Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: Tony Goldwyn and Anna Musky-Goldwyn Toured Iceland Together

Release Date: January 20, 2026
Hosts: Seth Meyers & Josh Meyers
Guests: Tony Goldwyn & Anna Musky-Goldwyn

Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Seth and Josh Meyers welcome actor-director Tony Goldwyn and his daughter, screenwriter and podcaster Anna Musky-Goldwyn. The Goldwyns share stories from their family trips—including a memorable, if over-guided, adventure to Iceland—reflect on east coast vs. west coast upbringings, discuss the joys and pitfalls of intergenerational travel, and offer relatable tales of vacation logistics, sibling dynamics, and parenting challenges. The episode is threaded with warmth, humor, and the candid banter characteristic of the Meyers Brothers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off: Sibling Banter, Dog Updates, and Tobogganing

• 00:00–05:49
  The episode begins with Seth and Josh catching up about family life, particularly Josh’s aging dog, Debbie, and their experiences learning how to give her medical treatments ("for your little girl to shake with being uncomfortable," Josh, 01:27).
• Seth shares recent tobogganing adventures with his kids, highlighting the blend of laughter and inevitable complaints about dragging sleds up hills ("25 seconds of laughter and then just like 35 minutes of bitching," Seth, 04:10).
• The brothers reminisce about sledding and risky childhood behaviors, marveling at how late the idea of wearing helmets arrived ("Isn't it crazy that we did not...we were not wearing helmets as kids?" Seth, 06:08).

2. Parent-Child Careers & Podcasting with Family

• 10:56–15:52
  The hosts introduce the Goldwyns and discuss the unique challenges of starting a family podcast, mainly scheduling (“The most stress in your life...is scheduling," Seth, 14:58).
• Both the Meyers and Goldwyn duos are bicoastal (Seth/Josh: East/West Coast; Anna/Tony: West/East Coast respectively) and mention how podcasting is a modern way to stay connected.

3. Father–Daughter Bonding: French Lessons, Upbringing, and Sibling Relations

• 15:53–24:42
  • Anna and Tony started taking French lessons together during COVID ("Having adult kids is...interesting...we kind of look for things to do together," Tony, 16:05).
  • Anna reflects on growing up five years apart from her sister Tess—challenging when young, but friendship blossomed with distance and adulthood.
  • Anna’s mom, Jane, is a film production designer who “produced” Anna’s wedding, sometimes focusing more on the logistics than the family moments ("I always...had to keep reminding her...it has to function as an event," Anna, 23:31).

4. The Goldwyn Iceland Adventure: Overcoming Over-Planning

• 31:23–40:33
  • Tony confesses to once planning an overly ambitious Patagonia trip, which Jane (Anna’s mom) vetoed after hearing about the brutal flight schedule—"She said, that's insane. We're not doing that." (Tony, 34:01).
  • The family pivoted to Iceland for a winter trip, cramming in sights despite only six daylight hours per day.
  • They hired a guide, Jón, who was "a little bit annoying because he talked so much," per Anna (35:18), but introduced them to unique spots, like a hydroponic tomato farm.
  • The trip climaxed with a “360-degree fireworks” New Year's Eve in Reykjavik, featuring children setting off fireworks and a lively, chaotic public celebration ("I do feel like there are also children setting off the fireworks," Anna, 37:05).

Notable Quote:

"When you have a guide, it's great for a day...not for six days in a row." — Tony Goldwyn (34:49)

Memorable Moment:

• The Goldwyns recall feeling responsible for their guide's performance as "audience," something the Meyers Brothers empathize with as fellow performers:

"As a performer, I am desperate to make the guide feel as though they're doing a good job performing to us...I feel like I've done a shift." — Seth Meyers (39:38-40:05)

5. Guide Mishaps & Travel Oddities

• 43:43–44:42
  • Josh shares a hilarious story about a naked Icelandic guide joining their geothermal pool—"this dude, and with his wiener out," (Josh, 44:12)—and everyone is amused that their now-wives stuck around after that.
  • Further tales emerge about naked bathers at hot springs and unexpected generational “audiences.”

6. Goldwyn's Upbringing & Parenting Styles

• 47:11–54:40
  • Tony reflects on deliberate efforts by his father to avoid raising "Hollywood brats," opting for simple SoCal motel vacations ("very middle class").
  • He shares a formative memory: being banned from a family trip to Mexico after being caught smoking pot—a parenting consequence he actually followed through on (“I’m very impressed...I’m worried I'm not gonna actually have the wherewithal to like follow through with consequences like that," Seth, 49:31).
  • Anna and Tony discuss their own family’s approach to discipline—mom was tougher, but Anna says her dad's rare anger "was scary because he didn't get mad very often" (49:59).

Notable Quote:

"You guys had a chance at a really great thing, but you blew it." — Tony, to his daughter and her friends at a failed Sweet 16 (54:13)

7. Vermont Traditions & Injuries: The Perils and Joys of Skiing

• 60:40–65:41
  • The Goldwyn family had a tradition of New Year's in a "corny local Vermont barn," with Anna and Tony swing dancing past midnight (61:21).
  • Anna recounts a lifetime of minor injuries ("I've broken ribs. I broke ankles, ribs, wrists...Most recently arm very badly," 63:06), and the joys and anxieties of parenting (and being) a “fearless” child ("It's both good and bad to have a kid who is fearless," Seth, 65:31).

8. Grandparent Trips, East Coast–West Coast Contrasts, and TV Nostalgia

• 65:47–70:54
  • Anna reminisces about "dutiful" grandparent visits and the thrill of watching cable TV (and getting McDonald's) at Nana's "down the shore" New Jersey home.
  • Tony admits he adored his mother-in-law, and both fathers share jokes about the sometimes conspiratorial relationship between husbands and their wives’ mothers ("You just have to remember she's the way she is because of you and not because of me," Seth, 70:32).

9. Anna's Rowing Career & Golden Parenting Duties

• 71:00–77:32
  • Anna rowed competitively in high school and college, and Tony describes the endless drives, lousy spectating, and supportive logistics of being "a rowing parent.”
  • Anna touches on the specifics of rowing races, mental resilience in sports ("I've been on both ends...come back and been come back on, which sucks," 74:41), and the weirdness (and social awkwardness) of such a silent, synchronized sport.

10. Podcasts, Scheduling, and the Power of Conversation

• 77:32–79:04
  • The Goldwyns discuss launching their own podcast, Far From the Tree, celebrating the fun and intimacy of these deeper, family-based conversations.
  • Both families agree: podcasting has become a meaningful way to connect at different life stages, across coasts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The most stress in your life...is scheduling.”
  – Seth Meyers (14:58)

• “When you have family vacation with kids, there's just this constant...having to organize.”
  – Tony Goldwyn (32:30)

• "We were drinking vodka. It is that 360 fireworks where you're just surrounded by fireworks."
  – Tony Goldwyn (36:13)

• "As a performer, I am desperate to make the guide feel as though they're doing a good job performing to us."
  – Seth Meyers (39:38)

• “You just have to remember she's the way she is because of you and not because of me. She was already the way she was when I met her.”
  – Seth Meyers (70:32)

• “It's both good and bad to have a kid who is fearless.”
  – Seth Meyers (65:31)

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |--------------|--------------------------------------------| | 00:00–05:49 | Meyers brothers open with family stories | | 10:56–15:52 | Introducing the Goldwyns & podcasting woes | | 15:53–24:42 | French lessons and family bonding | | 31:23–40:33 | Iceland family trip & guide fails | | 43:43–44:42 | Naked guide in Icelandic geothermal pool | | 47:11–54:40 | Goldwyn upbringing, discipline, and “consequences” | | 60:40–65:41 | Vermont barn traditions & family injuries | | 71:00–77:32 | Anna’s rowing career & parenting support | | 77:32–79:04 | Goldwyns reflect on their podcast journey | | 81:11–85:37 | Speed round: Vacation preferences, LA/New Canaan pitch, Grand Canyon reflections |

Episode Tone & Style

The episode blends warm, anecdotal storytelling with sharp-witted humor. Both the Meyers brothers and the Goldwyns tease each other affectionately and share family inside jokes. The conversation is textured with relatable notes for any listener who’s navigated family logistics, planned group trips, or wrangled with generational differences.

Final Takeaways

• Podcasting as Family Glue: Both pairs highlight how their podcasts are vehicles to sustain connection across distances and busy lives.
• Family Travel Lessons: The best trips leave room for independence (and plenty of unstructured time), while over-planning leads to exhaustion for all.
• Parenting Reflections: There are no “perfect” family trips—just memorable misadventures, botched plans, and loving chaos.
• Enduring Affection: At the heart of it all, these are families who love spending time together—and who are not afraid to turn even their biggest travel disasters into laughter.

Episode-Closing Speed Round Highlights

• Ideal Vacation: Both Anna & Tony—Adventurous (81:25)
• Favorite Transportation: Anna—Boat, Tony—Bicycle (81:32)
• Family to Vacation With: Anna hesitates; Tony picks Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder (82:29)
• Desert Island Choice: Tony—his wife Jane; Anna—her sister Tess (83:15)
• Pitching Hometowns: Tony—LA for its ambition/cultural richness; Anna—New Canaan, CT, for its “Christmas train set” charm (84:16)
• Grand Canyon Visits: Tony—once at age 10 (“then we had to go!” 85:20), Anna—not yet

For Fans Of: Family travel tales, honest parenting, celebrity family dynamics, and unscripted sibling chemistry.

A must-listen for anyone who believes in the magic (and chaos) of family adventure.