Willoughby Hills with Heath Racela

Jon Jon Briones stars in the new Netflix series Ratched, which is a suspenseful prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest set on the California Coast of the 1940s.  Heath and Jon Jon discuss working with Ryan Murphy, Sarah Paulson, and Sharon Stone, plus growing up poor in the Philippines, performing in Miss Saigon all over the world including Broadway and the West End, and how his kids found the...

Richard Strauss founded Spirit Series in 2001 and serves as National Executive Director, while Leslie is National Co-Director.  Their program brings drama-based learning to children in grades four through eight.  They discuss with Heath the origins of the program, how it builds confidence and teamwork, and the challenges of moving an in-person program to a remote workflow once the pandemic closed...

RJ Fried is the show runner, an executive producer, and a performer on the Showtime series Our Cartoon President and Tooning Out the News on CBS All Access.  He talks with Heath about the delicate task of properly satirizing President Trump, the challenges of moving an animation workflow to home production, why he thinks the show could outlive the Trump Administration, and the advice he's received...

Lang Fisher is a writer and producer who co-created Never Have I Ever for Netflix with Mindy Kaling, a teen comedy that focuses on the life of an Indian American teenager.  Lang talks with Heath about the development of the series, how her own background influenced the story of Devi, and casting first time actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the lead.  She also talks about some of the early plans for s...

Husband and wife duo Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna founded Ample Hills Creamery in Brooklyn in 2010 after Brian left a career as a screenwriter and audio producer.  The brand grew quickly, counting Bob Iger, Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, and Oprah Winfrey as fans.  Brian and Jackie talk to Heath about their fast climb and steep fall, declaring bankruptcy just as coronavirus was shutting down New...

Kaitlin Keleher oversees production on both TV and podcast projects at America's Test Kitchen.  She talks with Heath about the technical, creative, and logistical challenges of shooting America's Test Kitchen from home this year.  She also shares some of the secrets of what make podcasts like Proof and The Walk-In so popular and the challenges of growing and evolving a brand that is so well known...

Louie Schwartzberg is known for using techniques like time lapse, high speed, and macro images to change our perception of the natural world.  Louie's latest film is Fantastic Fungi, which looks at the role that mushrooms play in creating soil, providing food for humans, and altering our consciousness.  Louie shares with Heath how the release strategy of his film was impacted by COVID, the lessons...

Tony award nominee Sarah Stiles is known for her work on Broadway, including in the stage adaptation of Tootsie. Her most recent project, the Netflix comedy series The Crew, was halted due to COVID-19.  She talks to Heath about the new regulations in place when she returns to complete the series.  She also discusses learning to puppeteer for Avenue Q, the differences between acting for stage and s...

Alison Camillo is one of the Executive Producers of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.  She talks to Heath about writing and producing the show remotely during the pandemic, figuring out the technical challenges of Sam recoding the show from her backyard, and not compromising on quality despite the strange times.  Alison also discusses her history with The Daily Show, where she worked for 18 years pr...

Desi Lydic joined The Daily Show with Trevor Noah in 2015 as a correspondent and starred in the Comedy Central special Desi Lydic: Abroad in 2019.  She joins Heath to talk about the challenges of making The Daily Show from home, how she finds common ground with her Fox News watching family, the work that goes in to a good interview, and the importance of closing the gender gap.   This is a public...

Lidia Bastianich is a chef, restauranteur, author, and host of Lidia's Kitchen and Lidia Celebrates America on PBS.  She joins Heath to talk about cooking during the quarantine and how TV production has changed for her during this time.  She also shares memories of growing up on her grandmother's farm in Istria and talks about the classic Italian techniques for preserving and storing food. This is...

Sarah Kendzior is a St. Louis based author and anthropologist who has applied her studies of authoritarian regimes overseas to the current political climate in America.  She talks to Heath about her new book Hiding in Plain Sight, which claims that "the Trump administration is a transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government," plus her thoughts on what to expect with the fall elections...

Tom K. Morris began his career at Disney working as a front line cast member in Disneyland, before going on to design attractions, lands, and even whole parks across the world.  He talks with Heath about the book he's currently writing about the early designers of Disneyland, most of whom came from the film industry.  He also discusses his work on Journey into Imagination, Splash Mountain, Hong Ko...

As President of Television for The Jim Henson Company, Halle Stanford leads development and production of all television projects.  She and Heath discuss Zoom fatigue while working remotely, producing Fraggle Rock shorts with iPhones, and how the company has evolved and changed in her tenure.  She also shares behind the scenes stories from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, a new series on Netfl...

Ernie Manouse is a fixture in Houston, Texas, hosting both TV and radio shows for Houston Public Media's PBS and NPR stations.  He currently hosts Houston Matters Special Edition, a radio program that looks at local effects of COVID-19.  Ernie talks with Heath about mask compliance, school reopening, and the mood in Houston.  He also discusses his career in broadcasting including hosting Manor of...

Stefan Johnson is a Cleveland based voice actor who has voiced campaigns for McDonald's, the Orlando Magic, SEGA, Boost Mobile, Wells Fargo, and many more brands.  He also does character work for animation and video games.  Stefan talks with Heath about the path that led him to voice acting and what it took for him to make the leap to doing this work full time.  He also shares advice for people th...

Ronda Kaysen is a home and real estate reporter who created the Right at Home column and writes the Ask Real Estate column for The New York Times.  She talks to Heath about how our concept of home has shifted because of the pandemic, the challenges facing New Yorkers navigating COVID at home, plus how HGTV and This Old House define our sense of home.  Ronda is the co-author with Michelle Higgins o...

Ginger Zee is ABC's Chief Meteorologist, appearing daily on Good Morning America, plus on World New Tonight, Hearts of Heroes, and was even a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.  She talks to Heath about her home studio setup, her family's battle with COVID-19 in March, how to change minds about climate change, sharing personal struggles, and what she loves about the Disney Parks.  Ginger is the...

As a member of President Obama’s Department of Homeland Security, Juliette Kayyem handled the response to the H1N1 pandemic, among other large logistical challenges, and she now shares her perspective as an analyst on CNN and professor at Harvard.  She joins Heath to talk about the current state of the Coronavirus response, what her own routine looks like these days, and her prediction for school...

Leigh Silverman is a New York based live theatre director for both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.  As one of the most prominent female directors, she advocates for women in roles of power in the theatre.  She talks to Heath about how she got her start on the touring company of RENT, the challenges of directing for the stage, and what the future of live theatre might look like post-COVID.  ...

Michael Zegen plays Joel on the Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and is also known for his work on Rescue Me and Boardwalk Empire.  He talks with Heath about the evolution of Joel Maisel, how he and Rachel Brosnahan bonded before playing a married couple, and Michael's own fears about being a standup comedian.  Michael also talks about how COVID closed down the live musical Bob & Carol & T...

Marin Hinkle is perhaps best known for playing Rose Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (for which she was nominated for her first Emmy Award) and Judith on Two and a Half Men, but she has worked in live theatre, film, and television for many years.  She discusses what led her to acting initially, how the 1950s wardrobe and set affect her performance as Rose, and how even though COVID-19 has del...

Rory Scovel created, writes, and stars in the new Comedy Central show Robbie about a small town basketball coach in Georgia.  Rory talks about the development of the series and how religion and race became important motifs.  Rory also discusses his last standup tour before the pandemic and finding his comedic voice through improvisation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

Jennifer Euston is an Emmy Award winning New York based casting director that has cast some of the most memorable ensembles in recent television, including  Orange is the New Black , Girls , and  GLOW .  She talks with Heath about how the pandemic has affected her process, how her love of classic films of the 1930s and 40s influenced her decision to go into casting, and about the new project she's...

Jimmy DiResta has been working with tools since childhood, which led him to a career as a TV host on FX, HGTV, DIY Network, Discovery, and NBC.  However, for 8 years, Jimmy's primary mode of reaching an audience is through his successful YouTube channel, with close to 2 million subscribers.  He talks with Heath about the TV business, what he's learned about being his own boss, and how he makes mon...