Fail Better with David Duchovny podcast

Fail Better with David Duchovny

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

 

#86

John Seabrook’s Family Was the Vegetable Version of ‘Succession’

John Seabrook is a journalist and author best known for his work at The New Yorker magazin... more

09 Dec 2025

46 MINS

46:30

09 Dec 2025


#85

The Many Lives of Peter Weller

Sitting across from Dr. Peter Weller — another actor/author/academic like myself &md... more

02 Dec 2025

51 MINS

51:01

02 Dec 2025


#84

Introducing: Don't Listen To Us with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody

For the Thanksgiving holiday, who better to hear from than a family who has fought hard fo... more

25 Nov 2025

47 MINS

47:32

25 Nov 2025


#83

Kyle MacLachlan (Directed by David Lynch)

The actor Kyle MacLachlan readily acknowledges the immense impact that the late director D... more

18 Nov 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:47

18 Nov 2025


#82

How Megan McArdle Became a Liberal-tarian

As a columnist for the Washington Post, Megan McArdle tackles the most fraught political t... more

11 Nov 2025

50 MINS

50:44

11 Nov 2025


#81

Waxing Poetic with Jia Tolentino (Live at Strand)

Back in September, I sat down with powerful writer and past guest Jia Tolentino at the Str... more

04 Nov 2025

46 MINS

46:27

04 Nov 2025


#80

Failure? Success? Judd Apatow Says Give It 10 Years to Decide

Take a walk through Judd Apatow’s office, like I did, and you’ll be reminded o... more

28 Oct 2025

50 MINS

50:17

28 Oct 2025


#79

Fail Again: Ben Stiller Confronts His Parents' Legacy

You might remember from way back when this podcast started that my very first guest was Be... more

21 Oct 2025

51 MINS

51:34

21 Oct 2025


#78

Listen Now: Alive with Steve Burns

Steve Burns was nice enough to join me on the show a few weeks ago, so I wanted to give yo... more

14 Oct 2025

45 MINS

45:00

14 Oct 2025


#77

No Scars, No Stories with Charlie Sheen (Live at 92NY)

Charlie Sheen is an actor perhaps known just as well for his off-screen antics as his on-s... more

07 Oct 2025

57 MINS

57:52

07 Oct 2025


#76

Looking Back: Gretchen Rubin Wants to Make You Happy/ish

This week we’re revisiting my conversation with the author Gretchen Rubin, since we ... more

30 Sep 2025

51 MINS

51:31

30 Sep 2025


#75

How Steve Burns Found His Aliveness Again

Steve Burns is best known for being the host of a beloved 90s children’s show, Blue&... more

23 Sep 2025

56 MINS

56:11

23 Sep 2025


#74

Tom Pelphrey Wouldn’t Change a Day

A decade ago, the actor Tom Pelphrey couldn’t have imagined the shape his life would... more

16 Sep 2025

53 MINS

53:00

16 Sep 2025


#73

Gene Simmons: The Demon Loves His Mom

If Gene Simmons’ hard exterior scared you off, it did its job. As a founding member ... more

09 Sep 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:47

09 Sep 2025


#72

Check It Out: Building a Legacy with Tisha Campbell (Legacy Talk)

Hey, Fail Better listeners — here’s a great show I think you should know about... more

02 Sep 2025

53 MINS

53:23

02 Sep 2025


#71

Amanda Knox’s Story Isn’t Over

Amanda Knox was a young student in a foreign country when she was thrust into an internati... more

26 Aug 2025

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:25

26 Aug 2025


#70

The Pitfalls of Manhood with Terry Real

I should’ve known I was in for a revelatory conversation when I met with the family ... more

19 Aug 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:25

19 Aug 2025


#69

An Hour with Melissa Febos About a Year Without Sex

Memoirists do the generous work of letting us into their lives, and then there are ones li... more

12 Aug 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:14

12 Aug 2025


#68

Jess Walter Can Hoop (and Write)

I’m coming to you live from Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California, where ... more

05 Aug 2025

1 HR 08 MINS

1:08:30

05 Aug 2025


#67

Tim Minchin’s Infinite Universes

The musician (-comedian-actor-composer-director-Californication guest star) Tim Minchin is... more

29 Jul 2025

52 MINS

52:38

29 Jul 2025


#66

The Family Business with Robert Downey Jr.

The spotlight has certainly taken its toll on Robert Downey Jr. over the years. But much l... more

22 Jul 2025

56 MINS

56:24

22 Jul 2025


#65

What Jake Clark Wants You To Know About Trauma

Jake Clark is an unexpected hero. As the founder of the [Save a Warrior] (https://saveawar... more

15 Jul 2025

56 MINS

56:23

15 Jul 2025


#64

A Forensic Analysis with Emily Deschanel

Emily Deschanel spent over a decade portraying the brilliant and meticulous forensic anthr... more

08 Jul 2025

59 MINS

59:09

08 Jul 2025


#63

Check It Out: The Disappearance of Eric Robinson (Uinta Triangle)

For the Fourth of July holiday, we’re taking you on a getaway of sorts. It’s o... more

01 Jul 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:13

01 Jul 2025


#62

Truth and Lies with James Frey

In his aimless youth, the author James Frey yearned to be the Sex Pistols of literature. T... more

24 Jun 2025

53 MINS

53:47

24 Jun 2025


#61

From “Junkie Doctor” to Addiction Specialist with Dr. Jason Giles

Dr. Jason Giles is an addiction specialist and a helper and friend to many, including me. ... more

17 Jun 2025

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:30

17 Jun 2025