Mike Macdonald: Super Bowl, Self-Doubt, and the Weight of Winning

Graham Bensinger travels to Seattle for an in-depth profile of Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, fresh off a Super Bowl victory in just his second season leading an NFL team. Macdonald reflects on his unlikely rise from a low-level Ravens intern to championship head coach, while opening up about self-doubt, mental health struggles and his evolving relationship with longtime mentor John Harbaugh. 

Comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno looks back on the moment he discovered his passion for cars and shares a cool story about the time he mailed a letter to Henry Ford II, hoping to get his job back at one of their dealerships. 

Kelsey Grammer had just been stand-up paddling when he started feeling dizzy, and then a crushing pain led him to believe he might be having a heart attack. Grammer was in Hawaii, and he had to wait an hour and a half for an ambulance. His heart suffered some damage in that time, and he has had to work hard to recover. He recalls learning the procedure that would save his life might also kill him, and declaring he wasn’t ready to die.

Henry Winkler became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars as The Fonz on Happy Days — but the role that made him famous also nearly derailed his career. In this candid conversation, Winkler opens up about the highs and lows of his decades in Hollywood: from being typecast after Happy Days to rebuilding his career, finding purpose in therapy, and continuing to work at 80.

Actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld opens up about his relationship with talent manager George Shapiro, calling him a father figure, and discusses their shared joy of show business. He also shares how different they were, calling him warm and amazing with people. He explains why he likes to be around those who are good with other people, sharing that he avidly hates small talk.

Tom Hanks’ father suffered a devastating trauma as a young boy, witnessing his own father be murdered by a hired hand. Hanks said the trauma never left his Dad, who seemed to find no joy in life. The two were not close, until a movie, and Hanks’ own divorce, changed their conversation. Plus, Hanks recounts telling his father he was going to work as a professional actor, and being able to attend the Oscars together when Hanks was nominated for Big.

Graham heads to the Canadian wilderness for a long-form conversation with comedian and actor Tom Green. Reflecting on his early days, Green shares how a student council speech about humor set him on the path to comedy.  He also opens up about his battle with testicular cancer and his relationship with ex-wife Drew Barrymore.

Saints head coach Sean Payton on recruiting Drew Brees to New Orleans, including driving Brees around the city, getting lost and ending up in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods from Hurricane Katrina. Plus, Brees shares his thoughts on what he was looking for in a franchise and the real reason he and his wife decided they were moving to New Orleans.

Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist Dolph Lundgren says his finances diminished 90% from 1997 - 2007, fueled in some part by his then-wife Anette Qviberg. Dolph remembers feeling that his wife was impartial about his infidelity, so long as he continued to pay off her remarkable monthly credit card bills (roughly $60K per month) and bought her exotic cars. 

With Russell Westbrook announcing his retirement after 18 NBA seasons, we look back at Graham’s 2014 interview with the future Hall of Fame point guard. Westbrook reflects on criticism of his playing style, the risky decision that shaped his college recruitment and his rise from Los Angeles to NBA superstardom. He also opens up about the sudden death of his best friend, the bad press he’s faced and why fashion became such an important outlet for self-expression.