The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Latest Episodes:

Macklemore: Why He Never Signed to a Label, His Struggle with Addiction, and Making Art that Means Something (2023) Aug 29, 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 joined Guy in 2023 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 came out March 3rd and can be 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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Andy Garcia: From Havana to Hollywood, an A-Lister Who Still Feels Like An Outsider (2022) Aug 22, 2023

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 talked in 2022 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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Jason Sudeikis: His Winding Path from the Basketball Court to SNL, and How Ted Lasso “Saved” Him (2023) Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Jason Sudeikis is the co-creator and star of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Earlier this year he told Guy about the origins of the football/soccer coach character, why the show has connected so deeply with audiences, and Ted's impact on Jason's own self-image. He also reflects on his Midwest roots, why his basketball coaches always knew he'd be a performer, years spent in Amsterdam and Las Vegas honing his craft, and how he transitioned from comedy writer to featured player on Saturday Night Live.

Links from the show:

Jason's uncle George Wendt playing Norm in Cheers
Jason sinks a 3-pointer at a Knicks game
ComedySportz: how Jason got his start in sketch comedy
Boom Chicago improv theater in Amsterdam
SNL: Mitt Romney drowning his sorrows in milk
Original commercial that launched Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso Season 3 Official Trailer

Guy's Guest Appearance on Creator Science

At the beginning of the episode, Guy mentioned his appearance on Creator Science hosted by Jay Clouse. You can find that interview in the Creator Science podcast feed here!

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Shania Twain: The Best-Selling Female Country Artist of All Time on Harnessing the Power of Optimism (2023) Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Shania Twain is often referred to as the Queen of Country Pop. And rightfully so - she's sold over 100 million records, more than any female country artist in history. But before she was Shania Twain, she was Eileen Edwards from a small town in Ontario. In this episode, Shania talked with Guy earlier this year about how she got her start singing at local bars before ascending to country music stardom in Nashville. And how, after almost losing her singing ability to Lyme disease, Shania is now back with a new album – Queen of Me.

Links from the show:

Young Shania on the Tommy Hunter Show

Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under

What Made You Say That music video

Shania at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Giddy Up Music Video

Shania Twain Limelight Sessions

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Tom Hanks: Telling the Truth, Letting Go of Self-Consciousness, and Embracing the Fun (2023) Aug 01, 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 from earlier this year, 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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Stephen Colbert: How “Breaking” on Stage Unlocked His Comedic Powers (2022) Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

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 talked in 2022 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 from the show:

The Second City improv troupe
The Dana Carvey Show
Dana Carvey and Stephen play clips Of "The Dana Carvey Show"
Strangers with Candy
Strangers with Candy clip
President Obama on The Colbert Report
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS
NASA's COLBERT treadmill

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Nick Kroll: The Creative Breakthrough That Led to His ‘Exponential’ Growth (2022) Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Nick Kroll is an actor and comedian (Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation) and the creator of Big Mouth and Human Resources on Netflix. He talked with Guy in 2022 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
Nick as “The Douche” on Parks and Recreation
Big Mouth on Netflix
Little Big Boy on Netflix
Nick’s Instagram
Nick's friends and collaborators: Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, Andrew Goldberg, Chelsea Peretti, Jessi Klein

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Zooey Deschanel: Stopping Stage Fright in Its Tracks and How She Turned a “Disorder” Into a Superpower (2022) Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Zooey Deschanel is an actor (New Girl,Elf, 500 Days of Summer) musician (She & Him), crafter, and entrepreneur (HelloGiggles, Lettuce Grow). In 2022 she told 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 case that regularly pursuing new creative paths makes you better at everything else.

Links from the show:

Zooey's parents' filmographies: Caleb Deschanel & Mary Jo Deschanel
Zooey's first instrument: the Casio SK-1
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica
Scene from Zooey's first-ever role on TV: Veronica's Closet
Zooey and Frances McDormand "Drugs & Promiscuous Sex" scene from Almost Famous
The Go-Getter (2007 film), how Zooey met M Ward
Let's Dance by M Ward
Vincent O'Brien by M Ward
Thieves by She & Him (Official Video), one of Zooey's favorites which she wrote in "12 minutes"
She & Him's "pandemic project," Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson
New Girl full episodes on Amazon
Saturday Night Live sketch - Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel
HelloGiggles
Lettuce Grow

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Gavin DeGraw: The Singer-Songwriter Behind Hits Like "Chariot" and "Not Over You" on Why He Won't Be Boxed Into One Genre Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Gavin DeGraw is the singer-songwriter behind hits such as "I Don't Want To Be" and "Not Over You." He talks to Guy about why he doesn't limit himself to one genre, the low point in his life that inspired the song "Chariot," and why he thinks music should be "invisible."

Links from the show:

Video for "I Don't Want to Be"

Video for "Not Over You"

Video for "Chariot"

Video for "Hero in Our House" (Acoustic)

Gavin talks to People Magazine about losing his mother to cancer

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Ice Cube: His Journey from NWA and “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” to Comedies Like “Friday” and “Barber Shop” Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Ice Cube is a rapper and actor ("Boyz 'n the Hood," "Friday") who helped shape the genre we know as "gangsta rap." He talks with Guy about the early days of NWA, why the first film he wrote and starred in is a comedy, and why the Beastie Boys were an early inspiration.

Cube's 3-on-3 basketball league, BIG3, opened its season this past weekeend.

Links from the show:

Video for NWA's "Straight Out of Compton"

Video for "It Was a Good Day"

Video for "You Know How We Do It"

Ice Cube in "Boyz 'n the Hood"

Preview for "Friday"

Video for "Jackin' for Beats"

Ice Cube jokes with Jimmy Kimmel

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