The HFPA in Conversation

HFPA journalist Vera Anderson sat down with Henry Winkler to talk about his life, career, and more: from his role in Happy Days as Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli to Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development to his latest role as Gene Cousinau on Barry, to writing children's novels, his love for fishing, and his views on discussing politics through social media.

Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts sat down with HFPA journalist Greet Ramaekers to talk about his new film The Mustang, the challenges of playing an inmate, and the process he took to dig into this new character. They also discuss his career to this point, his breakout role in Bullhead, what inspired him to become an actor, the difficulties of managing weight for a role without a trainer, and more.

HFPA journalist Silvia Bizio sat down with actor, writer, producer, director, & more Andy Garcia to talk about his long career in Hollywood. They dive into everything in Garcia's life, including his humble beginnings watching The Magnificent Seven and The Godfather in theaters, his first roles in The Untouchables and 8 Million Ways To Die, learning piano at age 30, finally getting to work with Clint Eastwood on The Mule, his decade-long ambition for an as-yet-unmade Ernest Hemingway film, and more.

Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio sat down with HFPA journalist Jean-Paul Chaillet last week to talk about his latest film Gloria Bell. Starring Julianne Moore, this project is itself an American re-make of his own movie Gloria from 2013, and the two discuss the challenges in re-adapting Lelio's own work. They also talk about his Golden Globe nominated and Oscar winning film A Fantastic Woman and how it changed Chilean cinema and culture, the importance of Roma, visiting Hollywood, and more.

HFPA journalist Anke Hoffman sat down with Kevin Feige last week to talk Captain Marvel, Black Panther at the Oscars, and the road to these two major milestones in Marvel Studios history. They dive back into his first associate producer work on the first X-Men film, 20th Century Fox's merger with Disney, hints about Avengers: Endgame & Phase 4, the late great Stan Lee's love of his film cameos, the uniqueness of having a consistent team producing Marvel's films, and more.

Actor Matt LeBlanc sat down with HFPA journalist Kristien Gijbels to talk about the third season of his CBS sitcom Man With A Plan. They also dive into his life and career, from humble beginnings on TV 101 to his breakout role on the hit show Friends, to doing three shows at once with the last season of Episodes, the American rendition of Top Gear, and the development of Man With A Plan. They also discuss his home life, his love of cars, the biggest hurdle to make a Friends revival happen, and more.

Anna Paquin sat down with HFPA journalist Barbara Gasser at the HFPA offices to talk about her new show Flack, in which she plays a PR exec trying to get her clients out of messy situations. They also dig into her time on the HBO series True Blood, what it was like to win an Oscar at a young age, what she finds so rewarding about Crossfit, how the #MeToo movement has affected shows on HBO & Showtime, and her experiences raising children while juggling her fast-paced career.

Three time Golden Globe winning composer Justin Hurwitz met journalist Ana Maria Bahiana at HFPA’s office in West Hollywood to talk about his process working with director Damien Chazelle. They touch on how Hurwitz met Chazelle at Harvard, their bond over music, what they taught each other, the band they started, Hurwitz potentially working with other directors, his influences, and more.

Golden Globe winning actress Geena Davis sat down with HFPA journalist Scott Orlin to talk about her career, from The Accidental Tourist to Thelma and Louise to her recent documentary This Changes Everything. They also dive into her activism with her Institute on Gender in Media and her research and advocating for equal representation of women. They also talk about her role on Commander in Chief, how her daughter made her an activist, the Bentonville Film Festival, Olympic aspirations, and more.

Writer/Director/Actor Jonah Hill sat down with HFPA journalist Barbara de Olivera Pinto to talk about his directorial debut Mid-90s and the long winding road of his career that led him to releasing his first film. They also dive into his friendship with Emma Stone and getting to reunite with her for the television series Maniac, his most exciting Golden Globes experience, and more.

Singer, songwriter, and activist Annie Lennox sat down with HFPA journalist Katherine Tulich to discuss her activism, career, and latest work "Requiem for a Private War", which was nominated for Best Original Song at this year's Golden Globe Awards. Recorded before Lennox's nomination, their conversation dives into her relationship with war correspondent Marie Colvin as well as the genesis and creative process of her band The Eurythmics, what inspired her activism, her views on #MeToo & Time's Up, and more.

Golden Globe nominee Sam Elliott, an actor with one of the most famous voices in Hollywood, sat down with HFPA journalist Lena Basse to talk about his latest film A Star Is Born, from his beginnings with the project, to his affinity for actress Lady Gaga and writer/director/star Bradley Cooper. They also dig into his humble beginnings, his roles in westerns like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KId and Tombstone, his iconic line from The Big Lebowski, the luck he's had in his personal life, and more.

HFPA journalist Jenny Cooney sat down with writer/director/producer/showrunner and Golden Globe winner and nominee Ryan Murphy to talk about his groundbreaking career in Hollywood, from humble beginnings as a crime scene journalist to his breakthrough with Nip/Tuck and Glee to evolving the medium with anthology series like American Horror Story and American Crime Story, to his process of working with talent like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Lady Gaga, plans for his new deal with Netflix, and more.

HFPA journalist Vera Anderson sat down with J.K. Simmons to talk about the first two seasons of his Starz show Counterpart and the challenges of playing two versions of the same character. They also talk about his beginnings on stage, transitioning into film and television, his Oscar and Golden Globe winning performance as the music teacher in Whiplash, voice acting as the Yellow M&M and in Portal 2, portraying fictional versions of real life people in The Frontrunner and Patriot's Day, and more.

HFPA journalist Alessandra Venezia sat down legendary filmmaker Spike Lee to talk about his latest film BlacKkKlansman. Recorded in October before the film's four Golden Globe nominations including one for Lee for Best Director, they also touch on his fascination with Michael Jackson and Prince, his responsibilities as a filmmaker, his work as a teacher, how the public's relationship with black culture has evolved over his career, how Get Out and Black Panther have changed cinema, and more.