EP 85: Director Jay Roach Goes ALL THE WAY with LBJ

Emmy-winning director Jay Roach talks about his new biopic ALL THE WAY which stars Brian Cranston (BREAKING BAD) as President Lyndon B. Johnson. Jay Roach is the Emmy & Golden Globe Award-winning director/producer behind such hits as the AUSTIN POWERS films, MEET THE PARENTS & its sequel MEET THE FOCKERS, THE CAMPAIGN, RECOUNT, GAME CHANGE, and last year’s critically acclaimed movie TRUMBO. His new film ALL THE WAY (premieres 5/21 on HBO) follows L.B.J. during the tumultuous year when he assumed the White House, passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and staved off a revolt by Southern delegates in his own party to win a difficult re-election as President.

On the podcast, Jay discusses his interest in political subject matter like RECOUNT, GAME CHANGE & ALL THE WAY, and how he finds political history rife with opportunities for humor. We talk about Lyndon Johnson’s unconventional negotiating tactics, why L.B.J. took a huge politics risk in fighting for the Civil Rights Act, and how that risk nearly led to his own political demise at 1964 Democratic National Convention. We talk about his complicated relationships with Martin Luther King Jr., Hubert Humphrey, and his wife Lady Bird Johnson, and how he was perhaps the only President who intimidated J. Edgar Hoover. Plus we ponder whether Lyndon Johnson, the ultimate Washington insider, would survive or thrive in today’s anti-establishment political climate.

If you enjoyed my interview with director Jay Roach, I highly recommend that you watch ALL THE WAY. The performance by Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson is remarkable and the film is certain to win a slew of Emmy Awards this year. It premieres this Saturday May 21 on HBO at 8PM Eastern or you can watch it anytime with a subscription to HBO GO or HBO NOW.