Back To One

Dutch actor Katja Herbers plays forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard on the hit series “Evil,” which just finished its third season at Paramount+. On this episode, she talks about how saying no to the audition actually secured her the role, and hitting it off with “the Kings” (show runners Robert and Michelle King) helped her feel ownership of it. We get into the beautiful weeds about the pitfalls of over-directing and how she often simply ignores direction or translates it into something she can use. She explains why laboring over an emotional through-line is unnecessary, how working with the girls that plays her kids fuels her work, why she was worried about getting fired from “Westworld,” and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Zoey Deutch returns to the podcast (Ep. 11, Ep. 97) to talk about her latest role in Quinn Shephard’s dark social satire “Not Okay.” She plays Danni Sanders, a lonely, semi-clueless photo editor who suddenly gets the attention she craves after lying about almost dying in a terrorist attack. Deutch talks about how she approached the challenge of making Danni relatable, the frustrations of shooting in New York City, why she didn’t play it as a comedy, spirit animals, “using” the paparazzi, the amazing Mia Issac, what she learned from Mark Rylance on “The Outfit,” and much more! Watch "Not Okay" on Hulu. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Himesh Patel is nominated for an Emmy this year for his incredible performance as Jeevan in Patrick Somerville’s HBO Max mini-series “Station Eleven.” In this episode, he talks about how that role made him a better actor, which is saying a lot because he had already given us some phenomenal work in films like “Tenet,” “Don’t Look Up,” and his first feature film “Yesterday.” He talks about the attention and care given to him by the big-name directors of those films, and how that helped his work. I ask about his 10 years on the UK television institution “EastEnders,” and if that acting foundation keeps supporting him. He talks about the short film that changed his career, the role as a pigeon that changed his life, and much more!   Follow Back To One on Instagram

She’s only 21, but Australian actor Angourie Rice has earned respect in Hollywood for stacking up diverse roles in “The Nice Guys,” “The Beguiled,” “Jasper Jones,” “Mare of Easttown,” not to mention a few Spider-Man movies. Now she has her first starring role in “Honor Society” for Paramount+. She talks about how it helped her to be able to relate so much to her character in that film, and why talking directly to the camera was oddly easy. We chat about her podcast, The Community Library, which is a celebration of literature and storytelling of all kinds. This leads to a discussion of how actors view their place in a story. She talks about why her podcast has made her look more critically at the scripts she gets, how being a lover of words helps the work, and much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Ethan Hawke returns to the podcast (first time was episode 41) to talk about “The Last Movie Stars,” his epic 6-part documentary that chronicles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Years ago, a friend of the couple interviewed Paul, Joanne, and many people close to them for a potential memoir, but Newman burned the tapes. Miraculously, the transcripts survive, so Hawke called on his acting friends to bring them to life. The result is both an intimate portrait of the lives and careers of this great duo and also a constant celebration of the endeavor of acting itself. Hawke talks about the apprehensions he had when Newman’s children approached him to do this series, and how they were assuaged. He lets us in on what led to the decision to go meta and include the “behind the scenes” zoom conversations, which, in my opinion, really makes the series special. He talks about discovering his own biases while editing and how that awareness enriched the cut, shares why he rela

Fresh out of Juilliard, Jeanne Tripplehorn’s first screen role was “Basic Instinct.” That started a 30+ year run of films like “The Firm,” “Waterworld,” “Sliding Doors,” and series such as “Criminal Minds,” “Big Love,” and her latest, “The Terminal List” for Amazon. In this episode, she talks about her love for extensive research, the most important tools for an actor—confidence, relaxation, and focus; how the happenings off-screen affect what’s on the screen; and why, at this point in her career, she just wants to play. Plus we get the scoop on her preternatural ability to sing classic rock songs in the voice of Julie Andrews. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Read just a sample of Juliette Binoche's credits—“Mauvais Sang,” “Three Colors: Blue,” “Damage,” “The English Patient,” “Chocolat,” “Certified Copy,” “Clouds of Sils Maria,” “Let The Sunshine In”—and one thing becomes clear: few actors have been as internationally respected for such a sustained period of time. In this episode, she speaks about the importance of acting from the body, and learning to use “sensation” as a starting point. She tells a story about feeling lost on the set of John Boorman’s "In My Country," and what set her free should be a lesson to all directors. She talks about how the difficult circumstances surrounding the production of her two newest films, “Both Sides of the Blade” and “Between Two Worlds,” actually served her process. Plus much more!  Follow Back To One on Instagram

I watched the movie “Cordelia” not knowing anything at all about it, and never having seen Irish actor Antonia Campbell-Hughes in anything before. The psychological thriller greatly impressed me in no small part due to the captivating performance of Campbell-Hughes, particularly the emotional depth that she invites the viewer to examine without words. In this episode, she talks about the layering work she did to build that character, the unorthodox way her process (or conscious lack of process) has developed over the years, and why it all started with what continues to be the main ingredient—truth. Her feature directorial debut “It Is In Us All” just won a jury award at SXSW. She talks about getting that film made, why visual storytelling is paramount to her, how she faces the challenges of acting and directing at the same time, plus much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Luke Bracey didn’t dream about being an actor when he was a kid, he didn’t study the craft, and on his first job, which came from his very first audition, he didn’t even really know when he should start saying the lines. But with roles in films like “Point Break,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Holidate” and the soon-to-be-released “One True Loves,” he has built a career with his instinct, experience, and innate talent. Now he plays Jerry Shilling in the Baz Luhrmann blockbuster “Elvis.” He talks about what stopped him from getting overwhelmed by that “old school” big movie production, the value of energy management, the “privilege of pressure,” getting the “kick in the butt” he needed at the right moment, and bringing it all back to “if you believe it, we’ll believe it.” Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

James Scully plays Charlie, love interest to Bowen Yang’s Howie, in the new film “Fire Island,” a touching, hilarious, and entirely Queer take on “Pride and Prejudice,” written by and co-starring Joel Kim Booster, and directed by Andrew Ahn. Scully talks about the imposter syndrome that infected the cast, how sometimes when material is so relatable it’s actually hard to gauge if you’re hitting it right, why having a Queer director actually improves the work, and how Ahn specifically led the way so thoughtfully and effectively. Plus much more!  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Among many appealing qualities as an actor, Rupert Friend certainly has “range.” His two most recent roles are James Whitehouse—elitist, upper-class British politician in David E. Kelley’s Netflix limited series “Anatomy Of A Scandal”; and The Grand Inquisitor—blowhard Star Wars bad guy in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He’s probably best known for playing Peter Quinn on a few seasons of “Homeland,” which got him an Emmy Nomination. On this episode, he talks about why his preparation process is more “uncovering” than “building,” how energy management has served him well, the gift of being allowed to “fail safely,” and the most important thing any actor can have in their arsenal—instinct. Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

David Morse is one of the most respected veteran actors working in the business. “St. Elsewhere,” “The Indian Runner,” “The Crossing Guard,” “Dancer In The Dark,” “House,” “Hack,” “The Green Mile,” to name just a few of his past credits, and now a Tony nomination for his incredibly powerful performance in “How I Learned To Drive,” which he has reprised with Mary-Louise Parker, 25 years after they first did it off-broadway. I talk to him about the differences in these two incarnations, particularly one important and significant moment he arrives at toward the end of the play. He explains how training with William Esper enriched his work, how working for Sean Penn invigorated it, and how the “all in it together” aspect of theater continues to feed him. Plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Mike Leigh is back in New York City for Film At Lincoln Center’s retrospective of his films, which starts Friday May 27th. He’s doing Q&A’s after three of his best—“Naked,” “Secrets and Lies,” and “Topsy-Turvy.” Since he was last on the show (Episode 54), a few of his most treasured actors have been on and discussed the joy of working with the legendary director. There have even been some guests who have talked about the pleasure of working with him just in an audition, even though they weren’t selected. I ask him to break down his audition process and he generously does so in great detail. We examine one particular moment from "Secrets and Lies" as a way to discuss the careful way he builds narratives with his collaborators. I ask which film of his someone who has never seen a Mike Leigh film should see first. He talks about Cassavetes, Netflix, procrastination, his oeuvre as a whole, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Few characters born in this current ‘Golden Age of Television’ rise to the legendary status of Gustavo Fring. Giancarlo Esposito brought the drug kingpin to life on “Breaking Bad” and now he’s finishing out (or filling in) his arc on the prequel “Better Call Saul.” On this episode, Esposito talks about the careful way he “whispers” a new character into existence, and why the identification and breaking down of his own resistances is so important. He tells the story of the eureka moment he had reading the words “hiding in plain sight” and how that opened up the character for him. He claims the real-life people he portrays (like Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in "Godfather of Harlem”) haunt him, shares why “making it personal” is such an essential step, and much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

I was lucky to catch Alison Pill on Broadway, 16 years ago, in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” and then became enamored with her work in shows like “In Treatment,” “The Newsroom," “Devs,” and movies like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and “Milk,” to name just a few. Nowadays she plays Dr. Agnes Jurati on the series “Picard,” and stars with Sarah Gadon in Michael McGowan’s new film “All My Puny Sorrows.” She shares what she believes to be the secret ingredient that made that film work, and talks about how adopting a physicality for a character is foundational to her now. She reveals some of the reasons why theater appeals to her so much, one of them being that it allows her to take on the role of editor of her performance. She professes her love for text, her love for rehearsal, her frustration with improv, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Anamaria Vartolomei is the French-Romanian star of Audrey Diwan’s film “Happening,” about a young college student in desperate need of an illegal abortion in 1960s France. The camera follows Vartolomei’s character so closely, both literally and figuratively, that you begin to feel like you are experiencing the movie from inside her. On this episode, Vartolomei talks about why the closeness of the camera actually made her feel protected; how curiosity rather than competition helped her in the audition; how feeling safe leads to fearlessness in action; and the importance of breathing, surprises, and, most importantly, anger. Follow Back To One on Instagram

The legendary theater director, actor, shaman André Gregory has been producing ground-breaking work for over half a century. He’s perhaps best known for the projects he did with Wallace Shawn—“My Dinner With André” (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary), “Vanya on 42nd Street” and “A Master Builder.” His recent book “This Is Not My Memoir" details, with refreshing honesty, his extraordinary life through incredible stories about, for instance, learning from the great Jerzy Grotowski, getting punched by Gregory Peck, buried alive in Richard Avedon’s backyard, to name just a few. On this episode, Gregory answers some questions about his unique rehearsal process, talks about why it doesn’t matter if the stories he tells about his life are rooted in fact, offers up a one word answer to what his hope is for the future of performance, and much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Wunmi Mosaku won a BAFTA award for “Damilola, Our Loved Boy.” She was only the 2nd black actress to win one in 62 years. You might know her from her incredible work as Ruby in “Lovecraft Country,” Rial in “His House,” or B-15 in the Marvel series “Loki.” Her latest is “We Own This City,” from the makers of “The Wire,” which premiered Monday on HBO Max. On this episode, she talks about her early days of learning the ropes of screen acting, how rehearsal makes a big difference in her process, why connecting to people is so important to her job, how one prompt led to the most exciting artistic night in her career, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

In the new HBO Max series “Julia,” talented Irish actor Fiona Glascott plays Judith Jones, the real life editor who pulled Julia Child’s book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” from the reject pile and turned it into a bestseller. In this episode, Glascott talks about the joy of inhabiting that trailblazer and playing opposite the great Judith Light in a pivotal scene. She also details the unique preparation process she employs when she takes on the young Professor McGonagall in the “Fantastic Beasts” films, shares an inspiring reason why she doesn’t obsess over landing some ideal role, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Eddie Marsan first came to my attention with his now legendary performance in Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky.” He has so many layers at play under Scott’s anger, gives so much depth to that character. It is a wonder to behold. He kept doing it in films like “Tyrannosaur,” “Still Life,” “Sherlock Holmes,” as Terry in the Showtime series “Ray Donovan,” and now in his newest film, “The Contractor,” opposite Chris Pine. In this half hour, Marsan talks about the formative influence of Leigh on his work and the meaning of the command “dig a hole and sit in it.” He shares some things he picked up from never leaving Jim Broadbent’s side on the “Gangs of New York” set, the technique of “listening with prejudice,” the importance of living a life in such a way that the job of acting doesn’t fulfill your egotistic needs, plus much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram