Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

On January 22nd, 1973, the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision preserving the right to abortion across the country. Today, we sit with Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, a board-certified OB/GYN, who’d been providing abortions for over a decade—until last summer, when the protection was repealed. We talk about the conditions Dr. Moayedi faces as a physician in Texas (5:29), the critical reali...

Today, we sit with actor Ke Huy Quan! At the top, he reflects on the making of A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once (5:40), growing up in Vietnam (9:10), and his family’s perilous journey to Los Angeles in the late seventies (11:20). Then, we walk through Ke’s breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (15:35), his pivot from acting to stunt choreography (22:26), a...

This week, we’re joined by actor Claire Foy! We discuss her compelling performance in Sarah Polley’s Women Talking (5:10), the painful journey of her character, Salome (7:50), and a pivotal scene from the film (11:50). [To skip ahead, the conversation around Women Talking ends at 15:10.] Then, Foy describes growing up in England (16:08), her path to drama school in Liverpool (21:49), and her on-sc...

Happy holidays! For our sixth annual  Talk Easy  holiday special, we've partnered with the  Audre Lorde Project to celebrate. Named after the titular feminist, poet, and activist, the Audre Lorde Project is an NYC-based community organizing center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming (LGBTSTGNC) people of color. Through the end of December, we're donating 100% of...

As we near the end of 2022, we sit with trailblazing journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. We begin by unpacking the fragmenting effects of social media (5:08), how the Internet is giving power to authoritarian regimes around the globe (7:49), and Ressa’s past five years uncovering those operations (8:20). Then, we walk through her early years: moving from the Philippines to suburba...

Today, we sit with actor, writer, and director Lake Bell! With the release of the her new audiobook (“Inside Voice: My Obsession with How We Sound”) we pinpoint the origin of this passion: growing up in Manhattan in the 1980s (8:10), being drawn to actor Lauren Bacall’s register at age six (11:18), and capturing an array of voices via tape recorder at age fifteen (15:25) before writing/directing h...

Today, we sit with musician Dev Hynes (Blood Orange)! We start by discussing his new EP (3:15), performing at Madison Square Garden with Harry Styles this fall (4:40), and the process that guides much of his music (6:39). Then, Dev describes growing up in Essex, England (7:04), falling in love with music at his sister’s piano lessons (11:00), his dreams of entering the New York punk culture of Ple...

Today, we’re joined by actor, writer, and comedian, Kumail Nanjiani! We discuss his new series, Welcome to Chippendales , playing real-life entrepreneur Steve Banerjee (4:39), his fascination with American culture growing up in Pakistan (11:45), moving to America as a teenager (17:23), and performing standup as a college student in Des Moines (22:21). On the back-half, Nanjiani describes performin...

To close the holiday weekend, we sit with actor Jonathan Majors! At the top, we discuss how he embodied real-life US Navy pilot Jesse Brown in the new film “Devotion” (6:50) and what a dream revealed about both the character (8:20) and a pivotal scene with actor Glen Powell (9:40). Then, Jonathan reflects on a formative memory on his grandparents’ farm in Texas (16:19), his formative relationships...

Today, a visit to the office of legendary director and producer Judd Apatow! We talk about his upbringing in Long Island (5:20), conducting interviews with Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Allen as a teenager (5:46), his move to Los Angeles in the early 80s (17:50) where he befriended a young Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey (21:33), and why he began writing material for other comedians (25:13). On the back-ha...

Today we’re joined by journalist and podcast host, Kara Swisher. At the top, we unpack the midterms (4:22), the state of the GOP (7:28), and the role of social media in politics (11:52). Then, we discuss Kara’s evolving relationship with Elon Musk (13:21), her vision for Twitter (18:22) and what an alternative platform could (and should) look like (19:35). On the back-half, we walk through Swisher...

Today, George Saunders returns! We discuss  Liberation Day , his first short-story collection in nine years (3:40), the influence of Chekhov and Gogol (4:56), and a timely passage on democracy from “Love Letter” (8:35). Then, we unpack how he builds stories (13:30), a guiding philosophy from our first talk (14:58), and an excerpt from the titular story, “Liberation Day” (21:30). On the back-half,...

Today, director James Gray is back! We start by diving into the aftermath of Ad Astra (7:25), returning home to Queens with Armageddon Time (12:00) and the historical context of this new picture (15:18). After watching an early scene from the film (18:33), we discuss what the story reveals about race and class in America (20:35), his family’s personal experiences with those divisions (22:50), and...

Today, we’re joined by comedian Nick Kroll! To begin, we dive into the origin of Little Big Boy , his first stand-up special in ten years (4:40), his pivot toward more personal comedy (7:22), and a bit about mothers and sons (10:30). Then, we walk through Kroll’s upbringing in Rye, New York (13:08), falling in love with comedy at Georgetown University (19:35), and a formative experience chauffeuri...

Today we’re joined by Oscar-winning actor, Eddie Redmayne! We discuss how he embodied serial killer Charles Cullen in The Good Nurse (8:12), playing opposite Jessica Chastain (9:35), and the research that shaped his commanding performance (15:11). Then, to understand his present as a performer, we return to the past: an early theatre production with director Sam Mendes (19:12), his big break starr...

Today we’re joined by Congresswoman Cori Bush! Back in 2020, Bush made history as the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri’s First Congressional District. With the upcoming midterms, we wrestle with the messaging coming from the Democratic Party (3:45), Bush’s fight for police reform and affordable housing (7:10), and the power of grassroots politics (8:20). Then we turn to Bush’s new m...

Today we’re joined by “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of its two historic wins at this year’s Emmys, we discuss the guiding principles behind its second season (6:02), its incomparable cast (9:41), and the show's personal connection to Quinta’s upbringing in West Philadelphia (14:49). Then, we unpack her earliest comedic influences (19:21), performing in improv i...

Today we’re joined by beloved author Sandra Cisneros! We discuss her first poetry collection in 28 years, Woman Without Shame (4:40), why she chooses to write ‘dangerous’ pieces (6:18), and the significance of her poem, “My Mother and Sex” (8:38). Then, we walk through Sandra’s coming of age between Mexico and Chicago (15:16), the sixth-grade teacher that guided her entry into art (19:39), her epi...

With the US midterms approaching, we’re joined by New York Times political reporter and host of The Run-Up, Astead Herndon. We start by examining this “relentlessly disorienting time” in America (5:10), where the pendulum of democracy (7:40) will be swung by four voting blocs this November: The Skeptical Trump voter (9:50), The Young Voter (13:15), The Disillusioned Democrat , and The NON-MAGA Rep...

Today we’re joined by Billy Eichner! We discuss the release of his groundbreaking rom-com  Bros  (4:22), how the film drew inspiration from James L. Brooks’  Broadcast News  (6:30), and the power of working with an all LGBTQ+ cast (10:30). Then, we walk through Billy’s childhood in NYC: discovering the joy of film and live performance (16:23), watching ‘80s romantic comedies with his parents (17:1...

Today, we’re joined by director Hiro Murai! With the return of Atlanta (5:06), we discuss the homecoming of this final season (7:14), Murai’s connection to the character Earn (10:04), the influence of Hayao Miyazaki (14:09), immigrating from Tokyo to Los Angeles at age 9 (17:12), and his search for an artistic identity between these two worlds (20:38). After the break, how the Coen Brothers and Ta...

Last fall, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we turned to the work of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. In the aftermath of that fateful day, Joel spent nine months at Ground Zero, capturing images of the recovery effort and first responders—the firefighters, police officers, EMS, construction workers—who put their lives on the line and families on hold to show up for a nation in repair. To...

This Labor Day weekend we’re joined by flight attendant and AFA President Sara Nelson! To begin, we discuss the challenge of summer air travel (6:14), the union’s fight against stock buybacks (9:45), and the history of harassment and sexism in the industry (18:33). Then, we walk through Sara’s early years at United (22:35), the physical toll of being a flight attendant (26:44), and how she found h...

Today, we head to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. We begin with her daily routine, from writing to revision (6:34), the real-life events that inspired her new novel, Babysitter (9:09), and why she’s fascinated with examining violence in her work (14:06). Then, we walk through Oates’ early years: growing up on a farm (17:45), her literary influences (22:22), an...

Today we’re joined by Abbi Jacobson! We begin with her new series, A League of Their Own (5:35), the legacy of the 1992 film (10:35), her earliest comedic influences (15:05), moving to New York City post-college (21:04), falling in love with improv at UCB (25:08), the night she met Ilana Glazer (32:40), and a handful of memories creating Broad City (37:20). On the back-half, Abbi tells the story b...