Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Angela Bassett is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress known for her role as Queen Ramonda in Marvel’s Black Panther films. In this conversation from March 2025, Bassett joins Willie Geist to discuss playing the president of the United States opposite Robert De Niro in Netflix’s Zero Day, her decades-long career, and the impact of portraying powerful women on screen. Plus, she reflects on her time starring alongside the late Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Jamie Lee Curtis is an Academy Award and Emmy winning actress, author, and producer best known for Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Halloween franchise and her acclaimed guest role in The Bear. Curtis sits down with Willie Geist to discuss her late career hot streak, embracing aging and authenticity, and her role as Aunt Helen in James L. Brooks’s new film Ella McCay. Plus, she reflects on the woman who first saw her potential, the hustle behind building her Comet Pictures production company, and why she believes the most important moments in life hinge on a few unexpected seconds.

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As a bonus for Sunday Sitdown fans, we’re sharing the trailer for Something About Cari, an all-new original podcast series from Dateline and Keith Morrison. 

In this podcast Keith Morrison takes us to America’s heartland, where single mom Cari Farver disappears just weeks into a new romance. What follows is a series of strange and terrifying events, including taunting texts and threatening emails to Cari's boyfriend and his ex that escalate to stalking, arson and murder. But nothing could prepare friends, family, and investigators for the mind-bending twist that would come next… 

If you like what you hear, just search Something About Cari to listen to the first two episodes now, completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or DatelinePremium.com. Subscribers get early access to new episodes and can listen to all Dateline podcasts ad-free.

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Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal joins Willie Geist to discuss playing young William Shakespearein his 2025 film Hamnet as well as his role in Gladiator II alongsideDenzel Washington and director Ridley Scott. Plus, the Normal People and Aftersun star opens up about preparing to portray Paul McCartney in an upcoming Beatles biopic, how he builds complex characters, and his journey from school musicals to Hollywood.

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Jim Gaffigan is a stand-up comedian, bestselling author, writer and acclaimed actor whose 11 specials and countless viral bits have made him one of the most beloved voices in comedy. Jim sits down with Willie Geist in front of a live audience to look back on his unlikely journey from a small town in Indiana to selling out arenas and starring in films and television. Plus, he opens up about the moment David Letterman helped launch his career, the inception story of his Fathertime Bourbon, and why the creative process still drives him after more than two decades on stage.

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Sebastian Maniscalco is a stand-up comedian and actor whose family-driven humor and razor-sharp delivery have made him one of the most recognizable voices in comedy. In this sitdown from December 2022, Sebastian talks with Willie Geist about the real-life moments that inspire his act, his stand-up special Is It Me? and the surreal experience of watching Robert De Niro portray his father in About My Father. Plus, he reflects on his long climb from open mics to arena tours, the influences that shaped his point of view, and why family remains at the center of everything he does.

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Kevin Hart is a comedian, actor, producer and bestselling author known for his blockbuster films, sold-out stand-up tours and relentless work ethic. In this conversation from May 2021, Kevin joins Willie Geist to talk about his dramatic role in the Netflix movie Fatherhood and why presenting a positive Black father on screen mattered to him. He also reflects on performing stand-up at home during the pandemic, his turn toward dramatic acting, and his recovery from the near-fatal car crash that almost left him paralyzed.

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Nate Bargatze is a stand-up comedian known for his clean humor and relatable storytelling, a combination that helped him grow from performing at small club sets to becoming an arena headliner. In this sitdown from February 2025, Nate joins Willie Geist to talk about his rapid career climb, hosting “Saturday Night Live” twice in one year, and what’s next for his expanding “Nateland” universe. Plus, he reveals his thoughts about his high school naming their gym after him.

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Tiffany Haddish is an actress, comedian and author whose breakout performance in the hit film Girls Trip launched her into Hollywood’s A-list. In this conversation from August 2019, Tiffany talks with Willie Geist about her journey from experiencing homelessness to starring in major movies like The Kitchen, landing high-profile TV roles and headlining her own stand-up specials. She also reflects on becoming the first Black female stand-up comic to host Saturday Night Live and how that milestone changed the course of her career.

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Trevor Noah is a comedian and host who stepped into one of television’s most iconic seats in 2015 and quickly made The Daily Show his own. In this sitdown from June 2021, Trevor joins Willie Geist in a park across from his studio to revisit the year he spent hosting from his apartment and how he navigated a news cycle dominated by the pandemic and nationwide protests. He opens up about finding humor in the midst of trauma, the global lens he brings to American politics, and why he decided to return to the road on a stand-up tour.

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