Back to One
A podcast about acting -- just the work. by Peter Rinaldi
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“I Just Turned 50 and I Feel Like I’m Just Getting Started”: Simon Rex, Back To One, Episode 305
He was a model and MTV VJ, and then Simon Rex transitioned to acting, becoming widely recognized for his comedic roles in the Scary Movie franchise, where his sharp timing and parody skills made him a fan favorite. But more substantial parts were on the horizon. On this episode, he talks about the job that changed everything, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, which won him wide acclaim, an Independent Spirt Award, and a fresh chapter in his career. He talks about the interesting new place he finds himself now at the intersection of “not caring and caring SO MUCH.” He explains… Read more
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“That’s What Lights Me Up the Most, This ‘Dance’ with the Writer”: Marianne Rendón, Back To One, Episode 304
Marianne Rendón’s performance in Summer Solstice, Noah Schamus’ “modern twist on the buddy comedy from a queer and trans perspective,” is special in such a rare way that makes shinning a light on it actually detrimental to its effect on the new viewer. Its revelations are small and imbedded in the nuances of the character. It’s how they seem rooted and not created, “lived” and not “played,” that make them extraordinary. On this episode, Rendón takes us back to her training, and how being fed great experimental theater before the classics resulted in a kind of “reverse engineering” of her… Read more
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“I’m Learning to Give Over to the Fear a Little More”: Dylan Arnold, Back To One, Episode 303
Still in his early career, Dylan Arnold has already built a diverse catalog of roles, including a breakout one in season three of Netflix’s You, reprising a fan-favorite for the Halloween franchise in Halloween Kills, and last year, of course, playing Frank Oppenheimer, holding much more than his own, opposite Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy. Now he goes a good bit darker in Alma Har’el’s Apple TV+ series The Lady In The Lake. On this episode, he talks about the differences between these two incredible actor’s directors, Har’el and Christopher Nolan, and what works best for him. He explains the importance of… Read more
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“I Wanna Experience the Feeling, Fully”: David Garelik, Back To One, Episode 302
David Garelik was in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Peter Berg’s Mile 22, and recently finished a run of an Off-Broadway 2-hander at the WP Theater, co-produced with Colt Coeur. Now you can see him as the bad guy/enucleator, opposite Liana Liberato, on this season of Criminal Minds: Evolution on Paramount+. On this epic episode, he recounts his journey from moving to New York with zero acting experience and “being a bad auditioner,” to making naivety work for him and “changing the game” by refusing to play it. It’s a story of perseverance, endurance, and growth, fueled by focus on the… Read more
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“There’s Never Any Trust Until You Just Do It”: Jimmy Tatro, Back To One, Episode 301
Jimmy Tatro is an actor, director, writer, and comedian best known for the popular YouTube channel he created over a decade ago, LifeAccordingToJimmy. His career expanded into the mainstream with roles in movies like 22 Jump Street and the Netflix series American Vandal, all while he continued to expand the content on his channel. His latest project is The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie, a continuation of his popular mock-reality show web series. The film delves deeper into the absurd lives of friends navigating the quirks of suburban Southern California while preparing for their high school reunion. Tatro’s… Read more
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“The Hardest Thing Is To Get Out of Your Own Way”: Lady In The Lake‘s Y’lan Noel, Back To One, Episode 300
Y’lan Noel played Daniel in the HBO series Insecure starred in The First Purge, and now he plays Officer Platt in Lady in The Lake, Alma Har’el’s eagerly anticipated new series for Apple TV+ that drops on July 19th. On this episode, he discusses his unique approach to the work, which starts with, and centers on, daydreaming and the avoidance of aiming to do “the right thing.” He talks about allowing for “an energy that’s not me to make certain decisions;” the importance of solitude, space, stillness; how Har’el’s willingness to leave room for the mystical served his process; and… Read more
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“If We’re Gonna Live in This Story, We’ve Gotta Live with Each Other”: Zachary Ray Sherman, Back To One, Episode 299
After early success opposite Kirsten Dunst in Lifetime’s Fifteen and Pregnant, and as Jasper on the CW’s reboot of 90210, he’s gone on to build an impressive acting resume balancing television work (Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven) with edgy, transformative roles in independent films (Cuck; Can’t Seem to Make You Mine, opposite Lindsay Burdge; and A Desert, which just premiered at the Tribeca Festival, to name a few). On this episode, he talks about why it all starts with building trust with his collaborators early, the semi-mystical process of aligning his heart with the character’s heart, the importance of… Read more
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“You Can’t Only Turn Up and Be Like ‘I’m Going To Show You My Soul’ — No, You’ve Got a Job To Do as Well”: Abbey Lee, Back To One, Episode 298
In the midst of a successful modeling career a decade ago, Abbey Lee’s chance to break into acting came with Mad Max Fury Road. That challenging shoot was the first of many she faced with relish. A scene-stealing role in The Neon Demon followed, then M. Night Shyamalan’s Old, Lovecraft County, and Florida Man, to name a few, and now she stars opposite Kevin Costner in his 2-part western epic Horizon: An American Saga (in theaters now). On this episode, she talks about letting the character find her, the importance of staying malleable, using everything that happens as fuel for… Read more
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“It Was a Deeply Loving Set. Very Intimate. Very Small. Lots of Women”: Janet Planet Star Julianne Nicholson, Back To One, Episode 297
There are few actors more well respected than the preternaturally gifted Julianne Nicholson. Recent notable credits include August: Osage County, Dream Scenario, Mare of Easttown (which won her an Emmy award), and, her latest, playwright Annie Baker’s first film, Janet Planet. In this episode, she talks in-depth about playing Janet in that remarkable film, her elusive preparation process, getting the environment to settle into her body, actually learning how to do acupuncture, why she lets her instinct lead the way, and much more. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.… Read more
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“That’s What’s Thrilling about Acting—Recreating Private Moments”: John Early, Back To One, Episode 296
John Early is an actor, comedian, writer, and wearer of many hats. His latest as a comedian and writer is the HBO special Now More Than Ever. His latest as an actor is the independent film Stress Positions. On this episode he talks about how these two projects came about, the differences between the John Early character and himself, the pleasure of working on the series Search Party, why he relishes straight-up acting, the comedy breakthrough he made in his new special, and much more. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google… Read more
