Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

Actress Sarah Paulson is best known for playing numerous characters on American Horror Story and Marcia Clark on The People v. O.J Simpson. Sarah sits down with Jesse to talk about working on The People v. O.J., her first big acting job, and dealing with the ups and downs that come with being a working actor. Although it was not popular at the time of its release, Shuggie Otis' album Inspiration Information influenced countless musicians and has been sampled by artists like Digable Planets and J Dilla. Shuggie tells us what went behind making this rock/soul classic. And Jesse explains why Paul and Gary O'Donovan's craic interview is one of the best things to come out of Rio Olympics

Lynda Barry is a self-identified "freak", a cartoonist, a writer, and for the last couple of years, she's also been a college professor teaching interdisciplinary creativity at the University of Wisconsin. What does that mean? Well, she encourages students to abandon their fears of creating and embrace their work and process. Lynda Barry's book The Greatest of Marlys is now available in hardback Our friends Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson from Pop Culture Happy Hour give us some pop culture recommendations during a live show in Washington, DC. Jesse heartily disagrees with A.O. Scott's review of the film version of MacGruber. In short: MacGruber exists, and the world is better for it.

Nikki Glaser is a comedian and host of the Comedy Central series Not Safe with Nikki Glaser. Nikki sits down with Jesse to talk about developing her Comedy Central show with her boyfriend, even when they were in the middle of a breakup. Dave Holmes is a comedian, writer at large for Esquire Magazine, and host of Maximum Fun's very own podcast International Waters. Jesse is joined by Dave to talk about growing up gay in the 80s with no real role models to look up to. They also discuss working for MTV, self-acceptance and his new book, Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs. Jesse tells us why the Olympics is such a beautiful sports event, even for people that don't like sports.

Chuck Klosterman has written countless articles for GQ, ESPN, The Washington Post, Esquire, The Guardian and more. His new book, But What if We're Wrong, examines how the present will be perceived it as the past. What exactly will be thought of as important events to people that are hundreds of years removed from it all? Is it even possible to get every fact correct when writing about the past? Klosterman sits down with Jesse to talk about how we consume culture, how historians frequently reinterpret historical events, and how writing online and writing for print are fundamentally different undertakings. Socio-political comedian W. Kamau Bell shares with us the best piece of advice he's ever received. Jesse talks about Tony! Toni! Toné! and how they successfully merged soul music and hip-hop to create a new type of R&B.

[r] Keegan-Michael Key talks to Jesse Thorn about creating characters for his sketch show Key and Peele. Plus, Tituss Burgess from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, tells about the time he performed live at the Tony Awards with a malfunctioning microphone.

Danny McBride is comedic writer and actor who started his career starring in the cult classic comedy, The Foot Fist Way. Although the film went to Sundance and was a modest success, McBride went back to North Virginia to work as a substitute teacher. Danny and frequent collaborator Jody Hill began creating the series Eastbound & Down, which would jumpstart McBride's career and make him a film and television star. He has appeared in numerous comedy films, such as Tropic Thunder, 30 Minutes or Less, and Observe and Report. McBride is perhaps best known for writing and starring in the HBO series Eastbound & Down, where he plays disgraced MLB player, Kenny Powers. McBride sat down with Jesse to talk about about working with Jody Hill, writing for Eastbound and Down, and dealing with people who idolize Kenny Powers just a little too much. Danny McBride's new show is called Vice Principals. Jazz bassist Miroslav Vitouš explains how working with Weather Report on the composition Morning Lake is an experience

Though most people find it difficult to find anything funny about depression and anxiety, comedian Aparna Nancherla. has used her own struggles with mood disorders to inspire her comedy. A rising star in the comedy world, Nancherla bravely reveals her struggles with depression in a way that makes the experience both relatable and hilarious. Clams Casino joined Jesse to talk about the influences that lead to his unique sound, and some of the ways he paid his dues coming up in the world of hip-hop production. They also discuss his new album, 32 Levels, and how he developed his relationship with rapper Lil' B. The two of them have long been collaborators, including on the new album, but didn't really get to know each other until making of the new record. Clams Casino's new album is called 32 Levels. Jesse checks in on the classic movie you should see before going swimming this summer.

Though she didn't earn a degree in the sciences, author Mary Roach has a knack for writing about them with insight and wit. Whether she's describing what happens to the body after death or the many aspects of human sexuality, Roach makes her topics accessible and fun. Roach has authored half a dozen books including: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, as well as articles for magazines including Vogue, GQ, and National Geographic. Mary Roach sat down with Jesse about whether shark repellant actually exists, life on submarines and how leaches inspired her to write a book on military science, Grunt. William Bell is a soul singer and songwriter whose distinctive sound is forever associated with the legendary Stax Records. Along with with performers like Otis Redding, Sam and Duke, Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers, Bell helped create music that continues to entertain and inspire. He is famous for his hit songs includi

Jesse Thorn sits down with comic book author and the designer of Netflix's Bojack Horseman, Lisa Hanawalt. He also talks to comic Wyatt Cenac about his upcoming stand up series, Night Train.

