Episode 1509 - Laurie Kilmartin

Laurie Kilmartin can make comedy out of the darkest situations in her life, from her father’s hospice care to her mother dying of Covid to being targeted by Fox News and the right wing for making an abortion joke. The latter became the foundation for her latest special, Cis Woke Grief Slut, and Laurie talks with Marc about how comedy can survive information bubbles and the lack of a shared national dialogue. They also talk about getting to a point in their lives where it’s time to let things go.

Episode 1508 - Bobby Lee

In the thirteen years since Bobby Lee was last on WTF, he and Marc have grown to like each other more and more. For one thing, Marc taught Bobby how to tell time. But aside from that, they’ve shared a lot together as two veteran comics regularly working the same clubs, dealing with sobriety, and coming to terms with the changes around them. Marc and Bobby compare notes on relationships, podcasts, grudges, and having happiness for the success of their peers. To an extent.

Episode 1507 - Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer has been in show business for most of his life and has seen the changes, both rapid and gradual, within the industry. Jon talks with Marc about his early stage work, his breakthrough in film with Pretty in Pink, and his great success on network TV, which he just returned to with the new sitcom Extended Family. They also talk about the wild ride shared by anyone who was in the orbit of his former co-star, Charlie Sheen.

Episode 1506 - Moshe Kasher

Moshe Kasher already wrote a memoir about his years as a teenage substance abuser growing up in an orthodox Jewish family with two deaf parents. Now Moshe’s back to talk with Marc about his second memoir, Subculture Vulture, which deals with how he put his life together since those teen years, including getting sober, embracing rave culture, finding standup comedy, becoming a husband and father, and the identity crisis along the way.

Episode 1505 - Jacqueline Novak

Jacqueline Novak’s new Netflix standup special is a rite of passage story about a girl finding her way into womanhood. Kind of. For Marc, it was refreshing to watch something so frank, filthy and fun. For Jacqueline, it was an honest expression of what she finds funny, not a statement or provocation. Marc and Jacqueline talk about intentions and reactions in comedy, their approaches to making a special, and how depression factors into the creative output of a comic.

Episode 1504 - Jonah Ray Rodrigues / Ed Begley Jr.

It’s the return of two past WTF guests who have lots of stories and common experiences to share with Marc. First, Hollywood’s everyman Ed Begley Jr. is back for the first time in a decade, fresh off writing his new memoir, To the Temple of Tranquility… And Step On It!  Then Marc talks with Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who spent years crossing paths with Marc in the standup and podcasting worlds. Jonah explains why he gave up standup, started bartending, and dove into collaborative projects like the new movie, Destroy All Neighbors.

Episode 1503 - Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day are heading out on a global tour as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of their breakout album Dookie, the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, and the release of their new album Saviors. Through it all, Billie Joe has tried to keep a healthy distance from fame while fronting one of the biggest bands of all time. Billie Joe and Marc talk about melodies, power pop, R.E.M., the Bay, his bandmates, and how he’s still learning songs on YouTube.

Click here to submit your question for the next Ask Marc Anything bonus episode.

Episode 1502 - Greta Gerwig

The last time Greta Gerwig was on WTF, she had just directed her first solo feature, the independent film Lady Bird. Now she returns after directing and co-writing the biggest movie of 2023, Barbie. Greta talks with Marc about everything that went into making it, including the costumes, the production design, the performances, the comedy, the music and the personal vision she set out to communicate within the contours of a $140 million summer blockbuster.

Episode 1501 - Joel Edgerton

Joel Edgerton’s decision to start a filmmaking collective with his brother and friends in Australia is the foundation for his career and an ideal representation of the collaborative process. Joel talks with Marc about the allure of menace, which he infuses into the films he’s directed like The Gift and Boy Erased, as well as his performances in movies like Black Mass, Animal Kingdom and The Stranger. Joel also explains the revelation that occurred to him on his latest film, The Boys in the Boat, which made him understand why we all love an underdog story.

Episode 1500 - Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti and Marc have so many similar interests - amassing books, admiring marginal geniuses, taking jobs out of panic, reassessing classic movies, watching old late night talk show clips, wanting to be the guy in the coffee shop, the origins of conspiracies - that their conversation is a fitting representation of 1500 episodes of WTF. Paul also talks about the weirdest movie he made and goes into detail about his recent performance in The Holdovers.

The Friday Show Special

For New Year’s Day, Marc introduces you to The Friday Show, a weekly episode available to Full Maron subscribers, hosted by WTF producer Brendan McDonald and Kris Lo Presto, a friend of theirs from back in the Air America Radio days. You’ll hear Marc, Brendan and Kris discuss the movie Air, a conversation with film critic Matt Singer about Siskel & Ebert, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the film The Fugitive, and more.

Episode 1499 - Matt B. Davis

Matt B. Davis is unique among WTF guests in that he did comedy for more than a decade, got out of the business and never wanted back in. Matt and Marc talk about how they got to know each other as comics, how they've helped each other in sobriety, and how Matt found a second career within the obstacle racing community. But then the conversation hits an obstacle of its own, as both Matt and Marc try to deal with a roadblock that's interfering with their friendship.

The 'Marc on Movies' Special

For Christmas Day, Marc presents a special collection of exclusive segments that were published this past year on the Full Maron bonus feed as part of the Marc on Movies series. First, a conversation with WTF producer Brendan McDonald about the films of Martin Scorsese. Then, Marc’s girlfriend Kit tries to walk him through the puzzles and mysteries of David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Finally, another talk between Marc and Brendan about the Sidney Lumet masterpiece Dog Day Afternoon.

Episode 1498 - Blitz Bazawule

Growing up in Ghana, director Blitz Bazawule relied on three things to transport him to other worlds: movies, American hip-hop, and his grandmother’s stories. Blitz tells Marc how he combined all three in his work as a director, how his style of visual poetry attracted the attention of Beyoncé, and how he suddenly found himself at the helm of his first major studio film, the musical version of The Color Purple.

Episode 1497 - Tammy Pescatelli

Tammy Pescatelli and Marc were recently on the same show, performing for thousands in a basketball arena. Now in the garage, Tammy and Marc talk about their lives in comedy, which both of them spent earning their stripes on the road, putting in time at The Comedy Store, hosting daily radio shows, and headlining their own shows. But Tammy had to build it all back up after everything came to a halt due to one joke.

Episode 1496 - Rodney Crowell / John Doe

As one of country music’s most prolific singer-songwriters, Rodney Crowell talks with Marc about the art of songwriting, his evolution as a performer, and his collaborations with everyone from Emmylou Harris to Waylon Jennings to Rosanne Cash to Jeff Tweedy, who just produced Rodney’s latest album, The Chicago Sessions. Also, John Doe from the band X returns to the show to talk about his lead role in the new film D.O.A.

Episode 1495 - Peter Sarsgaard

Peter Sarsgaard is always a memorable presence on screen and on stage. But in his latest role, he’s playing a man losing his memory at an early age. Marc and Peter talk about how life leads to inevitable encounters with dementia and mental trauma, and how depictions in art help us respond to them. They also talk about Peter’s relationship with sports, his collaborations with his wife, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and why he’s forever linked with John Malkovich.

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