Go Fact Yourself

It’s all about the 90s – but not the 1990s; this episode of Go Fact Yourself is all about experts over the AGE of 90! Plus, a special update from one of them about what happened as a result of appearing on our show!

In this episode:

Guests:

Stephen Tobolowsky and Aparna Nancherla  from episode 180.

Tim Russ and Amber Nelson from episode 170.

Walter Koenig and Danielle Koenig from episode 57.

Alonso Durlade and Blair Socci from episode 152.

Bill Kurtis and Sarah Spain from episode 44.

With Guest Experts:

Shani Wallis: Legendary singer and actor who’s appeared in dozens of film and stage productions – including the 1968 Oscar-winning Best Picture Oliver!

Jack Moran: U.S. Army Staff Sergeant in WWII. 

Paul Dooley: Writer and actor with a decades-long career, including playing dads in Breaking Away and Sixteen Candles – and one of the creators of ”The Electric Company.” 

John Ullinskey: WWII veteran who served aboard the USS Arikara and participated in the D-Day invasion and the Battle of Okinawa.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

The MaxFun Drive is over, but it’s always a good time to go to maximumfun.org/joingofact to support this show and get monthly bonus episodes.

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This show is powered by our beloved MaxFun Members! If you’d like to support this show – and earn great gifts in the process – go to Maximumfun.org/joingofact NOW until May 1st! 

You can contribute as little as $5 a month and win a chance to appear on the show!

As a reminder of what’s in store for you as a member, we’ve put together this sample platter of GFY Extras – the moments from the show that we leave on the cutting room floor before publication. But that floor holds a treasure trove of goodies!

Normally the only way to hear all of this would be to attend every single live show; but when you go to maximumfun.org/joingofact, you can hear new Extras every single month.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This show is powered by our beloved MaxFun Members! If you’d like to support this show – and earn great gifts in the process – go to Maximumfun.org/joingofact NOW until May 1st! 

You can contribute as little as $5 a month and win a chance to appear on the show!

The #MaxFunDrive is in full swing! One of the best things you get as member is access to the MaxFun BoCo library – it’s full of thousands of hours of content from every show on the network. That includes Go Fact Yourself!

In this special preview, you’ll hear a sample of some of the episodes that await you as a member. We have special full quizzes with MaxFun hosts, fun games with our listeners and proof that this show has a positive impact on our guests’ lives.

Do YOU want to be a guest on our show? Make sure to support us in the MaxFunDrive to enter our 2026 Listener Tournament! Your journey begins at Maximumfun.org/joingofact

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This show is powered by our beloved MaxFun Members! If you’d like to support this show– and earn great gifts in the process– go to Maximumfun.org/joingofact NOW until May 1st! You can contribute as little as $5 a month and have a chance to appear on this show.

Plus: Listen during this episode’s breaks for all the cool things we’re offering just for GFY supporters!

Happy MaxFunDrive! Let’s celebrate our listeners who support our show with the finals of the GFYT 2025(ish) Listener Tournament! MaxFun members Claire Tobin and Kyle Ostendorf entered the tournament last year and now get the full celebrity guest experience. Listen to learn how YOU could be a guest!

Guests:

Claire Tobin is an oncology social worker based in Chicago. While that sounds like it could be a stressful line of work, she’ll tell us why she finds it moving and meaningful. 

Kyle Ostendorf is in the health care IT field in Raleigh, North Carolina. He’ll tell us about his work and his upcoming travel plans for the year – including for his 9-year-old daughter.

Both of our guests are also MaxFun Members who have shown their support for Go Fact Yourself.

Do YOU want to be a guest on our show? Make sure to support us in the MaxFunDrive to enter our 2026 Listener Tournament! Your journey begins at Maximumfun.org/joingofact

Areas of Expertise:

Claire: The TV show “Felicity,” the musical Kimberly Akimbo, and Central Park.

Kyle: The podcast Jordan, Jesse GO!, the TV show “Taskmaster,” and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team (post-2000).

What’s the Difference: MaxFunDrive

What’s the difference between the maximum and the most?

What’s the difference between financing and funding?

With Guest Experts:

Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire: Composer and  Playwright/Lyricist whose multiple Tony awards include honors for their work on the musical Kimberly Akimbo.

Jordan Morris and Jesse Thorn: Hosts of the long-running MaxFun podcast Jordan, Jesse GO!.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

Happy #MaxFunDrive! NOW is the time to go to maximumfun.org/joingofact to become a MaxFun Member – or to boost or upgrade your membership! We plan to make it worth your while…

Our first 100 new members and first 100 boosting members get an exclusive perk – listen to find out… or just sign up now!

In this mini episode, J. Keith breaks down all the amazing extra stuff Go Fact Yourself has planned for this fundraising drive and how YOU can get exclusive merch, content, and even a chance to be a guest on this show – all for as little as $5/month!

This year, we’re offering incentives that include…

…and much, much more.

Then, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters. In this episode, Amber Nash (RePhrasing: An “Archer” Rewatch Podcast) recounts what distinguishes a good podcast from a mediocre one, and J. Keith van Straaten explains how many hours go into making one episode of Go Fact Yourself.

(If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join.)

Casters on Casters is edited by Laura Swisher and produced by Hannah Muroz for Maximum Fun.

Our mini-ep is edited and produced by Julian Burrell.

Join, boost, or upgrade today at maximumfun.org/joingofact!

Thank YOU, MaxFun members!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

We’re so incredibly close to the 2026 MaxFunDrive on Go Fact Yourself!

J. Keith gives you a quick rundown of what you can expect for the next two weeks. 

The most important thing is that YOU get involved! Bookmark Maximumfun.org/joingofact so you’ll be ready to become a MaxFun Member on April 20th for as little as $5 a month. If you’re already a member, you can boost or upgrade your membership for as little as $1 more a month. 

In this mini-episode, you’ll get a sneak preview of what you get at any level of membership: our unique Bonus Content. This year, it’s a “DVD commentary” of episode 178 (Matt Rogers vs Mimi Rogers) with J. Keith, Helen, producer/director Jim Newman, co-producer/editor Julian Burrell, and special surprise guests! We’ll have insights and behind-the-scenes stories about that episode and the show, available only to our beloved members. 

Plus, to celebrate you listeners who make this show possible, we’re getting a number of special episodes and mini-episodes ready for your feed – including the Championship of the 2025(ish) Listener Tournament, dropping on April 24th.

It all gets started when the Drive kicks off Monday, April 20th. Be a part of it! Go to maximumfun.org/joingofact and help us reach our goals.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

It’s a show worth drinking to on Go Fact Yourself!

Eric Winter plays Sergeant Tim Bradford on the ABC series “The Rookie.” The show has earned a very dedicated audience, especially with kids. How does he know for sure? He’s seen them dress up as his character for Halloween.

Dree Hemingway is an actor who portrays Daryl Hannah in the FX show “Love Story.” She’ll tell us about how she reached out to the real life Daryl Hannah after she got the part. Plus we’ll learn more about her other job… as a fashion model. 

Areas of Expertise:

Eric: The movie The Breakfast Club, tennis, and rum.

Dree: The movie The Fifth Element, the movie Romeo + Juliet, and musician Kate Bush.

What’s the Difference: Maine Squeeze

What’s the difference between a harbor and a marina?

What’s the difference between squeeze and squish?

With Guest Experts:

Ben Schaffer: Publisher of online magazine “The Rum Reader” and author of several books about cocktails.  

Robert Mark Kamen: Screenwriter (and winemaker!) whose many works include the screenplay for The Fifth Element.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

From New York City, it’s Go Fact Yourself!

Seth Rudetsky is a musician, author, and Broadway savant who hosts afternoon radio on Sirius XM’s On Broadway channel. He’ll tell us about his Broadway cruise and why he believes in spreading “Jewish joy” through his weekly Broadway Shabbat.

Julie Klausner is an actor and writer who hosts the podcasts “How was Your Week?” and “Double Threat” with Tom Sharpling. Julie will tell us just how dedicated fans of those shows can be – plus about her professional (and personal) collaborations with Billy Eichner. 

Areas of Expertise:

Seth: Carly Simon songs, the TV show “The Brady Bunch Hour,” and natural disasters.

Julie: John Waters movies, Jewish celebrities, and cats. 

What’s the Difference: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

What’s the difference between a mindset and a mentality?

What’s the difference between a person’s waist and their waistline?

With Guest Experts:

Sally Taylor: Singer-songwriter with a decades-long career– that includes working with her mother Carly Simon!

Ricki Lake: Emmy-winning TV host and actor who starred as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This week, a massive reality TV crossover on Go Fact Yourself!

Jackie Cox turned heads as the first drag queen of Iranian descent to compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” She’ll tell us why the show is nothing like an actual drag pageant and why drag is always political. Plus – what it’s like to act in a movie alongside an Oscar-nominated performance!

Dorinda Medley was a cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York” for a little over a decade. Then, in 2023, she swapped her house for a castle to join “The Traitors”. Sadly, she was murdered first (#JusticeForDorinda!). Medley got another shot at redemption when she returned next season. She’ll tell us how these experiences led to her memoir, I Know a Thing or Two About a Thing or Two.

Areas of Expertise:

Jackie: The Star Trek universe, the movie Mary Poppins and The Gap.

Dorinda: The TV show “Law & Order: SVU,” 1980s music, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

What’s the Difference: Pot o’ Gold.

What’s the difference between cannabis and marijuana?

What’s the difference between a carat and a karat?

With Guest Experts:

Robert Picardo: Actor whose decades-long career includes several appearances in the Star Trek franchise as The Doctor.

Raúl Esparza: Broadway star and actor who starred in over 100 episodes of “Law & Order: SVU.”

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

It’s a knockout combination of trivia and HBO actors on Go Fact Yourself!

Matt Walsh is best known for his role as Mike McClintock on “Veep,” for which he was nominated for an Emmy – twice! He’ll tell us how he developed that character and give us advice on how to improve our improv skills.

Kali Reis is a former boxer who earned an Emmy nom starring alongside Jodie Foster in “True Detective: Night Country.” She’ll tell us how she celebrated her indigenous heritage in boxing and what it’s been like to step out of the ring and onto TV.

Areas of Expertise:

Kali: The movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the movie The Mask, and Mike Tyson.

Matt:The Chicago Bears football team, English literature, and Austria.

What’s the Difference: Prune Juice

What’s the difference between pruning a plant and trimming a plant?

What’s the difference between AC and DC?

With Guest Experts:

Mark Verheiden and Mike Werb: Authors and screenwriters, whose careers include working on the film The Mask.

Charles “Peanut” Tillman: Former record-setting NFL cornerback for the Chicago Bears.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact