Synopsis
Hi, Im Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other peoples stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human truths without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.
Episodes
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Will Ferrell
03/06/2019 Duration: 01h23minWill Ferrell (Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, Step Brothers) is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. Will sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the impetus for Anchorman, his reverence for being on a team and his love for Sweden. Will gives the backstory of when he dressed as security at a Lakers game and Dax questions Will about the ways in which he contradicts comedic stereotypes. The two talk about childhood moments that led to careers in comedy, Will discusses his compulsion to put himself in stressful situations and Dax admits to occasionally getting angry at Will's creative genius. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Erin Lee Carr
30/05/2019 Duration: 01h36minErin Lee Carr is an American documentary film director, writer, and producer. She sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss her journey to sobriety, her interest in complicated humans and growing up with parents who are addicts. Dax asks about Erin's relationship with her father and Erin talks about creating boundaries in her filmmaking. The two talk about process-oriented work, her need to speak for those who are silenced and how AA meetings taught her how to listen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Kumail Nanjiani
27/05/2019 Duration: 01h25minKumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley, Adventure Time) is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor, podcast host, and writer. Kumail sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss his path to overcoming undiagnosed anger, he talks about the moment he realized his childhood cuteness had disappeared and he gives the backstory to why he stumbled in his SNL monologue. Dax wonders what it's like to be married to a relationship therapist and Kumail talks about his journey to gain 20 lbs of muscle in 5 months. The two debate whether feeling excluded is universal, Kumail talks about his complicated relationship with Pakistan and he teaches Dax the difference between Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic hamburgers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Samin Nosrat
23/05/2019 Duration: 02h11minSamin Nosrat is an American chef and food writer. She is a regular food columnist for the New York Times magazine and has a docuseries on Netflix called Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Samin visits the attic to discuss how community is tied to food, her first experience at Chez Panisse where she eventually worked and her realization that mistakes lead to growth. Dax describes some of his favorite at home recipes and Samin talks about how she cried in every episode of her documentary series. The two talk about food systems, the importance of asking for help and Samin wishes Americans had more words for "restaurant". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Craig T. Nelson
20/05/2019 Duration: 01h50minCraig T. Nelson (Coach, Poltergeist, Parenthood) is an American actor and the Armchair Expert's TV dad. Craig sits down in the attic to discuss his struggle with aging, his journey to sobriety and he talks about the period in his life when he left LA for something simpler. Dax asks Craig to regale us with some of his epic drug stories and Craig reflects upon his relationship with his father. The two talk about their time on Parenthood together, the bond over theirmutual love of racing cars and they discuss the power of the ego. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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LIVE FROM DENVER: Monica Padman
16/05/2019 Duration: 01h35minArmchair Expert Live from Denver at the Buell Theatre. April 19th, 2019. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Justin Long
13/05/2019 Duration: 01h53minJustin Long (Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Alvin and the Chipmunks) is an American actor and comedian. Justin sits down in the attic to discuss growing up in a religious family, feeling protective of his older brother and he shares the moment he realized adults can be wrong. Justin talks about his relationship with men who are physically larger than him and Dax is blown away by Justin's Vince Vaughn impression. Dax as Justin talk about the rare experience of dating someone in the public eye, Dax lists reasons why he is jealous of Justin and Justin talks about getting abducted in Michigan. Listen and subscribe to Justin's podcast Life Is Short: http://wondery.fm/lifeisshort See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Bill Nye
09/05/2019 Duration: 01h51minBill Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy) is American science communicator, television presenter, and mechanical engineer. Bill sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the importance of facts, the pros and cons of shooting Bill Nye the Science guy in Seattle and he declares all kids love science. Dax wonders if Bill has any taste buds left after eating too many frozen marshmallows and Bill talks about his parents' fascinating journeys. The two discuss the Wright brothers, the impact of Steve Martin and the future of Science. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Hasan Minhaj
06/05/2019 Duration: 01h54minHasan Minhaj (The Daily Show, Homecoming King, Patriot Act) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Hasan sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss feeling overwhelmed by the balance of life and work and the effect of trends and forces in his life. Dax wonders if Hasan is attracted to people who resemble his mother and Hasan wants Monica to speak up. The two talk about Dax's relationship insecurity, the current excitement around diverse cultures represented in art and Hasan gives the secret sauce to The Daily Show magic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Esther Perel
02/05/2019 Duration: 02h16minEsther Perel is a Belgian author and psychotherapist. Esther sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the true definition of eroticism, the unrealistic expectations we put on our partners and how the status of a couple affects the whole family. She finds the current lack of sex education unacceptable and Dax wonders if Esther's husband is intimidated by her. Esther delineates the complexities of infidelity, she insists we break societal labels and she talks about the residual effect of growing up with parents who survived the Nazi concentration camps. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Stephen Merchant
