Transcript
David Marchese (0:00)
This podcast is supported by Comedy Central's Emmy award winning series, the Daily Show. Jon Stewart and the Daily show news team are kicking off 2025 with brand new episodes covering a brand new administration and a not quite brand new president. While it may feel like we've all.
Michael (0:15)
Been here before, it's never been covered like this.
David Marchese (0:17)
With Jon Stewart behind the desk kicking off every week, Comedy Central's the Daily show, new weeknights at 11 on Comedy Central and streaming next day on Paramount.
Michael (0:27)
Hey, it's Michael. For an upcoming episode of the Daily, we want to hear from those of you who work for the federal government or recently lost your job inside the federal government. We want to know what your work and your workplace feels like right now. Has the work changed? Has the culture changed? What about it feels different? Is it big things, small things? How do you feel about these changes and how do your colleagues feel about them? Basically, what's it like? Details are really helpful. When was the moment that you realized things were changing? Where were you? What happened? How did you react? How'd you feel? We understand that a lot of people are nervous about going on the record. We can keep names anonymous and we can limit identifying information, but we are a podcast so people will hear your voice. Just to be clear, we won't disclose your information to anyone. If you want to share your experience, even just a few lines, record a voice memo and email it to us@thedailyytimes.com that's the Dailyytimes.com with the subject line Federal Worker Experience. Or you can reach out through the New York Times anonymous tip form and@nytimes.com tips if you use that method, please mention the Daily and if possible, please let us know which federal agency you work for. Okay, now here's this week's episode of the interview.
David Marchese (2:08)
From the New York Times. This is the interview. I'm David Marchese. So many of Denzel Washington's greatest performances have been defined by a riveting sense of authority, an absence of any pandering or need to be liked. There's something deep down inside his characters that feels unassailable, a little enigmatic, and theirs alone. The same steely qualities that have helped Washington become a legend also, as I learned firsthand, make for an unusual and unusually complicated conversationalist. The first of our two discussions was done remotely. He was at a photo studio in Los Angeles as the fires were still raging there and I was home in New Jersey. This discussion felt as if it were being conducted entirely on his terms. Or let me put it like, I didn't feel like we ever quite figured out how to connect. The second time we talked a little over a week later, things were different. I met him in person at a space in Manhattan where he was rehearsing for a rare Broadway appearance. He's playing Othello in a new production that co stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago and is directed by the Tony Award winner Kenny Leon. I can't really say why with any certainty, but things just felt easier with him this time. What I do know, though, is that after it was all over, I was left with an experience just as memorable as one of his performances. Here's my conversation with Denzel Washington. Hello, I'm David.