Acting
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“You’re Either Inhabiting the Part, Full On, Or You’re Not, and There’s No Pretending Otherwise”: Theodore Bouloukos, Back To One, Episode 341
Theodore Bouloukos returns to the podcast after nearly seven years (first time was episode 14). The “secret weapon of independent cinema,” as The New Yorker’s Richard Brody called him, brings us up to date on his adventures in acting. He talks about why he never dwells on a project’s prospects after his work is done, explains the kind of characters that attract him, reminisces about a couple exceptional recent shoots (including the wonderful ode to the game of baseball that is the film Eephus), makes a case for going “full on” for every role, and much more. Eephus is currently […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 13, 2025 -
“Slow Cinema Meets Heavy Metal is Kind of Like My Goal in Life”: Joel Potrykus, Back To One, Episode 340
We rarely get to hear Joel Potrykus talk about himself as an actor. The independent filmmaker of such beloved low-budget treasures as Ape, Buzzard, and Relaxer says he has, in fact, never talked about it. In his latest, Vulcanizadora, he once again co-stars with the man he loves to point his camera at, Joshua Burge. The two reprise their roles of Derek and Marty exactly ten years after they birthed those characters in Buzzard. On this episode, Potrykus explains the decision to take on the role in both films, why he loves working with the “machine” that is Burge, the […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 6, 2025 -
“If You Are Being Presented with Obstacles, You Should Use Them; It’s a Gift.” Brett Gelman, Back To One, Episode 339
You know him as Murray in Stranger Things, or Martin in Fleabag, or loved him in Lemon (the wonderful indie film he also co-wrote), or his countless guest star roles on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, The Office, Curb (the list goes on), but lately Brett Gelman has been venturing into more serious projects like McVeigh and Lady in the Lake. On this episode, he talks about the conscious choice to just “do great roles” that often takes him away from comedy. He talks about his relationship to the craft which started in acting school, explains how bombing on stage doing […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 29, 2025 -
“That’s the Beauty of Theater, It Parallels Your Life In Sort of Mysterious Ways”: Adeel Akhtar, Back To One, Episode 338
Adeel Akhtar is a versatile British actor known for his powerful performances across film, television, and theatre. He gained widespread acclaim for his BAFTA-winning role in the BBC drama Murdered by My Father, and won another one, a few years later, for Sherwood. His other credits in front of the camera include Four Lions, The Big Sick, Enola Holmes, Utopia, and Sweet Tooth. On stage, Akhtar has appeared in productions at the National Theatre and the Royal Court. Currently he wows audiences as Lopakhin in a new production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. On […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 23, 2025 -
“I Love Television Because You Have To Continuously Evolve Your Character”: Jolene Purdy, Back To One, Episode 337
Jolene Purdy is always a standout. She gained recognition for her performance as Cherita Chen in the cult classic Donnie Darko, and later appeared in hit shows like Orange Is the New Black, Under the Dome, Breaking Bad, WandaVision, and The White Lotus. She now plays opposite Kevin Bacon in the new Amazon series The Bondsman. On this episode, she talks about how the collaborative nature of that production ignited her creativity and brought out the best in her. She tells us her secret to mastering the art of delivering exposition, why she loves to be directed, how she learned […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 8, 2025 -
“I Don’t Want To Be On Stage If I’m Not Vibrating Inside with Life”: Hadi Tabbal, Back To One, Episode 336
The incredible Lebanese actor Hadi Tabbal just finished the monumental Broadway run of Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play English. He originated the role of Omid, and performed in various iterations of this powerful and transformative play over the last few years. On this episode, he talks about the fascinatingly unique aspect of English that is unlike any other play he’s performed, and what he means when he says it is “alive” every night and “very delicate,” and he has to “take care” not to “derail” it. He explains the difference between “discovery” and “deciding,” talks about the “saddest” part of […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Apr 1, 2025 -
Back To One Episode 335: Magazine Dreams‘s Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Majors is an actor. His latest film is Magazine Dreams. He sat down with me to talk about the work. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. And if you’re enjoying what you are hearing, please subscribe and rate us! Follow Back To One on Instagram.
by Peter Rinaldi on Mar 25, 2025 -
“The Only Way I Can Go on a Set Is If My Head is Out on the Chopping Block and I’m Begging for the Blade to Come Down”: Vincent D’Onofrio, Back To One, Episode 333
An actor’s actor of the first order, Vincent D’Onofrio has been delivering “all in” performances, usually in supporting roles, for nearly four decades—Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black, Household Saints, Steal This Movie!, The Cell, The Magnificent Seven, to name just a few, not to mention 10 audience-loving seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He’s getting more accolades for his latest performance as Wilson Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again. On this episode he talks about the “emotional event” that he has to summon to bring about Fisk’s voice in that series and its predecessor. He takes us all the […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Mar 11, 2025 -
“To Be Able To Play a Flawed, Complex, Messy Woman Who Is Morally Ambiguous …That To Me Is the Juicy Stuff”: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Back To One, Episode 332
The celebrated period drama Belle marked the arrival of Gugu Mbatha-Raw and since then she hasn’t stopped impressing audiences in films like Motherless Brooklyn, Misbehaviour and series like Doctor Who, Black Mirror (San Junipero episode), Loki, The Morning Show, and Surface, which is now releasing episodes from its second season. On that Apple TV+ series, Gugu plays Sophie, a woman who has lost her recent memories and must piece them together. She talks about the “liberating” feeling she got playing someone with a missing back story and how it forced her to be present. She explains how she utilizes her […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Mar 4, 2025 -
“I Want Everyone to be Jarred by It…Especially the Men on Set”: Lucy Boynton, Back To One, Episode 330
Lucy Boynton is known for delivering exceptional performances in films like Sing Street, Bohemian Rhapsody, Chevalier, and The Greatest Hits. Her latest is the BritBox’s limited series A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, about a woman convicted of killing her abusive lover who then became the last woman to be hanged in the UK. On this episode, she talks about why the challenge she faced portraying Ellis “wasn’t an actor issue,” but more about facing the traumas women are still dealing with decades later. She ponders how acting as a child served her into adulthood, explains why over-direction is […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Feb 18, 2025
