*This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike* Ayo Edebiri is everywhere in 2023, a year that includes five film roles, appearances in eight TV series, and her first ever Emmy nomination for playing sous-chef Sydney in Hulu’s “The Bear.” So it’s taken a bit to get used to the downtime she’s in now, thanks to careful planning (plus concurrent strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA). Either way, she needed the space to, in her words, “be a human being.” “It feels so trite but it's the most crucial thing,” she says. “Any [artist] who is so consumed with making things, making things, making things, there's no reserve in the well. There's no real life in you.” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Edebiri explains her journey from stand-up stages and writers rooms to a packed performance schedule, as well as how she feels about taking on her biggest project yet—the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie “Thunderbolts.” --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Byrne guides us through her acting career, from getting rejected from drama school to her busy 2023, which includes two Apple TV+ series—Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller’s “Platonic” and Season 3 of Annie Weisman’s “Physical,” premiering August 2—plus a return to horror in Patrick Wilson’s “Insidious: The Red Door.” Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Ben Platt really loves live theater—and now, that passion for the stage is on full display in “Theater Camp,” the Christopher Guest-inspired mockumentary Platt co-wrote with longtime friends and collaborators Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, and Noah Galvin. Platt also co-stars alongside Gordon, who also co-directed with Lieberman. The film is a real labor of love, with its spotlight shining directly on the importance of spaces like theater camps for any young mind with an interest in the arts. For Platt, working with the movie’s extensive cast of kid actors was a lesson all its own. “It just reminds you why you're doing this in the first place, and what instilled a deep enough love of something that you were willing to be in a business that isn’t the easiest or most stable, or is certainly quite an anxiety-provoking lifestyle to choose,” Platt told us. “The purity of their excitement to be there, their raw talent and willingness to jump in—and also how deeply they looked up to all of us, and were listening to us—it makes you take a lot of responsibility and pride in the kind of artists and professionals that you are, and that you want to inspire them to be.” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Platt explains what theater can teach every actor, and what making “Theater Camp” taught him about himself. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Jessica Williams found her dream job in the Apple TV+ dramedy “Shrinking”—and now she wants to ensure the next generation of performers has that same opportunity. “When I'm acting, and I'm doing a good scene, and I feel like I'm in my bag, quote unquote, it feels like flying,” Williams tells us. “I feel very comfortable when I'm acting on a really good job. I'm like, oh, I'm so lucky, this is why I do this. But there's so many barriers to get to that. I'm a very lucky anomaly, and I think a huge majority of actors have a lot of barriers to get there.” In this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Williams dives deep into her improv background, working alongside Harrison Ford, and the importance of mental health awareness for actors. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Natasha Lyonne has generative AI on the mind. “I would say almost at all times,” the star and executive producer of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face” tells us. “I am agog that that is not the headline conversation on everyone's minds, considering it's so obviously about to change the world so radically for all of us, in all of our fields, so quickly.” In this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Lyonne explains how she’s “fighting the good fight” to keep the ideals of classic cinema alive in projects like “Poker Face.” --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Bella Ramsey is quickly becoming a household name talent thanks to hits like “Game of Thrones” and “The Last of Us.” It was only recently, though, that they admitted they might just be able to make a career out of this. “I used to say to people when they asked what I did, I'd say, ‘Oh I do acting,’” Ramsey tells us. “That eventually shifted to me saying, ‘I'm an actor.’ It's such a tiny little change in language, but it really feels different.” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Ramsey takes us behind the scenes of ‘The Last of Us,’ shares their acting secrets, and gets candid about how they’re feeling headed into season 2 of the HBO apocalypse drama. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Jodie Comer scored a Tony nomination for Suzie Miller’s ‘Prima Facie,’ the one-woman show in which she plays a barrister, Tessa, whose sense of self is upended by a sexual assault. It’s an astonishing, 100-minute whirlwind where Comer doesn’t leave the stage once. To watch her take audiences on that journey night after night, it’s easy to forget that Comer—best known for TV thriller “Killing Eve” and Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel”—is also making her Broadway debut. “When I took on this role, I didn't know how I was going to do it, truth be told. And I think that was a huge draw,” Comer tells us about accepting the role when it debuted on the West End in 2022. “I was completely in awe. I thought, how will I ever execute this? I was really interested in that journey of: how do I get from where I am now, having no idea how I'm going to do it and struggling to imagine it, to performing this eight nights a week?” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Comer dives deep into how that journey took shape and the realities of carrying a Broadway show on your back eight shows a week. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Haley Lu Richardson, best known for playing Gen Z poster-child Portia in “The White Lotus” season 2, has been angling to dance in a musical for at least 12 years. “I've been putting this out into the universe since I was 16. That's my biggest dream, for sure,” Richardson tells us. (She’s currently “talking to people about it,” she adds. There are “ideas circulating.”) That desire isn’t just a throwback to Richardson’s days as a dancer before she transitioned to acting—it’s an extension of how she still approaches performing. “The thing I love about acting the most is the thing I love about dancing the most. It’s this thing that comes from your soul; it’s just such a vulnerable, abandoned thing,” she says. “The first time I really felt like I was acting was actually through dance. Now when I think about, what is my [acting] process? It is such an internal thing. It’s in my body, it’s listening to music.” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Richardson makes a few more discoveries about her own acting process, gets candid about the reaction to her “White Lotus” character, and reveals the iconic script she once turned down. This episode is sponsored by Voice123, the first online marketplace for voice actors with over 30,000 projects of all genres flowing through annually. Got a creative project you’d like to bring to life? Download our free step-by-step guide at voice123.co/intheenvelope to successfully find the right voice for your projects! Hire a voice actor by signing up at voice123.com for a free account and posting your projects today! --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

Charlie Day is the co-creator of TV’s longest-running live-action sitcom, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the voice of Luigi in the box office hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and writer-director of the star-studded new comedy “Fool’s Paradise.” And he wants any creatives looking to emulate that success know that the doubt never goes away—you just have to use it. "You're gonna be filled with self doubt. Because you're not a mathematician; there's no equation at the end of your work where you're going to say, ‘oh great, it equalled nine. I knew it,’” Day says. “You have to come up with your own equation, and say ‘purple plus blue plus John Malkovich plus Jon Brion equals nine for me. Now I feel satisfied.’ It's just a series of risks you have to take. But that's why you do it, right?” In this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Day takes us through his creative process both in front of and behind the camera. This episode is sponsored by Voice123, the first online marketplace for voice actors with over 30,000 projects of all genres flowing through annually. Got a creative project you’d like to bring to life? Download our free step-by-step guide at voice123.co/intheenvelope to successfully find the right voice for your projects! Hire a voice actor by signing up at voice123.com for a free account and posting your projects today! -- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis

The role of intimacy coordinator is a relatively new one in the entertainment industry; at its core, it's designed to make sex scenes on set and stage safer and more comfortable for the actors involved. While the professionals shaping this position come from different backgrounds and have adopted their own unique approaches, the origins of intimacy coordination lie in a desperate need that went unfulfilled for far too long. “I did a call out, I think it was on Facebook, and I just said, ‘please send me your experience with intimate scenes. I want the good, the bad, the ugly,’” says intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot (“Bridgerton”). “My inbox was just flooded, absolutely flooded. And I think all of them were negative. Every single person who had written in had a negative experience.” In this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, we sat down with Talbot and fellow intimacy coordinators Alicia Rodis (“And Just Like That…”), Mia Schachter (“Blindspotting”), and Nisha Ahuja (“Never Have I Ever”) to discuss how this up-and-coming role is changing sex scenes for the better. --- 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. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to 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 Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0 Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5 Special thanks to... - Host: Vinnie Mancuso - Producer: Jamie Muffett - Social media: Karen Jenkins - Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins - Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis