Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris

Laura Benanti has already made a name for herself on the Broadway stage, and now she’s entering the spotlight on a totally new one. Ashlyn talks to the Tony Award winning actress about her hilarious new one woman show, Nobody Cares, and what it’s like to reintroduce herself to her fans mid-career. Laura opens up about what it’s like to finally stop people pleasing, dealing with online trolls, the humbling moments ...

Anna Camp is living her most authentic life right now. Last year, she came out as bisexual and in her words, a giant weight was lifted. Now, she sits down with Ashlyn to talk about the joy of shedding the expectations others put on you. They discuss the moments in Anna’s career that led to huge personal growth, like the time she literally bared all on a Broadway stage, the frenzy of being part of a huge hit like Pitch Perfect...

This week on Wide Open, Ashlyn sits down with Olympic hockey player Jackie Pierri to talk about identity, resilience, and life beyond the rink. Jackie opens up about growing up in Montclair, playing boys hockey, building a career across North America and Europe, and using her platform to push for better conditions in women’s sports and for climate-conscious change.
They also talk about the emotional weight of honoring her ...

You may know Abigail Thorn as Philosophy Tube on YouTube or as Sharako Lohar on House of the Dragon; she is a British playwright and actress. Today, Ashlyn is inviting her to get Wide Open about her acting process. They also discuss how her background in philosophy shapes what she brings to the screen, and they talk about what life in America is like and what it has taught her about extending compassion to friends and neighbors in ...

You might know Sam Gordon as that little girl who went viral for outrunning all the boys on her tackle football team. She was just nine years old when her dad posted that video, and fourteen years later Sam has matured into a powerful advocate for women’s sports. In her career, she’s already co-founded the Utah Girl’s Tackle Football League and played D1 soccer at Columbia University. Now she’s professional ...

Director, writer, producer, and comic creator Carly Usdin joins the show to talk with Ashlyn about their long career as a storyteller and the importance of making sure queer stories keep being made. Ashlyn tries to get the scoop on Carly’s upcoming film, “Courtside,” a gay basketball rom-comset to feature several WNBA players. Plus, Ashlyn and Carly discuss all things women’s sports, identity, and the n...

Roku’s Director of Content, Publicity and Talent Relations Nicole Wilcox joins the show this week to give a peek behind the curtain into how, why, and when certain stories get told in film and television. Nicole knows what it takes to bring a project into the world, build excitement around it, and make sure everyone is represented on screen. Ashlyn and Nicole discuss the art of documentary filmmaking and why accessibility to ...

Comedian, actress, and now author Aida Rodriguez joins Wide Open this week to depart some of her infinite wisdom on all things motherhood, comedy, and finding the courage to truly be yourself. Aida and Ashlyn have a raw conversation on setting boundaries with family and the importance of teaching conflict resolution to their children. Plus, Aida tells Ashlyn all about her new book Legitimate Kid and how her upbringing made her who ...

Climate change is a fact, not a question. If you’re watching the World Cup this summer, you’ll see players facing record-breaking heat head-on. As a former player, Ashlyn knows how hard heat is on these athletes’ bodies, not to mention the challenges of travel, dehydration, and overheating turf. To get a handle on what exactly the teams are facing this summer, Ashlyn is talking to sport ecologist Madeline Orr and ...

Get ready, because comedian, actor, and writer Michelle Buteau is gracing Wide Open with her loud, boisterous, and infectiously-upbeat self. That larger than-life persona is intentional. In her career, Michelle refuses to tone herself down for the male gaze. She tells Ashlyn how she stays true to that value, where her confidence comes from, and why kindness and allyship are of the utmost importance in comedy today.

See omnystudio.co...

Happy Pride month from Wide Open! For more of your favorite LGBTQ+ content, check out the Outspoken Network from iHeartPodcasts.

Legendary film, television, and theater producer Bruce Cohen joins Ashlyn for a conversation about what showing up for the queer community looks like now— when it’s more needed than ever. Bruce is best known for producing films “American Beauty,” “Milk,” and his latest ...

Jordan Lucas went viral for being utterly himself. On CSUN’s men’s volleyball team, he snaps, flicks, waves, and serves more than just volleys on the court. He’s one of the few visibly gay male athletes we have right now, and today Ashlyn sits down with him to talk about what it took to live so openly. They discuss safety in men’s sports for queer people, the importance of leading by example, and Jordan&rsqu...

Happy Pride month from Wide Open! For more of your favorite LGBTQ+ content, check out the Outspoken Network from iHeartPodcasts.

This week, Ashlyn welcomes Emmy award winning actor Laverne Cox to the show. Ashlyn talks to Laverne about the release of her new book, Transcendent, and what it was like writing about the challenges she faced in childhood. Laverne speaks about the importance of speaking out and supporting the queer commu...

Happy Pride month from Wide Open!  For more of your favorite LGBTQ+ content, check out the Outspoken Network from iHeartPodcasts.

This week, Ashlyn welcomes Tony winning director and choreographer Sam Pinkleton to the show. Sam has made a career out of bringing outrageous queer theatrics to the masses. At a time when queer and trans rights are in danger, Sam’s work proves that embracing your deepest, most unique self is ...

Do you ever feel like you have to split yourself between who you really are and who society tells you to be? Amy Chozick’s thrilling, vulnerable novel, With Friends Like You, explores that feeling from the perspective of a new mother. A former journalist who profiled figures like Lorena Bobbitt, Stormy Daniels and Elizabeth Holmes, Amy knows that a messy woman can be hard for the public to swallow. Amy and Ashlyn talk about t...

On this special Mother’s Day episode, Ashlyn has Sophia Bush and Lauren Holly on to talk about their new movie, Broad Trip, now out on Roku. If you're nostalgic for comedies of the '80s and '90s, this one's for you. It's a mother/daughter road trip romp and as its stars, Lauren and Sophia have unmatchable chemistry. They talk about how they established that connection, the importance of making accessible media, and why light,...