'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
One of today's few true movie stars — people buy tickets to see a movie because she's in it — opens up about the source of her early self-esteem and confidence; the crazy way she wound up performing standup and then improv; why she was planning to quit showbiz just before she landed 'Gilmore Girls'; how the blockbuster success of 'Bridesmaids' and an Emmy win for 'Mike & Molly' within just a few months of each other changed her life; and why she's now expanded beyond comedy into drama, or at least dramedy, playing a real person for the first time in her career — not counting 'Spicey' — and garnering some of the best reviews of her career.
But first: Ivana Kirkbride, an expert and thought leader in the over-the-top video space, joins Scott to discuss her time at YouTube and Verizon's go90 and speculate about the future of 'premium mid-form content' and 'micro-windowing.'
95 min
352
Steve Carell - 'Beautiful Boy'
One of Hollywood's most versatile actors opens up about his discovery of improv en route to 'The Daily Show,' how a small part in 'Anchorman' led to a star-making role in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' which, in turn, saved the fledgling 'The Office,' and why he ventured into darker material with 'Foxcatcher,' for which he received an Oscar nom, and his newest film.
But first: Sandra Lee, the Daytime Emmy-winning TV host, bestselling author and first lady of New York, joins Scott to discuss 'RX Early Detection: A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee,' an HBO documentary short about her battle with breast cancer.
83 min
353
Olivia Colman - 'The Favourite'
A queen in the past in 'Hyde Park on Hudson,' in the future on 'The Crown' and in the present in Yorgos Lanthimos' latest dramedy reflects on her beginnings in comedy, how the British indie film 'Tyrannosaur' and TV series 'Broadchurch' exploded her profile and what it's like to now be the center of so much attention.
But first: Elsie Fisher, the 15-year-old actress who starred in this summer's breakout indie 'Eighth Grade,' joins Scott to discuss her career, social media and her collaboration with Bo Burnham.
81 min
354
Matthew McConaughey - 'White Boy Rick'
One of Hollywood's most colorful characters — he has morphed from bit player to leading man to matinee idol to Oscar winner over the last 25 years — shares the backstories of "Alright, alright, alright," his big break, his rom-com/shirtless era and one of Hollywood's most remarkable career-reboots, 'the McConnaisance.'
84 min
355
Quincy Jones - 'Quincy'
The living legend, one of only 21 EGOTs, opens up about falling in love with music, being black in Hollywood, talent cultivation (Michael Jackson, most famously) and discovery (from Oprah to Will Smith) and what he thinks of music and America today.
But first: Al Hicks and Rashida Jones, the co-directors of the acclaimed new Netflix doc 'Quincy,' discuss the making of the film and its enigmatic subject.
65 min
356
Keira Knightley - 'Colette'
The twice Oscar-nominated British actress, who has been on Hollywood’s A-list for the last 15 years, opens up about how acting helped her to overcome dyslexia, how sudden celebrity caused her to have a breakdown and why she has always been drawn to — and done much of her best work in — period pieces.
61 min
357
Rosamund Pike - 'A Private War'
The English Oxford alum turned Bond girl turned best actress Oscar nominee opens up about breaking out of early typecasting with 'An Education,' playing her first leading film role in 'Gone Girl' and, in perhaps her most challenging assignment yet, portraying war correspondent Marie Colvin in Matt Heineman's new film.
But first: Matt Belloni, THR's editorial director, joins Scott in Toronto to discuss the 43rd TIFF, Venice's award winners and the Academy's tabling of the popular Oscar.
81 min
358
Glenn Close - 'The Wife'
The living legend of stage and screen — who is the most Oscar-nominated living performer without a win, at 0-for-6 — talks about growing up in a cult, her later-than-usual film debut and how she made up for lost time, aging in Hollywood (she went to TV and back to Broadway) and the performance that has made her, at 71, the best actress contender to beat.
52 min
359
Chadwick Boseman - 'Black Panther'
The star of Marvel's first film to center on a black superhero shares why Phylicia Rashad and Denzel Washington are responsible for his shift from writer/director to actor, how he weighed the honor of playing black icons against the fear of being typecast and what he makes of Wakanda's cultural significance during the Trump era and the Academy's new popular Oscar.
But first: Stephen Galloway, THR's executive editor of features, joins Scott to preview the Venice and Telluride film festivals that will kick off the awards season later this week.
82 min
360
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
361
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
362
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
363
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
364
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
365
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
366
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
367
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
368
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
369
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
370
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
371
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
372
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
373
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
374
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
375
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).