Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Latest Episodes:

Hua Hsu on his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Stay True May 30, 2023

Show notes

Hua Hsu is a writer. You might have seen his profiles and criticism in The New Yorker. But his most recent work isn't about Bjork or bell hooks. It's about Hua Hsu. Stay True is Hsu's coming-of-age memoir. It traces his life from adolescence to the end of his college years at UC Berkeley. The book works toward what it means to be Asian American. But fundamentally, it's a book about intimacy – not sex, but closeness. Hua Hsu's memoir Stay True has recently won a Pulitzer Prize. On Bullseye, we're revisiting Hsu's conversation with us last year. He spoke about the writing process behind Stay True. Plus, how writing his memoir reflected and refracted his relationship with his own American-ness.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Pianist and Cosmic Jazz Legend, Lonnie Liston Smith May 26, 2023

Show notes

Lonnie Liston Smith is a jazz legend. He's a pianist and keyboard player. He's worked with Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye. Smith is a master of the Fender Rhodes – the electric piano that helped define a movement in music that eventually became known as Cosmic Jazz. Smith joins us to talk about his first record in 25 years, and his humble beginnings. Plus, Smith's records have been sampled a lot in hip-hop and electronic music. He'll talk about the records that caught him most by surprise.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Mary Steenburgen May 23, 2023

Show notes

Not many actors can be nice, warm, and funny at the same time. Mary Steenburgen has basically made a career out of it. The Arkansas-born actress made her film debut in the late seventies on a film called Goin' South. For that performance, Steenburgen earned a Golden Globe nomination, and she's only gotten better since. She has some great performances under her belt. She played Will Ferrell's mom in Step Brothers. She played Will Ferrell's step-mom in Elf. Melvin and Howard. Back to the Future Part III. 30 Rock. Oh, and she's even played herself on the sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. So, it's safe to say that Mary Steenburgen is a legend. And in her latest movie, she's teaming up with three other legends: Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, and Diane Keaton. This week on Bullseye, Mary Steenburgen stops by to talk about her role in Book Club: The Next Chapter. She gets into her friendship with Jane Fonda. Plus, she reminisces on the first time she met her husband, Ted Danson.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Bridget Everett talks "Somebody Somewhere" May 19, 2023

Show notes

Bridget Everett is a comedian and singer. She grew up in Manhattan, Kansas —- the "Little Apple" of the Midwest. When the time for college came around, she moved to Arizona for school before landing in New York City. In the "Big Apple," she started singing in clubs before eventually forming a comedy cabaret. These days, Bridget stars on Somebody Somewhere. It's a semi-autobiographical comedy set in the same Manhattan, Kansas that Bridget grew up in. Interviewing Bridget Everett is correspondent Jordan Crucchiola. Jordan's a writer who's covered films for Vulture and Inverse. She's also the host of the terrific Maximum Fun podcast Feeling Seen where guests dive deep into the first time they saw themselves represented on screen. This week on Bullseye, Jordan chats with Bridget Everett about the second season of Somebody Somewhere, her journey to acting, and how she's found her footing on stage. Plus, the pair gets emotional about the platonic soulmates in their life.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Stanley Tucci May 16, 2023

Show notes

Stanley Tucci is handsome, assertive, a killer dresser and he can teach you how to make a Negroni in under three minutes. He's also, of course, an excellent actor. He's starred in movies like The Devil Wears Prada, The Terminal, Julie & Julia and so many more. He's also the host of the Emmy-winning travel and food show Searching for Italy. Most recently, he's been starring in the megabudget action TV series Citadel that's streaming now on Amazon Prime. Stanley Tucci joins Bullseye to talk about the fun he's had working on Citadel. He also talks about what it's been like to create work that's so closely tied to his Italian heritage. Plus, he shares what kinds of food were in his lunchbox when he was a kid.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Alan Ruck on playing Connor Roy in HBO's Succession May 12, 2023

Show notes

There are a lot of funny and strange characters on HBO's Succession. But there might not be any of them that are funnier and stranger than Connor Roy. He's the oldest of the Roy children on the show. Half brother to the three younger ones. Connor Roy is played by Alan Ruck, and he's so great at it. Alan is bizarre when the scene calls for it, but behind the bluster, there's a vulnerability and insecurity. It makes Connor, weirdly, one of the most relatable characters on Succession. Alan Ruck joins Bullseye to chat about Succession and what it's been like playing the character of Connor Roy on the show. He also talks about his years in musical theater, and opens up about the time he spent out of work as an actor and how it led to him eventually getting sober.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Shonda Rhimes May 09, 2023

Show notes

Shonda Rhimes is one of the most accomplished TV writers and producers of our time. She's written shows like Scandal, Private Practice, How To Get Away With Murder, and Bridgerton. And of course, Grey's Anatomy, one of the longest-running prime time TV shows ever. Her newest project is Queen Charlotte - it's a spinoff of the Bridgerton series, which was produced by Rhimes and her company Shondaland. Like Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is a period drama series set in the Regency Era. But instead of the Bridgerton family, the show focuses on the queen herself, and her rise to power. She discusses this and more with our correspondent, journalist Jarrett Hill.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Rapper G Perico May 05, 2023

Show notes

G Perico is a gangster rapper from Los Angeles. Listen to one of his tracks, and it's hard not to hear the echoes of thirty-some years of records about cruising, barbecuing and repping your set in the streets of LA. G Perico broke through in 2016 with his project S**t Don't Stop. That record established him as the vanguard of LA street rap. In the seven years since, he's recorded nearly a dozen albums. When we last spoke with G Perico, he'd just released his record Play 2 Win. He joined Bullseye and reflected on his upbringing, the music he listens to, and embracing his imperfections. Plus, he talked with Jesse about the people in his life that influenced his signature hair style.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

John Cale May 02, 2023

Show notes

John Cale grew up a promising viola player in Wales. He moved to New York to study classical music. There, Cale met Lou Reed and formed one of the most influential acts in rock music: "The Velvet Underground." Their time together was short, but John Cale was only getting started. He became a producer and made some killer debut albums for artists like The Stooges and Patti Smith. It's the kind of resume that guarantees you a place in the rock and roll history book. But that's only one side of John Cale's work. He's also an accomplished, trailblazing solo musician with almost 20 albums on his own. When we spoke to John Cale on Bullseye in 2016, he reflected on his more than 50 years in music and his time in the Velvet Underground. Plus, what it was like to produce for artists like the Stooges and Patti Smith.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Dominique Fishback on 'Swarm' Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

For the last decade, Dominique Fishback has been building up her resume with some stellar performances. In 2018, she appeared in the David Simon show Show Me A Hero. She parlayed that into a regular role on The Deuce. Then she played Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah – a drama based on the true story of Black Panther Fred Hampton. The role earned her a BAFTA nomination, among other accolades. These days, you can see her on Amazon Prime's Swarm. It's a TV series created by Donald Glover and writer Janine Nabers. Fishback has the ability to command a fierce, brilliant presence on screen. She can be disarming and vulnerable in one moment, terrifying the next. Dominique Fishback joins Bullseye to talk about Swarm and Judas and the Black Messiah, and her love of journaling – a hobby that has helped her learn more about herself and the characters she portrays.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6