Women in Entertainment

Jessica Knoll is back with Helpless , a provocative, twist-filled return to the sharp, psychologically charged storytelling that made Luckiest Girl Alive unforgettable. In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Jessica sits down for a candid conversation about the making of Helpless , a novel she describes as a spiritual successor to Luckiest Girl Alive . She shares how the idea began...

What if AI is not here to replace creativity, but to unlock more of it? In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Renee Rossi and Jocelyn Westerhold sit down with Michelle Kwon of Runway, the AI research and creative technology company helping shape the future of audiovisual storytelling. Michelle explains how Runway works across video generation, image generation, audio, editing, pre...

Jane Musky has spent decades creating the rooms, streets, seasons, and visual worlds that make unforgettable stories feel alive. In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Jane looks back on the creative path that began with a fifth-grade vision for a Mary Poppins set and grew into an extraordinary career in production design. She shares how theater training shaped her hands-on approac...

Jenny Jackson knows books from every angle as a longtime editor, a bestselling novelist, and a storyteller fascinated by the complicated ties that shape us. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Jenny joins us to discuss The Shampoo Effect , her highly anticipated follow-up to Pineapple Street. She opens up about rediscovering writing during the pandemic, why her creative process changed dram...

Shana Stein knows that bravery isn’t the absence of fear; it’s being afraid and doing it anyway. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Shana opens up about her path from theater kid to producer to episodic director, sharing how early experiences at William Morris, AFI, and on independent films led her into television, where she found a creative home on Monk . Over seven seasons and hundreds o...

Karen Pittman is moving through her career with a mantra that feels both personal and powerful: no lack, no scarcity, all abundance. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Karen reflects on a season of extraordinary momentum, from filming The Morning Show Season 5 to stepping deeper into Forever Season 2. She shares how Mia Jordan’s evolution on The Morning Show mirrors what many women of colo...

Behind every unforgettable screen world is a designer translating a story into space. In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, we sit down with production designers Claire Bennett, Grace Yun, Alison Gartshore, Anne Seibel, and Ruth Ammon for an inspiring roundtable on the artistry and strategy behind visual storytelling. Together, they explore how a script becomes a living, breathing...

As the Tribeca Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary, Cara Cusumano is helping shape what the next era of festival storytelling can look like. In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Cara reflects on her nearly two decades with Tribeca, beginning as a film student attending the very first festival after moving to New York in 2001, and growing into a programmer at one of the...

Off Campus is more than a hockey romance; it’s a character-driven story about trust, healing, chemistry, and the kind of love that lets people become more fully themselves. In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Louisa opens up about bringing Elle Kennedy’s beloved Off Campus world to the screen and the responsibility of adapting a fan-favorite series with care. She shares why chem...

Barbara Muschietti believes the best stories begin with a feeling, and few genres unlock emotion quite like horror. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Barbara talks about growing up in Argentina, where Saturday night horror films, classic literature, and a movie-loving family helped shape her creative path. Long before IT became a global phenomenon, Barbara and her brother Andy Muschietti...

This Friday, Dutton Ranch arrives, and Natalie Alyn Lind is ready to ride into one of television’s most-watched universes. On this episode of Women in Entertainment, Natalie reflects on the surreal experience of joining the Taylor Sheridan world as Oreana, a character she says “popped off the page” from her very first audition. After testing in Fort Worth, she landed the role, packed up within day...

Soleil Moon Frye has lived a life in front of the camera, but her most meaningful work may be the stories she helps bring into the light. In this deeply personal episode of Women in Entertainment, Soleil sits down with Renee Rossi and Jocelyn Westerhold to reflect on a career that began in childhood and grew into something far larger than performance. She shares how acting helped bring her out of...

Jamie Lynn Sigler is stepping into a new chapter with honesty, humor, and self-acceptance. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Jamie opens up about the timing behind her memoir and the letter to her younger self that helped unlock the story she was finally ready to tell. She reflects on growing up in the spotlight as Meadow Soprano, navigating body scrutiny and public pressure at a young ag...

What happens when a beloved book gets a second life and finally finds its way to the screen? In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, E. Lockhart opens up about the extraordinary journey behind We Were Liars , from years of stalled development and reclaimed rights to the BookTok wave that reignited the novel’s cultural momentum. She shares why Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie’s c...

What does it really take to build a career that lasts in entertainment? In this candid and deeply grounded episode, Julianne Nicholson reflects on the long game of working in film and television, how persistence, patience, and trusting your instincts can shape a career with real staying power. From her early days modeling and waitressing in New York to becoming one of the industry’s most respected...

What does it take to make a computer feel unforgettable? In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Priya Kansara shares the unexpected story behind voicing Mary in Project Hail Mary , a role that began as an on-set improv experiment and evolved into a character with humor, rhythm, and emotional impact. Priya opens up about stepping into a world of voice work without prior experience, creating her...

What happens when a director sets out to make a rom-com that feels joyful, cinematic, and genuinely hopeful again? In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Kat Coiro sits down with Renee Rossi and Jocelyn Westerhold to talk about directing You, Me & Tuscany and why she was drawn to a love story that puts joy front and center. She shares how the film channels the spirit of classic romantic co...

Kate Clayborn writes romance with heart, depth, and the kind of emotional intelligence that makes every love story feel lived-in. In this episode of Women in Entertainment, Kate joins Renee Rossi for a conversation about The Paris Match , her newest novel set against the romantic mythology and real-world complexity of Paris. Kate opens up about writing “grown-up” characters, why she is drawn to ro...

What happens when someone else sees your potential before you do? In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Christina Voros opens up about her remarkable journey from documentary filmmaking and cinematography to becoming a defining creative force inside Taylor Sheridan’s television universe. From Yellowstone to 1883 , Bass Reeves , The Madison , and beyond, Christina shares how her ca...

What happens when a new book arrives at the exact moment your life is changing, too? In this heartfelt episode, Rebecca Serle sits down to talk about Once and Again , her newest novel, and why this book feels especially meaningful in a season of new motherhood. She shares how the story’s multigenerational relationships—between daughters, mothers, grandmothers, and the family we long to understand—...

What makes a high-stakes medical drama feel unexpectedly comforting? In this thoughtful and fascinating conversation, The Pitt writer Valerie Chu unpacks the answer and takes us inside the creative process behind one of television’s most resonant shows. Valerie shares her unconventional path to the series, from starting as an assistant to breaking into the writers’ room with a sample that had noth...

What if the future of Hollywood is not something to fear, but something to build? In this episode of the Women in Entertainment Podcast, Renee Rossi and Jocelyn Westerhold sit down with Tobias Queisser, CEO of CineLytic Group, to unpack one of the industry’s most emotionally charged topics: AI. But instead of feeding the usual panic, Tobias offers a grounded and refreshingly optimistic perspective...

What does it take to recognize a star before everyone else does? In this special Women in Entertainment roundtable, we sit down with acclaimed casting directors Liz Lewis, Lisa London, and Christi Soper for a timely conversation on the craft of casting, just as the industry celebrates a major milestone with the Oscars’ new achievement in the casting category. From DreamWorks animation and studio b...

From rom-com icon to fearless producer, Kate Hudson is in her renaissance era, and she’s loving every minute of it. In this candid conversation, Kate takes us behind the scenes of Song Sung Blue , the inspiring true story that had her “bawling” at the first screening. She shares how discovering Claire’s real-life journey—complete with love, music, tragedy, and triumph—reminded her why she became a...

What does it take to build a lasting career in horror and still protect your creative soul? Director Natasha Kermani traces her path from editing neighborhood videos on an early iMac to premiering her first feature, Imitation Girl , and becoming a distinctive voice in genre filmmaking. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Natasha shares how the horror community embraced her early work and...