The Treatment

Olivia Wilde’s comedy 'The Invite' was one of the hits of the summer of 2026. Wilde directed and starred in the film which was an adaptation of the 2020 Spanish film 'Sentimental.' For Wilde’s treat, she pays tribute to an actress to whom the film is dedicated, whose comedic performances came from vulnerability.

Director Garth Jennings and Pulp founder and frontman Jarvis Cocker initially worked together nearly 30 years ago on a music video for the song “Help the Aged.” Since then Jennings has directed multiple films, including 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,' and the animated 'Sing' movies. Cocker has released solo albums, written a memoir, and even acted in a Harry Potter film. The two have joined forces once more on the new documentary 'Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore?' 

 Cocker and Jennings discuss their early collaboration, why they both loved the ABBA Voyage concert...

Aziz Ansari is currently wrapping up his “Hypothetical”  comedy tour with a final stop at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey on October 29. In addition to his decades as a standup, Ansari also created and starred in the Netflix dramedy 'Master of None,' for which he won two Emmys for writing. For his treat, Ansari cites a 1996 French film as an inspiration for the series.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s hilarious and provocative characters defy categorization. He created and starred in 'Da Ali G Show,' where his characters Borat, Brüno, and Ali G, the clueless TV host, were born. He wrote and starred in 'Ali G Indahouse' and his mockumentary films 'Borat' and 'Brüno.' Cohen also has an impressive resume of dramatic roles, including 'The Trial of the Chicago 7,' for which he received an Oscar nomination, and the 2024 Apple TV series 'Disclaimer.' However, his latest brings him back to the beginning —  'Ali G: Who Iz I?,' a new film wh...

Jarvis Cocker was at the forefront of the ‘90s British rock scene as the founder and frontman of the group Pulp. He’s now featured in a new documentary Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore?, directed by Garth Jennings, streaming on MUBI. For Cocker’s treat, he recommends a surrealist novel that is also a meditation on creativity.

In the past decade, comedian Aziz Ansari has proven himself to be a true multi-hyphenate. After finishing up his run as Tom Haverford on the comedy series 'Parks and Recreation,' Ansari created and starred in the Netflix series 'Master of None,' for which he won two Emmys and a Golden Globe. He directed his first feature, 2025’s 'Good Fortune,' starring Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogan. And he has continued touring, putting out comedy specials, including 'Aziz Ansari: Right Now' and 'Buried Alive.' He continues to hone his standup chops on his latest 'Hypothetical Tour,' wh...

Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s summer blockbuster, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' takes on the Marvel Universe through the lens of family, lost and perhaps found. For his treat, Cretton recommends a book that connected him to a close relative just before he passed away.

Longtime creative collaborators John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein like to play with audience expectations around what their films’ actors will bring to the table. Their partnership began with co-writing the screenplay for the audacious comedy 'Horrible Bosses' and progressed to co-directing the 2018 action comedy 'Game Night' and 2023’s 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.' Their latest project is the Apple TV film 'Mayday,' starring Ryan Reynolds as a stranded US Navy pilot in Russian territory and Kenneth Branagh as an ex-KGB agent who discovers him.

Daley and Goldstein discuss their collaborative writing process, why they...

After multiple Emmy nominations for her portrayal of attorney Kim Wexler on the drama 'Better Call Saul,' actress Rhea Seehorn finally took home the statue last month for her starring role in the Apple TV sci-fi series 'Pluribus.' For her treat, recorded in front of a live audience, Seehorn gives a shout out to something that has been a steadfast companion for decades. 

Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg are the most influential directors of their generation with iconic films including 'The Godfather,' 'Star Wars: A New Hope,' and 'Jaws.' Their catalog runs deep.  

Author Paul Fischer’s book 'The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg—and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema' tells the story of how the directors became giants in filmmaking. In the book, Fischer describes each man’s brilliance and shortcomings, presenting a human story behind their abundant talent and prolific output. Fischer tells Elvis the story behind how 'Apo...

Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins wants to be a lifelong student. He has demonstrated that through never repeating a role as actor, his ambitious films as director, and as the founder of the nonprofit theater troupe The Actors’ Gang. His treat is a learning experience as well. Robbins gives an appreciation of what he learned nature can provide with just a few ingredients.

Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali knows how to say a lot through his characters, even those of few words. He has been rewarded for his soulful performances with two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his roles in 'Moonlight' (2016) and 'The Green Book' (2018) and has been nominated for Emmys for roles in several series including Ramy and House of Cards. 

His latest role is as the deeply religious hitman Latif in the crime drama 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.' Following the death of his wife, Latif embarks on a journey to protect his children as forces a...

In the film 'Union County,' director Adam Meeks takes an unflinching and empathetic look at the opioid crisis in rural Ohio. Meeks and his star Will Poulter did a grassroots tour of independent theaters in that state around the film’s release. For his treat, Meeks makes an impassioned plea for independent cinema that doesn’t fly over the states between the coasts.

Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s work often looks at real people struggling to find their place. He won the Oscar for the 2007 biopic 'Milk' starring Sean Penn as the openly gay activist and politician Harvey Milk. His other projects include the films 'Rustin and J. Edgar,' as well as the limited series 'Under The Banner of Heaven.' His newest project is the four-part docuseries 'Rock Out.' The series looks at the powerful impact the LGBTQ community has had on rock and heavy metal. Black tells Elvis how being an outsider can ultimately be a gift, why he...

Writer and professor Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor has grappled with her father Richard Pryor’s legacy through her teaching and her recent book 'Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.' For her treat, she celebrates an early comedy special that demonstrated her father’s command of language and the stage.

First time director Adam Meeks’ new film 'Union County' takes on addiction with empathy and hope. The film, which stars actor Will Poulter, who was also a producer on the project, looks at the opioid crisis in rural Ohio through a real-life rehabilitation program that has had promising results. Poulter plays a recovering addict going through the program alongside many non-professional actors who are on their own sobriety journeys. Meeks and Poulter talk to Elvis about documenting real recovery stories, what Poulter's conditions were before taking on the part, and why he often plays characters wrestling with their own pr...

Sir Christopher Frayling is a film scholar who has written extensively about Italian director Sergio Leone, most notably in the biography Sergio Leone by Himself. For his treat, Frayling reveals the early so-called children’s films he watched that horrified and thrilled him.

Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris and director Pete Ohs are frequent collaborators. Ohs worked on a documentary about Harris’ acclaimed and controversial Slave Play, and Harris starred in Ohs’ film The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick.

Their latest collaboration is the film Erupcja, starring pop star Charli XCX in a role far removed from her on-stage persona. Erupcja was filmed in Poland without a traditional script, and the actors all brought their own ideas to the project. Ohs and Harris tell Elvis how they got Charli XCX to be in the film, why Ohs like...

Actor Edward Norton seemingly reinvents himself with every role he takes on, from his breakout roles as someone who is more than meets the eye in 'Primal Fear' and 'Fight Club' to his take on folk singer Pete Seeger in 'A Complete Unknown' to his most recent role as a sexually adventurous neighbor in 'The Invite.' For his treat, he recommends a jazz album recorded by a friend who doesn’t want to rest on his laurels.

Filmmaker Damien Hauser didn’t shy away from challenging himself in his new movie 'Memory of Princess Mumbi.' The sci-fi mockumentary romance gave him multiple areas to make his mark as director, writer, and one of its stars. Hauser talks to Elvis about trying to capture the randomness and mundane moments of life in 'Mumbi,' why acting in and directing the film was partly a matter of convenience and how Bollywood influenced the film’s musical moments.

Actor Will Poulter is known for disappearing into his roles, whether as an exacting pastry chef in the series 'The Bear' or a recovering opioid addict from Ohio in his most recent film 'Union County.' For his treat, he shares what he learned about addiction and recovery from one of his co-stars and that film’s press tour.

Kent Jones has worn many hats in the film world. He has written film criticism, collaborated with Martin Scorsese on several of his documentaries, and he served as director of the New York Film Festival. As a director, his work includes the documentary 'Hitchcock/Truffault' and his feature film debut 'Diane.' 

 His latest film is 'Late Fame,' starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee and adapted from an 1895 Arthur Schnitzler novella. Dafoe plays a poet who is rediscovered and celebrated by a younger generation. Jones tells Elvis how the film diverges from the novella; why he's gl...

Actress and author Julia Fox hasn’t shied away from addressing the painful parts of her life. Her 2023 memoir Down the Drain is an unflinching look at her struggles with drugs and mental illness. For her treat, she recommends another raw memoir from a friend who also dealt with addiction, which inspired her to be open about her own experience.

Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins is always doing something new. He has appeared in acclaimed movies, including 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'Mystic River,' for which he received the Academy Award. He has directed the films 'Cradle Will Rock,' 'Bob Roberts,' and 'Dead Man Walking,' which garnered him an Oscar nod for Best Director. He is the founder of the nonprofit theater troupe The Actors’ Gang. And he’s currently starring in the Apple TV sci-fi series 'Silo' as Bernard Holland, the Head of IT. 

 Robbins talks to Elvis about his character's dramatic change in the sh...

This episode of 'The Treatment' is sponsored by Apple TV.

 Actress Rhea Seehorn’s dramatic range has been on display for years. 

 Her breakout role on 'Better Call Saul,' created by Vince Gilligan, earned her two Emmy nominations for her role as attorney Kim Wexler. Seehorn teamed up with Gilligan again for the Apple TV sci-fi series 'Pluribus.' Her performance as Carol Sturka, a bitter novelist who tries to figure out why most of the world is now controlled by a hive mind, landed Seehorn her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a...

Jerrod Carmichael’s confessional comedic work stands apart. In the last five years, he has created two ground-breaking works: the intimate and revealing Rothaniel and the HBO documentary series Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, which was not without controversy. For his treat, he recommends an acclaimed HBO series that he considers to be its own documentary.

Mary Beth Barone has been carving out her comedic persona for more than a decade. A seasoned stand up, she also co-hosts the comedy podcast Ride with Benito Skinner, and is featured in the Prime Video comedy Overcompensating, which Skinner created and stars in. Her newest comedy triumph is the Netflix special Galaxy Brain. Barone tells The Treatment why she enjoys bringing the audience into her stand up, how her punchlines are often in the middle of the joke, and whether her delivery is actually deadpan.

Writer, director, and actor Mario Van Peebles is perhaps best known for his 1991 breakthrough film 'New Jack City,' which he directed and starred in. Since then he has frequently been on both sides of the camera, which has taken him all over the world. For his treat, he explains why travel has been life changing for him and what it has taught him about humanity. 

For historian and professor Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, wrestling with  language is part of her job. However, she admits she was left speechless the day a student in one of her classes used the N-word. That moment was the impetus for her new book 'Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.'

Stordeur Pryor is the daughter of the late comedian, who often used the word in his comedy. The book is an examination of her complicated relationship to the word and to her father. Stordeur Pryor talks to Elvis about what her fa...

Jordan Peele’s films tackle uncomfortable truths about race in this country through humor, horror and many homages to classic films. Peele won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2017 for his hit directorial debut, 'Get Out.' For his treat, he talks about the film whose technical wizardry and problematic take on race inspired his 2022 film 'Nope.'

Actress Mariska Hargitay has played Captain Olivia Benson on 'Law & Order: SVU' for more than two decades keeping audiences rapt with her ability to balance her character’s vulnerability and strength through wrenching situations. 

Her latest project, 'My Mom Jayne,' put her in the director’s chair for the first time as she delved into the complicated and tragically short life of her mother Jayne Mansfield. The documentary is nominated for three Emmys and Hargitay will host the awards show in September, a first for her.

Hargitay tells Elvis that making the film was a cat...

Emmy-winning actor and writer Richard Gadd purposely puts his characters under great tension. He wrote and starred in the 2024 Netflix series 'Baby Reindeer,' which won three Emmys, and most recently created and starred in the HBO series 'Half Man.' He’s up for another Emmy in September for his performance. For his treat, Gadd celebrates an iconic duo, who also often found themselves under great tension, which led to classic comedy.

For actor and director Mario Van Peebles, talent runs in the family. Mario, the son of the late director Melvin Van Peebles, is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking 1991 film 'New Jack City,' which he directed and starred in. He also wrote, directed and starred in the 2003 film 'Baadasssss!' playing his father during the making of his breakthrough film 'Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.' 

Mario Van Peebles has kept himself busy since then and his latest project is as producer and director of the Netflix crime drama 'Nemesis.' He talks to Elvi...

Chelsea Peretti’s work as a comedian and as an actress on shows such as 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' demonstrates how her gift for deadpan can highlight the humor in the material. In 2023, she directed her first film aptly titled 'First Time Female Director.' For her treat, she cites a 1957 absurdist play that got plenty of laughs in spite of its bleak story.

Writer-director Wes Anderson has been talking film on The Treatment since his directorial debut, 1996’s 'Bottle Rocket.' Since then he has spoken with Elvis about making 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'Asteroid City,' and his most recent project, 'The Phoenician Scheme.' His films are beloved for their visual aesthetics, but fans know the scores and soundtracks are just as unique. 

 The Hollywood Bowl will be celebrating the music from his 30-year filmography with a special concert series from June 10-12, hosted by Bill Murray. Beck, Jackson Browne, Karen O, and even some actors will perf...

Among other things, director Wes Anderson is famous for his particular aesthetic taste, which runs through his films such as 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' 'The Darjeeling Limited,' and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' He is also known for the distinctive music scores and soundtracks that set the tone. That music will be celebrated in a three-concert event at the Hollywood Bowl on July 10-12. For his treat, however, he focuses on the visual: an architectural wonder in France whose ingenious design makes one wonder how it holds itself up.

At 83-years-old, Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese’s excitement for creating moving images is as palpable as ever. This quality shines throughout actor/filmmaker Rebecca Miller’s new Apple TV+ documentary 'Mr. Scorsese' and she’s here to tell us all about her process, including the key to getting her subject to open up on camera.

Note: This episode aired previously on October 17, 2025

Comedy writer Spike Feresten has written for some of the most influential shows of the ‘80s and ‘90s: 'SNL,' 'The Simpsons,' and 'Seinfeld.' His latest writing project was another collaboration with Jerry Seinfeld — the screenplay for the 2024 film 'Unfrosted.' For his treat, he cites a late night maverick who showed him that a career in the kind of comedy he loved might be possible.

Actor Edward Norton has been a favorite guest on The Treatment since his breakout performance in the 1996 thriller 'Primal Fear.' Since then he has steadily surprised audiences in films including 'American History X,' 'The Incredible Hulk,' and 'Fight Club.' He has four Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe win for 'Primal Fear,' and has also directed the films 'Keeping the Faith' and 'Motherless Brooklyn.' 

His latest role is in the Olivia Wilde directed comedy 'The Invite,' which co-stars Wilde, Penelope Cruz, and Seth Rogen. Norton talks about why his ch...

Writer-director David Siegel has collaborated on films with Scott McGehee for more than three decades. Their most recent feature is 2025’s 'The Friend,' starring Naomi Watts with a very large and well behaved co-star. But for The Treat, Siegel goes solo. He celebrates a polarizing style of architecture recently featured in an epic film directed by a friend.