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Awards Chatter

'Awards Chatter' is a podcast that features in-depth interviews with the most interesting and accomplished people in show business. Created and hosted by: Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the revered Emmy-nominated actress reflects on how a decade of unsuccessful auditions paved the way for her casting on 'Better Call Saul,' how she reacted to learning that Vince Gilligan had written 'Pluribus' for her, and why playing Carol Sturka on that hit Apple TV show is both the most challenging and rewarding job she has ever had.
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Rhea Seehorn - 'Pluribus' [LIVE]

The consummate character actor reflects on how he landed and approached his star-making part of Ron Swanson on the comedy series 'Parks and Recreation,' why he relished playing a dramatic part on 'The Last of Us' en route to an Emmy, and how he tackled the two parts for which he's Emmy-nominated this year: a corrupt drunk who winds up as vice president and a former pro wrestler/recovering addict trying to reconnect with his daughter.
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Nick Offerman - 'Death by Lightning' & 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

One of the hottest young actresses in Hollywood, who at just 30 already has Tony and Emmy noms to her name, reflects on her Broadway breakthrough in 'Stereophonic,' the most Tony-nominated play ever; the challenges of playing Carolyn Bessette, one-half of a couple who lived and died in the public eye, in an FX limited series; and the oddness of suddenly, through playing Bessette, losing her anonymity, just like Bessette did.



the challenges of landing and playing her breakthrough role, as Carolyn Bessette; and 



And her Emmy nom, for best actress in a
limited or anthology series or movie, came just last month for FX’s Love
Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, in which she played


 

how she came to be cast as Carolyn Bessette, and what challenged her most about the making of Love Story, which is itself nominated for the best limited or anthology series Emmy; 
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Sarah Pidgeon - 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette'

The longtime actor, now experiencing newfound appreciation for his portrayal of Dr. Jack Abbot on TV's top drama, reflects on starting in the biz in his teens; his special relationship with TV creator John Wells, which  spans 20 years and five projects (including 'ER,' 'Southland,' 'Animal Kingdom' and 'The Pitt'); and how he feels about calls for a 'Pitt'-spinoff about the titular hospital's night shift.
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Shawn Hatosy - 'The Pitt'

The beloved actress/writer reflects on the huge influence of The Groundlings on her career, how being fired from 'Frasier' and taking a small part on 'Mad About You' paved the way for her being cast as Phoebe Buffay on 'Friends,' and why her post-'Friends' journey playing fictional actress Valerie Cherish has been "in some ways the highlight" of her career.
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Lisa Kudrow - 'The Comeback'

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the legendary standup and late night host reflects on his ascent from sleeping in an alley near the Hollywood Improv to succeeding Johnny Carson at 'The Tonight Show,' his complicated relationships with David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, and how Donald Trump has changed late night shows.
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Jay Leno [LIVE]

The hugely inventive young Japanese-born director and producer reflects on how he began his career making music videos and installations, and then transitioned to longer-form projects; his special friendship and collaboration with Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, which includes 'Atlanta,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' 'Guava Island' and 'This Is America'; and why Katie Dippold recruited him to help her build the world of a comedy/horror show about a fictional New England island town — which is now nominated for 19 Emmys!
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Hiro Murai - 'Widow's Bay'

The actor and rising star who plays Dr. Langdon on HBO Max's Emmy-winning drama series reflects on the years of personal and professional ups and downs that preceded him landing that role at 35; how his theater experience, real-life dynamic with Noah Wyle and battles with addiction have shaped his performance; and why he has returned to the stage even while shooting the TV show.
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Patrick Ball - 'The Pitt'

The Emmy and Tony-nominated character actor reflects on his decades of struggle prior to landing 'Stranger Things,' and the toll that both anonymity and fame took on his mental health; why, for his first post-'Stranger Things' project, he was drawn to producing and starring in an HBO limited series that raises questions about present-day masculinity, for which he is now a double Emmy nominee; and what's next for him, including a reunion with his 'Stranger Things' costar Millie Bobby Brown.
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David Harbour - 'DTF St. Louis'

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the master cinematographer best known for his collaborations with Oliver Stone (12), Martin Scorsese (7) and Quentin Tarantino (5) reflects on how problems with hearing may have heightened his sight; how he worked with different cameras and film stocks on 'JFK,' cranes on 'Casino,' top-light on 'Kill Bill,' digital and 3D on 'Hugo' and ultra-wide on 'The Hateful Eight'; and Jana Hojdová's new documentary about his life and work.
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Robert Richardson - 'Robert Richardson: The White Devil' [LIVE]

The revered British writer on film — a critic, historian and author of more than 40 books, most famously one first published in 1975 under the title ‘A Biographical Dictionary of the Cinema’ and updated and reissued five times since as ‘The New Biographical Dictionary of Film’ — reflects on how a childhood stammer led to his fascination with words and desire to speak out; the happy accidents that led to his dictionary, and why there won’t be a seventh edition; and why he believes — and asserts in his latest book, out July 7 — that the proliferation of anti-heroes on screens big and small may have led to the presidency of Donald Trump.
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David Thomson - 'A Sudden Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of the Movies'

The second generation writer/director behind some of the most envelope-pushing and polarizing small and big screen projects of the last decade — among them 'Malcolm & Marie,' 'The Idol' and his HBO drama series that catapulted Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney onto Hollywood's A-list —  reflects on his own battle with addiction, "social media mobs" and the real-life tragedies that shaped his show's third and final season.
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Sam Levinson - 'Euphoria'

The stunning and versatile actress reflects on how modeling led her to acting via a 1996 magazine cover; the challenge of finding multi-dimensional parts even as she rose to prominence in horror (two 'Final Destination' and three 'Resident Evil' films), comedy ('Legally Blonde') and superhero ('Heroes') projects; and why the part of Angela Norris opposite Billy Bob Thornton in Taylor Sheridan's dramedy series is a dream come true.
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Ali Larter - 'Landman'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the former child actor-turned-multi-hyphenate reflects on his five years of work in front of and behind the camera on 'Ozark,' the unanticipated success of his — and Will Arnett and Sean Hayes' — podcast 'SmartLess,' and stepping outside his acting comfort zone on two limited series over the past year.


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Jason Bateman - 'Black Rabbit' & 'DTF St. Louis' [LIVE]

The chameleonic character actor reflects on the importance of his college training and getting sober, his career-changing turn as the bipolar brother of Laura Linney's character on 'Ozark' and how becoming a parent with wife Kaley Cuoco helped to prepare him for his role of a lifetime opposite Mark Ruffalo in Brad Ingelsby's follow-up to 'Mare of Easttown.'
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Tom Pelphrey - 'Task'

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the prolific multi-hyphenate reflects on the evolution of his interests in animation, comedy and music; the longevity and future of 'Family Guy'; and why he insisted upon expensive CGI for Peacock's adaptation of his films about a foul-mouthed teddy bear.
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Seth MacFarlane - 'Ted' [LIVE]

The trailblazing standup comedian, actress and writer, whose seventh hourlong comedy special recently dropped on Netflix, reflects on why she left a job at the NSA at the age of 27 to pursue standup, how her comedy changed after she divorced her husband and came out as gay, and what she makes of "cancel culture."
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Wanda Sykes - 'Wanda Sykes: Legacy'

The actor, writer, director and producer, who is best known for playing emergency room doctors on two Emmy-winning drama series 16 years apart, reflects on the pros and cons of landing his big break at 22, the creative frustrations and rewards of the years between Dr. Carter and Dr. Robinavitch, how COVID sparked the conversations that led to a reunion with 'ER' showrunner John Wells and writer R. Scott Gemmill, and what it’s like to now be back at the center of the cultural conversation after so many years away from it.
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Noah Wyle - 'The Pitt'

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the trailblazing writer/director/producer/actress reflects on her time on 'The Office' and how it shaped the series she subsequently created, including 'The Mindy Project,' 'Never Have I Ever' and 'The Sex Lives of College Girls'; the sense of responsibility and pressure that comes with being an American-Indian creator and making shows with American-Indian protagonists; and why she has enjoyed working strictly behind the camera on her most recent series.
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Mindy Kaling - 'Running Point' & 'Not Suitable for Work' [LIVE]

Six Broadway standouts — nominated this year for 'The Lost Boys,' 'Fallen Angels,' 'Ragtime,' 'Giant,' 'Death of a Salesman' and 'Titaníque,' respectively — discuss the challenges and rewards of working on the Great White Way.
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Tonys Roundtable - Shoshana Bean, Rose Byrne, Joshua Henry, John Lithgow, Nathan Lane & Marla Mindelle

The ultimate character actor — and guide to Italy’s food and culture — reflects on early-career frustration with being asked to portray stereotypes of Italian-Americans, and how it  led him to his breakout film 'Big Night'; the pros and cons of a career in which he has tended to play small parts in large projects and large parts in small projects; and the little-known story of how his food-centric shows, for which he has won three Emmys, grew out of a battle with oral cancer that forced him to eat his own food through a tube.
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Stanley Tucci - 'Tucci in Italy' & 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

In front of an audience at Meta House during the Cannes Film Festival, the celebrated comedy actress reflects on how a bruising experience at 'SNL' inadvertently led to 'Seinfeld,' why 'Veep' was such a different and exciting acting challenge, and what led her to a new animated film in which she provides the voice of a wife and mother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus - 'Tangles' [LIVE]

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the Oscar-nominated German actress, who is in the midst of one of the great years in film history, reflects on her breakthrough roles in 'Toni Erdmann,' 'Anatomy of a Fall' and 'The Zone of Interest'; how she approaches art house projects, like those she accompanied to Berlin and Cannes this year, versus studio films, like her recent collab with Ryan Gosling; and why she is so excited for people to see Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Digger,' in which she stars opposite Tom Cruise.
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Sandra Hüller - 'Fatherland,' 'Project Hail Mary' & 'Rose' [LIVE]

In front of an audience of students at Chapman University, the 32-year-old veteran actress reflects on child stardom and what she learned from co-stars like Sean Penn, Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise; how she navigated growing up, on screen and off; and why she has done some of her best work yet in limited series, including 'The Alienist,' 'Ripley,' 'The Perfect Couple' and, most recently, Peacock's show about the kidnapping of a child.
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Dakota Fanning - 'All Her Fault' [LIVE]

In front of an audience of students at Chapman University, the legendary Broadway star — who has been nominated for and won more acting Tonys than anyone else — and TV character actress reflects on the early struggles that led her to attempt suicide, finding her voice and confidence on stage, overcoming her fear of screen acting and, most recently, highlighting a little-known chapter of Black history on three seasons of Julian Fellowes' critically-acclaimed HBO drama series.
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Audra McDonald - 'The Gilded Age' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Napa Valley StreamFest, one of TV's most prolific creators reflects on being fired early in his career from 'Boy Meet World,' 'The Nanny' and 'Friends,' how he wound up co-creating and running 'Spin City' while in his 20s, the happy accidents that led to 'Scrubs' and 'Ted Lasso,' and why his Apple TV Emmy contender is being extended beyond its original three-season plan.
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Bill Lawrence - 'Shrinking' & 'Rooster' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Napa Valley StreamFest, the legendary TV actress and breakthrough film director reflects on following her late mom Jayne Mansfield into the business; playing sex crimes investigator Olivia Benson for 27 years and counting (making her the longest-running character in an American primetime live-action show); and exploring her complicated personal history in a 2025 HBO doc that is now eligible for an Emmy.
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Mariska Hargitay - 'My Mom Jayne' & 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, the veteran star of screens big ('The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Cooler') and small ('30 Rock' and 'SNL') reflects on how he stumbled into acting, what forced his pivot from leading man to character parts, how we wound up impersonating Trump and what his life has been like since the tragic accident that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of 'Rust' in 2021.
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Alec Baldwin [LIVE]

The legendary star reflects on how clinical depression led him to acting, the unlikely ways he broke into the movies and was cast in 'Star Wars,' why he long yearned to escape "leading man" roles and to play "character parts" and why he so loves his current challenge of playing an acerbic psychotherapist battling Parkinson's disease on Apple TV's Emmy-nominated comedy.
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Harrison Ford - 'Shrinking'

The Oscar-winning producer of films like 'Chariots of Fire,' 'Local Hero,' 'The Killing Fields' and 'The Mission,' who was once described by the New York Times as "the white knight of the British film industry," and who later became the first non-American to run a Hollywood studio, reflects on his path from school dropout to ad industry phenom to filmmaking; why he so often bet on first-time directors, non-star actors and character-driven dramas; and his brief and turbulent time running Columbia Pictures.
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David Puttnam

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the co-chairs/co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group reflect on their paths through the business as producers and execs over the last three decades; their crazy 2025, during which they went from almost losing their jobs to presiding over one of the most successful years any studio has ever had; and what it's like being behind both horses in a two-horse best picture Oscar race, 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another.'
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Michael De Luca & Pamela Abdy [LIVE]

The legendary punk and rock singer/songwriter, who was a key part of the MTV-driven “Second British Invasion” back in the ’80s and has been a major figure on the global music scene ever since, reflects on coming to America, his greatest hits and the new documentary about his rollercoaster journey.
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Billy Idol - 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the celebrated Danish-Norwegian writer and director reflects on his family's history in film; what led to his celebrated "Oslo trilogy" of 'Reprise,' 'Oslo, August 31st' and 'The Worst Person in the World'; and why he decided "tenderness is the new punk" en route to his latest film, which is nominated for nine Oscars — more than all but three other non-English-language films in history — including best picture, international feature and, for him personally, director and original screenplay.
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Joachim Trier - 'Sentimental Value' [LIVE]

The Irishwoman who is widely regarded one of the finest actresses of her generation reflects on her path from 17-year-old BBC talent show contestant to RADA student to  star of stage and screen; what she learned from early costars like Judi Dench and early jobs like 'Wild Rose,' 'The Lost Daughter' and 'Women Talking'; and how filming Maggie Gyllenhaal's upcoming 'The Bride!' right before Chloé Zhao's story of the Shakespeares helped to shape her Oscar-tipped turn as Agnes.
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Jessie Buckley - 'Hamnet'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Korean-American singer/songwriter reflects on her pursuit of a career as a K-pop idol, her pivot to songwriting and how she came to be involved with the animated film that became the most -watched original title in Netflix history — and to create for it the song "Golden," for which she won the first Grammy ever awarded to K-pop and is now nominated for an Oscar. 
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EJAE - 'KPop Demon Hunters' [LIVE]

Perhaps the greatest of all living film craftsmen, a production designer who  literally built the worlds at the center of many of the most admired films since the '70s — including 'Badlands,' 'Carrie,' 'Days of Heaven,' 'Mulholland Drive,' 'There Will Be Blood,' 'The Revenant' and 'Killers of the Flower Moon' — reflects on coming to Hollywood with David Lynch, his decades-long collaboration with Terrence Malick, how he researches and designs sets, and what it was like recreating '50s New York for the new Josh Safdie/Timothée Chalamet film.
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Jack Fisk - 'Marty Supreme'

The Chinese two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on her path to America and film, jumping from indie 'Nomadland' to Marvel's 'Eternals' and how her subsequent four-year "mid-life crisis" prepared her for her latest film, for which she is again double Oscar-nominated.
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Chloé Zhao - 'Hamnet'

In front of an audience at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Australian actor/writer/director reflects on how he wound up in George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy, his memorable turns in art house standouts like 'Warrior' and Loving,' and the challenges and rewards of giving a largely dialogue-free performance in Clint Bentley's adaptation of Denis Johnson's 2011 novella about a laborer in the early 20th-century American West.
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Joel Edgerton - 'Train Dreams' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and Oscar-nominated actress returns to the podcast and candidly discusses how she found her pop sound, how she approaches music vs. acting, what she looks for in collaborators, why 'Wicked' means so much to her, how singing as herself and as Glinda are completely different, and what's next for her.
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Ariana Grande - 'Wicked: For Good' [LIVE]

The massively influential filmmaker and blockbuster machine behind 'The Terminator,' 'Aliens,' 'Titanic' and three 'Avatar' films, among others, reflects on his unusual path to the business, why his films tend to blend science/sci-fi and love stories, what has enchanted him about Pandora and the Na'vi for more than 30 years, and which question he hopes never to be asked again.
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James Cameron - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the revered Oscar winner behind masterpieces like 'Cronos' and 'The Shape of Water' reflects on the roots of his infatuation with monsters, the importance of practical movie sets and effects, and finally realizing his 50-year dream of adaptating Mary Shelley's gothic horror novel about a Creator and his Creature into a movie of his own.
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Guillermo del Toro - 'Frankenstein' [LIVE]

The South Korean master filmmaker reflects on the roots of his fascination with violence, the early struggles than prepared him for his Vengeance triogy highlighted by 'Oldboy,' and what inspired his latest film — his country's entry for the best international feature Oscar race, now among the final 15 — which reunites him with Lee Byung-hun 25 years after their joint breakthrough 'Joint Security Area.'
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Park Chan-wook - 'No Other Choice'

The world's most famous Brazilian actor reflects on why he once thought a screen career would be impossible for him, how the 'Elite Squad' films led to him playing Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos,' and how Brazil's Bolsonaro era impacted his career and inspired the film for which he was awarded Cannes' best actor prize and could land an Oscar nom.
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Wagner Moura - 'The Secret Agent'

The Oscar and Emmy winning actress and Goop founder and CEO reflects on breaking into the business in the 1990s and becoming "the First Lady of Miramax"; working with a generation of great filmmakers early in their careers, including David Fincher, PTA and Wes Anderson; why she grew disillusioned with Hollywood and focused primarily on business for the last 17 years; and what lured her back in front of the camera to play, well, an actress coming out of retirement, opposite Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie's latest film.
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Gwyneth Paltrow - 'Marty Supreme'

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival's GEMS event, the trailblazing filmmaker reflects on helping to usher in New Queer Cinema with 'Mala Noche' and 'My Own Private Idaho'; subsequently jumping between mainstream films, like 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Milk,' and experimental works, like 'Elephant'; why he came close to directing, but did not direct, 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Call Me by Your Name' and '50 Shades of Grey'; and returning to feature filmmaking, after seven years away, with a film that is set in the '70s but is eerily timely today.
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Gus Van Sant - 'Dead Man's Wire' [LIVE]

The writer/director best known for dramedies like 'The Squid and the Whale,' 'Frances Ha' and 'Marriage Story' reflects on the people and films that shaped him, the evolution of  his collaboration with Greta Gerwig spanning 'Greenberg' through 'Barbie,' and his new Netflix film, which centers on a movie star (George Clooney) in the midst of an existential crisis.
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Noah Baumbach - 'Jay Kelly'

The singer/songwriter and actress, who shot to fame as Hannah Montana and then became a real pop star, reflects on navigating child stardom; the origins of her biggest hits, from "See You Again" to "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" to her Grammy-winning "Flowers"; and how she wound up co-writing and perfomring "Dream As One," an original song for the third installment of James Cameron's blockbuster film series.
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Miley Cyrus - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'

The English singer/songwriter, who is arguably the most successful male pop star in the world and has been described by Taylor Swift as "the James Taylor to my Carole King," reflects on his path from busking on the streets of London to superstardom; the origin stories of hits like 'The A Team' 'Sing' and 'Thinking Out Loud'; and why he agreed to co-write and perform "Drive" and "Zoo," original songs for two of 2025's biggest blockbusters.
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Ed Sheeran - 'F1: The Movie' & 'Zootopia 2'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the two-time Emmy nominee reflected on her breakthrough roles on TV's 'Euphoria' and 'The White Lotus' and in the film 'Reality,' getting into producing with 'Anyone But You,' and challenging herself as never before by producing and starring in a new biopic about boxer Christy Martin, for which she is currently garnering Oscar buzz. She also teases her upcoming film 'The Housemaid,' the return of 'Euphoria,' and her Kim Novak project 'Scandalous.'
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Sydney Sweeney - 'Christy' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the winner of multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG awards reflects on why he walked away from dancing and towards acting in his teens, what he learned from his 11-season run  on 'Shameless,' how he landed his star-making role as chef Carmy Berzatto on 'The Bear' and how, subsequently, his own conflicted feelings about fame helped him to play Bruce Springsteen during the darkest period of the music legend's life.
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Jeremy Allen White - 'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Virginia Film Festival, and a piano, one of the leading film composers of his generation reflects on how he was shaped by both classical and hip-hop music, how his best known scores for TV (the main title theme for 'Succession') and film (Barry Jenkins' 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk') came to be, and how his score for Noah Baumbach's new film was composed and employed differently than any of his others.
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Nicholas Britell - 'Jay Kelly' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the writer/director describes his experiences progressing from low-budget ('Brick') to mid-budget ('The Brothers Bloom' and 'Looper') to big-budget ('The Last Jedi') films, directing some of the most celebrated episodes of TV ever ('Breaking Bad') and the origins and appeal of his Benoit Blanc series of murder mysteries, the third and most recent of which will open in theaters on Nov. 26 and then begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 12.
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Rian Johnson - 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' [LIVE]

The veteran actress, who was Oscar-nominated 40 years ago for 'Twice in a Lifetime,' reflects on how her music ambitions gave way to acting, how she met — and her many collaborations with — her husband Ed Harris, her memories of working on classics like 'The Day After,' 'Field of Dreams' and 'Uncle Buck,' and how she wound up giving one of the performances of her career as Gladys, a crazy aunt, in Zach Cregger's acclaimed blockbuster horror film.
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Amy Madigan - 'Weapons'

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Australian actor and heartthrob reflects on almost missing out on his breakout roles in 'The Kissing Booth' and 'Euphoria,' working with female auteurs on 'Saltburn' and 'Priscilla' and venturing into unfamiliar but exciting territory as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation of Mary Shelley's horror novel, which is now the most-watched film on Netflix.
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Jacob Elordi - 'Frankenstein' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of most bankable movie stars of all time reflects on what his experiences as a pro wrestler taught him about being an entertainer, why and how he transitioned to acting, and why, after decades of picking projects with the aim of satisfying others, he decided to challenge himself as never before by taking on the role of Mark Kerr, an early MMA fighter who got hooked on painkillers, in Benny Safdie's new A24 film.
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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - 'The Smashing Machine' [LIVE]

The A-lister returns to the podcast (his last visit was for ep. 278) and reflects on his post-COVID career — highlighted by his portrayal of a movie star experiencing an existential crisis in Noah Baumbach's new Netflix dramedy — as well as stardom, Instagram ("get the fuck off of it"), A.I. and which of today’s young stars most impress him.
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George Clooney - 'Jay Kelly'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the iconic New York filmmaker reflects on his 35-year collaboration with Denzel Washington, the role of music in his films and how Akira Kurosawa has influenced his work from his first narrative feature through his 24th and most recent.
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Spike Lee - 'Highest 2 Lowest' [LIVE]

The Aussie actress reflects on what she learned from her years working alongside Glenn Close on 'Damages'; how she and the industry discovered her comedic side, leading to memorable turns in 'Bridesmaids,' 'Spy' and other projects; and the the unique challenges and rewards of her latest film, in which she plays a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her.
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Rose Byrne - 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'

The fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster journey from stripper to movie star; the backstories of 'Step Up,' 'Magic Mike,' 'Foxcatcher' and other hits; and why his experience on Derek Cianfrance's new dramedy, in which he plays a man who escapes from prison and hides out in a Toys 'R Us, reignited his love for acting and eradicated his long-held 'imposter syndrome.'
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Channing Tatum - 'Roofman'

