Hosted by acting coach/writer/producer Douglas Nyback, The DNA Podcast gives audiences access to the intimate and intense conversations he has with actors as they strive to grow as artists and individuals through various stages of their careers. Artists are always ”in process” and this show puts you in the middle of it.
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#16 Carson MacCormac - The Thoughtful, Philosophical, and Talented Star of the Hit Film “Clown in a Cornfield"
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1:04:30Carson MacCormac is no stranger to success in the world of feature film. Since his early days in the wildly popular DC “SHAZAAM!” franchise, he’s been working at an extremely high level. He’s now entering the horror genre in a big way with the release of the highly successful “Clown in a Cornfield”. Carson has always been a fascinating guy to me. H…
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#15 Laura Afelskie - Rising Star of Netflix’s “BET”
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1:13:35In this episode of The DNA Podcast I have the pleasure of chatting with Laura Afelskie. Laura is a journeyman actor with a long list of credits to her name despite her young age. She’s had her fair share of hardships and in spite of that has already accomplished a LOT. Now she’s on the cusp of the release of her first major Netflix Series: BET—A li…
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#14 Eliana Jones - Bold, Hilarious, Fierce, Gorgeous, and Taking The Industry by Storm
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1:08:21Eliana Jones is a force. You may have seen her on any of her high profile shows—Hemlock Grove, Trick VR Treat, Northern Rescue—and if you haven’t you’ll be seeing her soon, bet on it. A frequent collaborator with Eli Roth, Eliana is as at home in the horror genre as she is in Jered Keeso’s hit comedy “Shoresy”. She’s whip smart, cutting, abrasive, …
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#13 Shaun Benson - A Messy, Recovering, Imperfect, and Fearless Life in Acting
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1:18:15Shaun Benson is a very special guy to a lot of people. To me, he’s someone who—even if he didn’t know it at the time—was a lighthouse for me during a very challenging time in my life. He’s an incredible actor who has been working in the industry for decades—on projects like The Boys, Billy The Kid, Mayans M.C., Gangland Undercover—a brilliant Meisn…
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#12 Camille Stopps - Presence, Passion, and Devotion to Training
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1:12:37In episode 12 of the DNA Podcast we have the profoundly talented actress, Camille Stopps, in the studio. You’ll see it immediately, but Camille is a bastion for human connection in a disconnected world. She is thoughtful, emotional, passionate, and dedicated in equal measure. This conversation was such a delight for me because to pull the thread of…
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#11 Julia Schneider - Industry Advice From a Leading Agent
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1:01:34In this Episode of the DNA Podcast I’m—for the first time ever on the pod—chatting with an agent! Ambition Talent’s own Julia Schneider has been at this for nearly two decades. She’s fiercely intelligent, kind, concise, and ruthless when needed. She also cares very deeply about every creative on her roster and as such has a deep understanding of th…
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#10 Carolina Bartczak - Becoming a Leading Lady
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1:08:03In our 10th episode of The DNA Podcast I sit down with Leading Lady, Carolina Bartczak. Carolina has been a client, collaborator, and friend for over a decade and through that time I’ve watched her become one of the world’s leading talents. Now, she likely wouldn’t say that, she’s too humble. But if you take a look at her resume you will see her wo…
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#9 Trevor Tordjman - Adaptability in the industry: “You Gotta Be Water, You Gotta Embrace The Times”
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1:02:27In this episode of The DNA Podcast I step into the orbit of the truly charismatic, intelligent, talented, and kind Trevor Tordjman. When I first met Trevor I thought “this has to be a bit, nobody can be this genuinely engaging and charismatic”…well, turns out he is. Trevor is one of the most passionate gents I know, he loves performance, he’s alrea…
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#8 Aris Athanasopoulos - Character Creation: A deep dive into the Laban-Malmgren Acting Method
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1:06:37In this episode of The DNA Podcast I sit down with Aris Athanasopoulos, who is an acting teacher and performer I greatly admire. I seldom find a coach I feel 100% comfortable sending my clients and peers to and Aris is one of them. In this episode we dive deep into the Character Creation technique he teaches, rooted in the Laban-Malmgren System of …
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#7 Anna Hopkins - Showing your true heart to the audience
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59:33In this episode of The DNA Podcast I have the pleasure of talking with my dear friend and client, Anna Hopkins. Anna has been a prolific actor for years, working non-stop in projects like Shadowhunters, The Expanse, Letterkenny, Barney’s Version, Arrow, and Bad Blood (to just name a few). We talk about her journey as an actor, getting rejected from…
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#6 Jon McLaren - Is acting for video games the coolest job modern actors can get?
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1:01:54In this episode of The DNA Podcast I chat with the profoundly talented Jon McLaren. Jon is a leading man best known for his work as Star-Lord in the hugely successful Guardians of the Galaxy video game. I met him working on a feature I co-wrote, produced, and co-starred in and it was immediately apparent from his auditions that he was on a whole ot…
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#5 Kelly Shaw - At the crossroads between dance and acting
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1:00:07In this episode of The DNA Podcast, I sit down with the remarkable Kelly Shaw, a lifelong dancer who is making her mark in the world of acting for the first time. We dive into her journey as an artist, exploring how her background in dance has influenced her approach to acting, the challenges she’s faced, and the exciting discoveries she’s made alo…
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#4 Julie Nolke - Being funny in an unfunny industry
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1:01:10In this episode of the DNA Podcast, I chat with the multi-talented Julie Nolke — actor, writer, comedian, and YouTuber extraordinaire. Julie is pulling network sitcom numbers with her hilarious and relatable YouTube content and we explore everything from her rise to success to the challenges of navigating the digital landscape vs the traditional fi…
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#3 Amalia Willamson - Is the “it” factor real and what it means to be a series lead
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56:57In this episode of The DNA Podcast, I sit down with the incredibly talented Amalia Williamson—actor, writer, and director known for her roles in Sullivan's Crossing and Northern Rescue. Amalia shares her inspiring journey into the world of acting, the challenges she’s faced along the way, and what it truly means to "make it" in the entertainment in…
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#2 Jordan Clark - What it's like to be on the edge of life changing opportunity
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52:00In episode 2 of The DNA Podcast, I sit down with Jordan Clark. Jordan is an incredible actor and dancer known for starring in over 100 episodes of the #TheNextStep. She is also the winner of #SYTYCD Canada Season 4. In this episode, we chat about how Jordan got into performing, how she is auditioning more than almost anyone else out there (and the …
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Bonus Episode - Dealing With Rejection As An Actor
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21:15You're going to be rejected FAR MORE than you will book as an actor. This is one of those realities I knew going in and thought I was prepared for. But after two decades in the industry all those tiny losses have taken their toll. Every actor needs coping mechanisms and this solo episode is a candid and vulnerable view into the harmful ways I've co…
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#1 Alexandra Chaves - Is an actor’s life worth the suffering?
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42:16In the very first episode of The DNA Podcast, I chat with the extremely talented actor and dancer Alexandra Chaves, known for the hit shows #TheNextStep and #GeekGirl. Listen along as we talk about validation, booking work, and the endurance required to succeed in this industry. FOLLOW ALEXANDRA: @alexandrachaves…
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