Back to One
A podcast about acting -- just the work. by Peter Rinaldi
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Back to One, Episode 65: Emmy Harrington
I first was introduced to the incredible talents of Emmy Harrington on the set of Caveh Zahedi’s The Show About The Show, where she plays “Slut Machine,” and witnessed, first hand, her ability to adapt to all types of run-and-gun shooting environments and unorthodox directing styles and deliver a great performance take after take. You can also see her work in shows like High Maintenance and Jessica Jones, and an award-winning film she wrote, directed, and stars in — Two Little Bitches — is currently making the festival circuit. I sat down with her a couple of days after directing… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 64: David Zayas
David Zayas has so many credits on television, in movies, and on the stage that it’s hard to believe he was also a New York City police officer for 15 years. He’s played a lot of fictional cops too, so many he’s lost count, but he says his career highlight was portraying Angel Batista for eight seasons on Showtime’s hit series Dexter. Before that he dabbled on the other side of the law, playing Enrique Moralez on the HBO drama Oz. He was an early member of the LAByrinth Theater company with Paul Calderone, John Ortiz, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman,… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 63: Jacki Weaver
Jacki Weaver’s “big break” story is unique because she was finally embraced by Hollywood at age 63, landing an Oscar nomination for her incredible performance in the Australian film Animal Kingdom, after being a staple in the Australian theater and film world for 30 years. She went on to great roles in such films as Widows, The Disaster Artist, and Magic in The Moonlight, plus the acclaimed new version of Uncle Vanya on the stage with Cate Blanchett, not to mention her second Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook. And this year she stars opposite Diane Keaton in the cheer-elder… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 62: Michael Kelly
Through six seasons on House of Cards and multiple Emmy nominations, Michael Kelly has brilliantly embodied the character of Doug Stamper, navigating him through the highs and lows of loyalty, devotion, and dark-heartedness, culminating with a new layer of antagonism in the final season. It was a tour de force performance. In this episode he sits down to talk about the nuts and bolts of his craft, his meticulous and elaborate script breakdown process, how David Fincher knocked him off his game, and why he will never stop worrying about the next job no matter what awaits him post-Stamper. Back… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 61: Christopher Abbott
In this first Back To One live podcast event from the Made In NY Media Center in Brooklyn, Christopher Abbott tells us some hilarious stories about his naive beginnings as a pavement-pounding young actor in New York, then he takes us into the nuts and bolts of the craft he’s developed both on the stage and in indie films over the past decade. And we find out what he makes of George Clooney’s claim that he’s going to be our next movie star. If you only know this talented actor from his breakthrough on Girls, it’s time to catch up.… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 60: Lindsay Burdge
Lindsay Burdge is one of the bravest and best actors working in indie film this decade. Her breakout role in Hannah Fidell’s A Teacher brought her raves for her intense performance of destructive obsession. Bold choices continued in movies like Nathan Silver’s Thirst Street, Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation, and Joe Swanberg’s Netflix show Easy. Now she’s taken on the role of Mandy, in the long-awaited second season of Caveh Zahedi’s acclaimed The Show About The Show, after the real Mandy (Zahedi’s wife) left the show mid-production. She talks about the unique experience of working with Zahedi under these conditions, how… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 59: Lance Reddick
He’s got “authority” down. But the great actor Lance Reddick can do it all. Perhaps best known for playing Daniels on The Wire and Broyles on Fringe, Reddick has now brought his quintessential warrior servant Charon to the third chapter of John Wick. In this episode he talks about the triumphs and frustrations of the work, dealing with “bad” directors, learning from great ones, and how surviving hard circumstances on set, especially ones that throw you off your game, can strengthen you and lead to a cleansing of your process. The first Back To One Live Podcasting Event is coming… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 58: Asia Kate Dillon
Asia Kate Dillon is a true trailblazer. They are the first non-binary (gender non-conforming) actor to play a non-binary character on a television show (Taylor on Showtime’s Billions). That itself is noteworthy, but Dillon also happens to be an amazing actor who brings such depth and life to characters, making representation even more powerful. Now, In John Wick: Chapter 3, Dillon calmly commands attention as a mysterious character called The Adjudicator. Dillon talks about sliding into that role and what it takes to slide out of a role like Brady, the skinhead inmate, in Orange Is The New Black, plus… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 57: Paul Calderon
Paul Calderon is New York acting royalty. A list of his collaborators and co-stars, in numerous plays, films and television, reads like a who’s who of legends: Pacino, De Niro, Scorsese, Lumet, Burstyn, Tarantino, to name a few. Not to mention Abel Ferrara, whose many films he’s graced (he also co-wrote Bad Lieutenant). He was made a member of the Actors Studio in 1984, and eight years later was one of the founding members of LAByrinth Theater Co., where as writer/director he helped mentor such talent as Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Zayas, and Sam Rockwell. For many years he’s been… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 56: Dominic West
Dominic West is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty on The Wire, Noah Solloway on The Affair, and gay activist Jonathan Blake in the film Pride. Now he’s taken on the classic role of Jean Valjean in the new 6-episode BBC version of Les Misèrables, currently on PBS. He also happens to be British, which seems to continually surprise people, probably because he’s mastered his American accents. He talks about that and many other nuts and bolts in his impressive approach to the craft. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes, Google Play, and… Read more
