Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

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 powerful, hilarious one-man shows over his career. His latest, A Latin History for Morons, is now on tour across the country. John talks to Bullseye about creating works of art from a sometimes painful past, about fighting for Latinx representation in Hollywood and about the comedians who've inspired his craft.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

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 Diggs. He's already got a Grammy and a Tony for his fantastic work on the Broadway smash hit Hamilton. So, he's halfway there! Diggs has one of the most varied resumes in entertainment. He's an actor on the small screen. You've seen him on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Get Down, Black -ish and Sesame Street. He's a writer, too – he co-wrote the screenplay for Blindspotting, a movie about violence and gentrification in Oakland, his hometown. He also co-stars in the film. And, if that wasn't enough he's a very talented musician as a member of the rap group Clipping. Diggs joins us to talk about Clipping's new record, his various acting roles, and of course, Hamilton. Let's go!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

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 keyboardist, a DJ and a composer. The son of vocalist Bobby McFerrin (yes, the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" singer), Taylor grew up with a comprehensive understanding of song construction and an ear for melody. Taylor joins us to talk about his love of the process of making music, what we still have to learn from jazz music and to talk about his new album "Love's Last Chance." Plus, we'll talk to him about his work with Robert Glasper. Don't miss our chat with the talented artist. 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

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. He got his start in film back in 1995 when he appeared in Dead Man Walking. From there he has obtained critical acclaim for his roles in films such as Boys Don't Cry as well as Kinsey. In 2004 he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in Shattered Glass as journalist Charles Lane. Peter's new film is called The Sound of Silence. Peter talks to us about his career, his approach to acting and his love of the game of soccer. Plus, Jesse and Peter dig deeper into the film's study of sound and its impact on human emotion. 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

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 projects, the music he makes is rich and layered, but kind of dirty and unsettling, sometimes, too. He works with a lot of vintage synthesizers and records on older equipment. On this episode, he talks with Jesse about his history in music - from noodling around with synths and guitars and a four track to working with Aesop Rock on his latest project - called Malibu Ken. He'll also explain why he avoided interviews and stayed anonymous for so long, and why that changed. 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

Critically acclaimed rapper Freddie Gibbs joins Bullseye to talk about his music career. He was born and raised in Gary Indiana - the birthplace of the Jackson 5. Gibbs grew up seeing his neighborhood change for the worse in a lot of ways. People were in poverty and times could be described as desperate. As a young adult, Gibbs used that pain to spark an impressive rap career. He creates stories of a past and present he feels very fortunate to have escaped. Gibbs talks to us about his career, his collaboration with Madlib and he even talks to us about a very trying time in his life. Plus, he'll tell us why he starts every live show with a prayer!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

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 standup, he's appeared on Conan, Comedy Central's "@Midnight" and more. These days he's starring alongside Kal Penn in the brand new upcoming NBC sitcom "Sunnyside." Joel joined Bullseye to talk about his unique upbringing, his approach to comedy and why Asian-American representation matters. Plus, Joel explains the science behind playing the "hot idiot." 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

Dev Hynes, the recording artist behind Blood Orange, joins Bullseye to talk about his music career. Being born in a place called Essex, approximately 30 miles outside London, was kind of the ideal place for a future critically acclaimed songwriter. Close enough to the big city to make it out to the cool shows and record stores. Far enough away that you can have like... a band. Hynes talks to us about his early love of soccer, how his creative process differs when collaborating with other artists and creating his own work and why he sees the similarities between his hometown and a certain Jersey Shore cast. Plus, he'll tell us what it's like to wake up to 4 missed calls from Diddy! 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

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 stories. This time around, we're joined by the great comedian and podcaster Matt Braunger.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

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 almost 45 years. Jay's one of the biggest TV hosts in the history of TV hosts. A guy who, by his own admission, never got much love from critics. He got cast, more or less, as the villain in the late night battles with Letterman and Conan. He'll open up about those late night wars in this in-depth interview. He'll also reflect on his childhood and how that's influenced his comedy. From sleeping in alleys on the streets of New York, to hosting The Tonight Show for decades. It's a remarkable story, and we hope you'll join us. 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