The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Latest Episodes:

Ellie Goulding: From Writing Acoustic Songs in Her Bedroom to Making Smash Pop Hits like “Burn” and “Lights” (2023) Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

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 music video for Under the Sheets
Pitchfork: How Ellie Goulding Uses Her Voice as an Instrument
Ellie singing Your Song at the Royal Wedding
Higher than Heaven
Burn Music Video
Ellie's Instagram
Ellie's Twitter
Ellie's Spotify

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kenan Thompson: How an Atlanta Kid “Manifested” a Mighty Ducks Role, Starred at Nickelodeon, and Became SNL’s Longest-Running Cast Member (2023) Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

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 celebrities, and whether – given the chance – he'd consider taking over for SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

Links from the show:

Kenan & Kel Youtube playlist
All That Funniest Moments compilation
Kenan's highlights from D2: The Mighty Ducks
Good Burger - Ed's Sauce
What Up with That? - SNL
Family Feud: Oscar Nominees - SNL
Kenan's Al Sharpton impression
Darrell Hammond's Bill Clinton impression
Photo of Kenan's inspiration: headshots lining the SNL hallway

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bjork: The Icelandic Superstar on Being a Child Prodigy, the Power of Nature, and How to Stay Creative (2022) Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

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 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"

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Parsons: From Dreaming to Doing By Trusting Your Talent and Saying 'Yes' (2022) Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

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 he came out; his love of New York City; and the first, scary steps involved in taking on new roles.

Links from the show:

The Best of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory cast talks with Stephen Colbert after the series finale
Jim talks about playing Henry Wilson in Hollywood
Spoiler Alert (2022) Trailer
Jim's Instagram
Kaley Cuoco's Instagram
Mayim Bialik's Instagram
Johnny Galecki's Instagram

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weird Al Yankovic: Achieving Massive Success by Leaning Into His True (Nerdy) Self (2022) Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

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 from a lifetime of spoofing Michael Jackson songs and how intense the process of writing silly songs can be.

Links from the show:

Dr. Demento, Weird Al's early major influence and later employer
"Belvedere Cruising", the first song of Weird Al's to air on Dr. Demento's show
Weird Al playing "My Bologna" in San Luis Obispo in 1979
Eight Weird Al music videos side-by-side with with the songs they spoof
Music video for Weird Al's "Fat"
Weird Al interviewing Patrick Stewart at Comic-Con
Trailer for "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rashida Jones Almost Gave Up on Acting Before Her Big Break on ‘The Office’ Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

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/us/show/sunny/umc.cmc.7c5t9dde8dxoaxwyl5rkuw38p

Links from the Show:

Rashida on “Freaks and Geeks” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miQcIbWiSMU
Quincy on Netflix https://shorturl.at/bMvu4
The Parks and Rec Cast Breaking for 9 minutes 38 seconds Straight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jEs2OgyyaY
Rashida showing off her dance skills on IG https://www.instagram.com/rashidajones/reel/C192JNSJjKY/
Sunny on Apple TV+ https://tv.apple.com/us/show/sunny/umc.cmc.7c5t9dde8dxoaxwyl5rkuw38p

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Will Artificial Intelligence Destroy Art As We Know It? Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

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 came on the set of a Pop Tarts commercial.

Joseph’s latest film is “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”.

Links from the Show:

TED Talk: How craving attention makes you less creative
Joseph Gordon-Levitt breaks down his career (Vanity Fair)
That Pop Tarts commercial from 1991
Joseph’s filmography

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – scroll down in this feed or go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard Worked a Temp Job and “Ate Mustard Sandwiches” in the Band’s Early Days (2023) Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

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 Body"
The Postal Service video for "Such Great Heights"

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Indie Icon Phil Elverum on Capturing His Life Story in Song Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

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/microphones-in-2020-cd

Links from the Show:

Connect with Phil:

• 💻Website: https://www.pwelverumandsun.com/

• 📺Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PWElverumandSun

• 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flutelistener/

Connect with us:

•💻Website: TheGreatCreators.com

•📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatcreatorspodcast and https://www.instagram.com/guy.raz

• 🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@guyraz

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Storytelling Secrets from Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Moneyball, The Blind Side) Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

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 distractions and conquers procrastination. Whether your goal is to become a better writer or a more persuasive communicator in general, this is an opportunity to learn from a master.

Want to go deeper? Michael has a new MasterClass on how to tell a great story. You can find it here: https://www.masterclass.com/series/tell-a-great-story

Links from the Show:

Liar’s Poker
The Blind Side
The Big Short
Moneyball
Moneyball Player Value scene
Going Infinite
The Premonition
Michael’s MasterClass: Tell a Great Story

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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