#288: Garrett Millerick - 'Worth Doing'

Explicit content warning

05/12/25 • 85 min

Garrett Millerick is an acclaimed stand-up comedian, writer, and director whose unique and versatile style has made him a favourite on the UK and international comedy circuits. A frequent Critics’ Choice, he has appeared on Conan, SiriusXM, and more. His breakout live show Sunflower became one of the most talked-about performances of 2018. Garrett recently wrote and starred in Do Gooders a workplace sitcom for BBC Radio 4 that takes audiences behind the curtain of the charity industry alongside a cast that includes Frank Skinner, Fay Ripley, Lisa McGrillis, Ahir Shah and Ania Magliano.

Critically acclaimed comedian Garrett Millerick’s 2022 smash hit show, Just Trying to Help, is making its eagerly awaited debut as a streamable comedy special on the prestigious 800 Pound Gorilla platform. Following a celebrated run at the Edinburgh Fringe and sell-out performances at the Soho Theatre, Garrett’s intensely funny take on modern life is more relevant now – three years after it debuted - than ever before. Garrett will also be performing in Edinburgh, check out his shows before they sell out (links below).

We chat about his brand-new comedy special, Edinburgh, sobriety, Do Gooders, inspiring teachers, transitioning to comedy, gratitude lists, losing weight, perseverance and determination + plenty more!

Check Garrett out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millerickcomedy Website: https://www.garrettmillerick.com/ Comedy Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&src=Linkfire&lId=75b7878f-2a3f-4aff-98fe-be34efac031b&cId=d3d58fd7-4c47-11e6-9fd0-066c3e7a8751&v=OBL2WPmoklY Do Gooders: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021b8r Tickets: https://www.garrettmillerick.com/gigs/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/millerickcomedy?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad1r9DWStZj1rDjEkQ-yU0B1r3GHFT9UAKQo--x3cosTPG9kw5F6OtlC438UQ_aem_o0rathnOdQWhouloGC3Wvg -------------------------------------------

Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

We chat about his brand-new comedy special, Edinburgh, sobriety, Do Gooders, inspiring teachers, transitioning to comedy, gratitude lists, losing weight, perseverance and determination + plenty more!

Check Garrett out on:

Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Previous Episode

#287: Kirsten Vangsness - “You’re not a fit”

Kirsten Vangsness is an actor, YouTuber, podcaster, graphic novelist & playwright. She is most known for playing Penelope Garcia on the long running CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, for which she co-wrote 5 episodes, including the series finale. In 2020, Kirsten launched her YouTube series KIRSTEN'S AGENDA as a way to promote mental health, wellness and civic duty. Her first season featured such guests as Aisha Tyler, Pauley Perrette and Karen David. She enjoyed the interviews so much she decided to spin them off into the KIRSTEN'S AGENDA Podcast, available wherever podcasts live.

Kirsten has long been deeply involved in the L.A. theatre scene, scoring two Ovation Best Actress nominations (for "FAT PIG" at the Geffen and "Everything You Touch" at Boston Court), LA Weekly Best Playwright of the Year nomination (For her Theatre of NOTE production of "Potential Space") and winning the Los Angeles Drama Circle Best Comedic Actress. She is a long-time member of Hollywood’s Theatre of NOTE where she serves on the Art Board.

In the summer of 2019, Kirsten took her one-woman show "Mess" (which Neil Gaiman has called his "favorite one person show") and her space romp, time travel, women in history, musical "Cleo, Theo and Wu" to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was greeted with 5 star reviews and sold out shows. She is the star and executive producer of the film noir spoof “Kill Me, Deadly” which can be found on many streaming platforms, she can currently be heard on season two of the comedy podcast “Voyage to the Stars” as well as a sometimes host of PRI's "Selected Shorts".

In 2020, her animated short "Curtains" based on a short story she penned, was accepted in film festivals around the globe and she created a "Cleo, Theo and Wu" graphic novel with illustrator Kaitlin Bruder. She is the recipient of the HRC Visibility Award, the Open Fist Excellence in Arts Award and has been honored for her work with many charities including The Wildlife Learning Center, The Jacaranda Foundation, and The Unusual Suspects. In her spare time Kirsten can be found washing dishes at the Blinking Owl Distillery, which she co-owns in Santa Ana, California.

We chat about Criminal Minds, embracing success, love of acting, zone of incompetence and excellence, imposter syndrome, interventions, dyslexia, creativity, ideas and nurturing them, writing plus plenty more.

For the Criminal Minds fans out there, I’ve also been fortunate to chat with AJ Cook, Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna who are all incredible in their own right.

Check Kirsten out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenvangsness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstenVangsnessOfficial/ Website: https://www.kirstenvangsness.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/KirstenVangsnessOfficial Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vangsness.bsky.social -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Next Episode

#289: Stuart Laws - The Importance of Fun

Stuart Laws is a comedian, actor, writer, producer, editor and director. He performs sketch comedy and stand-up comedy. He supported James Acaster on his UK tours and has appeared on and written for Radio 4, has two specials on NextUp Comedy, one on American label 800 Pound Gorilla Media, and has written a play The Journey, that debuted at The Edinburgh Fringe at The Pleasance in 2018. In 2021, he was nominated for Leicester Comedy Festival Best Show and in 2022 he was nominated for Comedians Choice Best Show. In 2023, his Fringe show was awarded 4.5 stars by Chortle.

Stuart runs his own production company, Turtle Canyon Comedy, and writes and directs sketch shows, sitcoms, live shows and specials that have been shown on Netflix, Prime, BBC, Sky, ITV, Channel 4 and more. Stuart has directed Sindhu Vee, Nish Kumar, Rosie Jones, Suzi Ruffell, Paul Foot, Ivo Graham, Jess Fostekew, Jen Brister and Ian Smith’s Specials.

Stuart had a breakout year at Edinburgh Fringe 2024 for review with 9 x 4-star reviews and a British Comedy Guide Recommendation. Stuart was featured in The Scotsman, The Guardian, the I newspaper, 5 live and in the Times and the Telegraph best jokes of the Fringe selections.

Stuart’s most recent directing project is James Acaster’s ‘Hecklers Welcome’, Acaster’s first HBO Special.

His latest special, ‘Stuart Laws, Is That Guy Still Going?’ Is now available on YouTube under 800 pound gorilla (links below).

Comedy shows – Stuart Laws has to be Joking?:

Everyone’s dealt with it: first, a bad breakup; then, become a puffin island caretaker; suddenly, you’re implicated in a puffin murder. A classic. You know how it goes. A vibe shift for acclaimed comedian Stuart Laws. ****1⁄2 (Chortle.co.uk). Stand-up comedy/theatre hybrid. Praise for his previous theatrical work: 'I left this show with the chills and feeling just a bit shaken' (MumbleTheatre.uk). 'It is really smart stuff, elegantly exposing hypocrisy' (Stage). 'Fantastically funny' (EdFestMag.com). 'One of the most skilled and likeable comics... a deliciously joke-dense show' (Scotsman).

We chat about Michael Caine’s iconic delivery of the line ‘Never’ and making a show about it, directing and producing, his new Edinburgh shows, authenticity and real self, almost quitting comedy, flow state, being good at comedy, saying no, posting quality plus plenty more!

Check Stuart out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartlawscomedy/ Comedy Special: https://800pgr.lnk.to/thatguy?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeMNrDccTIlOuMFvbbVBvalQL4Dp6yMwvA8t0TklzMLkY89HvRCdrwyOLpkSQ_aem_S4AT3qIopeJHSO5szqwoCQ Tickets: https://linktr.ee/stuartlawscomedy?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacaAgRfREt9v53YRPXM9SfwuD64zafU06nEfaN9iKjqQuz--Nm-SOz1Kbizhg_aem_Mi6Sbw1Foi1AZrkeIQictA Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC97T7gP1Ai1z19MR3-S40vw Website: https://www.stuartlaws.com/ -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan