Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
642 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 64.9K ratingsHi, 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.
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Episodes
Daniel Goleman
April 08, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBDaniel Goleman, PhD is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and science journalist. Daniel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the differences between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern, and that emotional intelligence starts with being aware and able to name your feelings. Daniel explains the importance of cognitive control, that the same circuitry that helps you focus also calms you down, and the impact your emotional intelligence has on your health. Daniel di...
Lamorne Morris
April 05, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBLamorne Morris (New Girl, Woke, Unwanted) is an actor, comedian and podcaster. Lamorne joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on the southside of Chicago, how he knew he wanted to get into comedy at a young age and his relationship with his father. Lamorne and Dax discuss systemic racism, the time he got handcuffed after trying to stop a fight, and the conflicting nature of playing a police officer on tv while also confronting what’s going on in real life. Lamorne talks about auditio...
Walter Isaacson
April 01, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBWalter Isaacson is an American author, journalist, and professor. Walter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his work as a biographer, that it’s important to remember that all people are human, and how much more inspiring they are when you realize that. Walter explains the three great innovation revolutions of modern times, how transformative Jennifer Doudna’s gene editing work is, and how she used her knowledge of CRISPR to help with the fight against covid. Dax and Walter discuss the dilem...
Rachel Bilson
March 29, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBRachel Bilson (The O.C., Hart of Dixie, Jumper) is an actress and podcast host. Rachel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss getting her role on The O.C. at twenty-one years old and how being a fourth-generation actor helped keep her grounded. Rachel and Dax discuss Rachel’s tantric sex expert mother, how to talk to your kids about sex, and how poorly certain things they used to watch have aged. Rachel tells us about her new podcast, the time someone broke into her house and took a poop in her...
Sam Pollard
March 26, 2021 07:30 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBSam Pollard is an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated director and producer. Sam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in Harlem in the 50s, his path into becoming a film editor, and working with Spike Lee. Sam talks about his new film MLK/FBI: the red scare, non-monogamous activity, and racism.
Susan Liautaud
March 25, 2021 07:30 - 2 hours - 110 MBDr. Susan Liautaud (The Power of Ethics) is an author, teacher of ethics at Stanford University, and founder of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited. Susan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss ethics: the six forces present in all ethical dilemmas, why we can’t look at things in a binary manner, and how we’re only as ethical as our last decision. Susan explains that there’s no place for blame, shame or guilt in ethics, what incentive people have to make ethical decisions, and the need to make ...
Race to 270: Septoplasty and 2X Neck Girth
March 24, 2021 07:30 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBWe check in three months later with both contestants: Aaron has a girlfriend, septoplasty, lasik and colonoscopy while Charlie’s arms are back to looking huge. Dax & Monica present them with trophies and a framed photo of the baby in the white dress.
Robin Thicke
March 22, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 84 MBRobin Thicke is a singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, musician and actor. Robin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss losing his home to the Malibu fires, his time on set of Growing Pains with his dad, and getting his first recording contract at 16 years old. Robin opens up about losing himself after the death of his father, how he was still searching for his dad’s attention and approval, and how important focusing on balance in his life is. Robin discusses what he learned from the co...
Ethan Kross
March 18, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 89.9 MBEthan Kross (Chatter) is an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist and writer, who specializes in emotion regulation. Ethan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the usefulness of your inner voice and how to harness it. Ethan explains how important context is when triggering emotions, how negative emotions are just as vital as positive ones, and the ways language can shape our emotional experiences. Ethan discusses how having the ability to feel the way we want all the time could be problem...
Race to 270: Peyronies & Sleeping Aids
March 17, 2021 07:30 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBAaron looks great in a beard, Monica tells Charlie that his arms look smaller, and Dax reminisces about a time when he thought he’d never be able to have sex again.
Ben Schwartz
March 15, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 83.3 MBBen Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, Middleditch and Schwartz) is an actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. Ben joins the armchair expert to discuss starting off in improv comedy, how Eugene Cordero is the funniest person in the world, and dancing with Dax at a pajama birthday party. Ben recounts working as a camp janitor as a minor, the importance of separating his self-worth from the work he does, and his experience going on the Letterman show. Monica divulges her att...
Bill Gates Book Talk
March 13, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBDax and Monica host a conversation with Bill Gates about his new book, How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, for the Chicago Humanities Festival.
Armchaired & Dangerous: JFK Assassination
March 12, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBDavid Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: JFK Assassination.
George Saunders
March 11, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBGeorge Saunders (A Swim in a Pond in the Rain) is a #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author. George joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the mental phenomena of life, farting in an elevator, and romanticizing everything as a writer. George explains how he learned that being a writer wasn’t about your adventure resume, how to trust your own mind and bless your reactions, and how he finds inspiration by revisiting great works. George discusses how underestimated the role of e...
Race to 270: Receptionist Ring Fingers & 6 Eggs on Top
March 10, 2021 08:30 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBDax gets a drug test, Aaron reveals how often he checks out ring fingers, and Charlie discusses how much he plays along with scammers at his gym.
Rupert Grint
March 08, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBRupert Grint (Harry Potter, Servant, Sick Note) is an English actor known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. Rupert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how different of a role his character on Servant is from anything he’s done before, how he can’t fully detach from Ron Weasley, and what it was like going through puberty on camera. Dax tells Rupert he was obsessed with how handsome he got throughout the films and Rupert talks about buying a hovercraft, ice cream van...
Michael Eric Dyson
March 04, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 84.7 MBMichael Eric Dyson is a professor, ordained minister, political commentator, and the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss preaching at the National Cathedral on the King’s Sunday, the transition from going to an inner-city segregated school to a school with rich white kids, and how the church became a lifeline for him. Michael recounts the day when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and his last great speech, the level of mastery of Jay-Z, and ...
Race to 270: Autoeroticism & Athletic Greens
March 03, 2021 08:30 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBAaron deals with covid symptoms, his perverted dogs, and binges the Wire. Charlie digs into Eggo waffles with peanut butter and syrup, 315-pound back squats, and catches glances of himself in the mirror in the middle of the night.
Amy Poehler
March 01, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 97.4 MBAmy Poehler (Moxie, Parks and Recreation, SNL) is an actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director. Amy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how much she likes to identify as an outsider that worked her way in, how control is the dream state, and how important it was for Dax to do car stuff in Baby Mama. Dax & Amy bond over having a class warfare chip on their shoulder and how much they both rely on things in the future. Amy discusses the expectation for women to come at success with a se...
Chad Sanders
February 26, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 73.7 MBChad Sanders is the author of the book Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph. Chad joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his experience at Morehouse College, how isolating code switching can be, and his journey to embracing who he really was while working at Google. Chad explains that race is the operating system of everything, how black people are expected to be bold enough to make a mark but not too bold to get kicked out of the club, and the theoretical liberalism ...
Jane Goodall
February 25, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBDr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace is an ethologist and advocate for the environment, animals, and the natural world. Jane joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her journey to studying chimpanzees, how her approach of empathy allowed her to learn how human chimps are and that they have a culture of their own. Jane explains how similar the gender roles are between chimps and humans, her trajectory of going deep into the jungle and coming out a w...
Race to 270: Zaddy Add Ons & Cul de Sac Kickball
February 24, 2021 08:30 - 45 minutes - 42 MBAaron shares his embarrassing zoom AA meeting incident, reveals that he has covid, Charlie eats a 2ft burger, deep-dish pizza and plays kickball.
Nurture vs Nurture: Family #3: Joan & Todd
February 23, 2021 08:30 - 13 minutesDr. Mogel answers the question: Will our children hate us for a bucolic childhood on the farm? She also teaches us new words: poronkusema & mbuki-mvuki Make sure to subscribe to weekly episodes, dropping every Tuesday only on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. Just search “Nurture vs Nurture” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or visit bit.ly/wendymogel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Viggo Mortensen
February 22, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 78 MBViggo Mortensen (Green Book, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Captain Fantastic) is an Oscar-nominated actor, writer and director. Viggo joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why it took him so long to finally direct a movie, his ability to revert back to speaking Spanish based on what he’s doing, and falling in love with ice hockey. Viggo opens up about the comfort he finds in being untethered and his relationship with dementia. The two discuss how subjective memory is and how it’s just a colle...
Nurture vs Nurture: Family #2: Brooke
February 19, 2021 08:30 - 8 minutesDr. Mogel answers the question: Will my children hate me for becoming a cool secret agent? She also teaches us a new word: allomother Make sure to subscribe to weekly episodes, dropping every Tuesday only on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. Just search “Nurture vs Nurture” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or visit bit.ly/wendymogel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Erin Meyer
February 18, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 74.4 MBErin Meyer (The Culture Map, No Rules Rules) is an author and professor at the INSEAD Business School, based in Paris. Erin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how feedback is interpreted differently in various cultures, who the most direct and confrontational culture is, and how to move beyond stereotypes to understand the more complex issues we are unaware are affecting us. Erin teaches us how we need to build empathy and develop strategies when interacting with people from other cultures,...
Race to 270: Pee Pee Gets a Carcass & Double Payout?
February 17, 2021 08:30 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBCharlie & Aaron discuss their Thanksgiving meals, Dax & Monica become coaches to our contestants and decide to double the payout if things end in a tie.
Nurture vs Nurture: Family #1: Erick and Elsie
February 16, 2021 08:30 - 1 hourDr. Mogel speaks with family #1: Erick and Elsie and answers the question: Will our children hate us if we stop loving them so much? She also teaches us a new word: Familect Listen to a BONUS EPISODE right now on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. And make sure to subscribe to weekly episodes, dropping every Tuesday only on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. Just search “Nurture vs Nurture” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or visit bit.ly/wendymogel. Learn more about your a...
NEW SHOW: Nurture vs Nurture with Dr. Wendy Mogel
February 16, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBDr. Mogel speaks with family #1: Erick and Elsie and answers the question: Will our children hate us if we stop loving them so much? She also teaches us a new word: Familect Listen to a BONUS EPISODE right now on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. And make sure to subscribe to weekly episodes, dropping every Tuesday only on the Nurture vs Nurture feed. Just search “Nurture vs Nurture” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or visit bit.ly/wendymogel.
Salma Hayek
February 15, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 94.4 MBSalma Hayek (Bliss, Frida, Desperado) is an actress and producer. Salma Hayek joins the Armchair Expert to discuss blackmailing her parents into letting her go to boarding school, how Robert Rodriguez discovered her while flipping through tv stations at 1am, and the choice to start over as an extra in the US after being a star in Mexico. Salma talks about her lovemaking scene in Desperado, how hard it was for her to shoot it, and how much she’s had to combat the stereotypes of being a sexy wo...
Armchaired & Dangerous: September 11th
February 12, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 65 MBDavid Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: September 11th.
Emily Morse
February 11, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBEmily Morse is a sex therapist, author and host of the podcast Sex with Emily. Emily joins the Armchair Expert to discuss Dax’s favorite subject: sex. Emily explains her theory on why sex is still the most taboo topic in America, how little has changed in sex education, and the effect pornography is having on young people. Emily stresses how important communication is for a thriving sex life, how much there is to discover about yourself if you’re curious, and that you’re responsible for your ...
Race to 270: Body Bronzer & Big Dan with his Big Chrome Ferrari
February 10, 2021 08:30 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBCharlie & Aaron talk about their dream body types, Charlie discusses when his obsession with vanity started, and Monica tempts Aaron with chips.
Jason Segel
February 08, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 71 MBJason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, How I Met Your Mother, Freaks And Geeks) is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, author, and producer. Jason joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his relationship with writing, how anxious he gets about making decisions that will affect his life, and how he’s only comfortable between action and cut. Dax and Jason learn that they are identical twins separated by 5 years, they bond over the “piece of shit at the center of the universe” phenomenon and share t...
Celebrating the GOAT GOD
February 05, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBZeus walks among us, and today we honor him with a commercial-free replay of our celestial chat.
Adam Grant Returns
February 04, 2021 08:30 - 2 hours - 129 MBAdam Grant returns to discuss his new book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. Adam is an organizational psychologist, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and TED speaker. Adam discusses how to open people’s minds, the psychology of maximizing and satisficing, and the advantages of imposter syndrome. Adam weighs in on a disagreement between Dax & Monica, explains the dangers of desirability bias, and the different modes of thinking: preacher, p...
Race to 270: First Class Salami & Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
February 03, 2021 08:30 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBBest friend Aaron Weakley visits, Thanksgiving strategizing, and a love letter to olive oil.
Carey Mulligan
February 01, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 81.6 MBCarey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, An Education, The Great Gatsby) is an Academy Award-nominated actress. Carey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her parents’ fear of her pursuing acting, landing Pride & Prejudice as her first role, and the benefits of having anonymity in the first few years of her career. Carey admits how stressful it is for her to have to be funny or sing on stage, how she met her husband in camp when they were kids, and her new movie, Promising Young Woman. In the f...
Robert Livingston
January 29, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBRobert Livingston is a social psychologist at the Harvard Kennedy School, he studies the science underlying implicit bias and racism. Robert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the science behind racism, how to synthesize and assemble it into something people can digest, and the ways to make profound and sustainable change around it. Robert explains his P.R.E.S.S. model, how empathy is the most important part of it, and the difference between equality and equity.
Jethro Bovingdon & Rob Corddry
January 28, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBJethro Bovingdon and Rob Corddry join the Armchair Expert to discuss all things Top Gear America. The group explains the prestige of the Top Gear brand, how high the bar was going into the new iteration, and Jethro explains how his job is mostly stopping Dax & Rob from doing weird bits. They discuss the competitiveness between Jethro & Dax, Rob’s personal arc over the last year on the show, and Jethro answers questions from the group about English people.
Race to 270: Chicken Breasts & Triple Cheeseburgers
January 27, 2021 08:30 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this episode, we discover a weigh-in discrepancy, learn more about Aaron & Charlie’s eating habits, someone has an accident, and Monica double fists two bottles of wine.
Justin Timberlake
January 25, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 78.9 MBJustin Timberlake (Palmer, Trolls, The Social Network) is a 10x Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, a 3x Emmy award-winning actor and record producer. Justin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss masculinity, the similarities of growing up in Memphis to Detroit, and the challenges of raising sons. Dax & Justin recount Justin’s experience on Punk’d, how well he has navigated new opportunities, and the role naivety has played in it. Dax compliments Justin on his SNL performance, his willingn...
Jamil Zaki
January 21, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 90.2 MBJamil Zaki (The War for Kindness) is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. Jamil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss all things empathy: why he was drawn to the topic, the roadblocks of it, the erosion of empathy and how to get it back. He explains the different types of empathy (emotional, cognitive, and empathic concern), the impact it has on motivation in the workplace, and how self-compassion is a bridge to having compa...
Race to 270: 306 and 230
January 20, 2021 08:30 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBIn this episode, we meet the contestants: Perfect 10 Charlie (230lbs) and Best Friend Aaron Weakley (306lbs). The colorful history of their physiques, rules of engagement and week 1 results will be revealed!
Introducing... Race to 270
January 19, 2021 08:30 - 2 minutes - 2.47 MBWelcome to Race to 270– Armchair Expert’s first game show! Two competitors, Best friend Aaron Weakley and Perfect 10 Charlie, are on a race to see who can reach 270 pounds first. Aaron starts out the competition at 306 pounds and has 36 pounds to lose. Charlie starts at 230 pounds and has 40 pounds to gain. The winner will receive $5,000! Dax and Monica check-in with the competitors each week to track their progress and chat about life, Chinese food and everything in between. Let the games b...
Common
January 18, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBCommon (Mind Power Mixtape, A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1, Hell on Wheels) is a rapper, actor, and writer. Common joins the Armchair Expert to discuss learning to love process, the value of character, and having gratitude for the moment. Common explains how he found strength in individualism and how grateful he is to finally be able to do the things he loves without the pressures of their monetary performance. Dax and Common bond over their parallel lives: their love of Pulp Fiction and Barack ...
Armchaired & Dangerous: Bigfoot
January 15, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBDavid Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: Bigfoot.
Brad Grossman
January 14, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 70.4 MBBrad Grossman is an author, entrepreneur, and creator of the Zeitguide’s Culture Class. Brad joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his role as a culture guide and how he seeks out all the interesting information in the world and synthesizes it for his students. Brad explains the inspiring ways companies and individuals are pivoting in order to connect to consumers, how covid has been a magnifier to our systemic problems, and the ways it will help us reboot our sense of humanity. Dax and Brad ...
Randy Jackson
January 11, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBRandy Jackson (Name that Tune, American Idol) is a world-renowned musician, record producer, A&R executive, and founder of Unify Health Labs. Randy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being a child in the deep south in the 60s, how he got started playing music, and his desire to live his life through music. He discusses his journey as a studio musician to an A&R executive, the ingredients that make up a star, and his vision of American Idol as the A&R process completely unfolded. Randy and D...
Sanjay Gupta Returns
January 07, 2021 08:30 - 1 hour - 106 MBDr. Sanjay Gupta is the first three-peat Armchair Expert guest and an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, CNN medical correspondent, and author. Sanjay, fresh off receiving his covid-19 vaccination, joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how much we’ve learned this year about human behavior. Sanjay explains the evolution of neurogenesis and why cognitive decline is not inevitable. The two discuss that in order to heal the body you have to heal the mind, the importance of building the resil...