Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Machine Gun Kelly has built a career on defying expectations, first breaking out as a Cleveland rapper, then reinventing himself as a punk rock star. In this chat from October 2021, MGK opens up to Willie about his musical evolution, his high-profile relationship with Megan Fox, and how music has carried him through fame, anxiety, substance abuse, and loss.

Olivia Rodrigo skyrocketed to global fame with her record-breaking debut Sour, reshaping pop music with her voice, lyrics, and honesty. In this conversation from September 2023, she and Willie talk about the release of her sophomore album Guts, the way she tells stories through her music, and why she refuses to reveal the true inspiration behind her hit single “Vampire.”

Few artists have walked a path like Jelly Roll, who grew up surrounded by struggle and addiction before choosing redemption. In this sitdown from October 2024, Jelly Roll talks with Willie about his transformation from rapper to country star, the resilience that shaped his music, and the persistence that led him to selling out arenas across the country.

Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny sat down with Willie Geist to discuss his historic concert residency in Puerto Rico and his foray into acting with his latest movie "Caught Stealing".

Alicia Keys is a musical powerhouse, known for her timeless voice, soulful ballads and fearless artistry. In this conversation from April 2024, she joins Willie ahead of the Broadway debut of Hell’s Kitchen, the coming-of-age musical inspired by her life. Alicia reflects on the decade of work it took to bring the show to the stage, the personal stories behind it, and the enduring legacy of her music.

Beloved for decades of iconic performances, Billy Crystal has left an indelible mark on comedy and film. In this chat from December 2024, Billy sits down with Willie at NYU Tisch’s Jack Crystal Theater, named for his late father, to reflect on his time studying under Martin Scorsese, the enduring legacy of When Harry Met Sally, and his acclaimed series, Before.

One of comedy’s most influential voices, Tina Fey has left her mark on entertainment in countless ways. In this sitdown from January 2024, she and Willie discuss her experience writing, producing, and starring in the Mean Girls reboot, and look back on her days writing and performing on Saturday Night Live, the launchpad that made her a household name.

Known as one of the most relatable voices in stand-up, Nate Bargatze has gone from performing for a single audience member to headlining arenas across the country. In February 2025, Nate joined Willie for the first-ever Sunday Sitdown Live, where they talked about his rise in comedy, future plans for the “Nateland” brand, and took questions from the crowd. 

Willie Geist gets together with comedy icon Will Ferrell to talk about Ferrell’s time on SNL, the famous movie lines that are always quoted back to him and his new movie, "You're Cordially Invited" where he stars alongside Reese Witherspoon. (Original broadcast date February 2025)

Willie Geist sits down with the host of "The Late Show", Stephen Colbert, to chat about Stephen's rise to fame and the pivotal moment he knew he would be able to make a career out of comedy. He also shares some of his favorite recipes from his cookbook, “Does This Taste Funny?” (Original broadcast date October 13, 2024)

Willie catches up with "Captain America" himself, Anthony Mackie for a discussion about growing up as a theater kid in New Orleans and his rise from "8 Mile" through the Marvel Universe, and the latest season of "Twisted Metal".

Willie sits down with actress and singer Nicole Scherzinger, fresh off of her Tony win for Best Leading Actress in a Musical with her Broadway debut in "Sunset Boulevard". She also looks back at her time with The Pussycat Dolls and talks about her new Netflix show "Building the Band”.

Willie sits down with Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress, Angela Bassett. They discuss her role as President of the United States in the new Netflix series, "Zero Day", starring alongside Robert Dinero. They also reflect on her decades-long career playing iconic roles such as Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do with It", and the Queen of Wakanda in the “Marvel” cinematic universe. (Original broadcast date March 2, 2025)

Willie gets together with Billy Crystal in NYU Tisch's "Jack Crystal Theater" named for his late father.  Billy opens up about his time in film school at NYU and about his professor, the legendary film director Martin Scorsese. They chat about the enduring legacy of "When Harry Met Sally" and about his acclaimed new series, "Before."  (Original broadcast date December 15, 2024)

Willie sits down with Mariska Hargitay, also known as "Olivia Benson" on one of the longest running prime-time dramas in the history of television: "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit". They look back on 26 seasons, her electric chemistry with co-star Christopher Meloni, and how the show inspired her to create the Joyful Heart Foundation. (Original broadcast date January 12, 2025)

Mark Hamill talks to Willie Geist about that "Star Wars" role that’s shaped his life for nearly 50 years and his gripping new film, from the mind of Stephen King.