In case you didn’t already know, the Will and Grace Holywood actor Sean Hayes is a self-proclaimed hypochondriac. After acknowledging this fact about himself, he decided to combine medicine and comedy in the form of a podcast that he co-hosts with Dr. Priyanka Wali.

The podcast episodes consist of Dr. Wali answering Sean’s medical questions, breaking down complex topics, debunking trends and medical theories, and sharing medical stories and advice. The two are often joined by celebrity guests who share interesting medical stories and experiences of their own. 

The Hypochondriactor is a great podcast for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of health while being entertained. Episodes offer the perfect balance of comedy and educational content, making it an easy listen. 

Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the HypochondriActor podcast.

Who Are The Hosts of The HypochondriActor Podcast?

Let’s first start with Dr. Priyanka Wali, whom Refinery29 named in their famous roundup of 50 female stand-up comedians. 

Wali is a famous stand-up comic who has traveled the United States and internationally, performing her gigs at various different venues such as comedy clubs, casinos, and even corporate events. She’s also a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine.

She’s been featured in a long list of media outlets such as Cosmopolitan, Business Insider, and Healthline. 

Nowadays, Priyanka co-hosts the HypochondriActor podcast alongside Sean Hayes, where she delivers a healthy dose of the best type of medicine – laughter. 

American actor, producer, and comedian, Sean Patrick Hayes was born in June 1970. He rose to fame thanks to his role as Jack McFarland on the hit TV show Will & Grace for which he went on to win an Emmy Award. He also won the Screen Actors Guild Awards on four separate occasions and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award six times.

Nowadays, Sean focuses on running his TV production company Hazy Mills Productions, which produces a wide variety of shows including The Soul Man, Hollywood Game Night, Hot in Cleveland, as well as the HypochondriActor podcast.

Topics and Themes of the Podcast 

Dr. Priyanka Wali is a practicing Internal Medicine physician at the same time as being a stand-up comedian. Sean, on the other hand, isn’t a doctor, nor has he ever taken on a role where he’s played a doctor on screen. Yet he has a keen interest in medical advice and stories. 

In the episodes, Dr. Wali and Sean are joined by a celebrity guest with interesting and unbelievable medical stories. Some episodes also consist of the two hosts playing games and quizzing each other on medical history, effortlessly marrying medicine and comedy. 

Sean Hayes may not be America’s first hypochondriac, but he is America’s first self-proclaimed HypochondriActor.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Hilarie Burton – Amnesia

In this recent episode of the HypochondriActor podcast, true crime content creator Hilarie Burton joins the hosts to share her curiosity surrounding amnesia. 

Sean also shares information with Dr. Wali about the Illinois State University scholarship fund and reminisces about the time he met one of the lucky recipients.  

Randall Park – Bell’s Palsy

In this episode, the hosts are joined by Randall Park. 

Park discusses his debut as a director, what it’s like to fall in love, and recounts his experience with Bell’s Palsy. 

Priyanka and Sean also discuss their lack of understanding when it comes to using TikTok. 

Deepak Chopra – Practicing Medicine

In this episode, the hosts are joined by award-winning author Deepak Chopra who takes the opportunity to discuss his success with using plant-based and alternative medicines, while at the same time introducing his new book. 

Dr. Wali and Sean also discuss all the books they’re interested in reading and what prior reads have caught their attention. 

Other notable mentions:

• When Alec Baldwin joined the hosts he dove into a discussion about ticks and how these pests are linked to Lyme Disease. 
• Joel McHale shared his personal experience with concussions, dyslexia, and memory loss. 
• In another popular episode, Miranda Cosgrove recounts how she found a puncture in her leg after ankle surgery – something that has always confused her.  
• Broadway star Eric McCormack shared his past experience overusing nasal spray. 
• Lastly, in an episode featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta the topic of emergency brain surgery arises, while Gupta also goes on to discuss how he tries to balance his work as a public figure, podcast host, and tv host while also practicing medicine. In this same episode, Dr. Wali shares an interesting correlation between lung transplants and peanut allergies.

Platforms for Listening and Reach

The HypochondriActor podcast has millions of listeners that tune in weekly. Each episode normally lasts 45 minutes or so, and these can be found on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, and SimpleCast. 

Previous celebrity guests include Tig Notaro, Kevin Nealon, Chris Colfer, Jim Jeffries, and Jimmy Kimmel, to name a few. 

Conclusion

Whether you’re a hypochondriac or not, Sean and Dr. Wali’s podcast offers an extremely interesting premise that will definitely have you laughing uncontrollably at some of the stories they share. Their ability to pair medical information with a lighter tone and comedy is what makes this show appealing to a wider audience. 

The two hosts do a really good job at removing the stigma associated with sharing personal medical stories, at the same time as the taboo of asking questions. 

If you’re looking for a light-hearted show that will deliver a healthy dose of comedy then HypochondriActor might be exactly what you’ve been searching for.

You can check out the HypochondriActor Podcast on the following platforms:

• Apple Music
• Spotify
• SimpleCast
• Audible