"Claire Danes"
The hosts open with light banter about facials, manicures, and self-care before welcoming actor Claire Danes, who talks about her relatively low-key beauty routine, life in a New York City brownstone, and becoming a mother of three after an unexpected pregnancy at 44. She describes growing up in an artist loft in Soho, starting acting as a child, the whirlwind of early fame from "My So-Called Life" and "Romeo + Juliet," and how therapy and family grounded her. Danes also shares how she researches roles-including observing brain surgery and visiting Langley-her experiences on "Homeland," working with directors like Baz Luhrmann and Francis Ford Coppola, her eccentric family history (including an ancestor hanged in the Salem witch trials), and her new psychological thriller series "The Beast in Me" with Matthew Rhys.
"RE-RELEASE: Jenny Slate"
The hosts talk with Jenny Slate about her life split between Los Angeles and a small coastal town in Massachusetts, where her husband owns a general store and she records voice work from various closets due to poor internet. She discusses her need for tidiness rooted in a messy childhood, stories of extreme mess-related consequences, quitting weed after an accidental massive THC overdose, and adjusting to motherhood while navigating performance anxiety in stand-up comedy. The conversation also covers the long creative process behind Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, from its improvised origins to the seven-year production of the stop-motion feature film.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Masterpiece
The hosts take a deep dive into the 1974 horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, exploring why it is widely regarded as a masterpiece despite its low budget and brutal subject matter. They walk through the full plot beat by beat, then detail the movie's origins, inspirations, difficult production, and chaotic distribution history, including mob-linked financing and rating battles. The conversation also covers the film's critical reevaluation, influence on the horror genre, and why they believe its particular mix of naivete, constraint, and inventiveness can never truly be replicated.
"Oscar Isaac"
The hosts talk with Oscar Isaac about his winding path from playing in Florida ska and hardcore bands to training at Juilliard and becoming one of Hollywood's most versatile actors. He shares stories about nearly joining the Marines, his immigrant family background, his deep collaboration with Guillermo del Toro on Frankenstein, and how grief, family, and theater intertwined during his Hamlet run. The conversation also covers his sci‑fi work in Ex Machina, Dune, and Star Wars, his views on acting craft and decision-making, and his life as a husband and father who still makes music at home.
"Edgar Wright"
The hosts talk with filmmaker Edgar Wright about his lifelong obsession with movies, from sneaking into age-restricted screenings as a kid and making Super 8 and video projects, to creating the TV series "Spaced" and the films in the so‑called Cornetto trilogy. Wright discusses his visual and musical style, his early DIY feature "A Fistful of Fingers," long‑time collaborations with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and the development of "Baby Driver." He also breaks down his new adaptation of Stephen King's "The Running Man," his writing process, formative British comedy influences, and his core philosophy of making the films he himself would want to see.
Judd Apatow: Fear of Rejection Holding You Back? THIS Trick Will Silence the Inner Critic & Help You Feel Confident to Create
Jay Shetty interviews Judd Apatow about his life in comedy, from his early days as a teenage interviewer of stand‑up comics to creating influential films and television shows. Apatow describes learning to treat failure as part of the path to success, developing his voice as a writer and director, and navigating ego, rejection, and collaboration in Hollywood. He also talks about parenting, long‑term marriage, therapy, meditation, psychedelics, and the importance of kindness, mentorship, and doing work that feels meaningful rather than merely successful.
#617 - Aziz Ansari
Theo Von talks with Aziz Ansari about his new film "Good Fortune," the challenges of writing, directing, and acting in a feature, and how movie production differs from stand-up comedy. Aziz shares personal stories from growing up as the only Indian kid in a small South Carolina town, including the death of his younger sister and the kindness of the women who helped raise him. They also discuss burnout, avoiding ego, living abroad in London, and the importance of early gatekeepers and mentors in their stand-up careers.
"Julia Roberts"
The hosts catch up before welcoming Julia Roberts for a wide-ranging conversation about her early life, acting career, and personal life. Roberts shares stories about Martin Luther King Jr. paying her birth hospital bill, her parents' theater school, her path from would-be veterinarian and shoe-store worker to breakout film roles, and how she navigated sudden fame. She also discusses her long marriage to cinematographer Danny Moder, raising three children, becoming an empty nester, and her new film "After the Hunt" with director Luca Guadagnino.
"RE-RELEASE: Paul Thomas Anderson"
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson joins the hosts to talk about his upbringing as the son of a legendary ABC promo voice, his early obsession with movies, and how he learned to write and direct by making a short mockumentary about Dirk Diggler that later evolved into Boogie Nights. He discusses his collaborative process with production designer Jack Fisk and composer Jonny Greenwood, his views on theatrical exhibition versus streaming, and his work in film preservation alongside Martin Scorsese. The conversation also covers his love of comedy, how he met Maya Rudolph at Saturday Night Live, what he saw in Adam Sandler, and how he balances a demanding career with being a father of four.
#2390 - Jack Carr
Jack Carr discusses his new novel set in 1968 Vietnam, explaining the extensive historical research and immersive process he used to authentically capture the era and the experience of soldiers on the ground. He and Joe Rogan explore the Vietnam War, media influence on public perception, the decline of reading, the rise of AI in creative work, and the realities of Hollywood adaptations of his books like "The Terminal List" and "Dark Wolf." They also range into topics like stunt work, physical training, security concerns, political polarization, immigration, and the disturbing public reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
#615 - Ken Burns
Filmmaker Ken Burns discusses his career in historical documentary filmmaking, including the origin of the "Ken Burns effect" and how the early loss of his mother shaped his lifelong drive to "wake the dead" and keep the past alive. He dives deeply into his new six-part, 12-hour series "The American Revolution," arguing that the Revolution is the most important event since the birth of Christ, unpacking its ideas about equality, citizenship, virtue, and the pursuit of happiness, and correcting common myths about key events and figures. The conversation broadens into a reflection on American identity, media and social media, polarization, public institutions like PBS and the national parks, and the ongoing need for self-examination and civic responsibility to keep the American experiment from "dying by suicide."
#2384 - Mark Kerr
Joe Rogan and Mark Kerr discuss the new feature film "The Smashing Machine," where The Rock portrays Kerr, and how eerily accurate and emotionally intense the depiction of his life, relationships, and career felt to him. They revisit the early days of MMA and Pride, the dominance of elite wrestling and cardio, and pivotal fighters and fights that shaped the sport. Kerr also speaks candidly about addiction, recovery, identity beyond fighting, and the painful but redemptive process of exposing his struggles in the original "Smashing Machine" documentary and now in the dramatized film.
Tdhtdhtdhtdhtdh: Sound Effects!
The hosts explore how sound effects are created for films and TV, focusing on the craft of Foley artists and the history of sound design from silent movies to modern blockbusters. They discuss Jack Foley's pioneering work, the tools and techniques used on Foley stages, iconic examples from films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Titanic, and Fight Club, and the heavy use of constructed audio in nature documentaries. The episode also touches on how sound departments are undervalued relative to their impact and ends with a correction about Teen Vogue's reputation for serious journalism.