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PODCAST

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

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.

society & culture film interviews

All Episodes

00:50:37

Play It Again: Actor Rose Byrne is a Woman on the Verge

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/03/08

Rose Byrne has taken many forms on-screen. In Mary Bronstein’s film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, she delivers a career-defining performance as a Long Island therapist and mother slowly unraveling under the weight of her child’s mysterious illness.Watch our conversation on YouTube. In the lead-up to Oscar Sunday, we return to our talk with Byrne, discussing the maternal madness at the heart of this film (6:30), the long, collaborative road to shaping the character (10:00), and what it was like to

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00:54:01

Ryan Coogler Made the Movie of the Year. Now He’s...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/03/01

When it comes to the theatrical experience, director Ryan Coogler is in rarified air these days. From Creed to Black Panther to Wakanda Forever, his movies arrive as seismic commercial and cultural events. His latest, Sinners, was no exception when it came out in IMAX last spring. And with 16 Oscar nominations, Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic has now become the most-nominated film in Academy history. Watch this conversation on YouTube. Together, we trace how the seeds of Sinners were planted

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01:16:49

State of the Union with Journalist Jacob Soboroff

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/02/22

Journalist and author Jacob Soboroff (MS Now) has spent the better part of a decade reporting from inside America’s fractured immigration system. He joins us this week, fresh off the plane from Minneapolis, where he’s been on the ground covering the ICE raids that continue to sweep across the city (and the nation).We discuss the evolving operations (3:00) and protests on the ground (6:00), the gulf between conservative media’s portrayals of unrest and the reality he’s witnessed (14:00), and the

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01:24:22

The Makings of Musician Anderson .Paak

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/02/15

Musician Anderson .Paak has always marched to the beat of his own drum. Whether he’s on the church circuit in Oxnard, center stage at the Grammys, or as one half of groups like NxWorries and Silk Sonic, Anderson is joyfully, defiantly, himself.Watch this conversation on YouTube. The versatile singer-songwriter joins us this week to discuss his directorial debut, K-Pops! (3:31), the music—Frankie Beverly & Maze, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder—that shaped his upbringing in Oxnard, CA

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01:22:43

This Is America with George Saunders

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/02/08

George Saunders has long been hailed as one of the great short story writers of our time. Of his 1996 debut CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Zadie Smith called Saunders “a prophecy and the voice of the American berserk.” Thirty years later, Saunders is still turning to the page in search of answers.Watch this conversation on YouTube. We sit today to discuss his latest novel, Vigil (6:25), why he felt drawn to this story circling the afterlife (9:55), and his own brush with death in the early 2000s

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00:49:19

Play It Again: Ramy Youssef Tells a Muslim American...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/02/01

Today, we revisit our 2023 conversation with performer and director Ramy Youssef, one of the singular voices of the past decade. We begin with his reflections on Ramadan, before diving into the third season of his Hulu show Ramy and the questions that shaped it. Then, we walk through his coming of age as a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim in New Jersey, his early forays into film, and the sketch inspired by a life-altering Bell’s palsy diagnosis. On the back-half, we discuss Youssef's

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01:06:07

Is Will Arnett Nailing This Interview?

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/01/25

From BoJack to Batman, Will Arnett has made a name for himself with his signature baritone voice. This week the beloved ‘SmartLess’ co-host joins us to talk easy.Watch this conversation on YouTube. We begin with his latest role in Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (6:35), the real-life story that inspired the personal project (10:53), and how making it reconnected Arnett to his early years as a young, jobbing actor in New York City (13:24). Then, we discuss Arnett’s first voiceover gigs (18:16),

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01:20:20

This is Patti Smith

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/01/18

Patti Smith has been hailed as the Godmother of Punk, the people’s poet, a defining voice of her generation. She’s been inducted into the Rock-N-Hall of Fame. She won a National Book Award for her memoir, Just Kids. Last fall, she published her most intimate book yet: Bread of Angels.Act I: In Sickness and In Health We discuss Patti’s early creative awakenings in South Jersey (7:50), discovering Bob Dylan at sixteen (18:00), and the summer job that inspired her infamous poem, Piss Factory

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01:08:21

The Return of Gwyneth Paltrow (‘Marty Supreme’)

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/01/11

Gwyneth Paltrow, now and forever, reigns supreme. Watch this conversation on YouTube. We discuss her return to acting in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme (7:45), the personal parallels that shaped her portrayal of 1930s movie star Kay Stone (8:00), and memories of her early years at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (12:14). Then, Paltrow reflects on the “fast-moving train” that followed her breakout roles in Se7en, Hard Eight, and Emma (30:05), the sexism she encountered in Hollywood (32:35), and how

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01:10:04

Viola Davis: What If We’re Enough?

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2026/01/04

Before Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) became an EGOT-winning actor, she was an observer. Her work takes the human experience and transmutes it, offering a mirror and a window into ourselves.You can watch this conversation on YouTube. As we (gradually) move into 2026, we revisit our sit-down with Davis. We unpack her liberating projects in The Woman King (4:24) and G20 (4:50), the formative years she spent growing up in Rhode Island (13:52), and how she captured those familial memories

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01:15:19

Is Comedian Robby Hoffman the Last American Dream?

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/12/28

We’re closing out 2025 with the person who made us laugh the most this year: comedian Robby Hoffman.[You can watch this conversation on YouTube.] At the top, we unpack the joys of her new Netflix special Wake Up (4:00), her views on Sunday football (9:00), and the state of masculinity (15:00). Then, Robby walks us through her Orthodox upbringing (19:00), leaving America for Canada (21:00), and how she started to find herself in high school (32:00). On the back-half, we talk her first night doing

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01:18:11

Kate Winslet Is Home for the Holidays

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/12/21

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

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98:22

The New Yorker at 100 (with David Remnick)

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/12/14

In the first 100 years of The New Yorker, only five have edited the magazine. Since 1998, it’s been David Remnick at the helm, shepherding the publication into the 21st century. We discuss Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win in New York City (3:24), the new documentary, The New Yorker at 100, chronicling the magazine’s evolution (11:00), how comedian Jon Stewart understands the rising influence of the podcast Manosphere (26:20), and the future of media (47:00). Then, we turn to our first

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55:24

Renate Reinsve Delivers the Performance of the Year...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/12/07

What happens when a house is not a home? It's the question pulsating at the heart of the new film,Sentimental Value,and one that actor Renate Reinsve reckons with in the lead role of Nora. We discuss her process connecting the ‘puzzle’ of each character (7:00), how she balances dark and light themes in this new film (8:20), and her creative childhood in Norway (12:00). Then, Renate describes how David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive impacted her as a young performer (20:20), her

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63:23

Filmmaker Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental’ Family Affair

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/30

Following the success of The Worst Person in the World, writer-director Joachim Trier returns this fall with a candid family story inSentimental Value. We begin with the guiding words from writer Philip Roth (7:20), how Trier arrived at this intimate new film (8:40), and why he was drawn to father-daughter dynamics (his own, and others) in making this new project (10:00). Then, we talk about Joachim’s early observations growing up in Norway (25:00), why he prefers to be present with performers

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73:42

The Noah Baumbach Retrospective

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/23

Filmmaker Noah Baumbach has spent the past three decades transmuting his experiences into cinema, culminating in his latest film, Jay Kelly, his love letter to movies (and the memories they evoke). We begin with the “quiet crisis” Baumbach found himself in on the heels of releasing White Noise (5:30), finding his way back to the page, with co-writer Emily Mortimer, to create Jay Kelly for George Clooney (10:20), the films that defined his early years (15:00), and the week that Mike

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57:15

For the Holidays, Ina Garten (Wiser Than Me with...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/19

For your Thanksgiving inspiration: a favorite episode from Wiser Than Me, where Julia sits down with legendary cook and author Ina Garten. Over the course of her 76 years, Ina has lived a few lives: she worked on nuclear policy at the White House, ran the beloved food store Barefoot Contessa, and went on to write best-selling cookbooks and host her own hit TV shows. But what’s always defined her isn’t just the food—it’s the way she brings people together around it. In this

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62:51

Cook Alison Roman Creates ‘Something from Nothing’

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/16

This week, cook and writer Alison Roman published her fourth cookbook,Something from Nothing—a collection of over one hundred simple, timeless recipes inspired by the items you may already have in your pantry. On the heels of its release, we return to our conversation with the culinary force. We discuss her dessert cookbook Sweet Enough (4:55), her early years as a restaurant pastry chef (12:24), and the chaotic conditions of working in the service industry (14:50). Then, Roman describes

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51:21

Judd Apatow’s Guide to Failure and Success (Fail...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/12

Today, we’re sharing an episode from Fail Better with David Duchovny, featuring filmmaker and writer Judd Apatow. Together, they trace the arc of Judd’s career, from Anchorman and Bridesmaids to Superbad and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, before diving into his new visual memoir, Comedy Nerd: A Lifelong Obsession in Stories and Pictures. Throughout their conversation, Judd reflects on what’s driven him all these years—not the need to prove he’s funny, but the desire to

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75:27

At the Movies with Director Edgar Wright (‘The...

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso ·

2025/11/09

Director Edgar Wright hit the ground running. For most filmmakers it takes many years (and many films) to find their voice, but Wright’s seemed to be fully formed upon arrival, with 2004’s Shaun of the Dead. The beloved British filmmaker joins us this week to discuss his new adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Running Man (5:38), the inspiration he took from director Sam Raimi’s career path (17:30), and Wright’s moviegoing childhood in Somerset, England (20:24). Then, we

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533 results

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