Synopsis
Hi, Im 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 peoples 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.
Episodes
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Michael Moore (documentary filmmaker)
20/01/2022 Duration: 01h37minMichael Moore (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Where to Invade Next) is a documentary filmmaker and author. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it means to be liberal in America today, how he got interested in politics from winning a position on the school board when he was 18, and how he thinks we can fix social security inequalities. Michael and Dax talk about what happened to the auto industry in Detroit, how the people of Michigan reacted to Roger & Me, and why it is so hard for Americans to agree on the subject of abortion. Michael explains why he doesn't drive an electric car, what being bottle-fed as an infant did to him, and how he feels Americans are closer to each other on political issues than we are led to believe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Max Greenfield
17/01/2022 Duration: 01h22minMax Greenfield (New Girl, The Neighborhood) is an actor. Max joins the Armchair Expert to discuss writing a book for beginner readers, how being dyslexic doesn't mean that you can't learn, and how he struggled for a long time before becoming a successful actor. Max and Dax talk about their experiences with sobriety, how Max committed to adopting a dog right before going into treatment, and how much they love the schedule of filming a TV show. Max explains how he is pretty sure he had a concussion playing football in high school, what it's like to be married to a casting director, and how he didn't know what pants to wear after coming out of lockdown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Stacey Abrams (Former Georgia State Representative & Voting Rights Activist)
13/01/2022 Duration: 01h24minStacey Abrams (Stacey's Extraordinary Words) is a political leader, voting rights activist, and best-selling author. Stacey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her work to expand voting rights for disadvantaged communities, the corruption she has seen within the American political system, and how the sources of information have been fractured by social media. Stacey talks about embracing her heritage at a young age, how her parents encouraged her to be educated despite their social standing, and her experience running for Governor of Georgia. Stacey explains why she wanted to write a children's book about her struggles in school, her views on forgiveness and repentance for public figures, and how her dad was a fantastic storyteller despite being dyslexic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jeremy Renner
10/01/2022 Duration: 01h11minJeremy Renner (Mayor of Kingstown, Hawkeye, The Hurt Locker) is an actor. Jeremy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss where the confidence in his own masculinity comes from, how his first investments were in real estate, and how he was a makeup artist while auditioning for roles early in his career. Jeremy talks about how he bought a fleet of firetrucks to support volunteer crews in his community, what the experience of shooting The Hurt Locker was like, and how his relationship with the original six Marvel stars has evolved over the years. Jeremy explains why he took the Mayor of Kingstown role without reading a single line of the script, how never used to buy things for fun, and how he was always more comfortable on the stage than on film. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO)
06/01/2022 Duration: 01h45minEric 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 criminalizing addictive behavior. Eric explains the concept of large language models as it relates to AI, how the internet isn't optional but fundamental for people in today's world, and that in the near future the only resource left for humans compete over will be fame. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Dwyane Wade
03/01/2022 Duration: 01h37minDwyane 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. Dwyane explains what Shaquille O'Neal did for his basketball career, why he wanted to do a photographic book highlighting the big moments of his life, and how his own family didn't congratulate him on being named one of the top 75 best basketball players ever. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Holiday Spectacular 2021
20/12/2021 Duration: 01h20minJoin 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.
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Best of 2021
13/12/2021 Duration: 01h38minOn 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.
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Anderson Cooper (CNN Political Commentator)
09/12/2021 Duration: 01h42minAnderson 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, and how the inheritance of the family mansions affected future generations. Anderson explains that there was a pathological desire for money within the family, that the concept of a trust fund was explained to him at a very early age, and how he approaches the subject of money with his own son. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Brooke Shields
06/12/2021 Duration: 01h55minBrooke 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 find their identity, that it was like a dream to shoot a movie in Scotland, and how she is an advocate for the mental health of mothers everywhere. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder)
02/12/2021 Duration: 01h45minReid 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 investors. Reid explains how the most successful companies prioritize speed over efficiency when they launch, that he started a social network before MySpace and Facebook existed, and why people need to learn how to fail early in order to succeed later. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Bradley Cooper
29/11/2021 Duration: 01h53minBradley 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 beautiful Bradley's new movie Nightmare Alley is. Bradley explains that he was very surprised when he was voted Sexiest Man Alive, how he used to be obsessed with reading the comments about his character in Alias, and being held at knifepoint on a New York subway. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Chris Wallace
25/11/2021 Duration: 01h50minChris 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 how he once attended the Republican Convention as Walter Cronkite's assistant, that he was sat in the last row for his first Emmy's win, and what hard-nosed question he asked Vladimir Putin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Nick Offerman
22/11/2021 Duration: 01h43minNick 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 a kitchen table for Rainn Wilson. Nick explains that he has always kept the mentality of a student to keep learning new things and what it means to him to be a patriotic American. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Erin Lee Carr Returns (documentarian of Britney Vs Spears)
18/11/2021 Duration: 01h16minErin 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 recently trying to reduce her screen time, her upcoming murder documentary, and what documentaries she and Dax love right now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Rachael Ray
15/11/2021 Duration: 01h17minRachael 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 how teaching a cooking class eventually led to a Food Network deal. Rachael explains that she achieved a lifelong dream to own property in Italy, how she doesn't care at all what people think about her, and that a home is a frame of mind and not the stuff in it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Khalil Gibran Muhammad
11/11/2021 Duration: 01h40minKhalil 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 homeowners, how the political system fits into the equation of progress, and how interviewing Rodney King influenced him to pursue a career in the legal system. Khalil explains that teaching critical race theory can shape how laws are written in the future, his experience having a white guy as a best friend, and why all Americans should fight against fascism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Stanley Tucci
08/11/2021 Duration: 01h59minStanley 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 snob, the differences between English and American actors, and what it was like to lose his ability to taste from a tumor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Paul Bloom
04/11/2021 Duration: 01h44minPaul 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 actually prevented people from finding true happiness, the differences in the sexual fantasies between men and women, and whether or not having kids makes people happy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Ed Sheeran
01/11/2021 Duration: 01h45minEd 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 differences between American and English culture when it comes to sex, how he doesn't care much for award shows, and the reason why he turned an old barn on his property into a pub. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.