Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

What was it like to work with Paul Reubens? The man behind Pee-wee Herman. Pee-wee as Himself is a beautiful, touching documentary about one of the most talented and unique voices of our time. He died in 2023. We're joined by filmmaker Matt Wolf. He talks about what made Paul Reubens a dream subject for a documentary and how he got Paul to open up about difficult topics. Plus, Jesse talks about his own experience working with Paul on the Pee-wee Herman Radio Hour for KCRW.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week on Bullseye, we talk to Ego Nwodim! She just wrapped up her sixth season as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. She talks with us about her roundabout path to comedy, including nods to her hometown in sketches, and a whole lot about her incredible SNL character: Lisa from Temecula.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mary Randolph Carter is an expert on all things junk. She's written many books on the topic including her latest called Live With the Things You Love: And You'll Live Happily Ever After. We asked Carter if there was ever one piece of junk she acquired over the years that stuck with her so much and lived inside her head rent free for so long that she wishes she made it. The object that came to mind was a very peculiar clock.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Questlove, drummer and bandleader for The Roots joins us on the latest episode. The legend. Lately, he's been working on music documentaries: Sly Lives! and Summer of Soul were both fantastic. He joins us to talk at length about Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music. Questlove gets into his early memories of Saturday Night Live as a kid and gets into how he's been involved with the show over the years. We also get into the forthcoming album from The Roots.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week on Bullseye, we talk to Carson Lund, director of the new slice-of-life baseball film, Eephus. The movie is about two rec league baseball teams meeting to play their final game on a field, which will be torn down the next day to make way for a middle school. Lund talks to Bullseye about representing downtime in baseball, and rejecting the grand finale you might expect in a movie about a sport.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Alexander Skarsgård joins us to talk about the new Apple TV + sci-fi series Murderbot. He also gets into his upbringing and what it was like growing up around different artists and performers. Plus, he'll chat with us about some of his most memorable red carpet outfits.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey will be forever linked together – thanks to one show: The Office. The sitcom is celebrating its 20th anniversary. They were strangers when the show started, but soon formed a friendship that has lasted long after the show wrapped, including their podcast Office Ladies and their book The Office BFFs. They joined Bullseye to talk about seeing the show through a new lens and becoming geeks for The Office while researching their podcast.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jane Borden is a writer with bylines in Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, and the New York Times Magazine. Jane is kind of obsessed with cults. She enjoys reading books on them, watching documentaries, and vintage news pieces on the subject. Jane's obsession has become her latest book. She joins us on Bullseye to talk about Cults Like Us. The book is not just a study on the history of cults, but an examination on why they seem to be a uniquely American phenomenon.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rapper and producer Dezzy Hollow is a master of modern day West Coast funk. Earlier this year he released an album called OCEANSIDE, which he named after his hometown. He chats with us about the record, what he hopes his music can bring to the city and much more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Video game creator Keita Takahashi joins us to talk about how he got into designing video games and how he pitched the idea for his popular game Katamari Damacy to the folks at Namco. He also talks with us about his new game, to a T, which comes out soon. A version of this interview originally ran in April of 2024.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lisa Kudrow's big break was on the massively successful sitcom Friends. She portrayed the street-wise, but kind of clueless Phoebe Buffay. She's one of Friends' most beloved characters. Before she broke out on that show she envisioned a very different future. Kudrow on her early career in science research, the cruelty of middle-schoolers that set her on the path to acting, and being mentored by Jon Lovitz.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jean Grae is back on the show! The multidisciplinary artist just wrote a collection of personal essays called In My Remaining Years. She joins us to talk about the new book, why she distanced herself from rapping, her upbringing and much more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week, it's Bob Mackie! Mackie has made a career out of dressing big personalities in kinetic, sparkling garb. His life and career were profiled in an incredible documentary late last year. Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion covers the era-defining design work he did and the extraordinary life he's lived. Mackie talks to Bullseye about his early affinity for performance outfits, marrying costumes and comedy, and getting started in the business working with old Hollywood legends.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Craziest Day of My Entire Career is a segment where folks join us to talk about some truly unbelievable stories. Comedian Mike Drucker has had his fair share of crazy days – he's work for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Adam Ruins Everything, and Saturday Night Live. But his craziest day? It all happened at a paintball game when he was working for a little company called Nintendo. Good Game, No Rematch by Mike Drucker is out now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Writer, director and showrunner Tony Gilroy joins us to talk about the new season of Andor and what makes the show so different than any other Star Wars program. He also shares what his plans are after the series concludes, and tells us about how he almost entered a career in music instead of film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week on Bullseye, we talk to filmmaker Charles Burnett. His most famous film, Killer of Sheep, was part of his Masters' thesis at UCLA Film School in 1977. Now, it's in the Criterion Collection and the Library of Congress. His 1999 romance film, The Annihilation of Fish, has just been restored and set for its first theatrical release. He talks to Bullseye about representing communities authentically, the tension of studying at UCLA and living in South Central, and his regrets about the roof-jumping scene in Killer of Sheep.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rapper Fat Joe is charming, verbose, and direct. He is a man who radiates confidence. You wanna make a banger for the club? Fat Joe's got em – Lean Back, What's Luv? ft. Ashanti, and All The Way Up. The Bronx legend joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about collaborating with KRS-One , LL Cool J and his latest record The World Changed On Me. He also gets into his childhood, his family and how he keeps it real after three decades in the game.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives a chance for musicians and artists to tell us about the song that made them who they are. This week, we talked to Casual – he was a founding member of underground Bay Area rap crew Hieroglyphics. Casual talks about Ride the Rhythm from Chill Rob G's debut album. The track helped Casual visualize his own flow when he was coming up. Casual breaks down the song's lyrics and Chill Rob G's contributions to the genre.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Josh Gad joins us to talk about his new memoir In Gad We Trust: A Tell Some. He also gets into what life was like growing up in South Florida, the one time he refuses to use his Olaf voice and winning three national titles in teen oratory competitions.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bruce Vilanch wrote for countless TV variety shows dating back over 50 years. Sometimes, those shows turn out great! Think of Billy Crystal at the Oscars! The stuff that's not so great, you can read about in his new book: It Seemed Like A Bad Idea At The Time: The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote. Vilanch tells Bullseye stories from behind the scenes of the Oscars, The Brady Bunch, and the Star Wars Holiday Special.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Christina Hendricks joins us this week to talk about the new Hulu series Good American Family. She also chats with us about her time as a model and a ballet dancer, and what life's been like for her after starring on one of the biggest shows ever – Mad Men.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jesse talks with one of the greats: Laurie Metcalf. For nine years she played Jackie on the hit TV show Roseanne. These days, she's starring in The Conners, the ABC produced spinoff of the show. The Conners is wrapping its 7th and final season right now. On the latest episode, Laurie talks about her Oscar-nominated role in Lady Bird as well as her role on Roseanne and The Conners.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We're taking a moment to remember singer and R&B legend, Angie Stone, who died on March 1, 2025. She was 63 years old. When Stone spoke with Bullseye in 2023, she had just released her newest album: Love Language . She talked about having her heart set on performing from a very young age, the influence of her family on her career, and auditioning for Sugarhill Records with The Sequence.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lucy Dacus is a beloved singer songwriter and one-third of the Grammy-winning supergroup boygenius. She just released her new record Forever is a Feeling, and joins us talk about the project, how she went about writing songs for it and much more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The MaxFunDrive is a great time to look back at the past year here at Bullseye. In this excerpted segment we listen to a bit of our conversation with Barry Sonnenfeld. He showed up early so he could work on his lighting and camera. He also dropped the most unbelievably bonkers Werner Herzog story. Do these kind of moments and conversations mean something to you? They are only possible with support from members of Maximum Fun. Join us at maximumfun.org/join.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Tom Green Show was ahead of its time. Its surreal stunts and pranks influenced a number of TV shows over the past twenty five years in that genre. In recent years, Tom Green kind of took a break. But Tom Green fans can rejoice – he's the star of three new projects. The projects come at a reflective time of his life and he gets real about starting a new chapter in his life. Plus, he brought his dog into the studio. You're going to want to hear about this dog.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week on Bullseye, it's Vincent D'Onofrio. He talks about his many memorable roles in Full Metal Jacket, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Men in Black, and Daredevil. He also talks about how an actor accesses these grand characters through physical and emotional inspirations, as well as the Kingpin costume made of material developed by NASA.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In this excerpted segment we listen to a bit of our conversation with Tyrese Gibson. Perhaps one of the most memorable moments in recent memory. Mid-interview Tyrese stopped us to take an important call from a Bay Area rap legend. Who was it? Only one way to find out! Surprising moments like these are what gets us excited about putting out a show – and conversations like these are made possible with support from members of Maximum Fun. Join us at maximumfun.org/join.