Ilana Glazer: "There’s no way these techno-fascists can really take the human spirit down"

“As a parent,” Ilana Glazer begins, “I’m feeling so human, that I feel like a dog.”

“I’m always sniffing shit, I’m always tasting things to check it out,” she elaborates. “If I had been able to socially-acceptably sniff balls in my 20s, I actually could have saved a lot of time, not spending a whole night with someone…”

It’s part of a bit the comedian and actor (who uses they/she pronouns) is currently working on for their stand-up show, they tell me. They’re speaking from their home in Brooklyn during a break in their current Ilana Glazer Live! tour – which will take them to stages across Ireland and the UK for the very first time next month.

In conversation, she embodies the warm, laidback spirit of the character, also named Ilana, that she famously played and co-created on Broad City – a web series that ultimately grew into one of the most celebrated TV comedies of the 2010s, through its joyfully wild depiction of millennial life and friendship.

Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer in Broad City

But there’s a deep, engaged sincerity to 2026’s Ilana too – and while the idea of “feeling so human” may be part of a comedy bit, it’s also carrying into all aspects of their life right now, not only as the mother of a four-year-old, but across their ever-expanding work in stand-up, podcasting, acting and advocacy.

“I really, really value humanity,” Ilana reflects. “It sounds so stupid to say. But we are in this anti-human, techno-fascist moment in the United States. And the United States feeds so much of global culture that I feel like it’s urgent to start having international conversations between real people in this way.

“Which is partly why I’m so excited – and now more excited than nervous – to do these shows.”

That excitement is palpable, even over a transatlantic Zoom call.

“My mom worked, but didn’t have a career, and I think that’s just constantly in me – not only do I get to have a career, as a mom, but it’s so fun.

“I can’t believe I’m going to perform for the Irish!” Ilana adds, laughing. “And in Europe. I’m just like, ‘This is fucking lit, and crazy.’ I’m actually really excited to perform for an Irish audience, and see what the crowd is like, because I grew up around Irish Americans – who have opposite politics of the Irish Irish…”

She already received a whistle-stop lesson on all things Ireland from fellow stand-up Joanne McNally, who featured as a guest on her podcast, It’s Open With Ilana Glazer, back in March.

“She was so spectacular,” Ilana enthuses. “She really was such an infectious person, and a really strong woman. But I was like, ‘Is this a typical Irish lass?’”

Close enough.

“Okay, incredible. I guess you are all really fun and smart!”

Other guests on the podcast have included her Broad City co-star Abbi Jacobson (“It was so fun to just crack up together. It was so sweet, so delicious. I loved it!”) – as well as prominent activists and political figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“AOC is a hero of mine,” Ilana nods. “She was really my dream guest – so now I’m like, ‘Okay, I have to start dreaming again...’ She’s been leading this progressive movement in the United States, and starting to draw the line between establishment Democrats and progressive fighters.”

Those socio-political conversations on the podcast have been increasingly shaping Ilana’s comedy.

“My stand-up is about this moment of fascism that I, as an American, am stuck in – and yet how humanity goes on,” she says. “And I’m finding in these conversations on It’s Open With Ilana Glazer – and in the live stand-up – that people are connecting over this. Not like it’s some radical shit I’m saying, but like, ‘Duh!’ People are laughing at it and then they’re seeing beyond it.

“There’s no way these techno-fascists can really take the human spirit down. No fascist system can permanently take away human magic.”

Human Magic also happens to be the name of Ilana’s latest comedy special, released on Hulu in 2024.

“The name has actually come up for me more, as more pertinent, since I’ve started the podcast,” she resumes. “I have this container to articulate things – so I’m finding the meaning of my whole body of work reverberate within me.”

Ilana has described her work as “values-based” more than political – and that extends to her strong stance against genocide in Gaza. Earlier this year, she contributed to the ‘Let Me Carry Your Voice’ series, in collaboration with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese – reading out testimonies from Palestinians about the conditions they’re living through. She was also among the signees of the Film Workers for Palestine boycott pledge, in addition to other high-profile open letters.

“It’s not ironic to me, but I suppose it’s ironic in the geopolitical narrative, that, to me, my Jewish values are why I seek truth, and why I seek to connect with people over a shared reality – and laugh about it, as a way to advance beyond the moment I’m in,” they reflect. “I also really appreciate the Irish culture standing up for Palestinian dignity and humanity in this moment. I align with those values.

“In the United States, the cultures that we have available to us are either like white nationalism, or your own family’s culture,” they continue. “I’m fortunate to come from true progressive Jews – thoughtful people who like to laugh, and listen to music. And that was what shaped me. I’ve always had a strong sense of just loving people.”

While Ilana finds that “reality keeps changing,” they note that “Israel’s genocide on Palestine is not a reality that’s changing fast enough.”

“It’s just so horrifying. And again, it’s not even political, what we’re talking about with Palestine. It’s killing people. It’s like, ‘You’re doing this, because of politics? That’s crazy.’”

Her “values-based” focus has also shaped her approach to her podcast – particularly in a world where divisive right-wing viewpoints appear to dominate the video-podcasting landscape.

“A lot of comedians have failed at comedy, and they’ve turned to alt-right hate-mongering as a vehicle to make money – and that’s very transparent to most people with good sense,” Ilana points out. “I’m fortunate enough to have had a great comedy career so far, and to enter this video-podcast space with authenticity – and to create conversations that I don’t think are being had elsewhere.

“People who would consider themselves progressive or liberal are having conversations that are more about daily minutiae – which I totally get and enjoy also. But I’m just interested in creating a shared reality about the fascism we’re in, and building a path of human rights, brick by brick, to walk out of this – and toward a world that was better than the one before this all went down.”

While she describes herself as “a pretty anxious person”, it’s clear that Ilana is also guided by a genuine sense of hope.

“I really believe that the majority of people have good enough sense,” they claim. “I see this in young people. They know that we live in a white supremacist, misogynist, colonial structure – stuff that it took me years and years of experience and pointed learning to understand. They know that they deserve healthcare, that they shouldn’t get into an accident and then go bankrupt.

“They know that they deserve healthy relationships and real jobs, and to be paid, and not to be worked into the ground. They’re so smart today and ahead of the game – ironically, because of technology, and communication being shared so fast.

“Young people deserve to be free and wild and making mistakes, but the whole world has taken a big fucking ‘L’ for their entire 20s. So I’m sad, but I also have hope that we’re going to right this ship in the future. It’s going to be a lifelong fight. And this happening in their 20s is going to plant in them, on a cellular level, that the change needs to be made and practised for the rest of our lives together.”

Ilana felt a similar sense of purpose when they made their Broadway debut last year, appearing in Good Night, and Good Luck alongside George Clooney. Based on the 2005 film of the same name, the production delved into journalism in the age of McCarthyism – while also linking such events to the present moment, by featuring clips of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, and Elon Musk’s infamous salute.

Glazer in Good Night, and Good Luck. Credit: Emilio Madrid

“That happened really organically,” Ilana says of the play. “I just did this table read, and it all worked. I knew what it was about – I wouldn’t have done it if it was a meaningless work. Neither would George and Grant [Heslov].

“But it was, first, creatively fulfilling, and then, it became like a duty,” she continues. “Night after night, it felt more like a spiritual practice – to show people how we got here, and what’s happening now. I was so privileged to be a part of that.”

Clearly, almost two decades into her career, Ilana isn’t afraid to keep expanding the boundaries of her artistry.

“I’m 39, in my 40th year, and I feel like I’m really stepping into a different kind of power right now,” they tell me. “I don’t feel like I have to apologise for being young, or being a comedian – like, ‘Oh it’s silly, so you don’t have to take this seriously. It’s just comedy.’

“I don’t feel like I’m just this or just that. I’m really stepping into a new feeling about all these things I’ve always been. I’m feeling ready to expand in a way that I’ve wanted to for a long time but haven’t been ready for.”

Becoming a parent has no doubt been a crucial part of that journey – with Ilana revealing in 2024 that being pregnant helped them come to terms with both their masculinity and their femininity, and ultimately realise they’re non-binary. Family remains a key source of inspiration, they tell me.

“I just wrapped a project in Manchester, and my husband and my daughter came with me,” Ilana remarks. “They were gallivanting in love around Manchester while I was filming – and I felt like I was a rocket being fuelled up, and then ready to go off and do creative work every day. So a healthy home life is what fuels me right now.

“I have work I’m organising for the midterms – pro-democracy work,” they add. “But as long as my home is healthy, then I feel really limitless.”

• Ilana Glazer plays The Limelight 1, Belfast (July 9) and Vicar Street, Dublin (18). Her video podcast, It’s Open with Ilana Glazer, is released every Thursday on YouTube, with audio-only also available on podcasting platforms.