Mobituaries Creators & Guests

Mo Rocca is an American humorist, journalist, and actor. He's been on CBS Sunday Morning, created My Grandmother's Ravioli, and hosts The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation. He is host of the podcast Mobituaries.

Kate McAuliffe is a senior producer of podcasts at Religion of Sports, known for producing, Mobituaries with Mo Rocca Podcast.

Nathaniel Philbrick is an American author. He won the 2000 National Book Award for his maritime history, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex.

Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedian, author, and television host. She achieved early fame with her Academy Award-winning performance in "The Color Purple" and solidified her status with a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Ghost." Goldberg has excelled in a wide range of roles, from comedy hits like "Sister Act" to dramatic performances, making her one of the few entertainers to have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). She is also a co-host of "The View." Goldberg is also known for her activism and advocacy on various social and political issues.

André Robin De Shields is an actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer.De Shields is best known for playing Hermes on Broadway in the musical "Hadestown," a role he originated and for which he won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. He has also appeared on television.

Peter Richmond is a writer. He was a reporter and feature writer for GQ magazine for two decades.Before working for GQ, Richmond was a sports journalist. He covered national baseball as a sports feature writer for The National Sports Daily, and he has been sports staff writers at The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, The San Diego Union, and The New Haven Register.Richmond's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and GQ. He has published six nonfiction books.

Todd Anthony Bridges is an American actor known for his role as a monk on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.

John McWhorter is an academic, linguist, and Associate Professor of Linguistics at Columbia University.

Dan Koeppel is an author and freelance columnist. He has written columns for The New York Times Magazine and Popular Science.Previously, Koeppel was the editor of the Mountain Bike magazine, where he still writes the "Hug the Bunny" column. He was also a commentator for the NPR program "Marketplace." His first book, "To See Every Bird on Earth," was published in 2005. His second book, "Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World," was published in 2007. His third book, "Every Minute Is a Day: A Doctor, an Emergency Room, and a City Under Siege," was published in 2021.Koeppel organizes bigparadeLA, an annual public walk in Los Angeles.

Dr. Caroline Elizabeth Weber is an author and fashion historian. Currently, she is a professor of French and comparative literature at Columbia University.Weber began her academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, then became a professor of French and comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania, then a professor at Columbia University.Weber's first book, "Terror and its Discontents: Suspect Words and the French Revolution," was published in 2003. Her second book, "Queen of Fashion: What Marie-Antoinette Wore to the French Revolution," was published in 2007.Weber received her B.A. in literature from Harvard University and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in French literature from Yale University.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a literary critic, teacher, historian, filmmaker, and public intellectual.

Kim Marie Severson is a writer for The New York Times.

Eric Foner is a historian, writer, and researcher.

Bob Bergen is a voice actor, he is the current voice of the Warner Bros and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!.

Lorenzo Lamas is an actor, known for his role of Lance Cumson in the soap opera "Falcon Crest" (1981–1990). He also played Reno Raines in the crime drama series "Renegade" (1992–1997), Hector Ramirez in the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" (2004–2006), Dr. Hollywood on the Nickelodeon TV show "Big Time Rush" (2009-2013), and Meap on the television show "Phineas and Ferb." He was a judge on ABC television's "Are You Hot?", and starred in his own reality show, "Leave It to Lamas."

Fred Armisen, born December 4, 1966, is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician known for his versatile and eclectic performances. He rose to fame as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (2002-2013), where his wide range of impressions and characters made him a standout. Armisen co-created and starred in the acclaimed sketch comedy series "Portlandia" (2011-2018), which earned him a Peabody Award and multiple Emmy nominations. He has also appeared in various television shows and films, including "Documentary Now!" and "Forever." Armisen is a talented musician, serving as the bandleader for the "Late Night with Seth Meyers" house band, The 8G Band. His contributions to comedy and entertainment are celebrated for their originality and impact.

Anderson Cooper is a distinguished American journalist, television personality, and author renowned for his work as the anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°." With a career spanning several decades, Cooper has reported from numerous global hotspots, earning acclaim for his coverage of major events such as Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, and various political crises. He is also a correspondent for CBS's "60 Minutes." Cooper's journalism has garnered multiple awards, including several Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, highlighting his commitment to high-quality, in-depth reporting. Known for his sharp interviewing skills and compassionate storytelling, Cooper is a leading figure in contemporary broadcast journalism.

Alonzo Bodden is a comedian and actor known for winning the third season of the television show Last Comic Standing. He had been the runner-up in the previous season.