The Envelope Los Angeles Times

‘Succession,’ which earned a whopping 27 Emmy nominations for its final season, has captivated audiences with its complex, uber-wealthy characters. For director Mark Mylod, telling stories about family and social class is a reccuring theme — His credits include ‘Shameless’ and ‘The Menu’ — with surprisingly personal roots.

In this episode of The Envelope podcast, Mylod opens up about his fascination with this topic, takes us behind the scenes of the pivotal ‘Connor’s Wedding’ episode, and shares how he pushed through his comfort zone to take on more creative risks.

Bravo producer Alex Baskin and star-turned-producer Lisa Vanderpump. They candidly delve into the juicy details behind the show’s scandals, a forthcoming spinoff featuring familiar personas and their perspective on the burgeoning calls for reality show residuals. Plus, their response to awards recognition — and whether any “Housewives” counterparts had anything to say.

As today’s screenwriters and actors grapple with financial challenges in a rapidly changing showbiz landscape, combined strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA have brought Hollywood to a standstill. Productions are stalled, press tours canceled, and the 2023 Emmys are postponed. The economic impact is expected to far surpass that of the last writers’ strike, which cost the L.A. economy more than 2 billion dollars. On this episode of “The Envelope,” hosts Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen discuss the issues underlying this historic strike, pay disparities in streaming, and concerns over the rise of AI with L.A. Times film reporter Josh Rottenberg and actor Sarah Ramos — a member of the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee.

On the occasion of scoring double Emmy nominations this year for her performances in "Yellowjackets" and "The Last of Us," Mark and Yvonne revisit a favorite conversation with Melanie Lynskey.

In this episode, she dishes on feeling more empowered and less underestimated as of late, arriving at a place of self-love after struggling with an eating disorder, and why roles of women who take up a lot of space appeal to her. Oh, and there’s also a delightful story about a Nick Cave concert and the best Drew Barrymore impression we’ve ever heard.

Jessica Williams talks "Shrinking," why grief and comedy go hand in hand, J.K. Rowling and transgender rights, plus how to decolonize a garden.

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini play besties on “Dead to Me” and adore each other in real life. Here, they go deep on grief, health and trust.