This person died 2020, age 41. He won an Academy Award in 2018 – the first African American to win for best animated short. He was fueled by a seemingly endless reservoir of self-confidence. He gave himself the nickname Black Mamba. Today’s dead celebrity is Kobe Bryant.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 49 “Hammer Time” (Hank Aaron), Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali), and Episode 69 “Foul House” (Bob Saget).Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Sara Murphy.LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNYT obituary for Kobe BryantKobe Bryant’s Oscar-winning short film Dear BasketballJay Shetty interview with Kobe Bryant (On Purpose podcast)Modern Family cameo clipJimmy Kimmel interview: Kobe talks about Gianna and being a Girl DadDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Script Doctor (Michael Crichton)
This person died in 2008, age 66. He changed his major from English to anthropology after a professor’s harsh critique, graduating summa cum laude from Harvard in 1964. He earned a medical degree five years later, then walked away from clinical science altogether. He used fiction to explore the moral and political problems posed by modern technology and scientific breakthroughs. His books sold in the tens of millions and almost routinely became movies, many of them blockbusters like "Jurassic Park", "The Lost World," as well as "Rising Sun." He juggled roles as a novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer in both film and TV. Today’s dead celebrity is Michael Crichton.If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 97 "Time Pilgrim" (Kurt Vonnegut) and Episode 74 "Masterclass Act" (Philip Seymour Hoffman).Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host John Watts and is produced by Evan Sherer.LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNYT obituary for Michael Crichton2007 Charlie Rose interview1970s Dick Cavett appearance1992 TED Talk1999 Predictions about the futureDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Puberty Philosopher (John Hughes)
This person died in 2009, age 59. He began his career as an advertising copywriter in Chicago. While visiting New York during his advertising days, he hung around the offices of National Lampoon magazine and was published when he showed a gift for comedy. As a writer, he occasionally wrote under his pen name, Edmond Dantès, the real name of the Dumas hero in The Count of Monte Cristo. He faded from Hollywood in the early 1990s, and some surmised that he had stepped away simply because, for all his successes, he did not particularly like the film business. His greatest professional effect came from a series of teen-oriented films he directed in the 1980s, but his biggest success, in box-office terms, was the Home Alone series, of which he was the writer and a producer. Today’s dead celebrity is John Hughes.If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 104 Community Gardener (Penny Marshall) and Episode 29 Zen Comedian (Garry Shandling).Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Evan Sherer and features guest co-host Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNYT obituary for John HughesRare 1991 interview with John HughesNPR remembrance of John Hughes’s legacyFerris Bueller Fight Club theoryFerris Bueller Groundhog Day theoryJohn Candy tribute montageDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Late Bloomer (Betty Ford)
This person died in 2011, age 93. She spoke openly in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, endorsed legalized abortion, and discussed premarital sex. Her dependency on pills began in 1964 after a neck injury, and her drinking worsened as her husband’s political career advanced. When Gerald Ford lost the 1976 election, it was she who read the official concession speech with smiling grace. Today’s dead celebrity is Betty Ford.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 48 What About Bob (Bob Dole) and Episode 47 Proud Mary (Mary Tyler Moore).Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Evan Sherer and features guest co-host Wiley Hodges.LINKS:Transcript of this episodeCBS Remembrance of Betty FordShort segment of 1974 60 Minutes InterviewBetty Ford’s Lecture on Addiction and Recovery at HazeltonBetty Ford cameo on the Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Simpsons I’m Checking InDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Gonzo Troubadour (Hunter S Thompson)
This person died 2005, age 67. At his peak, he reached out in his writing to a generation made cynical by the Vietnam War and Watergate, and that was prepared to respond to his visceral honesty. His early work presaged some of the fundamental changes that rocked journalism today. His approach mirrors the style of modern-day bloggers and social commentators who blend news, opinion and personal experience on Internet postings. In 1970 he ran for sheriff in Pitkin County, Colo. It seemed a joke and another outlandish act, until the votes were counted and he came close to winning. His 1972 book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, cemented him as a singular presence in American journalism. Today’s dead celebrity is Hunter S. Thompson.If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 102 Magical Thinker (Joan Didion) and Episode 58 Best in Show (Fred Willard).Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Evan Sherer and features guest co-host Devin Fromm.LINKS:Transcript of this episode1975 Lucid interview with Hunter S ThompsonConan O’Brien visits Hunter S Thompson’s Owl FarmFear and Loathing in Las Vegas, opening sceneFear and Loathing in Las Vegas, high water mark monologueHST on the Kentucky DerbyTom Wolfe and Hunter S Thompson letter exchangeDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We explore the lives of notable people who’ve just died—celebrities, icons, cultural figures—and asks what their stories can teach us about ourselves. It’s part obituary podcast, part biography, and part existential detective work.Think you know everything about some of modern history’s most recognizable figures? We’re Amit and Michael, two pop culture enthusiasts who upend your assumptions about the iconic and the famous. Because that’s where you find the “gravy” – the rich, flavorful sauce that brings out the best parts of the dish that is life.Each episode we’ll put the lives of recently deceased celebrities under the microscope to consider the not-so-obvious ways these icons of culture left their impact and imprint on modern history. It’s a hilarious and fresh perspective on the celebrities you thought you knew.Listen to episodes of Famous & Gravy early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/famous-and-gravy/ now.
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