Before James Hetfield formed Metallica, his musical awareness was shaped in equal parts by classical music, Aerosmith, and the desire to kill disco. James talks with Marc about the band's continued growth, his recovery from not only addiction but also anger issues, and his belief that bands need to reconcile no matter how bad the break-up. 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.

Martha Plimpton says she learned how to act on the job. She talks with Marc about her childhood roles in movies like The Goonies, how those paved the way for her work on Broadway, and what she does to overcome crippling stage fright. Plus, Marc's friend Laurie Kilmartin stops by to talk about how she was able to take overwhelming grief and turn it into a new comedy 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.

Marc leaves the cozy confines of the garage and heads to New Jersey (where else?) to talk with The Boss. Just two Jersey guys hanging out, talking about dads, depression, fear, fulfillment, and the future. Bruce tells Marc how and why he constructed "Bruce Springsteen" and what he's learned about the struggle we all go through to become who we really are. 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.

Singer-songwriter David Bromberg is a human bridge between at least a half-dozen different styles of music. David and Marc talk about the pivotal evolution of modern music, as folk transitioned into rock, and all the people David worked with over the years, including Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, The Band, The Grateful Dead, and Reverend Gary Davis. Plus, David explains why he quit for 20 years and developed a highly specific obsession. 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.

Marc makes a pilgrimage to Las Vegas for a sit-down with Sammy Shore, a comic with a long show business life that doesn't quite have the ending he planned on. Sammy tells Marc about starting his career as Shecky Greene's partner, becoming the opening act for Elvis, starting The Comedy Store, and how each of these successful points of his career seemed to fall apart every time. 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.

It's not entirely accurate to say this episode has never been heard by anyone before. About 700 people were in the room at the Now Hear This podcast festival in Anaheim this past October to hear Marc and his producer Brendan McDonald reveal the secrets behind WTF. It's the first time Marc and Brendan ever did anything like this together in front of a live audience. 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.

A lot of former child stars have been in the garage, but Derek Trucks wasn't so much a child star as he was a prodigy. At the age of nine, Derek was a guitar wizard. He talks with Marc about avoiding the pitfall of becoming a novelty act and evolving into a versatile practitioner and appreciator of music, with help from several notable mentors along the way. 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.

Annette Bening attributes her longevity in acting to stopping when she wanted. She talks with Marc about being able to put the brakes on her career when dealing with the responsibilities of parenting. They also talk about privacy, winning (or not winning) awards, Warren Beatty, and the many influential people Annette worked with who are no longer with us, including Garry Shandling, Mike Nichols, John Candy, and Robin Williams. 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.

Every so often Marc gets together with Tom Scharpling of The Best Show to figure out life's big questions. They record these conversations and release them as The Marc and Tom Show. This one was recorded almost four years ago and was never released. For the first time, hear Marc and Tom talk about painful high school experiences, times they've fallen victim to con artists, what they plan to do during the apocalypse, and more. Featuring theme music by The Tokeleys. 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.

Comedian Billy West is a master of voices and one of the preeminent voiceover artists working today. Billy tells Marc about his need to escape into characters while growing up in a chaotic home. It was a retreat from reality that led to success later in life with Ren and Stimpy, Futurama, The Howard Stern Show, and countless other projects. And it all hinged on his lifelong love of The Three Stooges. 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.

Casey Affleck says he doesn't want fame or stardom. So how's he handling it now that the spotlight keeps getting hotter? Casey talks with Marc about growing up in Massachusetts, maturing as an actor, living in the public eye, having kids, dealing with an alcoholic dad, and creating his performance in Manchester by the Sea. 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.

In September 2016, Marc recorded a conversation with the legendary Jerry Lewis. Until now, no one has heard it other than those in the room. This was supposed to be a full-length episode of WTF, but the interview was compromised and there were no plans to release it. Marc explains what happened as we present this never-before-heard conversation. 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.

Comedian Shane Mauss saw his career gathering steam only to stall out and make him feel like opportunities were passing him by. Then an accident that left him with two broken feet coincided with another journey. One that involves neuroscience, psychedelic drugs, and an altered perception that led to a career rejuvenation. 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.

As Dana Carvey puts it, he gave a Heisman to fame, essentially putting himself on the sidelines of showbiz for 15 years. Dana and Marc talk about the string of events that happened after SNL and Wayne's World that prompted Dana to reevaluate what's important in life and how he's developed a new perspective on his early 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.

We go back into the WTF Shoebox Vault to find another unaired pilot for The Marc Maron Show in Los Angeles from 2006. This time the guest was comedian Maria Bamford, the sidekick was still Jim Earl, and the investigative reporter was Eddie Pepitone. The only people who ever heard this were the people who made it, plus one angry program director who didn't want to put it on the air. 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.

Gothic folk duo The Handsome Family meet up with Marc while he's in Albuquerque to talk about American roots music, carnival sideshows, meeting your heroes, and dealing with bipolarity. But first, documentary filmmaker Sam Pollard joins Marc in the garage to talk about his new film Two Trains Runnin', a look at the summer of 1964, as history converged in unexpected ways. 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.

Comedian Joe Matarese has struggled with bouts of rage, anxiety, and paralyzing indecisiveness. As he tells Marc, Joe is correcting these problems through medication, therapy, help from his wife, and inspiration from one particular episode of WTF. Joe also explains why his big idea of being the comic who snaps on the audience didn't have a lot of running room. 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.

This limited series dives deep into the WTF Vault (aka a shoebox under producer Brendan McDonald's bed) to present lost Marc Maron material that has never been heard by anyone else. In this episode, hear an unaired test show Marc and Brendan created ten years ago for a nighttime variety program on Los Angeles radio, featuring Patton Oswalt as the guest and Jim Earl as Marc's sidekick. 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.

Singer-songwriter Scott Fagan created a beautiful album in 1968, called South Atlantic Blues. But things didn't go the way they were supposed to. Scott talks with Marc about why the album and his career fizzled, how they were both resurrected, and how he connected with a son he never met, who is an accomplished artist in his own right. Plus, Marc delivers his annual Thanksgiving Day pep talk. 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 Shannon cuts a pretty intimidating figure on stage and screen. The combination of his Southern upbringing and his early-career immersion into the Chicago theater scene probably accounts for much of his intensity. Michael and Marc talk about his experiences with creators like Tracy Letts, William Friedkin, and Jeff Nichols, and they delve into what occupies Michael's mind when he's not acting. 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.

Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain wrote a book that changed Marc's life. On the 20-year anniversary of 'Please Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History of Punk,' Legs and Gillian tell Marc why they wrote it in the first place and why it still resonates two decades later. Also, Marc's neighborhood buddy Andre Royo stops by to talk about his new independent film Hunter Gatherer. 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.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is not only the creator of Hamilton and In The Heights, he's also a long-time WTFer. So he's well prepared to get into everything with Marc during a visit to the garage, including his multicultural upbringing, his early exposure to both hip hop and musical theater, his reasons for making Hamilton, and what "Weird Al" Yankovic has to do with all of it. 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.

Talent manager Shep Gordon had no real interest in pop music. He was a young hippie making money dealing drugs to rock stars. Shep tells Marc how he transitioned into a life of management and production with an eclectic group of clients including Alice Cooper, Ann Murray, Teddy Pendergrass, Raquel Welch, and a bunch of celebrity chefs. Also, Marc reflects on the 2016 Presidential Election. 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.

On the eve of the U.S. Presidential Election, you owe it to yourself to hear this conversation between Marc and journalist Sam Quinones. Sam's travels in Mexico and his curiosity about the epidemic of opiate addiction in America led him to discover how cheap heroin production, pain management proliferation, impeccable marketing and unfettered capitalism combined to create a crisis that is at the heart of modern American dysfunction. 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.

Endless Boogie was never supposed to become a band. It was made up of some guys who worked at Matador Records, one in particular who loved to collect old vinyl. Frontman Paul Major and guitarist Jesper Eklow tell Marc what it took to put the mother of all jam bands together and how the band's style is influenced by Paul's nearly obsessive practice of collecting rare LPs. 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.

Roger Waters wrote songs that changed rock and roll, organized them in ways that changed how albums were made, and performed them in ways that changed how concerts were staged. The Pink Floyd frontman tells Marc why he only now feels like he's getting it right. They also talk about his Pink Floyd bandmates, John Lennon, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, and the state of the 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.

Ron Howard knows the key to longevity in show business. He should, considering his evolution from child actor to sitcom star to award-winning director to highly respected producer. Ron divulges that key to Marc, and also talks about his experiences with John Wayne, Henry Fonda, George Lucas, Robin Williams, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, and Tom Hanks, who he just directed for a fifth time in the new movie Inferno. 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.

Sarah Jessica Parker started her acting career at age 11 working with Harold Pinter on Broadway. That would be enough for most people, but it only got better from there. With a new show on HBO called 'Divorce,' Sarah Jessica and Marc talk about her career, her life, what she learned while dating Robert Downey Jr., what she loves about Matthew Broderick, and how she dealt with Carrie Bradshaw becoming an iconic character in American culture. 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.

Comedian Ritch Shydner is a true road warrior who made his reputation during the comedy club boom of the 1980s. Ritch talks with Marc about diving into the deep end of stand-up comedy, getting out entirely, and then coming out of retirement after more than a decade away from the mic. Plus, Anthony Bourdain stops by with his new cookbook to tell Marc how to make the things we take for granted. 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.

It's been almost four years since the last Marc and Tom Show. After countless hours helping each other figure out what's going on, they're now facing something different: What happens when you might be winning? What's happens after the fight is over? And what happens if you can't figure out what's next? Music by The Tokeleys. 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.

David Crosby readily admits that he probably shouldn't be alive. Drug addiction, alcoholism, and health issues have taken their toll but have not knocked David out. He's still making music and going out on tour, but he had a little time to talk with Marc about The Byrds, CSN, Neil Young, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock, Altamont, Melissa Etheridge, and much 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.

Singer-songwriter Margo Price entered the garage on a wave of acclaim and notoriety that is rare for an artist with only one album. But Margo's country music bona fides are not in doubt. Despite her modest origin as a young Midwestern cheerleader and dancer, Margo encountered personal tragedy, struggles with depression and a battle with substance abuse on her way to Nashville. 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.

Larry Clark does not consider himself a photographer and he explains to Marc why he doesn't. But that didn't stop a young Marc Maron from being drawn to Larry's raw, unflinching photos and his uncompromising art. Larry talks with Marc about his photography, his experiences in war and in prison, his struggle to get clean, and his films Kids, Bully, Another Day in Paradise, and Wassup Rockers. 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 Marc first saw Hutch Harris perform live with his band The Thermals, he was won over immediately and invented a whole mythology around who Hutch Harris must be. But as Hutch tells Marc, he was just a kid who wanted to start a band and did it with talent, timing, a lot of gumption and a little luck. On a related note, Marc's friend Dan Pashman stops by to talk about the expectations we have when we see our favorite artists play live. 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.

Comedian Rachel Feinstein has conquered one of the most difficult spaces in the comedy world: The back table at The Comedy Cellar in New York. You better be able to give as good as you get if you sit there. Rachel talks to Marc about her early years of living in squalor and having second thoughts about a comedy career, all while honing her craft and gaining the respect of her peers. 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.

If you're wondering how John Prine, one of America's greatest living songwriters, came up with such great lyrics, just look to your mailbox. John tells Marc how his days as a mailman provided him time to ruminate on music, which led to his discovery by Kris Kristofferson, his friendship with Steve Goodman, and his encounters with Bob Dylan, Sam Phillips, Bonnie Raitt and others. 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.

America is plenty familiar with Katie Couric in the role of interviewer. But what about when the roles are reversed? Marc finds out why Katie got into journalism and gets her take on the notable moments of her career, including her live coverage of the 9/11 attacks, her tenure anchoring CBS Evening News, conducting the Sarah Palin interview, and hosting a new podcast. 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.

It's Jazz Fest at The Cat Ranch. First, Kamasi Washington tells Marc how an Inglewood kid growing up in the early 90s wound up at the forefront of a modern jazz revolution, including groundbreaking work with Kendrick Lamar and his own massive debut album, The Epic. Then jazz critic and writer Ben Ratliff joins Marc to open minds and change old listening habits, as he explains how to truly enjoy music in the age of unlimited options. 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.

Comedian Geoff Tate always found it a little odd that Marc needed to squash so many beefs with other comics, because the two of them hit it off so well. Marc and Geoff explore the shared parental connection that helped them relate to each other and also gave birth to a lot of their comedy. Plus, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney stop by as they get ready to launch 'Oh, Hello' on Broadway. 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.

Comedian Chris Garcia thought his upbringing was fairly typical as the son of first-generation immigrants, with stories and experiences that paved the way nicely for a career in comedy. But Chris tells Marc that a recent trip to Cuba and the discoveries made there changed everything he knew about his family, particularly his father. 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.

Actor Ron Perlman is often buried under layers of makeup, whether he's playing Hellboy or the Beast or some other humanoid oddity. But Ron's not hiding anything when he joins Marc in the garage, revealing his heartfelt thoughts on the entertainment business and his evolving role in it. Plus, Ron shares a Marlon Brando story to rival the best of them. 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.

Billy Crystal's early love of show business put him on the path to standup comedy, which in turn got him on TV shows like Soap and SNL. Marc talks with Billy about his own show business footprint, including movies like When Harry Met Sally, Mr. Saturday Night, Deconstructing Harry, and Analyze This, as well as hosting the Academy Awards. Plus, Billy fondly remembers his relationships with icons like Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Jack Rollins, and Robin Williams. 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.

Joseph Arthur faced some of the same struggles as Marc even though he's a musician and artist, not a comedian. Joseph and Marc talk about the false starts, the friendships with heroes like Lou Reed and Peter Gabriel, and the challenge of feeling okay with how things turned out. Also, author Peter Bebergal talks about magic and music, as he details in his book Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll. 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.

Whether you know the story of JT LeRoy or not, you certainly haven't heard an episode of WTF like this. First, Marc talks with filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig about documenting the rise and fall of literary phenom JT LeRoy, a celebrated young man who was later revealed to be the creation of Laura Albert. Then Laura joins Marc in the garage to explain what gave birth to her infamous alter ego and to provide some insight into her life. 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.

Robert Kelly is at the point in his comedy career where he can't help thinking about what's next. He's on the FX television show Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, he's touring all over the country, he has a great family, and yet he keeps wondering what happens if it all goes away. Bobby and Marc commiserate over this shared experience as well as the ups and downs of being sober comedians. 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.

Gad Elmaleh is a mega-successful international comedian and actor. Now he's basically starting from scratch to perfect his act in America, not in his native French but in English. Marc and Gad talk about the challenge of doing comedy in another language and the universal truths about standup that cross all language barriers. 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.

Alan Alda always strives to play someone different. He takes Marc through the many characters he's created, from Hawkeye to Uncle Pete, and explains how he challenges himself from role to role. Plus, Alan talks about why he created an academic organization that advances science communication. 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.

Kristen Wiig is afraid of too many things going well at once, speaking in front of groups of people, and deep water. But she's not afraid of sharing these things with Marc, as well as the story of how she became a performer after a meeting with Mike the Psychic and how she got on SNL after not getting on SNL. Plus, some talk about Bridesmaids, The Skeleton Twins, Welcome to Me, and Sausage Party. 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.