Awards Chatter

'Awards Chatter' is a podcast that features in-depth interviews with the most interesting and accomplished people in show business. Created and hosted by: Scott Feinberg

TV & Film
Film Interviews
301
Darren Criss - 'The Assassination of Gianni Ver...
Emmy-nominated for both Ryan Murphy's 'Glee,' in 2015, and now for an FX limited series in which he played serial killer Andrew Cunanan, the Filipino-American discusses 'passing' as white, pre-'Glee' life (he made a living playing piano at Maggiano's) and the tricky terrain of being a straight actor who has made his name playing LGBTQ parts. But first: Lacey Rose, THR's executive editor of TV coverage, joins Scott to discuss Jim Carrey's upcoming return to the spotlight in the Showtime series 'Kidding.'
70 min
302
Jane Goodall - 'Jane'
The world's most recognizable living scientist, who is to behavioral sciences what Albert Einstein is to physics, reflects on 58 years of studying chimpanzees in Gombe, encountering sexual demands and objectification in the workplace, turning unexpected fame into a tool for activism and being the subject of dozens of documentaries, the best of which is now nominated for seven Emmys. But first: Rebecca Ford, THR's awards editor, and Rebecca Sun, a senior reporter at THR, join Scott to discuss the upcoming all-Asian film 'Crazy Rich Asians.'
80 min
303
Carol Burnett - 'The Carol Burnett 50th Anniver...
One of the most significant and beloved figures in TV history, best known for her groundbreaking variety sketch program 'The Carol Burnett Show' (1967-1978), reflects, at the age of 85, on the Cinderella story that led her to showbiz, doing things that other women hadn't done before and her and her show's impact more than a half-century after its debut. But first: Matt Belloni, THR's editorial director, joins Scott to discuss the hugely controversial changes to the format of the Oscars that the Academy announced this week.
61 min
304
Ted Danson - 'The Good Place'
The TV icon best known for 'Cheers' reflects on his unlikely casting on that NBC classic, the struggles that followed its 11-season run and how roles on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Damages' rebooted his career and prepared him to play the character for which he is nominated for an Emmy. But first: Pamela McClintock, a senior film writer and box-office analyst at THR, joins Scott to discuss this summer's biggest blockbusters, the surge of hit docs and the crash of MoviePass.
92 min
305
Judith Light - 'The Assassination of Gianni Ver...
The stage and screen veteran reflects on why she was so averse to doing a soap opera or a sitcom before making her name on 'One Life to Live' and 'Who’s the Boss?,' and what she's learned since returning to the theater (she's one of only six performers to win Tonys in back-to-back years) and TV (she's landed Emmy noms for 'Ugly Betty,' 'Transparent' and 'Versace').
101 min
306
Milo Ventimiglia - 'This Is Us'
Nominated for the best actor in a drama series Emmy for the second year in a row, the 41-year-old reflects on his journey to acting, almost quitting the biz after his stints on ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Heroes’ ended and how he wound up playing everyone’s favorite TV dad of the Peak TV era. But first: Kevin Cassidy, THR’s international news editor, joins Scott to preview the fall film fests.
106 min
307
Ricky Martin - 'The Assassination of Gianni Ver...
One of the most popular entertainers ever to emerge from Puerto Rico — a two-time Grammy-winning singer, a dancer and now an Emmy-nominated actor — reflects on growing up with Menudo, his 'Livin' La Vida Loca' era and the personal and professional rebirth he has experienced since coming out as gay in 2010. But first: Rebecca Ford, THR's awards editor, joins Scott to dissect the Emmy nominations that were announced on Thursday.
81 min
308
Remembering Tab Hunter (1931-2018)
One of the last male stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age — the top one at Warner Bros. from 1955 through 1959 — died on Sunday at the age of 86. In this 2015 interview, he spoke about what it was like making movies — and being gay — in the fifties, what happened after his star faded and how he hoped to be remembered. But first: Andy Lewis, THR's books editor, joins Scott to discuss the best Hollywood-related reads of 2018 so far.
75 min
309
Jimmy Iovine - 'The Defiant Ones'
One of the most significant figures in the history of the music industry looks back on his rise from studio sweeper to engineer (for John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen) to producer (for Tom Petty and U2) to label founder and chief (Interscope, which made hip hop and gangsta rap mainstream), and his unlikely friendship with Dr. Dre, with whom he founded Beats Electronics (which they sold to Apple for $3.2 billion in 2014), which is chronicled in an acclaimed new HBO docuseries. But first: Gregg Kilday, THR's film editor, joins Scott to discuss the Academy's decision to invite an unprecedented 928 people to join its organization.
76 min
310
Matt LeBlanc - 'Episodes'
The comedy actor who became famous as Joey Tribbiani on NBC’s 'Friends' dishes on the strange series of events that led him from blue-collar work to acting; why, after the failure of 'Joey' and five years out of the biz, he returned to series TV on Showtime; and how he feels about the prospect of a 'Friends' reboot — and retirement. But first: Aaron Couch, the senior editor of THR's 'Heat Vision' blog devoted to fanboy entertainment, joins Scott to preview the summer movie season.
89 min
311
Jimmy Fallon - 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy...
The jovial host of late night's most iconic program reflects on his journey from doing childhood impersonations to appearing on 'SNL,' how Lorne Michaels recruited him to 'Late Night' (despite opposition from network suits) and then Johnny Carson's old job and, in an emotional exchange, how his infamous 2016 interview with Donald Trump has — and hasn't — changed him and his show.
69 min
312
Claire Danes - 'Homeland'
The two-time Emmy winner reflects on child stardom (she burst onto the scene at 14 on 'My So-Called Life'), embarking on a film career (but passing on 'Schindler's List' and 'Titanic') and returning to the small screen and experiencing career rebirth through the TV movie 'Temple Grandin,' followed by seven seasons playing a bipolar CIA officer. But first: Matthew Belloni, THR's editorial director, joins Scott to discuss a week of Hollywood wheelings and dealings: Disney and Comcast's fight over Fox, AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner and a new partnership between Oprah and Apple.
69 min
313
Barbra Streisand - 'Barbra: The Music... The Me...
The legendary singer, songwriter, actress, writer, producer and director opens up about her odds-defying career ("I didn’t want to be a singer"), why she fights for creative control over her work ("I am not a diva") and what convinced her to embark on a rare concert tour that was later turned into a Netflix variety special — even though, as she puts it, "I just don’t enjoy singing live."
51 min
314
Keri Russell - 'The Americans'
One of the few people who has played multiple iconic TV characters reflects on child stardom as a Mouseketeer, becoming "America's Sweetheart" at 21 on 'Felicity' and then, after almost quitting the biz, re-emerging as a Soviet spy for six seasons on one of the best shows of the Peak TV era.
59 min
315
Judd Apatow - 'The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling'
One of the reigning kings of comedy — a standup, writer, producer and director who has been a driving force behind many of the funniest TV series and films of the last 30 years — reflects on the roots of his sense of humor, his decision to move from doing standup to writing to producing/directing and his epic documentary-tribute to one of his mentors and heroes. But first: Lesley Goldberg, THR’s west coast TV editor, joins Scott to discuss ABC's historic cancelation of 'Roseanne,' attempts to equate Roseanne Barr's and Samantha Bee's inappropriate comments and the future of 'The Walking Dead.'
99 min
316
Kenan Thompson - 'Saturday Night Live'
One of the most talented comedy performers in the business looks back on his childhood at Nickelodeon ('All That' and 'Kenan & Kel'), losing his identity thereafter and then finding a new home in Studio 8H (where he is in his 15th season, making him the longest-tenured performer in the variety show’s history).
70 min
317
Freddie Highmore - 'The Good Doctor'
The star of TV’s highest-rated new network drama, whose portrayal of an autistic surgeon has already brought him a Golden Globe nom, looks back on child stardom, re-emerging as an adult on the drama series 'Bates Motel' (he received Critics' Choice noms for three of its five seasons) and then heading right into another, very different show. But first: Borys Kit, a senior staff writer at THR who oversees its 'Heat Vision' blog, joins Scott to discuss this weekend's release of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' this summer's roster of popcorn movies and the potential for fanboy and awards-voter overlap on 'Black Panther' and 'A Quiet Place.'
77 min
318
Jessica Biel - 'The Sinner'
The actress-producer discusses how she wound up on '7th Heaven' at 14 (it became TV's longest-running family drama ever), growing up in the biz, making an eclectic mix of films and returning to TV in a limited series she also produced, which became 2017's most-watched new basic-cable show, and for which she received Golden Globe and Critics' Choice noms. But first: Gregg Kilday, THR's film editor, and Chris Gardner, a senior staff writer at THR, join Scott to recap the 71st Cannes Film Festival.
91 min
319
Jason Bateman - 'Arrested Development' & 'Ozark'
One of the most likable — and reliably good — actors in the business reflects on his child stardom, how he then experienced a dark decade before re-emerging as the industry’s go-to straight man in comedies and why it means so much to him to now be able to juggle acting and directing. But first: Booth Moore, THR’s Style & Fashion News Director, joins Scott to discuss the recent Met Gala, the ongoing Cannes Film Festival and the upcoming Royal Wedding, as well as Vogue's controversial new profile of Marchesa co-founder Georgina Chapman, aka Mrs. Harvey Weinstein.
88 min
320
Emilia Clarke - 'Game of Thrones' & 'Solo: A St...
The British actress, best known for playing Daenerys on TV's most acclaimed show, opens up about striking gold with and learning to navigate her first professional role, why she's sick of talking about her nude scenes, what led her to turn down 'Fifty Shades of Grey' but do 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' plus more. But first: Stephen Galloway, THR's executive editor (features), joins Scott to discuss his recent article about Hollywood publicists and the period of upheaval currently impacting their community.
76 min
321
Samantha Bee - 'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'
The first woman ever to host a late-night satire show reflects on her 12 years at Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' (she was the longest-serving and first female correspondent), betting on herself by leaving that job for a show of her own at TBS (which won an Emmy in 2017) and what it's like making that show in the fast-changing and mind-blowing Trump era. But first: Seth Abramovitch, a senior writer at THR, joins Scott to discuss his new THR profile of Jeffrey Tambor, the Emmy-winning star of Amazon's'Transparent' who was recently fired from that show after being accused of sexual misconduct.
65 min
322
Lena Waithe - 'The Chi'
This powerhouse writer (the first black woman ever to win a comedy writing Emmy), actress ('Master of None' and 'Ready Player One') and creator/producer (Showtime's new series about Chicago's South Side) — who recently appeared on Vanity Fair's cover and was named by Time as one of the world's 100 most influential people — reflects on her upbringing, the importance of mentorship and the kaleidoscopic way her career has come together. But first: Natalie Jarvey, THR's digital media editor, joins Scott to discuss her cover story chronicling the rise of — and challenges facing — Hulu, the streaming service behind 'The Handmaid's Tale.'
85 min
323
Christina Hendricks - 'Good Girls'
The six-time Emmy nominee and two-time Critics' Choice Award winner reflects on why her agents fired her after she agreed to play Joan, how she feels about all the attention paid to her figure and why she decided to follow a period drama with a contemporary network dramedy.
57 min
324
Henry Winkler - 'Barry'
The TV icon opens up about his debilitating dyslexia, overcoming it to land the part of 'The Fonz' on 'Happy Days' (and 'jumping the shark') and following 'Arrested Development' and 'Parks and Rec' with standout work on Bill Hader's new HBO dramedy. But first: David Rooney, THR's chief theatre critic, joins Scott to discuss the two-part shows that are the talk of Broadway, the return of Glenda Jackson and how the Tonys may acknowledge "The Boss."
92 min
325
Hayley Atwell - 'Howards End'
The Golden Globe-nominated British beauty reflects on making her name in period pieces (and on 'Black Mirror'), playing one character in several projects over many years (Agent Peggy Carter of 'Captain America' fame) and the new project for which she's receiving the best reviews of her screen career (a four-part adaptation of E.M. Forster's most famous novel). But first: Rebecca Ford, THR's awards editor, joins Scott to discuss early and creative Emmy campaigning, Jimmy Kimmel vs. Sean Hannity and tough Emmy decisions facing HBO.
95 min