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PODCAST

pplpod

pplpod is a podcast about people, places and lots of other stuff. Each episode takes a deep dive into the lives, choices, and legacies of fascinating figures from history, culture, music, and beyond. From icons who shaped entire generations to hidden stories that deserve the spotlight, pplpod brings you closer to the people behind the headlines and the legends.Thoughtful, engaging, and story-driven, pplpod explores what makes these lives extraordinary—and what we can learn from them today.

history music history

All Episodes

37:57

Episode 126 — Ricky Velez: Queens Edge, Big Heart,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 126 traces Ricky Velez’s climb from Queens club rat to HBO headliner with a point of view that’s sharp, fast, and surprisingly tender. We track the early New York grind and the storytelling gears that powered his breakout hour Here’s Everything—a special that turns family, anxiety, and growing up working-class into clean, clockwork laughs. On screen, we get into the Pete Davidson orbit—scene-stealing turns in The King of Staten Island, writing/acting chops on Bupkis—and how that

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22:46

Episode 125 — Rhea Seehorn: Precision, Moral Whiplash...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 125 tracks Rhea Seehorn’s elegant climb—from theater and single-cam comedies to a defining dramatic turn that reprogrammed how TV measures subtlety. We revisit early beats (I’m with Her, Whitney, Veep) and then drop into Albuquerque: Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul—quiet ferocity, legal chess, and micro-expressions that move mountains. We unpack the craft: stillness as power, razor timing, eye-line storytelling, and a physical vocabulary (ponytail, Post-its, parking garages) that

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47:57

Episode 124 — Gary Clark Jr.: Austin Roots, Fuzz-Tone...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 124 tracks Gary Clark Jr.’s climb from Antone’s prodigy to genre-bending headliner with Grammys in his guitar case. We start in Austin—teen sets, big ears, and a hollowbody that could purr or howl—then hit the breakout: Blak and Blu’s crossover spark and a live show that stretched blues into soul, rock, and R&B without losing the dirt. We dig into The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, the thunderclap of “This Land” (a protest and a promise in one riff), and the wide-screen instincts of

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39:08

Episode 123 — Lil Rel Howery: Chicago Hustle, Big...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 123 tracks Lil Rel Howery’s rise from West Side open mics to scene-stealing force on screens big and small. We map the club grind and breakout on The Carmichael Show, the instant-classic turn as Rod in Get Out, and a steady run of roles that balance warmth with mischief—Uncle Drew, Bad Trip, Free Guy, Vacation Friends, and more. TV lane? His own sitcom Rel, sharp guest spots, and hosting chops that make crowd work look easy. We dig into the stand-up hours (story-first, family-rooted,

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46:36

Episode 122 — David Baddiel: Jokes, Football, and the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 122 traces David Baddiel’s shape-shifting career—from Cambridge Footlights and The Mary Whitehouse Experience to era-defining double acts with Rob Newman and Frank Skinner. We revisit the cult-to-mainstream leap of Fantasy Football League, the terrace-anthem immortality of “Three Lions,” and a stand-up voice that kept getting braver (Fame: Not the Musical, My Family: Not the Sitcom, Trolls: Not the Dolls). We unpack his writer’s desk—novels for adults and kids, TV scripts,

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19:10

Episode 121 — Rodney Crowell: Lines, Lives & the Song...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 121 traces Rodney Crowell’s journey from Houston honky-tonks to Nashville rooms where the best lyric wins. We follow the Emmylou Harris Hot Band apprenticeship, the sharp early solo cuts, and the Diamonds & Dirt run that spun off five No. 1 country singles and a Grammy for “After All This Time.” Then the deeper work: story-forward albums like The Houston Kid, Fate’s Right Hand, Tarpaper Sky, and Close Ties; the waltz between memoir (Chinaberry Sidewalks) and music; and a

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35:07

Episode 120 — Iris Bahr: Eleven Characters, One Nerve

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 120 dives into Iris Bahr’s shape-shifting career—actor, stand-up, writer, and fearless monologist. We trace the roots of her character work and the breakout of DAI (enough!), the award-winning one-woman play that put eleven lives onstage at once and made intimacy feel combustible. From there: TV turns that stick (Curb Your Enthusiasm’s unforgettable foil), the cult-series creation of Svetlana, and the essays/memoirs that double as field reports from a life lived at full tilt (Dork

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30:35

Episode 119 — Greta Gerwig: Mumblecore to Mega-Pink,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 119 maps Greta Gerwig’s climb from DIY indie darling to record-shattering writer–director with a signature mix of wit, warmth, and rigor. We start in the mumblecore trenches (collabs with Joe Swanberg and the Duplass orbit), the Baumbach years in front of and behind the camera (Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America), and the pivot to her own pen and chair. Then the streak: Lady Bird’s spiky mother–daughter grace, Little Women’s time-braided reinvention, and Barbie’s maximal,

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27:00

Episode 118 — Danny Fields: The Phone Calls That...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 118 drops into Danny Fields’ whirlwind—a connector, publicist, and A&R maverick who turned taste into history. We trace the Village/Warhol years and magazine mischief (including the Datebook scoop that detonated John Lennon’s “more popular than Jesus” quote), then head to Elektra Records where Fields championed and signed the MC5 and The Stooges—two powder kegs that rewired rock’s DNA. From there it’s downtown evangelism: Max’s Kansas City to CBGB, scouting, managing, and

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37:15

Episode 117 — Bert Kreischer: Party Myth, Craft Under...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 117 dives into Bert Kreischer’s larger-than-life lane—how a Florida State legend story became a touring juggernaut, a film, and a podcast empire without losing the hang. We trace the early Rolling Stone “Top Partier” spark, the shirt-off identity that stuck, and the bit that wouldn’t die (and shouldn’t): “The Machine.” Then it’s the work beneath the wild—arena-sized storytelling with precise tags, act-outs that feel like campfire dares, and a knack for turning family life into

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31:13

Episode 116 — Maeve Higgins: Soft Power, Sharp Jokes...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 116 follows Maeve Higgins’ gentle-dagger comedy from Cork clubs to New York’s indie stages—and into books, films, and podcasts that smuggle big ideas inside small, funny moments. We trace the stand-up rise and the essayist turn with Maeve in America and Tell Everyone on This Train I Love Them—immigrant stories, sidewalk anthropology, and perfectly odd observations that land like confessions. On mic, we hit her climate-justice podcast Mothers of Invention (with former Irish president

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38:51

Episode 115 — Jake Johannsen: Curious Brain, Long...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 115 tours Jake Johannsen’s cult-favorite lane—long-form stories that wander like a curious dog and somehow land on the exact right punchline. We trace the San Francisco ascent, the HBO hour (This’ll Take About an Hour), and a late-night run that became legend (dozens of Letterman sets where Jake’s calm, oddball logic stole the room). Inside the craft: elastic digressions, precise word choice, and that “how did we get here?” cadence that makes minor hassles—spiders, space travel,

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45:43

Episode 114 — Billy West: A Thousand Voices, One...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 114 dives into Billy West’s shape-shifting career—the voice behind whole universes. We trace the alt-radio alchemy of The Howard Stern Show, the ’90s animation wave with Doug (Doug/Funny & Roger), and the mayhem of The Ren & Stimpy Show. Then it’s the Futurama constellation: Fry’s open-hearted wonder, Professor Farnsworth’s dusty genius, Zoidberg’s sad-sack nobility, and Zapp Brannigan’s delusional bravado—often in the same scene, arguing with himself like it’s nothing. We

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46:19

Episode 113 — Macaulay Culkin: Kid Phenomenon,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 113 charts Macaulay Culkin’s singular ride—from scene-stealing kid in Uncle Buck to a global supernova as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2. We trace the ’90s streak (My Girl, The Good Son, Richie Rich), the audacious indie pivot (Party Monster, Saved!), and the long step back that kept the myth alive. Then the sideways come-back: touring mischief with The Pizza Underground, the wry media presence and Bunny Ears projects, and a measured return to acting with American

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30:44

Episode 112 — Joe Mande: Bit Gremlin, Room Killer,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 112 traces Joe Mande’s lane from indie rooms and internet pranks to one of TV comedy’s sharpest pens. We track the early blog-to-book swerve (Look at This Fcking Hipster*), the alt-scene reps that honed his left-turn tags, and a Netflix detonation with Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special. Then it’s the writers’ rooms where his voice snapped into place—Parks and Recreation, Kroll Show, The Good Place, and more—plus on-camera oddball cameos and the long-running bit-economy of his

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43:05

Episode 111 — J.K. Rowling: World-Building,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 111 traces J.K. Rowling’s journey from café drafts and rejection letters to a multi-book universe that shaped a generation of readers. We revisit the leap from Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone to a seven-book arc that aged with its audience—mythic stakes, meticulous plotting, and a knack for character that made an invented school feel real. Then the expansion: film adaptations, Pottermore/Wizarding World canon, Fantastic Beasts, and detective fiction under the Robert Galbraith pen name,

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30:50

Episode 110 — Rupert Grint: After Ron — Risk, Range &...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 110 follows Rupert Grint’s shift from instant-icon kid wizard to a grown-up actor with left-turn taste. We trace the Harry Potter decade and the decision to zag after it—indies like Cherrybomb, Wild Target, and Into the White; punk-era swagger as Cheetah Chrome in CBGB; and a sly pop-culture wink in Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House.” Onstage, it’s a West End/Broadway pivot with Jez Butterworth’s Mojo and It’s Only a Play. Then TV becomes the laboratory: crime-caper swagger in Snatch, dark

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49:44

Episode 109 — Emma Watson: Craft, Conscience & Life...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 109 charts Emma Watson’s evolution from franchise phenom to thoughtful, values-driven artist. We revisit the decade as Hermione Granger and the decision to grow in public—splitting time between sets and studies (Brown, Oxford) while choosing roles that stretched beyond wands and castles: the tender ache of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, fame-as-heist in The Bling Ring, biblical scale with Noah, a record-breaking turn as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and ensemble grace in Little

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38:53

Episode 108 — Daniel Radcliffe: Beyond the Boy Who Lived

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 108 follows Daniel Radcliffe’s leap from global phenomenon to fearless character actor. We trace the lightning-bolt origin—Harry Potter’s decade-long run—and the pivot strategy that came next: stage risks (Equus, The Cripple of Inishmaan, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Merrily We Roll Along), indie swings (Kill Your Darlings, Swiss Army Man, Guns Akimbo), and gleeful left turns (Miracle Workers, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story). Inside the craft: physical commitment,

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12:54

Episode 107 — Jimmy Tingle: Wit, Conscience & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 107 traces Jimmy Tingle’s lane as America’s civic jester—Boston-born stand-up, social satirist, commentator, and do-good troublemaker. We track the club days and late-night TV breaks, the CBS 60 Minutes II essays that blended Andy-Rooney candor with comic bite, and the one-man shows that turned headlines into human stories (Uncommon Sense, Jimmy Tingle’s American Dream, Tingle’s State of the Union). We unpack his compass: empathy first, joke second—plus the Harvard Kennedy School

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7,536 results

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