Interview: Rosie O'Donnell on Moving 'Onward' With New Podcast

Legendary entertainer Rosie O'Donnell moved from standup to television, film and the Broadway stage before finding widespread success as a talk-show host. Now, she's moving "Onward" into the podcast world!

Each week, O'Donnell is joined by a different guests, including actors, comedians, friends, and more, also answering fan questions and giving her takes on the world's current issues. New episodes premiere Tuesdays through iHeartPodcasts' Outspoken Podcast Network on all streaming platforms.

Recent guests have included Sharon Gless, Jenifer Lewis, Brooke Shields, Dylan Mulvaney, and Margaret Cho. Upcoming episodes will feature Kristin Chenoweth, Fran Drescher, Ricki Lake, Camryn Manheim, Kathy Griffin, Natasha Lyonne, and more.

BroadwayWorld sat down with O'Donnell to discuss the new podcast, also taking a look back on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, her love of Broadway, and more.

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I've been loving the podcast so far. How has it been going?

It's really fun. You know, I'm having a great time. It's relaxed, it's easy getting to see my old friends and have a nice, intimate conversation. And I mean, I should have called it "Talking With My Friends" because that's pretty much what it is. And then we answer some questions at the end. But, you know, I really like the time that it takes and the access to doing it at home and being available for my little 10 year old. It fits into my life perfectly.

We've seen you on a lot of different mediums with talk shows, panel shows, radio, everything. So was that what initially drew you to the podcast format? The convenience of it?

Well, you know, I loved doing my Sirius XM show, but that's with a whole team, sort of in the style of Howard [Stern] a little bit. He's the best I think, that ever does an interview show or ever did it on radio, for sure, if not anywhere, you know? So that's the kind of show we did on radio. But podcasts, I had to sort of start listening to them to understand what it is that people are looking for. I wasn't really a big consumer of podcasts. I used to listen to a political one, Pod Save America, during the Trump administration, but aside from that, I didn't really listen so much. So I had to educate myself first, which was kind of fun doing that.

For you, as an interviewer and as a host, what was the biggest adjustment doing an audio-only show?

Well, you know, it is very similar to the radio show except for I'm nearby myself. I don't have a bunch of sidekicks and people to talk to and bounce things off of. So it's a solitary art form. You do it usually alone by yourself. It's a little lonely, but then you get to talk to someone. Like today, I talked to Stephanie Mills and I've loved her since she was 17 years old doing The Wiz on Broadway. Now, she's the mom of a Down syndrome son, and he's 21 and doing really great, and she's touring and, and it was just so exciting and it lifted my spirits.

I've noticed that Broadway has come up in every episode so far, in one way or another. Is that something you've noticed? Why do you think it's so current in your conversations with people?

Well, it's such my primary thing, you know? When I was a young kid, I never thought at all I wanna be a comedian. I wanted to be on Broadway where I saw people walk out of the stage door sweaty, and I knew how to get there on the train, and there was a real, tangible life pulsing feel to Broadway and to show business. That's my primary focus in many, many ways and it's my connection to so many people. Once you are in the theatre world and you find like your clique in Glee Club, you know. It stays with you your whole life, if you're lucky. Broadway to me is, you know, as good as showbiz gets.

And you have such a special place in the Broadway community. People still look back on your talk show so fondly. Do you have a memory from your talk show from when you were able to really honor Broadway that you look back on and really like to remember?

Well, you know, I think we did it on almost every week we had Broadway. I tried to have as much Broadway as I could. I've gotten so many thank yous from Broadway casts and composers and grips and everybody so I was just lucky I was able to do a show that I loved about a community that I loved and it all worked beautifully.

I think that having the whole cast of the Titanic come out when this young boy was in the audience and his father or grandfather had a postcard from the Titanic and he was selling it to raise money for his best friend's mother who needed a stem cell transplant. And then the entire cast of Titanic in wardrobe came out throughout the whole audience and started singing "Sale on Titanic." It was really, really overwhelmingly beautiful. And I remember that one. I think that that hits me the most.

Why do you think The Rosie O'Donnell Show has had such a lasting impact on pop culture?

I think it was timing. The show came on right after some horrible things that happened in daytime. Geraldo [Rivera] got beaten up and Jenny Jones had a contestant that killed another contestant or guest. And, you know, there was fighting, there was Nazis. It was crazy. And then out came the show a tribute to Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas. And everybody remembered what it was like to sit home as a kid and watch these shows where no one got hurt. You got to see celebrities having fun. I don't know. That that was the right show at the right time in the pop culture zeitgeist.

Well, one really exciting thing about this podcast is that we have a little bit of you back with us on a weekly basis. You have a very realistic and grounded understanding of the entertainment industry and show business. Is that something that you've always had? How has that played a role in your career?

I always kind of knew what the trajectory of a career is like. I understand that at different points in your life, different opportunities open up, and we all end up as the "Grand Dames" of the rehearsal hall. We end up be feeling like Angela Lansbury. When I go on a set, a lot of times, I'm the oldest person on the set. At [American] Gigolo, I was the oldest actor that was working there and everybody else was in their forties and I've just turned 61.

I really had realistic expectations and I exceeded my expectations. I've had a career that I didn't even dream of. I wanted to be on Broadway and I wanted to be a backup singer for Bette Midler and I ended up having a film career and a TV career, and a Broadway career and a writing career. I have had more than my share. I'm grateful for work when I get it. I'm grateful for artists I get to hang around and play with. It's been a beautiful life so far, I have to say. I really don't have very many complaints aside from the political system that's happening in this country.

Yes. It is wonderful to hear about how you had the dream of being on Broadway growing up, and then you went sort of in a different route with comedy, but you still found your way back to Broadway.

Always. And I think I always will. And there's nothing like sitting in that velvet seat and the waxy Playbill in your hand and the orchestra tuning up and the lights go down and there's something that happens. You come alive. It's an amazing experience and a beautiful art form and it's sort of unique to the United States. I mean, I know London has a thriving theater community as well, but I just think the American play, the American musical, Broadway is the place to arrive at, to be at.

It's where my dream of show business and a show business life comes closest to true is at Broadway, within the Broadway community doing, Gypsy of the Year or going to the Broadway Cares Flea Market. There's so many things about how the community functions as a community that's so kind of welcoming and beautiful.

Switching back to the podcast a little bit, what else is coming up that we can look forward to?

Yeah, Chita Rivera, I just interviewed the other day about her new memoir written by Patrick Pacheco. It's beautiful. The book is beautiful. It's her life and she's amazing. I was so happy to get to talk to her. She's been so helpful with my school that I have, The Rosie's Theater Kids, and instrumental, especially in the beginning. I just love her so much, as everyone in the community does and should. She's our Living legends legend, our Broadway goddess.

When you're interviewing someone that you've looked up to for so long, do you let the fact that you're a fan come into the interview with you? Or do you have to sort of put that aside and put on a more serious mode?

Well, you know, it's interesting. Do you ever watch the show Couples Therapy on Showtime? There's this gorgeous Israeli psychoanalyst who I've had a crush on since the thing started, and I had to interview her for the podcast. And it was kind of like the worst interview that I've ever done. [Laughs] Partly because she's a psychoanalyst and she doesn't really share much about her public life. You couldn't go on Wikipedia and get things from about her. I couldn't find anything about her life. I found myself like giggling and I wonder if it's even usable, the interview, you know, because it was so kind of starstruck mixed with romantic yearnings.

Overall, what do you hope people take away from your podcast, Onward?

Listen, we've all had a great run of it, haven't we? I've been in the public eye for like 30 something years. That's pretty amazing. I was 22 on star search, so it'll be 40 years next year that I've been in show Bestus performing. That's a whole life and career and I'm very, very grateful and I think it's wonderful.

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All of the episodes can be found here. Listen to Chita Rivera on "Onward With Rosie O'Donnell" here: