Canceled sitcom guided Mulaney back to stand-up

John Mulaney was waiting to take the stage when the “Saturday Night Live” announcer declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, John Mulvaney!”

For Mulaney, the error provided the ideal punchline to his unlikely setup: a former “SNL” writer and failed sitcom star who, at age 35, had triumphantly rebounded as a standup and returned to his comedic alma mater as a guest host.

“For someone no one knows, and whose biggest credit on that show was for not being on camera, it was perfect,” he said.

Mulaney soon might not be so anonymous.

He won raves for his April 14 “SNL” appearance and, earlier this year, sold out seven nights at Radio City Music Hall — where he filmed his new Netflix special, “Kid Gorgeous,” which began streaming on Tuesday.

“For my money, he’s the funniest person in America,” said Seth Meyers, host of “Late Night” on NBC and former head writer at “SNL,” who hired Mulaney as a writer there in 2008.

“He’s this combination of great writing and great performing you so rarely see.”

Mulaney has earned a reputation as a comic’s comic, a choirboy type who makes the sort of embittered observations you would expect from a much older, more cynical man.

He’s a gifted wordsmith, excels at playing characters in his routines and has become physically adept enough to make full use of Radio City’s huge stage.

He embarked on “Mulaney” — his 2014 sitcom on Fox, in which he played a comedy writer named John Mulaney — with great confidence, only to be brought down by anemic ratings and Comedian John Mulaney

withering reviews.

The show’s cancellation after just two episodes had aired hit him hard.

“After that, I just wanted to follow my instincts,” he said. “I’d stopped doing that a bit.”

So Mulaney returned to his first loves, starting a stand-up tour three days after the series was axed and creating a stage show, “Oh, Hello,” with Nick Kroll.

In the show, which ran for 15 weeks on Broadway, he played George St. Geegland to Kroll’s Gil Faizon, crotchety old Upper West Siders who complain about everything.

Mulaney, the son of Chicago lawyers, felt a deep desire to perform from a young age.

“I saw ‘Les Miserables’ on tour, and there was a little kid playing Gavroche, and I was so envious,” he said. “I wanted to Jeff Gillooly the hell out of him and take his spot.”

Which explains “Lobster Diner,” an elaborate, seafoodthemed “Les Miz” parody that Mulaney co-wrote with Colin Jost in 2010 that didn’t make it to the air until Mulaney’s hosting gig.

After graduating from Georgetown University with an English degree, Mulaney moved to New York and settled into stand-up circles. At 25, he was hired to write for “SNL.”

Now he finds himself on the cusp of becoming a household name.

“I don’t know what that would be like,” he said, “but I’m not going to pretend it’s not a goal. That would be insane.”