Awards Chatter

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, the veteran star of screens big ('The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Cooler') and small ('30 Rock' and 'SNL') reflects on how he stumbled into acting, what forced his pivot from leading man to character parts, how we wound up impersonating Trump and what his life has been like since the tragic accident that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of 'Rust' in 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary star reflects on how clinical depression led him to acting, the unlikely ways he broke into the movies and was cast in 'Star Wars,' why he long yearned to escape "leading man" roles and to play "character parts" and why he so loves his current challenge of playing an acerbic psychotherapist battling Parkinson's disease on Apple TV's Emmy-nominated comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar-winning producer of films like 'Chariots of Fire,' 'Local Hero,' 'The Killing Fields' and 'The Mission,' who was once described by the New York Times as "the white knight of the British film industry," and who later became the first non-American to run a Hollywood studio, reflects on his path from school dropout to ad industry phenom to filmmaking; why he so often bet on first-time directors, non-star actors and character-driven dramas; and his brief and turbulent time running Columbia Pictures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the co-chairs/co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group reflect on their paths through the business as producers and execs over the last three decades; their crazy 2025, during which they went from almost losing their jobs to presiding over one of the most successful years any studio has ever had; and what it's like being behind both horses in a two-horse best picture Oscar race, 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary punk and rock singer/songwriter, who was a key part of the MTV-driven “Second British Invasion” back in the ’80s and has been a major figure on the global music scene ever since, reflects on coming to America, his greatest hits and the new documentary about his rollercoaster journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the celebrated Danish-Norwegian writer and director reflects on his family's history in film; what led to his celebrated "Oslo trilogy" of 'Reprise,' 'Oslo, August 31st' and 'The Worst Person in the World'; and why he decided "tenderness is the new punk" en route to his latest film, which is nominated for nine Oscars — more than all but three other non-English-language films in history — including best picture, international feature and, for him personally, director and original screenplay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Irishwoman who is widely regarded one of the finest actresses of her generation reflects on her path from 17-year-old BBC talent show contestant to RADA student to star of stage and screen; what she learned from early costars like Judi Dench and early jobs like 'Wild Rose,' 'The Lost Daughter' and 'Women Talking'; and how filming Maggie Gyllenhaal's upcoming 'The Bride!' right before Chloé Zhao's story of the Shakespeares helped to shape her Oscar-tipped turn as Agnes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Korean-American singer/songwriter reflects on her pursuit of a career as a K-pop idol, her pivot to songwriting and how she came to be involved with the animated film that became the most -watched original title in Netflix history — and to create for it the song "Golden," for which she won the first Grammy ever awarded to K-pop and is now nominated for an Oscar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps the greatest of all living film craftsmen, a production designer who literally built the worlds at the center of many of the most admired films since the '70s — including 'Badlands,' 'Carrie,' 'Days of Heaven,' 'Mulholland Drive,' 'There Will Be Blood,' 'The Revenant' and 'Killers of the Flower Moon' — reflects on coming to Hollywood with David Lynch, his decades-long collaboration with Terrence Malick, how he researches and designs sets, and what it was like recreating '50s New York for the new Josh Safdie/Timothée Chalamet film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on her path to America and film, jumping from indie 'Nomadland' to Marvel's 'Eternals' and how her subsequent four-year "mid-life crisis" prepared her for her latest film, for which she is again double Oscar-nominated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Australian actor/writer/director reflects on how he wound up in George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy, his memorable turns in art house standouts like 'Warrior' and Loving,' and the challenges and rewards of giving a largely dialogue-free performance in Clint Bentley's adaptation of Denis Johnson's 2011 novella about a laborer in the early 20th-century American West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and Oscar-nominated actress returns to the podcast and candidly discusses how she found her pop sound, how she approaches music vs. acting, what she looks for in collaborators, why 'Wicked' means so much to her, how singing as herself and as Glinda are completely different, and what's next for her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The massively influential filmmaker and blockbuster machine behind 'The Terminator,' 'Aliens,' 'Titanic' and three 'Avatar' films, among others, reflects on his unusual path to the business, why his films tend to blend science/sci-fi and love stories, what has enchanted him about Pandora and the Na'vi for more than 30 years, and which question he hopes never to be asked again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the revered Oscar winner behind masterpieces like 'Cronos' and 'The Shape of Water' reflects on the roots of his infatuation with monsters, the importance of practical movie sets and effects, and finally realizing his 50-year dream of adaptating Mary Shelley's gothic horror novel about a Creator and his Creature into a movie of his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South Korean master filmmaker reflects on the roots of his fascination with violence, the early struggles than prepared him for his Vengeance triogy highlighted by 'Oldboy,' and what inspired his latest film — his country's entry for the best international feature Oscar race, now among the final 15 — which reunites him with Lee Byung-hun 25 years after their joint breakthrough 'Joint Security Area.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world's most famous Brazilian actor reflects on why he once thought a screen career would be impossible for him, how the 'Elite Squad' films led to him playing Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos,' and how Brazil's Bolsonaro era impacted his career and inspired the film for which he was awarded Cannes' best actor prize and could land an Oscar nom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar and Emmy winning actress and Goop founder and CEO reflects on breaking into the business in the 1990s and becoming "the First Lady of Miramax"; working with a generation of great filmmakers early in their careers, including David Fincher, PTA and Wes Anderson; why she grew disillusioned with Hollywood and focused primarily on business for the last 17 years; and what lured her back in front of the camera to play, well, an actress coming out of retirement, opposite Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie's latest film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival's GEMS event, the trailblazing filmmaker reflects on helping to usher in New Queer Cinema with 'Mala Noche' and 'My Own Private Idaho'; subsequently jumping between mainstream films, like 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Milk,' and experimental works, like 'Elephant'; why he came close to directing, but did not direct, 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Call Me by Your Name' and '50 Shades of Grey'; and returning to feature filmmaking, after seven years away, with a film that is set in the '70s but is eerily timely today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The writer/director best known for dramedies like 'The Squid and the Whale,' 'Frances Ha' and 'Marriage Story' reflects on the people and films that shaped him, the evolution of his collaboration with Greta Gerwig spanning 'Greenberg' through 'Barbie,' and his new Netflix film, which centers on a movie star (George Clooney) in the midst of an existential crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The singer/songwriter and actress, who shot to fame as Hannah Montana and then became a real pop star, reflects on navigating child stardom; the origins of her biggest hits, from "See You Again" to "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" to her Grammy-winning "Flowers"; and how she wound up co-writing and perfomring "Dream As One," an original song for the third installment of James Cameron's blockbuster film series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The English singer/songwriter, who is arguably the most successful male pop star in the world and has been described by Taylor Swift as "the James Taylor to my Carole King," reflects on his path from busking on the streets of London to superstardom; the origin stories of hits like 'The A Team' 'Sing' and 'Thinking Out Loud'; and why he agreed to co-write and perform "Drive" and "Zoo," original songs for two of 2025's biggest blockbusters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the two-time Emmy nominee reflected on her breakthrough roles on TV's 'Euphoria' and 'The White Lotus' and in the film 'Reality,' getting into producing with 'Anyone But You,' and challenging herself as never before by producing and starring in a new biopic about boxer Christy Martin, for which she is currently garnering Oscar buzz. She also teases her upcoming film 'The Housemaid,' the return of 'Euphoria,' and her Kim Novak project 'Scandalous.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the winner of multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG awards reflects on why he walked away from dancing and towards acting in his teens, what he learned from his 11-season run on 'Shameless,' how he landed his star-making role as chef Carmy Berzatto on 'The Bear' and how, subsequently, his own conflicted feelings about fame helped him to play Bruce Springsteen during the darkest period of the music legend's life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Virginia Film Festival, and a piano, one of the leading film composers of his generation reflects on how he was shaped by both classical and hip-hop music, how his best known scores for TV (the main title theme for 'Succession') and film (Barry Jenkins' 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk') came to be, and how his score for Noah Baumbach's new film was composed and employed differently than any of his others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the writer/director describes his experiences progressing from low-budget ('Brick') to mid-budget ('The Brothers Bloom' and 'Looper') to big-budget ('The Last Jedi') films, directing some of the most celebrated episodes of TV ever ('Breaking Bad') and the origins and appeal of his Benoit Blanc series of murder mysteries, the third and most recent of which will open in theaters on Nov. 26 and then begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran actress, who was Oscar-nominated 40 years ago for 'Twice in a Lifetime,' reflects on how her music ambitions gave way to acting, how she met — and her many collaborations with — her husband Ed Harris, her memories of working on classics like 'The Day After,' 'Field of Dreams' and 'Uncle Buck,' and how she wound up giving one of the performances of her career as Gladys, a crazy aunt, in Zach Cregger's acclaimed blockbuster horror film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Australian actor and heartthrob reflects on almost missing out on his breakout roles in 'The Kissing Booth' and 'Euphoria,' working with female auteurs on 'Saltburn' and 'Priscilla' and venturing into unfamiliar but exciting territory as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation of Mary Shelley's horror novel, which is now the most-watched film on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of most bankable movie stars of all time reflects on what his experiences as a pro wrestler taught him about being an entertainer, why and how he transitioned to acting, and why, after decades of picking projects with the aim of satisfying others, he decided to challenge himself as never before by taking on the role of Mark Kerr, an early MMA fighter who got hooked on painkillers, in Benny Safdie's new A24 film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The A-lister returns to the podcast (his last visit was for ep. 278) and reflects on his post-COVID career — highlighted by his portrayal of a movie star experiencing an existential crisis in Noah Baumbach's new Netflix dramedy — as well as stardom, Instagram ("get the f**k off of it"), A.I. and which of today’s young stars most impress him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the iconic New York filmmaker reflects on his 35-year collaboration with Denzel Washington, the role of music in his films and how Akira Kurosawa has influenced his work from his first narrative feature through his 24th and most recent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aussie actress reflects on what she learned from her years working alongside Glenn Close on 'Damages'; how she and the industry discovered her comedic side, leading to memorable turns in 'Bridesmaids,' 'Spy' and other projects; and the the unique challenges and rewards of her latest film, in which she plays a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster journey from stripper to movie star; the backstories of 'Step Up,' 'Magic Mike,' 'Foxcatcher' and other hits; and why his experience on Derek Cianfrance's new dramedy, in which he plays a man who escapes from prison and hides out in a Toys 'R Us, reignited his love for acting and eradicated his long-held 'imposter syndrome.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the legendary writer/director reflects on his path from a video store to Sundance to the Oscars, the backstories of each of his nine features and what he's proudest of and thinking about ahead of his 10th and — allegedly — final filmmaking venture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Access Canada Summit in Toronto, the consummate character actor reflects on his fateful crossing of paths in the late '60s with David Mamet, his feelings about often being cast as "losers" (e.g. 'Fargo' and 'The Cooler') and why he was "swept away" by the script for Clint Bentley's new film about the American character. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This key figure in the Iranian New Wave, one of only four filmmakers ever awarded the top prize at each of the three biggest European film festivals, reflects on his cinematic critiques of Iranian society, continuing to work even after being jailed by the regime and then banned from making films under the threat of being sent back to jail, and how his own experience with a prison interrogator partially inspired his latest film, which won Cannes' Palme d'Or in May and was just chosen as France's entry for the best international feature Oscar race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the fan favorite reflects on how she stumbled into standup comedy and then into acting, how she landed the part of elementary school principal Ava Coleman on Quinta Brunson's ABC series and why she's prouder of her Emmy-nominated work on its fourth season than any prior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "Queen of the Indies," as TIME magazine famously called her, reflects on the rewards and challenges of being so associated with independent film, what eventually led her to begin dabbling in studio films and TV, and how it felt, with the latest season of Mike White's HBO drama series, to finally find herself at the center of a project that found itself at the center of the cultural conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Locarno Film Festival, the trailblazing actress reflects on breaking into the business on TV's 'Ally McBeal,' becoming a movie star via the 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Kill Bill' films, and why her latest project, an indie that she produced and in which she plays a Chinese immigrant trying to protect her troubled American-born son, is so close to her heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most influential comedic talents of his generation reflects on coming from Vancouver to Hollywood as a teenager, the backstories of the crude but heartfelt and largely improvised film comedies that made him a multi-hyphenate star ('Knocked Up' and 'Superbad'), his occasional forays into drama ('Steve Jobs' and 'The Fabelmans') and how his own misadventures in Hollywood ('The Green Hornet' and 'The Interview') informed his hit Apple TV+ series about contemporary Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lovable screen actor reflects on his slow evolution from starving artist to 'Knocked Up' and 'Step Brothers' scene-stealer to TV stalwart, what he learned on 'Party Down' and 'Parks and Recreation,' and how Ben Stiller's 2013 film 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' started him on the path to playing Mark — 'Innie' and 'Outie' — on the most Emmy-nominated TV show of the 2024-2025 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated indie darling reflects on her unusual path to prominence, the backstories of some of her more provocative projects (including 'Kids,' 'Boys Don't Cry' and 'The Brown Bunny') and why she has increasingly been drawn to TV projects (from 'Big Love' to numerous Ryan Murphy projects including his latest limited series, in which she plays the Menendez family's murdered matriarch). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the veteran Swedish actor reflects on working with everyone from Ingmar Bergman to David Fincher, moving between art house projects (e.g. his five collaborations with Lars von Trier) and studio fare ('Dune,' 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and five MCU installments), and why he's particularly proud of his latest film, Joachim Trier's Cannes' Grand Prize winner in which he plays an aging filmmaker who has a complicated relationship with his two daughters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar and two-time Emmy winner reflects on the bumpy road to her breakthrough in 'Misery,' why she didn't enjoy working on 'Titanic,' how she was convinced to do a nude scene in 'About Schmidt' and why, after nearly quitting the business, her creativity and passion have been reawakened by her hit new CBS drama series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the Oscar-winning and Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor reflects on early milestones ('Box of Moonlight,' 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' 'Choke,' 'Moon' and 'Conviction'), stage and screen collaborations with Martin McDonagh (most famously 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and his showstopping monologue in the third installment of Mike White's hit HBO show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the beloved actress talks about her mom Goldie Hawn and stepdad Kurt Russell, her Oscar-nominated breakthrough in 'Almost Famous,' the pros and cons of becoming a rom-com star with 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' and what led her to TV to play a version of Lakers owner Jeanie Buss on a buzzy new Netflix comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, in the heart of the O.C., the fan-favorite reflects on playing Seth Cohen on the show of that name, the highs and lows of the years after it went off the air, and how he landed on another hit series, the Netflix rom-com on which he plays a rabbi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven Broadway standouts — nominated for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Oh, Mary!,' 'Just in Time,' 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow,' 'Gypsy,' 'Sunset Blvd.' and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' respectively — discuss the challenges and rewards of working on the Great White Way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of a journalism class at Chapman University, the host of one of the hottest Emmy-eligible talk series — pun intended — reflects on his path to interviewing celebs over spicy chicken wings, why YouTube is the show's perfect home and what's next now that he and a consortium of others have bought it from BuzzFeed for $82.5 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the legendary Oscar winner reflects on her journey from small-town Texas to Hollywood; her iconic New Hollywood performances in 'Badlands,' 'Carrie,' 'Three Women' and 'Coal Miner's Daughter'; and playing Jennifer Lawrence's mother-in-law in Lynne Ramsay's new film about a woman experiencing severe post-partum depression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the faces of New Mexican Cinema reflects on the childhood tragedy that set him on the path to acting, navigating a post-'Y Tu Mamá También' career between Mexico and Hollywood, and how, despite possessing an accent that he thought would be disqualifying, he wound up a part of the 'Star Wars' universe on screens big and small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the inaugural Napa Valley StreamFest, the Emmy-nominated actor, a major figure in the American comedy scene for the last 25 years, reflects on early projects like 'Freaks and Geeks' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' the existential crisis he experienced during his years on 'How I Met Your Mother,' how 'The End of the Tour' rebooted his career and what led him to co-create and star in 'Shrinking.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare and candid in-depth interview, the rock and roll legend reflects on his complicated childhood and path to the music biz, inspirations behind his greatest hits, thoughts on the upcoming Jeremy Allen White movie about him, the Hulu doc about his first post-COVID tour (which could bring him the 'E' that would make him an 'EGOT') and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 years after the end of 'Mad Men,' the Emmy-winning actor who brought to life Don Draper reflects on his difficult youth (he lost both parents before turning 21), the rewards and pain of playing one of the greatest anti-heroes of the platinum age of TV, how comedy came to figure so prominently in his next act, and why he was so drawn to playing a man who has everything and then loses it all on his new Apple TV+ series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival, the English film and TV actor reflects on the pros and cons of playing Lucius Malfoy in the 'Harry Potter' film series, the heartbreak of the cancelation of 'The OA' and his rollercoaster journey with Mike White's hit HBO drama series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The former Los Angeles Times film critic reflects on his path from Brooklyn to Hollywood, the current state of film criticism and the LA Times, and what inspired him to spend four years writing the first dual-biography in 50 years of MGM's two most legendary executives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the 'Dropout' Emmy winner and 'Mank' Oscar nominee reflects on early breaks like 'Mean Girls' and 'Mamma Mia!,' navigating the transition from child to adult star, and why she's so passionate about her latest project, a Peacock limited series in which she plays a cop investigating the disappearance of her own sister. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of TV's all-time great comedy actresses, a six-time Emmy winner, reflects on why she walked away from her first hit show, 'Designing Women,' mid-run; why she thinks she's had some of her greatest successes over the past decade, at an age at which many actresses can’t find any work; what she finds to be the greatest challenges and rewards of playing standup comic Deborah Vance; and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, one of the all-time great comedic scene-stealers reflects on having her career breakthrough at 40 with the first of her four Christopher Guest collaborations, shooting to stardom as Sue Sylvester on 'Glee' and, most recently, playing the stunt double of Steve Martin's character on Hulu's hit ensemble series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (the first part of this interview) and via a 2025 Zoom (the second part), the Korean master and three-time Oscar winner reflects on his path to filmmaking, the magical journey of 'Parasite' and his new film starring Robert Pattinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The head of the 97-year-old organization behind the Academy Awards reflects on his path from Baltimore to Hollywood, teases details about Sunday's Oscars telecast and answers tough questions about the Academy's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of the most exciting young actresses in the business — a newly-minted best actress Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner — reflects on her decision to abandon competitive horseriding for acting, breakthrough roles on 'Better Things' and in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' and bringing to life the character of a sex worker in Sean Baker's latest film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran Aussie actor and first-time Oscar nominee reflects on how a childhood tragedy may have set him on the path to becoming an actor; how his experience with early TV stardom influenced the sorts of projects that he did and didn't pursue after he established himself internationally via 'L.A. Confidential' and 'Memento'; and why he’s as proud of his latest film as any he has been a part of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Hollywood's most dependable filmmakers — always good for an entertaining and solid, if not showy, film, with great performances, regardless of genre — reflects on how, at 21, his career took off like a rocket, then crashed, and then was rebuilt; how he learned to work with actors, including the biggest names in the biz (among them Stallone, Cruise and Chalamet), and guided two (Jolie and Witherspoon) to performances for which they won Oscars; and what it meant to him to personally land three Oscar noms — for producing, writing and, for the first time in his career, directing — for his new film about Bob Dylan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the revered English stage and screen actor reflects on how Shakespeare led him to his path; what he learned from collaborators like Steven Spielberg ('Schindler's List'), Robert Redford ('Quiz Show'), Anthony Minghella ('The English Patient') and Kathryn Bigelow ('Strange Days' and 'The Hurt Locker'); and what went into his latest — and, some believe, greatest — perfromance, as the dean of the College of Cardinals overseeing the election of a new Pope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest pop stars on the planet, who is now an Oscar-nominated actress, reflects on how she broke into showbiz as a kid, each of her studio albums, how music has helped her through tough times, why she yearned for years to play Glinda, how her fame helped her to understand the pros and cons of being "Popular," plus much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The actor/writer/director reflects on why he, a socially-awkward kid, became a child actor, how the explosion of his acting profile (he was Oscar-nominated for 'The Social Network') coincided with his increased interest in writing and why, for his second outing as a director, he cast Kieran Culkin in the role that he originally intended to play himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The thrice Oscar-nominated actor, who is widely regarded as among the best of his generation, reflects on the explosive start to his screen career, collaborations with his era's greatest auteurs and why he was so impressed with his latest film's helmer, James Mangold, and star, Timothée Chalamet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enigmatic Scottish Oscar winner, who doesn't consider herself an actress, reflects on her formative collaborations with Derek Jarman, how she wound up juggling the artiest of art house films with the biggest of big studio films and why she was so drawn to working with Pedro Almodóvar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary English filmmaker reflects on the origins and specifics of his mysterious method of writing and directing; why he was forced to spend 17 years between his first and second theatrical features working in television, and the pros and cons of that; and how it feels to see his latest film, which was rejected by the Cannes, Venice and Telluride film fests, being so well received. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a conversation that was both epic and emotional, like his best films, the 51-year-old American actor — who at 29 became, and remains to this day, the youngest-ever best actor Oscar winner, for 'The Pianist,' and who on Sunday won a best drama actor Golden Globe for his latest film — looks back on an odds-defying, rollercoaster of a life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The master of family-friendly fare — he wrote 'Gremlins' and 'The Goonies' and directed two 'Home Alone' and two 'Harry Potter' films — reflects on working with Steven Spielberg in his twenties, how Chevy Chase driving him to quit 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' proved to be one of the best things that ever happened to him and why, in recent years, he and his daughter, Eleanor, began producing films by rising directors including Robert Eggers, whose latest opens on Christmas Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The iconic actress reflects on growing up the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey, the making of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and 'Dirty Dancing,' challenges that followed, and now, at 64, getting to be a part of a third instant-classic, Jesse Eisenberg's new dramedy about a group touring Holocaust sites in Poland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Englishman, who has been one of our finest screen actors for some 30 years — he was twice Oscar-nominated before he was even 30 — reflects on his special relationship with director Anthony Minghella, the sorts of roles that he deliberately avoided and why he has done some of his best work in recent years, including as an FBI agent pursuing white nationalists in Justin Kurzel's new film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary singer/songwriter reflects on his path from small-town Alabama to the biggest stages in the world, first with the Commodores and then as a solo artist; the hits on which he worked along the way, and why so many of them center on love; and why “We are the World,” in particular — the subject of an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated and Oscar-eligible Netflix documentary — means so much to him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the great leading men of the last 50 years — think about his work in 'Days of Heaven,' 'American Gigolo,' 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' 'Pretty Woman' and 'Chicago' — reflects on how gymnastics and music helped to make him a better actor; how, over the decades, the sort of projects to which he's been drawn hasn't changed, but the industry's desire for them has; and what it was like reuniting with Paul Schrader, 44 years after their first collaboration, on his latest film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The iconic Playboy model and 'Baywatch' babe, who is now a Golden Globe-nominated actress thanks to her performance in Gia Coppola's new film, reflects on the odds-defying way in which she was discovered, how the infamous sex tape derailed her career for decades and what sparked the 'Pamaissance' of the last two years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 40-year veteran of movie stardom reflects on her difficult childhood and path to acting, the backlashes that she faced after her pregnant Vanity Fair cover and becoming the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, and what it's like aging in Hollywood, both in her hit new film and in real life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the British A-lister reflects on how his background in theater has helped him in film, his 15-year run as James Bond and playing, in Luca Guadagnino's new adaptation of William S. Burroughs' semi-autobiographical novella, a gay American living in 1950s Mexico City who is addicted to booze, drugs and sex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the actress, singer, songwriter, businesswoman and philanthropist reflects on child stardom, the hurdles of transitioning to an adult career and her 2024 acting gigs, which have brought her, respectively, a piece of the Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize, the first acting Emmy nom of her career and the opportunity to return to the world of the show that put her on the map in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Scotsman, who burst on to the scene in 1995's 'Trainspotting,' reflects on his early collaborations with Danny Boyle, his uncertainty about committing to do George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy and why, in recent years, he has increasingly gravitated toward TV limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary Aardman animator and filmmaker best known for creating Wallace and Gromit reflects on his path to animation, what inspired his most famous plasticine characters and why — in his latest project, for Netflix, and for only the second time ever — he decided to feature them in a feature-length film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival's GEMS event, the star of two of 2024's most widely discussed and debated films reflects on his journey from Romania to America, how he landed the part of Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what it was like to play — and what he really thinks about — Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the actress, now marking 25 years in the business, reflects on escaping from a painful childhood through acting, how she wound up the queen of the sci-fi blockbuster and why it meant so much to her to be given the chance to show that she could do other things in Jacques Audiard's highly-unconventional musical for which she and three costars shared the 2024 Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the veteran character actor describes his accidental path to acting, working with brother-in-law Jake Gyllenhaal and his pair of films about journalistic ethics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the 'Rustin' Oscar nominee and 'Euphoria' Emmy winner reflects on his decades of work before anyone was paying attention, how close he came to walking away from the profession in 2014 and the career renaissance that he was enjoyed over the past decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing Chinese actress reflects on childhood stardom in China, coming to America and starting from scratch, building a career in films like 'The Last Emperor' and 'Heaven & Earth' and, decades later, garnering some of the best reviews of her career — and Oscar buzz — for her portrayal of an immigrant mother in Sean Wang's feature directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the creator of the influential TV series 'Freaks and Geeks' and director of the landmark film 'Bridesmaids' reflects on his path from geekhood to standup to acting to writing/directing, what it was like working on TV shows like 'Arrested Development' and 'The Office' while he was in "directors' jail" and why he is so committed to centering funny women in his work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar-winning fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster life and career; his experiences with Marvel during the Iron Man era, and his plans to return to its cinematic universe as Dr. Doom; and what it was like juggling five different characters in Park Chan-wook's HBO limited series about Vietnam, for which he is now Emmy-nominated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beloved actress/comedienne, who is now nominated for four Emmys, reflects on her seven seasons at 'SNL,' playing an out-of-touch billionaire on an Apple TV+ comedy series and the past and future of her Kamala Harris impersonation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British playwright and screenwriter known for imagining what goes behind the walls of power reflects on his unexpected journey to writing, how he came to focus on the royals in numerous projects, and what he hopes will be the legacy of the landmark six-episode Netflix drama series that he wrote about Queen Elizabeth II and those around her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the English stage and screen actor reflects on his path from a rough childhood to his star-making role in 'Croupier'; why he wasn't excited about the prospect of playing James Bond; what it was like playing different characters in the stage and screen versions of 'Closer'; why, since 'The Knick,' he has increasingly worked in TV; and more. This episode is presented by Lasvit, a Bohemian design and artisan house that creates sublime artworks of glass that can be found all around the world; and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare interview, the man often described as the greatest actor of his generation reflects on how his blacklisted father, brilliant acting teacher and early theater director set him on his path; why he grew less attracted to working in front of the camera and more attracted to working behind it; and how he came to be cast in — and approached playing — some of the most memorable roles of his career, including his most recent, as a chatty cab driver probing Dakota Johnson's mysterious passenger in Christy Hall's directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beloved legend of TV ('The Dick Van Dyke Show'), movies ('Mary Poppins') and theater ('Bye Bye Birdie') reflects on his journey from small-town Missouri to America's living rooms, how he has faced challenges ranging from alcoholism to outliving almost all of his friends, and why he was so gratified by last December's CBS variety special tribute to him timed to his 98th birthday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TV icon best known for ‘Ally McBeal’ reflects on being a stage actress plucked from obscurity and catapulted to sudden fame, the effects of harsh media scrutiny on her psyche and her subsequent career trajectory, and why she was lured out of semi-retirement by the prospect of playing Lee Radziwill opposite Tom Hollander’s Truman Capote in an FX limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six Broadway standouts — nominated for 'Mary Jane,' 'Days of Wine and Roses,' 'Purlie Victorious,' 'Appropriate,' 'Merrily We Roll Along' and 'Cabaret,' respectively — discuss their paths to the Great White Way, the challenges and rewards of the parts for which they're nominated this year, what audience members do that most annoys them, plus more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The actor who made his name on TV series like 'White Collar' and in films like 'Magic Mike' reflects on his journey as a gay man in Hollywood, his many collaborations with Ryan Murphy (including 'The Normal Heart,' for which he won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards) and the 2023 Showtime limited series in which he plays a closeted State Dept. official in a secret decades-spanning relationship with another man (for which he has already received Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice and People's Choice award noms). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran British character actor reflects on starting his screen career at just 14, juggling art house projects (e.g. 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'In the Loop') with big-studio franchise films (e.g. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Mission: Impossible' installments) and, in just the last two years, finding himself in the center of the zeitgeist as a central part of both season two of 'The White Lotus' and, most recently, FX's limited series about writer Truman Capote and the society ladies in his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colombian actress best known for 'Modern Family' reflects on her accidental entry in showbiz at 17, her rollercoaster journey through the TV business en route to landing the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett and the very personal reason she fought for years to play the 'Godmother of Cocaine.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the legendary actor and Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on the projects for which he was most (and least) celebrated, what's going on with 'Yellowstone' and why he has put millions of his own dollars towards a four-film Western epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the standup comedian and comedic actress reflects on her greatest influences, how she was changed by getting on and off Adderall and what it's like acting for the first time on a Max comedy series opposite the legendary Jean Smart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the British actress best known for their award-winning portrayal of Princess Diana on season four of Netflix's 'The Crown' reflects on their path to that career-making role, their gender journey and their acclaimed portayal of a Gen Z amateur detective on FX limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Japanese actress, whose performance on FX’s smash-hit limited series has catapulted her to stardom, reflects on her days in a J-pop girl group, reaching an international audience for the first time through ‘F9’ and the unique challenges and rewards of playing Lady Mariko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing film professor, who built Wesleyan University into an unlikely film powerhouse over her 60 years at the Connecticut liberal arts institution, reflects on how the field of film studies changed over the course of her career, the 13 hugely influential film books that she has authored and the future of film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second-generation Hollywood legend reflects on growing up in the shadow of Kirk, breaking into the biz as both a producer (he won an Oscar for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest') and an actor (he won an Oscar for 'Wall Street') and breaking away from the contemporary roles for which he's best known (including 'Fatal Attraction,' 'Basic Instinct' and 'Traffic') to play Benjamin Franklin in an Apple TV+ limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, the beloved character actor-turned-filmmaker reflects on his deep Hollywood roots, juggling acting roles like the ones he played in the film 'Ghost' and on the TV series 'Scandal' with directing gigs like 'A Walk on the Moon' and 'Conviction,' and his latest film — which he directed and stars in — about a boy with Autism and his protective father. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing actress, who recently became the first Indigenous American ever nominated for the best actress Oscar, reflects on deciding to pursue a screen acting career despite the historically limited opportunities for Native Americans; almost walking away from the business after her award-winning performance in 2016's 'Certain Women' failed to create more opportunities; and how she wound up hearing from Martin Scorsese and tackling the part that changed her life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Korean-Canadian filmmaker, who is Oscar-nominated for her autobiographical feature directorial debut, reflects on her transition from playwright to filmmaker, the biggest challenges that a first-time filmmaker faces and her aspirations for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the trailblazing actress, producer, director and activist reflects on the unlikely path to her breakthrough role in the indie film 'Real Women Have Curves'; becoming the first Latina ever to win the best actress in a comedy series Emmy, for 'Ugly Betty'; anad landing a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for a performance highlighted by a showstopping monologue in Greta Gerwig's cultural phenomenon of a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Irish actor who is Oscar-nominated for playing the father of the atomic bomb reflects on his unexpected shift from making music to acting, what led him to the beloved drama series 'Peaky Blinders' and what is at the center of his special six-film, 20-year collaboration with Christopher Nolan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy-winning songwriter and Oscar-winning composer reflects on his legendary New Orleans music family, waging war against genres and being featured in and writing an original song that is now nominated for an Oscar, "It Never Went Away," for Matthew Heineman's Netflix documentary feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The admired veteran reflects on breaking into Hollywood with 'The Grifters' (en route to an Oscar nom) and 'Bugsy' (opposite husband-to-be Warren Beatty), standout turns in films ranging from 'The Kids Are All Right' to '20th Century Women' to 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' and taking on one of her most challenging roles yet as swimmer Diana Nyad in 'Nyad.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The founding director of the Sundance Institute, who since 1981 has presided over the "labs" that help rising filmmakers to realize their visions, reflects on how she came to work for Robert Redford, what filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao and Darren Aronofsky got out of their time at the labs and becoming just the 43rd person — and only the 10th woman — ever honored with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary filmmaker reflects on the tug of war that he has always felt between his faith and the reality of his life, and how that has shaped the films that he has made; the origins and evolution of his special relationships with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio; how his latest film is sort of an amalgam of all of his prior films; and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing filmmaker reflects on her circuitous path to the film industry, in which she originally worked as a publicist; the evolution of her social conscience; how her feelings about Hollywood have changed since 'Selma' and #OscarsSoWhite; and why she is so passionate about her latest film, which is about prejudice across history and geography and how the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, connected the dots in her book 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the sibling singer/songwriters return to the podcast to take questions from the host and students about their path to music, why they love writing songs for movies and how "What Was I Made For?," their Oscar-shortlisted tune for Greta Gerwig's acclaimed blockbuster, came to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy winner and Tony and Emmy nominee reflects on her path from Greenville, South Carolina to Juilliard to Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black' and Broadway, overcoming impostor syndrome and her fateful Zoom with Oprah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of our greatest character actors reflects on how the sudden death of his father motivated him to pursue an acting career, the different challenges of roles small and large and what it was like to reunite with Alexander Payne, 19 years after 'Sideways,' for a new film about a cranky boarding school teacher who is made even crankier by having to spend the 1970 Christmas break on campus with an aggrieved student. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most admired actresses of our or any time reflects on how a nomadic childhood led her to acting; the most important roles of her career, ranging from 'The Big Lebowski' to 'Far from Heaven' to 'Still Alice'; and her special relationship with filmmaker Todd Haynes, which has yielded five films spanning 1995's 'Safe' through a 2023 Netflix title about a woman who is married to a younger man she first hooked up with 20 years earlier when he was underage and who is now being observed by a Hollywood actress set to play her in a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman Univeristy, the British actress/writer/director, who for 'Promising Young Woman' won the best original screenplay Oscar and became the first British female ever nominated for the best director Oscar, reflects on the roots of her interest in dark material, being handed the reins to 'Killing Eve' by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and what inspired her sophomore feature, which was just nominated for the best picture Critics Choice Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearing his 60th birthday, the legendary singer/songwriter and rock star reflects on growing up biracial and half-Jewish, his greatest hits and his new Golden Globe-nominated tune "Road to Freedom." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 20-year-old Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, one of the world's biggest pop stars, reflects on her path to acting and singing, rocketing to mega-fame during COVID lockdown with "Driver's License" and writing songs for her two albums versus writing a song — "Can't Catch Me Now" — for a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brit described by her three-time collaborator Meryl Streep as "the best young actress I’ve worked with in some time, perhaps ever" reflects on how a childhood stutter led her to acting, taking on frightening physical and vocal challenges in film roles and playing the wife of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed summer blockbuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the all-time most distinguished producers of independent film — who has somehow never received a best picture Oscar nomination, despite credits including 'Boys Don't Cry,' 'Far from Heaven' and 'Carol' — reflects on meeting Todd Haynes and abandoning early ambitions to become a director, how 'New Queer Cinema' came to be and why she still bets on first-time filmmakers like Celine Song. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy-winning pop superstar opens up about her childhood split between London and Kosovo, breaking into the music biz with hits like 'New Rules' and 'Levitating,' the unique challenges of writing 'Dance the Night' for Greta Gerwig's summer blockbuster and releasing 'Houdini,' the first single from her forthcoming third album. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, one of the premier writers and directors of stage and screen reflects on directing the original Broadway production of 'Angels in America' (for which he won one of his three Tonys), transitioning to film directing and, most recently, telling the story of the largely forgotten Black gay activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Hollywood's historic Grauman's Chinese Theater, for a panel convened as part of AFI FEST, Scott sits down with A. Scott Berg, Cameron Crowe, Nancy Griffin, Aljean Harmetz, Leonard Maltin, Kim Masters, Dennis McDougal, James Andrew Miller, Eddie Muller, John Pierson, George Stevens Jr., Michael Tolkin, Christine Vachon, Mark A. Vieira and Sam Wasson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Omaha-born filmmaker known for dramedies including 'Election,' 'About Schmidt,' 'Sideways,' 'The Descendants' and 'Nebraska' reflects on his differing feelings about writing and directing, the ways in which he casts A-listers and extras and reuniting with Paul Giamatti 19 years after their prior collaboration on his latest film, about three people who begrudgingly spend the 1970 Christmas break together at a New England boarding school. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the star DJ-turned-producer/songwriter reflects on his path to music, notable collaborations (with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga) and expansive work on Greta Gerwig's 2023 blockbuster (he EP'd the soundtrack, co-wrote the score and co-wrote and/or co-produced singles performed by Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Sam Smith and Ryan Gosling). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the brilliant and eccentric filmmaker reflects on his childhood in Burbank and how it led him to animation and to characters regarded by others as freaks, alternating between mainstream blockbusters and personal art films and collaborating over decades with the likes of Johnny Depp, Colleen Atwood and Danny Elfman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legend of New German Cinema reflects on making movies in Germany and America, moving between narrative and doc features and the making of his greatest films including ‘Paris, Texas,’ ‘Wings of Desire’ and ‘Buena Vista Social Club.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran fan favorite reflects on his path to standup and his unusual stage name, how the Spike Lee documentary 'The Original Kings of Comedy' changed his career trajectory and his forthcoming debut novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world’s most famous living film critic, who was the Internet Movie Database before the advent of the Internet, shares how his famous movie guide began when he was 17 and ended 45 years later, what his life is like a decade after his Parkinson's diagnosis and his outlook for the future of the movies and film criticism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the top TV producers in the business reflects on coming to America with James Corden to launch 'The Late Late Show' and its hit segment-turned-spinoff 'Carpool Karaoke,' why the Grammys has been his toughest producing assignment and what it's like putting producing televised concert specials like Adele's from Griffith Park and Elton John's from Dodger Stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the actress/director reflects on her evolution from model to soap star to ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘Forrest Gump,’ her collaborations with her ex Sean Penn and breaking out of typecasting with ‘House of Cards’ — and then navigating the aftermath of Kevin Spacey’s downfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 'Parks and Rec' scene-stealer turned leading lady reflects on the stroke that changed her at 21, landing three major parts in her first week in LA, breaking out of the 'deadpan' box and why she wants to host the Oscars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a celebration of the podcast's 500th episode, one of the most popular and admired comedians of his generation reflects on his path from comedy student to 'Saturday Night Live' writer and host; his five standup specials, including his latest, on Netflix, which addresses his battle with addiction; and whether he would say yes if asked to host the Oscars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary English actor of stage and screen reflects on his dark childhood, and how he found his escape from it in the theater; the fateful series of events in 1987 led to him, at the age of 47, becoming Jean-Luc Picard, the captain of the starship 'Enterprise'; and why, after years of 'X-Men' films, plays, voiceover work and much else, he agreed to return to the part with which he is most closely associated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The comedy legend reflects on getting through childhood tragedies, why he was drawn to sketch in his native Canada (at Second City and 'SCTV') and in the U.S. (at 'SNL' and 'The Martin Short Show') and what is at the root of his nearly 40-year friendship and collaboration with Steve Martin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six Broadway standouts — nominated for 'Into the Woods,' 'A Doll's House,' 'Kimberly Akimbo,' 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,' 'Topdog/Underdog' and 'Parade,' respectively — discuss the challenges and rewards of their parts, COVID's lasting impact on theater, the writers strike and the Tonys, their dream roles, plus more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the Swedish Oscar winner reflects on her transition from dancing to acting, the ups and downs of her life-changing 2015, her husband Michael Fassbender and her 2023 return to Cannes as the star of a film in competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kuwait-born Palestinian standup comedian turned co-creator/writer/star of the first Palestinian-American television comedy series reflects on his 20-year journey to become an American citizen, comedy mentors including Dave Chappelle and teaming with Ramy Youssef on two trailblazing TV shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The distinguished actor and singer of stage (he's been nominated for four Tony noms across three decades) and screen (he's best known for the film ‘Spotlight’ and the TV series ‘Smash’ and ‘13 Reasons Why’) reflects on his path to showbiz; decisions to leave ‘Next to Normal’ and ‘Hamilton’ after their off Broadway runs; and career since starring in a best picture Oscar winner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest breakout stars of recent years reflects on the sacrifices that her family made to enable her to pursue acting, the challenges and rewards of her Emmy-nominated work on HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ and ‘The White Lotus’ and why she is so proud of her new film, the first on which she has ever been #1 on the callsheet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of TV’s most trailblazing, talented and prolific storytellers reflects on her path to Shondaland and ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ why she cringes at the attention paid to her shows’ racial diversity and what led her to jump from ABC to Netflix and to venture into the world of ‘Bridgerton.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Emmy winner — who in 2022 became the first Black winner of best supporting actress in a comedy series in 35 years — reflects on her Tony-nominated turn in the original Broadway production of 'Dreamgirls,' why she almost walked away from showbiz after leaving the hit TV show 'Moesha' and the fateful series of events that led to her meeting Quinta Brunson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the top young stars in Hollywood reflects on the importance to his career of Matthew Vaughn and Dexter Fletcher; the running thread that Elton John played in his life even prior to playing him in 'Rocketman'; and why he relished the opportunity to do longform television for the first time for Apple TV+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the TCM Classic Film Festival, one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood's Golden Age reflects on working as a kid alongside the likes of Cecil B. DeMille and Spencer Tracy; employing his tumbling background to dance in musicals like 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and 'West Side Story'; and why, shortly after his Oscar nom for 'Peyton Place,' he "dropped out" of the biz, and then later returned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the TCM Classic Film Festival, the legendary star of late '50s/'60s rock 'n' roll and beach movies reflects on his path from trumpeter to teen idol, his experiences off screen and on with Annette Funicello and what his life is like today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The self-described "oddball" actress/writer/director/producer reflects on child stardom, her years away from the business due to addiction and her remarkable run of the past decade with Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black' and 'Russian Doll' followed by an acclaimed new Peacock series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at CAA in Los Angeles, the Oscar-nominated (‘House of Sand and Fog’) and Emmy-winning (‘House of Saddam’) actress reflects on her journey to acting and away from Iran, her difficult decision to play a terrorist on ‘24’ and the current crisis in her homeland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, the legendary 83-year-old actor reflects on his many years as a struggling actor, his career-making and Oscar-winning turn in Milos Forman’s ‘Amadeus’ and his recent career resurgence on several hit TV shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of Sunday's Oscars, the first person of Asian descent to lead Hollywood's most powerful organization reflects on connecting the American and Chinese film industries before shifting to producing films like 'The Joy Luck Club,' how racist jokes told at the Oscars in 2016 motivated her to become active in the Academy and how she feels about Chris Rock, Will Smith and accusations that Academy members are racist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British Tony-nominated playwright and Oscar-nominated filmmaker reflects on his path to theater and film, the roots of his interest in Ireland and his latest reunion with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience of students at Chapman University, the breakout star reflects on breaking into the business as a pre-teen and then stepping away from it after the death of his mother, realizing his dreams on Broadway opposite Denzel Washington and on film under the direction of Quentin Tarantino, and the years of ups, downs and tireless work that went into his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Elvis Presley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience of students at Chapman University, the beloved star of 1990s films like ‘Airheads,’ ‘George of the Jungle’ and ‘The Mummy’ reflects on his path to acting, why he receded from the spotlight for several years and what went into his Oscar-nominated comeback performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world-famous activist and youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize reflects on why she began fighting for all girls to receive a proper education, how she rebuilt her life after being shot by a member of the Taliban and what she hopes to achieve with an increased presence in Hollywood, from forming a production company to signing on to a documentary short that has since been nominated for an Oscar. But first: Joshua Seftel, the director of that film, reflects on making it and working with Malala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the former child star turned 2023 Oscar nominee reflects on coming to America from Vietnam and making ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ and ‘The Goonies,’ walking away from acting for two decades and making one of the greatest comebacks in Hollywood history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the two-time Oscar winner reflects on her unexpected path to screen acting, how she landed and tackled the roles for which she is best known and the massive undertaking of playing symphony orchestra conductor Lydia Tár. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beloved veteran, a best supporting actress Oscar nominee 29 years after she was a best actress Oscar nominee for her portrayal of Tina Turner, reflects on her humble upbringing and Yale education, the early roles that established her as one of the top talents in the business and the ups and downs that followed over the next three decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Irish A-lister and newly-minted Oscar nominee reflects on his experience with sudden stardom, transitioning from big-budget films to indies and his three-film collaboration with Martin McDonagh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Nobel-winning novelist best known for 'The Remains of the Day' and 'Never Let Me Go' reflects on his journeys from Japan to England and from writing songs to fiction; why he has often written characters who deceive themselves and repress their emotions; and why he wanted to adapt Akira Kurosawa's film 'Ikiru,' which he first saw as a boy, into a new film set in 1950s London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The James Cameron of Tollywood reflects on his family of filmmakers, helping to forge a pan-Indian cinema and bringing together two of India's biggest stars for what has proven to be one of India's biggest — and most acclaimed — blockbusters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With five best director and two best picture Oscars between them, this trio of filmmakers are a living and breathing rebuttal to Donald Trump's claim that Mexico isn't "sending their best." In a rare joint interview, they reflect on the origins of their friendship, coming to America and ushering in a new golden age of Mexican cinema. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of her generation's most admired stage and screen actresses reflects on being an emancipated child star on 'Dawson's Creek,' pursuing naturalism in films like 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Wendy and Lucy' and 'Blue Valentine' before turning more recently to expressionistic work in 'My Week with Marilyn' and 'Fosse/Verdon' and the challenges and rewards of playing Steven Spielberg's mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fast-rising star of stage and screen reflects on growing up as the daughter of an immigrant who was skeptical about her ambitions, what led her to major parts on Broadway and on TV's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and how she feels about the explosion of her career and her latest film — the principal stars of which are of Asian descent — at a time when anti-Asian bigotry is surging across America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary singer and guitarist of the trailblazing punk/new-wave band Blondie reflect on the fateful way in which they came together, the creation of their biggest hits (including four which hit #1) and the new Grammy-nominated box set 'Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982,' which chronicles the band’s initial eight-year run prior to its seventeen-year hiatus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York-born/LA-based filmmaker reflects on how his family and upbringing shaped him and his films, the pros and cons of being a darling of Cannes and the increasingly uphill climb of making the sorts of indie, personal films he prefers to make. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Mexican filmmaker who has been recognized with four competitive Oscars and one honorary Oscar reflects on how music informs his movies, why his films focus on parent-child relationships and immigration and what drives him to tackle massively challenging projects like 'Birdman,' 'The Revenant' and his latest, Mexico's submission for this year's best international feature Oscar race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary singer/singwriter formerly of Talking Heads reflects on the formation and breakup of that band, the international influences that have shaped his solo career and how he came to write, with Ryan Lott and Mitski, the original song 'This Is a Life' for the 2022 film that is now A24's highest-grossing release ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The only person who has ever won Oscars for both acting and writing reflects on how her pursuit of sketch comedy gave way to dramatic acting, the roots of her deep feminism and why, at 63, she took on one of the most intimidating parts of her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most commercially successful producers in Hollywood's history reflects on his beginnings in advertising, his rollercoaster partnership with the late Don Simpson and the two 'Top Gun' blockbusters that he made with Tom Cruise 36 years apart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the musican and actor reflects on his colorful adolescence, his gravitation to and success with both rap and pop-punk and why he has added acting to his portfolio, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the biggest box-office stars of the past quarter-century reflects on his path to comedy and acting, what inspired his funniest movies and lines and his mid-career foray into more dramatic roles, such as the NBA scout he played in an acclaimed Netflix film earlier this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Malaysian actress reflects on blazing a trail for female martial artists in Hong Kong cinema, introducing the modern Bond girl 25 years ago and getting to show that she can do, well, everything everywhere all at once in A24's biggest hit to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Oscar and Tony winner returns to the podcast, seven years after his first visit, and reflects on his collaborations with Tom Hooper, the movie on which Harvey Weinstein bullied him and the roles for which he has received the most acclaim, from Dr. Stephen Hawking in 'The Theory of Everything' to a nurse with a dark secret in a new Netflix film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aussie actress who has shot to stardom as Shiv Roy on HBO's Emmy-winning drama series reflects on almost landing the lead in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' right out of drama school, how the casting director who cast her in 'Steve Jobs' changed her career years later, what makes Shiv tick and what it's been like becoming a celebrity during a pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The voice of millennial Black women for more than a decade," in the words of The Washington Post, reflects on how she became enamored with TV, the robbery that inspired her web series 'The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl' and how that show, along with Larry Wilmore and Prentice Penny, shaped her five-season masterpiece for HBO, the first premium cable scripted series ever created by and starring a Black woman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TV veteran of '8 Simple Rules' and 'The Big Bang Theory' reflects on her start in the business, the lessons and loss of mentor John Ritter and breaking out of sitcoms to produce and star in an HBO Max comedic thriller that has now brought her three Emmy nominations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first woman of color to ever run a Hollywood studio, who is now the head of global television at the world's preeminent streamer and one of TIME's 100 most influential people in the world, reflects on climbing the ranks in a business in which no one looked like her, championing shows like 'The Mindy Project' and 'Master of None' and helping to guide to fruition 'Squid Game,' which is the biggest hit in her company's history and the first non-English-language show ever nominated for a best series Emmy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar-winning filmmaker and world’s most famous living New Zealander reflects on his path to filmmaking and passion for visual effects, the crazy series of events that made it possible for him to make the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and the loss of a longtime collaborator that has driven him towards documentary filmmaking, most recently with an epic docuseries about the run-up to The Beatles’ final public performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in to Scott’s 2014 Dodger Stadium interview with the greatest broadcaster in the history of sports, the voice of the Dodgers from 1950 in Brooklyn through 2016 in Los Angeles, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 94. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first Black woman ever to receive three Emmy noms in a single year reflects on her path to comedy, appearances on others' shows (e.g. 'A Black Lady Sketch Show') while trying to sell one of her own and the teachers who inspired her hit new ABC sitcom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ‘SNL’ standout turned HBO auteur reflects on why he owes his career to Megan Mullally, what prevented him from enjoying his eight years in 30 Rock’s Studio 8H and how his work in the indie film ‘The Skeleton Twins’ led to the opportunity to co-create, write, direct and star in a TV series about a hitman/actor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this conversation recorded at the 2015 TCM Film Festival, the legendary star of Hollywood’s Golden Age reflects on the classics she made with everyone from Hitchcock to Wilder, how she became a believer of New Age ideas and what she makes of the business today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the actor best known for playing a Hollywood fixer over seven seasons on Showtime and now in a Paramount+ TV movie reflects on the immense impact of his maternal grandfather, how his physical appearance has shaped his job opportunities and why he was reluctant to sign up for the TV series for which he is now best known. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter reflects on the highs and lows of her long journey to stardom, how she came to preach body positivity and why she agreed to host a reality competition program for Amazon Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most consequential investigative journalists of our time reflects on his complicated childhood, his reporting on Harvey Weinstein and how he and the guys behind 'RuPaul's Drag Race' turned his podcast into an Emmy-contending docuseries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The game-changing ESPN sportswriter turned CEO of The Ringer reflects on his rise to prominence during the early days of the Internet, his rocky tenure at ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ and following ‘30 for 30’ with another ambitious docuseries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The singer/songwriter and actress reflects on the pros and cons of Disney Channel child stardom, finding her voice as a solo artist and getting the chance to show what she can do as an adult — opposite comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short — on her first TV series since 'Wizards of Waverly Place' ended a decade ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Broadway standouts — nominated for 'The Music Man,' 'Macbeth,' 'How I Learned to Drive,' 'American Buffalo' and 'Take Me Out,' respectively — discuss theater in the time of COVID, the challenges of eight shows a week, stage versus screen acting, exorbitant ticket prices, unruly audience members and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The child performer turned iconic star reflects on unconventional beauty and how her career changed after Steve Martin cast her as a desirable woman in 1991's 'L.A. Story,' why 25 years ago she was reluctant to play sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw on 'Sex and the City' and what it has been like to revisit the character more than a decade after she last played her — this time with diverse costars but without Kim Cattrall (for reasons she addresses in-depth for the first time). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Cannes Film Festival, the queen of the fest reflects on the unrequited crush that led her to acting, the differences between French and Hollywood filmmaking and being the first actress to appear in multiple installments of the 007 franchise as the same Bond girl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the prolific actress behind a generation's favorite sitcom reflects on the early breaks that helped her land the part of Monica on 'Friends,' how working with Wes Craven on several 'Scream' films influenced her own directorial approach and why she feels her role on Starz's new horror/comedy series is the most layered and challenging she has ever played. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The four-time Emmy nominees best known for 'The Good Wife' reflect on 35 years of marriage, the differences between making shows for broadcast versus streaming and juggling two vastly different series at the same time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary funnyman, in a rare interview, reflects on how his childhood shaped his comedy, the challenges and rewards of playing multiple characters in the same project and how a line he spoke in a 1993 film inspired his new Netflix comedy series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of our most respected and beloved actors reflects on starting out as a Shakespearean theater specialist, transitioning to screen acting and the challenges and rewards of playing ADA-turned-DA Jack McCoy on 17 seasons of Dick Cook's landmark legal drama for NBC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world renowned chef and humanitarian reflects on popularizing tapas in America through his celebrated restaurants, what inspired him to establish World Central Kitchen to feed people in disaster areas and being the subject of a new Ron Howard-directed documentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The former child star, who is now 24 and garnering career-best notices for her work on a Hulu comedy series and limited series, reflects on growing up in the biz alongside Dakota, when she took ownership of her career and what led her to projects on the small screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 21-year-old breakout star of Taylor Sheridan's 'Yellowstone' prequel, an epic Western limited series on Paramount+, reflects on her first professional gig as the lead of a Netflix sitcom, how a 'Mayor of Kingstown' audition inspired Sheridan to write the part of Elsa Dutton for her and what it was like preparing for and then shooting that show over five months alongside Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The three-time Emmy winner reflects on her beginnings in sketch comedy and breakthrough gig on 'MADtv,' voicing Lois Griffin (and many other characters) for Seth MacFarlane's shows and how being cast — but unable to accept a major part — on 'Gilmore Girls' led decades later to the role of bartender-turned-manager Susie Myerson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices