Eric André reflects on John Cena injury, Emmy nods, and the wild world of "The Eric Andre Show"

For Eric André, getting injured is just another part of the job. The 41-year-old comedian has sustained numerous injuries over the course of six seasons on The Eric Andre Show, the surreal and unpredictable Adult Swim comedy that has earned him a cult following.

"It's pretty common," André tells PEOPLE, recalling a particularly intense moment during a season 5 episode when WWE star John Cena hurled him through a shelf. "I got through the shelf okay, but we forgot to sandbag the shelf—the frame of the shelf—so the metal frame tipped over and knocked me in the head. I got a concussion and went to the hospital."

Another memorable incident happened during a prank in Brooklyn, where André accidentally thrust his hand through a window. "I was trying to hammer the window, but my whole hands went through," he explains. "It sliced me up, and I had to get stitches. I had to go to the hospital for that."

Despite these setbacks, André’s daring approach to comedy is a key part of what makes The Eric Andre Show one of the wildest and most entertaining shows on television. The show, which satirizes the classic talk show format, has featured a wide array of celebrity guests, from Jon Hamm to Jimmy Kimmel. André’s outrageous pranks often leave his guests—who have "no idea what they’re getting into"—in genuine shock.

“Even if they did thorough research, they watch every episode, they're super fans, once you sit in that chair, and explosives are being detonated, and flying African hissing cockroaches are coming out of my coffee mug? It doesn't matter how prepared you are,” he says. “We've gotten it to the point where it doesn't matter how prepared you are. Once the torture begins, everybody's going to react in a genuine way. We don't ever want people playing along.”

André's unique brand of comedy has earned him two Emmy nominations this year: one for Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and another for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series. “We've been doing the show for over 10 years, so to even just get the acknowledgment of the nomination [is amazing],” he says. “But I get a little superstitious about this stuff. I’ll celebrate if I get one of those trophies in my hand.”

Whether or not André takes home an Emmy on September 15, he remains ambitious about the future of the show. He dreams of one day hosting Ghislaine Maxwell as a guest, joking, “She’s got stories to tell, man.” He also aspires to film an entire episode underwater, describing the idea as “majestic and surreal.”

Off-screen, André's life is surprisingly different from his frenetic on-stage persona. He prioritizes his mental health through daily exercise, journaling, and therapy “multiple times” a week. He’s also passionate about interior design, maintaining a neat and orderly home despite what fans might expect.

“I think people just think I’m nuts,” he admits. “People come over to my apartment, and they expect a junk pile, but I’m a total neat freak.”

While André enjoys his wild and chaotic work, he’s also committed to addressing serious issues. On August 20, he shared a video on Instagram discussing a troubling experience at Melbourne Airport in Australia, where he was racially profiled. He called for a security escort through the airport and asked his followers for leads on discrimination lawyers, stating, “I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so that I’m treated like a first-class citizen. I shouldn’t be made to feel that I am unaccepted by entering a country.”