Ep. 41 - Angela Zhou on Death and Other Details, Hell on Wheels and Auckland Cuisine

Explicit content warning

06/16/23 • 64 min

Actress and writer Angela Zhou stars in the upcoming Hulu show, Death and Other Details (formerly Career Opportunities in Murder & Mayhem) which is set to premiere this year. She previously starred in AMC’s Hell on Wheels, opposite Anson Mount, playing a character trying to make a fresh start while carrying an important secret. The show was shot in Canada, and took place during the time following the Civil War, and laid across the backdrop of the construction of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. Throughout her journey, she’s guest-starred on several television shows, including Supergirl, MacGyver, and NCIS: Los Angeles and performed with SGCNZ's Young Shakespeare Company at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. In our conversation, we talked about her experience writing and acting on her new Hulu show; growing up in New Zealand; the best food in all the places she’s lived; our experiences at Duke University; and a pivotal class decision which essentially affected the course of her entire life story.

Opening Credits: 300€ - Demoiselle Döner I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication; Invisible Ink - Lemon Knife I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Closing Credits: Hey, Augusta - The Agrarians I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).

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Ep. 40 - Jesse Gustafson on Day 39, Black Site Delta and Army Peacekeeping Missions

Unique experiences affecting disparate individuals, from the marginalized to the privileged, form the template for the types of stories filmmaker Jesse Gustafson conveys in his projects. After graduating high school in Florida, Jesse enlisted in the US Army at age 17, and was deployed on a peacekeeping mission to post-genocide Bosnia-Herzegovina. Considering the possibility of remaining in the military, Jesse decided to study theater, studying scenic design at the University of Florida and graduating with a BFA degree in stage acting and directing from UC Santa Barbara. After college he moved to Bangkok, Thailand where he directed and performed for an English-speaking theater company. He went on to work in theaters across the US, including Playwrights Horizons in New York, the American Reparatory Theater in Boston and the Magic Theater in San Francisco. He has an MFA in Film from Columbia University, where his thesis film, DAY 39, was a finalist for the Student Academy Award. He has directed the camp-cult action film, Black Site Delta, starring Cam Gigandet; and his other short films include The Starlight; Riches; and Double Header. He also produced frequent collaborator Laurence Vannicelli’s feature, Vera, as well as his short film, The Young Housefly starring Alex Karpovsky. In our conversation, we discussed life in the military; the relationship between trauma and empathy; and my involvement in his next film which features a psychiatrist.

Opening Credits: selfpity - Always Feel the Cold I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); In De Nadfin - Encontré I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US); Closing Credits: A Crooked Pulse - Dark Spots I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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Ep. 42 - Alfredo de Villa

Alfredo de Villa directs films which layer complex characters onto the backdrop of vibrant emotions; irreverent humor and interweaving narrative themes which take the lead. They carry the weight of strong characters brace themselves for the reality they’re immersed in after not realizing the fact until someone, or something or their own voice rises to the surface and informs who they really are. His first film, Washington Heights, is a testament to that reality. Alfredo accompanied the juxtaposition of art, comics, familial love and respect with the culturally-diverse eponymous New York City neighborhood which acted as his canvas. The film, which Alfredo co-wrote with Pulitzer prize-winner Junot Diaz, starred Tomas Milian and Manny Perez, and featured Bobby Cannavale and Danny Hoch in supporting roles, and was released at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was acquired by Lionsgate. He next directed the dance-centered Yellow, which featured Roselyn Sanchez, Bill Duke and D.B. Sweeney on which had mixed experiences; however, it allowed him to finance his third film - the seminal Adrift in Manhattan, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in Dramatic Competition. The film featured riveting performances from Heather Graham, Victor Rasuk and Dominic Chianese alongside Elizabeth Peña, William Baldwin and Marlene Forte. His next film Nothing Like the Holidays, brought him back to his stylistic roots in terms of form and humor, and was made for Overture Films. It featured an ensemble cast helmed by Alfred Molina, Debra Messing, Luis Guzman, Freddie Rodriguez, Jay Hernandez, Melonie Diaz and reunited him with Elizabeth Peña, who played the matriarch of a Chicago, Puerto Rican family in Humboldt Park. Then came the comically-hilarious Fugly, based on John Leguizamo’s one-man show, Ghetto Klown, starring Leguizamo opposite Radha Mitchell, Rosie Perez and Griffin Dunne. He is also a prolific commercial director, and graduate of Columbia’s MFA program. In our conversation, we discussed his Mexican upbringing; mental health; cinema which influenced his taste; and showing his son Pulp Fiction for the first time.

Opening Credits: HoliznaCC0 - Sick With Love I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication; Crowander - Sloopy I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0); Closing Credits: Siddhartha Corsus - The Fire of Your Peace I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).