Comedian and writer Morgan Murphy dealt with several life challenges on the way to a successful career as a television writer. One of those challenges was Marc Maron. Morgan and Marc reckon with what went on between them, and Morgan details the rocky road she traveled as a young writer heading toward gigs on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Two Broke Girls. This episode is sponsored by ProFlowers, Stamps.com and Shari’s Berries.
Music journalist Marc Spitz touched a raw nerve with Marc, thanks to his memoir “Poseur.” The two Marcs share more than a name. They share a compulsion for the drugs, the grit and the rock and roll allure of New York City before the new millennium. Spitz says it all led to a character he created for himself while working as a writer for Spin Magazine - a character that was almost his undoing. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central, Audible and Squarespace.
Comedian Simon Amstell is British but has a shockingly large amount in common with Marc. They both have complicated relationships with their Jewishness, they both encountered problems being honest about their families, they both struggled with early jobs in television. Heck, they both even hosted the same game show. Simon and Marc discuss these similarities and one big difference. This episode is sponsored by NatureBox and by Stamps.com.
Harry Dean Stanton is known to audiences around the world for his roles in more than 200 films and television shows. But, as Marc finds out while trying to conduct an interview with the great character actor, it may not be possible to really know Harry. For some assistance, Marc enlists documentary filmmaker Sophie Huber to see if she can help make sense of the enigma that is Harry Dean Stanton. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central, Earthquaker Devices and GoToMeeting by Citrix.
Marc brings WTF to the LA Podfest and goes head-to-head with some of the top hosts in the podcast community. Jimmy Pardo from Never Not Funny, Aisha Tyler from Girl on Guy, Paul Gilmartin from The Mental Illness Happy Hour, Dave Anthony from Walking the Room and Dana Gould from The Dana Gould Hour are all on board, plus a cameo from Jake Johannsen. Also, Marc shares a personal story of getting a little too close to one of his listeners. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, LegalZoom and Stamps.com.
Patrick Stickles, frontman of Titus Andronicus, brings his punk rock style to the garage for a conversation about rules and rule breaking, the Rolling Stones versus Led Zeppelin, and why rock and roll is a dying artform. Marc and Patrick also discuss mental health and how the things that torture us are also the things that allow us to create. This episode is sponsored by Domino Records, featuring Arctic Monkeys’ new album AM, by Hover and by NatureBox.
Ed Begley, Jr. has been in a lot of movies and TV shows, but he’s also lived a lot of lives. Ed tells Marc about his wild days in the 1970s when he was running around the hills of Hollywood with fellow party animals like Jack Nicholson and Harry Dean Stanton. They also talk about Ed’s devotion to the environment, which he has worked hard to protect, even when he spent most of his time doing harm to himself. This episode is sponsored by LegalZoom, Stamps.com and GoToMeeting.
Will Forte had given up on thoughts of becoming an actor when he settled down into a successful career as a television comedy writer for several hit shows. Will tells Marc how he got roped back into the performance world, what led to a completely pressure-free audition for Saturday Night Live, and why he never seriously believed he would get a role in Alexander Payne’s new film Nebraska. Today’s episode is sponsored by Hover and by Slingbox.
Andy Samberg says he’ll probably be most remembered for “D*** in a Box,” and that’s okay by him. Marc talks with the former SNL cast member to find out about the other things he’ll be remembered for, including his Lonely Island collaborations, his films and his new television show. Plus, Andy tells Marc why pro-wrestling is responsible for his devotion to SNL. This episode is sponsored by Warby Parker, Stamps.com and LegalZoom.
The fact that Artie Lange is sitting in the garage with Marc is a miracle. Artie talks about his bumpy road back from heroin addiction and a violent suicide attempt, which happened at a time when his star was burning brightest. He tells Marc what his recovery means for his health, his career and his relationships with others in his life, including Howard Stern. This episode is sponsored by NatureBox and by Squarespace.
Josh Tilman has gone by many identities, performing as J Tilman, or as the the drummer for The Fleet Foxes, or in his current incarnation as Father John Misty. He talks with Marc about the evolution of his songwriting and the mythmaking that is necessary in the world of popular music. He also discusses his upbringing in a strict religious household and how it led to his musical awakening. This episode is sponsored by Warby Parker and Audible.
Marc wasn’t familiar with comedian Billy Braver, mostly because Billy Braver quit show business before Marc became a comic. Billy joins Marc in the garage to talk about the process that took him from being a rising comic in Los Angeles to becoming a car salesman. Billy also explains how, after being out of the game for decades, he plans to get back into the business. This episode is sponsored by The Spoils of Babylon on IFC.
Things seem to happen to writer-director Jason Woliner earlier than most people. He was a well-compensated actor who went broke before he got out of his teens. He was married and divorced in his 20s. And by the time he was in his 30s, he already had a hand in developing shows like Human Giant, Delocated and Eagleheart. Jason talks to Marc about these milestones and more when they sit down in the garage. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace and HuluPlus.
When Hank Azaria was on the show, he told Marc about his therapist, Phil Stutz, and said Marc needed to talk to him. So Marc did. Phil Stutz is often called a “Hollywood Power Therapist” or some other euphemism when he’s profiled in the media, but Marc finds a complicated guy behind the press clippings. Phil talks with Marc about being a prison psychiatrist, developing a new approach to therapy and coping with Parkinson’s disease. This episode is sponsored by GoToMeeting.
Marc considers Allan Havey to be one of the great club comics in America. Maybe that’s why he was so intimidated by Allan when they used to cross paths in the 80s and 90s. Allan sits down with Marc to talk about some of the other paths he crossed - JFK, Ted Bundy, mobsters - before finding success as a talk show host at the dawn of Comedy Central and becoming a stand-up with a lasting influence on many of today’s comics. This episode is sponsored by Pro Flowers and Shari’s Berries.
Live from Bumbershoot 2013 in Seattle, Marc hunkers down with a fantastic foursome. Jon Wurster reveals what it was like to play drums for Katy Perry. Mike Vecchione commiserates with Marc over father issues. Scott Aukerman tries to figure out when he and Marc started being nice to each other. And as the show hurtles toward the finish line, Kyle Dunnigan is in danger of getting bumped. Will he make it? This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click on the radio mic and enter WTF to start a no-risk trial with a $110 bonus offer.
Yakov Smirnoff is the only guest who ever had to submit his material to the Soviet Ministry of Jokes. He has a lot less pressure in the garage talking with Marc about coming to America, landing a job at The Comedy Store, rocketing to stand-up stardom in the 80s and watching it all crumble away along with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Then hear the surprising way Yakov reinvented himself in comedy, as well as in life. This episode is sponsored by HuluPlus, ProFlowers, Shari’s Berries and Adam & Eve.
Will Ferrell shares the full story of his rise to comedy superstardom, from his days trying to make it as a stand-up comic to his “graduate work” with The Groundlings to his standout run on SNL to his unstoppable movie career. Plus, Will provides inside stories about some of his most popular projects, like Anchorman, Eastbound and Down, and Old School. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click on the radio mic and enter WTF to start a no-risk trial with a $110 bonus offer.