What Happened To Authenticity? w/ Ryan O’Connell
Published on Jul 10, 2026, 2:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:49:37
Published on Jul 10, 2026, 2:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:49:37
Writer, producer and actor Ryan O'Connell wants Hollywood to be more honest.
He first broke onto the scene after creating the Netflix comedy series 'Special' in 2019. The show was inspired by his own experiences as a gay millennial living with cerebral palsy. He tells Sam about his journey as a young writer in the 2010s, what it means to be authentic in this era of virality, and the reality of working in entertainment.
Ryan’s new book of essays is called 'Inspiration Porn.' It’s filled with his musings on disability, sexuality, family, and fame.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.