Experienced chef and TV personality Michael Symon talks with Marc Maron about home cooking, fermenting, hyper-local BBQ, the perfect egg and his journey in the food industry. Todd Barry also stops by to discuss his new standup special.

Reporter Jeff Sharlet discusses his new book on the role of religion in American culture and politics. They delve into topics such as language appropriation, fringe movements, Christian nationalism, safe spaces, whiteness, mourning, hope in small towns, young organizers, and the power of storytelling.

Maria Bamford, famous comic and author of the memoir, Sure, I'll Join Your Cult, joins Marc Maron to catch up on their mental health outlooks, reflect on their personal experiences with relationships, discuss the challenges faced by comedians, and delve into Maria's experiences with mental health and medication.

Blind writer, editor, and lecturer Andrew Leland talks with Marc about technological advancements for the visually impaired, the emotional response to blindness, and conflicting agendas within the blind community.

Amanda Seales, guest on the show Insecure, has a crisis of confidence. They talk about her comedy, music, and studies of hip-hop. Amanda's new comedy special focuses on civic engagement. They discuss the importance of understanding civics and the challenges of living one's own life. They also talk about the process and challenges of creating a comedy special and maintaining control over a project.

Nimesh Patel, a first generation Indian-American comedian, shares how he incorporates his diverse background into his act. He discusses getting personal in comedy, resisting becoming a culture war pawn, and finding success on stage and TikTok. The conversation also explores controversy in casting, migration and identity, the chaos of growing up in an immigrant community, and the importance of cultural identity and comedic boundaries.

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.