Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol in 2002, released her chart-topping single “ A Moment Like This” the same year, and almost instantly became a music megastar. Kelly talks to Guy about the hardships of her early life, and how they helped motivate her towards success, the personal story of heartbreak while making her album “Chemistry”, hosting her award-winning TV talk show, and how her busy production schedule keeps her creativity flowing. This episode was first pu...
Dec 10, 2024•57 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast Christmas AGAIN?? Join the Grinch in stubbornly refusing the joys of the season with season 2 of ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast! Broadcasting straight from Whoville, with the help of his producer Cindy and loyal dog Max, Grinch is back to rant against Christmas cheer and roast celebrity guests like chestnuts on an open fire. Starring Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson as Dr. Seuss’ iconic holiday hater! Grab your hot cocoa and cozy slippers to find out if the Grinch’s heart will triple ...
Dec 05, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Josh Brolin ( Dune, Avengers, Sicario ) knows what it’s like to fall, rise, and live to tell the story. From his chaotic childhood on a horse ranch in California to teen stardom in 'The Goonies' to two decade without a big acting role, Josh pulls back the curtain on family, creativity, and a life driven by "insatiable curiosity". Plus: how he found other ways to support himself while waiting for the right role; a career-defining audition where directors praised the lighting but ignored him; and ...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast With a career spanning decades, Tom Hanks has embodied more unforgettable characters than most actors have roles. This episode brings back Tom’s inspiring conversation with Guy Raz from 2023, where he shares his journey through film—from early breakout roles to timeless classics—and his process of breathing life into each character. You’ll also learn how Tom deals with nerves and self-consciousness on set; what Joe DiMaggio and Paul Newman told him about performance anxiety; and why he believes ...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast JR is an internationally acclaimed street artist, photographer and filmmaker known for his massive photo-pasting murals that transform cityscapes into powerful messages of empathy and connection. In this episode, JR shares his journey from tagging buildings in Paris as a teen to using art to bridge divides in tense and dangerous places – from the Middle East to Brazilian favelas to Tehachapi, a maximum-security prison in California. Explore JR’s latest documentary “Tehachapi” here: https://www.m...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast Norman Reedus is an actor, fashion model, and photographer best known for portraying Daryl Dixon on the wildly popular TV show The Walking Dead . He sits down with Guy Raz to talk about his nomadic upbringing, stumbling into serious acting, motorcycles, fatherhood, the bizarre nature of fame, and how his ‘Walking Dead’ character has made him a better friend and a harder worker. The second season of Norman’s show ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ is streaming now on AMC+ , and you can pre-order Nor...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) is an Oscar-nominated actress, singer, and now, director. Anna joins Guy Raz to share her journey from Portland, Maine community theater at age six, through her breakout Broadway role at 12, to Hollywood stardom. She reveals her path to directing Woman of the Hour (after swearing she’d never direct) , and how George Clooney helped calm her nerves in her breakout role. Listen as she reflects growing from child actor to powerful voice in Hollywood. Watc...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast Lin-Manuel Miranda (‘Hamilton’, ‘In The Heights’) and Eisa Davis (‘Angela’s Mixtape’, ‘Bullrusher’) are writers, performers, and collaborators who are revolutionizing hip-hop theater. In this episode, Lin and Eisa join Guy to discuss their latest creative project, ‘Warriors’, a concept album inspired by the 1979 cult film, “The Warriors”. The duo reflects on how hip hop, New York’s streets, and unexpected muses like "Gamergate" influenced their work. Plus, they reveal how they convin...
Oct 29, 2024•50 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast Julie Bowen is a celebrated actress and two-time Emmy winner who brought the iconic character of Claire Dunphy to life for 11 seasons. In this episode, Julie chats with Guy Raz about her childhood love of theater in Baltimore, waiting tables while studying acting in New York, breaking into Hollywood with roles in films like ‘Happy Gilmore’ and on TV Shows such as ‘Ed’, and finding out she got cast in ‘Modern Family’ while in labor with her two twin boys. Julie stars in the new Peacock series ‘ H...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast Kenny G is a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and the top-selling instrumental artist of all time, with over 75 million record sales, and 1.5 billion streams. Kenny joins Guy to discuss his creative journey, from being the kid who didn’t make the high school band to a global music icon. Listen to how he defied industry norms with ‘Songbird’ to make it to the Billboard chart, his approach to handling critics, and his 50-year philosophy on practice and perfection. Check out Kenny G’s new memoir ‘L...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast Finneas is a Grammy and Oscar-winning producer, songwriter, and artist. He is best known for his close collaborations with his younger sister, Billie Eilish, and for being the youngest person to win the Producer of the Year award. In this episode, Finneas sits with Guy to discuss his unique creative partnership with his sister Billie Eilish, the unexpected virality of their breakout hit “Ocean Eyes” (recorded in their bedroom when Billie was just 13), and how his experiences producing for ...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast Diplo is one of the most successful and influential DJ/producers working today. He shares his journey from working odd jobs while grinding away on music to selling out festivals and generating billions of streams. Interested in a Visual Map tracing Diplo's creative journey? We made one just for you. Check it out here . And you can find his most recent album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 - Swamp Savant, here . Links from the show: Paper Planes video : M.I.A. produced by Diplo Wh...
Oct 01, 2024•52 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Ray LaMontagne is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for his raspy vocals and soulful, introspective lyrics. He also has an incredible life story that you rarely hear about, because he prefers to avoid the spotlight and let his music do the talking. But in this episode, Ray opens up about his challenging childhood, working as a carpenter to support his young family, and how he resisted pressure from his label to rewrite his debut album, “Trouble.” He also reveals his unique songwriti...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast Three-time Grammy winner Miranda Lambert is a proud Texan who got her start performing during set changes at local bars starting at age 17. It was a “Honky Tonk U” education that would serve her well – igniting a career that would see Miranda become country music’s most award-winning artist of all time… all before the age of 40. In this episode, Miranda talks with Guy Raz about how losing early singing competitions actually helped her “win” in the music industry; the valuable lessons she learned...
Sep 17, 2024•59 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast From a lightning bolt moment watching cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as a child to becoming a 5-time Grammy winner, Esperana Spalding’s journey has been driven by an innate love for music. But along the way, she’s often felt misunderstood and misrepresented in the press. Today, Esperanza sits with Guy to talk more about the forces that propelled her rise, her decision to livestream the 77-hour process of writing an album from start to finish in real time, and the lessons she lea...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Giovanni Ribisi, the versatile actor known for his roles in “Saving Private Ryan,” “Avatar,” and “Friends,” reflects on his life growing up in the heart of Hollywood and his enduring passion for filmmaking. He also discusses the emotional toll of “living” in intense roles; why he thinks “humiliation” is an important element of every creator’s journey; and going to extreme measures to push his career forward — like spending his last $700 on a plane ticket to an audition. See Giovanni’s cine...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Eric Goode is a filmmaker, conservationist, and a former nightclub owner. His Netflix docuseries Tiger King, about zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic, became a massive cultural phenomenon at the start of the pandemic. In this episode, Eric joins Guy to discuss his eclectic career path - from pinning dead flies to canvas as an eccentric young artist to opening the infamous Area nightclub in 1980s New York, frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Keith Haring. He a...
Aug 27, 2024•55 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Mark Foster is the frontman for Foster the People , which rocketed to fame in 2011 on the strength of their very first single, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’. Mark talks about growing up as a pastor’s son in Cleveland; nearly joining the military but choosing instead to move to L.A. to pursue his music dreams; falling into addiction and getting sober; feeling afraid to perform on SNL after becoming famous overnight; and his process for getting into a flow state in the studio. Mark also reflects on the ...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Singer Ellie Goulding has had 35 different songs chart in the UK, the most of any female artist ever. In this conversation from 2023, Ellie shares how she first broke out of her shell performing original songs to her college classmates. She also talks about finding her own sound by using her unique voice in collaboration with some of the biggest producers in the world of EDM. And she explains why she calls her album ‘Higher than Heaven’ her “least personal” record yet. Links from the show: The m...
Aug 13, 2024•52 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast Kenan Thompson ( Saturday Night Live , Good Burger , Kenan & Kel , All That ) is perhaps the most consistently funny TV performer of his generation. He’s the longest-running SNL cast member, and is beloved for early roles in Good Burger, D2: The Mighty Ducks, and the TV shows All That and Kenan & Kel. In this conversation from 2023, Kenan joins Guy to talk about his Nickelodeon days, why some of his big breaks have felt like kismet, his awkward SNL audition, impersonating celebriti...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Bjork, a singular artist whose work extends beyond music to include acting and conceptual art, discusses her career and artistic vision in this wide-ranging interview from 2022. She talks with Guy about forming her unique vocal style; recording her first album at 11 years old; her album, Fossora , which features a bass clarinet ensemble; and why she uses symbols from nature to define each of her albums. Links from the show: An early recording of Bjork singing as a child Bjork as a te...
Jul 30, 2024•59 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Jim Parsons is an actor who’s best known for starring as Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory . While many know him as the on-screen super-nerd, he is also a classically trained stage actor. And in this conversation from 2022, Jim reflects on his entire creative journey: from playing the same character for 12 years to embracing new challenges ( Hollywood , Spoiler Alert , A Man of No Importance ) that have allowed him to flex some different creative muscles. Plus, the uncertainty Jim felt when h...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Alfred Matthew Yankovic , when he was six years old, was told by his parents to choose between accordion and guitar lessons. “And my parents being the visionaries that they were said, ‘Oh, young Alfred would love to play the accordion.’” Alfred, better known as the chart-topping musician, satirist, and beloved nerd Weird Al Yankovic, told Guy in 2022 how that decision had changed his life and decades of popular music to come. They also discussed how Kurt Cobain had saved Weird Al fro...
Jul 16, 2024•56 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Rashida Jones is an actor, writer, and filmmaker best known for her work on ‘The Office’ and ‘Parks and Recreation’. She sits down with Guy to talk about growing up with dreams of being the President, how acting saved her during a bout of depression in college, and almost quitting acting right before the biggest break of her career. Plus, how becoming a parent and losing her own mother has changed the way she sees her work. Rashida stars in ‘Sunny’ on Apple TV+, out July 10: https://tv.apple.com...
Jul 09, 2024•45 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt spends a lot of time thinking about creativity, technology, and how the two collide. In this episode, Joseph shares his thoughts on a not-too-distant future in which AI-generated content will be able to “make people laugh, make people cry, and win all the likes and awards”. He also talks about theater programs in school, why he used to worry that Hollywood would “infect” him, which of his characters he personally identifies with, and why his toughest day as an actor ca...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Ben Gibbard is the voice of the bands Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. He talks about Death Cab’s scrappy start, recording their classic album Transatlanticism , how the band learned to defuse internal tensions, and how he approaches songwriting in middle age. This episode was recorded in 2023. Links from the Show: Ben's Tiny Desk Concert Ben breaks down his song "Black Sun" Death Cab for Cutie video for "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" Death Cab for Cutie video for "Soul Meets...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Phil Elverum has recorded more than 40 albums and documented decades of his life in song – first as “The Microphones” and then as “Mount Eerie”. In this episode, Phil talks with Guy about his musical beginnings playing the tuba, the 40-minute song that tells his life story, and the album he wrote about his wife's death – a project that resonated strongly with countless people experiencing grief. Check out Phil’s latest album, Microphones in 2020, here: https://www.pwelverumandsun.com/products/mi...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Lewis is one of the most successful authors in recent memory. And in this episode, he dives deep into exactly how he tells unforgettable stories… from “Moneyball”, “The Big Short”, and “The Blind Side” – all adopted into feature films – to his newest bestseller, “Going Infinite” (about Sam Bankman-Fried). You’ll learn how to “surf the world” for ideas like Michael; how to bring stories to life; how Michael structures narratives using a notecard system; and how he blocks out distrac...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Ben Platt is an actor, singer, and songwriter who’s quickly become one of the most decorated performers of his generation. He sits down with Guy to talk about his first professional acting role at age 9, breaking out in “Pitch Perfect” and the runaway success of “Dear Evan Hansen,” finding his voice as an “authentically” queer artist, and the secret ingredient behind his success: “sacrifice”. Buy Ben’s new album, “Honeymind”, here: https://interscope.com/collections/ben-platt/products/hone...
Jun 04, 2024•55 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Seth Meyers was a key player in creating some of the best seasons of Saturday Night Live. Now he's hosting Late Night in the very same building. In this classic episode from 2023, you’ll hear how his two-person comedy show in Chicago randomly landed him in front of just the right person to get him an audition at SNL. Seth also opens up about the anxiety he felt competing with his extremely funny co-stars. And he explains some of the ways he has managed to lead Late Night to new heights.&nb...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast 
