John Mulaney had been suffering from addiction for years until he got sober in 2005. During his time at rehabilitation, he received the most influential advice from SNL creator, Lorne Michaels, which inspired him to turn over a new leaf.
Michaels used the death of the late comedian John Belushi to warn Mulaney of what could possibly happen to him if he did not help himself. The comedian got candid in his interview in Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.
John Mulaney Shares The Words Of Encouragement From Lorne Michaels That Changed His Whole Life
John Mulaney recalled how Lorne Michaels gave him a two-hour call during his time at rehab. The latter told of the tragic life of John Belushi and how it affected not only his life but his family as well. In the interview via People, Mulaney stated:
“He goes, ‘I knew John Belushi for seven years. I’ve been talking about him for 48 years, because that’s the shrapnel that happens when someone goes down like that.’ And he goes, ‘You know, John didn’t want to die. You know, he didn’t plan to. Just because it’s a story, just because it’s sort of set in stone like history, people don’t want to die from this.’”
Michaels did not give any hint that he was forcing Mulaney to immediately change his ways. He just went on with his story.
“He didn’t argue or anything, he just went, ‘John. We both know how this movie ends.’ And that was it. And I just kind of nodded and went back to my room and stayed.”
Mulaney shared that his addiction had become a normal thing that he was not even aware of. He said that it has become his daily habit.
“I wouldn’t have even thought I was addicted to it. It’s just how I lived every day. So you wake up, take a couple of Adderall, feel there’s too much of an edge, take half a Klonopin, got a little too sleepy, have to do — have to finish a script, and then get on the phone, take another Adderall.”
When the effect of Adderall wears off, he would just pop in another one along with half a Xanax. He would do this every single day.
John Mulaney Is Now Living His Best Life
Speaking on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Mulaney shared some reflections after he had overcome his struggles in life.
“I am a happy person. I have, for some reason, set up various obstacles in my own way that have left me sometimes pretty disoriented and pretty unhappy. But I am, at my core, a happy person. And it’s OK for me to protect that by living the life I want to live. I don’t want to be the reason [my life] gets complicated.”
Mulaney and his partner, actress Olivia Munn, welcomed a son named Malcolm Hiệp Mulaney in 2021. The couple had been sharing glimpses of their family life on their social media platforms.
