10 episodes

Part-interview, part-existential game show – this is Wild Card from NPR. Host Rachel Martin rips up the typical interview script and invites guests to play a game about life's biggest questions. Rachel takes actors, artists and thinkers on a choose-your-own-adventure conversation that lets them open up about their fears, their joys and how they've built meaning from experience – all with the help of a very special deck of cards. Want more Wild Card? Support NPR by subscribing to Wild Card+. You'll get access to bonus episodes and you'll get to listen sponsor-free. Learn more at plus.npr.org/wildcard.

Wild Card with Rachel Martin Wild Card

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 205 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Part-interview, part-existential game show – this is Wild Card from NPR. Host Rachel Martin rips up the typical interview script and invites guests to play a game about life's biggest questions. Rachel takes actors, artists and thinkers on a choose-your-own-adventure conversation that lets them open up about their fears, their joys and how they've built meaning from experience – all with the help of a very special deck of cards. Want more Wild Card? Support NPR by subscribing to Wild Card+. You'll get access to bonus episodes and you'll get to listen sponsor-free. Learn more at plus.npr.org/wildcard.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

    Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

    Bowen Yang has had some iconic Saturday Night Live roles — the iceberg that sank the Titanic, the Chinese spy balloon, the Tiny Desk intern. And he's also had big successes outside SNL — in movies like Fire Island and Bros, and on his hit podcast, Las Culturistas. He talks to Rachel about living too much in the present, hard truths from Tina Fey and why the afterlife should have a rollercoaster.

    To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard

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    • 29 min
    Jack Antonoff doesn't believe in 'no regrets'

    Jack Antonoff doesn't believe in 'no regrets'

    Jack Antonoff has seemingly cracked the code for producing hit albums, winning multiple Grammys for his work with artists like Lorde, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. But for his own songwriting, he leans into the unknown. He studies his anxieties, regrets and grief, and shares those feelings in songs with his band Bleachers — as well as in this game of Wild Card.

    To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard

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    • 25 min
    Jack Antonoff on being careful and Ada Limón's space poem (Wild Card+)

    Jack Antonoff on being careful and Ada Limón's space poem (Wild Card+)

    Jack Antonoff says he's trying to be more careful with his jokes and Ada Limón discusses a poem she wrote that will be sent to space on NASA's Europa Clipper. To access this bonus episode, listen to Wild Card sponsor-free, and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard.

    Ada Limón doesn't want all the answers

    Ada Limón doesn't want all the answers

    As U.S. Poet Laureate, Ada Limón has focused her attention on the natural world, most recently editing a collection of nature poems, titled You Are Here. But Limón's ability to see what others often overlook goes beyond nature. Limón talks with Rachel about learning to forgive yourself, the smell of her grandparents' dueling fudge recipes and a premonition she once had.

    To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    • 30 min
    Why Chris Pine gave up on being perfect

    Why Chris Pine gave up on being perfect

    Chris Pine says his directorial debut, Poolman, got "obliterated" by critics. But the Star Trek and Wonder Woman star tells Rachel that the experience helped him reevaluate his desire for perfection. Chris also debates predestination with Rachel, reflects on the struggle to feel awe and discusses his recurring childhood dreams of having tea with an elf in a tree.

    To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    • 26 min
    Chris Pine on performing the role of "movie star" + more Issa Rae (Wild Card+)

    Chris Pine on performing the role of "movie star" + more Issa Rae (Wild Card+)

    Chris Pine tells us about a childhood insecurity he can't shake and Issa Rae talks about something she knew she could do long before other people believed she could.

    To access this bonus episode, listen to Wild Card sponsor-free, and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard.

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
205 Ratings

205 Ratings

SoFreshSoCLE ,

The podcast I’ve been looking for!

I’ve listened to many podcasts, and this hits the perfect note for me. It is engaging while also thoughtful. Rachel Martin is a joy with her warmth and intellect. She brings out introspective responses from guests, who we may only know previously from more superficial, anecdote-driven interviews. But the biggest draw for me is that I leave each episode with a sense of connection - to the interviewee, to Martin, and to our shared human condition. I am so grateful to find this podcast!

Mshields76 ,

Easily my favorite podcast right now

In just a month, this podcast has sailed to the top of my personal chart for podcast listening. The questions and conversation are smart and exactly the scale of human life. More of this, please. (I actually love this podcast so much that I’m leaving a review, which i don’t think I’ve ever done before.) ❤️🙌🏼

Yogi_scientist ,

So good!!

I have missed Rachel Martin's upbeat, caring, thoughtful, open approach to the world since she left Morning Edition. Now she brings all that, plus a lot more of her own personal experiences and insights to this wonderful show that gives us a chance to connect deeply with other people's stories (and maybe also our own). A balm for the state of the world today.

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