Terry Gross

The new biopic Kinsey takes on the story of scientist Alfred Kinsey, who pioneered research in human sexuality in the 1940s and 1950s. For the project, director Bill Condon — who also wrote the script — interviewed many of the scientist's colleagues.

The film stars Liam Neeson and Laura Linney as Alfred Kinsey and his wife, Clara McMillen, along with Peter Sarsgaard and John Lithgow. The researcher's life — and American society — were forever changed by his 1948 book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.

The complete 45-episode series of the TV show Pee-Wee's Playhouse is now out on DVD. Reubens originally created the Pee-Wee character at the Los Angeles improv group called The Groundlings. Pee-Wee's Playhouse went on the air in 1986. It ran on CBS for 5 years, garnering 22 Emmys.

He first hit it big on Second City TV with a sketch called The Great White North. These days he is doing acting and voiceover work, as well as producing and directing. There is a new SCTV DVD out; It's the second volume of shows. This interview originally aired on June 12, 1990.

She got her start at SCTV with characters like Lola Heatherton and Dusty Towne, and went on to star in films including the Home Alone series, A Mighty Wind Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman. She's also in the new film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. This interview originally aired on Nov. 12, 1992.

He was one of the founding members of Second City. He played Earl Camembert and Stan Schmenge, among others, on SCTV. He went on to a film career that includes Father of the Bride, the American Pie series and Best in Show. His upcoming film is The Man. This interview originally aired on April 14, 1988.

Another SCTV alum, Short went on to Saturday Night Live, bringing his character Ed Grimley along with him. He's had his own TV shows, The Martin Short Show, and Prime Time Glick. His film career includes Father of the Bride, Captain Ron, and voiceovers for films such as The Prince of Egypt. This interview originally aired on Jan. 30, 1989.

His book, Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer, comes out in paperback Dec. 9. Furia documents the life of the legendary lyricist whose songs include Moon River, Come Rain or Come Shine and Skylark. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Mercer dominated the popular song charts. Furia is a professor of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He's also written biographies of Irving Berlin and Ira Gershwin.

His new book is In Search of Paul: How Jesus' Apostle Opposed Rome's Empire with God's Kingdom. Crossan looks at the life of Paul, and describes how the most important Christian value is justice. Crossan is professor emeritus of De Paul University, and is considered by some to be the foremost scholar of historical Jesus. His The Historical Jesus is an alternative and fact-based look at the life of Christ.

After a chart-topping and occasionally controversial music career, she is now turning out children's books, publishing four in just over a year. Her latest is The Adventures of Abdi. The others are The English Roses, Mr. Peabody's Apples and Yakov and the Seven Thieves. Her fifth, Lotsa de Casha, is due out in April 2005.