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Blue Bloods

21 Monica Raymund on That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Monica Raymund
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You Can Shape A Choice, You Can’t Shape Nothing

A graduate of The Juilliard School, actress, director and producer Monica Raymund continues to expand her repertoire and pave the way for new female voices in Hollywood. Her creative choices and strong points of view break the mold of how women of color are perceived in front of and behind the camera as she brings to life stories from a fresh and timely perspective.

Currently, Raymund stars in the second season of the Starz hit crime-drama series, HIGHTOWN, from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The series follows Jackie Quiñones (Raymund), a hard- partying federal Fishery Service agent who has her free-wheeling life thrown into disarray as she finds herself at the center of Cape Cod’s gruesome heroin epidemic. In Season 2, Jackie joins forces with Leslie, the only other female cop on the force, to bring down major dealer Frankie Cuevas, the man Jackie holds responsible for the death of her best friend, Junior. Through it all, Jackie continues to walk the tightrope of sobriety that she struggled through in Season 1.

Behind the camera, Raymund was part of the inaugural class of Female Forward, NBC’s initiative aimed at increasing female representation in the director’s chair. On television, she directed an episode of HIGHTOWN for the new season and recently wrapped production on directing the Season 4 finale episode of USA’s THE SINNER as well as an episode of LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME. Last year, Raymund directed episodes of CBS’s FBI, and in 2018, she directed an episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU. Lastly, in 2016, she directed the short film TANYA for the Hidden Tears Project, a non-profit media company developing content to bring awareness to sex trafficking.

Raymund is perhaps best known for her role as ‘Gabriela Dawson’ spanning eight seasons on NBC’s hit series CHICAGO FIRE. As part of Dick Wolf’s popular “Chicago” franchise, the series follows the personal and professional lives of the firefighters, paramedics and first responders working at the Chicago Fire Department. Raymund received an Imagen Award for “Best Actress, Television” in 2013 for her performance, and was subsequently nominated an additional three times. Her additional television credits include Michelle and Robert King’s THE GOOD WIFE, Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green’s BLUE BLOODS, David Pasquesi’s SPECIAL SKILLS, and a 3-season arc on Fox’s LIE TO ME opposite Tim Roth and Mekhi Phifer.

On the big screen, Raymund has starred in Nicholas Jarecki’s thriller ARBITRAGE opposite Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, as the lead of Stephen Elliott’s drama HAPPY BABY opposite Bill Heck, and in Mahesh Pailoor’s BRAHMIN BULLS.

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“I believe that the power of ‘no’ is just as important as the power of ‘yes.”

“You can shape a choice, you can’t shape nothing.”

“There’s no right way to become a professional actor.”

VIDEOS:

Guest links:

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Show Links:

Credits:

  • WRITER: Lizzy Dalla Betta
  • SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
  • WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
  • ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
  • SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes
15 Aasif Mandvi on That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Aasif Mandvi
Aasif Mandvi 1920 960 Alyshia Ochse

Anatomy is Destiny

Aasif Mandvi is a Peabody award winning actor, writer, creator, comedian, author and producer. Widely known for his work as a correspondent on the multi Emmy-winning, THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, Mandvi is currently starring in two television series and is host to a podcast. He currently stars in the hit CBS series EVIL created by Robert and Michelle King, which will premiere for season 2 on Paramount Plus June 20, 2021. He has a recurring role on the UK series THIS WAY UP with Aisling Bea which is available on Hulu. He also lends his voice to the character of Sahil on Disney’s MIRA, ROYAL DETECTIVE, currently in season 2.

Fall of 2019 he launched the podcast, LOST AT THE SMITHSONIAN, where he gets up close and personal with ten of the most culturally significant artifacts of Americana at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History – Carrie Bradshaw’s laptop, Muhammed Ali’s Robe, and The Original Muppets just to name a few. Interviews can also be expected by author Candace Bushnell, actor Henry Winkler, producer Norman Lear and more celebrity guests. Then, with each episode telling a different tale, listeners get to experience a new journey and explore another icon of American Culture that has helped define who are today. It is available on Apple and Stitcher.

Other television credits include CBS’s BLUE BLOODS, TVLAND’s YOUNGER opposite Sutton Foster, Netflix’s A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS from Barry Sonnenfeld costarring alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Hulu’s second season of SHUT EYE. He was recently a host on National Geographic’s YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY which addressed climate change and he wrote, produced and starred in the HBO series THE BRINK opposite Jack Black and Tim Robbins.

Mandvi made his roots in New York theater under the tutelage of the pre-eminent acting teacher Wynn Handman with whom he was able to develop and create his critically acclaimed one-man show SAKINA’S RESTAURANT which made its premiere at the American Place Theater and earned him an Obie Award. He recently revived this production at the Minetta Lane Theatre, directed by Kimberly Senior and produced by Audible. Mandvi received the 2019 United Solo Special Award, which honors outstanding solo performers.

Mandvi also received rave reviews and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for originating the role of ‘Amir Kapoor’ in the world premiere of Ayad Aktahr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, DISGRACED at Lincoln Center. Other stage credits include the Broadway revival of OKLAHOMA, SUBURBIA and City Center’s most recent production of BRIGADOON.

In feature film, Mandvi starred opposite Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston, and Julia Roberts in the Garry Marshall feature, MOTHER’S DAY. He also co-starred opposite Jon Hamm in MILLION DOLLAR ARM and had supporting roles in THE INTERNSHIP with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, MOVIE 43, THE DICTATOR with Sacha Baron Cohen, DARK HORSE for Todd Solondz, Ruby Sparks (from the creators of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), GODS BEHAVING BADLY, PREMIUM RUSH and the independent feature film A KID LIKE JAKE. He co-wrote and starred in TODAY’S SPECIAL which premiered at the London Film Festival and won the audience award at The Palm Springs Film Festival.

Additional film credits include a leading role in M. Night Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER and the lead and title character in Merchant Ivory’s THE MYSTIC MASSEUR, and supporting roles in DRUNK PARENTS, IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, THE PROPOSAL, GHOST TOWN, MUSIC AND LYRICS, SPIDER-MAN 2, FREEDOMLAND, ANALYZE THIS, MARGIN CALL, and THE SIEGE.

Mandvi also co-created and starred in the Peabody Award winning web series, HALAL IN THE FAMILY, produced by Sweet 180 Productions, which garnered over 500 Million Media Impressions within days upon launch and addressed, through parody and satire, Islamophobia. Additionally, he is the author of a collection of personal stories, entitled NO LAND’S MAN for Chronicle Books.

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“When you walk into an audition, what is your purpose?”

“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

“When I was younger, I used to just ride on pure talent and instinct. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how much doing the homework is important for a career.”

VIDEOS:

Credits:

  • WRITER: Erin McCluskey
  • SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
  • WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
  • ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
  • SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes
025 Selenis Leyva on that one audition with alyshia ochse - Horizontal

S2 025: Selenis Leyva
S2 025: Selenis Leyva 1500 750 Alyshia Ochse

Leaving a Footprint: No One Can Tell You It’s “Not For You”

Selenis Leyva is an award-winning actress known for her roles as Gloria Mendoza in the Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black and as Gabi Cañero in the Disney+ original Diary of a Future President. In addition to her film and television credits, Selenis is an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights, and often is invited to college campuses to speak on diversity and inclusion. Selenis is currently promoting the release of her memoir, “MY SISTER, How One Sibling’s Transition Changes Us Both” which was published through Bold Type Books. Written with her sister Marizol, a transgender woman and advocate, the book is told from both women’s perspectives…about growing up in the Bronx, Marizol’s transition and more broadly….family, love, and the path to self-realization. Prior to this, Selenis was awarded the Anti-Violence Project’s 2016 Courage Award and the Stonewall Community Foundation’s 2016 Vision Award for inspiring visibility, advocacy and outspoken support for the transgender community. She has been featured in publications such as the Huffington Post, Time magazine’s Motto, People magazine’s Latina Love Project Series, and Splinter.

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“I believe in all stories being able to be told. I have a problem when you tell me that because of what I look like, because of what I sound like, because of where I come from, that I can only play certain characters.”

“One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in the last decade is sometimes you want something so badly and for whatever reason you don’t get it, trust that it’s because it just wasn’t for you. Something else came that was going to be bigger, better for you.”

“There is nothing more powerful than loving yourself and respecting yourself because then you’re going to want the best for you and you’re not going to settle for anything less.”

VIDEOS:

Credits:

  • WRITER: Erin McCluskey
  • SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
  • WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
  • ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
  • SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes

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ALYSHIA OCHSE

Los Angeles-based actress, bestselling author, host of That One Audition podcast, entrepreneur, & mother.

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