After the Applause: The Rise & Fall

Jonathan Perry
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

After the Applause is a documentary-style podcast exploring what happens when fame reaches its peak — and what comes after. Legal & Ethics Statement: This independent documentary podcast discusses addiction, mental health, and death. Listener discretion advised. Brief archival audio and media may be used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use (17 U.S.C. §107). This show is not affiliated with or endorsed by any individuals, estates, or rights holders mentioned. Music, sources, and attributions are listed in episode descriptions.

Episodes

  1. Jun 16

    Charlie Sheen Episode 3: The Fall

    In the finale of Season 2, we follow Charlie Sheen’s dramatic descent. From the peak of Two and a Half Men — where he became the highest-paid actor on television — to public meltdowns, hospitalizations, firings, and a very public unraveling that played out in real time. This is the story of what happens when the applause stops, the containment breaks, and the patterns that were always there finally take over. Follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter. This episode contains discussion of addiction, substance use, domestic incidents, and mental health. Listener discretion advised. Archival audio and media are used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use. See show description for full legal and ethics statement. Audio CreditsSound effects provided by Zapsplat (licensed use).Music by Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons).Additional sound design from 99Sounds (licensed use).Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/puzzle-piecesLicense code: 9ZHYENFLAJAPT4GD If you or someone you love is struggling, confidential help in the U.S. is available at 988 or findtreatment.gov.

    Charlie Sheen Episode 3: The Fall

  2. Jun 9

    Charlie Sheen Episode 2: The Rise

    Before the scandals. Before the headlines. This is where the rise began. In Episode 2 of Season 2, we follow Charlie Sheen’s explosive ascent through Hollywood. From his role in Wall Street, to becoming a box office star with Major League, and eventually reaching the absolute peak of television with Two and a Half Men — this is the story of how a young actor learned that the size of the applause could feel like love itself. Follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter. Archival audio and media are used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use. See show description for full legal and ethics statement. Audio CreditsSound effects provided by Zapsplat (licensed use).Music by Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons).Additional sound design from 99Sounds (licensed use).Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/puzzle-piecesLicense code: 9ZHYENFLAJAPT4GD If you or someone you love is struggling, confidential help in the U.S. is available at 988 or findtreatment.gov.

    Charlie Sheen Episode 2: The Rise

  3. Jun 2

    Charlie Sheen Episode 1: The Beginning

    In the premiere episode of Season 2, we go back to the very beginning — to a young Carlos Estévez growing up in the shadow of his father Martin Sheen, where cameras, scripts, and applause were part of everyday life. From childhood in New York and Los Angeles, through high school expulsions and backyard Super 8 films, to his first breakout roles in Red Dawn and Platoon, this is the story of how a boy learned that being watched could feel a lot like being loved. Follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter. This episode contains discussion of addiction, family dynamics, and substance use. Listener discretion advised. Archival audio and media are used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use. See show description for full legal and ethics statement. Audio CreditsSound effects provided by Zapsplat (licensed use).Music by Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons).Additional sound design from 99Sounds (licensed use).Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/puzzle-piecesLicense code: 9ZHYENFLAJAPT4GD If you or someone you love is struggling, confidential help in the U.S. is available at 988 or findtreatment.gov. Full research sources for this season: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DRvnVZciRWqRLXLgwXJhJI7pWN4xCZAv/view?usp=sharing

    Charlie Sheen Episode 1: The Beginning

  4. May 5

    Chris Farley Episode 3: The Fall

    He made the world laugh louder than almost anyone. But offstage, the fight was getting harder to hide. In this episode, we follow Chris Farley through the most difficult chapter of his life — after the movies, after the fame, when the pressure to be “the funny guy” never turned off. From the fallout of his firing at Saturday Night Live to repeated rehab stays, strained friendships, and a growing fear inside the people who loved him most, this episode traces how success, expectation, and addiction collided. This is the story of the spiral, the attempts to save him, and the final winter back in Chicago where it all began. And the legacy he left behind — not just as a comedian, but as a person people still deeply miss. Because the laughs never stopped. Until they did.

    Chris Farley Episode 3: The Fall

  5. Apr 28

    Chris Farley Episode 2: The Rise

    After the cast halls of Saturday Night Live, everything changes for Chris Farley. The loud kid from Madison is now a national star. Sketches become catchphrases. Characters become cultural landmarks. And Hollywood comes calling. In this episode, we follow Farley through the fastest rise of his career — from breakout moments on live television to the film sets of Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, where his on-screen chemistry with David Spade turns into box office gold. Fame is no longer a possibility. It’s a daily reality. But as the laughs get bigger, so does the pressure. Behind the scenes, the long nights, the expectations, and the lifestyle that comes with sudden stardom begin to take a toll. What starts as celebration slowly edges into dependence. Friends start to worry. Producers start to notice. And the line between performance and personal life begins to blur. This is the chapter where Chris Farley becomes a movie star — and where the first real cracks begin to show. Episode 2 traces the height of the rise, the early shadows of addiction, and the moments that hint at the fall still to come.

    Chris Farley Episode 2: The Rise

  6. Apr 21

    Chris Farley Episode 1: The Beginning

    Before the movies. Before the fame. Before the fall. In this premiere episode, we return to Chris Farley’s childhood in Madison, where a loud, lovable kid learned that making people laugh could light up a room—and hide what he was feeling inside. From family life and school days to the stages of The Second City and the cast halls of Saturday Night Live, this is where the story begins. Featuring: Chris Farley, Madison, Wisconsin, The Second City, Saturday Night Live. Follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter. This episode contains discussion of addiction, mental health, and death. Listener discretion advised. Archival audio and media are used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use. See show description for full legal and ethics statement. Audio Credits Sound effects provided by Zapsplat (licensed use). Music by Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons). Additional sound design from 99Sounds (licensed use). If you or someone you love is struggling, confidential help in the U.S. is available at 988 or findtreatment.gov. Full research sources for this season: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1No1Km24LL_0g3M5MvU9zJp-TjbUng28U/view?usp=share_link

    Chris Farley Episode 1: The Beginning

  7. Season 1 Trailer

    Season 1 Trailer Chris Farley

    He made the world laugh harder than almost anyone else in the 1990s. This documentary series tells the story of Chris Farley — from Saturday Night Live to films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep — and the private battle with addiction that followed him through it all. This isn’t a recap of a career. It’s the story of how someone so full of life could slowly run out of it. This series discusses addiction and death and uses archival material for historical commentary under Fair Use. Listener discretion advised.

    Season 1 Trailer Chris Farley

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

After the Applause is a documentary-style podcast exploring what happens when fame reaches its peak — and what comes after. Legal & Ethics Statement: This independent documentary podcast discusses addiction, mental health, and death. Listener discretion advised. Brief archival audio and media may be used for commentary and historical context under Fair Use (17 U.S.C. §107). This show is not affiliated with or endorsed by any individuals, estates, or rights holders mentioned. Music, sources, and attributions are listed in episode descriptions.

Information