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.

16 HR AGO

Oscars Week with Jesse Eisenberg (‘A Real Pain’)

In the lead-up to Oscar Sunday, our conversation with actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg. At the top, we unpack the journey that shaped his film A Real Pain (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 mail@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr
3 DAYS AGO

Director RaMell Ross (‘Nickel Boys’) is Redefining Cinema

One week from Oscar Sunday, we’re joined by Nickel Boys director RaMell Ross. At the top, RaMell describes the formal innovations of the new film (6:44), the naivete that allowed him to make this singular project (8:02), and how photography is shaped by race in ways we don’t consider (12:00). Then, we dive into RaMell’s Virginia upbringing (29:28), the hoop dreams that brought him to Georgetown (29:35), and the “question everything” mindset that took flight in his college years (30:30). On the back-half, Ross explains the cinematic lineage of his Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening (42:25), his aim to portray the American South in a new light (50:26), and why Nickel Boys is just the beginning of this next chapter in Black cinematic history (57:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 4m
6 DAYS AGO

Live From New York: 50 Years of ‘Saturday Night Live’

A celebration of 50 years of Saturday Night Live, featuring stories from Bill Hader, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Jason Reitman. Find links to hear each of these full episodes. Visit Peacock to watch The SNL Anniversary Special, The Homecoming Concert, and the four-part docuseries Beyond Saturday Night. Feedback or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
16 FEB

Are You Not Entertained? Host Chris Hayes (The Sirens’ Call) on the Attention Age

For more than a decade, Chris Hayes has been one of our most incisive political thinkers. He joins us this week in New York City, hours before taping his hit MSNBC show, All In with Chris Hayes, to discuss his new book, The Sirens’ Call. At the top, we unpack America’s Constitutional crises (5:30), the editorial inner workings of “All In” (7:00), and how attention became our most endangered resource (12:00). Then, Hayes talks through the challenges of maintaining viewership in the era of cord cutting (14:00), the diversity of his primetime audience (25:00), and how he balances the performative elements of the job with his authentic self (44:00). On the back-half, Hayes describes the challenges of reaching a wider audience in our increasingly partisan political landscape (50:00), his tenure on television (55:00), his formative years writing at The Chicago Reader (1:05:00), and a short story from Albert Camus that keeps him on course (1:10:00). Feedback or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 11m
9 FEB

Mikey Madison (‘Anora’) Enters Her Golden Age

Actor Mikey Madison has delivered the performance of the season with her star-making turn in Anora. She joins us this week on the heels of her recent Oscar nomination for Best Actress. We begin by discussing the organic partnership she formed with writer/director Sean Baker (3:30), the ‘emotional preparation’ required to tell this vulnerable story (7:00), her San Fernando Valley upbringing (11:45), and her formative years working with Pamela Adlon on Better Things (22:38). On the back-half, Mikey reflects on her breakout part in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (30:30), the sex professionals who helped inform her work in Anora (32:50), how she excavated her past to create in the present (43:10), and where she hopes to go on the other side of this towering achievement (49:50). Feedback, future guest ideas, or thoughts on Anora? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

53 min
2 FEB

The Humanity of Actor Steven Yeun (‘Love Me’)

From The Walking Dead to Minari to Beef, Steven Yeun has become one of the most singular performers in Hollywood today. With his latest role in the sci-fi romance Love Me, we look back at our conversation with the leading man. At the top, Yeun unpacks his acclaimed Netflix series Beef (5:09), a powerful church scene from the show (11:30), and his personal experience immigrating to the US from Seoul as a child (18:15). Then, we walk through Steven’s coming of age in Michigan (21:24), his memorable audition for The Second City Touring Company (25:29), and his pursuit of on-screen work in Los Angeles (33:40). On the back-half, Steven reflects on his portrayal of Glenn on The Walking Dead (36:22), the films that followed, including Okja (48:10), Burning (50:02), and Sorry to Bother You (51:16), his transformative experience making and premiering Minari (55:42), and to close, a poem that guided him on set by the great Wendell Berry (1:08:19). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 14m
26 JAN

Director David Lynch Transcends

David Lynch was an artist in every sense of the word. Rest in peace to the legendary filmmaker, who passed away this month at the age of 78. Today we present a tribute to Lynch, featuring excerpts from two of his most enduring collaborators: actors Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern. In each conversation, they reflect on the early projects they worked on with Lynch—together in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, separately in Dune and Wild at Heart. They also discuss David’s original creative process, his fascination with the mysteries of life, and memories from over three decades alongside the beloved director. To close, a love letter to the movies and a piece of music by Lynch himself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

41 min
19 JAN

The Week That Changed Los Angeles

Writer Emily Witt (“Health and Safety: A Breakdown”) has spent the past two weeks on the ground covering the Los Angeles wildfires for The New Yorker. Her latest story centers around the Benns (5:39), a multigenerational Black family with deep ties to Altadena (8:35), where they’ve raised children in homes they’ve owned dating back to the late 1950s (16:13). We discuss how they’re managing as the Eaton fire continues to rage (17:00), the value of community in crisis (18:40), and the measures the city was urged to take to mitigate this disaster (23:28). On the back half, Witt reflects on her 2023 interview with Mayor Karen Bass (32:40), the prophetic work of Altadena author Octavia Butler (39:28), how on-the-ground reporting offers a chance to “write a first draft of history” (46:30), and where Los Angeles goes from here (56:10). To help support the Benn family, visit their GoFundMe or text “Talk” to 858-358-5881. And special thanks to Weyes Blood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 2m

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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
We all have terrifying questions that we can’t stop thinking about. Did I make the right decision as a parent? Can I share a secret with my mother or father? Usually, these questions go unanswered because it’s too scary to imagine saying them out loud. This podcast is the place where young people and caring adults in their lives can ask the hardest questions of each other. Lemonada Media presents "I Need To Ask You Something," a unique 10-part series that bridges the gap between the things we need to say and the words we’re afraid to hear. Each week, trauma therapist Dr. Monica Band sits down with a young person and their parent, friend or partner to help them create a blueprint for building stronger relationships while healing out loud. Created in partnership with The Jed Foundation.

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HEALTH & FITNESS
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
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
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
We make a lot of choices, every single day. Some explode, some implode, most we barely remember. Each week on Choice Words, Samantha Bee sits down with people she admires to examine the biggest choices they’ve made in their lives and the ripple effects those decisions have had. What’s a story a journalist took a chance on that changed history? A vote that a politician never should have cast? A song lyric a musician came up with in the shower that made them instantly famous? Sam’s made a lot of choices, too. She may have to interview herself about starting this podcast.

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COMEDY

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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.