29/04/2019 Duration: 01h41minStephen Merchant (The Office, Extras, The Ricky Gervais Show) is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian and actor. Stephen sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the pros and cons of being tall and his philosophy on directing. Dax and Stephen reminisce on the pre-internet era when it was impossible to find answers to bizarre questions. They talk about the differences between English and American standards on alcohol consumption and mental health and Stephen talks about the success of The Office and its lasting impact. In the fact check, Monica and Dax reflect on past indiscretions at the bowling alley and they hope the statute of limitations is up. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Dr. Eric Topol
25/04/2019 Duration: 01h44minDr. Eric Topol is an American cardiologist, geneticist, digital medicine researcher and the director and founder of Scripps research institute. The good doctor sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the benefits of applying Artificial intelligence to our healthcare system, he talks about the concept of deep leaning and he relays the importance of human to human interaction in medicine. Dax wonders if we are spending too much money on end of life care and Eric debunks the notion that AI will fully replace humans. The two talk about the futile search for pain relief and the doctor gets everyone excited about the advent of a smartphone full body scan. Also, Monica and Dax get a special surprise call in the fact check. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Norah Jones
22/04/2019 Duration: 02h05minNorah Jones is a Grammy award-winning American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss the trajectory of her career, her commitment to music and dealing with public criticism. Norah admits she is attracted to musicians and Dax, in response, declares his rudimentary knowledge of drumming. The two talk about the value of relationships pre and post-fame, they bond over having powerful single mothers and Norah plays music for Dax and Monica making them feel like their live in a matrix. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Michael Gervais
18/04/2019 Duration: 02h19minMichael Gervais is a high-performance psychologist and co-founder of Compete to Create. In this episode of Experts on Expert, Michael sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss working on the RedBull Stratos project, the nuisance of overcoming mental obstacles and his work with Microsoft employees to maximize work performance. The two talk about the mindfulness revolution, optimal coaching techniques and steps to train your mind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Will Forte
15/04/2019 Duration: 02h05sWill Forte (SNL, MacGruber, Nebraska, The Last Man on Earth) is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. Will sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss turning down SNL, living with OCD and the experience of creating his own show. Dax has mastered the Irish goodbye and Will remembers shooting his first scene of an Alexander Payne movie. Will recalls his SNL audition characters, he talks about getting fired from Letterman and Dax thinks MacGruber is a perfect comedy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: Sanjay Gupta
11/04/2019 Duration: 01h33minDr. Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter and CNN medical correspondent. He sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss wanting to change his name to Steve as a child, performing surgery in a wartime environment and he breaks the misconception that brain size is the primary factor in intelligence. Dax and Sanjay share a Michigander past and they discuss some of the failing components of our current healthcare system. He talks about recent findings in CTE and leaves us with advice on ways to maximize health and prolong life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Adam Pally
08/04/2019 Duration: 01h50minAdam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, The Presidents Show) is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. Adam stops by the attic to discuss feeling bitter toward the industry, loving the feeling of losing and his newfound look on Judaism. Dax wants Adam to stop burning bridges and Adam talks about the one takeaway he gained from acting school. The two note the specific placement of movie billboards, they discuss different kinds of recognizability and Adam recalls a piece of advice he learned from Jimmy Kimmel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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LIVE FROM SAN ANTONIO: Michael Rosenbaum
04/04/2019 Duration: 02h00sArmchair Expert Live from San Antonio at the Majestic Theatre. February 23rd, 2019. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Chelsea Handler
01/04/2019 Duration: 01h56minChelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately, The Chelsea Handler Show, Chelsea Does) is an American comedian, actress, writer, television host, producer, activist and bonafide baller. Chelsea sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss her very odorous experience on iowaska, her need to escape her family and her realization that her patterns with men are the result of a childhood trauma. Dax asks about her relationship to substances and Chelsea is hoping to find a skiing buddy. The two talk about the root of her intimidating nature, censorship in comedy and how old men love Chelsea. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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EXPERTS ON EXPERT: John Kim
28/03/2019 Duration: 02h05minJohn Kim is a licensed therapist, life coach and author. He sits down with the Armchair Expert to discuss his commitment to redefining masculinity, why he created The Angry Therapist blog and his view on expired relationships. John talks about the deep communication barrier with his parents and Dax wonders if John's marriage was a result of feeling "other" his whole life. The two talk about living in a fatherless nation, they discuss what it means to live a "through me" life and John tells a notable story involving sexual exploration and a stone fruit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.