I compare it to our Olympics.

I really feel like there's nothing else to compare it to.

You have to go, as soon as I asked to do the roast

I start writing jokes, and then you have to

start taking those jokes out

and then I have to go from club to club

and just tell the people watching,

I'm like, imagine Rob Lowe is here,

just for the sake of things.

I'm about to say a lot of mean things about him.

Picture him here laughing,

and then you get laughs, but it's like

you can't ever really know how it's gonna do in the room.

There's no way to tell.

And so, it's so much preparation

and then you finally do it

and luckily it's always a great crowd

and they're ready for it and it's gone well,

but the first time doing it, I was terrified

and I always for the past three roasts,

the three that I've done,

I always get a point of utter exhaustion beforehand

because I've trained so hard

and that night it just feels so good doing it and being done

because you just never know.

It's one of the only things in comedy

that you can't really prepare for

because it's such a unique performance.

I'm kind of not surprised,

but it's interesting to hear that you test,

or have the ability to go test the jokes out,

which makes perfect sense.

Why wouldn't you?

You're in front of the mic

and you're doing your thing anyway,

because for me, I'm not a professional at it,

I had never tested one of those jokes that I got.

So I'm literally, this is the first time I'm telling it,

the first time anybody's hearing.

I have no idea if people are gonna think

it's too mean, not mean enough, whatever,

and it's all live and it's in front of everybody.

I know!

I always worry about the stars during these roasts

because as a comedian, Jeff Ross, me,

and usually the other couple comics,

we're all at the clubs all night doing our roast sets,

and then we think about the actors

that are on the dais,

and I'm like, they're just gonna wing it.

But the thing is, they always kill!

You guys always do well.

You have one rehearsal,

but you're professionals

so you always do well,

but it is funny that I feel the need

to go out and run the set like 60 times.

That's crazy!

Like honestly Rob, every single time I do a roast

I am so run down because I'm doing like five sets a night,

having all these sheets of paper,

scratching out jokes, rewriting them, reorganizing them.

I hired a writer's assistant last year.

I hired writers.

I had a writers' room last year.

I'm not even joking.

What?

It was nuts.

I lost money on it, no joke.

But it is the biggest opportunity

for a comedian to make a splash and to really be seen.

It's like we don't have The Tonight Show anymore

with Johnny Carson.

We don't have the same.

It's just the best platform for a comedian to make it,

so I work my tail off on it

and every year I tell my friends,

remind me never to do one of these again

because I'm losing my mind and I hate this process,

and then I do it and I'm like,

oh my god, that was the best night of my life.

I feel like they're pregnancies.

I'm always like, I don't want to do this again!

And then I'm holding my baby

and I'm like, I love it, I want to have another.

Yeah.

I mean, I don't have kids, but I compare it to that.