What happens when a house is not a home? It's the question pulsating at the heart of the new film, Sentimental Value, and one that actor Renate Reinsve reckons with in the lead role of Nora. We discuss her process connecting the ‘puzzle’ of each character (7:00), how she balances dark and light themes in this new film (8:20), and her creative childhood in Norway (12:00). Then, Renate describes how David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive impacted her as a young performer (20:20), her liberating teen years in Edinburgh (22:00), and how her longtime collaboration with writer-director Joachim Trier came to be—beginning with her supporting role in Oslo, August 31st (25:00). On the back-half, she reflects on her early years in the theatre (36:20), how she recalibrated herself from stage to screen (39:15), and her spiritual tribute to the late Diane Keaton in The Worst Person in the World (42:53). To close, we talk about the final day on the set of Sentimental Value (49:40), her desires for the years ahead (55:00), and what it meant to bring her family to the film’s premiere at Cannes (58:39). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Following the success of The Worst Person in the World, writer-director Joachim Trier returns this fall with a candid family story in Sentimental Value. We begin with the guiding words from writer Philip Roth (7:20), how Trier arrived at this intimate new film (8:40), and why he was drawn to father-daughter dynamics (his own, and others) in making this new project (10:00). Then, we talk about Joachim’s early observations growing up in Norway (25:00), why he prefers to be present with performers on set, rather than watching from a far-off monitor (32:00), and how he parlayed skating into his early work as a filmmaker (35:00). On the back-half, Trier reflects on meeting longtime collaborator, screenwriter and director Eskil Vogt (37:00), the essayistic qualities of his sophomore film, Oslo, August 31st (40:00), and how that style fully solidified in Louder Than Bombs and The Worst Person in the World (42:00). To close, we revisit a recurring monologue in Sentimental Value (48:00), his last day on set with actor Renate Reinsve (50:00), and how director Martin Scorsese has inspired Trier to continue ‘stirring the sauce’ (56:00). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% Off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarch.com/talkeasy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Filmmaker Noah Baumbach has spent the past three decades transmuting his experiences into cinema, culminating in his latest film, Jay Kelly, his love letter to movies (and the memories they evoke). We begin with the “quiet crisis” Baumbach found himself in on the heels of releasing White Noise (5:30), finding his way back to the page, with co-writer Emily Mortimer, to create Jay Kelly for George Clooney (10:20), the films that defined his early years (15:00), and the week that Mike Nichols’ production of Heartburn took over his Park Slope childhood home (22:45). Then, we walk through his early, funny work in Kicking and Screaming (29:00) and Mr. Jealousy (30:45), how art imitated life in The Squid and the Whale (32:00), and the start of his lasting collaboration with Greta Gerwig in Greenberg (43:00). On the back-half, Baumbach talks about his love of working with actors (45:30), setting the stage for the infamous Marriage Story fight scene (47:00), his process of writing personal stories (51:30), and how his subconscious seems to always be one step ahead of him (52:00). To close, the influence of Noah’s Hollywood mentor, the late Peter Bogdanovich (58:45) and a prescient essay from Baumbach’s mother, former film critic of The Village Voice, Georgia Brown (1:05:00). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% Off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarch.com/talkeasy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For your Thanksgiving inspiration: a favorite episode from Wiser Than Me, where Julia sits down with legendary cook and author Ina Garten. Over the course of her 76 years, Ina has lived a few lives: she worked on nuclear policy at the White House, ran the beloved food store Barefoot Contessa, and went on to write best-selling cookbooks and host her own hit TV shows. But what’s always defined her isn’t just the food—it’s the way she brings people together around it. In this conversation, Ina reflects on how aging has reshaped her taste, the art of simplicity, and what she’s learned about handling those quietly difficult, passive-aggressive types we all know too well. To hear more episode of Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, follow wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/wiserthanmefdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, cook and writer Alison Roman published her fourth cookbook, Something from Nothing—a collection of over one hundred simple, timeless recipes inspired by the items you may already have in your pantry. On the heels of its release, we return to our conversation with the culinary force. We discuss her dessert cookbook Sweet Enough (4:55), her early years as a restaurant pastry chef (12:24), and the chaotic conditions of working in the service industry (14:50). Then, Roman describes working at the experimental bakery Milk Bar in New York City (18:09), hosting cooking videos at Bon Appétit (22:40), and eventually working as a food columnist at The New York Times (25:18). On the back-half, we walk through the criticism she faced in 2020 (32:20), the subsequent fallout from her remarks (38:52), the personal newsletter that emerged (47:12), the connective power of cooking (55:08), the time capsule of writing (58:30), and what she hopes for in the years to come (1:01:45). Original air date: April 23, 2023. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at www.rula.com/talkeasy #rulapodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, we’re sharing an episode from Fail Better with David Duchovny, featuring filmmaker and writer Judd Apatow. Together, they trace the arc of Judd’s career, from Anchorman and Bridesmaids to Superbad and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, before diving into his new visual memoir, Comedy Nerd: A Lifelong Obsession in Stories and Pictures. Throughout their conversation, Judd reflects on what’s driven him all these years—not the need to prove he’s funny, but the desire to understand if he has anything to say in the first place. It’s something David relates to as a writer, and it runs through the pages of Judd’s new book: a collection of everything he’s made and gathered while trying to make sense of this life he’s made. They also talk about the sting of bad reviews, why they’ve both stopped Googling themselves, and how Judd’s documentary on Garry Shandling became a final act of friendship and legacy. Hear more episodes of Fail Better with David Duchovny wherever you get your podcasts, or head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/failbetterfd See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Director Edgar Wright hit the ground running. For most filmmakers it takes many years (and many films) to find their voice, but Wright’s seemed to be fully formed upon arrival, with 2004’s Shaun of the Dead. The beloved British filmmaker joins us this week to discuss his new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man (5:38), the inspiration he took from director Sam Raimi’s career path (17:30), and Wright’s moviegoing childhood in Somerset, England (20:24). Then, we dive into Wright’s own movies: the start of his collaboration with Simon Pegg (25:42), their breakout with Shaun of the Dead (28:17), and the local lore that informed Hot Fuzz (39:59). On the back-half, Edgar recounts the unlikely origin story of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World—which began in Quentin Tarantino’s guest house (46:46)—his ups and downs inside the studio system (43:00), including his brief foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Ant-Man (42:53), and how art ultimately imitated life in The World’s End (58:20). To close, we talk about how he sees the future of filmmaking and artificial intelligence (1:06:11) and why, after all these years, Edgar still believes in the magic of going to the cinema (1:13:55). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For more than three decades, author Salman Rushdie has lived under threat. In 1989, a fatwa forced him into hiding. In 2022, he was stabbed more than a dozen times while speaking on stage—and nearly killed. Less than two years later, he recounted the attack (and remarkable recovery) in his memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. Now, at seventy-eight, Rushdie returns to fiction with The Eleventh Hour, a collection of five interlinked stories that explore anger, peace, mortality, and legacy. We begin with the inspirations behind the new quintet (5:52), Rushdie’s formative, bookish years in Bombay (14:20), and the tumultuous family life that shaped his early writing (21:20). Then, he reflects on his time at Cambridge (29:30), his stint as a copywriter (35:32), and the lightbulb moment that led to his breakout novel, Midnight’s Children (39:40). On the back half, we discuss the fatwa (50:15) and book burning of The Satanic Verses (53:30), threats to free speech (56:36), and the slippery slope of political censorship (1:04:30). We also talk about Rushdie’s recovery and return to the page (1:14:10), his meta Curb Your Enthusiasm appearance (1:08:37), and the lasting power of literature (1:24:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Director Richard Linklater has made a career out of telling personal stories with universal appeal. Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, the Before trilogy, Boyhood. No matter the genre or form, Linklater’s human touch remains. To mark the arrival of his latest films, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague, we return to our talk last summer with Linklater. We begin with Hit Man (6:36), his action-packed neo-noir (8:15) that also explores the malleability of identity (11:00). Then, Linklater reflects on his athletic career in college (17:20), the health scare that ushered in a period of creative exploration (18:48), and the renegade spirit that drove his first two feature films, It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books and Slacker (28:12). On the back-half, Linklater describes a formative Sundance memory with director Robert Altman (34:00), his first experience at the helm of a major motion picture (37:48), and the lived serendipity that inspired his Before films (52:22). To close: a Hollywood state of the union (1:00:54), why Richard continues to create art from the fabric of his life (1:08:00), and whether Sam should return to directing himself (1:17:36). Watch this conversation on YouTube and subscribe to our new channel. Original air date: June 9, 2024. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is it possible the rumors of the death of print magazines (and masculinity) have been greatly exaggerated? We sit this week with GQ's Global Editorial Director Will Welch to discuss the magazine’s 2025 Special Issue on American Masculinity (3:53), its revealing survey of nearly two thousand men across the US (5:00), the absence of “low-stakes mischief” in today’s surveillance age (9:40), the widespread obsession with Gen Z (12:00), and the “125 Rules for Modern Gentlemen” featured in the issue (17:30). In Act II, we turn to Welch’s own story: his Atlanta upbringing (21:00), the music of OutKast and D’Angelo that shaped him (24:00), and his early years as an editor at The Fader (28:00). He also shares the call that brought him to GQ (33:00), his road to recovery (42:00), and how spiritual leader Ram Dass reshaped his life (48:00). In Act III, Welch reflects on the “when the going was good” era of GQ (55:00), the magazine’s unparalleled access to its subjects (1:00:00), and how magazines (and men) can fit into the ever-changing cultural landscape (1:15:26). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gabriela Hearst is one of the rare figures in fashion with an unwavering commitment to sustainability. At the top, we discuss her luminous Spring Summer 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week (4:08), her childhood herding cattle on a 17,000-acre ranch in Uruguay (6:55), and the gaucho traditions that shaped her philosophy around art-making (10:35). Then, Gabriela reflects on the manifestation practice that’s guided her since adolescence (17:15), how love and heartbreak fueled her creatively (21:18), and what she took from a detour into acting (21:50). On the back-half, Hearst talks about motherhood (24:30), founding her first label, Candela (31:00), and breaking free from the vicious cycle of fast fashion (38:00). To close, we walk through the past decade of Gabriela Hearst (40:28), the long-term vision for the namesake brand (50:00), and the affirmation that keeps her grounded (58:10). This episode was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rose Byrne has taken many forms on-screen. In Mary Bronstein’s new film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, she delivers a career-defining performance as a Long Island therapist and mother slowly unraveling under the weight of her child’s mysterious illness. We begin by discussing the maternal madness at the heart of this new film from A24 (6:30), the long, collaborative road to shaping the character (10:00), and what it was like to have Conan O’Brien as a scene partner (13:30). Then, Byrne reflects on her debut performance in Dallas Doll (19:45), the plays and poems that inspired her as a teenager (22:30), and a formative role in the cult classic Two Hands, opposite the late Heath Ledger (26:00). In the back half, we unpack the sexism she faced in Hollywood in the aughts (32:40), her unexpected comedic breakthrough in Bridesmaids and Neighbors (37:15), and the fruitful collaborations with Seth Rogen that followed (39:50). To close, Byrne pays tribute to two of her enduring artistic influences—filmmaker David Lynch (45:00) and playwright Arthur Miller (47:00). Watch this conversation on YouTube. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Director, writer, and actor Benny Safdie stops by Sam’s home this week to discuss his new film, The Smashing Machine (1:30)—an unflinching portrait of mixed martial arts icon Mark Kerr (7:00), played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (9:00). In the second half, we revisit our conversation from 2023. There, Safdie unpacks his collaboration with comedian Nathan Fielder on their television series The Curse (44:30), the timely premise that inspired the show (47:20), and his history of capturing real-life personalities on film (51:20). Then, he describes his early connection to the 1979 movie Kramer v Kramer (54:20), a New York encounter with photographer Robert Frank (59:20), and how directors Robert Bresson (1:03:20) and Frederick Wiseman (1:03:50) opened his eyes to the possibilities of street casting. We also dive into Benny’s co-directing work alongside his brother, Josh Safdie (1:05:15), a heartbreaking scene from their debut feature Daddy Longlegs (1:09:26), and the projects that followed (1:14:15): Good Time, Lenny Cooke, and Uncut Gems. To close, Safdie talks about why he worked as a boom operator while directing (1:20:00), his recent pivot to acting (1:21:23), and his full circle moment of playing an astrophysicist in Oppenheimer (1:33:20). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Few writers have examined the tension between history and morality more urgently than Ta-Nehisi Coates. Last fall, on the heels of his new book The Message, Coates joined Sam for a conversation live in Los Angeles. At the top, they discuss how his Atlantic piece The Case for Reparations guided these three new essays (6:10), Coates’ early education growing up in West Baltimore (14:57), and his powerful dispatches from South Carolina (22:00) and the Middle East (29:30). On the back-half, Coates unpacks why he believes the mainstream media prioritizes “factual complexity over self-evident morality” (37:47), his advocacy for Palestinian journalists (39:20), and his reflections about the U.S. election (47:28). To close, a formative passage from James Baldwin's The Lost Generation (52:38) and a story about love and writing (57:45). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Sometimes I feel that I’m not going to write again,” says Arundhati Roy, “but then it becomes harder to keep quiet than to write it.” Few writers have bridged the personal and political as powerfully as Arundhati Roy. With her first memoir, fittingly titled Mother Mary Comes to Me, she turns to her turbulent relationship with her late mother, Mary Roy, a pioneering feminist who reshaped Indian law. Act I: Let It Be We begin with the imagery that animates the new book (4:10), her tumultuous household growing up (10:00), and how she sifted through those memories while writing The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (15:40). Act II: She’s Leaving Home Roy reflects on her mother’s impact as a teacher (22:00), navigating her severe asthma as a child (24:30), and the moment she ultimately left home (27:20) for architecture school where she worked on film sets (30:00) and discovered The Beatles. Act III: Revolution Then, finally, how her writing sprung from her past (32:00), the political attacks that followed the success of her debut novel (35:00), bearing witness in the age of authoritarianism (41:00), and the timeliness of her 1998 essay The End of Imagination (1:01:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Director Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t just want to make movies. He wants to change them. This was true in 1969 when he co-founded Zoetrope Studios with George Lucas, and it remains true today. Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. We return to our talk with Coppola upon the anniversary of his modern-day Roman epic fable Megalopolis, discussing his decades-long process developing the film (6:16) and the inspiration he’s taken from Georges Méliès (17:00) and Jacques Tati (19:07). Then, he reflects on the origin of how he became ‘Francis Ford Coppola’ (23:07), the irrepressible spirit he forged in childhood (26:34), and where he sees himself in films like The Godfather (33:17), Apocalypse Now (35:51), and Gardens of Stone (36:10). On the back-half, we unpack the parallels between the titular city of Megalopolis and Zoetrope Studios (42:35), his capacity to keep dreaming, even in the face of financial ruin (43:30), where he believes America is headed (49:04), and the lasting memory of his late wife, Eleanor (58:08). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TALKEASY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At this year’s Primetime Emmys, Seth Rogen took home four major awards for The Studio, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. We sat with Rogen around the show’s release back in the spring to discuss his key influences (6:15), from Robert Altman’s The Player to The Larry Sanders Show (13:25), the evolving state of “show business” (15:36), and a life-changing piece of advice from director and producer Judd Apatow (25:00). On the back-half, we dive into his early years writing comedy in Vancouver (25:57), formative memories making Freaks and Geeks (33:19), and how This Is the End, the meta-comedy from 2013, was a precursor to this latest project (43:18) and solidified his enduring creative partnership with Evan Goldberg (58:30). Watch this episode on YouTube. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Original air date: March 30, 2025See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This month marks 50 years of Terry Gross as the host of Fresh Air. What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio, but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting. To commemorate a half-century on the air, Terry Gross joins us for a rare appearance in the interview seat. At the top, we discuss her Brooklyn upbringing (10:26), early memories of writing (13:00), and her improbable road to public radio (29:38). Then, Terry walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air (33:37) and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut (40:21), John Updike (46:30), Monica Lewinsky (49:30), Joan Didion (1:00:55), and more. On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis (1:03:24), their shared affinity for reading and music (1:05:57), the future of public media (1:19:16), and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview (1:31:35). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eight years ago, cook and writer Samin Nosrat created a kitchen staple with Salt Fat Acid Heat: a New York Times bestseller that later became a hit Netflix series. Nosrat returns with Good Things, a collection of personal recipes straight from her dining table. We discuss the influences that shaped the book (8:30), the ephemerality (and pleasure) of produce (9:30), her complicated San Diego childhood growing up with Iranian parents (17:30), the high expectations placed before her (22:40), and how she eventually found her way to Chez Panisse in Berkeley (32:00). On the back-half, Samin talks about her salad days working in restaurants (46:00), grand openings and closings (42:30), the origins of Salt Fat Acid Heat (47:00), what The Bear gets right about cooking (1:00:25), and how she thinks about time (1:03:00) and ritual (1:07:40). This episode was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Over the long holiday weekend, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) released his latest album, Essex Honey. To celebrate, we return to our 2022 conversation with the visionary musician. At the top, we dive into his EP Four Songs (3:15), performing at Madison Square Garden with Harry Styles (4:40), and the process that guides much of his music (6:39). Then, Dev describes growing up in Essex, England (7:04), falling in love with music at his sister’s piano lessons (11:00), his dreams of entering the New York punk culture of Please Kill Me (20:30), early performances with the band Test Icicles (22:08), and how he’s been inspired by the late Octavia Saint Laurent (30:10). In the back half, we unpack Dev’s gift for collaboration (34:22), the 2013 night that changed everything (38:50), a surreal, full-circle performance of Delancey at the Apollo Theater (46:17), music’s unique ability to express emotions (49:50), and where he hopes to go in his art next (54:20). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TALKEASY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We’re excited to share a new show from Lemonada Media: The Dan Buettner Podcast. Today’s episode features the incomparable Laura Dern. In his groundbreaking Blue Zones research, National Geographic explorer and bestselling author Dan Buettner uncovered the secrets to longevity and happiness from the world’s longest-lived populations. Now, on the podcast, he’s sharing the practical habits, mindsets, and wisdom that can set the stage for a longer, more fulfilling life—at any age. Dan sits down with extraordinary doctors, explorers, thought leaders, and actors from around the world. In this talk, Laura Dern shares how she lives with purpose, the surprising study that suggests winning an Academy Award can add years to your life, and lessons from her actor parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Listen to The Dan Buettner Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube. To learn more, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/TheDanBuettnerPodcastfd Thoughts or future episode ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s been a year in Los Angeles. Between the historic wildfires, rapid recovery efforts, and the ICE raids over the summer, Mayor Karen Bass has been tasked with moving at a breakneck speed to meet the demands of a city in peril. Watch this conversation on our new YouTube channel. The Mayor joins us this week to reflect on her office’s response to ICE in Los Angeles (7:00), the federalization of thousands of National Guard troops by the Trump administration (11:20), and the ongoing legal battle now being waged in court (15:00). We also discuss the city’s “rapid rebuilding efforts” in the aftermath of the January wildfires (21:45), lessons learned from the historic catastrophe (25:50), and why she cut through “federal red tape” (28:48) to push forth her Inside Safe program designed to reduce homelessness (30:20). On the back-half, we get into some of Bass’ personal story: coming of age in the Venice/Fairfax area of Los Angeles (36:30), working in emergency rooms during the crack epidemic of the 1980s (46:00), and her six terms in Congress representing various Los Angeles districts (58:00), all while navigating unimaginable personal loss (54:00). To close, the Mayor discusses her ongoing mission to end homelessness (1:00:00), the promise and potential of the 2028 Olympics (1:04:00), and where she finds the strength to continue fighting for the city that raised her (1:04:45). This episode was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TALKEASY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With the arrival of Weapons in theaters, we return to our conversation with actor Josh Brolin. Since the turn of the century, Brolin has had quite a run. From No Country for Old Men and Hail, Caesar! from the Coen Brothers, to Inherent Vice from Paul Thomas Anderson, to Sicario and the Dune films from Denis Villeneuve. His memoir, From Under the Truck, contains stories about the life in between. We discuss his upbringing bouncing from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara (8:49), the influence of his mother (10:05), and his entry to writing (19:40). Then, Brolin reflects on his vivid early adulthood in the 80s (26:14), the power of a story (32:30), and what actor Anthony Hopkins illuminated about sobriety (34:35). On the back-half, we get into his collaborations with the Coen Brothers (38:48), his challenging relationship to drinking (50:50), and why finally, after three decades of playing characters on screen, it was time to fill in some of the backstory (1:07:13). This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Actor Julia Garner (Ozark) has built a career out of shapeshifting. This summer, the Emmy-winning performer lands on the silver (surfer) screen with two major projects—The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the highly-anticipated horror film, Weapons. At the top, we walk through the spine-tingling world of Zach Cregger’s new film (6:45), the Moleskine character journals she keeps for each role (9:22), and some lessons from her time in clown school (14:01). Then, she reflects on her ‘Noah Baumbach-like’ upbringing (22:27) and the influence of legendary actors Bette Davis, Gena Rowlands, and Sharon Stone (23:15), who she credits for opening the doors in Hollywood that she has walked through (23:50). On the back-half, Garner describes her transformative years making Ozark (30:03), the whirlwind three-week prep period to portray Anna Delvey in Inventing Anna (35:59), her comfort with discomfort (43:05), and how she remains open to growth in this next chapter (44:17). Watch this conversation on our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David Mamet is one of the most celebrated American playwrights of the last century: Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Speed-the-Plow, American Buffalo, and Glengarry Glen Ross— which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983 and remains timely today. Our conversation unfolds, fittingly, in three acts. Act I: the inspiration behind his new novel about education, Some Recollections of St. Ives (5:38), weathering the ‘emotional hurricane’ of his childhood in Chicago (18:22), and how the drama of those early years materialized in his 1994 play The Cryptogram and beyond (27:00). In Act II, Mamet talks writing dialogue for the stage and screen (29:16), his disdain for psychoanalysis and the Actors Studio (32:32), and the philosophy that guided both his first theatre company (33:24) and subsequent plays (38:01). In the closing act, we wrestle with Mamet’s rightward shift: his views on DEI (41:48), late-stage capitalism (51:33), ‘Constitutional Conservatism’ as it relates to the 2020 election (1:01:48), his latest book The Disenlightenment: Politics, Horror, and Entertainment (1:07:06), and what he believes a ‘peaceful and patriotic’ protest should look like (1:10:12). Watch this conversation on our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long before Celine Song was nominated for an Academy Award for her feature directorial debut, Past Lives, she was a struggling playwright in New York City with an unusual side hustle: matchmaking. In this special episode presented by Death, Sex & Money, host Anna Sale sits with Celine to unpack how this personal experience inspired the plot of her new A24 movie, Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Follow and listen to Death, Sex & Money wherever you get your podcasts. Thoughts or future episode ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After nearly four decades of working in Hollywood, actor Patricia Clarkson (The Station Agent, Pieces of April) says her portrayal of women’s rights activist Lilly Ledbetter is “the greatest privilege” in her storied career. We sat with the legendary actress as part of this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss her powerful turn in Lilly (4:10), her colorful New Orleans upbringing (10:17), and the educator who first recognized Patricia’s talent (13:25). Then, she reflects on her life-changing move from Louisiana to New York City (18:40), years of training at the Yale School of Drama (22:08), and her early film roles opposite Kevin Costner in The Untouchables and Clint Eastwood in The Dead Pool (26:21). On the back-half, we discuss her transformation in the groundbreaking 1998 film High Art (28:08), her process of “total immersion” on set (33:26), and how that commitment led to a call from director Martin Scorsese and a pivotal part in Shutter Island (39:33). To close, we talk through Patricia’s raucous role in Easy A (40:50), her ongoing fight for equal pay in Hollywood (42:30), and her lifelong love of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (52:30). Watch this conversation on our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“I wanted to be good, but I completely burned up the morning,” said Joaquin Phoenix on day 1 of Eddington. “Ari and I stayed on set when everyone left for lunch—and, slowly, something emerged. I don’t know if it’s any good, but it didn’t make me want to end everything.” With the film’s arrival in theaters, we return to our candid, long-form talk with Phoenix. At the top, we unpack his transformation in Joker: Folie à Deux (7:10), his free-wheeling collaborations with director Todd Phillips (9:32), and the nomadic upbringing that marked his early years (13:00). Then, he reflects on his childhood television debut in Hill Street Blues (20:27), the brilliance of Robert De Niro (25:53), and his formative performances in To Die For and Parenthood (32:45). On the back-half, we discuss how the polarizing mockumentary, I’m Still Here (45:15), inspired his singular collaborations with directors Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, James Gray, and Lynne Ramsay (49:30). We also talk about the evolution of his acting process (50:47), the impassioned Oscars speech he delivered accepting Best Actor for Joker (56:15), and whether he’ll ever turn in what he believes is a ‘great’ performance (1:00:40). Hear our episode with Ari Aster and watch on YouTube. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Eddington is a film about a bunch of people who know that something is wrong,” says writer-director Ari Aster. “It’s just that nobody can agree on what that thing is.” Aster joins us this week to unpack his controversial, COVID-era western: his time back home in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he wrote through lockdown (9:30), the works of Robert Altman (18:00) and Oliver Stone (19:15) that served as sources of inspiration, and how Beau Is Afraid (5:54) cleared the path for Eddington. Aster also shares his early adventures in moviegoing: including Brian De Palma’s Carrie (22:10), Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (23:45), Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (23:47), and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (24:50). On the back-half, we talk about how he found his voice in film school (30:28), his divisive AFI senior thesis film The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (31:16), the seven years, post-college, that it took to break through with Hereditary (34:18), followed by his breakdown on Midsommar (38:30), and his ‘novelistic’ approach to screenwriting (40:30). To close, we read from Paul Schrader’s infamous Facebook post (45:48) on how AI will change moviemaking (46:05) and a Nietzsche quote that Ari says helps explain this moment in American life (52:45). Watch this conversation on our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Writer/director Lena Dunham is the voice of my generation. Or at the very least, a voice of a generation. Her new show, Too Much, is now available to stream on Netflix. We start by discussing her 2022 film Sharp Stick (6:20), the 1970s cinema that inspired it (9:50), and how it offers a “three-way mirror” to the female experience (12:41). Then, Lena reflects on meeting Judd Apatow on the heels of Tiny Furniture (15:39), her rapid ascension following Girls (17:39), the pain and power of grappling with OCD on the show (23:11), the genius of season five’s “The Panic in Central Park” (29:35), and how she’s continued to learn from public criticisms (35:27). On the back-half, we sit with the end of Girls (43:59), the aftermath of that decade (49:57), the new creative path Lena had to forge (55:46), the prophetic presence of her father (1:00:27), the inspiration that is her mother (1:01:47), and the dreams she has for the years ahead—on the screen, and off (1:06:54). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
