Back To One

In this epic episode, we really get to know the talented actor Danny Deferrari, who plays Max in Emma Seligman's brilliant and hilarious new film "Shiva Baby," and I'm eternally grateful for it. He talks about appreciating the "emotional language" that Seligman speaks and the heavy life situation that was weighing on him during that movie. He takes us through his early training as an actor, his formative and important seasons at the Williamstown Theater Festival, and the trials and tribulations that brought him to his "Holy Trinity of Artistic Safety." I break down how a small performance of his was successful because I didn't even know he performed it, and much much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Billy Magnussen is a Tony nominated actor who you know from "Game Night," "Into The Woods," "Ingrid Goes West," and "Maniac." On this episode, he talks about the foundational benefits of his early stint on a soap opera, the importance of showing up for your career, his fondness for Cristin Milioti, his co-star on the wonderful new HBO Max series "Made for Love" (with stories of pestering her mercilessly when they both performed on Broadway in theaters next door to each other), and he makes an impassioned plea for the celebration of NEW works in the theater. Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Lily Rabe is probably best know for inhabiting a half-dozen characters over many seasons on Ryan Murphy's hugely popular "American Horror Story" series, and recently her supporting performance in "The Undoing" had a lot of people talking, but in New York City, she's theater royalty. I pinpoint my first encounter with her greatness. It was as Portia in "The Merchant of Venice" for Shakespeare in the Park. The court scene. She details the lengths director Daniel Sullivan went to avoid rehearsing that scene, and the miraculous occurrence when they finally did. She talks about being an "over-packer" when it comes to preparation. I ask if there's a healthy way to go to dark places and still be affective, and about working with amazing young actors on her addictive new thriller series "Tell Me Your Secrets" (now on Amazon Prime), plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

"Westworld" star Leonardo Nam didn't know that I saw him perform a scene in an acting class in New York City way back when. An inventiveness and creativity were on display there that I still see in his work. In this hour, he tells an amazing story of literally coming to a crossroad in his young life, and how he boldly chose what felt right, and turned toward the pursuit of acting. He talks about the importance of finding the "play" in every role, why the costuming days are his favorite in pre-production, and how meditation helps get him "back to one." Plus much more!

You're about to hear the name Julia Sarah Stone quite a bit. The young Canadian acting phenom is turning Hollywood heads with a focused talent and poise well beyond her years. Her latest movie, the unique sci-fi thriller "Come True," which has been wowing audiences at festivals, is opening Friday March 12th from IFC Midnight. In this episode, she talks about the "playable" characteristic that helped her performance in that film, the traps actors easily fall into when they lay in the emotion while losing sight of basic aspects such as motivation, and why she always wants to be a student of the craft, no matter where her career takes her. Plus much more! She's the kind of actor that will make you want to open Final Draft and finally start writing that script. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Since playing Lau in "The Dark Knight," Chin Han has been on a Hollywood run, acting in blockbuster action movies like "Ghost in a Shell," "Skyscraper," and "Captain American: Winter Soldier," as well as work on a less grand scale for Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, and the celebrated Netflix series "Marco Polo." Now he stars in the eagerly anticipated new "Mortal Kombat" movie as the shape-shifting villain Shang Tsung. I asked him how he dealt with the history, fan passion and anticipation for the character in his preparation and how it affected him during production. He talks about his interesting process of de-linking the text and deconstructing himself as a way of building the performance. And we discuss iconic lines and how to approach their delivery, plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

She's probably best known for her Emmy-Nominated performance as FBI secretary Martha Hanson on FX's critically acclaimed series "The Americans," and now Alison Wright has breathed life into another complex character in yet another hit series—Ruth Wardle on TNT's "Snowpiercer." In this hour, she gives us a peek under the hood of her craft and we get closer to understanding how she's able to bring such naturalism and depth to all her performances. She talks about her early fascination with "The Method" that led her to the Lee Strasberg Institute, her "thought-linked" approach to the text which she developed over the years (that just might be a big part of the secret to her greatness), and I ask her about taking the challenge of playing Emilia in "Othello" for the Public Theater's legendary Shakespeare in the Park, having never touched the Bard before, and possibly redefining and revolutionizing the role forever. Plus LOTS more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Olivia Cooke had no formal training and claims to have no real process. Is she just a natural? A freak of nature? How else to explain the incredible range and astounding talent of this rising star? I first took note of her work in the black comedy "Thoroughbreds," and then Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One" and the British mini-series "Vanity Fair." She is on fire now with three new films, "Little Fish," "Pixie," and last year's "Sound of Metal." I ask her to break down one amazing scene in the latter, and she talks about the advantages of its immersive filming process. She explains the importance of not taking herself or the job too seriously, and why she once needed to punch a wall to make herself cry. Follow Back To One on Instagram

There are several moments in Delroy Lindo's performance as Paul in "Da 5 Bloods" where I believe the voiceless (Black solders who never came back from Vietnam?) speak through him. Sure that might be hooey, but the very idea that I believe it says something about his incredible work in Spike Lee's celebrated Netflix film. On this episode, I ask Lindo to break down the filming of the gripping monologue that is the centerpiece of that performance, and about his initial apprehension and ultimate acceptance of the MAGA aspect of Paul's character. He takes us back to his first formative experience on the stage, as Herald Loomis in "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," and tells a vexing story of the first time the word "Oscar" was being tossed around him. Plus lots more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Christina Anthony plays Denise on the ABC series "Mixed-ish." She generously gives us a fascinating inside look at working on a sit-com from the point of view of an actor who is totally new to the process. She tells the story of sitting at a table read 90 minutes after being cast on the show following years of struggling through 100+ fruitless pilot auditions, talks about how her Chicago theater roots still pay dividends in her work, getting used to the idea of rotating directors, knowing when to speak up about issues with the script, and how she's ready to be your next action hero. Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram