Creating Behavior with Charlie Sandlan

For our first conversation of season four, Charlie welcomes Steven Melendez, Artistic Director of New York Theater Ballet. Steven shares how his life has come full circle, now leading the organization that shaped the entire course of his life. Charlie and Steven discuss the powerful upcoming documentary Lift directed by David Petersen https://www.liftdocumentary.com/about , the impact of mentoring...

Hello Fellow Daydreamers! After a five month hiatus, Charlie is back for another season. We start with a solo episode, where Charlie discusses the acting on Succession, the career of Pedro Pascal, and the importance of getting a grip on your mental health if you want to pursue a professional acting career. He also shares some thoughts on the censoring of high school theater, along with advice on h...

We've come to the end of Season 3 fellow daydreamers! This week Charlie wraps up the last sixteen episodes with some favorite clips from his guests. He also shares a few thoughts on Michelle Williams acting in The Fablemans, and Andrea Riseborough's extraordinary performance in To Leslie.  CBP will be back in May with Season 4! In the meantime, stay resilient, play full out with yourself...

It's the second to last episode of Season 3 fellow daydreamers, so it's time for another visit from Charlie's wife Trish Barillas. It's been a year since Trish last came on CBP, and this week they discuss the past year, along with thoughts on aging parents, anxiety, and Trish's decision to let go of her frozen eggs and donate them to science. It's a wide ranging conve...

Our voice is the most intimate part of human expression. It is formed over decades of parenting, socialization, and trauma. Our physical alignment and muscle tension create the speaking pattern that we function from day to day. If you want to be a transformational actor, then you need extensive and disciplined work to unlock the way you speak. This week Charlie talks to Midori Nakamura, a designat...

It's a solo episode fellow daydreamers. This week Charlie talks about his appreciation for artists that dive into work that scares the hell out of them. He discusses Jonah Hill's documentary Stutz, the current Broadway production of Topdog/Underdog, Howard Stern's Springsteen interview, the actress Emma Corrin, and the playwright Adrienne Kennedy who at 91 is finally receiving her f...

What happens after you hit a major artistic goal? How do you navigate success, and also grapple with what happens next? This week Charlie talks with his former student Guy Lockard, who is currently figuring that out. Guy and Charlie talk about his series regular role as Dr, Dylan Scott on NBC's hit show Chicago Med, and how he is navigating the next chapter. Join them for a fascinating conver...

Take a second and Google the alumni who have come out of NYU, Yale, Juilliard, Brown, and serious Meisner training programs like Charlie's. The majority of accomplished actors have seriously trained their body and their voice. Developing a physical instrument that is capable of supporting and processing rich emotion will dramatically improve the quality of your work. This week Charlie talks w...

It's a solo episode this week fellow Daydreamers! What kind of art do you want to put into the world? Charlie talks about some of the important, provocative work that is currently being done. Andrew Dominick's Blonde and Ryan Reynolds Dahmer mini-series have stirred up some visceral responses, both positive and negative. Charlie shares his thoughts on these, along with a reflection on Ci...

One stat that is shocking to read is that less than 1% of all actors book at least thirty jobs over the course of a career. Only 30% book a second job! This week Charlie talks to award winning actress Andrea Osvárt, who has carved out an incredibly successful two-decade career both in America and throughout Europe. Charlie and Andrea talk about how she made it into that 1% club, how she handled ea...

Pursuing a serious professional artistic career does not happen quickly. If it's something you really want, then you need to give it at least a decade of relentless pursuit. There will be many times that the idea of quitting and moving on to something else is palpable. This week Charlie talks to his former student Simone Serra, who has just passed her first decade and is still at it. Simone h...

It's easy to fall into a pattern of complacency when it comes to nourishing your intellectual curiosity. Just reading one article can lead you to an unexpected education on a number of things. In this weeks solo episode, Charlie shares what he's learned about the importance of Jean-Luc Godard, and the life of actress and activist Marsha Hunt who died at the age of 104.  He also talks abo...

How many of you have been told at some point that you have to choose, kids or career. You can't have both! Charlie talks with Tara Westwood. She got pregnant in her 20's during her training with Maggie, converted to Mormonism, and moved to Idaho to raise a family. Her journey back to NYC, her mission to finish training, pursue her career, and be an incredible mom is an inspiration. It&ap...

Building a community of friendships and professional relationships with people who inspire you, and challenge you intellectually and artistically will add to the value of your life. This week Charlie has a conversation with Jillian Marshall, whose first book Japanthem: Counter-Culteral Experience, Cross-Culteral Remixes came out earlier this year.  She also speaks fluent Mandarin and Japanese, pla...

It's a solo episode this week fellow daydreamers. Charlie shares his thoughts on the current work of Ben Foster, Rhea Seehorn, Giovanni Ribisi, Matthew Goode, and Taylor Sheridan, along with his thoughts on the latest Dave Chappelle special What's In A Name. Charlie also discusses a series of articles by the chief NY Times theater critic Jesse Green titled The Reformation. It leads to a...

This week Charlie shares his conversation with former student Pooya Mohseni, who grew up a young boy in Iran, and ultimately immigrated to the US with her parents.  Charlie and Pooya discuss growing up a non gender conforming boy in a theocracy, her transition journey, and the hard work its taken to become a first rate professional actor and activist.  They also discuss her most recent film See Yo...

Having a strong belief in yourself, refusing to give into a woe is me mentality, and having the temerity to really go after what you want is incredibly important if you are trying to carve out an artistic career. This week Charlie talks to his former student Rolando Chusan, who booked his first series regular role on the ABC series Promised Land.  Rolando discusses how he got this part, and the ma...

Well fellow daydreamers, eight months seemed to fly by.  In the season 3 premiere, Charlie talks about the career of William Hurt, important performances to check out, thoughts on the J-Lo documentary Halftime, and an appreciation of The Wire after 20 years. Charlie also shares his thoughts on the stunning painter Kahinde Wiley. CBP will drop 16 episodes this season on a bi-weekly basis. You can f...

Hard to believe it's the end of season two. It's been an incredible eight months fellow daydreamers. In this season finale, Charlie talks about the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins, the controversy over Dave Chappelle, a few film recommendations, and some highlights of the last 30 episodes. And it wouldn't be a season finale without new music from Lawrence Trailer. CBP will return ne...

The most downloaded episode of season one was A Face of Anxiety with Charlie's wife Trish Barillas. A published author, professional anxiety, relationship, and  life coach, Trish comes back on to talk about mental health, birth control, having children, and her obsession with reality television.  It's a fascinating conversation about managing the ups, the downs, and the unexpected moment...

Every actor has those big dreams. The ones that make your heart skip a beat every time you fantasize about them. The big break. Imagine celebrating your best friends big break as a series regular on the SyFy hit show Resident Alien, and then end up booking the same show for all ten episodes of season one. This week Charlie talks to Meredith Garretson about the show, about what she's learned a...

It's important to seek out artists who continually demonstrate the courage to prize their sense of truth, embrace their voice and work without apology. In this weeks solo episode, Charlie shares some thoughts on the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, the new opera Fire Shut Up in my Bones by Terence Blanchard at the Met, the documentary Val, and the incredible life of Melvin Van Peebles. Charlie al...

What were those first weeks of March 2020 like for the Broadway actor? This week Charlie talks with dancer, actor, and choreographer Reed Luplau who has been part of Moulin Rouge since its early workshop days in 2017. As theater reopens back in NYC after 18 months, Charlie and Reed talk about how he navigated this time, and the ways he continued to create content in different ways. Reed shares ill...

It's very easy for us to lose perspective on our personal life struggles. But sometimes you meet someone who can help you put those in the right context. Our lives can change in the blink of an eye. How does one move forward after personal tragedy? This week Charlie talks with actor Jo Marie Lawrence, who moved to NYC to pursue her career, only to have her life completely changed by a horrifi...

Are you comfortable being alone? As artists, solitude is an essential part of the creative process. Embracing silence, stillness, your thoughts and your daydreams can lead to inspiration. In this weeks solo episode, Charlie talks about the filmmaker Dianne Whelan and her 17,000 mile solo trek across the Trans Canada Trail. Charlie also answers a listener question, discusses the solid work of actor...