Willem Dafoe on the Fine Art of Disappearing
Willem Dafoe on range, instinct, and why he doesn't pull from his own life experiences to fuel a performance.
Interviews
As an interviewer, Jay has spoken to Spike Lee, Tim Roth, Willem Dafoe, Tony Robbins, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Valerie Plame, Bob Mankoff, Will Shortz, Greg Giraldo, Paula Scher, and Todd Hanson, as well as researchers including Dan Ariely, Jonathan Haidt, Mihály Csikszentmihályi, and Helen Fisher.
More Interviews
Paula Scher on Why Success Kills Creativity
Pentagram graphic designer Paula Scher on why success kills creative work and failure is the engine of breakthrough.
psychology interview failure
Cindy Chupack on the Divorce That Launched Her Career
Two years into her marriage, her husband told her he might be gay. The lonely years that followed shaped the storylines she’d write for Sex and the City.
psychology interview failure
Greg Giraldo on Failure
Despite great success as a standup comedian and former host of Comedy Central’s Standup Nation, Greg Giraldo was tortured by a constant sense of failure.
comedy psychology interview
The Psychology Today Humor Round Table
What happens when you hold a mirror up to seven comedians? Analyzing humor from the experts who make people laugh.
psychology humor comedy
George Carlin’s Last Interview
The last in-depth interview he gave, nine days before his death, recorded over the telephone on Friday, June 13, 2008.
comedy psychology interview
San Francisco Chronicle
Q&A with Lynn Sherr
As one of the first women in broadcast journalism — and a 30-year veteran of ABC News — Lynn Sherr is accustomed to the spotlight.
interview journalism media
San Francisco Chronicle
Q&A with Spike Lee
In his two decades of making films, Spike Lee has earned a reputation as one of the most brilliant — and angriest — American directors.
interview film culture
San Francisco Chronicle
Will Shortz, Crossword Puzzle King
Will Shortz is one of those people who seem to hurtle inexorably toward their destinies from the day they are born.
interview puzzles culture