Awards Chatter

Over a blunt, the gangsta rap and hip-hop icon candidly reflects on his quarter-century in the public eye — the highs (literal and figurative) and lows (jail time, a murder charge, losing friends to the east coast-west coast rivalry), plus secrets of survival and reinvention (pimp, peacemaker and now Emmy-nominated cooking show host). Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare interview, one of the most important figures in the history of comedy discusses the roots of his iconic variety show, dissects its 42nd season (its most watched in 23 years and most Emmy-nominated ever) and reveals his thoughts on retirement and what he'd like to happen to 'SNL' after he's gone. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Ryan Gabos and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the finest character actors ever — a regular in the movies of Spike Lee, the Coen brothers and Adam Sandler — reflects on being ethnic-looking, overcoming a mid-career crisis that almost led him to retire and why so many of his projects — from 'Do the Right Thing' to his latest, the HBO limited series for which he's Emmy-nominated — address bigotry. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Ryan Gabos and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most revered actresses of her generation — a best actress Oscar winner currently in contention for a best actress (limited series) Emmy — looks back on her accidental entry into showbiz, achieving her greatest successes after 40, her controversial political views and why TV is the new home for actresses of a certain age. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Ryan Gabos and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late night's comeback kid — as in, its ratings leader and an Emmy frontrunner just a year after some began writing him off — discusses the tragedy that led him to comedy, the evolution of "Stephen Colbert" on Comedy Central and why his fortunes, as David Letterman's successor, turned around after Trump's election. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg; recorded by Ryan Gabos; produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguably the greatest comedy actress in TV history reflects on how a bad experience at 'SNL' led to 'Seinfeld,' how she stared down "the 'Seinfeld' curse" and why she loves playing bumbling politician Selina Meyer on the hit HBO show that won the last two Emmys for best comedy series. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, produced and recorded by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The veteran amongst broadcast's current crop of late-night hosts opens up about his 15 years on the job, worshipping Letterman and feuding with Leno, hosting an insane Oscars and sharing an emotional 13-minute monologue about his newborn son. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'America's Sweetheart' reflects on becoming an A-list superstar, hitting a terrible slump during which she was declared a 'has-been' and then reinventing herself as an actress/producer and Oprah-like champion of great books. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TV star whose breakthrough — back-to-back Emmy noms, for 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' last year and the NBC charmer that became the highest-rated new series of this year — was 15 years in the making, reflects on struggles, loss and gratitude. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced by Matthew Whitehurst Recorded by Dennis Schweitzer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of TV's most prolific and daring content creators — the man behind 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Glee,' 'American Horror Story' and 'American Crime Story,' among other groundbreaking shows — reflects on hopping between genres, tearing down barriers and building a family of collaborators. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced by Matthew Whitehurst Recorded by Dennis Schweitzer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 'Star Wars' breakout discusses his explosion into superstardom, the industry's handling of diversity and representation, what to expect from 'The Last Jedi' and why he regards Kathryn Bigelow's new drama about the 1967 Detroit riot as "the biggest movie of my career." Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced by Matthew Whitehurst Recorded by Dennis Schweitzer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "Queen of Peak TV," who made her name on 'The West Wing,' 'Mad Men' and 'Top of the Lake,' discusses why her "heart's really in television," what she took away from each of her major roles and how Trump has impacted the way people consume the hugely acclaimed Hulu drama for which she might finally win an Emmy (or two). Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 31-year-old Brit, best known as the male star of the fantasy 'Twilight' franchise, reflects on sudden celebrity, 'Twihard' fanatics and their strong feelings about his former relationship with Kristen Stewart and how his 10-year career-reinvention plan is operating right on schedule. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first openly trans person ever to receive an acting Emmy nom — now two — or to appear on the cover of 'Time' reflects on a lifetime of discovering herself, fending off bigots and blazing a trail for others. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced by Matthew Whitehurst Recorded by Dennis Schweitzer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 61-year-old mother of six and grandmother of six — among the most powerful and controversial people working in TV today, as an EP and star of the E! reality series and its spinoffs and "Momager" of her costars — opens up about O.J. (Nicole was one of her best friends), her ex Bruce (who had $200 when they married), "haters" and why her family and shows are actually good for America. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big-chinned legend of late-night — who hosted 'The Tonight Show' for 23 years — opens up about his unlikely ascent from vagrant to Johnny Carson's successor, the truth about his friendships-turned-feuds with Dave and Conan and why he now hosts a show about cars for CNBC. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The force behind two of TV's edgiest shows and winner of the last two comedy direction Emmys, who recently transitioned from female to non-binary, opens up about their bumpy climb from writer to showrunner, the gamble that changed their career and how they are trying to "topple the patriarchy" on screen and off. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg Produced and Recorded by Matthew Whitehurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Golden Globe-winning actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter opens up about his unlikely breakthrough with 'Sling Blade' during the 1990s indie boom, his brief marriage to Angelina Jolie (and their matching blood vials) and the appeal of doing TV, like his current Amazon series, versus films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Emmy-winning co-creator of 'Friends' opens up about the sitcom's real-life inspirations, why she and David Crane creatively split and she avoided TV for 11 years and why she finally returned not with another multi-camera broadcast show about young people but with a single-cam streaming show about older women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2016's Emmy winner for best actor in a drama series — an Egyptian-American who was that category's first non-white honoree in 18 years — reflects on early stereotypical casting, great collaborators who helped him break out of it and the prescience of his current show about a disturbed hacker hiding beneath his hoodie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices