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.

Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.

Episodes

Armchair Anonymous: Nurses II

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us their craziest nurse stories. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

Jan 31, 202543 minEp. 851

Reid Hoffman Returns (on an optimistic AI)

Reid Hoffman (Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With our AI Future) is an internet entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of LinkedIn and Inflection AI. Reid returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss Socrates’s musing on the failings of writing, an argument for pushing back on confirmation bias, and why you can’t have science or the middle class without the printing press. Reid and Dax talk about why AI is different from other technologies that have changed our lives, how powerloom weaving...

Jan 29, 20252 hr 56 minEp. 850

Josh Gad Returns

Josh Gad (In Gad We Trust, Frozen, Book of Mormon) is a Grammy Award-winning actor. Josh returns to Armchair Expert to discuss why he believes he would be the Unsinkable Molly Brown on the Titanic, the unthinkable bravery and precision of LA firefighters, and questions whether Dax thinks he would’ve ended up as an Ira Glass or a Howard Stern. Josh and Dax talk about having permission to send Kumail Nanjiani shirtless pics, growing up without his emerald kingpin father, and how his comedy was bor...

Jan 27, 20252 hr 23 minEp. 849

Armchair Anonymous: Dated a Criminal

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they dated a criminal. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

Jan 24, 202552 minEp. 848

Sunita Sah (on defiance)

Sunita Sah (Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes) is an author, award-winning, tenured professor at Cornell University, and expert in organizational psychology. Sunita joins the Armchair Expert to discuss living up to the Sanskrit meaning of her name, why Milgram’s electric shock experiment pushed her to pursue psychology, and how some of the wildest and offtrack people she knows are doctors. Sunita and Dax talk about how speaking up when you see something happening to someone else ...

Jan 22, 20252 hr 56 minEp. 847

Adam Scott Returns

Adam Scott (Severance, Parks and Recreation, Stepbrothers) is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor and comedian. Adam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why the era of movies that produced ET, The Goonies, and Temple of Doom means so much to him, how Severance was in such apt alignment with the grief for his mother’s death, and the reason playing “fan at bar” is way more embarrassing than “guy at bar.” Adam and Dax talk about a call of the void by licking lead, rebranding artisanal nicotin...

Jan 20, 20252 hr 46 minEp. 846

Armchair Anonymous: Unauthorized Evacuation

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about an unauthorized evacuation. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice ...

Jan 17, 202555 minEp. 845

Jenny Taitz (on stress resets)

Jenny Taitz (Stress Resets, How to Be Single and Happy) is a licensed clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at UCLA. Jenny joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the initial modalities that inspired her to become a psychologist, turning knots in our stomach into bows, and tells a true tragedy of spilt milk that drives her therapeutic practices. Jenny and Dax talk about the most effective formula for saying no, how we can manage our emotions by n...

Jan 15, 20252 hr 43 minEp. 844

Josh Brolin Returns

Josh Brolin (From Under the Truck, No Country For Old Men, Dune) is an Academy Award-nominated actor. Josh joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his infiltration of Dax’s algorithm, the fact that Monica has only half-seen The Goonies, and how his hand-me-downs always yielded greater returns than his top dogs. Josh and Dax talk about Dax’s anger and forgiveness recognizing himself reading From Under the Truck, how not fighting is just another form of fighting, and the inescapability of the high oc...

Jan 13, 20252 hr 39 minEp. 843

Armchair Anonymous: Embarrassingly Caught

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us the most embarrassing thing they’ve ever been caught doing. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and ...

Jan 10, 202543 minEp. 842

Ken Goldberg (roboticist)

Ken Goldberg (Why Don’t We Have Better Robots Yet?) is an award-winning artist, roboticist, and engineering professor. Ken joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being born in Nigeria, growing up in rough and tumble City of Brotherly Love, and on how that taught him how to not take things lying down. Ken and Dax address the elephant panties in the room, how a course he took in 1981 began his trajectory in robotics and AI, and the tragic archetype of Pygmalion and the hubris of falling in love with...

Jan 08, 20252 hrEp. 841

Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry (The Six Triple Eight, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Diary of A Mad Black Woman) is an actor, playwright, producer, and filmmaker. Tyler joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he realized that his journal could be a play, his fear of comfort, and growing up to leave the door open for somebody else. Tyler and Dax talk about seeing a black middle class for the first time after relocating to Atlanta, the things children walk through, and moving storytelling into TV because it was a bigg...

Jan 06, 20252 hr 1 minEp. 840

Rerelease: Roy Choi

On today's episode, we revisit Roy Choi's episode from March 10th, 2022. Roy Choi (Broken Bread, The Chef Show, Kogi) is a chef, author, and television personality. Roy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he went from having a gambling addiction to being an award-winning chef, what Asian immigrants had to do to navigate the American system, and how important food is to Korean culture. Roy and Dax talk about what happened to restaurants during the pandemic, how most people in America ar...

Jan 03, 20252 hr 54 minEp. 836

Rerelease: Monica Lewinsky

On today's episode, we revisit Monica Lewinsky's episode from October 17th, 2019. Monica Lewinsky is an American anti-bullying ambassador to the Diana Award’s Anti-Bullying Programme, on the advisory board of Project rockit, founding board member of The Childhood Resilience Foundation and contributing editor to Vanity Fair. She sits down with the armchair expert to discuss overcoming trauma, cyber bullying and her experience being publicly labeled as a negative archetype. Monica talks about...

Jan 01, 20252 hr 49 minEp. 835

Rerelease: Dax's Mom (Laura Labo)

On today's episode, we revisit Dax's mom's episode from July 2nd, 2018. Laura Labo (Dax's Mom) is an American entrepreneur, businesswoman and Dax's #1 love of his life. In this special episode, Laura sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss her life story, the mistakes that made her and the struggle of raising a family as a single mother. Dax describes the many reasons he loves her and Laura talks about the recent death of her husband. The two of them travel down memory lane in a delightful...

Dec 30, 20243 hr 36 minEp. 834

Best of Friday 2024

On this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Friday episodes in 2024. Nick goes topless and bounces off the wall, Steve gets sharked by a Great White, Rags discovers a dead body, Jane’s Instagram Live audience gets more than they bargained for, Tyler sleeps through a car crashing through the house, and Brittany confronts a shitty hotel thief. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Ex...

Dec 27, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 833

Best of Wednesday 2024

On this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Wednesday episodes in 2024. Molly McNearney remembers joining Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bill Gates wishes he were smarter, Finneas discusses the dynamics of a duo, Patric Gagne navigates romance as a sociopath, Vanessa Marin walks the walk of Sex Talks, Alegra Kastens explains the spectrum of OCD, Malcolm Gladwell delves into the science of the opioid crisis, Cat Bohannon talks about the medical discrepancies between men and women, Y...

Dec 25, 20241 hr 16 minEp. 832

Best of Monday 2024

On this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Monday episodes in 2024. Bradley Cooper reframes his story, Goldie Hawn champions the freedom to choose, Maya Rudolph laments comedy dong, Bobby Lee revisits relapse, Amy Poehler grows in group therapy, Ke Huy Quan delights in serendipity, Halle Berry sets the record straight, Jack Black remembers spirituality as a heavy metal maniac, Vince Vaughn envisions empathy, and Heidi Klum is the queen of Halloween. Follow Armchair Exp...

Dec 23, 20241 hr 27 minEp. 831

Holiday Spectacular 2024

Join Dax & Monica for our annual holiday spectacular with as we harmonize holiday hymns with Kristen Bell, Anna Kendrick, and Gabe Gibbs, divulge Anna's Christmas candy colored explosion, learn the etymology of Bah Humbug, sing why Wobby Wob’s the weason for the season, and heal the childhood gift wound.  Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wond...

Dec 20, 20241 hr 15 minEp. 830

Armchair Anonymous: Holiday Nightmare II

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a nightmare holiday experience. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Dec 20, 202432 minEp. 829

Allison Jones (Award-Winning Casting Director)

Allison Jones (Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Veep) is an Emmy Award-winning casting director. Allison joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up an Irish twin in Massachusetts, her first casting job on Family Ties, and how her love of TV prompted her move to California. Allison and Dax talk about the cast of the Golden Girls actually only being in their 50s, how the highlight of her career was meeting Quincy Jones while casting The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and why jumping a car over another...

Dec 18, 20242 hr 47 minEp. 828

Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain, The Social Network, Now You See Me) is an Oscar-nominated actor, writer, and producer. Jesse joins the Armchair Expert to discuss not being cool enough to smoke, receiving a cease and desist letter as a kid from Woody Allen, and how community theater was his outlet for being an incredibly anxious child. Jesse and Dax discuss their saddest film wardrobe experiences, the Parmesan cheese version of Cyrano, and where movie roles rank on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Jess...

Dec 16, 20242 hr 3 minEp. 827

Armchair Anonymous: Crazy Neighbors

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy neighbor. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:/...

Dec 13, 202452 minEp. 826

Fei Fei Li (on a human-centered approach to AI)

Fei Fei Li (The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI) is a computer scientist, co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and is considered by many to be the godmother of AI. Fei Fei joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her initial reluctance to tell her personal story as a part of her book on AI, starting a laundromat with her parents to support themselves, and the high school teacher that changed the course of her life. Fe...

Dec 11, 20242 hr 54 minEp. 825

Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow (No Good Deed, Friends, The Comeback) is an award-winning actor and producer. Lisa joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her background as a pre-med biology student at Vassar, not being a people pleaser in the Groundlings, and how Jon Lovitz became her bridge to comedy. Lisa and Dax talk about why Conan O’Brien is the best person to bring to a dinner party, listening to the internal voice that told her to be an actress, and how pan au chocolate and a walk in the sun can be a cure for ...

Dec 09, 20243 hr 30 minEp. 824

Armchair Anonymous: Little League/Coaching

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy little league/coaching incident. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy ...

Dec 06, 202448 minEp. 823

Toto Wolff (team principal of Mercedes F1 team)

Toto Wolff (Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane) is principal of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. Toto joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the tragedy of being a string bean, his parents emigrating to Austria after the war, and crashing at 189 mph attempting a new lap record at the Nordschleife. Toto and Dax talk about the luxury of being a vulnerable man, being no-nonsense Capricorns, and Dax invites Toto to live in his guesthouse. Toto talks about whether mental health and being a cha...

Dec 04, 20242 hr 3 minEp. 822

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman (Lioness, Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven) is an Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and narrator. Morgan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss auditioning as dancer for the World’s Fair, narrowly avoiding becoming the next Captain Kangaroo, and a difficult decision to leave his grandmother’s home in Mississippi to pursue his acting dreams. Morgan and Dax talk about bucking authority, how sailing is a metaphor for hope, and not wanting to be pitied during a terminal illness. Mo...

Dec 02, 20242 hr 53 minEp. 821

Armchair Anonymous: Thanksgiving II

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about the craziest thing that happened at Thanksgiving. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...

Nov 29, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 820

Matt Murphy (homicide prosecutor)

Matt Murphy (The Book of Murder) is a former Homicide prosecutor and current legal analyst for ABC News. Matt joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the importance of telling the victims stories over the killers, the craft of picking a jury, and his nerves the first time he was at a crime scene. Matt and Dax discuss the parallels between their childhoods, the experience of working with detectives, and the horrific crimes of Rodney Alcala. Matt discusses how his job skews his worldview, the mental ...

Nov 27, 20242 hr 6 minEp. 819