In The Envelope: An Awards Podcast

Throughout a stage and screen career spanning decades, Delroy Lindo has intentionally set out to play the widest possible variety of characters. “I want to be able to encompass different human beings,” explains the actor, detailing the ebbs and flows of his career on this week's episode of “In the Envelope.” Delroy’s advice is balanced between optimistic encouragement and no-nonsense realism. It is inevitable that a life in the arts will bring dry spells, he says, but “don’t be dissuaded by the trauma of being told ‘no.’ Because at some point you will be told ‘yes,’ just as I was.” Born in London, raised in Canada and the U.S., and trained in San Francisco, New York City, and regional theaters, Delroy has pursued performing since his elementary school Nativity play. He’s appeared onscreen in “Soul of the Game,” “The Cider House Rules,” “Get Shorty,” and “The Chicago Code,” earned a Tony nomination for “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” and currently stars on CBS All Access’ legal drama “The Good Fight.” After wor

If you’re an auditioning actor, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a strange but effective tip for you: wear mismatched socks. “It takes the pressure off of trying to be perfect,” says the Emmy-winning star, who has many other practical tips for his peers. The former architect’s rigorously methodical approach to both his career and craft is proof that there’s no one path to success in the entertainment industry. Read his 2016 cover story here: https://bit.ly/37pg7AD Born in New Orleans, raised in the Bay Area, and studied at UC Berkeley and the Yale School of Drama, Yahya broke into the biz just after graduate school on the Netflix series “The Get Down.” His roles since have run the gamut from musicals like “The Greatest Showman” to action hits “Aquaman” and “Watchmen,” and he’ll next star in the upcoming sequels to the “Matrix” franchise and “Candyman.” Yahya is currently SAG Award–nominated as part of the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix film “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” in which he plays real-life activist Bobby Se

Happy Black History Month! As part of Backstage’s ongoing mission to provide platforms for BIPOC storytellers and amplify inclusive stories, we’re presenting a very special podcast episode for Black and non-Black listeners alike. Echoing questions the arts community has faced with particular urgency over the last year, “In the Envelope” has asked recent guests about the state of the biz: How do Black actors and creators navigate the entertainment industry today? How can white people leverage their privilege and allyship in creating a more inclusive Hollywood? What should individual artists of all backgrounds do to instigate systemic change? Prentice Penny, Aldis Hodge, Bob the Drag Queen, Rashida Jones, Justin Simien, Simone Missick, Jonathan Majors, and Janet Mock gave us frank answers to these questions and more. For Black listeners, there’s plenty of actionable advice on working in the biz; for non-Black listeners, we hope these conversations provide perspective, reflection, and a call to action. As Prent

Emma Corrin is best known as the SAG- and Golden Globe Award–nominated star of Peter Morgan’s Netflix drama “The Crown” Season 4, where she took on the daunting role of Lady Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales. As the breakout star points out, there’s something inherently effortful in the term “breakout”—Emma earned the part of Diana after a rigorous, years-long process, first serving as a reader in the audition room, doing extensive research, and at one point being spontaneously asked to sing. “It was really important for me that anything I replicated, like her head tilt, or her voice, or the way she waved, or the way she held herself, was justified,” she says of building this character from the inside out. Born in Kent, England, and trained all over the country including at the University of Cambridge, Emma has been single-mindedly focused on acting, performing onstage, making voiceover gigs her side job, and practicing on-camera work with self-taped auditions. In addition to “The Crown,” she’s appeared o

If you’re a performer who has recorded a self-taped audition over 300 times, Aldis Hodge is your craft and career guru. An actor and entrepreneur since childhood, Aldis has risen through the ranks of Hollywood and made thoughtful, intentional choices on- and off-screen (including resisting Black stereotypes). “Put that hustle in,” he advises fellow artists. “I find the true professionals to be more dedicated and more motivated now than they were when they started. Because they realize how much hard work it takes to get there.” Aldis moved around often as a kid, with military parents who were supportive of his artistic mission. After booking bit parts and studying at the Art Center College of Design, he earned his big break on TNT’s “Leverage,” going on to star in “Straight Outta Compton,” the SAG Award–winning “Hidden Figures,” WGN America’s “Underground,” “Black Mirror,” “Clemency,” “What Men Want,” “The Invisible Man,” and now, Showtime’s “City on a Hill.” Catch him next starring as athlete-actor Jim Brown

Inspired to try acting at a young age and single-mindedly focused on it ever since, Olivia Cooke has appeared in some of the most acclaimed film and TV projects of the last decade, reinventing herself on screen each time. Her “In the Envelope” interview is a crash course in several key tricks of the trade: accent work, self-tape advice, even the nuances of crying. Inhabiting a character inside and out, she says, requires selfless collaboration and detailed backstories. “Otherwise, you’re coming in as you and you’re wearing funny clothes.... You’ve got to convince yourself.” Hailing from Oldham, Greater Manchester, Olivia acted onstage in youth theater groups before booking BBC miniseries “Blackout” and “The Secret of Crickley Hall.” After not being accepted to drama training programs, she focused on screen work, breaking out in “The Quiet Ones” and, across the pond, the “Psycho” prequel series “Bates Motel.” She’s starred in “Ouija,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Thoroughbreds,” “Ready Player One,” “Van

Narrowing down an actor’s artistic philosophy to one all-encompassing statement can be tricky, especially if that actor is the prolific, terrific Sarah Paulson. But if there’s a credo guiding her creative decisions throughout such a remarkable career, it’s this: “I only think about what is truthful.” (She also offers a second pro tip for working actors: use Backstage!) Sarah began acting onstage in New York City before graduating high school, making her screen debut on “Law and Order” and climbing Hollywood’s ranks all the way to an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award. She’s delivered compelling work in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Game Change,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Carol,” “Blue Jay,” “American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson,” “Glass,” “Mrs. America,” and Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s “American Horror Story” anthology, in which she’s played upwards of 10 characters. Sarah now executive produces the Netflix drama “Ratched,” starring as Nurse Mildred Ratched, and recently led Hulu’s Aneesh Chaga

Given his wide array of screen roles, it makes sense that Paul Bettany would approach each character with dramatically different processes. By zeroing in on the tricks of the trade that always help, and the techniques he’s picked up over a decades-long career, Paul provides “In the Envelope” listeners several key takeaways. For example: actors should determine what they can and cannot control, whether that’s on set or in the audition room. “The thing that I could control and could promise to be,” he says, “is the most prepared person walking in.” Born in England and trained at the Drama Centre London, Paul worked onstage for years before Brian Helgeland helped launch his Hollywood career. Breaking out first in the U.K. in “Gangster No. 1” and then the U.S. in “A Knight’s Tale,” Paul has transformed himself again and again, in films like “A Beautiful Mind,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Dogville,” “Wimbledon,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” He plays Frank, a gay man

Joining Backstage at the very end of 2020, Rashida Jones invites listeners to both look back at her wandering journey through the biz and anticipate what’s to come in 2021. The actor has had her finger on the industry’s pulse since also finding her voice as a writer-producer-director-activist, and offers as much valuable insight into the state of Hollywood today as she does audition advice. “The truth is,” she tells fellow artists, “you only become great when you’re yourself.” Rashida grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by entertainers (including parents Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton), but didn’t begin auditioning until after Harvard University. After attempting a New York City theater career, she broke out on “Boston Public,” “The Office,” and “Parks and Recreation,” then led the series “Angie Tribeca,” her screenplay debut “Celeste and Jesse Forever,” and award-winning documentaries. Rashida stars on Kenya Barris’ Netflix sitcom “#blackaf,” and in Sofia Coppola’s AppleTV+ awards-contending film “On the Rocks

As a teenager, Carey Mulligan wrote letters to filmmakers asking for advice on breaking into the biz. After tepid responses, and rejections from U.K. training programs, her determination paid off with a screen debut in 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice” and stage performances in her native London. In her “In the Envelope” interview, Carey reveals the intricacies of her creative process in the years since, including how to protect her own emotions from those of her characters. “I’m just really interested in playing women that feel real,” she says of all her film, TV, and theater roles. “And I’m fascinated by this idea of the ‘unlikable’ woman.” Carey broke into Hollywood with her Oscar-nominated, BAFTA Award–winning work in “An Education,” going on to star in “Never Let Me Go,” “Drive,” “Shame,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Mudbound,” “Wildlife,” and onstage in “The Seagull,” “Skylight,” and “Girls & Boys.” In 2021, she leads Netflix’s “The Dig” and is the producer-star of Focus Features’ acclaimed f

Aspiring writers and directors should take a page out of Julia Hart’s book: don’t wait to tell your story. And if that story experiments with or outright subverts filmmaking genres by centering those typically underrepresented on screen, all the better. “What I find exciting and interesting as a filmmaker is finding new ways to tell old stories about different people,” she says, taking us inside her writing, casting, and directing processes. A New Yorker who for years taught high school and wrote screenplays on the side, Julia made the leap to full-time artist after her 2014 feature “The Keeping Room” ended up on Hollywood’s Black List. With her husband, writing partner, and film producer Jordan Horowitz, Julia has brought to the big screen her directorial debut “Miss Stevens,” superhero riff “Fast Color,” this year’s Disney+ teen musical drama “Star Girl,” and Amazon Studios’ hit “I’m Your Woman,” a 1970s-set crime noir starring Rachel Brosnahan. Check out her Meet the Maker feature on “I’m Your Woman” here

For inspiration on how to empower yourself as an actor—a profession that doesn’t usually feel empowering—listen to “All Rise” star Simone Missick’s advice: “So many more actors would be so much happier with the process of going to work, the process of auditioning, which is another part of work, if we recognize the power that we do have to advocate for ourselves.” That includes advocating for actors’ safety, particularly when filming amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Howard University graduate originally from Detroit, Simone appeared Off-Broadway and in bit TV and film roles before breaking out as Marvel’s first black female superhero, Misty Knight, on Netflix’s “Luke Cage.” She recently starred as a bounty hunter on Season 2 of Netflix’s sci-fi venture “Altered Carbon,” and now leads Greg Spottiswood’s CBS legal drama “All Rise” as L.A. County Superior Court judge Lola Carmichael. Read everything you need to know about COVID-19 resources for artists here: https://bit.ly/2KrDocU --- Backstage has been the #1 res

How can actors master dialects? How important is it for a performer, in an audition or after booking a job, to have specific regional accents in their skill set? Among the many resources available to actors looking to expand their craft, dialect coaching is a growing field of study that most of today’s successful actors have undertaken. This “In the Envelope” episode, featuring experts Barbara Rubin and Jerome Butler, serves as an introduction to the ins and outs of dialect training. Check out more on accents on backstage.com: https://bit.ly/3aqQx0m Barbara Rubin hails from South Africa and works as a dialect coach and theater director in New York City. She’s recently coached actors in the Williamstown Theatre Festival on Audible, is the associate director of Broadway’s “Girl From the North Country,” and has been helping stars (including Julia Garner, Daniel Radcliffe, Samira Wiley, and Jennifer Hudson) incorporate accent work into their craft for years: https://barbararubin.net Jerome Butler is based in Ne

Throughout his over 30 years in the biz, Hugh Grant has evolved through different phases, defining an era of romantic comedies before subverting expectations with the character-driven parts he’s always preferred. “I’d much rather have a silly voice, a funny haircut, and a funny walk,” he says, revealing the intricacies of his character-building process and how it’s changed since his 1990s Hollywood breakthrough. In particular, Hugh advises listeners on how to make each take fresh and believable: “On film, you have to mean it.” A London native and Oxford student, Hugh dabbled in writing and performing sketch comedy before giving acting a go on stages all over England. After film and TV work, including an award-winning turn in “Maurice,” he auditioned for and booked “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” which became the highest-grossing British movie in history and earned Hugh a Golden Globe Award. His streak as a romantic lead continued with “Sense and Sensibility,” “Notting Hill,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “About a

Starstruck by cinema since childhood and then trained on London stages, John Boyega was always meant to be an actor. Recently the “Star Wars” star also became a producer, forming the U.K. production company Upperroom Entertainment Limited. In this interview about his creative processes, John reveals how to transform into a character until you hardly recognize yourself onscreen, as well as his best philosophy for fellow working artists: navigating the biz is about “being present, consistently staying a fan of cinema...and trying to find what specifically motivates you.” After training in multiple London theater programs, John broke into the film industry with sci-fi romp “Attack the Block,” and was launched to superstardom as Finn in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and its two sequels. He’s also appeared in “Imperial Dreams,” “Detroit,” and “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” which he produced. In “Red, White and Blue,” one of the films in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology series now on Amazon Prime Video, John plays

Jonathan Majors approaches every performance with a “tabula rasa,” or blank slate, mentality. “You do so much work creatively, emotionally, physically, spiritually, to prepare for the role,” he says. “But then when you get there, it’s go time.” And only with a strong foundation of training and life experience—knowing one’s craft and oneself—can “go time” be achieved on set. Raised in Texas and discovering theater as a creative outlet while a teenager, Jonathan studied acting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Yale School of Drama. Since his big Hollywood break on the limited series “When We Rise,” he’s appeared in films “Hostiles,” “White Boy Rick,” “Out of Blue,” “Captive State,” “Gully,” “Jungleland,” and the award-winning “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” This year he starred in Spike Lee’s Netflix film about Black Vietnam war soldiers, “Da 5 Bloods,” and led Misha Green’s HBO horror drama “Lovecraft Country” as Atticus “Tic” Freeman. Read more of Jonathan’s words here: https:

Writer-director-editor-producer Justin Simien believes all working and aspiring storytellers should have an artistic mission statement guiding them. Know thyself and know the industry, he advises, and stay in touch with the inherent joy of the creative process. “You should be thinking about the marketplace, you have to,” he tells listeners. “Most importantly, do you. Be clear about what that means.” A student of theater in Houston and film in Los Angeles, Justin seeks to bring typically underrepresented Black and LGBTQ perspectives to the screen. He worked in social media and publicity before filming a crowdfunded concept trailer for what would become his breakout at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival: the critically acclaimed “Dear White People,” now also developed into the ongoing hit series on Netflix. Justin’s new film from Neon and Hulu, “Bad Hair,” is a horror comedy about an evil weave featuring an all-star cast. Check out his podcast, “Don’t @ Me,” here: www.justinsimien.com/podcast For tips on creatin

We’re dedicating this week’s episode to the 2021 awards and festival season—perhaps the strangest one in Hollywood history! Jack is joined once again by Backstage’s executive director of media Kasey Howe to discuss how COVID-19 has shifted film and guilds awards’ schedules, what the 2020 Emmys can teach us about advertising trends and remote campaigning, and whether virtual film festivals will affect what we consider an Oscar contender this year. Casting insider Christine McKenna-Tirella then provides thoughts on networking amid a pandemic, tips for optimizing social media communication, and her favorite current casting opportunities for Backstage users. Check out casting director Melanie Forchetti’s YouTube Live on marketing yourself during these uncertain times here: https://bit.ly/3mPjOFd --- 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 theate

Actor, producer, podcaster, comedian, and activist Caldwell Tidicue is best known as his drag persona Bob the Drag Queen, winner of reality competition “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 8. The heightened gender expression of drag, which encompasses many different skills and performance styles, has proved Bob’s gateway into the entertainment industry. “No one is going to cheer for you harder than you have to cheer for yourself,” he tells fellow artists. Born in Georgia and trained as a theater artist, Bob set off to pursue acting and comedy in New York City and was inspired to join the queer nightlife community after seeing “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the show that launched him into the mainstreamin 2016. He’s acted on HBO’s “High Maintenance” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” Netflix’s “The Tales of the City,” appeared in films “Rough Night” and “A Queen for the People,” and in Berkeley Rep’s “Angels in America,” and produces music videos, podcasts, and stand-up specials. In 2020 he was co-host and consulting producer on

Julie Taymor is a legendary multidisciplinary artist, with inspirations so varied it becomes difficult to classify her. Identifying primarily as a director, she’s also written, produced, composed music, and designed her celebrated stage and screen productions. Her advice for fellow storytellers: embrace limitations, combine mediums, travel the world, and “find something that you’re really, really passionate about.” Julie won directing and costuming Tony Awards for her screen-to-Broadway adaptation of Disney’s “The Lion King” (the highest-grossing entertainment title in box office history), and earned acclaim for film adaptations of “Titus” and “The Tempest,” “Across the Universe,” and “Frida,” which earned her an original song Oscar nomination. The Massachusetts native began as the youngest member of the Boston Children’s Theatre, the first of many companies and education programs, including mime studies in Paris, filmmaking in New York City, mythology and folklore at Oberlin College, and dance, mask work, a