Feeling Seen

Sophie Thatcher is a multifaceted star on the rise. You may have seen her last year in Heretic, opposite Hugh Grant and Chloe East, or in the Disney+ miniseries The Book of Boba Fett. Sophie also plays “Natalie” in the delicious TV series Yellowjackets on SHOWTIME. Its third season premieres on Valentine’s Day.Most recently, Sophie stars in Companion alongside Jack Quaid. It’s a science fiction, robot thriller that you can see in theaters right now. Sophie joins Feeling Seen to discuss Companion, her love for karaoke, and the 1972 musical Cabaret! Sophie talks about the time she auditioned for the role of Sally Bowles and the time she performed Cabaret for a school talent show. Plus, we get into Sophie’s 2024 EP, Pivot & Scrape and the 90s gem that is My So-Called Life.Then Jordan has one quick thing about Prime Video's upcoming political action film G20, starring EGOT title holder Viola Davis as an ass-kicking President of the United States. We can dream! Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

This week, we're throwing it back to one of our favorite interviews! When writer/director Justin Simien (Dear White People, Haunted Mansion) first saw William Greaves' groundbreaking 1968 film, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One. He was mad. Not about the film's avant-garde style (part fiction, part documentary, part  performance art) but about the fact that he hadn't seen it sooner -- it might've saved him a lot of trouble as he found his way in a challenging, second-guessing industry. Now Justin is introducing more people to the contributions to cinema made by Black creatives like Greaves, through his series Hollywood Black, now streaming from MGM+.Then Jordan has one quick thing about the politics of horror! It's a terrifyingly good take.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Traci Thomas is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast The Stacks, where Traci chats with an array of guests about the books we love and loathe, the impact reading has on our lives, and the way the written word shapes culture. This week, creative mediums collide and find common ground. Traci joins Feeling Seen to talk historical fictions, unlikeable female characters, and Vivien Leigh's portrayal of the tenacious Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 historical romance drama Gone with the Wind. Plus, Traci and Jordan take to the stars to boast about their respective astrological signs. Can Leo season come any sooner?Then, Jordan has one quick thing about  Companion. A new trailer for the film brings a new twist!You can keep up with Traci's words and writings on her Substack, Unstacked.Sarah Churchwell's The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Chris Sullivan is veteran actor of the stage and screen. You may know him as Toby Damon from the Emmy-nominated NBC drama This Is Us, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, or the Cinemax medical drama The Knick, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Chris reunites with Soderbergh in his newest project Presence. It’s a supernatural horror film centered on a family who moves into a new home BUT they aren’t alone. Chris stars alongside the incomparable Lucy Liu and newcomers Eddy Maday and Callina Liang in this grippingly innovative film. It’s in theaters right now.Chris joins Feeling Seen to talk about Presence, his very own This Is Us podcast (That Was Us), and the 1985 adventure film The Goonies. Goonies never say die! Neither do we!Then, Jordan hedges her bets on Demi Moore to take home the Oscar for Best Actress for The Substance. We're manifesting hard over here! If you or anyone you know has been impacted by the fires in Los Angeles, Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN) has created a non-exhaustive list of resources available for those in need. As mentioned in the episode, World Central Kitchen is offering free meals to first responders of the fires here in Southern California. You can find a list of meal distribution sites here.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Shea Serrano’s writing credits run deep. He’s written for publications like The Ringer and Grantland. He’s also penned several books: The Rap Year Book, Basketball (and Other Things) and Movies (and Other Things). He’s also written, created, and directed projects like the film Miguel Wants to Fight, the Freevee sitcom Primo, and the Netflix series Neon. His most recent project is a book titled Werewolf Lawyer – A Thomas Atwell Legal Thriller. It’s a story about a lawyer who has to defend a werewolf accused of murdering his human wife. All of the evidence points toward the werewolf's guilt. But he swears he didn't do it!  It's a production of HALFWAY BOOKS, a digital publishing company created by Serrano. You can unravel the mystery here.Shea joins Feeling Seen to talk about Werewolf Lawyer, Vanilla Ice on the silver screen, and his extensive VHS collection. You name it, he’s got it! Plus, we get into the 1998 poker drama Rounders with Matt Damon, at his most chiseled, as Mike McDermott. Then Jordan has one quick thing about Sebastian Stan’s incredible performance in The Apprentice. A performance we can’t help but stan!  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Kate Gersten has written for numerous award-winning series including Prime Video’s Mozart in the Jungle, NBC’s The Good Place, and Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!. She just made her feature debut with The Last Showgirl, a film whose screenplay she adapted from her original play Body of Work. The film stars Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. It's a beautifully poignant film that’s received an incredible amount of acclaim. The Last Showgirl is in theaters now. Kate Gersten glides into Feeling Seen to talk about the film and has the time of her life moving her way through the iconic 80s film Dirty Dancing, sharing her love for Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. Plus, Jordan has one quick thing about the fires impacting Los Angeles. You can look to Cal Fire for updates or download the Watch Duty app to your devices. If you or anyone you know is in search of aid, Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN) has created a non-exhaustive list of resources available for those in need.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

As we all emerge from our holiday slumber, we are turning back the clock to one of our favorite interviews from 2024. Whether he’s starring in major movies like ELEMENTAL or JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION, or sinking his teeth into roles like Yorgos Lanthimos’ KINDS OF KINDNESS, actor Mamoudou Athie follows his gut and ignores the algorithms. When Dev Patel’s directorial debut, MONKEY MAN hit theaters, Mamoudou found new depths of admiration for Patel as an actor and director — and he also found a character he could deeply relate to in the determined Bobby/The Kid. It's an amazing conversation. So good, we had to play it twice!Then, Jordan has one quick thing about the January slate of films just around the corner.***With Jordan Crucchiola and Mamoudou Athie Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

You may have seen Boyd Holbrook in Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, or The Bikeriders. Most recently, Boyd stars in the new film A Complete Unknown, a biographical drama centering the legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan portrayed by Timothee Chalamet.  Boyd plays the “Man in Black” himself, the iconic country singer Johnny Cash. It's in theaters just in time for the holiday! Boyd joins Feeling Seen to talk about the path that led him to becoming an actor, a failed basketball scholarship and the UPS Earn and Learn program, finding his community in film, and so much more. Plus, Jordan and Boyd touch base on the 1989 sports comedy Major League. It's a real homerun!Then Jordan notes Spy Kids' induction into the National Film Registry for Preservation, along with 24 other cinematic stories. Revisit our episode with director Jordan Santacana talking about the film here. Feeling Seen is on Bluesky! Give us a follow there.With Jordan Crucchiola and Boyd Holbrook.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Dan Rubinstein is a decorated journalist and editor with over 20 years in the world of design, having contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Air Mail, Architectural Digest, and L’Officiel. Dan currently hosts ‘The Grand Tourist’ podcast, a journey through the worlds of fashion, interior design, art, food, and travel with interviews from some of its leading tastemakers like Daphne Guinness and  THE PATTI LUPONE!  This time around, Dan is in the interview chair. He joins Feeling Seen to talk about the 1986 coming-of-age drama Stand by Me, discussing manhood and HBO in the 80s. Plus, Dan and Jordan workshop a queer sequel to the film. Then Jordan dons a Santa suit to give you some holiday reading recommendations from former Feeling Seen guests:Manuel Betancourt's Hello Stranger: Musings on Modern IntimaciesAnna Bogutskaya's Feeding the Monster: Why horror has a hold on usKyle Turner's The Queer Film Guide: 100 Great Movies That Tell Lgbtqia+ Storiesand Amy Nicholson's work at the LA Times. Feeling Seen is on Bluesky! Give us a follow there.With Jordan Crucchiola and Dan Rubinstein.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky. 

Dana Ledoux Miller has written on television shows like Netflix’s Narcos and Thai Cave Rescue, ABC’s Designated Survivor, and Kevin Can F*** Himself. Dana is also the co-founder of Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK), an initiative aiming to redefine and expand Pasifika entertainment. More recently, Dana has co-written/directed one of the biggest films of the year: Moana 2. She joins Feeling Seen to discuss the monumental success of the movie, building up her community, and how she first felt seen by the wayfinding voyager, MOANA. Then Jordan has one quick thing about the Sundance Film Festival. The fest’s 2025 Program Guide just dropped. Check it out here!Feeling Seen is now on Bluesky! Give us a follow there.With Jordan Crucchiola and Dana Ledoux Miller.  Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production of Maximum Fun. You can watch video editions of our new episodes on our YouTube Channel!Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.