Comedian John Mulaney isn’t shy about acknowledging the specific influences behind his recent Netflix variety show, Everybody’s in L.A.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, Mulaney revealed that the show’s quirky mix of guests, ranging from former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark to Jerry Seinfeld to a coyote expert, reflects his own personal interests and was directly inspired by Chris Rock’s ’90s talk show.
Mulaney recalled watching an episode of The Chris Rock Show as a child, featuring an interview with the late Johnnie Cochran, the defense attorney in the highly-publicized O.J. Simpson murder trial.
“I was kind of ripping off The Chris Rock Show,” Mulaney admitted.
“He had Cochran on and I remember watching that as a kid and going, ‘Oh, he’s having on who he thinks is interesting.'”
As a ’90s kid, Mulaney described the Simpson trial as a consuming experience and expressed his endless fascination with it.
This fascination extends to Marcia Clark, who not only appeared on Mulaney’s Broadway show Oh, Hello but also in Everybody’s in L.A.
“Beyond that, the legal work she does now pro bono is really cool,” Mulaney remarked.
“Also, she’s a very good writer and [her] new book, Trial by Ambush, is really interesting. She’s writing about former Los Angeles district attorneys, of which when she started, they’re the big name in the office. And she’s now going back and actually examining the legacy of these other DAs. I just could talk to her about anything.”
Viewers can catch Marcia Clark’s appearance on the “Helicopters” episode of John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In L.A., currently streaming on Netflix.
