Rachel Martin
Rachel Martin is the co-creator and host of Wild Card, an interview game show about life's biggest questions. She invites notable guests to play a card game that lets them open up about the memories, insights, and beliefs that have shaped their lives.
Martin spent six years as a host of Morning Edition, and was the founding host of NPR's award-winning morning news podcast Up First. She previously hosted Weekend Edition Sunday.
She served as National Security Correspondent for NPR, where she covered both defense and intelligence issues, and also worked as a NPR foreign correspondent, where she covered the London terrorist attacks, issues surrounding immigration and shifting cultural identities in Europe.
Martin worked extensively in Afghanistan, covering the reconstruction effort after the U.S. invasion and the country's first democratic presidential election. She also reported from Iraq, where she covered U.S. military operations and the strategic alliance between Sunni sheiks and the U.S. military in Anbar province. She traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2015 to report on women's rights, and in 2022, she reported from Ukraine's border with Belarus in the leadup to the Russian war.
Martin was part of the team that launched NPR's experimental morning news show, The Bryant Park Project, a live two-hour daily multimedia program that she co-hosted with Alison Stewart and Mike Pesca.
Martin also previously served as NPR's religion correspondent. Her piece on Islam in America was awarded "Best Radio Feature" by the Religion News Writers Association in 2007. In 2011, her story on racial discrimination in Hollywood won a Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and her series on the effects of the opioid epidemic on children won a Gracie award in 2019.
She started her career at public radio station KQED in San Francisco as a producer and reporter.
She holds an undergraduate degree in political science and an honorary doctorate from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., and a Master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University.
She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, two sons and dog named Lola F. Bear, Esq. [Copyright 2025 NPR]
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Jenny Han feels close to her teen self, which explains why her books and their adaptations connect with teen audiences. She spoke with Rachel about the potency of shame and what she's selfish about. -
Michelle Obama is in a place in her life where she gets to integrate her public and private self a little more. She tells Rachel that means saying "no" to some of the things that are expected of her. -
Jason Reynolds writes stories that meet kids where they're at, as full, complex people. He talks with Rachel about the value of being a crier, and his restless approach to living life to its fullest. -
Orville Peck is performing on Broadway as the Emcee in Cabaret. His winding path to his dream role included a stint as a punk drummer and hitting pause on his country career to get sober. -
Ramy Youssef stays busy, creating shows like Ramy and #1 Happy Family USA, and starring in Poor Things and Mountainhead. He spoke with Rachel Martin about mortality and his gripe with Santa Claus. -
Comedian Mike Birbiglia says he absorbed a lot of lessons from his parents – whether he realized it or not as a kid. From his mom's ability to talk to everyone, to his dad's drive and ambition. -
Jonathan Groff was destined for the stage. On this week's Wild Card with Rachel Martin Jonathan tells Rachel about how he takes criticism and learning to play piano for his new musical "Just in Time." -
Wanda Sykes says getting back on the road helps remind her that she's still funny. On this week's Wild Card, Sykes talks about her conversations with God and why she loves bowling alleys. -
"Weird Al" Yankovic has no trouble tapping into his dorkiness. Perhaps that's the secret to his decades-spanning appeal. On this week's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, he talks about aging into his weirdness. -
Joy Harjo is one of the most revered poets in the United States. On this week's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, the former U.S. poet laureate talks about how writing can give you second chances.
