Now 34, Johnson was raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. He kick-started his stand-up profession in Chicago, then obtained his first break in late evening as a author on The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon, the place he additionally carried out the occasional routine. In 2017 he jumped over to The Every day Present, which, within the wake of longtime host Jon Stewart’s departure, was present process rising pains. Johnson embraced the problem, and what adopted was a glow-up not even he may’ve predicted. He opened for Trevor Noah at Madison Sq. Backyard. He headlined a nationwide tour. He appeared in a number of specials, together with his personal on Peacock, titled Up Right here Killing Myself. On the identical time, he was increase a fan base on TikTok, with meandering, many-minute movies that trusted audiences to observe alongside. The extra I discuss to him, the extra I believe that that—Johnson’s persistence, and his expectation of ours—is the cornerstone of his enchantment. Although his comedy may be very a lot on the web, it doesn’t really feel of the web: In an age of immediate gratification, Johnson takes his time.
This interview has been edited for size and readability, combining on-camera and off-camera parts. Try WIRED’s YouTube channel for the video.
Jason Parham: You headlined a nationwide tour this yr. I think about that comes with plenty of strain.
Josh Johnson: Positive, positive. But in addition, that strain may be very a lot a privilege. There was a very long time the place there was no strain on me as a result of nobody cared what I might do.
Have you ever discovered something about your self all through the method?
I don’t want a lot sleep. I would like, like, 4 dangerous hours. I don’t know if that’ll final. I believe it’s very a lot a now factor. I believe, 5 years from now, I’ll want sleep very badly.
Let’s discuss your comedy heroes.
There are these virtually template solutions of Carlin and Pryor, however essentially they modified what folks understood stand-up to be. Fairly than simply doing the joke—my spouse, oh my spouse—slightly than doing that nonstop, plenty of it was both biographical or it was world takes.
Is there a joke that stands out?
What am I allowed to say?
Something.
I’m paraphrasing it badly, however mainly Pryor had this joke the place he was like, “Duh, duh, duh, duh. That might be like me sucking a dick.” After which all people busts out laughing. Then he’s like, “I’m simply kidding.” After which he takes one other pause, and he’s like, “No, I’m not.”
He retains flipping the joke, to the purpose the place the viewers doesn’t know what to anticipate.
He did have jokes that didn’t make it into specials that have been about him being bisexual. This was a time the place it was actually unthinkable and remarkable. Who else was actually doing that? Who else was actually like, No, I’m well-known sufficient, I’m wealthy sufficient, and I’m influential sufficient to not simply allude, however truly inform an viewers tales about an expertise that might be unimaginable for his or her favourite man to have? There’s a honest bravery to that, whether or not you get it proper or not, or whether or not historical past appears again on the context in a good means.
