Director/Writer/Producer Robert Cohen Shares Stories of Breaking Into Hollywood

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny Raphael Bob-Waksberg. His credits include The Exquisite Corpse Project and Olde English Comedy: Sketch Pilot and he's the creator of the hilarious new Netflix series BoJack Horseman. We talk about everything from Boy Meets World to being voted class clown to the inspiration for BoJack.

RAPHAEL BOB-WAKSBERG'S BIO

Raphael is the creator and executive producer of the new Netflix series BoJack Horseman. He was a founding member of the comedy group Olde English, whose viral videos appeared on Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Weekly's Must List, and who performed to sold-out crowds at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the San Francisco Sketchfest. Raphael co-wrote and appeared in the film The Exquisite Corpse Project, and wrote on a few TV shows that didn't last very long.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the multi-talented and kickass Steven Ho, whose credits include: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End," Conan," "Mortal Kombat," "Soundman," and "The Departed," just to name a few. We talk about everything from Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots to being discovered by Jet Li to the surprising weight of a ninja turtle half shell.

STEVEN HO’S BIO

Steven Ho was born in Indonesia, where his father taught at the University in Jakarta. At age four, his family immigrated to Los Angeles as political refugees. Ho began his formal martial arts training in Orange County as an adolescent, and excelled in Southern California’s very competitive karate circuit. Shortly out of high school and at his first National tournament, Ho was spotted by Jet Li and recruited into the stunt business.

Known as one of the first martial arts tricksters in open competitions (NASKA), Ho helped to popularize the 540 kick and the Hawkeye Kick in the mid-eighties and first gained worldwide recognition for his stunt work as “Donatello” in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (1991) and III (1993), and his role as “Chan” in Mortal Kombat (1995).

As a well regarded martial artist, action director, stuntman, and fight trainer in Hollywood, Ho works on a large number of high-profile film, television, commercial, and music video projects. He has privately trained many notable clients including Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, James Franco, Pierce Brosnan, Tobey Maguire, Pink, Method Man, Rachel Weisz, Gisele Bündchen, Josh Charles, Peter Krause, Bar Refaeli, Michael C. Hall, Brad Womack, Britney Spears.

As a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan, Ho’s popular and memorable stunt segments taught Conan the fine art of stunts and fighting.

Ho co-founded Plush Home, Inc., an all-encompassing interior design firm and furniture line, in 2003 with his wife, Nina Petronzio, American Interior Designer and Furniture Designer known for her high end Transitional Style designs. Plush Home has established itself as a top and high-end turnkey provider of home building and interior design services. It’s branded furniture line is housed in influential homes and hotels worldwide.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with writer/producer Andrew Weinberg whose credits include: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Eagleheart," "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" and "Nathan For You." We talk about everything from affecting politics in Finland to literally hanging overhead on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" to working with Chris Elliott.

ANDREW WEINBERG'S BIO

Andrew Weinberg was a staff writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien for a combined 9+ years. Most recently, he was a co-creator/writer/executive producer of Eagleheart starring Chris Elliott, which just completed its award-eligible third season on [adult swim]. He is a graduate of both high school and college.

I will be back soon with more fun interviews. In the meantime, my LA listeners should check out the 2nd Annual LA Scripted Comedy Fest at IO West this month. I'll be teaching a class on January 23.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny and talented Alison Becker. Her credits include: "Parks and Recreation," "Mayne Street," "The Newsroom," "The League," and "The Colbert Report," just to name a few. We talk about everything from playing a detective on several versions of "Law And Order" to apple boxes to how delightful it is to work with Amy Poehler.

ALISON BECKER'S BIO

Alison Becker is a comedian who plays Shauna-Malwae Tweep on NBC's Parks and Recreation. She can be seen as Sarah Morton in the Emmy-nominated ESPN webseries, Mayne Street, and she played Becky on the IFC improvised comedy Z Rock. Alison has also guest starred on FX's The League, Showtime's Californication, CBS's Rules of Engagement, NBC's Law and Order: SVU, and had a recurring role on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. She has appeared in sketches for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Pete Holmes Show, Human Giant, The Colbert Report, Kroll Show and Nick Swardson's Pretend Time. Recently, Alison played opposite Will Ferrell in a Funny or Die production, playing Ron Burgundy's girlfriend. As a VJ for Vh1 (and before that, for FUSE), Alison hosted her own weekly show. You may also remember her as one of the pranksters on MTV's hidden camera show, Boiling Points, or from one of a million Vh1 clip shows. Still not sure where you know her from? Maybe it's from Adult Swim's Newsreaders, or from her recurring role on Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom. Or maybe it's from The Other Guys, or from Above Average's webseries The Morning After (which was mentioned in USA Today's "must see" list of 2013). Or maybe you remember her from Dating Rules from my Future Self, one of the most viewed scripted webseries of all time. Or, maybe you just go to the same Starbucks... Alison has been involved with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre for over 10 years, on four different house teams, and in many other live shows. www.alisonbecker.com Twitter and Instagram: @thealisonbecker 

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very talented Maggie Kiley ("Brightest Star," "Some Boys Don't Leave," "We Own The Night," "All Good Things"). I first met Maggie at the Austin Film Festival, where her directorial feature debut, "Brightest Star," was premiering. Her feature film was inspired by her short film "Some Boys Don't Leave," which was a number one selling short film on iTunes. We talk about everything from her beginnings in backyard performances to taking part in AFI's prestigious Directing Workshop For Women to directing her first feature two months after giving birth to her second child.

BRIGHTEST STAR will be screening in theaters and digitally starting January 31.

