Award-winning journalist Tom Junod wrote a 1998 Esquire article on Fred Rogers that serves as the framework of a highly-anticipated new movie. ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’, starring Tom Hanks as Rogers and Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel (based on Junod), opens November 22nd. Junod, who returns to alma mater UAlbany this week to discuss Rogers, talks about visiting the set of the film and how director Marielle Heller (‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’) captures his unique relationship with one of the most beloved people in television history.
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The LCJ Q&A Podcast is hosted by Emmy award-winning film critic, entertainment reporter and media personality Lights Camera Jackson. Jackson interviews actors, directors, writers, producers, animators, TV hosts, comedians and other celebrities. They discuss their latest, past and future projects.
Since the podcast began in 2011, Jackson has welcomed-in more than 100 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 a new “SpongeBob” episode, “Frozen Face Off”. And Kenny also celebrated his 49th Birthday that week.
In 2012, Jackson interviewed Lee Hirsch, the director of the documentary “Bully”, actor/director Matthew Lillard and “The Middle” star Atticus Shaffer. 2013 guests included Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge (Scrat in the “Ice Age” movies). Also on the show that year were the directors of “The Croods”, Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. 2014 guests included Kathy Griffin, 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 comedian Adam Pally, LAIKA founder Travis Knight and Oscar-winning “La La Land” composer Justin Hurwitz.
In 2017, the podcast featured “Fairly OddParents” creator Butch Hartman, Emmy-winning host Todd Newton, and comedian Gilbert Gottfried. Also, the popular Jenna Wolfe and Oscar-nominated writer and star of “The Big Sick”, Kumail Nanjiani dropped in.
So far in 2018, 4-time Oscar winning “Wallace & Gromit” creator Nick Park and “People NOW” host Jeremy Parsons have joined LCJ. His most recent quests include Recent the star and writer/director of the critically-acclaimed film “Eighth Grade” – Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham.