Reclusive comedian Steven Wright, 70, returns to the spotlight in rare appearance as fans all say the same thing

Steven Wright just returned to the spotlight after years of privacy. The 70-year-old comedian made a rare appearance on Howie Mandel’s podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, on Tuesday, July 14 and fans couldn’t get enough.

Steven, who hasn’t released a comedy special since 2006, chatted with his longtime friend, Howie, and Howie’s daughter, Jackelyn Shultz. The comedian’s rare appearance had his fans all saying the same thing.

“Steven Wright, one of my favorite comedians from my childhood,” one fan commented on the YouTube version of the podcast. Another person wrote: “One of the all-time best. Great get!”

And the love didn’t stop there. One person added: “Steven Wright is on my Mount Rushmore of comedy,” with another fan chiming in: “Steven is not only my favorite comedian of all time but my favorite life form.”

The hour-long episode detailed Steven’s career and how his fans want him back on stage. 

“I go on the road and write more stuff,” the comedian said. “I don’t think of [things] like, ‘That’s what I should do.’ I’ve never really had a plan about it, it all just happened.”

Early in the episode, Howie reminisced on a time when he and Steven partied with legendary musician David Bowie. “You were David’s favorite comedian,” Howie remembered. To which Steven responded: “I mean, I’ve had a lot of surreal experiences.”

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Inside Steven Wright’s legendary career

Steven was born on December 6, 1955 in Massachusetts as one of four children to parents Lucille and Alexander Wright. He first started performing stand-up comedy in 1979 when he was 24, after being influenced by his comedic idol George Carlin.

In 1982, Steven appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and was such a hit that less than a week later, he was invited to perform again. The comedian had a plethora of success doing stand-up.

His 1985 comedy album I Have A Pony was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and landed him a special at HBO. And in 1989, Steven won an Academy Award alongside fellow producer Dean Parisot for their 30-minute short film, The Appointments of Dennis Jennings.

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In 2017, he was ranked as the 15th Greatest Comedian by Rolling Stone in its 2017 list of the 50 Greatest Stand-up Comics, has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, and is basically every boomer man’s favorite comedian.

Does Steven Wright still perform?

The legendary comedian retreated from touring across the country, but continues to perform highly selective shows. Steven does occasional interviews, like the podcast episode with Howie as well as appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

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And, he expanded into literature. In 2023, Steven released his first novel, Harold. The fiction book is a surreal and stream-of-consciousness story that takes place inside the mind of a seven-year-old boy during a single day.