Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist

Andy Samberg arrived at Saturday Night Live as a Featured Player in the fall of 2005, and within a couple of months he shook up the legendary show and brought it into the digital age. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the SNL alum about his time on the show and those infamous digital shorts that he produced with his comedy group “The Lonely Island.” Samberg also talks about the new season of his hit NBC comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and the fans who kept the show alive after it was canceled on Fox. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This year will mark the 25th anniversary of Natalie Portman’s film debut in “Léon: The Professional,” where she played a 12-year-old child assassin. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the Israeli-born actress about the ups and downs of her long career since then, which included a four-year break to earn a degree from Harvard. She also opens up about the dark role she takes on in her latest film, “Vox Lux.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last January, Margot Robbie was racking up nominations for her performance in the hit movie “I, Tonya.” She was also uniting with other women in Hollywood to wear black on the Golden Globes red carpet in support of the newly created “Time’s Up” movement. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the Australian actress about the one year anniversary of that movement's launch, running her own production company, and her latest performance as Queen Elizabeth I in the film “Mary Queen of Scots.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2001, Jennifer Lopez became the first artist in history to have America’s #1 movie and #1 album in the same week. Since then, she has added a clothing line, perfume, and a production company to her empire. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the superstar about building that empire, her rise to stardom, and the critics she’s faced along the way. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been more than 20 years since “Seinfeld” left the air as the #1 show on television. Since then, Jerry Seinfeld has continued the career of a stand-up comedian that started when he was just a 20-year-old from Long Island. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the comedy legend about that lengthy career, why he still loves the craft of writing jokes, and his latest residency at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Stiller is known for a great run of comedy hits, including “There’s Something About Mary,” “Meet the Parents,” and “Zoolander.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the actor about that long career, as well as his latest project behind the camera, directing the dramatic new Showtime series “Escape at Dannemora.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch has inspired a worldwide phenomenon known as “Cumbermania,” but long before his army of fans began to sweep the globe, Cumberbatch was a successful stage actor in the UK. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown” Willie Geist chats with British actor about his rise to fame, from his on-screen breakthrough in “Sherlock” to his latest, more family-friendly role as “The Grinch,” and the reputation he has built as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hugh Jackman is often considered to be the nicest guy in Hollywood, and it’s easy to see why. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about his wide-ranging career spanning from Wolverine to “The Greatest Showman,” his love of the stage, and his starring role as Gary Hart in the new film “The Front Runner” about the former politician’s scandal-rocked presidential run. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ethan Hawke hasn’t starred in many big-budget blockbusters, but that’s by his own design. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the movie star opens up to Willie Geist about how he built a career on deep, challenging roles, like the one in “Boyhood” that earned him an Oscar nomination in 2015, his breakout role in “Dead Poets Society,” and his latest performance in “First Reformed.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

British actress Claire Foy exploded onto Hollywood’s A-List, and onto the awards circuit, with a captivating performance as the young Queen Elizabeth in Netflix's hit series “The Crown.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist sat down with the star to talk about passing on that role after two seasons, and her latest performance as a different kind of icon in the movie “The Girl in the Spider’s Web.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past two decades, Mark Wahlberg has worked his way onto Hollywood’s A-list with memorable performances in movies like “The Departed,” “The Fighter,” and a string of hit comedies, often with his friend Will Ferrell. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist meets up with the actor in Boston to talk about his childhood there and the overnight hip-hop career that made him a star, as well as his latest film “Instant Family.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ina Garten is a beloved chef in part because she seems like one of us – she has no formal training and she taught herself how to make a great meal by experimenting with cookbooks. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist travels to the Hamptons for lunch with the television host and bestselling author to talk about her life before “The Barefoot Contessa,” her down-to-earth approach in the kitchen, and the release of her 11th cookbook “Cook Like a Pro.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The “Deadpool” franchise gave Ryan Reynolds the signature role of his 20-year career, but its success was far from a sure thing. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the Hollywood superstar about his decade-long fight to bring that character to the big screen, plus his new life as a businessman and majority owner of American gin company, Aviation Gin. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Bridges’ character in “The Big Lebowski” has become a folk hero since the movie was released 20 years ago, partly because “The Dude’s” laid-back vibe fits so well with the man who plays him. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the legendary actor about his childhood in a Hollywood family, his sixty-year, Oscar-winning career, and his personal “dude”-like zen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the last two years, Riz Ahmed had a blockbuster breakout in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," he appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine as one of the world's Most Influential people, and he became the first Asian man and first Muslim to win an Emmy Award. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist chats with the actor and hip-hop artist about his rise in Hollywood, including that award-winning role in HBO's "The Night Of" and his latest performance as evil genius Carlton Drake in the new marvel movie, "Venom." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After blockbuster hits like “Jumanji,” “Ride Along,” and "Central Intelligence," Kevin Hart has become one of the world’s biggest comedians, living in the rarified air of his own comedy heroes. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown” Willie Geist met up with Hart at Madison Square Garden on his “Irresponsible Tour” to talk about growing up in the Philadelphia stand-up circuit, his confessional style of humor, and how he became the king of his own media empire. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Maya Rudolph knew from an early age that she was meant to make people laugh, but a seven-season run on “Saturday Night Live” put her comedic genius on the map. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist met the actress inside SNL’s famous Studio 8H to talk about her time on that show, including her favorite celebrity impressions and what it was like to work alongside cast members like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. She also shares how the show served as comedy boot camp, giving her a foundation for roles in films like “Bridesmaids” and her new Amazon series “Forever,” in which she stars alongside fellow SNL alum Fred Armisen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been nearly 30 years since Lenny Kravitz released his breakthrough first album, “Let Love Rule.” Since then he has sold more than 40 million albums and at one point won the Grammy Award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” four years in a row. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the rock star about his long career in the industry and the interesting way he came up with his latest album, “Raise Vibration.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Silverman is known for her hard-edged, taboo-breaking standup act and her progressive political bent off stage, but her Emmy-nominated TV series “I Love You, America” shows a different side of the comedian. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to Silverman about traveling the country for that show as she tries to understand today's American divide. She also opens up about her early love of performing and her rise from the basement comedy clubs of New York City to being one of the most successful comics in the business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jason Aldean isn’t just one of the biggest names in country, he’s one of the biggest names in all of music. His latest album “Rearview Town” debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, knocking Cardi B out of the top spot. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist met up with the country superstar on tour to talk about his long journey through Nashville, his unique sound, and how he’s coping after the Las Vegas shooting nearly a year ago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.