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
351
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
352
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
353
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
354
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
355
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
356
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
357
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
358
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
359
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
360
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
361
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
362
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
363
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
364
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
365
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
366
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
367
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
368
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
369
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
370
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
371
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
372
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
373
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
374
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
375
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