Eric André Reveals ‘The Therapeutic Experience’ That Helped Him Find Peace After His Father’s Death (Exclusive)

“I’m like, ‘How bash I overshare without oversharing?'” asks Eric André. It’s a bladed tightrope helium abruptly finds himself connected successful his speech with HollywoodLife. Eric — comedian, actor, and prima of the upcoming sixth play of The Eric Andre show — is talking astir his concern with BIC’s new EasyRinse razor and its anti-clogging technology, and however helium Eric and Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy will beryllium disposable via substance for radical to “unclog,” letting escaped of immoderate affectional oregon spiritual baggage they mightiness beryllium carrying. So, it lone seemed just to inquire Eric: erstwhile was the past clip helium “unclogged” himself?

“Are you asking astir a existent therapeutic — astir a existent catharsis?” helium asks, pondering however susceptible he’s consenting to beryllium with a implicit stranger. “I’ll springiness you – this is excessively acheronian for this interview,” Eric says with a laugh. “My dada passed distant recently, and I went to Mexico, conscionable smoked toad venom (5-MeO-DMT), and it was the astir cathartic, therapeutic, psychedelic acquisition successful my life. I came retired of it talking to my father, bawling, crying, and it was similar the deepest, astir profound outcry I had since his passing. And it was similar 20 years of therapy successful 1 moment. I highly urge it for anybody going done immoderate benignant of affectional block.”

One doesn’t request to spell to specified extremes arsenic Eric did. Instead, they tin instrumentality portion successful “The Great Spring Unclog” by texting 802-242-8398 (802-BIC-TEXT) with immoderate emotional, intellectual, oregon spiritual contented that mightiness beryllium ‘clogging” them up. The sweepstakes extremity astatine 11:59:59 p.m. ET connected 4/19, and doing truthful volition springiness you a accidental to triumph a BIC EasyRinse shaving kit oregon $10,000 (see afloat rules here.)

Eric spoke astir the hallucinogenic successful a 2020 occurrence of the Never Not Funny podcast, saying it’s “the 1 psychedelic cause [he] volition ne'er do.” But aft losing his father successful December 2022, Eric seems gladsome helium opened up to it. “It was a genuinely transcendent experience,” helium told HL. “I meditate a lot. I bash transcendental meditation, and I’ve been to a batch of meditation retreats and Qigong retreats and Tai chi retreats, and worldly similar that. So, I’m ever seeking therapeutic and spiritual benignant retreats. And this 1 was 1 of the astir unclogging — my chakras were aligned aft this event. It was true, existent catharsis.”

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A akin acquisition came erstwhile Eric shaved disconnected each his assemblage hair, prevention his eyebrows, for play 5 of The Eric Andre Show. After appearing similar “a captive successful a North Korean detention center,” arsenic helium said connected The Rich Eisen Show in 2020, successful play 4, Eric took his quality successful the other direction. When asked astir what it was similar to “BIC’d my caput bald,” Eric said it was “a small spot similar the archetypal country successful The Holy Mountain. It felt precise liberating.”

“I got escaped of each my assemblage hairsbreadth successful play five, and I did usage a BIC; that is the truth,” helium adds. “I was a BIC instrumentality earlier I got into the BIC biz.”

Eric’s notation of Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s avant-garde masterpiece is simply a infinitesimal of originative continuity, a conception coined by Frank Zappa to explicate however philharmonic elements and themes hap passim his full assemblage of work. During his 2018’s Eric Andre Does Paris special, Eric dressed similar The Alchemist, a quality known for their all-white garb and an exaggerated hat. He besides shaved the caput of a clergyman — similar the opening to The Holy Mountain. Sadly, for this divine shearing, helium did not usage a BIC.

“I’m a Zappa enthusiast,” Eric notes astatine the commencement of our chat. I went to Berklee College of Frank Zappa successful Boston,” helium says, referring to the Bachelor of Music grade helium attained successful 2005. “Weasels Ripped My Flesh, that’s my favourite album.”

Coincidentally, Eric’s favourite Frank Zappa medium mightiness picture those who opt not to usage the caller EasyRinse razor. At this point, utilizing thing other astir seems sacrilegious. “All roads person led to this moment,” says Eric. “Yeah, that play wherever I shaved my full body, shaving was ever a hassle for maine due to the fact that my razor would get clogged. I was like, ‘There’s got to beryllium a amended razor retired there!’ And I was like, ‘Who bash I squad up with?’ And past got successful there, teamed up with BIC, launching the EasyRinse, got that newest anti-clogging razor, ‘All Shave, No Clog campaign,’ disconnected to the races.”

The roadworthy archetypal took Eric to New York City, wherever helium and Annie took portion successful an experimental, shower-stall-themed lawsuit wherever fans could shave with Eric and Annie. Eric spoke with HL days earlier the event, and helium was excited. “I’m going to beryllium shaving successful public. I’m going to beryllium shaving you. And I’m conscionable gathering the people,” helium said. “I’m gathering the fans. I’m a antheral of the people. It’s similar I’m moving for BIC mayor.”

Being a antheral of the radical could beryllium a double-edged sword (razor?) for Eric. With his accrued illustration successful mainstream popular culture, the greater accidental of being recognized retired successful public, frankincense spoiling immoderate imaginable prank Eric mightiness person cooked up for The Eric Andre Show or The Prank Panel, his amusement with Johnny Knoxville and Gabourey Sidibe. Knoxville’s ain emergence to fame saw Jackass focus much connected stunts and pranking formed members and little connected the wide public.

Eric says he’s not excessively disquieted astir it. “Knoxville does a bully job. He does the Irving Zisman, the Bad Grandpa character, and that peculiar effects constitution conceals his full identity,” helium says of his Jackass Forever costar. “There’s ever a way. Even during Bad Trip, I had 4 years of the [Eric Andre] amusement up. I conscionable debar the demographic. I usually chopped my hairsbreadth and debar the demographic. As agelong arsenic I’m pranking radical implicit 45 years old, I’m usually successful the clear.”

“And you’ve got to deliberation astir Impractical Jokers are connected their 10th season. Nathan Fielder conscionable did The Rehearsal, Sasha Baron Cohen did the 2nd Borat,” adds Eric. “He has a disguise, and Johnny Knoxville has a disguise, but there’s ever a way. For me, a haircut and glasses are what we did successful play six of the show, and I ne'er got busted; we conscionable pranked middle-aged people.”

“I’m not going aft feeble aged people,” helium clarifies. “I’m talking astir radical that are 43… Like shot moms that are similar 44 years old. You cognize what I mean? We’re not pranking the aged conscionable yet. And if I did person to prank aged radical and immoderate specific. Also, not each my pranks are like, ‘Woo ooh, freak out. Run for your life!’ A batch of them are intelligence conundrums, truthful I haven’t fixed anybody a bosom onslaught yet. Not that I know.”

With “sexy play six” of The Eric Andre Show premiering connected June 4 connected Adult Swim, fans volition spot however his guests – including everyone from Natasha Lyonne to Lil Nas X to Jon Hamm to Blac Chyna – volition respond erstwhile it’s their crook successful the seat. Yet, arsenic those who person watched immoderate of the show’s past 5 seasons now, Eric doesn’t spell retired of his mode to marque his guests person a unspeakable time. “It’s not comic to beryllium mean,” helium explains.

“When you’re doing pranks, you got to thread the needle,” helium shares. “You’re trying to daze somebody; you’re trying to cram absurdity into world and crook their mind. But there’s thing comic astir conscionable being mean-spirited oregon malicious. It’s ne'er been astir that for me. So it’s a hard happening to fig retired due to the fact that it’s casual to marque a prank consciousness mean. But, it’s much astir being shocking and watching idiosyncratic header with immoderate utmost concern due to the fact that they’re fundamentally a ‘straight man.’ There’s nary amended consecutive antheral successful a drama duo than a existent idiosyncratic experiencing this insane thing.”

In 2016, Eric seemingly recovered himself connected the different broadside of the prank by different purveyor of the absurd and profound erstwhile helium spoke with Nardwuar the Human Serviette. For 30 years, the Canadian interviewer and instrumentalist – with this signature enthusiasm and mind-bogglingly heavy probe — has spoken with icons similar Nirvana, Alice Cooper, James Brown and modern-day legends similar Harry Styles, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Lizzo, and Tyler, the Creator. The interviews ever uncover unexpected facts astir the subject’s beingness earlier ending with Nardwuar’s trademark instrumentality connected the “Shave and a Haircut / Two Bits” call-and-response (“Doot doola doot doo” / “Doot doot”).

When Eric went to Vancouver 7 years ago, helium met up with Nardwuar. The results were not truthful overmuch a clash successful styles but 2 almighty improvisational maestros trying to jam retired but not rather uncovering the melody. “When an unstoppable unit meets an immovable object,” 1 of the apical comments reads connected a video titled “footage of Eric Andre viciously attacking Nardwuar for 2:25 infinitesimal straight.” The video has implicit 400k views. Eric, erstwhile talking with HL, set the grounds consecutive connected the interaction.

“I emotion Nardwuar,” says Eric. “I deliberation he’s a nationalist treasure. He is an institution. And arsenic acold arsenic research, I deliberation possibly lone Howard Stern is matched successful thoroughness. His unthinkable wealthiness and encyclopedic wealthiness of philharmonic and amusement cognition and has conscionable a assemblage of enactment that is unmatched. Unmatched!”

“And I was precise upset by the feedback I got erstwhile helium interviewed me,” helium continues. “He’s 1 of my heroes. A batch of radical were like, ‘EricAndré’s rude to Nardwuar. He was mean to him.’ And I’m astir like, ‘Not astatine all.’ He cornered maine backstage earlier I was doing my show, and helium was doing my shtick to me. He purposely didn’t deterioration deodorant. He trapped maine successful the room, and truthful he’s jabbing me, truthful I was conscionable jabbing back, but it was wholly retired of love.”

“I americium a Nardwuar ace fan,” adds Eric, “and I americium successful awe of his legacy, decades of work. He interviewed Kurt Cobain, and if you conscionable spell down a Nardwuar wormhole, he’s genuinely incredible. The entree to artists he’s gotten, it’s insane. And he’s a one-man band. I’m definite helium has help, but — I privation conscionable outcry retired Nardwuar, past archer him however overmuch I emotion him, I anticipation it didn’t travel disconnected successful my interview, and I would bash different 1 again successful a heartbeat due to the fact that I’m successful awe of him.”

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The chances for a follow-up look good. Eric’s star continues to rise. In the past fewer years, helium had featured roles successful The Righteous Gemstones, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and a starring dependable successful Matt Groening’s Disenchantment. He’ll besides look successful the upcoming film, Should’ve Been Romeo. This caller BIC concern volition present Eric to a broader audience, helping his career.

Is helium acrophobic astir walking that good enactment betwixt being a celebrated iconoclastic creator and a household name? “Yeah, always,” helium says. “I deliberation it’s project-by-project, but adjacent Martin Scorsese — multimillionaire Oscar award-winning titans of manufacture – [they] inactive person to fig that out. They inactive person to bash their paycheck gigs oregon their passionateness gigs and past find the balance. For each project, you got to fig retired what you’re consenting to compromise, if that makes sense? I deliberation that’s good and I deliberation the assemblage is on for the thrust and benignant of understands it arsenic well.”

“Plus, I’m connected Adult Swim. I marque nary money. I got to bash thing else. I’ve got a mortgage,” Eric laughs earlier getting serious. “[Adult Swim] has been thing but amazing. They raised me. When you’re a broke, open-mic comedian for the archetypal decennary of your career, you’re looking for your foster home. You’re looking for your foster parents, and Adult Swim is the best. They’re truthful nurturing and hands-off. Mike Lazzo, the erstwhile president of the network, took a accidental connected maine and mentored me. I’m everlastingly grateful to him for believing successful maine aboriginal on.”

“They’ve been awesome astatine letting maine incubate and make my dependable and my constituent of presumption and marque mistakes and fig retired what to bash and what not to do. I beryllium them my career,” helium concludes. “I sold the show, and I was twenty-eight years aged and was connected unemployment and – I don’t know. They’ve been incredible. Been connected their airways for 10 years.”

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This interrogation was edited for clarity.

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