"Jonah Hill LIVE"

In a live SmartLess episode at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome Jonah Hill for an unscripted conversation. They share personal updates—like Bateman's upcoming directing stint away from family and a recent video chat with astronaut Nichole Ayers on the International Space Station—before diving into Hill's path from 90s LA kid to comedy heavyweight, touching on influences, breakthroughs, directing, family life, and new projects.

Roots in 90s LA and Comedy Obsession

Hill grew up in Los Angeles during the pre-internet 90s, blending skateboarding, punk, hip-hop, and comedy. He skated daily, even now with his kids on surfskates, and idolized The Simpsons above all, VHS-taping episodes to study writers like David Mirkin, whom he wrote letters to as a child and still consults on his films. Attending Crossroads School, where many parents worked in entertainment, normalized show business; he met figures like Henry Winkler and Dustin Hoffman through friends' families. At 18, after brief stints at college in Boulder and New York's New School, he performed stand-up and short plays at bars like Black and White, building comfort in front of crowds.