Maltin on Movies

Jim Bissell 24.06.2026 59min

If he had don't nothing beyond production design for E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Jim Bissell's name would shine in movie history. Happily for us he has no intention of changing careers or slowing down. His other credits include Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, 300, Good Night and Good Luck, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. He was also a founding member of the Art Directors Guild, which subsequently presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is one of the unsung heroes of Hollywood and doesn't have to brag: his resume speaks for itself.

Brian d'Arcy James 15.06.2026 43min

A five-time nominee for the Tony Award, Brian is a young Broadway veteran who has performed in every imaginable kind of show, from Macbeth to Hamilton. He also played the leading character in Shrek the Musical for one full year. Filmmaker Edward Burns has just cast him as a sibling in Finnegan's Foursome, which you can watch now on Video on Demand; it marks their fifth film together. Brian is the kind of actor other actors and directors want to work with, and our lighthearted look behind the curtain will tell you why.

Drew Goddard 07.06.2026 52min

Drew Goddard is having an exceptionally good year. He wrote the screenplay for the hit movie Project Hail Mary and is in production for a third season of the TV series High Potential. But he is the first to say that "good luck" is often the a result of hard work. This has been true from the beginning of his multifaceted career, writing shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and movies like Cloverfield. He has directed for both media, as well, but gives Ridley Scott credit for taking his script for The Martian and making it come alive. Goddard is a role model for any novice who's paying attention: work with people you like on projects you love.

Kevin Nealon 29.05.2026 48min

If you still associate Kevin Nealon with Saturday Night Live, it's no wonder: he was a vital cast member for nine years. But he's also an author, video producer, banjoist, savvy second banana (on such series as Weeds and Man With a Plan), dedicated standup comic, and member of Adam Sandler's comedic stock company. And if you haven't seen his spectacular caricatures, you're missing out: his book is called I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame. He talks about the adventure of playing supporting roles in indie films of all kinds. His latest, Mermaid, drops on digital platforms May 26.

John Pyper-Ferguson 15.05.2026 30min

As admirers of "working actors" who bring their experience to each new assignment, Leonard and Jessie are pleased to share their chat with John Pyper-Ferguson, who is now on theater screens in Casa Grande, a feature based on a popular miniseries starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Jon has made a vivid impression in shows like The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and Suits as well as features including Unforgiven, where he was directed by Clint Eastwood. You've seen him in Agents of SHIELD, The 100, and The Last Ship. Now meet the man who fills those roles so well.

Bruce Davison 08.05.2026 41min

It's been a long time since we caught up with Bruce Davison, a lifelong actor whose latest film, Casa Grande, is now available on digital platforms. He talks about the pride and perils of guiding a career that incorporates theater, films and television—and how he keeps that fire burning within. From Ozark and The Lincoln Lawyer all the way back to Willard (where he worked with a rat named Ben, sung about by Michael Jackson) to X-Men, he continues to distinguish himself as a performer of enormous skill and range. He also shares the career-defining advice he got early on from Robert Aldrich, who observed him trying to compete with the charismatic Burt Lancaster.

Corbin Bernsen 13.04.2026 44min

He's spent a lifetime in front of the camera, but Corbin Bernsen is still ready to perform when the proverbial red light goes on. His latest release. The Yeti, is now on demand digitally, or you can channel-surf and find him on Your Friends and Neighbors, Duster, The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, and such vintage hits as L.A. Law and Psych. He's produced, directed and written (even a novel) and has re-energized his life by moving to the Hudson River Valley. Leonard and Jessie enjoyed catching up with this enthusiastic "working actor" who has never lost his love of performing and storytelling—even passing it along to his children.

Lou Taylor Pucci 31.03.2026 31min

It's hard to believe that more than twenty years have passed since Leonard and Jessie became aware of Lou Taylor Pucci, who starred in two Sundance features called Thumbsucker and Chumscrubber that launched a career that's still going strong. The still-youthful actor is forever taking on challenges, none wilder than the bug-eyed alien he plays in Touch Me, which is now ON DEMAND AND ON DIGITAL April 7, 2026

Stephanie Laing 19.03.2026 34min

If you can judge a person by the company they keep, you'll know why Leonard and Jessie were eager to talk to Stephanie Laing. She has worked with Tracey Ullman, Julia Louis Dreyfuss and other comedy luminaries as a producer and director and has a new movie opening in theaters today: Tow starring Rose Byrne. Stephanie spoke to us from a shuttered hospital in Jersey City, which is the set of her next film.

Caroline Goodall 13.03.2026 54min

Her career has taken her from Shakespeare to Stallone and she has wonderful stories to tell. Caroline Goodall has worked for Steven Spielberg twice—in Hook and Schindler's List. Now she's playing a military leader who cuts quite a figure in the science-fiction fantasy Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead, which is only in theaters March 13. Leonard and Jessie hit it off with Caroline, who zoomed with us from her home on a barge resting in the Thames River! Tune in for an especially lively conversation.

C. Thomas Howell 22.02.2026 57min

When your film career starts out with E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and The Outsiders people expect big things to follow. C. Thomas Howell has made good on this promise by working steadily ever since those early 1980s milestones—and promoting literacy through screenings of the S.E. Hinton classic. He has scores of film and television credits, but Leonard and Jessie are most impressed with his work ethic. The quality that Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola noticed so long ago still fires his work, most recently in the features One Mile: Chapter One and One Mile: Chapter Two, both now available on digital.

Oded Fehr 13.02.2026 27min

You know his face and have felt his presence. Israeli-born Oded Fehr studied acting at the Old Vic in London and first made a vivid impression on movie audiences in The Mummy andThe Mummy Returns. Since then he has dodged stereotype casting, agreeing to play a terrorist in the TV series Sleeper Cell because it was a three-dimensional character. He then forged a new path in Star Trek: Discovery and Starfleet Academy. He is a charming, well-spoken man who belies the villainous image that gave him his first opportunities on screen. You can see his latest feature film, Grizzly Night, on Video on Demand.

Patty McCormack 30.01.2026 43min

It's been a long time since Patty McCormack became a sensation—and a star—playing the title role in The Bad Seed on Broadway and then in Hollywood, but it's still a calling card. Her talent has taken her from soap operas to sitcoms and The Sopranos. She's onscreen again in Stop Time, happy to be working but content to live outside the spotlight. Leonard and Jessie got to know her when she found rewarding work at a local bookstore and were happy to get reacquainted for this week's podcast.

Jobeth Williams 18.01.2026 58min

Jobeth Williams is part of our communal moviegoing experience. She's in such milestone films as Kramer vs. Kramer, Poltergeist, and The Big Chill and has scores of television shows and miniseries under her belt, including Adam and The Day After. She costars in the recently released Not Without Hope, now available on VOD. She spent many years involved with the Screen Actors Guild Foundation and has earned an emeritus title for her willingness to give back to her fellow performers. Jessie knows and loves her best for her appearance in Jungle 2 Jungle, which was directed by her husband, John Pasquin.

Revisiting Karen Dotrice 10.01.2026 1h 11min

To untold millions of people she will always be bright-eyed Jane Banks in the original Mary Poppins (1964). The real-life Karen Dotrice is the mother of three who grew up in a show-business family. Her father Roy was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and her godfather was Charles Laughton! Luckily for us, Karen cherishes the memory of making Poppins and has especially fond recollections of Walt Disney, who lavished personal attention on her and her family while they were in Los Angeles. Jessie and Leonard were tickled pink to engage in conversation with a woman they've known and admired for years. (Karen even attended Jessie's bat mitzvah!) This interview first aired in 2022.

Craig Brewer 19.12.2025 58min

With a terrific new movie called Song Sung Blue opening on Christmas day, writer-director Craig Brewer adds another bull's-eye to his filmography, which includes Hustle and Flow, the remake of Footloose, and Eddie Murphy's Dolemite is My Name. Although completely self-taught, he had a great mentor in the late John Singleton and an ability to glean the best lessons to be derived from reading all the film-related books he could while punching a clock at Barnes and Noble.

Bryan Fuller 06.12.2025 1h 2min

Bryan Fuller has written, produced and directed more TV series than we can count—including popular shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Discovery, as well as cult-audience favorites Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies. Now he's unveiling his debut theatrical feature as writer and director, Dust Bunny, starring Mads Mikkelsen (with whom he made the Hannibal TV series) and it will not disappoint his loyal followers. Leonard and Jessie enjoyed listening to such an eloquent filmmaker also who also happens to be an articulate film buff. DUST BUNNY will be In Theaters December 12, 2025.

Revisiting Mel Brooks 14.11.2025 40min

Can it really be nine years since Leonard and Jessie sat down with Mel Brooks? He's still going strong at age 99 and we wish him another happy hundred years. In the meantime, enjoy this intimate conversation with one of the funniest men who ever walked the earth.

The Houghton Brothers of Big City Greens 24.10.2025 59min

One of the mainstays of Disney+ and the Disney Channel is a delightfully funny show called Big City Greens. Like all great cartoons, it's not just for kids. It's bright and funny, and once you hear the two brothers who created it you'll know why. Chris (who also voices the main character, Cricket) and Shane draw on their own experiences as country boys who moved to the city to make good—and they have done just that. Their heartfelt ambition and positivity are an inspiration to fans like Leonard and Jessie.

Patrick Stump 11.10.2025 44min

Patrick Stump is no stranger to success. He's been the lead singer for Fall Out Boy for 24 years and just completed their latest tour. He's done voice acting and scored a number of film and television shows, but in our household he reigns supreme as the writer and performer of the theme song for Spidey and his amazing Friends on Disney Jr. He truly loves both the film and music world and happily chats about both in our conversation.