Back To One

Olivia Cooke had no formal training and claims to have no real process. Is she just a natural? A freak of nature? How else to explain the incredible range and astounding talent of this rising star? I first took note of her work in the black comedy "Thoroughbreds," and then Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One" and the British mini-series "Vanity Fair." She is on fire now with three new films, "Lit...

There are several moments in Delroy Lindo's performance as Paul in "Da 5 Bloods" where I believe the voiceless (Black solders who never came back from Vietnam?) speak through him. Sure that might be hooey, but the very idea that I believe it says something about his incredible work in Spike Lee's celebrated Netflix film. On this episode, I ask Lindo to break down the filming of the gripping monolo...

Christina Anthony plays Denise on the ABC series "Mixed-ish." She generously gives us a fascinating inside look at working on a sit-com from the point of view of an actor who is totally new to the process. She tells the story of sitting at a table read 90 minutes after being cast on the show following years of struggling through 100+ fruitless pilot auditions, talks about how her Chicago theater r...

As the annual Sundance Film Festival begins again this week, legendary actor/director Tom Noonan takes us back 27 years to a very different Sundance, where his film "What Happened Was…" won the Grand Jury Prize. It's the ultimate "actor's film," just two people, Noonan and the incredible Karen Sillas, in one room, real time, on a first date like no other. He talks about the circumstances that led...

Some actors go through a transformation to the point where the word "performance" feels inadequate. "Embodiment" is more apt. Nicole Beharie transforms into Turquoise Jones in Channing Godfrey People's film "Miss Juneteenth." It's a wonder to behold. On this episode, she talks about the immersive preparation work that went into her Gotham Award-winning performance, how the opportunity to take her...

The only thing that makes this a "Special Holiday Episode" of Back To One is a brief mention of Hanukkah, but the talented Nat Wolff brings plenty of joy to make up for it. He talks about playing Lloyd Henreid in the new version of "The Stand" on CBS All Access, and one scene in particular that worried him until an 11th hour "cloak of inspiration" fell upon him in the form of a song. I ask about h...

Willa on "Succession," Astrid on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," Jade on "Younger," Holly on "Mr. Mercedes," all characters brought to life by the great actor Justine Lupe, with all their quirks and nuances rooted in a reality that makes them seem to go on living outside the frame. On this episode, she takes us back to her time at Juilliard where she enjoyed the bootcamp-like training that suited her...

English actor Tuppence Middleton is on a steady, slow rise and that seems to suit her just fine. On this side of the pond she's perhaps best known for playing Riley Blue on the Netflix Sci-fi series "Sense8" and Lucy Smith in the "Downton Abbey" movie, but you'd be foolish not to seek out her work in "Trap For Cinderella" and "War and Peace." Now she's part of the impressive ensemble in David Finc...

From "Parks And Recreation" to "Legion," from indie film queen to "Happiest Season," Aubrey Plaza is not done surprising us. Everybody's favorite late night talk show guest and hilarious awards show host rarely gets to show off the serious roots of her acting chops. Enter "Black Bear." The Sundance hit from Lawrence Michael Levine stars Plaza as a former actress on a writing retreat opposite Chris...

It's become a tradition to have actor's actor Kevin Corrigan on the show every year. This is his third visit (his first two episodes are #1 an #67). Sitting down with the wise sage of indie film always ends up being both a reset and recharge. He has a way of speaking about this art that helps bring us back to the root of what it's all about: connection, empathy, being alive. In this hour, he tells...

With mesmerizing performances in such series as "Luther," "Mrs. Wilson," and "The Affair," Ruth Wilson has established herself as one of our great actors. Her latest is the deliciously sinister Marisa Coulter on the hit fantasy series "His Dark Materials." In this episode she explains the fascinating way she's been able to build the multi-dimensional aspects of that character, and the challenge of...

English actor Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù has two major releases happening in the States this month, the intense and compelling "Gangs of London" on AMC+, and the profound and unsettling horror film "His House" on Netflix. Taken together, they offer an apt representation of the impressive range of this great actor. We talk about his approach to the physicality required for the instantly famous epic fight scenes i...

You know Matthew Del Negro from "Scandal," "Goliath," "The West Wing," or as Cousin Brian on season four of "The Sopranos," or maybe, like me, you were wowed by his comedic tour de force as Jason Allen Ross in Netflix's "Huge In France." He's currently filming his second season as Detective Chris Caysen on Showtime's "City on a Hill." He also hosts a great podcast called "10,000 NOs" where he has...

Dylan Gelula brings a captivating authenticity to her characters that makes them seem like they go on living outside the frame. Look at her work in "Flower," "Support The Girls," and "First Girl I Loved," to name a few. Her latest performance as Maggie in the SXSW winner "Shithouse" is a revelation. It snuck up on me and left me moved and in awe. On this episode she talks about her instinctual, un...

Cooper Raiff is the writer, director, producer, editor and star of one of my favorite films of the year, "Shithouse," which won the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival this year. The 23 year old has filmmaking instincts and a sophisticated perception of people, and himself, that belies his years. In this episode, he tells a miraculous story of getting Jay Duplass to watch his short film, an...

Some actors steal scenes, Harry Melling's scenes steal movies. The limb-less thespian in "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," the sinister Zuckerberg-like villain in "The Old Guard," and now the "spider preacher" Roy Laferty in "The Devil All The Time," are just some of the characters he's brought to life, who all feel like they continue to exist beyond their short time on screen. In this episode he ta...

Carrie Coon has quietly built a reputation as an acting powerhouse though a collection of phenomenal performances in television shows like "The Leftovers," "Fargo," and "The Sinner," and movies such as "Gone Girl," "The Post," and her latest, "The Nest." In this episode, she talks about the paramount importance of breath work, using "touchstones" for emotional connection, her first experience on t...

Katherine Waterston is one of our most brilliant and committed actors. She brings superstar power to indies like "Queen of Earth" and "State Like Sleep," and a captivating authenticity to franchises like "Fantastic Beasts" and "Alien." It was "Inherent Vice" that first brought her to my attention. In this episode, she talks about why she was "a pig in shit" making that film, why having lots and lo...

When one has the opportunity to listen to an actor with the amount of experience as Rosalind Chao has, one must seize it. From the legendary final episode of "M.A.S.H" to "Black-ish," from "The Joy Luck Club" to Disney's eagerly anticipated live action "Mulan," Chao has seen it all! On this episode, the once "professional guest star" opens up about how she's happier when working and happiest on a...

Ramy Youssef won the Golden Globe for lead actor in a comedy series for his work in "Ramy," the Hulu series he co-created. The second season came out in May, and the struggles of being a devout young Muslim man in America that fueled the first season, deepen, grow and expand out to peripheral characters in the second, highlighted by the addition of Mahershala Ali as Ramy's wise and loving sheikh....

Irish actor Niamh Algar has been making her mark in the UK of late portraying women dealing with their intense pasts, like Dinah in Shane Meadows' "The Virtues" and Ursula in "Calm With Horses" (which just opened in the states as "The Shadow of Violence"). The intensity continues with her latest project, "Raised By Wolves," Ridley Scott's sci-fi series for HBO MAX (which drops on September 3th). I...

Kevin Alejandro is finishing his fifth season playing Detective Dan Espinoza on Netflix's "Lucifer." He's also graced your small screen in such series as "The Returned," "Southland," and "True Blood." In 2017 he graduated from the Warner Brothers television director's workshop and directed an episode of "Lucifer." Since then he started his own production company and has turned into a multi-hyphena...

The brilliant young British actor Paapa Essiedu speaks about the work with wisdom that belies his years. He plays Kwame on Michaela Coel's groundbreaking new HBO series "I May Destroy You." In 2016, his "Hamlet" at the Royal Shakespeare Company received great acclaim. In this episode he compares those two characters, who are each facing defining moments in their lives, and talks about the "conscio...

Part of Stacy Martin's performance, in her wonderful new film "Archive," involves essentially playing robots at various stages of development. She talks about the challenge that posed for her as an actor, and how director Gavin Rothery's complete command of his vision helped her process. She takes me back to her days at the Actors' Temple in London, and how an intensive workshop there changed her...

Mireille Enos made a splash on Broadway in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," then her big break in television came with "The Killing," where she played Sarah Linden to much acclaim for four seasons. "World War Z" opposite Brad Pitt followed, and now the second season of the action-drama hit series "Hanna" premiered on Amazon this month. Enos talks about how exceptional writing helps multi-season w...