Big Mouth season 8 has brought the raunchy Netflix animated series to its conclusion, ending a story that began all the way back in 2017. The show has consistently pushed the boundaries of taste (in the best ways) since it began, diving into the nitty-gritty of puberty with comedic exaggeration that still has plenty of honesty. Season 8 is no exception, even as it brings the show to an emotional end.

To the benefit of the series, the Big Mouth season 8 cast and creatives are largely the same as those who began the series. Nick Kroll, Jessi Klein, John Mulaney, Jason Mantzoukas, and Ayo Edebiri (who has been a part of the series since season 4) all returned to voice their respective characters, as did Joe Wengert and John Gemberling. Behind the scenes, co-creators Andrew Goldberg, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin have stayed involved throughout.

ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan attended the Big Mouth season 8 red carpet in Los Angeles, and spoke with the stars and creators of the series. Cossan talked Big Mouth with Andrew Goldberg, Joe Wengert, Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett, Nick Kroll, and John Gemberling.

Big Mouth Creators Reflect On The Series’ Success

“We Did Not Expect To Be The Longest-Running Show On Netflix”

In attendance at the Big Mouth season 8 red carpet were show creators Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett, who took a moment to appreciate the journey they had with the show. “We did not expect to be the longest-running show on Netflix when we showed up,” Mark Levin said, adding, “We just wanted to make something that we could be proud of and that we could love. And to see so many other people who really hungered for the story of puberty to be told–we did not realize what a jugular we were hitting with this topic.”

What Big Mouth’s crass but emotionally honest portrayal of puberty allowed the filmmakers to do was often a surprise even to them. When asked what moments they were shocked to get on TV, Levin and Flackett had quick answers. “In the first season, there’s a moment with Garrison Keillor’s severed head that is untoward, and I can’t believe they let us do it,” said Flackett, who continued, “That was really the moment where I realized, ‘This is our playground. Netflix is really going to let us do whatever we want.’”

“Getting Hugh Jackman to play the Hugh Jackman penis was a milestone for us,” Mark Levin shared. “We worked with a lot of stars on the show, but to get Hugh to agree to play a penis shaped like Hugh Jackman was a milestone for us.”

Co-creator Andrew Goldberg had an answer as well. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the first time we watched the animatic of the very first episode,” he shared, “and I always watch it the first time with the staff. I want to see it fresh. The only time we watched it ahead of time, the night before, was the very first time. I watching it, and about five minutes in, Maury, the hormone monster, [convinces] a young me to masturbate while his friend is asleep in the next bed.”

“I sitting there thinking, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this on TV. I don’t know if anybody’s going to want to see it, but it’s definitely new.’”

Goldberg also weighed in on what he believed led to the success of the show. “I’m proud of the frankness that we’ve talked about puberty and sexuality with,” he said. He continued: “We learned this when we were doing stories about the Shame Wizard, that when you don’t talk about something, the assumption is that it’s shameful and that there’s something wrong with you and it. But, when you do actually talk about it, you find that a lot of people, more or less, have had a very similar experience. You’re not alone, and you feel less bad about it.”

Big Mouth Cast On Camaraderie & An 8-Season Run

“When We Started Working On It … My Life Was Completely Different”

Big Mouth season 8, in some ways, is a celebration of all the seasons that led up to it, which means the return of certain cast who hadn’t been present in a while. One such cast member is John Gemberling, an actor known for his work on projects like Broad City, who reprised his role as Tyler the hormone monster. “I was in it a lot in the second season,” Gemberling said, “and then I was in the spinoff show, but I kind of tapered out on this show, so I’m just happy to be back in any capacity.”

“A lot of people might feel sad, but I just feel happy to be here.”

Joe Wengert, who played Caleb and Lump Humpman across multiple seasons of the show, called the experience of celebrating the final season “very surreal.” “Animation takes a long time,” he said, “and when we started working on it, it was so long ago. My life was completely different. I’m a father now, so I look back at a lot of the things we did… part of me is like, ‘It’s nice that my daughter will be able to watch this show,’ and there’s part of me that’s like, ‘God, I hope she never watches this show.’”

“This show features me playing Santa Claus and having sex with Mrs. Claus. I don’t want her to see that.”

Nick Kroll took a moment to discuss his longtime friendship with John Mulaney–specifically, their successful t awards show monologues at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. “It was so fun to do, and we really enjoyed doing it,” he said. “It’s a really hard thing to do, and it was really fun to do with him. I’m very proud of those.” When asked when the duo might be seen at another award show, Kroll said, “Maybe if they bring back the Guys Choice Awards… maybe Mulaney and I will reunite for Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards. I miss those.”

John Gemberling Explains How He Became A Star Wars Alien

Gemberling Plays “Greasy Creature” In Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

John Gemberling also took a moment to share his experience with the Star Wars universe. The actor did voice work for The Goonies-esque Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, playing a character known only as “Greasy Creature.” “Fun fact about Greasy Creature,” he said, “Not greasy. Just an exoskeleton. Just a dry plate, from what I can tell.”

Gemberling revealed how he got the role: “Jon Watts and Chris Ford were the creators of that show, and I know them from back in making short films in Bushwick days. We used to do short films together and stuff, and they hired me and my other friend and performing buddy, Anthony Atamanuik, to come be the rat at the bar and the greasy creature. They recorded our voices, and then those were, like, animatronic heads that were synced to the recordings. So we weren’t there when they shot it, but we recorded the voices, and it was very gratifying.”

Big Mouth season 8 is out now on Netflix.