Fresh Air
NPR
Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
Episodes
Mentioned books
33 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 44min
A look at Trump's plans to restrict voting
Richard Hasen, UCLA law and political science professor who directs the Safeguarding Democracy Project, breaks down proposed limits on mail-in ballots and the SAVE Act. He explains claims about foreign interference, draft provisions for proof-of-citizenship, risks of federalizing elections, and how restrictive rules could disenfranchise voters and reshape democratic safeguards.
10 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 45min
Jessie Buckley loves the ‘shadowy bits’ of her characters
Jessie Buckley, an Irish actress and singer celebrated for film and stage work and awards recognition, discusses playing Agnes in Hamnet. She explores the character’s mysticism, nature connection, and ‘shadowy bits.’ Conversations touch on grief and an unplanned crying scene, dream-based character work, her musical roots, and juggling motherhood with demanding roles.
5 snips
Feb 28, 2026 • 48min
Best Of: Kate Hudson / Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård, a Swedish actor with six decades of film work and a recovery story after a stroke; Kate Hudson, an Oscar-nominated American actress and recent singer who released a debut album. They talk about performing while overcoming memory challenges, using a prompter earpiece, pursuing singing later in life, prosthetics and inhabiting real people, and longtime careers in film and theater.
Feb 27, 2026 • 46min
The voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny, veteran voice actor and comedian known as the voice of SpongeBob since 1999, shares how he created SpongeBob’s high, childlike voice and recounts studio hijinks and musical moments. Justin Chang, film critic, discusses the themes and tone of the new film Dreams starring Jessica Chastain. They explore voice technique, cartoon influences, performance stories, and the film’s provocative dynamics.
83 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 45min
Is the U.S. headed toward military conflict with Iran?
David Sanger, New York Times White House and national security correspondent known for reporting on Iran’s nuclear program, joins to trace how U.S.-Iran tensions escalated. He maps Iran’s remaining nuclear work and missile risks. He examines conflicting U.S. messages, possible military options, risks of miscalculation, and how diplomacy is being handled without career diplomats.
44 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 46min
Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t believe in bad guys
Stellan Skarsgård, veteran Swedish actor known for films from Breaking the Waves to Dune, and recently Oscar-recognized for Sentimental Value, discusses his craft. He talks about finding nuance instead of villains. He recalls improvising with Robin Williams, coping with a 2022 stroke while continuing to act, and raising children who became actors.
Feb 24, 2026 • 45min
Tayari Jones on friendship, writing, and choosing your ‘Kin’
Tayari Jones, novelist known for An American Marriage, discusses her new novel Kin and how personal loss and illness shaped it. She explores female friendship, writing through grief, researching the Jim Crow South, and the power of letters and childhood perspective. Jones also reflects on growing up with activist parents and the writers and teachers who made her a writer.
8 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 44min
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson, actress and entrepreneur known for Almost Famous and rom-coms, talks about branching into music with her debut album Glorious and the leap that prompted it. She reflects on her Oscar-nominated role in Song Sung Blue and what drew her to complex female characters. She also revisits memories from Almost Famous and discusses writing and performing her new songs.
17 snips
Feb 21, 2026 • 48min
Best Of: The life and legacy of Fela Kuti / Michael Pollan on consciousness
Michael Pollan, bestselling author exploring consciousness, psychedelics, and AI. Jad Abumrad, award-winning podcast creator who produced a series on Fela Kuti and Afrobeat. They discuss Fela's music as a political force, Afrobeat's trance-building structures, Fela's autonomous cultural spaces and controversies, and big questions about consciousness, psychedelics, and whether AI can truly feel.
22 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 46min
Remembering actor Robert Duvall & filmmaker Frederick Wiseman
Robert Duvall, veteran actor known for The Godfather and Tender Mercies, reflects on iconic roles, on-set stories, and his immersive approach to performance. Frederick Wiseman, pioneering documentary filmmaker behind Titicut Follies and High School, discusses choosing institutions as subjects, his long-form observational style, and why he avoids narration. Short, candid conversations about craft, memory, and storytelling.
