Episode 155: Kaili Hollister, Actor

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Kaili is an actor with The Actors’ Gang in Los Angeles. Her film debut was in October Sky, and she has been acting on stage and in film ever since. We talked about her reluctant yet guided journey into acting, meeting Tim Robbins and joining The Actors’ Gang, and living every day with the responsibility of an artist. And this - it can be a long journey in your body to joy.

And, she has a beautiful love story.

This is episode is little long. But, trust me, as long as I am moved to tears, I’m not cutting it. And that happened to me a lot while editing. You are warned.

Episode 133: Ally Iseman, Actor, Writer, Producer

This episode is sponsored by:

Ally is an actor, writer, and producer. She has worked on stage in productions like Jekyll & Hyde, as well as on screens big and small including shows like American Housewife, Criminal Minds, and Days of Our Lives. Ally makes an appearance in Nicole Conn's newest feature film Nesting Doll, in Jorge Xolalpa Jr.'s latest feature A Giant Without A Head, and as a lead opposite Ray Wise and Bonnie Bedelia in the feature film Life On The Rocks.

Ally has spoken on numerous panels about gender parity and intersectional, inclusive feminism and does her best to align herself with work that has an eye on advocacy. Her internationally award-winning film Wedlocked, an LGBTQ comedy about gay divorce toured at over 45 film festivals worldwide securing digital, broadcast and theatrical distribution.

Most recently she can be seen in the feature film Solver, hosting the new plant-based food travel show The Road Less Eaten, and in her gender parity comedy series Flip the Script, which is being produced in partnership with Women In Film. 

Ally is driven, fearless, and hilarious. Grab your tea and enjoy some time with us.

You can find out more about Ally here: www.allyiseman.com.

Episode 85: Amy Spies, Writer

Amy wrote on 90210 and Melrose Place (the OG) among many other shows, but those are what made me fangirl. She comes from a Hollywood family - her parents were moved out to Los Angeles by Desilu Studios. (As you do.) And although she resisted joining the family business, she eventually did, going on to write “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

I loved hearing her stories and her journey and I think you will too. She’s a writer, a teacher, a mentor and is deeply into mindfulness. She teaches a mindfulness writing program which helps people, especially women, find their voice. This is the time that we all need to find our voices.

This is a Master Class.

Episode 54: Kate Mines, Actor

Kate is an actor.  And a writer and producer. She recently created and produced the series called Dropping the Soap that can be seen on Amazon. Her other acting credits include Doubt, American Crime, Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy, The Mindy Project, The Mentalist…all the shows you love. She was in the scene where Denny got his heart transplant on Grey’s. Say no more.  I’m a fan.

She produced Dropping the Soap in part to get exposure doing comedy.  Which she did.  Jane Lynch is in it too by the way, along with a lot of other faces you will recognize.

She gives a lot of great advice about producing and about acting.  For acting – know your place and be a good guest.  If you are invited to a dinner party, bring a lovely bottle of wine, don’t lug in the entrée.  And when producing, ask. Have good material, and they will show up.

And all the real networking happens at school.

Episode 48: Kate Hearst, Film Historian, Professor, Writer

Kate is a filmmaker, historian, writer and professor.  After earning her Ph.D. in History and M.F.A. in film, both at Columbia University, she has been teaching film history at Sarah Lawrence College, the Fierstein Graduate School of Cinema, and at Brooklyn College.  Currently, she is working on several projects about women: a book on the cinema of Barbara Kopple, and a history of Phoebe Hearst and the Coming of Age of San Francisco, 1860-1919. She also writes reviews for Film International, and serves as a juror and moderator at the Middlebury Film Festival.

We talked a lot about how women are left out of the canon in film schools.  And for young people in school, they need to start questioning why there aren’t any women on the syllabus.  It’s probably not conscious exclusion, it’s just the way it’s always been.  Let’s change that.

You can find out more about Kate on her website here: www.khearst.com.

Episode 41: Cady McClain, Director/Producer/Artist

Cady is an actor/producer/director/writer/musician….maybe it’s just easiest to call her an artist.  I know her best from playing Dixie Martin on All My Children.  If I couldn’t marry Tad, I’m glad it was she.

More recently, she directed Seeing is Believing: Women Direct – a documentary series that profiles female directors.  It premiers a week from today at the Newport Beach Film Festival.  You can get tickets here.  She is also directing and acting in Venice: The Series.

We talked about her journey as an artist, the heroine’s journey in life, and how women can uplift and support each other.  It was the very juicy talk of an artist.

You shouldn’t have to go deep into the woods, wearing a floral maxi skirt and smelling of patchouli in order to see and celebrate women’s contribution in storytelling. Although that's fun too.

Episode 20: Mary O'Leary, Producer

Mary is an award-winning Producer of General Hospital and The Young & The Restless. She was also nominated several times for Guiding Light, Another World and One Life to Live. Seven Emmy’s, people, seven. This woman knows how to run a Soap.

Interestingly, while nonchalantly rising in the ranks of daytime dramas, she also developed and produced a series of one-man shows with Jonathan Frid, of Dark Shadows fame.

As it turns out, asking for what you want and sharing your intentions can actually open doors, good mothering goes a long way, and having the arts in high school really can make all the difference. And the world of daytime drama moves very fast…