Best Helen OHara Podcasts (2024)

1
#624 ft. Mia Goth 1:21:38

24m ago1:21:38

1:21:38

Maxxxine marks the conclusion of Ti West's horror trilogy that began with X, and continued with the prequel Pearl. Co-stars come and co-stars go, in a bloody fashion more often than not, but Mia Goth is at the centre of all three, as porn star-turned-Final Girl Maxine and elderly psycho killer Pearl in X, a younger Pearl in the prequel, and now an …

1
#623 ft. Michael Sarnoski, Jesse Plemons & Yorgos Lanthimos, Adil & Bilall 1:54:58

11d ago1:54:58

1:54:58

We're back in the multi-guest business with this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, folks. First, Ben Travis has a very hushed Zoom chat with A Quiet Place: Day One director, Michael Sarnoski. [22:46 - 40:44 approx] Then, Sophie Butcher talks to Kinds Of Kindness director and star duo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Jesse Plemons. [1:00:42 - 1:15:24 appro…

1
Board Dublin: Non-alc drinks, loads of board games 26:42

10d ago26:42

26:42

Pop Culture is officially international! A little while ago, Helen visited Board Dublin, another fantastic alcohol-free bar with a massive selection of non-alc drinks. By day, you can enjoy food, coffee and interesting drinks upstairs in the bright and airy cafe, as well as delving in to the massive selection of board games on offer (bagsie the Jur…

1
#622 — Jeff Nichols 1:30:33

13d ago1:30:33

1:30:33

Vroom vroom! This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is something of a rarity, as we only have one guest. But what a guest it is, as Jeff Nichols, director of Take Shelter, Midnight Special and Mud, tells Helen O'Hara all about working with motorcycles and movie stars on his new movie, The Bikeriders. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt hosts and…

1
#621 — Richard Linklater, Stephen Fry 1:50:18

20d ago1:50:18

1:50:18

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast invites you to settle into a pair of cracking interviews — first, Ben Travis has a sit-down [22:48 - 42:49 approx] with Richard Linklater, director of the excellent Hit Man (now on Netflix), then Chris Hewitt has a bonny time with the wonderfully loquacious Stephen Fry, star of this week's drama, Treasure. …

1
#620 — Jerry Bruckheimer, M. Night Shyamalan & Ishana Night Shyamalan, Viggo Mortensen 1:56:25

27d ago1:56:25

1:56:25

It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, with four wonderful guests. First, legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has both Young Woman And The Sea and Bad Boys: Ride Or Die in cinemas right now, shares some of the secrets of his success with Alex Godfrey. [21:13 - 38:36 approx] Then, John Nugent has an aud…

1
An Empire Podcast Preview Special: The Acolyte ft. Leslye Headland, Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto 1:04:44

1M ago1:04:44

1:04:44

The Acolyte is the latest Star Wars live-action show to hit Disney+ (its first two episodes, out of eight, drop on June 5th), and promises to be one of the most exciting additions yet to that galaxy far, far away. Part murder mystery, part exploration of the High Republic and a time when the Jedi were in their pomp, and the Sith were just beginning…

1
Club Soda, or what an Aladdin's cave for non-drinkers might look like 29:49

1M ago29:49

29:49

Kat and Helen are off on another adventure this episode, visiting Club Soda in London. Club Soda is a fantastic resource for those wanting to drink less or not at all: founded almost a decade ago by Laura Willoughby as a sort of non-drinking equivalent to Weight Watchers, a community for non-drinkers, former drinkers or those trying to cut down or …

1
#619 — Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, Daisy Ridley 1:47:47

1M ago1:47:47

1:47:47

The Empire Podcast delivers yet another cracker this week, folks. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt has a lovely Zoom chat with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the husband-wife screenwriting team who have become the producers and custodians of the Planet Of The Apes franchise. Here, Chris chats to the pair about how they revived the Apes franchise, how they b…

1
#618 — George Miller 1:43:18

1M ago1:43:18

1:43:18

On this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, the doctor is in. Doctor George Miller, that is, as the MD turned visionary director returns to the big screen with his latest slice of post-apocalyptic madness, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. So, naturally, our Chris Hewitt went along and had a big old chat with Dr. George, as we're reliably informed they ca…

