Josh Radnor is an actor, writer, director, and musician, best known for his leading role on CBS’ Emmy-winning How I Met Your Mother. He wrote and directed two feature films (happythankyoumoreplease & Liberal Arts) both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the former winning the 2010 Audience Award. His theater work has included The Ally, Little Shop of Horrors, The Babylon Line, and Disgraced. As a musician, he has released two albums with Ben Lee as Radnor & Lee, along with solo albums One More Then I’ll Let You Go and Eulogy: Volume 1 & Volume 2. You can find his popular Museletters over on Substack.
Josh co-hosts the new re-watch podcast How We Made Your Mother alongside How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas.
I’ve been a guest on countless podcasts but today marks my first day on earth as a podcast host (How We Made Your Mother, with HIMYM co-creator Craig Thomas) My podcast tastes run the gamut, but I tend to gravitate to those that invite me into a space of wonder and contemplation. I tune into The Daily with some regularity but it often spikes my blood pressure depending on the day’s topic. I want to hear voices that lower the temperature, give me a larger perspective, remind me that being a human being is still an excellent thing. I like hearing artists talk about making art, mystics talk about mystery, and elders pass on what they’ve learned.
The Emerald
Joshua Schrei hosts this totally surreal and wonderful podcast where he does a deep dive on a different esoteric topic each episode – intuition, death, trance states, A.I. – but in the most grounded, least woo-woo way possible. Not one for multi-tasking, this requires all of your focus. I always feel upgraded and shaken up by spending some time with him. If you want more myth, magic, and mystery in your life, I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr
It’s a joke among my friends that I can’t go very long without quoting Richard Rohr, a deeply wise and immensely kind Franciscan priest, writer, and teacher. These talks are loaded with wisdom and humor and alongside his wonderful books will stand – upon his passing – as a lovely testament to a good man who walked among us.
Living Myth
Michael Meade unpacks ancient myths and shows how applicable they are to us today. When the headlines become unbearable this podcast helps me tune my dial back to the perennial. Poetic, meditative, short episodes that pack a wallop.
Song Exploder
I am the target audience for this one: Songwriters breaking down their songs and talking through their process of writing and recording them step by step… Honestly, this is what every podcast should be imho. Hrishikesh Hirway is the excellent host.
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
I’ve stayed in touch with Sam ever since he had me on his show years ago and I’ve been so impressed with both his skills as an interviewer (he does loads of research beforehand) and the quality of guests he books. His interviews with Cornel West, Ethan Hawke, Annie Baker, and Taffy Brodesser-Akner, to name a few, are all top notch.
The Tim Ferris Show
I find myself coming back to Tim Ferris’ show regularly. He has on a broad range of fascinating guests and I’ve enjoyed watching Ferris evolve from a young guy who wanted to crack the code and gamify everything into someone moving at a slower and more contemplative pace. Two interviews that lit me up: His most recent chat with Elizabeth Gilbert and his talk with Roland Griffiths of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins.
Armchair Expert
Dax Shepard is a funny, curious, and all-around terrific interviewer and Monica Padman is a delightful co-host. Shepard’s main trick–and he’s been explicit about this–is a nifty one: He’s vulnerable with his guests first to show them the water is fine. His interview with Anna Kendrick was a heartbreaker and his talk with legendary casting director Allison Jones was a delight.
Heavyweight
An all-time great podcast. Each episode functions like a personal detective story where host Jonathan Goldstein helps people resolve unfinished business from their past, the kinds of things that keep you up at night wondering how your life would have turned out differently if you’d taken some other turn. Riveting, moving, but also hilarious.
On Being with Krista Tippett
Longtime listener of this one. Krista Tippett hosts some of the most thoughtful conversations to be found anywhere. She seems drawn to people who dwell in the heart-soul space – poets, philosophers, theologians. The show often touches upon religion but feels light years away from any culture war nonsense. Because of the perennial nature of the topics at hand, these episodes will age incredibly well. They’re about what it is to be a human being equipped for wonder and transcendence.
The Ezra Klein Show
I appreciate how thoughtful and measured Ezra Klein is. He helps me unpack the news in a way that is never alarmist or hyper-partisan. His deep knowledge of political history helps turn down some of the heat of the current moment by placing things in historical context.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
I’ve only listened to a few episodes of Julia Louis Dreyfus’ podcast but the premise is one that can’t be beat: Talking to older women and hearing what they’ve learned. In a culture that fetishizes youth and is crying out for the wisdom of elders, this is a great and necessary show. Her interview with Isabel Allende was an instant classic.
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