Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

It’s the leading cause of preventable death across much of Europe and North America, responsible for the loss of 41 million lives in the US, UK and Canada between 1960 and 2020. These staggering statistics beg the question: Why is anyone still smoking? Dr. Lynn Kozlowski, renowned expert in tobacco use and nicotine policy, is Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University of Buffalo. A founding member of the Society for Nicotine and Tobacco Research, he has contributed to four U.S. Surgeon General reports on smoking. Host Alec Baldwin speaks with Dr. Kozlowski about how perceptions of smoking have evolved over the years, the dangers of smoking traditional cigarettes versus vaping, and his advice on what he believes is the best way to quit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Steven Van Zandt aka Little Steven is perhaps best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. But the talented musician also co-founded the band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, as well as his solo act, Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul. He later found success in an entirely different career, playing the inimitable role of Tony Soprano’s consigliere Silvio Dante in The Sopranos and Frank Tagliano in Lilyhammer. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member recently released his autobiography, “Unrequited Infatuations,” which chronicles the many twists and turns that make up his remarkable life. Steven tells Alec why Bruce Springsteen was originally not allowed in his band, why he decided to walk away from the music business, and how he became a part of television history - twice. Originally aired March 22, 2022 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two leading voices in the fight for environmental and human rights justice are Steven Donziger and Paul Paz y Miño. Steven Donziger is an attorney and activist known for his decades-long legal battle against Chevron on behalf of Indigenous peoples and rural communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. His work has drawn international attention to issues of corporate accountability, climate justice, and the criminalization of human rights defenders. Paul Paz y Miño is the Associate Director of Amazon Watch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the rainforest and advancing the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon. For over 20 years, he has worked to build international solidarity, expose corporate abuses, and amplify the voices of frontline communities resisting environmental destruction. Together, Donziger and Paz y Miño discuss their work for environmental justice, the ongoing struggles of affected communities, and the broader fight to hold corporations accountable for human rights and ecological harms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thom Yorke, Radiohead and Atoms for Peace frontman, admits that, even after over 25 years in the business, performing is “either wicked fun or really awful.” He talks with Alec about his pre-show ritual—"I stand on my head for a bit"—and how he and his bandmates have been able to stick together since they were teenagers. Originally aired April 1st, 2013 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isaac Butler is an author, critic, theater director, and professor known for his books The Method: How The Twentieth Century Learned to Act and The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America, co-written with Dan Kois. Butler’s writing has appeared in numerous publications such as New York magazine, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Slate magazine. For Slate, he also created and hosted the podcast “Lend Me Your Ears”, about Shakespeare and politics, and currently co-hosts “Working”, a podcast about the creative process. Butler’s work as a theater director has been seen on stages throughout the United States and he is the co-creator of “Real Enemies”, which was named one of the best live events of 2015 by the New York Times. Butler currently teaches Theater History and Performance at NYU Tisch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s interview with Moby, who reflects on the unexpected success of his 1999 album Play—a record that transformed him from playing gigs in record stores to international stardom. Moby shares the chaotic aftermath of fame, from drug-fueled highs to moments of deep despair, and how he eventually found his way to sobriety. He also speaks with Alec about his unconventional childhood, his memoir Then It Fell Apart, and what he’s learned in the decade since leaving drugs and alcohol behind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with David Letterman, who began his Late Night gig as a self-described “gap-toothed, unknown smart ass.” Three decades later, Letterman reflects on how his comedy evolved, why he no longer makes every decision behind the scenes, and life after “stupid pet tricks.” He shares with Alec his path from weatherman to talk show host to guest-host of The Tonight Show—and how both a quintuple bypass and the birth of his son shifted his priorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the legendary Bee Gees. Barry reflects on the group’s rise from childhood dreams of stardom to becoming one of the best-selling music acts of all time. He speaks with Alec about the brothers’ signature “blood harmony,” their songwriting legacy, and navigating the highs and lows of fame and family. Barry also shares how he continues to honor the Bee Gees’ music—most recently through the HBO documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart and his Nashville-inspired album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook (Vol. 1). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series. This week, we revisit Alec’s conversation with Thelma Schoonmaker, the legendary editor behind every Martin Scorsese film since Raging Bull. Known for her warm, unassuming presence, Schoonmaker has shaped some of cinema’s most intense and iconic moments—earning three Academy Awards and seven nominations along the way. She talks to Here’s the Thing host Alec Baldwin about Scorsese’s pet peeves, what it’s like to “create” violence, and the woman she credits with giving her the “greatest life in the world.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our summer tradition at Here’s the Thing continues, as staff members choose their favorite conversations from the archives for our Summer Staff Pick series.This week in our Summer Staff Pick series, we revisit Alec’s interview with Judith Vecchione, Emmy- and Peabody-winning producer of the landmark PBS series Vietnam: A Television History, which premiered 40 years ago. Vecchione discusses the immense responsibility of telling the story of the Vietnam War through a 13-part documentary, the behind-the-scenes process of crafting such a comprehensive project, and how the experience shaped her decades-long career at WGBH. She also speaks with Alec about her work on Eyes on the Prize, the stories that drive her, and how she’s mentoring the next generation of documentary storytellers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Griffin Dunne is an actor, producer, director, and author of his recent memoir The Friday Afternoon Club. Dunne is known for his memorable roles in cult films such as An American Werewolf in London and Martin Scorsese's After Hours, which Dunne also produced. Dunne is also known for his roles in popular TV series such as This Is Us and Succession. His directing credits include films Practical Magic, Fierce People, and the documentary The Center Will Not Hold about his aunt, Joan Didion. Dunne tells more stories about his family and his unconventional Hollywood upbringing in his memoir The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much like the staggering beauty of her voice, Audra McDonald is impossible to ignore. The only artist to sweep all four acting categories at the Tony’s, she’s the most decorated Broadway star of all time. Reviews of her award-winning performances overflow with accolades, describing her stage presence as “spellbinding,” “haunting,” and “genius.” But for the California native, things haven’t always been easy. She talks to Alec about getting into Juilliard, making it on Broadway, and the suicide attempt that helped shape who she is today. Originally aired July 25, 2017 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake Tapper is a journalist, news anchor, author, and the current lead Washington anchor for CNN. Tapper hosts the weekday news show, The Lead with Jake Tapper, and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program, State of the Union. At CNN, Tapper has won numerous journalism awards, including Emmy Awards in 2023 and 2024. He also played a key role in ABC News’ Emmy Award-winning coverage of the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama and Edward R. Murrow Award winning coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden. In addition to his reporting career, Tapper is also a New York Times bestselling author of several novels and nonfiction books, such as The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor and his most recent book, Original Sin, co-written with Alex Thompson. His bestselling novels include The Hellfire Club and The Devil May Dance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Recorded October 4, 2021) Journalist Nicolas Niarchos may be the grandson of a famous Greek shipping magnate, but he can be found covering challenging and dangerous subjects like conflicts, minerals, and migration in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is a reporter at large at The New Yorker and a contributor to TIME, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Nation. Niarchos speaks with Alec about his upbringing, his journalistic path and his reporting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which exposes exploitation in the cobalt mining industry - and the importance of this crucial element in our global supply chain. Originally aired December 14, 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victor Garber is a prolific actor and singer who seamlessly traverses theater, film, and television. He originated roles in iconic musicals such as “Sweeney Todd”, “Godspell”, “Noises Off”, and “Assassins”. Garber also appeared in Oscar award-winning films such as “Titanic”, “Argo”, and “Milk”. You may also recognize him as Jack Bristow from the long-standing ABC series “Alias”. A six-time Emmy award nominee and recent recipient of the Forest City Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, Victor Garber has done everything from perform on the Ed Sullivan Show with his 1960’s band “The Sugar Shoppe” to defend a murder trial in “Legally Blonde”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded July 29th, 2012. Billy Joel has sold more records than The Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna—though the “rock star thing” is something he can “take off.” Joel started playing piano when he was about four or five years old. He admits that he doesn’t remember how to read sheet music anymore saying it’d be like reading Chinese. That doesn’t stop the third best-selling solo artist of all time in the U.S. from plunking out a few tunes with Alec. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Parnther is a conductor, bassoonist, and music educator prominently known for his work conducting and playing for critically acclaimed film scores. In 2019 he was appointed music director and conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and concurrently serves as the music director of the Southeast Symphony in Los Angeles, California, a position he has held since 2010. His notable film and TV work includes the scoring sessions for critically acclaimed films and TV shows such as “Avatar: The Way of Water”, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, “The Mandalorian”, Grammy Award-winning film “Encanto”, and Oscar winning film “Oppenheimer”. Notably, Panther led the scoring session for “Oppenheimer” which won Best Original Score in addition to Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Against the backdrop of soaring stock prices and multi-million dollar executive packages, the labor movement is undergoing a resurgence. A Starbucks location in Buffalo, NY became the first within the coffee chain to unionize in 2021, and since then, more than 330 stores in 39 states have followed suit – with more elections underway. All the while, the Starbucks corporation was engaging in controversial labor-busting practices: the National Labor Relations Board found that Starbucks violated federal labor laws and a federal judge ruled that Starbucks engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct.” Guest Gianna Reeve is an employee of the Camp Road Starbucks in the Buffalo area – and an organizer with Starbucks Workers United. Reeve joins Alec Baldwin to share her experience at one of the first stores to organize, the conditions that led to the unionization efforts, and what the Starbucks Workers United organization hopes for the future. Gianna Reeve is a featured participant in the upcoming documentary “The Baristas vs The Billionaire.” To learn more, visit: www.baristasvsbillionaire.com Originally aired June 27, 2023 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oskar Eustis is a theater director, dramaturg, and the current Artistic Director of the renowned Public Theater in New York City. Throughout his career, Oskar Eustis has been dedicated to making the theater more accessible, uplifting new voices in playwriting, and the development of new plays in addition to directing and producing the classics. Among the productions he has helped bring to life are “Angels in America” and the Tony-winning “Hamilton”. Oskar Eustis has worked as a director, dramaturg, and artistic director for theaters around the United States. He has also produced and directed Shakespeare productions nationwide, notably The Public Theater’s annual (and free) Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. He is a professor of dramatic writing and arts and public policy at New York University and has held professorships at UCLA, Middlebury College and Brown University, where he founded and chaired the Trinity Rep/Brown University consortium for professional theater training. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mick Fleetwood is the drummer and a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Fleetwood talks to Alec about how dyslexia led him to the drumming, how supportive parents encouraged his talent and his move to London as a teenager, how his friendship with the band’s founder, guitarist Peter Green, evolved to a life-long friendship, and how Fleetwood Mac balanced the weight of their interpersonal dynamics and the band’s wild, over-the-top success. The band’s 1977 album Rumors broke through Billboard 100 again last year thanks to a Tik Tok of a man on a skateboard lipsyncing to Dreams and introduced a whole new generation to Fleetwood Mac’s beautiful, enduring music. Originally aired January 26, 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.