Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

There are a lot of funny and strange characters on HBO's Succession. But there might not be any of them that are funnier and stranger than Connor Roy. He's the oldest of the Roy children on the show. Half brother to the three younger ones. Connor Roy is played by Alan Ruck, and he's so great at it. Alan is bizarre when the scene calls for it, but behind the bluster, there's a vulnerability and insecurity. It makes Connor, weirdly, one of the most relatable characters on Succession. Alan Ruck joins Bullseye to chat about Succession and what it's been like playing the character of Connor Roy on the show. He also talks about his years in musical theater, and opens up about the time he spent out of work as an actor and how it led to him eventually getting sober.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Shonda Rhimes is one of the most accomplished TV writers and producers of our time. She's written shows like Scandal, Private Practice, How To Get Away With Murder, and Bridgerton. And of course, Grey's Anatomy, one of the longest-running prime time TV shows ever. Her newest project is Queen Charlotte - it's a spinoff of the Bridgerton series, which was produced by Rhimes and her company Shondaland. Like Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is a period drama series set in the Regency Era. But instead of the Bridgerton family, the show focuses on the queen herself, and her rise to power. She discusses this and more with our correspondent, journalist Jarrett Hill.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

G Perico is a gangster rapper from Los Angeles. Listen to one of his tracks, and it's hard not to hear the echoes of thirty-some years of records about cruising, barbecuing and repping your set in the streets of LA. G Perico broke through in 2016 with his project S**t Don't Stop. That record established him as the vanguard of LA street rap. In the seven years since, he's recorded nearly a dozen albums. When we last spoke with G Perico, he'd just released his record Play 2 Win. He joined Bullseye and reflected on his upbringing, the music he listens to, and embracing his imperfections. Plus, he talked with Jesse about the people in his life that influenced his signature hair style.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

John Cale, a pivotal figure in music known for his work with The Velvet Underground and influential solo career, dives deep into his journey from a viola player in Wales to a rock icon. He reflects on the creative challenges of re-recording his early works and shares amusing stories from touring, including traveling with a piano-transporting robot. The conversation also highlights his collaborations with legends like Patti Smith and reveals the tensions and artistic struggles faced during his groundbreaking era in the music industry.

For the last decade, Dominique Fishback has been building up her resume with some stellar performances. In 2018, she appeared in the David Simon show Show Me A Hero. She parlayed that into a regular role on The Deuce. Then she played Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah – a drama based on the true story of Black Panther Fred Hampton. The role earned her a BAFTA nomination, among other accolades. These days, you can see her on Amazon Prime's Swarm. It's a TV series created by Donald Glover and writer Janine Nabers. Fishback has the ability to command a fierce, brilliant presence on screen. She can be disarming and vulnerable in one moment, terrifying the next. Dominique Fishback joins Bullseye to talk about Swarm and Judas and the Black Messiah, and her love of journaling – a hobby that has helped her learn more about herself and the characters she portrays.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Elijah Wood is, of course, the star of the Lord of the Rings movies. He's also known for his work as a former child actor who appeared in Back to the Future Part 2, The Ice Storm, Deep Impact and more. Lately, you can catch him on the thriller-drama series Yellowjackets, which is in its second season on Showtime. He plays Walter, an amateur sleuth who teams up with Christina Ricci's Misty to investigate a mystery. Elijah Wood joins Bullseye to chat about his role on the new season of Yellowjackets and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dougie Poole is a Maine-based singer-songwriter. He makes country music, but it's not your standard country fare. His music is a little more experimental and a lot more psychedelic. When we asked Dougie Poole to pick the song that changed his life, it's no surprise that he chose a song off the beaten track. It wasn't a tune from Dolly Parton or Garth Brooks. The song was "Black Country" from the psychedelic noise rock duo Tonstartssbandht. And it inspired a college-aged Dougie Poole to start making music of his own.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Delroy Lindo is a veteran actor and writer. Born in London to Jamaican parents, Delroy spent his childhood moving from place to place. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Toronto and then San Francisco, where he began studying acting at the American Conservatory Theater. He spent the next decade alternating between movie roles and Broadway stages. His versatility in Crooklyn, Get Shorty, The Cider House Rules, and more only increased his demand. Currently, Delroy is starring in the new Hulu series Unprisoned. It's about a father who reconnects with his adult daughter after serving a 17-year prison sentence. He plays Edwin, whose life changes when he moves in with his therapist daughter Paige, played by Kerry Washington. Delroy has been a public figure for a long time, and for most of that time, he didn't really talk about himself. Now? He's writing a memoir. On this episode of Bullseye, we asked him what changed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Robin Thede works hard. She always has. One of her first gigs in showbiz was on Queen Latifah's daytime talk show as head writer. Fast forward to 2015, Robin was making history. She became the first ever Black woman to become head writer on a late night talk show: The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. But Robin isn't only an incredible writer. She's an amazing comedian and actor. As a Second City alum, her name is up there with some of the biggest names in comedy like Jordan Peele, Amy Poehler and Steve Carell. And Robin's done a lot with this extraordinary legacy. For the past few years, she's been making waves as showrunner of the HBO show A Black Lady Sketch Show. This week on Bullseye, we're revisiting our chat with Robin about A Black Lady Sketch Show. Plus, we'll get into her childhood. Robin grew up in a mostly white, suburban part of Iowa. She'll talk about the challenges that being biracial presented and why she identifies as Black today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Odds are, you know actor Sarah Snook from her role on HBO's Succession – one of the most acclaimed TV dramas in the last decade. Sarah plays Siobhan Roy. But to her friends and family, it's just "Shiv." Succession follows the Roy family. They own a giant conservative media conglomerate called Waystar Royco; the family's patriarch, Shiv's father Logan Roy, is aging and can't run the company forever. Who will he name to take over? And what will the players do to get what they want? Shiv's part in the drama earned Snook a bunch of critical praise and awards nominations. Linda Holmes, one of the terrific hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, talked with Sarah in 2020 about what it's like to play one of the most fascinating, complex and confounding characters on television today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy