The Envelope

Halle Berry details how she channeled her childhood trauma in her directorial debut, “Bruised”; why she has “great compassion” for people struggling to get it right; and how she had to fight for roles even after becoming the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress nearly 20 years ago. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com . 

Director Adam McKay takes us behind the scenes of “ Don’t Look Up ” to reveal the real-life events that inspired his new film. Plus, why his collaboration with Will Ferrell had to end and the rule he enforces about discussing potential awards on set. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com . 

Jennifer Coolidge opens up about shifting from drama to comedy (and back again), overcoming cocaine addiction in her 20s and channeling the death of her mother to play the grieving Tanya McQuoid in ‘White Lotus.’ To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com . 

Kirsten Dunst shares stories about growing up in Hollywood, why she decided to publicly address her mental health break, and the joyful — though sometimes awkward — moments of acting opposite her real-life partner, Jesse Plemons, in “The Power of the Dog.” To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com . 

The Envelope podcast will return November 30 with brand new episodes that pull back the curtain on this award season’s top contenders. Each week, A-list actors, directors and showrunners join Los Angeles Times entertainment reporters Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen for intimate conversations about their personal lives and creative processes — and how that all fuels their art. New episodes featuri...

Mj Rodriguez has busted through a tough barrier as the first transgender performer nominated for an Emmy in a lead acting category. Now that she’s wrapped up her successful run in the hit FX show “Pose,” will there be more great mainstream opportunities for trans performers in the future? “Pose” took us into New York’s LGBTQ ballroom scene amid the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early ‘90s, and Rodr...

Hannah Waddingham discusses her Emmy-nominated performance in “Ted Lasso,” the feel-good Apple TV+ comedy series that centers on the upbeat American coach of an English soccer team. Waddingham plays the coach’s initially vindictive and cynical boss, Rebecca.  She also talks about her turn as the “Game of Thrones” nun who infamously yelled “Shame! Shame!” at Cersei Lannister, recounts how doors hav...

Chances are, you already know the names of Emmy favorites like “Ted Lasso” and “The Crown,” which are expected to rack up the statuettes when the TV academy hands out its annual awards next month. But you may not have had time to catch up on all of this year’s Emmy nominees just yet — and on this latest crossover between “The Envelope” and “The Times” podcasts, TV editor Matt Brennan and awards co...

He was a legendary lawyer. She’s a Real Housewife. Together, Tom and Erika Girardi made a striking couple. He funded their lavish lifestyle with multimillion-dollar settlements. She used that money to create a career as a pop singer named Erika Jayne. But did they break the law to build their dream life? In this crossover episode with our sister podcast “The Times,” we get into a story straight ou...

Our guest is Janicza Bravo, director and co-writer of the new film “Zola.” Bravo talks about adapting the screenplay from a viral Twitter thread, trusting her instincts about casting, combining comedy and anxiety to push audience reactions, and how she became a go-to director for prestige TV series wanting to change-up their style. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envel...

Our guest is actor John Boyega, who recently played police officer Leroy Logan in “Red, White and Blue,” which is part of Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology series. Boyega talks about his relationship with his dad, moving on from the "Star Wars" trilogy, using his platform to highlight social injustice and working in Hollywood. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelo...

Our guest is actor Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton in the steamy Netflix Regency drama “Bridgerton.” Dynevor talks about the passionate fanbase behind the show, tips the intimacy coordinator shared on set and shooting kissing scenes in the rain with costar Regé-Jean Page. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Gues...

Our guest is Barry Jenkins, the director and showrunner for "The Underground Railroad," which is based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Jenkins talks about his artistic vision for the show, why he chose a television format over film, and what he learned from making "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit lat...

Our guest is actor Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff in "WandaVision." Olsen talks about the television sitcoms she watched while researching for the role and her approach to acting in the Marvel series. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.

With the Oscars behind us, the 2021 Emmys season is kicking into gear. And we’re looking back at our favorite conversations with TV stars and directors this season, including Steve McQueen, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Anya Taylor-Joy and Josh O’Connor. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.

Our guest is Steven Canals, co-creator of FX’s groundbreaking drama “Pose.” Canals talks about directing the series finale while grieving the loss of his grandmother, striking balance in the show between joy and trauma, and why he feels “ultra privileged” to be working in TV and entertainment right now. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envel...

Our guest is actor Kate Winslet, who plays a Pennsylvania police detective in the new HBO series “Mare of Easttown.” Winslet talks about how she got the Delaware County accent down for the series, sharing a house with fellow actors Guy Pearce and Jean Smart and how she was able to hold her breath for more than 7 minutes for "Avatar 2." For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/e...

Our guest is actor Cynthia Erivo, who plays Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha” in National Geographic’s biographical anthology series. Erivo talks about how she landed the role, using her platform to advocate for change and the way scent has helped her find characters. Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Academy Awards from L.A. Times columnists Glenn Whipp and Mary McNamara. For more exclusive awards sea...

Our guest is Emerald Fennell, who wrote, directed and produced “Promising Young Woman.” Her debut feature film got five Oscar nominations. Fennell talks about the strong responses to “Promising Young Woman” since its release, the importance of casting actor Carey Mulligan in the starring role and writing a new screenplay about the DC Comics superhero Zatanna Zatara. For more exclusive awards seaso...

Our guest is actor Amanda Seyfried, who earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Marion Davies in “Mank.” Seyfried talks about why this performance is her favorite to date, what it was like to meet the film’s director, David Fincher, for the first time, and the prep she’s doing for her next role playing disgraced Silicon Valley executive Elizabeth Holmes. For more exclusive awards season co...

Our guest is actor and producer Kate Mara, who plays a high school teacher who gets involved with her teenage student on the FX on Hulu series “A Teacher.” Mara talks about the importance of having discussions about sexual assault, what it was like to produce her first TV series, and the happy accident of not being cast in “Lost.” For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelo...

Our guests are actor Mads Mikkelsen and director Thomas Vinterberg. Their latest collaboration is the Oscar-nominated “Another Round.” Mikkelsen and Vinterberg talk about why they set their film among high school teachers, whether there really was any drinking on set and how they created that already iconic dance number at the end of the movie. Photo by Henrik Ohsten. For more Envelope exclusive a...

Our guest is artist and filmmaker Garrett Bradley, who earned a documentary feature Oscar nomination for “Time,” about subject Fox Rich’s 21-year fight to free her husband from prison. Bradley talks about weaving together archival and contemporary footage, why she's obsessed with shooting close-ups of her characters, and how vintage piano jazz composed by an Ethiopian nun became the emotional scor...

Our guest is Sacha Baron Cohen, who has received Golden Globe awards and Oscar, SAG, PGA and WGA nominations for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and for his portrayal of activist Abbie Hoffman in “The Trial of The Chicago 7.” Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Oscar nominations from our columnist Glenn Whipp. Photo credit: Russell James. For more Envelope exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/...

Our guest is Shaka King, the director, co-writer and producer of “Judas and the Black Messiah.” The film tells the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and FBI informant William O’Neal, whose intel led to Hampton’s killing by law enforcement in 1969. King talks about why he felt a responsibility to make the movie, how one day of shooting felt like stepping into a time warp, and making the ju...