Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Play It Again: Gloria Steinem

Rest in peace to writer and activist Gloria Steinem. The trajectory of Steinem’s life and work was unparalleled. Her cultural and political impact, incalculable. We sat

The Fall Movie Preview (with Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins of ‘The Big Picture’)

With the fall movie season upon us, who better to sit with than ⁠The Big Picture⁠ co-hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins? We begin with a post-vacation check-in (2:3

In ‘The Good Place’ with D’Arcy Carden

From “The Good Place” and “Barry” to “A League of Their Own” and “The Five-Star Weekend,” D’Arcy Carden has become one of the most recognizable and beloved performers on

Novelist Colson Whitehead’s New York State of Mind

Novelist Colson Whitehead is one of only a handful of writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice—first for The Underground Railroad in 2017, and again for The Ni

The ‘Past Lives’ of Actor Greta Lee

What if it’s true that good things come to those who wait? For Greta Lee, the success of Past Lives came after twenty years of working and finding her way as an actor. H

Samin Nosrat (‘Salt Fat Acid Heat’) Cooks These ‘Good Things’ at Home

Nine years ago, cook and writer Samin Nosrat created a kitchen staple with Salt Fat Acid Heat: a New York Times bestseller that later became a hit Netflix series. Last fa

Comedian Mary Beth Barone’s Brilliant ‘Galaxy Brain’

Two years ago Mary Beth Barone considered quitting stand-up comedy. Thankfully (for us) these were always “empty threats.” The kinds you make when you’re working and wait

Actor Timothy Olyphant (‘Justified’) is Riding High

Timothy Olyphant has made a career out of masking the effort behind his effortless performances. He joins us on the heels of his recent turns in Lucky and The Five-Star

The Gilded Presidency of Donald Trump with NYT Reporter Maggie Haberman (‘Regime Change’)

All that glitters is not gold.  Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The New York Times who’s been covering Donald Trump for nearly three decades. Her extr

Danny McBride’s Delusions of Grandeur

From Kenny Powers (“Eastbound & Down”) to Jesse Gemstone (“The Righteous Gemstones”), Danny McBride has created some of the most vain, quintessentially American portraits

A New Generation Has Arrived in LA Politics. Is Nithya Raman Ready to Lead It?

Councilmember Nithya Raman says she’s running for mayor “to make LA affordable for everyone.” She joins us this week in her first extended sit-down since edging out Spenc

Father’s Day with Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is one of the defining actors of the last half-century. Today, we return to one of our favorite conversations with the beloved performer and writer. We begin b

The Jagged Little Pieces of Singer-Songwriter Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette’s 1995 chart-topping album “Jagged Little Pill” didn’t just describe a generation; it defined it. “I will take angry as the first note in the music,” sh

Sam Interviews Nathan Lane on ‘Fresh Air’

In celebration of the Tony Awards, Sam’s conversation on ‘Fresh Air’ with the legendary Nathan Lane. At the time of recording, Lane had just received a nomination for hi

Tony Nominee Christopher Abbott (‘Death of a Salesman’) Takes Center Stage

Christopher Abbott is one of the finest actors of his generation. He joins us this week from the Winter Garden Theatre, where he plays Biff Loman in the latest Broadway r

Is Josh Johnson (‘The Daily Show’) the 21st Century Comedian?

Emmy-nominated writer and stand-up Josh Johnson is making comedy that’s timely and timeless. On the heels of his new HBO special Symphony, we begin with his creative pro

The Michelle Obama Interview

Michelle Obama is the former First Lady of the United States, a bestselling author of books like Becoming and The Look, the co-founder of Higher Ground, and now, a host a

Mother’s Day with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) is a national treasure with more primetime Emmys than any performer in the history of television. Then there’s her latest decade in f

Actor Riz Ahmed Remakes the Leading Man

For the better part of two decades, Emmy and Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed has moved seamlessly between worlds: indies, blockbusters, prestige TV, writing, rapping. We d

Showrunner Lee Sung Jin is Back with More ‘Beef’

Since the arrival of Beef in 2023, showrunner and creator Lee Sung Jin has been hailed as “the preeminent social satirist” working in television. The Emmy-winning writer