Back To One

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Richard Rankin Feb 11, 2020

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Scottish actor Richard Rankin plays Roger Mackenzie Wakefield on the Starz hit series "Outlander" (Season 5 premieres on Sunday, February 16th). On this episode, he talks about the process of stepping back into playing Roger after being on hiatus. We have a very clinical discussion about sex scenes, chemistry, and the importance of genuine depth in on-screen romance. I ask if he's looking for roles where he can use his American accent. A listener question leads to a discussion about the effects of time travel. Plus he (very objectively) talks about why he's the reason season 5 of "Outlander" is the best yet.

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Feb 04, 2020

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On a very special episode, the stars of "Portrait Of A Lady On Fire," Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, and their director, Céline Sciamma, sit down with Peter Rinaldi to discuss gazes, play, Noh, breathing, joy, and the collaboration process at the heart of the French cinematic masterwork.

Deirdre O'Connell Jan 28, 2020

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Deirdre O'Connell is a legend of the New York stage and brings true depth and authenticity to every moment she has in front of the camera, but make no mistake, she doesn't have this "down" yet. In this hour, she talks about why she likes to travel to the place her character resides and why it's important that she believes her character is smarter than her. I ask about her incredible performance in "Diane," one scene in particular, and how on earth she's able to lip sync every single line in the brand new production "Dana H" at the Vineyard theater in New York City. Plus she muses on the "real" reason why she pursued this whole acting endeavor in the first place, what happened when that reason went away, and what, if anything, replaces it.

(Photo by Maria Baranova)

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Marsha Stephanie Blake Jan 23, 2020

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Marsha Stephanie Blake destroyed me. Not just once, a few times. Her devastating portrayal of Linda McCray in "When They See Us" was justifiably recognized with an Emmy nomination last year. She talks extensively about one line in particular that really got to me in that incredible limited series. She also "kills" with comedy too. Like in "The Merchant Of Venice" on Broadway. She talks about obsessively studying Al Pacino during that run, and relishing her time with Viola Davis in this season of "How To Get Away With Murder." She was on her way toward a career in medicine when she got into acting, but she doesn't remember getting bitten by any bug. The world lost a doctor but we gained something more precious—a great actor.

Adrian Martinez Jan 14, 2020

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He's been called the "sidekick to the stars," but a more apt, yet slightly less elegant description of Adrian Martinez is "scene-stealer from the stars." Some recent thefts occur in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "Focus," and "Casa De Mi Padre." You can also see him in the hit ABC show "Stumptown." Now he wrote, produced, directed and stars in the brilliant, timely, and deeply impacting new film "iGilbert." On this episode, he talks about going "all in" to make that labor of love, how the psychological gesture plays a big part in his craft, the work ethic Philip Seymore Hoffman instilled in him that he still thinks about when the curtain goes up, and he gives us a Sesame Street-like lesson in the importance of the letter 'R' in acting: Reveal, Relax, Remember, Rip, and Risk. Plus much more!

Rehearsal : A Special Episode Jan 07, 2020

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On this special episode, I spend a few days with the cast of "A City Of Refuge" as they rehearse this powerful new play by Evan Cuyler-Louison for Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble in New York City. Having had no experience with theatrical rehearsal, I pose lots of questions to Louison (who also directed the production) and his incredible actors, Ylfa Edelstein, Wilton Guzman, Miah Kane, Hailey Marmolejo, Gregg Prosser, and Luke Edward Smith. If, like me, your experience is limited to film production or you just have gaps in your knowledge regarding rehearsal in general, or you're just curious about specific approaches, I think you'll get a lot out of this fly-on-the-wall-style episode. New York theater legends Paul Calderon and David Zayas are the co-artistic directors of Primitive Grace. Check out their episodes of Back To One from last year, and go to primitivegrace.org for more info.

Chris Eigeman Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

The incomparable Chris Eigeman is probably best known for the three films he made with Whit Stillman—"Metropolitan" (which was his very first film), "Barcelona," and "The Last Days of Disco." The singular style of performance he delivered in those films led to great work with filmmakers and showrunners such as Noah Baumbach, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and John Frankenheimer. Lately he's been writing and directing his own films. In this episode he talks about the importance of knowing your role in the story, the harmful effects of the disappearing table read, loving those monologues, the freedom of it NOT being game day, and much more. Recently he's put acting on the back burner to raise a family, but he talks about getting back in front of the camera soon. Oh and, no, he still won't play Robert Chambers.

Mary Kay Place Dec 24, 2019

Show notes

Mary Kay Place's long career is filled with memorable supporting parts in films like "The Big Chill," "The Rainmaker," "Being John Malkovich," and television shows such as "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," for which she won an Emmy. "Diane" is her first starring role. Kent Jones wrote it with her in mind. In this episode, Place unpacks and let's us examine the DNA of that vulnerable and subtly devastating performance. She talks about the importance of "building a bridge to the unconscious" (and other Jungian approaches) in her work, finding the rhythm in a scene, not being afraid to be "bad," and much much more.

Miles Robbins Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

When I first took notice of Miles Robbins he was a stand-out among stand-outs in the surprisingly satisfying teen comedy "Blockers." Now he presents another level of his talent in the very thoughtful psychological horror film "Daniel Isn't Real." In this episode he talks about the intense, emotionally taxing experience he had creating that performance, how not being scared is a key ingredient in his work, and the importance of connecting with the duality within himself and the universe. Plus he generously shares his feelings and frustrations with this "weird" endeavor called acting and all the hoopla that surrounds it.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

To say Aaron Taylor-Johnson puts 100% into every role is actually a bit of an understatement. He starts to live as the character months before filming begins. Then, when it's over, it takes him months to "shed the layers" of the character before returning to himself. This might sound like a bunch of hooey, until you actually see the brilliance of the work and the fullness of transformation. He got his big break with "Kick-Ass," spent some time in the Marvel universe, played John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy," then won a Golden Globe for playing a psychopath in "Nocturnal Animals." Now he stars in "A Million Little Pieces," a film he and his wife, director Sam Taylor-Johnson, co-wrote together based on the James Frey book. In this episode he talks about his intense inhabiting process, its benefits and some of its ramifications on other aspects of his life, plus much more!

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