That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Neil Jackson fearlessly walks through memory lane of being told no various times, to writing his own musical that caught the attention of a profound theater producer that allowed him to study the craft of acting. This man has had some lucky breaks but they all came from the hand work and relentless preparation of owning his craft and creating his own content. Ten years ago Neil's interview for a prestigious acting school was cut short due to lack of professional training. Ten years later, with several highly notable roles under his belt, he shares his most prized moment of receiving an offer for the 2nd season of Westworld after driving Uber. This man is tenacious and doesn't take NO for an answer. The NO's led to the creation of hunger and passion for performing. Currently, Neil can be seen in the second season of HBO's WESTWORLD and Robert Zemeckis' THE WOMEN OF MARWEN. Instagram: @theneiljackson

Toni Trucks started early in this business of acting, dancing and singing with a goal in mind...to be on Broadway.  But how she achieved that goal came with a tenacious spirit and openness of saying yes to opportunities placing her in front of the decision makers.  This interview will inspire you to say YES to all opportunities and teach you how to manifest your dream job.  Toni gives practical insight on how to handle disappointment in the predictably unpredictable industry.  The Organized Actor Book has taught Toni how to effectively take control of her business and stretch each year as an artist.  Toni has been working as an actress the majority of her life and shares intimate details of some of her most successful auditions to how she handles heartbreak and ego.   Toni Trucks is currently a series regular on the hit CBS show SEAL TEAM.  She is best known for her work in the Showtime series BARBERSHOP, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN-PART 2, FRANKLIN & BASH, and MUSIC & LYRICS.   Toni Trucks IG: @tonitrucks

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.