Jimmy Pardo on Being Funny, Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Alcoholism, Contentment, and Being Funny Some More

Episode notes

When Jimmy Pardo joined us for a hilarious and revealing interview, he had just conducted a Never Not Funny anniversary show that exceeded nine hours in length. Not all that shocking if you’ve been listening to the show, which routinely exceeds two hours of jokes, interviews, and rapid-fire conversation. All those years of talking (and Jimmy talks fast) have meant a lot of self-reflection on a life that has had some ups and downs in terms of mental health. He tells us about the foundational jolt of his parents’ divorce when he was young, the development of depression and anxiety in the aftermath, and how a life in standup comedy made it pretty easy to fall into a substance use disorder. He also talks about the work he did to try to live up to the person he wanted to be.

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