The Untold Truth of Anthony Bourdain with TV Producer Tom Vitale

Tom Vitale is a producer and director widely known for his work on TV.
He spent 12 years traveling around the world with Anthony Bourdain, telling stories of food, culture and people.
He said 'life was never dull' at the job, and that's because of Bourdain's rockstar way of doing things.
But everything came to a halt in June 2018 when Bourdain passed away.
Tom has gathered his memories of these years with Tony in his 2021 book, 'In The Weeds", published by Hachette Books.
Buy Tom's book "In The Weeds"...
www.hachettebooks.com/titles/...
Even more...
www.intheweedsbook.com
#WDHT #AnthonyBourdain #cooking #traveling #TomVitale #Producer #AnthonyBourdain #TVShow #FoodExploration #TravelSeries #CulinaryAdventures #Globetrotting #FoodCulture #Wanderlust #FoodieLife #DocumentarySeries #TVProduction #BehindTheScenes #FoodTravel #CulinaryStorytelling #FoodJourneys #TVIndustry #FoodDocumentary #TravelEnthusiast #FoodInspiration

[@rodw4057]

No matter what, it still boils down to Tony is not here anymore. Doesn't matter how much we talk about him. The world is a much LESSER place now. He will be missed forever. Let him Rest in Peace. He deserves it. ❤😢

[@marcclement7396]

My first experience with Mark. Never again. You must let the guest talk. Its not about you. Stop interrupting and finishing sentences.

[@jonvia]

Tony was a true culinary rock star...RIP...then again legends never die

[@agadozde]

Now there is a man with integrity , Respect to you Mr .Tom Vitale

[@marilynjarvis8228]

Favorite Tom Vitale moment. Congo flight in the rain and he cupped his hand to catch the rain from above coming through the plane fuselage. Those beautiful blue eyes were even bigger, and filled with genuine fear.

[@dantsonhebert3478]

'In the Weeds' gives incredible behind the scenes of this adventure. Joseph Conrad would be proud

[@p_nk7279]

This was deep and revealing. Bourdain was unique - an American original!

[@AudreyWiggins]

I fell in love with Parts Unknown. After learning of Anthony Bourdain's death, I thought, the show title must have defined his heart. I was shocked and so sad. He really seemed authentic on the screen. Tom you told the stories well. Thank you.♥🎞📽

[@MarkDrager]

Thank you so much for taking the time to express your view and how it’s changed! We appreciate you #wedohardthings - Jose

[@maloudelosreyes661]

Tom vitale is a very sensitive emphatic individual.. Anthony bourdain was more of an intelectual than a great chef... Mark.. You did an amazing interview.. Asked the right questions.. Was on point!! Wow......

[@MarkDrager]

Thanks Malou, really glad you enjoyed this episode. It was an amazing and revealing conversation. - Jose

[@janiceharrell4260]

, Q😊 pp Q😊

[@micheletotton9342]

Awesome, loved hearing this from Tom. Tony was one of my favourite people

[@MarkDrager]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lynnhubbard844]

@@MarkDrager do a part 2???!!!!

[@vincentsantulli6664]

Dear Mark and Tom , Appreciated the interview, it was an opportunity to get insight of what it was like being there, filming those episodes. Which I believe will be viewed for many decades to come. It must have been especially difficult for you Tom , to recount those stories , but it was greatly appreciated, can’t wait to read your book!

[@anndeeraney5401]

Romantic view of all the countries...something connected with us ...kept us tuned in...he is missed.

[@lizafield9002]

This whole effort/creation of these guys was profound. I missed it all at the time, but am listening to the youtube episodes now. I'm fighting thru a life threatening infection of parasites, in constant pain as they exit, & can't eat or sleep. This man's team productions help me connect to tge goodness of life & a Zorba the Greek sorr who lived fully.

[@jjf609]

Tom, thanks for sharing your stories. So glad you never signed a NDA.

[@MarkDrager]

Lol. I'm so happy he didn't either. Far too many amazing stories are never shared because of threat of legal action!

[@ellacamp2076]

Read that book twice..plan to read it again! Great book.Good writing.❤

[@jonnowocky8179]

To add - ‘the guest’ at the boxing match was Asia - Anthony’s girlfriend at the time, daughter of Dario Argento. According to Roadrunner she provided a significant headache via backseat driving a lot of the later episode production. I guess we will never really know all the ins and outs, but the crew’s love for Tony shows in how they persevered for him when perhaps they were being manipulated or put in awkward situations - even these later episodes came out beautifully

[@TheBent139]

Tom threw him an opening by admitting that Asia totally staged that scene in Rome. She clearly brought tension when she was around. But I just think they were all just exhausted in the end. If he would not stop, his crew would not desert him. And Tony had the depression underlying everything else. Maybe if he had just gotten those last episodes in the can? I am glad Tony was here, he motivated me to do my own travel and made me push my own boundaries in foreign lands and here at home.

[@desmondtan3054]

Tom gave a great interview. Would have enjoyed it more if the interviewer did not interject every so often, over-explained stuff, i.e. overexplaning about filmmaking as if to prove he knows a lot about it etc Nuance. Some good questions got lost in his unnecessary "judgemental" tone, or making snarky comment as if he's TMZ, once again proving the notion that Americans do like to talk even when there isn't a need to.

[@jamesocallaghan9471]

Yeah good observation, it was a strange approach from the interviewer, not sure if his ego was involved or maybe he's not super experienced at connecting with people in an interview format yet? Benefit of the doubt as it was a decent interview overall, just a bit jarring at points.

[@jonnowocky8179]

he often asked a pertinent question, but then felt the need to embellish it to where it became dilute or 4 or 5 questions in one, which stunted Toms flow. It’s immediately obvious that Tom is deeply connected with the amazing work he did, and still processing the complex emotions brought by Tony’s death, which led to the catharsis of this book. I think it would’ve served well to let him more room to process and speak to us. I think this could’ve been more of a chance to get to know Tom, who seems fascinating in his own right, and it was crass of the interviewer to constant interject and suggest that he was very much a moon operating Tony’s brilliance - clearly he was much much more. Time to read his book…

[@TheBent139]

Would have really helped if the interviewer had a better knowledge of the shows. Tom was a good sport but the interviewer asked some pretty offensive questions. It's like the host didn't know his material. He wasn't even aware of specific dangerous situations like Beirut and Libya. They had to be taken out of Beirut by the U.S. military. If Tony was a cult leader, I was a follower too. I lived for each episodes. All magnetic things are not bad.

[@raisedfromperdition2x919]

@@TheBent139I think in many ways there is a cult of AB. His spirit lingers in us still, he still moves us. I know I was changed by his shows, I learned so much snd opened my worldview immensely. I also became very passionate about SE Asian cooking! Something I knew very little about and no exposure to living in my little town. He gave many a new window on human relations and different cultures. His suffering and ultimate sacrifice of his relationships to bring us this education is such a gift. I still look for the echoes of his voice and demeanor.

[@reginafromrio]

Hey, why do you have to bring all Americans into it? It's one person.

[@KeenosQuest]

Great Interview! Love hearing Tom's story! The NDA is pretty interesting, talk about slipping through the cracks!

[@mikedeadeye8215]

Thank you. Both of you. Thank you.

[@vinniekay0967]

Thank you for this interview! I've been thinking about this "What happened to the Team" after Anthony Bourdain's death. The 'ZeroPointZero Gang' were a absolute Dream Team.. And Tom Vitale is sò sincere and open in this interview.. Respect!

[@ReannenJ]

Tonys a classic when he was good he WAS good, when he was bad he was bad. He lived

[@rogerfournier3284]

Great respect for Tom direction with the show

[@duranbodasing]

Absolutely brilliant episode Mark - I'm officially a fan sir ;)

[@stephenprice1519]

Thank you for what you have done.

[@Vikuku]

Tom Vitale is incredibly handsome

[@MarkDrager]

I am sure Tom will appreciate that! #wedohardthings -Jose

[@SuiGenerisAbbie]

@@MarkDragerI hope he reads comments here. I loved his book “Into The Weeds”, mightily.

[@karonsky1]

Great interview!! Thank you! In The Weeds is an excellent read, even better than Kitchen Confidential for me, because it was about the real Tony. He was one of a kind, and sadly, deeply disturbed! He never saw how Amazing and unique he was! 😢🇨🇦

[@lynnhubbard844]

I saw every episode those guys did all those years...Tom only barely mentioned Asia, but that is why Anthony wanted to do Italy again (not like the one he did with his wife's family). What a f'ing shock when the end came

[@djrejs]

at 44:00, when he talks about the detachment provided by witnessing scary/emotionally charged things through camera lenses, like you're not really there, I relate so much. I got the opportunity to photograph the birth of my daughter, which I consider to be the most important and extreme thing that happened to me in my whole live, and yet I was so composed, like...I'm already all dressed up, ready, waiting for my cue at the next door room, listening to the noise of surgery machines and smelling the smell of burnt human flesh from my wife's body, and somehow I was planning my shots. I was setting my lens manual focus to match what would probably be the distance from me to my wife's open womb. Nurse came to take me in, I get on the spot, my wife looking at me, and throughout the whole thing I was thinking about photography, about how I could produce the best images. Everything went right, I held my child for a bit, then I left the room, changed my clothes and went downstairs looking for some place to sit down, sip a cup of coffee and look at the images I got. There, after put some music* though my earbuds, it all finally hit me, and only then I broke down on tears. *"Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires" by Cocteau Twins was playing. when Elizabeth Fraser sings "...rounder" she sounds like she's saying "Laura...", which is my daughter's name. No, it was not a coincidence, it was on my playlist because of it, but i thought you would like to know about it. this was such a great interview. you got a new subscriber, and I, a long time Bourdainian, am definitely reading Tom's book.

[@MarkDrager]

Thank you so much for being open and subscribing! We appreciate you here. Much love #wedohardthings - Jose

[@MakesomethinghappenTv]

♥

[@AndiB111]

MARK..great interview w Tom..thank you! TOM: excellent interview! Wondering which Ep.wasTony told they had the bessst burger, w say xx% of one meat, xx% another meat, etc.etc? (poss. not in Usa..) TY if possible! (subscribed.:)

[@dees9502]

Well done 👍

[@dantsonhebert3478]

Tom has the most joy-filled form of PTSD I've ever seen 😢

[@stanh24]

Mark and Tom, thanks so much for this interview! I’m about 60% through on the book, and it’s a rollicking read, to say the least. Bravo, Tom!

[@MarkDrager]

Thanks so much Stan, we appreciate the feedback. Thanks for putting your comments here, we appreciate you #wedhardthings - Jose

[@KhanJan-ee1vf]

@@MarkDrager UCXXX

[@KhanJan-ee1vf]

CXXX

[@KhanJan-ee1vf]

Sexy sexy

[@joec2174]

What was the last episode shown ?

[@LABoyko]

Dude looks just like Javier Bardem.

[@reginafromrio]

There's a joke in Brazil.. someone is held hostage and the criminal says "give me 60 reais". Go ahead and keep them.

[@elizabethstar-dylan796]

Please stop saying that he "passed away". "Passing away" is passive. Anthony never did anything passively. He exited life with great poignancy and passion. I understand the poignancy. I wish he would have dialed back the passion about 15% because maybe he'd still be here to tell his stories to us, and I'm selfish like that. He gave so much. I hold nothing against him, even though I loved him so much.

[@bassmule]

somewhere around the 20 minute mark I had to turn it off. I'm really not interested in Mark Drager's favorite song. (And, yes, I own "In The Weeds" and it's a terrific book.)

[@tomkarnes69]

Yea that's the ticket, he just passed away, and get the media to say something like he hung himself from a fucking door knob, you know so suicidal, never mind the fact that every fucking interview he did in the years before his death was to say how much he loved is baby daughter.

[@ursulina0]

Mark the interview was great to listen to Tom talk about Tony B. with admiration and love, I still miss Tony B. I have watched all of his shows what I never have is read any book or books that he wrote .but I notice that there was some jealousy from you, It's one person point of view.

[@mauryanthony1961]

I wonder where his spirit is right now.

[@antonyvaughan7808]

Hasn't this guy read the book? Tom shouldn't have given him an interview IMO...

[@MarkDrager]

Thanks for watching. When I first started I read every book for every guest. But I found over time that I was having really detailed conversations with guests about their books and we would get lost in the details. I go back and forth because I really love the books of those we have on, but it often removes the discovery that can come up in the podcast when I'm learning like the audience is. I appreciate that you may feel differently.

[@antonyvaughan7808]

@@MarkDrager All I hear is excuses for bad preparation ...

[@eprohoda]

yaahoo.Mark, Yo, you did unreal -

[@MarkDrager]

Thank you so much Mark really appreciates the feedback always, much love #wedhardthings - Jose

[@terrynouger1194]

I just hate small plastic forks

[@MarkDrager]

😂

[@Mike7O7O]

Mark. This isn't about YOU. Ask the question. Then shut up. That's all you need to do. Its no more complicated. And your reason for not reading guest's books before you interview them is insane. Literally. The guest expects you to have read their book. The audience expects you to have read the book and given it some serious thought beforehand. But mark decides no, I'll go another way. And it goes downhill from there. Your clickbait title shows how little you brought to the table and Tom hints at this around 30.00 when he admitted that only 10-15% of what he could've written went into the book. That was your opening to drill down into things that weren't in the final cut on TV, nor in the book. But, because you never read the book, you only found out when we did and you just sailed merrily onward. There was very little new in this interview that Tony didn't talk about over the course of his television series or in his own books. It certainly wasn't the untold truth. You had this guy for an hour or more. And......nothing. He even opened up and admitted that all he's been doing since the show, or for two years after Tony died, is drinking. Again, you hear this, say nothing. Leave the guy hanging with one of the longest pregnant pauses in interview history and then move on like he said nothing. Are you so shallow. Has your life been so without challenge that when another human being opens up this way, you can't or won't relate. Go back to school. Or if you never went to journalism school, go now.

[@dantsonhebert3478]

He did great, this interview isn't about your expectations goofy

[@GIBKEL]

Past away….he killed himself so just say it. You cheapen the truth and those that have been affected by suicide.

[@GertTown]

I heard from a very good source that he became a complete prick toward the end. The woman he was with ruled over him and he betrayed many good friends to please her.

[@Mike7O7O]

Show me a man who hasn't lost his head over a woman and I'll show you a man who's never lived.

[@GertTown]

@MikeWhite0101 hell of a way to live. You would think that with all he had done and the places he had been, that he could have seen through her and knew that she was no good. He probably realized how he been been played by someone he should have never trusted or confided in at all. Too bad he chose not to see howcit played out for just a little longer but I know how easy it is to see no way out for someone who escaped the grip of smack and was left damaged by it.

[@lynnhubbard844]

Tom skimmed over Asia--just to mention the Italy episode. Prick? Maybe he started back with the drugs/alcohol more and more

[@GertTown]

@@lynnhubbard844 L.Ron?

[@lelacurry-vv4it]

Unfortunately that’s what being infatuated with someone will do to a person.

[@danehenas]

Why do you start laughing like a hyena at the wrong times? It's really annoying.

[@embracethesuck1041]

"Trump is a fascist" How unoriginal.

[@susanhewitt6359]

The truth hurts, huh?

[@Zennofobic]

was a big fan but turned out he's just another big dork who let a beautiful woman get the better of him, won't be the last

[@lynnhubbard844]

what a damn shame...just horrific

[@LABoyko]

Bourdain's brilliant writing was essential for creating thematic context in each episode. Such amazing television. Way too much leftist politics at times (Obama in Vietnam -- the ultimate dog whistle), but otherwise genius stuff.

[@Mike7O7O]

MAGA much, are we? Shame on YOU.

[@olegwiththeknowledge1729]

Why is the host constantly smiling even when Tom is telling difficult stories? Its really uncanny...