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week we're talking with the one and only George Lopez. He joins us to talk about how he and his daughter Mayan approached creating their sitcom Lopez vs Lopez. He also opens up about his upbringing and the relationship he had with his grandparents who raised him. He also gets into how his comedy style has changed over the years since he first performed on The Tonight Show in the nineties.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We're presenting a sneak peek of a bonus episode for Bullseye's annual MaxFunDrive. Jesse is asking guests like Denzel Curry and Meg Stalter about the worst jobs they've ever had. If you like what you hear, we've got even more of it at maximumfun.org/join.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Charlotte Nicdao stars as Poppy on the Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest. She joins Bullseye to talk about that very funny show. We talk about her upbringing in Australia, and the first time she visited the United States when she was a teenager for music camp. She also takes us back to the time she auditioned for the part of a mob boss in her school's production of Guys and Dolls.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

George Wallace has been doing stand-up for fifty years. Known for his evergreen humor, he's practically royalty in Las Vegas, where he's done so many residencies he's lost count. Wallace talks to Bullseye about his love of the 70s, welcoming everyone in the room as a performer, and the influence of preaching on his comedy style.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Music writer Andrew "Noz" Nosnitsky gets into why bay area rapper Saafir's debut record Boxcar Sessions, deserves to be inducted into the canon of great pop culture albums.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Linda Holmes knows what goes into a good romantic comedy. Linda has written about pop culture for more than 20 years and is a huge fan of the genre. She's also written romantic comedy novels herself. Linda joins us on Bullseye to discuss her latest novel Back After This. She breaks down the clichés that make rom-coms great and the tropes that make them stink.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You may know him as Zorro, or as a very Zorro-like cat from the Shrek universe: Puss in Boots. It's Antonio Banderas! He talks with us about reconnecting with, and then portraying his friend and collaborator Pedro Almodóvar. Plus, he talks about how his acting experience in Hollywood did not, for the lack of a better term, translate to acting in Spanish films.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pedro Almodóvar is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time. He's the director of the movies Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown and, most recently, The Room Next Door . He chats with us about his dramatic endeavor Julieta, his new wave band, and his unseen ailment.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dr. Frasier Crane! Beast from X-Men! Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons! Our guest needs no introduction: it's Kelsey Grammer. He's an incredibly talented actor and a fascinating, complicated person. He gets into his time working on Cheers while struggling with substance abuse – and how he learned to forgive himself. Don't worry there's plenty of time for some laughs, too. He talks about the inspiration for the voice of Sideshow Bob and embraces the viral clip of him falling from a few years back.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tramell Tillman plays Mr. Milchick on Severance, the bizarre, fascinating sci-fi workplace show on Apple TV +. Tramell Tillman is great as Mr Milchick. He shares how he collaborated with Ben Stiller to create the character. He also talks with us about his upbringing in Baltimore, his experience being raised in the Baptist church, and his early appearance on The Wire.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We welcome director Mike Lee back to the show. He talks with us about his recent film Hard Truths and what it was like to reunite with actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste on the project. He also tells us about how he reacted to reading one of the first rave reviews he received as a filmmaker.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Isabella Rossellini is probably best known as an actor, having acclaimed parts in movies like Blue Velvet, Death Becomes Her, and Big Night. She's also a model, a performance artist, an accomplished singer and even an academic. When Isabella Rossellini joined Bullseye in 2022 she spoke with correspondent Louis Virtel about her role in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, collaborating with David Lynch and why she is attracted to working in experimental film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Stanley Tucci is handsome, a great cook, a killer dresser and, of course, an excellent actor. Most recently, he stars in the Oscar nominated drama Conclave. He also had a part in the mega budget action series Citadel – a show he told us he had a lot of fun working on.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We're taking a moment to remember the life of soul singer Brenton Wood. He died earlier this month. He was 83. Brenton was also responsible for the hit songs Oogum Boogum Song, Gimme Little Sign and Baby You Got It. When Brenton joined us in 2023 he was still going on tour well into his 80s. He talked with Bullseye about that decision and his secret to sounding so great well into that age. He also got into his time growing up in San Pedro and the South Bay area of Los Angeles.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy