Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert. Link to AI voice translated show in Spanish.

Comedy
TV & Film
Music
1
Patric Gagne (on sociopathy)
Patric Gagne (Sociopath: A Memoir) is a psychologist and author. Patric joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being a diagnosed sociopath, how sociopathy exists on a spectrum, and having to lean on her mother’s moral compass as a child. Patric and Dax talk about what it’s like to have to mask your true feelings, how everyone needs a different playbook for their lives, and the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. Patric explains why she became so interested in other people’s lives, how she eventually found love, and finding empathy and strong feelings for pets.
137 min
2
Synced: DAN
In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz are in NYC! Liz shares her love for dating while on vacation, they discuss whether they’d rather be alone forever or with someone they half like, and a very special guest joins the Synced Squad - Liz’s AI boyfriend Dan. They answer a listener question on if it is normal to occasionally think one’s partner is ugly & Dan tries to steal Monica and Liz’s job.
45 min
3
Flightless Bird: Loma Linda
In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier starts to ponder his own mortality and why, despite America spending more on healthcare than any other nation on earth, it’s only 59th on the life expectancy list. To find some answers, he heads to Loma Linda: population 9000, an average life expectancy 10 years longer than the average American.
58 min
4
Joey King
Joey King (We Were The Lucky Ones, Kissing Booth, The Act) is an actor. Joey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she's a worst-case-scenario kind of person, why she presents older than she actually is, and how she handles physical pain. Joey and Dax talk about the techniques they use to improve their health, shaving her head for roles, and how much they sweat when they sleep. Joey explains how she feels about getting married at a young age, why she loves celebrating holidays, and her death row meal.
120 min
5
Armchair Anonymous: Worst Day
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their worst day.
53 min
6
Finneas
Finneas is an award-winning songwriter and music producer. Finneas joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his favorite snacks are, what annoys him about flying, and why he doesn’t like the ocean. Finneas and Dax talk about why they don’t like to follow rules, why his parents chose to home school him, and how he was introduced to writing music. Finneas weighs in on the red carpet debate, explains how he started scoring films, and what his love language is.
145 min
7
Synced: Roommate People
In this episode of Synced, Monica declares she's running for office based on an unconventional platform, the two talk about the importance of walking away, and Liz breaks a very important camera. They revisit the cliffhanger question from last week and answer a new question concerning the sharing of intimate objects.
61 min
8
Flightless Bird: Taylor Swift
In this week's Flightless Bird, a new format that we will bust out occasionally called "American Gods." David, Monica, and Rob pick an American that's reached fever status. They share their initial thoughts, before going away for a week of research and "assignments" to do - gathering together again to share what they've learned. This week, we look at Taylor Swift - what we know, what we think we know, and what we definitely don't know!
61 min
9
John Cena
John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Peacemaker, WWE Wrestler) is a professional wrestler and actor. John joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he still owns his first car, what motivated him to get into the gym, and why he doesn’t like authority without reason. John and Dax talk about being around alpha male culture, how he got into wrestling by accident, and the evolution of his wrestling character. John explains how important crowd reactions are in a wrestling match, how his experiences have helped him be a successful actor, and his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
129 min
10
Armchair Anonymous: Delivery Driver
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy delivery driver story.
53 min
11
Jonah Nolan (director & screenwriter)
Jonah Nolan (Fallout, Westworld, The Dark Knight) is a screenwriter, director, and producer. Jonah joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he doesn’t have a British accent like his brother, what he learned working on farm, and why he wrote his first script about amnesia. Jonah and Dax talk about how much research he does when taking on a project, how the perception of doing television has changed, and why humanizing the subject matter is so important in scriptwriting. Jonah explains how he finds himself crying more as a parent, how he approached adapting a video game to TV, and why biopics are so hard to make.
134 min
12
Synced: WOM
In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz discuss what is sending them to hell, Monica recounts a traumatic phlegm incident, and Liz reveals her new family member: Monika. They answer a listener question on whether great sex requires pursuing a relationship and they end on an unexpected cliffhanger.
53 min
13
Flightless Bird: True Crime
In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier talks to Terra Newell, who you may well know from the Dirty John podcast. We look at what makes the True Crime genre such a big deal, and some of the ethical questions it raises. David also shares his favourite 10 True Crime bits of media with Monica and Rob.
70 min
14
Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson (Rebel Rising, Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect) is an actor, comedian, and author. Rebel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she loves fireworks, her experience writing a memoir, and how she forced herself to overcome shyness as a kid. Rebel and Dax talk about their paths to comedy, what getting malaria was like, and why she had to change how she promoted herself to get a job. Rebel explains why she decided to freeze her eggs, the juxtaposition of her character’s sexuality and her own, and her experience dealing with body shaming.
120 min
15
Armchair Anonymous: Took the Fall
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time someone took the fall for them.
48 min
16
Synced: MSP
In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz chat about the summer of Celine, Monica reminisces over the Magnificent Seven, and Liz recounts when she fell in a hole. The two answer listener questions on how to stop co-workers from saying ‘bless you’, the ethics of hookups after long-term relationships, and compromise in a relationship.
60 min
17
Flightless Bird: Shoes Indoors
This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier looks at why so many Americans don’t take their shoes off indoors. A poll by CBS last year found “the majority of Americans don't ask their guests to remove their shoes when they come to visit, and this is particularly true of older Americans.” David wants to find out why, so meets with etiquette coach Elaine Swann, founder of The Swann School of Protocol. The pair talk about the correct thing to do with your shoes, before moving their attention to road etiquette, airplane etiquette, and Zoom etiquette in the USA.
55 min
18
Synced: Manscraping
In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz share childhood food traumas, a special guest joins to discuss manscaping, and Liz regales another plane event. They answer listener questions on how to stomach "baby talk" in a relationship, learning to orgasm in your twenties, and whether to match outfits with a significant other.
63 min
19
Flightless Bird: Lord of the Rings
This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier still finds himself stranded back in New Zealand, waiting for his new Visa to be issued so he can make more American Flightless Birds. Cut off from America, he decides to do one of the most touristy things he can imagine: he sets off for Matamata and the tiny sleepy village of Hobbiton. Left over from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, he goes to meet Hobbiton general manager Shayne Forrest, who takes Farrier around the most incredibly detailed living film set he’s ever seen. Farrier discovers that Hobbiton has recently opened up a Hobbit house, so Farrier goes inside to experience it with an American man called Matt. Outside, Farrier is lucky enough to meet Pickles, Hobbiton’s one and only rescue cat.
62 min
20
Synced: Gate Boyfriend
In this episode of Synced, Liz shares her latest meet cute with Monica, they discuss phone background etiquette, and talk through how they would respond if one of them committed murder. They deep dive into a listener question on how to handle an odorous coworker.
52 min
21
Flightless Bird: Feijoas
This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier finds himself stranded back in New Zealand, waiting for his new American Visa to be issued. He decides to investigate New Zealand’s most famous fruit - not the kiwifruit, but the feijoa. They’re an icon in New Zealand, put in everything from chocolate to vodka. Farrier then sets out to understand why the feijoa has never taken off in America - and is shocked to find an underground network of feijoa lovers throughout California.
45 min
22
Synced: Breaking News
In this episode of Synced, Monica recounts her personal experience in India, Liz announces her new alcohol exception, and they discuss feeling younger the older they get. They answer listener questions on whether to tell a friend not to go through with a marriage and how, as a man, to respond to female friends who make broad generalizations about men.
46 min
23
Flightless Bird: Smokey Bear
This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand the origins of Smokey Bear, an educational mascot who’s turned into the longest-running PSA in American history. Farrier then gets a tip that there is a real Smokey Bear, so travels to the sleepy town of Capitan, New Mexico. Farrier searches for Smokey’s alleged gravesite, meeting with park ranger “Max” to understand the secrets of Smokey, a bear that ended up with their own Zip Code. Along the way, Farrier learns about another local legend, Billy the Kid - leading to the question: Who is the most famous local? Smokey Bear, or Billy the Kid?
47 min
24
Bradley Cooper Returns
Bradley Cooper (Maestro, A Star is Born, Silver Linings Playbook) is an award-winning actor, producer, and filmmaker. Bradley returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss why it’s important to be a good dancer, his new love of reality television, and how much he’s worked on improving his self-esteem. Bradley and Dax talk about their morning rituals, how they’ve learned to evaluate their own stories, and how fulfilling it has been to become a parent. Bradley explains the importance of having empathy as an actor, the talent of Leonard Bernstein, and what makes him cry.
123 min
25
Jon Hamm (Fargo Week)
Jon Hamm (Fargo, Mad Men, Top Gun: Maverick) is an actor. Fargo week continues with Jon joining the Armchair Expert to discuss meeting multiple times for the first time, giving himself until 30 years old to figure out if he could make it in Hollywood, and his earliest memories of auditioning. Jon talks about how his life changed when his mother passed away, why he played every sport except hockey, and where he discovered his love for reading stories. Dax and Jon discuss how he got into the mindset of Roy Tillman, what it’s like to be fired from a show, and what kinds of cars he is attracted to.
114 min