Back to One
A podcast about acting -- just the work. by Peter Rinaldi
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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
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Back to One, Episode 55: Lake Bell
She’s wonderful in comedies like Man Up and dramas like No Escape, but Lake Bell shines brightest in material she writes and directs herself, like her indie hit In A World. Now the mega-talented multi-hyphenate has joined forces with Liz Meriwether (New Girl) on the ABC sit-com Bless This Mess. We talk about the benefits and challenges of writing, directing and starring in a network show; knowing when to land the joke slightly off the landing pad; and doing it all as a mom. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes, Google Play, and… Read more
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Back to One Special Episode: Mike Leigh
For one year now on this podcast, I have talked to dozens and dozens of actors about their approach to the craft of acting. There are few living non-actor directors whose thoughts on this subject I feel would be worthy for this archive. Mike Leigh is on the top of that list. Listening to actors talk about their working experiences has made me think of an analogy. They are like fish people, showing up on a set expecting some water to work in but mostly finding dry land everywhere, and, for the most part, having to supply the water themselves.… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 53: Michael K. Williams
The actor Michael K. Williams died yesterday at the age of 54. We are revisiting here his 2019 interview with Peter Rinaldi, in which he spoke about many things, including his first time auditioning for The Wire and the role of Omar. R.I.P. Michael K. Williams. — Editor He brought to life one of the most iconic TV characters this century, Omar Little on the acclaimed series The Wire. Then Michael K. Williams went on to work with some of the great directors of our day (Steve McQueen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ava DuVernay, Todd Solondz) and turned in powerful work… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 52: Caitlin FitzGerald
I first took note of Caitlin FitzGerald in one of the great showcases of incredible acting in recent indie film — Sophia Takal’s Always Shine. You might know her from Masters of Sex where she played Libby Masters, or the third season of the cult hit series Unreal. Her latest film, just released on DVD and Blu Ray, is The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot. In this half hour she generously opens up about the epiphanies and frustrations she’s experienced as a working actor in this business, how good directors help her process, and how she deals… Read more
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Back To One, Episode 51: Lorraine Toussaint
She’s perhaps best known for playing one of modern television’s baddest villains, “Vee” on Orange Is The New Black. And now with NBC’s The Village premiering last week, both Fast Color and the new season of Into The Badlands premiering this week, plus Julie Taymor’s The Glorias wrapping this month, all featuring the incredible Lorraine Toussaint, we might as well call this period “The Lorrainaissance.” In this half hour she takes a break from the hubbub and takes us deep into her process, her “almost schizo” embodiment of characters, what she needs on set, and what it means to live… Read more
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Back to One, Episode 50: Michael Mando
Michael Mando is best known for his captivating portrayal of “Nacho” Varga on the hit AMC series Better Call Saul. You might also know him from Orphan Black, Spider-man: Homecoming, or Far Cry 3. In his latest film, The Hummingbird Project, he plays the chief engineer of a massive high frequency trading operation opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård. In this half hour he talks about his interest in the metaphysical aspects of the craft, his beginnings as a hungry but happy acting student, and how he doesn’t let fame get to his head but he’s open to the changes… Read more
