Episodes

  • Ben McKenzie (on cryptocurrency)

    Ben McKenzie (on cryptocurrency)
    May 6 2026
    Ben McKenzie (Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, Easy Money) is an actor, author, and outspoken cryptocurrency skeptic. Ben joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in a civically minded family in Austin, studying economics at the University of Virginia, and stumbling into acting success with early fame on an unnamed hit show. Ben and Dax talk about navigating imposter syndrome after overnight success, transitioning from acting into writing and directing, and what led him into investigating crypto markets during the pandemic. Ben explains why behavioral economics reveals how irrational people really are, how financial systems exploit trust and hype, and why the promise of “easy money” taps into something dangerously universal.
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    2 hrs and 11 mins
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  • Jack Antonoff

    Jack Antonoff
    May 4 2026
    Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, everyone for ten minutes) is a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and frontman. Jack joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up as an unsupervised middle child in suburban New Jersey, processing profound family loss at a young age, and finding early identity through obsessive music discovery. Jack and Dax talk about grinding through DIY touring as a teenager, the evolution from punk purist to global pop collaborator, and how environment and movement shape his creative process. Jack explains why grief clarifies what truly matters, how the anxiety of the well running dry fuels his restlessness, and why starting over is the key to staying alive creatively. Sign up now in the app or at grubhub.com/plus/golddays to unlock exclusive Gold Days deals. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
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    2 hrs and 16 mins
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  • Armchair Anonymous: Unauthorized Evacuation III

    Armchair Anonymous: Unauthorized Evacuation III
    May 1 2026
    Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about an unauthorized evacuation.
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    53 mins
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  • Patrick Radden Keefe (investigative journalist)

    Patrick Radden Keefe (investigative journalist)
    Apr 29 2026
    Patrick Radden Keefe (London Falling, Empire of Pain, Say Nothing) is an award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, and staff writer for The New Yorker. Patrick joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in a deeply intellectual household, developing a childhood obsession with writing for The New Yorker, and navigating a winding academic path through Columbia, Cambridge, and Yale Law. Patrick and Dax talk about the years-long reporting process behind London Falling, how a chance encounter led him to the story of Zac Brettler, and the challenges of investigating a mysterious death tied to hidden identities and extreme wealth in modern London. Patrick explains how proximity to oligarch culture and social media can warp ambition, why digression can be the soul of storytelling, and how to hold empathy for people navigating unknowable circumstances. Sign up now in the app or at grubhub.com/plus/golddays to unlock exclusive Gold Days deals. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
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    1 hr and 50 mins
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  • Laufey

    Laufey
    Apr 27 2026
    Laufey (A Matter of Time, Mei Mei the Bunny, and Bewitched) is a two-time Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Laufey joins Armchair Expert in between Coachella performances to discuss growing up between Iceland and the US with a violinist mother in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, how having an identical twin helped shape her sense of self, and navigating her identity as a biracial kid in a homogenous society. Laufey and Dax talk about the discipline of classical music training at Berklee, building a fanbase during COVID through her Sunday livestreams and vintage jazz-inspired covers, and why she believes general admission is the best way to experience Coachella. Laufey explains how discipline should be about building habits rather than winning, how choice can be more overwhelming than limitation, and how vulnerability is the real key to connection - both onstage and off. Take printer ink off your to-do list with HP Smart Tank | hp.com/SmartTank Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
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    1 hr and 51 mins
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  • Armchair Anonymous: Bar Stories

    Armchair Anonymous: Bar Stories
    Apr 24 2026
    Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy bar story.
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    44 mins
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  • Tara Stoinski Returns (primatologist)

    Tara Stoinski Returns (primatologist)
    Apr 22 2026
    Tara Stoinski (A Gorilla Story) is a primatologist, conservationist, and CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Tara returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up outside Philadelphia, her academic path from Tufts to Oxford to Georgia Tech, and balancing motherhood with a career studying gorillas in Rwanda. Tara and Dax talk about documenting rare gorilla dominance battles, the challenges of filming endangered animals in the wild, and how gorilla social structures differ from chimpanzees. Tara explains the importance of long-term behavioral research, how early life trauma can impact animal behavior, and why strong social bonds are key to survival in both gorillas and humans. Take printer ink off your to-do list with HP Smart Tank | hp.com/SmartTank Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
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    1 hr and 57 mins
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  • Tom Pelphrey

    Tom Pelphrey
    Apr 20 2026
    Tom Pelphrey (Task, Ozark, Love and Death) is an Emmy-winning actor and mental health advocate. He joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in New Jersey near the Shore, the impact of his intense high school acting teacher, and how he maintains lifelong childhood friendships. Tom and Dax talk about early success colliding with addiction, the relentless pace of daytime television, and rebuilding a life through sobriety. Tom explains why tying identity to achievement can be dangerous, how awareness unlocks real change, and why fatherhood is the ultimate ego reset. Take printer ink off your to-do list with HP Smart Tank | hp.com/SmartTank Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
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    1 hr and 53 mins
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