Episode 1199 - Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek says she survived in Hollywood because she didn't let anger get the better of her. And she'd have good reasons to be angry, facing a barrage of sexism, discrimination, typecasting, and a general dismissiveness of her talent. Salma and Marc talk about how she stood up for herself, particularly when making the film Frida, and why Salma believes the gender imbalance in the industry is changing. They also talk about her new movie Bliss which depicts a false reality that feels uncomfortably relevant.

Episode 1198 - Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci is fortunate that he broke into the mainstream with his movie Big Night because it combined two of the things he loves the most: acting and food. Stanley talks with Marc about the comfort he gets from cooking and the satisfaction he gets from a good performance. They discuss his extensive career, including The Devil Wears Prada, Spotlight, Murder One, and his new film Supernova, in which his longtime friendship with Colin Firth paid off.

Episode 1197 - David Duchovny

David Duchovny knows you know him from The X-Files. He knows you know him from Californication. But that’s not going to stop him from wanting to be taken seriously as a novelist and a recording artist. David and Marc talk about his multifaceted career, his early academic pursuits, and The X-Files episode that gave him the foundation for his latest book, Truly Like Lightning. David also explains how he became friends with Garry Shandling and why they maintained such a strong connection. 

Episode 1196 - Rick Glassman

Not unlike a lot of comedians, Marc’s relationship with Rick Glassman started out with an apology. But that apology led to both of them liking each other more than they expected. Rick explains how a recent diagnosis has given him more self-awareness and prompted him to reassess the boundaries in his life. And Marc is able to relate to Rick’s desire to start doing comedy as a way to control the laughter coming at you. They also talk about Rick’s time on the show Undateable and his own podcast, Take Your Shoes Off, which is more than a name, it’s a way of life.

Episode 1195 - George Wallace

For a guy who’s been working at the top of the comedy scene since the 1970s, George Wallace has held a lot of other identities too. He was a computer engineer, a rag salesmen, an ad executive, and a real estate investor. Even within the comedy world, George kept an eclectic profile, working with musical acts like Tom Jones, operating a Vegas showcase for himself, and finding newfound popularity with his Twitter feed. George also tells Marc about his enduring friendship with Jerry Seinfeld.

Episode 1194 - Andy Zaltzman

When Marc first met Andy Zaltzman, Andy was in his element at the Edinburgh Fringe. They talk about why the festival circuit was important for Andy and other comics working their way up in the UK. They also talk about Andy’s podcast The Bugle, which he started with John Oliver, his new career paths as a cricket statistician and a quiz show host, and the strange confluence of Covid and Brexit. Plus Marc and Andy consider what the world will be like when they can return to standup.

Episode 1193 - Daniel Lanois

There’s a good chance Daniel Lanois is responsible for some of your favorite music ever and it’s all thanks to a penny whistle he bought with his allowance when he was growing up in Canada. Daniel tells Marc about his time working with Gospel choirs and doing experimental music with Brian Eno which led to him producing some of the biggest albums of all time, like U2’s The Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel’s So. They also talk about Daniel’s work with Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Neil Young and more, as well as his solo work and his uncompromising personal standards.

Episode 1192 - Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet is all about learning on the job. She never trained to be an actor, she just observed her talented co-stars on set. She used her work in Contagion to prepare herself and her family at the onset of the COVID pandemic. And she learned that global fame wasn’t something she wanted after the success of Titanic. Now, with her new film Ammonite, she learned how to tell a universal love story that does away with heteronormative storytelling. Also, Kate tells Marc about reuniting with James Cameron for the next Avatar movies.

Episode 1191 - Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman keeps going for a very simple reason: She feels like her job helps her understand the meaning of life. After winning pretty all the major film and television acting awards, after being one of the world’s biggest movie stars, and after becoming a major producer, Nicole says she’s still working because it allows her to explore what makes humans the way they are. Marc talks with Nicole about those explorations, including Eyes Wide Shut, To Die For, Big Little Lies, Destroyer, The Undoing and more. There’s also a cameo appearance by Keith Urban. 

Episode 1190 - Thundercat

Thundercat thinks bass players run the world and not just because he’s a great one. The multi-talented singer-songwriter talks with Marc about growing up with music all around him, learning at the feet of his brother and his friends Kamasi Washington and Cameron Graves, and finding his own sound on the bass. They also talk about his work with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp A Butterfly and Thundercat describes the three areas around which he has structured his life: music, Marvel and anime.

Episode 1189 - Mandy Patinkin

Mandy Patinkin is a renowned star of stage and screen, beloved for his roles in The Princess Bride and Homeland, admired for his mellifluous voice and impressive vocal range. But Mandy and Marc barely talk about any of that. Instead, they get deep into a discussion about life, death, love, religion, the Holocaust, depression, suicide, self-doubt, insecurity, and the meaning of this whole thing we’re all going through. And believe it or not, they find some answers! It’s the perfect talk for a new year as we head into the unknown.

Episode 1188 - David Ritz

David Ritz is one of the most prolific biographers of music industry titans, writing about the lives of artists from BB King to Willie Nelson to Janet Jackson. David tells Marc about his obsessive pursuit of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin and how chronicling their lives changed his. He also explains why he often enjoys ghost writing for a musician more than writing in his own voice. Plus, David talks with Marc about finding faith through the Blues and writing his own story for a change.

Episode 1187 - Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins’s connection to superheroes runs deep. Long before she became the first woman to direct a major superhero film, Patty was relying on Superman to help her process the loss of her father. Marc talks with Patty about how she was intrigued by the romance of tragedy, as filtered through the type of mythic storytelling depicted in her two Wonder Woman movies. They also talk about her time as a punk rocker, her years working the camera on hip-hop videos, and how the Beatniks are responsible for her entry into the film business. 

Episode 1186 - Sam Tallent

Sam Tallent felt compelled to write a book about the guy he was afraid to turn into. As a comedian plying his trade on the road, Sam did enough one-nighters and heard enough horror stories from other comics to know there’s a path to ruin while going from club to club. Marc is also familiar with that path, which is why he connected so strongly with Sam’s book, Running the Light. Marc and Sam talk about the book’s fictional (but all-too-real) protagonist Billy Ray Shafer, as well as the actual rogues and borderline criminals they’ve met in their industry. Sam also explains what it was like to bet on himself and publish the book on his own. 

Episode 1185 - Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird’s music defies categorization, so much so that he’s not even sure how to categorize it himself. Andrew walks Marc through the process by which he developed his sound, from youthful obsessions with classical music and jazz to his days on the road doing Old-Time music in bars to the period of isolation and deprivation he put himself through in order to experience a musical breakthrough. They also talk about his love of whistling, which he did in a recent Muppet movie. Also, Andrew plays a song from his new holiday album Hark!

Episode 1184 - Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins is one of the world’s preeminent practitioners of The Funk, although that might not be the case if he hadn’t snuck his brother’s guitar out of the closet when no one was around. Bootsy tells Marc about starting out with a homemade bass and graduating from the James Brown School of Hard Knocks as part of the Godfather of Soul’s band. Bootsy explains how he came out of that experience and shaped his own identity in the Parliament Funkadelic Universe, thanks to the freedom provided by George Clinton, and how it all ties in to his new album, The Power of the One.

Episode 1183 - Scott Glenn

Scott Glenn is convinced that every good thing that’s ever happened to him has been an accident. That includes serving in the Marines, getting his start in acting, meeting his wife, finding religion, gaining Lee Strasberg as a mentor, moving to Idaho, and getting the part in Apocalypse Now that kickstarted his confidence as an actor. Scott tells Marc about the serendipitous circumstances behind those moments in his life, as well as stories from the sets of The Right Stuff, Nashville, Urban Cowboy and Training Day. 

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