Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

Comic Writer Debbie Kasper discusses her tumultuous life and what it would take for Jay to make his one woman show. Bio: Debbie Kasper is a multiple Emmy-nominated writer and an award-winning solo performer. After touring the country a few times over as a comedian and also with several theatrical shows she wrote & starred in, Debbie turned to television writing (Roseanne and The Rosie O'Donnell Show). She has written a few books, (You're Not That Pretty & Everything Else My Parents Told me) and contributed to several websites and anthology books. Monkeys on My Back & Everywhere Else is her fourth one-woman show. She's won awards for two of the earlier ones. After a personal tragedy, she stepped away from showbiz for almost a decade...but now she's back...in the format she loves most, and she's talking about all of it. Editors Notes:  I'm afraid the show is very long and boring. They should definitely be a bonus episode. I also take a phone call in the middle of it which needs to be cut out..  I would center the show more about how to build a one woman show and a little bit about her history especially if we can make it tighter and more interesting.  You should get the show out as soon as possible because it's supposed to advertise the show that's being put up at the beginning of March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Edelman is an outstanding stand-up, writer, and creator of Just For Us talks about trying to be an artist, how Greg Daniels is the best writer/showrunner/teacher, The Paper, the strength he gets from friends, the music in dialogue, meeting at UnCaberet, the greatest sitcom jokes of all time, camera awareness in a mock documentary, how everyone is a director now, AI, and how Alex refuses to use it even for sex. Bio: ALEX EDELMAN - One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, JUST FOR US, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut for Netflix, UNFROSTED. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can next be seen starring in Peacock’s The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Corey talks about the journey to become a boxer and why he needed to challenge himself and turning that into a podcast called “From Writer To Fighter.”  He also talks about coaches and sparring partners being key to learning, the danger and pain of it, being in the moment, becoming a writer with the encouragement of teachers, working for Jay as a writer’s assistant, the process of learning to run the room, writing with a partner, being married, going on a silent retreat, and why Matt Tarses hates Jay.  Bio:Josh Corey is a television writer and fledgling podcaster. His recent credits include DMV on CBS and Haunted Hotel on Netflix. Together with his writing partner, he’s been writing and producing TV shows for the last twelve years. Josh’s work often explores themes of family separation and masculinity, the two funniest themes. His new podcast, From Writer to Fighter, is the true story of Josh’s attempt to fight a “real boxing match,” even though his wedding is six months away, he’s 37 years old, and has zero athletic experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz Feldman talks about turning tragedy into comedy and drama by being open. She also talks about being a young stand-up, writing for other comics, sexual harassment in the writers room, having to be better than men, her motherhood journey, how to be a show-runner, the Groundlings, deciding that her future was writing not acting, and all the guests that won’t do my podcast but does her new podcast with Jesse Klein, “Here To Find Friends”.  Bio: Over the course of her career, award-winning writer and producer Liz Feldman has carved a space for diverse voices and developed her own niche genre: the traumedy, which blends black comedy, heightened mystery and heartfelt drama that plumbs the darker, emotional depths of the human experience. Feldman is the creator and executive producer of the acclaimed and Emmy®-nominated Netflix series, DEAD TO ME and Netflix’s recently released NO GOOD DEED. In 2025, Feldman launched her new podcast alongside Jessi Klein, HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS, produced by Headgum. The show focuses on making new and meaningful friendships as an adult, with Feldman and Klein interviewing celebrity guests that they would very much like to be friends with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor comic and writer Jamie Kaler talks about trying to manage a career while still making dinner for his girls, how's staying home to be a dad forced him to find other outlets, how podcasting in social media is the next big hurdle, how the navy helped him be funny, how stand up comedy has changed, and how to survive the wild ride of show business. Bio:Jamie Kaler An accomplished actor, comic, host, voice-over artist and podcaster, Jamie Kaler is probably best known for his starring role as “Mike” on the hit TBS show, “My Boys”. His prolific acting career includes appearances on Friends, Will and Grace, How I Met Your Mother, Parenthood, King of Queens, The Middle, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, NCIS, Shake it Up, That 70’s Show, and American Housewife, as well as numerous films including, The Family Stone, The Wicked, Aftermath, and over 200 commercials. He is currently recurring on ”Tacoma FD” on Netflix, and is the host of  both “America: Facts vs. Fiction” and “Haunted Live” on Discovery Plus. As a Dad Influencer, he has created extensive content for The Dadlands, the web series, Dads in Parks, the podcast, “Father Time”, and his current weekly live virtual show, podcast and personal brand, “The Parent’s Lounge”. As a voiceover artist, his credits include the “Bloopers Host” on Robot Chicken, "Travis the Announcer" on Loud House, Fallout 4, and numerous commercial campaigns. As a comedian he was one of the New Faces at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal and has appeared on Chelsea Lately, The Late Late Show, Live at Gotham, Mock-pocalypse, and World’s Dumbest. His two albums “Happy Father Daze”, and “HomeSchooled” (on youtube) hit #1 on iTunes. His new Dry Bar Comedy Special, “Father at 50!” was just released. Originally from New Hampshire, Jamie graduated from Boston University on an NROTC scholarship and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for 5 years before beginning his career as a performer.  When not working, he is obeying every command of his wife, Kate, and two daughters, Hannah and Claire.  Full list of credits. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0435695/ Check him out on: https://jamiekaler.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/jamiekaler https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJamieKaler Twitter/Instagram/Tik Tok @jamiekaler  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with Texan/South Asian stand-up, writer, director about his journey from Texas, his love of comedy and its connection to his father’s love, a family of doctors, was stand-up a phase, bad jokes, going to USC film school, his love of sitcoms, Jess Oppenheimer, making his first pilot, putting his road career on hold while he takes care of his mother, opening for the great D.L. Hughley, being nominated for an Emmy while driving for a rideshare company, and the future of sitcoms and rideshare and can they be combined? Bio:  Jay Mandyam was pushed into doing stand-up comedy by one of his college professors at the age of 19. He has worked with national headliners including: Whitney Cummings, Chris Hardwick, Tim Allen, & his comedic idols Christopher Titus and Paul Reiser. For the last few years, Jay has been seen opening regularly for Russell Peters, DL Hughley, and the late Louie Anderson. Jay’s comedy focuses on himself; sharing stories about all the times his big mouth has gotten him in trouble. In 2018, Jay made his international debut by touring India. As for television, Jay was featured on the hit HBO show “Silicon Valley”. He also made a couple of appearances on Comedy Central’s “@midnight”, Howard Stern’s “The Wrap Up Show”, and "Modern Family". In addition to stand-up, Jay is an accomplished writer, having written on the Netflix show “The Fix”, and Adam Sandler’s Netflix special “100% Fresh”. In 2019, Jay was seen every night as “Indian Jay” on "The DL Hughley Show" on TVOne. When the world shut down in 2020, Judd Apatow convinced Jay to go to USC to work on his directing skills. Jay was the first student at USC to do a multicam sitcom pilot with a studio audience as his thesis project, which was nominated for a college Emmy. Most recently, Jay was seen alongside Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedy and radio legend Phil Proctor talks about the origin of the Firesign Theater, his love of radio, his many careers as an actor, reporter, writer, comedian, author, and how he made the New York, San Francisco, and LA scenes when there were scenes to make!  He also talks about his biography “Where’s My Fortune Cookie” and how he almost died three times.  Let’s see if he survives our podcast. Bio: Proctor is a founding member of the thrice-Grammy-nominated Firesign Theatre, one of Rolling Stone’s “Thirty Greatest Acts of All Time” and whose archives were purchased by the Library of Congress. He’s appeared on-and-off Broadway, toured the USSR with the Yale Russian Chorus and the US and Canada with Proctor & Bergman and the L.A. Guitar Quartet in Don Quixote. He has appeared in scores of commercials, audiobooks, video games, films and TV shows, receiving Theatre World, LA Weekly, LA Free Press and Drama Critics' awards, and the Norman Corwin Excellence in Audio trophy as well as a recent Emmy for the PBS-aired documentary Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS Radio. His voice credits include memorable characters in Academy Award-winning films for Pixar and Disney from A Bug’s Life to Inside Out, the Drunken French Monkey in Dr. Dolittle, Dr. Vidic in Assassin's Creed, Simon Stagg in Batman: Arkham Knight, and Howard in the multi-Emmy-winning Rugrats, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has also added scores of voices to the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction series and appeared on Irish radio and live on stage with his late wife, Melinda Peterson, at the 77th Science Fiction Convention in Dublin. He was the announcer for 3 seasons of Big Brother and has a