Actors With Issues with Juan Ayala

Actor and jazz & blues musician Raoul Bhaneja joins us this week and talks about the differences between the Canadian and American entertainment industries, working in the industry as an ‘ethnically ambiguous’ actor and the increasing representation for actors of color. 

Actor, writer and advocate Marissa Ghavami joins us this week and chats with us about her cross-country experience starring in the film The Gift of Christmas, the importance of approaching acting with a business mindset and the work she is doing with her non-profit organization The Healing TREE. You can check out Marissa's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1754095/

Kabir Bery joins us this week and talks about his early love of Bollywood movies that led to performing, his approach to acting from his training at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and his audition experience and eventual booking for the national tour of Mean Girls: The Musical. 

Christopher Aguilar joins us this week and talks about what it was like growing up as a child actor, the biggest challenges in transitioning to become an adult actor, as well as how he is bringing light to topics like addiction and mental health through workshops, his new short film The Hierarchy of Needs AND his very own podcast that just launched : The Christopher Aguilar Show!

Alex Ross joins us this week and shares his years-long journey with Book of Mormon , the importance of actors not giving up their power in the audition room, and what he teaches young actors at the Graham Shiels studio in Los Angeles. You can check out Alex's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6464801/

Actor, singer and writer Troy Iwata joins us this week and chats with us about the growing representation of the Asian and queer communities, his audition process for the cult hit musical Be More Chill and their experience working on Netflix’s holiday romance Dash and Lily, premiering on November 10th! You can check out Troy's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4841621/

Stage and screen actor Diego Guevara joins this week and chats about his early love of music that led to acting, learning to adapt to the current state of the industry and what it was like celebrating Christmas for two months on the upcoming Netflix series Dash & Lily. You check out Diego’s IMDb page here: https://imdb.com/name/nm6527449/

Actor, writer and producer Noam Ash joins us this week and chats about his hit web series My Gay Roommate, which led to creating his half-hour comedy series Boy-Friends, which in less than a month has 175,000+ views on YouTube, as well as a last-minute audition that ended up booking him a role on an Amazon series, and his experience as a multi-faceted storyteller and the importance of telling the...

Actor, writer, director, producer and overall jack of all trades Phillip Garcia joins us this week and chats about the state of entertainment in LA, the importance of strong relationships as well as his many experiences in the casting room and onset for his shows like Criminal Minds, Scandal and Mayans and his most recent role on the Netflix series Sneakerheads . Check out Phillip's IMDb page here...

TJ Krishnan from FOX's The Resident joins us this weeks and chats with us about keeping a positive mindset, being honest about your goals and motivation, managing your expectations and the most taboo topic these days: MONEY. You can check out TJ's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8040850/

Riza Takahashi joins us this week and chats with us about moving from Japan to Canada to Connecticut to New York City, what it was like working with Tina Fey, the writer of both the film and musical adaptation of Mean Girls and her experiences working with the cast of the show. You can follow Riza on Instagram @rizatakahashi 

Broadway triple-threat Clay Rice-Thomson joins us this week and talks about booking his first national tour at age 12, having to leave college early due to booking West Side Story and advice he has for young actors seeking a career in performing. You can follow Clay on Instagram @clayricethomson ! 

Ryan Salazar joins us this week and talks about adjusting to the actor’s life during quarantine, the slow but sure increase in representation for BIPOC actors and characters, and his experience working with an all-Asian cast on ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat. You can check out Ryan's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4721537/

Stacey Raymond joins us this week and talks about their experiences on shows like NBC's New Amsterdam, Law & Order SVU and The Good Cop, as well as the importance of embracing your uniqueness and their upcoming audiobook performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, opposite Audra McDonald and Carla Gugino. You can check out Stacey's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3017290/

Television and Film actor Kazy Tauginas joins us this week to talk about his former careers as a restauranteur and Golden Gloves boxer, his experiences working on major films like John Wick, Equalizer 2 and Dolemite Is My Name, as well as the inspiration of creating his award-winning short film 'Standing Eight'.  

Actor, Writer, Director and Acting Coach Johnny Wu joins us this week and talks about his specific approach to auditioning, how he almost joined the Air Force after his first major career blow and his leading role in Hold Fast, Good Luck, a romantic feature film available on-demand and DVD on August 25th. You can check out Johnny's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3651449/

Actor and producer Michael Patrick Lane (The CW’s Dynasty) joins us this week and chats with us about the importance of truly mastering your craft as an actor, expanding your roster of skills and how to get over the dreaded career slump. You can check out Michael's IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4464150/

Actress, writer and producer Rebecca Knowles joins us for a super insightful conversation this week and chats with us about defining success, finding continuous joy in your career and maintaining a clear and positive mindset! You can check out Rebecca's IMDb page here: imdb.com/name/nm6231370/

TV actor Mickey Dolan joins us this week to talk about growing up in an artistic family, dealing with imposter syndrome and his experience working with actors like Matthew Broderick and Colin Ford in the Netflix Original Series Daybreak! Check out Mickey’s IMDb page here: imdb.com/name/nm8462158/

Television, film and commercial actor Robbie Dema talks with us about his early love of performing, his slight career switch from professional equestrian to actor and his experiences working on the Netflix film The After Party! Check out Robbie’s IMDb page here: http://imdb.com/name/nm8782904/

TV & Film actor Kurt Yue joins us today and shares how he got his start into acting at age 26 after a successful career as a software developer, his YouTube channel Acting Career Center and making the move from small-market Cleveland, Ohio to major market Atlanta, Georgia! Check out Kurt’s IMDb page here: http://imdb.com/name/nm4746345/

This week we got to chat with actress, writer and creator of the upcoming comedy series Couples Therapy, Michaela Zannou. The pilot of her show has gone on to become official selections at the Big Apple Film Festival, the New Media Film Festival and the prestigious SeriesFest. Michaela talks with us about the origins of the show and what she’s learned as a first time filmmaker! Check out Michaela’...

My kickass Blindspot co-star Denis Ooi joins us this week to chat about his complex cultural background, his career shift from finance to acting and his experience working on the 5th and final season of NBC’s Blindspot. Check out Denis’ IMDb page here: http://imdb.com/name/nm8062778/

Actor, writer and producer Ken Arpino chats with us about his journey with his hit web series The Queens Project, how actors should branch out to other aspects of the industry and the importance of bringing quality arts programming to small towns and communities! Check out Ken’s IMDb page here: http://imdb.com/name/nm2123256/

Actor and producer Freddy Giorlando talks about the refocusing of intimate storytelling post-COVID, how becoming a father at nineteen shaped him as both a person and an actor and the now-online artists community he and his producing partner Rob Alicea have built, The Creatives Mixer! Check out Freddy’s IMDb page here: http://imdb.com/name/nm4772788/