Actors
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“I’m a Reactor”: Stellan Skarsgård, Back To One, Episode 382
Stellan Skarsgård is a celebrated Swedish actor whose career spans more than five decades across European and Hollywood cinema. He first gained attention in Scandinavia before becoming an international screen presence in films such as Breaking the Waves and Good Will Hunting. He went on to deliver acclaimed performances in movies like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Dune, Dune Part 2, and television series like Andor and Chernobyl. In his latest, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Skarsgård gifts us with perhaps his most robust and richest work in the form of Gustav, a once-prominent filmmaker struggling to mend fractured ties with his daughters. On this episode, he details the environment […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Feb 26, 2026 -
“Anything I’ve Enjoyed Doing in My Career I Can Trace Back to a Little Thing That I Did, a Little Step That I Took”: Sarah Coffey, Back To One, Episode 379
Sarah Coffey starred as Eva Shapiro in the feature film 31 Candles, and instantly made her an iconic romanic comedy character. She can also be seen in Queens Of The Dead, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. And her viral success as a comedian led to a role in Stapleview, the first-ever fully produced live sketch show on TikTok. On this episode, she talks about the blessings and drawbacks of finding a spotlight through her own online content. She takes us back to her early days, discovering an early love of singing, and talks about how that […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Feb 10, 2026 -
“I Want To Be More Honest and More Authentic, Both With Myself and With My Roles”: Ben Mehl, Back To One, Episode 378
Ben Mehl is most recognized for his role as Dante on the hit Netflix show You. Other TV credits include The Good Wife, Supernatural Investigator and films like My Christmas Guide and Viral Beauty. On stage he has performed with The Public Theater and Williamstown Theatre Festival. He’s also a passionate acting teacher and volunteer at the 52nd Street Project. On this episode he tells us the story of finding out he had Stargardt disease, coming to the decision to go ahead with his dream of being an actor despite being legally blind, and the piece of advice a teacher gave him that miraculously made this mountain much […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Feb 4, 2026 -
“Knowing Yourself Is a Big Part of Your Package as an Actor”: Astrid Rotenberry, Back To One, Episode 377
Astrid Rotenberry has had roles on Law & Order SVU, The Four Seasons, and American Sports Story. Now she plays Catherine Kelly in the Netflix limited series His and Hers, and her performance is so authentic and affecting it runs the risk of being taken for granted. On this episode, she details what excited her about the role, and why trust is so important to her. She takes us back to her childhood and how parental encouragement impacted her, talks about some of the valuable nuggets she learned as an intern in a casting office, expounds on ways she combats self-doubt, and much more. Back […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Jan 27, 2026 -
“I Just Wanna Play the Good Guy, But Not the Boring Good Guy:” Spenser Granese, Back To One, Episode 274
You know Spenser Granese from memorable roles on Better Call Saul, Fear of the Walking Dead, Pam & Tommy, and, perhaps most memorably, the character of Bevel in the final season of Barry. On this episode, he talks about landing that role after trying hard to get on the show for three seasons and the incredible working environment he found on set. He opens up about his unique approach to the craft having no formal training, why he keeps the lines barely memorized, avoids expectations, operates on his instinct, and much more! Back To One can be found wherever you […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 26, 2023 -
Back to One, Episode 153: Andrew Garfield
With remarkable performances in films like Hacksaw Ridge, The Social Network, Under The Silver Lake and Silence, Andrew Garfield has established himself as one of the great actors of his generation. And now a virtuoso performance in Gia Coppola’s new film Mainstream solidifies that. On this episode, he talks about two transformative experiences in the theater (Death of A Salesman and Angels In America) that changed him in deep ways, and what he did on the nights when he felt so emotionally drained that he literally couldn’t go on the stage. He talks about why he needs to feel “called” […]
by Peter Rinaldi on May 11, 2021 -
Back to One, Episode 88: Miles Robbins
When I first took notice of Miles Robbins he was a stand-out among stand-outs in the surprisingly satisfying teen comedy Blockers. Now he presents another level of his talent in the very thoughtful psychological horror film Daniel Isn’t Real. In this episode he talks about the intense, emotionally taxing experience he had creating that performance, how not being scared is a key ingredient in his work, and the importance of connecting with the duality within himself and the universe. Plus he generously shares his feelings and frustrations with this “weird” endeavor called acting and all the hoopla that surrounds it. Back […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 16, 2019 -
Back To One Episode 87: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
To say Aaron Taylor-Johnson puts 100% into every role is actually a bit of an understatement. He starts to live as the character months before filming begins. Then, when it’s over, it takes him months to “shed the layers” of the character before returning to himself. This might sound like a bunch of hooey, until you actually see the brilliance of the work and the fullness of transformation. He got his big break with Kick-Ass, spent some time in the Marvel universe, played John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, then won a Golden Globe for playing a psychopath in Nocturnal Animals. […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Dec 10, 2019 -
Back to One, Episode 85: Stephanie Kurtzuba
Stephanie Kurtzuba plays Irene, wife of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), in The Irishman. It’s her second film with Martin Scorsese. She played stockbroker Kimmie Belzer in The Wolf of Wall Street. She talks about working with the legendary filmmaker and what sets him apart as an actor’s director. She also explains her process of extracting preconceptions made in the audition, and she gushes about her first love–the rehearsal room, but tells us why, despite her heart being on the stage, she wouldn’t give up working for the camera if she could. Plus much more! Back To One can be […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 26, 2019 -
Back to One, Episode 33: Jinn and Luke Cage Co-Star Simone Missick
Simone Missick is best known for playing Misty Knight in the Netflix/Marvel series Luke Cage (as well in The Defenders and Iron Fist). She tells a great story of getting that part, and her game plan for auditioning in general, and also talks about knowing when to offer script changes, even for Marvel material! Then we talk about her important new film Jinn, about a teenager torn between her burgeoning sexuality and her mother’s newfound Muslim faith. Jinn is now available on VOD and Digital. Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes, Google Play, […]
by Peter Rinaldi on Nov 27, 2018
