Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella
Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 7, 2022 • 1h 12min
Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show, Nobody, Better Call Saul) is an actor, writer, and producer. Bob joins the Armchair Expert to discuss beginning his career flying back and forth from Chicago to New York, being open and curious about people without judgment, and where his distaste for authority came from. Bob and Dax talk about their time on set shooting a movie together, not being able to connect with their fathers growing up, and creating successes out of their failures. Bob talks about getting held at gunpoint after a late-night improv show, why the title of his new book has the word "comedy" in it 3 times, and why having diversity in the writing room is so important.
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Mar 3, 2022 • 1h 11min
Jacqueline Novogratz (founder and CEO of Acumen)
Jacqueline Novogratz (Manifesto for a Moral Revolution) is an entrepreneur, author and founder of Acumen, a nonprofit global venture capital fund whose goal is to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. Jacqueline joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like growing up in a large family who moved around a lot, how she defines success beyond wealth, and why she left her job to start her own philanthropic nonprofit venture. Jacqueline and Dax talk about the difference between being a cynic and being a skeptic, how she feels we can solve the unhoused crisis, and how young people want to have a purpose in the jobs they choose. Jacqueline explains how investing in people empowers them to change their communities and what it truly means to perform a selfless act.
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Feb 28, 2022 • 1h 22min
Alia Shawkat
Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Search Party, Being the Ricardos) is an actor. Alia joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like to grow up in Palm Springs and how she doesn't like to attach her identity to being an actor. Alia and Dax talk about their love for collecting Jordan sneakers, how streaming platforms have changed television, and where she got the confidence in her comedic timing. Alia explains that her dad owned a strip club but also was the soccer coach, how she never talks to an actor before a kissing scene with them, and how much she loves painting.
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Feb 24, 2022 • 1h 34min
Chuck Palahniuk (novelist)
Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke, People Places Things) is an author and journalist. Chuck joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he uses suspense and tension in his novels, how he loves to hear other people's stories, and what absurd existentialism means to him. Chuck and Dax discuss how writers are always looking for the tragedy in stories, how communities can feel pride in their culture, and why so many people suffer from misophonia. Chuck explains what the snowflake analogy in Fight Club really means, that he didn't learn to read until he was 14, and how he once lied to get a job as a diesel mechanic.
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Feb 21, 2022 • 1h 18min
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, Elf, 500 Days of Summer) is an actor and musician. Zooey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how doing auditions always made her nervous, how she had to adjust from filming movies to shooting tv shows, and where her sense of fashion came from. Zooey and Dax talk about the double date they once went on together, how success sometimes comes from being obsessed with something, and their favorite cookies. Zooey explains how much fun she is having recording her new podcast, how she used to have dance parties on set, and the results of her food sensitivity test.
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Feb 17, 2022 • 1h 25min
Metta World Peace (former NBA player)
Metta World Peace (NBA Champion, All-Star, and Defensive Player of the Year) is a former basketball player. Metta joins the Armchair Expert to discuss staying up until 3 am shooting hoops in his neighborhood, what his experience was like being a part of the Malice at the Palace, and how he has approached dealing with mental health issues over the course of his life. Metta and Dax discover their mutual love for Spades, how one of their favorite pastimes is stargazing, and how they will never stop eating fast food. Metta explains who was the hardest player for him to guard in the NBA, how he would choose to defend himself against a mountain lion, and what the motivation was for him to change his name.
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Feb 14, 2022 • 1h 13min
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult (The Great, About a Boy, Mad Max: Fury Road) is an actor. Nicholas joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he got into motorcycle racing, that he often has social anxiety in hindsight, and how he dealt with being a child actor. Nicholas and Dax talk about where they think "dad bods" come from, how embarrassing the choreography for Mad Max was to shoot, and how being raised by women shaped his character. Nicholas explains that he sometimes will lie about having seen a movie, his approach to shooting an awkward sex scene, and what advice Michael Shannon gave him on playing a real person on screen.
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Feb 10, 2022 • 1h 41min
Brené Brown Returns
Brené Brown (Atlas of the Heart) is a research professor and author. Brené joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how important language is to express our emotions, how people often incorrectly use the terms envy and jealousy, and the difference between the halo effect and the bandwagon effect. Brené and Dax talk about what the physical symptoms of shame are, how some people are more hardwired for struggle, and if it's possible to have compassion for people who inflict trauma on others. Brené explains how she often races other people when swimming laps, how Schadenfreude can be a predictor of a fragile ego, and why she doesn't want to be seen as a motivational speaker.
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Feb 7, 2022 • 1h 19min
Kristen Bell Returns Again
Kristen Bell (The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window) is an actor and producer. Kristen returns to discuss her new satirical thriller on Netflix, her recent colonoscopy, and how great she is at doing impressions. Kristen and Dax talk about investigating a weird smell in their bedroom, why you shouldn't wash your feet in the shower, and how you can make your favorite scent into a lotion. Kristen explains why she thinks Monica's ears got infected from new earrings, that she dislikes the toilet paper they have in their motorhome, and the custom gift Dax got from a popcorn company.
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Feb 3, 2022 • 1h 46min
Michael Schur Returns
Michael Schur (The Good Place, The Office, Parks and Recreation) is a television producer and writer. Michael returns to discuss his new book on ethics and what he thinks it means to be a better person. Michael and Dax talk about the difference between guilt and shame, how the world rewards unique people but leaves others behind, and how it's a luxury for people to care about moral issues. Michael explains how he created a Katrina fundraiser from a fender bender accident, how he would go about setting up a new society, and his perspective on abstract versus realistic philosophical arguments.
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