Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

Joseph Henrich (The WEIRDest People in the World) is an author and professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard. Joseph joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how cultural relativity affects people's views on morality, how humans are obsessed with time, and what the marshmallow test says about people's need to stockpile resources. Joseph and Dax talk about where the idea of the hourly worker came from, how most social experiments are done on American undergraduates, and how inconsistent human thinking can be. Joseph discusses the current pushback on human rights, how the internet can be used to preserve knowledge for future generations, and how the brain can update itself like firmware through life experiences. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Emmy Rossum (Shameless, Phantom of the Opera, Angelyne) is an actress, producer, and singer. Emmy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like being a classically trained singer at an early age, how her upbringing drew her to her character on Shameless, and how her close relationship with her mother changed her perspective on having kids. Emmy and Dax talk about what their dating experiences have been like, how she doesn't view success as your net worth, and how they both define safety in their lives. Emmy explains why she wanted to play a character like Angelyne, how she doesn't feel as accomplished as some of her other friends, and what it was like to audition for Andrew Lloyd Webber. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A.J. Jacobs (The Puzzler, The Year of Living Biblically) is a journalist and author. A.J. joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he loves puzzles so much, why he decided to follow every rule in the Bible literally to study religion, and what happened after he read the entire collection of Encyclopedia Britannica. A.J. and Dax talk about what their favorite riddles are, what it's like to be a clue in the New York Times crossword, and how it's human nature to want to gossip about each other. A.J. explains that he wants to get healthy by walking to space on his treadmill, what crazy things he sees outside his New York apartment, and how he ended up representing the U.S. in the world jigsaw puzzle championship. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh Brolin (Outer Range, No Country for Old Men, Goonies)is an actor. Josh joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what he thinks it means to be masculine, why he decided to get sober, and how he learned to have humility. Josh and Dax talk about what it was like to be in the LA punk scene, why murder documentaries are so intriguing, and how they have made many friends having deep political conversations. Josh explains how he got his iconic role in No Country for Old Men, what having status means to him, and what it was like for him when his mother passed away at a young age. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Floyd Abrams is a Supreme Court lawyer with a focus on First Amendment Rights. Floyd joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what the First Amendment actually says, how public members of the legal system should be, and how much people can give medical advice legally. Floyd and Dax discuss how the idea of what privacy means has changed, who can technically be sued for libel, and how the media should be protected regardless of opinion. Floyd explains what you can't say if you settle a case, how social media has altered the idea of free speech, and how he used to tell his children about court cases as bedtime stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, Knocked Up) is an actor, musician, and comedian. Craig joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he really wanted to be a musician instead of a comedian, how he left a full-time teaching job to pursue an acting career, and learning to trust his improv skills. Craig and Dax talk about why doing stand-up comedy is so appealing, how they have both turned down good money for bad roles, and why Craig has no personal section on Wikipedia. Craig explains wanting to have kids eventually, who his all-time favorite musicians are, and how he once made a cameo in one of Monica's favorite sitcoms. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monica and Dax talk to Armcherries! In todays episode, they cover the topic: abnormal massage stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Freaks and Geeks, Minx) is a director, writer, and producer. Paul joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his tendency for making female-led movies, why he loves gin so much, and why he wears suits every day. Paul and Dax talk about how they attended the same dinner party once, how writing for film and television differ, and why making movies that challenge genres is so important. Paul explains how he got admitted to USC film school, how he was once a Ronald McDonald, and why he really does not like being in nature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Batman Begins, Red Eye) is an actor and producer. Cillian joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how Irish culture can be both rebellious and obedient, how he wanted to play music before becoming an actor, and what being a father to two boys is like. Cillian and Dax talk about how his character on Peaky Blinders has evolved, how his relationship with Christopher Nolan has progressed over the years, and why he doesn't like to talk about acting when he's not at work. Cillian explains why he moved his family back home to Dublin, who his favorite musicians were growing up, and how excited he is about his new role in the upcoming film Oppenheimer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anna Lembke (Dopamine Nation) is a psychiatrist and professor at Stanford University. Anna joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why the opioid crisis has been so dangerous, how language is shifting when talking about people with addictions, and how being addicted to romance novels affected her personal life. Anna and Dax talk about how addiction drives people into isolation, how social media and drugs stimulate the same parts of the brain, and how nature, nurture, or neighborhood can affect peoples' likelihood of forming an addiction. Anna explains how people rationalize their addictions in their own minds, what specific chemicals affect our moods, and how we need to explore reframing our concept of pain. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mandy Moore (In Real Life, This Is Us, A Walk to Remember) is a singer, songwriter, and actress. Mandy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how she was discovered singing the national anthem at a basketball game, what the circumstances surrounding her parents' divorce were, and what going on tour with famous boy bands as a kid was like. Mandy and Dax talk about what they remember about the time she was on Punk'd, what they love about working on a TV show consistently, and how she met her husband on Instagram. Mandy explains how she is feeling about going out on tour again, what growing up in suburban Orlando was like, and that no one has ever said she looks like someone else. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brian Cox (Horizons: A 21st Century Space Odyssey) is a physicist and former musician. Brian joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how we know the Big Bang actually happened, what actually happens when information is sent into a black hole, and how time moves differently in spacetime. Brian and Dax talk about where the end of time exists, how science is taught to kids in different parts of the world, and how social science differs from the science of physics. Brian explains how we have learned so much about the universe since the release of the movie Interstellar, how astronauts are actually falling when they are orbiting the Earth, and having dinner with Succession actor Brian Cox. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show, Nana Loves You More) is a comedian, actor, author, and television host. Jimmy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he ended up hosting The Tonight Show, where his style of comedy comes from, and how he shifted his identity to being a parent. Jimmy and Dax talk about the culture of drinking, how they feel about their movie careers, and how Jimmy gives off Bradley Cooper vibes. Jimmy explains what it was like being raised Catholic, how he didn't have a serious girlfriend through high school, and how he comes up with new songs for his talk show. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daniel Pink (The Power of Regret) is a New York Times best-selling author. Daniel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how people having no regrets in their life is the wrong mentality to have, how people can underachieve if they are over-pressured to perform, and his findings on free will. Daniel and Dax talk about how to confront moral regrets, how self-compassion is more constructive than self-criticism, and how to approach the regrets of action versus inaction. Daniel explains what happens when people are incentivized to work, how growing up in the Midwest shaped his personality, and what usually happens when you reach out to reconnect with people in your life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tony Hawk is a professional skateboarder and entrepreneur. Sam Jones is a photographer and director. Tony and Sam join the Armchair Expert to discuss collaborating to make a documentary about Tony's life, how they have always seen skateboarding as an art form, and their thoughts on the inherent dangers of being a skater. Tony talks about how his style was always different than his peers, his relationship with his dad throughout his career, and how he didn't get into skating for the fame. Sam explains how he met Tony skating at the same park, how skate videos changed the perception of the sport, and how it's weird to hear the sound of your own voice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monica Aldama (Cheer, Full Out) is a cheerleading coach and author. Monica joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how her life changed because of the Netflix documentary, what she feels makes a great leader, and how she is often motivated by people doubting that she can succeed.Monica and Dax talk about supporting victims of abuse, how they both won't read the comment sections, and why head protection isn't required for cheerleading like in other sports. Monica explains how difficult being on Dancing with the Stars was, the double standard for female coaches, and how much she hates to fail at anything. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Meyers (SNL, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Documentary Now) is a comedian, writer, and television host. Seth returns to discuss what his process was writing a children's book, how the pandemic sparked his creativity, and why he has embraced doing stand-up comedy again. Seth and Dax talk about code-switching when they are talking to their kids, where people in their hometowns went to fight, and how they will never give up coffee. Seth explains what foods are horrible to serve in a drive-thru, how hard it is to write a screenplay, and why he has no desire to write an autobiography. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Roy Choi (Broken Bread, The Chef Show, Kogi) is a chef, author, and television personality. Roy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he went from having a gambling addiction to being an award-winning chef, what Asian immigrants had to do to navigate the American system, and how important food is to Korean culture. Roy and Dax talk about what happened to restaurants during the pandemic, how most people in America are a product of fast food advertising, and what reforms he would like to see in the food industry. Roy explains what his experience was like teaching English in Korea, that he has never been a collector of material things, and that he believes there isn't enough Asian representation in American media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show, Nobody, Better Call Saul) is an actor, writer, and producer. Bob joins the Armchair Expert to discuss beginning his career flying back and forth from Chicago to New York, being open and curious about people without judgment, and where his distaste for authority came from. Bob and Dax talk about their time on set shooting a movie together, not being able to connect with their fathers growing up, and creating successes out of their failures. Bob talks about getting held at gunpoint after a late-night improv show, why the title of his new book has the word "comedy" in it 3 times, and why having diversity in the writing room is so important. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jacqueline Novogratz (Manifesto for a Moral Revolution) is an entrepreneur, author and founder of Acumen, a nonprofit global venture capital fund whose goal is to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. Jacqueline joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like growing up in a large family who moved around a lot, how she defines success beyond wealth, and why she left her job to start her own philanthropic nonprofit venture. Jacqueline and Dax talk about the difference between being a cynic and being a skeptic, how she feels we can solve the unhoused crisis, and how young people want to have a purpose in the jobs they choose. Jacqueline explains how investing in people empowers them to change their communities and what it truly means to perform a selfless act. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.