recurring role as Detective Polehaus on the long-running Adventures in Odyssey and can be seen in many old--time radio recreations at the Online Radio Theatre on YouTube. He is a 15-year member of the Antaeus Theater and to accompany his autobiography and audiobook, Where’s My Fortune Cookie? co-authored by Brad Schreiber, he co-wrote What to Say to Your Crazy Right-Wing Uncle, with Samuel Joseph and God Help Us! a political comedy which toured the U.S. and Canada starring the late Ed Asner. He currently co-hosts Phil & Ted’s Sexy Boomer Show, every Tuesday afternoon on KPFK with Ted Bonnitt, featuring conversations with friends like John Goodman, Penn Jillette, Weird Al,  Laraine Newman and Harry Shearer among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation continues and we talk about being more confident as we get older, learning to be happier in the writer’s room, Linda Lavin, bad table reads, dealing with notes, notes are not helpful, politics in shows, Ryan Murphy’s genius, trying to make multi camera sitcoms in a world that may not want them, being high school friends, Sidney Pollack, David getting the writer’s job, Jay was polished, Alan Zweibel, being 22 and wearing a sport coat, being a team who loves each other, shabbat, wives don’t want to hear their husbands complain, shows that don’t use the writing staff, getting on board a story, the big idea of a story, fighting for your money, paying the price for fighting, trying to avoid the fight and winning anyway, juries love them despite being fancy guys, Jeff Zuker’s wife predicted Zuker’s loss, bicycles, live performance, and how nice it is to hang with old friends.    Bio: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are the creators and executive producers of "MidCentury Modern", and are perhaps best known for the 16-time Emmy Award-winning comedy series “Will & Grace,” which ended its 11-season run on NBC in April 2020. The trailblazing series is still praised for its significant social impact and groundbreaking representation of queer characters. High school friends Mutchnick and Kohan started their entertainment careers almost 25 years ago as writers for “Dream On”, “The Dennis Miller Show”, and “The Wonder Years”. Mutchnick graduated from Emerson College and currently serves on its Board of Trustees. Kohan is a proud alumnus of Wesleyan University, where he majored in English and philosophy. Mutchnick is married to entertainment lawyer Erik Hyman. They live in Beverly Hills with their twin daughters, Evan and Rose, named for the couple’s maternal grandmothers. Kohan is also co-creator and producer of daughters Olivia and Nora. He currently lives in Los Angeles with Nora and his wife, Blair, a board member and motion picture agent at UTA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max and David talk war stories about working on “The SIngle Guy” including Ernest Borgnine, playing poker, NBC screwing Jay over, Buz Kohan, David Bowie, The Garth Brooks Joke, Max telling the show runner stuff he shouldn’t, having your partner being yelled at, the love of Jim Burrows, lunch of Walter’s, setting up boundaries, Will & Grace, Mid Century Modern, early success, why they never hired Jay Kogen, feeling like a fraud and then feeling like you know stuff, rebooting Will & Grace, being best friends, their daughters are best friends, and David gives advice on being a twin and showing little kids “Stage Coach.”  Bio: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are the creators and executive producers of "MidCentury Modern", and are perhaps best known for the 16-time Emmy Award-winning comedy series “Will & Grace,” which ended its 11-season run on NBC in April 2020. The trailblazing series is still praised for its significant social impact and groundbreaking representation of queer characters. High school friends Mutchnick and Kohan started their entertainment careers almost 25 years ago as writers for “Dream On”, “The Dennis Miller Show”, and “The Wonder Years”. Mutchnick graduated from Emerson College and currently serves on its Board of Trustees. Kohan is a proud alumnus of Wesleyan University, where he majored in English and philosophy. Mutchnick is married to entertainment lawyer Erik Hyman. They live in Beverly Hills with their twin daughters, Evan and Rose, named for the couple’s maternal grandmothers. Kohan is also co-creator and producer of daughters Olivia and Nora. He currently lives in Los Angeles with Nora and his wife, Blair, a board member and motion picture agent at UTA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer/Actor/Singer/Improviser Jim Wise talks with Jay about meeting as runners on The Garry Shandling Show, song Improv, acting, writing for Mad TV, Jay Leno, The Groundlings, singing for a living, being one of the best song improvisers in the business, and how Jay pushed him in all the right directions.  Bio:JIM WISE is a fervent improviser and an alumnus of the Groundling Theater. If you’re in your 30s, you may recognize him as the irascible Coach Tugnut from Disney Channel’s EVEN STEVENS. If you’re between the ages of 40 and 50, you might remember him from NBC’s JUST SHOOT ME as Kenny the Psycho who threatens to fold David Spade “like a lawn chair.” And, if you’re in your 20s, you may have heard Jim’s powerhouse lead vocals on “Goofy Goober Rock!” in THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE. As a Writer/Producer, Jim’s credits include MADTV, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, BEST TIME EVER WITH NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, and CARPOOL KARAOKE. Jim also enjoys the distinction of being one of two writers who wrote for both THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO and THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON. Finally, Jim is delighted to be a guest on DON’T BE ALONE WITH JAY KOGEN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writing legends John August & Craig Mazin talk about their journey to screenwriting, podcasting, & writing a book.  They talk about how to boil  down 15 years of shows down to a book, the origin of the scriptnotes podcast, the need to help people combined with being annoyed by people, what each of them considers good writing, why people who hate books on writing wrote a book on writing, there are no rules to screenwriting, customizing your process, the moment they thought the might be good enough to make a living at writing, their messiest jobs, their best jobs, the changing nature of show biz, and why the Scriptnotes book weighs a lot less than you think it does.  Bio: Craig Mazin is the multiple Emmy® award-winning co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of the smash hit HBO series THE LAST OF US. An addition to setting viewership records for HBO, THE LAST OF US has earned 51 Emmy® nominations including 9 Emmy® wins, a Peabody Award, an AFI Award, a BAFTA Award, two SAG Awards, a DGA Award, a WGA Award, a GLAAD Award, two Film Independent Spirit Awards, and four Golden Globe Award nominations. Previously, Mazin served as creator, writer and executive producer of the HBO limited series CHERNOBYL, for which he won 2 Emmys®, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Peabody, and awards from the Writers Guild, the Producers Guild, the Television Critics Association and the American Film Institute. Looking ahead, Mazin is executive producing the upcoming HBO E-sports drama DAMAGE alongside writer, director and executive producer Celine Song. In addition to his work in television, Mazin has written numerous hit feature films, which have grossed over one billion dollars in theaters worldwide. Mazin can be heard on the popular screenwriting podcast Scriptnotes, which he co-hosts with fellow writer John August. Bio: John August is a screenwriter whose credits include Aladdin, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and the first two Charlie’s Angels movies. He directed the 2007 film The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa McCarthy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He earned a BAFTA nomination for his script for Big Fish, and a GRAMMY nomination for his song in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In 2016, he received the Writers Guild of America West’s Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and civic service. In addition to his work in film, John wrote the Arlo Finch middle-grade novel trilogy, and the book for the Broadway musical of Big Fish. Since 2012, he has co-hosted the popular weekly screenwriting podcast Scriptnotes. His company, Quote-Unquote Apps, makes utilities for writers (including Highland and Weekend Read) along with Writer Emergency Pack, which is used in 2,000 classrooms nationwide. Born in Boulder, Colorado, John received a BA in Journalism from Drake University and an MFA in Film Producing from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He lives in Los Angeles with his family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael McKean talks about going from goofball to respected dramatic actor, how his high school drama teacher, NYU and Carnegie Mellon  pushed him into a lifetime of being a creative person, Christopher Guest being his roommate, the credibility gap, being a long haired hippie, how Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall got him on “laverne & shirley”, being a writer, Annette O'Toole being the perfect partner, always searching for the right performance, glenn gary glenn ross, how being in real rock groups like “the left bank” led to “spinal tap, and how being in a movie with Jack Nicholson and Ellen Barkin can go from elation to disaster. Bio: Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, and musician. Over his career he has received a Grammy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. McKean started his career as Lenny Kosnowski in the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1983. He was briefly a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for its 19th and 20th seasons from 1994 to 1995, and played Gibby Fiske in HBO series Dream On (1990–1996). He has acted in films such as Used Cars (1980), Clue (1985), and The Big Picture (1989), the latter of which he also co-wrote. He is also known for having collaborated with Christopher Guest acting in his films such as This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). He co-wrote the song "A Mighty Wind" (for the Guest film A Mighty Wind), for which he won a Grammy Award, as well as "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the same film, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2019 for his role as Chuck McGill on the AMC series Better Call Saul (2015–2018; 2022). Since 2020, he has voiced Lou Pickles in Nickelodeon's Rugrats franchise. He has acted in shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Grace and Frankie, Breeders, and The Diplomat. On stage, McKean made his Broadway debut as Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray (2004). He took on dual roles portraying J. Edgar Hoover and Robert Byrd in the political epic play All the Way (2014). He has acted in Broadway plays such as the Tracy Letts play Superior Donuts (2009), the Gore Vidal revival The Best Man (2012), and the Lillian Hellman revival The Little Foxes (2017). To date, McKean is the twenty-second highest-earning game show contestant of all time, having accumulated $1,115,400 during his appearances on Celebrity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross discuss being comedy writing partners and then not being partners on SNL, Gary Shandling’s Show, Seinfeld and dozens of great comedies, while Marc Wolodarsky and Jay Kogen, also former writing partners, do the same.  They discuss the state of show business, what’s life like after writing, becoming an EMT, writing novels, pilots with puppets, development hell, pitching shows to people who weren’t born when we started, Harvard Lampoon, David Letterman, and The Simpsons!  Tom Gammill was writing partners for 40 years with Max Pross before Max dumped him. Their credits include “SNL” “Letterman” “Seinfeld” and “The Simpsons”. After the breakup Tom wrote and starred in the play “A Morning With Ernie Bushmiller” which ran for one performance, and was a Consulting Producer for the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Wally Wolodarsky began his career as a writer on The Tracey Ullman Show. Writing with Jay Kogen, he received an Emmy. Wally was a writer and producer on The Simpsons for the first four seasons, where he won his second Emmy. With his wife Maya Forbes he has written several features and television shows including Monsters vs. Aliens, A Dog's Purpose and The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Wally produced Infinitely Polar Bear starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana. Together, Maya and Wally wrote and directed The Polka King starring Jack Black and The Good House starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Max Pross spent forty-two years writing for television, and now atones by working as an emergency responder.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UnCabaret founder and host, Beth Lapides, talks about creating the show to have a place to perform then how it shifted to a place where she nurtured Taylor Negron, Judy Toll, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, Bob Odenkirk, Janeane Garofalo, and everyone else to be the best performer they could. She talks about how to be creative and how to stop getting in your own way, how life is change and change is good.  She finds joy in pulling weeds and eating just the right amount of pizza. Bio:  BETH LAPIDES works at the intersection of comedy, creativity and consciousness. She is the creator, host and producer of the legendary, genre shifting, UnCabaret - widely considered to be the original “alt-comedy” show. The LA Times called her the ‘godmother of alternative comedy.” She’s produced UnCab for Comedy Central, Amazon Studios, audible etc. And created its spin offs Say The Word and The Other Network. UnCabaret continues to help launch and relaunch some of your favorite iconic comedic voices. Beth is the author of Recorded Books’ original audio book “So You Need To Decide,” which was on Vulture’s Top 10 Comedy Books of 2022 and which Variety called “a potentially life-changing treasure.” Her first published book, “Did I Wake You? Haiku For Modern Living,” opened the door to a wave of comedy haiku. Her very first books were handmade artist books and were shown, among other places at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her wide ranging muti-disciplinary career has included writing for O Magazine, correspondent-ing on NPR’s All Things Considered, touring her solo shows – currently It’s A Lot – hosting a daily radio show for Comedy World, shepherding an extremely short lived talk show for MTV, developing a pilot with an Emmy award winning producer, hosting a podcast called Life and Beth, and running a campaign to make First Lady an elected position. An occasional actress, she was the first guest star on Will and Grace and the performance artist on Sex and The City – and has appeared in many indie films most often as an offbeat authority figure. Beth had a parallel career as a teacher and muse, known for her ability to help creators find their authentic voice – understand their own process, transform, complete and produce their work. She’s gone from teaching comedians to coaching a vast array of creatives - currently in a framework called The Infinite Creator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Black, Jim Herzfeld, Fred Dekker, and David Silverman look back on their formative years at UCLA and the shared house that became a creative hub and lifelong support system. What began as a loose collective of film-obsessed college friends evolved into a 24-hour open-door hangout where movie watching, gaming, writing, joking, and low-budget filmmaking fueled both friendships and ambition. In the early 1980s, these young creatives found their voices, their confidence, and their drive by building a scene together. The group reflects on how that community shaped their careers and helped launch work that would later define modern film, television, comedy, animation, and genre storytelling. From blockbuster screenwriting and cult-classic filmmaking to animation history and television production, their shared origins reveal how collaboration, camaraderie, and persistence can have a lasting impact on both art and life. The episode celebrates the power of creative tribes and how a single house full of passionate film nerds helped produce some of the most influential movies and shows of the last three decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Larry discusses his brilliant autobiography Comedy Samurai, becoming a writer, Friday's, arsenio, seinfeld, mad about you, borat, curb your enthusiasm, and all of the strife and feeds, and turmoil they and he created. We talk about the passion that drives you to take risks. And why wearing pajamas is dangerous.Bio: Larry Charles, rose from the mean streets of Brooklyn and the working class housing projects of Donald Trump’s nefarious father Fred, to become the director of BORAT, BRUNO, THE DICTATOR and RELIGULOUS amongst others. He directed Bob Dylan and an all star cast (Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jessica Lange and Penelope Cruz among others) in the film, MASKED AND ANONYMOUS which he and Bob wrote together.  He has also directed numerous episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and was one of the original writers and producers of SEINFELD. He has been nominated for 12 Emmys, winning two, 8 Golden Globes, winning one, a Peabody award and some other stuff too. He has collaborated with a diverse group of cultural icons from Mel Brooks to Michael Moore to Nicolas Cage. In 2018 he created, directed, wrote and starred in the four-part limited series for Netflix, LARRY CHARLES’ DANGEROUS WORLD OF COMEDY. His new film for A24, Dicks: The Musical (formerly and more preferably Fucking Identical Twins), premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in the fall of 2023 and won The People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award.  And yet, despite all this, or because of it, he remains kind, humble and grateful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The always in demand, Michael Hitchcock, talks about how children's theater led to adult theater which led to a career of acting and writing with the groundlings, mad tv, christopher guest, crazy ex girlfriend, currently the lowdown and nobody wants this.  We chat about writing vs acting and what it takes to realize where you should be. Bio: Actor, writer, producer (and when he was a teenager, semi-professional magician), Michael currently appears as Ethan Hawke’s frenemy “Ray” in the critically acclaimed dramedy “The Lowdown,” available on FX and Hulu.  He also plays Kristen Bell’s rather clueless dad in the Netflix hit comedy, “Nobody Wants This.” Many dog lovers recognize him as Parker Posey’s husband “Hamilton Swan” in the Christopher Guest iconic comedy “Best in Show,” and has appeared in Guest’s other celebrated films “Waiting for Guffman,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration,” and “Mascots.” Additional acting credits include “The Paper,” “Jackpot,” “Palm Royale,” “Your Place or Mine,” “Crazy Ex Girlfriend,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” “Black Monday,” “Space Force,” “Bridesmaids,” "Glee," "United States of Tara," "Men of a Certain Age," “Super 8,” “Serenity,” "Entourage," "Party Down," and "Arrested Development." Writing and producing credits include the acclaimed television series “Crazy Ex Girlfriend,” “Glee,” and “Mad TV.”  He also wrote the films "House Arrest,” “The Ultimate Christmas Present,” and “Where the Day Takes You.”  He is an alumnus of the sketch and improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, and has performed comedy improv for the U.S. troops all over the world including Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Bahrain, Cuba, Guam, Honduras, and Kuwait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SCTV legend Dave Thomas reflects on the bold choices that shaped his life and career, from growing up in Canada to navigating success and uncertainty in Hollywood. He discusses how Shakespeare and literature helped ground him early on, and the pivotal decision to leave a lucrative advertising career to pursue improvisational comedy at Second City. Thomas shares stories of becoming head writer on SCTV and collaborating with comedy icons such as Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Joe Flaherty. The conversation spans his career-defining work on SCTV, the creation of the McKenzie Brothers, Strange Brew, Mad Magazine, and later successes including Grace Under Fire. Thomas also explores his transition into animation, running his own studio, voice work across major animated series, and eventually shifting into dramatic television with shows like Bones and The Blacklist. He touches on international experiences, including time spent in Ukraine and Thailand, and reflects on lessons learned across decades in entertainment. Throughout the episode, Thomas emphasizes that success in Hollywood depends on having at least two of three essential elements: talent, drive, and luck—along with the courage to take risks and follow creative instincts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor/Writer/Kid-In-The-Hall Dave Foley talks about what to do with the next 20-30 years of our lives, finding love, making comedy he’s proud of, aliens, conspiracy theorists, Canada, Trump, keeping friendship alive from two coasts, and the day he fell out of a train. Bio:  Dave Foley rose to fame as “the cute” member of the revered sketch group, “Kids In The Hall”.  He went on to star in “News Radio” and dozens of movies and TV shows, He’s also the co-writer and star of the cult darling movie, “The Wrong Guy”. Most recently played Danish Graves on season 5 of “Fargo” on FX. And he currently hosts the "REALLY?!. with Tom & Dave" podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathy talks about surviving Trump, the Groundlings, Stand-up, her parents who loved show biz, Sia, Joan Rivers, relationships, dating younger guys, saving every dime, and why she made Jay pay for their date. Bio: Two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin is a towering figure on television, on tour and in publishing. In 2013, Kathy was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for writing and starring in an unprecedented 20 televised stand-up specials - more than any comedian in history. In 2014, Kathy made history again with her 6th consecutive Grammy nomination and first win for Best Comedy Album (Kathy Griffin: Calm Down Gurrl), joining Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin as the only other female comedians to ever win Grammy awards for Best Comedy Album. Her hit Bravo series, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List aired for 6 years and won 2 Emmys. It was nominated every single year of its run. The series also earned her a GLAAD Media Award for Best Reality Program.Kathy starred on NBC's Suddenly Susan and guest starred on multiple legendary TV series including Seinfeld, Law & Order: SVU, Glee, You, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Additionally, she has lent her unique voice to animated characters in Shrek Forever After, The Simpsons, American Dad, Futurama and Dilbert. Kathy’s unrivaled style of humor and prolific comedy pedigree has made her one of television's go-to hosts for premier live events. Kathy drew huge worldwide audiences to CNN's New Year's Eve special, which she co-produced and co-hosted with Anderson Cooper for 10 years. Kathy co-hosted The Billboard Music AwardsLIVE three years in a row, the 41st annual Daytime Emmy Awards LIVE and AARP's Movies for Grownups Gala. Her sure-fire hosting success led to her own LIVE late night talk show, Kathy.Also an accomplished author, Kathy’s memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Her much-anticipated second book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, was also a New York Times Best Seller. On the stage, Kathy has performed standup for hundreds of thousands around the globe. Buoyed by her fiercely dedicated fans, Kathy's live performances are legendary and in a class of their own. The fiery redhead has sold out shows to rave reviews throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia at such iconic venues as The Sydney Opera House, The Mark Taper Forum, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. Kathy has also performed for active military servicemen and women in such war zones as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan. She has graced the covers of The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, and The Advocate, and has had in-depth profiles in New York Magazine and Forbes.In addition to performing, writing and producing, Kathy is a renowned speaker and has taken her empowering messages of equality through activism and humor all over the country. Kathy’s passionate advocacy for women, the LGBT community, and other disenfranchised groups have been displayed through numerous candid and intimate conversations with award-winning journalists and moderators from The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Hudson Union Society, 92Y, as well as tech giants Google and AOL. She has been honored in this area with multiple awards including The Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality, GLAAD's Vanguard Award, The Trevor Life Award from the Trevor Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America's Leadership in Entertainment honor, the Harvard College Distinguished Service Partner Award, Veterans Tickets Foundation Distinguished Donor Award, the Lambda Legal Liberty Award, a two-time Ladies’ Home Journal “Funny Ladies We Love” Recipient, and a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Lead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices