I am very lucky; I get to engage in conversation with some pretty amazing people. The topics of conversation can range from the political world, to the entertainment world, to the wonderful world of science. Sometimes I am fortuitous enough to wrap all those conversations into one. My interview with Michelle Paradise is one such exchange. A few weeks ago, simply by happenstance, I mentioned to my partner in life (and in crime) that I saw a tweet announcing Michelle Paradise is writing for a new ...
Sep 11, 2013•28 min
There is nothing I like more than sitting down to a conversation with a smart, funny woman. Ok, add wine and maybe I would like it more. That being said, the time I spent chatting with Vivian Bang, one of the stars of the TBS comedy, Sullivan & Son, ranks right up there with some of my favorite interviews. Vivian is delightfully witty, a quick come-back, and she kept me laughing throughout the exchange. We talk about what it takes to play Susan, an Asian-Irish (yes, Irish) character on Sulli...
Aug 01, 2013•22 min
Yes, long before Jillian Michaels began losing it, I have been captivated with that sultry, raspy-voiced, blues siren, Beth Hart. Just look at the picture a couple of lines above this text, and the reason is obvious, right? In the most superficial of ways, yes, but what draws me to Beth is the nostalgia her music conjures. When I was fourteen, I began frequenting the underground, back-room blues clubs of my native Deep South. On any given Saturday late-night, the smoke was thick, the bourbon was...
Jun 06, 2013•29 min
I met Alec Mapa about ten years ago at a charity fundraiser. He performed a stand-up set that left me in pain; I laughed so hard my side hurt. Rare is the occasion that giving to charity not only exercises your heart, but also works your abdominals. As I sat down with Alec last week, I am happy to report nothing has changed. Baby Daddy is Alec's Kickstarter campaign to produce a documentary based on his latest stand-up tour of the same name. Listen as Alec reveals the journey of a loving couple'...
May 21, 2013•34 min
Katherine Bailess will premier Monday, May 27th on VH1 as Kyle Hart in the new scripted drama, Hit the Floor, about the Los Angeles Devil Girls, the dance team surrounding the city's professional basketball team. "Kyle" is the tough talking Southern girl that uses what she's got to get what she wants, and she's not afraid to kick a little dance-girl ass in the process. But don't let that tough, six-packed, exterior fool you, Kyle is not without heart and humor. The series stars Charlotte Ross an...
May 09, 2013•20 min
I have reached the point where I have to ask myself, why am I so drawn to entertainment that is dark and depraved yet decidedly humorous? At any given moment I’m yelling at my television, “Oh my God!”, and then in the next moment guffawing, “Oh, my side.” How do I justify these acts of murder and mayhem in a moral sense when applied to the dead, the undead, and the deadly? My answer, it’s simply Being Human. Being Human is the Syfy Channel series that although originated in the UK, has taken on ...
Apr 17, 2013•25 min
As much as I make fun of social networks, I have to admit, had it not been for Twitter and my better three-quarters boasting all the time about her Tweet-ship with two insiders on the set of The Good Wife, I never would have gotten the chance to chat with Danielle and Carlton. In that I’m much more fascinated with the behind the scenes workings of the magic of television, I find the work of a series stand-in fascinating. As Danielle puts it, they are not just a hand here and a back of a head the...
Apr 15, 2013•36 min
I remember in 2004 when my entertainment crack dealer hooked me up with the news that a network pilot from UPN/WB was in the works about two New Orleans police detectives who not only work together by day, but play together by night. Addicting? Hardly, until I discovered the undercover work was was done by two females played by Christina Cox and Liz Vassey. Yeah, I know. Honestly, though I was very excited to hear that an American television network was courageous enough to make this statement o...
Apr 10, 2013•35 min
Episode 13 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is part two of my conversation with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning WWII drama series, Bomb Girls. In Part 2 of the podcast, Ali and Charlotte expound on the complicated, war-time relationship that is Betty and Kate, what we can expect from their characters in Season 2, the very special soundtrack and Charlotte's role in song, and what we can expect from the two of them in other projects. Enjoy, and then check out Bomb Girls. A catch-u...
Mar 12, 2013•22 min
*The conversation with Ali and Charlotte is so informative, that I couldn’t bring myself to edit any more than what I did. Lucky for us all, I have divided the pod into parts 1 and 2. Episode 12 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning drama series, Bomb Girls, about the Canadian women who risked their lives in a munitions factory building bombs for the Allied Forces during WWII. Long before there was Rosie the Riveter, the women of Canada stepped...
Mar 10, 2013•24 min
Last week, after months of "you shoulds" from friends and other web series professionals, I found a quiet corner in my favorite Greek Cafe and watched Season One of the award winning web series, Out With Dad, in its entirety. I then took a glance at my uneaten pita and watched Season Two of the web series up through its winter hiatus. I sat there thinking, remembering, and wanting more. Out With Dad is a coming of self story of finding your peace and your place in this thing we call life. Rose i...
Apr 17, 2012•35 min
A few months ago, a mutual friend introduced me to hand and body-part model, Adele Uddo. I was immediately smitten. Now, I know what you are thinking, it’s the “parts” that captured my attention, but that’s not true. Well, it is true to a certain extent, holy hell, I have a pulse, don’t I? But Adele is much more that just the sum of those beautiful parts. Not only is she not too hard on the eyes, she is intelligent, witty, quirky, and lovable…a few of my favorite things. Adele’s relatively new b...
Jun 22, 2011•39 min
In light of the recent ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the military's ban on gays serving openly in the military, I was honored to sit down and chat with retired Navy Captain, Joan Darrah and her partner of over 20 years, Lynne Kennedy. Joan had an illustrious 30 year career as a Navy intelligence officer, but with her extremely high security clearance, came the personally classified nature of her sexuality. As a result of DADT, and the things you do for love, J...
Oct 14, 2010•42 min
A few days ago, I had the distinct privilege of sitting down and chatting with the incomparable Tina Sloan, daytime drama legend...and now author. Tina has chronicled her life as an actress, mother, and daughter in a wonderfully charming, humorous, and poignant memoir entitled Changing Shoes. Changing Shoes is a primer of sorts for growing old gracefully and meeting aging head on. Tina utilizes footwear as a metaphor for the different stages of life; when you are ready for a change, it's simple,...
Sep 14, 2010•45 min
Las Aparicio fans will be happy to know that writer, Natassja Ybarra, is very forthcoming about the endgame of the Mariana/Julia story of the very popular telenovela. Will there be a wedding? Yes. Are the gay nuptials the last we will see of the couple? Not at all. Marriage maybe be the declared victory of this revolution, but life is just beginning for these two characters. No denying, this is evolution. Natassja and I talk about the entirety of Las Aparicio and its highly anticipated journey t...
Aug 13, 2010•34 min
Last week I was lucky enough to engage in conversation with the lovely Eréndira Ibarra who portrays Mariana, half of the smoldering same-sex super-couple of Julia and Mariana on the telenovela, Las Aparicio. As you will hear, Erendira is extremely gracious to this uni-lingual, English-only, American blogger. We chat about the Mexican soap opera, the truthful, yet controversial storyline of “Juliana”, and the extreme commitment of bilingual fans who take it upon themselves to subtitle the LGBT th...
Jul 20, 2010•39 min
Last week my funny bone and I were fortunate enough to Shoot the 'Schmootz with comedienne and community caregiver, Gloria Bigelow. We sat down for a late night snack of humor, politics, and the occasional reminiscence of nostalgic TV. Going into the interview, I was quite familiar with Gloria's comedic timing, but I soon discovered that it is her passionate work with inner city youth that is no joke. Please join me Wednesday night at 9:00 PM EDT as Gloria and I spend a humorous and high-spirite...
May 12, 2010•50 min
April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and honestly, I was not aware of that fact until doing research for this interview. It is opportune in reference to my conversation with Joanna, though I believe a thirty day designation is something she would find interesting and worthy of comment. For Joanna Katz, every day is awareness day. On June, 17, 1988, Joanna and a female friend were abducted at gunpoint, beaten, tortured, and gang raped repeatedly by five men. Bloodied and dazed, Joanna was ab...
May 06, 2010•11 min
In episode 3 of the Schmootzcast, I sit down for an hour-long "girlfriend" chat with Queens of the World writer/producer/director, Mel Robertson and lead actress, Nicole Pacent. We talk about the film, the sport, social networking, and extras like Nicole's first Dinah and a hint or two about Anyone But Me.
Apr 23, 2010•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to the "Schmootz on" podcast. Episode 2 of the Schmootzcast dishes with Anyone But Me star and Streamy Award winner for Best Actress in a drama web series, Rachael Hip-Flores. Tune in to hear Rachael wax hypothetically on ABM Season 2, what it means to be a teaching artist, Altoids or tic tacs when kissing her co-star, and much more.
Apr 21, 2010•43 min
Welcome to the premiere of the "Schmootz On" podcasts, where we dish the dirt with absorbing individuals, and we don't bother to clean it up. I am fortunate to begin this next chapter in media with Orlagh Cassidy, star of the long running daytime serial drama, Guiding Light, stage, prime time, and voice-overs.
Apr 15, 2010•29 min
