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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
008 Jasika Nicole on That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole 1920 960 Alyshia Ochse

How To Recover When You’re On The Precipice Of Quitting

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Jasika Nicole fell in love with performing at a young age. She landed her first audition in fourth grade and went on to grace the stage in school and local theatre productions in her hometown. After graduation, Nicole attended Catawba College in North Carolina, where she continued to nurture her passion for the arts by studying Theatre, Dance, and Studio Art. In 2003, Nicole made the decision to leave the South behind to pursue her musical theatre dreams in New York City, where she showcased her talent in Off Broadway musicals and plays. Eager to hone her craft, Nicole made the decision to head west to Los Angeles in search of opportunities in television and film.

Nicole is perhaps best known for her role as Astrid Farnsworth, an FBI agent turned scientists’ assistant, on the hit FOX series Fringe. The cast also included Joshua Jackson and John Noble. She also made her mark on the small screen with large roles in Scandal and Underground. Other television credits include guest spots on Station 19 and Major Crimes to name just a few.

Nicole showcased her talent on the hit ABC medical drama The Good Doctor. She played Dr. Carly Lever, the head of pathology at St. Bonaventure Hospital, who formed a friendship with Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore). Nicole was upped to a series regular for Season 3, which allowed fans to get to know her character on a deeper level as she navigated the ups and downs of a budding romantic relationship with Dr. Murphy. The storyline made television history as one of the first to explore romance between neurotypical and neurodivergent partners, which earned praise from fans and critics alike.

Things aren’t slowing down for Nicole. She can currently be seen as Cherie’s girlfriend Lauren, a fun-loving and self-assured lawyer on the Punky Brewster reboot. The cast also includes Soleil Moon Frye, reprising her role as Punky, Cherie Johnson and Freddie Prinze Jr. The series is streaming now on Peacock.

In addition to her success onscreen, she has also brought her talent in the world of voiceover. Nicole lent her voice to the popular fictional podcast Welcome to NightVale, which followed the story of a small desert town where conspiracy theories run rampant. Recognizing her natural talent in this medium, the creators started another podcast, Alice Isn’t Dead, specifically with Nicole in mind for the role of narrator Keisha Taylor. The podcast gained such a following that it also became a best-selling novel. Nicole is an Audio Book award winner for her narration of the novel. Nicole has gone on to voice other audiobooks and has also voiced characters on several animated shows.

When she is not acting, Nicole enjoys bringing her creativity to other mediums. She loves to sew and makes her own clothes and shoes, which she shares on her Try Curious blog. The platform allows her to document her process of making and share pattern reviews with her readers. She also loves to knit, make pottery, and is constantly looking for new ways to express herself through new projects. Nicole is also an accomplished writer who has had several personal essays published with various outlets over the years.

Nicole also loves giving back. As a proud queer woman, she is a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ community. She supports Project Q, a Los Angeles-based non-profit that aims to provide gender affirming haircuts and a safe space for youth to find their identity.

In her spare time, Nicole loves to travel, cook, bake, and draw to name just a few of her favorite activities. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her partner, Claire.

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“Being an actor feels like such a privilege, but it’s not a privilege if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing.”

“I try to remember that just because it isn’t on my timeline, doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to happen.”

“Actors have totally different ideas and mottos and ways of working and there’s no right or wrong way.”

VIDEOS:

Credits:

  • WRITER: Lizzy Dalla Betta
  • SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
  • WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
  • ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
  • SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes

RE-RELEASE: Merle Dandridge
RE-RELEASE: Merle Dandridge 1500 750 Alyshia Ochse

GREENLEAF Made Oprah Find the Star

Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to a mother of Korean and Japanese descent and an African-American father serving in the U.S Force. Growing up in Nebraska,but not into football, Merle didn’t know where she fit. A friend encouraged Merle to choose drama as a study because she was told it was “easy”. Little did Merle know that the drama department would be the community she had been longing for and that expression would give her the platform to explore social conditions and and the emotions that must be exposed to understand and accept each other. Merle graduated college and had a wild inclination that New York was where she needed to be to fulfill her purpose. With $107 in her pock, a packed Uhaul and an ailing kitten, she drove to New York and landed in the sea of many hopeful artist. Merle was still figuring out what was cool and learning everything on the fly. At the time a non-equity actor, she heard that everyone in town was going to audition for “Jesus Christ Superstar”, so she decided to learn a song and stand in line at 4am to hopefully be given the opportunity to audition. At 1pm the casting director not only called her in to the room, but gave her the space and the light to shine. Even though most things came to Merle very easily, she was still doing what she considers “on the job” training and chasing after an idea or feeling of what it is to be an actress. After a job replaced her, a blessing in disguise, Merle accredits her acting coach Warner Loughlin for giving her the strength and confidence to approach every role with ease and unwavering sense of responsibility to the intention and message of the role. After working three jobs to support her theater career, Merle Dandridge landed herself in the company of Oprah and now holds the honor of portraying Grace on OWN’s hit show, GREENLEAF. This woman’s 25 year journey is nothing short of resilient, spiritual, and guided.

Merle Dandridge currently can be seen critically acclaimed show “Greenleaf” on OWN network and will be on Broadway for the rest of 2017 in the play “Once on this Island”.

Tune in

Listen On iTunes

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“You’re never walled in for no reason, you are walled in to deflect you to where you are suppose to go.” CLICK TO TWEET

Claire Coffee On That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

091: Claire Coffee
091: Claire Coffee 1500 750 Alyshia Ochse

Patience, Persistence, and Asking for What You Need

Live from NYC with Claire Coffee. From her first big job in LA on The West Wing, to her series regular role on NBC’s hit show Grimm, Claire has seen first-hand what it takes to take a career from recurring co-star to one of the leads of a major series. She shares how living as an actor in New York is different than in LA, how important improv was to expanding her work and community, and how she’s learned to speak up for herself and set boundaries on set. She walks us through life after a series regular role, and how she’s learned how to keep creating, even when things didn’t go how she expected.

Born in Marin County in Northern California, Claire Coffee graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois with a degree in Theater. She began performing on stage at age 5 in The Mountain Play Theater Company’s production of “The King and I” in Mill Valley, CA. Not long after moving to Los Angeles, she was cast in The West Wing. Since then she has appeared on NCIS, General Hospital, Royal Pains, and is most known for her role as Adalinde Schade on NBC’s hit show GRIMM. In addition to her extensive television and film credits, she has also trained at The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Improv Olympic. Recently, she has been cast in the anticipated new show LINCOLN, set to premier next year.

Tune in

Listen On iTunes

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“I don’t want to go through the motions and put something out there when you don’t know how many eyes are gonna watch that tape.”

“Enjoy the space. Do the thing, don’t just fill your day with errands and spinning and Deadline. Do the stuff you’ve been putting off.”

VIDEOS:

Rebekka Johnson on That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

081: Rebekka Johnson
081: Rebekka Johnson 1500 750 Alyshia Ochse

The Improv Dream: ‘Yes, And-ing’ Yourself.

This week’s guest caught the improv bug in college and hasn’t looked back since. Rebekka Johnson began her on-screen career putting her comedy skills to good use in an MTV prank show called Boiling Point. Since then she’s been a writer, producer, director, and actress—all in the name of making an audience laugh.

She shares with us how creating the work she loves with her best friends and collaborators has lead her to countless opportunities to shine. From an audition opposite Kristen Wiig, to finally booking her series regular role in GLOW, her story is an example of an artist who puts in the work and doesn’t give up, even when success feels impossible. From negotiating her own contract for a pilot, to how her years of grinding and preparation has empowered her to step into her strength and be fearless in her comedy.

Best known for her work in the musical comedy trio The Apple Sisters and on Netflix’s wrestling comedy GLOW, Rebekka Johnson has performed in various sketch and improv shows across the country for over 10 years, including The Neutrino Video Projects which was an official selection at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. She is a co creator of the award winning Apple Sisters which performed in the 2008 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Rebekka voiced many characters in the upcoming Comedy Central animated series, Ugly Americans. She currently performs with Bandit, a Mainstage Harold Team at IO West and recently directed her comedy film, CONSENT.

 

Tune in

Listen On iTunes

 

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“Even if you’re a good improviser, don’t leave it up to improv. Look at your script, write your jokes before, and then if something else comes up, great! The whole thing with improve is, no matter how good you are, how often can you nail it?”

“The way you’re going to get better at writing is writing.”

Jackie Seiden on That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

070: Jackie Seiden
070: Jackie Seiden 1500 750 Alyshia Ochse

Today’s guest is a vibrant force of passion and hard work and, for those of you interested in how the world of Broadway works and how it differs from TV and Film, she is a genuine triple threat—From eight shows a week in New York to recurring roles on TV, she’s spent 20 years in this business, putting in the work and thoroughly enjoying every step of the journey.

Jackie Seiden is an actor/singer/writer born in Highland Park, IL. She graduated early Cum Laude from Northwestern University with a Bachelor in Science and a Music Theatre Certificate. After graduating, Jackie moved to New York City and was cast in her dream show, “Hairspray” on Broadway. She was also in the original company of “Good Vibrations” on Broadway, and originated Mary Delgado on the 1st National Tour of “Jersey Boys” along with many other off Broadway productions, tours, regional shows, and worked with greats like Twyla Tharp and Bob Dylan.

After performing as Pinky Tuscadero in Garry Marshall’s production of Happy Days, she moved out to Los Angeles permanently where she met her husband Jason Winer (Director/Producer). Since moving to LA Jackie has worked on many films and television shows (“Jersey Boys” with Clint Eastwood, “New Year’s Eve” with Garry Marshall, ” Jack and Jill,” with Adam Sandler “Christmas Switch,” “The Catch,” “Modern Family,” “Life in Pieces,” etc., and performed all over as a part of the For The Record Live company.

 

Tune in

Listen On iTunes

 

Resources

LINKS:
QUOTES:

“I really believe everyone has talent. It’s just whether or not you have the skin and the tools to deal with the rejection.”

“You don’t know when the next job is coming, you have to trust it’s gonna come. If I told you you’re getting a series regular in twelve months, then the next ten months wouldn’t feel so rough. You just gotta know it’s coming.”

VIDEOS:

006: Merle Dandridge
006: Merle Dandridge 1500 1000 Alyshia Ochse

Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to a mother of Korean and Japanese descent and an African-American father serving in the U.S Force. Growing up in Nebraska,but not into football, Merle didn’t know where she fit. A friend encouraged Merle to choose drama as a study because she was told it was “easy”. Little did Merle know that the drama department would be the community she had been longing for and that expression would give her the platform to explore social conditions and and the emotions that must be exposed to understand and accept each other. Merle graduated college and had a wild inclination that New York was where she needed to be to fulfill her purpose. With $107 in her pock, a packed Uhaul and an ailing kitten, she drove to New York and landed in the sea of many hopeful artist. Merle was still figuring out what was cool and learning everything on the fly. At the time a non-equity actor, she heard that everyone in town was going to audition for “Jesus Christ Superstar”, so she decided to learn a song and stand in line at 4am to hopefully be given the opportunity to audition. At 1pm the casting director not only called her in to the room, but gave her the space and the light to shine. Even though most things came to Merle very easily, she was still doing what she considers “on the job” training and chasing after an idea or feeling of what it is to be an actress. After a job replaced her, a blessing in disguise, Merle accredits her acting coach Warner Loughlin for giving her the strength and confidence to approach every role with ease and unwavering sense of responsibility to the intention and message of the role. After working three jobs to support her theater career, Merle Dandridge landed herself in the company of Oprah and now holds the honor of portraying Grace on OWN’s hit show, GREENLEAF. This woman’s 25 year journey is nothing short of resilient, spiritual, and guided.

Merle Dandridge currently can be seen critically acclaimed show “Greenleaf” on OWN network and will be on Broadway for the rest of 2017 in the play “Once on this Island”.

Listen in to the unforgettable stories that Merle Dandridge right HERE.

Resources

QUOTES:
“I wanted to do theater that didn’t let people look away from the ugly.  I wanted to do stuff that shined a light on a social condition or just made you look at the things you didn’t want to look at.  Examine it, feel it, and create understanding.  Because if we have understanding of something that we don’t know about then we can cross that divide.”
“The flow is happening.”
“You know if it’s for you or not for you.”
“You’re never walled in for no reason, you are walled in to deflect you to where you are suppose to go.” CLICK TO TWEET
“Beyond this job, I can have confidence in the steps of my journey.  Even if they are uncomfortable, because they are going to change and grow me for what I am suppose to be doing.”
“In retrospect, authenticity is always the thing.  Just being yourself, bringing what you know are your gifts as a human being.  The journey is to elucidate your authenticity.”
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ALYSHIA OCHSE

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

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