Best Shi Cast Podcasts (2024)

1
She Shed or Man Cave? (with Kathryn Hahn) 43:10

1h ago43:10

43:10

Actor Kathryn Hahn joins Sam from her “she shed” to talk about how important it is to try a decision on for size before you make it and how she’s very good at getting rid of stuff (except for her kids’ art projects). They talk about taking jobs to pay off student loans, the distinct wetness of pre-packaged hardboiled eggs, why moving to LA was neve…

1
Red States or Red Carpets? (with Heather McMahan) 49:57

1h ago49:57

49:57

Comedian Heather McMahan joins Sam to talk about how she’s what you would get if Joan Rivers and Conan O’Brien had a baby, why she chose to self-produce her comedy special Breadwinner and the importance of being your own yes-man. They also talk about the joys of the human body, like ovarian cysts bursting on transatlantic flights, if there’s anythi…

1
Gourmet or Go Home? (with Ruth Reichl) 43:33

7d ago43:33

43:33

Renowned restaurant critic, food writer, and magazine editor Ruth Reichl joins Sam to talk about why taking a job as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine was such a hard decision, and how it ended up changing her life. They talk about getting paid to do a job you would do for free, her new documentary “Food and Country,” thoughts on meal kits, a…

1
Red, White, and Blue or Green…Card? (with Lauren Ash) 48:20

20d ago48:20

48:20

Fellow Canadian and actor Lauren Ash joins Sam to talk about why she continues to live on a Green Card rather than apply for US citizenship, and why on her 40th birthday she decided to try a career in music. She talks about why she’s not as easily swayed as when she was younger but how small decisions unravel her, and how helpful it is to have that…

1
Shy Voter or Vocal Voter? (with Errin Haines) 51:09

21d ago51:09

51:09

With less than two weeks until Election Day, editor-at-large of The 19th* Errin Haines joins Sam to talk about news coverage leading up to the most significant election in recent memory and whether or not shy voters will make a surprising difference. They talk about the importance of being open to the best idea in the room and how Errin sticks to a…

1
Dishwasher or Daredevil? (with Jenny Slate) 48:52

28d ago48:52

48:52

Jenny Slate sits down with Sam to talk about the difference between FOMO and regret and how sometimes you need to bust through a wall to take a big swing. Jenny talks about how she is naturally risk averse and giving birth was the most dangerous (and best) situation she ever put herself in. They talk about Jenny’s need to do the dishes before she c…

1
Monthly Magazines or Nonstop News? (with Joanna Coles) 47:40

1M ago47:40

47:40

Joanna Coles, the Chief Content Officer of The Daily Beast sits down with Sam to talk about deciding to leave the never-ending cycle of daily news for a slightly more dependable pace of monthly magazines…and then returning to news after two decades away. They talk about seeing George Clooney in the flesh, the beauty of shopping on resale websites, …

1
Basketball Star or Bipartisan Leader? (with Governor Maura Healey) 39:31

1M ago39:31

39:31

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey joins Sam to talk about trading her career as a (yes) professional basketball player in Austria for law school and later to serve as Attorney General and Governor of Massachusetts. They talk about how Governor Healey happily works across the aisle with non-crazy Republican colleagues, and why some of them are vot…

1
Seat-Filler or Superdelegate? (with Jon Cryer) 49:06

2M ago49:06

49:06

Jon Cryer joins Sam to talk about how he chooses his acting roles when he knows saying yes to one job means having to turn down another, and tells Sam about a huge role he passed up. They also get into it about a raccoon that steals his delivery food, why he gets recognized at the Frankfurt airport, and being a seat-filler at the DNC. Keep up with …

1
List Maker or List Keeper? (with Mackenzie Davis) 44:40

2M ago44:40

44:40

Actor Mackenzie Davis joins Sam to talk about how she took a semester off from college to model–hated it–and ultimately decided to go back to school and fast track her degree so that she could start acting. They bond over seeing baking directions as meditational, learning lines while cooking, and how making lists and keeping lists are two different…

1
Camper or Cosmopolitan? (with Shailene Woodley) 47:14

2M ago47:14

47:14

Actor Shailene Woodley joins Sam to talk about a pivotal decision she made to move to Europe and live out of a carry-on suitcase for ten years amid a blossoming Hollywood career. Shailene tells Sam that she would pick up dishwashing shifts when she needed money and how living in Europe taught her to see how Americans and Europeans talk about sex an…

1
Actor or Annapolis? (with Carrie Coon) 42:14

3M ago42:14

42:14

Carrie Coon joins Samantha Bee to discuss being a classic midwestern middle child, almost attending a naval academy, how the first decision she ever made in her life was to go to graduate school, why comedians are the darkest people, and how when she was younger she would collect boyfriends and leave the country rather than break up with them (didn…

1
Democracy or Else (with Jon Lovett) 48:01

3M ago48:01

48:01

Crooked Media’s Jon Lovett joins Sam to debrief the DNC and why Chicago is the perfect combination of sweatpants and sandwich town. They discuss his decision to go on Survivor and why it’s the best way to see how democracy works up close. Plus, Sam and Jon get into why movies are too long, the best way to moderate debates, and the power of young pe…

1
Make History or Repeat History? (with Symone Sanders Townsend) 51:29

3M ago51:29

51:29

Co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend and former senior advisor to Vice President Harris Symone Sanders Townsend joins Sam for DNC week! Sam and Symone talk about how as kids they both hosted fake news shows, where she was when she heard President Biden was ending his campaign, why Symone had to make a pro/con list when deciding to leave the White House, …

1
Hot or Not? (with Tony Goldwyn) 46:52

3M ago46:52

46:52

Actor and activist Tony Goldwyn joins Sam and talks about how he rides the waves of success—sometimes people want you and sometimes they don’t—and how he’s learned to be ok not chasing roles that weren’t right for him. They also talk about how at a pivotal moment in his career Tony decided to stay in New York and do a small Off-Broadway play rather…

1
Understand or Ignore: America’s Gun Problem (with Roxane Gay) 50:32

4M ago50:32

50:32

In her new essay, “Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem,” Roxane Gay details her decision to become a gun owner and why she doesn’t think the US has missed its window on meaningful gun control. Sam and Roxane also discuss why you never want to peak in high school, the shift to writing for TV, and how the worst fo…

1
Choices We Made: Make Comedy or Watch Comedy? (with Nick Kroll) 39:51

4M ago39:51

39:51

When comedian Nick Kroll decided to end his hit show “Kroll Show” he wasn’t totally sure what he would do next. But it was important to him to decide something was done rather than drag it out. Sam asks Nick about how he’s so good at zeroing in on what he genuinely wants, finding the funniest people in the room to make Big Mouth, and how to decide …

1
Theater or Therapist? (with Rachel Dratch) 41:26

4M ago41:26

41:26

When Rachel Dratch was growing up, she figured she’d have some sort of “normal” career like therapist. Then she saw a performance of Annie and thought she could be one of the people on stage too. Sam talks to Rachel about how important it is to ask for the parts you want (and then winning a Tony for it), how the biggest thing that ever happened to …

1
NYU or Nowhere? (with Paul Scheer) 51:56

4M ago51:56

51:56

When Paul Scheer was a senior in high school he decided that he would only apply to NYU because if it was good enough for Theo Huxtable, it was good enough for him. Sam talks to Paul about decisions he’s made since then (not based on Theo Huxtable), like having kids and deciding what kind of parent to be. They bond over being “latchkey kids,” the c…

1
International Relations or International Popstar? (with Rachel Platten) 47:36

4M ago47:36

47:36

While in college, Rachel Platten was on the path to a career in international relations. But then she decided to switch course and swap a semester abroad in Spain for a semester abroad in Trinidad where she fell in love with music. She now has a song that has been streamed more than a billion times (Fight Song) and a new album “I Am Rachel Platten”…

1
Doctor or Doc…umentary Filmmaker? (with Joy-Ann Reid) 55:54

5M ago55:54

55:54

When MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid was growing up she was expected to be a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Then she decided to drop out of Harvard, ditch her doctor aspirations, and re-enroll as a documentary film major. These days the biggest decision Joy makes every day is deciding what news stories to include in her show The ReidOut. Sam talks to Joy ab…

1
College or Kitchen? (with Alison Roman) 41:40

5M ago41:40

41:40

While a student, Alison Roman made a life-changing decision to leave college to start working in a restaurant kitchen and has never looked back. Sam talks to Alison about being such a decisive person, creating viral recipes, the magic of pasta water, weighing information and intuition and making the content for yourself that you wish to see in the …

1
Woman in Late Night or Woman on Tour? (with Taylor Tomlinson) 49:28

5M ago49:28

49:28

When Taylor Tomlinson was interviewing to be the host of After Midnight, she wasn’t even sure she wanted the job. She loved making her own schedule as a touring stand up comedian, and loved her road family. But when the network said she would still have time to be on the road, it was an easy decision to say yes. Sam asks Taylor about how the stakes…

1
Make Comedy or Watch Comedy? (with Nick Kroll) 39:51

5M ago39:51

39:51

When comedian Nick Kroll decided to end his hit show “Kroll Show” he wasn’t totally sure what he would do next. But it was important to him to decide something was done rather than drag it out. Sam asks Nick about how he’s so good at zeroing in on what he genuinely wants, finding the funniest people in the room to make Big Mouth, and how to decide …

1
Presenting Wild Card with Rachel Martin 31:12

6M ago31:12

31:12

Here’s some good news! Choice Words is coming back for season two on June 13th! Get ready for more amazing (and questionable) choices from great guests like Nick Kroll, who we’ll be kicking things off with. In the meantime, today we’re bringing you a special new podcast from our friends at NPR: Wild Card with Rachel Martin. On the show, Rachel rips…

1
Choices We Made: Logic or Emotion? (with Stephen Dubner) 47:17

6M ago47:17

47:17

As the author and podcast host of “Freakonomics,” Stephen Dubner spends a lot of time thinking about and studying what goes into good decision-making. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, he gives Sam tips on balancing logic with emotion, offers ways to use your imagination to help you make a choice, and defends the coin-flip method. Fol…

1
Choices We Made: Honest Conversations or Family Secrets? (with Laura Dern and Diane Ladd) 41:31

6M ago41:31

41:31

When Laura Dern found out that her mother, Diane Ladd, had scarring on her lungs, the doctor told her to be gentle with her mom because she’d be dead in 6 months. Laura chose to challenge that diagnosis by taking her mother on regular walks to expand her lung capacity. Not only did it work, but it turned into a new book co-written by the two award-…

1
From A Slight Change of Plans: “The Science of Making (and Keeping) Friends” 37:33

6M ago37:33

37:33

We’re bringing you an episode of A Slight Change of Plans from our friends at Pushkin. Named by Apple as the Best Show of the Year 2021, host Dr. Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are, and who we become, in the face of a big change. In this episode, psychologist Dr. Marisa…

1
Kierkegaard or Californication? (with David Duchovny) 52:12

7M ago52:12

52:12

When actor David Duchovny was teaching his daughter to ride a bike, he made the questionable choice of taking her to the top of a grassy hill at Pepperdine University in Malibu and pointing her straight downhill toward Highway 1. Luckily she learned (quickly) how to brake, but he realized not all of his ideas are good ones. In fact, some are failur…

1
Choices We Made: Family Secrets or Big Reveal? (with Kerry Washington) 44:58

7M ago44:58

44:58

When actor Kerry Washington’s parents told her a massive family secret five years ago, it shook her entire world. And despite being an extremely private person, Kerry decided to reveal this shocking information in her memoir, “Thicker Than Water.” In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam and Kerry discuss how learning this truth helped K…

1
Choices We Made: Express Your Grief or Keep It In? (with Rob Delaney) 54:19

7M ago54:19

54:19

When actor Rob Delaney’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry died, Rob decided to share his family’s experience with Henry’s illness and death with the world. What emerged was the deeply personal memoir, “A Heart That Works.” In this best-of episode from 2023, Sam asks Rob about how his approach to his career shifted after Henry passed away, a seemin…

1
Choices We Made: Baby or Facelift? (with Rosie O'Donnell) 39:52

7M ago39:52

39:52

When Rosie O’Donnell chose to step away from her talk show after six successful seasons, her actor friends thought she was out of her mind. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks Rosie what went into that professional choice as well as a personal one: celebrating her 50th by adopting a baby. Rosie relives moments like drunk-dialin…

1
Listen Now: Last Day (with Christine Blasey Ford) 44:15

7M ago44:15

44:15

Sam wants to introduce you to another great show from Lemonada Media. Last Day is about the moments that change us fundamentally and forever. Each week, host and Lemonada co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs sits down with a new guest to explore happy/sad stories of survival, resilience, and transformation. In this episode, Stephanie speaks with Chri…

1
Purpose or Pooltime? (with Nick Offerman) 53:19

7M ago53:19

53:19

When actor Nick Offerman first got together with actress Megan Mullally, she had just won her first Emmy for Will and Grace and he was living in a dirt basement in Silver Lake. They bought a fancy house, he jumped into his new swimming pool and got through about a song and a half before realizing he couldn’t lay around smoking weed and listening to…

1
Listen Now: Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus 1:01:56

8M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

We’re dropping in your feed to let you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has returned for Season 2 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™! Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some ex…

1
Wedding Registry or Divorce Sale? (with Busy Philipps) 44:25

8M ago44:25

44:25

At the beginning of the pandemic, when wildfire ash was falling on actor Busy Philipps’ face, she and her family made the unlikely decision to move to New York City. The choice paid off in the form of a phone call from Tina Fey asking her to audition for a new TV show, Girls5eva. Now in its third season, Sam asks Busy about the choices she’s made s…

1
Babes or Babies? (Live from SXSW with Ilana Glazer, Pamela Adlon, and Michelle Buteau) 50:28

8M ago50:28

50:28

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Sam joins Ilana Glazer, Pamela Adlon, and Michelle Buteau live from SXSW to talk about their new film, ‘Babes.’ The movie, which debuted in Austin and hits theaters on May 17, is all about female friendship and the truly insane surprises of pregnancy and childbirth. The writer/director/actor trio get real wi…

1
Jump Out or Get Pushed? (with Roy Wood Jr.) 41:19

8M ago41:19

41:19

When Roy Wood Jr. was arrested for stealing a credit card at 19 years old, he thought his life was over. While awaiting his sentencing and with nothing to lose, he decided to finally try standup comedy. He was a natural, and when the judge decided to give him probation over prison, he decided to pursue comedy for real. Roy talks about learning how …

1
From Dear Prudence: "Is It Okay to Ghost A Friend? Help!" (with Roxane Gay) 37:26

9M ago37:26

37:26

We’re bringing you an episode of Dear Prudence from our friends at Slate. In this episode, Roxane Gay (best-selling author of Bad Feminist and Opinions) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to decline a colleague’s invitation to dinner, when it’s okay to ghost a friend for good reasons, and what to do when yo…

1
Tech Bros or Tech Scoops? (with Kara Swisher) 54:27

9M ago54:27

54:27

Tech journalist Kara Swisher was five years old when her father died, teaching her from a young age that time is precious and she didn’t want to waste a single minute of it. Sam asks her how that lesson translates into her choices today, from abruptly leaving jobs to asking prominent people blunt and uncomfortable questions. Kara shares her opinion…

1
Have It All or Have Enough? (with Chris Gethard) 48:43

9M ago48:43

48:43

At the height of comedian Chris Gethard’s career, he was hosting his own show and making more money than ever. Yet, his teeth were falling out from the stress and unhappiness of it all. Now, he plays dinosaurs with his son, volunteers with his local ambulance, and says his life is one hundred times less cool but a thousand times happier. Sam asks C…

1
Choices We Made: Live in Fear or Love? (with Karamo) 43:54

9M ago43:54

43:54

When Karamo was 15 years old, he came out as gay to his best friend. That didn’t stop her from convincing him to lose their virginity together and ten years later, he found out he had a son. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks Karamo about the choices he made to forgive his friend, take custody of his son, and stop living in fe…

1
Valentines or Galentines? (with Lane Moore) 48:56

10M ago48:56

48:56

When Tinder first came out in 2012, former Cosmopolitan sex and relationships’ editor Lane Moore knew she needed to turn it into a comedy show. Now, she tours the world riffing on ridiculous profiles, swiping right alongside a live audience, and sharing in the humor and misery of online dating. Sam asks Lane what to watch out for in dating profiles…

1
Choices We Made: Stay Silent or Sue the Cops? (with Eric André) 37:21

10M ago37:21

37:21

When comedian Eric André was boarding a flight in Atlanta, Georgia, he was “randomly” picked out of line by cops and searched for drugs. Instead of chalking the experience up to yet another racist day in America, he decided to sue the Clayton County Police Department for racial profiling. In one of our favorite episodes from 2023, Sam asks Eric wha…

1
Better Choices in 2024: Glow or Burn Out? (with Tara Schuster) 51:52

10M ago51:52

51:52

Author Tara Schuster grew up in a neglectful, abusive household where “things came to die,” as she puts it. After a suicidal episode at age 25, she began a journey to reparent herself which led to two practical self-help books, “Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies,” and “Glow in the F*cking Dark.” Tara teaches Sam how to use a “values filter” to make c…

1
Better Choices in 2024: Logic or Emotion? (with Stephen Dubner) 47:17

10M ago47:17

47:17

As the author and podcast host of “Freakonomics,” Stephen Dubner spends a lot of time thinking about and studying what goes into good decision-making. He gives Sam tips on balancing logic with emotion, offers ways to use your imagination to help you make a choice, and defends the coin-flip method. Follow Stephen Dubner @Freakonomics on X (formerly …

1
Better Choices in 2024: Sunday Supper or Taco Tuesday? (with Samin Nosrat) 54:47

11M ago54:47

54:47

When chef and cookbook author (“Salt Fat Acid Heat”) Samin Nosrat bought a house in Oakland, she aspired to host big Sunday dinners with friends. Then COVID hit, those dinners got postponed, and Samin spiraled down into deep loneliness and depression. She tells Sam how she turned her sadness around by reigniting that passion to gather, cook, and ea…

1
Better Choices in 2024: Give Advice or Take It? (with Sarah Silverman) 49:48

11M ago49:48

49:48

Let’s make better choices in 2024! But how? Is it about following good advice? Is there a scientific method? Can everyone do it? Each week in January, Sam will go beyond superficial hacks and get at the truth of how to lead a more meaningful life, starting with comedian Sarah Silverman. Sam asks Sarah about the advice she offers strangers on The Sa…

1
Chicken or Fish? (with Chelsea Peretti) 52:02

11M ago52:02

52:02

Comedian and actress Chelsea Peretti isn’t great at making choices. She likes to vacillate between different options, from acting in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” to directing the feature film “First Time Female Director,” to launching the podcast “Call Chelsea Peretti” back in 2012. Sam asks her which comedy movies were most influential to her growing up,…

1
Gossip Girl or Too Cool for School? (with Penn Badgley) 44:48

12M ago44:48

44:48

When actor Penn Badgley was offered the role of Dan Humphrey in “Gossip Girl,” he initially turned it down because it wasn’t interesting enough. He also turned down the role of Joe Goldberg in “You” because he didn’t want to glorify a serial killer. Sam asks Penn what led him to change his mind on these two career-defining shows, how his Baháʼí fai…

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Shi Cast Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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