Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

For Writer Felipe Torres Medina USA Has Been An Amazing Journey Until He Met Jay

Felipe talks about his new book, coming to the USA under an EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST visa, writing for Colbert, growing up in Columbia, the beauty of curious Americans, the danger of being too comfortable, and losing emmy awards to his wife.Bio: Felipe Torres Medina is a Peabody and Writers Guild of America Award–winning writer from Bogotá, Colombia. His writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned him five Emmy nominations. His humor has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and others. He lives in New York City with his wife and is totally chill when you misspell his birth country’s name. (He is not.)

Jay’s Dad, Arnie Kogen, Talks About How Having Kids Held Him Back

Writing Legend, Arnie Kogen, talks with Jay and Jay’s son, Charlie, about his childhood, career, and what it’s like to be 91. Three generations of Kogens in one pod! Bio: ARNIE KOGENComedy Writer/ TV ProducerHas written and/or produced for the Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show, Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, Empty Nest, Mad TV, The Dean Martin Show, Sinbad, Donnie & Marie, The Jackson Five, Evening At The Improv, The Bob Newhart Show, Tim Conway, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Candid Camera, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, The Golden Globes and contributed to The Academy Awards.  Has also written comedy material for Phyllis Diller, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Shelley Berman, Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens, Totie Fields, Jackie Vernon, Diana Ross, Flip Wilson, Ann Margret, Sammy Davis, Morty Gunty and Jerry Van Dyke.For over five decades he has been one of the leading contributors to Mad Magazine.  Kogen has won three Emmy Awards (seven nominations) and one Writers Guild Award (three nominations)

BONUS EPISODE! Writer Turned Therapist, Phil Stark, Says Jay Should Have Given Up By Now

Phil Stark talks about writing and learning it wasn’t really his dream, telling patients to find their bliss, deciding joy wasn’t in the writers room, writing “Dog With A Blog”, treating writers who are panicking about work, writer’s block, and where’s  the best Tex Mex in Houston. Bio:  Screenwriter (Dude, Where’s My Car?) turned therapist (Dude, Where’s My Car-tharsis?) Phil Stark sees clients virtually from all over the state of California. He also writes about mental health and personal growth as experienced through talk therapy.

Writer/Legend Carl Gottlieb Always Makes The Scene, Jay Doesn’t.

Writer of “Jaws" & "The Jerk" Carl Gottlieb talks about working with Spielberg, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, David Crosby, Joan Baez, improv group The Committee, performing comedy in the army, how the Smothers Brothers Show was the hippest most popular show at the time and somehow also cancelled. Bio:  Carl Gottlieb is a screenwriter (Jaws, The Jerk), director (Caveman), & actor (Mash). His book, THE JAWS LOG, remains the most popular book about the making of a motion picture ever written.  He also wrote WHICH WAY IS UP with Richard Pryor. He was a member of the classic San Francisco Improv group, The Committee.  And a writer on the controversial Smothers Brothers show. He served on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, and was on the faculty of the Film Division of the School of the Arts at Columbia University, the American Film Institute, the University of Miami's School of Communications and the University of Southern California's School of Cinema & Television.

Will Forte Says, “Everyone Follow Your Dream” But Maybe Not Jay

Will Forte talks about almost being a financial advisor, his checkered writing career, SNL MacGruber, Nebraska, The Groundlings, Last Man on Earth, having kids late, seeing shrinks, frats, & Val Kilmner being the weirdest roommate of all time.Bio: Will Forte is a comedian, actor, writer, and improviser best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his starring role in The Last Man on Earth. Born in Alameda County, California, Forte studied History at UCLA before briefly working as a financial broker. He shifted to comedy in the late '90s, joining the Groundlings and writing for shows like The Jenny McCarthy Show and That '70s Show. His pilot about two clueless brothers led to The Brothers Solomon (2007), which he wrote and starred in. Forte joined Saturday Night Live in 2002, quickly earning a reputation for absurd and surreal comedy. He co-wrote and starred in the cult film MacGruber (2010) before leaving SNL to pursue broader roles. He appeared in comedies like 30 Rock, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, and That’s My Boy, while also branching into drama with Run and Jump and Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2013), earning critical praise. From 2015 to 2018, he created and starred in the acclaimed sitcom The Last Man on Earth. He later portrayed Douglas Kenney in A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018) and appeared in hit films like Booksmart and Good Boys (2019). More recently, he has starred in Netflix’s Bodkin, Four Seasons, and the upcoming Coyote vs. Acme.