Rollin' With Olan

As the breakout actor in the movie Pajama Party from 1964, this guest is a legend in Hollywood. They were even grooming her to be the next Marilyn Monroe, but that was not the path for Bobbie Shaw Chance.  Instead, after doing a dozen movies, she became an iconic acting coach and started coaching Drew Barrymore when she was only 10 years old. Her son Richie followed in her footsteps, and they have...

Live from Tyler Perry’s studio in Atlanta, the one and only Ken Fuchs took a quick break from Family Feud to share his incredible Hollywood story, which is one nobody would want to miss.  In addition to working with Steve Harvey for the past 15 years, this very special guest has directed Shark Tank episodes for several years and done more seasons than we can count of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette...

This is what everybody in entertainment should learn more about. Look no further than the case against Disney. This long-time attorney breaks down why entertainment law is so important and the parts of it you should know about.  In addition to running his own law office since 1991, Steven Lowe is no stranger to the ins and outs of the entertainment industry and was even the executive producer of t...

When an Emmy award-winning costume designer born in South Africa and raised in Israel tells her story about coming to the US almost 20 years ago to pursue her career in Hollywood, you know there will be a ton of inspiring nuggets.  Ariyela talks us through her journey and several of the amazing projects she’s worked on, including the movie Waitress from 2007 where she and Jeff worked together for...

Actress, author, businesswoman, director, model, producer and writer… Brande Roderick has done it all, and in this episode she shares her incredible journey through the entertainment industry. This one’s a doozy! You may have seen this former playmate of the year – who also dated Hugh Hefner for more than two years – on Baywatch or in Starsky & Hutch, and she’s even done her own horror movie,...

Ever wondered how an up-and-coming actor can get a great agent? Alex Camacho is way more than up-and-coming now, and hearing her tell the story of how she first connected with her outstanding agent Jeff Wolfman is something else. And his side of that story is awesome too. They spent this hour dropping all kinds of gems on us, including how to deal with the ups and downs in this industry. They remi...

An absolute legend, Mark Teschner has been the Casting Director for ABC’s General Hospital since 1989 and has won 11 Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Casting” in the process. Simply put, he’s the best. In addition to telling his own inspiring story, Mark shares his most important tips for actors and others wanting to find success in entertainment. He even talks about how background acto...

From casting to drumming, today’s guest has had an incredible journey through Hollywood. As an Albuquerque native, Francis Ruiz got his entertainment start doing casting alongside our very own Jeff Olan back in the early 90s. Fast forward to today, he’s a drummer in the band Buckcherry, and you just gotta hear the stories of how it all came about. As Francis says, sometimes you just have to start...

We'll be back with another inspiring episode next week, and we have several more prepared for you. For now though, we know that a lot of our colleagues, families and friends are dealing with some very tough challenges, and our hearts go out to you all. THANKS FOR ROLLIN' WITH OLAN!

When you’ve done more than 1,000 television episodes as an animation director, it’s safe to say you know a thing or two about bringing shows to life. Meet Ron Myrick – an absolute legend in the world of animation. With a number of movies under his belt as well, Ron Myrick has done it all, and in this episode we get a detailed look into the fascinating world of animation and how the magic really ha...

Don’t hope you’ll be successful - believe you’ll be successful. That can be a big step, especially for Europeans who might grow up with a different mindset. But Lívia Bielovič, also known as Liv, has certainly taken that step. From growing up in communism to learning five languages, Liv keeps taking big steps towards realizing more and more of her dreams. With lots of European projects on her resu...

Happy New Year! If you’re looking to make 2025 the year for you, this is the episode for you. Jeff shares his take on where Hollywood is headed and what to expect in terms of work in the entertainment industry. Joined by his producer Joergen, Jeff also discusses the kind of mindset that’s needed to set yourself up for success in the new year. It’s all about how you position yourself and how you ap...

Imagine being pregnant on set and having Denzel Washington rub your belly for good luck in between takes while shooting Training Day. That’s just one of Nicole Rubio’s epic experiences from her journey through Hollywood. From Raiderette to actress to script supervisor to television director, Nicole has done it all. And she’s worked on shows like Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., FBI: Most W...

