You might know Nick Searcy him from Justified, Fried Green Tomatoes, or maybe 40 other films that he’s done. He’s a terrific character actor, with a new book called Justify This, which I recommend enthusiastically. Like the author, it’s smart, funny, and honest.

Nick and I met over Zoom about a year and a half ago, shortly after he released a movie called Capitol Punishment. The film chronicles the events of January 6th, and does so in a way that’s (profoundly) inconsistent with the finding of the January 6th Committee. In fact, Capitol Punishment nearly got him cancelled.

Controversy notwithstanding, I thought it was a film worth talking about, and welcomed Nick onto the podcast to discuss it. I’m glad I did. And I’m doubly glad I invited him back 18 months later, after the country had a chance to really consider the events in question. I admire Nick, not because of the things we agree on, but because he was willing to risk his career by making a film that made a lot of powerful people very uncomfortable. You may not agree with his politics, but you can’t deny his integrity or his courage. Or, modesty aside, the excellence of our conversation.