Think Bigger Actors Podcast

In Part Two of my conversation with Ahmed Best, we pick up with how he found his way back to himself as an actor and eventually returned to Star Wars as Jedi Kelleran Beq. We talk about why Ahmed doesn't see that return as a redemption, AI and the future of performance, and what it actually means to be an actor after everything he's experienced. If you haven't heard Part One, start there. You'll w...

Actor Ahmed Best opens up about the extraordinary road from Stomp to Star Wars, becoming Jar Jar Binks, and carrying the response to one of the biggest franchises in the world. In Part One of this two-part conversation, Ahmed takes us inside the craft, innovation and personal cost behind a role that changed his life. This is a conversation about what happens when an actor does the work, becomes pa...

Are GLP-1s cheating? Five months into my own journey, I'm talking honestly about the weight I've lost, the judgment around getting help, and why this conversation is more complicated than people make it. Plus, actor Tony Robinette joins me to share how GLP-1s changed his health, his body—and even how Hollywood sees him. (16:32) -- Need self-tape equipment? I've tested the equipment in my Amazon st...

Working actor Stacie Greenwell (The Pitt, Cross) gets real about the start-and-stop reality of an acting career and the constant question: "What's next?" What do you do when you're booking, your career is moving, and somehow it still doesn't feel like enough? ------------   Need self-tape equipment? I've tested the equipment in my Amazon storefront so you don't have to: https://www.amazon.com/shop...

Director Kristen Brancaccio breaks down how vertical dramas work, why each app calls for a different audition, and what makes an actor stand out on tape. We also talk about Issa Rae's Screen Time, Keke Palmer's Lady Miss Jacqueline, where this format may be headed, and what actors can make instead of waiting for permission. Want more auditions—and a better shot at booking them? Download my free Bo...

Should you work as a local hire if you have to pay your own travel and might actually lose money on the job? Same question for an unpaid acting project that promises footage or a credit. And how do you know if you've outgrown an opportunity and just don't know it yet? In this coaching episode, DaJuan helps an actor figure out when taking a short-term loss is a smart strategic move and when it's ti...

Today I am sitting down to talk with Guy Chachkes, Owner & Co-Founder at Reelarc. Are verticals here to stay, and if they are, are actors already behind? I hope this conversation brings you more clarity as we navigate what it means to be an actor in 2026.  Want more auditions—and a better shot at booking them? Download my free Booked It Self-Tape System: https://thinkbiggercourses.com/self-tape-sy...

10 Things Actors MUST Hear From TV Directors - Jody Margolin Hahn + Mary Lou Bell! This is one you do not want to miss!  Want more auditions—and a better shot at booking them? Download my free Booked It Self-Tape System: https://thinkbiggercourses.com/self-tape-system/ Need self-tape equipment? I've tested the equipment in my Amazon storefront so you don't have to: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thin...

Someone called me a con artist for suggesting actors use a teleprompter. So… let's talk about it. I'm breaking down when I use one, why I use one, and why the rules of self-taping have changed.   Want more auditions—and a better shot at booking them? Download my free Booked It Self-Tape System: https://thinkbiggercourses.com/self-tape-system/ Need self-tape equipment? I've tested the equipment in...

Vertical dramas already stealing actors' likenesses? Bet you thought that was just an urban legend. Nope. It's here. When I read Ashley BeLoat's story in Business Insider, I had to have her on the pod. She joins me to talk about what happened, the reality of working in verticals, and what actors need to understand now that AI isn't some future threat. It's already here. Want more auditions—and a b...

What happens to your acting career when the auditions slow down? Is your whole vision for your acting career contingent on your reps? Oof. Been there...think I might still be there if we're being honest.  In this Re-Think, I revisit my conversation with theatrical agent Anthony Boyer after I listened to a talk with a showrunner where they said they work harder than their reps, and gets most of the...

Stop putting your life on hold for a job you haven't booked. Live yo' life! In this episode, listen to a real coaching session I have with one of my actors inside First Team Collective. We all do this. We don't take the trip. We don't make the appointment. We don't make the move. Because… what if they call? But what if they don't? And even better—what if they do, and it all works out? If you've be...

Today is all about your mindset. Now is the time to do the work. It's okay to grieve the industry you once knew, as long as you get back up and keep moving forward.  Want more auditions—and a better shot at booking them? Download my free Booked It Self-Tape System: https://thinkbiggercourses.com/self-tape-system/ Need self-tape equipment? I've tested the equipment in my Amazon storefront so you do...

From Malcolm in the Middle to the upcoming revival, Eric Nenninger shares what it really takes to build a sustainable acting career—including self-tapes, life after a hit show, and why he chose to leave Los Angeles. Website: https://ericnenninger.com/ Instagram: @ericnenninger    

What if the thing holding your career back isn't a lack of opportunity—but waiting for someone else's yes? Pam Carbonero joins me for a conversation about leadership, reputation, and creating your own momentum. CONNECT WITH PAM: Instagram: @latinadirector CONNECT WITH ME: Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

What if the thing holding your career back isn't a lack of opportunity—but waiting for someone else's yes? Pam Carbonero joins me for a conversation about leadership, reputation, and creating your own momentum. CONNECT WITH PAM: Instagram: @latinadirector CONNECT WITH ME: Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

I'm back. In this State of the Industry episode, I open up about the cancellation of Electric Bloom, what I learned from losing another series, and why nobody talks enough about what happens after the job ends. I get into why your community is your ceiling and why who you surround yourself with matter more than people think. I also talk about reimagining what it means to be an actor in 2026, why I...

Vertical dramas — those two-minute, phone-first shows on apps like Tubi, ReelShort, and MyDrama — are now an $8 billion business. SAG just launched a Verticals Agreement. Fox is producing hundreds. Disney's investing millions. In this episode, DaJuan breaks down how to do verticals — what they are, why they matter, and how actors can use this moment to stop waiting for permission and start creatin...

Talent Manager DaVida Chanel Baker breaks down what reps are really looking for—and how to turn your rep relationship into a true partnership. A must-listen for actors ready to take control of their careers.   Casting Network: For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to c...

So you want to be an actor and also something else? Good, let's talk about it! CONNECT WITH ME: Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching WHO IS THIS GUY?  Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

Showrunner Shaz Bennett (Queen Sugar, Bosch) reveals what makes a self-tape stand out—and what casting is really looking for. A must-listen for actors who want to stop guessing and start booking. Casting Network: For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls r...

Before booking recurring roles on Criminal Minds and The Rookie, Jon Snow spent hours in the audition room as a reader for a casting director. In this episode, Jon shares what that experience taught him—why the actor who's most present often stands out, how over-rehearsing can kill a moment, and the small shifts that can make a performance land. He also pulls back the curtain on what casting is ac...

Once you have an acting coach, you then have to learn how to work with one. Don't worry, I'll tell you how to do it in this episode.  CONNECT WITH ME: Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching WHO IS THIS GUY?  Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com  

One day, she's crying in her car after bombing an audition. The next? Recurring roles on NCIS: Los Angeles and Bosch: Legacy. In this episode, Denise Sanchez shares the raw truth behind her rise—how burnout almost made her quit, what pulled her back in, and the mindset shift that changed everything. This one's for any actor who's ever felt like giving up... but didn't.   Casting Network: For a lim...

You write it. You star in it. It wins awards… and still, they only see you as "the writer." In this episode, actor and creator Luke Barnett gets brutally honest about what it's like to break through—and still be overlooked. We talk about identity, resilience, and what it really takes to carve out a place in Hollywood when the industry has other plans. This one's for the actors building something r...