How to Quote an Interview MLA | MLA Quote Rules Fast

Interviews pop up in essays, reports, and reflection papers: a classmate you recorded, a Q&A you read online, a podcast clip, an email thread. Quoting them isn’t hard. Getting the MLA details right is where people stumble.

This page gives you a clean routine for interview quotes in MLA 9: what to put beside the quote in your paragraph, what to put on the Works Cited page, and how to handle long quotes, edits, and audio time stamps.

Quick MLA Interview Citation Map

MLA treats the interviewee as the source of the words you’re quoting. Most of the time your in-text citation points to that person’s last name. Your Works Cited entry names the interview format and where you accessed it.

Interview Source Type	In-Text Citation	Works Cited Starter
Personal interview (in person)	(LastName)	LastName, FirstName. Personal interview. Day Mon. Year.
Telephone interview	(LastName)	LastName, FirstName. Telephone interview. Day Mon. Year.
E-mail interview	(LastName)	LastName, FirstName. E-mail interview. Day Mon. Year.
Messaging interview (text/DM)	(LastName)	LastName, FirstName. Text message interview. Day Mon. Year.
Interview in print (magazine/newspaper)	(LastName Page#)	LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by Interviewer, Publication, Date, pp. xx–xx.
Interview on a website	(LastName)	LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by Interviewer, Site Name, Date, URL.
Podcast or video interview	(LastName 04:12)	LastName, FirstName. “Episode Title.” Interview by Host, Show/Channel, Date, URL.
Interview inside a book	(LastName Page#)	LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by Interviewer, Book Title, edited by Editor, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.

What Counts As An Interview In MLA

If someone answers questions and you’re quoting their answers, MLA treats that as an interview. It can be live, recorded, written, or published by someone else. The “type” matters because it changes what details you can cite.

• You conducted it. In person, phone, video call, email, or messaging.
• You found it published. A magazine Q&A, a news story, a book chapter, a journal piece.
• You watched or listened. Podcasts, radio, YouTube clips, livestreams, documentary segments.

One quick mindset shift helps: you’re not citing the questions. You’re citing the person whose words you used.

How to Quote an Interview MLA For In-Text Citations

In-text citation is the “nearby” tag that tells your reader whose words they just read. For interviews, it’s often short. Your job is to keep it consistent across your draft.

Name The Speaker Before The Quote

Introduce the interviewee in your sentence so the quote doesn’t feel dropped in. Use a first and last name the first time, then switch to the last name. Keep the verb simple: said, noted, explained, replied.

Place The Parenthetical Citation Correctly

Put the parenthetical citation right after the quote and before the sentence period. If the interview is a personal interview you conducted, the citation is usually only the last name: (LastName).

When A Page Number Exists

If you read the interview in print or in a paged PDF, add the page number: (LastName 23). Use a space, not a comma.

When There Are No Page Numbers

Many web interviews have no page numbers. Use (LastName). If it’s audio or video, add a time stamp that points to the moment you quoted.

Using Time Stamps For Audio And Video

Use a time that matches the player’s display, such as 04:12 or 1:02:18. A range works too: 04:12–04:24. Put it after the last name: (LastName 04:12).

Handle Shared Last Names And Multiple Speakers

If two speakers share a last name, add a first initial: (A. Lee) and (S. Lee). If you’re quoting a group interview, cite the person whose words appear in your quote. If speakers aren’t labeled clearly, paraphrase the general point and quote only lines that are clearly attributed.

When The Name Is In The Sentence

If you write the interviewee’s last name in your own sentence, the reader already knows who spoke. In that case, your parenthetical citation can shrink. With a paged source, you can use only the page number in parentheses. With audio or video, you can use only the time stamp.

Still, many classes prefer the full (LastName) pattern for personal interviews since there is no page number to point to. If you’re unsure, keep the last name in the parentheses every time. Consistency beats clever formatting.

Quote Formatting That Matches MLA Rules

Clean punctuation and spacing can lift a paper fast. Interview quotes follow the same quote-format rules as any MLA source.

Short Quotes Inside Your Paragraph

Use double quotation marks for quotes that take up under four typed lines in your paper. If the quote ends your sentence, drop the quote’s period and place your sentence period after the parenthetical citation.

Block Quotes For Long Passages

When the quote runs more than four typed lines, start it on a new line and indent the whole block. Skip the quotation marks. Put the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation of the block.

Block quotes are heavy on the page. Use them when the full wording matters, not as padding.

Editing Quotes With Brackets And Ellipses

Sometimes you have to tighten a quote so it fits your sentence. Make the edit visible.

• Brackets add or swap words for clarity, often to replace a pronoun: “I taught [the workshop] every Friday” (LastName).
• Ellipses show removed words inside a sentence. Keep enough context so the meaning stays true.

Works Cited Entries For Interviews

Works Cited is where you tell the reader what the interview was and where you accessed it. Start with the interviewee, then add the interview format, then add the container details when the interview was published.

When The Interview Has No Title

Some interviews don’t have a titled heading. That’s common with personal interviews and short Q&A pages. In Works Cited, you can use a plain description in place of a title, such as Interview, Personal interview, or E-mail interview. Put the description where the title would normally appear, then continue with the rest of the details.

If the interview is part of a larger source, the container still matters. Name the publication, site, show, or book where you found it so your reader can locate it again.

For common interview patterns in MLA, Purdue OWL interview citation patterns is a handy reference for student writing.

MLA dates are written day month year, with the month abbreviated in most entries (15 Mar. 2024). Keep periods after abbreviations. End most entries with a period. When you include a URL, don’t add a period after it if that could look like part of the link. If you cite the same interview often, reuse the wording.

Personal Interview You Conducted

Use the interviewee’s name, then the format, then the date.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2025.

Swap the description when needed: Telephone interview, Video interview, or In-person interview. Use one label and stick with it.

E-mail Interview Or Message Thread

Use a format label that matches the medium. MLA Style Center gives a direct template for email interviews at MLA Style Center e-mail interview template.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. E-mail interview. 6 June 2025.

For texts or DMs, “Text message interview” or “Messaging app interview” works. Don’t overthink it. Make it readable.

Published Interview In Print

Start with the interviewee. Add the interview title in quotation marks. Add “Interview by” and the interviewer. Then list the publication details and pages.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by FirstName LastName, Publication Title, 15 Mar. 2024, pp. 22–25.

Published Interview Online

Use the same structure, then name the site and add the URL.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by FirstName LastName, Site Name, 9 Sept. 2025, www.sitename.com/page.

Podcast Or Video Interview

List the interviewee, the episode or clip title, the host/interviewer, then the show or channel details and the URL.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. “Episode Title.” Interview by FirstName LastName, Show Or Channel, 17 Apr. 2025, www.platform.com/watch?v=XXXXX.

Interview Inside A Book Or Collection

Use the interviewee as the main entry, then list the interview title, interviewer, book title, editor, publisher, year, and page range.

Model Works Cited Entry
LastName, FirstName. “Interview Title.” Interview by FirstName LastName, Book Title, edited by FirstName LastName, Publisher, 2022, pp. 141–156.

Make Interview Quotes Work In Your Paragraphs

Quoting is not the whole job. Your reader needs a reason you used that line. A simple rhythm helps: set context, deliver the quote, then explain the takeaway in your next sentence.

Interviews can get chatty. When a speaker circles the point, paraphrase the setup and quote the sharp line. Your paper stays tight, and your reader keeps moving.

Stay consistent with names. If the source uses a stage name or includes accents, match what the source prints. Then keep that spelling the same every time you cite it.

Common MLA Interview Errors And Fixes

These are the slips that show up again and again. Use the table as a repair list while you proofread.

Slip-Up	Fix	Check
Citing the interviewer as the author	Cite the interviewee’s last name	Do parentheses match the speaker’s last name?
No Works Cited entry for a personal interview	Add name + format + date	Is the interviewee listed in Works Cited?
Comma inside the citation	Use a space: (LastName 23)	Any commas inside your parentheses?
Citation placed after the period	Put citation before the period	Is the final period after the parenthesis?
Long quote kept in quotation marks	Use a block quote format	Do long quotes start on a new indented line?
No time stamp for audio/video quotes	Add a time like 04:12	Could a reader find the line quickly?
Works Cited entry missing the container	Name the book, site, show, or publication	Does the entry show where you accessed it?
Edited quotes without brackets or ellipses	Mark edits with brackets/ellipses	Are your changes visible on the page?

Final Pass Checklist

• Each interview quote is introduced with a speaker name or a clear transcript label.
• Each quote has a parenthetical citation, placed before the sentence period.
• Printed interviews include page numbers; audio or video quotes include time stamps.
• Each Works Cited entry starts with the interviewee and lists the format clearly.
• You used “how to quote an interview mla” in a way that reads like normal writing.

Now scan your draft for parenthetical citations. Then scan Works Cited. Every last name in your citations should appear there. If a name is missing, fix it before you submit.

Once you’ve done it a couple of times, how to quote an interview mla turns into a steady routine you can reuse on any assignment.