Actor Charlie Day illustrated a basic tenet for most comedians while promoting his newest film, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”: When someone offers the perfect setup for a joke, you take it.
And ― spoiler alert — this one was dark.
Day provides the voice of Italian plumber Luigi in the film series and was asked about his favorite Luigi during an interview posted Wednesday by the “Tintoria” podcast.
“I have a question for you, Charlie — you play Luigi, a great Italian guy,” the interviewer began. “Who’s your favorite Luigi in recent American history?”
Day didn’t expect the question, but obliged the interviewer.
“In recent American history?!” Day asked with laughter, seeming to understand the subtext of the question.
His first response was a shameless movie plug, sure to please executives at Nintendo, the owner of the Super Mario Bros. gaming franchise, and Universal Pictures, the film’s distributor.
“Ah, well, me, first of all. Number one,” he answered.
But, as mentioned above, sometimes comedians have to take the bait ― no matter how dark — and Day’s next response was a doozy.
“Luigi Mangione, number two,” he said, referring to the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York sidewalk in December 2024.
You can see Day’s response in the clip below.
Although referencing a man accused of murder during a podcast intended to promote a family-friendly film is a bold move, Day is not the first one to connect the video game plumber with Mangione.
After Mangione was arrested in December 2024, people flooded the internet with memes connecting the two Luigis.
For instance, after a court appearance that month, Mangione was surrounded by reporters, photographers and lookie-loos, one of whom yelled, “Hey, Luigi! It’s-a-me, Mario!” — a popular catchphrase from the game.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is being tried in state and federal courts for Thompson’s killing. The New York state trial is set to start in June, while the federal trial is set for September.
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