Next Act with Jeff Ornstein

What does it take to turn what makes you different into your greatest strength? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Dennis Hurley, an actor, writer, producer, stand-up comedian, and impressionist whose career spans television, film, theater, and independent filmmaking. From appearing in Justin Timberlake's hit music video for "Can't Stop the Feeling!&...

What does it take to create Oscar-winning sound for Hollywood's biggest productions? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Thomas "Tom" Curley, the Oscar and BAFTA-winning production sound mixer behind Whiplash , to explore the art of sound, the magic of filmmaking, and the unexpected journey from aspiring engineer to Academy Award winner. Tom takes us...

What happens when your passion for storytelling is too strong to ignore, even when life pushes you toward a different path? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Bobby Robertson, a multi-award-winning Scottish actor, filmmaker, and author of the science fiction adventure series Evolve Origins, to explore a creative journey built on persistence, imagination, and the co...

What if the career you built became the foundation for a completely unexpected second act? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Sean Greenhouse, Chief Operating Officer at Linita Design & Mfg. Corp. and an emerging film and television actor, to explore how an acting class meant to improve his public speaking turned into a passion for performing on screen. After h...

What does it take to leave behind a distinguished military career and pursue a lifelong dream of acting? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Jim Grimshaw, a professional actor, writer, director, and retired U.S. Army Special Operations Officer whose remarkable journey spans nearly 23 years of military service and more than three decades in film and television. Jim s...

What does it really take to build a lasting career in Hollywood when success can take decades? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Estes Tarver, an award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer with over 25 years of experience in entertainment. From studying pre-med to discovering his passion for acting, Estes shares the unexpected journey that led him to role...

What does it really take to build a lasting career in acting, and what are talent agents looking for today? In this episode of Next Act, host Jeff Ornstein sits down with Beverly Brock, President and Owner of The Brock Agency, Inc., to explore the realities of talent representation, the changing entertainment industry, and what separates successful actors from those who struggle to break through....

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted, only to realize you're not happy? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Ash T, a former physician and medical researcher who walked away from a successful career at MD Anderson Cancer Center to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming an actor. After years of dedication to medicine, Ash had the career,...

What does it take to leave behind a traditional career and bet on yourself as a filmmaker? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Adnan Amir , an award-winning British actor, filmmaker, author, and Founder and CEO of Colossal Films. Adnan shares his unconventional journey from studying law to building a career in film and creating Back 2 Forward , an independent roman...

On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Judi Beecher , a multi-award-winning actress, filmmaker, producer, singer-songwriter, and author whose career has taken her from New York and Los Angeles to Paris and Cannes. Her credits include Taken 3 , Forbidden Tango (formerly Tango Shalom ), and the acclaimed video game Heavy Rain .   Judi shares the unconventional path that...

What happens when you walk away from one creative path and unexpectedly discover the one that defines your career? On this episode of Next Act, Jeff Ornstein sits down with Jonathan Geffner, writer, executive producer, lead actor, and creator of The Dummy Detective. Jonathan shares his unconventional journey from studying classical piano to discovering ventriloquism and eventually building a decad...

What happens when the career you were trained for no longer feels like the life you want? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with British-French actor, performance capture artist, and certified Chubbuck coach Eric Geynes to explore his unconventional journey from competitive swimming to an international acting career. Eric shares why he walked away from the security of...

What does it take to build a creative career without limiting yourself to one lane? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with award-winning producer, writer, host, performer, and storyteller Mary Darcy to explore a career that has stretched across public radio, television, theater, podcasting, voice work, and stand-up comedy. Mary shares how storytelling has remained the...

What happens when the roles you’re given don’t fully satisfy the artist you want to become? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with actors, filmmakers, and Dirty Coffee Pictures co-founders Luke Tennie and Noam Shapiro for a conversation about acting, filmmaking, collaboration, and the power of creating your own opportunities. Luke and Noam share how their friendship a...

What happens when the career you imagined evolves into something much bigger? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff reconnects with longtime friend and fellow Brandeis alum Walter L. Krochmal, whose creative life has taken him from classical theatre and international performance to voice acting, translation, interpreting, and championing independent cinema. Walter reflects on the ve...

What does it take to build a lasting career in an industry where rejection is part of the job? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Michael Strickland, a film and television actor, voice artist, acting coach, and founder of The Winnipeg Actors Academy. Michael shares the lessons behind more than 30 years in acting, including why honest feedback changed the way he ap...

What does it take to leave a successful corporate career and build a completely different life around creativity? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with award-nominated voice actor Andy Lipshultz to explore his journey from the music industry and corporate leadership to building a career behind the microphone. Andy shares why he deliberately stepped back professionall...

What if starting your next act later in life is actually an advantage? On this episode of Next Act, Jeff Ornstein sits down with producer, SAG-AFTRA actor, entrepreneur, and mindfulness coach Ena Rodriguez O'Rourke to explore a career built on reinvention. Ena shares her journey from moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, to stepping away to raise a family, building a career in yoga therapy...

What happens when you walk away from a career you spent years building to pursue something you can’t ignore? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with actor, producer, screenwriter and director Darwin Shaw to explore his remarkable journey from medicine to the stage and screen. Darwin shares how discovering acting changed the direction of his life, landing his breakout ro...

What happens when years of creating, experimenting, and hearing “no” suddenly lead to the opportunity you’ve been waiting for? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Stephen Butchko , award-winning producer, director, actor, and founding member of Ferryman Collective, to explore his unconventional path from traditional theater and filmmaking into the emerging world of...

What happens when achieving one of your biggest dreams still leaves you searching for who you really are? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Sam Humphrey, the actor best known for playing Tom Thumb alongside Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman . Sam shares how seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine as a child helped inspire his own pursuit of acting and eventually led...

What if the dream you’ve been putting off isn’t behind you - it’s your next act? In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Steve Lichtenstein, actor, writer, producer, and founder of Baby Boo Boo Productions, to talk about reinventing yourself later in life and finding the courage to pursue the work you were always meant to do. Steve shares his unconventional journey fro...

What happens when you walk away from a successful 30-year corporate career and decide to chase a dream you never thought was possible? On this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Mike Enright , a SAG-AFTRA actor who proves that it is never too late to reinvent yourself. After decades working in IT sales, PR, communications, radio, and television, Mike discovered acting lat...

In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Jeff sits down with Emmy-nominated animation supervisor Ernest Chan to explore what more than two decades inside the animation industry have taught him about creativity, leadership, and staying relevant in a constantly changing business. Ernest shares how being the “last man standing” in a digital department at Nickelodeon unexpectedly pushed him fr...

After 32 years at Procter & Gamble, Christopher Gaunt walked away from a successful corporate career to pursue an entirely different path: film and television. In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein , Chris shares what gave him the confidence to make that leap and how the lessons he learned in business prepared him for the uncertainty, rejection, and persistence required in entertainme...