Awards Chatter

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Korean-American singer/songwriter reflects on her pursuit of a career as a K-pop idol, her pivot to songwriting and how she came to be involved with the animated film that became the most -watched original title in Netflix history — and to create for it the song "Golden," for which she won the first Grammy ever awarded to K-pop and is now nominate...

Perhaps the greatest of all living film craftsmen, a production designer who literally built the worlds at the center of many of the most admired films since the '70s — including 'Badlands,' 'Carrie,' 'Days of Heaven,' 'Mulholland Drive,' 'There Will Be Blood,' 'The Revenant' and 'Killers of the Flower Moon' — reflects on coming to Hollywood with David Lynch, his decades-long collaboration with Te...

The Chinese two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on her path to America and film, jumping from indie 'Nomadland' to Marvel's 'Eternals' and how her subsequent four-year "mid-life crisis" prepared her for her latest film, for which she is again double Oscar-nominated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In front of an audience at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Australian actor/writer/director reflects on how he wound up in George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy, his memorable turns in art house standouts like 'Warrior' and Loving,' and the challenges and rewards of giving a largely dialogue-free performance in Clint Bentley's adaptation of Denis Johnson's 2011 novella about a laborer in the earl...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and Oscar-nominated actress returns to the podcast and candidly discusses how she found her pop sound, how she approaches music vs. acting, what she looks for in collaborators, why 'Wicked' means so much to her, how singing as herself and as Glinda are completely different, and what's next for her. Learn more about...

The massively influential filmmaker and blockbuster machine behind 'The Terminator,' 'Aliens,' 'Titanic' and three 'Avatar' films, among others, reflects on his unusual path to the business, why his films tend to blend science/sci-fi and love stories, what has enchanted him about Pandora and the Na'vi for more than 30 years, and which question he hopes never to be asked again. Learn more about you...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the revered Oscar winner behind masterpieces like 'Cronos' and 'The Shape of Water' reflects on the roots of his infatuation with monsters, the importance of practical movie sets and effects, and finally realizing his 50-year dream of adaptating Mary Shelley's gothic horror novel about a Creator and his Creature into a movie of his own. Learn more abo...

The South Korean master filmmaker reflects on the roots of his fascination with violence, the early struggles than prepared him for his Vengeance triogy highlighted by 'Oldboy,' and what inspired his latest film — his country's entry for the best international feature Oscar race, now among the final 15 — which reunites him with Lee Byung-hun 25 years after their joint breakthrough 'Joint Security...

The world's most famous Brazilian actor reflects on why he once thought a screen career would be impossible for him, how the 'Elite Squad' films led to him playing Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos,' and how Brazil's Bolsonaro era impacted his career and inspired the film for which he was awarded Cannes' best actor prize and could land an Oscar nom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

The Oscar and Emmy winning actress and Goop founder and CEO reflects on breaking into the business in the 1990s and becoming "the First Lady of Miramax"; working with a generation of great filmmakers early in their careers, including David Fincher, PTA and Wes Anderson; why she grew disillusioned with Hollywood and focused primarily on business for the last 17 years; and what lured her back in fro...

In front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival's GEMS event, the trailblazing filmmaker reflects on helping to usher in New Queer Cinema with 'Mala Noche' and 'My Own Private Idaho'; subsequently jumping between mainstream films, like 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Milk,' and experimental works, like 'Elephant'; why he came close to directing, but did not direct, 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Call Me by Yo...

The writer/director best known for dramedies like 'The Squid and the Whale,' 'Frances Ha' and 'Marriage Story' reflects on the people and films that shaped him, the evolution of his collaboration with Greta Gerwig spanning 'Greenberg' through 'Barbie,' and his new Netflix film, which centers on a movie star (George Clooney) in the midst of an existential crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

The singer/songwriter and actress, who shot to fame as Hannah Montana and then became a real pop star, reflects on navigating child stardom; the origins of her biggest hits, from "See You Again" to "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" to her Grammy-winning "Flowers"; and how she wound up co-writing and perfomring "Dream As One," an original song for the third installment of James Cameron's blockbus...

The English singer/songwriter, who is arguably the most successful male pop star in the world and has been described by Taylor Swift as "the James Taylor to my Carole King," reflects on his path from busking on the streets of London to superstardom; the origin stories of hits like 'The A Team' 'Sing' and 'Thinking Out Loud'; and why he agreed to co-write and perform "Drive" and "Zoo," original son...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the two-time Emmy nominee reflected on her breakthrough roles on TV's 'Euphoria' and 'The White Lotus' and in the film 'Reality,' getting into producing with 'Anyone But You,' and challenging herself as never before by producing and starring in a new biopic about boxer Christy Martin, for which she is currently garnering Oscar buzz. She also teases he...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the winner of multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG awards reflects on why he walked away from dancing and towards acting in his teens, what he learned from his 11-season run on 'Shameless,' how he landed his star-making role as chef Carmy Berzatto on 'The Bear' and how, subsequently, his own conflicted feelings about fame helped him to play Bruce Spr...

In front of an audience at the Virginia Film Festival, and a piano, one of the leading film composers of his generation reflects on how he was shaped by both classical and hip-hop music, how his best known scores for TV (the main title theme for 'Succession') and film (Barry Jenkins' 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk') came to be, and how his score for Noah Baumbach's new film was compos...

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the writer/director describes his experiences progressing from low-budget ('Brick') to mid-budget ('The Brothers Bloom' and 'Looper') to big-budget ('The Last Jedi') films, directing some of the most celebrated episodes of TV ever ('Breaking Bad') and the origins and appeal of his Benoit Blanc series of murder mysteries, the third and mos...

The veteran actress, who was Oscar-nominated 40 years ago for 'Twice in a Lifetime,' reflects on how her music ambitions gave way to acting, how she met — and her many collaborations with — her husband Ed Harris, her memories of working on classics like 'The Day After,' 'Field of Dreams' and 'Uncle Buck,' and how she wound up giving one of the performances of her career as Gladys, a crazy aunt, in...

In front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Australian actor and heartthrob reflects on almost missing out on his breakout roles in 'The Kissing Booth' and 'Euphoria,' working with female auteurs on 'Saltburn' and 'Priscilla' and venturing into unfamiliar but exciting territory as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation of Mary Shelley's horror novel, which is now t...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, one of most bankable movie stars of all time reflects on what his experiences as a pro wrestler taught him about being an entertainer, why and how he transitioned to acting, and why, after decades of picking projects with the aim of satisfying others, he decided to challenge himself as never before by taking on the role of Mark Kerr, an early MMA figh...

The A-lister returns to the podcast (his last visit was for ep. 278) and reflects on his post-COVID career — highlighted by his portrayal of a movie star experiencing an existential crisis in Noah Baumbach's new Netflix dramedy — as well as stardom, Instagram ("get the fuck off of it"), A.I. and which of today’s young stars most impress him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

In front of an audience at Chapman University, the iconic New York filmmaker reflects on his 35-year collaboration with Denzel Washington, the role of music in his films and how Akira Kurosawa has influenced his work from his first narrative feature through his 24th and most recent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aussie actress reflects on what she learned from her years working alongside Glenn Close on 'Damages'; how she and the industry discovered her comedic side, leading to memorable turns in 'Bridesmaids,' 'Spy' and other projects; and the the unique challenges and rewards of her latest film, in which she plays a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her. Learn more a...

The fan favorite reflects on his rollercoaster journey from stripper to movie star; the backstories of 'Step Up,' 'Magic Mike,' 'Foxcatcher' and other hits; and why his experience on Derek Cianfrance's new dramedy, in which he plays a man who escapes from prison and hides out in a Toys 'R Us, reignited his love for acting and eradicated his long-held 'imposter syndrome.' Learn more about your ad c...