MAGGIE KILEY'S BIO

Filmmaker and actress Maggie Kiley most recently directed and co-wrote the feature film BRIGHTEST STAR which was inspired by her award winning short film SOME BOYS DON’T LEAVE.  As a recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, BRIGHTEST STAR was shot on 35mm in New York City and stars Chris Lowell, Rose McIver, Jessica Szohr, Clark Gregg and Allison Janney.  BRIGHTEST STAR premiered at the Austin Film Festival and will be released theatrically and digitally in late January 2014.

Maggie was one of eight women selected to take part in American Film Institute’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women and it was through her participation in this program that she made SOME BOYS DON'T LEAVE.  Maggie received the Student Visionary Award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and the Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker at Palm Springs International Shortfest.  SOME BOYS DON'T LEAVE was the number one selling short film on Itunes for several weeks, has played at over 40 festivals and continues to screen both nationally and internationally.  Currently, Maggie is developing her second feature, Dial-a-Prayer, to shoot in Michigan in the Spring of 2014.  She is also attached to direct the film 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, based on the graphic novel from Oni Press/Closed on Mondays Entertainment.

As an actress, Maggie has appeared in film, television and on stage.  She has worked extensively at Atlantic Theater Company in New York where she is one of just 40 ensemble members.  Maggie received her BFA in Theater from New York University and was invited to join the critically acclaimed ensemble after graduating.  Maggie has been fortunate to work with such great film and television directors as James Gray, Lesli Linka Glatter, Daisy von Scherler Mayer and Documentarian Nathaniel Kahn.  She recently appeared in Andrew Jarecki's  ALL GOOD THINGS alongside Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella. 

You can find my podcast with Writer/Producer Andy Bobrow here.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny Andy Bobrow. Besides being a guy who knows how to play the tuba (yes, the tuba), Andy is also very talented when it comes to writing comedy. His TV credits include: "Community," "Malcolm In The Middle," "Save Me," and "Sons of Tucson." We talk about everything from writing ads for Nissan to performing with the Groundlings to working on "Community."

ANDY BOBROW'S BIO

Andy Bobrow began his television writing career on the hit Fox show “Malcolm in the Middle,” and worked most recently as a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the critically acclaimed NBC cult phenomenon “Community.” Other credits include ABC’s “Samantha Who,” Fox’s “Sons of Tucson,” and several other pilots and shows now lost to the scrap heap of tv history. Andy began his writing career in advertising, and is an alumnus of the Groundling Theater Sunday Company.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with writer/director Sanjeev Sirpal ("Screw Cupid," "iHeart," "Lovepocalypse,"). You can currently find one of his films, "Screw Cupid," on Sundance, IFC and Amazon. We talk about everything from writing about dirty cops to surviving working at an agency to directing an independent feature.

SANJEEV SIRPAL'S BIO

Sanjeev Sirpal, like 90 percent of all first generation Indian-Americans, was born near Chicago, IL and was immediately accepted into med-school. The details of his upbringing in sunny South Florida are captivating and poetic and were adapted into a series of successful films starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Since watching Back To The Future at an early age, Sanjeev always knew that he wanted to make movies, and drive a Delorean, and he has been obsessed with them (movies that is, Deloreans turn like they're underwater) ever since. He cannot ever remember where he parked but he can quote Spaceballs from start to finish. He broke up with a girlfriend on-site because she told him she didn't like The Matrix. The only movie he has ever cried at was Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. For some reason, when the ant was killed he lost it. It is still a touchy subject.

Sanjeev can discuss Roland Barthe's Third Meaning as it relates to cinema at length and at the same time, will always think that the word "poop" is funny.

After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in literary journalism and a minor in disappointing his parents, Sanjeev took a job with the Associated Press covering the Cops and Courts beat for the Southeast (lots and lots of meth labs). Sanjeev figured he had two choices: Go on a cross-country series of daring adventures, righting wrongs and capturing the hearts of women everywhere, or move to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer. Due to his aversion to planning and a small bladder, he chose the latter.

Sanjeev's first film, SCREW CUPID, a romantic comedy Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times called "crisply written and full of wit," and ReelTalk dubbed "a winner," was made for less than Chris Evans' codpiece budget for THE AVENGERS and screened at the Delray Beach International Film Festival (AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST FEATURE), Florida Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival before being purchased by the Sundance Channel and IFC.

When he's not writing, Sanjeev enjoys revising his bio and elaborately setting up carefully controlled, extreme backgrounds to make his profile pictures look badass.

In this podcast, I have the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Darryl Gudmundson. If you've ever laughed while watching a video on Funny Or Die, you probably owe that laugh to Darryl who serves as the Director of Digital Programming for the comedy site. We talk about everything from having Michael Shannon read a sorority girl's letter to Cat Video Festivals to meeting Will Ferrell. 

DARRYL GUDMUNSON'S BIO

Darryl Gudmundson is the Director of Digital Programming at Funny Or Die, where he oversees and curates FunnyOrDie.com. He also assists in the production of anywhere from 25-50 videos a month and is also a contributing producer of Funny Or Die's digital magazine, The Occasional. He can't be president because he was born in Costa Rica, he is a graduate of Ithaca College, currently resides in Los Angeles, loves the internet, music, taking pictures and high fiving.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with showrunner/writer/producer/actor Dave Finkel. Dave is a hilarious guy whose many TV credits include: "New Girl," "30 Rock," "Pinky And The Brain,"  "Animaniacs," "Just Shoot Me" and "United States Of Tara," just to name a few. We talk about everything from performing nude on stage to making the transition from animation to sitcoms to what goes into running a hit show like "New Girl."

DAVE FINKEL'S BIO