Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist

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.

When the one and only Bill Murray comes calling for interview, you drop everything to make it happen. In the first episode of "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist meets up with the legendary actor on a moment’s notice to talk about his days on Saturday Night Live, his epic movie career, and everything in between, including the infamous 1-800 phone number he uses to connect with Hollywood. Even Wes Anderson, who directed Murray’s latest film “Isle of Dogs,” has to leave a message for him there, and they’ve worked on eight movies together. Murray opens up to Willie about his decision to live outside the spotlight, besides crashing a party every now and then.

Join us for the brand new “Sunday Sitdown” with Willie Geist. In this podcast, we’re giving you the uncut, unfiltered interviews with the biggest names out there from pop culture to politics. On his show “Sunday TODAY” on NBC, Willie sits down with stars like Justin Timberlake, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and even President George W. Bush to talk about the stories behind their success. Now, these conversations will be available to you in full, right here every week on “Sunday Sitdown.” Check it out!

Emily Blunt had never worked with husband John Krasinski until the two starred together in the new horror film “A Quiet Place,” which Krasinski also directed and co-wrote. In this episode of "Sunday Sitdown," the British actress talks to Willie Geist about working with her husband as well as what it’s like to have the stamp of approval from “The Devil Wears Prada” co-star Meryl Streep and the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews. Plus she shares some of her lesser known hobbies and talents, including the one her husband didn’t even know she had until recently.

More than 20 years after “Roseanne” ended, John Goodman and the cast are back together for the show’s revival. In this episode of "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist visits Goodman in New Orleans to talk about how the reboot isn’t so different from two decades ago and how his life has improved in recent years after overcoming struggles with alcoholism. He also chats about what it was like to work with the Coen Brothers on the cult classic “The Big Lebowski” and the impact that movie has had 20 years on.

Drew Barrymore has been acting nearly her entire life, but it was not always glamorous. In this episode of "Sunday Sitdown," the actress opens up to Willie Geist about those tough early years growing up in Hollywood, what it’s like to be a mom now, and her latest adventure on the small screen in in Netflix’s “Santa Clarita Diet.” She also reflects on that infamous interview with David Letterman, plus what she sees on the horizon after 35 years in the industry.

Chadwick Boseman soared to fame this year with the release of “Black Panther,” Marvel’s first movie to feature a largely black cast and crew. In this episode of "Sunday Sitdown," the actor joins Willie Geist to talk about the impact of the record-breaking film, the response he’s received and what it means for the movie industry. Boseman also opens up about what it’s like to play some of history’s most famous figures, plus that time Denzel Washington helped him pay for acting school.