Club Random with Bill Maher

Guest: Barry Levinson
Release Date: December 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively Club Random episode, Bill Maher sits down with Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson for a wide-ranging, laugh-filled, and deeply reflective conversation. Avoiding politics, the two share candid stories about their longstanding careers in comedy and filmmaking, dissect the mechanics of humor, muse on generational change, and debate the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. With classic Maher wit and Levinson's sharp insights, they explore everything from the rise of ensemble movies to the changing face of showbiz, the lasting impact of comedic influences, and what makes art—and life—worth doing.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Origins of “Diner” and Ensemble Filmmaking

• (03:10–14:27)

• Auditions, Early Careers, and Happenstance Casting
  • Maher recalls his own auditions in the 1980s and mutual connections with Paul Reiser; Levinson recounts how authentic casting moments (like Paul Reiser’s casting for "Diner") sometimes come by accident from people just tagging along.
  • Levinson shares, “There’s a guy out there, he came with his friend… I’m listening to him talk and I like his rhythm.” (05:41, Levinson)
• Improvisation and Naturalism
  • "A lot of that movie was ad lib" (07:06, Maher). The actors improvised key scenes, a forerunner to the style seen in shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
  • Levinson discusses miking all actors for authentic rhythm and credits Robert Altman as inspiration for naturalist dialogue, though Maher argues he prefers Levinson’s more entertaining, balanced approach.
• Ensemble Storytelling
  • Maher: “‘Diner’…sort of made legitimate this sort of ensemble way of doing a movie. Who’s the star?...It was sort of equal.” (11:21)
  • Levinson: “They all have separate stories…but they do work as a group. It’s not ‘here’s the lead and here’s the friends.’” (12:07)

2. Generations, Recklessness, and Creativity

• (15:05–20:28)

• The Reckless Years
  • Levinson shares a hilarious and poignant story about a friend who took random pills off the sidewalk: “They could have been good, man.” (17:23, Levinson)
  • Maher riffs: “It is amazing to me that anyone lives to 40…Men are so stupid! …I did things like that…I just didn’t quite do that.” (18:42, Maher)
• Transformation from Recklessness to Artistry
  • Levinson: “There’s a reckless period. And it’s also the beginning of a creative period. They often go together…” (20:04)

3. Comedy’s Evolution: Lenny Bruce, Ali, and the Changing Voice

• (23:27–29:33)

• Lenny Bruce: The Comedic Revolution
  • Levinson recalls discovering Lenny Bruce and dragging friends to see him: “A comedian? Why would we go see a comedian?”—highlighting Bruce’s originality and the shift from borscht belt comics to more daring, authentic voices. (24:07, Levinson)
  • “That was the beginning of the change in the standup comic.” (27:58, Levinson)
• Cultural Change—Ali and Dylan
  • Maher: “Lenny Bruce was to comedy what Dylan was to music.” (28:15, Maher)
  • They compare Muhammad Ali’s brashness to the performative confidence now common in hip-hop, noting his seismic impact on sport, culture, and performative ego.

4. Reflections on Movie-Making, Technology, and the AI Era

• (30:22–47:21, 50:07–64:32)

• Wide-Screen, Leone, and America through Outsider Eyes
  • Discussion of how directors like Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone found new meaning in American genres.
    • “He changed so it becomes musical…And that’s what he was copying, you’re saying.” (33:48, Levinson)
• On De Niro’s Dual Roles
  • Levinson discusses the technical and artistic challenge of De Niro playing two leads in his latest gangster film, inspired by films like “Cat Ballou” and actors like Lee Marvin.
  • Maher and Levinson riff on the emotional depth and complexity of long-term friendships versus youthful rivalries.
• The AI Revolution: Promise and Peril
  • Maher rails against “ass-kissing AI” and digital appliances: “They just…kiss our ass and then they’ll take over. They’ll seduce us and then they’ll fuck us.” (51:59)
  • Levinson expresses awe and concern about AI’s capabilities, especially as it replaces jobs and rewires creativity: “It has no ability to find humor.” (61:21, Levinson)
  • Both muse over how rapidly automation and artificial intelligence are eating into jobs and risks of unchecked progress: “Can you imagine if there was a depression and we lost 30% of jobs?” (64:43, Maher)

5. Showbiz Nostalgia and the Mechanics of Comedy

• (72:03–94:48)

• Hollywood Past vs. Present
  • Discussion of moguls like Robert Evans—the patronage, personality, and one-on-one decision-making of “old Hollywood” now lost to faceless committees, market calculations, and risk aversion.
  • On ageism: “When you’re our age, you…have to go, no, I’m still necessary…You have to take the crown. I’m not going to give it to you.” (74:41, Maher)
• Early Career: Writing for Carol Burnett and More
  • Levinson recalls writing sketches for Marty Feldman and Carol Burnett, working alongside comic legends like Tim Conway and Harvey Korman.
  • “What sketch did you remember? ‘Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde.’” (79:59, Maher/Levinson)

6. The Perishable Nature of Comedy and Artistic Legacy

• (86:25–94:48)

• Why So Much Old Comedy Doesn’t Land
  • Maher and Levinson agree on the fleeting nature of most comedy, contrasted with the staying power of music and certain films.
  • “Comedy is so perishable…Music holds up, but do we really watch comedy from 60 years ago? No.” (86:59, Maher)
• Classics Old and New: What Lasts?
  • Discussion of whether films from the 1930s/1940s, like “Bringing Up Baby,” still work for modern audiences versus more recently remade versions.
  • They reflect on the polite, literary style of old war letters (“never said fuck!”) versus today’s coarser, more expressive slang.

7. Art, Politics, and the Role of the Artist

• (67:11–71:10)

• On Not Being a Polemicist
  • Maher observes that Levinson avoids overt politics or preachiness in his work: “You were very clever your whole career never to get drawn into, like, being a polemicist.” (67:11)
  • Levinson: “It’s the mechanics of it all. It’s not art, it’s polemics. They’re two different things. But there are directors who do get them confused.” (67:52–67:59)
  • Anecdotes about working with Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Robert Evans.

8. Film History, Reinvention, and the Creative Mindset

• (95:10–98:00)

• Behind the Scenes of “Rain Man”
  • Levinson describes how he came onto “Rain Man” after Sidney Pollack’s exit, detailing how the writer’s strike forced ad-libbing and improvisation ("it’s all ad lib”).
  • “I just said to Dustin, you want to get off…out of the car, and you’re not getting in the car until you get off the highway, and that’s it. And then Tom, you’re trying to deal with him, and…that was it. So we would just shoot it and put it together.” (97:08, Levinson)

9. Podcasting, Friendship, and Creative Freedom

• (98:53–End)

• Why Maher Started the Podcast
  • Maher explains the unique quality of Club Random: “I just get high and talk. It doesn’t have to be about politics… I want people to forget, no other person in the room, no microphones in our face… it does produce a level of intimacy I do not see anywhere else.” (99:49)
  • Levinson: “No camera person. That was a good idea. I just realized that I’m not paying attention…” (99:47, Levinson)
• Mutual Appreciation and Closing
  • Maher: “I’m such a fan, and you’re just as entertaining to sit with as you are to watch.” (98:10)
  • The two express hopes to repeat the chat, praising the relaxed, intimate format.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Levinson on Comedy’s Reckless Roots:
  “There’s a period of… reckless[ness]… And it’s also the beginning of a creative period. …Some can’t handle it and crash, and the others take off.” (20:04, Levinson)

• Maher on Generational Dumbness:
  “It is amazing to me that anyone lives to 40. Because you are—at least men are—so stupid.” (18:42, Maher)

• Maher on AI:
  “They just... kiss our ass and then they’ll take over. They’ll seduce us and then they’ll fuck us.” (51:59, Maher)

• Levinson on Artificial Intelligence:
  “It has no ability to find humor.” (61:21, Levinson)

• Maher on Comedy’s Expiration Date:
  “Comedy is so perishable… Music holds up, but do we really watch comedy from 60 years ago? No.” (86:59, Maher)

• Levinson on Ensemble Movies:
  “They all have separate stories… but they do work as a group. It’s not, ‘here’s the lead and here’s the friends.’” (12:07, Levinson)

• Maher on Avoiding Polemics:
  “You want to put interesting ideas out there, but you don’t want to be… preachy or show your politics.” (67:23, Maher)

Segment Highlights with Timestamps

• “Diner” casting, improvisation, and the balance of naturalism and entertainment (03:16–14:27)
• The folly and glory of youth, and its creative legacy (15:05–20:28)
• Comedy’s linchpins: Lenny Bruce, Ali, and the shifting comedic voice (23:27–29:33)
• AI, De Niro’s twin roles, and the challenge of modern filmmaking (30:22–47:21, 50:07–64:32)
• Classic Hollywood culture and the changing business of movies and television (72:03–74:50)
• What comedy and art last? On legacy, war letters, and shifting mores (86:25–94:48)
• Creative improvisation during the “Rain Man” writer strike (95:10–98:00)

Tone and Style

The episode mirrors the “hangout” vibe that Club Random is known for: irreverent, candid, full of industry insider stories, and punctuated by Maher's biting (and self-deprecating) wit. Levinson is reflective, wise, and occasionally deadpan, offering warmth alongside sharp observations about life and showbiz.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the history and craft of comedy, the changing face of movies, and the unpredictable overlap of genius, foolishness, and luck that shapes a lifetime of creativity. Barry Levinson’s stories—whether about the accidental genius of casting, the technical challenges of dual performances, or simply surviving youth—offer wisdom, laughs, and retrospective clarity. Bill Maher, ever the observer and provocateur, keeps the energy high, leading a conversation that is nostalgic, timely, and studded with quotable gems.