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Tag: Keith Richards

  • Marc Maron Announces End of ‘WTF’ Podcast

    Marc Maron as Sweeney in director Michael Morris' 'To Leslie.'
    Marc Maron as Sweeney in director Michael Morris’ ‘To Leslie.’

    Preview:

    • Marc Maron is to end his ‘WTF with Marc Maron’ podcast.
    • He reveals he’s burned out on hosting the show, but “utterly satisfied.”
    • Past guests have included Leonardo DiCaprio,  Brad Pitt, Keith Richards and Barack Obama. 

    One of the early adopters of the celebrity podcast interview format, comedian and actor Marc Maron, is hanging up his headphones.

    Maron, who in addition to his standup and other work has been in movies such as ‘To Leslie’ and animated effort ‘The Bad Guys’ (where he voices Snake), launched ‘WTF with Marc Maron’ in September 2009. And via a story in Deadline, he’s announced that the show will come to a close –– at least, its regular twice-weekly version, this coming fall.

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    Maron had this to say about the decision on a recent episode:

    “Sixteen years we’ve been doing this, and we’ve decided that we had a great run. Now, basically, it’s time, folks. It’s time. ‘WTF’ is coming to an end. It’s our decision. We’ll have our final episode sometime in the fall.”

    Related Article: Marc Maron Talks ‘To Leslie’ and What He’s Learned from Hosting ‘WTF’

    What’s the history of ‘WTF with Marc Maron’?

    Marc Maron in 'Stick,' premiering June 4, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.
    Marc Maron in ‘Stick,’ premiering June 4, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.

    A slow-burn success since its launch, the podcast has had 1.1 billion downloads, listens and impressions since its launch with 1,645 episodes as well as more than 300 bonus episodes for premium subscribers.

    Maron has interviewed comedy greats, A-list actors and even Presidents. His June 2015 interview with President Barack Obama broke the record for ‘WTF’s hosting service, Libsyn, for most downloads in a 24-hour period by more than double the previous record. President Obama travelled to Maron’s garage in Highland Park, California to discuss race relations and gun violence.

    Other standout episodes include Todd Glass coming out in 2012 and a 2010 episode with Robin Williams, which was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry in 2022.

    Maron, whose first ever guest was Jeff Ross, has also interviewed the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as well as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who was one of Maron’s white whales, the most discussed person on the podcast and the man who Maron needed closure from after a meeting that haunted him in the 1990s.

    Maron and his producer Brendan McDonald were the recipients of the first-ever Governors Award by the Podcast Academy for Excellence in Audio at The Ambies in 2021.

    Marc Maron talks more about the end of ‘WTF’

    Marc Maron stars in 'To Leslie,' which opens in theaters and on VOD October 7th.
    Marc Maron stars in ‘To Leslie,’ which opens in theaters and on VOD October 7th.

    Here’s Maron discussing why he chose to end the show now:

    “It really comes down to the fact that we’ve put up a new show every Monday and Thursday for almost sixteen years and we’re tired. We’re burnt out. And we are utterly satisfied with the work we’ve done. We’ve done great work. This doesn’t mean I’m never going to do something like this again. Doesn’t mean I’ll never have talks like I do here, or some kind of podcast at some point in time. But for now, we’re just wrapping things up. It’s okay. It’s okay to end things. It’s okay to try to start some other chapter in your life.”

    And on his other reasons:

    “It’s nice to be able to end things on our terms. We’ve always had that power to do that and that’s what we’re going to do. We started the show on our terms, we grew it on our terms, and we’ll end it on our terms.”

    Where else have we seen Marc Maron?

    (from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Bad Guys 2', directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Bad Guys 2’, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Maron initially came to prominence through his stand-up and has had several specials.

    Outside of that and ‘WTF’, stand-up comedian and podcast host.

    He’s hosted ‘The Marc Maron Show,’ and been co-host of both ‘Morning Sedition’ and ‘Breakroom Live,’ all politically-oriented shows, produced under the auspices of Air America Media.

    He was also the host of Comedy Central’s ‘Short Attention Span Theater’ for a year, replacing Jon Stewart.

    Maron has been a frequent guest on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ and made 44 appearances on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien,’ more than any other stand-up performer.

    He was also a regular guest on ‘Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn’ and hosted the short-lived American version of the British game show ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ on VH1.

    Aside from hosting and comedy work, he’s built an impressive acting career on screens big and small, including movies such as ‘The Order,’ ‘Joker,’ ‘Sleepwalk with Me,’ ‘Almost Famous’ and ‘Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.’

    TV acting-wise, his credits include ‘Reservation Dogs,’ ‘GLOW,’ ‘Maron’ and ‘Roadies.’

    Where will we find Marc Maron next?

    Coming up, he’s starring in Rob Burnett’s movie ‘In Memoriam’ alongside Judy Greer, Sharon Stone and Regina Hall, and is playing Bruce Springsteen’s producer Chuck Plotkin in Scott Cooper’s Jeremy Allen White-led biopic about The Boss, ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere.’

    On the TV side, this week will see him appear alongside Owen Wilson in Apple TV+ golf comedy series ‘Stick.’

    (L to R) Marc Maron and Owen Wilson in 'Stick,' premiering June 4, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Marc Maron and Owen Wilson in ‘Stick,’ premiering June 4, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.

    List of Other Movies and TV Shows Featuring Marc Maron:

    Buy Marc Maron Movies and TV On Amazon

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  • English Singer and Actor Marianne Faithfull Dies, Aged 78

    Marianne Faithfull in the 2017 documentary 'Faithfull'. Photo: BBC.
    Marianne Faithfull in the 2017 documentary ‘Faithfull’. Photo: BBC.

    Preview:

    • Marianne Faithfull has died aged 78.
    • She was known for work in both music and movies.
    • Her history also included high-profile relationships with the likes of Mick Jagger

    Marianne Faithfull, a stalwart of the 1960’s social scene in London who built a career as a singer, songwriter and actor, has died. She was 78.

    Her long and distinguished career saw her emerge and celebrated as one of the most original female singer-songwriters the UK produced; known for her unsentimental yet somehow affectionate songs, she brought personal power to lyrics, transforming them into something compelling and utterly personal.

    Faithfull’s family released a statement on her passing:

    “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithful. Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”

    Related Article: David Lynch, Director of ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ and Much More has Died Aged 78

    Marianne Faithfull: Early Life and Career

    Born in Hampstead in December 1946, her father, Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, was a British intelligence officer and professor of Italian Literature at Bedford College of London University.

    Her mother Eva had been a ballerina for the Max Reinhardt Company during her early years and danced in productions of works by the German theatrical duo Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill.

    Faithfull spent some of her early life at the commune at Braziers Park, Oxfordshire, formed by John Norman Glaister, where her father, who was instrumental in its foundation, lived and participated.

    Her parents divorced when she was age six, after which she moved with her mother to Reading, Berkshire.

    Marianne Faithfull: Music

    Faithfull began her singing career in 1964, landing her first gigs as a folk music performer in coffeehouses.

    She soon began taking part in London’s exploding social scene, the so-called “Swingin’ Sixties.” In early 1964 she attended a Rolling Stones launch party with artist John Dunbar and met Andrew Loog Oldham, who “discovered” her.

    ‘As Tears Go By’ her first single, was written and composed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Oldham, and became a chart success –– The Rolling Stones recorded their version one year later, which also became a hit. She then released a series of successful singles, including ‘This Little Bird,’ ‘Summer Nights,’ and ‘Come and Stay with Me.’

    During this period, her personal life became tabloid fodder. She began a much-publicized relationship with Mick Jagger and left Dunbar (who she’d married in 1965) to live with him. She was heard on The Beatles’ song ‘Yellow Submarine,’ and was found wearing only a fur rug by police executing a drug search at Redlands, Keith Richards’ house in West Wittering, Sussex.

    Talking in later years about her drug habits, she admitted it hurt her career.

    “It destroyed me. To be a male drug addict and to act like that is always enhancing and glamorizing. A woman in that situation becomes a slut and a bad mother.”

    Though she would still struggle with substances, Faithfull went on to have a memorable music career that spanned different genres.

    Faithfull emerged tentatively in the mid-Seventies with a country album called ‘Dreamin’ My Dreams.’ Though the album attracted little attention in the UK, it was a huge hit in Ireland, where the title track spent seven weeks at number one and led to her going back on the road for the first time in a decade, but it was her furious re-surfacing on ‘Broken English’ in 1979 that definitively brought her back.

    The virginal pop persona created around her in the Sixties was defiantly smashed: Instead with songs like ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,’ ‘Guilt’ and ‘Why D’ya Do It?’ Faithfull re-invented herself and her style Further new wave explorations followed with ‘Dangerous Acquaintances’ and ‘A Child’s Adventure.’

    In 1987, she released the critically lauded collection of classic pop, blues and art songs on the ‘Strange Weather.’ A live retrospective followed on ‘Blazing Away’, which displayed why Faithfull became one of the most sought after UK concert artists of the last 35 years.

    New directions were taken on ‘A Secret Life’ co-written with the Italian composer Angelo Badalementi, and in her exploration of the music of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht.

    Marianne Faithfull: Movies

    Marianne Faithful in 'Faces in the Crowd'. Photo: Millennium Entertainment.
    Marianne Faithful in ‘Faces in the Crowd’. Photo: Millennium Entertainment.

    Faithfull carved out a side career as an actor.

    She appeared at London’s Royal Court in an adaptation of Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters,’ alongside Glenda Jackson.

    She became the first person ever to utter the F-word in a mainstream film, ‘I’ll Never Forget What’sisname,’ in 1967.

    A year later, she starred opposite Alain Delon, as a doomed, leather-clad beauty in ‘The Girl on a Motorcycle.’ Her character’s psychedelic and erotic fantasies saw the film win the first ever X-rating in the United States.

    Other movie appearances included ‘Shopping,’ ‘Crimetime,’ ‘Intimacy,’ ‘Marie Antoinette,’ ‘Faces in the Crowd,’ and, most recently, her recognizable voice is included as one of the Bene Gesserit Ancestors in ‘Dune: Part One.’

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    And, of course, her music has appeared on a host of other soundtracks.

    In recent years, she teamed up with songwriters like PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, who each cited her as an inspiration.

    While her personal life may have overshadowed her music and movies at time, Faithfull will still be remembered as something of a pop cultural icon.

    Moviefone.com. "Find it. Watch it."
    Moviefone.com. “Find it. Watch it.”

    List of Mariane Faithfull Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Marianne Faithfull Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘The Stones and Brian Jones’ Interview: Director Nick Broomfield

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    Opening in theaters on November 17th is the new documentary from filmmaker Nick Broomfield (‘Kurt & Courtney,’ ‘Biggie & Tupac,’ ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’) entitled ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ which examines the life and death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones.

    The Rolling Stones in 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    The Rolling Stones in ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. © Getty Images. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Nick Broomfield about his work on ‘The Stones and Brian Jones.’ The director spoke of his personal connection to Jones, how his experience directing documentaries about rock stars uniquely qualified him to tell Brian’s story, why Brian drifted away from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and left The Rolling Stones, his surprising love for The Beatles, Brian’s possible future in music had he lived, and the importance of Bill Wyman’s involvement in the documentary.

    “Brian plays” by John “Hoppy” Hopkins © 1964 ESTATE OF J V L HOPKINS. From 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    “Brian plays” by John “Hoppy” Hopkins © 1964 ESTATE OF J V L HOPKINS. From ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your personal connection to Brian Jones and why you wanted to make this documentary?

    Nick Broomfield: Well, I met Brian when I was just 14. I was traveling back to school, and I guess like a lot of school kids, the Stones were our heroes, because they were very anti-authority. We were all wearing school uniforms, and they were regarded as being bohemians because they had this long hair. But I think they really meant a lot to us in terms of just a break with the past, ushering in a whole new future, and it was like a kind of dream. So, seeing Brian on the train was like meeting one’s idol in a way. I sort of timidly asked him for his autograph, and he ushered me to sit opposite him on the train. We chatted for about 14 minutes, which for a young 14-year-old was unbelievably wonderful. I couldn’t quite believe it. He was very gracious and elegant, and spoke with a very smart middle-class accent, which I wasn’t expecting either. This was a guy who seemed to have absolutely everything going for him. Yet seven years later, he was dead. He was the first of the so-called “27 Club,” and I always wondered what on earth had happened between this seemingly very happy person who I’d met on the train to somebody who died at 27 just so soon afterwards. In a way, the film was looking back at that time and looking at him.

    Brian Jones in 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release. © Getty Images.
    Brian Jones in ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. © Getty Images. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    MF: How did your experience directing other documentaries about rock stars help inform your work on this movie and uniquely qualify you to tell Brian’s story?

    NB: I felt a lot of his demise was going back to the age-old thing of wanting his parents to approve of him and not getting it. His parents were very middle class. His father designed jet engines, so he was a super engineer and mathematician. He did not want Brian in a rock band. He wanted him to be a barrister or a doctor or something like that in the professions. They never went to any of his concerts. Although he was the leader of the Stones and formed the Stones, it meant very little to them. They were very religious people: Welsh Baptists. Nothing that Brian did was good enough for them. I had previously made a film about my own father (‘My Father and Me’), and it was interesting to go into his family background, finding letters from him to his parents and from his parents to him. There was also an incredible recording that the BBC did from back in the day with his father, who was an incredibly articulate man, and spoke with incredible precision about Brian and the whole thing, which also gave amazing insight into his character, which was very complex. I think he was incredibly gifted and talented. He was an A-student at this ancient grammar school, which is very famous in England. He brought all this expertise to the Stones. He was the most accomplished of the musicians. He knew how to play slide guitar. He had worked out the keys that Muddy Waters and all the rest of the guys were playing in. He was a musicologist, but he lacked the confidence to write songs himself. He lacked the confidence that Mick and Keith had, and the discipline to a certain extent. So, when they stopped doing covers and started making their own songs, Brian fell kind of by the wayside. His leadership of the Stones was challenged obviously by Mick, who was not only the most brilliant front man ever but was also now writing songs like “Satisfaction” with Keith, and Brian was unable to accept that. I guess he wasn’t secure enough to celebrate their unbelievable success and enjoy that this was something that he had created. Instead of which he became more and more, I guess, unreliable and fell out with the other band members. The sixties were a time without rehabilitation clinics and the hordes of psychiatrists and psychologists we seem to have now, and there weren’t really any guide rails. I think Brian just didn’t look after himself and wasn’t looked after by anybody else, and from being such a great talent, he pretty much did himself in.

    Keith Richards and Brian Jones in 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    (L to R) Keith Richards and Brian Jones in ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. © Getty Images. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    MF: In your opinion, had Brian lived, do you think he would have eventually reunited with The Rolling Stones, or would he have continued working in music but with other projects?

    NB: Well, there was obviously a lot of speculation. I mean, it was very hard to tell. I mean, he was very popular. He was best friends with Jimi Hendrix, and they often played together. He played on one of The Beatles albums. “You Know My Name,” he played the sax on that of all things. In fact, he was an enormous fan of The Beatles music. His girlfriends would say he never ever played the Stones’ music at home. He’d play The Beatles all the time. So, he loved being close to Paul McCartney, I think. Who knows?

    Related Article: Mary McCartney Talks Abbey Road Documentary ‘If These Walls Could Sing’

    Sir Paul McCartney, in Studio 2 Abbey Road in 'If These Walls Could Sing.'
    Sir Paul McCartney, in Studio 2 Abbey Road in ‘If These Walls Could Sing.’ Credit: Mary McCartney.

    MF: Do you think his love for The Beatles was a result of his resentment towards Mick, Keith and The Rolling Stones?

    NB: Probably. I mean, he apparently hated “Satisfaction.” He said, according to one of his girlfriends, it was vulgar and cheap, and it was just not the kind of music that he wanted to do. But I’m sure a lot of that was a despair that they had managed to come up with the most brilliant song ever, and that people like Otis Redding were copying their music, who was a hero of Brian’s. So, I think it must’ve just destroyed him, really. I mean, he was a big talent. On “Ruby Tuesday,” he played the little recorder, and he played that incredible guitar piece on “Paint It Black.” I think with a sitar or something. So, he had a genius. What he wasn’t good at really was working with a team, which I guess you have to do with a band. You must go with the developments that inevitably happen.

    The Rolling Stones in 1964 in 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    The Rolling Stones in 1964 in ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. © Getty Images. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about the importance of former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman’s involvement in the documentary?

    NB: Well, Bill, we’ve credited him as a historical consultant because he is the guy with all the archive, and he kept a diary for every single day that he was with the Stones. They line his library, these incredible books. So, every single day is accounted for, every gig is written about. It was amazing having him as a resource. We were lucky enough that one day, we were going to do a voice interview, and we asked him if we could film it. Then I just pulled my phone out and said, “Look, just record it now.” He said, “What, here now?” I said, “Yeah.” And we got this wonderful two-hour interview from Bill. He’s so knowledgeable, obviously, about everything, and he prides himself as being an archivist, and he’s logged all the photographs. I think he had a real insight into that time. He was detached. I think archiving was his passion, so he was wonderful to work with. We were very lucky to get him.

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    What is the Story of ‘The Stones and Brian Jones’?

    Featuring revealing interviews with all the main players and unseen archive released for the first time, ‘The Stones and Brian Jones’ explores the creative musical genius of Jones, key to the success of the band, and uncovers how the founder of what became the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world was left behind in the shadows of history.

    Who is Featured in ‘The Stones and Brian Jones’?

    Theatrical one-sheet for 'The Stones and Brian Jones,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    Theatrical one-sheet for ‘The Stones and Brian Jones,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Stones and Brian Jones:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Stones and Brian Jones‘ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Nick Broomfield Movies On Amazon

  • Keith Richards Documentary ‘Under the Influence’ Rolls to Netflix

    Keith Richards
    Keith Richards

    “Keith Richards: Under the Influence,” a new documentary about the famed The Rolling Stones guitarist by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville of “20 Feet from Stardom,” is headed for Netflix on Sept. 18, it was announced Tuesday.

    “If there’s a Mount Rushmore of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Keith’s face is surely on it,” Neville says in a statement. “He has always represented the soul of rock music, for all of the light and dark shades that implies. To my relief, Keith Richards turned out to be a real man, full of humor, knowledge and wisdom. That’s the real Keith we’ve worked to capture in our film and I’m honored to bring it to ​a global audience via Netflix.”

    The film covers the people and places influencing Richards’ music as he makes his first solo album in 23 years — also to be released on the same day “Under the Influence” streams — and features interviews with Richards and rare archival material.

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