John Mulaney tells audience to ‘f— off’ while dismissing theories about Robin Williams

John Mulaney wants you to know that comedians aren’t all motivated by pain and sadness — particularly not the late Robin Williams.

In a clip from the new Netflix special The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up, Mulaney, 39, challenges the belief that comedians do what they do because of some inner darkness.

“With all due respect, f— off with that s—,” he says. “Being a comedian is not a psychiatric condition.”

He thinks this is especially true with stand-up legend Williams, who died by suicide in 2014 when he was 63.

“Have a little respect for a brilliant artist who was just more talented than you,” Mulaney continues. “You know, there are depressed people who don’t even have the decency to be great comedians. Why don’t you pick on them for a change?”

Mulaney adds that comedy is a joy to perform, and he delights in making people laugh — although he acknowledges the less sunny side of the art form as well.

“Are many of us also very f—– up, myself included?” he asks. “Yes. But whatever.”

Mulaney has made headlines in the past two years after splitting with his ex-wife Anna Marie Tendler, fathering a child with actress Olivia Munn, and entering rehab for drugs and alcohol following an intervention from fellow comedians Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, and Natasha Lyonne, among others.

Netflix’s The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up features Mulaney, Jon Stewart, Chelsea Handler, and Dave Chappelle praising the late comedy greats George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams, and Richard Pryor. The 70-minute special dropped May 19 on the streamer.

Watch the clip of Mulaney praising Williams above.