Armchair Expert Podcast
Hi, I’m 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 people’s 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.
Erin & Sara Foster
Erin and Sara Foster (Nobody Wants This, The World’s First Podcast, Favorite Daughter) are producers, entrepreneurs, and podcast hosts. Erin and Sara join the Armchair Expert to discuss thinking their dad was unimpressive next to Goldie Hawn, refusing to join their family’s reality show, and Sara starting therapy after Erin’s intervention. Erin, Sara, and Dax talk about the temptation to buy podcast views, why listeners prefer their episodes without guests, and building a business around people knowing the real them. Erin and Sara explain why money doesn’t erase childhood hurt, how one story from their dad changed Erin’s understanding of being loved, and why winning a fight can still feel like losing.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mom's Car: Guy Stevenson
On this week’s episode of Mom’s Car we welcome Guy Stevenson (MADtv, Reno 911!, Punk’d). Guy, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through competing for alpha status at the Groundlings, Dax’s decades-long boxing lie, getting sober in the Marines, bouncing at Jumbo’s Clown Room, the making of Dax’s all-time favorite sketch, asking a heart surgeon for a wolf upgrade, and a motorcycle road trip neither Dax nor Aaron was brave enough to cancel.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nobody Wants This
Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, and Timothy Simons are actors on the series Nobody Wants This. The cast joins the Armchair Expert for Nobody Wants This Week to discuss Kristen’s first press appearance on TRL, Adam not knowing how to make coffee when he met his wife, and the peanut butter fingerprints that exposed Justine’s engagement-ring discovery. The cast and Dax talk about playing messy singles as married parents, protecting a romantic lead from becoming unforgivable, and Justine accidentally calling cut while kissing Tim. They explain why embarrassment can disguise itself as anger, which domestic habits their spouses will have to accept, and whose job it is to intervene when the in-laws hate your partner.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Armchair Anonymous: News II
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they made the news.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Malcolm Gladwell #4
Malcolm Gladwell (The American Way of Killing, Outliers, Revisionist History) is a bestselling author, journalist, and podcast host. Malcolm returns to Armchair Expert to discuss growing up among Canadian pacifists, discovering America through magazines, and making his home in the country that fascinated him as a kid. Malcolm and Dax talk about what Law & Order gets wrong about murder, how a surgeon’s 3,000 gunshot cases challenge the crime statistics, and what assault weapons bans actually ban. Malcolm explains why crime and violence are not the same problem, a mind-blowing statistic comparing the police forces of Los Angeles and Berlin, and how fear puts people on opposite sides of the gun debate.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mom's Car: Liz Plank
On this week’s episode of Mom’s Car we welcome Liz Plank (journalist, author of For the Love of Men, and host of Boy Problems). Liz, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through the stakes of soft launching a boyfriend, dating men who come with renovation projects, whether having a boyfriend is actually embarrassing, the difference between being picky and expecting perfection, why raising kids should be a team sport, begging your partner to finally fart in front of you, and Dax competing with Aaron’s girlfriend over who gets to take care of him.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick (The Perilous Fight, Colin in Black & White, I Color Myself Different) is a former NFL quarterback, author, and civil rights activist. Colin joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up Black in a white adoptive family, finding belonging in a Modesto barbershop, and choosing football over Major League Baseball prospects. Colin and Dax talk about the racial code words used to evaluate quarterbacks, reaching the Super Bowl in his tenth career start, and the teammate who helped turn sitting into kneeling. Colin explains why loving parents can still have blind spots, how reading Malcolm X reframed his childhood, and what happens when your daughter inherits your refusal to back down.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Armchair Anonymous: Study Abroad
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy study abroad story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ashe
Ashe (The Girl of Your Dreams, Moral of the Story, The Dream) is a singer and songwriter. Ashe joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up with a bipolar father, becoming the responsible younger sibling, and finding refuge in songwriting. Ashe and Dax talk about her breakout hit coinciding with devastating loss, the panic attacks that nearly made her quit music, and the adrenaline crash after a show. Ashe explains why success can feel like a warning, how childhood fears follow us into adulthood, and learning to feel safe in the life she’s built.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mom's Car: Jedidiah Jenkins
On this week’s episode of Mom’s Car we welcome Jedidiah Jenkins (Go Quiet on the Mountain, Mother, Nature, To Shake the Sleeping Self). Jedidiah, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through texting punchlines to David Sedaris, driving through a blizzard while Aaron slept for 29 hours, finding love 58 miles outside your comfort zone, Jedidiah’s sexual Rumspringa in his 30s, the difference between being desired and doing the desiring, sex that requires a construction crew, and the house tour that made Dax realize he was using sex like a drug.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
James McAvoy
James McAvoy (California Schemin’, Atonement, X-Men) is an award-winning actor and director. James joins the Armchair Expert to discuss running wild in Glasgow’s council estates, considering the priesthood to see the world, and landing his first film role after offering to make tea. James and Dax talk about the Wanted role Dax almost got, feeling out of his league opposite Keira Knightley, and making a film about Scottish rappers who fooled the industry by pretending to be American. James explains how childhood hardship sharpened his empathy, why kids need room to be bored, and why helping people doesn’t always mean fixing their problems.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Armchair Anonymous: Nurses III
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us their craziest nurse stories.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Adam Grant #4 (on the secrets of strong connections)
Adam Grant (Vibe, Hidden Potential, and Think Again) is an organizational psychologist, Wharton professor, and author. Adam joins Armchair Expert to discuss being pushed out of his childhood friend group, feeling like an impostor at Harvard, and finding his footing on the diving team. Adam and Dax talk about memorizing students’ backgrounds, NASA sending incompatible astronauts into the wilderness, and the party that produced 78 marriages. Adam explains why proximity can beat dating algorithms, what separates pals from companions, and what an AI friend can’t give back.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mom's Car: Dakota Fanning & Jake Johnson
On this week’s episode of Mom’s Car we welcome Dakota Fanning (The Sun Never Sets, Ripley, Man on Fire) and Jake Johnson (The Sun Never Sets, New Girl, The Dink). Dakota, Jake, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through Dax and Aaron’s romantic movie night, bringing a rolling backpack to high school with zero shame, a firefighter uncle’s devastating theater review, treating dating apps like a casino, letting ADHD run wild on a hike, being just famous enough to get a restaurant table, and needing someone to confirm that the seven-foot man across the room is Shaq.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Frankenstein, The Shape of Water) is an Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter, and producer. Guillermo joins Armchair Expert to discuss his dad winning the lottery twice, diagnosing himself from a health encyclopedia, and promising the monsters in his bedroom lifelong friendship. Guillermo and Dax talk about writing The Devil’s Backbone while his father was kidnapped, James Cameron nearly fighting Harvey Weinstein on his behalf, and bringing back Pan’s Labyrinth to finally realize it in 3D. Guillermo explains why monsters are more honest than people, how creative shortcuts rob us of the best part, and why being loved matters more than being celebrated.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Armchair Anonymous: Dinner Party
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy dinner party.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jared Diamond Returns (on the science of leadership)
Jared Diamond (Profits, Prophets, Coaches, and Kings, The World Until Yesterday, and Guns, Germs, and Steel) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist, historian, and UCLA professor. Jared joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the shadow of World War II, his family’s connection to the Holocaust, and his path from physiology to geography. Jared and Dax talk about testing history through natural experiments, measuring the influence of CEOs and coaches, and the six factors that determine a leader’s impact. Jared explains the “Hamlet test” for irreplaceable leaders, why timing can matter more than talent, and how democracies overestimate a president’s control over the economy.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Leanne Morgan
Leanne Morgan (Leanne, You’re Cordially Invited, I’m Every Woman) is a comedian, actor, and author. Leanne joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in a 600-person Tennessee town, leaving her first marriage, and raising three kids while chasing Hollywood. Leanne and Dax talk about developing stand-up while selling jewelry at house parties, spending 20 years as the “$2,500 girl” on the corporate comedy circuit, and finally breaking through with a viral stand-up clip in her 50s. Leanne explains why she never lost faith that Hollywood would happen, how success has reshaped her marriage and family, and why staying true to herself became her greatest asset.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Armchair Anonymous: Bad Customer
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about an experience with a bad customer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ben Lamm (on de-extinction)
Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, serial technology entrepreneur, and pioneer in de-extinction. Ben joins Armchair Expert to discuss being raised by his mom and grandparents in Texas, starting his first company while at Baylor, and why a conversation with geneticist George Church changed the course of his life. Ben and Dax talk about building a team to engineer a mammoth from scratch, creating woolly mice in 30 days, and turning 73,000-year-old DNA into dire wolf puppies. Ben explains why de-extinction is really about developing new technologies, how humans should take responsibility for species we’ve eradicated, and why inspiring people about science is as important as the animals themselves.Start your 2 month free trial today: https://youtube.com/premium . Terms Apply. Cancel Anytime.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/Take printer ink off your to-do list with HP Smart Tank | http://www.hp.com/SmartTankSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