1
#617 — John Krasinski, Ben Schwartz 1:41:44

2M ago1:41:44

1:41:44

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast asks the question: 'what if an interview started off the rails and went from there?' And answers it with a tremendously fun and, at times, utterly chaotic, interview between our Chris Hewitt and John Krasinski, writer/director/star of new fantasy movie IF. To listen to the most expensive interview of all ti…

1
Ben Schwartz: An Empire Podcast Interview Special 46:00

2M ago46:00

46:00

Ben Schwartz isn't just a terrifically funny actor (he's Jean-Ralphio in Parks & Rec, for the love of Pete!), insanely gifted VoiceOver artist (he's the voice of Sonic, for the love of Knuckles!), writer (he helped write dialogue for C-3PO in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars movies, for the love of Babu Frik!) and all-round geek. He's also one of the greates…

1
#616 — Josh O'Connor, Owen Teague, Freya Allan & Kevin Durand, Michael Lindsay-Hogg 1:54:42

2M ago1:54:42

1:54:42

Another guestapalooza on this week's Empire Podcast, folks! First up, Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat with Josh O'Connor — not about his talk-of-the-town tennis movie, Challengers, but his new film, Alice Rorhwacher's La Chimera, for which O'Connor learned Italian and, effectively, manifested into his life by way of a letter. [20:12 - 35:25 approx] …

1
Welcome back - with fizz! 23:57

2M ago23:57

23:57

On this special bonus episode of Pop Culture, your hosts Kat Brown and Helen O'Hara reunite to catch you up on what's been happening since you last heard us, and explain the new plans for the show (we're going fortnightly, basically - or if you're American, every two weeks). We also took the opportunity to try a new tipple we'd been sent. Wednesday…

1
Sands Film Festival 2024 Special ft. Joe & Anthony Russo, Debra Zane, Alan Silvestri & Ania Trzebiatowska 1:25:10

2M ago1:25:10

1:25:10

The St. Andrews International Film Festival — or Sands, for short — is now in its third year, bringing some amazing films and filmmakers to the beautiful Scottish town of St. Andrews. It's already something of a tradition for the Empire Podcast's Chris Hewitt to pop up there and have a natter with some of those filmmakers, including Joe Russo, who …

1
Seedlip & seasn's Ben Branson: 'I wanted to close the business every week.' 48:45

2M ago48:45

48:45

Is it overkill to say that Ben Branson basically invented the non-alc drinks space as we have it now? Through his invention, Seedlip, a billion-dollar non-alc industry now exists, bringing quality drinks into restaurants, bars, and homes around the world. Ben tells us the hard truths of launching a new product when you're one person (especially whe…

1
#615 — Rose Glass, Winston Duke 1:37:54

2M ago1:37:54

1:37:54

It's another cracking episode of the Empire Podcast, folks, as Rose Glass, director of Love Lies Bleeding, becomes the first guest to pop into our brand new studio, as she tells Sophie Butcher all about the brilliant and bizarre thriller that is her follow-up to Saint Maud. And Chris Hewitt has a fun and frank chat with the wonderful Winston Duke, …

1
#614 — Mike Faist, Kerry Condon 1:47:51

2M ago1:47:51

1:47:51

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is a smash, folks. First off, Alex Godfrey talks to ace actor Mike Faist, star of Luca Guadagnino's new tennis movie, Challengers [23:12 - 37:33 approx.], and then Chris Hewitt has a Zoom session (apologies if the sound is slightly distorted — tech issues) with Kerry Condon, Oscar-nominated star of The Bans…

1
#613 — Dan Stevens, Ed Skrein & Fra Fee, Alex Garland 1:54:22

3M ago1:54:22

1:54:22

Phew! After last week's single-guest situation, we're back to our bumper-sized best on this week's Empire Podcast. One of our favourite interviewees, Dan Stevens, returns to the pod after a brief hiatus, to tell Chris Hewitt all about his new film, Abigail, and his all-timer of a character intro in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. Warning: Chris an…

1
#612 — Marisa Abela 1:21:34

3M ago1:21:34

1:21:34

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is perhaps less jam-packed and bumper-sized than normal, as we only have one guest. But what a guest, as Marisa Abela — terrific as Amy Winehouse in Sam Taylor-Johnson's Back To Black, the biopic of the iconic singer — talks to Chris Hewitt about the role, from the moment she got it to the gift she received…

1
#611 — Jordan Peele, Rufus Sewell & Philip Martin, Nell Tiger Free & Bill Nighy 2:00:30

3M ago2:00:30

2:00:30

This week's Empire Podcast has more guests than the Overlook Hotel, all chatting to Chris Hewitt about their new movies. First, producer Jordan Peele tells Chris why he was so taken by Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, that he came on board to help it get a theatrical release. Plus, they also talk why Peele is no longer acting. [15:40 - 30…

1
#610 — Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans 1:39:16

3M ago1:39:16

1:39:16

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is brought to you by the letter E, as Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans join Chris Hewitt to talk about their new projects. First up, Erivo talks about her astonishing performance in Drift, which she also produced, and in particular one harrowing scene, and its impact upon her. It's an incredibly intense and hon…

1
#609 — Sydney Sweeney, David Dastmalchian, Ernie Hudson 1:55:45

3M ago1:55:45

1:55:45

Halloween isn't for another few months, but this week's Empire Podcast delivers a hat-trick of horrors nonetheless, as Chris Hewitt has spooky sitdowns on Zoom with the stars of three scary fillums that are all out this week. First, Sydney Sweeney, star and producer of nun-more-black horror, Immaculate, talks about sticking the landing and possessi…

1
#608 — Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke, Phillip Noyce 1:42:44

4M ago1:42:44

1:42:44

While we're waiting patiently for Joel and Ethan Coen to reunite as the filmmaking entity known as the Coen Brothers, can we interest you in the Coen Brother and Sister-in-Law? For Ethan Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke, have teamed up to make the rambunctious road trip comedy, Drive Away Dolls, and on this week's episode they tell John Nugent about…

1
#607 — Robin Wright, DeWanda Wise 1:40:10

4M ago1:40:10

1:40:10

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer cram into the podbooth just minutes after returning to London from a live show in Norwich, which was part of the pod's March tour (tickets still available for Sheffield, Dublin, and Salford via empireonline.com/podtour!). And, despite their exhaustion, they thr…

1
Talking About The Star Wars Prequels: An Empire Podcast Special 54:21

4M ago54:21

54:21

The new issue of Empire — on sale now at all good, evil and intergalactic newsagents — is something of a celebration of 25 years of the Star Wars prequels, George Lucas' trilogy of movies that began with The Phantom Menace in 1999 and concluded with Revenge Of The Sith, Order 66 and all that, in 2005. Since then, the prequels have generated more de…

1
#606 — Josh Brolin, Adam Sandler & Paul Dano 1:37:28

4M ago1:37:28

1:37:28

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is perfectly balanced, as all things should be. In the first half, Chris Hewitt sits down with ol' Thanos himself, aka the one and only Josh Brolin, for a wide-ranging conversation that takes in birthday parties, Brolin's growth as an actor, his aversion to compliments, and his return as the indefatigable G…

1
FX's Shōgun: An Empire & Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+ 1:03:01

4M ago1:03:01

1:03:01

There can be only one thing more exciting than James Clavell’s Shōgun getting a brand new TV adaptation on Disney+, and that’s a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast recorded to mark the occasion! Join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Nick de Semlyen as they get together to talk all things Japanese, Nick’s epic read of Clavell’s 1300 page book, an…

1
What happened to Lilt (and why?) 14:37

4M ago14:37

14:37

What the hell happened to Lilt? If you were blindsided over its reincarnation as a Fanta drink in 2023, then consumer journalist Rob Brown is here to tell you what happened and why. Plus, cocktails that taste like Yankee Candles (bad) and Blue WKD's reinvention as a 0% drink (erm, good, we guess?) and a lovely mailbag of listener stories and feedba…

1
#605 — Jessica Chastain & Peter Sarsgaard, Wim Wenders, Fernando Meirelles 1:54:49

4M ago1:54:49

1:54:49

It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. Our guest cup certainly overfloweth, as Olly Richards sits down on Zoom with Memory stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard (21:17 - 37:40 approx.), Ian Freer talks Kurosawa, Columbo, German goalkeepers and Japanese toilets with the legendary director Wim Wenders (58:36 - 1:…

