The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Latest Episodes:

Ryan Tedder: OneRepublic Frontman and Songwriter to Stars like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Adele Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

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 Worried” featured in Top Gun: Maverick

Music video for Adele’s “Rumor Has It” co-written by Ryan

Music video for Beyonce’s “Halo” co-written by Ryan

Music video for Paul McCartney’s “Fuh You” co-written by Ryan

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Carrie Brownstein: The Punk Icon and "Portlandia" Co-Creator on the Myth of the Lone Genius Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

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-Kinney intervewed in 1999
Thunderant: A collection of Carrie and Fred Armisen
Carrie’s interview of Armisen as Saddam Hussein
Guy interviewing Brownstein about the band Wild Flag in 2011
Portlandia "Did you read?" sketch
Carrie rates freeganism, crowd surfing, and more for Pitchfork
Ann Wilson talks about the upcoming Heart biopic that Carrie is writing

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Macklemore: Why He Never Signed to a Label, His Struggle with Addiction, and Making Art that Means Something Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

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:

Video for "Otherside"

Video for "Thrift Shop"

Video for "Can't Hold Us"

Video for "Glorious"

Short Doc from tour with Imagine Dragons

Video for "Maniac"

Video for "Faithful"

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Tom Hanks: Telling the Truth, Letting Go of Self-Consciousness, and Embracing the Fun Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

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 and Peter Scolari in Bosom Buddies
Tom and Daryl Hannah in Splash
The cross-country running scene from Forrest Gump
The execution scene from The Green Mile
Tom as Sully Sullenberger in Sullly: plane crash in the Hudson scene
Tom as Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis
The real Colonel Tom Parker in an interview on ABC
Trailer for A Man Called Otto

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Billy Porter: The Star of "Pose" and "Kinky Boots" on Overcoming Adversity, Slaying the Red Carpet, and Staying Ready to be Ready Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

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 Will Survive"

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Andrew Bird: How Solitude and Burnout Shaped an Acclaimed and Singular Musical Sound Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

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
Andrew's live KEXP performance
Andrew’s song “Puma”
Video for Andrew’s song “Lone Didion”
Tiny Desk concert with Andrew and Iron and Wine
Andrew on his recent collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers

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Danny Elfman: From Avant-Garde Street Performer to Rock Star Film Composer Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

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 Show (1976)
Weird Science by Oingo Boingo
Pee Wee's Big Adventure theme
The Simpsons theme
Danny's Batman theme
Danny and Helena Bonham Carter performing A Nightmare Before Christmas at Royal Albert Hall
Performance of Only a Lad at Coachella 2022
Music video for Happy
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Bjork: The Icelandic Superstar on Being a Child Prodigy, the Power of Nature, and How to Stay Creative Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

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
Bjork in the video for the Sugarcubes' "Cold Sweat"
Slant Magazine's 15 Best Bjork videos
The video for Bjork's "Hyperballad"
The video for Bjork's "Ancestress" dedicated to the memory of her mother
The video for Bjork's "Atopos"

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Andy Garcia: From Havana to Hollywood, an A-Lister Who Still Feels Like An Outsider Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

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) trailer
Andy as Terry Benedict in Ocean's 11
The Lost City trailer
Andy's Instagram

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Jim Parsons: From Dreaming to Doing By Trusting Your Talent and Saying 'Yes' Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

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 the first, scary steps taking on new roles.

Links from the show: