Host Kenya takes the hot seat this week to wrap up a wonderful first season and reflect on the common themes and stand-out takeaways from a wide range of conversations. Kenya shares her journey into acting and how she balances it as an incredibly productive author and busy mom. A few of the themes that Kenya explores include developing self-confidence through acting, following your passion even against all odds, and how background acting serves as a catalyst to help people get in touch with their overall purpose. Kenya also gives a sneak peek into Season 2 where she will be having insightful conversations with industry players like casting directors. 

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Also Talked About:

• Every guest this season had their own personal mission to get into acting. 
• Despite each guest being very different, community and a sense of belonging were high up on their list of what background acting provided. 
• There is a huge community in the background acting world, and it’s more supportive than what many expected.
• The important difference between an abundance mindset and a scarcity mindset.
• How Kenya serendipitously ended up in a movie and had a transformative experience.
• The ways that acting has enlightened Kenya as a storyteller and opened up her mind even off set. 
• Kenya has written over 60 books, and has 45 published as of today! She shares how she felt her soul’s calling as a writer from a young age and how it even shows up in her dreams. 
• References back to this season’s insightful conversations with Eva, Dennise, Omari, Kasia, Anna, Jamie, Dylen and Ania as well as the Seven Santas.

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Guest:

Kenya: IG 

Ania Nova is an actress, world traveler, and nature lover. She talks with Kenya this week about how she got into background acting in Oslo (after moving there from a small town in Russia) and made her way to London. Ania speaks about the skills that landed her a role as a stunt performer in stage combat, what it was like to move from a small town to a big city on her own, and how background acting and networking in production assisted in her journey to find bigger roles. Ania shares great advice on how to respect the set you’re on, tips for digging into raw emotion and bringing it out in acting, and how pursuing her dreams in acting grants her the ability to do what she loves on a global scale.

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Also Talked About:

• Ania talks about making her way from Russia to Norway at a young age and adapting to the changes in a new culture.

• How Ania got her first line on set and nailed it!

• The importance of not disturbing the crew and production and instead listening and enjoying your experience.

• The value of training and truly learning the craft.

• Background acting is great for aspiring actors, or even those just interested in getting a peek behind the curtain of film production.

• Going back to Russia for a principal role in a movie shortly after this interview.

• The idea of being an international actor.

• How to use your scene partner as a great exchange of energy.

• What was it like for Ania to be a stage combat performer?

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Guest:

Ania Nova: Website | IG

Actor Dylen Graham joins Kenya this week for a beautiful lesson on why it’s always okay to restart, and never too late to try again and find your footing. Dylen first walks us through how he got into background acting a decade ago, and how his hero's journey included a woman in a library that would change his life forever. He opens up about challenges and setbacks in his life, including experiencing homelessness and a near fatal car accident that forced him to relearn how to walk. From there, Dylen shares how he found the inner resilience and hope to get back into acting and the support and collaboration of the industry, which has launched him into speaking roles, and plenty of full circle moments.

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Also Talked About:

• Dylen not only booked his first film, Murders of Brandywine Theater when he was super young, but his mom was cast in it as well! What was it like as a child to have to reach in and pull out some pretty big responses and reactions?

• Dylen opens up about experiencing homelessness, and the impact it had on his mental health and dreams.

• His full circle moment on Pretty Little Liars with actress Bailee Madison.

• Dylen talks about his military experience and leaving most of it in the past, besides a few beautiful lessons in resiliency and strength.

• If it doesn’t happen now, when will it happen?

• How does Dylen find community and network to learn about other opportunities and support his fellow actors?

• Can introverts make it in the business?

• A reminder that the challenging times in life are always temporary. This too shall pass.

• The importance of letting your inner voice speak loudly.

• Dylen’s background acting colleagues not only are friends, but one actually wrote a movie with the sole intention of casting them all!

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Guest:

Dylen Graham: IG

Kenya welcomes actress, mom and entrepreneur Jamie Lee Derrickson to the show. As a self described crazy entrepreneur, tech geek and passionate realtor in South Carolina, Jamie talks about how she manages to fit acting into her already busy world. Jamie has been cast for numerous roles as a featured background actor on Netflix films, HBO comedy series and brand commercials, and she shares practical advice on going for what you want and not staying in a box, how to stay internally motivated, building meaningful relationships and how to pull from emotions when you are more on the logical and analytical side of things.

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Also Talked About:

• Jamie started her career in entertainment as a hair model and also acted in an international diamond commercial that aired during the Royal Wedding!

• We should be building relationships to learn from each other and help one another, not just with the intent to gain or take - that’s when we can really gain.

• All the different people she’s met on set in a short period of time and how those relationships have already helped advance her acting career.

• The differences that Jamie has noticed throughout working with giant productions on both HBO and Netflix.

• How to get past any feelings of “faking it” when acting.

• Jamie’s advice on getting yourself to the point of feeling raw emotion and filtering it into the scene.

• Ways that Jamie’s good looks have actually hindered her getting cast, and what she’s done to overcome it.

• How does Jamie stay motivated and organized with so much going on?

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Guest:

Jamie Lee Derikson: IG

Kenya welcomes Anna Lambros, a Massachusetts based background actor, yoga teacher and Reiki Master. Anna first talks about her family’s journey from Italy to Boston, and how the sense of feeling different as a bilingual child gave her inspiration to search for inner strength and community. Anna opens up about fear being in the background of many of her choices, and how pivoting from elementary school teacher to yogi and actress gave her the opportunity to face that fear head on and help others do the same. Finally, Anna talks about her love of background work and rising above the need to justify herself to move forward towards her own dreams.

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Also Talked About:

• Anna shares her gratitude for both her Italian roots and the opportunity to live the American dream.

• The diverse world of being an immigrant in America left Anna feeling different and quite fearful of the outside world.

• Anna’s challenge with learning English and the role of television as her “teacher” and “family” in working through that challenge.

• Anna explored fear in her adult life and did a lot of self inquiry on why the fear was there, and how she can move forward from the fear of failure and judgment that was holding her back.

• The importance of creating a safe space for kids to face their fears.

• How facing her fear has helped Anna develop special tools that have helped her throughout her life.

• Fear doesn’t just go away - it’s a practice.

• What a legendary spaghetti commercial had to do with Anna’s full circle moment doing background acting.

• How Anna’s athletic ability and flexibility have helped her in some of the roles she’s been cast in.

• Anna is more than fine with not being the star. Just the sense of community and accomplishment that comes with being on set as background is a beautiful feeling for her.

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Guests:

Anna Lambros: FB | IG

Actor, model and entrepreneur Kasia Trepagnier knows a thing or two about going after what you want. From watching TV, to acting in over 38 films, Kasia has taken each experience and treated it as a learning lesson and chance to connect with her community. This week, our host Kenya speaks with New Orleans based Kasia about her experience on vastly different sets, building up the confidence to finally go for your dreams and the practical side of doing both background and speaking roles. Kasia also shares some powerful examples of the intense feelings on the set of Emancipation and how it was important for actors to delineate film vs. reality.

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Also Talked About:

• Kasia inspires us by following your aspirations and speaking up when you have something to say.

• How Kasia stays confident about going for what she wants and turning each experience into a learning lesson.

• The mindset Kasia has around learning that helps her continue to grow personally and professionally.

• How she had to break out of an early, unhealthy relationship that had temporarily stopped her from pursuing her dreams.

• The difference between sets and how she stays professional whether the mood is more relaxed or stiff and rushed.

• The beauty of the New Orleans acting community supporting each other instead of letting competitiveness get in the way or hold them back.

• Does talent typically ignore or mingle with background on set?

• What’s next for Kasia, including a Jackson State University film called Sonic Boom and a short film titled Mood.

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Guests:

Kasia Trepagnier: IG | IMDb

We get into the holiday spirit this week and welcome seven men from very different backgrounds who play one of the most recognizable characters out there… Santa Claus! Executive Producer Joergen Aaboe steps in and talks with the seven Santas about the inspiration that got them to head to the North Pole for work, and we learn that Santa is not a job, but a calling. They share industry secrets of what really happens behind the scenes of Santa appearances on TV and film and the feeling of bringing magic to children all around the world with just the sight of their beard and belly. A few Santas share emotional and touching moments they’ve had with children and families in past holiday seasons. 

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Guests: 

Bob Lee AKA Audubon Santa | FB | IG 

David Saunders AKA Santa Department 25 | FB | IG | TikTok | Linktree

David Shoemaker AKA Santa David

Doug Berr AKA Santa Peacock

Doug Smith AKA Santa Doug |FB | IG 

Joseph Steven AKA Santa Joseph | FB 

Warren Curle AKA Santa Warren

This week we welcome Omari Jinaki, a background actor, kindergarten teacher and pull-up champion among many other roles and identities. Omari is a true teacher at heart, and he shares his journey from feeling the call to something bigger that led him to volunteering in Uganda, sponsoring a student and partnering with the Uganda-based organization The Soul Foundation. Omari believes that everyone has a mentor and teacher inside of them, but it’s up to you to unwind social expectations and create the space to fully step inside your authentic self. Throughout the discussion, Omari shares some of his tips in acting for overcoming isolation in a new city, finding your community and leading with professionalism on set.

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Guest: 

Omari: IG

This week we welcome actress, world traveler and digital engagement strategist Dennise Kowalczyk to the show. Dennise talks about overcoming shyness as a child to live a fully engaged and extroverted adulthood, and how she continues to find the confidence to put herself out there on the big screen. She discusses how letting go and not being attached to the outcome helps her see and pursue the opportunities in acting, and how a Facebook ad led her to landing one of the favorite roles of her career. She is an inspiration for not letting age, self doubt or circumstance hold you back, and shares how she found her community in Rhode Island after living in many other locations. 

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Guest: 

Dennise Kowalczyk: Blog | IG | LinkTree

Welcome to the first episode of Needed On Set, the inclusive podcast bringing you honest conversations around personal and professional growth with people in entertainment. To kick off the show, host Kenya welcomes 19 year old actress Eva Shepard, from Portland, Oregon. Eva shares how she decided to get into acting along with a few fun stories from her family’s ties to Hollywood, some top tips for networking, how she worked to overcome anxiety that became worse over the pandemic and a couple favorite moments from being on set. Eva reminds us that when it comes to acting, it doesn’t matter where you are, just do it. 

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Guest: 

Eva Shepard: IG | TikTok | Linktree