The 26-year-old Brit reflects on the life-changing impact of 'Slumdog Millionaire' — good and bad ("It was like being in a gold-plated cage") — and why he so aggressively pursued and transformed himself for the film for which he just became only the third person of Indian descent ever to receive an acting Oscar nom: "A script like this — a journey like this — is never gonna come around again." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 02, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 126
The dashing star reflects on the ups and downs of 25-plus years in the biz, from the indie he calls "one of my favorite movies" to the studio bomb that "just never really understood what it was" to one of 2016's biggest blockbusters ("I was born to play this guy"), which could even land Oscar love ("I can certainly promise one fucking crazy reaction video"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 16, 2017•48 min•Ep. 125
The fan favorite on breaking through in 'Swingers,' not being seen as funny until after 'Old School' and 'Dodgeball,' the intention of 'The Break-Up' ("I really designed it to go from comedy to drama"), his decade in the cold ("I didn't follow through") and his career-reboot in Mel Gibson's acclaimed war film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 12, 2017•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 124
The Oscar-nominated veteran reflects on his early years of struggle as an actor, the tumultuous 'Lord of the Rings' production ("I don't think anybody knew it was gonna be the huge success it became"), turning down an invitation to join the Academy ("I've changed my mind since then") and the odds-defying success of the film for which he's received best actor Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and Spirit noms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 11, 2017•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 123
The legendary songwriter/composer behind 48 top 10 hits, including nine that topped the charts, opens up about the inspirations for his most beloved music, what caused his breakup with longtime collaborator Hal David and how his late daughter, who was afflicted with Asperger Syndrome, inspired him to write his first film score and song in years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 07, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 122
The trailblazing two-time Oscar winner dishes on the advice Sidney Poitier gave him early in his career, his "formula" for whether or not to make a movie, the #OscarsSoWhite controversy ("You don't want to be nominated just because you're black") and why he agreed to direct and star in a big screen adaptation of the play for which he won a 2010 Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 05, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 121
The star of the last two best picture Oscar winners reflects on his groundbreaking pair of 'Batman' films ("If it went down, we were going down in a big way"), walking away from a third ("It sucked"), his years in the cold ("Not a whole lot of folks were knocking on my door"), almost starring in 'Lost' and his great run over the last three years ('Birdman,' 'Spotlight' and now a Ray Kroc biopic). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 03, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 120
Only one person ever has been Oscar-nominated for multiple songs featured in documentaries: this 41-year-old former prodigy with a social conscience second-to-none. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 01, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 119
The 33-year-old discusses life pre-stardom ('I worked as a barista at Starbucks... and then I was fired'), 'The Social Network' (he originally was to play Mark Zuckerberg), his 'Spider-Man' films ("I didn't feel like that was my work up there") and his experiences with Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 29, 2016•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 118
The 49-year-old Oscar winner reflects on her roots in Australia, her marriage to Tom Cruise, why her career flourished after their divorce and the personal reasons why she was so drawn to playing the adoptive mother of two Indian children in fellow Aussie Garth Davis' directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 28, 2016•58 min•Ep. 117
25 years after her debut solo album 'Little Earthquakes' made her a star, the singer-songwriter reflects on her unusual upbringing, clashes with record industry execs and why she wrote the Oscar-contending song 'Flicker' for a Netflix doc about the sexual assault of young women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 26, 2016•55 min•Ep. 116
The newly-minted Golden Globe nominee discusses growing up as Phil Collins' daughter, her distinct look (eyebrows!), early auditions (she lost parts in 'Twilight' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman' to Kristen Stewart) and proving her chops opposite Oscar winners (Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and this year, in his first film in decades, Warren Beatty). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 23, 2016•53 min•Ep. 115
The consummate entertainer reflects on his early appearances on 'Star Search' and 'Mickey Mouse Club,' the evolution and dissolution of N Sync ("I had something that I wanted to do that, quite honestly, I didn't think any of them would be interested in"), his pivot to acting and the creation of the biggest single of 2016, Oscar contender "Can't Stop the Feeling!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 22, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 114
The Critics' Choice Award nominee on why she hates the term 'mumblecore' ("I'm just waiting for the day that I never have to hear it again"), rejects the 'hipster' label ("I've never been cool enough to be a hipster") and agreed, to the surprise of many, to do 'How I Met Your Dad' ("Those guys saved my life"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 20, 2016•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 113
