Story and Craft with Marc Preston

Actor & Comedian Chloe Radcliffe from “The Tonight Show” and Comedy Central’s “Eyes Down Here” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her career and personal stories.

Chloe breaks down writing for Jimmy Fallon and watching Anthony Jeselnik at the Hollywood Improv. She names Eddie Izzard as her biggest influence and traces her path to stand-up through national speech and debate titles and a job at Target headquarters. A writing job on “The Tonight Show” came with her 15th application, after years of trying and time in the NBC Late Night Writers Workshop.

Her hour-long special “Eyes Down Here” took ten years to put together, and she explains why she bikes through New York daily and how a tandem lets her share that with other people. Next up, she is doing a live run of her solo show “Cheat” in Los Angeles from November 4 through 8 at G-Son Studios, the old Beastie Boys recording studio. She also explains why her phone background reminded her to write down every idea for eight years.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Chloe Radcliffe joins Story & Craft

01:42 A lucky YouTube find and Minnesota roots

03:53 New York years, a furious New Year’s Eve and life on tour

08:34 The phone background that kept her writing everything down

10:14 Eddie Izzard and finding stand-up

13:37 Self-employed parents, a math degree and a job at Target

16:29 Speech and debate champion, only child and learning to delegate

19:44 Landing a writing job for Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show”

22:06 Why she rides a tandem bicycle through New York

25:10 Ten years to build “Eyes Down Here”

30:48 Craigslist hobbies and a belief in patterns

34:13 When a joke bombs and the bro-ier rooms

37:53 Watching Anthony Jeselnik and her solo show “Cheat”

41:19 The Seven Questions

44:46 Tour dates and goodbye

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Actor Patrick Renna from “The Sandlot” and YouTube’s “Dugout Dads” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about his career and personal stories.

Patrick shares why Meryl Streep might be the greatest actor ever and how Danielle Fishel co-hosts the companion podcast. He recalls a James Earl Jones story from the set of the baseball classic he filmed at 13 and why it still resonates across generations. Patrick also traces his start in school plays and his teenage work on “Son in Law” with Tiffani Amber Thiessen and Pauly Shore.

He explains how a Little League final that ended with crying parents and kids playing tag inspired the series, which brings back his Sandlot castmates as the dads. Along the way, he discusses his “GLOW” role on Netflix, a Hershey’s campaign with his son, and pitching networks with Chris Paul’s company, OH DIP Entertainment. He also shares the advice he would give his 16-year-old self, including an audition tip from Bryan Cranston.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Patrick Renna joins Story & Craft

03:18 The Little League loss behind “Dugout Dads”

06:35 Filming “The Sandlot” at 13 and its lasting fan love

08:23 From school plays and a Boston move to Hollywood

14:47 Playing second base and rooting for Boston and LA teams

18:31 Favorite movies growing up and working alone at 16

21:29 Making “Ricky 6” with Emmanuelle Chriqui

26:03 Playing a wrestler’s superfan on Netflix’s “GLOW”

28:20 Putting his son in a Hershey’s campaign

30:22 Why he says kids shouldn’t start acting too young

36:15 Pitching “Dugout Dads” with Chris Paul’s OH DIP Entertainment

40:17 The Seven Questions

43:25 The James Earl Jones story from the set of “The Sandlot”

45:14 “Son in Law” with Tiffani Amber Thiessen and Pauly Shore

55:51 Wrapping up with best wishes for “Dugout Dads”

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Actor Missi Pyle from “Dodgeball” and Prime Video’s “Sterling Point” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her career and personal stories.

She talks about filming “50 First Dates” with Adam Sandler and shares her take on Apple TV’s “Pluribus” and “Widow’s Bay.” Her time on “Stick” comes up too, where she plays a love interest for Timothy Olyphant’s character in a season that also features Owen Wilson and Rhea Seehorn. Missi also looks back on theater at Germantown High School in Tennessee, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and the “Dodgeball” character whose costume fans now buy on Amazon.

Her friend Megan Park, who once played her daughter on a show, created “Sterling Point,” and Missi shares what is coming when season two films next June. Other stories include choosing a Jenny McCarthy series over testing for Chuck Lorre’s “Two and a Half Men” and playing a cult leader on “Y: The Last Man.” She also tells the story of her marriage to a man with a bear sanctuary in Montana and why she is now thinking about becoming an EMT.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Missi Pyle joins Story & Craft

02:35 From Texas to Tennessee, a Montana bear sanctuary, then L.A.

08:08 Filming “50 First Dates” at a Rainforest Cafe and Adam Sandler

10:05 Growing up watching TV and wanting to be in the show

17:54 The Germantown High School theater teacher who changed her path

24:09 The “Dodgeball” character fans dress up as for Halloween

31:26 Life is just lifey and the Shoney’s comment that drove her

35:07 Megan Park and what is next for “Sterling Point”

36:44 Tim Curry’s advice and the “Two and a Half Men” near miss

39:21 Watching “Widow’s Bay” and movie nights with her daughter

41:57 Filming “Home Alone 4” with French Stewart in Cape Town

44:15 Playing a warden, joining “Stick,” and raving about “Pluribus”

47:09 Playing a cult leader on “Y: The Last Man”

50:10 The Seven Questions

58:29 Where to watch Missi Pyle now in “Sterling Point” and “Stick”

STAY IN THE KNOW

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Actor Necar Zadegan from “The Rookie” and CBS’s “CIA” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her career and personal stories.

She talks about the Taylor Sheridan phone call that shaped her “Mayor of Kingstown” role, working with Nathan Fillion on “The Rookie,” and her Broadway debut alongside Robin Williams. Necar also shares how her Iranian family moved back to the United States from Germany after the 1979 revolution, and how she made her professional debut at 16 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Landing her first series regular role, the First Lady on “24,” came while she was performing “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” every night, before she ignored advice to skip Broadway.

A guest spot on “Law & Order” in New York led to CBS’s “CIA,” and she explains why a show about hiding in plain sight appealed to her. She describes shooting “NCIS: New Orleans” during COVID, wrapping the final season of “Mayor of Kingstown,” and her character’s high school history with Jeremy Renner’s character. Necar also previews the Chris Rock-directed film “Misty Green” and Amazon’s “Joseph of Egypt,” before sharing why her go-to pizza order is a margherita with a side of anchovies.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Necar Zadegan joins Story & Craft

07:35 Born in Germany, raised in California after Iran’s 1979 revolution

12:52 Landing the First Lady on “24” opposite Anil Kapoor and Cherry Jones

17:12 Flying to Hawaii for her one-episode role on “Lost”

18:18 Her professional debut at 16 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

19:46 Broadway with Robin Williams in “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”

22:55 The press day when Robin Williams turned it on

25:18 Shooting “24” by day and ignoring advice to skip Broadway

30:48 Working with Nathan Fillion on “The Rookie”

31:58 Shooting “NCIS: New Orleans” during COVID

34:20 How “Law & Order” led to CBS’s “CIA”

36:13 Working with Taylor Sheridan on “Mayor of Kingstown”

38:03 The call that unlocked her backstory with Jeremy Renner’s character

43:20 The Seven Questions

57:47 What’s next: “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Misty Green,” “Joseph of Egypt”

STAY IN THE KNOW

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Actor Katee Sackhoff from "Battlestar Galactica" and Prime Video’s "Carrie" joins us on Story & Craft.

Katee talks about growing up in Portland as a competitive swimmer, how she landed her first acting job, and what it was like to move to LA at 18. We get into her time on "Battlestar Galactica", why she's only now watching it, and how she went from voicing Bo-Katan in animation to "The Mandalorian".

She also discusses her new series "Carrie", her podcasts, and raising two kids back in Portland.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Katee Sackhoff joins Story & Craft

03:33 | Building a dream home in Los Angeles, then deciding it was time to leave for Portland

12:20 | The newspaper ad for a body double that changed everything

15:36 | Teaching herself to cry on camera in front of a mirror

20:42 | Reading the Starbuck script and knowing it could change how people saw her

23:08 | Cutting her hair and walking away from bigger offers to fight for one role

26:31 | Watching "Battlestar Galactica" for the first time, 25 years later, with her husband

29:33 | Walking out of an acting class and never going back

35:36 | How a "Robot Chicken" recommendation led to Bo-Katan

38:46 | Bringing the dad who showed her sci-fi as a kid onto a "Star Wars" set

46:31 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

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FOLLOW THE SHOW

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Tyler Mane, Sabretooth in "X-Men" and Michael Myers in "Halloween," and Renae Geerlings join us on Story & Craft to talk about "Mane AF."

Tyler spent over a decade as a professional wrestler, training with the Hart family in Calgary and wrestling all over the world, before a stunt casting call meant for someone else turned into the role of Sabretooth and a full pivot into acting — a path that later led to playing Michael Myers in the "Halloween" reboot. Renae came up on the other side of the business, landing a temp job answering phones for a comics company in Los Angeles and working her way up to a ten-year run as an editor. Eventually the two combined those worlds under their own production banner, building out the graphic novel "The Last Spartan" together, a project Tyler had actually been carrying around for fifteen years before Renae came on to help shape it.

The conversation turns candid when they get into the year they've just had. In March, Tyler's brother died suddenly of a heart attack. Weeks later, Tyler found a lump during a workout and was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma — male breast cancer. Not long after that, Renae's father died in a car accident. Tyler talks openly about finishing chemo, heading into radiation, and a second scare from a blood clot along the way, and he's direct about why he's chosen to talk about all of it publicly: he wants other men to get checked rather than dismiss what they're feeling, the way he almost did.

That's also the thinking behind "Mane AF," the podcast they just launched about midlife, marriage, and — as Tyler puts it — the mayhem he brings to it. Along the way, we get into how two people who are both used to being in charge divide the creative work in one house, why Renae calls herself the steering wheel and brakes to Tyler's engine, and the usual mix of rescue dogs, comfort food, and childhood celebrity crushes that round out the hour.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Tyler Mane and Renae Geerlings join Story & Craft

00:03:37 | Renae compares keeping up with Tyler to being a water skier who lost her skis five miles back

00:07:03 | Tyler lays out the year in one breath: his brother's sudden death, his own cancer diagnosis, and Renae's father's fatal accident

00:14:01 | Tyler was one of the last people to wrestle Andre the Giant, months before Andre passed away

00:15:04 | The stunt casting call that was meant for someone else, and how it became Tyler's ticket to the role of Sabretooth

00:25:53 | Renae's rule for not being interrupted while she works, and the loophole Tyler found almost immediately

00:31:00 | The chest lump Tyler almost brushed off, and the conversation that changed his mind

00:35:58 | What Tyler's tumor oncotype score meant for his treatment, and losing (then slowly regrowing) his beard

00:47:39 | Tyler's core advice for other men, shaped by not knowing his own brother was struggling

00:48:47 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

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Actor and director Adam Arkin from "Sons of Anarchy" and MGM+’s "American Hostage" joins us on Story & Craft.

Adam opens up about his seamless transition from acting to becoming one of television’s most sought-after directors. He shares behind-the-scenes stories of shifting gears between massive modern projects like "The Night Agent," "The Offer," and his newest true-crime thriller, "American Hostage." We explore the awkward challenge of directing himself in scenes, the immediate relief of admitting to a crew when a shot just isn't working, and the secret to building absolute trust on set by letting actors do their work.

We also dive into his personal side, discussing the influence of his legendary father Alan Arkin and how he taught Adam to master multiple performance styles. From an early celebrity crush on Ursula Andress, to his deep appreciation for a perfectly simple summer tomato sandwich, it's a great look at the man behind the camera.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Adam Arkin joins Story & Craft

00:02:43 | Why releasing a new project brings out a mix of anxiety and excitement

00:05:08 | Capturing the true 1970s reality without talking down to a modern audience

00:07:49 | How his father Alan Arkin taught him to be conversant in many performance styles

00:10:09 | Helping an actor embrace the intimidating legend of playing Marlon Brando

00:13:30 | The awkward challenge of acting in a project you are also actively directing

00:15:34 | Why immersing yourself in the story is more important than having a recognizable visual style

00:18:21 | Finding immediate relief in admitting to the cast when a scene just isn't working

00:20:02 | Recognizing the exact moment on set when you capture pure on-screen magic

00:22:51 | Earning absolute trust by letting the actors do their work without interference

00:23:46 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

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Journalist and author Sara Kehaulani Goo, formerly of The Washington Post, joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her book "Kuleana."

Sara shares how her early days in a print newsroom sparked a lifelong passion for storytelling, eventually leading her to cover major national events like the aftermath of 9/11. We chat about her approach to learning the ropes, intentionally moving to unfamiliar cities to broaden her perspective, and the thick skin required to maintain integrity in a fast-paced media landscape. Sara also opens up about the massive digital shift facing the news industry and the ways legacy media is now partnering with independent online creators to reach modern audiences.

Beyond the news desk, Sara talks about the inspiration behind her memoir, "Kuleana," which looks at her Hawaiian heritage and her family's fight to hold on to their ancestral land. We discuss the complex realities of life in Hawaii today, the impact of outside real estate investments on the local culture, and, naturally, our shared appreciation for a perfectly made plate of Spam musubi. It is a grounded, eye-opening conversation about history, responsibility, and the importance of knowing where you come from.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Sara Kehaulani Goo joins Story & Craft

00:14:00 | The thrill of stepping into a newsroom and the daily pressure to deliver

00:16:37 | Why immersing yourself in unfamiliar cities is the ultimate training ground for storytellers

00:20:19 | How covering the aftermath of 9/11 shaped her understanding of a changing nation

00:22:42 | Recognizing the impending digital disruption of the news industry

00:25:25 | The challenge of funding trusted journalism in a digitally fractured world

00:30:00 | Why traditional legacy media must partner with independent online creators

00:35:32 | The rising trend of journalists cutting out the middleman to build direct audiences

00:40:45 | The thick skin and unwavering principles required to be a reporter today

00:46:45 | The cultural and economic toll of treating Hawaiian real estate strictly as an investment

00:53:00 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

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Stunt performer and actor Rosslyn Luke from “Paper Tiger,” with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, joins us on Story & Craft.

Before sharing scenes with Adam Driver and Miles Teller, Rosslyn took a decidedly non-traditional path into the industry. We talk about her upbringing in Eastern Washington—near the Hanford nuclear site—and why she initially earned a degree in civil and environmental engineering before committing to acting.

Her background in competitive cheerleading eventually opened an unexpected door into stunt performance, leading to early gigs that included handling a shotgun on a moving semi-truck. Rosslyn breaks down how that physical discipline prepared her for director James Gray’s period mob film, “Paper Tiger”, where she had to navigate high-stakes, unscripted 1980s dialogue opposite seasoned performers.

Wrapping up, we get into why she gravitates toward intense, dark dramas over comedy, what goes into her ideal day, and the advice she would offer her younger self about trusting her own voice earlier.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Rosslyn Luke joins Story & Craft

00:02:37 | Watching Seattle shift from grunge culture to a tech-dominated city

00:05:18 | What it's like growing up with a father who cleaned up nuclear waste sites

00:08:18 | Walking away from a stable career in engineering to pursue the arts

00:11:11 | The hidden physical danger and severe injuries behind competitive cheerleading

00:15:29 | Wielding a shotgun on the back of a moving flatbed truck for a zombie show

00:17:38 | Why she decided to train as a stunt performer instead of using a double

00:21:55 | Growing up in an Eastern Washington town where locals joke they “glow in the dark”

00:24:31 | Why she's drawn to gritty, dark dramas while living with a comedy writer

00:36:18 | The high-wire act of improvising 1980s mob dialogue with Adam Driver and Miles Teller

00:37:45 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

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FOLLOW THE SHOW

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Actor Tracy Spiridakos from “Chicago P.D.” and USA Network’s “Anna Pigeon” joins us on Story & Craft.

Tracy talks about growing up between Canada and Greece, sharing what it was like working at her family’s Greek restaurant and the connection she still has with her parents' homeland. She also explains what it took to get her start in acting, like balancing three jobs in Vancouver before heading to Los Angeles for her first major round of auditions.

We also discuss her decision to leave a successful seven-year run on a popular TV show to try something new. Tracy explains what it is like playing a sarcastic new character and the realities of filming outdoors on location. It’s a grounded conversation that covers everything from her love of travel and her dogs to the ongoing debate over how to make the best pastitsio.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 | Tracy Spiridakos joins Story & Craft

00:03:10 | Introducing all the “cousins” to her friend

00:05:27 | Moving back to Greece and her dad's hair salon

00:11:13 | Working at a bank and restaurants while pursuing acting

00:15:38 | Landing her role on Revolution during her first trip to LA

00:18:47 | The decision to step away from Chicago PD after seven seasons

00:23:45 | Connecting with her sarcastic, bad-ass character on Anna Pigeon

00:29:14 | The feeling of stepping off the plane in Athens

00:32:52 | Why her initial goal was simply to act full time without side jobs

00:37:17 | The creative difference between acting in a film versus television

00:39:31 | The Seven Questions

STAY IN THE KNOW

• Website: https://www.storyandcraftpod.com

FOLLOW THE SHOW

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CONNECT WITH MARC

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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcpreston

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