Fresh Air

The new film ‘Song Sung Blue’ is about a Neil Diamond tribute band and stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Before Diamond began recording his own hits like “Solitary Man,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “America,” and “Sweet Caroline,” he wrote songs for other musicians, including The Monkees. Diamond spoke with Terry Gross in 2005. 

Also, the hit HBO medical drama ‘The Pitt’ is back for season two. Noah Wyle plays the ...

Thompson is nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in ‘Hedda.’ She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about her collaboration with director Nia DaCosta, navigating her biracial identity, and why she almost quit acting before ‘Dear White People.’ She stars as a news anchor investigating a suspicious death in the new Netflix limited series ‘His & Hers.’ 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast...

Journalist Eric Lichtblau says President Trump's incendiary rhetoric has stoked a "new age of hate." His book, ‘American Reich,’ centers on a murder committed by a young neo-Nazi in Orange County, Calif. He spoke with Dave Davies.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Marty Supreme.’ 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices...

MS NOW journalist (and Palisades native) Jacob Soboroff says covering the 2025 wildfires was the most important assignment he's ever undertaken. His new book, ‘Firestorm,’ offers a minute-by-minute account of the catastrophe. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the systems that failed during the disaster and the effort to rebuild. 

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the roadtrip novel ‘The Rest of Our Lives,’ by B...

Ben Stiller talks about his new Apple TV+ documentary about his actor/comedian parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, they were famous as the comedy duo, Stiller and Meara. Ben talks about growing up in a showbiz family, where there was no separation between work and personal lives.

Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal has faced countless on-screen challenges, including cosmic battles and carte...

The WWE superstar considered pursuing a career in mixed martial arts before realizing, "I don't like getting punched in the face." Johnson plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie's ‘The Smashing Machine.’ He spoke with Terry Gross about his many injuries, his relationship with his late father, and his wrestling personas.

Learn more about sponsor me...

After surviving the Taliban's 2012 attempted assassination, activist Malala Yousafzai didn't back down. She continued to advocate for girls' education across the globe. In 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize, an honor that weighed on her when she went off to college. In ‘Finding My Way,’ she writes about her life at Oxford and beyond. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about reliving childhood, PTS...

For the first seven years of her life, Cristela Alonzo lived in an abandoned diner in a South Texas border town. She spoke with Terry Gross about ICE raids, being mentored by labor activist Dolores Huerta, and the culture shock of having money after growing up so poor. Her recent Netflix stand-up special is called ‘Upper Classy.’

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

N...

Bruce Springsteen's groundbreaking album, ‘Born to Run,’ came out 50 years ago this year, marking a turning point for rock and roll — and for "The Boss." Before he made that record, Springsteen's label, Columbia, was on the verge of dropping him because his first two albums, though critically acclaimed, had sold poorly. Biographer Peter Ames Carlin describes the creation of ‘Born to Run’ as an "existential moment" for ...

Albom's 2025 novel, ‘Twice,’ asks a question most of us have daydreamed about: what if you could go back and relive any moment of your life? In the book, a man is born with that exact power, but every second chance comes with a cost. Albom talks with Tonya Mosley about his new book, and the lasting influence of Morrie Schwartz, his old college professor who died in 1995 of ALS. Nearly 30 years ago, Albom chronicled the...

Arnett stars in Bradley Cooper’s new film, ‘Is This Thing On?’ as a man who turns to the New York comedy scene as he grapples with his divorce. The ‘SmartLess’ podcast co-host talked with Terry Gross about voicework, how ‘Arrested Development’ changed his life, and being a troublemaker in school. 

Also, critic David Bianculli shares his picks for best TV of 2025.

Learn more about sponsor message choic...

Director Craig Brewer has made a career of telling stories about dreamers and misfits chasing something bigger than themselves, from ‘Hustle & Flow’ to ‘Dolemite Is My Name.’ Now he's back with ‘Song Sung Blue,’ a film based on the true story of a Milwaukee couple who became local legends performing as a Neil Diamond tribute band. He spoke with Tonya Mosley. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastch...

Lucy Liu joins Tonya Mosley to talk about her new film ‘Rosemead,’ where she stars as a terminally ill woman grappling with her teenage son’s escalating mental health crisis and the impossible choices she faces to protect him. It’s based on a true story.

Also, writer Zadie Smith talks with Terry Gross about her new collection of essays, ‘Dead and Alive.’ She reflects on aging and generational discourse.