Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

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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.

Most Recent Episode

Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Fights for the Protection of Journalists

Nobel Peace Prize-winner Maria Ressa has spent the past decade advocating for the protection of journalists. Today, we return to our urgent conversation with the trailblazing author and activist. We…

Actor and Director Benny Safdie Does It All

Throughout his fifteen-year moviemaking career, director and actor Benny Safdie has been drawn to naturalism and first-time performers. Fittingly, his recent collaboration with comedian Nathan Fielder (“Nathan for You”) was…

The Futurist Vision of Actor and Filmmaker Brit Marling

For more than a decade, actor and writer Brit Marling has made futuristic work that reveals truths about our disquieting present. Her latest endeavor, A Murder At the End of…

The Ziwe Interview

Writer and comedian Ziwe has made a career out of conducting charged and satirical interviews. She joins us this week to discuss her debut essay collection, Black Friend (5:45), the…

Marina Abramović Creates Art from Pain

Marina Abramović is a pioneer in the field of performance art, using her body as both the subject and the medium. Today, we return to our special conversation with the…

The Rise and Fall of Crypto Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried (with Writer Michael Lewis)

Upon taking a walk with crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, writer Michael Lewis had a sense that there might be a story here. In the intervening two years, that story has…

Singer-Songwriter Weyes Blood Gives Us ‘Something to Believe’

Singer-songwriter Weyes Blood is one of the most inventive musicians working today. One year ago, she released her prescient album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow. On the heels of…

Author and Critic Hua Hsu (The New Yorker) ‘Stays True’

One year ago, The New Yorker staff writer and critic Hua Hsu published his singular memoir entitled Stay True. Earlier this May, the autobiography won a Pulitzer Prize. Upon its…

The Transformations of Novelist Zadie Smith

Novelist Zadie Smith is one of the most acclaimed and beloved writers of her generation. Editor David Remnick has called her “a blessing not merely to The New Yorker but…

Writer Sandra Cisneros Finds the Poetry of the World

Writer Sandra Cisneros has been making sense of the world on the page since 1984’s The House on Mango Street. In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, we wanted to replay…

Legend David Byrne (‘Stop Making Sense’) is Still Burning Down the House

For the better part of a decade, David Byrne was the front-man of Talking Heads. To celebrate the revival of Jonathan Demme’s concert film, Stop Making Sense, we’re revisiting our…

The State of Hollywood with Matt Belloni (‘The Town’)

For nearly two decades, Matt Belloni (The Town) has been observing and writing about Hollywood. He joins us today to unpack the latest on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. After…

Jazz Singer Laufey is Bringing the Past to the Present

Jazz singer Laufey wants to bridge the gap between the past and the present. Today, she joins us upon the debut of her latest album, Bewitched. We discuss her songwriting…

The Summer in Review (with Culture Critic Sam Sanders)

Sam Sanders is the host of Into It, a twice-weekly podcast surveying all things pop culture. Today: he joins us for a review of summer 2023! At the top, we…

Tracing ‘The Steps’ of Musician Alana Haim

Today, we return to our conversation with musician and actor Alana Haim! We first sat with Alana around her on-screen debut in the film Licorice Pizza, directed by Paul Thomas…

The Era(s) of Musician Este Haim

Musician and composer Este Haim has had quite the year. Today, she reflects on HAIM’s eventful summer as part of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour (5:45), her pivot into scoring…

Composer Ludwig Göransson (‘Oppenheimer’) Can Hear the Music

For over a decade, composer and record producer Ludwig Göransson has created some of the defining music of our time. This week, he sits with Sam to discuss his latest…

Beto O’Rourke and the Border

As a fourth generation border resident in El Paso, politician Beto O’Rourke has long been making the case for immigration reform. He’s continued to do so this summer, as the…

Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Threads History and the Afrofuture

For over three decades, legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter has created the looks of our most era-defining films. Today, we're celebrating those pieces chronicled in her new book, The…

The Revolution Will Be Televised (with ‘The Bear’ Writer Alex O’Keefe)

In a moment of historic upheaval in Hollywood, screenwriter and labor activist Alex O’Keefe (The Bear) believes he can turn the tide. The Writers Guild of America has been on…

Photographer Joel Meyerowitz: The Pleasure of Seeing

Legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz has been capturing life itself since 1962. Whether on the streets of New York City, the sand dunes of Cape Cod, or in transit across Europe,…

At Home with Writer Joyce Carol Oates

Last summer, we traveled to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. The talk begins with her daily routine, from writing to revision (6:34), the real-life…

The Summer of Our Discontent with Reporter Astead Herndon (The New York Times)

With the closing of the latest season of The Run-Up, political reporter Astead Herndon (The New York Times) returns to the show. At the top, we discuss the recent impactful…

The Making of Tom Hanks

Today, on his 67th birthday, we’re joined by actor Tom Hanks! We begin by discussing his debut novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece (6:45), his nomadic upbringing…

The Era of Actor Michael Shannon

Today, we’re joined by actor Michael Shannon! We begin by discussing his recent turn as notorious country singer George Jones in George & Tammy (6:16) and his longstanding creative partnership…

Model and Activist Geena Rocero Lives Her Story

Today, we sit with model, writer, and activist Geena Rocero! At the top, we discuss transgender visibility in the US (3:40), her ‘magical’ upbringing in the Philippines (5:52), and a…

A Father’s Day Special with Sarah Silverman

Today, we’re joined by comedian Sarah Silverman! At the top, we reflect on loss (7:16), her new special, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love (12:35), and coming of age in the…

A Sunday Matinee with Actor Oscar Isaac

Today, we're joined by Oscar Isaac in New York City! At the top, we discuss the past six months of his performance in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (5:10),…

Comedian and Actor Ramy Youssef Tells a Muslim American Story

Today, we sit with comedian, actor, and director Ramy Youssef! At the top, he reflects on his experience during Ramadan (5:36) before diving into the third season of his Hulu…

The Elements of Singer-Songwriter Arlo Parks

Today, we sit with singer-songwriter Arlo Parks! At the top, we discuss the arrival of her new record My Soft Machine (4:26), how performing with Harry Styles and Billie Eilish…

Director Nicole Holofcener’s Art Imitates Life

Today, we sit with filmmaker Nicole Holofcener! We discuss the making of her new A24 film You Hurt My Feelings (5:44), her creative upbringing in the ‘70s (15:00), and the…

Actor Alan Ruck’s Road to ‘Succession’

Today, we’re joined by actor Alan Ruck! At the top, we dive into the Election Day episode of Succession (4:00), the ensemble’s first table read during the 2016 presidential race…

Mother’s Day with ‘Top Chef’ Padma Lakshmi

Today, we sit with writer and television host Padma Lakshmi! At the top, we discuss the return of her Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation (6:40), a formative episode in El…

Jay Jordan Was Incarcerated At 18. Now, He’s Transforming the Criminal Justice System.

Today, CEO and activist Jay Jordan tells his story. We begin in Stockton, California (13:31), where he came of age on the heels of the 1994 Clinton Crime Bill (16:33)…

All the Women in Actor Betty Gilpin’s Brain

Today, we sit with actor Betty Gilpin! We talk about her role in the prescient new Peacock series Mrs. Davis (6:35), her relationship to technology and social media (8:54), and…

Alison Roman’s Imperfect Approach to Cooking

Today, we’re joined by cook and food writer Alison Roman! We discuss her new dessert cookbook Sweet Enough (4:55), her early years as a restaurant pastry chef (12:24), and the…

A Portrait of Actor Michelle Williams

Today, we sit with brilliant actor Michelle Williams! At the top, we walk through the making of Showing Up (6:05), Williams’ fifteen-year partnership with director Kelly Reichardt (8:10), and her…

Actor Steven Yeun Tells a New Story

Today, we sit with actor Steven Yeun! At the top, we discuss his new Netflix series Beef (3:40), a powerful church scene from the show (12:10), and his personal experience…

How Author Jenny Odell Discovered a Life Beyond the Clock

Today, we’re joined by writer and artist Jenny Odell! At the top, we discuss the recent legislation regulating social media in Utah (4:02), how these platforms affect our perception of…

Actor Bob Odenkirk: The King of (Dark) Comedy

Today, we sit with legendary actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk! At the top, we discuss his new AMC series Lucky Hank (6:10), the parallels between his character Hank Devereaux and…

Live From New York with Author Min Jin Lee

Live from On Air Fest in Brooklyn, our talk with award-winning author Min Jin Lee! At the top, we discuss the roadmap to her upcoming third novel, American Hagwon (4:25),…

Oscar Sunday with Actor Ke Huy Quan

To celebrate Oscar Sunday, we return to our talk with actor Ke Huy Quan! At the top, he reflects on the making of A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once (3:35),…

Actor Ram Charan and the RRRevolution

Ahead of this year’s Academy Awards, we sit with “RRR” actor Ram Charan! At the top, he reflects on his experience observing Ayyappa Deeksha (3:09 and what it meant to…

Actor and Director Natasha Lyonne Plays Her Hand

Today, we sit with brilliant actor, director, writer, and producer, Natasha Lyonne. At the top, we walk through the inspiration behind her hit Peacock series Poker Face (6:30), including shows…

Mr. Frost Goes to Washington

Today, we sit with Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10). At the top, we discuss the five-year aftermath of the horrific shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida (2:29),…

The Year of Actor Pedro Pascal

For the long weekend, we return to one of our favorite talks with actor Pedro Pascal! At the top, we discuss his role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (5:02),…

The Makings of Writer Hilton Als

Today, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and critic Hilton Als! To begin, we unpack his approach to writing profiles (5:50), inspired by the words of photographer Diane Arbus (6:10),…

Actor and Activist Nazanin Nour Wants to Tell a New Story of Iran

Today, we sit with actor and activist Nazanin Nour. At the top, we discuss the ongoing protests against the Islamic Republic (3:35), her transformative work in meetings with the UN…

Opening Night with Artist Kehinde Wiley

Today, we sit with renowned artist Kehinde Wiley on the opening night of Colorful Realm, his new exhibition at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles. At the top, Wiley walks through the…

50 Years After Roe v. Wade: A Conversation With a Texas Abortion Provider

On January 22nd, 1973, the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision preserving the right to abortion across the country. Today, we sit with Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, a…

The Road to Actor Ke Huy Quan’s Second Act

Today, we sit with actor Ke Huy Quan! At the top, he reflects on the making of A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once (5:40), growing up in Vietnam (9:10), and…

Actor Claire Foy Observes the Unobserved

This week, we’re joined by actor Claire Foy! We discuss her compelling performance in Sarah Polley’s Women Talking (5:10), the painful journey of her character, Salome (7:50), and a pivotal…

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