Robin Hopkins swears she didn't burn down that restaurant - GOLD Comedy - Make Funny Stuff

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Robin Hopkins swears she didn’t burn down that restaurant

GOLD Editors Oct 30, 2025

Robin Hopkins is an actor, writer, and podcast host based in New York City. She began her career as a stand-up comic performing at Caroline’s, Comic Strip Live, Gotham Comedy Club, and Stand-Up New York before transitioning into acting, with credits including Boardwalk Empire, Louie, and Hindsight. Her original film Mi America aired on HBO.

She’s written for The New York Times, HuffPost, and Mother Mag, and co-authored the award-winning book If These Ovaries Could Talk, praised by Amy Schumer and based on her hit podcast of the same name featuring guests like Rosie O’Donnell and Judy Gold. Robin’s TV writing includes VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, O Music Awards, and Teen Mom Reunion Special, and her pilot Age Against the Machine advanced to the second round of the Sundance Episodic Lab.

Robin currently produces and hosts two acclaimed podcasts: Well…Adjusting (named one of Life Hacker’s top 10 mental health podcasts) and Dear Headspace (a Webby Honoree, Ambie nominee, and NY Times pick for “Podcasts to Help You Take an Actual Break This Summer”).

What were you like as a teen? 
I was rocking a sweet, sweet mullet that was of course permed. I wanted to be liked, so I did a lot of dumb shit like making fun of other people to try to make the “cool” kids like me better. Guess what? It didn’t work.
My home was a hot mess (hence my current Substack titled Shit I Learned From My Crappy Childhood) so I finished high school a year early and ran away to college 2 weeks after turning 17. I was sporty. Gay, but didn’t know it. Loud. Funny. Sensitive. And sure that I was destined for more than the farm town I lived in.
Did you have an un-sexy starter job?
I’ve had about 100. I was a bookkeeper for a company that sold and installed office cubicles.
I was the front of house manager of a restaurant that was called Stick to Your Ribs. It burned down on my shift. But I swear I didn’t do it.
I was a temporary mortgage delinquency specialist at Citibank. To this day, I do not know what I did there.
What do you consider to be your biggest comedy achievement to date?
On my very last stand up performance, I performed at Caroline’s. (I knew that I was heading more toward acting.) I was enrolled in and about to start the 2-year program at William Esper. But I still had this gig on the books. I went in, for the first time without any expectations or fears–after all, I was moving on. And I killed. It felt better than any gig I had ever done because I realized how much of it was all up in my own head.
When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it? 
Mostly the panic of knowing there was nothing else I wanted to be other than a performer. If it didn’t work out, what was I going to do?
Have you ever dealt with trolls? 
With hecklers, I was a big believer in going on the offense. Don’t come into my house and yell at me. But I was in my 20s. Now that I’m (well) not in my 20s, i’m far more a believer of winning in a smart way. If you give people enough rope, they will always hang themselves.
On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian? 
Fuck anyone who says “No” to you. Take the power. Make it yourself.
Best comedy advice you ever got?
All comedy and creation comes from a small sliver of who you are.
Worst comedy advice you ever got? 
“Try to be more like…..”
How has being funny helped you in your life? 
Being funny is a super power. It differentiates you. It can heal. It can break a tense moment. It can highlight you.
What specific things should a novice comedy writer do to shape their voice?
Write. Write. Write. Write. Write. The more you do it, the better you get. And listen to your mother F’ng instincts. Comedy comes from that quiet voice inside.
Do you have a writing routine?
My main routine is to set deadlines for performances or shows. Deadlines, even arbitrary ones that you set up, force the work. Once I have something to work toward, I know that I write best in the morning. Ain’t no creativity coming out at 4pm after I’ve done a million producer tasks or spent the last hour paying my family’s bills.

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