Terry Gross

Brad Dourif has played several killers and disturbed people throughout his career. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of a mental patient in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He voices a killer puppet in the new horror flick, Child's Play. Dourif says these kinds of roles pay the bills, but he keeps his eye out for other, more varied parts.

Fashion writer Samuel Coleridge visited sweatshops in India and South Korea to learn more about the hidden side of fashion design and clothing sales. His new book explores exploitative labor, licensing, and gender dynamics within the industry.

Performer-in-residence Harry Connick, Jr. plays songs by Matt Dennis and Cole Porter.

Jordan was a fiction writer before becoming a filmmaker. His early cinematic work was financed by the British network Channel 4. His newest movie, a supernatural comedy called High Sprits, is his first big-budget feature. Jordan made his mark with Mona Lisa, a noir about call girl and her driver.

Joe Franklin has been an enduring institution in the world of radio and television talk shows. Over the past 36 years, he's interviewed countless actors, comedians, and musicians. His show is a unique, low-budget operation; Franklin books all the guests himself.

Film critic Stephen Schifff says that the Irish rock band's new concert film, Rattle & Hum, exaggerates U2's abilities, importance, and depth. The movie follows them during a U.S. tour; in between performances, the band visits landmarks of American music, and share their superficial insights into their significance.

The author came from a political family, which he says didn't groom him for life as a writer. Nonetheless, Vidal has continued to stay engaged in politics through his series of historical novels and a new essay collection, called At Home. He tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross about some of his early work, and how television helped bolster his celebrity.

Winters' stand-up comedy of the 1950s and '60s was often improvised, and featured a variety of different characters, all of whom he gave a different voice. He has a new book of paintings called Hang-Ups.

Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand discusses the urban legend of a dead rabbit, which someone finds, cleans, and replaces in its cage.

Randy Quaid's brother Dennis often gets leading-man roles; Randy frequently plays what he calls "country bumpkins." He says he enjoys his career as a character actor, but is glad to branch out to directing. His debut in that role will be the upcoming Power of the Dog, which will costar his brother.