THE
JOURNAL
Middleditch
You know him as the beloved lead character Richard Hendricks on the critically acclaimed HBO series Silicon Valley, in movies such as Zombieland, The Wolf of Wall Street, Godzilla: King of Monsters, improvising on stages from The Second City to Carnegie Hall, and most recently in his Broadway debut Eureka Day.
COMEDY 2025
“I realized that if I made the people who were making fun of me laugh they'd stop making fun of me.”
When did you know you wanted to be in comedy?
I got into comedy out of necessity.
I was a lonely weirdo kid who was spotted by my drama teacher at the time in 8th grade, Mr. Wilson, and he put me in a play. From that point on, after a few laughs in the play, I realized that if I made the people who were making fun of me laugh they'd stop making fun of me. I also just really loved it. I now view it as a beautiful thing, that people can get together and share a laugh.
You hail from Nelson, British Columbia, but you’ve lived in big concrete cities for most of your career - which environment suits you most as a creative?
Lately I've been really contemplating spending more time in and around nature. Perhaps a move is in my future. I think a big city offers you a concentration of creatives and artists and various potential coworkers. Especially when you’re trying to find your footing, that capacity to create alongside who will be your tribe is incredibly valuable. Everywhere has pros and cons, and it all depends on where you are in life and what you want out of it.
What was your time like at Second City and iO? How has it influenced your career?
That was when I was not only treating comedy more seriously, but improvisation. It was kind of like comedy college for me. I did a couple years of acting school but dropped out to do comedy which I felt was right there in front of me without the bachelor of arts degree. But there in Chicago I was learning, I was taking in the fundamentals, principles, rules to know and then break. It was exciting. And everyone around me was so talented and also just completely enamored with the art of improv. Those years in Chicago felt like a real scene, everyone just challenging each other and building on one another's success. It holds a very special place.
What was your audition like for Saturday Night Live?
So scary! I was so immensely nervous. SNL had always been like the comedy gold medal to get and the idea that I was anywhere close to it seemed insane. It's why I had moved to Chicago from Toronto, I had the lofty dream of one day testing, and one day being a cast member. I had just taken a job working on a cruise ship with Second City and iO and behold SNL was going to Chicago to see people. I made such a stink so they let me fly from Bermuda where the ship was at the time to Chicago, do my audition, and then meet the boat in NYC. Same thing when I tested for the show in front of the writers and producers. I walked off the boat, tested, got back on the boat! I think it went well but... well, not well enough. I remember studying whatever previous cast members' auditions I could find on the internet at the time and thinking, "ok I should do that but not that..." like a studious little comedy nerd.
Is there a person, movie or skit that has made you laugh the most?
I mean, there's so much. Honestly, as much as you can craft the most elevated joke, often times a fart or a kid crashing on a bike (but ultimately being ok) just tops anything. But I always have a soft spot for something physical. There's a great moment in Extras where Ricky Gervais is chatting up a girl. He's mimicking someone else he's seen do it, casually flipping a bottle of water, and when he thinks he's sealed the deal, he cracks the bottle and takes a sip. But the bottle is seltzer. And it fizzes everywhere so he panics and just shoves it in his mouth and the fountain of water is gushing out as he's coughing. Really silly but plausible and fit so seamlessly into what was going on. Chef's kiss.
You’re an avid gamer with a big following on Twitch - is there a difference between your fans of, let’s say, Silicon Valley to that of the gaming community?
Oh yeah, for sure. A lot of people who love Silicon Valley work or used to work in tech, so when they tell me their favorite parts of the show it's usually with some hint of pain as they relive the journey of working for a startup or something. My Twitch community is really a very nice and caring corner of the internet so it's always a very earnest and sweet meeting. Plus there are all these inside jokes so someone will do a specific thing or say a certain phrase and it's like, "ah yes, my brother, I see you." We're like a nerdy gaming cult. YOU SHOULD JOIN!!!! twitch.tv/middleditch
Is there an actor, comedian or director that you haven’t worked with yet but are on your “bucket list?"
I'm fortunate to have worked with some really incredibly talented people, but I'm just happy those things have come to me. The bucket list is long but I don't think I'm on the radar of anyone on it. You never know though!
With the state of the world and environment, is there a cause you’re personally passionate about or an organization you think is really important for people to get behind?
That’s a bewildering question. Half the country has rallied behind someone who claims that climate change is a hoax, is gutting protections and paving the way for more and more fossil fuels. I truly don't know where to place either my time or dollar. I like what Climate Emergency Fund does. I've also invested in a lot of green tech, each tackling one piece of the puzzle. Everything from enzyme grown milk to solar desalination, to electric aviation. Many fail but you hope a few get through and make some kind of difference.
If you could pivot to a whole new career tomorrow, what would that look like?
1st line forward for the LA Kings, leading scorer in the league, probably going to nab The Cup this year is what everyone's saying.
You’re a licensed pilot, ride a motorcycle and have hiked Mount Everest - you’re an adventure seeker, so what’s next?
No idea but I think being an Adventure Seeker is funny. Where's my Red Bull sponsorship?
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about life?
I was always super inspired by my peers that just possessed an insane work ethic. They were always churning and building and creating and it really worked for them. I tried to emulate that for many years and I think it definitely worked but there was a cost. I'm not sure I can identify a specific piece of advice I've been given, but more a recent philosophy of appreciating all the other bits of life that aren't for the benefit of one's career or "hustle.” Turns out there's a lot.
Are there any exciting new projects that you’re working on personally or professionally right now that you can share?
Past year has been quite busy. I managed to shoot a little indie film called Lunch Hour, I was able to have my Broadway debut with a play called Eureka Day. What I've really enjoyed with Twitch is being in control of what you put out there for better or worse. It's really got me into this whole "content creation" and I've got some ideas for YouTube and the like that I hope to produce later on. Basically, see you on the internet.