Celebrity Interviews

SNL veteran Vanessa Bayer takes listeners behind the curtain of Saturday Night Live, revealing her impressive near-record of making it through six full seasons without breaking character on camera. Bayer shares the story of how Fred Armisen finally broke her streak during his hosting appearance at the end of her sixth season, and discusses memorable sketches including the divorce lawyers dance sce...

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt joins the Neil Haley Show to discuss his role as the hapless principal in NBC's AP Bio, a character he describes as "an authority figure with zero authority." Drawing inspiration from Tim Meadows' masterful portrayal of the principal in Mean Girls, Oswalt explores the unique challenges of playing administrators who struggle to maintain control whi...

Actress Natasha Perez shares the intensive preparation behind her portrayal of Yolanda Saldivar in Netflix's "Selena: The Series," the controversial figure who served as Selena's fan club president, personal assistant, and business manager before becoming responsible for the beloved Tejano singer's tragic death. Perez, a former radio host for Y107 in Los Angeles and correspon...

Director Matt Patterson discusses his psychological horror-thriller "Apartment 413" (available on Amazon Prime), a film that tackles masculinity, mental health, and the dangerous territory where reality becomes questionable. The story follows Marco, an unemployed man searching for work from home while his pregnant girlfriend Dana works as a teacher—a scenario that resonates even more pow...

Five-time Grammy winner BJ Thomas opens up about his remarkable 50-year career that sold 70 million albums worldwide and produced some of American music's most enduring songs, including the Oscar-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." Thomas shares the serendipitous path that led to that iconic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid moment: after success in Memphis with hits like &...

Veteran filmmaker Joel Soisson takes listeners on a fascinating journey through four decades of Hollywood filmmaking, from his humble beginnings as a PA in the early 1980s to becoming what one website dubbed "the direct-to-video sequel king." Unlike many of his generation who experienced a "Star Wars moment" that defined their career path, Soisson drifted organically from art s...

Peter Funt, son of Candid Camera creator Allen Funt and longtime host of the iconic series, joins the show to discuss the remarkable 75-year history of television's original hidden camera program and his new book "Self Amused: A Tell Some Memoir." What began as a radio show called Candid Microphone in 1947 has evolved into a television institution that holds the record as the only en...

Former NFL player and sports analyst Mike Golic joins diabetes education specialist Hope Warshaw to share his personal journey with type 2 diabetes and why he's passionate about the TalkingTypeU campaign. Diagnosed approximately 10 years after retiring from professional football, Golic had to completely reimagine his relationship with food and fitness. After years of eating whatever he wanted...

Undisputed boxing champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields joins host Neil Haley to discuss her thrilling appearance on NBC's "The Titan Games" hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Shields, who was named one of Sports Illustrated's 50 fittest athletes in 2020, explains her remarkable boxing credentials: three-division world champion, undisputed nine-...

In this inspiring episode co-hosted by Neil Haley and Dr. Christopher Hall, Heisman Trophy winner and former NBA player Charlie Ward shares his extraordinary journey as the only athlete ever to win college football's most prestigious award and go on to play professional basketball. Ward reflects on his upbringing in the small town of Thomasville, Georgia, where he learned essential values of i...

Actor Atticus Shaffer joins host Neil Haley to celebrate the eighth season premiere of ABC's beloved sitcom "The Middle," where he plays the uniquely endearing character Brick Heck. Shaffer reveals the remarkable journey of growing up on television, having been part of the show since age 8 when the original pilot was filmed, and now at 18 years old, he's experiencing his characte...

Host Neil Haley welcomes celebrity comedian and actor Bill Bellamy to discuss his role in the romantic comedy "The Bounce Back" and reflect on his incredible journey from MTV VJ to Hollywood star. Bellamy credits MTV as the launching pad for his career, placing him at the center of pop culture during its explosive era when he interviewed music legends like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Michael...

Join host Neil Haley for an emotional and inspiring conversation with comedian Jo Koy as he celebrates the release of his first Netflix special, "Live from Seattle." Koy opens up about the deeply personal journey that led to this career-defining moment, including the tearful phone call he received the day before Thanksgiving confirming Netflix had given him the green light. He describes...

Tisha Campbell-Martin reflects on her remarkable four-decade career in entertainment, from her early days as a child actor through iconic roles in House Party, the Martin show, My Wife and Kids, and currently ABC's Dr. Ken. Campbell-Martin expresses genuine gratitude and humility about her longevity in an industry where the average acting career lasts only five years, crediting her success to...

Legendary comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks joins the show to discuss his son Nicholas Brooks's new film "Sam," but the conversation quickly becomes a masterclass in comedy history and social commentary. Brooks shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from his iconic career, revealing that Warner Brothers executives initially considered "Blazing Saddles" too controversi...

Catherine Curtin, known for her powerful performances in Orange is the New Black and Stranger Things, engages in a thought-provoking discussion about her psychological thriller "Camera Obscura" and the essential role of art in society. Curtin passionately argues that theater represents the highest form of artistic expression and celebrates how platforms like Netflix are democratizing sto...

Actor and author Stephen Tobolowsky, beloved for his roles in Groundhog Day, The Goldbergs, and Silicon Valley, delivers a profound and surprisingly spiritual conversation about his new book "My Adventures with God." Tobolowsky shares the harrowing story of breaking his neck while horseback riding on an active volcano in Iceland in 2008, an accident his doctor called "fatal" wh...

Cody Walker, brother of the late Fast and Furious star Paul Walker, shares an intimate and emotional conversation about growing up in a family of actors, his own career as a paramedic, and the devastating moment he learned of his brother's tragic death. In this heartfelt interview, Cody reveals he had spoken with Paul for two hours just before the fatal accident, making the loss even more unbe...

Actor Sam Jones joins The Neil Haley Show to celebrate the 43-year legacy of Flash Gordon and announce his exciting new graphic novel "Sam J. Jones Saves the Galaxy," currently launching on IndieGoGo. Jones reveals why his portrayal of Flash Gordon continues to resonate with audiences across generations—because Flash is simply "just a guy" without superpowers who faces adversit...

Deana Martin shares the deeply emotional experience of being named a "Trobairitz"—the female troubadour—at the legendary Friars Club in New York City, where her father Dean Martin was honored as "Man of the Hour" in 1951. Wearing the heavy gold medallion engraved to her father from that historic evening, Deana joins an elite group of only five women to receive this rare title,...

Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller delivers shocking exclusive news about a brand-new injury that even her spine surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed learns about for the first time during this live broadcast. Just days after successfully flying alone and walking down an airplane aisle sideways for the first time since her paralysis—a tremendous milestone in her recovery—Abby broke both her tibia and fibula in...

Clint Black , country music legend, opens up about his remarkable debut album that achieved something unprecedented in music history—five consecutive number-one hits across any genre. The Houston native spent a decade "eking out a living" performing in bars around Houston, Tomball, Clear Lake, Surfside, Galveston, and Spring before his overnight success, including one surreal night perfo...

Brad Sherwood , beloved performer from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", reveals his journey from performing six to seven free improv shows weekly across Los Angeles in three different groups to landing his career-defining television role. Working his way up through Second City's touring company as Ryan Stiles' understudy, Sherwood recounts the brutal five-hour audition with 50 other L...

Phil Cunningham , founder of Sunrise Animation Studios and director of the animated musical film "David," shares how a vision 37 years ago while canoeing down Africa's Zambezi River inspired an epic retelling of the biblical hero's story. Surrounded by thunderstorms, elephants, buffalo, and charging lions while reading David's story, Cunningham was struck by God's declara...

Joan Van Ark takes listeners behind the scenes of her iconic 14-year run on "Knots Landing" and the serendipitous path that led her there. The accomplished actress reveals how teenage heartbreak—when high school quarterback Russell James asked another girl to prom instead of her—sparked her acting career at age 14 with a single audition line: "Violet, sir?" This rejection led t...