Third generation boom operator? Wow! This guy knows about sound. And he’s worked on huge shows like Deadwood, Scandal and True Detective. You’ll hear some fascinating stories straight from the field on this one. Favorite part of the job? Meeting all kinds of folks in the industry and going to different locations for unique experiences. It’s amazing to see where Hollywood can take you. And Chris wi...

Don’t try this at home! But do check out these incredible stories from one of our favorite stunt people in the industry. From epic girl fights in Mean Girls to Doritos Super Bowl commercials, Courtney Schwartz has done it all. Hear how she went from ballet dancing as a kid to jumping into stunt training at 15 and her journey through Hollywood from there, which includes an Emmy nomination for Stran...

Happy Thanksgiving! Sometimes the best thing to do is reflect and tap into gratitude. That’s what Jeff is doing in today’s episode as he shares more details from his journey that are sure to leave you inspired. In Hollywood, everybody starts with a dream. And for some, that dream turns into a goal. But for many, that goal isn’t always achieved, but other magical things happen. That’s the power of...

Who knew that seeing the movie Benji at a young age would spark the love for films and the entertainment industry that would ultimately put Steven Escobar on a path to become a world-class editor and ultimately win an Emmy Award. Every story in Hollywood is unique, and this one is no different. After first working on music videos, including one for Selena in 1996, Steven Escobar got his first edit...

Yes, it’s true – you can become an Assistant Director and then a Director! Just check out this conversation with Anneke Scott as she shares her journey through Hollywood, showing us all what is possible when we go for it. She loved dancing but couldn’t quite make enough money, didn’t want to do anymore school and ultimately asked herself: “What if I go behind the camera?” So she moved from Florida...

Have you ever sat down with a horror film director? Well, now is your chance. Chad Ferrin has directed over a dozen horror films, written several and acted in a few as well, and he brings a unique perspective on success in entertainment. From growing up on a farm in Minnesota and becoming a vegetarian, Chad shares stories from his journey, including the time when he bought a condo and then sold it...

Happy Halloween! Joe Castro is a director, producer and a truly gifted special effects artist, and he has a very sick mind – in a good way! Joe talks us through his journey through Hollywood after getting his start at 15 in San Antonio, Texas. He gets into all the crazy bloody stuff while also touching on how some of his personal life has affected his professional career. Make sure to check out th...

This is an entertainment publicist like none other. Nan Sumski was the first and only Head of Publicity for Spelling Television, Aaron Spelling’s production company, which delivered iconic TV series like 7th Heaven, Beverly Hills 90210, Charmed, Dynasty and Melrose Place. Nan tells incredible stories about the early days of working with George Clooney as well as the story of how she met Jeff 40 ye...

This time Jeff is joined by the show’s sponsor as well as its producer. Glen Ward is the CEO of Source & Cast, and he talks about how and why the company came onboard as the exclusive founding sponsor of Rollin’ With Olan. Jeff shares more about the purpose of the podcast and how he’s motivated to help others in the entertainment industry. It’s a great conversation from behind the scenes about...

From being the first “Leggo My Eggo” kid as a child actor, to losing his best friend as a young adult, to becoming an executive and having a long career in the industry, Ricky Powell is in a unique position to teach us about happiness. He spent 25 years working at NBC, and early on he discovered Tony Robbins and his original mentor Jim Rohn, setting him on a path to understand what happiness and s...

This guest is a true legend. He has worked on some of the most epic projects you can imagine, and he’s recognized in the industry as one of the truly great ones. What a treat! Just listen to the stories he tells.   From his early days working on the iconic show Miami Vice to the four months of prep work for Night at the Museum, Marty has done it all, including developing deep relationships with ot...

We celebrated the launch of this podcast with a live session the day the first episode dropped, and it was awesome. Jeff shared more of his perspectives and answered questions from this amazing community in entertainment.  In this recording, you’ll get some real wisdom from Jeff about how to find your path to success in entertainment, and we give the best answer we can to the classic question: Am...