Cue the Rockwell: Jerrod Carmichael always feels like somebody's watching him. And that's one of the reasons he made the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.

"I grew up Christian, and God is seeing all that I'm doing. I don't know if you're like this, but I'm, like, rehearsing conversations in my house, going over things all the time [as though] I'm being watched and graded by God," says the Emmy-winning comedian, speaking with Entertainment Weekly's The Awardist podcast. "Part of the reason I wanted to do the show was because I realized that when I was alone in my apartment, I would, like, do outfit changes. For who? For who? Who am I changing clothes for? Why does this shirt have to match these pants if I'm alone? I'm alone at home and I'm doing wardrobe changes."

HBO

The realization that he was "almost performing for myself and for God" led to the creation of Reality Show, in which Carmichael chronicles his efforts to "live more truthfully" after coming out in his 2022 comedy special, Rothaniel. "It mirrors my experience in life," says the 37-year-old comedian of having a camera crew follow him around. "It's like going to party. If you go to party, it takes a while — I'm pacing around, I'm getting ready for the thing. I'm, like, going into what shouldn't be a performance but is. It's like going to a show. Sometimes leaving the house is like going to a show — at least that's how it felt."

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To hear more from Carmichael — including how he felt about the backlash to his "slave" joke, where his relationship with his parents stands now, and whether he'd do another season of Reality Show — listen to the full interview below.