TRAINWRECK'D SOCIETY (2011-2021)

Charlotte Larsen [Interview]

Hello Folks! As many of you know, this our tenth and final year of bringing Trainwreck’d Society to the world. We’ve done hundreds of interviews, all equally fascinating in their own ways. A lot of the time we have creators from projects we already know and love, which is always great. But, one of the other fun things to do is to learn about some folks we may not have been aware of for some reason. I’ve spent years working with some of the best PR firms in the business, and discovering new talent across the globe to showcase here at TWS. And today is no exception! We are headed down under today to share some words with trailblazing producer of film and television, Charlotte Larsen!

Charlotte has managed to bring some very intriguing projects to light, especially some based in her homeland of New Zealand. She is a bright, creative soul, and we are so excited to have her grace our digital pages today. So, Folks, please enjoy some wonderful words from the great Charlotte Larsen! 

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 What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something that you aspired to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I wanted to be an actor since I was a child. At age 10 I got my first role in a play and really enjoyed it. I did more plays in school and decided I wanted to be an actor, so I went to college to study theater and film. After that, I started a production company and fell into producing through that.

 What was your first paid gig in the world of film and television? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this project that still affects your work to date?

My first paid gig was when I started my company. I wasn’t really paid a fee for the work, but we made money on the project, which went back into my company to grow it into bigger things. It was a tv talk show series called FixTV, which was great fun to work on!

 Having worked in both the New Zealand market of film and television, as well as the states, I am curious to know how they compare to one another? And how would you say they differ?

The film industry in NZ is a lot smaller – a lot less people in the country! Usually this means you know everyone you’re working with even if it’s the first time working with them. In the US, there are so many shows and films and small indie projects and big studio projects that unless you are making your own work or are a permanent hire for a company, you usually don’t know anyone who is on the project. That’s both a good and a bad thing – the diversity of people you meet each time makes the experience different and you really get to make a new mini family with every new project!

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in New Zealand history, who would it be? Why?

Taika Waititi! Well, he’s not really historical yet, so if I had to choose, I would say maybe Kate Sheppard. She was our most famous suffragette, making New Zealand the first country in the world to give women the right to vote!

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

I have several projects I’m trying to sell right now. I work a lot with my best friend and roommate, Michael Benzaia, who is a very talented actor, writer, singer and dancer. I am in awe of his drive and talent, and we have a few projects we are developing. My favorite is a TV drama series called Neon Lights which I hope we can get made sometime very soon! After that, I am just hoping to be able to get to London to see my mom, and to New Zealand to see the rest of my family!

What was the last thing that made you smile?

It was either a dog I follow on Facebook called Tucker Budzyn (he is also on Instagram), or something Michael said/did, because he’s always doing something silly and fun!

Michelan Sisti [Interview]

Hello Folks! I am absolutely stoked to share today’s interview with you all. I’m always excited to have these go live, but today is particularly special. Today we have the legendary actor and puppeteer Michelan Sisti! Now, I have to begin by stating that Michelan was not only involved with two projects that are still all time favorites, but he actually portrayed an absolute hero of mine when I was very young. Michelan famously portrayed the whimsically badass Michelangelo in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action film alongside our friends Lief Tilden (Donatello) and Judith Hoag (April O’Neil), as well as the sequel (and my personal favorite) The Secret of the Ooze. When I was but a boy, there was nobody cooler than Michelangelo. Absolutely nobody. Hence, the reason I am so stoked to be able to ask the man behind the suit about what it was like to create one of the coolest dudes to ever exist.

Beyond the world of TMNT, Michelan also worked on one of my favorite television series of all time. The highly original and so damn fun series Dinosaurs, where Sisti portrayed several characters, and was the primary Charlene Sinclair. He goes into his work on the show with some great details. You’re going to love this one, Folks!

In more recent years, Sisti has done extensive work in another legendary world of the Muppets. He’s also worked on great films like Team America: World Police and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. We are so excited to have him on the site today. This was a real bucket list one, Folks! So, please enjoy enjoy some wonderful words from the great Michelan Sisti!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment?  Was it something you aspired to do since your youth, or  did you happen to find yourself in this world one day? 

I’m one of those people who knew from a young age that I had a dream with a goal that felt right for me. As to the  moment when I discovered this dream, that took place in my elementary school talent show when I was in sixth  grade. I gave a solo performance of the song, “I’m  Getting Married In The Morning” (My Fair Lady) complete  with comedic choreography and I liked it! The dream  was born. 

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment?  And were there any sort of lessons learned from this  experience that still affects your work to date? 

Music was my first paying career, and that enabled me at age 20, to choose the path that I wanted most. To move  to New York City to be an actor in the Broadway theatre.  That dream became a career for the first time, with a  paycheck attached, when I was asked to join the NOW Theatre Repertory Company, to begin creating new plays  and shows for the Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo (my hometown area). I was a professional actor! I made the move to New York and the journey since then has been a fantastic ride where I have learned from each and every experience along the way. It was the more than two  decades working in the theatre that taught me the vital  importance of learning how to collaborate. That has been  the lynchpin of everything since. All of what I know about  acting and music has sustained me through major  changes in my career path. The first, my transition from  music to acting as a career goal. Second, when I agreed  to leave New York, and the theatre, to move to Los  Angeles and begin working in movies and television. And  I have loved every bit of it. 

You famously appeared as the great Michaelangelo in the  first & second live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  film. Our dear friends and past guests Judith Hoag & Leif  Tilden were a couple of your co-stars! So, I am curious to  know how your experience was in bringing the beloved  comic book & cartoon character to life? What would you  say is your fondest memory of these projects? 

That is a difficult question simply because there are so many facets to my life as a Turtles and how that changed  everything. Plus, I have many fond memories from that hectic time so it’s hard to choose. The physical work was  extreme, overwhelming at times and often horrible.  Creating Mikey in partnership with Mak Wilson was the  absolute highlight of both movies for me. Mak is one of the best puppeteer/actors in the world, with the credits to  bear that out, and he was at the top of his considerable game. The creative experience with him was a joy. We  discussed and considered every idea we came up with  and then rehearsed as much as we could until we  became so in tune with each other that we could  improvise bits and moments on the fly. That was amazing  and great fun. So, collaborating with Mak is my fondest memory of becoming a Turtle. Beyond that, it’s the fans.  They have been such a source of love and hope ever  since I donned the green and I thank them. 

There had to have been a ton of props laying around on  the set of TMNT 1 & 2. I am curious to know if you were  able to take anything home with you? Anything special in a  physical sense, that you were able to take away from this  project? 

I did keep my nunchucks (hero and rehearsal categories)  most of which I have given away to charity auctions and a  fan/friend over the years. However, I kept my hero pair of  chucks that I used in both films. Of course, you couldn’t  

see them in the second movie because they were kept  inside of the leather holsters strapped to my belt. The  laws in England, and some reactions to our first effort,  

required that my chucks not be revealed onscreen. That  is what led to my “Combat Coldcuts” during the mall fight  scene in Secret Of The Ooze. I do have one of the two  

pair of Combat Colducts too. My friend and martial arts  double, Nick Palma, had them and kindly gave me one  pair. I kept my original shooting script including my  written notes and gave away a few others I had. The 

Creature Shop lovelies presented me with a pair of my  Mikey hands and feet. However, because they were  made of foam latex, they have disintegrated into dust a  long time ago. 

Another absolutely legendary program that you worked on  that had a huge impact on me growing up was the  wonderful series Dinosaurs, which you and Leif Tilden  would work together once again! So, same questions  really: What was it like to work on such an insanely  original, and downright hilarious, project? 

 Oh my, Dinosaurs. I am so proud of that series and  everyone who participated. Among my fellow performers,  we all agree that show was the pinnacle of animatronic  character work. What we created there was  groundbreaking in many ways, from putting puppets on  primetime tv, to pushing every envelope of animatronics  we could find in our performances and then some. Plus,  the writing was superb and tackled very pithy subjects.  That’s what I am most proud of, that we never stayed  away from topics that might be controversial. Then, of  course, we did something rare on television shows. We  killed off our entire cast! My great, and ongoing, joy was  to be partnered with Bruce Lanoil for our character,  Charlene Sinclair the daughter, and with John Kennedy  for all the variations that our Sid Turtlepuss character got  to play. Two other world class puppeteers and, like Mak,  excellent people! Yes, I have been so fortunate to work with the best. 

You have worked on and off screen in the world of film &  television, as well as work on the stage across the globe.  With that in mind, what would you say has been your  favorite space to work in overall? Why?  

Okay, the theatre is my first love. I wished to become a  working actor and that is what the theatre allowed to  happen. I had multiple Broadway shows and that fulfilled  a subset of the original dream too. So, my work on the  stage is my favorite space to be as an actor. Now, I loved  all the work with Jim Henson and Muppets and Disney,  etc. because of the challenges they contained. That’s  right. Each and every puppeteering or animatronic or  performance capture job comes with a very unique set of  challenges that must be solved and techniques that must  be developed. When I’m acting on the stage, I am  familiar with the basic structure of the job in each  performance. With the other work, each job throws up  new obstacles and required adjustments. That is what  kept me coming back for more. I love a challenge. 

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would  like to plug to our readers? 

The pandemic and our initial lockdowns ended the  projects I had lined up for 2020 and changes at Disney 

have altered the landscape with Muppets too, so I am  entering my retirement. I still am happy to participate in  projects with friends but I am ready to pass the torch. It’s  time for younger performers to take my place and  continue the path to their dreams. And with free time  now, I’m rediscovering the joys of travel. Of course, that  has all been put on hold this year, but I’m really looking  forward to resuming travel and having new adventures. I  have even booked a trip for May 2022.  

What was the last thing that made you smile? 

Lots of things make me smile, thank goodness, but the  most recent was from this morning. I watched out my  window as some of my neighbors came walking down the  road with their two little girls who started shooing the birds  at my feeders. The kids were squealing in delight while  one crow sat on the fence, cawing and flapping it’s wings  in protest, I think. Now, how could I not smile at that?  Cheers!

Kelly Walker [Interview]

Hello Folks! I am so very excited about this one! If you are a regular reader here, or simply returning from yesterday, you know how much I loved the film My Fiona, which we featured yesterday. Well, now we are so fortunate to be able to have the film’s brilliant writer & director here to grace our digital pages today! It’s Kelly Walker, Everyone!

I was completely unaware that My Fiona is actually Walker’s feature film directorial debut. It’s actually quite insane that it is, because it is so damn good! Kelly is also a performer, editor, all of the things! I dare say that Kelly Walker is the future of film and television. I’m not even kidding. Everyone NEEDS to see My Fiona. Read this interview, read what we talked about previously, and then just get it done. You will be thanking me later.

So, I am going to relinquish and further babbling, and let you all get to some wonderful words from the great Kelly Walker! Enjoy!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you aspired to do since your youth, or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

Growing up in Australia, my Mom loved sharing films with me as I was growing up. I was probably too young to see the films I did (Gypsy and Flashdance at six years old? Questionable). I think that’s what got me into filmmaking at such a young age. I started making feature-length films with my best friend when we were 12 years old. These films were terrible, but our hearts were all in! We would write, direct, act, produce and edit one feature a year and then force everyone we knew to watch them. I think it was inevitable that I would go on to pursue filmmaking. Also, my aunt lived in Los Angeles and is a sitcom writer. So I think having that connection to the industry made it feel doable and not just a fantasy. I moved to Los Angeles when I was seventeen and the rest is history! 

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

Good question! I didn’t have many money-making skills outside of filmmaking. I had worked at Subway for a hot minute in high school, but it didn’t last long because I was a slow sandwich maker. (Their words, not mine!) When I landed in LA, I jumped right into freelance video editing. I think it taught me to be super-efficient with my time since I was creating my own schedule. All those years of editing made me feel confident to jump into directing. The film lives and dies in the editing room and I think my biggest strength as a director is being able to reverse engineer the process. 

