Obsessed: The Podcast

Mackenzie Crook joins Matt Wilstein to discuss his new Apple TV series Small Prophets, the supernatural story 10 years in the making, and why he loves creating quirky, gentle British comedies. The actor and writer looks back on landing his breakout role as Gareth in the original British The Office, why he initially wasn’t thrilled about the American remake, and how the show’s unexpected success changed his career. He also shares behind-the-scenes stories from Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones, whether he’d return for another Pirates movie, and why The Office’s “cruel” humor now makes him cringe. Plus, Crook reveals what's next for Small Prophets and shares details about his first feature film.

#ad Get the best deals on Ember at https://ember.com/otp and let them know Obsessed: The Podcast sent you.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠⁠@kpfallon⁠⁠

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠⁠@mattjwilstein⁠⁠

Follow Obsessed on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beastobsessed⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andy Richter is spilling behind-the-scenes secrets about two very different hit movies: the horror sensation Obsession and the beloved Christmas classic Elf. On this episode of Obsessed, host Matt Wilstein talks with the longtime Conan O’Brien sidekick about how Elf became a holiday favorite, the surprising casting choices that almost changed the movie—including Chris Farley as Buddy—and why he doesn’t think a sequel should happen. Richter also reflects on his new book, Elf Unwrapped, his years working with Conan, the collapse of The Tonight Show, voicing Mort in Madagascar, and his unexpected journey on Dancing With the Stars.

#ad Get the best deals on Ember at https://ember.com/otp and let them know Obsessed: The Podcast sent you.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠⁠@kpfallon⁠⁠

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠⁠@mattjwilstein⁠⁠

Follow Obsessed on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beastobsessed⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Timothy Simons is best known as Jonah Ryan, the walking insult magnet on HBO’s Veep—but his latest role in Netflix’s hit romantic comedy Nobody Wants This is giving audiences a whole new reason to love him. On this episode of Obsessed, host Kevin Fallon sits down with Simons to discuss his evolution into a romantic lead, the show’s surprisingly relatable take on relationships, and the brutal Veep insults that still follow him years later. Simons also weighs in on the unsettling ways real-world politics have started to resemble Veep, why the show’s satire feels more nightmarish than funny today, and what it’s like to have a character become a lasting pop-culture phenomenon.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠⁠@kpfallon⁠⁠

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠⁠@mattjwilstein⁠⁠

Follow Obsessed on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beastobsessed⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Heather McMahan joins Kevin Fallon on Obsessed: The Podcast to discuss her new Hulu comedy special, By a Thread, and the bizarre experience of being briefly “canceled” after a controversial moment at the Ryder Cup sparked accusations that she was MAGA. Heather opens up about receiving death threats and disturbing messages, turning the political backlash into comedy, and why she thinks a man would have been treated very differently. Plus, she dishes on her love of The Real Housewives, her over-the-top Italian wedding, the realities of making it as a comedian, her cosmetic surgery, and the unhinged stories fans share on her podcast, Absolutely Not.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠⁠@kpfallon⁠⁠

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠⁠@mattjwilstein⁠⁠

Follow Obsessed on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beastobsessed⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes Larry David one of the most fascinating—and famously difficult—figures in comedy? On this episode of Obsessed, host Matt Wilstein sits down with Blake J. Harris, author of the new authorized biography Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, to uncover the stories behind the mind that created Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Harris reveals how Larry David’s real-life experiences inspired some of television’s most iconic moments, why his disastrous stint at Saturday Night Live nearly derailed his career, and how the pressure of making Seinfeld pushed him to the brink. Plus, they get into David’s complicated relationship with fame, his personal falling out with Cheryl Hines, and the surprising stories behind his creative clashes and career-defining decisions. If you’ve ever wondered how much George Costanza is really Larry David—or what it takes to get the comedy legend to open up—this is a must-listen conversation.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠⁠@kpfallon⁠⁠

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠⁠@mattjwilstein⁠⁠

Follow Obsessed on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beastobsessed⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices