Nick Kroll and John Mulaney on the future of 'Oh, Hello' and all that tuna
"You have not seen the last of George and Gil," Kroll told ABC News.
— -- It’s hard to define where the satire ends and the real Nick Kroll and John Mulaney begin, but the duo -- who began peddling “Oh, Hello” more than 10 years ago in the East Village of New York City -- wouldn’t have it any other way.
Both Kroll and Mulaney cut their comedic teeth in the mid-2000s doing lots of stand-up. That's when local NYC audiences were first introduced to George St. Geegland (Mulaney) and Gil Faizon (Kroll).
The two elder statesmen and alter egos of the comedians live in a rent-controlled apartment on the Upper West Side. If you haven't seen the show yet, you wouldn't know that their catch phrase and "big" prank is bringing on a special guest and ordering way "too much tuna."
They often wait until the show's guest notices the large amounts of tuna before celebrating their "gotcha" moment. Guests pranked by Gil and George include Steve Martin, Adam Driver, Chris Pratt and many, many others.
"I think the most surprising thing about it, we always thought it was a niche, specific thing to New York," Kroll told ABC News this week. "Then I remember the first Halloween after 'Kroll Show' came out, there were a bunch of kids, like 15 year old girls in Arizona, dressing up and George an Gil for Halloween."
The duo took their act off-Broadway in late 2015. The show ultimately landed on Broadway, running from October 2016 to January 2017.
Fans can now stream "Oh Hello" on Netflix. Up next is world domination, Mulaney and Kroll say.
"We are figuring out a few different things for them," Mulaney said.
Kroll added, "I think they are gonna try and host a game show." Mulaney interrupted: "In Tel Aviv."
"It’s called 'Don’t Bomb Us,'" Kroll continued, joking.
Mulaney explained, "We both really love doing live shows, I know we want to do a lot of things, I certainly love performing live with Nick every night. We did 138 Broadway shows, plus a year and a half off-Broadway and touring."
In another attempt to be serious, Kroll said, "My goals for John and I are to be writing and performing together until..."
"Until John is assassinated and joins the ranks of the great men," Mulaney interrupted.
"My gut is we’ll always find ways to do things together. You have not seen the last of George and Gil," Kroll added.
But where do George and Gil end and John and Nick begin?
"We don’t shut it off," Mulaney admitted. "My wife Anna was our makeup artist and supervisor for the entire off-Broadway and Broadway run. She spent more time with George and Gil, and Nick and John unable to stop doing George and Gil than anyone."
"There are times she prefers George and Gil to Nick and John," Kroll said.
"Oh, Hello on Broadway" is currently available on Netflix.