Marc Maron welcomes comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to his home for amazingly revealing conversations. Marc's probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard.
Brady Corbet spent years in front of the camera until he resigned from the job of actor. The new career he took up, that of filmmaker, has led to ten Oscar nominations for his newest movie The Brutalist. Brady talks with Marc about what made him devote eight years of his life to this epic exploration of the male ego. They also talk about the economics of being an independent filmmaker, the balance between being a collaborator and an auteur, and Brady's conflicted feelings about the creative proc...
James Mangold writes and directs films across multiple genres, but the one style he uses as a prism for so much of his work is the American Western. James and Marc talk about how A Complete Unknown fits into the Western mold and why the placement of the camera was of utmost importance in telling this specific story about Bob Dylan. James also explains his directorial strategy and how it factored into the making of his films like Heavy, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma and Ford v Ferrari. Sign up here...
Ariana Grande can link one song to her entire life as a performer, from her childhood days singing for her grandpa to her life as a global pop superstar to her performance as Galinda in Wicked. That song is Over the Rainbow. Ariana talks with Marc about the constant presence of music in her life, how she developed her songwriting process, why she sought out a vocal coach for Wicked, how she protects her mental health in an emotionally demanding business, and more. Sign up here for WTF+ to get th...
Demi Moore discusses her challenging upbringing, career, and journey to self-acceptance with Marc Maron. She reflects on her early search for truth, battles with addiction, achieving stardom, and advocating for equal pay. Moore also delves into her latest film, The Substance, and the importance of self-forgiveness and embracing vulnerability.
Ke Huy Quan’s remarkable Hollywood story continues to add more storybook chapters. From coming to America as a refugee to his global stardom as a child actor to leaving acting behind for several decades to a comeback that earned him an Oscar. Now he follows that up with his name above the title of a new action comedy, Love Hurts. Ke tells Marc how all of these memories play out for him and how the vivid recent ones illuminate older memories such as fleeing Vietnam, reuniting with his family in L...
Noah Wyle spent 11 seasons in a fictional medical environment on the show ER. So what made him want to return to a trauma ward setting for his new series The Pitt? Noah tells Marc the reason, which had a lot to do with what he heard from real doctors, as well as why it’s meaningful for him, as a third generation Los Angeleno, to shoot the show in LA. They also talk about Noah’s compulsion to amass memorabilia and arcane collections and whether it counts as hoarding. Sign up here for WTF+ to get ...
A lot of people know Erin Brockovich’s story thanks to the movie based on her legal work in a groundwater contamination case. But the story that really guided her life is one central to her Kansas roots: The Wizard of Oz. Recorded while the worst of the LA wildfires were still raging, Erin talked with Marc about the lessons she took not just from fantasy stories but from the reality of communities that turned hopelessness into action and from the clarity that can emerge in moments of crisis. Sig...
Sophie Buddle is living in LA and doing comedy all around the United States, but since she spent most of her life in Canada, she’s in a unique vantage point to give Marc the lowdown about the country to the north that he might one day call home. Sophie and Marc also talk about go bags, crisis management, work visas, crowd work, monologue writing, and tall poppy syndrome. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-po...
Bill Burr is trying to put things to bed. Whether it’s the anger he’s held onto throughout his life, or the sadness from he’s uncovered from his childhood, or even his old tensions with Marc, Bill’s been working to move on from the past. Bill and Marc talk about reaching the age where it’s time to put up or shut up, staying calm during chaotic moments, and taking stock of losing many of their peers. They also discuss Bill’s upcoming Hulu special and his Broadway debut in Glengarry Glen Ross. Sig...
After evacuating her home and consoling family members who lost their house in the LA fires, comedian Mo Welch acknowledges that she’s visiting Marc’s garage while still somewhere on the trauma spectrum. But she’s not a stranger to that spectrum, nor to processing it, having just made a standup special that’s also a documentary about meeting her estranged father. Mo and Marc talk about her childhood instability and the comedy path that was her salvation. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full sho...
Richard Gadd created the Netflix series Baby Reindeer as a way to work through traumatic events in his life that were hard to process. But it became equally difficult to process the runaway success of the show and the impact it had on his life. Richard talks with Marc about how his early days doing standup in the UK and writing stage shows for himself were underscored by a lack of boundaries and a feeling that something was missing inside of him. He also explains why his follow-up to Baby Reinde...
Mike Leigh’s films are known for their observant depictions of the working class, their tragicomic tones, and their improvisational construction. But there are some misconceptions about his work that Mike would like to clear up. He does so while talking with Marc about his life-changing introduction to foreign films, his method of collaboration with his actors, the difference between realism and naturalism, and some details about the making of Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, Topsy-Turvy, Naked and...
Adrien Brody does a lot of research for his roles, but his performance in the new movie The Brutalist was shaped largely by his family’s immigrant experience and it aligned with his desire to play characters who are outsiders. Adrien also talks with Marc about becoming the youngest winner of the Best Actor Oscar for The Pianist and how it was a little too much to take. But on the flip side, he explains why he revels in the joy and camaraderie of making Wes Anderson’s films. Sign up here for WTF+...
Marc’s been answering listener questions on the Fulll Maron bonus feed for two and a half years. This is a collection of Marc’s answers from across the first 18 installments of the Ask Marc Anything bonus series. It’s like Marc is the guest and the listeners are interviewing him. He gets into questions about Adam Sandler, Taylor Swift, Jon Stewart, the lost David Fincher episode, other interview podcasts, Cheech & Chong, standup lingo, sandwiches, sobriety, relapsing, and more. Click here to...
Ron Livingston just came over to chat. While most people come to the garage with something to promote, Marc and Ron were happy to be two guys getting to know each other on the microphones with no other agenda. Although Marc already learned some things about Ron from his wife, Rosemarie Dewitt, Ron shared his own stories about growing up in Iowa, how the trajectory of his Swingers character was not far from the truth, how Office Space slowly became a beloved classic, and how Sex and the City burn...
Marc presents a special compilation of mini-series created for The Full Maron feed on WTF+ called WTF Origins. In this series of recordings from the past year, Marc and WTF producer Brendan McDonald talk about pivotal moments that were important in the creation of WTF, including Marc's days at Luna Lounge in the '90s, The Marc Maron Show in Los Angeles, Break Room Live with Sam Seder, and the decisions made in the sink-or-swim early days of the podcast. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show...
Bruce Vilanch is best known for his time as the head writer of the Oscars, but he is actually a vestige of a fabled era of show business. Bruce talks with Marc about how he went from being a child actor to working at newspapers to writing jokes for Bette Midler. His skill at writing in other people’s voices led him to countless jobs as a joke-writer-for-hire, doing punch up for famous comedians like Lily Tomlin, George Carlin, Joan Rivers and others, as well as for many beloved and detested TV v...
Filmmaker Justin Kurzel is drawn to stories about outlaws and outsiders. Growing up in South Australia and living in Tasmania, he’s seen the fragile nature of small communities and the people who can prompt societal upheaval. Justin talks with Marc about his new and very relevant film The Order and why Justin was compelled to cast Marc as an assassinated radio host. They also talk about Justin’s other films, including one that the Prime Minister of Australia said shouldn’t be made. Sign up here ...
Bobbi Althoff’s podcast success story is much different than Marc’s podcast success story. In fact, the concept of a podcast is very different than when WTF got started. Bobbi explains how she grew up in a chaotic environment where money was hard to come by and, after becoming a mom in her early 20s, she found viral fame by sheer force of will, as well as a guest appearance by Drake. They also talk about the grind of the content creation machine, the mental health drain of social media, and fame...
When Marc first met Andy Blitz during the rise of the alt-comedy scene in New York City, Andy still thought show business was magical. And why wouldn’t he? As he tells Marc, he was a kid who grew up in the rough East Village of the 1970s and found himself dealing with depression and panic attacks in college. Andy talks about how his days at Luna Lounge paved the way for his job as a writer and sketch performer on Conan, and how that in turn opened doors for writing on shows like Human Giant, Rev...
Not too many guests come into the garage and tell Marc he changed their lives forever. In fact, Jesse Eisenberg might be the only one. Jesse and Marc go over that formative moment and what it says about both of them. Jesse also talks about being terrified as a child, growing into an adult who identifies with bleakness, and turning some of his life experiences into the new film A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed and stars in alongside Kieran Culkin. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show a...
Dwight Yoakam is a multi-platinum recording artist with many number one albums and singles, as well as multiple Grammy wins. But despite all his accomplishments as a musician, including his new album Brighter Days, Dwight is just as comfortable being a music historian. Dwight helps Marc chart the movement of country music to California, with Americana music of the mid-20th Century blending with rock and punk to create a unique sound that Dwight was a distinct part of. They talk all about The Byr...
Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino is attracted to the ways in which we’re all imperfect beings. That explains why a clash of personalities is central to so many of his movies, including A Bigger Splash, Suspiria and Challengers. Marc and Luca talk about those films as well as his new one, Queer, which is based on source material by someone who remains a fascination to both of them: William S. Burroughs. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com...
Steve Furey’s path to comedy started with youth football. Once he realized he wasn’t great at football, he started selling drugs. Once he realized he wasn’t good at selling drugs, he started comedy. In between there were stories of border crossings, smuggling in Tijuana, gunpoint robberies in Stockton, Kansas overdoses and more. And then there were early standup gigs that, as both Steve and Marc confirm, could wind up being scarier than dealing drugs. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show a...
Anthony Jeselnik is back in the garage more than 13 years since the last time he and Marc talked on the mics. With many career successes and some failures in the rearview, Anthony talks with Marc about where he sees himself in the landscape of comedy today, as he releases his latest Netflix special and while both of them spend a lot of time thinking about the current perception of standup comedy. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.co...
Rosemarie DeWitt never really thought she would become an actor because she felt like no one was betting on her. In fact, later in life her father said, “I can’t believe that you’re successful.” Marc finds out what drove Rosemarie away from those low expectations and into a prominent career with credits like Rachel Getting Married, Mad Men, Little Fires Everywhere and the new film Out of My Mind. They also talk about why horror movies, like Smile 2, are fun to make and how the two of them share ...
Cynthia Erivo has some tips for Marc on how to get more out of his time on set. For example, she always makes sure to get her steps in. So when you see her playing Elphaba in Wicked, she’s wearing her fitness watch under her witch costume. Cynthia and Marc share their thoughts about the vulnerability of singing, with Cynthia having studied the psychology of music before becoming an award-winning stage performer. They also compare notes on Aretha Franklin from their respective projects about the ...
Josh Brolin is a natural guest to return to the garage for a second chat because he and Marc relate on many levels. They both find themselves chasing addictions even when they’re sober. They’re both constantly looking for ways to connect with people. And they both just encountered an intense journey for emotional truth. Marc through his recent acting, Josh through the writing of his new memoir, From Under a Truck, which he calls the most humbling experience of his life. Click here to submit a qu...
Jessica Lange admits she’s always drawn to the darkness and madness of her characters, whether it’s Frances Farmer or Blanche DuBois or her most recent performance as The Great Lillian Hall, which dealt with the trifecta of grief, loss and loneliness. Jessica and Marc talk about how she enjoys plumbing the depths of emotion, but also enjoyed a life that’s taken her all over the world, a career that started in the palm of King Kong, and a body of work that includes Tootsie, All That Jazz, America...
Robby Hoffman knows she comes in too hot. But that kind of in-your-face enthusiasm helped her go from being one of ten kids in a Hasidic Jewish family to a burgeoning standup comic and television writer. Robby tells Marc about the challenges of her upbringing, including the socially hazardous way she was publicly outed as a teen. They also talk about her love of Uniqlo, Egg McMuffins, and her writing breakthrough on the children’s show Odd Squad. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archiv...
