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Simon Helberg is best known as Howard from the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He is currently starring in the new film Florence Foster Jenkins with Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. We talked to him about following in his father's footsteps at The Groundlings, how acting is like improv, and the importance of […]

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This is our 200th episode of Improv Nerd. To acknowledge this milestone, we have compiled 15 of our favorite pieces of past guests' advice for people who are going into improv or comedy today. You will hear wisdom from people like Adam McKay, Broad City, Lauren Lapkus, TJ and Dave, Jill Soloway, Bob Odenkirk, Jon Favreau […]

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Matt Dwyer is a writer, stand-up and podcaster. He was one of the youngest people to be hired for the Second City Touring Company at the age of 21. He has written for Funny or Die and Jonah Ray's Hidden America on Netflix. We talked to him about hanging out at Second City when he […]

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Mike Birbiglia is the writer, director and star of his latest independent film, "Don't Think Twice," about a popular New York improv group where one of the members gets his big break. Jimmy talks to Mike about some of the themes in his film, like jealousy, self-sabotage and fame. Mike discusses falling in love with […]

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Peter Grosz is best known as one of the two guys in the Sonic commercials, but he has also written for The Colbert Report and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He has performed at The Second City etc., the UCB, Boom Chicago, and iO Chicago. Jimmy talks to him about why he still loves improvising, […]

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Kelsie Huff is one of Chicago's hottest comedians. She has studied at iO Chicago and Second City and she teaches the popular Feminine Comique, which is a stand-up class geared towards woman. Jimmy talked to her at this year's Chicago Women's Funny Festival about how she uses improv in her stand-up, how to make the […]

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Jason Winer is a director, an Emmy-award wining producer, and writer. He has directed and produced such hit sitcoms as Modern Family, Life in Pieces and The Crazy Ones. Jason studied at iO Chicago back in the late '90s and was part of the team The Tribe. Jimmy talked to him about learning to improvise […]

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Nia Vardalos is an actress, screenwriter and director; best known for her critically acclaimed films My Big Fat Greek Wedding I and II. Jimmy talks to Nia about how she went from working in the box office at The Second City to getting hired as an actor, using improv to write her screenplays, and the importance […]

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Tara DeFrancisco and Rance Rizzutto are masters of musical improv, touring around the world doing their critically acclaimed two-person musical improvisation show: HERE. Jimmy sat down with the recently married couple and talked them about how they first met, the power of musical improv, and why they like to make their audience cry as well […]

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Ed Furman is a writer, actor and improviser who has performed in three Second City revues and co-written Chicago's longest running musical Co-ed Prison Sluts at The Annoyance Theater. He's also written a sketch project for NBC, two children's plays and a best selling book. Jimmy sat down with Ed and talked to him about […]