Andy Richter ( Conan, Madagascar, Three Questions with Andy Richter podcast) opens up about his childhood, mental health struggles, and his almost 30-year tenure as a late night tv sidekick. He details his experience with depression and lack of self-assuredness at an early age, and explains what lured him to performing. Andy describes the lack of agency and confusion he felt for being okay with his role as a sidekick, learning to be by himself and navigate the dating world after divorce, and what might be next for his professional career. Mayim and Andy consider the benefits of therapy and medication, the importance of mental healthcare for low income individuals, and the psychological benefits of having a dog. Mayim discusses ways to manage mental health while grieving in another installment of Ask Mayim Anything.
Host Andy Richter asks the same three questions to each guest: Where do you come from? Where are you going? What have you learned? These three simple questions, when answered honestly and thoughtfully, are enough to provide a pretty complete picture of who a person is. The answers are what Andy always wants to know about people. This will not be a one-sided process, as Andy won’t shy away from getting personal himself.