2 Degrees of Alie is a podcast about peoples' stories of breaking into Hollywood.

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Comedian Deon Cole Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of chatting with the very hilarious Deon Cole (“Deon Cole’s Black Box,” “Conan,” “Barbershop” 1st Amendment Standup,” “Def Comedy Jam”). You may have seen Deon performing standup all over the country or on TV. Or you’ve probably seen him in countless hilarious sketches on “Conan.” He was also recently the narrator of “Stories From The Road to Freedom” on the History Channel. And starting June 10, you can see Deon in his own brand new show “Deon Cole’s Black Box” on TBS. We talk about everything from his early days doing standup in Chicago to his love for “Star Wars” to touring with Def Jam.

DEON COLE’S BIO

Deon Cole is originally from the south side of Chicago.  Deon’s charismatic personality and original style make him one of the most popular performers in the comedy scene today.  As a standup, he has been featured on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, for Comedy Central he’s been featured on, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show and Laffapalooza, Mash Ups and his own 1 / 2 Hour Special.  Deon has also been featured on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, BET’s Comic View, NBC’s Showtime at the Apollo, BBC’s The World Stands UpLopez Tonight, and STARZ’ Martin Lawrence’s First Amendment which he also hosted in 2010.  

Deon is also an actor, having appeared in MTV’s Short Circuitz and Wild N’ Out with Nick Cannon, as well as Barbershop 1 and 2.   Most recently, Deon was featured in FX’s The League.

After Deon’s 2009 standup appearance on The Tonight Show, he was offered a job as a staff writer for the show and made multiple appearances as a commentator and sketch performer on the show.  TV Guide declared, “A Star is Born” after Deon’s commentary pieces kept growing as a bit on the show.  In 2010, he was nominated for an EMMY and Writers Guild Award along with the other writers of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and he was named one of the “Top 10 Comedians to Watch” by VARIETY. 

Since then, Deon has continued with Conan as a writer/performer on Conan’s new show at TBS, aptly titled, CONAN.  In 2011, Deon received his second Emmy Nomination for his work with the writers of CONAN.  He also had the experience of a lifetime touring with and performing his standup on Conan O’Brien’s THE LEGALLY PROHIBITED FROM BEING FUNNY ON TELEVISION TOUR.

And now, Deon has his own show premiering in June 2013 on TBS called, DEON COLE’S BLACK BOX.  A video clip and social commentary show where Deon will offer up his unique views the weeks events.   Deon also was recently the narrator for The History Channel’s STORIES FROM THE ROAD TO FREEDOM, a documentary on the Civil Rights Movement.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_30_Deon_Cole-1.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:00am PDT
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Actress/Comedian/Youtube Star Angelina Spicer Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with actress/comedian/YouTube star Angelina Spicer, whose credits include: "Sketchy," "Tosh.0," "Electric Spoofaloo," and "Conan." You can see Angelina in the standup special "Standup & Deliver" on Jennifer Lopez's new network NuvoTV on May 21 at 10pm. We talk about everything from doing a Tyra Banks impression to playing Snow Black to talking on the phone with Spike Lee as a kid.

ANGELINA SPICER'S BIO

A Brooklyn native, Angelina is the eldest daughter of hip-hop pioneer Jimmy Spicer. As a comedic actress, Angelina has built a substantial online presence with her portrayal of Tyra Banks, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj on the Disney's Web series Electric Spoofaloo. Some of her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hollywood Reporter. As a Stand up Comedian, Angelina has performed at The Hollywood Improv, The World Famous Comedy Store, Gotham Comedy Club and won the Fresh Faces Stand Up competition at The Ha Ha Comedy Club. She's appeared on VH1's 40 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of the 90's  and can be regularly seen The Yahoo sketch comedy series "Sketchy", or playing a crazy mix of characters like "Mrs. Butterworth" or "Snow Black" on Conan. If you wanna see her outside of Youtube, or Twitter (@AngelinaSpicer) check her out  on "StandUp & Deliver" at 8pm on Jennifer Lopez's new network NuvoTV.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_34_Angelina_Spicer.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 1:00am PDT
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"Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn" Producer/Development Executive/Digital Media Guru/Filmmaker Josh Feldman Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the honor of chatting with producer/development executive/digital media guru/filmmaker Josh Feldman. What happens when someone is equally passionate about both technology and storytelling? You get 2-time Streamys winner Josh Feldman. Josh's credits include: "Halo 4, Forward Unto Dawn," "Electric City," "Larry Crowne," and "Koreatown." His work on the web series "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn," was viewed over 50 million times. We talk about everything from shooting on 16mm film at Ithaca College to working with Tom Hanks to bringing the Master Chief to a live action format.

JOSH FELDMAN'S BIO

Josh Feldman has consistently been at the intersection of storytelling and technology.

Most recently, he served as Executive Producer on HALO 4: FORWARD UNTO DAWN, helping to package and manage creative development on a five-part live-action digital series for Microsoft and 343 Industries. FORWARD UNTO DAWN represents the most ambitious live-action incarnation of the hugely popular Halo franchise. Josh creatively managed a custom-designed pre-release viral campaign. To-date, FORWARD UNTO DAWN has amassed over 50 million views.

Prior to his association with Microsoft, Josh spent five years at Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s film/TV company, Playtone. Josh worked in a variety of development and production capacities for the company's diverse slate of films, HBO miniseries and on-going series.

Josh formed the first digital media strategy for Playtone, resulting in original YouTube content from Tom Hanks, a 16 episode talk show parody in partnership with Lexus, and ELECTRIC CITY, a 20 episode animated series in partnership with Reliance Entertainment and Yahoo. Josh developed and co-wrote ELECTRIC CITY with Tom Hanks. In addition, Josh project-managed and co-wrote a companion digital graphic novel and episode viewer app for iOS and Android devices. During his time at Playtone, Josh worked as a production executive on LARRY CROWNE, written and directed by Tom Hanks, starring Hanks, Julia Roberts and Bryan Cranston. He was also involved in the design and construction of a new state-of-the art editorial facility for the companies' projects.

Previously, Josh worked in several positions at DreamWorks SKG including marketing of live-action and animated films. Upon the conversion to an all CGI infrastructure, Josh segued to feature animation production for DreamWorks Animation.

Beginning his career in live theater, Josh spent three seasons in audio/media design for the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. Josh worked on dozens of theatrical productions, including the multi-venue, multi-format THE ANGEL PROJECT for director Deborah Warner.

Josh wrote and directed the short film KOREATOWN, which won the 2010 audience award at the DancesWithFilms Festival in Los Angeles. He has written and performed live storytelling monologues at an assortment of venues, including the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Josh has taught classes, written about digital media for The Hollywood Reporter, spoken on industry panels and sits on the advisory board of RX Laughter, a non-profit organization which studies and utilizes humor and media to treat seriously ill patients. He has master’s degree in writing from USC.

Josh is currently working on a new, confidential intellectual property for Microsoft Studios.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_33_Josh_F.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 1:00am PDT
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"The Guild" And "Legend Of Neil" Actor/Writer/Director Sandeep Parikh Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the hilarious actor/writer/director Sandeep Parikh ("Save The Supers," "Legend Of Neil," "The Guild," "Community," "Californication," "The Temp Life"). You may know him as Zaboo from "The Guild" or maybe you saw him play Abed's Abed on "Community." You may also be one of his many fans from his work behind the camera. Either way, Sandeep is a guy who delivers many, many laughs. We talk about everything from doing gymnastics in a bar to the power of the internet to Comic Con fame. 

SANDEEP PARIKH'S BIO

Hi I'm Sandeep's bio. As such, it is my duty to inform you that Sandeep is a comedic writer, director and actor. He plays Zaboo on The Guild, created, directed and stars in Save The Supers, and also created, directed and co-wroteThe Legend of Neil for Comedy Central. Hi I'm Sandeep's Bio's bio, he's featured on Sandeep's website and is polyamorously dating several YouTube comments and a Huffington Post article on smart-phones.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_32_Sandeep.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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Actress/Musician/Composer Nora Kirkpatrick Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the multi-talented actress/writer/composer Nora Kirkpatrick. Nora's many acting credits include: "Greek," "The Office," "CSI," "Dorm Life," "Big Sur," "Growth," "John From Cincinnati" and "Happy Place," just to name a few. Besides acting in film and TV and composing scores for films, Nora also plays accordion, keyboards and sings in the Grammy-winning, gold record-producing band Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros. The band's third album is coming out this May. You can currently see Nora as Esther on "The Office" on NBC. Nora was a delight to interview. We talked about everything from accordion muscles to touring with Mumford and Sons to how farming experience can come in handy when guest starring on a hit network show.  

NORA KIRKPATRICK'S BIO

NORA KIRKPATRICK grew up in the rural Midwest, and studied in Spain, England and Africa before graduating from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television in 2007. She has been working steadily in both TV and film since her graduation, most recently playing Esther, Dwight’s new love interest from the farm, on the final season of NBC’s The Office.

She’s had recurring roles on several other shows, including ABC’s Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23, ABC Family’s Greek (as the uptight Panhellenic president, Katherine Parker), and on HBO’s John From Cincinnati.

Active in the indie film world as well, Nora has a supporting role in the film Big Sur, starring Kate Bosworth, that screened at the Sundance Film Festival this year. She has two other films coming out in 2013: Sexy Evil Genius, starring Seth Green, and a voodoo thriller, Bayou.

Nora is heavily involved in the sketch and improv world, often performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles. She also co-wrote and starred in two Funny or Die produced and funded webisodes entitled “Happy Place.”

On the musical side, Nora has been playing accordion, keyboards and singing in the folk-rock group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros since its inception in 2009. The band has appeared on Letterman twice, Jimmy Kimmel twice and on Conan three times. Their first album yielded a gold record, Rolling Stone listed the second album in its top 10 for 2012 and the third album comes out in May 2013. Earlier this month, the band won a GRAMMY with Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show for best long-form music video, the film Big Easy Express, that also won the audience award at the SXSW Film Festival.  The band has played Coachella, Lollapalooza (both in Chicago and South America), Bonnaroo, SXSW, Newport Folk Festival, Outside Lands, among others, and many European music festivals. It curated a series of sold-out concerts and performance art in the Old Vic Tunnels in London at the request of Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey.

In her free time, Nora also writes songs and film scores. Her scores have appeared in several short films (Peter at the End, Elliot and others) and she wrote and composed original songs for the upcoming feature film Never, starring Zelda Williams.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_31_Nora.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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Comedian Dana Gould Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the honor of chatting with the hilarious Dana Gould ("The Simpsons," "The Ben Stiller Show," "Parks And Recreation," "Lost Angels," "The United Monster Talent Agency," "Seinfeld"). You've probably seen him performing standup on TV or heard him on his super funny podcast "The Dana Gould Hour." Some regard Dana as one of the pioneers of alternative comedy. Dana is taping his new one hour special, "I Know It's Wrong" this March in Seattle at The Neptune Theater. We talk about everything from doing standup at age 17 to writing for "The Simpsons" to stories about the Comedy Condo.

DANA GOULD'S BIO

Massachusetts native Dana Gould began his professional stand up career at the tender age of 17, cutting his teeth in the comedy boom of the 1980’s. He arrived in Los Angeles in the early 90’s, where he became one of the founding fathers of the alternative comedy movement. After starring in the TV series “Working” and guesting on such shows as The “Ben Stiller Show” and “Seinfeld”, Dana joined the writing staff of “The Simpsons,” eventually becoming executive producer of the legendary show. 

Dana left the show and rededicated himself to his stand-up career. In addition to numerous HBO specials and the CD, Funhouse, Dana recently completed the one-hour special “Let Me Put My Thoughts In You”, directed by fellow “Ben Stiller Show” alum Bob Odenkirk.

Dana wrote, produced and starred in the pilot “Nolan Knows Best” for ABC television and, in addition to his podcast, The Dana Gould Hour, which premieres in February 2012, is currently developing, along with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, a new pilot for F/X, “Rock Bottom.”

 

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_28_Dana_G_-_Finished.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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Producer Rick Dugdale Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with producer Rick Dugdale ("Combat Hospital," "About Cherry," "A Haunting At Silver Falls," "The Storm"). Rick is the President of Enderby Entertainment and has a wealth of experience in production. Rick started as a production assistant and moved up the ranks to work in the locations department and from there moved up to producing for TV and film. We talk about everything from film financing to working on "The X-Files" to how one goes about getting a major city to agree to shut down busy streets for a shoot.

RICK DUGDALE'S BIO

Enderby Entertainment President Rick Dugdale oversees all aspects of finance and physical production for Enderby. He serves as producer or executive producer on all Enderby Entertainment projects, including About Cherry, which Dugdale produced for Enderby in addition to playing a key role in arranging the financing for the film. Dugdale will produce the Mickey Rourke film, The Storm as well as Dawn Patrol by Daniel Petrie, Jr. Dugdale also serves as CEO of Tony-Seven Films, Enderby Entertainment’s thriller division; he served as executive producer on The SpeakVile and 5 Souls and as producer on A Haunting At Silver FallsNo Tell Motel and Blood Shed. Another major focus for Dugdale is transmedia and all forms of social media marketing.

Dugdale joined Daniel Petrie, Jr. & Company as Vice President, Production in 2003 before becoming a full partner in 2004. He then founded Enderby Entertainment with Petrie in 2006. Prior to teaming up with Petrie, Dugdale gained extensive experience in physical production in his native British Columbia, working at all budget levels in both feature film and television. During this period, Dugdale was responsible for negotiating with local and provincial governments some of the most complex and extensive location filming agreements to date. Dugdale then gained experience in public sector financing and investor relations while working in oil, gas and uranium markets.

Dugdale also serves as one the judges and panelists for the sponsored award category of the Annual Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the Enderby Entertainment Award.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_29_Rick.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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"Moneyball" And "Eastbound & Down" Assistant Director Jonas Spaccarotelli Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with assistant director Jonas Spaccarotelli. Jonas has worked with some of the biggest stars in TV and film. He got his start working as a production assistant in Portland and worked his way up to being an assistant director in Hollywood. His credits include: "Moneyball," "Eastbound & Down," "Everwood," "Eat Pray Love," "I Love You, Man," and "Killing Them Softly," just to name a few. We talk about everything from the importance of having a valid passport to what it takes to get into the DGA to shooting a movie across four countries.


JONAS SPACCAROTELLI'S BIO

Jonas Spaccarotelli is a DGA award nominated Assistant Director. He began his career in film by working as a PA in his home state of Oregon. He moved to Los Angeles in 2001, and was accepted into the Directors Guild 4 years later.  His credits include: "Moneyball," "Eat Pray Love," "Killing Them Softly," "Paranoid Park," and "Stand Up Guys."


Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_26_Jonas.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 10:40pm PDT
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"Criminal Minds" And "Titanic" Special Effects Guru Tom Seymour Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with special effects guru Tom Seymour, whose credits include: "Titanic," "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End," "Criminal Minds," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," "Lethal Weapon 4," and "Jericho." If you're looking to make a car explode or make a river flood or create an accurate replica of the the Titanic for a movie, Tom's the man to call. We talk about everything from working on a Young MC music video to building a river set for "Dante's Peak" to why math and science are important subjects to study if you want to blow things up for a living. 

TOM SEYMOUR'S BIO

I was born on Friday the 13th.

My Dad was a fireman.

Halloween is my favorite holiday.

I get paid to commit felonies and acts of vandalism.

My Mad Scientist motto:

"Blowing up the world. A little at a time."

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_25_Tom_S_3.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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"30 Rock" And "Arrested Development" Writer/Producer Ron Weiner Shares Stories Of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I am lucky enough to chat with the hilarious and talented writer/producer Ron Weiner. Ron is a 2-time Emmy Award winning comedy writer and his credits include such shows as "30 Rock," "Futurama," "Arrested Development," "Newsradio," "Father Of The Pride," and "The Weird Al Show." Besides writing for some of TV's funniest shows, Ron has also written a musical about internet dating that had international acclaim. We talk about everything from the vermin at the "30 Rock" writers' offices to writing for Weird Al to how amazing it is to work with Tina Fey. 

RON WEINER BIO

Ron Weiner is a two-time Emmy Award winning comedy writer.  He has written for such shows as 30 RockArrested DevelopmentFuturamaNewsradio, and The Weird Al Yankovic Show

Ron is also a composer and lyricist.  His songs have appeared on Futurama and Help Me, Help You, a short-lived but much loved sitcom starring Ted Danson.  He also wrote a stage musical entitled Internet Dating: The Musical, which was an LA Times Critic’s Pick.  It was later produced in Seoul, South Korea (!).  Ron can attest to this because he flew there with his parents and Aunt Rhoda and saw the Korean production, which was totally professional, quite excellent, and clearly had a larger budget than the LA original. 

Ron grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts.  While an undergrad at Harvard, he joined the Harvard Lampoon comedy magazine, at which point he learned about the possibility of an actual career writing comedy for TV, and not just being annoying in line for food in the dining hall. 

Ron lives in Los Angeles, California.  He urges anyone reading this to get up and walk around, because research is showing that sitting is worse than smoking.

Direct download: 2_Degrees_Ep_27_Ron_W_-_30_Rock.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:30am PDT
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