While he might be best known for his Oscar nominated performance as Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network,” Jesse Eisenberg’s preternatural ability for making unique characterization choices has won him roles in wildly original films, both indie and studio, such as “The End of the Tour,” “Adventureland,” “Holy Rollers,” “American Ultra,” “Zombieland,” and two of my favorites, “The Squid and the Whale” and “The Double.” Now he continues that trend with Riley Stearns’s “The Art of Self Defense.” In this half hour he talks about the effort he put into finding the right tone to play the absurdity in that film, and the very specific thing he does when he’s not happy with a take, and why he never watches his films, ever, not once. Plus much more!

I first was introduced to the incredible talents of Emmy Harrington on the set of Caveh Zahedi’s “The Show About The Show” where she plays “Slut Machine,” and witnessed, first hand, her ability to adapt to all types of run-and-gun shooting environments and unorthodox directing styles and deliver a great performance take after take. You can also see her work in shows like “High Maintenance” and “Jessica Jones,” and an award winning film she wrote, directed, and stars in—“Two Little Bitches"— is currently making the festival circuit. I sat down with her a couple of days after directing her in a little project of my own, and I ask her to assess that experience, plus she talks about her monthly comedy show “SCORE: Interpreting Epic Cinema Through Comedy and Dance,” which is slowly becoming a sensation in the New York improv scene.

David Zayas has so many television, film, and theater credits that it’s hard to believe he was also a New York City police officer for 15 years. He’s played a lot of fictional cops too, so many he’s lost count, but he says his career highlight was portraying Angel Batista for 8 seasons on Showtime's hit series “Dexter.” Before that he dabbled on the other side of the law, playing Enrique Moralez on the HBO drama “Oz.” He was an early member of the LAByrinth Theater company with Paul Calderone, John Ortiz, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and is currently the co-artistic director of the exciting Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble, with Calderon. In this episode he shares a little of what he's gleaned from being a working actor for nearly 30 years, alleviates a long-held fear I have about acting, and explains why he’d happily portray another cop. 

Jacki Weaver’s “big break” story is unique because she was finally embraced by Hollywood at age 63, landing an Oscar nomination for her incredible performance in the Australian film “Animal Kingdom,” after being a staple in the Australian theater and film world for 30 years. She went on to great roles in such films as “Widows,” “The Disaster Artist,” and "Magic in The Moonlight,” plus the acclaimed new version of “Uncle Vanya” on the stage with Cate Blanchett, not to mention her second Oscar nomination for “Silver Linings Playbook.” And this year she stars opposite Diane Keaton in the cheer-elder comedy “Poms,” and the delightfully odd new series “Perpetual Grace, LTD” with Ben Kingsley. In this half hour, she tells two very different audition stories that occurred shortly after Hollywood rolled out the red carpet, and talks about how she’s become very tolerant of all types of directors, and has love in her heart for film crews and writers. I have love in my heart for Jacki Weaver and you will too.

Through six seasons on "House of Cards" and multiple Emmy nominations, Michael Kelly has brilliantly embodied the character of Doug Stamper, navigating him through the highs and lows of loyalty, devotion, and dark-heartedness, culminating with a new layer of antagonism in the final season. It was a tour de force performance. In this episode he sits down to talk about the nuts and bolts of his craft, his meticulous and elaborate script breakdown process, how David Fincher knocked him off his game, and why he will never stop worrying about the next job no matter what awaits him post-Stamper.

In this first Back To One live podcast event from the Made In NY Media Center, Christopher Abbott tells us some hilarious stories about his naive beginnings as a pavement-pounding young actor in New York, then he takes us into the nuts and bolts of the craft he’s developed both on the stage and in indie films over the past decade. And we find out what he makes of George Clooney’s claim that he’s going to be our next movie star. If you only know this talented actor from his breakthrough on “Girls,” it’s time to catch up. His powerful performance in “James White” shows the depth he’s willing to go in a role. This year’s “Piercing” has him at his most unpredictable and creepiest. And now he stars in the Hulu limited series “Catch-22” (produced by Clooney) where he shows his range, expertly playing absurdity and agony in equal measure. 

Lindsay Burdge is one of the bravest and best actors working in indie film this decade. Her breakout role in Hannah Fidell's "A Teacher" brought her raves for her intense performance of destructive obsession. Bold choices continued in movies like Nathan Silver's "Thirst Street," Karyn Kusama's "The Invitation," and Joe Swanberg's Netflix show "Easy." Now she's taken on the role of Mandy in the long-awaited second season of Caveh Zahedi's acclaimed "The Show About The Show," after the real Mandy (Zahedi's wife) left the show mid-production. She talks about the unique experience of working with Zahedi under these conditions, how she doesn't steer away from emotionally challenging material, and her “pen-free” gestation preparation process. Plus lots more! The first Back To One Live Podcasting Event is coming to Brooklyn on May 31st. Special Guest Christopher Abbott ("Catch-22"). Click here for tickets and more info.

He's got "authority" down. But the great actor Lance Reddick can do it all. Perhaps best known for playing Daniels on "The Wire" and Broyles on "Fringe," Reddick has now brought his quintessential warrior servant Charon to the 3rd chapter of "John Wick." In this episode he talks about the triumphs and frustrations of the work, dealing with "bad" directors, learning from great ones, and how surviving hard circumstances on set, especially ones that throw you off your game, can strengthen you and lead to a cleansing of your process.  The first Back To One Live Podcasting Event is coming to Brooklyn on May 31st. Special Guest Christopher Abbott (Catch-22). Click here for more info. 

Asia Kate Dillon is a true trailblazer. They* are the first non-binary (gender non-conforming) actor to play a non-binary character on a television show (Taylor on Showtime's “Billions”). That itself is noteworthy, but Dillon also happens to be an amazing actor who brings such depth and life to characters, making representation even more powerful. Now, In “John Wick: Chapter 3”, Dillon calmly commands attention as a mysterious character called The Adjudicator. Dillon talks about sliding into that role and what it takes to slide out of a role like Brady, the skinhead inmate, in “Orange Is The New Black,” plus their longing to do a musical and much more! (*preferred pronouns: They/Them/Their)

Paul Calderon is New York acting royalty. A list of his collaborators and co-stars, in numerous plays, films and television, reads like a who's who of legends: Pacino, De Niro, Scorsese, Lumet, Burstyn, Tarantino, to name a few. Not to mention Abel Ferrara, whose many films he’s graced (he also co-wrote Bad Lieutenant). He was made a member of the Actors Studio in 1984, and eight years later was one of the founding members of LAByrinth Theater Co., where as writer/director he helped mentor such talent as Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Zayas, and Sam Rockwell. For many years he's been on the faculty of NYU, The Lee Strasberg Institute, and SVA. He’s now the co-artistic director of the Primitive Grace theater ensemble, and can currently be seen in the Amazon series “Bosch.” He sat with me in the mezzanine overlooking the noisy (sorry!) lobby of the Public Theater in New York, a place that has benefited from his talents, to talk about what he’s gathered from 40+ years in the craft.

Dominic West is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty on “The Wire,” Noah Solloway on “The Affair,” and gay activist Jonathan Blake in the film “Pride.” Now he’s taken on the classic role of Jean Valjean in the new 6-episode BBC version of “Les Misèrables,” currently on PBS. He also happens to be British, which seems to continually surprise people, probably because he’s mastered his American accents. He talks about that and many other nuts and bolts in his inspiring approach to the craft.

She’s wonderful in comedies like “Man Up” and dramas like "No Escape,” but Lake Bell shines brightest in material she writes and directs herself, like her indie hit "In A World." Now the mega-talented multi-hyphenate has joined forces with Liz Meriwether (“New Girl”) on the ABC sit-com “Bless This Mess.” We talk about the benefits and challenges of writing, directing and starring in a network show; knowing when to land the joke slightly off the landing pad; and doing it all as a mom.

For one year now on this podcast, I have talked to dozens and dozens of actors about their approach to the craft of acting. There are few living non-actor directors whose thoughts on this subject I feel would be worthy for this archive. Mike Leigh is on the top of that list. Listening to actors talk about their working experiences has made me think of an analogy. They are like fish people, showing up on a set expecting some water to work in but mostly finding dry land everywhere, and, for the most part, having to supply the water themselves. Taking this perhaps odd analogy a little further— when these fish people act for Mike Leigh, it is like working completely submerged in a safe, life-size aquarium with constant fresh water pumping in. He starts without a script. The actors build their characters from scratch in collaboration with Leigh, using someone (or a composite of many people) in the actor’s life as a foundation. They then move and “be” that character privately in the presence of Leigh alone before getting together with the other cast members for long improvisations, durning which Leigh “distills” the story into what he wants to shoot. This goes on for many weeks before shooting begins. When it does, the actors have already not only built an entire backstory for their characters and lived as them, but they’ve also worked out creatively and practically everything they’ll be shooting. It is the most organic and actor-centric process in the history of filmmaking. There are many reasons why movies are mostly not made like this. Firstly, the amount of money spent on non-shooting days makes no sense to producers and money people. Therefore it’s hard to put this kind of thing into a budget. But also, many actors who are not familiar with this approach have misconceptions about the process and are resistant to the idea of not having a script, which they take as lack of control. But I believe examining Mike Leigh’s process will shed light on what works best even for actors working on “normal” film projects. Then, at least some of these aspects, even truncated versions, can be applied to any director’s process to yield better results and happier actors. Even actors working without aid from a director can manifest the phantom guidance of Mike Leigh and benefit greatly in any project. In this woefully brief half hour, Leigh talks about a few aspects of his work that should act as a starting point in understanding his unique process, and also points out certain procedures  in the mainstream of the craft that might ring as counterproductive when seen through Leigh’s lens. The proof is in the pudding as they say. When films like “Naked,” “Life is Sweet,” “Vera Drake,” “Meantime,” “Another Year,” “Secrets and Lies,” “Happy-Go-Lucky” (to names just a few) contain, consistently, the great performances of our time, it leads one to believe that maybe this guy might be onto something.

He brought to life one of the most iconic TV characters this century, Omar little on the acclaimed series “The Wire.” Then Michael K Williams went on to work with some of the great directors of our day (Steve McQueen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ava DuVernay, Todd Solondz) and turned in powerful work in series like “Boardwalk Empire” (where he played Chalky White) and “The Night of,” to name a few. He's earning rave reviews for his latest performance in Emilio Estevez's “The Public.” In this episode, he talks about one particular "all-in" moment during the filming of that movie, also the role music plays in his preparation, and the place he was at in his life when he landed the Omar audition and the mindset he had upon entering that room.

I first took note of Caitlin FitzGerald in one of the great showcases of incredible acting in recent indie film—Sophia Takal's “Always Shine.” You might know her from “Masters of Sex” where she played Libby Masters, or the third season of the cult hit series “Unreal.” Her latest film, just released on DVD and Blu Ray, is “The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot.” In this half hour she generously opens up about the epiphanies and frustrations she's experienced as a working actor in this business, how good directors help her process, and how she deals with nose-pickers in her eye-line. It's in-depth craft-talk from a serious actor, but one who also makes clear, “I dress up and make believe for a living, so I just like to keep everything in perspective.”

She's perhaps best known for playing one of modern television's baddest villains, "Vee" on “Orange Is The New Black.” Now with NBC's “The Village” premiering last week, and both “Fast Color” and the new season of “Into The Badlands” premiering this week, plus Julie Taymor's “The Glorias” wrapping this month, all featuring the incredible Lorraine Toussaint, we might as well call this period "The Lorrainaissance." In this half hour she takes a break from the hubbub and takes us deep into her process, her "almost schizo" embodiment of characters, what she needs on set, and what it means to LIVE the art. A truly inspirational listen awaits. 

Michael Mando is best known for his captivating portrayal of Nacho Varga on the hit AMC series “Better Call Saul.” You might also know him from “Orphan Black,” “Spider-man: Homecoming,” or “Far Cry 3.” In his latest film, “The Hummingbird Project,” he plays the chief engineer of a massive high frequency trading operation opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård. In this half hour he talks about his interest in the metaphysical aspects of the craft, his beginnings as a hungry but happy acting student, and how he doesn't let fame get to his head but he’s open to the changes it brings.

I've wanted to sit down with Thomas Sadoski since the inception of Back To One. I had a "who is that guy?" experience while seeing him in Neil Labute's play "Reasons to Be Pretty" and was positively delighted by his portrayal of the quick-witted Don Keefer in "The Newsroom." He's now part of an incredible ensemble of actors in "Life In Pieces," one of the few network comedies worthy of your time. He talks about where he's at one day before the first official performance of Suzan-Lori Park's new play "White Noise," which he stars in at the Public Theater in New York. And he has a few things to say about the intersection of art and activism. Plus -- SORKIN!

His portrayal of Lola, the drag queen in “Kinky Boots,” put Chiwetel Ejiofor on the map, then his astonishing performance in “12 Years A Slave" made him a household name. Roles in “The Martian,” “Doctor Strange,” and the under-appreciated “Z for Zachariah” followed. Now he has written, directed and stars in “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind,” which is in select theaters and on Netflix. He talks about the art of wearing many hats, directing the extremely gifted young Maxwell Simba in his first film role, and the effort he took to not shortchange his own character.

Shea Whigham could easily be in the running for the hardest working actor in show business. In just this past year, he was in “First Man,” “Beirut,” “Vice,” and brilliantly played Thomas Carrasco, the Department of Defense bureaucrat tasked to investigate Julia Roberts’ character, in the series “Homecoming.” He’s worked with Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, David O. Russell, Terrence Malick, and is probably best known for playing corrupt mob brother Eli Thompson in “Boardwalk Empire.” In this half hour he talks extensively about his preparation process, what he’s learned from the greats, and much more. The constant room noise you hear in the background is the roaring fire we were sitting beside in two comfy armchairs in Lafayette House in New York's East Village.

I first took note of Ariel Kavoussi’s singular comedic talent in Onur Tukel’s “Applesauce” and then “Catfight,” where she hilariously played Ann Heche’s assistant and stole every scene she was in. She performed a similar theft this past year on the Netflix series “Maniac,” opposite Emma Stone. She also writes and directs her own work. Her new short film “The Poet and The Professor” was called a "truly absurdist, provocative, and contemporary feminist film” by Indiewire. We talk about the origins of her approach to comedy, how she works the audition rooms she suddenly finds herself in, and her relationship to her own unique speaking voice. Plus much more!

If I ever need to cry on cue, I can just picture the expression on Josh Hamilton's face, in “Eighth Grade,” when Elsie Fisher hugs him. It's a beautiful, wordless culmination of his incredible performance, which landed him a Spirit Award nomination this year. We discuss that scene, and he shares some of what he’s learned from jumping from the New York stage to the big & small screens and back again over the past 25 years. He talks about the importance of syncing with the director’s vision, being off-book before rehearsals, and why he’s a self described “take whore.”

Mads Mikkelsen is perhaps best known for playing villains in "Casino Royale," "Doctor Strange," and the television series "Hannibal," but he’s also been called the "face of the resurgent Danish cinema,” culminating with his Best Actor win at Cannes for his work in Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt." In this half hour, he talks about performing some physically and emotionally wrenching scenes in two new movies he currently stars in, the pure survival film "Arctic," and the live action adaptation of the popular graphic novel "Polar." Warning: Spoilers abound. "Arctic" is in select theaters now. "Polar" is on Netflix.

Noomi Rapace became an international sensation playing Lisbeth Salander in the original, Swedish version of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and its sequels. Hollywood beckoned and leading roles in such films as Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” and Brian DePalma’s “Passion” followed. Now she stars in Vicky Jewson’s Netflix nail-biter “Close,” in a role based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis. In this half hour, Rapace talks about the intense training she went through to prepare for the part, and how that awareness expands to all aspects of her life. Plus she explains how “kicking ass” is more a mental exercise than a physical one.

If you didn't know Imogen Poots was British, it is understandable. Few young actors transform so chameleon-like, role-to-role, applying accents so skillfully. I was first wowed by her in Peter Bogdanovich's "She's Funny That Way" and then I actually didn't even know it was her in "Green Room" until I saw the credits. She floored me again in "Frank and Lola" opposite Michael Shannon, in an entirely different kind of role. Now she plays a drifter with questionable parenting skills, who steers into escalating trouble in “Mobile Homes,” and by the end of the movie her performance wrecked me. In this half hour she lifts the hood on her craft and we get to peek in. (“Mobile Homes” is out now on VOD and digital)

Ethan Hawke's "staying power" is grounded in hard work. He survived being the poster child of Generation X ("Reality Bites"), and thrived as Richard Linklater's go-to actor ("The Before Trilogy," "Boyhood") and always returns to the true home of the actor--the theater (he's currently starring in "True West" on Broadway). Now he has delivered one of the most critically acclaimed performances of the year in Paul Schrader's "First Reformed." He generously shares the wisdom and knowledge he's acquired over the years as an actor, and is extremely eloquent when doing so. In this episode, he talks about the importance of off-camera acting, magic vs. rehearsal, not being seduced by laughter, and lots more. 

He’s perhaps best known for his portrayal of Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on “Game of Thrones” but I first took note of the uniquely talented Aidan Gillen as Mayor Carcetti on “The Wire.” The Dublin native’s most recent role was the manager of Queen in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Now he stars in the period UFO drama “Project Blue Book,” which premieres January 8th on History. In this half hour he talks about his intuition-based approach to preparation, how Jez Butterworth introduced him to the work of John Cassavetes, and I toss a name at him to spark some memories from “The Wire.”

Joanna Kulig’s performance in “Cold War” is so astonishingly captivating and commanding and downright brilliant, that it feels like a classic performance delivered by an immortal screen goddess from the golden age of film. Pawel Pawlikowski’s penetrating black and white and impeccable direction helps, but this Polish masterpiece, short-listed for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, is impossible to imagine without Kulig. In this half hour she talks about how her music training came in handy while shooting the intricate moving camera shots in the film, and she ponders what it means when someone says she’s “so natural.”  Plus she reveals how Pawlikowski helped her often simply by saying the words “Lauren Bacall.”

Starting with her big break on “Dr. Who,” and continuing with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” films, Karen Gillan has grown accustomed to fervent fandom surrounding her acting work. With "The Party's Just Beginning,” (which she wrote, directed, and stars in) she stepped away from that hubbub to make a small, dark, intricately structured film in her hometown in Scotland. The movie folds out from her character through hallucinations, flashbacks and alcoholic hazes to tell the tale of her grief over her best friend’s suicide. I ask her what it was like directing a feature for the first time while taking on such an emotionally fraught role. And she tells the story of a revelation she had about her acting, early in her career, that changed everything. Plus she talks about how she turns that focused fan frenzy into fuel that energizes her work.

We're catching Alessandro Nivola at a very interesting moment in his career. A day before our talk, he was awarded Best Supporting Actor at the British Independent Film Awards for his incredible performance in “Disobedience,” and a few days before that it was announced that he will star in David Chase's “Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark.” He talks about the benefits of having time to prepare for the role of Rabbi Dovid Kuperman and facing the challenge of delivering that important climatic speech. And how, for him, inhabiting a character often starts with the voice. Plus he confesses he stopped auditioning because he was “too scared,” and self-tape changed his career. 

Jason Manzoukos has made a living "bringing the funny" in tv shows like “The League,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Good Place,” and movies such as “The House,” and “The Dictator.” Now he stars in Hannah Fidell's “The Long Dumb Road” with Tony Revolori (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”). In this half hour, I send him down a rabbit hole on the evolution of comedy, he tells a great story about getting the hard truth from a casting director early in his career, and talks about when to “pitch an alt.” Plus I forbid all comedic podcast banter and he graciously complies.

James Ransone doesn’t like to talk about himself. He also doesn’t like to talk about acting. This might have been a disastrous interview except that his expressed frustration at having to speak about these things actually spawned an interesting and raw conversation about acting. I first noticed Ransone in the role of Ziggy in Season 2 of “The Wire.” He went on to star in the HBO miniseries “Generation Kill,” and in movies like “Sinister,” “Tangerine” and Spike Lee's “Oldboy” remake. This year he played an astronaut in Hulu's “The First” and he's now shooting “IT Chapter 2.” His direct, non-filtered responses to my questions (some of which he downright rejects) are bound to give you lots to ponder about this elusive and wondrous endeavor, and, if you're like me, leave you wanting to hear more from Mr. Ransone.

You recognize Eric Lange. He’s been a working actor for 20+ years, with extensive theater work and a long list of television and film credits ("Narcos," "Lost," "Weeds," "The Bridge," to name a few recent ones). For "Escape at Dannemora" (directed by Ben Stiller), he gained 40 pounds to play Lyle, husband of Patricia Arquette's character, in the Showtime limited series based on the real-life prison break. He tells a wonderful, "outside-in" tale of finding a way into Lyle through some magic teeth, and waxes about the “getting paid to wait” life of acting for the camera.

Simone Missick is best known for playing Misty Knight in the Netflix/Marvel series "Luke Cage" (as well in "The Defenders" and "Iron Fist"). She tells a great story of getting that part, and her game plan for auditioning in general, and also talks about knowing when to offer script changes, even for Marvel material! Then we talk about her important new film "JINN", about a teenager torn between her burgeoning sexuality and her mother's newfound Muslim faith. "JINN" is now available on VOD and Digital.

Melissa Leo has acquired a lot of acting wisdom. On this episode, she graciously shares some. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her incredible performance in "Frozen River," and won one for playing Alice Ward in "The Fighter." Recent notable performances can be found in “Francine," "The Most Hated Woman In America," and her latest, "Unlovable," where she plays opposite Charlene deGuzman, who co-wrote the script based on her real-life experiences in a program for sex and love addiction. Leo talks lovingly about that production, and about how she sometimes gleans more substantial info from a dolly grip than a director. Plus she issues this warning - "Don't lie to an actor." 

With over one hundred films in his legendary career filled with versatile, bold, and iconic performances, Willem Dafoe is one of the most respected actors of our time. His artistic curiosity in exploring the human condition leads him to projects all over the world, giant Hollywood movies as well as small Independent films. In this episode he talks about inhabiting Vincent van Gogh through the act of painting for his latest film, "At Eternity's Gate," and how being part of a strong director's vision is actually freeing. Plus I try to get him to talk a bit about the nuts and bolts of his craft.

From her breakthrough in “Kick-Ass” through great roles in “Let Me In,” “Hugo,” and “Carrie,” Chloë Grace Moretz has become one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. In this half hour, she talks about her recent decision to take time to “reassess who I am and find myself within my roles again,” which led to her brilliant performance in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” this year’s winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance (now streaming on demand). She also talks about avoiding what she calls “emotional cavities,” and how she craves to be taken off guard in her performances. 

With riveting performances in films such as "Hell or High Water," "The Messenger" and "3:10 to Yuma," Ben Foster established himself as an intensely serious actor who goes all-in for a role. With this year's “Leave No Trace,” Foster takes that same intensity and brilliantly turns it inward, portraying a laconic veteran who suffers from PTSD and survives in the woods of Oregon with his teenage daughter, played by Thomasin McKenzie. Foster talks about working with McKensie to establish the connection they needed, why he took performance enhancing drugs to play Lance Armstrong, and the “emotional erectile disfunction” of over-directing.

Elsie Fisher was not just some 13-year-old Bo Burnham plucked from Middle America to star in his debut feature “Eighth Grade.” She has been a working child actor in Hollywood since infancy. She did, however, just finish eighth grade in public school when filming began, and she managed to create a performance so vulnerable and true that the seams of the acting craft are invisible. In this half-hour, I attempt to get Fisher and Burnham to open up about the origins of this movie and how this young lady carried it so successfully that it just might be the performance of the year.

Jim Cummings' performance in the Sundance winning, one-shot short film "Thunder Road" was the talk of the indie film world in 2016. And then he turned it into a feature, and it won the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival. Now Cummings has decided to turn down the less than thrilling distribution offers and make the risky decision to distribute "Thunder Road" himself. It was the right move. The film has not even hit American screens yet and it has already made its money back and more. He talks to me about “performing” the script into existence, mastering the long take, and his passion for demystifying the idea of making movies, and inspiring people to follow him and make and distribute their own. Now.

It’s difficult, right now, to find the words “Kayli Carter” without the word “breakthrough” nearby. The adjective refers to her brilliant performance in Tamara Jenkins’ PRIVATE LIFE, in which Carter unflappably shines next to her more seasoned co-stars Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti. She talks about the chemistry she had with those three, and about her formative experience with Mark Rylance in the play “Nice Fish” (including a 60 minute audition!), plus how she’s perfectly fine with passing on parts that do not depict young women as fully formed characters.

Kathryn Hahn has joked about her plethora of “best friend or randy crazy lady” roles in comedies like “How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days,” “Anchorman” and “Step Brothers.” But recent projects by Jill Soloway (“Afternoon Delight” and “I Love Dick”) and Tamara Jenkins (the new Netflix film “Private Life”) have cast Hahn in the lead role, and suddenly we have an exciting leading lady who’s much more than a scene-stealer-extraordinaire. She lets us in on a fascinating process she has for getting into the “I” of the character, talks about the road that led to “Private Life” with co-stars Paul Giamatti and Kayli Carter, and cites the Alan Watts quote “You’re under no obligation to be the person you were five minutes ago.”

When Nicolette Robinson made her Broadway debut in September, taking over the lead role of Jenna in “Waitress,” she was not just fond of Sara Bareilles’ hit musical, she had been listening to the cast album cathartically as she went through emotional ups and downs in her own life. This might be part of why I found her “Jenna” so connected to the material, so alive. We talk about what led up to that Broadway debut night, stepping through the complex engulfing that is “Hamilton” (her husband Leslie Odom Jr. won a Tony for the musical), and what her inner actor needs before that curtain rises. (Robinson’s limited run in “Waitress” is through October 28)

The hilarious Taran Killam lets us peek under the hood of his comedic craft in this half hour. He stars in the new ABC series “Single Parents” (premiering September 26th) and the comedy “Night School” (opening September 28th) opposite Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish. He’s probably best known for his 6 years on Saturday Night Live. We talk about how that “bootcamp” prepared him for almost anything. But his talent goes beyond comedy. He writes, directs (check out his film “Killing Gunther” on demand), and sings (he was King George III in “Hamilton”). Plus he finally answers a question I have been trying to ask comedic actors since this show began.

Linus Roache has played upstanding characters on “Law and Order” and “Homeland” but he had to plumb the depths and reach the epicenter of narcissism to play Jeremiah Sand in “Mandy,” and it’s a frightening joy to behold. He talks about the draining yet rewarding time bringing this character to life and the guidance and trust he had from director Panos Cosmatos. Plus he answers a listener question about the faith life of his character, King Ecbert, in the TV series “Vikings.”

Ashlie Atkinson is getting kudos for playing Connie Kendrickson, the motherly yet evil KKK wife, in Spike Lee’s “Blackkklansman.” We talk about the unique prep work that went into inhabiting her and the tools she used to stay present inside such a sick character. We also chat about her approach to comedy, particularly in the Ingrid Jungermann web series “F to 7th,” and working with Craig Zobel in both “Compliance” (a favorite of mine, as may listeners know) and now the brand new CBS All Access show “One Dollar.”

John Cho is perhaps best known for playing Sulu in the “Star Trek” reboots and Harold in the “Harold and Kumar” films. His new movie “Searching” takes place entirely on computer screens. Cho’s performance is one of the reasons why it is a successful piece of true cinema and not a novelty. We discuss the unique challenges of performing alone in some scenes and trusting director Aneesh Chaganty to navigate him through the space. We also talk about one of my favorite recent indie films “Columbus” (directed by Kogonada) and the connection he felt with co-star Haley Lu Richardson that truly powers the film.

His portrayal of “Richie" on the HBO series “Looking” brought Raúl Castillo some serious recognition and started moving him into bigger and better parts. One such role is “Pops” in the astonishing queer coming-of-age film “We The Animals” (in theaters now) directed by Jeremiah Zagar from the Justin Torres best-seller. Castillo talks in depth about his process of bringing this complex character to life, and the importance of owning your space as an actor. Plus we do a deep-dive into the straight man’s approach to same-sex on-camera kissing.