Making Los Angeles
Even more than its sunny skies, rich history and Hollywood glamor, L.A. is defined by its people. In “Making Los Angeles,” from LA Times Studios, native Angeleno Glenn Gritzner sits down with the dreamers and big-thinkers shaping the city to explore how they got where they are. The result is a singularly intimate deep dive into the incredible lives of everyone from entrepreneurs, politicians and brand-builders to artists, activists and influencers. Glenn is a partner at a global public affairs firm and a registered lobbyist. He is well-connected within the business and political communities of Los Angeles. Behind every L.A. icon is a human story. Hear a new one every week on “Making Los Angeles.” The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the production of this show.
Episodes
Castulo de la Rocha: A Three-Month Job That Lasted Fifty Years
Castulo de la Rocha arrived in Los Angeles from rural Mexico at age ten having never attended school. He didn't speak English. He couldn't read or write it. And … a few years later, he was elected student body president. Twice.
What followed was just as unlikely.
Fresh out of law school at Berkeley, Castulo thought he'd spend a few months helping a small East Los Angeles community clinic before mo
John Quinn: An Unlikely Empire Built on Litigation, Artists-in-Residence … and Global Hikes
John Quinn founded a four-lawyer firm in Los Angeles that grew into Quinn Emanuel — now the largest litigation-only law firm in the world, with more than 1,000 lawyers and nearly $3 billion in annual revenue.
Which is impressive.
But it’s also only part of the story.
In this episode, John takes us from his childhood in Utah to Harvard Law School and then Los Angeles, where an early business model
Jacob Soboroff: Reporting Los Angeles – As He Lived It
Jacob Soboroff has built a national reputation as a television journalist and author, reporting from the field for NBC News, MSNBC, MS NOW and beyond.
But his story starts in Los Angeles.
In this episode, Jacob shares what it was like growing up in the Pacific Palisades – and then, years later, reporting on it burning down on live television – along with the unlikely early experiences that sh
Zev Yaroslavsky: Forty Years, One City, and a Career That Can't Happen Again
Zev Yaroslavsky spent forty consecutive years in elected office in Los Angeles — a run that, thanks to term limits, no local politician will ever match again.
And it began with a race he probably wasn't supposed to win.
At just 25 years old, Zev ran for Los Angeles City Council and defeated not one, but two formidable opponents: Mayor Tom Bradley's handpicked candidate and former Councilmember Roz
Susan Feniger: Border Grill, Too Hot Tamales, and Everything In Between
Susan Feniger is one of the pioneers of modern Los Angeles dining – and one of the first generation of chefs to bring bold, regional Mexican cuisine into the mainstream.
But her story starts in a parking lot.
In this episode, Susan shares how she set out – very intentionally – to learn from the kitchens she admired, landing at Ma Maison under a young Wolfgang Puck, and how she met her longtime bus
Alex Baskin: MTV, The Real Housewives, and Reality TV
Alex Baskin is the executive producer behind some of Bravo’s most recognizable reality series – most notably, The Real Housewives.
But his story starts well before that.
In this episode, Alex shares how his father’s career as a television writer brought their family to L.A., what it was like coming up through MTV in its heyday, and why, fresh out of law school, he took a job that paid just five hu
Madeleine Brand: Public Radio, Press Play, and Finding Her Voice
Madeleine Brand is one of those voices millions of people recognize — even if they don’t immediately know the name behind it.
For more than a decade, she’s hosted Press Play on KCRW. Before that came NPR, Day to Day, and a public-radio career that took her from Berkeley to Buffalo, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, New York, and finally — wisely — back home to Los Angeles.
What’s remarkable is how e
John Szabo: The Most Interesting Job in Los Angeles You Didn’t Realize Existed
John Szabo runs one of the largest and most quietly influential public systems in Los Angeles — all seventy-two branches of the L.A. Public Library — as the City Librarian.
In this episode, John shares how he started working in libraries at sixteen, what it was like arriving in L.A. thinking it would take a couple months to get settled – only to realize, eighteen months later, that this city doesn
Jim & Janice Hahn: Family Legacy, Sibling Rivalry, and Serving Los Angeles
Jim Hahn and Janice Hahn come from one of the most consequential families in Los Angeles public life – and are still shaping it today.
Their father, Kenneth Hahn, served on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for more than four decades – and left a legacy that both Jim and Janice have carried forward in their own ways.
Jim is the only person to have held all three citywide offices in Los Angeles,
Brian Toll & John Terzian: The Making of L.A. Nightlife
Brian Toll and John Terzian aren’t household names – but their venues are.
Bootsy Bellows. Delilah. The Nice Guy. Poppy. Bird Streets Club.
If you’ve seen a paparazzi shot of a celebrity slipping in or out of a club in Los Angeles, there’s a good chance it was one of theirs.
In this episode, Brian and John share how a friendship that started by throwing epic house parties at USC turned into the h.
Robert Stone: Basketball, Cancer, and Following Your Heart
City of Hope CEO Robert Stone leads one of the most important cancer research and treatment organizations in the world. Under his leadership, the institution has expanded dramatically, now serving nearly 150,000 patients annually across four states.
Which makes one fact all the more surprising: out of the country's 57 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers, Robert is the
Nancy Silverton: Style, Substance, and the Reinvention of L.A. Dining
Nancy Silverton isn’t just one of Los Angeles’s most celebrated chefs – she helped define how this city eats.
Born and raised in L.A., Nancy’s career spans the city’s most iconic kitchens – from Michael’s to Spago, Campanile to La Brea Bakery, and now the “Mozza Plex”: Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, and Chi Spacca. And let’s not forget the already-iconic Max & Helen’s, the Larchmont diner she ope
Alex Cohen: Journalism, Japan, and the Derby Dolls
Alex Cohen is one of those if-you-know-you-know voices in Los Angeles.
A longtime presence on NPR and now a morning anchor and political host on Spectrum News 1, she’s spent decades helping Angelenos make sense of the world around them.
But her path to journalism – and her life outside of it – is anything but conventional.
In this episode, Alex shares how growing up in the San Fernando Valley (yes
Keith Corbin: Prison, Purpose, and Reinventing His Life Through Food
How does someone go from the Jordan Downs housing projects in Watts to becoming the co-owner of one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated restaurants?
In this episode of Making Los Angeles, chef and author Keith Corbin reflects on the long, unlikely road that led him from gang culture, prison, and the crack epidemic of 1980s South LA to Alta Adams, the acclaimed West Adams restaurant rooted in Black foo
Cheech Marin: Comedy, Chicano Art, and Reinventing Los Angeles
What does it take to reinvent yourself over and over again — from Chicano kid in South Central LA, to potter living in the Canadian wilderness, to one half of one of the most iconic comedy duos in American history?
In this episode, Cheech Marin reflects on the winding, unexpected path that shaped his life and career. Recorded inside the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, t
Introducing: Making LA Season 2
What's different about Season 2? Everything! And absolutely nothing. Because this show is about people, and everybody's story is different. Join us every Wednesday starting May 13th.
Featuring: Rebuilding LA
Please enjoy this specially featured episode of LA Times Studio's Rebuilding LA. What’s next for L.A. in the wake of its recent wildfires? In “Rebuilding Los Angeles,” broadcast journalist Kate Cagle examines the systems that failed us, the path forward and the innovative fire recovery efforts making L.A. more resilient. This episode features prominent city developer Rick Caruso and a conversation
Making “Making Los Angeles” - Our Host Becomes Our Guest
As we gear up for Season Two, we’re taking a behind-the-scenes look at how Making Los Angeles came to life — with a twist. Season Two guest Alex Cohen — NPR legend and Spectrum News 1 anchor — steps into the host chair, and Glenn plays guest for a day as they talk through the show’s origins, how guests are chosen, and the stories behind the stories. They also dig into what makes someone truly part
Producer's Pick: Michael Connelly: Crime, Craft, and Chandler’s Booth at Musso’s
We’re bringing back a few of my favorite conversations from last season — Season One Spotlights, as we’re calling them — so whether you’ve been with us from the start or you’re just discovering the show, these episodes capture the people, stories, and ideas that shape how we see Los Angeles. From Bosch to The Lincoln Lawyer to his latest novel Nightshade, few authors have done more to shape how th
Producer's Pick: Father Greg Boyle: The Priest, the Homies, and a Mic Drop
We’re bringing back a few of my favorite conversations from last season — Season One Spotlights, as we’re calling them — so whether you’ve been with us from the start or you’re just discovering the show, these episodes capture the people, stories, and ideas that shape how we see Los Angeles.In a city where everything changes, what if the most important people are the ones who don’t? Father Greg Bo
Producer's Pick: Kevin Demoff: The Man Who Brought the Rams (and SoFi) to LA
We’re bringing back a few of my favorite conversations from last season — Season One Spotlights, as we’re calling them — so whether you’ve been with us from the start or you’re just discovering the show, these episodes capture the people, stories, and ideas that shape how we see Los Angeles.Kevin Demoff is the President of Team & Media Operations for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, where he helps
Introducing: Smoglandia
Please enjoy this preview of the first episode of Patt Morrison's latest miniseries, Smoglandia. Smoglandia is a narrative audio series tracing the rise, impact and eventual retreat of L.A.’s most insidious form of pollution: smog. Through interviews with scientists, policymakers, filmmakers and artists who lived through the worst days, Smoglandia explores how Los Angeles became a testing ground
Producer's Pick: Karen Bass: Roots, Resilience, and the Story of Los Angeles
We’re bringing back a few of my favorite conversations from last season — Season One Spotlights, as we’re calling them — so whether you’ve been with us from the start or you’re just discovering the show, these episodes capture the people, stories, and ideas that shape how we see Los Angeles. While Mayor Karen Bass hardly needs an introduction, what sticks with me most from this conversation is how
Harry Chandler: Dynasties, Detours, and the LA River
What’s it like to carry one of the most powerful names in Los Angeles history — and still make your own mark?Harry Chandler is the great-great-grandson of Harrison Gray Otis, who took over the Los Angeles Times in 1882 and began a century-long dynasty that helped shape the city’s growth, politics, and mythos. But Harry? He took a different path.In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to grow
Fabian Núñez: Power, Politics, and a Changing California
How does the son of a bracero and a labor organizer become one of the most influential figures in California politics?Fabian Núñez is the former Speaker of the California State Assembly and was a driving force in the rise of Latino political power in California — helping turn what was once the exception into today’s expectation of Latino representation at the highest levels of government.In this e
Larry Mantle: The Voice of Los Angeles
What’s it like to be the voice that generations of Angelenos grew up with — even if they wouldn’t recognize your face?Larry Mantle has hosted KPCC’s AirTalk for over 40 years, making him one of the most enduring and trusted voices in public radio. Over the decades, he’s interviewed politicians, filmmakers, athletes, scientists, authors — and more than a few unforgettable callers. In this episode,
Renata Simril: From Army Boots to Olympic Flames
What do the Army, the Dodgers, the L.A. Times, and the 2028 Olympics have in common? Renata Simril.Renata Simril is the President & CEO of the LA84 Foundation — one of the most influential philanthropic organizations in Los Angeles. Her journey has taken her from growing up in Carson to standing in the room when L.A. was awarded the 2028 Olympic Games. Along the way, she’s helped rebuild South L.A
Fritz Coleman: Weather Words, Comedy Clubs, and Forty Years on Channel 4
What’s it like to give L.A. the weather for 40 years… and still slip out for a stand-up set between newscasts?For four decades, Fritz Coleman was more than just the weatherman on KNBC Channel 4 — he was part of the fabric of Los Angeles life. But behind the “weather words” were some surprising turns: his first TV job came while serving in the Navy during the Vietnam era, he nearly pursued a full-t
Karen Bass: Roots, Resilience, and the Story of Los Angeles
What’s it like to go from community organizer to Congress to the Mayor’s chair — with history rhyming along the way?Karen Bass’s story is as personal as it is political — and as uniquely Los Angeles as they come.Before she was Mayor of Los Angeles, she was a physician’s assistant, the founder of the influential nonprofit Community Coalition, the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the Califor
Introducing: Pandora’s Box: The Fall of L.A.’s Sheriff
Pandora’s Box: The Fall of L.A.’s Sheriff is a six-part true crime investigation from the Los Angeles Times about one of the biggest law enforcement scandals in U.S. history.Follow Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Christopher Goffard as he uncovers how Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, once hailed as a reformer, became entangled in a shocking cover-up inside the nation’s largest jail system. Fro
Lori Bettison-Varga: Running the Museum That Runs on Bones
What does it take to lead a museum with 110 years of Los Angeles history — and keep it moving forward in a city that never stands still?Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga is the President of the Natural History Museum of L.A. County, home to more than 35 million artifacts and specimens, the largest such collection in the Western United States. In this episode, she shares how getting a PhD in geology — of all
Kevin Demoff: The Man Who Brought the Rams (and SoFi) to LA
How does a guy who wrote his college thesis on Quaker women end up running an NFL team by 28 — and overseeing a global sports empire by 40?Kevin Demoff is the President of Team & Media Operations for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, where he helps lead some of the biggest names in sports — including the Los Angeles Rams, the team he helped relocate from St. Louis back to his hometown.In this episod
Lucy Jones: Seismology, ShakeOuts, and String Quartets
What do Chinese literature, medieval string instruments, and earthquake drills have in common? In Los Angeles, the answer is Lucy Jones.Often called “L.A.’s earthquake queen” — a nickname she’s not exactly fond of — Lucy Jones has been the city’s most trusted voice on seismic safety for decades. In this episode, we talk about how she went from refusing to attend her local public high school to gra
Michael Connelly: Crime, Craft, and Chandler’s Booth at Musso’s
From Bosch to The Lincoln Lawyer to his latest novel Nightshade, few authors have done more to shape how the world sees Los Angeles than bestselling crime novelist Michael Connelly. In this episode, we talk to the man behind more than 40 books — nearly all set in L.A. — whose work has been adapted for film and television and translated into more than 40 languages.He tells us about the chilling mom
Bricia Lopez: Mole, Mezcal, and a Koreatown Classic
What happens when your parents leave the country… and hand you the keys to one of L.A.’s most iconic restaurants?Bricia Lopez is the co-owner of Guelaguetza — the Koreatown Oaxacan institution that’s been serving up rich moles, mezcal, and culture for over 30 years. Named a James Beard American Classic and a winner of the L.A. Times Gold Award, Guelaguetza has done more than any other restaurant t
Father Greg Boyle: The Priest, the Homies, and a Mic Drop
In a city where everything changes, what if the most important people are the ones who don’t?Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries — the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program — and he’s spent more than 30 years in the same East L.A. neighborhood, still showing up with hugs, humor, a little wisdom, and the occasional twenty for the homies outside his office.
Alex Padilla: From Pacoima to Power
What happens when a Pacoima kid turned MIT-trained engineer brings a wonk’s brain — and a line cook’s work ethic — into the halls of power?Alex Padilla is California’s senior U.S. Senator, a national voice on immigration and voting rights — and, as you may have seen recently, someone unafraid to challenge authority, even if it means getting handcuffed at a press conference. (This conversation was
Introducing: Making Los Angeles
Even more than its sunny skies, rich history and Hollywood glamor, L.A. is defined by its people. In “Making Los Angeles,” from LA Times Studios, native Angeleno Glenn Gritzner sits down with the dreamers and big-thinkers shaping the city to explore how they got where they are. The result is a singularly intimate deep dive into the incredible lives of everyone from entrepreneurs, politicians and b
