Back To One

Part of Stacy Martin's performance, in her wonderful new film "Archive," involves essentially playing robots at various stages of development. She talks about the challenge that posed for her as an actor, and how director Gavin Rothery's complete command of his vision helped her process. She takes me back to her days at the Actors' Temple in London, and how an intensive workshop there changed her life and prepared her for the remarkable experience of her first film, Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac." She shares an important bit of direction that Lars gave her that blows my mind. We swap stories about Anne Wiazemsky and Anna Karina, and an appreciation for Carroll Baker, plus (*warning*) we spoil the hell out of "Archive," so please check it out on VOD.

Mireille Enos made a splash on Broadway in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," then her big break in television came with "The Killing," where she played Sarah Linden to much acclaim for four seasons. "World War Z" opposite Brad Pitt followed, and now the second season of the action-drama hit series "Hanna" premiered on Amazon this month. Enos talks about how exceptional writing helps multi-season work, learning about story-craft from Tom Stoppard, the importance of being open to intuition, and how empathy helps you build yourself as an actor. Plus much more!

She claims she doesn't know how to talk about her process, but on this episode, Cristin Milioti eloquently lifts the hood and let's us peek in on the engine fueling her incredibly varied work, across all genres on the stage and screen, like the Broadway musical "Once," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Wolf of Wall Street," the "USS Callister" episode of "Black Mirror," this year's "Modern Love" and the huge Sundance hit "Palm Springs," which just dropped on Hulu and in drive-ins across the nation. She talks about feeling protective of her characters, why it's necessary to let go of the "death grip," and the importance of trust, which leads to a powerful testimony for the appreciation of Elizabeth Berkley. Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Ron Cephas Jones won a Emmy for his work on the hit series "This Is Us." His latest series, "Truth Be Told," just got picked up for a second season on Apple TV. In this episode, he takes us back to his early days at LAByrinth theater in New York City, starring in Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped The A Train," and explains how Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was directing, forever changed his approach to work. He also talks about the importance of collaboration for the actor, why the script never leaves him in the days leading up to production, and how the three words "work begets work" removes all worries, plus much more!

Eve Lindley enjoys puzzles, so you can imagine her delight at finding out that she was recently a crossword puzzle clue. The breakout star of AMC's "Dispatches From Elsewhere" sat down with me (outside, with physical distancing, and following strict safety protocols) to talk about why she loves auditioning, her belief that "it's all in the text," how picking the brain of Jason Segel (creator and star of "Dispatches") helped her find her character, and much more! Plus we get deep about hopes and hurts as we gaze at the New York City skyline.

She's barely in her 20's, yet Daisy Edgar-Jones has given us a 12-part acting technique masterclass in the form of her portrayal of Marianne in Hulu's hit series "Normal People." Every state of emotion, every point of transformation is reached with striking authenticity stemming from this complex character. It's a timeless performance for the ages. In this episode, she breaks down some of that work, talks about her love of acting with accents, the importance of creative chemistry, how she manages her acting insecurities, and much more. Follow Back To One Podcast on Instagram

Few actors in recent memory have made a bigger impact with their very first performance in a television series. Paul Mescal's assured and quietly masterful portrayal of Connell in "Normal People" feels like the work of a veteran. He talks extensively about the "chemistry reads" portion of his audition process, before and after connecting so brilliantly with his equally gifted co-star, Daisy Edgar-Jones. He also goes into detail about the struggle filming one of the most talked-about and emotionally affecting scenes in the series. Plus he tells us why the "light and fun side" of all the attention on his costume accessories "has definitely come and gone." And much more!

Tom Pelphrey is getting accolades from both critics and viewers for his performance as Ben (brother of Laura Linney's character Wendy) on the third season of Netflix's hit series "Ozark." In Pelphrey's hands Ben's vulnerability and explosiveness both seem to have deep-seated roots; there is a vast world behind his piercing eyes. On this episode he talks about how the atmosphere on the set of Ozark helped him bring that character to life, how his early success on daytime television prepped him for other aspects of the work, and why endless takes with David Fincher was heaven. Plus much more!

British actor James Norton gives an affecting and haunting performance in Agnieszka Holland's important new film "Mr. Jones," which opens June 19th. Last year he played James Brooke (Meg's love interest) in Greta Gerwig's "Little Women." The discussion in this episode comes back often to those two directors, as Norton generously takes us on a deep dive into his stage and screen work, lets us peek under the hood of his process, and talks about why he's not consumed by his expanding "leading man status."

In these last 10 years, stage and screen veteran Peter Friedman has enjoyed a steady flow of work, more than the first 30 years of his career. Recently, he got raves for his Polonius in Sam Gold's production of "Hamlet" at the Public Theater, had a recurring role on the Hulu series "The Path," and now plays Frank Vernon on the hit HBO show "Succession." On this episode, he talks about how being the "new kid in class" as a day-player on set makes him nervous, why it's ok to dismiss work that doesn't speak to you, how performing with The Muppets messed with his acting training, and much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram