David Letterman Gifted John Mulaney’s Dad an Emmy

Just a few years ago, John Mulaney’s dad barely knew who David Letterman was. Now Chip Mulaney has the late-night legend’s Emmy Award.

Letterman gifted an Emmy statuette that he won for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction last year to John Mulaney’s father, who appeared in the episode that nabbed the award.

John Mulaney was Letterman’s guest of honor on the 2024 one-off special My Next Guest with David Letterman and John Mulaney. Following the usual format of the Netflix series Letterman debuted in 2018, the special intercuts a sit-down conversation between Letterman and Mulaney with footage of the duo in different settings—including a dinner with Mulaney’s father, Chip. In the conversation, the elder Mulaney recounted his side of a popular childhood story his son’s standup routine, and spoke about what he went through as his son navigated addiction.

“I find the three of us here touching,” Letterman told them after the discussion. “I just do.”

Mulaney’s father agreed, but that didn’t mean he was overly impressed by Letterman. John Mulaney later recounted the experience on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last year. “David Letterman to him—that’s not a big deal at all,” he told Jimmy Kimmel at the time. “I think he actually thought, ‘This guy’s excited to meet me.’”

Returning to JKL last night, Mulaney provided another surprising detail: “What I forgot to mention was my dad had a hard out,” he told Kimmel.

Now, however, Chip Mulaney and David Letterman have become “fast friends.” So much so, in fact, that Mulaney’s father received a surprise package last Friday from Letterman gifting him the statuette, accompanied by a brief letter.

“I found this extra Emmy in a closet and I told the kids, “Let’s give it to Chip,” Letterman wrote. “So, here you go. I hope you love it the way television people love it. And, it’s solid gold!”

The Emmy in question was awarded to Jax Media for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special last September. The award marked the sixth nomination and first win for Letterman’s My Next Guest… series.

Mulaney went on to recall his dad’s reaction to the gift, noting his father was “really blown away” by the gesture and had a fittingly “great Midwestern reaction.”

“Do I send it back and say, ‘No, no. I couldn’t possibly?’” Mulaney’s father asked him.

But the comic confirmed to Kimmel that his father will be keeping the statue and proudly displaying it. “He won an Emmy. Sort of,” Mulaney reflected, then quickly clarified: “He has an Emmy.”