Before he was one of Broadway's youngest Tony nominees, the voice of Donatello, or a hot tot  recording artist, Barry Gordon was a door-to-door performing toddler, entertaining any neighbor who would answer.

Barry joins Weezy and Lisa to reflect on an extraordinary career that began when, at age three, he entered The Ted Mack Amateur Hour and placed second with his heart wrenching interpretation of Johnny Ray’s “Cry.”

Barry shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his father, whose instinctive "method" approach to acting and song interpretation encouraged him to search for the deeper meaning inside every performance. 

He explains why he considered himself a character actor even as a child, and how that mindset eased his transition into adult roles. As a small boy, Barry shared the stage and held his own with Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, Elvis Presley, Jack Benny, Danny Thomas and Perry Como. By thirteen, he was starring on Broadway in A Thousand Clouds with Jason Robards and Sandy Dennis. Barry admits that opening night was less terrifying than his Bar Mitzvah. 

In the film version of that role, Barry was pushing fourteen and to disguise his growth spurt, Jason Robards wore lifts. Barry’s career included a record deal and the hit Christmas novelty song, “Nuttin’ for Christmas.” 

As a young adult Barry starred in sitcoms including Barney Miller, Fish and The New Dick Van Dyke Show before moving into voice work and landing the role of Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

We also take a look at his latest creative endeavor, writing and producing a new musical called Forever, which reimagines Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray as the story of a ‘60s rock star, using race as a modern parallel to the novel's themes of class and privilege.

And in IMDb Roulette, we celebrate Leave It To Beaver’s most heartbreaking guest,  child of divorce, Chopper Cooper. And, with 0 degrees of separation, Barry recognizes Lisa as a Curb cast-mate!

In media recommendations -- 

Lisa: The Rory Scovel Netflix Stand-Up Special

Weezy: PBS Masterpiece Theatre’s The Forsytes 

Path Points of Interest:

Forever Musical

Forever on Instagram 

Forever on Facebook

Parson's Nose Theater

Barry Gordon on Wikipedia

Barry Gordon on IMDB

Barry Gordon on Facebook

Barry Gordon on Instagram

Rory Scovel

The Forsytes

Danielle Nicolet's journey stands as proof that mentorship and community make big dreams possible! This TV and film star’s directorial debut, Long Time Listener is now streaming! 

When her mom joined a cult, Dani became emancipated at 15 and began supporting herself with roles in commercials, and on Family Matters, and 3rd Rock From The Sun. In fact, her first TV credit is Urkel’s first kiss!

Dani joins Weezy and Lisa to reflect on her scenic path that began with early roles on  Step By Step, Loaded Weapon 1 andThe Jacksons: An American Dream, where she provided Jermaine Jr. with his first kiss! It had become a specialty. 

In 2015, Dani began playing Cecile Horton (Virtue) in 107 episodes of The Flash. And since she had already voiced Storm in The X-Men for years, she became one of very few performers to traverse both the D.C. and Marvel universes. 

Training for years as a child gymnast established a hard work ethic that met with the encouragement she received from Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart on the set of Central Intelligence, which served as a career turning point. They both believed that she has the mind and the heart of a writer/director. Kevin produced Danni’s first short film, Black Karen which you can now find on Peacock.

Dani’s debut feature, Long Time Listener is a thriller about a true crime podcaster who becomes a killer’s target. You will find it streaming everywhere and free of charge on Tubi.

Very short on time and budget, Dani was able to pull this film together with a tight group of friends and allies, including her husband, whose talents and support brought depth and breadth to her vision.

Plus, What did this true crime junkie learn about the explosive popularity of murder mysteries with women? She’s got theories. In IMDB Roulette we hear about Dani’s front row seat to a Brandi/Leann Rimes sing-off on Moesha,  the mentorship she received from Samuel L. Jackson on Loaded Weapon 1, and we learn why she will never turn down life advice from Joseph Gordon-Levitt!

In media recommendations -- 

Lisa: Showtime reality series, Couples Therapy

Weezy: Mr. Burton (2025), available for rent on streaming

Path Points of Interest:

Long Time Listener

Long Time Listener on IMDb

Danielle Nicolet on Wikipedia

Danielle Nicolet on Instagram

Danielle Nicolet on IMDb

Couples Therapy

Mr. Burton

You may know her face best from her six years as Samantha Kanisky on Gimme A Break but her voice is now everywhere from The Loud House to Digimon Adventure to Doc McStuffins to Clifford’s Puppy Days and well beyond. 

Laura Jill Miller was a little girl from Allentown, PA with a big talent who was starring in local dinner theater productions when she stuck her head into a Broadway door playing a familiar tune and earned a part in The Music Man with Dick Van Dyke!

Lara traces her remarkable show biz path with Lisa and Weezy, including some shared history with Weezy who was working as a studio page when she first met Lara on Gimme A Break!

Lara shares memorable Hollywood encounters, from Peter Scolari teaching her how to juggle and Kim Fields being the only other kid on TV with braces and an early friendship with Sarah Jessica Parker who was filming Square Pegs on the lot.

She also reflects on cherished memories of Nell Carter, who took Lara under her wing while Weezy was on the receiving end of a sharp admonition from Nell not tattle on her to The Enquirer. (She didn’t.)

Does Lara feel like she got to fully experience her childhood? Why did she leave acting for college and law school and how and why did she return!?

That second act led to an enormously successful voice acting career, beginning with Clifford's Puppy Days alongside Henry Winkler and some of the industry's most celebrated voice performers.

She gives a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the realities of voice acting, from performing dramatic falls, injury sounds, and over-the-top video game death cries to discovering the unique voices that bring animated characters to life. 

Lara also compares the worlds of sitcom and voice acting, revealing the very different skills demanded by each. And in IMDB Roulette, Lara recalls how Michael Keaton showed up for her 16th birthday party, how to share a stage with The Care Bears while violently ill and the intricate particulars of a death-defying balancing act on Circus of the Stars!

Plus, actor, writer, and journalist Brandon Ogborn stops by to discuss his one-man show, Stay At Home Dad, a brutally honest comedy about keeping tiny humans alive when you are dying inside. Brandon shares how and why he constructed his play and reflects on how his choice to parent differently than his own folks has become a deeply healing experience.

Path Points of Interest:

Lara Jill Miller

Lara Jill Miller on Wiki

Lara Jill Miller on IMDb

Lara Jill Miller on Youtube

Lara Jill Miller on Instagram

Lara Jill Miller on Facebook

Brandon Ogborn on Instagram

Stay At Home Dad with Brandon Ogborn - September 5th Show at the UCB Annex

Gimme A Break

Was Elvis Presley’s generosity as epic as his moves and his music? Author Sally A. Hoedel, says, yes!

Sally, who joined us back on Episode 82, returns with her latest book, Destined to Give: The Legendary Generosity of Elvis Presley. It’s the third installment in her acclaimed Destined series.

Sally traces Elvis' big heart back to his childhood in Tupelo, where growing up in deep poverty taught him that survival was collaborative and it depended upon neighbors helping neighbors. 

Elvis' primary goal was not to see his name in lights but to keep the lights on for his parents who had poured their efforts into enabling Elvis to stay in school and become the first member of their extended families to graduate from high school.

We explore how Elvis' sudden rise to stardom and riches shaped his life, triggering what Sally calls "sudden wealth syndrome,” a sense of guilt and unworthiness that compelled him to flagrantly share his fortune. 

Elvis’ range of charitable acts and deeds ranged from: surprising a widowed neighbor with a private performance, buying new wheelchairs for strangers, and including a teenaged onlooker in a motorcycle splurge for his entourage. Sally offers that giving wasn't something Elvis did, it was who he was.

Elvis' insatiable need to share his riches created his posse, “The Memphis Mafia.” Childhood friends who were payed to be his bodyguards, traveling buddies and social circle. The arrangement stifled the development of everyone concerned and limited Elvis’ access to experienced show biz professionals which deepened the entrenchment of con-manager, Colonel Parker.

Sally theorizes that, although his gift-giving was impulsive, under the thumb of Colonel Tom, it felt like the one part of his life he could control.

Filled with fresh insight and memorable stories, this episode reveals the deeply human and vulnerable side of The King and tells the story of his compassion, his gratitude, and a lifelong desire to share his bounty with those who had provided it. 

In media recommendations -- Documentary, Jim Thorpe Lit By Lightning streaming on multiple platforms

Path Points of Interest:

Sally A.  Hoedel

Sally A. Hoedel Books

Destined To Die Young

Destined To Give signed copy

Sally A. Hoedel on Facebook

Sally A. Hoedel on Media Path Episode 82:

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

Jim Thorpe Lit By Lightning

WARNING: THIS INTERVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DEADWOOD (and almost for JUSTIFIED, but we caught ourselves!)

How do you know you've found your calling? For Jim Beaver, it happened the instant he stepped onto a stage, before even speaking his first line. 

