From Rolling Stone · David Fear · · 2m
Bill Burr: 'I Didn't Want to Be the Angry Guy'
Bill Burr admits he never wanted to be the angry guy, but therapy and a mushroom trip helped him find balance.
In brief
Bill Burr admits he never wanted to be the angry guy, but therapy and a mushroom trip helped him find balance. Bill Burr has overcome his anger issues through therapy and a psychedelic experience, aiming to be a unifying figure instead of a divisive one. Originally reported by Rolling Stone.
Who Bill Burr is
Bill Burr is a 58-year-old comedian known for his rage-filled stand-up and podcast.
The angry guy reputation
Burr has a reputation for venting his spleen onstage and on his Monday Morning Podcast.
Anger management journey
Burr worked on himself over the past few years to master anger management and let go of pain.
Mushroom trip impact
A 2020s mushroom trip helped Burr realize how his emotions were suppressed.
Therapy role
Burr credits therapy with saving his life and helping him process emotions.
The Social Reckoning role
Burr plays a whistleblower worried about Mark Zuckerberg's response to Wall Street Journal exposés.
Crying moment
Rehearsing lines for The Social Reckoning caused Burr to cry, leading to emotional breakthrough.
Emotional shift
Burr realized he had shut away 99.9% of his emotions, limiting his life to laughter, anger, or indifference.
New emotional range
Burr now acknowledges emotions beyond laughter, anger, and indifference, improving his relationships.
Family impact
Burr's son and daughter are emotionally intelligent, helping him avoid the 'men can't cry' stereotype.
Current role
Burr is touring his stand-up special Drop Dead Years, focusing on unity over division.
Political message
Burr says the country is divided between working people and robber barons, not left and right.
Audience reaction
At a casino gig, half the audience laughed at Burr's Trump joke while the other half booed.
Success metric
Burr feels successful when 85% of people are cool and can listen without judgment.
Helicopter hobby
Burr flies helicopters as a panic room alternative to prepare for economic collapse.
What's next
Burr aims to be the meet-in-the-middle guy instead of the angry one, uniting people through empathy.
What matters most
Bill Burr has overcome his anger issues through therapy and a psychedelic experience, aiming to be a unifying figure instead of a divisive one.
