Awards Chatter

The legendary singer/songwriter reflects on his path from small-town Alabama to the biggest stages in the world, first with the Commodores and then as a solo artist; the hits on which he worked along the way, and why so many of them center on love; and why “We are the World,” in particular — the subject of an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated and Oscar-eligible Netflix documentary — means so much to him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the great leading men of the last 50 years — think about his work in 'Days of Heaven,' 'American Gigolo,' 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' 'Pretty Woman' and 'Chicago' — reflects on how gymnastics and music helped to make him a better actor; how, over the decades, the sort of projects to which he's been drawn hasn't changed, but the industry's desire for them has; and what it was like reuniting with Paul Schrader, 44 years after their first collaboration, on his latest film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The iconic Playboy model and 'Baywatch' babe, who is now a Golden Globe-nominated actress thanks to her performance in Gia Coppola's new film, reflects on the odds-defying way in which she was discovered, how the infamous sex tape derailed her career for decades and what sparked the 'Pamaissance' of the last two years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 40-year veteran of movie stardom reflects on her difficult childhood and path to acting, the backlashes that she faced after her pregnant Vanity Fair cover and becoming the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, and what it's like aging in Hollywood, both in her hit new film and in real life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the British A-lister reflects on how his background in theater has helped him in film, his 15-year run as James Bond and playing, in Luca Guadagnino's new adaptation of William S. Burroughs' semi-autobiographical novella, a gay American living in 1950s Mexico City who is addicted to booze, drugs and sex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the actress, singer, songwriter, businesswoman and philanthropist reflects on child stardom, the hurdles of transitioning to an adult career and her 2024 acting gigs, which have brought her, respectively, a piece of the Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize, the first acting Emmy nom of her career and the opportunity to return to the world of the show that put her on the map in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Scotsman, who burst on to the scene in 1995's 'Trainspotting,' reflects on his early collaborations with Danny Boyle, his uncertainty about committing to do George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy and why, in recent years, he has increasingly gravitated toward TV limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary Aardman animator and filmmaker best known for creating Wallace and Gromit reflects on his path to animation, what inspired his most famous plasticine characters and why — in his latest project, for Netflix, and for only the second time ever — he decided to feature them in a feature-length film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival's GEMS event, the star of two of 2024's most widely discussed and debated films reflects on his journey from Romania to America, how he landed the part of Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what it was like to play — and what he really thinks about — Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the actress, now marking 25 years in the business, reflects on escaping from a painful childhood through acting, how she wound up the queen of the sci-fi blockbuster and why it meant so much to her to be given the chance to show that she could do other things in Jacques Audiard's highly-unconventional musical for which she and three costars shared the 2024 Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the veteran character actor describes his accidental path to acting, working with brother-in-law Jake Gyllenhaal and his pair of films about journalistic ethics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the 'Rustin' Oscar nominee and 'Euphoria' Emmy winner reflects on his decades of work before anyone was paying attention, how close he came to walking away from the profession in 2014 and the career renaissance that he was enjoyed over the past decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing Chinese actress reflects on childhood stardom in China, coming to America and starting from scratch, building a career in films like 'The Last Emperor' and 'Heaven & Earth' and, decades later, garnering some of the best reviews of her career — and Oscar buzz — for her portrayal of an immigrant mother in Sean Wang's feature directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the creator of the influential TV series 'Freaks and Geeks' and director of the landmark film 'Bridesmaids' reflects on his path from geekhood to standup to acting to writing/directing, what it was like working on TV shows like 'Arrested Development' and 'The Office' while he was in "directors' jail" and why he is so committed to centering funny women in his work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar-winning fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster life and career; his experiences with Marvel during the Iron Man era, and his plans to return to its cinematic universe as Dr. Doom; and what it was like juggling five different characters in Park Chan-wook's HBO limited series about Vietnam, for which he is now Emmy-nominated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beloved actress/comedienne, who is now nominated for four Emmys, reflects on her seven seasons at 'SNL,' playing an out-of-touch billionaire on an Apple TV+ comedy series and the past and future of her Kamala Harris impersonation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British playwright and screenwriter known for imagining what goes behind the walls of power reflects on his unexpected journey to writing, how he came to focus on the royals in numerous projects, and what he hopes will be the legacy of the landmark six-episode Netflix drama series that he wrote about Queen Elizabeth II and those around her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the English stage and screen actor reflects on his path from a rough childhood to his star-making role in 'Croupier'; why he wasn't excited about the prospect of playing James Bond; what it was like playing different characters in the stage and screen versions of 'Closer'; why, since 'The Knick,' he has increasingly worked in TV; and more. This episode is presented by Lasvit, a Bohemian design and artisan house that creates sublime artworks of glass that can be found all around the world; and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare interview, the man often described as the greatest actor of his generation reflects on how his blacklisted father, brilliant acting teacher and early theater director set him on his path; why he grew less attracted to working in front of the camera and more attracted to working behind it; and how he came to be cast in — and approached playing — some of the most memorable roles of his career, including his most recent, as a chatty cab driver probing Dakota Johnson's mysterious passenger in Christy Hall's directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beloved legend of TV ('The Dick Van Dyke Show'), movies ('Mary Poppins') and theater ('Bye Bye Birdie') reflects on his journey from small-town Missouri to America's living rooms, how he has faced challenges ranging from alcoholism to outliving almost all of his friends, and why he was so gratified by last December's CBS variety special tribute to him timed to his 98th birthday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TV icon best known for ‘Ally McBeal’ reflects on being a stage actress plucked from obscurity and catapulted to sudden fame, the effects of harsh media scrutiny on her psyche and her subsequent career trajectory, and why she was lured out of semi-retirement by the prospect of playing Lee Radziwill opposite Tom Hollander’s Truman Capote in an FX limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six Broadway standouts — nominated for 'Mary Jane,' 'Days of Wine and Roses,' 'Purlie Victorious,' 'Appropriate,' 'Merrily We Roll Along' and 'Cabaret,' respectively — discuss their paths to the Great White Way, the challenges and rewards of the parts for which they're nominated this year, what audience members do that most annoys them, plus more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The actor who made his name on TV series like 'White Collar' and in films like 'Magic Mike' reflects on his journey as a gay man in Hollywood, his many collaborations with Ryan Murphy (including 'The Normal Heart,' for which he won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards) and the 2023 Showtime limited series in which he plays a closeted State Dept. official in a secret decades-spanning relationship with another man (for which he has already received Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice and People's Choice award noms). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran British character actor reflects on starting his screen career at just 14, juggling art house projects (e.g. 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'In the Loop') with big-studio franchise films (e.g. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Mission: Impossible' installments) and, in just the last two years, finding himself in the center of the zeitgeist as a central part of both season two of 'The White Lotus' and, most recently, FX's limited series about writer Truman Capote and the society ladies in his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colombian actress best known for 'Modern Family' reflects on her accidental entry in showbiz at 17, her rollercoaster journey through the TV business en route to landing the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett and the very personal reason she fought for years to play the 'Godmother of Cocaine.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival, the legendary actor and Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on the projects for which he was most (and least) celebrated, what's going on with 'Yellowstone' and why he has put millions of his own dollars towards a four-film Western epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the standup comedian and comedic actress reflects on her greatest influences, how she was changed by getting on and off Adderall and what it's like acting for the first time on a Max comedy series opposite the legendary Jean Smart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the British actress best known for their award-winning portrayal of Princess Diana on season four of Netflix's 'The Crown' reflects on their path to that career-making role, their gender journey and their acclaimed portayal of a Gen Z amateur detective on FX limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Japanese actress, whose performance on FX’s smash-hit limited series has catapulted her to stardom, reflects on her days in a J-pop girl group, reaching an international audience for the first time through ‘F9’ and the unique challenges and rewards of playing Lady Mariko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing film professor, who built Wesleyan University into an unlikely film powerhouse over her 60 years at the Connecticut liberal arts institution, reflects on how the field of film studies changed over the course of her career, the 13 hugely influential film books that she has authored and the future of film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second-generation Hollywood legend reflects on growing up in the shadow of Kirk, breaking into the biz as both a producer (he won an Oscar for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest') and an actor (he won an Oscar for 'Wall Street') and breaking away from the contemporary roles for which he's best known (including 'Fatal Attraction,' 'Basic Instinct' and 'Traffic') to play Benjamin Franklin in an Apple TV+ limited series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival, the beloved character actor-turned-filmmaker reflects on his deep Hollywood roots, juggling acting roles like the ones he played in the film 'Ghost' and on the TV series 'Scandal' with directing gigs like 'A Walk on the Moon' and 'Conviction,' and his latest film — which he directed and stars in — about a boy with Autism and his protective father. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing actress, who recently became the first Indigenous American ever nominated for the best actress Oscar, reflects on deciding to pursue a screen acting career despite the historically limited opportunities for Native Americans; almost walking away from the business after her award-winning performance in 2016's 'Certain Women' failed to create more opportunities; and how she wound up hearing from Martin Scorsese and tackling the part that changed her life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Korean-Canadian filmmaker, who is Oscar-nominated for her autobiographical feature directorial debut, reflects on her transition from playwright to filmmaker, the biggest challenges that a first-time filmmaker faces and her aspirations for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the trailblazing actress, producer, director and activist reflects on the unlikely path to her breakthrough role in the indie film 'Real Women Have Curves'; becoming the first Latina ever to win the best actress in a comedy series Emmy, for 'Ugly Betty'; anad landing a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for a performance highlighted by a showstopping monologue in Greta Gerwig's cultural phenomenon of a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Irish actor who is Oscar-nominated for playing the father of the atomic bomb reflects on his unexpected shift from making music to acting, what led him to the beloved drama series 'Peaky Blinders' and what is at the center of his special six-film, 20-year collaboration with Christopher Nolan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy-winning songwriter and Oscar-winning composer reflects on his legendary New Orleans music family, waging war against genres and being featured in and writing an original song that is now nominated for an Oscar, "It Never Went Away," for Matthew Heineman's Netflix documentary feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The admired veteran reflects on breaking into Hollywood with 'The Grifters' (en route to an Oscar nom) and 'Bugsy' (opposite husband-to-be Warren Beatty), standout turns in films ranging from 'The Kids Are All Right' to '20th Century Women' to 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' and taking on one of her most challenging roles yet as swimmer Diana Nyad in 'Nyad.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The founding director of the Sundance Institute, who since 1981 has presided over the "labs" that help rising filmmakers to realize their visions, reflects on how she came to work for Robert Redford, what filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao and Darren Aronofsky got out of their time at the labs and becoming just the 43rd person — and only the 10th woman — ever honored with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary filmmaker reflects on the tug of war that he has always felt between his faith and the reality of his life, and how that has shaped the films that he has made; the origins and evolution of his special relationships with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio; how his latest film is sort of an amalgam of all of his prior films; and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing filmmaker reflects on her circuitous path to the film industry, in which she originally worked as a publicist; the evolution of her social conscience; how her feelings about Hollywood have changed since 'Selma' and #OscarsSoWhite; and why she is so passionate about her latest film, which is about prejudice across history and geography and how the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, connected the dots in her book 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the sibling singer/songwriters return to the podcast to take questions from the host and students about their path to music, why they love writing songs for movies and how "What Was I Made For?," their Oscar-shortlisted tune for Greta Gerwig's acclaimed blockbuster, came to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy winner and Tony and Emmy nominee reflects on her path from Greenville, South Carolina to Juilliard to Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black' and Broadway, overcoming impostor syndrome and her fateful Zoom with Oprah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of our greatest character actors reflects on how the sudden death of his father motivated him to pursue an acting career, the different challenges of roles small and large and what it was like to reunite with Alexander Payne, 19 years after 'Sideways,' for a new film about a cranky boarding school teacher who is made even crankier by having to spend the 1970 Christmas break on campus with an aggrieved student. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most admired actresses of our or any time reflects on how a nomadic childhood led her to acting; the most important roles of her career, ranging from 'The Big Lebowski' to 'Far from Heaven' to 'Still Alice'; and her special relationship with filmmaker Todd Haynes, which has yielded five films spanning 1995's 'Safe' through a 2023 Netflix title about a woman who is married to a younger man she first hooked up with 20 years earlier when he was underage and who is now being observed by a Hollywood actress set to play her in a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman Univeristy, the British actress/writer/director, who for 'Promising Young Woman' won the best original screenplay Oscar and became the first British female ever nominated for the best director Oscar, reflects on the roots of her interest in dark material, being handed the reins to 'Killing Eve' by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and what inspired her sophomore feature, which was just nominated for the best picture Critics Choice Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearing his 60th birthday, the legendary singer/songwriter and rock star reflects on growing up biracial and half-Jewish, his greatest hits and his new Golden Globe-nominated tune "Road to Freedom." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 20-year-old Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, one of the world's biggest pop stars, reflects on her path to acting and singing, rocketing to mega-fame during COVID lockdown with "Driver's License" and writing songs for her two albums versus writing a song — "Can't Catch Me Now" — for a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brit described by her three-time collaborator Meryl Streep as "the best young actress I’ve worked with in some time, perhaps ever" reflects on how a childhood stutter led her to acting, taking on frightening physical and vocal challenges in film roles and playing the wife of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed summer blockbuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the all-time most distinguished producers of independent film — who has somehow never received a best picture Oscar nomination, despite credits including 'Boys Don't Cry,' 'Far from Heaven' and 'Carol' — reflects on meeting Todd Haynes and abandoning early ambitions to become a director, how 'New Queer Cinema' came to be and why she still bets on first-time filmmakers like Celine Song. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices