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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Lemonada Media

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people.... more

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Episodes

The Year of Actor Sebastian Stan (‘The Apprentice’)

Actor Sebastian Stan has built a career out of shapeshifting. This week, he joins us to discuss the process of... more

15 Dec 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
Remembering Poet Nikki Giovanni

For the past 50 years, Nikki Giovanni has been one of our preeminent poets. Rest in Power to the legendary... more

11 Dec 2024 · 44 minutes
Talk Easy in 2024: A Mixtape

It’s been a year. And while we’re not quite done with it (3:15), we wanted to take a moment to... more

08 Dec 2024 · 58 minutes
Host Padma Lakshmi (‘Taste the Nation’) is Just Getting Started

To close out the holiday weekend, we're revisiting our conversation with writer, food expert, and television host Padma Lakshmi. At... more

01 Dec 2024 · 53 minutes
Play It Again: Jeff Daniels

Today, for your holiday week, we’re returning to one of our favorite 2024 conversations with actor Jeff Daniels. Daniels is... more

27 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
Jesse Eisenberg Steps Into His Past

Actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg’s latest project, A Real Pain, is perhaps his most personal to date. He joins us... more

24 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Actor Josh Brolin: A Life in Vivid Color

Since the turn of the century, actor Josh Brolin has had quite a run. From No Country for Old Men... more

17 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 25 minutes
What Can Be, Burdened By What Has Been (with Astead Herndon of NYT)

It’s been a week. To help us through it, we’ve enlisted The New York Times political reporter Astead Herndon. We... more

10 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
Ta-Nehisi Coates (‘The Message’) is Live in Los Angeles

On the heels of his latest book The Message, author Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Sam for a conversation in Los Angeles.... more

03 Nov 2024 · 1 hour,
Actor and Director Anna Kendrick: Life Imitates Art

Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) has been a fixture in Hollywood for the past fifteen years. She... more

27 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
This Conversation with Author Jason Reynolds is a Gift

For the past decade, Jason Reynolds has become an inspiring voice in the literary world. He’s a New York Times... more

20 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 23 minutes
Wesley Morris Returns with ‘The Wonder of Stevie’

Today, culture critic Wesley Morris (The New York Times) returns to Talk Easy for a conversation about The Wonder of... more

16 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 25 minutes
Director Jason Reitman’s Love Letter to ‘Saturday Night’

Since his directorial debut in 2006, Jason Reitman has made the kind of films they say Hollywood doesn’t make anymore.... more

13 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Francis Ford Coppola Stays in the Picture

Director Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t just want to make movies. He wants to change them. This was true in 1969... more

06 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
The Joaquin Phoenix Interview

Joaquin Phoenix is one of the greatest actors of his generation. For three decades, he’s moved seamlessly between auteur-driven films... more

29 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why Myha’la (‘Industry’) is Playing the Long Game

For actor Myha’la, the role of a lifetime arrived less than a year out of college. “Lightning struck,” she says,... more

25 Sep 2024 · 57 minutes
Actor Ken Leung (‘Industry’) Enters a New Season

For the past couple decades, actor Ken Leung has played scene-stealing characters in films like Rush Hour, Keeping the Faith,... more

22 Sep 2024 · 54 minutes
Abbi Jacobson Interviews Sam

To commemorate his 30th birthday, Abbi Jacobson interviews Sam! They talk about Sam's early days in journalism (8:00), his Almost... more

15 Sep 2024 · 56 minutes
The First Gen Z Congressman’s Fight for Gun Reform

To start, Sam sits with another week in American life, before returning to our timely conversation with Congressman Maxwell Frost... more

08 Sep 2024 · 59 minutes
Filmmaker Lee Daniels (‘The Deliverance’) Finds His Light

This week, our guest is trailblazing filmmaker Lee Daniels. At the top, we discuss his fifteen-year journey to the new... more

01 Sep 2024 · 51 minutes
Director Steven Soderbergh: Scene by Scene

Since 1989 (Sex, Lies, and Videotape), filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has been a pioneering voice in American cinema. Part free-wheeling iconoclast,... more

29 Aug 2024 · 44 minutes
We Are So Back (at the Movies) with Sean Fennessey (‘The Big Picture’)

We’re so back at the movies… with head of content at The Ringer and co-host of The Big Picture, Sean... more

25 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 31 minutes
A Tea with Amelia Dimoldenberg of Chicken Shop Date

What’s the difference between an interview and a first date? For the past decade, Amelia Dimoldenberg has been walking that... more

18 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
Author Vinson Cunningham on our ‘Great Expectations’ for 2024

Vinson Cunningham has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for the past eight years, covering theater, television, and... more

11 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 25 minutes
The Vision of Novelist Zadie Smith (‘The Fraud’)

Last fall, Zadie Smith published her prescient historical novel The Fraud. We return to our conversation with the beloved author... more

04 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner on Her ‘Long Island Compromise’

Taffy Brodesser-Akner (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”) is a staff writer at The New York Times, where she covers everything from... more

28 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
Tom Hanks: A Retrospective

Today, we're revisiting our special conversation with actor Tom Hanks. We begin by discussing his debut novel, The Making of... more

24 Jul 2024 · 57 minutes
Talk Easy Presents Author Isabel Allende on ‘Wiser Than Me’

This week, on the heels of our live show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, we’re presenting a special conversation from her podcast... more

21 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
Live from Aspen with Performer Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) is a national treasure with more primetime Emmys than any performer in the history of television.... more

14 Jul 2024 · 55 minutes
Actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach (‘The Bear’) Returns to the Kitchen

On the heels of his first Emmy win, actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach joins us on the show to unpack the return... more

07 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
A Post-Debate Talk with Democratic Strategist James Carville

“You’re never gonna forget where you were last night at 7:30,” says James Carville. “It has the potential to be... more

30 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
How Playwright Annie Baker Made the Movie of the Summer

Beloved playwright Annie Baker won the Pulitzer for Drama in 2014 for her play, The Flick. A decade later, she’s... more

23 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
A Father’s Day Special (with Ethan Hawke)

This Father's Day, we're revisiting our special talk with actor Ethan Hawke. After a phone call with Dad Fragoso (2:00),... more

16 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
Director Richard Linklater’s Moments in Time

Director Richard Linklater has made a career out of telling personal stories with universal appeal. Dazed and Confused, Waking Life,... more

09 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 20 minutes
Maya Hawke (‘Stranger Things’) Writes through Chaos

On the heels of her breakout role in Stranger Things, Maya Hawke has gone her own way as an artist—... more

02 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Comedian Ilana Glazer (‘Broad City’) is Mothering

This week we’re joined by comedian and actor Ilana Glazer.  At the top, Glazer reflects on her recent tour across... more

26 May 2024 · 1 hour,
A Love Letter to Comedy with Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello (‘Hacks’)

Hacks co-creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, who are also husband and wife, have been performing and writing together... more

19 May 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
A Mother’s Day Special with Pamela Adlon (‘Better Things’)

This Mother’s Day, our very special episode with actor, writer, and director Pamela Adlon. We discuss her new movie Babes... more

12 May 2024 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael’s Self-Portrait

In just under a decade, comedian, writer, and actor Jerrod Carmichael has had a remarkably varied career. On the heels... more

05 May 2024 · 1 hour, 25 minutes
Nick Offerman (‘Civil War’) Brings a Message of Hope

Today, actor and author Nick Offerman returns to the show! We call him up to unpack his latest role as... more

28 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
Poet Rupi Kaur: 10 Years of 'Milk and Honey'

Today, in honor of National Poetry Month, we’re returning to our conversation with Rupi Kaur. Her debut collection, milk and... more

21 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
The Stories of Actor Jeff Daniels

Actor Jeff Daniels is always writing. Plays, songs, a script or two. Even in interviews you get the sense the... more

14 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
Actor and Director Dev Patel is a Leading Man

Actor Dev Patel has pursued interesting, complex roles in Hollywood since his arrival in Slumdog Millionaire fifteen years ago. He... more

07 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Director M. Night Shyamalan: A Talk from 'Development Hell'

Today we're sharing two special conversations, featuring our friends at Revisionist History. First, Malcolm Gladwell joins Sam to discuss "Development... more

31 Mar 2024 · 58 minutes
Comedian Ramy Youssef Returns with ‘More Feelings’

This weekend, comedian Ramy Youssef released a powerful and personal new HBO special, More Feelings. To commemorate the one-year anniversary... more

24 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 24 minutes
Pushkin Hosts Celebrate World Happiness Day

The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s... more

20 Mar 2024 · 48 minutes
How Do We Think About the 2024 Election?

Writer Evan Osnos (The New Yorker, CNN) has been interviewing Joe Biden on and off for the past decade. He... more

17 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
Oscar Sunday with Composer Ludwig Göransson (‘Oppenheimer’)

To celebrate Oscar Sunday, we're returning to our talk with Oppenheimer composer Ludwig Göransson! To begin, Göransson describes the collaborative... more

10 Mar 2024 · 59 minutes
From the Oscar Archives: Cate Blanchett

For over twenty-five years, Cate Blanchett has been as vital as any performer we have. In the lead-up to this... more

06 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Dispatches from a Gaza Hospital (with Dr. Seema Jilani)

As we enter month six of the Israel-Hamas war, a dispatch from Dr. Seema Jilani. She’s provided critical aid in... more

03 Mar 2024 · 56 minutes
A Cup of Coffee with Actor Kyle MacLachlan (‘Twin Peaks’)

In celebration of Dune’s 40th anniversary, we have a damn fine cup of coffee with actor (and now podcaster) Kyle... more

25 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Lily Gladstone (‘Killers of the Flower Moon’) is Making History

Actor Lily Gladstone made history last month when she netted a Best Actress nomination for her work in Martin Scorsese’s... more

18 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
Quinta Brunson: ‘Abbott Elementary’ is Back in Session

Today, we return to our conversation with “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of her historic... more

11 Feb 2024 · 55 minutes
Filmmaker Lulu Wang Creates In Between Two Worlds

Following the success of her autobiographical 2019 film, The Farewell, Lulu Wang has emerged as one of the most exciting... more

04 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
Oscar Nominations with Wesley Morris (The New York Times)

Wesley Morris has served as critic at large at The New York Times since 2015, covering film, politics, and pop... more

28 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
Dan Levy (‘Schitt’s Creek’) Goes His Own Way

Over the past decade, writer and actor Dan Levy rose to prominence for his work on Schitt’s Creek. After co-creating... more

21 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s New Hollywood Framework

Over the past 15 years, filmmaker Ava DuVernay (Selma, Queen Sugar) has become something of an institution in Hollywood. As... more

14 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
Actor Michelle Williams Works from a ‘Place of Peace’

As we begin the new year, we're returning to our conversation with brilliant actor Michelle Williams. We walk through the... more

07 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
Talk Easy’s 2023 Mixtape

As we say goodbye to 2023, a collection of passages from some of our favorite episodes of the year. Featuring... more

31 Dec 2023 · 1 hour, 17 minutes
Bradley Cooper as ‘Maestro’ from The New Yorker Radio Hour

This holiday weekend, we're presenting a special conversation between actor and director Bradley Cooper and David Remnick of The New... more

24 Dec 2023 · 50 minutes
The New Yorker Editor David Remnick: 'There's No Time to Despair'

David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker since 1998 and a staff writer since 1992. He joins... more

17 Dec 2023 · 1 hour, 23 minutes
The Transformations of Actor Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe has built a career out of shapeshifting. His latest role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things demonstrates exactly that. Today, he... more

10 Dec 2023 · 1 hour,
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Fights for the Protection of Journalists

Nobel Peace Prize-winner Maria Ressa has spent the past decade advocating for the protection of journalists. Today, we return to... more

03 Dec 2023 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
Actor and Director Benny Safdie Does It All

Throughout his fifteen-year moviemaking career, director and actor Benny Safdie has been drawn to naturalism and first-time performers. Fittingly, his... more

26 Nov 2023 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
The Futurist Vision of Actor and Filmmaker Brit Marling

For more than a decade, actor and writer Brit Marling has made futuristic work that reveals truths about our disquieting... more

19 Nov 2023 · 58 minutes
The Ziwe Interview

Writer and comedian Ziwe has made a career out of conducting charged and satirical interviews. She joins us this week... more

12 Nov 2023 · 59 minutes
Marina Abramović Creates Art from Pain

Marina Abramović is a pioneer in the field of performance art, using her body as both the subject and the... more

05 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
The Rise and Fall of Crypto Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried (with Writer Michael Lewis)

Upon taking a walk with crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, writer Michael Lewis had a sense that there might be a... more

29 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
Singer-Songwriter Weyes Blood Gives Us ‘Something to Believe’

Singer-songwriter Weyes Blood is one of the most inventive musicians working today. One year ago, she released her prescient album... more

22 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
A Human Conversation with Writer George Saunders

Last fall, George Saunders published Liberation Day, his first short-story collection in nine years. This week, we return to our... more

15 Oct 2023 · 56 minutes
Author and Critic Hua Hsu (The New Yorker) ‘Stays True’

One year ago, The New Yorker staff writer and critic Hua Hsu published his singular memoir entitled Stay True. Earlier... more

08 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
The Transformations of Novelist Zadie Smith

Novelist Zadie Smith is one of the most acclaimed and beloved writers of her generation. Editor David Remnick has called... more

01 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
Writer Sandra Cisneros Finds the Poetry of the World

Writer Sandra Cisneros has been making sense of the world on the page since 1984’s The House on Mango Street.... more

27 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
Legend David Byrne (‘Stop Making Sense’) is Still Burning Down the House

For the better part of a decade, David Byrne was the front-man of Talking Heads. To celebrate the revival of... more

24 Sep 2023 · 50 minutes
The State of Hollywood with Matt Belloni (‘The Town’)

For nearly two decades, Matt Belloni (The Town) has been observing and writing about Hollywood. He joins us today to... more

17 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
Jazz Singer Laufey is Bringing the Past to the Present

Jazz singer Laufey wants to bridge the gap between the past and the present. Today, she joins us upon the... more

10 Sep 2023 · 56 minutes
The Summer in Review (with Culture Critic Sam Sanders)

Sam Sanders is the host of Into It, a twice-weekly podcast surveying all things pop culture. Today: he joins us... more

03 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
Tracing 'The Steps' of Musician Alana Haim

Today, we return to our conversation with musician and actor Alana Haim! We first sat with Alana around her on-screen... more

30 Aug 2023 · 44 minutes
The Era(s) of Musician Este Haim

Musician and composer Este Haim has had quite the year. Today, she reflects on HAIM’s eventful summer as part of... more

27 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Abbi Jacobson is in a League of Her Own

Today, our conversation with actor and writer Abbi Jacobson! We sat with Abbi last summer around the release of her... more

23 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
Composer Ludwig Göransson (‘Oppenheimer’) Can Hear the Music

For over a decade, composer and record producer Ludwig Göransson has created some of the defining music of our time.... more

20 Aug 2023 · 58 minutes
Beto O'Rourke and the Border

As a fourth generation border resident in El Paso, politician Beto O’Rourke has long been making the case for immigration... more

13 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 24 minutes
Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Threads History and the Afrofuture

For over three decades, legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter has created the looks of our most era-defining films. Today,... more

06 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 10 minutes
The Revolution Will Be Televised (with 'The Bear' Writer Alex O'Keefe)

In a moment of historic upheaval in Hollywood, screenwriter and labor activist Alex O’Keefe (The Bear) believes he can turn... more

30 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
Photographer Joel Meyerowitz: The Pleasure of Seeing

Legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz has been capturing life itself since 1962. Whether on the streets of New York City, the... more

23 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 35 minutes
At Home with Writer Joyce Carol Oates

Last summer, we traveled to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. The talk begins with... more

19 Jul 2023 · 52 minutes
The Summer of Our Discontent with Reporter Astead Herndon (The New York Times)

With the closing of the latest season of The Run-Up, political reporter Astead Herndon (The New York Times) returns to... more

16 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
The Making of Tom Hanks

Today, on his 67th birthday, we’re joined by actor Tom Hanks! We begin by discussing his debut novel, The Making... more

09 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Every Second Counts with Actor Jon Bernthal (‘The Bear’)

Over the long holiday weekend, we’re returning to our conversation with actor Jon Bernthal! To begin, we discuss his performance... more

02 Jul 2023 · 58 minutes
The Era of Actor Michael Shannon

Today, we’re joined by actor Michael Shannon! We begin by discussing his recent turn as notorious country singer George Jones... more

25 Jun 2023 · 56 minutes
Model and Activist Geena Rocero Lives Her Story

Today, we sit with model, writer, and activist Geena Rocero! At the top, we discuss transgender visibility in the US... more

21 Jun 2023 · 52 minutes
A Father’s Day Special with Sarah Silverman

Today, we’re joined by comedian Sarah Silverman! At the top, we reflect on loss (7:16), her new special, Sarah Silverman:... more

18 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 1 minute
A Sunday Matinee with Actor Oscar Isaac

Today, we're joined by Oscar Isaac in New York City! At the top, we discuss the past six months of... more

11 Jun 2023 · 52 minutes
Comedian and Actor Ramy Youssef Tells a Muslim American Story

Today, we sit with comedian, actor, and director Ramy Youssef! At the top, he reflects on his experience during Ramadan... more

04 Jun 2023 · 59 minutes
The Elements of Singer-Songwriter Arlo Parks

Today, we sit with singer-songwriter Arlo Parks! At the top, we discuss the arrival of her new record My Soft... more

31 May 2023 · 47 minutes
Director Nicole Holofcener’s Art Imitates Life

Today, we sit with filmmaker Nicole Holofcener! We discuss the making of her new A24 film You Hurt My Feelings... more

28 May 2023 · 42 minutes
Bill Hader Says Goodbye to ‘Barry’

As we approach the series finale of Barry, we return to our talk with actor and director Bill Hader. We... more

24 May 2023 · 50 minutes
Actor Alan Ruck’s Road to ‘Succession’

Today, we’re joined by actor Alan Ruck! At the top, we dive into the Election Day episode of Succession (4:00),... more

21 May 2023 · 45 minutes
Mother’s Day with ‘Top Chef’ Padma Lakshmi

Today, we sit with writer and television host Padma Lakshmi! At the top, we discuss the return of her Hulu... more

14 May 2023 · 56 minutes
Introducing So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin

Today, we're sharing a preview of an original new audiobook produced by our colleagues at Pushkin Industries. It’s entitled So... more

10 May 2023 · 11 minutes
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Comedian and Actor Ramy Youssef Tells a Muslim American Story
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
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Description

Today, we sit with comedian, actor, and director Ramy Youssef! At the top, he reflects on his experience during Ramadan (5:36) before... more