Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard - podcast cover

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Armchair Umbrellawondery.com

Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.

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Episodes

Jason Katims

Jason Katims (Dear Edward, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights) is a producer, writer, and showrunner. Jason joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his ability to embrace the ensemble, the relationship between an actor and writer, and what the responsibility of the creator is to the characters of a story. Jason and Dax talk about how much they loved working together on Parenthood, what their early film experiences were like, and how much they value a great crew on a project. Jason explains what it was...

Apr 27, 20232 hr 1 minEp. 579

David Sedaris #4

David Sedaris (Happy-Go-Lucky, A Carnival of Snackery, Calypso) is a comedian and author. David joins the Armchair Expert again to discuss what trendy sayings bother him, how he feels about doing nice things for strangers, and why he likes to make his own postcards. David and Dax talk about what they know how to say in different languages, how drug and food addictions are similar, and how hard it is to accept help from others. David explains why he doesn't share his streaming passwords, the phen...

Apr 24, 20233 hr 42 minEp. 578

Armchair Anonymous: Worst Homeshare

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their worst homeshare experience. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 21, 202356 minEp. 577

Nita Farahany (on neurotechnology and the law)

Nita Farahany (The Battle For Your Brain) is an author, professor, and scholar. Nita joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the effects of implementing brain wave monitoring, what body politics are, and how AI is currently being used to predict human behavior. Nita and Dax talk about the fears they have surrounding neurotechnology, whether transferring a person's consciousness will be possible some day, and how fast surveillance is normalized. Nita explains why the definition of death is being deb...

Apr 20, 20232 hr 59 minEp. 576

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko) is an actor. Jake joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like to grow up in the celebrity world, how close he has always been with his family, and what instigated him to act so young. Jake and Dax discuss where his work ethic came from, how much he's always loved performing, and how authentically he felt playing the role of Donnie Darko. Jake talks about the impact of Brokeback Mountain, Guy Ritchie's BBQ, a...

Apr 17, 20232 hr 22 minEp. 575

Armchair Anonymous: Craigslist Debacle

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a craigslist debacle. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 14, 202343 minEp. 574

Rick Rubin (record producer)

Rick Rubin (The Creative Act: A Way of Being, American Recordings) is an 8x Grammy Award-winning music producer, record executive, and author. Rick joins the Armchair Expert to discusshis creative process for producing music, why he is interested in many different genres of music, and how important it is to be true to yourself. Rick and Dax talk about their relationships with spirituality, what happens when artists have that magic moment in the recording studio, and how important it is to pay at...

Apr 13, 20232 hr 27 minEp. 573

Matthew McConaughey Returns

Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyer's Club, Interstellar, True Detective) is a Golden Globe & Academy Award-Winning actor, author, and producer. Matthew returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how he decides to slow down or speed up in life, how he wants to address conflicts people are struggling with, and how he approaches the aging process. Matthew and Dax talk about the differences in their alcohol tolerances, how taking a break from acting changed their perspectives, and how they deal with f...

Apr 10, 20232 hr 43 minEp. 572

Armchair Anonymous: Cremation Disaster

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a cremation disaster. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 07, 202337 minEp. 571

Paul Bloom Returns

Paul Bloom (The Sweet Spot, Just Babies, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind) is a psychologist, professor, and author. Paul returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how our most important force as humans is our capacity to reason, the reconstructive nature of memory, and how to decide which studies we should believe in. Paul and Dax talk about the natural asymmetry between elation and agony, repressed memories, and how much chance events shape us. Paul explains his thoughts on right brain vs le...

Apr 06, 20232 hr 52 minEp. 570

Barbie Ferreira

Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria, The Afterparty, Nope) is an actor and model. Barbie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experience auditioning for Euphoria, how she got into modeling, and her relationships were with her maternal role models. Barbie and Dax talk about being defensive of their characters, what their feelings towards their dads are, and what kind of car she drives. Barbie explains how she is a perfectionist, what types of people she is attracted to, and how she has learned to advoc...

Apr 03, 20232 hr 36 minEp. 569

Armchair Anonymous: Wild Card

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mar 31, 202347 minEp. 568

Alison Roman (food writer & chef)

Alison Roman (Sweet Enough, Home Movies) is a chef and author. Alison joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experiences working in commercial kitchens, how she got into creating her own content, and her approach for pastries. Alison and Dax talk about how people use food to express themselves, what's in Dax's spaghetti recipe, and why she didn't finish college. Alison explains whether she's an introvert or extrovert, what growing up near Los Angeles was like, and why she loves old-school rest...

Mar 30, 20232 hr 13 minEp. 567

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Citadel, Quantico, Love Again) is an actor and producer. Priyanka joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her immigrant experience coming from India to America, her inherited burdens, and how returning to India for school prepared her for fame. Priyanka and Dax discuss the equity of lighter skin in India, her journey with pay disparity, and the incredible evolution of Bollywood. Priyanka talks about her transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, how being single gave her clarity...

Mar 27, 20233 hr 33 minEp. 566

Armchair Anonymous: Fart

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their most embarrassing fart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mar 24, 202356 minEp. 565

Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross

Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross (Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us) are researchers and authors. Susan and Ivy join the Armchair Expert to discuss how important it is to participate in the arts, why room designs can affect moods, and how technology can be used to improve quality of life. Susan and Ivy explain how humans are feeling beings that have learned to think, that writing down a secret can reduce your stress levels, and what being in a completely silent room would be like. Susan, I...

Mar 23, 20232 hr 57 minEp. 564

David Letterman

David Letterman (Late Show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his relationship with work and retirement, what his different strategies for interviewing people are, and how having heart surgery has affected his life. David and Dax talk about their experiences with alcohol, how the important lessons we learn are the ones we forget the quickest, and the reverence they have for Howard Stern....

Mar 22, 20232 hr 41 minEp. 563

Armchair Anonymous: Divorce

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy divorce. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mar 17, 202355 minEp. 562

Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty (On Purpose, 8 Rules of Love) is an author and podcaster. Jay joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he decided to live as a monk for three years, his journey to becoming a life coach, and how his philosophy of teaching from ancient wisdom. Jay and Dax talk about how Indians are portrayed in pop culture, the problems with hero-worshipping, and how beautiful Jay's eyes are. Jay explains why he stays away from teaching with his own life as an example, that having child-like wonder can...

Mar 16, 20232 hr 21 minEp. 561

Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Smith (That 90's Show, That 70's Show, Patriot) is an actor. Kurtwood joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he discovered acting in college, his move from the midwest to Los Angeles, and his original reluctance to do comedy. Kurtwood and Dax talk about the dialogue and tone of Patriot, how they became close friends while shooting El Camino Christmas, and their experiences with using opioids for acute pain. Kurtwood explains how he likes to prepare for his scenes, what going to Stanfo...

Mar 13, 20232 hr 48 minEp. 560

Armchair Anonymous: Caught

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they were caught. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mar 10, 202356 minEp. 559

Stephen Dubner Returns

Stephen Dubner (Freakonomics, No Stupid Questions) is an author, journalist, and podcaster. Stephen returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss why people often focus on the negative aspects of experiences, the maker vs manager conflict, and the struggles of religious fundamentalism. Stephen and Dax talk about the frustration of humans' inability to change, what the different types of large cats are, and why people want adoration from others of higher status. Stephen explains why creative people c...

Mar 09, 20232 hr 57 minEp. 558

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream, X) is an actor. Jenna joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her relationship with her self-esteem, why she doesn't like watching her own performances, and growing to be very protective of Wednesday. Jenna & Dax discuss the expectations of constant gratitude, the feelings of isolation that come with it, and the juxtaposition of what people see for her vs what she sees for herself. Jenna talks about the iconic dance scene in Wednesday, attending her Disney prom, and...

Mar 06, 20232 hr 14 minEp. 557

David Remnick (editor of The New Yorker)

David Remnick (editor of The New Yorker) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, journalist, and editor. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what working in Soviet-era Moscow was like, how his parents' health affected his upbringing, and his experience interviewing novelist Salman Rushdie. David and Dax talk about why violent sports are so appealing, what the public image of The New Yorker is, and their shared love and admiration of Malcolm Gladwell. David explains what his thoughts are on th...

Mar 02, 20232 hr 3 minEp. 556

Shania Twain

Shania Twain is a singer-songwriter. Shania joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what breaking into the country music scene from Canada was like, how she always enjoyed indulging in her creative outlets, and the root of her stage fright. Shania and Dax talk about how their family dynamics shaped their careers, how she allows herself to trust too much, and her relationship with her stepdad. Shania explains how she developed her armor, the pressures of sustaining success, and how processing needs ...

Feb 27, 20232 hr 22 minEp. 555

Armchair Anonymous: Sleepwalking

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy sleepwalking experience. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 24, 202343 min

Kelly Slater (11x World Surfing Champion)

Kelly Slater (Make or Break) is a professional surfer. Kelly joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he was drawn to surfing over other sports, what it was like being featured in a documentary series about his career, and how he balances his personal life from his public one. Kelly and Dax talk about their experiences with stepdads, what the mental health journey is like for action sports athletes, and getting a role on Baywatch. Kelly explains what the feeling of winning gives him, what he doe...

Feb 23, 20232 hr 59 minEp. 553

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, I Love You Man, Clueless) is an actor. Paul joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the importance of male friendship, why he's gotten more introverted as he's gotten old, and how he doesn't seem to age. Paul and Dax talk about what it's been like for him to join culturally impactful things after they've started, relating to the funny part of dramatic things, and how much his foundation gave him confidence. Paul explains the joy he gets from watching funny people do what they do...

Feb 20, 20233 hr 31 minEp. 552

Armchair Anonymous: Pet Sitting

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a pet sitting incident gone wrong. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 17, 202352 minEp. 551

Andrew Newberg (neuroscientist on the brain and religion)

Dr. Andrew Newberg (The Varieties of Spiritual Experience) is a neuroscientist and author. Andrew joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the different levels of enlightenment, what happens to the brain when people connect with others, and how neuroscience does not prove or disprove any religious experiences. Andrew and Dax talk about what happens when people use psychedelic drugs, what the brain is doing when you are dreaming, and the benefits of meditation. Andrew explains the possible causes of ...

Feb 16, 20232 hr 41 minEp. 550