Will Poulter and Adam Meeks lead with empathy in ‘Union County’

Writer and professor Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor has grappled with her father Richard Pryor’s legacy through her teaching and her recent book 'Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.' For her treat, she celebrates an early comedy special that demonstrated her father’s command of language and the stage.

First time director Adam Meeks’ new film 'Union County' takes on addiction with empathy and hope. The film, which stars actor Will Poulter, who was also a producer on the project, looks at the opioid crisis in rural Ohio through a real-life rehabilitation program that has had promising results. Poulter plays a recovering addict going through the program alongside many non-professional actors who are on their own sobriety journeys. Meeks and Poulter talk to Elvis about documenting real recovery stories, what Poulter's conditions were before taking on the part, and why he often plays characters wrestling with their own pride.  

Sir Christopher Frayling is a film scholar who has written extensively about Italian director Sergio Leone, most notably in the biography Sergio Leone by Himself. For his treat, Frayling reveals the early so-called children’s films he watched that horrified and thrilled him.

Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris and director Pete Ohs are frequent collaborators. Ohs worked on a documentary about Harris’ acclaimed and controversial Slave Play, and Harris starred in Ohs’ film The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick. Their latest collaboration is the film Erupcja, starring pop star Charli XCX in a role far removed from her on-stage persona. Erupcja was filmed in Poland without a traditional script, and the actors all brought their own ideas to the project. Ohs and Harris tell Elvis how they got Charli XCX to be in the film, why Ohs likes to work without a script, and the origin of the film's Polish title. Note: This episode originally aired on May 15, 2026  

Actor Edward Norton seemingly reinvents himself with every role he takes on, from his breakout roles as someone who is more than meets the eye in 'Primal Fear' and 'Fight Club' to his take on folk singer Pete Seeger in 'A Complete Unknown' to his most recent role as a sexually adventurous neighbor in 'The Invite.' For his treat, he recommends a jazz album recorded by a friend who doesn’t want to rest on his laurels.  

Filmmaker Damien Hauser didn’t shy away from challenging himself in his new movie 'Memory of Princess Mumbi.' The sci-fi mockumentary romance gave him multiple areas to make his mark as director, writer, and one of its stars. Hauser talks to Elvis about trying to capture the randomness and mundane moments of life in 'Mumbi,' why acting in and directing the film was partly a matter of convenience and how Bollywood influenced the film’s musical moments.

Actor Will Poulter is known for disappearing into his roles, whether as an exacting pastry chef in the series 'The Bear' or a recovering opioid addict from Ohio in his most recent film 'Union County.' For his treat, he shares what he learned about addiction and recovery from one of his co-stars and that film’s press tour.

Kent Jones has worn many hats in the film world. He has written film criticism, collaborated with Martin Scorsese on several of his documentaries, and he served as director of the New York Film Festival. As a director, his work includes the documentary 'Hitchcock/Truffault' and his feature film debut 'Diane.'   His latest film is 'Late Fame,' starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee and adapted from an 1895 Arthur Schnitzler novella. Dafoe plays a poet who is rediscovered and celebrated by a younger generation. Jones tells Elvis how the film diverges from the novella; why he's glad he didn't direct films until later in life, and he shares why he believes the “beat” of a film should not be set in the editing.   

Actress and author Julia Fox hasn’t shied away from addressing the painful parts of her life. Her 2023 memoir Down the Drain is an unflinching look at her struggles with drugs and mental illness. For her treat, she recommends another raw memoir from a friend who also dealt with addiction, which inspired her to be open about her own experience.  

Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins is always doing something new. He has appeared in acclaimed movies, including 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'Mystic River,' for which he received the Academy Award. He has directed the films 'Cradle Will Rock,' 'Bob Roberts,' and 'Dead Man Walking,' which garnered him an Oscar nod for Best Director. He is the founder of the nonprofit theater troupe The Actors’ Gang. And he’s currently starring in the Apple TV sci-fi series 'Silo' as Bernard Holland, the Head of IT.   Robbins talks to Elvis about his character's dramatic change in the show’s third season; how he is in a “constant state of learning,” and why he is making an archive of his work public.