Trace Lysette is an actor, rapper and former drag performer. Last year, she had her first lead role in a film called Monica. It is a wonderful, quiet, haunting drama about a trans woman caring for her estranged mother who is terminally ill. We talk with Trace about her work in the film and about how her years as a drag performer helped her find her gender identity. Plus, we also take a listen to a few of her rap tracks.

Jo Firestone’s comedy special Good Timing is the culmination of months of work from her and a group of senior citizens who wanted to learn stand-up comedy. Jo joins us to talk about the special, and what she learned from her students. She also talks about researching her role as a doomsday prepper on one of our favorite TV shows: Joe Pera Talks With You. A version of this interview originally aired in October of 2021.

Prodigy formed Mobb Deep alongside his partner Havoc when they were teenagers. Together the duo basically started gangster rap for the East Coast. When he joined the show back in 2011, Prodigy had just written a biography called My Infamous Life. He talked with us about the book and also his lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. In 2017, he was hospitalized for his anemia and died while in care. Late last year, the FDA approved a new therapy to treat and almost eliminate symptoms of sickle cell disease. Had it been available to Prodigy when he was alive, there’s a good chance he’d still be here today.

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X) aren’t what they used to be. Some of those social media platforms have changed beyond recognition, many others have just become harder to use. In 2022, Cory Doctorow put a word to it: ens**tification. Cory joins us to talk about his book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation, and what we can do when platforms change. Plus, how the internet can become a better, more rewarding place.

Craig Robinson is likely in some of your favorite shows. The Office. Pineapple Express. And of course, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. These days, he’s got a series of his own. It’s called Killing It. On Bullseye, Robinson stops by to chat about the show’s second season. We ask him about his character Craig and whether or not he’s a fool for chasing the American Dream. Plus, Robinson gets real about his own career and whether or not he thinks he’s made it.

Benny Safdie has done work on both sides of the camera. He’s starred in movies like Oppenheimer and co-written and directed films like Uncut Gems. Recently, he co-created and starred in a new series called The Curse. It’s a very intense show that runs from stomach-flipping cringe to stomach-flipping actual genuine terror. Benny joins us to talk about The Curse and how it all came together. Plus, we get into his time as a stand-up comedian.

Paul Dooley is a true showbusiness legend. He’s played some iconic dads in films like Sixteen Candles, Runaway Bride and Breaking Away. His book Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On-Screen and Off is about his seven decades in the business. Paul joins us to talk about his memoir and dives into his lengthy career including some more unusual gigs. He also gets into what it was like to portray dads on the big screen while his own family was facing difficult circumstances.