Jen Yamato is an internet-era journalist working at one of the last print news institutions in America, The LA Times. That in itself is interesting, but it's only the latest step in a career that's also included time spent working at Rotten Tomatoes, Deadline, Movieline, and The Daily Beast. This week, after warning us that she's a Gemini, Jen talks with Sam about the best year of her life (age 17), changes she's witnessed to the journalism landscape, and the recent spate of sexual misconduct ac...
Oct 16, 2017•1 hr 8 min
This week, Sam sits down with friend, comedian, and writer Jon Daly. Along with appearing as a regular at the improv institution Upright Citizens Brigade, Jon's taken on comedic roles in dozens of shows and movies over the past fifteen years. Jon's had roles in feature films like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Janicza Bravo's Lemon, and can be seen in episodes of Kroll Show, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and basically anything on TV that's equal parts funny and bizarre. Here, he and Sam talk about ev...
Oct 09, 2017•1 hr 16 min
For over thirty years, Willem Dafoe has been putting in hard work on stage and screen, and it’s paid off. Starting in 1980 with Heaven’s Gate, a movie that he was mostly cut from during editing, he went on to take memorable roles in a wide range of films that include Platoon, The English Patient, Shadow of a Vampire, and Spider-Man. Most recently, he’s starring in The Florida Project, a film by Sean Baker that premiered to acclaim at last month’s Toronto Film Festival. Willem sits down this week...
Oct 02, 2017•45 min
This week, CEO, author, and nationally recognized doula Erica Chidi Cohen joins Sam on the show. Erica is known for taking a whole-self, support-based approach to pregnancy and parenting, first through her solo doula practice and soon through her upcoming LA-based reproductive wellness center, LOOM. She's knowledgeable, upbeat, and always open to discuss the nuances of her profession. Here she talks to Sam about her unique upbringing in South Africa, her career spent helping families, and keepin...
Sep 25, 2017•55 min
Giancarlo Esposito started performing at age 8. Now nearing 60, the signature character actor is reflecting on a lifetime of work. From his collaborations with Spike Lee (“School Daze”, “Do the Right Thing”) to playing the terrifying Gustavo “Gus” Fring on “Breaking Bad”. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music for the show is by Dylan Peck. www.dylanpeck.com Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: www.krishnabalashenoi.com. See a...
Sep 19, 2017•1 hr 17 min
Heather Havrilesky is the author of “How to Be a Person in the World”, a collection of essays from her hit Ask Polly column in New York Magazine. In her writing, Heather has an ability to hear and see people in a way that feels selfless and genuine. In this week's episode, Sam and Heather try to do same for one another. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music for the show is by Dylan Peck. www.dylanpeck.com Original illustrations by...
Sep 12, 2017•1 hr 21 min
TV titan Norman Lear joins Sam on the show this week. The 95-year-old is chiefly responsible for changing television. His shows—All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times—were unlike anything that came before them. Political, combative, funny. Lear’s greatest gift is his endless curiosity in the imperfection of humans. Especially Americans. When Sam and Norman sat down, they discussed his remarkable life, one story at a time. ------------------------------------------------------------...
Aug 28, 2017•57 min
For over thirty years, Fred Melamed has been a true Character Actor. He’s starred in seven Woody Allen movies, played Sy Ableman in the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man”, and has made appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, House of Lies. He’s most recently in Janicza Bravo’s dazzling debut feature, Lemon. If you perhaps don’t recognize Fred by name, you’ve certainly heard his iconic, booming voice. On this week’s show, Sam and Fred walk through the actor’s life. Stay tuned. It’s a good one. ...
Aug 21, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Amber Navran is the lead vocalist of "Moonchild", a neo-soul group out of Los Angeles. With their third record out in stores, Amber came on the show to discuss her musical influences, performing with Stevie Wonder, and what it looks like to be a working musician in 2017. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music for the show is by Dylan Peck. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: www.krishnabalashenoi.com. Learn more about Talk...
Aug 14, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Rostam Batmanglij was first introduced to us through his band Vampire Weekend. The music was infectious and seemed to be the soundtrack of every New England college campus for the many following years. Rostam was the producer for the band--the person blending the different influences together and packaging it into something unheard. Now, he is about to release his first solo record and it is even more fresh than what we have heard in the past. In this interview he and Sam talk about this record ...
Aug 06, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Doreen St. Félix is only 25 but she has made a name for herself in the New York media scene. After graduating from Brown she started her career at "Lenny Letter", Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's digital, feminist publication. While doing this, she was also freelancing for places like Pitchfork, New York Magazine, and The Fader. Now, she is a contracted writer with the New Yorker (at only 25!). She and Sam talk about her successes, today's media scene, and how she really loves the show Chopped. --...
Jul 30, 2017•54 min
Robert Downey Sr. (also known as "The Prince") is known for giving a candid response. Throughout all of the films he has directed he has never been afraid to poke fun at the establishment--little is off limits. This is not to say that he isn't a thoughtful person, though. In this interview the Prince tells Sam about his days in the army (12:40), his early days of filmmaking (28:37), and some of his regrets (49:30). Also, a side note: it was a very hot day when Sam and Robert Downey Sr. sat down ...
Jul 23, 2017•59 min
Jelani Cobb has a clarity about his life and what he intends to do with it--combine journalism and history. Known for his writing on America and its relationship to race, Jelani's work is crucial to understanding America in its past and present self. Throughout this conversation Jelani's clarity on who he is and what he wanted to do is apparent. In this conversation he and Sam talk about his dreams, family life (4:00), working with David Carr (45:30), and the modern political climate (1:07:35). ...
Jul 17, 2017•1 hr 33 min
Jenny Slate exudes honesty and feeling, her deep self knowledge is captivating. And this honesty comes through in the work that she does. Whether it's a film about a unexpected pregnancy or feeling stable in a stagnant relationship, the characters she plays have an emotional depth that is rare to see on screen. In this interview she and Sam talk about the types of projects she wants to be a part of (4:30), an intensely bad date (29:55), and the beautiful and clear vision she has for herself in t...
Jul 11, 2017•1 hr 7 min
A.O. Scott--also known by his nickname, Tony--is one of the two chief film critics for New York Times. However, he is also a journalist, author, and former television show host. In this interview he and Sam begin with the controversial NYT "The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far" list that he and Manohla Dargis authored together. Then they dive into the TV vs. Movies debate, the state of film criticism, a peculiar "Wonder Woman" review, and a lot more. -------------------------------------...
Jul 03, 2017•1 hr 13 min
Malcolm Gladwell is a writer best known for his books Blink, The Tipping Point, and David and Goliath. While what he writes about can at points stir up controversy for oversimplification and grandiosity, Gladwell has an infectious curiosity about our world that is far greater than his flaws. On the heels of season 2 of Revisionist History, Malcolm and Sam not only discuss this curiosity, but also their affinity for flip-flopping, how ideas can be fun, the danger of David becoming Goliath, and wh...
Jun 25, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Patricia Lockwood is a fearless writer and poet. In 2013 she gained popular attention with her piece in The Awl entitled "The Rape Joke." Since then she has established a name for herself, especially through her Twitter. However, she does not restrict herself to 140 characters--her new book "Priestdaddy" is a memoir of her life growing up as the daughter of one of the only married Catholic priests. Naturally, this unique upbringing paired with Patricia's skill with words makes for a great read. ...
Jun 18, 2017•59 min
Lena Waithe has been making waves in Hollywood since she arrived in 2006 from Chicago — you just didn’t know it. Although a writer at heart, Waithe has also learned how to do just about everything else in this industry. She produced Dear White People (the movie), has a role in Steve Spielberg’s next film, and, oh, yeah, created an upcoming Showtime drama called The Chi, due later this year. Most recently, you've probably seen her breaking barriers (and hearts) as Denise in Aziz Ansari's hit Netf...
Jun 12, 2017•1 hr 15 min
For the last week of Talk Easy's spotlight on Stone's Throw Records, Sam sits down with up-and-coming musician Sudan Archives, whose real name is Brittany Parks. 22-year-old Sudan is a largely self-made artist who discovered a passion for instrumental music during her high school days. Sudan's journey to Stone's Throw is pretty remarkable: after noticing her ability to play by ear and honing her musical sense at the Midwest churches she grew up in, she moved to LA and began producing her songs o...
May 31, 2017•59 min
In a continuation of the May series spotlighting Stones Throw Records, Sam sits down this week with Alexander Brettin, also known as Mild High Club. With two albums under his belt, 2015's Timeline and last year's Skiptracing, Alex has become skilled at making music that defies simple categorization--a local radio station once described his sound as "LA Slack Funk Psychedelia." In person, Alex is both complex and candid: he's eager to talk about his lifelong relationship with music, from Andrew L...
May 23, 2017•59 min
This week, Sam continues the May spotlight on Stones Throw Records by sitting down with DJ J Rocc. J Rocc is the founding member of the The World Famous Beat Junkies, an influential west coast DJ crew formed in the early ‘90s. Rocc was one of the first to join Stone’s Throw Records, and here he speaks frequently, but good-naturedly, about the ever-changing music scene. Rocc will also be the first to tell you that he’s tried it all, which, according to him, in the ‘90s meant DJing, rapping, break...
May 17, 2017•1 hr 14 min
This week Sam sits down with DJ and music producer Chris Manak, also known as Peanut Butter Wolf. Chris has been active in the music industry since the late '80s, and founded the LA-based independent record label @StonesThrow Records in 1996. For over 20 years, Chris' label has demonstrated a far-reaching taste in music, representing the many flavors of hip-hop alongside cross-genre and experimental acts. Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, and Talk Easy alum Mndsgn are among the vast list of musicians...
May 10, 2017•1 hr 17 min
This week Sam sits down with singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae. Many will remember Corinne from her 2006 break-out hit "Put Your Records On" which earned her three Grammy nominations. Both in her lyrics and conversation, the way in which Corinne expresses herself is deeply powerful. Shortly after being thrust into fame, Corinne experienced the unimaginable tragedy of losing her husband, Jason Rae. Life stood still for awhile. In time, though, she persevered. In recent years she's made two new...
May 03, 2017•1 hr 12 min
This week Sam sits down with actor Martin Starr. Starr got an early start to acting with his role as Bill Haverchuck on the cult-classic, Freaks and Geeks. After this he went on to star in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up and Superbad, and can now be seen on the hit HBO show Silicon Valley. Throughout all of his work, Martin has managed to execute the delicate balance between dry wit and empathy--both of which can be felt in this interview. In their conversation, he and Sam talk about his experience on ...
Apr 26, 2017•1 hr 9 min
This week Sam sits down with fellow podcaster, Anna Sale. Anna is the host of the superb podcast Death, Sex & Money which, in her words, is a show about, "things we think about a lot and need to talk about more." In this spirit, she and Sam talk about her life growing up in West Virginia (14:29), the learning experience that comes with being a new mother (40:02), and her deep appreciation for people and their stories (45:47). ------------------------------------------------- Music for the sh...
Apr 19, 2017•1 hr 2 min
To celebrate the fiftieth episode of Talk Easy we decided to do something a little different, which ended up being Sam sitting down with his mother for an interview. This episode is not only special for how far the show has come, but the glimpse it gives us into the lives of both Sam and his mother. The love and respect that Sam and his mom have for one another is blatant throughout the entirety of this episode, and we feel lucky to have caught it on tape. In this hour, we learn about her childh...
Apr 11, 2017•1 hr 16 min
In this episode Sam sits down with director James Gray, and they dive deep into all aspects of the film industry. They start with the difficulty financing films (5:00). Then, they move onto how directing a movie is an inherent narcissistic endeavor (14:00). They also get into the importance of distribution (17:54), television and it's relationship to cinema (45:55), and the change in movies' role in pop culture (50:47). ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provide...
Apr 04, 2017•1 hr 7 min
This week Sam sits down with comedian Andy Daly. Best known for his critically acclaimed show "Review," Andy's work is centered around a dark portrayal of earnestness. There is a disconnect between this darkness and Andy himself, however--outside of his work he is generally an optimist. In this interview he and Sam talk about his improv work at the Upright Citizens Brigade, how he was a horrible student, and behind the scenes of "Review." ------------------------------------------------- Music f...
Mar 28, 2017•1 hr 19 min
This week Sam sits down with director and actor, Alice Lowe. Known for going outside of the norm, Alice does not let people stand in her way--most noticeably, this can be seen in the fact that she directed and starred in her first movie in just eleven days...all while being seven months pregnant. She and Sam talk about her unconventionality to her desire to upend Hollywood's roles for women on screen. All of this and more. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show prov...
Mar 22, 2017•1 hr 4 min
This week's episode was recorded live at South by Southwest with emerging filmmaker, Janicza Bravo. Janicza's work has been described as "unpredictable" and "bizarre," however these descriptions overlook the nuances and empathy that she puts into her films. She frequently collaborates with her partner, Brett Gelman, who we had on the show back in January (January 17th, to be exact). In this interview Sam and Janicza talk about her burgeoning career as a feature-length director, the unique way sh...
Mar 14, 2017•1 hr 3 min
