Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.


Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Actor, writer, director, and producer Seth Rogen came up in an age of abundance&mdash;a Hollywood that made big-budget comedies with box office success: The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express. That era also guided his new Apple TV+ show <a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-studio/umc.cmc.7518algxc4lsoobtsx30dqb52">The Studio</a>. On the heels of the series&rsquo; premiere, Rogen joins us to discuss its key influences (4:00), from Robert Altman&rsquo;s&nbsp;The Player to The Larry Sanders Show (10:00), the evolving state of &ldquo;show business&rdquo; (17:00), and a life-changing piece of advice from director and producer Judd Apatow (23:00). On the back-half, we dive into his early years writing comedy in Vancouver (27:00), formative memories making Freaks and Geeks (30:00), the challenges of working inside the studio system itself (40:00), and how This Is the End, the meta-comedy from 2013, was a precursor to this latest project (50:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Hollywood Plays Itself in Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’

In their new book, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488">Abundance</a>, journalists Ezra Klein (The New York Times) and Derek Thompson offer a hopeful vision for what the future of the U.S. can look like. Ezra returns to the show to discuss how his &lsquo;agenda of abundance&rsquo; (6:15) is a response to the hollowing out of the middle class (11:26) and the dwindling housing market (16:30). Then, Klein explains how these regulatory inefficiencies have impacted California&rsquo;s high-speed rail project (27:56), what we can learn from international construction (32:15), and why it&rsquo;s so difficult to build in Blue states (40:00). On the back-half, we discuss the future of AI in the workforce (48:48), whether &ldquo;Abundance&rdquo; can serve as a prescriptive text for the Democratic Party (1:00:56), the hope he aims to engender in readers (1:08:18), and our path to meaningful progress in 2025 and beyond (1:14:16). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Ezra Klein’s Call for ‘Abundance’ in America

From&nbsp;Mean Girls to Mamma Mia! to First Reformed, Amanda Seyfried has repeatedly displayed her versatility as a performer. Today, we return to one of our favorite conversations with the illustrious actor. At the top, we discuss her Oscar-nominated portrayal of 1920s and '30s screen star Marion Davies in David Fincher's Mank (6:53), her early years working in the industry (13:13), and the joy of making&nbsp;Mean Girls (15:26). Then, she reflects on the parallels between 1930s Hollywood and today (36:08), how she found her footing (41:51), and where she'd like to go in the years ahead (45:32). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Play It Again: Actor Amanda Seyfried

What does photography need to do now? Artist Tyler Mitchell has been asking (and attempting to answer) that question since making history as the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover back in 2018. Since then (he was only 23-years-old at the time) his work has been celebrated in museums around the world, featured in publications like Vanity Fair and W, and, ultimately, published in his debut monograph, I Can Make You Feel Good. He joins us this week around the opening of his revelatory exhibition, <a href="https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2025/tyler-mitchell-ghost-images/">Ghost Images</a>, now available at the Gagosian Gallery in New York City. View the works discussed in our <a href="https://talkeasypod.com/tyler-mitchell-gallery/">virtual gallery here</a> or visit talkeasypod.com/tyler-mitchell-gallery/.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

A Portrait of the Artist Tyler Mitchell

In celebration of Oscar Sunday, our conversation with actor Monica Barbaro. Her portrayal of&nbsp;Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/a-complete-unknown">A Complete Unknown</a>, earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At the top, we discuss how director James Mangold drew inspiration from Milo&scaron; Forman&rsquo;s Amadeus (7:00), the vocal lessons Monica received in preparation for the role of Baez (10:15), and her affecting rendition of House of the Rising Sun (16:00). Then, we dive into Monica&rsquo;s California upbringing (18:00), her pivot from dancing to professional acting (24:00), and the winding journey that led her to A Complete Unknown (29:00). On the back-half, we talk about her breakout role in Top Gun: Maverick (38:00), her evolving relationship to perfectionism (39:30), the deep, autobiographical research she did to portray Joan Baez (42:00), and what she hopes for in the years to come (54:15). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Actor Monica Barbaro (‘A Complete Unknown’) Takes the Stage as Joan Baez

In the lead-up to Oscar Sunday, our conversation with actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg. At the top, we unpack the journey that shaped his film <a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/a-real-pain">A Real Pain</a>&nbsp;(9:18), memories from his travels to Poland (15:40), and what he observed about his family growing up in East Brunswick (22:23). Then, Eisenberg reflects on his first jokes written on post-it notes (29:20), his breakthrough acting roles in Roger Dodger (31:35) and The Squid and the Whale (34:37), and formative visits to his aunt Doris in New York City (35:32). On the back-half, we talk about his transformation in The Social Network (41:15), the erotic dream that inspired his play The Spoils (42:48), the real anxiety he explored while writing A Real Pain (46:39), lessons on directing from Richard Ayoade and Greg Mottola (51:14), and why he cares so deeply about his art (1:00:10). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Oscars Week with Jesse Eisenberg (‘A Real Pain’)

One week from Oscar Sunday, we&rsquo;re joined by Nickel Boys director RaMell Ross. At the top, RaMell describes the formal innovations of the new film (6:44), the naivete that allowed him to make this singular project (8:02), and how photography is shaped by race in ways we don&rsquo;t consider (12:00). Then, we dive into RaMell&rsquo;s Virginia upbringing (29:28), the hoop dreams that brought him to Georgetown (29:35), and the &ldquo;question everything&rdquo; mindset that took flight in his college years (30:30). On the back-half, Ross explains the cinematic lineage of his Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening (42:25), his aim to portray the American South in a new light (50:26), and why Nickel Boys is just the beginning of this next chapter in Black cinematic history (57:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mail@talkeasypod.com">mail@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Director RaMell Ross (‘Nickel Boys’) is Redefining Cinema

A celebration of 50 years of Saturday Night Live, featuring stories from Bill Hader, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Jason Reitman. Find links to hear each of these <a href="https://talkeasypod.com/snl-turns-50/">full episodes</a>. Visit Peacock to watch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/saturday-night-live/8885992813767211112/seasons/50/episodes/snl50-the-anniversary-special-episode-13/912dc1df-b191-3a99-ad54-8759800c92a0">The SNL Anniversary Special</a>, <a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/snl-50-the-homecoming-concert">The Homecoming Concert</a>, and the four-part docuseries&nbsp;<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/snl-50-beyond-saturday-night">Beyond Saturday Night</a>. Feedback or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Live From New York: 50 Years of ‘Saturday Night Live’

For more than a decade, Chris Hayes has been one of our most incisive political thinkers. He joins us this week in New York City, hours before taping his hit MSNBC show, <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/all">All In with Chris Hayes</a>, to discuss his new book, <a href="https://sirenscallbook.com/">The Sirens&rsquo; Call</a>. At the top, we unpack America&rsquo;s Constitutional crises (5:30), the editorial inner workings of &ldquo;All In&rdquo; (7:00), and how attention became our most endangered resource (12:00). Then, Hayes talks through the challenges of maintaining viewership in the era of cord cutting (14:00), the diversity of his primetime audience (25:00), and how he balances the performative elements of the job with his authentic self (44:00). On the back-half, Hayes describes the challenges of reaching a wider audience in our increasingly partisan political landscape (50:00), his tenure on television (55:00), his formative years writing at The Chicago Reader (1:05:00), and a short story from Albert Camus that keeps him on course (1:10:00). Feedback or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Are You Not Entertained? Host Chris Hayes (The Sirens’ Call) on the Attention Age

Actor Mikey Madison has delivered the performance of the season with her star-making turn in <a href="https://neonrated.com/films/anora">Anora</a>. She joins us this week on the heels of her recent Oscar nomination for Best Actress. We begin by discussing the organic partnership she formed with writer/director Sean Baker (3:30), the &lsquo;emotional preparation&rsquo; required to tell this vulnerable story (7:00), her San Fernando Valley upbringing (11:45), and her formative years working with Pamela Adlon on Better Things (22:38). On the back-half, Mikey reflects on her breakout part in Quentin Tarantino&rsquo;s Once Upon a Time&hellip; in Hollywood (30:30), the sex professionals who helped inform her work in Anora (32:50), how she excavated her past to create in the present (43:10), and where she hopes to go on the other side of this towering achievement (49:50). Feedback, future guest ideas, or thoughts on Anora? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Mikey Madison (‘Anora’) Enters Her Golden Age

From&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/70177057">The Walking Dead</a> to <a href="https://a24films.com/films/minari">Minari</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81497204?source=35">Beef</a>, Steven Yeun has become one of the most singular performers in Hollywood today. With his latest role in the sci-fi romance <a href="https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/love-me">Love Me</a>, we look back at our conversation with the leading man. At the top, Yeun unpacks his acclaimed Netflix series Beef (5:09), a powerful church scene from the show (11:30), and his personal experience immigrating to the US from Seoul as a child (18:15). Then, we walk through Steven&rsquo;s coming of age in Michigan (21:24), his memorable audition for The Second City Touring Company (25:29), and his pursuit of on-screen work in Los Angeles (33:40). On the back-half, Steven reflects on his portrayal of Glenn on The Walking Dead (36:22), the films that followed, including Okja (48:10), Burning (50:02), and Sorry to Bother You (51:16), his transformative experience making and premiering Minari (55:42), and to close, a poem that guided him on set by the great Wendell Berry (1:08:19). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

The Humanity of Actor Steven Yeun (‘Love Me’)

David Lynch was an artist in every sense of the word. Rest in peace to the legendary filmmaker, who passed away this month at the age of 78. Today we present a tribute to Lynch, featuring excerpts from two of his most enduring collaborators: actors Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern. In each conversation, they reflect on the early projects they worked on with Lynch&mdash;together in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, separately in Dune and Wild at Heart. They also discuss David&rsquo;s original creative process, his fascination with the mysteries of life, and memories from over three decades alongside the beloved director. To close, a love letter to the movies and a piece of music by Lynch himself.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Director David Lynch Transcends

Writer Emily Witt (<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/718547/health-and-safety-by-emily-witt/">&ldquo;Health and Safety: A Breakdown&rdquo;</a>) has spent the past two weeks on the ground covering the Los Angeles wildfires for The New Yorker. Her latest story centers around the Benns (5:39), a multigenerational Black family with deep ties to Altadena (8:35), where they&rsquo;ve raised children in homes they&rsquo;ve owned dating back to the late 1950s (16:13). We discuss how they&rsquo;re managing as the Eaton fire continues to rage (17:00), the value of community in crisis (18:40), and the measures the city was urged to take to mitigate this disaster (23:28). On the back half, Witt reflects on her 2023 interview with Mayor Karen Bass (32:40), the prophetic work of Altadena author Octavia Butler (39:28), how on-the-ground reporting offers a chance to &ldquo;write a first draft of history&rdquo; (46:30), and where Los Angeles goes from here (56:10). To help support the Benn family, visit their <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/aid-the-benn-family-rebuild-after-devastating-wildfire">GoFundMe</a> or text &ldquo;Talk&rdquo; to 858-358-5881.&nbsp; And special thanks to Weyes Blood.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

The Week That Changed Los Angeles

This week, we revisit a soulful conversation around climate change and the restorative power of nature with author Richard Powers. We begin by defining the thematic through-line between The Overstory and Bewilderment (5:06), the eco trauma articulated in each text (9:10), how we may redefine hope today (16:08), and what the pandemic taught us about the climate crisis (26:18). Powers also details the ecological shortcomings of capitalism (29:00) and our myopic interpretation (and fear of) death (30:56). On the back-half, we unpack why he writes (33:48), the need for &ldquo;productive solitude&rdquo; (40:40), and the singular way he writes analytical and emotional characters (44:42). To close&ndash;&nbsp;a fitting scene from one of Powers&rsquo; earlier works, Plowing the Dark (50:30), in which an older man enters an used bookstore, unable to find the book intended. And in the absence of that book, Richard Powers will continue to do so (52:50). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at <a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

A Hopeful Climate Conversation with Richard Powers

Writer Jia Tolentino (The New Yorker) became a literary sensation in 2019 upon the release of her best-selling essay collection,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567511/trick-mirror-by-jia-tolentino/">Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion</a>. She joins us this week to ring in 2025. We start by discussing the erosion of privacy online (11:26), the potentially forthcoming TikTok ban (13:32), and how she circumvented self-surveillance technology in her <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/the-hidden-pregnancy-experiment">Hidden Pregnancy Experiment</a> for The New Yorker (15:28). Then, we unpack how data is monetized online (18:00), as depicted in an unsettling scene from Succession (21:50), the harmful effects of screen time on children (26:10), and her writerly upbringing in Houston (31:48). On the back-half, Jia recounts a formative summer in Venice (41:55), her subsequent decade working at The Hairpin and Jezebel (50:43), the trad wife phenomenon (55:00), how she swings between pessimism and optimism (1:12:19), and why writing still retains the power to liberate (1:17:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

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#475

Hollywood Plays Itself in Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’

#474

Ezra Klein’s Call for ‘Abundance’ in America

#473

Play It Again: Actor Amanda Seyfried

#472

A Portrait of the Artist Tyler Mitchell

#471

Actor Monica Barbaro (‘A Complete Unknown’) Takes the Stage as Joan Baez

#470

Oscars Week with Jesse Eisenberg (‘A Real Pain’)

#469

Director RaMell Ross (‘Nickel Boys’) is Redefining Cinema

#468

Live From New York: 50 Years of ‘Saturday Night Live’

#467

Are You Not Entertained? Host Chris Hayes (The Sirens’ Call) on the Attention Age

#466

Mikey Madison (‘Anora’) Enters Her Golden Age

#465

The Humanity of Actor Steven Yeun (‘Love Me’)

#464

Director David Lynch Transcends

#463

The Week That Changed Los Angeles

#462

A Hopeful Climate Conversation with Richard Powers

#461

A New Year with Writer Jia Tolentino (‘Trick Mirror’)