Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

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.

Patrick Radden Keefe is a writer and investigative journalist known for books such as Chatter, Say Nothing, and The Snakehead. His work has been recognized with the National Magazine Award, the National Book Critics' Circle Award, and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The New York Times named Say Nothing one of the 20 best books of the 21st Century. His reporting on the Sackler family was the inspiration for the 2023 Netflix limited series PAINKILLER and his book Say Nothing was adapted into a limited series for FX/Hulu of the same name. SAY NOTHING was named as one of the 10 Best Shows of 2024 by Variety, Vulture, and the New York Times. Keefe has also written extensively for many publications, including The New Yorker, Slate, and The New York Times magazine. He is currently a staff writer at The New Yorker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress Marilu Henner is known for a lot of things, from her groundbreaking role as Elaine Nardo on Taxi to her New York Times bestselling books on health and wellness to her amazing, nearly one-of-a-kind memory. But what shines through in every story, joke, and answer she gives Alec is her positivity and joy. Henner is someone who, at every turn, has chosen her happiness, and she’s eager to share her secrets for creating an optimistic outlook with everyone. Originally aired December 21, 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Williams is an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe award-winning composer, songwriter, and musician. He is known for writing and co-writing popular songs such as “Evergreen”, “We’ve Only Just Begun”, and “Rainbow Connection”. Williams wrote the score and lyrics for renowned films such as the 1976 adaptation of “A Star is Born”, “The Muppet Movie”, “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, “Bugsy Malone”, and “The Phantom of the Paradise”. His songs have been recorded by legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and The Carpenters. As an actor, Williams has appeared in numerous high profile films and TV shows such as the 1973 “Battle for the Planet of the Apes”, “Smokey and the Bandit”, “Phantom of the Paradise”, and “Baby Driver”. His illustrious career spans generations and includes titans of both the music industry and Hollywood. Currently, Williams is the president and chairman of the ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rory Kennedy is a documentary filmmaker and the youngest child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy. She is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning director and producer who has made more than 40 acclaimed documentaries. Her work confronts complicated subjects like poverty, corruption, domestic abuse, addiction and human rights, as well as surfing legends, NASA and the extraordinary life of her mother. Her latest film, “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing,” on the two tragic Boeing 737 Max passenger jet crashes, is now streaming on Netflix. Originally aired March 29, 2022 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Kroft is a renowned journalist and former CBS correspondent for 60 Minutes, where he reported for 30 seasons. His investigative reporting garnered widespread acclaim, winning him five Peabody Awards and 11 Emmy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement in 2003. His legendary reporting career includes international war coverage and major historical events such as the Chernobyl disaster and the infamous 1992 interview with Hillary and President Bill Clinton. Steve Kroft’s interview subjects ranged from the first serial killer to be interviewed on 60 Minutes to elusive actors such as Clint Eastwood. Kroft also interviewed former President Barack Obama 16 times during his presidency. With a storied career that spans generations, Kroft got his start as a correspondent photographer for the military newspaper “Stars and Stripes” after being drafted into the Vietnam War in 1970. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is bouncing back after adversity, and then there is: Vanessa Williams. The talented multi-hyphenate was only 21 years old when she became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America. Yet a controversy surrounding the release of unauthorized nude photos led to her ultimately relinquishing her title 10 months into her reign. When doors were closed to her following the scandal, she fought her way back to an impressive and decorated career: Williams built decades of success as an actor and recording artist, selling 25 million records worldwide, starring in over 100 roles in television, film, and on Broadway - and being nominated for a Tony and multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards. Vanessa Williams speaks with host Alec Baldwin about the death threats she received after she won Miss America, how the work of Stephen Sondheim inspires the type of art she wishes to make, and what it’s like working with Elton John on her next big project. Originally aired April 16, 2024 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susan Jaffe is a former ballerina who performed for 22 years as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater. She is known for iconic roles such as Swan Lake’s Odette and Odile, Kitri in Don Quixote, and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Jaffe has performed internationally and her repertoire includes the works of iconic choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and Merce Cunningham. After retiring from the stage, Jaffe previously served as the dean for the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and as the artistic director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In our conversation, Jaffe shares how she got her start as a ballerina, the impact legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov had on her career, and what it was like reviving ABT after the Covid-19 pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amanda knows about living inside other people’s preconceptions. When she was 22 years old, she was sentenced to 26 years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit. In 2007, on a study-abroad program in Perugia, Italy, Amanda’s roommate Meredith Kurcher was raped and murdered. The police and the tabloids pinned it on “Foxy Knoxy,” calling Amanda a sex-crazed murderer. After spending almost a decade in the labyrinth of the Italian criminal justice system, Amanda was fully exonerated. Today, she lives in her hometown of Seattle and, with her husband, has a podcast called Labyrinths about the mazes we find ourselves in. Originally aired March 16, 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay McInerney is a New York Times best selling author known for his breakout novel Bright Lights Big City. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 film adaption of Bright Lights Big City and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1998 film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie. In addition to his fiction work, McInerney was the wine columnist for House & Garden magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and currently writes the wine column for Town & Country magazine. His essays on wine have been collected in Bacchus & Me (2000) and A Hedonist in the Cellar (2006) and his book of short stories, titled How It Ended, was named one of the 10 best books of the year by The New York Times in 2009. McInernay has also been honored by the New York Public Library as a “Literary Lion” and won the James Beard MFK Fisher Award for Distinguished Writing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.