Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

In this episode of Blocks, Neal Brennan sits down with comedian Gianmarco Soresi to discuss the unconventional path that led him to standup. They dive into his childhood experiences with divorce, his short-lived dreams of becoming a professional singer and actor, and the deep-seated desire for "glory" that keeps him on stage. Gianmarco also opens up about his relationship with his parents, his thoughts on depression and Adderall, and how he’s learning to find balance between his workaholic nature and his personal life.
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00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Comedic Wardrobe & Authenticity 03:05 - Rebelling Against His Father 04:59 - His Parents' Divorce 06:11 - Understanding the Nature of Cheating 09:03 - The "Fake" Wedding Priest 10:44 - Choosing Transparency Over Chaos 11:59 - Trying Drugs in His 30s 12:51 - The Acid Trip Epiphany 14:00 - Sponsor: Ultra Focus Pouches
15:58 - The Impact of a Restless Childhood 18:27 - Living with a Stepdad "Antagonist" 20:13 - The Prince of the Weekend 23:31 - Disrupting the Family Narrative 26:10 - The Fallout of a Family Legal Battle 29:24 - Losing the Spotlight at Home 31:32 - Sponsor: Square 34:17 - Sponsor: Quince
36:48 - From Theater Kid to Unathletic Adult 38:47 - The Desire to be Witnessed 39:19 - Using Adderall to Feel "Alive" 41:35 - Fighting the "Lead Vest" of Depression 44:31 - Finding Happiness Outside of Achievement 46:21 - On Theater and Heterosexuality 48:11 - The Pursuit of Glory 51:24 - The Brutal Reality for Dancers 54:11 - Bob Fosse and the Addiction to Showbiz 55:56 - Sponsor: Perplexity 59:30 - Sponsor: CookUnity 1:02:46 - The Workaholic Gene 1:04:06 - Developing New Show Concepts 1:05:08 - How Gianmarco Wants to Die 1:06:16 - The Struggle of Obsessive Practice 1:08:40 - When Music Overwhelms the Mind 1:09:32 - The Cost of Broadway and Theater Culture 1:12:09 - Failing into Standup 1:15:50 - Faking Intellect vs. Perspective 1:18:55 - Watching Art Without Self-Loathing 1:21:27 - Final Thoughts
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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In this episode of Blocks, Neal Brennan sits down with Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss to dismantle the "blocks" that have shaped his life and career. From the massive social impact of his Netflix special Jigsaw—which Daniel claims has led to over 350,000 breakups and hundreds of signed divorce papers—to the heavy toll of relentless global touring, Daniel opens up with brutal honesty.

The two discuss Daniel's struggle with weed addiction, the transition from needing constant stranger approval to finding self-worth as a father, and the hilarious, high-stakes story of how he ended up married to his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister. It's a deep dive into self-loathing, the "quiet brain" of his wife, and why being successful doesn't always mean being happy.
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00:00 Jimmy Carr1:27 Jigsaw and the 350,000 breakups4:30 Marrying his ex-girlfriend’s sister13:24 Achieving success young & avoiding self-love 15:24 The emotional toll of the X tour 20:32 Weed addiction22:20 Career struggles30:09 Sponsor: Bonobos32:34 Sponsor: CookUnity34:47 Admitting self-hatred in therapy39:39 Finding happiness in family & standup 42:01 The high-functioning stoner cycle 49:53 Bitter and Successful51:08 Comparing yourself to other comedians58:22 Searching for the source of self-loathing1:03:16 Sponsor: Tushy1:05:39 Sponsor: Zocdoc1:08:08 Balancing touring with being a dad 1:11:10 No hobbies and the need for standup1:15:10 Scummy Batman: Stories of justified violence1:23:22 Goals for the future
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Sponsors:
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Comedian and former late-night host Craig Ferguson joins Neal Brennan on the Blocks Podcast to explore the "blocks" that have defined his life and career. From his upbringing in Scotland and the impact of sectarian violence to his iconic run on the Late Late Show and over 30 years of sobriety, Craig opens up with deep introspection and his trademark wit. They delve into the realities of fame, the importance of vulnerability, and the turning points that changed everything.Check out Craig's new series 'American on Purpose' on CNN.

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Subscribe to Craig Ferguson: ⁨@thecraigfergusonshow⁩ 0:00 - Introduction: The "Rapport" Between Neal and Craig 2:35 - Growing Up in Scotland: Violence and Affability 7:12 - The Influence of Producer Peter Lassally 10:11 - Lessons from a Holocaust Survivor14:15 - Navigating the World of Late-Night Television17:33 - The Reality of Human Relationships in Showbiz22:20 - The Illusion of Fame and Success23:51 Sponsor: BetterHelp25:43 Sponsor: Superpower28:10 - The Turning Point: Choosing Sobriety in 199234:11 - Understanding the "Conundrum" of Alcoholism42:25 - Facing Fear: Learning to Fly and Control Freaks46:27 - Magical Thinking and Superstitions52:05 - The Power of Introspection54:50 Sponsor: CookUnity57:19 Sponsor: Bonobos1:01:45 - Life as a Father and Husband1:09:25 - The Impulse to Tell Stories1:16:10 - Measuring Time and the Collective Unconscious1:23:00 - Outro

Thanks to our sponsors!

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
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Rory Scovel joins Neal Brennan to talk about being born into grief—his mother died on his first birthday—and how losing his dad in 2020 reshaped his standup, his parenting, and the way he thinks about aging and death. Plus: learning to read at 44, improvising his entire show every night, asking AI about death, Leonardo DiCaprio playing a father, ADHD, marriage, and more.

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00:00 Bombing without a fight

06:43 ADHD

22:36 Overthinking Depression & Catholic Guilt

27:16 Sponsor: Tushy

29:45 Sponsor: Quince

31:32 Grief

51:26 Death

58:26 Sponsor: ZocDoc

1:01:41 Sponsor: HexClad

1:03:30 Parenting & Breaking the Cycle

1:14:15 Aging

1:21:33 Being an available husband

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happiness expert, Harvard Professor & author Arthur Brooks joins Neal Brennan to discuss why happiness is ~50% genetic, why men and women fundamentally need different things from love (adoration vs. admiration), the dark triad/tetrad in dating apps, why “success addiction” ruins marriages, the psychology of comedy, the power of the “Reverse Bucket List,” why you need to be bored, how SSRIs affect creativity, Mass vs. Doomscrolling, why your personality keeps improving with age, and why suffering isn’t the same thing as pain.

Arthur Brooks’ new book is called ‘The Meaning of Your Life’: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/the-meaning-of-your-life

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00:00 Intro

3:21 Is Happiness Genetic?

5:05 Male vs. Female Emotion

10:20 Adoration vs. Admiration: What Men and Women Really need

15:20 The Dark Tetrad: Society’s Most Dangerous People

19:38 Addiction to Being Adored

27:12 Sponsor: Superpower

30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp

32:36 Sponsor: CookUnity

35:16 Addiction to Adoration

39:58 Building Protocols to Protect Marriage

44:19 The Happiness Scale

56:45 Going to Mass instead of scrolling

59:34 Why You Need to Be Bored

1:00:56 The Pill, SSRIs & Creativity

1:08:22 Happiness & Aging

1:17:13 Sponsor: Ultra Pouches

1:18:57 Sponsor: The Perfect Jean

1:21:15 The Psychology of Comedy

1:23:45 The Reverse Bucket List

1:31:25 Psychedelics & Prayer

1:36:18 Suffering

1:43:50 Love & Marriage

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan

https://twitter.com/nealbrennan

https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices