Description
Marc Maron welcomes comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to his home for amazingly revealing conversations. Marc's probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard.
Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast.
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Episodes
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2023 / 6 / 1Episode 1440 - William ShatnerWilliam Shatner has lived long and continues to prosper. At 92 years old, he has dozens of projects in the works, including the Fox reality show Stars on Mars, a new watch he designed, two documentaries, and...
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2023 / 5 / 29Episode 1439 - Vir DasVir Das doesn’t worry about fitting in. He was born in India, grew up in Nigeria, went to school in America, lived and worked in Europe, and now lives back in his country of origin. Vir talks with Marc about...
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2023 / 5 / 25Episode 1438 - Amy Sherman-PalladinoAmy Sherman-Palladino says working on a TV show takes over your whole life. This is why Amy went from being a hired gun on sitcoms that made her miserable to her own creatively fulfilling shows like Gilmore...
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2023 / 5 / 22Episode 1437 - Smokey RobinsonSmokey Robinson just released his 26th studio album, but he’s been writing songs since the age of six. Smokey talks with Marc about his lifelong friendships with Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Berry Gordy,...
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2023 / 5 / 18Episode 1436 - Warren ZanesFor Warren Zanes, music has been a salvation. In his troubled teen years, his brother put him in the band The Del Fuegos. Then music was the conduit to his PhD. And now, after a lifetime of seeing himself as...
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2023 / 5 / 15Episode 1435 - Paul SchraderPaul Schrader’s upbringing was steeped in the contradictions of religion, which helped him explore the contradictory characters in his screenplays, like Travis Bickle, Jake LaMotta and the protagonists of his...
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2023 / 5 / 11Episode 1434 - Ice CubeIce Cube never stopped thinking about making music, from the moment he started writing raps in typewriting class to sitting in his recording studio today making a new album. But he never expected his life to...
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2023 / 5 / 8Episode 1433 - Rachel WeiszRachel Weisz and her collaborators totally knocked Marc for a loop with the new series Dead Ringers, a show that’s still haunting him long after he watched it. Rachel and Marc talk about her dual performance...
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2023 / 5 / 4Episode 1432 - Shane MaussWhen comedian Shane Mauss was on the show in 2016, he and Marc talked about the new trajectory in his life that involved psychedelic studies. A year later, he lost his mind doing lots of hands-on experiments...
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2023 / 5 / 1Episode 1431 - Tituss BurgessTituss Burgess was in the movie Respect alongside Marc, playing gospel singer James Cleveland. But it was Tituss’s own original gospel recordings that provided Marc with a fuller understanding of the Real...
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2023 / 4 / 27Episode 1430 - David MandelBoth David Mandel and Marc were obsessed with the early years of Saturday Night Live, in large part because of a book they both had. It was the 1977 SNL Script Book and it actually set David on a path to...
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2023 / 4 / 24Episode 1429 - J. Smith-CameronJ. Smith-Cameron gets just as surprised while watching Succession as you do. With all the footage they shoot, she’s never sure exactly how any given episode is going to turn out, as she waits to see what will...
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2023 / 4 / 20Episode 1428 - Lily RabeAs the daughter of Jill Clayburgh and playwright David Rabe, Lily Rabe felt a lot of pressure not to become an actor, believing she had to stake out her own artistic ground. But while dance was her passion,...
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2023 / 4 / 19Darryl Lenox from 2013From February 2013, Marc talks with comedian Darryl Lenox about the struggles he faced throughout his life and how he overcame the challenges in front of him. Darryl died on April 16, 2023. Sign up here for...
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2023 / 4 / 17Episode 1427 - Ray RomanoThe last time Ray Romano was on the podcast, he was making the show Men of a Certain Age. Now Ray and Marc are both men of a certain age with a lot of the same concerns about their health and well-being at...
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2023 / 4 / 13Episode 1426 - Alex BorsteinIt's a series of firsts for Alex Borstein: The release of her first comedy special, her first podcast interview done during a power outage, and her first time meeting Marc, despite co-starring with him in The...
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2023 / 4 / 10Episode 1425 - Steven YeunThree episodes into the Netflix series Beef, Steven Yeun's character is emotionally overwhelmed in a Korean church. As the former leader of a praise band and the son of devout immigrant parents, it isn't...
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2023 / 4 / 6Episode 1424 - Kelly ReichardtKelly Reichardt’s latest movie Showing Up is about the life of artists, but Kelly had no experience with art while growing up in a Miami law enforcement family other than crime scene photos. Kelly talks to...
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2023 / 4 / 3Episode 1423 - Brooke ShieldsBrooke Shields is able to look back critically on the toxic culture and misogynistic power structure that pervaded her early career while remaining grateful for the life she lived and the person she became....
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2023 / 3 / 30Episode 1422 - Cathy LadmanCathy Ladman just made her tenth appearance on The Tonight Show, a milestone in a career that started back when Johnny Carson was the host. But something she dealt with throughout that career was an ongoing...
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2023 / 3 / 27Episode 1421 - Karina LongworthKarina Longworth grew up in Los Angeles and was fascinated by the haunted memories of Old Hollywood. Later in life, her writing and research led her to creating the podcast that explores these forgotten...
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2023 / 3 / 23Episode 1420 - Nick YoussefNick Youssef found himself on the receiving end of anti-Arab hate when he took the standup stage shortly after 9/11, right at the start of his comedy career. It was that moment when Nick knew he was never...
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2023 / 3 / 20Episode 1419 - Laurie AndersonLaurie Anderson says she never made art to express herself, she didn’t care about having a “style,” and she sure didn’t think about building a “brand.” Laurie and Marc talk about her time in New York City as...
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2023 / 3 / 16Episode 1418 - Jason Woliner / Ashley BarnhillFirst up in this two-for-one episode, Marc talks with comedian Ashely Barnhill, who used to work for WTF while she was building her comedy career. Suddenly, a tragic accident had her fighting for her life....
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2023 / 3 / 13Episode 1417 - O'Shea Jackson Jr.O’Shea Jackson Jr. grew up around music with Ice Cube as a father. But it was a school teacher who set his mind toward making movies. O’Shea and Marc talk about the idea of Ice Cube versus the reality of Ice...
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2023 / 3 / 10"The Nominees Are..." - A WTF CompilationA special compilation of this year's Oscar nominees talking about their nominated works. Hear excerpts from Marc's interviews with Michelle Yeoh, Daniels, Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau, Austin Butler, Andrea...
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2023 / 3 / 9Episode 1416 - Bobby FarrellyBobby Farrelly knows he was lucky to grow up in small town Rhode Island, which was, in his words, marinating in characters. Bobby and his brother Peter were able to take those real life characters and put...
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2023 / 3 / 6Episode 1415 - Ronny ChiengRonny Chieng has been in America for less than a decade and he’s cementing himself as a prolific force in comedy. With two Netflix specials, a regular spot on The Daily Show, and multiple roles in high...
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2023 / 3 / 2Episode 1414 - Hong ChauHong Chau owes her acting career to social anxiety and a fear of performing in public. It was the desire to overcome those obstacles that led her to improv and acting classes. Hong and Marc talk about the...
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2023 / 2 / 27Episode 1413 - Austin ButlerAustin Butler devoted the past four years of his life to Elvis, the last year of which has been spent promoting and talking about Elvis. So it’s a little bit of a break for him to talk with Marc about his...
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2023 / 2 / 23Episode 1412 - Daniels (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert share a first name, a passion for filmmaking and now awards for Best Director. But the duo known as Daniels have backgrounds that are as divergent as the multiverse they...
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2023 / 2 / 20Episode 1411 - Michelle YeohMichelle Yeoh travels through the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All At Once. But when she was growing up in Malaysia, there was a universe where she continued her dance training and opened her own dance...
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2023 / 2 / 16Episode 1410 - Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson always impresses Marc with his acting and, since the last time he was on the show, he’s made more stuff Marc loved, like Old Henry and Nightmare Alley. But now Tim has also impressed Marc as...
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2023 / 2 / 13Episode 1409 - Marc SummersMost people know Marc Summers as the host of Double Dare on Nickelodeon and Unwrapped on Food Network. But his background makes him an ideal WTF guest. A Jewish kid from the Midwest who wanted to get into...
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2023 / 2 / 9Episode 1408 - AEW (Chris Jericho, Tony Khan, Colt Cabana, Bryce Remsberg, MJF, Eddie Kingston)As documented in the Wrestling With Marc series on The Full Maron, Marc undergoes a full immersion into the world of professional wrestling when his producer Brendan suggests Marc explore something totally...
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2023 / 2 / 6Episode 1407 - Wayne BradyWayne Brady is making himself happy again when he’s performing. He makes other people happy hosting Let’s Make a Deal and being part of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but only in recent years does Wayne feel like...
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2023 / 2 / 2Episode 1406 - Dave FrancoDave Franco is a successful actor but that doesn’t mean he was full of confidence when he began directing his first feature. Dave tells Marc how he overcame the fear of the unknown once he stepped on set to...
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2023 / 1 / 30Episode 1405 - Radhika JonesRadhika Jones just celebrated her fifth year as Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair and, as far as Marc is concerned, she plays a major role on the front lines of the American culture war. Radhika tells Marc why...
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2023 / 1 / 26Episode 1404 - Brendan FraserBrendan Fraser is receiving awards and accolades for his performance in The Whale but his reasons for taking on the role go much deeper than wanting to earn well-deserved praise. Brendan and Marc talk about...
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2023 / 1 / 23Episode 1403 - Sarah PolleySarah Polley has a lot to say about memory, narratives and the stories we tell. That’s because she believes they’re all fluid, which creates a sort of moving target for a writer and director of films, as she...
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2023 / 1 / 19Episode 1402 - Octavia SpencerOctavia Spencer’s career started behind the scenes, as she worked in casting departments on film sets. Director Joel Schumacher said she should read for the role of Sandra Bullock’s nurse in A Time To Kill...
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2023 / 1 / 16Episode 1401 - Todd FieldTodd Field toyed with many pursuits before he ever directed a film. First there was close-up magic. Then he went to school on a music scholarship. He also hoped to become a baseball player, working as a...
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2023 / 1 / 12Episode 1400 - Andrea RiseboroughAndrea Riseborough can't lie. She's terrible at it. But she believes that trait helps her as an actor because there's no hiding her emotions. Marc can attest to this, having acted opposite Andrea in To...
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2023 / 1 / 9Episode 1399 - Katt WilliamsKatt Williams is a one-of-a-kind comic performer, so it’s only natural he should have a one-of-a-kind backstory. Katt tells Marc about his travels as a teenager, trying to make it on his own in Florida, then...
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2023 / 1 / 5Episode 1398 - Colin HanksColin Hanks knows there are public perceptions of him that are tricky to navigate. For one, the man known as America’s Dad is his actual dad. There’s also the fact that people have a hard time seeing him in...
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2023 / 1 / 2Episode 1397 - Ben FosterBen Foster was 14 years old and when he had what he calls a breakdown. Ben had a moment while acting where he completely lost himself and he needed to get back to that place at all costs. Marc talks with Ben...
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2022 / 12 / 29Episode 1396 - Eric McFaddenGuitarist and singer-songwriter Eric McFadden is a blast from Marc's past. They knew each other when they were teenagers growing up in Albuquerque, fostering their creative passions in art studios,...
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2022 / 12 / 26Episode 1395 - Courtney LoveCourtney Love is finishing up her first record in more than a decade while she lives in London, perhaps permanently. Courtney fled LA because, as she tells Marc, she needed to get out of the “overculture.”...
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2022 / 12 / 22Episode 1394 - Scott CooperWriter-director Scott Cooper says the best thing to came out of his acting career was the friendship he struck up with Robert Duvall. At Robert’s suggestion, Scott started writing his own films, including one...
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2022 / 12 / 19Episode 1393 - Rian JohnsonRian Johnson revived the mystery genre with his movie Knives Out and now he’s seeing what other places he can take it, both with the sequel Glass Onion and his new detective series Poker Face. But that’s the...
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2022 / 12 / 15Episode 1392 - James Austin JohnsonJames Austin Johnson figured out at a very young age that he could do impressions. When he got older and started doing comedy, he wanted to figure out a way to do them that didn’t feel like a Las Vegas lounge...
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2022 / 12 / 12Episode 1391 - Tommy TiernanComedian Tommy Tiernan knows a fellow traveler when he sees one. Ever since he saw Marc perform, he recognized a kinship, which is something Marc notices himself when he’s in Tommy’s home country of Ireland....
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2022 / 12 / 8Episode 1390 - Elvis MitchellElvis Mitchell waited his entire life to make the new documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!? As a film critic, professor, chronicler of the entertainment business on his show The Treatment and, most...
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2022 / 12 / 5Episode 1389 - Clea DuVallIt’s the holidays, which means Clea DuVall’s movie the Happiest Season is once again part of a new tradition for people everywhere. That’s still taking time to sink in for Clea because it’s a film she wrote...
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2022 / 12 / 1Episode 1388 - James GrayFilmmaker James Gray had crisis of confidence after watching a rough cut of his first movie, Little Odessa. Now that he’s made his most personal film yet, Armageddon Time, James and Marc talk about what it...
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2022 / 11 / 28Episode 1387 - Rob Delaney / Sam LipsyteRob Delaney says the last time he was on the show, he didn’t have two coins to rub together. After that, he started a family, moved to London, created the hit show Catastrophe and saw his career take off....
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2022 / 11 / 24Episode 1386 - Live with David BaddielLive from The Bloomsbury Theatre in London, Marc welcomes comedian and writer David Baddiel to the stage. In light of David’s new book and accompanying documentary, Jews Don’t Count, Marc and David talk about...
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2022 / 11 / 21Episode 1385 - Robert SiegelWriter-director Robert Siegel wanted to explore a career in either comedy or journalism. It turns out he got to do both as Editor-in-Chief of The Onion. But while The Onion was mostly comedy tinged with...
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2022 / 11 / 17Episode 1384 - Bruce WagnerWhen Marc reads the works of author and screenwriter Bruce Wagner, he starts to question reality. Bruce’s depictions of Hollywood personalities and show business darkness cut close to the bone and leave Marc...
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2022 / 11 / 14Episode 1383 - Wes BentleyAmerican Beauty completely changed Wes Bentley’s life and is still doing so today, considering he got his current role in Yellowstone because of his performance as Ricky Fitts. But the sudden exposure to fame...
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2022 / 11 / 13Budd Friedman from 2012From November 2012, Marc talks with Budd Friedman, the man behind the comedy club boom in America. Budd died on November 12, 2022 at the age of 90. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and...
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2022 / 11 / 11GallagherMarc revisits his 2011 interview with comedian Gallagher, recorded in Portland, Oregon on January 27, 2011. Their conversation about comedy, language and cultural tolerance led to Gallagher walking out on the...
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2022 / 11 / 10Episode 1382 - Quinta BrunsonQuinta Brunson didn’t pave the traditional path to a hit network sitcom. In fact, she paved a path that didn’t really exist. Quinta and Marc talk about how she was one of the first people on Instagram to hit...
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2022 / 11 / 7Episode 1381 - Elizabeth BanksElizabeth Banks says she’s the kind of person who likes to get ‘A’s on tests. And in show business, directing feature films for Hollywood studios is the ultimate test. Elizabeth and Marc talk about how her...
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2022 / 11 / 3Episode 1380 - Chris ReddChris Redd knows what it’s like to have dreams and then watch them shift in the face of reality. It happened first with the dream of being a rapper, but then Chris realized he had a knack for this comedy...
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2022 / 10 / 31Episode 1379 - Armando IannucciVeep creator Armando Iannucci knows his job as a purveyor of political satire becomes more difficult as politicians become more absurd and cartoonish. In fact, just hours before recording this episode, the...
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2022 / 10 / 27Episode 1378 - Ron CarterRon Carter is one of the architects of modern jazz. The Guinness Book of World Records cites him as the most recorded bassist in history and his influence has stretched well beyond jazz to a host of musical...
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2022 / 10 / 24Episode 1377 - Jeremy StrongJeremy Strong can’t help being honest. His honesty around his job as an actor is what leads to magazine profiles where he’s portrayed as “intense” and “serious.” His honesty also allows him to admit that he...
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2022 / 10 / 20Episode 1376 - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Henry Louis Gates, Jr. believes we must understand who we were in order to understand who we are. That goes for individuals, which is at the core of his PBS series Finding Your Roots, as well as society,...
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2022 / 10 / 17Episode 1375 - Ralph MacchioEveryone knows Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso from The Karate Kid. In fact, so many people know him as Daniel LaRusso, he wrote a book about spending his life as that character. Ralph and Marc talk about his...
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2022 / 10 / 13Episode 1374 - Béla Fleck / Michael MorrisBéla Fleck is more than a virtuoso banjo player. He’s also a banjo missionary, an evangelist for an instrument he feels is often misunderstood and pigeonholed. Béla talks with Marc about how he wanted to move...
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2022 / 10 / 10Episode 1373 - Zahn McClarnonZahn McClarnon’s early experiences with reservation life helped him add some personal touches as a cast member of Reservation Dogs. But it was actually his experience with the musical Jesus Christ Superstar...
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2022 / 10 / 6Episode 1372 - Jann WennerJann Wenner’s life as the co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine has been chronicled in other books, but Jann says he needed to write a memoir to declare what his generation actually stood for....
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2022 / 10 / 3Episode 1371 - Tony GilroyWriter-director Tony Gilroy is the man behind one of Marc’s favorite movies of all time, Michael Clayton. They get into everything it took to get that movie made and its surprising legacy. But the rest of...
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2022 / 9 / 29Episode 1370 - Abigail DisneyAbigail Disney feels the burden of her last name, particularly due to the practices of the global company that was founded by her grandfather Roy and grand uncle Walt. Marc talks with Abigail about her social...
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2022 / 9 / 26Episode 1369 - Sigourney WeaverMultiple generations of audiences love Sigourney Weaver, whether it’s because of Ghostbusters or Avatar or Working Girl or the Alien franchise or all of the above. But Sigourney tells Marc she never imagined...
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2022 / 9 / 22Episode 1368 - Sam RockwellSam Rockwell and Marc have talked with each other a lot since Sam was last on the show. Granted, during a lot of those conversations they were pretending to be a wolf and a snake, respectively. The Bad Guys...
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2022 / 9 / 19Episode 1367 - Adrian BelewAdrian Belew’s career in music was influenced by many and has influenced many more. As a completely self-taught guitarist, Adrian absorbed as much music as possible on the way to establishing his own sound...
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2022 / 9 / 15Episode 1366 - Bradley WhitfordSince the last time he was on WTF, Bradley Whitford spent a lot of time listening to the show while taking walks. So he’s primed and ready to take his ongoing one-sided conversation with Marc back to the...
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2022 / 9 / 12Episode 1365 - Brett MorgenDocumentary filmmaker Brett Morgen likes to go into the deep end with his films. He never wants to repeat himself, or repeat any other docs for that matter. He wants his films to be an experiential,...
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2022 / 9 / 8Episode 1364 - Sharon Van EttenSinger-songwriter Sharon Van Etten creates personal, deeply felt songs that also provide her with relief. Sharon talks with Marc about her stream of consciousness writing style and how it helps her process...
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2022 / 9 / 5Episode 1363 - Al RuddyAl Ruddy's life as a producer taught him one major lesson: The making of every movie is itself worthy of a movie. That's why there's a limited series called The Offer about Al's experiences making The...
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2022 / 9 / 1Episode 1362 - Whitney CummingsWhitney Cummings left the garage twelve years ago after a conversation with Marc and couldn’t shake something he said to her. It bothered her for years until she finally decided to own it and turn it into the...
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2022 / 8 / 29Episode 1361 - Simu LiuSimu Liu is now an entrenched member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks to his portrayal of superhero Shang Chi. But Simu has his own origin story worthy of a comic book arc. Simu tells Marc how he left...
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2022 / 8 / 25Episode 1360 - S.G. GoodmanSinger-songwriter S.G. Goodman creates songs about complex people and conflicting ideas. She sings about complications that are close to her heart because she has lived them. Raised on a farm in rural Western...
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2022 / 8 / 22Episode 1359 - Andrew GarfieldAndrew Garfield was terrified of being Spider-Man. As a 27-year-old who was not yet known to the world, he knew his life would immediately change once he became that beloved character. Andrew tells...
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2022 / 8 / 18Episode 1358 - Jerrod CarmichaelJerrod Carmichael has been busy since the last time he talked with Marc in the garage. He directed his first movie, On The Count Of Three. He put out his third standup special, Rothaniel, and hosted SNL,...
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2022 / 8 / 15Episode 1357 - Christina RicciChristina Ricci grew up around enough chaos to make her want constant control. Which is why the show Yellowjackets is such a different experience for her. As Christina tells Marc, she decided to surrender...
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2022 / 8 / 11Episode 1356 - Patton OswaltPatton Oswalt returns to the garage more than a decade since his last appearance, but he and Marc have so much shared history that it’s always easy to pick up right where they left off. Patton and Marc talk...
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2022 / 8 / 8Episode 1355 - Sam QuinonesJournalist Sam Quinones blew Marc’s mind six years ago with his book Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. More recently, he devoted his research and reporting to understanding how America...
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2022 / 8 / 4Episode 1354 - James AcasterComedian James Acaster caught Marc’s attention when he released four hour-long Netflix standup specials simultaneously. But in watching the specials, Marc quickly recognized a likeminded comic with a...
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2022 / 8 / 1Episode 1353 - Neil GaimanNeil Gaiman’s writing - from The Sandman to American Gods to Good Omens to hundreds of comics, novels and screenplays - uses fantasy to help explain modern reality. Marc talks with Neil about how his early...
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2022 / 7 / 28Episode 1352 - Zainab JohnsonComedian Zainab Johnson can survive anything in the comedy world after she survived growing up with twelve siblings in a New York City apartment, substitute teaching in juvenile detention centers, and being...
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2022 / 7 / 25Episode 1351 - Jerry HarrisonTalking Heads and The Modern Lovers are two of the most influential bands of the ’70s and many would argue two of the best bands ever. And Jerry Harrison was in them both. Jerry and Marc talk about the...
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2022 / 7 / 21Episode 1350 - Nikki GlaserNikki Glaser returns to the show because Marc finds her so easy to talk with, probably because they share so many similarities. They have kindred stand-up processes, they both get stressed out by writing,...
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2022 / 7 / 18Episode 1349 - Michael MannWhen Michael Mann talks with Marc about his 1995 crime epic Heat, he has such command of the deep backstory and destinies of all the film’s characters, it seems like he has a whole Heat Universe in his head....
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2022 / 7 / 14Episode 1348 - Orny AdamsOrny Adams says that being a comedian is the one thing he knows he’s good at. He also says that being in the documentary Comedian is something that will weigh on him for the rest of his life. Orny talks with...
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2022 / 7 / 11Episode 1347 - Naomi EkperiginComedian and writer Naomi Ekperigin is a cheerful person who also finds herself paralyzed with rage. It’s a balancing act she has to manage, just like she balanced her time in writers’ rooms with getting on...
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2022 / 7 / 7Episode 1346 - Jerry StahlJerry Stahl is one of Marc’s best friends. But sometimes you have no idea your best friend lived in a cave at one point. And that’s why you sit down with him in the garage. Jerry talks with Marc about his...
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2022 / 7 / 4Episode 1345 - Jason KanderJason Kander was a rising star in national politics. In fact, he was staging a run for the Presidency and got the thumbs up from none other than Barack Obama himself. Then the roof caved in. Jason tells Marc...
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2022 / 6 / 30Episode 1344 - Laura VeirsSinger-songwriter Laura Veirs has something to prove with her latest album, Found Light. After divorce ended her 20-years-long collaborative relationship with her producer husband, Laura not only needed to...
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2022 / 6 / 27Episode 1343 - Atsuko OkatsukaComedian Atsuko Okatsuka has familiarity with garages. But unlike Marc, she didn’t start a podcast in one. She lived in one with her mother and grandmother for seven years, as three generations of immigrant...
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2022 / 6 / 23Episode 1342 - Dana GouldDana Gould is in his 40th year of doing standup. He and Marc talk about what they’ve learned in their decades of comedy, how they came to accept their limitations, and how they see themselves in today’s...
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2022 / 6 / 20Episode 1341 - Kate BerlantKate Berlant’s comedy defies easy categorization. That’s okay with Kate, who thinks people use a lot of empty terms to pin down comedy. Kate and Marc talk about how growing up in the art world helped Kate...
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2022 / 6 / 16Episode 1340 - Jen StatskyWhen Jen Statsky and her collaborators were creating the show Hacks, they knew they needed to nail the portrayal of life in standup comedy because comics will quickly know if they got it wrong. Marc talks...
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2022 / 6 / 13Episode 1339 - Greg ProopsMarc has a very direct question for his old friend Greg Proops: “Did we lose?” In the fight for the heart and soul of comedy, there is real uncertainty about the current trajectory. What legacy did the...
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2022 / 6 / 9Episode 1338 - Lara BeitzFor a while, Lara Beitz could only get on stage to do comedy if she was hammered. She'd drink to feel less nervous but then there wasn't a time when she didn't feel nervous, so she was just always drinking....
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2022 / 6 / 6Episode 1337 - Phil TippettOscar and Emmy-winning visual effects artist Phil Tippett is responsible for some of the most memorable effects in movies history, like the alien chess match in Star Wars, the giant robot walkers in The...
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2022 / 6 / 2Episode 1336 - Jesus TrejoJesus Trejo knows he put in the work to become a paid regular at The Comedy Store, spending years doing open mic spots and performing at 1am for a handful of people. Not to mention paying his dues unclogging...
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2022 / 5 / 30Episode 1335 - Rosie PerezRosie Perez initially thought success would paper over her trauma. But the emotional ramifications from the abuse she went through as a child were never going to stay hidden for long. Rosie and Marc talk...
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2022 / 5 / 27Ray Liotta from 2018From 2018, Ray Liotta talks with Marc about getting his start in soap operas, the debt he owes to Melanie Griffith, and the emotional filming of Goodfellas. Ray died on May 26, 2022 at age 67. Sign up here...
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2022 / 5 / 26Episode 1334 - Joey CamenJoey Camen left a dysfunctional home in Detroit as a teenager and, thanks to an ad he saw in a Playboy, knew exactly where he needed to go. He went straight to the brand new club on the Sunset Strip, The...
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2022 / 5 / 23Episode 1333 - Marc Goes To Washington w/ Dr. Dwandalyn Reece and Lance MionThis is an episode about history. Collective history and personal history. Marc finds himself in Washington, DC on the latest leg of his standup tour, a place imbued with symbolism, both for what we want...
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2022 / 5 / 19Episode 1332 - Michael CheMichael Che wanted out his life on the Lower East Side, but his initial path was not comedy. It was painting and fine art. Michael tells Marc how he became enamored with standup while living in his brother's...
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2022 / 5 / 16Episode 1331 - Sandra OhSandra Oh spent much of her career believing certain opportunities weren't going to come her way because they're just not afforded to Asian actors. Sandra and Marc talk about what she found in herself to...
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2022 / 5 / 12Episode 1330 - The Doobie Brothers / Steven JenkinsThe Doobie Brothers is a band with almost twenty official members throughout its five decades of existence. But Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons have been playing guitar and performing vocals for the band since...
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2022 / 5 / 9Episode 1329 - A Tribute to Dan VitaleMarc remembers the life and comedy of Dan Vitale, a comedian whose raw and unapologetically personal style of stand-up was a big influence on a young Marc Maron. Marc talks about how his perception of what it...
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2022 / 5 / 5Episode 1328 - Nicole HolofcenerNicole Holofcener has trouble breathing. She finds herself holding her breath for too long, which could be a result of allergies or a byproduct of sleep apnea. But it's also an apt metaphor for the life of an...
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2022 / 5 / 2Episode 1327 - Tony HawkTony Hawk walked into Marc's garage on a broken leg, the result of a recent skateboarding trick gone wrong. It's everything about Tony that's on display in the new documentary Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall...
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2022 / 4 / 28Episode 1326 - Trombone ShortyIt's normal for everyone to call Troy Andrews by his stage name, Trombone Shorty, because he's been playing the trombone since he was a tiny, four-year-old boy. Troy and Marc talk about the musical culture of...
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2022 / 4 / 25Episode 1325 - Vanessa BayerVanessa Bayer knows her comedic talent comes from a decidedly unfunny place. Vanessa's teenage cancer diagnosis focused her comedy skills, which in turn allowed her to help people process, understand and...
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2022 / 4 / 21Episode 1324 - Aaron BlabeyChildren's book author Aaron Blabey can measure success by the more than 30 million books he's sold. But that success was a long time coming and in many ways felt like it was never in reach. Aaron tells Marc...
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2022 / 4 / 18Episode 1323 - Robert EggersRobert Eggers was never into Vikings or hand-to-hand combat or macho stuff. And yet he just made the Viking movie to end all Viking movies, filled with brutal violence and macho posturing. But as he tells...
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2022 / 4 / 14Episode 1322 - Harvey FiersteinThe guiding philosophy in the life of Harvey Fierstein is simple: Say yes. As he put together his new memoir, I Was Better Last Night, it was clear to Harvey his extraordinary life relied on saying yes to...
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2022 / 4 / 13Gilbert Gottfried from 2012From 2012, Gilbert Gottfried talks to Marc about his comedy peers, his one-year stint on SNL, the times his jokes got him in trouble, and more. Gilbert died on April 12, 2022, at age 67. Sign up here for WTF+...
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2022 / 4 / 11Episode 1321 - Bonnie RaittBonnie Raitt doesn't feel the need to slow down. With the release of her 18th studio album and the start of an eight-month world tour, the prolific singer-songwriter knows what it's like to make the most of...
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2022 / 4 / 7Episode 1320 - Zazie BeetzZazie Beetz and Marc were in three things together - Joker, the Netflix series Easy, and the new animated film The Bad Guys - but they're only now meeting each other for real. That makes for a good...
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2022 / 4 / 4Episode 1319 - Adam RayComedian Adam Ray was a high school athlete, a musical theater performer, and an acting student with his eyes on Hollywood. But one thing he never could shake was the feeling of being an overweight kid when...
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2022 / 3 / 31Episode 1318 - Guy TorryComedian Guy Torry spent 13 years creating and running the most famous all-black comedy night in America at The Comedy Store. And now Guy just spent another 13 years making a documentary about that...
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2022 / 3 / 28Episode 1317 - FleaThe Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around for almost 40 years and Flea has been there for every minute of it. He and Marc talk about Flea's jazz-based upbringing that made him the bassist he is today, the...
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2022 / 3 / 24Episode 1316 - Sam JaySam Jay has a lot of irons in the fire. She's on the comedy series Bust Down, she has her own HBO late night show Pause, and she never stops doing standup. Sam tells Marc that standup is the one thing that's...
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2022 / 3 / 21Episode 1315 - Jeff FoxworthyJeff Foxworthy still cringes when he knows other comics are watching his work. That persistent insecurity and the desire to always stay funny is why Jeff has a new Netflix special and a whole new act. Jeff...
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2022 / 3 / 17Episode 1314 - Ariana DeBoseAriana DeBose knows there was no way for her to prepare for what's happening right now. There's no instruction booklet for being a professional dancer at age 18 and suddenly becoming an Academy...
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2022 / 3 / 14Episode 1313 - Keith RichardsIt's been almost seven years since Marc smoked a cigarette with Keith Richards in a radio studio in New York City. Since then, Keith gave up smoking, continued to tour with the Rolling Stones, released...
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2022 / 3 / 10Episode 1312 - Mike O'BrienMike O'Brien has the distinction of being responsible for Marc Maron crossing over into the world of improv. With a background in the Chicago improv and sketch scene and seven seasons writing for Saturday...
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2022 / 3 / 7Episode 1311 - Caroline RheaNot many people know Marc the way Caroline Rhea does. They have a history that runs through the many different stages of each of their lives and careers. Caroline and Marc sit down for a conversation about...
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2022 / 3 / 3Episode 1310 - Mira SorvinoMira Sorvino has a lot of talents beyond acting. She speaks Mandarin Chinese, she dances ballet, she plays guitar. But acting is what Mira believes she was born to do. And then for almost 20 years, she was...
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2022 / 2 / 28Episode 1309 - Sam ElliottSam Elliott plays a lot of tough guys - cowboys, bikers, soldiers - who can (and often do) beat people up. But in reality, Sam says the only guy he beats up is himself. Sam and Marc talk about how he came to...
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2022 / 2 / 25Sally Kellerman from 2013From 2013, Sally Kellerman talks with Marc about being his TV mom, embracing Hot Lips, and working with Robert Altman, Marlon Brando, Rodney Dangerfield and more. Sally died on February 24, 2022 at age 84....
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2022 / 2 / 24Episode 1308 - W. Kamau BellW. Kamau Bell has talked with Marc before about his life, his comedy and his thoughts about the world. But this time there's a single topic that needs to be addressed: Bill Cosby. Kamau tells Marc why he...
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2022 / 2 / 23The Amazing Johnathan from 2014From 2014, Marc talks with John Szeles, better known as The Amazing Johnathan, about his life doing comedy and magic, often at the same time. John died on February 22, 2022 at age 63 Sign up here for WTF+ to...
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2022 / 2 / 23Mark Lanegan from 2017From 2017, Marc talks with Mark Lanegan, the former frontman of Screaming Trees, about the '90s grunge scene and his collaborations with various artists. Mark died on February 22, 2022 at age 57. Sign up here...
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2022 / 2 / 21Episode 1307 - Andy GarciaAndy Garcia says it's surreal to look back on his early life as a shy Cuban exile who was idolizing famous actors and filmmakers, only to be reminiscing now about the work he's done with Sean Connery, Al...
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2022 / 2 / 17Episode 1306 - Roy Wood JrRoy Wood Jr can't be angry on stage. He wants to be angry. But he believes his face is too round to be angry. Now, whenever Roy wants to say something mean in his act, he knows he has to smile while he does...
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2022 / 2 / 14Episode 1305 - Ana GasteyerAna Gasteyer learned a major life lesson from Will Ferrell and it has nothing to do with their time together on Saturday Night Live. It was about making choices, square dancing and knowing how to have fun....
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2022 / 2 / 14Ivan Reitman from 2014From 2014, Marc talks with filmmaker Ivan Reitman about his career, his movies and his relationship with his writer-director son, Jason. Ivan died on February 12, 2022 at age 75. Sign up here for WTF+ to get...
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2022 / 2 / 10Episode 1304 - Chris SpencerChris Spencer is the kind of guy the White House calls when they need a show business favor. How did he become so connected? In Chris's words, Black Hollywood is a small place. Chris talks with Marc about how...
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2022 / 2 / 7Episode 1303 - Judd HirschJudd Hirsch is interested in the pursuit of truth. That's why he loved math as a student, that's why he got a physics degree, and that's why he has a civil engineering background. But he also learned to apply...
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2022 / 2 / 3Episode 1302 - Sam RichardsonSam Richardson thinks desperation is the key to comedy. His characters from shows like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave are a testament to that philosophy. Sam and Marc talk about his childhood being...
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2022 / 1 / 31Episode 1301 - Tony KushnerTony Kushner is one of the most important American playwrights of the past 50 years who is now a creative partner of one of the most important American filmmakers of the last 50 years. Tony talks with Marc...
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2022 / 1 / 27Episode 1300 - Dana StevensFilm critic Dana Stevens took her love for Silent Movie Era star Buster Keaton and told the story of the 20th century film industry as it evolved alongside Buster's own life. Marc talks with Dana about her...
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2022 / 1 / 24Episode 1299 - Peter DinklagePeter Dinklage spent a good portion of his life trying to come to terms with ambition. It's something he's had an adversarial relationship with, going back to the days when he started a theater company that...
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2022 / 1 / 21Remembering Louie AndersonHear Marc's two conversations with comedian and actor Louie Anderson from June 2016 and April 2018. Louie died on January 21, 2022 at age 68. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly...
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2022 / 1 / 20Episode 1298 - John MellencampJohn Mellencamp considers his whole career to be a total fluke. Maybe that's because he never planned for anything in his life and just let the chips fall where they may. As he releases his twenty-fifth...
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2022 / 1 / 17Episode 1297 - Nicole ByerNicole Byer hosts the hit shows Nailed It! and Wipeout, is working on her new standup hour, hosts four different podcasts and is starring in the new primetime NBC series Grand Crew. But she still had time to...
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2022 / 1 / 13Episode 1296 - Drew MichaelDrew Michael wants his comedy to feel different. He wants the audience to have a unique experience. This mindset actually reminds Marc of his own style of comedy, as well as a few other iconoclastic stand-ups...
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2022 / 1 / 10Episode 1295 - Javier BardemJavier Bardem finds lots of inspiration in his native Spain: the art, the creativity, the history, the ham. Marc talks with Javier about the importance of being raised in a creative family, including his...
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2022 / 1 / 10Remembering Bob SagetMarc pays tribute to comedian Bob Saget and revisits his three WTF appearances from September 2010, April 2014 and November 2017. Bob died on January 9, 2022 at age 65. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full...
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2022 / 1 / 7Peter Bogdanovich from 2015From 2015, Marc talks with director Peter Bogdanovich about his life as a filmmaker, his days in the theater and his friendship with Orson Welles. Peter died on January 6, 2022 at age 82. Sign up here for...
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2022 / 1 / 6Episode 1294 - David ManheimMost people who know David Manheim don't know him as David Manheim. To fans of the Dopey podcast, he's just Dave (no last name given), a recovering drug addict who built a tight-knit digital community around...
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2022 / 1 / 3Episode 1293 - The Smothers BrothersRecently, Marc talked with television historian David Bianculli about The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and the important place it holds in American culture. Talking with Tom and Dick Smothers themselves,...
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2021 / 12 / 30Episode 1292 - Rory CochraneWhen Rory Cochrane started acting, he knew he didn't want to be a movie star. He wanted to be a freight train that keeps on moving. Rory tells Marc about the practices and measures he put in place to attain...
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2021 / 12 / 27Episode 1291 - Aida RodriguezAida Rodriguez wanted her first HBO special to be more than a comedy show. She wanted to depict the parts of her past that are foundational to her comedy. So that's why she filmed a short documentary about...
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2021 / 12 / 23Episode 1290 - Guillermo del ToroGuillermo del Toro believes in one universal truth: We all get to a moment in our lives when we see ourselves for who we really are. That belief not only guides his own life, it guides the characters through...
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2021 / 12 / 20Episode 1289 - Peter JacksonDespite multiple Oscars and billions of dollars in box office returns, Peter Jackson still has the same interests he had when he was 10 years old: First World War airplanes, monster movies, using his Super 8...
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2021 / 12 / 16Episode 1288 - Cat PowerAt one point, Chan Marshall was in a band called Cat Power. But it's appropriate for someone like Chan, who had to be self-reliant almost from birth, that she'd adopt the name as her own once the band...
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2021 / 12 / 13Episode 1287 - Halle BerryHalle Berry wasn't supposed to be in the movie Bruised. And she definitely wasn't supposed to direct the movie Bruised. Then she wound up being in it and directing it, but no one wanted to take a chance on...
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2021 / 12 / 9Episode 1286 - Jesse PlemonsStill only in his early 30s, Jesse Plemons has already delivered a laundry list of indelible performances in everything from Breaking Bad to Friday Night Lights to Black Mass, working with directors like Paul...
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2021 / 12 / 6Episode 1285 - Jennifer HudsonJennifer Hudson didn't start singing with her eyes open until she was 19 years old. That's not a metaphor. Jennifer tells Marc how she was so afraid to sing in public, the only way she could do it was by...
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2021 / 12 / 2Episode 1284 - Benedict CumberbatchBenedict Cumberbatch is a busy man. When he's not holding the Marvel Universe together as Doctor Strange or making prestige dramas with celebrated directors, he's flying between the U.S. and the U.K. to raise...
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2021 / 11 / 29Episode 1283 - Bill PullmanBill Pullman's upbringing in rural Western New York prepared him for a multifaceted life, since he always had to keep his options open. So aside from being an actor, Bill's also been a theater teacher, a...
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2021 / 11 / 25Episode 1282 - Jason Bailey / Fun City CinemaWTF takes over the historic Paris Theater in New York City for the first live audience episode of the show in more than six years. Marc is joined by film critic and historian Jason Bailey, author of the new...
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2021 / 11 / 22Episode 1281 - Ridley ScottRidley Scott has a secret weapon as a filmmaker and it probably has a lot to do with his career longevity and versatility. As a young boy, he would draw everything, and to this day he still storyboards every...
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2021 / 11 / 18Episode 1280 - Kenneth BranaghKenneth Branagh had a lot on his mind when making the movie Belfast, a film based on his own childhood. He thought mostly about loss. Loss of family, loss of where you come from, loss of innocence. As Kenneth...
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2021 / 11 / 15Episode 1279 - George ClooneyGeorge Clooney is 60. Which means, much like Marc, he's always reminding himself that he doesn't know how much time he has left. George tells Marc how this mindset affects all his decisions, whether it's the...
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2021 / 11 / 11Episode 1278 - "Canceled Comedy" w/ Kliph Nesteroff and David BianculliMarc is trying to get to the bottom of something. What does it really mean to be 'canceled' in comedy? Is it something comedians have always worried about? What does actual censorship in comedy look like? And...
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2021 / 11 / 8Episode 1277 - Felipe EsparzaThe challenges of standup comedy were nothing compared to the obstacles Felipe Esparza faced throughout his childhood. His family was caught crossing the border and sent back to Mexico. When he finally made...
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2021 / 11 / 4Episode 1276 - Bob SpitzHow did Bob Spitz become the preeminent biographer of the most important and influential names in rock and roll? Before he wrote the definitive narratives of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and now Led Zeppelin, Bob...
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2021 / 11 / 1Episode 1275 - Ricky VelezBeing from Queens is as much a part of Ricky Velez's personality as his humor, his dyslexia and his depression. Ricky tells Marc how he put it all together when he started doing standup in New York City as a...
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2021 / 10 / 28Episode 1274 - Jennifer Lee PryorJennifer Lee Pryor was there for Richard Pryor's highest highs and his lowest lows. She experienced so much with Richard that she married him twice. Jennifer and Marc talk about the brilliant, complicated,...
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2021 / 10 / 25Episode 1273 - Hasan MinhajHasan Minhaj took the pressures put on him to become a lawyer and channeled them into the ambition necessary to start a standup career, become a Daily Show correspondent, host his own show (Patriot Act), get...
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2021 / 10 / 21Episode 1272 - David ChangDavid Chang wouldn't have opened his first restaurant if he wasn't depressed. Now, with his Momofuku empire that brings joy to foodies everywhere, David still finds himself struggling to find joy. Marc talks...
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2021 / 10 / 18Episode 1271 - Jane GoodallJane Goodall has hope. Yes, even in these times. That doesn't mean the good doctor looks at the world with rose-colored glasses. It means she knows hope is a necessary part of our survival as a species. Marc...
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2021 / 10 / 14Episode 1270 - Alan RuckAs Connor Roy on Succession, Alan Ruck finally has the kind of role he's been waiting to get for more than 30 years. And as Alan tells Marc, some of those years weren't very fun. There was the time after...
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2021 / 10 / 11Episode 1269 - Taraji P. HensonTaraji P. Henson says all her f***s are behind her now. But after three decades in show business, Taraji admits she only feels freedom from her f***s because of her openness around mental health. Taraji and...
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2021 / 10 / 7Episode 1268 - Kelefa SannehKelefa Sanneh has been writing about music for his entire career. Drawing on his experience as the music critic at The New York Times, a staff writer for The New Yorker, and a lifelong music obsessive, Kelefa...
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2021 / 10 / 4Episode 1267 - Julie DelpyAmerican audiences fell in love with Julie Delpy as the romantic French traveler Celine in Before Sunrise and its two sequels. But Julie didn't have an equal love affair with the making of Hollywood films....
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2021 / 9 / 30Episode 1266 - Rosebud BakerRosebud Baker knows all about the fine line between sadness and funny. She's learned how to get laughs out of the tragedy that befell her family, her alcohol addiction, her co-dependent and abusive...
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2021 / 9 / 27Episode 1265 - B.J. NovakEven when he was a kid, B.J. Novak wanted to achieve greatness. His hard work and ambition brought him to Harvard, to the Lampoon, to doing standup, to getting on The Office, to writing a massively successful...
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2021 / 9 / 23Episode 1264 - Franklin LeonardFranklin Leonard helped change the way movies get made in Hollywood. It's not what he expected as a young Black math wiz growing up in Georgia. But after a love affair with movies that started at Kim's Video...
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2021 / 9 / 20Episode 1263 - David ChaseNo one is harder on David Chase than David Chase. Even after a successful career as a screenwriter, show creator and director, after changing the face of television with The Sopranos, after putting HBO on the...
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2021 / 9 / 16Episode 1262 - Melanie VeseyMelanie Vesey has a dividing line in her life: Before and after she got shot. The before part includes being a Juilliard and Alvin Ailey trained dancer, a Stella Adler trained actor, a party girl, a person in...
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2021 / 9 / 14Norm Macdonald from 2011From October 2011, Marc's revelatory conversation with Norm Macdonald about life, comedy, gambling, death and Rodney. Norm died on September 14, 2021 at age 61. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show...
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2021 / 9 / 13Episode 1261 - Tim ReidTim Reid's life changed on a New Year's Eve in the 1960s when he lucked his way into a club to see a hot young comedian. That club was Mister Kelly's, that comedian was Richard Pryor and nothing has been the...
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2021 / 9 / 9Episode 1260 - Steve BuscemiSteve Buscemi has covered a lot of ground in New York City: standup comedy, experimental theater, independent film, even firefighting. Marc talks with Steve about his career beginnings and some of his most...
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2021 / 9 / 7Remembering Michael K. WilliamsMarc revisits his conversation from earlier this year with actor Michael K. Williams. Michael died at age 54 on September 6, 2021. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus...
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2021 / 9 / 6Episode 1259 - Sasheer ZamataSasheer Zamata doesn't have a ton of free time. She's on the Hulu series Woke, the ABC sitcom Home Economics, a voice actor, a standup, a podcast host and an ambassador for the ACLU. This all happened in the...
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2021 / 9 / 4Ed Asner from 2015From 2015, Marc talks with actor Ed Asner about his legendary career, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the time he played Marc's dad, and more. Ed died on August 29, 2021 at age 91. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the...
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2021 / 9 / 2Episode 1258 - Zoe Lister-JonesWhen Zoe Lister-Jones found herself dealing with the anxiety and uncertainty we all encountered during the pandemic, she made a movie about the end of the world. Marc talks with Zoe about how she often finds...
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2021 / 8 / 30Episode 1257 - Billie Jean KingBillie Jean King is forever remembered as the winner of the Battle of the Sexes, but the battles she fought for equal pay and non-discrimination are still reverberating today. Billie talks with Marc about her...
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2021 / 8 / 26Episode 1256 - Kimmy GatewoodEver since Marc and Kimmy Gatewood said goodbye to each other and their fellow castmates on the set of GLOW, the world has been in a constant state of flux. Marc and Kimmy spend some time catching up...
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2021 / 8 / 23Episode 1255 - Barry JenkinsBarry Jenkins is grateful that he's been able to harness the tools of filmmaking in order to tell the stories of his ancestors. Barry and Marc get into all the details of making the ten-part series The...
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2021 / 8 / 19Episode 1254 - Liesl TommyWhen Liesl Tommy got hired as a first-time feature film director to make the new Aretha Franklin movie Respect, she knew there were 100 reasons why she couldn't screw it up. Marc and Liesl talk about their...
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2021 / 8 / 16Episode 1253 - Marlon WayansMarlon Wayans and Marc spent their time on the set of the movie Respect cracking each other up and that dynamic continues in the garage. It's a situation that's familiar to Marlon, growing up with nine funny...
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2021 / 8 / 12Episode 1252 - Sterlin HarjoSterlin Harjo is relishing the opportunity to depict Native lives and stories on mainstream television with his new FX comedy series Reservation Dogs. But it's not like entertainment industry was a wide open...
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2021 / 8 / 9Episode 1251 - Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy approaches his films like a journalist, even when he's creating a work of fiction. Just as a reporter discovers facts about their stories, Tom's years of research help him unearth truths about...
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2021 / 8 / 5Episode 1250 - A.O. ScottMarc is concerned about the erosion of critical thinking as a broad part of American society. So who better to talk criticism than a person who makes his living doing just that? A.O. Scott brings his...
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2021 / 8 / 2Episode 1249 - Joseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Gordon-Levitt's long career in show business has left him with a keen sense of the problems caused by the constant bombardment of media and technology in our lives. Joseph tells Marc how he was able to...
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2021 / 7 / 29Episode 1248 - Lindsey BuckinghamLindsey Buckingham wasn't going to let anything - from the pandemic to major heart surgery - stand in the way of finishing his new self-titled solo album. But it was in part his work on the album and the...
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2021 / 7 / 26Episode 1247 - Matt DamonMatt Damon's continuing presence and popularity in American films can be summed up in four words: He loves to act. Matt tells Marc how he made the most out of working with icons like Clint Eastwood, Francis...
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2021 / 7 / 22Episode 1246 - Sovereign SyreSovereign Syre and Marc have been friends for several years, sharing career paths in comedy, podcasting and writing. Now, as she ventures for the first time into the fraught process of pitching and selling a...
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2021 / 7 / 19Episode 1245 - Rick RubinRick Rubin's love of music led him to help popularize hip-hop, rejuvenate artists' careers, and leave his mark on literally thousands of popular songs. But there was a point in his youth where Rick put music...
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2021 / 7 / 15Episode 1244 - Rick IngrahamComedian Rick Ingraham is a Comedy Store institution. But he's also the last of a system that was in place going back to the ‘70s, where young comics were baptized and raised in the rites and rituals of...
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2021 / 7 / 12Episode 1243 - James MurphyLCD Soundsystem is one of the hippest, most beloved bands of the early 21st century, but its frontman says he's spent a lifetime being uncool and no fun. James Murphy talks with Marc about the personal and...
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2021 / 7 / 8Episode 1242 - John SwabJohn Swab could have been a real world version of the characters from his films who are casualties of addiction and criminality. But his desire to create art and his natural talents won out and set him on the...
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2021 / 7 / 5Episode 1241 - Danny TrejoThere are Hollywood tough guys and then there's Danny Trejo. No need to front when you've lived a life of crime, drugs, and prison as explicitly as Danny has. But as his new memoir highlights, Danny went from...
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2021 / 7 / 1Episode 1240 - Steven SoderberghThere's a reason Steven Soderbergh's movies are always so unlike whatever movies he's made before. He tells Marc his goal is to take things that have worked in other contexts and turn them into something that...
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2021 / 6 / 28Episode 1239 - Quentin TarantinoThe pandemic forced a lot of changes on all of us, but for Quentin Tarantino, he was already undergoing a huge change right as the pandemic started: He became a first-time father. Now with the release of his...
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2021 / 6 / 24Episode 1238 - Erik GriffinIf he hadn't been getting laughs as a high school basketball coach, Erik Griffin may never have gone back to comedy. He tells Marc the story of his comedy beginnings, his self-imposed exile, and his stand-up...
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2021 / 6 / 21Episode 1237 - Ellen BurstynEllen Burstyn doesn't stop working. She's an Emmy, Oscar, and Tony winner with iconic performances in everything from The Last Picture Show and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore to The Exorcist and Requiem for...
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2021 / 6 / 17Episode 1236 - David HidalgoDavid Hidalgo has been making music and touring the world with his bandmates in Los Lobos for almost 50 years. From their start playing in schools, in restaurants and at weddings to their crossover into the...
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2021 / 6 / 14Episode 1235 - Anthony CarriganAnthony Carrigan set out to become an actor despite growing up with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. When he finally went completely bald while on a major network TV show, people in the...
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2021 / 6 / 10Episode 1234 - Jackson BrowneJackson Browne is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters in modern music. He talks to Marc about how a lot of his aptitude comes from his enjoyment of being a solitary player. But that doesn't mean...
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2021 / 6 / 7Episode 1233 - Helen HuntHelen Hunt: Oscar winner, Emmy winner, filmmaker, mother, and self-proclaimed “worst celebrity in the world.” Helen sits down with Marc to talk about how, despite her many accomplishments, she was...
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2021 / 6 / 3Episode 1232 - Danny ElfmanDanny Elfman did not set out to become one of the most prolific film composers in history. He was a distractible kid who couldn't focus on much of anything except music, loved jazz, loved Stravinsky, taught...
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2021 / 5 / 31Episode 1231 - William ZabkaWilliam Zabka spent the ‘80s playing a variety of bullies all seemingly modeled after his star-making performance in his first movie, The Karate Kid. But by the time he was in Back to School, William...
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2021 / 5 / 27Episode 1230 - Andrew SantinoAndrew Santino and Marc didn't know much about each other, aside from both being Comedy Store regulars and comedians from different ends of a generational divide. But in this conversation, they discover the...
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2021 / 5 / 24Episode 1229 - Gabe KaplanWhether he was getting booked on The Tonight Show or becoming the first standup to have a hit sitcom based on his act or finding success as a professional poker player, Gabe Kaplan says it all happened in...
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2021 / 5 / 20Episode 1228 - Rickie Lee JonesRickie Lee Jones is, first and foremost, a storyteller. She realized at a young age that she could process her feelings and tell her own story through the fiction of songs. As she tells Marc, that same...
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2021 / 5 / 17Episode 1227 - Eric BanaAmerican audiences know Eric Bana from his complex performances in movies like Munich, Black Hawk Down and Ang Lee's Hulk. But in his native Australia, Eric got his start doing standup and sketch comedy. Eric...
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2021 / 5 / 13Episode 1226 - Kristin HershKristin Hersh needs to make music. Whether it's with her bands Throwing Muses and 50FOOTWAVE or in her solo albums, making music is a compulsion. But she only recently figured out that music was her way of...
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2021 / 5 / 10Episode 1225 - Steve MillerSteve Miller didn't expect to become a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with hit songs that stand the test of time, like The Joker and Fly Like An Eagle. He was just a kid from Wisconsin who loved the Blues and...
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2021 / 5 / 6Episode 1224 - Mark NormandMark Normand is relieved to get back to the comedy clubs after a year of doing outdoor shows and other compromised sets during the pandemic. But Mark never considered stopping because comedy is something he...
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2021 / 5 / 3Episode 1223 - Nancy WilsonNancy Wilson is one of the world's great guitarists, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and creator, along with her sister Ann, of one of the great American rock bands, Heart. But after more than 40 years...
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2021 / 4 / 29Episode 1222 - Robert SmigelRobert Smigel became best known for having a foul-mouthed dog puppet on his hand, but the truth is he's a defining force in popular comedy for the past 35 years. Robert tells Marc how he was on the path to...
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2021 / 4 / 26Episode 1221 - Richard KindRichard Kind knows his face is memorable, but he still thinks he uses it too much. He knows his characters often exude warmth and joy, even though he is personally powered by dread and anxiety. He wants to be...
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2021 / 4 / 22Episode 1220 - John WatersOn the day this episode is released, John Waters is celebrating his 75th birthday. But he's still doing the same things that brought him cultural notoriety when he started making movies in the ‘60s:...
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2021 / 4 / 19Episode 1219 - Tom JonesTom Jones doesn't feel like resting on his laurels. He tells Marc there's one main reason he's going strong, recording new music and performing live at the age of 80: Because he still has a point to prove....
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2021 / 4 / 15Episode 1218 - Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma remembers a moment in his childhood where it all began to make sense. As a seven-year-old prodigy, he was playing cello in front of an audience that included two U.S. Presidents. But it was an act of...
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2021 / 4 / 12Episode 1217 - Sally StruthersSally Struthers is thinking a lot about the passage of time these days. For one, this year is the 50th anniversary of All In The Family premiering on CBS. She's also thinking that so many people she worked...
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2021 / 4 / 8Episode 1216 - Katey SagalKatey Sagal is known by the public in ways she doesn't see herself. She's known as an actor, but always thought of herself primarily as a singer. She's known as a seminal comedic TV character, even though she...
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2021 / 4 / 5Episode 1215 - Hunter BidenMarc only knew Hunter Biden from what he saw in the news. He never heard him speak, he had no sense of who he really was, and he wasn't sure he cared much about the troubled son of a President. Then he read...
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2021 / 4 / 1Episode 1214 - Daniel KaluuyaDaniel Kaluuya doesn't want to stop the journey. Getting nominated for Oscars, winning a Golden Globe, hosting Saturday Night Live. These are moments within the journey, but he doesn't want any of them to...
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2021 / 3 / 29Episode 1213 - Azazel JacobsWriter-director Azazel Jacobs was born into the world of experimental film. But it was a combination of comic books, old radio shows, Mad Magazine and The Clash that helped him develop the sensibility he...
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2021 / 3 / 25Episode 1212 - Eddie HuangEddie Huang has been fighting for things his whole life. Whether fighting for respect from a culture that is unwelcoming, or fighting for normalcy amidst a chaotic upbringing, or fighting for approval from...
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2021 / 3 / 22Episode 1211 - Christopher LloydChristopher Lloyd has a career spanning more than 60 years on stage, TV and film. But Marc was enamored with stories about the first movie Christopher ever made, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Christopher...
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2021 / 3 / 18Episode 1210 - Serj TankianSerj Tankian from System of a Down says he is dedicated to the truth in a very naive way. That basic need to tell the truth and be honest with himself comes through in his art, his activism and his personal...
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2021 / 3 / 15Episode 1209 - Laraine NewmanLaraine Newman titled her memoir May You Live in Interesting Times, a phrase many people believe to be a curse. But Laraine thinks it's an appropriate framework for her life and career. She tells Marc what it...
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2021 / 3 / 11Episode 1208 - Hugh GrantHugh Grant thinks he's only getting better as an actor now. The work he's done for the past few years feels real to him, as opposed to felling like he was faking it when he made all those romantic comedies....
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2021 / 3 / 8Episode 1207 - Eddie MurphyIn order for Eddie Murphy to become “Eddie Murphy” he had to become a comedian. Eddie tells Marc, comic-to-comic, what it was like being a Black teenager on Long Island building a standup act...
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2021 / 3 / 4Episode 1206 - Jake GyllenhaalJake Gyllenhaal knows he has a great job as a celebrated film actor. But the thing that brings him true joy is bursting into song as part of a stage musical. Jake talks with Marc about his love of theater,...
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2021 / 3 / 1Episode 1205 - Tim AllenTim Allen has embodied enough different personas - Tim Taylor, Mike Baxter, Buzz Lightyear, Santa Claus - that he often doesn't know which guy he actually is. But at least he's no longer the directionless...
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2021 / 2 / 25Episode 1204 - Michael K. WilliamsMichael K. Williams knows that a lot of people consider his character, Omar Little, to be the best character on The Wire. But he has a different opinion about the show's best character. Michael tells Marc...
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2021 / 2 / 22Episode 1203 - Melissa LeoMelissa Leo's acting style is a combination of gut instincts and a compulsive need to ask questions. It's a style that already earned her an Oscar and continual employment, but also keeps her from falling...
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2021 / 2 / 18Episode 1202 - Sam NeillSam Neill never had any ambitions as an actor, which is not true about his ambitions as a wine maker. Speaking to Marc from one of his vineyards in New Zealand, Sam talks about how he's still striving to make...
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2021 / 2 / 15Episode 1201 - Jodie FosterJodie Foster came out on the other side of being a child actor as a two-time Oscar winner, a celebrated director, a producer and someone who is content with her life. She tells Marc how she did it, which has...
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2021 / 2 / 11Episode 1200 - Mark HarrisMark Harris is a writer, journalist, critic and lover of film, which is why Marc wanted to talk with him. After months of at-home movie watching, Marc is convinced that artistic appreciation and critical...
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2021 / 2 / 8Episode 1199 - Salma HayekSalma Hayek says she survived in Hollywood because she didn't let anger get the better of her. And she'd have good reasons to be angry, facing a barrage of sexism, discrimination, typecasting, and a general...
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2021 / 2 / 4Episode 1198 - Stanley TucciStanley Tucci is fortunate that he broke into the mainstream with his movie Big Night because it combined two of the things he loves the most: acting and food. Stanley talks with Marc about the comfort he...
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2021 / 2 / 1Episode 1197 - David DuchovnyDavid Duchovny knows you know him from The X-Files. He knows you know him from Californication. But that's not going to stop him from wanting to be taken seriously as a novelist and a recording artist. David...
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2021 / 1 / 28Episode 1196 - Rick GlassmanNot unlike a lot of comedians, Marc's relationship with Rick Glassman started out with an apology. But that apology led to both of them liking each other more than they expected. Rick explains how a recent...
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2021 / 1 / 25Episode 1195 - George WallaceFor a guy who's been working at the top of the comedy scene since the 1970s, George Wallace has held a lot of other identities too. He was a computer engineer, a rag salesmen, an ad executive, and a real...
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2021 / 1 / 23Larry King from 2013From 2013, Marc talks with talk show icon Larry King about his start in the business, how he got over being nervous on the mic, and the interview subjects who left the biggest impression on him. Larry died on...
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2021 / 1 / 21Episode 1194 - Andy ZaltzmanWhen Marc first met Andy Zaltzman, Andy was in his element at the Edinburgh Fringe. They talk about why the festival circuit was important for Andy and other comics working their way up in the UK. They also...
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2021 / 1 / 18Episode 1193 - Daniel LanoisThere's a good chance Daniel Lanois is responsible for some of your favorite music ever and it's all thanks to a penny whistle he bought with his allowance when he was growing up in Canada. Daniel tells Marc...
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2021 / 1 / 14Episode 1192 - Kate WinsletKate Winslet is all about learning on the job. She never trained to be an actor, she just observed her talented co-stars on set. She used her work in Contagion to prepare herself and her family at the onset...
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2021 / 1 / 11Episode 1191 - Nicole KidmanNicole Kidman keeps going for a very simple reason: She feels like her job helps her understand the meaning of life. After winning pretty all the major film and television acting awards, after being one of...
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2021 / 1 / 7Episode 1190 - ThundercatThundercat thinks bass players run the world and not just because he's a great one. The multi-talented singer-songwriter talks with Marc about growing up with music all around him, learning at the feet of his...
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2021 / 1 / 4Episode 1189 - Mandy PatinkinMandy Patinkin is a renowned star of stage and screen, beloved for his roles in The Princess Bride and Homeland, admired for his mellifluous voice and impressive vocal range. But Mandy and Marc barely talk...
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2020 / 12 / 31Episode 1188 - David RitzDavid Ritz is one of the most prolific biographers of music industry titans, writing about the lives of artists from BB King to Willie Nelson to Janet Jackson. David tells Marc about his obsessive pursuit of...
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2020 / 12 / 28Episode 1187 - Patty JenkinsPatty Jenkins's connection to superheroes runs deep. Long before she became the first woman to direct a major superhero film, Patty was relying on Superman to help her process the loss of her father. Marc...
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2020 / 12 / 24Episode 1186 - Sam TallentSam Tallent felt compelled to write a book about the guy he was afraid to turn into. As a comedian plying his trade on the road, Sam did enough one-nighters and heard enough horror stories from other comics...
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2020 / 12 / 21Episode 1185 - Andrew BirdAndrew Bird's music defies categorization, so much so that he's not even sure how to categorize it himself. Andrew walks Marc through the process by which he developed his sound, from youthful obsessions with...
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2020 / 12 / 17Episode 1184 - Bootsy CollinsBootsy Collins is one of the world's preeminent practitioners of The Funk, although that might not be the case if he hadn't snuck his brother's guitar out of the closet when no one was around. Bootsy tells...
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2020 / 12 / 14Episode 1183 - Scott GlennScott Glenn is convinced that every good thing that's ever happened to him has been an accident. That includes serving in the Marines, getting his start in acting, meeting his wife, finding religion, gaining...
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2020 / 12 / 10Episode 1182 - Brad WilliamsThe first time Brad Williams got on a stand-up stage, he was just an audience member. Brought up on stage by a comedian who was telling little people jokes, Brad realized the power that comes with making...
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2020 / 12 / 7Episode 1181 - Zach BraffZach Braff and Marc both dealt with a lot of loss in the past year. For Zach, keeping it all in perspective is helping him get through the daily stress of pandemic life, as he fires up his creative impulses....
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2020 / 12 / 3Episode 1180 - John DensmoreJohn Densmore was the drummer for one of the most influential bands of the ‘60s, The Doors, but he's always been on a quest to find truth through art and creativity. John explains to Marc that his love...
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2020 / 11 / 30Episode 1179 - James CaanIt may not surprise you that James Caan has been in a few fights. He also played football, boxed and was in rodeo competitions, among other “non-Jewish activities,” as he calls them. James and...
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2020 / 11 / 26Episode 1178 - Mike CampbellMike Campbell was more than Tom Petty's bandmate. He was more than a friend, too. He was a partner who had an almost telepathic writing relationship with his famed frontman. Mike talks with Marc about...
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2020 / 11 / 23Episode 1177 - Johnny FlynnJohnny Flynn and Marc already developed a rapport while they were road-tripping through Canada. They were playing David Bowie and Bowie's publicist at the time, but they still got to enjoy each other's...
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2020 / 11 / 19Episode 1176 - Michael J. FoxMichael J. Fox didn't intend to be an inspiration but he's glad he can help out. As Marc learned from talking with him, Michael maintains a perspective on life filled with gratitude and optimism as he lives...
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2020 / 11 / 16Episode 1175 - Glenn CloseIt took Glenn Close a long time to open up about some aspects of her past. Shame was stubbornly in the way. But Glenn tells Marc she was able to discover her inner rebel and push past that shame, many years...
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2020 / 11 / 12Episode 1174 - Rhea SeehornBetter Call Saul features characters who are not honest about their lives and identities, so it's appropriate that one of the show's stars, Rhea Seehorn, suffers from imposter syndrome in real life. Rhea and...
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2020 / 11 / 9Episode 1173 - Frank LangellaMel Brooks once told Frank Langella, “Nobody would believe you're from Bayonne. You look like a prince without a country.” But whether he's playing Dracula or Richard Nixon or King Lear, Frank is...
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2020 / 11 / 5Episode 1172 - Heidi SchreckWith the world still wondering what this year's Presidential election really means, it's the right time for Marc to talk with actor and playwright Heidi Schreck, who knows a thing or two about power...
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2020 / 11 / 2Episode 1171 - David CrossDavid Cross is one of Marc's oldest friends in show business. And right now is a good time for them to catch up, as David balances his life as the dad to a three-year-old with the demands of going back to...
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2020 / 10 / 29Episode 1170 - Melinda HillIf comedy equals tragedy plus time, comedian Melinda Hill has reached the point where she can make some funny out of the traumas from her past. Melinda and Marc talk about processing the pain, particularly...
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2020 / 10 / 26Episode 1169 - Hari KondaboluWhen Hari Kondabolu was a college student, he interviewed Marc for a research paper about standup comedy. Twenty years later, they're talking to each other as peers whose lives have changed considerably in...
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2020 / 10 / 22Episode 1168 - Matthew McConaugheyThese are appropriate times for reflection and Matthew McConaughey just went through the process of reflecting on his whole life while writing his memoir, Greenlights. Marc talks with Matthew about the...
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2020 / 10 / 19Episode 1167 - Patti SmithPatti Smith has been at the vanguard of art, poetry, rock and roll, and other forms of self-expression since the 1960s. But this talk with Marc happens to be her very first one-on-one conversation done over...
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2020 / 10 / 15Episode 1166 - Lewis BlackEveryone needs to let off some steam these days and there are few people better who do it better than Lewis Black. Marc welcomes his old friend back to the show for a talk about pandemic comedy, going stir...
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2020 / 10 / 12Episode 1165 - Wayne CoyneFlaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne was in Los Angeles and decided to stop by the garage for a rare pandemic-era in-person chat. It's been a long time since Wayne and Marc hung out last. Since then both dealt...
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2020 / 10 / 8Episode 1164 - Wynton MarsalisWynton Marsalis created a profound examination of America, race, class, politics and human impulses with his latest epic composition, The Ever Fonky Lowdown. He explains to Marc how his perspective for the...
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2020 / 10 / 5Episode 1163 - John CusackJohn Cusack is always trying to stay engaged with the world. From a young age when activist priests used to visit his parents to the Reagan years when he underwent a political awakening to present day, John...
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2020 / 10 / 1Episode 1162 - Barbara KoppleBarbara Kopple is known for her acclaimed documentary films, but for Marc the most memorable time Barbara spent behind the camera is the day she directed him in a phone commercial. Marc and Barbara reminisce...
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2020 / 9 / 28Episode 1161 - Cecily StrongThe adage “you can never go home again” didn't apply to Cecily Strong. She did, and it's what got her on Saturday Night Live. Cecily tells Marc why she didn't stick around in Los Angeles after...
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2020 / 9 / 24Episode 1160 - Barry LevinsonBarry Levinson finds himself waking up in disbelief to every outlandish and shocking item in the day's news. It's a different mode for a filmmaker who spent his career focused on the natural, quiet moments...
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2020 / 9 / 21Episode 1159 - Alicia Keys / John LeguizamoIt's a New York City doubleheader! First up, Marc talks with the woman behind the modern day New York anthem, Alicia Keys. On the release of her seventh studio album, Alicia looks back on what it was like to...
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2020 / 9 / 17Episode 1158 - Wendell PierceWendell Pierce isn't doing a lot of acting during the pandemic, but he's keeping busy. He's spending more time with his 95-year-old father in New Orleans, he's hosting radio shows on a local station he...
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2020 / 9 / 14Episode 1157 - Toni ColletteToni Collette might be the first actor to tell Marc that, yes, she does learn about herself through the characters she plays. That's a lot of learning, considering the wide range of characters Toni has played...
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2020 / 9 / 10Episode 1156 - Martin ShortEven in the face this year, Martin Short remains an optimistic guy. Maybe it's because he's had a career he loves, or maybe it's his mild-mannered Canadian disposition, or maybe it's because he suffered...
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2020 / 9 / 7Episode 1155 - Bad Internet w/ Matt Furie, Arthur Jones & Andrew MarantzOne year ago, Marc used the Labor Day episode of WTF to find out why so much bad stuff in the world gets birthed in the darkest corners of the internet. A year later, it's only gotten worse. Marc talks with...
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2020 / 9 / 3Episode 1154 - J.K. SimmonsJ.K. Simmons faced a tough balancing act when his lifelong nonchalance about awards for acting came up against him becoming the runaway favorite to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. J.K. and Marc talk...
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2020 / 8 / 31Episode 1153 - Chelsea PerettiChelsea Peretti joined Marc in the garage more than ten years ago on a very early episode of WTF. Since then she became a writer for Parks and Rec, played Gina on Brooklyn 99, got married to Jordan Peele, and...
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2020 / 8 / 27Episode 1152 - Billy CrudupIt's been 20 years since Marc demanded that someone “lock the gates” on Billy Crudup and the rest of the band in Almost Famous. Now that both of them are older and wiser, Billy and Marc discuss...
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2020 / 8 / 24Episode 1151 - Giancarlo EspositoWhether it's Gus from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul or Buggin' Out from Do The Right Thing or Moff Gideon from The Mandalorian, Giancarlo Esposito's characters always leave an indelible impression....
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2020 / 8 / 20Episode 1150 - Kieran CulkinA lot is going on for Kieran Culkin right now. He's a new dad, he has an Emmy nomination, he's dealing with life during the pandemic like the rest of us. But chaos is familiar to Kieran, who grew up in a...
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2020 / 8 / 17Episode 1149 - Kerry WashingtonKerry Washington has a lot to talk about with Marc, but it's appropriate that they spend the first portion of their conversation singing the praises of Lynn Shelton. Kerry talks about what Lynn brought to...
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2020 / 8 / 13Episode 1148 - Ellen PageAt the time when Juno became an award-winning hit film, Ellen Page experienced two things she never experienced before in her young life: She was now instantly famous and she fell in love. Unfortunately, the...
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2020 / 8 / 10Episode 1147 - Sarah SnookSarah Snook plays a character on Succession who exists in the center of the American power structure. But in real life, she's riding out the pandemic on the other side of the world, from her homeland of...
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2020 / 8 / 6Episode 1146 - Joe ListJoe List shot his new standup special a week before everything shut down, but that doesn't mean he's given up on comedy. He's been performing in parks, at drive-ins and even on Zoom. Marc talks with Joe about...
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2020 / 8 / 3Episode 1145 - Ice-TTumultuous times call for sensible comments from voices of reason. Who better to speak to the issues of the day than Ice-T? The legendary rapper, rocker and actor talks about his personal experiences with...
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2020 / 7 / 30Episode 1144 - Marsha WarfieldNot only is Marsha Warfield one of the early pioneers of the Comedy Store scene, she was also there at the start of standup comedy as we know it in Chicago. Marsha tells Marc what it was like to compete for...
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2020 / 7 / 27Episode 1143 - Seth RogenTrigger warning if you are an anti-Semite: First of all, why are you listening to this show? Get lost! Secondly, you are REALLY not going to like this episode. Seth Rogen returns to WTF for the first time in...
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2020 / 7 / 23Episode 1142 - Chris FairbanksChris Fairbanks lives the life of a comic, which means a lot of his life is on hold right now. Chris and Marc compare notes on what it's like to live alone during Covid, a non-ideal situation that is...
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2020 / 7 / 20Episode 1141 - Marc and Tom's Normal ThingsTom Scharpling and Marc spend some time talking about the kind of things we all cared about when life was normal: music, coffee, comedy, live performances, and other things that make us feel alive. Leave your...
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2020 / 7 / 16Episode 1140 - Jim CarreyJim Carrey just wrote his first novel, a semi-autobiographical look at show business and an examination of persona. It makes sense because Jim has been playing with persona during his entire career in show...
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2020 / 7 / 13Episode 1139 - Colin JostColin Jost has 15 years of Saturday Night Live under his belt but the time in his life he feels he's still running away from is his upbringing on Staten Island. Colin tells Marc why his Outer Borough roots...
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2020 / 7 / 9Episode 1138 - Helen MirrenDame Helen Mirren is a winner of the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy, and the BAFTA, and is in the middle of an illustrious career in which she played the great roles of Shakespeare, Catherine the Great and Queen...
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2020 / 7 / 6Episode 1137 - John LegendJohn Legend is a multiplatinum recording artist, a winner of the coveted EGOT, a loving family man and, as Marc found out in this conversation, a tremendously nice guy. The combination of John's talent and...
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2020 / 7 / 2Episode 1136 - George LopezGeorge Lopez says much of his career is driven by spite. He talks with Marc about how the people who told him he wasn't going to make it served as fuel for his ambitions, especially coming from a background...
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2020 / 6 / 30Carl Reiner from 2013From 2013, Marc talks with Carl Reiner about his journey from writing to acting to directing, as well as his collaborative relationships with Sid Ceasar, Dick Van Dyke, Steve Martin and, of course, Mel...
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2020 / 6 / 29Episode 1135 - Alan ZweibelOne thing Alan Zweibel learned by being a writer for so many funny people is you have to set your ego aside. In doing so, Alan was able to have a career spanning decades and criss-crossing with multiple...
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2020 / 6 / 25Episode 1134 - Nora McInernyAs Marc dealt with personal grief, he looked around the Internet for some guidance on coping with loss. He found a TED Talk by Nora McInerny, who spoke about losing her father, her husband and her unborn...
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2020 / 6 / 22Episode 1133 - Janelle MonáeJanelle Monáe is not going to stop creating, but right now she feels the urge to use her creativity in the service of action. Marc talks with Janelle about the social and political unrest in the...
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2020 / 6 / 18Episode 1132 - Amber Preston / J-L CauvinIt's been five years since President Obama joined Marc in the garage and WTF is marking the occasion not with Donald Trump, but with comedian J-L Cauvin, who talks to Marc about his Trump impression going...
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2020 / 6 / 15Episode 1131 - Joe PantolianoJoe Pantoliano is widely known for playing bad guys, lowlifes and disreputable characters. He even has his own pseudo-Mafioso nickname: Joey Pants. But Joe tells Marc the reason he got so good at playing bad...
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2020 / 6 / 11Episode 1130 - Stacey AbramsStacey Abrams believes deeply that the problems facing America today - police brutality, racial discrimination, economic inequality, Covid-19, creeping authoritarianism - all require the same solution: Free...
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2020 / 6 / 8Episode 1129 - Jerry SeinfeldWTF started as a comedy podcast. It’s a show made by a comedian who wanted to talk to other comedians about comedy. Finally, after more than 10 years, Marc talks with the most well-known, most successful, and...
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2020 / 6 / 5Episode 1128 - Chris CooperChris Cooper was a guy who worked with his hands. He was raised to be a cowboy on his father’s ranch, spent time building Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and worked as a jack-of-all-trades when he was...
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2020 / 6 / 3Episode 1127 - G.E. SmithG.E. Smith started playing guitar when he was four. As he grew up, he liked The Beatles fine but it was really the Kinks and the Stones that grabbed him. Cut to many years later and G.E.’s had the opportunity...
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2020 / 6 / 1Episode 1126 - Jeffrey WrightFilm and television production is on hold, but Jeffrey Wright is using the time to focus on his community. Jeffrey tells Marc how his attempt to help out a friend led him to a Brooklyn-wide effort to keep...
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2020 / 5 / 28Episode 1125 - Kenya BarrisKenya Barris retreated from the abusive situation in his childhood home by listening to party records and reading comic books. Those early influences shaped his understanding of who he is and prompted the...
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2020 / 5 / 25Episode 1124 - Samantha BeeSamantha Bee says there was a point in her teenage years when she was clearly headed toward a life of crime. Thankfully, that was also the point when she realized she was being an a-hole and things needed to...
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2020 / 5 / 21Remembering Fred WillardMarc revisits his 2012 conversation with comedic actor Fred Willard, in which they discuss Fred’s career in improv-heavy films and beloved television projects. Fred passed away at age 86 on May 15, 2020. Sign...
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2020 / 5 / 18Remembering Lynn SheltonMarc pays tribute to his creative collaborator and romantic partner Lynn Shelton, who passed away at age 54 on May 16, 2020. This episode includes her August 2015 interview on WTF. Sign up here for WTF+ to...
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2020 / 5 / 14Episode 1123 - Eliza Hittman / Dan SavageFilmmaker Eliza Hittman talks with Marc about telling the stories of teenagers in ways that feel like the lived experiences of actual teenagers. That’s partly achieved by the naturalistic performances she...
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2020 / 5 / 11Episode 1122 - Cate BlanchettConventional wisdom holds that Cate Blanchett is one of the world’s greatest living performers, but one person who disagrees with that is Cate Blanchett, who thinks she’s pretty terrible most of the time (her...
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2020 / 5 / 7Episode 1121 - Liz Garbus / Andy KindlerFilmmaker Liz Garbus knows the importance of telling stories. Her father is one of America’s preeminent First Amendment lawyers, defending people with important stories to tell like Daniel Ellsberg and Lenny...
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2020 / 5 / 4Episode 1120 - Dan LevyThe OTHER Dan Levy joins Marc to talk about the Canadian perspective of America, the rite of passage for all Canadians that is Degrassi, and having Eugene Levy as a dad. Dan reminisces about his first big...
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2020 / 4 / 30Episode 1119 - Whitmer ThomasComedian Whitmer Thomas and Marc made a movie together in Alabama. But while Marc was just a visitor, Whitmer knows Alabama to the core. Growing up in Gulf Shores and living the life of a disaffected Southern...
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2020 / 4 / 27Episode 1118 - Laura LinneyLaura Linney thinks about mortality a lot and not just because of the current global predicament. Her thoughts are driven mostly by late-in-life parenthood and how her six-year-old is a constant reminder of...
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2020 / 4 / 23Episode 1117 - Barry SonnenfeldDirector Barry Sonnenfeld had zero interest in film and went to college mainly to get away from his parents. His obsession with lenses and f-stops put him on the path to becoming a cinematographer and soon he...
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2020 / 4 / 20Episode 1116 - Rosie O'DonnellIn a first for WTF, Rosie O’Donnell joins Marc over video chat for a bicoastal conversation about her standup career, musical theater and life during coronavirus. Rosie recalls what it was like to become a...
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2020 / 4 / 16Episode 1115 - Sam MorrilThe other half of a quarantined comedy couple, Sam Morril joins Marc in the garage at a six-foot distance to talk about the circumstances keeping him away from his home in New York and living with Taylor...
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2020 / 4 / 13Episode 1114 - Taylor TomlinsonTaylor Tomlinson is possibly the first guest who grew up listening to WTF and learned the comic trade from comedians on the podcast. At the time, she was a teenager doing standup in churches and she was soon...
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2020 / 4 / 9Episode 1113 - Fran DrescherFran Drescher has a distinctive personality, but she says it wasn’t until her forties that she truly figured out who she is. Fran talks with Marc about growing up in Queens, being very close to her parents,...
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2020 / 4 / 8John Prine from 2016From Episode 746, Marc's conversation with John Prine about Kris Kristofferson, Steve Goodman, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt and delivering the mail. John passed away on April 7, 2020. Sign up here for WTF+ to get...
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2020 / 4 / 6Episode 1112 - Jeff DunhamA lot of comedians spend years or decades finding their voice on stage, but Jeff Dunham was very young when he settled on his comic voice. He then proceeded to throw that voice, to great success. Jeff tells...
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2020 / 4 / 2Episode 1111 - Byron BowersOne thing Byron Bowers knows for sure is that comedy taught him who he is. He needed it after a childhood filled with parental discord and moving around Georgia. That was followed by a period where Byron was...
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2020 / 4 / 1Adam Schlesinger from 2012From Episode 348, Marc's conversation with songwriter and musician Adam Schlesinger about Fountains of Wayne, That Thing You Do, Broadway and more. Adam passed away on March 31, 2020. Sign up here for WTF+ to...
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2020 / 3 / 30Episode 1110 - Ben SinclairEven with the popularity of his HBO series High Maintenance, Ben Sinclair is still not great at taking compliments. He gets a lot of them, considering the show is one of the early success stories from the...
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2020 / 3 / 26Episode 1109 - Kathy ValentineKathy Valentine is in one of the most famous and profitable female rock bands ever but she’s really taken to becoming a writer. That's because she’s got a lot of stories to tell. Kathy talks with Marc about...
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2020 / 3 / 23Episode 1108 - Dan AykroydDan Aykroyd has thrived in show business but he’s always been in tune with the business part as much as the show part. Whether it was running his own radio ad company or an after-hours speakeasy, or his House...
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2020 / 3 / 19Episode 1107 - Utkarsh AmbudkarThe world took notice of Utkarsh Ambudkar with his freestyle performance on the Oscar telecast but he was almost a classic cautionary character: The guy who blows his big break because of struggles with...
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2020 / 3 / 16Episode 1106 - Thandie NewtonWhen Thandie Newton took the part of Maeve on Westworld, she had no idea the character would wind up being a perfect metaphor for her life. As Thandie tells Marc, she didn’t really understand her outsider...
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2020 / 3 / 12Episode 1105 - Don GavinDon Gavin has Boston in his bones, so much so that he’s still cold even after moving to Florida. Marc reminisces with Don about their stand-up days in New England, where Don’s kindness and encouragement of...
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2020 / 3 / 9Episode 1104 - Don CheadleIt’s a good thing Marc cleaned the garage before Don Cheadle came over, otherwise Don might not have lived through this episode due to his life-threatening cat allergy. With no airborne irritants to cause...
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2020 / 3 / 5Episode 1103 - Thora BirchBeing sixteen is tough for almost everyone. But when Thora Birch was sixteen, she went from being a familiar child actor to the girl from an Oscar-winning phenomenon, American Beauty. That movie changed her...
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2020 / 3 / 2Episode 1102 - Peter BergFilmmaker Peter Berg and Marc never would have predicted their respective futures when they were living together in a shared apartment back when both of them were just starting out in Hollywood. Now, after...
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2020 / 2 / 27Episode 1101 - Carol KaneShow business paid off early for Carol Kane. She was in her first movie at age 17 and got an unexpected Academy Award nomination for Best Actress when she was 23. Carol tells Marc what it was like to break...
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2020 / 2 / 24Episode 1100 - Juliette LewisJuliette Lewis spent much of her life facing her fears. She was a natural introvert who was suddenly thrust into the spotlight as a teenager. She had anxiety about going to public places. She saw herself...
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2020 / 2 / 20Episode 1099 - Adam PallyAdam Pally watched his dad put his own show business ambitions aside while he personally washed out of a high school band and quit the basketball team. So Adam was used to the idea of things not going the way...
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2020 / 2 / 17Episode 1098 - Ronan FarrowRonan Farrow needed to come to terms with a lot of things. He processed the pain and trauma that existed in his family during his upbringing. He came to an understanding with his own ambition and drive. And...
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2020 / 2 / 13Episode 1097 - Brett SmrzSome people are born into stunt performing, some achieve it, and some have it thrust upon them. For Brett Smrz, it’s all three. He was born into a family of stuntmen, including his uncle who died doing a...
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2020 / 2 / 10Episode 1096 - Ben SchwartzBen Schwartz was afraid to do plays in high school. In fact, if it wasn’t for his college girlfriend pushing him to audition for the school improv group, his life would be dramatically different. Ben talks...
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2020 / 2 / 6Episode 1095 - Dan LevyOnce Marc gets over the confusion around Dan Levy’s name (he pronounces it differently than the Dan Levy from Schitt’s Creek), he tries to figure out how Dan went from being a guy opening at comedy clubs to a...
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2020 / 2 / 3Episode 1094 - Ashton KutcherAshton Kutcher is still close with the modeling agent who discovered him in a bar in Iowa. He’s also still with the manager who got him his first acting work. Ashton talks with Marc about why he feels such a...
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2020 / 1 / 30Episode 1093 - Ben BaileyBen Bailey and Marc share a particular gripe as comics. Both of them became widely known for beloved projects they started doing on a whim. For Ben it was Cash Cab, for Marc it was this podcast. And as much...
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2020 / 1 / 27Episode 1092 - Terry CrewsTerry Crews survived a lot. He survived a tumultuous upbringing in an alcoholic household. He survived the destruction of his hometown, Flint, Michigan. He survived playing in the NFL. He survived a...
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2020 / 1 / 23Episode 1091 - Josh KlinghofferJosh Klinghoffer came over to Marc’s house just days after receiving the surprising news from the Red Hot Chili Peppers that his time with the band was over. He talks with Marc about John Frusciante’s sudden...
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2020 / 1 / 20Episode 1090 - Brian CoxWhen listening to actor Brian Cox talk with Marc, it’s hard to see how this pleasant man is anything like the despotic, cold-blooded patriarch Logan Roy, who he plays on HBO’s Succession. Except there is one...
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2020 / 1 / 16Episode 1089 - Randall ParkRandall Park’s Korean immigrant parents were skeptical about their son’s career path. But that all changed when Randall played the actual dictator of North Korea in The Interview, a movie that caused an...
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2020 / 1 / 13Episode 1088 - Lily TomlinLily Tomlin received a bit of advice early in her life that she really took to heart: If you can’t be direct, why be? Lily’s direct approach to performing, exemplified by her creation of original characters,...
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2020 / 1 / 9Episode 1087 - Joe MantegnaJoe Mantegna is about as Chicago as they come. He grew up in Chicago, he talks like he’s from Chicago, he got his acting start in Chicago, he even used to play with the band Chicago. That might explain why he...
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2020 / 1 / 6Episode 1086 - Brad Pitt & Leonardo DiCaprioDuring a victory lap for their movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio put movie stardom on hold for an hour to have a chat with Marc. They talk about their early days as show...
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2020 / 1 / 2Episode 1085 - Scott CaanScott Caan stars in major movies, is on a long running television series, published his own photography, wrote more than 20 plays, and yet he’s still not sure what he wants to do when he grows up. Scott and...
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2019 / 12 / 30Episode 1084 - Shauna DugginsShauna Duggins does stunts for blockbuster movies and TV series, but at first she just wanted to entertain. She went to Los Angeles fresh out of college with a business degree and a lifetime of gymnastics...
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2019 / 12 / 26Episode 1083 - Brittany HowardBrittany Howard always needs to keep moving forward. That’s part of the reason she made the difficult decision to take a break from her band Alabama Shakes and go out on her own. Now, for the first time as a...
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2019 / 12 / 23Episode 1082 - Jimmy TingleJimmy Tingle has a lot in common with Marc and many other Boston-based WTF guests. But what sets Jimmy apart is the merger of his comedy with politics and civic engagement. Jimmy tells Marc about his...
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2019 / 12 / 19Episode 1081 - Alex GibneyAcademy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney is always trying to understand why things are the way they are. He’s done so with Enron, Scientology, the War on Terror, Donald Trump and other topics where he...
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2019 / 12 / 16Episode 1080 - Jay RoachJay Roach went from directing major comedies like the Austin Powers series and Meet the Parents to making timely political films like Recount, Game Change and his new movie Bombshell. The transition makes...
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2019 / 12 / 12Episode 1079 - Paul Walter HauserTo play Richard Jewell, Paul Walter Hauser knew he needed to tap into a part of himself he thought he left behind in Saginaw, Michigan. Paul and Marc talk about his Christian upbringing as the son of a...
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2019 / 12 / 9Episode 1078 - Cedric the EntertainerBefore he was a King of Comedy, before he was even an entertainer, he was Cedric the Insurance Claims Adjuster. Cedric and Marc talk about his emergence in the St. Louis-area comedy scene and how the business...
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2019 / 12 / 5Episode 1077 - Ethan RussellPhotographer Ethan Russell is the only person to shoot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, which is quite an achievement considering he didn’t even want a career as a photographer....
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2019 / 12 / 2Episode 1076 - Jessica KirsonThere was a point in Jessica Kirson’s life where she was living with too many secrets. She was a pot dealer, she had a hidden cocaine habit, and she was deeply in the closet. Jessica worked to unburden...
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2019 / 11 / 28Episode 1075 - Keith WagerKeith Wager is a recovery friend of Marc’s who has a lot to be thankful for. Instead of doing drugs and getting arrested, like he did in the past, now he’s telling stories about his addiction and recovery on...
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2019 / 11 / 25Episode 1074 - Mike SweeneyMike Sweeney tried on several different careers before becoming the head writer for Conan O’Brien: trial lawyer, standup comedian, warm-up comic. But it’s a miracle he was able to do any of them after growing...
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2019 / 11 / 21Episode 1073 - Louis KatzComic Louis Katz was working with Marc just before the launch of WTF. In the ten years since, Louis and Marc have taken paths that are both similar and completely different. They share their experiences on...
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2019 / 11 / 18Episode 1072 - Nathan LaneWhen a very complementary newspaper profile called Nathan Lane “the last of the great entertainers,” Nathan couldn’t help but wonder, “Is that all there is?” Nathan talks with Marc about the subsequent steps...
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2019 / 11 / 14Episode 1071 - Lili TaylorActress Lili Taylor and Marc quickly realize how much they have in common, like their nearly 50 combined years of sobriety, their similar stories about parents struggling with mental illness, and their search...
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2019 / 11 / 11Episode 1070 - Tony HaleTony Hale is trying to be more present. He’s motivated by the fact that some of the biggest moments of his career on shows like Arrested Development and Veep are lost down the memory hole. Tony and Marc trace...
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2019 / 11 / 7Episode 1069 - Kate NashKate Nash says getting cast on GLOW saved her life and, when you hear about the emotional roller coaster she was on before landing the gig, that might literally be true. Kate tells Marc what it was like to...
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2019 / 11 / 4Episode 1068 - John GoodmanJohn Goodman has more than four decades of experience on stage, in movies, and on television, but he’s just now learning to trust himself. After a lifetime of trying to please everyone and beating himself up...
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2019 / 10 / 31Episode 1067 - Joan ShelleyMarc doesn’t consider himself a “folk music guy” but he cannot deny how strongly he responds to singer-songwriter Joan Shelley’s work. Joan talks with Marc about her Kentucky upbringing and how she’s careful...
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2019 / 10 / 28Episode 1066 - Edward NortonEdward Norton knows the importance of slowing things down. While many entertainers feel the need to move immediately from project to project, Edward has learned from his peers, his idols, and his own...
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2019 / 10 / 24Episode 1065 - Pamela Des BarresNo one can doubt Pamela Des Barres’s commitment to the life of rock and roll. She’s known as THE rock groupie, but further distinguished herself as a writer, educator, tour guide and interviewer, all...
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2019 / 10 / 21Episode 1064 - Rick BakerIt’s very likely Rick Baker created something that made you smile, laugh, cringe, scream, or all of the above, as one of the most innovative and memorable creators of makeup effects in movie history. Rick...
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2019 / 10 / 17Episode 1063 - Woody HarrelsonLiving in Hawaii gives Woody Harrelson a pretty good perspective of what life should really be about. It’s a mentality that influences the way he chooses projects, the way he engages in activism, and the way...
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2019 / 10 / 14Episode 1062 - Rachel MaddowMarc sees Rachel Maddow on TV almost every night. But there was a time when they saw each other every day, back when they worked together at Air America Radio. Rachel and Marc talk about those early radio...
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2019 / 10 / 10Episode 1061 - Jackie TohnJackie Tohn is the co-star on GLOW who Marc feels he knows the most. Not because they knew each other before making the show, but because they share backgrounds and upbringings that make them very familiar to...
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2019 / 10 / 7Episode 1060 - Argus HamiltonArgus Hamilton is the human embodiment of The Comedy Store, with the distinction of being one of the original Comedy Store comics and the only person of his generation who still works there today. In other...
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2019 / 10 / 3Episode 1059 - Danny DeVitoDanny DeVito is one of America’s most beloved actors and that’s true across multiple generations. Whether it’s because you came of age with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or watched Taxi every week or...
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2019 / 9 / 30Episode 1058 - Marilu HennerMarilu Henner will not forget what was said in this conversation. That’s mostly because she has a rare condition that allows her to remember virtually everything that ever happened to her. But it’s also...
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2019 / 9 / 26Episode 1057 - Jeannie GaffiganJeannie Gaffigan had a lot on her plate. She was raising five kids, writing comedy with her husband Jim, and producing a television sitcom. She was so busy taking care of others that she forgot to take care...
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2019 / 9 / 23Episode 1056 - Byron AllenHow did Byron Allen go from teenage stand-up to highly successful media mogul and entrepreneur? Byron thinks it has everything to do with growing up in Detroit, watching his dad working at Ford and...
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2019 / 9 / 19Episode 1055 - Chaunté WayansChaunté Wayans has a last name that adds a lot of pressure to a comedy career. She also happens to be the niece and cousin of many famous comedians with that last name. That’s one reason she stayed away from...
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2019 / 9 / 16Episode 1054 - June Diane RaphaelJune Diane Raphael knows people are likely to mispronounce her last name (it’s RAY-feel) but she’s ok with it. She has other things on her mind right now, like being a working mom in Hollywood, getting more...
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2019 / 9 / 12Episode 1053 - Danny HustonDanny Huston felt somewhat doomed when it came to show business. His father John and grandfather Walter were legendary Hollywood figures and his half-sister Anjelica seemed like the coolest person in the...
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2019 / 9 / 9Episode 1052 - Bruce DernWhen Bruce Dern showed up at The Actors Studio, Lee Strasberg told him he was going to be their Frankenstein Monster and Elia Kazan told him “you’re not into acting, you’re just into being.” But they also...
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2019 / 9 / 5Episode 1051 - Edi PattersonWhen Marc first saw Edi Patterson on Vice Principals, he knew she was the kind of performer who can’t possibly stifle who she is. It turns out her raw, comedic intensity was born in Texas oil-refining...
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2019 / 9 / 2Episode 1050 - Dale BeranUnlike Marc, Dale Beran was immersed in internet culture for most of his life. He considered himself an artistic, creative person with aspirations to become a writer. But what Dale discovered in the online...
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2019 / 8 / 29Episode 1049 - Buddy GuyLegendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy had many insecurities about performing and they didn’t really subside until musicians like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck would tell him how big of an influence he was on them....
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2019 / 8 / 26Episode 1048 - Betty GilpinBetty Gilpin’s performance on GLOW has brought her critical accolades, Emmy nominations, and personal fulfillment. So why does she feel like she’s constantly running from a monster that is snapping at her...
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2019 / 8 / 22Episode 1047 - David ShieldsDavid Shields is always looking to push the form forward, whether it’s by way of his writing, his filmmaking or his thinking. Using collage-style prose and film techniques to help draw connections, David...
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2019 / 8 / 19Episode 1046 - Patricia ClarksonPatricia Clarkson came to show business by way of New Orleans, where exposure to all manner of public figures who were equal parts good and bad may explain why she never judges the characters she plays, even...
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2019 / 8 / 17Peter Fonda from 2018From Episode 930, Marc's conversation with actor Peter Fonda about childhood trauma, Easy Rider, and talking George Harrison down from a bad trip. Peter passed away on August 16, 2019. Sign up here for WTF+...
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2019 / 8 / 15Episode 1045 - Stephen RootStephen Root grew up moving all over the country because of his dad’s job. Being uprooted all the time meant he was shy and quiet without too many friends. Fortunately, shy, quiet people are good observers....
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2019 / 8 / 12Episode 1044 - Bashir SalahuddinBashir Salahuddin is having a moment. He has two new shows out that he co-created and stars in, South Side and Sherman’s Showcase. He’s back in the third season of GLOW. And he’ll be in Top Gun: Maverick next...
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2019 / 8 / 8Episode 1043 - Greg KinnearGreg Kinnear actually bailed on being an actor. Even though he performed in high school plays and hosted his own radio show as a teenager, when he started acting in college he decided it wasn’t for him. As...
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2019 / 8 / 5Episode 1042 - Walton GogginsWalton Goggins has played tough guys, weird guys and guys who completely defy description, but to him it’s all just playing pretend. Walton found himself as the center of attention at a young age while he was...
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2019 / 8 / 1Episode 1041 - Juston McKinneyJuston McKinney’s story keeps coming back to New Hampshire. It’s where he grew up, where he lost his mother at age six, where his father was a homeless alcoholic, and where Juston became a cop. He tells Marc...
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2019 / 7 / 29Episode 1040 - Kurt AndersenAt some point in the past decade, Kurt Andersen felt like he had to figure out America. Coming from a professional career rooted in satire and troublemaking, Kurt had a pretty good vantage point to examine...
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2019 / 7 / 25Episode 1039 - Tom DreesenNow that Tom Dreesen has 50 years in show business under his belt, he wants to enjoy life. He’s earned it because he’s already experienced enough for five lifetimes. Tom takes Marc all the way back to when he...
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2019 / 7 / 22Episode 1038 - Geena DavisGeena Davis says the biggest thing she had to learn as she made her way through show business was how to speak up for herself. This was particularly difficult because she was taught at a very young age that...
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2019 / 7 / 18Episode 1037 - Alex Ross PerryNot only did director and writer Alex Ross Perry work in a video store while he was learning to become a filmmaker, his first film crew was made up of his friends and co-workers at the video store and they...
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2019 / 7 / 15Episode 1036 - Sean LennonSean Lennon admits that he was naïve about his family legacy when he began a career in music. He also admits that when he received bad reviews for his first solo record, deep down he agreed with them. Sean...
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2019 / 7 / 11Episode 1035 - Nahnatchka KhanWhen Nahnatchka Khan started developing Fresh Off The Boat for TV, she knew it was an undertaking that no one had tried for more than 20 years: A network sitcom with an Asian-American cast. And it was a...
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2019 / 7 / 8Episode 1034 - David Lee RothYou only need to hear David Lee Roth talk for a few seconds to understand why he is the consummate rock and roll frontman. Diamond Dave takes Marc on a stream of consciousness ride through his past, present,...
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2019 / 7 / 4Episode 1033 - Jamie LeeJamie Lee started her career in close proximity to comedy, but not actually doing it. She was working in PR at Comedy Central and found herself around a lot of comics in a professional capacity. It wasn’t...
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2019 / 7 / 1Episode 1032 - Stephen DorffStephen Dorff started acting in movies before he was a teenager, but the sudden and tragic death of his brother made him contemplate leaving the business altogether. Stephen tells Marc why he stuck it out and...
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2019 / 6 / 27Episode 1031 - Brent ButtEven though Brent Butt grew up in rural Saskatchewan, his path to comedy is similar to American comics, except it was exclusively Canadian. He was a directionless youth who was taken in by comedy on Canadian...
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2019 / 6 / 24Episode 1030 - Stephen ColbertBefore Stephen Colbert knew what he wanted to do with his life, all he wanted was to be Hamlet. Not to play Hamlet, but to be Hamlet. That’s how he felt as an outsider teen dealing with family tragedy and...
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2019 / 6 / 20Episode 1029 - Steve SweeneyWhen Steve Sweeney was growing up in Boston, the last thing he expected to become was an entertainer. He rubbed elbows with career criminals in Charlestown but somehow wound up doing summertime productions of...
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2019 / 6 / 17Episode 1028 - Eve EnslerWhen Marc read Eve Ensler’s new book The Apology, he knew he had to speak with her right away. Not just because it was a harrowing, beautifully written, courageous book, but because Marc believes the book...
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2019 / 6 / 13Episode 1027 - Jamie DenboJamie Denbo’s life and career would not be the same were it not for her job at a Renaissance fair. Her future in comedy, improv, acting, and now writing and producing might not have taken shape if she didn’t...
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2019 / 6 / 10Episode 1026 - Mavis StaplesAs Mavis Staples turns 80 years old, she continues to perform and record with young musicians and producers across musical genres, just as she’s done her whole life. Mavis talks with Marc about her early...
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2019 / 6 / 6Episode 1025 - Perry FarrellPerry Farrell is the creative force behind Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros, and the Lollapalooza festival, but while talking with Marc, it’s clear a lot of Perry's focus these days is on being a dad. Perry...
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2019 / 6 / 3Episode 1024 - John TurturroWhen you talk with John Turturro, it’s quickly apparent that he’s a student of history. But John says that type of education really only happened for him once he left school and engaged with the world. His...
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2019 / 5 / 30Episode 1023 - David LettermanDavid Letterman started out doing the very thing that scared him to death - getting up in front of strangers and trying to make them laugh. Now after wrapping up a legendary and influential career as late...
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2019 / 5 / 27Episode 1022 - Timothy OlyphantIn the last decade or so, Timothy Olyphant realized that a lot of his interests when he was younger were either impractical, ill-fitting or not very cool. He found himself going in many different directions...
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2019 / 5 / 23Episode 1021 - Duff McKaganDuff McKagan weathered the storm of rock and roll excess and now finds himself with a loving family, sobriety, a reunited band, and a new solo album. Duff takes Marc back to the days when he first met Axl...
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2019 / 5 / 20Episode 1020 - Lisa KudrowOf course Lisa Kudrow talks with Marc about Friends. But first they discuss several other topics Lisa knows well, including genealogy, global migration patterns, evolutionary biology, and headaches. Lisa also...
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2019 / 5 / 16Episode 1019 - Kyle MooneyA fateful moment in Kyle Mooney’s life was when his high school hip hop group went up in flames. Quite literally. All his equipment was destroyed in a fire. Lacking an outlet for his creativity, Kyle...
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2019 / 5 / 13Episode 1018 - Anjelica HustonIf there was one constant in Anjelica Huston’s early life and career, it was the pressure to prove herself. Anjelica tells Marc about the benefits and drawbacks of being part of a Hollywood dynasty, the...
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2019 / 5 / 9Episode 1017 - Anna Konkle & Maya ErskineAnna Konkle and Maya Erskine, co-creators and stars of the middle school-based comedy PEN15, met and bonded in college. But they knew their most authentic collaboration would come from playing themselves as...
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2019 / 5 / 6Episode 1016 - Dennis QuaidDennis Quaid believes in the benefits of familiarity. In fact, he attributes his career to it. Multiple generations of audiences know him for different films, be it Breaking Away or Dreamscape or The Parent...
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2019 / 5 / 2Episode 1015 - Irwin WinklerAfter fifty years in Hollywood producing some of the most popular movies of all time, Irwin Winkler says the question he still gets asked the most is, What does a producer do? To get the answer, Irwin tells...
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2019 / 4 / 29Episode 1014 - Jane FondaJane Fonda is still acting and is still an activist, two constants in her entire adult life. But as she tells Marc, Jane spent a lot of her life thinking she was a worthless person. Carrying the twin burdens...
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2019 / 4 / 25Episode 1013 - Bryan CallenBryan Callen always wished he could be a tough guy. Maybe it was the influence of his Marine father or maybe it was the snippets of American culture he was taking in as he grew up all over the world. Whatever...
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2019 / 4 / 22Episode 1012 - Brené BrownBrené Brown’s degree in social work and her research into conditions like empathy and vulnerability led to one of the most viewed TED Talks of all time, millions of readers of her books, and celebrity...
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2019 / 4 / 18Episode 1011 - Mark Arm / The Pashman ComethMark Arm was there at the beginning of a Seattle music scene that became a national phenomenon. But all Mark ever thought he and his bandmates were doing was entertaining themselves. Mark talks about how he...
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2019 / 4 / 15Episode 1010 - Christina HendricksChristina Hendricks can relate if you had a lousy time in high school. Between moving around a lot to her goth fashion style and music choices to her time spent with the school theater crew, Christina was a...
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2019 / 4 / 11Episode 1009 - Bruce McCullochBruce McCulloch’s characters and disposition on The Kids in the Hall would lead you to conclude he’s somewhat shy, sensitive and kind. And while that may be true now, Bruce says he was an angry young man, a...
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2019 / 4 / 8Episode 1008 - Vincent D'OnofrioThe last time Vincent D’Onofrio saw Marc it was at a standup show where Marc got tackled on stage by a disgruntled audience member. A lot has changed for both of them since then. You know Marc's story. But...
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2019 / 4 / 4Episode 1007 - T Bone BurnettGrowing up in Texas, young Joseph Henry Burnett first experienced musical transportation while listening to records of Cole Porter and Ella Fitzgerald. He developed into not just a versatile musician and...
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2019 / 4 / 1Episode 1006 - John LithgowJohn Lithgow can go from playing the sweetest characters you’ll ever see to truly deranged psychopaths, sometimes within the same movie. He’s good at playing kind and evil in equal measure partly because he...
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2019 / 3 / 28Episode 1005 - Phoebe RobinsonPhoebe Robinson knows too well the feeling of being “the only one.” Whether it was being the only black person in her grade, the only woman or person of color on a standup show, or the only person being asked...
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2019 / 3 / 25Episode 1004 - Rob LoweRob Lowe had several revelations over the course of his life. One is that there’s more fun in sobriety than in being under the influence. Another is that he should have had a sex tape scandal later in life...
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2019 / 3 / 21Episode 1003 - Tal WilkenfeldThe word prodigy gets thrown around a lot, but if Tal Wilkenfeld isn’t one then the word has no meaning. Tal tells Marc how she never even saw a person play guitar until she was 14 years old. Thanks to...
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2019 / 3 / 18Episode 1002 - Amy SedarisAmy Sedaris had no plan of action for her career other than going to Chicago to do sketch comedy and going to New York to do plays with her brother David. And as she tells Marc, she still has no plan except...
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2019 / 3 / 14Episode 1001 - Aidy BryantAidy Bryant only recently felt like she could tap into her inner rage. She remains a wonderfully nice person and hilarious performer, but with things like her new show Shrill and other mental adjustments,...
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2019 / 3 / 11Episode 1000 - Episode 1000To celebrate the milestone of 1000 episodes, Marc and WTF producer Brendan McDonald reflect on how they got here, why they created the show in the first place, and what the future holds for them and WTF. They...
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2019 / 3 / 7The Marc and Tom Show #5Media juggernauts Marc Maron and Tom Scharpling join forces once again, this time to save not only themselves but the world as well. Along the way, they talk about Howard Stern, movie theater food, falling...
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2019 / 3 / 4Episode 999 - Alfred MolinaAlfred Molina was told early on that he was a “dreadful actor but a marvelous show off.” Thankfully, he took that assessment as a positive and became one of our great actors, working in experimental British...
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2019 / 2 / 28Episode 998 - Gary Clark Jr.Gary Clark Jr. tries not to put too much pressure on himself. That’s not surprising since outside forces seem to put a lot of pressure on Gary, with guys like Eric Clapton asking him to go on tour and outlets...
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2019 / 2 / 25Episode 997 - Andrea SavageAndrea Savage didn't really know Marc but thought he was a little scary. Marc didn't know Andrea but found her to be intimidating. What was it about these two funny people that had them keeping a distance...
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2019 / 2 / 21Episode 996 - Jon BernthalJon Bernthal’s path to becoming an actor was less about following a dream than about getting out of a nightmare. Before he was The Punisher or other streetwise characters in The Wolf of Wall Street and The...
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2019 / 2 / 18Episode 995 - Mandy MooreMandy Moore has already gone through several career phases in her young life, from teenage pop star to animated voice artist to dramatic actress. But her latest phase, as matriarch Rebecca Pearson on This Is...
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2019 / 2 / 14Episode 994 - Yeardley Smith / Krusty the ClownYeardley Smith knows that Lisa Simpson gets people through tough times. She knows because strangers come up to her in public and tell her how much Lisa helped them. And yet, despite portraying this iconic...
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2019 / 2 / 11Episode 993 - Tony ShalhoubTony Shalhoub grew up with nine siblings so it’s no surprise he developed a way to stand out. Tony and Marc talk about his upbringing in Green Bay, Wisconsin, worshiping at the Church of Lombardi, aka Lambeau...
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2019 / 2 / 7Episode 992 - Yorgos LanthimosYorgos Lanthimos makes films that pose a lot of questions and Marc wants answers. But it turns out the question Yorgos finds the least interesting is “Why?” Perhaps his disinterest in simple answers stems...
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2019 / 2 / 4Episode 991 - Anderson .PaakLong before Anderson .Paak was getting nominated for Grammy Awards, well before his collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip, before he was releasing solo albums to critical acclaim, he had...
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2019 / 1 / 31Episode 990 - Allan MacDonellWriter Allan MacDonell shaped his writing style at the punk magazine Slash, refined it while working for Larry Flint at Hustler, and turned it all on its ear with his trilogy of memoirs. Allan tells Marc how...
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2019 / 1 / 28Episode 989 - Allison JanneyAllison Janney won an Oscar playing the mother of a figure skater, but when she was younger she actually wanted to be a figure skater. That dream was cut short by a freak accident as a teenager and her acting...
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2019 / 1 / 24Episode 988 - Brad GarrettIf Brad Garrett had to bet on it - and he likes to bet - he’s pretty sure he’ll die in Las Vegas. Which is appropriate because he grew up with an abiding love of Vegas and got his comedy start at the famous...
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2019 / 1 / 21Episode 987 - Aaron SorkinIt's very possible the only reason Aaron Sorkin became a writer is because he spent a lonely night in a friend's apartment where the only thing working was an electric typewriter. Aaron tells Marc how that...
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2019 / 1 / 17Episode 986 - Linda CardelliniFor Linda Cardellini, a person whose spiritual crisis took her all the way to the Vatican, it's appropriate that the pivotal moment in her career happened when she took a leap of faith on a little TV pilot...
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2019 / 1 / 14Episode 985 - Howie MandelHowie Mandel went to Hollywood and tried to make a living by putting a latex glove on his head. He never thought he’d be able to maintain it, so he always made other plans: Investor, entrepreneur, actor,...
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2019 / 1 / 10Episode 984 - Sam LipsyteNot only is Sam Lipsyte one of the funniest modern fiction authors, he’s also one of Marc’s best friends, a kindred spirit with whom Marc shares a deep mutual respect and understanding. Whenever Marc is in...
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2019 / 1 / 7Episode 983 - Steve CooganWhen Steve Coogan realized he was good at doing impressions, he also realized it was a really good way to get attention. But Steve also knew he had to deliver beyond the impressions if he wanted to get...
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2019 / 1 / 3Episode 982 - Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlane can host award shows, create button-pushing animated shows, and sing standards in symphony halls, but nothing changes the fact that he’s an introvert by nature. Seth tells Marc why he’s always...
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2018 / 12 / 31Episode 981 - Reinaldo Marcus GreenBefore directing his first feature film, Reinaldo Marcus Green's life could have gone down multiple paths. There was baseball in his teen years, then teaching elementary school students, then going to work on...
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2018 / 12 / 27Episode 980 - Kyle DunniganKyle Dunnigan was saved from a midlife crisis by Instagram. He explains to Marc how he bent the social media platform to suit his comedy as they both discuss the challenges of facing down middle age. Kyle...
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2018 / 12 / 24Episode 979 - Topher GraceTopher Grace is at a point where he’s only going to make what he wants to make. Not all actors can afford that luxury, but Topher tells Marc that working on That '70s Show for seven years taught him more...
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2018 / 12 / 20Episode 978 - Fahim AnwarFahim Anwar's path to show business went through Boeing. It's not the most traditional route to Hollywood success, but it was necessary for a son of immigrant parents who did not approve of his standup comedy...
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2018 / 12 / 17Episode 977 - The Beastie BoysMichael Diamond and Adam Horovitz deal with many of the typical challenges of middle age, but they’re still deeply in touch with the alter egos they created four decades ago: Mike D and Ad-Rock. They tell...
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2018 / 12 / 13Episode 976 - Maggie GyllenhaalMaggie Gyllenhaal grew up with filmmaker parents but didn't really feel like her family was in show business. That disconnect has helped her in her work and life, like when she performs with her...
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2018 / 12 / 10Episode 975 - Jeff DanielsJeff Daniels has delivered great performances in films, plays and TV shows for more than 40 years but he thought a true “dream role” had eluded him. Until now. Marc talks with Jeff in the midst of rehearsals...
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2018 / 12 / 6Episode 974 - Ted AlexandroTed Alexandro is a comic who believes deeply in social responsibility. Whether it’s responsibility to his fellow comics as he fought for better pay from clubs, or to his fellow citizens as part of the Occupy...
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2018 / 12 / 3Episode 973 - Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson might be a familiar face due to his indelible character roles in many films, but that didn’t stop him from defying just about all of Marc’s preconceptions about him. Marc had no idea, for...
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2018 / 11 / 29Episode 972 - Jeff TweedyJeff Tweedy doesn’t spend a lot of time reflecting on the past. But he awakened a whole lot of it while writing his new memoir. That means he has fresh thoughts on his mind about Jay Farrar, Uncle Tupelo, the...
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2018 / 11 / 26Episode 971 - Martin MullMartin Mull has many job titles in front of his name: Actor, musician, painter, writer, comedian. But when he was younger, struggling to make it as any of those things, he couldn't afford heat for his...
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2018 / 11 / 22Episode 970 - Annie LedermanComedian and writer Annie Lederman saw her adolescence take a turn for the worse after a childhood car crash. She was growing up with learning disabilities and attending a Quaker school. Then after the crash...
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2018 / 11 / 19Episode 969 - Kenneth LonerganKenneth Lonergan doesn’t think there’s a real difference between comedy and drama, at least not in the way he writes and directs. The playwright-screenwriter-director talks with Marc about the lie of...
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2018 / 11 / 15Episode 968 - Michael DouglasMichael Douglas produced an Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, was the star of a successful television series, and was compiling a notable filmography both in front of and behind the camera. But he still...
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2018 / 11 / 12Episode 967 - D.L. Hughley"The most dangerous place for black people to live is in white people’s imaginations." That idea has allowed D.L. Hughley to organize a lot of his thoughts on what we're dealing with as a country, and he...
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2018 / 11 / 8Episode 966 - Sandy HackettSandy Hackett learned from the best, but not just because Buddy Hackett was his dad. But also because Buddy was his best friend, his road companion, and the guy he opened for night after night. Sandy tells...
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2018 / 11 / 5Episode 965 - Rita RudnerRita Rudner is very likely the only person to start a comedy career because of an article in the New York Times business section on soft soap. It was quite the turn of events for Rita, who was dancing...
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2018 / 11 / 1Episode 964 - Roger DaltreyRoger Daltrey believes you can't retire from rock and roll, rock and roll retires you. But for now, as long as Pete can still play and Roger can "sing the s--- out of the songs," The Who will go on. On the...
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2018 / 10 / 29Episode 963 - Zoe KazanZoe Kazan doesn't think much about the concept of "Hollywood royalty." Yes, her parents are in show business, but she still had to run the gauntlet of failed auditions and odd jobs. Yes, her grandfather's...
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2018 / 10 / 25Episode 962 - Eric IdlePython Week continues on WTF as Eric Idle gives Marc his perspective on the creation of the legendary British comedy group, talks about the making of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Rutles, and Spamalot,...
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2018 / 10 / 22Episode 961 - John CleeseJohn Cleese says there's one constant throughout his life, from Monty Python through today. He still has a very strong childish side and it has done him well. John talks to Marc about putting that childish...
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2018 / 10 / 18Episode 960 - Richard E. Grant / Brian PosehnActor Richard E. Grant keeps a daily diary and has done so since he was ten years old. Having immediate access to his past experiences has no doubt helped his performances as a wide variety of characters...
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2018 / 10 / 15Episode 959 - Busy PhilippsBusy Philipps is on the cusp of becoming a late night talk show host, so it's appropriate for her and Marc to talk about anything and everything during an afternoon in the garage. Busy explains what it's...
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2018 / 10 / 11Episode 958 - Kurt VileRecording artist Kurt Vile and Marc like a lot of the same stuff: Tom Scharpling, the blues, Randy Newman, Neil Young, flat driveways. They get to share their mutual admiration of these things while also...
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2018 / 10 / 8Episode 957 - Charles DemersWriter and comedian Charles Demers has a lot of thoughts on the differences between the United States and his home country, Canada. Differences that are political, social and professional. But he also tells...
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2018 / 10 / 4Episode 956 - Sissy SpacekSissy Spacek was a girl from Texas with a guitar who just wanted to sing. But after spending some time as a teenager living in New York City with her relatives, Rip Torn and Geraldine Page, Sissy got the...
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2018 / 10 / 1Episode 955 - Anna FarisAnna Faris had Marc on her podcast once. They both agree it got a little weird. They try to navigate that weirdness in the garage for Round Two, while also discussing Anna's painful insecurity as a teen, the...
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2018 / 9 / 26Episode 954 - Gale Anne HurdGale Anne Hurd is one of Hollywood’s most successful producers, with films like The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss and Armageddon under her belt. She tells Marc how her first job out of college, working as an...
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2018 / 9 / 23Episode 953 - Joan JettJoan Jett wanted to be a rocker ever since she got a hold of a guitar, even though she was told girls don’t play rock and roll. That didn't stop her from forming The Runaways despite the sexist roadblocks the...
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2018 / 9 / 19Episode 952 - SlashSlash is known for guitar wizardry, the top hat, and a prolific career across several major rock acts. But he's less known as Saul Hudson, a British, biracial son of a costume designer who was into drawing...
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2018 / 9 / 16Episode 951 - Kristen BellKristen Bell had an experience as a guest on WTF that not many others get to enjoy: Marc made her a meal beforehand. So with a full stomach, Kristen and Marc talk about why Dax Shepard is pushing her to have...
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2018 / 9 / 12Episode 950 - Adam Cayton-HollandComedian, actor and writer Adam Cayton-Holland didn't plan on having a memoir in his 30s. But Adam's life took a stunning turn when his sister took her life six years ago and the grief process ran through the...
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2018 / 9 / 9Episode 949 - Billy EichnerBilly Eichner was singing before he was yelling. The star of Billy on the Street had an early love of Broadway and musical theater but, as he tells Marc, comedy didn’t come quickly. No stand-up, no improv, no...
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2018 / 9 / 5Episode 948 - Sir Paul McCartneyMarc talks with Paul McCartney about, well, a lot: The Beatles and Stones rivalry that wasn’t, his current relationship with Ringo, the influence of Little Richard, The Who, The Beach Boys, how he needs to...
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2018 / 9 / 2Episode 947 - Dan SchlisselDan Schlissel died recently. He tells Marc all about it, along with the less harrowing tale of how an isolated Jewish kid from Nebraska got into producing records. Dan turned his production know-how into a...
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2018 / 8 / 29Episode 946 - Ian Bagg / Bert KreischerIf there was a competition for WTF guest who comes from the most far-flung, middle-of-nowhere place, comedian Ian Bagg would probably win by a lot. Ian tells Marc about growing up in Northern British...
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2018 / 8 / 26Episode 945 - Jo KoyJo Koy is one of the biggest headlining comedians in the world and it might not have turned out that way if he hadn't become a vigorous self-promoter. Jo tells Marc how moving around a lot as part of a...
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2018 / 8 / 22Episode 944 - Tanya Donnelly / Jason BatemanA lot has changed in the 30 years since Marc and Tanya Donnelly worked together at a luncheonette in Boston. Tanya saw her emerging music career take off in the early '90s, thanks to her bands Throwing Muses,...
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2018 / 8 / 19Episode 943 - Shooter Jennings / Rob RiggleShooter Jennings was born into Nashville royalty, the son of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. But he didn't exactly fit the Outlaw Country archetype. In fact, he was a computer nerd whose real influence was...
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2018 / 8 / 15Episode 942 - Joe WalshThere were two times Joe Walsh felt part of a community. The first was as a student at Kent State, but that all went away after the National Guard shooting. The second was when he got to LA and met a bunch of...
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2018 / 8 / 12Episode 941 - Jimmy O. YangJimmy O. Yang felt like an outsider growing up in Hong Kong and then felt like he didn't fit in studying economics in America. It was only once he starting paying five bucks to do an open mic night in...
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2018 / 8 / 8Episode 940 - Chris O'DowdChris O'Dowd charmed and amused audiences in things like Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd, and recently the Get Shorty TV series, but things could have gone differently if he had followed through on his political...
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2018 / 8 / 5Episode 939 - Jay LenoJay Leno came up as a comic's comic, a performer recognized by other comedians as one of the best in the game. He also became one of the most successful late night television hosts in history, not once but...
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2018 / 8 / 1Episode 938 - Luzer TwerskyLuzer Twersky is an actor who has been seen on shows like Transparent and High Maintenance. But prior to 2008, he wasn't seen by anyone outside of his Hasidic Jewish community. Luzer tells Marc about his...
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2018 / 7 / 29Episode 937 - Mila Kunis / Iliza ShlesingerMila Kunis says she's had a most fortunate trajectory in show business. That's because she got to experience it as a hobby and as a career. She explains to Marc what that means, along with telling him what it...
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2018 / 7 / 25Episode 936 - Sue Costello / Jim GaffiganMarc welcomes back to the show two comedian friends from the early years of WTF, both of whom have experienced a lot of changes in their lives since their previous visits. First, Sue Costello talks with Marc...
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2018 / 7 / 22Episode 935 - Bo Burnham / David SedarisIt’s a summertime double-header of returning guests. First, David Sedaris takes a break from his months-long 'Calypso' book tour to tell Marc about his visit to Buckingham Palace, how he's navigating life...
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2018 / 7 / 18Episode 934 - Daveed Diggs / Bob NewhartBefore he was in Hamilton, Daveed Diggs was an aspiring actor, rapper and spoken word performer creating "a rap curriculum" for Bay Area schools. Marc talks with Daveed about how that was the perfect starting...
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2018 / 7 / 15Episode 933 - Gus Van SantFilmmaker and kindred guitar noodler Gus Van Sant meets Marc in the garage and jumps in for a deep dive on his movies, including Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days,...
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2018 / 7 / 11Episode 932 - Ray Liotta / Jim JefferiesRay Liotta had no intention of getting into acting but his fearless disposition led him to performing in school musicals, and the rest was history. Ray tells Marc about why being on a soap opera was great...
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2018 / 7 / 8Episode 931 - Boots Riley / Bobcat GoldthwaitFilmmaker and hip hop artist Boots Riley wants his audiences to be radically engaged. He grew up with parents who were organizers and he believes political radicalism prompts cultural change. Boots and Marc...
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2018 / 7 / 4Episode 930 - Peter Fonda / Andy Kindler & J. Elvis WeinsteinPeter Fonda is happy to be figuring things out, no matter how long it took. Childhood traumas and an emotionally distant father affected his life and career, and he finally has some missing pieces of the...
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2018 / 7 / 1Episode 929 - Paul RuddOne constant for Paul Rudd as he spent a large portion of his childhood moving around the country, chasing an identity, is that he loved watching adults be silly. Even when he was in acting school and...
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2018 / 6 / 27Episode 928 - Eleanor KerriganComedian Eleanor Kerrigan knows a lot about The Comedy Store. Not only did she become the club's head waitress, she also became a confidant and sometime-assistant to the owner, Mitzi Shore. After a stint as a...
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2018 / 6 / 24Episode 927 - Lil Rel HoweryLil Rel Howery burst into the mainstream as a hero. Playing the character who saves the day in Get Out, Lil Rel can see how that role changed everything for him, as he's now the lead in the new movie Uncle...
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2018 / 6 / 20Episode 926 - Dave Itzkoff / Robin Williams from 2010New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff came into Robin Williams's life right around the same time Marc talked to Robin for WTF. Dave and Marc share notes on what they learned about this one-of-a-kind...
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2018 / 6 / 17Episode 925 - Billy Bob ThorntonBilly Bob Thornton sees himself in a certain way and feels as though the world sees him differently. That's why he feels uncomfortable at parties, uneasy about being a celebrity, and most relaxed when he can...
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2018 / 6 / 13Episode 924 - Holly Hunter / Amber TamblynHolly Hunter left the family farm in Georgia to become an actor. She talks with Marc about her early days in New York, catching the attention of the Coen Brothers as they were on the verge of making their...
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2018 / 6 / 10Episode 923 - Bob BalabanBob Balaban was born into show business and he didn't even know it until he was 10. The ubiquitous actor tells Marc how his immigrant family came to Chicago at the turn of the century and broke into the movie...
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2018 / 6 / 7Anthony Bourdain From 2011From Episode 233, this is Marc's conversation with Anthony Bourdain, conducted in 2011. Anthony died on June 8, 2018, at age 61. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! ...
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2018 / 6 / 6Episode 922 - Vanessa HollingsheadVanessa Hollingshead can honestly say that a cruise ship saved her life. She tells Marc what led to a comedy career in the first place after a childhood spent in communes, foster homes, and around lots of...
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2018 / 6 / 3Episode 921 - David HarbourDavid Harbour became pretty cynical about the acting profession before landing the star-making role of Jim Hopper on Stranger Things. But he and Marc are in agreement that it was probably better for David to...
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2018 / 5 / 30Episode 920 - Rachel BrosnahanRachel Brosnahan related to the pressures and insecurities of standup comics when she got the lead role of a 1950s standup in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. That's because she feels constant dread as an actor,...
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2018 / 5 / 27Episode 919 - Tom PapaTom Papa got the comedy bug early in life but his unconventional path went from football to live theater to standup. Once Tom started writing jokes while working as a security guard, there was no turning...
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2018 / 5 / 23Episode 918 - Paul RodriguezPaul Rodriguez has always been paying his dues. Even before he paid his dues doing open mics and parking cars at The Comedy Store, he paid his dues growing up in Compton, serving in the Air Force, and...
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2018 / 5 / 20Episode 917 - Neal BrennanNearly seven years after doing an episode of WTF that never aired, Neal Brennan sits down with Marc for a conversation that is probably the one they should have had all those years ago. Neal and Marc talk...
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2018 / 5 / 16Episode 916 - Mary SteenburgenMary Steenburgen started out pretty far away from Hollywood, as a young girl in Little Rock, Arkansas, growing up during the era of school desegregation. She fortified herself in that environment before...
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2018 / 5 / 13Episode 915 - Josh BrolinJosh Brolin knows that time and maturity saved his life. Going back to his rebellious youth, Josh can point to many times where he could have been done in, even after he was already a successful actor. Josh...
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2018 / 5 / 9Episode 914 - Melissa McCarthyBefore comedy and acting were ever on Melissa McCarthy's radar, she was like a lot midwestern teens trying to find herself. She tells Marc how her cheerleading years were followed by a partially-shaved head...
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2018 / 5 / 6Episode 913 - Rachel BloomRachel Bloom is a self-described show pony, a people-pleaser with a lifelong desire to perform as a means of keeping her anxieties at bay. She tells Marc how those impulses pushed her toward musical theater,...
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2018 / 5 / 2Episode 912 - Drew CareyDrew Carey was in a bad place. After losing his dad at a young age, suffering through anxiety and depression in high school, confused by the pressures of religion, Drew made a rash decision when he was in...
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2018 / 4 / 29Episode 911 - Scott Thomson / Tom RhodesScott Thompson from The Kids in the Hall isn't too worried about the way of the world these days, mostly because he's been through so much that it all seems like gravy from here out. Scott tells Marc about...
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2018 / 4 / 25Episode 910 - Mandy StadtmillerWriter Mandy Stadtmiller's career as a dating columnist was taking off as her post-divorce social life was filled with late-night excitement and famous hookups. But she also couldn't get off the hamster wheel...
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2018 / 4 / 22Episode 909 - Bradley WhitfordBradley Whitford was a huge Key and Peele fanboy who was desperate to work with them. But he didn't know what to think when Jordan Peele asked him if he liked horror movies. It turns out Bradley wound up...
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2018 / 4 / 18Episode 908 - Sam TripoliSam Tripoli never doubted he would become a comic, so his decision to study psychology was not an attempt to craft a backup plan. Instead he used his psych background to wage mental warfare with his demanding...
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2018 / 4 / 15Episode 907 - Aisha Tyler / Louie AndersonAisha Tyler's directorial debut is a film called Axis about a guy who has hit the wall. That's appropriate for Aisha, following several years of big changes in her life. She ended a long marriage, walked away...
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2018 / 4 / 11Episode 906 - Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite / E of EelsCharlie Musselwhite and Ben Harper are musicians with wildly different backgrounds but a unifying love of the blues. Charlie was there at the birth of rock and roll. Ben grew up immersed in music while his...
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2018 / 4 / 8Episode 905 - Bill SimmonsWriter, producer and podcast pioneer Bill Simmons is a man whose life, career and worldview have changed in real time with the evolution of Internet. Bill talks with Marc about some of the checkpoints in that...
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2018 / 4 / 4Episode 904 - Jason AlexanderJason Alexander was one of countless New Jersey kids who couldn't resist the lights of Broadway on the other side of the river. When he became a steady working actor on the New York stage, Jason was totally...
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2018 / 4 / 1Episode 903 - Neil Patrick Harris / Michael ImperioliNeil Patrick Harris credits his New Mexico upbringing with helping him weather the ups and downs of being a child star. It's also something he has in common with Marc. In addition to their memories of being...
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2018 / 3 / 28Episode 902 - They Might Be GiantsJohn Flansburgh and John Linnell tell Marc the unlikely story of how a couple high school friends became a two-man band at the height of the New Wave performance art era in crime-ridden New York City and...
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2018 / 3 / 25Episode 901 - Sean Penn / Lynn SheltonSean Penn wrote a novel to slow things down. He fell out of love with making movies, he is disillusioned by the culture, and he finds it hard to draw hope from current events. Sean explains to Marc how...
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2018 / 3 / 21Episode 900 - Nick NolteNick Nolte makes an appropriate guest for the 900th episode of WTF because he clearly has about 900 episodes worth of stories to tell. They can't get to all of them, so Nick tells Marc the ones about...
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2018 / 3 / 18Episode 899 - Nell ScovellNell Scovell has written for a Murderers' Row of television comedies - including The Simpsons, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Murphy Brown, and Newhart - created Sabrina the Teenage Witch, wrote for Vanity Fair...
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2018 / 3 / 14Episode 898 - David MametDavid Mamet's love for Chicago shows up all the time in his works, including his new novel which is called, yup, Chicago. The prolific playwright-director-novelist-screenwriter talks with Marc about his...
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2018 / 3 / 11Episode 897 - Ted DansonTed Danson is one of the most visible and familiar actors of the past four decades, and yet he still describes himself to Marc as "a phony," "a fraud," "an outsider," someone with "no real talent," and "too...
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2018 / 3 / 7Episode 896 - David OyelowoDavid Oyelowo got America’s attention with his instantly-iconic portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film Selma. But this classically trained actor was making history on stage years prior, becoming...
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2018 / 3 / 4Episode 895 - Sharon StoneSharon Stone made a decision after she achieved fame with Basic Instinct. She wanted to build a way forward in Hollywood without being typecast. Sharon tells Marc how she navigated that part of her career,...
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2018 / 2 / 28Episode 894 - Bill Janovitz / Danny LobellWhen Marc was a young comic living in Boston, Buffalo Tom was one of his favorite bands. Buffalo Tom frontman Bill Janovitz joins Marc in the garage to talk about the band's rise from the pre-Nirvana days of...
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2018 / 2 / 25Episode 893 - Jennifer LawrenceJennifer Lawrence takes a break from being one of the biggest movie stars in the world to stop by the garage and talk with Marc about Kentucky, cats vs. dogs, older brothers, Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games,...
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2018 / 2 / 21Episode 892 - Duncan Jones / Brendon SmallFilmmaker Duncan Jones put his philosophy degree to good use when he started making science fiction films. Now on his fourth one, Duncan tells Marc how he tries to crack life's big questions through sci-fi...
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2018 / 2 / 18Episode 891 - Heather Graham / Sebastian ManiscalcoHeather Graham had stories she wanted to see made and roles she wanted to play, so she took them into her own hands. As she releases her directorial debut, Half Magic, which she also wrote, Heather talks with...
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2018 / 2 / 14Episode 890 - Gina RodriguezGina Rodriguez is living the dream with her Golden Globe-winning performance as Jane the Virgin, roles in big Hollywood movies like Annihilation, and new opportunities as both a director and a producer. But...
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2018 / 2 / 11Episode 889 - Esther PovitskyAlmost a decade ago, a down-on-his-luck Marc Maron told 20-year-old aspiring comic Esther Povitsky to run far away from The Comedy Store because it would be the death of her. Thankfully, she did not take his...
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2018 / 2 / 7Episode 888 - Tracy LettsTracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, a Tony Award-winning actor, and someone Marc is nervous about saying hello to when he sees him out in the world. Tracy tries to disabuse Marc of that...
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2018 / 2 / 4Episode 887 - Riki Lindhome / Laurie KilmartinShow business finally clicked for Riki Lindhome when she started the comedy music duo Garfunkel and Oates with her friend Kate Micucci. It makes sense because, as she tells Marc, she always wanted to perform...
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2018 / 1 / 31Episode 886 - Ezra Furman / David WainEzra Furman started writing songs when he was 14 years old after hearing Bob Dylan but while still wanting to be a member of Green Day. Ezra tells Marc how those seemingly contradictory preferences took hold...
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2018 / 1 / 28Episode 885 - Rita MorenoRita Moreno is a show business legend with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony to her name, as well as several lifetime achievement awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She tells Marc about the...
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2018 / 1 / 24Episode 884 - Don WasBass player and record producer Don Was is a Renaissance man in the music world. Whether he's producing albums for bands like the Rolling Stones or running the jazz label Blue Note Records or playing in his...
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2018 / 1 / 21Episode 883 - Macaulay Culkin / Cameron EspositoMacaulay Culkin considers himself retired, dabbling in whatever he chooses at any given time. It's understandable he would want to settle down, considering he was one of the most famous people on the planet...
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2018 / 1 / 17Episode 882 - Derek WatersDerek Waters created Drunk History, but he really doesn't want to know about the darkness that lies in his family history. And while he doesn't have a drinking problem, he's long been plagued by sleep...
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2018 / 1 / 14Episode 881 - Laurie Metcalf / Tom SeguraLaurie Metcalf has never been through anything in her acting career like what she's going through now. After four decades of performances on stage and screen, she tells Marc why everything feels different...
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2018 / 1 / 10Episode 880 - Richard JenkinsRichard Jenkins is one of the great character actors working today but he was a late starter in show business. As he continues to rack up awards and accolades for his performances, including his latest in The...
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2018 / 1 / 7Episode 879 - Fortune FeimsterComedian and actor Fortune Feimster joins Marc in the garage fresh off getting engaged to her girlfriend, which feels pretty far away from the young Southern girl who didn't come out as a lesbian or perform...
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2018 / 1 / 3Episode 878 - Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates is one of America's most celebrated and insightful writers. But there's part of him that would be fine with it all going away. Marc and Ta-Nehisi talk about the impulse to pull back when...
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2017 / 12 / 31Episode 877 - Marc's FamilyRing in the New Year with the Maron Family. Marc takes a trip back to some of the earliest episodes of WTF to hear classic interactions with his father, mother, and brother, all of whom help explain how and...
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2017 / 12 / 27Episode 876 - Michael Marcus / Dr. Steve ReadMarc closes out 2017 with some old friends. Author Michael Marcus might not have made it to the garage if his life had continued the way it was going. He talks with Marc about his days of criminal behavior,...
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2017 / 12 / 24Episode 875 - WTF Shows of Christmas PastFor Christmas Day, Marc presents a look back at some holiday moments from the earliest years of WTF. First, hear Todd Glass and Marc talk about the perils of going home for the holidays. Then some highlights...
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2017 / 12 / 20Episode 874 - Neal PrestonPhotographer Neal Preston is known for taking some of the most iconic shots of the world's most famous rock musicians. Neal tells Marc how his love of music and love of photography merged when he was in high...
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2017 / 12 / 17Episode 873 - Steven Van ZandtSteven Van Zandt, a.k.a. Little Steven, is an encyclopedia of rock and roll history. Steven talks with Marc about learning to play music by watching the Beatles, learning to be a performer by watching the...
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2017 / 12 / 13Episode 872 - Darren AronofskyFilmmaker Darren Aronofsky knows his films are not always crowd pleasers but he also knows exactly what he wants to say. Darren talks with Marc about the universal mysteries that inspire him - from numerology...
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2017 / 12 / 10Episode 871 - Loudon Wainwright III / Judd ApatowSinger-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III talks life, love and Roman numerals. The prolific musician tells Marc about the heyday of the folk music scene, the late-in-life acting career he didn't expect, and the...
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2017 / 12 / 6Episode 870 - James FrancoAt some point after James Franco became a high-profile movie star, he found himself asking, "What if you get everything you want and nothing changes?" As James explains to Marc, that led to a re-engagement...
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2017 / 12 / 3Episode 869 - Greta GerwigLike the protagonist of her new film Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig grew up in Sacramento, spent the summer going to the state fair, had a complicated relationship with her mother, and escaped to institutes of...
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2017 / 11 / 29Episode 868 - Sam Beam / Bob SagetHis given name is Sam Beam but he's known in music as Iron & Wine, maker of soulful folk rock. Marc finds Sam to be a thoughtful son of the South who let his early interests in avant-garde photography,...
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2017 / 11 / 26Episode 867 - Rob HuebelRob Huebel and Marc start a new podcast within this podcast. It's a show called Contact List and they're pretty sure it makes them sound like jerks. But before that, Rob tells Marc about getting started in...
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2017 / 11 / 22Episode 866 - Jimmie Vaughan / Kasper Collin & Bennie MaupinIt's an extra helping of music talk for Thanksgiving. First Marc sits down with filmmaker Kasper Collin and jazz musician Bennie Maupin to talk about the documentary I Called Him Morgan, which deals with the...