Larry Clark does not consider himself a photographer and he explains to Marc why he doesn't. But that didn't stop a young Marc Maron from being drawn to Larry's raw, unflinching photos and his uncompromising art. Larry talks with Marc about his photography, his experiences in war and in prison, his struggle to get clean, and his films Kids, Bully, Another Day in Paradise, and Wassup Rockers. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central, Squarespace, Blue Apron, and Casper Mattress.
When Marc first saw Hutch Harris perform live with his band The Thermals, he was won over immediately and invented a whole mythology around who Hutch Harris must be. But as Hutch tells Marc, he was just a kid who wanted to start a band and did it with talent, timing, a lot of gumption and a little luck. On a related note, Marc's friend Dan Pashman stops by to talk about the expectations we have when we see our favorite artists play live. This episode is sponsored by MeUndies, The Tim Ferriss Show, Basecamp, and Audible.
Comedian Rachel Feinstein has conquered one of the most difficult spaces in the comedy world: The back table at The Comedy Cellar in New York. You better be able to give as good as you get if you sit there. Rachel talks to Marc about her early years of living in squalor and having second thoughts about a comedy career, all while honing her craft and gaining the respect of her peers. This episode is sponsored by Joule from ChefSteps, Skyn Condoms, Stamps.com and Squarespace.
If you're wondering how John Prine, one of America's greatest living songwriters, came up with such great lyrics, just look to your mailbox. John tells Marc how his days as a mailman provided him time to ruminate on music, which led to his discovery by Kris Kristofferson, his friendship with Steve Goodman, and his encounters with Bob Dylan, Sam Phillips, Bonnie Raitt and others. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Blunt Talk on Starz, Blue Apron and Ring.
America is plenty familiar with Katie Couric in the role of interviewer. But what about when the roles are reversed? Marc finds out why Katie got into journalism and gets her take on the notable moments of her career, including her live coverage of the 9/11 attacks, her tenure anchoring CBS Evening News, conducting the Sarah Palin interview, and hosting a new podcast. This episode is sponsored by Basecamp, Easy on Netflix, Stamps.com, Squarespace, and magicJack for Business.
It's Jazz Fest at The Cat Ranch. First, Kamasi Washington tells Marc how an Inglewood kid growing up in the early 90s wound up at the forefront of a modern jazz revolution, including groundbreaking work with Kendrick Lamar and his own massive debut album, The Epic. Then jazz critic and writer Ben Ratliff joins Marc to open minds and change old listening habits, as he explains how to truly enjoy music in the age of unlimited options. This episode is sponsored by Easy on Netflix, Squarespace, Blue Apron, Audible and magicJack for Business.
Comedian Geoff Tate always found it a little odd that Marc needed to squash so many beefs with other comics because the two of them hit it off so well. Marc and Geoff explore the shared parental connection that helped them relate to each other and also gave birth to a lot of their comedy. Plus, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney stop by as they get ready to launch 'Oh, Hello' on Broadway. This episode is sponsored by South Park on Comedy Central, High Maintenance on HBO, Stamps.com; and Squarespace.
Comedian Chris Garcia thought his upbringing was fairly typical as the son of first-generation immigrants, with stories and experiences that paved the way nicely for a career in comedy. But Chris tells Marc that a recent trip to Cuba and the discoveries made there changed everything he knew about his family, particularly his father. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, MeUndies, ZipRecruiter, and Blue Apron.
Actor Ron Perlman is often buried under layers of makeup, whether he's playing Hellboy or the Beast or some other humanoid oddity. But Ron's not hiding anything when he joins Marc in the garage, revealing his heartfelt thoughts on the entertainment business and his evolving role in it. Plus, Ron shares a Marlon Brando story to rival the best of them. This episode is sponsored by Basecamp, Squarespace and Stamps.com.
Billy Crystal's early love of show business put him on the path to standup comedy, which in turn got him on TV shows like Soap and SNL. Marc talks with Billy about his own show business footprint, including movies like When Harry Met Sally, Mr. Saturday Night, Deconstructing Harry, and Analyze This, as well as hosting the Academy Awards. Plus, Billy fondly remembers his relationships with icons like Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Jack Rollins and Robin Williams. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Seeso, Basecamp, and MeUndies.
Joseph Arthur faced some of the same struggles as Marc even though he's a musician and artist, not a comedian. Joseph and Marc talk about the false starts, the friendships with heroes like Lou Reed and Peter Gabriel, and the challenge of feeling okay with how things turned out. Also, author Peter Bebergal talks about magic and music, as he details in his book Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll. This episode is sponsored by The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe, Seeso, Ring, and Casper.
Whether you know the story of JT LeRoy or not, you certainly haven't heard an episode of WTF like this. First, Marc talks with filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig about documenting the rise and fall of literary phenom JT LeRoy, a celebrated young man who was later revealed to be the creation of Laura Albert. Then Laura joins Marc in the garage to explain what gave birth to her infamous alter ego and to provide some insight into her life. This episode is sponsored by Seeso, ZipRecruiter, Blue Apron, and Audible.
Robert Kelly is at the point in his comedy career where he can't help thinking about what's next. He's on the FX television show Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, he's touring all over the country, he has a great family, and yet he keeps wondering what happens if it all goes away. Bobby and Marc commiserate over this shared experience as well as the ups and downs of being sober comedians. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, Seeso, and Stamps.com.
Gad Elmaleh is an mega-successful international comedian and actor. Now he's basically starting from scratch to perfect his act in America, not in his native French but in English. Marc and Gad talk about the challenge of doing comedy in another language and the universal truths about standup that cross all language barriers. This episode is sponsored by The Tim Ferriss Show, Take My Wife on Seeso, Squaresapce, and Blue Apron.
Alan Alda always strives to play someone different. He takes Marc through the many characters he's created, from Hawkeye to Uncle Pete, and explains how he challenges himself from role to role. Plus, Alan talks about why he created an academic organization that advances science communication. This episode is sponsored by MeUndies, Squarespace, Sonos, and Audible.
Kristen Wiig is afraid of too many things going well at once, speaking in front of groups of people, and deep water. But she's not afraid of sharing these things with Marc, as well as the story of how she became a performer after a meeting with Mike the Psychic and how she got on SNL after not getting on SNL. Plus, some talk about Bridesmaids, The Skeleton Twins, Welcome to Me, and Sausage Party. This episode is sponsored by Basecamp, Take My Wife on Seeso, Squarespace, and Zip Recruiter.
Werner Herzog is one of the only people who could make a great movie from inside Marc's garage. With a new documentary about the internet on his mind, the legendary filmmaker talks with Marc about the achievements and follies of humanity. You know, light stuff. Also, Godfrey stops by again so he and Marc can trade insults under the guise of promoting his new special. This episode is sponsored by Spotify Discover Weekly, Squarespace, and Stamps.com.
Lauren Lapkus showed up to the garage as herself but she clearly could lapse into one of dozens of characters at any time. Marc and Lauren talk about how she honed her talent for improv, how she missed out on her dream of SNL, how she found a home on Comedy Bang! Bang!, and how she got away with the unthinkable while making Jurassic World. This episode is sponsored by Viceland, MeUndies, Squarespace, and Blue Apron.