‘It was a feeling of relief. I’m not the only one

Heather McMahan never stops. In October 2023, as audiences tuned in to watch her first Netflix special, Son I never hadthe comedian from Atlanta was already working on her second special, Breadwinneravailable October 11 on Hulu.

“The first special was me introducing myself to the world,” she says Yahoo Canada. ‘The next special feature Breadwinner is all about how I’m in the middle of marriage. I had a big Italian wedding, and I’m surviving day to day. It’s insane. It’s my favorite work so far.”

With two hugely successful comedy tours under her belt, a hit podcast and an appearance as the second coming of Joan Rivers on the red carpet for E! NewsMcMahan’s schedule is packed, just the way she likes it.

Ahead of the release of her second special, Yahoo Canada spoke to McMahan about grief, disappointment in Hollywood and taking her fans out to sea.

The gifts of grief

In 2015, McMahan moved back to Atlanta to be with her family after the death of her father, Kyle, from pancreatic cancer. She began posting videos on Instagram that helped her gain a loyal fan base who recognized themselves in her grief and later her fertility journey, both topics she discusses in her stand-up and on her podcast. Absolutely not.

“I was in deep sorrow when it really hit me on Instagram,” she says. “I just went crazy and then the rest of the world was like, ‘Oh, this is hilarious.’ When you’re in the middle of it, you have to ride the wave. Once you get off that wave, get a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of wine.

Over time, McMahan’s Facebook fan group became a meeting place for people (mainly women) to connect with each other and share their experiences by joining “The Dead Dad Club”, supporting each other through infertility, miscarriages and divorces.

“This is a testament to the power of women and the community we have built,” she says. “Nobody wants to be the face of The Dead Dad Club. … But this happened to me. … The fact that people can connect to it, I have to take a step back and say, ‘This is the coolest community.’

“It’s really comforting for me as an artist to know that I’m saying the right things and I’m glad I’m sharing this because it obviously connects with people. When you’re going through it, whether through grief or IVF, it feels very isolating …to see the reaction of a stream of people who have experienced it, it was a sense of relief, I’m not alone.”

Ask, believe, work hard, receive

McMahan opens up to her fans about her goals and dreams. From vision boards to making things happen, McMahan knows what she wants. It’s an unapologetic sense of ambition that fans have come to love; if you want something, you must have the courage to claim it.

“Write it down. If you have a good idea, write it down. If you want something, write it down. Just put pen to paper. Half of it is I think people get in my way. Like Nike says, ‘Just do it.’ Just get up and do it – one foot in front of the other. Life isn’t easy.

Roll with the punches

In 2020, McMahan and longtime collaborator Jen Zaborowski struck a deal with Peacock to create a half-hour comedy series called Good grief based on her life. The series never came to fruition and McMahan has been open about her disappointment when projects don’t come to fruition.

“It’s really eye-opening and a lesson for me is that when you work with these studs and producers, it’s not up to me to work on television. It’s up to two guys at the top making the decisions. While for comedy, if I want to go and do a show, I can put asses in chairs and then I have a show… In stand-up there is so much freedom. That’s why I go back to it. It’s my story, my jokes, it’s my life.”

What would Joan do?

McMahan has become a red carpet correspondent for E! Newsfollowing in the footsteps of her idol Joan Rivers. She has covered the Emmys, the Oscars and the People’s Choice Country Awards, calling it “one of the most difficult jobs” because of the fast pace and level of preparation required.

“You’ve got to bring some levity to these awards shows. It’s a bunch of rich people who have created something creative and we all give each other awards. I’m a fan of it. I’m an artist. I love this. Shit, I’ll eat it up “I just want to be able to have honest, funny conversations with people who are about to win an Emmy or an Oscar,” she says. You try to answer the perfect question. So when people come up to me, I just want to have a giggle.”

Somewhere beyond the sea

McMahan’s loyal fan base takes to the seas on the Absolutely Knot Cruise – a four-day cruise from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. Fans had been urging McMahan to plan an outing for years — she just had no idea it would take place on international waters.

“The idea came together and it happened so quickly. Next thing you know, I was filming the promo on the ship, we were selling cabins. … I’m so excited. It’s just going to be a great time for people to come together and let it rend four days… It will burst forth.”

Planned activities include a Pitbull impersonation evening, a live podcast recording and stand-up by McMahan, Canadian comedian Steph Tolev, Becky Robinson and Adam Ray.

“I’m so excited to see everyone letting their hair down,” she says. “Once you’re on this floating ship in the middle of the ocean, anything is possible. It’s wild. It’s the wild, wild west.”

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