Director Watch Podcast Ep. 81 – ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols, 1966) with Special Guest Louis Virtel
Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 81 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by ‘Keep It’ cohost and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ writer Emmy nominee Louis Virtel (for writing the Oscars, no less), to discuss the first film in their Mike Nichols series, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
New year, new series, as the guys take a stroll down the career of one of the most famous, influential directors of the last sixty years, Mike Nichols. Known for his excellent reputation with actors and his work on the stage, Nichols first came on the film scene with one of the best debuts in cinema history with the explosive adaptation of the great American play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Following the events of one evening spent with two couples, one being much more naive than the other, we watch a thrilling chess match of devilish wit, psychological damage, and imploding relationships bubble to incendiary results, with four incredible performances at the center of it. Ryan, Jay, and Louis break down their thoughts on the film, Nichols’ rise to becoming a director, Burton and Taylor’s relationship on and off screen, the historical relevance of this film, the importance of going to sleep, and more.
You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.
This podcast runs 1h35m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Mike Nichols with a review of his next film, 1967’s The Graduate. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.
Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 339 – Reviewing ‘The Drama,’ Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson - April 6, 2026
- On the Shelf: ‘Marty Supreme,’ ‘Ray,’ ‘Salem’s Lot,’ ‘The Blade,’ ‘Married to the Mob’ Highlight the 4K Physical Media releases for the Week of March 30 - March 30, 2026
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 338 – Oscars Retrospective of the 49th Academy Awards - March 30, 2026
Laura Dern, Carol Burnett, Cameron Crowe Added to TCM Classic Film Festival; Rare ‘Letty Lynton’ Restoration Set 
Academy Award-winning Filmmaker Steven Bognar Boards Yael Bridge’s ‘Who Moves America’ Doc as Executive Producer [EXCLUSIVE] 
‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Review: What’s Left to Do for the Teens of East Highland High but to Rue the Day [C+] 
Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie on Supporting Each Other Through ‘The Drama’