Life Stories Interviews

Renowned Chef and Restaurateur, Wolfgang Puck sheds light on his upbringing and exceptional career within the hospitality sector. From honing his craft in multiple Michelin star restaurants, to opening his first restaurant, Spago, Puck shares his passion for food and the positive impact it can have on others.

Critically acclaimed poet, Joy Harjo, reminisces on her life and upbringing which culminated in her appointment as US Poet Laureate from 2019-2022. Known for her reflective poetry focusing on language, mythology and remembrance, Harjo discusses her relationship to storytelling and creativity and how it has impacted her life.

James Cromwell, renowned for his roles in Succession and Babe, shares candid stories of his personal journey and the impact of his political beliefs on his career. From growing up in Hollywood to his experiences participating in the civil rights and anti-war movements, discover more about Cromwell’s successful career.

As society grapples with an alarming surge in loneliness, disconnection, and isolation, best-selling author and renowned columnist David Brooks has dedicated the last four years to studying how to build better connections. In this thought-provoking interview, Brooks draws from his personal experiences and his latest book, ‘How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen,’ to discuss how more meaningful communication has the potential to repair the world at large. From listening openly to asking compassionate questions, Brooks shares seemingly small yet transformative everyday actions that help us to ‘see’ others.

Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Bakery, shares his incredible journey of transforming lives through compassion. He discusses founding Homeboy Industries amid gang violence and his belief in the inherent goodness of every individual. Father Boyle highlights the life-changing services offered, such as therapy and tattoo removal, and shares inspiring personal stories of redemption. He emphasizes love as a powerful force for healing and unity in a divided world, reminding us of the importance of community and belonging.

Acclaimed author Betty Rollin looks back on her extraordinary life in this poignant episode of The Thread. In the last interview she gave before making the decision to die by assisted suicide at the age of 87, Rollin vividly recalls stories from her award-winning career in acting, journalism, broadcasting, and then as the author of First, You Cry, her groundbreaking book on her personal battles with breast cancer which later became a made-for-television movie starring Mary Tyler Moore. Despite its many tragedies, Rollins describes a joyous life that was always sustained by humor. She is often quoted as saying "cancer improved my taste in men." To the end, Betty Rollin was a role model for how to live life on your own terms.

Jason Alexander is best known for his portrayal of the culturally iconic character of George Costanza on television’s Seinfeld. In this episode of The Thread you’ll meet the real Jason Alexander, a thoughtful, articulate man who couldn't be more different than the insecure, muddle-headed Costanza. The one trait they share is the ability to make us laugh about life’s all-too frequent absurdities. However, unlike the fictional Costanza, Jason Alexander is intentionally funny. He has a deep understanding of the importance of humor as a crucial tool for surviving, and even thriving, in the face of those absurdities – something he traces back to his Jewish heritage. Alexander has a gift for storytelling; without the need of a script he speaks wisely from both his head and his heart.

Katie Couric’s unique combination of warmth, intelligence and empathy earned her the title of “America’s Sweetheart.” In this episode of “The Thread,” the trailblazing journalist -- the first woman to ever anchor a nightly network newscast – reflects on the life lessons that have anchored her during her five-decade career in broadcasting. She poignantly describes how the heartbreaking loss of her husband to colon cancer led her to become a champion for early detection of the disease. By unashamedly sharing her own procedure on national television, Katie Couric was the first public figure to address the stigma surrounding colonoscopies – almost certainly saving many thousands of lives by sharing her painful and deeply personal story.

Darren Walker’s journey from his birth in a Louisiana charity hospital to becoming president of the nation’s fourth largest private philanthropy, the Ford Foundation, is a profoundly inspirational story that could not have been written even a generation ago. In this episode of The Thread, he takes us along on his life’s extraordinary path which he modestly describes as “lucky.” Walker describes how he earned a law degree before entering the private sector and rising quickly in the ranks of investment banking. But after less than a decade in corporate finance, he walked away from his high-paying position to volunteer at a school in Harlem. It was there he discovered the calling that would define his life from that point forward: philanthropy. Walker believes his work has a moral responsibility to provide “dignity and justice.” And on a very personal level, he emotionally talks about the death of his husband and how he learned to deal with grief.

Tony “The Birdman” Hawk defies both gravity and time. In this episode of The Thread, skateboarding’s living legend describes his early years as a teen who was called “too small” to ever compete successfully. Through sheer determination and fearlessness, not only did he dramatically prove his critics wrong, he went on to become an international representative of skateboarding as a sport. Hawk played a crucial role in paving the way for what was once dismissed as a “passing fad” into an Olympic competition. Tony Hawk’s extraordinary story is about transforming a childhood dream into a hugely successful lifetime career. He’s proof that you can combine passion with profession into an exuberant enjoyment of life – that you can love what you do and still do what you love.