The fast-rising actress (Oscar-nominated at 14 for 2010's 'True Grit') and singer (whose 2015 debut EP 'Haiz' was a hit) talks about child stardom (she auditioned for 'The Hunger Games'), balancing movies and music ("I don't see myself doing one and not the other"), plans to direct and the teen dramedy for which she just got a Golden Globe nom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 18, 2016•46 min•Ep. 112
The British actor of Nigerian descent reflects on a childhood caught between two worlds, why he owes so much to George Lucas (and repeat-collaborators Lee Daniels and Ava DuVernay), the 'Selma' "snub" ("The films I do very quickly get politicized") and his latest project: Disney’s first live-action film made with an all-black cast and/or set and shot in Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 11, 2016•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 111
The single most influential person in the history of doc filmmaking reflects on how a gig that was to last 13 weeks has gone on for more than 30 years, how the arrival of Vice at HBO and the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon has impacted her division and what she thinks the future holds — for her, her division and doc filmmaking in general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 09, 2016•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 110
One of Hollywood's most bankable young stars reflects on his early pretty-boy roles ("I had no fucking interest in all these"), his failed audition for 'Avatar' ("I was just awful"), almost turning down 'Star Trek' ("I was scared") and finding his best part yet in a modern-day Western ("the only experience I've had where I knew I had to do it"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 05, 2016•47 min•Ep. 109
The 65-year-old rock star reflects on how he got his nickname ("It was derisory"), why he disbanded The Police ("My intuition was telling me that that was the thing to do") and how, over Thanksgiving dinner, he came up with the song that could bring him his fourth Oscar nom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 02, 2016•46 min•Ep. 108
The 33-year-old discusses why he joined the Marines after 9/11, how he wound up at Juilliard, why he almost passed on 'Girls' and 'Star Wars,' and what drew him to the indie 'Paterson,' for which he has been voted best actor of 2016 by the LA Film Critics Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 01, 2016•46 min•Ep. 107
One of the finest actresses of her generation looks back on child stardom, her decision to attend college and refusal to attend graduate school and the two films she's made with Darren Aronofsky, 'Black Swan' ("It was very lucky it happened exactly when it happened") and 'Jackie' ("one of the most incredible creative experiences — if not the most incredible creative experience — of my life"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 28, 2016•42 min•Ep. 106
The legend on his greatest roles, how he's different than he was when he broke through ("I don't feel that I need to put that much time and effort in"), Marty and Leo ("I'd love for the three of us to do something"), directing again ("It's a real uphill battle") and Trump ("I feel like I did after 9/11"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 27, 2016•35 min•Ep. 105
The beloved actress reflects on her 53 years in the business, including the sitcoms that made her a star ('Gidget' and 'The Flying Nun'), her odds-defying jump to the big screen (via 'Sybil'), her two Oscars in six years (for 'Norma Rae' and 'Places in the Heart'), that infamous acceptance speech and her struggle to keep finding great roles as she gets older. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 24, 2016•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 104
The beloved Oscar winner reflects on growing up in the business, overcoming his 'anxiety' about acting, playing 'The Dude' and garnering some of the best reviews of his career for his portrayal of a retiring sheriff in one of 2016's most acclaimed indies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 20, 2016•47 min•Ep. 103
The two-time Oscar nominee opens up about being discovered by Al Pacino and starring in six 2011 films ("I was like, 'What is happening in my life?!'"), the 'Zero Dark Thirty' "take-down" ("I wanted to just murder everyone") and plans for the future ("I'm probably going to act less... I'm more interesting in producing and maybe even directing"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 17, 2016•53 min•Ep. 102
One of Hollywood's few leading men under the age of 30 discusses the near-death experience that changed his life (and face), why he owes his career to Nicole Kidman, the reason he almost turned down 'Whiplash,' his thoughts on 'Fantastic Four' and finally landing his first come-of-age role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 08, 2016•55 min•Ep. 101
The 79-year-old legend, during his first podcast interview, reflects on his 55 years in the business, how he became "a control freak," the impact of 'Bonnie and Clyde,' the "agenda" that took down 'Ishtar' and his latest film, which centers around Howard Hughes and "America's sexual puritanism." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 04, 2016•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 100
The revered Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner discusses a long-ago visit to a prophetic palm reader, her experiences of sexual harassment, what she wrote in a letter to Queen Elizabeth II and the one award she hasn't yet won but really wants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 23, 2016•47 min•Ep. 99
The most commercially successful black filmmaker in history discusses his abusive upbringing ("What kept me going was my faith"), harsh critics ("We all have the right to tell our stories") and future 'Madea' subject matter (he'd like to "find a way to talk about police brutality, and all of these people being shot by police officers, through this character"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 21, 2016•43 min•Ep. 98
The 40-year-old Brit reflects on unexpected roles in blockbusters (two 'Pirates' and Bond films), high compliments (Winnie Mandela "said no one had ever depicted her better") and why she almost turned down the role for which she's now an Oscar favorite ("I'd always drawn a line at playing a crack addict"). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 20, 2016•55 min•Ep. 97
