Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Michael Stipe is forever cemented in the minds of music fans as the lead singer of R.E.M., one of the biggest rock bands in history. He's also made some fun appearances on shows like At Home with Amy Sedaris and The Adventures of Pete and Pete . R.E.M. was also recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame where they performed their classic song "Losing My Religion." When Stipe was last on B...

You may have heard Ray Suarez on Bullseye before. He was last a guest on the show in 2016 and has since interviewed all kinds of folks for us. Lately, Ray has been spending a lot of time abroad. He lectures at the New York University campus in Shanghai. During his time abroad, he's been thinking a lot about what it means to be an immigrant. He's interviewed people from all across the globe on the...

Walton Goggins is a master of comedy, action and drama – take his latest project Fallout – a performance that blends all of that into something really special and compelling. Walton joins us to talk about the series, and why he was so enthusiastic to take the role before he even knew much about it. Walton also gets into his love of horseback riding and growing up with a father who's larger than li...

Alonso Duralde is a critic, podcast host, and film writer. He just published a new book, Hollywood Pride: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Representation and Perseverance in Film . It looks at the history of film through a queer lens, showcasing the contributions of queer actors and directors in Hollywood. Alonso joins Bullseye to talk about the book, portrayals and erasures of LGBTQ+ characters, and some...

Maya Erskine stars in the Amazon Prime series Mr. and Mrs. Smith . It's an action thriller in which she stars opposite Donald Glover. It's a dark, high stakes, prestige, serialized adaptation of the 2005 film of the same name. Maya joins us to talk about the series and how she prepared for the role. We also get into her time in college and how she'd make skits with her longtime friend and collabor...

The record producer Steve Albini was a legend. He recorded with The Stooges, Pixies, Nirvana and so many others. He passed away last month at the age of 61. Jesse Thorn spoke with him 17 years ago. The interview was recorded live at the Second City in Chicago. In the conversation they got into his creative process and why he thought the best albums were made over a weekend rather than several mont...

Shonda Rhimes is one of the most accomplished TV writers and producers of our time. She's written shows like Scandal , How To Get Away With Murder , and Grey's Anatomy , one of the longest-running primetime TV shows ever. When Shonda was last on Bullseye, Shonda spoke with our correspondent Jarrett Hill on her newest project, Queen Charlotte – it's a spinoff of the widely popular Bridgerton series...

Richard Thompson began his music career as the guitarist for the English folk rock band Fairport Convention. Following his time with the group, he began performing as part of a duo with his then wife, Linda. Then, after the couple split, as a solo artist. Thompson has recorded over two dozen albums. His latest record is called Ship to Shore and it's out now! He talks with us about the new record,...

Billy Dee Williams might be best known as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise. He's an actor with eight decades under his belt and a man of many talents. He's a painter, a singer, and author who just released his memoir, What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life . Billy Dee Williams joins Bullseye to talk about his memoir and galaxies, far, far away. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

We're presenting a preview of Maximum Fun's newest show Primer . In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa ( PBS SoCal , Light in the Attic ) joins Christian Dueñas and special guests to explore Japanese City Pop. The show celebrates the lives of its artists, explores the cultural and historical context of the songs, and they reflect on the impact that music had on listeners everywhere. Li...

Ed Ruscha has made art for almost 65 years. His work is in collections all over the world. His medium is eclectic – he's a painter, a photographer, an installation designer, a printmaker, and one of Los Angeles' most iconic artists. LACMA, just put on a retrospective of Ruscha's work. NOW THEN covers a career that's spanned over five decades. We get into the exhibit. We also get into some of his m...

Tig Notaro is a Grammy and Emmy nominated stand-up comedian. Her new comedy special Hello, Again is out now, and it's hilarious. Tig returns to the show to talk about Hello, Again , her comedy career and her time starring in a Star Trek show. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Pri...

Miranda July is a multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker. She's directed movies like Kajlillionaire and Me, You and Everyone We Know. She's designed apps and even recorded a spoken word album. She also just published her second novel, All Fours. In it, July covers marriage, middle age, and perimenopause. Miranda joins Bullseye to talk about her book, her career and the wild new soda flavor she he...

David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker – together they created some truly classic comedies: Airplane! , Top Secret , and The Naked Gun . They recently wrote a book called Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! . We've got Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker on the latest episodes to talk about the book and the rules of comedy. They also dive into why they cast Leslie Nielsen in thei...

Lisa Ann Walter has been in show business for a long time and has seen a lot. You may have seen her most recently as Ms. Schemmenti on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary . When we asked her about the craziest day of her career, she took us back to 2010, to the set of the Ashton Kutcher action/comedy film Killers . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...

Actor and comedian Cole Escola has written and starred in some of the funniest TV comedies: Difficult People , Hacks , and At Home with Amy Sedaris . Cole's recently taken their writing from the small screen to the stage with Oh, Mary! , a one act play that examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mary Todd Lincoln, like you've never seen before. The play makes its Broadway debut this summer. Col...

Isabella Rossellini is probably best known as an actor, having acclaimed parts in movies like Blue Velvet , Death Becomes Her , and Big Night . She's also a model, a performance artist, an accomplished singer and even an academic. When Isabella Rossellini joined Bullseye in 2022, she'd just starred alongside Jenny Slate in the animated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On . She spoke with guest hos...

Throughout his nearly fifty year music career, Raffi has fought for kids. He's done it with beautiful, fun, and funny music. He's also done it as an activist. Raffi is on the really short list of children's performers who connect directly with the youngest people. When we last chatted with Raffi, he had just released his 2014 album Love Bug . He talked to us about the album, his early childhood in...

Steve Buscemi! The best ever. The actor, director and producer joins Bullseye to talk about dying on screen dozens of times, and how his father shaped his career in the civil services and encouraged him to pursue acting. We'll look back on the first ever movie he acted in – one that ended up being a pivotal moment in the history of American queer cinema. Plus, he'll talk to us about trying his han...

DJ Quik is one of the most prolific figures in West Coast hip-hop. He's a great rapper, but he's always considered himself a producer first, crafting some of the most inventive samples and beats of the genre. This summer, DJ Quik joins fellow legends Warren G and Snoop Dogg for a tour across that great nation to the North on the Cali to Canada Tour . When Quik joined Bullseye in 2014, he talked ab...

Keita Takahashi is a video game creator and designer. He's responsible for the classic genre defining puzzle game Katamari Damacy . Keita Takahashi has a new game coming out soon. It's called to a T and it's about a child whose arms stick straight out like a "T". We talked with Keita Takahashi about how he got into designing video games and how he pitched the idea for Katamari Damacy to the folks...

Alison Brie is the star of beloved television shows Community , Mad Men and BoJack Horseman . She joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about her latest: Apples Never Fall . We get into her time growing up in South Pasadena and what she learned about herself while working on the physically demanding wrestling tv series GLOW . Does she think the long-awaited Community movie is actually...

Paula Pell spent 18 years behind the scenes as a writer on Saturday Night Live. These days, you can see her on Girls5Eva –a sitcom about a 90s girl group that reunites today. She plays Gloria, the queer elder of the group making the most of their second wind. When she joined the show back in 2019, Pell starred in Wine Country alongside a few SNL legends. She also gave us an insider's view on some...

Shabaka Hutchings makes brilliant, beautiful genre blending songs. His music is vivid, complex and hypnotic. He recently hung up his saxophone and is playing the flute these days. When Shabaka joined the show back in 2021, his band Sons of Kemet had just put out a record called Black to the Future . He talked with us about making the new record during quarantine. He also discussed being an only ch...

On the latest episode, R&B singer SiR joins us to talk about his new record Heavy , growing up in Inglewood and his musical family. Plus, he gets vulnerable and frank about his path to sobriety. Right now is the best time to support Bullseye and the MaxFun podcasts you love by starting a monthly membership or upgrading your existing one! Learn more at https://maximumfun.org/join/ See pcm.adswizz.c...