Jerrod Carmichael is no stranger to putting his life on display. In 2022, the comedian and actor made headlines with his Emmy-winning HBO comedy special “Rothaniel,” in which he publicly came out as gay at age 35. Now, Carmichael is taking that raw, unfiltered approach even further with his latest project, the HBO docuseries “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.”
Over the course of eight episodes filmed between September 2022 and early 2024, Carmichael navigates the intimate and often messy realities of his personal relationships – from Grindr hookups to a budding romance, intense therapy sessions to candid conversations with his parents about his sexuality and family history. The series, which debuts on HBO on March 29, presents a level of self-exposure that borders on the exhibitionistic, with Carmichael consciously challenging the line between truth and performance.
“It’s been a wild couple years,” Carmichael tells me as we sit outside the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Austin, where “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show” is set to premiere at South by Southwest. With a notepad in hand, he appears thoughtful and slightly apprehensive about the public’s impending response to the series.
The genesis of “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show” can be traced back to the overwhelmingly positive reception of “Rothaniel.” As Carmichael explains, coming out publicly was a pivotal, if daunting, experience that inspired him to continue exploring the boundaries of vulnerability.
“Even beyond that, coming out is crazy. I’ve reduced coming out to this: You have to tell your mom what kind of sex you’re into. Most people don’t have to. My brother just showed up with kids,” Carmichael says. “And nobody focuses on how those kids were produced. It was the stork, it was a gift from God — all these euphemisms for how they get here. You don’t really have to have that conversation with your family.”
For Carmichael, the act of coming out catalyzed a profound personal reckoning. “After coming out, two things happened. I regressed in many ways. I went through an adolescence as an adult, and I felt more courage in many ways because I had the hardest conversation of my life. I did the scariest thing that I thought I’d never do, so now I was curious about other scary things.”
This curiosity and willingness to confront his fears head-on is what drives “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.” Throughout the series, Carmichael navigates complex emotional terrain, engaging in raw, unfiltered discussions with his family and romantic partners, all while the HBO camera crew captures every intimate moment.
“You asked me what I wrote down. I like to write my thoughts, especially about things I’m going to do. The thing I just scribbled was, ‘It feels like you’ve read my diary and I’m afraid to give a recital, and I’m only doing this because I was told HBO would be happy,'” Carmichael confesses. “There’s something even about the marketing of it all that’s been tough to deal with. The show is so honest, so then trying to give correct answers for this thing that is just my life is hard.”
Indeed, the series’ unflinching honesty presents a unique challenge for Carmichael, who must navigate the blurred lines between truth and performance. “The conversations you see on the show are an excuse to say what I really want to say. Over turkey is not necessarily the right moment,” he explains. “If someone texts me ‘we need to talk,’ I’ll never speak to them again. It could be devastating. You should have told me in that text. How dare you?”
One of the most poignant moments in the series comes when Carmichael’s father indicates that he does not want to discuss his past infidelities on camera. Carmichael explains that including this exchange was a deliberate choice, rooted in his desire for authenticity.
“I just don’t know why I would hide it. He has every right to shut down and not say anything, and that would make things no different than real life. But even before the show, the deepest conversation I ever had with my father was when I made this documentary called ‘Sermon on the Mount,'” Carmichael says. “I was terrified of that conversation. In fact, I had a conversation with my mom in ‘Home Videos,’ the documentary I made before that. I asked him to leave the house, but he wanted to know what was said. My brother had to drag him out of the house to get him away. Why? It’s because we were going to have as truthful a conversation as we’d ever had.”
Carmichael’s willingness to confront these difficult discussions, even with the added scrutiny of the camera, speaks to his evolving perspective on the role of truth in his art. “Part of what’s difficult even talking about it now is that I’m still in it. I’m still getting calls and text messages with questions about what’s in it, people who are angry about things that are in it, people who are afraid about how they’re perceived. I’m dealing with that in real time.”
The complexity of these interpersonal dynamics is further heightened by Carmichael’s relationships with public figures like Tyler, the Creator. Securing the rapper’s participation in the series required extensive negotiations, with Carmichael’s brother even having to physically escort Tyler to New York for the taping.
“It was difficult. You see it in the show. It was, ‘Hey, I want to have a conversation with you on-camera.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Well, it’s something I find hard to talk to you about not on-camera.’ People do it out of respect for me, but it’s hard. My dad said no. My brother had to fly with him to New York to get him on the plane to do it.”
Despite the challenges, Carmichael remains steadfast in his commitment to authenticity, even when it means risking the comfort and privacy of those closest to him. “I think the show made me ask a lot of questions about what is true — not just on the show, but also in life. How much of my life is a performance? Can the cameras see past that? My worst performances as an actor are me trying to be cool on-camera. They captured me being uncool because I was trying to be cool. It can see past the performance, and that is never good.”
This willingness to expose his vulnerabilities, both to the camera and to the public, is a hallmark of Carmichael’s artistic approach. It’s a risky proposition, one that has the potential to alienate as well as captivate audiences. But for Carmichael, the pursuit of truth trumps the need for control or a carefully curated public image.
“I’ve relinquished the need for control when there’s a lens nearby. The last special was really an exercise in letting go and really showing myself on-camera,” he says. “With the cameras, it’s where I perform the least.”
As Carmichael prepares for the public release of “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” he acknowledges the complex web of emotions he’s navigating. There’s the anticipation of finally sharing this deeply personal journey, tempered by the trepidation of how it will be received by friends, family, and the world at large.
“Everybody’s either angry or concerned, because obviously you only look for yourself in it,” he says. “I’m dealing with that in real time. If we were doing this interview a year from now, I’d be able to reflect on it.”
Ultimately, Carmichael’s willingness to confront his fears and vulnerabilities head-on, both on and off camera, speaks to a profound artistic and personal evolution. “Part of what’s difficult even talking about it now is that I’m still in it. I’m still getting calls and text messages with questions about what’s in it, people who are angry about things that are in it, people who are afraid about how they’re perceived. I’m dealing with that in real time.”
As audiences prepare to bear witness to Carmichael’s unflinching exploration of his own life, the comedian and actor is bracing for a visceral response. But for Carmichael, the pursuit of truth, no matter how uncomfortable, has become an essential part of his creative journey – one that promises to resonate with viewers long after the final credits roll.
