You Don’t Interview Dr. Katz, He Interviews You: Talking Life, David Mamet and Matters of the Heart with Jonathan Katz
Tickets are still available on RushTix.com to watch the hilarious Dr. Katz stream live from his office on Sunday, November 15th at 5:00 PT with an all-star line-up of “patients” including Jon Hamm, Bob Saget, Susie Essman, Andy Kindler, Oscar Nunez, Paul F. Tompkins and Laura Silverman as the receptionist and I got a chance to have a session of my own with the one and only, Jonathan Katz. We talked about family, health conditions and comedy and “Dr. Katz” had me laughing the entire time.
The Interrobang: I’m Sara Dahms with the Interrobang. Thank you so much for speaking with me.
Jonathan Katz: What’s your real life like, when you’re not Interrobanging?
The Interrobang: I’m a middle school counselor. We talked a little bit about our families the last time we spoke. You told me you adopted one of your daughters and I let you know we received our son through foster care.
Jonathan Katz: We have two beautiful kids… and a couple of kids who are not so attractive. (laughing) We actually have two daughters and now two grandchildren. I made a cartoon for NBC about my daughter being a counselor called, “Julia’s Point of View.”
The Interrobang: That is SO cool! I am such a big fan of the original “Dr. Katz” series and all of your work. I love that I can Google almost any of my favorite comedians, then add the name Dr. Katz and just about all of them have been on your show. I’m so glad “Dr. Katz” is coming back for this live show next week.
Jonathan Katz: Do you have a favorite episode of “Dr. Katz”?
The Interrobang: I have so many. I love the one that Dave Attell’s in and all of the episodes with Andy Kindler are great. I saw Andy is cast to be on your live show on the 15th. That’s awesome. Do you have a favorite episode?
Jonathan Katz: My favorite episode is called “Mask.” It had the art work of the wonderful Annette Cate. “Mask” is an episode where Ben and I confess to each other that we’ve both had dreams about killing each other.
The Interrobang: That’s hilarious! “Dr. Katz” is one of the only shows where every sing episode is hilarious.
Jonathan Katz: “Dr. Katz” would not have happened without me and Tom Snyder. If it was just me, it would have only been a wonderful idea but Tom actually knows how to produce things and I don’t.
The Interrobang: Did Tom come up with Squigglevision?
Jonathan Katz: Yes. No one ever walked or went anywhere on the show. They just vibrated.
The Interrobang: Yes, and that squiggle gave them the illusion of being alive and in motion.
Jonathan Katz: Are you still a foster parent?
The Interrobang: Our family has grown by one since the last time we spoke. Our son has a biological sister and we brought her home from the hospital when she was 6 days old.
Jonathan Katz: Oh, congratulations! That is so wonderful! Our daughter was two weeks old when we brought her home. When we told our older daughter Julia, that we were adopting a baby she said, “Dad, this is the happiest day of my life!” And she meant it.
The Interrobang: That is so beautiful! We had no idea we were about to have a newborn. I got the call on a Friday and we brought her home that Monday. It was completely out of nowhere. We didn’t even know there was a pregnancy before we got that call. It was the most beautiful surprise and just like your daughter, our son was over the moon when we told him he was going to be a big brother.
Jonathan Katz: Julia was the only, only child in her class.
The Interrobang: Is that true?! You used to say that to Ben on the show. Did that come from your real life?
Jonathan Katz: Yeah. Everything came from my life. I didn’t make anything up.
The Interrobang: Well then, I hope you didn’t really record yourself as being Julia’s long-lost sister, who lived in the South of France like you did to Ben on the show!
Jonathan Katz: Would her name happen to be, Annabelle?
The Interrobang: Annabelle! Yes! (Laughing)
Jonathan Katz: The person whose podcast I just did is engaged to a woman named Annabelle.
The Interrobang: Did they know she was Ben’s fake sister on your show?
Jonathan Katz: No. I had to tell them. Are you working virtually as a school counselor?
The Interrobang: My school recently went back for the hybrid model but I’m still remote because I have a heart condition.
Jonathan Katz: What is your heart condition, if you don’t mind my asking?
The Interrobang: It’s very complicated but I had a very severe case of Kawasaki Syndrome when I was a little kid. It’s a children’s disease that completely wreaks havoc on your body and it left me with a lot of heart damage.
Jonathan Katz: Kawasaki?! Are you kidding me?! I invented that!
The Interrobang: You’re Dr. Kawasaki, from Japan?! (Laughing) I’ve always wanted to meet you!!! (Laughing)
Jonathan Katz: I have two co-morbidities, MS and heart disease. I had a heart attack three years ago in Philadelphia.
The Interrobang: I’m very glad that you were in good hands and that you’re ok and welcome to the club. I had my heart attack during my first open heart surgery when I was 4 years old. I actually flat lined and they lost me a couple of times during that surgery.
Jonathan Katz: Oh, wow! You were only 4 years old when you had open heart surgery?! Do you have to take medication for that now as an adult?
The Interrobang: Yep, Coumadin, Losartan and Metoprolol.
Jonathan Katz: I hate to drop names but, do you take baby aspirin?
The Interrobang: (Laughing) No, but I did before I started taking Coumadin.
Jonathan Katz: My wife uses Coumadin as a spice.
The Interrobang: (Laughing) It is very delicious! So good in hummus!
Jonathan Katz: How’s your husband’s health?
The Interrobang: He’s great! He is totally healthy.
Jonathan Katz: That doesn’t seem fair, does it?
The Interrobang: No… and he’s not as much fun as me either! (Laughing)
Jonathan Katz: (Laughing) I believe you! Is he a good dad?
The Interrobang: He’s a very, very good dad. He’s a great dad.
Jonathan Katz: That is so important. I’m really glad you liked that episode when Ben’s trying to convince me not to give my DNA to anybody because he wants to make money on it.
The Interrobang: Yes! He wanted to start his own DNA company and he tried to get Laura in on it too! I also loved that you had a therapist on “The Audio Files.” Laura Kightlinger as Dr. Scott was fantastic! I didn’t really know who David Mamet was before I listened to “The Audio Files” but holy crap, he was completely hilarious! When you guys did role playing and he was St. Anthony of Padua and you were Christopher from “The Sopranos” I died! That was so funny!
Jonathan Katz: David and I have been friends since the 60’s. We went to Goddard College together in Vermont. It was all about sex and drugs in the 60’s. There was about 300 students and I would say 299 of them weren’t doing any academic work at all and David was writing plays.
The Interrobang: Were you writing comedy back then?
Jonathan Katz: David and I loved to make each other laugh but I wasn’t writing comedy yet.
The Interrobang: I love that you and David have been friends for this long and are still making each other laugh.
Jonathan Katz: I’m going to leave you tonight with some serious name dropping. While my wife was seeing the cartoon, “Pocahontas” with our younger daughter for the fifth time, I was in New York City having dinner with David Mamet and his wife Rebecca Pidgeon, Goldie Hawn, Diane Sawyer, her late husband Mike Nichols and Steve Martin.
The Interrobang: Holy crap! That is a very big deal! I’m obsessed with Steve Martin and it has always been my dream to go to one of his dinner parties!
Jonathan Katz: Yeah, but the waiter assumed I was going to pick up the check, so then I had to go around and ask, “Goldie, did you have the veal piccata?”
The Interrobang! AHHHH! That is too funny! I can only imagine you having to ask them all to pitch in!
Jonathan Katz: You were really fun to talk to.
The Interrobang: Thank you! So were you! Take Care!
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Sarah Dahms is a comedy superfan hails from Chicago and travels all over the country checking out the best comedy everywhere.
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