Podcast Summary: All Of It – Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter Take on 'Waiting for Godot'
Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guests: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter
Topic: The Broadway revival of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, starring longtime friends Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, under the direction of Jamie Lloyd.
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode centers on the much-anticipated Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, starring Keanu Reeves (Estragon) and Alex Winter (Vladimir). Host Alison Stewart explores not just their artistic journey with the play, but also how their decades-long friendship shapes their onstage partnership. The discussion dives into rigorous preparation, the unique directorial vision of Jamie Lloyd, the physical and emotional demands of the play, and the deeply human questions Beckett’s work raises.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Deep Research & Creative Forensics
[02:12 – 04:13]
- Both actors describe their extensive research—visiting Beckett archives at UCLA and the University of Reading, speaking with biographers, and examining Beckett’s manuscripts.
- Alex Winter: “We were looking for...essences of the play in Beckett's life… using the time that we had to the best of our abilities.”
- Keanu Reeves: “We were, like, doing forensics, and we were. Creative archaeology.”
- They drew inspiration from Beckett’s personal history, especially his time in the French Resistance.
Humor and Violence in Beckett
[04:22 – 04:53]
- Keanu: “Don’t forget it’s a comedy, okay? And don’t forget the violence.”
- Both highlight the play’s blend of humor, wit, energy, and tragedy—a key insight from their research and conversations with previous actors and Beckett scholars.
The Joy and Challenge of Preparation
[05:08 – 06:15]
- Alex: “We took clowning classes, we took buto dance classes. We did a lot of prep, and we met when we could and did script analysis with the play every few weeks in the lead-up.”
- The long preparation was possible because Keanu first brought up the idea four years ago.
- It was as much about enjoying the process as achieving technical mastery.
First Encounters with Beckett
[06:15 – 07:19]
- Keanu first read Beckett at 17: “One exchange that always stuck with me was, ‘Let’s go. We can’t. Why not? We’re waiting for Godot…as a 17-year-old, I was waiting too.’”
Broadway Then and Now
[07:39 – 08:21]
- Alex (a veteran of Broadway since childhood) notes how the backstage community feels unchanged, still full of camaraderie and tradition.
- “That community is the same. I love it. It's...It feels like home.”
- Keanu is making his Broadway debut. When asked why this play:
- Keanu: “Because it’s fantastic and I get to do it with Alex Winter.”
The Artistic Allure of Godot
[08:53 – 09:56]
- Keanu: “It’s a beautifully written play…It’s thrilling to perform. It’s constantly revealing. There’s always more to think, feel, find out, do. And it’s a profound work of the nature of being alive and dying and waiting for some answers…”
The Physical and Emotional Demands
[10:09 – 11:28]
- Alex: Preparing for eight shows a week required training and careful consideration of family and personal commitments.
- “Fitness, physical fitness, stamina, eating well, eating healthy...We like Risk…We could have done something else, but the challenge was enticing.”
Broadway’s Enduring Culture
[11:28 – 12:23]
- Keanu: “It’s almost like the culture stays the same. And us artists who come to these theaters, pop in and out. It's like we're the new show. But this culture is existing there…It's very strong, it's very present.”
The Power of Friendship Onstage
[13:33 – 16:39]
- Alex: Performing with a true friend leads to deeper trust and allows for more nuanced, authentic interplay—especially fitting, as the play is about two close companions navigating uncertainty and mortality together.
- “We can both be independently quite serious minded, veering on…contemplative people…there are times when we're just sitting there riffing…and it could really just be the two of us having a conversation about life and happiness.”
- Keanu: “We had a trust and confidence in our art practice through our friendship… it brought a joy in the research, it brought a shorthand, and it really just kind of reaffirmed our simpatico aspects to the artistic endeavor.”
Navigating the Unique Set
[16:39 – 18:48]
- The set, designed by Sweetra Gilmore, is a tilted, almost tunnel-like stage challenging the actors physically.
- Alex: “Every minute I'm not on stage, I'm in some form of physical therapy.”
- The set enforces the play’s themes of instability and discomfort but becomes integral to the actors’ portrayals.
Jamie Lloyd’s Modern Vision
[18:48 – 20:57]
- Director Jamie Lloyd brings pace, modernity, and freshness while staying true to Beckett’s text.
- Keanu: “Jamie really was promoting the idea of pace and speed…that would be the major change. It's just the pace of the production.”
- Alex: “He wanted to embrace directing this version of the play as if it was new…And I think that's the right way to come at the play.”
Who Are Vladimir and Estragon?
[21:30 – 23:37]
- Alex (on Vladimir): “He's searching. He's very close to giving up faith, but…still holding on to a shred of faith…His love of Estragon, his fear of losing Estragon, to me, that’s kind of Vladimir’s world.”
- Keanu (on Estragon): “He’s always kind of, you know, what do we do? Let’s go…He just wants to be happy…He doesn’t have the quest, the search for faith quite that I think Vladimir has…these two forces…are working with, together, apart. There's a tension between these two kinds of world points of view of being.”
Audience Takeaways and The Play’s Mystery
[23:42 – 25:23]
- The actors hope the audience leaves with questions, a sense of wonder, or perhaps confusion—emphasizing that great art does not provide simple answers.
- Alex: “The lobby…is a combination of questioning every single thing about life to…‘I have no idea what the hell is going on.’ Which is good. That's a good thing. I think that it is inspiring questions…there is no single [takeaway]…that's what makes it a great work of art.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Preparation:
- Keanu: “We were, like, doing forensics, and we were. Creative archaeology.” [03:54]
- On Beckett’s Tonal Balance:
- Keanu: “Don’t forget it’s a comedy, okay? And don’t forget the violence.” [04:22]
- On Their Friendship:
- Alex: “Because Keanu and I have known each other so long…It’s helpful because we’ll come off stage sometimes and have an idea and, like, we’re just constantly, always thinking, but we’re thinking in somewhat of a unified way…our brains are always kind of thinking on how to make those things work.” [15:48]
- On The Set:
- Alex: “Every minute I’m not on stage, I’m in some form of physical therapy.” [17:38]
- On Jamie Lloyd’s Directing:
- Alex: “He wanted to embrace directing this version of the play as if it was new…” [19:42]
- On Audience Reaction:
- Alex: “The lobby…is a combination of questioning every single thing about life to. ‘I have no idea what the hell is going on.’ Which is good.” [24:22]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Intro & Guest Introduction: 01:12
- On Beckett Archive Research: 02:12 – 04:13
- Humor, Violence, and Beckett’s Tone: 04:22 – 04:53
- Preparatory Process & Collaboration: 05:08 – 06:15
- First Reading Beckett: 06:15 – 07:19
- Broadway Then vs. Now: 07:39 – 08:21
- Why Godot, Why Now: 08:53 – 09:56
- Physical Demands & Personal Prep: 10:09 – 11:28
- Broadway’s Enduring Community: 11:28 – 12:23
- Friendship & Working Together: 13:33 – 16:39
- Navigating the Set: 16:39 – 18:48
- Jamie Lloyd’s Directorial Style: 18:48 – 20:57
- Character Portraits: 21:30 – 23:37
- Audience Reactions & Takeaways: 23:42 – 25:23
Overall Tone
The conversation is warm, reflective, and richly anecdotal, capturing both the artistry and camaraderie at the heart of this new Broadway production. Both Reeves and Winter bring an evident passion for their craft, a contagious intellectual curiosity, and an openness about the joys and challenges of their endeavor, making for an engaging and insightful episode.