John Mulaney is coming clean in his new Netflix special, “Baby J” (now streaming).
The standup comedian delivers a revelatory routine, once again transforming his struggles into a set that draws laughter and undoubtedly allows other addicts to relate. Mulaney, 40, got sober at 23 after battling a dependency on cocaine and alcohol.
“I don’t drink,” he explained his 2012 special “New in Town.” “That surprises a lot of audiences, because I don’t look like someone who used to do anything.” Mulaney added he quit drinking because he’d “black out and I would ‘ruin’ parties. Or so I’m told.”
“Baby J” is culled from Mulaney’s “From Scratch” tour, which he’s been perfecting since 2021. On Sunday, he wrapped a four-night stint in Las Vegas, in which he joked about Sin City’s road construction, praised singer Usher’s residency, and compared CNN to a child gasping with excitement about a frog.