Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Tara Stoinski is a primatologist and President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Tara joins the Armchair Expert to discuss studying gorillas for more than two decades, her desire work with animals from a young age, and how ecotourism in Africa is helping the conservation efforts and the local economy. Tara explains gorilla mating rituals and communication tactics, the new technology they use to study and collect data on primates, and how gorillas have an effect on global climate change. Tara also talks about losing her husband to cancer and how she threw herself into her work to help cope with the trauma. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Luke Wilson (12 Mighty Orphans, The Royal Tenenbaums, Idiocracy) is an actor. Luke joins the Armchair Expert to discuss cameramen being the coolest people on set, his interest in reading about music, and growing up as the youngest brother in Texas. Luke and Dax talk about wishing they had bought property in Austin back in the '90s, being fascinated with other people's acting process, and having to be reminded about storylines for their acting roles. Luke explains how he got involved in working with Wes Anderson, being nervous about playing a football coach, and that Dax does a pretty good Owen Wilson impression. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fresh (Richfresh, Henry Mask) is a fashion designer based in Los Angeles. Fresh joins the Armchair Expert to talk about getting into fashion in middle school because he was told he didn't dress well, teaching himself how to tailor suits because no one would apprentice him, and being the youngest and only black tailor in most shops in New York. Fresh explains how he ended up in a homeless shelter because of his drug addiction, raising a daughter on his own, and becoming a symbol of alpha male culture which he later rejected. Fresh talks about how his father's passing affected his outlook on life, that he used to blame everyone else for his misfortunes, and how he identified the sacrifices he needed to make to achieve success. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barry Meier (Spooked, Pain Killer) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and a former New York Times journalist. Barry joins the Armchair Expert to discuss investigating the opioid crisis, how Big Pharma played a role in perpetuating the problem, and the depths in which people will go to make money on people's addictions. Barry and Dax talk about the modern-day private spy industry, news media bias, and how the spread of misinformation has shaped the political landscape. Barry explains how spy companies use digital tactics to acquire information, how phone hacking has become harder and harder to police around the world, and that the use of dirty tactics in private espionage is being solicited more frequently. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica Biel (7th Heaven, The Sinner, Cruel Summer) is an actress and producer. Jessica joins the Armchair Expert to discuss having a baby during the pandemic, her experience on a hit sitcom early in her career, and starting her own production company at 22 years old. Jessica and Dax talk about being typecast in acting roles, trying to sell their tv scripts to studios, and Jessica's attraction to her husband Justin Timberlake. Jessica explains that she has always been a people pleaser, whether or not she wants her kids to get into show business, and what it was like hanging out with Jay-Z and Beyonce. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Bosh is an eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, and an Olympic gold medalist. Chris joins the Armchair Expert to talk about growing up in Dallas, what it was like being 6' 11" in high school, and going to Robotics Club before basketball practice. Chris and Dax discuss young athletes learning how to manage their money, winning championships with your friends, and how much they both love Austin. Chris talks about being forced into early retirement because of health issues, finding a new identity outside of basketball, and writing his first book, "Letters to a Young Athlete." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Revelation, Under the Skin) is an English comedian, actor, podcaster, writer, and activist. Russell joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how addiction is just amplified attachment, his tendency to use material means to resolve his spiritual issues, and his initial reluctancy about recovery. Dax and Russell talk about their relationship with women, their shared impulse to move towards chaos, and the importance of valuing your inner life more than your outer life. Russell explains how he came to find transcendental meditation, the role community plays in his life, and how our brains are a tangled fishing net. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bubba Wallace is a professional stock car racing driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bubba joins the Armchair Expert to talk about growing up in North Carolina, learning to race in his Dad's go-kart, and how he was more interested in playing basketball as a kid. Dax and Bubba discuss the mental strength needed to be a race car driver, the Confederate flag being banned by NASCAR, and becoming an activist for cultural change in his sport. Bubba talks about having Michael Jordan as his new boss, wanting to be known more for winning races, and being tougher on himself than anyone else. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Jurassic World, Mutha) is an actor and author. Vincent returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss his new book of short poems, his acting process to find his character's voice, and being a perfectionist about learning his lines. Vincent and Dax talk about their love for Chris Pratt, their scuba diving experiences, and that they want to collaborate on a project involving Dax's drawings. Vincent explains that he never gets nervous around other actors and that he wants Dax to move to Europe with him someday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Susan Stryker is a professor, author, filmmaker, and theorist whose work focuses on gender and human sexuality.Susan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the transgender experience in today's modern world, consulting on the Lady and the Dale docuseries, and how transgender hate is rooted in racism, colonization, and oppression. Susan and Dax talk about the history of criminalization of non-reproductive sexuality, the cross-cultural view of transgender people, and what transmisogyny means. Susan and Dax debate how people should approach transgender Olympic athletes, beliefs about masculinity, and what actually gives an athlete an advantage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.