Utkarsh Ambudkar is an actor, rapper, singer, and improviser whose career has spanned everything from Pitch Perfect, Free Guy, and Ghosts to Broadway, freestyle rap, and the improv phenomenon Freestyle Love Supreme alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you've ever wondered what happens when someone is equally comfortable trading bars, stealing scenes, and debating The Simpsons, this one's for you.

Utkarsh has one of those brains that can jump from profound to ridiculous without warning, and somehow it all makes perfect sense. We bounce from the impossible task of pronouncing his last name to rap battles, GI Joes, and Connect Four (which he absolutely embarrasses me at).

Underneath all the jokes is a conversation I wasn't expecting. We spend a surprising amount of time talking about identity, representation, and what it means to build a career when there aren't many people who look like you, doing what you want to do. Utkarsh shares stories about working with Hank Azaria during the Apu controversy and the unforgettable advice Whoopi Goldberg gave him when he questioned one of his biggest career decisions.

By the end, we somehow land on creativity, success, childhood wonder, and why finishing what you start might be the most important advice an artist can hear.

Listen to Utkarsh's new album, "Too Beautiful"

Watch Utkarsh's Short Film "Spaceman: A Love Story"

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