I absolutely LOVED your film My Fiona. It’s seriously one of the best films I have seen this year, by a long shot. Could you tell our readers a bit about this project? What made you want to bring this story to the world?

Thank you!!! The story is based on experiences from life. When I was 12 years old, my babysitter passed away from suicide. It left a real impact on my life and I developed a fear of people I love dying. And with each loved one’s death I’ve experienced, it’s made me realize that no grief is alike, and the journey is navigated at your own pace. I really wanted to liberate the stigma around grief and look at it from a judge-free perspective. 

Another aspect of the film is the exploration of sexual identity. I identify as bisexual, but it wasn’t until I was happily married to my husband that I started talking about it openly. Actually, it was through writing My Fiona that I really took ownership of this part of myself. I wanted to explore the idea that love can be circumstantial; it can be forever or for just a moment, and more importantly, it can be with anyone. Jane’s story showed me that the only identity that matters is the one we give ourselves, and we should celebrate our ownership over our identity. 

Lastly, My Fiona is a love letter to female friendships. The women in my life have been magical soul mates and also the source of intense heartbreak. Sometimes your friends know you more than you know yourself, and our identities can be wrapped up in those relationships. I think friendship is less explored on film, and I wanted to honor my ladies and my incredible love for them. 

I have several of my own takeaways from the film that I formulated in my own mind. But, I am curious to know what you believe viewers of My Fiona should (hopefully) take away from this incredibly emotional journey? Without spoiling too much, what should our readers be on the lookout for? And should tissues be readily available?

Grief is unwritten, and there’s no right or wrong way to experience loss. Don’t judge yourself, don’t judge others. You are never cured of grief, you learn to live alongside it. That may sound depressing, but I actually find it liberating. Humans are resilient, and we can survive just about anything. There’s nothing better in life than surprising yourself. 

I also raise questions about the problematic doctor/patient relationship regarding mental health in our country. I hope if the audience is interested in this aspect of the film, they’ll do their own research. Who knows, maybe when they or a loved one needs help, they’ll have a more informed perspective that in turn could save a life.

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Woah! You wanna hear something wild?! The two scripts I’m working on right now are Bio Pics!!! I have a feature about Audrey Hepburn and her marriage to Mel Ferrer. I am a HUGE Audrey fan, and I think there are elements of her story that haven’t been told, and I would love to put a voice to her experience. I am also developing a limited series called Vice Versa. It’s based on the hidden life of Edythe Eyde, a naive secretary in the 1940s. She covertly created the first-ever magazine for lesbians during a time of suspicion, communism and vice raids in America. I randomly stumbled upon Edythe’s story last year and have fallen completely in love with her writing, outlook on life, and what she did for the queer community. Her story is relatively unknown, and I feel this sense of responsibility to get her message out there! 

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

Hehe. I think I just did above 🙂 You can follow me @girldownunda on Instagram or check out www.kellywalker.tv to stay up to date with all things filmmaking. 

What was the last thing that made you smile?

The little things in life fill me up with so much joy. My dogs’ tails wagging when I walk in the door. My husband squeezing my shoulder as he passes me in the hallway. The plants in my office, the crystals all over the house. Texts from friends that simply say – I love you. It’s been a rough year for all of us, and I think we need to make it a priority to look for the little wins and little joys. That’s what life is all about. 

Bryce Wagoner [Interview]

Hello Folks! We have an absolutely wonderful interview to share with you all. Bryce Wagoner is an actor, writer, filmmaker, just about everything! On screen you may recognize him from roles in projects like Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust. Behind the camera he created the captivating documentary, After Porn Ends, which would then spawn two further additions. And, as if that weren’t enough, he was kind enough to let me know about his 2017 documentary, Parrot Heads, which is intriguing as hell! I have an unabashed love for Jimmy Buffett, so a look beyond those proverbial curtains was an absolute delight.

Wagoner answers a few of standard questions below, and gives us some wonderful insight into the world of filmmaking. We are honored to have Bryce with us today, and I think you are going to love what we have for you today. So Folks, please enjoy some wonderful words from the great Bryce Wagoner!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you aspired to do since your youth, or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

Phil Hartman’s performance in So I Married An Axe Murderer and the DVD extras from Seven were the two biggest things that inspired me to accept the calling of working in entertainment. My fraternity brothers would endlessly quote Phil’s Alcatraz speech and it would bring such joy to us all, that it got the wheels turning to the point where I said to myself, “Hey I would like to create something that would do the same for some other group of idiot friends.” Then, when Seven came out on DVD, I was enthralled with not only Fincher’s approach to story and world building, but the process of how the movie was cast, shot, and the studio script process. The curtain had been pulled, and I was hooked!

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

In 1999 I made $97 as an extra for two days on Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal, a TV movie that shot in Richmond, VA; starring Sam Neil and Mario Van Peebles.

I learned that the days on set would be long, but worth it, and that positivity is a huge factor in pulling anything off. We were doing this big protest scene and the AD says “Now really get into it and sell your anger so you can make it into the shot.” Sam was right there with us and he says “They ALL deserve to be in the shot.” And gives us this warm look of acceptance as equals. I will NEVER forget that moment and it’s why I am so grateful to anyone that agrees to be in front of a camera that I’m directing.

I thoroughly enjoyed your highly original 2012 documentary, After Porn Ends, which would then spawn two additional films. The subject matter is one that I think a lot of people actually think about a lot, but don’t like to think about it too often, I would imagine. With that, what was it that made you want to bring this story to the world?

It started as a simple question when I was doing some motion capture work for the WWE, where some of the guys on set were aghast at a website one of them did cyber security for that involved sex with vegetables. I was running my lines and suddenly this guy named Alby says “HOLY $h!t, HOW IN THE F&@K DO YOU DO ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE AFTER DOING…THAT?!?!?”

Something clicked, and I asked myself “what does happen after you leave the XXX business?” Did some research and saw mostly one sided/negative stories that courted sensationalism, and I wanted to give these folks a fair say into their life stories. Not just cautionary tales that took no regard for them as human beings. 

Note to aspiring documentary film makers: It’s NOT hard to humanize people if you let them tell their own story without an agenda. 

Can you tell us a bit about your 2017 documentary Parrot Heads? What made you want to document this insanely loyal fan base? And how was your experience bringing this project to life? Do you have any significant memories that still make you smile when you think about them?

I’m an insanely loyal fan, and I knew there was a deeper story there than what most people see at the tailgates. 

Bringing the project to life started with a rum-induced phone call to my longtime ECU cohort Vance Daniels with the idea, three years of pitching said idea, to me working a door at the Bar Marmont and lamenting to a regular that no one in Hollywood gets Jimmy Buffett, leading him to say “I get Jimmy Buffett, how much do you need?”

Then as a result of doing it in earnest, we were able to get it to Frank Marshall (Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, etc), who loved it and advised Jimmy to be a part of it, to which he agreed to not only take part, but to become our distributor as well. 

That is one of the literal hundreds of memories that make me smile throughout the life of this movie, but the one that means the most to me is when I first showed it to my dad and he leans into me after the first 10 minutes and says “This movie is just too much fu@$ing fun!”

In front of the camera, you appeared in one of the most hilarious comedy horror franchises of all time, and one of the greatest sequel titles of all time, which would be Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust, which also happens to feature our dear friend and past guest Junie Hoang. So, I am curious to know what drew you to this project? What made you want to dig into the world of the killer cookie?

When I was an actor I’d actually auditioned for the producer (William Butler) on other projects and we became friends. So Billy emails me one day and says “Wanna come play for a few weeks?” And knowing his sense of humor and my penchant for the absurd, I accepted without hesitation. Junie was lovely, as was the incomparable Michelle Bauer, and the now TV famous Parker Young. But of course I gravitated to hang with the creative/technical guys all doing Billy a favor, like Greg Nicotero, Mike Deak, and the late John Vulich/John Carl Buechler.  Talk about getting some free film school cookies in!

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Legends are created by campfire stories, authors, filmmakers, the media, and the occasional viral video. Which is why my producing partner (Cara Kidwell) and I are trying to make a film about a certain woman who SHOULD be a legend, and most certainly will be when it’s all said and done.  

But in the meantime, if a studio called me and said “Here’s a pile of money, now go make this biopic of Chuck Yeager.” I’d break my wrist from signing that contract so fast! 

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

As a writer, I’ve had three scripts optioned but not made, so hopefully the future allows me to get one (or all) of them on screen. But until that time avails itself; I’m currently producing a nature documentary in the Outer Banks of North Carolina that I can’t say much about, other than it’s been another great experience and opportunity for creative growth that we all feel has a noble purpose and is appealing to just about anyone.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Hugging my big sister a few hours ago for the first time in over a year.

Everyone please get vaccinated so we can can ALL do the same (and have cocktails afterwards). Cheers!

Annette Arnold [Interview]

Hello Folks! We have another absolutely wonderful interview to share with you all. We have a brilliant and legendary performer of the screen and stage, it’s Annette Arnold, Everyone! Annette jumped into the public eye when she performed in Tamara Jenkin’s Sundance Special Jury award winning film Family Remains, alongside fellow greats like Kevin Corrigan and Donna Mitchell. She was amazing in it, and has been taking on some amazing projects ever since. In fact, two of those projects were the original reason I initially reached out to receive the honor of having Annette grace our digital pages, and we will discuss them below. Suffice to say that they are two of my Top Ten films of all time, and whenever we have a cast member, or anyone who was involved with the project on the site, we simply HAVE to ask about it. Today will be no exception. 

So, Folks, please enjoy some brilliant words from the even more brilliant performer, Annette Arnold!

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 What inspired you to get into the world of performance? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I don’t come from a family of performing artists, but, my father was always a great storyteller. I learned early on the power to move, excite, anger or captivate people through storytelling. I began putting on ‘backyard plays’ at a very young age. When you’re eight, and you create a living breathing character in front of your neighbors, then stand back and observe the very unique and different ways in which each of them reacts to or responds to it, well, let’s just say, that is very powerful and I’ve been enthralled ever since.  

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affect your work to date?

My very first paid gig in the entertainment world was the Sundance Jury Prize winning film Family Remains. I was honored to be directed by the very brilliant Tamara Jenkins for my debut film. It was also the very first time I stepped foot on a set. Tamara taught me so much then, about both film and artistic integrity. Tamara and Gabor (our cinematographer) would set up each and every shot, step back, call me over, and then have me look through the lens. Tamara allowed me to view each shot, assess my parameters, and understand and actually see what the camera was seeing. When does that ever happen to an actor?? Ummm…NEVER (and never has it happened again). The opportunity to learn about space, angles, close ups, to see the difference between a two shot, master, medium, and experience the importance of lighting, taught me lessons that still inform my work today. No matter what my approach to a role is, my goal is always a truthful performance. But, film is a medium and that lens is there for a reason. There is a world to view through/inside of it. I learned to know what it is, then forget it is there. It was the ultimate MASTER CLASS! I am so lucky to have worked with Tamara several more times after that. I’m not sure she would even remember those moments, but, I hope she knows how grateful I am. 

You have done some amazing work on both big and silver screens, the stage, & beyond. With that in mind, what would you consider to be your most beloved type of performance?

Well…my most beloved role is yet to come! Having said that, at this stage in my life and creativity, I feel the most uninhibited, unencumbered and inspired, than I have ever been. I have a lifetime of stories, humor, love, anger, and unbridled rage to share. And, no walls. Maybe that came with age? I don’t know, but, I am able to access parts of me I didn’t know existed or didn’t want to, and it’s unpredictable and exciting. So my most beloved types of performances have been ones that both challenge me and are just that, unpredictable. I recently played a housewife who dreams of being a stand up comedienne. In the last minutes of [a particular] play, my character finally takes the stage and delivers her first crack at stand up. Although the play and that final routine was written by the wonderful Alyssa Haddad, just like real stand up, it could and would change every evening depending on the audience response. I often had to improvise or change things up, based off of their reactions, comments or even heckling. It was both terrifying and exhilarating! 

In back to back years, you worked on two of my absolute favorite films of all time. The first would be the seminal indie classic film Trees Lounge, which also features our old friend Michael Buscemi. So, I am curious to know what drew you to this project? And how was your experience working on this project?

TREES LOUNGE!! One of my favorites too! I remain a huge fan of both Steve and Michael Buscemi. Steve drew me to this project. He had seen me in Family Remains (at Sundance I believe) and called me at home! Now remember, there was no internet, no email. Just an answering machine. My boyfriend Chris Wilson (now my husband) and I, came home to a message on the answering machine from Steve. Steve Buscemi!! My husband and I kept replaying the message and screaming…’Mr. Pink’!! I think we did that about 15 times before we actually listened to it. Steve invited me to be a part of a reading he was having at Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Again, because it was the old days, we met at a coffee shop so he could hand me the script (or else he would have had to send it snail mail, remember that?). The reading went extremely well and not surprisingly, the script was incredibly well received. It was about a year later I received a call offering me the role of Sandy. Not only did I get to work with an enormously talented cast that included Steve and Michael Buscemi, but Kevin Corrigan, Michael Imperioli, Seymour Cassel and Chloe Sevigny, but, I earned my SAG card!! I will never forget it. 

The next year, you worked on another classic film, in my opinion, Deconstructing Harry, which features another dear friend of ours, Hazelle Goodman. So, same question basically, what drew you to the project, and how was your experience?

It seems like all roads lead back to Family Remains, so I guess, this is no different. Casting director Laura Rosenthal, who cast Family Remains, worked out of Juliet Taylor’s Casting office at the time. Juliet Taylor was the casting director on most, if not all, of Woody Allen’s films back then. A few years after Family Remains was released, Juliet Taylor called me in to audition for Deconstructing Harry. I read for her and was asked if I was available to meet with Woody Allen the very next day. I not only read for him, I read with him! I guess it went well because I was offered the role that evening. My experience was fantastic. You’ve seen the film, so you know, there are so many famous faces in it. For an actor in their early career, it can often be intimidating, but, every actoron set (famous or not) seemed equally nervous/terrified and excited to just be in a Woody Allen film. 

If you were handed the opportunity to portray any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Carol Burnett. The very first woman ever to host a variety sketch show (and the most awarded tv shows of all time). She’s groundbreaking. She is fierce, fearless, and a superior physical comedian. Throughout her devastating personal tragedies, she revealed herself through her comedy. As a young girl I was always attracted to dark material: films, poetry, etc, art that revealed the darkest depths of the soul. Yet, every evening when I heard the musical opening of The Carol Burnett show, I knocked over whomever was in my way at the time and would sit directly in front of the television…it was transcendent. Like some of my favorite confessional poets, her humor always revealed her humanity. I NEVER felt like she was wearing a mask. She is one of the most influential women (and people) in television history.

What does the future hold for you? Anything our readers should be on the lookout for?

With an actor/singer/filmmaker daughter and writer husband, we have many performing opportunities/collaborations on the horizon. However, these quarantine and pandemic times had me writing! I wrote a short film and a series pilot titled Apartment 3RN. Without giving too much away, I took the age old advice ‘write what you know’. It’s about a family of artists living in Hell’s Kitchen. They encounter a series of racial, fantastical and even violent missteps, all while seemingly never leaving their sofa.    

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My daughter, Zoe Wilson, as I mentioned, is also a professional actor, just booked a great role. No matter how long you’ve been doing this, or even who got the gig, that feeling, that excitement, never gets old. 

Todd Robert Anderson [Interview]

Hello Folks! Today we have an incredible interview that is well overdue. Mainly due to my very own inability to focus on multiple tasks during a move across the world, as you have all heard me whine about since it began. Anyway, today we have an absolute gem of a human being gracing our digital pages. It’s the amazing actor, Todd Robert Anderson!

Todd has been working both on and off the screen for over 20 years, and has worked on a plethora of the TV shows you know and love. A personal highlight, and probably for a lot of you as well, is his reoccurring role on the brilliant FXX series You’re The Worst. Some of you may remember that we have actually featured some pretty great folks who have appeared and re-appeared on this absolutely incredible show, such as Allen Maldonado, Robin Riker, and Johnny Pemberton. But, Todd was a fucking presence on this program, and was an absolute highlight of each and every episode he was on.

And another bit of inside baseball fun that we have for you all….we have another Becker siting! Yes, Todd is yet another of the insanely talented man who appeared, even if just for one episode, on the series we love and adore the most. So, of course we had to ask him about that as well.

So Folks, please enjoy some amazing words from our new friend and absolutely amazing actor, Todd Robert Anderson!

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What inspired you to get into the world of performance? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

It was a plan I had since junior high, to be an actor. A teacher encouraged me to do a play, The Butler Did It, and when I got all the attention and laughs, it got me past my shyness and social awkwardness. And created a bit of an addiction for performance. 
    

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affect your work to date?

My first paid gig was a commercial for Pacific Bell, in which we extolled the virtues of “three-way calling.” Yes, I’m ancient. My first theatrical gig was in Blast from the Past.
    

Much like our dear friends Allen Maldonado, Robin Riker & Johnny Pemberton, you were absolutely incredible on the equally incredible series You’re The Worst. I am curious to know what drew you to this project? And how was your experience working on such a funny and enlightening series? 

Show creator Stephen Falk is one of my best friends, I’ve known him since college. He had a small, two-line part called “The Groom” that needed to be filled for the pilot. I went in and auditioned, ad-libbed a third line for the fun of it, and they cast me. The network liked me enough to flesh out the character and bring him on for more episodes. So, to answer your question, what drew me to it was my old friend and what draws me to most of the work I do: they were willing to pay me.
  

YOU’RE THE WORST — “The Heart is a Dumb Dumb” — Episode 213 (Airs Wednesday, December 9, 10:30 pm e/p) Pictured: (l-r) Janet Varney as Becca, Todd Robert Anderson as Vernon. CR: Byron Cohen/FX

You also appeared in an episode of my absolute favorite sitcom of all time, which I am always obligated to ask our guests about, even if it was only a brief gig. And that series is the one and only series Becker. You played “Pete” in the episode “One Wong Move”, which is honestly one of the most memorable episodes for me, & written by our friend Russ Woody. Anyway, I am curious to know how your experience was working this legendary (at least to me!) sitcom? 

Doing Becker was very exciting for me because I was a Cheers fanatic and working with Ted Danson was a dream come true. He is genuinely a great guy as well as being a great actor, so meeting one of my heroes turned out to be a great thing. On taping night I got a very hard lesson when the biggest scene in the episode, with a lot of moving parts, got zero reaction from the studio audience. We were there until two in the morning trying to figure it out. I just assumed studio audiences would laugh at anything, but apparently they have minds of their own. 
I also got to meet Octavia Spencer who was working on the show, and she was a blast. 
   

If you were handed the opportunity to portray any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Steve Martin, because I grew up dreaming about being him, and this would be the absolute closest I could get.
   

What does the future hold for you? Anything our readers should be on the lookout for?  

I’ll turn up on this season of Good Girls here and there. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I wait for the auditions, and when they come, I get bookings. I never know too far in advance what I’ll be doing.

What was the last thing that made you smile?  

My son was singing along to Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning”, and he got the lyrics wrong: “Just call me angel of the morning, angel. Just pull my teeth before you leave me, baby.” I laughed for an hour after that.