He’s been called the “sidekick to the stars,” but a more apt, yet slightly less elegant description of Adrian Martinez is “scene-stealer from the stars.” Some recent thefts occur in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus, and Casa De Mi Padre. You can also see him in the hit ABC show Stumptown. Now he wrote, produced, directed and stars in the brilliant, timely, and deeply impacting new film iGilbert. On this episode, he talks about going “all in” to make that labor of love, how the psychological gesture plays a big part in his craft, the work ethic Philip […]

On this special episode, I spend a few days with the cast of A City Of Refuge as they rehearse this powerful new play by Evan Cuyler-Louison for Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble in New York City. Having had no experience with theatrical rehearsal, I pose lots of questions to Louison (who also directed the production) and his incredible actors, Ylfa Edelstein, Wilton Guzman, Miah Kane, Hailey Marmolejo, Gregg Prosser, and Luke Edward Smith. If, like me, your experience is limited to film production or you just have gaps in your knowledge regarding rehearsal in general, or you’re just curious about […]

The incomparable Chris Eigeman is probably best known for the three films he made with Whit Stillman—Metropolitan (which was his very first film), Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco. The singular style of performance he delivered in those films led to great work with filmmakers and showrunners such as Noah Baumbach, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and John Frankenheimer. Lately he’s been writing and directing his own films. In this episode he talks about the importance of knowing your role in the story, the harmful effects of the disappearing table read, loving those monologues, the freedom of it NOT being game day, […]

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 lets 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 […]

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. Back […]

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. […]

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! Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and […]

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! Back To One can be […]

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 Woolf 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 […]

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! Back To One can be […]