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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This week, Tommy is joined by one of the biggest romance writers in the world. Ana Huang is a #1 New York Times, Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author who has sold well over 5 million copies of her books. She is best known for her break-out “Twisted” series that is currently being adapted into a series on Netflix. That series alone has over one billion views on TikTok and is considered one of the bestselling romance books of all time. Ana’s fifth book in the “King of Sin” series, “King of Envy,” is out now, and it is taking the book community by storm. Today, Ana opens up about whether she's finally allowed her parents to read her steamy books, how she went from working a 9-to-5 to becoming one of the biggest authors in the world, the powerful moment when she realized she could turn writing into a career, why she thinks the Twisted series resonates with so many people, if she feels pressure over the casting of the TV series, if she has some people in mind for the cast, how social media has been such an important piece of her career, why she likes her fictional men slightly unhinged, what the most challenging part of writing "King of Envy" was, one of her favorite scenes in the book, if she cries when writing emotional scenes, her process for putting out two books a year, the same things she does every time she writes, how she protects herself from criticism and negativity, if there will ever be another "Twisted” book, which of her female main characters would be her best friends, if there is a character she would use in a spinoff, advice for aspiring authors, something very personal she has never said before, and so much more.

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This week, Tommy is joined by actor Michele Morrone who is currently starring in the long awaited movie ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR, with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. Michele’s breakthrough performance in the hit 365 DAYS franchise on Netflix catapulted him into international fame. Now some of the biggest directors and actors are lining up to work with this rising star in Hollywood. Today, Michele opens up about the impact that 365 DAYS had on his life, if he would have signed on to do those very steamy movies now, how he had to get used to losing his privacy, playing a goofy mafia boss in ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR, becoming best friends with Blake Lively, the prank he played on her when they began working together, a piece of advice that Blake gave to him that changed his outlook, how he’s the only Italian in the world that can burn pasta when boiling water, what we can expect with his other upcoming movie THE HOUSEMAID, why he loves playing characters that are so completely different from who he is, how he gets into some pretty dark mindsets for his roles, the new music that he’s been working on, why being “drunk on life” is the only way for him to live, the importance of giving yourself the opportunity to do the things in life that truly fulfill you, something that happened on set that he wants to apologize for, and so much more.
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This week, Tommy is joined by actress Madeline Brewer who is currently starring in the Netflix series YOU, opposite Penn Badgley. YOU is back for its fifth and final season and Madeline’s character finds herself as the new object of Joe’s affection. You also know and love Madeline from her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Janine in Hulu’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE, which is also out right now in its sixth and final season. It’s safe to say she is delivering some of the most powerful performances this spring in all of television. Today, Madeline opens up about the intensity of working on two hit shows that involve traumatic storylines, if she’s ever spoken to a therapist about her characters, being a super-fan of YOU before joining the final season, why she loves playing characters with some loose screws, what working on those intimate scenes with Penn was like, three ways anyone can outsmart Joe Goldberg, how she learned to feel comfortable enough to use her voice after feeling like she couldn’t earlier in her career, what it’s like being on a show that is analyzed and talked about across social media non-stop, why she wants Penn to win an Emmy for his portrayal of Joe, the actress she once fan-girled over at an audition, the truth about that fire red hairstyle in YOU, that iconic surprising moment for her character during this final season, the very real and important message behind the show, a dream project she would want to do next (hint: Christmas), that one celebrity that was on her birthday cake when she was 15, how she ended up in the Jersey Shore house at 2am, why the final episode of THE HANDMAID’S TALE is the most extraordinary episode of the entire series, and so much more.

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