Politician and businessman Gavin Newsom has served as the 40th governor of California since 2019. Prior to his governorship, Newsom was the lieutenant Governor of California and the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco. Now in the final years of his term, Newsom reflects on the challenges and victories of the past seven years, most pressing being the wildfires that destroyed areas of Southern California this past January. A native to San Francisco, Newsom is familiar with the state’s natural wildfi...
Mar 11, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2021 marked the premiere of Lucy Walker’s documentary film “Bring Your Own Brigade” which unpacked the catastrophic California wildfires of 2018, The Camp Fire and The Woolsey Fire. Now four years after the film was released, Southern California recently experienced even more devastating wildfires in January 2025. The most damaging fires were the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire. For Lucy Walker, history is repeating itself at an even larger scale and her 2021 film is ev...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christopher Rothko never thought he would have a career in the art world but he has become the driving force behind preserving his father, painter Mark Rothko’s, legacy. Christopher along with his sister Kate are the copyright holders to their father’s work and oversee exhibitions of Mark Rothko paintings around the world. With a background in clinical psychology, Christopher is also known for his writing about his father's art, life, and legacy, as well as his own reflections on the...
Feb 25, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, originally recorded in November 2012, Alec talks with writer and actress Paula Pell – who made people laugh at Saturday Night Live for 18 years. Pell landed her dream job as a writer at SNL after working at a Florida theme park. Her agent told her that Lorne Michaels wanted to meet her – “it is not an audition, but he wants to fly you up and talk to you.” Pell wasn’t su...
Feb 18, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast This season marks the 50th Anniversary of “Saturday Night Live:” the groundbreaking and iconic show that revolutionized late-night television with its sharp celebrity impersonations, satirical news segments, musical performances and absurd sketches - performed by comedy’s brightest stars and brought to life by the brilliant mind of creator Lorne Michaels. To commemorate this milestone, host Alec Baldwin speaks with writer and producer Steve Higgins, a key figure of the sh...
Feb 11, 2025•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Wink, Philip Stanton, and Matthew Goldman created Blue Man Group in 1989 as a performance art piece and it has since grown to become a worldwide phenomenon. What started as a small show at the Astor Place Theater in New York City went on to tour worldwide three times and take up residency in Las Vegas, Chicago, Orlando, and Boston. But all good things must come to an end, and the lights go out on their Astor Place run this February, making Blue Man Group one of the longest running off-Broa...
Feb 04, 2025•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julian Lennon is a Grammy-nominated musician with chart topping records around the globe. He is also a world-class photographer, devoted philanthropist, and the son of one of the most famous musicians of all time. Lennon’s latest photography work is on display in his recently published book, “Life’s Fragile Moments”. In addition to music and photography, Lennon is the chief visionary officer of The White Feather Foundation which partners with philanthropists and charities...
Jan 28, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with musician, and photographer Julian Lennon on his work, and his philanthropic causes, the founding members of Blue Man Group on the recent closing of their famed New York City show after 30 years, celebrated actor Victor Garber, SNL writer Steve Higgins on SNL’s 50th anniversary, and Christopher Rothko, son of artist Mark Rothk...
Jan 21, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dunham, the creator of HBO’s GIRLS , says when she was younger, she thought she’d be a "Gender and Women’s Studies teacher who showed movies at the occasional film festival." Instead she's trying to figure out what to wear to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone. Dunham talks with Alec about getting a dog and her first date with her boyfriend Jack Antonoff. She’s not ready for children—yet—but they are on her mind: “I was raised to think that the...
Dec 24, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Much like the staggering beauty of her voice, Audra McDonald is impossible to ignore. The only artist to sweep all four acting categories at the Tony’s, she’s the most decorated Broadway star of all time. Reviews of her award-winning performances overflow with accolades, describing her stage presence as “spellbinding,” “haunting,” and “genius.” But for the California native, things haven’t always been easy. She talks to Alec about getting int...
Dec 17, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast When John Dean found his conscience, America found its backbone and impeached a president. The Nixon Administration tried to undermine American democracy during the election of 1972 through now-legendary dirty tricks aimed at their Democrat opponents. They almost got away with it. Dean was Nixon’s White House Counsel, and participated in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. Then he began cooperating with investigators, and blew the case wide-open. Dean is one of the most complicated and...
Dec 10, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thom Yorke, Radiohead and Atoms for Peace frontman, admits that, even after over 25 years in the business, performing is “either wicked fun or really awful.” He talks with Alec about his pre-show ritual—"I stand on my head for a bit"—and how he and his bandmates have been able to stick together since they were teenagers. Originally aired April 1st, 2013 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 03, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This year marks the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” – and while many of the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” have gone on to achieve remarkable careers, few have had as fascinating a journey as Dan Aykroyd’s. As the youngest member of the 1975 original cast, Aykroyd quickly became known for his iconic sketches, including parodies of Julia Child and Richard Nixon, the beloved “Two Wild and Crazy Guys,” and the absurd “Bass-o-Matic.” His sketch “The Blues Brothers” not only became a cu...
Nov 19, 2024•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a whirlwind political season of campaign ads, fundraising texts, and seemingly-endless breaking news…Election Day has finally arrived! To mark the occasion, host Alec Baldwin speaks with Molly Jong-Fast, political analyst for MSNBC, special correspondent for “Vanity Fair,” and host of the podcast “Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast.” Daughter of celebrated writers Erica Jong and Jonathan Fast, Jong-Fast is also the author of the books “Normal Girl,” “Girl [Maladjusted]” and “The Social Cli...
Nov 05, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast One need not look very far to see that the television landscape has rapidly changed in the last few years, with an influx of new streaming platforms and shifting audience viewing patterns. Another notable upheaval: In 2023, Don Lemon, the Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Award-winning journalist and longtime host of “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” was let go from CNN after seventeen years with the network. Following his exit, Lemon took time for introspection, resulting in his new book, “I Once Was Lost:...
Oct 22, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last month, the Great White Way lost one of its brightest stars: Ken Page. In tribute to the beloved actor, singer and Drama Desk Award Winner, “Here’s the Thing” is sharing Alec Baldwin’s 2021 conversation with the Broadway legend. Page was known for his standout roles in the 1976 all-Black revival of “Guys and Dolls” and the original casts of “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” However, one of Page’s most iconic performances was in the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as Oogie Boogie. This...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast It has been found at the top of Mount Everest, the bottom of the ocean, and even inside the human body: plastic, once revered as a modern miracle, is now a global threat. Minimally recycled, it never fully disappears; instead, it simply breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics, which contaminate the air we breathe and the water we drink. In “A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies,” science journalist Matt Simon exposes the far-reaching consequen...
Oct 08, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast There exists a staggering amount of misinformation and disinformation surrounding climate change, clouding our understanding of its causes and potential solutions. Naomi Oreskes, renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, is able to shatter the misconceptions and uncover the fundamental truth of the matter. She is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. She is also the co-author, with E...
Sep 24, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Documentary filmmaker John Scheinfeld is a writer, producer and director whose films cover everything from pop culture to politics and sports to religion. His projects dig deep on fascinating topics like Watergate and the Chicago Cubs – as well as an endless roster of talented people like Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, John Coltrane, Peter Sellers, Bette Midler and John Lennon. His most recent projects include the documentaries “What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears?,” about the cla...
Sep 10, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for the final episode in our Summer Staff Picks series, highlighting our favorite conversations from the Here’s The Thing archives. This week, we revisit Alec Baldwin’s 2013 conversation with “The First Lady of Broadway,” Elaine Stritch. Alec sat down with the late stage and screen veteran who, among many famous roles, played his mother Colleen Donaghy on “30 Rock.” Stritch spoke to Alec about her transition from the Sacred Heart Convent and finishing school to finding herself in New Y...
Sep 03, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our Here’s the Thing Summer Staff Picks series continues, featuring our favorite episodes from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec Baldwin’s 2022 conversation with Rory Kennedy, documentary filmmaker and the youngest child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy . She is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning director and producer who has made more than 40 acclaimed documentaries. Her work confronts complicated subjects like poverty, corruption, domestic abuse, addiction and human rights, as...
Aug 27, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are continuing our summer tradition at Here’s The Thing, where members of the staff select their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec Baldwin’s 2021 conversation with actress and activist Marlo Thomas, who has been breaking barriers for women for more than five decades. She first became a household name as Ann-Marie, the lead in the television show “That Girl,” a woman who, in the late 60s, wanted a career more than a family. An outspoken feminist, Marlo then laun...
Aug 20, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our staff picks continue at Here’s The Thing , where throughout the summer, members of our team select their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s 2021 interview with actress Marilu Henner. The Golden-Globe winner is known for a lot of things, from her groundbreaking role as Elaine Nardo on Taxi to her New York Times bestselling books on health and wellness to her amazing, nearly one-of-a-kind memory. But what shines through in every story, joke, and answer she give...
Aug 13, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing , where staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives in our Summer Staff Picks series. This week, we revisit Alec Baldwin’s 2023 interview with documentary filmmaker James Jones, who tells the unbelievable story of CEO-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn in “Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn.” In 2018, the former auto executive of Nissan and Renault was arrested in Japan on charges of financial misconduct. He escaped prosecu...
Aug 06, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Actor and comedian Jack McBrayer is known for his cheerful demeanor, captivating Southern charm and impeccable comedic timing. The Georgia native honed his improv skills at the famed Second City in Chicago before gaining national exposure for his portrayal of various characters on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien.” He then landed the role of a lifetime: the earnest and eccentric NBC page Kenneth Parcell on the hit television series "30 Rock." His iconic performance earned him an Emmy nomination an...
Jul 23, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Internationally renowned composer and conductor Leonard Slatkin believes that the arts have the power to transform us – and his life and body of work exemplify this belief. Slatkin has served as the Music Director of the St. Louis, Detroit, New Orleans, National and Lyon Symphony Orchestras, Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, and Principal Guest Conductor of countless others. Raised in a musical household, he is the son of violinist, conductor and film composer Felix Slatki...
Jul 09, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast While it may have taken a few detours for Jonathan Tetelman to become the opera star he is today, the journey has been well worth it. Tetelman initially found success with his voice quite young, singing in the American Boychoir School and recording with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Yet following years of vocal study, Tetelman stepped away from the arias to become a nightclub DJ in New York City. It was only upon realizing that opera was indeed his passion that Tetelman returned to the genre and...
Jun 25, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast It takes a strong voice to cut through the noise of today’s bitter bipartisan debate – and lawyer and activist George Conway does just that. The outspoken Trump critic co-founded The Lincoln Project, a super PAC whose core mission is to defeat the 45th President, while married to Trump Campaign Manager and White House Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway. Today, the conservative commentator is a contributing writer to “The Atlantic,” host of the podcast “George Conway Explains It All (to Sarah Long...
Jun 11, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast While many people have their theories surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1663, few can claim to have proof that the government has not been fully transparent about the events in Dallas, Texas. Douglas Horne, a former U.S. Naval officer, worked on the staff of the JFK Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) in Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 1998. While working for ARRB, Horne was a key participant in taking the depositions of 10 witnesses and participants ...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
