Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, went viral (for all the wrong reasons) this week after his arrest in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. In other news, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to go after your Ozempic, but can Elon Musk, a proponent of the weight loss medication, convince President-elect Donald Trump otherwise? And finally, Jay Z denied allegations of sexual assault after he was accused of it alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in a new civil suit this week, and...
Dec 13, 2024•38 min•Ep. 253
Fans of Daniel Aleman’s books are about to get to know the author even better with his new book I Might Be in Trouble . “I will say with this one character; I was very intentional about making him a mirror of myself. I wanted him to basically be me,” Aleman told Newsweek’s Parting Shot. The novel follows David Alvarez, a young author whose debut success has dwindled and finds inspiration for new work after discovering a one-night stand has suddenly died in his bed. (For the record, this part of ...
Dec 13, 2024•20 min•Ep. 253
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are ready to bring a little ‘sanasa’ to the world with Peacock’s Paris & Nicole: The Encore , their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What’s ‘sanasa’? It’s a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on Simple Life. Now they’re bringing it back and turning it into an opera on Encore . “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic, and then just celebrate our friend...
Dec 12, 2024•17 min•Ep. 252
The major thing about Netflix’s No Good Deed that appealed to Ray Romano was that it was unlike anything he’d done before. “I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.” The dramedy series follows families looking to buy a home owned by Paul and Lydia Morgan (Romano and Lisa Kudrow). “You can tell a person’s good or bad, not from one incident, [but] from overall. We get to see that these are good people going through bad situatio...
Dec 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 251
The announcement of the Golden Globe nominations mean awards season has officially begun. Regularly an indicator of the films and actors in consideration for the big prize, the Academy Award, the Globe nominations offer us an insight into where the awards season stands and, more importantly, where it might be going. And right now, it looks like the Netflix musical Emilia Pérez is a big contender while Wicked and Gladiator II fell short of expectations. Izzy of the wildly popular YouTube channel ...
Dec 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 250
As President-elect Donald Trump shapes out his cabinet, one thing is clear: it’s our favorite new reality show. To look back at the week that was, comedian Anna Roisman joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss Trump’s cabinet picks, Anthem insurance capping anesthesia coverage at certain time limits for patients, Billboard’s selection of Beyoncé as the greatest pop star of the 21st century, and those Spotify/Apple music recaps of the year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...
Dec 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 249
After watching Prime Video’s The Sticky, it became clear that the Margo Martindale praise needed to continue with some of her co-stars. Chris Diamantopoulos is one of the “cohorts” Margo spoke about in our chat, and he’s fantastic in the Jamie Lee Curtis-produced series. Diamantopoulos plays Mike, one of the two men who help Martindale’s Ruth in her illegal plot to “steal some maple syrup,” as Martindale says. And The Sticky is a culmination of a lot of impressive work in Diamantopoulos’ career,...
Dec 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 248
“Who knew that a barrel of maple syrup is worth more than a barrel of oil?” Margo Martindale does, after starring in The Sticky (December 6, Prime Video). The Emmy-winning actor plays Ruth Landry, a Canadian syrup farmer who resorts to crime after the government threatens to take away her livelihood. “It’s very different, very fun and what an incredible subject.” Inspired by a true story and produced by Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Martindale’s Ruth adds to a resume of unsuspecting yet extraor...
Dec 04, 2024•25 min•Ep. 248
There are very few directors whose personality is so central to their work, and Nora Ephron is one of those directors. A multi-hyphenated powerhouse of creativity, Ephron’s films like Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and Julie & Julia cemented her status as the epitome of a very specific–and cozy–mood that would in many ways define her legacy after her death in 2012. Of course, she was so much more than just a filmmaker–she was a prolific writer of nonfiction and fiction–her films have ...
Nov 27, 2024•33 min•Ep. 247
“Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are banned from access to education and women are limited from work.” That is the stark reality that motivated Malala Yousafzai to lend her name as a producer to the documentary Bread & Roses (Apple TV+). Directed by Sahra Mani and co-produced by Jennifer Lawrence, the film follows three Afghan women (filmed in secret) as they live under and resist the Taliban oppression. “I believe that while the Taliban are trying to silence women, ...
Nov 22, 2024•15 min•Ep. 246
For Mayan Lopez, who stars, co-created and produces NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez alongside her father, George Lopez, she tells Newsweek that we need more sitcoms, now more than ever. “You don’t gotta reinvent the wheel of sitcom, but we do the wheel well.” On Lopez vs. Lopez, Mayan and George play fictionalized versions of themselves, with many of the storylines blurring the line between fact and fiction. “My dad and I, we weren't really speaking very much before the first season started. I was actuall...
Nov 21, 2024•27 min•Ep. 245
For John David Washington, bringing Netflix’s The Piano Lesson (November 22) from stage to screen was a family affair. His father, Denzel, produces while his brother, Malcolm, directs the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play about the Charles family in 1936 Pittsburgh as they wrestle with selling a family heirloom, a piano descended from ancestors who were slaves. “I don’t think you have to be a Black American to relate to this story.” But it wasn’t just working with his family that meant som...
Nov 20, 2024•26 min•Ep. 244
For Skye P. Marshall, getting the part of Olympia on CBS’ Matlock is the culmination of a lot of hard work. “Every decision I've made in my career has led me to this moment. I'm a winner.” On Matlock, Marshall’s Olympia is a successful attorney at a prestigious New York City law firm who suddenly must contend with Madeline “Matty” Matlock (played by Kathy Bates), who has reentered the work force later in life. “At the beginning, we're not friends, but we're not just colleagues. And then over tim...
Nov 14, 2024•31 min•Ep. 243
Aldis Hodge’s career has been busy since his debut as a child actor in the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, but he says all that work has culminated in Prime Video’s Cross (November 14). “It just feels like the work that I’ve done in the past 35 years of my career has led up to this.” Hodge plays Alex Cross, a detective who uses forensic psychology to capture serial killers. The character was made famous in the popular James Patterson novels and film adaptations starring Morgan Freeman and T...
Nov 13, 2024•27 min•Ep. 242
After 10 years of playing Beverly Goldberg on The Goldbergs, Wendi McLendon-Covey was not eager for a break. “I need to go do a job where I can just throw everything at it and then come home totally exhausted.” Luckily for her, NBC’s St. Denis Medical was waiting. “I loved the premise of the show and I love this character.” McLendon-Covey plays Joyce, a colorful hospital administrator surrounded by stressed-out doctors and nurses at a quirky medical facility in Oregon. “When you’re in a hospital...
Nov 12, 2024•28 min•Ep. 241
Sharon Horgan has a resume packed with award-winning comedy, but when it came to crafting Bad Sisters (Apple TV+, November 13) she had to find the right balance. That’s because “a very difficult subject matter,” about Irish sisters who plot to murder the abusive husband of one of the women, had to “sit alongside quite a farce.” Adapted from a Belgian series, Horgan took “some of the murders out, and I put more of the sisters in, and more of the effects watching your family member go through this...
Nov 08, 2024•29 min•Ep. 239
We have a new president. (Well, not new, but you know what I mean.) Former President Donald Trump pulled off one of the greatest political comebacks in political history. For some, it’s a victory, and for others, it’s a dark day. How did he do it? And where did Kamala Harris wrong? To break it down and attempt to make sense of it all, H. Alan Scott is joined by Newsweek’s Jason Lemon and Jenni Fink. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co...
Nov 07, 2024•31 min•Ep. 240
With election day just days away, we’re looking at what could be one of the closest elections in U.S. history. The question is: Will people show up to vote or is the apathy just so strong that people can’t make a decision between over the typical “lesser of two evils” stance? While Vice President Kamala Harris makes a case against former President Donald Trump and a case for unity, Trump is pulling out all the stops (and stunts) to get those middle-class Americans to vote Trump once again. To br...
Nov 01, 2024•30 min•Ep. 238
A late-night comedy show on CNN? Yes, and it's a game show, too. Have I Got News for You , hosted by Roy Wood Jr. with Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin serving as team captains, tests players' knowledge of the news. "On regular late-night shows, you have to teach the audience what the news story is and then you can talk about it," Ruffin says. "But here [on CNN] there's way less learning. You're all people who love knowing what's going on in the world, so it is a lot faster moving." For Ruffin...
Oct 31, 2024•29 min•Ep. 237
For Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, “it’s all about the work.” lately, she’s been working a lot. In the reimagining of CBS’ Matlock, Bates plays Madeline Matlock, a woman rejoining the workforce at a prestigious law firm in her senior years. The first season of the show, which “has caught fire with 10 million people,” says Bates, is such a success that CBS has already renewed it for a second season. “I feel grateful to play the role. I feel grateful to have this opportunity. I’m just thrilled with the...
Oct 30, 2024•26 min•Ep. 236
In the span of a week, former President Donald Trump went from working the drive through at McDonald’s to allegedly praising Adolf Hitler’s generals while president. Can you tell we’re just mere weeks away from election day? And in some ways, it feels like everybody is looking for an October surprise, yet it feels like with every new shocking piece of breaking news, voters keep saying–to borrow a phrase from another popular fast-food chain–“Where’s the beef?” Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Har...
Oct 25, 2024•31 min•Ep. 235
Bridget Everett never thought she’d be the lead of a TV show. “I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don’t happen, you don’t find yourself with three seasons of HBO. It just doesn’t happen.” But it happened. On Somebody Somewhere (October 27), Everett plays Sam, a woman struggling through a midlife crisis with the help of her family and colorful friends in rural Kansas. Set in her actual hometown, Everett says, “it’s a lot of me that you’re seeing, w...
Oct 24, 2024•27 min•Ep. 234
George Lopez has done a lot in his long career. But now, with NBC’s Lopez vs Lopez, George knows what’s most important “is the people you get to be around and get to talk to.” One of those people includes his daughter, Mayan Lopez, who he created the show with. The two play fictionalized versions of themselves as they rekindle their estranged relationship both in the show and in real life. “Everything came very difficult to me, and I think everything’s meant to be.” One thing he never expected t...
Oct 23, 2024•31 min•Ep. 233
This week saw Kamala Harris entering enemy territory with her Fox News interview. Will it help or hurt her? As that was going on, everyone was still reacting to former President Donald Trump jamming out to a playlist that seemingly hasn’t been updated since 1993. Oh, and are we close to Erik and Lyle Menendez being released from prison? H. Alan Scott breaks down all of this and more with Newsweek’s Jenni Fink. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...
Oct 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 232
Asher Grodman is perfectly fine playing a ghost on CBS’ Ghosts who walks through the afterlife without any pants. “I don’t really want to die in the state that Trevor died. It would be nice to have pants on.” But for now, Grodman is OK with it if it means he gets to continue to play Trevor, a former stockbroker who died of a drug-induced heart attack and is destined to haunt a mansion with other ghosts. “I still remember reading the pilot and thinking, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever read.’” N...
Oct 17, 2024•34 min•Ep. 231
Jenny Slate is ready to be herself. “I think what is [evident] in my work is that through my own journey, not just through motherhood, but my own connection with myself as a developing artist, is that I just don’t feel myself flailing anymore.” She’s writing about this confidence in her new book of essays Lifeform (Little, Brown and Company, October 22), which depicts her unique journey into motherhood. She began writing the book out of a fear for losing her old self: “Just wanting to hold on to...
Oct 16, 2024•29 min•Ep. 230
Mikey Madison has been dreaming of a film like Anora since she started acting as a teenager on Better Things . “It’s been a dream of mine to have that kind of collaboration with a filmmaker like Sean [Baker].” That dream has come true in a big way, with the film and her performance picking up a lot of awards buzz. “I’m so happy that people are excited about the film because I’m so proud of it.” Madison plays Ani, a young sex worker who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch. But the Cinderella ...
Oct 16, 2024•22 min•Ep. 229
Is Donald Trump weaponizing tragedy by stirring up anger with his response to the various hurricane this week? And will Kamala Harris’ media blitz on shows like the podcast Call Her Daddy, The View and Howard Stern help or hurt her? And finally, is Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump ethical? Newsweek’s Alex Backus joins H. Alan Scott to break down the week’s biggest news stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...
Oct 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 228
There’s already a lot of pressure playing one character based on a real person, but two? And in the same movie? That’s exactly what Nicholas Braun does in Saturday Night (October 11), playing both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman as they, and the rest of the cast, prepare for the first live taping of Saturday Night Live. But Braun wasn’t really intimidated. “I felt really privileged to get to be both of those guys,” and just wanted to “not be a caricature.” Just like the original SNL, Saturday Night’...
Oct 09, 2024•28 min•Ep. 227
Jack Smith’s federal case against former President Donald Trump revs up yet again, but what impact will it have on the election? (Do we still care about January 6th? And why can’t Smith quit Trump?) Also, could a small yet significant change to Apple’s iOS 18 mean the end of social media? (We could only be so lucky, right?) And finally, Ryan Murphy basically tells Erik and Lyle Menendez to be grateful for what they feel is his monstrous new series ‘ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.’ I...
Oct 04, 2024•36 min•Ep. 226
