Introducing Killer Thriller

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present – Episode: "Introducing Killer Thriller"
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

This special episode of "Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present" announces a new true crime podcast: Killer Thriller, with guest host Alisa Donovan (actress best known for "Clueless" and "Beverly Hills, 90210"). Amy and TJ, joined by Alisa, dive into their mutual fascination with true crime: why these stories captivate us, how actors approach embodying real-life figures involved in crime, and what listeners can expect from the new show. The conversation ranges from inside-Hollywood stories to deeper explorations of human psychology, empathy, the ethics of true crime storytelling, and personal anecdotes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Killer Thriller: Podcast Format and Intent

• Premise: The new podcast focuses on dramatized true crime series and films (e.g., "The Murdaugh Murders," Menendez Brothers stories, O.J. Simpson), emphasizing how actors inhabit real-life roles and the creative process behind bringing infamous crime stories to screen.
  • "We're approaching it from the standpoint of the series and the films that are recreating and telling the story of these crimes..." – Alisa Donovan [09:17]
• Unique Approach: Rather than retelling cases, Killer Thriller explores the intersection of creativity, true crime, human psychology, and storytelling craft.

2. Guest Spotlight: Alisa Donovan's Background & Fascination with True Crime

• Personal Fascination:
  • Alisa admits a “borderline disturbing obsession” with true crime, shared by many:
    • "I have, like, a borderline disturbing obsession with it, and I'm not quite sure, you know, I've tried to figure out what this is, and then I realized, well, it's not just me." [05:58]
  • Relates her interest to her work as an actor: understanding human behavior, motives, and the challenge of humanizing people who have done “catastrophic things.”
    • "If you're playing a real person, it's just a whole other level, right, of how do you get inside that person? ...how do you humanize them and all of that, but also then show them respect?" [07:39]
• Hollywood Nostalgia: Alisa’s fame from "Clueless" and "90210" is playfully recalled, with insights into the confidence (or lack thereof!) in playing "bad girls."
  • "No, I wish I had her confidence. I wish I had her confidence. I mean, maybe on the inside..." – Alisa, on her "90210" character, Ginger LaMonica [05:17]

3. The Allure of True Crime: Human Curiosity & the Line Between Fascination and Exploitation

• Why We're Drawn to Darkness:
  • The group discusses why people are so obsessed with crime stories—seeking to understand the boundaries of human behavior.
    • "We have such a desire to understand human behavior... it's absolutely impossible to believe sometimes that someone could commit some of these truly heinous crimes." – Alisa [06:19]
  • Amy confesses her early “fascination with the abomination.”
    • "My English teacher called it fascination with the abomination. I knew I had it from the moment I was a kid I loved." – Amy [19:58]
  • True crime isn't just exploitative; it offers a lens into human nature and morality.
• Are We All Capable?:
  • TJ raises the philosophical question: are these criminals anomalies, or could anyone be driven to such extremes?
    • "Is it your opinion that most of us are capable of some of this stuff? … Because it doesn't feel like that to me necessarily." – TJ [11:47]
  • Alisa’s view:
    • "It's just like... there is a good and bad. It's a choice, right? We all have the good and the bad in us… I always feel like anyone is capable of anything. Great things and small, you know, and I think it's short sighted to say otherwise..." [12:06]
• Morbid Curiosity vs. Empathy:
  • Response to criticism: is true crime exploitation or helpful?
    • "They don't want to not talk about it. They actually have to. And the more that people ignore it or say, like, oh, don't bring it up… you're doing them a disservice..." – Alisa [24:28]
    • "As a creative person... We're doing a service. It's a calling. We're artists. So you really are imbuing this with humanity and with truth." [25:13]

4. Favorite Types of True Crime Stories

• Spousal/Family Crimes:
  • The hosts and Alisa discuss being especially drawn to crimes involving spouses and family dynamics—both for their relatability and psychological depth.
    • "I'm very interested in spousal disputes and family sort of disputes because... it's so relatable. And then you just become some worried." – Alisa [18:29]
  • Jokingly highlight tropes in crime stories (nurses, poison, credit card debt):
    • "I feel like women are so sadistic. Like if a man's going to kill you, it's just going to be like quick, brutal but quick. Women we will torture. Women are like poison." – Amy [18:52]
    • "We've been planning it and planning it for ages and watching it all unfold because we can multitask. Smarter killers." – Alisa [19:15]

