logo
episode-header-image
Today
39m 50s

Tessa Thompson on Finding What You Want ...

The New York Times
About this episode

Tessa Thompson’s latest role is an infamously chaotic one: Hedda Gabler. Adapted from the classic play by Henrik Ibsen, “Hedda,” in select theaters Oct. 22, casts Thompson as a 1950s housewife who feels snubbed by an old lover and stifled in a new marriage. For Hedda, the only exit strategy is to punish those who have hurt her and then destroy herself.

In this episode of Modern Love, Thompson explains why she relates to female characters like Hedda and to the desire to define life and love on one’s own terms. She also reads a Modern Love essay about an unhappy marriage that helped the author find herself.

Here’s how to submit a Modern Love essay to The New York Times.

Here’s how to submit a Tiny Love Story.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Up next
Oct 1
For Her 70th Birthday, She Hired an Escort
Gail Rice, a writer and a therapist, was approaching her 70th birthday. She had given up on dating apps and hadn’t had a romantic connection with anyone in years. But for her 70th, she wanted a very specific birthday present: an orgasm.So Rice decided to hire an escort. In this e ... Show More
36m 54s
Sep 24
How an Off-Script Moment Changed Jay Duplass’s Life
Jay Duplass knows the power of improvisation. Many years ago, an unscripted, cliffside interaction changed his life, helping to set in motion the events that would lead to his new movie, “The Baltimorons.” The film features a newly sober comedian and a workaholic dentist who meet ... Show More
42m 32s
Sep 17
You Think You Know Elizabeth Gilbert. You Don’t.
When her wildly popular memoir “Eat Pray Love” came out in 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert suddenly found herself touted as an expert on self fulfillment, spirituality and love. Readers might assume that Gilbert had vanquished her demons as she settled into a life of fame and marriage to ... Show More
53m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Dear Chiquis: A Cheating Fiancé, Going to New York and Back in the Dating Scene
It’s time to answer a new set of YOUR questions and trust me, you do not want to miss this episode! Today, recently-divorced Bianca needs advice on how to act now that she’s back in the dating scene; Julie’s fiancé is cheating on her with both men and women but Julie is keeping a ... Show More
13m 31s
Feb 2025
Monica Lewinsky
In the powerful premiere of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, Monica reflects on how she found the strength to take back her story after the scandal that turned her life upside down. With raw honesty, she opens up about the years of public shame, personal struggle, and the turning ... Show More
1h 14m
May 2025
Secretly Dating your Improv Coach (w/ Edi Patterson)
Actress Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones) joins Nicole to talk about falling in love with her improv teacher, hiding their relationship from the world, and mistaking his proposal for a joke. She opens up about being a late bloomer in dating, throwing house parties that felt ... Show More
50m 23s
Jul 2022
Relationship Red Flags & First Date Tips ft. Helen Chik
Are you still single? Maybe you’re a picky dater? Have you ever asked yourself why though? Well, this week Sal & Al chat to Australia’s answer to Carrie Bradshaw and author of ‘Sex, Swipes & Other Stories’ Helen Chik, to help give you a bit of an idea.  Helen shares dating app re ... Show More
34m 49s
Aug 25
The Widower (Girl, run)
Every once and a while, we get an email that Nora just can’t resist making an entire episode about. This week’s subject is dating a widower – but is she really? It seems like the connection is fading fast. Relationships are complicated, and sometimes, we all need a little tough l ... Show More
48m 7s
Sep 2024
Life Is Short(er) Re-Run: PorchFest, Hibachi Memories, and Giggle Fits 🧀
The guys catch up about Christian’s experience at PorchFest this year, the annual Connecticut tradition where bands set up stages on neighborhood porches (and how Christian didn’t move from his porch the whole time). Justin recounts the walk down memory lane he and Kate had after ... Show More
50m 27s
Apr 2025
Monica Lewinsky Returns
Monica Lewinsky (Reclaiming) is an activist, writer, and podcast host. Monica returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss confronting deep trauma listening to her own voice while making her new podcast Reclaiming, the argument for not killing a darling even if it’s unflattering, an ... Show More
1h 32m
Sep 16
Dateline Presents: Deadly Engagement
Hey, Dateline fans! As a bonus, we’re giving you a special preview clip of our new podcast series, Deadly Engagement. It’s the story of Denita Smith, a promising young photographer with a bright future and engagement ring from the man she loved. But her future vanished in a puff ... Show More
4m 16s