For Immediate Release

Jake Robards and Emily Wachtel Launch NEPO, Baby! Podcast Oct. 22, with Matthew Broderick Kicking Off First Season

Beyond the “nepo baby” debate, the new interview series explores the humor, challenges, and realities of growing up in a famous family 

NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 19, 2026) — Actor and producer Jake Robards and filmmaker and producer Emily Wachtel are launching NEPO, Baby!, a new interview podcast examining the complicated realities of family, fame, and legacy. The first episode premieres October 22, featuring actor Matthew Broderick, with subsequent episodes featuring musician John Mellencamp and his son Hud Mellencamp, actors Travis and Sosie Bacon, and actor Matthew Arkin, among others. The podcast is produced by Robards’ Shake Left Productions and Wachtel’s Better Late Productions. Isabel Robertson is the producer, and Jill BC Du Boff is executive producer. The first season will be available in audio and video formats on all major podcast platforms.

Through candid, long-form conversations, Robards and Wachtel look beyond the public debate over “nepo babies” to explore the personal stories behind family fame, including their connections, secrets, triumphs, traumas, and complicated relationships. Thoughtful, curious, and witty, NEPO, Baby! asks whether such an upbringing is a blessing or a curse, while revealing experiences audiences can relate to—famous or not. 

“We all have messy families. Some are just better known than others. And the bottom line is, you don’t get to choose your parents,” says Robards.



Robards brings firsthand experience to the subject. He comes from a dynasty of thespians as the son of two-time Academy Award winner Jason Robards, and grandson of silent-film actor Jason Robards Sr. Wachtel is not a nepo baby herself but has spent a lifetime around them. Together, they bring contrasting perspectives and a shared sense of humor to conversations about family history, love, art, and the ties that bind families together. 

New installments will be released weekly, with episodes running approximately 45 minutes. 

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Emily Wachtel and Jake Robards, hosts of NEPO, Baby!, a new interview podcast launching Oct. 22.

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About the Hosts

Jake Robards is an actor and the son of two-time Academy Award winner Jason Robards and grandson of silent-film actor Jason Robards Sr. His selected credits include Broadway’s Our Town with Paul Newman, Off-Broadway productions, films including Arranged and Honeysuckle, and television roles on Billions, Feud and Quantico. He has also voiced national campaigns for Verizon, Bounty, Advil, Domino's, and Ford as well as appearing in Zootopia 2. 

Emily Wachtel is a producer and filmmaker who originated and produced the award-nominated HBO Max docuseries The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke. Among other credits, she also produced and co-wrote the feature film Lucky Them, starring Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church, and Johnny Depp. Wachtel is currently developing projects in the U.S. and abroad for film, television, and theater. She serves on the board of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. 

Producer 

Isabel Robertson is an award-winning producer and writer whose clients have included Marvel Entertainment, Yale's David Geffen School of Drama, National Public Media, and more. 

Executive Producer

Jill BC Du Boff is a veteran sound designer and audio producer with Broadway and Off-Broadway credits. She worked at WNYC, including taking Radiolab on the road, served as senior audio producer at The New Yorker, and was director of audio at Marvel, where she launched 16 podcasts. She currently heads the Sound Design master’s program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and oversees NEPO, Baby!’s audio identity, editorial flow, and post-production quality.

About NEPO, Baby!

Hosted by Jake Robards and Emily Wachtel, NEPO, Baby! explores fame, family, legacy, and the ties that connect us, famous or not. The first season premieres October 22 in audio and video formats. Website: https://nepo.baby. Follow: @thenepobabypod on IG, TikTok, FB, and YouTube.

A percentage of proceeds will benefit SeriousFun Children’s Network, the nonprofit founded by Paul Newman that provides free camp experiences for children with serious illnesses and their families.

Media contact: Jim Havey, jhavey@jimhaveypr.com, 646.554.5519