In a business this competitive, navigating the slings and arrows to find happiness is a revolutionary act. Pursuing an acting career is hard. Heck, just being an actor, an artist in a violent world, is hard. You can feel unseen, discouraged and lost. There are challenges at every turn. And yet, amidst all the challenges, there is a way to be an actor, to pursue an acting career, and be a happy, whole human being. It takes focus and discipline but it’s possible. Risa and Steve sit down with BGB M...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Beyond the BS- mastering the latest audition/self-tape “trends,” getting the hottest agent or hiring the best personal trainer- there exist the real, less-talked about elements of success. After many decades in the business and a decade of guiding some of the best and most successful actors on the planet at the BGB Studio, Risa and Steve reveal the bad-ass practices that not everyone has the capacity for, but that are required for success. This is how amateurs become professionals. This is that ...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 42
An artistic community is an essential part of your success. In order to do amazing audition/self-tape work consistently, you'll have to combat the isolation and inhumanity of the Industry with the collaboration, connection, and care that you only find from community. The right artistic community lifts you up, challenges you to be better, keeps you accountable, reinforces your values, reminds you that you are an actor, and that art matters. On the 10 year anniversary of BGB, Risa and Steve explor...
Dec 16, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Risa sat down to talk about the Commercial Casting world with not one- but two incredibly talented commercial casting directors. Danielle Eskinazi (to whom Risa gave her first job decades ago!) and Renita Gale (see bios below) are both long standing CDs who are passionate and talented artists and truly care about actors. We are excited to have you listen as they share how they got into the biz, why they have stayed, how the commercial landscape has changed and lots about the audition process the...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 40
Risa and Steve sat down to talk about the Self-Tape crisis- an actual creative and professional crisis that actors, casting directors, agents, managers, and others in our business are experiencing right now. Self-tapes are here to stay. But at this point in their evolution, they have the potential to consume you; to pull the entire focus of time and attention as you navigate the technical elements, the lack of collaboration, and the limitations of the process. We see a crisis in our Industry. Th...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 39
Richard Hicks is a Casting Director for film, television and theatre (see bio below). He’s done it all, he loves it all, and his work is beautiful. We’re excited to have you listen to our conversation with Richard, and we hope that it humanizes casting directors even more, which is one of our missions- to remind each other and our community always that we are ALL dancing between art and commerce, and we are doing it together. That the faces of the business are simply human beings, often vulnerab...
Sep 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Jason Clodfelter is hardly whom you might think of when you imagine a big Hollywood Studio TV (Co) President. He’s sensitive, caring, personable, charming, thoughtful, and an artist - a fantastic writer, director, actor, and collaborator. Risa got to know Jason in class every week where the work was intimate and intense, and he went all in. And, as he tells us here, his job at Sony TV became an act of artistry, something he needed if he was going to continue to work in what can be considered a s...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 37
Nothing makes Risa and Steve happier than creating space and facilitating a path for actors to find their voices as creators: filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, etc. When they started BGB, Risa and Steve brought their love of the process of creating from theatre, film, and television into the work that they- and all our teachers- practice in class. And out of that, they have nurtured the fullest expression of each artist’s unique voice, along with the practice ...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Every actor will inevitably find themselves in the desert, struggling to make it all work. At many points along the way, you will look at yourself in the mirror and wonder if it's time to step away from your passion, your pursuit. Is it time to give up acting? Risa and Steve discuss this important… and scary question. Listen in- we invite you to ask the question and find some answers in this episode! Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating! Your words will help con...
Jul 08, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 35
Often we think of successful Industry folks as out of reach and fancy and intimidating- especially after decades of huge success. And here at BGB and on the Acting Podcast we try to dispel that belief and remind ourselves that we are ALL human in this, we all face challenges, we are all figuring it out day to day. Steve and Risa had great privilege to zoom this week with brilliant, acclaimed casting director, April Webster, and talked with her about the amazing work she has done over decades, ho...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 34
At their best, acting teachers have the ability to create a healthy space in which actors can engage in the consistent practice of their art, deepening their awareness and understanding of themselves and the world. And also, acting teachers have a legacy of falling short. There are amazing teachers doing the hard work of examining ego in the interest of facilitating growth in others. And on the other end of the spectrum there are actual abusive predators who leverage the unearned status and powe...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Risa and Steve sit down in-person with Sam Valentine aka One Broke Actress. Sam is a working actor, a content creator, a coach, a podcaster, an actor’s advocate, the poster actor for the side hustle, with a significant social media presence and a foray into youtube, and the creator of One Broke Actress. Together they talk about what BROKE really means and how to embrace it. And they dive into what gets Sam up in the morning, what drives her and fires her up, and what continues to challenge her, ...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 32
In this first episode of Season 3, Risa and Steve talk about how to navigate this new and challenging time in order to find your way in an Industry that’s also redefining itself. We’ve all changed in the past 2 years, and now, Risa and Steve invite you to start with the following: Stop, look inside, create space, and figure out who you are right now so that your acting can be current, an expression of this very moment. From there, you can offer your art with presence, vulnerability, listening, s...
Apr 18, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 30
In this conversation about that big topic: Self-Tapes- taking up most of the audition real estate- Risa and Steve offer ways in which you can move past all the (real, tangible) challenges of self-taping, even the trauma around it, and discover the freedom, joy, and deep curiosity you need to get the attention of any Casting Director and book work regularly. Your Self-Tapes don’t have to hurt anymore! We're excited to offer ways to shift your mindset, bring all of your talent to bear in your work...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 31
BGB Master Teacher Sydney Walsh teaches Risa how she makes steak, shares insight on mushrooms as she cooks them LIVE, and connects it all to your audition + self-tape practice. “You can follow the recipe and still be deeply creative.” Just like cooking… as an actor, you must create space and time to prepare a meal and allow it to simmer and grow into something delicious. This goes for your self-tape or audition as well- being fully present in order to allow your imagination to inform what you cr...
Jun 29, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 29
We’re sharing a special conversation Risa + Steve had on a recent IG LIVE that has become a fantastic podcast episode about Practice! Here we go deep into what kind of practice you need to cultivate in order to book jobs, to rekindle the joy your work, and to have the confidence you’re looking for to meet this amazing and challenging career path you’ve chosen for yourself. Listen in and see what aligns with you as well as what mindset shifts you might start to make to solidify a practice for you...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Risa and Steve sit down with an incredible group of successful multi-hyphenates- Milena Govich, Will McCormack, Grasie Mercedes, and Brea Grant- all of whom started their journeys as actors and have since grown into other roles in the Industry, making names for themselves as writers, directors, producers, and showrunners. Together they discuss their unique paths, and how they’ve found empowerment and fulfillment by stretching themselves in multiple areas of their careers, acquiring agency to exp...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Risa and Steve sit down with a dynamic group of actor-parents- Heather Brooker, Eddie Cahill, Anna Silk, and Cate Cohen- all with extensive and varied careers – to talk about what it means to be a parent while navigating their artistic careers & the Industry. They discuss their journeys, their challenges, their joys, their big realizations- and how parenting has not only deeply informed their acting, but how acting has made them much better parents. We love this talk and hope it brings you n...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In the midst of this time of great uncertainty and upheaval for actors across the globe, and as the Industry slowly reopens, it is paramount for actors to be aware of new on-set protocols, how to advocate for yourselves in every area of your work and careers- including having a voice in your union- and how to keep your creative spirit alive. In that pursuit, we are thrilled to offer our conversation with Gabrielle Carteris, president of SAG-AFTRA, and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief o...
Oct 09, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 25
In this episode, Risa and Steve talk with Mia Schachter- one of Hollywood’s top intimacy coordinators- about their role in the Industry + how actors can advocate for themselves in any situation with regards to intimacy, sex, nudity, and consent of all kinds. Whether choreographing sex scenes, negotiating nudity riders, or simply having the backs of actors on set, Mia discusses what they actually do (and you’ll find this as fascinating and necessary as we did), along with their background, the ch...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Casting titan Mary Vernieu, whose company Betty Mae Casting is known for working with prestige directors and indie talent alike, joins Risa and Steve in this episode for an in-depth discussion of the casting process, the importance of preparation, championing and nurturing actors and filmmakers, and always approaching the work of acting, auditioning, and casting with creativity, joy, flexibility, and play. Mary’s journey has been incredible so far; she’s created a meaningful, creative family at ...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Booking work starts with a booking mindset. In this episode, Risa and Steve break down the ways in which to shift your approach to booking work and cultivate a consistent practice in order to do amazing work all the time, whether in a high-pressure audition setting, self-tape, on set, in rehearsal, or in your approach to your career. Listen in and learn how to change your norm from nervousness, self-consciousness, even self-defeat, to believing in yourself, being self-aware, proactive, and deepl...
Sep 22, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Risa and Steve sat down with Audrey Moore, a passionate artist, popular podcast host, and actor’s advocate. She has an incredible focus and discipline in how she engages in the business of acting, as well as her craft, and she’s here to share her journey. Listen in to this juicy talk about what it means to be a story ninja, how to normalize the audition experience, the importance of developing a consistent and practical practice, and the origin story behind her hugely renowned podcast AUDREY HEL...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Sarah Finn is the award-winning casting director of Oscar winners and blockbusters alike. Best known for her work casting the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, she has also cast a huge range of films and TV shows [full bio below]. In this episode Sarah talks with Risa and Steve about her casting journey- its joys and challenges, about her unique process, and about how to approach the work from a place of creative collaboration, curiosity, and a deep love for acting. Fun fact: Sarah started her e...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 20
No matter how bad things get, art brings hope. In this first episode of Season 2, Risa and Steve speak to being an artist in 2020 in the face of a worldwide pandemic, systemic racism, and an election; where the Industry is headed, and whatever uncertainty and distress result from it all. And how keeping hope- and your art- alive is both a soul-serving necessity and a revolutionary declaration that we are still here, we are still feeling, we are still human. All you have to do is show up! Subscri...
Sep 01, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Risa, Billy, and Leah (whose history together runs deep) sat down together (over Zoom) to talk about how actors and CDs are breaking down barriers and connecting in this “new normal” via social media challenges, IG LIVES, and open calls, including the massively popular monologue challenge that Leah ran and took boldly into a daily Instagram LIVE. They spoke about how they’re each making the new virtual space work, what they want from actors during these challenging months (and actually, always),...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this special bonus episode of The Acting Podcast, Risa and Steve spoke with an incredible group of Casting Directors (in a Zoom roundtable) who are sharing challenges, open calls, and calls for reels on social media, and doing Instagram Lives, all with the intention of being in collaboration with actors and to keep their own artistry alive during these challenging time. Erica Bream, Jason Kennedy, Ramani Leah, Seth Caskey, Cara Chute Rosenbaum, Andrea Bunker, Becky Silverman, and Ryan Glorios...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 17
For today’s special bonus episode of THE ACTING PODCAST, we gathered together our brilliant BGB Master Teachers for an important, frank discussion about coping during the time of the coronavirus, the necessity of creating space for community and artistry to happen, and how the Industry is already starting to shift throughout this as a result — and in many ways, for the better. We are blown away by the generosity, courage, and leadership of these fierce artists, our BGB Teachers, and by the incre...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Risa and Steve sat down together via Zoom for a special bonus episode of The Acting Podcast to speak to our community of artists all over the world about life, art, and healing in the time of Corona. Listen in to what they’ve been discovering about our collective need for artistic expression as we all move through this challenging time. In this, they suggest ways in which we can each maintain- and even cultivate- open hearts and artistry in the face of a global pandemic. The message through all ...
Mar 24, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Pilot Season. Whether you’re going out for series regulars non-stop or dreaming of your first co-star, this time of year is fraught. In this episode, Risa, Steve, and a special guest- Casting Director Becky Silverman- break down the idea of Pilot Season (what it means + what’s really going on behind the scenes) and what you can do to have an active Pilot Season of your own- with or without the Industry’s permission. Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating! Your wor...
Jan 30, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 14
