Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

"The Lighthouse" Director Robert Eggers

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Eggers is a filmmaker who's made a name for himself making beautiful horror films that linger with you. Long after you've left the theater. His...

Soprano Renée Fleming

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Known as "America's Diva," Renée Fleming has performed in venues all over the world, singing in acclaimed productions of operas composed by Mozart, P...

Comedian Josh Gondelman

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by comedian and admitted "Nice Guy" Josh Gondelman. Josh is a Peabody and Emmy award winning writer for his work on Last Week Tonight wit...

NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

He's one of the greatest tight ends in history, but it wasn't always easy. Growing up, Tony Gonzalez was bullied constantly. His first year in the NFL...

Satirist and director Chris Morris on "The Day Shall Come"

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lately, Chris Morris has been basing a lot of his absurdist comedy on real life world events. His new film, The Day Shall Come, is kind of a farce abo...

The Righteous Gemstones' Edi Patterson

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Edi Petterson is an actress and comedian. She's a veteran of the Groundlings sketch group and we can not stress this to you enough: she is super funny...

John Leguizamo

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

John Leguizamo is a super-famous actor who's been in well over 100 movies and TV shows. He's also a writer whose created and starred in a handful of p...

Clipping's Daveed Diggs: noise rap, Hamilton & Sesame Street

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Let's start taking bets for the next person to EGOT: that is, the next person to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award. Our money is on Daveed D...

Taylor McFerrin

04 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Taylor McFerrin is a gifted musician who got his start as a beatboxer, making beats and producing tracks for others. He's also made music as a keyboar...

Peter Sarsgaard

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Sarsgaard is an enigmatic actor who has appeared in over 60 different roles in films like An Education, The Magnificent Seven and Green Lantern....

Tobacco

27 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tobacco is the nom de guerre of electronic musician and composer Tom Fec. Tom also founded the music collective Black Moth Super Rainbow. In both proj...

Freddie Gibbs

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Critically acclaimed rapper Freddie Gibbs joins Bullseye to talk about his music career. He was born and raised in Gary Indiana - the birthplace of t...

Comedian and writer Joel Kim Booster

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Joel Kim Booster is a writer and comedian. He's written for "Billy on the Street," "Problematic with Moshe Kasher" and Netflix's "Big Mouth." And as a...

Dev Hynes of Blood Orange

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dev Hynes, the recording artist behind Blood Orange, joins Bullseye to talk about his music career. Being born in a place called Essex, approximately ...

Comedian Matt Braunger

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Craziest Day of my Entire Career is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite people about some truly unbelievable stor...

Jay Leno

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stop what you're doing, turn off the kitchen sink, pull over the car... our guest is Jay Leno! He'll look back on a comedy career that's stretched alm...

Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Since their debut, Belle and Sebastian records have made it on literally hundreds of top ten lists.Their second album, 1996's "If You're Feeling Sinis...

David Oyelowo, from 'Don't Let Go,' 'Selma,' and more

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David Oyelowo is an incredibly versatile actor. Classically-trained, he got his start at the Royal Shakespeare company in London. From there, he took ...

I Wish I'd Made That: Nick Offerman

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Artists, musicians, and filmmakers are often inspired by what they see or hear. Sometimes that thing is so great, they tell us they wish they made it ...

Julio Torres on 'My Favorite Shapes,' 'SNL,' and 'Los Espookys'

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Julio Torres has created some of our favorite sketches for Saturday Night Live in recent memory. His sketches on the show are a little different than ...

Justin Simien, creator of "Dear White People"

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Simien is a writer and director to watch out for in the next decade, but maybe you should pay attention to his work this decade, too. His break...

Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and 'Gilmore Girls'

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy Sherman-Palladino has worked on some of the most unique programs to be ever greenlit for the TV screen. You've seen her work on Gilmore Girls. For...

The Egyptian Lover, hip-hop pioneer

16 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We'll chat with the one and only Egyptian Lover. Born Greg Broussard – he's a DJ, a producer, a rapper sometimes, too. He came up with Uncle Jamm's ...

Eugene Levy from "Schitt's Creek," "American Pie" and more

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Eugene Levy is hands down one of the funniest people in history. The Canadian-born actor and funnyman got his start in the world of improv when he joi...

Psychedelic bedroom pop musician Cuco

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they ...

Jeff Goldblum

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's no one else on the planet quite like Jeff Goldblum. He came onto the scene over four decades ago with the role of "Freak #1" in the 1974 reven...

Lesley Manville from 'Mum,' 'Another Year,' and more

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

British actor Lesley Manville is truly a master of her craft. You might know her work with the brilliant director Mike Leigh. She starred in some of h...

E-40, Bay Area rap legend

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to hip-hop from the Bay Area, E-40 is quite possibly the greatest of all time. His distinctiveness has kept him relevant for three decad...

Filmmaker Aviva Kempner

26 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Baseball week at Bullseye continues with filmmaker Aviva Kempner. She'll talk to us about her documentary The Spy Behind Home Plate. The film follows ...

Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik, authors of 'The MVP Machine'

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's baseball week here at Bullseye and best-selling authors Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik are stepping up to the plate. They're the writers behind...

Chuck Klosterman

21 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck Klosterman has written tomes of the written word for GQ, ESPN, The Washington Post, Esquire, The Guardian, and plenty more. In 2014, he joined u...

Author and journalist Jeff Chang

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Chang is a journalist and music critic with an emphasis on hip-hop music and culture. His work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the V...

Comic and actor J.B. Smoove

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

*A heads up to listeners, this episode contains many censored expletives throughout the interview.* J.B. Smoove is without a doubt one of the funniest...

Ahmed Gallab from the band Sinkane

12 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bullseye guest host Shereen Marisol Meraji, host of NPR's Code Switch, talks with the musician Ahmed Gallab. You might know Ahmed as the man behind th...

Tales of the City's Garcia

09 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Guest Host Shereen Marisol Meraji, host of NPR's Code Switch, chats with actor Garcia. Garcia plays Jake Rodriguez on 'Tales of the City' on Netflix, ...

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Sean Doolittle

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pitcher Sean Doolittle is the closer for the Washington Nationals, and no, it's not The Closer you're thinking about. Sean's been called one of the mo...

Edie Falco

02 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're revisiting our conversation with Emmy-award winning actress Edie Falco. She's best known for her roles in The Sopranos, Oz and Nurse ...

Linda Holmes, pop culture critic and author of 'Evvie Drake Starts Over'

28 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Linda Holmes is a pop culture critic and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. She just released her debut novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over. It's about ...

Joe Talbot, director of 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco'

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Talbot is the director of The Last Black Man in San Francisco. It's a beautiful film about a guy named Jimmie and his desire to reclaim a San Fran...

Filmmaker and actor Sara Driver

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Director Sara Driver refined her craft during New York's indie filmmaker boom in the late 1970s-1990s. Her directorial debut came in 1981 with You are...

H. Jon Benjamin

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

H. Jon Benjamin is the voice behind some of television's most beloved animated characters. He's the voice of titular character "Bob" in Fox's heartwar...

Wallace Shawn

14 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who comes to mind when you think of a character actor? Sure, there are a lot of good ones, but there's no one quite like the great Wallace Shawn. On ...

Filmmaker and writer John Waters

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're revisiting our conversation with John Waters! You might know him as the director and writer of classics like Pink Flamingos, Hairspray and Cry-B...

Comedian Kulap Vilaysack on her 'Origin Story'

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kulap Vilaysack is an actor, comedian, showrunner, and director. She just directed her first feature length film, Origin Story, about her family's jou...

Game of Thrones' John Bradley

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with John Bradley who played Samwell Tarly on a tiny little show called Game of Thrones for eight seasons. The HBO program recently had its...

Kathe Kollwitz, a founding member of feminist art collective The Guerilla Girls

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you go to an art museum: contemporary, encyclopedic, local... odds are most of the art displayed was made by white men. Even if you leave out the r...

Veep's Timothy Simons looks back on seven years of Jonah Ryan

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Veep is a show full of despised, incompetent and unlikable characters. And is there anyone less likable, more incompetent than Jonah Ryan? Played by T...

The Last Poets

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Last Poets are a groundbreaking collective with a sound that merges spoken word with jazz and hip hop. They came on the scene in the late sixties ...

Tuca & Bertie Creator Lisa Hanawalt

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa Hanawalt is a cartoonist, writer, and author of four brilliant books, including Hot Dog Taste Test, My Dirty Dumb Eyes and her latest book, Coyot...

The Tick creator Ben Edlund

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Tick is one of the strangest, most compelling superheroes ever. Creator Ben Edlund has lived with the character for over 30 years now. The Tick ha...

