Back To One

Zoey Deutch returns to the podcast (Ep. 11, Ep. 97) to talk about her latest role in Quinn Shephard's dark social satire "Not Okay." She plays Danni Sanders, a lonely, semi-clueless photo editor who suddenly gets the attention she craves after lying about almost dying in a terrorist attack. Deutch talks about how she approached the challenge of making Danni relatable, the frustrations of shooting in New York City, why she didn't play it as a comedy, spirit animals, "using" the paparazzi, the amazing Mia Issac, what she learned from Mark Rylance on "The Outfit," and much more! Watch "Not Okay" on Hulu.

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Himesh Patel is nominated for an Emmy this year for his incredible performance as Jeevan in Patrick Somerville's HBO Max mini-series "Station Eleven." In this episode, he talks about how that role made him a better actor, which is saying a lot because he had already given us some phenomenal work in films like "Tenet," "Don't Look Up," and his first feature film "Yesterday." He talks about the attention and care given to him by the big-name directors of those films, and how that helped his work. I ask about his 10 years on the UK television institution "EastEnders," and if that acting foundation keeps supporting him. He talks about the short film that changed his career, the role as a pigeon that changed his life, and much more!

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She's only 21, but Australian actor Angourie Rice has earned respect in Hollywood for stacking up diverse roles in "The Nice Guys," "The Beguiled," "Jasper Jones," "Mare of Easttown," not to mention a few Spider-Man movies. Now she has her first starring role in "Honor Society" for Paramount+. She talks about how it helped her to be able to relate so much to her character in that film, and why talking directly to the camera was oddly easy. We chat about her podcast, The Community Library, which is a celebration of literature and storytelling of all kinds. This leads to a discussion of how actors view their place in a story. She talks about why her podcast has made her look more critically at the scripts she gets, how being a lover of words helps the work, and much more.

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Ethan Hawke returns to the podcast (first time was episode 41) to talk about "The Last Movie Stars," his epic 6-part documentary that chronicles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Years ago, a friend of the couple interviewed Paul, Joanne, and many people close to them for a potential memoir, but Newman burned the tapes. Miraculously, the transcripts survive, so Hawke called on his acting friends to bring them to life. The result is both an intimate portrait of the lives and careers of this great duo and also a constant celebration of the endeavor of acting itself. Hawke talks about the apprehensions he had when Newman's children approached him to do this series, and how they were assuaged. He lets us in on what led to the decision to go meta and include the "behind the scenes" zoom conversations, which, in my opinion, really makes the series special. He talks about discovering his own biases while editing and how that awareness enriched the cut, shares why he relates to one aspect of how Newman approached his own fame, and why it felt sometimes like working on this was going to break his brain. Plus much more! "The Last Movie Stars" is on HBO Max on July 21st.

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Fresh out of Juilliard, Jeanne Tripplehorn's first screen role was "Basic Instinct." That started a 30+ year run of films like "The Firm," "Waterworld," "Sliding Doors," and series such as "Criminal Minds," "Big Love," and her latest, "The Terminal List" for Amazon. In this episode, she talks about her love for extensive research, the most important tools for an actor—confidence, relaxation, and focus; how the happenings off-screen affect what's on the screen; and why, at this point in her career, she just wants to play. Plus we get the scoop on her preternatural ability to sing classic rock songs in the voice of Julie Andrews.

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Read just a sample of Juliette Binoche's credits—"Mauvais Sang," "Three Colors: Blue," "Damage," "The English Patient," "Chocolat," "Certified Copy," "Clouds of Sils Maria," "Let The Sunshine In"—and one thing becomes clear: few actors have been as internationally respected for such a sustained period of time. In this episode, she speaks about the importance of acting from the body, and learning to use "sensation" as a starting point. She tells a story about feeling lost on the set of John Boorman's "In My Country," and what set her free should be a lesson to all directors. She talks about how the difficult circumstances surrounding the production of her two newest films, "Both Sides of the Blade" and "Between Two Worlds," actually served her process. Plus much more!

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I watched the movie "Cordelia" not knowing anything at all about it, and never having seen Irish actor Antonia Campbell-Hughes in anything before. The psychological thriller greatly impressed me in no small part due to the captivating performance of Campbell-Hughes, particularly the emotional depth that she invites the viewer to examine without words. In this episode, she talks about the layering work she did to build that character, the unorthodox way her process (or conscious lack of process) has developed over the years, and why it all started with what continues to be the main ingredient—truth. Her feature directorial debut "It Is In Us All" just won a jury award at SXSW. She talks about getting that film made, why visual storytelling is paramount to her, how she faces the challenges of acting and directing at the same time, plus much more.

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Luke Bracey didn't dream about being an actor when he was a kid, he didn't study the craft, and on his first job, which came from his very first audition, he didn't even really know when he should start saying the lines. But with roles in films like "Point Break," "Hacksaw Ridge," "Holidate" and the soon-to-be-released "One True Loves," he has built a career with his instinct, experience, and innate talent. Now he plays Jerry Shilling in the Baz Luhrmann blockbuster "Elvis." He talks about what stopped him from getting overwhelmed by that "old school" big movie production, the value of energy management, the "privilege of pressure," getting the "kick in the butt" he needed at the right moment, and bringing it all back to "if you believe it, we'll believe it." Plus much more!

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James Scully plays Charlie, love interest to Bowen Yang's Howie, in the new film "Fire Island," a touching, hilarious, and entirely Queer take on "Pride and Prejudice," written by and co-starring Joel Kim Booster, and directed by Andrew Ahn. Scully talks about the imposter syndrome that infected the cast, how sometimes when material is so relatable it's actually hard to gauge if you're hitting it right, why having a Queer director actually improves the work, and how Ahn specifically led the way so thoughtfully and effectively. Plus much more!

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Among many appealing qualities as an actor, Rupert Friend certainly has "range." His two most recent roles are James Whitehouse—elitist, upper-class British politician in David E. Kelley's Netflix limited series "Anatomy Of A Scandal"; and The Grand Inquisitor—blowhard Star Wars bad guy in "Obi-Wan Kenobi." He's probably best known for playing Peter Quinn on a few seasons of "Homeland," which got him an Emmy Nomination. On this episode, he talks about why his preparation process is more "uncovering" than "building," how energy management has served him well, the gift of being allowed to "fail safely," and the most important thing any actor can have in their arsenal—instinct. Plus much more!

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