The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Julie Bowen is a celebrated actress and two-time Emmy winner who brought the iconic character of Claire Dunphy to life for 11 seasons.

In this episode, Julie chats with Guy Raz about her childhood love of theater in Baltimore, waiting tables while studying acting in New York, breaking into Hollywood with roles in films like ‘Happy Gilmore’ and on TV Shows such as ‘Ed’, and finding out she got cast in ‘Modern Family’ while in labor with her two twin boys.

Julie stars in the new Peacock series ‘Hysteria!’ 

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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Kenny G is a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and the top-selling instrumental artist of all time, with over 75 million record sales, and 1.5 billion streams.

Kenny joins Guy to discuss his creative journey, from being the kid who didn’t make the high school band to a global music icon. Listen to how he defied industry norms with ‘Songbird’ to make it to the Billboard chart, his approach to handling critics, and his 50-year philosophy on practice and perfection.

Check out Kenny G’s new memoir ‘Life in the Key of G.’: https://a.co/d/2TcYvwN 

Links from the Show: 

• ‘Songbird’
• Silhouette
• Kenny G collaborating with The Weekend 
• ‘Life in the Key of G’ memoir

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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Finneas is a Grammy and Oscar-winning producer, songwriter, and artist. He is best known for his close collaborations with his younger sister, Billie Eilish, and for being the youngest person to win the Producer of the Year award. 

In this episode, Finneas sits with Guy to discuss his unique creative partnership with his sister Billie Eilish, the unexpected virality of their breakout hit “Ocean Eyes” (recorded in their bedroom when Billie was just 13), and how his experiences producing for other artists have shaped his own artistic identity. He also reveals the collaborative energy behind his latest album “For Cryin' Out Loud,” and why he strives to be a musical “chameleon.”

Listen to Finneas’s latest album, “For Cryin' Out Loud” here: https://finneas.lnk.to/ForCryinOutLoud

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Ocean Eyes” song by Billie Eilish
• “Serotonin” by Girl in Red (produced by Finneas) 
• When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish: Billie Eilish's debut album, produced by FINNEAS
• “The Greatest” song by Billie Eilish (produced by FINNEAS)
• “For Cryin' Out Loud” album by FINNEAS

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diplo is one of the most successful and influential DJ/producers working today. He shares his journey from working odd jobs while grinding away on music to selling out festivals and generating billions of streams.

Interested in a Visual Map tracing Diplo's creative journey? We made one just for you. Check it out here.

And you can find his most recent album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 - Swamp Savant, here.

Links from the show:

• Paper Planes video: M.I.A. produced by Diplo
• Whosampled.com sample breakdown of Paper Planes
• Pineapple Express movie trailer feat. Paper Planes
• Skrillex and Diplo - "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber (Official Video)
• Diary of a Song (New York Times) "Where Are Ü Now"
• Major Lazer & DJ SNake - Lean On (feat. MØ) (Official Music Video)
• LSD - Thunderclouds (Official Video) ft. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth
• Diplo's less well-known collaborators: country artist Sierra Ferrell and songwriters Nija Charles and Starrah
• Diplo's Instagram page
• Visual Mind Map: Diplo's Creative Journey

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ray LaMontagne is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for his raspy vocals and soulful, introspective lyrics. He also has an incredible life story that you rarely hear about, because he prefers to avoid the spotlight and let his music do the talking.

But in this episode, Ray opens up about his challenging childhood, working as a carpenter to support his young family, and how he resisted pressure from his label to rewrite his debut album, “Trouble.” 

He also reveals his unique songwriting process, which involves taking long periods of time away from his guitar until certain melodies begin to surface and “bother” him. Plus, how overcoming self-criticism allowed him to embrace the joy of performing.

Listen to Ray LaMontagne’s latest album, “Long Way Home,” here: https://orcd.co/rl-longwayhome 

Links from the Show: 

• “Trouble” Album
• “Supernova” Album
• “Ouroboros” Album
• Till the Sun Turns Black song
• God Willin’ And The Creek Don’t Rise song

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three-time Grammy winner Miranda Lambert is a proud Texan who got her start performing during set changes at local bars starting at age 17. It was a “Honky Tonk U” education that would serve her well – igniting a career that would see Miranda become country music’s most award-winning artist of all time… all before the age of 40.

In this episode, Miranda talks with Guy Raz about how losing early singing competitions actually helped her “win” in the music industry; the valuable lessons she learned from Keith Urban while the two toured together, and why she decided to return to her Texas roots to record her brand new album “Postcards from Texas".

You can get Miranda Lambert’s new album, “Postcards from Texas,” here: https://ml.lnk.to/postcardsfromtexas

Links from the Show: 

• Bluebird song
• Gunpowder and Lead song
• Wranglers song
• Mama’s Broken Heart song
• Palomino album
• Kerosene album

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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From a lightning bolt moment watching cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as a child to becoming a 5-time Grammy winner, Esperana Spalding’s journey has been driven by an innate love for music. But along the way, she’s often felt misunderstood and misrepresented in the press.

Today, Esperanza sits with Guy to talk more about the forces that propelled her rise, her decision to livestream the 77-hour process of writing an album from start to finish in real time, and the lessons she learned about presence and love while collaborating with her musical hero, Milton Nascimento, on their new album, “milton + esperanza.”

Get the new album here: https://esperanzaspalding.bandcamp.com/album/milton-esperanza

Links from the Show: 

• Esperanza performing at the White House in 2009
• Esperanza’s album Emily's D+Evolution
• Esperanza’s album Radio Music Society
• Fall In, song by Esperanza Spalding
• Judas, song by Esperanza Spalding

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Stephen Colbert to Björk to Ice Cube– go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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Giovanni Ribisi, the versatile actor known for his roles in “Saving Private Ryan,” “Avatar,” and “Friends,” reflects on his life growing up in the heart of Hollywood and his enduring passion for filmmaking.

He also discusses the emotional toll of “living” in intense roles; why he thinks “humiliation” is an important element of every creator’s journey; and going to extreme measures to push his career forward — like spending his last $700 on a plane ticket to an audition. 

See Giovanni’s cinematography work in the psychological thriller "Strange Darling," available now: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22375054/ 

Links from the Show: 

• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Avatar (2009)
• Strange Darling (2023)
• Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
• The Gift (2000)
• Heaven (2002)
• SubUrbia (1996)

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eric Goode is a filmmaker, conservationist, and a former nightclub owner. His Netflix docuseries Tiger King, about zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic, became a massive cultural phenomenon at the start of the pandemic.

In this episode, Eric joins Guy to discuss his eclectic career path - from pinning dead flies to canvas as an eccentric young artist to opening the infamous Area nightclub in 1980s New York, frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Keith Haring.

He also shares how his lifelong fascination with animals led him to conservation work and filmmaking, and behind the scenes of documenting Joe Exotic and the murder plot that unfolded while filming for Tiger King.

Watch Eric Goode’s latest documentary “Chimp Crazy” on HBO Max here: https://www.hbo.com/chimp-crazy   

Links from the Show: 

• Tiger King on Netflix
• Chimp Crazy Trailer
• Eric Goode’s Turtle Conservancy

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Foster is the frontman for Foster the People, which rocketed to fame in 2011 on the strength of their very first single, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’. 

Mark talks about growing up as a pastor’s son in Cleveland; nearly joining the military but choosing instead to move to L.A. to pursue his music dreams; falling into addiction and getting sober; feeling afraid to perform on SNL after becoming famous overnight; and his process for getting into a flow state in the studio.

Mark also reflects on the meaning of ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, more than a decade later – and shares how current events influenced the themes on the band’s newest album, ‘Paradise State of Mind’.

Check out the new album here: https://store.fosterthepeople.com/products/paradise-state-of-mind-cd

Links from the Show: 

• Pumped Up Kicks (Official Video)
• Lost In Space (Official Video)
• Paradise State of Mind

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.