Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

By Straw Hut Media

Don’t Be Alone with Jay Kogen is a comedy/advice podcast trying to fight the isolation of modern life. Each episode, Award winning TV writer/comedian/philosopher Jay Kogen has a conversation with a fr... more

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FAQs about Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen:

How many episodes does Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen have?

The podcast currently has 97 episodes available.

Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen episodes:

July 21, 2025 Will Forte Says, “Everyone Follow Your Dream” But Maybe Not Jay
Will Forte talks about almost being a financial advisor, his checkered writing career, SNL MacGruber, Nebraska, The Groundlings, Last Man on Earth, having kids late, seeing shrinks, frats, & Val Kilmner being the weirdest roommate of all time.

Bio: Will Forte is a comedian, actor, writer, and improviser best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his starring role in The Last Man on Earth. Born in Alameda County, California, Forte studied History at UCLA before briefly working as a financial broker. He shifted to comedy in the late '90s, joining the Groundlings and writing for shows like The Jenny McCarthy Show and That '70s Show. His pilot about two clueless brothers led to The Brothers Solomon (2007), which he wrote and starred in. Forte joined Saturday Night Live in 2002, quickly earning a reputation for absurd and surreal comedy. He co-wrote and starred in the cult film MacGruber (2010) before leaving SNL to pursue broader roles. He appeared in comedies like 30 Rock, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, and That’s My Boy, while also branching into drama with Run and Jump and Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2013), earning critical praise. From 2015 to 2018, he created and starred in the acclaimed sitcom The Last Man on Earth. He later portrayed Douglas Kenney in A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018) and appeared in hit films like Booksmart and Good Boys (2019). More recently, he has starred in Netflix’s Bodkin, Four Seasons, and the upcoming Coyote vs. Acme.
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50min
July 15, 2025 James L. Brooks Explains Why Jay’s Such A Disappointment
This week, James L Brooks talked about The Simpsons, Mary Tyler Moore ,Terms of Endearment, having a million lunches to cast parts, his difficult beginnings and how the fear of survival and women's shoes drove him to his success. We also talk about what an amazing mentor he is, incredible writer, the worst notes he's ever gotten from a network, and now he likes to have drool days.

Bio:James L. Brooks is a three-time Academy Award®-winner and eighteen-time Emmy® Award-winner. He began his television career as a writer who also produced such beloved television hits as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Tracy Ullman Show, and The Simpsons. Brooks began working in film in 1979 when he wrote the screenplay for Starting Over which he co-produced with Alan J. Pakula. In 1983, Brooks wrote, produced and directed Terms of Endearment for which he won three Academy Awards. In 1987, he wrote, produced and directed Broadcast News, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards® including Best Screenplay and Best Picture. Brooks then directed I’ll Do Anything starring Nick Nolte, Albert Brooks, and Julie Kavner. In 1997, Brooks co-wrote, produced, and directed As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars® for their performances. In 2004, Brooks wrote and directed the film Spanglish, starring Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni and Paz Vega. In 2010, Brooks wrote and directed the film How Do You Know, starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson.Brooks’s company, Gracie Films has produced numerous films and television shows since it was formed in 1990. On the television side, the company produces the long-running hit, The Simpsons, as well as producing the Tracey Ullman Show, What About Joan?, and The Critic. On the feature side – Brooks has executive produced the feature film, Say Anything, produced War of the Roses, and co-produced Big. In 1996, Brooks executive produced the film Bottle Rocket, directed by Wes Anderson, and produced Cameron Crowe’s Oscar®-winning Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renee Zellweger. In addition, Brooks produced Penny Marshall’s Riding in Cars with Boys, starring Drew Barrymore, and produced the film Edge of Seventeen, written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig for STX Productions. In addition, Brooks co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie, the movie version of the Fox hit.
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49min
July 08, 2025 Writer/Comic/Activist Steve Skrovan Explores How Jay Isn’t Making Life Better For Anyone
Writer/Activist Steve Skovan talks about his work with Ralph Nader, his substack “Bits and Pieces”, his dad being a comic inspiration, the trouble with politics, Public Citizen a progressive consumer rights group, starting as a stand-up, and how a football coach changed his life without molesting him.

Bio: Steve Skrovan has worked as a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV comedy writer since the early eighties. He has written for many shows, most notably, Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland, Til Death, Wendell and Vinnie, School of Rock, and the entire nine-year run of Everybody Loves Raymond, a show which he has also adapted internationally in Russia, Israel, and India. He is also co-director/writer/producer of An Unreasonable Man, a documentary about the career of legendary consumer advocate and third-party presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, which was not only an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival but also made the “shortlist” for Academy Award consideration in the documentary category. In 2005, he co-produced the TBS environmental special “Earth to America.” In addition, Steve co-hosts the weekly radio show Ralph Nader Radio Hour, which runs on the Pacifica network and various other independent radio stations as well as being available on all podcast platforms. He is a board member of the non-partisan public interest organization Public Citizen in Washington DC.
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47min
July 01, 2025 Comedy Legend Thomas Lennon Explains Why Jay Is Lazy
Tom Lennon tells us he's not working that hard on the unbelievably large number of projects he never stops working on. From writing movies (including a “HALL OF PRESIDENTS” SciFi comedy) to acting in 100s of shows to playing in a Smiths tribute band Thomas Lennon doesn’t stop. And don't try to stop him.
Bio: Thomas Lennon is an actor, producer and New York Times Best Selling author from Oak Park, Illinois. He attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where he was a member of the influential sketch comedy group The State. The State’s hit television series ran on MTV for three seasons and received an Ace Award nomination for Best Comedy Series. After his work on The State, he created two more popular series: Viva Variety and Reno 911!, on which he also played Lieutenant Jim Dangle. Lennon has also written numerous feature films, including Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Reno 911!: Miami, The Pacifier, Balls of Fury and Hell Baby. In addition to writing films, Lennon co-authored, Writing Movies for Fun and Profit, a book about the studio system that Anna Kendrick called, “The Best Book about Hollywood… Hilarious and insanely accurate,” in the New York Times. In 2019, Lennon debuted on the New York’s Bestseller List with his children’s book Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles. In March of 2020, Lennon released the sequel with Ronan Boyle and the Swamp of Certain Death followed by the third installment of the series, Ronan Boyle: Into the Strange Place in 2022. A DreamWorks Animation feature film of the Ronan Boyle series is currently in development. As an actor, Lennon has appeared in the films Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Dark Knight Rises, Le Divorce, Heights, Conversations with Other Women, Memento, 17 Again, I Love You, Man, Cedar Rapids, Knight of Cups, Bad Teacher, Harold and Kumar 3D and What to Expect When You’re Expecting. His other credits include Netflix’s A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Half Magic opposite Heather Graham and Clint Eastwood’s The 15:57 to Paris. He can be seen in the Russo Brother’s film CHERRY, with Tom Holland. In television he has been seen in How I Met Your Mother, Sean Saves the World, The Odd Couple, Drunk History, The Santa Clarita Diet, Supergirl, Lethal Weapon, and The Twilight Zone. Lennon also recently produced a musical stage adaptation of the beloved 1980’s film TRADING PLACES. Lennon lives in Los Angeles and Wisconsin with his wife, the actress Jenny Robertson, and their son, Oliver.Aired 7-2-25
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55min
June 24, 2025 Film Makers Byron Manuel & Justin Graves Say Jay’s Art Isn’t Worth Suffering For
Film-Makers Justin Graves and Byron Manuel talk about what it takes to make movies in 2025 being young, talented, and black. They talk about finding the dream of movies and giving up the dreams of music and sport. They talk about doing what it takes on a budget, fundraising, festivals, developing a ton of projects, and getting their movie “Swoon” on Tubi. They also talk about being able to handle the gut punches that the business offers and keeping your spirits high.

Bio: Justin Antuan Graves was born Nov 17, 1984. He is an American writer and producer. Born in Beaufort, South Carolina. A military brat his whole life, he moved around a lot and found comfort in watching movies and cartoons all day as a child, especially comedies. Everything from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids to Friday to Superbad and beyond gave him the passion and confidence to begin writing. Justin started his first screenplay in 2016 and in 2018 he made the move from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a screenwriter. With no network, he made his own short films and content that eventually led to becoming a writer for comedians and influencers online such as Juhan Jones, Virgil Harris and Kassandra Lee. Justin is best known for What Had Happened Was (2020), Booty Call Chronicles (2019) and most recently Swoon (2025) and Allure (2025). Justin is Co-President of On Script Pictures and is currently building a Hard R Comedy Film and TV slate with his partner Byron Manuel.

Byron Manuel is a Writer, Producer, Director, and Filmmaker from Los Angeles. He expresses his passion for storytelling through a unique lens. Byron got his start on critically acclaimed shows such as Showtime's "Kidding", HBO's "Euphoria", Disney's "KC Undercover", and "Run The World" on Starz, while simultaneously carving out his own lane as an Indie Filmmaker.
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50min
June 17, 2025 Rachel Bloom Found Her People & They Are Not Jay
Rachel talks about why people love or hate musicals, Crazy Ex- Girlfriend and how it would never be made today and how unlikely it was to get made back then. She also talks about growing up in Manhattan Beach, Theater School in NY, not having billionaire friends, enjoying the now, writing her one woman show to get through the death of Adam Schlessenger and the birth of her daughter, how being married to a funny person can help, Hamilton, The Tony Awards, the amazing last year of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the magic of musical, theater, and having a stand-up comic/Hughes Aircraft Engineer grandpa.

Bio: RACHEL BLOOM is perhaps best known from the CW musical dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which she co-created, executive produced, and starred in as ‘Rebecca Bunch.’ For her acting work on the show, she was awarded a Golden Globe, Critics' Choice and TCA Award; for her songwriting work, she won an Emmy Award for Original Music and Lyrics along with her songwriting partners Adam Schlesinger and Jack Dolgen. Most recently, Bloom debuted her Drama Desk nominated, sold-out, four-week off Broadway one-woman musical comedy Death, Let Me Do My Show which she originally toured around London and the US. It was then released on Netflix as a comedy special Death, Let Me Do My Special and nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award. She also co-starred in the Hulu comedy series Reboot and the second season of the Max series, Julia. Her past stage work includes selling out Radio City Music Hall and the London Palladium performing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: LIVE. She also starred in her own solo tour, What Am I Going To Do With My Life Now? in 2019, which included a week-long residency at Just For Laughs. In addition, she appeared in a one-night only production of Crazy For You at Lincoln Center directed by Susan Stroman. In addition to her film and television work, in 2020, she published her book “I Want To Be Where The Normal People Are,” a collection of personal essays and poems on the subjects of insecurity, fame, anxiety, and much more.
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49min
June 10, 2025 Kenya Barris Credits Jay with The Disappointing Parts of His Career

Kenya Barris talks about his messy childhood, the do’s and don’ts of the writer’s room, laying low during covid, Larry David making Kenya take the leap to star in a show, raising kids better than our parents, running a writer’s room is like conducting music, making podcasts with Malcolm Gladwell, being pals with Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy putting points on the board, the pleasure and importance of dressing well, and having people around you who can tell you, you suck.

Bio: Kenya Barris is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor, whose innovative approach to comedy has firmly cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s great modern storytellers. Best known as the creator behind groundbreaking series like ABC sitcom black-ish and the Netflix original series #blackAF, Barris has built a career telling powerful stories that reflect our culture and fearlessly tackle an array of topics.
Most recently, Barris executive produced Diarra From Detroit, a dark comedy about a divorcing schoolteacher who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date; The Vince Staples Show, a scripted series loosely inspired by the life of multi-hyphenate musician Vince Staples; the final season of grown-ish; and produced The Underdoggs, an Amazon original sports comedy starring Snoop Dogg as a youth football team coach.

In 2023, Barris and his production company, Khalabo Ink Society, received Emmy nominations for two of their projects: Entergalactic, a first-of-its-kind adult animated music project that featured new music from the Grammy Award-winning musician Kid Cudi and CIVIL, a documentary that offered an intimate portrait of groundbreaking civil rights attorney, Ben Crump. Barris also made his feature directorial debut with Netflix’s hit comedy, You People, which he also produced and co-wrote. Barris and Khalabo have multiple high-profile projects in various stages of development. On the television side, projects include: sophomore seasons of Diarra From Detroit and The Vince Staples Show; The Book of Jose, a television series chronicling the life of rapper Fat Joe; Group Chat, a collaboration with Kim Kardashian, based on LaLa Anthony's best-selling book The Love Playbook; a limited series that will offer an intimate look into the life and legacy of the legendary comedian Richard Pryor. On the film side, Barris is developing projects such as: Get Lite starring Storm Reid and marking Teyana Taylor’s feature directorial debut; a remake of It’s A Wonderful Life; a documentary on the life and career of rapper Chief Keef; Yumanzu, a high concept family adventure movie; Girls Trip 2; and The Man Who Lives Underground.

Additionally, Barris and Khalabo have a first-look deal with Audible and in 2023, launched their first podcast, DJ Drama Presents: Gangsta Grillz. Hosted and produced with legendary hip-hop producer, DJ Drama, the popular podcast featured conversations with notable artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne and more. In 2025, they also launched The Unusual Suspects hosted by Barris and bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell. Barris and Gladwell engage in raw, unfiltered conversations with some of today’s most influential figures and titans across a spectrum of professions, including Ava DuVernay, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Kimmel, Sue Bird, and more.
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49min
June 03, 2025 Director Jon Turteltaub Explains Why Jay Shouldn’t Be Happy.
Jon and Jay talk about having writer dads, the pressure of trying to succeed as a second gen show biz kid, how to direct movies with being a jerk, being right, the value of being lucky, and the why Captain Crunch is better than Peanut Butter Crunch.

Bio: Jon Turteltaub has been an elite producer and director of hit movies for the past 30 years. He is known for directing a series of hit films including 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon, National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Last Vegas, The Meg and others that clearly weren’t such big hits but did okay. His last film was the worldwide blockbuster The Meg, grossing over $500 million worldwide. Jon has also produced and directed several television projects, including the smash hit "Jericho" on CBS and “From the Earth to the Moon” for HBO. Jon was born in New York and raised in Beverly Hills before attending Wesleyan University and USC film school. His father, Saul Turteltaub, is a legendary television writer and producer known for "The Carol Burnett Show", "That Girl", "Sanford and Son" “Love American Style” and "What's Happening!". Jon has been married to Amy Eldon since 2006 and together they work extensively with The Creative Visions Foundation, supporting artists and activists. Jon has also served on the DGA Western Directors Council, as advisor to Represent.Us, and on the board of the Inner-City Filmmakers program. Jon and Amy have spent considerable time in Africa where they fund an orphanage in Kenya and work to protect and rehabilitate child soldiers in Uganda. Jon and Amy have three young children and, therefore, no time for anything fun.
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50min
May 27, 2025 Comic Andrea Abbate’s Hard Life Was Easier Before Jay
Andrea Abbate talks about her amazing tumultuous life, including addiction, bad partners, bad parents, bad relationships, and surviving through comedy to land in a good place.

Bio: Andrea Abbate has proven herself to be a powerhouse in the world of comedy. She’s found success as a stand-up comedian, television writer, actor/performer and producer. Andrea seamlessly blends sharp, edgy humor with an inviting charm that draws audiences in. Her ability to tackle bold, often controversial topics with a clever, relatable twist sets her apart in the comedy scene. She finds hilarious ways to highlight the absurdities of life and bring people together through laughter. Her talents have earned her opportunities to work with Bill Maher, Bob Saget, Niecy Nash, Earthquake, Paul Rodriguez and Adam Carolla. She’s reached a national audience with several performances on “Evening At The Improv” and nine appearances on “Politically Incorrect”, as well as guest starring on many TV shows. Abbate is a favorite guest on Earthquake's SiriusXM radio show, “Quake’s House”. The LA Times wrote, “She's as sweet as a perfumed eviction notice or a sugar-coated bullet.” Beyond the stage, Andrea is a successful TV writer and producer, and is known for her distinctive voice and sharp comedic sensibility. She’s created TV shows for Showtime, HBO, NBC, CBS, ABC, Disney+ and Freeform. Whether performing live, writing TV shows, or acting in them, her bold, fearless humor makes her an undeniable talent and a standout force in comedy.
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47min
May 20, 2025 Maggie Baird Tells Jay Why He’s Ruining His Son’s Career
Maggie Baird - Actress/writer/ & mother of superstars Billie Eilish & Finneas gives Jay the recipe for not messing up your kids and letting them flourish. She also talks about living small, rewarding effort and experience over awards, & the value of an artist’s mindset and working for love vs. money. And she talks about trying to change the world with her Support + Feed charity she formed to help fight food insecurity. She also talked about the value of publicists, good people in the music industry, and letting your kids yell at you when they need to.

Bio: Maggie Baird is a climate activist committed to building equitable solutions that move all of us to action. Mother of Grammy-Award-winning Artists Billie Eilish and Finneas, she ispassionate about helping the music industry implement comprehensive sustainabilitystrategies. A lifelong vegetarian turned vegan, she engages audiences through her popularweekly Instagram Live streams on the climate impacts of our global food system, and she isa frequent speaker and panelist on food and sustainability within the music, catering, andenvironmental spaces. Baird’s passion for the health of our planet, her plant-based cookingtips, and conversations with youth activists, have inspired thousands to change their lives.In 2020, Baird founded Support+Feed, a US nonprofit focused on developing innovative,intersectional strategies to ensure underserved communities have access to nourishingplant-based food while driving systemic change toward a more planet friendly global foodsystem. Under Baird’s leadership, S+F has reached 41 cities globally, has a consistentpresence in 11 anchor cities in the US, and is now expanding through partnerships in theEU, UK, and Australia. Since launch, S+F has provided 1.5 million plant-based meals andpantry items and related education in underserved communities through partnerships with190+ community organizations, 100+ local and minority-owned restaurants, and 350Volunteers.

Baird is a co-producer of Overheated, a climate summit hosted by Billie Eilish and S+F thatfeatures youth activists from around the world, and in 2024, she was featured in Forbes’ 50Over 50 list and was honored as one of Glamour’s Women of the Year. She also makes aregular appearance on climate scientist Chris Turney’s podcast “Unf*cking the Future”which is dedicated to addressing the climate crisis and exploring potential solutions withleaders in the entertainment, academic, and environmental spaces.
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50min

FAQs about Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen:

How many episodes does Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen have?

The podcast currently has 97 episodes available.

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