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the legendary writer/director reflects on his path from a video store to Sundance to the Oscars, the backstories of each of his nine features and what he's proudest of and thinking about ahead of his 10th and — allegedly — final filmmaking venture.
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Quentin Tarantino [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Access Canada Summit in Toronto, the consummate character actor reflects on his fateful crossing of paths in the late '60s with David Mamet, his feelings about often being cast as "losers" (e.g. 'Fargo' and 'The Cooler') and why he was "swept away" by the script for Clint Bentley's new film about the American character.
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William H. Macy - 'Train Dreams' [LIVE]

This key figure in the Iranian New Wave, one of only four filmmakers ever awarded the top prize at each of the three biggest European film festivals, reflects on his cinematic critiques of Iranian society, continuing to work even after being jailed by the regime and then banned from making films under the threat of being sent back to jail, and how his own experience with a prison interrogator partially inspired his latest film, which won Cannes' Palme d'Or in May and was just chosen as France's entry for the best international feature Oscar race.
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Jafar Panahi - 'It Was Just an Accident'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the fan favorite reflects on how she stumbled into standup comedy and then into acting, how she landed the part of elementary school principal Ava Coleman on Quinta Brunson's ABC series and why she's prouder of her Emmy-nominated work on its fourth season than any prior.
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Janelle James - 'Abbott Elementary' [LIVE]

The "Queen of the Indies," as TIME magazine famously called her, reflects on the rewards and challenges of being so associated with independent film, what eventually led her to begin dabbling in studio films and TV, and how it felt, with the latest season of Mike White's HBO drama series, to finally find herself at the center of a project that found itself at the center of the cultural conversation.
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Parker Posey - 'The White Lotus'

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Locarno Film Festival, the trailblazing actress reflects on breaking into the business on TV's 'Ally McBeal,' becoming a movie star via the 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Kill Bill' films, and why her latest project, an indie that  she produced and in which she plays a Chinese immigrant trying to protect her troubled American-born son, is so close to her heart.
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Lucy Liu - 'Rosemead' [LIVE]

One of the most influential comedic talents of his generation reflects on coming from Vancouver to Hollywood as a teenager, the backstories of
the crude but heartfelt and largely improvised film comedies that made him a multi-hyphenate star ('Knocked Up' and 'Superbad'), his occasional forays into drama ('Steve Jobs' and 'The Fabelmans') and how his own misadventures in Hollywood ('The Green Hornet' and 'The Interview') informed his hit Apple TV+ series about contemporary Hollywood.
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Seth Rogen - 'The Studio'

The lovable screen actor reflects on his slow evolution from starving artist to 'Knocked Up' and 'Step Brothers' scene-stealer to TV stalwart, what he learned on 'Party Down' and 'Parks and Recreation,' and how Ben Stiller's 2013 film 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' started him on the path to playing Mark — 'Innie' and 'Outie' — on the most Emmy-nominated TV show of the 2024-2025 season.
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Adam Scott - 'Severance'

The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated indie darling reflects on her unusual path to prominence, the backstories of some of her more provocative projects (including 'Kids,' 'Boys Don't Cry' and 'The Brown Bunny') and why she has increasingly been drawn to TV projects (from 'Big Love' to numerous Ryan Murphy projects including his latest limited series, in which she plays the Menendez family's murdered matriarch).
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Chloë Sevigny - 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the veteran Swedish actor reflects on working with everyone from Ingmar Bergman to David Fincher, moving between art house projects (e.g. his five collaborations with Lars von Trier) and studio fare ('Dune,' 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and five MCU installments), and why he's particularly proud of his latest film, Joachim Trier's Cannes' Grand Prize winner in which he plays an aging filmmaker who has a complicated relationship with his two daughters.
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Stellan Skarsgård - 'Sentimental Value' [LIVE]

The Oscar and two-time Emmy winner reflects on the bumpy road to her breakthrough in 'Misery,' why she didn't enjoy working on 'Titanic,' how she was convinced to do a nude scene in 'About Schmidt' and why, after nearly quitting the business, her creativity and passion have been reawakened by her hit new CBS drama series.
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Kathy Bates - 'Matlock'

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the Oscar-winning and Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor reflects on early milestones ('Box of Moonlight,' 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' 'Choke,' 'Moon' and 'Conviction'), stage and screen collaborations with Martin McDonagh (most famously 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and his showstopping monologue in the third installment of Mike White's hit HBO show.
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Sam Rockwell - 'The White Lotus' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, the beloved actress talks about her mom Goldie Hawn and stepdad Kurt Russell, her Oscar-nominated breakthrough in 'Almost Famous,' the pros and cons of becoming a rom-com star with 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' and what led her to TV to play a version of Lakers owner Jeanie Buss on a buzzy new Netflix comedy.
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Kate Hudson - 'Running Point' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, in the heart of the O.C., the fan-favorite reflects on playing Seth Cohen on the show of that name, the highs and lows of the years after it went off the air, and how he landed on another hit series, the Netflix rom-com on which he plays a rabbi.
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Adam Brody - 'Nobody Wants This' [LIVE]

Seven Broadway standouts — nominated for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Oh, Mary!,' 'Just in Time,' 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow,' 'Gypsy,' 'Sunset Blvd.' and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' respectively — discuss the challenges and rewards of working on the Great White Way.
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Tonys Roundtable - Darren Criss, Cole Escola, Jonathan Groff, Louis McCartney, Audra McDonald, Nicole Scherzinger & Sarah Snook

In front of a journalism class at Chapman University, the host of one of the hottest Emmy-eligible talk series — pun intended — reflects on his path to interviewing celebs over spicy chicken wings, why YouTube is the show's perfect home and what's next now that he and a consortium of others have bought it from BuzzFeed for $82.5 million.
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Sean Evans - 'Hot Ones' [LIVE]

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the legendary Oscar winner reflects on her journey from small-town Texas to Hollywood; her iconic New Hollywood performances in 'Badlands,' 'Carrie,' 'Three Women' and 'Coal Miner's Daughter'; and playing Jennifer Lawrence's mother-in-law in Lynne Ramsay's new film about a woman experiencing severe post-partum depression.
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Sissy Spacek - 'Die My Love' [LIVE]

One of the faces of New Mexican Cinema reflects on the childhood tragedy that set him on the path to acting, navigating a post-'Y Tu Mamá También' career between Mexico and Hollywood, and how, despite possessing an accent that he thought would be disqualifying, he wound up a part of the 'Star Wars' universe on screens big and small.
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Diego Luna - 'Andor' & 'La Máquina'

In front of an audience at the inaugural Napa Valley StreamFest, the Emmy-nominated actor, a major figure in the American comedy scene for the last 25 years, reflects on early projects like 'Freaks and Geeks' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' the existential crisis he experienced during his years on 'How I Met Your Mother,' how 'The End of the Tour' rebooted his career and what led him to co-create and star in 'Shrinking.'
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Jason Segel - 'Shrinking' [LIVE]

In a rare and candid in-depth interview, the rock and roll legend reflects on his complicated childhood and path to the music biz, inspirations behind his greatest hits, thoughts on the upcoming Jeremy Allen White movie about him, the Hulu doc about his first post-COVID tour (which could bring him the 'E' that would make him an 'EGOT') and more!
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Bruce Springsteen - 'Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band'

10 years after the end of 'Mad Men,' the Emmy-winning actor who brought to life Don Draper reflects on his difficult youth (he lost both parents before turning 21), the rewards and pain of playing one of the greatest anti-heroes of the platinum age of TV, how comedy came to figure so prominently in his next act, and why he was so drawn to playing a man who has everything and then loses it all on his new Apple TV+ series.
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Jon Hamm - 'Your Friends & Neighbors'

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival, the English film and TV actor reflects on the pros and cons of playing Lucius Malfoy in the 'Harry Potter' film series, the heartbreak of the cancelation of 'The OA' and his rollercoaster journey with Mike White's hit HBO drama series.
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Jason Isaacs - 'The White Lotus' [LIVE]

The former Los Angeles Times film critic reflects on his path from Brooklyn to Hollywood, the current state of film criticism and the LA Times, and what inspired him to spend four years writing the first dual-biography in 50 years of MGM's two most legendary executives.
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Kenneth Turan - 'Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation'

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the 'Dropout' Emmy winner and 'Mank' Oscar nominee reflects on early breaks like 'Mean Girls' and 'Mamma Mia!,' navigating the transition from child to adult star, and why she's so passionate about her latest project, a Peacock limited series in which she plays a cop investigating the disappearance of her own sister.
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Amanda Seyfried - 'Long Bright River' [LIVE]

One of TV's all-time great comedy actresses, a six-time Emmy winner, reflects on why she walked away from her first hit show, 'Designing Women,' mid-run; why she thinks she's had some of her greatest successes over the past decade, at an age at which many actresses can’t find any work; what she finds to be the greatest challenges and rewards of playing standup comic Deborah Vance; and more.
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Jean Smart - 'Hacks'

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, one of the all-time great comedic scene-stealers reflects on having her career breakthrough at 40 with the first of her four Christopher Guest collaborations, shooting to stardom as Sue Sylvester on 'Glee' and, most recently, playing the stunt double of Steve Martin's character on Hulu's hit ensemble series.   
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Jane Lynch - 'Only Murders in the Building' [LIVE]

In front of an audience at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (the first part of this interview) and via a 2025 Zoom (the second part), the Korean master and three-time Oscar winner reflects on his path to filmmaking, the magical journey of 'Parasite' and his new film starring Robert Pattinson.
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Bong Joon Ho - 'Mickey 17' [LIVE]

The head of the 97-year-old organization behind the Academy Awards reflects on his path from Baltimore to Hollywood, teases details about Sunday's Oscars telecast and answers tough questions about the Academy's future.
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Bill Kramer - Film Academy CEO

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of the most exciting young actresses in the business — a newly-minted best actress Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner — reflects on her decision to abandon competitive horseriding for acting, breakthrough roles on 'Better Things' and in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' and bringing to life the character of a sex worker in Sean Baker's latest film.
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Mikey Madison - 'Anora' [LIVE]

The veteran Aussie actor and first-time Oscar nominee reflects on how a childhood tragedy may have set him on the path to becoming an actor; how his experience with early TV stardom influenced the sorts of projects that he did and didn't pursue after he established himself internationally via 'L.A.  Confidential' and 'Memento'; and why he’s as proud of his latest film as any he has been a part of.
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Guy Pearce - 'The Brutalist'

One of Hollywood's most dependable filmmakers — always good for an entertaining and solid, if not showy, film, with great performances, regardless of genre — reflects on how, at 21, his career took off like a rocket, then crashed, and then was rebuilt; how he learned to work with actors, including the biggest names in the biz (among them Stallone, Cruise and Chalamet), and guided two (Jolie and Witherspoon) to performances for which they won Oscars; and what it meant to him to personally land three Oscar noms — for producing, writing and, for the first time in his career, directing — for his new film about Bob Dylan.
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James Mangold - 'A Complete Unknown'

In front of an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the revered English stage and screen actor reflects on how Shakespeare led him to his path; what he learned from collaborators like Steven Spielberg ('Schindler's List'), Robert Redford ('Quiz Show'), Anthony Minghella ('The English Patient') and Kathryn Bigelow ('Strange Days' and 'The Hurt Locker'); and what went into his latest — and, some believe, greatest — perfromance, as the dean of the College of Cardinals overseeing the election of a new Pope.
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Ralph Fiennes - 'Conclave' [LIVE]

One of the biggest pop stars on the planet, who is now an Oscar-nominated actress, reflects on how she broke into showbiz as a kid, each of her studio albums, how music has helped her through tough times, why she yearned for years to play Glinda, how her fame helped her to understand the pros and cons of being "Popular," plus much more.
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Ariana Grande - 'Wicked'

The actor/writer/director reflects on why he, a socially-awkward kid, became a child actor, how the explosion of his acting profile (he was Oscar-nominated for 'The Social Network') coincided with his increased interest in writing and why, for his second outing as a director, he cast Kieran Culkin in the role that he originally intended to play himself.
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Jesse Eisenberg - 'A Real Pain'

The thrice Oscar-nominated actor, who is widely regarded as among the best of his generation, reflects on the explosive start to his screen career, collaborations with his era's greatest auteurs and why he was so impressed with his latest film's helmer, James Mangold, and star, Timothée Chalamet.
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Edward Norton - 'A Complete Unknown'

The enigmatic Scottish Oscar winner, who doesn't consider herself an actress, reflects on her formative collaborations with Derek Jarman, how she wound up juggling the artiest of art house films with the biggest of big studio films and why she was so drawn to working with Pedro Almodóvar.
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Tilda Swinton - 'The Room Next Door'

The legendary English filmmaker reflects on the origins and specifics of his mysterious method of writing and directing; why he was forced to spend 17 years between his first and second theatrical features working in television, and the pros and cons of that; and how it feels to see his latest film, which was rejected by the Cannes, Venice and Telluride film fests, being so well received.
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Mike Leigh - 'Hard Truths'

In a conversation that was both epic and emotional, like his best films, the 51-year-old American actor — who at 29 became, and remains to this day, the youngest-ever best actor Oscar winner, for 'The Pianist,' and who on Sunday won a best drama actor Golden Globe for his latest film — looks back on an odds-defying, rollercoaster of a life and career.
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Adrien Brody - 'The Brutalist'

The master of family-friendly fare — he wrote 'Gremlins' and 'The Goonies' and directed two 'Home Alone' and two 'Harry Potter' films — reflects on working with Steven Spielberg in his twenties, how Chevy Chase driving him to quit 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' proved to be one of the best things that ever happened to him and why, in recent years, he and his daughter, Eleanor, began producing films by rising directors including Robert Eggers, whose latest opens on Christmas Day.
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Chris Columbus - 'Nosferatu'

The iconic actress reflects on growing up the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey, the making of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and 'Dirty Dancing,' challenges that followed, and now, at 64, getting to be a part of a third instant-classic, Jesse Eisenberg's new dramedy about a group touring Holocaust sites in Poland.
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