Actors With Issues with Juan Ayala

In honor of Pride month, we've got another roundtable episode! I'm joined by Marissa Ghavami (Amazon's The Gift of Christmas), Christopher Henry Young ( Hamilton ), Stacey Raymond (NBC's New Amsterdam) and AJ Blankenship ( Bring It On: The Musical ). They  tell us all about their hopes for queer representation in the entertainment industry, share some of their favorite LGBTQ+ centered books,...

Actor and professional figure skater Michael Sasaki joins us on the show this week and shares his experience balancing his career as a figure skater with an acting career, the importance of arriving to major markets like LA or NYC with a game plan and why every actor needs a mentor. Follow Michael: www.instagram.com/mikeisready Follow Juan: www.instagram.com/juanayalaofficial Follow us: www.instag...

"You are a masterpiece", "You were born worthy" and "Be proof of what's possible" are just some of the incredibly inspiring words that this week's guest Havilah Malone, an actress, best-selling author and QVC host shares with us. From corporate America to booking national commercials, Havilah shares so much insight into her experience in the entertainment industry, I truly cannot wait to share thi...

I'm thrilled and honored to be hosting such a wonderful conversation with an incredibly talented group of actors in honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I'm joined by Wesley Han (Netflix's Russian Doll), Jessica Wu (Miss Saigon), Vishaal Reddy (creator & star of Insomnia), Chelly (Netflix's Never Have I Ever) and Will Tomi (CBS' FBI: Most Wanted) who discuss the first...

IT'S OUR 50TH EPISODE AND OUR BIRTHDAY! Thank you all so so much for supporting our show thus far, we cannot wait to keep sharing these conversations with you in the years to come! Today we're joined by the wonderfully talented Christopher Henry Young who shares some of the lessons learned as a queer actor and an actor of color, and he differences between the art of theatre and the industry of the...

Actor and singer Cody Sloan joins us this week and talks about finishing his MFA in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, insight into finding where he fit in the eyes of the industry as a trans actor and lessons learned while on set of Amazon's Selah and the Spades working with Jesse Williams and Jharrel Jerome. Follow Sage: instagram.com/codydsloan Follow us: instagram.com/actorswithissues Follow...

Actress and fellow podcaster Sage May joins us on the show this week and talks about her early start as a background actor, the importance of young actors having a mentor and what inspired her to start her own podcast 'Sage May Speaks: A Podcast For Actors' Follow Sage: instagram.com/sagemayy Follow us: instagram.com/actorswithissues Follow Juan: instagram.com/juanayalaofficial

Stage and screen actor Quincy Chad joins us this week and shares what it was like moving from NYC to Los Angeles during the pandemic, booking the role of Jim Brown in the play One Night In Miami after initially auditioning for the film, and his experience working on shows like Orange Is The New Black , FX’s Snowfall and Netflix’s The Get Down . Follow Quincy: www.instagram.com/quincychad Follow us...

Theatre actress Morgan Green joins us on the show this week and chats about growing up attending a Montessori school, the importance of constantly embracing your artistry and what it was like becoming an original Broadway cast member of Be More Chill after not making the cut for the off-Broadway production. Follow Morgan: www.instagram.com/morgansiobhang Follow us: www.instagram.com/actorswithissu...

This week we are joined by actress and singer Miracle Reigns who talks about starting her acting career as an infant, her love of classic sitcoms and what it was like working with Jamie Foxx, Kyla-Drew and David Alan Grier in the new Netflix Original Series 'Dad Stop Embarrassing Me', streaming now on Netflix! Follow Miracle: www.instagram.com/miraclereigns Follow us: www.instagram.com/actorswithi...

NCIS: Los Angeles, The Last Ship, Hawaii Five-O, SWAT, MacGyver, what hasn't this guy been on?! We're joined by the very talented Allen Theosky Rowe this week who talks with us about growing up wanting to become a K-Pop star, why actors should learn to embrace being typecast (at first) and why he wants to create a welcoming environment on sets for all actors. Follow Allen: https://www.instagram.co...

Broadway and television actress Lorna Courtney joins us this week and shares how she overcame a toxic relationship and focused on her mental health, her experience working on CBS' The Equalizer opposite Queen Latifah and gives actors tips on how to be financially responsible.  Follow Lorna: www.instagram.com/llornacourtney Follow us: www.instagram.com/actorswithissues Follow Juan: www.instagram.co...

The A-List Fit Coach himself Jaron Frand joins us this week and talks with us about his journey from burnt out actor to top tier trainer, the importance of weight loss and wellness in a healthy, sustainable way and debunks the unhealthy 'starving artist' mentality we're conditioned to live by.    Follow Jaron: instagram.com/jaronfrand Follow Us: instagram.com/actorswithissues Follow Juan: instagra...

Johnny Jay Lee joins us this week and talks about his rather sudden journey from small-town Texas to big city Los Angeles, the crucial importance of actors creating their own content and his experience booking a last minute, major role on NCIS: Los Angeles during the pandemic. Follow Johnny: www.instagram.com/mrjohnnyjay Follow us: www.instagram.com/actorswithissues Follow Juan: www.instagram.com/...

In The Heights! Frozen! On Your Feet! Sweet Charity! Aida! Broadway triple threat Nina LaFarga joins us this week and talks about her early love of dancing, the importance of having a positive and supportive mindset in the entertainment industry, and her experiences as part of the original casts of In The Heights, Disney's Frozen and On Your Feet . Don't forget to subscribe to the show and share w...

South African-born, NYC-based actor Pierre Marais joins us this week and chats about working as a kid on massive movie sets like Scorpion King 2 and acting with Jean-Claude Van Damme, the impact an actor's attitude in rehearsal and onstage/onset can affect the community around them, and what he most looks forward to when Broadway makes its triumphant return in 2021.  Follow Pierre: https://ww...

Broadway actress Stephanie Jae Park joins us this week and sheds some light on what it was like going from a classically trained soprano to a powerhouse belter in the megahit musical Hamilton, working with Broadway icons like Kelli O'Hara and Patti Lupone, as well as her experience writing and producing her first EP, set to release later this year!  Follow Stephanie: https://www.instagram.com/step...

Stage and screen actor Roman Zaragoza joins us this week and chats about their experience as a child actor on shows like Austin & Ally , dealing with imposter syndrome due to his mixed ethnicity and some of the biggest lessons he has learned on set, including overcoming jitters when filming the CBS pilot Ghosts .  Follow Roman: instagram.com/romanzaragoza Follow us: instagram.com/actorswi...

This week we are joined by triple threat, stage and screen actor Colin McCalla who talks about growing up determined to become an entertainer, how they have gotten over imposter syndrome and what it was like booking a series regular role on Tyler Perry's Ruthless in the middle of a global pandemic.  Follow Colin: www.instagram.com/jcmccalla Follow us: www.instagram.com/juanayalaofficial

Vin Kridakorn joins us this week and chats with us about their recent move from NYC to Thailand during the pandemic, the many lessons learned in the audition room and debunking some common actor and audition misconceptions! Follow Vin: www.instagram.com/vinkridakorn Follow us: www.instagram.com/actorswithissues 

Actor, Broadway performer and recording artist Juwan Crawley joins us this week and tells us about his tells us about his experience playing the show-stopping Genie, recording his latest EP Becoming and how he found success through a positive mindset, constant persistence and dedication. Juwan and I go back nearly 10 years and I'm so glad we got to catch up and chat in this episode! Follow Marlon:...

Broadway performer and dancer Marlon Feliz joins us this week and talks about dealing with imposter syndrome, handling finances as an actor, her audition process for West Side Story and how their entire background, culture and training seemed to come together when working in the 2019 Broadway revival.  Follow Marlon: www.instagram.com/marlonthefemme Follow us! www.instagram.com/actorswithissues Ch...

Gage Banister joins us this week for the first interview of 2021! Gage talks about his experience working on Law & Order: SVU with Mariska Hargitay, who also directed the episode, as well as meeting Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson while on set of HBO's Ballers, and his use of vision boards and manifestation journals!  Follow Gage: www.instagram.com/gagebanister Follow us! www.instagram.com/acto...

'Actors With Issues' host Juan Ayala reunites with his dear friend and our very first guest Alec Tincher to reflect on the year that was 2020, the lessons learned along the way with some messages from past guests including Chris Brennan, Stacey Raymond, Claire Lyon, Raoul Bhaneja, Denis Ooi, Christopher Aguilar and many more! Thank you so much for all of your support in 2020 and we can't wait to s...

Claire Lyon joins us for our final 2020 episode and chats with us about how she went from performing in the world of opera and transitioning to musical theatre, what it was like performing in the international tour of Phantom of the Opera during the pandemic and the charity work she's been doing through her company The Masque Co.  Support The Masque Co. by visiting themasqueco.co , where $1 o...