Actorcast

For the season 4 finale of Actorcast, we are joined by Christopher Barrett! After years of working as a performer, talent agent, and running his own talent agency, Chris shares his wealth of wisdom for us in this episode. We discuss his career as a performer, the natural transition to working as an agent, and the opportunities available for actors today. We also discuss the future of the entertainment industry and its continuous evolution alongside technology. This episode is choke full of insights and wisdom you'll want to retain.

Michael Tow joins us for episode 069 of Actorcast, and you do not want to miss this one! We discuss Michael's love and passion for the craft of acting, one he had ever since he was young. After pursuing a career as a financial planner, Michael decided to pursue acting one small step at a time, which has led to an impressive career of credits. We talk about his journey into entertainment, his own work that he has produced for the AAPI community, as well as the tragic loss of his daughter and how that informs his creative mission. Don't miss out on listening to this incredible actor!

To learn more about Michael, please check him out on social media @michael.tow.

Michael Tow is a Chinese-American actor from Boston. He is a versatile TV, Film & Theater actor who will next be seen in Apple TV+'s highly anticipated limited series City on Fire, From creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Tow will play the series regular role of Joe Yeung alongside Chase Sui Wonders & Wyatt Oleff. Tow previously recurred on NBC's Law & Order: SVU and AMC's NOS4A2, and has upcoming recurring guest stars on Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness opposite Zoe Saldana & Nicole Kidman and STARZ’s Raising Kanan. He is also known for his starring role as Little Handsome in the Tribeca Darling Lucky Grandma and the Oscar winning film Sound of Metal. Tow is also a co-creator at Tow Arboleda Films a company that has made numerous Asian American social justice shorts and videos seen by millions of people around the world, including That’s not the Nanny and Coughing While Asian.

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

Actress Emily Berry joined us for episode 068 of the Actorcast and she did not disappoint! In this episode, we talk about Emily's journey as an actress, her process in discovering and rediscovering her type, and what actors should avoid doing in their professional lives as actors. We also discuss the importance of self-care in the industry and how to overcome certain challenges.

Follow Emily and her journey @officialemilyberry.

Emily earned her SAG card in 1997, while in Chicago, shooting a commercial with Michael Jordan. Today, she is a face you easily recognize having over 50+ credits in both television and film. Her diverse TV credits include roles on shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “New Girl,” “NCIS,” “Young Sheldon,” “Fresh Off The Boat,” and too many national commercials to count. Her film credits include projects such as “Logan,” “Pearl Harbor,” “No Man of God,” and many more.

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

For episode 067 of Actorcast, we are joined by my good friend Roger Lee! Roger is the Founder and Managing Director of Roger Lee Arts and he has been such a valuable resource for me in my artistic career. We discuss his beginnings as a dancer and how he uses entrepreneurial skills to develop a sustainable dancing career for himself and his company. We also discuss his career coaching, as well as his recently released e-book, Artist Income Boosting Strategies. We discuss the importance of artists valuing themselves, the work they do, and the careers they are forging for themselves. You don't want to miss this one!

To learn more about Roger, please visit https://www.rogerleearts.com/ or follow Roger on all social platforms @rogerleearts.

Roger Lee is the Managing Director, Owner, and Founder of Roger Lee Arts, LLC, a business producing dance company concerts, portrait drawings, and artist career coaching since 2012. He wrote the e-book Career Advice For Visual and Performing Artists based on his 18 years of professional experience as an award-winning visual and performing artist. He is also the author of the newly released e-book: Artist Income Boosting Strategies.

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

For episode 066 of Actorcast, we chat with James Bundy, Dean at the Yale School of Drama (recently renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale). I actually borrowed this episode from my previous podcast, Relate with Patrick McAndrew, because it was so chock full of wisdom for actors that I had to bring it over to Actorcast. We chat about common traps for actors, the types of actors Yale's program looks for, and why acting is so helpful in understanding our own humanity.

You can learn more about Yale's acting program by visiting https://www.drama.yale.edu/

James Bundy has served as Dean of Yale School of Drama and Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre since 2002. He teaches in the Acting program at the School and in the Theater Studies program in Yale College. During his tenure, Yale Rep has produced more than thirty world, American, and regional premieres, nine of which have been honored by the Connecticut Critics Circle as Best Production of the year and two of which have been Pulitzer Prize finalists. James has directed productions at Theater for a New Audience, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater Festival, The Acting Company, California Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and The Juilliard School Drama Division.  James is a graduate of Harvard College; he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Yale School of Drama.

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

I was so excited to chat with Daniel Durston for episode 065 of Actorcast! We talk about his upcoming musical, 1996, which uses songs by Blink182 to tell a story rooted from Daniel's life experience. We talk about his background as a performer and musician, the years he has spent developing the show, and what's coming up around the pike. Daniel also shares stories about his encounters with both Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker. You won't want to miss this episode. And be sure to tune in until the end to hear Daniel's rendition of "Home is Such A Lonely Place" by Blink182.

You can learn more about the show by visiting https://www.1996musical.com/ and @1996musical. You can follow Daniel on Instagram @danieldurston.

From the CBS hit reality TV show Big Brother, Daniel Durston is an award winning Elvis Tribute Artist from Legends in Concert in Las Vegas. He has gone on to originate the role of Elvis Presley in two world premieres: Elvis The Musical and Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. Originally from the Inland Empire, Daniel grew up a musical theatre kid and an avid pop-punk music fan. He began his professional career touring with Nickelodeon stars Victoria Justice and Max Schenider, went on to tour in three Broadway musicals as well as two years on The Vans Warped tour. For the last ten years he's created a show that would not only encompass his favorite styles of music but also a story driven book based on his personal life while honoring the humor and accolades of San Diego based Pop-Punk band Blink-182.

For episode 064 of Actorcast, I am joined by my good friend, Bobbi Block! I had the opportunity to work with Bobbi on a show called Playing Favorites a handful of years ago, and it was such a learnable experience for me as an actor. In this episode we discuss how Bobbi got into improvisation, and how she went on to develop her method of "Actors Improv." We discuss a variety of forms of improv, how it can help actors with their scripted work, and how improv has the ability to help those outside of the industry as well.

To learn more about Bobbi's amazing work, please visit https://bobbiblock.com/ and https://tongue-groove.com/

Bobbi Block is a Philadelphia-based theater artist.  She performs, directs, teaches and produces unscripted theater.  She founded and was the Producing Artistic Director of critically acclaimed Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater for 15 years. She Co-Founded and continues to perform with Barrymore Award Recipient ComedySportz Philadelphia.  She teaches Improvisational Theater at Temple and Drexel Universities, and has taught her signature ‘Actors’ Improv’ method around the world.  Recently Bobbi ventured back into scripted theater as Agatha in Michael Hollinger’s Incorruptible.  Bobbi has an MA in Theater from Villanova, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Bobbi’s other career is a Communication Skills Facilitator and Applied Improv practitioner.

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

For episode 063 of Actorcast, we are joined by George Armistead, the CEO and Founder of a new casting website called ReelCall. ReelCall is looking to change the landscape of professional entertainment websites, and I was excited to hear what George had to say about the company. We talk about what inspired George to get into the entertainment space, how ReelCall is unique from other casting websites, and how all creatives can benefit from using the platform.

Be sure to sign up for ReelCall at https://reelcall.com/. Use ACTORCAST to get a 50% discount!

Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com.

Jim Calder and Devin Shacket join me for episode 062 of Actorcast, and they do not disappoint! In this episode, we dive deep into the craft of acting and the important things that actors should keep in mind (or out of their mind) when performing. We discuss why Jim and Devin became acting teachers, what makes a good actor, and the common struggles that actors come up against in the rehearsal and audition room. We talk about experience versus explanation, the illusion of the word "instinct," and so much more.

You can learn more about Jim and Devin's work by visiting https://www.thenewyorkdramacenter.com or @thenewyorkdramacenter.

Jim Calder is the Head of Movement at New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Department. He is the winner of the David Payne Carter Excellence in Teaching Award and Artistic Director of La Pietra Summer Theatre Festival in Florence, Italy. Jim has directed at various locations in New York City including the Lincoln Center Institute, Pearl Theatre, Classic Stage Company, The Public, New York Theater Workshop and HERE. Jim was movement and creative consultant for the upcoming film ‘Silent Retreat” written and directed by Todd Straus-Schulson, on ‘Pericles’ at Berkeley Rep, (Director Mark Wing-Davey), ‘Passion Play’ by Sarah Ruhl (Director Mark Wing-Davey) and movement director on Broadway for ‘Therese Raquin’ staring Keira Knightley, (director Evan Cabnet). Jim has performed at The Old Globe, P.S. 122, and throughout Europe. He was the lead actor and creative consultant in PBS’s ‘Noddy & Friends’. Jim trained at Ecole Jacques and performed under the direction of Jacques LeCoq in numerous TV specials in France.

Devin Shacket is an actress, casting professional, audition coach, and on-camera acting teacher.  Devin began coaching and taping auditions in early 2013, while working in the House of Cards: Season 2 casting department. Her casting credits include the second season of House of Cards, alongside Emmy Award winning casting director, Julie Schubert, feature films including Good Funk, Black Nativity, Three Backyards, and theatre projects and the San Francisco Playhouse. Her students have appeared on television shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Iron Fist, Happy, Gotham, New Amsterdam, Switched at Birth, Tyrant, Ramy, The Deuce, Jack Ryan, Sneaky Pete, Quantico, Infierno Verde, Jessica Jones, Blue Bloods, Sweet Bitter, The Looming Tower, FBI, Dickinson, The Blacklist, The Godfather of Harlem, and more.  In addition to private coaching and audition taping, Devin teaches on camera acting and audition technique to adults and young actors internationally.  She has been a guest lecturer at NYU Stonestreet School for Film and Television, SF Playhouse, SF State University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, dBs Berlin Film School, and several private studios in New York City.  She is the founder and Artistic Director of the New York Drama Center.

Follow my work at https://www.patrick-mcandrew.com/

For the season 4 premiere of Actorcast we are joined by actor, producer, and stuntman, Douglas Vermeeren! Douglas has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry working in a variety of different facets and he does not hesitate to share what it takes to work in show business. We talk about his process in doing stunt work, his experiences as an actor and director, and his philosophy behind working with great people.

To follow Douglas's journey be sure to visit his website at https://www.douglasvermeeren.com/ or follow him on social media @douglasvermeeren.

Douglas Vermeeren is an actor, stunt performer, producer and director. His interest in the film business began at young age being inspired by blockbuster films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Back to the Future. He first got on the set at a young age in Canada participating in a CBC show playing a newspaper boy. He continued to get involved in film any time he had the opportunity, even skipping school to spend time on movie sets. He attended college and soon found himself on academic probation until shifting gears to acting, screen writing and film arts. Now in the right place he began an honour student and was even awarded a scholarship. He began his efforts in stunts at 13 years old with his first stunt riding on the roof of a speeding car. Since that time he has done an extensive training in martial arts, motorcycles and race cars, horse back riding and stunt falls, fire and gun play. Vermeeren is also the producer and director of 4 of the top personal development documentaries.

Follow my work at https://www.patrick-mcandrew.com/