We spoke a few years ago for one of our first episodes, when she was a correspondent for The Daily Show, before she created her own show, Full Frontal, and before we could even imagine a President Trump, who makes us so desperately need Full Frontal and powerful mind-numbing drugs. Smart, funny, and humane, she … Continue reading »
Category Archives: Television
Episode 141: Paul Giamatti and Maggie Siff
When we spoke at Wave Hill, these fine actors, colleagues on the TV series Billions, suggested that Sadaharu Oh is the Vanessa Redgrave of Japanese baseball. Or is Redgrave the Oh of actors? Either way, why are we inspired by such titans rather than intimidated by their inimitable brilliance? Plus a few jokes about Ibsen … Continue reading »
Episode 121: Danai Gurira
TV fans know her as an actor – Mochinne on The Walking Dead. Theater goers know her as a playwright: her Eclipsed, starring Lupita Nyong’o, is on Broadway. Moose hunters know her as… no! They don’t know her at all. She hunts no moose. But she spoke with wit and insight when we met … Continue reading »
Episode 117: Warren Leight and Julie Martin
The writer-producers of Law and Order SVU describe the pains and pleasures of shooting in New York – mostly pleasures… no, pains… no, pleasures derives from pains – and make this astute observation: it’s not just that an actor shapes a character but that playing a character transforms the actor herself. In this case it … Continue reading »
Episode 100: Gerard Mulligan & Steve Young
As we enter the post-Letterman era, two of his long-time writers reflect on their decades with the show. Gerry started writing for him in 1978 when Dave guest-hosted the Tonight Show. Steve started on the NBC show in 1990 and soldiered on through the final broadcast at CBS. I worked with – and admire – … Continue reading »
Episode 98: Hank Azaria
The voice of every Simpsons character – OK, many Simpsons characters: Moe, Apu, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Carl Carlson and more – he is admired as an actor in movies (Night at the Museum), television (Mad About You) and theater (Spamalot). PERSON: Roy London PLACE: the NICU THING: his first TV RANDY’S PLACE: concert hall, … Continue reading »
Episode 84: Jonathan Ames
He is the author of nine books including Wake Up, Sir and The Extra Man, and the creator of the HBO series Bored to Death. We spoke on stage at the Brooklyn Historical Society, joined by the delightful musician Walter Hawkes. Crowded? Not at all. Cozy. PERSON: his great aunt, Doris Klein PLACE: … Continue reading »
Episode 81: Terence & Rachel Winter
He is the creator of Boardwalk Empire, who this year was nominated for an Oscar for writing Wolf of Wall Street. She was Oscar-nominated for producing Dallas Buyers Club, and she won. Pretty impressive couple. Pretty good year. We spoke on Shakespeare’s birthday on stage at the JCC in Manhattan. PERSON:Barry Manilow PLACE: Mammoth, CA … Continue reading »
Episode 78: Sean & Chris Kelly
Two generations of humor writers. Sean was a founding editor of the National Lampoon; His son Chris was the head writer on Bill Maher’s first series. Plus a bonus segment from Daniel Radosh and Tim Carvell, recorded when they wrote for Jon Stewart. PERSON: musician Steve Goodman PLACE: the Grave of Wilfred H. Hell (not here) … Continue reading »
Episode 69: Griffin Dunne
He is the son of the the writer Dominick Dunne and the nephew of two more writers, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion. That’s not really an accomplishment; it’s an accident of birth, like being French, only better, but it would have seemed coy, somehow, not to mention it. I first became aware of him … Continue reading »
Episode 47: Daily Show Writers Tim Carvell and Daniel Radosh
It is fascinating to hear skilled practitioners explain just how they practice skillfully. When we recorded this conversation, Tim Carvell and Daniel Radosh wrote for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and they describe how they bring the comedy from the farm to your family’s table. Daniel is now a senior writer for the Trevor Noah version; Tim … Continue reading »
Episode 31: Melissa Harris-Perry
A columnist for The Nation and a professor of political science at Tulane University, Melissa Harris-Perry is particularly astute about gender, race and politics, which she explores in her recent book, Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. In addition to writing, teaching, and raising her daughter, in her copious free time she … Continue reading »