Loneliness & Connection (with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy & John Leguizamo)

A few months ago, Hillary wrote a piece for The Atlantic on what she called “the weaponization of loneliness.” It was inspired, in part, by an important and alarming advisory issued by the Office of the Surgeon General on an underreported crisis in the United States: an epidemic of loneliness that has contributed to increased rates of opioid and alcohol addiction, domestic abuse, suicide, gun violence, as well as diabetes, heart disease, and more. To that list, Hillary added the rise in divisive, even toxic and dangerous, political engagement.

On this week’s episode, Hillary talks with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy about his own experiences of loneliness as a child, the causes and effects of the loneliness epidemic, and his “We Are Made to Connect” tour, which seeks to raise awareness about the dangers of social isolation and create opportunities for connection on college campuses.

Then she speaks with actor, writer, director, and comedian John Leguizamo, whose work in theater, film, and television helps ease our sense of loneliness and isolation. From his Broadway hit Latin History for Morons to his roles in Super Mario Bros, Chef,and Encanto, and his MSNBC travel series Leguizamo Does America, John has won over audiences while also forging a path for Latino performers who are vastly underrepresented on stage and screens in the United States. Hillary talks with John about the math teacher who nudged him towards theater, performing for and breaking bread with inmates at Rikers Island, and his tireless efforts to make sure Latin people are represented in politics, the arts, and in our understanding of American history.

You can read a full transcript HERE.

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