James Acaster | He Welcomes Hecklers | Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
Beloved British comedian James Acaster and Mike have never met but they have a lot in common, including brushes with death early in their lives that influenced their comedy. James and Mike discuss James’s experience with hecklers, which is the subject of James’s new special Hecklers Welcome. Plus, James talks about having Robert De Niro on his podcast Off Menu, and he shares the best pre-show ritual that Mike has ever heard.
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Listen and subscribe to the Working It Out here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-birbiglias-working-it-out/id1515419751
Find Mike:
Website: https://birbigs.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/birbigs/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/birbigfans
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikebirbiglia
Find James:
https://www.jamesacaster.com/
Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia
Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis, Gary Simons
Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby
Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona
Sound Mix: Ben Kruse
Supervising Engineer: Kate Bilinski
Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers
@Beach_Glum_2009
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I need this to be two hours longer. 44 min is cruel.
@jackl.1263
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Don't know if Mike or his people read the comments, but I'd love to see Elliott Kalan on the podcast. He's a former head writer of The Daily Show (during the first Jon Stewart run), MST3K, multiple comic books, children's books, podcasts and, most importantly, recently released a book on comedy writing called Joke Farming. As a podcast that focuses on writing and refining jokes, I think he would be an amazing guest. And he is LA based, so probably an easy booking.
@TB777Wal
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Josie is a genius.
@ThatCoalSoul
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
10:22 She was and is 100% correct.
@qazzaqstan
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Yeah it always feels like there should be more to do with weird stuff you overheard but it is just never enough of a story (which is honestly probably why it is so intriguing and funny in the moment since there is no context)
My story is I'm walking passed a group of 4 people and the only part of the conversation I got was "Until you've properly taken amphetamines"
@b3njam1nd0n
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
1. James Acaster is destined for infinite fame and great things
2. In Kevin Hart's recent book, there is a long bit about faking hair before he had them.
@MattAndImprov
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Americans read "tick off" like to annoy instead of "check off on a list"
@emmathepaperquiller4263
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I really loved how wide you smiled at times in the show, James. I think, if James who has been distressed by the same things most of us have been distressed by, and can find himself smiling this wide after life's ups and downs, then so can we. So can I.
@ValerieCH1
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Pin Drop
@Generationrhino
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
James and George lucas had the same origin story
@Platymus
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
so good to watch to of my favorite comedians have a great conversation
@rad_lobster
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
James Acaster should do Ask Hank Anything. I feel like this guy's got some great questions.
@todddavis7438
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
What an enjoyable conversation. Thanks to you both
@pattyandbustershow1031
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Love Acaster. I don't really watch American comedians. I'm hooked on the UK
@stephenhumphries9419
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Ryan Hamilton was on the pod a few months ago. In the ep Ryan mentions he's on tour. I google it, he's coming to my town, I booked tickets, went to the show, awesome show! Loved it. Today I watch this episode. James Acaster says he's on tour. I google it, he's already come to my town, NA tour ended a couple weeks ago, can't book tickets, can't go to the show. Major bummer.
@GhettoKhaydarin
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
@Mike Birbiglia: keep that promise to cut that pre-show ritual James shared!
@TLV519-ug7hn
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Just imagine how good the universe would be if you were a Celtics fan, or better yet a Patriots fan.
@joshknowsnothing
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
35:33 pube count flexing was definitely a thing in my school as well, James, to be fair and I'm in India 😭
@robertgray323
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Cold lasagna I hate myself is truly one of the funniest things I've watched in years
@JTDesertDweller
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Truly a great one. Can’t wait to see the show!
@gardenbiology
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Try to ask the questions properly Mike!
@rampantunease6517
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
James was/ is great. I like Stewart Lee but I am a middle aged person who thinks they are so smart for liking Stewart Lee.
@friendlier
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
That's ridiculous. I love loads of comedy by loads of comedians. James is one of the few at the top, but he doesn't cancel out the rest. And I'm hardly alone. What a weird statement.
@stoyanski
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Your podcast is beyond boring
@Stewniverse
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I watched a very early work in progress show for James' Hecklers Welcome at a small venue in London called The Bill Murray. He walked on and said to the audience "I've got nothing, so you'd better start heckling", and then proceeded to spin an hour out of thin air. Easily top 5 in terms of shows I've been to. The guy is phenomenal.
@mikem2600
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
This felt like 15 minutes.
@katielindeman5063
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Thanks for having him. I was hoping he'd be on the show when I saw he is in the states!
@Aaron.Church.Solomon
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
It's so wonderful to see and hear a normal sit down convo with James cause everywhere else I see him he is LOCKED IN and always on the edge of delivering gold
@bluealbumtrackone
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
him being jealous of cameron winter is so real
@jendcox
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I’ve waited years for this episode. 🙌🙌🙌
@123JWJWJW
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
This is my… on Would I Lie to You? is my first experience of James Acaster. Had me giggling so much. It felt so good. https://youtu.be/8KPS6cCadPs?si=G0WV79a6nHuEGuTc
@j0nnylaw
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
So excited for this – my worlds colliding. I literally called the Working It Out message line to alert Mike's team that James was touring through the US and he should have him on the show. I'm so happy for this.
@cryerdc
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
This is my state of the union.
@mytmyt
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Re: Mike's comment at 21:12 "It is worthwhile to remind yourself of the marvel of everything sometimes." That's a great rephrasing of Kurt Vonnegut: "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point: If this isn’t nice I don’t know what is.”
@Awesometania
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
The pubes thing was a thing in my school. It's universal enough that I'm confident it was maybe even a thing on South Park?
@cornymisc7650
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
only pod ill listen at 1.0x
@TheManCone
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Hecklers welcome was edited horribly and definitely hurt james image….. Still a fan, but a big swing and miss.
@k.c.simonsen2
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Damn I was really hoping he was doing this to promote a new special. I want new Acaster the king of the edge
@suzanneloft2142
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I always learn things about life every time I watch him whether it be a finalized taped program, or in interviews, or on Off Menu, or on a talk show or panel
shows…in his comedy persona or as his off stage interviews , as himself…..He’s honest, self-reflecting, thoughtful, humble and so wise as a Homo sapiens without being a god. HR’s not perfect, and he keeps trying to improve himself as a nice person. His life choices can be so helpful to others. He makes me laugh at myself…not to take myself so seriously.
CLASSIC SCRAPES is a book I read over and over to relax and for me my “drug of choice”…in fact he is my drug of choice! Thank you James for being so genuine and uplifting!
God bless you….or whoever you believe is your Spiritual Guide. Loved this interview!
@samgilleland2376
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
This conversation, between the two of you, lifted me up right when I needed it. Thank you.
@moisie23
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Partly because it’s so good and I’d book to see it repeatedly anyway, but also in large part because he did so many shows at a venue that I go to regularly and was often going to be at already for another show, but I ended up seeing his current show 14 times last year, and I think it’s genuinely the best thing he’s ever done. Such an impressive bit of comedy writing and performance and was fascinating to see how quickly it came together but also how much work went into fine tuning it.
@scarredat16
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
James Acaster is my favorite comedian, and nobody else is really close. I definitely enjoy other comedy, but James is several tiers above any other.
@PrrrMission
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
It sucks that british audiences are so awful. just do comedy here, it pays better anyway.
@conliffeiain
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
In Massachusetts I remember kids doing the pube comparison boasty thing, and I think it's because tween boys are all desperate to speedrun puberty
@opusdei789
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I got tickets to his show in Nashville and was super excited. Then we got an ice storm that shut down middle tn for a week and it was cancelled
@jeremiedayglider1690
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Preach, James! "Why should we even be here?…The incredible thing is that it's just here in the first place". This moment is the miracle! Wow. What a realization and at seventeen!!! Life is just gravy at that point!
@davelangford2439
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I really, really hate Mike's forced laughter. It makes me cringe every time. Massive over-the-top forced laughter and then repeat what James has literally just said. He does it so many times
@cpkay33
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
this guy rules. one of a kind.
@leetabix
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
I had therapy this afternoon. This was the first thing I saw after leaving the session. This was more helpful than the therapy I had.
@youbutrt1707
March 13, 2026 at 10:51 pm
James is so funny, but he's also really interesting to listen to. Just a good thoughtful guy. I'm parasocially in love with him
Comments are closed.