Episode 950 - Adam Cayton-Holland

Comedian, actor and writer Adam Cayton-Holland didn't plan on having a memoir in his 30s. But Adam's life took a stunning turn when his sister took her life six years ago and the grief process ran through the writing. Adam and Marc talk about hereditary mental illness, the urge to romanticize depression and self-destruction in comedy, and navigating the aftermath of a family tragedy. Adam also remembers what it was like to discover alt-comedy while living in Denver and wonders about the future of his TV series Those Who Can't. This episode is sponsored by Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 11/9 and SimpliSafe.

Episode 949 - Billy Eichner

Billy Eichner was singing before he was yelling. The star of Billy on the Street had an early love of Broadway and musical theater but, as he tells Marc, comedy didn’t come quickly. No stand-up, no improv, no sketches. Then he developed a stage show in New York and the seeds of his comedic persona were planted. Billy also talks about the new season of American Horror Story, his role in the upcoming remake of The Lion King, and the return of Billy on the Street. This episode is sponsored by Sam Morril: Positive Influence on Comedy Central, YouTube Music, Stamps.com, and Starbucks Doubleshot.

Episode 948 - Sir Paul McCartney

Marc talks with Paul McCartney about, well, a lot: The Beatles and Stones rivalry that wasn’t, his current relationship with Ringo, the influence of Little Richard, The Who, The Beach Boys, how he needs to have an out-of-body experience to really examine the Beatles legacy, the reception of his solo work after the Beatles, recording Band on the Run in Nigeria, what messages are in his songs, which songs still make him emotional when he performs them, and what he brought to the table for his latest album, Egypt Station. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Ears Edition, and Casper.

Episode 947 - Dan Schlissel

Dan Schlissel died recently. He tells Marc all about it, along with the less harrowing tale of how an isolated Jewish kid from Nebraska got into producing records. Dan turned his production know-how into a vibrant business when he started Stand Up Records and became a Grammy-winning comedy industry mainstay, producing and distributing albums for everyone from Maria Bamford to Doug Stanhope to Hannibal Buress. And yes, even Marc Maron. This episode is sponsored by New Mexico, Podcasts on Spotify, Starbucks Doubleshot, and the Around the NFL podcast.

Episode 946 - Ian Bagg / Bert Kreischer

If there was a competition for WTF guest who comes from the most far-flung, middle-of-nowhere place, comedian Ian Bagg would probably win by a lot. Ian tells Marc about growing up in Northern British Columbia, being part of the blast crew in a gold mine, and realizing that the satisfaction he got blowing things up was equaled only by doing stand-up comedy. Also, Bert Kreischer returns to the show on the cusp of a mid-life crisis that is mitigated a bit by his new Netflix special. This episode is sponsored by the Around The NFL Podcast, NHTSA.gov, SimpliSafe, and ExpressVPN.

Episode 945 - Jo Koy

Jo Koy is one of the biggest headlining comedians in the world and it might not have turned out that way if he hadn't become a vigorous self-promoter. Jo tells Marc how moving around a lot as part of a military family and dealing with his brother's severe mental illness  made him realize that if he was going to do something big, he had to do it himself. Jo and Marc also talk about holding down other jobs while doing comedy, the hazards of burning through material, and why people mistakenly think being a stand-up is easy. This episode is sponsored by The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast, ZipRecruiter, and Starbucks Doubleshot.

Episode 944 - Tanya Donelly / Jason Bateman

A lot has changed in the 30 years since Marc and Tanya Donnelly worked together at a luncheonette in Boston. Tanya saw her emerging music career take off in the early '90s, thanks to her bands Throwing Muses, The Breeders and Belly. Now in the midst of a Belly reunion with tour dates and a new album, Tanya tells Marc how things evolved in the more than two decades since. Also, Jason Bateman returns to talk about the second season of Ozark on the heels of Marc binge-watching season one. This episode is sponsored by The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast, the Around The NFL Podcast, Starbucks Doubleshot, and SimpliSafe.

Episode 943 - Shooter Jennings / Rob Riggle

Shooter Jennings was born into Nashville royalty, the son of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. But he didn't exactly fit the Outlaw Country archetype. In fact, he was a computer nerd whose real influence was Nine Inch Nails. Shooter talks with Marc about developing his own style, idolizing George Jones, collaborating with Stephen King, and always changing things up. Also, Rob Riggle stops by to explain how a fake idea he told people about to mess with them turned into an actual show, Rob Riggle’s Ski Master Academy. This episode is sponsored by NHTSA.gov, Disenchantment on Netflix, and Burrow.

Episode 942 - Joe Walsh

There were two times Joe Walsh felt part of a community. The first was as a student at Kent State, but that all went away after the National Guard shooting. The second was when he got to LA and met a bunch of other musicians, including Don Henley and Glenn Frey, and that almost went away in a haze of substance abuse. Joe talks with Marc about his days with The James Gang, opening for The Who, Led Zeppelin, and every band under the sun, joining The Eagles, breaking up with The Eagles, getting sober, and going back on tour with the Eagles after Glenn's death. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace and Starbucks Doubleshot.

Episode 941 - Jimmy O. Yang

Jimmy O. Yang felt like an outsider growing up in Hong Kong and then felt like he didn't fit in studying economics in America. It was only once he starting paying five bucks to do an open mic night in Hollywood that he found a community. Jimmy tells Marc how the immigrant story was different for everyone in his family, how he got his first real lessons in American life from watching BET, and how his performances in Silicon Valley and Crazy Rich Asians are so different when it comes to the pressures of representation. This episode is sponsored by Spotifyand Casper.

Episode 940 - Chris O'Dowd

Chris O'Dowd charmed and amused audiences in things like Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd, and recently the Get Shorty TV series, but things could have gone differently if he had followed through on his political science major. Chris and Marc talk about growing up in the Irish countryside and heading of to university in Dublin, only to find out he enjoyed acting much more than studying politics. They also talk about Bono, the Native Irish vs the Boston Irish, and having cats but not being a "cat person." This episode is sponsored by The Dave Dameshek Football Program, Rocket League, Audible, and Starbucks Doubleshot.

Episode 939 - Jay Leno

Jay Leno came up as a comic's comic, a performer recognized by other comedians as one of the best in the game. He also became one of the most successful late night television hosts in history, not once but twice. Those two sides always seemed at odds with each other, especially in the minds of many other comics, but Jay never saw it that way. He tells Marc about the early days in the clubs with Pryor, Carlin, Robin and others, how he and Letterman influenced each other as comics, and how things went south as they both made it big. And then there's the whole Conan thing. Marc and Jay deal with all of it, and then some. This episode is sponsored by The Happytime Murders, Sennheiser CX Sport Headphones, ZipRecruiter, and Stamps.com.

Episode 938 - Luzer Twersky

Luzer Twersky is an actor who has been seen on shows like Transparent and High Maintenance. But prior to 2008, he wasn't seen by anyone outside of his Hasidic Jewish community. Luzer tells Marc about his cloistered upbringing, the details of Hasidic life, his troublemaking as a youngster, his crisis of faith, and ultimately his exile from the only world he ever knew. Luzer also explains what role Marc played in his journey and where things stand now with the people from his past. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Rocket League, and SimpliSafe.

Episode 937 - Mila Kunis / Iliza Shlesinger

Mila Kunis says she's had a most fortunate trajectory in show business. That's because she got to experience it as a hobby and as a career. She explains to Marc what that means, along with telling him what it was like to arrive in LA as a religious refugee, why Ashton Kutcher is turning into an old man, and why she didn't realize she was supposed to be promoting her new movie, The Spy Who Dumped Me. Also, Iliza Shlesinger returns to talk about her wedding and her new special. This episode is sponsored by Rocket League and the Sennheiser CX Sport Headphones.

Episode 936 - Sue Costello / Jim Gaffigan

Marc welcomes back to the show two comedian friends from the early years of WTF, both of whom have experienced a lot of changes in their lives since their previous visits. First, Sue Costello talks with Marc about how she persisted in the face of ingrained show business obstacles and is finding herself coming out clean on the other side. Then Jim Gaffigan tells Marc how one day he was out there doing comedy and the next day his family life went topsy-turvy after his wife's visit to the doctor. This episode is sponsored by The Roast of Bruce Willis on Comedy Central, Starbucks Doubleshot, and StitchFix.

Episode 935 - Bo Burnham / David Sedaris

It’s a summertime double-header of returning guests. First, David Sedaris takes a break from his months-long 'Calypso' book tour to tell Marc about his visit to Buckingham Palace, how he's navigating life with his elderly conservative father, and why he got a bizarre phone call from Roseanne. Then Bo Burnham returns to explain why he decided to make the movie Eighth Grade after having panic attacks on stage. Bo also tells Marc about the special friendship he struck up with Garry Shandling. This episode is sponsored by Spotify, Burrow, Rocket League, and SimpliSafe.

Episode 934 - Daveed Diggs / Bob Newhart

Before he was in Hamilton, Daveed Diggs was an aspiring actor, rapper and spoken word performer creating "a rap curriculum" for Bay Area schools. Marc talks with Daveed about how that was the perfect starting point for his eventual portrayal of Thomas Jefferson. They also talk about Oakland, Daveed's rap group Clipping, and his new movie Blindspotting, which he co-wrote as a kind of love letter to his always-changing hometown. Also, Marc gives Bob Newhart a call to talk about his new Audible series, Hi, Bob. This episode is sponsored by The Roast of Bruce Willis on Comedy Central, Squarespace, and Sennheiser. 

Episode 933 - Gus Van Sant

Filmmaker and kindred guitar noodler Gus Van Sant meets Marc in the garage and jumps in for a deep dive on his movies, including Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, Milk and more. Gus tells Marc why doing Good Will Hunting felt like such a personal risk at the time, why the remake of Psycho got green-lit in spite of itself, and why his latest movie Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot owes its existence to Robin Williams. This episode is sponsored by Sonos and ZipRecruiter.