Back To One

Mary Kay Place's long career is filled with memorable supporting parts in films like "The Big Chill," "The Rainmaker," "Being John Malkovich," and television shows such as "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," for which she won an Emmy. "Diane" is her first starring role. Kent Jones wrote it with her in mind. In this episode, Place unpacks and let's us examine the DNA of that vulnerable and subtly devastating performance. She talks about the importance of "building a bridge to the unconscious" (and other Jungian approaches) in her work, finding the rhythm in a scene, not being afraid to be "bad," and much much more.

When I first took notice of Miles Robbins he was a stand-out among stand-outs in the surprisingly satisfying teen comedy "Blockers." Now he presents another level of his talent in the very thoughtful psychological horror film "Daniel Isn't Real." In this episode he talks about the intense, emotionally taxing experience he had creating that performance, how not being scared is a key ingredient in his work, and the importance of connecting with the duality within himself and the universe. Plus he generously shares his feelings and frustrations with this "weird" endeavor called acting and all the hoopla that surrounds it.

To say Aaron Taylor-Johnson puts 100% into every role is actually a bit of an understatement. He starts to live as the character months before filming begins. Then, when it's over, it takes him months to "shed the layers" of the character before returning to himself. This might sound like a bunch of hooey, until you actually see the brilliance of the work and the fullness of transformation. He got his big break with "Kick-Ass," spent some time in the Marvel universe, played John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy," then won a Golden Globe for playing a psychopath in "Nocturnal Animals." Now he stars in "A Million Little Pieces," a film he and his wife, director Sam Taylor-Johnson, co-wrote together based on the James Frey book. In this episode he talks about his intense inhabiting process, its benefits and some of its ramifications on other aspects of his life, plus much more!

Emily Beecham won the best actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for her brilliantly nuanced and tightly focused performance in Jessica Hausner's art house science fiction film "Little Joe." Recently she played The Widow in the AMC series "Into The Badlands," starred in "Daphne," and had a memorable supporting role in "Hail Caesar." In this episode she talks about the importance of connection, avoiding "attractive acting," Mike Leigh, the strenuousness of intense physical performance, her "Little Joe" hair, and much more!

Stephanie Kurtzuba plays Irene, wife of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), in "The Irishman." It's her second film with Martin Scorsese. She played stockbroker Kimmie Belzer in "The Wolf of Wall Street." She talks about working with the legendary filmmaker and what sets him apart as an actor's director. She also explains her process of extracting preconceptions made in the audition, and she gushes about her first love--the rehearsal room, but tells us why, despite her heart being on the stage, she wouldn't give up working for the camera if she could. Plus much more!

Tracy Letts has parallel successful careers as an actor and a playwright. He won a Tony Award for his performance in the Steppenwolf revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" and a Pulitzer Prize for his play "August: Osage County." His screen credits include "Lady Bird," "The Lovers," and the new movie :"Ford v Ferrari," in which he plays Henry Ford II. In this episode, he talks about "pretending with authority," making friends with the camera, the "responsibility" of the leading role, and how he's preparing to do something he's never done--act in a play he wrote (The Minutes) on Broadway. Plus he takes us back to a leaner time, and talks about why he stopped chasing empty acting jobs in LA and took "a vow of poverty" to return to Chicago for more satisfying work at Steppenwolf. It paid off.

"The Warrior Queen of Jhansi" is the first Hollywood action film to have a female Indian lead. Devika Bhise not only stars in the film (opening Friday November 15th), she co-wrote it with her mother, Swati Bhise, who also directed it. In this episode, she talks about performing under stressful time restraints, how not having "the leisure to lose it" actually helped her play such a powerful leader, and the physical work required (including some "illegal" horseplay!), plus how her intense training in classical Indian dance helps her prepare for every role, and much more!

I've wanted to sit down with Dorian Missick for some time. The seasoned actor has six dozen credits in television shows like "Southland," "Luke Cage," "Tell Me A Story," and movies spanning from "Two Weeks Notice" to this year's "Brian Banks." In this hour, he passes on pearls of wisdom acquired from his many years in the business, like his new radical approach to auditions, why he aims for 100 reads of a script before first day of production, how he and his actor wife Simone Missick support each other's journeys, and the importance of a "team sport" mentality, plus much more!

He's only 21, but going by the depth of his work and the eloquent way he talks about it, Alex Wolff feels like a seasoned veteran. "I've basically been on camera since the sonogram," he says, joking about his childhood in "The Naked Brothers Band" with his brother, Nat, on Nickelodeon. Since then he's knocked out a handful of impressive performances in films like "Patriots Day," "My Friend Dahmer," and "Hereditary." Now he's written, directed and stars in a labor of love called "The Cat and The Moon." He talks about treating his actors like kings and queens on that film, stealing from the greats, letting prep work flow through the bloodstream, and much more.

Australian actor Jason Clarke is a rare breed—the character actor leading man. He gives a virtuoso performance as Grigory Potemkin, opposite Helen Mirren, in the new HBO mini-series "Catherine The Great." He also stars in "Pet Cemetery," "Dawn of the Planet of The Apes," "Terminator Genysis," "Zero Dark Thirty," and won accolades for his portrayal of Ted Kennedy in "Chappaquiddick." In this half hour he talks about his love of research, his dedication to the text, being there for the other actor, and the uselessness of fame. Plus much more!