Discovering Michelle Monaghan in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was like finding evidence that the old school Hollywood comedy actress gene, long thought extinct, was alive and well. She did more than hold her own opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, she stole the movie. I've been rooting for her ever since. A few "Mission Impossibles," "Gone Baby Gone," "True Detective" followed, as well as some significant work in small indies like "Trucker," "Fort Bliss," and "Nanny." She returns to comedy with her latest, "The Family Plan," which is streaming now on Apple TV+. On this episode, she talks about how her deep desire to be a journalist is actually still playing out in her career, why a good vocabulary is the best trait for a director, what precipitates the necessity to protect the arc of her character and how she does it, plus much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast from Filmmaker Magazine. 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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