Jim joins Weezy and Lisa to reflect on a career that's taken him from sitcoms to Supernatural to Shakespeare and Shakespearean Westerns to some of television's most beloved dramas with the most devoted fans.

Jim looks back on his early work, including the network sitcom Thunder Alley with Ed Asner, before discussing the role that became a career-defining institution: Whitney Ellsworth on Deadwood. 

Fans of the show won't be surprised to learn that the cast knew they were creating something extraordinary. Jim recalls the emotional experience of learning his character's fate and filming Ellsworth's heart wrenching exit, which quickly led to another collaboration with David Milch on John from Cincinnati.

The conversation turns to Supernatural, where Jim's portrayal of Bobby Singer became fertile fan favorite fodder. He explores how the show’s strongest moments had less to do with monster hunting and more to do with characters and relationships. Do you remember an episode called “Weekend at Bobby’s?” Jim shares the exhaustion of carrying the lead and the pride of starring in Jensen Ackles’ directorial debut!  

Why are two of Jim’s most beloved characters, on Supernatural and on The Boys, named some version of Robert Singer? It’s an inside joke by creator Eric Kripke, at the expense of his friend, Director Bob Singer.

Jim also shares memorable experiences working alongside Timothy Olyphant on Justified, Bryan Cranston on Breaking Bad, and Jonathan Banks on Better Call Saul, and we delve into The Boys’ metaphor which mirrors our current political landscape.

Plus, IMDb Roulette is full of gems, from singing nuns to Third Rock From the Sun!

Also, we are recommending The Prime series Sterling Point and our own Lisa Arch's appearance on the finale of Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

Path Points of Interest:

Jim Beaver on Wikipedia

Jim Beaver on IMDB

Jim Beaver on Facebook

Jim Beaver on Instagram

Jim Beaver on Bluesky

Life's That Way by Jim Beaver

Deadwood

Supernatural

Justified

The Boys

Sterling Point

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

She could not simply listen to the soundtrack of the 60s. She had to find a way inside of it… or, at least backstage. She is Glorious Groupie Goddess, Pamela Des Barres and she joins Weezy and Lisa for a captivating conversation about love, music and the cultural revolution that forever changed us all.

Pamela reflects on coming of age as the buttoned-up 50s gave way to the clothing optional 60s, when rock music moved minds, stirred loins and invited adventure.

Her “Meet The Beatles” album was not just a revelation. Pamela read it as an instruction. At 14, she and her Beatle besotted besties made their way into the hills of Bel Air, spotted a kid on a bike who looked like he lived there. He did. He was Jerry Lewis’s son, Ronnie, and he let the girls into his backyard where they crawled through the Beatles-mansion-adjacent bushes and remained there all night until they were picked up, in the morning, not by the Beatles, but by the cops.

By age 18, Pamela’s tactics had blossomed into: 1) Look cute. 2) Be legally of age. 3) Knock on the stage door. Her subsequent friendships and romances with rock superstars are chronicled in her groundbreaking memoir, I’m With The Band. Here, Pamela reveals remarkable details about her relationships with Keith Moon, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Gram Parsons, Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison and the legends of Laurel Canyon.

Frank Zappa was so taken by the music muses that he fashioned Pamela and her fellow fangirls into a dance troupe called GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously). They set the dance tone at The Whiskey and The Shrine, eventually recording their own album! 

Today, Pamela continues to inspire new generations through her women's writing workshops, rock-and-roll tours, one-woman shows, and live events. 

She also hints at her next book, 'Sex, God and Rock 'n' Roll', revealing how a lifelong interest in spirituality has paralelled her passion for music.

Plus, we challenge Pamela with a round of Rock Star Boyfriend Trivia!

In media recommendations --

Lisa: Lifestyle influencer Stephanie Joplin, @betterwithchardonnay

Weezy: The series, A Woman Of Substance on Britbox

Path Points of Interest:

Pamela Des Barres

Books by Pamela Des Barres

Pamela Des Barres on Wikipedia

Pamela Des Barres on Facebook

Pamela Des Barres on Instagram

I'm With The Band by Pamela Des Barres

Stephanie Joplin

A Woman Of Substance 

Media Path

Media Path on Facebook

Media Path on Instagram

Media Path on X

Lisa's Upcoming Comedy Dates at Flappers

How do you go from voicing a beaver in a sleep med commercial to portraying TV’s most amoral attorney on its most iconic crime drama?! 

For actor, author, and teacher Michael Kostroff, the answer is: embrace the unexpected.

Best known as cunning defense lawyer Maurice Levy on HBO's The Wire, Michael joins Weezy this week to reflect on a career that has taken him from television dramas and Broadway musicals to films, teen comedies, sitcoms and commercials.

You will currently find him on the MGM+/Prime Marvel superhero series (available in both color and black & white!) Spider-Noir with Nicolas Cage, as New York City's mayor and he's also just wrapped up his first Broadway run as the bank manager in Dog Day Afternoon.

Along the way, he shares behind-the-scenes stories from the national tour of The Producers (where lightning-fast costume changes and a grueling schedule collided with back and forth flights to film The Wire). Michael’s career then took him to The Plot Against America, The Wizard of Lies (with Robert De Niro!) and The Blacklist.

Michael shares his thoughts on The Wire’s rarified role as a television landmark, why its richly layered characters continue to resonate, and whether he minds being typecast. He also talks about his four books, including Letters from Backstage, which grew out of emails that unexpectedly found a massive audience, and The Stage Actor's Handbook, born from his desire to provide aspiring actors with the practical guidance missing from their theater education. 

Michael opens up about the life-saving community he found in theater and the salve it offered for his unhappy childhood. We peek at his viral apartment tour video, revealing the unglamorous truth behind the doors of a working actor. We get schooled on the perils of backstage "showmances," and we learn why, after decades of surprising turns, he's still excited to see where the next one leads.

This is a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation with an actor whose career proves that the most rewarding paths are often the least predictable.

In current media-- 

Weezy: The American Experiment and Little House on the Prairie on Netflix

Producer Dina: AMC/AMC+ Series Dark Winds, streaming on Netflix

Path Points of Interest:

Michael Kostroff

Michael Kostroff on Wikipedia

Michael Kostroff on IMDB

Michael Kostroff on Instagram

Michael Kostroff on Facebook

Michael Kostroff on Youtube

Apartment Tour

Books by Michael Kostroff

The Stage Actor's Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional

By Michael Kostroff and Julie Garnyé

Letters From Backstage

The American Experiment

Little House On The Prairie

Dark Winds

If you had nearly 300 screen credits, would you spend your free time mentoring new SAG-AFTRA members and helping fellow performers navigate a rapidly changing industry?? If your hand went up, you may be this week’s guest, Lee Garlington!

Lee joins Weezy and Lisa to discuss the unique, "hired gun" craft of popping into iconic shows with scene stealing roles and becoming what she calls "a director's actor." 

You had yet to learn her name when you saw her as Joey’s father’s mistress in Friends, as Bobby Cannavale’s mother in Will & Grace, as Betty White’s daughter on The Golden Girls and as Darlene’s friend on Roseanne. You will know it now!

Lee takes us behind the scenes on Psycho II and III, The West Wing, Sneakers, Six Feet Under and Seinfeld and shares harrowing axe-related stories from A Killing in a Small Town. She offers candid advice for aspiring actors, tells us about her work with the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Conservatory and discusses the realities of longevity in Hollywood, and her work with the Ruskin Group Theatre.

Plus, an entertaining round of IMDb Roulette uncovers the horrors of sitting for a death mask fitting, why she ever so gently adjusted the placement of Robert Redford and how her performance went next level when Amy Madigan called her a nazi! This is a fascinating conversation about resilience, professionalism, and a lifelong love of the craft.

And in current media, Weezy and Lisa talk about Is This Thing On and additional films that explore the standup comedy experience.

Path Points of Interest:

Lee Garlington

Lee Garlington on Wikipedia

Lee Garlington on IMDB

Lee Garlington on Instagram

SAG-AFTRA L.A. Conservatory

Ruskin Group Theatre

Great Movies About Stand-Up

Is This Thing On?

From overnight heartthrob to enduring pop culture icon, Christopher Atkins joins us for a funny, revealing conversation that delves into Hollywood, celebrity, and changing cultural mores… all while cooking a Peruvian dinner for his girlfriend! #multitasker 

Chris looks back at the Blue Lagoon phenomenon, reflecting on why the film remains  such a lasting pop culture touchstone as a coming-of-age love story that explores the roots of desire and societal expectations. 

He shares behind-the-scenes memories from filming on a remote island at the age of  18. (his first time away from home). Production erected a tent village that served as home, for cast and crew, for four and a half months. Exactly why did producers place a Brooke Shields poster above Chris’s cot? They were hoping to inspire sparks that looked real on camera! And it worked.

Our conversation explores Chris's unique position in time and space where LGBTQ+ people were beginning to live more openly just as he was becoming a male sex symbol.

How did all of this impact a teenager, coming of age himself and quickly recognizing just how recognizable he had become after making just one movie? Chris says his step-dad kept him grounded, reminding him that when the movie star at the table is getting the most attention, it’s time for him to ask other people how their day is going. 

He looks back on being sexualized as a young man, and reflects on how dramatically attitudes towards nudity, consent, and gender dynamics on film sets have evolved since he entered the business. Through it all, Christopher maintains that true beauty always comes from within.

Chris fondly recalls his friendship with Brooke Shields, explaining that while he often felt protective of her, she was already the seasoned pro and he was the newbie, learning the ropes from her. 

While Chris honestly owns his marginal singing and dancing capacities, The Pirate Movies gold album soundtrack he earned hangs proudly in his home and he loves attending fan events with co-star Kristy McNichol and meeting folks who claim they watch this movie on loop, stopping only briefly to snag some face time and an autograph.

At the cusp of his stardom, Chris attended the legendary Night of 100 Stars celebration, where he and Brooke enjoyed memorable encounters with James Cagney, Paul Newman and Princess Grace. Plus, do you know what Linda Gray did to Chris during their kissing scene on Dallas? We’ll let Chris tell you! 

And we just had to put Chris through rounds of Blue Lagoon Trivia AND, IMDB Roulette, where we learn that Chris has co-starred with Lesley-Ann Warren, Cloris Leachman! And Diff’rent Strokes’ Mr. Drummond!?

In current media--

Weezy: Netflix Film, Voicemails for Isabelle

Lisa: HBO original Series, DTF St. Louis

Path Points of Interest:

Christopher Atkins on Wikipedia

Christopher Atkins on IMDB

Christopher Atkins on Instagram

Christopher Atkins on Facebook

2025 Playgirl Interview

Fanboy Expo June 10-12, 2026

DTF St. Louis 

Voicemails for Isabelle

Media Path Podcast

Media Path Podcast on Facebook

Media Path Podcast on Instagram

Stephen Tobolowsky has gifted us with indelible character performances while living an extraordinary life that spans from Texas roots to show biz lore to telepathy and beyond.

Stephen reflects on his earliest pull toward Hollywood, when even as a child playing cowboys, he imagined the action as if it were being filmed. That instinct would carry him from Texas to Broadway to Los Angeles, constantly seeking opportunities to create. 

And his capabilities stretch beyond acting and music to include a Universe connection that has invited intriguing insights, unexplained knowing and“coincidences.” In fact, Stephen’s abilities inspired David Byrne to write a song called Radiohead which led the band Radiohead to become exactly that.

Best known by many as Groundhog Day’s painfully persistent Ned Ryerson, Stephen comes loaded with behind-the-scenes intel on the film’s famously complex shoot, during which he and Bill Murray (portraying a weatherman!) were kept on constant standby to shoot the scene in every possible weather condition for director Harold Ramis. 

The conversation winds from Stephen’s participation in Thelma & Louise’s iconic final moment to Brad Pitt’s instant star quality to a chilling moment, on location for  Mississippi Burning, were Stephen, playing a KKK grand wizard, was pulled aside by a Klansman and told, “We will be watching you.” 

Stephen opens up about his collaborations and creative relationships, including his connection to playwright Beth Henley and how he helped shape her Pulitzer Prize-winning Crimes of the Heart and his enduring love story and best-friendship with his wife, Actress/Director Ann Hearn.

From Memento to Silicon Valley, Stephen reflects on the wide range of roles he’s brought to life, offering insight into Christopher Nolan’s storytelling brilliance, Norman Lear’s landmark contributions and the stark terror of performing Live In Front Of A Studio Audience. 

He also speaks candidly about being entirely recognizable and shares what folks tend to run over and say when they become HIS Ned Ryerson!

And Stephen brings his masterful storytelling to IMDB Roulette, covering One Day At A Time, The Goldbergs, Spaceballs, Glee and Nobody Wants This while weaving Hollywood history with personal perspectives and navigating the curious intersection of art and life.

In current media--

Weezy: Outlast The Jungle on Netflix

Lisa: Book, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Path Points of Interest:

Stephen Tobolowsky Books

Stephen Tobolowsky - Wikipedia

The Tobolowsky Files Podcast

Stephen Tobolowsky on IMDB

Stephen Tobolowsky on Facebook

Outlast The Jungle

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans