George Saunders has long been hailed as one of the great short story writers of our time. Of his 1996 debut CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Zadie Smith called Saunders “a prophecy and the voice of the American berserk.” Thirty years later, Saunders is still turning to the page in search of answers.

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We sit today to discuss his latest novel, Vigil (6:25), why he felt drawn to this story circling the afterlife (9:55), and his own brush with death in the early 2000s (12:40). Then, Saunders reflects on a life-changing moment in Singapore (20:45), his instinct toward peacemaking (25:00), and what he makes of this fraught moment in America (27:00).

On the back-half, we talk about his 2016 reporting for The New Yorker (40:00), the formation of Saunders’ signature literary style (43:00), and the idea of inevitable occurrences (52:00). To close, Saunders revisits his 2020 short story “Love Letter” (1:11:00), looks toward the future (1:15:00), and shares a tribute to his wife, Paula (1:17:00).

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Today, we revisit our 2023 conversation with performer and director Ramy Youssef, one of the singular voices of the past decade.

We begin with his reflections on Ramadan, before diving into the third season of his Hulu show Ramy and the questions that shaped it. Then, we walk through his coming of age as a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim in New Jersey, his early forays into film, and the sketch inspired by a life-altering Bell’s palsy diagnosis.

On the back-half, we discuss Youssef's television debut in the sitcom See Dad Run, how he found his “essence” as a performer, and the politics of his stand-up comedy. To close, he describes the influences behind Ramy, from The Carmichael Show to Curb Your Enthusiasm, a philosophy that guides his work, and what he wants to create in the future.

Original air date: June 4, 2023

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From BoJack to Batman, Will Arnett has made a name for himself with his signature baritone voice. This week the beloved ‘SmartLess’ co-host joins us to talk easy.

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We begin with his latest role in Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (6:35), the real-life story that inspired the personal project (10:53), and how making it reconnected Arnett to his early years as a young, jobbing actor in New York City (13:24). Then, we discuss Arnett’s first voiceover gigs (18:16), finding his way in his early 30s (22:50), and the thrill of collaborating with creator Mitch Hurwitz on Arrested Development (27:08).

On the back-half, he shares some lessons in failure (38:19), coming to terms with criticism (41:00), his family’s heartfelt reaction to the new film (50:00), the joys of co-hosting SmartLess alongside Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes (53:00), and the kind of work he plans to make next (55:54).

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Patti Smith has been hailed as the Godmother of Punk, the people’s poet, a defining voice of her generation. She’s been inducted into the Rock & Roll of Fame. She won a National Book Award for her memoir, Just Kids. Last fall, she published her most intimate book yet: Bread of Angels.

Act I: In Sickness and In Health

We discuss Patti’s early creative awakenings in South Jersey (7:50), discovering Bob Dylan at sixteen (18:00), and the summer job that inspired her infamous poem, Piss Factory (21:20).

Act II: Coming to New York

Then, we walk through her nomadic years with Robert Mapplethorpe in-and-out-of the Chelsea Hotel (32:30), her run-in with the Rolling Thunder Revue (39:58), the whirlwind of making her debut album Horses (45:28), and why she left it all behind (50:24).

Act III: Curtain Call

To close, she talks about giving voice to those whose time was cut short (53:00), her tireless desire and commitment to evolve as an artist (59:23), and the protests and politics that have shaped some of her best and most urgent work to date (1:01:37).

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Gwyneth Paltrow, now and forever, reigns supreme.

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We discuss her return to acting in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme (7:45), the personal parallels that shaped her portrayal of 1930s movie star Kay Stone (8:00), and memories of her early years at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (12:14). Then, Paltrow reflects on the “fast-moving train” that followed her breakout roles in Se7en, Hard Eight, and Emma (30:05), the sexism she encountered in Hollywood (32:35), and how her sense of self shifted after winning the Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love at just twenty-six (35:00).

On the back-half, we revisit the making of The Royal Tenenbaums (41:40), her decision to step away from acting to build Goop (49:30), why she continues to advocate for wellness practices today (57:30), and what she imagines the next chapter of her life and work might hold (1:00:18).

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Before Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) became an EGOT-winning actor, she was an observer. Her work takes the human experience and transmutes it, offering a mirror and a window into ourselves.

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As we (gradually) move into 2026, we revisit our sit-down with Davis. We unpack her liberating projects in The Woman King (4:24) and G20 (4:50), the formative years she spent growing up in Rhode Island (13:52), and how she captured those familial memories in her 2022 memoir Finding Me (17:12). Then, we talk about Viola’s start as a performer (23:40), what she learned attending Juilliard (31:57), and the quagmire she faced as a Black actor emerging on Broadway and in Hollywood post-graduation (35:10).

On the back-half, Davis reflects on a scene from August Wilson’s play Seven Guitars (37:50), her singular experience acting alongside Meryl Streep in Doubt (47:25), and the ways her life transformed during Shonda Rhymes’ How to Get Away with Murder and Steve McQueen’s Widows (53:00). To close, Viola shares her views on legacy (1:01:05) and how she finds her way back home, each and every day (1:05:20).

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Original air date: April 27, 2025

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We’re closing out 2025 with the person who made us laugh the most this year: comedian Robby Hoffman.

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At the top, we unpack the joys of her new Netflix special Wake Up (4:00), her views on Sunday football (9:00), and the state of masculinity (15:00). Then, Robby walks us through her Orthodox upbringing (19:00), leaving America for Canada (21:00), and how she started to find herself in high school (32:00).

On the back-half, we talk her first night doing stand-up (39:00), some candid thoughts on her community (47:00), how she landed her break writing for The Chris Gethard Show (51:40), the conditions she fought to improve during the WGA strikes (53:00), a tribute to the late Rob Reiner (1:07:30), and the systemic change she wants to see in 2026 (1:10:00).

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For over thirty years, Kate Winslet has been one of the most beloved performers on screen.

We discuss her directorial debut in Goodbye June (5:00), the loss that inspired this personal screenplay (10:00), and how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her approach to directing (20:00). Then, Winslet reflects on her vivid upbringing in Reading, England (23:00), landing her breakout role in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (30:00), and the encouragement of her artistic father (33:00).

On the back-half, we walk through how she crafted her performance in Sense and Sensibility (35:00), her Titanic audition (38:00), the scrutiny she endured in the film’s aftermath (40:00), and the body of work she ultimately made as a refutation of the industry that tried to define her: namely, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (48:00) and Mare of Easttown (52:00).

Watch this conversation on YouTube. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.

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