Mick Jagger is looking back at one of John Mulaney’s most memorable jokes and he isn’t exactly disagreeing. The Rolling Stones frontman, 82, addressed Mulaney’s long-discussed comments about working with him on Saturday Night Live during a candid new interview with The New York Times Magazine.
Back in his 2019 Netflix special Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, Mulaney recalled pitching sketch ideas while working as an SNL writer during one of Jagger’s hosting appearances. “My friends were all like, ‘Is he nice?’ No. Or maybe he is, for his version of life because he has a very different life,” Mulaney joked at the time, adding that decades of performing in front of sold-out stadiums would inevitably change someone.
While Jagger admitted he had never actually seen the comedy special, he acknowledged there was some truth behind Mulaney’s observations. “Obviously, it’s not normal,” Jagger said of his extraordinary lifestyle. “It is not like most people’s lives. It does affect you. You can become disassociated.”
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Still, the legendary rocker said staying connected to everyday life has been something he’s intentionally worked at throughout his career. “I mean, you do fight against it. It’s a conscious effort,” he explained. Jagger said one way he tries to stay grounded is by doing ordinary things on his own. “But, nevertheless, that’s only temporary because psychologically your actual state of mind is permanently damaged.”
The music icon also reflected on the unique pressures that come with decades in the spotlight. “Your late 20s and early 30s is a very tough time for people in this business because it’s a big ego trip, and you have to have a huge ego to do this,” he said. “People that do this that don’t have huge egos have huge problems because they have to manufacture a completely different personality.”
Fortunately, Jagger says he’s learned how to separate his larger-than-life stage persona from his private life over the years. “I think it comes with age,” he explained. “This is the show business dichotomy, and it’s something you learn to live with, and you always hope that you’re a so-called normal person underneath.”
At 82, Jagger shows no signs of slowing down. The Rolling Stones released their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, earlier this month, featuring collaborations with Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.