Tue, Jan 10, 2023
"Keep picking up the breadcrumbs on the yellow brick road, even if there's a little fear; just do it anyway." Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Ashley Gonor moved to San Diego and studied at the San Diego State University, where she got a Business Degree. After some time in corporate America, Ashley decided to invest her time and energy in a different type of project, something that would help her build a life with passion and purpose. She became a mindset coach and started the highly-rated podcast, Uncover Your Magic. Ashley created Raising Confidence, a program that empowers kids through one-on-one coaching sessions, gifting them with mindset tools, gratitude rituals, mourning routines, and goal setting. In this show, we have a fantastic conversation about the state of mind needed to find, see, and listen to what the universe is trying to tell us. Ashley shares details of her podcasting journey and how she transformed a project that started full of doubts and turned into a highly-rated, successful podcast. We also talk about overcoming fear, mourning routines, the core role of gratitude, the similarities between acting and manifesting, and so much more. Tune in to Episode 71 of Hollywood Dream Maker to learn more about getting in the right mindset to listen to the universe, overcome fear, and pick up the breadcrumbs that lead to your dreams and goals.
Tue, Jan 24, 2023
"The real experience for me is between action and cut; everything else is preparation." Jeff Kober was born in Montana, where he worked as a farmer and factory worker until his early 20s. Then, trying to escape from his rough childhood, he followed a girl who dreamed of being an actress to Los Angeles and started a rock band, The Walking Wounded. A couple of years later, Jeff was alone in L.A.; the girl figured acting wasn't her thing, and the rock band didn't make it. Unpretentiously, Jeff attended an acting class that would change his life and showed him a new way to cope with the darkness in him. He is an Emmy Award-winning actor currently recurring on Big Sky and NCIS: Los Angeles. He is best known for his participation in Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood, his role as Joe in The Walking Dead, and his work in Leave No Trace. He is also a Vedic Meditation teacher, author of the book "Embracing Bliss: 108 Daily Meditations," and host of the "Embracing Bliss podcast." In this show, Jeff talks about his first steps in Hollywood, his struggle with depression and PTSD, and how acting first and then meditation helped him to see the light shine again. We also talk about his journey into mindfulness, how meditation enhanced his acting skills, how he handles the fear of getting on stage, and much more. Tune in to Episode 72 of Hollywood Dream Maker to learn how quieting your ego's voice and being present can take your acting to the next level.
Tue, Feb 7, 2023
As you get older, as you are doing it for longer and longer, you learn how to get out of your own way. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Tony Danza is one of America's most iconic and beloved actors. He starred in two of the most acclaimed and successful TV series in American history, Taxi and Who's The Boss, and many films, such as Angels In Outfield, She's Out of Control, Crash, and A Brooklyn State of Mind, to name just a few. He also enjoyed a successful career on Broadway, considered by Tony a place that teaches by example, showing how much it takes to put shows that big together. In this show, Tony talks about his life before acting, his short career as a professional boxer that, unexpectedly, granted him the chance to become an actor. He also shares two of his biggest regrets, the time Who's The Boss competed and crushed it against The A-Team, and how much he learned (and still learns) on Broadway. Plus, we talk about The Stars of Tomorrow project, Tony's work and learning as a teacher of young acting students, his thoughts on mental and physical health, and so much more. Tune in to Episode 73 of Hollywood Dream Maker to hear more about the absolute legend, iconic actor, and beautiful person, Tony Danza.
Tue, Feb 21, 2023
Expand your skill set, don't only be an actor. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ava Kolker got "accidentally" into acting. Her sisters, eight and ten at the time, were taking headshots with their manager, who decided to shoot Ava too, who was four. A couple of weeks later, Ava was on the set of American Horror Story. Everything happened very fast for Ava, who fell in love with acting and has never stopped honing her craft and expanding her skill set since. She got her first supporting lead role at 5, as "Augie" in Trials of Cate McCall. Despite her young age, Ava already has various genres and successes under her belt in cinema and T.V, like Scary Movie 5, Insidious: The Last Key, Message From The King, Lizard King, The Ax Murder of Villisca, Girl Meets the World, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Dads, to name a few. In this show, we learn more about Ava's journey to becoming an actress, her preparation and acting methods, and how she dealt with being famous almost her entire life. We also talk about Ava's determination, love for singing and dancing, drive to learn and master many forms of art, and her sensations at the Grammys surrounded by famous artists. Ava also shares her future plans, great advice for young actors, and so much more.
Tue, Mar 7, 2023
Words move the plot; your emotions tell the story. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Wass Stevens didn't take acting seriously until his mid-30s, when an actress he was dating insisted on him taking acting classes with her acting coach. Wass put his desire to become a lawyer aside, and after a couple of months of acting classes, he got Taft Hartley on his first audition by Joe Bologna. Completely in love with acting, Wass never stopped performing. He played Nick Volpe in the award-winning film, "The Wrestler," and Nicholas Cage's brother in "World Trade Center." Wass also worked on "John Wick 2" and the Netflix series "House of Cards." He also teaches at the prestigious acting school Susan Batson Acting Studio in New York. In this show, we learn about Wass' life before becoming a Hollywood star and how he discovered his passion for acting. We talk about how hard Hollywood can be, the most common mistakes young actors make, and his experiences as an acting teacher. Wass also shares the takeaways from working with the best directors, his thoughts on self-taping, and much more.
Tue, Mar 21, 2023
"Don't give up; it could be the very next audition that puts you on the map." Phillip Bruenn was in high school when he and a couple of friends signed up to do extra work on a pilot filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he grew up. He had to play a guy enjoying himself during a rock concert scene, so he did. He got so into it that the production team noticed him, "this guy is really feeling it." Although he had never considered becoming an actor, the bug had already bitten him. A little time after he booked his first role, he auditioned and got accepted by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and that was it; he moved to Hollywood. He is most known for his roles in Studio City, The Outsider, and The Crazy Ones. He is also a tenacious and creative producer and a brilliant student at the Manhattan Actor Studio. In this show, we learn about Phillip's first steps as a commercial actor, his tenacity (and cleverness) to get himself into castings he wasn't supposed to be in, and the handbook of how to prepare ourselves for the roles we want to land. He also talks about his experiences as a producer and the massive amount of doors it opened for him as an actor. In addition, he shares great advice for young producers; we discuss the importance of ignoring the noise, focusing on the acting classes and our instruments, and much more.
Tue, Apr 4, 2023
"Actors don't retire; we die." Born in Santiago De Las Vegas, Cuba, Marlene Forte knew she wanted to be an actress when she was 10, although she only made her dreams come true when she was 28. In the middle, she studied law, worked her butt off, and conquered every obstacle an immigrant, single mom could find. She played Marta's mom in Knives Out and is known for her work in Star Trek, The Haunted House, and The Way Back, starring Ben Affleck. You can find her on Season 2 of Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer and ABC's The Rookie. In this show, Marlene talks about her experiences as a Latina actress in Hollywood, her first-ever casting, and how she dealt with the fear of failure throughout her career. We also talk about the importance of embracing, as actors, the characteristics that make us unique and learning how to sell them. Additionally, Marlene shares her experiences on stage, her thoughts on self-tape auditions, the differences between acting for a live audience and being in front of a camera, and more.
Tue, Apr 18, 2023
Even when you think you've seen it all, done it all, acting always has a lesson to teach you. Today's solo episode is all about the experience of being cast for General Hospital (again!) has taught me. Although my last character in the series was shot dead, I proved to the show's producers that I could play a different character. In this show, I talk about why developing serious self-tape abilities is crucial to get a role, how being on set has changed after the pandemic and the satisfaction of seeing virtually everything I teach at the Manhattan Actor Studio work so well. I also highlight the importance of jealously guarding the keys to our minds, why, as an actor, you should constantly be honing your craft for the next casting, how to invite your character's lines into your brain, and more. Tune in to Episode 78 of Hollywood Dream Maker to hear more about my experiences rejoining General Hospital, a show with over 14,000 episodes aired.
Tue, May 2, 2023
When you walk into an audition room, your energy speaks before you do. Luca Pizzoleo is an independent filmmaker and photographer; he wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning short films "In The Valley Of The Moon" and "Seeking Rebirth" and his upcoming short, "The Tragic Death Of A Frenchman." Raz Fritz is a young actor who fell in love with acting as a kid. He loves embodying characters with unique and compelling stories to tell and does it in a way that transcends the screen and touches viewers. He participated in numerous award-winning independent short films and worldwide commercials. Ryan Emilio Molina is a first-generation American, the son of South American and European migrants. He left his work as a Netflix developer and distributor at Lionsgate to jump into acting. Ryan sees acting as the perfect conduit to share cultural diversity. In this show, we delve into the details behind the creation of "In The Valley Of The Moon," a true masterpiece and the perfect example of something we often talk about in this podcast: "Don't wait for the phone to ring. Create your own projects. Raise your flag, and people will follow." Raz and Ryan talk about their approach to acting and their methods to hone their craft, and Luca talks about his approach to directing, writing, and producing. We also talk about self-tapes and in-person auditions, the importance of having fun while shooting a scene, how to create unique pieces of art with little to no budget, and more. Tune in to Episode 79 to hear from In The Valley Of The Moon cast themselves what's possible with a small budget and an immense passion.