Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Andrew Jenks about What Really Happened?

Andrew Jenks is a gifted storyteller who’s dedicated his life to giving a voice to the voiceless and unraveling newfound narratives across a variety of mediums including film, television, and podcasts. His critically-acclaimed documentary podcast series, What Really Happened?, hit #1 on Apple Podcasts and made its long-awaited return last week. On the podcast, Andrew examines and contextualizes famous figures and historical events while uncovering untold stories. Pop Culturalist got the inside scoop from Andrew about season two and what adjustments he made going from film to audio.

PC: For readers who may not be familiar with What Really Happened?, can you tell us about the podcast and what inspired you to create it?
Andrew: I heard this story about how in 1981 Muhammad Ali had talked a guy out of committing suicide in Los Angeles on the 9th floor of an office building. I’m a big sports fan and I’ve done a few ESPN movies in the past, but I’ve never heard this story before. I began to look into it as a documentary, and when I started to dive more into the research, the more I found that there were some pieces of the puzzle missing. I realized that the guy who was going to jump wasn’t who he said he was, so I called the LAPD to see if they had the police file from the day that this happened, and it was missing! I thought it could make for a really interesting documentary. There are a lot of different factors in the story that are entertaining and fascinating and there are so many different layers. I was talking about it with Seven Bucks Productions, which is Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s company. It’s probably no surprise, but they’re always thinking of ways to make something bigger and better, so they wondered, what if, instead of a one-time documentary, this was the first episode to a podcast series. Knowing that podcasts were growing at an exponential rate inspired the idea that we should go that route. We partnered with the Netflix of podcasts, Cadence 13, and off we went.

PC: What are some of the adjustments you had to make going from storytelling that’s primarily visual to a medium that’s strictly audio?
Andrew: That’s a good question! I’m so used to having all these different tools to tell a story, visually, and I don’t have that with podcasts. Plus, a lot of times people are listening to podcasts while they’re doing something else, like cleaning their apartment or working out, so I have to make sure that I’m telling the best campfire story you’ve ever heard. It’s almost like being at dinner with a bunch of friends and I’m going to tell a story for an hour that captivates them so that they don’t want change the subject or talk about food or gossip or the news of the day. It requires me to really hone in on the story, more so than I could have ever imagined.

PC: You’ve covered a wide range of topics on your podcast. What is the process like when you’re deciding what you’ll cover and did that process change from season one to two?
Andrew: That’s interesting. I’ve done a couple of television shows, and there, you normally work with the network to figure out which episodes and topics will work for their audience and demographic. What I’ve been really surprised by—and has been incredibly awesome and refreshing—is that I’m able to tell the stories that I want. I was shocked. When I walked in and we first met, I spoke with everyone at Seven Bucks and Cadence 13, and I was like, “Here are six ideas for our first season.” It ranged from why Michael Jordan retired to this Muhammad Ali story to Winston Churchill to Britney Spears to Princess Diana. Sure enough, six months later, those were the episodes. It’s been the same process for the second season: I listed out, after doing a lot of research on upwards of 100 topics, if not more, what I thought would be the best ones and those are the ones you’re listening to. I hope I’m not a difficult person to work with, but you’re definitely given much more authority or authorship to do what you want on podcasts. You don’t have to worry about act breaks or timing. If I want to do a 45-minute or an hour-fifteen minute episode, I can. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely getting people’s input, especially the people that I’m working with because they’re incredibly smart, but the freedom I have has been incredible and I like to think it shows in the final product. I’m really interested in these topics and I think if I weren’t, you would be able to tell while listening.

PC: What can you tease about the topics you’ll cover this season?
Andrew: There’s a wide range. This week, we’re doing the “sonic attacks” that injured the American Embassy officials in Cuba. The week after that, we’re doing an awesome episode about what really happened to that film, John Carter, which is considered a huge box office flop. We have others on Dave Chappelle’s “meltdown” after he left the show (with which I take issue), the balloon boy hoax, King John II of France, and a Native American female leader/warrior from the 1800s. It definitely runs the gamut.


PC: Each episode is accompanied by a reaction episode. Was that always part of the initial plan or is that a reaction to the response you received for the podcast?
Andrew: That’s a good question. I don’t think it was originally part of the concept, although, I’m not positive. What we realized early on with the Ali episode and some other ones, as well, is that if I don’t know the answer, maybe I’ll give my opinion, but I’m not going to BS and say that this is exactly what happened. We rely on listeners to give us their opinions, facts, and/or details that I missed. It’s organic. We actually want to hear from our listeners because you can likely add something to the conversation that I hadn’t considered or thought of. I’m incredibly lucky and grateful that people from around the world are listening. With them, it becomes a much better show.


PC: Is there a topic you haven’t covered yet that you want to?
Andrew: I would love to learn how Beyoncé kept Lemonade a secret for so long. I’ve done wrongful conviction documentaries, like last year, actually, we realized that one of the two men who was in prison for the murder of Michael Jordan’s dad wasn’t part of the murder. That required reading through testimonies, transcripts of interrogation footage, you name it, but we can’t sort out Beyoncé shooting Lemonade. [laughs]

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Andrew: I don’t really have a guilty pleasure TV show but I do watch Morning Joe every morning.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Andrew: John Carter. I also don’t understand people who don’t like Ocean’s 11.

PC: Favorite book?
Andrew: Moneyball would be up there. I love I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron. There’s also that great book about Michael Jordan called The Jordan Rules.


PC: Favorite play or musical?
Andrew: Cats

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Andrew: The Backstreet Boys

Make sure to follow Andrew on Twitter and Instagram, and check out What Really Happened? on Apple Podcasts.

Photo Credit: Mindy Tucker of With Reservation