Eric Andre Admits to SSRIs After Years Avoiding Medication for Comedy
"I got on them pretty late for a guy with my affliction. I know in my case it was just Nope, you don't take anything to make life easier. If anything, you do things to make life harder. I was annoying. It doesn't change who you are or anything. I thought it would. That's why I didn't do it. I was like, I won't be comedic."
About this episode
Comedian Eric Andre joined Conan O'Brien for a characteristically chaotic conversation that careened from World Cup soccer predictions to mental health confessions to bizarre historical crimes. The episode opened with O'Brien attempting to discuss the 2026 World Cup being hosted across North America, though admitting none of the hosts know much about soccer. The conversation quickly derailed into Andre's habit of carrying custom plexiglass separators for every car model when taking Ubers, his recent trip to Morocco for undisclosed business, and a lengthy tangent about William S. Burroughs killing his wife in 1951 and claiming it was a William Tell game. Andre opened up about recently starting SSRIs after years of resistance, fearing medication would diminish his comedy, while crediting Andy Richter for encouraging treatment. He discussed anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and depression that he'd previously self-managed through repression. The pair bonded over their shared experience as comedians hesitant to seek mental health support. Andre recounted a 2020 on-set injury when John Cena threw him through an unsandbbagged shelf during a stunt for The Eric Andre Show, resulting in a concussion. He also confessed to Photoshopping fake injury reports about Knicks players during the Finals and texting them to his Knicks-fan friends, acknowledging he was losing friendships over the prank. The episode promoted Andre's new Netflix film Little Brother with John Cena and his recent album Film Scores for Films That Don't Exist, though the hosts spent minimal time on either project, instead embracing the conversational chaos that defines their chemistry.
Key takeaways
- Andre revealed he recently started taking SSRIs after years of resistance, fearing medication would harm his comedic ability and personality.
- He suffered a concussion in 2020 when John Cena threw him through an unsandbbagged metal-framed shelf during an Eric Andre Show stunt.
- Andre admitted to creating fake TMZ articles about Knicks player injuries and texting them to friends during the Finals, losing friendships over the prank.
- The hosts discussed William S. Burroughs killing his wife in 1951 Mexico and serving only 13 days in jail after claiming it was a William Tell game.
- Andre released a classical album called Film Scores for Films That Don't Exist and stars with John Cena in Netflix's Little Brother.
- O'Brien credited Andy Richter for encouraging him to try antidepressants, overcoming similar fears about personality changes.
- Andre described carrying custom plexiglass Uber separators for every car model and immediately installing them to avoid conversation with drivers.