Filmmaker Justin Kurzel is drawn to stories about outlaws and outsiders. Growing up in South Australia and living in Tasmania, he’s seen the fragile nature of small communities and the people who can prompt societal upheaval. Justin talks with Marc about his new and very relevant film The Order and why Justin was compelled to cast Marc as an assassinated radio host. They also talk about Justin’s other films, including one that the Prime Minister of Australia said shouldn’t be made.
Bobbi Althoff’s podcast success story is much different than Marc’s podcast success story. In fact, the concept of a podcast is very different than when WTF got started. Bobbi explains how she grew up in a chaotic environment where money was hard to come by and, after becoming a mom in her early 20s, she found viral fame by sheer force of will, as well as a guest appearance by Drake. They also talk about the grind of the content creation machine, the mental health drain of social media, and fame being an economic engine.
When Marc first met Andy Blitz during the rise of the alt-comedy scene in New York City, Andy still thought show business was magical. And why wouldn’t he? As he tells Marc, he was a kid who grew up in the rough East Village of the 1970s and found himself dealing with depression and panic attacks in college. Andy talks about how his days at Luna Lounge paved the way for his job as a writer and sketch performer on Conan, and how that in turn opened doors for writing on shows like Human Giant, Review and Master of None.
Not too many guests come into the garage and tell Marc he changed their lives forever. In fact, Jesse Eisenberg might be the only one. Jesse and Marc go over that formative moment and what it says about both of them. Jesse also talks about being terrified as a child, growing into an adult who identifies with bleakness, and turning some of his life experiences into the new film A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed and stars in alongside Kieran Culkin.
Dwight Yoakam is a multi-platinum recording artist with many number one albums and singles, as well as multiple Grammy wins. But despite all his accomplishments as a musician, including his new album Brighter Days, Dwight is just as comfortable being a music historian. Dwight helps Marc chart the movement of country music to California, with Americana music of the mid-20th Century blending with rock and punk to create a unique sound that Dwight was a distinct part of. They talk all about The Byrds, Creedence, The Blasters and many more, in addition to Dwight’s new adventures as a first-time dad.
Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino is attracted to the ways in which we’re all imperfect beings. That explains why a clash of personalities is central to so many of his movies, including A Bigger Splash, Suspiria and Challengers. Marc and Luca talk about those films as well as his new one, Queer, which is based on source material by someone who remains a fascination to both of them: William S. Burroughs.
Steve Furey’s path to comedy started with youth football. Once he realized he wasn’t great at football, he started selling drugs. Once he realized he wasn’t good at selling drugs, he started comedy. In between there were stories of border crossings, smuggling in Tijuana, gunpoint robberies in Stockton, Kansas overdoses and more. And then there were early standup gigs that, as both Steve and Marc confirm, could wind up being scarier than dealing drugs.
Anthony Jeselnik is back in the garage more than 13 years since the last time he and Marc talked on the mics. With many career successes and some failures in the rearview, Anthony talks with Marc about where he sees himself in the landscape of comedy today, as he releases his latest Netflix special and while both of them spend a lot of time thinking about the current perception of standup comedy.
Rosemarie DeWitt never really thought she would become an actor because she felt like no one was betting on her. In fact, later in life her father said, “I can’t believe that you’re successful.” Marc finds out what drove Rosemarie away from those low expectations and into a prominent career with credits like Rachel Getting Married, Mad Men, Little Fires Everywhere and the new film Out of My Mind. They also talk about why horror movies, like Smile 2, are fun to make and how the two of them share a bond due to their deep connections with Lynn Shelton.
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Cynthia Erivo has some tips for Marc on how to get more out of his time on set. For example, she always makes sure to get her steps in. So when you see her playing Elphaba in Wicked, she’s wearing her fitness watch under her witch costume. Cynthia and Marc share their thoughts about the vulnerability of singing, with Cynthia having studied the psychology of music before becoming an award-winning stage performer. They also compare notes on Aretha Franklin from their respective projects about the Queen of Soul.
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Josh Brolin is a natural guest to return to the garage for a second chat because he and Marc relate on many levels. They both find themselves chasing addictions even when they’re sober. They’re both constantly looking for ways to connect with people. And they both just encountered an intense journey for emotional truth. Marc through his recent acting, Josh through the writing of his new memoir, From Under a Truck, which he calls the most humbling experience of his life.
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Jessica Lange admits she’s always drawn to the darkness and madness of her characters, whether it’s Frances Farmer or Blanche DuBois or her most recent performance as The Great Lillian Hall, which dealt with the trifecta of grief, loss and loneliness. Jessica and Marc talk about how she enjoys plumbing the depths of emotion, but also enjoyed a life that’s taken her all over the world, a career that started in the palm of King Kong, and a body of work that includes Tootsie, All That Jazz, American Horror Story and more.
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Robby Hoffman knows she comes in too hot. But that kind of in-your-face enthusiasm helped her go from being one of ten kids in a Hasidic Jewish family to a burgeoning standup comic and television writer. Robby tells Marc about the challenges of her upbringing, including the socially hazardous way she was publicly outed as a teen. They also talk about her love of Uniqlo, Egg McMuffins, and her writing breakthrough on the children’s show Odd Squad.
Mo Mandel would like you to enjoy his new comedy special, see him perform live and, if you’re a studio executive, greenlight one of his scripts. But Mo also wants to make sure he doesn’t become too successful, otherwise he’ll lose the sweet deal of essentially being a stay-at-home dad. Mo tells Marc about adapting to his OCD, giving up on self-improvement, and getting sober at the same time he was hosting a show called Barmageddon.
Filmmaker Billy Corben got an early taste of show business as an aspiring child actor. That aborted career path eventually turned into a new vocation as a maker of documentary films, including celebrated projects like Cocaine Cowboys and The U. Billy and Marc talk about the persistent connection to Florida in Billy’s work and how his latest film, From Russia with Lev, is both a cautionary tale about the dangers of a Trump Administration and a meditation on the quintessential Florida Man.
The world learned who Robert Patrick was when he showed up as the T-1000 in Terminator 2, but prior to that break out, Robert saw himself as a failed athlete and alcoholic who was lucky to get a chance at success with this acting thing. Robert tells Marc how his personal struggles continued after T2, how being cast in The X-Files and The Sopranos turned things around for him, and how he’s now challenging himself in more productive ways.
Keith Urban may seem like an outsider who conquered Nashville, but as he tells Marc, he was an outsider in his home country, too. Coming from what he calls an oddball family in Australia who owned American cars and played American country music, Keith’s journey to international superstardom was not without its roadblocks, some due to the industry, some self-inflicted. Keith also talks with Marc about his eleventh studio album, High, and how he didn’t realize it was so personal until the songs were coming out of him.
Many films in the career of Robert Zemeckis, including his new one called Here, involve some form of time travel. As Robert explains to Marc, nothing does time travel better than movies. Robert talks with Marc about becoming a filmmaker thanks to Jerry Lewis, his partnership with Steven Spielberg, his collaborations with Tom Hanks, and the making of his beloved films like Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Forrest Gump and more.