
Hosted by Armchair Umbrella · EN
Hi, I’m 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 people’s 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.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy stalking story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grant Achatz (Alinea, Next, The Aviary) is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and culinary innovator. Grant joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in small-town Michigan working in his family's diner, rebuilding a GTO with his father, and discovering the emotional power of food. Grant and Dax talk about training under Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller, reinventing fine dining at Alinea, and battling stage IV tongue cancer at the height of his career. Grant explains why great meals are really about storytelling, how he sees AI as a beneficial tool in his work, and why pursuing excellence requires constant evolution.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This, The Boys, GLOW) is an actress, comedian, and musician. Jackie joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on Long Island with two gym-teacher parents, discovering her BRCA mutation after her father’s cancer diagnosis, and becoming an advocate for genetic testing and preventative care. Jackie and Dax talk about clawing through Hollywood as a musician and comic, learning to pivot instead of wait for permission, and finally being able to calm down after Nobody Wants This. Jackie explains the exhaustion of making life-or-death choices, how anxiety changes once the thing you fear actually happens, and the freedom of not having to be “on” for every room.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about an animal attack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dave Eggers (Contrapposto, The Circle, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) is a bestselling author, founder of McSweeney’s, and Pulitzer Prize finalist. Dave joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the strange family lore behind McSweeney’s, growing up in John Hughes-era Illinois, and falling in love with writing and designing books as a kid. Dave and Dax talk about moving to Berkeley to help raise his little brother after his parents died, shaking up literary readings with They Might Be Giants, and building a creative community out of rejected magazine pieces. Dave explains why kids should be published, how writing can give order to chaos, and why the happiest creative life might be the one with the least preciousness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lukas Gage (I Wrote This For Attention, Voicemails for Isabelle, and The White Lotus) is an actor and author. Lukas joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in a chaotic family in San Diego, surviving a brutal hate crime as a teenager, and being sent to a troubled teen wilderness program. Lukas and Dax talk about navigating Hollywood as a closeted actor, the surreal experience of getting married on The Kardashians, and Conor McGregor fracturing a disc in his back while filming Road House. Lukas explains how a BPD diagnosis changed the way he understood himself, how shame and secrecy can distort identity, and what it means to stop performing for other people's approval.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy family secret.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Edward Norton (The Invite, Fight Club, and American History X) is an Academy Award-nominated actor, filmmaker, and environmental entrepreneur. Edward joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up with a visionary city-planner grandfather, methodically living on $11,000 a year as a young actor in New York, and building a port-emissions company that sucks poison from cargo ships. Edward and Dax talk about the actor’s narcissistic brain, why he doesn’t treat film like a volume game, and the exhilarating trust Olivia Wilde created while directing The Invite. Edward explains the difference between iconic actors and shape-shifting actors, why uncertainty can be the gateway to deeper work, and how the things we absorb from the world become what we eventually give back through art.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Olivia Wilde (The Invite, Booksmart, and Don’t Worry Darling) is a director, actor, and filmmaker. Olivia joins Armchair Expert to discuss being raised by war-correspondent parents, growing up too fast on the Georgetown campus, and finding her footing at boarding school. Olivia and Dax talk about learning the wrong lessons in LA audition rooms, leaving The OC to chase movies, and making the jump from directing music videos to Booksmart. Olivia explains why the most personal work is usually the best work, how parenting teaches patience and humility, and why we need to relearn the art of disagreement.Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story about finding a foreign object in a patient's butt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.