TanGent Show

Utkarsh Ambudkar is an actor, rapper, singer, and improviser whose career has spanned everything from Pitch Perfect , Free Guy , and Ghosts to Broadway, freestyle rap, and the improv phenomenon Freestyle Love Supreme alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you've ever wondered what happens when someone is equally comfortable trading bars, stealing scenes, and debating The Simpsons , this one's for you. U...

Godfrey is one of those comedians who's impossible to mistake for anyone else. Whether you've seen him on  30 Rock , Louie , Zoolander , Our Cartoon President , or heard him holding court on The Godfrey Complex , you've probably noticed the same thing I have - he's an unmistakable talent. This conversation feels less like an interview and more like getting caught in the orbit of someone whose brai...

Dr. Vivek Murthy has served twice as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming one of the nation's leading voices on public health, mental well-being, addiction, loneliness, and preventive care. Before serving as "America's Doctor," he co-founded Doctors for America and multiple public health initiatives, earned degrees from Harvard and Yale, and has dedicated his career to making medicine mo...

Rajiv Joseph is one of the most acclaimed playwrights of his generation, with works including Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (a Pulitzer Prize finalist starring Robin Williams on Broadway), Guards at the Taj , Gruesome Playground Injuries , and Animals Out of Paper . He's also written for Showtime's Nurse Jackie , but as you'll hear, theater is where his heart has always been. There was something...

With more than 300 million records sold and songwriting credits for artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, One Direction, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Usher, Maroon 5, and many more, Savan Kotecha has quietly become one of the most successful hitmakers in modern pop music. But what surprised me most wasn't the resume. It was the person behind it. We sat down in Savan's studio expecting to...

Drew Tarvin is a humorist, author, and speaker who has built a career around one deceptively simple idea: work is better when people laugh. As the founder of Humor That Works and the author of "Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work", Drew has helped organizations use humor to improve communication, leadership, creativity, and company culture. Long before that became...

Actor, filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur Ravi Patel is known for Meet the Patels , Master of None , The Pursuit of Happyness , Four Weddings and a Funeral , Animal Control , and films including Long Shot and 80 for Brady . He's also built companies, created television projects, and somehow manages to make every career pivot seem inevitable in hindsight. I've always enjoyed talking with Ravi beca...

Comedian Willis Turner has spent years touring comedy clubs across the country, sharing stages with comics like Loni Love and performing everywhere from small-town Montana to military bases overseas. But what started as two comedians swapping road stories turned into an extremely thoughtful conversation. We begin with life on the road, opening for other comics, unforgettable gigs, and the strange...

Priya Rai is one of the most recognizable Indian-born performers ever to work in the adult entertainment industry. Adopted from India and raised in Arizona, she built a successful career as a featured dancer, adult film star, entrepreneur, and online creator, becoming one of the few South Asian women to achieve mainstream name recognition in an industry where representation has historically been r...

Jade Catta-Preta is a Brazilian-born comedian, actress, television host, and stand-up comic whose credits include hosting MTV's Girl Code, appearances on shows like Manhattan Love Story and Those Who Can't, and a stand-up career that has made her one of the most recognizable voices in comedy today. We somehow bounced between Brazil, India, Game of Thrones, pilot season heartbreak, language, fashio...

I first became aware of Sujata Day through her work with Issa Rae on The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but by the end of this conversation I found myself just as fascinated by the way she thinks as by anything she's made. Sujata is the writer, director, producer, and star of Definition Please, and one of those rare people who seems completely comfortable betting on herself - whether that me...

Most people outside of comedy have probably never heard of Richard Barrett. Inside comedy, that's a different story. Richard has spent decades helping shape one of the most respected comedy rooms in America - The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach - where legends like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Garry Shandling, and countless others have worked, experimented, and refined their craft...

Actor Ritesh Rajan might be best known for roles in Russian Doll, The Jungle Book, Stitchers, Definition Please, and voicing Ken in Mattel's Barbie Vlogger universe - but this episode quickly turns into something much bigger than a career retrospective. It becomes a conversation about identity, ambition, immigrant families, and why South Asians still struggle to support each other creatively in Am...

I've wanted to talk to Seth Godin for years, and this conversation somehow managed to be even more wide-ranging than I expected. Seth is one of the most influential marketing thinkers of the last few decades. He is the author of books like Purple Cow, Linchpin, and The Dip, but what struck me most in this episode wasn't the marketing advice. It was how deeply philosophical he is about work, creati...

Actor and writer Karan Soni has quietly become one of the most recognizable faces in acting and comedy over the last decade, thanks to standout roles in Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Abbott Elementary, Miracle Workers, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and 7 Days - but this conversation reveals the person underneath all of that success in a way that's funny, vulnerable, and unexpectedly dee...

Eric Lange is one of those actors you instantly recognize - even if you don't immediately know his name. Over the years, he's appeared in shows like Lost, Victorious, Narcos, Escape at Dannemora, Weeds, and The Man in the High Castle, while also working alongside legends like Al Pacino, Diane Lane, and John Malkovich. But long before Hollywood, Eric was just another Fairfield, Ohio kid doing show...

Misha Euceph - writer, producer, and award-winning podcast creator behind acclaimed audio projects including Tell Them, I Am , The Butterfly Effect , and Snap Judgment - joins me for a deeply funny, wildly thoughtful conversation about identity, storytelling, immigration, politics, podcasting, and what it means to take up space in America. Born in Pakistan and raised in the U.S. after immigrating...

This week, Alex Hooper joins me for a wildly funny, surprisingly thoughtful conversation about comedy, creativity, and the beautiful chaos of trying to build an artistic life in LA. Alex is a stand-up comedian, actor, and longtime fixture of the Los Angeles comedy scene whose debut special Brace Yourself was recently released through Comedy Dynamics. Long before the TV credits and festival appeara...

Nik Dodani - actor, writer, and producer known for Netflix's "Atypical", HBO Max's "The Parenting", and his work both on-screen and behind the scenes advocating for South Asian and queer representation - joins me for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on Hollywood in a very real way. We talk about his early career playing the "Asian Best Friend" and how that became both a training ground a...

Akaash Singh is a stand-up comedian, co-host of the hit podcast "Flagrant", and a breakout voice in New York comedy known for his sharp crowd work, unapologetic takes, and relentless work ethic. He sits down with me for a conversation that is equal parts comedy masterclass and philosophical sparring match. We get into his rise through the New York scene, from barking on the streets for stage time...

Kal Penn is best known for roles in the Harold & Kumar film series, House, and Designated Survivor but his career extends far beyond Hollywood. A former Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement under Barack Obama, Kal has built a uniquely hybrid career across entertainment, politics, and public service. In this episode, I sit down with Kal to talk about that exact duality...

Prashanth Venkataramanujam is a stand-up comedian who started performing in high school before rising through the Chicago comedy scene - eventually building a career that spans live performance, digital content, and executive leadership in sports media, including work with major platforms like NBA digital. In this episode, I sit down with Prashanth for a conversation that starts in stand-up and qu...

Manu Raju is CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent and one of the most recognizable political reporters in Washington. Known for breaking major stories on Capitol Hill and pressing lawmakers in real time, Manu has covered everything from high-stakes leadership battles to historic impeachment proceedings, becoming a trusted voice in modern political journalism. In this episode, I sit down with Ma...

Mo Amer is a globally touring stand-up, a founding member of the Allah Made Me Funny tour, and the creator/star of the Mo. A Palestinian refugee born in Kuwait and raised in Houston, Mo's voice blends sharp comedy with lived experience that spans continents, cultures, and conflict zones. In this episode, I sit down with Mo for what starts as a loose, hilarious conversation about stand-up, touring,...

Karan Brar is well known for his breakout role as Ravi Ross on Jessie and its spinoff Bunk'd, making history as one of the first South Asian series regulars on Disney Channel. He's also appeared in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series and has steadily transitioned from child star to a thoughtful, self-aware young actor navigating a complex industry. In this episode, I sit down with Karan to talk a...