Fresh Air
1,418 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★ - 32.7K ratingsFresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.
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Episodes
Taraji P. Henson On 'The Color Purple'
December 18, 2023 19:36 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBThis Christmas, the film adaptation of the musical The Color Purple hits the big screen. For award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, starring as Shug Avery in the American classic is a full circle moment. Henson first saw Steven Spielberg's film version as a high schooler in D.C., and knew from then on that she wanted to be an actor. "I just remember going to the movies, seeing all those Black people on the screen and I was like, 'Oh my God. I want to do that.' " She spoke with Tonya Mosley a...
David Sedaris Can't Wait To Watch You Panic Shop This Week
December 17, 2023 08:00 - 7 minutes - 6.72 MBHumorist and author David Sedaris is a public radio regular – his 'Santaland Diaries' first aired on NPR's Morning Edition in 1992 and has gone on to become a holiday staple. He also is a regular Fresh Air guest, and in a first, we're sharing an exclusive bonus episode with Sedaris – normally only available for our Fresh Air+ supporters – with everyone. If you're not already a Fresh Air+ supporter, enjoying weekly bonus episodes like this and sponsor-free listening on all our episodes, you ca...
Best Of: Colman Domingo On 'Rustin' / Cord Jefferson On 'American Fiction'
December 16, 2023 08:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBColman Domingo stars in the biopic Rustin as Bayard Rustin, the civil rights leader responsible for organizing the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin was forced into the background because he was gay. Domingo is also starring in The Color Purple, as Mister, the abusive husband. Maureen Corrigan shares her picks for the 10 best books of the year. Also, writer and director Cord Jefferson talks about his new satirical film American Fiction. It's about a Black writer who can't get his novel pub...
Remembering Norman Lear
December 15, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBThe towering TV writer/producer died last week at 101. He created All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, and a lot more. His TV shows used humor to address subjects not typical for television: racism, homophobia, politics, and generational conflicts. His most enduring character, Archie Bunker, the bigoted father of a working class family in Queens – was partly based on Lear's own father. We'll listen back to our interview with Lear, as well as with Esther Rol...
Why A Second Trump Term May Be More Radical
December 14, 2023 20:14 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBNew York Times reporter Charlie Savage says Trump has a plan — and potentially the backing — to purge the federal bureaucracy, which he disparages as "a deep state that's filled with villains." Also, film critic Justin Chang shares his top 10 films of the year. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Facing Death, A Poet Searches For Meaning
December 13, 2023 19:28 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBPoet and memoirist Christian Wiman has had a rare form of cancer for 18 years. "When death hangs over you for a while, you start to forget about it," he says. Wiman's new book is Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair. Also, David Bianculli reviews the return of Monk in a new movie on Peacock. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Cord Jefferson Finds Catharsis With 'American Fiction'
December 12, 2023 21:51 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBThe movie American Fiction is a satire about a Black writer who can't get his latest book published because it's not "Black" enough. He decides to write a book with every offensive Black stereotype he can think of — and gets a $1 million book deal. Screenwriter/director Cord Jefferson says he experienced something similar as a writer in Hollywood. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastch...
Actor Colman Domingo
December 11, 2023 19:23 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBColman Domingo stars in two big films this year, in very different roles. In "Rustin," he plays the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. In the new musical adaptation of "The Color Purple" he plays Mister, a cruel and abusive husband. "I think as artists, as actors, we are always watching," Domingo tells Terry Gross. "We're watching heroes. We're watching ordinary people do extraordinary things every single day. We're watching horrible people do terrible things and be committed to it. ... For...
Best Of: Liz Cheney / Dave Davies
December 09, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBFormer congresswoman Liz Cheney says a second Trump presidency would be an "existential threat" to democracy: "There's simply no defense, no excuse for putting that power back in the hands of Donald Trump." Her new memoir is Oath and Honor. Also, Terry Gross interviews Dave Davies, Fresh Air's longtime fill-in host. He's cutting back on his workload at the show. We're paying tribute to him by listening to clips of some of his memorable interviews. Learn more about sponsor message choices: ...
Barry Manilow
December 08, 2023 08:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBBarry Manilow recently broke Elvis' record for performances in Las Vegas, and he has a new Broadway musical called Harmony. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2002 about his hits of the '70s and '80s and writing advertising jingles early in his career. Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new film Poor Things, starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
SNL's Kenan Thompson
December 07, 2023 21:08 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBIn his new book, Kenan Thompson shares stories from his life and career, like his early days at SNL, his estrangement from his longtime co-star Kel Mitchell, and how he was conned by an accountant, lost all of his Nickelodeon money and had to file for bankruptcy. "It's humbling when people in the McDonald's drive-thru line recognize you, and then they also recognize that you're paying for a meal with change," he tells Tonya Mosley. His new book is When I Was Your Age. Also, John Powers revi...
Breaking The Menstruation Taboo
December 06, 2023 20:28 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBMore than half of the population menstruates, and yet there is still so much shame and stigma surrounding what is a normal part of life. We talk with filmmaker Lina Lyte Plioplyte about her new documentary Periodical. The film looks at the origins of the cultural stigma around periods. We also talk about period poverty, taxation on menstrual products, and reframing how we think about menopause. The documentary is streaming on Peacock and airing on MSNBC. Also, Maureen Corrigan shares her...
Liz Cheney's Mission To Stop Trump
December 05, 2023 19:59 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBThe former representative says a second Trump presidency would be an "existential threat" to democracy: "There's simply no defense, no excuse for putting that power back in the hands of Donald Trump." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Dave Davies Reflects On His Career In Radio & Reporting
December 04, 2023 20:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBDave Davies, Fresh Air's longtime fill-in host, is cutting back workload on the show. Today we're paying tribute to him — by listening to clips of some of his memorable interviews. And we'll talk about his reporting career in Philadelphia and the odd jobs he had along the way. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Best Of: AI's Prejudices / UFOs & Gov't Conspiracies
December 02, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBComputer scientist Joy Buolamwini coined the term the "coded gaze" while in grad school at MIT. As a brown-skinned woman, the facial recognition software program she was working on couldn't detect her face until she put on a white mask. She's written a book about the potential harms of AI — which include the social implications of bias and how it affects everyone. Also, we'll talk about UFO conspiracy theories with journalist Garrett Graff. He talks with us about how they've led to other co...
America's WWII-Era Fight Against Fascism
December 01, 2023 19:12 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBMaddow's new book, Prequel, chronicles the the ultra right-wing groups that sided with Hitler's Germany and plotted to overthrow the U.S. government before World War II. The plot led to the largest sedition trial in American history. The book is also about sitting members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who colluded with a Nazi agent to spread Nazi propaganda to millions of Americans with the help of American taxpayers money. Prequel is based on Maddow's hit podcast series, Ul...
The Gutting Of The Voting Rights Act
November 30, 2023 21:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBJournalist Ari Berman says both the Supreme Court and the lower courts are working to dismantle the 1965 law that's considered one of the most effective pieces of civil rights legislation ever enacted in the U.S. "It's precisely because it worked and because it worked so well that there has been such a dedicated effort for 50 plus years to try to weaken and nullify it," Berman says. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews two mysteries: Alexis Soloski's Here in the Dark and The Mystery Guest by Nita...
How Trump Is Dividing The Evangelical Church
November 29, 2023 19:16 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBJournalist Tim Alberta grew up in a conservative, republican, evangelical church, where his father was the pastor. He wanted to know why so many evangelical Christians had become extremists, and ardent supporters of Trump. Over the past 4 years, he traveled to churches around the country, reporting on pastors and congregants who backed Trump, and those who felt forced out of their church because they couldn't support him. His new book is The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory. Learn more abo...
Unmasking AI's Racism And Sexism
November 28, 2023 20:12 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBComputer scientist and AI expert Joy Buolamwini warns that facial recognition technology is riddled with the biases of its creators. She is the author of Unmasking AI and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League. She coined the term "coded gaze," a cousin to the "white gaze" or "male gaze." She says, "This is ... about who has the power to shape technology and whose preferences and priorities are baked in — as well as also, sometimes, whose prejudices are baked in." Also, we remember former...
UFOs: Conspiracy Theories, Secrets & Mysteries
November 27, 2023 19:46 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBWe talk with journalist Garrett Graff about his new book, UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search of Alien Life Here – and Out There. It's about reported sightings, how they've been investigated by the military, what secrets the military keeps and why, and the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He says that the government is absolutely covering up information about what's in the skies, but not for the reasons you may think. Later, John Powers reviews the new ...
Best Of: The EarRegulars / Playwright Larissa FastHorse
November 25, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBWe hear some live music and conversation from two of the best traditional jazz musicians around, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri. In 2007, they founded the band The EarRegulars, who play Sunday nights at a very old bar in Greenwich Village called the EAR Inn. They have a new live album. David Bianculli reviews the new season of Fargo. Then we hear from playwright Larissa FastHorse. She's the first known Native American woman to have a show on Broadway with The Thanks...
Comic Leslie Jones
November 24, 2023 11:20 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBLeslie Jones says performing stand-up for the first time as a freshman in college felt like putting on a shirt that fit perfectly: "It was just so natural." She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the best advice she got, her bittersweet time at SNL, and why she loves physical comedy. Her memoir is Leslie F*cking Jones. Also, Justin Chang reviews the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Revisiting The Music Of The Harlem Hellfighters' Regimental Band
November 23, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBPianist Jason Moran talks jazz and plays selections from his latest recording, which borrows from the music of James Reese Europe, the composer and musician who led the all-Black Harlem Hellfighters regiment band during WWI. Moran's new album is called From the Dancehall to the Battlefield, and it features Moran's take on Europe's compositions and pop music of that time. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Traditional Jazz With The EarRegulars
November 22, 2023 19:50 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBIn 2007, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri founded the band The EarRegulars, who play Sunday nights at a very old bar in Greenwich Village called the Ear Inn. But don't let the word "traditional" fool you. Although some of the songs they play are a hundred years old, the way they play is vibrant and exciting. They brought their instruments to the studio to play us some tunes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Lakota Playwright Larissa FastHorse
November 21, 2023 19:08 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBLarissa FastHorse's satire, The Thanksgiving Play, focuses on four well-meaning white people trying to put on a politically correct school production for Native American history month. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about diversifying Broadway, her rewrite of Peter Pan, and changes she suggested for the Macy's Thanksgving Day Parade. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
'Maid' Author Stephanie Land On 'Class'
November 20, 2023 20:11 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBStephanie Land's 2019 memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive was a visceral portrait of living in poverty as a single mom, cleaning houses. It was a bestseller and later adapted into a critically acclaimed Netflix series. Now Land has a new book, Class, about her experience juggling college, motherhood, and work. During that time she experienced food insecurity, and struggled to get government assistance. "I see such a lack of empathy toward people who live in the mar...
Best Of: What's Next For Fox News? / Sofia Coppola
November 18, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBThis week, Rupert Murdoch stepped down from his position as chair and CEO of Fox, and his son Lachlan replaced him. How might Fox change under Lachlan's leadership? And how has it already changed since Tucker Carlson was fired? Brian Stelter, author of the book Network of Lies, explains. Film critic Justin Chang reviews the black comedy May December, directed by Todd Haynes. Sofia Coppola talks about her new movie, Priscilla. It portrays the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presl...
Filmmaker Albert Brooks
November 17, 2023 18:03 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBComic, actor, screenwriter and director Albert Brooks is the subject of a new HBO documentary called Defending My Life. It examines his career from his standup in the late '60s to his films including Real Life, Modern Romance, and Lost in America. It's directed by Brooks' longtime friend Rob Reiner. Brooks spoke with Terry Gross in 1996. Also, Justin Chang reviews May December, directed by Todd Haynes, which dramatizes a '90s tabloid story. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast...
What Does China's Inner Turmoil Mean For The World?
November 16, 2023 22:51 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBNew Yorker writer Evan Osnos explains the contentious relationship between China and the U.S. and discusses the significance and possible results of Wednesday's meeting between Biden and President Xi. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The Mental Health Crisis Affecting Black Men & Boys
November 15, 2023 20:48 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBIn The Invisible Ache, actor Courtney B. Vance and psychologist Dr. Robin L. Smith examine the mental health crisis affecting Black men and boys. According to the CDC, the rate of suicide among Black men and boys "is accelerating faster than any other group in the United States," Dr. Robin says. She attributes the rise to historical racial trauma, compounded by the current nationwide epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Vance lost both his father and his godson to suicide. He has spent years...
What's Changing At Fox News?
November 14, 2023 19:21 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBThis week, Rupert Murdoch steps down from his position as chair and CEO of Fox, and his son Lachlan replaces him. How might Fox change under Lachlan's leadership? And how has it already changed since Tucker Carlson was fired? Today we discuss that with Brian Stelter, author of the new book Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy. Also, David Bianculli reviews the mini-series The Curse, starring Emma Stone and the series co-creators N...
Life & Death In A Ukrainian War Zone
November 13, 2023 19:24 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBWe go inside the first days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine with journalist Mstyslav Chernov. He and his team were the only international journalists to spend the first 20 days covering the siege of the city of Mariupol. "I just understood that we need to record everything. Every frame, every second."A new PBS FRONTLINE documentary features their images — the constant shelling of the city, mass graves, and graphic images of women and children who are suffering and dying. Chernov is a video jo...
Best Of: Barbra Streisand / Tariq Trotter (Black Thought)
November 11, 2023 15:33 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBThroughout her career, Barbra Streisand's mother would send her bad reviews of her performances. The intention was to prevent her daughter from getting a "swelled head," but they also served as fuel for a woman who was determined to be a star. The EGOT-winning icon spoke with Terry Gross about her career and her memoir, My Name is Barbra. Co-founder of The Roots, Tariq Trotter (aka Black Thought), reflects on his difficult childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlov...
A Marine Reflects On War & Finding Purpose / The Black Experience Of WWII
November 10, 2023 18:47 - 46 minutes - 43 MBFor Veterans Day we're revisiting two interviews about war. Elliot Ackerman served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which time, he says, he witnessed the absolute worst — as well as the absolute best — that human beings are capable of. Ackerman is also a journalist, novelist, memoirist and National Book Award nominee. His Silver Star is for leading a platoon in the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. Historian Matthew Delmont talks about the more than one million Black people who served in...
Examining The Divisions Within Israel
November 09, 2023 20:21 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBBefore the war between Israel and Hamas, it sometimes looked as if Israel might be headed toward a civil war. At least that's what New York Times correspondent Isabel Kershner thought. She covers Israeli and Palestinian politics and society and has been covering the current war. A few months before the war, she published a book about divisions within Israel resulting from ideological, religious, ethnic, and generational differences, and how those differences help explain Israel's shift to th...
Barbra Streisand
November 08, 2023 20:18 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBThroughout her career, Barbra Streisand's mother would send her bad reviews of her performances. The intention was to prevent her daughter from getting a "swelled head," but they also served as fuel for a woman who was determined to be a star — despite all the forces in her life telling her no. "I don't know if it was like, 'I'll prove you wrong,' because [my mother] kept telling me to get a job as a secretary," Streisand says. "I just somehow always saw my future." The EGOT icon spoke with T...
Barbra Streisand
November 08, 2023 20:18 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBThroughout her career, Barbra Streisand's mother would send her bad reviews of her performances. The intention was to prevent her daughter from getting a "swelled head," but they also served as fuel for a woman who was determined to be a star — despite all the forces in her life telling her no. "I don't know if it was like, 'I'll prove you wrong,' because [my mother] kept telling me to get a job as a secretary," Streisand says. "I just somehow always saw my future." The EGOT icon spoke with T...
Tariq Trotter (Black Thought), Co-Founder Of The Roots
November 07, 2023 19:40 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBTariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, reflects on his difficult childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and 50 years of hip-hop. Trotter's new memoir is The Upcycled Self. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Rob Reiner's new HBO documentary about Albert Brooks. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Sofia Coppola On 'Priscilla'
November 06, 2023 19:20 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBSofia Coppola's new movie is about the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley -- from Priscilla's point of view. The two met when she was 14 and he was 24. Coppola makes films about the internal lives of young women, including The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Lost in Translation, which she won an Oscar for in 2003. This fall she published her first book, Archive, which covers her career in film. Also, rock critic Ken Tucker has an appreciation of a musician you may neve...
Best Of: David Byrne / Inside The AI Company That Knows Your Face
November 04, 2023 07:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBDavid Byrne talks about his life and music. The Talking Heads movie Stop Making Sense – which many people consider the best concert film ever made – has been restored and remastered for its 40th anniversary. Also, we'll talk about the capabilities and consequences of facial recognition technology with New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill. Her book is called Your Face Belongs to Us. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Matthew Perry / Lisa Kudrow
November 03, 2023 16:35 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBWe remember actor Matthew Perry, who died last week at age 54. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2007 about auditioning to play Chandler Bing on Friends, and how overnight fame changed his life. And we'll listen back to our 2003 interview with his Friends co-star, Lisa Kudrow, about her time on the show. Justin Chang reviews Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
How Did Israel Fail To Detect Hamas' Invasion?
November 02, 2023 19:38 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBNew York Times reporter Mark Mazzetti says prior to Oct. 7, Israel's leadership was focused on an attack by Iran and its proxies —not Hamas. "They were ... myopic about what the true threat was." TV critic David Bianculli reviews the Netflix miniseries adaptation of All the Light We Cannot See. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
David Byrne On 'Stop Making Sense'
November 01, 2023 19:03 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBIt's the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads' masterpiece concert film, Stop Making Sense. A24 remastered and rereleased the movie, bringing it to new audiences and longtime fans. Talking Heads frontman David Byrne returns to Fresh Air to speak with Terry Gross about songwriting, dancing, and yes, the big suit. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Rep. Adam Kinzinger On The GOP & The Jan. 6th Committee
October 31, 2023 18:49 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThe former Illinois congressman reflects on confronting the "fanaticism of the hardcore" of the GOP. Kinzinger served on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6th attack on the Capitol. His book is Renegade. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
How A Black Socialite Raised Millions For Civil Rights
October 30, 2023 18:39 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBHistorian Tanisha Ford tells Tonya Mosley the story of Harlem activist Mollie Moon, credited with raising millions to build economic and racial equality in the U.S. Ford's new book is Our Secret Society. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Alice McDermott's new novel, Absolution. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Best Of: Werner Herzog / Greta Lee
October 28, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 45 MBWerner Herzog talks with Terry Gross about the curiosity that's fueled his career. The filmmaker and writer is drawn to extremes: extreme characters, extreme settings, extreme scenarios. His new memoir is Every Man for Himself and God Against All. Ken Tucker reviews the new album from The Rolling Stones. In Past Lives, Greta Lee stars as a playwright caught between two men she loves. Lee says the film allowed her to explore the immigrant experience in a way that felt vulnerable — and pers...
Spy Novelist (And Former Spy) John Le Carré
October 27, 2023 15:43 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThe author of such spy novels as The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager is the subject of a new documentary by Errol Morris called The Pigeon Tunnel. It features the final interviews with le Carré who died in 2020. It details his life as a writer and his earlier work as a spy for Britain's domestic and foreign intelligence services. We'll listen back to the interviews Terry Gross recorded with him in 1989 and 2017. Also, Justin Chang reviews Ale...
What Do We Know About House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson?
October 26, 2023 19:22 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBNew Yorker writer Jonathan Blitzer gives a deeper lens into Johnson, a conservative who refused to certify the 2020 election results. Blitzer also talks about the influence of Rep. Jim Jordan. Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from big band composer Darcy James Argue. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Werner Herzog
October 25, 2023 18:40 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBHerzog reflects on the curiosity that's fueled his career in the new memoir, Every Man for Himself and God Against All. The filmmaker and writer is drawn to extremes: extreme characters, extreme settings, extreme scenarios. But don't mistake him for a mad man like some of his film subjects: "You have to control what is wild in you. You have to be disciplined. And people think I'm the wild guy out there but I'm a disciplined professional," he tells Terry Gross. Later, Lloyd Schwartz reviews...
The Accusations That Sent Charlie Chaplin Into Exile
October 24, 2023 18:29 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBAuthor Scott Eyman explains how silent film actor Charlie Chaplin was smeared in the press, scandalized for his affairs with young women, condemned for his alleged communist ties and banned from returning to the U.S. His book is Charlie Chaplin vs. America. Also, Ken Tucker reviews The Rolling Stones' new album, Hackney Diamonds. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy