Back to One
A podcast about acting -- just the work. by Peter Rinaldi
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Back To One Episode 209: Antonia Campbell-Hughes
I watched the movie Cordelia not knowing anything at all about it, and never having seen Irish actor Antonia Campbell-Hughes in anything before. The psychological thriller greatly impressed me in no small part due to the captivating performance of Campbell-Hughes, particularly the emotional depth that she invites the viewer to examine without words. In this episode, she talks about the layering work she did to build that character, the unorthodox way her process (or conscious lack of process) has developed over the years, and why it all started with what continues to be the main ingredient—truth. Her feature directorial debut… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 208: Luke Bracey
Luke Bracey didn’t dream about being an actor when he was a kid, he didn’t study the craft, and on his first job, which came from his very first audition, he didn’t even really know when he should start saying the lines. But with roles in films like Point Break, Hacksaw Ridge, Holidate and the soon-to-be-released One True Loves, he has built a career with his instinct, experience, and innate talent. Now he plays Jerry Shilling in the Baz Luhrmann blockbuster Elvis. He talks about what stopped him from getting overwhelmed by that “old school” big movie production, the value… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 207: James Scully
James Scully plays Charlie, love interest to Bowen Yang’s Howie, in the new film Fire Island, a touching, hilarious, and entirely queer take on Pride and Prejudice, written by and co-starring Joel Kim Booster, and directed by Andrew Ahn. Scully talks about the imposter syndrome that infected the cast, how sometimes when material is so relatable it’s actually hard to gauge if you’re hitting it right, why having a queer director actually improves the work, and how Ahn specifically led the way so thoughtfully and effectively. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts,… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 206: Rupert Friend
Among many appealing qualities as an actor, Rupert Friend certainly has “range.” His two most recent roles are James Whitehouse—elitist, upper-class British politician in David E. Kelley’s Netflix limited series Anatomy Of A Scandal; and The Grand Inquisitor—blowhard Star Wars bad guy in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s probably best known for playing Peter Quinn on a few seasons of Homeland, which got him an Emmy nomination. On this episode, he talks about why his preparation process is more “uncovering” than “building,” how energy management has served him well, the gift of being allowed to “fail safely,” and the most important thing… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 205: David Morse
David Morse is one of the most respected veteran actors working in the business. St. Elsewhere, The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard, Dancer In The Dark, House, Hack, The Green Mile, to name just a few of his past credits, and now a Tony nomination for his incredibly powerful performance in How I Learned To Drive, which he has reprised with Mary-Louise Parker 25 years after they first did it off-Broadway. I talk to him about the differences in these two incarnations, particularly one important and significant moment he arrives at toward the end of the play. He explains how… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 204: Mike Leigh Returns
Mike Leigh is back in New York City for Film At Lincoln Center’s retrospective of his films, which starts Friday May 27th. He’s doing Q&A’s after three of his best—Naked, Secrets and Lies, and Topsy Turvy. Since he was last on the show (Episode 54), a few of his most treasured actors have been on and discussed the joy of working with the legendary director. There have even been some guests who have talked about the pleasure of working with him just in an audition, even though they weren’t selected. I ask him to break down his audition process and… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 203: Giancarlo Esposito
Few characters born in this current ‘Golden Age of Television’ rise to the legendary status of Gustavo Fring. Giancarlo Esposito brought the drug kingpin to life on Breaking Bad and now he’s finishing out (or filling in) his arc on the prequel Better Call Saul. On this episode, Esposito talks about the careful way he “whispers” a new character into existence, and why the identification and breaking down of his own resistances is so important. He tells the story of the eureka moment he had reading the words “hiding in plain sight” and how that opened up the character for… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 202: Alison Pill
I was lucky to catch Alison Pill on Broadway, 16 years ago, in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and then became enamored with her work in shows like In Treatment, The Newsroom, Devs, and movies like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Milk, to name just a few. Nowadays she plays Dr. Agnes Jurati on the series Picard, and stars with Sarah Gadon in Michael McGowan’s new film All My Puny Sorrows. She shares what she believes to be the secret ingredient that made that film work, and talks about how adopting a physicality for a character is foundational to her… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 201: Anamaria Vartolomei
Anamaria Vartolomei is the French-Romanian star of Audrey Diwan’s film Happening, about a young college student in desperate need of an illegal abortion in 1960s France. The camera follows Vartolomei’s character so closely, both literally and figuratively, that you begin to feel like you are experiencing the movie from inside her. On this episode, Vartolomei talks about why the closeness of the camera actually made her feel protected; how curiosity rather than competition helped her in the audition; how feeling safe leads to fearlessness in action; and the importance of breathing, surprises, and, most importantly, anger. Back To One can… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 200: André Gregory
The legendary theater director, actor, shaman André Gregory has been producing ground-breaking work for over half a century. He’s perhaps best known for the projects he did with Wallace Shawn—My Dinner With André (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary), Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder. His recent book This Is Not My Memoir details, with refreshing honesty, his extraordinary life through incredible stories about, for instance, learning from the great Jerzy Grotowski, getting punched by Gregory Peck, buried alive in Richard Avedon’s backyard, to name just a few. On this episode, Gregory answers some questions about his unique… Read more
