Josh Groban Says Funny Side Allowed Him to Show Human Being Behind Persona

Josh Groban features on the cover of the October/November issue of Reader’s Digest, marking the first time a celebrity has appeared on the cover of the 104-year-old magazine in more than a decade. The issue releases on Friday.

Groban spoke with editor-in-chief Leigh Belz Ray for the issue, discussing how his various comedy appearances on programs like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, Glee, American Dad!, and the 98th Oscars have grounded his public image. He was initially cautioned that the comedic turns might confuse fans of his contemporary classical music.

“I was advised for sure to not blow the brand,” Groban said in the interview. “But it allowed me to show that there was a human being behind this persona. A lot of the press I got was so serious and so much like, ‘We’re putting this opera child on a pedestal.’ Comedy was my way to get back on my feet, back on the ground.”

He added that self-deprecating humor helped him deal with internal pressures and connect with creative people. “It was a way for me to machete through my own demons, put a pie in my own face,” he told Belz Ray. “And also to be around some of the funniest, smartest people that I’ve ever met. The rhythm of a great song is the same as finding the rhythm that makes somebody laugh.”

Groban identified his Broadway debut in 2016 as the best decision he ever made. His leading role as Pierre in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 brought his childhood dream to life and earned him his first of two Tony Award nominations for best actor in a musical.

“Revisiting a dream that I’d had since I was a kid, knowing full well that it could go sideways and the critics and audiences could say ‘Go back to your home,’” Groban said regarding the pivotal career choice.

The 45-year-old singer added a second choice to that list, stating, “And proposing.” Groban announced his engagement to actress Natalie McQueen in April.

The last celebrity to front Reader’s Digest was Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts in June 2013. The publication transitioned to full-bleed photography covers in 1998, featuring stars like Robin Williams, Jewel, and Meryl Streep in 1999 before shifting to smaller upper-right headshots for musicians such as Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Paul McCartney, and Kelly Clarkson around 2001. That format ended in 2008.

Belz Ray explained the reasoning behind selecting Groban: “In a moment when people are hungry for genuine connection with real people, Reader’s Digest is focused on bringing our readers honest conversations (be it with artists, writers, thought leaders or everyday heroes in our own communities). Josh Groban is someone who has been a part of culture for decades and is a point of connection across different generations of our audience – we couldn’t have found a better person to exemplify the evolution of our brand!”

Reader’s Digest was founded in 1922, while Billboard dates to 1894.

An exclusive video from the interview with Groban is available at the Reader’s Digest’s page on YouTube.