Bad Bunny on his sold-out residency in Puerto Rico and acting in "Caught Stealing"

Summary

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Episode: Bad Bunny on His Sold-Out Residency in Puerto Rico and Acting in "Caught Stealing"

Date: August 31, 2025
Guest: Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio)

---

Overview

This episode features a candid and wide-ranging conversation between Willie Geist and global superstar Bad Bunny, set on a Manhattan rooftop. The chat spans Bad Bunny’s homecoming, arena-sized residency in Puerto Rico, his expanding career in film—including his serious role in Darren Aronofsky’s "Caught Stealing"—and the shaping influences behind his music and persona. Geist guides the discussion with warmth and humor, teasing out both personal reflections and industry insights from one of pop culture's biggest multi-hyphenates.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transition to Acting and "Caught Stealing"

• First Puerto Rican Role: Bad Bunny shares excitement over portraying Colorado, his first role as a Puerto Rican character in film.
  • “Well, the most that I love about him is he's Puerto Rican and is the first Puerto Rican role that I have on this journey on acting. So that was my first. Oh, finally.” [03:30]
• Acting Experience: He discusses the challenge and nervousness of working in a star-studded cast with director Darren Aronofsky and feeling pressure to prove himself.
  • “I need to make this work for everyone… I have to do my best to be at their level… it’s about respect their job, their work.” [07:07]
• Aronofsky’s Support: He feels grateful for Aronofsky's faith and the encouragement to push his boundaries.
  • “I'm very grateful with Darren for trust on me… he pushed me to give my best and that's something that I really appreciate.” [05:32]
• Difference from Performing Music: Contrasts the private internal focus of acting with the public spectacle of stadium tours.
  • “When you are in a movie set… it's very personal, I think… that’s when you get into the role and into the story… it’s like living another life.” [09:03]

2. The San Juan Residency: A Love Letter to Puerto Rico

• Unprecedented Residency: 30 sold-out arena shows in San Juan; massive boost to the local economy; described as his best ever experience in music.
  • “This is, so far my best experience in music, maybe in life… what is happening right now in San Juan in that arena is something magical, I swear.” [13:58]
• Community and Pride: Emphasizes the familial, joyful atmosphere and the pride of sharing Puerto Rico’s culture with international fans—not just through celebration, but through honesty about the island's complexities.
  • “Everyone is like a big family just having fun, singing, dancing, crying… it’s such a pleasure to show my culture, my country, my land right there in my house.” [13:58]
  • “We show the best of Puerto Rico and also the… toughest or delicate things about Puerto Rico… it’s powerful and honest.” [16:14]
• Notable Guests: Mentions celebrities attending, like Jon Hamm, and the universality of the show’s joy.
  • “It's impossible not to have fun at that show.” [17:41]

3. Musical Roots and Influences

• Eclectic Background: Reflects on the diversity in his upbringing—salsa from his father, merengue from his mother, reggaeton as a Y2K kid, and international influences like Bee Gees and Tupac.
  • “My dad… always was listening to salsa music. My mom used to listen a lot of merengue… I born [in] 1994, so I'm a Y2K boy, so I grew up listening to reggaeton…” [18:15]
  • “There's a lot of influence not just on my blood, like in my mind, in my, my soul.” [20:00]

4. Path to Stardom

• Early Dreams: Knew from age 7 he wanted to be a musician, started making beats and writing at 12.
  • “I think I took that decision when I was seven… since 12, I start to make beats, write songs… every day of my life.” [20:37]
• Breakthrough: Decided at 20 to take music seriously by sharing on the internet; by 22, life transformed.
• Adapting to Fame: Acknowledges it’s a “long journey,” credits support system and upbringing for navigating change.
  • “I'm still learning a lot… grateful about what I learned at home with my parents… and the people that is around me…” [22:41]

5. Stage Name Origins: “Bad Bunny”

• Backstory: The name traces to a childhood photo in a bunny costume—alternately smiling and mad.
  • “That was a picture of me when I was a kid… I was mad that day… I think it fit perfect on me because I could be bad, I could be good.” [26:43]
• On Accidentally Choosing a Global Moniker: He never foresaw the childhood nickname would become world-famous.
  • “Insane. I never, I never thought of that.” [27:54]

6. The Future: Relentless Creativity

• Next Steps: Eager to do more acting, experiment with other creative projects—prefers to act first, announce later.
  • “I would love to do more acting and movies, but… I never mention any of those things because I prefer to show.” [25:50]
• On Dreaming: Urges listeners never to stop dreaming or growing, citing his own journey from a child in Puerto Rico to a global figure.
  • “Never forget where that dream start… keep dreaming, never stop. Sound like a very cliche phrase, but that's what life about.” [24:37]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Representation Matters:
  “The fact that I'm doing a Puerto Rican role for the first time is, is so cool… it’s most special.” – Bad Bunny [03:30]
• About Aronofsky’s Direction:
  “He pushed me to give my best and that’s something I really appreciate.” – Bad Bunny [05:32]
• On Performing at Home:
  “There's a feeling that I can even explain. It's like everyone love each other. Everyone is like a big family just having fun, singing, dancing, crying.” – Bad Bunny [13:58]
• Musical Eclecticism:
  “There's so much artists and musical culture that it’s like impossible… There's a lot of influence not just on my blood, like in my mind, in my soul.” – Bad Bunny [19:59–20:00]
• The “Bad Bunny” Paradox:
  “Even a bad bunny is gonna look like a good bunny… I could be bad, I could be good.” – Bad Bunny [26:43]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:30] Portraying Puerto Rican character Colorado in "Caught Stealing"
• [05:32] Working with Darren Aronofsky; being pushed to excel as an actor
• [09:03] Comparing acting to performing for stadium crowds
• [13:58] Describing the Puerto Rico residency and its meaning
• [16:14] Honesty and complexity in his live show’s narrative about Puerto Rico
• [18:15–20:10] Discussing his formative musical influences
• [20:37] Early decision to pursue music and first steps in his career
• [22:41] Learning to adapt to global fame
• [24:37] Never forgetting his roots and the value of dreams
• [25:50] Future creative ambitions
• [26:43] Childhood origin of “Bad Bunny” as a stage name

---

Conclusion

Bad Bunny reveals himself here as introspective, passionate, and deeply tied to Puerto Rican identity. Whether describing the magic of his San Juan shows or his nerves stepping onto a movie set with Hollywood heavyweights, his sincerity and ambition shine through. He frames each of his artistic choices—musical, cinematic, personal—as part of a broader mission to represent his heritage, challenge himself, and encourage others never to stop dreaming.

Transcript

[Bad Bunny]

Foreign.

[Willie Geist]

Hey, guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Got a huge one for you this week, if you don't mind my saying. He is one of the biggest acts in all of music around the world, and frankly, one of the most famous people on the planet. He is Bad Bunny, birth name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. He comes from puerto Rico, about 30 miles west of San Juan. Grew up with all kinds of musical influences that you now see in his music, from salsa and merengue and reggaeton, but then also like the Bee Gees and hip hop with Tupac and everybody else. And he kind of absorbed all that and created the sound that has become huge around the world for him. We got together to talk about, yes, his music, including this incredible residency he's in the middle of in his home in San Juan in Puerto Rico. 30 shows over the course of a summer, all sold out arena shows. Hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Puerto Rico to see the shows. By estimates, between 200 and $400 million coming into the island because of it. And it's really all just a big love letter to Puerto Rico. You might have seen some of his celebrity buddies, Jon Hamm, most notably. If you haven't seen it, look it up. Going down to San Juan to see the shows and just really feeling it in a bucket hat and a floral shirt. Just going to town. Because who can't, who can resist the sounds of Bad Bunny? So we talk a lot about Puerto Rico, talk about his career, how he started, how it got off the ground. We talk about the genesis of his stage name, Bad Bunny. He took it as a kid and now he's got it. Also, though, this turn this summer really into acting. He was in Happy Gilmore 2. Kind of stole the movie a little bit. And now a more serious role in the Darren Aronofsky film, Caught Stealing. It's got Austin Butler in it, Zoe Kravitz is in it, Liev Schreiber, Vincent d'. Onofro. An incredible cast, and he's right there among them. So the music career is what it is. Biggest star maybe in the world right now, Taylor Swift notwithstanding. But also now he's carving out this other lane for himself in acting. He's been great on snl. You've probably seen him. He's kind of shown up in these different places where you go, oh, that guy I know from music is also really good at a bunch of other things. So really fun to sit down and Talk to him. Quick setting of the scene. We are on kind of a roof deck in Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. Sitting outside, you know, Benito, as he likes to be called, walks in in a. It's summer as you may know, and he's wearing a full length leather trench coat and just immediately winning the fashion contest. Not that there really ever was a contest. He's a cool guy, really smart guy, fun to talk to. So I'll get out of the way, let you sit back, relax and enjoy.

[Bad Bunny]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Bad bunny right now on the Sunday sit Down podcast.

[Interviewer]

Benito, so good to see you. Thanks for doing this.

[Bad Bunny]

Thank you.

[Interviewer]

We were just talking about Caught Steve, this amazing movie you're in which I watched this morning. And to watch that movie at 9 o' clock in the morning is quite a wake up call.

[Bad Bunny]

How you feel?

[Interviewer]

I'm still recovering. I'm still recovering. Tell me about your character Colorado and what you love about him.

[Bad Bunny]

Well, the most that I love about him is the, is he's Puerto Rican and is the first Puerto Rican role that I, that I, that I have on this journey on acting. So that was my first. Oh finally. Because I love to make like every role and represent the Latino community as Mexican or whichever country I had I have to. To make. But the, the fact that I'm doing a Puerto Rican role for the first time is, is so, it's so cool. And only a Puerto Rican role is the Puerto Rican in, in New York. So that's most special. Even what I can say about Colorado. He's a tough guy. He's. He's good on business. He's smart. Well, he's smart and he's just trying to, to, to win, you know.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Bad Bunny]

To, to Jose Algo hustling in, in. In streets and the clubs and he's, he's a real passionate. Yeah guy. I think he, he, he, he wants to make. He love to give the best every time. So yeah, it's very interesting.

[Interviewer]

This is a big time movie. Great director. Darren Aronofsky, Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Vincent d'. Onofrio. Amazing cast, full of action. I know you've been enjoying acting a little bit more lately. How did this role come to you? Did Darren give you a call and say I'm thinking of you for something?

[Bad Bunny]

Yes. I never asked too much how the roles and to me but the thing that I know is I'm very grateful about this opportunity. I'm very grateful with Darren for trust on Me, I know he did his research and he asked like people that I know, like, should I give him this role? What you think I'm scared? Yeah. And I told him like I was 100%, 100 sure that he wanted best for the movie and he never was going to let me do a bad thing, you know, like yeah, he pushed me to, to give my best and that's something that I really appreciate especially because I want to keep growing and learning on these industry. So yeah, it was a beautiful thing the way that everything became.

[Interviewer]

The world knows what a great performer you are, but this is a totally different kind of performance on a movie set. Was it nerve wracking at first? Was it thrilling? What did it feel like to first step into the role?

[Bad Bunny]

I'm always, I could say that I was a little nervous because I know I knew the, the, the, the importance of this movie. Also work with Darren and with Austin on the same scene that he was insane, like a great actor and he did like a great job and it was like, okay, I need to be the. I can't, I don't have to say it in English, but no puerto tengo que represental. Like I have to show what I can do. And also I need to make this work for everyone. Like all people in this room are like huge actors and, and huge people on, on this whole. I have to do my best to, to be at their level. And that was my mindset, you know, just give my best not only for me, also for, for them. For, for. It's about respect their job, their work, you know what I mean?

[Interviewer]

You definitely earned it. You fit right into that cast. You did so well. And all the other actors and Darren have said the same about you.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Bad Bunny right after the break. Welcome back. Now more of my conversation with Bad Bunny.

[Interviewer]

What is the joy you get from acting that's different from walking into a football stadium and seeing 50,000 people screaming for you? How is it different for you as a performer?

[Bad Bunny]

I think is something. Is something that is of course when I'm performing in stadium, everyone is watching me. When you are in a movie set, you know that they gonna watch me but not yet is the thing. Like it's very personal I think is like me and the actors and sometimes you know that there's a camera but something you forget about that. And I think that's when you really get into the role and get into the scene and get into the story. So I think that's the part that I really like, that part where you really forget about maybe the reality of the world or of even your life, and you are in a different whole story, in a different world, living like another life. You know, people sometimes dreams dream. We have another life or something. So that's the closest thing to. To live another life or be another person, but always bringing something about you or, you know, expressing something that maybe you can't do it on a normal day, being yourself. So it's something.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Bad Bunny]

Is rare, but it's good. It's good.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. It's been fun to watch you the last couple of years perform in different ways. I was just saying how good you are on Saturday Night Live. All these sketches that they put you in and the digital shorts. You're so funny. You're great. When you go on Fallon, you were sort of the talk of Happy Gilmore 2. Everybody said, did you see Bad Bunny in happy Gilmore 2? Taylor Swift said it was her favorite part of the movie. This feels like you're making an effort to flex that muscle a little bit, too. Is that something you want to do more of in terms of acting?

[Bad Bunny]

For sure. It's something that I, since I was a kid, I really like to act, and it was part of one of my dreams. Of course, the music is my first love, is what I love the most. But acting also is something that I really love. And it was on my life plan, like someday I want to act and. And now that I'm having these opportunities and I'm just embracing it and enjoying and learning because that's the most important thing. I want to learn, keep learning and go step by step and take every, every opportunity that. It's not like I just want to be, you know, the biggest movie star. I want to leave my process. I don't want to everything just because I'm Bad Bunny and I'm this music star. I want to earn every seen on the. On the acting world.

[Interviewer]

This movie feels like a good step in that direction. You're not the guy on the post or the head, but like, you're a central, important part of the movie and you prove yourself there.

[Bad Bunny]

Yes. And that's what I'm talking about. And I feel proud about my work. I feel proud about what I did, and I feel really proud. To be on this movie is definitely a huge step on my career.

[Interviewer]

You should be proud. And we're not going to say because we want people to watch the movie. All the crazy stuff that happens to Colorado, it gets weird Fast. But you have to watch the movie to find out.

[Bad Bunny]

Yeah, yeah, you have to watch the movie because that Colorado story is very interesting.

[Interviewer]

So you're taking a break, and we're so grateful you're here with us because you're spending your weekends on this incredible residency down in San Juan in Puerto Rico, where you're doing, I think, 30 shows. 30 shows, and all in the same arena. Sold out immediately. I was looking at some of the figures about how many tickets were sold that you're bringing, like $250 million to the economy of Puerto Rico. What a special thing for you as a son of Puerto Rico, to get to feel that love and to show the love with that show.

[Bad Bunny]

This is, so far my. My best experience in music, maybe in life, is something that I never seen before. I've been doing this for the last 10 years. I had so many great shows around the world, even in Puerto Rico before. But what is happening right now in San Juan in that arena is something magical, I swear, is something that I never felt before. There's. There's a feeling that I can even explain. It's like everyone love each other. Everyone is like a. Everyone is like a big family just having fun, singing, dancing, crying. And I'm very. I'm very. I'm very grateful. I'm very happy with everyone that is coming to the island around the world. It's such a pleasure to show my culture, my country, my land right there in my house. Like, be with my family every night, sleep at home every night.

[Interviewer]

That's nice, too.

[Bad Bunny]

That's beautiful. I don't have to take planes.

[Interviewer]

Ah, now we see your favorite part of it.

[Bad Bunny]

Yeah, that's my favorite part, definitely. And of course, when we were working on it, we was like. We knew that was going to be great, but it's even greater. It is bigger than we thought.

[Interviewer]

And you have put the eyes of the world onto Puerto Rico to show all the beauty of Puerto Rico, but also to talk about some of its challenges. What do you want to say in this show and beyond about Puerto Rico? What should the world know? What's the story you're telling with that show?

[Bad Bunny]

When people go to a show, it's a unique show because there's everything on it. You can learn, you can dance, you can express your feelings. You can. As I say, there's people dancing, singing, crying, hugging each other. We show the best of Puerto Rico and also the. The. The toughest or delicate things about Puerto Rico also. And I think that's. That's the. That's the beautiful of this show. That is a very popular, powerful and honest. I think is, honest is the, is the, is the word for, for this show. And you can feel it since, since the beginning to the end.

[Interviewer]

Talk about all the people coming from around the world to the show. That includes one John Ham. Have you seen the videos?

[Bad Bunny]

No, I, I, I didn't see the video. I saw him there on the casita. Probably he was lead. He, he had, he had fun. I'm happy that he, that he went and, and he had fun.

[Interviewer]

It's impossible not to have fun at that show.

[Bad Bunny]

It's impossible. It's impossible.

[Interviewer]

And it's, it must be an amazing feeling as a guy who obviously was born and raised what, 30 miles west of San Juan to be the one who gets to tell the story of the island. So I'm curious, going back to your early days. I know you sang in your church. You were a fan of all different kinds of music, listening to your mom's CDs, from like the Bee Gees to Tupac and everything in between. What were your big musical influences as you were growing up? Who did you love to listen to?

[Bad Bunny]

There's a lot, there's a, I always say, like, is really hard to mention just one name because as you just said, I grew up listening to a lot of like, salsa. My dad, he loved to, he always was listening to salsa music. You know, Ecto Lao, Frankie Rivera, Ruben Bladena. There's a lot of really great artists. And just, that's just a couple ones because there's, there's so many that I grew up listening to. And my mom used to listen a lot of merengue, that's from Dominican Republic and Balada, the Muchual Tita Incluso de Mexico, Como Juan Gabriel and Casa Juan Gabriel. And then of course, Iborne on 1994. So I'm a Y2K boy, so I grew up listening to reggaeton. So of course I have to mention Teo Calderomal because he.

[Interviewer]

So it's a lot. And it's all different genres, right, Because.

[Bad Bunny]

I born this island that there's so much artists and musical culture that is like impossible.

[Interviewer]

You, you.

[Bad Bunny]

There's a lot of influence not just on my blood, like in my mind, in my, my soul.

[Interviewer]

And you can hear it in your music, all these different bits of music you grew up with.

[Willie Geist]

Stick around for more of my conversation with Bad Bunny right after a quick break. Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Bad Bunny.

[Interviewer]

At what point, Benito, did you decide you wanted a life in music. It's one thing to be a fan of music and to listen like most of us are, but when did you decide, I'm going to be a professional musician, I'm going to become an artist?

[Bad Bunny]

Well, I think I took that decision when I was seven. Seven. Wow. Well, I was thinking on that the other day because I remember I told this story before. The first album that I got was because, like, a OG Legend, rapper of Puerto Rico. And that was the first time that I listened to rap music and urban music and I liked it. Then I think the first time that I listened to. To Tego Calderon. There's another OG legend from Puerto Rico, I think is when I. I said, I don't know, someday when I'm big, I wanna. I wanna be. You know what I grew up. I wanna. I wanna be like this. I wanna. I wanna sing. I want to be a rapper. I want to be artists. And since 12, I start to make beats, write songs, practicing every day, every day of my life. And I think when I turn 20, I think when I said I should start to, you know, to take it serious, if I want to make it, you know, if I want to make it, I need to start to work on it and put my music on social media, on the Internet, to show to the people. And that's what I did. I started to work when I was 20, and then my life changed when I turned 22.

[Interviewer]

22 years old.

[Bad Bunny]

22, yeah.

[Interviewer]

I mean, and it just exploded from there, right? You went from, you're working at that supermarket, which probably doesn't feel that long ago, to you. All of a sudden you're a household name. Everyone in the world knows who you are.

[Bad Bunny]

It's crazy.

[Interviewer]

How have you adjusted to that?

[Bad Bunny]

It's been a long journey. It was. I'm still learning a lot. I'm still working on it. But at the very beginning, it was hard. And I could say it wasn't that hard because I was very focused on my thing. But then is when you realize that everything changed and you say, oh, how? How I'm here now. So that's the part that you need to be tough. And I'm very grateful about what I learned at home with my parents. And I'm very grateful about the people that is around me, my friends, my family, my team, that they've been very, very important to me and special to. To survive and learn and grew up on this world and accept the reality of my life. And I think I could say that right now I feel Great. I'm very happy about what I have done so far and I have a lot of goals and more dreams to make, that's for sure.

[Interviewer]

Given where you came from. When you walk out on that stage this weekend in San Juan and there's another sold out crowd and you're viewed in many ways as the face of Puerto Rico, do you ever stop and think about the little boy who was just going through his mom's CDs, dreaming of being a musician? Do you have that moment?

[Bad Bunny]

Yeah, sometimes we talk about it, especially when with, with, with my mom. I think that's, that's the beautiful thing, like enjoy what I'm doing now, but never forget where that dream start, you know, and, and keep dreaming, never stop. Sound like a very cliche phrase, but that's what life about. Have dreams. Even when you can make it, at least try it and you know, put your energy on something that you really want to and give your best. That's what life is about to me.

[Interviewer]

So when you think about that future and you just said there's more you want to do and you have a lot of roads still ahead of you in your career. The acting is one thing. You did some wrestling, which is great. What else do you see out there? More in movies? More in different areas.

[Bad Bunny]

For sure. I would love to do more acting and movies, but there's a lot of. There's another things that I would love to do. I always, I never mention any of those things because I prefer to show.

[Interviewer]

Up so we'll know when it happens.

[Bad Bunny]

Yeah. But yeah, for sure. I'm still young. I have a lot of. Well, I hope I have a lot of time to do all that things.

[Interviewer]

And the last thing before I let you go, for people who don't know the story behind the name Bad Bunny, that was a childhood bunny costume, right?

[Bad Bunny]

That was a picture of me when I was a kid. I was wearing a bunny costume. And it's funny because I would say that I was mad that day on that picture. And I think that the picture that I always talk about it, I don't know where it is because I've been posting another one from that day. But there's one that I'm smiling. There's another one that I was mad. That one. It was the purpose of, of my name and then figuring out, you know, with my friends, like Bad Bunny. I think it's different. How, how there's, there's no bad bunnies. I think even, even a bad Bunny is gonna look like a good bunny. So I don't know, it fit perfect on me because I could be bad, I could be good.

[Interviewer]

So, yeah, it's a big decision, but you don't realize it when you're young that you're going to become one of the most famous people in the world and that's going to be your name forever, right?

[Bad Bunny]

Insane. I never, I never thought of that. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Well, I appreciate you taking some time with us. Congratulations.

[Bad Bunny]

Thank you.

[Interviewer]

Stealing, which is amazing. And thank you as someone who's been going to puerto Rico for 35 years for all you do and the attention you bring to it. Andrew, thank you so much, man.

[Bad Bunny]

Thank you.

[Interviewer]

Appreciate it.

[Willie Geist]

My big thanks to Benito or Bad Bunny if you like, for a great conversation. Just a really good guy, fun to talk with. You can see his new film Caught Stealing in theaters now. You also can catch him in concert if you're lucky enough to grab a ticket to the residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the next few weeks. Or if you miss him there. He's going out on a world world tour in the next couple of months. My big thanks to all of you for listening again this week. If you want to hear more of our conversations with my guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday TODAY every weekend on NBC to see these interviews with your own two eyes. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down Podcast.