Issa Rae breaks down the "Insecure" finale , including Molly and Issa’s heart to heart and why — after considering alternate endings — she decided to let her character choose happiness. Plus, Rae details her regrets about turning South L.A. into a Hollywood landmark, when she learned what not to share publicly, and how the success of "Insecure" has changed her meetings with studio execs. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com ....
Dec 27, 2021•39 min
Halle Berry details how she channeled her childhood trauma in her directorial debut, “Bruised”; why she has “great compassion” for people struggling to get it right; and how she had to fight for roles even after becoming the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress nearly 20 years ago. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com .
Dec 21, 2021•33 min
Director Adam McKay takes us behind the scenes of “ Don’t Look Up ” to reveal the real-life events that inspired his new film. Plus, why his collaboration with Will Ferrell had to end and the rule he enforces about discussing potential awards on set. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com ....
Dec 14, 2021•40 min
Jennifer Coolidge opens up about shifting from drama to comedy (and back again), overcoming cocaine addiction in her 20s and channeling the death of her mother to play the grieving Tanya McQuoid in ‘White Lotus.’ To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com .
Dec 07, 2021•38 min
Kirsten Dunst shares stories about growing up in Hollywood, why she decided to publicly address her mental health break, and the joyful — though sometimes awkward — moments of acting opposite her real-life partner, Jesse Plemons, in “The Power of the Dog.” To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com .
Nov 30, 2021•33 min
The Envelope podcast will return November 30 with brand new episodes that pull back the curtain on this award season’s top contenders. Each week, A-list actors, directors and showrunners join Los Angeles Times entertainment reporters Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen for intimate conversations about their personal lives and creative processes — and how that all fuels their art. New episodes featuring stars such as Kirsten Dunst, Halle Berry, Jennifer Coolidge and Adam McKay will drop every Tuesda...
Nov 09, 2021•2 min
Mj Rodriguez has busted through a tough barrier as the first transgender performer nominated for an Emmy in a lead acting category. Now that she’s wrapped up her successful run in the hit FX show “Pose,” will there be more great mainstream opportunities for trans performers in the future? “Pose” took us into New York’s LGBTQ ballroom scene amid the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early ‘90s, and Rodriguez brought it all together as Blanca, the mother of the House of Evangelista. Regardless of wheth...
Aug 25, 2021•28 min
Hannah Waddingham discusses her Emmy-nominated performance in “Ted Lasso,” the feel-good Apple TV+ comedy series that centers on the upbeat American coach of an English soccer team. Waddingham plays the coach’s initially vindictive and cynical boss, Rebecca. She also talks about her turn as the “Game of Thrones” nun who infamously yelled “Shame! Shame!” at Cersei Lannister, recounts how doors have opened for her during her career and reflects on her childhood as the daughter and granddaughter of...
Aug 18, 2021•24 min
Chances are, you already know the names of Emmy favorites like “Ted Lasso” and “The Crown,” which are expected to rack up the statuettes when the TV academy hands out its annual awards next month. But you may not have had time to catch up on all of this year’s Emmy nominees just yet — and on this latest crossover between “The Envelope” and “The Times” podcasts, TV editor Matt Brennan and awards columnist Glenn Whipp reveal their favorite Emmy underdogs. Photo courtesy of Des Willie/Netflix...
Aug 11, 2021•20 min
He was a legendary lawyer. She’s a Real Housewife. Together, Tom and Erika Girardi made a striking couple. He funded their lavish lifestyle with multimillion-dollar settlements. She used that money to create a career as a pop singer named Erika Jayne. But did they break the law to build their dream life?In this crossover episode with our sister podcast “The Times,” we get into a story straight out of a reality TV plotline. (The couple’s unraveling and legal travails are, in fact, included in thi...
Aug 04, 2021•22 min
Our guest is Janicza Bravo, director and co-writer of the new film “Zola.” Bravo talks about adapting the screenplay from a viral Twitter thread, trusting her instincts about casting, combining comedy and anxiety to push audience reactions, and how she became a go-to director for prestige TV series wanting to change-up their style. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of Nastassia Brückin....
Jun 23, 2021•49 min
Our guest is actor John Boyega, who recently played police officer Leroy Logan in “Red, White and Blue,” which is part of Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology series. Boyega talks about his relationship with his dad, moving on from the "Star Wars" trilogy, using his platform to highlight social injustice and working in Hollywood. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of Getty....
Jun 16, 2021•43 min
Our guest is actor Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton in the steamy Netflix Regency drama “Bridgerton.” Dynevor talks about the passionate fanbase behind the show, tips the intimacy coordinator shared on set and shooting kissing scenes in the rain with costar Regé-Jean Page. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of Netflix.
Jun 09, 2021•30 min
Our guest is Barry Jenkins, the director and showrunner for "The Underground Railroad," which is based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Jenkins talks about his artistic vision for the show, why he chose a television format over film, and what he learned from making "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of GL Askew II....
Jun 02, 2021•42 min
Our guest is actor Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff in "WandaVision." Olsen talks about the television sitcoms she watched while researching for the role and her approach to acting in the Marvel series. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.
May 26, 2021•40 min
With the Oscars behind us, the 2021 Emmys season is kicking into gear. And we’re looking back at our favorite conversations with TV stars and directors this season, including Steve McQueen, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Anya Taylor-Joy and Josh O’Connor. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.
May 19, 2021•44 min
Our guest is Steven Canals, co-creator of FX’s groundbreaking drama “Pose.” Canals talks about directing the series finale while grieving the loss of his grandmother, striking balance in the show between joy and trauma, and why he feels “ultra privileged” to be working in TV and entertainment right now. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of ID PR....
May 12, 2021•52 min
Our guest is actor Kate Winslet, who plays a Pennsylvania police detective in the new HBO series “Mare of Easttown.” Winslet talks about how she got the Delaware County accent down for the series, sharing a house with fellow actors Guy Pearce and Jean Smart and how she was able to hold her breath for more than 7 minutes for "Avatar 2." For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Frederic Auerbach....
May 05, 2021•50 min
Our guest is actor Cynthia Erivo, who plays Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha” in National Geographic’s biographical anthology series. Erivo talks about how she landed the role, using her platform to advocate for change and the way scent has helped her find characters. Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Academy Awards from L.A. Times columnists Glenn Whipp and Mary McNamara. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Ter...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Our guest is Emerald Fennell, who wrote, directed and produced “Promising Young Woman.” Her debut feature film got five Oscar nominations. Fennell talks about the strong responses to “Promising Young Woman” since its release, the importance of casting actor Carey Mulligan in the starring role and writing a new screenplay about the DC Comics superhero Zatanna Zatara. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Faye ...
Apr 21, 2021•52 min
Our guest is actor Amanda Seyfried, who earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Marion Davies in “Mank.” Seyfried talks about why this performance is her favorite to date, what it was like to meet the film’s director, David Fincher, for the first time, and the prep she’s doing for her next role playing disgraced Silicon Valley executive Elizabeth Holmes. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Michael N...
Apr 14, 2021•49 min
Our guest is actor and producer Kate Mara, who plays a high school teacher who gets involved with her teenage student on the FX on Hulu series “A Teacher.” Mara talks about the importance of having discussions about sexual assault, what it was like to produce her first TV series, and the happy accident of not being cast in “Lost.” For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Diego Uchitel....
Apr 07, 2021•49 min
Our guests are actor Mads Mikkelsen and director Thomas Vinterberg. Their latest collaboration is the Oscar-nominated “Another Round.” Mikkelsen and Vinterberg talk about why they set their film among high school teachers, whether there really was any drinking on set and how they created that already iconic dance number at the end of the movie. Photo by Henrik Ohsten. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for the Envelope newsletter....
Mar 31, 2021•40 min
Our guest is artist and filmmaker Garrett Bradley, who earned a documentary feature Oscar nomination for “Time,” about subject Fox Rich’s 21-year fight to free her husband from prison. Bradley talks about weaving together archival and contemporary footage, why she's obsessed with shooting close-ups of her characters, and how vintage piano jazz composed by an Ethiopian nun became the emotional score for the film. Photo courtesy of Garrett Bradley. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverag...
Mar 24, 2021•40 min
Our guest is Sacha Baron Cohen, who has received Golden Globe awards and Oscar, SAG, PGA and WGA nominations for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and for his portrayal of activist Abbie Hoffman in “The Trial of The Chicago 7.” Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Oscar nominations from our columnist Glenn Whipp. Photo credit: Russell James. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for the Envelope newsletter.
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr
Our guest is Shaka King, the director, co-writer and producer of “Judas and the Black Messiah.” The film tells the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and FBI informant William O’Neal, whose intel led to Hampton’s killing by law enforcement in 1969. King talks about why he felt a responsibility to make the movie, how one day of shooting felt like stepping into a time warp, and making the jump from indie filmmaking to big studio production. Photo credit: Parris Whittingham. For more Envelo...
Mar 10, 2021•46 min
Our guest is Steve McQueen, the director, co-writer and executive producer of “Small Axe.” McQueen talks about the ethos behind this anthology of five films set in London’s West Indian community in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, and the steps he's taking to get more young people of color into the entertainment industry. Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Golden Globes Awards from our writer Glenn Whipp. Photo credit: BBC Studios. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope ...
Mar 03, 2021•46 min
Our guest is Kaley Cuoco, who was nominated for Golden Globe and SAG awards for her role in “The Flight Attendant” on HBO Max. Cuoco talks about needing some convincing to play certain scenes, what it was like to work with co-star Rosie Perez and what she’ll be wearing for the Globe awards on Sunday. Photo credit: Nino Munoz. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for the Envelope newsletter. Sponsors include: HBO, presenting “The Undoing” and ...
Feb 24, 2021•59 min
Our guest is Lee Isaac Chung, the writer and director of “Minari,” a semiautobiographical story about a Korean American family living in rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Chung talks about the long personal journey leading up to the release of the movie, the young actor who dressed up as a cowboy at the Sundance Film Festival world premiere, and the decision to make “Minari” in Korean.
Feb 17, 2021•37 min
Our guest is Josh O’Connor, who was nominated for Golden Globe and SAG awards for his portrayal of Prince Charles in the Netflix show “The Crown.” O’Connor talks about the challenges of playing a real-life character in a fictional series, the scrapbooks he makes to get into the right mind-set for acting roles, and his love of ceramics. Photo credit: Matt Holyoak. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for the Envelope newsletter....
Feb 10, 2021•42 min
