Choice Words with Samantha Bee

When Bob the Drag Queen was broke and working at a Ruby Tuesday in Georgia, a theater friend offered to buy his ticket to New York City if he promised to leave right away. The decision to take that ticket changed the entire trajectory of his life. Sam asks Bob how he went from performing in children's theater to drag brunches, where he received the most heat while filming the HBO reality series “W...

When Governor Gretchen Whitmer was at the start of her political career, she found herself caring for both her newborn daughter and her mother, who was dying from brain cancer. The choice to become her mother’s primary caregiver as a new legislator, mom, and wife taught her to stay focused on what matters and not get distracted by things that don’t. Sam asks Governor Whitmer how she handles haters...

Today as a special treat, we’re sharing an episode of Hysteria from Crooked Media featuring our very own Samantha Bee!    Each week on Hysteria, political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to romcoms. They break down...

When actor Rob Delaney’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry died, Rob decided to share his family’s experience with Henry’s illness and death with the world. What emerged was the deeply personal memoir, “A Heart That Works.” Sam asks Rob about how his approach to his career shifted after Henry passed away, a seemingly small choice he made at a recovery meeting that ultimately changed the trajectory...

When Amber Ruffin was living in Omaha, Nebraska, she figured she’d stay there forever – carrying the mail, buying a home, and maybe doing some community theater. Then she attended the Chicago Improv Festival with her Omaha improv group, and decided to pack up and move to the Windy City and give full-time comedy a try. Sam asks her how she got from improv to hosting her own late night TV show, her...

When Greta Gerwig is directing a film, each choice feels like the next move in a dance. When she falls out of step, she just has to find the dance again. Sam asks her about the art of directing, why attending Barnard College changed her life, and if she played with Barbies growing up.   Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and Twitter. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on Tw...

When comedian Michelle Buteau saw elementary school kids practice an active shooter drill, she questioned whether or not America was the right place to raise her newly born twins. Tack on Trump’s presidency and some not-so-choice Supreme Court justices, and her husband’s home country of the Netherlands started to look even more attractive. Sam asks Michelle whether her family’s summer in Amsterdam...

When Judy Blume was 22 years old, she decided to defy her husband’s orders and vote for John F. Kennedy rather than Richard Nixon. That tiny act of rebellion in the ballot box became a defining moment in her life. Sam asks Judy how that set her off to become one of the top banned authors in the country, what her ideal sex ed curriculum looks like, and whether she’ll ever write a book about Margare...

When actor Betty Gilpin was simultaneously filming “Masters of Sex” and doing wrestling training to prepare for “Glow” (oh, and planning her wedding), she went into full upper body muscle spasms. Her nervous system was having a panic attack. Sam asks Betty how that moment taught her to slow down and changed the way she approached her life and career. They also discuss horse feuds, fake authenticit...

When two-time Emmy-winning actor Uzo Aduba was in high school, she thought she was going to be a lawyer. Then her creative writing teacher asked her if she’d ever considered going to art school, which introduced a choice to Uzo that she didn’t even know existed. Sam asks Uzo how she chooses her projects, including her upcoming Netflix series "Painkiller," and about the day she decided to quit acti...

When Laura Dern found out that her mother, Diane Ladd, had scarring on her lungs, the doctor told her to be gentle with her mom because she’d be dead in 6 months. Laura chose to challenge that diagnosis by taking her mother on regular walks to expand her lung capacity. Not only did it work, but it turned into a new book co-written by the two award-winning actresses. Sam asks the mother-daughter du...

When Katie Couric was leaving CBS News as the first solo female anchor of a nightly news broadcast on a major network, she read a handwritten note from a former colleague that informed her next choice. Sam asks Katie about that moment and other big ones, like interviewing Sarah Palin at a pivotal moment in the 2008 presidential election and building her own media company. Katie talks about why she...

When Judd Apatow was in sixth grade, he knew he wasn’t like the other kids. While everyone else played sports, he would come directly home from school to watch shows like M*A*S*H, The Odd Couple, and Monty Python. Sam asks Judd about his choice to write jokes for comics twice his age, where his unearned confidence came from, and how to stay humble in Hollywood. Plus, they swap crime stories, from...

When Rosie O’Donnell chose to step away from her talk show after six successful seasons, her actor friends thought she was out of her mind. Sam asks Rosie what went into that professional choice as well as a personal one: celebrating her 50th by adopting a baby. Rosie relives moments like drunk-dialing Oprah, fighting with Eileen Fisher, and uttering a sentence that’s never been said in Hollywood....

Samantha Bee is pro-choice. Yes, that one, but also others! Each week, Sam will sit down with people she admires to explore the biggest choices they’ve made in their lives and the ripple effects those decisions have had – the good, the bad, and everything in between. What wisdom can we glean from the choices made by some of the most successful people in film, comedy, music, sports, and politics? F...

Samantha Bee is coming back! Starting this June, Sam will talk to celebrities, politicians, journalists, chefs, artists, and athletes about the big choices they’ve had to make in life to get them to where they are today. Because she's not just pro-choice; she's pro-choices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the Season Two finale, Samantha Bee sits down with actor Pamela Adlon to talk about ending her show Better Things, why Mother's Day is the worst day of the year, 80s afterschool specials and making enough lasagna to feed the fire department. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with author, lawyer, and commentator Elie Mystal to talk about his new book "Allow Me to Retort," going to law school with Tom Cotton, the need to get rid of the Electoral College, what rights SCOTUS might take away next, and Neil Gorsuch's ouija board. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with actor, comedian, and author Michael Ian Black to discuss putting a strip mall on the moon, strategies for dealing with online trolls, and the infamous pee tape. Plus they make a passionate plea for free Tostitos Hint of Lime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with one of the stars of The Righteous Gemstones, Edi Patterson! They talk about sexy church outfits, their favorite TV shows growing up, and if doing improv is scarier than horror movies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with WNBA star and style icon Sue Bird to talk about becoming an activist, why we'd all be better off if the WNBA was in charge of the country, what gives athletes a "cool factor" and if she and Megan Rapinoe will ever get into politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with actor Ed Helms to discuss their formative years on The Daily Show, his new show True Story, the importance of diverse writing rooms, and why it's important to laugh at yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with comedian Chelsea Handler to talk about the questions they hate being asked, why she loves giving advice, starting therapy, becoming more political, and getting your period while wearing white pants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's no new episode of Full Release today so in honor of International Women's Day check out another podcast we love with some very funny ladies, The Deep Dive with Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael available wherever you're listening to this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Bee sits down with THE Jeff Goldblum to talk about returning to Jurassic Park, becoming a Prada model, moonlighting as a kids' piano teacher, making ice cream and the beauty of tiny things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices