Isaac Butler is an author, critic, theater director, and professor known for his books The Method: How The Twentieth Century Learned to Act and The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America, co-written with Dan Kois. Butler’s writing has appeared in numerous publications such as New York magazine, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Slate magazine. For Slate, he also created and hosted the podcast “Lend Me Your Ears”, about Shakespeare and politics, and currently co-hosts “Working”, a podcast about the creative process. Butler’s work as a theater director has been seen on stages throughout the United States and he is the co-creator of “Real Enemies”, which was named one of the best live events of 2015 by the New York Times. Butler currently teaches Theater History and Performance at NYU Tisch.

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Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s interview with Moby, who reflects on the unexpected success of his 1999 album Play—a record that transformed him from playing gigs in record stores to international stardom. Moby shares the chaotic aftermath of fame, from drug-fueled highs to moments of deep despair, and how he eventually found his way to sobriety. He also speaks with Alec about his unconventional childhood, his memoir Then It Fell Apart, and what he’s learned in the decade since leaving drugs and alcohol behind.

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Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with David Letterman, who began his Late Night gig as a self-described “gap-toothed, unknown smart ass.” Three decades later, Letterman reflects on how his comedy evolved, why he no longer makes every decision behind the scenes, and life after “stupid pet tricks.” He shares with Alec his path from weatherman to talk show host to guest-host of The Tonight Show—and how both a quintuple bypass and the birth of his son shifted his priorities.

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Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the legendary Bee Gees. Barry reflects on the group’s rise from childhood dreams of stardom to becoming one of the best-selling music acts of all time. He speaks with Alec about the brothers’ signature “blood harmony,” their songwriting legacy, and navigating the highs and lows of fame and family. Barry also shares how he continues to honor the Bee Gees’ music—most recently through the HBO documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart and his Nashville-inspired album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook (Vol. 1).

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Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with Thelma Schoonmaker, the legendary editor behind every Martin Scorsese film since Raging Bull. Known for her warm, unassuming presence, Schoonmaker has shaped some of cinema’s most intense and iconic moments—earning three Academy Awards and seven nominations along the way. She talks to Here’s the Thing host Alec Baldwin about Scorsese’s pet peeves, what it’s like to “create” violence, and the woman she credits with giving her the “greatest life in the world.”

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Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series.This week in our Summer Staff Pick series, we revisit Alec’s interview with Judith Vecchione, Emmy- and Peabody-winning producer of the landmark PBS series Vietnam: A Television History, which premiered 40 years ago. Vecchione discusses the immense responsibility of telling the story of the Vietnam War through a 13-part documentary, the behind-the-scenes process of crafting such a comprehensive project, and how the experience shaped her decades-long career at WGBH. She also speaks with Alec about her work on Eyes on the Prize, the stories that drive her, and how she’s mentoring the next generation of documentary storytellers.

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Griffin Dunne is an actor, producer, director, and author of his recent memoir The Friday Afternoon Club. Dunne is known for his memorable roles in cult films such as An American Werewolf in London and Martin Scorsese's After Hours, which Dunne also produced. Dunne is also known for his roles in popular TV series such as This Is Us and Succession. His directing credits include films Practical Magic, Fierce People, and the documentary The Center Will Not Hold about his aunt, Joan Didion. Dunne tells more stories about his family and his unconventional Hollywood upbringing in his memoir  The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir.

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Much like the staggering beauty of her voice, Audra McDonald is impossible to ignore. The only artist to sweep all four acting categories at the Tony’s, she’s the most decorated Broadway star of all time. Reviews of her award-winning performances overflow with accolades, describing her stage presence as “spellbinding,” “haunting,” and “genius.” But for the California native, things haven’t always been easy. She talks to Alec about getting into Juilliard, making it on Broadway, and the suicide attempt that helped shape who she is today.

Originally aired July 25, 2017

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Jake Tapper is a journalist, news anchor, author, and the current lead Washington anchor for CNN. Tapper hosts the weekday news show, The Lead with Jake Tapper, and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program, State of the Union. At CNN, Tapper has won numerous journalism awards, including Emmy Awards in 2023 and 2024. He also played a key role in ABC News’ Emmy Award-winning coverage of the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama and Edward R. Murrow Award winning coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden. In addition to his reporting career, Tapper is also a New York Times bestselling author of several novels and nonfiction books, such as The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor and his most recent book, Original Sin, co-written with Alex Thompson. His bestselling novels include The Hellfire Club and The Devil May Dance.

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(Recorded October 4, 2021) Journalist Nicolas Niarchos may be the grandson of a famous Greek shipping magnate, but he can be found covering challenging and dangerous subjects like conflicts, minerals, and migration in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is a reporter at large at The New Yorker and a contributor to TIME, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Nation. Niarchos speaks with Alec about his upbringing, his journalistic path and his reporting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which exposes exploitation in the cobalt mining industry - and the importance of this crucial element in our global supply chain. 

Originally aired December 14, 2021 

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