Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people.... more
On the heels of his latest book The Message, author Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Sam for a conversation in Los Angeles.... more
Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) has been a fixture in Hollywood for the past fifteen years. She... more
For the past decade, Jason Reynolds has become an inspiring voice in the literary world. He’s a New York Times... more
Today, culture critic Wesley Morris (The New York Times) returns to Talk Easy for a conversation about The Wonder of... more
Since his directorial debut in 2006, Jason Reitman has made the kind of films they say Hollywood doesn’t make anymore.... more
Director Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t just want to make movies. He wants to change them. This was true in 1969... more
Joaquin Phoenix is one of the greatest actors of his generation. For three decades, he’s moved seamlessly between auteur-driven films... more
For actor Myha’la, the role of a lifetime arrived less than a year out of college. “Lightning struck,” she says,... more
For the past couple decades, actor Ken Leung has played scene-stealing characters in films like Rush Hour, Keeping the Faith,... more
To commemorate his 30th birthday, Abbi Jacobson interviews Sam! They talk about Sam's early days in journalism (8:00), his Almost... more
To start, Sam sits with another week in American life, before returning to our timely conversation with Congressman Maxwell Frost... more
This week, our guest is trailblazing filmmaker Lee Daniels. At the top, we discuss his fifteen-year journey to the new... more
Since 1989 (Sex, Lies, and Videotape), filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has been a pioneering voice in American cinema. Part free-wheeling iconoclast,... more
We’re so back at the movies… with head of content at The Ringer and co-host of The Big Picture, Sean... more
What’s the difference between an interview and a first date? For the past decade, Amelia Dimoldenberg has been walking that... more
Vinson Cunningham has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for the past eight years, covering theater, television, and... more
Last fall, Zadie Smith published her prescient historical novel The Fraud. We return to our conversation with the beloved author... more
Taffy Brodesser-Akner (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”) is a staff writer at The New York Times, where she covers everything from... more
Today, we're revisiting our special conversation with actor Tom Hanks. We begin by discussing his debut novel, The Making of... more
This week, on the heels of our live show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, we’re presenting a special conversation from her podcast... more
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) is a national treasure with more primetime Emmys than any performer in the history of television.... more
On the heels of his first Emmy win, actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach joins us on the show to unpack the return... more
“You’re never gonna forget where you were last night at 7:30,” says James Carville. “It has the potential to be... more
Beloved playwright Annie Baker won the Pulitzer for Drama in 2014 for her play, The Flick. A decade later, she’s... more
This Father's Day, we're revisiting our special talk with actor Ethan Hawke. After a phone call with Dad Fragoso (2:00),... more
Director Richard Linklater has made a career out of telling personal stories with universal appeal. Dazed and Confused, Waking Life,... more
On the heels of her breakout role in Stranger Things, Maya Hawke has gone her own way as an artist—... more
This week we’re joined by comedian and actor Ilana Glazer. At the top, Glazer reflects on her recent tour across... more
Hacks co-creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, who are also husband and wife, have been performing and writing together... more
This Mother’s Day, our very special episode with actor, writer, and director Pamela Adlon. We discuss her new movie Babes... more
In just under a decade, comedian, writer, and actor Jerrod Carmichael has had a remarkably varied career. On the heels... more
Today, actor and author Nick Offerman returns to the show! We call him up to unpack his latest role as... more
Today, in honor of National Poetry Month, we’re returning to our conversation with Rupi Kaur. Her debut collection, milk and... more
Actor Jeff Daniels is always writing. Plays, songs, a script or two. Even in interviews you get the sense the... more
Actor Dev Patel has pursued interesting, complex roles in Hollywood since his arrival in Slumdog Millionaire fifteen years ago. He... more
Today we're sharing two special conversations, featuring our friends at Revisionist History. First, Malcolm Gladwell joins Sam to discuss "Development... more
This weekend, comedian Ramy Youssef released a powerful and personal new HBO special, More Feelings. To commemorate the one-year anniversary... more
The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s... more
Writer Evan Osnos (The New Yorker, CNN) has been interviewing Joe Biden on and off for the past decade. He... more
To celebrate Oscar Sunday, we're returning to our talk with Oppenheimer composer Ludwig Göransson! To begin, Göransson describes the collaborative... more
For over twenty-five years, Cate Blanchett has been as vital as any performer we have. In the lead-up to this... more
As we enter month six of the Israel-Hamas war, a dispatch from Dr. Seema Jilani. She’s provided critical aid in... more
In celebration of Dune’s 40th anniversary, we have a damn fine cup of coffee with actor (and now podcaster) Kyle... more
Actor Lily Gladstone made history last month when she netted a Best Actress nomination for her work in Martin Scorsese’s... more
Today, we return to our conversation with “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of her historic... more
Following the success of her autobiographical 2019 film, The Farewell, Lulu Wang has emerged as one of the most exciting... more
Wesley Morris has served as critic at large at The New York Times since 2015, covering film, politics, and pop... more
Over the past decade, writer and actor Dan Levy rose to prominence for his work on Schitt’s Creek. After co-creating... more
Over the past 15 years, filmmaker Ava DuVernay (Selma, Queen Sugar) has become something of an institution in Hollywood. As... more
As we begin the new year, we're returning to our conversation with brilliant actor Michelle Williams. We walk through the... more
As we say goodbye to 2023, a collection of passages from some of our favorite episodes of the year. Featuring... more
This holiday weekend, we're presenting a special conversation between actor and director Bradley Cooper and David Remnick of The New... more
David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker since 1998 and a staff writer since 1992. He joins... more
Willem Dafoe has built a career out of shapeshifting. His latest role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things demonstrates exactly that. Today, he... more
Nobel Peace Prize-winner Maria Ressa has spent the past decade advocating for the protection of journalists. Today, we return to... more
Throughout his fifteen-year moviemaking career, director and actor Benny Safdie has been drawn to naturalism and first-time performers. Fittingly, his... more
For more than a decade, actor and writer Brit Marling has made futuristic work that reveals truths about our disquieting... more
Writer and comedian Ziwe has made a career out of conducting charged and satirical interviews. She joins us this week... more
Marina Abramović is a pioneer in the field of performance art, using her body as both the subject and the... more
Upon taking a walk with crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, writer Michael Lewis had a sense that there might be a... more
Singer-songwriter Weyes Blood is one of the most inventive musicians working today. One year ago, she released her prescient album... more
Last fall, George Saunders published Liberation Day, his first short-story collection in nine years. This week, we return to our... more
One year ago, The New Yorker staff writer and critic Hua Hsu published his singular memoir entitled Stay True. Earlier... more
Novelist Zadie Smith is one of the most acclaimed and beloved writers of her generation. Editor David Remnick has called... more
Writer Sandra Cisneros has been making sense of the world on the page since 1984’s The House on Mango Street.... more
For the better part of a decade, David Byrne was the front-man of Talking Heads. To celebrate the revival of... more
For nearly two decades, Matt Belloni (The Town) has been observing and writing about Hollywood. He joins us today to... more
Jazz singer Laufey wants to bridge the gap between the past and the present. Today, she joins us upon the... more
Sam Sanders is the host of Into It, a twice-weekly podcast surveying all things pop culture. Today: he joins us... more
Today, we return to our conversation with musician and actor Alana Haim! We first sat with Alana around her on-screen... more
Musician and composer Este Haim has had quite the year. Today, she reflects on HAIM’s eventful summer as part of... more
Today, our conversation with actor and writer Abbi Jacobson! We sat with Abbi last summer around the release of her... more
For over a decade, composer and record producer Ludwig Göransson has created some of the defining music of our time.... more
As a fourth generation border resident in El Paso, politician Beto O’Rourke has long been making the case for immigration... more
For over three decades, legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter has created the looks of our most era-defining films. Today,... more
In a moment of historic upheaval in Hollywood, screenwriter and labor activist Alex O’Keefe (The Bear) believes he can turn... more
Legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz has been capturing life itself since 1962. Whether on the streets of New York City, the... more
Last summer, we traveled to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. The talk begins with... more
With the closing of the latest season of The Run-Up, political reporter Astead Herndon (The New York Times) returns to... more
Today, on his 67th birthday, we’re joined by actor Tom Hanks! We begin by discussing his debut novel, The Making... more
Over the long holiday weekend, we’re returning to our conversation with actor Jon Bernthal! To begin, we discuss his performance... more
Today, we’re joined by actor Michael Shannon! We begin by discussing his recent turn as notorious country singer George Jones... more
Today, we sit with model, writer, and activist Geena Rocero! At the top, we discuss transgender visibility in the US... more
Today, we’re joined by comedian Sarah Silverman! At the top, we reflect on loss (7:16), her new special, Sarah Silverman:... more
Today, we're joined by Oscar Isaac in New York City! At the top, we discuss the past six months of... more
Today, we sit with comedian, actor, and director Ramy Youssef! At the top, he reflects on his experience during Ramadan... more
Today, we sit with singer-songwriter Arlo Parks! At the top, we discuss the arrival of her new record My Soft... more
Today, we sit with filmmaker Nicole Holofcener! We discuss the making of her new A24 film You Hurt My Feelings... more
As we approach the series finale of Barry, we return to our talk with actor and director Bill Hader. We... more
Today, we’re joined by actor Alan Ruck! At the top, we dive into the Election Day episode of Succession (4:00),... more
Today, we sit with comedian, actor, and director Ramy Youssef! At the top, he reflects on his experience during Ramadan (5:36) before... more