By Nick A. Zaino III Globe correspondent,Updated May 20, 2022
Jerrod Carmichael is still in lazy Sunday mode when he takes the call for this interview from a hotel in Los Angeles. He explains up front that he is still in bed. “But you’re getting the most honest me possible,” he says. “So you know, I promise you, I won’t lie to you. I’m too comfortable to lie right now.”
Carmichael, who plays the Wilbur Theatre June 3, has been dropping some heavy truths lately. In April, he released his remarkable stand-up special “Rothaniel” on HBO. More contemplative than punchline-oriented, the special details his family secrets, how his real name isn’t Jerrod, and leads up to his coming out as a gay man. Last week Carmichael released the film “On the Count of Three,” a comedy/drama that he directed and co-stars in about two friends trying to fulfill a suicide pact.
One could be forgiven for expecting a more somber Carmichael, but he is immediately engaging in conversation. In the few shows he’s played since “Rothaniel” was released, Carmichael has felt that expectation of seriousness from his audiences. “Everybody thinks I’m sad,” he says. “Everyone’s just like looking for a sign, like, are you okay? And then you hear me talk and then it’s like, ‘Okay, well, even if he’s sad, he’s dealing with it in a weird way, and I might as well enjoy whatever is happening.’ ”
Read the full article here: This version of comedian Jerrod Carmichael is no act