Actor, writer and director Stephen Merchant joins How To Fail this week and is reflective, fascinating and - yes - even funny. We talk about what he learned from Ricky Gervais when co-writing The Office, on feeling rattled turning 50 and how it’s hard to fail as a stand-up comedian (but he got over it).
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
17:16 Height and Hu ... Show More
Jul 8
Charlie Mackesy – ‘Grief propelled me into work that saved me’
In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author‑illustrator Charlie Mackesy, whose work – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – has become a global touchstone for kindness, vulnerability and hope. Yet Charlie’s path was anything but straightforward: he grew up feeling in ... Show More
53m 36s
Jun 2025
Stephen Merchant
Neal Brennan interviews Stephen Merchant (‘The Office,’ ‘Extras,’ ‘An Idiot Abroad,’ ‘Life’s Too Short,’ ‘Hello, Ladies’ and more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. ------------------ ... Show More
1h 20m
Aug 2025
Ed Helms on growing through failure
You may know Ed Helms from his roles on The Office or in The Hangover, but building his career as a successful comedian required many moments of failure and embarrassment. In this episode, Ed joins Adam live at the Authors@Wharton series to discuss his new book, SNAFU: The Defini ... Show More
27m 12s