Wiser Than Me

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Wiser Than Me is a podcast hosted by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. On the show, launched in 2023, Louis-Dreyfus interviews women older than her on their lived experience and earned wisdom. The show was named Apple's Best Podcast of the Year for 2023 [1] and the Webby Podcast of the Year in 2024. [2] Wiser Than Me is produced by Lemonada Media, a podcast company cofounded by Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. [3]

Contents

Louis-Dreyfus created the show to counter-balance the trend of iconic women disappearing from the public eye as they age. In the first episode she explains that this struck her while watching a documentary about Jane Fonda. “It is just stunning to me that old women are so easily dismissed and made invisible by our culture,” she says. Jane Fonda later became the first guest on the show. [4]

Each episode begins with a monologue from Louis-Dreyfus, followed by an interview with a well-known woman, typically over 70 years old, and ends with a recap conversation between Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her mom. Guests have included actress Jane Fonda, comedian Carol Burnett, author Isabel Allende and author Amy Tan. [5]

Episodes

Season 1 [5]
Ep #GuestAir Date
1Actress / Activist Jane Fonda April 11, 2023
2Novelist Isabel Allende April 11, 2023
3Writer Fran Lebowitz April 18, 2023
4Chef Ruth Reichl April 25, 2023
5Singer Darlene Love May 2, 2023
6Fashion Designer Diane Van Furstenberg May 9, 2023
7Former Head of EPA Gina McCarthy May 16, 2023
8Novelist Amy Tan May 23, 2023
9Actress Rhea Perlman May 30, 2023
10Comedian Carol Burnett June 6, 2023
Season 2 [5]
Ep #GuestAir Date
1Actress / Activist Sally Field March 28, 2024
2Musician Bonnie Raitt April 3, 2024
3Model / Actress Beverly Johnson April 10, 2024
4Cook / Author Ina Garten April 17, 2024
5Tennis Player Billie Jean King April 24, 2024
6Musician Patti Smith May 1, 2024
7Choreographer / Actress Debbie Allen May 8, 2024
8Author Anne Lamott May 15, 2024
9Designer Vera Wang May 22, 2024
10Author / Activist Gloria Steinem May 29, 2024
11Singer / Actress Julie Andrews June 5, 2024
Season 3 [5]
Ep #GuestAir Date
1Scientist / Conservationist Jane Goodall October 9, 2024
2Chef / Author Alice Waters October 16, 2024
3Correspondent Nina Totenberg October 23, 2024
4Actress Catherine O'Hara October 30, 2024
5Activist Dolores Huerta November 13, 2024
6Actress / Model Isabella Rossellini November 20, 2024
7Singer / Actress Patti LaBelle December 4, 2024
8Actress / Dancer / Singer Rita Moreno December 11, 2024
9House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi December 18, 2024

Awards

Wiser Than Me was the single show named Apple's Best Podcast of the Year for 2023. [1]

In 2024, Wiser Than Me was named the Webby Podcast of the Year. [2] The show also won the 2024 Ambie Award for Best Interview Podcast. [6] [7]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Fonda</span> American actress and activist (born 1937)

Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award and two Tony Awards. Fonda also received the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2007, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2014, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2017, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2021, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Louis-Dreyfus</span> American actress and comedian (born 1961)

Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedian. Often described as one of the greatest performers in television history, she is widely known for her roles as various characters on Saturday Night Live (1982–1985), Elaine Benes on Seinfeld (1990–1998), Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010), and Selina Meyer on Veep (2012–2019). Her list of accolades makes her one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history, and she has received more Primetime Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Apple Podcasts names Wiser Than Me the 2023 Show of the Year". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  2. 1 2 "Webby Podcast of the Year: Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss". The Webby Awards. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  3. Weprin, Alex (2023-12-05). "Apple Names Julia Louis-Dreyfus' 'Wiser Than Me' Its Podcast of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  4. "Conversations with older and wiser women". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Wiser Than Me™ with Julia Louis-Dreyfus". Lemonada Media. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  6. "2024 Ambie Award Winners & Nominees". The Ambie Awards. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  7. Victorian, Brande (March 26, 2024). "The Ambies: 'Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas' and 'Weight For It' Win Top Podcast Honors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2024.