Jen Ponton is an actor, writer, and creator who seeks to make others laugh while also remaining true to her values as a queer fat activist. You may have seen her work on AMC's Dietland, The Unbreakable Jimmy Schmidt, Orange is the New Black, Love on the Run, or her new highly anticipated recurring role on Three Women opposite Shailene Woodley and Betty Gilpin. Recently, she wrote and produced a TikTok social media horror event called Caretaker. In this episode, I sit down with Jen to talk about her experience creating that film, what inspired her to make content specifically for social media, her transition from theater to film, and how loving herself completely changed her acting career for the better.

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

00:12 — Intro

04:30 — Jen's TED Talk, MG, and the Spoon Theory

08:32 — Fatphobia in Theater vs. Film/TV

15:11 — Film/TV Casting Type Change

19:45 — What Could We Do Better

22:11 — Eating Disorders + Social Media

24:52 — Stopping the Pursuit of Thinness

28:03 — Body Positivity and Acting

32:22 — "Love on the Run", "Dietland", & "Deadbeat"

36:37 — Acting Classes

40:46 — Caretaker Film

59:10 — Making Your Own Content for Social Media

1:06:13 — Where to Find Jen

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Jen's Instagram
• Jen's IMDb
• Jen's Professional Website
• Follow @caretakerfilm on Instagram
• Follow @capemaycaretaker a #HorrorTok on TikTok
• Listen to Jen's TED Talk: "Hollywood's Fatphobia Problem"
• Learn More about MG - Myasthenia Gravis
• Learn More about the Spoon Theory
• "Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia" by Sabrina Strings
• Hollywood’s Secret New Weight Loss Drug, Revealed: The Hype and Hazards of Ozempic by Matt Donnelly
• The BGB Studio

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

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And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Melanie A. Ragone started her career in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Production Assistant before moving into the Grip department. Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of feature films and television productions, including The Walking Dead, Love Simon, Captain America, Sleepy Hollow, The Hate U Give, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2018, to pursue producing and directing. She has since launched a Kickstarter for her new book, "Below the Line", giving women on film crews a survival guide filled with all of the information Melanie wishes she had when she was first starting out.

Melanie's kickstarter ends April 8th and it is almost 50% funded. Let's give our crew some love and help publish this survival guide that we could all learn something from!

00:12 — Episode Intro and "Below the Line" Kickstarter

03:30 — Living in a Man's World & Putting Herself Out There

05:52 — What a Grip is & What They Do

08:47 — The Best Boy Grip and Below the Line Set Hierarchy

11:13 — Working Up the Crew Ladder

15:31 — Day Player for Crew

17:07 — Being a Female on Crew

20:12 — Breaking Down a Typical Day

24:18 — Union (IATSE) Sets vs. Nonunion Sets

28:42 — What Actors Need to Know About Crew

31:05 — Melanie's Volvo Oscars Commercial

37:30 — Tips for Working Crew

43:25 — Scheduling Time for Ourselves

48:15 — What Keeps Melanie Going

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Melanie's IMDb
• Contribute to "Below the Line" by Melanie A. Ragone Kickstarter

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Back in December 2022, I was asked to join The Financial Diet YouTube channel to talk about my experience as a working actor in Los Angeles. I am a long time fan of theirs, and jumped at the chance to be real about living paycheck to paycheck in a city with an incredibly high cost of living. We sat down and got honest about it all: rejection in the industry, nepo babies, and the financial realities of the Hollywood dream. Today's ⏮️REWIND⏮️ is just a small snippet of the whole collaboration, so be sure to check out the full video with The Financial Diet to hear all Chelsea Fagan and I had to say!

— Financial Realities of the Working Class Actor

— Agents, Managers, and The 10% Cut

— SAG-AFTRA Dues

— Auditions & Money: Coaching, Wardrobe, Hair, Makeup, Nails

— Accepting Rejection & Criticism

— Nepo Babies & Socioeconomic Privilege

— What Being On TV + Film Actually Pays

— Why Actors Leave

— Being an Entrepreneur

— Motherhood and Women in Hollywood

— Social Media and Actors

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Watch the Full Video on The Financial Diet's YouTube!
• Listen to the Financial Confessions Podcast Episode
• Sydney Sweeney Shares She Doesn’t Have Enough Money to Take a Break from Acting, Talks Salary
• Jennifer Aniston Has Spoken Out About The "Hurtful" Assumptions That She "Chose Career Over Kids"

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Today I wanted to share a little bit of my thoughts on the recent Casting Director controversy, as well as fact check my old blog post from 2018. Titled, "Little Acting Admin Tasks We Forget About", this is a blog I wrote about actor homework given to me at the time by my then-coach Brian Patacca. It was all based around making sure I had everything up-to-date and accurate on my end, to make it easier for casting and reps to find me. But a lot has changed in these 5 years, and the things we have to do now to keep up may not be the same as they were. So join me as I fact check myself and see what I got right and what I disagree with now.

00:00 — Intro 01:05 — The Casting Director Self Tape Controversy 06:33 — Reacting to My Blog 08:20 — "Little Acting Admin Tasks We Forget About" 11:30 — Task #1 16:23 — Task #2 17:30 — Task #3 18:00 — Task #4 22:50 — Final Reflections

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Little Actor Admin Tasks We Forget About
• Deadline Article: "SAG-AFTRA Scolds Casting Offices For Charging For Audition Tapes: “It Is An Optical And Ethical Disaster” by Lynette Rice and David Robb
• Request Credits from IMDb
• Backstage 2012 Article: Casting Workshop Crackdown by Dan Holloway
• OBA 10.5 -  Actor, Comedian, and Improv Queen Dana Powell on How the Pandemic Changed the Game
• Watch the Full-Length Video Podcast Here

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

I just had a week that was, objectively, very good. I was productive, got to go to an in-person callback audition for an indie film, and was put on avail for a national commercial. All in all, major wins, right? In hindsight, I can say yes. But in the moment, I was absolutely devastated. It was hard for me to see what I had accomplished because I had so many negative emotions and thoughts swirling around in my mind. And that is so common in the actor world, where we ricochet back and forth alongside the peaks and valleys of this career. So I walk you through what I did to bring me back to myself again after losing my way. If you've gone through something similar, let me know what you do in moments like these!

00:11 — Recap of My Week: Auditions, Callbacks, and On Avail 4:00 — Being in "That Place" 5:34 — Friday 9:37 — Saturday 23:30 — Sunday 24:38 — Monday 25:55 — Wrap-Up

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• 9.5 - Gabrielle Byndloss: Marvel Actress Based in ATL
• Follow Gabrielle on IG
• BRICK Los Angeles
• Watch the Full-Length Video Podcast Here

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Seth Caskey, CSA, is on the podcast to share his thoughts on casting in 2023. He has worked with Elizabeth Barnes, CSA, since 2015 and has been involved with the Emmy-nominated Netflix series GLOW, What/If, Siren and Blood & Treasure. Seth is known as an "actor's casting director" and is always looking for ways to help support actors and creators in the film industry. This is also the first time that I've ever had a casting director on who just booked me, and we talk about the audition process for that project as well as the differences between casting theatrically vs. commercially, casting director workshops, and how actors can develop good working relationships with casting directors.

00:11 — Episode Intro 02:28 — Welcoming Seth to the Podcast 03:02 — Casting Commercials + Building Connections 07:40 — Commercials vs. TV Series 14:18 — Dummy Sides + Self Tapes 17:35 — The Structure of a Casting Office 19:40 — Actor Red Flags 23:57 — Make Casting Remember You 30:45 — AD: Olive & June Giveaway + Discount Code ⭐︎Visit oliveandjune.com/broke20 for 20% off your first full system⭐︎ 32:57 — Building a Lifelong Career 36:38 — Casting Director Workshops 46:02 — Follow-up Emails 49:06 — 2023 Hollywood: Writer's Strike, Pilot Seasons, + Quiet Time 55:30 — Where to Find Seth

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Seth Caskey, CSA, Casting + Coaching Website
• Seth Caskey Instagram
• Seth Caskey IMDb
• Seth's Links
• Watch the full-length video podcast here
• Casting Director's Cut on the Numbering System 

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Rus Garofalo is teaming up with One Broke Actress to get rid of all the mystery behind taxes for creative professionals. When taxes come around, I know I get really stressed out with the dozens of W-2's and 1099's and what to write off and what not to write off and... it can be a lot. That's why Rus founded Brass Taxes, and why he continues to seek out team members who empathize with and can understand the hurdles that working actors, freelancers, and artists go through. So if you've ever had questions about what you should do to prep for your next tax return, this is for you.

⭐️ Use Code ONEBROKEACTRESS50 for $50 off your taxes this year!

00:11 — Episode Intro 02:49 — The Problem with Soundbite Financial Information 06:17 — What Started Brass Taxes 13:17 — The Lack of Education on Taxes 16:41 — Taxes + Creative Freedom 19:40 — How Creatives Should Prepare for Taxes 21:48 — What Defines a "Business" + Expense Tracking Tips 31:03 — Receipts + Redefining "Audit" 35:17 — H&R Block, TurboTax, and Freelancers 38:27 — Dealing with Tax Unpredictability 41:45 — 1099 General Rules 45:35 — Hiring Tax Pros + Downfalls of the Financial Industry 54:48 — Where to Find Rus

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Brass Taxes Website
• The Brass Taxes Podcast
• The Brass Taxes Team
• Join the email list to grab the Brass Taxes' documents (email assistant@onebrokeactress.com if you missed it!)
• Watch the full-length video podcast here

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

The one, the only, Caleb Ellis finally comes onto the podcast for a very special Valentine's Day episode. A prolific writer, cellist, fitness coach, and ex-actor, Caleb has been with me since day one. After nearly 10 years together in Los Angeles, we answer listener-provided questions all about our relationship. We cover the essentials of communication, dealing with bookings and time apart, intimacy scenes, the ups and downs of dating an actor, and how mutual respect is at the center of it all.

00:11 — Welcoming Caleb to the Podcast! 02:30 — Caleb's Backstory 03:50 — What Changed After Choosing Writing over Acting 07:05 — Managing Time As a Multi-Hyphenate 09:08 — Sharing Space + Meeting Needs in Our Home 14:41 — Relationship Communication 18:05 — Advice for Dating an Actor as a Non-Actor 21:45 — Being Your Actor's Reader for Self-Tapes 26:27 — AD:  ⭐️brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">Sign up for Brian's Free Webinar:  ⭐️ 28:10 — Dealing with Nerves + Sharing Worlds 32:54 — Handling Disruptive Auditions 35:10 — Advice for Dating a Non-Actor as an Actor 36:55 — Self-Tape Tips 38:42 — Being Away from Your Partner 42:33 — Balancing Work + Love 50:00 — Intimacy Scenes and Jealousy 54:45 — Training Actors for Fitness 57:12 — Wrap-Up

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Caleb's Coaching Instagram
• Caleb's Gym, BRICK
• Our Book Recommendations
• "I Hear You" by Michael S. Sorensen

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Brian Patacca is BACK!

Brian is a personal coach for actors, helping them get what they want and achieve their goals without suffering. Known as the "Rep Whisperer", Brian uncovers the unspoken truths about actors and their representation. In this IGTV, we also discuss how important it is for actors to find fulfillment elsewhere while pursuing this career, and how confidence can come from both believing in yourself and finding reps who believe in you.

brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">Sign up for Brian's Free Webinar:

brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">February 21st, 2023 — 2pm PST/5pm EST

brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">February 23rd, 2023 — 11am PST/2pm EST

brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">February 25th, 2023 — 9am PST/12pm EST

02:32 — Who Brian Is + How We Met 08:07 — The Gatekeepers of the Industry + Dealing with Rejection 14:22 — Reps and the Actor's Confidence 19:33 — When to Look for an Agent and/or Manager 23:35 — Loyalty, Boundaries, and Business 30:16 — Communicating with Agents and Managers 39:36 — How to Get Started 44:25 — Finding Your "Type" 47:41 — Submitting Your Materials 51:32 — Agents vs. Managers 53:08 — Age and Agents 56:16 — Brian's Webinar and Where to Work with Him

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• brianpatacca.thrivecart.com/agentgoals-feb-23-bonus/62e2d2a6b237c/">Make Agents Want You
• Watch the Live IGTV here!
• One Broke Actress: 3.5, "Brian Patacca {Career Coach}"
• One Broke Actress: 4.11, "Live Coaching with Brian Patacca {Mike Schiff + Juliana Galofre}"
• One Broke Actress: 9.8 Sending Better Emails
• Follow Brian on Instagram
• Brian's Links

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more.

And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com

And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here.

Don't forget to join the mailing list here! 

Things are changing over at One Broke Actress. It's still hard to believe that we are on our 11th season — that I have done this podcast with you all for over 5 years. It's a journey that is ever-evolving and feels like it is just beginning. In 2023 and beyond, I see the One Broke Actress Podcast as more of Sam Valentine Podcast. I want to put more "me" into what we do here — from the Instagram, to the Patreon, to the YouTube, to the TikTok. So there's going to be a few changes going forward, and I want to walk you through them all together.

01:33 — Season 11 and Beyond 04:15 — Dismantling the "Influencer" 06:31 — Personal Growth 10:34  — Supporting the Podcast 13:11 — Future Episodes 14:19 — Running + Clarity

Be sure to leave a rating and review wherever you listen in! It really helps support the podcast. Spread the word to your friends and help support the small-yet-mighty female led team we have!

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Want more? Check out Patreon for bonus episodes, IG Close Friends content, and so much more. And don’t miss all the content on IG and as always at, OneBrokeActress.com And if you're needing some personalized help from Sam, you can schedule a chat with her right here. Don't forget to join the mailing list here!