Don't @ Me with Justin Simien

Latest Episodes:

Breaking Shame Cycles w/ Dahéli Hall Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s pre-recorded episode of Don’t @ Me, I’m joined by the funniest woman I know, Dear White People writer-actor and comedian Dahéli Hall. Hang with me and the MADtv alum while we discuss gatekeeping in the comedy world, working through our shame cycles, and why she would’ve been a much better Seinfeld.

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Hollywood Outsiders w/ Sam Bailey Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

This week on Don’t @ Me, my friend and Dear White People writing producer/director Sam Bailey joins me as we tackle navigating the “industry of dreams” as Black creatives. The Chicago-bred, Emmy-nominated director and I talk about her being inspired by messy brown women, co-creating the hit web series Brown Girls, and operating as an outsider in Hollywood.

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Queer Divinity w/ Alex Newell Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

In another live Zoom edition of Don’t @ Me I’m joined by Broadway-turned-TV superstar Alex Newell. We discuss his part in shaping his role as the gender-nonconforming neighbor Mo in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, growing up queer in the Black church, and why he is the perfect candidate to play Dreamgirls’ Effie White.

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The Not-So-Hidden Talents of Malcolm Barrett Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Don’t @ Me, the insanely hilarious Malcolm Barrett introduces me to his alter ego Verbal the Rapper. The actor-writer-rapper talks about starting Ammunition Theatre Company, not talking to white schoolmates for an entire year, and figuring out how to bring positive change as a Black creative amid protests and quarantine. Plus he drops a freestyle none of us saw coming!

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The Gospel of Karamo Brown Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s episode of Don’t @ Me, tap in and get therapized by the beloved Fab Five member Karamo Brown. From learning to live for joy, to facing pushback in shaping his Culture Expert role on Queer Eye and which of his fellow co-hosts is his favorite, Karamo spits nothing but gospel truths.

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Directing While Black w/ Tiffany Johnson Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s Don’t @ Me, my friend director Tiffany Johnson catches us up on her career growth in television! We discuss picking your battles, the role of the artist in times of trauma, and an all-Black Love Witch.

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Being Bold w/ Dime Davis Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

In this live via Zoom episode of Don’t @ Me, I welcome back my bestie, writer-director Dime Davis. We look at how far she’s come since her last visit as a newly Emmy-nominated director on A Black Lady Sketch Show, her work on season two of BET’s Boomerang, and how she knew her worth even before she blew up.

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Bad Hair w/ Jarrett Hill Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

Don't @ Me w/ Jarrett Hill? My friend, renowned journalist and fellow podcast host Jarrett Hill, asked to interview me on my podcast and how could I say no? Tune in to hear us break down my upcoming film BAD HAIR -- the inspiration, the backlash, the ancestral energy in it -- we get into it all. Check out the film, releasing October 23rd on Hulu!

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The 40 Year-Old Version w/ Radha Blank Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Radha Blank came by for this week’s Don’t @ Me and she did not come to play! I talk to the brilliant writer-director of the Sundance darling “The 40-Year-Old Version.” Beware of gems dropping as Radha gets real about directing herself in her feature debut, commanding respect on set as a Black woman, and the Purple Rain reference in her film you just might’ve missed.

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The Audacity of Punks w/ Patrik-Ian Polk Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Tune in for a conversation with the godfather of Black gay cinema, Patrik-Ian Polk. The Punks writer-director talks to me about commerce vs artistic vision, American culture’s Black gay spirit, and how he ended up on a Prince tribute album.

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