Episodes

Eric Schmidt (The Age of AI: And Our Human Future) is a technologist, businessman, and former CEO of Google. Eric joins the Armchair Expert to discuss writing a book with Henry Kissinger about the growing industry of Artificial Intelligence, how AI will shape the minds of younger generations, and how it can discover new truths that humans can't see. Eric and Dax talk about the possible solutions for homelessness, how other countries are addressing the housing crisis, and how we should stop crimi...

Dwyane Wade is a former professional basketball player, film producer, and author. Dwyane joins the Armchair Expert to discuss navigating different forms of addiction throughout his life, how he never had too big of an ego to ask for mentorship, and who he thinks is the greatest basketball player of all time. Dwyane and Dax talk about picking up golf in retirement, how the system of athletic scholarships needs to be reformed, and the experience of being celebrated for just being a good father. D...

Join us for our annual holiday party where Dax, Monica and Wobby Wob reflect on the holidays and we welcome music and holiday cheer from Norah Jones & Kristen Bell. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from 2021. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anderson Cooper (Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty) is a broadcast journalist and political commentator. Anderson joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the relationship with his mother after the passing of his father, the reasons why he sought adventure in his life, and the motivation for writing a book about his ancestors. Anderson and Dax talk about why the Vanderbilts constructed such elaborate American palaces, how that time period was the beginning of celebrity in America,...

Brooke Shields (A Castle for Christmas) is an actor and model. Brooke joins the Armchair Expert to discuss raising two teenage girls, how her mother always aspired to be a model, and the misogyny that exists within the advertisement industry. Brooke and Dax talk about wanting to make their real-life experiences into movie scenes, how celebrities are often sexualized at a very young age, and why she decided to go to an Ivy League school. Brooke explains how she is working to help women over 40 fi...

Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn, Masters of Scale) is a software entrepreneur and author. Reid joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being obsessed with role-playing games as a kid, how he wanted to go to boarding school to have more experiences, and what it was like to work at Apple before the return of Steve Jobs. Reid and Dax talk about how we are already living in the metaverse, the ethics and responsibilities of operating a large scale company, and how to successfully pitch your idea to a room of inv...

Bradley Cooper (Nightmare Alley, A Star is Born, The Hangover) is an actor and filmmaker. Bradley joins the Armchair Expert to discuss their long-standing friendship that started at the beginning of their sobriety, exploring the mysteries of the human experiences through storytelling, and how he almost didn't get his breakthrough role in The Hangover. Bradley and Dax talk about how their careers took drastically different paths, how they were both once involved in an FBI investigation, and how b...

Chris Wallace is a journalist, author, and television news anchor. Chris joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how being the son of a famous journalist shaped his career, who his most memorable interviews have been, and his views on how we ended up with an opinion-driven 24-hour news cycle. Chris talks about how he has always tried to be an unbiased journalist, why he decided to write a book about Bin Laden's capture, and what it was like to moderate a presidential election twice. Chris explains ...

Nick Offerman (Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, Parks and Recreation, Devs) is an actor, comedian, and carpenter. Nick joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on a farm outside of Chicago, how he is often introduced as a master woodworker, and the story behind Ron Swanson. Nick talks about how his new book is about people getting more in touch with the nature around them, how it was tough to go from the theater scene to the television scene, and how he was once commissioned to make ...

Erin Lee Carr (Britney Vs Spears, I Love You Now Die, Mommy Dead and Dearest) is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and producer. Erin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss producing her new documentary Britney Vs Spears, her thoughts on conservatorship reform, and why Britney had such widespread mass appeal. Erin explains how the level of scrutiny on Britney was the same as someone like Princess Diana and how the lawyers in Britney's case took financial advantage of the situation. Erin talks about...

Rachael Ray (This Must Be the Place) is a cook, businesswoman, and best-selling author. Rachael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how she dealt with losing all her material possessions when her house burned down, how her sense of privacy changed after filming a show from her home, and how she loves to create an experience for people through food. Rachael talks about how she has never cared about money a day in her life, how she has modeled her work ethic after her grandfather and mother, and ...

Khalil Gibran Muhammad (Some of My Best Friends Are) is a Harvard professor and historian. Khalil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how the Civil Rights movement was shaped by the Cold War, how Chicago politics gave black people the opportunity to exercise their political muscles, and how the post-slavery system of institutions sought to control those who just received their freedom. Khalil and Dax talk about how the redlining of the mortgage system disenfranchised many hopeful black homeowne...

Stanley Tucci is an actor, writer, and producer. Stanley joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he decided to move to England, the motivation for writing a cookbook with his parents, and his experience eating and talking all day on his food show. Stanley and Dax talk about the reason Stanley is routinely described as being sexy, making cocktails on social media, and how Italians are very territorial about their food. Stanley explains that understanding the quality of food doesn't make him a sn...

Paul Bloom is a psychologist and professor at Yale University. Paul joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he loves to debunk simple ideas that people commonly have, how a full life requires both logic and emotion, and how people's empathy rarely extends past our own family or friends. Paul and Dax talk about why people seek out suffering in order to find pleasure, the fascination people have with villain types, and why hedonism can often lead to boredom. Paul explains how toxic positivity has...

Ed Sheeran is a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and producer. Ed joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his experience breaking onto the British music scene, how he documents his achievements on bottles of wine, and how he thinks camera phones are ruining the self-confidence of performers. Ed and Dax talk about British musicians sounding American in their songs, how success should be defined by how much you love your work, and how Ed came to be on Game of Thrones. Ed explains the differenc...

David Copperfield is an Emmy award-winning illusionist. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how his curiosity about the world led him to discover magic, how he wants his audience to be totally immersed at his shows, and how magic tricks have often influenced future technologies. David and Dax talk about the message behind his Statue of Liberty illusion, what their favorite magic movies are, and what his tactics are for keeping the secrets of his magic. David explains that he often doesn't...

Gwyneth Paltrow (Sex, Love & Goop, Iron Man, The Royal Tenenbaums) is an actress, author, and businesswoman. Gwyneth joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experience starting her own company, some of her medical ailments, and the topic of female sexuality. Gwyneth and Dax talk about the journey to quit smoking, how infidelity means something different to men and women, and how couples sometimes need to have some uncomfortable conversations. Gwyneth explains that people shouldn't be ashamed to...

Dr. Amishi Jha is a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami. Amishi joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up as an Indian-American in Chicago, why she started studying neuroscience, and her new book "Peak Mind". Amishi and Dax talk about what percentage of the brain we actually use, how people use confirmation bias to write their own story, and the power of attention on our perception of the world. Amishi explains how she manages her nervousness and anxiety, ...

Ron Howard (Parenthood, The Da Vinci Code, Happy Days) is a director, actor, and producer. Ron joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his personal and professional relationship with his brother, how instrumental his parents were in him becoming a child star, and his experience directing some of the best actors of all time. Ron and Dax talk about what they learned from testing their projects with audiences, what he learned from raising twins, and what mistakes he has made in his career. Ron explain...

Van Jones is an author, journalist, and lawyer. Van joins the Armchair Expert to discuss choosing activism after graduating from Yale Law School, his perspective on what "having privilege" means, and how he can work with both Democrats and Republicans. Van and Dax talk about how he became friends with Prince, being forced to resign from the Obama Administration, and what it's like to raise black children in America. Van explains that he still feels like a nerd at heart, what it was like being ra...

B.J. Novak (The Office, Inglourious Basterds, The Premise) is an actor, producer, and writer. B.J. joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his time on Punk'd, that he regrets not enjoying his time on The Office more, and what it was like to get cast by his hero Quentin Tarantino. B.J. and Dax talk about how they could never be on a celebrity roast, how Pulp Fiction made him want to be a writer, and that people will always find their way around censorship. B.J. explains that he thinks everyone is ac...

David Sedaris is an author and comedian. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his new book A Carnival of Snackery, why he can get away with saying things other people can't say, and how he takes five mile walks at midnight. David and Dax talk about the things they would get into before sobriety, knowing where every bathroom in New York City is, and how he is just never offended by anything. David explains that he loves when people are rude to him in real life and what he does when he's sol...

Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Green Street, No Man of God) is an actor and producer.Elijah joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how New Zealand became his home while shooting Lord of the Rings, the connection he has to other child actors of his generation, and how he learned to form his identity at a young age. Elijah and Dax talk about their shared loved of Austin, quitting smoking after 20 years, and wishing he could have gone to college. Elijah explains that he made a conscious decision to ...