That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

In this episode, 23 years as a SAG-AFTRA member, and I'm watching eight-page, plot-driving roles get labeled "Large Co-star" by CBS, ABC, HBO, Netflix, and Apple — a mislabel that's the difference between needing 23 TV bookings a year to qualify for health and pension versus needing 3. This week, I'm breaking down SAG's actual co-star definition, the pattern I'm seeing across every platform, and why it matters for every actor trying to build a real career.

Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.

Connect with That One Audition:

• SAG PETITION SIGN: Protection for the Working Actor
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify

Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney

CREDITS:

• Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today we sit down with Luke Tennie — the Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, and Nickel Boys actor whose path to Hollywood began not in an acting class but on a football field, where being "too small" for the O-line turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Luke takes us inside his jaw-dropping first week out of AMDA, when he pinned both Jumanji and Shock and Awe simultaneously — and chose Rob Reiner. He shares the hard-won lessons from the lulls between jobs, including two pilots he booked that never shot, why he slept on a rolled-up mattress topper until 2019 to protect his audition time, and how starting to write his own material completely changed what he books.

Plus, a masterclass on self-tape strategy from the guy who literally taught audition technique back at his alma mater.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Luke Tennie right here.

• Shrinking
• Abbott Elementary
• Nickel Boys
• Players
• On the Verge
• Deadly Class
• Shock and Awe
• Snowfall

• IMDB: Luke Tennie, actor, writer

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• PETITION for SAG: Working Actor Protections
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today we're sitting down with the luminous Natalie Martinez, whose path to Hollywood started not in a classroom or on a stage — but at a mall in Miami, wearing a tank top and no bra, auditioning for Jennifer Lopez on a $100 bet from her mom.

From winning J.Lo's national model search to becoming one of television's most trusted leading ladies, Natalie has spent over two decades learning the craft entirely on the job. She shares what it was like to have Taylor Sheridan as her acting coach before he became a Hollywood powerhouse, how David Ayer had her and Michael Peña go on "mini dates" to build their chemistry for End of Watch, and why she credits Woody Harrelson for getting her cast in Brothers — even though the tape she submitted was never actually seen.

It's one of the most jaw-dropping "what's meant for you will find you" stories we've ever heard on this show.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Natalie Martinez right here.

• Brothers
• Bad Monkey
• Ordinary Joe
• The Fugitive
• APB
• The Crossing
• Kingdom
• Secrets and Lies
• Under the Dome
• CSI: New York
• Detroit 1-8-7
• End of Watch
• Death Race
• Saints and Sinners
• Fashion House

• IMDB: Natalie Martinez, actress

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Christopher Thornton — actor, writer, teacher, and one of the most quietly extraordinary storytellers working in Hollywood today.

His journey is not a straight line. It is a rock climbing accident that fractured two vertebrae and left him in a wheelchair — and an agency that dropped him in a signed card from his hospital bed. It is a then-unknown Mark Ruffalo tricking him into performing Waiting for Godot five months later — and the Drama-Logue Award that changed everything.

It is understudying the lead at the Mark Taper Forum with zero rehearsals and going on for a matinee AND an evening performance the same day. It is writing Sympathy for Delicious in 1997 and not shooting it until 2009. It is a Magnum P.I. surfboard scene he absolutely claimed he could handle. And it is thirty years of showing up — to the stage, to the room, to the tape, to the work — until Vice Principals, Magnum P.I., Lincoln Lawyer, and now The Pitt and Netflix's All the Sinners Bleed made the industry take notice.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Christopher Thornton right here.

• The Pitt
• Magnum P.I.
• Vice Principals
• Lincoln Lawyer
• All the Sinners Bleed
• Sympathy for Delicious
• Waiting for Godot
• Alias
• Will & Grace

• IMDB: Christopher Thornton, actor, writer

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Cara Jade Myers asked Martin Scorsese how he wanted her to play Anna in Killers of the Flower Moon. He said — "You're the actor. Figure it out." And that single sentence gave her permission to know exactly what to do. This week we unpack why the permission you've been waiting for has always been yours to give yourself — and why Cara's decision to stop waiting for the industry and start writing, producing, and creating her own opportunities is the most important career move any actor can make right now. Stop waiting. Start creating. Figure it out.

Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.

Connect with That One Audition:

• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney

CREDITS:

• Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today we are sitting down with Cara Jade Myers — the Native American actress who spent ten years grinding through background work, PA gigs, and craft services before booking one of the most coveted roles in recent Hollywood history: Anna in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.

Cara takes us through the entire extraordinary journey — from auditioning for casting director Rene Haynes for years before getting noticed, to a nine-month process that ended in a Zoom call with Scorsese where she could only see his iconic eyebrows on screen. She shares what it was like working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, the improvised flask moment that Scorsese immediately greenlit, and why the film's premiere on Hollywood Boulevard — during the strike — became one of the most bittersweet moments of her career.

Plus — why writing, producing, and building her own creative projects out of sheer frustration has become the most powerful move she's ever made.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Cara Jade Myers right here.

• Killers of the Flower Moon
• This Is Us
• Icefall
• Day of Reckoning
• How We Stand

• IMDB: Cara Jade Myers, actress

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• SLAYTEMBER CLASS: Starting September 24th
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Okay. A LAMDA trained British actor who is also a fully practicing member of The Magic Circle walked into this week's episode and completely changed how I think about self tapes. Brendan Patricks — Downton Abbey, Rivals, Gentleman Jack — figured out that the same techniques magicians use to control where an audience looks apply directly to your tape. This week we break down the Miles Davis philosophy of treating every single take like a live performance — not a rehearsal for one — and the magic misdirection principles that put you in full control of where the casting director's eye goes from the first frame to the last.

Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.

Connect with That One Audition:

• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney

CREDITS:

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today, we're joined by Brendan Patricks, the British actor and close-up magician whose 20-plus-year career has taken him from the West End to acclaimed series like Downton Abbey, Rivals, and Gentleman Jack. Brendan shares how picking up his first deck of cards at 21, after his father gave him a tiny book of tricks, sparked a lifelong obsession with magic and ultimately transformed the way he approaches acting.

In this episode, Brendan takes us behind the scenes of playing Evelyn Napier on Downton Abbey, including the nerve-wracking audition where he bluffed about knowing how to ride a horse. He also shares clever self-tape techniques he picked up while performing virtual magic shows over Zoom, stories from set with Toni Collette and Patrick Dempsey, and reveals how mastering sleight of hand, misdirection, and improvisation has shaped his work as an actor. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about the surprising overlap between acting and illusion, and why sometimes the secret to a great performance is knowing exactly where you don't want the audience to look.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Brendan Patricks right here.

Credits:

• Rivals
• Downton Abbey
• Gentleman Jack
• Outlander
• Doctor Who
• Bad Education
• Grace
• The Ghost Writer
• Traitors
• Resurrection
• Breeders
• Skins

Guest Links:

• IMDB: Brendan Patricks, actor, magician
• WEBSITE: BrendanPatricks.com

THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• SLAYTEMBER CLASS: Starting September 24th
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

EPISODE CREDITS:

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Cindy Busby spent two years in a career slump that almost broke her — and came back with a philosophy that changed everything. This week we get honest about the part nobody talks about: the hurt that lands in your body even when your head knows casting is selection not rejection. We break down why you are never being evaluated on whether you are good enough — only on whether your piece fits the puzzle they are building today — and what chopping wood actually looks like when the silence feels deafening.

Plus — Slaytember starts this week. Three weeks of grounded comedy work, real feedback, and a live chemistry mix and match session where you get a front row seat to watch the selection process happen in real time. Go listen to Cindy first — then come join us.

Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.

Connect with That One Audition:

• SLAYTEMBER CLASS: Starting September 24th
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney

CREDITS:

• Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today, we're stepping inside the audition room with Cindy Busby, an actress who has built an incredible two-decade career with more than 20 leading roles across film and television. From her breakout role as Ashley Stanton on the beloved series Heartland, to starring in fan favorites like Unleashing Mr. Darcy and Royal Hearts, to her current series lead on When Hope Calls, Cindy knows what it takes to build a career with real staying power.

In this episode, Cindy takes us all the way back to the theater school assignment that unexpectedly landed her first agent and a role on MTV's Undressed, and the nationwide search that changed her life when she booked Heartland. But she also gets candid about what happened when the momentum stopped, including a grueling two-year career slump that forced her to completely rethink her relationship with the business. Cindy shares how studying the Meisner technique, doing deep mindset work, and creating her own recovery rituals helped her rebuild her confidence, return to Heartland 11 years later, and ultimately step into a new chapter as the lead of When Hope Calls.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Cindy Busby right here.

• When Hope Calls
• Heartland
• Date My Dad
• The Big Year
• When Calls the Heart
• Cedar Cove
• Royal Hearts
• Supernatural
• Psych
• The L.A. Complex
• The Vampire Diaries

• IMDB: Cindy Busby, actress, producer

For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition

• SLAYTEMBER CLASS: Starting September 24th
• THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
• THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

• HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
• WRITER: Maddie McCormick
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu