Back To One

I've wanted to sit down with Thomas Sadoski since the inception of Back To One. I had a "who is that guy?" experience while seeing him in Neil Labute's play "Reasons to Be Pretty" and was positively delighted by his portrayal of the quick-witted Don Keefer in "The Newsroom." He's now part of an incredible ensemble of actors in "Life In Pieces," one of the few network comedies worthy of your time. He talks about where he's at one day before the first official performance of Suzan-Lori Park's new play "White Noise," which he stars in at the Public Theater in New York. And he has a few things to say about the intersection of art and activism. Plus -- SORKIN!

His portrayal of Lola, the drag queen in "Kinky Boots," put Chiwetel Ejiofor on the map, then his astonishing performance in "12 Years A Slave" made him a household name. Roles in "The Martian," "Doctor Strange," and the under-appreciated "Z for Zachariah" followed. Now he has written, directed and stars in "The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind," which is in select theaters and on Netflix. He talks about the art of wearing many hats, directing the extremely gifted young Maxwell Simba in his first film role, and the effort he took to not shortchange his own character.

Shea Whigham could easily be in the running for the hardest working actor in show business. In just this past year, he was in "First Man," "Beirut," "Vice," and brilliantly played Thomas Carrasco, the Department of Defense bureaucrat tasked to investigate Julia Roberts' character, in the series "Homecoming." He's worked with Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, David O. Russell, Terrence Malick, and is probably best known for playing corrupt mob brother Eli Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire." In this half hour he talks extensively about his preparation process, what he's learned from the greats, and much more. The constant room noise you hear in the background is the roaring fire we were sitting beside in two comfy armchairs in Lafayette House in New York's East Village.

I first took note of Ariel Kavoussi's singular comedic talent in Onur Tukel's "Applesauce" and then "Catfight," where she hilariously played Ann Heche's assistant and stole every scene she was in. She performed a similar theft this past year on the Netflix series "Maniac," opposite Emma Stone. She also writes and directs her own work. Her new short film "The Poet and The Professor" was called a "truly absurdist, provocative, and contemporary feminist film" by Indiewire. We talk about the origins of her approach to comedy, how she works the audition rooms she suddenly finds herself in, and her relationship to her own unique speaking voice. Plus much more!

If I ever need to cry on cue, I can just picture the expression on Josh Hamilton's face, in "Eighth Grade," when Elsie Fisher hugs him. It's a beautiful, wordless culmination of his incredible performance, which landed him a Spirit Award nomination this year. We discuss that scene, and he shares some of what he's learned from jumping from the New York stage to the big & small screens and back again over the past 25 years. He talks about the importance of syncing with the director's vision, being off-book before rehearsals, and why he's a self described "take whore."

Mads Mikkelsen, known for playing villains, talks about performing intense scenes in 'Arctic' and 'Polar'. They discuss the importance of the script, not knowing too much about the character, and the challenges of filming brutal scenes. Mads Mikkelsen also shares his career and love for making films.

Noomi Rapace became an international sensation playing Lisbeth Salander in the original, Swedish version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels. Hollywood beckoned and leading roles in such films as Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" and Brian DePalma's "Passion" followed. Now she stars in Vicky Jewson's Netflix nail-biter "Close," in a role based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis. In this half hour, Rapace talks about the intense training she went through to prepare for the part, and how that awareness expands to all aspects of her life. Plus she explains how "kicking ass" is more a mental exercise than a physical one.

If you didn't know Imogen Poots was British, it is understandable. Few young actors transform so chameleon-like, role-to-role, applying accents so skillfully. I was first wowed by her in Peter Bogdanovich's "She's Funny That Way" and then I actually didn't even know it was her in "Green Room" until I saw the credits. She floored me again in "Frank and Lola" opposite Michael Shannon, in an entirely different kind of role. Now she plays a drifter with questionable parenting skills, who steers into escalating trouble in "Mobile Homes," and by the end of the movie her performance wrecked me. In this half hour she lifts the hood on her craft and we get to peek in. ("Mobile Homes" is out now on VOD and digital)

Ethan Hawke's "staying power" is grounded in hard work. He survived being the poster child of Generation X ("Reality Bites"), and thrived as Richard Linklater's go-to actor ("The Before Trilogy," "Boyhood") and always returns to the true home of the actor--the theater (he's currently starring in "True West" on Broadway). Now he has delivered one of the most critically acclaimed performances of the year in Paul Schrader's "First Reformed." He generously shares the wisdom and knowledge he's acquired over the years as an actor, and is extremely eloquent when doing so. In this episode, he talks about the importance of off-camera acting, magic vs. rehearsal, not being seduced by laughter, and lots more.

He's perhaps best known for his portrayal of Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on "Game of Thrones" but I first took note of the uniquely talented Aidan Gillen as Mayor Carcetti on "The Wire." The Dublin native's most recent role was the manager of Queen in "Bohemian Rhapsody." Now he stars in the period UFO drama "Project Blue Book," which premieres January 8th on History. In this half hour he talks about his intuition-based approach to preparation, how Jez Butterworth introduced him to the work of John Cassavetes, and I toss a name at him to spark some memories from "The Wire."