Eugene Mirman seems to have surprised many. Just over a month ago, the “Bob’s Burgers” actor was involved in a severe car accident that left his vehicle in flames, painting a grim picture. Yet, he is back in action, discussing his new comedy special “Here Comes the Whimsy,” which premieres on May 5 on YouTube. It’s astonishing how quickly he has returned to promoting his work.
“I know, I obviously went through an insane accident,” he told Variety. “For the first few days, people didn’t know it was me! But I am doing really good. I was injured, but not nearly as much as probably the images that were out there in the world potentially made it seem. So I’m doing not bad. I was just at the Lego store for ‘May the Fourth’ with my son, looking at Star Wars Legos. So I’m back in life.”
Mirman humorously remarked that he hopes this remains his “only near-death experience.” He added, “I guess I would say I’m doing pretty good considering how insane it was.”
On March 31, Mirman was seriously injured when his car collided with the Bedford Toll Plaza on New Hampshire’s F.E. Everett Turnpike, resulting in the vehicle catching fire. He was rescued by bystanders, including a state trooper assigned to New Hampshire governor Kelly Ayotte’s security detail.
Reflecting on the crash, Mirman shared that he has no memory of the incident. “I don’t know what happened or caused it, though I am trying to figure out or do anything I can for myself to avoid anything like that,” he said. “Mostly I’m sort of happy to be here.”
He also expressed a lack of desire to view footage from the accident, aside from images showing him near the burning vehicle. “What you’re describing sounds awful, and yeah, I don’t have an interest in seeing that,” Mirman said. He recounted glimpses of fire while in the ambulance, but noted his fortune in avoiding burns. “The amount I feel fortunate is huge,” he added.
Mirman sustained broken ribs, a wrist injury, and a concussion, which likely contributed to his memory loss of the event. “It was a huge accident, but in the big picture, I’m sitting and doing an interview a month later, so I’m okay,” he said.
Initially scheduled to record for “Bob’s Burgers” the day after the crash, the session was delayed, but Mirman resumed work the following week.
“Fox and Disney, everyone reached out,” he said, expressing gratitude for the support from the show and its producers. Despite the terrifying images they might have seen, he was thankful to be okay and back to recording.
This return also marks the release of “Here Comes the Whimsy,” his first comedy special in a decade. Initially available on Veeps, it will now reach a broader audience on YouTube.
Mirman took a break from touring over the years due to the pandemic and the loss of his first wife to cancer. “Life changed in certain ways,” he said. Despite these changes, he retained his love for standup, appreciating its whimsy and absurd takes on everyday life.
With the easing of pandemic restrictions, he embarked on short tours and developed material for “Here Comes the Whimsy.” The special showcases his playful spirit, exploring mild grievances through stories of fatherhood, travel, dress codes, and more.
To promote this special and its album, Mirman’s team created whimsical packages, including bags of flour with faces and speakers, and pre-written obituaries for buyers to use at their discretion. These quirky items were sold alongside the vinyl and the special.
Returning to standup, Mirman, known for roles in “Flight of the Conchords,” “Delocated,” “Archer,” and more, is contemplating whether to incorporate the accident and its media attention into his act.
“I will probably do stand up about this. It would be probably odd to not mention it,” he said. He plans to develop material based on the experience, humorously contemplating, “I’ll hopefully turn this near death experience into 15-20 great minutes!”
Watch “Eugene Mirman: Here Comes the Whimsy” on YouTube below:
