Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NAMED A TOP 10 PODCAST OF 2024 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES There are interview podcasts and then there's Wild Card. Rachel Martin rips up the typical interview script and invites guests to answer questions they've never been asked before about life's biggest questions. Actors, writers and musicians open up about their fears, their joys and how they've built meaning from experience – all with the help of a very special deck of cards. Want to listen to Wild Card sponsor-free? Support NPR by subscribing to Wild Card+. Learn more at plus.npr.org/wildcard.
Episodes
July 31, 2025 • 40 mins
Father James Martin has become one of the most well-known Catholic priests in the U.S, in part due to his appearances on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." He's hosting a new podcast called "The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin." He talks to Rachel about giving up his need to be liked and his rebellious adolescence.
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July 24, 2025 • 38 mins
Anxiety has always played a major role in Aparna Nancherla's comedy — whether she's joking about her internal preoccupations, or fighting stage fright. Her experience of living with anxiety and depression as a stand-up comedian landed her in the upcoming documentary, "Anxiety Club." She spoke with Rachel about growing into her rage and feeling godlike when she's alone.
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July 18, 2025 • 2 mins
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July 17, 2025 • 40 mins
Marc Maron can project cynical misanthrope, but those who have spent countless hours listening to him know that his secret weapon is his vulnerability. He tells Rachel why he's ending his podcast "WTF" despite its enduring popularity and why he's as committed as ever to his work as a standup. His latest special, "Panicked," is out next month.
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July 10, 2025 • 35 mins
Celine Song's films, "Past Lives" and "Materialists," invite the viewer to just slow down. To take in the silence, a gaze, the moments in between words. In her conversation with Rachel, Celine describes how she tries to slow down in her own life, how she's making peace with laziness and how she thinks of enjoying a good meal as something close to prayer.
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July 3, 2025 • 30 mins
Jenny Han feels like the same person as her teenage self – which might explain why her books and their adaptations connect so strongly with teen audiences. Her "To All The Boys" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" franchises are streaming juggernauts – among teens and adults. Jenny spoke with Rachel about the importance of writing about love and why embarrassment feels so close to the surface.
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To listen sponsor-free and supp...
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June 26, 2025 • 39 mins
Michelle Obama says she's never truly been able to realize her own ambition. But now she's changing that. She's saying "no" to what's expected of her and "yes" to what she wants to do, including starting a podcast with her brother, "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson." She reflects with Rachel on owning her decisions and the words her mom told her at the end of her life.
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To listen sponsor-free and support the show,...
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June 22, 2025 • 14 mins
Kyle MacLachlan says he wouldn't have a career without his friend and longtime collaborator David Lynch, who died earlier this year. His first gig was on Lynch's "Dune" which was followed up by "Blue Velvet" and then by their iconic run together on the series "Twin Peaks". In this bonus episode, MacLachlan shares what it was like to live in Lynch's world.
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June 19, 2025 • 29 mins
Kyle MacLachlan is known for his iconic roles in David Lynch classics like "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks," but he's reinvented himself again and again throughout the years. His recent work includes roles in the TV series "Fallout" and "Overcompensating." He's also cultivated a huge following on TikTok and Instagram where his charm is on full display for a new generation of fans.
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To listen sponsor-free and support the show...
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June 12, 2025 • 44 mins
Jason Reynolds writes stories that don't talk down to kids. In young adult books like "Long Way Down," "Ghost" and two Miles Morales Spider-Man novels, there is a clear understanding: kids are complicated people, and Jason treats them that way. His newest audio-only book is called "Soundtrack." He talks with Rachel about the value of being a crier and the advice about rest he got from LeVar Burton.
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June 5, 2025 • 30 mins
Orville Peck is full of apparent contradictions. As a kid in South Africa, he went from dancing ballet to playing drums in a punk band. He loves musical theater but made a name for himself as a country singer. He sings about vulnerability but covers his face with a mask. Peck talks to Rachel about embracing those contradictions and about starring in "Cabaret" on Broadway.
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May 29, 2025 • 39 mins
Ramy Youssef's creative pursuits range from stand-up to his semi-biographical Hulu show, "Ramy," to his new animated series, "#1 Happy Family USA." In all of his efforts, he says he's just trying to make work that feels exciting to him. Ramy is one of the costars of the new HBO film, "Mountainhead." He talks to Rachel about his gripe with Santa Claus and reckoning with his mortality.
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May 22, 2025 • 38 mins
When Mike Birbiglia tells a story, he tries to make it relatable to everyone in the audience – whether it's tapping into his childhood anxiety, relating his clumsy attempts at self improvement or sharing his earnest fears about his aging parents. Mike's new Netflix special is The Good Life. He shares with Rachel how he learns valuable lessons from writing jokes, and explains how found some peace.
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May 15, 2025 • 40 mins
Jonathan Groff has brought his killer vocals and Disney-hero charm to Broadway hits like "Spring Awakening," "Hamilton" and "Merrily We Roll Along." He's nominated for a Tony award for his latest Broadway show, "Just in Time," a musical about singer Bobby Darin. He talks to Rachel about responding to criticism like a 7-year-old and realizing he didn't believe in God at a Youth for Christ camp.
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To listen sponsor-free and s...
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May 8, 2025 • 36 mins
Wanda Sykes life has been defined by one act of courage after another. Leaving a safe career for comedy, getting divorced, coming out and surviving breast cancer all took a lot of guts. She shares with Rachel what she learned from each chapter of her life, and how it has made her stand-up stronger. Wanda is on the road for her new tour - it's called Please and Thank You.
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May 1, 2025 • 33 mins
When Weird Al's debut single, "My Bologna," came out, there wasn't really a model for how a parody artist could have any longevity in their career. Yet Al's figured out how to stay popular for over four decades. Ahead of his summer "Bigger and Weirder" tour, he talks with Rachel about staying weird as he ages, parenthood, and his devoted (some might say obsessive) fans.
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April 24, 2025 • 33 mins
Joy Harjo is one of the most revered poets in the United States, but she took a winding path to get there. The former U.S. poet laureate spoke with Rachel Martin about a pivotal decision in her childhood that put her on the creative path and how she views writing as a way to have second chances. This spring, Harjo is releasing a new version of her book, For A Girl Becoming.
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April 17, 2025 • 36 mins
Don't be fooled by Brett Goldstein's grumpy exterior – he can't resist a big, open-hearted story. You see it in the TV shows he's acted in and helped create, "Ted Lasso" and "Shrinking." He's about to release a new HBO standup special called "The Second Best Night of Your Life." He spoke with Rachel about what Pixar knows about the afterlife and about finding ways to love annoying people.
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To listen sponsor-free, access bo...
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April 10, 2025 • 31 mins
Anyone who has seen Julianne Nicholson in "Mare of Easttown" or "Janet Planet" knows she is really good at portraying grief. In her new show "Paradise," she plays Sinatra, a heartbroken tech billionaire trying to micromanage the end of the world. She's an evil genius who is also a little bit funny. She shares with Rachel an early memory of "outhouse beauty" and her secret to social situations.
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To listen sponsor-free, acces...
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April 3, 2025 • 36 mins
Elizabeth Olsen is most famous for her role as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But she says her own taste is reflected in indie films she's starred in like "His Three Daughters" and the new sci-fi thriller "The Assessment." She shares with Rachel why she's terrified of dying but is fascinated with death and the joy of idle people watching.
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To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show,...
Mark as Played
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