Oh, wow. I knew he did a great Lenny Bruce, but had no inkling just how precise it really is. Amazing recreation. Luke Kirby totally nails it and I love him in this season. His last line “you’ll break my heart” broke mine. Such emotion.
Mine too. I gotta say though, from a story perspective I am so glad he came back when he did, and lord am I glad he said the things that he did. Midge this season seemed so angry, and so disconnected from the path she needed to follow.
Luke Kirby really is the best to portray him so well, but, most of all, so human. He really makes us witness a tender heart that we weren't used to see, he really is the best.
Interesting how the original background is squares, and the MMM background is circles. It's like an alternate universe. Maybe this means Lenny gets a happier ending here.
After the forshadowing line where he asks midge to be with him sometime before he dies, I have a bad feeling he's gonna have the same ending in the show that he had in real life
@@nviscalling5752 wait, nooo, what did they hint? I watched the finale but didn't think they hinted at anything. It actually got my hopes up that they'll end the show before his suicide in 1966 (since the next season is the last one).
the show has really paid homage and a ton of respect to Bruce. playing him so accurately among fictitious characters has really never been done before. brilliant work by all involved.
The irony being that they show Bruce accurately but not the time period, which is rife with glaring anachronisms. Midge casually drops f-bombs on stage, yet in real life that's what undid Lenny Bruce's career and life.
@@yournamehere6002 I suppose it's much like how we imagine flapper dresses to be much shorter than they actually were--because we cannot even grasp what was actually scandalous at the time.
@@yournamehere6002 Yes he got arrested and lost his cabaret license many times for saying the F word + one or 2 other "dirty" words occasionally live in Adult only venues/comedy clubs. NOT being filmed/broadcast. Fast forward to the 1980's and there was Eddie Murphy and others suddenly saying the f word + many other "curse words" a hundred times on stage in their one hour act on cable TV for all-age audiences. After that it became common language. DRASTICALLY different social era.
The Liz Taylor bit at the beginning was spoofing a somber newscaster previewing the nights newscast; it was also a reference to Liz marrying the Jewish Eddie Fisher; the Clyde Beatty reference was a circus lion tamer keeping a lion at bay with a stool; the coffee table-into-a-door joke was referencing how bohemian city dwellers of the day would make an old door into a coffee table because they couldn't afford one. So it was a reversal of such.
Before watching MMM, my girlfriend had not known who Lenny Bruce was. As we first watched the show, I kept going, “oh man…wow. This guy is just like Lenny Bruce…” When I showed her the real Steve Allen Show appearance, she was gobsmacked! Excellent portrayal!
This is brilliant, the hand gestures are on point! What a talent, both of them. I really wish Lenny had met Midge in real life, maybe his ending would have been different. Maybe we'll see a depiction of that reality on the show. One can only wish
I read somewhere he did meet someone similar a few years before his death, testimony enough that no amount of chemistry/ partnership can save you from your inner demons and fighting them off isn’t really easy ….
I read Lenny Bruce's autobiography when I was about 14 or 15. For a sheltered girl growing up in the South, HE changed my whole life - for good or bad- I found a kindred Spirit. Luke does a beautiful job presenting his unforgettable Soul.
Masterful original work done by Lenny Bruce - and a well earned Emmy for Luke Kirby on his portrayal of this scene. And Rachel does a wonderful set of reactions to it all....Brilliance
I love Luke's portrayal of Lenny but I got to say the original was better with timing and delivery. I don't always get the fifties humor but Lenny actually made me smile.
They're two distinct different performances with two different purposes; Lenny was a comic trying to get laughs and Luke was an actor trying to portray a charcter in a story arc. So naturally Lenny was funnier; I adored both tho.
Oh Kirby is amazing. He is spot on. I do actually hope they alter reality as far as Bruce’s death. I don’t want to lose this character and his chemistry with Midge.
I don't think they will. This show hasn't done massive time jumps between seasons or within a season, so I think we are safe, which is great because the chemistry between Lenny and Midge is beyond fantastic.
Me too, I wish he wasn’t based on a real person so that they can have a full relationship and get married, I know midge is loosely based on (I forgot her name ;-;) so I doubt it’ll fully happen, I just adore their chemistry
I love this show! It's one of the funniest I’ve ever seen. And, I love how they mix in real people, like Lenny Bruce and Johnny Mathis. I can't wait for the next season! Prime Video's best show!
They should have cast Jimmy Fallon's announcer, Steve Higgins, as Steve Allen because Higgins is the spitting image of Allen. It's especially funny with their "Tonight Show" connection.
Being Scottish and born in 1957,I never knew Lenny Bruce, I had heard the name towards the middle of the sixties. When The Marvelous Mrs Maisel came to our TV screens via Amazon Prime. I watched it and thought Luck Kirby utterly adorable. I just loved the guy. I went and watched Lenny Bruce and saw him perform. I was amazed by Luke Kirby's performance. That guy can act and his take off of Lenny Bruce is second to none. What an actor he is.
Wow! Thank you for that comparison. Kirby deserved to win amongst those untalented "peers" that year. Adam Sandler, maybe, but Kirby in this role on a really great comedy show--He IS Lenny Bruce! Congrats!
Besides the fact that poor Lenny was like.. short-short, and Luke is like, tall-tall, he really does a great job. He doesn't say the word "dig?" as much as I thought they'd have him, but still great 👍
Except for all the anachronisms, especially the incessant f-bombs that are not only completely out of place for the period (Lenny's career was ruined because he was constantly arrested for profanity, whereas Midge uses it without incident) but repetitive and wholly unnecessary.
Great performance wow! Just missing the jitters and the more flamboyant hand jesters. And the NY accent could’ve been stronger. Other than that spot on LB impression. I bet he practiced months for this. Kudos
He did such a great job with this - and with the rest of his bits as Lenny This is such a heart-breaking bit, too (too bad they cut it off)- Lenny dug deep
I don't think Kirby quite got Bruce, comparing these. Kirby is trying to do Bruce as an Italian wiseguy, and doesn't get Bruce's Jewishness. The real Bruce has that more Jewish sensibility and vulnerability. Kirby plays him a little too butch and self-assured.
Butch and self-assured? not how it came accros to me at all! he seemed quite self-deprecating, in a way that went well with Midge's inherently jewish stand up as well.
Lenny Bruce has a more smooth and delightful nature when it comes to delivery. Luke did an absolutely great job in capturing that vibe, but at the end of the day he's not Lenny himself.
Love this character on Mrs. Maisel, but maybe it's a generational thing... I've never found Bruce funny at all. Strange that there are a lot of comics from that era that crack me up, but he does nothing for me. His "cutting edge" delivery and humor just leave me cold. But, on a less controversial note, this is an amazing comparison.
While the recreation / imitation is impressive, I find Kirby's well-studied application and impersonation of Bruce's mannerisms to the various fictionalized situations throughout the series to be even more impressive.
Is there a channel to watch the old videos of old entertainers anywhere in the web? I think that old entertainers may get forgotten if it keeps going (the fact that it's hard to find certain videos of people) I wonder if there are some obsessed people taking footage and uploading it. If so, thanks
Great comparison. my only comment is that when Bruce references Clyde Beatty he raises the stool to briefly suggest prison bars, whereas Kirby's take is a different angle. but how cool to invoke Allen and the very early days of late night television
Steve Allen: genius, inventor and first host of the Tonight Show (and hence basically all night time talk/variety shows), great comedian and musician, and prolific composer and book author. Lettermann basically stole Steve's Act for "Late Night" (and has admitted to that). Just sayin'
It’s good but Luke is a little slower than Lenny in his movements; Lenny is more skittish and quicker with his body movements. If you put Luke on x1.25 speed it’s a better fit.
I like Kirby better than the real Lenny. I saw Lenny on TV when I was young. He had this nervous head shake that I found annoying. Kirby didn't copy that thank goodness.
i think so too ! Luke Kirby got Lenny’s swag perfectly but not that comedic spark.. tbh i don’t think even the best actor could replicate something like that, i mean, imagine a robin williams biopic ? no way in hell could anyone even come close
Oh, wow. I knew he did a great Lenny Bruce, but had no inkling just how precise it really is. Amazing recreation. Luke Kirby totally nails it and I love him in this season. His last line “you’ll break my heart” broke mine. Such emotion.
Mine too. I gotta say though, from a story perspective I am so glad he came back when he did, and lord am I glad he said the things that he did. Midge this season seemed so angry, and so disconnected from the path she needed to follow.
"Fucking heart", to be precise.
I feel like he’s objectively the best character in the series. He might not be everyone’s favorite but he’s an AMAZING character.
That final scene between Midge and Lenny in season 4 was beautifully written, stunningly acted and totally moving 🥲 Bravo!
@@maybud60 I love it.. he literally gives her the best advice, don't plan fuckin work...just work, work all over
Luke Kirby really is the best to portray him so well, but, most of all, so human. He really makes us witness a tender heart that we weren't used to see, he really is the best.
Luke's portrayal seems more sentimental.
Interesting how the original background is squares, and the MMM background is circles. It's like an alternate universe. Maybe this means Lenny gets a happier ending here.
After the forshadowing line where he asks midge to be with him sometime before he dies, I have a bad feeling he's gonna have the same ending in the show that he had in real life
idontcare yeah now it’s pretty aure
With what they hinted at with the season 4 finale, i doubt it 😢
@@nviscalling5752 wait, nooo, what did they hint? I watched the finale but didn't think they hinted at anything. It actually got my hopes up that they'll end the show before his suicide in 1966 (since the next season is the last one).
@@MegaBabro technically he died of morphine overdose. The bag in the bathroom was the hint.
Kirby's performance, particularly here, he copies Bruce and his movements but it doesn't feel ingenious or mocking. Champagne casting in my opinion.
He captures the sad side we don't see in real Lenny. Perfection 👌🏻
the show has really paid homage and a ton of respect to Bruce. playing him so accurately among fictitious characters has really never been done before. brilliant work by all involved.
The irony being that they show Bruce accurately but not the time period, which is rife with glaring anachronisms. Midge casually drops f-bombs on stage, yet in real life that's what undid Lenny Bruce's career and life.
@@yournamehere6002 I suppose it's much like how we imagine flapper dresses to be much shorter than they actually were--because we cannot even grasp what was actually scandalous at the time.
@@yournamehere6002 Yes he got arrested and lost his cabaret license many times for saying the F word + one or 2 other "dirty" words occasionally live in Adult only venues/comedy clubs. NOT being filmed/broadcast. Fast forward to the 1980's and there was Eddie Murphy and others suddenly saying the f word + many other "curse words" a hundred times on stage in their one hour act on cable TV for all-age audiences. After that it became common language. DRASTICALLY different social era.
The Liz Taylor bit at the beginning was spoofing a somber newscaster previewing the nights newscast; it was also a reference to Liz marrying the Jewish Eddie Fisher; the Clyde Beatty reference was a circus lion tamer keeping a lion at bay with a stool; the coffee table-into-a-door joke was referencing how bohemian city dwellers of the day would make an old door into a coffee table because they couldn't afford one. So it was a reversal of such.
Wow thanks for Bruceplaining
Fascinating 🙂 thank you for sharing 😃
Nice! Thanks for the context :)
@@seanodeli7031 Except there are younger people watching this show who probably did not get/understand all of those references.
Luke Kirby deserves the emmy award he received. Love him so much♥️
the way Luke inhabits/portrays/captures the essence of Lenny is just amazing
Before watching MMM, my girlfriend had not known who Lenny Bruce was. As we first watched the show, I kept going, “oh man…wow. This guy is just like Lenny Bruce…” When I showed her the real Steve Allen Show appearance, she was gobsmacked!
Excellent portrayal!
This is brilliant, the hand gestures are on point! What a talent, both of them. I really wish Lenny had met Midge in real life, maybe his ending would have been different. Maybe we'll see a depiction of that reality on the show. One can only wish
Well i believe he did meet someone similar. He dated a female comedian with a very similar name
He was dating a female comedian at the time of his death. Maybe that is "Midge".
Midge isn't a real person
I read somewhere he did meet someone similar a few years before his death, testimony enough that no amount of chemistry/ partnership can save you from your inner demons and fighting them off isn’t really easy ….
@@julievollnogle4953 nope nothing like her Midge is fictional as are all her family
I read Lenny Bruce's autobiography when I was about 14 or 15. For a sheltered girl growing up in the South, HE changed my whole life - for good or bad- I found a kindred Spirit. Luke does a beautiful job presenting his unforgettable Soul.
What's the name of it? I would love to read it
@@CarrotFlowers421 Same.
@@CarrotFlowers421 "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People ".
Luke Kirby absolutely nails it!!
Masterful original work done by Lenny Bruce - and a well earned Emmy for Luke Kirby on his portrayal of this scene. And Rachel does a wonderful set of reactions to it all....Brilliance
Luke Kirby is incredible. One of the best portrayals in movie history.
Except it's a TV show.
Incredible. No one else could have gotten this close to Lenny Bruce than Kirby. Thanks for putting this together. You did an awesome job. Thank you.
I remember Lenny Bruce. This is stunning, Luke Kirby nailed it all..the charm, the delivery, the nuanced mannerisms. I'm in complete awe.
this is beautiful! thank you for this!
thank you so much!!
I love Luke's portrayal of Lenny but I got to say the original was better with timing and delivery. I don't always get the fifties humor but Lenny actually made me smile.
They're ever so slightly different. I think Luke is a bit more punchy in intonation than Lenny was.
@@beatm6948You can definitely see the "theater" type performance on the part of Luke.
Whereas Lenny's delivery just flows more naturally.
They're two distinct different performances with two different purposes; Lenny was a comic trying to get laughs and Luke was an actor trying to portray a charcter in a story arc. So naturally Lenny was funnier; I adored both tho.
what an intimidating task for an actor
Luke did a great job doing his impression of Lenny Bruce. I am glad he did the bit word for word. Great tribute to the original Lenny.
I didn't realize this was a word -for -word. Thank you!
They did such a good job recreating this. What a show.
Ahhhhh Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce, really sublime.
Thanks for putting that together, beautiful to see side by side. I appreciate the effort.
Wow.......such brilliant acting! Thank you for posting this!
A wonderful character, nothing like Lenny though, no kookiness, no head waggles, no side of Peewee Herman.
Yeah, I have to agree. Lacks a little of the quirkiness of Bruce.
Oh Kirby is amazing. He is spot on. I do actually hope they alter reality as far as Bruce’s death. I don’t want to lose this character and his chemistry with Midge.
I don't think they will. This show hasn't done massive time jumps between seasons or within a season, so I think we are safe, which is great because the chemistry between Lenny and Midge is beyond fantastic.
Me too, I wish he wasn’t based on a real person so that they can have a full relationship and get married, I know midge is loosely based on (I forgot her name ;-;) so I doubt it’ll fully happen, I just adore their chemistry
He already had a gf just like Midge and he doesn't go until 66. We'll get significant time with him before he's gotta go.
@@pacrat190 - Joan Rivers, I believe.
@@CarrotFlowers421 - Lotus Weinstock?
He had a number of gals and kept getting back with Honey in between.
Wow, this was incredible! Thanks for putting it together. I LOVE Luke Kirby in this role! He's so perfectly suited.
That is so cool they went word for word. My favorite show for sure!
I love this show! It's one of the funniest I’ve ever seen. And, I love how they mix in real people, like Lenny Bruce and Johnny Mathis. I can't wait for the next season! Prime Video's best show!
only they call him Shy Baldwin so they have fictionalised him to some extent
Luke Kirby is the hotter version
FANTASTIC. He nailed it!
Lenny and Luke are magnificent!!! 😃 thank you for putting this video together 🙂
Luke Kirby is excellent in this role as he was also in Rectify the series. Very understated but very talented.
THANK you for this -
Now, can we have the same comparison for the ‘Carnegie Hall’ performance plz? :)
Yes I think Luke is even better as Lenny now in the Carnegie show
I don't think Lenny's Carnegie Hall show was filmed though. We can only compare with the existing audio (which is available on UA-cam).
His speech/rant towards Midge at the end was just great acting as well.
@@BAYAREA-kd1ig He deserves another Emmy for the season 4 finale, especially for the scene at Carnegie Hall.
The pauses make his version one of a kind
They should have cast Jimmy Fallon's announcer, Steve Higgins, as Steve Allen because Higgins is the spitting image of Allen. It's especially funny with their "Tonight Show" connection.
Just as long as jimmy fallon has nothing to do with it😅
Higgins might have been a distraction tho--Steve wasn't the point in the scene.
Wow, I knew he was good but I didn't realize how spot on he was doing Lenny Bruce. Line for line. Facial expressions and hand gestures. Wow
Thank u for doing this
Thank you for this side by side! I am fascinated.
Stubby, that was great editing. Thanks!
Damn he’s perfect. Such an amazing actor, I can’t wait for season 5
I looked up ‘badass’ on Urban Dictionary, and am sorry to report that Lenny Bruce’s image has yet to replace the current definition.
Brilliant. Luke Kirby is an excellent actor in this.
Being Scottish and born in 1957,I never knew Lenny Bruce, I had heard the name towards the middle of the sixties. When The Marvelous Mrs Maisel came to our TV screens via Amazon Prime. I watched it and thought Luck Kirby utterly adorable. I just loved the guy. I went and watched Lenny Bruce and saw him perform. I was amazed by Luke Kirby's performance. That guy can act and his take off of Lenny Bruce is second to none. What an actor he is.
He NAILED IT 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 love this show!!
Wow! Thank you for that comparison. Kirby deserved to win amongst those untalented "peers" that year. Adam Sandler, maybe, but Kirby in this role on a really great comedy show--He IS Lenny Bruce! Congrats!
Luke Kirby did an amazing job for the entire run of the show. His performance made me appreciate Lenny far more.
Besides the fact that poor Lenny was like.. short-short, and Luke is like, tall-tall, he really does a great job. He doesn't say the word "dig?" as much as I thought they'd have him, but still great 👍
Even their names have a similar feel to them.
totally!
What an amazing portrayal.
Kirby really deserved that Emmy! Spot on. Maybe even ... better? Or is that sacrilegious?
Fucking uncanny. Rip Lenny.
Awesome acting Luke!!! reat to see the original xoxo
This show is sublime…..
Except for all the anachronisms, especially the incessant f-bombs that are not only completely out of place for the period (Lenny's career was ruined because he was constantly arrested for profanity, whereas Midge uses it without incident) but repetitive and wholly unnecessary.
Love that snappiness!
Great performance wow! Just missing the jitters and the more flamboyant hand jesters. And the NY accent could’ve been stronger. Other than that spot on LB impression. I bet he practiced months for this. Kudos
literally amazing
Luke Kirby does as good a Lenny Bruce as Stephen DeRosa did as Eddie Cantor in Boardwalk Empire. Amazing performance.
He did such a great job with this - and with the rest of his bits as Lenny
This is such a heart-breaking bit, too (too bad they cut it off)- Lenny dug deep
Amazing ❤
This is amazing
Did this appear on the MMM series? Not the actually Lenny Bruce but the LK and MMM version.
Did I miss it? Anyone know the season# and episode#?
It’s Season 2 Episode 10 - All Alone
So good!
Luke Kirby is so good.
Back in the earlier seasons, we used to do the comparison ourselves by going to UA-cam and finding the right clips. Kids have it so easy these days...
Thank God for Lenny, :)))
WOW.....AMAZING!
Rolling stones has him 3rd? Wasn't for him you wouldn't have 1 or 2.
I don't think Kirby quite got Bruce, comparing these. Kirby is trying to do Bruce as an Italian wiseguy, and doesn't get Bruce's Jewishness. The real Bruce has that more Jewish sensibility and vulnerability. Kirby plays him a little too butch and self-assured.
Interesting take which I seem to agree. Also, Bruce smiled more and more connected to the audience.
Butch and self-assured? not how it came accros to me at all! he seemed quite self-deprecating, in a way that went well with Midge's inherently jewish stand up as well.
Lenny Bruce has a more smooth and delightful nature when it comes to delivery. Luke did an absolutely great job in capturing that vibe, but at the end of the day he's not Lenny himself.
Right he is an actor
Yeah.. he's a different person who is acting ... can't pull the wool over your eyes...You fucking dingbat.
Love this character on Mrs. Maisel, but maybe it's a generational thing... I've never found Bruce funny at all. Strange that there are a lot of comics from that era that crack me up, but he does nothing for me. His "cutting edge" delivery and humor just leave me cold. But, on a less controversial note, this is an amazing comparison.
Wow.
Lenny Bruce is not afraid...
While the recreation / imitation is impressive, I find Kirby's well-studied application and impersonation of Bruce's mannerisms to the various fictionalized situations throughout the series to be even more impressive.
Luke is brilliant!
Is there a channel to watch the old videos of old entertainers anywhere in the web?
I think that old entertainers may get forgotten if it keeps going (the fact that it's hard to find certain videos of people)
I wonder if there are some obsessed people taking footage and uploading it. If so, thanks
It's interesting that the Dustin Hoffman Lenny movie didn't recreate this special (as far as I remember)
Luke Kirby is so good I thought Lenny Bruce was impersonating him…
Great comparison. my only comment is that when Bruce references Clyde Beatty he raises the stool to briefly suggest prison bars, whereas Kirby's take is a different angle. but how cool to invoke Allen and the very early days of late night television
It's a reference to lion tamers keeping a lion at bay with a stool, not prison bars.
@@yournamehere6002 thanks. sorry, was thinking of Clyde Barrow 😮
Wow!
Nailed It!
Steve Allen: genius, inventor and first host of the Tonight Show (and hence basically all night time talk/variety shows), great comedian and musician, and prolific composer and book author. Lettermann basically stole Steve's Act for "Late Night" (and has admitted to that). Just sayin'
It’s good but Luke is a little slower than Lenny in his movements; Lenny is more skittish and quicker with his body movements. If you put Luke on x1.25 speed it’s a better fit.
Lenny seemed looser, more relaxed. The concentration level to even get close….. quite something.
They should’ve had MSNBC’s Chris Hayes play Steve Allen
The real LB is just a bit nebbish. Like just a bit Woody Allen. Luke is way too manly.
I feel like I'm watching Lenny......greaT FUCKING ACTING JOB
Super actor
Was a great movie
If I could only find a girl that looks at me the way Midge looks at Lenny @ 4:49 ... I wouldn't be ... All alone ...
Lenny wins
Need more of luke kirby acting.
Luke is great but he needs to add 2 percent Pee Wee Herman to his gestures... then he'll have Lenny down 100%.
Luke Kirby does Lenny Bruce better than Lenny Bruce. He couldn't quite get the little head shake Bruce would do.
Is it weird that I think Luke Kirby is a better Lenny Bruce than Lenny Bruce?
What was funny about Lenny Bruce?
I like Kirby better than the real Lenny. I saw Lenny on TV when I was young. He had this nervous head shake that I found annoying. Kirby didn't copy that thank goodness.
Great performance overall, but he’s not as animated as Lenny
i think so too ! Luke Kirby got Lenny’s swag perfectly but not that comedic spark.. tbh i don’t think even the best actor could replicate something like that, i mean, imagine a robin williams biopic ? no way in hell could anyone even come close
@@carols.8103 💯 agree!
Comic Genious Who took the Firsr Huge Step for First Amendment Rights, Luke Kirby dies a Great job as Lenny.