Happy Sad Confused

The doctor is in! Sure "Happy Sad Confused" has welcomed "Doctor Who" veterans like Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the past but here is a first--the current custodian of the iconic role themselves!  And if anyone is up to the challenge of this role it's certainly Jodie Whittaker who makes a delightful first appearance on the show in the middle of a hectic whirlwind New York Comic Con week. Josh an...

You'd be hard pressed to find a more impressive trio of films in a young filmmakers' career than Damien Chazelle's trifecta of "Whiplash", "La La Land", and his newest effort, "First Man". It's no wonder the 33 year-old stands as the youngest recipient of the best director Oscar in history (that would be for "La La Land").  In this return visit to "Happy Sad Confused", Josh and Damien delve deep i...

It's not just about the voice and the mustache but those two things certainly don't hurt. Sam Elliott is one of the last links to the old Hollywood system (he's quick to point out all the people from the early part of his career who are now dead). A former studio contract player, Elliott now finds himself at an unlikely point in his nearly 50 year career -- he might just be at his apex.  In this v...

Kathryn is a "Happy Sad Confused" original, her first visit coming on just the fifth episode! Yet somehow it's been four years since she's visited Josh's office so there's a lot to catch up on, from her work with Jill Soloway on "Transparent" to her must see performance in the Netflix film, "Private Life" from writer/director Tamara Jenkins.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

Bill Pullman may have been something of a late bloomer, never setting foot on a film set until his early 30s, but once his career was launched, there was no looking back. To look back at his career is to look at some of the great film highs of the 80s and 90s. And that's just what Bill and Josh do on this episode, going all the way back to "Ruthless People" and "Spaceballs" through his "nice guy w...

It's a special edition of "Happy Sad Confused" straight from the Toronto International Film Festival! With Josh running around the fest talking to dozens of actors and filmmakers, we present two conversations, one a familiar guest to podcast listeners, one a newbie! First up is Timothee Chalamet! Almost precisely a year to the day after they first met, Josh and Timothee talk about the young actor'...

Not only is Paul Feig the most dapper director to walk into the offices of "Happy Sad Confused" but he always brings the goods too. From "Freaks & Geeks" to "Bridesmaids", he's responsible for some of the most influential comedies of our times. And now Paul is mixing it up with a thriller, "A Simple Favor", starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively! Of course it's no surprise that his latest starts...

It only seems like "Happy Sad Confused" has a Gleeson on every week what with Brendan making his debut a few weeks back and returning champion Domhnall back in the hot seat for a third time on this episode.  But there's a reason the Gleesons are always welcome. On this visit to the show Domhnall nearly spills the beans on Episode IX, talks about his creepy mustache in his new film, and teases a re...

Don't even try to pin down Chris Weitz's career, it's a fruitless endeavor. From "American Pie" to "About a Boy" to writing a Star Wars movie, to helming a fact based thriller like "Operation Finale", the only consistency is quality.  Chris joins Josh on this episode to reflect on his unusual childhood (and fascinating parents), the lessons learned from directing "The Golden Compass", how he sold...

Please excuse Josh and his guest, Lauren Cohan, if they're a little punch drunk on this episode of "Happy Sad Confused". Chalk it up to a post Comic-Con fog but for you lucky listeners that means an entertaining chat and the debut of Lauren's unusual new catch-phrase, "You're gonna know it!". Of course it's not all fun and games when it comes to the subject matter of Lauren's intense new action mo...

You don't have to have the last name Gleeson to be a great actor but it certainly doesn't seem to hurt. If you're a "Happy Sad Confused" listener you already know Domhnall but today it's time to recognize the accomplishments of dear old dad, Brendan. And there's a lot to recognize.  Brendan only became a feature film actor in his mid 30s but he's made up for lost time ever since, working with the...

We've jammed so much "Happy Sad Confused" goodness into this episode it's almost too good to be true! The proceedings get off to a fun start with returning favorite guest Sam Heughan dropping in to say a quick hello to Josh and Sammy, lament missing out on the lead role in the new film version of "Dune", and enthuse all about his "The Spy Who Dumped Me" co-stars Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. And t...

It's been an eventful two years for Betty Gilpin. The daughter of two character actors who never got the role that made them a household name, she was resigned and indeed okay with that same sort of life, theater in New York, guest spots on TV to pay the bills. And then the biggest role of her career came around on the Netflix show, "GLOW". Flash forward to today and "GLOW", in its second season,...

It's been 11 years since "Across the Universe" was released in theaters and today it remains no less miraculous than it was then. Featuring over 30 iconic Beatles songs in an array of show-stopping spectacular sequences, the movie musical immediately earned a small but devoted cult following. Now it's getting another shot on the big screen. On July 29, 31, and August 1, the film will screen in ove...

He's only 20 with a handful of film credits on his resume but it's clear Alex Wolff has a lot of wind at his back. A supporting role in the billion dollar phenomenon that was "Jumanji" certainly helped but it's a much smaller film that will likely have greater impact in the long run. You've likely heard the buzz by now, "Hereditary" is one of the scariest and most audacious debuts in years. No spo...

By night, Zachary Quinto is stealing scenes in the revival of the Broadway hit play "The Boys in the Band" and by day he's pretty busy too -- shooting a guest spot on a hilarious TV show, plotting a myriad of projects as a producer, and even squeezing in this chat -- his debut on "Happy Sad Confused".  Josh and Zachary cover quite a lot in this fun and at times serious episode -- from Quinto's for...

Need a little unadulterated joy in your life? We've got two recommendations for you -- a delightful father/daughter tale called "Hearts Beat Loud" (out in theaters now!) and this week's episode of "Happy Sad Confused"! What do they have in common? The great Nick Offerman of course. On his first visit to the show, Nick talks about his long awaited first leading man role in a film, what it's been li...

You can stop grouping Mandy Moore in with Britney and Christina. Sure, she was discovered seemingly overnight at 15 and was suddenly opening for NSYNC and dominating the MTV airwaves but the truth is that pop star image was never what Moore was or even wanted.  It's taken a while but Mandy seems to have found her niche. This week on "Happy Sad Confused", she talks about landing "This Is Us" just w...

Sometimes it takes a twisted little psychological horror movie to remind you that Toni Collette is one of our finest actors working today. Make no mistake, after you've seen "Hereditary" (and you really should!), you'll remember once again that she's one of our most versatile actors.  In this first visit to "Happy Sad Confused," Josh takes Toni down memory lane, from her humble beginnings in Austr...

Settle in and enjoy the sweet voice of Dan Stevens in his triumphant return to "Happy Sad Confused"! Why triumphant? Well, there's "Legion", now in its second mind-bending season on FX, which seemingly is the role and show that fits Dan to a tee. Plus, this is his first visit since "Beauty & the Beast" earned well over a billion dollars! But there's much more on Josh and Dan's mind on this episode...

It's an all too rare treat for the spirit animal of "Happy Sad Confused", Michael Shannon, to stop by, but it's always worth the wait. On this visit with Josh, the two dissect their odd relationship, contemplate the sorry state of the world, and even plug a movie, "Fahrenheit 451", along the way! Plus, enjoy a rant from Michael about why he's finally given up his archaic flip phone to enter the 21...

SPOILER ALERT: We mean it. Every second of this podcast will spoil "Avengers: Infinity War" so if you haven't seen it yet, this is not the podcast for you. Still there? Great. On this special edition of "Happy Sad Confused", Josh asks all the big and small questions you can imagine about the game changer that is the newest film in the MCU. For the first time, directors Joe and Anthony Russo can sp...

It's two Joshuas for the price of one on this edition of "Happy Sad Confused" with Joshua Jackson making his debut on the podcast! Speaking of debuts, Jackson is enjoying one memorable Broadway debut with his role in "Children of a Lesser God". It's a huge responsibility and acting challenge as Joshua details in this episode. And of course we have to go down memory lane with Joshua, From "The Migh...

If you think you know Aubrey Plaza from her character on "Parks & Recreation" or her delightfully deadpan talk show appearances, you've only seen a part of her. On this episode of "Happy Sad Confused," get to know the real Aubrey! She's complex and conflicted, dry and earnest, self-critical and cocky, and most of all, very ambitious.  In this chat, Aubrey talks about her heady show "Legions" (now...

If you've listened to "Happy Sad Confused" before, you know we love our Brits around here so of course it was inevitable that we'd welcome Martin Freeman to the show. And as you might expect, Martin does not disappoint, in this fun and meandering conversation about the "Sherlock" actor's career, fame, and which Hobbit characters he'd fuck, marry, and kill. Martin is currently appearing in "Ghost S...