Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

This week Sam sits down with comedian Andy Daly. Best known for his critically acclaimed show "Review," Andy's work is centered around a dark portrayal of earnestness. There is a disconnect between this darkness and Andy himself, however--outside of his work he is generally an optimist. In this interview he and Sam talk about his improv work at the Upright Citizens Brigade, how he was a horrible s...

This week Sam sits down with director and actor, Alice Lowe. Known for going outside of the norm, Alice does not let people stand in her way--most noticeably, this can be seen in the fact that she directed and starred in her first movie in just eleven days...all while being seven months pregnant. She and Sam talk about her unconventionality to her desire to upend Hollywood's roles for women on scr...

This week's episode was recorded live at South by Southwest with emerging filmmaker, Janicza Bravo. Janicza's work has been described as "unpredictable" and "bizarre," however these descriptions overlook the nuances and empathy that she puts into her films. She frequently collaborates with her partner, Brett Gelman, who we had on the show back in January (January 17th, to be exact). In this interv...

This week Sam sits down with singer-songwriter Brenton Wood. Throughout most of is career, Wood was cheated out of the money and rights to the songs he wrote. In this interview, he and Sam talk about this and how he's been able to remain happy throughout the years despite it all. Brenton's music is infectious and positive, as he is himself. Plus, you get to hear Sam sing with Brenton a bit--and th...

This week Sam sits down with renowned actor, Philip Baker Hall. Best known for his work with director Paul Thomas Anderson, Hall is a captivating presence on and off the screen. Sam and Philip talked for a long time and got into detail on so much of Philip's life. In this episode we learn more about his work with P.T.A., his falling out with Robert Altman, and his thoughts on death. --------------...

This week Sam sits down with fellow podcaster, Andrea Silenzi. She is the host of the electrifying Panoply show “Why Oh Why,” which explores the intricate worlds of love, relationships, and feminism. She and Sam delve into all of these topics in this conversation, dissecting the difference between behaviors of men and women in relationships, the pressures women face, and the fact that Sam is twent...

This week Sam sits down with director Roger Ross Williams. Williams started out by directing and producing for networks such as NBC, ABC, and CNN, then moved on to directing his own films. As you will hear in the show, Williams rejects settling in one's work and his passion comes through in everything that he does. He and Sam talk about his complex family life, learning how to show emotions, and m...

This week Sam sits down with cult-critic Andy Greenwald. Andy is best known for his writing at Grantland--however he has done a plethora of work outside of this, including his writing for Spin and being a published author. In this interview, Sam and Andy talk about his work while also delving into the personal. They talk about how he met his best friend Chris Ryan, reading TV Guide as a kid, and t...

This week Sam sits down with stand-up comedian, actress, and writer Kate Berlant. The New York Times profiled her as a "magnetic improvisational comic" and this could not be more true. Kate and Sam discuss art's place in the world of Trump, her upbringing as an only child, her new show "555," and the intricacies of improv. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provid...

This week Sam sits down with actress, director, and writer Noël Wells—who is best known for her character Rachel on the hit Netflix show, Master of None—at the Sundance Film Festival. Wonderfully forthcoming, Wells tells Sam a number of honest opinions, including the affects of social media on today’s political climate, coming to terms with oneself, and the benefits of psychedelics. --------------...

We're back! This week, Sam sits down with comedian Brett Gelman. You probably recognize him from films such as The Other Guys and 30 Minutes or Less and television shows like Man Seeking Woman, Another Period, and Fleabag. Back on screen in Lemon, which premieres at Sundance later this month, Brett came on to discuss today's political climate, trying to walk the line between self-awareness and sel...

Merry Christmas, everybody! We're closing out 2016 with a very special bonus episode of Talk Easy looking back on the year that was in cultural, politics, and art. To help us work it all out, we've invited back some of our favourite guests from Talk Easy episodes past, including Matt Zoller Seitz, Mackenzie Davis, Zazie Beetz, Wesley Morris, and more. Consider it a gift for the holiday season, and...

On this week's show, comedian Reggie Watts joins Sam to talk about finding comedy and music in improvisation, keeping those creative juices flowing, and finding the space to be creative at all. Plus, Reggie shares his thoughts on racism in America today, and considers the election of Donald Trump. All that, and a whole lot more. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponso...

This week on Talk Easy, journalist Jay Caspian King joins the show to talk about his career writing and editing at noteworthy publications like Grantland, The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and Vice. Sam and Jay also discuss his 2010 article about his own gambling addiction, his recent aversion to everything fiction and popular culture, and the belief buried beneath the cold cynicism of most...

This week on Talk Easy, NY Magazine TV critic and RogerEbert.com EIC Matt Zoller Seitz joins Sam to talk about the state of film criticism. They also discuss director Oliver Stone, whose the subject of Seitz latest book The Oliver Stone Experience, a rollicking compendium of essays, interviews, and analysis that took five years to write. The wide-ranging conversations hits on the legacy of Roger E...

This week on Talk Easy, emerging actress Mackenzie Davis ("Halt and Catch Fire") joins Sam to talk about...well, yeah, the election. At least for a little bit. After working through some grief and trying to find a way forward, they discuss Mackenzie's work in films like "What If," "The Martian," and "This Awkward Moment." They also dive into her early twenties, managing friendships, and, everyone'...

On this week's show, actress Zoe Kazan joins Sam for a conversation about growing up with screenwriter parents, going off to be an actress, finding the right therapist, the stress of making the film 'Ruby Sparks' with her boyfriend, the pain of being reduced to a single movie trope, and some thoughts on Donald Trump and the election, recorded before the results last Tuesday. All that, plus some th...

On this week's show, our guest is one of the inspirations for this very podcast. Max Linsky, co-host of the 'Longform' podcast, which features excellent in-depth interviews with many of the best journalists in the field. Max is also the co-founder of Pineapple Street Media, a podcasting and media company, as well as the host of the 'With Her' podcast, the official podcast of the Hillary Clinton ca...

Zazie Beetz is a great rising young actress, who has recently gained rightful attention for her fantastic work in the FX series "Atlanta" and her role in Joe Swanberg's Netflix anthology series "Easy." Zazie sat down with Sam to talk about her unique upbringing, speaking multiple languages, trying to make the world better for women, finding solace in not being important, and overcoming the often c...

He's back! W. Kamau Bell, the second ever guest on Talk Easy, makes his triumphant return to talk about this crazy election, the madness of Donald Trump, doing those crazy panels on CNN, and maintaining sanity through his family. But mostly the crazy election stuff. Buy Kamau's new comedy special, "Semi-Prominent Negro," at Kill Rock Stars: http://www.killrockstars.com/kamau/ Music for the show pr...

Margaret Brown is the talented documentarian behind "Never Trump," a short doc from the New York Times, about hardcore conservatives who have come out against Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging conversation, Sam and Margaret touch on everything from the state of American politics headed into this election, the power of documentary filmmaking, and finding the right balance between work and living. Wat...

This week on the show, "Certain Women" director Kelly Reichardt joins Sam for a conversation about her unique and beautiful filmmaking, the loneliness of directing, the subtle sentimentality at the heart of her work, and talking to the neighbor's cat. All that, plus her early days working in a mail room, first picking up a Super8 camera, and much more. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Orig...

This week on Talk Easy, Sam talks with hip hop artist/musician/producer extraordinaire, Ringgo Ancheta, aka @Mndsgn. In their conversation, Mndsgn shares how he landed on his distinct musical style, the elusive story behind his own origin, and the role of psychedelics in his music and his life. All that and more. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: ht...

Multi-hyphenate jazz star Esperanza Spalding stops by Talk Easy to talk about her career, being an inconsistent person, developing that into creative energy, and the artistic value of being attentive to others. See Esperanza Spalding on tour: http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/tour/ Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Lear...

Legendary documentary filmmaker Steve James joins the show to talk with Sam about his extraordinary career, his masterpiece "Hoop Dreams," his film about the late Roger Ebert, his new film, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," as well as his intimate approach to making films about complex subjects. UCLA's 'Kartemquin Films at 50': https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2016/kartemquin-films-at-50 Music for...