A weekly podcast hosted by The Ankler's awards editor Katey Rich, featuring lively and endlessly curious discussion of the film and television awards races and the business that surrounds them. Episodes will also include interviews with top awards contenders and the major players in the races that make Hollywood run.
Timothee Chalamet mastered it, Brad Pitt is trying it out, and everyone knows you've got to go for it — it's the new press tour hotspots, from Hot Ones to running in Central Park. Nicole LaPorte talked to Hollywood's most ruthless publicists about which ones are actually worth it, and shares her findings on this week's episode. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The star and executive producer of Dope Thief took on his first behind the scenes role on the Apple TV+ series, and found a whole new way of working in the process. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Franklin Leonard, the founder and CEO of The Blacklist, joins Katey for a check in on the industry's cautious optimism over summer movie season, but also the lingering anxieties that keep standing in the way. Then hear Katey's live onstage conversation with the team behind ABC's High Potential: director Alethea Jones, showrunner Todd Harthan, creator Drew Goddard and star Kaitlin Olson. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The star of the Black Mirror episode “Eulogy” joins the series creator for a freewheeling conversation about memory, grief, AI and how to fit an American into what was intended as a very English story. Watch the full video version of this interview on The Ankler's YouTube page. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The comedian, author and actress on learning how to ask questions, building trust with everyone she works with, and learning to play her face like a harp. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Vulture's Joe Reid joins Katey to talk about the less-discussed Emmy contenders that deserve voter attention, from the sexy Interview with the Vampire to the bloody and brilliant Black Doves. Then Good American Family star Ellen Pompeo explains why it took so long for her to play a role that's not Meredith Grey, and how she's learned to fight for herself and for others on set. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The creator of the new Judy Blume adaptation Forever joins her longtime friend and star Karen Pittman for a frank conversation about motherhood, Hollywood, and co-creating with God. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The team behind Prime Video's new limited series tell Katey about the family drama that lured them into the story, how Biel and Banks built their sisterly dynamic, and the key to a perfect 90s needle drop Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The Ankler's new deputy editor joins Katey for a look at what's at stake as Emmy voting looms— and rest assured, you'll be hearing much more of Chris on this podcast going forward. Then Katey talks to Jason Segel about embracing the TV persona he's built up over two decades of stardom— and then trying to blow it all up on Shrinking. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The musician and director of the documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) wanted to tell the story of the seminal band Sly and the Family Stone, but also the unique challenges that faced its leader — challenges that Questlove himself knew quite well, particularly after his Oscar win. This is the first of several special weekend editions of the podcast we'll be sharing with some of the season's most fascinating Emmy contenders. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Chris Feil returns to break down the most talked-about titles from Cannes, and why Neon is releasing almost all of them. Then, Severance star Britt Lower and creator Dan Erickson discuss the trial by fire experience of making the buzzy Apple show, and how it allowed them to take even bigger risks in season two. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The Ankler himself Richard Rushfield joins Katey to look back at the series of disasters that have been facing Hollywood for the past decade, and the hope that still remains for escaping it. Then Katey talks to Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy and executive producer and star Diego Luna about the show's ambitious, moving final episodes, and why Andor may be the first show ever to say it's being made like a long movie and actually pull that off. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Tyler Coates returns to break down the state of the Emmy race, including the wide-open battle for drama series and the new shows with major upset potential. Then Luke Kirby talks about his new collaboration with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, entering the tough but beautiful world of ballet with the new Prime Video series Etoile. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
First Dave Gonzales joins Katey to look at how Thunderbolts fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's current existential crisis, and whether Fantastic Four later this summer can keep the good vibes going. Then Matlock creator Jennie Snyder Urman and star Kathy Bates talk about how they crafted a legal procedural for the modern era, and why it was good enough to bring Kathy back from the brink of retirement.
Tom Oyer, an Oscar die-hard and former senior vice president at the Academy, joins Katey to break down the new rules for this year's Oscars, and explains why the Oscars need so many rules in the first place. Then Katey talks to Hannah Einbinder and Paul W Downs about the latest season of Emmy champion Hacks, and their secrets for the best backlot golf cart rides. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey talks to Ankler colleague Lesley Goldberg about a TV trend that's more promising than it might seem, thanks to spring hits like The Pitt. Then Katey talks to Uzo Aduba about leading Netflix's new White House murder mystery series The Residence, and what it takes to play true genius on TV. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
First, Katey talks to fellow long-time podcaster Karina Longworth about the latest season of her show You Must Remember This, which looks back at how iconic directors like John Huston and William Wyler adapted to the changes in Hollywood in the 1960s — and what we can learn from their struggles. Then, The Wedding Banquet director Andrew Ahn and his co-writer James Schamus talk about their unusual collaboration, working together to remake a film Schamus co-wrote in 1993 with Ang Lee, and update it for a modern audience while maintaining the original's scrappy indie film spirit. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Live on stage at NAB Show in Las Vegas, Katey talks to the prolific filmmakers about their long friendship, hard-won lessons, and what's next for Hollywood, technology and storytelling. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
First, Natalie Jarvey, the author of the Ankler's Like and Subscribe newsletter, joins Katey to talk about how Hollywood is trying once again to partner with some of the Internet's most popular creators — and why those creators still want Emmy recognition, too. Then Katey talks to Jason Isaacs, fresh off watching the finale of The White Lotus alongside his cast mates, about the wild ride of being on the most talked-about show in television, and some hard-won lessons from a career onscreen. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Mississippi's own Landon Bryant— better known on the Internet as Landon Talks— joins Katey to talk about his hometown hero Parker Posey and her divisive, instantly iconic performance on the current season of The White Lotus. They also talk about the actors who have nailed their Southern accents over the years, and Hollywood might be able to work with creators like Landon to truly get it right going forward. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
With splashy TV premieres everywhere you look and many more to come, it really is officially Emmy season, but maybe a little too early to get into the weeds of who will win. So instead we're kicking things off with a look at the world of prestige TV, Ankler-style, with two of our Series Business authors, Elaine Low and Manori Ravindran, joining me to talk about the world of TV overall. How do this year's contenders reflect all the anxiety and contraction we're seeing in the industry? How are so many UK imports making such a splash? And which shows are giving us hope that TV might just be OK after all? Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Chris Feil and Joe Reid return to join Katey for a broad overview of the most exciting films ahead this year, from new work from greats like Paul Thomas Anderson, Celine Song and Yorgos Lanthimos to, yes, Wicked: For Good. They also continue their annual tradition of making irresponsibly early best picture predictions, and share some hopes that Colin Farrell, Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott and even some non-Irish actors will have a huge year ahead of them. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
With the 97th Academy Awards finally in the rearview, Katey gathers a murderers' row of former guests to share their final takeaway from this topsy turvy season. Answering the question "What did you learn from this year's Oscars?" are Esther Zuckerman, Jordan Hoffman, Richard Rushfield, Tyler Coates, Michael Shulman, Sam Adams, Rebecca Ford, Shirley Li, Matt Patches, David Canfield, Chris Murphy, Sean Fennessey, Alison Brower, and Chris Feil. Join us, and then you never have to think about this year's Oscars again. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Anora wins big, Conan wins over the crowd, and everyone wonders what's next for Demi Moore. It's the morning-after Oscars report with Katey and Tyler, with highlights from the red carpet, the Anora after-party, and everything in between. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey and Joe Reid go through their final picks in all 23 Oscar categories, from the guaranteed wins to the true toss-up categories — and of course, the eternally unpredictable best picture race. Then Katey talks to Oscar executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan about the frantic final days before the show, what to expect from Conan O'Brien's first time as host, and how some classic Oscar traditions will be turned on their head this year. Join the Prestige Junkie Oscar pool. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Dan D'Addario, Variety's chief correspondent and the author of the upcoming book The Talent, joins Katey to take stock of this year's Oscar season as final voting ends, and ponder which actors did the best job of giving what Dan calls "the performance after the performance" on the campaign trail. Dan's new novel The Talent, out in bookstores February 25, follows five best actress nominees across a fictional awards season, which brings up the question: why is the best actress race the one that captivates Oscar obsessives year after year? Join the Prestige Junkie Oscar pool. Find out more about Dan's book The Talent. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Your Guide to the Oscar-Nominated Shorts with Chris Feil, Plus Monica Barbaro's Voice Lessons Chris Feil and Katey watched all fifteen of the Oscar-nominated short films, and though we recommend you see them yourself in theaters, we've also got a cheat sheet for how to pick them in your Oscar pool. Then Katey talks to Monica Barbaro about becoming a singer to play Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown, and the advice about taking care of your voice that she learned — and if her voice coach asks, she's definitely still following them. Speaking of Oscar pools! Join the Prestige Junkie Oscar Pool and test your mettle against the Ankler staff and some of our favorite pundits. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Kyle Buchanan joins Katey, who has lost most of her voice after a big awards season weekend in Los Angeles, to break down three huge recent victories for Sean Baker's Anora— and what, if anything, might still be standing between it and best picture. They also look back at the outsized role played this awards season by online fans, and whether that will be the new normal going forward. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
David Sims joins Katey to look broadly at the best picture field after the Emilia Perez fallout, the Complete Unknown surge, and everything else that's made this season so impossible to predict. What actually deserves to win best picture after all this? What will look like a good win in 10 years? We get into all of it. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
After a whirlwind few days of scandal and seemingly endless interviews from Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascón, Slate's Sam Adams join Katey to figure out how it all played out, how fervent fan bases have played outsize roles in this awards season, and where Emilia Perez's Oscar hopes can go from here. Then Katey talks to Anora's director, writer, co-producer and editor Sean Baker about his very particular way of making movies, how he challenged himself with Anora and where he'll go from here. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The Ringer's Joanna Robinson returns to join Katey and look at the Oscar success of not just The Substance but also Nosferatu, and why it's good for everyone when there's a popular genre movie that the Oscars can already embrace. Then, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet calls from London, where he reflects on the long promotional campaign he's still in the middle of, what the future of Hollywood and AI should actually look like, and what he'll do on March 3 when this awards season rush is all over. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The Ankler's Alison Brower joins Katey from Park City to talk about the highlights from the first few days of Sundance, which as usual is heavy on excellent docs and has plenty of hit-or-miss star vehicles. Luckily for the rest of us, there are at least a few surefire hits to look forward to. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey shares instant reactions to this year's Oscar nominations with Esther Zuckerman, then shares segments of a Substack Live session with Richard Rushfield, asking some of the bigger questions about what this years nominations mean for Hollywood. Want to be part of our next Substack Live? Become a paid subscriber to The Ankler and join us! Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
It feels like an eternity since last week's Golden Globes, and with all of Los Angeles focused on the wildfires and their aftermath, awards season has taken a backseat— but hasn't ended entirely. Tyler Coates joins Katey to talk about the impact of all this turmoil, and how awards season might boost the city's recovery once it finally returns. Then Katey talk to Robert Eggers, the director of stylish horror films who just had his biggest hit ever with Nosferatu, a movie he's spent more than a decade trying to get made— and was absolutely worth the wait. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
The Golden Globe-winning star of I'm Still Here on reuniting with Walter Salles for their acclaimed historical drama, and how she learned from her mother how to prepare for a run through awards season. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey sits down in front of a live audience in Hollywood with the director of the animated sensation, discussing what it took to make his directorial debut after years at Pixar, the many versions of the film that existed before the one we see today, and the emotions driving his console these days. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey reunites with Vanity Fair's David Canfield to break down the highlights of the Golden Globes, which had some surprisingly great winners and a very capable host in addition to some bizarre production snafus. Then Katey talks to Guy Pearce, a Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominee for his role in The Brutalist, about some hard-won wisdom from a long, up-and-down career in Hollywood. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey and Richard Rushfield continue their look back at the year that was in Hollywood, selecting the year's standout performances in everything from little-seen Sundance indies to some likely future Oscar winners. It's enough good work to even make Richard feel a little optimistic as the new year begins. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Richard Rushfield joins Katey to look back at the year in film, which Richard thinks is one of the worst in the history of studio filmmaking — if not the worst — but still scrounged up enough titles to get excited about. The episode also includes Katey's conversation with Javier Bardem about his chilling performance on the limited series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — and his surprisingly moving motivation for taking on a very different kind of character in a recent, criminally underseen children's film. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Little Gold Men co-host Richard Lawson reunites with Katey to look at the long list of films opening this Christmas, from the tiny Italian drama that was one of Richard's favorite movies of the year to, yes, Mufasa. Then Katey talks to Glen Powell from his new, temporary home in London, where he reflects on a very busy 2024 and what he learned about Hollywood by making something as unique — and actually good! — as the Richard Linklater-directed Hit Man Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Returning guest Tyler Coates joins Katey to break down the Oscar shortlists in 10 categories, with insight on the ever-chaotic best original song race, the major competition in international feature, and the impossible to predict short films. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
With Golden Globes and Critics Choice TV nominations out there and SaG right around the corner, Joe Reid joins Katey to look at the state of TV awards buzz, from last year's Emmy holdovers still holding court to exceptional fall shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin that might go the distance. Then, Katey talks to writer and director Steve McQueen about diving into the past — and into a child's point of view — for his stirring World War II drama Blitz, now streaming on Apple TV+. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Listen to our first-ever Substack Live, in which Esther Zuckerman, author of the new book Falling in Love at the Movies, and Katey break down Monday's Golden Globe nominations. Then hear Katey's conversation with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, recorded mere minutes after her performance in Hard Truths won her the best actress prize from the New York Film Critics Circle. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
With the New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association set to make their picks this weeks, The Atlantic's Shirley Li joins to explain why critical buzz is so important in this part of the awards race, and maybe even help Katey fill out her own Critics Choice Awards ballot. Then John Magaro, a proud "journeyman" actor who has nonetheless become a major arthouse movie draw, talks about his role in the tense thriller September 5. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Matt Patches, Katey's old friend and co-host on the Fighting in the War Room podcast, joins to explain the emergence of the Game Awards, why the video game industry cares so much about them, and what Hollywood's awards shows might be able to learn from a much newer version of the format. Then Katey talks to Eddie Redmayne, who is spearheading the ambitious new spy series The Day of the Jackal but also reflecting on the 10 years that have passed since his Oscar win, and what he's learned about his own taste in movies in the process. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey reunites with her former Little Gold Men co-host Rebecca Ford to recap the highlights of Sunday's Governors Awards, where Oscar hopefuls rubbed elbows and the Quincy Jones tribute had everybody in tears. Then Jesse Eisenberg talks about his inspirations for his film A Real Pain, why he only wants to write characters who are different from him, and when he'll find the time to write a song about South Sudan. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey and Richard Rushfield join forces to pick movies from across movie history that are guaranteed to leave you feeling hopeful, no matter what the news has in store. Then Katey talks to The Piano Lesson star Danielle Deadwyler about everything that goes into her tremendous performances, from her knack for stillness to how she built trust with The Piano Lesson director Malcolm Washington. Katey's list of Movies For Hope on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/kateyrich/list/movies-to-give-you-hope/ Richard's list: https://letterboxd.com/rrushfield/list/movies-to-make-you-feel-ok-when-the-world/
Tyler Coates joins Katey to talk about why the Oscars and politics are so eternally entwined, and how no matter what happens in Tuesday's election, the impact will be felt throughout the season. The episode also includes a conversation with June Squibb, the 94-year-old star of the summertime hit Thelma, who has a lot of wisdom about tackling physical challenges small and large and putting her trust in a first-time director. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Katey talks to Civil War star Kirsten Dunst about her powerful work in the Alex Garland thriller, and how she decides when it's worth taking on a movie when she's got two young boys demanding her attention at home. The episode also features a conversation with New Yorker staff writer and author Michael Schulman about the big narratives driving this year's awards season, from the breakout stars to the movie that's a metaphor for the Oscars themselves. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
Listen in on our live panel event at the Montclair Film Festival, featuring awards season speculation from Chris Murphy and Chris Rosen and true insider insight from Sony Pictures Classics co-president and co-founder Tom Bernard. Then Katey sits down with Stephen Colbert, who hosts some of the most high profile onstage events of the festival, and his wife Evie McGee Colbert, the president of Montclair Film. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
With the best picture race still anyone's game, This Had Oscar Buzz co-host Chris Feil joins Katey to ask the big questions that will determine the race, from how international voters play into it to what Clint Eastwood might have in store. Then, Katey talks to Morgan Neville, the Oscar-winning documentarian whose new film Piece by Piece he's calling a work of "creative nonfiction" than a documentary — though he finds all the rules about that pretty silly anyway. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on X and Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.