since about 2004, really 00:01:44.930 --> 00:01:47.870 shaping modern comedy both in front of and behind 00:01:47.870 --> 00:01:50.769 the camera. Okay, so segment one, the foundation 00:01:50.769 --> 00:01:53.310 and early life. Yeah, let's start there. Because 00:01:53.310 --> 00:01:55.329 to really get Kroll, and especially the kind 00:01:55.329 --> 00:01:57.549 of characters he creates, you almost have to 00:01:57.549 --> 00:01:59.890 start with his family. Well, it's not the typical 00:01:59.890 --> 00:02:02.290 story, is it? Not at all. It really stands out 00:02:02.290 --> 00:02:04.329 in the source material. He's the youngest kid. 00:02:04.730 --> 00:02:07.310 Born to Lynn and Jules Kroll. And Jules Kroll. 00:02:07.390 --> 00:02:08.830 I mean, we need to pause on that name. We're 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:10.949 not talking about just like comfortable success 00:02:10.949 --> 00:02:14.110 here. No, no. This is Major League. Jules Kroll 00:02:14.110 --> 00:02:17.409 is a billionaire businessman. He founded Kroll 00:02:17.409 --> 00:02:20.849 Inc. Which, for anyone unfamiliar, is basically 00:02:20.849 --> 00:02:23.069 the gold standard, arguably the most famous firm 00:02:23.069 --> 00:02:25.490 for corporate investigations and risk consulting. 00:02:26.189 --> 00:02:28.770 Globally. Yeah. They handle incredibly complex 00:02:28.770 --> 00:02:32.030 stuff. Financial fraud, high level security risks, 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:34.750 even international intelligence gathering. It's 00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:36.770 serious business. And that's what's so interesting, 00:02:36.830 --> 00:02:39.169 right? The contrast. You've got the father building 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:42.090 this empire based on discretion, finance, serious 00:02:42.090 --> 00:02:44.590 investigation. Serious, high stakes. Exactly. 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:47.069 And then the son grows up and dedicates his life 00:02:47.069 --> 00:02:50.310 to playing characters like Bobby Bottle Service. 00:02:50.490 --> 00:02:52.430 Bobby Bottle Service. The Ed Hardy guy. Yeah. 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.840 Loud, chaotic. A total parody of that reality 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:58.400 TV vibe. It just makes you rethink things, doesn't 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.580 it? Like what drives him? He grew up in Rye, 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:03.280 New York, conservative Jewish family, siblings, 00:03:03.460 --> 00:03:06.199 Jeremy, Vanessa, Dana. Seems pretty standard 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:08.620 upscale suburban life on the surface. Attended 00:03:08.620 --> 00:03:10.860 Solomon Schechter School, Westchester, then Rye 00:03:10.860 --> 00:03:13.000 Country Day School, all very much reflecting 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:14.939 that environment. But then there's this interesting 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:17.280 detour mentioned in the sources, something that 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.300 suggests he was already looking for a different 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:21.300 path. Right. He spent some time during high school 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:23.699 at the Mountain School. It's in Versure, Vermont. 00:03:24.169 --> 00:03:26.330 And that's not just another prep school. It's 00:03:26.330 --> 00:03:28.770 like this immersive semester program, environmental 00:03:28.770 --> 00:03:31.430 science, working on a farm. A world away from 00:03:31.430 --> 00:03:33.810 Westchester, basically. Totally. It sounds almost 00:03:33.810 --> 00:03:37.009 like he was actively seeking something. Grittier, 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:40.550 more hands -on, developing a fondness for hiking 00:03:40.550 --> 00:03:43.280 there. Leaving that world of... you know, high 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.979 finance and corporate intelligence to be on Vermont 00:03:45.979 --> 00:03:49.060 trails, it definitely suggests an internal drive 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:52.039 beyond just inheriting status. Yeah, like he 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:54.020 was already searching for something else. And 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:56.060 that kind of curiosity seems to have carried 00:03:56.060 --> 00:03:58.240 over into college. He went to Georgetown, graduated 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:02.460 in 2001, but his major. That tells a story, too. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.340 This part I found really telling. He started 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:07.020 out or described himself initially as a history 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:09.280 major, which makes sense, right? Understanding 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:12.139 narrative context. Very analytical. Plus minors 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:15.180 in art and Spanish. Pretty standard liberal arts. 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:18.019 But then he specifically mentions, and this is 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:20.579 a quote, finding himself gravitating toward media 00:04:20.579 --> 00:04:23.279 studies as time went on. And that gravitating 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:25.740 feels important. History gives you the background 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:28.120 for deep characters. Art gives the creative spark. 00:04:28.459 --> 00:04:31.709 But media studies. That's. The practical side. 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:33.769 Right. Production, performance, how stuff gets 00:04:33.769 --> 00:04:36.170 out there. The whole system he'd later use with 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:38.269 Funny or Die and eventually, obviously, Netflix. 00:04:38.610 --> 00:04:42.350 So thinking about this foundation, you, the listener, 00:04:42.430 --> 00:04:44.870 need to grasp this. Kroll wasn't coming from 00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:46.730 a place of needing to pay the rent with his next 00:04:46.730 --> 00:04:49.149 joke. Not at all. And that financial security, 00:04:49.410 --> 00:04:52.269 it means creative freedom. He could try the weirdest, 00:04:52.410 --> 00:04:54.750 most specific stuff. He could afford to bomb, 00:04:54.949 --> 00:04:56.949 basically. Right. Which, let's be honest, is 00:04:56.949 --> 00:04:59.660 often how you get to the really great. Original 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:02.899 comedy. You need that room to fail spectacularly. 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:04.680 Okay, so that sets the stage. Let's move into 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:06.800 segment two, how he actually started building 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.420 those characters, the sketch and stand -up years. 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:12.720 Right, so with that unusual foundation, he enters 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.680 the professional world. And interestingly, he 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:17.980 didn't start on stage, really. He started writing. 00:05:18.139 --> 00:05:20.160 Yeah, his early credits are in the writers' rooms 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:23.199 for some huge shows back then. Comedy Central's 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:26.480 Chattel Show, for one. And MTV's Human Giant. 00:05:26.889 --> 00:05:29.470 Yeah. Which, I mean, talk about influential sketch 00:05:29.470 --> 00:05:31.689 comedy at the time. Absolutely essential training 00:05:31.689 --> 00:05:34.350 grounds, learning sketch structure, timing, how 00:05:34.350 --> 00:05:36.790 to land a punchline. Gave him the bones, you 00:05:36.790 --> 00:05:40.000 know. Definitely. But the place where he really 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.740 seemed to forge his performance style, his voice, 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:45.839 was live comedy. For sure. He toured with Aziz 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.879 Ansari. That was the Glow in the Dark tour back 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.720 in 2008, mixing stand -up with some of those 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:52.939 character bits he was developing. But the real 00:05:52.939 --> 00:05:55.720 incubator, the place everyone points to, is the 00:05:55.720 --> 00:06:00.089 upright Citizens Brigade Theater, UCB. You can't 00:06:00.089 --> 00:06:02.089 talk about comedy in that era without talking 00:06:02.089 --> 00:06:04.329 about UCB. It wasn't just a stage. It was like 00:06:04.329 --> 00:06:06.910 a school, a specific method. He studied there, 00:06:07.009 --> 00:06:09.350 performed constantly, both in New York and L 00:06:09.350 --> 00:06:11.689 .A. He even co -hosted a stand -up show, Welcome 00:06:11.689 --> 00:06:14.670 to Our Week, with Jesse Klein. And if you're 00:06:14.670 --> 00:06:16.910 not familiar with UCB's whole thing, it's all 00:06:16.910 --> 00:06:19.610 about finding the game of the scene, that central 00:06:19.610 --> 00:06:22.490 funny idea or pattern, and then committing to 00:06:22.490 --> 00:06:25.009 it completely. Which explains so much about his 00:06:25.009 --> 00:06:26.790 characters, right? Right. They're incredibly 00:06:26.790 --> 00:06:30.089 detailed because UCB teaches you to zero in on 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:33.949 some tiny human behavior or cultural quirk and 00:06:33.949 --> 00:06:36.290 just blow it up. Yeah, amplify it until it's 00:06:36.290 --> 00:06:38.910 almost universal in its specificity. And that 00:06:38.910 --> 00:06:41.209 work led to his own stand -up special, thank 00:06:41.209 --> 00:06:44.180 you very cool, on Comedy Central. in 2011. But 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:45.939 maybe even more impactful, certainly in terms 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:48.759 of viral reach back then, were the actual characters 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.100 he created during this time. The ones that blew 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:53.560 up online, especially on Funny or Die. Okay. 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:55.279 Yeah. This is where we get into the Persona Factory 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.060 idea. And the prime example has to be Bobby Bottle 00:06:58.060 --> 00:06:59.639 Service. Oh, absolutely. Bobby Bottle Service. 00:06:59.699 --> 00:07:02.339 That character was just perfectly of its moment. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:06.040 This hyper specific parody of late 2000s reality 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:08.759 TV guys. The Ed Hardy Boys sketches with John 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:11.389 Daly. And that fake audition tape he made for 00:07:11.389 --> 00:07:13.949 Jersey Shore, it was genius. What made it work 00:07:13.949 --> 00:07:16.110 wasn't just the accent or the look, it was the 00:07:16.110 --> 00:07:19.470 details. Kroll absolutely nailed that specific 00:07:19.470 --> 00:07:22.589 blend of, like, club culture, entitlement, and 00:07:22.589 --> 00:07:25.209 weird vulnerability. He captured the zeitgeist. 00:07:25.230 --> 00:07:27.009 And he did it with other characters, too. Ref 00:07:27.009 --> 00:07:29.250 Jeff, remember him? The totally biased referee. 00:07:29.430 --> 00:07:31.949 And Fabrice Fabrice. Yeah. The craft services 00:07:31.949 --> 00:07:34.899 coordinator turned celebrity publicist. So over 00:07:34.899 --> 00:07:37.500 the top. Fabrice is a great example of his vocal 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:40.300 commitment, too. That's a really affected, specific 00:07:40.300 --> 00:07:43.399 voice. You have to go all in. And again, think 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:45.459 about the guy doing this voice, the history major, 00:07:45.660 --> 00:07:48.600 son of the corporate investigator, fully embodying 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:52.079 this flamboyant, judgmental character. The range 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.500 is just, it's something else. These characters 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:56.860 were so strong, so defined, they eventually needed 00:07:56.860 --> 00:07:59.370 their own show. Which brings us to The Kroll 00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:03.410 Show. Right. Ran 2013 to 2015 on Comedy Central. 00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:05.889 This was the main stage for all those personas. 00:08:06.149 --> 00:08:08.430 He created it, starred in it, let all those characters 00:08:08.430 --> 00:08:11.550 like Liz G and Cesar and the publicity women 00:08:11.550 --> 00:08:14.610 interact. 23 episodes. It really cemented his 00:08:14.610 --> 00:08:16.449 style and earned him recognition like the breakout 00:08:16.449 --> 00:08:18.550 star award at the Just for Laughs Festival in 00:08:18.550 --> 00:08:21.389 2013. But maybe the ultimate expression of this 00:08:21.389 --> 00:08:23.149 long form character work, the one that really 00:08:23.149 --> 00:08:27.250 crossed over was, ooh. Hello? Ah, yes. Gil Faison 00:08:27.250 --> 00:08:30.250 and George St. Geegland, his collaboration with 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:32.950 John Mulaney. Kroll is Gil, Mulaney is George. 00:08:33.149 --> 00:08:35.909 These two grumpy, opinionated, tuna -obsessed 00:08:35.909 --> 00:08:38.149 old guys from the Upper West Side. What's amazing 00:08:38.149 --> 00:08:41.169 about Oh, Hello is how it proved that this really 00:08:41.169 --> 00:08:44.710 niche, specific, UCB -style character comedy 00:08:44.710 --> 00:08:47.710 could actually work for a huge audience. It started 00:08:47.710 --> 00:08:50.570 small, just a sketch bit. But their commitment 00:08:50.570 --> 00:08:53.210 to these characters' weird little world, the 00:08:53.210 --> 00:08:55.529 tuna, the specific complaints, the prank show, 00:08:55.610 --> 00:08:58.129 too much tuna, it just resonated. So much that 00:08:58.129 --> 00:09:00.370 they toured it across the U .S. And then, the 00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:03.549 unbelievable part, it landed on Broadway in 2016. 00:09:03.850 --> 00:09:06.500 A Broadway run. For six months. For a comedy 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:08.740 show about two old guys giving terrible advice. 00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:11.039 And the reviews were great. It really showed 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.399 the power of just committing fully to a character 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:15.200 no matter how absurd. And then, of course, Netflix 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:17.480 filmed the Broadway show, released it in 2017. 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.139 Which put Gil and George in front of millions. 00:09:20.340 --> 00:09:22.980 Made them these unlikely cultural figures, all 00:09:22.980 --> 00:09:25.279 built from that dedication to character. Okay, 00:09:25.299 --> 00:09:28.080 let's pivot slightly. Segment three. Looking 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.000 at his more mainstream TV and film roles around 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.940 this time. Because it wasn't all sketch. Right. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:37.000 And actually, one of his earliest big breaks 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:40.059 is a really interesting story, especially in 00:09:40.059 --> 00:09:41.759 terms of learning resilience. You're talking 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:44.940 about Caveman. Exactly. His first significant 00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:48.700 network role was on that ABC sitcom Caveman, 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:51.679 based on the Geico commercials. Oh, man, Caveman. 00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:55.049 That show was... Not well received. Understatement. 00:09:55.049 --> 00:09:57.129 It was pretty much universally panned, canceled 00:09:57.129 --> 00:09:59.350 after only seven episodes actually aired. It's 00:09:59.350 --> 00:10:01.730 like the definition of a TV flop. Yet, Kroll 00:10:01.730 --> 00:10:03.769 himself has called that whole experience, quote, 00:10:03.889 --> 00:10:06.009 the most important experience of my professional 00:10:06.009 --> 00:10:09.149 career. Which sounds kind of crazy, right? It 00:10:09.149 --> 00:10:11.389 does. And do you think about why? It wasn't about 00:10:11.389 --> 00:10:13.690 the show being good. It was about learning how 00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:15.950 the machine works. Yeah, like seeing how a big 00:10:15.950 --> 00:10:18.190 network production operates or maybe malfunctions, 00:10:18.190 --> 00:10:21.210 the bureaucracy, the pressure, having to show 00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:23.190 up and deliver even when you know the ship is 00:10:23.190 --> 00:10:26.450 sinking. Precisely. He learned discipline under 00:10:26.450 --> 00:10:29.090 fire. For you listening, that's a key takeaway. 00:10:29.429 --> 00:10:31.669 Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from 00:10:31.669 --> 00:10:34.129 navigating a tough situation, a broken system. 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:37.299 It builds resilience. And he definitely applied 00:10:37.299 --> 00:10:39.899 that professionalism. Because his next big TV 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:42.559 role was a huge success and provided real stability, 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:46.620 The League. Ah, Ruxin. Yes. He starred as Rodney 00:10:46.620 --> 00:10:49.639 Ruxin on The League on FXX. That show had a great 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:53.250 run. October 2009 to December 2015. So it overlapped 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:55.809 perfectly with his Kroll show years and the stand 00:10:55.809 --> 00:10:58.490 -up specials. It gave him a solid base. And Ruxin 00:10:58.490 --> 00:11:00.370 was such a great character for him. This incredibly 00:11:00.370 --> 00:11:03.990 intense, competitive, kind of awful lawyer, totally 00:11:03.990 --> 00:11:05.990 obsessed with his fantasy football league. It 00:11:05.990 --> 00:11:08.350 let him showcase this consistent, high -energy 00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:11.049 performance over six seed wins. It definitely 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:13.090 broadened his appeal beyond the hardcore sketch 00:11:13.090 --> 00:11:16.129 fans. That combination, the steady gig on a hit 00:11:16.129 --> 00:11:19.129 ensemble show, plus the creative freedom he had 00:11:19.129 --> 00:11:20.769 from his... background that seems like the engine 00:11:20.769 --> 00:11:22.669 for his whole career at that point. He was also 00:11:22.669 --> 00:11:24.710 popping up everywhere in guest roles on other 00:11:24.710 --> 00:11:27.929 big comedies of that era. Parks and Recreation. 00:11:28.029 --> 00:11:31.950 And The Douche. Yes. That obnoxious radio DJ. 00:11:32.629 --> 00:11:35.629 Five episodes. He was also in Community as Juergen. 00:11:35.750 --> 00:11:38.350 And Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Trista Faye. 00:11:38.490 --> 00:11:41.789 Yeah. That ridiculously wealthy, clueless guy. 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:44.389 And New Girl 2 as Jamie. He was just part of 00:11:44.389 --> 00:11:46.570 that whole comedy ecosystem. Yeah. Very connected. 00:11:46.990 --> 00:11:49.110 And he also showed up on the Comedy Central roast 00:11:49.110 --> 00:11:51.629 of James Franco, which is a different skill set, 00:11:51.730 --> 00:11:54.909 right? Delivering sharp insult comedy live. True. 00:11:55.049 --> 00:11:57.429 Shows versatility. Not just playing characters, 00:11:57.570 --> 00:11:59.990 but being himself comedically. And alongside 00:11:59.990 --> 00:12:02.389 the TV work, he was also consistently getting 00:12:02.389 --> 00:12:04.789 supporting roles in big comedy movies during 00:12:04.789 --> 00:12:07.929 that period. Right. That late 2000s, early 2010s 00:12:07.929 --> 00:12:11.669 wave. He's Larry in I Love You, Man. Kevin McLean 00:12:11.669 --> 00:12:14.929 in Get Him to the Greek. Josh in Dinner for Schmucks. 00:12:15.389 --> 00:12:18.230 The maitre d's in Date Night. Adam Richman in 00:12:18.230 --> 00:12:20.190 a good old -fashioned orgy. He wasn't always 00:12:20.190 --> 00:12:22.669 the lead, but he'd come in, deliver this really 00:12:22.669 --> 00:12:24.830 specific, committed comedic energy for a scene 00:12:24.830 --> 00:12:27.129 or two, and be memorable. That's the mark of 00:12:27.129 --> 00:12:29.210 a great character actor, isn't it? He even got 00:12:29.210 --> 00:12:31.669 an ensemble award nomination for I Love You Man. 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:33.769 It showed his approach worked to be an essential 00:12:33.769 --> 00:12:36.649 ingredient, even in a small dose. Okay, so all 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:39.769 this work... The deep character stuff from UCB, 00:12:39.870 --> 00:12:42.149 the writing, the stand -up, learning from failure, 00:12:42.389 --> 00:12:45.549 the mainstream TV and film roles, it all seems 00:12:45.549 --> 00:12:47.750 to lead directly to segment four. The animation 00:12:47.750 --> 00:12:51.090 empire, Big Mouth. This is where he really levels 00:12:51.090 --> 00:12:53.549 up, moves from being primarily a performer and 00:12:53.549 --> 00:12:56.210 writer to a major creator and executive producer. 00:12:56.570 --> 00:12:58.590 And it feels like such a natural evolution because 00:12:58.590 --> 00:13:01.450 Big Mouth itself feels built on those UCB principles, 00:13:01.649 --> 00:13:03.669 doesn't it? Totally. Find a core human truth 00:13:03.669 --> 00:13:06.009 in this case, the absolute nightmare fuel of 00:13:06.009 --> 00:13:08.750 his purity, and then commit. to the game of it 00:13:08.750 --> 00:13:11.190 which means yeah personifying hormones shame 00:13:11.190 --> 00:13:14.669 anxiety as these literal often disgusting monsters 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:17.830 kroll co -created writes for and stars in big 00:13:17.830 --> 00:13:20.970 mouth it hit netflix in 2017 still going strong 00:13:20.970 --> 00:13:24.330 set to end in 2025 focuses on these seventh graders 00:13:24.330 --> 00:13:26.500 navigating puberty And it tackled topics like 00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:29.519 sex, identity, shame, with this incredible mix 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.799 of, like, brutal honesty and complete absurdity. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:34.220 It felt pretty groundbreaking for animation. 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:36.759 A big part of why it works, I think, is the personal 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:38.399 connection mentioned in the sources. The main 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:40.019 characters, Nick Birch and Andrew Gloverman. 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:43.460 Voiced by Kroll and Mulaney, his oh -hello partner. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:46.740 Right. They're actually based on and named after 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:49.759 Kroll and his real -life childhood best friend, 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:52.299 Andrew Goldberg, who's also a co -creator on 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:54.840 the show. That autobiographical core gives it 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:57.559 an anchor, right? It grounds all the wild fantasy 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.220 stuff and lets them tackle really sensitive subjects 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:02.299 without it feeling totally out of left field. 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:05.220 And this is where Kroll's voice acting mastery 00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:08.179 just explodes. He doesn't just voice Nick, the 00:14:08.179 --> 00:14:10.399 main kid character who's kind of based on him. 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:13.659 No way. The sources list is staggering. He voices 00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:16.000 a huge chunk of the show's entire soundscape. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:18.500 Let's just list some. Maurice the Hormone Monster, 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:22.580 that loud, chaotic, eye -driven creature. Then 00:14:22.580 --> 00:14:25.220 there's Coach Steve, the completely clueless, 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:27.519 sweet, but inappropriate gym teacher with that 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:30.809 high, cracking voice. The really aggressive, 00:14:30.950 --> 00:14:33.710 insecure girl with that incredibly specific, 00:14:34.009 --> 00:14:36.669 almost painful vocal fry and lisp. It's amazing, 00:14:36.889 --> 00:14:38.470 and that's not even mentioning Rick the Hormone 00:14:38.470 --> 00:14:40.470 Monster, who's older and worn out, the Jansen 00:14:40.470 --> 00:14:43.149 twins, Lady Liberty. The fact that he creates 00:14:43.149 --> 00:14:46.389 the sound for Nick's awkwardness, Maurice's chaos, 00:14:46.690 --> 00:14:49.830 and Lola's very specific aggression, sometimes 00:14:49.830 --> 00:14:51.830 all in the same episode, maybe even the same 00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:53.950 scene. It's the ultimate payoff for all that 00:14:53.950 --> 00:14:56.649 UCB character training. Total commitment to the 00:14:56.649 --> 00:14:59.029 voice. And Big Mouth was so successful, it led 00:14:59.029 --> 00:15:02.039 to the a spinoff human resources right ran 2022 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:05.159 to 2023 expanded on the world of the monsters 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:08.019 kind of like a workplace comedy kroll was co 00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:11.539 -creator uh exec producer writer starred in that 00:15:11.539 --> 00:15:14.779 too but beyond his own shows he started using 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:18.710 this voice talent in major animated movies and 00:15:18.710 --> 00:15:21.429 often, interestingly, as the villain. Yeah, that 00:15:21.429 --> 00:15:23.549 was a bit of a shift. His first big animated 00:15:23.549 --> 00:15:26.970 villain role was in Sausage Party in 2016. Where 00:15:26.970 --> 00:15:30.690 he voiced a douche. A literal douche, yes. And 00:15:30.690 --> 00:15:33.289 there's a fun production note about that. Apparently, 00:15:33.289 --> 00:15:35.730 he first recorded it with a British accent. Yeah, 00:15:35.750 --> 00:15:37.830 but then the filmmakers decided they wanted less 00:15:37.830 --> 00:15:40.610 of a Disney Renaissance vibe and more of a Pixar 00:15:40.610 --> 00:15:43.049 structure feel, so they had him re -record it 00:15:43.049 --> 00:15:45.250 with an American accent. Which just shows voice 00:15:45.250 --> 00:15:47.370 acting isn't just doing a funny voice, it's serving 00:15:47.370 --> 00:15:49.450 the overall tone the production needs. You gotta 00:15:49.450 --> 00:15:53.129 be flexible. Then in 2017, another big villain 00:15:53.129 --> 00:15:56.629 voice role. Professor Poofypants in Captain Underpants. 00:15:57.029 --> 00:16:00.269 The first epic movie. Which is just a delightful 00:16:00.269 --> 00:16:03.149 character name. isn't it and this role got some 00:16:03.149 --> 00:16:06.470 really specific insightful praise from critics 00:16:06.470 --> 00:16:09.450 matt zoller sites for example yeah he didn't 00:16:09.450 --> 00:16:11.889 just say kroll was funny he really analyzed how 00:16:11.889 --> 00:16:14.210 the voice worked called it irrepressibly silly 00:16:14.210 --> 00:16:17.169 and described the sound as an orange juice spit 00:16:17.169 --> 00:16:21.039 take voice which is Incredibly evocative. It 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:23.460 really is. Cites went on to say, Kroll transforms 00:16:23.460 --> 00:16:26.080 the ridiculous into the sublime because of how 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.019 he savors every syllable, even in the most nonsensical 00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:31.679 lines. Finding the character's peevishness, their 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.580 self -pity. That's high praise. Finding the humanity, 00:16:34.700 --> 00:16:37.200 the emotional core, even in Professor Poopypants. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.899 That's elevating comedic voice work to art. And 00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:41.899 he just kept going with these voice roles. Gunter 00:16:41.899 --> 00:16:44.179 in the Sing movies. Uncle Fester in the animated 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:47.639 Addams Family movies. Very specific, weird voice. 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:50.799 Happy Sir Guy in The Secret Life of Pets 2, the 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:53.320 scary carny in the Bob's Burgers movie. He's 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:55.799 basically become one of the go -to, most versatile 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:58.360 and recognizable voices working in animation 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.340 today. He built an empire there. Whoa, even as 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:03.600 that animation success was peaking, he wasn't 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.160 just resting on it. Which brings us to segment 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.859 five, expanding horizons and some personal details. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.380 Yeah, the sources show this very deliberate move 00:17:12.380 --> 00:17:15.579 in recent years into non -comedic roles. Serious 00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:19.099 stuff. It feels like a conscious effort to challenge 00:17:19.099 --> 00:17:22.220 that perception of him as just the funny voice 00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:24.420 guy or the sketch guy. It really does. And maybe 00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:26.400 it connects back to that history major background 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:29.559 or even the serious high stakes world his father 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:32.400 operated in. This desire for range. These weren't 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:35.140 just cameos either. These were significant roles 00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:38.079 in serious traumas. Yeah. Like in 2016, he played 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:40.619 Bernie Cohen in Loving. Which is the true story 00:17:40.619 --> 00:17:42.740 behind the Supreme Court case that struck down 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:45.119 bans on interracial marriage. Playing a civil 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:47.299 rights lawyer. That's a world away from Bobby 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:50.039 Bottle service. Absolutely. Then in 2018, he 00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:53.039 played Rafi Aiton in Operation Finale. That's 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.559 about the Mossad agents hunting down Adolf Eichmann 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:57.799 in Argentina. Just think about that whiplash 00:17:57.799 --> 00:18:01.339 for a second. You, the listener. One minute he's 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:03.680 Gilfiz on on Broadway complaining about tuna. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:05.779 Literally complaining about too much tuna in 00:18:05.779 --> 00:18:08.539 a sandwich. And the next, he's portraying this 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:11.299 committed Israeli intelligence operative tracking 00:18:11.299 --> 00:18:15.000 a major Nazi war criminal. That willingness to 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.420 step into that kind of dramatic weight, it's 00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:19.599 impressive. It shows the disciplined actor is 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.160 still there. And while doing this acting. He 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.539 was also boosting his behind -the -scenes credits. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:27.799 He co -wrote the film Adult Beginners back in 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.980 2014. And then wrote and produced the film Olympic 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:33.859 Dreams in 2019. And more recently, he kind of 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:36.380 returned to his roots, but from the boss's chair 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:39.420 with that Hulu sketch series History of the World 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:42.160 Part 2. Right, Mel Brooks' sequel. Kroll was 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.579 heavily involved in that 2023 series, writer, 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:46.940 director, executive producer across the episodes. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.259 So he's not abandoning comedy, he's just taking 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:52.799 more control, elevating the kind of sketch work 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:55.539 he loves by overseeing the whole process. We 00:18:55.539 --> 00:18:57.380 should also mention his book writing, briefly. 00:18:57.619 --> 00:19:00.039 Way back in 2005, he co -wrote a book called 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:02.460 Bar Mitzvah Disco. He wrote that with Jules Schell 00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:04.660 and Roger Bennett. And Roger Bennett, the journalist 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:06.859 and broadcaster, brings us into some interesting 00:19:06.859 --> 00:19:09.519 personal connections. Yeah, Bennett is actually 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:11.480 his brother -in -law. He's married to Kroll's 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:14.599 sister, Vanessa. Small world. Before his own 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:16.960 marriage, Kroll was famously in a relationship 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:19.160 with Amy Poehler. Right. The sources mention 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:23.259 that from about May 2013 to 2015. Then in November 00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:26.220 2020, he married landscape artist Lily Kwong. 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:28.920 Seems like a very low -key wedding. Yeah, kept 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:31.579 it private. And they have two kids now, a son 00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:34.420 born in January 2021 and a daughter born just 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:37.339 recently, November 2023. It paints a picture 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:39.500 of a life that's kind of separate from the Hollywood 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:42.160 frenzy. And interestingly, his wife's cousin 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.119 is the well -known fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:48.539 So his network spans comedy, journalism, art, 00:19:48.740 --> 00:19:51.779 fashion. It's pretty diverse and grounded. And 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:53.640 one more note on his activities. He participated 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:56.500 in that voter writers hashtag ID check challenge 00:19:56.500 --> 00:19:58.980 before the 2020 election. Raising awareness about 00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:02.039 voter ID laws shows a level of civic engagement 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:04.319 that maybe contrasts with some of the more purely 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.230 absurd characters he plays. Okay, so let's wrap 00:20:07.230 --> 00:20:10.289 up by looking at the accolades. Because the awards 00:20:10.289 --> 00:20:12.569 and nominations really do reflect that incredible 00:20:12.569 --> 00:20:14.710 range we've been talking about. They absolutely 00:20:14.710 --> 00:20:16.750 do. It spans his whole career. You've got that 00:20:16.750 --> 00:20:18.869 early ensemble nomination for I Love You Man. 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:21.009 A People's Choice nomination for The Kroll Show, 00:20:21.190 --> 00:20:23.890 showing the sketch's success. Then on the animation 00:20:23.890 --> 00:20:26.710 side, an Annie Award nomination for his voice 00:20:26.710 --> 00:20:28.789 work in Captain Underpants. But the big ones 00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:31.200 are for Big Mouth. a Gotham Award nomination 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:34.119 for Breakthrough Series early on. And then crucially, 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.539 three consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations 00:20:37.539 --> 00:20:40.660 for Outstanding Animated Program 2019, 2020, 00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:44.759 and 2021. That really solidifies his status, 00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:48.019 not just as a performer, but as a major creative 00:20:48.019 --> 00:20:51.400 force in TV production. Okay. So the outro, we've 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:53.759 gone through a lot of material here. What's the 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:56.740 main takeaway from this deep dive into Nick Kroll? 00:20:57.130 --> 00:20:59.690 I think the core lesson, looking at all the sources, 00:20:59.869 --> 00:21:02.369 is how his career is this kind of constant feedback 00:21:02.369 --> 00:21:05.329 loop, right? He mastered this very specific long 00:21:05.329 --> 00:21:07.890 form character work, honed it at UCB where the 00:21:07.890 --> 00:21:09.829 stakes were low. Right, where he could experiment 00:21:09.829 --> 00:21:12.849 freely. And those unique skills were exactly 00:21:12.849 --> 00:21:16.349 what he needed to then create and executive produce 00:21:16.349 --> 00:21:20.009 something as big and complex as Big Mouth. He 00:21:20.009 --> 00:21:22.009 built the foundation first. Yeah. And we saw 00:21:22.009 --> 00:21:24.829 how he took these almost weirdly niche skills 00:21:24.829 --> 00:21:27.549 and somehow scaled them up for a huge audience, 00:21:27.650 --> 00:21:29.890 but also importantly kept the perspective he 00:21:29.890 --> 00:21:32.069 gained from those early failures. That caveman 00:21:32.069 --> 00:21:34.609 experience really stands out. Seeing it not as 00:21:34.609 --> 00:21:37.569 a setback, but as like a masterclass in just 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:39.809 getting the job done under pressure, turning 00:21:39.809 --> 00:21:42.109 failure into fuel. And we definitely have to 00:21:42.109 --> 00:21:44.109 emphasize how he's consciously pushed against 00:21:44.109 --> 00:21:46.650 being pigeonholed. He's not just the hormone 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:49.710 monster voice. No. He's actively choosing these 00:21:49.710 --> 00:21:52.210 serious historical roles. Yeah. Building a body 00:21:52.210 --> 00:21:54.269 of work that proves he can handle dramatic weight 00:21:54.269 --> 00:21:57.109 just as well as he handles comedic chaos. So 00:21:57.109 --> 00:21:59.009 connecting it all back to where we started, that 00:21:59.009 --> 00:22:01.470 surprising background, it leaves us with a final 00:22:01.470 --> 00:22:03.369 thought, maybe a question for you, the listener, 00:22:03.509 --> 00:22:06.779 to chew on. Kroll creates these dozens of incredibly 00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:10.259 distinct, often manic, comedic voices. We hear 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:12.740 Maurice, we hear Lola, Professor Poopypants. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:16.019 Yet his own foundation is in this world of serious 00:22:16.019 --> 00:22:19.440 business, history, structure, coming from this 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:22.140 prominent, successful family. So what does that 00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:24.539 tell us? What does that serious, maybe even high 00:22:24.539 --> 00:22:27.519 -pressure background reveal about what actually 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:30.160 fuels some of the best, most out -there comedic 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:32.930 minds today? Is it possible that being free from 00:22:32.930 --> 00:22:35.710 that typical starving artist pressure actually 00:22:35.710 --> 00:22:38.970 gave him the space to be more experimental, more 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:41.650 willing to follow the truly ridiculous ideas? 00:22:41.950 --> 00:22:43.630 It's a fascinating thought, isn't it, that the 00:22:43.630 --> 00:22:46.210 stability and seriousness of, say, Crow Link 00:22:46.210 --> 00:22:49.230 might have indirectly created the perfect conditions 00:22:49.230 --> 00:22:51.609 for the creative chaos of Big Mouth, the freedom 00:22:51.609 --> 00:22:54.289 to be truly weird. A paradox worth considering. 00:22:54.470 --> 00:22:56.009 Thanks for joining us on The Deep Dive.