5. How Actors Prepare to Play Real-Life Criminals and Victims

• Challenges: Balancing accuracy with creative interpretation, accessing empathy, humanizing the roles, and understanding the emotional impact.
  • "How do you find the positive things to a person who's done catastrophic things? How do you humanize them and all of that, but also then show them respect?" – Alisa [07:44]
  • "Because telling these sorts of stories is a lot of weight to carry... I'm interested in that crossing of the creative and the real life..." [11:12]
• Favorite Performances:
  • The cast praises performances in true crime dramatizations: Jason Clark in the "Murdaugh Murders", Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark in "The People v. O.J. Simpson," etc.
    • "He is like otherworldly. He is so phenomenal in this show... It's like you're watching a madman." – Alisa, on Jason Clark [31:44]
    • "Sarah Paulson is like Marcia Clark. She nails it. Incredible. She's so good." – Alisa [32:22]
    • "I actively lobbied for Courtney B. Vance to get an Oscar for a show that was on TV." – TJ [32:35]

6. Upcoming Episodes and Stories

• Highlighted Cases:
  • Murdaugh Murders, Menendez Brothers, Epstein, Diddy, Brian Walsh, O.J. Simpson, and high-profile dramatizations.
  • "So we're gonna do new shows that are very topical, like the Murdaugh murders, the Menendez brothers... I'm sure there's going to be an Epstein series of some kind..." – Alisa [30:57]
• Emphasis on Peripheral Characters:
  • Not just focusing on the criminals but family, police, and others whose lives are affected.
    • "It's not just the killer or the evildoer. It's the people around... the family and the police officers and all of those people..." – Amy [32:49]

7. The Nature vs. Nurture Debate & Raising Children

• Are People Born Evil?
  • "Do you think people are born evil, are inherently evil, maybe and selfish? And you have to learn otherwise, I'm curious where you fall on that." – Amy [20:37]
  • Alisa’s personal answer: Focus on the concept of the soul, individual journeys, parenting, and free will.
    • "I feel like we are. It is based in the soul. So, we come into this life with a soul and the soul's in the body..." [20:55]
    • Parenting anecdote about supporting her daughter's individuality.

8. Closure: Personal Growth and Collaboration

• Reflection on Collaboration and Personal Journeys:
  • "We have been through a lot and we can never have imagined that we'd be sitting in this room with you right now. But all of that had to happen for us to get here." – TJ [34:16]
  • "It isn't just like going through it. Then you have to actually live, right. Like nobody is going to just provide you the happy life that you have." – Alisa [35:18]
  • Shared excitement for the new project and its capacity for empathy and learning.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• "I have, like, a borderline disturbing obsession with it, and I'm not quite sure... then I realized, well, it's not just me."
  — Alisa Donovan [05:58]

• "We're approaching it from the standpoint of the series and the films that are recreating and telling the story of these crimes..."
  — Alisa Donovan [09:17]

• "If you're playing a real person, it's just a whole other level... how do you humanize them and all of that, but also then show them respect?"
  — Alisa Donovan [07:39]

• "My English teacher called it fascination with the abomination. I knew I had it from the moment I was a kid I loved."
  — Amy Robach [19:58]

• "Do you think some of the stuff we see, a lot of the stories we see... most of us are capable of some of this stuff?"
  — TJ Holmes [11:47]

• "...there is a good and bad. It's a choice, right? And we are all driven by the... good and the bad in us."
  — Alisa Donovan [12:06]

• "I'm very interested in spousal disputes and family... it's so relatable. And then you just become some worried."
  — Alisa Donovan [18:29]

• "I feel like women are so sadistic. Like if a man's going to kill you, it's just going to be like quick, brutal but quick. Women we will torture. Women are like poison."
  — Amy Robach [18:52]

• "They don't want to not talk about it. They actually have to. And the more that people ignore it... you're doing them a disservice..."
  — Alisa Donovan [24:28]

• "It's not just the killer or the evildoer. It's... the people around."
  — Amy Robach [32:49]

• "Sometimes we gotta go through things... But... you have to actually live, right. Like nobody is going to just provide you the happy life that you have."
  — Alisa Donovan [35:18]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:06 – Introduction of Alisa Donovan & discussion about LA traffic as icebreaker
• 04:50 – Alisa reflects on her "90210" role and confidence
• 05:58 – Alisa shares her obsession with true crime and the actor’s perspective
• 08:53 – True crime as immersive research and creative endeavor
• 09:17 – Explaining the Killer Thriller podcast format
• 11:47 – Are killers outliers, or could anyone be "capable"?
• 12:06 – Alisa analyzing the darkness and light in all people
• 18:29 – Favorite true crime stories: spousal/family crimes, gendered differences in methods
• 19:58 – Amy on her lifelong fascination with "the abomination"
• 24:28 – Critique of true crime as "morbid curiosity" vs. empathy/respect
• 30:57 – Alisa teases upcoming stories/series on the podcast
• 32:49 – The wider circle affected by crime (victims, families, police)
• 34:16 – Reflections on personal and professional journeys

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Killer Thriller is designed for true crime fans who crave an inside look at the dramatization and performance aspect—how actors, directors, and writers grapple with real-life evil, empathy, and creativity.
• The hosts and guest express that fascination with true crime is deeply human—a way to process the complexity of good and evil in a quest for understanding, not just sensationalism.
• Expect thoughtful, ethical, and engaging conversations about not just criminals, but the many lives touched by crime and its portrayal in pop culture.

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Overall Tone

Warm, candid, self-reflective, and a little darkly humorous, with a spirit of empathy, curiosity, and collaboration.

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Transcript

[Amy]

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[Kal Penn]

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[Kal Penn]

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[Ed Helms]

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Hey there, everybody. Welcome to Amy and TJ Presents. But now we have something after the presents. DJ Killer Thriller.

[TJ]

Killer Thriller. That sounds. Is it too dramatic? I wondered if it is. No, no. You don't think the titles are dramatic? You think so?

[Amy]

Yes.

[TJ]

Okay.

[Amy]

That's what we're talking about. Killer Thriller. And we have an aunt, which is exciting because it's not just Amy and TJ Presents Killer Thriller. It's Amy and TJ presents Killer Thriller with Alisa Donovan.

[TJ]

Oh, yes. And a lot of people know that name and know that history, but a lot of people haven't done what we have now been able to do, which is be stuck in LA traffic with Alisa Donovan, which is what we just did on the way here.

[Amy]

Lizzie.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Yes.

[Alisa Donovan]

Was that not the best way to.

[Amy]

Get to know each other?

[Alisa Donovan]

It kind of was. Not that we wanted to have to do it again, but, like, it kind of was.

[Amy]

We made the most of LA traffic, one of the things LA is known for, but we turned it into lemonade.

[Alisa Donovan]

It's like we had 15 different conversations and looked out the window. We were in the same place.

[Amy]

We didn't go anywhere. We got out of the car. Anyone who lives in LA probably has experienced this as well. Even in New York. We've done this too. Get out of the cab because you aren't going anywhere. And we walked it. And we are so excited because we are talking about a new true crime podcast and you are obviously a. Well, we're of a certain age, so. The nineties, you were everywhere. For those who need an introduction to Elisa Donovan, if you loved the movie Clueless, who didn't? You might remember her as Amber from Clueless. And also, we were. This was so funny. Beverly Hills 90210. I was a huge fan. And you played. I love.

[Alisa Donovan]

You played, like, the bad guy, Ginger lamonica, who sounds. It's like that. What is it? When a word sounds like what it is. Yes, that's Ginger lamonica.

[TJ]

How close are you to that character? How close are you in your real life?

[Alisa Donovan]

When I did Tori and Jenny's podcast over there rewatching it, and so they send me the episodes and I was like, a little. I was a little embarrassed by my behavior. Like, I can't. She really has, like. She had some balls.

[Amy]

She's this attitude.

[Alisa Donovan]

No, I wish I had her confidence. I wish I had her confidence. I mean, maybe on the inside, in.

[TJ]

The car right here, you seem to have that confidence.

[Alisa Donovan]

I did. Isn't that weird?

[TJ]

We got to know that is an interesting way. In all seriousness, this is a true story, folks. The way we have just gotten to know know is in stuck in LA traffic, and we literally got out and walked down the street with her. This is our introduction and how we got to know each other.

[Alisa Donovan]

It's kind of amazing, right? Like, it's never gonna not be great now. Like, you just know we couldn't have made it up.

[Amy]

All right, so, Elisa, tell us your fascination, what your connection is to true crime.

[Alisa Donovan]

I. I mean, I think I am not alone here. I have, like, a borderline disturbing obsession with it, and I'm not quite sure, you know, I've tried to figure out what this is, and then I realized, well, it's not just me. So I think we have such a. A desire to. To understand human behavior. And, like, we human beings are. Are like, just. We can't explain so much about how we behave. And I think we find it absolutely impossible to believe sometimes that someone could commit some of these truly heinous crimes. And then when you kind of put all the pieces together and you walk down the path, you say, oh, oh, wow. I guess I can sort of imagine that's how I look at it. Like, oh, I. I want to understand how someone could get to this place, you know, and so often these things, like, certainly mental illness is. Is one thing, but sometimes these things are based in other issues, you know, where it's really about loss or passion or true, like, really needing to survive. You know, there are so many different things that we come across that cause people to do these things. And so I am truly obsessed. And I feel like there is, you know, as an actor, I've never played a real person before who has existed in history. And I think, you know, any kind of prep you're doing as an actor, you're always trying to understand who they are, where they come from, why they do the things they do. And if you're playing a real person, it's just a whole other level, Right, of how do you get inside that person? Yes. How do you find the. The positive things to a person who's done catastrophic things? How do you humanize them and all of that, but also then show them respect? Right? There is something. And if you're playing the other character, family members, lawyers, people who have this really specific and unique experience with these situations, there's, like a real amount of.

Of just respect that you have to show. And I'm. I'm so interested to talk to the people from the creative side of how they approach these characters. Do they get to go to the places where these things happen? How much real access, how much license do you give yourself to say, I am playing this real person, but I also have to kind of do my own version of that. So it's just. I'm really excited to go down that path. And then also, I get to. It's my job. I have to watch these things. I have to.

[Amy]

Oh, you have to watch true crime specials, which is just so laborious and boring. No, it's so fun. That's exciting to get to consume what you love and then talk about the process of how you portray this. Explain to us, or at least to the listeners, what this new show format is going to be. How are you approaching true crime in this podcast form?

[Alisa Donovan]

So we're approaching it from the standpoint of the series and the films that are recreating and telling the story of these crimes. That is, the Murdaugh murders is one that has recently be on. Right. Been on tv. And that series is. Obviously goes through the process of Alec Murdaugh and the murder of his wife and his son. And so we will interview one of the actors from the show, talk to them about their. Their process, how. How involved in the case did they. Did they get. How did they sort of separate themselves? How did they prepare for this and how did it impact their own lives? You know, because so much of this also, when we're watching as viewers, I think for myself, anyway, you. You know, you're. You're looking at your own life, but you're. You're looking at it from this standpoint of, as I said, kind of, you know, how do we. How can we do these things? Like, how can human beings be so profoundly beautiful and kind and loving and then so profoundly dark? And how do we. How do we keep existing as human beings? You know, we see these things. We have children, we have people we care about. Like, it's. I feel that there is really a way to humanize these things that will make us less desensitized, because that's also something that I think about a lot that, you know, we can't. There are terrible things that happen, you know, and it's important for us to really understand these things and not become desensitized to them. And I feel like if we can talk about it kind of breaking down how you approach these people and how.

Because telling these sorts of stories is.

It's a lot of weight to carry, you know, and it's not simple. And so I'm interested In that crossing of the creative and the real life. Because I think as art, certainly myself, as an artist, the older that I get and the more work that I do, it's like you sort of incorporate your life into everything. Like, my creativity is inherently part of my life and vice versa. So it's sort of. I'm really interested in.

You know, talking about those things and merging them.

[TJ]

Do you think some of the stuff we see, a lot of the stories we see and we all watch a lot of true crime. Is it your opinion that most of us are capable of some of this stuff? Just we. Not in those circumstances or thinking. A lot of what we're seeing is these people are anomalies. Because it doesn't feel like that to me necessarily.

[Alisa Donovan]

It doesn't feel that way to me either. I think that we want to believe that we want to say these are outliers, these are the exceptions to the rule. But is this a part. This is a part of human nature. It is a part of all of us. And it is really. It's just like, I mean, I bring everything back to Harry Potter, that there is a good and bad. It's a choice, right? And we are all driven by the. We all have the good and the bad in us. And certainly, you know, things are. There are extreme ends to both of those things. But I don't think it's an anomaly, you know, especially when we. Life is hard. You know, life is hard. Life is really beautiful too, but it's not easy and dependent upon how you respond to those things, how the environment, your environment responds to you. The pressure can build. And I always feel like, I don't know if it's because I'm an actor that you sort of have to be able to imagine all these things, but I always feel like anyone is capable of anything. Great things and small, you know, And I think it's short sighted to say otherwise, to sort of put people in buckets, right? They go, this is a great person. They only do great things, that it's a terrible person, you know, and part of it is like judgment. We all have to have good judgment, right? Or we try to have good judgment. So. But they're that great. The middle. The middle bit is really where, you know, most of us are.

[Kal Penn]

Hello.

[TJ]

Hello. I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Smart Talks with IBM. I recently sat down with IBM's chairman and CEO, Arvind Krishna, and I asked him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business?

[Arvind Krishna]

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[TJ]

To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone, Ed Helms here.

[Kal Penn]

And hi, I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the I Heart Podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. With no wrong answer, what role would I play?

[Alisa Donovan]

You know what? I can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little Colin first.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett here.

Listen to earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy]

A GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ]

Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after. After.

[TJ]

Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy]

To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.

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[TJ]

What do you find you're drawn to? What type of true crime stories we we do a thing we call Murder in the Morning. We just started calling because we wake up first thing in the morning. It's 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning and we turn the TV on and we don't want to watch cartoons or news. We turn on something to where a wife has killed her husband. Fatal vows like we are when the spouse kills the other. We're hooked on.

[Alisa Donovan]

I'm interested in that.

[Everytown for Gun Safety Advertiser]

Okay.

[Alisa Donovan]

I'm very interested in spousal disputes.

[TJ]

Yes.

[Alisa Donovan]

And family sort of disputes because I think that's like so ripe. I mean we all know it's all, it's so relatable. It's so relatable. And then you just become some worried.

[TJ]

Women are always what? It's nurses or nurses they have a gambling addiction.

[Amy]

Yes.

[TJ]

Or credit card debt.

[Alisa Donovan]

Credit card debts.

[Amy]

And nurses have access to drugs. Drugs. But I feel like look in that trip. Crime stories that we watch. I feel like women are so sadistic. Like if a man's going to kill you, it's just going to be like quick, brutal but quick. Women we will torture. Women are like poison.

[Alisa Donovan]

That is right.

[Amy]

Watch you suffer.

[TJ]

His hair has been falling out for six months.

[Alisa Donovan]

We've been planning it and planning it for ages and watching it all unfold because we can multitask.

Smarter.

[TJ]

Killers. Okay, nice.

[Amy]

Oh my goodness. It is funny that we do love some of these true crime stories. In fact, where we're staying here in Brentwood. We did notice we were walking to go pick up something and we were on Bundy.

[Alisa Donovan]

Oh, yeah, yeah. So.

[Amy]

And of course, obviously O.J.

[Alisa Donovan]

Oh my gosh.

[Amy]

Nicole Brownson. We looked it up and we couldn't believe how close we were to where the murders happened. And I'm, we're going on a run tomorrow. I was like, I might have to.

[Alisa Donovan]

Run by the house. You might have to run by the house? Is that sick?

[Amy]

I mean, I'm telling you. I remember in high school, my English teacher called it fascination with the abomination. I knew I had it from the moment I was a kid I loved.

[Alisa Donovan]

So don't you think that's partly why you got into journalism? I'm sure.

[Amy]

Of course it is.

[Alisa Donovan]

And then also it's about having a real curiosity about humanity and life, right? It's not. So this is the thing, like, it doesn't have to be exploitative, right? In this way. It's actually a true fascination that we have curiosity. It's like a curiosity if you're paying attention at all, you know, and have a pulse. You can't be not affected by these things.

[Amy]

I was gonna ask, do you think people are born evil, are inherently evil, maybe and selfish? And you have to learn otherwise, I'm curious where you fall on that. Is it a learned thing? Are you born with it? Do you choose it?

[Alisa Donovan]

This is, you know, one of the age old questions, right? The eternal question. I feel like we are. It is based in the soul. So we come into this life with a soul and the soul's in the body. So you're, you know, you come with whatever body you come with, but the soul is really there. This is my personal belief. And that you're here on earth to work through things and you have to work through those things in a human way. So what you're working through is going to be different than what I'm working through. And there might be some crossover, you know, but sort of like the big task of being alive is individual with all sorts of crossovers. So the good or bad thing, you know, and I think about this, you know, when you have a child, when I have my daughter, I remember thinking before, I was like, oh, you know, my mom and I have. I adore my mother, but we have a complicated relationship, you know, So I was always like, oh, I'm gonna have a boy. It's better. I'm gonna have a boy. I'm definitely having a boy. I was like, he's gonna wear bow ties. I was like, doing other things. And then when I was pregnant, in the middle of like maybe like four or five months, I remember we were on this vacation, my husband and I, and I was like, oh, I think I'm Having a girl. I think I'm having a girl. And we hadn't found out yet, like, at that time. She's 13 now. You couldn't. It was later when you could find out the gender.

[Amy]

Yes.

[Alisa Donovan]

So at any rate, and I was like, I feel like I had this. And to me, I know you're going to be like, I'm looney Tunes. I feel like that was like, the moment where it's like her soul came. Chose me. Here we go. And it, like, shifted now might have always been the case. And I. My mind was like, I'm just going to have a boy because it'll be easier for me. It'll be better for me.

[Amy]

We all have girls.

[Alisa Donovan]

And now, of course, I wouldn't change for the world, you know, but so my. My point being that she, like, once she came out and was here, I fully understood. Oh, I'm like the. The vessel that brought her here. But she is her own thing. And we are, like, here to. I'm here to give her my moral guidelines and to give her my support and show her how, you know, my husband and I, how we feel about the world and how we do things. But she is her own person, like, 100% her own person. And I don't ever want to change that. Like, I celebrate that. You know, sometimes that's why we butt heads and why we have, you know, sort of some trouble. But it's like you just go, oh, we really are all individuals, you know, we really are. So I think it's. That was a really long winded answer, but that's what I think.

[TJ]

You know, my last question on the podcast and covering true crime is I just want to hear your take. And sometimes it's a criticism of. It's a morbid curiosity, and people take it as sometimes you are profiting or using someone's pain or painful story as a part of entertainment. And I get that to a certain degree. I never feel like that when I'm watching true crime. But for folks, when that's out there, where do you come down in that idea that what we're seeing is sometimes morbid curiosity, sometimes entertainment? But I see it, and it sounds like you see it a little differently and why it's important to be telling it because there's so much true crime out there. The stories, I mean, the shows are a little ridiculous. How many are out there? But take on that idea.

[Alisa Donovan]

I would say two things. One, when people are in pain and I have known people who have gone through.

Just unimaginable Unspeakable pain.

They don't want to not talk about it. They actually have to. And the more that people ignore it or say, like, oh, don't bring it up, don't bring it up, you know, let's not upset her. It's. You're doing them a disservice because they're thinking about it all the time. Right. So if there's a part of this that can be very healing to people, I think when it's done respectfully and well. And then the other part of it is as a creative person.

It'S a calling to be a creative person as an actor and not to get. To get my violin out here, but truly. So we're doing a service. It's a calling. We're artists. So you really are imbuing this with humanity and with truth. And not everything is.

Shakespeare or Oscar worthy. But, you know, I think everybody, that's the goal, is to do good work and to show respect for something, and I think that it can be revelatory for people and, you know, even healing at some times.

[TJ]

Hello. Hello. I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast smart talks with IBM. I recently sat down with IBM's chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, and I asked him, how can companies use AI to its fullest potential to create smarter business?

[Arvind Krishna]

My one advice to them, pick areas you can scale. Don't pick the shiny little toys on the side. For example, if anybody has more than 10% of what they had for customer service 10 years ago, they're already five years behind. If anybody is not using AI to make their developers who write software 30% more productive today with the goal of being 70% more productive. Yeah. Wow. So we are not asking our clients to be the first experiment on it. We say you can leverage what we did. We are happy to bring out all our learnings, including what needs to change in the process. Because the biggest change is not technology, is getting people to accept that there's a different way to do things.

[TJ]

To listen to the full conversation, visit IBM.com smarttalks.

[Kal Penn]

Hey, audiobook lovers. This week on the podcast, I'm sitting down with musician, producer, and walking encyclopedia Questlove. We're talking about Mark Ronson's memoir, Night how to be a DJ in 90s New York City. All right, like we talked about before, Mark Ronson found sanctuary in the DJ booth. What's a tool or piece of equipment in the studio or on stage that gives you the most control?

[Ed Helms]

So I have two microphones on stage. We have the microphone that you hear as the audience. Then we have a second microphone in which we communicate with each other. I feel like that second microphone microphone kind of saved all of our friendships. No, no band likes each other after 20 years or 25 years. Like the Beatles broke up in seven and a half years and we're going on 35.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to HearSay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Amy]

A GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ]

Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.

[TJ]

Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy]

To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's face.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Afterweightloss.Com I don't know about you guys, but I love to buy gifts. I love it so much. I love it so much more than getting gifts. But the one thing that I do love, especially when it comes to my daughter, is getting matching things. I know it's such a cliche, but I love it so much. So I have the perfect brand for you. Pandora Jewelry can make their holiday unforgettable with the gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry I a gift that tells a story and shows you know theirs that doesn't just sparkle but speaks from new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings. This season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Everytown for Gun Safety Advertiser]

Mothers, fathers, Children, Friends Every day in America, 125 people are shot and killed. And behind every number is a life cut short. At Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, we believe in a different future, one where we can enjoy the movies or a concert without looking for the nearest exit. We are nearly 11 million Americans standing together to end gun violence. We've helped pass life saving laws. Go to everytown.org and donate today because together we can build a future free from gun violence.

[Amy]

And to get people excited about this new podcast killer thriller, which we're very excited about. Can you give us an idea of the stories that you're interested in right now that you're hoping to Tell. I know we're. You're gonna focus on some of the actors who portray some of the worst people in the world and what that's like to walk in those bodies and to try to get into those mindsets, which I can't imagine what that's like as an actor. But what are the stories that you're hoping to share or some of the true crime elements that folks can look forward to on this podcast?

[Alisa Donovan]

So we're gonna do new shows that are very topical, like the Murdaugh murders, the Menendez brothers. We don't ever seem to want to, but something is always shifting in their story. It's fascinating.

The new ones. Who's the one, the guy? There are a few that I would like to just put it out there that I hope they will make soon. I'm sure there's going to be an Epstein series of some kind.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Alisa Donovan]

Diddy. Oh, yeah. And will it be a Brian Walsh.

[TJ]

One weaving on him or a lot.

[Alisa Donovan]

Right.

Brian Walsh is.

[Amy]

We can't stop watching it. We have watched it all day, every day.

[Alisa Donovan]

I hope somebody is writing that right now. I really hope that they are.

[Amy]

And O.J. simpson never.

[Alisa Donovan]

O.J. simpson never goes away. Never. Never. And that those show the Versace. Some of these people, like Jason Clark and Murdoch murders that series. He is like otherworldly. He is so phenomenal in this show. Everybody is. The whole cast is really quite wonderful. But he is like, on another level. And the transformation that this guy does from the first episode to the end, it's like you. It's like you're watching a madman. I just. It is. He's so spectacular. And they're all great. Like, everybody is wonderful. Isn't it? Patricia Arquette, all of that. Like. It's a terrific cast, but he's amazing. And in the O.J. series, People vs. O.J. sarah Paulson is like Marcia Clark. She nails in the credible. She's so good.

[TJ]

I actively lobbied for Courtney B. Vance to get an Oscar for a show that was on tv.

[Alisa Donovan]

Yeah, right. He was incredible.

[TJ]

Yes.

[Alisa Donovan]

So. And like, these are people that really are imbuing these people with humanity, you.

[Amy]

Know, And I think that's one of the cool parts about it because it's not just the killer or the evildoer. It's the people.

[Alisa Donovan]

It's the people around.

[Amy]

Around.

[Alisa Donovan]

Yes.

[Amy]

These stories.

[Alisa Donovan]

In many ways those people are especially. Particularly in the murder. Murders in that series. The way they show it.

The family and the police officers and all of those people. They have such A unique importance because many of them were either afraid to speak up, were a party to the whole thing, or just really, you know, had no resources and had no other opportunity, like didn't how to sort of do what was in front of them. And that's another piece of these things. I think that's really.

Important to see. Sometimes people, it's like their circumstances.

[TJ]

I always. There was a common thread to most of the stories we see. Oftentimes, quite frankly, it's poverty, it's upbringing, it's all of these things that play into it, that when you see a headline, it's one thing you think somebody's monstrous. When you see their background, what happened, it's a totally. And I think that is important for us to constantly see. We are so excited to partner with you.

[Alisa Donovan]

I am so excited to partner with you two. I love it.

[TJ]

Our I heart relationship, we didn't know where it was going. It's turned into this thing that. Where we are now able to. To have moments we never thought, which included riding, being in that car, traffic in LA with you and walking to get to. It's just really robes. And I. And I mean this, I'm saying this from a personal standpoint. We have been through a lot and we can never have imagined that we'd be sitting in this room with you right now. But all of that had to happen for us to get here. And we. I tell you, Elise, we are so happy to be where we are right now, which is in a room with you. So we are so grateful.

[Alisa Donovan]

That is beautiful.

[TJ]

You are willing to come on and work with us and we are looking forward to what you have to offer.

[Alisa Donovan]

I cannot wait. That was beautifully said. And I really. I'm just so happy for the two of you. It's like, you know, it really is. Sometimes we gotta go through things.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Yes.

[Alisa Donovan]

But I will. I also want to say, it isn't just like going through it. Then you have to, you have to, you have to actually live right. Like nobody is going to just provide you the happy life that you have. You know what I mean?

[Amy]

And I, and I, like, that's not.

[Alisa Donovan]

The prize for going through it. It's like you have to actually still contribute to it. And you two have made that, you know.

[Amy]

Thank you. Thank you. And I do think we've all in like. Part of. Funny enough, what drew us together, part of our bond while we were just friends and colleagues, was this fascination. Probably why we got into journalism as well, with true crime. What makes people tick, this curiosity into human nature and what makes people do what they do and say what they say and to be able to talk about it with people who you respect and people who you love and knowing that we're all just looking for better understanding of one another, I think that's part of what true crime is. It's not just about the ooh and the ah and the shock value. It's actually about learning and understanding and going deeper. So we love how, how you're approaching this, where you're going to take this new podcast. And we're so excited to be on this adventure with you.

[Alisa Donovan]

I love it.

[Amy]

And hopefully we can't wait to listen to the first episode and then we can have these meet and greets and catch up sessions to talk about.

[Alisa Donovan]

I love it.

[Amy]

Watching what we're fascinated by and just to see the creative process that takes place to tell these stories for folks, for it to come alive, for folks, for it to resonate with people. I think that's so cool about what you do as an actor. And we can't wait to see what you have. For all of us, we'll be listening to the podcast every week. So congratulations.

[Alisa Donovan]

Thank you so much.

[Amy]

We're so excited about working with you, Alisa Donovan.

[Alisa Donovan]

Thank you.

[Amy]

And we have a lot of fun ahead of us all.

[Alisa Donovan]

I can't wait. Thank you both so much. It's gonna be fun.

[Kal Penn]

Hey, audiobook lovers, I'm Cal Penn.

[Ed Helms]

I'm Ed Helms.

[Kal Penn]

Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from audible.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.

[Amy]

Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

But first.

There, the last one.

[Alisa Donovan]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

[Amy]

A GLP one helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ]

Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin or making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.

[TJ]

Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy]

To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.

[Alisa Donovan]

Amazon Five Star Theater presents Real Customer Reviews performed by Eva Longoria. Tonight's review Sports Briefs. Oh boy, where do I even start with these performance mesh boxer briefs? These boxer briefs are like a magician's trick. You know the one where you go, where did that rabbit come from? So if you're looking for underwear that not only performs well, but also gives.

[Amy]

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[Alisa Donovan]

5 stars Nickalicious shop the Perfect Gift this holiday season on Amazon.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or osa, in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability, and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

[Amy]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.