The Case of the Missing Novelist [from Very Special Episodes]

What's the biggest risk you'd take to see the world? Ria Xi will be the first person to run the length of the Silk Road across Asia and Europe, and she'll run it alone. Ria believes travel should happen at the pace of a single footstep - slow enough to savor everything between point A and B. Julie catches Ria from her nomadic training route, but stick around to the end of the episode to hear an update from Ria along her record-breaking run! To support Ria's run, check out her GoFundMe and follow along on Instagram @whereisriax for occasional chances to join her crew. Check out Ria's podcast, Planetary Run Club, where she interviewed Julie for her debut episode! Follow @solita_travels for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa star in the untold true story of how the New York Mafia exploited the aftermath of 9/11. Nearly 3,000 families lost loved ones that day, and a shocked world mourned alongside them. But for Five Families—the New York Mafia—the day meant something very different. While the world saw an unspeakable tragedy, they saw an opening: the business opportunity of a lifetime. They might have succeeded were it not for one dedicated and courageous cop. Because of him, many of the men involved were convicted and imprisoned. UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob is the shocking true story born in the immediate aftermath of 9/11—one that has never been told. Names of the guilty have been changed to protect the innocent. Listen here and subscribe to UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob | Starring Michael Imperioli & Steve Schirripa on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter One: As New York reels from the attacks of 9/11, NYPD Lieutenant Commander Frank Sturiano races toward the devastation. He is soon handed the difficult task of overseeing the World Trade Center cleanup, unaware that the Five Families are already plotting to turn the tragedy into a fortune. * UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob is the shocking true story born in the immediate aftermath of 9/11—one that has never been told. Names of the guilty have been changed to protect the innocent. Starring Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Ray Abruzzo and Arthur J. Nascarella. All episodes out now! Listen on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan sits down with actress and advocate Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos, Entourage) for an unfiltered conversation about awakening through adversity. Jamie opens up about living with multiple sclerosis for 25 years, the belief that she was "a problem" that shaped her early life, and how vulnerability finally set her free. They explore codependency and letting parents own their own healing, the terrifying near-death experience of her son Beau and what he brought back from it, and the on-set moments with James Gandolfini and Aida Turturro that pushed her toward authenticity. This episode begins with a short guided morning meditation before diving into a conversation about self-advocacy, generational trauma, and learning to ask for help. Follow Jamie-Lynn Sigler (@JamieLynnSigler) Jamie-Lynn's memoir, And So It Is... https://www.book-ends.org/product/jamie-lynn-sigler-signed-copy-of-and-so-it-is-/DPKMOZRHFMBHNS3DAEAUFFFB   Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. In this episode, Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer break. But Matt had something no other kid had. Something Steven Spielberg needed to make his most ambitious movie yet.  * Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenProduced by Josh FisherStory Editor is Marisa BrownEditing and Sound Design by Mary Dooe, Jonathan Washington and Josh FisherMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierVoice Actors are Jess Krainchich and Juliet EnglishOriginal Music by Elise McCoyResearch and Fact Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin ThompsonShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Special thanks to Simon Brew. Check out the Film Stories podcast! Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, please leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan sits down with actress Jennifer Grey about what a good death can look like. They discuss her mother's recent passing and what it meant to be truly present for someone as they leave this world — being hyper-intentional and dignified in those final moments. They explore how facing death instead of turning away from it can actually help us live more beautifully right now: the gift of a terminal diagnosis, the power of forgiveness, saying goodbye on your own terms, and the difference between the body we live in and who we really are underneath it.  You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a party at Nicolas Cage’s Bel-Air mansion, one of the rarest comic books on Earth disappeared. Action Comics #1 — the comic that introduced Superman — is worth millions of dollars. With almost no evidence and a suspect list that includes employees and celebrity guests alike, Cage and his trusted comic book dealer launch a decade-long investigation into one of the strangest art heists ever attempted. * If you want to continue down the Nic Cage rabbit hole, you can listen to the whole series on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape.  * We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — [email protected] — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead! Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative StudiosProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeFact-Checking by Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul FisherThe Observant, by Ravi ManglaMichelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State DepartmentBig Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]The Korean War [PBS]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They met backstage at an NSYNC concert twenty-five years ago and stayed up until 5am laughing. They’ve been showing up for each other ever since. In this live conversation from the Waking Up with Ryan launch in Venice, actresses Jenna Dewan and Emmanuelle Chriqui get honest about what it actually takes to keep a friendship alive for a quarter century, especially two women in the same industry, often up for the same roles. They talk about the “ugly stuff” nobody admits to: the early envy and competitiveness, and how they learned to turn it into admiration. They talk about protecting their bond when outside forces tried to drive a wedge between them. And they go somewhere deeper, into what it means to show up for someone in real pain: not rushing to fix it, but knowing where the hurt lives in the other person and loving them there. Jenna opens up about the guilt of juggling a career, a partner, and three kids. Emmanuelle shares what it meant to have Jenna show up with real presence through some of the hardest personal and family moments of her life. This one is about friendship. The kind that carries you. New episodes of Waking Up with Ryan every weekday morning, with longer conversations like this one every other week. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.