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WTF with Marc Maron

Marc Maron welcomes comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to his home for amazingly revealing conversations. Marc's probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard.

Episode 1194 - Andy Zaltzman

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.6K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:24:34

When Marc first met Andy Zaltzman, Andy was in his element at the Edinburgh Fringe. They talk about why the festival circuit was important for Andy and other comics working their way up in the UK. They also talk about Andy’s podcast The Bugle, which he started with John Oliver, his new career paths as a cricket statistician and a quiz show host, and the strange confluence of Covid and Brexit. Plus Marc and Andy consider what the world will be like when they can return to standup. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1193 - Daniel Lanois

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 2K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:26:35

There’s a good chance Daniel Lanois is responsible for some of your favorite music ever and it’s all thanks to a penny whistle he bought with his allowance when he was growing up in Canada. Daniel tells Marc about his time working with Gospel choirs and doing experimental music with Brian Eno which led to him producing some of the biggest albums of all time, like U2’s The Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel’s So. They also talk about Daniel’s work with Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Neil Young and more, as well as his solo work and his uncompromising personal standards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1192 - Kate Winslet

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.7K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:13:16

Kate Winslet is all about learning on the job. She never trained to be an actor, she just observed her talented co-stars on set. She used her work in Contagion to prepare herself and her family at the onset of the COVID pandemic. And she learned that global fame wasn’t something she wanted after the success of Titanic. Now, with her new film Ammonite, she learned how to tell a universal love story that does away with heteronormative storytelling. Also, Kate tells Marc about reuniting with James Cameron for the next Avatar movies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1191 - Nicole Kidman

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.7K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:23:37

Nicole Kidman keeps going for a very simple reason: She feels like her job helps her understand the meaning of life. After winning pretty all the major film and television acting awards, after being one of the world’s biggest movie stars, and after becoming a major producer, Nicole says she’s still working because it allows her to explore what makes humans the way they are. Marc talks with Nicole about those explorations, including Eyes Wide Shut, To Die For, Big Little Lies, Destroyer, The Undoing and more. There’s also a cameo appearance by Keith Urban.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1190 - Thundercat

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:11:07

Thundercat thinks bass players run the world and not just because he’s a great one. The multi-talented singer-songwriter talks with Marc about growing up with music all around him, learning at the feet of his brother and his friends Kamasi Washington and Cameron Graves, and finding his own sound on the bass. They also talk about his work with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp A Butterfly and Thundercat describes the three areas around which he has structured his life: music, Marvel and anime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1189 - Mandy Patinkin

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 2K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:39:27

Mandy Patinkin is a renowned star of stage and screen, beloved for his roles in The Princess Bride and Homeland, admired for his mellifluous voice and impressive vocal range. But Mandy and Marc barely talk about any of that. Instead, they get deep into a discussion about life, death, love, religion, the Holocaust, depression, suicide, self-doubt, insecurity, and the meaning of this whole thing we’re all going through. And believe it or not, they find some answers! It’s the perfect talk for a new year as we head into the unknown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1187 - Patty Jenkins

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:14:33

Patty Jenkins’s connection to superheroes runs deep. Long before she became the first woman to direct a major superhero film, Patty was relying on Superman to help her process the loss of her father. Marc talks with Patty about how she was intrigued by the romance of tragedy, as filtered through the type of mythic storytelling depicted in her two Wonder Woman movies. They also talk about her time as a punk rocker, her years working the camera on hip-hop videos, and how the Beatniks are responsible for her entry into the film business.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1186 - Sam Tallent

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.9K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:31:45

Sam Tallent felt compelled to write a book about the guy he was afraid to turn into. As a comedian plying his trade on the road, San did enough one-nighters and heard enough horror stories from other comics to know there’s a path to ruin while going from club to club. Marc is also familiar with that path, which is why he connected so strongly with Sam’s book, Running the Light. Marc and Sam talk about the book’s fictional (but all-too-real) protagonist Billy Ray Shafer, as well as the actual rogues and borderline criminals they’ve met in their industry. Sam also explains what it was like to bet on himself and publish the book on his own.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1185 - Andrew Bird

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.8K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:26:50

Andrew Bird’s music defies categorization, so much so that he’s not even sure how to categorize it himself. Andrew walks Marc through the process by which he developed his sound, from youthful obsessions with classical music and jazz to his days on the road doing Old-Time music in bars to the period of isolation and deprivation he put himself through in order to experience a musical breakthrough. They also talk about his love of whistling, which he did in a recent Muppet movie. Also, Andrew plays a song from his new holiday album Hark! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1184 - Bootsy Collins

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:26:51

Bootsy Collins is one of the world’s preeminent practitioners of The Funk, although that might not be the case if he hadn’t snuck his brother’s guitar out of the closet when no one was around. Bootsy tells Marc about starting out with a homemade bass and graduating from the James Brown School of Hard Knocks as part of the Godfather of Soul’s band. Bootsy explains how he came out of that experience and shaped his own identity in the Parliament Funkadelic Universe, thanks to the freedom provided by George Clinton, and how it all ties in to his new album, The Power of the One. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1183 - Scott Glenn

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:28:53

Scott Glenn is convinced that every good thing that’s ever happened to him has been an accident. That includes serving in the Marines, getting his start in acting, meeting his wife, finding religion, gaining Lee Strasberg as a mentor, moving to Idaho, and getting the part in Apocalypse Now that kickstarted his confidence as an actor. Scott tells Marc about the serendipitous circumstances behind those moments in his life, as well as stories from the sets of The Right Stuff, Nashville, Urban Cowboy and Training Day.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1182 - Brad Williams

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.6K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 01:33:07

The first time Brad Williams got on a stand-up stage, he was just an audience member. Brought up on stage by a comedian who was telling little people jokes, Brad realized the power that comes with making people laugh on his own terms. Marc talks with Brad about what it’s like doing comedy as a little person, how other little people have responded to his act, how he feels about language that’s deemed inappropriate, and why he credits his dad for his ability to tell jokes. They also talk about Brad being a new father and the range of emotions he had about raising a little person. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1180 - John Densmore

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:09:41

John Densmore was the drummer for one of the most influential bands of the ‘60s, The Doors, but he’s always been on a quest to find truth through art and creativity. John explains to Marc that his love of jazz inspired a lot of the rock and roll he made and his latest book is an attempt to discover the inspirations of other artists. They also talk about how the drug scene spelled the end of the good times in 1960s Los Angeles, why he went to the mat against his bandmates over licensing The Doors music for commercials, and what Jim Morrison is like these days when he appears in John’s dreams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1179 - James Caan

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 2.1K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:28:19

It may not surprise you that James Caan has been in a few fights. He also played football, boxed and was in rodeo competitions, among other “non-Jewish activities,” as he calls them. James and Marc talk about how he turned his rough and tumble life into an acting career and how the same instincts that served him in competition helped him create memorable performances. They also talk about Robert Duvall, John Wayne, Misery, Thief, The Godfather, and the unexpected person who helped him create Sonny Corelone.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1178 - Mike Campbell

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.5K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:11:29

Mike Campbell was more than Tom Petty’s bandmate. He was more than a friend, too. He was a partner who had an almost telepathic writing relationship with his famed frontman. Mike talks with Marc about crafting so many of those Petty hits, how they developed the Heartbreakers sound, what song he played that made Tom put him in the band, and why he wants to keep playing guitar and writing music into his 70s.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1177 - Johnny Flynn

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.8K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:12:17

Johnny Flynn and Marc already developed a rapport while they were road-tripping through Canada. They were playing David Bowie and Bowie’s publicist at the time, but they still got to enjoy each other’s company. Now they get to converse just as themselves, as they talk about the movie they made together, Stardust, as well as Johnny’s personal journey from a fishing boat to acting school to rock bands and record contracts. Johnny also brings up a bit of advice Marc gave him when they were on the road that changed the way he looked at his life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1176 - Michael J. Fox

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.6K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:08:53

Michael J. Fox didn’t intend to be an inspiration but he’s glad he can help out. As Marc learned from talking with him, Michael maintains a perspective on life filled with gratitude and optimism as he lives with the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Recently, after a run of health setbacks, that perspective faltered. But Michael tells Marc how he got back on track, how he maintains strong bonds with his wife and children, how he felt about giving up show business for a second time, and what he realized about mortality while spending several months on the couch watching re-runs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1175 - Glenn Close

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.7K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:26:37

It took Glenn Close a long time to open up about some aspects of her past. Shame was stubbornly in the way. But Glenn tells Marc she was able to discover her inner rebel and push past that shame, many years after she already became famous for finding the buried emotions of complicated characters. They talk about Glenn’s personal evolution, as well as the mark she left with her performances in The Big Chill, Fatal Attraction, Sunset Boulevard, 101 Dalmatians, and her latest film Hillbilly Elegy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1174 - Rhea Seehorn

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.6K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:33:42

Better Call Saul features characters who are not honest about their lives and identities, so it’s appropriate that one of the show’s stars, Rhea Seehorn, suffers from imposter syndrome in real life. Rhea and Marc compare notes on why they both feel insecure and inadequate despite their natural talents, such as Rhea’s skills at painting, sculpting and building. They also talk about her father’s secretive life in the Naval Intelligence Services, the perils of pilot season, and why Bob Odenkirk is so hard on himself.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1173 - Frank Langella

WTF with Marc Maron

  • 1.3K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 01:15:38

Mel Brooks once told Frank Langella, “Nobody would believe you’re from Bayonne. You look like a prince without a country.” But whether he’s playing Dracula or Richard Nixon or King Lear, Frank is still a Jersey Boy at heart. Marc asks Frank about that upbringing across the Hudson and how being an introverted, sensitive middle child led him to a life of transforming into larger than life characters. They also talk about an amazing gift Frank was given by Ron Howard, the line of dialogue from the movie Dave that is his favorite in his entire career, and his performance in The Trial of the Chicago 7. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.