

The Back Room with Andy Ostroy
Produced by RFR and Andy Ostroy
The Back Room with Andy Ostroy presents a humorous, honest take on politics and pop culture featuring notable guest interviews, a shit-ton of righteous indignation, and rip-roaring repartee with co-producers Matty Rosenberg and Jen Hammoud. We're havin' a ball, and so will you!
Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Music by Andrew Hollander
Design by Cricket Lengyel
Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Music by Andrew Hollander
Design by Cricket Lengyel
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 31, 2025 • 1h 3min
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette is an award-winning actor, film director, producer and activist. Her film credits include SOB, THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, AFTER HOURS, PULP FICTION, CRASH, NOWHERE TO RUN, NEW YORK STORIES and THE BILLIONAIRE BOY’S CLUB. She’s done a ton of television over the years, including WHAT ABOUT BRIAN, THE L WORD, RAY DONOVAN and most recently the terrific PRESUMED INNOCENT, which is streaming on APPLE TV.
I've known Ro for almost 20 years now, and so it was a real honor to have her join me for this fun, insightful, poignant chat about life, love, loss, work and politics.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 28, 2025 • 25min
Rep. Pat Ryan
Congressman Pat Ryan represents Upstate New York's 18th Congressional District. He's a West Point graduate, former Army Captain, and Ulster County Executive. He served two tours in Iraq where he led soldiers of all backgrounds in combat and earned two Bronze Stars.
Join us for this important chat about the current political landscape under Trump 2.0 and what Democrats can and should do going forward to win the 2026 midterms and the next presidential election in 2028.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 25, 2025 • 1h 13min
Ron Filipkowski
Ron Filipkowski is a former US Marine, State prosecutor, federal prosecutor, police academy director, lifelong Republican, Republican Club President, and was appointed by Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis to the Judicial nominating committee. Ron was a Republican Against Trump in 2020 and switched parties Jan 7, 2021. He left private-practice a year ago to become Editor in Chief of Meidas Touch. And he is co-host of the podcast Uncovered ,which focuses on covering the MAGA movement.
Ron's a smart, funny, no-bullshit guy. Join us as we get into the November election, Trump 2.0, and the challenging road ahead.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 23, 2025 • 54min
R.J. Cutler
R.J. Cutler is an award-winning director and producer who has been making documentary film and television series for over thirty years. Cutler’s work has been nominated for an Academy Award, and he is the recipient of numerous other awards including three Emmys, two Peabody Awards, and a GLAAD Award. In 2009, the Museum of Television and Radio held a four-day retrospective of R.J.’s work. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Critic’s Choice Awards Pennebaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Documentary Film. In 2020, Cutler launched This Machine, a production company focused on developing and producing documentary projects for film and television, which is now a part of Sony Pictures Television.
R.J.’s film’s include THE WAR ROOM, BELUSHI, BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY, MARTHA and ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE. His television work includes Freshman Diaries, 30 Days, Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, Murf the Surf, Big Vape, Nashville, If I Stay, and The Oval Office Tapes.
Join me for a fun, fascinating chat with R.J. about his early life and inspirations and his stellar career as a producer and director.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 18, 2025 • 55min
Christopher Cox
Christopher Cox is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the University of California, Irvine, a Life Trustee of the University of Southern California, Chair of the Rhodes Scholarship selection committee for Southern California and the Pacific, and a member of several nonprofit and for-profit boards. Between two decades as a practicing lawyer, he served as chair of the Homeland Security Committee in the US House of Representatives, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior associate counsel to the President. He has written for Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, The Detroit News, The Denver Post, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other publications. His new book is Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 15, 2025 • 39min
Juanita Tolliver
Juanita Tolliver is an MSNBC Political Analyst, an Opinion Contributor for theGrio, and a Contributor for SiriusXM Progress. Previously, she served as the Director of Campaigns at the Center for American Progress. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her new book, A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics, is on sale January 14th.
Join us as Juanita takes us in riveting detail through the fascinating life and historic career of Shirley Chisholm.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 13, 2025 • 33min
Michael Steele
Michael Steele is the co-host of MSNBC’s ‘The Weekend’ and host of ‘The Michael Steele Podcast.’ Prior to joining MSNBC as a political analyst, he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003. Following his time as Lt. Governor, he served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011. He was the first African-American to hold either office. He has appeared on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Real Time with Bill Maher, and The Daily Show and is also the author of two books.
The always insightful and entertaining Michael is back in The Back Room pulling no punches on Trump, the GOP, Democrats, and the challenging road ahead.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 11, 2025 • 1h 8min
Jill Wine-Banks
Jill Wine-Banks is an attorney, author, speaker, MSNBC Legal Analyst, and co-host of the award-winning #SistersinLaw podcast. She also hosts the YouTube show, Just The Facts. Her 2020 memoir is The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against A Criminal President, about her life and work as a Watergate prosecutor, and a film adaptation of the book is in discussion. Jill is a frequent op-ed contributor to various publications including the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and Politico. She’s also appeared in films including Watergate—Or: How We Learned to Stop an Out of Control President; All the President's Men Revisited; and Fahrenheit 11/9.
Given her experience as a former Watergate prosecutor, I'm sure you'll find Jill's insights and perspective into Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the current political landscape as compelling as I did. Join us as we explore what's to come in Trump 2.0.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 8, 2025 • 53min
Andrew McCarthy
Andrew McCarthy is an award-winning travel writer, television director, and actor. He’s appeared in over two dozen films including such iconic 80s movies as PRETTY IN PINK and ST. ELMO’S FIRE. His recent documentary, BRATS, debuted at #1 on Hulu. He’s directed nearly 100 hours of television, including Orange Is the New Black and The Blacklist. Andrew’s also been named Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers, and for a dozen years served as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. He is the author or four New York Times Best Selling books, including, most recently, WALKING WITH SAM.
Join us for the fun, honest, insightful in-depth chat about Andrew's life and career, and of course, his documentary BRATS, which he directed and produced. It’s a poignant, captivating journey through this pivotal era of his life as a member of the legendary Brat Pack. The film includes interviews with former castmates, producers and other key figures associated with the beloved 1980’s coming of age films which include THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ST ELMOS’S FIRE, PRETTY IN PINK and MANNEQUIN.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jan 4, 2025 • 41min
Dr. Helen Ouyang
Helen Ouyang is an emergency physician, associate professor at Columbia University, and contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. She is also a fellow at the Type Media Center. She has written for The Atlantic, Harper’s, Los Angeles Times, New York, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. Her writing has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award, anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, and funded by The Pulitzer Center.
Join us for this important conversation about the state of our nation's healthcare and insurance industries.
Got somethin' to say?!
Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com
Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy
Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel