Awards Chatter

In front of an audience at the Virginia Film Festival, and a piano, one of the leading film composers of his generation reflects on how he was shaped by both classical and hip-hop music, how his best known scores for TV (the main title theme for 'Succession') and film (Barry Jenkins' 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk') came to be, and how his score for Noah Baumbach's new film was composed and employed differently than any of his others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the writer/director describes his experiences progressing from low-budget ('Brick') to mid-budget ('The Brothers Bloom' and 'Looper') to big-budget ('The Last Jedi') films, directing some of the most celebrated episodes of TV ever ('Breaking Bad') and the origins and appeal of his Benoit Blanc series of murder mysteries, the third and most recent of which will open in theaters on Nov. 26 and then begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran actress, who was Oscar-nominated 40 years ago for 'Twice in a Lifetime,' reflects on how her music ambitions gave way to acting, how she met — and her many collaborations with — her husband Ed Harris, her memories of working on classics like 'The Day After,' 'Field of Dreams' and 'Uncle Buck,' and how she wound up giving one of the performances of her career as Gladys, a crazy aunt, in Zach Cregger's acclaimed blockbuster horror film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Australian actor and heartthrob reflects on almost missing out on his breakout roles in 'The Kissing Booth' and 'Euphoria,' working with female auteurs on 'Saltburn' and 'Priscilla' and venturing into unfamiliar but exciting territory as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation of Mary Shelley's horror novel, which is now the most-watched film on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of most bankable movie stars of all time reflects on what his experiences as a pro wrestler taught him about being an entertainer, why and how he transitioned to acting, and why, after decades of picking projects with the aim of satisfying others, he decided to challenge himself as never before by taking on the role of Mark Kerr, an early MMA fighter who got hooked on painkillers, in Benny Safdie's new A24 film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The A-lister returns to the podcast (his last visit was for ep. 278) and reflects on his post-COVID career — highlighted by his portrayal of a movie star experiencing an existential crisis in Noah Baumbach's new Netflix dramedy — as well as stardom, Instagram ("get the fuck off of it"), A.I. and which of today’s young stars most impress him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the iconic New York filmmaker reflects on his 35-year collaboration with Denzel Washington, the role of music in his films and how Akira Kurosawa has influenced his work from his first narrative feature through his 24th and most recent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aussie actress reflects on what she learned from her years working alongside Glenn Close on 'Damages'; how she and the industry discovered her comedic side, leading to memorable turns in 'Bridesmaids,' 'Spy' and other projects; and the the unique challenges and rewards of her latest film, in which she plays a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster journey from stripper to movie star; the backstories of 'Step Up,' 'Magic Mike,' 'Foxcatcher' and other hits; and why his experience on Derek Cianfrance's new dramedy, in which he plays a man who escapes from prison and hides out in a Toys 'R Us, reignited his love for acting and eradicated his long-held 'imposter syndrome.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Burbank International Film Festival, the legendary writer/director reflects on his path from a video store to Sundance to the Oscars, the backstories of each of his nine features and what he's proudest of and thinking about ahead of his 10th and — allegedly — final filmmaking venture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Access Canada Summit in Toronto, the consummate character actor reflects on his fateful crossing of paths in the late '60s with David Mamet, his feelings about often being cast as "losers" (e.g. 'Fargo' and 'The Cooler') and why he was "swept away" by the script for Clint Bentley's new film about the American character. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This key figure in the Iranian New Wave, one of only four filmmakers ever awarded the top prize at each of the three biggest European film festivals, reflects on his cinematic critiques of Iranian society, continuing to work even after being jailed by the regime and then banned from making films under the threat of being sent back to jail, and how his own experience with a prison interrogator partially inspired his latest film, which won Cannes' Palme d'Or in May and was just chosen as France's entry for the best international feature Oscar race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the fan favorite reflects on how she stumbled into standup comedy and then into acting, how she landed the part of elementary school principal Ava Coleman on Quinta Brunson's ABC series and why she's prouder of her Emmy-nominated work on its fourth season than any prior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "Queen of the Indies," as TIME magazine famously called her, reflects on the rewards and challenges of being so associated with independent film, what eventually led her to begin dabbling in studio films and TV, and how it felt, with the latest season of Mike White's HBO drama series, to finally find herself at the center of a project that found itself at the center of the cultural conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience in the Campari Lounge at the Locarno Film Festival, the trailblazing actress reflects on breaking into the business on TV's 'Ally McBeal,' becoming a movie star via the 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Kill Bill' films, and why her latest project, an indie that she produced and in which she plays a Chinese immigrant trying to protect her troubled American-born son, is so close to her heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most influential comedic talents of his generation reflects on coming from Vancouver to Hollywood as a teenager, the backstories of the crude but heartfelt and largely improvised film comedies that made him a multi-hyphenate star ('Knocked Up' and 'Superbad'), his occasional forays into drama ('Steve Jobs' and 'The Fabelmans') and how his own misadventures in Hollywood ('The Green Hornet' and 'The Interview') informed his hit Apple TV+ series about contemporary Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lovable screen actor reflects on his slow evolution from starving artist to 'Knocked Up' and 'Step Brothers' scene-stealer to TV stalwart, what he learned on 'Party Down' and 'Parks and Recreation,' and how Ben Stiller's 2013 film 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' started him on the path to playing Mark — 'Innie' and 'Outie' — on the most Emmy-nominated TV show of the 2024-2025 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated indie darling reflects on her unusual path to prominence, the backstories of some of her more provocative projects (including 'Kids,' 'Boys Don't Cry' and 'The Brown Bunny') and why she has increasingly been drawn to TV projects (from 'Big Love' to numerous Ryan Murphy projects including his latest limited series, in which she plays the Menendez family's murdered matriarch). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the veteran Swedish actor reflects on working with everyone from Ingmar Bergman to David Fincher, moving between art house projects (e.g. his five collaborations with Lars von Trier) and studio fare ('Dune,' 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and five MCU installments), and why he's particularly proud of his latest film, Joachim Trier's Cannes' Grand Prize winner in which he plays an aging filmmaker who has a complicated relationship with his two daughters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar and two-time Emmy winner reflects on the bumpy road to her breakthrough in 'Misery,' why she didn't enjoy working on 'Titanic,' how she was convinced to do a nude scene in 'About Schmidt' and why, after nearly quitting the business, her creativity and passion have been reawakened by her hit new CBS drama series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices