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‘Modern Love’: How to Keep Love Alive, With Rob Delaney of ‘Dying for Sex’

The Daily

2025/07/20
The Daily

The Daily

2025/07/20

Shownote

When we meet Rob Delaney’s character, “Neighbor Guy,” in FX’s limited series “Dying for Sex,” he’s scarfing down a burrito in an elevator, dripping food on his face and the floor. But Delaney’s performance reveals that under Neighbor Guy’s messy exterior i...

Highlights

In this episode of Modern Love, actor and writer Rob Delaney delves into the emotional depth of his role in the FX series 'Dying for Sex,' discussing how vulnerability, connection, and authenticity shape both his personal life and his art. Drawing from his own experiences with recovery, grief, and long-term marriage, Delaney reflects on the importance of emotional openness and how it can lead to powerful, even humorous, human connections.
03:22
Michelle Williams' portrayal of a woman with terminal cancer seeking pleasure
25:42
The couple's act of pretending to be strangers reminded them they're still discovering each other
32:30
Rob shares how he chose his marriage over his career to overcome workaholism and alcoholism

Chapters

Becoming Emotionally Naked: Love, Loss, and Acting
00:00
Strangers in Love: Role-Playing to Rediscover Connection
19:21
The Art of Attention: Keeping Love Alive Beyond the Honeymoon Phase
29:10

Transcript

Rob Delaney: Hi, I'm Josh Hainer, and I'm a staff photographer at The New York Times covering climate change. For years, we've sought of imagined this picture of a polar bear floating on a piece of ice. Those have been the images associated with climate ch...