Comedy
'Fresh Air' Favorites: Joan Rivers
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. Rivers, who died in 2014, spoke to Terry Gross in 2010 about the sacrifices she made as a female comedian.
Billy Eichner Makes A Career Out Of Love/Hating Celebrity Culture
In his Emmy-nominated series Billy on the Street, Eichner roams the sidewalks of Manhattan, asking strangers open-ended questions about the entertainment industry. Originally broadcast Dec. 12, 2016.
Satirist Randy Rainbow Uses Show Tunes And Pop Songs To Lampoon Trump
The Emmy-nominated lyricist/performer used to consider song parody cheap humor: "But ... I've gotten [such a] response ... that I'm appreciating it as an art form." Originally broadcast July 17, 2019.
John Mulaney On Hosting 'SNL': 'I Had No Idea How Hard This Was'
Mulaney spent five years as a writer and producer on SNL, but was "absolutely terrified" when he came back to host. Now he's up for an Emmy for hosting SNL. Originally broadcast March 26, 2019.
Wanda Sykes Loves Stand-Up: That's Where 'I Can Be Free,' She Says
Before Sykes became a comic, she worked at the NSA and had top security clearance. Now she takes on the president in her Emmy-nominated Netflix special Not Normal. Originally broadcast Aug. 1, 2019.
Wanda Sykes Loves Stand-Up: 'That's Where I Can Be Free,' She Says
Before Wanda Sykes became a comic, she worked as a procurement officer for the National Security Agency and had top security clearance. But she always loved telling jokes, and when a local radio station sponsored a talent show that included a comedy category, she decided to audition.
Comic Ramy Youssef On Being An 'Allah Carte' Muslim: 'You Sit In Contradictions'
Comic and actor Ramy Youssef is the son of Egyptian immigrants and a semi-observant Muslim who co-created and stars in the semi autobiographical Hulu series 'Ramy,' and has new HBO comedy special.
Ray Romano On Fame, And Finding His Bearings After 'Raymond' Wrapped
Ray Romano's comedy special, Right Here, Around the Corner, is now streaming on Netflix. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2016 about the story behind the title of his hit sit-com Everybody Loves Raymond.