Boxes and Lines

Boxes and Lines


Face to Face with Madoff: Diana B. Henriques on Interviewing a Conman and Watching De Niro Become Him (Episode 2)

March 19, 2025

In Part 2 of our conversation with Diana B. Henriques, the Wizard of Lies author and veteran New York Times financial journalist takes us even deeper into the world of Bernie Madoff. She shares what it was like to sit across from him in prison, unraveling the psychology behind his massive Ponzi scheme and the ways he manipulated not just his victims but everyone around him. Diana’s book became the basis for the HBO film Wizard of Lies, starring Robert De Niro as Madoff. And in an unusual twist, she played herself in the movie. What was it like to act opposite De Niro, a method actor who studied Madoff’s mannerisms with almost obsessive precision? And did stepping into Hollywood change the way she saw the man she had investigated for years? Give it a listen!