The comedy podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes is SmartLess.
SmartLess launched in 2020 as a conversational interview show built around a simple device: one host secretly chooses a guest, then reveals that person to the other two hosts at the beginning of the episode. The surprise creates spontaneous reactions before the trio settles into a wide-ranging conversation.
The hosts are established actors and longtime friends. Jason Bateman is known for Arrested Development and Ozark, Will Arnett for Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman, and Sean Hayes for Will & Grace. Their chemistry, playful interruptions, and conversations with entertainers, athletes, politicians, and other public figures form the show’s central appeal.
SmartLess is often confused with other celebrity-hosted interview podcasts, including Armchair Expert and Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Those programs have different hosts and formats. SmartLess is specifically the three-host show built around Bateman, Arnett, and Hayes, and its title reflects the group’s intentionally casual, unscripted style.