Being... with Dana Bash - Episode Guide

Being…AOC is the first episode of the new series Being… from Dana Bash.  She speaks to Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who gives one of her most personal on-camera interviews to date, opening up about her unique perspective on power and femininity, what drives her, and how threats against her and her previous experience with sexual assault impacted her perspective on January 6th.

Being…Chris Christie is the second episode in the Being…series. Dana Bash travels to New Jersey to speak with former Governor Chris Christie and find out what it is like to be one of America's most well-known Republicans, a longtime friend and high-profile supporter of former President Donald Trump, turned harsh critic of Trump's big lie. In their in-depth interview, Christie opens up about trying to use his signature blunt talk to rid the GOP of the conspiracy theories that Trump perpetuates, battling for his life in the ICU with COVID, his upcoming book, his struggles with his weight, and the future of his party and his own political ambitions.

Being…Barry Manilow is the latest episode in the Being… series. Dana Bash sits down with songwriting icon Barry Manilow in Las Vegas to discuss his decades-long career, how he writes his catchy melodies, and the ways fame has changed his life. In addition to a record-breaking residency in Las Vegas, Manilow has a musical, Harmony, that is premiering off-Broadway for the first time. Bash traveled to New York City as well to hear from the legend himself about getting this project he calls his greatest achievement onto the stage.

What is it like being the Nation's first-ever Second Gentleman? In Being…The Second Gentleman, Dana Bash sits down with Vice President Kamala Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, for an exclusive interview to find out. As his wife makes history as the first female Vice President, Emhoff is working to define his own role in the administration, doing a job only women have done for over 200 years.  During his conversation with Bash, he talks candidly about adjusting to life in politics and leaving his own career behind. The Second Gentleman also opens up about a provocative topic: redefining masculinity. Emhoff welcomed Bash to the Naval Observatory, his official residence with the Vice President, where he opened up about his Jewish faith, his blended family, and his relationship with Harris.

With the Republican Party at a crossroads, could GOP Governor Chris Sununu have a winning formula for his party? Dana Bash sits down with New Hampshire's governor to talk candidly about his vision for the Republican Party and his balancing act with former President Donald Trump. In their in-depth interview, Sununu also opens up about his experience growing up in a political family, navigating fatherhood and politics, a life-threatening health scare, and what he really thinks about all of the 2024 speculation around him.

What is it like to be an 80-year-old icon who paved the way for equal pay for women in sports? In Being…Billie Jean King, Bash sits down with the champion, trailblazer, and activist to find out. King takes Bash from her first tennis lesson to the epic ‘Battle of the Sexes' match with Bobby Riggs, which catapulted her to the forefront of a feminist social justice movement and provided a platform for her to champion equality. 2023 is a milestone year for King: it marks her 80th birthday, 50 years since the "Battle of the Sexes" match, and 50 years since King forced equal prize money for women at the U.S. Open – a first in tennis and all of sports.  

From winning 39 Grand Slam singles and doubles championships, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon, to being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, King describes the life of a champion – the euphoric highs of victory and the lows of having a private life in the spotlight. During their wide-ranging conversation, King speaks candidly about the ramifications of hiding her sexual orientation for so many years. She even gives Bash a tour of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center during the US Open, where they speak with tennis champion Coco Gauff, one of a new generation of athletes who have benefited from King's groundbreaking efforts on behalf of women's tennis.