What Comedy Taught Me About My Cancer (& the other way around)

Rich Roll

Nov 10, 2025

Episode description

Tig Notaro is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer known for her deadpan delivery. We dig into her wild upbringing, the legendary 2012 cancer set, her napkin-based creative process, creativity without pushing, what's going on in the comedy scene, and more. READ MORE👉🏼http://bit.ly/richroll948
✌🏼🌱 - Rich

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CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:21 Rainstorm Arrival & Whole Foods Encounter
00:03:31 Work-Life Balance & Star Trek Filming
00:04:51 Podcasting & 'Handsome'
00:07:05 Public Perception & Online Authenticity
00:11:47 Career Choices & Family Priorities
00:20:31 Early Life, School Struggles & Family Background
00:24:17 Stepfather Relationship & Parental Acceptance
00:37:08 Sponsor Break
00:39:45 Loss, Illness, and Personal Transformation
00:52:22 Tig's Dedication to Eating Plant-Based
01:03:18 Sponsor Break
01:05:51 Vulnerability, Comedy, and the 2012 Largo Set
01:15:42 Largo’s Unique Culture
01:20:54 Mental Health and Challenges of Life
01:23:31 Writing Process & Creative Collaboration
01:48:02 Comedy Community & Industry Changes
01:53:21 Career Evolution & Trying New Things
02:00:26 Directing vs. Performing
02:02:57 Andrea Gibson Documentary
02:19:36 Spinal Fusion Surgery & Recovery
02:26:00 Endurance, Cycling, and Life Lessons
02:39:15 Documentary Release & Closing Remarks

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Thanks To The Team: Jason Camiolo, Dan Drake, Morgan McRae, Blake Curtis, Desmond Loh

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Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles:
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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Establish your 'North Star' to maintain a plant-based diet

To successfully maintain a specific diet like being plant-based, you must have a 'North Star'—a deep-seated reason like health or animal welfare—to keep you aligned.

#nutrition

#plant-based

Learn your child’s true identity instead of projecting expectations

A parent's responsibility is not to project their own life expectations, but to learn who their child truly is.

#parenting

Embrace health crises to cultivate presence in life

A series of health crises can serve as a 'wake-up call' that forces you to understand the preciousness of health, life, and relationships, leading to a more present way of living.

#relationships

#resilience

Prevent C. Diff by managing antibiotic use

The intestinal disease C. Diff can be triggered when antibiotics for another illness, like pneumonia, clear out your gut bacteria, leaving the C. Diff superbug alone to thrive.

#antibiotics

#bacteria

Complete plant-based nutrition certification for health insights

To better understand the health benefits she was feeling, Tig Notaro completed the rigorous plant-based nutrition certification from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

#education

#plant-based

Leverage endurance sports to enhance mental resilience

The mental fortitude gained from endurance sports, like cycling an eight-mile uphill climb without stopping, can directly translate into the resilience needed to push through major life challenges.

#endurance

#resilience

Tread water for spinal recovery and strength

After spinal fusion surgery, treading water for up to an hour was a self-prescribed, full-body exercise that helped strengthen the body without putting pressure on the spine.

#exercise

#recovery

Take action for true work-life balance

Achieving work-life balance required moving beyond just talking about it and taking concrete action, such as downgrading from a series regular to a recurring guest star to prioritize family time.