Back To One

Dominique Fishback talks about the characters she plays as if they inhabit her rather than the other way around. This begins to explain the immense, yet subtle, and always authentic power on display in performances such as Darlene in “The Deuce,” Kenya in “The Hate You Give,” and Deborah Johnson in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Now she stars with Samuel L. Jackson in the Apple+ series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.” She talks about the interesting way her character, Robyn, disrupted her usual psychological preparation process; where she gets the courage to fiercely advocate for her characters; repairing her relationship with her inner child; the “art of being a movie star;” and much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

You know him as Pastor Tim on “The Americans,” or “Dollar” Bill Stearn on “Billions,” or maybe Kelly AuCoin has wowed you as a regular on the New York stage for many years. In this episode he lifts the hood and lets us peek in on what keeps his acting engine running, or (because he prefers sports metaphors) what keeps him in the game. He talks about how his wife made him realize he actually does have a preparation process, the differences between his hours leading up to “action” as apposed to “curtain up,” the importance of the often overlooked tool of a good night’s rest, what he relished on the set of his latest role in “The Girl From Plainville,” and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Alessandra Mesa and Ani Mesa are the stars of Erin Vassilopoulos’ debut feature "Superior," a fascinating, fun, and suspenseful genre-blending exploration of identity. The three collaborated on a short of the same name six years earlier, and the feature functions almost like a sequel. In this episode they talk about the benefits of having the “real memories” of the short as a kind of backstory to use in the feature, how they made the anxiety of shooting on film work to their advantage, the interesting way Ani helped Alessandra (who co-wrote the script) take off the writer’s hat and put on the actor’s hat during production, how “world building” tangibly helps the acting process, why the mysterious elements shared by any two actors in a scene have even more useful potential when those two people are identical twins, plus much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

He played Captain Pike on "Arrow," Basqat on "Smallville," and Nick Barron on the acclaimed Canadian drama "19-2," and now Adrian Holmes has stepped into the biggest role of his career—Uncle Phil on "Bel-Air," Peacock’s dramatic reboot of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In this half hour, Holmes talks about the process of finding his own version of that iconic character, the theatrical trick he plays on himself in auditions that keeps him "dropped in," why telling positive black stories is so important, and much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

In films such as “Transit,” “In The Aisles,” and “Undine,” German actor Franz Rogowski has quickly established himself as one of the most respected and sought after actors in international cinema. But now, with his transformative and revelatory performance in “Great Freedom,” it is hard to even find words to properly describe his astounding work, except maybe outer-worldly. On this episode we get a detailed glimpse into his unique preparation process, which involves using drawings and word graphics to move motivations and dialogue onto another plane of accessibility. He talks about “the exchange” that needs to take place for a performance to take hold, why his hearing loss actually makes him a better listener, how lockdown’s interruption of production actually benefited the work, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Emory Cohen’s past credits include “Brooklyn,” “The Place Beyond The Pines,” “Lords of Chaos,” and the short-lived but much-loved series “The OA.” Now he stars as Samuel in Brian Petsos’ wildly unique comedy “Big Gold Brick,” and delivers a performance so full of mania, big humor and bold choices, it will have you continuously rapt. On this episode, he talks about the aspects of his process that he relies on with every role, the walk down “the gallery” of past great performances, sometimes “silly” animal work, focused rehearsal with a coach, and he explains why he actually enjoys the restrictions and frustrating precisions of the film set, plus much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Chukwudi Iwuji has been celebrated for his stage work (particularly Shakespeare) on both sides of the pond. He got raves for his Henvy VI at RSC, and his Othello and Hamlet at The Public, to names just a few. The raves continued for his performances in “The Low Road” (Obie win) and Ivo van Hove’s “Hedda Gabler.” He has only recently been transitioning, in a concerted way, to film work. James Gunn rewrote Clemson Murn in “Peacemaker” after seeing Iwuji’s audition, then put him in “Guardians of the Galaxy 3,” and called him one of the greatest actors who has graced his camera. In this episode, Iwuji talks about what Gunn and Hove have given him, what he needs from a director in general, his realization of the essence of the difference between film and stage performance, why he gets off book immediately, the importance of feeding your work with substance other than work, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram Subscribe to Jenna Dolittle's Actors Rise newsletter Follow Actors Rise on Instagram

She has been acting professionally for the better part of two decades, so Joey King has a bit more experience than the average 22 year old Hollywood actor. And after the gigantic surprise success of “The Kissing Booth,” and its subsequent sequels, she knows what it’s like to have a global hit on her hands. Add an Emmy nomination for her phenomenal work in “The Act” to her resume, and you have a well-respected actor/producer with a constant pile of scripts on her desk and first look deals at Hulu and Netflix. In this episode, she explains how it only seems like it’s easy for her to get emotional on camera, why learning everyone’s name on the set actually helps her work, the importance of letting the best idea win especially if it isn’t yours, why she encourages healthy debate with her team, her mystical connection to her new film “The In Between,” and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

He was Aquaman on “Smallville” and Hawk on “Titans,” and now Alan Ritchson is taking on the role of “Reacher” in the new Amazon series based on the Lee Child books. Child highlighted the “blend of menace and goodwill” that Ritchson brings to the role as something that attracted him to the actor. Ritchson talks about how the super long audition process functioned almost like a workshop for him to experiment with different approaches to the character, which paid off when he landed the part and finally got in front of the camera. He tells another story of a very different audition that wasn’t as successful but that changed his life for the better, and shares a valuable lesson he learned about letting go and picking your battles as an actor, plus much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Norwegian actor Renate Reinsve’s performance in her first leading role, in Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person In The World,” earned her the best actress award at Cannes and is slowly taking the world by storm. She embodies Julie with a levity and depth that is both grounded in a relatable reality and poetically expresses the beauty and heartbreak of life at the same time. To say it’s the kind of work that changes people’s lives is not an exaggeration. In this half hour, we take the microscope to her performance and lay out the factors at play in its creation. Reinsve talks about her obsession with character motivation that she developed at an early age, almost as a form of self therapy. She explains the importance of leaving the ego out and serving the piece as a whole, Trier’s balance of control and freedom that made all the difference, Timothée Chalamet as spirit animal, plus much more. "The Worst Person In The World" opens in LA and NY on February 4th. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Eric Roberts will soon have more credits as an actor than anyone else who has ever lived anywhere in the world. An intensity matched only by raw talent on display in films like “Star 80,” “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” and “Runaway Train” established him as a respectable actor’s actor in Hollywood. And, as he talks about in this episode, once video replaced film, and more people began shooting, they wanted Eric Roberts in their movies. And once he became privy to how many offers were coming in, he started saying yes. Work begot work fairly quickly, and he never stopped. I ask him how he handles non-professional crews and actors on these ultra low budget sets, and if the drain on his energy is worth it. He compares acting to exercise, sex, and kissing, talks about the art of using cue cards, tells insightful stories about Mickey Rourke and Bob Fosse, explains why “The Righteous Gemstones” is his favorite working experience ever, plus much more.  Follow "Back To One" on I

This is Kevin Corrigan’s fourth time on the podcast (his previous episodes are #1, #67, #133). It’s a yearly tradition to visit with the wise sage of indie film acting. We’re catching him right after returning from his latest job in Vancouver. He highlights a few moments from that shoot that stand out for him, shares what’s behind his incredible drawings of moments he loves from various performances, fails at “Kevin Corrigan Trivia” (which leads to some memories of “Walking And Talking”), talks about what makes it all “worth it,” and much more. Plus we chat way too much about “The Beatles: Get Back.” Follow Back To One on Instagram Check out Kevin's amazing drawings on his Instagram

Chris Diamantopoulos was always an actor. Never held another job. He was working on the stage at an early age—touring companies, Broadway—then transitioned to television, film, and eventually voice overs. Never stopped. Some highlights: Russ Hanneman on “Silicon Valley,” Reinhold on “Community,” Moe in “The Three Stooges,” the official voice of Mickey Mouse, and right now you can see him playing bad guys in Netflix’s “Red Notice” and “True Story.” We recorded this interview hours before he started a new job and he takes us through what’s on his mind on the night before day one. He talks about how the voice is always the aspect he starts with when building a character, why going back to Broadway in a musical after many years was so challenging, the importance of keeping himself at a place of healthy neutrality, plus lessons learned from Brian Cranston, Kirk Russell, David Fincher, and much more!  Follow Back To One on Instagram

“The Girlfriend Experience” put Riley Keough on the radar, and she’s been giving us multi-layered, deeply-rooted, captivating performances ever since, mostly in indie films like “American Honey,” “Under The Silver Lake,” “The House That Jack Built,” and now this year’s “Zola,” where she brilliantly walks the line of authentic nuance and absurdity in the role of Stefani. In this episode, she talks about the touchy endeavor of building the right approach for that character with director Janicza Bravo, the importance of knowing when to tighten up on prep or leave it loose, why she hates auditioning, how her spirituality enriches the work, why she’s not willing to risk her mental health for the job, and much more!  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Léa Seydoux was a talented young French actor when she reached planet-wide stardom with her incredible performance in “Blue Is The Warmest Color” (she even shared the Palm d’Or at Cannes, which had never been awarded to actors before). Since then she has invaded Hollywood, starring in James Bond movies and Wes Anderson films, but also continuing to turn in exceptional performances for international directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, Arnaud Desplechin, Ildikó Enyedi, and, for her latest film “France,” Bruno Dumont. In this episode, she talks about the “sweet craziness” of working with Dumont, the importance of learning the “language” of the director, why their differences of approach are actual what appeals to her, how cinema saved her life, and much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram

Looking back at Scott Speedman’s work in the early days of “Felicity” is a bit surprising. His acting had a wonderfully nuanced authenticity even then. Two decades later, that natural artistry has grown into a charismatic intensity and assuredness. It’s on display this year in the third season of “You,” the eighteenth season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and the charming indie film “Best Sellers.” When we spoke he had just wrapped films with David Cronenberg and Lena Dunham. He talks about working with those two very different directors, the secret to good onscreen chemistry, how fatherhood might deepen his work, and much more.  Follow Back To One on Instagram (photo by Ben Duggan)

Rebecca Wisocky plays Hetty Woodstone, the deceased Lady of the Manner, on the new CBS series “Ghosts,” where she’s a stand-out among stand-outs in its impressive comedy ensemble. In this episode, she talks about the absolute pleasure of working on that set and the interesting ways in which the large cast, who more often than not act together in the same shot, find the “music of the scene” together. She has pretty much mastered the art of the guest star role, and has played more than her share of villains. I get her to breakdown her latest in a recent episode of “Dopesick.” She talks about walking the line of behavioral specificity and story function. Plus we chat a bit about actor’s safety post-“Rust.” And much more!  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Shakespeare on the stage is his first love, but Alex Hassell loves the camera and it loves him back. Currently he plays Vicious in “Cowboy Bebop,” the live-action remake of the popular Japanese anime series. On this episode, he talks about being attracted to roles that are difficult, how years of stripped-down live theater work at The Factory formed him as an actor, why he’s more at ease when he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next, his valuable contribution to Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and how the particular challenges of acting on film excite him. Plus much more! “Cowboy Bebop” is available now to watch on Netflix and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will premiere in select theaters on Christmas Day and globally on Apple TV+ on January 14th. Follow Back To One on Instagram (photo by DWGH Photography)

From “The Walking Dead” and “Punisher” to “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Small Engine Repair,” “The Many Saints of Newark,” and this month’s “King Richard,” Jon Bernthal has established himself as the hard-working, all-in, go-to, actor’s-actor of the moment. In this episode, he talks about some of the elements he uses—generosity, energy management, isolation, fear-as-fuel, group strength—to do his work, the one thing all great directors have in common, why he’d be just as grateful doing regional theater, plus much more! Follow Back To One on Instagram

Ruth Negga loves words. And even someone who doesn’t particularly love words falls in love with the ones spoken by Ruth Negga. It’s not just her Irish accent. She uses words like a master craftsman uses tools. A profound humbleness. No pretension. Just the right tool, used at the right time, to make you understand, to make you believe. Obviously this goes for her acting work too. But, in true master-craftsman-style, there’s no sign of craft. You just believe. “Loving” got her an Academy Award nomination, her “Hamlet” got raves on both sides of the pond, and now “Passing,” Rebecca Hall’s stunning debut as a director, has them talking about Negga’s work again, this time opposite the wonderful Tessa Thompson. In this episode, she talks about the importance of gauging the atmosphere of the project, following instinct when it comes to trusting a director, the secret of playing an intoxicating character, and much much more. Follow Back To One on Instagram