Nikki Glaser’s Golden Globes Gig Made a Star So Nervous He Almost Showed up Late

I did stand-up in NYC for a little over three years. It was a lot of fun, I made a lot of friends, and got to host a show in midtown for about a year. There are many reasons I didn’t keep pursuing stand-up. I didn’t love it as much as some of my peers (who have gone on to be quite successful). There could be a cliquishness to it that I didn’t care for (but isn’t that the case with anything). Regardless, I’m happy I left that life behind, both because I’m happy as can be currently, and I wouldn’t have done well in a scene that is dominated by audience interaction videos.

Most comics will tell you that interacting with and roasting audience members is a small part of their act. However, that’s what gets the most clicks. Comedians go viral more often when it’s clips of them telling the dude in the front row his shirt sucks or realizing someone at a two-top is at the same show as their ex. It’s fun stuff, but not my speed at all, especially because I don’t like roasting people. It makes me uncomfortable, and I was someone who was picked on through high school. The main way I survived was by learning how to talk shit back to people, and I hate it, even if it’s done playfully instead of for self-defense.

But roasts are as popular as ever. Netflix shelled out millions to awkwardly roast Tom Brady last year, and it got them all the attention they craved. There, comedian Nikki Glaser made a huge impact as she mangled Brady and the other attendees with precision cruelty. Her performance was so renowned that it made celebrities nervous when she was announced as host for the Golden Globes. In an interview at the TIME100 Summit, Glaser explained that one celeb almost showed up late to avoid getting roasted.

Glaser was bummed to learn that people were nervous about her hosting. She’s a professional and, as she explained, was not out to ruin anyone’s night like she would at a roast. “I wish I would have known that, because I would have just done something to diffuse that a little bit,” Glaser noted. “Next time’s going to be a lot more fun, because I think they know the tone that I have now.” While her attitude applies to all the attendees, it extended to one in particular: Timothée Chalamet.

When asked if Glaser would “skewer” folks at the Globes, she noted how she loved Chalamet in A Complete Unknown and therefore would have to joke about him. This made Timmy so nervous that he almost adjusted his whole night. “He was just going to skip my monologue and get there late. Just so he didn’t have to deal with it,” Glaser explained. “And I get it because he’s there with his girlfriend, who’s already the subject of so many jokes.” Glaser reached out to Timmy’s publicist, ensured her she wouldn’t be too mean, and the night went off without a hitch.