pplpod

pplpod Episode 110 follows Rupert Grint’s shift from instant-icon kid wizard to a grown-up actor with left-turn taste. We trace the Harry Potter decade and the decision to zag after it—indies like Cherrybomb , Wild Target , and Into the White ; punk-era swagger as Cheetah Chrome in CBGB ; and a sly pop-culture wink in Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House.” Onstage, it’s a West End/Broadway pivot with Jez Butt...

pplpod Episode 109 charts Emma Watson’s evolution from franchise phenom to thoughtful, values-driven artist. We revisit the decade as Hermione Granger and the decision to grow in public—splitting time between sets and studies (Brown, Oxford) while choosing roles that stretched beyond wands and castles: the tender ache of The Perks of Being a Wallflower , fame-as-heist in The Bling Ring , biblical...

pplpod Episode 108 follows Daniel Radcliffe’s leap from global phenomenon to fearless character actor. We trace the lightning-bolt origin— Harry Potter ’s decade-long run—and the pivot strategy that came next: stage risks ( Equus , The Cripple of Inishmaan , How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying , Merrily We Roll Along ), indie swings ( Kill Your Darlings , Swiss Army Man , Guns Akimbo...

pplpod Episode 107 traces Jimmy Tingle’s lane as America’s civic jester—Boston-born stand-up, social satirist, commentator, and do-good troublemaker. We track the club days and late-night TV breaks, the CBS 60 Minutes II essays that blended Andy-Rooney candor with comic bite, and the one-man shows that turned headlines into human stories ( Uncommon Sense , Jimmy Tingle’s American Dream , Tingle’s...

pplpod Episode 106 traces Jesus Trejo’s path from Long Beach open mics to nationally touring headliner—built on warmth, precision, and stories that sneak up on your heart. We track the club years and The Comedy Store apprenticeship, the hour that put his name on the board ( Stay at Home Son ), and how caregiving, culture, and childhood become long-form bits with payoff. We dig into the craft—measu...

pplpod Episode 105 chases Robin Williams’ whirlwind—from Juilliard spark and club improv detonations to sitcom lift-off with Mork & Mindy and a film run that made elasticity feel inevitable. We map the stand-up electricity—stream-of-consciousness riffing, character switchbacks, and hearts pulled open mid-bit—then trace the big-screen pivots: kinetic charm in Good Morning, Vietnam ; feral tende...

pplpod Episode 104 charts Rob Reiner’s rare two-act career—scene-stealing actor turned filmmaker with one of the most reliable hit streaks in modern cinema. We revisit the comedy chops of All in the Family (Meathead forever), then jump to the director’s chair for a run that’s somehow both beloved and bulletproof: the mockumentary gold of This Is Spinal Tap ; the coming-of-age grace of Stand by Me...

pplpod Episode 103 tracks Larry Wilmore’s path from stand-up and sketch rooms to architect of sharp, humane TV comedy—and a late-night voice built for hard conversations. We trace the early writer-performer days ( In Living Color , The Jamie Foxx Show ), the breakthrough as creator of The Bernie Mac Show (Emmy, Peabody, Humanitas), and his stealth impact at The Office —both in the room and onscree...

pplpod Episode 102 follows Sarah Silverman’s arc from New York clubs and SNL to a brand of boundary-pushing comedy that learned to carry both sting and empathy. We revisit the rocket of Jesus Is Magic , the fearless, cartoon-chaos of The Sarah Silverman Program , and the craft stretch of HBO’s We Are Miracles and Netflix’s A Speck of Dust —where confession, timing, and moral ambivalence sharpen th...

pplpod Episode 101 explores how Nina Conti rewired ventriloquism—turning a classic craft into high-wire, deeply human comedy. We trace the early improv spark with mentor Ken Campbell, the birth of Monkey (equal parts chaos and conscience), and the breakthrough idea that changed her stage forever: live-mask improvisation that pulls audience members into the act—new “characters,” brand-new stories,...

pplpod Episode 100 dives into Richard Pryor’s revolution—how a midwestern club comic blew up his own act and rebuilt stand-up into raw autobiography with riotous nerve. We trace the early Cosby-adjacent polish, the Vegas walk-off, and the rebirth in Berkeley that forged a voice equal parts confession and combustion. From That N ** r’s Crazy and …Is It Something I Said? to the live-wire perfection...

pplpod Episode 99 rides with Timothy Olyphant from indie-scene mischief ( Go , The Girl Next Door ) to two era-defining lawmen: Seth Bullock in HBO’s Deadwood and Raylan Givens in FX’s Justified (and the sharp, late-career encore Justified: City Primeval ). We unpack his signature mix—laconic charm, coiled stillness, and a smile that warns more than it soothes—and how he turns silence into suspens...

pplpod Episode 98 dives into David Shields—the essayist–provocateur who turned collage into a worldview and made “nonfiction” feel newly electric. We trace the early sparks ( Heroes , Dead Languages ), the pivot to documentary intimacy ( Remote , Black Planet ), and the manifesto that changed syllabi and blood pressure alike: Reality Hunger . From there, it’s a reckoning with mortality ( The Thing...

pplpod Episode 97 dives into Larry Clark’s raw, unflinching gaze—how a photographer from Tulsa turned private subcultures into public arguments. We track the landmark photobooks Tulsa and Teenage Lust : grainy flash, diaristic candor, and a trust-with-subjects approach that made intimacy feel dangerous and tender at once. Then the pivot to film— Kids with writer Harmony Korine—its shockwave throug...

pplpod Episode 96 traces Keb’ Mo’ (Kevin Moore) from L.A. sideman and studio craftsman to modern Delta-blues standard-bearer with a songwriter’s touch. We chart the ’90s breakout— Keb’ Mo’ , Just Like You , Slow Down —and the calm, conversational style that made tradition feel newly lit: fingerpicked snap, honeyed baritone, and lyrics that leave room for air. Then it’s the long, steady climb: Gram...

pplpod Episode 95 maps Jerrod Carmichael’s evolution from North Carolina club comic to one of the most quietly radical voices in modern comedy. We trace the early precision of Love at the Store , the moral geometry of 8 , and the ground-shifting intimacy of Rothaniel —a special that turned confession into craft and won him an Emmy. On TV, we unpack The Carmichael Show ’s fearless dinner-table deba...

pplpod Episode 94 tracks Ice-T’s singular run—from orphaned L.A. hustler turning street reportage into rhyme, to gangsta rap’s early architect, to TV mainstay with a 20-year badge. We trace Rhyme Pays and Power , the manifestos on O.G. Original Gangster , and the detour that doubled down: Body Count’s crossover shock, the “Cop Killer” firestorm, and the long road to a Grammy win decades later. On...

pplpod Episode 93 traces David Oyelowo’s journey from LAMDA and the Royal Shakespeare Company (a groundbreaking Henry VI ) to an international career built on intention. We chart the breakthrough turn as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma , his harrowing one-man tour de force in Nightingale , and a run of roles that fuse rigor with heart: The Butler , A United Kingdom , Queen of Katwe , Jack Reac...

pplpod Episode 92 tracks Chris Jericho’s four-decade shape-shift—from Winnipeg prospect and “Lionheart” in Mexico, Japan, ECW, and WCW to the WWE debut that stopped Raw cold and minted Y2J. We unpack the playbook: character pivots (suit-and-scowl heel, “List of Jericho,” Painmaker, Demo God), finishing-move evolutions (Walls of Jericho, Codebreaker, Judas Effect), and landmark rivalries from The R...

pplpod Episode 91 traces Sally Struthers’ journey from breakout neighbor next door to enduring character actor with real range. We revisit All in the Family —Gloria Stivic’s warmth and bite, two Emmys, and a front-row seat to TV’s great culture clash—then her spin-off Gloria and the later reinvention as Babette on Gilmore Girls . We dive into stage life (national tours and regional stints, scene-s...

pplpod Episode 90 traces Amber Tamblyn’s shape-shifting career—child actor with old-soul depth, poet with a scalpel, and director/activist who built her own lane. We revisit the TV breakouts ( Joan of Arcadia , a fierce turn on House, M.D. ), the big-screen bonds of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants , and the leap behind the camera with Paint It Black . Then the writing life: early collections...

pplpod Episode 89 follows Aimee Mann’s slow-burn mastery—from art-school bassist fronting ’Til Tuesday to a solo writer whose characters feel as vivid as old friends. We trace the Voices Carry breakout and the pivot to literate pop on Whatever and I’m with Stupid , then the seismic Magnolia moment—“Save Me” turning film angst into a near-whisper anthem. Inside the engine: dry wit, surgical rhyme,...

pplpod Episode 88 dives into Otto & George—the notorious, ferociously funny ventriloquist act that turned New York club basements into pressure cookers. We trace Otto Petersen’s Jersey/NYC grind, the boardwalk and bar gigs, and the years of late-night reps that forged a two-handed rhythm: Otto’s surgical crowd read and George’s unfiltered id. Inside the craft: misdirection through misanthropy,...

pplpod Episode 87 follows Lin-Manuel Miranda’s leap from Washington Heights rehearsal rooms to a cultural reset on the biggest stages. We trace the college sketch that became In the Heights , its salsa/hip-hop heartbeat, and the translation of neighborhood into Tony wins. Then the pivot: years of reading, demos, and workshop grind that forged Hamilton —a mixtape of founding politics, wordplay, and...

pplpod Episode 86 roars through Judas Priest’s five-decade charge—how a Birmingham bar band forged the look, sound, and attitude that hardened rock into heavy metal. We trace the early alchemy of Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class , the steel-cut precision of British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance , and the turbocharged extremes of Defenders of the Faith , Painkiller , and a modern renaissa...