Nobody Knew the Trauma Behind Paul Scheer’s Goofy Persona

With his delightfully silly roles on shows like The League, Veep, and The Good Place, comedian Paul Scheer has always projected a sense of unencumbered fun. That’s partly why, as he explains in both his new memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma and on this episode of The Last Laugh podcast, he was so hesitant to divulge the very real pain that dominated much of his childhood.

Scheer talks about how comedy helped rescue him from the violently abusive...