Sam is a writer, filmmaker, and podcast host based in Los Angeles, California.
In 2016 he created Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, a weekly podcast of long-form conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. The AV Club called the show “undeniably special” with The New York Times writing “Talk Easy offers a luxuriating interview, brimming with nostalgia”. Past guests include Tom Hanks, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Atwood, Cate Blanchett, and Questlove. You can learn more about “Talk Easy” here.
As a filmmaker, he recently collaborated with folk duo Radnor & Lee, founded by artists Josh Radnor and Ben Lee. In 2019 he directed a piece (“Still Sleeping”) for Noël Wells’ debut album, It’s So Nice!
His debut film, Sebastian, tells the story of his grandfather as he emigrated from Mexico to America in 1948. It played at festivals both stateside and internationally, including the Palm Springs International Festival. His directorial work has been featured in The Fader, American Songwriter, RogerEbert.com, and No Film School.
In a past life, Sam worked as a film critic and journalist. His writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, NPR, and VICE. He was also, formerly, the Creative Director at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco and the founder of Movie Mezzanine.