Podcast
One Broke Actress
Hosted by Sam Valentine · EN
Financially, mentally, physically or otherwise...most actors are at least a little broke. Host/actress Sam Valentine brings you advice, tips, and real stories (of success & failure) from people in and around the acting industry. So you feel a little more “whole” and a little less alone in Hollywood. From auditions and the day-to-day life of working actors to getting agents/managers, we cover it all.
While this podcast is not currently running, please check out the bonus eps via the Patreon Pod for current episodes!
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
whats up with one broke actress??
Sep 3000:03:35Summary readya check in and explanation about our current transition period! in the meantime find me:Working Actor LifeInstagramPatreon (or your Apple/Spotify Bonus section)Or for the most in-depth work, get in TM!
Summarysuccess has no age limit with success has no age limit (with actress Danielle Kennedy) * it's hits different*
Jul 300:48:27Summary readyplease stop saying you're too old, aged out, whatever the words are....enough! actress Danielle Kennedy met with me in 2021 to talk about building her full life and then becoming a successful working actor after raising 8 kids and doing her own thing. a second act actor as they say.this is the ep you didn't know you needed to hear...
Summarythe 'hollywood body standard' no one prepares you for with Lynn Chen* it hits different*
Jun 501:19:00Summary readythis is incredibly validating for anyone who’s felt like they’re falling behind or not “getting it right” in their creative career. lynn’s career path and healing process reminds us that success doesn’t always look like we imagined....originally aired july 8th 2021, this in-depth conversation with actor Lynn Chen is an episode that closed out season 4 of the podcast and hit hard for a reason. Lynn walks us through the emotional highs and lows of “making it” as an actor: from child opera performances and Law & Order bookings to struggling with food, being dropped by reps, and ultimately finding her voice through blogging, vulnerability, and directing her own feature film.We cover:Growing up performing at The Met (like, age four-level early)The moment acting felt more like obligation than loveBooking Law & Order and getting her SAG cardThe weight of the industry’s standards...literallyBinge eating, emotional triggers, and recoveryWhen a Sundance debut doesn’t equal steady workWhy she started “The Actor’s Diet” and what it gave her backHer “holding deal” era + writing her first pilotGetting dropped by reps… and getting back upResilience, reinvention, and reclaiming acting on her own termsReferenced in the episode:The Actor’s Diet Blog (redirects to her main site)
Summaryyou booked the job but it didn’t change your life: Brian Unger on the real working actor experience *it hits different episode*
May 2201:04:25Summary readyoriginally aired april 13 2021, brian unger has been on your screen more times than you probably realize but this episode isn’t a flex. it’s a real convo about the weird limbo between being talented and being bookable. what it actually feels like to get hired. and the emotional whiplash of the audition hustlewe talk about• how pilot season used to work and what’s changed• why bookings don’t mean you’ve made it• the quiet grind behind working actor life• the surprising advice brian got that changed his entire careerthis episode is a reminder that success in acting rarely looks the way you imagined it. and that one good job isn’t the whole story. a must relisten if you’re questioning your momentum or measuring your worth by your credit...
Summarystop trying to fix everything at once - *it hits different episode*
May 8, 202500:30:21Summary readyever feel like your to-do list has morphed into a crisis of identity? same. this replay (from oct 30th 2023) is here to pull you out of that “should I cut my hair or get a manager?” spiral and help you simplify the actual next steps in your acting career.we talk about why your brain is overloaded (it’s not just you), how to dump your mental tabs into one place, and why taking out the trash (metaphorically) might be your best productivity tool. oh, and we break down how to decide what the hell to work on without drowning in FOMO.
Summaryhollywood + the trans experience: how we as actors play our role well
May 2, 202500:46:48Summary readyi do not care how you identify, this episode is for you. Rain + Jase are here to educate me on how actors can advocate for their trans (and all LGBTQIA) community, what they wish writers were focusing on, and how a safe place is created. so get your pronouns on and listen up:mentioned in this ep: @actnowLA@rainvaldez@livelaughjaseRainbow Rated
Summaryyears without a job: christina ochoa’s unfiltered acting journey *it hits different episode*
Apr 24, 202501:17:36Summary readyIn this throwback convo from Sept 2018, I sat down with the unstoppable Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom, A Million Little Things) for a seriously honest, occasionally hilarious, and refreshingly unfiltered look at what it actually takes to survive and thrive in this industry.Moving to LA with zero connections (and zero chill about the rent)Not working for 2.5 years after a major show… and how she survived it (Uber, eBay, and a underprepared tutoring gig)Auditioning while broke AF… and still booking the roleThe shift from “pretty but doesn’t know it” casting to owning your own vibeSaying no to mediocre TV (even when you really need the check)Body image, being naked on set, and why she threw the damn breakdowns in the trashHer trick for manifestation that doesn’t involve “morning pages” but does involve drawing yourself with dollar signs and scripts Mentioned in This EpisodeSara MornellBook: The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony SchwartzBook/Workbook: The Artist’s Way Workbook by Julia CameronChristina’s orgs: Oceana and Earth’s OceansShow Mentioned: Animal KingdomSeries Mentioned: A Million Little Things
Summarymaking your own work + using new tech to your advantage, and surviving the pivot with Brendan Bradley
Apr 10, 202500:35:11Summary readyour favorite multi-hyphenate chaos king Brendan Bradley is back (you might remember him from episode 208, aka “the stake captain saga”), and he’s bringing a lot in a short amount of time:actor thoughts on vertical shortsbuilding a creative career from scratchsurviving pivot after pivotembracing new tech without losing your soulalso… the audio cuts off at the end (rude), so we will be having him back. don’t worry.things we mention:brendan’s IGbrendan’s projects:the devil and the daylong brotherssuccubusVR work (ferryman collective)
SummaryREAL TALK: relationships with creatives- our husbands share what it’s really like
Mar 21, 202500:54:06Summary readyYou’ve heard about them so much, now they’re finally here by popular demand!Gabrielle is back! And we brought our husbands Caleb and Cory for a candid conversation about what it’s really like being in a relationship with someone in the entertainment industry. If you’ve been wondering how they handle the unpredictable schedules, self-tapes, and financial ups and downs of being with a Creative- this one’s for you. Buckle up for some laughs and a realistic look at what it really takes to make our relationships work!TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Introducing the Husbands02:26 — Dealing with a Partner Online10:36 — The Importance of Communication 12:50 — Helping Your Partner Self-Tape26:11 — What “Normies” Need from Creative Partners28:28 — Challenges of a Creative Partner33:47 — Why Sam & Caleb Stopped Drinking38:03 — Advice for Normies Dating Creatives43:00 — Finances & Relationships📚 EPISODE RESOURCES:★ Follow Gabrielle on IG! ★ Sign up for Side Hustle Academy♡Even More Sam♡InstagramPatreonWebsiteMy IMDb
Summarymoving OUT of los angeles but staying in the hollywood game - how actress lauren sweetser premiered at sundance while living in arkansas
Mar 10, 202500:55:40Summary readyFrom meeting with Ben Affleck, to reading for Aaron Sorkin, working with intimacy coordinators in hardcore covid times, self-taping in Cabo, and cringing at past headshots— Lauren has done it all, and on her own terms. If you’ve ever wondered if there’s more than one way to make it in the industry, Lauren’s story is proof that success doesn’t have to follow a single path:You may know her from ‘Winter’s Bone’ alongside Jennifer Lawrence, ‘True Detective’ on HBO, or Apple TV’s ‘For All Mankind.’ And today she opens up about her decision to leave Los Angeles for Arkansas, where she balances motherhood with her acting & producing career, and how she landed a role in her new film, ‘Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake),’ which just premiered at Sundance! TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Meet Lauren Sweetser03:50— Early L.A. Memories with Lauren06:50 — Leaving Hollywood for Fayetteville, AR14:07 — The Business of Living Outside Hollywood23:00 — BTS Scoop of “For All Mankind”28:05 — Landing “Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)”34:00 — Finding Your Path as an Actor40:43 — Past Headshot Reflections41:56 — Where to find Lauren & Her Work📚 EPISODE RESOURCES:★ Listen to Lauren’s first visit to OBA! ★ Follow Lauren on Instagram! ★ Check out Lauren’s IMDb ★ Follow ‘Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)’ on IG ★ Read about the Baby Scoop Era ♡Even More Sam♡InstagramPatreonWebsiteMy IMDb
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