John Mulaney Recalls How Lorne Michaels Invoked the Late John Belushi to Encourage His Sobriety

"He goes, 'I knew John Belushi for seven years. I've been talking about him for 48 years, because that's the shrapnel that happens when someone goes down like that,'" Mulaney recalled of Michaels' encouragement

At the height of his addiction, John Mulaney says his former Saturday Night Live boss, Lorne Michaels, shared the story of late comedian John Belushi's death in an effort to remind him of what was at stake.

In Netflix's latest installment of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, the Big Mouth comedian, 41, got candid about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and the moments leading up to what he once called a "star-studded intervention" as well as his most recent stint in rehab.

During one particular day in rehab, Mulaney said he received a call from the legendary SNL creator. The two shared an hour-long conversation, where Michaels told the tragic story of Belushi's death in order to remind him of how his friends and family would be affected if he were to succumb to his addiction.

"He goes, 'I knew John Belushi for seven years. I've been talking about him for 48 years, because that's the shrapnel that happens when someone goes down like that,'" he recalled.

Related: John Mulaney Says Olivia Munn and Baby 'Have Helped Save Me from Myself' in Recovery Journey

"And he goes, 'You know, John didn't want to die. You know, he didn't plan to. Just because it's a story, just because it's sort of set in stone like history, people don't want to die from this,'" Mulaney continued of his conversation with Michaels.

Belushi, who was one of the seven original cast members on Saturday Night Live, died in 1982 from combined drug intoxication after he was injected with a narcotic cocktail consisting of heroin and cocaine.

Also during his interview with Letterman, Mulaney recalled some of his days in rehab. He said while detoxing from the drugs in his system, he "was grinding my teeth so much that a molar cracked."

After spending four days at the treatment center, the comedian confessed that he told his doctor he was ready to return to New York City — that is until his doctor said something that changed his mind.

"He didn't argue or anything, he just went, 'John. We both know how this movie ends.' And that was it. And I just kind of nodded and went back to my room and stayed," he recalled of the impactful moment.

Related: John Mulaney Says He 'Really Identified' with Matthew Perry's Story amid His Own Journey with Addiction

“I wouldn’t have even thought I was addicted to it," Mulaney said of his previous drug use. "It’s just how I lived every day. So you wake up, take a couple of Adderall, feel there’s too much of an edge, take half a Klonopin, got a little too sleepy, have to do — have to finish a script and then get on the phone, take another Adderall. The Adderall’s wearing off, which is not the best feeling, so let’s just take one Adderall with a half a Xanax, and just ride that all day long.”

In December 2020, Mulaney checked into rehab to seek treatment for after relapsing amid his decades-long battle with addiction.

In his 2023 Netflix special Baby J, he took the opportunity to thank all of his friends who organized and attended his intervention. This included Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Nick Kroll, among others.

“Do you know what it's like for 12 people to save your life? It's too many people,” Mulaney joked during the special. "There are 12 separate people out there who, if I'm at dinner with them, I have to be like, 'No, I got that. Come on. You saved my life — over Zoom.’”

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Mulaney's episode on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman is now streaming on Netflix.

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