Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen
Episodes
Liza Powel O’Brien Feels Jay Will Never Be a Good Partner
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Liza talks about her podcast, “Significant Others” and what makes someone devote themselves to making someone else famous, and how no one does it ...
Richard Rushfield Blames Jay For The End of Show Business
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Entertainment reporter Richard Rushfield discusses how silicon valley and stockholders tried to make sure bets and wound up destroying the infrastruct...
Comic Sierra Katow Proves Jay Doesn’t Have The Will To Succeed
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blurb: Comedian Sierra Katow talks about her new special, being so insecure she conquers everything she sets out to do, Asian comics, hitting the come...
Actor/Writer Husein Madhavji & Jay Are Surprisingly Similar But Jay Is Clearly Worse.
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blurb: Husein and I talk about shared traditions, taking faith seriously but being open and curious to all cultures and not eating at Ramadan, writing...
Laraine Newman Says Jay Squandered His Success
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Laraine Newman talks about the growing up in Beverly Hills, founding the Groundlings, being part of the pioneering cast of SNL, raising kids...
Judd Explains Jay’s Show Ruins People's Day
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Judd talks about Jay helping Judd’s career, Jay relentless hounding Judd to do the podcast, The Mike Douglas Show, how to spot talent, Totie Fields,...
Billy Ray Details How Jay Could Lose The Election for Kamala
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Billy and I discuss being writing partners in Jr High, why MAGA loves to be afraid, why Kamala has a shot, why Biden didn’t have a shot, how to make...
Matt Groening Says, The Simpsons Aside, Jay’s Life Is Meaningless
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blurb: Matt and I talk about the legacy of The Simpsons, what it means to go from super fan to icon, always knowing he wanted to draw cartoons, having...
Jade PettyJohn Tells Jay How He Destroyed The Lives of Child Actors
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blurb: Actor Jade PettyJohn who was 14 years old when she first worked for Jay on School of Rock talks about her journey becoming an actor at 7 and be...
Actor Craig Bierko Warns Jay To Never Ride A Horse
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talked about: Finding community, doing The Stump, Not doing Chandler on “Friends”, the wonderful and difficult friendship of Matthew Perry, doi...
Jim Colucci & Frank DeCaro Explain Why Jay Alienates Stars
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is our most gossipy episode ever! Jim and Frank, one of my favorite couples, spill the tea on the icons you want to know most if it were 1983. Sa...
Stephen Markley, Accuses Jay Of Destroying The Earth
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist/Environmental Activist, Stephen Markley talked about the coming environmental disaster and other laugh out loud subjects. Stephen thinks th...
Larry Wilmore Tells Jay He’s Podcasting Wrong.
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s episode the versatile writer, creator, actor, & comic Larry Wilmore talks about growing up in Pomona, CA and finding comedy and m...
Sklar Bros Defend Jay’s Moronic Love of Sports
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bio: Randy and Jason Sklar can currently be seen in the fourth season of FX’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS playing fictional Property Brothers ‘Bran ...
Conan O’Brien Explains That Jay Needs to Just Shut Up
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conan O’Brien and Jay discuss the neurotic need to constantly make jokes at the peril of personal relationships and true communication. They also ...
Weird Al Perfects His Craft While Jay Clearly Doesn't
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jay smothers Weird Al with love and appreciation for Al’s perfection in his parody. We talk about Mad Magazine, Looney Tunes, pizza, travel, doing w...
Tony Shalhoub Declares Jay’s Too Shallow
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tony and Jay meet for the first time. We talk about the depth of his character, Primo, in “The Big Night” and why Jay can’t find that depth in r...
Toby Huss Explains Why Jay Can’t Handle Adventure
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Toby and Jay talked about art and trying to see art (and life) from unique perspectives. Jay calls Toby a weirdo. And, like a weirdo, he accepts it as...
Author Kliph Nesteroff Tells Jay He's Remembering His Life Wrong
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Entertainment Journalist and all around funny guy Kliph Nesteroff talks about a Canadian kid who got into collecting stories of strange and eccentric ...
David Wild’s 30 Year Party With Music’s Biggest Names & Why Jay’s Not Invited
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David, fresh off of a weekend with Donny Osmond talks about a lifetime of celebrities. Idolizing them, meeting them, interviewing them, befriending th...
Writer Eugene Garcia-Cross Explains Why Jay Isn’t Happy Enough
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eugene Garcia-Cross talks about growing up in Pennsylvania, losing his dad early, and becoming a literature professeur only to give it all up to be a ...
Singer Nicole Atkins Tells Jay He’s Been Squandering His Creativity
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole talks about the difference between creation and nervous activity and how hard it is to distinguish between the two. We also talk about procrast...
John Ross Bowie Explains Why He Can Meet His Heroes and Jay Can’t
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about how to pronounce Bowie, the love of Monty Python, Elvis Costello, growing up in New York, the Ramones. John’s new play, Brushstroke, m...
Director Paul Feig Encourages Jay To Completely Remake Himself ASAP!
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul and Jay discuss looking like losers and feeling like winners, and wearing clothes to match your goals and garner respect, being authentic, Mt. Cl...
Millennials Tell Jay Why The Youngs Will Never Love Him.
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about trying to stay positive in a down comedy market, how Jay did or didn’t fit in writing a pilot with much younger people, what started t...
Writing Legend Rob Edwards Exhorts Jay To Avoid Showbiz Disaster
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss our friendship since 1985, teaching at USC, the graphic novel “Defiant” about slave Robert Smalls who stole a southern ship and gave it...
Kevin Nealon Explains Why Jay’s Son Will Never Respect Jay
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Kevin Nealon talks about being an older dad, and the butt of all jokes, bad impressions, secret to stand-up comedy, stumbling into SNL and ma...
Actress Suzy Nakamura Explains Why Jay’s A Hack
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we talk about making art for artsake. Suzy convinces Jay to start a second career as an actor and demands I put myself in my own show....
Gary Gulman Explains Why Jay’s Latchkey Childhood Ruined Him
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian/Author Gary Gulman and Jay compare their latchkey childhoods with memories of being alone, watching endless TV and worrying about whether the...
Bryan Cranston Details Why His Life Is So Much Better Than Jay's
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bryan talks about commiting to craft and giving up on whether you get the gig. We compare notes about growing up in the valley without adult supervisi...
Rizwan Manji tells Jay to not box himself in already!
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rizwan how he got from Calgary to Hollywood, how he stopped playing terrorists and started playing himself, how serious actors who have the knack for ...
Comedy Legend Lew Schnieder Scolds Jay for Crossing The Comedy Line
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer/comic Lew Schnieder and Jay talk about the jokes they aren’t allowed to tell and how important being “funny” is to them both. Bio: Lew Sc...
Kevin Nealon Shames Jay for Not Being A True Artist
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The talented Kevin Nealon comes in for a quick visit in between painting, writing, stand up, acting and being a renaissance man, while Jay… isn’t....
Stephen Root Tells Jay Why He’ll Never Fit In
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Root is a genius actor who brought humanity to the character of the outsider. Jay and Stephen share the feeling of being on the outside and ho...
Andy Richter Explains Why It’s Great Jay Has No Chance At Being Famous
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian/Actor Andy Richter shares stories of fame, fans, and family and being a regular guy in an irregular world. Bio: Andy Richter has been working...
Jamie Denbo tells Jay Why He’ll Never Get What He Wants
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Funny Actress/Writer/Improviser Jamie Denbo talks about jumping in the water of acting and writing while also trying to have a decent relationship wit...
Singer/Songwriter, Charlie Kogen, Explains Why Jay’s A Terrible Dad
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jay challenges his son, college senior, Charlie Kogen, to list the top 5 things Jay did wrong (and right) as a father.Along the way they talk about pu...
Lisa Kudrow Explains Jay’s Marriage To Writer, Brown Kogen
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Kudrow helped introduce Jay to his wife Brown Mandell, and now 27 year later they are all trying to make sense of it. Brown has issues with Jay. ...
Phil Rosenthal Tells Why Jay Doesn’t Deserve Good Things
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The great writer/actor/food & travel show host, Phil Rosenthal talks Jay down from feeling bad about undeserved success. Phil claims dumb luck is ...
Greg Grunberg Rescues Jay From The Loneliness of Modern Life
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In one of our first recordings, Actor, writer, director, and all around mensh, Greg Grunberg helps Jay settle in on what podcasting is and how it migh...
Richard Kind Explains Why He’s Allowed To Say Anything He Wants and Jay Isn’t
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Character actor extraordinaire, Richard Kind, talks about having the authenticity and self confidence to speak his mind and get away with it. He says ...
Dave Foley Tells Jay About UFO’s, Friendship, Comedy and Other Mysteries
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy hero and one of Jay’s best friends helps Jay work though the deep mysteries of friendship, UFO’s, their failed hit movie “The Wrong Guy”...
Dana Gould Talks About Jay’s Newfound Irrelevance
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dana talks to Jay about the ego death of change. You think you’re something and then you’re not. He talks about aging, dadding, growing comfortabl...
Actor Kevin Pollak Explains to Jay Why Irresponsible Gambling Makes Sense
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The brilliant Kevin Pollak forgives Jay for being late, talks about poker, growing up in San Francisco, becoming Don Rickles’ buddy, the loss of Mat...
Joshua Malina Shows Jay How Social Media Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Life
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh talks about acting, podcasting, being proudly Jewish without being sure about being Jewish and about not being afraid to tell his friends he love...
Wayne Federman Decides If Jay’s Too Old To Be Funny
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Comic, author, producer, Wayne Federman discusses if there’s an expiration date to being funny. Are you stuck in your generation or can you speak to...
Pete Holmes Explains How Jay Can Be Less Sh*tty
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jay is completely enthralled with the depth of comedian/writer/actor, Pete Holmes, talks about religion, philosophy, keeping your artistic standards h...
Aimee Mann Explains How to Survive the Music Industry
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann explains creativity, writing musicals, knowing how to pick a good writing partner and how Jay should weather the crumblin...
Julia Sweeney Fights Jay’s Fear of Parties
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The funny and fabulous Julia Sweeney helps Jay fight through the fear of people, work, life, aging and the crippling danger of improv groups. Bio: Jul...
Steven Weber Explains Show Business
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Steven Weber helps Jay negotiate the changes in the business. Meditation, fatherhood, and convinces him that, even though they never see each ot...
Introducing Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Jay Kogen, former stand-up actor and award-winning comedy writer, as he shares his great stories from his decades in show business on his podcast...