John Mulaney Says He Turned Down ‘The Daily Show’ Hosting Gig After Jon Stewart Left “Big Shoes To Fill”

John Mulaney recently revealed that he was asked to host The Daily Show after Jon Stewart announced his departure from the Comedy Central late night talk show in 2015.

The comedian, whose new special John Mulaney: Baby J is now on Netflix, recently sobered up after his friends and colleagues staged an intervention for him due to his struggles with substance abuse.

Speaking to Doug Herzog and Jen Chaney on their Basic! podcast, Mulaney says he wishes he was asked to host The Daily Show just 5 years later.

“It was shortly after the SNL 40th anniversary,” he said. “I had a sitcom on Fox. They’d aired all 13 [episodes], but it was canceled. It didn’t do good numbers, but at least critics reviled it. So, it was a fun time.”

Mulaney recalled when then-president of Comedy Central, Kent Alterman, asked him if he wanted to take on the hosting role following Stewart’s departure.

“I was extremely flattered that y’all were asking me about it,” Mulaney said. “I sensed they would be big shoes to fill. I think I also was gun-shy from putting myself out there at that moment after the Fox run. And I sensed all eyes would be on whoever came after Mr. Stewart.”

He continued, “It wasn’t the right thing at that moment, but I remember saying to Kent, ‘I wish it was five years from now.’ And he went, ‘Yeah, but it’s not.’ I mean, I just remember Kent had a great tone of, ‘I hear you. I’m here to hear out anything you have to say, but it’s now, and we’re asking you about it, and we can’t talk hypothetically for that long at this dinner, John.’”

Trevor Noah was eventually chosen as Stewart’s replacement and recently stepped down in 2022 after seven years. “My time is up, but in the most beautiful way,” said the host when he announced his departure in September.

Comedy Central has since continued the show with a series of guest hosts who rotate on a weekly basis.