Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

Micky Dolenz was a successful child-actor, but he became a full-fledged star at 20 in 1966 as the exuberant singer and drummer of The Monkees -- or rather, as the actor playing that character. At first, the band was a creation of NBC and only existed on the show The Monkees. For the first season, much of the backing music was played by a studio band. Eventually, that changed, and The Monkees' transition from a TV band to a real band is a fascinating story of hard work, perseverance, and marketing genius. Dolenz brings all the energy and humor he showed on The Monkees to this episode of Here's the Thing, telling Alec about the dynamics among the bandmates, his years as a successful TV producer in the UK, and what it's like touring -- and recording -- as a member of The Monkees 50 years after the end of the show. Originally aired June 16th, 2020. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karina Canellakis is an American conductor and former violinist internationally acclaimed for her expressive symphonic and operatic leadership. She is currently Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Notably, Canellakis was the first woman to be appointed Principal Guest Conductor for the London Philharmonic and the first woman to be Chief Conductor of any Dutch orchestra. She also made history as the first woman to conduct the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm and to serve as Principal Guest Conductor of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. As both a violinist and conductor, Canellakis has worked with leading orchestras across Europe and North America, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, and Munich Philharmonic. Canellakis is also an accomplished opera conductor and has led Der Rosenkavalier at Santa Fe Opera and Dialogues des Carmélites in Paris. Originally trained as a violinist, she turned to conducting and built a groundbreaking career stemming from her musical upbringing in New York City. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anjelica Huston has lived many lives, all with grace and charisma. As the daughter of John Huston (director of The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon, and more) she was movie royalty from birth. But she grew up in rural Ireland and went to high school in Swinging-Sixties London. That meant she developed a set of values far removed from Hollywood high society. Her first career was as a high-end fashion model, a favorite subject of Richard Avedon and later a muse of Halston. But she had always wanted to be a movie actress, and she spent time in the trenches, working on her craft in classes and smaller roles before her Oscar-winning turn in Prizzi's Honor. Right as she was leaving the photo studio for the movie studio, she met Jack Nicholson: "he made me laugh," she tells Alec. The couple defined Hollywood cool for almost two decades. Huston tells Alec the story of all of her transitions -- romantic, professional, and geographic. Her two wonderful memoirs are A Story Lately Told and Watch Me. Originally aired April 7th, 2020. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan is a renowned civil litigator and trial lawyer with decades of experience in commercial, higher education, government regulation, civil rights, and employment litigation…but is perhaps best known for her recent triumph defending her client E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump. In both 2023 and 2024, Kaplan took on Trump in court and won both cases, securing two unanimous jury verdicts against him. Kaplan has been described as the kind of “lawyer that you don’t want to see opposing you” and has been consistently ranked as one of the top litigators in the country. Kaplan also famously argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of LGBT rights activist Edith Windsor in United States v. Windsor - which resulted in a landmark decision that invalidated a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and required the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. Kaplan was formerly a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison before starting her own firm in 2017. In 2018, she co-founded the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund. Kaplan recently started a new firm in 2024 and is currently a partner at her firm Kaplan Martin LLP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One need not look very far to see that the television landscape has rapidly changed in the last few years, with an influx of new streaming platforms and shifting audience viewing patterns. Another notable upheaval: In 2023, Don Lemon, the Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Award-winning journalist and longtime host of “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” was let go from CNN after seventeen years with the network. Following his exit, Lemon took time for introspection, resulting in his new book, “I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America.” The work is a deeply personal exploration of his spiritual journey and the role of religion in the country. It is Lemon’s third book, following “Transparent” and the #1 New York Times bestseller “This Is The Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism.” Earlier this year, the anchor launched his new endeavor, “The Don Lemon Show,” on YouTube and podcast platforms. Host Alec Baldwin speaks with Don Lemon about the shakeup at CNN, the role of his faith in trying times, and the importance of the press and the First Amendment in a free society. Originally aired October 21st, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Whipple is an Emmy award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker, author, and political analyst. A former CBS 60 Minutes producer, Whipple is also the EP and writer of the Discovery Channel documentary series “The Presidents’ Gatekeepers” and the Showtime Network documentary series “The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs”. Whipple continued his research on these topics in two of his books and is the author of four New York Times best-sellers including: Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, and The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House. Whipple has also written for Vanity Fair, Politico, the Daily Beast, and many other publications. Notably, Whipple wrote the two-part 2025 Vanity Fair profile on the second Trump presidency and White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When John Dean found his conscience, America found its backbone and impeached a president. The Nixon Administration tried to undermine American democracy during the election of 1972 through now-legendary dirty tricks aimed at their Democrat opponents. They almost got away with it. Dean was Nixon’s White House Counsel, and participated in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. Then he began cooperating with investigators, and blew the case wide-open. Dean is one of the most complicated and fascinating characters in modern American history. In a frank and funny conversation with Alec Baldwin in front of a live audience, John Dean opens up about how it all went down – and how it could go down now under Trump, who he says shares Nixon's paranoia and authoritarian instincts. Originally aired December 11th, 2017. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marc Shaiman is a renowned composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his prolific work across film, television, and theater. His film work includes “When Harry Met Sally”, “Sister Act”, “City Slickers”, “A Few Good Men”, “Sleepless in Seattle”, “The American President”, and the first “South Park” movie. Shaiman has written and arranged music for countless artists such as Harry Connick Jr., Mariah Carey, Billy Crystal, and Bette Midler. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the hit Broadway musical “Hairspray” alongside his co-lyricist Scott Wittman. Shaiman and Wittman went on to co-create musicals “Catch Me If You Can”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Some Like It Hot”, and “Smash”. Marc Shaiman has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, two BAFTA awards, and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman, Vanity Fair journalist Chris Whipple, conductor and violinist Karina Canellakis, and civil rights lawyer Roberta Kaplan, just to name a few. If you like listening as much as Alec likes talking with interesting people, subscribe now and never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

E Jean Carroll was once described by one of her editors as being “institutionally incapable of being uninteresting” - and Carroll is exactly that. Elizabeth “E” Jean Carroll is a journalist, author, and advice columnist. Her “Ask E Jean” column was one of the longest-running advice columns in American publishing, featured in Elle magazine from 1993 to 2019. In addition to Elle magazine, she has written for New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Esquire, and Outside Magazine. Carroll is also the author of six books, including her 2019 book What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal, in which Carroll accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-90s. As a result, Carroll faced Trump in court and has since won multiple civil cases against him. In this conversation Carroll reflects on her career of honest and bold writing, and her own resilience. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kat Owens is a plastic pollution researcher, artist, and activist. She merges science, policy, and the arts to address plastic pollution in her ongoing art series “Entangled and Ingested” which showcases portraits of animals affected by plastic pollution…made of plastic. Owens is also a National Geographic Explorer, a Fulbright Nehru fellow, and a Professor at the University of Hartford in the Department of Politics, Economics, and International Studies. Owens works with her students on a variety of projects to address real-world problems, such as collecting marine debris and addressing pollution along their hometown shorelines in Connecticut. Owen’s research in marine plastic pollution and river debris has been supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Fulbright Nehru Foundation, and the National Geographic Society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Mahler is a longtime staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author of the best-selling book Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, New York Times notable book The Challenge: Hamdan V. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power, and recently published book The Gods of New York: The Tumultuous Eighties, from Donald Trump to the Tompkins Square Riots. Mahler’s first book was adapted into a mini-series for ESPN and his second book, The Challenge, won The Scribes Book Award in 2009. Formerly a columnist for Bloomberg View, Mahler’s writing has also appeared in Slate, the Daily Beast, and New York Magazine. Mahler’s work in sports journalism has been featured in the anthology book series The Best American Sports Writing and received numerous journalism and media awards, including the Gerald Loeb Award and the Mirror Award. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Squadron and Melissa Walker are an unexpected duo. Formerly a New York State Senator, Daniel Squadron represented New York’s 25th and 26th districts for almost ten years. After leaving public office, Squadron co-founded a civic engagement initiative called The States Project - of which he is currently President. Melissa Walker was formerly a magazine editor and journalist published in countless magazines such as Seventeen, Glamour, Teen Vogue, The NY Observer, and New York Magazine. Walker has also authored 10 young adult novels. After a fateful meeting at a holiday party, the two began working together on The State’s Project’s Giving Circles program, co-founded by Walker. The Giving Circles has engaged more than 35,000 donors and raised tens of millions of dollars since its formation in 2018 and works within the States Project to shift the balance of power in state legislatures - ultimately leading to greater political change nationwide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tommy James started making music when he was 4 years old and he hasn’t stopped. Tommy is a musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and the frontman of rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Known for timeless classics such as “Crimson and Clover”, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, “Hanky Panky”, “Sweet Cherry Line”, and “Draggin’ the Line” Tommy James has amassed 23 Gold singles, 9 Platinum albums, and over 100 million records sold worldwide. He was honored with a BMI Five Million-Air Award for over 21 million radio plays and his music has appeared in over 200 TV shows and films, and in countless commercials. To date, over 300 musicians have recorded covers of James' music, including: Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Prince, R.E.M., Kelly Clarkson, Bruce Springsteen, and even The Boston Pops. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi is one of the most in-demand maestros in the world, and one of Alec’s favorite conductors. Järvi is currently the chief conductor of the NHK symphony orchestra in Tokyo and the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich. Over his career, he’s led orchestras in Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Malmö, and, for the decade between 2001 and 2011, here in the United States, as the musical director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He and his musical family are pillars of the thriving classical music scene in his home country of Estonia. Paavo Järvi talks to Alec about how slowing down in the pandemic offered Paavo time to think, his early love of music, what it was like to come to the United States from Soviet-era Estonia as a 17-year-old, and what he took away from a decade of conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Originally aired November 30, 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mallory McMorrow is a state senator representing Michigan’s 8th district and also a candidate for the United States Senate in the 2026 election. Mallory McMorrow currently serves as the Michigan Senate Majority Whip and is the first woman in state history to hold that position. A member of the Democratic Party, McMorrow represents the 8th district and previously represented the 13th district from 2019 to 2023. Prior to running for the Michigan Senate in 2018, McMorrow worked in industrial design for design firms and for companies such as Mattel and Gawker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming from a challenging, working class upbringing in the United Kingdom, Steve Jones discovered his outlet in music - as founding guitarist of the groundbreaking punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Despite the release of only one album,”Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,” the band changed the course of music and history - vocalizing issues of class in songs like “Anarchy in the U.K.” – and influencing fashion, art and society. Since then, Jones has continued to play music (both solo and with bands The Professionals and Neurotic Outsiders) and was the host of the popular, long-running radio show, “Jonesy’s Jukebox.” In 2022, his insightful memoir, “Lonely Boy,” was adapted into the FX television series, the Danny Boyle-directed “Pistol.” Steve Jones talks to host Alec Baldwin about the roots of punk rock, coming up alongside Vivienne Westwood and Chrissie Hynde, and the road to getting clean – and beginning life anew. Originally aired May 14, 2024 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoë Schlanger is an author, journalist, and current staff writer at the Atlantic, where she covers the newsletter “The Weekly Planet”. Schlanger has written for major outlets such as Newsweek, Quartz, Wired, The New York Times, The Nation, Time Magazine, and NPR. Schlanger is also the author of the 2024 book The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth. Her work focuses on science and environment- in particular climate change, pollution, and environmental justice. In this episode, host Alec Baldwin and Zoë Schlanger discuss environmental policy, climate change, and the impact of the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires as Schlanger covered in her Atlantic article “What Happens When a Plastic City Burns”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patti LuPone was only four years old when she realized she belonged on stage, and she started by entertaining family members in her Long Island living room. LuPone won her second Tony Award for Evita, which she initially described as merely “noise from Britain.” Although she has enjoyed tremendous, long-term success, she talks candidly to Alec about blows to her career and ego. Originally aired February 18, 2013 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Barton Reeves is a former ad litem lawyer, CEO of Harc. Inc - a nonprofit organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and the founding CEO of the Connecticut Paid Leave Program - the state’s first new agency in 12 years thanks to which over 200,000 individuals and families have received paid family leave benefits. With over twenty years of experience in advocacy, Barton Reeves has dedicated her career to ensuring accessibility to services and support for thousands of residents throughout the state of Connecticut. Barton Reeves is the current Commissioner for the Department of Social Services in Connecticut, leading an 1,800-person agency which serves 1.2 million residents. Critical services include Medicaid, SNAP, Home and Community-Based Services, supports for elders and health care delivered through Federal Qualified Health Centers. In light of the current threats to public healthcare and social services, Barton Reeves remains grounded in her values of transparency, integrity and service to others See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.