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Frank King

Frank King

Frank King, "The Mental Health Comedian," is a suicide prevention speaker and trainer and former The Tonight Show with Jay Leno comedy writer who has delivered 13 TEDx Talks on mental health.

Sep 16, 2026

1:49
If you could explain more about it and how you heard it and what that did to your life.
1:54
Yes.
1:54
Well, in fourth grade at nine years old, I told a joke and the kids laughed.
1:58
The teacher was hysterical.
1:59
She actually was laughing so hard.
2:00
She excused herself to go to the teacher's lounge.
2:03
Years later, I saw her at the grocery store.
4:49
You work for some pretty impressive people.
7:41
... a little bit about that?
7:42
It's in my DNA, actually.
7:44
Um, yeah, that's like l- like comedy.
7:47
I, I...
7:47
Somebody said to me, "Tell me about yourself." I said, "I'm a comedian." They said, "No, not what you do, who you are." I said, "Well, at the risk of being redundant, every fiber of my being is a comedian." People ask, they're, you know, "Were you born funny?" Yes, as a matter of fact, an amusing thing happened on the way down the birth canal.
8:03
Um, but depression and suicide run in my family.
8:07
Depression and suicide.

5 MINS LATER

13:29
Hmm.
10:47
two other things
10:48
When I do it, I say, well, people always ask me, how do you know if somebody's depressed? And this is not an exhaustive list.
10:53
Just my top three or four.
10:54
Um, they eat too much.
10:56
Can't eat, sleep too much or can't sleep.
10:59
They have trouble getting out of bed in the morning.
11:00
So they're often late for worker class.

24 MINS LATER

34:49
Yes.

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