During the course of her career, Laura Dern, the daughter of actors Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, has carved her own unique path, moving effortlessly between the worlds of independent film and blockbuster franchises like “Jurassic Park” and, most recently, “Star Wars.” She is a two-time Oscar nominee, a four-time Golden Globe winner, and the recipient of an Emmy award for her critically acclaimed work in “Big Little Lies.” Dern is also an activist and philanthropist, and a beacon in the Hollywood community.

In this episode, Dern talks about her new film “Marriage Story,” from Academy Award nominated filmmaker Noah Baumbach. It’s an incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together, and it stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, as well as Alan Alda and Ray Liotta. She also talks about growing up on film sets watching the masters Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese at work, the arc of her career through the eighties and nineties, and how she’s seen the experience of women working in the industry evolve. 

“Mad Men” fans watched Kiernan Shipka grow up on the small screen in her role as Sally Draper, the daughter of Betty and Don. Her nuanced and captivating performance earned her critical acclaim and an older sophisticated fan base for such a young talent. Since then, Shipka, who was born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, has taken on a host of different projects, including Ryan Murphy’s “Feud” and the psychological horror film “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.” At the beginning of 2018, she stepped into the magical, mischievous world of half-human, half-witch Sabrina Spellman in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” based on the Archie comic book series.

In this conversation, Shipka, who is about to turn 20, talks about her new film, “Let it Snow,” a teen drama about the friendships, love lives, and futures of a group of high school seniors, co-starring Shameik Moore and Isabel Moner. She also talks lessons learned growing up in the “Mad Men” world, what it’s like now to have a fan base closer to her own age, as well as her style philosophy, her go-to karaoke songs, and her love of a good power nap.

For this special episode, Krista traveled to San Francisco to interview Demi Moore in front of a sold-out crowd at an event hosted by City Arts & Lectures. 

As an actress, Demi Moore carved out one of the most extraordinary paths in modern Hollywood, shattering expectations of what a woman could earn, the kind of movie she could open, and how she could present herself in the world — her Vanity Fair cover, nude and pregnant, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, is now the stuff of legend.

With films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Ghost,” and “A Few Good Men,”  Moore shot to superstardom, achieving a level of success and celebrity that was further fueled by her high-profile marriage to Bruce Willis, with whom she shares three daughters. Now, the actress, producer, director and activist, has written the New York Times bestselling memoir “Inside Out,” a deeply affecting and highly personal account of her life and career. In this conversation, Moore opens up about the struggles and challenges she’s faced, and what fueled her all-or-nothing drive to succeed at the highest levels in Hollywood.

In this episode, Krista sits down with Zoey Deutch, one of Hollywood’s most sought after and poised young talents. For Deutch the reality of working life in Hollywood is far from a new concept. The young star, who began her career on the Disney Channel as a teenager, hails from a Hollywood family and took her first steps on a movie set. Her mother, Lea Thompson, is the actress known for the “Back to the Future" trilogy and the sitcom “Caroline in the City,” and her father Howard Deutch directed such John Hughes classics as “Pretty in Pink” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

In this conversation, Deutch discusses her latest projects: “The Politician,” the much-discussed new Ryan Murphy show, starring Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange; and “Zombieland: Double Tap,” which stars Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Jesse Eisenberg. She also talks about the benefits of growing up in a Hollywood family, her passion for the audition process, her struggles with anxiety, and why it’s so important to cultivate a life and interests beyond Hollywood.

At just 22 years-old, Kaitlyn Dever has already been acting for more than a decade, amassing a long list of credits in both film and television, including acclaimed independents like “Short Term 12,” and “The Spectacular Now.” But this year is proving to be a particularly special one for the young actress. She starred in Olivia Wilde’s critical darling coming-of-age directorial debut, “Book Smart,” and now she will appear in “Unbelievable,” a limited series based on true events, in which Dever plays a young woman accused of lying about a rape. Dever describes the role as the the biggest challenge of her career to date.

Sacha Baron Cohen has created some of the most unforgettable characters of the modern age, from Ali G to Bruno to Borat. His fearless comedic style and willingness to confront power and prejudice has transfixed audiences and resulted in accolades across the board. He’s an Oscar nominee, a Golden Globe nominee and winner, and a six-time Emmy award nominee.

With his new limited series, “The Spy,” Cohen takes on the role of a real-world character for the first time. Set in the 1960s, it’s the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli clerk-turned-Mossad secret agent. Although the dramatic material may seem like new terrain for the actor, his ability to disappear into new identities, and the rigor with which he has always prepared to play characters, are both in evidence in his remarkable performance in the show.

In this interview, Cohen discusses his history of dealing with the press in a non-traditional manner, the role technology played in his early success, and he talks about navigating tense real-world moments when he's in character, and the one thing he knows never to do when he finds himself in those situations. Cohen also discusses what it was like to shoot “The Spy,” and the insights he gained while living in an Arab country and working with a cast and crew that brought together people from all different political perspectives.

Julia Garner joins the show to discuss her Emmy-nominated performance as the tough yet vulnerable Ruth Langmore on “Ozark.” She talks about life on set, what she’s learned from working with the incredible cast, and the journey of her character.

Known for her laser-like focus on her work, 25-year-old Garner has already built an impressive body of work, both in critically acclaimed independent films, like “Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene” and “Electrick Children,” and on hit shows like “The Americans.” Raised in New York by her mother, a comedian turned therapist, and her father, a painter and art teacher, Garner reflects on an upbringing that gave her both an insight into human psychology and a love of film and art. She also talks about her appreciation for fashion and rolls out an impressive Glinda the Good Witch impression.

Comedy legend Eddie Murphy joins the show to reflect upon his trailblazing career and to discuss his new film “Dolemite Is My Name,” directed by Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow,” “Empire”), and written by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (“Ed Wood,” “The People vs. O.J. Simpson”).

“Dolemite Is My Name” tells the true story of comedian Rudy Ray Moore and his tireless effort to make a film about his stage persona, “Dolemite,” a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. The film has a star-studded cast, including Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Keegan-Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, and a breakout performance from Da’Vine Joy Randolph. “Dolemite is My Name” will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and be in theaters and on Netflix this fall.

In this interview, Murphy shares his plans to return to to host SNL for the first time in over three decades. And he discusses hitting the road again for a stand-up tour when he will also perform music that he has otherwise kept from the public. He also reveals that he would still consider hosting the Oscars and shares why he chose to dedicate “Dolemite Is My Name” to his late, beloved brother Charlie Murphy.

In 2010, a research professor by the name of Brené Brown walked onto the TEDxHouston stage and delivered her talk, “The Power of Vulnerability.” Little did she know that this would change her life forever. That TED talk has now been viewed more than 50 million times, making Brown a global phenomenon. She is the author of five bestselling books, including “Daring Greatly,” “Rising Strong,” and “Dare to Lead,” and now Brown has a Netflix special, “The Call to Courage.”

In this conversation, Brown takes us back to the very beginning of the story, from her early dreams of moving to New York, to her close call hitchhiking in Spain, to her struggle to get into the University of Texas. She also talks about faith and family, navigating success, and how she’s missing the “celebrity gene.”

Mary J. Blige joins the show for an in-depth discussion about her life, her career, and the faith that has sustained her throughout. As a singer, songwriter, and actress, Blige has scaled the heights of success. She’s won nine Grammy Awards and been nominated more than thirty times. She is also a three-time Golden Globe nominee, and a two-time Academy Award nominee for her work on “Mudbound.” In fact, Blige made history as the first person ever to be nominated in both an acting and music category in the same year. In this conversation, Blige shares how she learned to navigate fame and success, and she reflects on the moments in her career that she treasures the most. She also discusses her work on the dysfunctional superhero drama “The Umbrella Academy” and talks about her preparation for her current tour with Nas.