Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
377 episodes listed below
Bateman, Hayes, and Arnett riff, then talk shop with guests like Adam Sandler.
SmartLess turns the celebrity interview into a friendly ambush, with one mystery guest revealed to the others after a run of jokes and clues. The appeal is less polished Q&A than shared chemistry: teasing, food tangents, craft talk, and sudden sincere admiration.
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SmartLess is a three-host interview podcast built around Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett talking with a guest, usually a working actor, director, comedian, or other entertainment-industry figure. Each episode typically opens with several minutes of unscripted banter among the three hosts — jokes about wardrobe, travel, or whatever news item is on their minds — before the guest is brought in and the conversation shifts to their career. Guest segments lean on origin stories: how someone got their start, a formative audition or rejection, a specific creative decision behind a film or show, or a personal anecdote from family life. Topics surfaced in the sample include the founding of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, directing technique differences between actors, an SNL audition story, and a mid-performance blackout during a Broadway run. The tone stays loose and comedic even when the subject matter turns toward craft or industry mechanics, and the hosts often needle each other as much as they interview the guest. Episode lengths in the sample run roughly 45 to 80 minutes. The show mixes newly recorded interviews with re-released older episodes. There's no single recurring guest — each episode features a different figure from film, television, or comedy — so the through-line is the three hosts' dynamic rather than a fixed guest roster. Listeners get industry anecdotes and career history filtered through off-the-cuff, tangent-heavy conversation rather than a formal Q&A format. The show suits people who want celebrity interviews with personality and byplay over polished, publicist-driven soundbites.
Made for: Listeners who enjoy loose, comedic celebrity interviews built on host chemistry and career-origin stories rather than tightly scripted Q&A.
What sets it apart: Three co-hosts share the mic and spend real time on their own unscripted banter before and around the guest interview, rather than one host running a straightforward Q&A.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
SmartLess uses a mystery guest and three-way host chemistry to turn celebrity interviews into funny, revealing conversations about work and ambition.
SmartLess turns a mystery-guest reveal into an interview with three active lines of curiosity. The regular voices tease one another over unfinished stories, movies, workouts and personal habits, then carry that loose energy into the guest conversation.
Bateman, Hayes, and Arnett turn celebrity interviews into a contest between curiosity and glorious derailment.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Maggie Gyllenhaal makes directing sound collaborative, nerve-wracking, and much less puppet-based than Hollywood sometimes pretends.
Maggie Gyllenhaal turns a SmartLess visit into a neat little argument against puppet acting. Her best point is simple: a movie gets better when actors bring their minds and hearts into the room, instead of just performing whatever the director dreamed up alone like some…
Kris Jenner brings full boss energy to a loose SmartLess hang about ambition, reality TV, and Sean's late Field of Dreams awakening.
Kris Jenner's SmartLess visit starts in full SmartLess traffic: a New York blizzard check-in, a cold open that keeps getting nudged off course, and Sean discovering Field of Dreams decades late.
Jeremy Allen White talks Springsteen craft while SmartLess lets the praise drift into La La Land nonsense.
The best pocket of Jeremy Allen White's SmartLess visit lands on a funny contradiction: he came up through dance and straight plays, learned to sing and look credible on guitar for the Springsteen role, yet still talks about musical theater like something he admires from the…
A loose Sandler hangout with SNL exit stories, school-trouble comedy, and a softer-than-expected finish.
SmartLess gives Adam Sandler the friendly ambush treatment, but the best stuff comes once the room gets past the opening toy-and-hair riffing and into old comedy scars.
Jenny Slate joins SmartLess for a loose, host-heavy re-release built around bad stories, worse parenting, and quick comic pile-ons.
SmartLess re-releases Jenny Slate into a show that starts in peak nonsense mode: fake workout bragging, a half-told Voyager update, neck MRI bait, and haircut business that somehow becomes its own little pileup.
Weekly film, music, and arts criticism from Monocle 24's Midori House studio in London.
SmartLess hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes interview Sandra Bullock about Practical Magic, social-media impersonation scams, caregiving, and Brian’s ALS diagnosis.
SmartLess opens with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett in rapid-fire banter before Amanda Peet arrives, with jokes about being "shot out of a cannon" and getting to do "some potting today." The hosts set up the show’s familiar format by asking the guest to speak into the foam mic and teasing that she will answer questions in a "somewhat informative way." Early jokes about Pop-Tarts, a milk-and-apple snack, and "the fart one" establish the episode’s loose, off-script tone.
SmartLess opens with Will Arnett joking about a "Fun Zone" rebrand and the hosts immediately arguing over the show’s name, the crew caller, and Jason Bateman’s cold-weather outfit.
SmartLess hosts Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett welcome Maggie Gyllenhaal to discuss her second feature film as director, The Bride, releasing March 6th and starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale.
The host discusses watching the first episode of DTF St.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett engage in humorous banter and introduce a surprise guest for an improvised conversation.
A blizzard slows the banter before Kris takes the spotlight.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett engage in improvised comedic banter and reveal a mystery guest for an authentic conversation.
John Gabrus and Adam Pally interview Will Arnett on their health and wellness podcast, discussing topics like fitness, diet, and humor.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett engage in improvised comedic banter before introducing a mystery guest.
A comedy interview podcast where hosts surprise each other with mystery celebrity guests for improvised and humorous conversations.
Jon Hamm shares a nostalgic childhood story about falling in love with a girl while working at a charity telethon in Chicago.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett engage in humorous banter and introduce their mystery guest format.
The hosts engage in playful banter and improvisational comedy while discussing their recording environment and daily routines.
The hosts discuss their experience at the Golden Globes, including their cold open, interactions with Amy Poehler and Jimmy Kimmel, and winning a podcast award.
The hosts engage in playful banter and introduce a surprise guest for an improvised comedic conversation.
A trailer for Crimeless, a comedic podcast that humorously explores the dumbest side of true crime.
A comedic podcast where hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett interview surprise celebrity guests with improvised humor.
This re-released episode features a humorous conversation about attending a John Williams concert at the Hollywood Bowl before introducing guest Chelsea Handler.
The podcast hosts welcome a special guest, likely Ricky Gervais, discussing his film work and live show experiences in a casual, humorous interview.
Hosts engage in humorous banter about holiday movies and pajamas before revealing a mystery guest.
The guest gets the full warm ambush.
A comedic interview podcast where hosts surprise each other with mystery guests for improvised and humorous conversations.
Adam gets lovingly ambushed.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett engage in comedic banter and introduce a mystery guest.
The hosts banter and introduce a segment about golf, blending humor with casual conversation.
The hosts engage in comedic banter and introduce a surprise guest in a lighthearted, improvised conversation.
The hosts joke about facials and banter before introducing the episode's guest.
A half-told NASA story fizzles almost on arrival.
The hosts engage in playful banter and introduce a mystery guest, blending humor with casual conversation.
Sean Hayes promotes a new comedy podcast 'I Need You Guys' featuring celebrity friends and humorous conversations.
A comedy podcast where hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett interview a mystery guest with improvised humor.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett discuss their upcoming live show and banter about podcast terminology.
The hosts engage in comedic banter and discuss TV shows like Black Rabbit and Ozark.