Wondery has posted the first two episodes of its latest podcast, “IMAGINED LIFE,” a look at life from the point of view of notable celebrities whose identities are hidden as their stories are told until revealed at the end of each episode. The show is hosted by Academy Award-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and voice actor Robbie Daymond.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to walk in the shoes of a legend and not even realize it? IMAGINED LIFE takes you there.

Each episode guides listeners on an immersive journey through the surprising moments and challenges that shaped someone’s life before they were famous. Clues about your identity are dropped along the way, but only at the end will you learn who “you” are. Part mystery, part deeply immersive story, and part inspiration for how to weather life’s unexpected trials, Imagined Life shows just how connected we all are.

Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts to start your journey: wondery.fm/imaginedlife

A trailer has been released for Yen Tan’s “1985” starring Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung and directed by Yen Tan. Check out the synopsis and new theatrical trailer below., which opens on October 26th.

Having been gone for three years, closeted advertising executive Adrian (Cory Michael Smith, “Gotham”) returns to his Texas hometown for the holidays during the first wave of the AIDS crisis. Burdened with an unspeakable tragedy in New York City, Adrian looks to reconnect with his preteen brother Andrew (Aidan Langford) while navigating his relationship with religious parents Eileen (Academy Award Nominee Virginia Madsen) and Dale (Golden Globe Award Winner Michael Chiklis). When he reaches out to his estranged childhood friend Carly (Jamie Chung, “The Gifted”), their unresolved issues force Adrian to confront an uncertain future that will significantly alter the lives of those around him.

Shot on black-and-white super 16mm film, “1985” takes a unique look at a pivotal moment in American history through the prism of empathy, love and family.

In her latest film, Virginia Madsen plays a mother whose closeted gay son comes home to let the family know he’s dying from AIDS complications.

The 1980s have enjoyed a recent surge in relevance, from the spectacle of Ready Player One to the nostalgia of Stranger Things. But the era remains one marked in sadness in the history of HIV, a time when the still-misunderstood virus claimed countless lives.

Actress Virginia Madsen launched to stardom in the mid-‘80s thanks to roles in Dune and Modern Girls, becoming one of Hollywood’s sexiest stars. Even as her fame rose, she was well aware of the growing tragedy. Now, as she promotes her new film, the nostalgic AIDS drama 1985, Madsen remembers the loss of life, telling press and film festival audiences about the deaths of close friends — and an uncle she never got to truly know.

“It was talked about in hushed tones,” she recalls. “People were trying to hide when they were terribly ill. If somebody developed a bad respiratory infection, people wanted to move away. Nobody knew anything. They wondered, could you get it from touching or from tears?”

Families, including her own, suffered irreparable ruptures. She recalls her uncle Chicky, who moved away from the family’s small Illinois community while Madsen was just a child.

“I didn’t know him well, but remember him as a little kid because he was extraordinarily beautiful,” Madsen says. “But he had to leave and move to San Francisco. I was robbed of knowing him because no one could accept who he was in our community.”

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