The Envelope

The premise of “Jury Duty” — placing a non-actor in the middle of an entirely staged trial — could have easily led the show to mean-spirited-prank territory. Instead, the cast manages to land laughs while making the person who thinks it’s all real, Ronald Gladden, into a hero. For James Marsden, who plays a Hollywood jerk version of himself on the show, that was the most important thing. “I’ll make an ass of myself and have fun doing it, but I never want him to be the butt of the joke,” he shares.

In this episode of “The Envelope” podcast, Marsden discusses how the cast and crew managed to pull it all off, why the role interested him, and how — despite his very believable performance on ”Jury Duty” — he strives to keep his ego from ruining his reputation in real life. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing a preview of the first episode with you here today. 

In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities. 

 Follow "Foretold" to hear new episodes every Tuesday.

Academy Award nominee Michelle Yeoh has been a worldwide movie star for decades, known for action-packed roles in films such as “Supercop” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” But it’s her leading role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that Yeoh says finally let her show what she’s capable of.

In this episode of “The Envelope,” Yeoh discusses her first impressions of “Everything Everywhere’s” genre-bending script and bold gags. She reflects on her dangerous early-career stunts and how she was treated when she arrived in Hollywood (she makes a gloriously unimpressed sound while recalling that people were “quite stunned” when they realized she could speak English). Yeoh also goes deep on tokenism, aging and why she’s been praying every night to win an Oscar.  To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Writer-director Todd Field made two acclaimed films in the early 2000s and then disappeared from the big screen for 16 years. “Tár,” about the scandalous downfall of a classical music conductor, marks his return. The movie burst forth in dramatic fashion: Its screenplay took him only three months to write.

In this episode of “The Envelope,” Field breaks down how a Górecki composition inspired the internal rhythm of lead character Lydia Tár and discusses what it was like collaborating with star Cate Blanchett, who “always wants to do things that are dangerous.” He also explains why he’s delighted by reactions to his film — even those that are ferociously dismissive.

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Darren Aronofsky is known for directing dark, provocative, divisive films such as “Requiem for a Dream” and “Black Swan,” but in “The Whale,” he sees hope, “human connection and a belief in the human spirit.”

In this episode of “The Envelope,” Aronofsky reflects on how “The Whale” interacts with obesity and fatphobia, discusses exploring humanity through science, and describes why the “Brenaissance” — star Brendan Fraser’s triumphant return to acting — caught him by surprise. 

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

At 29 years old, “Nope” star Keke Palmer has already racked up two decades in show business. She’s an actor, singer, TV host and meme queen – and she has big plans for more. If her public persona is like Mickey Mouse, she says, then “I’m Walt Disney.” In this episode of “The Envelope,” Palmer shares what it was like to work with Jordan Peele on his blockbuster sci-fi thriller, how she felt about being her family’s breadwinner during her childhood and how she navigates the exploitation baked into Hollywood. Also, Whoopi Goldberg, if you’re listening: She wants to talk to you about “Sister Act 3.”

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Few icons are as globally memorialized as Elvis Presley, but for “Elvis" filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, the biopic felt like "a blank sheet to explore” American history, commercialization and the true origin of rock 'n' roll: Black music. In this episode of “The Envelope,” Luhrmann shares his unique take on Presley’s tragic story, how Austin Butler was able to “meld his soul with Elvis' soul” and how a pair of socks connected a young Baz to the King.

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Fresh off the “Better Call Saul” series finale, Rhea Seehorn joins us to delve into the show’s last twists and turns and to give insight into her Emmy-nominated portrayal of ethically flexible attorney Kim Wexler.

If Kim and Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill character were to get a do-over, how far back in time would they have to travel to put themselves on track for a happily-ever-after? Probably all the way back to the beginning of the series, when they worked together in the mailroom, Seehorn muses. “They would go out with each other, fall in love and then get really, really great therapists.”

In this episode of “The Envelope,” she also discusses her efforts to balance gratitude with confidence in her skills, how her father’s alcoholism shaped her as an actor and the scariest day on the “Better Call Saul” set: when Odenkirk suffered a heart attack right in front of her.

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Around 2015, actor-writer-director Colman Domingo was planning to quit it all and find a new career. But instead of giving up, he revamped his approach — and found new happiness.

In this episode of “The Envelope,” the Emmy nominee discusses modeling his “Euphoria” character, Ali, after someone dear to his heart as he reflects on the nature of redemption and forgiveness. “Everyone has faults,” he says. “Everyone is suffering and struggling. But everyone, when they have accountability, there … should be inroads for them to come back into good grace.” He also dishes on why he calls himself a nerd, the adorable way he first met Zendaya, and why being “a shapeshifter” means his real-life looks take people by surprise.

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Since her 1994 debut in “Heavenly Creatures,” Melanie Lynskey has been acting steadily while “flying comfortably right under the radar.” Now, for her electric role on “Yellowjackets,” Lynskey has earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series — and a whole new level of fame. In this episode of “The Envelope” podcast, she dishes on how this year has helped her feel more empowered and less underestimated, arriving at a place of self-love after struggling with an eating disorder, and why roles of women who take up a lot of space appeal to her. Oh, and there’s also a delightful story about a Nick Cave concert, a charming Drew Barrymore impression and a brief visit from a very special guest.

 To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.