Second Act Actors

On this episode of the Second Act Actors podcast, I interview the inspiring Lisa Riesner, who started out in the acting industry after a career in journalism. She tried out acting at the age of 25 by joining a circus class with some friends and fell in love with it, but she didn’t make the leap into acting full-time until she tragically lost a close friend. This shock made her want to pursue her d...

On this episode of the Second Act Actors podcast, I interview another actor who’s transitioning from a more ‘traditional’ career into the world of acting. Rudy Salo is a municipal bond lawyer, public speaker, Forbes contributor and former punk musician and today he also books acting gigs, especially seeking out roles where he plays the jerk boss villain.   Rudy tells me about his early years in sc...

This special episode of Second Act Actors features two wonderful guests who are the brains behind the 2021 indie film Maysville. I talk to film producer Michele and film writer, director and co-producer Leslie about how they managed to make such a stunning film on a shoestring budget.   You’ll definitely want to tune into this episode if you’re working on a creative project right now because Miche...

Corby Stephens has had a very varied career with experience working as a pastor, an IT professional, a stand-up comedian, a yoyo performer and a voiceover actor. In this episode of Second Act Actors , he tells me his life story and gives advice to other people looking to break into the voiceover industry.   Corby begins by telling me about his upbringing in a musical family and how he discovered d...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I chat with the lovely Emilia Copeland. Emilia is a British actress, filmmaker and model, coming to the creative field fresh from her biomedical degree.   Emilia tells me about her school years where she struggled as her teachers didn’t value creativity or see the arts as a viable career path, so Emilia tried to push back but felt forced into studying science...

This episode of Second Act Actors introduces Barry who’s taken a conscious and strategic approach to his move from the Marine Corps to acting. Barry tells me about his childhood passion for acting and how he lost it when he worked in the Marines Corps and then in business. Rediscovering his love of acting was part of his recovery process and he explains where he is now with his career and what his...

  ***TRIGGER WARNING**** Sexual harassment, eating disorders, bullying, hazing   First act actor Emily Nixon chats with me this week. Emily always wanted to be an actor and was able to make her dreams come true as today she’s working as an actor, writer and director, with experience on screen with TV shows such as Umbrella Academy .   Emily and I take a deep dive into what theatre school was like...

If you’re struggling to promote your latest creative project, you need to hear this episode of Second Act Actors . Today I interview Vinnie Potestivo, the man behind the golden age of reality TV. Vinnie produced MTV hits like Punk’d , The Osbournes , The Challenge and more, and he’s also launched or accelerated the careers of some huge stars including Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Lauren Conrad an...

On this episode, I’m talking to the wonderful ‘first act’ actor Stephanie Wilson Anderson. Stephanie grew up in a creative, artistic family and was always singing and dancing, so she decided to go to theatre school and has been working as a professional actor, choreographer and voiceover artist ever since.   Stephanie tells me about her time at theatre school and what her training involved. She th...

On this fun episode of Second Act Actors , I interview my friend, colleague and second act actor Natasha Paquin. She’s a qualified x-ray technician who grew up with a love of acting but decided to keep theatre as a passion project instead of a career.   Natasha and I compare notes on what it’s like to have a foot in both medicine and acting and Natasha explains how she finds the heightened emotion...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I interview Laurel, who was drawn to acting through her love of community theatre. She and I met as actors in a local play that was rehearsed and brought to stage during lockdown, which was a very intense process! Laurel’s first act was as a wife and a mother, and she also had a career in HR. She can often be found acting on stage in local shows and is a memb...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I talk with teacher and actor Clodine Sponagle, who I connected with when we were both cast in a community theatre play. Clodine has been passionate about theatre from a young age but decided to keep acting as a hobby whilst she pursued her career as a teacher.    Clodine explains why she chose teaching over acting and what keeps her coming back to acting and...

          On this episode of Second Act Actors , I relax and take in the beautiful voice of Jodi Krangle, a second act actor who’s had a hugely successful career as a voiceover actor. Her first act was as a self-employed search engine optimization specialist and an online marketing guru, but eventually she got bored and frustrated and felt ready for a change of scene. She pivoted to voiceover work...

Can you be both an actor and a stuntman? Yes, according to professional stuntman Andrew Butcher. Andrew’s dad, Randy Butcher, is a legendary stunt coordinator and got his whole family into the industry, so Andrew grew up on set. Today Andrew is still working in stunts and is expanding into other creative pursuits such as writing, with a few exciting projects on the horizon.   Andrew and I explore...

Give your ears a dose of positive energy by listening to my interview with the wonderful Kiril. Kiril arrived in Canada at the age of 17 and pursued his dream to become an actor. He attended Dawson College’s Theatre programme and since graduating, he’s worked with Ubisoft, has also had appearances on TV shows and film and is starting to work as a director.   Kiril explains his upbeat attitude to m...

Emily is a delightful member of the Second Act Actors gang, having arrived at acting via motherhood, recovery from addiction and an intense journey into her own self-expression. In this episode, we discuss background acting, creative collaboration and why we’re members of each other’s fan clubs! #stevenuniversity   We begin by talking about our experience together in online improv class with Secon...

This episode of Second Act Actors features a special guest who’s a little different to the rest, as his first act was actually as an actor. Bob trained and worked as an actor on stage, screen and radio for 20 years, but he started to fall out of love with acting and decided to leave it behind him. He went back to university and eventually landed a job as an instructional designer and then an educa...

Today I talk with actor, director and community theatre aficionado Doug Ironside, whose career has included theatre school, a corporate job, being a nurse and working as an actor. Doug is deeply passionate about acting, the theatre and the change they can bring in people’s lives.   Doug tells me about the many different phases of his career and why he initially decided not to pursue acting as a ca...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I pick the brains of Stacey Schat, a FIRST ACT actor who’s had a career filled with twists and turns. She grew up surrounded by culture and theatre. This inspired her to go to theatre school and become an actor, but her life changed when she received a devastating medical diagnosis. Stacey then became a teacher but she struggled to balance the demands of teac...

On this industry episode of Second Act Actors , I talk with Ilona Smyth. Ilona started out studying early childhood education and psychology and then landed a job by chance working at an acting school. She fell in love with casting and decided to open her own agency which casts for film, TV, commercials and more, both in Canada and worldwide. Ilona tells me why she always recommends that actors pr...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I talk with Ken Ferguson, another second act actor who came to the screen after a very varied career which included turns as a court reporter, a teacher, a professional bather, and a traveler.  Since starting acting, he’s had background roles in major films such as Suicide Squad , and he’s also appeared in many commercials and in a self-directed project where...

This episode of Second Act Actors has a guest who had a variety of experience before starting her acting career. Trish Rainone completed a degree in film studies and psychology and went on to work with autistic children before a stint managing a café. However, her lifelong passion for acting eventually won out, and she’s had a successful career both in front of and behind a camera, including a rol...

Trish Rainone works both in front and behind the camera. Most recently, she is a producer on A CHRISTMAS LETTER, debuting on CBC and CBC Gem. Trish also makes a small cameo as Sally, the biker bar waitress. Trish and producing partner, Rebeka Herron are also the founders of the Sault Film Festival, celebrating the voices of Northern Ontario, Canada. On-screen, Trish plays the tough prisoner, Top D...

My guest on this week’s episode of Second Act Actors has had a very varied and interesting life. Ken Arnold grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player and played for the Baltimore Orioles, but he encountered injuries and other issues in his athletic career. When he was let go by his team at the age of 25, he wondered what he should do with the rest of his life and by chance, he settled o...

On this episode of Second Act Actors , I take a break from talking with actors to connect with Helen Tansey, who transitioned from a career in modelling to become a full time photographer. Today, she’s known for taking headshots of some of the most famous actors and celebrities, and she captures their essence in a unique and dynamic way. Her work has been featured on TV and in many magazines.    ...