John Mulaney says he turned down the chance to replace Jon Stewart as host of ‘The Daily Show’

“The Daily Show with John Mulaney”? It almost could have happened, at least according to John Mulaney.

Speaking to Doug Herzog and Jen Chaney on their podcast “Basic!” Mulaney revealed he was approached to replace Jon Stewart as “The Daily Show” host back in 2015.

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“It was shortly after the ‘SNL’ 40th anniversary,” Mulaney said. “I had a sitcom on Fox. They’d aired all 13 [episodes], but it was canceled. It didn’t do good numbers, but at least critics reviled it. So, it was a fun time.”

As Mulaney recalled, former Comedy Central boss Kent Alterman broached the subject of stepping in for Stewart. 

“I was extremely flattered that y’all were asking me about it,” Mulaney said. “I sensed they would be big shoes to fill. I think I also was gun-shy from putting myself out there at that moment after the Fox run. And I sensed all eyes would be on whoever came after Mr. Stewart.”

It was that feeling, Mulaney said, that gave him pause. “It wasn’t the right thing at that moment, but I remember saying to Kent, ‘I wish it was five years from now.’ And he went, ‘Yeah, but it’s not,’” Mulaney added. “I mean, I just remember Kent had a great tone of, ‘I hear you. I’m here to hear out anything you have to say, but it’s now, and we’re asking you about it, and we can’t talk hypothetically for that long at this dinner, John.’”

In the end, Comedy Central hired Trevor Noah to replace Stewart. Noah guided the franchise through the Stewart transition and the coronavirus pandemic before exiting himself late last year. Since Noah’s departure, “The Daily Show” has been hosted by an array of guest hosts. No replacement has been named just yet.

Mulaney is currently promoting “Baby J,” his outstanding new Netflix comedy special that features the comic’s frank commentary about his drug addiction and recovery. 

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