

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
NPR
Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world."
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 28, 2025 • 1h 7min
Marc Maron & Brendan McDonald
WTF with Marc Maron revolutionized the medium of podcasting. Despite being one of the most popular podcasts in history, the show was run by two people: Marc Maron as the host, and Brendan McDonald as his producer. Maron and McDonald talked to Bullseye about WTF’s origins, their equal partnership in producing the show, and why it ended.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 24, 2025 • 41min
Ana Fabrega, co-creator of ‘Los Espookys’
This week, we’re looking back on some of our favorite Spooky season interviews from across the twenty-five years we’ve been doing Bullseye. Ana Fabrega is a comedian, actor, writer, and co-creator of the show Los Espookys. In 2022, Ana joined us to talk about the show after it had just wrapped its second and final season.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 21, 2025 • 40min
Bruce Campbell
Just in time for the spooky season, we're reaching deep into the furthest, darkest reaches of the Bullseye archives for this conversation with Bruce Campbell. The cult movie actor starred in Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" – an absolute horror classic. When we talked to Bruce in 2011 he spoke with our correspondent Jordan Morris about the DIY aesthetic of his projects, obsessive fans, and how he came to make cult horror movies.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 17, 2025 • 41min
Yaya Bey
Today on Bullseye, it’s songwriter and recording artist Yaya Bey! She just wrapped up a national tour in support of her new album, do it afraid. She talks to Bullseye about blending genres, and coming out on top after a tumultuous handful of years.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 14, 2025 • 41min
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Fargo, The Last of Us) returns to the show to talk about his new book, Little Woodchucks, and to share why woodworking is such a big part of his life. Plus, he gives Jesse a deep tissue massage. Yep, on the radio!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 10, 2025 • 37min
'Slow Horses' creator Will Smith
Will Smith is the creator and showrunner of the hit Apple TV spy thriller Slow Horses. Smith talks with Jesse about the show's unique blend of drama, action and comedy. He also shares how he learned from Armando Iannucci, the best in the biz, while working on Veep and The Thick of It. Also discussed: farts! And how star Gary Oldman's character Jackson Lamb uses them as a plot device.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 7, 2025 • 41min
Gwendoline Christie
This week, it’s Gwendoline Christie! She’s best known for her part as Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones launched Christie’s career. Before it wrapped, she was cast in two Star Wars movies. She recently earned an Emmy nomination for her part in Severance as the lady who was in charge of all the goats. She talks to Bullseye about art, resilience, and getting ready to wrangle all those goats.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Oct 3, 2025 • 21min
Why Digable Planets' Blowout Comb is one of the greatest albums of all time
Canonball is a segment that takes a closer look at albums that should be considered classics. This time around, Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY of the One Song podcast discuss the game changing album Blowout Comb by Digable Planets.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sep 30, 2025 • 45min
Ghostface Killah
We're joined today by Ghostface Killah, a founding member of the hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. In 1996, Ghost put out Supreme Clientele – that record cemented his legacy. If you pull up one of those 100 best rap albums of all times list, you're bound to see it show up. Ghostface joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about Supreme Clientele 2, the follow-up nearly 25 years in the making. He also opens up about being responsible for two of his younger brothers with muscular dystrophy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sep 26, 2025 • 51min
Sonia Manzano
For nearly 5 decades, Sonia Manzano played the part of Maria on Sesame Street. She was the first Latina on the show – it was a big step forward for Latinas on TV! In 2021, she launched her own show called Alma’s Way. It’s an animated kids series about Alma Rivera, a 6-year-old Puerto Rican girl living in the Bronx. This conversation was originally published in October of 2021.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy


