Writer-director Scott Cooper says the best thing to came out of his acting career was the friendship he struck up with Robert Duvall. At Robert’s suggestion, Scott started writing his own films, including one he sent to Jeff Bridges. And because Jeff Bridges agreed to make the film, Scott began his career as a director. Scott and Marc talk about that film, Crazy Heart, as well as Out of the Furnace, Black Mass, Hostiles, Antlers, and Scott’s latest mystery film about Edgar Allan Poe, The Pale Bl...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rian Johnson revived the mystery genre with his movie Knives Out and now he’s seeing what other places he can take it, both with the sequel Glass Onion and his new detective series Poker Face. But that’s the kind of filmmaker Rian is. As he tells Marc, Rian enjoys hopping genres, whether it’s a noir takeoff like Brick, a time travel riff like Looper, or the metatextual Star Wars mythology he explored in The Last Jedi. They also talk about Rian’s direction of two classic Breaking Bad episodes. Cl...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast James Austin Johnson figured out at a very young age that he could do impressions. When he got older and started doing comedy, he wanted to figure out a way to do them that didn’t feel like a Las Vegas lounge act. Now, as the preeminent Trump mimic and SNL’s resident impressionist, James tells Marc how he figured out how to hone in on the people he was imitating and how Covid isolation led to his Trump breakthrough. They also talk about James’s early years as a child actor in conservative Christ...
Dec 15, 2022•2 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Tommy Tiernan knows a fellow traveler when he sees one. Ever since he saw Marc perform, he recognized a kinship, which is something Marc notices himself when he’s in Tommy’s home country of Ireland. Tommy and Marc talk about the shared outlook of Irish and Jewish comedians, as well as why they both feel like they’re hooked on doing standup at this point in their lives, why they’re both no good at having fun, and why Bob Dylan remains such an inspiration to Tommy. Sign up here for WTF+ t...
Dec 12, 2022•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elvis Mitchell waited his entire life to make the new documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!? As a film critic, professor, chronicler of the entertainment business on his show The Treatment and, most importantly, a lifelong movie fan, everything prepared Elvis to write and direct an examination of Black Cinema, particularly the revolutionary films and artists from the 1970s. Elvis takes Marc through the entire journey, with plenty of stops along the way to talk about their favorite movies an...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the holidays, which means Clea DuVall’s movie the Happiest Season is once again part of a new tradition for people everywhere. That’s still taking time to sink in for Clea because it’s a film she wrote and directed that deals with a personal struggle she didn’t even make public until a few years ago. Clea talks with Marc about how she dealt with coming out in her personal life but staying closeted in her professional life. They also talk about her new series High School, based on the memoir...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Filmmaker James Gray had crisis of confidence after watching a rough cut of his first movie, Little Odessa. Now that he’s made his most personal film yet, Armageddon Time, James and Marc talk about what it took to rebuild his confidence over 25 years, survive fights with Harvey Weinstein, and brave a film shoot in the Amazon that almost killed him. They also talk about Ad Astra, The Beatles, The Stones, Jaws, Apocalypse Now, and Fred Trump. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and...
Dec 01, 2022•2 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rob Delaney says the last time he was on the show, he didn’t have two coins to rub together. After that, he started a family, moved to London, created the hit show Catastrophe and saw his career take off. Then unfathomable tragedy struck with the illness and death of his youngest son. Rob talks with Marc about picking up the pieces and putting his thoughts into a new memoir, A Heart That Works. Also, Marc spends some time with his friend Sam Lipsyte to talk about Sam’s new novel, No One Left To ...
Nov 28, 2022•2 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Live from The Bloomsbury Theatre in London, Marc welcomes comedian and writer David Baddiel to the stage. In light of David’s new book and accompanying documentary, Jews Don’t Count, Marc and David talk about what it’s like to make sure they’re both publicly counted as notable Jewish entertainers. They discuss the recent rise in antisemitism, the ways in which it gets overlooked in the culture and what can be done about it. Marc and David also make sure to spend some time on English breakfasts, ...
Nov 24, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Writer-director Robert Siegel wanted to explore a career in either comedy or journalism. It turns out he got to do both as Editor-in-Chief of The Onion. But while The Onion was mostly comedy tinged with tragedy, Robert tells Marc how he wanted to flip that dynamic once he started writing screenplays. They talk about how the stories he told in The Wrestler, Big Fan, The Founder, Pam and Tommy, and now Welcome to Chippendales all begin with a very specific type of great American tragic hero. Sign ...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Marc reads the works of author and screenwriter Bruce Wagner, he starts to question reality. Bruce’s depictions of Hollywood personalities and show business darkness cut close to the bone and leave Marc trying to make sense of the life he chose. Bruce and Marc talk about where it all comes from, starting with his upbringing in the heart of Old Hollywood. Bruce also explains why being a victim of identity theft helped him write his new novel, ROAR, and why he decided to release his previous ...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast American Beauty completely changed Wes Bentley’s life and is still doing so today, considering he got his current role in Yellowstone because of his performance as Ricky Fitts. But the sudden exposure to fame started Wes down a path of drug addiction that nearly ended his career and could have ended his life. Wes tells Marc about growing up in Arkansas as the son of two ministers, turning down Spider-Man, bottoming out in Argentina, cleaning up and getting a second chance. Sign up here for WTF+ ...
Nov 14, 2022•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast From November 2012, Marc talks with Budd Friedman, the man behind the comedy club boom in America. Budd died on November 12, 2022 at the age of 90. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Marc revisits his 2011 interview with comedian Gallagher, recorded in Portland, Oregon on January 27, 2011. Their conversation about comedy, language and cultural tolerance led to Gallagher walking out on the interview, the first and only time that happened on WTF. Leo Gallagher died on November 11, 2022. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Nov 11, 2022•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Quinta Brunson didn’t pave the traditional path to a hit network sitcom. In fact, she paved a path that didn’t really exist. Quinta and Marc talk about how she was one of the first people on Instagram to hit it big with the comedy she was making on there, which led to jobs at BuzzFeed and YouTube, acting gigs, and ultimately the chance to create Abbott Elementary. They also talk about her upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness, the job she had to give up because of Covid, and why it’s so important to...
Nov 10, 2022•2 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elizabeth Banks says she’s the kind of person who likes to get ‘A’s on tests. And in show business, directing feature films for Hollywood studios is the ultimate test. Elizabeth and Marc talk about how her imposter syndrome faded over the past few years and how Elizabeth feels like she’s acing the test as she finishes up her third film as director. They also talk about the uncomfortable timeliness of her new movie, Call Jane, and why she jumped at the chance to host the game show Press Your Luck...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Redd knows what it’s like to have dreams and then watch them shift in the face of reality. It happened first with the dream of being a rapper, but then Chris realized he had a knack for this comedy thing. Now, as he departs SNL and releases his first HBO standup special, Chris and Marc talk about how your dreams further shift once you’ve had some success in life. Chris also tells Marc how he overcame his stutter, how he turned a corner in his struggle with anxiety, and how he’s adjusting t...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Veep creator Armando Iannucci knows his job as a purveyor of political satire becomes more difficult as politicians become more absurd and cartoonish. In fact, just hours before recording this episode, the Prime Minister of the U.K. resigned after a tumultuous six weeks on the job. Armando and Marc talk about the unfolding news and also get into Armando’s career in comedy, including his early radio work, creating Alan Partridge, taking on U.S. politics, The Death of Stalin, and his latest show A...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ron Carter is one of the architects of modern jazz. The Guinness Book of World Records cites him as the most recorded bassist in history and his influence has stretched well beyond jazz to a host of musical genres and styles. Marc talks with Ron about the dichotomies of his career, being a session musician and a band leader, a teacher and an eternal student, a maestro in concert halls and a regular in nightclubs. Ron explains how his output is all part of a responsibility he accepted long ago, o...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jeremy Strong can’t help being honest. His honesty around his job as an actor is what leads to magazine profiles where he’s portrayed as “intense” and “serious.” His honesty also allows him to admit that he was afraid to do this interview. Marc embraces both that honesty and that fear in this conversation with Jeremy about acting, Succession, finding joy, being an empty vessel, being in service to others, Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino and the new film Armageddon Time. Sign up here for WTF+ to get ...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Henry Louis Gates, Jr. believes we must understand who we were in order to understand who we are. That goes for individuals, which is at the core of his PBS series Finding Your Roots, as well as society, which is the reason he made the new documentary series Making Black America. Marc talks with Professor Gates about the foundation of America, the progress that’s been made, and the inequality that remains, as well as the professor’s own unique upbringing that informs a lot of his thinking. Sign ...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone knows Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso from The Karate Kid. In fact, so many people know him as Daniel LaRusso, he wrote a book about spending his life as that character. Ralph and Marc talk about his memoir Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, and delve into his life before the headband, as he worked with Francis Ford Coppola on The Outsiders, acted opposite Robert De Niro on stage, and tried to make sense of everything when superstardom hit. They also get into the protectiveness Ralph fel...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Béla Fleck is more than a virtuoso banjo player. He’s also a banjo missionary, an evangelist for an instrument he feels is often misunderstood and pigeonholed. Béla talks with Marc about how he wanted to move banjo music away from negative stereotypes and open audiences up to its world music roots, its classical applications, and of course its bluegrass heart. Also, Marc talks with director Michael Morris about the new movie To Leslie starring Andrea Riseborough and, oh yeah, Marc Maron. Sign up...
Oct 13, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Zahn McClarnon’s early experiences with reservation life helped him add some personal touches as a cast member of Reservation Dogs. But it was actually his experience with the musical Jesus Christ Superstar that got him into acting in the first place. Zahn and Marc talk about their shared love of working with Sterlin Harjo on Reservation Dogs and why it’s a history-making show. They also talk about Zahn’s struggles with drugs earlier in his life and how he actually used psychedelics to help kick...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jann Wenner’s life as the co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine has been chronicled in other books, but Jann says he needed to write a memoir to declare what his generation actually stood for. Jann and Marc talk about the importance of San Francisco as the birthplace of not only the magazine but of ’60s culture in general. Jann explains why the Altamont Free Concert was a turning point for Rolling Stone, what happened in the cocaine-fueled days when the magazine moved to New York, a...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Writer-director Tony Gilroy is the man behind one of Marc’s favorite movies of all time, Michael Clayton. They get into everything it took to get that movie made and its surprising legacy. But the rest of Tony’s career and the curvy path his life took to get there are equally fascinating. Tony tells Marc about his dogged attempt to start a music career, how he transitioned into screenwriting, the joys of writing for the Devil, and how he came to embrace Star Wars with his new series Andor. ...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Abigail Disney feels the burden of her last name, particularly due to the practices of the global company that was founded by her grandfather Roy and grand uncle Walt. Marc talks with Abigail about her social awakening earlier in life and her current roles as an activist, philanthropist and filmmaker. They also discuss her new documentary, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, about the unequal economy as exemplified by the corporation that bears her name. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the fu...
Sep 29, 2022•2 hr 38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Multiple generations of audiences love Sigourney Weaver, whether it’s because of Ghostbusters or Avatar or Working Girl or the Alien franchise or all of the above. But Sigourney tells Marc she never imagined having a film career and in fact resisted it for a long time, preferring instead to work primarily in theater. And now, with movies like The Good House, Call Jane, Master Gardener and the Avatar sequel all releasing in theaters this Fall, Sigourney talks about how she’s never felt more comfo...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Rockwell and Marc have talked with each other a lot since Sam was last on the show. Granted, during a lot of those conversations they were pretending to be a wolf and a snake, respectively. The Bad Guys co-stars embrace their human sides for this talk where they go over Sam’s journey to his Oscar win, the broadway production of American Buffalo with Sam and Laurence Fishburne, and the accent work Sam had to do for his new movie See How They Run. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show arc...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Adrian Belew’s career in music was influenced by many and has influenced many more. As a completely self-taught guitarist, Adrian absorbed as much music as possible on the way to establishing his own sound and style. After getting his big break with Frank Zappa, Adrian went on to collaborate with David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Nine Inch Nails, just to name a few, and recorded 25 solo albums. Marc talks with Adrian about his amazingly prolific career, including his time with Robert Fripp and Kin...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
