It’s a humorous factor to speak a few world-famous podcaster once they’re not within the room.
A dialog a few conversationalist really is a paradox that would bend area and time.
Nonetheless, when chatting with movie producer Julie Seabaugh about WTF host Marc Maron, the tête-à-tête couldn’t have been a extra nice expeience.
We spoke with the Missouri native forward of a Tribeca Movie Competition screening of her soon-to-be launched documentary “Are We Good,” which chronicles Maron’s life, stand-up profession, soon-to-be ending podcast and relationship with the late Lynn Shelton.
Seabaugh, a long-time leisure journalist, spent further shut consideration to Maron’s Instagram Stay after Shelton handed in Could 2020. She thought that his return to comedy — which finally led to his chic, deeply-felt HBO particular “From Bleak To Dark” — needs to be documented and commenced following him round with director Steven Feinartz.
“I made the master timeline of his life, went through all his podcast episodes, arranged the shoots at the venues, spent five years as story editor, plotted out what the different threads of the film were going to be and gave my sometimes harsh opinion on what should be included,” she instructed us in an unique interview.
Though we didn’t have Maron within the room to set the document straight, she was greater than recreation to reply our questions concerning the (spoiler!) completely entertaining function.
Does the narrative of the film’s rollout change with WTF coming to an finish?
Lots of people are interested by that. My telephone blew up when that occurred however there’s a plan and [the release] might be across the identical timeframe as when the podcast’s ending.
That is Maron we’re speaking about [though]. He’s going to do every little thing he desires on his personal phrases. I feel we’re all excited to see what the following model of Maron goes to be however he does appear to be completely happy settling into his previous man section.
What’s it like working with Marc?
There’s by no means a uninteresting second with Marc Maron. He’s a extremely watchable individual but in addition a bit risky. Once you begin seeing how he lives, and the place every little thing comes from in his thoughts, it’s rewarding on a complete different stage.
He was additionally in my 2021 documentary “Too Soon: Comedy after 9/11,” and might be in subsequent yr’s Mitch Hedberg documentary that I’m additionally a part of the group engaged on. He’s not going to do away with me that simply.
What did you study him you didn’t already know?
He will get tremendous emotional typically. After his Seattle set, one in every of Lynn’s mates got here as much as him and mentioned he knew Lynn is pleased with him. We immediately see his face crumble as he takes photos with followers.
Had been there any scenes you really liked that ended up on the chopping room flooring?
There have been quite a lot of scenes or moments of him trash speaking comedians that didn’t make the completed product.
That’s what I got here for.
There’s nonetheless a little bit bit in there however that wasn’t the crux of the film. We didn’t must convey an outdoor controversy into one thing that’s already so much to cope with as a movie by itself.
The film has quite a lot of heavy emotion however can be about turning into the perfect model of your self so perhaps that’s not going to incorporate trash speaking different comics.
Would you say this film is for hardcore followers which have listened to each “WTF” episode or do you see this as an intro to Marc?
I might say one thing in between.
Hardcore followers will select recurring themes or hobbies they already find out about like Maron’s cats, the music retailer he visits, his hikes. However for individuals who aren’t as invested, it is a common story of coping with grief. It’s inevitable and that is an instance of how one man did it and processed tragedy into comedy.
How a lot of the primary shoot made the film?
I’ve recognized Marc for years and lined him for The Village Voice, Vulture and The L.A. Occasions. When the pandemic struck, he was doing these Instagram Lives the place he’s hunkering down with Lynn they usually’re getting ready for what’s forward.
Then she passes away unexpectedly two months in. He saved doing the Instagram Lives and revealed in actual time what he was going by way of. I assumed that was essentially the most stunning factor I’d seen a comic book put out publicly, particularly since he was form of alone in that point and actually on-line audiences have been the one folks you can join with.
When pandemic restrictions have been lifted, he had been threatening to stop comedy, which I knew was by no means going to occur. The Comedy Retailer was open a few week earlier than he was saying on Instagram Stay that he was getting jealous of the comics and could be again. So, on the evening he determined to carry out once more, I instructed director Stephen Feinartz to point out up with a digicam and it was fairly tough.
What’s your favourite a part of the doc?
The joke he did in Seattle in entrance of Lynn Shelton’s hometown crowd about “the difference between a breakup and losing someone is at least she’s not f—ing anybody.” He goes there each time. He pulls no punches. Or the time he adopted Sam Tallent who was doing extra scatological humor.
I’m additionally a private fan of all of the instances his pants have been falling down. That was very humanizing. Typically our pants simply fall down. And his relationship with Lynn.
She modified him for the higher. So the query was “is he going to continue carrying her with him or will he revert back to this cranky, self-loathing self-deprecating, anxious, depressed guy that he’s always been?” The movie tries to be a little bit open-ended about that.
There are quite a lot of comedy documentaries in the mean time. Joe checklist simply launched one. “Pee Wee As Himself” lately landed on HBO. Colin Hanks has a John Sweet doc on the way in which. Judd Apatow is engaged on one about Maria Bamford and two new Andy Kaufman options are actually obtainable. What separates “Are We Good” from the pack?
Typically with movie star docs, it may be extra of a puff piece.
We have been adamant about not doing that. There was speak at one level of creating this behind the scenes materials for “From Bleak to Dark” however we have been like “no, this is a standalone story.” “Are We Good” is totally different as a result of we’re displaying somebody not solely at their most susceptible but in addition at a horrible time of their life.
I feel we actually go there in a approach that’s going to shock lots of people.
How did you get into writing about comedy?
I grew up on a farm in rural Missouri. I had no thought what comedy was. In my senior yr of the Faculty of Journalism on the College of Missouri, I used to be writing about movie and music.
Then, Dave Attell got here on the peak of “Insomniac.” I received to interview him beforehand after which go backstage with all the opposite scholar journalists. Afterwards, we took him to the bar throughout the road and he received everybody drunk. I awakened on my good friend Dan’s rest room flooring the following morning pondering “there’s more to this comedy thing that people aren’t recognizing” as a result of, at the moment, comedy was simply thrown in with music or calendar listings in newspapers.
It wasn’t lined in any in-depth or creative approach. So, I made a decision to do one thing about that. That’s once I moved to New York. I spent quite a lot of late nights on the Comedy Cellar and different venues. In hindsight, it was fairly harmful and naive to be going dwelling at like 4 a.m. by myself.
What’s subsequent for you?
The Mitch Hedberg doc might be out with director Jeff Siegel someday subsequent yr. I even have a memoir about Byron Bowers’ earlier life out in 2026.
There’s additionally an thought for one more new documentary concerning the divide we’re seeing in comedy today. Particularly for the reason that pandemic when digital comedy was one thing that received us all by way of.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Enormous comedians on tour in 2025
Though we don’t know who Seabaugh’s “guys” are — if you realize, you realize — listed below are 5 of our favourite comedians that might be on the highway these subsequent few months that you simply gained’t need to miss.
• John Mulaney
• Steve Martin with Martin Brief
• Seth Meyers with John Oliver
• Gary Gulman
• Nikki Glaser
Who else is on the highway? Check out our checklist of all the most important comedians on tour in 2025 to search out the present for you.
This text was written by Matt Levy, New York Publish dwell occasions reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the newest tour bulletins out of your favourite musical artists and comedians, in addition to Broadway openings, sporting occasions and extra dwell reveals – and finds nice ticket costs on-line. Since he began his tenure on the Publish in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen live performance and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to call a couple of. Please word that offers can expire, and all costs are topic to alter
