Julio Torres

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

NPR

Society & Culture

4.7 • 990 Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In his stand-up, films and TV shows, Julio Torres considers the beauty and absurdity of the structures that make up the world around him, and tries to make sense of them. In his latest HBO special, "Color Theories," he explores the interior lives of colors. He spoke with Rachel about how his existential dread has changed over time and his excitement for the outfits he’ll wear in his old age.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you ever experienced a divine power?
0:02.9	No.
0:04.3	Can you give me an example?
0:10.2	Because you ask very casually, like, have you ever had, like, a cherry Coke?
0:18.5	I'm Rachel Martin, and this is Wildcards, the show where cards control the conversation.
0:25.3	Each week, my guest answers questions about their life, questions pulled from a deck of cards.
0:30.7	They're allowed to skip one question and to flip one back on me.
0:34.1	My guest this week is Julio Torres.
0:36.2	I'd be terrible in trying to work up a corporation or something.
0:41.8	It's like, why do you want to move and up to this position? Oh, I don't necessarily. The joy I'm seeking is not a
0:46.6	limited resource. Until I encountered the work of Julio Torres, I had never imagined the interior life of a Ferreiro Rochere chocolate, or how navy blue captures the feeling of having to create an account.
1:01.7	But now that Julio has asked me to imagine these things, I cannot stop seeing them.
1:05.6	His art defies definition.
1:07.9	Whether in movies like Problemista or TV shows like Fantasmas, Julio Torres
1:12.7	invites his audiences into a world of his own making, and it is an absurd and beautiful place to be.
1:19.0	His new HBO stand-up special is called Color Theory's, and I am so very happy to welcome
1:23.9	Julio Torres to Wildcard. Hi! Hi. I'm so happy to meet you.
1:28.6	Thank you for having me.
1:31.4	First round is memories.
1:33.4	These are the first cards, Julio.
1:35.2	You pick one, two, or three.
1:37.6	I will pick one.
	...

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