Confessions of a Working Actor

“Make it about the work, and don’t be a dick…” Okay folks, hold on to your hats because on this week’s episode, we’ve got a ridiculously funny guy — really, no one should be allowed to be this funny. You know Joe Lo Truglio from 153 episodes of “Brooklyn 99,” “Reno 911,” and probably some other shows with a 9 in the title. He’s done some of the funniest episodes of “Drunk History” ever made, he was in “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Burning Love,” and we’re going waaaay back now but true comedy fans remember that he was a creator and cast member of MTV’s brilliantly funny “The State.” David and Chris talk with Joe about all that, and more. Like the horror film “Outpost” that Joe wrote and directed and produced. Tune in and hear why this incredibly funny, talented actor — like all of us — sometimes still muses aloud, “I don’t understand — how many more of these hoops am I going to have to jump through?”

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“Just keep going. Either don’t do it, or keep going, that’s all.” This week David and Chris get an interesting perspective on the business from prolific stand-up comic Sonya Vai. Sonya was born and raised in NYC, but is constantly asked “where are you really from?” by drunk men in bars. And, although she's of South Asian descent, she says she has a culturally diverse face and is often mistaken for a terrorist. See? She’s funny! We talk about her national comedy tour — where she performed in 20 cities over 23 days — her European tour this past summer, what it’s like to open for Judah Friedlander, and being on stage nightly in NYC at venues such as New York Comedy Club, The Stand NYC, Gotham, and Carolines. Actors who want to be stand-ups, tune in!

You can find Sonya's comedy show schedule on her Instagram:@sonyavaicomedy

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"Making a living as an actor is a moving target, and there is no one path.” That from the very versatile mouth of Phil Lamarr, an amazing actor and voice of an astoundingly diverse group of animated characters that include Samurai Jack, characters on Futurama, Family Guy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Justice League, and dozens more. But many people don’t know that he’s also an actor with chops: he was an original cast member of "Mad TV,” starred with Paul Reubens in the Broadway production of The Pee-Wee Herman Show, and of course, there’s the iconic but ill-fated “Marvin” from Pulp Fiction. We hear from Phil about how he moves from VO to on-camera so seamlessly, what it means to him to bring pieces of himself to his roles, and what the best part of having his head shot off by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta was.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Don’t wait, create!” is just one of the gems offered up by TV and film star Alysia Reiner in this week’s episode. She may play badass roles like Natalie “Fig” Figueroa in Orange Is The New Black and Agent Deever in the new Disney+ smash hit Ms. Marvel, but this guest is all heart. Alysia talks about how hard it was starting out, and how she learned not to “carry her own baggage” into the audition room. The group also discusses "being of service," and how that can keep actors grounded and curious at the same time. Tune in and find out which famous casting director told Alysia “maybe that audition will help you decide if you really want to be an actor or not,” along with Alysia’s secret formula for bringing yourself back into a scene or audition when you find yourself somewhere else. Invaluable advice, indeed!

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Give your gift!” David DeLuise's mother, actress Carol Arthur, gave him that advice and he’s lived it ever since. He's an actor, director, producer, and son of legendary actor and comedian Dom DeLuise. Which is made even cooler by the fact that his godparents are Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. Actor David DeLuise has been in countless TV series — 106 episodes of “The Wizards of Waverly Place,” 46 episodes of “3rd Rock From The Sun,” and many more. David talks to us about trying to fill his father’s shoes, how he went from hating being on set to gratitude for it every day, and shares some silly stories about his journey thus far.

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“I call myself the Costco of acting: I come in quantity, and I come cheap...” This week David and Chris interview legendary actor Richard Kind. You know his face (175 episodes of “Spin City,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Mad About You" and many more) and you know his voice (Bing Bong in the Pixar film "Inside Out,” Moly in “A Bug’s Life") and now you’ll know his story. Richard was a member of Chicago’s famed Second City, he once played the role of Rudy Giuliani (without the dripping hair dye), and he stars in the upcoming film “The Outlaws” with Nina Dobrev, Ellen Barkin and Pierce Brosnan. Is there anything this guy can’t do? Want to hear about being directed by Billy Crystal in “Mr. Saturday Night?” How about Clint Eastwood telling him “just do it faster?” Richard shares some wisdom and history and one very big piece of advice for actors about how to walk into the audition room.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.