Wtf With Marc Maron Podcast

David Alan Grier studied to become a serious actor at Yale School of Drama, which actually came in handy when he got cast on one of the funniest shows of all time, In Living Color. David talks with Marc about his varied career on stage, screen and in the comedy clubs. Plus, comedian Joe Mande takes a break from Twitter to stop by the garage and talk about how he staged an award show for his new standup special. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc believes - and many agree with him - that Randy Newman is an American genius. One person who's not so sure is Randy himself who, after half a century as a recording artist, 13 solo albums, 23 soundtracks, six Grammys, two Oscars and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, tells Marc he still doesn't think he's done enough. They talk about Randy's early albums, his struggles with songwriting, his film scores, his latest album Dark Matter and his legacy in American music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Remnick is a seasoned journalist, an accomplished writer and a proud amateur guitar player. But he's also the gatekeeper of an American institution as editor of The New Yorker. Marc and David talk about the versatility of The New Yorker's content, from poetry to fiction to investigative reporting and more, and how the current political and cultural climates demand our engagement with all aspects of art, literature and information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With indelible roles in shows like The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, and Horace and Pete, a lot of people feel like they know Edie Falco very well, even though they only know her characters. Edie helps Marc dispel some of these preconceived notions by discussing her early struggles as an aspiring actor, why she wanted to be a mother, who intimidates her when she's on set, and how she dealt with a major dilemma when she was offered the role of Carmela Soprano. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blues legends Keb' Mo' and Taj Mahal are distinctly different individuals. One grew up in Compton, California, the other grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. One was raised on Caribbean music, the other got schooled in the Southern Blues. One is quiet and contemplative, the other is an excitable storyteller. But as they tell Marc about their separate journeys, it actually makes sense that they wound up weaving their styles together and collaborating on a new joint project, TajMo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Give a listen to how the sausage of television gets made as Marc talks with the creative team behind the show GLOW. First, hear about the process of scripting a season of television as a group from the show's writers, Rachel Shukert, Nick Jones and Sascha Rothschild. Then Marc speaks with the creators and showrunners Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive who had to bring all the parts together and still maintain their long-standing friendship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker Jeff Baena was always into movies that didn't fit into easy categories. He tells Marc about having his mind blown at an early age thanks to directors like Kubrick and Fellini, which helps explain how Jeff could wind up writing a screenplay like I Heart Huckabees and directing a twisted Middle Ages comedy like The Little Hours. Also, Marc gets his friend and television foil Dave Anthony to stop so they can talk about Dave's new book and make fun of each other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a tag team match with two of Marc's GLOW colleagues. First, Chavo Guerrero Jr. stops by to tell Marc what it's like to be part of a wrestling dynasty and how he put his lifetime of experience to use as the behind-the-scenes trainer on GLOW. Then Kia Stevens talks about going from social work to wrestling stardom and how she was able to play the character of Tamee, aka Welfare Queen, by drawing on past incidents of dealing with racial stereotyping in the wrestling world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Mantzoukas is a great improvisational comedian, which you would know from seeing him in shows like The League, on podcasts like How Did This Get Made? and in movies like The House. As he explains to Marc, it was only after undertaking a global musical quest, having mystical experiences in foreign lands and being jailed in Morocco that Jason realized his true calling was comedy, which is still the one thing that quiets his fears and anxieties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even when she was in school, Jenji Kohan didn't like being told what she couldn't do. So it makes sense that after she was told there was no chance she'd ever get on a TV writing staff, Jenji would make the hit shows Weeds, Orange is the New Black and now GLOW. Jenji tells Marc about her early influences, her string of unsatisfying writing jobs, and the inspiration she drew from working with Tracey Ullman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite a surname that is practically synonymous with modern American cinema, Sofia Coppola didn't want to be a film director. She tells Marc about her early career ambitions and how they inevitably led her into the family business. The two of them also discuss Sofia's films, including The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and her remake of a gritty 1970s Clint Eastwood movie, The Beguiled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc sits down with his coworkers Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin to take stock of the time they spent shooting the first season of the new Netflix series GLOW and to learn a bit more about each other now that they're not in character anymore. They also discuss their newfound appreciation of wrestling, Alison's realistic fear that she wasn't going to get the part, and the reason Marc was intimidated by Betty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon are married. They also wrote the movie The Big Sick, which is based on their lives and in which Kumail plays himself. Marc also wrote an episode of television that was based on Kumail, only Kumail did not play himself. The three of them talk about the circumstances surrounding that situation and about the making of the movie. Plus, comedian Jim Florentine stops by to talk comedy, rock and driving Metallica around. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Marc crossed paths with writer Ariel Leve back in the '90s, she was working at MTV and on the verge of making a splash as a print journalist. Ariel didn't know she would soon uncover the trauma inflicted by her gaslighting mother. As Ariel tells Marc, she would have to decide with whether telling the truth was a betrayal. Also on the show, in what was probably a mistake, Wheeler Walker, Jr. explains why he's having a hard time getting his new album played on country music radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a doubleheader of singer-songwriters who are separated by several years but tied together by similar tragedies that reshaped their lives and their art. First, Phil Elverum of The Microphones and Mount Eerie tells Marc why he urgently needed to write his new album. Then Marc Mulcahy talks about the stops on his journey, from his work with Miracle Legion to finding mainstream recognition as part of the show The Adventures of Pete and Pete to realigning everything through his solo work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc interviews an interviewer when Lesley Stahl spends 60 minutes in the garage. The veteran journalist tells Marc what it was like to cover Watergate, interview U.S. Presidents, report on the struggles of real people, confront the changing nature of journalism, and become a grandma. Also, Demetri Martin returns to talk about his new movie Dean and the new challenges he's facing with his standup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc travels to Washington, DC for a conversation with his old radio co-worker who now happens to be a United States Senator. Al Franken takes Marc through his start in comedy with Tom Davis, his fifteen years at SNL and his emergence as a political leader. The Senator works through the challenges of the Trump Presidency, gives his impressions of fellow Senators and explains how his career in comedy helped him in politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Fogelnest was a teenager with a public access show who was thrust into a high-profile MTV gig and before too long was in rehab for drug addiction. Now Jake's a successful writer and show runner but it all started out with him as a 10-year-old comedy fan going to the clubs of New York City to see people like Marc Maron. Plus, Ron Funches returns to the garage as he gets ready to head out on tour, ready to talk about losing some TV shows but also losing 140 pounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danny Fields is a music manager, a publicist, a magazine editor, a writer, and a conduit to some of the greatest artists ever, including Andy Warhol, the Velvet Underground, the Doors, the Ramones, and many others. Danny takes Marc through a his experiences during a half-century of cutting edge music and pop art and also explains his role in an infamous Beatles controversy. Also, guitar legend J Mascis stops by to hang out, talk about Adele, and play some tunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Griffin Dunne caught the acting bug at a young age and had early success with movies like American Werewolf in London and After Hours. But tragedy struck when his career was ascendant and his whole family channeled grief into activism. Griffin tells Marc about that journey, as well as the moment he finally felt comfortable in show business. Plus, Bill Burr stops by because the new season of 'F is for Family' is coming out, but actually he's all worked up about drums. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.