Brooke Lyons was born to dance, but a serious medical condition ended her career and shifted her desire for performance into acting. A self-confessed auditioning novice  for the first 10 years of her career, Brooke gives insight on what not to do in your auditions from her less than perfect experiences.  Brooke walks through some of her most life changing auditions (good and bad) and what she has learned to garner her a series regular on the new hit CW show Life Sentence.   Brooke Lyons is currently starring as "Elizabeth Abbott" on The CW's Life Sentence. She's also known for her roles on The Affair, iZombie and 2 Broke Girls.  Brooke says, "My career has not been one of major turning points.  It's been more of a cumulative effect.  Small victories leading to great progress."   IG:@brookielyons Twitter: @brookelyons  

"Lish" dishes on the entertainment industry.  This week Alyshia gives insight on pilot season panic, finding your tribe, and putting out the Inspiration versus the Desperation.  #PilotPanic

Looking Back episode with the ever lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead as she divulges the eccentric ways of Oliver Stone in an audition to making her mark in the independent film cinema. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a gifted actress, known for her versatile work in a variety of film and television projects. Possibly most known for her role as Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, she has also starred in critically acclaimed independent films such as Smashed, for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination, as well as genre fare like Final Destination 3 and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.

Jonathan Kite is best known as "Oleg," the hilarious, lovable, sex-crazed Ukrainian cook, opposite Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs on the current CBS comedy hit, 2 BROKE GIRLS. Kite credits Wilt Chamberlin and Ukrainian porn star Vlad, the Impaler as major influences when creating his character. Jonathan Kite was born and raised just outside of Chicago in Skokie, IL. He studied drama in high school and at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. He performed many times on stage in Illinois before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in voice over, film, television and zoological criminology. In addition to his role on the series, Kite voices many of the color impaired characters on the Adult Swim throwback, "Black Dynamite: The Animated Series." When asked to list them, Kite simply said "just call me EVERY WHITE." Before "2 Broke Girls," Kite was seen in a number of notable supporting roles including the pilot of FOX's hit "Raising Hope". Aside from a busy acting career, Kite is an expert impressionist boasting over 100 celebrity impressions that include: Vince Vaughn, Tom Hanks, Seth Rogen, Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, Jeff Bridges, Robert Downey Jr., and John Lithgow. In 2013, he began touring, and has performed and headlined at some of the top comedy clubs nationwide. He recently filmed his first stand up comedy special entitled "Back to School Special" at his high school alma mater Niles North, where it all began.

Lucy Hale gives insight to how her shy, homeschooled, hopeful, naive yet intuitive belief she would "make it" lead her to Hollywood to chase a dream we all have. This Southern girl has the charm and the class that has made her a rising, accoladed star for the past 15 years. She gives a candid look at "growing up" in the business and how she deals with self-doubt moments. She gives way to figuring out what really makes her happy and if she will return to making music. Listen in to see how this beautiful face relies on her professionalism, grace and gratefulness to stay the most sought after actress. I love Lucy will have a whole new meaning after listening to this episode. Lucy is a delight and shares how Instagram has changed the business and created a marketing platform to let fans influence the plot lines of current shows. Lucy was made a household name and received several awards playing Aria on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Currently, Lucy is starring in the highly anticipated CW show LIFE SENTENCE and Blumhouse film, TRUTH OR DARE.

Samm Levine's first breakout role was as a member of the "geek" half of the short lived cult hit, Freaks and Geeks.  The following year, he rejoined "Freaks and Geeks" producer, Judd Apatow, for another widely praised coming of age series, Undeclared. That same year, Samm made his feature debut in the raucous teen spoof, Not Another Teen Movie. Since then, he has appeared in over 60 films and television shows, including the Oscar winning Quentin Tarantino epic, Inglourious Basterds, and in many memorable roles on beloved programs such as Entourage, Modern Family, NCIS and How I Met Your Mother. In addition to his growing catalog of television appearances, Samm is also known for roles in many cult features, including the Broken Lizard comedy, Club Dread, the sci-fi thriller, Pulse, and acclaimed indie comedies, Drones and IFC's Made for Each Other Samm has also served as co-host and producer to Kevin Pollak's renowned celebrity talk show, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show, since its inception in 2009 - a role he came into after his interview as a guest on the first episode.

Our host, Alyshia "Lish", dishes on the entertainment industry. This week Alyshia gives insight on handling nudity in filmmaking, negotiating offers, set abuse and bullying and how to keep your integrity in your art. #TimesUP

Looking Back Episode with HENRY IAN CUSICK who was born in Peru, raised in Trinidad and Scotland and he now lives in Hawaii. He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama before joining the Citizens Theatre Glasgow. Cusick starred in numerous British TV shows before moving to the U.S. to join the cast of the ABC TV series LOST. In 2006 he was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Desmond Hume and continued as a series regular for 5 seasons. He played a series regular in ABC’s Scandal and had recurring roles on 24, SVU: Law and Order, Fringe, The Mentalist and Body of Proof. He is currently a series regular, in the role of Marcus Kane on The CW’s The 100. He has also written, produced, directed and stars in his first short film “dress” which won Best Short at Honolulu International Film Festival, Peace on Earth Film Festival and was a finalist at USA Film Festival.

Richie Adams is an award-winning filmmaker who cut his teeth as a title designer (’Babel,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ ‘Water for Elephants’) first under the mentorship of legendary title designer, Richard Greenberg (’Alien,’ ‘Untouchables,’ ‘The Matrix’), and for the past 12 years, under his own company banner, Louisiana-based River Road Creative. As a title designer, Adams has worked with many of the great players in the motion picture industry, including Alejandro González Iñárritu and Doug Liman, as well as newcomers like Ryan Coogler, for whom Adams designed/produced the titles and special graphic sequences (cell phone sequences) for Coogler’s Sundance Grand Dramatic winning ‘Fruitvale,” and later Coogler’s follow up hit, ‘Creed.’ After several years in Los Angeles, Richie returned to hometown, Baton Rouge, LA, to form River Road Creative, a boutique live-action studio where he continues to deliver design and related services for film and television as well as directing/producing commercials, which have garnered awards and accolades at most major award competitions, including an EMMY® nomination. As a film director, Richie’s recent narrative feature ‘Of Mind and Music,’ starring Joaquim De Almeida, Aunjanue Ellis and 2017 Oscar-Nominated Ruth Negga, played the 2014/2015 film festival circuit earning numerous audience and juried awards, as well as a nomination for the Best New Director Award for Adams at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Joy Bryant was born in a modest home in The Bronx, New York and as a young woman, was enrolled in an inner-city outreach organization called "A Better Chance," designed to encourage minority talent. Joy was also blessed with brains as well beauty and remained an excellent student throughout her high school years. As a result, she was awarded a full academic scholarship to Yale University.   While enrolled as a full-time student at Yale, Joy was discovered by a modeling scout from Next Models Management and subsequently pursued a career as a fashion model in Paris. Her slender yet classic beauty got her an exclusive contract with prestigious brand names such as Tommy Hilfiger and the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalogue.   Joy's acting debut came about in 2001 in Robert Townsend's Carmen: A Hip Hopera. An MTV production, the film also starred Beyoncé and Mekhi Phifer, along with several hip-hop superstars. After a small role in the Eddie Murphy action comedy Showtime, she made her big breakthrough in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher. In 2003, she co-starred with Jessica Alba in Bille Woodruff's romantic drama Honey.   Most notably, Joy is known for Jasmine on 6 seasons of PARENTHOOD and Amazon's hit show GOOD GIRLS REVOLT.   Tune in to hear how Joy handled the transition of brains to beauty and what ultimately drew her into acting.

Constance Shulman was in the original cast of Steel Magnolias, Lortel Theater. She continued to work in dynamic films Fried Green Tomatoes and Sweet and Lowdown. On the fast track to stardom, Constance did something many women in this industry would love to do. She took a break and raised her children. She took a 15 year break from acting and focused her creativity on writing, painting and producing documentaries. This interview gives the full spectrum look of a woman who has lived by her own set of creative rules and how it was making a comeback as an actress in the business. Currently, Constance is working on her 6th season of Orange is the New Black (three time SAG award winner for Best Ensemble in a Comedy), The Blacklist and Broad City. She voices the Nickelodeon/ABC-Disney's Doug. And is the co-producer of NY Times top 10 docs of 2015, Looks like Laury, Sounds like Laury documentary.

Sean Carrigan is a former professional boxer turned stand-up comedian, actor and producer. Sean has appeared in numerous films, television shows and commercials, including the television movie, “Call Me Crazy,” starring opposite Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and directed by Ashley Judd. He has guest starred in the series, “Modern Family,” “The Closer,” “Hart of Dixie”, “The Event” and "The Young and the Restless." Carrigan appeared in the Tyler Perry film, “Single Mom’s Club,” where he played the love interest of Wendy McClendon-Covey, and in the romantic comedy “Strangely in Love,” directed by Sundance Award-winning director Amin Matalqa. Sean is also a comedian and co-founder of the production company Woodhead Entertainment, which focuses on original shorts, branded media and feature films. With Woodhead Entertainment, Carrigan contributes as both a producer and actor. His comedic performance as Brett Favre in the viral parody hit, “Brett Favre: Rise – What should I do?” gained over 4 million online views and has garnered him great reviews. Carrigan can be seen doing stand-up comedy all over Los Angeles and in other cities in the US and Canada. Currently, Sean is Stitch on "The Young and the Restless" and Coach Rafferty on the Critics Choice Nominated hit Netflix original show "American Vandal".

An in depth look with the host of THAT ONE AUDITION, Alyshia Ochse, and how she has battled the audition process, scored a few great jobs and what she has learned on her journey into her artistry. These days, Alyshia is best known as “Lucy” opposite Academy Award Winner, Matthew McConaughey, from the critically-acclaimed and Golden Globe nominated TRUE DETECTIVE, as well as her roles in SATISFACTION, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, HART OF DIXIE, GENERAL HOSPITAL and CW show LIFE SENTENCE. Alyshia’s other credits include roles in such movies as THE OTHER WOMAN, PARKER, MARAUDERS, and the highly anticipated indie films, SHE'S IN PORTLAND and OUT OF BLUE. When she’s not acting, Alyshia spends her time hosting this podcast and championing female driven content.

Minnesota-born Brianna Brown began acting in elementary school and local community productions. After high school she journeyed to Hollywood to pursue an acting career full-time. She snagged a part in the pilot show for Judd Apatow's quirky, fondly remembered series Freaks and Geeks. From there she got parts in several theatrical features, mostly comedies, and in 2004 secured a part in Spider-Man 2. She worked steadily over the next few years, playing everything from a farmer's wife to a killer of zombies (Night of the Living Dead 3D), and worked again for Apatow in two more of his comedies, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. She also kept busy with guest-starring roles on some of the top series on TV, such as CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Smallville and had a memorable turn as a serial-killing call girl in Criminal Minds. She had a long-running part on the soap General Hospital as Dr. Lisa Miles. Outside the film industry, she has been involved in giving women the opportunity to empower themselves financially, co-founding the "Green Goddess Investment Club" and starting the organization empowering accountable, goal setting women called THE NEW HOLLYWOOD to "Rise up, Shine Brighter and Give Back".

Mayim Hoya Bialik is best known for her lead role as Blossom Russo in the early-1990s NBC television sitcom “Blossom” and now appears regularly on the #1 comedy in America, CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler, a role for which she has received one Screen Actors Guild nomination and four Emmy nominations. In 2014, Mayim joined Peter Funt in the relaunch of the original hidden camera reality show, “Candid Camera,” which airs on TVLand. Bialik was born in San Diego, California to first generation Jewish American parents, documentary filmmakers and teachers. She played the young Bette Midler in “Beaches” at age 12 and also has had guest roles on some of television’s most beloved shows of the 1980s and 1990s, such as “MacGyver,” “Webster,” “Facts of Life,” and “Murphy Brown.” She has appeared in Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” in 1994, HBO’s “Fat Actress,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,”, and in several episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Bialik earned a BS from UCLA in 2000 in Neuroscience and Hebrew & Jewish Studies, and went on to the Ph.D. program in Neuroscience, also at UCLA. She completed her doctorate in the Fall of 2007, which examined the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome. Bialik was a dedicated student leader at UCLA Hillel, leading and starting a Women’s Rosh Chodesh group, chanting and blowing shofar for High Holiday services, and conducting and writing music for UCLA’s Jewish a cappella group.

Elliot Knight grew up in the city of Birmingham, UK where he took a keen interest in the arts and drama, soon after, winning awards for his talents, including his school's standout award for Drama Excellence and an additional Regional Acting title from Birmingham City Council for his leading role performance of Alfred Ill in The Visit. While attending The Manchester School of Theatre, where he lead as "Macbeth" in a string of toured Shakespeare performances, he won his first professional role as the titular hero in Sky 1's popular adventure series "Sinbad", beating out hundreds after an extensive worldwide search. Subsequently, he was lauded by Screen International as one of the much anticipated "Stars of Tomorrow" of 2011. After screen testing for leading roles in many TV pilots, Knight made his US network television debut in 2014 in ABC's hit series "How To Get Away With Murder" and is since being recognised as one of the industry's most exciting new talents. Currently, Elliot can be seen on CW's highly anticipated show LIFE SENTENCE opposite Lucy Hale.

Jodi Balfour is a talent that excites the industry and audiences alike. Her internationally diverse background paired with her raw and expansive talent has made her an actor in constant demand. Born and raised in South Africa, Jodi spent her formative years working in Cape Town’s burgeoning theatre and television industry. From the age of eight, she was on the professional stage performing in an array of ballets and musicals, and in the years that followed, her talents found their way to the small screen, where she starred and had supporting roles in both domestic and international television shows. Upon graduating with honors in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town, Jodi landed a supporting role in the BAFTA-Nominated BBC mini-series “The Sinking of the Laconia”, playing the daughter of one of Britain’s most celebrated actors, Lindsay Duncan. Since her arrival in North America, Jodi has worked across platforms in Canada and the US. She played the lead in Canada’s hit series BOMB GIRLS which earned a Gracie Award for best Drama and won Jodi a Canadian Screen Award for "Best Actress" in it's film BOMB GIRLS: FACING THE ENEMY. Jodi plays the lead female role in Cinemax’s critically acclaimed new drama series QUARRY, an HBO Entertainment production in association with Anonymous Content. "Quarry” is currently on air on Cinemax. She also stars in the BBC series RELLIK soon to be Cinemax. Currently, Jodi portrays Jackie Kennedy on season 2 of THE CROWN on Netflix.

Johnathon Schaech started his career some twenty five years ago saddling up and slinging a gun in THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR. Since then he’s starred in over 90 productions. Finding himself starring opposite some of Hollywood’s greatest talents like Jessica Lange and Gwenyth Paltrow in HUSH, Winona Ryder in HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, Idris Elba in PROM NIGHT and most notably Tom Hanks in Hank’s directorial debut, THAT THING YOU DO! (Too name just a few.) In the last several years; Johnathon has been reinventing himself as a leading man to watch. Starring in the thriller PHANTOM opposite Ed Harris and David Duchovny. Making a movie star turn on the first season of Showtime’s RAY DONOVAN opposite Liev Shrieber and Jon Voight. He recurred as a heroic cop in CBS’s BLUE BLOODS along side Donnie Wahlberg and played a haunted eyed detective opposite Bruce Willis and Christopher Meloni in the Lionsgate’s feature MARAUDERS. Most recently Schaech saddled up for the History Channel’s TEXAS RISING going toe to toe with Bill Paxton’s Sam Houston as the fiery Colonel Sherman. Now you can find him riding high again for Warner Bros as the famous comic antihero Jonah Hex in DC’S LEGEND’S OF TOMORROW. Jonah sometimes makes appearances on THE FLASH and ARROW.

BONUS EPISODE with Casting Director Jennifer Cooper. A true peak into one of the biggest television casting directors. Currently casting over five major network television series. Casting over 500 episodic shows, Jen knows a two or thing about a good audition or a bad audition. Acting is what got her in the game, casting is what won her heart over. Jen casts for talent and truly spends the time building a partnership with the actor, producer and director. This is the unforgettable journey into Jennifer Cooper's rise in shaping and pushing the boundaries on the revolutionary medium of Television.

Erin Cahill’s acting career launched in 2001 when she was cast as Jen, the Pink Ranger in the series POWER RANGERS: TIME FORCE. Since then, she has starred in regular and recurring roles on ABC's RED WIDOW, TNT's SAVING GRACE and FOX's FREERIDE. She has over 30 guest-star credits including ANGEL FROM HELL, BONES, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, SLEEPY HOLLOW, BODY OF PROOF, CHUCK, LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES, THE MENTALIST, MONK, CSI: NY, SUPERNATURAL and GREY'S ANATOMY. Erin has starred in numerous leading roles in studio features such as Netflix's THE WATCHER, Hallmark's SLEIGH BELLS RING, the second and third installments of Disney's BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA franchise and SONY's BOOGEYMAN 3. She has also starred in the independent films, IT SNOWS ALL THE TIME, WINGMAN INC., and this year's CUT TO THE CHASE for which she won Best Supporting Actress at The Northeast Film Festival. Erin is also an ardent philanthropist, and contributes her time and resources to many worthy causes. Her current passion project is raising funds with her husband to build schools for underprivileged children in Nepal and Malawi in affiliation with the prestigious buildOn Organization. Currently Erin recurs on this season of Freeform's STITCHERS and has three features slated for summer release, including Sony's animated RESIDENT EVIL VENDETTA.  

THIS IS US made America sit up in their seats and pay attention to the man behind the immediate heart throb of Toby, Chris Sullivan.  He first gained attention for his portrayal of Tom Cleary on the Cinemax drama THE KNICK.   He played Benny Hammond in STRANGER THINGS and Taserface in GUARDIAN OF GALAXY VOL. 2.  It may appear that Chris had an easy ride to the dense career track he is on, but he has been putting in the work for over 17 years.  Graduation from Loyal Marymont University left him transformed from a Tennis pro turned actor and climbing the ladder to seek representation.   A self-proclaimed perfectionist and dedicated artist with no backup plan, listen in to see how he landed his agent several years after graduation, how he made $5000 stretch for almost a year living in Los Angeles, how Broadway prepared him for a role of a lifetime on the Cinemax show THE KNICK and how every part since The KNICK can all be traced back to that character. Chris is currently starring on the hit NBC show THIS IS US and is the lead singer of the band SULLY AND THE BENEVOLENT FOLK.

From nuanced and honest portrayals of fatherhood-gone-wild across the eighth season of Showtime's EMMY® Award-nominated series SHAMELESS to palpable intensity on the likes of SONS OF ANARCHY, Steve Howey reflects a classic masculinity on-screen equally steeped in humor and heart. That timeless leading man spark and quiet strength remain signatures of the acclaimed actor, writer, producer, and entrepreneur.  Achieving a basketball scholarship to junior college in Colorado, he played two seasons before pursuing his calling as an actor. He would go from SOMETHING BORROWED alongside Kate Hudson, Jon Krasinski, and Jennifer Goodwin to BRIDE WARS where he re-teamed with Hudson, Anne Hathaway, and Chris Pratt to SUPERCROSS, LOSING CONTROL, UNLEASHED, IN YOUR EYES, and SEE YOU IN VALHALLA. Steve currently can be seen in all 8 seasons of the critically acclaimed show SHAMELESS on Showtime and the anticipated film MAKING BABIES.

Alexa PenaVega has been paid as a professional actor since the tender age of 4 years old when she shared the screen with the infamous Burt Reynolds in the television series EVENING SHADE.  Alexa went on to steadily work in amazing films like TWISTER, NINE MONTHS, MACHETE KILLS, SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR and several other noteworthy cinematic masterpieces.  Her work in SPY KIDS made her a worldwide success and secured her role as CARMEN CORTEZ in the sequels Spy Kids 2, 3 and 4.  But it's her insatiable likability and respectful work ethic that makes her a constant hire and on the list of many studios.  Here she gives insight to the best ways to approach auditioning and being on set that enhances your chances for success. Alexa currently can be seen on her YouTube Channel Lex Loves Los and Hallmark Channel's ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS.  Alexa is producing two new projects with her husband, Carlos PenaVega and IM Global.

Hyper, irreverent, and just downright fabulous, ANT (spelled in caps) has  steadily climbed the comedy hill to become one of the most successful comedians of our time. A regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Tyra Banks show, ANT is the only comedian to appear on all five seasons of NBC’s hit series Last Comic Standing. He is recognized as the host VH1’s  Celebrity Fit Club and in the LOGO series, “U.S. of ANT.”  ANT ventured out of his comfort zone, appearing in  “Celebri-Cadabra.” a competition show featuring magic and celebrities. His hit stand-up DVD, “ANT: America’s Ready” and comedy CD “Follow my ass!” have sold tens of thousands of copies and are available in stores nationwide and online at every CD/DVD retailer including amazon.com.  ANT’s daily video blog, “The ANT Colony,” has taken the web by storm. Ant can currently be seen on various stages across the world and heard on his hit podcast, SECOND CHANCES.

Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Marianna Palka is a passionate actress and humanist filmmaker. Marianna can be seen as Reggie in Netflix’s new original series "GLOW", which follows the personal and professional lives of a group of women who perform for a wrestling organization in Los Angeles. At the age of 17, Marianna moved to New York from Scotland to study at David Mamet and William H. Macy’s Atlantic Theater Company. From there, she amassed numerous roles in theater, film and television. Marianna made her first journey to Sundance with her film GOOD DICK in 2008, starring Jason Ritter and herself. She returned in 2010 as a Sloan juror. Marianna can be seen in Peter Mullan’s 2011 BAFTA award winning film NEDS and in the lead role in director Jeremiah Jones independent film RESTIVE, which won the Audience Award at the 2011 Austin Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actress and Best Feature Film at the 2012 Charlotte Film Festival. She appeared in two short films which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival; SPOONFUL by director Jenee LaMarque and Bryce Dallas Howard’s second film WHEN YOU FIND ME, executive produced by Ron Howard for the Canon sponsored Project Imagina8tion. She returned to Sundance again in 2014 with the short documentary THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS. Marianna recently returned from yet another stint at Sundance after premiering a film which she wrote and starred in, BITCH; a surreal, manic, funny, absurd, tragic, and painful depiction of family life about a woman who takes on the identity of a wild dog. BITCH had its international premiere at Sundance London this June. She is currently directing EGG, starring Alysia Reiner, Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp. On the small screen, Marianna’s work includes HBO’s "Girls", "Derek and Simon", and Comedy Central’s "Drunk History".

Alysia is best known for her role as Natalie "Fig" Figueroa, the tough as nails assistant warden everyone loves to hate on NETFLIX's hit series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Alysia won a SAG award as part of the amazing ensemble cast, and you can see her in all 5 binge-worthy seasons. She is currently in production on Season 6 of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK and recently launched her very own eco-friendly fashion label, Livari. Alysia recently wrapped production as both a producer and star of motherhood dark comedy EGG, starring with Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp. You can also catch her as Sunny in F/X's critical hit and Peadbody Award winning BETTER THINGS, brought to you by the inimitable Louie CK and Pamela Adlon. And don't forget to look for her in recent/upcoming episodes of YOUNGER, BROAD CITY and ODD MOM OUT. Alysia may be all over your streaming shows and on your TV, but she couldn't get an agent for years and self-submitted and taped for the break role in the Oscar nominated film SIDEWAYS. Listen in to hear her daily practice for being a creative person and how she is mentoring the next generation of female storytellers.

  Monique Coleman was raised by a single Mom with the intention of being the best you and putting your effort in what is inside you that makes you shine.  There was never an emphasis on the best headshot, the best hair, or the best clothes only the best YOU.  Monique scored several critically acclaimed films as a youngster and was awarded the Young Artist Award in 1998.  But it is her purpose, goal setting and achieving that blew away her competitors in the first year in Los Angeles.  She understands branding and marketing, but ultimately the power of intention to manifest booking six shows immediately upon arriving.  What will surprise you is that her first audition for the film that would make her worldwide famous (High School Musical) is what made her "quit" the business and retreat to Chicago.  Listen in to hear how Monique dealt with fame and transitioned her platform into reaching the youth of our nation.   Monique is currently plays Katina Howard on the Verizon Go90 show Guidance and is producing to two new shows, Queen Bess and Desegregated.

Carlos PenaVega is known for his singing and acting on the hit Nickelodeon show BIG TIME RUSH but now his fans get to experience him on a daily basis through his hit show Lex Loves Los on YouTube. With a growing desire to make his own content, Carlos began documenting behind the scenes footage while traveling the world to sold out concerts. This skill came in handy and made him think outside the box for developing his brand. Carlos shares the long road to booking the job that changed his life, to the survival skills of staying afloat in this business to single handedly changing the course of his life when he moved to Hawaii. Carlos is currently plays Diego on the new CW show Life Sentence and is producing to two new shows with his wife Alexa PenaVega for IM Global.

Lane Garrison accepted a dare in his senior year of high school and auditioned for the chorus line in the school musical. He didn't get it, but it gave him the confidence to explore that side of himself. A true Texan boy filled with grit and growth he didn't follow the rules, he only followed the intensity of his calling to make movies. After graduation he followed his instincts and headed west. But it didn't come easy for Lane, it took over 6 years to get a theatrical agent. Lane didn't give himself a backup plan, instead he strategized and worked hard to make opportunities happen for himself. After Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Oscar win for Goodwill Hunting, Lane figured his way into the acting world would be to write himself the part. A deal made over a 10 mile run and a game of basketball with Adam Sandler landed him with the biggest agents in Hollywood. Listen in to hear how Lane followed the "clues to his success" landing him in dynamic roles in Quality of Life, Shooter, Camp Xray, Prison Break, Bonnie and Clyde, From Dusk till Dawn, Better Call Saul, and Roots. The role on Roots garnered Lane a Critics’ Choice Award Nomination for “Best Supporting Actor In A Movie Made For Television Or Miniseries.

Gillian Vigman deems herself a late bloomer to the acting game, but she has always been an entertainer. She hailed from Second City in Chicago, but didn't give Los Angeles a try till she was 30 years old. A comedic genius with a self-depricating heart of gold, this woman knows how to make the uncomfortable job of auditioning into a humorous experience for everyone involved. Life has come full circle for Gillian from being taught by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler back in Chicago to now sharing the screen with them. Gillian held down multiple jobs for years to support her craft and find her "special something" that made her stand out from the crowd. Comedy. Life with Gillian is a constant chuckle, even as she journeys down the tragic moments of her career, she does so with such wit and amusement. You don't want to miss a moment of what might come out of this woman's mouth. Her story defies the Hollywood idealism of age and success. Her amusing approach to auditions has left an impactful imprint on my heart and to the Hollywood casting gods. Gillian has worked in over 70 television and film projects and countless commercial campaigns. She is most recognizable as "Jack's wife" in many Jack in the Box commercials and Bradley Cooper's wife in all the Hangover movies, but also for notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on the sketch series MADtv. Gillian appeared in the critcially acclaimed show Son's & Daughters, Californication, New Girl, Suburgatory, Parks and Recreation, Dr. Ken, Life in Pieces, and Scrubs. Gillian currently can be seen in THE HOUSE with Amy Poehler and Will Ferrel, in HBO's show DIVORCE and new CW show LIFE SENTENCE.

Jason Momoa was the FIRST one to audition for GAME OF THRONES and the LAST one cast a year later. His cousins impact on his life helped him make a strong choice that ultimately landed him the role. But it took him a few years and a couple of classes to trust his instinctive strong choices and learn how to "audition". BAYWATCH discovered him in his native home of Hawaii among a 1300 person cattle call. Jason responded to a radio call announcing the audition that would pay him more than the daily rate of folding T-shirts at the family owned surf shop. Jason's unique look has always made him a different choice but also made opportunities few and far between. So Jason, with many of his close friends, formed the production company Pride of Gypsies which has made Jason into an all around film maker, writing, producing, directing and acting. Jason will always be remembered for his unforgettable role as Drogo in season one of GAME OF THRONES. Currently, Jason is Aquaman in the DC Comics JUSTICE LEAGUE and AQUAMAN in 2018. Check out Pride of Gypsies' BROWN BAG DIARIES, ROAD TO PALOMA and BRAVEN.

Tommy Dewey may seem casually cool and like he has it all figured out in this business, but it took "letting go" of perfection to land the jobs on CASUAL and THE MINDY PROJECT that made him feel like he could truly relax and embrace a fully realized character.  A collegiate track runner at Princeton University, Tommy had big plans for Wall Street signing up for the LSAT twice. On hiatus from a stress fracture, Tommy accepted a challenge to audition for the two coveted spots in Princeton's improv troupe.  No acting experience, but a innate sense of comedic timing and his sports driven ambitious nature landed him one of the two coveted roles out of 100 actors.  Tommy not only secured the spot in the group, he eventually was the troupe's director and writer.  Law School was still waiting for Tommy, but Tommy challenged himself with a summer intensive at RODA and now attributes his success to his fall back plan being writing.  Yes, this guy can write!  Tommy took a year off of acting to create and run the writer's room for his own show "Sons of Tucson."  Listen in to hear how Tommy deals with nerves, how he runs a casting session for his shows, what really gets you the job, how to stay in the game and how his back up plan now is writing.

Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to a mother of Korean and Japanese descent and an African-American father serving in the U.S Force. Growing up in Nebraska,but not into football, Merle didn't know where she fit. A friend encouraged Merle to choose drama as a study because she was told it was "easy". Little did Merle know that the drama department would be the community she had been longing for and that expression would give her the platform to explore social conditions and and the emotions that must be exposed to understand and accept each other. Merle graduated college and had a wild inclination that New York was where she needed to be to fulfill her purpose. With $107 in her pock, a packed Uhaul and an ailing kitten, she drove to New York and landed in the sea of many hopeful artist. Merle was still figuring out what was cool and learning everything on the fly. At the time a non-equity actor, she heard that everyone in town was going to audition for "Jesus Christ Superstar", so she decided to learn a song and stand in line at 4am to hopefully be given the opportunity to audition. At 1pm the casting director not only called her in to the room, but gave her the space and the light to shine. Even though most things came to Merle very easily, she was still doing what she considers "on the job" training and chasing after an idea or feeling of what it is to be an actress. After a job replaced her, a blessing in disguise, Merle accredits her acting coach Warner Loughlin for giving her the strength and confidence to approach every role with ease and unwavering sense of responsibility to the intention and message of the role. After working three jobs to support her theater career, Merle Dandridge landed herself in the company of Oprah and now holds the honor of portraying Grace on OWN's hit show, GREENLEAF. This woman's 25 year journey is nothing short of resilient, spiritual, and guided.

NYU graduate Julie Benz has worked, developing a career that has ridden high waves as a series regular on several TV shows…but she still auditions and LOVES it. By the time Julie Benz was 16 years old she had retired from her professional career as a figure skater due to an injury and was dragged by her Mom to her first audition. Julie got cast in the play and loved it. But Julie didn’t feel like she was a “natural” at acting and enrolled at the drama department at NYU, plus took additional acting classes in the city to get more experience. When NYU tried to kick her out for auditioning for a pilot, a tenured teacher put her reputation on the line and said she would quit teaching if Julie was kicked out of the program. Three years later, Julie graduated NYU and ran to Hollywood. Julie isn’t a prude, but she insists there must be a financial transaction to see her in a bikini. This smart and savvy woman stands her ground and respects her craft, yet will bravely put her raw “makeup free” heart and soul into an audition. Listen in to hear how accepting Vampire Girl #1 for Buffy the Vampire Slayer impacted her career and set the foundation of being on a short list for studios. Here she shares her “most favorite things” about acting, auditioning and The Secret gratitude journal. Julie Benz currently can be seen critically acclaimed show Dexter, Defiance, Hawaii Five-0 and constant reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Katheryn Winnick now stars in the History Channel critically acclaimed show Vikings in the iconic role of Lagertha, but it took 14 years to find the right role to really embrace and represent Katheryn's unique strength as a double black belt holder in Tae Kwon Do and Karate. Katheryn started her journey into acting by getting fired off of her first set by being too enthralled in the realism of the major action on set and instinctively starting to yell in the scene as a background artist. Her mother picked her up from set and Katheryn defiantly held her head high and told her Mom, "One day I'm going to be a lead actress and they won't be able to fire me." Katheryn is not only a lead actress, she is critically acclaimed and is on the short list for every major studio. Katheryn's business savvy skills as a young child made her the proud owner of three Tae Kwon Studios by the age of 21. When she started to pursue acting in New York in her early 20s she avoided having the torturous struggling artists syndrome because she had a thriving lucrative empire back in Toronto. After being chosen to be on the first season of "The It Factor" Katheryn landed an influential theatrical agent and started making creatively bold choices in the audition room that garnered attention from casting directors on both coasts. The self-taught, introspective woman studied her own feelings and gave herself her own assessment of each audition by keeping an audition journal. This journal allowed her to see and identify her strengths and weaknesses in the audition room. This journal allowed her to be more free with herself and the feelings she had in the audition that ultimately illuminated a courageous, thoughtfully crafted career that many seek to have. Katheryn Winnick can be seen in the 5th season of History's show Vikings, in The Dark Tower opposite Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba and in Call of Duty WWII video game.  

Damon Dayoub didn’t dream of being an actor, he was working 90 hour weeks in El Paso, TX managing bars and decided he needed a hobby.  That hobby landed him in Los Angeles at the mercy of some of the best casting directors looking out for him.  Damon worked hard on his new found love of acting and started crafting a career by learning some tough lessons, taking chances and being humble.  Many of Damon’s job have been from a few casting elites who have an eye for greatness and trust his instincts.  Damon landed his first TV guest star role on the show, The Whole Truth (2010) casted by Michael Testa.  Damon has also appeared on shows such as, Brothers & Sisters, Single Ladies, Dallas, NCIS, and The Last Ship. Damon currently plays Detective Quincy Fisher on the third season of Freeform’s Stitchers (also cast by Michael Testa) and will be seen on the big screen later this year in Danger One.