Hollywood Unscripted

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May 24, 2022

01:03:24

D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place, Barry) details her path through a career she loves; going from a starry-eyed theater-loving kid, to a struggling NYC odd-job-juggling improv actor, to landing two of the best shows on television.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

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Nov 09, 2021

01:01:12

Fran Kranz joins host Jenny Curtis in studio to talk about his screenwriting & directing debut, MASS.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 13, 2021

00:57:59

This interview was recorded in March 2021.

Actress Anna Camp joins Jenny Curtis and special co-host producer-actress Deborah Lee Smith to talk about her career and recent indie film Here Awhile.

Episode Timestamps:

6:33 – Anna explains that it’s hard being consistently type cast. With Here Awhile she was able to go outside her comfort zone and play a different type of character.

10:00 — Anna agreed to film Here Awhile almost immediately after reading. Deborah shares that the process was one of the fastest turn arounds to filming that she’s experienced.

11:44 – While preparing for the role in Here Awhile, Anna watched the documentary How to Die in Oregon.

15:13 – She speaks about the work of letting go, even with cameras all around you, and connecting to the spiritual side of the arts and acting. She calls acting a very self-aware art and the need to let go of the ego.

15:49 – 16:22 - AD Break

18:50 — Deborah shares how Anna takes pieces of her characters with her and what lead to them getting matching tattoos after making the film.

27:42 – Anna explores her path to becoming a professional actor and knowing she wanted to act since second grade.

31:02 — Anna explains why even though the play Equus was a pivot turning point in her career, she initially wasn’t eager for the role because of the required nudity.

34:12 — Anna reveals her top pick for her craziest moment in True Blood.

36:06 – 36:08 — Ad Break

37:05 — Anna talks about the evolution of the Pitch Perfect franchise.

40:47 — Anna speaks to the differences of working on a higher budget project like Pitch Perfect 3 compared to an independent film like Here Awhile. Many times lower budget projects create a more intimate and impactful setting for the crew and actors.

42:43 — Anna talks about her guest star roles on iconic television series such as the Office, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

49:00 — Anna shares the acting moment that she’s most proud of, a scene from her performance in Here Awhile.

50:02 — Anna speaks about moving into the role of producer and projects that she’s excited to help get off the ground.

53:56 — The conversation shifts back to Here Awhile and Deborah shares what attracted her to the script.

56:01 — Anna expresses what being a storyteller means to her.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 08, 2021

00:32:13

Actress Sarah Jones talks with Jenny Curtis about her role in the series ‘For All Mankind’. She talks about the history of her performance career which started in dance before she successfully turned to acting with key roles in ensemble casts like Big Love. Her mission to pursue dynamic female roles prevented her from initially agreeing to play Tracy in ‘For All Mankind.’ This changed however following persuasion from show creator, Ron Moore. From there it was about developing the to maximize its trajectory, just as she had done with other roles she had played in shows like The Path and Damnation. Deeply grateful for a career in storytelling, she aims to draw upon the artistic process to connect with the characters she plays. If audiences can then appreciate her work, she considers this “icing on the cake.”

Episode Timestamps:

0:30 Host Jenny Curtis Introduces Sarah Jones

4:18 Sarah explains some of the origins of For All Mankind, and the exciting journey of starting a series, and developing a character for years.

7:10 Sarah initially turned Ron Moore down when he offered her this role in For All Mankind because she wanted to play a more interesting character.

8:40 Sarah speaks about a new character being like a new relationship, where you can’t stop thinking about it.

12:30 Her frustration with men never being asked 'how they do it all'.

16:20 How Sarah's role on Big Love led to her the major shift to pursue acting.

22:12 Sarah’s explains where the series’ Damnation was intended to go.

23:07 The trajectory her character took in The Path.

24:02 She talks more about her character's story arch in season 2 of For All Mankind, what it means to her to play a character that shows love to others, but also puts herself first.

29:33 Sarah shares what it means to have a life in storytelling. She feels privileged to be a part of the work she’s doing and enjoys that might also impact others.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Executive Producer: Reenita Malhatra Hora

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 25, 2021

00:29:58

Prolific actor from stage and screen Tony Award winner Alfred Molina joins host Jenny Curtis to talk about his illustrious career in entertainment, including some favorite moments and memories, what it means to be an actor, and his latest movie, The Water Man.

Episode Timestamps:

1:13 - Jenny introduces Alfred and asks whether Alfred prefers going by ‘Alfred’ or ‘Fred’

1:33 - How does Fred define himself as an artist?

2:25 - How working with young actors inspires Fred

3:37 - A young journalist reminds Fred of a Q & A she attended, in which he gave her great advice

3:58- What’s the one piece of advice Fred would give to someone starting show business?

4:23 - Fred shares why he’s never content with his performances

5:32 - The Water Man & what drew Fred to the film

9:06 - Staying friends and working with David Oyelowo

12:10 - Actors (Fred) actually like line readings?!

12:52 - Working on the short film, Sam Did It

15:19 - The experience of creating physical comedy on The Imposters

17:21 - Being part of the ‘tribe’ of actors

18:10 - What does it mean to be an ‘actor’ or ‘actress’ and how has it evolved today?

20:25 - “Show Business Practitioners” & “Entertainment Specialists”

20:40 - Fred shares how his mother made him business cards when he graduated from acting school and why he couldn’t use them

22:08 - Listener questions: “What is a role that has impacted the person/actor you are today?”

23:34 - Listener question #2: “What is a role you still hope to play some day?”

25:12 - Does Fred still get nervous when he starts a job?

26:22 - Fred receives second hand advice on a new director

27:27 - Meeting Robert DeNiro

28:00 - What does it mean to Fred to have a life in storytelling?

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Executive Producers: Stuart Halperin & Reenita Malhatra Hora

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 05, 2021

00:53:31

Director, Writer, Producer Lee Daniels joins host Jenny Curtis and Special Guest Co-Host Dana Gourrier to talk about his life long drive towards entertainment and his latest movie, the United States Vs. Billie Holiday.

00:56 – Taking a moment to get to know this episode’s co-host, Dana Gourrier, a little better.

2:37 — Dana boils herself down in a nutshell as strong artist and shares the magical moment when you feel connected to the material you’re acting.

3:37 — One of Dana’s favorite things about acting is to one day be able to take everything she’s learned and transition into directing. This leads into the discussion Jenny and Dana are about to have with Lee Daniels, who directed Dana in the United States Vs. Billie Holiday.

4:09 — Jenny Curtis introduces Lee Daniels and welcomes him to the show.

4:34 — Lee Daniels discusses where he found his creative spark. For him, it began with when he watched Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at six years old. He describes the feeling of almost leaving his body as he imagined himself as Cinderella, and began directing his cousins and siblings.

6:06 — Lee describes discovering the theater section of his library at eight years old. He pulled out “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” took it home and began directing his family in the parts.

7:29 — Dana asks if Lee felt a connection to his fellow high schoolers in theater. Like Dana, Lee felt some of that connection in high school, but he discovered a deeper comradery in the first few years of college theatre.

9:30 — Lee talks about always having been in entertainment and knowing from a young age that’s what he wanted to do.

9:58 — Lee had no money, lied to his mom about still being in college, and hopped on a bus to Los Angeles. He was homeless, living in the back of a church, and began directing small theatre projects. Some people get afraid of being a nomad, he wasn’t.

12:30 — Lee speaks about how he fell into owning his own at home nursing care agency.

13:56 — Lee shares how getting very rich young lead him down a path of using drugs. He went through a period of watching and holding many friends as they died and he attributes those experiences to where the depth of his creative work comes from.

16:06 — Lee talks about his abrupt transition of selling his nursing agency to become a production assistant for one of his nursing client’s son.

17:50 — Lee says that his work has been driven by honesty. He believes that his honest an true connection with the crew and actors shows in the work he creates.

18:08 — Dana and Lee talk about her role in the United States Vs. Billie Holiday and what it’s like being on one of Lee Daniel’s sets. Dana calls Lee an actor’s director.

22:00 — Lee addresses situations on set that now in hindsight he understands were feelings of prejudice against him and racism. At the time he wanted to believe the best of everyone, but recent events made him see those actions against him differently. He feels he had a lot of blinders on with people being prejudice against him for his race, because he was so focused on the discrimination and abuse he’d endured for being gay.

25:00 — Lee talks about working with up and coming actors. He loves working with first time actors because they really trust you as the director. A lot of actors are jaded by directors and editors who haven’t been able to capture the magic of their work when they are bringing their all.

29:24 — Lees speaks about a scene in the United States Vs. Billie Holiday the took a little more work to capture the magic.

32:05 — Lee opens up about the United States Vs Billie Holiday being the first film he directed completely sober. He believed it was important to respect Billie Holiday and their shared substance issues by abstaining and starting his own journey of recovery.

36:38 — Lee admits to second guessing his directorial choices more when sober.

38:23 — Lee explains the development process of the United States Vs. Billie Holiday.

42:28 — Lee speaks about confronting issues of racism in this country being a part of the spirit of the film. He had an awakening in the editing room as racism came to the forefront of the news cycle in America.

44:39 — The conversation pivots to discussing Lee Daniel’s films the Paperboy and Monsters Ball.

49:08 — Lee talks about how the United States Vs. Billie Holiday was shot on film with the intention of it being shown on the big screen. He’s grateful that Hulu is running the film, but he will miss being in a theatre and around people experiencing the film for the first time.

51:09 — Lee shares what it means to him to have a life in storytelling. He doesn’t know of another way to exist.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Executive Producer: Stuart Halperin

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 01, 2021

00:50:12

In honor of Women's History Month, we are re-issuing one of our favorite episodes: our conversation with prolific producer Stacey Sher; An incredible career retrospective, hosted by Jenny Curtis with special guest co-host Dana Gourrier. In a conversation focused on connection, passion, and the love of filmmaking, we hear stories and advice from Stacey and Dana.

Episode Topics:

• The introductions of our co-host and guest. We learn that in this special, we are joined by actress Dana Gourrier, who has previously worked with our guest for this episode, producer Stacey Sher.

• Stacey discusses her current life at home during Quarantine

• Dana describes what Stacey’s producing style is from her perspective, having worked with her on and .Django Unchained The Hateful Eight

• Starting at the beginning, Stacey explains her college years and how she ended up at USC.

• Stacey describes how she ended up with her first two credits ( and ) and the importance of getting to know your peers.Adventures in BabysittingHeartbreak Hotel

• Stacey talks about working repeatedly with talented people, treating people well, and connecting people in the industry.

• Stacey discusses a crossroad in her life and how she ended up at Jersey Films.

• Stacey talks about films being ahead of their time, such as and and receiving a revised review from Roger Ebert.Gattaca Reality Bites,

• Stacey discusses how Erin Brockovich came to be and the journey in getting the movie made.

• The conversation turns to and Stacey explains how the movie was born in passion and belief in Zach Braff’s vision.Garden State

• Stacey explains how all films are “your baby”, feelings on how a film is received, and reveals a comment from Quentin Tarantino that stuck with her through her career.

• The conversation moves to what was expected in this current pandemic, and what they could not have predicted.Contagion,

• Jenny and Dana discuss how they’ve been connected previously and how that connection includes Stacey.

• Stacey reveals that she doesn’t have a formula for her career, and how belief and love for what you do is the only way to survive in the industry.

• Stacey discusses still not having an ending while the shoot was in progress, and her “mind-meld” relationship with Tarantino.Django Unchained

• Stacey discusses treating the filmmaking team as partners and working together as a team and reveals how constraints can inspire new ideas.

• Dana and Stacey remember struggling to shoot with a lack of snow and other challenges on set.

• The conversation moves to and the incredible story being told in the upcoming series, the motivation behind the creation of the story, the amazing cast and crew and the environment on set.Mrs. America

• Stacey discusses the similar approach to film vs series.

• When asked which moment she would re-live from her career, Stacey gives an array of inspiring, moving, funny stories from set.

• Stacey describes feelings and behavior after wrapping a shoot.

• Stacey closes the episode describing the challenges, the passion, and what the love of filmmaking really is.

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Learn more about Hollywood Unscripted: https://www.curtco.com/hollywoodunscripted

Host & Producer: Jenny Curtis

Executive Producer: Stuart Halperin

Music By: Celleste & Eric Dick