For the past couple decades, actor Ken Leung has played scene-stealing characters in films like Rush Hour, Keeping the Faith, and A.I. Or, prestige TV shows like Lost and The Sopranos.

Today, he joins us to discuss his spectacular turn in HBO’s Industry(7:30), how he created his character in baseball-bat-wielding manager Eric Tao (9:55), and his Brooklyn upbringing to a family of Chinese immigrants (17:35). Then, he shares how he found his footing as an actor (23:30), a memory of his late younger brother, Kevin (29:27), and why he views each film and TV set as a ‘spiritual space’ (30:56).

On the back-half, we walk through Leung’s work on The Sopranos (32:30), his present-day collaboration with actor Myha’la (37:45), the arc of this latest season of Industry (44:15), the state of representation in Hollywood (48:06), and why he feels at peace in this moment (53:00).

Clips courtesy of HBO. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

For the past couple decades, actor Ken Leung has played scene-stealing characters in films like Rush Hour, Keeping the Faith, and A.I. Or, prestige TV shows like Lost and The Sopranos.
Today, he joins us to discuss his spectacular turn in HBO’s <a href="https://www.hbo.com/industry">Industry</a> (7:30), how he created his character in baseball-bat-wielding manager Eric Tao (9:55), and his Brooklyn upbringing to a family of Chinese immigrants (17:35). Then, he shares how he found his footing as an actor (23:30), a memory of his late younger brother, Kevin (29:27), and why he views each film and TV set as a ‘spiritual space’ (30:56).
On the back-half, we walk through Leung’s work on The Sopranos (32:30), his present-day collaboration with actor Myha’la (37:45), the arc of this latest season of Industry (44:15), the state of representation in Hollywood (48:06), and why he feels at peace in this moment (53:00).
Clips courtesy of HBO. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at <a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.

Where people sound like people, since 2016.

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Actor Ken Leung (‘Industry’) Enters a New Season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/86c7fe8b-df9a-4176-ac45-b1f3004045a2/transcript

It’s been a week. To help us through it, we’ve enlisted The New York Times political reporter Astead Herndon.

We start with election night 2024 versus election night 2016 (6:35), what Astead discovered about the electorate reporting across the U.S. on his podcastThe Run-Up (9:25), and how insider Democrats arrived at a second Biden run in 2023 (13:30). Then, we discuss politicians’ “lowercase racist” assumptions about Black and Latino voters (16:02), Herndon’s telling one on one interview with Vice President Harris (22:52), and the pervasive, nationwide sentiments that led to Donald Trump’s re-election (32:24).

On the back-half: where the Harris campaign fell short in its messaging to voters (38:48), the rise of the “podcast election” (44:48), a revealing window into the Biden administration (47:35), how quickly “good intentions” can turn power corrupted (53:01), and why the Democratic party must remake itself (1:00:55) as we begin to move forward from this election (1:06:00).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

It’s been a week. To help us through it, we’ve enlisted The New York Times political reporter Astead Herndon.
We start with election night 2024 versus election night 2016 (6:35), what Astead discovered about the electorate reporting across the U.S. on his podcast<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-run-up/id1142083165"> The Run-Up</a> (9:25), and how insider Democrats arrived at a second Biden run in 2023 (13:30). Then, we discuss politicians’ “lowercase racist” assumptions about Black and Latino voters (16:02), Herndon’s telling one on one interview with Vice President Harris (22:52), and the pervasive, nationwide sentiments that led to Donald Trump’s re-election (32:24).
On the back-half: where the Harris campaign fell short in its messaging to voters (38:48), the rise of the “podcast election” (44:48), a revealing window into the Biden administration (47:35), how quickly “good intentions” can turn power corrupted (53:01), and why the Democratic party must remake itself (1:00:55) as we begin to move forward from this election (1:06:00).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at <a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.

What Can Be, Burdened By What Has Been (with Astead Herndon of NYT)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6cc86a44-f974-4d72-b477-b224007b6eeb/transcript

On the heels of his latest book The Message, author Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Sam for a conversation in Los Angeles.

At the top, we discuss how his Atlantic piece The Case for Reparations guided these three new essays (6:10), Coates’ early education growing up in West Baltimore (14:57), and his powerful dispatches from South Carolina (22:00) and the Middle East (29:30).

On the back-half, Coates unpacks why he believes the mainstream media prioritizes “factual complexity over self-evident morality” (37:47), his advocacy for Palestinian journalists (39:20), and his reflections about the U.S. election (47:28). To close, a formative passage from James Baldwin's The Lost Generation (52:38) and a story about love and writing (57:45).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

On the heels of his latest book <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/653438/the-message-by-ta-nehisi-coates/">The Message</a>, author Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Sam for a conversation in Los Angeles.
At the top, we discuss how his Atlantic piece <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/">The Case for Reparations</a> guided these three new essays (6:10), Coates’ early education growing up in West Baltimore (14:57), and his powerful dispatches from South Carolina (22:00) and the Middle East (29:30).
On the back-half, Coates unpacks why he believes the mainstream media prioritizes “factual complexity over self-evident morality” (37:47), his advocacy for Palestinian journalists (39:20), and his reflections about the U.S. election (47:28). To close, a formative passage from James Baldwin's The Lost Generation (52:38) and a story about love and writing (57:45).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at <a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.

Ta-Nehisi Coates (‘The Message’) is Live in Los Angeles

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e2af5342-8b38-49be-9176-b21d006c7169/transcript

Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) has been a fixture in Hollywood for the past fifteen years. She joins us this week to discuss Woman of the Hour, her directorial debut and most revealing project to date.

At the top, we dive into the film’s true crime story (7:00), its examination of gender politics in the 1970s (19:29), and the personal Hollywood experiences Anna embedded into this project (22:00). Then, Kendrick reflects on her early years as a child actor: commuting from Portland, Maine into New York City for work (25:40), receiving a Tony nomination at twelve (29:50), and moving to Los Angeles at seventeen (35:10).

On the back-half, Anna unpacks the “dissociative” process of directing a film (38:25), the mentorship she received from actor and collaborator Jake Johnson (45:00), and the dangers of workaholism (47:19). To close, she shares a passage from her memoir Scrappy Little Nobody(57:20) and describes the work she hopes to make in years to come (1:00:00).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) has been a fixture in Hollywood for the past fifteen years. She joins us this week to discuss <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81728818?source=35">Woman of the Hour</a>, her directorial debut and most revealing project to date.
At the top, we dive into the film’s true crime story (7:00), its examination of gender politics in the 1970s (19:29), and the personal Hollywood experiences Anna embedded into this project (22:00). Then, Kendrick reflects on her early years as a child actor: commuting from Portland, Maine into New York City for work (25:40), receiving a Tony nomination at twelve (29:50), and moving to Los Angeles at seventeen (35:10).
On the back-half, Anna unpacks the “dissociative” process of directing a film (38:25), the mentorship she received from actor and collaborator Jake Johnson (45:00), and the dangers of workaholism (47:19). To close, she shares a passage from her memoir <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Scrappy-Little-Nobody/Anna-Kendrick/9781501117220">Scrappy Little Nobody</a> (57:20) and describes the work she hopes to make in years to come (1:00:00).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at <a href="mailto:sf@talkeasypod.com">sf@talkeasypod.com</a>.

Actor and Director Anna Kendrick: Life Imitates Art

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0b051994-14d1-4d95-ba24-b2160041118e/transcript

Actor Ken Leung (‘Industry’) Enters a New Season

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