“I still feel like I'm wondering what I'm gonna be when I grow up,” Hrishikesh Hirway tells Rachel. That might be because he’s drawn to so many things: he’s an accomplished musician, host of several successful podcasts and just an all-around thoughtful guy. He talks to Rachel about the support and skepticism of his parents while he was growing up and his anxiety over losing precious memories.Buy the Wild Card deck: https://shopnpr.org/wildcard To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

"Are you willing to be responsible for your own happiness?" Tracee Ellis Ross asks in this episode, recorded with a live audience at LAist. Tracee is all about actively choosing the life you want to lead. She talks to Rachel about those pivotal choices in her own life, growing up with Diana Ross as her mom, and the power of a good dog. Tracee’s show “Solo Traveling” is back with a second season.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcardSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Terry Tempest Williams often writes about what is easy to overlook – the “holy ordinary” as she calls it. Whether it's the beauty and plight of the natural world, or the silence and struggle of a loved one. She talks to Rachel about why women with big ideas get labeled “crazy” and how she tries to emulate her late mother. To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

For Danny McBride, success in Hollywood has taken patience, hard work, and a little bit of delusion. That sense of delusion is also present in the characters he writes, who embody the hilarious extremes of masculinity. He continues to explore these themes in his new book, "Thrilling Tales of Modern Men." Danny also discusses writing unlikely protagonists and why he loves working in South Carolina.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

John Cena didn’t become a WWE megastar and Hollywood leading man by accident, he worked at it, and he takes none of his big breaks for granted. He tells Rachel that a secret to his success is jumping into a challenge before he feels ready, or as he calls it, “courageous ignorance.” John’s new Netflix comedy, “Little Brother,” is out Jun 26.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Writer David Sedaris tells Rachel he doesn’t mind being humiliated, because he knows it will wind up as great material. David’s new book, “The Land and Its People,” is full of such material. In their conversation, David talks about his latest humiliations as well as the benefits of cleaning while angry and how a British radio soap opera reminds him of how lucky he is.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcardSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Dave Eggers isn’t about rushing creativity. His latest novel, "Contrapposto," has been on his mind for about two decades. And he tells Rachel he believes many artists do their best work in their 80s and 90s. Eggers also reflects on how he’s learned to slow down in middle age, what he sees as the greatest danger of AI, and shares a moment of appreciation he felt watching an apricot tree.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Maya Hawke is such a natural fit for Wild Card that she had several answers for many of the questions. The self-described “verbose” musician/actor talks to Rachel about her new album “Maitreya Corso,” and reflects on her identification with her character Anxiety in “Inside Out 2.” Hawke also tells Rachel about her “witch-adjacent” childhood with her mother, Uma Thurman. To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

From "Step Brothers" to “Chicago,” John C. Reilly imbues every one of his roles with humor, empathy, and heart. In his latest project, a vaudeville stage show called "Mister Romantic," he searches for connection in a disconnected time. He talked to Rachel about his independent childhood on the south side of Chicago, and being open to endless possibilities. To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Noah Kahan's breakthrough album, Stick Season, made him known to millions of fans. But he tells Rachel that experience left him feeling like he knew himself even less than before. Noah talks about finding his way back to songwriting with his new album, "The Great Divide.” He also reflects on how depression comes with sneaky superpowers and shares that Oreos and "The Office" are his cures for burnout.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy