Back To One

Through six seasons on "House of Cards" and multiple Emmy nominations, Michael Kelly has brilliantly embodied the character of Doug Stamper, navigating him through the highs and lows of loyalty, devotion, and dark-heartedness, culminating with a new layer of antagonism in the final season. It was a tour de force performance. In this episode he sits down to talk about the nuts and bolts of his craft, his meticulous and elaborate script breakdown process, how David Fincher knocked him off his game, and why he will never stop worrying about the next job no matter what awaits him post-Stamper.

In this first Back To One live podcast event from the Made In NY Media Center, Christopher Abbott tells us some hilarious stories about his naive beginnings as a pavement-pounding young actor in New York, then he takes us into the nuts and bolts of the craft he’s developed both on the stage and in indie films over the past decade. And we find out what he makes of George Clooney’s claim that he’s going to be our next movie star. If you only know this talented actor from his breakthrough on “Girls,” it’s time to catch up. His powerful performance in “James White” shows the depth he’s willing to go in a role. This year’s “Piercing” has him at his most unpredictable and creepiest. And now he stars in the Hulu limited series “Catch-22” (produced by Clooney) where he shows his range, expertly playing absurdity and agony in equal measure. 

Lindsay Burdge is one of the bravest and best actors working in indie film this decade. Her breakout role in Hannah Fidell's "A Teacher" brought her raves for her intense performance of destructive obsession. Bold choices continued in movies like Nathan Silver's "Thirst Street," Karyn Kusama's "The Invitation," and Joe Swanberg's Netflix show "Easy." Now she's taken on the role of Mandy in the long-awaited second season of Caveh Zahedi's acclaimed "The Show About The Show," after the real Mandy (Zahedi's wife) left the show mid-production. She talks about the unique experience of working with Zahedi under these conditions, how she doesn't steer away from emotionally challenging material, and her “pen-free” gestation preparation process. Plus lots more! The first Back To One Live Podcasting Event is coming to Brooklyn on May 31st. Special Guest Christopher Abbott ("Catch-22"). Click here for tickets and more info.

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 3rd 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 to Brooklyn on May 31st. Special Guest Christopher Abbott (Catch-22). Click here for more info. 

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 their longing to do a musical and much more! (*preferred pronouns: They/Them/Their)

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 on the faculty of NYU, The Lee Strasberg Institute, and SVA. He’s now the co-artistic director of the Primitive Grace theater ensemble, and can currently be seen in the Amazon series “Bosch.” He sat with me in the mezzanine overlooking the noisy (sorry!) lobby of the Public Theater in New York, a place that has benefited from his talents, to talk about what he’s gathered from 40+ years in the craft.

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 inspiring approach to the craft.

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.

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. Taking this perhaps odd analogy a little further— when these fish people act for Mike Leigh, it is like working completely submerged in a safe, life-size aquarium with constant fresh water pumping in. He starts without a script. The actors build their characters from scratch in collaboration with Leigh, using someone (or a composite of many people) in the actor’s life as a foundation. They then move and “be” that character privately in the presence of Leigh alone before g

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 in series like “Boardwalk Empire” (where he played Chalky White) and “The Night of,” to name a few. He's earning rave reviews for his latest performance in Emilio Estevez's “The Public.” In this episode, he talks about one particular "all-in" moment during the filming of that movie, also the role music plays in his preparation, and the place he was at in his life when he landed the Omar audition and the mindset he had upon entering that room.

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 with nose-pickers in her eye-line. It's in-depth craft-talk from a serious actor, but one who also makes clear, “I dress up and make believe for a living, so I just like to keep everything in perspective.”

She's perhaps best known for playing one of modern television's baddest villains, "Vee" on “Orange Is The New Black.” Now with NBC's “The Village” premiering last week, and 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 the art. A truly inspirational listen awaits. 

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 it brings.

I've wanted to sit down with Thomas Sadoski since the inception of Back To One. I had a "who is that guy?" experience while seeing him in Neil Labute's play "Reasons to Be Pretty" and was positively delighted by his portrayal of the quick-witted Don Keefer in "The Newsroom." He's now part of an incredible ensemble of actors in "Life In Pieces," one of the few network comedies worthy of your time. He talks about where he's at one day before the first official performance of Suzan-Lori Park's new play "White Noise," which he stars in at the Public Theater in New York. And he has a few things to say about the intersection of art and activism. Plus -- SORKIN!

His portrayal of Lola, the drag queen in “Kinky Boots,” put Chiwetel Ejiofor on the map, then his astonishing performance in “12 Years A Slave" made him a household name. Roles in “The Martian,” “Doctor Strange,” and the under-appreciated “Z for Zachariah” followed. Now he has written, directed and stars in “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind,” which is in select theaters and on Netflix. He talks about the art of wearing many hats, directing the extremely gifted young Maxwell Simba in his first film role, and the effort he took to not shortchange his own character.

Shea Whigham could easily be in the running for the hardest working actor in show business. In just this past year, he was in “First Man,” “Beirut,” “Vice,” and brilliantly played Thomas Carrasco, the Department of Defense bureaucrat tasked to investigate Julia Roberts’ character, in the series “Homecoming.” He’s worked with Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, David O. Russell, Terrence Malick, and is probably best known for playing corrupt mob brother Eli Thompson in “Boardwalk Empire.” In this half hour he talks extensively about his preparation process, what he’s learned from the greats, and much more. The constant room noise you hear in the background is the roaring fire we were sitting beside in two comfy armchairs in Lafayette House in New York's East Village.

I first took note of Ariel Kavoussi’s singular comedic talent in Onur Tukel’s “Applesauce” and then “Catfight,” where she hilariously played Ann Heche’s assistant and stole every scene she was in. She performed a similar theft this past year on the Netflix series “Maniac,” opposite Emma Stone. She also writes and directs her own work. Her new short film “The Poet and The Professor” was called a "truly absurdist, provocative, and contemporary feminist film” by Indiewire. We talk about the origins of her approach to comedy, how she works the audition rooms she suddenly finds herself in, and her relationship to her own unique speaking voice. Plus much more!

If I ever need to cry on cue, I can just picture the expression on Josh Hamilton's face, in “Eighth Grade,” when Elsie Fisher hugs him. It's a beautiful, wordless culmination of his incredible performance, which landed him a Spirit Award nomination this year. We discuss that scene, and he shares some of what he’s learned from jumping from the New York stage to the big & small screens and back again over the past 25 years. He talks about the importance of syncing with the director’s vision, being off-book before rehearsals, and why he’s a self described “take whore.”

Mads Mikkelsen is perhaps best known for playing villains in "Casino Royale," "Doctor Strange," and the television series "Hannibal," but he’s also been called the "face of the resurgent Danish cinema,” culminating with his Best Actor win at Cannes for his work in Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt." In this half hour, he talks about performing some physically and emotionally wrenching scenes in two new movies he currently stars in, the pure survival film "Arctic," and the live action adaptation of the popular graphic novel "Polar." Warning: Spoilers abound. "Arctic" is in select theaters now. "Polar" is on Netflix.

Noomi Rapace became an international sensation playing Lisbeth Salander in the original, Swedish version of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and its sequels. Hollywood beckoned and leading roles in such films as Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” and Brian DePalma’s “Passion” followed. Now she stars in Vicky Jewson’s Netflix nail-biter “Close,” in a role based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis. In this half hour, Rapace talks about the intense training she went through to prepare for the part, and how that awareness expands to all aspects of her life. Plus she explains how “kicking ass” is more a mental exercise than a physical one.