Backstage In the Envelope

Rebecca Ferguson has combined backgrounds in music, dance, short films, and soap operas in her native Sweden to become one of today’s most versatile and compelling screen stars. From life advice (“Lay your own path and have other people follow you!”) to technical secrets (she gets into character by creating a silhouette), her “In the Envelope” interview has endless value for artists at any level. “It’s a really, really difficult job and it takes a lot of time,” she says of an acting career. “The more you get to know yourself, the more grounded you can be in this world of scrutiny.”

After dabbling in various performing arts, Rebecca earned a Golden Globe nod for playing Elizabeth Woodville in the BBC’s “The White Queen,” which launched her into a screen career on both sides of the Atlantic. Tom Cruise cast her in the “Mission Impossible” films as Ilsa Faust, and then came “Despite the Falling Snow,” “Florence Foster Jenkins,” “The Girl on the Train,” “Life,” “The Greatest Showman,” the award-winning “Doctor Sleep,” and this year’s “Reminiscence.” She now stars in Denis Villeneuve’s big-screen adaptation of sci-fi epic “Dune,” from Warner Bros., as the powerful Lady Jessica. Rebecca will next appear in “Mission: Impossible 7” and produce and star on the AppleTV+ series “Wool.”

As Backstage gears up for Screen Actors Guild Awards season, brush up on the best and buzziest films to come: https://bit.ly/3FIzHrn
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Rebecca Ferguson

Corey Hawkins’ training at the Juilliard School of Drama, and background in singing in church, set him on the path toward becoming what he calls “a well-rounded artist”—and he has a Tony, Emmy, and two SAG Award nominations to show for it! Speaking to Backstage, his go-to resource during post-grad years in New York City, Corey offers fellow actors plenty of valuable advice, particularly when it comes to auditions. “To go into a room and literally just have an opportunity to act, or sing, or dance, or do whatever you do, you get to showcase that and share it with somebody for that little bit of time. And that’s a joy.”

Born in Washington, D.C., Corey made his Broadway debut in “Romeo and Juliet,” which was followed by an award-winning revival of “Six Degrees of Separation.” After a Hollywood breakthrough in “Non-Stop,” he appeared on “The Walking Dead,” “24: Legacy,” and “Survive,” plus in “BlacKkKlansman,” “Kong: Skull Island,” and as Dr. Dre in “Straight Outta Compton.” This year is Corey’s most impressive yet, starring on the big screen as Benny in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s movie musical “In the Heights” and as Lord Macduff in Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” opposite Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. For resources and advice on performing Shakespeare, check out backstage.com: https://bit.ly/2Z5bEC7

Read about the newly formed Juilliard Black Alumni Association, of which Corey is a founder, here: https://bit.ly/3AXHaza
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Corey Hawkins

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac go way back. They’ve reunited several times onscreen since meeting in the halls of the Juilliard School of Drama. Jessica calls acting “a way of getting to know myself on a deeper level.” For Oscar, the approach must be “expressive and not communicative—not getting too caught up with some idea that I want an audience to feel or to think.” The two reveal to Backstage many of the technical tricks up their sleeves, and provide their fellow artists plenty of inspiration.

Jessica, who mounted mini theater productions growing up in Northern California, is two-time Academy Award nominee for “The Help” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s led “The Tree of Life,” “Interstellar,” “The Martian,” “Molly’s Game,” Broadway’s “The Heiress,” and this year, Searchlight Pictures’ “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” which she produced with her company Freckle Films.

Oscar, born in Guatemala and raised in Miami, acted and performed music onstage before moving to New York. He’s earned awards for his work in “Balibo,” “Ex Machina,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Show Me a Hero,” the three latest installments of “Star Wars,” and “Hamlet” at the Public Theater. This year, he stars in Warner Bros’ “Dune” and Focus Features’ “The Card Counter,” which notched him a Gotham Award nomination.

Together, Jessica and Oscar have co-starred in the 2014 film “A Most Violent Year” and now lead and executive produce HBO’s critical hit “Scenes From a Marriage,” adapted and updated by Hagai Levi from the Ingmar Bergman limited series. To read more about their work, check out backstage.com: https://bit.ly/3nDQi79
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Jessica Chastain & Oscar Isaac

Mike Mills is a screenwriter and director, but could be considered first and foremost an actor’s collaborator. Not only have his films produced some of the most naturalistic performances in recent memory, he’s the kind of filmmaker who follows actors’ leads, singing their praises at every step of the page-to-screen process. “Whatever feels real and alive to them, that’s where I’m gonna go,” he says in this revealing interview. He also grapples with the mysteries inherent in filmmaking: “As a director-writer person, one would think you know everything about your movie...and you don’t.”

With a background in visual art that transitioned to music videos, Mike is best known for his award-winning feature films “Thumbsuckers,” “Beginners,” and “20th Century Women.” He’s turned elements of his life into autobiographically inspired stories, including the newly released “C’mon C’mon” from A24, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, and Woody Norman.

In this episode, Jack is joined by Backstage senior staff writer Casey Mink to shout out recent features on other award-winning directors: https://bit.ly/3k710Cq
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Mike Mills

Once Caitríona Balfe made the leap from modeling back to her original dream of acting, she began studying the craft and working her way toward leading roles. In commercials, web series, and eventually on the big screen, she developed on-camera instincts that became her basis of approaching both auditions and creating characters. Caitríona’s work demonstrates how important it is for actors to have confidence in their unique charisma. “Sometimes the reason you’re cast is because there’s something innately within you that you can bring to the role,” she says. “If you kind of let your instincts lead you, then that’s also a really great place to go.”

Trained as a model in her native Ireland and then around the world, Caitríona made an uncredited appearance in “The Devil Wears Prada” before moving to Los Angeles and starring in “H+: The Digital Series,” “Money Monster,” “Ford v. Ferrari,” and more. Her breakout role as Claire on the Starz series “Outlander,” adapted by Ronald D. Moore from the hit Diana Gabaldon novels, has earned her dozens of international awards. The actor-producer-activist now stars in Focus Features’ “Belfast,” a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age period piece from writer-director Kenneth Branagh. For a glimpse of the “Outlander” audition that secured Caitríona her Hollywood breakthrough, head to backstage.com: https://bit.ly/3EXpBS4
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Caitríona Balfe

Beanie Feldstein, a theater kid through and through, now finds herself a veritable film and TV star. While the approach to stage and screen might differ, her philosophy is always the same: her most inspired work stems from bonding with collaborators who can’t help but become family. “Every opportunity is going to fill you up in certain ways and deplete you in certain ways,” she says. “I always just feel like I can go my deepest and do my best if I know the people around me.”

Born in Los Angeles in a family of Hollywood professionals (including brother Jonah Hill), Elizabeth Greer a.k.a. Beanie grew up performing community theater and studying at the Stagedoor Manor theater camp before attending Wesleyan University. Her breakout roles in “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” and the SAG-nominated “Lady Bird” led to an award-winning turn opposite Kaitlyn Dever in Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart,” as well as “How to Build a Girl” and guest appearances on “The Simpsons,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” This year she portrayed Monica Lewinsky and produced FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story,” and starred in A24’s adaptation of “The Humans” from Stephen Karam. Up next, Beanie will feature in the years-long filming of Richard Linklater’s “Merrily We Roll Along” and return to Broadway, after “Hello Dolly!”, to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” this spring.

This week in Backstage Magazine and online, check out the Emerging Talent Portfolio—for a glimpse of the stars of tomorrow: https://bit.ly/3wV6Snk
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Beanie Feldstein

Ruth Negga has had a clear mission statement since her early days as an actor: “What I wanted as an artist was to sort of shift things—disrupt, maybe,” says the Irish star, illuminating for listeners the nuances of her creative process. Curiosity and quiet introspection are key ingredients, she says, and fellow actors should find their particular means of inspiration. “Acting isn’t just a job for me. It’s a soul vocation. It’s something that I think is helping me understand myself, my place in the world, and others.”

Born in Ethiopia, raised in Ireland, and schooled in London, Ruth studied stage acting at the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College Dublin. Her breakout film roles in “Capital Letters,” “Isolation,” and “Breakfast on Pluto” led to theater and TV work on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Personal Affairs,” “Shirley,” and AMC’s “Preacher.” She then won accolades aplenty including an Academy Award nomination for playing Mildred Loving in “Loving,” and led an acclaimed production of “Hamlet” in the titular role. This year she’s earned a Gotham Award nod for her work in Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of “Passing,” and up next she’ll make her Broadway debut in “Macbeth” and play Josephine Baker on the big screen. Check out her “Passing” co-star Tessa Thompson on backstage.com here: https://bit.ly/3G5GLxm
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Ruth Negga

Nicolas Cage became one of the most prolific film performers of his generation thanks to a philosophy other actors can live by: “Work as much as you can,” he says. “Good or bad, fall on your face or stand up—but get so in tune with your instrument that you know it so well, that you know when it’s working or when it isn’t working.” The actor-director-producer reveals all in his podcast interview, from the ongoing mission to find “eclectic” roles, to the keys to great on-set collaboration and tricks of the trade stretching back over four decades.

Born in Los Angeles in a family of artists and filmmakers (including aunt and uncle Talia Shire and Francis Ford Coppola), Nicolas realized on-camera performance was an art form upon seeing James Dean on the big screen. He starred in “Moonstruck,” “Raising Arizona,” “Vampire’s Kiss,” “Honeymoon in Vegas,” “The Rock,” “Face Off,” “National Treasure,” “Mandy,” and much more. Along with Oscar-nominated work in “Adaptation” and his leading actor Oscar win for “Leaving Las Vegas,” he’s earned SAG, Golden Globe, and BAFTA recognition, and has just earned a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Michael Sarnoski’s film “Pig,” from distributor Neon. Among his upcoming projects, Nicolas will play himself in “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.”
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Nicolas Cage

Before Michael Keaton became the chameleonic screen star he is today, he intuited that the life of a performer is full of uncertainty. So taking risks, as first a stand-up comedian and then an actor, became a key part of his artistic mission. “I told myself, you’re never gonna know if you can do this until you just try to do it,” he remembers. “I certainly had many moments of going: Oh, boy. This is a nervous time. I’m not feeling too secure right now. But desperation will kill you.” In his podcast interview, Michael reveals the thinking behind his characters—big and small, brashly comedic and quietly dramatic—and explains why actors must pursue the truth, both in their performances and in life.

A Pennsylvania native, Michael has repeatedly reinvented himself in big-screen projects, from his breakout in “Night Shift” all the way to playing Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s “Batman,” a role he is reprising in the upcoming “The Flash” and “Batgirl” movies. His background in theater and as production assistant on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” led to iconic roles in “Mr. Mom,” “Beetlejuice,” and more, and he’s received accolades for “Spotlight,” his Academy Award–nominated “Birdman,” and last year’s SAG Award winner “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” This year he starred in the Netflix film “Worth” and on Hulu’s limited series about the opioid epidemic, “Dopesick,” as Dr. Samuel Finnix. Check out Backstage’s cover story with “Dopesick” co-star Rosario Dawson here: https://bit.ly/3mCvaia
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Michael Keaton

Award-winning actor and producer Alia Shawkat broke out in Hollywood as a teenager, which proved to be both blessing and curse. Like any struggling artist, she’s had to challenge the industry’s preconceptions as well as her own, folding each new endeavor into her evolving artistic philosophy. She has several rules pertaining to acting: One is to watch everything you appear in, but only twice. Another is to reassess what you want out of your craft and career every few years. “You have to keep falling in love with it,” Alia says. “There’s a timing and a luck to this. And then just perseverance.”

The California–born Alia became a breakout child actor, on first “State of Grace” and then as Maeby Fünke on the long-running, SAG Award–nominated “Arrested Development.” She has appeared on “Drunk History,” “Transparent,” and “Broad City,” and starred in “Whip It,” “The To Do List,” “The Final Girl,” “Blaze,” “Duck Butter,” and “Animals.” Alia produces the TBS-to-HBO Max mystery series “Search Party,” starring as Dory Sief for five hilarious seasons, the last of which premieres Jan. 7. She also stars in Aaron Sorkin’s Amazon Studios film “Being the Ricardos” as “I Love Lucy” writer Madelyn Pugh.

This episode is brought to you by HBO. For January 2022 TV recommendations, head over to backstage.com: https://bit.ly/3mVrhoF
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Alia Shawkat

Actor, writer, director, and voiceover artist Kayvan Novak became a combination of all those things through plenty of trial and error. And it was the errors and rejections that ultimately taught him about his artistic skills and tastes—but also his own personality, on and off camera. “It was through the endless nos, the brick walls, that forced me to change my approach and forced me to think out of the box,” he tells Backstage. “Thank God all those people said no to me, because it kind of made me who I am.”

Kayvan is best known for his Critics’ Choice Award–nominated performance as vampire Nandor the Relentless on FX’s mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” from Jemaine Clement. A BAFTA TV Award winner for “Fonejacker,” the British prank call comedy he created and starred in, he’s also appeared in “Syriana,” “Four Lions,” last year’s “Cruella,” and “Toast of Tinseltown.” To read about the recently announced Screen Actors Guild Awards, head over to backstage.com: https://bit.ly/34EBUpr
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Kayvan Novak

There’s a lot that goes into what Jared Leto calls “immersive” (rather than method) acting. The Academy Award winner is well-known for his full-bodied screen transformations, and here reveals his thinking behind them—even though each has involved a completely organic approach, borne out of an obsessive curiosity around characters. Jared’s top tip for working actors? Don’t ask for permission to take risks and embrace failure. “Everyone’s got their process,” he says. “People should explore and experiment—you’re artists. Be bold, be brave, break some shit. And never, ever apologize for it.”

Born in Louisiana and a student of visual art and filmmaking in Washington D.C. and New York City, Jared moved to Los Angeles in 1992 with only a couple hundred dollars to his name. After breaking into Hollywood with “My So-Called Life” and starring in “Prefontaine,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Panic Room,” “American Psycho,” and more, he took a years-long break from acting to focus on writing and producing music with his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars. Then, his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club” earned accolades aplenty including an Oscar, followed by equally acclaimed work in “Suicide Squad” as the Joker, “Blade Runner 2049,” “The Little Things,” and now, Ridley Scott’s SAG Award–nominated “House of Gucci.” Jared will next star in Marvel and Sony’s “Morbius” and the Apple TV+ miniseries “WeCrashed.” Read more of his thoughts on acting here: https://bit.ly/3FUpI0U
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Jared Leto

How has Melanie Lynskey persevered in the entertainment biz and become one of its most compelling screen actors? Through a combination of hard work, passion for the craft, and learning—often the hard way—that originality trumps imitation. Rather than striving to deliver what the industry might want, she’s guided by a principle other working artists can live by: “There’s one me. As soon as I learned that lesson, things got a lot easier for me.”

Melanie had an improbable career breakout, cast in her feature film debut as a teenager in Peter Jackson’s “Heavenly Creatures.” From working and studying in her native New Zealand, to eventually appearing to American audiences on “Two and a Half Men,” she’s steadily risen through Hollywood’s ranks, appearing in “Ever After,” “Coyote Ugly,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Hello I Must Be Going,” “Togetherness,” and “Mrs. America.” Now, she’s earned SAG ensemble award recognition for Netflix and Adam McKay’s Oscar-nominated “Don’t Look Up,” plus a Critics’ Choice Award nod for her buzzy work on Showtime’s hit drama “Yellowjackets.” Read up on the 2022 Oscar nominations here: ​​https://bit.ly/3GAetv0
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Melanie Lynskey

One of Hollywood’s most prolific figures working today, Reese Witherspoon has created unforgettable female characters onscreen—and offscreen, with her award-winning media company Hello Sunshine. From Tracy Flick to Elle Woods to Madeline Martha Mackenzie, few actors have as many household names in their body of work as Reese does. How does she approach such roles? “It’s almost like being an anthropologist,” she tells Backstage. “You are studying contemporary behavior and how people interact and then applying it to character.” And her advice for fellow artists is evergreen: “You’re never gonna lose anything by trying. So dare greatly.”

An Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Academy Award winner, Reese began appearing in commercials at a young age in Tennessee, taking odd jobs in film production before dropping out of school to pursue acting. She broke out in “The Man in the Moon,” “Cruel Intentions,” and “Election” before starring in the “Legally Blonde” films, “Walk the Line” as June Carter Cash, “Wild” as Cheryl Strayed, and more. Reese has since pioneered female-led stories on TV, producing and starring on “Big Little Lies,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” and Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” where her performance as Bradley Jackson is nominated for two 2022 SAG Awards. This episode is brought to you by HBO.
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Reese Witherspoon

Nicole Kidman has delivered decades of riveting work on stage and screen. The actor and producer takes Backstage behind the thoughts and emotions that have characterized her meteoric career, from losing herself in books as a child to understanding the sacrifices required of hardworking artists as an adult. Her advice to fellow creators is to stay in touch with “that young mind,” as she says. “Don’t let that older experience of life take that away. That would be the thing that I carry. And I have no idea why! I still get the goosebumps, I get the adrenaline, I get the nervousness, I get the elation, I get the waiting for the call.... That is still such a huge part of who I am.”

An Emmy, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Academy Award winner, Nicole first became a Hollywood mainstay with “Dead Calm” and “Days of Thunder” before starring in modern classics like “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Hours.” Among the projects of her production company, Blossom Films, are TV hits “Big Little Lies,” “The Undoing,” and “Nine Perfect Strangers.” She’ll next star in Robert Eggers’ “The Northman,” and is now Oscar– and SAG Award–nominated for her work as Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s biopic “Being the Ricardos.” Read Backstage’s cover story with her co-star, Javier Bardem, here: https://bit.ly/3IorvNX

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Studios’ “Being the Ricardos.
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Nicole Kidman

Troy Kotsur is a study in perseverance. The Arizona native spent years honing his craft on stage at the National Theatre of the Deaf and the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles—all the while wondering if Hollywood could ever fully embrace a deaf actor. “It's almost like a hair in my beard, just this one hair, and that represents the opportunities that I was given,” he says. But that drive—or “stubbornness,” as he himself puts it—has finally paid off on a historic level. For his role in writer/director Sian Heder’s “CODA,” Kotsur has been the one constant of this year’s awards season, snagging wins at the Gotham Awards, the SAG Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards on the road to the 94th Academy Awards, where he is nominated for best supporting actor. A win would mark the first for a deaf male actor, and just the second for a deaf actor ever behind the trailblazing footsteps of Kotsur’s “CODA” co-star, Marlee Matlin. 

In this “In the Envelope” episode, Kotsur walks Backstage through every stage of his winding journey, from the lessons learned from live theater, to a brief pitstop in the “Star Wars” galaxy, to the significance of his belated “CODA” breakthrough. Along the way, he offers invaluable advice to all actors—deaf or hearing—on the power of on-screen silence, scene partner eye contact, and never giving up. Read Backstage’s cover story Matlin, here: https://bit.ly/35Lhhcb

This interview was conducted with the help of ASL interpreter, Justin Maurer.
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Jack Smart
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Troy Kotsur

"In the Envelope" returns to its awards season roots with a special episode devoted to the 94th Academy Awards. Host Vinnie Mancuso and Backstage Managing Editor Ben Lindsay break down their hopes, wishes, and predictions for this year's biggest categories. Can Jane Campion take home best director and best picture for "Power of the Dog?" Is "The Lost Daughter" the best film of 2021? Why was Nicolas Cage's performance in "Pig" not nominated? 

We dive into all these questions, as well as looking back at our favorite Oscar-nominated "In the Envelope" guests over the years. Listen in for anecdotes + acting advice from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Chastain, Rebecca Ferguson, and more.

Brought to you by UCLA's Professional Programs at the School of Theater, Film & Television.
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

94th Academy Awards Special

Joseph Gordon-Levitt really, really wants you to understand how little you need Hollywood to be an artist. “If you want to pursue a career, that’s great. Do, that too,” he says. “But don’t let that interfere with the real pursuit. The real pursuit is your creative pursuit, and it’s one that happens inside of yourself.” The Emmy-winning actor/creator digs deep into the artistic process in this episode of “In the Envelope,” which touches on everything from the joys of editing to the complex lessons you can learn from your IMDB page. 

A consistent creative force for three decades and counting, Gordon-Levitt got his start in Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It,” followed shortly afterward by six seasons of the sitcom “Third Rock from the Sun.” Since then, he’s appeared in blockbusters like “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” game-changing rom-coms like “500 Days of Summer,” and TV dramas like his latest project, Showtime’s “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.”
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Joseph Gordon Levitt

Sebastian Stan still remembers the piece of acting school advice that fueled him through his early career all the way up to where he is today. “Bring the day with you to work, or to the audition, or to the meeting,” he says in this episode of “In the Envelope.” “You're on the subway, you're running late, you're trying to get to the audition, and then someone bumps into you and you spill coffee, and you're pissed off…you might as well just own it. Then you're starting from an honest place.” 

One of the most versatile performers working today, Stan has made a career out of balancing blockbusters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with ferocious smaller-scale character work. The actor followed up an appearance in the biggest box office success in history, “Avengers: Endgame,” with an admirable streak of electric—and occasionally stomach-churning—roles in dark dramas and thrillers like the cannibal potboiler “Fresh” and Hulu’s pitch-black true-story comedy “Pam & Tommy.”
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Sebastian Stan

John Cena already knows what you’re thinking—he’s heard it in every audition and meeting for the past 25 years. “You can’t deny a first impression,” he says. “That’s why it’s been very difficult for me to try and seek out new levels of performance. You walk into a room, even if you’re in a suit, at 230 pounds everybody’s like: ‘Nope.’ You can only fit so many lanes.” 

In this episode of ""In the Envelope,"" the pro wrestler turned movie star walks us through every step of navigating those narrow lanes on his way to blockbuster franchise success. From selling out arenas in the WWE to the on-screen failures that motivated him in the lead-up to joining the DC Universe and ""Fast & Furious"" franchise, Cena breaks down how he always tries to find—and subvert—the motivations of any persona he plays. ""“If the ‘why’ is simply, I need you to be big, that’s OK. That’s cut and dry,"" he says. ""But if you’re willing to peel off more, and we can get to the core of why [the character] is so physically fit, then you can have some substructure. Then you can really wow people.”
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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:
- https://www.facebook.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/backstage
- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope
- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast

Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe
Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e
Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0
Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...
- Host: Vinnie Mancuso
- Producer: Jamie Muffett
- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins
- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins
- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis

Backstage In the Envelope

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