Off Duty Actors

Rachel Di Renzo

Imagine this: you're having a bloody great yap about the acting industry with your mate. You exchange ideas, tips, insights, stories, successes, fails and suddenly? You realise there's no such thing as an expiration date. Listen in for a sneak peak into the film industry and the hustle of actors, writers, directors, producers, agents, casting directors and more. Welcome to the Off Duty Actors pod hosted by Rachel Di Renzo.

  1. Darren Raymond : Exploring The Power of Shakespeare Through Intermission Youth Theatre in London

    11 HRS AGO

    Darren Raymond : Exploring The Power of Shakespeare Through Intermission Youth Theatre in London

    Welcome to Off Duty Actors! I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing The Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Intermission Youth Theatre, Darren Raymond. Darren was announced as a recipient of the 2025 Sam Wanamaker Award, presented by Shakespeare’s Globe in London. This prestigious award recognises individuals who have made pioneering contributions to Shakespearean Theatre, bringing understanding and enjoyment through Shakespeare’s works. It’s cited that Darren was awarded for nearly 20 years of life-changing work, specifically through Intermission Youth, which is an organisation dedicated giving young people the tools and opportunity to make positive choices, to become the best version of themselves through theatre and Shakespeare.  We chat about Darren’s early life growing up in East London, what lead him to discover Shakespeare, how he was randomly (was it random or by design?) cast in Othello, and how touring the UK and making meaningful connections lead him to Intermission Youth. In his work, Darren challenges the status quo, and his plays delve into the experiences and challenges faced by people from the African and Caribbean diaspora. I lead a comedy writing workshop for Intermission back in London and I was apart of a mentorship program; I can confidently say that both of those experiences were incredible opportunities to teach really smart, invested and creative young people valuable skills. The environment Darren and his team have fostered is one of connection, artistic expression and inclusion. So please enjoy this important and beautiful conversation with Darren Raymond.  You can check out Intermission Youth Theatre here: https://www.intermissionyouththeatre.co.uk/  Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo, music is One Woman Band by Grace Mesa and sourced from Premium Beat. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    46 min
  2. Actor Poppy Gilbert : On-Set Endurance & The Nuance of ‘When You Stop People Pleasing, People Stop Being Pleased’

    5 FEB

    Actor Poppy Gilbert : On-Set Endurance & The Nuance of ‘When You Stop People Pleasing, People Stop Being Pleased’

    Welcome to an infectious episode of Off Duty Actors featuring actor Poppy Gilbert! You may know this dazzling redhead from My Oxford Year (Netflix), The Catch (Prime), My Week with Macy alongside Joanna Lumley. Last year she returned to The Globe Theatre to portray Desdemona in OTHELLO and you’ll see her in The Other Bennet Sister (Coming March 2026), where she plays the iconic Lizzie Bennet. Poppy’s career is absolutely one to watch, as is the musical production she’s currently starring in, Fly By, written and directed by Theo James, which makes its world premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough this April - May (tickets linked below). We chat about her early career moves, performing Shakespeare at The Globe, finding her agent and landing her first job out of drama school on Call the Midwife. Poppy opens up about the challenges of being away on set, the intricacies of setting boundaries at work as an actor and shares wonderful insight into her character building process. She also talks candidly about balancing that niggling feeling of imposter syndrome with the grounding belief of “I deserve to be here.” Bloody oath, this one is a jam-packed episode. All in all, Poppy is an absolute joy to chat with. Her hard work and professionalism are evident, while she still carries a beautiful lightness into the job. Please enjoy this episode with the stunning Poppy Gilbert.  Fly By: 3 April - 16 May in London  https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/flyby/ Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo, music is One Woman Band by Grace Mesa and sourced from Premium Beat. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    46 min
  3. Lainy Boyle : London based Actor and Casting Studio Owner On Releasing Expectations and Owning Your Audition Experience

    29 JAN

    Lainy Boyle : London based Actor and Casting Studio Owner On Releasing Expectations and Owning Your Audition Experience

    Welcome to Off Duty Actors! If you’re an actor living in London, you’re gonna wanna listen to this episode featuring the lovely Lainy Boyle. You might recognise her from shows such as The Good Ship Murder, 3 Body Problem, Maternal, Casualty and the upcoming mini series Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood. But if you’re an actor, you’d know her friendly face soothing your nerves in a casting at Observatory Studios. Lainy and her husband Nigel took over running the infamous Observatory Studios, in London’s Soho in 2023, a casting studio that books spaces for casting directors from the UK and all over the world. I had the pleasure of working and learning from Lainy at the studios while I was living in London and if there’s one thing we can both attest to; working at a casting studio really does change the way you approach auditions. We chat about the decision to take over Observatory studios, what it’s like being two actors with children who also run a business and how Lainy approaches her acting career with a no gatekeeping and no expectations approach. We relive some of the most hilarious and daunting casting situations, plus some stories and casting goss (no names obviously) from the studio that we’ve witnessed which turned out to be great learning experiences. We chat about being a creative in the school environment, the reality of being cut from the edit in TV shows and movies, the REAL reason you may not be cast in something and how to have a f**king great time in your audition. So please enjoy this episode with the lovely Lainy Boyle. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo, music is One Woman Band by Grace Mesa and sourced from Premium Beat. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    47 min
  4. Yapper Board: Golden Globes Nominees & Winners Review, Oscars Predictions, Why Hamnet Ruined Us! Frankenstein & Wuthering Heights, Film Industry Trends and How Heated Rivalry is Moving The Needle

    23 JAN

    Yapper Board: Golden Globes Nominees & Winners Review, Oscars Predictions, Why Hamnet Ruined Us! Frankenstein & Wuthering Heights, Film Industry Trends and How Heated Rivalry is Moving The Needle

    Your favourite Creative Producer + Actor duo are back to yap. This week on Off Duty Actors: Yapper Board Sessions, we’re diving headfirst into Frankenstein, dipping our toes into Wuthering Heights (we’re in our Jacob Elordi Era) Marty Supreme, Heated Rivalry, The Housemaid, awards season chaos, and the full-blown trauma-bonding cinematic experience that is Hamnet. Welcome back, happy 2026. How are we holding up? More importantly… how are we holding up after Hamnet? Did you bring tissues, or did you convince yourself you’d be fine? (Adorable. Incorrect.) In this episode, we unpack the cinema experience of Frankenstein (and ask the very serious question: why on earth was this dumped on streaming?) with wildly different takes from both sides of the mic. The Housemaid gets its moment (why on earth did this get a cinema release?) but Amanda Seyfried saves the day, secures Rachel’s undying devotion, and reminds us what movie-star performances look like. Brooke breaks down Marty Supreme and what to expect from the Safdie brothers’ signature chaos: does it live up to the hype, the marketing blitz, and Timothée Chalamet’s alleged six years of ping-pong prep? Then, speaking of sports we know absolutely nothing about, we deliver a glowing review of Heated Rivalry and unpack how a TV show about two gay hockey players can genuinely move culture. Episode Five, last ten minutes. If you know, you know. Finally, we emotionally spiral (again) as we relive the Hamnet experience: Chloé Zhao’s direction, Jessie Buckley’s devastating, guttural performance, and why Paul Mescal’s quiet, restrained Shakespeare may have been exactly what this film needed. Bring back cinema, because watching Hamnet in a packed theatre surrounded by strangers simultaneously experiencing genuine human connection might just restore your faith in humanity. So settle in and enjoy our first Yapper Board episode of the Year of the Horse. 🎬 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo and Brooke Lagana. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    45 min
  5. Yapper Board: Christmas Movies, I Love LA, Bugonia & Unhinged Female Leads | Have Christmas Films Lost Their Magic & What Does Netflix buying Warner Brothers Mean For Hollywood & The Film Industry

    19/12/2025

    Yapper Board: Christmas Movies, I Love LA, Bugonia & Unhinged Female Leads | Have Christmas Films Lost Their Magic & What Does Netflix buying Warner Brothers Mean For Hollywood & The Film Industry

    In this episode of Yapper Board, actor and ODA host Rachel Di Renzo and creative producer Brooke Lagana discuss the success and standout artistry of Bugonia, the idea of female leads being “unlikable,” The Beast in Me (and the heavy breathing we all noticed), and (how could we not) the Netflix acquisition of Warner Brothers, which we distilled into two succinct paragraphs so we can accurately understand what this means for the film industry. I Love LA joins the conversation, along with our thoughts on how we’re all just hoping and waiting for the next Girls. We also chat about Christmas films, the old vs. the new and ask, where has the magic gone? We hope this episode can bring you some joy as we grieve the devastation and loss that took place in Bondi last weekend. Our thoughts are with the families of loved ones who passed, and we stand with the Jewish community during this time of unimaginable devastation. We’re also thinking of our Bondi community, which Brooke and I were a part of for many years. Below are some helplines for anyone who may be struggling: We Are Stronger Together: Pledge Support for Jewish Australians LifeLine Beyond Blue 13 YARN on 13 92 76 Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 Headspace on 1800 650 890 ReachOut SANE on 1800 187 263

