Bill Burr believes CEOs haven’t learned anything since the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
In a new interview with Variety, the 56-year-old actor talked about his evolving comedy amid his upcoming Hulu special, Drop Dead Years, which reportedly covers everything from marriage, fatherhood, personal growth, and moving from his former aggressive humor to a softer, more introspective tone.
Burr also discussed the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot last month in New York City.
“The funny thing when that CEO got whacked was watching CEOs have to be uncomfortable,” he said. “I’m sure they didn’t learn anything, but it’s like: This is how you make everybody feel day to day as you apply pressure because ‘that’s how business is done.’ How you leave this burning wreckage of destroyed lives as you ‘restructure’ and ‘consolidate.’ It was fun to see them worry.”
For the new special, which was shot in Seattle, Burr said that the location is based on if he feels “like there’s going to be a good amount of pushback from the crowd.”
“When you’re filming a stand-up special, there’s cameras there, so people tend to be a little more agreeable,” Burr told Variety. “And I need that push-pull thing to happen. I don’t want to be in an echo chamber. I would rather have it more hostile than agreeable.”
Burr said he adjusts his “asshole vibe” based on the state he’s in before adding, “If I’m in a conservative place, I’ll go more liberal. And if I’m in a liberal place, I’ll go more conservative. It’s like trying to make an over-medium egg, you know? There’s an art to it.”
When asked if he was more cautious about workshopping political material, he said, “No. You just go up and do it. And if you listen to that bit, it’s apolitical. I’m just saying we need to come up with a way to solve our differences without dropping bombs on children. I don’t think anybody would have a problem with that.”
Bill Burr’s Drop Dead Years will premiere on Hulu on Mar. 14.