Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time of Hollywood, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs) is an Academy-Award winning & Golden Globe-Award winning film director, screenwriter, producer, author, and actor. Quentin sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss how movie crews have a military aspect to their hierarchy, the phenomenon that is Pulp Fiction, and what it was like starting a sub-genre in crime and gangster films. Quentin explains how Reservoir Dogs made him a rockstar in Britain, how cool is an aesthetic and not an attitude, and that he doesn't want to work with actors who just want to be in a "Tarantino" movie. Quentin talks about how good-looking Brad Pitt is and his take on movie theaters closing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barack Obama (A Promised Land, Dreams From My Father) is a politician and served as the 44th President of the United States. President Obama joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the expectations that were set on him from his mother and how sports shaped his youth. Barack and Dax discuss being the brunt of the jokes from their children, growing up in single-mother households, and what it was like to be guarded by LeBron James in a pickup basketball game at the White House. Barack explains what he learned about being a father from his time helping to raise his siblings, why he transferred to Columbia after two years of college, and how most politicians will do anything to avoid public failure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Spider-man: Far from Home, May I Elaborate?) is an actor, comedian, and writer. J.B. sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss his attraction to the era when men wore nice suits and shoes, how he custom-built his closet, and thrifting to find unique clothing. J.B. talks about his time starring on Curb Your Enthusiasm, his approach to working with Larry David, and how he feels like he can say things as Leon that J.B. would never say. J.B. talks about taking a job as a Saturday Night Live writer, his admiration for Jerry Seinfeld, and how you should look a man straight in the eyebrows when you meet him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Julianna Margulies (ER, The Good Wife, Sunshine Girl) is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award-winning actress. Julianna joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her parents splitting up when she was young, growing up in Paris, and how her husband is the perfect person for her after a lot of difficult relationships. Julianna talks about shooting her first movie in Prague with Steven Seagal, her experience working on ER with George Clooney, and wanting to write an actor's handbook for set etiquette. Julianna explains her need to ignore negative reviews, how she's only recently joined social media, and why everyone should work in the service industry at some point in their careers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yusef Salaam (Exonerated Five, Better Not Bitter) and Ethan Herisse (When They See Us) both join the Armchair Expert to discuss the impact that the Netflix series has had on popular culture and how their friendship has grown over the years. Yusef talks about not being bitter about his experience in prison, the impact his mother had on him, and how he used meditation to get through incarceration. Ethan discusses moving to LA when he was 12 to pursue acting, narrating Yusef's new book, and being a student majoring in Chemistry. Yusef explains his perspective on reparations, the law of abundance, and that the memories of prison will stay with him forever. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daniel Kahneman is a psychologist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Daniel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the complexity of human nature, studying judgment and decision-making, and his experiments involving loss aversion. Daniel explains that memories can play tricks on our minds when remembering experiences and how to avoid noise and bias in the corporate hiring process. Daniel recounts his childhood growing up in Nazi-occupied France and his encounter with an SS soldier, he breaks down decision hygiene, and how it relates to vaccines. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jonathan Tucker (Parenthood, Kingdom, Debris) is an actor. Jonathan joins the Armchair Expert from his 1989 Cadillac DeVille to discuss his plan to live in his van before the pandemic happened, growing up in tough Charlestown Boston, and how the neighborhood has changed over the years. Jonathan explains how codeswitching led to acting, getting into ballet at a young age, and how he wants his children to be inspired by their multi-cultural background. Jonathan and Dax discuss getting in shape mentally and physically for roles, how Parenthood changed his life, and the power of authenticity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a member of the British royal family. Prince Harry joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how to approach mental health issues, growing up with privilege, and how healing it is to perform a service for someone. Harry discusses how much like the Truman Show his life is, unconscious bias, and how people can change their mindset once they acknowledge it. Harry talks about his time in the military service, how it opened his eyes to the trauma people face around the world, and how much more important mental health is than physical health. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Rogen is an actor, writer, producer, director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Seth returns to Armchair Expert to discuss his approach for writing his new book, how awful weed paraphernalia is, and why he started his high-end weed company. Seth and Dax discuss why weed was stigmatized for years, why it should never have been illegal in the first place, and how he's not afraid to hurt racist people's feelings. Seth explains getting started in comedy by writing jokes about his grandparents, how he doesn't understand the tv world as much as film, and how amazed he is when he meets grown men that grew up watching his movies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard award-winning chef and author. Kwame joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his experience as a contestant and judge on Top Chef, writing his first book, and cooking for Obama, Oprah, and Dave Chappelle. Kwame and Dax talk about their shared experience growing up in a single-mother household and how as a kid, Kwame was sent to Nigeria for two years to live with his Grandpa. Kwame explains that opening his own restaurants has taught him how to be a better leader and that he's not the best Spades partner if you want to win. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.