Welcome to Better Know a Guest, your weekly guide to the wonderful and diverse array of personalities appearing on ‘The Colbert Report’ and ‘The Daily Show’ each week.
Hello, Colbert News Hub! First off I want to apologize that this news section isn’t going to include anything that happens over the weekend, because I’m writing on Friday before flying off to South Carolina for what might be the last beach weekend of the season. Gotta have my priorities.
This week in world news, Britain, Denmark, and Belgium joined the United States in bombing Iraq in an attempt to stop ISIS, while in Africa the Ebola death toll hit 3000. The Iraqi Prime Minister warned that terrorist attacks were being planned against subways in New York (and in Paris), prompting Bill DeBlasio, Andrew Cuomo, and NYC police commissioner William Bratton to ride the subway in defiance (the US has found no evidence of the threat.) You know, the usual uplifting news. On the positive, New York Yankee Derek Jeter finished his home game career with a game-winning single, and there were tears. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin spoke at the Values Voter Summit and got the address of the White House wrong.
Stephen’s guests this week are a chef, an actor, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a journalist. Jon’s are a journalist, an actor, a writer/actress, and a director.
Let us know who you’re excited for, and what you’d like to see covered this week!
Monday, September 29 (2014)
Jamie Oliver (Chef and Author: “Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook“)
Jamie Oliver is a celebrity chef, cookbook author, and food educator, who is best known for hosting a series of popular cooking shows called “The Naked Chef”, in which the food was simple (“naked”) but Oliver was fully clothed. He has hosted many TV cooking programs, most recently “Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals” as part of the CBS Dream Team: It’s Epic! on Saturday mornings (the family-friendly group of shows that is also home to Daily Show alum Mo Rocca’s program about inventors). He has written lots of successful cookbooks despite struggling with dyslexia; he read his first full novel last year (it was Catching Fire). Aside from his cooking shows and books, Oliver has been a huge advocate for children’s nutrition and getting healthier food into schools and homes. His Ministry of Food campaign (and, for a couple months in 2008, TV show) teaches people how to cook healthy, fresh food from scratch. It is inspired by the fact that the British government set up cooking education programs during World War II to help people make the best use of food rations. In his American show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”, which aired for two seasons in 2010 and 2011, Oliver worked with some of the unhealthiest school districts in America to revamp their menus. Oliver’s new book, “Comfort Food”, features recipes for “timeless recipes for soul-satisfying food” (Publisher’s Weekly).
Born: May 27, 1975 (Clavering, Essex, United Kingdom)
Education: Westminster Kingsway College
Television: Oliver’s Twist | Jamie’s School Dinners | Jamie’s Great Italian Escape | The Naked Chef | Jamie’s Kitchen | Jamie’s Chef | Jamie at Home | Jamie’s Fowl Dinners | Jamie’s Ministry of Food | Jamie’s American Road Trip | Jamie’s Family Christmas | Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution | Jamie’s Dream School | Jamie Does… | Jamie’s 30-minute Meals | Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals
Books: Something for the Weekend | The Naked Chef | The Return of the Naked Chef | Happy Days with the Naked Chef | Jamie’s Kitchen | Jamie’s Dinners | Jamie’s Italy | Cook With Jamie | Jamie’s Little Book of Big Treats | Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life | Jamie’s Ministry of Food | Jamie’s Red Nose Recipes | Jamie’s America | Jamie Does… | Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals | Jamie’s Great Britain | Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals | Save with Jamie
Awards: Member of the British Empire (Queen’s Birthday Honor) | Healthy Cup Award, Harvard School of Public Health | Honorary Fellowship, Royal College of General Practitioners
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – April 8, 2011
Follow: Website | @JamieOliver | Facebook | Instagram | Jamie Oliver Foundation
Tuesday, September 30 (2014)
Jeffrey Tambor (Actor: “Transparent“)
Jeffrey Tambor is an actor, best known for playing Larry Sanders’ sidekick on “The Larry Sanders Show” and for his role as George Bluth Sr. and his twin brother Oscar on “Arrested Development”. He has 184 acting credits on IMDB; and has been widely featured in television and movies since he made his TV debut on the show Kojak in 1977. Tambor has also appeared on Broadway, and has been teaching acting courses for over 40 years. He is currently putting on a one man show / inspiration seminar series call “Performing Your Life” in which he talks about overcoming obstacles and becoming fearless, through personal stories and the stories of others. Tambor has a new show on Amazon Prime called “Transparent”, in which he plays a Jewish father of three who is undergoing a transformation into a woman. In his research for the role Tambor got involved in the transgender community, and called it “the most transformative, no pun intended – the most transformative role I’ve ever had.”
Born: July 8, 1944 (San Francisco, California, United States)
Education: San Francisco State University | Wayne State University
Filmography (selected): Taxi | Kojak | M*A*S*H | The Golden Girls | Three’s Company | The Ropers | Hill Street Blues | Max Headroom | The Larry Sanders Show | Arrested Development + The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd | Welcome to the Captain | Entourage | Archer | Lucky | Paul | The Hangover | Flypaper | Transparent
Awards: Satellite Award | Lifetime Achievement Award, White Sands International Film Festival
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – August 5, 1999
Follow: Website | @JeffreyTambor
Wednesday, October 1 (2014)
Admiral Mike Mullen (Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Mike Mullen is a career member of the Navy and a veteran of the Vietnam war. He enlisted in 1968 after attending the US Naval Academy, and worked his way up from a junior officer to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has a degree in Advanced Management from Harvard Business School, as well as a master of science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School. Over his career, Admiral Mullen commanded three ships, several fleets, and eventually became the highest ranked member of the US armed forces. He became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2007 after being nominated by President Bush, and continued to serve in the Obama Administration until 2011. He spoke out in favor of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” in 2010. After retiring from the military, Mullen is currently serving on the board of Sprint.
Born: October 4, 1946 (Los Angeles, California, United States)
Education: US Naval Academy | Naval Postgraduate School | Harvard Business School
Awards: Defense Distinguished Service Medals | Navy Distinguished Service Medals | Defense Superior Service Medal | Legion of Merits | Officer of the Order of Australia
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interviews – January 7, 2010 | February 4, 2011 | September 13, 2011
Thursday, October 2 (2014)
Lynn Sherr (Author: “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space“)
Lynn Sherr is an investigative journalist specializing in women’s and social issues. She spent more than 30 years working for ABC’s 20/20 and ABC News. Sherr has reported on a wide range of stories, including exit poll reports for every presidential election, being one of the first to define and report on sexual harassment, and covering shuttle launches and other stories relating to space exploration. She was the first person at ABC news to bring a laptop with her to cover a political campaign. Sherr spent years covering the NASA shuttle program at a time when very few women were being assigned science stories, and she met astronaut Sally Ride as part of that assignment. They became friends, partially because of a shared determination to succeed professionally in fields dominated by men. Her new book is “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space”, for which Booklist praises Sherr, who “has done an impressive job of uncovering the pressures (and sometimes comical missteps) of NASA’s macho culture and its approach to the first class of women astronauts, the unparalleled commitment Ride brought to her job, and the zeal with which she embraced her later challenge to broaden science opportunities for girls.”
Born: March 4, 1942 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)
Education: Wellesley College
Books: Susan B. Anthony Slept Here: A Guide to American Women’s Landmarks | Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words | Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes | America the Beautiful: The Stirring True Story Behind Our Nation’s Favorite Song | Outside The Box: A Memoir | Swim: Why We Love the Water | Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space
Awards: Peabody Award | American Women in Radio and Television Award | Cine Golden Eagle Award | National Headliner Award | Front Page Award | Silver Screen Award | Maggie Award | Excellence in Financial Journalism Award | Gold Award, National Mental Health Association | Emmy Award
Follow: @LynnSherr
And now, let’s check in with our good friend Jon Stewart over at the Daily Show!
Monday, September 29 (2014)
Hadi al-Bahra (President: Syrian National Coalition)
Hadi al-Bahra is the president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, which is a group focused on overthrowing the Assad regime in Syria and establishing a freer, more democratic country. Al-Bahra’s background is in Industrial Engineering, for which he earned a degree at Wichita State University. He went on to become CEO of two hospitals in Saudi Arabia, and is currently the CEO of TechnoMedia, which makes ATMs. As part of his work with the Syrian Opposition, al-Bahra recently expressed his support for Barack Obama’s airstrike plan and says the group is willing to work with the United States and other countries to combat ISIS.
Born: January 1, 1959
Education: Wichita State University
Follow: @HadialBahra | Facebook
Tuesday, September 30 (2014)
Ben Affleck (Actor: “Gone Girl“)
Ben Affleck is an writer, director and actor who has been in so many blockbuster movies it’s hard to know where to begin listing them all. Affleck began acting as a child, starring in “The Voyage of the Mimi”, an educational video series about whaling that, as of my late-90s elementary school days, is still being used in classrooms. Affleck won his first Oscar for co-writing “Good Will Hunting”, about a math genius at MIT. He has acted in many successful films in the 90s and early 2000s, before trying his hand at directing with “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007 and continuing to act and direct successfully. Last year, it was announced that Affleck will be the new Batman. Aside from film work, Affleck is also known for being an outspoken Democrat and philanthropist, particularly aiding the Democratic Republic of Congo. His new movie “Gone Girl”, based on the bestselling book by Gillian Flynn, will be released October 3rd.
Born: August 15, 1972 (Berkeley, California, United States)
Education: Occidental College | University of Vermont
Filmography: The Dark End of the Street | The Voyage of the Mimi | Hands of a Stranger | Field of Dreams | Daddy | School Ties | Dazed and Confused | Glory Daze | Mallrats | Going All the Way | Chasing Amy | Good Will Hunting | Phantoms | Armageddon | Shakespeare in Love | Forces of Nature | Dogma | Boiler Room | Reindeer Games | Bounce | Pearl Harbor | Daddy and Them | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Changing Lanes | The Sum of All Fears | The Third Wheel | Daredevil | Gigli | Paycheck | Jersey Girl | Surviving Christmas | Man About Town | Hollywoodland | Smokin’ Aces | He’s Just Not That Into You | State of Play | Extract | The Company Men | The Town | Argo | To the Wonder | Runner Runner | Gone Girl
Awards: Academy Awards | Golden Globes | BAFTA Awards
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interviews – February 14, 2003 | December 17, 2003 | September 20, 2006 | October 19, 2007 | April 17, 2009 | September 14, 2010 | October 10, 2012
Follow: @BenAffleck | Facebook
Wednesday, October 1 (2014)
Lena Dunham (Writer: “Not That Kind of Girl“)
Lena Dunham is a writer and actress, best known for creating and starring in the HBO series “GIRLS”. She began gaining notoriety in 2010 with her independent film “Tiny Furniture”, which was filmed in her parents’ home and starred her real life mother and sister. “Tiny Furniture” shared many of the themes in GIRLS: young, smart, fairly wealthy, realistic New Yorkers trying to figure out how to be adults. GIRLS has been a huge success on HBO, and filmed its 4th season over this past summer. Dunham’s memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl”, will be released the day before her Daily Show interview on September 30th. In her review, Miranda July notes that “Very few women have become famous for being who they actually are, nuanced and imperfect. When honesty happens, it’s usually couched in self-ridicule or self-help. Dunham doesn’t apologize like that — she simply tells her story as if it might be interesting.”
Born: May 13, 1986 (New York City, New York, United States)
Education: Oberlin College
Filmography: Dealing | Una & Jaques | Tight Shots | Creative Nonfiction | The Viewer | Family Tree | Delusional Downtown Divas | Gabi on the Roof in July | Tiny Furniture | Nobody Walks | Supporting Characters | GIRLS | This Is 40 | Happy Christmas
Books: Not That Kind of Girl
Awards: Independent Spirit Award | Directors Guild of America Award | Golden Globes | Gracie Allen Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – January 18, 2013
Previous ‘Colbert Report’ Appearance(s): Interview – May 3, 2012
Follow: Website | @lenadunham | Instagram
Thursday, October 2 (2014)
Ben Steele (Director: “Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia“)
Ben Steele is a director and documentary filmmaker who has written, filmed, and directed a variety of documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. Past topics have included the male-dominated workforce, a murder investigation, Nelson Mandela, the appeal of owning property, and the political success of British public school students (the equivalent of private prep schools in America). Steele’s channel 4 documentary “Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia” has been picked up by HBO and premieres on October 6th. The film looks at the effects of Russian propaganda laws against gay people, and exposes the harassment that they face.
Filmography: The Trouble With Working Women | Who Is Nelson Mandela | I’m a Hairy Woman | Remembering Mum | Gods & Monsters | From Scratch | Posh & Posher: Why Public School Boys Rule Britain | Revolution | The Truth About Property | How to Beat Tough Times
Follow: Website | @TVBen
Don’t forget to vote in our weekly favourite guest poll!! See you all next week!!
Better Know A Guest, September 29 – October 2, 2014
Welcome to Better Know a Guest, your weekly guide to the wonderful and diverse array of personalities appearing on ‘The Colbert Report’ and ‘The Daily Show’ each week.
Hello, Colbert News Hub! First off I want to apologize that this news section isn’t going to include anything that happens over the weekend, because I’m writing on Friday before flying off to South Carolina for what might be the last beach weekend of the season. Gotta have my priorities.
This week in world news, Britain, Denmark, and Belgium joined the United States in bombing Iraq in an attempt to stop ISIS, while in Africa the Ebola death toll hit 3000. The Iraqi Prime Minister warned that terrorist attacks were being planned against subways in New York (and in Paris), prompting Bill DeBlasio, Andrew Cuomo, and NYC police commissioner William Bratton to ride the subway in defiance (the US has found no evidence of the threat.) You know, the usual uplifting news. On the positive, New York Yankee Derek Jeter finished his home game career with a game-winning single, and there were tears. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin spoke at the Values Voter Summit and got the address of the White House wrong.
Stephen’s guests this week are a chef, an actor, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a journalist. Jon’s are a journalist, an actor, a writer/actress, and a director.
Let us know who you’re excited for, and what you’d like to see covered this week!
Monday, September 29 (2014)
Jamie Oliver (Chef and Author: “Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook“)
Jamie Oliver is a celebrity chef, cookbook author, and food educator, who is best known for hosting a series of popular cooking shows called “The Naked Chef”, in which the food was simple (“naked”) but Oliver was fully clothed. He has hosted many TV cooking programs, most recently “Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals” as part of the CBS Dream Team: It’s Epic! on Saturday mornings (the family-friendly group of shows that is also home to Daily Show alum Mo Rocca’s program about inventors). He has written lots of successful cookbooks despite struggling with dyslexia; he read his first full novel last year (it was Catching Fire). Aside from his cooking shows and books, Oliver has been a huge advocate for children’s nutrition and getting healthier food into schools and homes. His Ministry of Food campaign (and, for a couple months in 2008, TV show) teaches people how to cook healthy, fresh food from scratch. It is inspired by the fact that the British government set up cooking education programs during World War II to help people make the best use of food rations. In his American show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”, which aired for two seasons in 2010 and 2011, Oliver worked with some of the unhealthiest school districts in America to revamp their menus. Oliver’s new book, “Comfort Food”, features recipes for “timeless recipes for soul-satisfying food” (Publisher’s Weekly).
Born: May 27, 1975 (Clavering, Essex, United Kingdom)
Education: Westminster Kingsway College
Television: Oliver’s Twist | Jamie’s School Dinners | Jamie’s Great Italian Escape | The Naked Chef | Jamie’s Kitchen | Jamie’s Chef | Jamie at Home | Jamie’s Fowl Dinners | Jamie’s Ministry of Food | Jamie’s American Road Trip | Jamie’s Family Christmas | Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution | Jamie’s Dream School | Jamie Does… | Jamie’s 30-minute Meals | Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals
Books: Something for the Weekend | The Naked Chef | The Return of the Naked Chef | Happy Days with the Naked Chef | Jamie’s Kitchen | Jamie’s Dinners | Jamie’s Italy | Cook With Jamie | Jamie’s Little Book of Big Treats | Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life | Jamie’s Ministry of Food | Jamie’s Red Nose Recipes | Jamie’s America | Jamie Does… | Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals | Jamie’s Great Britain | Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals | Save with Jamie
Awards: Member of the British Empire (Queen’s Birthday Honor) | Healthy Cup Award, Harvard School of Public Health | Honorary Fellowship, Royal College of General Practitioners
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – April 8, 2011
Follow: Website | @JamieOliver | Facebook | Instagram | Jamie Oliver Foundation
Tuesday, September 30 (2014)
Jeffrey Tambor (Actor: “Transparent“)
Jeffrey Tambor is an actor, best known for playing Larry Sanders’ sidekick on “The Larry Sanders Show” and for his role as George Bluth Sr. and his twin brother Oscar on “Arrested Development”. He has 184 acting credits on IMDB; and has been widely featured in television and movies since he made his TV debut on the show Kojak in 1977. Tambor has also appeared on Broadway, and has been teaching acting courses for over 40 years. He is currently putting on a one man show / inspiration seminar series call “Performing Your Life” in which he talks about overcoming obstacles and becoming fearless, through personal stories and the stories of others. Tambor has a new show on Amazon Prime called “Transparent”, in which he plays a Jewish father of three who is undergoing a transformation into a woman. In his research for the role Tambor got involved in the transgender community, and called it “the most transformative, no pun intended – the most transformative role I’ve ever had.”
Born: July 8, 1944 (San Francisco, California, United States)
Education: San Francisco State University | Wayne State University
Filmography (selected): Taxi | Kojak | M*A*S*H | The Golden Girls | Three’s Company | The Ropers | Hill Street Blues | Max Headroom | The Larry Sanders Show | Arrested Development + The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd | Welcome to the Captain | Entourage | Archer | Lucky | Paul | The Hangover | Flypaper | Transparent
Awards: Satellite Award | Lifetime Achievement Award, White Sands International Film Festival
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – August 5, 1999
Follow: Website | @JeffreyTambor
Wednesday, October 1 (2014)
Admiral Mike Mullen (Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Mike Mullen is a career member of the Navy and a veteran of the Vietnam war. He enlisted in 1968 after attending the US Naval Academy, and worked his way up from a junior officer to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has a degree in Advanced Management from Harvard Business School, as well as a master of science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School. Over his career, Admiral Mullen commanded three ships, several fleets, and eventually became the highest ranked member of the US armed forces. He became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2007 after being nominated by President Bush, and continued to serve in the Obama Administration until 2011. He spoke out in favor of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” in 2010. After retiring from the military, Mullen is currently serving on the board of Sprint.
Born: October 4, 1946 (Los Angeles, California, United States)
Education: US Naval Academy | Naval Postgraduate School | Harvard Business School
Awards: Defense Distinguished Service Medals | Navy Distinguished Service Medals | Defense Superior Service Medal | Legion of Merits | Officer of the Order of Australia
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interviews – January 7, 2010 | February 4, 2011 | September 13, 2011
Thursday, October 2 (2014)
Lynn Sherr (Author: “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space“)
Lynn Sherr is an investigative journalist specializing in women’s and social issues. She spent more than 30 years working for ABC’s 20/20 and ABC News. Sherr has reported on a wide range of stories, including exit poll reports for every presidential election, being one of the first to define and report on sexual harassment, and covering shuttle launches and other stories relating to space exploration. She was the first person at ABC news to bring a laptop with her to cover a political campaign. Sherr spent years covering the NASA shuttle program at a time when very few women were being assigned science stories, and she met astronaut Sally Ride as part of that assignment. They became friends, partially because of a shared determination to succeed professionally in fields dominated by men. Her new book is “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space”, for which Booklist praises Sherr, who “has done an impressive job of uncovering the pressures (and sometimes comical missteps) of NASA’s macho culture and its approach to the first class of women astronauts, the unparalleled commitment Ride brought to her job, and the zeal with which she embraced her later challenge to broaden science opportunities for girls.”
Born: March 4, 1942 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)
Education: Wellesley College
Books: Susan B. Anthony Slept Here: A Guide to American Women’s Landmarks | Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words | Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes | America the Beautiful: The Stirring True Story Behind Our Nation’s Favorite Song | Outside The Box: A Memoir | Swim: Why We Love the Water | Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space
Awards: Peabody Award | American Women in Radio and Television Award | Cine Golden Eagle Award | National Headliner Award | Front Page Award | Silver Screen Award | Maggie Award | Excellence in Financial Journalism Award | Gold Award, National Mental Health Association | Emmy Award
Follow: @LynnSherr
And now, let’s check in with our good friend Jon Stewart over at the Daily Show!
Monday, September 29 (2014)
Hadi al-Bahra (President: Syrian National Coalition)
Hadi al-Bahra is the president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, which is a group focused on overthrowing the Assad regime in Syria and establishing a freer, more democratic country. Al-Bahra’s background is in Industrial Engineering, for which he earned a degree at Wichita State University. He went on to become CEO of two hospitals in Saudi Arabia, and is currently the CEO of TechnoMedia, which makes ATMs. As part of his work with the Syrian Opposition, al-Bahra recently expressed his support for Barack Obama’s airstrike plan and says the group is willing to work with the United States and other countries to combat ISIS.
Born: January 1, 1959
Education: Wichita State University
Follow: @HadialBahra | Facebook
Tuesday, September 30 (2014)
Ben Affleck (Actor: “Gone Girl“)
Ben Affleck is an writer, director and actor who has been in so many blockbuster movies it’s hard to know where to begin listing them all. Affleck began acting as a child, starring in “The Voyage of the Mimi”, an educational video series about whaling that, as of my late-90s elementary school days, is still being used in classrooms. Affleck won his first Oscar for co-writing “Good Will Hunting”, about a math genius at MIT. He has acted in many successful films in the 90s and early 2000s, before trying his hand at directing with “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007 and continuing to act and direct successfully. Last year, it was announced that Affleck will be the new Batman. Aside from film work, Affleck is also known for being an outspoken Democrat and philanthropist, particularly aiding the Democratic Republic of Congo. His new movie “Gone Girl”, based on the bestselling book by Gillian Flynn, will be released October 3rd.
Born: August 15, 1972 (Berkeley, California, United States)
Education: Occidental College | University of Vermont
Filmography: The Dark End of the Street | The Voyage of the Mimi | Hands of a Stranger | Field of Dreams | Daddy | School Ties | Dazed and Confused | Glory Daze | Mallrats | Going All the Way | Chasing Amy | Good Will Hunting | Phantoms | Armageddon | Shakespeare in Love | Forces of Nature | Dogma | Boiler Room | Reindeer Games | Bounce | Pearl Harbor | Daddy and Them | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Changing Lanes | The Sum of All Fears | The Third Wheel | Daredevil | Gigli | Paycheck | Jersey Girl | Surviving Christmas | Man About Town | Hollywoodland | Smokin’ Aces | He’s Just Not That Into You | State of Play | Extract | The Company Men | The Town | Argo | To the Wonder | Runner Runner | Gone Girl
Awards: Academy Awards | Golden Globes | BAFTA Awards
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interviews – February 14, 2003 | December 17, 2003 | September 20, 2006 | October 19, 2007 | April 17, 2009 | September 14, 2010 | October 10, 2012
Follow: @BenAffleck | Facebook
Wednesday, October 1 (2014)
Lena Dunham (Writer: “Not That Kind of Girl“)
Lena Dunham is a writer and actress, best known for creating and starring in the HBO series “GIRLS”. She began gaining notoriety in 2010 with her independent film “Tiny Furniture”, which was filmed in her parents’ home and starred her real life mother and sister. “Tiny Furniture” shared many of the themes in GIRLS: young, smart, fairly wealthy, realistic New Yorkers trying to figure out how to be adults. GIRLS has been a huge success on HBO, and filmed its 4th season over this past summer. Dunham’s memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl”, will be released the day before her Daily Show interview on September 30th. In her review, Miranda July notes that “Very few women have become famous for being who they actually are, nuanced and imperfect. When honesty happens, it’s usually couched in self-ridicule or self-help. Dunham doesn’t apologize like that — she simply tells her story as if it might be interesting.”
Born: May 13, 1986 (New York City, New York, United States)
Education: Oberlin College
Filmography: Dealing | Una & Jaques | Tight Shots | Creative Nonfiction | The Viewer | Family Tree | Delusional Downtown Divas | Gabi on the Roof in July | Tiny Furniture | Nobody Walks | Supporting Characters | GIRLS | This Is 40 | Happy Christmas
Books: Not That Kind of Girl
Awards: Independent Spirit Award | Directors Guild of America Award | Golden Globes | Gracie Allen Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – January 18, 2013
Previous ‘Colbert Report’ Appearance(s): Interview – May 3, 2012
Follow: Website | @lenadunham | Instagram
Thursday, October 2 (2014)
Ben Steele (Director: “Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia“)
Ben Steele is a director and documentary filmmaker who has written, filmed, and directed a variety of documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. Past topics have included the male-dominated workforce, a murder investigation, Nelson Mandela, the appeal of owning property, and the political success of British public school students (the equivalent of private prep schools in America). Steele’s channel 4 documentary “Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia” has been picked up by HBO and premieres on October 6th. The film looks at the effects of Russian propaganda laws against gay people, and exposes the harassment that they face.
Filmography: The Trouble With Working Women | Who Is Nelson Mandela | I’m a Hairy Woman | Remembering Mum | Gods & Monsters | From Scratch | Posh & Posher: Why Public School Boys Rule Britain | Revolution | The Truth About Property | How to Beat Tough Times
Follow: Website | @TVBen
Don’t forget to vote in our weekly favourite guest poll!! See you all next week!!