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Netflix
Skip Intro with Krista Smith is an award-winning show with new episodes semi-monthly. It brings you dynamic conversations with the exceptional people behind your favorite shows, films, specials, and documentaries on Netflix.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 21, 2019 • 46min
Sir Anthony Hopkins
In this special episode, Oscar-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins joins the show (he prefers to be addressed as Tony), to discuss his new film “The Two Popes,” from Academy Award-nominated director Fernando Meirelles. Inspired by true events, the film is a fascinating tale of an unprecedented transfer of power in the Catholic Church. It follows the imagined conversations between two very different men about the role of the Church in a changing world — one a traditionalist (Hopkins as Pope Benedict), and the other a progressive (Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis). With unexpected humor, sweeping vision, and extraordinary performances, the film is a revealing look at two of the most well-known men in the world.Hopkins, of course, is a legend, but at 81 years-old he wears the mantle of success lightly, eschewing the trappings of fame and retaining a great humility about all that he has achieved. In this interview, Hopkins goes back to the beginning of the story, from his life as a young man in Wales, to his work on the stage, and “The Silence of the Lambs” phenomenon. He also talks about the moment he won that Oscar, his feelings about faith, his rigorous approach to his work, and his experience with actors like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. And he discusses his impressive Instagram game, his art, his music, and his sense that his life’s success is “all a dream.”

Nov 14, 2019 • 46min
Laura Dern
During the course of her career, Laura Dern, the daughter of actors Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, has carved her own unique path, moving effortlessly between the worlds of independent film and blockbuster franchises like “Jurassic Park” and, most recently, “Star Wars.” She is a two-time Oscar nominee, a four-time Golden Globe winner, and the recipient of an Emmy award for her critically acclaimed work in “Big Little Lies.” Dern is also an activist and philanthropist, and a beacon in the Hollywood community.In this episode, Dern talks about her new film “Marriage Story,” from Academy Award nominated filmmaker Noah Baumbach. It’s an incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together, and it stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, as well as Alan Alda and Ray Liotta. She also talks about growing up on film sets watching the masters Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese at work, the arc of her career through the eighties and nineties, and how she’s seen the experience of women working in the industry evolve.

Nov 8, 2019 • 36min
The Breakout: Kiernan Shipka
“Mad Men” fans watched Kiernan Shipka grow up on the small screen in her role as Sally Draper, the daughter of Betty and Don. Her nuanced and captivating performance earned her critical acclaim and an older sophisticated fan base for such a young talent. Since then, Shipka, who was born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, has taken on a host of different projects, including Ryan Murphy’s “Feud” and the psychological horror film “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.” At the beginning of 2018, she stepped into the magical, mischievous world of half-human, half-witch Sabrina Spellman in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” based on the Archie comic book series.In this conversation, Shipka, who is about to turn 20, talks about her new film, “Let it Snow,” a teen drama about the friendships, love lives, and futures of a group of high school seniors, co-starring Shameik Moore and Isabel Moner. She also talks lessons learned growing up in the “Mad Men” world, what it’s like now to have a fan base closer to her own age, as well as her style philosophy, her go-to karaoke songs, and her love of a good power nap.

Oct 25, 2019 • 59min
Demi Moore
For this special episode, Krista traveled to San Francisco to interview Demi Moore in front of a sold-out crowd at an event hosted by City Arts & Lectures. As an actress, Demi Moore carved out one of the most extraordinary paths in modern Hollywood, shattering expectations of what a woman could earn, the kind of movie she could open, and how she could present herself in the world — her Vanity Fair cover, nude and pregnant, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, is now the stuff of legend.With films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Ghost,” and “A Few Good Men,” Moore shot to superstardom, achieving a level of success and celebrity that was further fueled by her high-profile marriage to Bruce Willis, with whom she shares three daughters. Now, the actress, producer, director and activist, has written the New York Times bestselling memoir “Inside Out,” a deeply affecting and highly personal account of her life and career. In this conversation, Moore opens up about the struggles and challenges she’s faced, and what fueled her all-or-nothing drive to succeed at the highest levels in Hollywood.

Oct 18, 2019 • 40min
The Breakout: Zoey Deutch
In this episode, Krista sits down with Zoey Deutch, one of Hollywood’s most sought after and poised young talents. For Deutch the reality of working life in Hollywood is far from a new concept. The young star, who began her career on the Disney Channel as a teenager, hails from a Hollywood family and took her first steps on a movie set. Her mother, Lea Thompson, is the actress known for the “Back to the Future" trilogy and the sitcom “Caroline in the City,” and her father Howard Deutch directed such John Hughes classics as “Pretty in Pink” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”In this conversation, Deutch discusses her latest projects: “The Politician,” the much-discussed new Ryan Murphy show, starring Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange; and “Zombieland: Double Tap,” which stars Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Jesse Eisenberg. She also talks about the benefits of growing up in a Hollywood family, her passion for the audition process, her struggles with anxiety, and why it’s so important to cultivate a life and interests beyond Hollywood.

Sep 13, 2019 • 33min
The Breakout: Kaitlyn Dever
At just 22 years-old, Kaitlyn Dever has already been acting for more than a decade, amassing a long list of credits in both film and television, including acclaimed independents like “Short Term 12,” and “The Spectacular Now.” But this year is proving to be a particularly special one for the young actress. She starred in Olivia Wilde’s critical darling coming-of-age directorial debut, “Book Smart,” and now she will appear in “Unbelievable,” a limited series based on true events, in which Dever plays a young woman accused of lying about a rape. Dever describes the role as the the biggest challenge of her career to date.

Sep 6, 2019 • 43min
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen has created some of the most unforgettable characters of the modern age, from Ali G to Bruno to Borat. His fearless comedic style and willingness to confront power and prejudice has transfixed audiences and resulted in accolades across the board. He’s an Oscar nominee, a Golden Globe nominee and winner, and a six-time Emmy award nominee.With his new limited series, “The Spy,” Cohen takes on the role of a real-world character for the first time. Set in the 1960s, it’s the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli clerk-turned-Mossad secret agent. Although the dramatic material may seem like new terrain for the actor, his ability to disappear into new identities, and the rigor with which he has always prepared to play characters, are both in evidence in his remarkable performance in the show. In this interview, Cohen discusses his history of dealing with the press in a non-traditional manner, the role technology played in his early success, and he talks about navigating tense real-world moments when he's in character, and the one thing he knows never to do when he finds himself in those situations. Cohen also discusses what it was like to shoot “The Spy,” and the insights he gained while living in an Arab country and working with a cast and crew that brought together people from all different political perspectives.

Aug 22, 2019 • 33min
The Breakout: Julia Garner
Julia Garner joins the show to discuss her Emmy-nominated performance as the tough yet vulnerable Ruth Langmore on “Ozark.” She talks about life on set, what she’s learned from working with the incredible cast, and the journey of her character. Known for her laser-like focus on her work, 25-year-old Garner has already built an impressive body of work, both in critically acclaimed independent films, like “Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene” and “Electrick Children,” and on hit shows like “The Americans.” Raised in New York by her mother, a comedian turned therapist, and her father, a painter and art teacher, Garner reflects on an upbringing that gave her both an insight into human psychology and a love of film and art. She also talks about her appreciation for fashion and rolls out an impressive Glinda the Good Witch impression.

Aug 15, 2019 • 43min
Eddie Murphy
Comedy legend Eddie Murphy joins the show to reflect upon his trailblazing career and to discuss his new film “Dolemite Is My Name,” directed by Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow,” “Empire”), and written by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (“Ed Wood,” “The People vs. O.J. Simpson”). “Dolemite Is My Name” tells the true story of comedian Rudy Ray Moore and his tireless effort to make a film about his stage persona, “Dolemite,” a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. The film has a star-studded cast, including Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Keegan-Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, and a breakout performance from Da’Vine Joy Randolph. “Dolemite is My Name” will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and be in theaters and on Netflix this fall.In this interview, Murphy shares his plans to return to to host SNL for the first time in over three decades. And he discusses hitting the road again for a stand-up tour when he will also perform music that he has otherwise kept from the public. He also reveals that he would still consider hosting the Oscars and shares why he chose to dedicate “Dolemite Is My Name” to his late, beloved brother Charlie Murphy.

Jul 31, 2019 • 41min
Brené Brown
In 2010, a research professor by the name of Brené Brown walked onto the TEDxHouston stage and delivered her talk, “The Power of Vulnerability.” Little did she know that this would change her life forever. That TED talk has now been viewed more than 50 million times, making Brown a global phenomenon. She is the author of five bestselling books, including “Daring Greatly,” “Rising Strong,” and “Dare to Lead,” and now Brown has a Netflix special, “The Call to Courage.” In this conversation, Brown takes us back to the very beginning of the story, from her early dreams of moving to New York, to her close call hitchhiking in Spain, to her struggle to get into the University of Texas. She also talks about faith and family, navigating success, and how she’s missing the “celebrity gene.”