The comedian breaks down his new stand-up special, his personal connection to the Joker and the superhero role he wants next.
Jeremiah Watkins has built a career by throwing himself completely into every performance. Whether he is commanding a stage, creating a character, or stepping behind a microphone, Watkins brings an unpredictable energy that feels entirely his own.
His newest stand-up special, CRAZY PIZZA, brings those different sides together. The comedy hour explores marriage, fatherhood, vasectomies, and the everyday chaos that comes with raising children. Watkins packages everything inside a colorful ’90s pizza-parlor setting filled with hidden references.
During my interview with Watkins, he revealed how his wife inspired the title, why the special represents this chapter of his life, and how he developed his version of the Joker for DC SUPER HERO GIRLS.
The comedian also discussed Mark Hamill’s influence, his desire to voice Nightwing, and secret auditions for DC and Marvel projects.
Jeremiah Watkins Builds His CRAZY PIZZA
CRAZY PIZZA marks Watkins’ third full comedy hour following FAMILY REUNION and DADDY. Its unusual title originated during the pandemic when his wife taught an improv game to her classes.
Watkins heard the phrase so many times that it remained stuck in his head. Eventually, he realized it could represent the different jokes, experiences, and stories he wanted to include in the special.
“The different bits and pieces that went into the special are the crazy toppings that go on the pizza,” Watkins explained.
The concept also shaped the visual presentation. Instead of performing against a traditional stage backdrop, Watkins created a detailed set inspired by the pizza parlors of the 1990s.
“I’m really happy and proud of how that came out,” he said. “I think it gives it a definite unique feel and vibe that other comedy specials don’t have.”
Watkins and his team pushed the idea beyond the name and production design. Viewers who look closely can find objects hidden inside the display pizzas. Each unusual topping connects to material featured during the hour.
“There are scissors, there’s some skulls, there’s little stripper figurines,” Watkins revealed. “My dad’s belt is on one of the pizzas.”
Those visual details reward repeat viewings without distracting from the comedy. Watkins wants viewers to understand their meaning after hearing the stories behind them.
The hour covers several personal subjects, including his marriage, recent vasectomy and experiences raising two young sons. One bit centers on being the father of what he jokingly describes as an alleged serial killer toddler.
Watkins views the special as a timestamp of where he currently stands as a comedian, husband and father. Those roles provide the three biggest ingredients in his life.
Marriage and Fatherhood Shape His Comedy
Turning family experiences into comedy requires Watkins to balance honesty with respect. He sometimes runs material by his wife before performing it publicly, especially when she becomes part of the joke.
“She’s pretty amazing about being a wife to a comedian,” Watkins said.
However, she still has the authority to shut down material that makes her uncomfortable. Watkins respects those boundaries and removes anything she would rather keep private.
“There’s some stuff every once in a while where she’s like, ‘I’d rather you not say that,’” he explained. “I’m like, ‘Yep, totally fine. I get it. That’s why I’m running it by you.’”
Fatherhood has also changed how Watkins observes the world. Raising children gave him a new perspective and opened another source of material that continues evolving as his sons grow.
“It affects you so deeply in a way where it changes you as a person,” Watkins said. “You’re going to be absorbing information and taking the world in a very different light.”
He is already developing his next hour while touring. His sons were 2 and 4 when he recorded CRAZY PIZZA, but they are now 3 and 5. New experiences involving parenting and youth sports have already begun shaping his next collection of stories.
Watkins said he prefers releasing specials every few years. His work across stand-up, podcasting, sketch comedy and voice acting means building an hour can take longer. However, the extra time allows each special to capture a distinct period of his life.
Mark Hamill-Inspired Watkins’ Joker
Watkins has been mimicking voices since childhood. He first practiced by recreating voices from cartoons before expanding into celebrity and political impressions.
During my interview, Watkins slipped into his Donald Trump impression and immediately transformed his rhythm, pitch, and delivery. He explained that every successful impression contains a musical quality.
“There’s a musicality with all impressions,” Watkins said. “I’ve been mimicking since I was a little kid.”
His lifelong love of animation eventually led to one of his biggest career achievements. Watkins voiced the Joker in Cartoon Network’s DC SUPER HERO GIRLS, joining an exclusive group of actors who have played Batman’s greatest enemy.
Watkins grew up watching BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and considers Mark Hamill his favorite Joker.
“Mark Hamill is the GOAT of Jokers, at least for me personally,” Watkins said. “There’s not a huge roster of VO artists who have gotten to voice the Joker. I’m honored to be in that group and that family.”
Hamill became a major influence on Watkins’ performance, but Watkins did not want to create a direct imitation. He looked for a balance that would feel familiar to longtime fans while still fitting the lighter and more exaggerated world of DC SUPER HERO GIRLS.
“Mark Hamill is obviously a huge inspiration for my Joker, but I tried to put a little bit of my own twist on it,” Watkins explained.
Voice director Gene Vassilaros gave Watkins room to experiment during his recording sessions. Watkins performed the character at different levels and delivered several larger takes. Many of his boldest choices made it into the finished episodes.
“They chose a lot of my takes where I really went for it and went pretty big,” Watkins said. “When it came out, I was like, ‘OK, this is how it’s being displayed to the world. That’s my Joker.’”
Nightwing Could Be His Next DC Role
Watkins hopes the Joker will not be his final visit to the DC Universe. When asked which character he would like to play next, he immediately named Nightwing.
“I would love to voice Nightwing in a series,” Watkins revealed. “There’s a bunch of different characters that I would love to voice.”
Watkins confirmed that he has auditioned for multiple DC and Marvel projects. He could not reveal specific characters, but he teased that several exciting opportunities are in development.
“I’ve been auditioning for a while now for different DC and Marvel stuff,” Watkins said. “There are a couple cool things in the pipeline.”
One upcoming project comes with an especially strict nondisclosure agreement. Watkins could only confirm that audiences should learn more about it soon.
“The NDA that I signed on this is so insane,” he said.
His secret project remains under wraps, but Watkins made his ambitions clear. He wants to continue exploring characters within the superhero world while balancing those opportunities with stand-up, his family, and his other creative projects.
CRAZY PIZZA Represents Watkins’ Life Today
Watkins ended our conversation by selecting three imaginary toppings that best represent his current life.
The first would be a wedding ring representing his marriage. The second would be a microphone representing stand-up. The third would be a pair of Adidas Samba shoes representing the time he spends playing soccer with his sons.
“That’s the three-headed beast that I’m trying to navigate right now,” Watkins said. “Comedy, my marriage, and being a dad.”
Those three subjects form the foundation of CRAZY PIZZA. The special may contain wild stories, impressions, and unexpected detours, but it ultimately captures Watkins during a meaningful stage of his personal and professional journey.
CRAZY PIZZA is now available to watch on YouTube.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
