John Mulaney’s long-awaited new standup special premieres April 25 on Netflix. Titled “John Mulaney: Baby J”, it is Mulaney’s first standup special since 2018’s “Kid Gorgeous”, which also premiered on Netflix.
“Baby J” was directed by Alex Timbers and features music by David Byrne. The special was recorded at Boston’s Symphony Hall in February 2023, after returning to standup and touring with a set titled “From Scratch” in 2021.
That tour found Mulaney dealing with his own issues of addiction and relapse and recalling an intervention by friends including Seth Meyers that led him to enter rehab. Mulaney discussed the incident a candid and emotional episode “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in September 2021.
“Baby J” is the latest in a series of Mulaney specials that also includes 2012’s “New in Town” and 2015’s “The Comeback Kid.” Mulaney also created and starred in the Netflix Kids special “John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch” in 2019.
Mulaney rose to prominence as a writer on “Saturday Night Live” before making a name for himself in the world of standup. He was best known for co-creating the character of Stephen with Bill Hader on “SNL” and writing all of Stephen’s Weekend Update appearances.
Mulaney also has a starring role in the Netflix animated series “Big Mouth”.