Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.

2 HR AGO

Writer Hilton Als on Prince and ‘What Joan Didion Means’

For the holiday week, we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and critic Hilton Als. At the top, we unpack his approach to writing profiles (5:50), inspired by the words of photographer Diane Arbus (6:10), and how he captured Prince in a new, two-part memoir entitled My Pinup (7:55). Then, Als reflects on his upbringing in Brownsville, Brooklyn (10:25), a timely passage from his 2020 essay "Homecoming" (14:40), and formative works by writers Adrienne Kennedy (20:58) and the late Joan Didion (27:05). On the back-half, we discuss the interplay of memory and writing (36:38), Hilton’s writing routine (40:55), his sources of hope today (44:30), and to close, a dialogue from Jean Rhys’ unfinished autobiography Smile Please (48:25). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

52 min
15 DEC

The Year of Actor Sebastian Stan (‘The Apprentice’)

Actor Sebastian Stan has built a career out of shapeshifting. This week, he joins us to discuss the process of transforming into Donald J. Trump in The Apprentice (8:27), his personal relationship to the American dream (15:35), and the extensive research that went into recreating 1970s-1980s New York City in the film (17:27). Then, we unpack Sebastian’s Romanian upbringing (29:00), the gift of his unconventional, nomadic childhood (34:40), and what the film represents in this post-Election moment (38:30). On the back-half, we talk about the impact of the late director Jonathan Demme (50:45), Stan’s radical and stunning work in A Different Man (55:08), what both of his new films reveal about reality (59:14), and what the silencing of The Apprentice—and his Actors on Actors shutout—reveals about the entertainment industry (1:00:00). To close, a reflection about control and how Sebastian embraces everyday life (1:17:55). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 17m
11 DEC

Remembering Poet Nikki Giovanni

For the past 50 years, Nikki Giovanni has been one of our preeminent poets. Rest in Power to the legendary writer and activist, who passed this week at the age of 81. Today we return to our conversation from 2021, reflecting on how her childhood led to a life of writing (6:21), the enduring impact of a televised conversation with James Baldwin (13:40), the story behind her famous poem, “I Married My Mother” (18:30), and why she doesn't believe in role models (28:15). On the back-half, we work our way to the present, as Nikki shares her experience of visiting the African American Museum (30:14), the evolution of her poetry (36:40), and how she grappled with two cancer diagnoses (40:20). To close, Nikki reads from her inventive about the author page (45:49). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min
8 DEC

Talk Easy in 2024: A Mixtape

It’s been a year. And while we’re not quite done with it (3:15), we wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of our favorite episodes and guests from 2024. On the front half, we revisit passages from actor-turned-director Dev Patel (5:45), the legendary Francis Ford Coppola on Jacques Tati and failure (11:45), filmmaker Ava DuVernay on the state of Hollywood (17:47), and Dr. Seema Jilani on her work in Gaza (26:36). On the back end, Abbi Jacobson’s interview with Sam (35:05), NYT reporter Astead Herndon on why the 2024 election was not inevitable (42:47), and national treasure Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Wiser than Me”) on perseverance and posterity (49:55). Plus, a Joker ending (1:08:00). What was your favorite from the past twelve months? Write us below or say hello at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59 min
1 DEC

Host Padma Lakshmi (‘Taste the Nation’) is Just Getting Started

To close out the holiday weekend, we're revisiting our conversation with writer, food expert, and television host Padma Lakshmi. At the top, we discuss her Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation (4:40), a formative episode in El Paso, Texas (8:14), and how the show connects to Padma’s personal history (11:59). Then, she reflects on her childhood in New York City (14:07), a heartbreaking event at seven (17:30*), and her unexpected entry to the modeling industry (25:14). On the back-half, we walk through the early years of her trailblazing career (33:52), the patriarchal systems she fought back against (38:58), and her painful essay in The Times in response to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh (44:00*). To close, Padma talks about her powerful work through EndoFound (45:30), the activist underpinnings of Taste the Nation (49:21), and the stories she hopes to tell in years to come (52:44). *At this time-code, there is a discussion about sexual assault. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

54 min
27 NOV

Play It Again: Jeff Daniels

Today, for your holiday week, we’re returning to one of our favorite 2024 conversations with actor Jeff Daniels. Daniels is always writing. Plays, songs, a script or two. Even in interviews you get the sense the Michigan native is trying to relay the stories of his life in a way he’d find compelling as a reader, or listener. Bystander — as a viewer. We sat in April around the latest chapter of his crime series American Rust (12:30), reprising his role as Police Chief Del Harris. It’s a performance inspired by his midwestern upbringing in Chelsea, Michigan (16:06) and the formative teachings of theater director Marshall W. Mason (21:20). Then, Daniels reflects on his arrival to New York City in 1976 (24:06), performing in Lanford Wilson’s play Fifth of July (27:20), and his early on-screen roles in Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild (31:10), Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo (34:20), and Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale (44:20). On the back-half, we walk through his years making The Newsroom (51:48), working with screenwriter (and then playwright) Aaron Sorkin (53:20), and how the two of them reimagined Atticus Finch and To Kill a Mockingbird for both Broadway (59:49) and what he calls “a country at a crossroads” (1:05:33). To close, we sit with the utility of good writing in this fraught era (1:10:30), and a musical tribute to his late father, Robert (1:15:32). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 13m
24 NOV

Jesse Eisenberg Steps Into His Past

Actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg’s latest project, A Real Pain, is perhaps his most personal to date. He joins us today to unpack the journey that shaped the film (9:18), memories from his travels to Poland (15:40), and what he observed about his family growing up in East Brunswick (22:23). Then, Eisenberg reflects on his first jokes written on post-it notes (29:20), his breakthrough acting roles in Roger Dodger (31:35) and The Squid and the Whale (34:37), and formative visits to his aunt Doris in New York City (35:32). On the back-half, we talk about his transformation in The Social Network (41:15), the erotic dream that inspired his play The Spoils (42:48), the real anxiety he explored while writing A Real Pain (46:39), lessons on directing from Richard Ayoade and Greg Mottola (51:14), and why he cares so deeply about his art (1:00:10). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 3m
17 NOV

Actor Josh Brolin: A Life in Vivid Color

Since the turn of the century, actor Josh Brolin has had quite a run. From No Country for Old Men and Hail, Caesar! from the Coen Brothers, to Inherent Vice from Paul Thomas Anderson, to Sicario and the Dune films from Denis Villeneuve. His new memoir, From Under the Truck, contains stories about the life in between. We discuss his upbringing bouncing from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara (8:49), the influence of his mother (10:05), and his entry to writing (19:40). Then, Brolin reflects on his vivid early adulthood in the 80s (26:14), the power of a story (32:30), and what actor Anthony Hopkins illuminated about sobriety (34:35). On the back-half, we get into his collaborations with the Coen Brothers (38:48), his challenging relationship to drinking (50:50), and why finally, after three decades of playing characters on screen, it was time to fill in some of the backstory (1:07:13). This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 25m

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Lupita Nyong’o knows what home feels like. But where exactly is it? In Mexico, where she was born? Kenya, where she grew up? Or the States, where she’s spent the past 20 years? Like Lupita, millions of Africans are spread out across the globe following family, searching for love, building futures and creating stories. It's these stories – wild and messy, intimate and joyous – that she wants to hear. Welcome to Mind Your Own, a storytelling podcast navigating what it means to belong, all from the African perspective. Join Lupita as she shares tales of her own and dives into the lives of real people finding their way in new worlds of every kind. Production by Snap Studios at KQED, ad sales and distribution by Lemonada Media.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe is a love letter to Black women in entertainment. Emmy-Award winning writer, actor, and producer Lena Waithe sits down with trailblazers like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenifer Lewis, Debbie Allen, and more, to discuss their creative process, their journey, and how they became the incredible women they are today. Legacy Talk is more than just a series of interviews; it’s a documentation of the stories and experiences of women who shifted narratives, broken barriers, and inspired a generation. Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe, from Hillman Grad and Lemonada Media, drops November 12 on all platforms. And if you want to see all the magic unfold, catch the full episodes on YouTube.

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TV & FILM
Good sex is all about good communication. And we believe honest conversations are the best way to get there. That’s why we’ve asked duos of all types to open up to each other - no host! - about pleasure, intimacy and what turns them on. Listen to hear intimate chats, sexual revelations and playful moments between friends, lovers and everyone in between.

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SEXUALITY
Hello, and welcome to my podcast. I first went viral on TikTok after telling the story of how I got stuck buying 100 tacos on a first date. Since then, it’s been a wild and crazy ride. I now have millions of eyeballs watching my videos on a daily basis (which is just a terrifying number of eyeballs, honestly). Each week on my podcast Funny Cuz It’s True, I’ll be sitting down with my favorite creators, friends and comedians to find the stories that have stuck with them and changed their lives in small ways. Not so funny moments that have become funny over time. I want to know how they handled these situations and learned to laugh about them years later. How do they do it? Great question, I’d love to tell you (but you have to listen to find out).

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COMEDY INTERVIEWS
Believe Her is true crime, upside down. In September 2017, young mom Nikki Addimando shot and killed her partner, Chris Grover. She was sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison for murder. Through rare access to police audio, a month-long trial, conversations with Nikki, and original reporting, journalist Justine van der Leun lays out the killing, the evidence, and the aftermath. As this six-part series unfolds, listeners will put together different pieces of a disturbing puzzle. One thing is clear: perception ≠ reality. Believe Her is a riveting chronicle that grapples with assumptions we make about domestic and sexual violence, the long reach of trauma, and the ways in which survival is criminalized, leaving us shocked at how far people will go to avoid seeing what's right in front of them. From Lemonada Media and Spiegel & Grau.

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TRUE CRIME
It’s time to travel back to the Jeffersonian – this time, with an insider tour from the squint squad who made “Bones” one of the longest-running primetime dramas in TV history. Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan) and Carla Gallo (Daisy Wick) are besties who met on set and are ready to take you back to the beginning, episode by episode. How did the show start? Which first-season episode aired out of order? Why did the Angelator become the Angelatron? And shouldn’t Brennan have been wearing gloves or something when she was reconstructing that skull? (The answer is yes.) Emily and Carla will also interview the cast, the crew, the directors, and the producers who made the show so special. Whether you’re a new watcher or already King of the Lab, we promise this rewatch will save you from ever saying “I don’t know what that means” again.

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TV & FILM

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Sam Fragoso

Host

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.