Marc Maron Reflects on Robin Williams’ Legacy in Podcast Appearance

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2025 — Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron recently joined Dana Carvey and David Spade on their podcast, “Fly on the Wall,” where he discussed the late Robin Williams and their poignant conversation recorded years earlier.

While Maron is not an alumnus of “Saturday Night Live,” he humorously questioned his invitation to the podcast, asking, “Did you guys run out of SNL guests? How did I get this gig?” Despite not discussing his failed audition for the iconic show, Maron delved into memories of his time with Williams and the profound impact of their discussions.

Maron recounted an intimate interview he conducted with Williams at the actor’s home, revealing that the conversation took on a new meaning after Williams’ death in 2014. “It was everywhere because he never talked like that (in interviews),” Maron told Carvey and Spade.

He noted that the candid nature of their exchange was due to the singular private setting: “It was just me and Robin. If there had been one other person there, they would’ve had the Carnegie Hall set,” he said.

A significant topic during the interview was Williams’ habit of inadvertently borrowing jokes from other comedians. Maron shared that Williams confessed to having “paid shitloads of cash” to those whose material he unknowingly borrowed.

Carvey revealed a personal anecdote involving an apology from Williams regarding borrowed material. He recalled, “He had made amends to me in Mill Valley on a sidewalk just after a show. And I didn’t know why.” Carvey, who considered Williams a major influence, expressed surprise over the apology, stating, “I said, ‘I tried to do you. You don’t understand, I had a trunk of props, I worshipped you.’”

Carvey speculated that the apology might have been part of Williams’ recovery process and involved a humorous debate over the nickname “Mr. Happy,” which Williams frequently used to refer to his intimate anatomy.

Maron chimed in, questioning whether Carvey’s nickname was truly the source of Williams’ own. “That was the amends?” Maron asked. “It wasn’t even like some deep personal affront. It’s like, ‘I know you might’ve called your dick Mr. Happy.’”

This exchange was not the first regarding “Mr. Happy.” Carvey recalled Williams mentioning it during a previous encounter 20 years earlier at Dennis Miller‘s wedding, where the rumor of inspiration seemed to bother Williams. “I wonder, perhaps I got Mr. Happy from you,” Williams allegedly said, to which Carvey responded, “No!”

The confusion may stem from Carvey’s own references to “Mr. Happy” during his 1986 SNL audition while impersonating Williams, long after the latter had woven the phrase into his comedic repertoire. Despite the mix-up, Carvey hoped that Williams ultimately took pride in his own inventive take on the name.