No matter how long Ncuti Gatwa plays The Doctor in the legendary sci-fi series Doctor Who, he still can't quite believe he gets to play the part. "I just feel very honored to be a part of the Who-niverse, because it made me feel very included." Going into his second season as The Doctor, "It always blows my mind whenever I speak to someone from over the pond that knows about Doctor Who, because [it] just feels like our tiny, little British TV show." Thanks to the international reach of Disney+, ...
Apr 10, 2025•20 min•Ep. 281
If there’s anyone who knows how to play a wealthy man with a secret, it’s Jon Hamm. From Mad Men’s Don Draper to Andrew Cooper turning to a life of crime to maintain his lavish lifestyle in his new series Your Friends and Neighbors (Apple TV+), Hamm knows. “I’m really good casting for this, if I do say so myself,” Hamm laughs, “absurd wealth is what we’re looking at here,” and the secrets its pursuit can reveal. “Late-stage capitalism and rampant materialism, and what does it really mean? Why ar...
Apr 09, 2025•18 min•Ep. 280
We all know Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott loves ‘The Golden Girls.’ (He has them tattooed on his arm.) So obviously Rachel Ekstrom Courage had to stop by to talk about her fantastic new book ‘Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery.’ Rachel talks about how the book came about, why ‘The Golden Girls’ are perfect characters in a novel, and even talks about whether she’ll do more Golden Girls cozy mysteries. Subscribe to Newsweek’s For the Culture newsletter to watch the full chat with Kit. ht...
Apr 04, 2025•24 min•Ep. 279
Getting a show made is hard these days. Getting a show about unconventional families is even harder to get made. Despite these hurdles, Kit Williamson was able to do it. The end result? Unconventional, Revery’s first original scripted series, follows queer siblings and their partners as they grapple with creating unconventional families. Kit joined Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to talk about the show, how it came about, and why it’s important now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C...
Apr 04, 2025•26 min•Ep. 278
When Will & Grace premiered on NBC in 1998, it was groundbreaking because of the sheer lack of queer representation on network TV. Since then, numerous sitcoms have increased LGBTQ+ visibility on TV, but rarely gay characters of an older generation. To fill that void, those same Will & Grace creators, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, developed Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern to show that while a multi-camera sitcom with three gay male leads is rare, the stories they are telling are universal. Le...
Mar 26, 2025•38 min•Ep. 277
In this bonus episode, Will & Grace creators, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, chat with Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about how Mid-Century Modern came about, how a dinner with Ryan Murphy started it all, and the way Linda Lavin’s sudden passing during production impacted the new Hulu series. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 26, 2025•34 min•Ep. 276
What if Harriet Tubman came back to modern-day America to make a hip-hop album in order to continue her work as an abolitionist? That’s exactly the world Bob the Drag Queen creates in their new novel Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert . “It is the most remarkable story in American history,” Bob says of Tubman’s life. “Harriet Tubman sees how remarkable African American culture is, what it's become, how hip-hop has saved the nation, saved the world and she wants to take part in it.” In addition to t...
Mar 26, 2025•45 min•Ep. 276
Ben Falcone isn't exactly known for making kid-friendly projects. His films with wife and frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy are "R-rated quite often, but I do think there's a certain sweetness that we usually try to hit." And it's that sweetness he's bringing to his first kids' book, What's Scarier Than Thunder? "My secret goal is that it's something that kids will think is funny, but that parents will, too." The story follows Claire, who is afraid of thunderstorms. For future stories, Falc...
Mar 20, 2025•27 min•Ep. 275
When social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, famous for chronicling her gender transition online in “365 Days of Girlhood,” posted a sponsored video promoting Bud Light, it quickly went viral, but not necessarily in a good way. “I would have never taken that offer had I known it would have brought me anything but joy.” She shares her experience in a new book Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer (March 11). “I felt so supported by the internet and in my life that I wasn’t really weighing the gra...
Mar 11, 2025•32 min•Ep. 273
We've got new winners from Peacock's Traitors ! Dolores Catania, Dylan Efron and Ivar Mountbatten spoke with Newsweek about sleuthing out the traitors and why this season was so chaotically wonderful. If you watched, then you know the actual traitors were a mess. Instead of murdering faithfuls, they all seemed to be going after fellow traitors. This made for a chaotic and messy game, sending faithfuls into a confused tizzy. But Dolores, Dylan, Ivar and and Gabby Windey somehow figured out that i...
Mar 07, 2025•9 min•Ep. 272
With Novocaine (March 14), Jack Quaid is stepping into his leading man era. "It's the first time I've seen my face prominently featured on a billboard or a poster, and that is so surreal." Quaid plays Nathan, an ordinary man who turns his unique condition—a genetic disorder that leaves him unable to feel pain—into a superpower to save his girlfriend from kidnappers. "It's gross and crazy and nuts, but really, over the course of the movie, he is kind of a new babe in the woods. He's just discover...
Mar 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 272
The path to get Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again made was a “wild” journey, says Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin, the supervillain at odds with Matt Murdock aka Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox), a lawyer by trade fighting for justice. “Any time you’re involved with a project that people are digging, you just feel like you owe them so much and it really inspires you to do a great job and to do the best you can.” After a ferocious campaign from fans, Disney+ brought the series ...
Mar 04, 2025•21 min•Ep. 271
As a six-time New York Times bestselling author, Chelsea Handler knows the secret to a successful book is to stay true to herself. “All of my books are representative of where I am in my life at that time.” And “right now, where I am in my life is my feet are so firmly planted in the ground you cannot knock me over.” The comedian just released her seventh book, I’ll Have What She’s Having . “The point is to highlight how incredible your life can be when you don’t subscribe to doing what everyone...
Feb 21, 2025•25 min•Ep. 270
When America is under siege, it takes a special group to step up and face the enemy. Robert De Niro, Connie Britton, Angela Bassett and more star in Netflix’s limited series Zero Day trying to unravel the mystery of who is trying to bring the country to its knees. H. Alan Scott is joined by Naomi Ekperigin to break down all of the exciting twists and turns. Zero Day is now playing, only on Netflix. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com...
Feb 20, 2025•22 min•Ep. 269
Showtime’s Yellowjackets is really two shows in one. One is about a group of ’90s teenage plane crash survivors, and the other follows them now. The trick is finding that balance between the actors playing the same characters. “Casting just did an excellent job. They found people with similar essences,” says Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays the younger version of Taissa. “If anyone has a harder job, it’s [Tawny Cypress, who plays Taissa’s older self], because technically, she has to play to who her...
Feb 14, 2025•25 min•Ep. 268
When you take on a role that somebody else made famous, it’s not easy. Patrick Gibson knew when he started playing a younger version of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan, a Miami serial killer, in Dexter: Original Sin, that risk is “farther to fall, in a way.” Hall “can’t even be turning in his grave,” because he’s still very much involved with the role. “It must be a weird thing to see somebody else step into that, but I have to say he was so generous and welcoming, I think because he was a part ...
Feb 13, 2025•22 min•Ep. 267
Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding is thrilled Renée Zellweger is back in the fourth installment of the series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. "She's so like Bridget in that she is so warm and kind. There's a gentleness about her, and it's real. There's nothing made up about that," Fielding told Newsweek in early February. "Once Renée started playing the role, it all merged together," she said. "And from that point, I started writing Bridget as Renée, all mixed up together.... I write for he...
Feb 12, 2025•33 min•Ep. 266
"I'm a fan of Bridget Jones.... That I share that with so many people is a really cool thing," Renée Zellweger told Newsweek’s Parting Shot in an exclusive interview. Nearly 24 years ago, the movie starring Zellweger as that young, single, British woman who started a diary was released. Its protagonist subsequently became a cultural phenomenon, a symbol of the modern British woman and an international example of liberated women everywhere. And the real-life woman who made her famous became so id...
Feb 12, 2025•40 min•Ep. 266
He’s been in the business for more than 40 years, but Mark-Paul Gosselaar still feels like he hasn’t experienced everything. “I still feel like I have so much left to learn. Every time I walk on a set, I learn something.” Currently on NBC’s Found, Gosselaar plays Sir, a man held captive by Gabi (played by Shanola Hampton), the adult woman his character kidnapped as a child. He chose the role because it was unlike anything he’s done before. “I’m always looking for something to challenge me... tha...
Jan 31, 2025•31 min•Ep. 265
When it comes to celebrity interviews, the first name that comes to mind is probably not Malcolm Gladwell. But The Tipping Point writer says he will “defend my props as a celebrity interviewer” on Audible’s The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell . “I just thought, it's fun to hang out with Kenya and his celebrity friends... [but] the truth is, we're not just talking with celebrities.” And that mix of celebrities, business figures, politicians and others is what makes their c...
Jan 30, 2025•46 min•Ep. 264
Did you watch The Traitors or RuPaul’s Drag Race this week? Because if you did, this episode is for you. First H. Alan Scott is chatting with Robyn Dixon of Real Housewives fame about her exit from the castle on Traitors. Then he’s joined by Drag Race’s Joella about her exit from the show and she addresses some of her comments that went viral. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 25, 2025•26 min•Ep. 263
From Boyz N the Hood in 1991 until now, Morris Chestnut has seen much of Hollywood. "I've been through pretty much everything in the industry." Now he's starring in and executive producing CBS 's new drama Watson (January 26). It "was a no-brainer" for Chestnut when he was approached to play Dr. John Watson. "It's just a blessing and an honor to have that opportunity." Based within the mythology of Sherlock Holmes, Watson picks up a year after Holmes' death. "The character's dealing with the los...
Jan 24, 2025•21 min•Ep. 262
Wells Adams, the Bachelor in Paradise bartender, unfortunately had an early boot from this season of Peacock’s The Traitors. But his time on the show was memorable, particularly because of his game play and just how charming he was. He speaks with Newsweek’s Parting Shot about all of this, what he would have done differently and who he’s rooting for to win. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 17, 2025•18 min•Ep. 261
Now that Julia Stiles has directed her first feature film, Wish You Were Here , she sees the work of directors in a whole new light. “I almost wanted to call some directors that I had worked with and be like, ‘I'm so sorry that I was annoyed with you when you told me to do that thing.’” Best known for acting, when she read the novel the film is based on, she knew she needed to adapt it. “The book broke my heart but also made me laugh. It felt like it had such a good spirit to it, and I'm a roman...
Jan 15, 2025•26 min•Ep. 260
Nearly 30 years after Marianne Jean-Baptiste received an Oscar nomination for her first collaboration with director Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies, the pair are back together with Hard Truths. “It’s been so nice to just spend time with him,” Jean-Baptiste tells Newsweek’s Parting Shot. Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a depressed, angry, middle-aged woman who seems to find conflict with everyone. “I’m not too worried about her not being likable, but I was worried about people not having compassion for...
Jan 10, 2025•36 min•Ep. 259
After the massive success of last season’s The Traitors ( streaming now on Peacock), host Alan Cumming knew this season had to be bigger. “There was a pressure to not just repeat ourselves, it actually upped the ante.” And they did just that, with a more explosive cast and even wilder twists. “It is bigger. I'm sort of a cult leader. I've gone from just a dandy, Lord of the manor in his castle, to official cult leader. I'm fine with it.” Cumming hosts a castle full of reality TV stars who all pl...
Jan 09, 2025•22 min•Ep. 258
With inauguration day just around the corner, a lot of people are asking themselves: What can we expect from this new era of Trump? Trump 2.0, if you will. And what actions will he take in his first 100 days? H. Alan Scott is joined by Newsweek’s Katherine Fung to break down everything we can expect from Trump once he takes office. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 03, 2025•33 min•Ep. 253
2024 was quite a year. From the wild ride that was Donald Trump this year to Taylor Swift’s dominance over, well, everybody, Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott and Jenni Fink break down all the stories that had us talking. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 27, 2024•36 min•Ep. 257
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are having a very public bromance, with Musk having a large influence over Trump and his decision making. (Just this week Musk was seemingly instrumental in Trump pulling his support from a budget bill to keep the government open.) Is Musk even qualified to have this level of influence? Also, Lays Chips is just the latest food item recalled in recent months. What’s going on and is anything safe to eat? And finally, podcasts had a stellar year this year, will that conti...
Dec 20, 2024•34 min•Ep. 255
Survivor 47 was an incredible season. Rachel LaMont, a dominant player with four historic immunity wins, won the million dollars and cemented herself in Survivor history. She chatted with Newsweek about her win and that truly incredibly hidden immunity idol moment this season. (If you know, you know.) We’re also chatting with the rest of the top 3, Sam Phalen and Sue Smey, and Teeny, whose fire making challenge was next level epic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...
Dec 19, 2024•48 min•Ep. 254
