EPISODE 497- SAM TUTTY

Sam Tutty is an Olivier Award winning actor and singer. Following his graduation from drama school he originated the role of Evan in the Tony Award Winning Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, in the West End. His performance garnered widespread acclaim from critics, eventually going on to receive numerous awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards, Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in Leading Role in a Musical in 2020. Being aged 22 at the time, he is one of the youngest winners of this prestigious theatrical award in history. Following its sell-out run at The Kiln Theatre, Sam transferred the role Dougal in the new two-hander musical ‘TWO STRANGERS’ to the Criterion Theatre in the West End, directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson.

EPISODE 496- ARIANNA DAVIS

Arianna Davis stars as series regular ‘Madonna’ in the new NBC cheerleading comedy Stumble opposite Kristin Chenoweth and Taran Killam. 

Filling the current void of cheerleading media which dominated the early aughts and 2010s, Stumble is being prioritized by NBC as its next big comedy. Arianna’s character, a curvy, Black college cheerleader with a chronic illness, is a breath of fresh air in the on-screen cheerleading space which has long been devoid of diverse representation.

 Arianna is a true triple threat – in addition to acting, she is a professional dancer who started dancing at just two years old, as well as a singer-songwriter.

Arianna

EPISODE 492- DAWN PORTER

Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award.

EPISODE 495 - FRANCES TURNER

Frances Turner is a dynamic performer who brings complexity and authenticity to every role.

Turner stars opposite Walton Goggins in Prime Video’s hit series Fallout, from creator Jonathan Nolan. Currently in its second season, Turner returned as 'Barb Howard', the pre-apocalyptic wife of Goggins’ 'Cooper Howard' and key player in Vault-Tec Corporation. After its first four weeks, season two already ranks as the sixth most watched season ever on Prime Video and is even higher rated than season one. 

Turner is also known for her work on Prime Video’s The Boys, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and her standout turn as a series lead in The Man in the High Castle, produced by Scott Free and created by Frank Spotnitz. Additional credits include ABC’s The Finest, directed by Regina King, and Netflix’s After film franchise.

Before embarking on her acting career, Turner built a successful foundation as a corporate attorney. A graduate of Cornell University and Georgetown University Law Center, she practiced law at a major firm before transitioning to the screen.

Photo Credit- Steve Granitz for Getty Images

EPISODE 491- MAGGIE DOYNE & JEREMY POWER REGIMBAL

Maggie Doyne is co-founder of the BlinkNow Foundation and Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School in Surkhet, Nepal. At age nineteen, she used her babysitting money and worked with the local community to build a home for orphaned children in war-torn Nepal. In 2010, she and her team opened a school for five hundred of the region’s most impoverished children. Throughout the past decade, BlinkNow and Kopila have worked to deepen and grow the organization through grassroots community development efforts.

Her work has been championed by Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist Nicholas Kristof and the Dalai Lama, among others. The story of BlinkNow’s beginnings has been featured on the Huffington Post, VH1, MTV, and DoSomething.org. Maggie was named Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year and was used as an example for her groundbreaking work at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. In 2015, she was named CNN Hero of the Year.

Maggie’s story carries a message of hope, love, and the possibility of how the smallest individual acts can spark huge world change. She believes that poverty, hunger, and violence will be alleviated when children are provided with their most basic needs and human rights—a loving, happy childhood, nutrition, and a quality education. She believes that this can be achieved during her lifetime.

Jeremy Power Regimbal is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer whose work spans feature films, documentaries, and advertising, with a focus on intimate storytelling and social impact.

In his early 20s, Jeremy founded The Lab Magazine, a globally distributed publication featuring long-form conversations with cultural icons including Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell, Wes Anderson, Marina Abramović, and Noam Chomsky.

At 27, he made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller In Their Skin, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically by IFC. His documentary-driven commercial work for brands such as MasterCard, Nike, and Chevrolet has been recognized by AdWeek, Creativity, and Ad Age, and earned a Young Director Award nomination at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Over the past decade, Jeremy has lived and worked extensively in Nepal, directing Between the Mountain and the Sky, an intimate feature documentary produced by the Emmy-winning Duplass Brothers. The film has screened at more than 40 festivals worldwide, winning over 30 awards including the Audience Award at Mountainfilm Telluride, and has received a North American theatrical release. Alongside the film, Jeremy led a global impact campaign that reached more than 15 million people and helped raise over $2 million in support of BlinkNow, the nonprofit at the heart of the story.

Through his production company, MPWR Content, Jeremy blends cinematic storytelling with a deep commitment to social good, creating films and photography that amplify underrepresented voices and help catalyze real-world change in communities around the globe.

EPISODE 490- MARC SHAIMAN

Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, on television with SNL, and on recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theatre sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal. For more information visit www.marcshaiman.com.

Photo Credit- Robert Trachtenberg

EPISODE 489- NICHOLAS CLAR

Nicholas Clar is an Ohio native actor and content creator. Alumni of Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance, Neighborhood Playhouse and Atlantic Theatre Company Acting School. Nicholas has worked with Cleveland’s Playwright’s Local and Ceaser’s Forum among other New York and North East Ohio theatre companies. Nicholas has been on staff at Little Known Facts Podcast since 2019. @iamnickclar

EPISODE 488- IRENE SOFIA LUCIO

After a celebrated run off-Broadway and rave reviews, Irene Lucio has returned to the role of Isadora in the groundbreaking play. LIBERATION explores the universal themes of freedom, identity, and resilience, set against the backdrop of historical and contemporary struggles for justice. Isadora is an Italian immigrant filmmaker who entered a green-card marriage.

New York Theatre Guide called her performance “sharp and witty… toggling back and forth between humor and heartbreak with natural ease.”

Irene is perhaps best known for her role in Jeremy O. Harris’ award-winning play SLAVE

PLAY where she starred as Patricia and played the role in all four forms of the show. She also wrote a Spanish series titled ‘SúperEllas’ for Canela TV. A show for children about Latina trailblazers, it won the Best Non-English Program – Family Programming at the 48th Annual Gracie Awards.

As a Latinx woman born and raised in Puerto Rico, Irene seeks roles which showcase the importance of diverse representation in the arts. Fluent in Spanish and a graduate of Princeton and Yale’s esteemed acting program, she currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and 2 year old son.

EPISODE 487 - CHRISTIANI PITTS


No stranger to Broadway, Christiani has also starred in the stage adaptations of A Bronx Tale and King Kong, for which she was the first woman of color in a leading role for that production. Additionally, her television credits include “The Good Fight”, “Blue Bloods”, and “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.”

EPISODE- DEATH BECOMES HER - NOEL CAREY + JULIA MATTISON

Noel Carey co- wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes her. His Off-Broadway credits include: Is Anyone Alive Out There? (co-book/music/lyrics; Audible Original), Olay: The Road to Glow (co-book/music/lyrics). NYC: Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (co-music/lyrics), Ruby Manger Live! (co-music/lyrics). TV/Film: “Brooklyn Sound” (co-creator/songwriter; 2016 Streamy for Best Indie), “Life Sucks” (original music), 4th Dementia (original music). Streaming: The Good Grief Sessions (arrangements/piano). BMI Musical Theatre Workshop (Harrington Award, Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre). Emerson College (Howard Waldman Award).

Julia Mattison is a writer, songwriter, actor, and musical comedian who co-wrote the lyrics and music for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes Her. Her projects with Noel include Is Anyone Alive Out There? (Audible Theater), Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (Joe’s Pub), “Brooklyn Sound” (Streamy Award winner, Webby Award nominee), Ruby Manger Live! (54 Below), and multiple musical commercials for Olay. She and Joel Waggoner are the unhinged minds behind the viral holiday sensation “Advent Carolndar” (@adventcarolndar on Instagram), featured on NPR, in The New Yorker, on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and more.”

EPISODE 484 - LAURA BELL BUNDY

Laura Bell Bundy Broadway: “Elle Woods” Legally Blonde (Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Noms), “Sylvia” The Cottage, “Amber” Hairspray (OBC), “Glinda” Wicked. Notable Off Bway: Romy & Michelle The Musical, Mama I’m a Big Girl Now (Drama Desk Nom) “Tina” Ruthless (Outer Critics/Drama Desk Noms). TV: Anger Management, Fairly Odd Parents, Call Me Kat, How I Met Your Mother/Father, Hart Of Dixie, Perfect Harmony, The Guest Book, American Gods and more. Film: Jumanji, Dreamgirls, Huck Finn, Snow Day, etc. Billboard top 5 recording artist: “Achin & Shakin,” (UMG) “Another Piece of Me” (Big Machine). Sony publishing songwriter (2008-2013). Women Of Tomorrow album & podcast. Best decision: Marrying Thom, having Huck and moving to Hardscrabble Farm in NJ. All socials: @laurabellbundy

 

EPISODE 483- KARA LINDSAY

KARA LINDSAY is best known for originating Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies on Broadway and reprising the role in the 2017 film. She is also one of Wicked’s longest-running Glinda’s on Broadway and starred as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Add’l credits include: Once Upon a Mattress (Broadway), Romy & Michelle The Musical, Little House on the Prairie, and regional productions nationwide. TV: Murphy Brown, ABC’s Disney Family Singalong, Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary among others. All my love to Kevin, Emerson and my Mom. 

EPISODE 482- ARI'EL SATCHEL

ARI’EL STACHEL is a Tony Award® and GRAMMY® Award–winning actor, singer, and writer. His new solo play OTHER was presented Off-Broadway after acclaimed runs at Berkeley Rep and Berkshire Theatre Group. Stachel received the 2018 Tony Award® for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for originating the role of Haled in The Band’s Visit on Broadway, a performance that also earned Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. On screen, he stars in the upcoming feature Death Do Us Part and has appeared in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros.) and A24’s Zola. His television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Billions, Jessica Jones, Blue Bloods, and The Night Agent.

EPISODE 481- AMY LANDECKER

AMY LANDECKER is a dynamic actress and filmmaker known for her captivating performances across both comedy and drama in film and television. Amy made her debut as a writer, producer, director and star with For Worse, a feature film that premiered to great acclaim at the 2025 SXSW film festival. The hilarious and poignant romantic comedy focuses on a newly divorced sober mom who goes to a wedding with a much younger date and behaves like a drunk 25-year-old bridesmaid trying to keep up.

 Amy’s previous film work includes Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut I Wish You All the Best (SXSW2024), Shell, Missing—the sequel to the hit Searching—and I Love My Dad (SXSW 2023), in which she stars alongside Patton Oswalt. Her impressive filmography also includes standout roles in S#!%House, the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner, Power on Netflix, opposite Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, A Kid Like Jake, Beatriz at Dinner, and the Coen Brothers’ Best Picture Nominee, A Serious Man.

 Recently, she starred alongside Bryan Cranston in Showtime's "Your Honor" and appeared in BJ Novak's "The Premise." Previous television credits include "Gaslit," alongside Julia Roberts, the HBO Max series Minx and the Emmy Award winning “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She is also widely recognized for her role in the critically acclaimed "Transparent," which spanned five seasons and garnered a SAG nomination, and for her powerful performance in "The Handmaid's Tale," for which she appeared in multiple seasons, as well as numerous animated series including “The Croods: Family Tree,” “Q-Force,” “Troll Hunters,” “In The Know” and “Batman: The Long Halloween.” She can next be seen in “The Testaments,” Hulu’s follow up series to “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

 Amy began her career acting and directing in Chicago theater at companies like The

Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre and A Red Orchid. Amy was brought to NYC with a

Goodman Theater production of Rebecca Gilman’s Blue Surge at The Public Theater. Sheremained in NYC and began a thriving on-camera career with her first job as a guest star on“Law and Order SVU,” where she recently returned for an unforgettable guest appearancein 2025.

EPISODE 480- JOHN- ANDREW MORRISON

JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON 

Tony Award Nomination, Lucille Lortel Award, and OBIE for A Strange Loop. Off Broadway: Blues for an Alabama Sky (KEEN Company, Outer Critics Circle Honoree), The Blacks - A Clown ShowCaligula and Malvolio (Classical Theater of Harlem), Medea of the Laundromat (La MaMa and Lucille Lortel Theater with The Experimentals — for George Ferencz). Regional: 3 Summers of Lincoln (La Jolla Playhouse). BA from Brandeis University and MFA from UC San Diego, Actors Center Member. Thanks to family and friends for their support. This and every show is for his mom Eunice.

 Photo Credit- Blue Photography

EPISODE 479- BESS WOHL

Bess Wohl is a playwright and filmmaker whose plays have been produced on and off Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Bess's plays include -LIBERATION, GRAND HORIZONS (Broadway, Tony Nomination), CAMP SIEGFRIED, MAKE BELIEVE, CONTINUITY, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, AMERICAN HERO, TOUCHED, IN, CATS TALK BACK and the musical PRETTY FILTHY. Her plays have been recognized with a variety of awards and nominations, including the Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics' Circle. She made her feature film debut with her film BABY RUBY, starring Noémie Merlant and Kit Harington, which she wrote and directed. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2023. She also is developing multiple television projects and wrote for the Apple TV+ series, “Extrapolations." Wohl is an

associate artist with The Civilians, an alumna of Ars Nova’s PlayGroup, and the recipient of new play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Recently, she made her West End debut with a sold out run of BARCELONA starring Lily Collins. She is a graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Drama.

EPISODE 478- JENN HARRIS

JENN HARRIS is an award-winning writer, director, actor, and producer. She is currently starring in Oh, Mary! on Broadway.  Jenn originated the role of Clarice Starling in Silence! The Musical, won a Lortel and Theatre World award for her performance in Modern Orthodox, and was in the revival of All In The Timing. Film & TV credits: American Fiction (Oscar '24), "High Maintenance," “Elsbeth,” “Search Party," "30 Rock," "Gayby," "Difficult People," "Younger," "Bored to Death." She wrote, directed and starred in the short film She's Clean, her co-created series “NEW YORK IS DEAD” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Comedy at the New York Television Festival, and she co-directed the short "Island Queen" starring Rachel Dratch and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. She wrote My Name is Karen! and Snitch for Theaterworks Hartford. Jenn is also a member of the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Directing Shadow Program. @realjennharris

EPISODE 477- ADAM GOPNIK

Award-winning, best-selling author Adam Gopnik has been a writer for The New Yorker since 1986 – covering fiction, humor, criticism, art, book reviews, personal essays, profiles, and reported pieces from abroad. He has written nine books, ranging from essay collections about Paris and food, to children’s novels, as well as several musicals and theater pieces. Gopnik has won three National Magazine Awards, for essays and for criticism, and the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting. In 2021 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur, and this year was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Letters.  He lectures widely, and, in 2011, delivered the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s fiftieth-anniversary Massey Lecture.
 
For the theater, Gopnik wrote the book and lyrics for the musical comedy Our Table, with composer David Shire; the libretto for the oratorio Sentences, with Nico Muhly; and is currently working on several new projects for the stage. Projects in development include: a new musical, Fairy Tale, with Andrew Lippa, developed alongside Nicholas Hytner; a new musical with Marcy Heisler for the Central Park Conservancy; and a new collaboration with Shire that tells the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, called Troubadour.

Adam Gopnik’s New York, his autobiographical solo show, returned to NYC at Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theater in October of 2025.

EPISODE 476- JOSH HAMILTON

Josh Hamilton has worked as an actor since he was a teenager in NYC.  On stage, he’s been in the original productions of Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery and The Medieval Play,  on Broadway in Proof, The Real Thing, The Coast of Utopia and Dead Accounts. Off-Broadway includes Annie Baker’s The Antipodes,  Jonathan Marc Sherman’s Things We Want, HurlyBurly(Drama Desk nom), Scene Partners, Lie of the Mind, The Cider House Rules, Reasons to be Happy, Cherry Orchard and Three Sisters(CSC), The Bridge Project(BAM/Old Vic) and Wallace Shawn’s Evening at the Talkhouse(National Theater). 

His film work has included Reality, 8th Grade(Indie Spirit nom), Maestro, Manchester by the Sea, Blaze, Landscape with Invisible Hand, Away We Go, Outsourced, Kicking and Screaming, The House of Yes, Alive.  And on TV in  The Walking Dead, 13 Reasons Why, The Last Thing He Told Me, Mrs. Fletcher, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Louie, Accused, and Ray Donovan.   He can be seen in the upcoming The Long Walk,  Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, Concessions, Mayday(Apple), Something Very Bad is Going to Happen(Netflix), The Last Thing He Told Me season 2(Apple) and The Five Star Weekend(Peacock). 

 And on stage in Wallace Shawn’s new play “What We Did Before Our Moth Days”  directed by Andre Gregory at the Greenwich House Theater in early 2026. 

EPISODE 475 - A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE

Kenneth Cole is an American designer and social activist who believes that business and philanthropy are interdependent. His company, Kenneth Cole Productions, creates modern footwear, clothing, and accessories that are distributed worldwide.

For over 40 years, Kenneth Cole has leveraged his passion and unique brand platform to make a meaningful impact on people’s wardrobes and in their communities.

During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, Kenneth refocused his energy and resources on an

even larger, more debilitating global pandemic: mental illness and its related stigma.

In that moment, The Mental Health Coalition – a collective of the nation's largest, most influential and diverse mental health organizations – was born. Understanding that 1 in 4 individuals worldwide will live with a mental health condition at some point in their lives, largely due to the devastating impact of stigma, Kenneth believes 4 out of 4 individuals will be affected.

The Coalition’s mission is to build a like-minded community that works together to

destigmatize all mental health conditions and enable equitable access to vital resources and support for all.

The unique proposition of the MHC is a commitment to marry basic business principles of transparent and quantitative impact with an emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.

Kenneth’s commitment to public health initiatives goes back decades. He has been one of the leading and loudest voices in the global response to HIV and AIDS for more than 30 years. Kenneth joined amfAR’s board of directors in 1987 and assumed its chairmanship in 2004. Under his leadership of 14 years, amfAR was instrumental in significant breakthroughs in HIV and AIDS research, treatment, and helping to designate the disease. Since 2016, Kenneth has also been a UNAIDS International

Goodwill Ambassador using his passion, insights, and vast experience to help end the public health crisis.

Dori Berinstein is a six-time Tony-winning Broadway producer and an Emmy-award-winning director/producer.

As a filmmaker, Dori’s work includes:Dori’s award-winning documentary work includes: “A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole”, “ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway” (IDA Finalist), “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” (NYT – Favorite Films of the Century) “Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love” (Emmy Award) and “Gotta Dance”. Dori is Executive Producer of Isaac Mizrahi’s “Unzipped”, “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” and producer of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix film “The Prom”, adapted from Dori’s Broadway Musical (Golden Globe Nominee)