    45 min
  6. Bite Sized Bits: Kate Winter on her Short Film 'Ortolan'

    16/12/2025 · BONUS

    Bite Sized Bits: Kate Winter on her Short Film 'Ortolan'

    Welcome to Bite Sized Bits! The segments of the Off Duty Actors Episodes that deserved their own ‘bit’ even though they didn’t make the original cut. This section is from Kate Winter’s Episode, which I highly recommend listening to if you haven’t already. We go in-depth on Kate’s short film ‘Ortolan’, about the inspiration, the on-set experience, not working with dickheads, the festival run and the process of developing this proof of concept short film into a feature. You can watch the exceptional short film below, but for now, please enjoy this Bite Size Bit with Kate Winter. Ortolan Screener Link: https://vimeo.com/891773397 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    24 min
  7. Actor, Writer & Voice Over Artist Kate Winter : On Resilience and Listening to that Inner Voice that says 'Keep Going'

    11/12/2025

    Actor, Writer & Voice Over Artist Kate Winter : On Resilience and Listening to that Inner Voice that says 'Keep Going'

    Welcome to Off Duty Actors. This episode is brought to you by two very excitable yet relaxed actors on a girls trip by the beach for the weekend, infused with the promise of oysters and afternoon naps. I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing actor, writer and voice over artist Kate Winter on the ODA podcast and it was a bloody treat. You might know Kate from when she ran her theatre company Verbatim Theatre in London, or from shows such as The Witcher or That’s What She Said and you’ve definitely heard her beautiful voice on games such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard or The Alters… And you’ll soon know her from a very exciting Aussie show that she’s just been cast in, but we’re not allowed to talk about that one… Yet (so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement!) Kate is one of those people that always has a fascinating, always slightly shocking, story to tell and her career journey as an actor is no exception. We chat about Kate’s introduction to rejection and how one Casting Director had the audacity to basically tell her she would never make it in this industry. We talk about creating your own work, about her adventurous childhood, finding your creative community and persevering when rejection slaps you in the face again and again. We talk about Kate’s short film Ortolan (screener link is below) and there will be a ‘Bite Sized Bit’ episode where we go in-depth about the experience of making this short film, film festival circuits and plans for the feature film, so you can look forward to that episode release soon. Ortolan Screener Link: https://vimeo.com/891773397 So please enjoy this very lively and vocally delightful chat with the exquisite Kate Winter. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo, music is One Woman Band by Grace Mesa and sourced from Premium Beat. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    48 min
  8. Bite Sized Bits : Alice Brittain on Your Audition Room Energy

    10/12/2025 · BONUS

    Bite Sized Bits : Alice Brittain on Your Audition Room Energy

    Off Duty Actors presents the bits of conversation that were left on the cutting room floor, but are so so worth hearing. Please enjoy this Bite Sized Bits episode with Actress and Casting Assistant Alice Brittain. I recommend listening to Alice’s whole episode, but here’s a little bit that didn’t make the final ep! Alice has worked for multiple Casting Directors in London as a Casting Assistant, Camera Operator or Reader and has seen what works in the room and what doesn’t. She gave us some nuggets of wisdom when it comes to matching energy in the audition room, filming self tapes and what casting really are looking for. So please enjoy this Bite Sized Bit with Alice Brittain. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok, this episode is available on Spotify, iTunes and Substack. Hosted by Rachel Di Renzo, music is One Woman Band by Grace Mesa and sourced from Premium Beat. Like, subscribe and share if it tickles your fancy. This podcast is brought to you by me, Rachel Di Renzo, actor, screenwriter, producer and now, podcaster. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for listening to Off Duty Actors, now go make the thing.

    12 min
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About

Imagine this: you're having a bloody great yap about the acting industry with your mate. You exchange ideas, tips, insights, stories, successes, fails and suddenly? You realise there's no such thing as an expiration date. Listen in for a sneak peak into the film industry and the hustle of actors, writers, directors, producers, agents, casting directors and more. Welcome to the Off Duty Actors pod hosted by Rachel Di Renzo.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Di Renzo
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Di Renzo
  • Show Website
    Off Duty Actors