Sebastian Maniscalco Doesn't Like Spending His Money | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

hi my name is Sebastian Maniscalco and I. feel. honored about being Conan O'Brien that's. very sweet that's very nice of you to. say that although listen. I know we've we've met uh you've done. the show many times yeah but we haven't. really. had a relationship outside the show it's. not like I'm calling you going what are. you doing Friday night we're having some. wine you want to come by I just don't. know I love it if you had done that I. would love to have. but you didn't do it for me either you.

know well that's not going to happen. Sebastian There are rules you know I was. the host of the show and so no matter. you've become huge you're massive you're. as as big a comedy Star as I can imagine. but still you know because I was the. host of those shows I had to have a wall. up okay you understand I do understand. but but. my question is being a host of a show. like that right and you've got a lot of. people coming through the door day in.

Day Out. have you made friendships over the years. with a lot of your guests yes I have. okay and I have with a a pretty actually. a pretty good number you just click with. people and. um and one of the things it takes is. just bumping into them someplace else. that's usually what has to happen is you. bump into them someplace else so I'm. sure if I bumped into you. and we were hanging out. uh you would have thought this is the. greatest guy I ever met in my.

life. and then you would have sent them to the. waiter you know more wine over here and. I said let me get it Sebastian this is. on me and you've been like I love this. guy and then the next thing I'd be at. your house yeah that would have happened. but we never bumped into each other okay. because you were very careful not to. bump into me yeah I didn't uh I didn't I. didn't go out much when I was around no. you were always out on the town and the. minute you read Conan O'Brien's in town. you would lay low yeah you would lay low.

until I passed through no I'm very happy. for you you know you uh it's funny I was. trying to think of what there's you're. very funny comic you are an amazingly. successful comedian and you've done. really well as an actor and I was trying. to think. what is it that Sebastian does that. always made me laugh whenever you would. come on the show. and. I realized today it was your amazement. you do amazement better than most. comedians I know you're totally amazed.

by how screwed up or up something. is yeah and that is a big part of your. personality and you stretch it out your. physicality is really great but you have. this your personality like inflates when. you're saying what's going on with this. I don't understand and there are a lot. of comedians that do what's going on. with blank your amazement is you're the. Olivier of Amazement you really are you. know what I'm talking about yeah. now I'm constantly.

shocked and amazed at you know whether. it be human behavior situations or what. have you I just have an exaggerated uh. way of looking at things it's been the. way I've kind of looked at life since I. was a kid so it's not like it's. something that I'm putting on for I mean. obviously I'm it's comedy so you have to. exaggerate a little bit but the the the. seed of it is coming from complete awe. and shock of what I'm seeing so uh yeah.

that tends to be kind of the uh the core. of uh of of the comedy but you know. what's great is you tie it in with your. um with your history. as an Italian American you know your. your dad I know we'll get to this. because it's a it's a huge part of your. movie. um and I cannot believe you got Robert. De Niro to play your dad I mean this is. this is most there are people out there. that say I want to make a movie about my.

life I'll find someone to play my dad. you know and uh I don't even want to. know who I would be able to get oh. I know your wheels are turning it would. not be Robert De Niro Orville redenbach. but uh but I'm I'm really uh so so I. think that. you you do this very yes we all do that. we exaggerate we take who we are really.

and then we turn up the knob to like 15. uh for for the comedic's sake but the. core of it is pure and what you do is it. it feels. it's a very Italian yeah attitude about. what the is this all about yeah. it's in the culture so the the. upbringing and and my father is a huge. part of my comedy just because you know. it came from Sicily he's uh when he was. 15 years old and he brought a lot of. those old world values To America with. them and then in the upbringing those.

kind of values were passed on to me and. uh yeah it's just I notice Italian. people I just did uh um a TV show and. the other actress on the TV show was. Italian and when Italians get together. it's almost like um we other people are. looking at us and it's like we speak. like dolphins they don't even know the. they don't even know the communication. like they're like no I I thought there. was going to be a fight that was going.

to break out at any minute when you guys. were talking but it was you know we kind. of just know there's a familiar way how. we communicate with one another and then. when we start speaking outside of the of. the culture a lot of people tend to see. it and go oh oh this is a different kind. of take on life and and the take comes. from pretty much my dad yeah it was a. huge personality and uh has a lot to say. and um I don't know I just took what. basically what we were talking about at.

the kitchen table as a kid and then made. a living out of it I have said uh for. many years that it all starts at the. kitchen table. um that's where it started for me was a. lot of brothers and sisters and Sunday. dinner that was the one constant was. Sunday dinner and then we'd be there and. you'd just try and see who could make. who could crack up the table the most. and that's where it starts I really. believe believe it's it's the same thing. but what's interesting to me about the.

uh I think you've said that there's a. there's almost a negativity with an. Italian point of view that's built in is. that true constantly negative everything. is always. um bad nothing's ever good we can't talk. about it being good because if you talk. about being good something bad is going. to happen so that's uh it's just so sad. it's just it's just the way it is and uh. yeah it's like I now have trouble.

enjoying. the fruits of my labor right I I don't. know if you guys have this problem but. like I'm at a point in my life where I. should really be extremely happy about. what's happening to me yeah yet there is. a you know part of me that is always. kind of looking for the next thing and. am I doing enough you know like am I. it's just I got a podcast is it good. enough I'm doing a TV show is it good.

enough so it I I can't sit there and. relax right and I don't know if that's. just me or is that people who get to a. certain level in their career and feel. like they gotta maintain that level or. and you can't relax until I'm reading. this book called die with zero right. because I'm having an issue with uh. spending money. and the issue being you're spending too. much you're not spending it I don't know. what to spend like I like I didn't I.

grew up working middle class right and. it was the money was a huge Topic in our. house and it was always safe save your. money because you don't know if your. tongue is gonna fall out and you can't. do this anymore right which does happen. I wouldn't worry about that one. particular thing. give yourself a break yeah. during covet you weren't worried at all. about covid you were worried.

don't worry you're clear on covet my. tongue the tongue could go at any time. what yeah well I mean Coleman was a. great example it's like you save for a. rainy day right and the rainy day came. and I was still going hot you know like. I didn't even use the savings right I. was just trying to figure out how I. could make money and and and live off. whatever doing uh corporate zooms you. know that's what I was doing.

I wasn't doing like stand up in my. living room but it would be like a uh a. moderator asking me questions and I. would be making the company laugh. and zoom I did like 38 of these things. okay let me just let me just put this in. context for our listeners who don't know. and many people are aware of your. massive success. you sold out four shows at Madison. Square Garden that's insane that's an. insane achievement that's you and a.

microphone sold out Madison Square. Garden four of them how many of those. people were on Zoom though. half to be fair they put a lot of TV TV. screens TV screens look at me hi. everybody I'm 60. I don't know if you've. met me I think that works when I assume. it's a TV. I was picturing televisions with rabbit. ears and a zoom coming over the seats. the televisions are in this let's just. let it go but my point is Sebastian I'm.

just wanting to put it in context for. people that you've had this insane this. isn't there are plenty of people in the. business that book a sitcom but they're. being careful with their money or this. or that you've had uh unprecedented. level of success that uh I can promise. you right now is not going anywhere you. have talent and ability and it's not. going anywhere and you have a devout. following. but it's fascinating to me that. you know when when it's stops for a.

little bit you're thinking oh my God how. am I going to make the rent and to me. that is that is this is a very common. situation and I do think that it may not. be a coincidence that your dad. immigrated here uh because I mean. famously Bob Hope who you know biggest. comedian maybe of the 20th century.

um he came from he emigrated. from Wales as a kid and was incredibly. poor growing up and tried to make it as. a boxer and his family were like stone. masons I mean he had nothing and he. scrounged and scratched and scratched. and finally made it and then bought up. all the Orange Groves in California when. he started making money and be by the. time he's in his 90s. he's I think the richest.

Entertainer in the United States of. America is just incredibly wealthy man. and I know for a fact that he would go. into the valley. um and with coupons for Carl's Jr to me. it's that doesn't go away yeah you. know when you have and although. you didn't experience that maybe. firsthand you inherit it from your dad. and it's very powerful yeah so I mean to. me it makes it makes sense that you're. that way yeah but my whole challenge now.

is I got like one one foot living in. that world and I got a one foot living. in the world I'm in right now and I'm. trying to like. you know just just be a little bit more. relaxed when it comes to you know. enjoying my success I guess that's. that's the struggle I'm having at this. current point right in my life it's a. good problem yeah it's a good problem. but I know what you mean I know what. you're I I know what you're talking. about. um and I recommend medication.

a lot of it and all kinds don't even. just get it from other people I'm not. don't even see a psychopharmacologist I. think just get it random pills from. other people and try them out okay. terrible advice.