THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST

Tony-nominated, Drama Desk-nominated, and newly-minted Disney Legend Susan Egan is an actress, singer and producer whose career has taken her from Broadway to Disney animation and now into producing some of the biggest live entertainment experiences around the world. She originated the role of Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, earning Tony and Drama Desk nominations, and went on to star in shows including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sondheim’s Putting it Together, and Cabaret. She’s also the voice of Megara in Disney’s Hercules. More recently, Susan has become a major force behind the scenes through 10th & Main, the production company she runs with Adam J. Levy. Together, they've created a whole slate of Disney concert experiences that have been performed across the globe, most recently the Disney Rewind Concert from D23, which is now streaming on Disney+. And this past summer, Susan was inducted as a Disney Legend at D23.

Cinematographer and filmmaker Shawn Peters serves as the director of photography on Netflix’s new series A Different World. His previous credits include Summer of Soul, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, Random Acts of Flyness, Emperor of Ocean Park and for this new series, he helped bring the beloved original into a new single-camera format while maintaining its visual spirit.

Filmmaker Chris Marrs Piliero and actor/comedian Jermaine Fowler discuss their new film, Appofeniacs.

Chris is an award-winning director whose work includes music videos for artists like The Black Keys, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Kesha, and Appofeniacs marks his feature directorial debut.

Jermaine is an actor, comedian and writer you’ll know from projects like Sorry to Bother You, Coming 2 America, Judas and the Black Messiah and The Blackening. In Appofeniacs, he plays Cedrick, one of the characters caught up in the fallout from a series of deepfake videos that send things spiraling into chaos.

Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke star in the wonderful new comedy The Incomer. The film follows siblings Isla and Sandy, who have spent decades living in isolation on a remote Scottish island — hunting seabirds, sharing stories of their ancestors, and defending their home from dreaded “incomers.” Gayle, who you may know from House of the Dragon and Glow, plays Isla, while Grant, best known for Outlander and Shetland, plays her brother Sandy. The Incomer premiered at Sundance earlier this year, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award, and is coming to theaters September 25th.

Writer and director Lena Khan is out with her latest film, Netflix’s Best of the Best, a new comedy-drama set in the world of competitive Indian dance, starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and produced by Hasan Minhaj. Lena has gone from directing her first feature, The Tiger Hunter, to Disney’s Flora & Ulysses, and has also directed episodes of shows including Never Have I Ever. 

Joya Kazi is a co-choreographer and culture consultant on the film, and even makes a cameo in the film. Joya started her own dance company at just 16 and has since performed and taught around the world, judged dance competitions and choreographed for projects including Netflix’s  Never Have I Ever.

Mena Massoud and Elijah Alexander join us to discuss their new film, Daniel and the Fiery Furnace. Mena is best known for starring as Aladdin in Disney’s live-action Aladdin, and here he plays Daniel — while also serving as a producer on the film. Elijah is best known for his work on The Chosen, and here he takes on the very different role of King Nebuchadnezzar. The film brings the story of Daniel and the fiery furnace to life on a large, epic scale, and it’s coming to theaters September 18.

Actor, producer and director Sadie Frost is out with her latest film Twiggy, a feature documentary about the life and career of Dame Lesley Lawson, better known to the world as Twiggy. The film explores her journey from a working-class childhood in north-west London to becoming one of the defining faces of the 1960s, while also looking at the many chapters of her career beyond modeling. Sadie previously directed the documentary Quant.

Tim Kasher is a musician, songwriter and filmmaker best known as the frontman of the indie rock band Cursive, but over the years, he’s also been building a career behind the camera. His new film, WHO’S WATCHING, is his second feature as a director—a psychological horror film about surveillance, obsession, and that increasingly blurry line between watching someone and being watched.

Costume designer Valerie Klarich, whose work you may know from Saturday Night Live, Dicks: The Musical, is now out with HBO’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The series takes the world of The Big Bang Theory and sends it in a pretty wild new direction, with alternate universes, genre shifts, and plenty of familiar characters. The series is now streaming on HBO MAX.

Kerry Butler is a Tony Award-nominated actress best known for her work on Broadway in shows including Xanadu, Catch Me If You Can, Mean Girls, and Beetlejuice. She was also one of the original Broadway stars of Hairspray, where she performed alongside Marissa Jaret Winokur and Laura Bell Bundy. She’s now reuniting with the two for Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now, an off-Broadway and now-nationally touring production which celebrates their decades-long friendship and careers.

Jamie Baker is the Executive Director of Being Alive, one of Los Angeles’ oldest organizations supporting people living with HIV and AIDS. Founded in 1986, Being Alive provides mental health, wellness, treatment education, and community support, and this September is celebrating 40 years of service with 40 Years of Being Alive at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on September 12th.

You can purchase tickets to 40 Years of Being Alice here: https://givebutter.com/BA40th