Today’s guest is Kenneth Jay, a seasoned Canadian actor with decades of experience across theatre, film, and television. Known for his dedication to craft and his deep respect for storytelling, Kenneth has built a career that bridges continents and philosophies.

In this inspiring and laughter-filled episode, hosts Todd Kramer and Jay Reum chat with Kenneth about the unique discipline of being an understudy, the art of preparation without certainty, and why truth is always at the center of performance. Kenneth shares his journey from Ottawa to Ryerson Theatre School, his surprising connection to Stanislavski’s lineage, and how collaboration, language, and identity shape the actor’s path.

This conversation is both thoughtful and funny — weaving in the joys, struggles, and revelations of a life lived for the stage. Actors will find wisdom, humor, and a reminder of why we do what we do.

⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Opening 04:20 – Strapless workouts and silliness 07:00 – PunchTrack: a DAW for narrators 11:00 – Introducing Kenneth Jay 13:00 – Kenneth’s showreel and career highlights 16:40 – Growing up in Ottawa, moving to Toronto 18:20 – Ryerson Theatre School and Stanislavski connection 23:30 – Why Kenneth chose theatre over academics 27:00 – The first spark: Robin Hood in grade school 30:00 – Falling in love with Shakespeare 35:10 – The joy and craft of understudying 41:00 – Personal truth inside every performance 47:20 – Collaboration, colleagues, and connection 52:00 – Longevity in the acting industry 57:00 – The gift of language and expression 01:01:30 – Identity and performance 01:05:00 – Laughs, stories, and lessons learned 01:10:00 – Advice for young actors 01:15:00 – Closing thoughts with Kenneth

💬 Join the Conversation What resonated with you in Kenneth’s story? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!

🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW 🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast 🤩 Facebook: https://facebook.com/OffstageActing 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/OffstageActing 🌍 Kenneth Jay IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0419612/ 

💫 TODD: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer 💫 JAY: https://linktr.ee/jayreum

📣 Hashtags #acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #act #actorslife #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing #KennethJay #Stanislavski #understudy #theatre #actorsjourney #truthinacting

The Rage virus saga storms back as Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reunite for 28 Years Later (2025), a post‑apocalyptic, coming‑of‑age horror set nearly three decades after the original outbreak. Todd Kramer and Robert Nelson dive into a secluded island community where young Spike (Alfie Williams) and his scavenger father (Aaron Taylor‑Johnson) face a mission into the infected mainland to save his ailing mother (Jodie Comer).

Todd savors the surreal folk‑horror tones and iPhone‑shot visuals; Robert wonders if the emotional undercurrent and cult satire elevate the franchise—or undermine its raw power. Will 28 Years Later resonate as a bold reinvention, or does it fumble its legacy? The hosts unpack the tension, performances, and thematic depth—teasing you with enough questions to keep wondering: does the rage still mean something?

🎬 Thanks for watching OFFstage ONscreen! 🎧 Subscribe to the Offstage Acting Podcast: https://offstageacting.com/podcast

🎭 Hosted by Todd Kramer: https://toddkramer.com 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@offstageacting 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offstageacting 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/offstageacting

👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more unfiltered film chats and acting insights. New episodes weekly! 🍿

Todd Kramer and Robert Nelson peel back the visor on F1, the high-octane Joseph Kosinski‑directed drama starring Brad Pitt as a legendary driver battling both the track and his demons. Alongside Pitt, we’ve got Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem and—get this—our friend Pepe Balderrama (yes, the one who came on the podcast!) playing race engineer Rico Fazio, pulling double duty with Todd in the offstage driver’s seat.

We dive into manic Grand Prix sequences, Hans Zimmer’s pulse‑pounding score, and question if the nostalgia and spectacle add up to more than cinematic pit‑stops. Is F1 a turbocharged triumph… or spinning its wheels when it counts? Robert keeps his verdict under‑wraps—does he cross the finish line with a thumbs‑up or a checkered flag of doubt? Tune in to find out.

🎬 Thanks for watching OFFstage ONscreen! 🎧 Subscribe to the Offstage Acting Podcast: https://offstageacting.com/podcast

🎭 Hosted by Todd Kramer: https://toddkramer.com 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@offstageacting 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offstageacting 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/offstageacting

👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more unfiltered film chats and acting insights. New episodes weekly! 🍿

#offstageonscreen #offstageacting #moviepodcast #filmreview #F1 #BradPitt #DamsonIdris #KerryCondon #JavierBardem #JosephKosinski #PepeBalderrama #Formula1 #HansZimmer

Today’s guest is Kym Jackson — Aussie actor, author, and co-founder of the Secret Actor Society.

Kym’s journey spans continents and platforms: she launched her career onstage in Australia, made the leap to Hollywood, and hasn’t stopped working since. You’ve seen her on Criminal Minds, NCIS: LA, This Is Us, and SWAT — or in films like Snitch, Iron Sky, and We Bury the Dead. But acting is just one facet of her creative powerhouse.

In this episode, Kym opens up about navigating the business with grace and grit — from managing self-tapes and raising a family to launching an actor-focused education platform. She talks coaching, casting, demo reels (the good, the bad, and the too-long), and how she landed a dream pilot that never made it past COVID. It’s a goldmine of insight for any working actor.

FREE CLASS AT SAS: https://secretactor.com/pages/free-journey-4b

⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Opening 02:45 – Todd & Jay intro banter: heatwaves and actor gigs 07:00 – Welcome Kym Jackson: Aussie beginnings 11:20 – Big credits and global acting career 15:30 – Life in Atlanta with husband Andrew Steele 18:15 – Acting with a kid: family-work balance 22:00 – Demo reel critiques: what works and what’s too much 27:40 – Secret Actor Society: the backstory 32:00 – Coaching actors through pandemic pivots 37:15 – Casting insights: reel length, slates, and self-tapes 42:10 – Building a searchable video knowledge base 47:20 – “The pilot that got COVID-canceled” 51:40 – How to brand yourself as an actor 56:10 – Real talk: career dry spells and mental health 1:01:00 – Keeping up with changing industry norms 1:06:30 – Working with agents & managers 1:10:00 – Tips for international actors in LA 1:14:50 – The value of video coaching and templates 1:19:30 – Rapid-fire questions: auditions, fails & lessons 1:25:10 – Reflecting on Secret Actor Society’s growth 1:29:45 – Todd’s nerd-out moment: structured actor tools 1:34:00 – Jay’s favorite rants & actor myths 1:39:10 – Kym on future dreams and helping actors 1:44:20 – Jay & Todd wind down the convo 1:47:10 – Final takeaways and gratitude 1:50:20 – Outro and what’s next

💬 Join the Conversation What resonated with you in Kym’s story? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!

🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW 🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast 🤩 Facebook: https://facebook.com/OffstageActing 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/OffstageActing 🌍 Kim’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekymjackson 🌍 Secret Actor Society: https://secretactorsociety.com

💫 TODD: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer 💫 JAY: https://linktr.ee/jayreum

📣 Hashtags #acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #act #actorslife #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing #SecretActorSociety #selftapes #demoReels #actingcoach #castingdirectors

Lucky number 13? Not quite. 😱 In this spine-snapping installment of OFFstage ONscreen, Todd Kramer and Robert Nelson take on Final Destination: Bloodlines—a new chapter in the franchise that made paranoia an art form. Does this reboot have fresh life... or is it just death warmed over? We break down the kills, the thrills, and whether fate should’ve just called it quits. 🩸

#finaldestination #bloodlines #horrorreview #scarymovies #moviepodcast #toddkramer #robertnelson #offstageacting #offstageonscreen #slasherfilm

Today’s episode is a little different — it’s just Todd and Jay, mic’d up and mood-swinging their way through one of those actor chats that starts with “I’m not feeling it” and ends with “okay, I’ve got a little fire back.”

In this candid bonus conversation, Todd and Jay explore the ebb and flow of motivation in an actor’s life — why it disappears, how to rediscover it, and the tools they’ve each developed to stay (or get back) on track. From inner drive to outer community, yoga hacks to time-blocking, and even the occasional black hole of self-doubt, this is a brutally honest and refreshingly funny reflection on the ups and downs of creative energy.

Whether you’re smashing auditions or stuck in the “meh,” this episode is for every actor who's ever felt a little lost in the grind.

⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Opening 01:40 – “I’m just not feeling it today” 03:00 – Losing motivation and why it happens 05:15 – Why actors need inner motivation 07:40 – Jay’s “bliss-based” discipline hack 10:30 – Todd on how the body seeks pleasure 13:20 – No money, no validation — just love of the work 15:45 – The unpredictable nature of actor life 17:30 – Yoga, chakras, and the motivation pyramid 20:10 – Balancing survival with creative readiness 22:30 – The curse of missed opportunities 24:00 – Todd’s big casting miss while abroad 26:00 – Community as a motivator 28:00 – Why Todd got active in the union 29:40 – Surround yourself with other actors 31:00 – Jay’s take: finding inner motivation 33:10 – Community vs. discipline — which drives you? 35:30 – Creating purpose from within 38:00 – Tangible tips for everyday motivation 40:00 – Rebuilding your tribe post-pandemic 42:00 – Inner food vs. outer support 44:30 – Why actors need both solo and ensemble energy 46:00 – Wrap-up and final thoughts

💬 Join the Conversation What resonated with you in this BONUSODE? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!

🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW 🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast 🤩 Facebook: https://facebook.com/OffstageActing 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/OffstageActing

💫 TODD: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer 💫 JAY: https://linktr.ee/jayreum

📣 Hashtags #acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #act #actorslife #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing #motivation #innerdrive #actorcommunity #selfdiscipline #creativeblock

Will this actually be Ethan Hunt’s last mission? 🎬 Todd Kramer and Robert Nelson dive into the latest Mission: Impossible installment and ask the big questions: Is Tom closing out the franchise at its peak. Is this the best M:I yet... or is there still fuel left in the tank? One thing’s for sure: Tom Cruise still runs better than anyone in Hollywood! 🏃‍➡️

From The French Connection to The Royal Tenenbaums, Gene Hackman did it all—then vanished from the spotlight. 🎭 Todd and Robert celebrate the life and legacy of one of cinema’s most quietly commanding actors. A heartfelt tribute to a true screen legend.

Today’s guest is the brilliant Brendan McNamara — actor, former child star, and founder of Beach Casting, a casting agency making waves across the UK and Ireland.

From appearing in films like Angela’s Ashes and War of the Buttons to launching one of the most actor-friendly casting studios in the game, Brendan shares his uniquely personal journey through both sides of the audition table. We talk candidly about the transition from actor to casting director, the kind of performers he loves to work with, the shifting landscape of self-tapes, and why kindness and professionalism still matter.

A must-listen for actors, agents, and anyone curious about what makes a great casting experience — both behind and in front of the camera.

00:00 – A Very Irish Opening 05:01 – Todd returns from Derry 10:02 – Brendan's life as a child actor 15:04 – Transitioning into casting 20:06 – What makes an actor stand out 25:03 – Self-tapes: love, hate, and hope 30:00 – Building Beach Casting 35:01 – Advice for actors (and humans)

What resonated with you in Brendan’s story? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!

🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/OffstageActing 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/OffstageActing 🌍 Brendan’s Agency: https://beach-casting.com

#BrendanMcNamara #BeachCasting #acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #act #actorslife #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing #childactor #castingdirector #filmindustry #selftapes #irishfilm

A diver trapped at the bottom of the ocean—true story. 😱 Todd and Robert descend into Last Breath, a survival thriller based on real events. Does it deliver pulse-pounding tension… or just tread water?