Back to One
A podcast about acting -- just the work. by Peter Rinaldi
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Back to One, Episode 109: Brian Cox
He was an acting legend before Succession, but Brian Cox’s brilliant portrayal of Logan Roy on the smash hit HBO series just might put him in the pantheon. He gets deep into the psychology of that iconic character on this episode and takes us back to his early days of discovering Shakespeare, creating the role of Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, learning the importance of cultivating mystery in a character, freeing himself in the work, and not taking his characters home with him. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 108: Hong Chau
You might know Hong Chau from Watchmen, or maybe Downsizing, where her astounding performance opposite Matt Damon was recognized with a Golden Globe nomination. I first took note of her in Inherent Vice, where she left an indelible impression as “Jade.” Now she stars in Andrew Ahn’s delicate and touching new film Driveways, which is currently in “virtual” theaters. I ask her about her very first play, Annie Baker’s masterpiece John. She gives fascinating examples of just how much her body wouldn’t let that performance go. She also talks about finding tiny clues in the minute details of a script… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 107: Sidney Flanigan
She had never attempted acting before Eliza Hittman cast her in Never Rarely Sometimes Always, but Sidney Flanigan’s quietly devastating performance feels like a revelation, something truly miraculous. On this episode she talks about bravely stepping into the role, giving herself over to instinct, and dipping into the well of her own emotional life to power Autumn’s journey. Her’s is a heroic story of release and acceptance all actors can find inspiration in. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. And if you’re enjoying what you are hearing, please… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 106: Talia Ryder
Talia Ryder gives a remarkable performance opposite Sidney Flanigan in her very first feature film, Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always. It’s the kind of subtle, assured, measured work you wouldn’t expect from a teenager. She talks about the benefits of getting vulnerable with Flanigan before shooting and how being deliriously tired actually came in handy when shooting all night in Port Authority. Plus she explains what’s up with that suitcase, and much more! Later this year you can see her in Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated remake of West Side Story. Back To One can be found wherever you get… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 105: Hannah Marks
Mega-talented multi-hyphenate Hannah Marks started writing Banana Split when she was still a teenager. It was loosely based on her real life. She rewrote it with her writing partner Joey Power as her acting credits piled up in stuff like The Runaways, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Then, after she co-directed her first feature (with Power), After Everything, she was able to get Banana Split made with herself in the staring role, directed by Benjamin Kasulke. In this half hour, she talks about the ups and downs of standing her ground and seeing the dream of… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 104: Miriam Shor
Miriam Shor is unrecognizable as Lorraine Ela in the powerful new Netflix film Lost Girls. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t feel performed, that doesn’t get recognized often because it’s invisible. We talk about that phenomenon this half hour, and break down a hilarious moment from the show Younger, where Shor played the beloved character Diana Trout. She talks about the importance of feeling like she is in collaboration with a director, and how being cast in a role you don’t think you’re “right for” can help you grow. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 103: Haley Bennett
Haley Bennett has given us some great work in films like The Woman On The Train and The Magnificent Seven, but her performance in Carlo Mirabella-Davis’s Swallow is so fully-realized, so ground-shaking, so important, it feels like an artistic re-birth. In this half-hour, she talks about facing the doubts and fears she had with revealing herself in the role of Hunter, the importance of the fruitful and freeing collaboration process with Mirabella-Davis, and how this truly emancipating experience changed her approach to the work. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 102: Skylar Astin
He got his big Hollywood break with Pitch Perfect, but Skylar Astin had already made it to Broadway in the musical sensation Spring Awakening. Lately, it seems he’s been in every television show that features people breaking into song — Glee, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and now the NBC hit Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, where he plays Max, Zoey’s best friend, who is secretly in love with her. On this episode, he talks about the hard work that goes into making that show, being bribed into his first audition as a kid, and how his stage experience continues to pay dividends in… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 101: Zach Woods
I remember when I first saw Zach Woods. It was in the Armando Iannucci film In The Loop. His comedic sensibilities matched so perfectly with what I demanded as a consumer of comedy—bold choices, molded in subtlety, grounded in reality. He has continued to morph and advance his style with unforgettable roles on The Office, Silicon Valley, and now again for Iannucci on Avenue 5, where he plays cheerful nihilist Matt Spencer, Head of Customer Relations. In this inspirational episode, we have a far-reaching conversation on his approach to the craft and the industry in general. Summary: the greatest comedic… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 100: Andrea Riseborough
It’s time we stop taking the preternaturally gifted British actor Andrea Riseborough for granted. She transforms so completely into her characters (appearance, accent, posture, mannerisms) that it’s easy to just believe she is the character and hard to measure her talents because we don’t know what “default Andrea Riseborough” is like. One thing is crystal clear though. She’s simply one of the best we have. On this, the 100th episode of Back To One, she talks about being surprised by the reactions to her chameleon-like abilities, how she uses the shooting environment (no matter how difficult) to fuel her work,… Read more
