An Actor Despairs

By Ryan M. PerezTV & Film Arts Film Interviews Performing Arts

An Actor Despairs episodes

June 20 David Denman
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor David Denman, known for The Office and 13 Hours, to discuss his journey from growing up in Orange County and attending eight different schools before discovering theater in high school, to earning a spot at Juilliard alongside actors like Alan Tudyk. The conversation explores his challenging experience at Juilliard, booking his first professional roles, auditioning opposite Keanu Reeves for The Replacements, moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, and the lessons learned building a lasting career in Hollywood.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 hr 13 min
June 05 Kevin Kane
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor Kevin Kane, known for Life & Beth and Law & Order: SVU, to discuss his journey from growing up in Philadelphia and Myrtle Beach to building an acting career in New York City. The conversation explores his early years pursuing the craft, his friendship and creative collaboration with Amy Schumer, his work on Life & Beth and Law & Order: SVU, and the lessons he's learned navigating a career in television, film, and comedy.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 39 min
May 29 Matt Jones
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor Matt Jones, known for Breaking Bad, Mom, Bob Hearts Abishola, and Gilmore Girls, to discuss his journey from growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles to building a career in television and film. The conversation explores his early love of movies, his transition from sports to theater, performing with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, breaking into commercials before landing his first television role, and the audition for Breaking Bad that changed everything. Matt also reflects on the realities of life after a career-defining role, navigating typecasting, the challenges facing working actors in today's industry, and how streaming-era budget cuts have reshaped opportunities for actors and crews alike.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 53 min
May 26 Brittany Allen
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor and composer Brittany Allen, known for Dexter: Original Sin, The Boys, All My Children, and The Pitt, to discuss her journey from child actor in Toronto to building a career across Canadian and American film and television. The conversation explores her breakthrough on All My Children, navigating the realities of the entertainment industry, balancing acting with motherhood, transitioning into composing music for films, and her recent work on The Pitt. Brittany also reflects on the challenges of agents, the impact of the pandemic on working actors, and how becoming a mother transformed her relationship to work, creativity, and ambition.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 31 min
May 13 Daniel Bessner Part 2
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with Daniel Bessner, college professor and host of American Prestige, to discuss the history of Hollywood’s financialization and the decline of the middle class in the entertainment industry. The conversation explores how Hollywood evolved from the studio system of the 1920s-1950s into a gig-based economy following the labor strikes of the 1960s, and eventually into a financialized system dominated by conglomerates, private equity firms, and streaming platforms. Daniel breaks down how deregulation, asset management companies, and the collapse of mass culture transformed the industry, creating growing instability for working artists and reshaping what it means to sustain a career in entertainment today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 21 min
May 11 Neil Forsyth
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with Neil Forsyth, creator of Guilt and the new Legends on Netflix, to discuss his journey from growing up in Dundee, Scotland and writing football fanzines to becoming a successful television writer. The conversation explores the making of Legends, his breakthrough into television with Bob Servant, the development of Guilt, his writing process and approach to structure and research, adapting true stories for television, and the challenges facing writers in today’s industry. Neil also reflects on the decline of development funding, the importance of the BBC supporting unique voices, his resistance to AI in the creative process, and what it really takes to build a lasting career in storytelling!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 37 min
May 06 Daniel Bessner Part 1
Part 1 of 2: Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with Daniel Bessner, college professor and host of American Prestige, to discuss his upbringing in New York, academic journey into U.S. foreign policy and democracy, and his analysis of how entertainment and media shape public understanding of the world. The conversation explores Hollywood’s evolution from a more artist-driven industry in the 1930s and 1940s into a system increasingly aligned with corporate and capitalist values, the decline of mass culture, the rise of gig work in entertainment, and the growing instability facing working artists today.

https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/the-life-and-death-of-hollywood-daniel-bessner/

https://americanprestigepod.com/

https://danielbessner.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 4 min
April 27 Ivana Miličević
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor Ivana Miličević, known for Banshee, Seinfeld, and Casino Royale, to discuss her journey from immigrating from Bosnia to building a decades-long career in Hollywood, her transition from modeling to acting in the 1990s, and the career-defining experience of starring in Banshee. She reflects on coming up in the industry alongside actors like Charlize Theron and working with Daniel Craig, her approach to auditioning and preparation, and navigating the balance between career and personal life during difficult moments. The conversation also explores the evolving entertainment landscape, the impact of COVID-19, and her perspective on what it means to sustain a career as a working actor today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 42 min
April 24 Eric Lange
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor Eric Lange, known for The West Wing and Escape at Dannemora, to discuss his journey from Ohio to Hollywood, his eight-year struggle before landing his breakthrough role, the transformative experience of playing a heavy character in Escape at Dannemora, navigating the challenges of today’s entertainment industry, and his approach to acting rooted in naturalism, preparation, and creating opportunities to sustain a lasting career.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 25 min
April 16 Eva De Dominici
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor Eva De Dominici, known for The Cleaning Lady and Balls Up, to discuss her journey from Buenos Aires to Hollywood, starting her career at age five in Argentina and breaking out on Chiquititas, moving to the United States without speaking English, overcoming language barriers in the industry, landing her first major roles, and the perseverance it takes to build a bilingual acting career while staying true to who you are.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 3 min

About An Actor Despairs

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An inside look at life in the television and film industry. Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he speaks with actors, directors, and artists more about how the industry works and how to not only survive…