During the course of her career, Laura Dern, the daughter of actors Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, has carved her own unique path, moving effortlessly between the worlds of independent film and blockbuster franchises like “Jurassic Park” and, most recently, “Star Wars.” She is a two-time Oscar nominee, a four-time Golden Globe winner, and the recipient of an Emmy award for her critically acclaimed work in “Big Little Lies.” Dern is also an activist and philanthropist, and a beacon in the Hollywood c...
Nov 14, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 21
“Mad Men” fans watched Kiernan Shipka grow up on the small screen in her role as Sally Draper, the daughter of Betty and Don. Her nuanced and captivating performance earned her critical acclaim and an older sophisticated fan base for such a young talent. Since then, Shipka, who was born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, has taken on a host of different projects, including Ryan Murphy’s “Feud” and the psychological horror film “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.” At the beginning of 2018, she stepped ...
Nov 08, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 20
For this special episode, Krista traveled to San Francisco to interview Demi Moore in front of a sold-out crowd at an event hosted by City Arts & Lectures. As an actress, Demi Moore carved out one of the most extraordinary paths in modern Hollywood, shattering expectations of what a woman could earn, the kind of movie she could open, and how she could present herself in the world — her Vanity Fair cover, nude and pregnant, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, is now the stuff of legend. With fil...
Oct 25, 2019•59 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this episode, Krista sits down with Zoey Deutch, one of Hollywood’s most sought after and poised young talents. For Deutch the reality of working life in Hollywood is far from a new concept. The young star, who began her career on the Disney Channel as a teenager, hails from a Hollywood family and took her first steps on a movie set. Her mother, Lea Thompson, is the actress known for the “Back to the Future" trilogy and the sitcom “Caroline in the City,” and her father Howard Deutch directed ...
Oct 18, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 18
At just 22 years-old, Kaitlyn Dever has already been acting for more than a decade, amassing a long list of credits in both film and television, including acclaimed independents like “Short Term 12,” and “The Spectacular Now.” But this year is proving to be a particularly special one for the young actress. She starred in Olivia Wilde’s critical darling coming-of-age directorial debut, “Book Smart,” and now she will appear in “Unbelievable,” a limited series based on true events, in which Dever p...
Sep 13, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Sacha Baron Cohen has created some of the most unforgettable characters of the modern age, from Ali G to Bruno to Borat. His fearless comedic style and willingness to confront power and prejudice has transfixed audiences and resulted in accolades across the board. He’s an Oscar nominee, a Golden Globe nominee and winner, and a six-time Emmy award nominee. With his new limited series, “The Spy,” Cohen takes on the role of a real-world character for the first time. Set in the 1960s, it’s the true ...
Sep 06, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Julia Garner joins the show to discuss her Emmy-nominated performance as the tough yet vulnerable Ruth Langmore on “Ozark.” She talks about life on set, what she’s learned from working with the incredible cast, and the journey of her character. Known for her laser-like focus on her work, 25-year-old Garner has already built an impressive body of work, both in critically acclaimed independent films, like “Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene” and “Electrick Children,” and on hit shows like “The Americans....
Aug 22, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Comedy legend Eddie Murphy joins the show to reflect upon his trailblazing career and to discuss his new film “Dolemite Is My Name,” directed by Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow,” “Empire”), and written by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (“Ed Wood,” “The People vs. O.J. Simpson”). “Dolemite Is My Name” tells the true story of comedian Rudy Ray Moore and his tireless effort to make a film about his stage persona, “Dolemite,” a pimp with a cane and an ar...
Aug 15, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In 2010, a research professor by the name of Brené Brown walked onto the TEDxHouston stage and delivered her talk, “The Power of Vulnerability.” Little did she know that this would change her life forever. That TED talk has now been viewed more than 50 million times, making Brown a global phenomenon. She is the author of five bestselling books, including “Daring Greatly,” “Rising Strong,” and “Dare to Lead,” and now Brown has a Netflix special, “The Call to Courage.” In this conversation, Brown ...
Jul 31, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Mary J. Blige joins the show for an in-depth discussion about her life, her career, and the faith that has sustained her throughout. As a singer, songwriter, and actress, Blige has scaled the heights of success. She’s won nine Grammy Awards and been nominated more than thirty times. She is also a three-time Golden Globe nominee, and a two-time Academy Award nominee for her work on “Mudbound.” In fact, Blige made history as the first person ever to be nominated in both an acting and music categor...
Jul 26, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Emmy-winning showrunner Marta Kauffman discusses the arc of her epic career, from her early struggles in New York to the evergreen popularity of “Friends,” and now her success with “Grace and Frankie,” headed into its sixth season. Kauffman talks about what it’s like to work with the “Grace and Frankie” cast, led by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, and she shares the moment she learned Pete Davidson would be rapping about the show on SNL. She also speaks candidly about dealing with misogyny in Hollyw...
Jul 24, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Betty Gilpin sits down to discuss her journey as an actor and her work on GLOW, the show from Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch about a crew of misfits who reinvent themselves as the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling in 1980’s Los Angeles. Gilpin is a two-time Emmy nominee for her performance as Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan. Raised by actors, Gilpin is refreshingly candid about the superficial expectations women grapple with, and her own conflict with the inner “male gaze representative.”
Jul 19, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 10
With his breakout role in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” his performance in “American Horror Story,” and his turn as Duncan Shepherd in the final season of “House of Cards,” Australian actor Cody Fern has quickly established himself as a riveting new talent to watch. In this episode, Fern, 30, talks about everything from his upbringing in an Australian farming community to his daring, gender-fluid red carpet style. And he shares how he confronted the ugly side of fame when he was recentl...
Jul 17, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Krista is joined by Hasan Minhaj who, in a few short years, has leap-frogged from being a senior correspondent on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” to being the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to starring in his own Netflix standup special, “The Homecoming King,” and co-creating and hosting his new show “Patriot Act.” He’s a husband, a father, a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan, a two-time Peabody Award winner, and a 2019 Time 100 honoree.
Jul 12, 2019•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Timothy Hutton was just 20 years-old when he won the Academy Award for his performance as the angst-ridden teenager in Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People,” making him the youngest actor ever to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. In this episode, Hutton discusses his work on “The Haunting of Hill House,” the show from creator Mike Flanagan, which reimagines Shirley Jackson’s terrifying gothic horror novel. Hutton plays the patriarch Hugh Crain. He also reflects on some of the pivotal moments of hi...
Jul 11, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Krista sits down with Kathryn Newton, the 22 year-old breakout who stars in “The Society,” the Netflix show from creator Christopher Keyser about a group of teens who are mysteriously transported to a facsimile of their town without any trace of their parents. Newton is on a remarkable hot streak, appearing in a long list of star-studded, award-winning projects, including “Big Little Lies,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri,” “Ben is Back,” and “Lady Bird.” In this conversation, Newton s...
Jul 05, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Nicole Avant joins the show to discuss “The Black Godfather,” the documentary she produced about her father, the legendary music industry executive Clarence Avant. Avant talks about what it was like to grow up in a world where guests at her family home included Presidents of the United States and the likes of Muhammad Ali and Quincy Jones. She also reflects on her father’s words to live by, the importance of paying it forward, and she shares how her close friend Pharrell came to write an origina...
Jun 28, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Linda Cardellini sits down to discuss “Dead to Me,” the show that’s captivated audiences and critics alike. Created by Liz Feldman and co-starring Christina Applegate, it’s an honest study of female friendship and a complex portrayal of grief. Cardellini is having a remarkable year, with back-to-back projects including the Oscar-winning “Green Book,” “Avengers: Endgame” and her hit horror film “The Curse of La Llorona.” Cardellini talks about what it means to work on female-led projects, how she...
Jun 21, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this episode, Krista talks to 21 year-old actor Jharrel Jerome who, despite his youth, has already appeared in a Best Picture Oscar winner: “Moonlight.” Now, he stars in “When They See Us,” the limited series executive produced, directed, and co-written by Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay. It’s a devastating account of the events surrounding the the African American and Latino teenagers labeled the “Central Park Five,” who were falsely accused of raping and assaulting a woman in 1989. Jerome talks ...
Jun 20, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 3
As an actor, director and producer, Jason Bateman’s all-or-nothing commitment has propelled him to success on both the big and small screen, in comedy and drama, and on both sides of the camera. He was awarded a Golden Globe for his performance as Michael Bluth in “Arrested Development,” and he won a Screen Actors Guild award for his work playing Marty Byrde in “Ozark.” Bateman is also a four-time Emmy nominee. In this episode, he shares what fans can expect from the third season of “Ozark,” his...
Jun 20, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of Present Company with Krista Smith. In this episode, Krista sits down with Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger and chats about her Netflix show “What/If.” They also discuss what it was like for Zellweger to play Judy Garland for her upcoming film “Judy,” as well as the most memorable moments of her career, including working with Tom Cruise on “Jerry Maguire” and stepping into the shoes of Bridget Jones.
Jun 14, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1
