Fail Better with David Duchovny Podcast By Lemonada Media cover art

Fail Better with David Duchovny

Fail Better with David Duchovny

By: Lemonada Media
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To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

2025 Lemonada Media Inc. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Truth and Lies with James Frey

    Truth and Lies with James Frey
    Jun 24 2025

    In his aimless youth, the author James Frey yearned to be the Sex Pistols of literature. Then he learned to be careful what you wish for. His memoir, A Million Little Pieces, shot to the top of bestseller lists, thanks in part to Oprah's endorsement. Then fact-checkers unmasked its fabrications, and James found himself being more of an outcast than he’d planned for. Nearly 20 years later, when the line between fact and fiction is more blurred than ever, Frey may seem like more of a pioneer than a pariah. Together, we reflect on what it was like to face and overcome this public pain, and the inspiration behind his new novel Next to Heaven, a provocative murder mystery skewering the wealthy New England town he calls home.

    Fail Better is now on YouTube! Watch this episode here.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Find more video podcasts on our YouTube channel. Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    54 mins
  • From “Junkie Doctor” to Addiction Specialist with Dr. Jason Giles

    From “Junkie Doctor” to Addiction Specialist with Dr. Jason Giles
    Jun 17 2025

    Dr. Jason Giles is an addiction specialist and a helper and friend to many, including me. When the rigors of life in the ER became too much to cope with, Jason turned to the very narcotics he was trained to supply to patients as a trauma anesthesiologist. As his successful life disintegrated, he was forced to face his own doubts and delusions, and his journey through them is what made him who he is today. Now he’s working to help others understand and heal their addictions. Jason and I talk about accepting help, the power of forgiveness, and how closely the definition of insanity can resemble the act of persisting. I’m immensely grateful for Jason’s support over the years, and I’m excited that this week I get to bring his story and wisdom to you.

    Fail Better is now on YouTube! Watch this episode here.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Find more video podcasts on our YouTube channel. Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • AI Should Fear Justine Bateman

    AI Should Fear Justine Bateman
    Jun 10 2025

    I’ve known for years that the actor and filmmaker Justine Bateman had prescient thoughts about art and society. But now, we need her (and her complementary background in computer science) more than ever. Far-removed from her teen stardom on Family Ties, Justine and I talk about how artificial intelligence threatens the existence of movies, books, and even our creative souls. I knew there was something to opting for privacy, and it turns out that Justine specifically sees it as a way to protect art as we know it. Plus, we discuss how fickle fame can be and why she finds beauty and practicality in aging naturally.

    Fail Better is now on YouTube! Watch this episode here.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Find more video podcasts on our YouTube channel. Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 3 mins
All stars
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This is such an amazing, relaxed conversation between friends, with so many interesting stories.

This is instantly my favourite podcast.

This is a Down to Earth View from the Top

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I started listening to this podcast out of my own live and appreciation for David Duchovny as an actor, musician, and writer and within the first few minutes of the first episode I realized I’d keep listening because it felt more real and raw than I was expecting. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and I’ve come to very big realizations through his various interviews and anecdotes that are inherently based on the fundamental truths we all face. I have enjoyed every guest he’s had on, even those I wasn’t familiar with, and I’m so thankful he’s decided to do this podcast on failure and how one can ultimately succeed through their failures. I highly recommend listening to this podcast, especially for those on the fence simply because of the thought “another celebrity pretending to be relatable, but I’m no where near famous or accomplished enough to relate” - this is NO WHERE near that. This podcast is filled with relatable, real problems, the thoughts and doubts that run through us all, and how everyone fails, and THAT’S OKAY.

Thank you for sharing this with us, David. I truly can’t say how much I appreciate your candid words, even if you have doubt about sharing them in the first place. They matter.

Imperfectly Perfect

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