Variety Confidential Podcast
1) The Icon
With only 14 film credits, River Phoenix has left an indelible mark in Hollywood and beyond. In “The Icon,” the fourth episode of Variety and iHeart Podcasts’ “Variety Confiden...Show More
2) Gone Too Soon
River Phoenix’s story is one of brilliance and tragedy, and both his life and work illuminated the beauty and the darkness of the human experience. In “Gone Too Soon,” the third epis...Show More
3) The Turning Point
While “My Own Private Idaho” showcased River Phoenix’s brilliance as an actor, his time making the 1991 film also exposed him to the darker side of Hollywood. In “The Turning P...Show More
4) Rising Star
River Phoenix’s upbringing not only shaped his worldview but also ignited his artistic passions early on, laying the groundwork for his future career in Hollywood. The 1986 film "Stand By Me&rdq...Show More
5) Errol Flynn "When You're a Star"
After starring in the 1935 film “Captain Blood,” actor Errol Flynn became the big screen’s foremost swashbuckler. Seven years later, two underage girls accused the golden age movie star of statutory r...Show More
6) Roman Polanski "Disgraced Genius"
Known for “Chinatown,” “Rosemary's Baby” and “The Pianist,” Roman Polanski is one of the most acclaimed directors in cinematic history. He is also a convicted child rapist who has faced several sexual...Show More
7) Don Simpson "80s Hits and 80s Excesses"
Don Simpson reigned over Hollywood after joining forces with his producing partner Jerry Bruckheimer in the 1980s. Around town, the studio executive-turned-producer’s addiction to sex workers and drug...Show More
8) Henry Willson "The Man Who Invented Beefcake"
In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly unearth the story of Henry Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in bo...Show More
9) Darryl F. Zanuck "Four O'clock Girls"
Darryl F. Zanuck was a legendary figure in Hollywood known for leading a major studio, producing top films and assaulting aspiring actresses in the 1930s. That same decade, the term "casting couch" su...Show More
10) Alexander Pantages "The Beast"
For much of the last century, a victim's sexual history was allowed as evidence at trial. It became legally admissible after a state Supreme Court ruling in 1931, which was the result of a high-powere...Show More