Back To One

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Carrie Coon Sep 15, 2020

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Carrie Coon has quietly built a reputation as an acting powerhouse though a collection of phenomenal performances in television shows like "The Leftovers," "Fargo," and "The Sinner," and movies such as "Gone Girl," "The Post," and her latest, "The Nest." In this episode, she talks about the paramount importance of breath work, using "touchstones" for emotional connection, her first experience on the New York stage in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," the quarantine film education she's getting with her husband, Tracy Letts, and much more!

Katherine Waterston Sep 08, 2020

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Katherine Waterston is one of our most brilliant and committed actors. She brings superstar power to indies like "Queen of Earth" and "State Like Sleep," and a captivating authenticity to franchises like "Fantastic Beasts" and "Alien." It was "Inherent Vice" that first brought her to my attention. In this episode, she talks about why she was "a pig in shit" making that film, why having lots and lots of time to live with a script is ideal for her, becoming "comfortable being uncomfortable," the "best feeling I can experience without breaking the law," and her exciting new multi-part project "The Third Day," starting September 14th on HBO. Plus much more!

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(Photo by Tung Walsh)

Rosalind Chao Sep 01, 2020

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When one has the opportunity to listen to an actor with the amount of experience as Rosalind Chao has, one must seize it. From the legendary final episode of "M.A.S.H" to "Black-ish," from "The Joy Luck Club" to Disney's eagerly anticipated live action "Mulan," Chao has seen it all! On this episode, the once "professional guest star" opens up about how she's happier when working and happiest on a happy set. She talks about why it's important to get to the fitting early in her process, adding years to her age to get her first job, learning from Peggy Feury, appreciating Robin Williams, gaining something from every character, and much more!

Ramy Youssef Aug 25, 2020

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Ramy Youssef won the Golden Globe for lead actor in a comedy series for his work in "Ramy," the Hulu series he co-created. The second season came out in May, and the struggles of being a devout young Muslim man in America that fueled the first season, deepen, grow and expand out to peripheral characters in the second, highlighted by the addition of Mahershala Ali as Ramy's wise and loving sheikh. Youssef directed more episodes this season (he's nominated for an Emmy for directing as well as acting). We talk about that and the overall collaborative effort at work behind the scenes, the origins of the Ramy character, and about how the fear connected to what's being depicted helps him play that stripped-down version of himself. Plus he shares some surprising reactions to the show from Egyptian Muslims to American Christians, and much more!

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Niamh Algar Aug 18, 2020

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Irish actor Niamh Algar has been making her mark in the UK of late portraying women dealing with their intense pasts, like Dinah in Shane Meadows' "The Virtues" and Ursula in "Calm With Horses" (which just opened in the states as "The Shadow of Violence"). The intensity continues with her latest project, "Raised By Wolves," Ridley Scott's sci-fi series for HBO MAX (which drops on September 3th). In this episode, she talks about following her gut, why she asks questions early, adapting to the director, the importance of not taking yourself too seriously, and much more!

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Kevin Alejandro Aug 11, 2020

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Kevin Alejandro is finishing his fifth season playing Detective Dan Espinoza on Netflix's "Lucifer." He's also graced your small screen in such series as "The Returned," "Southland," and "True Blood." In 2017 he graduated from the Warner Brothers television director's workshop and directed an episode of "Lucifer." Since then he started his own production company and has turned into a multi-hyphenate, churning out award winning shorts, including the absolutely hilarious "Adult Night." He's back in the director's chair on "Lucifer's" fifth season (part 1), which drops August 21st on Netflix. On this episode, he talks about how the need to create between jobs perpetuated that desire to direct, how learning how your body works opens up avenues in your mind, and he tells a great story about selling all his possessions as a young man to put on a production of "True West" to fundraise his transition to Los Angeles to begin his career, plus much more!

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Paapa Essiedu Aug 04, 2020

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The brilliant young British actor Paapa Essiedu speaks about the work with wisdom that belies his years. He plays Kwame on Michaela Coel's groundbreaking new HBO series "I May Destroy You." In 2016, his "Hamlet" at the Royal Shakespeare Company received great acclaim. In this episode he compares those two characters, who are each facing defining moments in their lives, and talks about the "conscious unconsciousness" necessary to embody them. He discusses the various ways curiosity is useful, and why it's so important to immerse yourself in the world of the story. Plus lots more!

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Stacy Martin Jul 21, 2020

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Part of Stacy Martin's performance, in her wonderful new film "Archive," involves essentially playing robots at various stages of development. She talks about the challenge that posed for her as an actor, and how director Gavin Rothery's complete command of his vision helped her process. She takes me back to her days at the Actors' Temple in London, and how an intensive workshop there changed her life and prepared her for the remarkable experience of her first film, Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac." She shares an important bit of direction that Lars gave her that blows my mind. We swap stories about Anne Wiazemsky and Anna Karina, and an appreciation for Carroll Baker, plus (*warning*) we spoil the hell out of "Archive," so please check it out on VOD.

Mireille Enos Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

Mireille Enos made a splash on Broadway in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," then her big break in television came with "The Killing," where she played Sarah Linden to much acclaim for four seasons. "World War Z" opposite Brad Pitt followed, and now the second season of the action-drama hit series "Hanna" premiered on Amazon this month. Enos talks about how exceptional writing helps multi-season work, learning about story-craft from Tom Stoppard, the importance of being open to intuition, and how empathy helps you build yourself as an actor. Plus much more!

Cristin Milioti Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

She claims she doesn't know how to talk about her process, but on this episode, Cristin Milioti eloquently lifts the hood and let's us peek in on the engine fueling her incredibly varied work, across all genres on the stage and screen, like the Broadway musical "Once," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Wolf of Wall Street," the "USS Callister" episode of "Black Mirror," this year's "Modern Love" and the huge Sundance hit "Palm Springs," which just dropped on Hulu and in drive-ins across the nation. She talks about feeling protective of her characters, why it's necessary to let go of the "death grip," and the importance of trust, which leads to a powerful testimony for the appreciation of Elizabeth Berkley. Plus much more!

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