EPISODE · Mar 27, 2026 · 12 MIN
Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear: Fantasy Life and grown-up rom-coms
from Popcorn Podcast
Amanda Peet and Matthew Shear are here to talk about Fantasy Life, their New York-set romantic comedy that won the Audience Award at South by Southwest and earned Peet a Special Jury Award for what Variety called the performance of a lifetime. They dig into what drew Peet to this unusually specific script, how writer, director and star Shear drew on his real-life experience as a Manhattan manny to write something deeply personal, and what it was like directing legends, including Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban and Holland Taylor as a first-time filmmaker. There's also a frank and fascinating conversation about whether acting is a void that can ever truly be filled.More Popcorn: Addition director Marcelle Lunam on Teresa Palmer, anxiety and power of loveNick Offerman on humour and humanityTalking The Travellers with Bryan Brown and Bruce BeresfordKnow someone who loves movies? Please share Popcorn Podcast with your friends.Keep Popcorn Podcast on the air by shouting Leigh and Tim a movie snack.Visit popcornpodcast.com for movie reviews, celebrity interviews and giveaways.Popcorn Podcast interviews the biggest stars on YouTube: Popcorn Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
Amanda Peet and Matthew Shear are here to talk about Fantasy Life, their New York-set romantic comedy that won the Audience Award at South by Southwest and earned Peet a Special Jury Award for what Variety called the performance of a lifetime. They dig into what drew Peet to this unusually specific script, how writer, director and star Shear drew on his real-life experience as a Manhattan manny to write something deeply personal, and what it was like directing legends, including Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban and Holland Taylor as a first-time filmmaker. There's also a frank and fascinating conversation about whether acting is a void that can ever truly be filled.More Popcorn: Addition director Marcelle Lunam on Teresa Palmer, anxiety and power of loveNick Offerman on humour and humanityTalking The Travellers with Bryan Brown and Bruce BeresfordKnow someone who loves movies? Please share Popcorn Podcast with your friends.Keep Popcorn Podcast on the air by shouting Leigh and Tim a movie snack.Visit popcornpodcast.com for movie reviews, celebrity interviews and giveaways.Popcorn Podcast interviews the biggest stars on YouTube: Popcorn Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear: Fantasy Life and grown-up rom-coms
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