Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Halsey is a Grammy Award-nominated, platinum-selling singer songwriter. Halsey joins the Armchair Expert and the two bond over vaping, ranch-style homes, and both having car salesman fathers. Halsey opens up about being bipolar, the effects of that while being in a relationship with an addict, and the impact Mac Miller's death had on her. Halsey reflects on how she used to use her sexuality and how much more empowered her talents make her feel now. She discusses how writing has turned into a tool for exorcising pain, learning about most life experiences through books first, and Halsey reads one of her new poems for us. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daniel Ricciardo is an Italian-Australian Formula One racing driver. Daniel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss getting into racing when he was 9 years old, how he stays fit during the race season and rebounding from a poor qualifying round. Dax explains the science behind downforce and g-force, he compliments Daniel on his girthy neck and pitches a race gas scented cologne. Daniel explains how anti-superstitious he is and how it leads to a lack of accountability, how he finds enjoyment before a race and just how important the first 45 seconds of a race is. By the end of the interview, Monica impresses Daniel with the insightfulness of her racing questions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant, The Big Bang Theory, 8 Simple Rules) is an actress and producer. Kaley joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her equestrian husband Karl, how he has an Instagram account dedicated to trolling her, and how strong his legs are. Kaley expresses her gratitude for having John Ritter and Katey Sagal as role models early on in her career and how she navigated the success of the Big Bang Theory. The two bond over Dateline and Comedian in Cars Getting Coffee while Dax describes the trailer to her new show in great detail and suggests that Kaley and Kristen start a support group for dog lovers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yuval Harari (Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century) is a historian who lectures at the Department of History, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in world history. Yuval joins the Armchair Expert again to discuss the positive and negative sides of biometric surveillance and the importance of trusting other scientific institutions. Yuval explains the value of understanding how we got where we are today, that revolutions need to be gradual, and how disruptive technologies don't obey borders. The two discuss how extreme views are much better for grabbing human attention, how algorithms are figuring out how to hack humans, and the problems with believing in free will without considering external manipulation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam Brody, actor and producer known for his roles in The O.C. and Gilmore Girls, shares his fascinating journey through the golden age of teen television. He dives into his quirky OCD habits, from rearview mirrors to memorable auditions for Blues Clues. The conversation takes an intriguing turn as they discuss the life of Jack Parsons and his influence on storytelling. With amusing anecdotes about three-ways on screen and reflections on early fame, Adam captivates with his wealth of knowledge and humor.

Spooky episode alert! Joseph Laycock is an associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University. Joseph joins the Armchair Expert to discuss all things exorcism; the overall belief of demonic possession in America, the unholy trinity of films that influenced belief, and how it's typically a political phenomenon. Joseph talks about the Salem Witch Trials, the West Memphis Three trial, the McMartin Preschool trial and explains why people tend to tell awful stories during times of upheavals. Dax reminisces on the satanic panic of the 80s and Joseph exclaims that if you're doing it right, critical thinking should hurt. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, True Detective) is a Golden Globe & Academy Award-Winning actor, author, and producer. Matthew joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the red and yellow lights in his life that he turned into green lights, why he loves delusional optimism so much, and the art of running downhill. Dax and Matthew bond over having to navigate fighting their fathers, how they aren't who they are without the love of their mothers, and growing up around "by hook or by crook" ethics. Matthew tells the horror story of his year abroad in Australia and Dax confirms that the two do indeed have rhythm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erin Geiger Smith is a freelance reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and author of Thank You for Voting: The Past, Present, and Future of Voting. Erin joins the Armchair Expert to talk about the history of democracy, the rise of the electoral college, and how voting has evolved over time. Erin explains the ways in which voter suppression is still happening today, the systematic issues we face and how democracy works best if everybody shows up. Dax asks Erin about voter fraud and the voting statistics between different demographics. In the fact check, Dax and Monica have a debate about issues on this year's ballot. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chelsea Handler (Evolution, Chelsea Lately, The Chelsea Handler Show) is a comedian, actress, writer, television host, producer and activist. Chelsea sits down the Armchair Expert to discuss how standup comedy is evolving, how she can tell by body type what drug a person can handle, and she admits that being known for insulting people puts them at unease when she first meets them. Chelsea discusses her path to realizing she wasn't a very empathetic person, how people should look at change with open-mindedness instead of fear, and how she wanted to attack the issue of white privilege from her own perspective. Dax admits he doesn't have as thick of skin as Chelsea while she explains the desire to keep putting herself out there in vulnerable ways. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BONUS EPISODE with Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Isabel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss caste systems in the United States, the patterns of regression in civil rights in this country and giving someone the basic benefit of the doubt. She explains assumptions of competence, how embedded assumptions are and that caste systems aren't only about race. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.