This week Jesse interviews Rachel Bloom,the star and co-creator the CW show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Also, Esperanza Spalding tells us about the song that changed her life.

[r] Jesse Thorn talks with John C. Reilly about Reilly's open-hearted and blustery comic creation, Dr. Steve Brule. Reilly shares stories from the summer of fun he had working on the movie Boogie Nights, and outlines the duties of an actor. Check it Out with Dr Steve Brule is currently airing on Adult Swim. Reilly's new movie The Lobster is in theatres now. Later, Las Vegas born singer-songwriter Shamir joins us to explain how he constructed a remarkable creative identity in a city known for producing more entertainers than artist; how his love for country music inspired him, and how his mother's proclivity for earth magic isn't quite his thing. Shamir's latest album is called Ratchet. Plus Jesse recommends Steven Soderbergh's The Limey, a revenge movie that's really about the way we all fight with our own past.

Jesse Thorn talks to Rashida Jones, from Parks and Recreation, The Office and Angie Tribeca - which just returned for its second season. Later Lawrence Weschler and Ramiro Gomez stop by the Bullseye studio to discuss their new art book, Domestic Scenes: The Art of Ramiro Gomez. Plus Jesse explores the fun, artistry and dark irony of the of the classic noir film, The Third Man starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton.

Jesse Thorn talks to comedian and Fresh Off the Boat writer Ali Wong, who recorded her new comedy special Baby Cobra, while seven and a half months pregnant. He also sits down with Boogaloo legend Joe Bataan to talk about breaking into the music industry, why he dropped out of it for a while and how he came back with a performance on one of the very first rap songs, back in 1979. Joe Bataan is one of the subjects of a new documentary, We Like it Like That: The Story of Latin Boogaloo. Plus Jesse highlights an artist with one of the sweetest voices and some of the most beautiful melodies in music right now - Chance the Rapper.

[r] Jesse Thorn talks to DJ Quik - one of the most prolific figures in West Coast hip hop. They'll talk about why a leaked record and a couple of guns made Quik realize he needed a new circle of friends, why he never wants to stop making pretty beats for his records and his inspiration for his awesome, awesome hairstyles over the years. Plus comedy from Michael Ian Black and Jesse explains his love for the airplane gadget catalogue parody, SkyMaul.

Maria Bamford sits down with Jesse to talk about her own experiences as a patient of various Los Angeles mental health facilities, finding love and marriage and how wanting to work less proved to be a good career move. Her new show, Lady Dynamite will be available for streaming on Netflix from May 20th. You can find out more about her upcoming tour dates by visiting her website at mariabamford.com. Later, Wanda Sykes joined Jesse to talk about transitioning from a career with the NSA to stand-up comedy, coming out "accidentally" during a rally against California's Proposition 8 and why she believes that Bob Hope could have been the perfect super spy. Wanda Sykes is beginning her tour this month, which includes recording dates for her next comedy special. Find out more by visiting her website at wandasykes.com. In his Outshot Jesse talks about his affinity for the music of Black Moth Super Rainbow - an experimental band that declined a request to appear on Bullseye to promote their 2009 album, Eating Us.

Margaret Cho sits down with Jesse to talk about beginning her career during the 90s comedy boom in San Francisco, growing up in a Korean immigrant family, and how the community around her family's gay bookstore continues to touch and inspire her life. Margaret Cho's new album American Myth is now available on iTunes and on her website, MargaretCho.com. She's also out on tour this May and June. Later, Whit Stillman joins Jesse to talk about his love for Jane Austen, the importance of language in his films and how the comedy of Will Ferrell infiltrated his new period piece. Whit Stillman's new film Love and Friendship is in theaters this week. A Criterion collection of his first three films (Metropolitan, Barcelona and The Last Days of Disco) are now available in special box set edition. For his Outshot, Jesse sings the praises of a basketball scrapper who may not get all the fame, but is no less deserving of the glory – Draymond Green.

Jesse Thorn talks with GeenaDavis about her acting career, The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and how taking up archery changed her life. Plus multiple Emmy Award-winning comedian, Louis CK discusses self-funding anddistributing his new show, Horace and Pete.

Jesse Thorn talks to Mike Judge, the comedy writer behind shows like Beavis and Butthead, Office Space, King of the Hill and Silicon Valley. Later he speaks with Sharon Horgan, whose show Catastrophe just returned for its second season.

Author and screenwriter Nick Hornby made his name with books like High Fidelity and About A Boy. His latest novel, Funny Girl is about a British actress starring in a 1960s sitcom. Hornby talks with Jesse about old TV comedy, personal ambition and sitting on a couch next to Adam Sandler. Later, character actor Luis Guzmán tells about the role that changed his life, Pachanga in Carlito's Way. Plus Jesse enthuses about the 1995 film noir, Devil in a Blue Dress, explaining why it's so important that Easy Rawlins is "buying in".

Jesse Thorn talks to Ellie Kemper, star of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and discusses Batman with Pop Culture Happy Hour's Glen Weldon. Plus, Jesse on how A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg has reverberated through his life.