The wait is finally over, we know who the nominees are for the 96th annual Academy Awards. Of course, there were surprises, but overall, the nominees turned out the way Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott predicted, thank you very much. But let's ask the most important question: Who got snubbed? Spoiler: Barbie is FURIOUS! But Oppenheimer is very happy! Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘ For the Cult...
Jan 23, 2024•13 min•Ep. 138
It’s been 25 years since ‘The Sopranos’ premiered on HBO. After that night, television changed forever. James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli and the rest of the cast and crew won 21 Emmy Awards over the course of the run of the David Chase drama. Today we’re remembering ‘The Sopranos’ with comic Paul Palmeri. It’s fun chat about the show, Italian and culture, and why Italians are so darn hot. Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up...
Jan 19, 2024•36 min•Ep. 137
Now that we’re years into reality television being a mainstay, the question begs to be asked, what impact has it had on society? That’s a question Jake Johnson sets out to answer in his new film Self Reliance (Hulu). Johnson, who wrote and directed the film, also stars as Tommy, a man who gets embroiled in a life-or-death reality game show. “It is a glimpse inside my head, inside a feeling, a tone. I wanted to make something that felt like you went [on] a ride. And sometimes the ride is scary an...
Jan 17, 2024•33 min•Ep. 136
Awards season is in full swing. While the Golden Globes were boring, the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations added some much needed drama to the season. But it’s the Emmys that is on everybody’s mind. The real question is, will ‘Survivor’ finally win an Emmy after a 17 year absence from the awards? It could happen, and it’s large part to players like Katurah Topps, who joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott on this episode. She talked about the highs and lows of her game play, what it’s like to be on ...
Jan 12, 2024•38 min•Ep. 135
Josh Hutcherson isn’t concerned with doing what you think he should. “There was an obvious path to take post-Hunger Games. But I made a conscious choice to say ‘no’ to a lot of things and not really just follow a predetermined [path],” Hutcherson told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And that’s reflected in his two most recent roles. In David Ayer’s The Beekeeper (January 12), Hutcherson plays Derek, the evil billionaire scamming elderly people’s savings. “The idea of an older lady getting scammed by s...
Jan 10, 2024•27 min•Ep. 134
There’s a new show on Netflix you need to watch. It’s called ‘The Brothers Sun’ and it stars Michelle Yeoh, Sam Li, Justin Chien and many more. It’s part family drama, part action-packed crime story, and part comedy. It’s wild. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott chats with Michelle Yeoh and Sam Li about the series and how Michelle will navigate awards season this year as last year’s Best Actress Oscar winner. Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. ...
Jan 08, 2024•30 min•Ep. 133
Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott is coming to you on Friday’s now with unfiltered (and a little unhinged) episodes of the Parting Shot. This week he discusses the Golden Globes, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special. He’s also joined by comedians Eliot Glazer and Brent Sullivan. React as you listen, follow @HAlanScott on everything at https://linktr.ee/halanscott. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-m...
Jan 05, 2024•48 min•Ep. 132
There were so many great performances last year in film, but two stood out: Charles Melton’s performance in ‘May December’ and Colman Domingo’s performance in ‘Rustin.’ Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott spoke with Melton and Domingo about their performances and what it feels like to be in the mix with other Oscar hopefuls this year. Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘ For the Culture newsletter. Fol...
Jan 03, 2024•37 min•Ep. 132
We decided to end 2023 on a sweet note. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott welcomes the winner of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ Matty Edgell. The two talk about the season, why Matty hid his baking skills for so long, all those dirty jokes with Paul Hollywood, and what’s next for the young baker. Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘ For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAl...
Dec 29, 2023•26 min•Ep. 131
For Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman, now is the perfect time for his first TV series. Calling today a “whole new era of TV” after years of “snobbery” from film actors, he says, “You will see some of the best writing and acting and cinematography and set design in your home, on your TV,” Oldman told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in his Apple TV+ series ‘Slow Horses,’ now in its third season with the fourth already filmed and waiting in the wings. Based on M...
Dec 27, 2023•24 min•Ep. 130
We have a sole Survivor! Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott speaks with Dee Valladares, the winner of ‘Survivor’ 45, the runners-up Austin Li Coon and Jake O’Kane. We go over this season’s biggest moves, lies, and that infamous showmance between Dee and Austin. H. Alan also spoke with the breakout stars from ‘Survivor’ 44 Carson Garrett, Carolyn Wiger, and Yam Yam Arocho about how they’re handling life post-’ Survivor’ and what they’re up to now, like Yam Yam’s salon, Carolyn being a Cameo queen, and Cars...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 129
Sometimes a performance comes along where when you watch it, you just can’t imagine anyone else playing that role. That’s what Fantasia Barrino has done in ‘The Color Purple’ (December 25). “I do believe that I am Celie. Celie is me.” In the adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 1985 film and novel by Alice Walker, Barrino makes her big-screen debut. She told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott this moment feels “like a dream come true. I still pinch myself because I can’t believe it’s happening....
Dec 20, 2023•35 min•Ep. 128
In 2024, the beloved cable channel Turner Classic Movies will turn 30, and for host Ben Mankiewicz—who recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at the helm—he still feels “so unbelievably fortunate to be associated with the channel.” It’s one of those rare networks where “it’s a little bit part of your identity” and “the only channel where the channel itself matters to people,” he told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Part of the network’s charm is that it taps into nostalgia. “Nostalgia is a really po...
Dec 13, 2023•36 min•Ep. 127
There are drag queens, and then there’s Bianca Del Rio. If you’re familiar with Bianca, you know exactly what you’re getting at one of her shows, but if you’re not, this episode will be an introduction to the human hurricane that is Bianca Del Rio. She joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss her new tour Dead Inside (tix at thebiancadelrio.com), politics, cancel culture, drag queen story hour, and so much more. Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the...
Dec 06, 2023•40 min•Ep. 126
When a photo of Kathy Griffin holding the fake decapitated head of former President Donald Trump went viral in 2017, her entire world stopped. “I was in the middle of a 50-city tour and all the shows got canceled within 72 hours,” she told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. After many years of self-care, not to mention fighting cancer, Griffin is back with her first stand-up comedy tour since the incident, My Life on the PTSD-List. She was inspired to call the show that because of her own PTSD, but also ...
Nov 29, 2023•38 min•Ep. 125
There’s been a lot of hype lately about the Showtime limited series ‘Fellow Travelers.’ Part historical thriller about the Lavender Scare (the systematic outing and dismissal of LGBTQ+ federal government workers in the mid-20th century) and part steamy queer love story, ‘Fellow Travelers’ tells the story of the romance between Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim “Skippy” Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey). For Bomer, he said he was “cynical” it would ever get made because, “are people going to in...
Nov 21, 2023•28 min•Ep. 124
When you think of Bethenny Frankel, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City. But what may surprise you are the hundreds of millions of dollars her BStrong organization has delivered to people in crisis, such as for Ukrainian refugees and victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. “Hollywood is the land of bullsh**,” Frankel told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about celebrities’ responses to international tragedies. “There are cool crises and not cool c...
Nov 15, 2023•26 min•Ep. 123
Even Claire Saffitz, one of YouTube’s most popular bakers, still gets nervous about a recipe’s results. “I don’t really get anxious, but sometimes there is that sort of tinge of, ‘Well, I hope this turns out,’” she told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And that’s after two New York Times best-selling cookbooks, ‘Dessert Person’ and ‘What’s for Dessert’ (Clarkson Potter). After shooting to fame with her videos for Bon Appétit magazine, Saffitz now has shifted to creating her own content for her million-...
Nov 08, 2023•27 min•Ep. 122
As she gets ready to drop her first rock album at age 77, Dolly Parton, the country music icon, speaks exclusively with Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about her career, her love of rhinestones, culture wars, a certain penchant for plastic surgery—and more. Look for Dolly Parton on the cover of Newsweek (November 10th) and pick her album ‘Rockstar’ (November 17th). Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’...
Nov 01, 2023•47 min•Ep. 121
Leslie Jones, best known for her star-making turn on Saturday Night Live , is ready to share her story, on her terms and in her own way. She came up with the book’s title “because a whole bunch of people [would] come up to me and go, ‘Thats Leslie-f******-Jones!,’” Jones to Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. In her book, Leslie F****** Jones (Grand Central Publishing), the comedian shares the abuse she suffered as a child, her path to stardom and how she emerged with a level head. “I don't look at myself...
Oct 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 120
For Josh Gad, the path to returning to Broadway following his star-making performance in ‘Book of Mormon’ wasn’t easy. “Book of Mormon is a once in a generation thing...you’re not going to replicate that. So why are you trying,” Gad told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. But one part Gad is willing to replicate from his ‘Mormon’ days in his new musical, ‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ (currently on Broadway) is his ‘Mormon’ co-star, Andrew Rannells, who “literally makes me better every time I’m on stage next ...
Oct 18, 2023•31 min•Ep. 119
If there’s one thing Danny Pellegrino, host of the hugely popular ‘Everything Iconic’ podcast, is ready for, it’s the holidays. “I’m a festive person. I love decorating for whatever holiday it is. I’m a huge fan of table scaping,” Pellegrino recently told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And after the success of his bestselling first book, ‘How Do I Un-Remember This?’ Pellegrino decided to lean into his love for the holidays with his new book of essays, ‘The Jolliest Bunch’ (Sourcebooks, October). “It ...
Oct 11, 2023•30 min•Ep. 118
Jake Cohen’s first cookbook, ‘ Jew-Ish’ (Harvest, 2021) , was a perfect intro to the Instagram-famous cook. How to top it? It “was this mashup of everything I’ve done up to that point. The second book was starting from scratch,” Cohen told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And that’s exactly what Cohen did with his new cookbook, ‘ I Could Nosh’ (Harvest, September), turning to family recipes for ideas. It’s “this jumping-off point for inspiration of the way that the matriarchs of our family fed everyone...
Oct 04, 2023•24 min•Ep. 117
For Ashley Flowers, host of the podcast ‘ Crime Junkie,’ success was unforeseen. “I wasn’t expecting it to be what it is,” Flowers told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. And what it is, is the number one true crime podcast in the country. But if she had to pinpoint a reason, Flowers says it’s like “sitting down with their two best friends” (Flowers’ friend Brit Prawat co-hosts). Flowers views her work as a mission. “I’m like, the reason these people continue to get away with what they get away with is b...
Sep 27, 2023•31 min•Ep. 116
For the past 23 years, ‘ Survivor’ host and producer Jeff Probst has been a mainstay on our televisions, and year after year he continues to be amazed by the game. “I am constantly inspired—and then five minutes later deliciously entertained—by some incredible blind side,” Probst told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Now entering its 45th season (September 27), Probst says “what makes this job so fun is that we get to redesign the game every season and then turn it over to a new group of humans to see ...
Sep 20, 2023•29 min•Ep. 115
For Reba McEntire, joining NBC’s ‘ The Voice’ as a judge after Blake Shelton’s departure adds a layer of “pressure” to the gig. “Nobody can replace Blake Shelton. He’s a huge personality and a wonderful person.... I’m just getting in there trying to have fun and represent country music as best I can,” she told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. But if anybody can do that, it’s Reba McEntire, who hasn’t stopped making hits since she began nearly 50 years ago. Her next album, ‘ Not That Fancy’ (which will ...
Sep 13, 2023•22 min•Ep. 114
When ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ opened in 2002, it made its star and writer, Nia Vardalos, a celebrity overnight. “I’m somebody ordinary that something extraordinary happened to,” she told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Now, after the 2016 sequel, Vardalos is bringing the Portokalos family back with ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ (September 8). Part of what has kept us coming back to the family is that “we are real people who could be your family. And I think our kookiness and our flawed, not perfect-n...
Sep 06, 2023•29 min•Ep. 113
There’s just something about ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ right? It’s the mix of drama and true crime (and maybe just a little romance). Considering it’s been on for more than 20 years, people can’t seem to get enough ‘SVU.’ Which is why Liza Treyger and Kara Klenk started ‘That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast’ on the Exactly Right podcast network. They join Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss what it is about ‘SVU’ that makes it so popular, their many feelings on Christopher Meloni, and the sort of reac...
Aug 30, 2023•35 min•Ep. 112
I was raised Mormon, got some cancer, and then converted to Judaism. Why? Well, it’s complicated and it’s the basis for the documentary film ‘Latter Day Jew,’ available soon on video on demand on a number of platforms. Today I’m sharing my story, because it’s a weird one, but it’s also how I became H. Alan Scott. I’ll be joined by writer, comedian and my best friend, Eliot Glazer (‘Broad City’), who was with me during the entire process. Watch the trailer for ‘Latter Day Jew’: https://youtu.be/m...
Aug 23, 2023•43 min•Ep. 111
Cobra Kai ’s Xolo Maridueña is going from kicking butt on Earth to doing so in the multiverse in the latest DC Comics film ‘ Blue Beetle’ (August 18). “I'm so excited about people meeting this character for the first time,” Maridueña told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. This is not only the young actor’s big screen debut and, the film is also the first DC Comics movie to focus solely on a Latin superhero. “I really feel like it's taken all 22 years of my life so far to be ready for this moment.” Despi...
Aug 16, 2023•22 min•Ep. 110
