Best Lisa MacDonald Podcasts (2025)

1
The Edge Is A Battenberg (ft. guests Brett Goldstein, Emma Thompson, Paul Thomas Anderson) 1:59:43

Play Pause

2d ago1:59:43

1:59:43

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is one of those jam-packed ones in which we specialise. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt is blessed with the presence of our old chum, Brett Goldstein, who talks beards, bums, and baring his soul in new romantic drama, All Of You; [18:37 - 36:33 approx] and Chris also has a lovely chat with Emma Thompson as she ent…

1
Lisa Dallmer, COO – Dimensional Fund Advisors (EP.60) 45:21

3d ago45:21

45:21

Running and scaling a global fund group has its challenges. So when I was asking who I should talk to, Lisa's name came to the forefront. Her lens on the industry from the sell side to the buy side is quite unique. Lisa's recognized not only for driving operational excellence and revenue growth, but also for her ability to guide teams through trans…

1
For The Love Of Bagpuss (ft. guests Sean Penn; Cillian Murphy & Tim Mielants) 1:36:42

9d ago1:36:42

1:36:42

With Chris off on the fairway, taking his first proper holiday in approximately 20 years, its up to Helen O’Hara and James Dyer — the newly appointed Archbishop of Nerdbury — to hold down the fort, ably assisted by Empire news editor and former Pilot TV stalwart Beth Webb. Between the three of them, they do their level best not to refer to Cillian …

1
A Clint In The Eye (ft. guests Sam Riley; Hugh Bonneville & Allen Leech) 1:49:03

16d ago1:49:03

1:49:03

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast might just go ahead, make your day, as Chris Hewitt (having recovered from a colleague-inflicted mischief) invites Helen O'Hara and James Dyer into the podbooth for a discussion of the best films directed by Clint Eastwood. Amazingly, The Rookie is given short shrift. Then, our intrepid trio take a look at …

1
Unbreakable: Sandra’s Story of Brain Injury and Bravery 42:22

13d ago42:22

42:22

In this powerful episode of Imperfect Helping Hands, we sit down with Sandra as she opens up about the life-altering moment that changed everything the day she experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). With raw honesty and unwavering strength, Sandra shares her journey from the initial trauma to the long, uncertain road of recovery. She speaks ca…

1
The Shameless Plug #7: The Running Mag 41:30

17d ago41:30

41:30

The Shameless Plug — the show in which Chris Hewitt sits down with Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, to shamelessly plug the new issue of Empire magazine — is back back back, folks, and comes with a lovely slice of Brisket. Not the meat, mind you, but Glen Powell's dog, who somehow wound up on Chris' lap during one of his forays to the set of Edgar W…

1
A New Porcupine with Héctor Ramirez-Chaves 29:21

19d ago29:21

29:21

Simultaneously one of the cutest and most pain-inducing creatures, porcupines capture attention all over their worldwide range. In this paper, Héctor Ramirez-Chaves and his coauthors describe a new species of porcupine from the Andes of Colombia. The work has taken them across different ecosystems and to a good handful of international museums. As …

1
Ryan Ripp, COO – Flat Rock Global (EP.59) 40:14

15d ago40:14

40:14

Ryan Ripp is the co-president and COO at Flat Rock Global, an alternative credit manager specializing in the junior tranches of CLOs. If you read anything about the industry, the headlines are often about how alternatives are making their way to the wealth channel. The thing I always turn to is how is this going to work operationally. There are so …

1
Gleesons Vs Skarsgårds: Dawn Of Clint Howard (ft. guests MJ Bassett; Sean Ellis & Orlando Bloom) 1:49:05

23d ago1:49:05

1:49:05

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast asks perhaps the biggest question ever tackled on this show: who would win in a fight between the Gleesons and the Skarsgårds? Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann, as they tackle that scenario and more. Is the world truly ready for the Coppola clan kicking bottom? Elsewhere, our in…

1
The Life Of Chuck/Charles/Charlie (ft. guests Eva Victor; Olivia Colman & Jay Roach; Sir Ben Kingsley) 1:58:18

30d ago1:58:18

1:58:18

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down, on Zoom and in person, with a cavalcade of cracking guests. There's Eva Victor, star/writer/director of the excellent Sorry, Baby, who talks about cats, directing themselves, and people who look like yams. [23:05 - 39:05 approx] Then there's Olivia Colman and Jay Roach, star and director of The…

1
Ryan Teal, Head of ODD – Albourne (EP.58) 50:05

29d ago50:05

50:05

Ryan Teal is a Partner and Head of Operational Due Diligence at Albourne, a global investment consulting firm. Ryan and I talk about the role of AI within the ODD lens. Whether you’re an ODD practitioner or a manager trying to understand current trends you will want to take a listen. Ryan shares their approach on using AI as well as some recent sur…

1
The Life Of Custard (ft. guests Joaquin Phoenix; Tom Hiddleston & Chiwetel Ejiofor; Samara Weaving & Karl Glusman) 1:58:53

1M ago1:58:53

1:58:53

In one of those bumper-sized guest-filled jamborees in which we specialise, this week's Empire Podcast sees John Nugent sit down on Zoom to interview Eddington star, Joaquin Phoenix... or does Joaquin Phoenix interview John Nugent? All will be revealed. [18:52 - 35:59 approx] Elsewhere, Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat about The Life of Chuck with co…

1
Kruegersplaining (ft. guests Celine Song, Dave Franco & Alison Brie) 1:42:37

1M ago1:42:37

1:42:37

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast will haunt your nightmares, but in a good way, as Chris Hewitt returns to the host chair, just in time to tackle, with Beth Webb and Amon Warmann, a Mount Rushmore question about the best Final Girls in horror movies. Their final choices may shock you, but that's nothing compared to the bit where Chris expl…

1
The Shameless Plug #6: Two Days With James Cameron 42:04

2M ago42:04

42:04

Or 42 minutes with Chris Hewitt and Nick de Semlyen. Which would you prefer? Don't answer that. Anyway, that's what you've got with the latest episode of The Shameless Plug, as Chris and Nick sit down to talk about Nick's extraordinary adventures in New Zealand, shadowing James Cameron for two days as he put the finishing touches to this month's co…

1
Alien Earth: An Empire Podcast Special ft. Noah Hawley, Timothy Olyphant & Sydney Chandler 42:21

2M ago42:21

42:21

In space, no-one can hear you pod. Thankfully, we're not on space, we're on Earth, so you will be able to hear this wonderful Empire Podcast special dedicated to Noah Hawley's excellent Alien prequel, Alien Earth, which dropped its first two episodes today on Disney+. Here, you will hear Chris Hewitt sit down with Hawley, the show's creator and sho…

1
A New (Old) Apple with Todd, Cameron, and John 48:50

1M ago48:50

48:50

The moment John Bunker saw the 200+ year old tree, he knew it might be special. He had no idea however, that it was one of America’s oldest surviving apple trees, a French ancestor to many of the apple varieties we know and love today. Combining Todd Little-Siebold’s historical research and Cameron Peace’s genetic work, in this special interview th…

1
Ashley Sweren, COO/CCO – Standard Crypto (EP.57) 37:35

1M ago37:35

37:35

Ashley Sweren is the COO and CCO at Standard Crypto, a venture capital firm focused on crypto, Web3, blockchain, and DeFi. With institutional investing, we are all keenly focused on finding uncorrelated assets. But here’s the catch: when you go beyond the fundamentals, things get interesting with diligence, operations and finding best in class serv…

1
The Not-So-Difficult Second Movie (ft. guests Guy Pearce and Benedict Wong) 1:45:04

2M ago1:45:04

1:45:04

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Helen O'Hara slip into the host's chair in Chris Hewitt's absence, and use her endless reservoir of patience to corral James Dyer, Alex Godfrey and Ben Travis in a discussion of the best second movies by notable directors (and yes, we know that we didn't mention [INSERT BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS CHOICE HERE])…

1
Imperfect Helping Hands How two men overcame the challenge of divorce with Jon E & Seth R Episode 3 34:32

2M ago34:32

34:32

In this powerful episode, Jon Emery and Seth Rubin open up about the personal challenges they faced during their divorces and how they found resilience, growth, and purpose through the journey. Jon shares the emotional path that led him to contribute his story to a remarkable book that’s not only inspiring readers but also raising funds for a meani…

1
Hey, It's Enrico Pazuzu! (ft. guests Akiva Schaffer and James Gunn) 1:45:49

2M ago1:45:49

1:45:49

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast adds insults to injury, as the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Alex Godfrey, and Ben Travis — share their favourite movie insults. And, yes, misquote at least one of them horribly. Also, nothing on this earth will prepare you for Alex Godfrey's Pazuzu impression. We can only apologise in advance. Elsewhe…

1
Imperfect Helping Hands "Rise Above Grief" Interview Seth Rubin EP2 27:37

2M ago27:37

27:37

Welcome back to Imperfect Helping Hands, a podcast dedicated to embracing our imperfections, lifting one another up, and inspiring growth through shared human experience. In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Seth Rubin, who opens up about the profound loss of his mother which was one of the toughest chapters of his life. Seth vulnerably share…

1
A New Butterfly with Zac MacDonald and Julian Dupuis 52:52

2M ago52:52

52:52

Think butterfly genomics is a simple topic? Think again, but this time think alongside Zac MacDonald and Julian Dupuis. Not only are they answering some of the most interesting contemporary conservation questions, but they’re doing so using a very curious butterfly as their model organism. “One of the difficult things with studying these kinds of b…

1
David Brenner, COO – TIFF (EP.56) 43:35

2M ago43:35

43:35

David Brenner is the COO of TIFF Investment Management, an OCIO for nonprofit organizations. Stepping into the COO role of an established manager takes a unique set of skills so I turned to David for his insight. We discuss the common challenges of assessing culture, talent, and legacy; and the importance of timing of when to listen and when to tak…

1
Movie News Mews (ft. guests, Matt Shakman and Sam Rockwell) 1:40:40

2M ago1:40:40

1:40:40

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is all kinds of fantastic. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt sits down (in person, and on Zoom) with Matt Shakman, director of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, to discuss the FF's debut in the MCU [24:33 - 40:07 approx]; and Sam Rockwell, the cool cat who's Mr. Wolf in The Bad Guys 2. [1:07:02 - 1:19:28 approx] Then…

1
Bobby Omelettes And The Dolby Rumbler (ft. guests Alex Cox and Ralph Ineson) 1:43:52

2M ago1:43:52

1:43:52

Do not adjust your speakers, or your headphones. Yes, Ralph Ineson's voice really is that deep and sonorous. And in this week's Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt sits down with the actor who plays the planet-eating entity, Galactus, in next week's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and talks about how his voice is his passport. [1:04:38 - 1:20:16 approx] …

1
The Shameless Plug #5: Tron Ares, Light-Up Covers, And More 43:45

2M ago43:45

43:45

This month's episode of The Shameless Plug sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, for a deep dive into the latest issue of Empire magazine, which just happens to have a limited edition light-up cover to commemorate our latest cover movie, Tron Ares. Together, our dynamic duo discuss the art of the cover line, their favourit…

1
Five Deep-sea Isopods with Henry Knauber 56:15

2M ago56:15

56:15

Deep-sea isopods come in all shapes and sizes, and Henry Knauber is excited to see all of them. In this paper, he and his coauthors describe five new species and redescribe another as part of a large expedition to examine the biodiversity of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench region of the northwest Pacific Ocean. These new species are part of what he call…

1
Where's The Cueball Going? (ft. guests, David Corenswet and Joseph Kosinski) 1:32:25

3M ago1:32:25

1:32:25

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is dominated by bald baddies. Namely, a group discussion of the hairless horrors who have been tormenting do-gooders in all kinds of movies throughout the years. But also, our very own James Dyer, whose unexplained absence from the podbooth has Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and Alex Godfrey speculating wildly…

1
Heather Kennedy Miner, COO – Advent International (EP.55) 55:47

3M ago55:47

55:47

Heather Kennedy Miner is the COO at Advent International, one of the largest private equity firms in the US. I enjoyed sitting down with Heather to talk about her career path beginning with investment banking and then her 20 years at Goldman Sachs evolving into a variety of positions giving her a unique combination of technical and soft skills well…

1
Are We The Baddies? (ft. guests Mahershala Ali & Rupert Friend, David Cronenberg, Gerard Johnstone) 1:58:21

3M ago1:58:21

1:58:21

This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down for a pre-lunch chat about dinosaurs and sandwiches with Jurassic World Rebirth stars, Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend, [25:28 - 36:36 approx] while Mike Muncer goes deep with the legendary David Cronenberg, as the Canadian director marks the release of one of his most personal films yet, The S…

1
The Empire Podcast: The Movie (with guests Damson Idris, and Ivanna Sakhno) 1:48:08

3M ago1:48:08

1:48:08

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt break out the bleep machine for a particularly sweary chat with M3GAN 2.0 star, the delightful Ivanna Sakhno, [1:10:44 - 1:23:01 approx] and quietly judge the football team of Damson Idris, star of F1. [24:51 - 37:46 approx] Or F1: The Movie, to give it its full marketing moniker, which in…

1
Kent Collier, CEO – Octus (EP.54) 42:37

3M ago42:37

42:37

Kent Collier is the CEO of Octus, the leading voice in data and intelligence for the credit markets. It was exciting to sit down with Kent to hear about his role as an investor and how he saw an opportunity in the market to create something bigger with the way Wall Street accessed critical information. Kent shares his experience on how they expande…

1
Mona Lisa Episode IV: A New Hope (ft. guests Julianne Moore & Michael Pearce, Ralph Fiennes & Jodie Comer) 1:48:56

3M ago1:48:56

1:48:56

It's another packed episode of the Empire Podcast, the show that dares to ask the big questions: isn't the Mona Lisa just a woman sitting down? Who's the richest Northern Irish person? Can you buy stocks in Glen Powell? Join the pod team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — as they tackle those questions, discuss the origina…

1
Going Deep With Colin Trevorrow: An Empire Podcast Interview Special 32:55

3M ago32:55

32:55

In our latest Empire Podcast interview special, Chris Hewitt sits down (in a swanky London hotel room) with Colin Trevorrow, the director of Jurassic World and Safety Not Guaranteed, to talk about Trevorrow's latest movie, the Prime Video comedy Deep Cover, which he produced and co-wrote. But that's not all — Trevorrow also talks about his choices …

1
The Shameless Plug #4 45:21

3M ago45:21

45:21

The Shameless Plug — the show in which Chris Hewitt and Empire editor Nick de Semlyen sit down and do a deep dive into the contents of the latest issue of Empire — is back, folks, and this one really is fantastic. That's because this month's cover story is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which inspires Chris and Nick to talk about some of their se…

1
Yes, And/Yes, Andor (with guests Jack Lowden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Mohammed & Orlando Bloom) 1:44:41

4M ago1:44:41

1:44:41

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down in person with Deep Cover stars, Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed, to talk about their experiences playing improvisers who go undercover as fake cops;[1:00:00 - 1:15:52 approx] and on Zoom with Tornado and Slow Horses star, Jack Lowden. [26:15 - 39:20 approx] …

1
Kyle MacLachlan And Mark Frost On Twin Peaks And David Lynch: An Empire Podcast Interview Special 58:00

4M ago58:00

58:00

Here's a damn fine special episode of the Empire Podcast for you to enjoy. We're in the grip of Twin Peaks fever all over again — the seminal David Lynch/Mark Frost TV show is being celebrated this Sunday (June 15th) at the BFI Southbank in London with a special 35mm print screening of the show's pilot, and if that weren't enough, every single epis…

1
Reena Jashnani-Slusarz, COO & GC – Juniper Hill Capital Management (EP.53) 42:53

4M ago42:53

42:53

Reena Jashnani-Slusarz is the chief operating officer and General Counsel at Juniper Hill, a multifamily office based in Menlo Park, California. I had fun sitting down with Reena to talk about her non-linear career arc to find herself in a GC and COO role. This was a wide-ranging conversation touching upon some of the legal and operational complexi…

1
An Award-Losing Podcast (with guests Jai Courtney, Ian McShane, Dean DeBlois) 1:57:01

4M ago1:57:01

1:57:01

This week's episode of the freshly award-losing Empire Podcast sees the podteam lick their wounds after a demoralising defeat in the Best Podcast (Consumer) category at the BSMEs earlier in the week. How do they do this? By talking about movies, of course, as they discuss the week's news (a load of trailers, and a potential new James Cameron movie)…

1
Wade Eastwood On The Stunts Of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning: An Empire Podcast Interview Special 41:20

4M ago41:20

41:20

Whether it's Tom Cruise risking his neck underwater, or above ground while clinging to the wing of a biplane, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is filled with stunts that might just turn your hair white. That's if you don't lose it completely. That's just one of the side effects discussed in this Empire Podcast interview special, as the fil…

1
Ep 126 Every Parent's Worst Fear (with Tammy MacDonald) 34:50

4M ago34:50

34:50

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of death, domestic violence, substance use, and strong language related to grief. Please listen with care. In this powerful and deeply vulnerable season closer, we welcome a guest whose story holds the weight of every parent’s worst fear. One year ago, Tammy received a call that shattered her wo…

1
Starting In The Middle (with guests Jesse Armstrong, Tim Key, Tom Basden & Carey Mulligan) 1:53:44

4M ago1:53:44

1:53:44

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Alex Godfrey — get to grips with the definition of in media res, as they discuss some of their favourite films that throw you right into the action. Elsewhere, they talk about the week's movie news, pay tribute to Empire's founding editor Barry M…

1
A New Toxungenous Scorpion with Léo Laborieux 33:38

4M ago33:38

33:38

“Serendipity is a real grabbing force of science,” says Léo Laborieux as he shares his experience describing his new species of scorpion. While at a remote research station in the Colombian rainforest, Léo found a handful of scorpions that exhibited a unique venom ‘flicking’ behavior. Armed only with his phone and a few basic supplies, Léo document…

1
Letti de Little, CCO – Grain Management (EP.52) 45:01

4M ago45:01

45:01

Letti de Little is the Chief Compliance Officer for Grain Management, a private equity firm that invests in telecom, infrastructure, and wireless spectrum assets. Today’s LP is focused on finding uncorrelated assets more than ever. But doing so often requires an understanding of the operational nuances which are different from buying traditional, t…

1
Christopher McQuarrie on The Final Reckoning, Benicio del Toro & Michael Cera on The Phoenician Scheme, Tony Gilroy on Andor s2 (spoilers), and Cannes You Dig It? 1:58:45

4M ago1:58:45

1:58:45

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt mark the release of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning by doing a non-spoiler, non-epic (less than 20 minutes!) chat with that film's director, the legendarily loquacious Christopher McQuarrie, [26:00 - 43:06 approx] and have a lovely natter with the stars of the new Wes Anderson fi…

1
The Shameless Plug #3: Jurassic World Rebirth And Other Animals 39:22

4M ago39:22

39:22

The Shameless Plug — the show in which Chris Hewitt and Empire editor, Nick de Semlyen, sit down and talk you through the latest issue of Empire — is back for its third episode, folks. This one is dedicated to issue 441 of Empire (on sale now at all good, evil, and virtual newsagents), which features Jurassic World Rebirth on the cover, and Nick ta…

1
The Extraordinary Miss Flower: An Empire Podcast Interview Special 30:31

4M ago30:31

30:31

Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's The Extraordinary Miss Flower is part-concert film, part-performance art piece inspired by the life of its subject, a woman called Geraldine Flower. When she passed away a few years ago, her daughter Zoe discovered a number of letters, written over the years by suitors of Geraldine's, which painted a picture of a wil…

1
Rosamund Pike & Matthew Rhys, Final Destination Bloodlines directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, Superman and Spelling Bees 1:38:49

4M ago1:38:49

1:38:49

This week's episode of the BSME Awards-nominated Empire Podcast had better not be the episode that the BSME Awards judging panel listens to ahead of voting, or our nomination might be rescinded. Which is to say, chaos reigns as Chris Hewitt returns — eventually, after being waylaid by a McQ&A — to the hosting chair, and is joined by Helen O'Hara, J…

1
A New Begonia with Dipankar Borah 30:55

4M ago30:55

30:55

Begonias are known around the world as a plant of beauty and diversity. What can they teach us about the world around us? Through his work on Begonias and other flowering plants found in Northeast India, Professor Dipankar Borah sees the world differently. It’s not just for his own benefit though. “Much of my time is spent making students aware of …

1
John Fitzpatrick, Sr. Managing Director & CTO AAMT – Blackstone (EP.51) 40:47

4M ago40:47

40:47

John Fitzpatrick is a Senior Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer of Alternative Asset Management Technology at Blackstone. These are exciting times in technology with a lot of moving parts so I was excited to sit down with John to get his perspective on where we are today and where we’re going. John shares his thoughts on the big picture…