Stay ConnectedPodcrushed — the podcast where Penn Badgley reads your middle school story — explores the heartbreak, anxiety and self-discovery of being a teenager. Hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari bring you stories and conversations about middle school – from childhood crushes, to battles with body hair, to schoolyard scuffles. The results are sometimes awkward, sometimes heartwarming, and always relatable.
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Copyright: © 2025 Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, Sophie Ansari
Dylan Arnold (Oppenheimer, YOU) is in the guest seat this week, sharing about his latest project opposite Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, “Lady in the Lake”. But first, he recalls the impact “Twilight” had on his self esteem as a middle school boy sans a cut jaw and six pack. He recalls his early passion for theater, and why working with Christopher Nolan was like attending 100 million dollar film school. And, of course, we get into YOU, what it was like working opposite Victoria Pedretti, and Dylan’s feelings on how the whole thing should end.
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Your favorite icy grl, rapper extraordinaire, Saweetie joins us in-person for an intimate conversation on childhood, yearning for parental closeness, friendships born out of tests, and the early glimmerings of massive talent. Saweetie shares how giving herself a one year timeline to live austerely led to her current success, and what her fans can expect from her soon.
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Our second themed-AMA of the season is all about LOVE. The hosts tackle your questions on how to get over heartbreak, recognize “the one”, reconcile religious differences, and keep things playful. They weave their non-expert (repeat: totally subjective, possibly unhelpful!) opinions with personal stories that will make you laugh, and (if you’re a Nava or a Sophie) possibly tear up.
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Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Deal or No Deal Island) is a renowned heartthrob— but did you know he’s also a certified, almost-skipped-two-grades, dungeons&dragons master, nerd? Joe regales us with stories of his almost unbelievable tween years juggling his academic gifts with his athletic prowess and a burgeoning passion for the arts. He opens up about why honoring a family legacy of survival is so important to him, and why becoming a dad could be his most exciting role yet.
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Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary, Dear White People, Everybody Hates Chris) tells stories of jumping over tables to impress his middle school crush, recalls memories of how he quelled his own internalized feelings of rejection from his years playing a reject on television, and offers his philosophy on how film sets with both adult and child actors should run.
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Today we're rerunning one of our favorite interviews from Season 1! Conan O'Brien (SNL, Late Night, Conan) comes by to discuss his "need" for friendship and what it was like being the tall, lanky redhead in middle school in Boston. He also tells the group about the beginnings of his career in comedy at Harvard, SNL and more. Stick around to hear about his family's obsession with Gossip Girl and his thoughts on how the show ended.
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Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect, Hairspray) joins the gang and shares stories from her decades-long career in Hollywood. Brittany shares details about the extreme lengths she went to in order to succeed as a child actor, and how her own struggles with relationships and body image influenced her directorial debut, Parachute. She and Penn dish on the John Tucker Must Die sequel rumors, and share their favorite memories from set.
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Maya Hawke (Stranger Things, Inside Out 2) drops by the pod and shares why conventional schooling wasn’t for her, and how growing up immersed in art shaped her. She reflects on how it felt to be the new kid on Stranger Things, and talks about the inspiration behind her new album "Chaos Angel."
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In Part 2 of this special conversation with Ariana Grande, Ariana spills the beans on why she keeps casting TV serial killers as her music video leads, the dance move Penn tried to sneak into the "The Boy Is Mine" video, and the inspiration for her Eternal Sunshine era. The gang share their reactions to the Wicked trailer, and Ariana opens up about all the magic she experienced bringing Glinda to life — in front of and behind the scenes.
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In Part 1 of this two-part conversation with the extraordinarily prolific Ariana Grande, the crew has a wide-ranging conversation on childhood, her Broadway origins, and getting to act alongside her best friends. Ariana shares thoughtful reflections on her time at Nickelodeon and why therapy should be mandatory for all child actors.
For more on music, Eternal Sunshine, BTS on The Boy is Mine MV, and Wicked, check out Part 2.
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