Authors — Peter Rinaldi
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“It Was Like Being on a Cliff and You Just Leapt Off It, with Whatever You Had to Give”: Ian McShane, Back To One, Episode 344
The legendary Ian McShane has been acting for more than 60 years, from The Wild and The Willing, The Last of Shelia, and Jesus of Nazareth to Lovejoy, Sexy Beast, and the John Wick films. His two latest films are Ballerina, set in the John Wick universe, and and the action comedy Deep Cover. On this episode he talks about what made his time as Al Swearengen on Deadwood (perhaps his most iconic role) so special, and tells a story about an unforgettable suggestion from creator David Milch. He explains what sets Wick’s Chad Stahalski apart as a director/producer, why […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Jun 3, 2025 -
“To Me All This is the Circus and I Get to Join this Family, This Tribe of People”: Bobby Naderi, Back To One, Episode 343
You know Bobby Naderi from his subtle and sometimes hilarious work in films like Bright and The Beekeeper. Now he brings that same aliveness to the new Amazon series The Better Sister, where he plays Detective Matt Bowen. On this episode, he talks about how his nomadic youth shaped his life and work, how failures paved the way for breakthroughs, why he stopped anticipating how a scene will play out, how his mother’s blunt criticism of his acting work helped him get better, and much more. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 27, 2025 -
“The Nail Came Off, But We Got the Shot and That’s All That Matters”: Forever Star Lovie Simone, Back To One, Episode 342
The young but wise Lovie Simone is best known for Selah and The Spades and The Craft: Legacy. Now she stars in the hit Netflix series Forever, an adaptation of the Judy Bloom book. On this episode, she talks about the giant role music plays in her preparation, why having a Black hair & make-up person on set is crucial to her work, “importance over relevance,” “quality over quantity,” her love of words “and the weight of each word,” the “accidental” way she and Michael Cooper Jr. built their Forever chemistry, plus much more. Back To One can be found […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 20, 2025 -
“You’re Either Inhabiting the Part, Full On, Or You’re Not, and There’s No Pretending Otherwise”: Theodore Bouloukos, Back To One, Episode 341
Theodore Bouloukos returns to the podcast after nearly seven years (first time was episode 14). The “secret weapon of independent cinema,” as The New Yorker’s Richard Brody called him, brings us up to date on his adventures in acting. He talks about why he never dwells on a project’s prospects after his work is done, explains the kind of characters that attract him, reminisces about a couple exceptional recent shoots (including the wonderful ode to the game of baseball that is the film Eephus), makes a case for going “full on” for every role, and much more. Eephus is currently […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 13, 2025 -
“Slow Cinema Meets Heavy Metal is Kind of Like My Goal in Life”: Joel Potrykus, Back To One, Episode 340
We rarely get to hear Joel Potrykus talk about himself as an actor. The independent filmmaker of such beloved low-budget treasures as Ape, Buzzard, and Relaxer says he has, in fact, never talked about it. In his latest, Vulcanizadora, he once again co-stars with the man he loves to point his camera at, Joshua Burge. The two reprise their roles of Derek and Marty exactly ten years after they birthed those characters in Buzzard. On this episode, Potrykus explains the decision to take on the role in both films, why he loves working with the “machine” that is Burge, the […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 6, 2025 -
“If You Are Being Presented with Obstacles, You Should Use Them; It’s a Gift.” Brett Gelman, Back To One, Episode 339
You know him as Murray in Stranger Things, or Martin in Fleabag, or loved him in Lemon (the wonderful indie film he also co-wrote), or his countless guest star roles on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, The Office, Curb (the list goes on), but lately Brett Gelman has been venturing into more serious projects like McVeigh and Lady in the Lake. On this episode, he talks about the conscious choice to just “do great roles” that often takes him away from comedy. He talks about his relationship to the craft which started in acting school, explains how bombing on stage doing […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 29, 2025 -
“That’s the Beauty of Theater, It Parallels Your Life In Sort of Mysterious Ways”: Adeel Akhtar, Back To One, Episode 338
Adeel Akhtar is a versatile British actor known for his powerful performances across film, television, and theatre. He gained widespread acclaim for his BAFTA-winning role in the BBC drama Murdered by My Father, and won another one, a few years later, for Sherwood. His other credits in front of the camera include Four Lions, The Big Sick, Enola Holmes, Utopia, and Sweet Tooth. On stage, Akhtar has appeared in productions at the National Theatre and the Royal Court. Currently he wows audiences as Lopakhin in a new production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. On […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 23, 2025 -
Sacramento Writer, Director and Star Michael Angarano, Back To One, Episode 338
Michael Angarano has been acting since he was an infant and has a long resume of memorable work in both comedic and dramatic roles—Almost Famous, Will and Grace, This is Us, Gentlemen Broncos, Oppenheimer, to name a few. His latest is a wonderful comedy with a lot of heart that he stars in, co-wrote and directed called Sacramento. On this episode he talks about the long road of getting that film made, how he needed to adjust once he saw Michael Cera’s approach to the role, and the interesting realization that he may not need to act and direct and […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 15, 2025 -
“I Love Television Because You Have To Continuously Evolve Your Character”: Jolene Purdy, Back To One, Episode 337
Jolene Purdy is always a standout. She gained recognition for her performance as Cherita Chen in the cult classic Donnie Darko, and later appeared in hit shows like Orange Is the New Black, Under the Dome, Breaking Bad, WandaVision, and The White Lotus. She now plays opposite Kevin Bacon in the new Amazon series The Bondsman. On this episode, she talks about how the collaborative nature of that production ignited her creativity and brought out the best in her. She tells us her secret to mastering the art of delivering exposition, why she loves to be directed, how she learned […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 8, 2025 -
“I Don’t Want To Be On Stage If I’m Not Vibrating Inside with Life”: Hadi Tabbal, Back To One, Episode 336
The incredible Lebanese actor Hadi Tabbal just finished the monumental Broadway run of Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play English. He originated the role of Omid, and performed in various iterations of this powerful and transformative play over the last few years. On this episode, he talks about the fascinatingly unique aspect of English that is unlike any other play he’s performed, and what he means when he says it is “alive” every night and “very delicate,” and he has to “take care” not to “derail” it. He explains the difference between “discovery” and “deciding,” talks about the “saddest” part of […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 1, 2025
