An area near the entrance to Death Valley National Park has the capacity to produce enough energy to power the entire planet if covered in solar panels. Yet for Nye County, Nevada residents, the question of what must be sacrificed – including the environmental and economic future of the area – and by whom, looms large. Hillary Angelo is the author of the Harper’s Magazine article, “Boomtown,” which explores the complexity of the solar land rush in the West. Angelo is an urban and environmental sociologist and Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Santa Cruz. Dustin Mulvaney, who was featured in the article, is a solar expert and Professor at San José State University. Alec speaks with Angelo and Mulvaney about the objections of residents, what spaces might be used instead, and how to rethink the future of energy.

You can find the article, “Boomtown,” here:

https://harpers.org/archive/2023/01/boomtown-beatty-nevada-solar-farms-death-valley/

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Caroline Rhea is best-known as Aunt Hilda in the 90s sitcom, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” but the actor and comedian has been entertaining us in many forms for decades: hosting “The Biggest Loser” and “The Caroline Rhea Show,” performing in standup specials on Comedy Central and HBO, voicing Disney’s “Phineas and Ferb” and appearing as a panelist on game shows like “Hollywood Squares” and “Match Game” with Alec. Rhea speaks with Alec about getting back out on the road doing standup, why it was important to take time off from her career to raise her daughter, and why she’s most at home on stage. 

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On October 3, 2003, a horrified audience looked on as Roy Horn, one-half of the famous German magician duo Siegfried & Roy, was bit by a 400-pound white tiger named “Mantecore” and dragged offstage. After many years in residency at the Mirage Las Vegas and more than 30,000 performances over their career featuring exotic animals, one of the big cats finally turned on their handlers. Chris Jones and Michael Mooney are the authors of The Atlantic article “The Original Tiger Kings: The Improbable Rise and Savage Fall of Siegfried & Roy,” which deconstructs this moment and everything that led to it. Jones and Mooney are journalists that have collectively written for Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire and The Wall Street Journal Magazine. Chris Jones is also the author of the book The Eye Test: A Case for Human Creativity in the Age of Analytics, as well as serving as a writer and producer on Netflix’s Away. Michael Mooney is also the New York Times best-selling author of The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle: American Sniper, Navy SEAL. Together, they speak with Alec about the tragic event, the reporting behind the scenes and the lessons learned from the end of an era.

You can find the article at:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/11/siegfried-roy-fame-rise-and-fall/671528/

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This past year marked the 75th Anniversary of the Actors Studio, the nonprofit organization that has shared “truth in acting” with decades of film, television and theater professionals, including some of the biggest names in the business. This episode is the first in a series of conversations with some of those responsible for the studio’s success. Alec currently serves as Co-President of the Actors Studio and had the opportunity to speak with two leaders within the institution: Co-President Ellen Burstyn, who joined the studio in 1967, is known for her roles in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,”“The Exorcist,” and “Requiem for A Dream” – and also has the distinction of winning the “Triple Crown of Acting:” an Oscar, a Tony and two Emmy Awards. Alec then speaks with Co-Associate Artistic Director Estelle Parsons, who has been with the studio since 1962. Parsons earned an Academy Award for ”Bonnie and Clyde,” the second film she ever made, and has earned five Tony nominations and two Obies in her illustrious career. The two remarkable women share their stories of finding their way to the Actors Studio and the impact it had on their careers – and their craft. 

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From “The Godfather” to “Goodfellas” to “The Sopranos,” fictional portrayals of the mafia continue to enthrall the American public. On his podcast, “Our Thing,” Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, member of “La Cosa Nostra” and underboss of the Gambino crime family, tells the tales of the real thing. The man who once upheld “omertà,” or the code of silence, testified as a government witness against mob boss John Gotti in a 1992 plea deal. Prosecutors described him as “the most significant witness in the history of organized crime in the United States.” Since 2020, he has told stories of his time in “the life” over five seasons of the “Our Thing” podcast.  Alec also speaks with co-creator of the podcast, James Carroll, a director, producer, editor and cinematographer of film and television. He shares how the podcast came to be and what he’s learned working with the notorious mobster. 

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Daniel Weiss is President and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest museum in North America. An accomplished scholar and author who holds a PhD in art history and an MBA, Weiss was recruited to lead The Met in 2015 after serving as a college president, university dean, and professor of art history. He has steered the Museum through a series of historic challenges—including the covid crisis, a budget deficit and the removal of the controversial Sackler name from the building. Weiss is also the author of several books, ranging from art history to a soldier’s experience in the Vietnam War. Alec speaks with Daniel Weiss about navigating the Met through the pandemic, his role as a steward of priceless works of art, and his favorite museum to visit in the world. 

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Hatice Cengiz is a Turkish academic and researcher in Middle Eastern studies, and the fiancée of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In 2017, Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia for the United States, where he wrote columns often critical of the Saudi government for The Washington Post. He was murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by Saudi government officials in 2018. Four years later, Cengiz continues to fight for justice for her fiancée and hold accountable those who ordered and planned the killing. Alec speaks with Cengiz about how she and Jamal Khashoggi first met, the details of that tragic day, and the enduring legacy of her fiancée.

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Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with actors Ellen Burstyn and Estelle Parsons on the 75th Anniversary of the Actors Studio, fiancée of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, on her fight for justice following his assassination, and Daniel Weiss, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on how he manages the historic institution, just to name a few. If you like listening as much as Alec likes talking with interesting people, subscribe now and never miss an episode. The new season begins January 24th. 

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For decades, Bruce Bozzi worked at the highest end of the service industry, managing his family’s storied restaurant, The Palm. And if he learned one thing, it’s that the best parties always end up in the kitchen. Table for Two is based on that premise, and on the friendships Bruce has forged along the way with some of the most well-known people in Hollywood, media, and beyond. Over the romance of a meal at one of his favorite restaurants, Bruce interviews a special guest and seeks to untangle the intricate web of power and fame. Listen to Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/867-table-for-two-105373224/

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Huma Abedin has spent her entire career in public service, from her beginnings as an intern in First Lady Hillary Clinton’s office, to her time as senior advisor to then-Senator Clinton, as deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of State, vice chair of Clinton's presidential campaign, and now, as Clinton’s chief of staff. Abedin’s recent memoir, “Both/And,” details this time in government, as well as her personal struggles behind the scenes. Huma Abedin sits down with Alec to discuss the personal impact of the 2016 election, the lessons she learned from her late father, and the sliding doors that have offered her different paths in life. 

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When Montauk fisherman John Aldridge was thrown off the back of his lobster boat, the Anna Mary, he found himself alone in the middle of the ocean, watching his ship speed off into the distance. With his partner, Anthony Sosinski, sleeping below deck, it would be hours before Aldridge was even discovered missing. The U.S. Coast Guard and Montauk fishing community then mobilized a large-scale search-and-rescue mission off the coast of Long Island, but the needle-in-a-haystack operation missed Aldridge, again and again, while he fought for his life. Following the release of their book, A Speck in the Sea, that recounts this harrowing tale, Aldridge and Sosinski join Alec to share their story of perseverance, friendship, and the mindset it takes to survive the most challenging circumstances. 

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Curt Smith is one-half of the band Tears for Fears, along with childhood friend and bandmate Roland Orzabal. Smith and Orzabal met as teenagers in Bath, England and formed a band that would go on to release hit after hit, from “Mad World” to “Shout,” ultimately selling over 30 million albums worldwide. From their debut album in 1983, “The Hurting,” Tears for Fears created a synth-heavy and lyrically complex sound that still resonates with audiences four decades later. Following the release of their latest album, “The Tipping Point,” Alec speaks to Curt Smith about forming a creative partnership bourne out of differing voices, how they found the sound for “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and what led to his departure from the group in the 1990s - and their eventual reunion that happened via fax. 

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Actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Liev Schreiber co-founded the BlueCheck Ukraine initiative in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. BlueCheck Ukraine identifies, vets, and fast-tracks financial support to a diverse portfolio of NGOs that provide life-saving aid on the front lines. Since its launch in March 2022, BlueCheck has swiftly financed emergency evacuations, food distributions, medical aid, shelter, and cash assistance to operations on the ground. Alec Baldwin speaks to Schreiber about his Ukrainian roots and what drove him to start the non-profit, what he has witnessed in his visits to the war-torn region and his extraordinary acting work, from Shakespeare to the Emmy-nominated “Ray Donovan.”

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Amy Schneider is the most successful woman to ever compete on “Jeopardy!” The former engineering manager held a 40-game winning streak from November 2021 to January 2022, the second-longest in the show's history. Her winnings totalled $1.3 million, making her the fifth-highest earner of any contestant on the show. In advance of competing in the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions,” Schneider joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss how she prepared to compete, how being the most authentic version of herself led to success, and how her life has changed since her historic “Jeopardy!” run. (Update: She won!)

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This week, Alec speaks with two powerful women working tirelessly to help those most in need of assistance navigating the complicated – and very often expensive – criminal justice system: Attorneys Susan Church and Renate Lunn. Susan Church is a trial and appellate attorney focusing on immigration law and criminal defense with her firm Demissie & Church. She successfully sued President Trump for his travel ban on Muslim immigrants and successfully defended the Occupy Boston protesters. Church is currently a pro bono lawyer for immigrants involved in the Martha’s Vineyard migrant case, where two planeloads of Venezuelan asylum-seekers were flown from Texas to the Massachusetts island under false pretenses. A graduate of Columbia law, Renate Lunn represented people accused of crimes in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx at The Legal Aid Society for over 10 years and clerked for Hon. Robert P. Patterson of the Southern District of New York. She is currently the Director of Training at New York County Defender Services, training and supervising public defenders that serve the city’s most vulnerable communities in Manhattan.

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Every other week this fall, we’re airing some of Alec’s favorite episodes from our archives. This week, we feature two powerhouses of the political world: Katie Porter and Lorena Gonzalez in conversations from 2021. Democrat Lorena Gonzalez served in the California State Assembly from 2013 to 2022, representing her hometown of San Diego in the 80th Assembly District. The Stanford, Georgetown, and UCLA Law School graduate dedicated her career to labor organizing before taking office, where she fought for paid sick leave, overtime for farmworkers, and protecting janitorial workers against sexual assault. Today, Gonzalez continues to work for union causes as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation. U.S. Representative Katie Porter (CA-45) was the first Democrat ever to be elected in the traditionally conservative Orange County district in 2018. Prompted to run by Trump’s 2016 win, Porter, a Yale and Harvard Law School graduate and single mom to three school-age children, quickly made a name for herself with her tough questioning of CEOs and administration officials, often using a whiteboard to lay out the facts. Porter, now in her second term, brings her experience as a law professor and consumer protection attorney to bear as she fights to end political corruption, increase government transparency, and hold leaders of both parties accountable.

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The multitalented Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and even an occasional singer. He’s also one of Alec’s favorite broadcasters, as host of the Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio. McEnroe’s show unpacks the week’s events in news and pop culture, as well as covering some truly eccentric topics, like zippers, punk rock and neanderthals. He’s the author of three books, including the memoir, My Father’s Footprints – and his writing appears in The New York Times, Men’s Health, The Connecticut Post and Stamford Advocate. When not writing or hosting his radio show, McEnroe teaches in the political science department at Yale. McEnroe shares with Alec how he found his way to public radio, how the intimacy of radio is unparalleled, and details of his father’s influence on his life.

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Every other week this fall, we will be airing some of Alec’s favorite episodes from our archives. This week, we feature two supernovas of the musical world: acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming and the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman. Opera singer Renée Fleming, whose voice has been described as "double cream," remembers her beginnings in music, overcoming stage fright and her professional debut in this 2012 conversation. Fleming talks about the rigors of preparation for performing and the challenges of being heard, without amplification, over an orchestra. In this conversation from 2019, legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman speaks with Alec in front of a live audience at the NYU Skirball Center, discussing his difficult childhood, being stricken by polio in the war-torn early days of Israeli statehood -- and coming to the United States at 13 to play on the Ed Sullivan Show. Perlman also performs live with wife Toby Perlman and eight former students from the Perlman Music Program, a summer school on Shelter Island that provide a safe space for young musical geniuses to develop their talents, and themselves.

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Aasif Mandvi is a British-American actor, comedian, playwright and author, whose diverse career traverses Broadway, Merchant-Ivory, Marvel, television and comedy. His theater work includes Oklahoma! on Broadway, the Pulitzer-Prize winning play Disgraced and Mandvi’s off-Broadway, one man show, Sakina’s Restaurant, which explored the South Asian immigrant experience and won an Obie. He also created the Islamaphobia-tackling digital series Halal in the Family, which earned a Peabody.  The former The Daily Show correspondent is currently starring in the CBS psychological drama Evil and Would I Lie to You?, the CW panel show. Alec Baldwin and Mandvi talk about Mandvi’s upbringing and how it contributed to his adaptability,  the serendipitous events that changed the course of his career and becoming a father later in life. 

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Every other week this fall, we will be airing some of Alec’s favorite episodes from our archives. This week features two incredible authors: chronicler of Hollywood legends, Sam Wasson, and the Pulitzer-Prize winning The New Yorker writer, Lawrence Wright. Sam Wasson tackles distinctive creators and seminal moments in Hollywood history, from Blake Edwards and Paul Mazursky, to Audrey Hepburn and the history of improv. Alec loved Sam Wasson’s book, The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. In this fascinating conversation, Wasson tells the story of the four men behind the 1974 film: producer Robert Evans, screenwriter Robert Towne, director Roman Polanski, and star Jack Nicholson  - and how the film was a turning point in each of their lives. Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. Filmmaker Alex Gibney directed an HBO documentary based on Wright's reporting in Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Unbelief. In his in-depth and varied reporting, Wright has documented the Jonestown massacre, explored allegations of Satan worship, profiled brimstone-tinged gospel preachers, and tracked the histories of al-Qaeda and the Church of Scientology.

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Alec Baldwin speaks with two individuals using media to inspire, inform – and transform –  civic engagement in America.  Civil rights attorney Scott Hechinger is the founder and executive director of Zealous, an organization harnessing the power of storytelling for social justice. Hechinger believes that inaccurate narratives on crime and policing help shape perception and policy - and he’s seeking to change that. With Zealous, Hechinger works with public defenders and advocates on campaigns that aim to change a broken criminal justice system and push for true public health and safety. Robert Greenwald is the founder of Brave New Films, a non-profit whose goal is to educate and mobilize the public on social issues like voter suppression, immigration and war profiteering. Greenwald is an Emmy- and Peabody-winning director of television and film, including “Xanadu” and “The Burning Bed,” but pivoted to documentary and put his talents to work for political action.

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Guest Host Talia Schlanger speaks to the co-creator and subjects of Netflix’s Emmy-winning series, “Love on the Spectrum.” The show, which premiered in the  U.S. after two Australian seasons, follows individuals on the autism spectrum through struggles and successes in their search for love. Director and producer Cian O’Clery is joined by participant Kaelynn Partlow, who is also an autism therapist and advocate. O’Clery and Partlow share their experiences making the series and their take on traditional portrayals of autism in the media. Schlanger then speaks with 

consultant and autism advocate Jennifer Cook. Cook is the author of several books on autism, including her memoir, “Autism In Heels: The Untold Story Of A Female Life On The Spectrum.”  She serves as the dating coach for participants in the series, tailoring her help to their specific needs.  With her guests, Schlanger unpacks the intentions, inner workings and impact of this unique reality dating show. 

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Author Ken Auletta has been the chief political correspondent for the New York Post, a weekly columnist for the Village Voice, contributing editor at New York magazine and contributor to The New Yorker since 1977.  He is the author of twelve books, including five national bestsellers —Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way; Greed and Glory On Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman; The Highwaymen: Warriors of the Information Superhighway; World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies; and Googled: The End of the World as We Know It. His latest book, Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence, serves as a biography, an examination of the circumstances that led to the abuses and the final chapter of Auletta’s reporting on Weinstein that began with a New Yorker profile two decades ago. Ken Auletta and Alec discuss Auletta’s upbringing in Coney Island, his early career in politics and the culture of Weinstein’s many enablers.

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It’s Alec’s turn to pick one of his most beloved episodes in the summer archive series. This week, we feature one of his favorite musicians, Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, from their 2013 conversation. Over the course of a career that has lasted more than half a century, Lightfoot has achieved global stardom and exceptional influence. Bob Dylan’s a fan—he's said, “I can’t think of any [Lightfoot songs] I don’t like.” These songs—“Beautiful,” “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” and many others—have been treasured by generations of popular musicians and listeners around the world. But Gordon Lightfoot was just one of many aspirants who moved to Toronto in the early 1960s to try their hand in the burgeoning folk music scene there. Lightfoot tells Alec about fitting a feeling to a melody, why he owes his first hit record to an exec's girlfriend, and how he wrote "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by pulling lines straight from the newspaper. 

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Dr. David Starkey is one of Britain’s leading historians, with a focus on the monarchy’s history and contemporary role. His work includes numerous books and television series covering the English monarchy, particularly the wives of Henry VIII and the reign of Elizabeth I.  He’s known for his regular appearances on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze, BBC 1's Question Time and This Week and most recently, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee for GBNews.  Starkey was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007 and currently hosts a YouTube Channel, David Starkey Talks.  Dr. David Starkey and Alec discuss the House of Windsor's rise to power, mistakes in the era of Princess Diana, and Harry and Meghan’s status with the Royal Family.

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Our staff picks continue at Here’s The Thing, where every other week throughout the summer, members of our team select their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s 2013 interview with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Columbus. As a director, Columbus has brought to life some of the biggest American family films in history: Adventures in Babysitting, Home Alone, and Mrs. Doubtfire. He also wrote the screenplays of Gremlins and The Goonies, and produced and directed the first two Harry Potter films. Despite this success, Columbus admits that he “always, to this day, [feels] like [he’s] gonna walk on a movie and get fired.” He reveals to Alec what it was like working with brilliant improvisers like John Candy and Robin Williams, how he got his start writing while working nights in an aluminum factory and why it’s important to him to keep a low-profile. 

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Richard Stanley is a South African filmmaker, known for his boundary-pushing work in the horror and science fiction genres. Stanley grew up in apartheid-era South Africa, studying anthropology and filming tribal dance and initiation rituals. In the 90s, he directed the horror features Hardware and Dust Devil. He was then famously fired from an adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer after only three days on set, an event which later became the subject of the documentary, Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau. Stanley went on to direct several documentaries and returned to narrative film in 2019 with Color Out of Space starring Nicolas Cage. Richard Stanley and Alec discuss Stanley’s upbringing in South Africa, what it’s like directing Marlon Brando and his biggest regrets from the failed Moreau production.

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Every other week throughout the summer, members of the Here’s The Thing staff are selecting their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversations with two of the funniest comedians in the business – and coincidentally, two of the most popular episodes from our archives.  Chris Rock is known for his work on SNL, his stand up specials, the sitcom Everybody Loves Chris and films like Madagascar and Grownups.  In recent years, the comedian dove deeper into acting, including an acclaimed turn in the FX dark comedy Fargo.  In a conversation from 2011, Alec goes backstage after a performance of the play The Mother F**ker With The Hat, Rock’s Broadway debut. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld broke the mold with his sharp observational humor and a groundbreaking sitcom about “nothing,” over nine seasons of Seinfeld. He also produced and hosted 11 seasons of his unconventional talk show, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee and continues to tour standup.  In this conversation from 2013, the comedian discusses getting his start in standup, why he thinks Seinfeld was a success and the unique connection he feels to his audience.

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Cheryl Hines has been displaying her comedic chops for 11 seasons of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm, earning her critical acclaim and two Emmy nominations. She’s also known for her work in the feature film “Waitress,” the sitcom “Suburgatory” and most recently, the second season of “The Flight Attendant.”  Hines utilized her talents behind the scenes, producing the television series “Campus Ladies” and directing the film “Serious Moonlight,” starring Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton.  She’s also a member of one of America’s most well-known political families, as the wife of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.   Cheryl Hines and Alec discuss how Cheryl found her way to acting, what it’s like to work with the one-and-only Larry David, and how she’s changed since meeting her husband.

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Our Here’s the Thing Summer Staff Picks series continues, featuring our favorite episodes from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s interviews with two great American storytellers, Ira Glass and Alex Gibney.  Ira Glass has been the host and creative force of WBEZ’s This American Life since 1995. The public radio personality revolutionized nonfiction storytelling by using a voice that's personable, modest, and emotionally engaged. Alec sat down with Ira Glass in 2014 to compare notes on interviewing, the afterlife, and finding one’s vocal style.  Alex Gibney is one of the most respected and prolific documentary filmmakers in history. His stories feature strong characters and propulsive narratives that often expose malfeasance or incompetency. In this 2021 conversation, Alex Gibney speaks with Alec about going up against powerful organizations, shifting from Japanese literature to film and the collaborators that have helped him grow.

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Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 8, Ben goes home and, after a difficult period of adjustment, establishes himself as a celebrated artist. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 7, Ben is transported on a hell ship to Japan to work in a coal mine as a slave laborer. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few artists have the unique voice and talent of David Sedaris, master of satire and social critique – and one of America’s preeminent humor writers. He is the author of numerous bestsellers, including Calypso, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, Naked, and Barrel Fever, having sold 12 million copies of his books, translated into 25 languages. He’s also a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4. David Sedaris and Alec discuss Sedaris finding his way to his craft, writing about his father’s passing in his most recent book, Happy-Go-Lucky, and the best advice he’s learned from his thirty-year relationship with his partner. 

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Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 6, Ben volunteers for a work detail to escape Camp O’Donnell. This work detail is considered to be one of the worst in history. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 5, Ben and those on the death march reach Camp O’Donnell, which would come to be known as the Andersonville of the Pacific. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s summer, and every other week, members of the Here’s The Thing staff are selecting their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s interviews with two extraordinary women in media, Sheila Nevins and Tina Brown, recorded in 2017.  Sheila Nevins was the head of HBO Documentary Films from 1979 until 2018 and now leads MTV Documentary Films.  She has overseen the production of literally hundreds of documentaries, which have won dozens of Oscars, exerting more influence on the medium than perhaps anyone in its history.  Tina Brown is a journalist, editor and author, with her work ranging from memoir to biography, including her most recent book, “The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - The Truth and the Turmoil.”  As the founder of Talk magazine and editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, Tatler and The New Yorker, the British-born Brown brought her fresh observations and sharp wit to both the revered publications she led and New York society. 

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Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 4, we hear from Ben Steele and other survivors of the Bataan death march. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" by Elizabeth and Michael Norman and is hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

In episode 3, we learn the fate of Ben Steele and the Filipino and American defenders when they are attacked by imperial Japan. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

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Television director James Burrows has been working since the 1970s on beloved series like Taxi, Cheers, Friends, Frasier, and Will & Grace. He has directed over 1,000 hours of television, co-created the long-running, critically-acclaimed series Cheers and is the recipient of 11 Emmy Awards and a DGA Lifetime Achievement Award. His golden touch becomes apparent when you consider that a staggering 75 of the series pilots he directed, including The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, advanced to series. His new book, the memoir “Directed by James Burrows,” details his accomplished life and career. James Burrows and Alec discuss their favorite parts of working together, how Burrows got his start in the entertainment industry and why his book is ultimately about kindness.

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Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March", hosted by Alec Baldwin. 

American forces were unprepared for what lay ahead in their looming battle with the Japanese Imperial Army. What were the historical influences that made the Japanese soldier such a terrorizing force? Did Americans even know what had happened to the Chinese in Nanjing? Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March", hosted by Alec Baldwin.

Many people today are unfamiliar with the story of what happened to American servicemen on the Bataan Peninsula in April of 1942. Our podcast is entitled Ben Steele American. Ben Steele survived the misery of his captivity and went on, almost unbelievably, to live to be 98 years old in his native Montana, pursuing his passion as an artist. Listen to Ben Steele, American on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees, and Alec Baldwin.

Jan Thompson is our writer and editor. 

Zach McNees is our mixer, and post production supervisor.

Ben Steele American is inspired by the book Tears in the Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

The cover art for each episode features original art by Ben Steele himself with graphic design by Ben Dunmore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Steele, American is a documentary podcast limited series inspired by the book "Tears in the Darkness - The story of the Bataan Death March" and is narrated by Alec Baldwin. 

A boy from rural Montana, sent to the Philippines, Ben Steele became a prisoner-of-war within the first five months of the outbreak of World War II. He survived the infamous Bataan Death March and other horrific events. He was given last rites three times in the prison camp and miraculously survived. While recovering in the prison hospital he began to draw with the charcoal from the fire pit. Drawing helped keep Ben sane for the duration of his imprisonment.

After a 62 -day trip on a hell ship Ben ended up in Japan as a slave laborer in a coal mine. After the war he studied art with several famous artists such as John Teyral, Jack Levine, Hans Mueller and George Grosz. Ben taught art at a college in Billings Montana and had a particular empathy for, and influence on, students who had suffered traumas in their own lives. Ben thought of himself as just a regular guy. But he was a talented artist, wonderful teacher and mentor and a wonderful human being admired by everyone who met him.

This is the story of Ben Steele; the best of human beings in the worst of times. Ben Steele, American has first person interviews with over thirty former prisoners-of-war including numerous Bataan Death March survivors. The podcast has interviews with notable history scholars from around the world. Interviews with Ben Steele were acquired over a span thirty years. Listen to Ben Steele, American on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-ben-steele-american-98570427/

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Alex Ross has been a music critic at The New Yorker since 1996. His beat is classical music, but his work spans literature, history, the visual arts, film, and ecology. The MacArthur Genius Grant recipient was cited by the foundation for his ability to offer “new ways of thinking about the music of the past and its place in our future.”  He is also the author of three books, “Listen to This,” “The Rest is Noise” and his most recent, “Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music,” which dives into the influential composer’s complicated legacy. Alex Ross and Alec discuss the changing field of criticism, Wagner’s place in history and how to separate art from artist. 

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Sarah Polley is a storyteller – and a remarkable one. Whether as a precocious child actor in Road to Avonlea and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, as a documentarian unpacking her family history in Stories We Tell or as screenwriter and director of the Academy Award-nominated Away From Her, Polley is adept at portraying complex and honest depictions of humanity. And now, she is the author of a revealing and insightful collection of essays, Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory. The book pulls together reflections from challenging chapters in her life and career that explore how a change in approach can provide a path forward. Polley joins guest host Talia Schlanger for a candid and revelatory conversation that goes deep into Polley’s decision to pivot from a successful actor to writing and directing, to the difficulties she experienced working in Hollywood and the decision to step forward with her own #MeToo story.  Their discussion turns personal when Polley turns the tables on host Talia Schlanger and invites a discussion about Schlanger’s own experiences of #MeToo. 

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Abe Laboriel Jr. is the drummer on speed dial for some of the biggest names in the music business, including Eric Clapton, k.d. lang, Eddie Vedder, Melissa Etheridge…and Paul McCartney, as member of McCartney’s band for the past two decades. Son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel and nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, the Berklee-College-of Music-trained drummer has music in his blood.  He’s also had the pleasure of playing some of the biggest stages in the world: the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilees. Abe tells Alec why drums are his instrument of choice, what it’s like to jam with Sir Paul, and how he tethers great musicians back to the band.

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Writer and essayist Adam Gopnik has been called “one of the greatest thinkers and wordsmiths of our age.” He is best known as a staff writer for The New Yorker, to which he has contributed non-fiction, fiction, memoir and criticism since 1986. The international best-selling author has penned ten titles spanning memoir, essays and children’s literature and is the recipient of three National Magazine Awards and the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting. Gopnik is also a talented lecturer and storyteller, appearing with the Moth and in a series of one-man shows he created.  It seems there isn’t anything Gopnik can’t do, as he recently transitioned into theater as a book writer and lyricist.  Alec speaks with Adam about his time writing in Paris, the mystery of mastery and the search for a beautiful existence and full life. 

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Singer, songwriter, and composer Rufus Wainwright continues to surprise and delight with a new tour and album, Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios, paying homage to one of his heroes, Judy Garland, and her historic recording. Wainwright was practically born into songwriting as son of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and touring with his family by the age of thirteen. The Juno-Award winning and Grammy-nominated artist has since defied expectations, playing with genre, from standards to pop and even opera.  Rufus Wainwright talks to host Talia Schlanger about the influence of his musical family, what uncharted territory is next for him and how he communicates with the muses in his songwriting. 

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Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren is in a class all his own. Whether scoring Top 40 hits, playing all of the instruments on his albums or wildly experimenting with musical genres, Rundgren is continuously pushing the boundaries of creativity. That ethos and ingenuity can be found in his numerous solo albums from the 70s to present day, with his band Utopia and as a record producer for musicians like Patti Smith, The Psychedelic Furs and MeatLoaf. The trailblazing Rundgren is also a pioneer in computer technology and multimedia – creating the first color graphics tablet, first interactive album and first interactive concert tour. Todd Rundgren tells Alec how he pulls off making the music he wants to make, how he almost changed careers to become a computer programmer and how psychedelics helped him rethink music completely. 

You can listen to all of the music from this episode and other selections from Todd Rundgren in a curated playlist here.

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If the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion is to be believed, we are on the cusp of Roe v. Wade being overturned this summer – a decision which will have wide-ranging implications for all Americans.  Alec spoke with two people at the forefront of this issue: Mary Ziegler is a Professor at Florida State University College of Law, the author of four books on abortion law and politics, and one of the world’s leading authorities on the legal history of the American abortion debate. Anna Rupani is the Executive Director of Fund Texas Choice, an organization providing aid to those seeking abortions in and out of state due to Texas’ ban on abortions around the sixth week of pregnancy.  Our guests help shed light on what led to the historic decision, what laws might also be at-risk and where we go from here.

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Eric Ripert is chef and part-owner of one of New York’s flagship fine-dining establishments, Le Bernardin.  For three decades with Ripert at the helm, Le Bernardin has ranked at the top of the world's best restaurant lists and holds three Michelin stars, the maximum available. Ripert is also the author of several cookbooks and a best-selling memoir – and was host of the Emmy-winning tv show “AVEC ERIC.” Ripert shares with Alec stories from his culinary training, how he maintains Le Bernardin's excellence, and the unmatched power of dessert.  

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With the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretching into its third month, the Ukrainian people continue to valiantly fight for their right to sovereignty and democracy. Our guests today join Alec to discuss the situation on the ground in Ukraine and how they are working to ensure the stories of the Ukrainian people reach the world. Bryce Wilson is an Australian freelance photojournalist whose work has focused on the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine’s east since 2015. He shares his experiences embedding with the Ukrainian special forces unit and reporting from the first days of the invasion. Ida Sawyer is the director of Human Rights Watch's Crisis and Conflict division, which investigates and reports on human rights abuses happening around the world. Sawyer shares the organization’s findings of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations against civilians in Ukraine.

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Called one of the “Top 10 Comedians You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone, Tim Dillon is a whirlwind of hot takes and sharp observations about pop culture and society. His darkly funny brand of humor can be found touring around the world and on “The Tim Dillon Show,” his weekly podcast. Dillon has been featured on Netflix and Comedy Central specials and graced the stages of the Glasgow Comedy Festival and South by Southwest. Tim and Alec speak of the importance of comedy throughout the pandemic, their shared Long Island background and why having a difference of opinions is good for our culture. 

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Canadian documentary film director Daniel Roher is known for his 2019 film Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band, which features the elite of rock and roll, including Springsteen and Clapton. Bulgarian investigative journalist Christov Grozev is the lead Russia investigator with Bellingcat, an open-source journalism group. The two collaborated on the documentary “Navalny,” which was directed by Roher and has received widespread acclaim from critics and moviegoers. The gripping real-life thriller took home the Festival Favorite and U.S. Documentary Audience Awards at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. “Navanly” follows Russian opposition leader and outspoken Putin critic Alexei Navany in the wake of his 2020 poisoning as he works to uncover those responsible for the assassination attempt.  Roher and Grozev spoke with Alec about Navalny’s potential path to the presidency, why poison is the Kremlin’s weapon of choice and what might be next for Putin.

“Navalny” is currently in theaters worldwide and will premiere on CNN TV in North America on April 24th. 

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Vicky Ward is a New York Times bestselling author, investigative reporter, and magazine columnist.  Her work has been featured in The Independent, HuffPost and Vanity Fair, and focuses on the intersection of money, power and corruption. She has reported on Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell for two decades, an undertaking that culminated in dispatches from the Ghislaine Maxwell trial through her Substack newsletter “Vicky Ward Investigates,” and the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and documentary series, of which Ward serves as host and producer. Ward has also authored books on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the world of New York real estate and Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s path to the White House. 

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Norwegian pianist and conductor Leif Ove Andsnes has been called “one of the most gifted musicians of his generation” by The Wall Street Journal. He has won worldwide acclaim, eleven Grammys nominations, and six Gramophone Awards. In 2012, Andnses partnered with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra for an ambitious multi-year project titled “The Beethoven Journey,” performing all five piano concertos in 15 countries across three continents. Recently, Andsnes and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra collaborated on their second multi-year project, “Mozart Momentum 1785/86,” exploring one of the most creative and productive periods of the composer’s career. Leif Ove Andsnes tells Alec about how the piano is his first language, how he prepares before a concert and what he feels all great pianists have in common. 

You can listen to all of the music from this episode and other selections from Leif Ove Andsnes in a curated playlist here. 

The following compositions are featured in this episode:

Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 – 1st movement - Allegro Molto Moderato

Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons

(With the kind permission of Warner Classics)

Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor" : I. Allegro, Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) 

(With the kind permission of Sony Classical)

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 - 3rd movement – Allegro scherzando

Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonio Pappano

(With the kind permission of Warner Classics)

Janáček: On The Overgrown Path Series 1 - JW 8/17: I. Our evenings (Moderato - Adagio) 

Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Mahler Chamber Orchestra

(With the kind permission of Warner Classics)

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Rory Kennedy is a documentary filmmaker and the youngest child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy. She is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning director and producer who has made more than 40 acclaimed documentaries.  Her work confronts complicated subjects like poverty, corruption, domestic abuse, addiction and human rights, as well as surfing legends, NASA and the extraordinary life of her mother. Her latest film, “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing,” on the two tragic Boeing 737 Max passenger jet crashes, is now streaming on Netflix. 

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Singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Steven Van Zandt aka Little Steven is perhaps best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. But the talented musician also co-founded the band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, as well as his solo act, Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul. He later found success in an entirely different career, playing the inimitable role of Tony Soprano’s consigliere Silvio Dante in The Sopranos and Frank Tagliano in Lilyhammer. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member recently released his autobiography, “Unrequited Infatuations,” which chronicles the many twists and turns that make up his remarkable life. Steven tells Alec why Bruce Springsteen was originally not allowed in his band, why he decided to walk away from the music business, and how he became a part of television history - twice. 

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode Alec Baldwin recounts his own brush with art fraud. Also, the story of the “Love” artist Robert Indiana. And finally, Alec and Michael Shnayerson offer their final thoughts on Ann Freedman, Glafira Rosales, and The Knoedler scandal.

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Vibrant, unstoppable Amanda Kloots is co-host on CBS’ The Talk, a recent contestant on Dancing With The Stars, a fitness entrepreneur and author of “Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero.” The former Rockette and Broadway dancer wrote the book after her husband, Tony nominee Nick Cordero, lost his battle with Covid-19 months after they had their first child. Alec and Amanda discuss her move to Los Angeles, what it’s like raising her son as a single mom, and how Broadway prepared her to take on anything life throws her way. 

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode The Knoedler Gallery and its alleged co-conspirators stand trial. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with musician Todd Rundgren about the importance of pushing artistic boundaries, comedian Tim Dillon on turning chaos into creativity, documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy on producing films that matter, musician and actor Steven Van Zandt on making television history - twice, and The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots on the power of persistence and positivity, just to name a few. If you like listening as much as Alec likes talking with interesting people, subscribe now and never miss an episode.

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As we prepare to launch our second season at iHeartRadio, we’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, Alec speaks with ice cream magnates Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s fame. In the late 70s, Cohen was a rootless pottery teacher, laid off when his school closed down. Greenfield was a diligent pre-med, realizing he was never going to get into med school. They'd formed a deep friendship years earlier, as the two chubby kids in their middle-school gym class. Their joint reaction to their separate crises was to open a small ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. That decision would change the face of the industry and give America a model for a new set of corporate values. At the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington -- just a couple miles from the site where Cohen and Greenfield set up shop in 1978 -- Alec talks to Ben and Jerry in front of a crowd that idolizes their hometown heroes, and the energy is infectious. From their Long Island childhood to the tensions surrounding Ben & Jerry's acquisition by Dutch conglomerate Unilever in 2000, the conversation is open, honest, and brimming with the deep bond these two men continue to feel, 40 years after they first put their names together on a sign in Vermont. Thanks to Vermont Public Radio for making it possible.

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode a wealthy Belgian financier wants his $17 million back after he discovers the truth about the painting and the Knoedler Gallery. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) inspects a purported work by Jackson Pollock and finds major issues with its authenticity. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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As we prepare to launch our second season at iHeartRadio, we’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, Alec talks with writer and actress Paula Pell – who made people laugh at Saturday Night Live for 18 years. Pell landed her dream job as a writer at SNL after working at a Florida theme park. Her agent told her that Lorne Michaels wanted to meet her – “it is not an audition, but he wants to fly you up and talk to you.” Pell wasn’t sure what she was headed up for, but she got a job writing for the show. Because of her longevity on the show, Pell calls herself “Nanny SNL,” but she’s the first to admit, “if you have a good night there you feel like you’re 20 again.” Today, Pell can be found writing and producing movies and television, in addition to her starring role in Peacock's “Girls5eva.”

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode Glafira Rosales, a Long Island art dealer who allegedly supplied forged paintings to the Knoedler Gallery, tells her story. You don't want to miss her first and only public interview on the Knoedler Scandal. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. The Knoedler Gallery first opened its doors in 1846 in New York City. The gallery sold works of unparalleled quality. But who was Knoedler? And how did the venerable gallery get its start? In this episode we meet Ann Freedman who finds success in the art world, but not without controversy. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Art Fraud is investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history done by The Knoedler Gallery written by VANITY REPORTER Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin. On this episode two drawings on paper allegedly by the artist Richard Diebenkorn become the first of dozens of problematic works sold by the Knoedler Gallery. Also, a mysterious “Mr. X” enters the picture on this episode. Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Art Fraud is an investigative journey through one of the biggest cases of art fraud in US history: The Knoedler Gallery. Written by VANITY FAIR reporter Michael Shnayerson and hosted by Alec Baldwin, ART FRAUD exposes the scandal of dozens of disputed paintings, and over 80 million dollars in profit that led to the stunning collapse of one of the oldest and most revered art galleries in New York City.

The Knoedler Gallery first opened its doors in 1846 in New York City. The gallery sold works of unparalleled quality. But who was Knoedler? And how did the venerable gallery get its start? Listen to Art Fraud on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts.

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As we prepare to launch our second season at iHeartRadio, we’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, Alec speaks with musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Few musicians can compete with the encyclopedic musical knowledge that “Questlove” possesses—which is great news if you got to be a student of his at NYU. When not teaching music history, the 45-year-old drummer is directing the Grammy-Award winning group The Roots—a hip hop collective that rose from “everyone’s favorite underground secret” in the late 90s to Jimmy Fallon’s house band on The Tonight Show. Whether drumming, DJ’ing, or writing a book on food, Questlove is universally beloved. “The coolest man on late night,” according to the Rolling Stone. But there is one thing this genius of music can’t do: accept that he is one. He talks to Here’s the Thing host Alec Baldwin about a three year exile in London, Jimmy Fallon wooing the Roots, and how meditation saved his life. Most recently, he’s received critical acclaim for his filmmaking debut with his 2021 documentary, Summer of Soul.

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As we prepare to launch our second season at iHeartRadio, we’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, Alec speaks with actor Russ Tamblyn. Russ was born in Los Angeles in the middle of the Depression to a chorus girl and a Broadway "song and dance man." His father had moved his growing family west to press his luck in the talkies. Russ was a showbiz kid and found his talent young: Cecil B DeMille cast him as the young King Saul in Samson and Delilah when he was just 13 years old. Stardom came at 19 in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, where he stole scenes with his goofy enthusiasm and astonishingly acrobatic dancing. But the role that will go down in history is Riff in West Side Story. Tamblyn took a part that could have been just a young tough, and imbued it with such nuance, such balance between aggression and vulnerability, that every Riff since has been held up to him. In this funny, revealing conversation, Tamblyn tells Alec what it was like being part of the old Hollywood contract system (he was an MGM property) -- plus which major Golden Age director was "overrated," and why he didn't stay a movie star. And of course, Tamblyn recounts his return to featured roles at the request of David Lynch, who cast him as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in Twin Peaks.

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(Recorded October 6, 2021) Even if you don’t know the name Merry Clayton, you know her voice. It’s the one belting on The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter and it is remarkable - you can actually hear Mick Jagger hooting and hollering in the background after Clayton sings the hook. Clayton started providing backing vocals for Bobby Darin as a teenager and went on to record with Ray Charles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Carole King, Neil Young, and the list goes on and on. Her story is featured in the 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, which celebrated the often-overlooked contributions of backup singers to popular songs and won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Following a near-fatal car accident, Clayton has returned to release her first solo album in more than 25 years, Beautiful Scars. 

This episode introduces guest host Talia Schlanger, who will occasionally be featured on Here’s the Thing. Schlanger is a performer, musician, and broadcaster. She has interviewed hundreds of artists as the former host of the NPR-distributed program World Cafe and throughout her career at CBC. 

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(Recorded September 2021) Actress Marilu Henner is known for a lot of things, from her groundbreaking role as Elaine Nardo on Taxi to her New York Times bestselling books on health and wellness to her amazing, nearly one-of-a-kind memory. But what shines through in every story, joke, and answer she gives Alec is her positivity and joy. Henner is someone who, at every turn, has chosen her happiness, and she’s eager to share her secrets for creating an optimistic outlook with everyone. 

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(Recorded October 4, 2021) Journalist Nicolas Niarchos may be the grandson of a famous Greek shipping magnate, but he can be found covering challenging and dangerous subjects like conflicts, minerals, and migration in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is a reporter at large at The New Yorker and a contributor to TIME, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Nation. Niarchos speaks with Alec about his upbringing, his journalistic path and his reporting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which exposes exploitation in the cobalt mining industry - and the importance of this crucial element in our global supply chain. 

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(Recorded in June 2021) Filmmaker Tony Palmer’s more than 100 documentaries have featured everyone from Cream to Stravinsky; Jimi Hendrix to Yehudi Menuhin; Leonard Cohen to Richard Wagner. He collaborated with Frank Zappa on the surreal cult-classic 200 Motels and with his friend, John Lennon on All You Need is Love, a multipart series on the early days of rock n roll. He’s made three films about British composer Benjamin Britten. Tony Palmer’s work has been recognized with over forty international awards; not bad, for someone who fell into filmmaking. 

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(Recorded June 2021) Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi is one of the most in-demand maestros in the world, and one of Alec’s favorite conductors. Järvi is currently the chief conductor of the NHK symphony orchestra in Tokyo and the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich. Over his career, he’s led orchestras in Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Malmö, and, for the decade between 2001 and 2011, here in the United States, as the musical director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He and his musical family are pillars of the thriving classical music scene in his home country of Estonia. Paavo Järvi talks to Alec about how slowing down in the pandemic offered Paavo time to think, his early love of music, what it was like to come to the United States from Soviet-era Estonia as a 17-year-old, and what he took away from a decade of conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 

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(Recorded September 2021) British documentarian Lucy Walker is asking big questions with her latest film, Bring Your Own Brigade. Specifically, why are there more catastrophic wildfires worldwide, and what could mitigate the destruction? Her gripping film focuses on real people impacted by two 2018 California wildfires, “The Camp Fire,” which killed 85 and nearly destroyed the town of Paradise, and “The Woolsey Fire,” which devastated parts of Malibu. Lucy’s camera takes you from the horror of people struggling to escape the wildfires to disbelief as residents reject steps that could limit future destruction. Lucy Walker’s other films include The Crash Reel, Countdown to Zero, Waste Land, Blindsight, and Devil’s Playground.

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(Recorded July 2021) Glenn Shepard, Ph.D., is an ethnobotanist and medical anthropologist who’s worked with indigenous people in the Amazon for decades. Filipe DeAndrade is the host of Nat Geo Wild’s Untamed. These remarkable storytellers have a way of making you care about people, places, and animals that are often overlooked and misunderstood. The Brazilan-born, Cleveland-raised DeAndrade is a rising star in the world of wildlife filmmaking, and he has a contagious enthusiasm for wild animals and adventure. Glenn Shepard lives in northern Brazil and works as a researcher at the Emilio Goeldi Museum near the mouth of the Amazon river. He’s worked with indigenous people along the Amazon, from the Machiguenga in Peru to the Kayapo in northern Brazil. 

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(Recorded July 2021) Marla Frazee’s an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. She also the genius behind Boss Baby, the business-suit-wearing, hard-charging infant who changed Alec’s life. Marla Frazee says she tackles serious topics such as babies, birthday cake, boxer shorts, boys, and roller coasters. She’s been honored twice with the prestigious Caldecott medal. She’s written and illustrated A Couple Of Boys Have The Best Week Ever; Walk On!; and Santa Claus, The World’s Number One Toy Expert. She’s also illustrated books by other authors including All The World; The Seven Silly Eaters; Stars; and the New York Times bestselling Clementine series.

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Alec talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden. He talks to Alec about the latest in the pandemic and his long career. 

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Tom Jones’ booming baritone has led him to sell over 100 million records in his nearly six-decade career. He had a string of hits in the mid-1960s including “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat?” “She’s A Lady,” “Green, Green Grass Of Home,” “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” and “Delilah.” Now in his early 80s, Tom Jones is still going strong with a new album out and an upcoming tour. Tom Jones talks with Alec about growing up in a small town in Wales, how contracting tuberculosis changed his life and the secret to his nearly six-decade marriage to his middle-school sweetheart Linda and how he's been managing since her death in 2016. 

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It’s Alec’s turn to feature two of his favorite episodes in the summer archives series. He interviewed Daryl Hall in December 2019 on his home turf: Daryl's House, Hall’s restaurant, and live music venue located about 90 minutes north of New York City. Hall & Oates is the biggest-selling vocal duo in history, with hits like "Maneater," "Rich Girl," "You Make My Dreams Come True," and countless others. Hall talks about his teen years in suburban Pennsylvania singing doo-wop on the streets with his friends -- a far cry from the rock-star life he led 15 years later. Danny Bennett is the son and manager of legendary crooner Tony Bennett, and Alec spoke with him in 2013. This summer, Tony Bennett celebrated his 95th birthday with two sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall, performing duets with Lady Gaga. Danny Bennett has been working with his father for several decades and played a key role in introducing Tony Bennett to a multi-generational audience through appearances on SNL and MTV and the duets albums. Danny Bennett describes his job as managing a legacy as much as a career. 

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It’s great to interview childhood heroes, and Roger Staubach a.k.a “Captain America,” was a big one for a young Alec Baldwin. Stuabach was a Dallas Cowboy quarterback for eleven seasons, 1969 and 1980, and he led the team to the Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1978. Staubach earned Super Bowl MVP in 1972. Growing up an only child in Cincinnati, Roger Staubach loved sports but didn’t start playing quarterback until high school. He went on to the Naval Academy, where he received the Heisman Trophy. He then served four years in the Navy, including a tour in Vietnam. Roger Staubach was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1985, and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.

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Good Risings is a collection of mini-shows served up in less than 5 minutes, providing the perfect daily practice for anyone looking to lead a more intentional, mindful, and inspired life. Listen to one, two, or all the mini-shows on the Good Risings menu to perfectly curate your morning routine.

Follow Good Risings On Social:

IG/FB/TW/TT: @goodrisings

✨ THE RISING SIGN with @queercosmos

🔥 LEVEL-UP LATTE with @nichelle

🌈 GRATEFUL GRAINS with @jacquelinemwood_1 & @bmcmuffin

☮️ SPOONFUL OF SPIRITUALITY with @marieburnsholzer

💌 HASH IT OUT with @lizlistens

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Two of the most popular shows from the Here’s The Thing archives are Alec’s conversations with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. These are fascinating, ground-breaking artists who influenced each other. Thom Yorke started Radiohead in 1985 when he was just a teenager. With each of the group’s nine studio albums, Radiohead evolved its sound and, at times, pushed the music industry. In this 2013 interview, Thom Yorke talks with Alec about working with longtime collaborators, fatherhood, and his fame. Michael Stipe was a founding member of R.E.M., a band that practically defined indy rock for much of the 80s and 90s. R.E.M. broke up in 2011 and, in this conversation from 2016, Michael Stipe talks to Alec about what getting time back has meant to his art, politics, and ability to read, listen, and enjoy the world. 

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Lorena Gonzalez, a Democrat, represents the 80th Assembly District in her hometown of San Diego. Raised by a single mother who worked as a nurse, Lorena learned the value of service early. She went to Stanford, Georgetown, and UCLA Law and dedicated her career to labor organizing before taking office in 2013. Her impressive list of wins includes: paid sick leave, overtime for farmworkers, protecting janitorial workers against sexual assault, automatic voter registration at the DMV, diaper tax relief…the list goes on and on. She talks with Alec about her controversial “gig worker bill,” which required companies to reclassify independent contractors as employees, her sharp words for Elon Musk, and why it’s time for California to elect a Latina to statewide office. 

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As part of our summer archives series, we revisit Alec’s interview with two rock legends, Patti Smith and Peter Frampton. Alec’s conversation with Patti Smith took place before a live audience at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey, in December 2016. She tells Alec she was never looking for fame. Her love of poetry, art, and a desire to “do something great” motivated her to move to New York when she was 20. She chronicled her formative friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe in her best-selling memoir, Just Kids. She talks to Alec about fame, friendship, and motherhood. Peter Frampton’s double album, Frampton Comes Alive! is one of the best-selling live albums of all time, and it completely changed his life. Frampton started playing guitar before he was eight years old. He talked to Alec about his musical roots in England, playing in bands like The Preachers and The Herd, and how, at 14, the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman became his mentor. 

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Alex Gibney is one of the most respected and prolific documentary filmmakers in history. His stories feature strong characters and a propulsive narrative that often exposes malfeasance or incompetency, and the victim is often the little guy or our highest ideals, like democracy. Gibney has made over 30 has made in the last two decades, including Taxi to the Dark Side, his 2008 film about the CIA’s use of torture for which he won an Oscar. Alex Gibney talks to Alec about his latest film, The Crime of the Century (HBO), which he wrote, directed, produced, and narrated, and which explores the crime and manipulation at the center of the nation’s opioid crisis. He also talks about inheriting his anti-authoritarian views, early lessons working with Scorcese, and what it was like to take on a legend like Sinatra.

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As part of our every-other-week summer archives series, we revisit two interviews from 2015 with masters of misdirection, Penn Jillette and David Blaine. Penn Jillette is half of the world-famous act Penn & Teller, and they star in one of the longest-running shows in Las Vegas history. In addition to juggling and card tricks, Penn Jillette plays upright bass and is the author of eight books, including his New York Times bestseller, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales. Blaine is an acclaimed street magician and sleight of hand artist and also performs staggering feats of endurance. He once spent 35 hours on a hundred-foot-high pillar without a harness. He encased himself in a six-ton block of ice for 63 hours, and, in 2006, he spent seven days and nights submerged in a tank of water in public. 

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When he was just out of high school, Jackson Browne moved to NYC and wrote songs for some of the biggest names of the 1960’s folk scene. Then, when he returned home to Los Angeles two years later, he began singing his own material and set his course to become one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation. Today, Jackson Browne’s voice is still strong and political. He talks with Alec about his new album, Downhill From Everywhere, reflections on a life of activism, and the artists he’d still love to sing with. 

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It’s summer, and every other week, members of the Here’s The Thing staff are selecting favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec’s interviews with two award-winning, dynamic actresses who happen to have a lot in common, Julianne Moore and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Alec and Julianne Moore worked together on Still Alice (Julianne won an Academy Award for Best Actress) and 30 Rock. She spoke with Alec in 2014 about the chops she developed doing soap operas early on, her work on a string of independent movies in the 1990s, and why it’s always important to give even the most minor roles your best. Alec talked with Maggie Gyllenhaal before a live audience in 2018 at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Maggie talked about her early experiences in theater, what she’s learned about trust, and the ways her confidence has grown over her remarkable career. 

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Musical theater legends Ken Page and Betty Buckley have a lot in common. Both grew up dreaming of performing on Broadway: Ken in St. Louis; Betty in Fort Worth. Both were in the original Broadway production of Cats, Ken as Old Deuteronomy and Betty as Grizabella, for which she won a Tony. And both were pioneers in transforming musical theater over the past several decades. One of Ken Page’s most recognizable roles was as Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas, and, on Broadway, he starred in the 1976 all-Black revival of Guys and Dolls and in the original cast of The Wiz and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Betty Buckley has been called “the Voice of Broadway” with and she’s also starred in TV (Eight is Enough) and films (Split, Carrie, Tender Mercies, Frantic). 

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When Kurt Andersen started working on his new podcast, Nixon at War, he thought he knew a lot about Richard Nixon’s presidency, especially the bookend events of his 1968 campaign and his 1973 resignation. Devastating events with far-reaching consequences but unrelated - or so he thought. The surprising connections between the two are at the heart of Nixon at War. Kurt Andersen is a prize-winning novelist, historian, and public radio host (Studio 360). His most recent books -- Evil Geniuses, Fantasyland, and You Can’t Spell America Without Me, were all New York Times bestsellers. For more, visit Nixonatwar.org. 

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It’s summer! And here on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie’s celebrating the shortest season with a fun series on books! But not just any books — memoirs!. Katie just finished writing her own memoir (which comes out this October — stay tuned!), so she wanted to spend time with other people who have shared their stories and put themselves on the page. She has a huge range of guests from actors Sharon Stone and Justin Baldoni to business leaders and entrepreneurs like former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Sarah Jakes and Amanda Kloots, and the memoir boss herself, Mary Karr. There’s so much to discuss, too: the pain of writing, the revelations of looking back on your life, and the triumphs of TMI. Episodes release every Thursday through the summer.

Alec talks with two very different actors. Eddie Marsan grew up in working-class London and left school at 15 to become a printer. He was discovered on a dance floor, and a patron helped him afford drama school. Marsan’s worked with the likes of Martin Scorcese, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Mike Leigh, and he often gets cast as the tough guy. It’s an image he’s ready to shed. One of his most recent roles was in the Showtime series Ray Donovan as Terry Donovan, Ray’s brother with Parkinson’s disease. David Arquette comes from a long line of entertainers. His career hit a lull two decades ago when he won a WCW World Heavyweight Championship. It seemed Hollywood scorned him due to his love of pro wrestling. A self-produced documentary, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, chronicles David Arquette’s journey to store his name and his sense of self.

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Alec’s guest Mark Harris has written a compelling new biography about one of the most celebrated directors of all time, Mike Nichols. Drawn from more than 250 interviews, Mike Nichols: A Life tracks Nichol’s difficult childhood as a German Jewish immigrant growing up in New York City to his college years at the University of Chicago where Nichols found a community of performers, including his life-long collaborator Elaine May. In 1963, Mike Nichols and Elaine May performed more than 300 sold-out comedy shows on Broadway. Nichols then spent decades moving fluidly between directing on Broadway and in Hollywood. His movies include The Graduate, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Silkwood, and Working Girl, and his plays include Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Over the course of his lifetime, Mike Nichols’ won every major award in his field and, as Mark Harris movingly chronicles, it took a lifetime for Mike Nichols to learn to be happy. 

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Andra Day tells Alec that she almost turned down the opportunity to play Billie Holiday in Lee Daniel’s The United States Vs. Billie Holiday. Day considered herself a singer, not an actress. She went on to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress for the part and brought her incredible voice to all the Billie Holiday’s songs in the movie. The iconic song Strange Fruit is at the heart of the film’s conflict between the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the jazz singer, and Andra Day is no stranger to activism. Her song, Rise Up, has become an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement, and she performed it at the Biden/Harris inauguration. 

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On Friday, April 30, 2021, the Indian Point nuclear power plant permanently closed. Located less than 40 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River, Alec and others worked for decades to shut Indian Point down. In this episode, Alec reminisces with key leaders in the fight: Paul Gallay, Richard Webster, and Joseph Mangano. Paul Gallay is the president of Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to the health of New York Waterways. Richard Webster is an environmental lawyer at Riverkeeper and formally the Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic. Joseph Mangano is the Executive Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project.

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Ali Wentworth is a fearlessly funny actor and comedian as well as a New York Times best-selling author of three books, Ali in Wonderland, Happily Ali After, and Go Ask Ali. She played Jerry’s girlfriend Schmoopie in Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” episode, and she’s had roles in a wide range of TV and film projects including Jerry Maguire, Office Space, and It's Complicated. She’s married to George Stephanopoulos and the proud mother of two teenage daughters, Elliot and Harper. She started a podcast in the pandemic called Go Ask Ali which tackles parenting and friendships in unusual times. With Alec, Ali shares her courtship secrets, her approach to work-life balance and the dangers of taking too many sleep aids. 

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As the United States begins to emerge from the worst of the pandemic, Alec looks back with three guests on the ways their work lives changed. As the Suffolk County medical examiner, Dr. Odette Hall’s work is always about the logistics of death. In the early days of the pandemic, that meant figuring out makeshift morgues and processes to deal with an unknown threat. Additionally, as the first Black woman in her public-facing role, Dr. Hall’s openness, humor, and compassion made her a trusted source amidst the chaos and grief. Alec also talks with his sister, Jane Baldwin-Sasso, a physical therapist who works with children and the elderly. Jane creatively faced challenges turning her hands-on work into virtual treatments. Finally, clarinetist David Gould performs with some of the world’s most celebrated ensembles. COVID brought a sudden halt to his professional life last spring, and personal losses due to COVID leave him reflective about what’s next.

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