In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast
Backstage
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, Senior Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 4, 2025 • 40min
Jesse Plemons
Jesse Plemons joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to dive deep into his performance in Yorgos Lanthimos' "Bugonia" (including his reaction to his character's explosive ending), his philosophies on acting, the "Hunger Games" prequel "Sunrise on the Reaping," how his “Friday Night Lights” experience still informs his process, and much, much more.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli
This episode is sponsored by MetroPlusHealth

Nov 27, 2025 • 59min
Dylan O'Brien
Dylan O'Brien joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to discuss his remarkable dual performance in James Sweeney's dark comedy, "Twinless." O'Brien also gets candid about the realities of Hollywood, the highs and lows of his career, why he'll never talk bad about "Teen Wolf," why you should be excited about Sam Raimi's new survival horror film, "Send Help," and much more.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli
This episode is sponsored by MetroPlusHealth

Nov 20, 2025 • 38min
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to discuss the intense experience of juggling two massively different 2025 projects: "Predator: Badlands" and "Sentimental Value." Fanning also gets candid about the entire arc of her career, navigating child stardom, choosing roles, and much, much more.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Nov 6, 2025 • 49min
Zoey Deutch
Zoey Deutch joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to offer intimate, candid insights into the highs and lows of a working actor's life. She also goes deep on playing French New Wave icon Jean Seberg in Richard Linklater's "Breathless" behind-the-scenes biopic, "Nouvelle Vague," getting cut from "The Amazing Spider-Man," and learning to be kinder to herself on set.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Oct 23, 2025 • 50min
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to go in-depth on Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," working with Jacob Elordi, and creating a brand new take on Mary Shelley's mad scientist. Isaac also discusses his life as a young artist fresh out of Julliard, how he's evolved since, and the lessons—both personal and professional—that all aspiring performers should take from his career.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli
Sponsored by MetroPlusHealth

Oct 9, 2025 • 51min
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to offer industry insights and performance tips that any aspiring actor will want to hear. Hawke also discusses "Blue Moon," his ninth collaboration with Richard Linklater, and looks back on past projects like "Dead Poets Society," "Training Day," and the "Before" trilogy.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Sep 25, 2025 • 50min
A-Listers' Acting Origin Stories
On this episode of Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast, we look back on a few of the best stories we got from A-list actors about how they first fell in love with the craft. Featuring in-depth anecdotes from:
Barry Keoghan
Austin Butler
Colman Domingo
Brendan Fraser
Sebastian Stan
Stephanie Hsu
Robin Thede
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Sep 11, 2025 • 41min
Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to offer a rare, candid look inside his acting process. Mescal also discusses his chemistry with Josh O'Connor in "The History of Sound," playing William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet," and what it's been like during camera tests and rehearsals for Sam Mendes' four Beatles biopics, in which he'll play Paul McCartney alongside Harris Dickinson's John Lennon, Joseph Quinn's George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan's Ringo Starr.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Aug 28, 2025 • 44min
Madelyn Cline
Madelyn Cline joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to discuss the experience of filming the fifth and final season of Netflix's "Outer Banks." Cline also gets candid about her road to success and how she plans to navigate this new era of her career.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Andy Turnbull
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli

Aug 14, 2025 • 56min
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to discuss "The Studio," which just notched 23 Emmy nominations. Rogen also gets candid about writing season 2, booking A-list cameos, how he feels about his public persona, the weirdness of acting as an art form, Vin Diesel, James Cameron, and much, much more.
...
Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ
...
Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast
Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Karen Jenkins, Sky Silverman
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Suzy Woltmann, Jenn Zilioli


