Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Jean Grae is back on the show! The interdisciplinary 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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 February 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2025

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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

We welcome back actor and writer Sharon Horgan to talk about her new series Bad Sisters. It's a black comedy and drama about murder, family and betrayal. Sharon joins us to talk about how she got the idea for creating the show and what it was like to share the project with the world. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2025

Rapper Denzel Curry was born and raised in Miami, but his music doesn't really sound like he's from Miami. With his reputation as a Soundcloud rapper – his home isn't so much the neighborhood he grew up in as the website where he posts his music. He joins us to talk about his latest record King of the Mischievous South and his time growing up in Miami. We also get into some of his hobbies – he's a big fan of the card game Magic The Gathering. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 21 January 2025

Vulture senior editor and writer Jesse David Fox joins us to talk about Comedy Book. It's a book about the history and evolution of comedy through covers and interviews of greats like Jerry Seinfeld, Ali Wong, and Adam Sandler. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

Nick Park is the creator of the beloved stop motion series Wallace & Gromit, as well as the movies Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run. His latest project is the movie Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. He joins us to talk about the film and answers our most pressing question: Has he met any real life dogs named Gromit, and how many of those dogs were good boys? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 14 January 2025

Jeff Hiller is an actor and comedian. Alongside Bridget Everett he stars in the HBO comedy Somebody Somewhere. The series just wrapped its third and final season. Hiller joins us on Bullseye to talk about the show. We also get into Hiller's time as a teacher and performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in New York. He talks about what he learned there, what he loved about it and what frustrated him most about the experience. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2025

Our first guest of the year is the one and only Jude Law. He joins us to talk about his work on the new Star Wars series Skeleton Crew and his new film The Order. He also shares insight into what it takes to pull off a good accent. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 7 January 2025

Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a classically trained actor who has over 50 credits to her name, including Secrets & Lies and the FBI show Without a Trace. She currently stars in the film Hard Truths, directed by Mike Leigh, and has received critical acclaim for her performance. When we talked in 2020, she'd just starred in the new thriller In Fabric. We're revisiting our conversation with the actor, talking about the film and the time she read a newspaper for 45-minutes as part of an audition. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 3 January 2025

Nikki Giovanni died earlier this month at the age 81. We were fortunate enough to get to talk with her in 2021 and wanted to revisit our conversation with the late poet. She spoke with us about the first poem she remembered writing, overcoming teenage angst and why she was not afraid—excited even—to find life on Mars. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 27 December 2024

With a little help from the smash hit Cannonball, The Breeders became one of the biggest names in early '90s alternative rock. In 2018, we chatted with the band's lead guitarist and singer Kim Deal. The band just released their first new record in 10 years. Just this past month, Deal recorded her first ever solo album: Nobody Loves You More. She talked about the music scene in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio, how unintended her success was, and transitioning from the Pixies to The Breeders. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 24 December 2024

In this bonus episode, we're taking a moment to remember the life of Rickey Henderson. The legendary baseball player died on December 20. He was 65. First, we'll revisit an essay written by Jesse Thorn in 2017 about what made Rickey one of the best to ever play the game. Then, an interview from 2022 with writer Howard Bryant, author of Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

Each year, Bullseye looks back on the year in stand-up comedy by presenting listeners with an annual end of year stand-up comedy showcase! The Bullseye team combed through dozens and dozens of albums to bring you some of the best comedy of 2024. That includes stand-up from: Kyle Kinane, Kimberly Clark, Rory Scovel, Tig Notaro and more! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 17 December 2024

We're celebrating the holidays this week in a big, exciting way. It's the Bullseye Holiday Special! We've got Jennifer Hudson, Judy Greer, Zach Cherry, Tower of Power and Jesse's mom! So much holiday cheer it'll make you flip out. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 10 December 2024

Rachel Bloom is a comedian and songwriter. She created and starred in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The spring of 2020 was a tough time for a lot of us. It took Bloom a few years to process all that, and now we have the result: Death, Let Me Do My Special on Netflix. Bloom joins us to talk about her special. We get into what it was like to see the world grieve the loss of his writing partner, Adam Schlesingler, so publicly. Plus, we talk about Bobi, a dog who lived to be over thirty years old! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

Ken Burns is one of the greatest documentary filmmakers of all time. He's dedicated much of his life to covering the story of America through his works: The Civil War, Country Music, Jackie Robinson, just to name a few. His recent work ventures outside of The United States to record one of the greatest minds in history: Leonardo da Vinci. Ken Burns comes to Bullseye to discuss the renaissance man, quilts, and so much more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 3 December 2024

Canonball is a segment that takes a closer look at albums that should be considered classics. This time, MC Skiz Fernando joins Bullseye to discuss the game changing album Operation: Doomsday by MF Doom. Skiz just released a book that records the life and death of the hip-hop legend. It's called The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast. Skiz stops by to key us into the classic album, including songs like: "Tick Tick" and "Rhymes Like Dimes." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024

Canonball is a segment that takes a closer look at albums that should be considered classics. This time, MC Skiz Fernando joins Bullseye to discuss the game changing album Operation: Doomsday by MF DOOM. Skiz just released a book that records the life and death of the hip-hop legend. It's called The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast. Skiz stops by to key us into the classic album, including songs like: "Tick Tick" and "Rhymes Like Dimes." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024

Paul Williams has lived an extraordinary life. He's a songwriter who's written songs performed by Three Dog Night, Tiny Tim, The Carpenters, and David Bowie. On the latest episode of Bullseye we get into it all: Falling out of airplanes. Dressing as an Orangutan from Planet of the Apes on Carson. The simple genius of Kermit the Frog's Rainbow Connection, which was surprisingly complicated to write. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2024

Tavi Gevinson is a very talented actor and writer. She was just fifteen years old when she founded the fashion magazine Rookie, a smash success that is still beloved today. She returns to the show to talk about some of her new projects, what impacts social media has had on her career and how she dealt with the pressure of being called a wunderkind. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 15 November 2024

Connie Chung is a TV legend. She is an Emmy-winning newscaster and interviewer, and the first Asian American to host a major network news show. She chronicles her life and career in her new book Connie: A Memoir. Connie joins Bullseye to talk all about her memoir, what she misses the most about reporting the news, and the wonder of the modern standing desk. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 12 November 2024

J. Kenji López-Alt is a food writer and chef. He wrote the books The Food Lab and The Wok: Recipes and Techniques. The holidays are coming up – if you're looking for some new recipes to try, some of our favorites at Bullseye include López-Alt's roasted potatoes, chocolate chip cookies and standing prime rib. Making your own mayonnaise the López-Alt way only takes two minutes! A version of this interview originally aired in March of 2022. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 8 November 2024

James Adomian is a comedian with a foot in two worlds. He's a stand-up comedian and impressionist who's performed on the Late Late Show, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live and many more. He's got a brand new stand-up special out now called James Adomian: Path of Most Resistance. He joins us to talk about the new special and even does a few impressions. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2024

DeMar DeRozan is a basketball player for the Sacramento Kings. He's a six time NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist. DeRozan just released a memoir: Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm. He joins us to talk about some tough subjects covered in the book like his struggle with depression. He also gets into what it was like to be named dropped in one of the hottest songs of summer – Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 29 October 2024

Good gourd! It's a very special Halloween Spooktacular edition of Bullseye, where we're revisiting some of our best Halloween interviews. First up: R.L. Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series. Then, a very special visit from comedian Andy Daly with the song that changed his life: The Monster Mash! Finally, the "damned" finale: Cassandra Peterson, the woman behind Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 22 October 2024