83 episodes
Famous and Gravy 14th Street Studios
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- TV & Film
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4.5 • 130 Ratings
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On every episode we choose a celebrity who died between 1 and 10 years ago. We then go through a series of structured categories. We start by rating the first line of their NYT obituary on a scale of 1–10. We then look at their life stats, we speculate on their inner lives, and we ultimately answer the question "Would I want that life?" Each category helps weigh the desirability of a given life. Our approach is that of an empathetic biography. Our dead celebrities cross many categories of fame, including film, TV, sports, music, politics, literature, and more. Our goal is to make serious topics fun.
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Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
This person died 2016 at age 69. He suffered a blow in a teenage brawl that caused his left pupil to be permanently dilated. He experimented with startling transformations, often playing up an androgynous image. In the 1980s he had a Broadway run in the demanding title role of “The Elephant Man”. Nirvana chose to sing one of his songs in their legendary brief set on “MTV Unplugged” in 1993. He was the Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane, Major Tom, and Ziggy Stardust. Today’s dead celebrity is David Bowie.
This episode originally published March 8, 2023.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let’s Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 32 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for David Bowie
17-year old David interviewed about Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men
Infamous Bowie Interview on Dick Cavett show in 1974
Bowie as musical guest on SNL in 1979
“Iman on LIfe with David Bowie” in Vanity Fair
Will Ferrell and John C Reilly play David Bowie and Bing Crosby
David Bowie scene on ‘Extras’ with Ricky Gervais
“Did David Bowie Say He Supports Fascism” article on Snopes
David Bowie predicted impact of the internet in 1999 BBC interview
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Dimpled Ambassador (Shirley Temple)
This person died in 2014 at age 85. In the 1930s, she was a determined child actress who sang and tap-danced her way to the height of Hollywood stardom. For at least 5 consecutive years, she was the most popular movie star in America. She was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by Richard Nixon. In 1972, she held a news conference in her hospital room after her mastectomy, encouraging women discovering breast lumps to not be afraid. She was the United States ambassador to Ghana from 1974 to 1976, and to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992. Today’s dead celebrity is Shirley Temple Black.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Shirley Temple Black
Classic Shirley Temple scene “On The Good Ship Lollipop”
“The Child Star Who Wasn’t a Cautionary Tale” from The Atlantic
Shirley Temple Black on Larry King Live
How to Make a Shirley Temple drink
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Super Funkhouser (Bob Einstein)
This person died in 2019, age 76. In 1958 when he was 14, his father died immediately after performing a roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. His dry delivery piqued the interest of Tom Smothers, who offered him a job in the late 1960s as a writer on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He was roommates with Steve Martin for a number of years, and his younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous and long-lived character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen like Evel Knievel. Recently, he starred as Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Today’s dead celebrity is Bob Einstein.
This episode originally published December 14, 2022.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 75 “Love and OJ Jokes” (Norm Macdonald) and Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Bob Einstein
Super Dave Osborne King of the Road video
Super Dave Bungee Jump video
Scene in Modern Romance with Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks
“Super Dave, In Memoriam” article in The Yorker
“Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The Ringer
Bob Einstein Official Website
The Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO Documentary
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Likable Villain (Alan Rickman)
This person died in 2016 at age 69. In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, he played a panoply of fascinating characters. He had his early successes in stage works involving the Royal Shakespeare Company. Though he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he won many accolades, but shrugged off the value of awards in general. He gained a worldwide audience in “Die Hard,” playing Hans Gruber, the devious, well-spoken terrorist who took over the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. More recently, he played the notorious professor Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” series. Today’s dead celebrity is Alan Rickman.
This episode originally published November 2, 2022.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne.This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 55 “Pure Imagination” (Gene Wilder) and Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times obituary for Alan Rickman
Emma Thompson tribute to Alan Rickman
Kevin Smith tribute to Alan Rickman
Hans Gruber fall in Die Hard
Alan Rickman’s voicemail bit on Family Guy
Alan Rickman takes Jimmy Fallon to task
Alan Rickman behind the scenes of Harry Potter as Snape
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Purple Reign (Prince)
This person died in 2016 at age 57. He won an Academy Award in 1985, and a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was still a teenager when he was signed to Warner Bros Records, in a deal that included full creative control. His work inspired the formation of the Parents’ Music Resource Center, which pressured record companies into labeling albums to warn of explicit content. In 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable glyph, and for a while he was referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known As”. His chart-topping hits included “Let’s Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Purple Rain”. Today’s dead celebrity is Prince.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Megan Palmer, and features guest co-host Nichelle Carr. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 45 “Rebel Rebel” (David Bowie) and Episode 21 “Florida Man” (Tom Petty)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Prince
Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories on Chappelle Show
Dick Clark interviews Prince on American Bandstand in 1980
Chris Rock interviews Prince in 1997
Prince’s performance at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Black Women of Amherst College podcast series
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Hungarian Socialite (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
This person died in 2016 at age 99. She appeared as a nightclub manager in Orson Welles’ 1958 “Touch of Evil”, and the same year as a sexy alien in “Queen of Outer Space”. She appeared on scores of talk shows, game shows, comedy specials, and episodic dramas. In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer. She was married at least eight times, and called everyone “Dahlink.” Today’s dead celebrity is Zsa Zsa Gabor.
This episode originally published June 15, 2022.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let’s Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 55 “Sleepless Sally” (Nora Ephron)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor
“Why I wish I married Zsa Zsa Gabor” from The Guardian
Life Advice Straight From Zsa Zsa Gabor's Book
“Judge Slaps Zsa Zsa with 3 days in jail” from LA Times
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Customer Reviews
so grateful to have found this podcast
i’m probably a little out of the desired demographic; on the other hand, i’m grateful to have lived long enough to be able to take this ride with michael and amit and relive so many of these cultural milestones. i would say that about 90% of their perceptions and conclusions are right on and i laugh when i want to throw spaghetti at my phone screen when they get something wrong. this is a very insightful and original experience and certainly a learning experience for those not having lived at the same time as those celebrated. good job, you guys. it’s fun, smart and some of us get to relive how we got here! keep on keeping on!
Lovely
You guys are great. This show is so much more than I expected it to be. I would just ask that you reconsider the St Peter / pearly gates bit. It’s the only part of the show I don’t love and I hate that it ends with a religious dud.
Love the intelligence found here!
Fantastic way to reflect on one’s life…before you die…through the lens of people with famous jobs. The conversation is great and I find myself pondering my own reactions and thoughts. Don’t let the celebrity of this podcast fool ya, this IS a podcast for all of us! Bravo you guys!
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