Name: The Best Of Will Arnett | David Letterman
Uploaded: 2026-01-07T16:00:24.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'The Best Of Will Arnett | David Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2026-01-07. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'The Best Of Will Arnett | David Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2026-01-07. Transcript available.

The Best Of Will Arnett | David Letterman

What can you tell us about yourself sir? Where are you from? I'm a Taurus. Taurus?
Yeah. And coincidentally that's where I drive. From Toronto. Grew up in Toronto.
Beautiful town. It's you know it's a lot like a lot of people say it's like a
like a clean New York. I prefer to think of it as a dirty Winnipeg. Yeah. Very
cosmopolitan though isn't it? It is. A lot of great restaurants. A lot of fine
folk there.
Yeah so I grew up there and moved here in my 20s but before you know got into
showbiz I was just a regular guy. Yeah. Living in Toronto just school of soft
knocks. I see. And what what jobs did you have before you got into were able to
get into showbiz? Well I did everything. I was I was a baggage handler for a
small airline. I worked for an airline called Skywalker Air that you probably
never heard of. No. And but they they operated the Toronto Buffalo and
Toronto Rochester routes with a couple Twin Otter aircraft. Oh Twin Otters are
great. Yeah. It's a stall aircraft. Yeah. Yeah. Short takeoff and landing. Yeah.
Yeah. Thank you. It's beautiful. Yeah. Made by de Havilland. It is made by de Havilland.
Yeah. Yeah. It's a great piece of machinery but. Tremendous. We. So we. I was I
was I was a baggage handler. I kind of had like a like a weekend job. My dad
made me get this job and and I would sometimes guide the planes in and and and
mishandle the luggage and.
And do the thing with the with the flashlights. Right. I called them. But. And
I I had a few mishaps in in that job. I one time I got a plane out and there
was a loud loud thump and I'd left the stairs attached to the plane.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. But this is before everything. All the craziness has gone
on. Right. So. So I just said oh no you're good. Yeah. Go ahead. Hit Buffalo.
Oh no. Which is a great city in its own right. Yeah. Um. And we used to have we
had we had some pretty rowdy pilots who worked for the airline. There were a
few instances where a guy wouldn't show up for work and then a couple of the gals
in the in the who worked at the ticket office say oh no no he was partying
until 430 in the morning.
Oh no. So they'd get on the on the mic and they say you know passengers on
flight 2 to Buffalo we're having technical problems. Ah yeah. And meanwhile it's
just Jim coming in late.
He'd splash water on his face and say great let's go. You know.
But real role models for me. Sure. In my drinking years. Yeah. Now tell me
about your summer. Traveling. I hope you went someplace. Other than going to
the Rockaways with Amy Sedaris. Yeah.
Uh. Which uh uh was fun. Uh no I traveled a little bit. Good. I went to my wife
and I went over to Europe. We went to Italy and Sweden.
Uh which is a lovely country. Yes. It's like uh it's like Canada without all
the bad architecture.
Um. And Canada's not known for its architecture. Is that right? I didn't know
that. Yeah. It's just a lot of 70s buildings you know.
People nice in Sweden? People are very nice. They're very they're very um they're
very direct. They speak to you. The language is it's not one of the wrongs.
The language is it's not one of the romance languages. It's uh comes out very
hard sounding. A lot of K's next to J's and stuff.
Uh and the people are the people are very very direct with you. We were
actually were there last summer uh the summer before this for my brother-in-law's
wedding.
He married a Swedish gal. That's why we were over there. Oh nice. And um we
were at the wedding and uh his sister-in-law was coming out of the church and
she was she had a newborn baby with a carriage.
And my wife's uh father uh went to help this girl with this carriage coming out
of the stairs. Kind of a clumsy situation.
And he said let me give you a hand with that. And she goes no that's okay. And
he said no no I don't mind. She said no I will get someone younger to help me.
Yeah. Yeah no real. He was. He felt awful about himself for a while. I don't
think so. I mean he's a pretty vibrant guy Bill Poehler. You know.
Up in Burlington, Mass. Yeah. Uh and do you think it was just this one exchange
or have you noticed it throughout the conversation.
They just do a lot of like you know you'll say something you'll say that is the
most stupid thing I've heard.
Uh uh. Ouch. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Glad I could be the provider of that.
You're uh now that you I think you've been on once before but now that I'm
listening to you talk I think I have heard your voice somewhere else.
Who do you do you remind me of somebody or have I heard your voice somewhere
else. Well. Have you been calling me.
Not a lot. I have called. Uh. But no you you you do things with your voice.
Yeah. I uh I lend my voice. We talked about this before. I think that I lend my
voice to some commercials.
Oh that's what it is. Sure. Yeah. So I do the GMC trucks. You know. Uh GMC. We
are professional. Great. Not a plug. I'm just saying. I understand. That's what
I do. So maybe in your car.
You know you might have heard it and you thought I should go buy a truck.
Because I'm thinking.
Very persuasive. Yes. When you talk now I'm thinking uh here's somebody I need
to treat with respect. Yeah.
Uh but I. Just because of the voice. Can I get your wallet?
Uh do you do you like doing that kind of stuff? I do. It's it's a great job and
I did it for a long time.
Back in the in the day uh before uh uh when I used to enjoy having a few drinks.
Uh. You don't drink any longer? I don't. I I just I gave it up. It didn't agree
with everyone else. And.
So you know. Uh. I love it. I'm not gonna lie to you. I kinda know what you
mean.
Thank you? I don't know. No.
But it's one of those jobs where I could show up. I'd show up in flip flops and
you know I'd be out the night before with my buddies.
Uh huh. And and they'd say don't you have to go to work tomorrow. I'm like hey
man I'm doing research. You know.
Yeah.
Killing drinks and hitting the butts.
Terrible combo.
Unless unless you want to be a dirty old rummy then it's a great combo.
Yeah.
Um. And but then I'd show up and you know flip flops and hungover you know for
some investment company and they'd be like who's this guy?
Uh huh. And then I'd immediately go disciplined investing. You know and then
wow.
Oh yeah. Cool.
I guess.
I'm very excited for you and I don't want to steal your thunder but recently
you and your wife Amy Poehler.
Yes.
Had a brand new baby boy.
Yes sir.
Congratulations on that.
Thank you.
How old is the boy now?
Um.
Uh Archie is uh he's almost 15 months.
Uh huh.
Yeah.
And um I'm in that whole months thing you know how that goes.
Sure.
Uh which before I really rejected.
Right.
As as you know I'd say how many years and people would say no he's eight 16
months.
That's right.
That means nothing to me.
Yes.
Unless you're counting days uh you know for your sponsor who cares.
Yeah.
Um but I appreciate that.
Um but but uh but truly no he's 15 months.
I understand and that applies to a wide range of experiences because when you're
a a a childless pedestrian.
Yeah.
You think all of that's nonsense.
Oh you really do.
Yeah.
I honestly and and I don't mean to be sound callous or awful about it but I
didn't really notice
kids before.
Right.
You know.
I know what you're talking about.
I mean all the kids were like just characters from Oliver you know just like ah
okay do you
want money?
And uh.
And usually they did.
And usually they did.
Sure.
Yeah.
But uh I mean I grew up in old England.
But uh um but honestly now I just notice kids and I also I worry that people
think that I'm a creep or something.
Mm-hmm.
Cause cause I you know I'll walk by people with kids and I'll say oh so nice.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I know.
They're like yeah man we're good.
Don't look at our kids.
No we don't.
I have my own.
Yeah.
Um and and in terms of watching Archie develop that must be a thrill right?
It has been it's been great.
Uh Archie started walking at a year which is unusual for a boy they say.
I mean my wife keeps up and you know on the.
Right.
This is unusual or this is totally normal and there's a million books and
theories.
Um so I guess it was unusual and he went straight and we did not encourage him
to start walking.
We were like no no no crawl it out you know.
Crawl it out.
He's up.
You know he's getting up like look what I did.
Yeah.
Oh get right back down.
Yeah.
Because I knew that it was just trouble.
Uh huh.
You know.
I know what you're talking about.
That I'd have to start getting involved.
Uh huh.
And and and I sure that sounds bad.
No I know what you mean.
But when they're immobile when they're just immobile and a thing that's kind of
great you know.
And you can still watch your TV and stuff so.
Yeah.
So.
Um.
I gave my I gave my kid a Dorito the other day.
I feel bad about it.
Really.
I haven't even told my wife.
Oh.
It's all right though.
He really took to it too.
Yeah.
Well yeah.
That's the problem.
She's gonna she's gonna kill me when she sees this.
Cause I gave it to him.
He was in.
He was in his pack and play.
And he and I were watching Sesame Street.
And he kept going.
I was eating a Dorito.
Yeah.
That's also.
Yeah.
I'm gonna reveal that on TV.
Now what time.
What time of day was this?
I was gonna say what kind.
It was the Cool Ranch.
Um.
Is this early in the morning you're eating Doritos?
Well this is.
I mean like my dad.
You know.
My dad used to.
I'm sure when he was 39 on a Wednesday afternoon.
was kicking around eating Doritos.
What a jackass.
Yeah.
I'm sorry dad.
No.
But anyway.
But anyway so he.
But you know he started to.
He went straight from walking to running.
And the last month has been.
Has been really tough.
I gotta say.
He's had a number of injuries.
Oh boy.
He had some.
He had a rash.
We went away on holiday.
At Christmas time.
He had a rash all over his body.
We thought it was chicken pox.
It was bad.
We came home early.
And then.
And then he likes to get on top of his.
Tray for his high chair.
And he.
And he gets on like a surfboard.
And he go.
And he seesaws back and forth.
And he knows that I'm gonna come.
You know I'm like.
Get off.
And then I take him off.
Yeah.
And then he fell on that.
And he gave himself a black eye.
Oh no.
Yeah.
And then he.
And then he had an earache.
And then.
And then the other day.
He ran into the fridge door.
And he had like a.
He had like a goose egg.
On his forehead.
That I.
I kept saying that like.
If someone in a makeup department.
On a film.
Were to say.
Present this.
You'd be like.
No no.
Take it down.
It looks.
Yeah.
It doesn't look real.
Giant.
Melon sized.
So I.
Yeah.
Great parking.
Great parking.
I mean.
Just great.
And I took him in there.
I dropped him off.
Let's be honest.
I dropped him off.
You dropped him off.
Sure.
I'm not a doctor.
No.
Of course not.
But.
But the doctor there.
He's like.
So what's.
What's going on?
I'm like.
Look.
We're not here for the apparent rash.
Black eye.
Yeah.
Don't even look in his ear.
Uh huh.
We're just here for this.
Yeah.
Clean bill.
Clean bill of health though.
Oh yeah.
He's doing great.
Yeah.
That's good.
And Archie.
Yes.
Which I think is a great name for a kid.
Thank you.
And the new boy's name is.
Abel.
Abel.
Yeah.
Abel.
And the.
Is that a.
What is that?
Well.
It's a valid question.
Um.
We.
Uh.
Um.
You remember the bible?
So.
Yes.
So.
There we go.
So.
I thought.
You know.
I mean.
What a tale.
It's a magnificent.
I don't know if you've read it recently.
What a journey.
Yeah.
And they make it by the way.
Okay.
Anyway.
Um.
So.
My son was born.
And within.
You know.
Sort of five minutes.
Uh.
Of him being born.
We're calling family and stuff.
And I called my mom.
Who.
Boy.
I'm making friends tonight.
My grandson.
Abel James.
Uh.
You can welcome him to the world.
Yeah.
James is my father's name.
I thought.
You know.
It should get a.
Boost out of that little lift.
And.
Uh.
She said.
Who?
I said.
Abel.
She said.
Spell it.
I said.
A-B-E-L.
And she said.
After who?
So.
I don't have time for this.
I hung up on it.
Yeah.
Who's got time for that?
Even on a good day.
Perfect moment.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I have th