Bleav presents On The List with Brett Gursky

It’s the seventy-fourth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guests Cherry Chevapravatdumrong & Teresa Hsiao talk all about their hilarious new movie “Joy Ride”. They share behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the movie- Everything from writing the script, to casting the roles with actors like Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, & Sabrina Wu, to shooting the film in Vancouver. Cherry & Teresa also discuss their extensive careers writing for television, including the shows they’ve written on together- like “Family Guy” & “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens” (which Teresa also created)- and separately- like “American Dad”, “The Orville”, and “Fresh Off The Boat”. They talk about their upbringings in Michigan & Boston, their college experiences at Yale & Harvard, and why they ultimately gave up potential careers as lawyers and bankers to become comedy writers instead. They also offer insight into the current Writers Strike and, last but not least, they share their advice for aspiring writers everywhere. Be sure to check out “Joy Ride”, in theaters nationwide on July 7th!

It’s the seventy-third episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Taylor John Smith talks all about his career as an actor. Taylor shares behind-the-scenes stories from his new movie “Where the Crawdads Sing”. He talks about chemistry reads over Zoom with Daisy Edgar Jones, filming in New Orleans, Reese Witherspoon producing, and Taylor Swift’s original song for the movie. Then Taylor takes Brett back to the beginning, from growing up in Virginia to making the move to California. He discusses everything from his first acting job on the TNT show “Perception” to his appendix bursting on the set of “Grey’s Anatomy”. He tells Brett all about booking the role of Reese Witherspoon & Ryan Phillippe’s love child on the “Cruel Intentions” pilot for NBC and then starring on the second season of the Emmy-winning anthology series “American Crime”. Next, Taylor talks about his first starring role in the movie “Wolves” and the method acting of his co-star Michael Shannon who played his father. He also discusses his hit Netflix movie “You Get Me” co-starring Bella Thorne & Halston Sage. Taylor then talks about how he got his role in the Emmy-nominated HBO limited series “Sharp Objects” opposite Amy Adams- and how she helped lighten the mood on set. Taylor gives Brett more behind-the-scenes from the sets of his all recent films, including “Hunter Killer” with Gerard Butler & Gary Oldman, “The Outpost” with Orlando Bloom & Scott Eastwood, “Shadow in the Cloud” with Chloe Grace Moretz & Nick Robinson, and “Blacklight” with Liam Neeson. Last but not least, Taylor shares his advice for aspiring actors. Be sure to check out his new movie “Where the Crawdads Sing” exclusively in theaters on July 15th.

It’s the seventy-second episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Ruben Fleischer talks all about his career as a director. Ruben and Brett talk about his latest movie “Uncharted”, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, which was just the #1 movie in the world for 2 weeks in a row. Ruben gives Brett all the behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the film, including what it was like filming in Berlin during a global pandemic… especially when their original start date was March 16th, 2020. Then Ruben takes Brett back to the beginning, from growing up in Washington D.C. and making home movies to attending college at Wesleyan University as a history major. Ruben talks about his first gig as a P.A. on “Dawson’s Creek”, which was followed by a job as director Miguel Arteta’s assistant. Ruben explains how he got to direct his first movie “Zombieland” in 2009, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson, and Bill Murray- and how it catapulted his career. Then Ruben tells Brett how he chose his next film “30 Minutes Or Less”, starring Jesse Eisenberg again, alongside Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Swardson. From there, they talk about Ruben’s third movie “Gangster Squad”, starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, and a reunion with Emma Stone. Ruben also discusses directing the pilots for the hit NBC show “Superstore” (which he also produced), the ABC sitcom “American Housewife”, and the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet”, which starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Then Ruben shares stories about the making of his next two films- “Venom” starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, and Riz Ahmed, and “Zombieland: Double Tap”, which reunited the original cast 10 years later. Of course Brett asks Ruben if there will be more “Zombieland” and “Uncharted” movies in his future. Last but not least, Ruben shares his advice for aspiring filmmakers. Be sure to check out “Uncharted” now playing at a theater near you.

It’s the seventy-first episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Walt Becker talks all about his career as a director. Walt and Brett talk about his latest movie “Clifford the Big Red Dog”, which was both the #1 family film at the box office and the #1 trending movie on Paramount Plus. Walt gives Brett behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the live-action film starring a CGI dog. They discuss the history of Norman Bridwell’s iconic Clifford character, which spawned 80 books and an animated series. They also chat about the breaking news that the movie will be getting a sequel. Then Walt takes Brett back to the beginning, from growing up in California and making home movies to attending USC film school. Walt explains how he got to direct his first movie “Buying the Cow”, which starred Jerry O’Connell and a newcomer named Ryan Reynolds, and how that led to Walt & Ryan making their breakthrough movie “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder”. Walt tells Brett how he got his next film “Wild Hogs” and how he assembled the cast that included John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, and Marisa Tomei. Then Walt talks about working with John Travolta again on “Old Dogs” and adding the legendary Robin Williams to the mix. They also chat about Walt’s TV shows “Glory Daze” and “Kirby Buckets” and how he started directing family films with the blockbuster hit “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”. Last but not least, Walt shares his advice for aspiring filmmakers. Be sure to check out “Clifford the Big Red Dog” at a theater near you or on Paramount Plus.

It’s the seventieth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Travis Van Winkle talks all about his career as an actor. First, Travis and Brett talk about how they share the same birthday- November 4th (though Travis explains that his birthday is both November 4th and November 5th). They also talk about how they’re both dog lovers. Then Travis tells Brett everything that went into preparing for his role of “Cary Conrad” on the #1 Netflix series “You”. He talks about working with the cast, including Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti, and shooting the much talked about scenes from episode 5 and episode 8. Travis also details the workout and nutrition plans that went into transforming his body for the role of “Cary”. Next, Travis takes Brett back to the beginning, including growing up in Peachtree City, Georgia and his earliest memory of wanting to be an actor. Travis talks about moving to Los Angeles, the first acting jobs he booked on TV shows, and his first studio movie: “Accepted” with Jonah Hill, Justin Long, and Blake Lively. He then shares behind-the-scenes stories from his next studio movies: “Transformers”- directed by Michael Bay and starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, “Meet the Spartans”, and the 2019 reboot of “Friday the 13th”. They even discuss the possibility that Travis’ characters named “Trent” are actually the same person in both “Transformers” and “Friday the 13th”. Then Travis talks about his recurring roles on hit TV shows like “90210”, “Happy Endings”, and “Hart of Dixie” and his series regular role on the hit TNT show “The Last Ship”. Travis also chats about moving to New York City to film the CBS series “Instinct” opposite Alan Cumming. Last but not least, Travis offers advice to aspiring actors. Be sure to binge season 3 of “You”, now playing on Netflix.

It’s the sixty-ninth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Richard Marx talks all about his career as a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter. First, Richard and Brett discuss his brand new autobiography “Stories To Tell”, as well as the soundtrack that goes along with it. Then Brett- who’s been a Richard Marx fan since he was 7 years old- tells Richard about the impact his music has had on his life. They also go back to the beginning of Richard’s life, including his upbringing in Chicago and how he ended up in Hollywood after being discovered by Lionel Richie. Brett dives into Richard’s first four albums- “Richard Marx”, “Repeat Offender”, “Rush Street”, and “Paid Vacation”. Along the way, they talk about all of Richard’s memorable hit singles, including “Hold on to the Nights”, “Endless Summer Nights”, “Right Here Waiting”, and “Now and Forever”. They also talk about songs he’s written for other artists, including “This I Promise You” for NSYNC, “To Where You Are” for Josh Groban, and “Dance With My Father” for Luther Vandross, for which he won the Grammy for Song of the Year. They also discuss Richard’s latest album “Limitless”- his 14th studio album- which was just released in 2020. Last but not least, Richard offers his advice to aspiring entertainers. Be sure to check out Richard Marx’s autobiography “Stories To Tell”, available everywhere books are sold as of July 6th.

It’s the sixty-eighth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Chord Overstreet talks all about his career as an actor and a musician. First, Chord shares behind-the-scenes stories about the making of his new album “Stone Man”, which features his latest singles “Stone Man”, “Beautiful Disaster”, and “What’s Left of You”. Then Chord takes Brett back to the beginning to discuss growing up in Nashville as the son of songwriter Paul Overstreet, including the first time he took the stage. Chord also talks about moving to Los Angeles to start his acting career and the audition that led to his role as “Sam Evans” on the hit series “Glee”. Chord reminisces about his five seasons on the show, his castmates, and his Teen Choice Award. Then Chord and Brett discuss his other albums: “The Tree House Tapes” from 2017 and “Man On The Moon” from 2019. Chord also talks about his latest movie “The Swing of Things”, which filmed at an actual swingers resort in Jamaica. Last but not least, Chord offers his advice to aspiring actors and musicians. Be sure to check out Chord’s latest album “Stone Man”, which dropped June 25th, and look for his new show “Acapulco”, coming soon to Apple TV+.

It’s the sixty-seventh episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Amber Stevens West talks all about her career as an actress and her new show “Run The World”, which has been so critically acclaimed it has a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. As a surprise, Brett shows Amber his journal from first grade, which mentioned “Hollywood Squares” and her father Shadoe Stevens. Then Amber takes Brett back to the beginning to discuss how she got her start in commercials and booked her first acting jobs on the sitcom “Complete Savages” and in the movie “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”. Amber then talks about the role that changed her life- “Ashleigh Howard” on the wildly popular show “Greek”, which ran for four seasons on ABC Family. She also chats about her movie roles in “Fired Up” , “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “The Kitchen”, and “22 Jump Street” opposite Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill. Amber then talks about her starring roles on three shows in a row: “The Carmichael Show” with Jerrod Carmichael on NBC, “Ghosted” with Craig Robinson & Adam Scott on FOX, and “Happy Together” with Damon Wayans Jr. on CBS. She also talks about her recent rom-com “Love Jacked”, where she starred opposite Shamier Anderson. Last but not least, Amber offers her advice to aspiring actors. Be sure to check out season 1 of “Run The World” now playing on STARZ, where all 8 episodes will be available July 11th.

It’s the sixty-sixth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guests Lance Bass & Lisa Delcampo talk all about their careers and their new TV shows: “Unicorn Hunters” on Amazon Prime & “The Circle” on Netflix. Lance was previously a guest on the podcast back on Episode 10, where he shared his whole life story, including how he joined NSYNC and his experience as part of one of the biggest boy bands of all time. Brett and Lance pick up where they left off, discussing Lance’s wedding to Michael Turchin and their E! special “Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding”. They also chat about NSYNC’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as Lance’s documentary “The Boy Band Con” and his role as himself on the ABC series “Single Parents”. They also talk about Lance’s SiriusXM radio show “Dirty Pop” and his podcasts “The Daily Popcast” & “The Lance Bass Show”. Then Lance tells Brett all about his new show “Unicorn Hunters”, on which he’s part of a panel of experts called The Circle of Money as they decide on which “unicorns”- or billion dollar businesses- to invest in. Next, Brett talks to Lisa about her experience as a contestant on season 2 of “The Circle”, which has been trending as the #1 show on Netflix. Lisa shares behind-the-scenes stories about getting cast on the show, catfishing the other contestants as “Lance Bass”, and making it to the Final 5. She also discusses her newfound fame as a result of the hit show. As of May 5th, all 13 episodes of season 2 of “The Circle” are streaming on Netflix, while “Unicorn Hunters” premiered on Amazon Prime on May 10th. Be sure to check out both shows on a streaming service near you.

It’s the sixty-fifth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Peter Facinelli talks all about his career as both an actor and a director. Peter takes Brett behind-the-scenes of his latest movie “The Vanished”, which he wrote, directed, produced, and stars in. He talks about pivoting from acting to directing, the real-life incidents that inspired the script, and how he put together his cast, including Thomas Jane, Anne Heche, & Jason Patric. Then Peter takes Brett back to the beginning, from growing up in Queens, New York, to studying theater at NYU, to ultimately landing his first acting job on an episode of “Law & Order”. Peter and Brett discuss his big break in one of Brett’s favorite movies of all time “Can’t Hardly Wait” and what it was like playing the iconic role of “Mike Dexter”. They also discuss the wildest time in his career- Filming the hugely successful 5-movie “Twilight” franchise at the same time as his 7 seasons on the Emmy-winning Showtime series “Nurse Jackie”. They also discuss his many other TV shows, like “Fastlane” with Tiffani Thiessen, “Six Feet Under” with Lauren Ambrose, “Damages” with Glenn Close, “Glee” with Lea Michele & Naya Rivera, and “Supergirl” with Melissa Benoist. Last but not least, Peter offers his advice to aspiring actors. Be sure to check out “The Vanished” now streaming on Netflix.

It’s the sixty-fourth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Max Adler talks all about his career as an actor. Max takes Brett behind-the-scenes of his latest film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, which is nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. He talks about working with Aaron Sorkin, who wrote and directed the movie, as well as his co-stars like Sacha Baron Cohen. Brett and Max also go over this year’s Oscar nominations and make some predictions in the major categories. Then Max takes Brett back to the beginning, to his days growing up in Arizona and how he ended up making the move to Hollywood after high school. Max talks about the audition that changed his life, scoring him the role of “David Karofsky” on “Glee”, and what it meant to him to play such a groundbreaking role on the Emmy-winning television series. Max also discusses other roles he loved to play, including “Tank” on the hit show “Switched At Birth” and “Jimmy Stefanik” in the hit movie “Sully”, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks. Last but not least, Max offers his advice to aspiring actors. Be sure to check out “The Trial of the Chicago 7” now streaming on Netflix and tune in to the 93rd Oscars on Sunday April 25th.

It’s the sixty-third episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Brad Furman talks all about his career as a director. Brad takes Brett behind-the-scenes of his latest film “City of Lies”, which stars Johnny Depp & Forest Whitaker and tells the inside story of the investigations into the still-unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur & The Notorious B.I.G. They also discuss the long road it took to finally get the movie released. Then Brad takes Brett back to the beginning, to his days growing up in Philly, attending film school at NYU, and ultimately moving to Hollywood for a job as Julia Roberts’ assistant. Brad then explains how he got his first movie made: “The Take” starring John Leguizamo & Rosie Perez. Then Brad gives Brett the inside scoop on his next three films: “THE LINCOLN LAWYER” starring Matthew McConaughey & Ryan Phillippe, “RUNNER RUNNER” starring Ben Affleck & Justin Timberlake, and “THE INFILTRATOR” starring Bryan Cranston. Brad also chats about directing Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” music video. Last but not least, Brad offers his advice to aspiring filmmakers. Be sure to check out “City of Lies” available on VOD on April 9th.

It’s the sixty-second episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Emmanuelle Chriqui talks all about her career as an actress. Emmanuelle tells Brett about accepting the offer to play the role of “Lana Lang” on the new, hit series “Superman & Lois”, which was renewed for season two after airing just one episode. Then Emmanuelle takes Brett back to the beginning, including her upbringing in Toronto and how she ultimately became a professional actress. Emmanuelle goes in-depth about how she got the role of “Sloan” on “Entourage” and what her experience was like working on the Emmy-winning HBO comedy series, which aired for 8 seasons, plus a movie. Emmanuelle also shares behind-the-scenes stories from all of her movies, including “On The Line” with Lance Bass, “Waiting” with Ryan Reynolds, “In The Mix” with Usher, “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan” with Adam Sandler, and “Cadillac Records” with Adrien Brody & Beyoncé. Last but not least, Emmanuelle shares her advice for aspiring actors. Don’t miss “Superman & Lois” Tuesday nights on The CW. (It returns May 18th)

It’s the sixty-first episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Soleil Moon Frye talks all about her life as both an actress and a documentary filmmaker. She first came into our lives as the lovable “Punky Brewster” in 1984, starring in the hit NBC series for 4 successful seasons. Now, “Punky Brewster” is back with an all-new reboot (or “continuation”) on Peacock, premiering February 25th. If that’s not enough, Soleil also took her own personal home video footage from the ‘90s and turned it into a documentary called “Kid 90”, which premieres March 12th on Hulu. Soleil takes Brett back to the beginning, telling him how she got her start in show business, including the very first “Punky Brewster” audition. She talks about working with her original “Punky Brewster” castmates, including George Gaynes, Susie Garrett, and Cherie Johnson, who is back for the reboot. Also starring in the reboot: Freddie Prinze Jr. as Punky’s ex-husband. Soleil also discusses growing up famous, with actor friends like Leonardo DiCaprio (an executive producer of “Kid 90”), Seth Green (a guest star on the new “Punky Brewster”), Jenny Lewis, David Arquette, and Brian Austin Green. Then, Soleil and Brett talk about her guest appearances on iconic TV shows like “The Wonder Years”, “Saved By The Bell”, and “Friends”, as well as her 3-season run on the hit series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”. They also discuss Soleil’s involvement with Sean Penn’s relief effort Core, and how her mom taught her about giving back from a young age. Don’t miss the return of “Punky Brewster” on February 25th on Peacock or the premiere of “Kid 90” on March 12th on Hulu.

It’s the sixtieth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guests Carl Radke & Lindsay Hubbard talk all about their experience as the stars of Bravo’s hottest reality show “Summer House”, giving Brett all the behind-the-scenes inside scoop. Since Brett knew both of them before they were ever on television, Carl & Lindsay discuss their lives prior to joining the show. Like Brett, Carl attended the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and majored in Television/Radio/Film, before moving to LA. Lindsay also lived in LA and worked as a publicist on countless star-studded projects, including the Muscle Milk Fitness Retreat with Brett. Then, Carl & Lindsay take a trip down memory lane and talk about their favorite moments from the first four seasons of “Summer House”. Then they give some insight into what viewers can expect on the current fifth season, which was filmed during quarantine, and discuss the staying power of the show. They also get personal, with Carl discussing his sobriety and Lindsay discussing her recent break-up. If you love “Summer House”, you’ll love learning things about Carl & Lindsay that you never knew before. Be sure to tune in to “Summer House” Thursday nights on Bravo.

