This person died in 2018, age 61. He never stopped marveling at the unlikeliness of his own success. Quote: “I should have died in my twenties. I became successful in my forties. I became my dad in my fifties. I feel like I’ve stolen a car, a really nice car, and I keep looking in the rearview mirror for flashing lights.” He emerged as a leading male voice in support of the Me Too movement. He was open about his past addictions to heroin and cocaine. He ate noodles in Hanoi with President Barack Obama, sucked on soft-boiled turtle eggs in Colombia, and savored handmade spring rolls in Cambodia on his way to an interview with the opposition government. Today’s dead celebrity is Anthony Bourdain.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 79 Likeable Villain (Alan Rickman), Episode 108 Hunter S. Thompson (Gonzo Troubadour) and Episode 102 Joan Didion (Magical Thinker).LINKSTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Anthony BourdainAnthony Bourdain eats noodles with President Obama in Hanoi (Parts Unknown)Anthony Bourdain on West Virginia and empathy (Parts Unknown)Anthony Bourdain on Palestine (Parts Unknown)Anthony Bourdain’s original Kitchen Confidential essay – New YorkerBourdain on WTF with Marc MaronDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Frizzy Fitness (Richard Simmons)
This person died 2024, age 76. His TV show went into national syndication in 1980 and ran until 1984, after which he developed an array of products and performances to replace it. He described himself as a loner with few friends, whose main companions were pet dalmatians and live-in maids. Even people who encountered him by chance said he was exactly as he appeared on TV: hyperkinetic, authentic, and totally outrageous. People Magazine once called him “a hyperkinetic elf in an emerald green tracksuit and the clown prince of fitness.” Today’s dead celebrity is Richard Simmons.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 65 Steve Irwin (Crikey Inner Child) and Episode 7 Joan Rivers (Stilletto Comic).LINKSTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Richard SimmonsMissing Richard Simmons podcast by Dan Taberski Richard Simmons on Who’s Line is it Anyway?Hot mic moment, behind the scenes with Richard SimmonsRichard Simmons on Letterman (1986–2000s, multiple clips)Richard Simmons on General HospitalDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Resonant Dignity (Gregory Peck)
This person died in 2003 at age 87. He had craggy good looks, lanky grace, and a measured voice. He was nominated for the Oscar five times, and his rare attempts at unsympathetic roles usually failed. He conveyed a quiet dignity, served as president of the Motion Picture Academy, and was active in the American Cancer Society, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other causes. His 1962 Oscar-winning role cast him as Atticus Finch, a small-town Southern lawyer who defies public sentiment to defend a Black man accused of rape. Today’s dead celebrity is Gregory Peck. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 71Sidney Poitier (Defiant One) and Episode 103 James Garner (Maverick Law Man).LINKSTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Gregory PeckGregory Peck official websiteGregory Peck Lifetime AFI Achievement AwardGregory Peck Presidential Medal of FreedomACLU of Southern CaliforniaPeck narrates ad against Robert Bork SCOTUS nominationDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Comic Mythmaker (Stan Lee)
This person died in 2018, age 95. He began reading Shakespeare at age 10 while also devouring pulp magazines, the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Mark Twain, and the swashbuckler movies of Errol Flynn. He could be startlingly prolific— once saying “almost everything I’ve ever written I could finish in one sitting.” In 1961, he and a partner produced the first issue of Fantastic Four for a company known as Marvel, and he went on to co-create Spider-Man. Today’s dead celebrity is Stan Lee.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 53 Heartwarming Humor (Louie Anderson) and Episode 97 Time Pilgrim (Kurt Vonnegut).Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Isaac Kestenbaum. Production by Allie Arrazola, with assistance from Jacob Weiss. Original music by Kevin Strang.LINKSTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Stan Lee Washington Post obituary for Stan LeeTrue Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee (Abraham Riesman biography)Fantastic Four #10 (1963), new fan letters sectionKey & Peele: "Stan Lee Pitch Meeting" sketchStan Lee cameo in Mallrats (1995)Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Secret Capsule (Sally Ride)
This person died 2012, age 61. She was known for keeping her cool under stress. She politely endured a barrage of questions focused on her sex. She once said, “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.” By the time she began studying laser physics at Stanford, women had already broken through into the physics department—once a boys’ club. In her early days at NASA, she trained in parachute jumping, water survival, weightlessness, and the huge G-forces of a rocket launch. Today’s dead celebrity is Sally Ride.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 17 Modest Moonwalker (Neil Armstrong) and Episode 107 Corgi Whisperer (Queen Elizabeth II)Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Michelle Dahlenburg. Production by Evan Sherer, with assistance from Jacob Weiss. Original music by Kevin Strang.LINKSTranscript of this episodeOfficial U.S. Mint page for Sally Ride QuarterSally Ride Science at UC San DiegoNYT obituary for Sally RideSesame Street clip featuring Sally RideDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We explore the lives of notable people who’ve just died—celebrities, icons, cultural figures—and asks what their stories can teach us about ourselves. It’s part obituary podcast, part biography, and part existential detective work.Think you know everything about some of modern history’s most recognizable figures? We’re Amit and Michael, two pop culture enthusiasts who upend your assumptions about the iconic and the famous. Because that’s where you find the “gravy” – the rich, flavorful sauce that brings out the best parts of the dish that is life.Each episode we’ll put the lives of recently deceased celebrities under the microscope to consider the not-so-obvious ways these icons of culture left their impact and imprint on modern history. It’s a hilarious and fresh perspective on the celebrities you thought you knew.Listen to episodes of Famous & Gravy early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/famous-and-gravy/ now.
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