Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Chris O’Dowd was already big in the U.K. before he moved to Los Angeles, but he made a name for himself in America playing Officer Nathan Rhodes in the smash comedy "Bridesmaids." In this week’s "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist talks to the actor about his journey from Ireland to Hollywood, and how that film launched him into a series of roles in movies, television and Broadway. O'Dowd also opens up about his latest role in the hit series "Get Shorty," a different kind of character for an actor known for his charm and sense of humor.

Mila Kunis was only 14 years old when she landed the role of Jackie Burkhart on “That 70’s Show,” where she spent eight seasons from 1998 to 2006. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the actress talks to Willie Geist about that breakout role which introduced her to co-star Ashton Kutcher, a friend back then and her real-life husband today. Kunis also chats about moving to America with her family from the Soviet Union when she was just 7 years old, the acting class that started her career in Hollywood, and her latest action film “The Spy Who Dumped Me.”

Lady Antebellum, the trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, is famous for its pitch-perfect harmony, which began when they met in a Nashville bar 12 years ago. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist got together with the band to talk about that first meeting, the Grammy-winning song that changed their career, and how they manage to stick together after all these years. Plus the band took Willie on a tour of their rehearsal space as they get ready to head out on the “Summer Plays On” tour with Darius Rucker.

As a child, Jordan Spieth was a golf prodigy. He played in his first professional tournament at just 16 years old, and by the age of 23 he had won three of golf's four major tournament titles. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist got together with the young star at his home course in Dallas as he prepared to defend his British Open title. Spieth talks about his meteoric rise to the top of the PGA rankings, the comparisons to golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and how he's managed to keep his life as normal as possible during it all.

Bobby Flay has been a star on the Food Network almost since its beginning nearly 25 years ago, and his shows and restaurants have since made him a household name. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist visits the chef at his summer home in the Hamptons to discuss his long career in the business, starting with his childhood interest in cooking and his rise from high school dropout to the head of a food empire.

Blake Shelton will be the first to tell you that being a coach on “The Voice” changed his life in more ways than one. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the country music superstar opens up to Willie Geist about how that show not only exposed him to millions of new fans, but also introduced him to his current girlfriend, Gwen Stefani, at a very difficult time in his life. The Oklahoma native also chats about the early days of hunting for record deals as a teenager in Nashville, and what it’s like returning to Music City to open up his new bar and music venue “Ole Red.”

When Jon Stewart announced he would give up his hosting chair on “The Daily Show” after 16 years, almost no one speculated his replacement would be Trevor Noah. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the popular comedian about his astounding journey from apartheid South Africa where his biracial background was literally a crime to now sitting in that famous chair. Noah also discusses his unique approach to covering today’s politics and breaking through in a crowded late-night field.

For the last seven years, Claire Danes has played one of the most intense and complex characters on television, CIA officer Carrie Mathieson on the hit series “Homeland.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress sits down with Willie Geist to chat about what it’s like to play that memorable role and how the show’s storylines have an uncanny way of predicting the future. She also discusses her childhood growing up in show business, including moving from New York City to Los Angeles at age 13 to audition for “My So-Called Life,” as well as her latest movie, “A Kid Like Jake.”

Andrew Garfield captured Hollywood’s attention in “The Social Network,” and he became a star when he was cast as a blockbuster superhero in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the Oscar-nominated actor chats with Willie Geist about his complicated relationship with fame and why he has always felt more comfortable on the stage than as a global movie star. He opens up about his current role in the theater, the demanding lead in the iconic play “Angels in America” on Broadway. The show is nominated for a record-breaking 11 Tony Awards, including one for Garfield, and he talks about that positive response and why he feels the play’s themes are resonating today.

Jason Bateman is living a double life these days, playing the leader of the Bluth family in the comedy cult classic “Arrested Development” while also starring in the dark series “Ozark,” where he plays a family man who is in deep trouble with a drug cartel. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with the actor about his lengthy career, from growing up a child star on the sitcom “Silver Spoons,” to facing some dark times in his twenties, to landing “Arrested Development” and his recent success on Netflix.

Actress Laura Dern has a long career of big-name credits, but this past year has thrust her into the spotlight. In this week’s episode of “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress about her big year that’s included roles in the hit HBO series “Big Little Lies,” on the big screen in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and in the revival of the cult classic “Twin Peaks.” She opens up about growing up in Hollywood the daughter of movie stars, and what it was like to be nominated for an Oscar alongside her mother for their film “Rambling Rose.” Dern also discusses her intense new movie “The Tale” and the importance of stepping up as a leader in the era of #MeToo and Time’s Up.

Comedian Melissa McCarthy is known for her outrageous roles in “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat,” but not everyone knows about her journey to stardom. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the actress talks to Willie Geist about her path from a soybean farm in Illinois to crashing on couches in New York City to becoming the fourth-highest paid actress in Hollywood. And in honor of Mother’s Day, McCarthy opens up about raising two young daughters and why her latest film, “Life of the Party,” is the first one she’ll let them watch.

Oscar-winning director Ron Howard has been in show business almost since he was born. He appeared in his first movie at just 18 months old and by the age of 6 he was a star on “The Andy Griffith Show.” In this week’s episode of “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist chats with Howard about growing up on the sets of some of the most beloved shows on television, all while dreaming of being behind the camera. Howard is now one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Hollywood, directing hits like "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Frost-Nixon." He opens up to Willie about that prolific career, including his latest adventure directing the new Star Wars movie "Solo" and all the pressure that comes along with it.

Laurie Metcalf is on a roll. The 62-year-old actress is coming off a year that included a Tony Award for her performance in “A Doll’s House,” an Oscar nomination for her acclaimed role in “Lady Bird” and a revival of her Emmy-winning performance on the hit TV sitcom “Roseanne.” In this week’s episode of “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks with the actress about her whirlwind of a year and how she juggles that crazy work schedule, including her latest adventure on Broadway.

Damian Lewis is the British actor you usually hear using an American accent on television. The star of the hit show “Billions” first made a name for himself playing an American soldier on HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” before he went on to shake up television with his Emmy and Golden Globe winning performance as Sergeant Nick Brody on “Homeland.” In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” the actor talks to Willie Geist about his in-depth preparation for his current role as ruthless hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, including studying real-life Wall Street titans. It turns out Lewis has also learned a mean game of ping pong in his downtime on the set, so he challenged Willie to a friendly match.