Bullseye with Jesse Thorn NPR

Christina Ricci got her first paid acting gig when she was ten. Within a couple of years, Christina was everywhere: Casper, Now and Then, and of course, The Addams Family. She was one of the biggest child stars of the '90s. Then, an indie film legend in films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm, and Buffalo 66. These days, Christina Ricci is the Emmy-nominated star of the Showtime drama Yellowjackets. Correspondent Jordan Crucciola—host of the Maximum Fun podcast Feeling Seen—geeks out with Christina about all things Yellowjackets. Plus, they talk about why taking on comedic roles makes her deeply uncomfortable – even though she's played plenty of great comedic roles. A version of this interview originally aired in in August of 2022.

Eugene Levy is a legend in the comedy world. Hailing from Toronto, he first got his start in improv comedy and was a founding member of SCTV - the pioneering sketch comedy show that helped launch the careers of Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, John Candy and more. He became a household name after appearing as Noah Levenstein in the popular American Pie franchise. In 2015, he reunited with frequent co-star Catherine O'Hara in the sitcom Schitt's Creek. Eugene is back on the small screen, most recently hosting the documentary-style travel series The Reluctant Traveler. This week, we're revisiting our conversation with Eugene Levy. When Eugene joined us he talked about what it was like working with his son on their hit show Schitt's Creek, his involvement of the American Pie movies and so much more.

Little Brother is a rap group from North Carolina. The three original members – Phonte, Big Pooh and 9th Wonder – were living in their college dorms when they decided to make music together. They hit open mics and played local shows, but they never expected a rags-to-riches story. After uploading a few songs to a hip-hop message board called Okayplayer, they released their debut LP, The Listening. By indie-label standards, it was a hit. They signed to a major label, but their second album didn't perform as well as they would've liked. After being dropped by their label, 9th Wonder left the group and Little Brother disbanded shortly after. In 2019, Phonte and Big Pooh reunited as Little Brother and dropped their album May the Lord Watch. Now, they're on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album. They also have a documentary in the works. This week on Bullseye, Phonte and Big Pooh join us to reflect on their long and eventful career as Little Brother.

Party Down is a show with a simple premise. It's about a group of actors, writers and creative types who work at a catering company called Party Down. Most of the catering employees have big dreams, but to pay the bills they're sort of stuck at the company. To make matters worse, the employees often get involved into some truly absurd and wacky situations. The first two seasons of the show ran more than 10 years ago, but the show is back for a third season. On the latest episode of Bullseye, we're joined by of the co-creators of Party Down, Rob Thomas and John Enbom. They join us to talk about the latest season of the show, and what it was like to revisit the characters after all these years. Plus, they get into why they believed so deeply in the show even when several network executives told them it would never work.

Bonnie Raitt is a legend. Early in her career, she decided she'd only create songs she loved, on her own terms, and her career longevity is proof of that gifted precision. Last year, Bonnie released her 18th full-length studio album, Just Like That. Now in her 70's, Bonnie has won over a dozen Grammys – most recently she earned a Grammy for the title track off her latest album. To celebrate her recent Grammy win we're revisiting our conversation with Bonnie. Correspondent Ray Suarez talked with Bonnie about the album, coming into her own as an artist and so much more.

Jonathan Majors has been acting professionally for about seven years now. He's done theater, TV, and starred in movies. In that short amount of time, he's become one of the most captivating performers in Hollywood. On screen, Jonathan is charismatic and charming when the role calls for it, and he can turn to vulnerable and broken almost instantly. He's the kind of actor that just takes the story to the next level. When I talked with Jonathan Majors in 2021, he was up for an Emmy for his work on HBO's Lovecraft Country. He's gone on to some massive films like Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and most recently, Creed III. Jonathan joined us on Bullseye to talk about Lovecraft Country, and reflected on being the child in a family of veterans. Plus, he dived into acting theory and craft – and he gets into it, really into it.