Actor Sterling K. Brown won his first Emmy for portraying Christopher Darden in "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story." And he won his second, a little over a week ago, for his performance as Randall Pearson in the acclaimed NBC drama "This Is Us." His latest role in the biographical drama "Marshall." Sterling talks to Brendan about his "This Is Us" character being "black on purpose," not-so-blind justice, and more.
"Rat Film" takes Baltimore's longstanding rat control problem as a metaphor for other social ills, from institutional racism to economic inequality. It's an impressionistic, vaguely creepy mix of cinema verite and art film -- and it's earned its creator, Theo Anthony, comparisons to filmmakers like Werner Herzog. Hear Rico talk with Theo about how he got interested in rats, what he learned about what people's relationship to rats can reveal about themselves, and more.
Lake Bell has one of the most interesting resumes in Hollywood. Most viewers know her as an actress -- she was lawyer Sally Heep on the series "Boston Legal" and she stars on the Netflix series "Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later." Lake also writes, directs and stars in her own indie films. The latest being the comedy "I Do... Until I Don't." Rico talks with Lake about how she went from cynic to romantic while working on the film, how she incorporated experiences from her own relationship into the script, and more.
Each week you send in your questions about how to behave, and here to answer them this time is Kyle Mooney. You know him as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," the movie "Zoolander 2," and he's now starring in a film he created with an old writing partner, "Brigsby Bear." He tells our listeners what to do with sneaky party DJs, the best way to eat bacon, and more.
Flying Lotus is an artist who has been blowing people's minds in multiple mediums since his music debut in 2006. Now, he's moving to the big screen with his debut film called, "Kuso." He chats with Rico about his cinematic influences, what the critics missing out on by focusing on the cruder elements of the film… and championship tag.
Archaeologist and diplomat T. E. Lawrence's involvement in the Middle East during World War I was legendary, but another person of equal influence has kind of been forgotten in the history books (and on-screen). Her name was Gertrude Bell, and the directors behind a new documentary called "Letters From Baghdad" explain why she is the most important explorer you've never heard of.
Paul Feig is beloved for creating and producing the cult-favorite tv show "Freaks and Geeks," but these days, Paul's probably best known for "Bridesmaids," "The Heat," and "Spy." Listen as he shares some insight with Brendan on testing the limits of raunchiness and why Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer impression works so well.
After winning an Oscar for writing the film "12 Years a Slave," John Ridley created the award-winning series "American Crime" and the new Showtime miniseries "Guerrilla." He's also releasing a documentary coinciding with the 25 anniversary of the L.A. riots called, "Let It Fall." He and Brendan discuss the director's own experience during the riots, the creative choices behind constructing the documentary's narrative, and more.
In the past decade or so chefs have become celebrities. So, it's kind of remarkable that pioneering chef Jeremiah Tower isn't better known. However, a new documentary from filmmaker Lydia Tenaglia sets out to change that with "The Last Magnificent." It profiles Tower's role in changing what and how Americans eat and why his personal flaws might've contributed to his obscurity.
Alan Tudyk is one of the stars of NBC's new superhero sitcom "Powerless." After honing his chops at Julliard, he's spent most of his career in outer space. He starred in the cult TV hit "Firefly" and lent his voice to a slew of films, including "i, Robot" and "Star Wars Rogue One." Check out his list, in which he sings the praises of his robot heroes.