Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air. And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
The podcast features an interview with Benicio del Toro, focusing on his acting career and experiences. Del Toro discusses his role in "The Phoenician Scheme," highlighting the collaborative process with Wes Anderson and the depth of his character, Zsa Zsa Korda, a morally complex tycoon undergoing a transformation. He...
The surge in sports betting and its societal implications are examined through the lens of McKay Coppins's year-long gambling experiment. Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic, details his exploration into the explosive growth of online sports betting, the ethical conflicts faced by sports leagues now profiting from ...
Harrison Ford discusses his career, aging in Hollywood, and his role in the series Shrinking. He reflects on playing characters with physical limitations, such as his role as a therapist with Parkinson's, and contrasts this with his action roles like Indiana Jones. Ford shares anecdotes about his early career, includin...
The podcast explores the stigma and realities surrounding Black single motherhood in America. Jamilah Lemieux, author of "Black Single Mother," blends personal experiences with historical context, including the impact of the Moynihan Report and the stereotype of the "welfare queen." Lemieux recounts her initial relucta...
The hidden history of blackface in American entertainment is explored, revealing its prevalence in the 19th and 20th centuries and its ironic erasure due to civil rights activism. Rhae Lynn Barnes, author of "Darkology," discusses how amateur blackface shows became a popular form of entertainment in groups like fratern...
This episode of Fresh Air features an interview with Jessie Buckley, who is nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Hamnet, where she plays William Shakespeare's wife. Buckley discusses the film's exploration of Agnes Hathaway as more than just a footnote in Shakespeare's life, emphasizing her deep connection t...
This episode of Fresh Air remembers Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter who passed away at 86, by revisiting a 2007 interview with Terry Gross. Sedaka discusses his early career writing hits for teenagers in the Brill Building, emphasizing the collaborative process with lyricist Howard Greenfield and the friendly compet...
Delroy Lindo, veteran actor and Oscar nominee for his role in "Sinners," discusses his career, the impact of race, and his upcoming memoir. Lindo reflects on a childhood experience of racial othering in England, which he is writing about in his memoir, and the complexities of race in his work, including a scene from "T...
The podcast features an interview with Morgan Neville, a documentary filmmaker, discussing his new film "Man on the Run," which explores Paul McCartney's life after the Beatles' breakup and the formation of Wings. Neville details his access to unseen archival footage, including home movies by Linda McCartney, and his d...
The interview with Rick Hasen, an election law expert, centers on potential threats to the integrity of the 2026 elections. It addresses concerns about executive orders, like the SAVE Act, that could impose stricter voter ID requirements and documentary proof of citizenship, potentially disenfranchising millions. Hasen...
The interview explores Jessie Buckley's role as Agnes Hathaway in the film Hamnet, focusing on the reimagining of Shakespeare's wife and the exploration of grief, motherhood, and female identity. Buckley discusses the character's connection to nature and the societal perception of her as "other," as well as the use of ...
This episode of Fresh Air Weekend features two interviews: one with Kate Hudson, discussing her Oscar-nominated role as Claire in Song Sung Blue, her approach to acting, and her reflections on motherhood and career, and another with Stellan Skarsgård, who shares insights on his role in Sentimental Value, his acting pro...
This episode of Fresh Air features an interview with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, revisiting a conversation from 2004 with Terry Gross. Kenny describes SpongeBob's origins, voice creation, and the character's optimistic nature, drawing inspiration from figures like John Sebastian and Brian Wilson for ...
The discussion centers on the potential for military conflict with Iran, examining the contradictions in Trump administration rhetoric and the motivations behind the U.S. military buildup. David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent, highlights that Iran's nuclear program, while a concern, may not be ...
Stellan Skarsgård, the Swedish actor, discusses his extensive career, including his recent Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination for "Sentimental Value." Skarsgård reflects on identifying with his character in the film and the challenges he faced after suffering a stroke, including memorizing lines, which led him to ...
Novelist Tayari Jones discusses her latest book, Kin, a story about two motherless girls in 1950s Louisiana and Atlanta, exploring themes of friendship, race, and identity. Jones reveals the novel came to her unexpectedly after a difficult period, including a health diagnosis of Graves' disease, and a struggle to compl...
Kate Hudson discusses her Oscar-nominated role as Claire Sardina in Song Sung Blue, a film about a Neil Diamond tribute band, and reflects on her career. Hudson shares insights into portraying a complex character dealing with addiction and loss, emphasizing the importance of honoring the real Claire's story while trust...
This episode of Fresh Air Weekend features two interviews. The first explores the life and music of Fela Kuti, the Nigerian musician and father of Afrobeat, with Jad Abumrad, creator of the podcast series "Fela Kuti, Fear No Man". They discuss Fela's use of music as a weapon against colonial values and his country's di...
The podcast features two interviews that explore the career and craft of actor Robert Duvall. The conversations delve into Duvall's approach to acting, emphasizing preparation and bringing oneself to the character rather than complete transformation. Duvall reflects on iconic roles such as Tom Hagen in The Godfather an...
Michael Pollan, author of "A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness," explores the multifaceted nature of consciousness, contrasting scientific theories with personal experiences. The discussion questions the widely held belief in Silicon Valley that AI can achieve consciousness, with Pollan arguing that computers...
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