Story and Craft with Marc Preston

Marc Preston Productions, LLC
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Story & Craft is Marc Preston’s venue for offering up entertaining, insightful and inspiring conversations. Marc has spent over three decades as a successful actor, voiceover talent, and nationally syndicated radio host. He’s endlessly curious and enjoys great conversations that inspire. Each episode, Marc welcomes film, television and voiceover actors, storytellers, influencers and creative personalities that have intriguing points of view to offer. Marc’s unique interview style provides insight into the origins of what made his guests successful, as well as how they stay at the top of their game. Whether you work in the industry, or simply enjoy great conversation, you’re invited to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a sit down with Marc and his guests as they talk story, share a moment and inspire.

  1. 18 hr ago

    Chris Marquette | From "The Girl Next Door" to Prime Video's "Reacher" | Stories From the Emerald Isle

    On this episode of Story & Craft, we sit down to chat with actor Chris Marquette from "The Girl Next Door", "Barry", and Prime Video's "Reacher" to discuss his career and personal stories. Chris joined the industry early, navigating the unique landscape of child acting with roles spanning from commercial voiceovers to television sets. We discuss the transition from those foundational years to understanding the practical realities of the entertainment business as a young adult. It is a candid conversation about the resilience required to build a sustainable career in Hollywood. We also cover his recent move to the west coast of Ireland, where he is raising his daughter and developing new writing projects. Chris shares insights into his new role on Prime Video's "Reacher," breaking down the physical demands of playing a small-town cop alongside Alan Ritchson. From the delayed cult success of "The Girl Next Door" to his approach to staying grounded off-camera, this episode offers a practical look at the life of a working actor. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [02:00] | Moving to the west coast of Ireland to raise his daughter [08:35] | Starting his career early with commercial voiceovers and Barney [13:10] | The sketchy seminar that landed him his first headshots and acting jobs [17:11] | Crossing paths with Jennifer Aniston during pilot season [21:00] | Getting a harsh crash course on the business side of acting in his twenties [25:33] | Navigating the shadow of past roles [36:54] | How The Girl Next Door bombed in theaters before finding massive cult success on DVD [42:59] | Entering the Reacher universe [44:53] | Dealing with the Alan Ritchson’s physical presence on set [46:55] | The Seven Questions

    Chris Marquette | From "The Girl Next Door" to Prime Video's "Reacher" | Stories From the Emerald Isle

  2. 3 days ago

    Owen Dennis | From "Infinity Train" to Paramount+'s "Among Us" | Inspirational Drives

    On this episode of Story & Craft, we sit down to chat with Writer, Director and Producer Owen Dennis from "Infinity Train" and Paramount+'s "Among Us" to discuss his career and personal stories. Owen discusses his unexpected path to animation, detailing his time teaching English in China and the early motivation that pushed him to pursue art outside his hometown. He shares the hands-on process of creating a fully hand-drawn, 2D animated series and the practical challenges of pitching adult animation in an industry that relies heavily on genre stereotypes. He also explains the unique dynamics of directing voice actors, noting why comedy actors naturally excel with timing in the booth. Owen talks about navigating production hurdles – such as animating before recording voices during the actors' strike – and shares how taking solo road trips helps him recharge creatively. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [00:08:29] | Escaping the Great Recession by moving to China [00:13:27] | Losing a one-person art contest [00:15:20] | Why 2D animation is making a massive comeback [00:18:09] | Animating "Among Us" during the actors' strike [00:24:36] | The biggest hurdle when pitching adult animation [00:28:34] | Turning a notebook doodle into a hit character [00:34:00] | Unplugging on solo road trips to find new ideas [00:40:13] | Why comedy actors dominate the voice booth [00:44:16] | Why Robert Pattinson was born to do voiceover [00:45:48] | The Seven Questions

    Owen Dennis | From "Infinity Train" to Paramount+'s "Among Us" | Inspirational Drives

  3. 14 Aug

    Tommi Rose | From Nickelodeon to Prime Video's "The Devil's Mouth" | Daydreams & Dirt Pies

    On this episode of Story & Craft, we sit down to chat with Actor & Singer Tommi Rose from "Sweet Magnolias" and Prime Video's "The Devil's Mouth" to discuss her career and personal stories. Tommi shares her experiences going from a theater kid in Florida to making the leap to Los Angeles at seventeen after working on Nickelodeon's "I Am Frankie". We talk about the importance of keeping your imagination alive as an artist, and how her "double Pisces" daydreaming habit is actually a superpower. She also shares some incredibly grounding advice she received early on from working alongside Burt Reynolds. We also get into her experience filming Prime Video's "The Devil's Mouth". Tommi talks about the grueling physical challenge of shooting in massive water tanks in Thailand, and how she managed the stress by buying a tiny local oven to bake her famous dirt pies and chocolate chip cookies for the cast. From managing a tricky gluten allergy abroad to her go-to morning playlist, Tommi gives us a great look at how she stays centered and positive. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [00:04:48] | The Jelly Bean Camp and falling in love with musical theater [00:06:49] | Why excitement outweighed the intimidation of moving to LA at seventeen [00:12:00] | Defending the importance of daydreaming for artists [00:15:47] | Refusing to limit her ambitions to just one career path [00:22:54] | Burt Reynolds' advice on listening to your scene partner [00:26:44] | How her close-knit family keeps her sane in Hollywood [00:32:00] | Realizing she was stress-baking and bringing the joy back to the holidays [00:33:22] | Buying a mini oven in Thailand to bake for the cast [00:46:27] | The physical exhaustion of shooting survival scenes in water tanks [00:51:00] | The Seven Questions

    Tommi Rose | From Nickelodeon to Prime Video's "The Devil's Mouth" | Daydreams & Dirt Pies

  4. 5 Aug

    Jamie Hector | From "The Wire" to Apple TV’s "Cape Fear" | Moving Mountains

    On this episode of Story & Craft, I sit down to chat with actor Jamie Hector from "The Wire", “Bosch” and Apple TV's "Cape Fear" to discuss his career and personal stories. We discuss Jamie’s roots, having grown up in Brooklyn as the youngest of seven and how his older sister sparked his early love for the arts. Jamie shares the exact moment he knew he belonged in the creative world – walking into a community theater space when he was 16 and feeling an instant connection to the energy in the room. It wasn't long before he shifted his focus away from college chemistry classes and fully committed to acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. We also talk about his dedication to giving back through his youth program, Moving Mountains, which has mentored thousands of kids in Brooklyn over the last two decades. To cap it off, Jamie talks about the unique validation of being handpicked by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg for his current role. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [00:03:38] | Anthony Bourdain's surprise interview with Michael K. Williams in Brooklyn [00:07:33] | Learning tough lessons from a neighborhood firecracker incident [00:09:10] | How his late sister Lisa became his creative North Star [00:13:07] | Waking up at 6 AM to write hip hop with childhood friends [00:14:36] | Discovering his true calling at a local community theater [00:16:55] | Ditching college chemistry to pursue an acting career [00:18:43] | Founding Moving Mountains to empower the next generation of actors [00:20:29] | Committing to his craft at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute [00:22:04] | Why Denzel Washington is his ultimate acting template [00:26:00] | The Seven Questions

    Jamie Hector | From "The Wire" to Apple TV’s "Cape Fear" | Moving Mountains

  5. 16 Jul

    Chin Han | From "Mortal Kombat" to Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" | Journey From Lion City

    On this episode of Story & Craft, I sit down to chat with actor Chin Han from "Mortal Combat" and Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to discuss his career, and personal stories. We chat about his unique childhood growing up in Singapore, blending local theater and film with a steady diet of American blockbusters, British television, and Hong Kong martial arts epics. Chin talks about his early days deciding whether to fully commit to acting, balancing his parents' hopes for a traditional profession with his genuine love for the arts, and the ultimate push he gave himself after finishing his degree. Chin also shares some incredible stories from the sets of films, including his overwhelming first day shooting "The Dark Knight" with Christopher Nolan, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart. We wrap up by talking about his favorite comfort foods – specifically his love for a perfect bowl of rice – and his appreciation for the quiet moments in used bookstores. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS  [03:12] | Watching Singapore rapidly evolve through the 1970s and 80s [05:52] | How having parents as educators influenced his early cinematic tastes [08:00] | The unique mix of global television that fueled his love for storytelling [15:59] | Discovering heavy, visceral cinema like "The Godfather" at a young age [20:00] | The fast-paced, guerrilla-style filmmaking of Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" [25:52] | Pushing for volume and authenticity in Asian-American on-screen representation [29:32] | The massive global reach of the American film industry [33:17] | Working with his cinematic heroes on the set of "The Dark Knight" [38:45] | Building a performance from the outside in using wardrobe and armor [42:25] | The Seven Questions

    Chin Han | From "Mortal Kombat" to Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" | Journey From Lion City

  6. 16 Jun

    Aaron Moten | From "Disjointed" to Prime Video’s "Fallout" | Keep Saying Yes

    I sit down to chat with actor Aaron Moten from "Disjointed" and Prime Video's "Fallout" to discuss his career and personal stories. We catch up with Aaron as he settles into life in Los Angeles after spending five years in Iceland with his family. We chat about his Texas roots growing up in Austin, his pivot from an aspiring lawyer to a Juilliard-trained actor, and the realities of translating stage acting to working on camera. He also shares some behind-the-scenes moments from his recent work. From having Kathy Bates advocate for him early in his television career to a hilarious "baptism by fire" stunt sequence on his very first day shooting Fallout, Aaron brings a ton of heart and insight to the table. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [00:03:24] | The beauty of Iceland's audible blank canvas  [00:10:12] | Dealing with late growth spurts and the pressure of playing point guard [00:12:43] | Why pretending to be a lawyer is much more fun than actually being one [00:15:24] | Developing technical tools and a fallback plan at Juilliard  [00:18:32] | The hard lesson of saving your tears for the close-up shot  [00:21:03] | Understanding focal lengths and camera coverage on a multi-cam set  [00:24:59] | Kathy Bates' unbelievable work ethic and on-set advocacy [00:29:00] | Jonah Nolan's baptism by fire and a terrifying missing harness  [00:32:13] | Transforming the Namibian desert into a post-apocalyptic Santa Monica  [00:35:50] | The Seven Questions

    Aaron Moten | From "Disjointed" to Prime Video’s "Fallout" | Keep Saying Yes

  7. 12 Jun

    Rosalee Mayeux | From "Magnum, P.I." to "Model Mom"

    Marc Preston sits down with actor, comedian and former model Rosalee Mayeux from "Magnum, P.I." and "Model Mom" to discuss her career, and personal stories. Rosalee opens up about her unconventional path, starting as a teenager from a small town in Louisiana who found herself working as a high-fashion model for Eileen Ford in Paris and New York. She shares vivid memories of the modeling world in the 1980s, the stark reality behind the glamour, and how a chance opportunity led her to acting. Her natural knack for comedy eventually pushed her into commercials and television, bringing her face-to-face with legends like Carol Burnett, Lee Grant, and Tom Selleck. After a sudden and life-altering cancer diagnosis forced her to pivot from a promising directing career with Quentin Tarantino’s production house, Rosalee leaned on her resilient spirit and close circle of friends to survive. That journey ultimately steered her toward stand-up comedy, where she found her truest voice. We talk about the grueling but rewarding realities of the comedy stage, the nuances of crowd work, and why being unapologetically yourself is the ultimate punchline. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS  [00:11:48] | Parallel parking a 22-foot Cadillac and getting a standing ovation in Beverly Hills [00:17:45] | Navigating the wild, rarefied world of high-fashion modeling in 1980s Europe [00:19:00] | Listening to the news of Ronald Reagan being shot from the bowels of a Parisian restaurant [00:20:18] | Eileen Ford's blunt advice on marriage and what it meant for a modeling career [00:29:26] | The power of an unscripted moment and earning a standing ovation from Lee Grant [00:30:53] | Flubbing a line with Tom Selleck and Carol Burnett on the set of Magnum, P.I. [00:36:22] | Pitching a blind commercial script to Quentin Tarantino's A Band Apart [00:37:35] | Surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis with the help of a kickass support system [00:41:13] | Why improvisational comedy requires immense education and real-world intelligence [00:55:03] | The Seven Questions: Southern comfort food, jazz legends, and advice to her younger self

    Rosalee Mayeux | From "Magnum, P.I." to "Model Mom"

  8. 5 Jun

    Olivia Rose Keegan | From "Days of Our Lives" to Paramount+'s "Dutton Ranch" and "Scary Movie" | A Scary Good Time

    Marc Preston sits down with Actor Olivia Rose Keegan from "Days of Our Lives" and Paramount+'s "Dutton Ranch", as well as the summer film "Scary Movie" to discuss her new projects, career, and personal stories. We chat about her transition from being an eager 11-year-old writing letters to talent agents in San Francisco to landing major roles. Olivia shares the incredible support from her family, who entirely uprooted their lives in Northern California so she could pursue acting in Los Angeles. She reflects on her early heartbreak of being replaced on a major Nickelodeon show and the immense work ethic she built during her four-and-a-half-year run on "Days of Our Lives." We also get into the exciting new chapters of her career, contrasting the intense, slow-burn drama of playing a mother in Paramount+'s "Dutton Ranch" with the absolute, unhinged physical comedy of the summer sequel to "Scary Movie." Olivia reveals what it was like playing Anna Faris' daughter, conquering her fears of improv comedy, and how working with the Wayans brothers pushed her completely out of her comfort zone. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [00:08:00] | The intimidating yet rewarding process of network testing for Taylor Sheridan shows [00:13:46] | Drafting a handwritten letter to talent agencies at just eleven years old [00:23:20] | Targeting the Disney and Nickelodeon pipeline as a pragmatic young actor [00:24:34] | Faking an Australian accent to land a breakthrough role on Ant Farm [00:25:42] | Navigating the earth-shattering heartbreak of being recast on a major sitcom [00:27:37] | Why acting on a soap opera is the ultimate industry boot camp [00:30:02] | Channeling inner Anna Faris-isms to play her daughter in Scary Movie [00:37:00] | Working with a dialect coach and stepping into the emotional shoes of a mother [00:39:11] | Embracing the terrifying and thrilling challenge of Wayans brothers-style improv [00:43:12] | The Seven Questions

    Olivia Rose Keegan | From "Days of Our Lives" to Paramount+'s "Dutton Ranch" and "Scary Movie" | A Scary Good Time
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About

Story & Craft is Marc Preston’s venue for offering up entertaining, insightful and inspiring conversations. Marc has spent over three decades as a successful actor, voiceover talent, and nationally syndicated radio host. He’s endlessly curious and enjoys great conversations that inspire. Each episode, Marc welcomes film, television and voiceover actors, storytellers, influencers and creative personalities that have intriguing points of view to offer. Marc’s unique interview style provides insight into the origins of what made his guests successful, as well as how they stay at the top of their game. Whether you work in the industry, or simply enjoy great conversation, you’re invited to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a sit down with Marc and his guests as they talk story, share a moment and inspire.

Information

  • Creator
    Marc Preston Productions, LLC
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 | Marc Preston Productions, LLC
  • Show Website
    Story and Craft with Marc Preston

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