Jim Gaffigan on having five kids, and being open to more

Forty-six-year-old Jim Gaffigan is one of the most sought-after touring comedians in the United States. He appeals to a wide audience, as he identifies with the average American (most of his acts are about raising a family, or food). In an interview with CBS, Gaffigan opened up about his day-to-day life living in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he and his wife are raising five small children. The comedian doesn’t mince words when it comes to the realities of parenting:

In his token candid way, Gaffigan chronicles life as a father of five:

“You’re a successful comedian now. Why are you doing this to yourself?” asks the interviewer.  

Jim Gaffigan: Stand-up dad

Discussing how he came into comedy, and how being a parent jives with being a comedian:

When asked how he ended up with five kids despite his apparently unsuited personality, Jim retorts:

Gaffigan explains that growing up, he was the youngest of six kids. All of his siblings were terrified of his dad. He would do comedy for his siblings so that they would see him as a funny brother, and not just an annoying kid or competition for food. Gaffigan graduated from Georgetown in 1988, where he majored in finance:

He explains that he found comedy during an improv class, which he was taking to combat his fear of public speaking. He says that stand-up is very empowering.

When asked at the conclusion of the interview whether he was done having kids, Gaffigan comically alludes to the fact that he and his wife don’t use contraception (“there is no goalie”), but affirms that he’s seen the positive side of parenthood and would not be opposed to having more: