The Sympathizer Podcast

Host Philip Nguyen wraps up the podcast with a jam packed episode. We’re taking it back to the beginning with Executive Producer Niv Fichman and author Viet Thanh Nguyen to talk about the origin story of bringing the book to the small screen. Then we have the three musketeers, Hoa Xuande, Duy Nguyen and Fred Nguyen Khan aka the Captain, Man, and Bon! We get to hear the behind the scenes of their real friendship and a deep dive into the broad spectrum of Vietnamese diasporic experiences. And then to wrap up our season, we have Hoa Xuande with Robert Downey Jr back to talk about how the final episode connects them - father and son. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max.

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Host Philip Nguyen chats with Sympathizer star Sandra Oh and EP Susan Downey about the roles of women and representation in the TV series. Then he welcomes legend Kieu Chinh and actor Toan Le about the many meta layers of this series- Kieu herself is mentioned in the novel! To wrap, author Viet Thanh Nguyen and story editor Felicia King talk about the Congressman and his Cuban wife! Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. 

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Host Philip Nguyen sits down with legend Ky Duyen, host of Paris by Night and a star of The Sympathizer, and her on screen daughter Vy Le, alongside EP Niv Fichman to talk about music and art imitating life. Then director Marc Munden and co-showrunner Don McKellar get into putting action on the screen - and greenscreen alligators. Finally, author Viet Thanh Nguyen and episode screenwriter Maegan Hoang talk about adaptation and the beautiful tensions of going page to screen. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. 

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Host Philip Nguyen is talking costumes and production design with costume designer Danny Glicker and co-showrunner Don McKellar. Where did he get those suits for the Congressman? How does he think about authenticity when it comes to period pieces? It's a rich conversation, with lots of BTS details, about creating characters and telling stories through costume design. Then we are joined by author Viet Thanh Nguyen to talk about the depiction of the Vietnam War in literature, art and Hollywood. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. 

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Host Philip Nguyen sits down with the embodiment of the four patriarchs - Robert Downey Jr. First they’re in conversation with Hoa Xuande to talk about all the ways they worked together and the Captain’s dynamics with Claude, The Professor, The Congressman and The Auteur. Then Robert Downey Jr. brings in renowned prosthetics designer Vincent Van Dyke to reveal the process how they made those different characters come to life. And we are again joined by author Viet Thanh Nguyen and co-showrunner Don McKellar to talk process. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. 

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Host Philip Nguyen gets into it with the Captain himself, Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande. They talk about leaning into opportunities, navigating multiple cultures as children of Vietnamese refugees and what it was like for Hoa to be in nearly every scene of the show. Philip also sits down with Executive Producer Amanda Burrell to talk about casting the show - and scouring the globe for talent such as Hoa. And, of course, we are joined by author of the novel The Sympathizer, friend of the pod Viet Thanh Nguyen about how the episode matches up and diverges from the novel. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. 

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Host Philip Nguyen debriefs and decodes Episode 1 and then he talks to co-showrunners Don McKellar and Park Chan-wook. Don takes us through the process of adaptation and thinking about bringing this novel to the screen. Then the legendary Director Park explains some of the ways that he subverts tropes, skewers pop culture and respects an audience. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max.

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Hosted by Philip Nguyen, a scholar of Vietnamese-American culture, The Sympathizer is the official companion podcast to the HBO Original Limited Series, “The Sympathizer”, an espionage thriller and cross-cultural satire based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Join host Philip Nguyen after each episode to delve deeper into characters, motives, and the show's reflection on the Vietnam War and its portrayal in U.S. pop culture. Stream The Sympathizer on Max starting April 14, and follow the Official Sympathizer Podcast. New episodes drop immediately after new episodes of The Sympathizer.

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