Legendary Publisher Judith Regan is this week’s featured guest on Hollywood at Home, a podcast, hosted by The Creative Coalition’s CEO Robin Bronk, featuring unplugged and uncensored conversations with entertainment industry’s who’s who.
In this episode, Regan shares private moments working with legendary radio host Howard Stern on the bestsellers, Private Parts and Miss America; her epic adventures in media and publishing from her days at the National Enquirer and how she dug into some of John Wayne’s most confidential moments; her groundbreaking interview that resulted in the “purely hypothetical” OJ Simpson confession; and more.
Hollywood at Home is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
Listen now at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-a-powerful-publisher-with-guest-judith-regan/id1521900273?i=1000600828283
For planned coverage, please link to:
http://thecreativecoalition.org/podcast
Highlights from Hollywood at Home featuring Judith Regan:
On what OJ Simpson personally said to Regan during their 2006 interview: “I had to be disciplined about [the interview]. At one point, [Simpson] leaned over and said to me, ‘When you came here today, you didn’t think you’d like me. But I changed your mind, didn’t I?’ All you have to do is watch him – how he says it, his inappropriate responses, his utter lack of regard and empathy for his victims and for his own children, his lack of accountability. His cavalier nature….That’s what was on his mind.”
On owning the rights to the OJ Simpson confessional interview: “Fox said, ‘We’re’ going to air the interview. I said, well, that’s funny because ‘We’ don’t have the rights to it, I do. And, they thought that they could basically get away with putting it on the air without paying me.”
On impossible, insane assignments for The National Enquirer: “John Wayne was in the hospital and they wanted me to track down his doctors and find out why he was in the hospital. During that period of time, you could call somebody’s office and they would actually tell you where their boss was. So, I rented a limo, was there with a sign with his name, got in the car with him and I asked him questions and got the story. It was a far more trusting era.”
On getting a Mia Farrow story: “It was Hunger Games. We had to do crazy stunts. I got to Martha’s Vineyard in a snowstorm and went to the local florist; I figured they knew where she lived and ordered dozens and dozens and dozens of flowers to be sent to her. And then followed the truck.“
On producing the Geraldo Rivera Show: “Geraldo’s a cat who has had nine lives for sure. He reinvented himself from uber-liberal to conservative, from Democrat to Republican. He was a master of reinvention, a master of the game. He was really great at coming in, sizing up the situation. He was a quick study. He was really bright and he adapted to the changes day-to-day and the changes in the culture.”
On publishing Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh at the same time: “I published Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern on the same day. And, it turns out they both had the same birthday. They were actually very similar. Although, they hated each other because they were both big radio show talk show hosts. Rush was extremely shy. Rush was alone in a room talking to himself. And he was very shy, painfully shy, afraid of people. A real social outcast when he moved to New York. He had a hard time – there was a big dichotomy between his politics and his schtick. And in his real life. I think he really wanted someone to be close to. I think he was really lonely in New York when he was there. Very lonely.”
“Howard was very funny and flirtatious. I think Private Parts really changed the trajectory of his career and the perception of who he was because we focused a lot on his personal story in that book. We had a really good graphic artist who designed it and at that time it was very innovative. Howard was really great because he said, ‘Look, you’re the editor, you know, you understand books. I don’t know anything about books. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.’” The most successful people that I’ve worked with over the years have always been the easiest. He would do his radio show, and right after the radio show, I’d get in the car with him and we’d go out to Long Island and we’d sit and work until he went to sleep. He really did work tirelessly. It’s effortless looking, but there’s so much behind success.”
More about Hollywood at Home:
Hosted by The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk, “Hollywood at Home” brings listeners intimate portraits, key moments of discovery, and “art and soul” conversations with iconic entertainment industry personalities from the big screen to the boardroom, from L.A. to D.C. Listen now at http://thecreativecoalition.org/podcast.
Previous guests include Jason Alexander (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Iain Armitage (“Young Sheldon”), Alan Cumming (“Schmigadoon!, “The Good Wife”), Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”), Kerry Ehrin (“The Morning Show”), Jim Gaffigan (“The Jim Gaffigan Show”), Willie Garson (“And Just Like That…”), Tony Hale (“Veep,” “Arrested Development”), Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “The Middle”), Jason Isaacs (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Harry Potter”), Richard Kind (“The Watcher”), Nathan Kress (“iCarly”), Marlee Matlin (“CODA”), AnnaLynne McCord (“Let’s Get Physical”), Eric McCormack (“Will and Grace”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”), Molly Smith Metzler (“Maid,” “Shameless”), Ken Olin (“This is Us,” “Thirtysomething”), Bill Prady (“The Big Bang Theory”), Kyla Pratt (“Call Me Kat”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”), Anthony Rapp (“Star Trek: Discovery”), Julie Taymor (“The Lion King”), Tramell Tillman (“Severance”), Krista Vernoff (“Grey’s Anatomy”), KT Tunstall (“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” “Suddenly I See”),and Alfre Woodard (“Clemency,” “Luke Cage”), among others.
More about The Creative Coalition:
The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating, mobilizing, and activating its members on issues of public importance. Actor Tim Daly serves as the organization’s President. The Creative Coalition also creates award-winning public service campaigns including #RightToBearArts to promote the efficacy of the arts. The Creative Coalition harnesses the unique platforms of the arts community and entertainment industry to make positive impacts on social welfare issues. For more information, visit https://thecreativecoalition.org.
For press inquiries:
Jess Hoy, The Circle Collective
jessica@circlecollective.com
C: 646-842-0438
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