PUBERTY, IN NICK KROLL'S HIT Netflix series Big Mouth, is a bawdy animated universe where feelings and hormones have minds of their own, guiding characters through complex social situations with hilarious and often revelatory results. Kroll's recent spin-off, Human Resources, demonstrates that the workplace is remarkably similar. The comedian who voices more than 30 characters across the two shows-knows that we bring our full selves to the office, for better or worse, because he oversees one of his own, a year-and-a-half-old production company called Good at Business. Here, Kroll talks about writing comedy over Zoom, translating Slack to the screen, and teaming up with Mel Brooks for the upcoming Hulu series History of the World, Part II.
When did you realize that Big Mouth could yield a spin-off, which focuses on the professional lives of the Hormone Monsters?
(For] the finale of season 2, we thought it would be fun to go up and see where Maury [one of the main Hormone Monsters, who guides kids through puberty] worked. It proved to be so fun to see that world. As the seasons progressed, we kept introducing new creatures: a Shame Wizard, Anxiety Mosquitoes, Depression Kitties, Lovebugs, and Hate Worms. We realized we had a workplace full of characters.
NICK KROLL
BORN
June 1978
HOMETOWN
Rye, New York
EARLY JOB
Sprinkler installer
BIG BREAK
The 2011 Comedy Central Special Thank You Very Cool
What did you want to examine about today's workplace culture through that Big Mouth lens?
This story is from the Summer 2022 edition of Fast Company.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2022 edition of Fast Company.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE NEW RULES OF BUSINESS TRAVEL
In the era of hybrid teams, everyone is a road warrior-not just sales teams and C-suite execs. It's part of why business travel spending is expected to finally reach, and perhaps surpass, pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, according to Deloitte. But, as with everything, work trips are not what they were in 2019. From airlines to banks, companies are finding new ways to make business travel easier-and even a little fun.
INTELLIGENT IMPACT
BUSINESS LUMINARIES SHARE HOW AI CAN INTERSECT WITH SOCIAL MISSION.
REDDIT'S REVENGE
IN AN ERA OF AI UPHEAVAL. THE CACOPHONOUS SOCIAL HUB EMERGES AS THE HUMAN-DRIVEN INTERNET'S LAST GREAT HOPE.
SO MANY WAYS TO LOSE
In the Ozempic era, Weight-Watchers is remaking itself to be something for everyone meal-plan program and a tele-health prescription service. But have consumers already lost their appetite?
10/10 - THE 10 MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE OF THE LAST 10 YEARS
In honor of Fast Company's 10th Innovation Festival in September, we identified 10 industrious leaders whose groundbreaking efforts defined the past decade in business. We spoke to them about their extraordinary achievements in tech, medicine, entertainment, and more. And we explored how the impact of their work has withstood passing fads, various presidential administrations, a pandemic, and many, many quarterly reports.
The Mysterious Reappearance of the Reggie Bar
How a beloved 1970s candy got called back up to the major leagues.
Gabriella Khalil
Gabriella Khalil, creative director, answers our career questionnaire.
The Fast and the Furious
High prices at McDonald's, Taco Bell, and other chains are sparking consumer revolt.
Lost in Truncation
Lost in Truncation Generative AI was supposed to unleash our creativity. Instead, it became our cultural trash compactor. Welcome to the age of summarization.
Campus Radicals
Welcome to UATX, Austin's new well-funded and controversial anti-woke university.
