Back To One

William Jackson Harper is probably best known for the work he did over four seasons on the NBC comedy "The Good Place," and the Ari Aster film "Midsommar," but his true happy place is on the stage (he's a Tony nominee for the recent production of "Uncle Vanya" with Steve Carell). On this episode he explains the allure of the theater, which has something to do with being "the witch" and not "the caldron." He talks about why he doesn't do well with micro-managing but loves dialogue, two-shots, making strong choices, and directors who "leave room for the holy spirit." Plus much, much more! Currently, you can catch him in the series "American Hostage" starring Jon Hamm on MGM+, and soon you can see him in Tim Blake Nelson's film "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd," which just premiered at TIFF.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

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June Schreiner is the star of "Dark Hollow," a folk horror film about a young mother who, in order to protect her home and save her family, must hunt down a nightmarish monster that has emerged from an Appalachian coal mine. On this episode, Schreiner explains why she fell in love with Daniel Byers' script and related so much to this character. She talks about her formative years at Area Stage, explains why she sometimes starts her process by identifying elements that she has resistance towards, makes a solid case for earnestly learning about the other jobs on a film set, describes the joy of finding her creative spark again through community, and much much more.

"Dark Hollow" is available On Demand September 4th. Click here to pre-order

Look out for select screenings in LA, with more cities to come.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Oliver Cooper has one of the greatest stories about breaking into Hollywood, landing his first role in "Project X." I'm grateful he takes his time telling it on this episode. It's a story about hilarious naiveté, unwavering belief in himself, and an unlikely friendship with a person unfairly pushed to the margins of the business who fueled him with the support he needed. That story is so formative that he still wants to tell stories about people who were counted out, but who keep the dream alive. His latest collaboration with filmmaker Joe Burke, "Burt," is about that and so much more. Cooper stars opposite real-life roommates Burt Berger and Steven Levy. He talks about working with these two incredible personalities who were basically playing themselves, and the acting challenge he had in serving them, letting them shine properly, while not standing out himself as the "actor." He succeeds wonderfully, and you can (and should) check out "Burt" on your favorite streaming service. It was made for $7000 in a few days with an extremely small crew and will make you laugh, cry, and capture your heart so deeply that you'll wonder why most movies have to waste so much money for so little impact.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Tom Brittney first rose to global prominence with his multi-season turn on the celebrated British series "Grantchester," where he built a devoted international following through a performance defined by emotional depth and restraint. With his new series "The Westies," he hops "the pond" and ventures into darker and more volatile territory while delivering layered, character-first work surrounded by stellar co-stars like J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver. On this episode, he explains why the lack of belief in his abilities that he felt from his teachers in drama school resulted in his own lack of faith it what they were teaching, how seven seasons playing the same character made him a better actor, why he will never get used to the instability of this profession, and much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Ken Marino is very funny. All the time. Maybe even "too funny." Starting with the legendary comedy group "The State," more than three decades ago, Marino has been the go-to comedy gold in countless television shows, stealing so many scenes in movies, always bringing the funny. The films he's co-written with David Wain are some of his highlights — "The Ten," "Role Models," "Wanderlust," and now "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" (which comes out July 10th). On this episode, Marino ponders the origins of his brand of comedy (or if he even has one), explains why he doesn't like humor that punches down, makes a case for why he thinks he has "a good grasp on 'asshole,'" talks about what has brought him to a place where he makes bold choices right off the bat, lays out how it all comes down to "specifics," and much much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Karolina Wydra's performance as Zosia in Vince Gilligan's new hit series "Pluribus" is impressive on many levels, but it wasn't until I talked to her for this podcast that I realized the absolute herculean challenge this role is for an actor. Zosia is part of the single consciousness, and is no longer ruled by the hang-ups, shortcomings, and flaws of a normal human existence. "Remember, she has no nerves!" Gilligan kept telling her. Luckily Wydra faced the challenge head-on. On this episode, she talks about her journey from Poland to America, from model to actor, dipping in various acting disciplines before she created her own blend, and the break she took from her career to feed another love in her life. It was during that break, when her reps had dropped her, that the Pluribus team went looking for her, not knowing that it was her absolute dream to work for Gilligan. This is an inspiring episode about being fully dedicated to the work, following your heart, and letting love lead the way.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Mark Strong has made a name for himself playing villains or stealing scenes (or both) in movies like "Sherlock Holmes," "Kick-Ass," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "The Imitation Game," the list goes on. On this episode, he talks about his work in the theater, particularly two of his most celebrated performances for the stage: Eddie in "A View From The Bridge," and "Oedipus" (which just earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor In A Play). He explains why he needs to understand a character fully before he can play it, why extensive research is often not necessary, why specifics in direction usually doesn't work for him, why trust is so important, how going bald changed everything for the better, and much much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Simon Helberg is best known for playing Howard in the hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" for 12 seasons, but he has also built a notable and varied film career working with people like Leos Carax, the Coen Brothers, and a stand-out performance opposite Meryl Streep in "Florence Foster Jenkins." For his latest, he returns to television in Jonathan Glatzer's Silicon Valley series "The Audacity" on AMC. On this episode, he talks about why he's "precious" about the first read of a script, ponders the paradox of character vs. self, shares some tidbits he gleaned from Ms. Streep, sums it all up with three important words: "Expect and Affect," plus much more!

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Asa Butterfield is a British actor who may be best known for starring as Otis Milburn in the worldwide phenomenon "Sex Education," for Netflix, and Hugo Gabret in Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." He first received critical acclaim, as a pre-teen, for his work in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," a film adaptation of John Bayne's novel by the same name. Now he has taken on his bravest role yet, Solomon Jackson in Oscar Boyson's "Our Hero, Balthazar," a coming-of-age story that defies all conventions with pitch-black humor and daring, timely storytelling. On this episode, he describes what it took to skirt the line of "unlikeable" with that character while still reaching for relatability. He talks about his love for accents and why he takes them very seriously, how working with Scorsese made his love for movies grow, what recently made him want to get on the stage for the first time and why he enjoyed the frightening challenge, plus much more!

"Our Hero, Balthazar" is in select theaters now.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

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Jordan Hull is an actress, writer, and producer based in New York City. She won a LADCC Award for her performance as Clare in the world premiere of "Poor Clare" by Chiara Atik at the Echo Theater Company. Her screen credits include "The L Word: Generation Q" and "Hustle," alongside Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, and Robert DuVall. She produced and starred in the Tribeca Festival-winning audio drama "Red for Revolution." Upcoming, she just wrapped production on "Caity," directed by Lindsay Calleran and "The Plan," directed by Jess Barr, premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in February. On this episode she talks about being unfazed by the "entire movie is one-shot" aspect of Barr's film, and how improvisation was used to create authenticity. She talks about why she hates reading scripts to herself, what it means to be the "curator of [her] own experience" that she wants to have with the character, why she's obsessed with career trajectories, loves to be surprised, and much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

Subscribe to Back To One on Substack

Follow Back To One on Instagram