John Lurie has a creative fire that rages without end. But sometimes he can’t avoid burning himself. John talks with Marc about his many artistic pursuits, including jazz, acting, scoring films and painting. John also goes into detail about making his show Fishing with John, as well as smelling like fish throughout the shooting of The Last Temptation of Christ. And, oh yeah, whatever you do, don’t call him ‘dude.’ This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Seeso and Audible.
Sam Rockwell has become such a memorable actor in films and on stage because he really likes to prepare. On the release of his latest film, Mr. Right, Sam and Marc talk about doing good work and why that sometimes means saying no to a paycheck. Also, Richard Linklater returns to talk about his new movie Everybody Wants Some!! which he was just finishing up the last time he was in the garage. This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron, Zip Recruiter, Casper Mattresses, and Stamps.com.
Writer Quinn Cummings does not let her Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress define her. After all, she was only 10 when it happened. Quinn tells Marc why she rejected acting after her early success and why she prefers to write. They also talk about homeschooling, avoiding marriage and how Quinn became a patent-holding inventor. This episode is sponsored by SoFi, HBO NOW, Harry’s, and Squarepsace.
Audiences have watched Ethan Hawke grow up on screen. But he’s also grown as a writer, a director, a stage actor and more. Ethan talks to Marc about the challenge of playing drug-addled trumpet player Chet Baker and also tells some great stories about Boyhood, Training Day, Dead Poets Society and that time he got put through a wall by Peter Berg. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Seeso, Audible, and Stamps.com.
Marc’s conversation with Garry Shandling from May 2011. Garry passed away on March 24, 2016.
Comedian Al Lubel stopped being a lawyer in order to start doing stand-up. But he never stopped putting himself on trial. Al tells Marc how his desperate search for an identity was coupled with a never-ending barrage of crippling self-judgment, even after he won Star Search and became a favorite of late night talk show hosts and fellow comedians. This episode is sponsored by MeUndies, SlingTV, SeatGeek and Squarespace.
If you look at Todd Rundgren’s body of work, you might think it’s the product of a dozen different people in various fields of the music industry. But it’s just one guy. Todd talks with Marc about his many projects, including his own music and his work with The Band, Meat Loaf, XTC and others. Plus, Todd explains how he came up with Bang the Drum All Day quite literally in his sleep. This episode is sponsored by HBO NOW, Squarespace, Audible and Zip Recruiter.
For longtime WTF listeners, comic Ryan Singer is a continuing presence throughout the history of the show. But this is the first time he goes in depth with his friend Marc, getting into Ryan’s deep-seated Catholic roots, his scuffles in the comedy world, and lots and lots about cigarettes. They probably talk too lovingly about cigarettes. It’s a problem. This episode is sponsored by SlingTV, SoFi, Blue Apron and Portlandia on IFC.
Michael Rapaport thought he was going to be a professional basketball player. That didn’t happen, but Michael happily surprised himself with an acting career that saw him working alongside childhood heroes and legendary directors. Michael and Marc talk about all of it, even if Michael gets sidetracked thinking about sitting where the President once sat. This episode is sponsored by This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central, SoFi, Stamps.com and Squarespace.
When it comes to making music, high standards were set for Dweezil Zappa at a very young age. His father made more than 80 albums in his lifetime, which provided Dweezil with a lot of influences but created some roadblocks, too. Dweezil tells Marc that his own musical journey not only made him a better artist, it brought him closer to his late father. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, MeUndies, MVMT, Audible and Schitt’s Creek on PopTV.
Comedian Bonnie McFarlane has a backstory like no other guest on WTF. That’s probably because no other guest grew up in circumstances that could be described as Canadian Little House on the Prairie. Bonnie tells Marc why she left the Great White North to get into comedy, how she met and married comedian Rich Vos, and why she still has trouble telling her neighbors what she does for a living. This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron, Zip Recruiter, Squarespace and Stamps.com.
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger doesn’t need to convince Marc she’s at the top of her game. He’s watched her put in the work for years, during nightly shows at The Comedy Store and on the road where she grinds it out as a touring comic. But despite Iliza’s confidence as a stand-up, she still has some horror stories about show business, particularly her ill-fated stint on The View. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, MVMT watches and Casper Mattresses.
Scott Ian is a founding member of Anthrax and one of the most respected metal guitarists in the world. But despite being in one of the four bands that brought thrash metal into the mainstream, Marc finds out that Scott’s musical awakening was spurred by Elton John and that he’s part of a storybook romance that wouldn’t be out of place in a pop song. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central, SoFi, Squarespace and Stamps.com.
Director William Friedkin is a consummate storyteller, which explains why he tells such an entertaining story of his own life, rooted in three recurring themes: faith, fate and film. Within that story, William tells Marc about the making of The French Connection and The Exorcist, the failure and resurgence of his film Sorcerer, and his reasons for never wanting to do a second take. This episode is sponsored by Ruby Receptionists, Zip Recruiter, and Squarespace.
You know Borat. You know Bruno. You know Ali G. But you probably don’t know much about Sacha Baron Cohen. The man himself sits down with Marc in the garage to talk about what goes into bringing such rich comedic characters to life, why he was drawn to comedy in the first place, and what’s next, with his new movie The Brothers Grimsby on the horizon. This episode is sponsored by Audible, Squarespace, Stamps.com, MeUndies and SoFi.
Herb Alpert had enormous success as a musician and recording artist before becoming a massively influential recording industry executive when he co-founded A&M Records. Herb’s talks to Marc about the past and explains why he’s still recording music, touring and playing that famous trumpet. Also on the show, Mark and Jay Duplass stop by to talk about the new season of Togetherness on HBO. This episode is sponsored by Broad City on Comedy Central, SoFi, Squarespace and Blue Apron.
Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer got Broad City off the ground when they were fed up with not getting their shot. In that way, they have something in common with Marc and WTF. Abi and Ilana join Marc in the garage to talk about the birth of their hit show, plus some talk about New York City, drumming, digital media stars, the UCB, and Amy Poehler. This episode is sponsored by Seeso, Squarespace, Portlandia on IFC and Stamps.com.
Comedian Ben Hoffman’s latest venture into country music seems inevitable. As an out-of-place Jewish kid in Kentucky, he found an escape by becoming a comedic actor and writer. But Ben tells Marc that career ups and downs, not to mention OCD and crippling anxiety, pushed him back to his good ol’ boy roots and prompted him to create Nashville sensation Wheeler Walker, Jr. This episode is sponsored by Audible, 1-800 Flowers and Squarespace.