Can't Stop Watching (Los Angeles Times)

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In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities. 

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Today, we can’t stop watching Jean Smart, who plays Laurie Blake on HBO’s “Watchmen.” Smart discusses a recent “Designing Women” reunion, the miniseries she’s working on with Kate Winslet, and what she thinks of the Trump administration.

Today, we can’t stop watching Tracee Ellis Ross. She has earned an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a comedy series for her performance as Rainbow Johnson on ABC’s “Blackish.” Ross tells us how she spent her Emmy nomination day and why she speaks up for her character on set. Plus, she opens up about the emotional moment she debuted her singing voice for her mother — none other than the legendary Diana Ross.

Today, we can’t stop watching Penn Badgley, who plays Joe Goldberg, the obsessive and murderous main character in the Netflix thriller “You.” Badgley talks about how he gets into the right mindset to play a cold-blooded killer. He also shares his response to allegations of sexual improprieties leveled by several women at Chris D’Elia, who played Henderson on “You.”

Today, we can’t stop watching Mandy Moore, who plays Rebecca Pearson on NBC’s “This Is Us.” The actress and singer discusses how the show has influenced her new album, "Silver Landings," the first she’s made in over a decade. Moore also talks about her character Rebecca, who was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment on this season of the show, and how she’s been staying in touch with the rest of the cast of “This Is Us.”

Today, we can’t stop watching Christine Baranski as the passionate feminist lawyer Diane Lockhart on the CBS All Access series “The Good Fight.” Baranski talks about singing "Ladies Who Lunch" with Meryl Streep and Audra McDonald for Stephen Sondheim's virtual birthday party, her next project with Julian Fellowes and the TV shows she loved as a kid.

Today, we can’t stop watching Pamela Adlon, the creator, writer, director and star of “Better Things” on FX. Adlon breaks down how her own family is reflected in the show, explains why cooking has become therapeutic while she’s staying at home, and how she determines what crosses the line and what doesn’t.

Today, we can’t stop watching Sam Heughan on the Starz original series “Outlander.” Heughan opens up about scenes from the finale of Season 5, how he ended up doing a Highland fling on set and the pineapple upside-down cake he made as part of a virtual baking challenge with his castmates.

Today, we can’t stop watching legendary actor Michael Douglas, who plays acting coach Sandy Kominsky in the Netflix comedy “The Kominsky Method.” Douglas tells us how the film business has changed in the 50-plus years he’s been in it, what he learned from being mentored by Karl Malden early in his career, and what he’s still learning today from his “Kominsky Method” costar Alan Arkin.

Today, we can’t stop watching Justina Machado, who plays Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix comedy “One Day at a Time.” Machado takes us back to the moment she realized everything would change because of the pandemic. She also discusses the production of a special animated episode of the show and what it's been like to portray a Latina character shaped by Latino writers.

Today, we can’t stop watching Jane Levy, who plays the smart computer coder Zoey Clarke on NBC’s musical dramedy “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Levy gives us some insight into the show’s love triangle, how she channels her character's grief and why she feels more connected than ever before with her audience. She also shares her strategy for memorizing lines, song lyrics and dance moves, all at the same time.

Today, we can’t stop watching James Corden, the host of “The Late Late Show” on CBS. Corden discusses turning his garage into a makeshift studio set, how the pandemic might help people be more honest about how they’re feeling, and the future of "Carpool Karaoke," a recurring segment on his show.

Today, we can’t stop watching Brian Cox, who plays media conglomerate Logan Roy on HBO’s “Succession.” Cox talks about what he admires about his character and how much he knows about the next season’s scripts, and shares some of those classic Logan Roy jabs.

Today, we can’t stop watching Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays Hannah Shoenfeld on the Apple TV Plus series, “The Morning Show.” Mbatha-Raw discusses what it was like to shoot those emotional scenes from the tragic finale, working with an intimacy coordinator and portraying sexual assault onscreen.

Today, we can’t stop watching Betty Gilpin, who plays Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan on the Netflix wrestling comedy, "GLOW." Gilpin talks about the podcasts she’s been listening to, why her husband’s birdwatching is driving her insane and what it's been like prepping for her upcoming role as Ann Coulter in Ryan Murphy’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story."

From “Succession’s” Brian Cox to “Mrs. America’s” Uzo Aduba, listen to all your favorite TV stars ask and respond to each other’s questions in our celebrity guest Q&A roundup.

Today, we can’t stop watching Nick Braun, who plays Greg Hirsch, a.k.a. “Cousin Greg,” on HBO’s “Succession.” Braun fills us in on how the show changed his life, which popular nickname from “Succession” he gets called the most, and why he thinks his character stands by the unlikable Roy family. Plus, Braun gives us a live performance of the punk rock antibody song he made up during quarantine.

Today, we can’t stop watching Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who plays aspiring artist Cherise in “High Fidelity” on Hulu. Randolph tells us what drew her to the role, why she pivoted from opera singing to a career in acting, and what it was like to work with Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite Is My Name.”

Today, we can’t stop watching Julia Garner, who plays Ruth Langmore on the Netflix series “Ozark.” Garner tells us how she’s been spending her time at home and gives her best guess on how her foul-mouthed character would handle the pandemic. She also reveals the different accents she’s had to master during her acting career, all while her bulldog is napping under her chair.

Today, we can’t stop watching J. Smith-Cameron, who plays Gerri Kellman, Waystar Royco’s corporate attorney, on HBO’s comedy-drama “Succession.” Smith-Cameron talks about why her character is so popular with fans, what her character would be plotting during the pandemic and whether there will be more late-night phone calls with Roman Roy.

Today, we can’t stop watching Mj Rodriguez on the FX drama “Pose.” Rodriguez shares her thoughts on standout moments from Season 2, like singing Whitney Houston’s version of the "The Star Spangled Banner" and battling it out on screen with Patti LuPone. She also talks about the Hollywood stars she looked up to as a kid and the Japanese anime show she can’t get enough of right now.

Today, we can’t stop watching Tom Pelphrey on the Netflix series “Ozark.” He plays Wendy Byrd’s wayward brother Ben, who is grappling with bipolar disorder amid the tensions of the drug cartel’s dealings. Pelphrey discusses how he prepared for his intense breakout role in Season 3, about playing scenes opposite Laura Linney and Janet McTeer, and how working in soap operas shaped him as an actor.

Today, we can’t stop watching Jim Parsons, who plays the closeted talent agent Henry Willson on the Netflix drama “Hollywood.” Parsons talks to us about what drew him to the role of Willson after wrapping up work on “The Big Bang Theory,” the shows he’s been enjoying in quarantine, and what he learned from watching TV growing up in Houston.

Today, we can’t stop watching Ricky Gervais, the comedian and actor who plays Tony Johnson on the Netflix dark comedy “After Life.” Gervais talks about the concept behind the show, coping with the death of loved ones and his plans for future stand-up comedy routines.

Today, we can’t stop watching David Harbour on Netflix’s "Stranger Things." Harbour tells us why his character, Police Chief Jim Hopper, reminds him of vintage Gene Hackman. He also reveals the time he lied to Aaron Sorkin, and what it's like working on set with all those kids.

Today, we can’t stop watching Milo Ventimiglia on NBC’s “This Is Us.” We’ll talk to Ventimiglia about being quarantined in New Mexico, directing his costars this season and living up to the high standards of his good-guy character Jack Pearson.

Today, we can’t stop watching Uzo Aduba, who plays Shirley Chisholm on “Mrs. America” on Hulu. Aduba takes us back to the first time she put on one of those recognizable Shirley Chisholm wigs. She also opens up about why she thought an opportunity like this would never come again after “Orange is the New Black,” and what it’s like to work with an all-female ensemble — acting and behind the camera — in television.

Today, we can’t stop watching Jason Segel, who plays Peter in “Dispatches From Elsewhere” on AMC. Segal gives us the backstory behind his new show’s unique season finale, how he got his start on the 1999 series “Freaks and Geeks,” and what he took for granted in "How I Met Your Mother."

Today, we can’t stop watching Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Tom Wambsgans, the awkward yet sympathetic husband of Shiv Roy, on HBO’s “Succession.” Macfadyen takes us behind the scenes of shooting the congressional hearing meltdown and stealing chicken from Logan Roy’s plate on the show. Plus, we hear about Macfadyen’s role on “Quiz,” the AMC mini-series about a couple who attempted to cheat on the British version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”

Today, we can’t stop watching Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire Fraser in the Starz drama series “Outlander.” Balfe talks about the dramatic finale of Season 5, the moment Claire saves Jamie’s life and what it’s like to be a producer, not just an actor, on the show.

Today, we can’t stop watching Danny McBride, who plays Jesse Gemstone, the first-born son in a world-famous televangelist family, on HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones.” McBride discusses his religious upbringing, how producers persuaded John Goodman to play the role of patriarch on the show, and the call from fans to play Joe Exotic in the scripted adaptation of “Tiger King.”

Today, we can’t stop watching Rachel Brosnahan, who got an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a comedy series for playing Midge, a 1950s housewife-turned-stand-up comic, in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Brosnahan tells us which family member reminded her about the Emmy nominations this year and where she thinks Midge is headed after the shake-up in the season finale. And yes, if you’re wondering: We do talk about the episode "The Golden Arm" from Quibi's "50 States of Fright."

Today, we can’t stop watching Martin Short. You might know him from his comedic roles on “Saturday Night Live” and "Father of the Bride." This year, he’s nominated for an Emmy Award for his guest appearance on “The Morning Show,” playing disgraced film director Dick Lundy. Short talks about the role, and how he and longtime pals such as Steve Martin have been connecting during the pandemic. Plus, he takes us down memory lane and reminisces about some of the characters he portrayed early in his acting career.

Hosted by L.A. Times television reporter Yvonne Villarreal, "Can’t Stop Watching" features conversations with TV stars who’ve helped make the recent weeks of self-quarantine both bearable and entertaining. The actors and showrunners interviewed on the podcast will talk about their most fascinating roles, how their characters would handle the coronavirus, and what they’re watching on television right now.

The podcast premieres on May 5, with several episodes released each week, so subscribe today. While you’re at it, get all the entertainment news you need at LATimes.com and unlimited access to our reporting at http://latimes.com/supportlatimes.

Today, we can’t stop watching Samira Wiley, who plays Moira Strand on "The Handmaid’s Tale." Her performance has earned her an Emmy nomination for supporting actress in a drama. Wiley talks about what she learned from portraying both Moira and her previous character, Poussey on "Orange Is the New Black." Plus, she reveals the British reality TV show that she can’t get enough of these days.

Today, we can’t stop watching Paul Mescal, who plays the popular high school sports star Connell Waldron on “Normal People.” Mescal’s role earned him an Emmy nomination for lead actor in a limited series. He talks about what it was like to shoot his first sex scene on the show, why he left Gaelic football for the stage and his experience starring in a music video for the Rolling Stones during lockdown.

Today, we can’t stop watching Tim Blake Nelson, who plays Wade Tillman, aka “Looking Glass,” on HBO’s “Watchmen.” Nelson talks to us about his native Oklahoma, where the TV series happens to be set, what he learned from playing a masked character and his next film project in Arkansas.

Today, we can’t stop watching actor, writer and comedian Ramy Youssef. He’s received an Emmy nomination for lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Ramy Hassan on Hulu’s “Ramy.” Youssef co-created the series, which is making history this award season as the first Muslim American sitcom to receive an Emmy nomination. He opens up about his own identity, the making of Season 2 and how Mahershala Ali changed the course of the series.

Today, we can’t stop watching J.B. Smoove, who plays Leon Black on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He talks about comedy in the age of coronavirus and what it’s like working alongside Larry David. Smoove also shares thoughtful and personal insights into race in America right now.