Alessandro Nivola returns to the podcast (Ep. 37 and Ep.170) to discuss three performances he gives in three different films out at the same time this week—Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, The Brutalist, and Kraven The Hunter. He gifts us with a detailed peek into what it took to build each of these characters. He talks about the interesting way he received a “green light” from Almodóvar in terms of his approach to the role of an Upstate New York policeman, the challenge of balancing adherence to period authenticity with a modern accessibly as Attila in Brady Corbet’s epic, […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 18, 2024Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson are the stars of Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross’ bold and brilliant adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel that tells the story, cinematically, almost entirely in a first-person POV-style. Herisse and Wilson talk about the challenge of acting to the camera, their saga of navigating auditions, the “freedom” and “openness” they both felt from Ross, how the trust they built with the crew played a big part in performing in this process, and much more. Nickel Boys opens in select theaters on December 14th. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 10, 2024Michael Shannon is known for his intense and versatile performances across film, television, and theater—Take Shelter, 99 Homes, Nocturnal Animals, Boardwalk Empire, Long Days Journey Into Night, George and Tammy, to name just a few. On this episode, he talks about his “simplistic” approach to preparation, the test he gives directors to see if he can trust them, the importance of “disappearing,” why he no longer likes to do endless takes, and much more. Plus he discusses his love for George Mackay, who plays “Son” to Shannon’s “Father” in The End, Joshua Oppenheimer’s post-apocalyptic musical which opens in select theaters […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 3, 2024In this time of the year when traditions give us a sense of comfort and repetition that we need, especially in these volatile days, Back To One has a tradition of its own—the annual Kevin Corrigan episode! The patron saint of the indie film actor was the first guest on this podcast and he has returned every year since, telling hilarious stories from his adventures in the acting world, waxing about Brando, Walken, Scorsese, expounding on music, philosophizing about life in general. These episodes have become listener favorites. In this installment, Corrigan talks about shooting a scene recently where his […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 26, 2024As an actor, Peter Vack is known for his work in television series such as I Just Want My Pants Back (series lead), Mozart In The Jungle, and Love Life, and recent independent films like PVT Chat, Eugene Kotlyarenko’s The Code and his virtuoso turn as an evil version of “Peter Vack” in Actors (written, directed, and co-staring his sister Betsey Brown). As a filmmaker, he has gotten a reputation for demanding an “all in” approach from his performers. His first feature, Assholes (called “the most disgusting movie ever”), won a jury prize at SXSW, and his latest, www.RachelOrmont.com, described […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 19, 2024Jack Dunphy is a writer, filmmaker, animator, actor and podcaster. His shorts have played in festivals around the world and his latest, Bob’s Funeral, won Best Nonfiction Short Film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. As an actor, he starred in Peter Vack’s Assholes and Caveh Zahedi’s legendary, unfinished, 24-hour retelling of Joyce’s Ulysses. He can soon be seen in Paradise and Lunch, the new film from Jordan Tetwesky and Joshua Pikovsky, and Anything That Moves from Alex Phillips. His wonderful new podcast, Revelations with Jack Dunphy, in which he talks about his struggles with addiction and mental illness with […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 12, 2024Jaclyn Bethany is an Emmy-award-winning filmmaker, writer and actor based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been committed to creating art and telling stories exploring complex women, the intimacy of female friendship, sisterhood and queerness from the female perspective. Some upcoming film projects include Delusion, a short film in collaboration with Adult Film NYC; In Transit, written by Alex Sarrigeorgiou and featuring Jennifer Ehle and Francois Arnaud; and All Five Eyes, which she co-wrote with Greta Bellamacina, featuring Bellamacina and Honor Swinton-Byrne. In this episode she talks about her role as the co-artistic director of The Fire Weeds, a female […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 5, 2024Daisy Ridley shot to global fame for her portrayal of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Since then, she has been choosing diverse roles that showcase her talents in films with wide ranging budgets that prove her north star is the quality of the work and nothing else. She has three films that have come out in this year alone—Sometimes I think About Dying, Young Woman and The Sea, and her latest, Magpie. On this episode, she explains how coming up with the idea for Magpie and building her character from the ground up was an interesting exercise in […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Oct 29, 2024Actor, director, coach, teacher, Maria Dizzia is a perpetual student of the craft of acting, which makes her celebrated and in-demand for all those jobs. The movie My Old Ass and the play Pre-Existing Condition are a couple of her most recent projects. On this incredibly dense and gold-filled episode, she generously gives us a peek into the aspects of the work that she deems important to focus on, worth struggling with, or where she simply finds the most fruit. She talks about the huge importance of those first subconscious “offerings,” how to use the discoveries made when “alive” to […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Oct 22, 2024“There are practical paths and intuitive paths with each character,” says Cory Michael Smith at the start of this episode, and it’s a recurring theme throughout. The talented actor was Riddler on the series Gotham, a standout in three Todd Haynes films, and now plays Chevy Chase in Saturday Night. On this episode he details the careful process of studying Chevy clips for months before diving into the script. He talks about the importance of “ridding myself of any hint of fraudulence,” why it’s so important for him to show up with lots of ideas, how being intentional with his […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Oct 15, 2024