Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

In a career that’s spanned several decades, Angélique Kidjo has, through her music, personified what it means to be a citizen of the world. Earlier this year, she released Hope!! It’s her first record in five years, and it features guest appearances from Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Nile Rodgers, and more. Angélique joined us to talk about the album, moving to France at a young age to continue pursui...

Ms. Pat’s standup comedy is direct, clever and raw. She headlines shows all over the country and she’s got her own TV show – The Ms. Pat Show on Paramount+. We’ll get into her Emmy nominated sitcom, her extraordinarily difficult road to success and why she decided to take a chance on standup in the first place. Plus, a bonkers story about the time she took an order from a U.S. President at a fast...

Bob Mackie died on September 14, 2026. He was 87. Mackie made a career out of dressing big personalities in kinetic, sparkling garb. When he joined us last year, his life and career were profiled in the documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion . The film covers the era-defining design work he did and the extraordinary life he lived. Mackie joined us to talk about his early affinity for performance o...

Did you know that folks that support Bullseye directly get access to a monthly bonus podcast? Put You On is the show where Jesse and a guest answer recommendation questions from our audience members on just about anything: movies, albums, ways to cook, books and more. We wanted to give you a little taste from our most recent episode with co-host of NPR and WHYY's Fresh Air – we're joined by Tonya...

This week, our guest is David Letterman. The one and only. The legend of late night television talks about the Late Show, about his triumphs and failures, and his TV show: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix. A version of this interview originally aired in November of 2020. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage yo...

I Wish I Made That is a segment where we invite some of our favorite creative folks to dive deep into a piece of culture. We are joined by Eric Appel. He directed the biopic spoof Weird: The Al Yankovic Story from a few years ago. The thing he wished he had made? Eric dives deep into his love of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and the time he got to work with Paul Reubens’ iconic character. Eric’s latest...

Filmmaker and writer Walter Thompson-Hernández joins us to talk about his new movie, If I Go Will They Miss Me . He shares why the movie has such little plot, and why Greek mythology plays such an important role in the film. He also talks about his time as a writer at the New York Times, some of his favorite LA-based films and more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

We've got a favorite from the Bullseye archives: Elvis Costello. The legend is celebrating the 49th anniversary of his debut album My Aim is True . Recently, a five CD box set was released to commemorate the occasion. The release features 104 tracks, with over 50 never-before-heard recordings on it. When Elvis Costello joined us he talked about his father's career and love of music, what inspired...

We’re taking a moment to remember Dolly Parton who died on August 25, 2026. The trailblazing icon of country and western music joined us on Bullseye back in 2012. She’d just released a book called Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You . Dolly talked with us about her impoverished childhood, how she had dealt with fame over the years, and some of the songs that could still make her cry. See pcm....

Documentarian Alysa Nahmias has directed and produced films about PTSD, navigating the world with disabilities, the criminal justice system and other serious topics. Her latest film is called Cookie Queens follows the lives of four young girls as they sell Girl Scout cookies. It may seem like a departure from Alysa's previous work, but it's a story that's not just about cookies. Alysa joins us to...

We’re talking with Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes of the emo band American Football. The band just released their fourth full length album, simply titled: American Football (LP4) . Mike and Steve join us to chat about their early years playing music together in high school, how they eventually came to cut a record in college, and reveal what happened to the house pictured on the cover of their deb...

Geena Davis is a genuine legend in show business: Beetlejuice , Thelma and Louise , A League of Their Own and many more. For over two decades, The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has gathered data on representation of not just women but of all marginalized groups and how they're being represented in entertainment media. She gets into her work with the institute, her acting career and how...

Rakim changed the rap game forever. He’s one half of the groundbreaking hip-hop duo, Eric B. and Rakim. And a legendary solo rapper in his own right. Rakim joined us on the show back in 2023. That year marked 50 years of hip-hop. He talked with us about how he met Eric B, shared stories about his late friend and fellow emcee, Biz Markie and much more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...

The character actor Dale Dickey has a career that spans nearly four decades and more than 150 roles. When she's on screen you know you're in for a treat. Dale's now in her mid-60's, and she's just been nominated for her first Emmy for her performance in Apple TV's Widow's Bay . She joins us on Bullseye to talk about the Emmy-nominated show. Plus, we get into the time she played Shrek... at various...

Comedian, podcaster and actor Stavros Halkias joins us on the latest episode! He chats with us about starring in the new Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony , when he discovered a passion for joke telling, his distinct look and much more! 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 Polic...

I Wish I Made That is a segment where we invite some of our favorite creative folks to dive deep into a piece of culture. We are joined by writer Kurt Andersen. Andersen is a longtime writer and editor, as well as co-founder the magazine Spy and former host of the public radio show Studio 360 . The thing he wished he had made? The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. The book chronicled the c...

Isaiah Rashad, our guest, dropped his third album this past Spring. The record is called It’s Been Awful , and doesn’t take long into listening to it to tell that despite the obstacles life has dealt him – Isaiah’s thriving and maybe making his best work yet? Isaiah joins us to talk about the new album, his favorite Prince song, parenthood and much more! See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

Did you know that folks that support Bullseye directly get access to a bonus podcast? Put You On is the show where Jesse and a guest answer recommendation questions from our audience members on just about anything: books, movies, cooking! We've had people like Linda Holmes, Alonso Duralde and more. This month we were joined by Derek Guy – the famous Menswear Guy from social media. We're presenting...

Sean Clements is a writer for the big and small screen. His latest project is a feature film called The Dink. It's a movie about pickleball starring Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson. The movie was inspired by some of Sean's experiences with the sport – which he was very skeptical about at first as a pretty serious tennis player. We also get into his work as co-host of the comedy podcast Hollywood...

Grammy-winning bassist, producer and singer Meshell Ndegeocello is back on Bullseye! Earlier this year she produced a tribute album dedicated to the late blues guitarist BB King. She joined us to chat about the new record, her early days playing with go-go band Rare Essence, why she loves being a band leader as a bass player, and much more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

John Early and Kate Berlant have been performing as a comedy duo for over a decade now – their brand of comedy is a little surreal, a little unhinged and always laugh-at-loud funny. John and Kate joined us on the program a few years ago. They talked with Jesse about their comedy special Would It Kill You to Laugh?,  how they balance their creative partnership with their independent work and why Ka...

Rapper Jeezy helped bring trap music into the mainstream in the early 2000s alongside other pioneering rappers like T.I. and Gucci Mane. These days, Jeezy has his very own Las Vegas residency running throughout July and August at Planet Hollywood. When he joined us back in 2023, he’d just released a memoir called Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe . He chatted with us about the book, the first t...

David Wain is a comedy legend. Alongside Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Ken Marino and many other heavy hitters, Wain co-founded The State, the massively influential comedy troupe responsible for Wet Hot American Summer . Wain returns to Bullseye to talk about his latest project: Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass . He talks about writing the screenplay which involved locking himself...

Judy Chicago is an artist who works in sculpture, performance, needlework, and even fireworks. She has been making art for over 50 years and currently has an exhibition in conjunction with the Venice Biennale called 'The Materiality of Judy Chicago' She joins us to chat about the career-spanning exhibition, the art skills she gained from classes at an auto body school, and much more! See pcm.adswi...

Earlier this year, as a thank you to the many people who supported this show during the MaxFunDrive, the Bullseye team did something pretty silly and fun: we promised to crash an open mic. We showed up at the Lyric Hyperion Theater in Silverlake, Los Angeles. Jesse talked with Guy Branum about his incredible solo show: "Be Fruitful" and so much more.  If you'd like to support our show, it's easy:...