John Mulaney had planned a memorable day for his toddler at Elvis Presley’s house, but he faced a difficult moment he did not see coming. During his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Mulaney said his 4-year-old son Malcolm, whom he shares with wife Olivia Munn, joined him in Memphis while he worked. But right in the middle of the tour, Malcolm asked to meet Presley — a wish his dad could not fulfil.
John Mulaney shares how he navigated Elvis Presley’s death topic with his toddler
The actor explained that his son comes along on tour and understands show-related tasks as part of “work,” even down to wardrobe and snacks. So while in town, John Mulaney performed on a stage at Graceland and brought his toddler, a self-described Elvis Presley fan, for a private tour around sunset, thinking it would be a good surprise. But Malcolm wanted access to everything, including the roof, calling it one of the “special spots” his guide had promised him.
Still, the bigger surprise was in the famous jungle room. Mulaney told Colbert his son looked around and asked, “Dad, can I meet Elvis now?”
Mulaney admitted he had never prepared Malcolm for that question, quipping, “It had never come up while listening to ‘Hound Dog,’” so he first tried a simple answer — “No, you can’t.” However, Malcolm kept asking. And that is when Mulaney realized his son did not understand what death meant.
Mulaney joked, “Then I realized all his grandparents are alive and he’s never had a goldfish,” adding, “He doesn’t know. Like, he doesn’t know. And he’s about to find out in the jungle room at Graceland that everybody dies.”
The comedian said he gently explained, “I said, ‘Elvis is in heaven now.’” When Malcolm asked why, Mulaney answered, “Well, sometimes when people are in their early 40s, and they have a job and schedule a lot like daddy, and some of the same issues as daddy, they go to the bathroom and they go to heaven.”
The story got laughs, but it also showed how kids can ask big questions at the worst times. Mulaney, for his part, just gave his son an answer he could handle and got through Graceland one room at a time.
Originally reported by Ishika Mishra on Momtastic.
