John Hodgman: Zig-zag expert
An interview with comedian John Hodgman is as wide-ranging as his career.
He may be best known for his “Daily Show” appearances, and he raves about “the bright and fun presence” of new host Trevor Noah. “As someone who misses the family of Jon Stewart, I’m appreciative of the continuity, of using the talent there and bringing in new folks,” Hodgman said. “They even keep me around.”
Hodgman, 44, became a familiar face as the PC guy to Justin Long’s Mac in Apple commercials. “I miss them. It was the greatest job in the world,” Hodgman said. “The ads are meaningless now.”
Hodgman, however, is keeping relevant with his stand-up. He brings his 75-minute “Vacationland” to the Plaze Live Orlando today. Musician John Roderick, who has performed with Hodgman, dubbed the show a “white privilege mortality comedy.” What does that mean?
“I was telling stories from the point of who I am: a middleaged, weird dad with a mustache, out in the country feeling nervous on vacation,” said Hodgman. “A lot of the show revolves around my preoccupation with the second half of my life and how Maine, the ‘Vacationland’ of the title, reflects and confirms my morbid feelings.”
He calls himself a freelance person by trade. He writes for magazines and the Internet, starred in a Netflix special and hosts the “Judge John Hodgman Podcast.” His books include “The Areas of My Expertise,” described by The New York Times as “a parodic almanac.”
“My wife is a high school teacher, and my children are unemployable. They’re deadbeats,” Hodgman said. “They refuse to get jobs.” They are 13 and 10. In a previous tour, Hodgman almost got naked when he put on a dress and pretended to be Ayn Rand. This show has no near nudity and is more personal with fewer gimmicks, he said.
He works out material in a basement performance space in Brooklyn where he does an unadvertised show once a month.
“In secret with a small audience, not paying a lot of money, I scare my brain into releasing what it’s been holding on to,” Hodgman said. “Getting up on stage was a way to get to know my own mind. Previously I performed in the guise of a deranged millionaire or an exaggerated
version of myself. It’s more fruitful to be myself. It is a real, prepared show, but no script is written down.
“The moment I get out there, I am enjoying a specific audience,” he said, “and together we kind of create an energy that exists in that room and then disappears.”
Hodgman’s acting credits include “Bored to Death,” “Married” and “The Knick.” “My career trajectory zigs and zags,”
BEX FINCH he said, reflecting his interest in doing a lot of things.
A previous job put him on the zig-zag path. “I spent seven years in a literary agency doing work I thought was great and valuable, representing authors I think are brilliant,” Hodgman said. “It was a good job, but I was haunted by knowing it was the wrong job for me. I wanted to be a creator. When you are stuck in the wrong job, it’s soul-damaging.”
So now he refuses to do a job that isn’t compelling to him.
“I’m lucky the decisions have led to a life that’s supportable for me and my family,” Hodgman said. “When you tune into what you care about and throw yourself into it, you will be rewarded personally and financially.”