Back To One

Ken Marino is very funny. All the time. Maybe even "too funny." Starting with the legendary comedy group "The State," more than three decades ago, Marino has been the go-to comedy gold in countless television shows, stealing so many scenes in movies, always bringing the funny. The films he's co-written with David Wain are some of his highlights — "The Ten," "Role Models," "Wanderlust," and now "Ga...

Karolina Wydra's performance as Zosia in Vince Gilligan's new hit series "Pluribus" is impressive on many levels, but it wasn't until I talked to her for this podcast that I realized the absolute herculean challenge this role is for an actor. Zosia is part of the single consciousness, and is no longer ruled by the hang-ups, shortcomings, and flaws of a normal human existence. "Remember, she has no...

Mark Strong has made a name for himself playing villains or stealing scenes (or both) in movies like "Sherlock Holmes," "Kick-Ass," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "The Imitation Game," the list goes on. On this episode, he talks about his work in the theater, particularly two of his most celebrated performances for the stage: Eddie in "A View From The Bridge," and "Oedipus" (whic...

Simon Helberg is best known for playing Howard in the hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" for 12 seasons, but he has also built a notable and varied film career working with people like Leos Carax, the Coen Brothers, and a stand-out performance opposite Meryl Streep in "Florence Foster Jenkins." For his latest, he returns to television in Jonathan Glatzer's Silicon Valley series "The Audacity" on AMC...

Asa Butterfield is a British actor who may be best known for starring as Otis Milburn in the worldwide phenomenon "Sex Education," for Netflix, and Hugo Gabret in Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." He first received critical acclaim, as a pre-teen, for his work in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," a film adaptation of John Bayne's novel by the same name. Now he has taken on his bravest role yet, Solomon Ja...

Jordan Hull is an actress, writer, and producer based in New York City. She won a LADCC Award for her performance as Clare in the world premiere of "Poor Clare" by Chiara Atik at the Echo Theater Company. Her screen credits include "The L Word: Generation Q" and "Hustle," alongside Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, and Robert DuVall. She produced and starred in the Tribeca Festival-winning audio drama...

Matthew Shear is a filmmaker and actor based in New York. He starred in Noah Baumbach's "Mistress America," as well as the limited series "The Alienist." His other credits include Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories," M. Night Shyamalan's "Old," and Nathan Silver's "Between the Temples." He makes his debut feature as a writer/director with "Fantasy Life," (opening on March 27th) which he stars in o...

Robert Longstreet is a respected actor who moves fluidly between indie films and genre work, showing a gift for playing complex, wounded, or morally ambiguous characters. He gained broader recognition recently for his performance as a grieving father in "The Haunting of Hill House," created by Mike Flanagan. Longstreet has since become a regular collaborator with Flanagan, appearing in projects li...

David Krumholtz is a beloved actor to every actor he works with, and on this episode we get to see why. From "The Santa Clause" to "Oppenheimer," with more than three decades of experience in all facets of this business, you can believe he has things to say, opinions to share, and stories to tell. His latest is "Forelock," the hilarious buddy comedy film he stars in with writer/director Caleb Alex...

Stellan Skarsgård is a celebrated Swedish actor whose career spans more than five decades across European and Hollywood cinema. He first gained attention in Scandinavia before becoming an international screen presence in films such as " Breaking the Waves" and " Good Will Hunting." He went on to deliver acclaimed performances in movies like " The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Dune," " Dune Part 2...

Samantha Smart is the lead actress, writer and producer of "Charliebird," the feature debut of director Libby Ewing, which won the top prize at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, calling it "a deeply affecting portrait featuring grounded and complex performances." On this episode, Smart describes the process of writing it, getting to a crisis point of wondering if she could still play the character she wa...

Sarah Coffey starred as Eva Shapiro in the feature film "31 Candles," and instantly made her an iconic romanic comedy character. She can also be seen in "Queens Of The Dead," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. And her viral success as a comedian led to a role in "Stapleview," the first-ever fully produced live sketch show on TikTok. On this episode, she talks about the blessin...

Ben Mehl is most recognized for his role as Dante on the hit Netflix show "You." Other TV credits include "The Good Wife," "Supernatural Investigator" and films like "My Christmas Guide" and "Viral Beauty." On stage he has performed with The Public Theater and Williamstown Theatre Festival. He's also a passionate acting teacher and volunteer at the 52nd Street Project. On this episode he tells us...

Astrid Rotenberry has had roles on "Law & Order SVU," "The Four Seasons," and "American Sports Story." Now she plays Catherine Kelly in the Netflix limited series "His and Hers," and her performance is so authentic and affecting it runs the risk of being taken for granted. On this episode, she details what excited her about the role, and why trust is so important to her. She takes us back to her c...

Jordan Lage is an award-winning actor, writer, director and founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company, which celebrates its 41st anniversary this year.  He studied acting at New York University under the tutelage of playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy and then taught acting and playwriting at the Atlantic Theater Acting School for nearly 30 years. Best known for his work perform...

Carolyn Michelle is an actress, producer, educator, and entrepreneur. Her credits include: "Brilliant Minds", "And Just Like That", "The Chi", "Russian Doll", "House of Cards", and the role of Vanessa, opposite Kathleen Chalfant's Ruth, in Sarah Friedland's celebrated indie film "Familiar Touch." On this episode she talks about her deeps roots with that project, and what she told Friendland she ne...

Kimball Farley is the future. His breakthrough role in "Hippo," the critically acclaimed dark comedy that RogerEbert.com called "an unholy fusion of A Clockwork Orange and Napoleon Dynamite" established him as a talented, chameleon-like actor to watch, then his performance in "The Righteous Gemstones," opposite Bradley Cooper, displayed his range. And now 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for hi...

Michael Imperioli is best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Christopher Moltisanti on " The Sopranos," a role that made him one of the most recognizable faces of prestige television. Some of his other credits include " Goodfellas ," " Jungle Fever ," " Summer of Sam" (which he also co-wrote), " The White Lotus ," and his latest, " Song Sung Blue," the real-life story behind Neil Diamond trib...

Kevin Corrigan, the consummate actor, true student of the craft, friend of all actors, the best friend of Back To One , the very first guest of this podcast, returns for the 8th time in what might be his most vulnerable and relatable episode yet. He generously details a crisis he had acting on a series this past year, ponders what he would do with power, asks the question he thinks every actor sho...

Diane Kruger is a German actress known for her verticality in roles and languages, from Hollywood blockbusters like " Troy" and " National Treasure ," to Tarantino's " Inglourious Basterds" and international gems like " In the Fade," for which she won Best Actress at Cannes . Currently she stars in two television series, " The Seduction ," a French-language period drama for HBO MAX, in which she p...

Cassandra Freeman has made her mark in everything from drama to laugh out loud comedy across film, television, and the stage.  She is best known for her feature roles in Spike Lee's " Inside Man" and Chris Rock's  " I Think I Love My Wife ." She has also starred in " The Last O.G .,"  NBC's " The Enemy Within ," and Marvel's " Luke Cage ." And now she just finished her 4-season run as Vivian Banks...

  Few actors have been able to consistently make a living dipping their toes in as many different mediums and genres as Feodor Chin has—film, television, theater, gaming, animation, audio books—he's done it all. He just ended his run as "China" in the remarkable and timely play "Kyoto" at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. We use that experience as a jumping off point to explore his appr...

From "Orange Is The New Black" and "Severance" to "Spider-Man:Homecoming" and "Inez & Doug & Kira," Michael Chernus has been consistently delivering performances that place him as one of the most cherished character actors working today. His latest happens to be the first time he's staring in a television series—"Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy"—and it's bringing him some of the best reviews of...

June Squibb has only been acting for about seven decades, so forgive her if she hasn't figured this whole acting thing out yet. Luckily she isn't stopping or even slowing down. In fact, at 96 years old, she is more busy than ever before. Since her Oscar nomination for a supporting role in Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," Squibb has been in high demand. Her first leading role in a film, "Thelma," led...

Tom Bateman has delivered wonderful performances in "Thirteen Lives ," " Death on the Nile ," " Murder on the Orient Express ," and Peacock's dark comedic thriller series "Based on a True Story," alongside Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, to name a few. For his latest, "Hedda," he got to work opposite Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss. On this episode, he explains what made that production special, start...