Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NPR
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.
- 29 minutes 2 secondsBowen Yang thinks being present is overrated (encore)This week we're revisiting our episode with comedian Bowen Yang. The "SNL" cast member and "Las Culturistas" podcast co-host had a big year between being in the film adaptation of "Wicked" and the "Saturday Night Live" 50th anniversary special. He talked with Rachel last spring about living too much in the present, the risks of being real and why the afterlife will definitely have roller coasters.
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NPR Privacy Policy27 February 2025, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 16 secondsNatalie Morales is trying to shake the "should"When Natalie Morales was a kid growing up in Miami, she didn't just have a mango stand, she ran an entire mango monopoly. She's dreamed big ever since, finding success as an actor ("Parks and Recreation," "No Hard Feelings") and director ("Language Lessons," "Plan B"). She chats with Rachel about her new film, "My Dead Friend Zoe" and the important life lesson she learned from her dog, Taco.
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NPR Privacy Policy20 February 2025, 8:00 am - 29 minutes 56 secondsRonny Chieng is still chasing the perfect jokeComedian Ronny Chieng's original path wasn't to become a correspondent on "The Daily Show." Plan A was to be a lawyer in Australia. But when he couldn't get a job in law, he turned to comedy as a backup. He talks to Rachel about his path to success and how he's more like his parents than he realized. His new stand-up special is "Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It."
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NPR Privacy Policy13 February 2025, 11:55 am - 31 minutes 31 secondsKe Huy Quan is still proving he's good enoughKe Huy Quan was born in Vietnam, but his family fled the country and eventually settled in the U.S. as refugees. Not long after arriving, Quan was cast in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies." He then struggled for years until "Everything Everywhere All at Once" came along. Quan talks to Rachel about his new action film, "Love Hurts," self doubt and love at first sight.
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NPR Privacy Policy6 February 2025, 8:05 am - 40 minutes 4 secondsJesse Eisenberg sprinkles trouble throughout his dayJesse Eisenberg plays characters who spend a lot of time in their heads grappling with anxiety, fear and insecurity. You can see it in "The Squid and the Whale," "Zombieland" and his latest film, the Oscar-nominated "A Real Pain." He chats with Rachel about how anxiety plays into his own life, as well as his unique use of ChatGPT, his pro basketball aspirations and the virtues of true boredom.
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NPR Privacy Policy30 January 2025, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 18 secondsMichael Shannon thinks you look ridiculous when you shoutMichael Shannon grew up a kid of divorced parents, shuttling between Kentucky and Illinois and never quite fitting in. In his conversation with Rachel, the "The Shape of Water" and "Boardwalk Empire" star discusses his experience being a "loner" in childhood, and finding solace in the music of R.E.M. and acting. He also discusses how his directorial debut, "Eric Larue," brought out his inner child.
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NPR Privacy Policy23 January 2025, 8:00 am - 33 minutes 55 secondsRemembering David Lynch — Producer's CutDavid Lynch, the visionary filmmaker behind "Mulholland Drive," "Eraserhead" and "Twin Peaks" has died. We're remembering him with a listen back to his Wild Card episode from last summer, now with an additional question about his thoughts on the afterlife. Rachel and David also touch on his love for transcendental meditation and his fractured adolescence.
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NPR Privacy Policy16 January 2025, 11:05 pm - 33 minutes 31 secondsThe light and dark of Ted Danson (encore)We're listening back this week to our conversation with actor Ted Danson. Ted seems like he's everywhere these days. He's the host of the podcast, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," stars in the Netflix show, "A Man on the Inside," and was given the Carol Burnett Award at the 2025 Golden Globes. In this conversation, Ted goes deep with Rachel on aging, marriage and what he calls "karmic poo."
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NPR Privacy Policy16 January 2025, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 11 secondsKate Bowler wants to tame her inner efficiency monsterDuke professor Kate Bowler was 35 years old when she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Her memoir about the experience, "Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved," became a New York Times bestseller. She now hosts the podcast, "Everything Happens." She talks to Rachel about accepting that religion won't give you all the answers and learning how not to be an "efficiency monster."
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NPR Privacy Policy9 January 2025, 8:00 am - 32 minutes 4 secondsMichelle Buteau thought she was too happy for stand-upWhen you see Michelle Buteau perform, she gives off a blended vibe of, "Oh my god, I can't believe I'm here!" and also, "Of course I am here!" Last year, she starred in the movie "Babes" and the TV show based on her memoir, "Survival of the Thickest," was renewed for a second season. Her brand new Netflix comedy special is "Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall."
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NPR Privacy Policy2 January 2025, 8:00 am - 23 minutes 5 secondsBONUS - Wild Card in the WildUsually for this show, Rachel is in the NPR studio in Washington, D.C., and the guests are famous people in another studio. But Rachel recently brought the Wild Card deck to Washington Square Park in New York City and asked the questions to people face-to-face in the park. Today, we're sharing some of the answers we heard.
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NPR Privacy Policy26 December 2024, 11:35 am - More Episodes? Get the App