Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, acclaimed actor and comedian known for Seinfeld and Veep, and recent film work including Tuesday. She talks about moving between comedy and drama, childhood basement plays and SNL beginnings. Conversation covers Seinfeld’s legacy, political correctness in comedy, her Emmy-then-diagnosis moment, and how loss and age shape her craft and life choices.

Riz Ahmed, an Emmy and Oscar-winning actor, writer, and musician from Wembley, reflects on his new series Bait and the life that shaped it. He discusses code-switching and how acting became a channel for identity, the spy-thriller as metaphor for surveillance, and returning to his childhood neighborhood to film. Short, candid conversations about career shifts and creative risks.

Lee Sung Jin, Emmy-winning writer/director behind Netflix’s Beef, reflects on Season Two, its Montecito country club origin, and the rise of modern scams. He traces his nomadic childhood to TV-room lessons, shares stories about his PowerPoint pitch, battling perfectionism and depression, and memorable moments directing in Korea. Short, candid, and surprising.

Oscar Isaac, an award-winning actor known for Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, Dune, and Moon Knight, discusses his Broadway debut and the ritual of performing. He recalls punk-rock youth, Juilliard mischief, and the serendipity behind breakout moments. He also talks about grieving through Hamlet and the small rituals that steady him before going onstage.

Chris Ryan, The Ringer editorial director and TV critic, reflects on his Philly upbringing and film-critic family. He dives into TV taste and current shows, the Grantland-to-Ringer arc, his blogging breakthrough and live-blogging soccer, iconic impressions and on-mic persona, and caregiving, grief, and plans for the next chapter.

Terry Gross, veteran radio interviewer and longtime Fresh Air host, reflects on her unlikely path to public radio and the craft of long-form conversation. She revisits landmark interviews with writers, discusses shaping Fresh Air for a national audience, and speaks about grief, partnership, and the future of public media.

Tristan Harris, technology ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, warns about AI’s trajectory and governance. He discusses his film The AI Doc, private tech fears versus public promises, the race dynamics and incentives driving AI development, alarming AI behaviors and real-world harms, and a human movement toward safety and regulation.

Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania governor and former state Attorney General who prosecuted clergy abuse, reflects on resilience after the arson at his home. He discusses his upbringing, evolving views on Israel-Palestine, why he opposed defunding the police, prosecuting abuse cases, the VP vetting process, and the future direction of his party. Short, candid, and personal.

Joachim Trier, a Norwegian writer-director known for intimate films about memory and family, discusses Sentimental Value and its focus on father-daughter and sibling dynamics. He talks about grounding scenes in presence, collaborating with Eskil Vogt, how skating shaped his visual sense, essayistic set pieces across his films, and being inspired by Scorsese to keep stirring the sauce.

Rose Byrne, award-nominated actor known for Bridesmaids, Damages, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, discusses shaping a fragile, unraveling mother and the long collaboration with director Mary Bronstein. She talks about performing intense, compact shoots, mixing comedy with crisis, working with Conan O’Brien and Heath Ledger, and confronting early-career sexism while finding comic agency.