Saturday Night Live's Paula Pell

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So many of the sketches Paula Pell has written for Saturday Night Live are stone-cold classics. There's the Culps, Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell's biz...

David Crosby

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bullseye takes a look back at our conversation with folk rock legend David Crosby. His work paved the way for the folk rock movement. He was a foundin...

Wanda Sykes

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a favorite from the archives: Jesse's conversation with world-class comedian Wanda Sykes. She's a legend in the comedy world and her abilit...

Cartoonist Mark Alan Stamaty on "MacDoodle Street" and more

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're thrilled to share our conversation with cartoonist Mark Alan Stamaty. We're huge fans of his children's book – "Who Needs Donuts?" Mark's wond...

A.P. Bio creator Mike O'Brien

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you seen "A.P. Bio?" It's one of the funniest network sitcoms out these days and its latest second season is going strong on NBC. The show tells ...

Open Mike Eagle

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the great Open Mike Eagle! He's a rapper and TV host: Alongside Baron Vaughn, Mike co-stars in a new Comedy Central show called "The New ...

Laurie Metcalf

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks with one of the greats: Laurie Metcalf. You definitely know Laurie from from Roseanne. For 9 years she played Jackie, on the hit TV show. ...

Was 1999 the Best Movie Year Ever?

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Raftery writes for GQ, Wired and Rolling Stone, among others. He just wrote a really interesting book. He called it "Best Movie Year Ever" and i...

Avantdale Bowling Club

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What follows is one of our favorite interviews we've recorded this year. Seriously. It's with an artist you probably haven't heard of. His name's Tom ...

Mike Leigh

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jesse talks with the director Mike Leigh. He isn't that well known. He's never made a blockbuster. He's been nominated for seven Academy Aw...

Apollo 11 Director Todd Douglas Miller

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Todd Douglas Miller directed Apollo 11, the new documentary. It compiles thousands of hours of footage from the moon landing into one brilliant, compe...

Khalid

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a strange thing, to be famous, right? Like, really really famous. Famous like Khalid, the singer. He's sold millions of albums. Hundreds of milli...

Pavement's Stephen Malkmus on the song that changed his life

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every now and then, we bring you a special segment called The Song that Changed My Life - it's a chance for musicians we love to dish on the song that...

PEN15's Maya Erskine & Anna Konkle

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle created an star in the brilliant new show PEN15, on Hulu. It's show about middle school. Or, I guess this is more accurat...

Norsemen creators Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgersen

22 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A heads up, first: There's some talk about sexual assault in this conversation. Nothing graphic, just some discussion of the use of it in comedy, in t...

John Turturro

19 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

John Turturro's an acting legend. Lots of directors have actors they like to work with. Turturro's a favorite of both Spike Lee and the Coen Brothers....

Comic and Daily Show Correspondent Roy Wood Jr.

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Another favorite from the Bullseye archives this week. This time: Roy Wood Jr.! He's a comedian. You've probably seen him as a correspondent on "The D...

Bill Hader on Barry, Saturday Night Live and more

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're replying some favorites from the Bullseye archives this week! Today, we're excited to bring you Bill Hader. You know him from his time on Saturd...

Jena Friedman, comedian & host of Adult Swim's Soft Focus

08 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: This episode contains some discussion of difficult topics. We cover sexual assault, miscarriage, violence against women and more. If you're s...

Actor Stephen Root on Barry, Office Space and more

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Has Stphen Root, the actor, had a million parts? It's not a million, right? Ok. It's 236. Still: wow! Root is is the kind of character actor that can ...

Bonus: Katie Nguyen & Roseblood Live!

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two very special bonus tidbits for you this week - live comedy and music from Bullseye's recent show at the Listen Up Festival in Portland Oregon. You...

Simpsons writer, Fast food reviewer Bill Oakley

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Aurora Borealis! In your kitchen! May I see it? It's a very special Bullseye with Bill Oakley, the veteran TV writer. He worked on Futurama, Portlandi...

Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker & Filmmaker Lance Bangs

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bullseye is a show about the creative process. And how artists' lives affect the work they make: their loved ones, friends and family, too. But what a...

Oscar nominated filmmaker Nicole Holofcener

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, one of our favorites, is up for an Academy-Award nomination. It's for the adapted screenplay. and won the Writers Guild o...

Director Debra Granik of "Leave No Trace" and "Winter's Bone"

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Tuesday! This time, we're listening back to our 2018 conversation with filmmaker Debra Granik. In 2010, she wrote and directed "Winter's Bone," ...

Artist Barbara Kruger

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dream interview alert! Today: Jesse talks with Barbara Kruger. Kruger is a fascinating and profoundly influential artist. She works in big, bold text...

Composer and Producer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Childish Gambino)

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every now and then we like bring you a segment we call to the Song That Changed My Life. It's a chance to find out what makes some of our favorite mus...

Adam McKay on Vice, Second City and more

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adam McKay has had a pretty eclectic career. He started in sketch comedy first as a founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade, then as a writer on Satur...

Killer Mike on his new show Trigger Warning, Run the Jewels and more

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ladies and germs... Killer Mike! It's been more than a decade since Killer Mike joined us on Bullseye. These days, he's busier than ever. Along with E...

John David Washington of "BlacKkKlansman" and "Ballers"

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks with John David Washington, star of the critically acclaimed film BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee. Before John David Washington was ...

Tituss Burgess of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks with Tituss Burgess, actor from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "30 Rock" and more. On UKS, Tituss plays a struggling, needy and desperate Br...

Carol Kane from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

29 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks with legendary character actress Carol Kane about the last season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and her 45-year career in the biz. Carol ...

Jez Butterworth

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jez Butterworth is a veteran of both stage and screen, he's written about a dozen films along with his seven plays. You can see the wisdom that only e...

Tony Shalhoub of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and more

22 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you're in Hollywood, the stereotype goes that you're either a character actor or a *star*. A character actor shows up in a couple scenes for about ...

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A warning about this episode, which originally aired in 2017: the second half of this interview contains some honest and frank talk about sexual assau...

Elvis Costello

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We've got a favorite from the Bullseye archives to kick off the week: Elvis Costello. Costello grew up surrounded by music. His mother ran the record ...

Karyn Kusama, Director of "Destroyer"

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks to Karyn Kusama, one of the most unique voices in film right now. She just directed the new film "Destroyer," it's a dark crime drama, tol...

Chris and Bridey Elliott on "Clara's Ghost"

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Bridey Elliott are father and daughter. Chris is, of course, Chris Elliott. The guy who starred in Cabin Boy and Something About Mary. Who's...

Hasan Minhaj & Sharon Horgan

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Happy near year! Two favorites from the Bullseye archives this week. First up: Hasan Minhaj, from 2016. He'll talk about his work as a standup and as ...

End of year stand-up comedy special 2018!

25 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Bullseye team has taken on the terrible task of finding the best of the best comedy albums and bringing them to you in a nice little end of year p...

Bullseye Holiday Specatcular! Monkees, McElroys and more!

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for a bonanza of holiday cheer from Bullseye this week! Micky Dolenz of The Monkees taking about the band's new album "Christmas Party." The...

Jason Mitchell & Karina Longworth

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're kicking things off with the brilliant and lively Jason Mitchell this week! Jason's an actor - a really great one. He's been in a lot of acclaime...

Remembering Ricky Jay

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ricky Jay died last month. He was 72. Ricky was a writer. And an actor. And a magician. One of the greatest sleight of hand performers ever, actually....

Billy Eichner & Ali Wong

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're pulling two favorites out of the Bullseye archives. First on the docket: Billy Eichner! He's an actor and comic and host of the hit co...

Tim Blake Nelson & Mary Randolph Carter

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Blake Nelson is a master of his craft: a character actor with over 80 credits to his name. Roles in films as diverse as The Incredible Hulk, Minor...

Maura Tierney & Michael Kupperman

13 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First up this week: Maura Tierney! You know her from her time on the hit drama ER - she played Abby. She's currently on the Showtime series The Affair...

Kamasi Washington & Simon Rich

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're dedicating almost an entire episode to one of our favorite musicians: Kamasi Washington! Kamasi is a saxophonist and composer. In the...

Steven Yeun & Sawbones

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First up this week: Steven Yeun! Fans of The Walking Dead know and love Steven for his time on the show as the beloved Glenn Rhee. Lately, though, he'...

Eric Idle & Blood Orange's Dev Hynes

23 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Two brilliant Brits on this week's Bullseye! First up this week, a conversation with comedy pioneer and Monty Python founding member Eric Idle! Eric's...

Susan Orlean & Gregory Porter

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First up this week, a guest we're always thrilled to welcome: Susan Orlean! One of the greatest writers around. You might know her from Saturday Night...