Little Known Facts With Ilana Levine

Cassidy Freeman currently stars as “Amber Gemstone” in the Danny McBride televangelist comedy THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES for HBO alongside McBride, John Goodman and Adam Devine. The series tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. The series premiere was HBO's most-watched comedy debut in more than 3 years and was recently renewed for season 2.   Freeman’s diverse roles have allowed her to travel the world, from Vancouver to New York to Bolivia. She is well known for starring as “Cady Longmire” in LONGMIRE on Netflix and “Tess Mercer” in CW’s superhero drama SMALLVILLE. She has appeared on series such as ONCE UPON A TIME, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and COLD CASE. Freeman co-executive produced and starred in horror-thriller YellowBrickRoad which premiered at Slamdance. Other film credits include DON’T LOOK BACK starring Lucy Griffiths and Kate Burton, IFC comedy film FINISHING THE GAME and indie feature BRAHMIN BULLS. On stage, she has appeared i

Sarah Stiles is currently one of the stars in the critically acclaimed EPIX Original Series GET SHORTY. She was nominated for a Tony for her role as "Sandy" in the Broadway production of TOOTSIE. She is recurring on Showtime’s BILLIONS. She voiced the character “Spinel” in STEVEN UNIVERSE: THE MOVIE.   Broadway productions include her Tony nominated performance as Jessica in HAND TO GOD, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREEVER, Kate/ Lucy AVENUE Q and THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNUM COUNTY SPELLING BEE.   Recent television and film credits include Steven Soderbergh's UNSANE.  I’M DYIN UP HERE, BLACKLIST, DIETLAND and the animated SUNNY DAY for Nickelodeon. Sarah lends her voice on the recording of Pasek and Paul’s JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. This year she penned her solo show SQUIRREL HEART which she performed to sold out audiences at Joe’s Pub at the Public in NYC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmy Award and multiple NAACP Image Award-winning film, television and stage veteran Joe Morton is perhaps best known for his role as Rowan Pope in the television series “Scandal.” Morton’s television credits include a recurring role as lawyer Daniel Golden on “The Good Wife,” on the Network; five seasons as scientist Henry Deacon in the Emmy-nominated series “Eureka”; “The Cosby Show” spinoff “A Different World”; the Kyra Sedgwick-produced “Proof”; and “Grace & Frankie.” In 2016 he portrayed the role of Roy Wilkins alongside Bryan Cranston in the Emmy-nominated biopic “All the Way,” adapted from the Tony Award-winning Robert Schenkkan play.   In 2016 Morton appeared in the feature film “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” as Silas Stone, and he reprised the role in November 2017 in “Justice League.” His additional feature film credits include playing the title character in John Sayles’ “The Brother from Another Planet” and roles in “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” “American Gangster,” “What Lies Beneath,” “B

Prepare yourself to get Lost at the Smithsonian with my friend, Aasif Mandvi, as he explores the little-known stories behind iconic pop culture artifacts at the National Museum of American History  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Karen Olivo is a television, film, and stage actor who is most recognized for her Tony Award-winning performance as Anita in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations. Some of her Broadway theater credits include originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award) and starring as Faith in the Broadway production of Brooklyn The Musical.  She played the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton and currently stars as Satine in Moulin Rouge on broadway. Additional theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theater Club, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage at 2nd Stage, and The Miracle Brothers directed by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theatre. Olivo is also recognized for her many television appearances including recurring & guest-starring roles on “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,

Gideon Glick was nominated for a Tony award for his performance as “Dill Harris” in the Broadway adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Aaron Sorkin and based on Harper Lee’s classic novel. Previously, he reprised his role as Jordan Berman in the Broadway production of Significant Other at The Booth Theatre, for which he earned a 2017 Drama League Award nomination. Gideon made his Broadway debut in the original cast of the groundbreaking Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening, and has starred Off-Broadway as Tom in Samuel Hunter’s The Harvest for LCT3/Lincoln Center and Matthew in The Few for the Rattlestick Theatre Company. Other stage credits include Speech and Debate for the Roundabout Theatre Company, Into the Woods at the Delacorte, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway, Peerless at the Cherry Lane Theatre, and Wild Animals You Should Know for the MCC Theater. In film, Gideon recently appeared as ‘Kyle McCallister’ in Gary Ross’ Ocean’s 8, and will be seen in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming film Mar

Justin Guarini’s robust performance career launched with the first season of American Idol in 2002. His stage and screen appearances since then include Broadway productions of American Idiot, Romeo and Juliet, Wicked, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Justin has hosted shows shows like Idol Wrap and Idol Tonight along with live events for the TV Guide Network, the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Grammys. He continues to reprise his role as the lovable Lil’ Sweet in commercials for Diet Dr. Pepper. Justin is a generous humanitarian: he has advocated for music education funding on Capitol Hill by lobbying for the International Music Products Association. He has worked with Education Through Music Los Angeles, a nonprofit utilizing music education as a catalyst to improve academic achievement, motivation for school, and self-confidence in underserved communities. Justin has also partnered with RandomActs.org and GISH.com to participate in global kindness campaigns. In 2019, Justin founded The Warrior Ar

Kathryn Gallagher can currently be seen as Annika on Netflix’s mega hit show “YOU” produced by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, starring John Stamos, Penn Badgley and Shay Mitchell. This fall, Kathryn will play Bella in Alanis Morissette’s musical “Jagged Little Pill” based on the album, written with Diablo Cody and directed by Diane Paulus. In 2015 Kathryn made her Broadway debut in the Tony nominated revival of Spring Awakening. Kathryn’s music has had placements in film/TV such as “Younger” “Covert Affairs” and Stuart Blumberg’s “Thanks For Sharing.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With an expansive list of film and television credits spanning for more than 20 years, Michael Kelly is known best for his four-time Emmy-Nominated role as “Doug Stamper” in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series HOUSE OF CARDS, for which he starred in for all six seasons. Kelly can next be seen in season 2 of Carlton Cuse’s Amazon Prime Original Series JACK RYAN alongside John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce. Recently, Kelly produced and starred in John Hyams’ ALL SQUARE, supported by Jesse Ray Sheps, Josh Lucas, and Pamela Adlon. He also starred in THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES opposite Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor and in EVEREST opposite Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Robin Wright. Additionally, he played “Lt. Col. Gary Volesky” in National Geographic’s miniseries THE LONG ROAD HOME and “Dumbarton” in BBC’s limited series TABOO opposite Tom Hardy. In 2008, Kelly starred as “Detective Lester Ybarra” opposite Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich in Clint Eastwood’s CHANGELING, which p

Helen Levine - growing up in Brooklyn she might as well have been a million miles away from Manhattan but a chance meeting with a theater company at Brooklyn College in the early 1950s, opened up a whole new world of theater and the performing arts and a lifetime of love and appreciation for all things Broadway  which was passed down to me - your devoted podcast host- Ilana Levine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Marc Sherman  Part 2 Mr,Sherman was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Bennington College, and lives in New York City. His plays include: Things We Want; Clive; Knickerbocker; Evolution; Wonderful Time; Sons & Fathers; Sophistry; Veins & Thumbtacks; Serendipity & Serenity; Jesus on the Oil Tank; and Women & Wallace (also adapted for PBS-TV’s American Playhouse). They have been performed at Malaparte(co-founder), The New Group, The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Williamstown Theatre Festival, WPA Theater, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Young Playwrights Festival, as well as in England, Australia, Israel, Istanbul, and Japan. Acting includes: Theater: Ivanov (CSC), Clive (The New Group); Sophistry (Playwrights Horizons); A Joke, Wild Dogs and The Great Unwashed (Malaparte); Up For Anything (Kraine), I Wanna Be Adored (NY Performance Works), Unexpected Tenderness (WPA), The Chopin Playoffs (American Jewish Theatre), and Oliver! (Pittsburgh Civic  Light Opera). TV/Film: Quiz Show;

Jonathan Marc Sherman was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Bennington College, and lives in New York City. His plays include: Things We Want; Clive; Knickerbocker; Evolution; Wonderful Time; Sons & Fathers; Sophistry; Veins & Thumbtacks; Serendipity & Serenity; Jesus on the Oil Tank; and Women & Wallace (also adapted for PBS-TV’s American Playhouse). They have been performed at Malaparte(co-founder), The New Group, The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Williamstown Theatre Festival, WPA Theater, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Young Playwrights Festival, as well as in England, Australia, Israel, Istanbul, and Japan. Acting includes: Theater: Ivanov (CSC), Clive (The New Group); Sophistry (Playwrights Horizons); A Joke, Wild Dogs and The Great Unwashed (Malaparte); Up For Anything (Kraine), I Wanna Be Adored (NY Performance Works), Unexpected Tenderness (WPA), The Chopin Playoffs (American Jewish Theatre), and Oliver! (Pittsburgh Civic  Light Opera). TV/Film: Quiz Show; Blaze; The Hottest

For more than thirty years, screenwriter Leslie Dixon has been writing some of the seminal comedies of our time—from Mrs. Doubtfire to Overboard—imagining into existence iconic characters who have been brought to cinematic life by the greatest comedians. And, as if that weren’t enough, Dixon has also kept audiences on the edge of their seats with smart and suspenseful screenplays like Limitless and The Thomas Crown Affair.  Some little known facts about Leslie Dixon: Dixon was raised in San Francisco by a single mother. She recalls, “My delightful mother just laughed when I was rude, or bratty. I grew up to be rude and bratty.” Dixon knew no one when she moved to Hollywood at 26. She worked as a secretary and wrote a script on the office computer in secret. Dixon is the fourth highest grossing female screenwriter of all time, more successful than Nora Ephron. (“But we don’t gloat at the dead.”) Photographer Dorothea Lange and painter Maynard Dixon were her grandparents. She notes, “Both my grandparents’ work

Ilana and Marin once again join in a discussion on Marins career. Marin Ireland has been seen on Broadway in Big Knife, After Miss Julie, reasons to be pretty (Tony nom, Theatre World Award). Selected Off-Broadway: Blue Ridge (Atlantic), Summer and Smoke (Transport Group/CSC), Three Sisters (CSC), Marie Antoinette, Blasted (Soho Rep), Maple and Vine (Playwrights Horizons), In the Wake, The Ruby Sunrise (Public), Lie of the Mind (New Group); Cyclone (Obie Award; Studio Dante), Far Away (NYTW), The Harlequin Studies (Signature), On the Exhale(Drama Desk nom, Solo Performance, Roundabout), Ironbound (Drama Desk nom, Rattlestick, Geffen Playhouse), Kill Floor (LCT3). Other: 4.48 Psychosis (Royal Court US tour), Troilus & Cressida (Wooster Group/RSC). Film: The Family Fang, Glass Chin (Independent Spirit Award nomination), 28 Hotel Rooms, Flint, Sparrows Dance, The Irishman, others. TV: “Sneaky Pete,” “The Slap,“"Masters of Sex,” “Girls,” “The Divide,” “Homeland", “Mildred Pierce,”others.  Learn more about your ad

Marin Ireland has recently been seen in Happy Talk at the New Group also previsouly  Big Knife, After Miss Julie, reasons to be pretty (Tony nom, Theatre World Award). Selected Off-Broadway: Blue Ridge (Atlantic), Summer and Smoke (Transport Group/CSC), Three Sisters (CSC), Marie Antoinette, Blasted (Soho Rep), Maple and Vine (Playwrights Horizons), In the Wake, The Ruby Sunrise (Public), Lie of the Mind (New Group); Cyclone (Obie Award; Studio Dante), Far Away (NYTW), The Harlequin Studies (Signature), On the Exhale(Drama Desk nom, Solo Performance, Roundabout), Ironbound (Drama Desk nom, Rattlestick, Geffen Playhouse), Kill Floor (LCT3). Other: 4.48 Psychosis (Royal Court US tour), Troilus & Cressida (Wooster Group/RSC). Film: The Family Fang, Glass Chin (Independent Spirit Award nomination), 28 Hotel Rooms, Flint, Sparrows Dance, The Irishman, others. TV: “Sneaky Pete,” “The Slap,“"Masters of Sex,” “Girls,” “The Divide,” “Homeland", “Mildred Pierce,”others.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc

Casey Nicholaw is currently presented on Broadway as director/choreographer of The Prom, Mean Girls (2018 Tony® nominations for Best Direction and Choreography), Disney’s Aladdin (2014 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Best Choreography), and co-director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon (2011 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Awards for co-director and nominations in the same categories for Choreography); Olivier award winner for Best Choreography. Represented on the West End as director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon and Aladdin. Other Broadway credits as director/choreographer: Tuck Everlasting, Something Rotten (2015 Tony®nominations for Best Direction and Choreography) Elf: The Musical; The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle nominations); Monty Python’s Spamalot directed by Mike Nichols (2005 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle nominations Best Choreography). Additional New York credits: for City Center Encores! – the hi

Ilana Levine - the host of Little Known Facts - recently sat down with Ben Stiller  (actor, director, writer, producer and activist) on stage in front of a live audience at The Atlantic Theater as part of her live podcast series. Together these two old friends shared  hilarious stories of their early days in New York City, Ben's growing up, the child of the famous comedy duo Stiller and Meara, his experience on stage vs. film, dealing with fame and his work on behalf of refugees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anna Chlumsky is an Emmy nominated actress who has continued to make a name for herself in film, on television and on stage.  Most recently, Chlumsky completed production on the seventh and final season of the Emmy-winning comedy, Veep, which will premiered on HBO on March 31st, 2019.   Chlumsky was seen on screen in Minhal Baig’s film “Hala” as Shannon, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Festival. “Hala’s” worldwide rights has also been acquired by Apple.  In 2017, Chlumsky was nominated for her fifth consecutive Emmy© in the category of “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” for her portrayal as Brookheimer. She was also nominated for a Critics Choice Award, and won the SAG Ensemble for VEEP. She won the Gracie Allen Award in 2015 for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a comedy or Musical for her work on Veep. Chlumsky made her Broadway debut in 2015 in Scott Ellis’ revival of You Can’t Take It With You. She played “Alice Sycamore,” the daughter of an eccentric family, opposite James E

An actor, playwright, screenwriter, and director, the Tony Award-winning John Cameron Mitchell is most famous as co-creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which began life as an Obie-winning off-Broadway show (with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask), before becoming a 2001 movie (written, directed by and starring Mitchell), which won Mitchell the Best Director award at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, as well as a raft of other awards and a Golden Globe nomination. He also starred on Broadway in Six Degrees of Separation, The Secret Garden and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Mitchell also directed the 2006 movie Shortbus, which showed explicit sex; has collaborated on projects spanning music, theater, and film; has starred in TV shows including Shrill and Girls;  and directed the films, Rabbit Hole and How To Talk To Girls At Parties among others. He is currently on tour performing The Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig and wrote and stars in a podcast fictional series called  Anthem:  Homunculus wh

This week, 2019 Tony winner Stephanie J. Block joins Ilana for a conversation. Block has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theatre. She most recently won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical portraying Star in THE CHER SHOW and also garnered a Drama League, Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for her current role of Star. Ms. Block also received the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk & TONY nomination(s) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2017 for her star turn as Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre’s highly acclaimed revival of FALSETTOS. In 2013 she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/ Edwin DROOD in The Roundabout Theater’s production of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. That marks 3 TONY Award nominations in the last 6 years, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Ren