It’s the fifty-ninth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Dane Cook talks all about his 30-year career as a stand-up comedian and an actor. Dane offers behind-the-scenes stories from his recent "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" virtual table read with Sean Penn, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts. Then Dane takes Brett back to the beginning, from his childhood in Boston to his first open mic night at a comedy club. Dane chats about his first job on TV- the ABC sitcom "Maybe This Time" with Betty White, as well as his first appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman". Then Dane takes us through each of his comedy albums and specials, including "Harmful If Swallowed", "Retaliation", "Vicious Circle", "Rough Around the Edges", "Isolated Incident", and "Troublemaker". Dane and Brett also talk about all of his movies, including "Waiting", "Employee of the Month", "Mr. Brooks", "Good Luck Chuck", "Dan In Real Life", and "My Best Friend's Girl". Dane also discusses his role as Dusty Crophopper in the Disney/Pixar movies "Planes" and "Planes: Fire and Rescue". Dane and Brett also talk about the Netflix documentary they worked on together- "The American Meme"- and how Dane used MySpace to build his fanbase early on in his career. It's an extensive interview with lots of never-before-heard stories and a discussion about Dane's upcoming as-yet-untitled autobiography. Last but not least, Dane also offers his advice to all aspiring entertainers.

It’s the fifty-eighth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Cody Calafiore talks all about his recent win on Big Brother: All Stars. Cody discusses the differences between his experiences on Big Brother 16 (where he won 2nd place) and Big Brother 22 (where he just won 1st place) and what it was like to come back this year as an All-Star. He discusses what his strategy was to win the latest season and also weighs in on each of his 4 Head of Households. Cody shares his feelings about each of his Big Brother housemates and how he chose which ones to start alliances with. He also talks about how he decided to take Enzo Palumbo to the Final 2. (Fun fact: Cody, Enzo, and Brett are all Jersey guys.) Last but not least, Cody offers his advice to aspiring reality stars and actors.

It’s the fifty-seventh episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Evan Antin talks all about his career as a vet, as the star of the Animal Planet series “Evan Goes Wild”, and as the author of the new book “World Wild Vet”. He also talks about what it’s like to be named People magazine’s “Sexiest Vet Alive”. Evan shares stories about how his love of animals began as a kid, how he studied exotics in Australia and Tanzania during college, and how he ultimately decided to become a vet. Evan also talks about meeting his childhood hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and being mistaken for Superman star Henry Cavill. Then Evan takes us behind-the-scenes of his Animal Planet TV show “Evan Goes Wild”, where he got to check animal encounters off his wildlife bucket list. He also discusses his brand new book “World Wild Vet”, which takes readers all over the world on Evan’s adventures. Evan talks about the importance of wildlife conservation, as well as his own brand of safe pet products called Happy Pet. Evan also offers his advice to current pet owners, potential pet owners, and aspiring vets. Plus, a special appearance by Brett's dog Buddy!

It’s the fifty-sixth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Kristin Cavallari talks all about her career as a reality TV star, an actress, a host, and a New York Times bestselling author. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from her three hit TV series- "Laguna Beach", "The Hills", and "Very Cavallari". She also discusses her three bestselling books- "Balancing In Heels", "True Roots", and her latest cookbook "True Comfort". While chatting about her new book, Kristin explains how she makes comfort foods with healthy ingredients. Then Kristin and Brett "go back... back to beginning" and discuss how she was first discovered by MTV for "Laguna Beach" when she was a junior in high school- and everything it led to. They also talk about her acting career, including the "Van Wilder" prequel and playing herself on the TV show "The League". She also shares her experiences on "Dancing With The Stars" and as a red carpet commentator on the E! network. Kristin explains that the thing she's most proud of professionally is her lifestyle brand Uncommon James and she offers her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.

It’s the fifty-fifth episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Frank Coraci (“Hot Air”) talks all about his career as a movie director. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from his latest movie "Hot Air" starring Steve Coogan. Then he goes back to beginning and talks all about his days at NYU, where he met his friend & future collaborator Adam Sandler. Together they would go on to make the movies "The Wedding Singer" with Drew Barrymore, "The Waterboy" with Kathy Bates, "Click" with Kate Beckinsale, "Blended" as a reunion with Drew, and "The Ridiculous 6" for Netflix. Frank also discusses his very first movie "Murdered Innocence" and how it came to be. He then gives the inside scoop on his movie "Around the World in 80 Days" starring Coogan and Jackie Chan, as well as "The Zookeeper" & "Here Comes The Boom", both starring Kevin James. Frank also offers his advice to aspiring directors. Be sure to check out "Hot Air" on iTunes and Amazon now.