Judy Reyes is best known for playing Carla on the TV series “Scrubs,” but her nearly three-decades-long career is packed with roles on long-running shows like “Devious Maids,” and in movies like “Birth/Rebirth,” for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress. Her latest is Hannah Marx’s highly anticipated screen versio…

As a working actor, Ryan Czerwonko’s credits include “The Endgame,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Cherry,” “Paint,” and “Watchmen,” to name a few. He’s also the artistic director of Adult Film, an exciting Brooklyn theater and film group where he acts, directs, and teaches. His latest project is a year-long exploration of Chekhov’s “Sea Gull” tha…

Dylan Baker is the definition of a consummate actor. For over three decades he has delivered so many incredible performances in series like “The Good Wife,” “Damages,” “Hunters,” films like “Happiness,” “Selma,” “Spider-Man 2”, and his latest, “LaRoy, Texas”, where he plays a professional killer. He talks about his approach toward playing despicabl…

His work in series like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “13 Reasons Why,” and “This Is Us,” has established Brandon Scott as a captivatingly talented actor. His latest is the new MAX series “The Girls on the Bus,” where he plays the jilted ex-lover of Melissa Benoist’s journalist character, who now needs his help because he's the new press secretary to the leadi…

Colin Burgess and Anthony Oberbeck star in “Dad & Step-Dad,” a indie comedy film they co-wrote with director Tynan DeLong. It follows Jim and Dave, a dad and a step-dad, as they struggle with bonding during a weekend upstate with Branson, the 13 year-old son they share. It’s about family, communication, insecurity, and the fragility of the male ego…

You know the gifted actor George MacKay from films like “1917” or “True History of The Kelly Gang.” Now he has given us two absolutely incredible performances in “Femme” (in select theaters now) and “The Beast” (out on April 5th). On this episode, he takes us into his process of inhabiting these two extremely different characters. He explains why c…

Lukas Gage is on a roll. In shows like “The White Lotus,” “Euphoria,” “You,” and the latest season of “Fargo,” films like “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” “Down Low” (which he also co-wrote), and now the eagerly anticipated “Road House” reboot, he’s been able to display his immense talent and range. He’s even played himself in “Gossip Girl” and “The Ot…

The Brooklyn-based actor Anastasia Olowin stars in Shaun Seneviratne’s “Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts,” which just had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. She has such a command of the screen and brings so much life to her character, it’s hard to believe this is her first feature film. On this episode, she takes us back to her tra…

As an actor, Hugo De Sousa had breakout leading roles in “We Used to Know Each Other,” “Mister Limbo,” and “Everything in The End.” I was introduced to his work as an actor/filmmaker, with the celebrated shorts he made in collaboration with Frank Mosley—“The Event” and “Good Condition.” On this episode he talks extensively about the making of those…

“Heartbreak Ridge” put him on the map as an actor, “New Jack City” as a director, and with “Posse,” the 1993 hit Western he directed and stars in, Mario Van Peebles secured his place as a celebrated actor/director with countless credits, over the next 30 years, on the big and small screen. His latest is another star-filled, super fun western called…

John Magaro has been delivering consistently stellar performances in films like “Not Fade Away,” “The Big Short,” “Carol,” “First Cow,” and “Showing Up,” to name a few. This past year he played Arthur, husband of Greta Lee’s character Nora, in “Past Lives.” On this episode he talks, spoiler-free, about the last scene of that film, and why it makes …

Leah McKendrick wrote, directed, and stars in the hilarious, super smart, and intensely personal new film “Scrambled.” It’s about a perpetual bridesmaid who, realizing she isn’t quite willing or able to settle down, decides to freeze her eggs. McKendrick doesn’t shy away from depicting her character’s sex life, the frustrations involving family and…

Mia McKenna-Bruce is an English actress. Her performance in the film “How To Have Sex” is, rightfully, being spoken about with many superlatives. Subtle, controlled, thoroughly alive, deeply impacting, it is a star-making turn. There’s a scene where her character, Tara, is simply walking down the street, and it’s something of a revelation. It won h…

Sallieu Sesay is a Sierra Leonean-American actor who has had recurring roles on CBS’ “Seal Team” and HBO’s “Barry,” and, in his latest, delivers an incredible supporting performance in John Trengove's nihilistic thriller “Manodrome,” alongside Jesse Eisenberg. On this episode he talks about doing tons of research before taking on that part, having …

Jack Huston has worked with Scorsese, Ridley Scott, David O’ Russell, The Coens, had meaty roles on series like “Mayfair Witches,” “Fargo,” and, maybe most notably, “Boardwalk Empire,” where he played Richard Harrow. His latest project is Lulu Wang’s Amazon series “Expats.” On this episode he talks about gaining 30 pounds for that part (which wasn’…

You know Spenser Granese from memorable roles on “Better Call Saul,” “Fear of the Walking Dead,” “Pam & Tommy,” and, perhaps most memorably, the character of Bevel in the final season of “Barry.” On this episode, he talks about landing that role after trying hard to get on the show for 3 seasons, and the incredible working environment he found on s…

Discovering Michelle Monaghan in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” was like finding evidence that the old school Hollywood comedy actress gene, long thought extinct, was alive and well. She did more than hold her own opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, she stole the movie. I’ve been rooting for her ever since. A few “Mission Impossibles,” “Gone Baby Gon…

Melora Hardin is best known for playing Jan on the American version of “The Office.” She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the series “Transparent.” Recently she stepped back into the role of Trudy Monk for “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” which is streaming now on Peacock. On this episode, she talks about bringing the character Mabel …

You might know Robbie Tann from “Preacher,” “The Deuce,” or when he played Billy on “Mare of Easttown,” or Whitty in the “Mazey Day” episode of the latest season of “Black Mirror.” Currently he plays Shipley in this year’s most exciting and original sci-fi film, “The Creator.” On this episode, he tells how the run-and-gun style of shooting on that …

You know Olli Haaskivi from his work in series such as “Winning Time”, “Manifest”, and “The Sinner,” and films like “Motherless Brooklyn”, “Nancy” and of course, this Summer’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer,” where he played scientist Edward Condon. On this episode he shares his experience of working with Christopher Nolan on that film (which he says see…

Brit Marling is an inspiration. The talented multi-hypenate became an indie darling in 2011 with “Another Earth” and “Sound of My Voice”—collaborations with Mike Cahill and Zal Batmanglij respectively. She avoided various vapid roles and unfulfilling career paths and instead went on to star in (and co-create with Batmanglii) the hit Netflix series …

The SAG strike is over and Back To One returns in the most fitting way—with The Sixth Annual Kevin Corrigan Episode. The living patron saint of the indie actor fills us in on what’s been going on in his world over the past year, talks about playing off of Tim Blake Nelson in his latest film “Bang Bang,” takes us way back to his first time on a film…

“Dogleg” is one of the best films of the year. A unique and hilarious feat of cinematic inventiveness, it follows amateur director Alan, played by Al Warren, after he loses his fiancé's dog at a gender reveal party on the day of an important shoot. Warren also wrote and directed the film, which took more than half a decade to finish. On this episod…

Aidan Gillen returns to the podcast (first time: Episode 40). You know him from some of the most beloved shows of the century: “Game of Thrones,” “The Wire,” “Peaky Blinders,” to name a few. Now he stars in the Irish Neo-noir film “Barber,” where he plays a private investigator hired by a wealthy widow to find her missing granddaughter. He talks ab…

Onur Tukel is a boldly independent writer-director-actor who, for more than a decade, has been making cutting edge comedies in New York City that sometimes land in the horror category, sometimes social satire, are often absurd, mostly hilarious, and always thoughtful—“Catfight,” “Applesauce,” “Summer of Blood,” “The Misogynists,” “Scenes From An Em…

The great actor of the stage and screen, Ron Cephas Jones died on August 19, 2023, at the age of 66. On this episode from 2020, he details the value of a true collaborative relationship with the director, why the script never leaves his side in preproduction, talks about what it was like to slowly build “William” on “This Is Us” through many season…

Please Note: These interviews were recorded prior to the SAG/AFTRA strike, in June 2023, as part of the Tribeca Festival. On this special episode of Back To One, actors Sophia Lillis, Hannah Gross, and Michael Cera talk about their work in writer/director Dustin Guy Defa’s wonderful new film "The Adults." We get a glimpse into each of their general…

On this very special episode, I visit the picket line at each of the four SAG/AFTRA strike sites in New York City, in one continuous, unbroken audio “take.” Actors Michael Gaston, Clarissa Thibeaux, and others talk to me about what’s at stake, and en route to each location I share my own thoughts on the issues at hand, make some predictions, voice …

(This episode was recorded prior to the SAG/AFTRA strike) Dierdre Friel always finds a way to ground her characters in such a deep reality that you feel like they aren’t written at all, just simply among the living. Two examples of this can be found in “Ella” on the NBC show “New Amsterdam,” and “Greta” on “Physical,” the Apple TV+ hit that enters …

Chris Messina is that rare character actor leading man who is the go-to supporting actor in seemingly everything. From “The Mindy Project” and “Newsroom,” to “She Dies Tomorrow” and “I Care A Lot,” he handles ultra-serious roles (like in “Blame,” which I loved) or uproarious ones (such as this year’s hit “Air”) with what seems like effortlessness, …

Dave Burd, known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is a multi-platinum rapper, comedian and actor. For three seasons now, he has been the co-creator, executive producer, writer and star of the critically acclaimed comedy series, “Dave.” In this hour, he takes us from the beginning, being the laugh machine for his friends, through the discovery of his mu…

Few television show characters are more iconic than “Mad Men’s” Don Draper. Jon Hamm played him for 7 seasons and just might have changed television forever. Since then Hamm has ventured into film and exercised his funny muscles. Last year’s “Confess, Fletch” was a wonderful example of what Hamm can do with good material, and so is his latest, “Mag…

Mark Duplass is the living patron saint of the indie filmmaker. Honest, simple, modest, positive, affirming about the work, Duplass, first with his brother Jay and now on his own, has become a household name in the film world for producing projects in a DIY style foregrounding authenticity, improvisational humor, and human connection. As an actor, …

In recent movies like “Air” and “Funny Pages,” television series like “Our Flag Means Death,” and plays like Annie Baker’s “The Flick,” Matthew Maher has made a name for himself as someone who can bring an oddball or weirdo to life with enough charm, charisma, and genuine gusto to make us love him unconditionally. On this episode, he talks about hi…

It is extremely hard not to love Jeff Hiller’s character Joel, opposite Bridget Everett’s Sam, on the hit HBO series “Somebody Somewhere.” Their friendship is sweet, revelatory, and concerningly codependent, all at the same time. On this episode, he talks about how he got good at auditioning while wondering if he’d ever play someone with an inner l…

Owen Teague is only 24, but he’s already had an opportunity to show his range as an exceptional young actor in shows like “Bloodline,” “Black Mirror,” and “The Stand” and films like “To Lesley,” “Montana Story,” and the new Nicole Holofcener film, “You Hurt My Feelings” (which opens Friday, May 26th). On this episode, he talks about gleaning “a lot…

With incredible performances in films like “Midnight Cowboy,” “Coming Home,” “Deliverance,” and “Runaway Train,” Jon Voight has earned himself a spot in the acting Pantheon. At 84, he has never stopped working. Seven seasons of “Ray Donovan” being a recent highlight. On this episode, he talks about how he “starts slow” when developing an approach t…

You’ve seen his work in such films as “Interstellar” and “Cloud Atlas,” and television series like “Containment” and “Carnival Row," now David Gyasi plays Austin Dennison in Debora Cahn’s new hit Netflix limited series “The Diplomat.” On this episode, he talks about the rare collaboration he had with Cahn in developing Dennison, the part of the job…

The 4K restoration and re-release of the comedy “Party Girl” brings Parker Posey to Back To One. Shortly after the success of that movie in 1995, she went on to star in so many independent films, like “The Daytrippers,” “Clockwatchers,” “The House of Yes” (not to mention a bunch of Hal Hartley and Christopher Guest classics), that she was dubbed “Q…

My first encounter with the work of actor, writer, director Betsey Brown was her captivating and shocking performance in “The Scary of Sixty-First.” Then, in her first feature film “Actors,” she and her brother Peter Vack play over-the-top versions of themselves in a wildly fictional, yet super-personal exploration of their relationship that boldly…

Emily Meade is best known for her roles in the HBO shows “The Deuce,” “The Leftovers,” and “Boardwalk Empire.” Her latest project, the Amazon series `Dead Ringers,” premieres on April 21st. She became an advocate for intimacy coordinators on set following a lack thereof on “The Deuce,” where she portrayed a sex worker. After urging HBO to hire an i…

For three decades, Julio César Cedillo has been delivering authentic, nuanced, fully realized performances in films and television series such as “Sicario,” “Cowboys and Aliens,” “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” “Narcos Mexico,” and the new Netflix film “Chupa,” to name just a few. In this hour, he generously shares what he’s learned from…

On this special episode, we’re talking all about voice! Neda Lahidji is an actor, singer, vocal health coach, voice teacher and a certified vocal health first aider. She specializes in the voices and vocal health of actors, VO actors, and singers, including any vocal athletes in the film industry as well as directors who use their voice tremendousl…

Edwin Lee Gibson’s stage career spans 40 years and over 100 U.S. and international theater productions. On television he is currently reprising his role as series regular "Ebraheim" in season 2 of FX's hit series “The Bear.” On this episode, he talks about the importance of listening, “letting the character find me,” working with the late Peter Bro…

Jeremy Jordan is probably best known for his Tony and Grammy-nominated portrayal of Jack Kelly in “Newsies” on Broadway, as well as his many roles on television including series regulars on CW’s “Supergirl”, NBC’s “Smash” and Disney Channel’s “Tangled.” And now he leads a star-studded cast as the tenacious record industry giant Neil Bogart in the e…

Sophie von Haselberg stars as Sissy St. Claire in Amanda Kramer’s psychedelic fever dream musical “Give Me Pity!” It’s part mock 70’s television special, part monologue film, and requires the creation of a bigger-than-life persona on screen, and von Haselberg carries it all and delivers a virtuoso performance. On this episode, she takes us from Kra…

Spanish-American actor Marta Milans reprises her role as Mama Rosa in the second installment of the “Shazam” saga, which hits theaters March 17th. If you binged “White Lines” during the pandemic, you appreciated her work in that Netflix hit series. On this episode, we go way back to when she played Goneril in “King Lear”…at age 8! She takes us on a…

Mia Wasikowska’s first project in The States was the HBO series “In Treatment.” She was just 16 years old, but if you watched it then, you were probably in awe, like me, marveling at this seemingly fully formed acting artist, performing, with nuance and subtlety, well beyond her years. She continued to wow us with stellar work in “Jane Eyre,” “Mada…

You might know Todd Stashwick from “The Riches” or “12 Monkeys” (the Syfy series, where he played Deacon), but you definitely know him from his guest star work on countless shows, both dramas and comedies, spanning more than two decades. And now he plays Captain Liam Shaw in the new season of “Picard.” On this episode, he talks about how the little…

Jonathan Roumie—actor, director, producer, and speaker—is best known for his award-winning role as ‘Jesus' in the groundbreaking series and global sensation, "The Chosen.” His new movie, the Lionsgate period drama “Jesus Revolution,” is based on the events of the last great spiritual revival in America. Roumie portrays the enigmatic, hippie street …