Things Are Going Great For Me with J. Claude Deering

Episode 31! In our Season 3 finale, J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor and director Beth Riesgraf, best known for playing "Parker, The Thief” in all five seasons of the TNT hit drama Leverage. For her role, Beth was nominated three times for a Saturn Award for best-supporting actress on television. Additional credits include Spin City, My Name is Earl, Alvin and The Chipmunks, Intruders, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Killer Woman, The Mentalist, Perceptions" in addition to starring roles in USA’s series Complications, and the Paramount Network’s 68 Whiskey. Last year Beth joined her Leverage cast for the revival series, Leverage: Redemption, currently in its second season, and available to stream on Amazon’s FreeVee. Which has seen Beth helming multiple episodes as a director, as well as bringing in her 4th Saturn Award nomination.

Followed by a second interview with actor and director, Darwin Shaw. Darwin worked as a doctor at King's College Hospital, in the UK, before retraining in classical theatre at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His first professional acting role was in Julius Caesar at the Barbican Theatre with a cast which included Ralph Fiennes, Fiona Shaw, and Simon Russell Beale. He made his debut for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2011 playing "Will Scarlet" in the premiere of the critically acclaimed The Heart of Robin Hood. His first feature film role was as "Fisher", James Bond's first kill, in the opening of 2006's Casino Royale that introduced Daniel Craig as the new "007". Darwin went on to appear in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, John Carter, and Prometheus, directed by Ridley Scott. Darwin also played the leading role of "Saint Peter" in the television mini-series, The Bible, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Additional credits include Call of the Midwife, The Borgias, Marco Polo and House of Cards for Netflix, and Marvel’s Moon Knight for Disney+. During the pandemic, Darwin and a partner launched The Antiviral Film Project, which gathered together an astonishing 22 filmed stories from around the world, each set against the backdrop of Covid. Stick around for Darwin’s interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

Plus J. Claude is joined by producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to chat the nuances of audition rooms.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We recommend having a look back and catching up on any episodes you may have missed. And stay tuned for Season 4!

Episode 30! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor and singer, Gil McKinney. A Texas Native, and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Music, now residing in LA with his lovely wife and two wonderful kids. In the summer of 2017, he released his first solo EP which shot to the top of the iTunes and Billboard Music Jazz Charts. He followed this up with the release of a Christmas album in 2018. As an actor Gil’s appeared in numerous hit television series, films, and commercials over his 20 year stretch in Hollywood. Notable TV roles include “Dr. Paul Grady” on E.R., “Derek Bishop” on Friday Night Lights, “Henry Winchester” on Supernatural, and “Prince Eric” on Once Upon A Time. Gil’s also known for portraying “Jack Kelso” in the hit Rockstar video game L.A. Noire. This year the indie thriller Metamorphosis was released on Prime Video, in which Gil stars in the leading role. And just this week Gil reprised his fan favorite role as “Henry Winchester” in the Supernatural prequel spinoff, The Winchesters, for the CW.

Followed by a second interview with Susie Abromeit. Known for her breakout role as “Pam,” in Netflix’s Jessica Jones Susie has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. Before she made her mark on Hollywood she came very close to a career as a professional tennis player, receiving a full scholarship to Duke University. She was one of the top ranked players (#6 in the US), helping her team earn a number one ranking and an NCAA title during her freshman year. Not long after, she decided to transition into pursuing music, in addition to acting and modeling. Susie went on to perform a song with Fat Joe for Atlantic Records - the song “Slow Your Roll,” became a summer hit playing on various radio stations. A few of her other songs that she performed, wrote, and produced, became top requested songs on local radio stations throughout Florida. From there, she graced the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, while simultaneously making her film debut as the lead in the Lionsgate film, Know Thy Enemy. Soon after, she began to book roles in films, such as Sydney White, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Setup, alongside Bruce Willis, and the blockbuster hit Battle: Los Angeles. Additional credits include: King Richard, The Forever Purge, Chicago Med, Devious Maids, One Tree Hill, Tyler Perry’s, The Haves and Have Nots, Rake, Legends of Tomorrow, Code Black, Supernatural, and NCIS, among many others. Stick around for Susie's interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

Plus J. Claude is joined by producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to compare the regional film and tv marketplaces, and the various performing arts colleges in the major US cities.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! Stay tuned, because we’ve got our Season 3 finale premiering next Wednesday. Including interviews with Beth Riesgraf and Darwin Shaw!

Episode 29! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor Sufe Bradshaw. Sufe is best known for her series regular role on HBO’s multiple Emmy-winning political satire Veep as the hilarious and deadpan "Sue Wilson". She along with the rest of the Veep cast were also nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. Recently she wrapped the feature film Gasoline Alley, opposite Bruce Willis, and the D. B. Weiss film Metal Lords for Netflix. Some of her additional film credits include The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu, Star Trek, Murder Mystery, alongside Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler and Together Together, alongside Ed Helms and Patti Harrison. Her additional TV credits include: Lovecraft Country for HBO and The Guest Book for TBS.

Followed by a second interview with Tonatiuh. With almost a decade of experience on both stage and screen, Tonatiuh is known for stand out performances including his recent portrayal of “Antonio Sandoval” on the ABC drama Promised Land. A native Los Angeleno, Tonatiuh attended USC’s School of Dramatic Arts and School of Cinematic Arts. While in college, his passion for the stage connected him with theatre companies around LA, such as IAMA Theatre Company, and the ECHO Theatre Company - where he starred in Boni B. Alvarez’s play Fixed. In the final performance of Fixed, Tonatiuh met Mexican-American actress and showrunner Tanya Saracho, who was inspired by his performance and wrote him into her GLAAD Media Award-winning Starz series Vida. Tonatiuh’s three-season recurring guest star arc as the gender-bending "Marcos Zamora" landed him on the cover of the LA Times Calendar section. Most recently Tonatiuh was seen in the Peacock original Angelyne, starring Emmy Rossum and Martin Freeman, and next up he’ll be appearing the Netflix and Amblin thriller feature film Carry-On. Stick around for Tonatiuh's interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it. 

Plus J. Claude is joined by producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to review current offerings in movies and streaming series!

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got just TWO episodes left in Season 3, premiering every Wednesday. Including interviews with Beth Riesgraf, Susie Abromeit, Darwin Shaw, and Gil McKinney!

Episode 28! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor and producer Michael Grant Terry. Mike played “Wendell Bray” for nine seasons on the hit Fox procedural Bones. He’s also recurred on NBC’s Grimm and CW’s Roswell New Mexico. His other film and television appearances include Criminal Minds, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, CSI, Castle, Without a Trace, and the indie film, The Archer. These days Mike is also a busy producer. His producing credits include the 26th and 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards. He’s also the Executive Producer of the number one comedy podcast (and perhaps soon to be the biggest podcast in the world) SmartLess, with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes. Earlier this month SmartLess had on President Joe Biden as a guest.

Followed by a second interview with Reem Edan. Reem is an Iraqi-American comedian, writer, actress and digital content creator known for her unique brand of quote “Muslim-ennial” humor. She’s performed at venues and colleges across the US, Europe, Japan and the Middle East, and opened for comics including Iliza Schlesinger and Arsenio Hall. Reem is an alumni of the 2020 NBC Late Night Writing Workshop, the MGM Writing Program, she’s also a two-time scholarship recipient at The Groundlings, and has worked with brands like WhoHaha and SWAAY Media to elevate female perspectives and stories. Stick around for Reem's interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

Plus J. Claude is joined by producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to chat favorite Thanksgiving sides!

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got just THREE episodes left in Season 3, premiering every Wednesday. Including interviews with Sufe Bradshaw, Beth Riesgraf, Susie Abromeit, Darwin Shaw, Gil McKinney, and more!

Episode 27! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor Claybourne Elder (The Gilded Age / HBO). Clay is a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominated actor who appeared most recently on Broadway, playing “Andy” in the Tony Award-winning revival of Company. In fact this interview was recorded over the summer during the closing weeks of that historic show, so this chat serves in some ways as an interesting time capsule. Clay’s also known for his performances on Broadway in Sunday in the Park with George, Torch Song, Bonnie and Clyde, and in Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl. On Television he’s known for his role as "Pete O’Malley" on The Carrie Diaries, and up next he’ll be returning as “John Adams” on the 2nd season of HBO’s The Gilded Age. Clay has been an out actor since the beginning of his career, and both he and his husband are advocates for LGBTQ youth. He’s also an active participant in The Covenant House’s sleepouts in solidarity with young people who are trying to overcome homelessness. Recently, Clay launched an initiative called City of Strangers NYC, to provide free tickets to people who can’t afford Broadway shows, which has gained unexpected attention nationally and was featured on CBS This Morning. 

Followed by a second interview with Lauren Buglioli (Florida Man / Netflix). Lauren has been working as an actor since she was literally in diapers. After moving to London, England for middle and high school, she worked in film, television, radio and theatre. In her own words, she is "a person just doing her best". She’s also an actor, voiceover artist, audition coach, educator, dog mom and enthusiast. Her training includes London's Central School of Speech and Drama, The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, NYU, Stella Adler Studios, the Lee Strasberg Institute, UCB, Lesly Kahn, and others. She recently landed a big recurring role on the upcoming Netflix series, Florida Man, and she’s appearing in the upcoming feature film “Tyler Perry’s A Jazzman’s Blues”. She also has a Degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from NYU. And she’s adopted two dogs, "Vixen", and "Beverly Hills Cop II", and she desperately wants to show you a photo of them. Stick around for Lauren's interview, I promise you, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got just FOUR episodes left in Season 3, premiering every Wednesday. Including interviews with Beth Riesgraf, Susie Abromeit, Gil McKinney, Sufe Bradshaw, Reem Edan, Michael Grant Terry, and more!

Episode 26! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor and comedian Leonard Robinson (Insecure / HBO). Leonard is best known for his role as Taurean Jackson on HBO’s Emmy, Peabody, and NAACP Image Award-winning series Insecure. He’s also known for his four seasons as a performer on the hugely popular comedy series Wild N' Out. After graduating from Howard University, Leonard appeared in films and television projects such as Life of Crime with Jennifer Aniston and John Hawkes, The ESPN miniseries, The Bronx Is Burning, NCIS and NCIS: LA, Adam Ruins Everything, and Young Sheldon, and he currently co-stars in the very funny Netflix series Blockbuster. His theater resume includes work at The Culture Project (Off-Broadway), the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the New York Fringe Festival, and the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. As a stand-up comedian, Leonard can be seen weekly at The World Famous Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. AND you can find him currently in the Main Company at the world renowned comedy institution, The Groundlings.

Followed by a second interview with Jee Young Han (Perry Mason / HBO). Jee is an actress originally from Walnut, California. After programs at AMDA and The New School in New York City, she started working in tv and film on shows like 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, and 9-1-1, in addition to recurring roles on The Santa Clarita Diet, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Station 19, Superstore, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Next up she can be seen in a big recurring role in the upcoming 2nd season of HBO’s Perry Mason, in addition to another recurring role on the upcoming Hulu comedy series Unprisoned, alongside Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo. Stick around for Jee’s interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

Plus J. Claude is joined by producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to chat holiday movies and his monster band Drac and the Swamp Rats.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got NEW episodes premiering every Wednesday! Featuring interviews with Claybourne Elder, Beth Rizegraf, Susie Abromight, Gil McKinney, Sufe Bradshaw, Reem Edan, Michael Grant Terry, and more!

Episode 25! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with comedian Fabrizio Copano (Just For Laughs). Fabrizio is one of the most well-known comedians in Latin America, and is the first South American comedian to shoot an original comedy special for Netflix. Called “I Only Think About Myself”. He is the actor and writer of the hit Chilean comedy show “El Club de la Comedia.” Often referred to as "the Jon Stewart of Chile", Fabrizio also led his own late-night show and was one of the hosts of a series for Comedy Central Latin America featuring a supergroup of the top five comedians from 5 countries in Latin America. He also starred in the outstanding documentary "Monstruo" when he journeyed from his hometown in Chile to become the youngest comedian ever to conquer the Monstruo and win the Grand Prize at the Viña del Mar Festival. This year Fabrizio was named one of the New Faces of Comedy at the prestigious Just For Laughs festival in Montreal.

Followed by a second interview with Jared Wilder (Laugh and a Draft). Jared is both a brilliant actor and a brilliant and hilarious stand up comedian, who has acted Off-Broadway, and on hit TV series, in addition to performing at comedy clubs like Stand Up New York and Caroline’s. CBS News New York listed Jared in an article as one of five NYC-Based Comedians You Should Know. Classically trained in Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Super Mario Bros. Born and raised in the mean streets of the Upper West Side. Seen on NBC's "Chuck", ABC's 'Hope & Faith", as well as many theatrical productions as an improviser, stand up comic, director, and producer bi-coastally. He's also the creator and producer of the hit live comedy show Laugh and a Draft. Stick around for Jared's interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got NEW episodes premiering every Wednesday! Featuring interviews with Leonard Robinson, Claybourne Elder, Beth Riesgraf, Susie Abromeit, Gil McKinney, Sufe Bradshaw, Jee Young Han, Michael Grant Terry, and more!

Episode 24! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor and comedian Alyssa Limperis (No Bad Days / Peacock). Alyssa's debut one hour comedy special, No Bad Days, was released this past August on Peacock. It is a fantastic and bold debut comedy special that succeeds both in being a deeply honest portrayal of grief following the loss of her father from brain cancer, that still manages to find as many jokes and as much playfulness as she shared in her relationship with her wonderful dad. You may also recognize Alyssa from her hilarious Massachusetts mom videos which she writes, acts in, and edits. The viral success of these videos has led to glowing press coverage from the likes of Vulture, Decider, Forbes, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. As an actor, Alyssa can currently be seen in Season Two of Showtime’s, Flatbush Misdemeanors. She also voices multiple characters on the Cartoon Network show We Baby Bears, and she stars in the indie horror/comedy feature film Too Late, alongside Fred Armisen. 

Followed by a second interview with Cheyenne Perez (The Sex Lives of College Girls / HBO Max). Cheyenne is a comedy writer and actor, who was born and raised in LA. You can see her recurring roles as “Jo” on Mindy Kaling's "The Sex Lives of College Girls" and "Heather" on Apple TV+'s "For All Mankind". She has three more Apple TV+ bookings under her belt that are coming out, including the feature film, "Spirited," starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, the series "Platonic", starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, and the drama series "Sugar" starring Colin Farrell. Stick around for her interview, you’re not gonna want to miss it.

J. Claude is also joined by his producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to chat SNL audition tapes and "Jimmy Stewart Season"!

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got NEW episodes premiering every Wednesday! Featuring interviews with Leonard Robinson, Claybourne Elder, Beth Riesgraf, Susie Abromeit, Gil McKinney, Sufe Bradshaw, Jee Young Han, Fabrizio Copano. and more!

It's a circle of friends on today's episode of Things Are Going Great For Me! J. Claude Deering (Twitter/Instagram) chats with actor (Virgin River/Netflix). Zibby plays "Brie Sheridan" in Netflix’s mega-hit series Virgin River. She began her television career as the recurring character "Nurse Zibby" on Grey’s Anatomy. She’s also known for her beloved role as "Madame Goo Goo" on A.N.T. Farm.

Followed by a second interview Fay Wolf (New Order: A Decluttering Handbook For Creative Folks). Fay is an artist, musician, author, and decluttering coach based in Los Angeles. Her beautiful songs have been heard on TV series like Grey's Anatomy, The Fosters, and Pretty Little Liars, and on the new hit Netflix series Devil in Ohio. Fay founded New Order®, her decluttering business, in 2006, and has since guided hundreds of humans toward a happier life with less. Her book New Order: A Decluttering Handbook For Creative Folks (And Everyone Else) was released by Ballantine/Random House in 2016 and is now an online course as well. Fay has given keynotes at such places as the official Etsy conference and the Soho House, and her work has been praised in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Apartment Therapy. As an actor, Fay has performed on stages across the U.S. and on shows like 2 Broke Girls and Bones. She also writes and performs spoken word pieces, mainly surrounding her identity as a biracial Black, Jewish, Bi+ human being. And occasionally dabbles in visual art. Stick around for Fay's interview, we promise you, you’re not gonna want to miss it. 

J. Claude is also joined by his producer and co-host Winston Carter (Twitter/Instagram) to chat about their trips to Dublin and Texas, respectively.

If you like any of what you hear today, do us a BIG kindness - subscribe to the show. Leave us a nice comment. Tell your aunt about us! Give us those five stars wherever you’re getting your podcasts from today. And subscribe to our Patreon for all our extras! We’ve got NEW episodes now premiering every Wednesday! Featuring interviews with Alyssa Limperis, Leonard Robinson, Claybourne Elder, Beth Riesgraf, Gil McKinney, Sufe Bradshaw, Susie Abromeit, Jee Young Han and more!