Episode 1431 - Tituss Burgess

When Malcolm McDowell left behind Liverpool to pursue acting in London, he didn’t imagine it would be the start of 60 years as a performer. Malcolm talks with Marc about his extraordinary career, including his work with Stanley Kubrick on A Clockwork Orange, the pornographic fate of Caligula, and stories about Lawrence Olivier, Alan Bates, Peter Sellers, Robert Altman, Mick Jagger and more. Malcolm also explains why he fell hard for Newfoundland while making the series Son of a Critch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Apr 20241h 26min

Alex Edelman is the kind of comic who makes Marc immediately anxious. But it’s quickly apparent that Marc is reacting to the fact that he sees so much of himself in Alex. They’re both still dealing with complex feelings about their Jewish identities. They both paid their comedy dues doing road gigs in Boston. They both experiment with long-form storytelling, wondering if they’re doing one-man shows or standup, or if there’s a difference. They hash all this out as they discuss Alex’s new HBO special, Just For Us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Apr 20241h 26min

Carol Burnett turns 91 later this month and is still going strong with a featured role in the new series Palm Royale. But Carol is quick to remind Marc that the great success she achieved happened in part due to the kindness of strangers. Carol and Marc talk about the mysterious benefactors who helped her get to New York where she found success on the stage, then on television, and then with her own variety show. They also talk about her friendship with Lucille Ball, collaborating with Julie Andrews, and the closeness of The Carol Burnett Show cast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Apr 20241h 35min

Standup comedy transformed Dina Hashem’s life. So why is she at a point, right after releasing her acclaimed first special, where she cares less about standup than ever before? Dina talks with Marc about her isolated upbringing in New Jersey, her revelatory first time doing comedy, and why she has a hard time recognizing herself in her own special. Dina also talks about drumming, skateboarding, and writing for The Daily Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Apr 20241h 30min

Celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist Alejandro Escovedo made one of Marc’s favorite albums, the 1992 solo record Gravity. But the raw, intimate poetry of that album came from a real place of grief and anguish in Alejandro’s life. They talk about what led up to that point, including his early bands The Nuns, Rank and File, and True Believers, and the rocky road afterward when Alejandro’s health took a turn for the worse. They also discuss his new album, Echo Dancing, and why he chose to reinterpret his own work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Apr 20241h 18min

David Krumholtz lives and breathes Hollywood because, according to him, he has no other choice. The prolific character actor got what he considers a once in a lifetime break at age 13, so he needed to honor whatever fates gave him that opportunity by devoting himself entirely to acting. David talks with Marc about what he’s learned from co-stars like Judd Hirsch and Alan Arkin as well as directors like Christopher Nolan and the Coen Brothers, and he also reflects on his leading man status in the new film Lousy Carter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Mar 20241h 32min

Tig Notaro’s new comedy special is called “Hello, Again” which serves as a reintroduction of sorts, considering how much has changed in Tig’s life over the years. Tig explains to Marc how her previous tough, no-nonsense demeanor gave way to a different side after surviving cancer and falling in love. They talk about how Tig’s relationship developed with her wife Stephanie and why, after being pushed to the brink by illness, she just wants to raise her family and do work that’s important to her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Mar 20241h 16min

This is Eddie Pepitone’s 25th appearance on WTF, by far the most appearances on the show for anyone other than Marc. And yet Eddie and Marc have never had a full length one-on-one talk in the garage. They attempt to do so in this episode, despite of Eddie’s aversion to linear logic and his aggressive style of comedic free association. Will they stay on track? Will they be able to follow through on at least one thought? Find out as they also try to come up with a central concept for Eddie’s upcoming comedy special. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Mar 20241h 19min