THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST

Cinematographer James Laxton's work has spanned across a range of visually distinctive projects, noted for his recurring collaboration with director Barry Jenkins on projects such as MOONLIGHT for which he was Oscar-nominated, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, and MUFASA: THE LION KING. His style blends precision with an instinct for emotional immediacy—something that’s esp...

Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor Bruce Davison is best known for his work in past films such as Longtime Companion, The Crucible, Short Cuts and X-Men as well as series like Harry and the Hendersons and more recently Ozark, Bosch, and 1923. He’s now out with his latest film CASA GRANDE which is about a prodigal daughter who rejoins her family at their farm during a difficult time, as...

Terrance Dwyer is an Emmy-winning re-recording mixer who’s helped define how some of the most iconic reality shows actually feel to watch. He’s been with Survivor since day one, mixing over 750 consecutive episodes and shaping the sound of everything from intense challenges to remote, cinematic environments. We’re now currently in the midst of the latest season of Survivor, the milestone 50th, whi...

John Magaro is an actor who’s built a really compelling career playing complex, deeply grounded characters across films and shows such as Past Lives, September 5, First Cow, The Umbrella Academy and The Agency. He stars in the new film Omaha , which is a quietly powerful, incredibly restrained piece that tells the story of a father who takes his two children on a road trip across the US after thei...

Ava Lalezarzadeh is an actor who is part of the Tony-nominated play English. The play, written by Sanaz Toossi, is about four adult students in 2008 Iran studying for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. The students struggle with the loss of their native language and identity, navigating the tension between their authentic selves and the identities they adopt while speaking Eng...

For decades, Amy Goodman has been the one asking the questions—challenging presidents, reporting from conflict zones, and building Democracy Now! into one of the most prominent independent news platforms in the world. Now, in Steal This Story, Please! , she’s the subject. The film comes from Oscar-nominated directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, who go behind the scenes of Goodman’s work and the broa...

I’m joined by filmmaker Marcie Hume, director of the new documentary Corey Feldman vs The World — a film more than a decade in the making. With unusually intimate access to Corey Feldman, Marcie doesn’t set out to defend or prosecute him. Instead, she drops us inside his world — at home, on tour, in moments that are hilarious, surreal, uncomfortable, and sometimes unexpectedly serious.

Today, I’m joined by director Ricard Cusso and writer Elise Allen to talk about their upcoming animated feature The Pout-Pout Fish , based on the beloved children’s book series. The film follows an unlikely undersea duo — a prickly recluse named Mr. Fish and an exuberant sea dragon called Pip — who set off on an ocean-spanning quest to save their homes by finding a mythical wish-granting fish. Ric...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by the electrifying Aura Mayari — drag artist, actor, and breakout star from RuPaul's Drag Race . She’s currently lighting up the stage in Here Lies Love , the high-energy, disco-driven musical about the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles after its' celebrated Broadway run.

For our pre-Oscars episode, former Variety editor Jenelle Riley joins me to discuss our final predictions for Hollywood's biggest night.

Today’s guests took one of the most universal human gestures — a kiss — and made it feel entirely new. Their Oscar-nominated live action short Two People Exchanging Saliva takes place in a dystopian world where kissing is punishable by death. I’m joined by the filmmakers behind it, Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata.

Oscar-nominated film editor Olivier Bugge Coutté is a filmmaker whose work has quietly shaped some of the most emotionally resonant European films of the past decade. His previous films include Beginners, Oslo August 31st, The Worst Person in the World, and The Apprentice. His latest project, Sentimental Value, is what has earned him his first Oscar nomination in addition to 8 other nominations in...

Today's episode features the Oscar-nominated visual effects team behind Jurassic World: Rebirth — four artists whose work has helped define modern blockbuster spectacle. Charmaine Chan is a veteran VFX supervisor whose past credits include A Quiet Place Day One, The Acolyte and The Creator. Jurassic World: Rebirth is her first Oscar nomination. David Vickery is a VFX supervisor at Industrial L...

Writer and director Lee Knight, whose latest film A Friend of Dorothy has quietly become one of the most powerful and personal films of the year, culminated in an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short. The film stars acclaimed BAFTA winning actress Miriam Margolyes as a lonely widow who befriends her teenage neighbour, depicting an unlikely, poignant bond over shared loneliness. The...

Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski are an Oscar-nominated directing duo known for their hauntingly tactile approach to stop-motion animation. Their latest short, The Girl Who Cried Pearls —now nominated for Best Animated Short—continues their fascination with inner psychological worlds, blending surreal imagery with deeply human emotion. The film is about a poor boy living in Montreal at the dawn...

Director John Kelly and producer Andrew Freedman are the filmmakers behind the short film Retirement Plan has just earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film. The film is about a middle-aged man fantasizing about his future retirement. The 7-minute film has won numerous awards at festivals like SXSW and Palm Springs in addition to its' Oscar nomination.

Tony-nominated actress Lauren Worsham has built a dynamic career across Broadway, regional theater, and television. She was Tony nominated & won the Drama Desk Award for her performance in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder , and has previously appeared in shows such as Sunday in the Park, Call Me Madam, Big River, and Where’s Charley (NY City Center Encores);  Turn of the Screw   (NYC O...

Byron Howard, one of the key creative forces behind modern Disney animation, is nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar for ZOOTOPIA 2, which he directed alongside Jared Bush. He’s been at Walt Disney Animation Studios for decades and has directed or co-directed films like BOLT, TANGLED, ZOOTOPIA, and ENCANTO. His work has earned multiple Academy Award nominations and wins, including Os...

Oscar-winning producer Ron Dyens is nominated at this year's Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film for BUTTERFLY - a beautiful film from director and acclaimed French animator Florence Miailhe which tells the story of Jewish French swimmer Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany. Dyens won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature last year for FLOW.

Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton are the directing duo behind the Oscar-nominated short documentary The Devil Is Busy, now streaming on HBO Max. The film chronicles a day on the frontlines in the battle for reproductive rights at a women's healthcare clinic in Atlanta.

Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are the directors of the Oscar-nominated animated film, Pixar's Elio. Shi is an Academy Award–winning filmmaker who directed Pixar’s Oscar-winning short Bao and the feature Turning Red. Sharafian is a director and longtime Pixar storyboard artist who worked on films such as Coco, Onward, and Turning Red. She directed the acclaimed Oscar-nominated SparkShort Bur...

Today’s guest is cinematographer Ashley Barron who shot Episodes 1–3 of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, now streaming on Netflix. The series is about three lifelong friends who  reunite after the death of an old classmate and turns a wake into a dark mystery. They embark on a thrilling adventure across Ireland, piecing together enigmatic truths amid complicated lives. Ashley helped establish th...

Co-writer John Kinnane and executive producer Jeffrey Azize discuss their work on their latest film SOLO MIO starring Kevin James and Alyson Hannigan. Left heartbroken in Rome after a wedding disaster, Kevin James plays a stranded groom who finds his ruined honeymoon transformed by a determined local and a few meddling travelers-proving that sometimes heartbreak is only the beginning.

Erica Dasher is an actor, writer, and director you know from Jane by Design. She’s back on TV in Peacock’s new series The Burbs , premiering February 8. Starring Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall, the show is inspired by the cult-classic film — and Erica’s character sits at the center of the mystery driving the entire season. She’s fresh off a year on Broadway in the Tony Award–winning Leopoldstadt .

Ric Roman Waugh, a director and producer known for grounded, high-stakes storytelling, returns to the Greenland world with its' sequel Greenland 2: Migration , now being released on digital. His past directing credits include Angel Has Fallen , Shot Caller , Snitch , and Felon — films that combine large-scale action with deeply human stakes.