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I am joined by Iryna Hordiienko, a Ukrainian immigrant, who shares her story of growing up in poverty and facing abuse in her family. She left Ukraine to escape the war and came to the UK in search of a better life. Iryna discusses the challenges she faced in getting to the UK and the anxiety she still feels about the war in her home country. Despite her difficult past, Iryna is determined to make the most of her new life and strives to make every moment count. Iryna shares her experiences of living in the UK and the challenges she faced in Ukraine. She discusses the differences in mentality between British and Ukrainian people, including politeness and the pace of life. Iryna also talks about her love for traveling and the difficulties of affording travel within the UK. She describes herself as motivated, driven, and sometimes naive. Iryna offers advice to Ukrainians who are settling in the UK, emphasizing the importance of learning English and not giving up.
Takeaways
Growing up in poverty and facing abuse in her family, Iryna Gordienko left Ukraine to escape the war and came to the UK in search of a better life.
The journey to the UK was challenging, but Iryna was determined to leave her past behind and make a fresh start.
Iryna still feels anxiety about the war in Ukraine and has nightmares about it, but she appreciates the safety and opportunities she has in the UK.
Despite her difficult past, Iryna is determined to make the most of her new life and strives to make every moment count. Living in the UK has been a positive experience for Iryna, who has found kind and helpful people.
The differences in mentality between British and Ukrainian people can be challenging, such as excessive politeness and a slower pace of life.
Iryna enjoys traveling and believes it is important to prioritize experiences over material possessions.
Learning English is crucial for a successful life in the UK, and Iryna encourages Ukrainians not to give up and to embrace the opportunities available.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Irina's Background and Journey
02:53 Childhood Struggles: Poverty, Bullying, and Violence
07:20 Comparing Ukraine and the UK: Perspectives on Living Conditions
11:34 Journey to the UK: Overcoming Language Barriers and Fear
22:27 Navigating the Challenges of Moving to a New Country
25:11 Cultural Differences: Politeness and Pace of Life
26:55 Adapting to the UK Mentality
28:18 Money Worries and Financial Struggles
34:31 Personal Growth and Positive Changes
35:43 Overcoming Bullying and Negative Experiences
38:47 Living in the Moment and Embracing the Future
41:13 Welcoming Immigrants and Embracing Diversity

Producer, Screenwriter and award winning actor, Scott Hamm Duenas who has a long resume including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Cobra Kai, General Hospital and more,  joined me to discuss his latest film, Final Wager, and his experience as an actor and producer. He talks about the natural progression from acting to producing and the challenges and rewards of both roles. The conversation also touches on his appearances in popular shows like Star Trek and Cobra Kai. Final Wager is a gambling movie set during Christmas, and while it doesn't have a specific message, it aims to be a fun and entertaining film. Scott emphasizes the importance of pursuing your dreams at any age and encourages listeners to check out his other films, Rebroken and The Stay.

Takeaways
The natural progression from acting to producing allows individuals to gain a different perspective and utilize their skills in new ways.
Final Wager is a gambling movie set during Christmas, aiming to be a fun and entertaining film.
Scott Hamm Duenas encourages listeners to pursue their dreams at any age and emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
Check out Scott's other films

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:26 From Acting to Producing: Scott's Journey in the Film Industry
03:46 The Impact of Cobra Kai: A Fan Base Phenomenon
06:53 Final Wager: Producing and Uncovering Unexpected Messages
12:29 Exploring 'Final Wager': Plot, Characters, and Challenges
24:27 The Holiday Movie Genre and the Message of 'Final Wager'
27:42 Working with the Cast and Crew
30:26 Pursuing Dreams: A Message of Inspiration
30:56 New Chapter
30:57 New Chapter 2
 Rebroken and The Stay, for more entertainment.

I welcomed back Ashton Solecki to discusses her role as Medora in the TV show Elkhorn and the character's complex motivations. She talks about the chemistry between the cast members and the strong bond they have. Ashton also shares her personal connection to the setting of the show, as she grew up near the real town of Medora. She highlights the importance of portraying historical characters with nuance and explores the love story between Medora and the Marquis. The conversation also touches on the power dynamics and tension between the characters in the show. In this part of the conversation, Ashton and Chris discuss the relationship between Medora and Rosie in the show Elkhorn. They speculate on why Medora takes an interest in Rosie and how their dynamic evolves throughout the season. They also talk about the challenges of filming in heavy costumes and the extreme weather conditions on set. Ashton shares her experience of understanding her character, Medora, and the growth she experienced as an actor during the filming process. In this final part of the conversation, Chris and Ashton discuss Chris's experience filming a torture scene and the challenges of becoming an overnight success in the entertainment industry. They also talk about the importance of enjoying the journey and not just focusing on the end goal. The conversation then takes a lighthearted turn as they share their impressions of various characters and discuss Ashton's upcoming projects. They end the conversation with a humorous discussion about Ashton's recent encounter with mice in her house.

Takeaways
The cast of Elkhorn has a strong bond and great chemistry.
Portraying historical characters requires nuance and understanding.
Medora and the Marquis have a complex love story.
The show explores power dynamics and tension between characters. The relationship between Madora and Rosie in Elkhorn is a central theme in the show.
Madora takes an interest in Rosie because she sees herself in her and wants to mentor her.
Filming in heavy costumes and extreme weather conditions was challenging for the cast.
Ashton gained a deeper understanding of her character, Madora, as she worked with the other actors on set.
Acting is a challenging career that requires dedication and perseverance. The entertainment industry can involve challenging and uncomfortable experiences, such as filming intense scenes like torture.
Becoming an overnight success often requires years of hard work and perseverance.
It's important to enjoy the journey and focus on doing good work, rather than solely chasing success.
Impressions can be a fun and impressive talent, but not everyone has the ability to do them.
Ashton has an upcoming project called 'The Darkness Returns,' which is a supernatural horror meets psychological thriller.
Ashton had a recent experience with mice in her house, which she handled with compassion and a catch-and-release approach.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Favorite Guest
01:30 Elkhorn and the Excitement of Release
05:00 Medora's Character and Historical Context
06:33 Chemistry with Jeff Fahey and Playing Off Each Other
08:00 Medora's Role as the Money and Love Story with the Marquis
09:39 Playing a Real Person and Finding Medora's Character
11:11 The Dinner Scene and Strong Personalities
12:58 Medora's Sweet Side and Love for Family
14:06 Balancing Social Acceptability and Inner Thoughts
15:29 Tension and Power Dynamics in the Show
21:29 Challenges of Filming in Heavy Costumes and Extreme Weather
25:19 Understanding and Developing the Character of Madora
29:06 The Rewards and Challenges of an Acting Career
36:51 Navigating Challenging Scenes and the Path to Success in the Entertainment Industry
38:57 Finding Joy in the Journey and Doing Good Work
41:01 Impressions and Upcoming Projects
48:38 Dealing...

I am joined by actor Elijha Mahar who discusses his character William Sewell in the TV show 'Roosevelt', as well as the dynamics between Sewell and Roosevelt. We talk about the importance of Sewell's stabilizing presence in Roosevelt's life and how Sewell guides him without telling him what to do. We also discuss the close-knit cast and the authenticity of the costumes and makeup. Elijha shares his takeaways from playing Sewell and encourages viewers to enjoy the show's wholesome and historically accurate retelling of one of America's greatest presidents.

Sound Bites
"I walk up to him, I look him right in the eyes like, that's it. I hold my axe up. No one carries an axe pull out his axe like, what's this guy got to do with an axe?"
"He misses his wife. He misses Mary. He wants, he starts to see people, you know, creating families and creating, you know, relationships here. And, you know, he, she's, she's like his rock, you know?"
"If you want my advice, I'll give it to you, but I'm not going to tell you what to do."
"Enjoy it, sit down, watch it. You can watch it with your kids. You can watch it with your grandparents. And, you know, it's going to be really fun."

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
01:52 Sewell's Backstory and Relationship with Roosevelt
05:46 Sewell's Reaction to the Wild West
06:36 Sewell's Role in the Divide Between the Working Class and the Affluent
07:55 Sewell's Physical Presence and Intimidation
08:51 Describing Sewell in Three Words
09:35 Sewell's Relationship with Other Characters
10:40 Challenges in Portraying Sewell
11:38 Researching Sewell's Background
12:35 Creating Sewell's Physical Presence
14:00 Sewell's Loneliness and Missing His Wife
16:21 Sewell's Strengths and Weaknesses
17:12 Sewell's Loneliness and Missing His Wife
18:08 Sewell's Relationship with Roosevelt
19:18 The Role of Sewell in Guiding Roosevelt
20:56 The Close-Knit Cast and Crew of 'Roosevelt'
22:52 Challenges of Filming in Heavy Costumes and Hot Weather
36:13 The Influence of Playing Sewell on Parenting
38:38 An Old-Style TV Western Feel with Historical Accuracy
39:55 New Chapter
39:55 New Chapter 2

In this conversation, I chat with actor and singer Matt Wiggins as he discusses his role as William Merrifield in the TV show Elkhorn. He describes his character as wise, patient, and driven, and compares him to a big brother figure for Teddy Roosevelt. Matt talks about the strengths of his character, including his patience, experience, and leadership qualities. He also mentions a potential weakness, which is a bit of ego and jealousy. Matt explains how he built chemistry with the other actors and worked with the director to shape his character's arc. He discusses the authenticity of his performance and how he maintained it throughout the show. Matt also shares his excitement about being part of a Western and the joy of losing himself in the time period. Matt Wiggins discusses the personal development he gained from playing the character Bill in the show Elkhorn, including humility and staying grounded. He also talks about his music career with the band Deep Within and their success in the metal genre. Matt expresses gratitude to the fans of Elkhorn and his music, emphasizing the importance of their support in his journey.

Takeaways
Matt Wiggins describes his character in Elkhorn, William Merrifield, as wise, patient, and driven. The strengths of the character include his patience, experience, and leadership qualities.
A potential weakness of the character is a bit of ego and jealousy.
Matt built chemistry with the other actors and worked with the director to shape his character's arc. He maintained the authenticity of his performance by immersing himself in the time period and staying focused on the character.
Matt is excited about being part of a Western and enjoyed the experience of losing himself in the world of Elkhorn.
Playing the character Bill in Elkhorn taught Matt Wiggins about humility and staying grounded. Matt's music career with the band Deep Within has been successful in the metal genre.
He is grateful for the support of fans of Elkhorn and his music.
The personal development and success Matt has experienced are a result of the connection with fans.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Excitement
01:56 The Wise, Patient, and Driven Character of William Merrifield
06:54 Strengths and Weaknesses of William Merrifield
08:20 Building Chemistry and Shaping the Character's Arc
12:13 Maintaining Authenticity in the Performance
21:54 Lessons in Personal Development and Humility
25:19 Deep Within: A Successful Journey in the Metal Genre
32:45 Gratitude for Fans: The Key to Success

In this conversation, I chat with actress Tori Griffith who discusses her role as Rosie Maddox in the TV show Elkhorn. She talks about her character's traits and motivations, as well as her preparation for the role. Tori mentions that Rosie is scrappy, ambitious, and kind-hearted. She wants to have her own life and follow her dreams, which were not common for women in that time period. Tori researched books set in the Victorian era and the Old West to understand the mindset of women during that time. She also created a storyboard and a Spotify playlist to immerse herself in the character's world. Tori highlights the strong relationship between Rosie and Medora, played by Ashton Leigh, and how working with Ashton elevated her performance. She also mentions the challenges of portraying a character from a different time period and the importance of knowing the character's backstory. Tori Griffith discusses the challenges of embodying her character in Elkhorn, including the need to be more contained and less expressive. She shares how the costumes helped her get into character and how the heat on set affected the cast. Tori emphasizes the importance of building good relationships with cast and crew on set and shares her experiences working with actors who were down-to-earth and easy to work with. She also mentions her upcoming film, Bau: Artist at War, a Holocaust film set to be released by Paramount.

Takeaways
Rosie Maddox is a scrappy, ambitious, and kind-hearted character who wants to have her own life and follow her dreams.
Tori Griffith researched books set in the Victorian era and the Old West to understand the mindset of women during that time.
She created a storyboard and a Spotify playlist to immerse herself in the character's world.
Working with Ashton Leigh, who plays Medora, elevated Tori's performance and showcased the strong relationship between their characters.
Portraying a character from a different time period comes with challenges, but knowing the character's backstory is crucial for bringing them to life.
Embodying a character sometimes requires being more contained and less expressive.
Costumes can help actors get into character and improve their posture and mannerisms.
Building good relationships with cast and crew on set is important for a positive working environment.
Working with down-to-earth actors can make the filming experience more enjoyable.
Tori Griffith has an upcoming film, Bau Artist at War, a Holocaust film set to be released by Paramount.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties
02:07 Introducing Tori Griffith and Elkhorn
04:32 Describing Rosie Maddox in Three Words
07:00 Creating a Storyboard and Spotify Playlist
12:38 The Strong Relationship Between Rosie and Medora
19:14 Challenges of Portraying Rosie Maddox
21:33 Challenges of Character Embodiment
25:32 Filming in Hot Weather
32:59 Building Relationships on Set
39:15 Upcoming Film: Bau: Artist at War