Johnson, now 34, grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Chicago and then got his first break on the late-night show as a writer on Tonight’s show starring Jimmy Fallonwhere he also performed the occasional routine. In 2017 he jumped to The daily programwhich, following the departure of veteran host Jon Stewart, was struggling with growth. Johnson rose to the challenge, and what followed was a resurgence that even he couldn’t have foreseen. He opened for Trevor Noah at Madison Square Garden. He headlined a national tour. He appeared in several specials, including his own on Peacock, titled Up here I’m committing suicideAt the same time, he was building a following on TikTok, with meandering, multi-minute videos that drew audiences to him. The more I talk to him, the more I think he is that—Johnson’s patience and his expectation for us are the cornerstone of his appeal. Although his comedy is very present on the Internet, it does not seem of Internet: In an age of instant gratification, Johnson takes his time.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity, and combines on-camera and off-camera portions. WIRED YouTube Channel for the video.
Jason Parham: You’re headlining a national tour this year. I imagine that comes with a lot of pressure.
Josh Johnson: Sure, sure. But also, that pressure is a great privilege. There was a long time when there was no pressure on me because nobody cared what I did.
Have you learned anything about yourself throughout the process?
I don’t need much sleep. I need about four hours of sleep at a time. I don’t know if that will last. I think it’s something that happens now. I think in five years I’ll need sleep very badly.
Let’s talk about your comedy heroes.
There are those almost stereotypical Carlin and Pryor responses, but they fundamentally changed what people understood the monologue to be. Instead of just making the joke…my wife, oh my wife—Rather than doing it non-stop, a lot of it was biographical or shots of the world.
Is there any joke that stands out?
What am I allowed to say?
Anything.
I’m paraphrasing this wrong, but basically Pryor had a joke where he was like, “Duh, duh, duh, duh. That would be like me sucking a dick.” And then everyone started laughing. Then he said, “I’m just kidding.” And then he paused again and said, “No, I’m not.”
He keeps spinning the joke to the point that the audience doesn’t know what to expect.
He had jokes that weren’t included in the specials about his bisexuality. It was a time when that was really unthinkable and unheard of. Who else was doing that? Who else was saying, “No, I’m famous enough, I’m rich enough, and I’m influential enough to not just allude to, but to tell audiences stories about an experience that would be unimaginable for their favorite guy?” There’s a sincere bravery in that, whether or not you get it right, or whether the story looks back on the context in a fair way.