1
Everything Coca-Cola with Chris Hewitt 1:04:28

5M ago1:04:28

1:04:28

After last week's Fat Duck episode where we learned that fine restaurant had created its own cola in part to tempt Coke-addicted diners into trying something familiar but different, we are thrilled to welcome Helen's colleague from the magnificent Empire Film Podcast, and podcasting's number one Coke fiend, Chris Hewitt, onto the show to talk about…

1
#604 — Kingsley Ben-Adir, Tahar Rahim 1:44:10

5M ago1:44:10

1:44:10

This week's Empire Podcast brings you a double bill of wonderful actors, nattering away about their latest projects. How lovely. First up, Kingsley Ben-Adir talks to Amon Warmann about Bob Marley: One Love, the film that shines the spotlight on two pivotal years in the life of the legendary reggae singer, Bob Marley, and the madness of being part o…

1
Getting curious at The Fat Duck with Melania Bellesini 55:31

5M ago55:31

55:31

The Fat Duck is one of the most creative restaurants in the world – we've paid to go, twice – and since 2018, Head Sommelier Melania Bellesini has made sure its soft drinks have measured up to its vast wine list. We were invited to get the gossip on their non-alc drinks and, unsurprisingly, jumped at the chance! From Melania's attempts at perfectin…

1
#603 — Jeffrey Wright, Sean Durkin & Zac Efron 1:47:41

5M ago1:47:41

1:47:41

Another week, another packed episode of the Empire Podcast, and once again we're joined by some cracking guests. First, Jeffrey Wright, the freshly Oscar-nominated star of American Fiction, joins Chris Hewitt to talk about that movie, his working practices, the film's unusual original title, and more. (30:37 - 48:53)Then Alex Godfrey sits down on Z…

1
The lowdown on sugar 1:01:22

5M ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Listener Richard Kirke emailed in to offer us some explanation of how decisions are made around sweeteners and sugar in soft drinks, and how companies balance them out – especially post-sugar tax. Why Richard? Well, as well as being a composer, Richard glories in the job of beverage technician – he is one of the people who designs drinks and recali…

1
#602 — Henry Cavill & Sam Rockwell, Kumail Nanjiani 1:44:59

5M ago1:44:59

1:44:59

The greater the spy movie, the bigger the guests. That's the motto of this week's Empire Podcast, as Chris Hewitt sits down with Henry Cavill and Sam Rockwell, stars of Matthew Vaughn's new spy caper Argylle, for a fun chat about dancing, fighting, and novelists. (23:46 - 40:04) Chris is also joined by the wonderful Kumail Nanjiani, who returns to …

1
Cartoon Saloon: An Empire Podcast Special 51:00

5M ago51:00

51:00

We love the Irish animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, at Empire. And we're not alone — the Kilkenny-based marvels behind the likes of Song Of The Sea, Wolfwalkers, and The Secret Of Kells recently had a BFI season devoted to their exploits, and to mark the beginning of their 25th anniversary. And in this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, He…

1
Why we love a buzz with Professor David Nutt 39:23

5M ago39:23

39:23

Hello if you've come here from Grazia! If you're listening before Feb 1st, your two favourite pop enthusiasts have written about all things soft and you can read our piece in the current issue. Our guest today is Professor David Nutt, the renowned neuropsychopharmacologist and all-round science legend, who has dedicated much of his career to unders…

1
#601 — Blitz Bazawule, Paul Giamatti & Alexander Payne, Andrew Scott & Paul Mescal 2:08:23

5M ago2:08:23

2:08:23

After last week's triumphant live show to mark episode 600, the Empire Podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — return to the safety of the podbooth this week to kick off the road to 700... but we're not exactly skimping on the guests. First, Blitz Bazawule, director of The Colour Purple, tells Helen all about how h…

1
#600 (Live At Kings Place, London) — Tom Hiddleston, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Ray Winstone 2:42:11

5M ago2:42:11

2:42:11

Another landmark live show for the Empire Podcast saw a capacity crowd cram themselves into Hall One at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London, to celebrate Episode 600. And we brought along some exceptional star guests as well, as Tom Hiddleston — Loki himself — popped in for an extended chat about the God Of Mischief, and other animals, with C…

1
Sober clubbing with DJ Paulette 1:02:36

6M ago1:02:36

1:02:36

There's quite a lot of literal pop culture in this episode, with a lot of talk about film – Helen has a new Shakespeare buddy in Tom Hiddleston and a glorious story involving Coca-Cola from Mia McKenna-Bruce – and of equity and equality in the entertainment industry. Our guest is DJ Paulette: international DJ, legend of the Haçienda, author of Welc…

1
The Holdover 43:18

6M ago43:18

43:18

It's not often that you see a Christmas film with Oscar buzz, nor one that the studio for some reason decide to release in the second half of January. Yet here we are, with the excellent cast and crew of The Holdovers. The reunion of Sideways' director and Star, Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti respectively, sees them tackle the story of a depress…

1
Why are non-alcoholic spirits expensive? Chris Bax of Bax Botanics explains all 33:52

6M ago33:52

33:52

We're all about spirits this week – not just because both of us went to see My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican (squee!) but because Helen chatted to Chris Bax of Wetherby craft sprit, Bax Botanics, (those delicious drinks we tried on our New Year episode) about the hows, whys, and whats of making a non-alcoholic spirit. And yes, this includes why …

1
#599 — George Clooney & Callum Turner, Kevin Hart & Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Dan Levy 2:05:40

6M ago2:05:40

2:05:40

We have a veritable guestapalooza this week as George Clooney and Callum Turner join us to talk The Boys In The Boat, Kevin Hart and Gugu Mbatha-Raw give us the lowdown on F. Gary Gray's heist movie Lift, and Dan Levy chats about his directorial debut Good Grief. Other than that, it's another fireside chat with just Helen and James this week as the…

1
Echo Preview Special ft. Sydney Freeland 20:49

6M ago20:49

20:49

Echo, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe show to debut on Disney+, continues the story of Maya Lopez, the deaf, Native American vigilante whom we met back in Hawkeye. And in this very special preview interview with Sydney Freeland, the Navajo filmmaker who is one of the show's directors, Chris Hewitt discovers just what we can expect from this fi…

1
Creativity in beer with Mash Gang's Michael Baggs 44:28

6M ago44:28

44:28

Yes, that is indeed a can of cereal milk pale ale – because when you run a craft nolo (no or low alcohol) brewery, you can do anything. We're talking about all things beer this week, and Mash Gang, co-founded during lockdown by our guest, Michael Baggs, has explored where beer can go more than almost any company we can think of. Helen met Michael t…

1
#598 — Joel Edgerton, JA Bayona 1:37:11

6M ago1:37:11

1:37:11

Happy New Year! With just two shows until 600, The Empire podcast crashes back into your feeds this week. Well, two thirds of it does because Chris is on holiday, leaving Helen and James to hold down the fort. And by that we mean have a cosy fireside discussion about all the fantasy books they devoured over Christmas, along with assorted stories of…

1
Dry January drink recommendations from Helen McGinn (@knackeredmother) & our listeners 55:33

6M ago55:33

55:33

Happy New Year and welcome to the show! Helen and Kat share their Christmas drinks and New Year's resolutions (spoiler: don't do them in January, it's miserable enough) before welcoming the genuinely divine Helen McGinn, wine expert, author, and star of Saturday Kitchen (and, as of Saturday night, Celebrity The Weakest Link!). Helen was a supermark…

1
#597 — Michael Fassbender, Adam Driver 1:35:50

6M ago1:35:50

1:35:50

The final Empire Podcast of 2023 is here, folks, and it's a belter, with two incredible guests. First up, Michael Fassbender returns to the pod after an absence of a few years, and in an extended interview with Chris Hewitt, he talks about returning to the big screen with the double-whammy of David Fincher's The Killer and Taika Waititi's Next Goal…

1
Pop Culture: with Helen O’Hara 21:45

6M ago21:45

21:45

SHOW BLURB Welcome to Pop Culture, the podcast that puts soft drinks at the top of the menu. Helen O'Hara and Kat Brown are arts journalists who don’t drink: Helen's a life-long teetotaller, and Kat is four years sober. Join us as we explore the culture lifting soft drinks out of the dark ages, hear from guests about their favourite non-booze optio…

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