This week, Tommy is joined by actress Candice King who is known for her starring role as Caroline Forbes in all eight seasons of the smash hit, “The Vampire Diaries", as well as the successful spinoffs, “The Originals" and “Legacies." She currently can be seen starring in the highly anticipated series, “We Were Liars" out now on Prime Video. The series is based on E. Lockhart’s #1 New York Times Bestseller of the same name. Today, Candice opens up about saving Nina Dobrev at last year’s fan convention, what the real possibility is of having the cast reunite for another "The Vampire Diaries" project, what those cast reunions at conventions are really like, if she has finally watched the entire series, if she understands the magnitude of what she created with her character Caroline, was there ever a moment or scene for her character that she didn’t agree with, why it was fun playing a character with some faults in "We Were Liars," if she was nervous stepping into her first big leading series role since The Vampire Diaries, why she hopes people can see her as Bess and not Caroline in this series, if the die-hard book lovers will enjoy this adaptation, starting in Hollywood as an up and coming pop-star, how she became a back-up singer for Miley Cyrus, what she wants her children to be proud of her for, her pop culture hot-takes, why she thinks people are so obsessed with Caroline and Klaus, how that relationship came to be, society’s built-in guilt for working mothers, and so much more.

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This week, Tommy is joined by the brilliant Paras Patel, who plays Matthew in one of the most watched shows in the world. THE CHOSEN is the first ever multi-season show about the life of Jesus, and it became the most successful crowdfunded TV series or film project in history. The series has over 770 million episode views and, with Season 5 out now, that number is sure to explode even more. THE CHOSEN is resonating with both religious and non-religious viewers because the storytelling is connecting with audiences in really deep ways. For example, the character of Matthew is historically a former tax collector who becomes one of Jesus’ disciples. But in THE CHOSEN, he is also neurodivergent, which is something that makes many viewers feel seen. Today, Paras opens up about why he feels that THE CHOSEN has resonated in such a big way with audiences, what he would ask Matthew if he had the chance to meet him, if he felt the pressure playing the role of such an important historical figure, what similarities he shares with Matthew, if he read the book of Matthew to prepare for this role, how his relationship with religion and spirituality has changed through doing this series, what he has most learned about himself through playing Matthew, why this role gave him his purpose, how the decision was made to make Matthew a neurodivergent character, what he is really scribbling down in his tablet throughout the series, if he would want to star in a Matthew spin-off, what that might look like, what it’s really like working with a dog so closely, the scene that will forever hold a special place in his heart, if anything mystical or unexplained ever happened in the middle of filming an episode, the emotional filming of Season 5, if he ever worried that being a part of a faith-based show would limit his future work as an artist, how he has worked through feeling stuck throughout different moments of his life, if he thinks Matthew had a crush on Mary Magdalene, and so much more.
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This week, Tommy is joined by actress Lauren Cohan who you know and love from starring in one of the most watched drama series in the history of television, THE WALKING DEAD. Lauren now stars in the spin-off series, THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY. Season 2 is out now and Lauren continues to light up the screen playing the strong, resilient, and very layered character, Maggie Greene. Today, Lauren opens up about why she has wanted to continue playing Maggie for over a decade, how the darkness of THE WALKING DEAD can sometimes affect her, what it was like losing her on-screen partner in that traumatic scene, how her own spin-off came to be, the most surprising thing about working with co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, what exploring that relationship has been like, making her directorial debut this season, if she ever thought about leaving the franchise, what she thinks of the future of THE WALKING DEAD franchise, if she thinks her character will ever die, how much of the season’s plot she knows before production begins, if there was ever a storyline for Maggie she did not agree with, how she navigates imposter syndrome, why she is trying to slow down when she can, the journey of learning how to be kind to herself, why sharing life with the people who matter to you is so important, and so much more.

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This week, Tommy is joined by Tom Daley, one of the greatest divers in the world. Tom’s remarkable journey to becoming a five-time Olympic medalist is captured in the new documentary, TOM DALEY: 1.6 SECONDS. In this doc, he gives us an intimate look at the challenges of growing up in the public eye, facing physical and mental pressures of being his countries big medal hope, tragically losing his father Robert to cancer, coming out in the media, the decision to retire from the competition at the age of 30, and glimpses into his home and family life. Tom is not only a sporting legend, but he is also a champion for important social issues. Today, Tom opens up about that photo from the Olympics that went viral, the pressure that comes with nailing those 1.6 seconds of a dive, who he is without a professional diving career, one of the biggest misconceptions about him, what his relationship with grief is like today, how growing up gay caused him to put other people’s feelings before his own, how one wink face changed the course of his love life, why one misquoted headline led him to create his coming out video on YouTube, the fear his former management placed in him about being an out athlete, his advice for anyone struggling with their identity or sexuality, the struggles he faced with his body image over the course of his career, why he can’t escape the question of if he is really retired, if coaching every interests him in the future, a parenting struggle that he has never shared before, and so much more.
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This week, Tommy is joined by Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren who are currently starring in the beloved Broadway show, THE LAST FIVE YEARS. Nick’s story as one-third of the iconic Jonas Brothers has remained very well documented given the band’s massive global success. He’s also a wildly popular solo artist, has starred in blockbuster hit movies and TV shows, and is no stranger to the stage. Adrienne is a fierce singer, actress and dancer who is perhaps best known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Tina Turner in Broadway’s TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL. She is also leaving her mark in Hollywood, appearing in RUSTIN with Colman Domingo and THE WOMAN KING with Viola Davis. Together, they are making magic in THE LAST FIVE YEARS. Today, Nick and Adrienne open up about why they absolutely had to be a part of this production, the deeply personal connection Adrienne has to her character Cathy, how being a part of The Jonas Brothers influences and affects the work Nick does on a Broadway stage, if it’s hard for them to remain present given the fast-pace nature of their lives, the moments of the show they treasure, how they established trust in one another in and out of work, what Nick said early on to Adrienne that set the tone for their friendship, if they have any goofy pre-show rituals, if they felt the pressure to prove themselves with stepping into roles that fans have loved since the show’s inception, if they pull from their real lives in their performances, and so much more. This is a special edition episode of my podcast because this interview is from an event I moderated, presented by the prestigious 92nd Street Y New York. The 92nd Street Y New York is a world class center for arts and innovation. They offer extensive in-person and online classes and events, including live talks, concerts, and dance performances.
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This week, Tommy is joined by actress Melissa O’Neil who plays Sergeant Lucy Chen in ABC’s THE ROOKIE. Melissa has been a fan-favorite character over the course of seven seasons of this smash hit series, and she will be returning for a highly anticipated eighth season. You may also know and love Melissa from playing the lead role in the Syfy Channel series, DARK MATTER. At 16, Melissa was the youngest and first female winner of Canadian Idol and went on to become a platinum selling recording artist. She also has performed on Broadway in both Les Miserables and Jesus Christ Superstar. Today, Melissa opens up about that cliffhanger in the season seven finale, what she thinks might happen for Lucy and Tim next season, what it’s been like creating a beloved on-screen relationship with co-star Eric Winter, what she has most learned about herself since starting on THE ROOKIE, if there was ever a time in her career when she was uncomfortable with a scene, how she learned to communicate her concerns, the parts of playing Lucy that are both easy and harder for her, some of her favorite moments for Lucy, her reaction to Lucy being promoted to Sergeant, if she ever tries to give the writers ideas about her character, what she would want Lucy’s endgame to be, if she has the itch to do Broadway again, some of her dream roles, what her perfect day off is, how she maintains a positive outlook, something powerful she has never said before, and so much more.

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This week, Tommy is joined by actress Shanola Hampton who became a household name playing Veronia Fisher, a.k.a. V, in the smash-hit series SHAMELESS. She played V for 11 seasons, often praised as one of the most beloved characters in the show. Right now, she can be seen in Season 2 of the NBC series FOUND playing Gabi, a public relations specialist who shines a light on missing persons cases. Today, Shanola opens up about what she did with her fellow cast members of SHAMELESS the first time they met, what their relationships are like today, if a reunion with the cast might be in the cards, what part of V’s personality rubbed off on her, what a potential spin-off with Steve Howey might look like, that (very) sexy scene she filmed the first time she met Steve, their conversation about manscaping, what has fulfilled her doing FOUND vs. other shows, why its been thrilling playing a flawed character, what being #1 on the call sheet has been like for the first time in her career, how rejections and sometimes painful hardships over the course of her career never stopped her, important advice for anyone who has a dream, the role she auditioned for that she really wanted, how things are put in your path (or not) for a reason, why she will never allow hate in her life, and so much more.
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This week, Tommy is joined by Academy Award-winning actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who captured audiences with her breakout role opposite Eddie Murphy in DOLEMITE IS MY NAME. Randolph also starred in the acclaimed film THE HOLDOVERS earning numerous prestigious accolades including that Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and so many more. You also may know and love Da’Vine from her fan-favorite role in ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING. Now she’s kicking some butt in the action thriller SHADOW FORCE (also starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy) in theaters May 9th. Today, Da'Vine opens up about how winning her Academy Award has become a way for her to pay it forward, the pressure that comes after winning an Oscar, how she learned to find inspiration and motivation from within, why she believes that anxiety can sometimes be a gift if you listen to it, what made her want to join her first action movie, the one thing she believes is crucial to making an action movie believable, her #1 tip to kicking some butt, why Bradley Cooper is still at the top of her list to work with, the movie she wants to remake with him, how Hollywood constantly challenges her worth, what keeps her focused and able to persevere, filming the new season of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, if she finally has more scenes with Meryl Streep, if her and Selena Gomez bust out a tune on set, why empathy allows us to feel more connected to one another, and so much more.

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