That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

In today's episode, we dive deep into Christina Chang's artistic evolution—from the "mental gymnastics" of navigating a year-and-a-half between projects to the bold decision to turn down a lucrative travel hosting contract to stay true to her acting roots. You'll hear the riveting behind-the-scenes story of how she won over Dick Wolf during a high-stakes "test" after a disastrous first take, and h...

Your best take might be the one you think you ruined. In this episode, a coaching session with a brilliant actress reveals one of the most common and costly habits actors carry into the room, the self-tape, and onto Zoom — cutting on themselves the moment something real and unexpected starts to happen. We break down why discovery feels like failure, why "nailing it" is often a trap, and why your f...

Get ready for a deep dive into the "yeasty moments" of acting life with David Lyons, as he reveals how he transitioned from studying criminology in Australia to landing a career-defining role on the juggernaut series ER . From the intense pressure of leading The Cape to his "blank slate" philosophy for capturing the "dark matter" of a performance, Dave offers a raw, behind-the-scenes look at the p...

In this episode, we talk about the benefits of the Zoom audition. When to Zoom and when not to Zoom, that is the new conversation. Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction. 🔗 Connect with That One Audition: PRACTICE TRACK PUBLIC POP UP: $25 Feb 27th @10am PT THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS : Become a WORKING ACTO...

Today, we are sitting down with Sarah Yarkin , the breakout star of School Spirits and the lead of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. Sarah shares her journey from growing up in the Bay Area to navigating UCLA's acting program, where she felt she had to "fight the program" just to begin her professional career. In this episode, we explore the "staircase analogy" of acting, the grueling physical d...

In today's episode, we dive into the remarkable career pivot of Frances Turner, who left the heights of corporate law to build a powerful career on screen. Frances shares what it was like to live a double life for years, secretly pursuing acting while managing high-stakes legal deals, and the acting class that ultimately changed everything for her. From the very beginning, Frances was anchored in...

In this episode, stop calling it rejection—it's selection. In this week's Wednesday Wisdom, we're breaking down how to actually take care of your nervous system in an industry that constantly tests it. Learn why you need to train like an athlete, how breathwork and body rituals can transform your audition experience, and the game-changing mindset shift that turns "getting the job" into simply "doi...

Get ready for an electrifying conversation with LaMonica Garrett, whose unconventional road to stardom took him from the trampoline-fueled chaos of SlamBall to a breakout role on One Tree Hill . In this episode, LaMonica unpacks the "athletic mentality" that fuels his craft, tracing his evolution from a self-described "green" actor relying on raw charisma to discovering the quiet power of stillnes...

Get ready for an electrifying conversation with actress Tiana Okoye, whose performance journey spans from the UCLA musical theater program to Broadway, to the high-octane world of Peacock's Twisted Metal . In this episode, we explore Tiana's incredible resilience, including the "humbling" moment her first major tour contract for Sister Act was terminated due to vocal nodules and how she pivoted to...

Our guest today, Saagar Shaikh, went from losing his corporate job to starring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, breaking out as Aamir Khan in Ms. Marvel and reprising the role in The Marvels . Saagar shares the incredible story of his three-year pursuit of the legendary ABC Showcase—a grueling, all-consuming "boot camp" that ultimately landed him top-tier representation. You'll hear the wild, beh...

We're kicking off Season 7 of That One Audition with Guy Burnet, an actor industry friends have nicknamed a "masterful auditioner." From his early days on the UK soap Hollyoaks to the heights of Hollywood, Guy lets us in on the journey and work ethic behind the scenes. He describes his self-tape "torture chamber," a room devoted to the grueling, multi-day pursuit of audition perfection, where he's...

In this episode, If you need 20 takes to "warm up," you're still rehearsing. In this solo episode, Alyshia explains why rehearsal and camera time require two very different mindsets—and how confusing them is costing actors confidence, time, and bookings. Learn why story choices beat character choices in auditions, how to train for 24-hour turnarounds, and what it really means to practice how you p...

In today's episode, we dive into the extraordinary career of Mustafa Shakir, the self-described "accidental actor" who originally pursued international banking and law at Cornell before discovering acting after reading a poem in a workshop. He breaks down the nitty-gritty of auditioning, including the high-stakes journey to landing the Marvel villain "Bushmaster" on Luke Cage . We also talk about...

A casting director's Instagram post stopped me mid-scroll: "We don't pick the most talented—we pick the ones who survived without losing their soul." In this episode, we're talking about why artists don't burn out from rejection but from performing versions of themselves that never existed, and how building a sustainable practice is the only way to stay authentic in an industry that demands everyt...

Get ready for a masterclass in hustle, heart, and hilarious setbacks as we dive into Milan Carter's unbelievable journey to landing "Barry" on Netflix's hit action-comedy FUBAR. Milan reveals how he delivered a self-tape so strong it could have been "dropped right into the episode"—complete with an improvised Slurpee cup and inventive tricks to handle the dense dialogue. He walks us through the in...

Our guest this week, Jacob Scipio, began his acting journey practically straight out of the womb, signed by his aunt's boutique agency at birth and appearing on BBC television throughout his childhood. His path to becoming a working adult actor was far from easy, though; after auditioning for ten drama schools and getting into none, he found himself a broke student working odd jobs like landscape...

Get ready for an electrifying deep dive with Michelle Hurd, an actress, activist, and industry powerhouse whose career has spanned Shakespeare, sitcoms, sci-fi universes, and everything in between. Born into a legendary artistic lineage and raised to treat acting as both a sacred craft and a true business, Michelle opens up about the relentless training and unwavering discipline that have fueled h...

In this episode, Alyshia breaks down a new acronym for REST and explores why true rest is essential for the creative mind. Learn how stepping back fuels intuition, clarity, and artistry, and why rest isn't slowing down… it is setting yourself up to create again. Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction....

Step into an extraordinary journey with Colin Egglesfield, a multi-hyphenate creator who has built a global career by refusing to follow a straight path. After taking the MCAT, he made a radical pivot into modeling before breaking into Hollywood with a contract role on All My Children . Along the way he survived multiple life-altering setbacks, including multiple bouts of cancer and living through...

Discipline isn't just a buzzword — it's the secret weapon of working actors. In this episode of That One Audition , Alyshia Ochse dives into the power of studying story, mastering framing, and learning from brilliant actors to elevate your craft and your self-tapes. From observing working actors like Frank Grillo, Michelle Monaghan, and Skye P. Marshall to analyzing your own auditions with a criti...

Join us for an electrifying conversation with actor Frank Grillo , one of Hollywood's most grounded and dynamic leading men. From Warrior , The Grey , and Zero Dark Thirty to Captain America: Civil War and The Purge franchise, Frank has built a career defined by grit, authenticity, and longevity. Now starring opposite John Cena in Peacemaker and returning to Taylor Sheridan's Tulsa King (Paramount...

We're done waiting for permission. We are building careers. This episode dives into how learning to make a strong, cinematic self-tape is actually the first step in becoming a filmmaker and creating your own work — yes, just like Pierson Fodé filming on the farm. Plus, I share how The Bridge for Actors trains you in craft, tech, and business so you can go from "student" to "working actor" to "stor...

Today Alyshia sits down with Pierson Fodé: an actor who you likely have seen all over your Netflix homepage this year. Pierson breaks down the brutal soap-opera contract that became the "best acting bootcamp" he ever had, memorizing up to 120 pages a day, and how he later reinvented himself as an actor to shake casting directors' "soapy" perceptions. We also get into why he loves self tapes includ...

Today's episode spotlights the prolific Paul Ben-Victor, a powerhouse talent whose decades-long career has touched nearly every corner of film, stage, and television. Paul shares his unexpected path from set design at Carnegie Mellon to a breakout acting opportunity, and the intense, immersive methods he used to book roles in the 1980s—like screaming in subway cars to perfect a raspy voice. He ref...

In this episode, Alyshia breaks down how to stop overthinking and start trusting your first instincts, inspired by actress Kelli Garner , who says, "Don't overthink it. Get it out fast and trust yourself." Learn how to move from endless prep to a 20–30 minute breakdown workflow that keeps your tapes alive, curious, and honest. Alyshia walks you through how to: Read from your partner's lines first...