Academy Award nominated “Chico & Rita” directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal have made a new animated feature for grown-ups — a unique, moving investigation documentary drama. “They Shot the Piano Player”, starring Jeff Goldblum as the narrator and voice of journalist / author Jeff Harris, opens in New York City and Los Angeles for an awards qualifying run on November 24th. Sony Pictures Classics will then release it nationwide in early 2024. Trueba and Mariscal joined me from Spain on Zoom for this 300th Episode of the LCJ Q&A Podcast.
Since the podcast began in 2011, Jackson has welcomed-in more than 250 entertainment industry figures. Jackson’s first guest was Tom Kenny, the iconic voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. Kenny talked about his latest film, “Winnie the Pooh”, in which he voiced Rabbit. Other topics included new “SpongeBob” episode, “Frozen Face Off”. And Kenny also celebrated his 49th Birthday that week.
In 2012, Jackson interviewed Lee Hirsch, director of the documentary “Bully”, actor/director Matthew Lillard and “The Middle” star Atticus Shaffer. 2013 guests included Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge (“Ice Age” movies) and the directors of “The Croods”, Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. 2014 guests included Chaz Ebert, wife of late film critic Roger Ebert and animation historian Jerry Beck.
2015 saw Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”) and “Hotel Transylvania” trilogy director Genndy Tartakovsky appear on the show. 2016 highlights included LAIKA founder Travis Knight and Oscar-winning “La La Land” composer Justin Hurwitz.
In 2017, the podcast featured “Fairly OddParents” creator Butch Hartman and comedian Gilbert Gottfried. Also, the popular Jenna Wolfe and Oscar-nominated writer/star of “The Big Sick”, Kumail Nanjiani dropped in.
In 2018, 4-time Oscar winning “Wallace & Gromit” creator Nick Park and “People NOW” host Jeremy Parsons joined LCJ. The star and writer/director of the critically-acclaimed film “Eighth Grade” – Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham – also joined the show.
2019 guests included “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” director Dean DeBlois and Emmy-winning host Wayne Brady. 2020 guests included Oscar winner Glen Keane and “Phineas and Ferb” creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh. 2021 guests included Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney. In 2022, Jackson welcomed directing legends Richard Linklater and Henry Selick, comedian Larry the Cable Guy and one of Australia’s most popular TV hosts, Larry Emdur.