Prince is the subject of a new film from one of the greatest living documentarians, but it might never come out and almost no one’s seen it. We talk to someone who did: editor and writer Sasha Weiss. Meanwhile, the rise in pop star docs can be a good hang for fans, but when a film is a glorified press release, we miss out on a lot, says journalist Matthew Be ... Show More
Today
Trouble at TikTok
TikTok has new owners in the US. With claims of censorship, widespread outages, and possible algorithm changes on the way, the reboot has been rocky so far. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Andrea López-Cruzado, engineered b ... Show More
25m 50s
Feb 2
The healthiest president of all time
President Donald Trump will be 80 this year. He says worries about his age and health are unfounded. But the evidence is mixed, and Americans are suspicious after President Joe Biden said the same thing. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact ch ... Show More
25m 50s
Oct 2025
Sunday Special: Springsteen, Dylan and the Art of the Biopic
<p>On Friday, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” will be released in theaters. Rather than chronicling Bruce’s entire life, the film focuses on the making of his stripped-down 1982 album “Nebraska” and on his concurrent mental health struggles.</p><p>This movie is the latest ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2025
Angelina Jolie, Jason Reitman, David Jonsson & An SNL Mount Rushmore
It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks! The great Angelina Jolie heads up our trio of amazing guests, as she talks to John Nugent about taking on the challenge of playing the legendary opera singer, Maria Callas, in Pablo Larrain's Maria. [ ... Show More
1h 59m
Apr 2025
Eddie Benjamin: Truth, Fear, Working with Willow, Bieber, and Shawn Mende
<p>Wildly talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Eddie Benjamin is a solo artist in his own right — check out his latest single ‘MANIAC’ and his 2023 EP ‘Weatherman’ — but he’s also working behind the scenes (and sometimes on stage, in the case of Shawn Mendes) with everyo ... Show More
1h 19m
Feb 2025
Is Bob Dylan Still a ‘Complete Unknown’?
<p>Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night That Split the Sixties,” traces the events that led up to Bob Dylan’s memorable performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The book is about Dylan, but also about the folk movement, youth c ... Show More
22m 46s
Aug 2025
The Life Of Custard (ft. guests Joaquin Phoenix; Tom Hiddleston & Chiwetel Ejiofor; Samara Weaving & Karl Glusman)
In one of those bumper-sized guest-filled jamborees in which we specialise, this week's Empire Podcast sees John Nugent sit down on Zoom to interview Eddington star, Joaquin Phoenix... or does Joaquin Phoenix interview John Nugent? All will be revealed. [18:52 - 35:59 approx] Els ... Show More
1h 58m