Let's Give A Damn – Episode Summary

Podcast: Let's Give A Damn
Host: Nick Laparra
Guest: Arian Moayed (Emmy and Tony-nominated actor, nonprofit founder, artist)
Episode: "Artists Have the Answers, Show Up Again and Again, and… Ditch Your Smartphone?"
Date: October 7, 2025

Overview

This episode features a lively and forthright conversation between host Nick Laparra and actor/activist Arian Moayed. Together, they discuss Arian's immigrant story, the function of art in turbulent times, systemic barriers in the entertainment industry, and the importance of resilience, community, and speaking truth as artists. The episode is rich with insights about navigating Hollywood as a person of color, the call for deeper and quicker systemic change, and living intentionally in a hyper-connected, often overwhelming world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Arian's Career & Impact of 'Succession'

• [06:42] Arian describes how landing the role of Stewy in Succession was a career game-changer, moving him from stereotypical, often victimized roles that focused on his Iranian identity to more nuanced characters with agency.
• Quote (Arian, 06:49):
  "Succession brought me to another atmosphere... Now I only play rich assholes. Prior, I was always up for someone that's going through such fucking turmoil."
• He reflects on the industry's tendency to typecast actors of color, especially those with immigrant backgrounds.

2. Representation & Systemic Challenges in the Arts

• [10:34–14:14] Discussion of slow progress in entertainment regarding representation and the enduring power held by middlemen—often excluding marginalized voices.
• Arian argues true change will happen when underrepresented folks control the "levers"—owning production, distribution, and funding.
• Quote (Arian, 12:15):
  "Those mechanisms will only change when society says it has to... But if we're the ones who have the money and pick the art we want to make, we won't have those problems."

3. The Artist's Resilience: Persistence Over Playbooks

• [18:02–21:15] Arian draws from his immigrant experience and years of teaching high school artists, asserting there's no roadmap and the only real answer is persistent, repeated effort.
• Quote (Arian, 18:02):
  "Everyone's bullshitting. Everyone's making it up. No one has any fucking answers. If they had answers, they would do those answers. The only people that have the answers are artists."
• He counsels artists to focus on "the doing," overcoming obstacles by showing up repeatedly.

4. Immigrant Story and How Art Became His Lifeline

• [25:25–31:27] Arian details his family’s escape from Iran:
  • Born during the Iran-Iraq war, the youngest by many years, he immigrated to Chicago in 1986.
  • Grew up as the translator for his family while navigating public schools and cultural assimilation.
  • Discovered art as a form of escape and expression, eventually leading him to New York and co-founding the nonprofit Waterwell.

5. Founding Waterwell: Art as Civic Engagement

• [31:27–34:00] Story of producing their first off-Broadway shows with little money, innovating their way around obstacles, and intentionally using art to pose and engage civic questions.

6. The Role of Live Art and Human Connection

• [53:04-54:48] Arian defends the irreplaceable role of live performance and collective experience in an age of AI and virtual content.
• Quote (Arian, 54:01):
  "I could still do theater, and no one wants to see a robot on stage doing a Doll's House."

7. Art, Activism, and Speaking Out in Difficult Times

• [51:14–54:48; 57:52–63:00] The conversation addresses how artists are negotiating risks of speaking up on issues like Gaza, trans rights, and more, and observes a recent increase in boldness from prominent artists.

8. The Power and Limits of Art to Move the Needle

• [64:04–70:53] Arian outlines Waterwell's process: creating performances that explore unanswerable questions with community input (immigration, military service, voting issues) to provoke reflection rather than push ideology.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On being typecast and arriving at 'Succession':
  "Prior to succession ... my Iranian-ness was on full display in all those roles. ... Now I only play rich assholes." (Arian, 06:49)
• On true systemic change:
  "If Oprah has the OWN network, she makes content about Black folks because she's Black. If Tyler Perry has the lever, he can tell the stories he wants to tell." (Arian, 12:20)
• On making art despite obstacles:
  "None of this shit about making a movie or making a play is gonna ever be as hard as that [immigrating] for me." (Arian, 19:17)
• On the necessity of artists:
  "The only things that will matter are the art that is made and the wars that we fought." (Arian, 52:53)
• On the dangers of division:
  "If it's a man that's greedy and has land, he'll use any fucking tool to divide us." (Arian, 45:17)
• On live human connection:
  "We're so interested in a live experience... Live human experiences are the things that we have." (Arian, 54:28)
• On ditching his smartphone:
  "I've been on a flip phone for a year now...I'm too vulnerable and sensitive to be watching those videos. I can't do it anymore." (Arian, 79:29)
• On persistent obstacles for artists:
  "I don't have roadblocks. I have a shit ton of obstacles ... but it's just the doing of it." (Arian, 19:19)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Arian’s Career, Typecasting & ‘Succession’ Break:
  • [06:04–07:59]
• Industry Representation and Structural Change:
  • [10:34–14:47]
• Persistence as an Artist:
  • [18:02–21:15]
• Immigrant Story & Early Life:
  • [25:25–31:27]
• Founding Waterwell – Scrappy Art-making:
  • [31:51–34:00]
• Art, Activism, and Navigating Politics:
  • [51:14–54:48; 57:52–63:00]
• How to Move the Needle in the Arts:
  • [64:04–70:53]
• Ditching the Smartphone, Finding Presence:
  • [79:29–82:49]

Waterwell: Community-Focused Art

• [66:53–70:54] Waterwell partners with community orgs to create timely, civically-engaged performances—recently on immigration, climate change, and voting rights.
• Example: "The Courtroom" uses real transcripts from an immigrant’s deportation case to spur nuanced, bipartisan discussion.

Release Announcements & Upcoming Projects

• ‘Nobody Wants This’ Season 2 on Netflix:
  • [71:13] October 23rd release
• Executive Producing Upcoming Documentary with Malala:
  • [72:58] "Champions of the Golden Valley" about skiing in Afghanistan

Memorable Closing

• On sustaining himself:
  • Ditches his smartphone, accepting being "lost" in the city as a practice of presence.
  • "I have to be present with it... When I leave the house ... I just have to be present with it." (Arian, 82:49)
• On community:
  "It's a group of us trying to ... leave this world a little bit better than the way we found it." (Arian, 79:13)

Tone & Language

The conversation is irreverent, honest, warm, and often humorous, blending candor about trauma and injustice with encouragement and faith in art’s power to sustain resilience and spark societal change. Both Nick and Arian use explicit language and humor to make their points, while always centering the wisdom gained from lived experience.

For Listeners

Whether you’re an artist, activist, immigrant, or simply interested in how art influences civic life, Arian Moayed’s insights are both practical and soul-stirring. If you want more, support Waterwell, watch Nobody Wants This, or check out his upcoming doc with Malala.

For more:

• waterwell.org
• Arian’s upcoming work: "Nobody Wants This" (Netflix, from October 23), and "Champions of the Golden Valley" doc
• Let’s Give A Damn: letsgivadam.com