Josh Gad’s description of his experience with The Book of Mormon director Casey Nicholaw as “sometimes very unpleasant” comes from Gad’s retrospective account of the show’s transition to Broadway. Gad also praised Nicholaw as “brilliant and amazing,” acknowledged that directing was Nicholaw’s job, and reflected on his own defensiveness and cockiness. The remarks are Gad’s account, not an independently verified finding about their working relationship.
Who was the director Gad called “unpleasant”?
Gad was referring to Casey Nicholaw, who joined The Book of Mormon after Jason Moore left the project, according to Gad. In an interview transcript for Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Gad said Moore had workshopped the show with the company for three years before departing. Nicholaw entered as the production was moving toward Broadway, with the show due to arrive within a couple of months, Gad recalled. Read the interview transcript.
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What did Gad say about their disagreements?
Gad said he was guarded because of a difficult earlier directing experience on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He believed Nicholaw wanted to control his choices onstage, while Gad was “basically doing whatever the fuck I wanted on that stage.” He described the clash this way: “For right or wrong, it was his job, and I respect that, but we definitely butted heads. It was sometimes very unpleasant.”
That quote characterizes Gad’s own experience and interpretation. It does not establish Nicholaw’s account of the disagreements or provide an independent assessment of what happened in rehearsal.
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How did Gad describe Nicholaw and his own role?
Gad did not present the conflict as a simple indictment of the director. In the same interview, he called Nicholaw “brilliant and amazing” and recognized that staging and directing choices fell within Nicholaw’s role. Gad also said he and co-star Andrew Rannells sometimes clashed amid the pressure of carrying a successful show and competing during Tony season.
Looking back, Gad described himself as “a cocky fucking guy” and said his cockiness was partly a defense mechanism. He said the experience taught him resilience, while also wishing he had appreciated the production more as it was happening. His reflection places the tension in the context of a demanding Broadway transition and his own behavior, rather than assigning responsibility to Nicholaw alone.
Where does the story appear?
The recollection is associated with Gad’s memoir, In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some. Publishers Weekly describes the book as a memoir-in-essays about his acting career and personal life; its listing identifies Gallery as publisher and includes print and audio editions. The print edition is listed at 272 pages with ISBN 978-1-6680-5052-1. See the Publishers Weekly book listing and review.
Publishers Weekly published its review on October 25, 2024. Us Weekly’s January 19, 2025 coverage of a separate story from the book fits the memoir’s January 2025 release period, but does not independently substantiate Gad’s comments about Nicholaw. Read Us Weekly’s coverage of the other memoir anecdote.
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How does the account fit the show’s history?
Gad and Rannells were original cast members of The Book of Mormon. NPR’s Fresh Air anniversary interview, carried by North Country Public Radio, discusses the musical’s 15th Broadway anniversary and offers broader cast and production context; it is separate from Gad’s account of his relationship with Nicholaw. Read the anniversary interview.
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