I Think You're Overthinking It

Chris and Mike immediately deep dive into a Jetsons/Flintstones theory that will rock cartoon science! Possibly! Or not. Chris also talks about skipping a week of podcasting to tape his newest comedy special, "The Middle Ages," in Nashville. Mike expresses his enduring love and appreciation for the tambourine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris and Mike chat about a not-so-rad personal hygiene moment, whether or not people would watch a several-hour-long show that follows a family of lizards, and a classic Macintosh Computer sound. Come see Chris shoot his next comedy special in Nashville on March 4th! Goto chrishardwick.com for info. Tix are FREEEEEEEEEEE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike and Chris discuss the potential benefits of Uno card tattoos, how to be okay with forgetting what you were about to say and just never remembering, a Twilight Zone episode breakdown, Fraggle Rock theories, and must-have inventions they'd pitch to Shark Tank. Chris is shooting his next comedy special, "The Middle Ages," in Nashville on March 4th, 2026! Tix are free!!! Go to chrishardwick.com for info and sign-up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After an extended holiday break, Chris has Mike Phirman back on! They talk about crashing laptops, slide whistle ideas, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and how much of the listening audience will still get a Fonzie reference (it's gotta be pretty much everyone, right??). AND the announcement that Chris will tape his next comedy special entitled "The Middle Ages" in Nashville on March 4!! There will be two shows and tickets are free! Just go to chrishardwick.com, and that will forward you to 1iota's ticket request page. And as always, thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaimie Alexander (Thor, Blindspot) returns to the podcast to talk about how she handles negative overthinking by actively seeking and seeing moments of joy in life. Jaimie also recently started a Substack where she openly chronicles her incredible recovery from health issues and numerous stunt-related injuries (you can link to it through her Instagram account, @jaimiealexander). If you're feeling stuck or even just need a break from your own overthinks, this ep has some wonderful bits of wisdom! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Phirman drops by (via videoconferencing software) for a holiday week hangout! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An experimental solo show of I Think You're Overthinking It, talking about, well, overthinking it. Chris totally forgot what week it was and thought a new episode was posting NEXT week, but guess what! It was THIS week! So he used it as an opportunity to try a solo episode to see if that was remotely interesting, cuz why not? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris's friend Matt Kappler returns with the addition of Mike Phirman to have a fun dad chat about Halloween, whether or not to build up a movie you loved as a kid before you show it to your own kids, and what's up with Ms. Frizzle?? Plus, clunky billion-dollar ideas! AND stick around for a great bonus chat clip with Chris's 3-year-old daughter Dimity at the end!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Riki Lindhome has been in such fancy titles as "Wednesday" and "Knives Out," as a writer/creator/comedian is one half of Garfunkle & Oates, co-star and co-creator of "Another Period" on Comedy Central, and recently released a comedy album called "No Worries If Not" as well as putting up her one person show "Dead Inside" at the Edinburgh Festival in August. There are some GREAT pieces of advice in here for any creator who might need some guidance getting out of their own way, stopping overthinking before it stops them, and breaking through mental barriers to do the thing they are passionate about. Take a listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Crossing the streams with a great podcast called "One Song" with Diallo Riddle and Luxxury (aka Blake Robin)! A super fun discussion about music, technology, and a gentle nosalagic stroll down 1990s lane. One Song is available wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris's friend Matt Kappler is a funny dude who works in advertising but today he's here to shoot the poop with Chris about being a dad! They both have kids around the same age and share stories about their respective parenthood journeys. Heartfelt tales and silliness ensue! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sam Richardson (Veep, Detrioters, The Afterparty) is one of the quickest, funniest performers in the business! He returns to the podcast with some terrific insight on getting stuck in loops of preparation rather than actually completing goals. ALSO, his Michael McDonald impersonation is FLAWLESS. Have a listen!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I mean SURE we could discuss the massive success of Superman and return of the hilarious hit show Peacemaker or even some of the future plans for DC Studios (and we do), but we also have a great conversation about how to carry out a creative vision from start to finish and get the negative chatter in your brain out of the way in the process. PHEW! That was one long sentence! Superman is now available for digital download and Peacemaker is back on HBO for eight episodes starting August 21st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hilarious Ana Gasteyer is back on the show! The SNL alum and friend of Chris's talks through sketch writing, parenting, defining success in The Social Media Age, and fiddle camp! Her holiday album Sugar & Booze is available for streaming on all the platforms, and if you ever get a chance to see her live, you should! Find her tour dates at anagasteyer.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mr. Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep, Inside Out 2) is a FANTASTIC guest who not only is a lifelong overthinker but has really great insight and advice for those gifted with a surplus of thoughts, ESPECIALLY in the middle of the night when the "what ifs" start poking at ya! His new film "Sketch" is in theaters August 6th and he cohosts the Extraordinarians podcast with Kristen Schaal and Matt Oberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The podcast just wouldn't be the podcast without Tom Lennon! OF COURSE you know Tom from Reno 911, The State, @midnight, the first ever episode of this very podcast, and a million movies that he's acted in and/or written...but he is ALSO quite the guitar wizard. At Chris's request, Tom brought one of his fancy guitars to give Chris a couple of pointers. The dudes hung out, noodled, and talked about their musical influences. Also, Tom told a bunch of stories that sounded like bizarre dreams a person might have after eating right before bed but are totally real and from his actual life! You can follow him at @thomaspatricklennon on the socials! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Sparks! The Band!! Russell and Ron Mael are back on the podcast to talk about their new album, "Mad!" (available now), going out on their big world tour, and how it's possible to overthink things and STILL just move forward anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the first episode of a new era! And what better way to start than with the hilarious and wonderful Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog, Parks and Rec, The Afterparty) discussing improv and how you don’t have TIME to overthink it. Find Ben's live show dates at rejectedjokes.com! Oh, and PS, the pre-show intro on this ep is probably a weeeeeee longer than it will normally be by just a few minutes, but it IS the first one of these after three years so hopefully that’s okay. Thank you for listening! You’re nice!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aaaaaaaaand we’re back!! PHEW! That was a quick three years! Chris starts this new podcast chapter with a minisode that explains the decision to hit the pause button and focus on being a dad after the birth of his daughter in 2022, why he wanted to come back now, and what to expect with the new show. I mean, it’s pretty much like the old show, but with new & improved thematic elements that really seal in the freshness! Anyway if you’ve read this much of a podcast description, you are a nice person and we appreciate you. :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Madrigal talks to Chris about touring, building a fulfilling career, and, of course, parenting! Al’s new movie "Morbius" is in theaters April 1st and his comic book "Primos" is available right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Dastmalchian and Chris catch up and talk about dealing with loss, addiction, and the importance of having an emotional support system. They also talk about "Dune", David’s comic book series "Count Crowley", and playing Polka-Dot Man in "The Suicide Squad"! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christina Ricci chats with Chris about how both their families are expecting babies soon (since this ep recorded, her baby was born! Congratulations, Ricci!!), how to negotiate device screentime with your kids, and what it was like to work on the new “Matrix” film. Her current show “Yellowjackets” on Showtime is amazing and “The Matrix Resurrections” is out in theaters and HBOMax on Dec. 22! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karen David (Fear the Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Barry) chats with Chris about their mutual love of home renovation/restoration, how she's balanced careers in music and acting, and going from working on a Fairy Tale show to an Apocalypse show. Speaking of which, the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead is Sunday, Dec 5 which you can watch on AMC or anytime on AMC+! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ron Funches is back on the podcast! He and Chris talk about voice-over acting, what video games Ron is currently playing and how he made his wrestling debut. Ron is currently on a terrific animated show called Poorly Drawn Lines (based on the popular webcomic) on FXX and Hulu! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dick and Angel Strawbridge are a charming British couple who are on one of Chris & Lydia's favorite shows, "Escape to the Chateau", which follows them on their amazing journey to restore a centuries-old French chateau and turn it into a stunning home/B&B/events location. The show is the perfect cross of DIY art and engineering! Even if you haven't seen it (and you should) it's a great conversation about embracing who you are, finding your purpose, and manifesting your creative vision. They also chat about Irish hats, using multiple disciplines in the creation process, and how to problem-solve when a task seems insurmountable. The newly-released season 7 (and all seasons) of "Escape to the Chateau" is on Peacock now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny Elfman has a terrific chat with Chris about their mutual love of Victorian-era taxidermy, how Danny made the jump from science to music in high school, the early days of Oingo Boingo, and making the shift from band to film scoring. There are some really great stories! Danny will be performing 2 shows at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on October 29th & October 31st for the live-to-film concert experience of Disney’s timeless holiday classic “TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS! Tix available now! Also his first album in 37 years "The Big Mess" is also out now!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stanley Tucci chats with Chris about the process of getting dual Italian citizenship, how life can be viewed experientially through the food we eat, and his battle overcoming cancer. Stanley's new memoir "Taste: My Life Through Food" is available in bookstores now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Director David Yarovesky--a.k.a. Yarvo (Brightburn, The Hive)--is back on the podcast! He and Chris talk about the ups and downs of directing, making your vision a reality, and finding the right balance of CG in a movie. They also talk about Chris & Lydia's recent baby announcement! Yarvo’s new film "Nightbooks" is on Netflix now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Creator and producer Brian Volk-Weiss has not only produced stand-up specials for some of the biggest names in comedy, but he also has given us such gems as Netflix's "The Toys That Made Us" and "The Movies That Made Us". His newest series is also a home run, Disney+'s "Behind the Attraction", which focuses on a different legendary aspect of the Disney parks each episode. Whether you're a die-hard or even casual fan of Disneyana or just someone who strives to turn their passions into their career, this is a great ep for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Walking Dead" showrunner Angela Kang chats with Chris about the extended final season of "The Walking Dead", using creative writing to discover your voice, and how to organize your time with a mountain of responsibility! "The Walking Dead" is airing now on Sundays at 9/8c on AMC and this final season will extend into late 2022! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead, Euphoria, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) is back on the podcast! Colman talks about designing a meaningful career path as a creator, writer, director, and actor. Currently, he is in the new "Candyman," in theaters August 27, and "Fear the Walking Dead" which returns on October 17th! (Also SPOILER ALERT! if you're not caught up on Fear the Walking Dead they do discuss some events of the most recent season finale!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon, Girls, Big Mouth) chats with Chris about his impressive career on Broadway, how he keeps his voice healthy for voiceover work, comedy acting, and moving into the director's chair. Andrew is on the new season of "Modern Love" on Amazon and also "Black Monday" on Showtime! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Connie Britton (White Lotus, Friday Night Lights, Nashville) is back on the show! She and Chris Zoom it up even though live a few houses away from each other. They talk about Connie’s extensive career, how neither of them knows that much about investing, and their love for house restoration. Connie's current show "The White Lotus" is on HBO Max right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Cena is back on the podcast! John and Chris talk about different types of Hulks, goal-setting, the definition of success, returning to the WWE, and managing a non-stop work schedule. John is currently in "The Suicide Squad", on HBO Max, and in theaters now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Damon chats with Chris about his process of writing, how his life changed after they sold the script for Good Will Hunting, and Matt’s admiration for stand-up. Matt also talks about working with different directors, working with his best friend, and his new movie Stillwater, in theaters now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rainn Wilson returns to the podcast! He and Chris talk about working on House of 1000 Corpses together, the phenomenon of "The Office", and not getting typecast as Dwight. They also come up with an idea for a Mork & Mindy reboot and Rainn talks about his new scripted podcast "Dark Air with Terry Carnation", now available wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show, This Way Up, Evil) returns to the podcast! He and Chris talk about mindfulness practice in performance, how TV is quickly adapting and evolving into streaming, and dealing with tinnitus. Season 2 of "Evil" is on Paramount+ and "This Way Up" is on Hulu! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sam Richardson (Detroiters, Veep) chats with Chris about working on Detroiters, his love of television as a kid, and his encyclopedic knowledge of TV history. Sam also talks about his writing style, the comedy editing process, and acting with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. His two new movies are "Werewolves Within" (in theaters and VOD) and "The Tomorrow War" (Amazon Prime)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode welcomes director Edgar Wright and Ron and Russell Mael of the band Sparks! Edgar directed a documentary about them called "The Sparks Brothers" and it is truly FANTASTIC. In the podcast, they share some amazing stories about their 54 years in the music business and how they stay true to their artistic vision. This film is a must-see whether or not you're familiar with their work! Out now in theaters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Cudlitz (Walking Dead, The Kids Are Alright, Clarice) returns to the podcast to talk about choosing roles that allow him to live a balanced life and working through quarantine. Chris and Michael also talk about going to Disneyland in the 1900s! His current show, "Clarice", is on Paramount+ right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lisa Edelstein (House, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce) has a wonderful chat with Chris about acting, directing, and learning how to find things that are meaningful to you. Lisa also talks about growing up as the youngest child, her time in the New York City club scene in the 80s, and navigating fame. Lisa is currently on the new season of "The Kominsky Method" on Netflix now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garret Dillahunt chats with Chris about the best Zoom etiquette, dealing with negativity, and the importance of believing in yourself. They also go deep into Deadwood talk and OF COURSE cover some Fear the Walking Dead stuff (spoiler warning!). Garret’s new movie Army of the Dead is on Netflix right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Hayes joins Chris to talk about the world of podcasting, feeling weird at fancy parties, getting a "busy" signal on the landlines of yesteryear, and how Sean started out as a concert pianist. Sean now has not one but TWO podcasts! Smartless, which he co-hosts with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, and his new show HypochondriActor, a podcast about all things medical co-hosted with Doctor and comedian Priyanka Wali. Both are available wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darren Lynn Bousman is back on the podcast talking about his new film "Spiral: From the Book of Saw" starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson! There is also much talk of horror films, horror props, and the best way to acquire the aforementioned props when you are a director. Spiral is out now!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Billy Crystal returns to the podcast! He talks about breaking into stand-up, his first "Tonight Show" appearance in 1975, and maintaining a successful career/life balance. His new movie is called "Here Today" and he co-wrote, directed and co-stars in it with Tiffany Haddish. It's in theaters now! OH and a new "Monsters, Inc." series is on the way this year too! Details on the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Astrophysicist Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi returns to the podcast! He and Chris talk about science education, the Mars Curiosity Rover, and cross-pollinating your career with different interests. Hakeem also talks about his upcoming memoir, "A QUANTUM LIFE: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars" out June 15th and the new season of "How the Universe Works", Wednesdays at 8pm on The Science Channel and streaming on Discovery+! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Bacon and Chris chat about their love of guitars, practice routines, and how live shows might change as things begin to open back up. Kevin also talks about the audition process, watching dailies as an actor, and how he and his wife Kyra Sedgwick made a movie at home during the pandemic. Check out season 2 of his show "City on a Hill" on Showtime! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Writer/Director/Actor Ben Falcone joins Chris to talk about spending the pandemic in Australia, getting his start at The Groundlings, his marriage to Melissa McCarthy, working with your spouse, and Jason Bateman's crab arms in their new movie "Thunder Force", now on Netflix! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices