Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist

Seth MacFarlane created “Family Guy” when he was just a 24-year-old animator, and the hit TV show is now heading into its 18th season. MacFarlane hasn’t written for the show in nearly a decade, though, as his ambitious portfolio has grown. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the star about his wide-ranging career, which includes hit film franchises, four Grammy nominations and a dramatic role in the new miniseries “The Loudest Voice” about the man who built Fox News.

Mark Ronson is the man behind many of the hit songs you hear on the radio, like Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Lady Gaga’s “Shallow.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the Grammy Award-winning producer about the art of making those hits from the ground up, his latest solo album, and what it’s like to work with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

In this special episode of "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist sits down with his dad, Bill Geist, to talk about his new book "Lake of the Ozarks." It's a hilarious memoir nearly 40 years in the making about Bill's teenage summers working at his Uncle Ed's Arrowhead Lodge in Missouri. He talks about how the characters he encountered there shaped his sense of humor and led to a 31-year career covering unique stories for CBS. (Original broadcast date: May 8, 2019)

Samuel L. Jackson’s breakthrough in the cult classic “Pulp Fiction” came at the age of 45, after he had already lived a full life both professionally and personally. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the legendary actor about his prolific movie career since then and the road to becoming the most bankable star in Hollywood. He also opens up about his latest project – bringing the iconic role of “Shaft” back to the big screen. 

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.” (Original broadcast date: October 28, 2018)

Bill Hader’s rise to stardom began behind the scenes on movies and TV sets, before he took an improv class and quickly made the leap to “Saturday Night Live.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor and comedian about what he calls his journey from "preschool to Harvard,” his Emmy-winning HBO series “Barry,” and his lifelong dream to meet the subject of his most famous impression: “Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison.

You may be accustomed to seeing Olivia Wilde in front of the camera, but the Hollywood star has recently taken her talents behind the scenes. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the actress about her directorial debut in the hit new film “Booksmart,” her experience learning from some A-list directors, and the push to give more women similar opportunities behind the camera.

Almost exactly 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.

Keanu Reeves has been a Hollywood star for the past 30 years since "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" broke through the box office and put him on the map. He has made his name starring in big movies like "The Matrix," "Speed" and "Point Break." Through it all, Reeves has stayed grounded and kept his personal life private. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown" Willie Geist talks with the actor about his latest movie "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum," his long career in Hollywood and everything in between. 

In this special episode of "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist sits down with his dad, Bill Geist, to talk about his new book "Lake of the Ozarks." It's a hilarious memoir nearly 40 years in the making about Bill's teenage summers working at his Uncle Ed's Arrowhead Lodge in Missouri. He talks about how the characters he encountered there shaped his sense of humor and led to a 31-year career covering unique stories for CBS. 

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.

At this point, you've probably already seen "Avengers: Endgame," the highly-anticipated twenty-second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this week's Sunday Sitdown, Willie Geist talks to one of the stars of the film, Jeremy Renner, about his role as one of the six original Avengers, Hawkeye. They also talk about the evolution of his career, from Oscar-nominated leading man to new ventures in music and home remodeling.  

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant athletes in the history of sports. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with the basketball legend to talk about his success on and off the court, including his second act as a prolific businessman and analyst on “Inside the NBA.” 

Even if you haven’t kept up with the HBO show “Game of Thrones” since its debut in 2011, there’s no avoiding the cultural phenomenon based on the books of George R.R. Martin. At the center of it all is the heroic Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with Harington about the show's highly anticipated final season and what it will be like to say goodbye to the series that launched his career, introduced him to his wife and changed his life forever. 

After a nearly 50-year run in Hollywood, Danny DeVito is the kind of star with generations of fans. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actor and Oscar-nominee about that lengthy career, from his first big role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” to “Taxi,” “Twins,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” as well as his latest performance in the new live-action version of the Disney classic “Dumbo.” 

Tracy Morgan rose to the heights of comedy from the depths of poverty, growing up between Brooklyn and the Bronx. But five years ago, he nearly died in a horrific accident when the van he was riding in was crushed by a speeding tractor trailer. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the former Saturday Night Live star about that accident and how it changed him, his return to comedy, and the newest season of his hit show “The Last O.G." 

In Jordan Peele’s highly-anticipated new horror film “Us,” Lupita Nyong’o plays both the hero and the monster. It’s a new genre for the 36-year-old actress who starred in last year’s cultural phenomenon “Black Panther” and won an Academy Award in 2014 for her performance in “12 Years a Slave.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to Nyong’o about her journey from Kenya to Yale Drama School to the Oscars stage, and the whirlwind 6 years she’s had since then. 

Over a 35-year career in Hollywood, Woody Harrelson has remained Woody: the one-of-a-kind guy you want to hang out with. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist gets together with the legendary actor in Austin, Texas to talk about his long run in show business, from the early years on “Cheers” to big budget turns in “The Hunger Games” to his latest Netflix film “The Highwaymen,” and he opens up about his biggest influences along the way. 

This weekend Brie Larson arrives as “Captain Marvel,” starring in the first solo, female-led film from the storied Marvel universe. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the 29-year-old actress about the training and physical transformation she underwent for that role, how winning the Best Actress Oscar for “Room” catapulted her career, and what’s next on her bucket list.

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