Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist

Just over two years ago, actor, writer, and producer Lena Waithe made Hollywood history when she stood on stage with an Emmy award in her hand, and she’s been on a roll ever since. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to Laithe about how that Emmy changed her life, and her new movie “Queen and Slim” that has people talking.

Robert Pattinson rocketed to fame in the movie “Twilight” and the four sequels that followed, earning an army of devoted fans and a constant pack of paparazzi prying into his personal life. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about being thrust into that spotlight, the awards season buzz around his new film “The Lighthouse,” and how he’s preparing to take on the iconic role of Batman.

Kristen Bell returns to the big screen this weekend as the voice of Anna in “Frozen 2,” the highly-anticipated sequel to the original “Frozen” movie which became a billion-dollar sensation six years ago. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with Bell to talk about reprising that role, the final season of her hit show “The Good Place” and her marriage to fellow actor Dax Shepard.

Sterling K. Brown is best known for his role as Randall Pearson, the adopted son and adoring father on the hit NBC show “This Is Us.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about the huge success of that show, the 13-year grind before landing that breakout role and his emotional connection to his new movie, “Waves.”

Kerry Washington has a habit of playing strong women, from Anita Hill in the 2016 film "Confirmation" to her seven-season run as Olivia Pope on the hit show "Scandal." In this week's "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist talks to Washington about how starring in that show changed her life, her latest role in the Broadway play turned Netflix movie, "American Son," and why her parents didn't want her to become an actor.

Miranda Lambert is one of the biggest stars not just in country, but in all of music. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist gets together with the Grammy-winning artist to talk about the roots of her Texas swagger, her new album "Wildcard," and its inspiration from her recent marriage to a New York City police officer.

Chip and Joanna Gaines have built something of an empire with their Magnolia lifestyle brand and sparked a renaissance in their hometown of Waco, Texas. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist travels to Waco to talk to the “Fixer Upper” stars about walking away from the show that made them famous, keeping life normal for their five children, and their latest projects – renovating a hotel and launching a television network. 

Edward Norton burst onto the scene in 1996 with his appearance in the movie "Primal Fear," for which he was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist talks to the actor about his incredible run of award-winning films since then, including "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "American History X" and "Fight Club." They also chat about his latest work, "Motherless Brooklyn," a film which Norton wrote, produced, directed and stars in. 

Paul Rudd has won over fans for nearly 25 years as the likable, seemingly regular guy in Hollywood. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with the actor to talk about that nice guy reputation and his lengthy career, from his breakout role in “Clueless” to a string of Judd Apatow comedies to Marvel’s “Ant-Man,” and his new Netflix series “Living With Yourself” where we get a double dose of Paul Rudd.

As a 25-time professional wrestling champion and WWE star, John Cena is known for his famous punishing move called the “attitude adjustment.” But he is also an actor, rap musician, best-selling author and granter of more than 600 wishes to children at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a role model to kids everywhere. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to Cena about his latest children’s book and how his life’s journey has been based on one motto: Never Give Up. 

At just 26 years old, Ben Platt has already won a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmy award, all for his groundbreaking performance in the Broadway phenomenon “Dear Evan Hansen.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about his journey from homemade musicals in his backyard to the bright lights of Broadway, to his latest starring role alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in the highly-anticipated new Netflix series “The Politician.” 

Over a three-decade career, Neil Patrick Harris’ talent and versatility have carried him across television, movies and Broadway, and made him Hollywood’s favorite awards show host. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about that wide-ranging career, the latest book in his best-selling series and how his 8-year-old twins have changed his life. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal has made a name for herself with Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated performances in smaller-budget, often independent films like “Secretary" and “Crazy Heart.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with the actress to talk about that successful film career, as well as her dual role as actor and producer on the hit HBO series “The Deuce,” and her relationship with her little brother, Jake Gyllenhaal. 

With her breakout hit song “All I Wanna Do,” Sheryl Crow quickly went from talented backup singer to household name. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist travels to the musician’s Nashville home to talk about her journey from a tiny town in Missouri to the top of the music charts, and why she says her latest album “Threads” will be her last. 

Orlando Bloom landed the role of Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings” just two days after graduating from drama school, and his career hasn’t slowed down since. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor about that journey full of epic fantasy roles, his latest Amazon show “Carnival Row,” and his recent engagement to pop star Katy Perry.

Four years ago, David Letterman signed off his show for the last time, after 33 years that revolutionized late-night television. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the iconic TV host about his relatively quiet lifestyle since leaving that role, the second season of his hit Netflix show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," and the state of comedy in today’s political climate. (Original broadcast date: May 19, 2019)

Tiffany Haddish has been on a whirlwind two-year run since her breakout role in the box office hit “Girls Trip." She's appeared in movies, television, commercials, her own stand-up comedy special and even a historic hosting gig at “Saturday Night Live.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with the actress to talk about her incredible journey from homelessness to Hollywood’s A-list, and her latest, more dramatic role in the new movie “The Kitchen.”

Viola Davis’ journey to the top of Hollywood’s A-list began on a former plantation in South Carolina, where she was born. She moved to Rhode Island at a young age and grew up poor, but found her way out through acting. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actress about her extraordinary life and career, as well as a new project that’s close to her heart - a documentary about the diabetes crisis in the United States. (Original broadcast date: May 5, 2019)

Jake Gyllenhaal’s role in the blockbuster hit “Spider-Man: Far From Home” was a first for the Oscar-nominated actor, who over the last twenty years has earned his place among Hollywood’s elite. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to Gyllenhaal about pivoting from that big-budget superhero film to his latest role in a critically-acclaimed new play on Broadway. The actor also opens up about growing up in Hollywood and the movie that he says changed his life forever. 

Actor, rapper and comedian Awkwafina, whose given name is Nora Lum, has been on quite a ride over the last year with big roles in the box office hits “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Ocean’s 8.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the rising star about that whirlwind year as well as her latest, more dramatic performance in the new film “The Farewell.”