Sigourney Weaver has appeared in more than 60 films, from her breakout role in Alien in 1979 and the blockbuster Aliens in 1986, to Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl , and Avatar: The Way of Water, with more Avatar sequels in the works. Despite being raised by a family steeped in show business, Sigourney was reluctant to pursue acting for many years. In this conversation with Guy from the fall of 2022, Sigourney unpacks what was behind that reticence; t...
Mar 28, 2023•55 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Justin Long is an actor ( Accepted, Dodgeball, Jeepers Creepers ) best known for his roles in quirky comedies. He talks to Guy about the not-so-nice reality of showbiz, turning down his first big paycheck, a tough love lesson about Hamlet, and one very scary night in Michigan. Links from the show: Justin's first film Galaxy Quest Recording Alvin's voice behind the scenes "Get A Mac" ad campaign "The Real Stephen Blatt" from Funny or Die Barbarian trailer Life is Short with Justin Long Podcast Ju...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Ike Barinholtz is a writer, director and actor best known for his numerous roles on MADtv and other hit comedies like The Mindy Project , The Afterparty and Blockers . In this episode, he talks to Guy about his early origins in the Chicago comedy scene, and how a pivot from acting to screenwriting saved his career. Links from the show: Gay Straight Guys MADtv sketch Ike as an Abercrombie model on MADtv Ike on Eastbound and Down Funny moments between Ike and Mindy Kaling on The Mindy Project Trai...
Mar 14, 2023•53 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast When Judith Light became an actor, she swore she'd never do a soap opera or a sitcom. She didn't see it as serious acting. But her roles as Karen Wolek on the soap One Life to Live and Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss? forever changed her views on those genres, and made her a star. In this episode, she tells Guy how, after early success on TV, she struggled to find her way back on to the stage. She also discusses how she learned to believe in her abilities, leading to several Emmy and T...
Mar 07, 2023•51 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Ever since his breakout role in L.A. Law , actor Blair Underwood ( Rules of Engagement , Just Cause , In Treatment ) has been fighting against being pigeonholed, and searching for new psychological puzzles to solve through the characters he plays. He talks to Guy about the profound influence both his father and Sidney Poitier had on his career, about the moments he thought that career might be over, and about the powerful role that imagination plays in his craft. Links from the show: Trailer for...
Feb 28, 2023•54 min•Ep 24•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. Kenan joins Guy to talk about his Nickelodeon days, why some of his big breaks have felt like kismet, his awkward SNL audition, impersonating celebrities, and whether – given the chance – h...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Audra McDonald ( Master Class , Ragtime , Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill ) has won six Tony Awards--more performance wins than any other theater actor. (She's also won two Grammys and one Emmy along the way.) Still, each new role she takes scares her. In this episode from the fall of 2022, Audra told Guy why that fear is actually essential to her work, about her never-ending quest to know her characters better, and how it felt to have her friend and mentor Stephen Sondheim publicly pan on...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Singer/songwriter Santigold blends punk, indie, new-wave and soul music to create a sound all her own. She talks with Guy about why she initially shied away from singing, how she fights back against barriers in the music industry, and how she nourishes her creative spirit. Links from the show: " High Priestess " music video vignette, from Spirituals " Disparate Youth " performed live at KCRW " Shove It ", sampled by Jay-Z on "Brooklyn We Go Hard" " It's Unanimous ", by Stiffed Santi's Instagram ...
Feb 07, 2023•57 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Ryan Tedder is the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist of the band OneRepublic. He’s also a producer and songwriter behind hits such as Adele’s Rumor Has It and Beyonce’s Halo . He joins Guy to talk about growing up in a religious family, tackling his stagefright, using personal experiences to write music, working with star musicians, and how to choose singles during the TikTok age. Links from the show: Ryan performing “ Apologize ” solo for BBC Music: OneRepublic’s music video for “ I Ain’t W...
Jan 31, 2023•57 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Carrie Brownstein has made iconic contributions to the worlds of music, with the indie-rock band Sleater-Kinney; and comedy, in the sketch comedy show Portlandia , which she co-created with Fred Armisen. She tells Guy about how the band found its sound, about the unlikely events that led to the birth of Portlandia, and why she had to take a break from Sleater-Kinney to finally face some childhood traumas. Links from the show: Sleater-Kinney playing “ One More Hour ” at 924 GIlman in 1997 Sleater...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast The rapper Macklemore and his collaborator Ryan Lewis had their first two singles go straight to number one ( Thrift Shop and Can't Hold Us ). Even more amazing, they did it without being signed to a major label. Macklemore joins Guy to discuss why they stayed independent, his battle with addiction, why he feels indebted to the originators of hip-hop, and how to make music that means something. Macklemore's new album BEN comes out March 3rd and can be pre-ordered here . Links from the show: Vide...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Hanks has had more iconic roles than most actors have had roles. From Big , to Forrest Gump , to Saving Private Ryan , to 2022’s Elvis , Tom has played countless characters spanning across different genres and different decades. In this wide-ranging interview, Tom discusses the trajectory of his career, the importance of bringing his own ideas to the films he’s acted in, and how he has managed to stave off self-consciousness while remaining as authentic as possible. Links from the show: Tom ...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Billy Porter is an Emmy, Tony and Grammy-award winning artist known for lighting up the red carpet with his incredible ensembles. But success did not come easy for Billy. He tells Guy about his years in obscurity, why he never stopped working on his craft, and what led to his big break. Links from the show: Billy's best red carpet outfits (Elle) Music video for " Show Me " Music video for " Children " Solo show at Lincoln Center: "Kinky Boots" medley Billy as Pray Tell in "Pose" Billy sings " I ...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Singer/songwriter and violinist Andrew Bird ’s singular live performances -- a blend of Americana, indie folk, and jazz -- have been captivating audiences for 20 years. He tells Guy how his signature style started emerging during several seasons spent by himself in an Illinois barn, demonstrates his violin-looping technique in real time, and discusses how a moment of crisis in his family led him to rethink how he writes songs. Links from the show: Andrew’s TED Talk on his approach to looping And...
Dec 27, 2022•59 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Danny Elfman is a musician best known for fronting the new wave band Oingo Boingo and for his scores on countless Tim Burton films ( Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman ). He joins Guy to talk about his adventures in a traveling circus, his relentless battle with stage fright, his decision to leave the biggest job of his career, and how he recently did a solo set at Coachella that went viral. Links from the show: Danny in The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo on The Gong...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Bjork is a singular artist whose work extends beyond her music to include acting and conceptual art. Her latest album, "Fossora," features a bass clarinet ensemble and the accompanying videos evoke mushrooms and tree roots. She talks with Guy about forming her unique vocal style, recording her first album at 11 years old, and why she uses symbols from nature to define each album. Links from the show: An early recording of Bjork singing as a child Bjork as a teenager in the band tappi tíkarrass B...
Dec 13, 2022•59 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Andy Garcia is an actor ( Ocean's 11, The Untouchables, The Godfather Part III ) who is best known for playing the suave leading man alongside other Hollywood greats like Sean Connery, Diane Keaton, and Al Pacino. He talks to Guy about fleeing the Cuban Revolution, waiting tables for celebrities in Beverly Hills, and the best advice he got from Mario Puzo on how to prepare for The Godfather Part III . Links from the show: The "stroller scene" from The Untouchables Father of the Bride (2022) trai...
Dec 06, 2022•55 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Jim Parsons is an actor who became famous starring as Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory . But what you might not know about the on-screen super-nerd is that he's a classically trained stage actor. After twelve years playing the same character, now he's trying on new roles ( Hollywood, Spoiler Alert, A Man of No Importance ) that allow him to flex some different creative muscles. He talks to Guy about his lifelong ambition to be a star, the uncertainty of coming out, his love of New York City, and t...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Zooey Deschanel is an actor ( New Girl , Elf, 500 Days of Summer ) musician ( She & Him ), crafter, and entrepreneur ( HelloGiggles, Lettuce Grow). She tells Guy how being diagnosed with ADHD as a child affected her life and career, how the "loneliness" of the actor's life led her to songwriting and her collaboration with M Ward, and how – right before landing her biggest role – she almost quit acting. Zooey also delivers some practical tips on how to turn fear into excitement, and makes the...
Nov 22, 2022•56 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Billy Eichner is an actor, writer and comedian whose most recent film is the groundbreaking rom-com Bros. Billy talks to Guy about having to create his own path to success, how he developed the viral hit Billy on the Street, and what he hopes all audiences, straight and LGBTQ, will take away from Bros. Links from the show: Billy on the Street: Best Moments Billy on the Street: The Meryl-Go-Round Billy on the Street: Emma Stone Billy on the Street: Chris Evans Billy on the Street: Shondaland with...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 9•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, today better known as the chart-topping musician, satirist, and beloved nerd Weird Al Yankovic, tells Guy how that decision changed his life, and decades of popular music to come. They also discuss how Kurt Cobain saved Weird Al from a lifetime of spoofi...
Nov 08, 2022•56 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Graham Nash has made some of the most unforgettable music of the last century: songs like Marrakesh Express , Our House , and Just a Song Before I Go . And now, at the age of 80, he’s as creatively engaged as ever, still releasing new albums and roaming the streets of New York City in search of his next great photograph. He talks to Guy about where he continues to find inspiration, about the top-10 hit he wrote in 30 minutes, and about his famous--sometimes famously troubled--collaborations with...
Nov 01, 2022•53 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Sigourney Weaver has appeared in more than 60 films, from her breakout role in Alien in 1979 and the blockbuster Aliens in 1986, to Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl , and later Avatar, with many sequels in the works. Despite being raised by a family steeped in show business, Sigourney was reluctant to pursue acting for many years. In our conversation, Sigourney unpacks what was behind that reticence; tells Guy about her early years in avant-garde theater; talks about why, at first, she wasn...
Oct 25, 2022•54 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Oak Felder is the producer and songwriter behind hits like Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry” and Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful.” He talks to Guy about his upbringing in Turkey, why comfortable couches and blue lights help creativity, songs that bring him to tears, and how he helps artists unleash their creative potential. Links from the show: Video for Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry" Video showing how Oak produced "Sorry Not Sorry" Video for Alessia Cara's "Scars To Your Beautiful" Video...
Oct 18, 2022•48 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Nick Kroll is an actor and comedian ( Kroll Show , Parks and Recreation ) and the creator of Big Mouth and Human Resources on Netflix. He joins Guy to talk about developing outrageous characters, playing over-the-top villains, his quirky writing process, why everyone can benefit from improv classes, and his thoughts on comedy vs. “cancel culture.” Links from the show: Clip from Nick's appearance on The View in full Cavemen makeup “ Yogurt Water ” scene from Kroll Show Oh, Hello with John Mulaney...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast The Chainsmokers production and DJ duo Alex Pall and Drew Taggart are behind the smash hits “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Closer.” They talk to Guy about why they stopped making remixes, how they moved past a breakthrough hit that felt like an artistic failure, and how they have managed to stay loyal to each other through the highs and lows. Links from the show: The Chainsmokers on Hype Machine Video for "#SELFIE" Video for "Roses" Video for "Don't Let Me Down" Drew sings "Closer" live at the VMAs "M...
Oct 04, 2022•55 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Audra McDonald ( Master Class , Ragtime , Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill ) has won six Tony Awards--more performance wins than any other theater actor. (She's also won two Grammys and one Emmy along the way.) Still, each new role she takes scares her. Audra tells Guy why that fear is actually essential to her work, about her never-ending quest to know her characters better, and how it felt to have her friend and mentor Stephen Sondheim publicly pan one of her shows. Links from the show: E...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Stephen Colbert has played many roles--an officious high school teacher in Strangers with Candy , and a bumbling blowhard on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Now, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , he's facing his biggest challenge: being himself. Stephen talks to Guy about working through that challenge, about the early and enduring influence Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello had on his work, and about how Stephen Colbert the man related to Stephen Colbert the blustering pundit. Links fro...
Sep 20, 2022•51 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Trailer for The Great Creators with Guy Raz, which premieres September 20th. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Sep 13, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
