Social Activism, 2020 and Showtune Shame: My Conversation with actor Steven Pasquale

Why is it always Russia, Russia, Russia?? Well when you talk to Naveed Jamali who was a FBI double agent working against the Russians for over three years, you talk Russia. Turns out working with the FBI was something of a family occupation, as his parents were also informants for the FBI reporting on Russian activities. Yeah..Naveed has stories for days. Now Naveed shares his insight on MSNBC as an Intelligence Analyst and advises 2020 candidates on Russian issues. Oh and on top of all of this, he's my good friend so it means I can ask him all sorts of questions that only I could ask :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may not be familiar with Skullduggery Podcast Hosts and journalists Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman, but you most definitely know the stories they broke. Mike and Dan broke the story of Ken Starr's investigation into the Monica Lewinsky affair. They discuss the drama of how this story unfolded and the details would make Hollywood screenwriters salivate, Linda Tripp offered Mike the blue dress. Not only did we talk about the Clinton Affair but we discussed some of their most recent gets on their podcast including George Conway, AOC, Rashida Talib and of course yours truly :) Listen in for an insiders look into one of our country's biggest scandals, but stay for the story of Trump calling Mike a word I can't put into print. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you watched the Tony Awards, it wasn't James Corden's big splashy opening number that made the news, it was Rachel Chavkin's speech. In a blistering few minutes, Rachel called out the misogyny & lack of diversity in the theater community. But if you know Rachel's history, social activism is nothing new to her. During our conversation we talked the importance of mentors especially for women, healthcare and the importance of voting. Rachel's art is inherently political and the Tony Award winning hit Hadestown is no exception. It was the perfect show at the perfect time written and directed by women. And of course since I was talking to a Tony Award winner I HAD to give Rachel a Broadway musical quiz and shamed her for her love of Cats...yes CATS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people know General Mark Hertling as the incredibly articulate, direct, no nonsense CNN Military Analyst. But Mark and I bonded on Twitter over something different, our shared love of musical theater, yes that's right musicals. After I discovered our mutual passion, I knew I had to chat with him. On this episode Mark discussed the lack of leadership in our current administration, why he has been an outspoken critic of Trump's dangerous military policies (i.e.trans ban) and what happened when he called out Ivanka Trump on twitter. And if that doesn't pique your interest....(wait for it) Mark raps Hamilton on the podcast...you read that correctly...he RAPS and it is glorious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you think getting your parents approval on whom you date is tough, try getting the CIA to approve your boyfriend or girlfriend. Dating like anything in the CIA is ridiculous and yes it even involves paperwork. I heard the twitter requests and I finally did it. I invited three former CIA officers to join me on my show to talk SEX. We dished about the rules, the regulations and the horror stories of dating and (wink wink) dating in the CIA. We talk honey-traps, surveillance, dating cess pools, the CIA officer who got caught getting a blow…...well you have to tune in to hear that story. We had a safe word on the podcast (which was popcorn) that we could use if things got too heated…we used the safe word. We get down, dirty and give you the real unredacted inside scoop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I confessed to Donté Stallworth that when we first started following each other on twitter I had no idea he played football, he had a surprising reaction…he was thrilled. Donté has seamlessly made the career transition from football playerto political commentator. He’s regularly seen on MSNBC, CNN and he’s written for HuffPost among others. We had a wide-ranging conversation about the politics of football, Trump’s influence over the game, Deflategate, 2020 candidates and most importantly why Bill Belichick always looks like he’s passing a kidney stone. I never thought I would talk football but I also never thought Trump would be President. So Donté was the perfect guest to discuss the collision of these twoworlds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only geniuses (evil, wonderful tv geniuses) can create a show where the audience roots, yes roots for the KGB.  Any lucky me, I got to chat with those two evil geniuses, the Executive Producers of The Americans, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields.  I’ve known these two talented guys for years, so it was a thrill to sit down and ask them all the questions that so many fans have: Is Paige getting a spinoff?  Is Renee a spy? Why did you have to kill off Nina? And poor Martha (not a question…just a statement.) We also talked disguises, the suitcase scene and musicals (obvs). Ask anyone in the Intelligence Community and they’ll tell you the best spy show is The Americans. If you’re a fan of this show –this is the episode for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You've seen him in The Good Wife, The People vs OJ and on stage in Bridges of Madison Country and most recently The American Son with Kerri Washington. But the twitterverse knows him best as a fiery fierce resistor. In a no holds barred conversation, we discuss the decline in our democratic ideals, the breakdown of the republic, racial inequality and 2020. I've long admired Steven for his work on the screen, but it's his dedication and passion to improving our country that most impressed me. Oh and he totally shamed me when we discussed musicals, but I'll allow it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahh social media, the place where you see pics of people's brunch and discover hilarious voices. Twitter is where I discovered TV Writer Robert Schooley. I knew I needed to talk to the guy who tweets golden nuggets of political humor on the daily. Robert may have missed his calling in the FBI. In an epic investigatory feat that made headlines, Robert busted Trump on retweeting bots. Robert also shares the tweet that almost got him in hot water in Hollywood and why he thinks Trump looks like a Muppet. Listen in to Robert's first ever podcast interview and then seriously go and follow this guy, he's hilarious!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John is the ultimate hyphenate: Actor-Radio Host-Stand Up-Pundit- Commentator-Producer--I know it's annoying he does it all and he does it all awesomely. John & Emily took a deep dive into Trump (whether there can be redemption) religion in politics & the word "ignorance" and what it implies. We also talked about John's famous debates with David Duke ad Jerry Falwell, celeb interviews, the great gets and the ones they have yet to snag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.