Frank Buckley Interviews KTLA Audio Network

Jon M. Chu is one of the most in-demand directors in Hollywood. He is a filmmaker whose body of work seamlessly crosses multiple genres. He is the director of the hit films like Crazy Rich Asians, and In the Heights. He is also helming the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked. Jon has also directed big-budget action films like G.I. Joe: Retaliation, dance films like Step Up 2: The Streets, and big studio adventure-comedies like Now You See Me 2. Jon is also the author of the new book, Viewfinder A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen.

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Jesse Katz is a former Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine writer, and the author of the new book The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA.

The book tells the story of Giovanni Macedo, a young newcomer to LA, who seeks acceptance in the ruthless Columbia Lil Cycos gang. His initiation takes a tragic turn when a hit intended for a defiant street vendor goes fatally wrong, claiming the life of an infant instead. Hunted by his own gang, Giovanni embarks on a harrowing journey of survival and redemption, confronting the very forces that led him to commit his unforgivable act.

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Mickey Bergman is a former special-operations veteran from the Israel Defense Forces who now directs Global Reach and the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. Bergman is on the forefront of negotiating the release of political prisoners and hostages worldwide. He is also the author of the new book, In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad.




In the past decade, he has orchestrated daring operations to free Americans held in some of the toughest global hotspots, including Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Syria, Gambia, and Sudan. He was instrumental in helping negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia, as well as Marine Corps. Veteran Trevor Reed.




In this episode of Frank Buckley Interviews, Bergman shares firsthand accounts of his missions, discusses the art of negotiation under extreme circumstances, and sheds light on the importance of emotional intelligence in resolving international crises.

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Robert Vargas is a renowned artist celebrated for his captivating portraits, dynamic murals, and more. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, Vargas has become a pivotal figure in revitalizing the Downtown LA art scene. His most recent mural depicting L.A. Dodger Shohei Ohtani adorns the side of the Miyako Hotel in LA's Little Tokyo.

In this episode, Robert discusses what went into creating his Shohei Ohtani mural. He shares insights into his process, influences, and the deeper meanings embedded within his artworks. He also shares details about his upcoming project.

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This episode originally aired July 08, 2020.

Alan Zweibel is one of the original writers of Saturday Night Live, the co-creator and producer of It's Garry Shandling's Show, and a consulting producer on Curb Your Enthusiasm among many other credits. Alan is also a playwright whose theatrical works include his collaboration with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award-winning 700 Sundays and Bunny, Bunny: Gilda Radner, A Sort of Love Story. He is the author of numerous books including Lunatics (co-authored with Dave Barry), and The Other Shulman (for which he won the Thurber Prize for American Humor). His new book Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier is available as an audio book later this month. Alan's next film project is a screenplay he co-authored with Billy Crystal, Here Today, which Crystal is directing and will star Tiffany Haddish.

During this podcast, Alan discusses his career as a writer and reveals what it was like to work on SNL in the show's first years including with Gilda Radner with whom he was in love. He talks about why he and Garry Shandling stopped speaking for years after the end of their collaboration, and he also takes us inside his longtime friendship and collaboration with Billy Crystal.

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This episode originally aired February 2, 2022.

The Netflix documentary "Lead Me Home" explores the lives of people living on the streets of Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Filmmakers Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk filmed and interviewed people over three years to give viewers a sense of their lives and the circumstances that led them to being homeless. Kos and Shenk and their film are nominees for a 2022 Academy Award in the Documentary (Short Subject) category.

During this podcast, Kos and Shenk are joined by Nathan Sheets, executive director of The Center in Hollywood, a non-profit dedicated to ending isolation and homelessness in Hollywood. Shenk and Kos describe the experience of learning about the people they interviewed for their film, and Sheets provides perspective and context about the issue of homelessness.

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