Katie Couric

Over the course of her impressive career, Julianna Margulies has starred on some wildly popular television shows. She played Nurse Carol Haloway on the definitive medica drama, ER. She starred as the disgraced politician’s wife, Alicia Florrick, in The Good Wife. And coming this September she’ll be joining the stellar cast of “The Morning Show.” The award-winning actress, and producer, is going behind the scenes of some of those shows and taking a look at the impact of her nomadic childhood and upbringing in her memoir: “Sunshine Girl: An unexpected life.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Julianna dive into all of that — Julianna’s cross-continental childhood, her complicated hippie mom, the backlash she experienced leaving ER (and turning down a $27 million contract), why she just couldn’t shake Alicia Florrick and so much more. Find out more about Julianna’s memoir, “Sunshine Girl: An unexpected Life,” and where to get your copy at Penguin Random House. Katie and Julianna’s con

Justin Baldoni is a producer, director and actor who is probably best known for his long-running character on “Jane the Virgin.” Across the show’s five seasons, Justin played Rafael Solano, the sensitive, reformed playboy who fell in love with the titular Jane, a virgin. But the actor, whose acting work tends to embody a certain type of shirtless machismo masculinity, is on a new mission to help change the way men — and society — think about masculinity. It’s an idea he first explored on social media, and then in a Ted Talk in 2017, and then in a web series and now in a memoir-ish book called “Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Justin discuss the often toxic grip masculinity has on our society and what Justin thinks we can all do to change that. They also talk about Justin’s personal exploration — as a son, husband and father — of what it means to be a man. Find out more about “Man Enough” and where you can buy your copy at HarperCollins. Int

Ursula Burns has had an impressive career that is often summarized by an historic achievement: that when she became the CEO of Xerox in 2009 she was the first every Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. But there is so much more to Ursula’s career and life story, which is movingly detailed in her memoir, “Where You Are is Not Who You Are.” In it, Ursula gets very personal, sharing her childhood growing up in public housing in New York City, her Catholic-school days, her marriage, and, yes, her 30-year ascent to the tippy top of Xerox’s ladder. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Ursula talk about why writing that life journey was one of the most difficult things she has ever had to do, how she lead Xerox at a time when no one needed Xeroxing, and why we all need to continue to push the business world to diversify their ranks (and what corporations are missing out on if they don’t). You can find more about “Where You Are is Not Who You Are: A Memoir” and where you can buy your co

In March 2020, as COVID-19 started to grip the nation, fitness entrepreneur Amanda Kloots was settling into a new city (Los Angeles) with her husband Nick Cordero and their new baby. By July 2020, Amanda would become a very public COVID widow. Some of what happened to Amanda and Nick during those four months played out in incredibly personal posts and videos on Amanda’s Instagram feed. But there is so much more to Amanda’s pandemic story and the improbable death of her young, fit Broadway star husband who was just 41-years-old when he died from COVID-19 complications. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Amanda about her new memoir, “Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero,” which Amanda wrote with the help of her sister Anna. Katie and Amanda talk about the writing process, about Nick and their marriage, about grieving live on Instagram and finding heartbreak and healing in a community of strangers. You can find out more about “Live Your Life” and find out w

If you’re going to have a summer series on memoirs, there is truly no better person to begin with than the boss of memoir herself, Mary Karr. In 1995, Mary Karr published her debut memoir, “The Liar’s Club,” an engrossing, tragicomic telling of her childhood in a poor, industrial East Texas town. “The Liar’s Club” took the publishing world by storm and inspired a wave of confessional memoirs. Mary then followed it up with “Cherry” in 2000 and “Lit” in 2009. She also wrote a how-to book about the genre called “The Art of Memoir” and is now working on her fourth memoir. In addition to her memoir career, Mary is also the author of five celebrated volumes of poetry and is a longtime professor of English at Syracuse University. And on this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Mary dive into it all: the writing process, books that impacted her life and career, her faith, aging gracefully (or not), even cherished Winnie-the-Pooh poems. It’s such a fun, hilarious and absorbing conversation and a real

It’s summer! And here on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie’s celebrating the shortest season with a fun series on books! But not just any books — memoirs!. Katie just finished writing her own memoir (which comes out this October — stay tuned!), so she wanted to spend time with other people who have shared their stories and put themselves on the page. She has a huge range of guests from actors Sharon Stone and Justin Baldoni to business leaders and entrepreneurs like former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Sarah Jakes and Amanda Kloots, and the memoir boss herself, Mary Karr. There’s so much to discuss, too: the pain of writing, the revelations of looking back on your life, and the triumphs of TMI. New episodes start July 1. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Emmy season and on this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares “The Handmaid's Tale” cast and creators panel she hosted for awards consideration. The dystopian Hulu drama just wrapped its dramatic, twist-heavy and pandemic-filmed fourth season, so be forewarned, there are spoilers ahead! There are so many talented people behind the ensemble show that the panel was split into two: the residents of Gilead and the refugees in Canada.  The episode begins in Gilead with, in order of appearance, executive producer and showrunner Bruce Miller, Joseph Fiennes (Commander Fred Waterford), Yvonne Strahovski (Serena Joy Waterford), executive producer, director and star Elizabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred/Ofjoseph), Madeline Brewer (Janine Lindo/Ofwarren/Ofhoward), Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia Clements), Bradley Whitford (Commander Joseph Lawrence), McKenna Grace (Esther Keyes), and Max Minghella (Commander Nick Blaine). In the second half of the episode, Katie talks with the refugees in Canada inclu

On this sponsored episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, the executive vice president and chief patient officer of the biopharmaceutical company Merck. As a company with a long legacy of research in infectious disease, Merck has been in the thick of the COVID crisis, mobilizing its scientific expertise to help address the pandemic. Katie and Dr. Gerberding talk about the waning months of this historic pandemic, the lingering concerns about vaccinations and variants, COVID’s lasting impact on public health and how we can better prepare for emerging diseases. Merck is a partner of Katie Couric Media. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is one of the country’s leading anti-racist scholars. And, in fact, everything that Dr. Kendi does — as a professor, an author, a researcher, a podcast host, a human — attempts to reframe how we think about racism and how we fight it. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Dr. Kendi about his prolific anti-racism work, which encompasses his academic leadership and Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, his multiple books, including “Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019,” which he co-edited with Keisha N. Blain, the forthcoming online publication he’s launching with the Boston Globe called “The Emancipator,” and his new podcast, “Be Antiracist,” coming out June 9. They also touch upon the solemn anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and how far we have and haven’t come in this year of racial reckoning, as well as why it’s so important to start anti-racist discussions early, and how his devastating 2018 cancer diagnos

Stacey Abrams is known for a lot of things — her voting rights work, for flipping Georgia blue in 2020, for not winning the state’s gubernatorial race in 2018. But in addition to her political and advocacy career, she’s also a prolific author. She has written eight unapologetically steamy romance novels, under the pen name Selena Montgomery. And this month, she’s releasing her ninth work of fiction — her first under her own name — a political action thriller called, While Justice Sleeps. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets the chance to dive into the writerly side of Stacey Abrams to find out the inspiration for her books, how she builds characters and why she continues to write. But don’t you worry, Katie also asks Stacey to weigh in on the most pressing political issues, from growing concern over voting rights, party divisiveness, and the Supreme Court. This conversation was recorded as part of Stacey Abrams’ book tour, on a virtual stop at Powell Books in Seattle. Thank you to th

“This is never going to be on TV,” says Bowen Yang, reflecting on the now-viral Saturday Night Live sketch where he plays the iceberg that sank the Titanic. “It’s such a big swing.” It turns out, if anyone can knock an unexpected pitch out of the park, it’s the 30-year-old comedian who has quickly risen to fan-favorite in his short time on the show. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets the full Bowen picture, digging into his cross-national childhood, understanding what it was like to come out to his parents, going behind the scenes of his SNL audition process and getting the anatomy of some of his favorite sketches. Katie and Bowen also talk about the cult-favorite podcast he co-hosts, “Las Culturistas,” and where the talented and endearing young star goes from here. If you weren’t smitten with Bowen Yang before, you will be after this podcast.  Check out some of the Saturday Night Live sketches mentioned in the episode: Sara Lee The Iceberg on the Sinking of the Titanic Learn

Best-selling author Michael Lewis has a knack for extracting page-turning drama out of otherwise mundane and complicated subjects (hello, bond trading and baseball stats). Several of those books have been so good they’ve been turned into award-winning dramas starring half of Hollywood (hello, “The Big Short” and “Moneyball). And now, Lewis takes a crack at the pandemic realty still unfolding. His new book is called “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.” In it, Lewis uses the first-hand accounts of three main characters to unravel the government’s gross mismanagement of the COVID response, which lead to nearly 600,000 deaths (among the world’s worst outcomes). On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Michael Lewis talk about the CDC’s shocking downfall, the gaping holes in the public health system and the secret group of doctors (the so-called “Wolverines) helping to single handedly patch that system together. We also get to hear from one of those doctors, Dr. Joe DeRisi, a biochemistry prof

This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with former Secretary of State, former Democratic nominee for president, former First Lady Hillary Clinton. The truly multi-hyphenate (did you know she’s also a podcast host?) advocate and author shares her thoughts on some of the issues that are top of mind right now, from the COVID vaccine and the potential for post-pandemic life, to the spread of disinformation and policing in America. But Katie and Hillary also spend time discussing their personal lives, the many and surprising ways they intersect, and why women continue to struggle for equality both at home and in the workplace. It’s a full and personal discussion that includes one story from early in Hillary’s career that even Katie hadn’t heard before. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a brutal year. Not only for the loss, heartache and isolation the pandemic has brought, but also the relentless and senseless violence, the mass shootings, and systemic racism at play all over America. Even as Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all accounts, on April 21, 2021, of murdering George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, a 16-year-old girl in Ohio was killed by police. “It’s a trauma,” President Biden said of all that had to occur to deliver the guilty verdict and such basic accountability. Which is why, this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric is dedicated to acknowledging the individual traumas and shared trauma of this year and learning how we can begin to heal. We’ll hear from three healing practitioners: Dr. James Gordon of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and author of “Transforming Trauma: The Path to Hope and Healing,” Trina Greene Brown of the non-profit organization Parenting for Liberation, and Lisa Woolfork of Black Women Stitch and the Stitch, Please podcast. Learn pract

This past (very long) year, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been immersed in all things COVID-19, as CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent reporting on the front lines of this novel virus. “All I think about is COVID,” he told Katie, “Viral transmission, how people evaluate risk, social behavior. There’s no part of our society that hasn’t been touched in some way.” But Sanjay is also a neuroscientist and in addition to his on-air work and a daily podcast (Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction), Sanjay has somehow found the time to write a new book called “Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age,” which is out now. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Sanjay talk about how to keep the brain healthy with tips you can use right now to protect and improve your brain. But Katie starts the conversation by asking the COVID about the status of the pandemic and if we’re truly out of the woods.  Find out more from this episode Read: Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age, by Dr. Sanjay Gupta Why Zeb

The Oscars are on the horizon and though it’s been a strange year for the movie industry, the race for the golden statue is nothing short of historic. Notably, there is not one but two women nominated for best director: Emerald Fennell, for “Promising Young Woman,” starring Carrie Mulligan, and Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand. “Nomadland” was also written by Zhao who based her screenplay on the non-fictional book, “Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century,” by journalist Jessica Bruder. Frances McDormand’s Fern — a fictionalized amalgam of people in Bruder’s book — is a woman living out of her van, traveling the country working seasonal jobs and meeting a community of like-minded itinerant Americans along the way. On this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets to go behind the scenes of this extraordinary, beautiful and strangely prescient film in a roundtable discussion with the director Chloé Zhao as well as three producers, Peter Spears, Mollye A

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a writer, speaker and author of two New York Times best-selling books, “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual” and her latest, “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighting Manual.” Luvvie’s books are part memoir, part manifestos that, like Luvvie herself, try to help the rest of us do better — for ourselves and for the people around us. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gives herself over to Luvvie’s wisdom and learns how to overcome confidence barriers, use fear for good, shed that pleaser instinct, embrace the brag, and loan courage whenever possible. Get your pad and pen, because your Luvvie lesson starts now!  Learn more about the episode: Buy the “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual” Buy “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual” Watch Luvvie’s 2017 Ted Talk, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathryn Hahn is an absolute scream, as you may have guessed from watching her in the hit Marvel TV show “WandaVision.” Or maybe you first took notice of her comedy chops in early aught blockbusters like “Step Brothers.” Or perhaps, you knew along given her propensity for all-too-relatable characters in indie films like “Private Life.” However you’ve come across Kathryn Hahn, there’s no denying the actor, at 47, has hit her stride. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie digs into Kathryn’s background to find out what makes her comedy’s secret weapon. They talk about her comedy role models, the unfortunate prosthetic pregnancy stage early in her career, and why the parts she’s earning now, at 47, are the best and most exciting of her career. Watch Kathryn on Wandavision on Disney+. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie dives into a subject very close to her heart: colon cancer awareness. After Katie’s first husband Jay died 23 years ago, she’s been a fierce advocate for early screening and regular colonoscopies — she even, you might recall, got one on live TV. There’s a reason Katie goes to such lengths: early screening saves lives. In this episode, we first hear from a stage 4 cancer fighter who is living that lesson. Then, Dr. Edith Mitchell of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, helps to answer the question, why are Black people, Black men in particular, so much more likely to get colon cancer and also die from it (hint: it’s systemic). Finally, Katie talks with oncologist Dr. Charlie Fuchs about the state of colon cancer detection and treatment today.  LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Visit Stand Up To Cancer, Katie’s cancer-fighting non-profit, for reliable resources and institutions. Take the pledge to get

Twenty-six years ago, Kate Winslet sat down for her first nationally televised, American interview with none other than Katie Couric when she was co-host of the Today Show. Kate was promoting “Sense and Sensibility” and was a nervous wreck. “I was very self-conscious,” she reminisces with Katie. “I remember being physically and just very self conscious in those days.” Katie, who was pregnant at the time, admits to feeling endeared to the 20-year-old star, “It was one of my favorite interviews,” she tells Kate, “I felt very protective of you because you were so young.” In this new, wide sweeping interview, Katie and Kate reunite to talk about her pandemic life, her new murder mystery series on HBO, the delightful audio book she narrated, the upcoming Avatar films, and the toxic business of Hollywood, from Woody to Harvey, and what has and hasn’t changed.  Find out more about: “The Weirdies,” an Audible Original written by New York Time Bestseller Michael Buckley and narrated by Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown