Fail Better with David Duchovny

You might remember from way back when this podcast started that my very first guest was Ben Stiller. It was a memorable interview for lots of reasons, including that Ben talked to me about his parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara and the documentary about the two of them he was working on. Well, that film is about to be out in the world. It’s called Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, and it’s streaming on Apple TV s...

Steve Burns was nice enough to join me on the show a few weeks ago, so I wanted to give you all a chance to listen to his new podcast.

There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to; Alive with Steve Burns listens back. Steve Burns is continuing the conversation he began all those years ago. Back then it was letters and numbers and graham crackers. Now it’s death, sex, taxes, and all the big, messy questions of being alive.&...

Charlie Sheen is an actor perhaps known just as well for his off-screen antics as his on-screen performances. In his new memoir, The Book of Sheen, Charlie is finally coming clean on what was going on during his years of hard drugs, public divorces, and on-set disputes that came to define his later career and reputation. These days, humility, gratitude, and sobriety have come to replace his meme-able bravado. Sitting on stage with ...

This week we’re revisiting my conversation with the author Gretchen Rubin, since we could probably all use a little more light these days. Gretchen has spent years trying to understand happiness, the ways she can access it herself, and how to bring others in on the wisdom she’s gained. 

Gretchen also has a new podcast, Since You Asked, with bestselling author and psychotherapist, Lori Gottlieb. The two of them team...

Steve Burns is best known for being the host of a beloved 90s children’s show, Blue’s Clues, so I didn’t expect this interview to be about Samuel Beckett. But it turns out that Steve and I share a deep admiration for the writer, as well as a lot of other common ground. Steve went quiet for about two decades after rumors of his death took over the internet, and now he’s back with a podcast (Alive, which just ...

A decade ago, the actor Tom Pelphrey couldn’t have imagined the shape his life would take today: a father to a two-year-old daughter, starring in the new HBO series Task alongside Mark Ruffalo, and engaged to actress Kaley Cuoco. He was gripped by alcoholism and dissociation, having spent years working long, demanding days on the soap opera Guiding Light and ignoring his feelings to keep up with the grind. Then, he broke loos...

If Gene Simmons’ hard exterior scared you off, it did its job. As a founding member of the band KISS, Gene has spent decades putting on what he calls a persona, and today it comes off — at least a little. We talk about Gene’s journey, including being raised by a single, adoring mother, the origins of KISS, and why Ozzy Osbourne’s down-to-earth demeanor had such an impact on Gene. The man in the chair across ...

Hey, Fail Better listeners — here’s a great show I think you should know about: Legacy Talk, hosted by the Emmy-winning writer, actor, and producer Lena Waithe. It’s a part of the Lemonada network, and it’s kicking off a second season of incredible episodes featuring trailblazing Black artists and makers.

You’re about to hear the first episode of season 2, featuring the actress and singer Tisha Campbel...

Amanda Knox was a young student in a foreign country when she was thrust into an international media firestorm, accused — and then ultimately acquitted — of the murder of her roommate. Now an author and public speaker, she’s the executive producer of the new scripted drama “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox”, an attempt to finally tell her story on her own terms. She has spent years grappling with the pr...

I should’ve known I was in for a revelatory conversation when I met with the family therapist Terry Real. He pioneered a book on male depression in the ‘90s, and he’s been helping countless people break through mental and relational barriers in the years since. I start the conversation by inquiring about how Terry knew he would be good at this work, and before I know it we’re talking about my mother — ...

Memoirists do the generous work of letting us into their lives, and then there are ones like Melissa Febos who also graciously entertain all the new questions their work inspires. Melissa lets me in on the elements of her life and experiences that I’m curious about, from people’s reaction to her job as a dominatrix (as documented in her book Whipsmart) to her year-long trial of celibacy (the focus of her newest book, Th...

I’m coming to you live from Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California, where I got to sit down with my friend, author Jess Walter. We chatted in front of a packed house (including a few friendly dogs) and now we’re sharing that event with the rest of you. Jess is not only my go-to buddy to text about all things basketball; he’s an accomplished novelist who can skewer the Hollywood elite just as easily as he...

The musician (-comedian-actor-composer-director-Californication guest star) Tim Minchin is an aspirational figure. He brings an unmatched level of precision and thoughtfulness to conversations, whether he’s discussing word play or the Catholic church. And he extends that scrutiny to his concepts of success and failure, which I welcome. Tim and I sit down to talk about the intricacies of his work, from the satisfaction of comp...

The spotlight has certainly taken its toll on Robert Downey Jr. over the years. But much like his beloved MCU character Tony Stark, there's an undeniably powerful force inside Robert that keeps him pushing forward. When we sat down over iced coffees, we found ourselves unpacking the fraught relationship Robert had with his father — the experimental, countercultural filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. — whose unconventional life...

Jake Clark is an unexpected hero. As the founder of the Save a Warrior program for veterans and first responders, he helps those suffering from post-traumatic stress uncover the core of their pain, which often stems from trauma that came before combat or violence. His work has led to surprising breakthroughs for many people, mirroring his own journey of self-discovery after years of self-destruction. Jake and I talk about the progr...

Emily Deschanel spent over a decade portraying the brilliant and meticulous forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan on the hit crime procedural Bones. Yet, what many viewers never knew about was her personal battle behind that confident performance: diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia at a young age, Emily often struggled to master the intricate anatomical jargon week after week. Pushing through panic attacks on set and challen...

For the Fourth of July holiday, we’re taking you on a getaway of sorts. It’s one that brings you to the beautiful mountains of New Zealand… but is decidedly less relaxing than a summer vacation. Today we’re sharing the first episode of a new podcast called Uinta Triangle, which documents the disappearance of a solo hiker named Eric Robinson. It’s a gripping and multifaceted story about exploration, th...

In his aimless youth, the author James Frey yearned to be the Sex Pistols of literature. Then he learned to be careful what you wish for. His memoir, A Million Little Pieces, shot to the top of bestseller lists, thanks in part to Oprah's endorsement. Then fact-checkers unmasked its fabrications, and James found himself being more of an outcast than he’d planned for. Nearly 20 years later, when the line between fact and fictio...

Dr. Jason Giles is an addiction specialist and a helper and friend to many, including me. When the rigors of life in the ER became too much to cope with, Jason turned to the very narcotics he was trained to supply to patients as a trauma anesthesiologist. As his successful life disintegrated, he was forced to face his own doubts and delusions, and his journey through them is what made him who he is today. Now he’s working to ...