Joaquin Phoenix is one of the greatest actors of his generation. For three decades, he’s moved seamlessly between auteur-driven films (Her, The Master) and box-office sensations (Gladiator, Joker).

We sit today for a rare, long-form conversation with Phoenix, starting with his latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux (7:00), his free-wheeling collaborations with director Todd Phillips (9:30), and the nomadic upbringing that marked his early years (13:13). Then, he reflects on his childhood television debut in Hill Street Blues (20:30), the brilliance of Robert De Niro (27:20), and his formative performances in To Die For and Parenthood (31:50).

On the back-half, we discuss how the polarizing mockumentary, I’m Still Here (42:07), inspired his singular collaborations with directors Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, James Gray, and Lynne Ramsay (46:10). We also talk about the evolution of his acting process (48:00), the impassioned Oscars speech he delivered accepting Best Actor for Joker (52:45), and whether he’ll ever turn in what he believes is a ‘great’ performance (58:22).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For actor Myha’la, the role of a lifetime arrived less than a year out of college. “Lightning struck,” she says, “and in so many ways I have been preparing my entire life to be here.” In this case ‘here’ is Industry’s Harper Stern, a fiercely ambitious college grad who has come to London from New York to join Pierpont, a prestigious financial investment bank.

With the season finale of HBO’s breakout hit approaching, we sat down with Myha'la to discuss all things Harper (4:42): how the evolution of the character can be charted by her hairstyles (8:05), a recent pivot into “ethical investing” (10:45), and the Gen-Z qualities she best exemplifies (14:04). We also discuss the actor’s first experiences singing and dancing (16:00), her time as frontwoman of a Christian Rock band (20:30), and a formative experience at her Catholic high school (23:01).

On the back half, Myha’la reflects on her years at Carnegie Mellon (34:55), her views around “method acting” (39:30), the first day on the set of Industry (42:55), the personal investment she’s made in Harper Stern (48:00), a humbling performance (53:50) never far from mind, and the ‘picture’ she’d like to paint as an artist in the years ahead (56:50).

This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios and Pushkin Industries. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past couple decades, actor Ken Leung has played scene-stealing characters in films like Rush Hour, Keeping the Faith, and A.I. Or, prestige TV shows like Lost and The Sopranos.

Today, he joins us to discuss his spectacular turn in HBO’s Industry (7:30), how he created his character in baseball-bat-wielding manager Eric Tao (9:55), and his Brooklyn upbringing to a family of Chinese immigrants (17:35). Then, he shares how he found his footing as an actor (23:30), a memory of his late younger brother, Kevin (29:27), and why he views each film and TV set as a ‘spiritual space’ (30:56).

On the back-half, we walk through Leung’s work on The Sopranos (32:30), his present-day collaboration with actor Myha’la (37:45), the arc of this latest season of Industry (44:15), the state of representation in Hollywood (48:06), and why he feels at peace in this moment (53:00).

Clips courtesy of HBO. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.