What Cameron Crowe’s ‘Almost Famous’ Years Taught Him About Life | The Interview

Video Description

Cameron Crowe’s life is, figuratively and literally, the stuff of a Hollywood movie. As a teenager, he wrote for Rolling Stone about the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers, which helped inspire his classic 2000 film, “Almost Famous.” As a director, he’s worked with Hollywood’s biggest stars, filming actors like Tom Cruise, John Cusack and Philip Seymour Hoffman in iconic roles that helped define their careers. On “The Interview,” Crowe talks to host David Marchese about his 50-year career, revealing details about the boombox scene in “Say Anything,” what it was like interviewing David Bowie and his plans for a Joni Mitchell biopic. “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Read the interview on NYTimes.com: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/magazine/cameron-crowe-interview.html Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Subscribe to New York Times audio: https://bit.ly/3Qz3GZu Download the New York Times app: https://bit.ly/4gZdoip #theinterview Chapters: 00:13 About Cameron Crowe, from Rolling Stone to writing “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” to directing “Say Anything” and “Jerry Maguire” 01:11 Yes .. and No 02:36 Crowe’s new memoir “The Uncool” and his “Almost Famous” years 05:39 Jim Croce, the Eagles and Led Zeppelin 09:02 David Bowie 12:44 How being a rock journalist impacted Crowe’s relationship with his family 15:30 Lester Bangs and not selling out 18:56 Joni Mitchell and Crowe’s work-in-progress biopic 22:41 Glenn Frey’s recipe for a good buzz 24:15 Tom Cruise 29:06 John Cusack 32:48 Movie stars vs. rock stars 34:59 Penelope Cruz and Philip Seymour Hoffman 36:48 Crowe on his hits .. and misses (“Almost Famous,” “We Bought a Zoo” and “Aloha”) 42:44 Three theories about Crowe’s movies after “Vanilla Sky” 48:35 Crowe’s marriage to Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson 50:30 Jerry Maguire, Lloyd Dobler and Crowe’s “battered idealists”