If there are two things you probably know about Taran Killam, it’s that he is a really funny guy and he absolutely loves Los Angeles Rams football. Lucky for him, he’s able to use both of those skills and passions for his new show, “The NFL Pile On.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I was able to talk to Killam about poking fun at the NFL on his new show, his undying LA Rams fandom, and a little bit about that old show he was on, something called “Saturday Night Live” or whatever.
Taran Killam is probably best known for his tenure on “Saturday Night Live,” where was a regular cast member from 2010 to 2016. However, he’s been acting and doing comedy for decades now, dating back to his first role in “The Naked Gun 33 ⅓,” which we definitely discuss. His newest project is “The NFL Pile On,” a weekly variety show on Prime Video which takes Killam’s love of the NFL and combines it with his skills at sketch comedy and joke writing. If you’re a fan of sports as well as the comedy stylings of something like ‘SNL’ and “The Daily Show,” you’ll get a kick out of “The NFL Pile On.”
So, as you might expect, the interview does cover Killam’s new sports show, as well as his general love of football and his diehard love of the Los Angeles Rams. And according to the comedian, writing jokes about the NFL isn’t as simple as you might think.
“When I came in, I was like, ‘Let’s not punch down, let’s be celebratory, let’s make ourselves the butt of the jokes.’ And we have maintained that,” he explained. “However, being a sports fan and having to analyze it from a professional comedian standpoint, the culture is critical. It’s a critical culture. So, to ignore that completely or to address everything with rose-colored glasses is not good and just not honest to the culture of sports fandom.”
Killam added, “It’s really trying to fine-tune finding that tone of like when is it the right time and deserving to poke somebody and when is it just low-hanging fruit?”
We also spent a bit of time talking about Killam’s breakout role on ‘SNL’ and what it’s like watching the show after having been a pivotal part of the show for so long.
“I watch it with an appreciation, that’s kinda the difference,” Killam said. “I watch it with such appreciation for what a new performer brings. For knowing how difficult it is. For knowing what it takes to get your material seen and on the show. So, that’s become really fun to watch…There’s no show like it. There never was before, and there’ll never be again.”
And finally, the nerd in me had to ask about what it’s like being married to someone heavily involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Killam is married to Cobie Smulders, who plays Maria Hill in a number of Marvel projects. Apparently, she doesn’t even have to actively talk about things for stuff to get spoiled.
“We were at the opening of ‘Star Wars’ Land in Disneyland…and we were there and Kevin [Feige] was there,” he said. “She already filmed [‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’]…and Kevin’s like, ‘Cobie, can I talk to you? I gotta pull you to the side.’ And he said, ‘We just this week decided that, at the end of the movie, it turns out that you were a Skrull. Now, we’re not clear ourselves about how much of the movie you’ve been a Skrull in, but just so you know, we didn’t want you to be surprised’…That was just a funny reveal and a cool way to see how the sausage is made.”
You can hear more from my interview with Taran Killam below. “The NFL PIle On” airs on Prime Video every Wednesday.
The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes Bingeworthy, Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, and The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast and our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
