The Great Creators with Guy Raz Wondery

This episode comes out for free on June 4, and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers on May 28.

Ben Platt is an actor, singer, and songwriter who’s quickly become one of the most decorated performers of his generation. He sits down with Guy to talk about his first professional acting role at age 9, breaking out in “Pitch Perfect” and the runaway success of “Dear Evan Hansen,” finding his voice as an “authentically” queer artist, and the secret ingredient behind his success: “sacrifice”.

Buy Ben’s new album, “Honeymind”, here: https://interscope.com/collections/ben-platt/products/honeymind-cd

Ben’s current residency at the Palace Theatre on Broadway: https://www.broadway.org/shows/details/ben-platt-live-at-the-palace,842

Seth Meyers was a key player in creating some of the best seasons of Saturday Night Live. Now he's hosting Late Night in the very same building. In this classic episode from 2023, you’ll hear how his two-person comedy show in Chicago randomly landed him in front of just the right person to get him an audition at SNL. 

Seth also opens up about the anxiety he felt competing with his extremely funny co-stars. And he explains some of the ways he has managed to lead Late Night to new heights. 

Links from the show:Seth in Northwestern's improv troupe in 1992Seth and his brother Josh on Late NightSeth at the 2011 White House Correspondent's DinnerSeth as David ZingerCompilation of Seth and StefonA Closer Look from Late NightSeth doing standupSeth's InstagramSeth's TwitterFor more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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Michael McDonald brought his legendary singing voice and songwriting talent to not one but two legendary bands: Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers, the latter of which earned him a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Michael sits down with Guy to talk about writing classic songs on envelopes and forgetting about them for years; feeling self-conscious on stage as a frontman; his solo career; what he thinks of the term “yacht rock”; and how getting sober saved his life.

Michael’s memoir is called “What a Fool Believes”. You can buy it here.

Links from the show: I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) music videoWarren G: Regulate music videoWhat a Fool Believes music videoSweet Freedom (1986)Michael talking about singing on Steely Dan’s “Peg” Rick Moranis SCTV sketch about MichaelThree Michael McDonalds Sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (w/ Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake): Tonight ShowFamily Guy having fun with Michael’s famous backing vocalsMichael’s InstagramMichael’s Facebook pageMichael’s memoir, “What a Fool Believes”See all our episodes – including conversations with Tom Hanks, Jason Sudeikis, Bjork, and many more – at TheGreatCreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

T Bone Burnett is one of the most accomplished music producers of the past 50 years. He sits down with Guy to talk about buying a recording studio at age 17; being pushed out of his creative comfort zone by Bob Dylan on the Rolling Thunder Revue tour; building soundtracks for the Coen Brothers and True Detective; and why, at age 76, he’s the happiest and most creative he’s ever been.

T Bone’s new album, The Other Side, is available here: https://shop.tboneburnett.com/

Links from the Show: Rolling Thunder Revue documentary on NetflixTrue Detective Season 1 soundtrackBig Lebowski soundtrackInside Llewyn Davis soundtrackGeorge Clooney performing I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow in O Brother Where Art Thou? Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive? AlbumT Bone’s InstagramFor more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Diplo to Jewel to Andy Garcia to Tom Hanks – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Duchovny sits down with Guy to talk about his wide-ranging creative life. He describes the “gut instinct” that led him to drop out of a Yale literature program and pursue acting; his iconic roles as Agent Mulder in The X-Files and Hank Moody in Californication; why he writes novels and makes music; and embracing failure as a critical learning experience in life and work.

David’s new podcast is called “Fail Better”, and his film Bucky F*cking Dent comes out in June 2024.

Links from the Show: David’s new podcast, “Fail Better”IMDb: Bucky F*cking DentDavid’s booksLive performance of his song Layin’ on the TracksDavid’s music on SpotifyDavid Duchovny Breaks Down His Career, from 'The X-Files' to 'Californication' | Vanity FairMalice, the show David was shooting in London at the time of this recording:For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Hilary Swank to Diplo – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lainey Wilson burst onto the country music scene in 2022 with her album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. But for seven years before that, she struggled to make it in the high-pressure Nashville music scene. And before that, she was a kid from a tiny town in rural Louisiana with a dream of being a country star.

In this encore episode from 2023, Lainey joins Guy to talk about how she handled the hard times, what she’s learned about the art of collaboration during the making of two acclaimed albums, and what defines her unique style – which she calls “Bell Bottom Country”.

Links from the Show: Lainey Wins the 2023 CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year Tougher Music VideoThings A Man Oughta Know Music VideoLainey’s French Bulldog Hippie Mae’s Instagram Hillbilly Hippie Official Lyrics VideoLainey’s Female Vocalist of the Year (2022) Acceptance SpeechLainey’s New Artist of the Year (2022) Acceptance Speech Tougher album (2016)Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (2021) Bell Bottom Country (2022)For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.