Aparna Nancherla says the self-fulfilling prophecy of imposter syndrome is convincing yourself you don’t belong and acting in a way to prove yourself right. It’s something she’s dealt with no matter what level of success she’s achieved in standup, writing and acting, and something she’s worked to overcome. Aparna and Marc talk about feeling like an outsider even while compiling a list of accomplishments, struggles with performance anxiety, and the persistent question, “What’s the point of anything?” Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Gary Gulman was on WTF in 2013, he and Marc talked about Gary’s mental health in relation to his comedy. Since that time, Gary has dealt with severe bouts of depression and integrated it into his act, specifically in his 2019 HBO special The Great Depresh. Now, with Gary putting a lot of his thoughts on the pages of his first book, he and Marc revisit the ideas they previously had about comedy and how those perceptions changed as they’ve realized comedy can be a tool to help people feel less alone. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hannah Einbinder was a fan of WTF as a teenager and drew inspiration from Marc’s conversations with comedians while she considered pursuing a career as one herself. Hannah and Marc talk about her multi-generational Los Angeles family, whose businesses included cattle ranching, brothels and, in the case of her mom Laraine Newman, performing on Saturday Night Live. They also talk about Hannah’s experience making Hacks with Jean Smart, wanting to be like Rachel Maddow, and her time as a cheerleader. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naomi Klein was faced with a rather common problem. She was consistently mistaken for someone else. But because Naomi is one of our most perceptive and astute social critics, she was able to to turn that case of mistaken identity into an examination of the many public threats pervading society and how they’re connected by the deliberate blurring of reality and identity. Naomi and Marc talk about all the research and conclusions of her new book, Doppelgänger: A Trip Into The Mirror World. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernie Taupin is a songwriter responsible for many of the most beloved songs ever recorded. But he actually thinks of himself as a cinematographer, taking what he sees in life and turning those mental snapshots into fantastical stories. Bernie and Marc talk about the origins of his more than 50-years-long partnership with Elton John, his friendship with Alice Cooper, the influence of The Band, and the timelessness of his songs. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Symon’s food journey has taken many unexpected turns, from revitalizing the Cleveland restaurant scene to changing his own diet after being diagnosed with autoimmune disorders to being at the ground floor of the Food Network phenomenon. Michael and Marc talk about home cooking, fermenting, hyper-local BBQ and the perfect egg. Plus, old friend Todd Barry stops by to talk about his new standup special. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Sharlet is a reporter Marc turned to regularly during his days as a radio host to help explain the role of religion in American culture and politics. Jeff’s decades on the religion beat put him in a unique position to decode our modern social divisions, a journey he chronicled in his new book The Undertow. Now, as Marc increasingly seeks to understand the oncoming threat of fascism, he once again tuns to Jeff, whose vantage point while writing the book revealed the stark, unflinching reality of America’s present and future. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maria Bamford is not only one of Marc’s favorite comics, she’s one of Marc’s favorite people to talk with, as evidenced by her six appearances on WTF. Now, more than 13 years after their groundbreaking, highly confessional first episode, recorded as they drove down the California coast, Marc and Maria catch up on their mental health outlooks, particularly after Maria just chronicled her lifelong journey in the new memoir, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult. The two friends and colleagues compare notes on where they’ve been, how they got here and how they’re doing with this life thing anyway. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Leland started having trouble seeing when he was in high school. He learned about his degenerative condition that would slowly render him blind over the course of his life. Now, two decades into his career as a writer, editor and lecturer, Andrew continues to lose his vision and adapt to a world that has a very binary view of blindness. Andrew and Marc talk about technological advancements that help with loss of sight, the complicated emotional response to blindness, and the different factions within the blind community promoting conflicting agendas. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda Seales was on the show Insecure, but only when she had an actual crisis of confidence did she feel like she could get control of her life and career. Amanda and Marc find out they have a lot of similar hang-ups and philosophies about creativity, despite their very different backgrounds. They talk about Amanda's comedy being rooted in her time with Def Poetry Jam, her life as Amanda Diva, her music, her studies of hip-hop, her first comedy special and why she centered her new special, In Amanda We Trust, on civic engagement. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nimesh Patel got advice from his comedy hero Chris Rock that comics need to get personal in order to become universal. After that, Nimesh was able to take his background as a first generation Indian-American whose dad owned a liquor store, a med-school drop out, a cancer survivor with a Jewish wife, and turn it all into an act that works on equally well on stage as it does on TikTok. Nimesh also tells Marc about the time he resisted becoming a pawn in the culture war after a college performance that went wrong. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Chastain is one of our most celebrated actors, with a recent Oscar win, a Tony-nominated Broadway run, and a highly praised performance as Tammy Wynette opposite Michael Shannon’s George Jones. As Jessica tells Marc, she’s always been a sensitive person and ever since she was the shy kid in high school, she learned to channel that sensitivity into performance. They also talk about how she owes a lot of her career evolution to Robin Williams and Al Pacino. This interview was recorded on June 14, before the SAG-AFTRA strike. Click here for Charity Navigator’s list of Hawaii Wildfire Relief organizations. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Conover felt out of place in a family of scientists, but his decision to pursue a philosophy degree actually played into three major aspects of his adult life: Standup comedy, his educational television shows Adam Ruins Everything and The G Word, and civic engagement. Adam talks with Marc about what led him to comedy, why he made TV shows that helped explain the world, and what it's like on the front lines of the WGA strike as part of union leadership. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Winter was an actor for much of his young life until he realized it wasn’t his preferred way to tell stories. Now, the man many people knew as one half of Bill and Ted is an accomplished documentary filmmaker. Alex talks with Marc about his new film The YouTube Effect, as well as his other work on the growth of online communities and his doc about Frank Zappa. They also question whether show business as we knew it is finished and examine how Keanu Reeves handles his global superstardom with grace. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gary Mule Deer's career has spanned more than 60 years, but he's got enough in it to fill at least 600. Gary tells Marc how a guy from South Dakota who stumbled into his first performing gigs by happenstance wound up as a touring musician with bands like the Beach Boys, a popular standup comic in clubs around the country, and a variety TV regular with more than 350 guest shots on everything from Carson to Letterman to Hee Haw. Gary also explains how his career bottomed out with bordellos, drugs, and gambling, and found salvation in golf, Johnny Mathis, and the Grand Ole Opry.  Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Villaseñor spent six seasons on Saturday Night Live and left her mark with a wide array of impressions. It was a road to success she might not have taken had she not gone to The Laugh Factory Comedy Camp when she was fifteen. Melissa and Marc talk about her early days performing and how she reluctantly auditioned for America's Got Talent, a gig that allowed her to quit her job at Forever 21 and pursue a life in comedy. They also talk about Melissa's music, her art, and her inspirations like Maria Bamford and Shel Silverstein. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Schlatter's lifetime in show business encompasses way more than Marc could cover during George's last appearance on WTF. Now that the Laugh-In creator has published his memoir, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy, he has a lot more stories at the ready. George tells Marc about his time with Sammy Davis, Jr., Don Rickles, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, Tiny Tim and more. They also talk about George's stint managing the nightclub Ciro's, which later became The Comedy Store. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a reason Jim Gaffigan is back for his seventh appearance on the show. No matter how much older they get, no matter how much has changed in their lives, Marc and Jim remain two comics who are still figuring out life and having a good time talking about it. With the release of his tenth comedy special, Dark Pale, Jim and Marc talk about the way they're still confounded by their fellow humans on a daily basis and how they're trying to come to grips with that puzzlement as they both get on in their years. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Rowe and Marc knew each other decades ago from the comedy club scene, but Mike says there was a specific moment when standup left his body for good. He tells Marc how his love of joke writing gave him entry into the world of comedy and then gave him a fulfilling career as a writer that outlasted his time on stage. Mike recounts a life changing phone call from Rodney Dangerfield, his friendship with Andy Kaufman, his X-rated encounter with Milton Berle, and more. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cillian Murphy knew he wanted to become an actor when he saw A Clockwork Orange. Not the Kubrick film, but an avant-garde theatrical production in a nightclub. From there he left his dreams of being a musician behind and began his acting journey. Cillian tells Marc the lessons he learned from directors like Ken Loach and Christopher Nolan, with whom he’s collaborated on six films. They also talk about Peaky Blinders, 28 Days Later, and trying on the Batman suit. This interview was recorded on June 27, 2023. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.