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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David McWilliams, author of "The History of Money," joins Dax to delve into money's hidden power and taboo nature. They discuss how money, like fire, is a foundational human technology that enables complex societies, trade, and even acts as an alternative to war. The conversation spans from ancient Greek monetization and Roman credit systems to how currency destruction fueled revolutions, culminating in a critical look at crypto and the future of digital money, emphasizing its deep connection to humanity's collective psychology and optimism.
Actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani joins Dax Shepard and Monica Padman to delve into his physical transformation, dispelling plastic surgery rumors and confronting the intense public scrutiny and online backlash he faced. The conversation expands into the psychological benefits of intense exercise, the complexities of male intimacy in the gym, and how personal changes intersect with public perception and career expectations. They also explore broader ethical dilemmas, from consumerism to racism, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and individual moral codes.
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a party gone wrong. 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...
Walter Isaacson (The Greatest Sentence Ever Written) is a biographer, historian, and Professor of History at Tulane University. Walter returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss why he embeds himself into the lives of his subjects to write about them, how empathy can get in the way of success, and discovering the secret sauce of Elon Musk. Walter and Dax talk about his interest in people that try to learn as much as possible about everything knowable, the belief that growing up as a misfit can in...
Cher (Cher: The Memoir, Moonstruck, Believe) is a multi-platinum recording artist, Academy Award winning actor, TV personality, author, and icon. Cher joins the Armchair Expert to discuss earlier versions of trying to write her memoir and why this one worked, accidentally falling into her first acting job with Robert Altman, and memories from the Burlesque set with Kristen Bell. Dax and Cher talk about identifying not as an icon but as a woman who has always worked, the best piece of advice her ...
Walton Goggins (White Lotus, Fallout, Hateful Eight) is an Emmy-nominated actor. Walton joins the Armchair Expert to discuss no longer being willing to perpetuate cultural stereotypes of the south, being raised by the real Steel Magnolias, and sharing attraction to volatility on the edge of chaos. Walton and Dax talk about having wives that can walk with kings, the humiliation of poverty, and how an application for an American Express card changed the trajectory of his life. Walton explains lovi...
Nikki Glaser (Alive and Unwell, Someday You’ll Die, Not Safe with Nikki Glaser) is a comedian, actor, and television host. Nikki joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why Dax’s name has good joke texture, her plea for people not to have veneers during the apocalypse, and feeling embarrassed that her name had to take up space in Ralph Feinnes’ brain. Nikki and Dax talk about growing up resentful that she wasn’t born as pretty as she could have been, wanting the approval that comes with being extra...
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...
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://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
On this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Wednesday episodes in 2025. Scott Payne gets stripped for a wire while undercover, Mark Ronson recalls his rockstar-studded childhood, Blaise Aguirre defines the difficulties of BPD, Mary Claire Haver assembles a toolkit for menopause, Malala Yousafzai struggles to make friends in high school, Michael Lewis laments male anger generated by the gambling industry, Seth Harp tracks stolen cash and corruption in the military, James...
Dax and Monica revisit standout clips from 2025 Monday episodes, covering a diverse range of celebrity experiences. Highlights include Nikki Glaser's Grammy night reflections, Brad Pitt's early acting faux pas, Dominic Fike's journey from jail to a $4 million record deal, Dove Cameron's attempts to mend ties with her father, Alexander Skarsgård's Hollywood struggles, Jennifer Aniston's thoughts on kids and career choices, Adam Scott's grief while filming "Severance," Mindy Kaling's take on writing women, and Charlie Sheen's bizarre on-set antics. The episode offers a mix of humor, vulnerability, and insightful life lessons from the stars.
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...
This special holiday episode brings together Dax, Monica, Kristen, Amy, Jess, Erick, and Wobby Wob for a lively dinner party. They share humorous and sometimes shocking stories, from Erick's dad's "worm bait" insult and a honeymoon fight to Jess's street encounter. The group also debates who they'd eat in a survival scenario, the ethics of lying for an inheritance, and reveals their personal resolutions for 2025, touching on themes like judgment, productivity, and fear of change.
Zooey Deschanel (Merv, New Girl, She & Him) is an actress and musician. Zooey returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss the lessons of the go-bag after the fire evacuations, the elegance-centered branding of cats, and the touching surprise that fans often comfort-rewatch New Girl. Zooey and Dax talk about having a partner who's a consummate tinkerer, growing up in a family of ADHD interrupters, and the embarrassing moments running through her head at all times. Zooey explains being a broken-...
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they stole something. 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...
Coltan Scrivner (Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away) is a psychologist, researcher, and author. Coltan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss always preferring to do nitty gritty research in the field rather than a sterile lab, studying human fun and fear responses to haunted houses in Denmark, and his four domains of morbid curiosity. Coltan and Dax talk about why in nature there’s a lot of danger without safe opportunities to learn about it, that bar fights actually ta...
Actor and podcaster Jake Johnson joins Dax Shepard to explore his changing relationship with the acting industry, from lamenting the loss of old Hollywood glamour to embracing the freedom of less public roles. He shares insights into prioritizing personal fulfillment over external validation, including the significant influence of a close friend's suicide on his perspective. The conversation also delves into humorous stories from his "We're Here to Help" podcast, including a unique kidney transplant initiative, and offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into working with comedic legend Ben Stiller and the intensely disciplined Tom Cruise.
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story. 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://art19.co...
James L. Brooks (Ella McCay, The Simpsons, Taxi) is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer. James joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being an industrious high school reporter interviewing Louis Armstrong and Anne Bancroft, his lucky break as a studio page bringing Edward R. Murrow coffee, and co-creating the Mary Tyler Moore Show with Alan Burns. James and Dax talk about why there’s no better job in the world than on a television show that’s worki...
D’Arcy Carden (Loot, The Good Place, The Handmaid’s Tale) is an Emmy Award-nominated actor and comedian. D’Arcy returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss forming a bond with travel show co-host Sherry Cola through working together on Nobody Wants This, being a musical comrade of Wobby Wob’s, and insisting that she suffers from time blindness. D’Arcy and Dax talk about finding best friendship in her husband since their early twenties, exhibiting some addictive behavior when it comes to attending ...
This episode features "Armcherries" recounting their unforgettable Thanksgiving disasters. Stories include a multi-person vomiting incident sparked by an alcoholic uncle, a scalding ham juice accident leading to multiple falls, and a widespread norovirus outbreak in a cramped apartment. Another guest shares her family's unique, adventurous Canadian camping Thanksgiving, which once involved a dangerous propane heater explosion and other shocking mishaps. The episode highlights the chaotic yet often humorous side of holiday celebrations.
David Fajgenbaum (Chasing My Cure, Every Cure) is an immunology researcher, professor, and author. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being recruited to play football at an assortment of Ivy League schools before ending up at Georgetown, the promise he made to his mother to pursue medicine before she passed away, and starting a foundation in his mom’s honor to help college students with grief. David and Dax talk about the sudden onset of symptoms that meant his liver and kidneys were shu...
Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams, The Secret Life of Us, The Square) is an actor, writer, and director. Joel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he knows when his Australian Vogue Editor-in-Chief wife doesn’t like his outfit, why his approach to relationships is ‘it takes two to tango,’ and the reasons why he gets starstruck over are athletes. Joel and Dax talk about the big dreaminess of Australian filmmakers, the deficits of old school masculinity, and why his brother is ‘that guy’ as a stunt ...
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a dental disaster. 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:...
Andrew Ross Sorkin (1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History) is a financial columnist, TV anchor, and author. Andrew joins the Armchair Expert to discuss a kid telling him when he was young that god drew him wrong, actually working with Aaron Sorkin (no relation) on his show The Newsroom, and landing an unofficial internship at The New York Times as a senior in high school. Andrew and Dax talk about why his motto as a finance journalist was ‘chasing interesting,’ unde...
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show, Jay Kelly, Almost Famous) is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor. Billy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his interpretation of his findings on Finding Your Roots, how he both appreciated and struggled with having a dreamer for a dad, and the story of his parents getting twice married and divorced. Billy and Dax talk about his sentimentality sometimes sneaking up on him, wanting to create for his son the stability and consistency that he didn’t have growing up...
Dax and Monica delve into more unexpected orgasm tales with listeners. One caller recounts an intense experience on a rickety tiger safari in India while desperately needing to pee. Another shares a wild story of a simultaneous orgasm and bowel movement during a frantic drive to a gas station. Finally, a caller reveals her struggle with Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) and the surprising scar tissue-related cause and its treatment, offering a valuable public service announcement for others.
Mel Robbins shares her journey from financial ruin and addiction to personal triumph, detailing the origin of her "5-Second Rule" for overcoming hesitation and promoting action. She also introduces the "Let Them Theory," a powerful framework for managing relationships and external stressors by accepting what cannot be controlled and focusing on one's own actions and values, fostering greater peace and self-esteem.
On this week’s episode of Mom’s Car, we welcome acclaimed director of Parenthood and sweetest man Larry Trilling. Larry, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through attending Santa Monica High School with the entire cast of The Outsiders, catching the directing bug making Super 8 films in middle and high school, directing the first Comedy Central original movie Porn and Chicken, learning how to motivate blocking with storytelling, and the gang discuss their top-five favorite movies and shows...
Sir Anthony Hopkins shares insights into his life, discussing his new memoir "We Did Okay, Kid" and how his perception of being a "dummy" shaped him. He delves into growing up during WWII, his early acting breaks, and pivotal advice from Laurence Olivier. Hopkins also candidly recounts his path to sobriety and finding peace, emphasizing the importance of not taking life or acting too seriously, alongside his passions for music and painting.
