According to Louis C.K., none of his producers wanted to make this episode because they felt that the script was too depressing.
According to C.K., he was extremely exhausted during the shooting of this episode and could not remember his lines. But Doug Stanhope was so prepared and focused that he helped C.K. get through the episode. C.K. originally believed that he would have to help Stanhope due to Stanhope's lack of acting experience.
According to Stanhope, C.K. asked him to be in the episode despite his lack of acting. C.K. sent him the script and they rehearsed their lines via Skype. C.K. said he would tell Stanhope if he got the part once he made a decision. Several weeks went by with no phone call, and Stanhope had a Howard Stern interview coming up and he believed C.K. decided not to cast him. He planned to insert all of his lines verbatim into the interview so it would seem like C.K. stole the conversation and wrote it into the script with another actor as Eddie. Before the Stern interview, C.K. called Stanhope back, apologizing for being busy and told him he got the part.
According to Doug Stanhope, after the episode was aired Robin Williams sent an email to Louie that he forward to Stanhope so he could read a compliment saying that this episode was the most powerful dialog he has ever seen on the subject of suicide. The episode was broadcast on 11 August 2011. Robin Williams died of suicide on 11 August 2014.