Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella
Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.
Episodes
Mentioned books
15 snips
May 13, 2026 • 1h 52min
Ben McKenzie (on cryptocurrency)
Ben McKenzie, actor-turned-author and documentary director who investigates cryptocurrency. He discusses behavioral economics, why crypto appealed to many, early red flags like leverage and offshore exchanges, the El Salvador experiment, and his pivot from acting into researching and exposing risks in crypto markets.
11 snips
May 11, 2026 • 1h 58min
Chace Crawford
Chace Crawford, actor known for Gossip Girl and The Boys, reflects on growing up across Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota and how it shaped his social chameleon tendencies. He recounts valeting in Malibu, nearly missing Friday Night Lights, sudden fame from Gossip Girl, battles with paranoia and alcohol, and dramatic reinvention for The Boys.
8 snips
May 8, 2026 • 54min
Armchair Anonymous: Unauthorized Evacuation III
Young Life camp caller: former camper/staff who recalls a banana-tube wipeout after high-fiber bars. Rachel: Wisconsin tuber who faces sudden food-poisoning while floating with strangers. Josh: early-career teacher who survived a classroom restroom emergency during training. Kayla: cosmetics counter worker who dealt with an accidental laxative crisis on the job. They swap short, wild unauthorized evacuation stories.
4 snips
May 6, 2026 • 1h 53min
Patrick Radden Keefe (investigative journalist)
Patrick Radden Keefe, award-winning investigative journalist and New Yorker staff writer, talks about the years-long reporting behind London Falling and how a chance encounter unearthed Zach Brettler’s secret life. He explores identity reinvention, London’s new-money culture, social media’s sway on ambition, and why digressions can deepen storytelling.
10 snips
May 4, 2026 • 2h 17min
Jack Antonoff
Jack Antonoff, Grammy-winning musician and producer behind Bleachers and albums for Taylor Swift and Lorde. He talks about growing up in New Jersey, DIY touring grind, transforming from punk purist to mainstream collaborator, how movement and spaces shape creativity, and why grief and the fear of creative burnout drive his restless work ethic.
May 1, 2026 • 45min
Armchair Anonymous: Bar Stories
Justin, a former head of security who stepped into a violent bar fight and paid with injuries and surgery. Casey, a caller from Johannesburg who faced a Hooters confrontation that led to police and court testimony. Leah, a Michigan State alumna who used a fake ID and escaped a chaotic bar bust. Katie, a college student who fell, shattered teeth, and ended up with emergency care and veneers. Short, wild bar stories run one to the next.
16 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 1h 35min
Tara Stoinski Returns (primatologist)
A primatologist recounts studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda, balancing fieldwork with motherhood, and the making of a new documentary. They discuss rare dominance battles, infanticide events, and how female alliances shape group stability. The conversation covers long-term research, genetic diversity concerns, tourism’s role in conservation, and surprising parallels between gorilla and human social life.
Apr 27, 2026 • 1h 52min
Laufey
Laufey, a two-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist raised between Iceland, China and the U.S., shares stories of twinhood, classical training, and finding her voice at Berklee. She talks about building a fanbase with pandemic livestreams, viral covers, touring festival life and stage persona, and why discipline for her is habit-building rather than winning.
Apr 24, 2026 • 47min
Armchair Anonymous: Twins
Amy, identical twin who once posed as her sister for medical care. Scott, identical twin who shares lifetime mix-ups and a soccer concussion story. Anna, caller who recalls a deceptive nanny scheme involving two women. Casey, twin who felt intuition about her sister’s accident. Short, punchy stories about identity swaps, twin intuition, confusions, and surprising family schemes.
34 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 2h 15min
Alvin E. Roth (on moral economics)
Alvin E. Roth, Nobel Prize–winning economist and Stanford professor known for market design and kidney exchanges. He talks about designing matching systems that save lives. He explores why some trades feel morally wrong, how rules shape behavior, and how better systems can reduce harm. He discusses organ donation, surrogacy, drug policy and using experiments to craft smarter regulations.
